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The Fugitive
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 10
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 3:37 pm
Post subject: Duplicate Puzzles
The author should note that one of the puzzles has been repeated twice:
15th June 2005 - Medium
1st August 2005 - Medium
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David Bryant
Joined: 29 Jul 2005
Posts: 559
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 6:39 pm
Post subject: You're right
You're right. I'm curious -- how did you ever notice that? dcb
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Joined: 01 Aug 2005
Posts: 198
Location: Bideford Devon EX39
Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 8:43 pm
Post subject: Re: Duplicate Puzzles
The Fugitive wrote:
The author should note that one of the puzzles has been repeated twice:
15th June 2005 - Medium
1st August 2005 - Medium
OK - when was the THIRD occasion?
With just two occurrences it appears to have been repeated only once!
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Joined: 21 Oct 2005
Posts: 50
Location: England
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 2:37 am
Post subject:
Alan you beat me to it! I bet you have a well-thumbed copy of
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
on your bookshelf.
You might find it worth replacing the at sign in your signature block with something more wordy, like "AT THE ISP" as automatic email address harvesters regularly source from discussion boards. Most of the resultant junk and offensive mail will be caught by your own or your ISP's spam trap, but some will always get through.
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The Fugitive
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 10
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 6:27 am
Post subject:
You're right. I'm curious -- how did you ever notice that? dcb
There's only 276 files in the archive at present. That's just 37,950 individual file comparisons. I knocked up a C++ program in less than 5 minutes and got the result a few seconds later.
I'm more curious as to why such a small collection should have any duplicates at all.
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Site Admin
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 106
Location: Cambridge
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:14 pm
Post subject:
The Fugitive wrote:
I'm more curious as to why such a small collection should have any duplicates at all.
Simply a bug -- I noticed this a while after the puzzles were used, so I thought it would be confusing to retrospectively fix it. Actually, I've managed to do the same puzzles more than once without noticing until completion, and without any lessening of enjoyment. It's taken you a systematic approach to spot it -- the 30 or 40 thousand people who've grabbed the puzzles to do 'em haven't noticed :)
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Joined: 07 Aug 2005
Posts: 275
Location: Munich
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 5:38 am
Post subject:
Some of them could solve only the first one. some only the second.
This is why the germans invented the:
"Doppelt hält besser"
It applies not only for humans, but also for computer programs.
And this is not a "bug" but a "feature".
see u,
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The Fugitive
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 10
Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 7:56 am
Post subject:
Thanks Sam. I actually wrote my duplicate checker for my own collection. My program creates new puzzles on the fly, but I wanted to ensure every one was unique. I tested the checker on your archive thinking it would pass, but was surprised when it didn't. Still, it at least proved the checker was working as I intended.
My spare machine's been working flat-out generating, saving and checking for duplicates for almost 2 hours now. So far there are none -- gotta be a good sign. Unfortunately it's already creating them far quicker than it can check them so I expect it will fall over sooner or later... Ho-hum
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When you stretch, don't make jerky, quick, or bouncing movements. Instead, ease into your stretches in a smooth, relaxed way and hold the stretched posture externally while you internally release the muscles. If you feel any pain, stop. Stretching that causes pain can lead to serious injury if muscle tissues lose elasticity and tear. "No pain, no gain" should be understood metaphorically, not literally, where stretching is concerned. Breathe consciously while stretching and imagine that you are actually breathing into the parts of the body being stretched.
Bob Anderson, MD, Stretching
Start Your Day with a Stretch
Choose from among the movements suggested below or develop your own routine for starting your day with a stretch. Each of these stretches can be done in bed.
There are yoga exercises for every part of the body, from the eyes to the toes. Try this simple stretch called the Lion Pose, which is designed to relax tension you hold in your face. It feels great and looks silly, so it should make you smile!
The Lion Pose
If you are interested in learning more about hatha yoga, refer to the books on yoga listed in the resources at the end of the book or contact your public library.
Yoga classes are often taught at fitness centers.
The online version of Dr. Travis' Wellness Inventory may be accessed at (www.WellPeople.com). The Wellness Inventory may also be licensed by coaches, health and wellness professionals, and organizations.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Post written by Rachel Schimke, a spring intern at N-YHS who processed the Peter Curtenius Papers. This year marks the bicentennial of the War of 1812, a conflict that is often overshadowed by the more celebrated wars in our nation's history. The newly processed Peter Curtenius Papers offer invaluable information for researchers interested in this…Read More


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|Samuel James (S. J.) Farrar
Samuel James (S. J.) and Leonia Farrar, May 28, 2003. Interview K-0652.
Hard Work and God's Work: Labor and Worship in North Carolina: Samuel and Leonia Farrar remember a lifetime of hard work in rural and urban North Carolina.
Interviewee: Leonia Farrar, Samuel James (S. J.) Farrar Interviewer: Peggy Van Scoyoc
Duration: 01:29:20 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 8 excerpts.


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Posted on 12/31/2015 at 08:17 AM
Posted on 12/31/2015 at 08:17 AM
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I've moved! Come visit the new blog!
:: vintage monday [ week five ] ::
Brrrrrr... It is downright cold this morning! Here's a little inspiration to get your week started...
[ click for larger view. ]
This week I decided to showcase something a little different than the usual fare: young girl's frocks from the 1920's. I know as a little girl I loved to dress up in pretty dresses that had peter pan collars (and usually a matching pinafore...), and I have always adored the little details and innocence that older girl's styles evoke. These dresses are so much fun, and have gobs of ideas that you could use in a present day, misses design! Different collar shapes, interesting pockets, tiered skirts, embroidery, sashes... My favorite snippets: the center top frock's sleeves (those mini-ruffles would look lovely on many applications!), and the bottom right dress's use of trim (simple, but not boring).
I'll be back a little later with more creative-goodness. Hopefully by then my fingers will have thawed! lol.
Cheers & Creativity,
♥ Casey [ email me ]
penned by Casey Maura at 9:12 AM 7 dreams tags: vintage monday
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Quick question.. Is there a way to change your profile name? I want to change mine. I want to keep it the same, just change it so it's just Mitovo. The alternating caps made sense in my head (it's the first two letters of my first, middle and last names). I've since changed the spelling elsewhere, but there doesn't seem to be a way for me to do it here.
Can a mod do this?


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Elisabeth L, South Carolina
- 12/29/2013
About Me
As a preschool teacher I spend my time sharing some of my favorite things with small children- books, glitter, and paint. As a mother of four I love sharing some of my favorite things with my family- Disney and travel. Like most parents my hours are spent driving the minivan, feeding my family, and assisting with homework. When I have downtime in the school pick up line or between loads of laundry you will find me reading a book. I live in the magnificent South Carolina Lowcountry within walking distance of a nature preserve containing black bears, venus fly traps, and the occasional bald eagle.
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and our trips abroad with Adventures by Disney. Thanks to Disney we have traveled to Asia, Africa, and Central America for magical, never to be forgotten adventures.
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Samantha Power Is Back
Obama's U.N. ambassador is stepping into the limelight. But disasters loom around every corner.
Samantha Power, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, has two problems. One of them is the United Nations. The other is the United States.
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Story Continued Below
This is something of a second coming for Power as a public figure. After the 2008 campaign, when she famously described Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama's rival for the Democratic nomination, as a "monster," she largely stayed out of the public eye. She quit the campaign after that incident, later becoming an adviser in the White House, where she was known for fighting hard for her causes, such as the intervention in Libya. Her precise level of influence was often hard for outside observers to gauge, but she clearly maintained the confidence of President Obama, who has described her as "one of our foremost thinkers on foreign policy."
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During her confirmation hearing, Power harped on American exceptionalism and promised to defend Israel to the hilt, winning over potential Republican critics. In office, she has scored points among left-leaning NGOs by pushing the Obama administration to take greater interest in the bloodshed in the Central African Republic and highlighting human rights issues elsewhere. Last week, the United States co-hosted a first Security Council discussion of abuses in North Korea, looking at the case for an investigation by the International Criminal Court. China and Russia stayed away, and no other council member would have dared raise the topic alone.
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Main Content:
Women's Shoes on Sale
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Clean CARFAX. Alpine White AWD, Sunroof Moonroof, Blue Tooth Hands Free Phone, Leather, Heated Seats, Non Smoker, Clean Carfax, AWD. 22/33 City/Highway MPG
2015 BMW 3 Series 328i xDrive 4D Sedan 2.0L 4-Cylinder DOHC 16V Turbocharged AWD 8-Speed Automatic
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Used 2015 BMW328i 328i xDrive Sedan
- Stock: K25A
- Mileage
- 43,155 miles
- Fuel Economy
- 22.0/33.0 mpg City/Hwy
- Exterior Color
- Alpine White
- Interior Color
- Black
- Body/Seating
- Sedan/5 seats
- Transmission
- 8 speed automatic
- Drivetrain
- all-wheel drive
- Engine
- 2.0L I-4 cyl
BMW 328i
Highlighted Features
- Automatic temperature control
- Emergency communication system
- Wireless phone connectivity
- Front dual zone A/C
- Rain sensing wipers
- Speed sensitive wipers
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- Split folding rear seat
Detailed Specifications
Dealer Notes
KBB.com Consumer Reviews
- 5.0
Love this car!!
By jim on Tuesday, December 19, 2017Fast and comfortable. Cant live without heated seats and steering wheel. Bluetooth and navigation very reliable and easy to operate. Seats are comfortable.
- 4.0
German engineering and performance rules
By ZMJ on Monday, May 01, 2017This was my first BMW and probably will not be my last. Although I purchased the car in the fall of 2013, I still enjoy driving it 3.5 years later. Overall, Ive had no significant issues with the vehicle. I did have to have the on-board computer replaced early on, but that was because I had trouble connecting my phone to the sound system. The vehicle has great power for a 4-cylinder, especially when its in sport mode. Note, tough, its still a 4 cylinder, so its initial take off isnt like that of a 6 cylinder. The vehicle looks and feels like it did on the day that I bought it, even though it has more than 56,000 miles on it. It doesnt have rattles, but it does have a little more road noise than I would expect. My only criticism of the 328 xi is its electronic gadgetry. For a modern car, the electronic features are cumbersome to use. For example, I rarely use the navigation system because its not intuitive and you have set the state, city, etc.. every time you use it. Additionally, it requires time and effort to input each digit of the house number and much of the street address. Also, the vehicle was supposed to allow me to access my text and emails through my iPhone. After much research, I found that the only way that it might work was to buy a 300 holder for my phone (which would have been obsolete a year later when the new model of iPhones came out). Lastly, the hands off feature easily gets confused. When I push the button, I never know if I will get the cars system or Siri. The choice appears random. Again, I truly enjoy the car and plan to keep driving it for several years to come. The only downside is the electronics, but I didnt buy a German-made car for its electronic gadgets.
- 4.0
Computer geeks ruined the ultimate driving machine
By SDL701 on Sunday, October 02, 2016BMW has taken what used to be the "Ultimate Driving Machine" and made it into a computer geek nightmare. The absurd electronics on my 2012 328i were an annoyance since the beginning, but when the $450 battery, which cannot be owner-replaced, failed after three years, that was the last straw. The battery failed because the electrical system never turns off, so if you go away for a week without hooking the car to a battery charger, the battery runs down. You can't even disconnect the battery, or all the computers in the car crash. (Even modern jet aircraft let you do that!) Technology is wonderful when it makes something safer, more efficient, or somehow better, but technology for its own sake is a distraction, an annoyance, and an unjustifiable expense. Run-flat tires are fine, but if you live in the American West and venture more than 50 miles from a major city, you need a spare tire. Neglecting to provide one was bad enough; eliminating a well in the trunk to put an aftermarket spare was just plain stupid. Every car made since the invention of the automatic transmission has had a "P" position on the shifter. BMW replaced that with a separate button that must be pushed or you are faced with warning bells and flashing lights. Again, just stupid. Likewise removing the two-dollar oil dipstick and replacing it with a computer-driven system that probably costs a few hundred dollars and requires warming up the car, parking it on a perfectly level surface, and drilling down through menus on the iDrive system just to check the oil. But the last straw -- the reason that after driving BMWs for 30 years I am getting rid of this car and buying something reliable and Japanese that just works -- is the ridiculous computers that will never allow the electrical system to go to sleep, and therefore run the battery down if I go away for a week, to the point of giving a barrage of error messages and warnings, turning off accessories, and ultimately requiring battery replacement. And what genius came up with a system that determines battery state by driving history rather than the actual condition of the battery, so that even charging it before driving it doesn't clear the error messages or turn the accessories back on? Even the vaunted BMW driving experience was dumbed down when BMW switched from its marvelous hydromechanical power steering to an electronic system that feels dead by comparison I loved my previous BMWs. This one is nothing but a pain in the butt. I'm trading it for a Subaru.
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2017 Chevrolet Cruze LT Hatchb…
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Record Last Week: 4-3 (27 RS, 21 RA)
Season Record: 27-16 (184 RS, 159 RA, 25-18 pythag. record), 0.5 games up in AL East
Opponents This Week: @ Orioles (three games, Mon. to Weds.), Thurs. OFF @ Rays (three games, Fri. to Sun.)
Top stories from last week:
- The week opened with a doubleheader against the Indians, and the teams split the two games even though the Yankees allowed one run total on the day.
- Following the two games in Cleveland, the Yankees returned home for three games against the Mariners. A late comeback led to a win over Felix Hernandez on Tuesday, but Phil Hughes got rocked in the following day's loss. Seattle completed the series win on Thursday.
- The Blue Jays came to town for a three-game weekend set, and Hiroki Kuroda dominated in the series-opening win. Robinson Cano hit a pair of homers in Saturday's win before yesterday's game was rained out. No makeup date has been announced and the Yankees juggled their rotation.
- Injury News: Curtis Granderson (forearm) was activated off the DL. Andy Pettitte (trap) has been placed on the DL with a strain. Chris Stewart (groin) is day-to-day. Eduardo Nunez (ribcage) is expected to start hitting in the batting cage in a few days. Joba Chamberlain (oblique) will head to Tampa to continue his rehab. Travis Hafner (shoulder) received a cortisone shot and missed a few games with tendinitis, but he has since returned to the lineup. Cesar Cabral (elbow) officially started a minor league rehab assignment. Prospect Gabe Encinas (elbow) has been placed on the DL.
- The Yankees added two new infielders this week, calling up David Adams and acquiring Reid Brignac from the Rockies. Chris Nelson and Alberto Gonzalez were both designated for assignment to clear room on the roster. Nelson was claimed off waivers by the Angels. Both Brett Marshall and Dellin Betances were recalled for bullpen depth at various points during the week.
- Hal Steinbrenner confirmed the team has had contract talks with Robinson Cano's new representatives. Talks about new contracts for Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman have yet to begin, however.
- Both the NHL and the Yankees officially announced two hockey games will be played at Yankee Stadium next January.
- The Yankees are the "most likely landing spot" for Dominican outfielder prospect Leonardo Molina.
Please take a second to answer the poll below and give us an idea of how confident you are in the team. You can view the interactive Fan Confidence Graph anytime via the nav bar above, or by clicking here. Thanks in advance for voting.
Given the team's current roster construction, farm system, management, etc., how confident are you in the Yankees' overall future?


text:
Traverse Classics: Rufus Snoddy's Journey North
Note: Rufus Snoddy's current exhibit, Wings of Icarus will be at Traverse City's Dennos Museum through June 02, 2013.
Traverse Classics: It's a frigid pre-spring day, and Rufus Snoddy's studio in the lower level of his Williamsburg home is nearly dark, save for a slice of gray light that filters in from the window. Half an hour ago, the power went out. And just a few minutes ago, Snoddy's daughter, Maya, called from school with a sore throat, wanting him to come and get her.
"I'll be right back – it's only five minutes away," says the soft-spoken artist, laughing but obviously rattled, offering a steaming cup of coffee from a thermal carafe. "Just wait here until I get back."
Near the window, two wooden easels hold canvases, one covered in sculptured wood that's painted a matte charcoal; the other, a 4-by-5-foot canvas layered in acrylic circles that look like cells, and underneath, a large running figure whose middle is a rectangle of sinuous wood painted red, white and blue. A sliver of a moon rises next to the figure, and above that, a circle is cut clean from the canvas.
Alone in this artist's studio, the primal vibes from these sculpted forms, the organic ripples of their textured surfaces, the glare of the piercing eyeballs and cryptic words that punctuate the works are all palpable. They boldly resonate, sometimes shout, imploring you to imagine their messages.
The brushes, knives, spatulas and containers of Nova Gel acrylic and oil paint that Snoddy uses are stacked on a worktable. A wooden stool is spattered with feisty hues, and two high-intensity lamps stand ready to illuminate the works, as soon as the power comes back.
Not long after Snoddy returns with his ailing 9-year-old, the electricity pulses and the lights spark on, revealing an entire gallery of creations that circle the room and generate voltage unlike any seen or felt in Northern Michigan.


text:
It's been a big year this year, to put things mildly. I completed my own research project and graduated from university. It wasn't always easy, but I'm very grateful I got to work on a project which I felt so passionately about and made very much my own. Hopefully I'll be back in academia but for now I'm aimlessly searching for something to give my life meaning, much like Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate. Minus the adultery, definitely have not been dabbling in that!
There was a lot of emphasise put on my studies, but there was always time for creating new outfits AND I got to see Romance Was Born's Bush Magic runway show at the National Gallery of Victoria. The atmosphere was incredible, it was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Honestly I was so glad I dragged my butt out there to see it!
I also got to attend some classes organised by the lovely Lady Petrova, including Social Media and Unicorn Hair braiding. Hanging out with a cool group of ladies on a Saturday morning is high on my list of priorities (so if you're in Melbourne, hang out with me?)
Lastly, I've just enjoyed being able to continue posting outfits but also sharing them on my instagram, where I won this amazing hand painted jacket by Esther Kim (estherlovesyou). Here's to a bigger and better 2016!


text:
Just call MetLife Stadium "Bizarro World," because two of the NFL's most maligned quarterbacks are looking great there tonight.
Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert both got off to good starts in Saturday night's preseason game, with both men marching their teams down the field on early touchdown drives.
Sanchez got things started with an outstanding drive on which he threw three passes, completing them for 11, 23 and 23 yards, with the final completion going to Jeff Cumberland for a touchdown. He appeared to be in total command of the offense, and Jets coach Rex Ryan grinned widely after the touchdown pass.
But Gabbert answered with a tremendous drive of his own, going 4-for-4 for 71 yards and capping it off with a five-yard touchdown toss to Allen Reisner. Gabbert, who was shaky in last week's preseason opener, looked outstanding.
That wasn't the end of the good quarterback play: The Jets got the ball back and Sanchez proceeded to march them down the field again, with the drive stalling only when receiver Stephen Hill failed to come up with a catchable ball from Sanchez. The Jets settled for a field goal on that drive.
On the Jaguars' next drive, Gabbert again moved the offense smoothly, and although a third-down pass into the end zone fell incomplete and Jacksonville had to settle for a field goal, it was another solid drive.
It's just the first quarter of a preseason game, so we shouldn't overreact. But everything about both of these quarterbacks look great tonight. Well, everything except Sanchez's mustache.


text:
Eddie Cheng
The Photography of Eddie Cheng
https://www.facebook.com/yewyuee ... in a galaxy far, far away
Welcome to my Humble Gallery. 欢迎. Selamat Datang. நல்வரவு *Member since 27 June 2012*
Just a humble attempt to showcase the little RED DOT through my perspective; with MINIMAL post processing ("Astrophotography, Near Infrared, Black and White" being exceptions); no hdrs, blendings, multiple exposures, composites, panoramas nor stitching. Presented here are photographs we could all achieve but with a little help from a combination of NDs (neutral density), GNDs (gradual neutral density) and a tripod. Post processing, if any, are limited to straightening, cropping and correction for perspective distortion. For what it's worth, each and every photograph will come with supporting facts and/or stories.
My photographs are occasionally archived in 'Galleries'.
For those still interested in reading my "2013-China West Lake Winter Wonderland Series", kindly find them in my "West Lake, Hangzhou (Zhejiang, P.R. China)" set. Do browse them in chronological order for maximum impact.
Check out my Facebook Page for more (respective albums) recent experiments.
Critiques are more than welcome and are very much appreciated. Most importantly, as PHOTOGRAPHY is an ART, please do not feel obligated to reciprocate LIKEs. There is more to life than 'page ONE/99'. Thank you very much for viewing. And thank you too for sharing. Best wishes. GOD bless.
Last but not least, a BIG THANK YOU for those who purchase my photographs.
- 26,776 Affection
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- Singapore, Singapore


text:
People magazine reports that the Duchess of Cambridge's little sister, Pippa Middleton, has broken up with her professional cricket player turned broker boyfriend, Alex Loudon.
The two haven't been seen in public for weeks.
From the story on People.com:
"It is common knowledge in their close circle of friends that Pippa and Alex have recently split up," a friend is quoted as telling the Sunday Times.
Middleton's newfound celebrity put a strain on the relationship, though the pair will try to "stay good friends," the Sun reports.
Lately, Middleton, 27, has been spending quite a bit of time with, an old boyfriend, George Percy, from her college days.
She and Percy, the son of the Duke of Northumberland, recently partied in Spain together and also watched some tennis together at the Queens Club.
— Amanda Trella


text:
Horse ATG/CsA in Aplastic Anemia Patients Unresponsive to or With a Suboptimal Response to Rabbit ATG/CsA Treatment
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00944749
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : July 23, 2009
Results First Posted : February 23, 2017
Last Update Posted : September 25, 2017
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
- Severe plastic anemia can lead to problems with bone marrow platelet production and result in low blood platelet counts, which require frequent platelet transfusions to improve blood clotting.
- A standard treatment for SAA involves injections of rabbit-antithymocyte globulin (r-ATG). r-ATG is developed by injecting horses with a type of human white blood cells called thymocytes. The horse's immune system reacts against these cells and makes antibodies that can destroy them. These antibodies are collected and purified to make r-ATG. Horses can also be used for this procedure to make horse-antithymocyte globulin (h-ATG).
- h-ATG is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of aplastic anemia. h-ATG is a standard first-line method to treat aplastic anemia, but researchers do not know how effective it is in patients who were first treated unsuccessfully with r-ATG.
- To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of horse-ATG (with cyclosporine) in increasing blood counts and reducing the need for transfusions in aplastic anemia patients who have failed to respond to prior immunosuppressive treatment with rabbit-ATG and cyclosporine.
- Patients 2 years of age and older who have consistently low blood platelet counts related to aplastic anemia that has not responded to conventional treatment with rabbit-ATG.
- After initial screening, medical history, and blood tests, patients will be admitted to the inpatient unit at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Researchers will perform a skin test with h-ATG to check for allergic or other adverse reaction.
- After the skin test, h-ATG will be given into a vein continuously over 4 days.
- Cyclosporine will also be given to improve the response rate of ATG treatment. Treatment with cyclosporine will start the same day as the h-ATG, either in liquid or capsule form, and continued for 6 months. The dose of cyclosporine will be monitored and adjusted based on blood levels and signs of side effects in the kidney and liver.
- To prevent or treat infections that may result from cyclosporine s effect on the immune system, patients will also take inhaled or capsule doses of pentamidine.
- After the study is completed, patients will have followup evaluations every 3 months, 6 months, and annually for 5 years. Evaluations will include blood samples and periodic bone marrow biopsies.
|Condition or disease
|Anemia, Aplastic Anemia, Hypoplastic
|Drug: h-ATG (ATGAM ) Drug: Cyclosporine (Gengraf )
|Phase 2
Severe aplastic anemia (SAA), characterized by pancytopenia and a hypocellular bone marrow, is effectively treated by immunosuppressive therapy, usually a combination of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporine (CsA). Survival rates following this regimen are equivalent to those achieved with allogeneic stem cells transplantation. However, approximately 1/3 of patients will not show blood count improvement after ATG/CsA. General experience and small pilot studies have suggested that such patients benefit from further immunosuppression. Furthermore, analysis of our own clinical data suggests that patients with minimal blood count responses to a single course of ATG, even when transfusion independence is achieved, have a markedly worse prognosis than patients with robust hematologic improvement.
The majority of the experience in the US and worldwide has been with horse ATG (h-ATG) plus CsA as initial therapy in SAA. Rabbit ATG (r-ATG) plus CsA has been employed successfully in about 1/3 of cases in those who are refractory to initial h-ATG/CsA (current NHLBI Protocol 03-H-0249). In recent years, h-ATG and r-ATG have been used interchangeably in treatment-naive patients, and initial therapy with r-ATG/CsA is now frequent in the US and the only option in Europe and Japan, where h-ATG is no longer available. An active NHLBI randomized study is comparing the efficacy of h- and r-ATG as initial therapy in SAA, and the results from a recently completed interim analysis suggest that the hematologic response rate ultimately may not be comparable between these two agents (Protocol 06-H-0034). There is no published report on the outcome of repeat immunosuppressive therapy in those patients refractory to initial r-ATG/CsA, and thus the management of these patients is uncertain. We therefore propose this study of h-ATG/CsA in SAA patients who are refractory or have a suboptimal response to r-ATG.
The primary endpoint will be the response rate at 3 months where response is defined as no longer meeting criteria for SAA.
The primary objective is to evaluate the effectiveness (response rate) at 3 months of a second course of immunosuppression with h-ATG/CsA in subjects refractory to or with a suboptimal response to a course of r-ATG/CsA or cyclophosphamide at least 3 months post treatment.
Secondary objectives include robustness of hematologic recovery, relapse, response rate at 6 months, clonal evolution and overall survival.
The primary endpoint will be changes in absolute neutrophil count, platelet count, reticulocyte count at 3 months.
Secondary endpoints will include time to relapse, changes in cytogenetics, time to death.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|23 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Single Group Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Horse ATG/CsA in Aplastic Anemia Patients Unresponsive to or With a Suboptimal Response to Rabbit ATG/CsA Treatment
|Study Start Date :
|July 2009
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|December 2015
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|December 2016
|Experimental: Single Arm
Drug: h-ATG (ATGAM )
Drug: Cyclosporine (Gengraf )
- Number of Participants With Complete Response at 3 Months. [ Time Frame: 3-months ]
The primary endpoint was hematologic response at 3 months, defined as no longer meeting criteria for Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA) defined as bone marrow cellularity of less than 30% and severe pancytopenia with at least two of the following peripheral blood count criteria: (i) absolute neutrophil count less than 0.5×109/L; (ii) absolute reticulocyte count less than 60×109/L; and (iii) platelet count less than 20×109/L.
A complete response was defined as absolute neutrophil count (ANC) above 1.0×109/L, Hgb > 10 g/dL, and platelet count > 100×109/L.
A partial response was defined as a hematologic response that was not sufficient for a complete response.
- Number of Participants With Complete Response at 3 Months. [ Time Frame: 3 months ]
The primary endpoint was hematologic response at 3 months, defined as no longer meeting criteria for Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA).
A complete response was defined as absolute neutrophil count (ANC) above 1.0×109/L, Hgb > 10 g/dL, and platelet count > 100×109/L.
A partial response was defined as a hematologic response that was not sufficient for a complete response.
In subjects with a non-robust hematologic response at 3 months, improvement in one or more of the listed peripheral blood parameter (a,b,c) were recorded as a response: a) ANC - if baseline ANC below 0.5×109/L, increase in ANC by > 0.3×109/L, if baseline ANC above 0.5×109/L, any increase in ANC by > 0.5×109/L of blood; (b) platelets - if baseline platelet count < 50×109/L, any increase in platelet count by > 20×109/L of blood; c) hemoglobin - any increase in hemoglobin by 1.5 g/dl of blood in transfusion-independent patients and in absolute reticulocyte count to > 60×109/L of blood in transfusion-dependent patients.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|2 Years to 82 Years (Child, Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
- All patients 2 years old or over with SAA who have failed initial immunosuppression with r-ATG/CsA and are not candidates for a matched sibling marrow transplantation will be considered for enrollment. Patients who have a suitable matched sibling donor will be referred for consideration of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Patients not willing to undergo transplantation will be considered for enrollment. Eligibility will be determined on another screening Hematology Branch protocol (97-H-0041) or another active Hematology branch protocol. The time between determination of eligibility and signing consent to participate on this protocol and initiate treatment on this protocol will not exceed 90 days.
Diagnosed with SAA characterized by:
- Bone marrow cellularity < 30% (excluding lymphocytes)
- At least two of the following:
i. Absolute neutrophil count <500/ microL
ii. Platelet count <20,000/ microL
iii. Reticulocyte count <60,000/ microL
- Failure to respond to an initial course of r-ATG/CsA or cyclophosphamide at least 3 months post-treatment or a suboptimal response to initial therapy defined by both platelet and reticulocyte count < 50,000 /microL at 3 months post-treatment
- Age greater than or equal to 2 years of age
- Diagnosis of Fanconi anemia. Patients with very severe neutropenia (ANC < 200 /microL) will not be excluded initially if results of Fanconi anemia testing are not available or pending. If evidence of Fanconi anemia is later identified, the subject will go off study.
- Evidence of a clonal disorder on cytogenetics. Patients with very severe neutropenia (ANC < 200/uL) will not be excluded initially if results of cytogenetics are not available or pending. If evidence of a clonal disorder is later identified, the subject will go off study.
- Patients who received prior course(s) of alemtuzumab will not be excluded.
- Infection not adequately responding to appropriate therapy
- HIV seropositivity
- Moribund status or concurrent hepatic, renal, cardiac, neurologic, pulmonary, infectious, or metabolic disease of such severity that it would preclude the patient s ability to tolerate protocol therapy or that death within 7-10 days is likely.
- Subjects with cancer who are on active chemotherapeutic treatment or who take drugs with hematological effects will not be eligible
- Serum creatinine > 2.5 mg/dL
- Current pregnancy, breast-feeding or unwillingness to refrain from pregnancy if of child bearing potential
- Inability to understand the investigational nature of the study or give informed consent
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00944749
|United States, Maryland
|National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
|Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
|Principal Investigator:
|Danielle M Townsley, M.D.
|National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Additional Information:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00944749 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|July 23, 2009 Key Record Dates
|Results First Posted:
|February 23, 2017
|Last Update Posted:
|September 25, 2017
|Last Verified:
|February 2017
Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) ( National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) ):
Anti -Thymocyte Globulin
Lymphocyte Immune Globulin
Aplastic Anemia
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Anemia, Aplastic
Hematologic Diseases
Bone Marrow Diseases
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Immunosuppressive Agents
Immunologic Factors
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Antifungal Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Dermatologic Agents
Antirheumatic Agents
Calcineurin Inhibitors


text:
Dan can be contacted at [email protected]
It's early in the year 1976 and I'm a few months into my new job in Jacksonville, Florida. During the 1960s and 1970s, Jacksonville was trying to become the southern hub of the insurance business. The Prudential had (and still has) its southern home office in Jacksonville, the Gulf Life Holding Company (my employer) was located in the Gulf Life building overlooking the St. Johns river, Peninsular Life Insurance Company had their own building on the other side of the St. Johns, Blue Cross of Florida had its home office in Jacksonville (and it still does), and the newest and tallest building in town was owned by an insurance company. As well as these major carriers, a number of smaller insurance companies who sold both life insurance and property and casualty insurance occupied small buildings or a few floors in one of the towers in Jacksonville.
I worked for Financial Computer Services (FCS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gulf Life Holding Company who also owned three or four life insurers, among them Gulf Life of Jacksonville. Gulf Life Holding embodied two of the main corporate themes of the 1970s: They were a holding company and they formed a computer subsidiary. The idea behind having a separate company for data processing, at least in our case, was that FCS would sell excess computer time and programming resources to some of the other companies in town. When I joined the company as the Director of Outside Services, it was my job to find these other companies and to sell them our services.
As I started to say, I was a few months into my job of finding and selling when my boss, none other than my friend Howard Arner, heard that Peninsular Life had hit a rough patch and was going to turn in their small IBM mainframe with the intention of renting computer time to run their systems. It was no surprise that FCS had several of the same systems in use for Gulf Life that Peninsular used to process their business. Although it wasn't as easy as it should have been, we ultimately signed a one-year contract with Peninsular. Once we began to convert them to our data center, we discovered a problem. It was a big problem. The FCS data center was in crisis and needed a new manager.
"Well," Howard said to me, "You got us into this mess. Do you have any ideas about getting us out of it?"
Howard wasn't really mad, just frustrated. He had been named the new President of FCS just a few months before he hired me. The company's former President, Director of Outside Services, and Data Center manager had all left the company at the same time and started their own company. They had taken a few smaller clients with them and they believed that others would follow. They also believed that the new management would not be able to solve the problems caused by their absence.
"Boss," I told him, "We need someone who understands the insurance business, someone who knows the systems, someone who will work well with the outside clients, and someone who will work hard."
"Dan, I've got just the right person," Howard replied.
And that's how, in 1976, I became the Data Center manager for Financial Computer Services.
The FCS data center was typical for a medium size installation of the time. There were three departments: key punch, computer operations, and output services. The key punch department employed about two dozen operators and a department supervisor. Of course, as appropriate for the 1970s, all of the employees of the key punch department were female. The key punch machines were in a separate room that had its own break area. The supervisor's desk was at the front of the room, facing the operators. During the year that I was the Data Center Manager, someone must have been filming a soap opera in that room. I couldn't count the number or arguments, divorces, marriages, and other assorted catastrophes that happened to those ladies. Through it all, the supervisor, Miss Brenda, kept the department running and kept the operator's punching. She neither needed nor received anything from me but my respect and admiration.
Like punching cards, an output service was something that would not survive the coming data processing revolution. When I was the manager, however, the output services department was essential because the primary output from the data center's two mainframes was paper. The paper was printed in stacks of continuous forms, it was printed in single part and printed in multi-part; the paper was turned into customer's bills and agent's commission statements, the paper was sent to executives and clerks alike; boxes and boxes of paper were printed by the IBM 1403 printer every day and sent to output services. The FCS data center had two 1403 model 7 printers and they had come a long way from the original 1403 printer that I had seen working with the 1401 mainframe. The hood of the model 7 opened with the push of a button and it printed faster and more quietly than the original 1403. The operator could now keep printing as fast as he could place boxes of paper on the printer's sprockets.
While the 1403 printers that produced the paper were in the data center luxuriating on raised floor, the machines that were used by output services to finish the product sat side-by-side in a small, windowless and dusty room. The half-dozen or so employees of the output services department were computer operators in waiting. By and large, they had associate degrees in computer operations and were just waiting for an opportunity to move into the data center with the printers that kept them so busy.
The machines used by output services have probably not been manufactured in this century. In the FCS output services room there were two decollators, two bursters, a MICR encoder for pre-authorized checks, and an inserter. The bursters and decollators were forms handling machines. The decollator separated the multiple layers of a pile of forms and stacked them separately while the burster separated the forms along a perforation. To get the idea, picture a pile of continuous form paper, five-feet high, sitting on a push cart delivered to the output services room. The pile of paper is so high because it consists of five parts. These are commission statements where one copy is sent to the insurance agent, one copy is sent to the agent's manager, and a third copy is delivered to the company's commission accounting department. Between the first and second copy of the statements and between the second and third copy is carbon paper. In all, five parts: statement-carbon-statement-carbon-statement.
An output services employee lugs the pile of paper from the hand cart to the decollating machine. Meticulously, each layer is separated (decollated) and five stacks are made from the original, single pile. The carbon paper is thrown away leaving the three copies of commission statements. Each stack is then taken to the burster. The burster, a disagreeably loud machine, POPS each sheet away from the sheet behind it and trims the edge of the continuous form. At the end of the process there are three stacks of separate sheets.
Of the many difficulties faced by an employee of the output services department, perhaps the most difficult, or so I thought, was the fact that the work was done primarily on third shift. The daily processing cycle started in the machine room around 7:00 each evening and by midnight, the printed output was piled high. It all had to decollated, burst, and delivered by 7:00 the next morning which meant that output services was busiest during the darkest of the night. What I didn't know until much later was that output services was a second job for most of the people that worked in it. When I discovered that fact, that most of the output service's staff worked elsewhere, it explained a lot.
I had been the Data Center Manager for no more than a month, seated in my new office in the data center, when I looked up and saw Bill standing at the office door. Bill was the one employee of output services that worked during the day. Invariably a job had to be rerun or the cycle ran late or some other evil had befallen the printing process and work had to be completed on the first shift. Bill was the one who would finish the work.
Once he caught my eye, Bill said, "There's a problem with your staff."
In 1976 I was 29 years old. Bill, on the other hand, was about 40 and looked like he was old enough to retire. I had heard the rumor that Bill had received a DUI while riding his bicycle home from the Town Tavern. Bill had yet to get over the 1960s.
"What's the problem, Bill?" I asked with honest curiosity.
"Your staff doesn't know current events," he told me.
Should I laugh or cry? I decided to laugh. "Well, what should we do?" I wondered.
"I'd like you to let me talk to them about what's going on in the world," Bill said with some intensity.
"Bill, if you will report to work 30 minutes early, you can talk to anyone else who comes along about anything that's on your mind," I told him.
"Will you pay overtime?" Bill asked.
"Are you NUTS?" I asked Bill.
To his credit, Bill tried but he was right. The staff just didn't care enough about current events.
The third department in the data center was computer operations. We'll talk about them and about converting to IBM's OS in Part 10.
- A Personal History of Systems and Computers: Part 1
- A Personal History of Systems and Computers: Part 2
- A Personal History of Systems and Computers: Part 3
- A Personal History of Systems and Computers: Part 4
- A Personal History of Systems and Computers: Part 5
- A Personal History of Systems and Computers: Part 6
- A Personal History of Systems and Computers: Part 7
- A Personal History of Systems and Computers: Part 8
- A Personal History of Systems and Computers: Part 9


text:
The more Perry debates, the worse he gets
This post originally appeared on Slate.
The Republican presidential debate in Orlando was sponsored by Google, but it was Gov. Rick Perry who was searching. The frontrunner's answers meandered. When fielding a hypothetical question about terrorists getting nukes in Pakistan, his response ribboned out like he was reading the first results that came up. Even when he read his attack lines on rival Mitt Romney from the notes on his lectern, it was muddy. With each successive debate in this campaign, his performance gets worse.
The race between the Republican frontrunners has been between electability and authenticity. "Paint Creek" Perry is one of you--he prays, he speaks plainly, he's from a small town in Texas--and Moneybags Mitt ain't. Romney's pitch: He can beat President Obama, whereas Perry is too reckless. At the debate, Perry not only failed to make the case about Romney's essential phoniness, he turned the weapon on himself, (Perry-kiri?) creating several self-inflicted wounds to the heart of his authenticity pitch.
The first wound came at the start. Romney and Perry got into a pushy book club debate, pointing to what the other had or had not written in their books and what lines each was pretending they'd never written at all. Romney continued his assault on Perry's plan for letting the states run Social Security. Perry said he'd never suggested that for the larger Social Security system, but merely for state employees. This isn't so.
He was talking about the larger program in his book, since the book was published, and since this campaign started.
Perry has made his comments on Social Security a symbol of how candid and authentic he is. At the last debate, he ducked the question of returning the retirement program to the states. For this debate, he constructed a diversion--a net reduction in honesty from his previous (less than straightforward) position. "There's a Rick Perry out there that's saying the federal government shouldn't be in the pension business," Romney said. "You better find that Rick Perry and get him to stop saying that."
Perry evacuated the topic and sprinted for safer ground. He pointed out that Romney had changed the wording on health care in his book in between the hardcover and paperback editions. The changes were made to remove any suggestions that Romney once favored making his Massachusetts plan a national plan. It seemed like a good line of attack, aiming at people's doubts about Romney's core, but he got tangled. He tried again later to raise Romney's position changes but instead of showing an instinct for the jugular he became a word juggler:
"I think Americans just don't know sometimes which Mitt Romney they're dealing with. Is it the Mitt Romney that was on the side of against the Second Amendment before he was for the Second Amendment? Was it -- was before he was before the social programs, from the standpoint of he was for standing up for Roe v. Wade before he was against Roe v. Wade? He was for Race to the Top, he's for Obamacare, and now he's against it. I mean, we'll wait until tomorrow and -- and -- and see which Mitt Romney we're really talking to tonight."
Romney, whose answers were crisp and commanding throughout the night, showed again the benefit of having run before. He turned around the attacks on his record as a shape-shifter and made himself seem resolute. "My positions are laid out in that book. I stand by them. Governor Perry, you wrote a book six months ago. You're already retreating from the positions that were in that book."
The second problem for Perry came when defending himself against his executive order requiring sixth grade girls receive the HPV vaccine. He said he had been lobbied on the issue by a 31-year-old woman dying of cervical cancer. It was a rhetorical island of success in the stormy weather. Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer singled it out as the governor's best moment. But Perry has a problem. He met with the woman after he made the decision to put the executive order in place. So it couldn't have influenced his decision, as he suggested in the debate.
The final problem for Perry came at another defensive moment. Talking about his decision to allow the children of undocumented workers to get cheaper in-state tuition, he said anyone who says the state should not educate these children "who have come into our state for no other reason than they have been brought there by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart."
Did you mean: I don't think you have a heart problem.
George Bush used to say to his political critics, "Don't judge my heart." Disagree, but don't question my motives. A lot of Republicans care about immigration. Many of them disagree with Perry. Many of them are in key electoral states like Iowa and Florida. Perry's steadfast position could win him points for sticking to his guns. But this answer offended people. Fox's Frank Luntz said that in the focus group he was running, the Republican voters turning dials to register their positive and negative reactions nearly turned them off their axles.
The Pakistan question Perry fielded was a slightly tricky one, as hypotheticals always are. Which is good: They let us see candidates thinking. When Obama was asked an almost identical question in 2008 about whether he would send troops into Pakistan if he found that al-Qaida leaders were there, he said he would no matter what Pakistani officials thought. He did.
Beyond the main event, which is to say the Perry-Romney battle, Rick Santorum was the best of the candidates. Michele Bachmann was a non-factor as Santorum took over her post as a strong voice for conservatives. He schooled Perry during the debate over in-state tuition breaks, arguing that the issue was not about compassion but fairness: Perry, he said, was subsidizing the children of undocumented workers over American citizens.
Romney, for his part, gave complete and strong answers, which were detailed and forceful. He didn't complain about gimmicky questions like "Is Barack Obama a socialist?" instead turning them aside and talking about an issue he wanted to talk about. He repeatedly returned to the need for strengthening the middle class, a general election pitch. (Earlier in the day he had made the case that he was more electable in an interview with USA Today, while Tim Pawlenty made the argument in Politico.) And a new poll in Florida showed that Romney does better against Obama than Perry.
Nate Silver's analysis shows that since Perry started debating, his performance in the head-to-head match-ups against Obama has gotten worse. A CBS poll from last week shows that Republicans are split between wanting someone who shares their views and someone who can beat Obama. Will Republicans start changing their mind and focusing more on the general election in order to help them get over their qualms about Romney's conservative bona fides?
Going into the debate, Perry was showing himself to be the kind of conservative voters can connect with based on his background and worldview. He has been talking about how he was not born with "four aces in his hand." At the Faith and Freedom conference before the debate, he talked about prayer like no other candidate did. Romney's message to the same group had been about the economy. Perry's message: I'm one of you. Before the debate the Perry campaign sent a press release titled "Middle Class Mitt," making fun of a gaffe earlier in the week when Romney, who is worth nearly $200 million, talked about being a member of the middle class. Message: He's not like you and me--and he's a phony, too.
The emotional connection Perry is trying to create is more powerful than the intellectual pitch Romney is making. That may allow Perry to weather his poor performance in this debate. Republican voters are still in the shopping stage. Perry can get back on track, but for now his debates are the un-Google: They raise more questions than they answer.
More from Slate:
Don't believe Ron Suskind
Does my insurance cover falling satellites?
Could riots happen here?


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Irony is typically associated with the literary and oral; I intend to explore visual irony, specifically within Surrealist fashion, where puns are conceived and presented as optical double entendres, adding layers of meaning to deceptively simple forms. Inconsistencies between expectations and realizations of fashion are often humorously absurd– but what initially seems silly can effectively question functionality, gender, art history, politics and social standards. The Surrealists were, after all, affiliated with the French Communist Party (before they were kicked out!), but their focus was on an emotional revolution that they believed would achieve the same ends as a strictly economic one would.
Elsa Schiaparelli was the first and arguably the most influential designer to explore irony in dress, collaborating frequently with fellow Surrealists Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali, and Man Ray. Following the tenets of Surrealism such as the banishment of false rationality and restrictive customs and structures, she conflated tropes of music, optical illusion, classic statuary and traditional fashion, deliberately presenting incongruity and discordance.


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September 1 may signal the end of summer vacation for most school kids, but don't fret! There's still plenty of summer fun to be had for weeks to come! If you're a fan of live music, fabulous food, or amazing arts & crafts, check out the opportunities to explore Wisconsin below:
34th Annual Great River Folk Fest, La Crosse, August 28-30
Where else can you find workshops for folk singer-songwriters, learn basket weaving then catch a Hmong Dance presentation and Oktoberfest Polka? Why the Great River Folk Fest of course!
Balloon Rally & Music Festival, Wisconsin Rapids, August 28-30
* Opening night Balloon set-up & glow? Check
* Live music? Yep
* Dunk tank & face painting for the kids? Of course
Benefiting the Children's Miracle Network, this free rally also features a petting zoo for kids, beer tent for the thirsty and craft vendors for the shoppers.
ARTSTREET, Green Bay, August 28-30
Enjoy three days of fun featuring "an eclectic mix of visual, performing, culinary and literary arts." Two stages of live music and dance complement street performers and 200 artist exhibits from paintings to jewelry to photography.
Festival of Flavors, Eagle River, August 29-30
"Celebrate the Taste" of Wisconsin products in bite-sized portions in the tasting tent, hear live music & shop the local Farmer's Market on Saturday. Stop back Sunday for the "Nutrition Health & Fitness Expo" including Healthful Chef's Demos and the Tomato Throw!
27th Annual Festival in the Pines, Eau Claire, August 29-30
Shop hundreds of arts & crafts vendors, catch live music or a karate demonstration & send the kids to check out the free petting zoo. Find lots of family fun in Carson Park this weekend.
And of course, before you hit the road, click on over to WisconsinLodging.info to find your perfect Place to Stay in Wisconsin!
BalloonRally photo courtesy of Wisconsin Dept of Tourism


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HIV is a Disability! Court Protects HIV-Positive People
People who are HIV-positive but asymptomatic are protected from discrimination under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). That was the ruling in Bragdon v. Abbott, the first AIDS-related case to reach the Supreme Court and one with significant implications for healthy positive people and for everyone with HIV/AIDS.
The case began when Sidney Abbott, an HIV-positive Maine woman, went to a local dentist to have a cavity filled. Although she had no symptoms, Abbott revealed on a patient information form that she was infected with the virus. The dentist, Dr. Robert Bragdon, refused to perform the necessary procedure in his office.
Fearful of becoming infected himself, Bragdon offered to treat Abbott in a hospital, where he believed better safeguards were available to protect him from infection. The additional $150 cost for use of the hospital's facilities would, of course, be borne by the patient.
Instead of going to the hospital, Abbott took her dentist to court. She based her case on the ADA, contending that the law was enacted specifically to protect people like her from just this type of discrimination.
A major issue in the case was the definition of disability. Under the ADA, a person is disabled if he or she has a condition that "substantially limits one or more major life activities." Clearly, someone with impaired sight, hearing, or mobility is protected under the Act. Abbott, however, was completely asymptomatic, and the question was whether someone with HIV that had not progressed to AIDS was disabled within the meaning of the law. Her attorneys argued that the "major life activity" that was impaired by her HIV status was the ability to reproduce.
Bragdon contended that the virus itself impaired neither Abbott's ability to bear children nor her ability to care for herself. His attorney asserted that her choice not to have children so as to avoid the risk of infecting either her sexual partner during intercourse or her child in utero or during childbirth "confuses moral decision-making for physical disability." Both the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled in favor of Abbott.
Finally, in late June, the Supreme Court rejected Bragdon's appeal, finding that "the disease . . . causes immediate abnormalities in a person's blood, and the infected person's white cell count continues to drop throughout the course of the disease, even during the intermediate stage when its attack is concentrated in the lymph nodes. Thus, HIV infection must be regarded as a physiological disorder with an immediate, constant, and detrimental effect on the hemic and lymphatic systems."
In the majority opinion, Justice Kennedy, writing for the Court, took issue with the term "asymptomatic," calling it "a misnomer, . . . for clinical features persist throughout, including lymphadenopathy, dermatological disorders, oral lesions, and bacterial infections."
Addressing the issue of whether HIV's impact on Abbott's ability to have children constituted a disability within the meaning of the law, Kennedy wrote, "Nothing in the definition suggests that activities without a public, economic, or daily dimension may somehow be regarded as so unimportant or insignificant as to fall outside the meaning of the word 'major.'" Referring to examples of "major life activities" set forth in the ADA and related laws, Kennedy said, "The inclusion of activities such as caring for one's self and performing manual tasks belies the suggestion that a task must have a public or economic character in order to be a major life activity . . . On the contrary, . . . reproduction could not be regarded as any less important than working and earning." Summing up, Kennedy stated, "The Act addresses substantial limitations on major life activities, not utter inabilities. Conception and childbirth are not impossible for an HIV victim but, without doubt, are dangerous to the public health."
A second issue in the case was whether Bragdon's refusal to treat Abbott in his office was a reasonable precaution to protect himself from contracting the virus. Although unable to offer any verified report of transmission of HIV from a patient to a dentist, and although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that the danger is so low it cannot be measured, Bragdon argued his right to use his own professional judgment in determining how best to ensure his own and his patients' safety.
The issue of possible threat to the doctor's health was not directly decided by the Court. While stressing that any refusal to provide treatment had to be based on medical and scientific fact and that "an individual physician's state of mind could [not] excuse discrimination without regard to the objective reasonableness of his actions," the Justices were unsure whether sufficient information had been presented to make that determination. They sent the case back to the Court of Appeals for further exploration of that point.
The ruling was applauded by advocates for the rights of people with HIV and other disabilities. According to Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund AIDS Project Director Catherine Hanssens, "The Supreme Court unequivocally recognized the right of people with HIV and other disabilities to full protection from discrimination. I am heartened the Court saw that Congress intended the ADA to provide such broad protection -- that irrational discrimination should not be allowed to keep people with HIV from health care and services." Lambda and the Whitman-Walker Clinic acted as co-counsel for 16 major medical and public health associations and individual experts who were amici in the case.
Chai Feldblum, Georgetown Professor of Law and Counsel of Record on an amicus (friend of the court) brief on behalf of 59 disability, civil rights, and religious groups, echoed the sentiment: "The Supreme Court recognized that when Congress passed the ADA, it intended to protect people with HIV infection. Today, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that unjustified discrimination against people with HIV infection violates the law."
"With this decision, the Court has put medicine and law on parallel tracks," according to Timothy M. Westmoreland, Project Director of the HIV Law and Policy Study. "Medicine says get treatment early; the Court says antidiscrimination protections start at the moment of HIV infection."
Lambda Legal Director Beatrice Dohrn greeted the ruling by pointing out that "HIV is the quintessential disability that the ADA was meant to cover. Employers and health care providers should never be allowed to act on myths, stereotypes, and irrational fears to discriminate, yet those are the barriers people with HIV and AIDS continually face." Meanwhile, Lambda's Executive Director Kevin M. Cathcart looked to the future: "This ruling also ensures that, as medical advances allow more people with HIV to continue working, they can turn to the ADA for vital legal protection against employment discrimination. :


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Corin Nelson Named Executive Producer Of Queen Latifah's Fall 2013 Syndicated Daytime Talk Show
CULVER CITY, Calif., May 21, 2012 -- Five-time Emmy(R) Award-winning producer Corin Nelson has been named executive producer of Queen Latifah's new syndicated talk show from Flavor Unit Entertainment, Overbrook Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television. The multi-topic daytime series, covering everything under the umbrella of entertainment, is expected to launch in the fall of 2013.
"Given Queen Latifah's profile, stature and accomplishments, it was vital for us to find someone who complemented such a tremendous talent to helm this show," said Holly Jacobs, executive vice president, U.S. reality and syndicated programming, Sony Pictures Television. "We knew the diversity of Corin's experience in daytime and late night, her collaborative spirit, tremendous creative chops and passion for the medium made her a perfect match.
"After Latifah and Shakim said yes to doing the show the single most important hire was that of a great, seasoned Executive Producer, which we found in Corin," said Overbrook's Miguel Melendez. "She is the perfect choice to lead our production team with her unique brand of style, creativity and drive for success."
"Queen Latifah is that rare combination of a multi-talented performer and one of the warmest, most genuine women I've ever met. This show is the perfect platform to showcase her tremendous range of talents and unique ability to connect with and entertain people," said Corin Nelson, executive producer. "I'm thrilled to be working with the powerhouses of Flavor Unit, Overbrook and Sony Pictures Television, whose combined creative vision will truly help fuel the show."
Five-time Emmy(R) Award winning producer, Corin Nelson recently served as executive producer on the second season of "The Nate Berkus Show." Prior to that, Nelson had an overall development deal as an executive producer with MTV Networks where she also served as a Development Executive in their Series Development Department. Before joining MTV, Nelson created, developed, launched, and served as executive producer and show runner for the first three seasons of E!'s wildly successful late night talk show, "Chelsea Lately." Nelson served as show runner of the hit daytime talk show, "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," and during her five seasons at the show, "Rosie" won five Daytime Emmy(R) Awards for "Best Talk Show." After "Rosie," Nelson moved to Los Angeles under an overall development and producing deal with Telepictures Productions, where she developed and produced a number series and pilots including "The Tyra Banks Show" pilot.
About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment around the world and for every platform: broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution. In addition to one of the industry's largest libraries of feature films and television shows, SPT boasts a current program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. Internationally, SPT produces 6,000+ hours of programming annually in over 70 countries. SPT is a leader in local language productions, some of which are co-produced with local partners, and sells SPE-owned formats around the world. To better serve its clients and partners worldwide, SPT maintains offices throughout the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. SPT's worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in SPE's long-range commitment to the global marketplace, with 120 channel feeds, which are available in 159 countries reaching more than 754 million households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE's premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT owns Dutch entertainment company 2waytraffic, production company Embassy Row and Sony Movie Channel, and is a part owner of cable channel GSN, new 3D channel 3net, FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service, and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT's syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.
About Flavor Unit Entertainment
Flavor Unit Entertainment is owned and operated by Shakim Compere and Queen Latifah. Among their many accomplishments, they have served as producers on Paramount's box office hit THE PERFECT HOLIDAY, Disney's # 1 film BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE, MGM's BEAUTY SHOP and Fox Searchlight's JUST WRIGHT. On the small screen they produced "Life Support" which Queen Latifah both won a Golden Globe and garnered an Emmy and they currently have a show on BET called "Lets Stay Together" and a show on VH-1 titled "Single Ladies."
About Overbrook Entertainment
Overbrook Entertainment, founded by partners James Lassiter and Will Smith, is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment focused in film and television and has produced a diverse slate of both critically acclaimed and blockbuster feature films, which have generated more than $2.5 billion dollars in worldwide box office receipts and even more in home video sales. Some of Overbrook's most successful films include ALI, HITCH, PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, I AM LEGEND, HANCOCK, SECRET LIVES OF BEES, and most recently THE KARATE KID. Overbrook's next feature project is AFTER EARTH, which is set for a 2013 release.


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|Athletic Foundation Staff
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For more information, please contact Kelly Weatherman at email@example.com or (704) 687-1046.
The Charlotte 49ers Athletic Foundation provides scholarship assistance to over 350 male and female student-athletes participating in 17 varsity sports. Established in 1969, the organization has developed into a vitally important support group for the Athletic Department, pursuing excellence, integrity and pride in the University's athletic program.
The 49er Club, the Foundation's official booster organization, offers membership to both individuals and businesses. Your support not only provides educational and athletic opportunities to worthy young people, but provides you valuable benefits as well.
For more information about the 49er Club, or if you have any questions, please call 704-687-4950.


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Being a woman in our industry is like being a vacuum cleaner: It sucks. Let me tell you why.
Which one of those opening lines would you have chosen, if you were giving a speech or presentation? Which one do you find more compelling, as an audience member? The first one's full of qualifiers--phrases that water down the impact in case it's offensive to anyone, and it's likewise full of passive verbs. It takes a long, meandering road to the real content ahead.
The second one's shorter, punchier, more in-your-face and more active in its verbs. In seconds, it tells me where you're headed and takes me right there. It's bold, and you need to be bold to be an effective speaker. Respectful and qualified won't help you create that vital connection with your audience, whether you're in a meeting, a presentation or giving a speech.
I had a discussion about this with colleague Frank Blanchard, who watched me lead a workshop for scientists on communicating science to public audiences. While watching me advise my audience on what has to happen for them to make clear their technical topics, he wrote down, "Be bold." One problem many scientists encounter: They're trained to describe to colleagues all the exceptions, competing ideas and potential for error in their statements about their research....but for public audiences, that amount of qualification can divert attention by the time the point rolls around.
To explain his "be bold" note, Frank pointed me to this blog post, Why You're Too Qualified and Respectful to Produce Great Content, by Pace Smith on the popular Copyblogger site. While the advice is for writers, speakers can find a lot that resonates. Here's what Smith advises, and how I'd interpret her advice for speakers:
- Don't qualify. Be bold. Edit your written remarks, and practice your delivery, to omit qualifiers--words like may, might, little, very, kind of, almost, nearly, sometimes, pretty well, maybe. Figure out a statement you can make, without qualifiers. Then make it, and back it up. Do you need to shoot for 100 percent accuracy or all the detail? No. You need to make a point.
- Don't be respectful. Be bold. If your statements are crafted to avoid offending anyone, it's a losing battle. Some will agree, some will disagree, some won't know what they think until you say more. You can't possibly avoid offending someone. So say what you think and be ready to discuss it. Smith uses 3 headlines to show what happens to your language when you're too respectful: Five Grammatical Errors that May Detract From Your Credibility (respectful version); Five Grammatical Errors that Make You Look Dumb (bold version); and Five Grammatical Errors that May Sometimes Make You Look Dumb to Some People (what she terms the "wet dishrag" version). Which one does your speech sound like?
- Write for the fence-sitters. If you can't please everyone, Smith argues, aim your remarks at those who are not yet convinced. It's a great tactic for speakers, because it pushes you to persuade--and persuasion is a critical factor in creating an eloquent speech. You might even bring along a few nay-sayers as you do it.
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Serial GOP: Media loves repeated Republican protester, alleged assault victim
Research ››› ››› OLIVER WILLIS
On September 17, The Drudge Report home page featured a September 16 Associated Press photo of a 3-year-old girl, Sophia Parlock, holding a ripped Bush-Cheney '04 sign and crying as she sits on her father's shoulders. Drudge captioned the photo: "GIRL CRIES AFTER BUSH/CHENEY SIGN RIPPED BY THUGS...". Later that day, The Washington Times published an interview with the Parlock family, whom the paper described as "proudly patriotic."
As The Washington Times reported on September 17:
"They just pounced on us," said Phil Parlock, who took his 11-year-old son, Alex, and 3-year-old daughter, Sophia, to the Democratic rally at Tri-State Airport in Huntington, W.Va.
Sophia became briefly famous yesterday when an Associated Press photo showing her in tears after Democrats tore her sign to pieces was posted on Matt Drudge's Web site, www.drudgereport.com.
"She was crying; they were pushing and shoving her," said Mr. Parlock, a Huntington real estate agent. "She was scared."
Both The Washington Times and Drudge failed to mention that this is the third time the Parlock family has been involved in so-called assaults involving campaign signs.
As noted by the blog Rising Hegemon, Phil Parlock has claimed he was assaulted at a 1996 protest.
The Huntington man said he was knocked to the ground by a Clinton supporter when he tried to display a sign that read "Remember Vince Foster," the deputy White House counsel who committed suicide in a Washington, D.C., park. His death has become the subject of much debate among Clinton opponents.
"It must have been a strict Democrat who did this," Parlock said, feeling the red abrasions on his face. "Everyone with the exception of him was real peaceful about our protest." [Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, August 27, 1996]
In 2000, Parlock found himself in yet another confrontation with Democrats at a campaign event:
Phil Parlock didn't expect to need all 12 of the Bush-Cheney signs he and his son Louis smuggled in their socks and pockets into the rally for Vice President Al Gore.
But each time they raised a sign, someone would grab it out of their hands, the two Huntington residents said. And sometimes it got physical.
"I expected some people to take our signs," said Louis, 12. "But I did not expect people to practically attack us." [Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, October 28, 2000]
The photo of Sophia Parlock was taken by Randy Snyder. Apparently, Snyder is not an Associated Press photographer; he is listed as "chief photographer" on the masthead of The Herald-Dispatch, which bills itself as "the online news authority for Huntington, West Virginia, Southern Ohio and Eastern Kentucky."
The Parlock family has been featured numerous times in the Herald-Dispatch, including in a July 5 article about an Independence Day rally attended by President George W. Bush. The July 5 article also featured photographs by the same Randy Snyder.
On September 17, Parlock was interviewed by nationally syndicated Clear Channel radio host Glenn Beck. Regarding the Parlock family's attendance at a brief appearance by Senator John Edwards in Huntington, W.Va., at which the photo of Sophia Parlock was taken, her father recounted:
PARLOCK: The painter's union guys took a couple signs off of us. ... Um, some women and old ladies did it too. I mean, but you can see, clearly in that picture, he has a piece of the sign in his hand and he is dropping it onto the ground.
Minutes after his interview, Beck apparently received information about Parlock's past encounters, saying that "the blogs are going crazy." Following is an excerpt from Beck's second interview of Phil Parlock:
BECK: So you've done this -- and you admit to this -- you've done this ...
PARLOCK: But there's a certain consistency there, and you just read it. We are consistently quiet and peaceful ...
BECK: Mm-hmm.
PARLOCK: Glenn, look, I work on -- I, I, I said this before, I shouldn't tell my secrets, but -- I work on a subliminal level; I don't go after the press. The press is easy. Working on people to change their minds is harder.
PARLOCK: I'm not a troublemaker. We -- we've -- we have gone to rallies -- my family and I -- we stand there quietly, and we're viewed as a threat, for standing there quietly.
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