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Located on the south-west coast of Western Australia about 150nm south of Perth, Augusta is sited where the Blackwood River emerges into Flinders Bay. It is the nearest town to Cape Leeuwin, on the farthest south-west corner of the Australian continent.
Position 34.312°S, 115.159°E.
Work commenced in October 2011 for a new $25 million boat harbour at Flat Rock, about four kilometres south of the town of Augusta, in Flinders Bay. A sheltered boating facility was very much needed here.
The project included the construction of two breakwaters built to create a protected harbour basin accommodating a four-lane boat launching ramp; two boat-holding jetties; and a service jetty.
Construction was completed November 2014.
Last updated January 2015.
New Augusta boat harbour is now complete.The facilities will not have a full-time staff member and currently the Western Aus was taking applications for the job.
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text: LION is always ready to make sure you're ready for what's next. We have a legacy and on-going vision of introducing new products and services, always designed to ensure the health, safety and performance of the first responders who serve our communities and our country. Game-changing innovations in PPE designed to best prepare firefighters, EMS teams and law enforcement officers for the new dangers and hazards they face each day. Paradigm-shifting supply chain and logistics programs that best equip our warfighters for the rigors of training and the challenges of battle.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Brand Name Salofalk Common Name 5-aminosalicylic acid (mesalamine, mesalazine)
The content of this page:
How does this medication work? What will it do for me?
5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA or mesalamine) belongs to the group of medications known as anti-inflammatories. It is used to treat mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis and mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease. 5-ASA acts by reducing inflammation in the bowel.
Different brands of 5-ASA are designed to act on different places in the gastrointestinal tract (the digestion tube that runs from the mouth to the anus). Ulcerative colitis affects the colon and rectum only, while Crohn's disease affects the whole gastrointestinal tract. For this reason, some brands are used to treat only ulcerative colitis, while others can be used to treat both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
This medication may be available under multiple brand names and/or in several different forms. Any specific brand name of this medication may not be available in all of the forms or approved for all of the conditions discussed here. As well, some forms of this medication may not be used for all of the conditions discussed here.
Your doctor may have suggested this medication for conditions other than those listed in these drug information articles. If you have not discussed this with your doctor or are not sure why you are using this medication, speak to your doctor. Do not stop using this medication without consulting your doctor.
Do not give this medication to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as you do. It can be harmful for people to use this medication if their doctor has not prescribed it.
How should I use this medication?
Tablet: The recommended adult dose of this medication depends on the product selected. Swallow the tablets whole, ensuring that you do not break the outer coating. Take the tablets only as directed by your doctor. Do not change the number or frequency of tablets taken without first consulting your doctor.
Suppository, rectal suspension, and enema: The usual dose for suppositories, rectal suspension, and enema is 1 g to 4 g daily, usually at bedtime, or as prescribed by your doctor.
For the proper administration of these dosage forms, check with your pharmacist.
Many things can affect the dose of a medication that a person needs, such as body weight, other medical conditions, and other medications. If your doctor has recommended a dose different from the ones listed here, do not change the way that you are using the medication without consulting your doctor.
It is important to use this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease never completely go away. Once a flare-up of the illness has been controlled, your doctor will recommend a smaller dose to be taken daily to reduce the chance of the symptoms from flaring up again. It is important to not stop the medication suddenly, even when you are feeling well. Doing so may cause the illness to flare up again.
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible and continue with your regular schedule. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. If you are not sure what to do after missing a dose, contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
Store all forms of this medication at room temperature, protect them from light and moisture, and keep them out of the reach of children.
Do not dispose of medications in wastewater (e.g. down the sink or in the toilet) or in household garbage. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medications that are no longer needed or have expired.
What form(s) does this medication come in?
Rectal Suspension
2 g/60 g
Each single-use unit of rectal retention enema contains 5-ASA 2 g/60 g. Nonmedicinal ingredients: carbomer, edetate disodium, potassium acetate, potassium metabisulfite, purified water, sodium benzoate, and xanthan gum.
4 g/60 g
Each single-use unit of rectal retention enema contains 5-ASA 4 g/60 g. Nonmedicinal ingredients: carbomer, edetate disodium, potassium acetate, potassium metabisulfite, purified water, sodium benzoate, and xanthan gum.
500 mg
Each smooth, light tan-to-grey, bullet-shaped suppository contains 5-ASA 500 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredient: Witepsol H-15 (suppository wax base).
1000 mg
Each smooth, light tan-to-grey, bullet-shaped suppository contains 5-ASA 1,000 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredient: Witepsol H-15 (suppository wax base).
Each ochre-coloured, oblong, biconvex tablet contains mesalamine (5-ASA) 500 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredients: carnauba wax, colloidal silicon dioxide, glycine, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, iron oxide, magnesium stearate, methacrylic acid copolymer, microcrystalline cellulose, polydimethyl siloxane, polysorbate, povidone, sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, talc, titanium dioxide, and triethyl citrate.
Who should NOT take this medication?
Do not use this medication if you:
- are allergic to 5-aminosalicylic acid or any ingredients of the medication
- are allergic to other salicylates (e.g., ASA)
- are not able to swallow tablets whole
- have a gastric (stomach) or duodenal (intestinal) ulcer
- have a urinary tract obstruction
- are unusually susceptible to bleeding
- have severely decreased kidney function
- have severely decreased liver function
Do not give this medication to children under 2 years of age.
What side effects are possible with this medication?
Many medications can cause side effects. A side effect is an unwanted response to a medication when it is taken in normal doses. Side effects can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent.
The side effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who takes this medication. If you are concerned about side effects, discuss the risks and benefits of this medication with your doctor.
The following side effects have been reported by at least 1% of people taking this medication. Many of these side effects can be managed, and some may go away on their own over time.
Contact your doctor if you experience these side effects and they are severe or bothersome. Your pharmacist may be able to advise you on managing side effects.
- abdominal or stomach cramps or pain (mild)
- back pain
- diarrhea (mild)
- fatigue
- headache (mild)
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- urine discoloration
- vomiting
Although most of these side effects listed below don't happen very often, they could lead to serious problems if you do not check with your doctor or seek medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
- fever
- sensation of numbness or tingling
- severe stomach pain
- severe headache
- signs of kidney problems (e.g., increased urination at night, decreased urine production, blood in the urine)
- signs of infection (symptoms may include fever or chills, severe diarrhea, shortness of breath, prolonged dizziness, headache, stiff neck, weight loss, or listlessness)
- signs of liver problems (e.g., nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, dark urine, pale stools)
- skin rash and itching
- unusual bruising or bleeding
Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:
- signs of a serious allergic reaction (i.e., abdominal cramps, difficulty breathing, nausea and vomiting, or swelling of the face and throat)
- signs of acute intolerance syndrome (e.g., abdominal or stomach cramps or pain [severe], bloody diarrhea, chills, fever)
- signs of inflammation around the heart (e.g., fatigue, fever, difficulty breathing, cough)
- signs of pancreatitis (e.g., abdominal pain on the upper left side, back pain, nausea, fever, chills, rapid heartbeat, swollen abdomen)
Are there any other precautions or warnings for this medication?
Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use this medication.
Acute intolerance syndrome: This medication has been known to cause symptoms similar to those of worsening Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. If you experience the sudden onset of symptoms such as cramping, acute abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea, headache, rash, and possibly fever, contact your doctor immediately.
Allergy: Some people who are allergic to sulfasalazine or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) also experience allergic reactions to mesalamine (5-ASA). Before you take 5-ASA, inform your doctor about any previous adverse reactions you have had to medications, especially sulfasalazine or ASA.
Contact your doctor at once if you experience signs of an allergic reaction such as skin rash, itching, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the face and throat.
Fertility: This medication may cause a decrease in sperm production for men. If this is a concern, talk to your doctor.
Heart problems: People with heart problems may be at an increased risk of side effects of 5-ASA. If you have heart problems or a history of heart problems, including heart infections, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.
Kidney function: This medication is removed from the body by the kidneys. 5-ASA may not be removed from the body as quickly as expected if your kidneys are not working properly. This increases the likelihood of experiencing side effects. If you have reduced kidney function or kidney disease, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.
5-ASA may also cause decreased kidney function and possibly kidney failure. If you notice a decrease in your amount of urine, swelling in your hands and lower legs, or unusual tiredness contact your doctor as soon as possible.
Liver function: The use of this medication by people with reduced liver function has not been well studied. If you have reduced liver function or liver disease, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.
If you experience symptoms of liver problems such as fatigue, feeling unwell, loss of appetite, nausea, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, dark urine, pale stools, abdominal pain or swelling, and itchy skin, contact your doctor as soon as possible.
Slow stomach emptying: The tablet form of 5-ASA may not work as well for people with a condition known as pyloric stenosis. If you have pyloric stenosis or have a history of slow emptying of the stomach, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.
Tablets in stool: Infrequently, what looks to be intact or partially intact tablets may appear in the stool. If this occurs repeatedly, consult your doctor.
Pregnancy: This medication should not be used during pregnancy unless the benefits outweigh the risks. If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately.
Breast-feeding: This medication passes into breast milk. If you are a breast-feeding mother and are taking 5-aminosalicylic acid, it may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breast-feeding.
Children: The safety and effectiveness of this medication for use by children have not been established.
What other drugs could interact with this medication?
There may be an interaction between 5-aminosalicylic acid and any of the following:
If you are taking any of these medications, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. Depending on your specific circumstances, your doctor may want you to:
- stop taking one of the medications,
- change one of the medications to another,
- change how you are taking one or both of the medications, or
- leave everything as is.
An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Speak to your doctor about how any drug interactions are being managed or should be managed.
Medications other than those listed above may interact with this medication. Tell your doctor or prescriber about all prescription, over-the-counter (non-prescription), and herbal medications you are taking. Also tell them about any supplements you take. Since caffeine, alcohol, the nicotine from cigarettes, or street drugs can affect the action of many medications, you should let your prescriber know if you use them.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2019. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/drug/getdrug/Salofalk


text:
ATI targets next-gen Athlon 64 FX with four-GPU chipset?
Roadmap ATI leak neatly coincides with AMD's
ATI will target AMD's Socket AM2+ interconnect with its RD790 chipset - a part with the abiility to host four graphics cards, allegedly leaked company roadmap slides reveal.
Socket AM2+ is expected to debut in Q3 2007 so support the HyperTransport 3.0 bus AMD's K8L 65nm dual- and quad-core processors. The ATI slides, posted by Spanish-language site ChileHardware.com, claim the graphics chip company that's soon to be AMD's GPU division will support AM2+ with four chipsets: running from bottom to top, the RS740, RS790, RX790 and RD790.
The RD790 and RX790 are pitched at the enthusiast market and the upper end of the mainstream segment. They're likely to target AMD's 'Altair' and 'Antares' processors. The RD790 will host four x8 PCI Express slots, though there's the option of running two x16 connectors.
It will also support Socket F+, the 1207-pin Opteron-oriented interconnect that AMD's also expected to use for its K8L-generation quad-core Athlon 64 FX chips.
The RX790 supports a single graphics card slot - an x16, presumably.
In Q4 2007, ATI will ship the RS790 and RS740, AM2+ chipsets respectively targeting AMD's dual-core 'Arcturus' K8L chip and its Sempron-class 'Spica'. Both are integrated chipsets, the RS790 with a DirectX 10 graphics core, the RS740 with a DirectX 9 engine, the slides indicate.
The RS740, RS790 and RX790 are all said to be pin-compatible with the upcoming RS690 chipset, part of ATI's pitch for business during the first half of 2007. ®
Roadmap roundup
ATI RD580 set to star in AMD's '4x4'?
ATI next-gen chips said to back Vista Flash cache tech
ATI targets next-gen Athlon 64 FX with four-GPU chipset?
Sponsored: Becoming a Pragmatic Security Leader


text:
The Dr. Pat Show: Talk Radio to Thrive By!: Ignite Your Heart - Live a Fully Expressed Life
02/14/2007 12:00 am PDT
Dr. Pat Baccili
Dr. Pat Baccili helps individuals and organizations break through their limiting Crust so they can reach their unlimited potential. Her specialty is assisting people face t...Find out more »
Debra Valentina
Debra has been a business and intuitive life coach for 22 years, specializing in empowering women in professional and personal transition. Debra has successfully empowered p...Find out more »


text:
The iconic Sydney Opera House is a perfect place to visit while in Sydney. On a warm and sunny summers day, the forecourt of the Opera House overlooks the harbour as well as providing views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Circular Quay. Across the harbour is Kirribilli and the North Shore. The harbour is full of boats and the ever popular Sydney Ferries.
There are no kangaroos in Austria. We're talking about Australia, the world's smallest continent. That being cleared up, let's dive right in! Australia is a sovereign state under the Commonwealth of Nations, which is in turn overseen by Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. The continent was first sighted and charted by the Dutch in 1606. Captain James Cook of Britain came along in the next century to claim it for Britain and name it "New South Wales." Shortly thereafter it was declared to be a penal colony full of nothing but criminals and convicts, giving it the crap reputation you may have heard at your last cocktail party. This rumor ignores 40,000 years of pre-European human history, especially the Aboriginal concept of Dreamtime, an interesting explanation of physical and spiritual reality. The two biggest cities in Australia are Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney is more for business, Melbourne for arts. But that's painting in very broad strokes. Take a whirl around the panoramas to see for yourself! Text by Steve Smith.


text:
Samsung is calling fine artists
Samsung is going bodly where few major electronics companies have gone before — the fine art market.
The Korean electronics giant is developing a new high resolution LCD screen for displaying artwork electronically in homes and offices.
These "new digital canvases", as Samsung puts it, will help the company tap into the $60 billion annual art market, one third of which is based in the United States.
"It's very significant market opportunity," Scott Birnbaum, vice president of new business development for Samsung Semiconductor, said in an interview.
The concept of electronic art has been tried before but has not really taken off, mostly because of the poor appearance and lack of availability of digital paintings.
Samsung said its screens would have more real-life colors and would support brushstroke-like texture.
A major supplier of Apple for everything from flash memories to processors, Samsung is working with digital signage company Planar Systems, which will be distributing the framed LCD art screens.
Planar plans to launch the product next year.
Another set of conversations is also taking place between Samsung and budding artists to encourage them to try the digital realm. Samsung wants to build a cloud-based art collection and needs the artists to license their work for it.
Maybe artists will now start thinking in terms of pixels rather than just brush strokes.
We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/


text: Hi! After months of trying to make a portable station that would allow me to work the SSB/CW satellites (first with an FT-817ND and AOR AR8200Mk2B wide-band receiver, then later with two FT-817NDs, all using my Arrow Antennas handheld Yagi), I finally made everything work. At 1756 and 1758 UTC today, I logged my first two satellite QSOs not using FM on either the uplink or downlink. As I expected, it was not an easy thing; FO-29's 2m uplink seemed to make it a bit easier than a 70cm uplink like I had tried before on VO-52 or AO-7. Now, after over 4100 satellite QSOs in the last 2 1/2 years or so, I can say I've got at least a couple SSB satellite QSOs to go with the others I've done on FM. I know that computer control for either - or both - of the radios is the preferred way to go. Less work for the operator, reducing how much my signal moves through the passband due to Doppler, and simply more time to work other stations. I will most likely end up with a portable setup using a small laptop that can control these two FT-817NDs or some other radio(s), eventually. I will also rig up a tripod or something for the Yagi, or try another antenna, so I don't have to hold it while trying to work the radio(s). I decided that the 1745-1759 UTC FO-29 pass this morning to my east would probably be a good pass to try. Good elevation, and a footprint covering most of North America. I set up my radios in the back of my truck just over the line into grid DM44ha northeast of Phoenix AZ, and tried my luck. It took a couple of minutes to get used to finding my signal in the downlink. My 5W signal with the Yagi was more than enough. I heard some CW early in the pass, then I could hear a couple of voices - Joe K3SZH and Jeff K7WIN. When those two finished their QSO, I quickly called K7WIN. K3SZH came back instead, and I made a quick QSO with Joe. I followed that up with another quick QSO with Jeff K7WIN. Both Joe and Jeff commented I had a good signal through the satellite. Thanks for the QSOs, and especially for dealing with my non-automated station near the end of the pass! Now I can go back to working on VO-52 and AO-7, plus the new Delfi satellite, and see if I can do the same with a non-FM satellite using a 70cm uplink. And keep on working FO-29, a very nice bird. I'm not turning my back on the FM birds, but adding more options when I want to play radio via satellite. :-) 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/


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Macs are more likely to carry Windows malware than Mac malware, according to a survey. This is not a massive surprise, given the shear numbers of Windows malware, but it is a reminder that it exists even on the Mac platform. This Windows malware is inactive and can't do any harm, unless that computer has Windows installed as a secondary OS. Mac users also need to be aware that they could pass on the malware to Windows using friends and collegues via file sharing, USB memory sticks, external hard disk drives and other removable media devices.
One in five Mac computers is likely to carry Windows malware, but only one in 36 is likely to be infected with malware specifically designed for the Mac OS X, according to the study by Sophos. Sophos collected malware detection statistics from 100,000 Mac computers that run its free antivirus product and found that 20 percent of them contained one or more types of Windows malware.
Sophos' analysis also revealed that 2.7 percent of the 100,000 scanned Macs were actually infected with Mac OS X malware and a large part of those infections, 75 percent, were with the Flashback Trojan.
Flashback is a family of Mac OS X malware distributed through social engineering and automated Web exploits. Sophos' products detect applications from this malware family as OSX/Flshplyr.
A recent Flashback variant that appeared at the end of March and spread by exploiting a vulnerability in the Java browser plug-in, managed to infect almost 700,000 Mac computers.
Around 650,000 Macs are still infected with it, despite Apple releasing a patch for the Java vulnerability and a Flashback removal tool, according to a report released on Friday by antivirus firm Doctor Web. According to reports, a new version of Flashback eludes Apple's XProtect.
The second most common type of malware detected by Sophos' Mac antivirus product was OSX/FakeAV, with 18 percent of the total. OSX/FakeAV is a family of Mac OS X scareware applications that includes fake antivirus programs like Mac Defender, which first appeared in May 2011.
OSX/RSPlug, a Mac OS X version of the DNSChanger computer Trojan, was the third most common detection and accounted for 5.5 percent of the total. This malware forces infected computers to use rogue DNS (Domain Name System) servers controlled by attackers.
The rogue DNS servers used by the DNSChanger botnet were seized by the FBI last year and were temporarily replaced with good ones, to allow the malware's victims to clean their computers.
The replacement servers are scheduled to be shut down on July 9, but according to the FBI, there are still 350,000 computers infected with the malware. If the servers are shut down, those computers will no longer be able to access the Internet.
"Some Apple fans might feel relieved that they are seven times more likely to have Windows malware on their Macs than Mac OS X-specific threats, but they shouldn't be," said Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at Sophos, in a blog post on Tuesday. "What Mac users really need to do is protect their computers now (there really is no excuse, free anti-virus software is available for Mac home users), or risk allowing the malware problem on Macs to become as big as the problem on PCs in the future."


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Kendra Hughes grew up in Burlington, Ontario. After many years of
hard work and dedication, Kendra was accepted to George Brown College
for their dance foundation program with a main focus in ballet. Since
then she has been breaking the boundaries of dance with fresh
choreography and hard work. Kendra has trained all over the world,
including returning year after year to the Broadway Dance Center in New
York and training at the Sydney Dance Company in Australia. She has had
many opportunities dancing with Madonna's choreographer Slam and dancing
for Mya in New York City. Kendra has studied many kinds of dance
including jazz, ballet, modern, tap, swing, break dancing, hip-hop and
Need some new choreography? Reach Kendra here
Copyright 2004 © Kendra Hughes


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If you plan on coloring eggs this weekend, did you know your kitchen may be stocked full of natural dyes? That's right! An article on MarthaStewart.com gives step by step instructions on how to dye eggs naturally using food items. One of those food items that can be used is... COFFEE! Check out the full article and list of ingredients to naturally color your eggs this weekend!
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New Years Resolutions for Home Renovations That Can Save Money
By Ken Torrino
Every year, when January rolls around, we make a resolution regarding our diet or spending to live out a better year. So often we let the needs of our home slip through our mind, but a home could use some New Year's resolutions too!
In 2013, home renovation is focused on improving safety and efficiency in the home. Whether you are in a high-end market like New York City real estate or not, a home can become even more valuable with home renovations.
Here are some suggestions for a few New Year's resolutions to increase energy efficiency for homes in 2013.
Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Compact fluorescent bulbs save energy in the home. In fact, the bulbs use three-quarters less electricity than standard light bulbs. These light bulbs can last as long as seven years and may cost more than a standard light bulb, but the bulbs are worth the investment.
Purchase a Low-Flow Shower Head
The low-flow shower head regulates the water flow in the home. This project is easy and will only require less than an hour to install. Experts recommend installing a low-flow shower head on every shower in the home. This will save significant amounts of energy and money by regulating the flow of water. Many people neglect to make this change and waste significant amounts of money.
Purchase Solar Panels
Use solar panels to attract energy from the sun. This is a significant savings over obtaining electricity from the electric company. Installing solar panels can be expensive, but it is worth the investment. Most people add the solar panels gradually each year until there is enough to supply energy for the entire home on a daily basis.
Before installing the panels, you should conduct an energy test. This test can help you identify where the air is escaping from the home. When the areas are identified and sealed, there will be no wasting of heat or energy collected from the solar panels.
Purchase Energy Star Appliances
Purchase energy efficient appliances and put them in your home. These devices use less energy than standard energy star appliances. When appliances are not in use, you can save even more energy by unplugging the device. The thermostat can also adjust to save money.
Home Renovation and Energy Conservation
The New Year will bring savings if a few simple home renovations are completed. Every home owner can make their home safer and more energy efficient with a few simple changes. Consider the home renovations to improve the home and increase your savings.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ken Torrino manages web relations for Elliman, brokers for NYC, Queens Real Estate.
I'm glad you are in the mindset to start considering Energy Efficiency and Renewables! However, I do have a couple of suggestions;
1) Please begin to consider LED lighting. They are even more efficient that CFL's, have the potential to last much longer and do not have any special disposal requirements because they contain no mercury.
2) Low flow shower heads are a great choice but please also consider front loading wash machines, dual flush toilets etc.
3) Solar electric systems are sized for the home occupants energy usage based on a year or more of utility data and are not installed bit by bit. Unfortunately, its just not economical or practical to do so for a number of reasons. Although system sizing is flexible based on a homeowners budget and needs, I rarely see a system get added onto later because panel dimensions and electrical characteristics have changed over the course of a couple of years and the old and new are no longer compatible. There is new technology that can address some of this but you still cant address the aesthetic issue of different looking panels on a roof.
4) Energy testing is a worthwhile thing to do anytime, not just when installing a solar system. Although the two have little to do with each other outside of both being energy related. A home energy test can help determine not only points of air leakage from the HVAC duct system but in the house as a whole. It can also help guide a home owner to addressing the reasons that their home feels drafty or cold in the winter and uncomfortably hot in the summer and why their utility bills are high as a result of combating that.
Great advice on renovating and saving at the same time. One question – do high pressure, low flow shower heads exist? Because I have to have the pressure, too.
I would also add dual pane windows to the list. Although it is nothing new but it is still THE most efficient solution for energy saving. In addition, improving your roof insulation is easy and rewarding.
Triple pane windows can also have cut down energy bills as they help keep the cold/hot air inside depending on the season.
Great Blog…Although solar panels here in Langley BC Can. doesn't have the same saving effect, I will defiantly be recommending the other key points to my clients. Thanks!
I found this is an informative and interesting post so i think so it is very useful and knowledgeable.
Great tips for any homeowner! Just wish there was a more attractive option than the fluorescent bulbs as the light they emit is so harsh. Thanks for posting…
Some off these renovations have tax advantages as well. We deducted our new windows because a credit was available.
Solar panels are a huge upfront expense but they have a lot of programs and tax advantages these days to make it more attractive. You can sell credits to the electric company as well.


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Niagara-on-the-Lake, the birthplace of Ontario's modern wine industry, is a place where rural pleasures blend seamlessly with sophisticated entertainment. You can relax in charming B&Bs, replenish with indulgent spa experiences, and delight in delectable local food paired with delicious VQA wines. From antique shopping to challenging golf to internationally celebrated theatre, it's a world of endless fun and flavours.
Niagara-on-the-Lake is approximately 90 minutes by car from Toronto, and less than 30 minutes from Buffalo.
> Stratus


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Last week we noted that former Packers safety Leroy Butler had been told not to come to a Wisconsin church where he had been scheduled to give a speech, because the church was upset Butler wrote a message on Twitter in support of openly gay NBA player Jason Collins. But this week Butler has found a church where he's welcome.
St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church in Madison will have Butler in next month to talk to young people about bullying, which was the same message he was scheduled to give at the church appearance that was canceled.
"We are a religion that is about standing up next to those who are struggling, who are excluded, who are marginalized," St. Dunstan's Rector Miranda Hassett told NBC 15 in Madison.
Butler, who delivers speeches to schools and church youth groups several times a year, is in the process of raising money to make a documentary about his anti-bullying efforts.


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The Inspector provides two additional commands in the listener view.
Figure 15.8 The Listener tab of the Inspector Preferences dialog
These options control the interaction between the listener pane of the Inspector, if it has one, and the Inspector itself.
See Adding a Listener to the Inspector for details of how to add a listener pane in the Inspector.
to the current object in the Inspector in the listener.
Check Automatically inspect listener values to inspect listener values automatically.
Both these options are checked by default.


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January, 2006
Germs are everywhere: in air, soil, rocks, and water; in plants and animals; and, of course, in our own bodies. Some thrive in intense heat, while others require extreme subzero temperatures. Many have a remarkable ability to replicate themselves rapidly—reproducing every few hours in some cases—an evolutionary trick that makes them highly adaptable to changing environments and to the medicines we use to fight them.
By studying germs and how our body responds to them, scientists have unraveled many of the battle secrets—and vulnerabilities—of the immune defense system, revealing how it normally operates in its daily war on microbes and how its malfunction can contribute to disease.
Enemy Invaders
Scientists now know that most biological bad guys fall into four basic categories: viruses, fungi, bacteria, and parasites. Each type of predator has its own invade-and-infect strategy.
Viruses are not whole cells but consist of one or more molecules of DNA or RNA. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, carries a cell's genetic information and synthesizes RNA, or ribonucleic acid, which carries information from the nucleus to the body of the cell to assemble proteins. The viruses may be shaped like rods or spheres or may be multisided. In some ways, viruses are like biological pirates: they invade cells, hijack the internal machinery, and start reproducing, unleashing thousands of duplicate viruses (known as clones) that invade and take over other cells. Viruses also change their appearance, or mutate, often, and they can jump from one species to another (from certain animals to people, for example). Examples of viral illnesses include:
Take a walk in the woods or stroll along the aisles of a grocery store and you'll see one type of fungus—a mushroom. Fungi are actually a primitive vegetable and are found in air, soil, plants, and water. Thousands of types of fungi have been identified, including yeast, mold, and mildew, and there are surely many more types, about half of which cause disease in humans. Disease-causing fungi tend to infect moist areas of the body.
Athlete's foot, for example, is a common rash that results from fungi that often lurk in a shared shower (as at the gym) and then thrive and reproduce when your feet sweat. But not all fungi cause disease; some actually help fight it. Penicillin, the antibiotic that transformed the treatment of infectious diseases, was discovered when a laboratory scientist noticed that a petri dish with mold growing on it was free of bacteria.
Bacteria are single-celled organisms that may be shaped like balls, rods, or spirals. Larger and more complicated than viruses, bacteria don't need to hijack your cells to wreak havoc—they can do it all on their own. Fortunately, most bacteria are helpful. Some live in the stomach and intestine and help digest food. But about one in eight bacteria can make you sick. Harmful bacteria can cause problems in three ways: some invade and attack a specific part of the body; others produce chemical poisons that cause illness; still others multiply so much that they obstruct blood vessels or prevent the heart from functioning normally. Some examples of bacterial infections and the way in which they occur:
Parasites comprise single-celled protozoa and multicellular animals, such as nematodes and helminths (worms), that require a moist environment to survive and usually cause disease in humans. A person can become infected after drinking contaminated water or eating infected food, or eating with unwashed hands. One example of a parasitic infection is malaria, which causes recurring bouts of fever and chills after someone is bitten by an infected mosquito. Although the immune system responds, parasites are capable of mounting follow-up attacks: they can go into hiding in the cells for a while and then, start replicating again when the immune defense has diminished.
Considering this daily barrage from all directions, it's a wonder that we aren't sick all the time. Fortunately, the human immune system has evolved to handle this onslaught, operating like a highly efficient killing machine to fend off germs wherever and whenever they appear. Although the immune system employs a variety of weapons and strategies based on the specific threat, in general your immune system mounts a three-step defensive process.
Step 1: Sounding the Alarm
The first defenders on the scene of a germ attack are components of your innate immune system. The white blood cells that make up the innate immune system circulate throughout the body constantly, much like police on patrol, always on the lookout for biological suspects. These patrolling white blood cells belong to the phagocyte family, but they have many subtypes (just as a police force consists of detectives, sergeants, captains, and patrol officers). Phagocytes consist of macrophages, dendritic cells, and granulocytes. In various ways, the different types of phagocytes identify, engulf, and ingest germs and other invaders. Phagocytes lead the way in many critical innate reactions.
Knowing that where one harmful virus or germ lurks more may be hiding, phagocytes sound chemical alarms to bring the more specialized immune cells to the scene. First, dendritic cells display an antigen—a chemical that identifies the invader—so that the appropriate immune system specialist cells are able to recognize the culprit. The specialists, which consist of B and T cells, are known collectively as lymphocytes, and they make up the body's adaptive immune system. As its name implies, the adaptive immune system adapts and adjusts to specific threats as the need arises, whereas the innate immune system is pre-existing and less specific. Although B cells can recognize and respond to antigens without much assistance, T cells require a second "danger" signal in the form of a biological flag, known as an MHC molecule, which an antigen-presenting cell (such as a macrophage or dendritic cell) uses to clearly designate that an invader is foreign. The phagocytes also release chemical messengers known as cytokines.
Germ breaches the body's natural barriers
Alert the immune system
Trigger the first
line of defense
(innate immune system)
Recruit and trigger the second line of defense (adaptive immune system)
Eliminate pathogen
Generate "memory"
These danger signals rouse the T cells, which quickly multiply and rush to the scene. The elapsed time before these defenses arrive may be days to weeks, but repeated exposure to an invader will teach T cells to respond quicker. Vaccines, which will be discussed later, take advantage of this immune system memory.
Step 2: The Battle Escalates
Lymphocytes mount a two-pronged attack, one directed at infected cells and the other at hostile microbes circulating in the blood. The cell-targeting attack is directed by T cells. Killer T cells directly kill infected cells that have been marked for destruction by the phagocytes, while helper T cells coordinate the attack and send for reinforcements as needed. Meanwhile, B cells produce antibodies that bind to free-floating microbes circulating in the blood so that they cannot infect other cells. Phagocytes then engulf and destroy the antibody-studded invaders. Antibodies also activate complement proteins, which destroy microbes by punching holes in them.
As the battle rages at the microscopic level, you may start to be aware that something is amiss. If you've been infected with a cold virus, for example, your throat will become sore, your eyes watery, and your sinuses congested. These are the physical signs of inflammation, the buildup of fluid and cells that occurs as the immune system fights a hostile invader.
Step 3: Remember and Recover
Once all invaders and infected cells have been destroyed, the immune system soldiers that once multiplied so quickly decline in number. Inflammation subsides, and symptoms gradually disappear. But certain memory B and T cells remain, to remember how to attack the invader if it returns.
Even with all these physiological weapons at our disposal, microbes occasionally manage to outsmart our immune sentries or elude detection. One reason is that microbes evolve rapidly and humans do not, giving the germs an advantage over our immune defenses. Moreover, if our defense system is impaired in any way—either by an inherited condition or because we've been exposed to certain environmental toxins or medical treatments that suppress immunity—we are more susceptible to infection.
For all its highly evolved mechanisms for identifying and fighting off the daily onslaught of germs, the immune system sometimes fails to provide the protection we need. Because the system is so complex, relying on a battalion of specialized units (in the form of T cells, B cells, macrophages, and an arsenal of antibodies and other biochemicals) to perform specific defense tasks and to coordinate with one another, dysfunction in any one of these units can render the entire system inadequate.
One might compare the immune system to the U.S. Department of Defense. When waging a war, the Defense Department relies on all of its forces—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, as well as specialized intelligence units, paramilitary forces, antiterrorist teams, and so on—to work together in a coordinated fashion to defeat the enemy. It also relies heavily on its weapons—bombs, missiles, guns, tanks, battleships, warplanes, and so forth. As with the immune system, the effectiveness of the war machine as a whole depends largely on the ability of each component to efficiently fulfill its individual role. If a reconnaissance plane spies an enemy battalion approaching, but it can't get the message to troops on the ground, or if the troops don't have the ammunition or armor they need to fend off the attack, the enemy is free to wreak havoc.
In the same way, if any one component of the immune system is not up to par, germs can quickly get the upper hand. This is the case in immune deficiency diseases (IDDs), which result when one or more parts of the immune system are missing or defective.
An IDD can be inherited or acquired through an infection (such as HIV) or illness, or it can result as a side effect of certain immunosuppressive medical treatments, or treatments that suppress natural immune responses. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the best-known immune deficiency disease ("Special Focus: AIDS," page 32), but there are many other less well-known and less prevalent examples. Some cancer treatments, including chemotherapy drugs, radiation, and high doses of a group of medicines called steroids, can weaken the immune system and render a person more vulnerable to infection.
Primary immune deficiency (PID) diseases are the result of an inherited genetic defect that interferes with the immune system's normal development in one way or another. More than eighty different PID diseases have been identified, each one producing a constellation of symptoms depending on which piece or pieces of the defensive system are faulty. Symptoms of individual diseases can range from mild or nonexistent to devastatingly severe. About 25,000 to 50,000 Americans have been diagnosed with a severe form of primary immune deficiency disease, but there are probably many thousands more who have milder forms.
One of the most common of these diseases, affecting about 1 in 600 Americans, is selective immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency. IgA is a particular type of antibody that defends against infections at mucous membranes that line the mouth, airways, and digestive tract. IgA deficiency results when B cells do not mature properly and fail to produce IgA antibodies at the levels required. Many people with the deficiency remain healthy; others may suffer recurrent infections of the ear, sinuses, or lungs.
Far less common is severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), sometimes called "bubble boy" disease, which affects about one child in a million and is usually fatal. Infants born with this inherited condition have dramatic abnormalities in both innate and adaptive immunity, leaving them utterly defenseless against infections of any type and necessitating that they remain in a germ-free environment (the plastic "bubble" in which such children often must live acts as a barrier to infectious microbes).
At least a quarter of SCID cases are linked to a defect in a gene that specifies the genetic code for a particular enzyme, adenosine deaminase (ADA). The absence of ADA interferes with metabolic processes within the cell, setting off a cascade of molecular events that are particularly lethal to T and B cells. Scientists have tested controversial gene therapy approaches to treating SCID, with the goal of replacing the missing gene and restoring production of ADA. While this approach has proven successful in some cases, treated children died as a result of complications from the therapy, prompting an end to clinical trials until scientists conduct further laboratory research.
In addition to defending us against germs, the immune system identifies and attacks cancerous tumor cells. When a normal cell turns cancerous, many properties of the cell change, and these changes, some of which occur on the surface of the cell, are recognized by the immune system as antigens. The dendritic cells, for example, recognize dying cancer cells and process them to make their antigens more conspicuous to T cells. Under normal circumstances, the immune system fights back to contain and neutralize the cancer. However, if the immune system is defective in some way, or tumor cells are so widespread or so fast-growing that the immune defenses are overwhelmed, cancer cells can develop and thrive.
A great deal of research is now directed at developing immune therapy for cancer. Sometimes referred to as cancer vaccines, these approaches seek to bolster the immune system's response to tumor cells. A number of research groups are using various strategies to "pump up" tumor-killing immune cells or to increase levels of specific types of antibodies that can seek out and destroy tumor cells. The National Cancer Institute, part of the federal government's National Institutes of Health, is the main agency responsible for coordinating and funding clinical trials testing cancer immune therapy.
Like tragic cases of "friendly fire" on the battlefield of war, sometimes the immune system mistakenly attacks "self" tissue. This self-attack can cause symptoms that range from the annoyance of a runny nose, as in allergies, to the devastating progressive degeneration of joints and organs associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
A disease in which the immune system attacks the body is called an autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders comprise at least 80 different conditions that together affect 5 to 9 percent of Americans, or between 14 million and 22 million people. The misdirected attack on self tissue may target one or several body parts, depending on the disease. For example, in type 1 diabetes the immune system zeroes in on the pancreas, damaging cells that secrete the hormone insulin and rendering the body inefficient at processing glucose (a type of sugar). In multiple sclerosis, the objects of attack are cells in the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), particularly those in myelin, the fatty substance that sheathes nerve fibers and enhances the transmission of nerve signals. In psoriasis, skin cells are targeted. Systemic lupus erythematosus, on the other hand, is an example of a non-organ-specific autoimmune disease: organs and tissues throughout the body may be affected, and different people experience different sets of symptoms.
Each autoimmune disorder is associated with a unique combination of health problems. All of them seem to result from the malfunctioning of immune tolerance mechanisms. "Tolerance" refers to the process by which the developing immune system normally eliminates any immune cells that are autoreactive—that is, immune cells that mount a response to the body's own tissue.
Tolerance is a multilayered system, with a series of checks and balances built in to prevent self-attack from either innate or adaptive immune cells. In some cases, the self-reactive cells are removed or deleted. In other cases, they are silenced by immune cells called regulatory or suppressor cells.
Unfortunately, the process is somewhat leaky, and each of us ends up having a subpopulation of autoreactive immune cells floating around our body. If at some point in our life we are exposed to a microbe that happens to carry antigens resembling those on a particular organ—a situation immunologists call molecular mimicry—then the self-reactive cells that slipped through the checkpoints of tolerance mistakenly take aim at the body, striking out against the very tissue that they are supposed to be defending. Some scientists reason that such a scenario may trigger multiple sclerosis, for example.
A combination of many factors, inherited and environmental, increases one's susceptibility to autoimmune disease. On the genetic side, scientists are trying to identify the specific genes involved in various disorders, but that search has proved difficult because these disorders do not appear to result from single genetic defects. Rather, it is likely that a combination of genes, each of which may increase one's vulnerability, interact with environmental and lifestyle factors to produce disease. Environmental risks for autoimmune disease may include exposure to certain toxins or chemicals that are in the air, the ground, or the food we eat, or to certain viral infections.
For reasons that are not clear, autoimmune disorders strike women more than men. Some scientists believe the female hormone estrogen may contribute to this increased incidence among women, but estrogen's role in immune function is complex and still being sorted out.
In 2002 the National Institutes of Health committed $51 million to a five-year research initiative aimed at unraveling the puzzle of autoimmune disorders. The plan, which established nine Autoimmune Centers of Excellence at large academic research institutions, funds both basic research on the underlying biology of these disorders and clinical trials to test potential treatments. The goal is to speed the translation of scientific discoveries about the basic biology of autoimmunity into new therapies that will benefit patients.
Though they are not technically autoimmune disorders, allergies and asthma also result from an inappropriate immune response. An allergic reaction occurs when normally harmless substances, such as pollen or chemicals in pet dander, trigger an immune response. In people prone to allergies, the response produces an overabundance of the antibody called IgE, or immunoglobulin E, which in turn triggers plasma cells in the blood and mast cells in the skin, tongue, lungs, nose, and intestinal tract to release histamine, a biochemical that produces common allergy symptoms.
Asthma results when mast cells in the lungs and airways are provoked into producing histamine as a result of contact with an allergen, or because of some other precipitating factor such as exercise. The airways can become constricted, causing the difficult breathing, wheezing, and coughing that are typical of an asthma attack. Without treatment, asthma can be deadly. Although the overall number of deaths from asthma is low, at least 17 million Americans have asthma, and its prevalence appears to be increasing. Researchers are trying to understand why.
You may be wondering why, if the immune system is such an efficient germ-killing machine, so many people are sick with the flu at certain times of the year. Or why, if our immune system can fight off cancer cells and other life-threatening illnesses, it can't protect us from the common cold. Why do we hear so much in the news these days about "new" viral diseases (such as West Nile, SARS, and bird flu) and resurging "old diseases" (such as tuberculosis, malaria, and whooping cough)?
Despite the remarkable efficiency of the normally functioning immune system, people who manage to escape unscathed from every infectious microbe they encounter are rare. The highly adaptable nature of germs means that new threats are always emerging as microbes reinvent themselves, learn to outsmart our medicines, and jump from other species to humans.
Adapting to Change
Perhaps the biggest reason our immune systems can't seem to keep up with every "bug" out there waiting to infect us is a simple one: microbes are more adaptable to changing environments than we are. Bacteria, parasites, and viruses replicate rapidly in response to environmental pressures and, while doing so, alter their structures in subtle ways that make them undetectable to the immune system.
Flu viruses are among the most changeable of microbes; the genes that compose them are in a continual state of flux and reassortment. This is why last year's flu vaccine is unlikely to protect fully against this year's dominant strain (or strains) of flu, and why the flu vaccine is reformulated every year. It is also why, without immunization, we are more likely to catch the flu: since the virus has morphed into a new composition, our immune system doesn't recognize it, and we end up suffering the classic symptoms: fever, chills, muscle aches, and fatigue. These symptoms are the result of our immune system trying to rid the body of the virus.
Annually, many Americans come down with the flu and an average of 20,000 to 40,000 people die from it. The elderly, young children, and people whose immune systems are compromised are most at risk for serious complications from the flu.
The common cold, like the flu, is the result of a viral infection, usually called a rhinovirus. Scientists have identified more than 110 different strains of rhinovirus and at least another hundred viruses that cause colds in humans. Nearly half of all adult colds are of unknown origin, which makes the sought-after "cure for the common cold" a distant goal. School-age children get colds most often, probably because they are in such close proximity to one another. Children have an average of six to ten colds a year, compared with adults' two to four a year, on average. People over 60 have even fewer colds—less than one a year, on average—which may simply reflect the fact that many older people have less day-to-day contact with other people who could infect them with a cold virus.
Every few decades a particularly virulent strain of the flu emerges and produces a pandemic, an epidemic that occurs across a wide geographic area. The last flu pandemic occurred in 1968, and many scientists believe we are long overdue for the next. Global health experts are keeping a close watch on bird flu (also known as avian flu), which many fear might produce a pandemic. First identified in chickens, this flu strain began causing alarm because it was found in humans for the first time in 1997, and by 2005, many dozens of human cases had been documented in several countries.
What Are "Emerging Microbes"?
One of the biggest subjects in contemporary microbiological research (the study of microbes) is that of "emerging microbes." In the last two decades alone, more than thirty newly recognized infectious diseases have emerged, including AIDS, toxic shock syndrome, Lyme disease, hantavirus, hepatitis C, and SARS. In most cases, these diseases are not really new, but rather their incidence is rising more rapidly than ever, making them an ever greater threat to humans. Also of concern are old diseases that are now re-emerging, even though they were mostly wiped out thanks to improved public health measures and widespread immunization. Tuberculosis is one example.
Driving the spread of these diseases is increasing globalization, with the growing world population traveling greater distances than ever before, carrying disease-causing microbes with them. Climate changes and the widespread logging of Earth's forests are also factors in the spread of infectious diseases to new geographic areas and populations.
Public health experts are particularly concerned about the appearance of new strains of bacteria that are resistant to treatment with antibiotics, the "wonder drugs" of the last century that have saved many millions of lives. Fueling this dangerous trend is the widespread use of antibiotics, which are often inappropriately prescribed for people who have viral infections (antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses). The problem stems from the innate adaptability of bacteria: Because bacteria evolve and replicate so rapidly— dividing every few hours or so—they can reshuffle their genes with each division, creating strains that stubbornly resist treatment with standard antibiotics in the penicillin family. A great deal of current research is focused on the molecular tricks that bacteria use to outwit antibiotics, an area that has progressed rapidly thanks to new tools that enable researchers to unravel the genetic code of resistant microbes.
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[Infographic] Growth of U.S. Women Business Owners
by Tinu Abayomi-Paul
In January, BOLT Insurance Agency released an infographic about the growth of Women Business owners and their role as America's new job creators.
Generally, I'm not a huge fan of infographics – they can misrepresent data, and don't always cite their sources. But after a quick check on this one, I've found that this one fairly represents the sources it cites, though it will take more time to investigate those sources for accuracy.
With that in mind, I've included the infographic below for your perusal.
Before you have a look, it may interest you to note that in 2007, women owned 7.8 million businesses and accounted for 28.7 percent of all businesses nationwide, employing about 7.6 million people, according to the US Census. When you include businesses owned equally by men and women, another 4.6 million companies were responsible for employing another 8.1 million workers.
Therefore the idea of women business owners as job creators sounds like a topic worth exploring.
However, the summary of Census data that I linked to later references a quote from Census Bureau Deputy Director Thomas Mesenbourg, who stated that "women-owned businesses still lag behind businesses owned by men" in terms of numbers of businesses and receipts generated.
What do you think of the infographic? Do you feel the impact of your business is reflected in this sampling of data? What does it say about the impact of Women in Business? I'd love to hear your thoughts.


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Multiple perspectives. Custom solutions. Clear results in Raleigh, North Carolina
At Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., we're a global provider with a hometown feel.
Because we know your business is unique and has challenges that cannot be resolved by "off the shelf" coverage, we have teams of experts that leverage the power of our global resources to design a custom solution specifically for you, while offering localized service when and where you need it.
Our office has specialists that can assist you with all of your commercial insurance or benefits and HR consulting needs. And our advisors will help you stay informed of evolving challenges and issues in your industry.
Most important, we pride ourselves on providing world-class service and innovative ideas. We see solutions where others see problems.
There's no simple answer when dealing with the complex challenges you face every day. Economic issues, operational complexity, workforce impacts – every business requires solutions that help minimize their risk exposure while providing protection against unanticipated situations. Our Commercial Insurance and Risk Management Solutions include:
- Alternative Risk & Captives
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We have deep, established knowledge across a wide range of industries. This experience is what allows us to understand your business and craft a solution for you. We'd be happy to share any number of case studies demonstrating our ability to meet your unique needs.
We are located at 4700 Homewood Court, Suite 260, Raleigh, North Carolina. For your convenience, we have provided a link below the map on the right for online directions to our office.
If you'd prefer to call, one of our professionals is available to help you at +1 919.847.3318. We look forward to working with you.


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Dudley Gwaltney
Client Information Group
More time for analytics
With SAS® Grid Computing, SunTrust analysts spend less time moving data
"Analysts should spend their time doing analysis," says Dudley Gwaltney of SunTrust's Client Information Group. They shouldn't, for example, be spending time copying files from one place to another because of capacity constraints, waiting for a batch job to be completed or for a server to come back online from maintenance. They should be working in a centrally managed computing environment that most effectively addresses workload management, high availability and performance.
For precisely those reasons, SunTrust is now converting to a SAS 9.3 business intelligence and analytics platform enabled by SAS Grid Computing. Using this grid-enabled computing architecture, Gwaltney and his colleagues will be working in an environment where SAS applications and services are guaranteed to be available, where resources are prioritized according to demand, and jobs are accelerated through parallel processing.
Bottom line: Gwaltney will more effectively do what he's paid to do.
"SAS Grid Computing can mean the difference between providing an answer today rather than tomorrow."
Dudley Gwaltney
All data in one place
Gwaltney leads the Analytical Modeling Team within SunTrust's Client Information Group that supports all lines of business within SunTrust. Its predictive models for up-sell, cross-sell, attrition and other marketing activities are data- and process-intensive. Gwaltney's staff is first-rate; the computing environment in which they've been working, not quite so.
Under SunTrust's old configuration, servers were allocated based on business function, resulting in sufficient computing resources for some, not enough for others—and an overall lack of flexibility in reassigning servers when more space was needed. Depending on which initiative they were supporting at the moment, analysts on Gwaltney's team might have to retrieve data from one or two different locations and transfer it to other servers for processing.
Gwaltney, a longtime SAS® Enterprise Guide® and SAS® Enterprise Miner™ user, says that he regularly deals with files that are as large as 10 gigabytes. "It takes quite a while to move that much data between servers, and we're constantly having to move data around." In SunTrust's new grid-enabled computing architecture and cluster file sharing, all the data will be in one place. "We also won't be wasting space; we won't have all these duplicate files," Gwaltney says. "That will be a real advantage both to IT and to my analytics team."
Answers today, not tomorrow
The previous server configuration also meant time lost waiting for a processing resource. Gwaltney and his colleagues regularly have jobs that take seven or eight hours to run. Narrowing that to three or four hours, Gwaltney says, "is the difference between providing an answer today rather than tomorrow. And in our business, that makes quite a difference."
SAS Grid Computing addresses the issue of slow response times by providing a tool for standardized workload management and centralized administration of servers. The workload for SAS programs can be distributed across multiple CPUs automatically, and the ability to prioritize jobs based on business rules ensures that necessary resources are freed up when they are needed. "Jobs in the grid environment will now run more efficiently," Gwaltney says. "Processors will be better managed; it distributes the work based on available capacity and priority."
Gwaltney believes that grid computing will allow for time to do more with the data – more in-depth analytics. "The things that used to take me several hours to do, now take me an hour," he says. "They happen so much faster. The data is all in one place, and it's on a system that processes things faster." "It will give the analyst time to ask more questions, to spend more time with analytics, which is what they pay us to do."
Doing work differently, more efficiently
Gwaltney says it will be interesting to see how the end-user perspective will evolve as the new SAS Grid Computing environment continues to be rolled out. He believes SAS users at SunTrust will follow a natural learning curve from "How can I do what I've always done?" to "How can I do it more efficiently?" to "How can I take advantage of this new system to find new opportunities?"
"I think once users get past that point," Gwaltney predicts, "they'll start thinking about the analyses that they could never do before and taking advantage of new capabilities." All because there's additional time for analysts to conduct analytics.
Inefficient use of computing resources and siloed data cause delays in answering critical business decisions.
An analytic platform that improves workload management, infrastructure capacity and processing speed.


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|Tech. Program: Tech Time - Stamford Centre
Event Type: Tech Time
Age Group(s): ALL AGES
Date: 2/11/2019
Start Time: 1:00 PM
End Time: 2:00 PM
One-to-one sessions for assistance with portable devices or general technology use, and also for guidance exploring the Library's digital collections (through OverDrive, Zinio, or any of the other listed services).Library: Stamford Centre Library
• Come in with anything that you are getting started with or trying to learn more about. There is no set curriculum—attendees should arrive with questions to be answered or problems to be solved.
• Detailed set-up walkthroughs for eReading (books and magazines) and digital library services can also be provided.
• Hardware should be ready to use before the program. Please be familiar with powering on your device and any required passwords.
• The NFPL does not make changes to your property, and as such does not perform virus removal, disk restoration, etc., or any hardware repair services.
• Sessions are for education or consultation and run for 55 minutes.
Tags: ebooks, e-books, audiobooks, ipad, android, phone, tablet, laptop, tech help
Location: Gazebo Space
Other Information:
Free. Registration required. For more information, visit any Library location, call 905-356-8080, or email firstname.lastname@example.com: STAFF
Link: Click for more information
Status: We're sorry. This event is currently full.
|Please Note


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Japanese retail investors poured about $2.3 billion in a mutual fund that mainly invests in U.S., Mexican and Canadian shares, the biggest subscription since October 2006, a distributor of the fund, SMBC Nikko Securities, said on Thursday.
The country's third-largest money manager, Nikko Asset Management, launched the Japan domiciled fund, called Nikko Gravity Americas Fund, which attracted 200.1 billion yen ($2.3 billion) at the launch - the third biggest subscription ever.
Continue Reading Below
Its subscription ceiling is set at 300 billion yen.
Cash-rich Japanese investors heavily bought the Nikko Gravity fund on expectation of strong potential U.S. economic growth with the recent rise in the dollar against the yen encouraging their interest, an official at SMBC Nikko said.
The fund makes allocations in line with its model portfolio, which gives a 64 percent weighting in U.S. shares, 14 percent in Mexican shares, 10 percent in Canadian shares and the rest split in Latin American countries including Columbia and Brazil, Nikko Asset's document on its website showed.
The fund's allocations in sectors include 20 percent in energy - the highest weighting - followed by 15 percent each in financial and information technology.
Japan's $720 billion mutual fund market is the second-largest in the Asia-Pacific region after Australia and the eighth-largest in the world.
Japanese individuals hold a massive 1,500 trillion yen in personal assets of which 57 percent is held in low-yielding bank and postal savings, while less than 4 percent is invested in mutual funds, Bank of Japan data shows.
($1 = 85.6700 Japanese yen)
(Reporting by Michiko Iwasaki and Chikafumi Hodo; Editing by Matt Driskill)


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Anti-Smoking Groups: Cuomo Budget Cuts Effort
Listed below are all STTAC's current articles, events and news pieces. Please check back periodically for updates and look for more information to come!
Monday, January 28, 2013 | Categories:
New York's top anti-smoking groups say Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget proposal will again cut effective anti-smoking programs. The American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and other groups urge Cuomo to back off on what they say will be the latest of a series of state budget cuts for anti-smoking programs including TV ad campaigns. Their letter was obtained by The Associated Press. Cuomo said in his 2013-14 budget presentation last week that his budget would be "expanding tobacco cessation efforts." His proposal calls for consolidating 89 health awareness and prevention programs into six pools. Groups would compete for funds. Anti-smoking groups say that would ultimately reduce funding for their programs. The budget proposes $40 million for all the programs, the same total the groups now receive.Institute for Human Services


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Not that SW is lacking in those too, of course, but the Indy hobby seemed to have this "out of the woodwork" group of truly dickish people suddenly into toys.
Well if the mob in the RS forums says they're fakes it must be true.
It's funny, people were saying we should have known better because of the parts from other figures
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|Personal Liberty Bob Livingston provides you with a conservative, Christian view on life. Helping you live free in an unfree world. Delivering news on improving you health, boosting your wealth, and protecting your civil liberties."
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Aspirin May Help Men With Prostate Cancer
DALLAS (UPI) — Men treated for prostate cancer — either with surgery or radiation — could benefit from taking aspirin regularly, U.S. researchers suggest.
First author Dr. Kevin Choe of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas said preclinical studies showed aspirin and other anti-coagulation medications — warfarin, clopidogrel, enoxaparin, and/or aspirin — might inhibit cancer growth and metastasis, but clinical data had been limited previously.
The current study looked at almost 6,000 men in the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor database of men who had prostate cancer treated.
About 2,200 of the men involved — 37 percent — were receiving anticoagulants. The risk of death from prostate cancer was compared between those taking anti-coagulants and those who were not.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, demonstrated 10-year mortality from prostate cancer was 3 percent in the group taking anti-coagulants, compared to the 8 percent who didn't take anticoagulants. The risk of cancer recurrence and bone metastasis also were significantly lower, the study said.
However, further analysis suggested that this benefit was primarily derived from taking aspirin, as opposed to other types of anti-coagulants, Choe said.
"The results from this study suggest that aspirin prevents the growth of tumor cells in prostate cancer, especially in high-risk prostate cancer, for which we do not have a very good treatment currently," Choe said in a statement.
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New Melanoma Drug May Extend Survival
WEDNESDAY Feb. 22, 2012 — Melanoma that has spread to other areas of the body is almost always fatal, but a new drug appears to double survival for those with a certain type of this skin cancer, researchers report.
A mutation in the BRAF protein occurs in about half the people who develop melanoma. Researchers say Zelboraf (vemurafenib), a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2011, blocks that mutation, thereby killing the cancer cells.
"We demonstrated in a large group of patients overall survival approached 16 months, which is far beyond what we have seen in other trials," said lead researcher Dr. Jeffrey Sosman, a professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Survival for people with advanced melanoma is usually six to 10 months. Some new drugs have extended that to maybe 11 months, "but this is the first time we have shown such a long extension in survival," he said.
All of the patients had late-stage (stage 4) melanoma. Sosman said it's hoped that Zelboraf will work even better when given sooner.
"If we use it in an earlier stage, then we are hoping to cure patients who would not be cured otherwise," he said.
Results of this phase 2 trial — undertaken to assess the effectiveness and safety of the drug — are published in the Feb. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
For more than a year, Sosman's team followed 132 patients with previously treated metastatic melanoma, meaning the cancer had spread and was considered inoperable.
Zelboraf is a pill that patients take twice a day, and more than half who took the drug responded to it, the researchers said.
A response meant more than a 30 percent reduction in the size of tumors. Only 14 percent of patients failed to show any response to Zelboraf whatsoever, meaning their disease continued to progress.
Previously, no more than 10 percent of patients responded to any of the other available treatments, the researchers said.
The main limitation with Zelboraf is that tumors eventually become resistant.
Side effects include joint and muscle aches, which are fairly easy to manage in most patients, Sosman said.
Some patients also experienced skin changes, including sun sensitivity and rashes. "Patients develop incredible photosensitivity so patients have to be very careful about direct sunlight and use sunscreen as well as just staying out of the bright sun," Sosman said.
Also, the drug indirectly causes squamous cell cancers of the skin in some patients. "These generally never spread and are easy to remove, and patients who have gotten them can remain on treatment," Sosman said.
The drug costs around $10,000 a month, Sosman noted. "It's comparable to other cancer drugs that have shown improvement in survival, but like a lot of cancer drugs, it's expensive," he said. "You probably need to take the drug for an indefinite period of time."
Drug maker Hoffmann-La Roche funded the study.
About 70,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma each year. Of these, about 8,000 will die from the disease.
Dr. Michele Green, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said the study is a leap forward. "This finding is significant in that there is nothing right now for this kind of cancer. It's basically a death sentence," she said.
That the researchers showed improved survival is clinically significant, she said, even though "the survival wasn't that much longer."
If the drug were given for early-stage melanoma, it's possible it would improve survival even more, Green said. Eventually, she said the research will lead to a cure for melanoma.
"There's new hope every single day for melanoma," she said. "I think in our lifetime we are going to see cures for this cancer."
Source: http://www.drugs.com/news/new-melanoma-may-extend-survival-36617.html


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Phil Wilson Selected to Lead Texas Department of Transportation
Sep 29, 2011, 03:34 ET
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During their regular monthly meeting Thursday, the Texas Transportation Commission selected Phil Wilson as the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) 19th executive director, effective October 17, 2011. Wilson currently serves as senior vice president of public affairs for Luminant, an electric generation company headquartered in Dallas, and previously served as Texas Secretary of State.
As secretary, Wilson was responsible for elections and acted as the governor's chief liaison on the Texas-Mexico border and issues with Mexico. He has also served as Chairman of the Governor's Competitiveness Council, where Wilson helped identify ways the state could improve its economic position for continued long-term success. Wilson's public service also includes time as an aide to U.S. Senator Phil Gramm and on the senior staff of Governor Rick Perry.
"Phil's experience as a public servant and member of the Texas business community has prepared him well to lead the department as it continues to modernize," said Ted Houghton, Texas Transportation commissioner and chair of the commission's executive director search committee. "While TxDOT is certainly a national leader in transportation infrastructure development, there are opportunities for Phil to guide the department through this period of transition, emerging a more responsive and efficient organization."
"I am honored to be selected as the next executive director of TxDOT. This is an agency with a rich history in successfully building for our future with dedicated employees," said Wilson. "I look forward to working with the agency, Commission, Legislature and local communities on the most efficient and effective ways to build infrastructure for Texas."
During his time as secretary of state, Wilson led a number of transportation-related programs, including the Border Colonia Access Program and the Texas Interagency Work Group on the Texas and Mexico Border Affairs initiative. The secretary of state also serves as the state's chief economic development officer, and in that role, Wilson worked with TxDOT professionals in bringing new opportunities to the state.
As a chair of the Governor's Competitiveness Council, Wilson and his colleagues made several transportation recommendations to improve the state's competitiveness, including proposals to reexamine public-private partnerships, expand inland ports, repair and maintain the state's existing infrastructure and advancement of rail relocation efforts.
Wilson succeeds Amadeo Saenz, Jr., who retired from state service at the end of August. Wilson is the department's first executive director since legislation was passed in 2009 removing the requirement that the position be occupied by a professional engineer. He holds a bachelor's degree from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene and a master's degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University.
The Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, rail and public transportation across the state. TxDOT and its approximately 12,000 employees strive to empower local leaders to solve local transportation problems, and to use new financial tools, including tolling and public-private partnerships, to reduce congestion and pave the way for future economic growth while enhancing safety, improving air quality and preserving the value of the state's transportation assets. Find out more at www.txdot.gov. Fan us on Facebook www.facebook.com/txdot. Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/txdot.
SOURCE Texas Department of Transportation


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During the last two days I hacked together a Bazaar module for Apache. This module makes it possible to easily enable the Bazaar smart server for Bazaar branches. It also can display a simple placeholder page for Bazaar branches without working tree. It's surprisingly easy to write Apache modules.
The main advantage this has over a mod_wsgi / mod_python / mod_fcgi setup is that it doesn't require any additional Python hacking on the users side or other configuration outside of Apache, and it doesn't require configuration for each single branch in the Apache configuration. In the future I'd also like to support the settings "BazaarFrontend Wikkid" and "BazaarFrontend Loggerhead".
The configuration is currently as simple as:
LoadModule bzr_module /usr/lib/apache2/modules/mod_bzr.so
BazaarSmart on
BazaarFrontend Basic
in your apache2.conf. The BazaarSmart and BazaarFrontend directives can appear in <Directory> or <Location> clauses as well, if you'd like to have different behaviour for different directories.
At the moment this project is a proof of concept, and probably not something you would want to run in production. For example, there is no way to limit the access to a branch to read only. I need to double-check there are no threading issues.
Testing and patches are welcome. The project is hosted here:
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