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Barber and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences Licensees
Are you an Employee or an Independent Contractor? (Self Employed)
To help you determine if you are an employee, three classifications have been identified by the Internal Revenue Service that indicate whether sufficient "control" is present to establish an employer-employee relationship. Behavioral control, financial control, and relationship to the parties were the categories developed.
Behavioral Control
Facts that show whether the business has a right to direct and control how the worker does the task for which the worker is hired include the type and degree of —
Instructions the Business Gives the Worker
An employee is generally subject to the business's instructions about when, where, and how to work. Even if no instructions are given, sufficient behavioral control may exist if the employer has the right to control how the work results are achieved.
Training the Business Gives the Worker
An employee may be trained to perform services in a particular manner. Independent contractors ordinarily use their own methods.
Financial Control
Facts that show whether the business has a right to control the business aspects of the worker's job include:
Extent to Which the Worker has Unreimbursed Business Expenses
Independent contractors are more likely to have unreimbursed expenses than employees. Fixed ongoing costs that are incurred regardless of whether work is currently being performed are especially important. However, employees may also incur unreimbursed expenses in connection with the services they perform for their business.
Extent of the Worker's Investment
An independent contractor often has a significant investment in the facilities he or she uses in performing services for someone else. However, a significant investment is not required.
Extent to Which the Worker Makes Services Available to the Relevant Market
How the Business Pays the Worker
An employee is generally paid by the hour, week, or month. An independent contractor is usually paid by the job. However, it is common in some professions, such as law, to pay independent contractors hourly.
Extent to Which the Worker Can Realize a Profit or Incur a Loss
An independent contractor can make a profit or loss.
Types of Relationship
Facts that show the parties' type of relationship include:
- Written contracts describing the relationship the parties intended to create.
- Whether the business provides the worker with employee-type benefits, such as insurance, a pension plan, vacation pay, or sick pay.
- The permanency of the relationship. Engaging a worker with the expectation that the relationship will continue indefinitely, rather than for a specific project or period, is generally considered evidence that your intent is to create an employer-employee relationship.
- The extent to which services performed by the worker are a key aspect of the regular business of the business of the company. If a worker provides services that are a key aspect of your regular business activity, it is more likely that you will have the right to direct and control his or her activities. For example, if a law firm hires an attorney, it is likely that it will present the attorney's work as its own and will have the right to control or direct that work. This indicates an employer-employee relationship.
For Internal Revenue Service help or federal tax information, contact the IRS at 800-829-1040. If you want the IRS to determine whether a worker is an employee, file Form SS-8, Determination of Employee Work Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding, with the IRS.
Example 1
Paul Pick, a barber, signed a lease agreement with Larry Lord, the owner of a barber shop, to use a chair in Larry's shop. Larry bears all the shop expenses, including rent, utilities, advertising, linens, and other supplies.
The agreement provides that 70 percent of the receipts from Paul's chair go to him and 30 percent go to Larry. All receipts are put in Larry's cash register. At the end of the week, he pays Paul the agreed percentage of the receipts.
Shop hours are displayed on the shop door. Paul is expected to comply with them. He must take customers in turn, maintain clean premises, use clean towels and sterile equipment, and keep a clean personal appearance. Although Larry does not supervise Paul, Larry can dismiss him for acting in a manner that would cause the loss of patrons, or for any other reason.
Larry does not direct or control Paul in the actual performance of his services, but he has the right to do so and to discharge him. Larry's income depends on a percentage of Paul's receipts. Thus, Larry retains the right to direct and control Paul to protect his investment and to be assured a sufficient profit from the shop. Paul has no investment in the shop, assumes no liability for its operation, and furnishes nothing except his personal services. Paul is an employee of Larry.
Example 2
Cosmetology Salons, Inc., leases space for beauty shops in department stores. Each department store pays the wages of the salon manager and operators on the basis of payrolls prepared by the manager. The department stores receive a fixed percentage of salon receipts as rent. Although a department store can request removing an operator or manager from a particular store, Cosmetology Salons, Inc., controls the hiring, training, transfer, and dismissal of all cosmetology salon personnel. The managers and operators employed in the shop are employees of Cosmetology Salons, Inc.
Example 3
Charlie Blue, the owner of a barber shop, and Sally Gold have an agreement under which Sally, a professional manicurist, furnishes manicuring services to shop patrons during business hours.
According to the agreement, Sally regulates her own hours, furnishes her own equipment and supplies, and keeps the proceeds from her work. She does not use the shop cash register nor does she report her earnings to Charlie. She does not have to perform her services personally but can hire a substitute. Charlie cannot direct the way she performs her services. Either party to the agreement can end the arrangement at any time.
Although Charlie has the right to dismiss her by ending the agreement, and although he furnishes her a place to work, he does not have the right to exercise over her work the degree of direction and control necessary to establish an employer-employee relationship. Therefore, Sally is self employed.
If You Are an Employee...
Your employer will withhold income taxes, withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, and pay federal and state unemployment taxes on wages paid to you. This is true on commission, tips, and salary income and if you are a family member of the employer. The employer will also collect and remit sales tax from the services you perform.
If You Are an Independent Contractor (Self Employed)...
If you are self-employed, you are responsible for making estimate payments of state and federal income taxes, and paying Social Security and Medicare taxes. Independent contractors must have a sales tax permit and also collect Iowa sales tax on sales of tangible personal property and taxable services.
If You Are an Employer...
If you have employees, you need to be registered with the IRS and with Iowa as a withholding agent.
First register with the Internal Revenue Service to obtain a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN). There is no fee for registering.
Then register online with Iowa -- Iowa Business Tax Registration. There is no fee for registering. Please allow four to six weeks to process your application.
Basic Returns and Schedules to be Filed:
1. 1040 / IA 1040. Used for filing individual income tax.
- 1040ES. Used for remitting federal estimated income tax, Social Security, and Medicare. It is mailed to IRS with the taxes due on a quarterly basis.
- IA 1040ES. Used for remitting Iowa estimated income tax. It is mailed to the Iowa Department of Revenue, with the tax due on a quarterly basis.
- Schedule SE. Used for figuring Self Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare). It is attached to and filed with your federal 1040.
- Schedule C. Used to report your profit or loss from self employment. It is attached to and filed with your federal 1040 and your Iowa IA 1040. (This schedule is used to report the profit or loss for sole proprietors only. Partnerships and corporations must file different schedules.)
2. 1120 / IA1120. Used for filing corporate income tax.
- 1120ES. Used for remitting federal estimated corporate income tax.
- IA 1120ES. Used for remitting Iowa estimated corporate income tax.
3. 1065 / IA 1065. Used for filing partnership or limited liability company income tax.
- 1065. Used for remitting federal partnership or limited liability company income tax.
- IA 1065. Used for remitting Iowa partnership or limited liability company income tax.
4. Iowa sales tax return.
Businesses that are registered to collect Iowa sales or retailer's use tax are using eFile & Pay to electronically file their return information. Payment of the tax due may also be made electronically through eFile & Pay, although payment by paper check with a payment voucher is an option for most taxpayers. eFile & Pay is available online and by touchtone telephone. Paper forms are not mailed.
5. Iowa withholding return if you are an employer.
Electronic filing and payment of Iowa withholding is through eFile & Pay, either online or by touchtone telephone. Both are safe, secure systems. Paper deposits and returns are not provided. However, you will receive paper vouchers to use if you choose to pay with check or money order, unless you are required to pay electronically.
Reporting Income From Tips
All tips are taxable income and subject to income tax. This includes tips received directly by you, through charge cards, and through tip splitting arrangements. If you are an employee and in any month your tips total $20 or more, those tips are subject to the withholding of federal and state income tax, Social Security tax, and Medicare tax by your employer. Consequently, you must report those tips to your employer by the 10th of the next month. If you are self-employed, then any tips are a part of your gross receipts that you report on your federal Schedule C. For further information on tips, call the Internal Revenue Service at 800-829-3676 and ask for Publication 531, "Reporting Income From Tips."
What is Subject to Iowa Sales Tax?
Barber and beautician services are subject to Iowa sales tax and to local option sales tax if the service occurs in a local option jurisdiction.
You must register for a sales tax permit and remit the tax on your sales of tangible personal property and services. Tax is collected on the sales price charged to the customer. The amount of tax collected must be remitted to the state on the sales tax return. No deduction can be taken on the sales tax return for expenses.
A sales tax permit does not automatically give the permit holder absolute exemption from sales tax on purchases. Supplies may be purchased exempt from tax if they are for resale; the permit holder completes an exemption certificate to give to the supplier.
Oftentimes a business will remove items from inventory for its own use, not to resell to a customer. If the inventory was purchased tax free, the business owes sales tax on what it uses in the course of business. The sales tax is reported on the "goods consumed" line on the sales tax return.
For example, the business must pay sales tax on the shampoo used while shampooing and styling a customer's hair. Shampoo that is sold by the bottle to a customer is purchased tax free from a supplier by the business. The business charges the customer sales tax on the selling price.
Following are items that are taxable...
when used in the performance of barber and cosmetology services and when used to maintain the business. This list is not intended to be complete. Questions about the taxability of an item should be directed to Taxpayer Services or call 515-281-3114 or 800-367-3388.
Artificial hair
Artificial nails
Blow dryers
Cotton balls
Curl activator
Curl papers
Curling irons
Cuticle remover
Emery boards
Eye pencils
Face cream
Face moisturizers
Hair clips
Hair colorings
|Hair dryers
Hair dyes
Hair clips
Hair grease
Hair moisturizers
Hair tints
Hand lotion
Heated ovens
Hot combs
Hot curling irons
Hot oil treatments
Nail clippers
Nail files
Nail glue
Nail polish
Nail polish remover
Nail scissors
Paper towels
Plastic caps
Plastic gloves
Permanent solutions
Pressing combs
Cleaning Supplies
Local Option Sales Tax
Most communities have a local option sales tax in addition to the state sales tax. The tax is not statewide and the local option tax only applies in those jurisdictions that have imposed it.
Local option sales tax applies to the same goods and services that are subject to sales tax. Products, services, or organizations that are exempt from sales tax are usually exempt from local option tax.
The local option tax should be collected if the product is delivered or the service is performed in a local option tax jurisdiction. The same services or supplies that a barber or hairdresser provides that are subject to sales tax are also subject to local option sales tax if the service or product is performed or delivered in a local option tax jurisdiction.
There is no special application or permit number for local option tax. It is paid with any sales tax that is due on the quarterly sales tax return. Monthly sales tax filers should accrue or save the local option tax they have collected through the quarter and pay the tax at the end of the quarter.
Consumer's Use Tax
Barber and beauty shop operators are responsible for consumer's use tax on items not purchased for resale. These items are usually purchased outside of the state for use in Iowa and tax has not already been paid.
You must register for consumer's use tax and remit the tax on the purchase price of tangible personal property and taxable services. This tax is imposed after the sale takes place and only on items on which sales tax has not been paid. You may register for this permit at Department Site.
Taxable supplies generally include capital or business assets that are used in the course of the barber's or cosmetologist's business that are not resold. Magazine subscriptions, professional journals or publications, office stationery, furniture, barber chairs, combs, brushes, hair dryers, and other barber shop and hair salon equipment are all examples of capital assets that are taxable to the hairdresser or barber as they would be the final consumer or end user of those items.
EXCERPTS from the Rules and Regulations of the Iowa Department of Revenue.
Resale Items Treatment
RULE 701-18.31 (422,423). Tangible personal property purchased by one who is engaged in the performance of a service.
RULE 701-18.31(1). In general, effective July 1, 1990.
On and after July 1, 1990, tangible personal property purchased by one who is engaged in the performance of a service is purchased for resale and not subject to tax if: (1) the provider and user of the service intend that a sale of the property will occur, and (2) the property is transferred to the user of the service in connection with the performance of the service in a form or quantity capable of a fixed or definite price values, and (3) the sale is evidenced by a separate charge for the identifiable piece or quantity of property.
Tangible personal property which is not sold in the manner set forth is not purchased for resale and thus is subject to tax at the time of purchase by one engaged in the performance of a service. Such tangible personal property is considered to be consumed by the purchaser who is engaged in the performance of a service and the person performing the service shall pay tax upon the sale at the time of purchase.
Iowa Sales Tax
RULE 701-26.9(422) Barber and Beauty. Persons engaged in the business of hair cutting, hair styling, hair coloring, wig care, manicuring, pedicuring, applying facial and skin preparations, and all like activities which tend to enhance the appearance of the individual are rendering a taxable service. Each "barber, beauty or other beautification shop or establishment" shall receive only one permit and remit tax as one enterprise, when operated under a common management.
When an operator leases space and is an independent operator, the lessee shall notify the Department and secure a sales tax permit whereby the lessee will be responsible directly for the sales tax due. In order to be considered independent, the lessee must also be independent from the lessor for the purposes of withholding of income tax, unemployment compensation, and Social Security taxes.
The lessor who has leased a part of the premises shall report to the Department the names and addresses of all lessees. If the lessor is accounting for the lessee's sales, the lessor shall, after the name of each lessee, show the amount of the net taxable sales made by the lessee on each report to the Department, and which net taxable sales are included in the lessor's return.


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It's coming, I cannot stop it. Today, the New York Road Runners released the registration information. I am bib number 8167 adn I start in the first wave at 9:50am. It's the Bule Wave, Corral D. This is also the start wave of the professional runners so I am hoping to spot a couple pros, get some pics.
For those interested in tracking me or any another runner, here is the link to get information on how to do that:
I will update you more as we get closer on gear and whatnot.
I am holding out not looking at the weather, as it's obviously too far out, but I'm hoping for sunny and 70 degrees. Is that asking for too much?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
27,342,194 results match your criteria Journal of Hand Surgery[Journal]
J Educ Eval Health Prof 2018 12;15:28. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Cardiology, Catharina Hospital, and Department of Educational Development and Research, and Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
Purpose: It is assumed that case-based questions require higher order cognitive processing, whereas questions that are not case-based require lower order cognitive processing. In this study, we investigated to what extent case-based questions and questions that are not case-based, relate to Bloom's taxonomy.
Methods: In this article, 4800 questions of the Progress Test were classified whether it was a case-based question and the level of Bloom's taxonomy. Read More
J Vet Sci 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.
Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
Platelet activation plays a major role in hemostasis and thrombosis. Various agonists including ADP and thrombin interact with GPCRs which transduce signals from the cell surface to intracellular effectors through various G proteins. Recent studies have elucidated the role of these receptors and their corresponding G proteins in the regulation of events involved in platelet activation. Read More
J Vet Sci 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.
Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea.
A total of 123 strains detected in cattle from a nationwide survey in Korea were classified into the genomic groups I (0.8%), II (13.8%), III (11. Read More
J Vet Sci 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Anthrax Reference Institute of Italy, Foggia 71121, Italy.
Anthrax, caused by , is a non-contagious infectious disease that affects a wide range of animal species (primarily ruminants), as well as humans. Due to the often fatal outcome in human cases, the quick administration of definitely effective antimicrobials is crucial either as prophylaxis or for the therapy of clinical cases. In this study, a total of 110 strains, temporally, geographically and genetically different, isolated during anthrax outbreaks in Italy from 1984 to 2017, were screened for their susceptibility towards 16 clinically relevant antimicrobial agents using the broth microdilution method. Read More
J Vet Sci 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.
Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05030, Korea.
Genome-wide association study (GWAS) is a powerful tool for identifying the genetic causes of various diseases. This study conducted to identify genomic variation in Maltese dog genomes associated with degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) development and evaluate the association of each biological condition with DMVD in Maltese dogs. DNA was extracted from blood samples obtained from 48 Maltese dogs (32 with DMVD and 16 controls). Read More
J Vet Sci 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.
Institute of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Korea.
White blood cells (WBCs) and storage period are the main factors of transfusion reactions. In the present study, cytokine/chemokine concentrations after leukoreduction (LR) and irradiation (IR) in stored canine whole blood were measured. Red blood cell (RBC) storage lesion caused by IR and LR were also compared. Read More
Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Galilee Medical Center, Nahariya, Israel.
Objective: Frozen section examination is a rapid method for identifying products of conception in endometrial curetting, yet its accuracy is inconclusive. The purposes of this study is to determine the accuracy of frozen section analysis of endometrial curetting in pregnancies of unknown location, and to verify the relation of β-human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) level and endometrial thickness to the assessed accuracy.
Methods: We reviewed data from January 2009 to December 2014 of diagnostic curettages from women with suspected ectopic pregnancies sent for frozen section examination at a medical center. Read More
Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Group of Research in Nutrition and Chronic Diseases, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
Objective: To assess the association between dietary glycemic index (GI) and excess weight in pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Methods: A cross-sectional study in a sample of 217 pregnant women was conducted at the maternal-fetal outpatient clinic of the Hospital Geral de Fortaleza, Fortaleza, state of Ceará, Brazil, for routine ultrasound examinations in the period between 11 and 13 weeks + 6 days of gestation. Weight and height were measured and the gestational body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Read More
Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Radiology and Oncology, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Objective: To promote informed choice for women and to compare home and hospital births in relation to the Apgar score.
Methods: Mother's profile and Apgar score of naturally born infants (without forceps assistance) in Brazil between 2011 and 2015, in both settings-hospital or home-were collected from live birth records provided by the Informatics Department of the Unified Health System (DATASUS, in the Portuguese acronym). For the analysis, were included only data from low-risk deliveries, including gestational time between 37 and 41 weeks, singleton pregnancy, at least four visits of prenatal care, infants weighing between 2,500 g, and 4,000 g, mother age between 20-40 years old, and absence of congenital anomalies. Read More
Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Universidade Positivo, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) are rare and usually asymptomatic; ∼ 90% of them are unilateral. Once diagnosed during pregnancy, they may rupture, presenting a high maternal-fetal risk. The present study reports the case of a 32-year-old pregnant woman with a 30-week gestational age and a ruptured unilateral RAA. Read More
Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Medical School, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia.
Lithopedion ( = rock and = child) is a rare condition that only occurs in 1.5 to 1.8% of extrauterine pregnancies and in 0. Read More
Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Section of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Müllerian adenosarcoma is a very rare gynecological disease, comprising 5% of uterine sarcomas. Extragenital localizations are even rarer. We report a very interesting case of a 27-year-old woman complaining of pelvic pain, with a subsequent diagnosis of extragenital Müllerian adenosarcoma. Read More
Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2018 Oct 12;46(5):351-352. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2018 Oct 12;46(5):337-345. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Canine osteoarthritis is a very common disease and the main cause for chronic pain in dogs. Progressive degeneration of joint cartilage, periarticular soft tissues and subchondral bone consecutively lead to osteophytes, inflammation and pain. It is an irreversible process. Read More
Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2018 Oct 12;46(5):330-336. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Magnetic resonance imaging revealed spinal cord compression due to intervertebral disc herniation of Hansen type I and II in the thoracolumbar vertebral column in two middle-aged coatis () with chronic progressive paraparesis. Surgical treatment included hemilaminectomy and partial corpectomy in one and dorsal laminectomy in the other coati. Both coatis recovered well after surgery. Read More
Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2018 Oct 12;46(5):323-329. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
A 2-year-old male neutered mixed breed dog with a body weight of 30 kg was presented for evaluation of a soft subcutaneous mass on the dorsal midline at the level of the caudal thoracic spine. A further clinical sign was intermittent pain on palpation of the area of the subcutaneous mass. The owner also described a prolonged phase of urination with repeated interruption and re-initiation of voiding. Read More
Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2018 Oct 12;46(5):315-322. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Canine leishmaniasis is an emerging infection with increasing importance because the main vector also exists in Germany and autochthonous infections have been described. In this article we present the latest information available regarding therapy and prevention of this disease. Allopurinol-resistant strains were isolated from dogs which experienced recurrent disease while being treated with allopurinol, highlighting the need for alternative treatment options. Read More
Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2018 Oct 12;46(5):309-314. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Cobalamin is a member of the B-group of vitamins and a cofactor for metabolic processes like nucleic acid synthesis, amino acid synthesis, and the citric acid cycle. Mammals are unable to synthesize cobalamin and therefore rely on adequate food intake. Cobalamin absorption is a complex process in the stomach, duodenum, and ileum, requiring a functional exocrine pancreas. Read More
Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2018 Oct 12;46(5):304-308. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Objective: Tortoise picornavirus (ToPV) has been speculated to play an important role in the frequently seen disease pattern of juvenile shell softening. This study aimed to determine ToPV prevalence among German tortoise collections.
Material And Methods: A total of 334 animals selected from 27 different collections were included. Read More
Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2018 Oct 12;46(5):297-302. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Objective: Edible insects (like mealworms, locusts and crickets) contain energy, protein, fatty acids, minerals and trace elements and have been found to be high quality food sources. They could provide a new food source for patients with adverse food reactions, as well as being of ecological and ethical interest. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a new commercially available, insect protein-based diet on the clinical signs in those dogs via Canine Atopic Dermatitis Lesion Index (CADLI), Pruritus Visual Analogue Scale (PVAS) and coat quality score. Read More
Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2018 Oct 12;46(5):289-295. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Objective: Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the most common malignant tumour of the canine urinary tract. Previously, the mutation of the BRAF gene V595E was identified in approximately 85 % of canine TCC cases by DNA sequencing of TCC tumour cells, both in frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue sections, as well as in urine. The objective of this study was to establish these methods in cytological smears and to investigate the prevalence of BRAF mutation V595E in canine TCC in our cohort of patients. Read More
Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Internal Medicine 1, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, Izumo, Japan.
Objective: Sarcopenia has been recognized as a diabetic complication, and hyperuricemia is often accompanied by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, it is unknown whether serum uric acid (UA) levels are associated with reduced muscle mass in T2DM.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the association of serum UA with muscle mass in 401 subjects with T2DM (209 men and 192 postmenopausal women). Read More
Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018 11 12;66(8):607. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Universitaetsmedizin Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Neuropediatrics 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Medical Genetics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) is a rare inherited neuromuscular disorder associated with mutations in the gene on the Xq28 region. We report a severely affected girl with XLMTM, caused by maternally inherited 661 kb Xq28 microduplication identified by chromosomal microarray analysis and confirmed also on DNA from muscle biopsy with a custom-designed X-chromosome-specific microarray. X-inactivation analysis revealed a skewed inactivation pattern on the proband's muscle biopsy. Read More
Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Praxis Dr. Wietfeld, Fachärztin für Neurologie, Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie.
Consideration of quality of life has developed into an important concept of a patient-oriented medicine in the last 50 years. With it, it should be possible to capture the subjective experience of the patients and describe its different dimensions. Today, the quality of life as a patient-reported endpoint is also an integral part of the early benefit assessment under the German Drug Market Reorganization Act. Read More
Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik im Evangelischen Krankenhaus Castrop-Rauxel, Castrop-Rauxel, Akademisches Lehrkrankenhaus der Universität Duisburg-Essen.
Different to spirituality, the placebo-effect is well operationalized. Against this background, an attempt is made to look at a possible phenomenological relationship between the therapeutic effectiveness of spirituality and placebo. Similar context influences as well as the possible common use of a phylogenetically well conserved protective route via the mesolimbic dopaminergic reward system are highlighted. Read More
Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Zentrum für Psychiatrie Südwürttemberg, Abteilung Psychosomatische Medizin Ravensburg.
Background: The effectiveness of the inpatient psychosomatic treatment has been documented in various settings. The question of the sustainability of the improvement achieved as well as the prognostic factors is of interest for public health.
Objective: Primary outcome variables reflect the stability or change in the clinical status of patients one year after the discharge from the inpatient psychosomatic treatment. Read More
Pneumologie 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Abteilung Pneumologie.
Psychiatr Prax 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus Berlin.
Background: The aim of this study was to assess asylum seekers' views on their legal situations, asylum procedures and living conditions, and the relationship of these factors towards psychological stress.
Methods: 650 asylum seekers in Berlin received a questionnaire.
Results: 76,3 % (N = 496) completed the questionnaires in full. Read More
Psychiatr Prax 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Fachbereich Sozialwesen, Hochschule Niederrhein, University of Applied Sciences, Mönchengladbach.
Objective: This study explores the conditions for the stakeholders' cooperation in an integrative care model for people with psychosocial problems.
Methods: Expert interviews on various community mental health care providers were led and content analyzed.
Results: Joint objectives and conceptually comparable financing models were found to be essential for cooperation across mental health and social integration services. Read More
Psychiatr Prax 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
LVR-Klinikum Düsseldorf, Kliniken der Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Medizinische Fakultät Düsseldorf.
Alcohol dependent patients represent a high-risk group for vitamin deficiency, which could lead to variable cognitive dysfunctions and, as an extreme example, to an amnestic-confabulatory syndrome. In this case report, we report about an alcohol dependent 58-year-old patient without focal neurological symptoms with an amnestic-confabulatory syndrome. After substitution of thiamine, vitamin B12 and folic acid, cognitive symptoms completely vanish within a 22-month period of observation. Read More
Aktuelle Urol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Urology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg.
Flexible ureteroscopy (fURS) has become a success story in urology. Since its implementation into the treatment of urolithiasis, fURS has demonstrated excellent clinical performance and safety. In recent years, the spread of disposable ureteroscopes has shaped the field of endoscopic stone treatment. Read More
Endoscopy 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Division of Gastroenterology, HSK Hospital, Wiesbaden, Germany.
Background: Characterization of colonic lesions in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains challenging. We developed an endoscopic classification of visual characteristics to identify colitis-associated neoplasia using multimodal advanced endoscopic imaging (Frankfurt Advanced Chromoendoscopic IBD LEsions [FACILE] classification).
Methods: The study was conducted in three phases: 1) development - an expert panel defined endoscopic signs and predictors of dysplasia in IBD and, using multivariable logistic regression created the FACILE classification; 2) validation - using 60 IBD lesions from an image library, two assessments of diagnostic accuracy for neoplasia were performed and interobserver agreement between experts using FACILE was determined; 3) reproducibility - the reproducibility of the FACILE classification was tested in gastroenterologists, trainees, and junior doctors after completion of a training module. Read More
Appl Clin Inform 2018 Oct 12;9(4):884-891. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
The Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
Background: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has outlined the benefits of health information exchange in emergency medical services (EMSs) according to the model-, , , -developed in collaboration with the California Emergency Medical Services Authority.
Objective: This scoping review aims to identify and characterize progress toward the adoption of prehospital health information exchange, as reported in the peer-reviewed literature.
Methods: A structured review of literature in MEDLINE-indexed journals was conducted using the "Electronic Health Records" topic-specific query, the "Emergency Medical Services" Medical Subject Headings descriptor, and a prehospital identifier. Read More
Appl Clin Inform 2018 Oct 12;9(4):875-883. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Background: Patient portals are expanding as a means to engage patients and have evidence for benefit in the outpatient setting. However, few studies have evaluated their use in the inpatient setting, or with vulnerable patient populations.
Objective: This article assesses an intervention to teach hospitalized vulnerable patients to access their discharge summaries using electronic patient portals. Read More
QJM 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Clinical Sciences Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Galway City, Ireland.
Background: Burden of disease (BoD) using disability-adjusted life years (DALY) is a useful summary measure of population health and estimates are provided for Ireland annually. We hypothesised that BoD may be used as a predictor of frailty prevalence.
Aim: To examine the correlation between frailty measured by the accumulation of deficits (frailty index, FI) and Fried Frailty Phenotype (FFP) classifications and BoD, in an Irish context. Read More
QJM 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, Department of Neurology, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India.
Nucleic Acids Res 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Molecular Biology Division, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, 82151 Martinsried, Germany.
Transcription regulators select their genomic binding sites from a large pool of similar, non-functional sequences. Although general principles that allow such discrimination are known, the complexity of DNA elements often precludes a prediction of functional sites. The process of dosage compensation in Drosophila allows exploring the rules underlying binding site selectivity. Read More
Nucleic Acids Res 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase is a key factor activated by DNA damage and replication stress. An alternative pathway for ATR activation has been proposed to occur via stalled RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). However, how RNAPII might signal to activate ATR remains unknown. Read More
ILAR J 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Translational Medicine and The Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
For more than a century, transplantation of tissues and organs from animals into man, xenotransplantation, has been viewed as a potential way to treat disease. Ironically, interest in xenotransplantation was fueled especially by successful application of allotransplantation, that is, transplantation of human tissue and organs, as a treatment for a variety of diseases, especially organ failure because scarcity of human tissues limited allotransplantation to a fraction of those who could benefit. In principle, use of animals such as pigs as a source of transplants would allow transplantation to exert a vastly greater impact than allotransplantation on medicine and public health. Read More
ILAR J 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Population Health, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, Georgia.
Zoonoses, diseases transmitted between animals and humans, have been a concern in laboratory animal medicine for decades. Exposure to zoonotic organisms not only poses health risks to personnel and research animals but may also affect research integrity. Early laboratory animal programs were ineffective at excluding and preventing transmission of zoonotic diseases: the health status of the animals were often unknown, endemic diseases occurred frequently, housing conditions were less controlled, and veterinary care programs were decentralized. Read More
J Crohns Colitis 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Radiology, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway.
Background: Crohns disease (CD) is a chronic inflammation in the gut that often progresses to fibrosis. Magnetic Resonance Enterography (MRE) is an important diagnostic tool in evaluating CD. We aimed to assess the prevalence of inflammation and stricturing disease in patients with long-term CD and investigate associations with clinical factors. Read More
Endocr Rev 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA.
Pancreatic islet transplantation has become an established approach to β-cell replacement therapy for the treatment of insulin deficient diabetes. Recent progress in techniques for islet isolation, islet culture, and peri-transplant management of the islet transplant recipient have resulted in substantial improvements in metabolic and safety outcomes for patients. For patients requiring total or sub-total pancreatectomy for benign disease of the pancreas, isolation of islets from the diseased pancreas with intrahepatic transplantation of autologous islets can prevent or ameliorate post-surgical diabetes, and for patients previously experiencing painful recurrent acute or chronic pancreatitis, quality-of-life is substantially improved. Read More
Neurosurgery 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Neurological Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
Background: Few studies have assessed the prognostic importance of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan findings in patients undergoing en bloc resection of sacral chordomas.
Objective: To (1) report in-depth imaging characteristics of sacral chordomas, (2) describe the patterns of local and distant recurrence, and (3) determine imaging predictors of overall survival (OS) and local recurrence (LR).
Methods: This retrospective case series was obtained from a prospectively maintained spine database from 1995 to 2016. Read More
Sleep 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
Sleep abnormalities are common among children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The human chr16p11.2 microdeletion is associated with a range of neurological and neurobehavioral abnormalities. Read More
Neurosurgery 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California.
Background: Given recent differing findings following 2 randomized clinical trials on degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) surgery, there is a need to better define how subsets of patients fare following surgery.
Objective: To investigate the impact of obesity on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following DLS surgery.
Methods: A total of 12 high-enrolling sites were queried, and we found 797 patients undergoing surgery for grade 1 DLS. Read More
J Infect Dis 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Background: Differential transmission from HIV-infected compared to HIV-uninfected individuals may impact influenza burden. We estimated the household secondary infection risk (SIR) and serial interval (SI) for influenza transmission from HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected index cases and identified associated factors.
Methods: Index cases were the first symptomatic person in a household with influenza-like illness, testing influenza positive on real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). Read More
Nephrol Dial Transplant 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.
Nephrology, IIS-Fundacion Jimenez Diaz-Universidad Autonoma de Madrid and Fundacion Renal Iñigo Alvarez de Toledo-IRSIN, Madrid, Spain.
Background: Mutations in Melanoma Antigen-encoding Gene D2 (MAGED2) promote tubular dysfunction, suggesting that MAGE proteins may play a role in kidney pathophysiology. We have characterized the expression and regulation of MAGE genes in normal kidneys and during kidney disease.
Methods: The expression of MAGE genes and their encoded proteins was explored by systems biology multi-omics (kidney transcriptomics and proteomics) in healthy adult murine kidneys and following induction of experimental acute kidney injury (AKI) by a folic acid overdose. Read More
Neurosurgery 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Rheumatology (Oxford) 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.
Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan.
Objectives: Based on the antibody profiles of inflammatory myositis patients, we investigated the type 1 IFN (T1-IFN) signature in serum and DM skin to determine the relationship between T1-IFN and vasculopathy in anti-melanoma differentiation-associated 5 gene (MDA5) antibody-positive DM patients.
Methods: We examined 47 patients with new-onset inflammatory myositis. We divided them into three groups: the anti-MDA5 antibody-positive patients (MDA5 group, n = 16), the anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase antibody-positive patients (aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase group, n = 12), and the double-negative patients (n = 19). Read More


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Central High School, Little Rock Arkansas, 1957 – Racist Mob Rallies for White Supremacy and Segregation
Refusefascism.org | March 10, 2017
Betsy DeVos, Trump's Secretary of Education is a staunch, longtime advocate of Christian fundamentalist, anti-scientific education. Jeff Sessions, the white supremacist Attorney General of the Trump administration promotes "state's rights" that protects fascists like these Arkansas legislators. Zinn is best known for his book "A People's History of the United States". As Raymond Lotta wrote after Zinn's death in 2010, that book has "opened the eyes of countless readers to the realities of American's founding in genocide and slavery and America's arc of brutal expansion. It has opened the eyes of countless readers to the resistance of the exploited and dominated".
Deborah Menkart, Co-Director of the Zinn Education Project, told an interviewer that "I think there's a struggle in this country right now for the right of people to think clearly about what's going on in the world and make their own decisions. Attempts to demonize the media, attempts to demonize facts. So, I think the people's history that Zinn writes about allows people to see themselves in history and to realize that history is a series of choices, and it has questions about power, about who benefits and who loses from certain choices that are made in history. That is very threatening to those that want to maintain the status quo, that would like to convey the idea that all we have to do is make America great again. If people are understanding and reading that history, they would ask exactly what period are you talking about and who was it great for? Those are the kind of critical questions that are generated once people read Howard Zinn's "People's History" and other books that include the grassroots history of the United States."


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First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo yesterday launched the Floating Production and Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessel, John Agyekum Kufuor, at the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore.
The vessel, named after former President John Agyekum Kufuor, will operate in the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) oilfields in the Western Region.
It is the largest of the three FPSOs in Ghana and the first that has been equipped to convert both gas and oil on the same platform, a statement signed by Frank Agyekum, Spokesperson for the former president, has indicated.
Mrs. Akufo-Addo, who was the special guest of honour, commended Mr John Agyekum Kufuor for his foresight in restructuring the oil sector during his administration, which led to the discovery of oil in commercial quantities – for the first time in Ghana – about 10 years ago.
She noted that naming the vessel after former President Kufuor was well-deserved, as it showed the appreciation of Ghanaians for his good deeds which transformed Ghana from a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) to a lower middle income-earning country in a record time of about six years.
President Kufuor expressed his appreciation to Ghanaians for the honour done him and praised the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, led by President Mahama, for proposing to name the vessel after him.
He also commended the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, led by President Nana Akufo-Addo, for carrying the proposal through.
President Kufuor traced oil exploration in Ghana from the 1890s through various governments till 2007 when the first commercially viable quantity of crude was found under his administration; but lamented the fact that Ghanaians have not as yet fully realized the benefits of the find.
"Although Ghana is now counted among the oil-producing countries in the world, our country is yet to become the 'land of milk and honey' that many pray for.
"We still grapple with a lot of economic and social difficulties in our bid to make our oil find a 'blessing and not a curse,'" former President Kufuor said, and hoped that with efficient management, the FPSO, with capacity to process 58,000 barrels of oil and 98 million standard cubic feet of gas a day, will help to turn things around for the country.
He expressed optimism that the new government under President Akufo-Addo "will expand the enabling atmosphere with best practices and policies for the concept of Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) to be realized to achieve the social and economic transformation for all citizens of our nation in the shortest possible time."
FPSO John Agyekum Kufuor, expected to sail into Ghanaian waters by April 2017, is operated by ENI Petroleum, Ghana Limited; Vitol Upstream Ghana Limited and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
-Daily Guide


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To access the MyChart service provided by the Christ Hospital, visit your physician, ask for an activation code to log in to the Christ Hospital website, and create a new user ID and password. You can also sign up for the service during an office visit if arranged beforehand.
Although the MyChart service is not intended for urgent medical matters, patients can use it to schedule appointments with their physicians, request prescription refills and review their medical information by perusing their MyChart electronic health records. Patients can access the service through the Christ Hospital website or by using the MyChart mobile app on their smartphones and tablets.
The MyChart service is free, and it allows patients to see their test results online after their physicians review them, which typically takes up to 14 days. The downside is that patients cannot access the test results that the health care provider deems sensitive. Another downside is that the electronic health records do not always reflect accurate information. In such cases, patients can contact their physicians and ask them to rectify the inaccuracies. The system alleviates this problem by updating the electronic health records of patients after each visit.
Family members of a patient can access his electronic health record by using the proxy functionality of the MyChart service after submitting a proxy consent form to one of the Christ Hospital medical facilities.


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A national programme of volunteer engagement training 2017-18
Volunteer Makers, with funding support from Arts Council England, is running a national programme of training in volunteer engagement for accredited museums in England.
The programme will support museums in developing an organisation-wide approach to volunteering that grows volunteering in areas beyond traditional operational volunteer roles and with a more diverse volunteer workforce .
We are running a series of seminars and workshops throughout the programme and will include details of these here, along with information for delegates and participating organisations.
Training Workshops
As part of the national volunteer engagement training programme we are running a series of workshops helping museums to develop a blended approach to volunteering using free digital tools provided by Volunteer Makers.
We are looking for 30 accredited museums in England to work with, delivering a free one-day Volunteer Makers workshop.
You can get further information on the workshop programme and apply to take part here.
VM_Workshop Pioneer PartnerApplication June 2017
Volunteer Makers Seminar Presentation – Aim conference 2017
Volunteer Makers Seminar Presentation Slides_Notes
Upcoming events
'Learning from Volunteer Makers National Programme 2016 to 2018'
A free fringe event at the Museums Association Conference.


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Publication Details
Title:Surficial-geologic map, Delta Junction to Dot Lake, Alaska Highway corridor
Authors:Reger, R.D., Stevens, D.S.P., and Solie, D.N.
Publication Date:Dec 2008
Publisher:Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
Total Price:$31.00
Ordering Info:Download below or please see our publication sales page for more information.
Quadrangle(s):Big Delta; Mount Hayes
Bibliographic Reference
Reger, R.D., Stevens, D.S.P., and Solie, D.N., 2008, Surficial-geologic map, Delta Junction to Dot Lake, Alaska Highway corridor: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Preliminary Interpretive Report 2008-3A, 48 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:63,360. http://doi.org/10.14509/17961
Publication Products
Report Information
- pir2008_003a.pdf (3.0 M)
Maps & Other Oversized Sheets
Digital Geospatial Data
AK Highway corridor, Delta Junction: Surficial geology Data File Format File Size Info Download akhwy-corr-d2d-surficial Shapefile 2.0 M Metadata - Read me
Age Dates; Alaska Highway Corridor; Alluvial Deposits; Alluvial Fan; Alluvium; Big Delta; C14; Cenozoic; Coastal and River; Coastal and River Hazards; Colluvial Deposits; Colluvium; Delta Junction; Delta River; Depositional Environment; Dot Lake; Dunes; Earthquake; Eolian; Erosion; Erratics; Esker; Faults; Flood; Floodplain; Gasline; Geologic Hazards; Geologic Map; Geologic Materials; Geology; Geomorphology; Glacial Deposits; Glacial Drift; Glacial Geology; Glacial Lake; Glacial Processes; Glacier Hazards; Glacier Outburst Flood; Glaciers; Gravel; Holocene; Ice Contact Deposits; Jokulhlaup; Lake George; Lake Level; Landslide; Measured Sections; Outwash; Paleoenvironment; Paleosols; Paludal; Peat; Permafrost; Pleistocene; Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline; Quaternary; Radiocarbon Dating; Rock Glaciers; Sand; Slope Instability; Soils; Surficial; Surficial Geologic Map; Surficial Geology; Talus; Tanana River; Terrace; Tertiary; Thaw Lakes; Transportation Corridor; Unconsolidated Deposits; Volcanoes; Water Table


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Branstad to speak at tri-state conference
Branstad to speak at tri-state conference
Gov. Terry Branstad will join the governors of Nebraska and South Dakota for a meeting of the Tri-State Governor's Conference.
Branstad will address the lunchtime conference Wednesday in Dakota Dunes, S.D.
Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman and South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard also will speak at the event.
This is the 13th gathering of the governors of the neighboring states.
Topics on the agenda for the meeting, which is being held at a country club, include a health care discussion.
Branstad will be back in Iowa for an event Wednesday evening.


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Choice of materials in this kitchen are second to none – vibrant Teal cabinetry, new to Freedom Kitchens, has been paired with Alabaster Satin for a fresh take on Scandi style and benchtops in Caesarstone Raw Concrete complete the look.
In terms of layout, this is a carefully considered kitchen space which incorporates the traditional work triangle where the cooktop, sink and refrigerator and well positioned for optimal flow. Deep glass sided drawers plus pull out pantries either side of the ovens offer fantastic storage. Add to this the array of Inalto appliances, from the Gas Cooktop to Multi-function Oven, plus Hafele Bluetooth Sound System, and this is a kitchen that is functional and stunning in its simplicity.
Café inspired, Leanne & Dane's kitchen is bang on trend for an open, airy space with a relaxed ambience.
A variety of different textures and surfaces have been carefully chosen to convey the café vibe including an interesting mix of textures and surfaces, including Matt Black cabinetry, open shelving subway tiles, Caesarstone benchtops, and copper metallic bar back. Inalto appliances integrate perfectly, with the large 90cm gas cooktop and integrated dishwasher completing this café cool kitchen. In the butler's pantry, the high standard of design and detail is carried through - a storage and preparation area never looked so good!
Take a look at the lead up to the big reveal!
Copyright © Caesarstone
All Rights Reserved


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CareerBuilder has gotten positive feedback from consumers on its humorous television commercials featuring chimpanzees that debuted in 2005. The ads were a viewer favorite during the 2011 Super Bowl, so the company plans to feature the apes again in its upcoming 2012 Super Bowl commercials.
As AdAge reports, the ads scored well in terms of likability, but not as well in terms of persuasion. Despite those results from Ace Metrix, CareerBuilder announced the chimpanzees would return for the 2012 Super Bowl and posted an ad spot online, which you can view below.
Now, CareerBuilder has more problems than lack of persuasive power for its ads featuring chimpanzees. This week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released a letter from award-winning actress Angelica Huston asking CareerBuilder to stop using apes in its ads. Huston's letter to CareerBuilder's CEO, Matt Ferguson, is particularly compelling. For example, in response to the company's claim that it's acceptable to use chimpanzees in ads because an animal monitor and trainer is on set during production, Huston writes:
"Having a monitor on the set does not forgive the fact that you have paid to have these bright and social young apes torn from their mothers and subjected to confusing and often abusive training. These animals will likely be sold after a few years to some cheap roadside zoo or traveling show, where they will be condemned to cramped cages, left to suffer from extreme loneliness and sink into despair. And for what? It is astonishing that you are unmoved by the videos, photographs, and case reports of what befalls these animals from the moment they are taken from their mothers to the moment they die."
The New York Daily News reports that CareerBuilder spent $3.5 million for its 30-second spot during the Super Bowl.
"Ferguson told Forbes the chimp ads have helped dramatically increase CareerBuilder's market share since they began running in 2005. They are worth the price, he said, which this year averages $3.5 million for a 30-second spot."
Regardless of how you feel about PETA, CareerBuilder, these ads, or Angelica Huston, this is a story that brand managers need to be aware of, particularly brands with broad audiences. It's challenging to put together messaging, commercials, brand experiences, and so on that appeal to the masses. No matter what you do, someone is likely to dislike it. However, it's the company's responsibility to understand the various ways that messages, ads, and branded experiences might be received and interpreted by consumers. Remember, consumers build brands, not companies. If their perceptions of your brand are skewed against the image you're trying to create, your brand is in big trouble.
While it's likely many consumers who have viewed the CareerBuilder ads were not aware of how chimpanzees are treated when their time in Hollywood is over, the word is spreading quickly now. Thanks to the social web, the days of this type of story only spreading to a small audience are long gone. The image Huston paints in her full letter (follow the link above to read it and view an accompanying video) definitely makes the case that it's not worth it for a brand to put these animals in ads.
The lesson to learn is this — understand how your brand messages, ads, and experiences might be perceived by larger audiences and how those perceptions could affect your target audience's perceptions. Influence can come from all directions these days, including PETA and Angelica Huston. Cast a wide net when you examine your target audience's sphere of influence.
Susan Gunelius
Latest posts by Susan Gunelius (see all)
- Coca-Cola Contour Bottle Turns 100 This Year - March 3, 2015
- World's 50 Most Popular Brands - February 25, 2015
- Brands with the Most Loyal Customers in 2015 - February 18, 2015
- The World's 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2015 - February 14, 2015
- UK Consumers Will Share Private Data with Brands Under Certain Conditions - February 4, 2015


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China has adopted a range of measures to guarantee the quality of its exports to Africa, said Zhi Shuping, head of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine,at a press conference for the fifth session of the 12th NPC in Beijing. = Zhi said China is in close contact with 14 African countries to fight against fake products and safeguard legal interests. In 2016, a joint campaign among ports exposed 204 suspected cases involving fake products and seized 660,000 items. China is also helping African countries boost quality controls and has trained more than 1,000 inspectors from varies countries, it was added. Data shows the quality of Chinese exports to Africa has increased steadily, with detected counterfeit or disqualified products dropping from 7.52 percent of shipments in 2014 to 4.6 percent in 2015 and 3.2 percent last year. Zhi vowed that China would continue to keep a close eye on the quality of exports and encourage African consumers to buy genuine Chinese products.
Source: www.ecns.cn


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Up For School
With 58 million children around the world still not in school, the education charity Theirworld needed to create a message no government, politicians or leaders could ignore.
The Identity
For such a grass-roots campaign, a simple toolkit was needed. One colour print; one typeface and a schoolbook-inspired palette meant the identity could be replicated by anyone around the world.
School books were printed and became the petition books for the first 1,000,000 physical signatures.
A Global Movement
UpForSchool gathered momentum with rallies in the UK, the Philippines, Norway, India, Kenya and DR Congo. Campaigners used the toolkit (and whatever they had to hand) to create their own petition books, banners, posters and placards.
The petition grew to ten million signatures collected from around the world and delivered to the UN in New York in September 2015.


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Once upon a time...
There was a place called "Christmas."
Cody and I decided to go there.
We found ourselves a Snow Beast, (on loan),
Strapped on some snowshoes, and headed out to find Christmas.
We found it! And some friends.
We played hockey on a frozen pond- and even though it was very cold, we stayed toasty warm.
Cody and I even won the hockey game.
We were rewarded with gifts and buffalo steak.
The End.
Thank you Gramma Jane for the most amazing sweater!
|Using lots of clamps and as much pressure as I could physically manage, I glued the knee together!
The end grain of my knee, 12 1/8" laminations.
Here it is holding up the table, the knee is more than strong enough, but the table flexes a little.
Beth wanted a table that opened up so she can store trinkets and other stuff. This requirement ended up working great, it gave the table enough strength to cantilever the whole way and not sag. I recessed the hinges and then veneered over them, so you can't really see them at all.
The companion way ladder, the sides are VG fir and the treads are some of the salvaged Teak from the Tartan we ransacked.
Beth gluing in the vent line for one of the water tanks.


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"When it's dry, it's dry but when it rains, it pours."
I'm on my knees bent over a hot tin roof nailing a piece of fascia board to the front of our newly constructed deck. My eyes are treated gracefully by the twinkle of the ocean directly ahead. I dare not stop any longer because the beauty will overcome my will to work, this work must be completed. Work hard, work fast, be rewarded. It's been nearly two years since this feeling gave life to the ethic to work so hard that the sweat saturates my shirt to a consistent darker blue all over. The 33 degrees and cloudless sun licks the moisture from my skin while my pale white body desperately tries to replenish its layer of sweat. Comfort is the feeling acquired when I work hard, I'm familiar to this and I remember now that I'm good at it, it feels good to be good at something. I take great pride in what I do, I want to do a good job and I want to do it better than the competitor. I'm at home, I'm satisfied, after two years of throwing myself into unfamiliar situations and jobs, I'm comfortably familiar.
It's Tuesday afternoon and I'm a carpenter on Christmas Island, It's been four days since stepping foot on this rock and I have a house, a 4wd truck, fuel card, and an incredible job three times more lucrative than anything attainable in Canada. Sometimes when life gives you lemons you need to make lemonade but other times when life gives you lemon meringue pie, you just need to take a bite. I came here on a mission to build a tree fort, it's what I intend to do in time but only a fool would be blind to the opportunities presented. At the end of the day the most successful people in the world got to where they are by taking advantage of the opportunities presented to them, and so shall I. I have to stop for a minute and think, so much so quick, so fast, I can't even remember the last crap I had. Not good. I can't even boast in the lunchtime conversation of its girth or colour. Not cool. I just wonder if it will ever slow down but on the other hand I don't want it to. Keep this shit coming, bring it the hell on, I can handle anything you throw at me, I think I'm ready but I'm not. I can tell it's been too long since lying on a hospital bed with an IV drip (another familiarity in my life).
Four days to go from nothing to something, slept in three beds, ate two meals, and packed a lousy lunch, here I am kneeling on this hot tin roof living the life I dreamt about years ago during the days of wiping snot from my chapped lips attentive not to touch my frost bitten nose. I'm not sure what I did right or where I did it but this is pretty close to true happiness. To dream of something one day with no intentions of ever achieving it, to waking up every morning living it, I'm truly happy.


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Breast Cancer Surgery
Our specialized breast surgeons are experts in breast-sparing surgery.
Our specialized breast surgeons are experts in breast-sparing surgery.
Partial breast irradiation involves the delivery of radiation to only the immediate region surrounding the original tumor. This is the site where recurrence of breast cancer is most likely to occur.
Biotherapy (also called biological therapy or immunotherapy) is a treatment to activate or repair the ability of the body's immune system to fight cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, infections, and other diseases.
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with cytotoxic drugs.
Chemicals called hormones are produced in glands in the reproductive system, in the ovaries for women and the testicles for men.
As part of the cancer care multi-disciplinary team, radiation oncologists coordinate every aspect of care, with surgeons and pathologists to help decide the best course of treatment for each patien
Targeted therapy uses customized chemotherapeutic drugs to treat cancer by stopping the growth and spread of cancer cells.


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So the physical sciences, in spite of their extraordinary success in their own domain, necessarily leave an important aspect of nature unexplained. Further, since the mental arises through the development of animal organisms, the nature of those organisms cannot be fully understood through the physical sciences alone. Finally, since the long process of biological evolution is responsible for the existence of conscious organisms, and since a purely physical process cannot explain their existence, it follows that biological evolution must be more than just a physical process, and the theory of evolution, if it is to explain the existence of conscious life, must become more than just a physical theory.As you can imagine, this has rankled more than a few people. Join us Thursday, October 3rd, from 12-1 pm to discuss it with biology professor Tristan Stayton! Lunch provided, as always.
|Tristan Stayton (Biology)
About Philosophy Lunch Chats: About every two weeks throughout the term, interested faculty, staff, students, and community members get together in the Willard–Smith Library in Vaughan Literature Building from noon to 1PM to chat about some philosophical topic over lunch in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. There's nothing to sign up for, and you won't get a grade, ever. Feel free to be a regular or show up just once. For more information about Philosophy Lunch Chats or to offer suggestions for future chats (warmly welcomed), either contact Professor Matthew Slater <firstname.lastname@example.com> or Professor Jason Leddington <firstname.lastname@example.com>.
In the Queue: 10/17: "Friendship: For Better or Worse?" — with Professor Sheila Lintott (Philosophy)


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|Thyroid carcinoma showing thymus-like differentiation (CASTLE): Case report with cytomorphology and review of the literature.
MedLine Citation:
|PMID: 20607745 Owner: NLM Status: In-Data-Review
|Thyroid carcinoma showing thymus-like differentiation (CASTLE) is a rare tumor of the thyroid gland or adjacent soft tissues of the neck. Given the comparatively good prognosis of CASTLE, it is crucial to distinguish this neoplasm from other more aggressive thyroid neoplasms that can have similar or overlapping cytomorphological features. However, there is little information about the cytomorphology of CASTLE available in the literature. Here we report the cytomorphology and histology of thyroid CASTLE in a 52-year-old woman and present a review of the literature. Diagn. Cytopathol.2011;39:204-209. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
|Kenneth E Youens; Sarah M Bean; Leslie G Dodd; Claudia K Jones
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Publication Detail:
|Type: Journal Article
Journal Detail:
|Title: Diagnostic cytopathology Volume: 39 ISSN: 1097-0339 ISO Abbreviation: Diagn. Cytopathol. Publication Date: 2011 Mar
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|Created Date: 2011-02-14 Completed Date: - Revised Date: -
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|Nlm Unique ID: 8506895 Medline TA: Diagn Cytopathol Country: United States
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|Languages: eng Pagination: 204-9 Citation Subset: IM
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|Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
|Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. email@example.com.
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1 of 7
you've been scouting out a new case recently you've no doubt
noticed the sheer number of different types, styles and
manufacturers available. From over-the-top tacky plastic
jobs to super-pricey all-aluminium prestige cases it's all
out there. So why, when it came time to replace my personal
system case, was I struggling to find something suitable?
brief wasn't too fussy, I wanted to ditch the front drive
door as it was getting a bit tiresome, I wanted 120mm fans,
I wanted a side window and I wanted excellent build quality.
Aside from that I was open to all comers.
are lots of extremely good cases on the market at the moment,
and therein lies the problem. I don't want extremely good,
I want great!
Among the "extremely good" cases
I've looked at are the genuinely tidy WaveMaster from Cooler
Master which lacked the 120mm fans, the equally slick Shark
and Tsunami from Thermaltake which were near-contenders
but for the front doors, and one or two others I've had
a chance to fondle and dismiss for various reasons.
In the end I took a gamble and decided to
order a case I hadn't actually seen in the flesh, but was
it a gamble that paid off? Join me as I review the Chenming
Gaming Bomb II.
First, the specs:
Advantaged Design
original Gaming Bomb was actually a very good case, but
it was just that touch too showy for my taste. That said,
compared to some of the "Transformer" styled cases
around it almost looks boring.
Chenbro have been on the scene since 1983, though I think
it's fair to say that it was their Gaming Bomb and Xpider
cases that first got them noticed in the enthusiast sector.
Their Taiwanese factory was only opened in '95 while their
Chinese factory came later in '97. They must be proud of
the Gaming Bomb's front panel design as they've actually
it. Considering they claim to have produced the world's
first PC tower case back in 1986, they've only recently
seen their profile escalate, certainly outside of Asia.
Anyway, to the review, let's start be taking a tour of
what you get.


text:
Most people are familiar with a few of the well-known literary devices -- like simile, metaphor, irony, and alliteration. But if you'd like to be introduced to more, just take a look at The Writer's Toolbox, by Patricia and Megan Samuelsen. This mother-daughter team has written a book that can be used in introducing students to thirty-- yes, THIRTY-- different literary devices.
The format is to give examples, using short excerpts, from various literary texts, and with additional explanations, for one literary device at a time. After demonstrating how it is used, there are exercises to help the student gain greater familiarity-- he/she is shown more short excerpts and asked to comment on how these are using the literary device. Then, in a further exercise, the student writes sentences using the literary device.
This book is to be used with high school students, but I couldn't resist using a few of the lessons with James, starting in sixth grade. We went through some of the more commonly known literary devices, and after doing the book exercises, he made a sentence and picture to demonstrate each writing tool, on a small wall poster. Here is his first poster; we added to the poster with each new lesson.
And here is his second poster.
I can see that if used at the high school level, learning these literary devices would be helpful both for writing and for analysis of literary works. They also present some very unusual vocabulary-- words like "liotes" and "polysyndeton."
The devices are arranged in four groups, and there is a written review quiz at the end of each group. An appendix gives definitions and examples for all the literary devices, in alphabetical order. And in another appendix there are instructions for two games (for a group of students) that can be played to practice the names and definitions.
The Writer's Toolbox is available online, at www.writerstoolbox.net.
How about it-- would you like some "synecdoche" with your "personification" and "alliteration"?


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This is the intermediate cardio workout in the Project You set from Beachbody. I have already reviewed most of the other titles in this set. My general comments so far have been positive. I have a good track record with Beachbody products and was certain I would like this one.
Pilates Core is a 20-minute add-on workout meant to be paired with Yoga Flex, which I positively reviewed earlier. I will be a bit less effusive in this review :) But fair disclaimer, I don't love Pilates in general and am probably not completely qualified to comment here :)
That said, this seemed okay as far as these things go. About half of it is what I would consider Pilates to be from my past experience: 100's, single leg stretch, double leg stretch etc. The other half of it is more general core work such as planks and tabletop with bridges and some stretches. I liked having the two distinct sections like that, and I liked not having to do the icky stuff for the whole thing :)
I would say this is definately beginner level Pilates and an advanced person will not like it much. Kathy gives a form talk at the beginning, and there are rests after each little exercise. She is also much more interactive with the background crew in this one, going around and correcting individual form issues with them.
Final verdict? If I ever do feel like doing Pilates, this will be as viable a choice for me as any that I own. It seemed fine as far as these things go, I like Kathy, I like the short length. I just don't do Pilates very often though :)
Instructor comments:
Okay, so I will start out by saying I have never done Pilates before in my life. My second disclaimer is that I have two kids and lower ab muscles that obviously never recovered. LOL Otherwise I would say I'm an intermediate level exerciser in decent shape.
So on to my review. This workout takes you through a series of Pilates moves. I haven't done it in a week but some that come to mind (and I may murder these names) are hundreds, roll ups, swimmers, leg circles, and many others.
To me this workout seemed completely out of balance with the Foundations workout. Foundations IMO is just what the name implies, a beginners foundation workout. I felt that the Pilates workout on the other hand needed more instruction and modifiers for those that were completely clueless (ME!).
There are two or three moves that I couldn't complete, two of them being part of the beginning three moves. (This is where I learned about my shot lower abs.) Not a great way to start a workout. I had to go to the website to get suggestions on how to work myself up to the point where I could do the moves. Not very encouraging.
My suggestion to people with no Pilates experience is to do a beginners tape like Pilates for Dummies a few times before attempting this one.
Instructor comments:
Kathy Smith is an encouraging and enthusiastic instructor that I enjoy.
About me: I'm an intermediate to low-advanced Pilates lover with many videos; I also take Stott and classical mat classes.
I really wasn't expecting much from Pilates Core and Yoga Flex, the two flexibility add-ons to the Project: YOU system. Pilates Core surprised me by being a somewhat well rounded, if brief, Pilates mat workout. Kathy instructs while her background exercisers perform. One is a designated modifier.
The routine starts off with a well-done tutorial on Pilates breathing and abdominal, rib cage and gluteal control. The 18 minute workout kicks in with one of the nicer renditions of the 100 I've done (i.e., over fast!). Rollup, Rollover, Ball, and Single Leg Circles segue right into Series of Five nicely. After that it gets a little dicey with moves I consider too hard for the rank beginner: Corkscrew, Can Can, Leg Pulldown among others. Rollover is an intermediate and potentially dangerous move and newbies need to develop more core strength before attempting it. I wish Kathy didn't throw it at customers trying their first Pilates workout.
Some 'uniquities' in this workout include upper body circles after the Corksrew - sort of a revolving crunch - and Kathy's visualization cue of "House for Mouse." As you lie prone on the mat, you imagine a mouse under your abdominal wall and pull it back far enough so that you don't crush the mouse. I prefer my Stott teacher's cue to "pick up a marble with your navel."
There is no Side Leg Series. I would have given this video a higher grade if the questionable moves were replaced with a well-rounded side series. It would also make the workout fall into better step with the whole Project: YOU theme.
What increases my score from a potential D+ to a C+ is that the workout flows well with no hang-time, it's over in 18 minutes and the music is nice. I would have raised it to B- if the modifier was better utilized for the iffy exercises.
Instructor comments:
Kathy obviously consulted with a Pilates pro for this video and she does a good job instructing. However, even though I forgive Kathy's tendency to stumble on her words in the higher intensity workouts in Project: YOU, this became rather irritating during Pilates. Perhaps because the instruction is non-stop?
January 2, 2006
Note: This is a review of the FREE DVD which came in a package of Perdue Chicken Short Cuts. I *believe* that it is the same workout sold by Beach Body--the DVD is labelled "core/flex: Pilates Core"--but I'm not 100% sure.
This is a somewhat odd little Pilates workout. On the one hand, it initially appears to be designed for beginners--Kathy spends several minutes reviewing basic Pilates principles prior to the start of the workout--but on the other, it seems to be more appropriate for experienced Pilates practitioners, as Kathy's instruction is not overly detailed, and some more intermediate/advanced Pilates exercises are included.
Kathy does not perform the moves herself; rather, she leads three other exercisers, one of whom shows modifications and one of whom sometimes incorporates more advanced versions. The workout begins with traditional Pilates sequencing, starting with the hundred, the roll-up, and then the roll-over, a more intermediate/advanced move. Other basic Pilates moves included are rolling like a ball, the series of five, and swimming; additional intermediate/advanced moves included hip circles, leg pull-downs, and leg pull-ups. Kathy also adds a move I've never seen before, upper body circles, but she does not do any of the side kick series. The practice ends with the mermaid stretch.
I've seen this workout reported as being both 20 mintues and 25 minutes; minus Kathy's initial instruction, I clocked it at about 22-23 minutes. If you are looking for a short, moderate-paced, basic Pilates mat workout that includes a few more challenging moves, you will probably enjoy this. However, I definitely would NOT recommend this workout for those who are brand-new to Pilates.
Instructor comments:
I generally like Kathy, although sometimes she can be a bit too over-the-top for my liking. She was fine here though, giving good breath and other Pilates technique reminders as well as frequently using her background exercisers to provide comments on form.
Beth C (aka toaster)
January 19, 2006


text:
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text:
CENTERVILLE — Ann Marie (McCarthy) Bonda, 87, of Centerville and Norwood died on December 22, 2012. She was the devoted wife of 62 years to the late George F. Bonda.
CENTERVILLE — Ann Marie (McCarthy) Bonda, 87, of Centerville and Norwood died on December 22, 2012. She was the devoted wife of 62 years to the late George F. Bonda.
Mrs. Bonda was a former resident of Somerville, Arlington, Medford, Mattapan, Norwood, and Centerville. She graduated from Somerville High School and was a loving mother, homemaker and office secretary.
Ann Marie is survived by her children, Daniel N. Bonda and his wife Vilija (VJ) of Kingston; and Stephen G. Bonda and his wife Andrea of Attleboro; also, four grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; many nieces and two nephews. She was predeceased by her siblings, Helen Eade, Catherine Sullivan, and Charles McCarthy.
The family extends special thanks to the wonderful caregivers at the Alzheimer's wing of the Wingate Nursing Home in Kingston and the Cranberry Hospice of Plymouth County.
Visitation will be held on Friday, December 28th, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the John-Lawrence Funeral Home, 3778 Falmouth Rd. (Rte. 28), Marstons Mills, followed by a funeral Mass at 11 a.m. in Our Lady of Victory Church, 230 So. Main St., Centerville. Burial will be in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Centerville.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cranberry Hospice, 36 Cordage Park Circle, Ste. 326, Plymouth, MA 02360, the Alzheimer's Assoc., 712 Main St., Hyannis, MA 02601 or the charity of your choice.
For online guest book and directions, please visit www.johnlawrencefuneralhome.com.


text:
Update 10-31-2013: Just in time for 2014 open enrollment season, the Treasury Department released new rules allowing employers to offer a $500 carry over of unused FSA money instead of the grace period spend-down. See The $500 Tweak To The Healthcare Flexible Spending Use It Or Lose It Rule.
Millions of employees are making benefit choices for 2013 now, including how much of their salary to put into a healthcare flexible spending account, and they're facing new rules thanks to ObamaCare. Here's help.
Give Yourself A Raise. Under ObamaCare, starting with the 2013 plan year (Jan. 1, 2013 for most employees), there is a new $2,500 cap on healthcare flexible spending accounts. Employees divert pre-tax salary into these accounts to cover out-of-pocket healthcare expenses like co-pays, deductibles, orthodontia and fertility treatment. In the past, there was no statutory cap on these accounts, although most employers set caps of $5,000.
"In easier economic times, many people said, 'It's not worth it,' but this is an opportunity to give yourself a raise," says Jody Dietel, chief compliance officer with the employee benefits administrator
Beating the New $2,500 Limit. There are two ways you can get around the new $2,500 cap. If you hold two or more jobs (with unrelated employers), you can elect up to $2,500 under each employer's FSA plan. The other way is if you're married and you both work for employers that provide FSAs. Each of two spouses can elect up to $2,500, for a total $5,000--even if they work for the same employer.
If you work for an employer that offers "flex credits"—typically $500 of employer money you can use towards various benefits—that employer money that goes into your FSA doesn't count against the $2,500 limit. Exception: if the employer gives the employee the option of receiving the flex credit as cash.
Also note: The new cap is indexed for inflation, which will provide some relief in future years, but not total relief if the rise in healthcare costs continues to beat inflation.
What's covered?
WageWorks has a complete list of what's covered from acupuncture to x-rays (and examples of what's not covered like tampons) here. Since Jan. 1, 2011, over-the–counter items haven't been covered unless you get a letter of medical necessity from your doctor, or a note on a prescription pad for an Rx item.
Be careful if you have a health savings account, another tax-favored healthcare account typically used in conjunction with a high deductible plan. Then your flexible spending account is limited to covering dental and vision expenses. The thinking is you already got a big tax benefit by socking away pre-tax dollars for healthcare spending in the health savings account.
Use-It-Or-Lose-It. The dreaded use-it-or-lose-it rule says that dollars left in FSAs at the end of the plan year are forfeited. (Some employers allow a grace period of 2 months and 15 days after the plan year to use up the money.) The rule encourages wasteful spending – buying another pair of prescription sunglasses to use up FSA money. And it discourages employees from using the accounts in the first place for fear of leaving money on the table. Unused dollars exceed $500 for more than 20% of those forfeiting FSA money (40% of participants forfeit at least $1), according to the Employers Council On Flexible Compensation.
Last summer the Treasury Department asked for comments on fixes to—or outright elimination of--the use-it-or-lose-it rule in light of the new $2,500 cap. One idea is to allow rollovers of unused money; another idea is to allow employees to take $500 (taxable) cash out. Unfortunately, there's been no word from Treasury in time for the current open enrollment period. "It's a waiting game," says Dietel. So it's yet another year of frustration for FSA users.
For details, the IRS spells this all out in Notice 2012-40.
I'm an associate editor on the Money team at Forbes based in Fairfield County, Connecticut, leading Forbes' retirement coverage. I manage contributors who cover retirement and wealth management. Since I joined Forbes in 1997, my favorite stories have been on how people fuel ...MORE


text:
Mischa Barton
The actress sticks to her signature hippie chic in a floral headband and flowing Temperley London gown at the Gift of Life IX Charity Ball in London.Â
Source: People.com Credit: Alpha /Landov
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March 3, 2007
Did We Chop the Chopper-Killers?
The "U.S. military" -- Reuters isn't any more specific than that -- says we killed several "senior insurgents" yesterday suspected of shooting down some of the eight helicopters we recently lost:
A U.S. air strike killed senior insurgents suspected of targeting American helicopters in Iraq, and the Iraqi government said 39 militants had been killed in volatile western Anbar province in recent fighting.
The U.S. military said on Saturday the air strike took place on Friday north of Baghdad near the town of Taji, which is home to a major U.S. air base. It said weaponry, including a vehicle mounted with anti-aircraft artillery, was destroyed.
"Coalition forces believe key terrorists were killed during the air strike ... Intelligence reports indicated this network is responsible for threats to coalition aircraft," the military said in a statement without elaborating. [Maybe it has something to do with the "anti-aircraft artillery" we destroyed.]
AP doesn't mention the "39 militants," but they have a few more details about the raid against the anti-aircraft artillery terrorists:
Also Saturday, the U.S. military said American warplanes bombed an area near Taji, on Baghdad's northern outskirts, killing "key terrorists" who were using anti-aircraft artillery to fire at military helicopters.
Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. military spokesman, told The Associated Press that insurgents near Taji had been firing at U.S. helicopters with heavy machine guns mounted on the back of truck.
"It's mobile and it can inflict damage to our helicopters," Garver said. "Anything that can threaten our helicopters, we're going to try to get it off the battlefield," he said of the Friday air strike.
Not much to say about this one; we'll just have to wait and see. But AP mentions another raid of interest:
In a separate raid in the Taji area on Saturday, nine suspected insurgents were captured, including two believed to be responsible for recruiting and helping foreign militants join the insurgency in Baghdad, the U.S. military said. The suspects were also accused of harboring al-Qaida in Iraq leaders, it said.
Iraq's defense ministry said Saturday that Iraqi troops killed three suspected militants in Khan Bani Saad, a mixed town northeast of Baghdad. Two men were arrested in the raid, the ministry said in a statement. Seven others were captured in Balad Ruz, 45 miles northeast of Baghdad, it said.
The 39 terrorists killed in Anbar died in a long-running firefight by "Iraqi security forces." (Don't you just love the precise specificity of the elite media? We don't even know if the terrorists were killed by the Iraqi Army or the Iraqi Police Commandos.)
In Anbar Province, a number of Sunni tribal leaders have turned against al-Qaeda and are helping us fight them. Enjoy it while it lasts; tribes can be fickle.
Regardless of the missing specifics, clearly the security operation is working very well at the moment. I wonder if the Democrats are as pleased as I.
Hatched by Dafydd on this day, March 3, 2007, at the time of 7:35 AM
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I wonder if the Democrats are as pleased as I.
Isn't this an astounding time to be an American? You know, with absolute conviction, that many on the left detest the present success in Iraq, you know they have high hopes for the oft-announced Taliban "spring offensive" to be successful and you know they dearly hope administration leaders are assissinated. Lefty leading lights actually say these things, frequently.
I wonder if the lefties believe there will be no consequences to the country if any of their "opinions" are actually realized, or if they think the world will somehow be a better, more tolerant, more peaceful place as a result. Do they really not understand how important these struggles are? Dodgeson-style politics are all the rage among the loony-left.
The above hissed in response by: MTF at March 3, 2007 9:50 AM
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text:
Chai Lovers Tea SetBlue Banana Market
Hello Chai Lover! We know that you are a unique breed and that your morning Chai experience sets the tone for your entire day. That's why we are happy to offer you this authentic Chai Tea Set, inspired by the endless cups of Chai brewed and delivered in India every day. Re-create the perfect Chai experience for you, your family and friends with this handy Chai caddy and glasses set. Wishing you the perfect Chai start to every day!
The details: Clear glass. Dishwasher safe. Set of 6. Wire carrier included.


text:
Good Question: Are Countertop Dishwashers Any Good?
Dear Kitchen,
I just found out about countertop dishwashers and I'm curious. They seem brilliant, but I'm wondering if there are quality issues that keep them from wider circulation. Do you know anything about them?
These dishwashers are small machines designed to connect to the kitchen sink. The standard models retail for about $175 and usually wash only about four place settings at a time. Is it worth sacrificing counter space to clean just four plates, glasses and some silverware?
People who do not have much kitchen space and renters who can't install appliances may consider them. While these dishwashers are usually more energy efficient than larger models, this is in part because most of them do not have a drying cycle.
In your question, you mentioned quality issues. Mediocre reviews on Epinions.com, Amazon.com and other sites are discouraging. Some posters say that the machines by both Haier and Danby tend to break down after a few years and others report problems with leaks. "Not a prizewinner, but it beats the alternatives," said one reviewer. Here's a strange story from a dissatisfied Danby owner.
I've seen countertop dishwashers posted on Craig's List. You might want to start your search there. While I've checked out these machines in stores, I've never owned one. Hopefully, some readers will post more feedback.
Good luck and let us know what you decide about the dishwasher.