text:
CHD indicates coronary heart disease; CRF, cardiorespiratory fitness; CVD, cardiovascular disease; METs, metabolic equivalents; and RRs, risk ratios.
CHD indicates coronary heart disease; CI, confidence interval; CVD, cardiovascular disease; MAC, maximal aerobic capacity; MET, metabolic equivalent; RR, risk ratio. Area of each square is proportional to study weight.
CHD indicates coronary heart disease; CI, confidence interval; CRF, cardiorespiratory fitness; CVD, cardiovascular disease; MET, metabolic equivalent; NA, not available; RR, risk ratio. Low and high CRF categories were defined as less than 7.9 METs and 10.9 METs or more of maximal aerobic capacity, respectively, under the assumption that all participants were 50-year-old men. Crude and adjusted RR indicate RRs before and after adjustment for study heterogeneity among the subgroups, respectively.
CHD indicates coronary heart disease; CI, confidence interval; CRF, cardiorespiratory fitness; CVD, cardiovascular disease; Int, intermediate; MET, metabolic equivalent; NA, not available; RR, risk ratio. Low and intermediate CRF categories were defined as less than 7.9 METs and 7.9 to 10.8 METs of maximal aerobic capacity, respectively, under the assumption that all participants were 50-year-old men. Crude and adjusted RR indicate RRs before and after adjustment for study heterogeneity among the subgroups, respectively. The words first, second, third, and fourth in brackets represent comparisons between the lowest CRF category and the highest, second, third, or fourth CRF category in the relevant study.
CHD indicates coronary heart disease; CI, confidence interval; CRF, cardiorespiratory fitness; CVD, cardiovascular disease; Int, intermediate; MET, metabolic equivalent; NA, not available; RR, risk ratio. Intermediate and high CRF categories were defined as 7.9 to 10.8 METs and 10.9 METs or more of maximal aerobic capacity, respectively, under the assumption that all participants were 50-year-old men. Crude and adjusted RR indicate RRs before and after adjustment for study heterogeneity among the subgroups, respectively. The words second, third, and fourth in brackets represent comparisons between the second, third, or fourth highest CRF category and the highest CRF category in the relevant study.
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Kodama S, Saito K, Tanaka S, et al. Cardiorespiratory Fitness as a Quantitative Predictor of All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in Healthy Men and Women: A Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2009;301(19):2024–2035. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.681
© 2023
Author Affiliations: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tsukuba Institute of Clinical Medicine, Ibaraki (Drs Kodama, Saito, Shimano, Yamada, and Sone, and Mss Maki, Yachi, Asumi, Sugawara, and Totsuka); Department of Clinical Trial, Design, and Management, Translational Research Center, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto (Dr Tanaka); and Department of Biostatistic, Epidemiology, and Preventive Health Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Dr Ohashi), Japan.
Context Epidemiological studies have indicated an inverse association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and coronary heart disease (CHD) or all-cause mortality in healthy participants.
Objective To define quantitative relationships between CRF and CHD events, cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, or all-cause mortality in healthy men and women.
Data Sources and Study Selection A systematic literature search was conducted for observational cohort studies using MEDLINE (1966 to December 31, 2008) and EMBASE (1980 to December 31, 2008). The Medical Subject Headings search terms used included exercise tolerance, exercise test, exercise/physiology, physical fitness, oxygen consumption, cardiovascular diseases, myocardial ischemia, mortality, mortalities, death, fatality, fatal, incidence, or morbidity. Studies reporting associations of baseline CRF with CHD events, CVD events, or all-cause mortality in healthy participants were included.
Data Extraction Two authors independently extracted relevant data. CRF was estimated as maximal aerobic capacity (MAC) expressed in metabolic equivalent (MET) units. Participants were categorized as low CRF (<7.9 METs), intermediate CRF (7.9-10.8 METs), or high CRF (≥10.9 METs). CHD and CVD were combined into 1 outcome (CHD/CVD). Risk ratios (RRs) for a 1-MET higher level of MAC and for participants with lower vs higher CRF were calculated with a random-effects model.
Data Synthesis Data were obtained from 33 eligible studies (all-cause mortality, 102 980 participants and 6910 cases; CHD/CVD, 84 323 participants and 4485 cases). Pooled RRs of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD events per 1-MET higher level of MAC (corresponding to 1-km/h higher running/jogging speed) were 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84-0.90) and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.82-0.88), respectively. Compared with participants with high CRF, those with low CRF had an RR for all-cause mortality of 1.70 (95% CI, 1.51-1.92; P < .001) and for CHD/CVD events of 1.56 (95% CI, 1.39-1.75; P < .001), adjusting for heterogeneity of study design. Compared with participants with intermediate CRF, those with low CRF had an RR for all-cause mortality of 1.40 (95% CI, 1.32-1.48; P < .001) and for CHD/CVD events of 1.47 (95% CI, 1.35-1.61; P < .001), adjusting for heterogeneity of study design.
Conclusions Better CRF was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD. Participants with a MAC of 7.9 METs or more had substantially lower rates of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD events compared with those with a MAC of less 7.9 METs.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of disability and premature death throughout the world.1 Epidemiological studies have demonstrated an inverse association between physical fitness and the incidence of CHD or all-cause mortality in healthy or asymptomatic participants. Physical fitness is typically expressed as cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and is assessed by exercise tolerance testing2; however, it is rare for clinicians to consider CRF when evaluating future risk of CHD.3
A major reason for lack of consideration of CRF as a marker of CHD risk may be that the quantitative association of CRF for cardiovascular risk is not well established. The degree of risk reduction associated with each incremental higher level of CRF, the criteria for low CRF, and the magnitude of risk associated with low CRF have been inconsistent among studies. Our goal of this meta-analysis was to systematically review the quantitative relationship between CRF and all-cause mortality and CHD or cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in healthy individuals.
The meta-analysis was conducted according to the checklist of the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology.4 We performed a systematic literature search of MEDLINE (1966 to December 31, 2008) and EMBASE (1980 to December 31, 2008) for observational cohort studies. Three search themes were combined using the Boolean operator and. The first keywords were related to CRF (combined exploded versions of the Medical Subject Headings [MeSH] as follows: exercise tolerance OR exercise test OR exercise/physiology OR physical fitness OR oxygen consumption); the second keywords were related to the outcome of this meta-analysis (combined unexploded version of MeSH [cardiovascular diseases] or the exploded version of MeSH [myocardial ischemia]) or the following text words (mortality OR mortalities OR death OR fatality OR fatal OR incidence* OR event* OR morbidity); and the third keywords were related to risk estimates (combined text words as follows: regression analysis OR regression model* OR statistical regression* OR logistic regression* OR logit regression* OR logistic model* OR logit model* OR Cox model OR hazard model OR odds ratio* OR ORs OR relative odds OR risk ratio* OR relative risk* OR RRs). We also included studies published in non-English language. In addition, we searched the reference lists of all identified relevant publications.
We included papers if (1) CRF was assessed by an exercise stress test; (2) the association of CRF with all-cause mortality and with CHD or CVD was evaluated; (3) CRF could be assessed as maximal aerobic capacity (MAC), expressed in units of metabolic equivalents (METs), which is defined as the ratio of intensity of physical activity to that of sitting at rest; and (4) risk ratios (RRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) relating to each category of MAC were reported or could be calculated. We excluded studies that were intended only for patients having a specific disease that presented a major risk factor, such as diabetes, hypertension, and familial hypercholesteremia, as well as studies that included patients with CHD or chronic heart failure.
To avoid double counting of a cohort, study selection was limited to a single set of results when multiple publications were available for a single observational study. The first priority for selection was the study with the longest follow-up and the second was the study with full cohort analysis covering the largest number of participants among articles from a single cohort. We conducted 2 separate meta-analyses for risk of all-cause mortality and CHD or CVD in relation to CRF. When an individual study provided data on both CHD or myocardial infarction (MI) and CVD,5-7 priority for data abstraction was given to CVD because CVD is more comprehensive than CHD and MI. Similarly, if data on both events and deaths were provided,6,8,9 priority was given to events.
We combined CHD and CVD into 1 outcome (CHD/CVD), which included studies whose outcome was a CVD event, CVD death, CHD event, or CHD death, because the number of eligible studies included was limited. Although criteria for the end point in CHD varied from study to study, the end points that we specified as CHD outcome in our meta-analysis were (1) death from MI; (2) death from CHD including MI; and (3) a CHD event, a term which meant either death from CHD, sudden cardiac death, occurrence of nonfatal CHD, or nonfatal MI. Additionally, we included studies whose outcome was either CVD death (ie, encompassing death from cardiovascular causes other than CHD) or CVD events (ie, lumping together fatal and nonfatal CVD).
Data abstracted were the first author's name, year of publication, country of origin, specific outcomes, duration of follow-up, methods for outcome assessment, instrument or methods for measurement of CRF, whether maximal exercise testing (defined as instructing participants to continue exercise until their maximal workload) was conducted, mean of participants' age, proportion of men, number of participants and number of new cases (ie, deaths or events) during the observational periods, adjusted variables, and whether participants with abnormal electrocardiogram findings (ie, ST elevation/depression) during exercise testing were included. Two of our investigators (S. Kodama and H. Sone) independently reviewed each published paper and extracted relevant information. Any disagreement was resolved by consensus.
In studies using CRF as a categorical variable, we standardized all reported RRs into comparison of the risk of the lower CRF group with that in the higher CRF group. Therefore, when the lowest CRF group was referent, we converted the reported RR into its reciprocal. When a study provided several RRs, such as unadjusted and adjusted RRs, the most completely adjusted RR was used. The standard error (SE) of each RR was derived from 95% CIs or P values. If data related to RR and its corresponding SE were not provided, their value was directly calculated using data on the number of participants (P) and new cases (C) of risk and the reference (ref) groups in each comparison, using the equation:
RR = [(Crisk/Prisk)/(Cref/Pref)], SE2 = [(1/Crisk)−(1/Prisk)]+[(1/Cref)−(1/Pref)].
The MAC was calculated from the exercise workload at the termination of exercise testing and relative exercise intensity (ie, proportion of the workload to MAC). The exercise workload was converted into MET units (1 MET corresponds to 3.5 mL/min/kg of oxygen consumption [O2]), according to the Metabolic Calculation Handbook by the American College of Sports Medicine.10 Relative exercise intensity was estimated using a linear equation according to Swain et al11:
heart rate at exercise/maximal heart rate = 0.64 × (O2 at exercise/maximal O2).
For some specific exercise stress tests, the MAC was directly estimated using the prediction equation determined by a previous validation study for each protocol of the exercise test (the Balke treadmill test,12,13 the modified Bruce test,14 and the Canadian Home Fitness test15).
When exposure was expressed as a range, we converted it into point estimates expressed as average exposure using the midpoint of the range except for the lowest and highest fit group. If data on the average value were not available, it was estimated by the assumption that the MAC levels of the study population had a normal distribution using the mean value and its SD of each study sample. This assumption is consistent with a prior study.16 However, if the SD was not available, we assumed that its value equaled 2 METs, according to the statement of the American Heart Association.17
After converting all exposures into MET units, we additionally adjusted MET units for age and sex. According to a Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association,17 we assumed that the MAC is 2 METs lower in women than in men and that for each year of aging, it decreased by 0.1 MET based on a prior study.18 Finally, we represented CRF as the adjusted MAC under the assumption that all participants were 50-year-old men in the analyses described below.
We first performed dose-response analyses by summarizing how much risk reduction could be predicted per incremental increase in CRF. The study-specific RR for each higher MET (corresponding to 1-km/h higher running/jogging speed) in MAC, if not reported, was estimated by regressing the natural logarithm of the RR (lnRR) according to each CRF category against its corresponding mean MAC value, using the method described by Greenland and Longnecker.19
We then performed categorical analyses to summarize the risk of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD for low CRF. We assigned every RR reported in each study to 1 of the following 3 comparisons based on the CRF level of risk and reference group: (1) low vs high CRF, (2) low vs intermediate CRF, and (3) intermediate vs high CRF. This method is based on a previous meta-analysis of the relationship between activity level and stroke risk.20 For studies that presented risk estimates for more than 2 CRF categories, the ranges of the adjusted MAC of the lowest, highest, and in-between categories defined by each study were 5.5 to 7.8, 11.0 to 15.2, and 7.9 to 10.7 METs, respectively; except that in 2 studies,21,22 the second highest category of CRF was more than 11.0 METs and, in 1 study,7 the highest category of CRF was 10.6 METs.
To avoid overlap of the CRF range of the 3 categories, we defined low, intermediate, and high CRF as less than 7.9 METs, 7.9 to 10.8 METs, and 10.9 METs or more, respectively. Consequently, we could assign every RR in each study to 1 of the 3 predefined subgroups with 2 exceptions. In 2 studies,21,22 the mean MAC values for both the highest and the second highest category were the same as the high CRF category (defined by ≥10.9 METs). Therefore, RR data for comparison between 2 CRF categories could not be included in our categorical analysis for these 2 studies.
The pooled RRs for a 1-MET higher level of MAC and the lower CRF in comparison with the higher CRF within each of the 3 comparisons were estimated by using a fixed-effects or random-effects model.23 If significant heterogeneity of RRs that was tested by calculating the I2 statistic24 was present, we chose the pooled estimates from the random-effects model because it is better than the fixed-effects model and it explains between-study heterogeneity.
To examine the effect of study characteristics on risk reduction per 1-MET higher level of MAC, sensitivity analyses were conducted for the possible confounders (mean age [≥50 years or not], sex [only men or not], adjustment for smoking [yes or no], adjustment for multiple confounders, defined as adjustment for >3 factors among obesity, hypertension, total cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and diabetes [yes or no], mean follow-up [≥12 years or <12 years], instrument for assessing CRF [ergometer or others], and maximal exercise testing [yes or no]). To examine the extent to which between-study heterogeneity was explained by these study characteristics, we additionally conducted linear multiple regression analyses by simultaneously entering these confounders as explanatory variables.
Categorical analyses were repeated with multiadjustment for the prespecified confounders to consider the potential heterogeneity of study characteristics among the subgroups (ie, low vs high CRF, low vs intermediate CRF, and intermediate vs high CRF). Tests of interaction were performed to assess whether the association between CRF and the study outcomes varied across these 3 subgroups.
The Begg and Egger tests25,26 were used for assessment of publication bias (ie, the tendency for positive associations to be published and negative or null associations to be unpublished). We also followed the Duval and Tweedie "trim and fill" procedure27 as a method of adjustment for suspected publication bias. This method considers the possibility of hypothetical "missing" studies that might exist, imputes their RRs, and recalculates a pooled RR that incorporates the hypothetical missing studies as though they actually existed.
Two-sided P ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant, except for the test of publication bias for which the recommended levels are P ≤ .10.28 Data were analyzed using STATA version 10 (STATA Corp, College Station, Texas).
Figure 1 shows the number of studies that were identified and excluded at different stages of the selection process. A total of 33 studies5-9,16,21,22,29-53 were included in our meta-analysis. Characteristics of the 33 selected studies comprising 102 980 participants (range, 486-25 341) and 6910 cases (range, 26-941) for all-cause mortality and 84 323 participants (range, 302-20 278) and 4485 cases (range, 10-1512) for CHD/CVD are shown in Table 1. Twenty-one studies5,6,8,9,16,21,22,29,30,32,36,38,39,42,44-47,50,51,53 reported all-cause mortality and 24 studies5-9,21,22,31-37,39-41,43,46,48-52 reported CVD/CHD. Mean age and follow-up duration ranged from 37 to 57 years and 1.1 to 26 years, respectively. Eight studies8,33,37,39,45,46,49,52 were used for the dose-response analyses only and 4 studies9,16,40,44 were used for the categorical analyses only. In 20 studies,5,7-9,16,21,22,30,32,33,37-39,44-46,48,50,52,53 RRs were adjusted for smoking and in 9 studies,7-9,16,33,39,46,50,52 there were multiple study confounders (see eTable).
Figure 2 shows the pooled estimates for the reduction in risk of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD per higher MET of exercise capacity. Pooled RRs of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD per 1-MET higher level of MAC were 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.90) and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.82-0.88), respectively. There was evidence of statistical heterogeneity of RRs across studies (I2 = 82.3%; P < .001 for all-cause mortality; I2 = 74.7%; P < .001 for CHD/CVD).
Table 2 shows the results of analyses investigating the associations of study characteristics on each outcome. Quiz Ref IDThe finding of risk reduction per higher MET for all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD was consistently significant in all of the stratified analyses. However, studies with a follow-up of at least 12 years had weaker associations with study outcomes compared with those that had follow-up of less than 12 years for all-cause mortality (P = .08) and CHD/CVD events (P = .004). The associations between CRF and risk of CHD/CVD events were stronger in studies that used an ergometer for assessing CRF (P = .009) or conducted maximal exercise testing (P = .02) and were weaker in studies that were adjusted for smoking (P = .006) or multiple metabolic factors (P = .06). However, these study characteristics did not influence the associations between MAC and risk of all-cause mortality.
Multiple regression analyses in which all the study characteristics listed in Table 2 were entered as independent variables indicated that study characteristics significantly explained the heterogeneity of the RRs per 1-MET higher level of MAC (all-cause mortality, 79% of total variance; P = .01; and CHD/CVD, 67% of total variance; P = .01). After adjustment for these study characteristics, there were neither significant differences in risk estimates of CHD/CVD between CHD and CVD (0.89; 95% CI, 0.86-0.92 and 0.89; 95% CI, 0.87-0.90, respectively; P = .99) nor between CHD or CVD death and CHD or CVD events (0.88; 95% CI, 0.86-0.90 and 0.90; 95% CI, 0.88-0.91, respectively; P = .27).
We performed categorical analyses to summarize the risk of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD for 3 subgroups (low vs high CRF [Figure 3], low vs intermediate CRF [Figure 4], and intermediate vs high CRF [Figure 5]). After adjustment for heterogeneity of study characteristics and Quiz Ref IDcompared with high and intermediate CRF, respectively, the pooled RRs for the association of low CRF with all-cause mortality were 1.70 (95% CI, 1.51-1.92) and 1.56 (95% CI, 1.39-1.75), respectively. After adjustment for heterogeneity and compared with high and intermediate CRF, respectively, the pooled RRs for the association of low CRF with CHD/CVD events were 1.40 (95% CI, 1.32-1.48) and 1.47 (95% CI, 1.35-1.61), respectively. The pooled RRs for the associations of intermediate CRF with all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD events compared with high CRF were 1.13 (95% CI, 1.04-1.22) and 1.07 (95% CI, 1.01-1.13), respectively. However, tests of the interaction indicated that these estimates for comparisons between intermediate and high risk were significantly lower than for those between low vs high CRF and low vs intermediate CRF (P < .001 for any comparisons). Tests of interaction also indicated that there were no significant differences in risk estimates for low vs high CRF compared with low vs intermediate CRF (all-cause mortality, P = .28; CHD/CVD, P = .33).
In risk estimates per 1-MET higher level of MAC, there was a statistically significant publication bias according to Egger test (all-cause mortality, P = .002; CHD/CVD, P = .02). However, adjustment for publication bias by the trim and fill procedure could not detect hypothetical negative unpublished studies that could influence the study. In some of the categorical analyses, statistically significant publication bias was also observed in risk estimates after adjustment for heterogeneity of study characteristics (pooled RR of all-cause mortality for low vs high CRF and low vs intermediate CRF, P = .03 by Egger test and P = .03 by Begg test, respectively; pooled RR of CHD/CVD for low vs intermediate CRF, P < .001 by Egger test). After incorporating the hypothetical studies using trim and fill methods, the risk estimates were attenuated in risk of all-cause mortality for low vs high CRF (RR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.31-1.68) and low vs intermediate CRF (RR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.18-1.54), and CHD/CVD for low vs high CRF (RR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.30-1.45), which suggested the existence of potentially negative studies. Nevertheless, these biases did not change the general conclusions.
Our meta-analysis is the first to our knowledge to quantify CRF as measured by METs, which is a standard scale for expressing exercise workload, and its relationship to all-cause mortality and CHD or CVD events in healthy men and women. According to the dose-response analyses, a 1-MET higher level of MAC was associated with 13% and 15% decrements in risk of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD, respectively. From the clinical viewpoint, these values may be considerable. For example, based on risk estimates of the components of metabolic syndrome according to the National Cholesterol Education Program,54Quiz Ref IDthese findings suggest that a 1-MET higher level of MAC is comparable to a 7-cm, 5-mm Hg, 1-mmol/L, and 1-mmol/L decrement in waist circumference,55 systolic blood pressure,56 triglyceride level (in men),57 and fasting plasma glucose,58 respectively, and a 0.2-mmol/L increment in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.59 It is possible that prediction of CHD risk could be improved by including CRF with already established risk factors for CHD.
In categorical analyses, Quiz Ref IDindividuals with low CRF (<7.9 METs in MAC) had a substantially higher risk of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD compared with those with intermediate and high CRF (7.9-10.8 and ≥10.9 METs in MAC, respectively). These risk estimates were higher than those for individuals with intermediate CRF compared with those with high CRF, according to the test of interaction. These analyses suggest that a minimal CRF of 7.9 METs may be important for significant prevention of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD. A previous review suggested that physical activity yielding 1000 kcal energy expenditure per week is needed for significant risk reduction of all-cause mortality.60 However, using CRF may be preferable to using physical activity as risk predictors because 1 prior study61 suggested that physical fitness was more strongly correlated with CHD than physical activity.
According to the results reported herein, the minimum CRF level that is associated with significantly lower event rates for men and women is approximately 9 and 7 METs (at 40 years old), 8 and 6 METs (at 50 years), and 7 and 5 METs (at 60 years), respectively. This means that women and men younger than 60 years would need to complete stage I (1.7 mph at gradient 10°) and stage II (2.5 mph at gradient 12°), respectively, of the standard Bruce protocol, which is one of the most commonly used treadmill tests in clinical settings.14 If the CRF level is Quiz Ref IDexpressed in terms of walking speed, men around 50 years of age must be capable of continuous walking at a speed of 4 mph and women must continuously walk at 3 mph for prevention of CHD,17 with the assumption that the anaerobic threshold is 50% to 60% of MAC.62 It is possible that consideration of low CRF as a major coronary risk factor could be put into practical use in the clinical setting through identification of low exercise tolerance by exercise stress testing or in daily life by the speed at which a person can walk before experiencing exhaustion.
Some cross-sectional population studies have suggested that higher aerobic fitness is associated with more favorable coronary or cardiovascular risk factor profiles63,64; therefore, the association between CRF and the risk of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD could potentially be explained by residual confounding by established risk factors. Our sensitivity analyses indicated that a weaker association was observed between a 1-MET higher level of MAC and risk reduction of CHD/CVD, but not all-cause mortality, in studies with adjustment for smoking or more comprehensive risk factors. This finding suggests that better CRF is independently associated with longevity, while the inverse association between CRF and risk of CHD/CVD is explained partly by established coronary risk factors.
Limitations of this meta-analysis must be considered. First, a possible misclassification bias might affect our results. Misclassification bias could occur in transforming the reported CRF data into MET units. However, all of the prediction equations used in our analyses for estimating MAC have already been validated and are commonly used. Another possible misclassification bias is due to the fact that the definitions of low, intermediate, and high CRF were fundamentally based on study-specific CRF classifications, which varied from study to study but were not based on a standard cutoff. Fortunately, we could assign every exposure in each study to 1 of the 3 categories, which did not overlap with few exceptions, although MAC values in each category are approximately 1 MET smaller than those based on a general standard (eg, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey65). Therefore, the possibility of misclassification bias due to those 2 reasons should be limited. Second, Begg or Egger tests suggested publication bias. However, trim and fill analyses to incorporate potentially existing negative studies did not change the general result, although the risk estimates were moderately attenuated. Nevertheless, this possibility was not fully excluded by this analysis.
Based on the findings of our meta-analysis, we suggest for future research (1) further development of a CHD prediction algorithm (eg, Framingham Scores66) that would consider both CRF and the classical coronary risk factors to allow physicians to use CRF as a major risk factor in clinical settings; (2) cost-effectiveness of exercise testing for assessing CRF from the viewpoint of primary prevention of all-cause mortality and CHD; and (3) a clinical trial to determine whether an intervention that improves CRF by exercise reduces the risk of all-cause mortality and CHD.
In conclusion, better CRF was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD. A 1-MET higher level of MAC was associated with a 13% and 15% risk reduction of all-cause mortality and CHD/CVD, respectively. The minimal MAC value for substantial risk reduction in persons aged 50 (SD, 10) years was estimated to be 8 (SD, 1) METs for men and 6 (SD, 1) METs for women. We suggest that CRF, which can be readily assessed by an exercise stress test, could be useful for prediction of CHD/CVD and all-cause mortality risk in a primary care medical practice.
Corresponding Author: Hirohito Sone, MD, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tsukuba Institute of Clinical Medicine, 3-2-7 Miya-machi, Mito, Ibaraki 310-0015, Japan (email@example.com).
Author Contributions: Dr Sone had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
Study concept and design: Kodama, Saito, Maki, Yamada, Sone.
Acquisition of data: Kodama, Yachi, Sugawara, Totsuka.
Analysis and interpretation of data: Kodama, Tanaka, Asumi, Shimano, Ohashi, Yamada, Sone.
Drafting of the manuscript: Kodama, Maki, Sone.
Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Kodama, Saito, Tanaka, Yachi, Asumi, Sugawara, Totsuka, Shimano, Ohashi, Yamada, Sone.
Statistical analysis: Kodama, Saito, Tanaka, Ohashi, Sone.
Obtained funding: Sone.
Administrative, technical, or material support: Kodama, Saito, Tanaka, Maki, Yachi, Asumi, Sugawara, Totsuka, Shimano, Ohashi, Sone.
Study supervision: Yamada, Sone.
Financial Disclosures: None reported.
Funding/Support: Drs Kodama and Sone are recipients of a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research and Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, respectively, both from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). This study was also supported by Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan.
Role of the Sponsors: The research organizations providing funding support did not have any role in the design and conduct of the study, in the correction, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data, or in the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.


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FBI found 'bucket of heads, arms and legs,' bodies sewn together at Arizona body donation facility
**The details in this story/video may be considered graphic or disturbing to some**
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- A lawsuit testimony provides gruesome details of a FBI raid in which agents found buckets full of body parts and a body made of sewn-together parts from different people that was hung up on a wall at an Arizona body donation center.
According to KTVK, the FBI raided the Biological Resource Center (BRC), located in Phoenix, in 2014 as part of a multi-state human body parts trafficking raid.
One agent claimed he found "a cooler filled with male genitalia," "a bucket of heads, arms, and legs," "infected heads," and "a small woman's head sewn onto a large male torso like Frankenstein and hung up on the wall," the news outlet reports.
The lawsuit also says bodies were cut apart using chainsaws and bandsaws and that pools of blood and bodily fluids were found on the freezer floor.
"This is a horror story. It's just unbelievable! This story is unbelievable," said Troy Harp, who is one of over 30 plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the facility.
Harp donated his mother and grandmother to the BRC in 2012 and 2013 with the understanding that their bodies would be used for scientific purposes.
Harp told the news outlet he received his mother's ashes via mail but now isn't sure they're really hers. Adding that his mother and grandmother wanted to help advance medical research, however he doesn't believe their bodies ever made it out of the BRC.
He is also calling for stricter regulations on these types of facilities.
BRC owner, Stephen Gore, reportedly pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise. He was sentenced to one year of deferred jail time and four years probation.

subset: commoncrawl


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Once again, The Calgary Airport Authority is pleased to be on the list of Alberta's Top Employers. This prestigious list recognizes employers that are leaders in offering exceptional places to work. This is the fifth time that the Authority has been acknowledged for cultivating a vibrant work environment.
"It is a tremendous honour to be recognized as a leading employer of choice in Alberta," said Cynthia Tremblay, Vice President of Human Resources for The Calgary Airport Authority. "This recognition celebrates the wealth of programs we offer, as well as an exceptional work environment that helps us attract and retain some of Alberta's best talent. We look forward to continuing to work with our employees to further develop our innovative programming and unique corporate culture."
Being named a top employer reflects the Authority's commitment to invest in its people. As a key part of its strategy in developing Alberta's aviation hub, the Authority believes that employees play an important role in the growth of YYC. The Authority's key employee offerings include: ongoing professional development, an employee-led community engagement program, a robust benefits and pension program, social opportunities, meaningful student work opportunities, and a peer-to-peer recognition program.
The Calgary Airport Authority is a not-for-profit, non-share capital corporation incorporated under the Alberta Regional Airports Authorities Act. Since 1992, it has been responsible for the management, maintenance and development of Calgary International Airport and Springbank Airport (1997) under long-term lease from the Government of Canada.
e: infocentre@yyct: 403 735 1234SRV Canada VRS© Calgary Airport Authority - All rights reserved
e: infocentre@yyc | t: 403 735 1234 | SRV Canada VRS | © Calgary Airport Authority - All rights reserved


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When choosing any kind of clothes,one of the most important factors to consider is the color. For instance, color pink best suits a baby girl. Blue is the obvious color for a baby boy. Each color has different meanings. Leather jackets also come in different colors and the colors have various meanings. Black leather jackets are popular. The color black is so trendy.
Most people prefer the color black. In fact many people own a black leather jacket. The color black goes with anything and it looks amazing. There is something about a person wearing a black leather jacket. It just catches the eye. It gives a mysterious look to the person wearing it. Black is an amazing color and many people love it. If you need a clean cut appearance then this is for you. .
The cure for people who are always worried about their appearane is a black leather jacket.. People who throw on a pair of faded blue jeans along with a white t shirt just look and feel amazing. Add some sporty shoes and they are lookin like a million bucks. Black leather jackets can also be worn with shorts if you like. There is just something about a black leather jacket. It has that sex appeal.
Black leather jackets can be worn by both men and women. The major difference between mens leather jackets and womens leather jackets is the style. Both men and women wear black leather jackets. If you like to feel in charge and powerful then a black leather jacket is for you.
Black leather jackets make men look more masculine and they come in a variety of different styles. Some leather jackets come with two zipper pockets chest level. Women seem to love to rest there heads on a man wearing a black leather jacket. That will always be the case.
Usually womens black leather jackets are more revealing. Not so revealing that the women remains cold. Her character and attitude will still show through even though she is wearing a jacket. These jackets are fashioned in such a way that they flaunt the womens figure. It must trace the sexy figure of the ladies body. Women always want to look beautiful and be appreciated.
Both men and women can look stylish and sexy with a black leather jacket. It gives them grace and attitude that makes them sexy looking. For people who want to appear like a million dollars and give off a great first impression, black leather jackets is the only choice.


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Embroidered Items Blazer Badges
Blazer Badges
Art # : TRB-06
Badges according to the design and Artwork, are made on the Blazer/Velvet cloth. Embroidery is done with
gold/silver Zari (Bullion). The badges are specially made for High fashion, Sports Club, Golf Club, Sailing & Yacht Club, Country Club, Shooting Club, Football Club, Army, Navy, Air force, Schools, Collages, Churches etc.
These are just some designs to give an idea towards our products range. There are hundreds of design,
which couldnt be displayed.


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PC Card
|Year created
|Created by
|Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
|Superseded by
|ExpressCard (2003)
|Width in bits
|16 or 32
|No. of devices
|1 per slot
|133 MB/s[citation needed]
|Hotplugging interface
|External interface
In computing, PC Card is a configuration for computer parallel communication peripheral interface, designed for laptop computers. Originally introduced as PCMCIA, the PC Card standard as well as its successors like CardBus were defined and developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA).
Although originally designed as a standard for memory-expansion cards for computer storage, the existence of a usable general standard for notebook peripherals led to the development of many kinds of devices including network cards, modems, and hard disks.
The PCMCIA 1.0 card standard was published by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association in November 1990 and was soon adopted by more than eighty vendors.[1] [2] It corresponds with the Japanese JEIDA memory card 4.0 standard.[2]
SanDisk (operating at the time as "SunDisk") launched its PCMCIA card in October 1992. The company was the first to introduce a writeable Flash RAM card for the HP 95LX (an early MS-DOS pocket computer). These cards conformed to a supplemental PCMCIA-ATA standard that allowed them to appear as more conventional IDE hard drives to the 95LX or a PC. This had the advantage of raising the upper limit on capacity to the full 32 MB available under DOS 3.22 on the 95LX.[3]
New Media Corporation was one of the first companies established for the express purpose of manufacturing PC Cards; they became a major OEM for laptop manufacturers such as Toshiba and Compaq for PC Card products.[4]
It soon became clear that the PCMCIA card standard needed expansion to support "smart" I/O cards to address the emerging need for fax, modem, LAN, harddisk and floppy disk cards.[1] It also needed interrupt facilities and hot plugging, which required the definition of new BIOS and operating system interfaces.[1] This led to the introduction of release 2.0 of the PCMCIA standard and JEIDA 4.1 in September 1991,[1][2] which saw corrections and expansion with Card Services (CS) in the PCMCIA 2.1 standard in November 1992.[1][2]
Many notebooks in the 1990s had two adjacent type-II slots, which allowed installation of two type-II cards or one, double-thickness, type-III card. The cards were also used in early digital SLR cameras, such as the Kodak DCS 300 series. However, their original use as storage expansion is no longer common.
The PC Card port has been superseded by the ExpressCard interface since 2003, though some manufacturers such as Dell continued to offer them into 2012 on their ruggedized XFR notebooks.[5]
As of 2013[update], some vehicles from Honda equipped with a navigation system still included a PC Card reader integrated into the audio system.
Some Japanese brand consumer entertainment devices such as TV sets include a PC Card slot for playback of media.[6]
- PC Card = PCMCIA Card (older name): 16-bit or 32-bit
- PC Card 32-bit version = CardBus (alternative name)
- 16-bit vs. 32-bit: 32 bit includes DMA or bus mastering, 16-bit does not
- Types I–III:
- Type I: 16-bit. Configuration thickness 3.3 mm
- Type II: 16-bit or 32-bit. Configuration thickness 5.0 mm
- Type III: 16-bit or 32-bit. Configuration thickness 10.5 mm
- PC Card was superseded by ExpressCard in 2003.
PCMCIA stands for Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, the group of companies that defined the standard. This acronym was difficult to say and remember, and was sometimes jokingly referred to as "People Can't Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms".[7] To recognize increased scope beyond memory, and to aid in marketing, the association acquired the rights to the simpler term "PC Card" from IBM. This was the name of the standard from version 2 of the specification onwards. These cards were used for wireless networks, modems, and other functions in notebook PCs.
Card types[edit]
All PC Card devices use a similar sized package which is 85.6 millimetres (3.37 in) long and 54.0 millimetres (2.13 in) wide, the same size as a credit card.[8] The shape is also used by the Common Interface form of conditional-access modules for DVB, and by Panasonic for their professional "P2" video acquisition memory cards.
The original standard was defined for both 5 V and 3.3 volt cards, with 3.3 V cards having a key on the side to prevent them from being inserted fully into a 5 V-only slot. Some cards and some slots operate at both voltages as needed. The original standard was built around an 'enhanced' 16-bit ISA bus platform. A newer version of the PCMCIA standard is CardBus (see below), a 32-bit version of the original standard. In addition to supporting a wider bus of 32 bits (instead of the original 16), CardBus also supports bus mastering and operation speeds up to 33 MHz.
Type I[edit]
Cards designed to the original specification (PCMCIA 1.0) are type I and have a 16-bit interface. They are 3.3 millimetres (0.13 in) thick and have a dual row of 34 holes (68 in total) along a short edge as a connecting interface. Type-I PC Card devices are typically used for memory devices such as RAM, flash memory, OTP (One-Time Programmable), and SRAM cards.
Type II[edit]
Type-II and above PC Card devices use two rows of 34 sockets, and have a 16- or 32-bit interface. They are 5.0 millimetres (0.20 in) thick. Type-II cards introduced I/O support, allowing devices to attach an array of peripherals or to provide connectors/slots to interfaces for which the host computer had no built-in support.
For example, many modem, network, and TV cards accept this configuration. Due to their thinness, most Type II interface cards have miniature interface connectors on the card connecting to a dongle, a short cable that adapts from the card's miniature connector to an external full-size connector. Some cards instead have a lump on the end with the connectors. This is more robust and convenient than a separate adapter but can block the other slot where slots are present in a pair. Some Type II cards, most notably network interface and modem cards, have a retractable jack, which can be pushed into the card and will pop out when needed, allowing insertion of a cable from above. When use of the card is no longer needed, the jack can be pushed back into the card and locked in place, protecting it from damage. Most network cards have their jack on one side, while most modems have their jack on the other side, allowing the use of both at the same time as they do not interfere with each other. Wireless Type II cards often had a plastic shroud that jutted out from the end of the card to house the antenna.
In the mid-90s, PC Card Type II hard disk drive cards became available; previously, PC Card hard disk drives were only available in Type III.[9]
Type III[edit]
Type-III PC Card devices are 16-bit or 32-bit. These cards are 10.5 millimetres (0.41 in) thick, allowing them to accommodate devices with components that would not fit type I or type II height. Examples are hard disk drive cards,[8] and interface cards with full-size connectors that do not require dongles (as is commonly required with type II interface cards).
Type IV[edit]
Type-IV cards, introduced by Toshiba, were not officially standardized or sanctioned by the PCMCIA. These cards are 16 millimetres (0.63 in) thick.
CompactFlash is a smaller dimensioned 50 pin subset of the 68 pin PC Card interface. It requires a setting for the interface mode of either "memory" or "ATA storage".
Card information structure[edit]
The card information structure (CIS) is metadata stored on a PC card that contains information about the formatting and organization of the data on the card.[10] The CIS also contains information such as:
- Type of card
- Supported power supply options
- Supported power saving capabilities
- Manufacturer
- Model number
When a card is unrecognized it is frequently because the CIS information is either lost or damaged.
CardBus are PCMCIA 5.0 or later (JEIDA 4.2 or later) 32-bit PCMCIA devices, introduced in 1995 and present in laptops from late 1997 onward. CardBus is effectively a 32-bit, 33 MHz PCI bus in the PC Card design. CardBus supports bus mastering, which allows a controller on the bus to talk to other devices or memory without going through the CPU. Many chipsets, such as those that support Wi-Fi, are available for both PCI and CardBus.
The notch on the left hand front of the device is slightly shallower on a CardBus device so, by design, a 32-bit device cannot be plugged into earlier equipment supporting only 16-bit devices. Most new slots accept both CardBus and the original 16-bit PC Card devices. CardBus cards can be distinguished from older cards by the presence of a gold band with eight small studs on the top of the card next to the pin sockets.
The speed of CardBus interfaces in 32-bit burst mode depends on the transfer type: in byte mode, transfer is 33 MB/s; in word mode it is 66 MB/s; and in dword (double-word) mode 132 MB/s.
CardBay is a variant added to the PCMCIA specification introduced in 2001. It was intended to add some forward compatibility with USB and IEEE 1394, but was not universally adopted and only some notebooks have PC Card controllers with CardBay features. This is an implementation of Microsoft and Intel's joint Drive Bay initiative.
Descendants and variants[edit]
A CableCARD conditional-access module is a type II PC Card intended to be plugged into a cable set-top box or digital cable-ready television.
The interface has spawned a generation of flash memory cards that set out to improve on the size and features of Type I cards: CompactFlash, MiniCard, P2 Card and SmartMedia. For example, the PC Card electrical specification is also used for CompactFlash, so a PC Card CompactFlash adapter can be a passive physical adapter rather than requiring additional circuitry.
ExpressCard is a later specification from the PCMCIA, intended as a replacement for PC Card, built around the PCI Express and USB 2.0 standards. The PC Card standard is closed to further development and PCMCIA strongly encourages future product designs to utilize the ExpressCard interface. From about 2006, ExpressCard slots replaced PCMCIA slots in laptop computers, with a few laptops having both in the transition period. Much expansion that formerly required a PCMCIA card is now catered for by USB, reducing the requirement for internal expansion slots; by 2011, many laptops had none.
ExpressCard and CardBus sockets are physically and electrically incompatible.[11] ExpressCard-to-CardBus and Cardbus-to-ExpressCard adapters are available that connect a Cardbus card to an Expresscard slot, or vice versa, and carry out the required electrical interfacing.[12] These adapters do not handle older non-Cardbus PCMCIA cards.
Adapters for PC Cards to Personal Computer ISA slots were available when these technologies were current. Cardbus adapters for PCI slots have been made. These adapters were sometimes used to fit Wireless (802.11) PCMCIA cards into desktop computers with PCI slots.[13]
Some IBM ThinkPad laptops took their onboard RAM (in sizes ranging from 4 to 16 MB) in the factor of an IC-DRAM Card. While very similar in form-factor, these cards did not go into a standard PC Card Slot, often being installed under the keyboard, for example. They also were not pin-compatible, as they had 88 pins but in two staggered rows, as opposed to even rows like PC Cards.[14]
The EOMA68 open-source hardware standard uses the same 68-pin PC Card connectors and corresponds to the PC Card form factor in many other ways.[15]
Technological obsolescence[edit]
After the release of PCIe-based ExpressCard in 2003, laptop manufacturers started to fit ExpressCard slots to new laptops instead of PC Card slots. PC Card devices can be plugged into an ExpressCard adaptor, which provides a PCI-to-PCIe Bridge. Despite being much faster in speed/bandwidth, ExpressCard was not as popular as PC Card, due in part to the ubiquity of USB ports on modern computers. Most functionality provided by PC Card or ExpressCard devices is now available as an external USB device. These USB devices have the advantage of being compatible with desktop computers as well as portable devices. (Desktop computers were rarely fitted with a PC Card or ExpressCard slot.) Today, the PC Card slot may be found as a Common Interface for decoding TV channels in TVs.
See also[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Strass, Hermann (1994). PCMCIA optimal nutzen [Using PCMCIA optimally] (in German). Franzis-Verlag GmbH, Poing. ISBN 3-7723-6652-X. 9-783772-366529.
- ^ a b c d Mielke, Bernd (1997). PC-Card Anwender-Lösungen [Solutions for PC Card users] (in German). Franzis-Verlag GmbH, Feldkirchen. ISBN 3-7723-4313-9. 9-783772-343131.
- ^ "HP Palmtop Paper" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-04-27.
- ^ Lyster, Michael (October 30, 1995). "Circuit board maker at critical juncture". Orange County Business Journal. American City Business Journals. 18 (44): 1 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "crooshop", How To Connect PC To TV, US: crooshop
- ^ "PRO-1130HD - 50" Class (49.66" Diagonal) Elite® PureVision Plasma Displayvision | Pioneer Electronics USA". Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2016-01-16. Pioneer PRO-1130HD information page, Retrieved 16 January 2016.
- ^ Clark, Scott H; Norton, Peter (2002). Peter Norton's new Inside the PC. Indianapolis: SAMS. p. 33. ISBN 0-672-32289-7.
- ^ a b Mueller, Scott (1999). Upgrading and repairing PCs (11th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Que. pp. 1236–41. ISBN 0-7897-1903-7.
- ^ Infoworld, October 10, 1994, Page 44, "Maxtor drive adds to portable options, MobileMax Lite will ship in '95"
- ^ "Linux PCMCIA Programmer's Guide". pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ "PCMCIA Frequently Asked Questions". Archived from the original on 2006-10-14.
- ^ "Newegg.com product search results for CardBus ExpressCard". Archived from the original on 2009-04-24.
- ^ "Re: PCI SLOT". cisco.com. 15 March 2007. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ "IC DRAM Card - ThinkWiki". www.thinkwiki.org. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ Ferdinand Thommes. "Developing free hardware using Vivaldi and Improv as examples". Ubuntu User magazine. 2014. accessdate=2020-08-12
External links[edit]
- PCMCIA official website at the Wayback Machine (archived May 5, 2010)
- PC Card Standard Rev. 8.1, December 2002 at the Wayback Machine (archived March 17, 2018)
- Understanding PC Card, PCMCIA, Cardbus, 16-bit, 32-bit.


text:
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15-year-old boy drowns after midnight jump into Okanagan Lake
The RCMP and BC Coroners Service are investigating the drowning.
B.C.-born NHL captain Shea Weber gifted 'Old Town Road' sign from Sicamous
Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X will also recieve signs like NHL star Shea Weber
Thieves steal 'Old Town Road' sign in B.C. as megahit song makes history
Following the theft of the street sign, Sicamous to sell reproductions for $25 each
Alberta man dies after plunge from B.C. waterfalls, marking second death in three months
RCMP say the 53-year-old Sherwood Park resident was hiking off marked trail
$185 million in federal funding goes towards highway projects
Three stretches of the TCH and parts of highways 93 and 95 will be upgraded.
Lac La Hache man injured in Shuswap motorcycle collision
Police say rider was in stable condition with injuries to his extremities
Escapee arrested in Shuswap after two years on the lam
Man with charges in Alberta, Ontario, Western provinces back in custody
Bikers plan to give bullied Shuswap girl a lift
Two groups of motorcyclists from Alberta plan to visit Haldane Elementary on May 10.
B.C. inventor creates rooftop sprinklers to protect from wildfires
The Water Winger can be placed at the peak of a roof without climbing a ladder
VIDEO: Large dust devil swirls through town in B.C.'s interior
Residents look on as column climbs about 90 feet into the air
B.C. woman pleads for people to stop stealing daffodils meant to honour cancer victims
Cynthia Bentley honours memory of those lost to cancer by planting 100 daffodils each year
Man killed in Salmon Arm church shooting remembered as father figure to many
Gordon Parmenter was a church elder known for his skill connecting with people
Search and rescue team helicopters injured climber from B.C. provincial park
A 30-year-old woman suffered a suspected lower-limb fracture in Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park
B.C. dairy farmers say federal budget not enough to cut losses from USMCA
Concerns raised over vague details, funding access and impacts on growth
Animals involved in 11,000 vehicle collisions annually across B.C.
ICBC stats show larger number animal-related accidents occur in Southern Interior
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Misunderstanding leads to removal of sizable ornamental sandwich
Postal workers say millennials perplexed by "snail mail"
A study shows Canadian millennials appreciate Canada Post, but do they know where the stamp goes?
Search crews warn snowmobilers not to do 'something stupid' Family Day weekend
Lack of preparation and 'poor-decision making' contribute to the high number of rescue calls
Thieves swipe giant burger from B.C. restaurant
Shuswap Grill Gourmet Burgary in Salmon Arm seeks stolen sandwich
Well-known B.C. snowmobile guide killed in rollover accident
Shuswap sledding communty mourns loss of experienced Sicamous snowmobiler


text:
Technology alone cannot bridge the digital divide between and within countries. Knowledge societies ultimately depend on people's access to media and information and their ability to locate, evaluate and use information effectively.
MIL represents essential competencies and skills to equip citizens in the 21st century with the abilities to engage with media and information systems effectively and develop critical thinking and life-long learning skills to socialize and become active citizens.
What is the role of the UIS?
The UIS and UNESCO's Communication and Information Sector, in collaboration with an international advisory panel of experts, have developed the first framework to measure media information literacy in countries at different stages of development.
How do we define media and information literacy?
Media literacy and information literacy have always been linked, but the greater accessibility of content via the Internet and mobile platforms has meant that those literacies are increasingly intertwined. UNESCO considers information literacy and media literacy together as Media and Information Literacy (MIL). MIL includes Information and communication literacy and digital literacy. MIL is defined as a set of competencies that empowers citizens to access, retrieve, understand, evaluate and use, create, as well as share information and media content in all formats, using various tools, in a critical, ethical and effective way, in order to participate and engage in personal, professional and societal activities.


text:
NEW ORLEANS -- The words began rumbling from my mouth like a train without brakes, and my mind knew the answer to the question I was about to ask before Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan even had a chance to respond.
"Is there any relief in the wake of your first loss?" I essentially asked (without the luxury of a first-tee mulligan) after the Falcons fell to the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome on Sunday.
Relief? Seriously? After a loss like this? In this venue? Against this hated team with this terrible defense? On an afternoon when Ryan clearly lacked the sharpness he'd possessed through the first eight games of the Falcons' formerly perfect season?
On NFL Network
NFL Replay
will re-air the New Orleans Saints' 31-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons from Week 10 on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. ET.
Tylenol provides relief. Bengay provides relief. Heck, compared to a 31-27 defeat to the Falcons' NFC South foes, a cold shower on a winter day provides relief. This loss, even if it alleviated the exterior pressure that comes with trying to run the table for a perfect season, was not relief.
"I think you want to win every game you play, that's for sure," Ryan said.
So let's be clear about something: No, even though Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez had just said, minutes earlier, that "you need to sometimes stumble" before you get better, Atlanta did not in any way want to lose this game. More specifically, the Falcons didn't want to lose this way.
But it nonetheless prompts some interesting questions regarding the Falcons, a team that didn't get nearly the credit a more polarizing franchise would've received for going undefeated in the first half. What, exactly, should we make of this game? Does it deserve concern-worthy criticism, or does the team get a one-time free pass?
That's not a question we can answer easily, not without seeing how the Falcons respond. But the situation, at the very least, is worthy of deliberation.
"It's going to make us a better football team," Gonzalez said. "I guarantee it."
And I, for one, believe it. However, this isn't simply about getting better. It's about whether or not, once they are indeed better, the Falcons are capable of making a run to the Super Bowl, of following the path of nearly 45 percent of the other teams in NFL history to be the last undefeated squad in a given season.
For many in Atlanta, it's been the question all along: How will the Falcons perform when it matters most, in a playoff atmosphere (like the one Atlanta experienced in the Superdome), against a team that is bringing everything it's got (like the Saints did Sunday)? Naturally, that's where concern grows.
That's where a loss like Sunday's feels worthy of distinct criticism.
On two occasions, the Falcons failed to finish critical drives in the fourth quarter. First, they settled for a field goal after a beautiful 52-yard catch by Julio Jones (and an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on New Orleans) put the Falcons on the 5-yard line with a new set of downs. Then, after reaching the Saints' 1-yard line, the Falcons failed on second, third and fourth down inside the two-minute warning.
What is particularly unsettling is that all this occurred against a league-worst defense that had given up more yards through eight games (3,770) than any team since -- wait for it -- 1940.
"That's the most disappointing thing about the whole game, us going down there and having an opportunity inside the five a couple times -- and not scoring touchdowns," wide receiver Roddy White said.
On one hand, Atlanta can take solace that Sunday's performance by no means represented an all-day meltdown. The Falcons lost despite besting the Saints in total yards (454-440), passing yards (408-292), first downs (25-21), third-down conversion percentage (50-40) and time of possession (32:35-27:25).
So, yes, the Falcons are still playing solid football. And because we were just halfway through the schedule, this had yet to turn into a true chase for perfection. So losing a game under these circumstances was not the end of the world. Though Ryan didn't play his best football, misfiring far more often than he has most times this season, his team was still two yards from taking the lead with 1:46 to play.
"This is football," Gonzalez said. "I mean, nobody is going to go around crying. Nobody is going to be panicking. We're a good football team. Our confidence hasn't changed. Our scheme isn't going to change.
"There isn't any answer I'm going to give you why we lost or why they won. This is a good football team, a hard-fought rivalry game, and they came out on top."
The loss surely is not going to help quiet some of the Falcons' critics, who explain away Atlanta's current streak of dominance by citing a soft schedule. (The Falcons' first eight opponents combined for a winning percentage of .369, the lowest in the NFL.) But the only thing the Falcons can do to silence such doubters is win games -- and that's exactly what this group had done before Sunday.
The Falcons are supremely talented. Ryan is playing top-tier football, and his weapons, including White, Gonzalez and Jones, are making life good for him. Atlanta needs to play better in the red zone, and it needs to find a way to breathe life into its running game. But by all means, this appears to be a very playoff-ready roster, built with a great combination of depth and skill.
Now it's time for this group to take the next step. It's time for the Falcons to prove that, when they are facing a make-or-break scenario in a hostile environment against a hungry team, they too possess urgency, resiliency and hunger.
Ryan has led more game-winning drives than any quarterback since 2008. He has what it takes to be a playoff contender. And he has the players around him to get it done. But what happened on Sunday, when the Falcons couldn't punch it into the end zone during those fourth-quarter drives, was inexcusable.
Should this loss spark major concern? Or will we someday look back on this time as a period when the team took another step toward elite-level maturity? That's not a question any of us on the outside can answer. Instead, the Falcons must answer for themselves.
"The more I think about it, there's no way I'm happy that we lost, but it's something that we can learn from," Gonzalez said. "You learn from your mistakes. That's how you get better. You need to sometimes stumble. For us, it was (Sunday).
"We're going to learn from this."


text:
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22 April 2011
11 comments:
It is so sad! But those rulers everywhere will fight to the death everywhere, specially now that they see what's happening to Mubarak and his family! Revolutions are a messy business Dr G where everybody is worthless, including those brave doctors who still go help save lives, even those do it out of commitment to medicine but they too don't know what will happen next or if the end is going to be much more sinister than what was there before, or if they can survive the end result themselves.
So, do you really think that writing to the king will make any difference?
- 22 April 2011 at 12:03
- Dr Grumble said...
Yes. Words can save lives and writing letters helps. Evil people rely on the rest of us doing nothing.
- 22 April 2011 at 12:18
Rest of 'us'?! This is the Middle East Dr G, there is no 'us' there! Only those with 'power', or those with 'nothing'!
Then again, maybe 'we' should still try send that e-mail, but might as well use this 'format' below cos it would be as good as any ...
" Hi,
We, the spoilt people of the west, urge u king/President/Brotherly Leader, etc, of so and so [select then insert name and location to suit] to stop all this ugly business of killing civilians, including docs, and own up to everything past and present cos we think that what you're doin is evil."
Only, I may need to camouflage my name ... but you need not bother
- 22 April 2011 at 13:00
- Dr Grumble said...
I have written many letters over the years and even had replies. Even despots don't necessarily bin them. I particularly try and write when doctors are involved.
Sometimes the people responsible do get into trouble with the law. For example, General Pinochet to whom I wrote about Sheila Cassidy. I think she was safer as a result of people like me writing.
Dr Cassidy has written: "... torture in Chile was not considered any concern of Britain's. It's a bit like saying you can look over your garden fence and observe your neighbours abusing their child, but it's no concern of yours because the child is not being abused in your garden."
I am not going to stand by and watch my neighbours abusing their child, Anonymouse. Everybody has just a little bit of power. If we all use it together that's a lot of power. Just wringing your hands will do nothing.
- 22 April 2011 at 17:47
"I am not going to stand by and watch my neighbours abusing their child, Anonymouse. Everybody has just a little bit of power. If we all use it together that's a lot of power. Just wringing your hands will do nothing."
Only your neighbour is no 'pirate', because this is what we're up against here, only pirates are more honourable since they do not hide that they are pirates. Those in power now are no better, they were nobodies who came from nowhere and suddenly found themselves in charge of Aladdin's cave, only exception perhaps was Mubarak who was a professional fighter pilot before he took office. Yet he now stands accused of corruption of magnitude! But, in the absence of a system to control him for years and years, over 30 years! Can anyone blame him 'if' he did do what they say he did?! Would I have behaved better in identical circomstances?
And he was the best of the bunch IMHO, given that even multi- country strong war is not successful in prising that other peasant 'Brother' out of office. It saddens me, but those others holding on to those seats all over the region should never have been there to begin with, but they are and so we now see what we see - and will keep on seeing for the forseeable future because they can't afford to lose.
You know, what worries me at the moment is that rise of rigid religious practice taking over all those vulnerable countries, and that's happening because the west propped up oppressive and theiving regimes for ages, the people had no alternative but to turn to religion to help them accept their dire economic as well as political circomstances. Now that those who manipulated the opportunity are most likely to take over power and stay for only god knows how long, what are the consequences of that on the peoples of these countries and on the whole globe? And, any idea what can we all do about that? Can anything be done to avert this?
Excuse my unfamiliar pessimism Dr G, I hope your good effort will help do something though, if only for the sake of those innocent victims.
- 22 April 2011 at 19:40
- Dr Grumble said...
I agree, Anonymouse. All these things are worrying. I wish I had some answers for you.
- 22 April 2011 at 20:00
Writing letters does help. There was a priest from our area that was imprisoned by the Chinese for four years. All the parents at the primary school that he taught at in Lanarkshire, wrote letters to the Chinese government asking for him to be freed. The Chinese thought he was really important as there was so many letters and they released him.
It's hard to be an optimist with all the crap that's going on, anonymouse, but we should always do what we can and leave the pessimism to others. All it costs us is half an hour writing a letter. Not writing it can cost someone else their life. Light a candle and hope for your country.
- 22 April 2011 at 20:45
The Chinese are wise people. But as you both say, let's always hope, then do whatever little we can to help, you never know.
Good luck with that e-mail Dr G and you too julie if you're sending one, I sure hope they will listen.
Thank you
- 23 April 2011 at 01:02
- Dr Grumble said...
Another lost comment:
Anonymouse has left a new comment on your post "Why no action Mr Cameron?":
Ex-NHS boss told: 'Pay back stolen cash or stay locked up'
modest woman!
We say "if you have to steel, steel a camel", meaning go for something 'big' to make it worth the trouble if one gets caught. Here are but 2 'camels',
Only these 'opportunities' seem to have all gone, no more 'camels' left in Egypt, such a pity!
- 25 April 2011 at 06:47
- Witch Doctor said...
There are so many sickening things going on in the world. It would be good to think that in the years to come, the Internet might somehow gather enough momentum to be able to play a part in exposing and shaming those "Leaders" who are capable of such atrocities. But in the meantime, why, oh why do our own leaders insist on cuddling and supping with despots. Surely there are limits set on diplomatic behaviour with those responsible for despicable regimes.
Many groups of people are suffering, but attempting to intervene when a doctor is caught up in atrocities seems a good place to start and hopefully any resulting benefits will roll out to other groups in society. Doctors world-wide have a bond resulting from their training, experience and ethics and would be a powerful group if they could be mobilised. All the Colleges, GMC, BMA could easily initiate this in the UK and other countries may follow. The Academy of Royal Colleges could even appoint someone whose job was to monitor world events involving the medical profession, build up an expertise of other cultures and co-ordinate the approach of the UK medical profession when inappropriate behaviour towards fellow doctors is identified. Our fees might be better spent on this than being squandered on more trivial activities. Maybe the medical establishments are already co-ordinating something along these lines, but if they are it has passed me by.
- 30 September 2011 at 00:13
- Dr Grumble said...
The BMA were on the case before the UK press showed much interest:
(I do love my word verification: "antivac" Sounds like a great adjective meaning anti-MMR.)
- 30 September 2011 at 08:17


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The asteroid NASA say is about the half the size of a football field that will blow past Earth on Feb 15 could be worth up to $195 billion in metals and propellant.
That's what the scientists at Deep Space Industries, a company that wants to mine these flashing hunks of space materials, thinks the asteroid known as 2012 DA14 is worth - if they could catch it.
[RELATED: The sizzling world of asteroids]
The lack of a rocket and spacecraft that could actually catch such as asteroid of course is a big problem. There are a few other major issues as well. The path of asteroid 2012 DA14 is tilted relative to Earth, requiring too much energy to chase it down for mining. Deep Space believes there are thousands of near Earth asteroids that will be easier to chase down than this one.
Still, according to DSI experts, if 2012 DA14 contains 5% recoverable water, that alone -- in space as rocket fuel -- might be worth as much as $65 billion. If 10% of its mass It could mass which could range from as little as 16,000 tons or as much as one million tons -- is easily recovered iron, nickel and other metals, that could be worth -- in space as building material -- an additional $130 billion.
Once reusable launch vehicles are more readily available, future prices to fall to 20% of today's levels, an asteroid the size of 2012 DA14 would still be worth $39 billion, and the cost of launching hardware to retrieve and process it would be much lower, DSI stated.
[MORE: The weirdest, wackiest and coolest sci/tech stories of 2012]
DSI has said it wants to begin asteroid mining in 2015. That's when the company said it plans to send out a squadron of 55lb cubesats called Fireflies, riding along with already scheduled launches, that will explore near-Earth space for two to six months looking for target asteroids.
In 2016, Deep Space said it will begin launching 70-lb DragonFlies for round-trip visits that bring back samples. The DragonFly expeditions will take two to four years, depending on the target, and will return 60 to 150 lbs of asteroid materiel.
Collecting asteroid metals is only part of the company's plans however. DSI said it has a has a patent-pending technology called the MicroGravity Foundry that can transform raw asteroid material into complex metal parts. The MicroGravity Foundry is a 3D printer that uses lasers to draw patterns in a nickel-charged gas medium, causing the nickel to be deposited in precise patterns.
A much larger spacecraft known as a Harvestor-class machine could "return thousands of tons per year, producing water, propellant, metals, building materials and shielding for everything we do in space in decades to come. Initial markets will be customers in space, where any substance is very expensive due to the cost of launching from Earth, over time, as costs drop and technologies improve we can then begin "exporting" back to Earth," the company stated.
The company envisions creating outposts that could offer satellite or spacecraft refueling for example. Sending fuel, water, and building materials into high Earth orbit costs at least $10 million per ton, even using new lower-cost launch vehicles just now coming into service, DSI stated.
Planetary says asteroid resources have some unique characteristics that make them especially attractive. Unlike Earth, where heavier metals are close to the core, metals in asteroids are distributed throughout their body, making them easier to extract. Asteroids contain valuable and useful materials like iron, nickel, water and rare platinum group metals, often in significantly higher concentration than found in mines on Earth.
Meanwhile NASA insists NASA added that while 2012 DA14 has no chance of striking Earth, since regular sky surveys began in the 1990s, astronomers have never seen an object so big come so close to our planet. NASA added 2012 DA14is a fairly typical near-Earth asteroid. It measures some 50 meters wide, neither very large nor very small, and is probably made of stone, as opposed to metal or ice. The space agency estimates that an asteroid like 2012 DA14 flies past Earth, on average, every 40 years, yet actually strikes our planet only every 1200 years or so.
The impact of a 50-meter asteroid is not cataclysmic--unless you happen to be underneath it, NASA said.
Follow Michael Cooney on Twitter: nwwlayer8 and on Facebook
Check out these other hot stories:
Feds offer $20M for critical energy network cybersecurity tools
Cutting-edge program seeks to thwart radio spectrum battles, bottlenecks
IRS steps up challenging identity theft battle
Earth-size, habitable zone planets may be closer than you think
Cybercrime ring stole $200M, invented 7,000 fake IDs, ripped off thousands of credit cards
US wants Amazon, Apple, BlackBerry, Google and Microsoft to get a grip on mobile security, privacy concerns
NASA: Feb. 15 asteroid fly-by will buzz Earth closer than many satellites
IBM's Watson going to college for Web science, Big Data and artificial intelligence
Stanford consumes million core supercomputer to spawn supersonic noise forecast
DARPA wants electronics that can dissolve or burst apart after use


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On Sunday, Argentinians will go to the polls to select their candidates for the country's upcoming legislative elections. Though it may seem trivial, the open primaries will in fact be the first step in an election that is likely to prove critical to the fate of democracy and freedom in Argentina.
Late last year, Argentinian President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner sparked protests across Buenos Aires when she suggested changes to the constitution to allow her to run for a third term. The move would require a vote by a two-thirds majority in both the Chamber of Deputies (Argentina's equivalent to the House of Representatives) and the Senate.
At the moment, Kirchner's party, the Frente para la Victoria (Front for Victory, or FPV), and its allies control both houses. Half of the seats in the Chamber and one-third in the Senate will now be up for reelection. The vast majority of the open seats, at least in the Chamber, are currently held by the opposition.
Opposition parties in the Chamber will have to repeat their exceptional performance from 2009, when they last defeated the FPV, simply to maintain the status quo. The FPV doesn't have to work nearly as hard to further extend its control of the legislature and give Kirchner a larger majority with which to push further leftist and authoritarian reforms.
Already, in her first six years in office, President Kirchner has made numerous assaults on democracy and freedom in her country. Indeed, as Wall Street Journal columnist Mary O'Grady explained, "Mrs. Kirchner has made no secret of her admiration for the [Hugo] Chávez model of governance."
In February, the Kirchner government was censured by the International Monetary Fund for cooking the statistical books and underreporting rampant inflation, allowing the government to pocket an extra $6.8 billion. The country has also been working hard to dodge its debt. Unsurprising, really, that the country is ranked 160 out of 177 in the Index of Economic Freedom.
In April, with the outspoken support of President Kirchner, judicial reforms were passed that legal analysts warn will grant extensive control over the legislature. The reforms included limits on court injunctions that can be made in cases against the state and changes to how members are selected to the body that oversees the federal courts.
These reforms came in lockstep with Kirchner's attempts to weaken el Grupo Clarin, the country's lone independent telecommunications outlet and one of the few remaining sources of print media able to voice opposition to the "Kirchnerists." Then, of course, there are also the repeated attempts of the Kirchner administration to claim control of the Falkland Islands, despite a referendum held on the island in March in which 99.8 percent of the residents voted to remain under British rule.
The primaries on Sunday are part one of a saga that may prove critical for the nation. If the FPV expands its majority, Kirchner may be able to amend the constitution and run for a third term. Given her attempts to trample democracy and freedom so far, the last thing Argentina—or the international community, for that matter—needs is another four years of Cristina Kirchner.


text:
When the team of Holly Taylor think back to their childhood Christmas, what they remembered most was the magic of it all. Their Grandmother would bake hundreds of cookies – a dozen different kinds – to share with neighbors. There was always so much excitement in the air with family sledding trips and the search for the perfect Christmas tree.
Once Upon A Memory - Natural Tracks
Manufacturer: Moda
Collection: Once Upon A Memory
Print Name: Natural Tracks
Designer: Holly Taylor
Product Number: 6735-21
Material Content: 100% Cotton
Width: 44/45"
Origin: Made in Korea
Manufacturer Care Instructions: Machine wash cold. Tumble dry low, remove immediately. Not intended for children's sleepwear.


text: Share videocam Video Flex: Using the Internet of Things, Data and Analytics to Innovate in High Tech Sketch to Scale ™ Manufacturing Watch video × Using the Internet of Things to "Live Smarter", Flex is integrating data and analytics to innovate their supply chain, moving beyond predictive to prescriptive. This enables their global customers to make better business decisions knowing the Flex supply chain is data-driven. Topics Integrated Data Warehousing High Tech Manufacturing


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Save 40% or more on select outdoor home accents in our Outdoor Deals section. Shop for patio furniture, outdoor curtains, water fountains, patio torches, wall art, and many more great items to decorate your outdoor spaces! Click on the "Details" section on any product page to find outdoor care and use instructions for that product.


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Beijing: China will raise foreign ownership limits in financial firms in a step granting access to a tantalising multi-trillion dollar financial services market, as the world's second-biggest economy seeks to position itself as a major global finance hub.
The move, announced on Friday by vice finance minister Zhu Guangyao, comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated calls for better access to Chinese markets in meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Xi is driving broad economic reforms by opening up China's capital markets, internationalising the yuan currency, and seeking technical know-how through the pursuit of massive inbound and outbound investments.
The latest changes include raising the limit on foreign ownership in joint-venture firms involved in the futures, securities and funds markets to 51 per cent from the current 49 per cent.
They will take effect immediately following the drafting of specific related rules, Zhu told a news conference, adding China is "formulating a timetable and roadmap for financial sector reform and opening up".
The foreign business community gave a cautious welcome to the news.
"Financial services further opening definitely has been high on our list," said Ken Jarrett, President of American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.
"It's a step in the right direction. We'll have to see the detailed rules. In China you always have to pay attention to the fine print to see how quickly it moves, but to finally ease up on the cap is something that is welcome."
The plan to ease ownership restrictions comes as Beijing faces mounting pressure from Western governments and business lobbies to remove investment barriers and onerous regulations that restrict overseas companies' operations in its markets.
During his trip to Beijing this week, Trump said that trade between the two nations was unfair, and called for greater market access for U.S.
"We really have to look at access, forced technology transfer, and the theft of intellectual property, which just, by and of itself, is costing the United States and its companies at least $300 billion a year," Trump said.
"Both the United States and China will have a more prosperous future if we can achieve a level economic playing field. Right now, unfortunately, it is a very one-sided and unfair one."
Reuters reported on Tuesday that China planned to allow global banks to take a stake of up to 51 per cent in their onshore securities ventures for the first time and tie up with local non-financial firms.
China has been sluggish to give foreign players more access to its financial sector, but has promised to quicken the pace as foreign investment into Asia's economic powerhouse slows.
It has implemented strict capital controls to contain capital outflows, while opening up new channels for foreign money to come into the domestic markets.
Foreign financial firms are still small players in the financial sector, and the sheer size of the market is a big lure for overseas players.
Western investment banks operating through joint ventures with local partners in China have struggled to make much headway in the last decade, with many of them loss-making as they struggle to win business against much larger local rivals.
A Reuters survey of data from China's Securities Association in 2014 found that the average sino-foreign JV lost 21 million yuan a year over the prior 10 years.
However, several have said they would be keen to invest more in China and do more broking and investment banking if they had full control over their joint ventures.
UBS, which holds a 25 per cent interest in domestic firm UBS Securities Co Ltd, said the changes on Friday were an important step in further opening up China's financial sector.
"China is a key market for UBS and, as indicated previously, we continue to work towards increasing our stake in UBS Securities Co Ltd", said Eugene Qian, Chairman of UBS China Strategy Board and a member of the Asia Pacific Executive Committee.
Morgan Stanley, which earlier this year increased its stake in joint venture Morgan Stanley Huaxin Securities from 33 percent to the then upper limit of 49 percent, said the reforms would create new momentum for the finance industry in China.
"Morgan Stanley is committed to growing our businesses in China," said a spokesman for the firm.
Some industry watchers said the changes are too little too late.
"This looks good, but in reality it is pretty small and it is too late," said Keith Pogson, Senior Partner Financial Services Asia-Pacific at EY.
"If you are an international investment bank, you will be there for the sake of your global franchise and having it as part of your network, not because you think you will make much money in China."
All the same, markets reacted positively to the news, with insurers and futures-related firms rallying strongly.
New China Life Insurance jumped nearly 6 per cent after the announcement, while Ping An Insurance advanced more than 4 percent and China Pacific Insurance Group rose over 3 per cent.
China will drop foreign ownership restrictions on local banks and asset management companies, Zhu said.
Full foreign ownership of local firms involved in the futures, securities and funds markets will not be permitted until after three years, while full overseas ownership of insurance firms will be allowed only after five years.


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Game Update 1.6: Ancient Hypergate is now live in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™! This Game Update brings some exciting new content to The Old Republic including:
- Warzone: The Ancient Hypergate lets you test your strength with a brand new PvP game mechanic. In this Warzone, Republic and Empire forces are locked in a brutal conflict to control two energy pylons. You must fight to take control of these powerful pylons and kill any foes in your way to discharge a massive blast of energy through your faction's gate. The first team to open their portal will unleash deadly reinforcements to wipe out enemy players.
- Heroic Space Missions will challenge your galactic piloting skills. Both Republic and Empire classes have six new repeatable Level 50 Heroic Space Missions. These updated Space Missions are the most intense Space Missions to date and players who are up to the challenge can earn Black Hole Commendations to spend on ship upgrades, high level gear, and more!
Watch the latest Ancient Hypergate Trailer to see the dynamic new gameplay in Game Update 1.6!
Game Update 1.6: Ancient Hypergate also includes a number of minor fixes and changes to the game. You can read about all the details in the Game Update 1.6 Patch Notes. As with other Game Updates, the patch will download automatically the next time you log in through your game launcher.
Former Subscribers – don't forget to reactivate your subscription by December 20, 2012 to receive Complimentary Cartel Coins, for your previous paid months, to spend in the Cartel Market. Check the Cartel Coins Ledger to see how many Complimentary Cartel Coins are waiting for you!
Stay connected with Star Wars: The Old Republic on our Community Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.


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St Michael and All Angels, Brighton. Original church designed by G. F. Bodley in 1858, and constructed 1860-61. Parallel church incorporating Bodley's building as its south aisle; designed by William Burges in 1865, and constructed after Burges's death 1893-95. Red brick with contrasting sandstone banding and dressings. Facing Victoria Road, Powis Road and St Michael's Place.>
This unusual church looks like two churches rolled into one, which is exactly what it is, since the north aisle of G. F. Bodley's original church had to be demolished when Burges's larger and higher extension was built. Despite or perhaps because of having no apse or tower, and no south transept, the whole is rather uncompromising from the outside, especially in its unbroken rise up the slope of Victoria Road. As Ecclesiologist pointed out, "the plan almost errs on the side of simplicity" (qtd. in Muthesius 689), and is not really relieved by the rather flimsy-looking spire. However, the structure is Grade 1 listed, and there are only 24 Grade 1 listed buildings in the whole of Brighton and Hove, a city area exceedingly rich in notable architecture. Indeed, Simon Jenkins considers it to be the most important church in Sussex, placing it among the top hundred churches in the country as a whole, along with, for example, William Butterfield's All Saints, Margaret Street in London (xxxvii-iii; note that Jenkins's list is for churches of all periods, not just Victorian).
Left: East end of the church with Burges's extension. Right: Interior of the "old" church by Bodley. [Click on images to enlarge them.]
St Michael and All Angels is of special interest for several reasons. It was Bodley's first important church, and shows him striking out on his own. According to Reginald Turnor, the polychromatic interior in particular represented "Bodley's rebellion against the [George Gilbert] Scott technique and Bodley himself called it 'a boyish and antagonistic effort'" (70; compare it with his later, much more refined Holy Trinity Church in Prince Consort Road, Kensington). Also, the interior contains a beautiful Lady Chapel, and memorable features by other hands. Its decoration was one of the Morris firm's first commissions (Noyes 35), and it has stained glass by a galaxy of designers, including Morris, Rossetti, Burne-Jones and Ford Madox Brown. Morris, together with Philip Webb and Charles Faulkner, was involved in the painting of the chancel roof. Bodley himself designed the grey marble font and pulpit made of green serpentine and calcite. The interior view here shows the "old" part of the church by Bodley, with the West Window by Clayton & Bell, 1862, depicting the Crucifixion in the middle and the four archangels below (see "Stained Glass Windows").
Visible to the left of the interior view is the beginning of Burges's vast, cathedral-like extension, which Jenkins describes as "spectacular" ("Massive Gothic arcades with coupled columns rise to a triforium knitted by multiple shafts into the clerestory," 689). The most notable details here are the choir stalls designed by Burges, and the misericords carved by his favourite stone- and wood-carver and sculptor, Thomas Nicholls. Nicholls was also responsible for the sculpture at the west end, of St Michael and the dragon. The whole is brightly lit by the three tall lancet windows of the chancel, seen from the outside in the view of the east end of the church.
The original church needed to be extended because the congregation had swollen as the surrounding area was developed. Less clear is the reason for Burges's having been asked to redesign it instead of Bodley. The two architects were, after all, contemporaries, and Bodley had strong family connections with Brighton: his father was a doctor living not far from the church and practising in Brighton, and Bodley did other work locally — interior alterations to St Paul's near the seafront. He was, it seems, less than happy with the radical redesign of St Michael and All Angels (see "History").
Related material
Photographs and text 2010 by Jacqueline Banerjee. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
"History: St Michael and All Angels, Brighton" (church website). Viewed 12 April 2010
Jenkins, Simon. England's Thousand Best Churches. London: Penguin, 2000.
Muthesius, Stefan.The High Victorian Movement in Architecture, 1850-1870. London: Routledge, 1972.
Noyes, Alfred. William Morris. Freeport, New York: Books for Libraries Press, rpt. 1972.
"Stained Glass Windows at St Michael &: All Angels — 'Old' 1862 church." Viewed 12 April 2010.
Turnor, Reginald. Nineteenth Century Architecture in Britain. London: Batsford, 1950.
Last modified 12 April 2010


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This month's Christianity Today cover story is Wess telling his story of childhood abuse and deliverance in a West Africa boarding school.
The houseparent had marched me to the school's dining hall, dragged a metal chair across the concrete floor, and slammed it down in front of my schoolmates. He threw me up on the chair and jammed the candle in my hand.
"Children," he said, "you cannot serve both God and Satan. Wesley has tried. You cannot burn a candle at both ends without getting burned. Watch what happens when you try."
Read the entire article at Christianity Today.
After you read the article, come back and let us know what you think. Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win a copy of Wess' book, Too Small to Ignore.
We'll randomly pick a winner on Monday.