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MIAMI, FLORIDA — Along a busy highway near the Miami International Airport, a stark yellow building sits behind a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. An American flag flies from the roof, and a sign warns that this is U.S. property, no trespassing.
Inside the building, rapid-fire Spanish fills the hallways. Busy reporters and producers work at desks spread across a large newsroom. In radio and television studios down the hall, anchors sit before microphones and cameras to broadcast live on-air, getting out the latest word to whomever might be listening in Cuba.
This is the headquarters for Radio Marti and TV Marti, which are U.S. government-operated stations that beam Spanish-language news, opinions, Major League Baseball, satire and messages of freedom and democracy to the Cuban population. Included are taped appearances from President Bush and Secretary of State Rice, and a comedy show featuring a bumbling Fidel Castro look-alike.
"The mission is to be a window to the outside world to the people of Cuba, people who live in a closed, repressed society, where the state controls all the media," said Alberto Mascaro, the chief of staff for the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which overseas Radio and TV Marti.
"We are giving a service to people who don't have the freedom and democracy that we all enjoy," he said.
Critics, though, argue that relatively few Cubans listen to Radio Marti, and even fewer can actually see TV Marti, despite the nearly $600 million the U.S. government has spent on the two operations since the mid-1980's.
"It's just not a good bargain for the taxpayers, it's not doing us much good," said U.S. representative Jeff Flake, a Republican from Arizona. "The trouble is it just doesn't reach the Cuban people."
Difficult signals to find in Cuba
Throughout Havana, and much of the rest of Cuba, TV antennas of all shapes and sizes, and in varying degrees of repair, fill the sky. But, most Cubans can only watch programs strictly controlled by the Cuban government.
While an illegal cottage industry has sprung up to receive and quietly distribute pirated DIRECTV satellite programs from the United States, it's done at the risk of arrest and imprisonment during police crackdowns.
The Cuban government has also installed sophisticated electronic jamming equipment to override unwanted radio and TV signals.
For those reasons, TV Marti is difficult to find in most areas of Cuba, especially around Havana where the jamming efforts are concentrated. In an apartment there, the Garcia family gathered around an old television set and tried to find the U.S. station by switching to the channels, but outside the Cuban government broadcasts could only find snowy images on the screen.
"It's a very weak signal," said John Nichols, a professor of communications at Penn State University, and a long-time critic of Radio and TV Marti. "All Castro has to do is sneeze on it, and it's badly disrupted."
Arnaldo Coro, a Cuban professor at Havana's Jose Marti International Journalism Institute, claimed the Radio Marti signal has also fallen victim to "physics" and "Cuban ingenuity."
"Cuban engineers have been able to develop the way of using the same radio frequency channels in such a way as to absolutely block the presence of the foreign station from coming into the Cuban territory," he said.
Is the signal getting stronger?
To combat the Cuban signal-jamming efforts, TV Marti now uses aircraft fitted with special electronic broadcasting equipment to fly north of the Cuban coast and beam its signal to the island. This is believed to be much more effective than the previous method of using an aerostat balloon tethered in the Florida Keys.
TV Marti also contracts with a Miami-area TV station to run its evening newscasts so they can be included in the DIRECTV satellite package, in the hope that at least some inventive Cubans can see the U.S. government programming that way.
Standing before a map of Cuba, Mascaro, the chief of staff, pointed to areas in northern Cuba outside Havana where, he insisted, the TV broadcast signal can be seen. "I think now with these new broadcast platforms that we have--the planes and so forth--I think that audience got substantially larger," he said.
"We have phone calls, e-mails, we even have pictures of people watching TV Marti, it's pretty amazing," he said.
A report to Congress, however, based on a June 2005 telephone survey in Cuba suggested a much bleaker picture. It showed respondents in fewer than one-percent of Cuban households reported seeing TV Marti during the past year.
Radio Marti fared a bit better, with nine-percent of respondents saying they had heard its broadcasts during the year. However, the report also said Radio Marti listenership had decreased over the past 15 years, especially after the Cuban government obtained "more effective shortwave jamming equipment from China."
At Penn State, Nichols argued the TV and Radio Marti broadcasts are not only expensive but harmful to the U.S. image abroad. "They're getting zero bang for their buck," he said. "It's counterproductive to U.S. foreign policy interests. It's embarrassing ourselves to the rest of the world, and we're in violation of international law by broadcasting it."
A passionate defense
In response to the critics, Mascaro argued that any assessment of the number of radio listeners and TV viewers in Cuba is inherently flawed, because of the difficulties in gathering accurate poll information in such a controlled society.
At the same time, he pointed to a U.S. State Department inspection report that suggested TV Marti viewership might actually be rising now, because of the aircraft broadcasts. And he said surveys taken by the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, and interviews with Cuban immigrants recently arriving in the United States suggest that TV Marti is being seen, and that Radio Marti is a well-known brand name.
While conceding that even those methods are potentially inaccurate, Mascaro said perhaps the best barometer of TV and Radio Marti's impact is the harsh reaction to them from the Cuban government, itself.
"Ifwe were not effective, they would not protest," he said. "For many years, TV Marti was not even talked about within the Cuban media. When the planes started flying, when we got on DIRECTV, they started yelling about it. That to me is a clear measure of effectiveness."
Mascaro also pointed out that the stations broadcasting to Cuba are funded by Congress and follow U.S. law. He also argued that when Fidel Castro dies, Radio and TV Marti will play an even more important role in helping to shape the transition, and will be seen in the future the same way as the Voice of America was in past decades.
"The effectiveness of broadcasting into the eastern bloc nations, into Russia, was not known until afterwards, and I think we'll see the same thing," he predicted.
Critics blame Cuban-American politics
Critics of Radio and TV Marti argued that in two decades on the air the U.S. government broadcasts have had no appreciable impact on Cuban political or social conditions. They scoffed at the argument that because the Cuban government is upset with them, it must mean the programs are effective.
"We've seen half a billion dollars over the past 20 some years spent on these programs with little or nothing to show for it," said Rep. Flake. "Nobody seems brave enough to break out and say, you know this is a waste, let's change our policy."
A common theme heard among the critics is the claim that Radio and TV Marti are more about Cuban-American politics in South Florida, securing votes and providing jobs than in effectively informing the Cuban people.
"It's not objective news and information. It's a political point of view of the exiles in South Florida," said Nichols. "I think the real purpose, though, was to curry favor with a very important U.S. domestic political constituency , the Cuban-exile community that is all-important in presidential elections."
Earlier this year, Representative William Delahunt, a Massachusetts Democrat, and a subcommittee chairman for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, promised to hold hearings on the content and funding of Radio and TV Marti. So far, however, nothing has materialized.
With the presidential campaign in full swing, and the Democratic front-runner, Senator Hillary Clinton, having stated her support for the broadcasts to Cuba, observers predicted it is unlikely now that hearings will be scheduled anytime soon.
A years-long argument
In defending the Radio and TV Marti effort, Mascaro, from The Office of Cuban Broadcasting, said, "Our personal view is, yes, it's worth every dime."
He also vehemently denied the political argument. "As far as the critics who say that, you know, we're feeding the exile community or throwing a bone to the exile community, I say that's completely false."
But, the opponents of the broadcasts are equally firm in their positions. "It's a mess. It really is a mess, but it creates jobs down there, and so there's a political element, but it's not very valuable to the taxpayers," said Flake. "Republicans have used it lately, but Democrats have used this issue as well to mine for voters."
It's an argument that has been waged for years, with passionate defenders describing Radio and TV Marti as important voices of freedom. Opponents downplay them as expensive failures and a Fleecing of America.
© 2013 NBCNews.com Reprints


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The National Summit of Mental Health Consumers and Survivors, held in Portland, Oregon, from August 26 through 29, 1999, was organized by the National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse with the help of the Oregon Office of Consumer Technical Assistance, and co-sponsored by consumer/survivor groups from around the country.
Its goal was to develop consensus around the issues of greatest concern to consumers and survivors and create action plans for future work. The unifying principle was the construction of a platform from which the movement can influence the national debate. The Summit was organized in response to, and with the participation of, consumers/ survivors across the United States. Many had expressed, via the Internet, an increasing demand for such an event in order to help create a unified national voice, and they helped hammer out the event's framework, including selecting the 12 "planks."
Four hundred fifty people from across the country attended, and many praised the working atmosphere, the successful consensus-building, and "the knowledge, the wisdom, and the care with which a room full of strangers came together and created an action plan," in the words of one plank facilitator. One participant called it "my first positive experience with consensus building in 50 years."
Attendees played an active part in developing one or more of the planks, on the topics of Advocacy, Organizing, Force and Coercion, Financing, Alternative Services, Recovery, Stigma, Community Support Systems, Research, Forensic Issues, Multicultural Issues, and Social Accountability.
Plank Reports - Executive Summary
Goals / Objectives: To find common ground on several major issues regarding financing:
* Managed care
* Health care reform: the issue of parity and how it affects mental health consumers and their treatment
* Consumer-run alternatives
This report grew out of the five working sessions. These sessions focused on the issues (phrased as questions) listed below. During several of the working sessions, the participants brainstormed ideas and then voted on their top five choices.
What does recovery mean to you?
What are the values that are important to recovery?
What are the principles that are important to recovery?
What are our personal barriers to recovery?
What are the barriers that the system places between us and recovery?
What are our top priorities for services necessary to the recovery process?
What are our top priorities for supports necessary to the recovery process?
What actions should we as a group take to promote the recovery vision?
Report from Alternative Services Plank
What is the role and function of these services? Are they to be viewed as an integral and essential part of the range of service options, including traditional mental health services, or are they to be seen as an alternative to traditional care?
Questions to think about:What are our common goals? How can alternatives help?
Examples of alternative services (not a comprehensive list):
1. Peer counseling
2. Employment assistance
3. Drop-in centers
4. Wilderness camping
5. Housing assistance
6. Holistic medicine
7. Herbal medicine
8. Spirituality
Report from Social Accountability Plank
The consumers' and survivors' ("clients'") movement is gradually transitioning from its habituation to a bitter struggle for empowerment, towards sensitization to issues of respect for a person's way of being. We must pay more and more attention to issues of accountability to client values, to nurturing and maturing the insight that represents the creative side of our involvement with madness.
Action Plan:
1. Incorporate social accountability as a topic in training workshops.
2. Support and strengthen the role of the client values in the client culture.
The clients' movement has an endemic difficulty with strained human relations and the problems of personal interaction associated with irrationality. We must work with people who connect with our values, to address trauma directly: we can work for new social relations around madness, towards a society truly free of abuse, discrimination, hypocrisy, and ignorance.
Action Plan:
3. Construct reasonable ways to distinguish controversial activity from "dissing" (disrespectful activity).
4. Educate society about the nature of madness.
Report from Forensic Issues Plank
- The participants of the Forensics Plank spent two days discussing issues pertaining to all aspects of mental health and criminal justice, including:
- Methods for prevention of mental health consumer/survivor involvement in the criminal justice system to begin with.
- Ideal standards for police interaction with mental health consumer/survivors.
- Ideal standards for incarceration in hospital and jail/prison settings for mental health consumer/survivors who have committed misdemeanor or felony crimes.
- Ideal post-incarceration systems and resources for mental health consumer/survivors.
The group reached consensus around a utopian system for forensics issues nationwide.
Out of that utopian system, the group reached consensus around aspects that we can realistically and foreseeably attain. We then created plans of action around each of those individual aspects.
Report from the Force and Coercion Plank
The group decided to consider the subject of force and coercion as it applied to several specific areas rather than as a broad issue.
1. Expansion of forced treatment, including involuntary outpatient commitment
2. Electroshock (ECT)
3. Advance Directives
4. Forced treatment
5. Rights protection and confidentiality
6. Seclusion and restraint
- Developed ground rules
- Brainstormed barriers to advocacy (everyone participated, shared ideas)
- Plank participants took turns as facilitators of each working session, to foster leadership skills and engagement in process and outcome
- Organized barriers into eight categories, and from there into three main categories, with specific needs identified in response to the barriers and then prioritized
- Action steps were identified to overcome barriers and meet consumer needs
The group decided to use its sessions to brainstorm in order to try to reflect the thinking that people might run into when forming an organization. What follows is the notes from these brainstorming sessions.
Report from Multicultural Issues
Eight major points of concensus addressing issues of importance to persons from diverse backgrounds.
Report from Community Support Systems Plank
The working sessions came to consensus on important issues via a brainstorming process whereby everyone had the opportunity to express his or her concerns as issues to be examined. Once everyone had a chance to speak, the group combined similar issues from the flip chart and prioritized the most important ones. From this information, the group collectively designed a mission statement, prioritized issues, and formed various principles for community support systems.
Panelists from the University of Chicago shared information that raised awareness about the fact that internalized stigma, stigma that one holds against oneself once diagnosed, is just as damaging as external stigma, the way the world looks upon and judges those diagnosed as a group.
Participants were eager to identify ways in which to address both internal and external stigma. Numerous action steps were identified, and were categorized as addressing either internal or external stigma. It is important to note that there was not overall agreement on all of these methods. Additionally, some ways were identified as courses that could be taken to implement the action steps. Finally, the group came to consensus on ten action steps that are recommended initially to move forward in the fight against stigma.
Two major themes are:
1. Involvement of consumer/survivors as research partners
2. Protection of research participants
Consensus statements and recommended actions are recorded
Background on Proposed Planks for Discussion at (first) National Summit
The Summit, to be held August 26-29, 1999 in Portland, Oregon, is fast approaching. The background papers have been developed in conjunction with the facilitators for their respective sessions. The purpose of these papers is to provide a little history and help kick off the discussion on the various issues. It is our hope that people, through discussion and dialogue, will use these papers to help them develop a consensus statement and an action agenda at the meeting in Portland. Again, these papers are for background purposes only. They are intended as tools to stimulate thought and discussion.
Over the last 30 years, consumers/survivors have spoken out strongly,both for their own individual rights and to effect systems change. However, many barriers to advocacy still exist, and there is an enormous need for advocacy education along with ongoing support to consumers/survivors to ensure that a knowledgeable, strong, visible and vocal grassroots movement is built.
There is no national voice of mental health consumers and survivors, and little or no consistent representation of the grassroots movement in Washington. As a result, the movement has a limited impact on mental health policy at the national level.
Force and Coercion Background Paper
Perhaps the most controversial and divisive issue in the mental health community, including among family groups, providers, consumers/survivors, and citizen advocacy groups, is whether people diagnosed with mental illness should be treated, or even held in "custodial" care, against their will.
In the last decade, managed care has become central to the physical and behavioral health care delivery system in the United States. While there is a great deal of skepticism as to its merits, the key issue for consumers/survivors to resolve is how to intervene within the context of managed care principles, which emphasize cost-cutting and centralized decision-making, to achieve more consumer-responsive mental health services, including more accountability, freedom of choice and consumer control.
Alternative Services Background Paper
Alternative services, also known as peer-run or self-help services, have traditionally been developed, implemented and operated by individuals who themselves have received mental health services from the public or private sector.
What is recovery? And what are we recovering from? What are the values, principles, services and supports that are needed in a recovery vision? What are the tasks or activities that must be accomplished at the national, state and local levels to move our system to a recovery vision?
Enormous damage has been done by the stigma of mental illness. Some people are unwilling to seek treatment because of it; others are denied employment or housing because they have a psychiatric diagnosis; and many feel great shame because they have been labeled with a mental illness, which has a terrible impact on their lives.
Community Support Systems Background Paper
The concept of community support systems began in the 1960s, when President Kennedy enacted the Community Mental Health Center Act. Over the years, many authors, researchers, and advocates have expounded on various community support system models. Some have developed flow charts, pie graphs, and even wheels to better illustrate community supports and how they tie into a network of overall care.
There has been scant research on peer-run alternatives, which has hindered the acceptance of such programs by the traditional mental health community. This situation has also limited the capacity of peer-run programs to generate funding through grants and direct appropriations.
Forensic Issues Background Paper
As state hospitals are being downsized or closed, the conventional wisdom is that jails and prisons have taken their place. It is clear that people with mental illness are over-represented there. According to the National GAINS Center for People with Co-Occurring Disorders in the Criminal Justice Systemhttp://www.prainc.com, the rates of mental health disorders are four times higher among prisoners than in the general population.
Multicultural Issues Background Paper
In order to treat someone effectively, mental health service providers must recognize, respect and take into account the person's ethnicity and culture. Failure by mental health professionals to be sensitive to communication styles, religious beliefs, and familial relationships that are different from those in their own culture can result in misdiagnosis as well as practices destructive of individual and family identity.

subset: commoncrawl


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I am looking for a website that allows me to download free LANDSAT for all of the State of New Mexico. I need them to perform my work on RUSLE and need LANDSAT for c factor. Does anyone suggest of a good website ? The one I have download is the GLCF: Earth Science Data Interface from the University of Maryland. I have some LANDSAT 2006 that covers the southern new mexico.
Anyone have a suggest? Thank you.


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Item Added To Bag
RACHEL ZOE Gisele Maxi Skirt in Spice
Color: Spice
Qty: 1
Gisele Maxi Skirt
- Self: 100% silk
Combo: 62% cotton, 38% silk
- Dry clean only
- Unlined
- Asymmetric ruffle hem
- Hidden side zipper closure
- Skirt measures approx 40" in length
- Revolve Style No. RZOE-WQ13
- Manufacturer Style No. SP16S07
- Modeled in size 2.
- Size Guide
After making a name for herself as one of Hollywoods hottest celebrity stylists known for major outfits and unforgettable red carpet moments, Rachel Zoe debuted her collection in 2011. A couture guru and vintage enthusiast, Zoes line takes from 60s and 70s London/Paris fashion with re-energized modern twists.
If an item you would like to purchase is out of stock, you can place a Special Order Inquiry. REVOLVE will then check the availability and obtain an approximate arrival date for the item, if available. Typically, it takes up to 3-4 weeks to verify this information.
Placing a Special Order Inquiry is absolutely free and there is no obligation to follow through with a purchase.
- You will be notified by email once we receive the item.
- You may cancel at any time without penalty
- Your card will ONLY be charged when your order is shipped.
- Availability is not guaranteed.


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What is an auction?
While auctions certainly aren't the typical way people purchase homes, it's becoming more common with the number of foreclosures in today's market. For anyone not familiar with public lender foreclosure auctions, the premise -- and process -- is extremely easy to understand. Defining auctions, Joe Joffrion, executive vice-president of administration and chief legal officer of the Real Estate Disposition Corporation (REDC), says, "We bring an alternative marketing method to sell bank-owned residential units (ranging from single-family detached homes to condos and one-to-four, multi-family dwellings) that have already gone through the foreclosure process. The bottom line is we help banks and builders get surplus inventory off their books, while helping homebuyers find a great value."
Four simple steps
1. If you would like to purchase a home at an auction, the first step typically involves registering with an organization like REDC either online or at the auction as a walk-in.
2. The second step is to actually bid on a property.
3. If your bid is accepted, you will then move on to financing. While many auction houses, including REDC, have several onsite that offer low rates and loans without prepayment penalties.
4. The fourth and final step is establishing escrow, which is typically done on the spot at auctions. During this time, you will endorse your cashier's check over to the closing agent (a major title or escrow company or closing attorney, depending on the state) as well as provide a personal check or cash making up any difference needed.
How much available cash do I need?
While specifics for each auction may differ, prospective buyers are required to have at least part of the sale price in the form of a cashier's check at the actual event. Typically, the remaining balance is due within a few weeks. In addition to the cashier's check, REDC requires that buyers provide a personal check or cash to reach five percent of the total price (or as much as 15 percent for subsequent properties).
Two types of auctions
An absolute auction is one in which the property is sold to the highest bidder regardless of price.
In a reserve auction, a minimum price is set, so the owner knows that his or her property will sell for at least this amount. If a property does not sell for the reserve price or higher, it will typically be returned to a local agent to try to sell.
Finding auctions According to Bobbi Dempsey and Todd Beitler in
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Foreclosures
, finding foreclosure auctions can be done by "searching newspapers, watching legal ads, checking with local courthouses, etc. Also touch base regularly with local auctioneers, real estate agents, and others involved with auctions who can keep you updated on upcoming sales."
Do your homework!
Before you attend an auction, be sure to thoroughly research the property or properties you are most interested in bidding on. First, check with the town hall where the property is located to make sure there are no outstanding code violations. Second, be absolutely certain the property comes with a clean title. Finally, since most properties being auctioned will typically have open houses during the weeks preceding an auction, take advantage of this window opportunity to have the home professionally inspected. All sales at auction are final, so finding out as much as possible upfront can go a long way in preventing a mistake that might follow you for years to come.
Disadvantages to purchasing at auction
1. Properties may be neglected or even damaged.
2. Utilities may not be turned on for a proper inspection.
3. If the property owner still lives in the home and will not leave, it is the new owner's responsibility to have him or her evicted.
4. You must have verifiable funds to purchase.


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GiantCranes needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 70 designs submitted by 21 freelance designers.
We are looking for a clean & professional logo for CarList.ie.
Desired Color Scheme:
Blue #3677BB, Green #72B14B, White
Desired Style:
Modern, Clean, 'Web 2.0'
Accepted File Formats:
Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai)
CarList.ie is a soon to be launched second car website for the Irish market. Our site strives to be as simple as possible and clutter free.
Our website design uses the following colours:
- Blue : #3677BB
- Green : #72B14B
- White
- Red : #DB3D44 (this is used sparingly) The new logo will be displayed on a Blue background and will take the place of the current logo which can be seen here :
The current logo was quickly created by me and should not influence the new logo in any way.
I would like one or more car elements integrated into the logo.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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With all that has happened with Nick Doscher since he was one of the top prospects for the first Burlington Royals baseball team in 2007, it�s no wonder the former professional catcher is unfazed by his winding path.
�Can�t even make it up,� said Doscher, the senior who�s playing as Wagner�s quarterback in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
During that summer five-plus years ago, Doscher was a recently turned 20-year-old and one of the younger players on the Burlington team. Move ahead, he�s the 25-year-old directing a football team that includes teenagers.
�We had a bunch of older signees. I was still one of the younger ones,� Doscher said of his time in the Appalachian League. �Now that I�m 25, I�m playing with 17-year-olds who haven�t even turned 18. � It�s kind of like baseball, some of those kids coming here (to the United States) as 16-year-olds.�
Baseball didn�t work out for Doscher, who was released by the parent Kansas City organization less than a year after his Burlington season. This came despite the investment made in the eighth-round draft selection. A career batting average of .208 and one home run � in a Burlington uniform � were in large part the reason.
He was released June 8, 2008 � three years to day that he was drafted.
�That�s a day that I�ll never forget, both positive and negatives,� he said last week, recalling the situation. �I was 21. I thought I would have gotten a little better of a chance.
�After my time with the Royals, I tried to play baseball. I didn�t have any solid offers. I was still in good enough shape after my four years with the Royals. I figured why not give it a try.�
Doscher had roots as a quarterback coming out of New York City. He hadn�t forgotten, nor had others. There wasn�t as much interest from football recruiters as there was several years earlier, when Virginia was among the schools that had expressed interest. This time, Delaware might have been the most notable team on his list of potential destinations.
By January 2009, he enrolled at Wagner and began another pursuit with the school located on New York�s Staten Island.
�It was a little weird when I first got here,� he said. �Getting back into the classroom, I took four years off.�
When he arrived, he was the same age as many of the upperclassmen so he said that helped.
There was also a change in Wagner�s offensive system, meaning Doscher showed up at an ideal time as the Seahawks went to a spread offense. Soon, he had displaced returning starter Adam Farnsworth, a transfer from Iowa.
�I couldn�t imagine it working out any better,� he said. �I don�t know if they were expecting too much out of me. Taking four years off. New York City football isn�t real high on the pecking order, so I think I came with some doubts.
�Being there for that first semester, they helped me out tremendously to get back in the swing of things.�
Now, he�s an All-Northeast Conference first-team quarterback.
Entering Saturday�s second-round road game in the national playoffs against Big Sky Conference champion Eastern Washington, Doscher is Wagner�s all-time leader in total offense with 8,049 yards. He has thrown for 5,997 yards and rushed for another 2,260.
This season, he hasn�t tossed an interception since the opener at Florida Atlantic, a string of 210 passes without a pick-off. That has translated into the best passing efficiency rating in the Northeast Conference.
Just like baseball, still hidden behind a facemask, Doscher has made the most of his latest endeavor.
�He�s the face of the program,� said John Beisser, Wagner�s assistant athletics director of media relations. �His true freshman year, he took this league by storm.�
Given Doscher�s uncomfortable parting from baseball, this turned out to be the next-best thing. He hasn�t severed ties with members of the Royals organization. He counts Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas as one of his closest friends.
Last winter, he traveled to California to spend time with Moustakas, leading to visit with former Burlington shortstop Kyle Martin.
And when the big-league Royals visited Yankee Stadium this year, Doscher was there, too, pulling against the team he grew up adoring.
�Blood is thicker than water,� he said, noting the bonds he developed with baseball teammates. �It was weird going into Yankee Stadium and rooting against the Yankees.�
Doscher said spending parts of four seasons in the Royals organization gave him a foundation as he became an adult. He couldn�t simply turn his back on that part of his life.
�I still keep in touch with a lot of guys with the Royals. I talk to Clint Robinson, Derrick Robinson. D-Lough a little bit,� he said, noting connections maintained through social media. �I follow them. Every once in a while I�ll check out how all my old Burlington Royals are doing.�
David Lough, a 2007 Burlington outfielder who reached the major leagues this year, took the opposite path of Doscher, playing college football at Mercyhurst prior to becoming a professional baseball player.
For various reasons, Doscher has an eye on the Royals organization. He�s even aware of some of the makeup of Burlington�s 2012 roster � five years after playing here.
�It wasn't tough to keep in touch with anyone,� Doscher said. �We�ve kept in touch pretty good. I didn�t know how it would be when it didn�t work out with the Royals.
�It worked out better than I thought it would.�
Doscher, who majors in business management, said when Wagner�s season ends, his playing days are probably finished.
�I don�t think it�s too realistic, but you never know,� he said of ending up in professional football.
Not to mention his football style has been described as one in which he turns into a fullback when he crosses the line of scrimmage.
�It hurts a little bit getting out of bed,� he said.
Yet the catcher-to-quarterback combination is one that makes for a nice fit.
�I guess that�s me always playing quarterback,� he said. �I always considered myself to be a leader. If (the younger teammates) see me working hard, that pushes me to be that way.�
Having gone through the rigors of college football and experienced the time commitment, he said playing two sports in college coming out of high school might have been overwhelming.
�Now looking back on it, I don�t think it would have been a very good idea,� he said.
Still, that thirst for baseball is something Doscher might never totally quench even as football has made him an icon on a college campus.
�Just getting out there and competing,� he said. �I still think baseball is the best sport. You�re out there playing every day.
�But nothing beats a football game day. When Saturday at 1 o�clock comes around, there�s nothing that beats that. There�s nothing to beat that feeling.�
And yet, in this case, football certainly became a detour.
�I had hoped I would have a 20-year big-league career and I wouldn�t have to worry about it,� he said.
So, yes, he misses baseball and all the possibilities that existed for him until a few years ago.
�It was tough. My dreams, since I was a little kid, were to play professional baseball � When you think of professional, you don�t think of the bus trips to Elizabethton, Tenn. You think of playing in Yankee Stadium.�
The player who showed up as a promising prospect more than five years ago in a small North Carolina city returned to the city that proclaims to be the world�s largest stage. It�s there where he rediscovered a piece of athletic success.
�It was a great life experience,� Doscher said of the change of fortunes. �I couldn�t sit around and sulk too much. I wanted to keep going and pursue something else.�


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|More Information on the Yamaha YZ125
The Yamaha YZ125 is a motorcycle with a 124.9 cc two-stroke engine designed for motocross riding and produced by Yamaha Motor Company. It was first produced in 1974 and for the first year was made with dual rear shocks (Thermalflow shocks) and in 1975 released its first monoshock design the YZ125C and has continued production with a new model being produced every year to date. The YZ 125's produced from 1996 to 2002 are considered by some to be the best dirt bikes ever, due to its wide powerband and excellent handling. The YZ125 has been ridden to five AMA National Motocross Championships, and multiple AMA Regional Supercross Championships.
In 2001, Yamaha released a bike designed to complement the YZ125, the four-stroke YZ250F. The two bikes share a rolling chassis and are eligible to compete in the same racing class.
The YZ 125 has had a liquid-cooled 124 cc, reed valve inducted, two-stroke engine since 1982. The models from 1974 to 1981 were air-cooled and also two-stroke. It breathes through a 38 mm TMX carburetor made by Mikuni. Stock, the engine produces 33 hp (25 kW) at the rear wheel.
The YZ125 has been built with five- or six-speed sequential gearboxes depending on model year. The 2005 model has a Constant mesh wet, multiple-disc coil spring clutch. The revised gear ratios as of the 2005 model are:
From 1974 through 2004, the YZ 125 had a single backbone frame made from steel. It generally averaged from 176 to 198 lb (80 to 90 kg). For the 2005 year, however, Yamaha switched to a single backbone frame constructed from an aluminum alloy. This frame material change dropped the weight to 190 lb.(dry weight) For 2008 models, additional weight savings in the wheel assemblies and front fork suspension have yielded additional weight savings making wet weight, no gas sub-200 lb. Aluminum framed YZ125's are notably 'flickable' and sometimes this trait is seen as a drawback since they tend to become more difficult to control on rough surfaces.
External links
Official website


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In February's Physics World: The first mission to Mercury
1 February 2011
As the team of scientists behind NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft eagerly awaits the craft's entry into Mercury's orbit on 17 March, we could soon get answers to questions about the origin, composition, interior structure and geological history of this mysterious planet.
Louise Prockter, deputy project scientist on the mission, writes exclusively in February's Physics World about the challenges the craft has been designed to face, the early successes of the mission and her own triumphant voyage over the past decade's work.
A journey to Mercury faces once-thought insurmountable challenges – from intense solar radiation, extreme hot and cold, and the need for a seemingly prohibitive amount of fuel to make it to our Solar System's most inner planet.
With solar radiation 11 times more intense around Mercury than around Earth, and with temperatures reaching 425ºC on the planet's sunlit surface and dipping as low as -185ºC on its night side, the intricate instruments designed to observe Mercury have much to be protected from.
Prockter describes the design of a sunshield made of heat-resistant ceramic cloth, cleverly crafted to keep almost all the instruments at room temperature, and the highly elliptical orbit the craft will embark upon in order to avoid the solar heat that Mercury's surface radiates back into space.
Following six "gravity assists" – using the gravity of planets to help tweak a spacecraft's direction, avoiding the need to use prohibitive amounts of fuel – MESSENGER is more than six years into its journey and soon to embark upon the key part of its mission.
Over the last three years, MESSENGER has been using Mercury's own gravity to line itself up for entry into its desired orbit. During this stage of the journey, MESSENGER has already captured shots of Mercury, revealing a hemisphere that had never been imaged before.
These early successes demonstrate the craft's capability and provide early promise of far greater success.
On receipt of these early images of Mercury, Prockter writes: "How often in your life do you get to see something completely unexplored?...My first feeling was one of complete joy and disbelief – a perfect, beautiful, gibbous Mercury filled the screen, showing an incredible level of detail."
Also in the February edition:
• Physics World columnist Robert P Crease is enthralled by the construction of the Gyrangle -- an exotic structure made of 490 hollowed-out triangles and built by members of the public
• Energy-saving LED bulbs could revolutionize our lives, lighting up streets, offices and houses -- but only if physicists can work out why the bulbs become so inefficient at high currents


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Three wannabe councillors hoping to stand in this year's local elections say they want to see a change in local politics.
Members of the public are being invited to an information event next week to find out how to become a councillor.
The Harrow Times spoke to three prospective councillors hoping to run in May's elections as independents, and who are calling on others to get involved.
Georgia Weston, who will be running in the Headstone North, said: "I don't think many people realise that anyone can stand as a councillor and you don't need a political party to back you.
"It would be great to see an independent standing in every ward.
"I believe all councillors should live in the ward they represent. They should use our shops, walk our pavements and throw rubbish in our bins."
Linda Robinson, who hopes to stand as an independent in Stanmore Park ward, said: "My main reason for standing is to give something different to people in Harrow.
"I think councillors should listen to the concerns of their constituents. Personally I'm very interested in sustainability issues in borough and doing more for the environment."
Richard Turner hopes to run in Headstone South. She said: "I have always been interested in politics both nationally and locally but I don't think any of the parties really speak for what I believe in.
"I think there is a real lack of engagement between councillors and the electorate and there needs to be something done to improve communication.
"I think there is a lot of dissatisfaction from people when you look at the national picture and it's the same with the council."
Currently Cllr James Bond is the only independent member of the council who has not belonged to another party.
Anyone who is interested in becoming a councillor is invited to the evening at Harrow Civic Centre in Station Road on Thursday January 30 from 6pm.
Those interested can email council democratic services at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Dishonored DLC/
Finish Dishonored, already? Completed a non-lethal playthrough, too? Congrats on being a true supernatural assassin! We recommend you continue honing your skills in preparation for the game's upcoming game add-on content, Dunwall City Trials. Dunwall City Trials will arrive simultaneously on PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360. Details on this add-on, as well as future plans, are outlined below:
Dishonored: Dunwall City Trials, being released in December for $4.99 (or 400 Microsoft Points), will include 10 challenge maps that will test and track your combat, stealth and mobility skills. Ten distinct trials await challengers – including an arena battle against waves of enemy AI, a gravity-defying run of drop assassinations, and a race against the clock. Dunwall City Trials also features a whole new set of achievements and trophies as well as a global online leaderboard that will establish the greatest assassins for each challenge.
The second and third add-ons for Dishonored will be coming in 2013 and will each feature story-driven campaigns. Pricing on these two packs will be revealed closer to launch.
Daud, the leader of a group of supernatural assassins known as 'The Whalers', will be the focus of the second add-on pack, scheduled for release in early Spring 2013. Make your way through new Dunwall locales and discover Daud's own set of weapons, powers and gadgets in this story-driven campaign. How you play and the choices you make will impact the final outcome…
Additional story details on the third add-on pack will be revealed closer to its launch next year.
We will give you more details as they come!


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diarrhea(redirected from acute idiopathic diarrhea)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.
To most individuals, diarrhea means an increased frequency or decreased consistency of bowel movements; however, the medical definition is more exact than this. In many developed countries, the average number of bowel movements is three per day. However, researchers have found that diarrhea best correlates with an increase in stool weight; stool weights above 10oz (300 gs) per day generally indicates diarrhea. This is mainly due to excess water, which normally makes up 60-85% of fecal matter. In this way, true diarrhea is distinguished from diseases that cause only an increase in the number of bowel movements (hyperdefecation) or incontinence (involuntary loss of bowel contents).
Diarrhea is also classified by physicians into acute, which lasts one or two weeks, and chronic, which continues for longer than 2 or 3 weeks. Viral and bacterial infections are the most common causes of acute diarrhea.
In many cases, acute infectious diarrhea is a mild, limited annoyance. However, worldwide acute infectious diarrhea has a huge impact, causing over five million deaths per year. While most deaths are among children under five years of age in developing nations, the impact, even in developed countries, is considerable. For example, over 250,000 individuals are admitted to hospitals in the United States each year because of one of these episodes. Rapid diagnosis and proper treatment can prevent much of the suffering associated with these devastating illnesses.
Chronic diarrhea also has a considerable effect on health, as well as on social and economic well being. Patients with celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and other prolonged diarrheal illnesses develop nutritional deficiencies that diminish growth and immunity. They affect social interaction and result in the loss of many working hours.
Causes and symptoms
Diarrhea occurs because more fluid passes through the large intestine (colon) than that organ can absorb. As a rule, the colon can absorb several times more fluid than is required on a daily basis. However, when this reserve capacity is overwhelmed, diarrhea occurs.
Diarrhea is caused by infections or illnesses that either lead to excess production of fluids or prevent absorption of fluids. Also, certain substances in the colon, such as fats and bile acids, can interfere with water absorption and cause diarrhea. In addition, rapid passage of material through the colon can also do the same.
Symptoms related to any diarrheal illness are often those associated with any injury to the gastrointestinal tract, such as fever, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. All or none of these may be present depending on the disease causing the diarrhea. The number of bowel movements can vary—up to 20 or more per day. In some patients, blood or pus is present in the stool. Bowel movements may be difficult to flush (float) or contain undigested food material.
The most common causes of acute diarrhea are infections (the cause of traveler's diarrhea), food poisoning, and medications. Medications are a frequent and often over-looked cause, especially antibiotics and antacids. Less often, various sugar free foods, which sometimes contain poorly absorbable materials, cause diarrhea.
Chronic diarrhea is frequently due to many of the same things that cause the shorter episodes (infections, medications, etc.); symptoms just last longer. Some infections can become chronic. This occurs mainly with parasitic infections (such as Giardia) or when patients have altered immunity (AIDS).
The following are the more usual causes of chronic diarrhea:
- colon cancer and other bowel tumors
- endocrine or hormonal abnormalities (thyroid, diabetes mellitus, etc.)
- food allergy
- inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis)
- lactose intolerance
- malabsorption syndromes (celiac and Whipple's disease)
- other (alcohol, microscopic colitis, radiation, surgery)
The major effects of diarrhea are dehydration, malnutrition, and weight loss. Signs of dehydration can be hard to notice, but increasing thirst, dry mouth, weakness or lightheadedness (particularly if worsening on standing), or a darkening/decrease in urination are suggestive. Severe dehydration leads to changes in the body's chemistry and could become life-threatening. Dehydration from diarrhea can result in kidney failure, neurological symptoms, arthritis, and skin problems.
Most cases of acute diarrhea never need diagnosis or treatment, as many are mild and produce few problems. But patients with fever over 102 °F (38.9 °C), signs of dehydration, bloody bowel movements, severe abdominal pain, known immune disease, or prior use of antibiotics need prompt medical evaluation.
When diagnostic studies are needed, the most useful are stool culture and examination for parasites; however these are often negative and a cause cannot be found in a large number of patients. The earlier cultures are performed, the greater the chance of obtaining a positive result. For those with a history of antibiotic use in the preceding two months, stool samples need to be examined for the toxins that cause antibiotic-associated colitis. Tests are also available to check stool samples for microscopic amounts of blood and for cells that indicate severe inflammation of the colon. Examination with an endoscope is sometimes helpful in determining severity and extent of inflammation. Tests to check changes in blood chemistry (potassium, magnesium, etc.) and a complete blood count (CBC) are also often performed.
Chronic diarrhea is quite different, and most patients with this condition will receive some degree of testing. Many exams are the same as for an acute episode, as some infections and parasites cause both types of diarrhea. A careful history to evaluate medication use, dietary changes, family history of illnesses, and other symptoms is necessary. Key points in determining the seriousness of symptoms are weight loss of over 10 lb (4.5 kg), blood in the stool, and nocturnal diarrhea (symptoms that awaken the patient from sleep).
Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can contain additives, such as lactose and sorbitol, that will produce diarrhea in sensitive individuals. Review of allergies or skin changes may also point to a cause. Social history may indicate if stress is playing a role or identify activities which can be associated with diarrhea (for example, diarrhea that occurs in runners).
A combination of stool, blood, and urine tests may be needed in the evaluation of chronic diarrhea; in addition a number of endoscopic and x-ray studies are frequently required.
Treatment is ideally directed toward correcting the cause; however, the first aim should be to prevent or treat dehydration and nutritional deficiencies. The type of fluid and nutrient replacement will depend on whether oral feedings can be taken and the severity of fluid losses. Oral rehydration solution (ORS) or intravenous fluids are the choices; ORS is preferred if possible.
A physician should be notified if the patient is dehydrated, and if oral replacement is suggested then commercial (Pedialyte and others) or homemade preparations can be used. The World Health Organization (WHO) has provided this easy recipe for home preparation, which can be taken in small frequent sips:
- Table salt—3/4 tsp
- Baking powder—1 tsp
- Orange juice—1 c
- Water—1 qt (1l)
When feasible, food intake should be continued even in those with acute diarrhea. A physician should be consulted as to what type and how much food is permitted.
Anti-motility agents (loperamide, diphenoxylate) are useful for those with chronic symptoms; their use is limited or even contraindicated in most individuals with acute diarrhea, especially in those with high fever or bloody bowel movements. They should not be taken without the advice of a physician.
Other treatments are available, depending on the cause of symptoms. For example, the bulk agent psyllium helps some patients by absorbing excess fluid and solidifying stools; cholestyramine, which binds bile acids, is effective in treating bile salt induced diarrhea. Low fat diets or more easily digestible fat is useful in some patients. New antidiarrheal drugs that decrease excessive secretion of fluid by the intestinal tract is another approach for some diseases. Avoidance of medications or other products that are known to cause diarrhea (such as lactose) is curative in some, but should be discussed with a physician.
Alternative treatment
It is especially important to find the cause of diarrhea, since stopping diarrhea when it is the body's way of eliminating something foreign is not helpful and can be harmful in the long run.
One effective alternative approach to preventing and treating diarrhea involves oral supplementation of aspects of the normal flora in the colon with the yeasts Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. bifidus, or Saccharomyces boulardii. In clinical settings, these "biotherapeutic" agents have repeatedly been helpful in the resolution of diarrhea, especially antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Their effectiveness is also supported by the results of a research study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1996.
Nutrient replacement also plays a role in preventing and treating episodes of diarrhea. Zinc especially appears to have an effect on the immune system, and deficiency of this mineral can lead to chronic diarrhea. Also, zinc replacement improves growth in young patients. Plenty of fluids, especially water, should be taken by individuals suffering from diarrhea to prevent dehydration. The BRAT diet also can be useful in helping to resolve diarrhea. This diet limits food intake to bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These foods provide soluble and insoluble fiber without irritation. If the toast is slightly burnt, the charcoal can help sequester toxins and pull them from the body.
Acute homeopathic remedies can be very effective for treating diarrhea especially in infants and young children.
Prognosis is related to the cause of the diarrhea; for most individuals in developed countries, a bout of acute, infectious diarrhea is at best uncomfortable. However, in both industrialized and developing areas, serious complications and death can occur.
For those with chronic symptoms, an extensive number of tests are usually necessary to make a proper diagnosis and begin treatment; a specific diagnosis is found in 90% of patients. In some, however, no specific cause is found and only treatment with bulk agents or anti-motility agents is indicated.
Proper hygiene and food handling techniques will prevent many cases. Traveler's diarrhea can be avoided by use of Pepto-Bismol and/or antibiotics, if necessary. The most important action is to prevent the complications of dehydration.
World Health Organization, Division of Emerging and Other Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Control. Avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. (+00 41 22) 791 21 11. http://www.who.int.
"Directory of Digestive Diseases Organizations for Patients." National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. http://www.niddk.nih.gov.
"A Neglected Modality for the Treatment and Prevention of Selected Intestinal and Vaginal Infections." JAMA. http://pubs.ama-assn.org.
Selected publications and documents on diarrhoeal diseases (including cholera). World Health Organization (WHO). http://www.who.ch/chd/pub/cdd/cddpub.htm.
Key terms
Anti-motiltiy medications — Medications such as loperamide (Imodium), diphenoxylate (Lomotil), or medications containing codeine or narcotics that decrease the ability of the intestine to contract. These can worsen the condition of a patient with dysentery or colitis.
Colitis — Inflammation of the colon.
Endoscope — An endoscope, as used in the field of gastroenterology, is a thin flexible tube that uses a lens or miniature camera to view various areas of the gastrointestinal tract. Both diagnosis, through biopsies or other means, and therapeutic procedures can be done with this instrument.
Endoscopy — The performance of an exam using an endoscope is known generally as endoscopy.
Lactose intolerance — An inability to properly digest milk and dairy products.
Oral rehydration solution (ORS) — A liquid preparation developed by the World Health Organization that can decrease fluid loss in persons with diarrhea. Originally developed to be prepared with materials available in the home, commercial preparations have recently come into use.
Steatorrhea — Excessive amounts of fat in the feces.
rapid movement of fecal matter through the intestines resulting in poor absorption of water, nutritive elements, and electrolytes and producing abnormally frequent evacuation of watery stools. adj., adj diarrhe´ic, diarrhe´al.
Diarrhea is a nursing diagnosis accepted by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, who defined it as "the state in which an individual experiences a change in normal bowel habits characterized by the frequent passage of loose, unformed stools." It can be caused by intestinal mucosal defects produced by infectious or chemical agents, toxins, which cause hypersecretion with no mucosal damage, osmotic agents, functional loss of intestinal segments, or emotional disorders which bring about increased peristalsis and increased secretion of mucus in the colon (psychogenic diarrhea or irritable colon); chronic recurrent diarrhea is a major symptom of crohn's disease and of ulcerative colitis. Concentrated tube feedings can cause diarrhea if adequate water is not given after each feeding.
In all types of diarrhea there is rapid evacuation of water and electrolytes resulting in a loss of these essential substances. Potassium supply especially is depleted by diarrhea, thus producing acidosis as well as deficient fluid volume.
Diarrhea is a nursing diagnosis accepted by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, who defined it as "the state in which an individual experiences a change in normal bowel habits characterized by the frequent passage of loose, unformed stools." It can be caused by intestinal mucosal defects produced by infectious or chemical agents, toxins, which cause hypersecretion with no mucosal damage, osmotic agents, functional loss of intestinal segments, or emotional disorders which bring about increased peristalsis and increased secretion of mucus in the colon (psychogenic diarrhea or irritable colon); chronic recurrent diarrhea is a major symptom of crohn's disease and of ulcerative colitis. Concentrated tube feedings can cause diarrhea if adequate water is not given after each feeding.
In all types of diarrhea there is rapid evacuation of water and electrolytes resulting in a loss of these essential substances. Potassium supply especially is depleted by diarrhea, thus producing acidosis as well as deficient fluid volume.
Symptoms. Diarrhea is accompanied by frequent and liquid bowel movements, abdominal cramps, and general weakness. The stools often contain mucus and may be blood streaked. In chronic diarrhea the patient is likely to be anemic and suffering from malnutrition.
Treatment. Mild cases of diarrhea of short duration can be treated conservatively with a bland diet, increased intake of liquids, and the administration of kaolin-pectin compounds to relieve the symptoms. Medicines are sometimes used to decrease peristalsis and relieve cramps. More severe and chronic cases can be symptomatic of a wide variety of disorders including glandular disturbances, deficiency diseases, allergies, and tumors of the intestinal tract. Since diarrhea is a symptom rather than a disease, extensive diagnostic procedures and laboratory tests may be necessary to determine the underlying cause. In the meantime symptomatic treatment must be instituted to relieve the dehydration, nutritional deficiencies, and disturbances of acid-base balance produced by the loss of water, food elements, and electrolytes in the stools. Liquids and semisolids may be given orally at frequent intervals if they can be tolerated. In cases in which vomiting accompanies the diarrhea or the stools occur with serious frequency, fluids may be given intravenously.
weanling diarrhea a collection of diseases in the infant, described as a syndrome, associated with weaning from the breast. It is attributed to the introduction of other food and loss of the protective properties of breast milk.
di·ar·rhe·a(dī'ă-rē'ă), This word denotes not merely abnormal looseness of stools but also an increase in the urgency and frequency of defecation.
An abnormally frequent discharge of semisolid or fluid fecal matter from the bowel.
[G. diarrhoia, fr. dia, through, + rhoia, a flow, a flux]
diarrhea/di·ar·rhea/ (-re´ah) abnormally frequent evacuation of watery feces.diarrhe´aldiarrhe´ic
choleraic diarrhea a type seen in cholera, with serous feces and circulatory collapse.
familial chloride diarrhea a type of severe watery diarrhea that begins in early infancy with feces containing excessive chloride because of impairment of chloride-bicarbonate exchange in the lower colon. Affected infants have a distended abdomen, lethargy, and retarded growth and mental development.
lienteric diarrhea a form in which feces contain undigested food.
osmotic diarrhea that due to the presence of osmotically active nonabsorbable solutes in the intestine, e.g., magnesium sulfate.
parenteral diarrhea diarrhea due to infections outside the gastrointestinal tract.
secretory diarrhea watery voluminous diarrhea resulting from increased stimulation of ion and water secretion, inhibition of their absorption, or both; osmolality of the feces approximates that of plasma.
summer diarrhea acute diarrhea in children during the intense heat of summer.
toxigenic diarrhea the watery voluminous diarrhea caused by enterotoxins from enterotoxigenic bacteria such as Vibrio cholerae and enterotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli .
traveler's diarrhea diarrhea in travelers, especially those visiting tropical or subtropical areas where sanitation is poor; many different agents can cause it, the most common being enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.
tropical diarrhea see under sprue.
weanling diarrhea diarrhea in an infant when put on food other than its mother's milk, usually due to inadequate sanitation and infection by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli or rotaviruses.
Excessive and frequent evacuation of watery feces.
di′ar·rhe′al, di′ar·rhe′ic (-ĭk)(-rĕt′ĭk), di′ar·rhet′ic (-rĕt′ĭk) adj.
Etymology: Gk, dia + rhein, to flow
the frequent passage of loose, watery stools. The stool may also contain mucus, pus, blood, or excessive amounts of fat. Diarrhea is usually a symptom of some underlying disorder. Conditions in which diarrhea is an important symptom are dysenteric disorders, malabsorption syndrome, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, GI tumors, and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition to stool frequency, patients may complain of abdominal cramps and generalized weakness. Untreated, severe diarrhea may lead to rapid dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. It should be treated symptomatically until proper diagnosis can be made. Anti-diarrheal preparations, such as diphenoxylate and paregoric, are helpful. If diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting, IV fluids may be necessary to prevent fluid depletion. Also spelled diarrhoea. See also dehydration. diarrheal, diarrheic, adj.
diarrheaAn abnormal frequency of defecation accompanied by abnormal liquidity of the feces; a daily stool weight of > 200 g; acute diarrhea is < 4 wks; chronic diarrhea is > 4 wks in duration. See Antibiotic-associated diarrhea, Brainerd diarrhea, Chewing gum diarrhea, Chronic idiopathic diarrhea, Day care diarrhea, High-output diarrhea, Magnesium-induced diarrhea, Osmotic diarrhea, Overflow diarrhea, Toddler's diarrhea, Traveler's diarrhea, Trench diarrhea, Weaning diarrhea, White stool.
An abnormally frequent discharge of semisolid or fluid fecal matter from the bowel.
Synonym(s): diarrhoea.
Synonym(s): diarrhoea.
[G. diarrhoia, fr. dia, through, + rhoia, a flow, a flux]
n frequent loosened, watery stools, often accompanied by abdominal cramping and strong urge to move bowels.
Abnormally frequent discharge of semisolid or fluid fecal matter from the bowel.
Synonym(s): diarrhoea.
Synonym(s): diarrhoea.
[G. diarrhoia, fr. dia, through, + rhoia, a flow, a flux]
rapid movement of fecal matter through the intestine resulting in poor absorption of water, nutritive elements and electrolytes, and producing abnormally frequent evacuation of watery droppings. The major causes are local irritation of the intestinal mucosa by infectious or chemical agents (gastroenteritis). In all types of diarrhea there is rapid evacuation of water and electrolytes resulting in a loss of these essential substances. Base (bicarbonate) especially is depleted by diarrhea, thus producing acidosis as well as fluid volume deficit.
acute idiopathic diarrhea
acute diarrhea syndromes in horses which are not diagnosable, such as salmonellosis, strongylosis, cyathostomiasis, Potomac horse fever, colitis-X, antibiotic-induced diarrhea (above), intestinal clostridiosis.
acute undifferentiated diarrhea of the horse
severe, acute diarrhea likely to be fatal may be related to stress or antibiotic therapy. See also colitis-X, intestinal clostridiosis, salmonellosis.
antibiotic-associated diarrhea
results from disruption of the normal bowel flora as a result of antimicrobial therapy for any reason. May occur as moderate diarrhea or as a life threatening syndrome often with severe colitis or pseudo-membranous colitis. See also antibiotic-associated colitis.
bovine virus diarrhea
see bovine virus diarrhea.
campylobacter diarrhea
watery diarrhea without other obvious signs and without other obvious cause in yearling sheep, calves and foals. Campylobacter fetus subspp. jejuni and intestinalis have been suggested as causes. See also winter dysentery.
chronic undifferentiated diarrhea of the horse
chronic, very watery diarrhea for very long periods but the horse has normal appetite and loses weight only gradually. Esthetically very displeasing to pleasure horse owners. Irreversible but not usually fatal.
ciliate diarrhea
colitis caused by troglodytella in primates.
dietary diarrhea
a result of dietary indiscretion; occurs in all species. It is caused by the chemical or physical nature of the ingested material. The commonest occurrence of the syndrome is in newborn animals, especially those who ingest too much milk. There is often a history of access to an oversupply of milk or of a recent change of source to an over-rich milk replacer or indigestible components in replacer. It is also caused by too-rapid drinking. Affected animals are bright and alert and have a normal appetite but the feces are voluminous, soft to fluid and evil-smelling. Secondary bacterial enteritis may ensue but most cases recover spontaneously when the diet is adjusted. Scavenging dogs and cats ('garbage eaters') commonly ingest food that is spoiled or to which they are unaccustomed, resulting in various degrees of vomiting or diarrhea. Called also dietetic scours.
effusion diarrhea
caused by an increase in the transepithelial hydrostatic pressure gradient, such as occurs in congestive heart failure and hepatic portal hypertension.
epizootic porcine diarrhea
at least two types of epidemic diarrhea occur in pigs which are not transmissible gastroenteritis or due to other known cause.
large bowel diarrhea
in dogs and cats, signs referable to the site of enteric disease responsible for the diarrhea being the large intestine include tenesmus, mucus, hematochezia, and increased frequency of defecation.
malabsorptive diarrhea
villous atrophy, such as occurs with some viral infections, causes malabsorption diarrhea because of the reduction in area of absorptive intestinal epithelium.
nursery diarrhea
see nursery diarrhea.
osmotic diarrhea
an overload of unabsorbed osmotically active particles will attract and retain water, increasing fecal volume and causing diarrhea. Associated with maldigestion, malabsorption, overeating, excessive carbohydrates or fats. The basis for the laxative effect of magnesium sulfate, sodium sulfate or sodium phosphate.
psychogenic diarrhea
see irritable colon syndrome.
secretory diarrhea
derangement of normal secretory and absorptive functions of intestinal epithelium such as occurs with bacterial enterotoxins may result in excessive secretion and a resulting diarrhea. Escherichia coli is the prime example of an infection with this effect.
small bowel diarrhea
in dogs and cats, signs referable to the site of enteric disease responsible for the diarrhea being the small intestine include lack of tenesmus or mucus, increased fecal volume, melena and weight loss.
undifferentiated diarrhea of the newborn
the situation in which a newborn animal (less than 7 days old) has life-threatening acute diarrhea. There is insufficient time and it would cost too much to differentiate between all of the possible causes. Added to this is the common occurrence in which there are two or more agents present, often acting in concert. Because of the need to treat these cases urgently and effectively if their lives are to be saved it has become the practice to group them together for the purposes of treatment and prognosis.
Patient discussion about diarrhea
Q. what are the causes of diarrhea? I've been having constant diarrhea, stomach aches and loud noises from my bowel. could it be cancer?
A. I don't know about cancer, but you might consider "Irritable bowel syndrome". it is a common disorder that can occur and have those symptoms that you mentioned. here is a nice web site that gives information about it: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ibs_ez/#symptoms
Q. What Is Travelers' Diarrhea? I wanted to know- what exactly is travelers' diarrhea?
A. Travelers' diarrhea is the most common illness affecting travelers. Travelers' diarrhea is defined as three or more unformed stools in 24 hours, commonly accompanied by abdominal cramps, nausea and bloating. Each year 20%–50% of international travelers, an estimated 10 million people, develop diarrhea, usually within the first week of traveling. It can occur due to poor sanitary conditions, usually by bacterial infection. Escherichia coli, enteroaggregative E. coli, and Shigella are the most common bacteria involved. High-risk destinations are the developing countries of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Q. I heard that the major risk in diarrhea is dehydration, why is that? How can I avoid that? Are there other dehydration causes I should beware of?
A. vomiting will also dehydrate you about as dangerously as diarrhea fyeMore discussions about diarrhea


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While Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s are both funded with after-tax dollars and withdrawals from either can be tax-free, there are several differences that can be important. This week's featured question delves into some of the key differences.
Reader questions on all things retirement answered Mondays and Fridays. If you have a question for Dan, please email him at: email@example.com
More from Dan Moisand »
Q. Could you tell me differences in dispersments of 401k Roth verses IRA Roth... Does one have an advantage to the other? — L.C.
A. Whether one type of plan is more advantageous to you, L.C., is a function of the particulars of your situation. Generally, people accumulating funds favor the 401(k) while retirees tend to prefer the IRA. You'll see why after I outline the basics starting with distributions.
Distributions — Distributions of earnings from a Roth 401(k) will be tax free if taken after age 59 ½ and it has been five tax years or more since Jan. 1 of the year you first contributed to the Roth 401(k). Withdrawals can only be made, if you are eligible for a distribution from the 401(k) (death, disability, separation from service)
Withdrawals from a Roth IRA can be taken at any time in the following order: Contributions, converted amounts, earnings. Withdrawals of contributions are always tax free. Generally, converted amounts and earnings are tax free if the applicable five-year rules are satisfied and taken after age 59 1/2.
Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) — RMDs are required from Roth 401(k)s once your reach age 70 1/2, unless you are still employed by the company providing the 401(k) then and less than a 5% owner. Once such employment ends, RMDs are applicable.
No RMDs are required from your Roth IRAs during your lifetime.
Contribution eligibility — If your 401(k) offers a Roth option, all employees eligible to contribute to the 401(k) may contribute to the Roth regardless of their income.
A maximum contribution to a Roth IRA is limited to persons who have earned income of $5,500 or more but an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) under $114,000 for singles, $181,000 for joint filers. Single filers with an AGI above $129,000 and joint filers with an AGI over $191,000 cannot make a Roth contribution.
Contribution amounts — For 2014, Roth 401(k) contributions are limited to the lesser of 100% of wages or $17,500 ($23,000 if over age 50)
Roth IRA contributions are limited to the lesser of 100% of wages or $5,500 ($6,500 if over 50)
Matching — Contributions to a Roth 401(k) may be eligible for a matching contribution from your employer. No match is made to Roth IRAs.
Conversions — Moneys inside a 401(k) can only be converted to the Roth 401(k) if the plan specifically allows such conversions. Conversions to Roth 401(k) cannot be reversed or "recharacterized."
Any of your IRA moneys, other than those subject to Required Minimum Distributions, can be converted to a Roth IRA. Conversions can be recharacterized as late as Oct.15 of the year after the year of conversion.
So, because more money can be accumulated in a Roth 401(k) at any income level, generally those saving for retirement prefer the Roth 401(k). Retirees tend to prefer the Roth IRA, because no RMDs are needed allowing funds to continue to grow tax free.
Q. Here is my situation. I am 62 never really earned much during my working years. My first wife died and I married again. That marriage went south 12 years ago. My thoughts are to start collecting surviving spouse Social Security (from the first wife) now and hold off claiming my benefit until "full retirement age" or if I can hold out until age 70. Any thoughts would help clear the fog. — G. L.
A. At 62, you are old enough to receive a survivor benefit and since you aren't currently married you may be eligible. Getting married again makes you ineligible for survivor benefits while you are married unless you are over age 60 when you remarry (50 if disabled).
You must apply for survivor benefits in person so while talking with your Social Security office, you may also wish to find out if you can get any benefits as a divorced spouse from your second marriage.
If your second marriage lasted 10 years or longer, you can receive benefits on your ex-spouse's record even if she has remarried as long as you aren't married, your ex-spouse is entitled to Social Security retirement (even if she hasn't yet filed) or disability benefits, and the benefit you are entitled to receive based on your own work is less.
Any benefits you start now will be reduced from their full amounts because you aren't yet 66, your full retirement age.
Q. I have a situation which I'm told is going to be costly. I filed for Social Security benefits in March 2013 at age 64. I retired from my job in Feb 2013 and received a total of $140k as severance, vacation and bonus pay. Not realizing that amount was considered 'earned income' I'm told I will have to repay all of the SS payments I received in 2013 because I exceeded the allowable earnings for 2013. If that's the case will I be able to reapply for SS benefits and have my monthly payment readjusted? Thanks, Ron


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Published Oct 8, 2014
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--Freshman Deanna Creps threw a perfect game in the second game of today's doubleheader against Sewanee, helping the Birmingham-Southern softball team to a series sweep.
The Panthers strengthen their hold on first place in the Southern Athletic Association, moving to 19-9 on the season and 10-2 in conference play. With the victories, the Panthers have won 14 of their last 16 contests. Sewanee will head home 5-12 overall and 0-12 in SAA action.
In game one, the Panthers posted eight runs in the first inning alone en route to an 18-0 win. Panther batters produced runs with three singles, three doubles, a triple, and a home run. Sophomore Alyssa Statham put a shot over the left field fence to earn three of her game-high six RBI. Fellow sophomore Joanna Jernigan placed a double down the left field line to bring home Creps and freshman Katelyn Murray. Jernigan wrapped up scoring in the frame with a steal of home.
Statham continued to showcase her power from the plate with another home run in the third inning, this time to center field. The big fly also scored sophomore Taylor Bassett. In their final appearance at the plate, the Panthers scored another seven runs in the fourth.
The potent offensive performance complemented yet another strong outing for sophomore pitcher Bethany Fronk in the circle. With the victory, the hurler went to 14-7 on the season. Fronk only surrendered a pair of hits and a walk, while striking out five in the complete game gem.
Game two featured a dominating pitching performance from Creps as she threw a perfect game to complete the series sweep for the Panthers. It was the fifth perfect game in program history, and the first by a freshman. In the 8-0 win, Creps retired all 15 batters she faced and improved her record to 5-2. Creps also led the offensive effort, scoring a game-high two runs and reaching base in all three plate appearances.
The Panthers did most of the damage in the bottom of the second, scoring six runs. Singles from Creps and Statham, combined with Fronk being hit by a pitch, loaded the bases for the Panthers to start the inning. Panther scoring started when the next batter, senior Chelsea Fernandez, brought home Statham to break the scoreless tie. Two batters later, senior Brittany Berkopec earned an RBI with a fielder's choice to shortstop that scored Creps. Senior Danielle Rucker followed up with a double that brought Jernigan home. Bassett then singled through the left side to bring home Rucker and Berkopec to wrap up the inning's scoring.
An RBI from Jernigan in the third put the Panthers up 7-0, and a walk-off RBI single by freshman Karley Chamblee in the top of the fifth ended the game early to give BSC the 8-0 win.
Birmingham-Southern hits the road for a conference series against Hendrix next weekend. The Panthers will play two doubleheaders against the Warriors, one on Saturday and the other Sunday, both starting at noon in Conway, Ark.


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We have two setups one which works perfectly - PrimeTest 300 matched up to a ProTag Optima printer and the second setup which I cannot get to print - a PrimeTest 350 also matched up to a ProTag Optima printer.
Ive tried configuring the second setup with the same details as the first setup but I cannot get it to print. Ive tried both printers but still no luck. The setup that works - Bluetooth favourites, setup the printer, under printer type it says ProTag, on the 350 this isn't an option.
Any solutions/ideas in getting this to work would be greatly appreciated.


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I've been working on this beauty for MONTHS and I finally got it finished today so I am beyond excited to have it marked off my "To Do" list!! This game will be one of a few lawn games that we will have for our guests to partake in during cocktail hour at our reception. I wanted it to be southern (monogram), sweet (pink!), and fun (duh, it's a cornhole game). The boards themselves were made by a friend of ours and gifted to us (BIG THANKS TIM!) and the painting and sewing was carried out by yours truly with some help from the husband-to-be (HTB).
Sorry, there aren't any pictures of the board in the works but I decided to start my blog after I was finished with them. Basically the HTB and I taped off the striped edges and painted them. The monogram was a little tricky to pull off but after I found an interlocking font that I liked online I tried my best to cut and paste our married monogram together, blew it up on our printer, and traced it on with tracing paper. I filled it in with paint and then went back and outlined it with a gold paint marker.
After the boards were done I moved on to digging out my sewing machine and getting to work on the bags filled with corn. After finding similar yet different coordinating fabrics, I cut them into 5 inch squares. I also cut some muslin to use as an inner pouch to make the bags sturdier and secure.
Next, I pinned down around 3 of the 4 sides of the squares to create a pouch and sewed them. I filled the one open side with 2 cups of corn.
Once all the corn was inside, I folded the last edge into itself and pinned it down and sewed it shut. Have patience during this because it can get frustrating with a full bag of corn fighting against you while sewing. Also I sewed EVERY side and the finished edge THREE times to make sure the bags wouldn't bust during a game.
The HTB and I played a few rounds to make sure the bags wouldn't break and they held up so I hope they do the same on our wedding day. I must say that I am liking the looks of our married monogram! I just hope the guys aren't scared off by the pink at the reception and still play!!


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Garage Sale Millionaire: cast iron crib, vintage stamp and collectible art
Denver Post reader Louis Abila writes:
I have an old cast iron crib and I was wondering if you could direct me as to where I would be able to come up with a value? It is white (with) original paint and wood casters — what's left of them. There is no spring, if there ever was one. Thank you for your response.
Denver Post guest columnist and collectibles expert Aaron LaPedis replies:
I did some research on your cast iron crib, and the value is all over the board. If your crib is in good condition, and it sounds like yours may not be, the value ranges from $75 to $1,000. Another thing that can help the value: hand-painted designs on the headboard or the front of the crib. Also, is it a true antique (more than a 100 years old)?


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Well this blog might be kind of long since I have not posted in awhile! Oops! If you have tried to keep up with my blog you know by now how bad I am at posting.
Where do I start? I could tell you about Christmas but that was so long ago I can barely remember anything significant except for my nephew stealing the show and being as cute as a button. Speaking of nephews....my sister-in-law is pregnant! Luke is set on having a baby sister and Karen said that he kisses her belly every morning and will tell Karen that he can hear her. I wish I could move in with them and hang out with Luke everyday! Karen and Ashton always have funny stories about what Luke is up to that day. I talked to him on "Balentines" Day (Luke sometimes pronounces v's as b's) and he said, "I love you today." Needless to say that melted my little heart. He turns three in May and I can't believe it!
Speaking of pregnancies...there will be a very special baby arriving one month before Luke's new sibling. Chris and Elena are going to be having a baby! She is already three months pregnant and they will soon find out the sex of the baby. So exciting!!! I will definitely be updating my blog with news about both pregnancies!
For three days I have been Ms. Suzanne Langston's substitute. The teacher that Suzanne student teaches with went out of town therefore I was hired to sit here while Suzanne teaches. It has been so much fun!
A couple of weeks ago ACU put on their 53rd (ish) Sing Song Production. I can't describe to you how wonderful it was to come when the show started and leave when the show ended. No practice, no face paint and no community red lipstick. Don't get me wrong, I love sing song but I appreciated the fact that I didn't have to participate this year. I was very proud of my little siggies even though they didn't "win" the whole thing they still continued the eight year streak of winning vocals without any help from alumni or freshman! =)
Karissa and I have become running partners and it has motivated to be more active! I have enjoyed jogging and walking together and it is amazing how your self confidence changes when you work out. I know my body doesn't look that different but I feel so much better about myself and that is very important.
I am going to San Antonio with Karissa and Kelley for the next couple of days as a sort of "spring break." They are some of my close friends from high school and we always enjoy each other's company no matter where we are!
I hope you enjoy your spring break AND your beautiful day!
p.s. In my next post I plan on putting up pictures from Daniel's Senior Art Show!
Meagan Lately
Well this blog might be kind of long since I have not posted in awhile! Oops! If you have tried to keep up with my blog you know by now how bad I am at posting.
Posted by Meagan at 11:50 AM 1 comments


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I'm afraid to say anything or nothing, I'm white & unalterably broken.
The dead cowards my parents on a tear through the goddamn fields.
By the time I looked over my shoulder, the sun had already fallen.
A final toast: "to stories: the ones that made us, and the ones between us."
The woman one row in front of me was an epic series of curves.
He'd be buried in the town he so desperately wanted to leave.
All diseases were conquered. Death was an adventure for volunteers.
I never wavered, even when it was clear he was the dangerous one.
I don't want fiction. What I want is truth. Or someone's version of it.
We watched our father chuck her boom box out the bedroom window.
Progressive stages of revision eliminate incidence in favor of essence.
If others call you a maniac or a fool, just let them wag their tongues.
A widow is sort of a holy figure, while a divorcée is a tawdry one.
The horse had been beaten and flies crawled on the beat marks.
My son trims a curtain of lashes, immures them into a stray year.
"I think he does not care for art; I fancy he has not even read Pushkin."
A gravely ill man was waiting for me in a village ten miles distant.
The almanac tells them when the moon passes into ghost weather.
He sits hiked up, naked to the waist, like a stone in the bedclothes.
The dog glares back at Roger, his eyes on fire, but he doesn't let her go.
Human language, Winston thought, was not adequate for spiritual union.
There was no sense in brushing off or any other civilized thing.
I'll rid the world of bad things. But first, I need to get more coffee.
The peanut seller tore sheets out of paperback books to make the cones.
The distant past returned—what part of it, he could not decide.
The prisoners were ten ragged scarecrows wearing prison suits.
I shoved them one by one, easy as pie yet with care, just shy of mercy.


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Exercise with Cassie
Monday, Dec 23 2019 12:00 pm - 1/22/18 1:00 pm
This event recurs on s.
The next time will be:
At Quincy Senior Residences - 625 Quincy Street (between Lewis and Stuyvesant Avenues) Brooklyn, NY 11221
Fitness and fun come together as participants alternate non-impact aerobics choreography with upper-body strengthening exercises and a variety of exercises designed to increase muscular strength, range of movement and activities for daily living. A chair is used for seated or standing support. Increase your cardiovascular and muscular endurance while working out.
All seniors aged 60+ are invited to attend afternoon workouts at Quincy Senior Residences.
For more information or to register for the classes, please contact Ms. Nina Medrano at (718) 453-0685, Ext. 312.


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Shelters Fill as Rent Aid Disappears
New York City residents who received rent subsidies are flocking to homeless shelters.
New York City homeless shelters—swelling with record-high populations not seen since the Great Depression—are increasingly being sought out by people who participated in a now-defunct rent-subsidy program designed to reduce homelessness, according to a report to be released Saturday.
The author of the report, the Coalition for the Homeless, a nonprofit advocacy group, held up the report as evidence that homeless families need longer-term government help with rent to stay out of the shelter system. Since the rental-payment...


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Building green is one of the few phenomena firing up the nation's slumped residential real estate market. In large part, that consumer demand is fueled by the fact that a green home can save as much as 30 to 60 percent over a conventional house to heat and cool.
But even as more hammers swing in green construction, potential purchasers of environmentally friendly homes are finding that it isn't always easy to get them appraised correctly and financed.
The problem is threefold: a lack of education among appraisers about the costs and benefits of green construction; insufficient data for them to calculate the value of environmental benefits; and finally, real estate listing services that, in many parts of the country, do not take into account attributes such as solar panels and spray foam insulation in their market valuations.
Solutions for these problems are still being developed.
Money-saving features don't appraise higher
"What we're finding is that the appraisal process, the lending process, the underwriting process for loans still hasn't caught up with the market interest in green building," says Kevin Morrow, senior program manager for the National Association of Home Builders' green programs. "If a builder builds a home that may cost a little more than an identical home next door, yet it has all kinds of efficiency features that will eventually mean that it's less costly to operate, it often won't appraise [for a higher value]."
In Chapel Hill, N.C., for example, Michael Chandler designed a home to be small, environmentally efficient, and solar. But in order for the appraisal to be high enough for prospective owners to qualify for a bank loan, the house had to be modified.
"We had to go back and strip out some energy features like the solar water heaters and cut back on insulation and add square footage, making it bigger and less [energy-] efficient to get to the $400,000 appraisal," says Mr. Chandler, owner of Chandler Design-Build. "Houses that are dramatically more efficient than normal, on average cost $15,000 to $20,000 more than houses built to code standard, but that's not being reflected in the appraisals."
A good example is the way home insulation is valued by a conventional appraisal. Inexpensive fiberglass batts that meet the minimum required by building code are usually estimated to have the same dollar value in a house as more expensive but highly effective foam insulation, although the batts can jack up the monthly cost of operating the home.
"The appraisal industry needs to have well-accepted mechanisms with which to upgrade the values of energy-efficient properties, much like they do with granite countertops or hardwood floors or fireplaces," says Mark Nuzzolo, owner of Brookside Development in Woodbridge, Conn.
Education to address the issues
The Appraisal Institute, a nonprofit educational and professional organization whose members account for more than a quarter of the nation's 100,000 appraisers, is beginning to address the issues. It has developed several courses and seminars as well as a green certificate program for appraisers who want to qualify.
"You don't get this type of analysis when you're going through the normal education process to be certified at the state level," says Leslie Sellers, an appraiser in Knoxville, Tenn., and 2010 president of the Appraisal Institute. "In order to do this, you have to take additional education over and above that."
Appraisers don't set the market value of a property, they simply measure it, Mr. Sellers notes. If there's no market evidence that a solar water heater increases the value of a home in a certain area, then the appraiser isn't going to place any value on it.
That's especially true in a changing market such as the current one. "We often work with market data that is six months old," says Sellers.
The banking community may help create some of that needed, green-market data. Some banks have begun to offer $1,000 off closing costs for homes that qualify as energy efficient. The government-backed mortgage giant Fannie Mae is expected to announce a green incentive program with at least one large bank to encourage more homeowners to use part of their mortgages for energy-efficiency upgrades.
The Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency's EnergyStar program have announced the expansion of a similar green mortgage program already operating in Colorado and Maine. It allows homeowners to invest in efficiency upgrades and pay for them during the life of the loan, the interest on which is also tax deductible.
"Green building is still in its infancy," says Mr. Nuzzolo. "Technological advances have radically changed – and are radically changing – the way we build houses. The banking and mortgage industries need to be educated. We all have to keep things moving forward."