Surgery for nonfatal skin cancers might not be best for elderly patients

Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
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Contact: Elizabeth Fernandez
elizabeth.fernandez@ucsf.edu
415-502-6397
University of California - San Francisco

New UCSF study urges doctors to consider patient risks and benefits when treating benign skin cancers

Surgery is often recommended for skin cancers, but older, sicker patients can endure complications as a result and may not live long enough to benefit from the treatment.

A new study led by UC San Francisco focused on the vexing problem of how best to handle skin cancers among frail, elderly patients. In the study sample, the researchers found that most non-melanoma skin cancers were typically treated surgically, regardless of the patient's life expectancy or whether the tumor was likely to recur or harm the patient.

One in five patients in the study reported a complication from the skin cancer treatment, and approximately half the patients with limited life expectancy died of other causes within five years.

As a result, the authors say, doctors should take into consideration the benefits, risk and preference of a patient when determining appropriate treatment for nonfatal skin cancers.

The study will be published online on April 29, 2013 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

"It can be very challenging to decide whether and how to treat patients with non-melanoma skin cancer who have limited life expectancy, especially when the tumors are asymptomatic," said Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH, an assistant professor of dermatology at UCSF and lead author of the study.

"One challenge is that it is hard to precisely predict an individual's life expectancy," Linos noted. "Another challenge is that elderly patients are very diverse. For example, some 90-year-olds are active, healthy and would like to choose the most aggressive treatments for skin cancer, while others are very frail and unable to care for themselves, and may prefer less invasive management for a skin cancer that doesn't bother them.

"Bothersome or medically dangerous skin tumors should always be treated, regardless of age or life expectancy," Linos said. "But treatment of asymptomatic tumors might not be the best option for all patients."

Skin cancers are by far the most common type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated 2.2 million Americans predominantly older patients are diagnosed annually with a non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This type of cancer can be slow-growing and typically does not affect survival or short-term quality of life.

"The current standard of care in the United States is to treat non-melanoma skin cancers," the authors wrote in their study, "and no guidelines exist about whether physicians should consider patient age or functional status in choosing treatments."

In comparing treatment options and clinical options, the researchers followed more than 1,300 patients in San Francisco for about a decade. About a quarter of the patients were classified as having limited life expectancy because they were at least 85 years old or they suffered from multiple serious health conditions.

Most of the non-melanoma skin cancers were treated surgically, a taxing process for seniors who have difficulty tolerating extended procedures or adequately treating their wounds at home. The researchers found that medical complications included poor wound healing, numbness, itching and pain.

Tumor recurrence was very low less than 4 percent after five years, the authors said. Nearly half the patients with limited life expectancy died within five years none of the deaths resulted from the skin cancers, the researchers reported. Most deaths were related to heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, lung cancer, pneumonia, chronic respiratory disease, prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

"The findings highlight a challenge not just for dermatologists, but for all physicians treating non-fatal conditions," said senior author Mary-Margaret Chren, MD, a dermatology professor at the UCSF School of Medicine. "Our study provides useful evidence for clinicians facing a treatment choice dilemma with their patients it focuses on a cancer whose natural history is generally benign, where treatment itself may be discretionary."

###

The research was conducted by the unit for patient-oriented research in skin disease at UCSF, and supported by the National Center for Research Resources (Award KL2RR024130); the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (Grants R01 AR 054983 and K24 AR052667); and by a Career Development Award from the American Skin Association and Dermatology Foundation.

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

Follow UCSF
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Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elizabeth Fernandez
elizabeth.fernandez@ucsf.edu
415-502-6397
University of California - San Francisco

New UCSF study urges doctors to consider patient risks and benefits when treating benign skin cancers

Surgery is often recommended for skin cancers, but older, sicker patients can endure complications as a result and may not live long enough to benefit from the treatment.

A new study led by UC San Francisco focused on the vexing problem of how best to handle skin cancers among frail, elderly patients. In the study sample, the researchers found that most non-melanoma skin cancers were typically treated surgically, regardless of the patient's life expectancy or whether the tumor was likely to recur or harm the patient.

One in five patients in the study reported a complication from the skin cancer treatment, and approximately half the patients with limited life expectancy died of other causes within five years.

As a result, the authors say, doctors should take into consideration the benefits, risk and preference of a patient when determining appropriate treatment for nonfatal skin cancers.

The study will be published online on April 29, 2013 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

"It can be very challenging to decide whether and how to treat patients with non-melanoma skin cancer who have limited life expectancy, especially when the tumors are asymptomatic," said Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH, an assistant professor of dermatology at UCSF and lead author of the study.

"One challenge is that it is hard to precisely predict an individual's life expectancy," Linos noted. "Another challenge is that elderly patients are very diverse. For example, some 90-year-olds are active, healthy and would like to choose the most aggressive treatments for skin cancer, while others are very frail and unable to care for themselves, and may prefer less invasive management for a skin cancer that doesn't bother them.

"Bothersome or medically dangerous skin tumors should always be treated, regardless of age or life expectancy," Linos said. "But treatment of asymptomatic tumors might not be the best option for all patients."

Skin cancers are by far the most common type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated 2.2 million Americans predominantly older patients are diagnosed annually with a non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This type of cancer can be slow-growing and typically does not affect survival or short-term quality of life.

"The current standard of care in the United States is to treat non-melanoma skin cancers," the authors wrote in their study, "and no guidelines exist about whether physicians should consider patient age or functional status in choosing treatments."

In comparing treatment options and clinical options, the researchers followed more than 1,300 patients in San Francisco for about a decade. About a quarter of the patients were classified as having limited life expectancy because they were at least 85 years old or they suffered from multiple serious health conditions.

Most of the non-melanoma skin cancers were treated surgically, a taxing process for seniors who have difficulty tolerating extended procedures or adequately treating their wounds at home. The researchers found that medical complications included poor wound healing, numbness, itching and pain.

Tumor recurrence was very low less than 4 percent after five years, the authors said. Nearly half the patients with limited life expectancy died within five years none of the deaths resulted from the skin cancers, the researchers reported. Most deaths were related to heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, lung cancer, pneumonia, chronic respiratory disease, prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

"The findings highlight a challenge not just for dermatologists, but for all physicians treating non-fatal conditions," said senior author Mary-Margaret Chren, MD, a dermatology professor at the UCSF School of Medicine. "Our study provides useful evidence for clinicians facing a treatment choice dilemma with their patients it focuses on a cancer whose natural history is generally benign, where treatment itself may be discretionary."

###

The research was conducted by the unit for patient-oriented research in skin disease at UCSF, and supported by the National Center for Research Resources (Award KL2RR024130); the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (Grants R01 AR 054983 and K24 AR052667); and by a Career Development Award from the American Skin Association and Dermatology Foundation.

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

Follow UCSF
UCSF.edu | Facebook.com/ucsf | Twitter.com/ucsf | YouTube.com/ucsf

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/uoc--sfn042913.php

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No-Hassle Systems Of Crock Pot Recipes For 2012 | Unlock iPhone 4

Article by Melba L. A. Rowland-Benavides ? Do you need some quick tips about what regarding Crock Pot Recipes as well as pork tenderloins? Do you have questions on the kind of food preparation methods that are suitable with regard to pork chops and also pork tenderloins?

Cooking food pork may be an extremely challenging point. Undercooking it?s really a main hazard to health as well as over cooking food leaves the meats dried out and with simply no flavor. Nobody wants you can eat both of these therefore it is extremely important that you pay attention to cooking times as well as select the most practical method for that reduce of beef you?ve. Pig should invariably be cooked to a inside heat regarding 160 degrees. pork chop recipes might be a harder to tell doneness because it is already white. Along with ground beef, it is possible to inform the done if it is will no longer red inside, but its different together with pig. This is the reason it is good to use a thermometer.

A single main suggestion that will assist using the meats not really becoming dry is something known as relaxing. If you are accustomed to food preparation large cuts associated with meats, you may be acquainted with this kind of term. This is where you allow the beef take a seat as well as rest for a tiny but after you cook that. Perhaps you have cut into a piece of meat and the fruit drinks emerged drained all over your menu? The reason is once the beef will be cooking, the particular fruit juices are hot and therefore are operating throughout within the meats. Once you get forced out, every one of the juices redistribute as well as reconcile back. This can really help with all the pain because the fruit drinks will remain inside of. This is a good idea to pay for the meats with a bit of foil or even a lighted so that it doesn?t get cool even though it is relaxing.

There are numerous types approaches to prepare Dinner Recipes. For the smaller sized slashes of meats, saut?ing may be the way to go. This is where you add tiny pieces inside a skillet as well as move these around rapidly as they prepare over a high temperature. Grilling is among my personal favorite methods and can be employed for more compact reductions like the chops, but could also be employed for larger slashes just like the loin roast. How you can carry out the loin roasts is via what is called roundabout barbecuing. This is extremely similar to what goes on within an oven. You?d hold the beef on one side of the bbq grill as well as the fireplace on the other half. In contrast to traditional cooking, the actual beef is not immediately within the flare.

Source: http://unlockiphone4h.com/no-hassle-systems-of-crock-pot-recipes-for-2012/

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PST: Late own-goal torpedoes Wigan vs. Spurs

Under Roberto Mart?nez, Wigan Athletic have accrued a reputation for late season sprints that ensure Premier League survival. This year, however, you have to wonder if their luck has run out, with a late own goal costing them full points today against Tottenham.

The Latics got off to a bad start, with goalkeeper Joel?s attempted clearance in the ninth minute careening off Gareth Bale for the game?s opening goal. But they responded. Two minutes later, Emmerson Boyce?s header had them even, and shortly after halftime, Callum McManaman?s shot from well beyond the edge of the box gave Wigan a 2-1 lead.

But just before full time, Boyce gave his goal back. Amid a late push from Spurs, a ball sent across the six by Aaron Lennon went past Bale, off Boyce?s shins, and into the Wigan net, costing the Latics two points.

Had they held on, Wigan would have been out of the drop. They?d have equaled Aston Villa?s 34 points with a better goal difference (what would have been -22 versus -27). Instead, they stay 18th, albeit two points back instead of three.

Hosting Sunderland on Monday, Villa have a chance to gain ground on Wigan, though the Latics will have their match-in-hand back by the time the round?s over. However, if Villa?s suddenly five up instead of three, Wigan not only need full points in their makeup game, they also likely need to beat Villa on the season?s last day to win survival.

That May 19 match in Wigan?s shaping up to be one of the more dramatic in Premier League history, but had the Latic?s form been rewarded in recent weeks, they may have been able to avoid this fate. They played poorly last weekend at West Ham, but in the previous round they outplayed Manchester City at Eastlands only to leave Manchester with a 1-0 loss. Today they played the key part in both Spurs goals, costing them two crucial points.

It?s a woulda-coulda game that every 18th place team can play. Wigan had 34 rounds to avoid this situation, one in which they find themselves every year. Yet here we are, again, with the Latics pushing their luck once more. At some point, they?re going to hit a wammie.

Wigan is in the middle of their typical push, but the breaks aren?t going their way. As a result, that push isn?t being reflected in the table, forcing us to ask whether if it can be considered a push at all.

Maybe this is the year the Latics? unlikely run finally ends.

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/27/wigan-vs-tottenham-english-premier-league-epl-results/related/

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Leap Motion Hack Brings A Facebook Home Experience To The Desktop

One of the hacks at Disrupt NY's Hackathon this year employed hardware startup Leap Motion's new 3D gesture controller, which unfortunately just ran into a delay. Leap Motion's issues aside, this project, the combined effort of Chao Huang, Cedrich Pinson and Jorge Martinez, brings a Facebook Home-style experience to the desktop.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Mb6Bm0W7tLE/

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Many trapped in Bangladesh building as toll climbs to 175

By Serajul Quadir and Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) - At least 175 mainly women workers were killed in a Bangladesh building collapse and rescuers searching for survivors said on Thursday that many more were trapped in the rubble of a complex that housed factories supplying Western clothes retailers.

The disaster, which comes five months after a factory fire that killed more than 100 people, could hurt Bangladesh's reputation as a source of low-cost goods and call attention to European and North American companies that buy products there.

Rescue workers were digging through the wreckage of the eight-storey Rana Plaza building in Savar, 30 km (20 miles) outside the capital Dhaka, which collapsed on Wednesday. More than 1,000 people were injured.

"The death toll could go up as many are still trapped under the rubble," Dhaka's district police chief, Habibur Rahman, told Reuters.

Dhaka city development authority on Thursday filed a case against the building's owner for faulty construction. It filed another case against the owner and the five garments factories for causing unlawful death, police chief Rahman said.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president Mohammad Atiqul Islam said there were 3,122 workers in the factories on Wednesday. He said there had been indications from local officials that cracks had been found in the building the day before.

"We asked the garment owners to keep it closed," Islam said.

Rana Plaza's owner had told proprietors of the building's five garment factories that the cracks were not dangerous, Islam added. "After getting the green signal from the plaza owner all the garment factories opened," he said.

However, police official Mohammad Asaduzzaman said factory owners appeared to have ignored a warning not to allow their workers into the building after a crack was detected on Tuesday.

News reports beamed around the world showed young women workers, some apparently semi-conscious, being pulled out of the rubble by firefighters and troops. Doctors at Dhaka hospitals said they couldn't cope with the number of victims.

"I was at work on the third floor, and then suddenly I heard a deafening sound, but couldn't understand what was happening. I ran and was hit by something on my head," said factory worker Zohra Begum.

BUILDING FIRES, COLLAPSE

The Rana Plaza building collapse follows a fire at the Tazreen Fashion factory on the outskirts of Dhaka that killed 112 people in November and another incident at a factory in January in which seven people died, compounding concerns about worker safety and low wages in Bangladesh.

UK clothing retailer Primark, which has 257 stores across Europe and is a unit of Associated British Foods, confirmed that one of its suppliers occupied the second floor of the building.

"The company is shocked and deeply saddened by this appalling incident at Savar, near Dhaka, and expresses its condolences to all of those involved," Primark said in a statement on it's Ethical Trading website.

Canada's Loblaw, a unit of food processing and distribution firm George Weston Ltd, also confirmed a connection with the building. It said one factory made a small number of "Joe Fresh" apparel items for the company.

"We are extremely saddened to learn of the collapse of a building complex in Bangladesh and our condolences go out to those affected by this tragedy," Julija Hunter, public relations vice-president for Loblaw Companies, said in an email.

Both companies operate codes of conduct aimed at ensuring products are made in good working conditions.

Documents including order sheets and cutting plans obtained by Reuters appeared to show that other major clothing brands such as Spain's Mango and Benetton had used suppliers in the building in recent months. A Benetton spokesman said none of the factories were suppliers to the company.

About 3.6 million people work in Bangladesh's garment industry, making it the world's second-largest apparel exporter.

Following the Tazreen fire, giant U.S. retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it would take steps to alleviate safety concerns, while Gap Inc. announced a four-step fire-safety program.

"Still we are struggling to overcome the odds after the Tazreen fire, now another incident which is a strong blow for the sector," BGMEA's Islam said.

However, Edward Hertzman, a sourcing agent based in New York who also publishes trade magazine Sourcing Journal, said pressure from U.S. retailers to keep a lid on costs continues to foster unsafe conditions.

Hertzman, whose trade publication has offices in Bangladesh, said New Wave Bottoms Ltd occupied the second floor, Phantom Apparels Ltd the third, Phantom Tack Ltd the fourth and Ethar Textile Ltd the fifth.

The New Wave website listed 27 main buyers, including firms from Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Canada and the United States.

(Additional reporting by Andrew Biraj in Bangalore, Jessica Wohl and Nivedita Bhattacharjee in Chicago, and Solarina Ho in Toronto; Writing by John Chalmers and Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Paul Tait and Alex Richardson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-bangladesh-building-collapse-rises-147-015232779.html

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Nicki Minaj Killed Ciara's 'I'm Out'

'She literally murdered it,' Ciara tells MTV News of her and Nicki Minaj's next collaboration.
By Rob Markman

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706366/nicki-minaj-ciara-im-out-single.jhtml

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Baba Ramdev -Yoga for Young Women (Hindi) ? Yoga Health Fitness

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White House formally notifies Congress of Japan free-trade talks

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's administration on Wednesday notified Congress it will start free-trade talks with Japan, bringing the world's third-largest economy into U.S.-led negotiations on a regional free-trade pact.

"The participation of Japan, a major U.S. trading partner as well as close ally, further increases the economic significance of a TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Agreement," acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis said in a letter to congressional leaders.

The 90-day notification was expected after U.S. and Japanese negotiators reached a deal on April 12 on the terms of Japan's entry into the TPP talks, which are now in their fourth year. It could clear the way for Japan to participate in the July round of TPP talks.

The United States and the 10 other countries already involved in the TPP talks on Saturday formally approved Japan's entry into the negotiations at a meeting of regional trade ministers in Indonesia.

Marantis sought to reassure lawmakers that Japan's participation would not slow down the TPP negotiations, which are slated for conclusion by the end of the year, and that Japan would not refuse to negotiate in sensitive agricultural and manufacturing sectors of interest to U.S. exporters.

"Japan has confirmed it will participate positively and constructively in the negotiations. Japan also confirmed that it will subject all goods to negotiations - both agricultural and manufactured goods - and will join with the other TPP countries to achieve a high-standard and comprehensive agreement this year," Marantis said.

The White House sees the TPP pact as part of its economic rebalancing toward Asia. It also plans to launch free-trade talks with the 27-nation European Union in coming months.

Countries around the world are moving increasingly toward regional free-trade agreements in the absence of any progress toward a comprehensive world trade deal.

Detroit-based auto makers, particularly Ford Motor Co, have lobbied against Japan joining the TPP talks.

They say the agreement will open the door for more imports from Japan, without tearing down barriers that they say keep U.S. autos out of Japan's market.

In addition to the United States and Japan, TPP countries include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.

The 17th round of TPP talks is scheduled for May 15-24 in Lima, Peru. It is expected to be followed by an 18th round sometime in July that could be the first time that Japan participates in the negotiations.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Sandra Maler and Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-formally-notifies-congress-japan-free-trade-202413960.html

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Lawmakers urge delay in control tower furloughs (The Arizona Republic)

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With New Ad Units, Vibrant Media Comes To Smartphones And Tablets

Vibrant Media, which powers in-text ads and other contextual ad products, is going cross-platform today with the launch of a number of new units. Some of those ad units are entirely new to Vibrant's lineup, while others take the company's desktop ads and optimize them for touch interactions. CEO Cella Irvine told me that there's growing interest from ad agencies in campaigns that span desktops, smartphones, and tablets, and also in mobile-specific campaigns. Some of Vibrant's existing ad units already worked on mobile, she said, but they weren't really designed for non-desktop devices. The goal with today's launch is to make sure "the experience is native to the device."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/39OWsU1c4ec/

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Gone, but not forgotten

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

An international team of neuroscientists has described for the first time in exhaustive detail the underlying neurobiology of an amnesiac who suffered from profound memory loss after damage to key portions of his brain.

Writing in this week's Online Early Edition of PNAS, principal investigator Larry R. Squire, PhD, professor in the departments of Neurosciences, Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veteran Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) ? with colleagues at UC Davis and the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain ? recount the case of EP, a man who suffered radical memory loss and dysfunction following a bout of viral encephalitis.

EP's story is strikingly similar to the more famous case of HM, who also suffered permanent, dramatic memory loss after small portions of his medial temporal lobes were removed by doctors in 1953 to relieve severe epileptic seizures. The surgery was successful, but left HM unable to form new memories or recall people, places or events post-operation.

HM (later identified as Henry Gustav Molaison) was the subject of intense scientific scrutiny and study for the remainder of his life. When he died in 2008 at the age of 82, he was popularized as "the world's most famous amnesiac." His brain was removed and digitally preserved at The Brain Observatory, a UC San Diego-based lab headed by Jacopo Annese, PhD, an assistant adjunct professor in the Department of Radiology and a co-author of the PNAS paper.

Like Molaison, EP was also something of a scientific celebrity, albeit purposefully anonymous. In 1992, at the age of 70, he was diagnosed with viral encephalitis. He recovered, but the illness resulted in devastating neurological loss, both physiologically and psychologically.

Not only did he also lose the ability to form new memories, EP suffered a modest impairment in his semantic knowledge ? the knowledge of things like words and the names of objects. Between 1994, when he moved to San Diego County, and his death 14 years later, EP was a subject of continued study, which included hundreds of different assessments of cognitive function.

"The work was long-term," said Squire, a Career Research Scientist at the VASDHS. "We probably visited his house 200 times. We knew his family." In a 2000 paper, Squire and colleagues described EP as a 6-foot-2, 192-pound affable fellow with a fascination for the computers used in his testing. He was always agreeable and pleasant. "He had a sense of humor," said Squire.

After his death, EP's brain was also processed at The Brain Observatory. The last five years have been spent parsing the data and painting a full picture of what happened to EP and why. Squire said EP's viral encephalitis infection wreaked havoc upon his brain: Large, bilateral, symmetrical lesions were found in the medial temporal lobe, portions of the brain responsible for formation of long-term memory; and whole, crucial structures were eliminated ? the amygdala and hippocampus among them. Additionally, other brain regions had atrophied and white matter ? the support fibers that transmit signals between brain structures ? had become gliotic or scarred.

Though HM is generally considered the "gold standard" of amnesia patients ? "he was the first case and studied so elegantly," said Squire ? EP provides new and surprising twists in understanding how memory functions and fails.

For example, HM's declarative memory was almost nil ? half an hour after lunch, he would have forgotten what he ate or if he had eaten at all ? but in tests, HM showed some small capacity to learn new things. "His ability to learn was nowhere close to zero," Squire said, "so the thinking was that maybe there were other ways that information was getting in, that there was something special about the capacity for learning facts."

EP undermines that notion. Due to the total destruction of specific memory-linked brain structures, EP was utterly unable to learn anything new. "It really was absolutely zero," said Squire. "That suggests there isn't any special mechanism. HM simply retained some ability because he retained some residual tissue."

Squire noted that the massive scope of EP's brain damage also appeared to trigger secondary consequences. "If a lesion gets large enough, it results in other negative changes due to the loss of connectivity," he said. In EP's case, one result was his impaired semantic knowledge, which wouldn't have been harmed by damage to medial temporal lobes, but was the consequence of subsequent atrophy in adjacent tissues.

Finally, EP presents a continuing, confounding mystery. In most patients with retrograde amnesia, memory loss is limited. They can't remember things within a few months or years of the brain impairment. In EP's case, he suffered amnesia extending back 40 to 50 years, affecting memories that theoretically should have been well-established and consolidated, though he could recall his childhood on a central California farm.

Squire said the effect is likely the result of lateral temporal damage caused as a secondary consequence of the initial disease-related brain damage. For researchers and clinicians, he said, EP is a cautionary and troubling tale.

###

University of California - San Diego: http://www.ucsd.edu

Thanks to University of California - San Diego for this article.

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Florida To Open First Online-Only Public University In U.S.

Non-Transparent Transparency Program

After Florida Governor Rick Scott encouraged journalists to access his emails through his transparency program Project Sunburst in lieu of filing public records requests,<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/31/rick-scott-emails-omitted-project-sunburst_n_1723747.html" target="_hplink"> it was revealed that emails to his official email account weren't in fact included</a> -- Project Sunburst was only displaying emails sent to a second account that appears on Florida Tea Party websites. As a result at least one news report included a positively-skewed view of Scott after his Lt. Governor made anti-gay comments.

Doctored Newspaper Front Page

Florida Governor Rick Scott's Facebook managers <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/rick-scott-facebook_n_1417499.html?utm_hp_ref=rick-scott" target="_hplink">posted an image containing a doctored <em>Miami Herald </em>headline</a>, prompting the paper's managing editor to demand it be removed. The post, since deleted from the Governor's social media page, swapped in the headline "New Law Helps Put Floridians Back To Work" in place of the paper's original headline from 2007, "Murders Highlight Rise In Crime In Guatemala" -- making it appear an editorial from the governor had run above the fold on the <em>Herald</em>'s front page.

"Prayers" In Public Schools

Scott approved <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/01/florida-house-inspirational-messages-bill-approved_n_1313368.html" target="_hplink">SB 98, which means that Florida students are now allowed to deliver "inspirational messages" </a>that include everything from prayers to manifestos at mandatory school events.

Refuses Affordable Care Act

In a statement, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/01/florida-health-care-law_n_1641990.html?utm_hp_ref=miami&ir=Miami" target="_hplink">the governor said the healthcare law would not aid</a> economic growth in his state "and since Florida is legally allowed to opt out, that's the right decision for our citizens."

Spain Gaffe

Scott met with King Juan Carlos of Spain during his economic development mission and immediately managed <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/24/rick-scott-king-of-spain-elephant_n_1542066.html?utm_hp_ref=rick-scott" target="_hplink">to bring up the uncomfortable topic of the monarch's disastrous elephant hunting trip to Botswana</a>.

Ads On State Trails

In the midst of old-growth live oak hammocks, wild orchids, and vistas of Lakes Wales Ridge in Lake Kissimmee State Park, Florida hikers may soon see signs boasting "Buster Island Loop, brought to you by Pollo Tropical." <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/09/rock-scott-ads-state-trails_n_1502972.html" target="_hplink">Governor Rick Scott approved a bill </a>permitting advertising on state greenways and trails, which went into effect July 1, 2012.

Voter Purge

The Governor is in a legal battle with the U.S. Justice Department over the state's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/rick-scott-florida-governor-voter-list_n_1628607.html?utm_hp_ref=rick-scott" target="_hplink">effort to remove non-U.S. citizens from lists of registered voters </a>ahead of this year's presidential election. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Reverses Ban On Dying Animals Artificial Colors

Just before Easter, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/07/rick-scott-approves-artif_n_1409749.html" target="_hplink">Florida Governor Rick Scott approved an agricultural bill, which permits animals to be dyed neon green and dayglo pink</a>.

Random Drug Testing

The governor passed <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/drug-testing-florida-state-workers-lawmakers_n_1300331.html" target="_hplink">a law permitting state agencies to randomly drug test employees every 3 months</a>.

49,000 Voters Discouraged From Polls

Florida took center stage in the 2012 elections, when voters around the state had to wait in line at the polls for up to nine hours. Gov. Rick Scott (R) initially denied that there was any problem, saying it was "very good" that people were getting out to vote. But a new study shows that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/19/rick-scott-not-favored-by_n_2328614.html?utm_hp_ref=rick-scott" target="_hplink">tens of thousands of people were actually discouraged from voting because of the long lines</a>. According to an analysis by Theodore Allen, an associate professor of industrial engineering at Ohio State University, as many as 49,000 individuals in Central Florida did not vote because of the problems at the polls.

Dismal Approval Rating -- Even Amongst GOP

Most Florida voters, including Republicans, would like to see Gov. Rick Scott (R) challenged in 2014, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/19/rick-scott-not-favored-by_n_2328614.html?utm_hp_ref=rick-scott" target="_hplink">according to a poll released by Quinnipiac University</a>. More than half of voters said Scott didn't deserve a second term, and 55 percent, including 53 percent of Republicans, wanted another candidate to challenge the governor in a primary. Scott's approval ratings, though improved from 2011, were also underwater.

Cost Taxpayers $1 Million In Legal Fees

Governor Rick Scott's long list of controversial legislation -- including tweaking the state's pension plans, require drug testing of those on welfare, cutting teachers' pay, and purging voters -- may have cost Florida taxpayers <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/31/rick-scott-costs-florida-_n_2388780.html" target="_hplink">upwards of $1 million in legal bills</a>. The latest legal bill tallies at $190,000 after a federal court ruled that Florida has to pay the attorney fees as Scott fights for the right to drug test state workers. The Orlando Sentinel found that Scott has already cost taxpayers nearly $900,000 in attorney fees as he fights for his conversational legislation, making this latest legal bill tilt the tally over $1 million.

First-Time Drug Offenders

Florida Governor Rick Scott <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/10/gov-rick-scott-vetoes-bil_n_1414758.html">vetoed a widely popular bill that would send certain non-violent drug addicts to treatment after serving half their sentences</a>. ?He said it was a 'public safety? issue. No it?s not,? said bill sponsor Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff (R-Fort Lauderdale) according to the Miami Herald. ?These are non-violent drug offenders.? The bill, a rare common sense favorite during a legislative season that saw Scott approve dying animals and Jay-Z lyrics debated on the House floor, was opposed by only four state lawmakers.

Docs. vs. Glocks

Gov. Scott <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/30/docs-vs-glocks-appeal-ric_n_1720370.html">pushed back when a federal judge ruled</a> a law gagging Florida physicians from asking patients if they owned guns unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge cited the government-imposed gag order as a violation of free speech protection under the First Amendment.

Scott's Boletera?

Campaign finance reports show Florida Governor Rick Scott -- who framed recent evidence-defying efforts to purge state voter rolls, limit registration and reduce early voting hours as a protection of "honest" elections -- <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/17/rick-scott-hired-boletera-boletero_n_1890552.html">hired an alleged Miami-Dade absentee ballot broker during his 2010 gubernatorial campaign</a>. Scott's campaign paid a $5,000 "contract labor" fee to 74-year-old Hialeah resident Emelina Llanes, who was identified as a so-called boletera to the Miami Herald and by El Nuevo Herald, multiple Miami-Dade watchdog blogs, and former Hialeah Police Chief Rolando Bola?os.

Closes TB Hospital

In an austerity measure, Florida Gov. Rick Scott and state representatives <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/florida-tuberculosis-outbreak-kept-secret_n_1658916.html">voted to close A.G. Holley State Hospital in Palm Beach County, the state's only tuberculosis hospital</a>, citing a decline in Florida TB cases since 2010. But according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida was suffering one of the largest uncontained TB outbreaks in 20 years -- and the largest spike nationwide -- resulting in 13 deaths and 99 illnesses, mostly among the homeless.

Gives Out Number For Sex Hotline

Florida governor Rick Scott <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/rick-scott-phone-sex-hotline-meningitis_n_1954060.html">accidentally sent constituents seeking information on a fungal meningitis outbreak to a phone sex hotline</a>.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/23/florida-online-university_n_3135328.html

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The Weirdest Thing on the Internet Tonight: SATUR 09

So this is what living inside our most recognizable plant would look like—a gently bobbing yellow haze, with occasional downpours of ring rain. Quite peaceful really, ignoring the fact that its atmosphere is almost entirely hydrogen and helium. This short by Brazillian multimedia designer, Nagash, mixes macro video with snippets of "Saturnine" and "How to Measure a Planet" by The Gathering. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VSDSXEAkjB4/the-weirdest-thing-on-the-internet-tonight-satur-09

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I spent $1800 on iOS and Mac App Store apps in 2012

One of the very few highlight of an otherwise arduous tax season is adding up all the iTunes receipts in my inbox and finding out how much I spent on iOS and Mac App Store apps the previous year. For 2012, that number turned out to be something just north of $1800.

The most expensive was Lightroom at $150, which turned into $175 after Quebec and Canada were done with it. The least expensive, of course, were just $0.99. Remarkably little went to in-app purchases, almost none to in-app game purchases.

Obviously, I'm not still using all the apps I bought last year. Some were for very specific uses, and those uses are done. Others were simply to try out. The paid apps I stuck with, and still use the most, include Launch Center Pro, Tweetbot for iPad, Tweetbot for Mac Fantastical for iPhone, Letterpress, Coda 2 Diet Coda, Paper, and Drafts for iPhone, Drafts for iPad, and, of course, OS X Mountain Lion.

I don't regret buying any of them, however. Not any more than I regret buying a TV show or movie I watch only once or a few times, or a fussy caffeinated beverage I enjoy for a moment and is then gone forever. Apps almost always save me far more time than they cost me money, and as experiences go, games are both among the most incredible money can buy, and these days, among the cheapest.

I still wish developers would Jury-up and charge more, and users would pay more, and Apple allowed for demos or trials or a short grace period for refunds so it would take the risk out of developers charging more appropriate prices for their work. Absent all that, I'll likely be once again stuffing $10 into their pockets come WWDC so they can make me more fantastic apps and I can sleep better at night.

If you have a rough idea how much you spent on apps last year, let me know, and let me know which ones you're still using, and whether or not you plan to do anything differently this year?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/XYCLWo6urFk/story01.htm

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Virus-like particles provide vital clues about brain tumors

Public release date: 17-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mattias Belting
mattias.belting@med.lu.se
46-467-335-07473
Lund University

"Current wisdom says that cells are closed entities that communicate through the secretion of soluble signalling molecules. Recent findings indicate that cells can exchange more complex information whole packages of genetic material and signalling proteins. This is an entirely new conception of how cells communicate", says Dr Mattias Belting, Professor of Oncology at Lund University and senior consultant in oncology at Skne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.

Exosomes are small vesicles of only 30 nm. They are produced inside cells and act as "transport vehicles" of genetic material that can be transferred to surrounding cells. Since their first discovery, exosomes have been found in blood, saliva, urine, breast milk and other body fluids.

Mattias Belting's research group has investigated exosomes released from tumour cells of patients with gliomas.

The tiny exosome particles are delivered from the tumour to healthy cells of the brain and may prime normal tissue for efficient spreading of the tumour. The researchers in Lund have now shown that the aggressiveness of the tumour is reflected in the exosome molecular profile.

"We have succeeded in developing a method for the isolation of exosomes from brain tumour patients through a relatively simple blood test. Our analyses indicate that the content of exosomes mirrors the aggressiveness of the tumour in a unique manner", says postdoctoral researcher Paulina Kucharzewska.

Exosomes could thus be utilised as biomarkers, i.e. to provide guidance on how the patient should be treated and to monitor treatment response. This possibility is particularly attractive with brain tumours that are not readily accessible for tissue biopsy. However, analysis of exosomes from the blood may also prove important with other tumour types. The value of conventional tumour biopsies is limited by the heterogeneity of tumour tissue, i.e. the tissue specimen may not be fully representative of the biological characteristics of a particular tumour. Exosomes, however, may offer more comprehensive information, according to the researchers.

The second international meeting on exosomes has just opened in Boston, and Mattias Belting and members of his team are there.

"It is very exciting to be part of the emergence of a novel research field. It can be anticipated that the most influential researchers in this area may one day be awarded the Nobel Prize", says Dr Belting.

###

The results are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

---

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?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 17-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mattias Belting
mattias.belting@med.lu.se
46-467-335-07473
Lund University

"Current wisdom says that cells are closed entities that communicate through the secretion of soluble signalling molecules. Recent findings indicate that cells can exchange more complex information whole packages of genetic material and signalling proteins. This is an entirely new conception of how cells communicate", says Dr Mattias Belting, Professor of Oncology at Lund University and senior consultant in oncology at Skne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.

Exosomes are small vesicles of only 30 nm. They are produced inside cells and act as "transport vehicles" of genetic material that can be transferred to surrounding cells. Since their first discovery, exosomes have been found in blood, saliva, urine, breast milk and other body fluids.

Mattias Belting's research group has investigated exosomes released from tumour cells of patients with gliomas.

The tiny exosome particles are delivered from the tumour to healthy cells of the brain and may prime normal tissue for efficient spreading of the tumour. The researchers in Lund have now shown that the aggressiveness of the tumour is reflected in the exosome molecular profile.

"We have succeeded in developing a method for the isolation of exosomes from brain tumour patients through a relatively simple blood test. Our analyses indicate that the content of exosomes mirrors the aggressiveness of the tumour in a unique manner", says postdoctoral researcher Paulina Kucharzewska.

Exosomes could thus be utilised as biomarkers, i.e. to provide guidance on how the patient should be treated and to monitor treatment response. This possibility is particularly attractive with brain tumours that are not readily accessible for tissue biopsy. However, analysis of exosomes from the blood may also prove important with other tumour types. The value of conventional tumour biopsies is limited by the heterogeneity of tumour tissue, i.e. the tissue specimen may not be fully representative of the biological characteristics of a particular tumour. Exosomes, however, may offer more comprehensive information, according to the researchers.

The second international meeting on exosomes has just opened in Boston, and Mattias Belting and members of his team are there.

"It is very exciting to be part of the emergence of a novel research field. It can be anticipated that the most influential researchers in this area may one day be awarded the Nobel Prize", says Dr Belting.

###

The results are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/lu-vpp041713.php

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Pitch Perfect Sequel: Confirmed for 2015!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/pitch-perfect-sequel-confirmed-for-2015/

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Teachers' assessments not always conducive to fair education

Public release date: 15-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Stefan Johansson
stefan.johansson@gu.se
46-031-786-2134
University of Gothenburg

Teachers' assessments of pupils' literacy can vary significantly, even for pupils with similar test scores. This may interfere with children's right to fair and gender-equal education, according to a new doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Assessment of students' knowledge and skills is one of the most important tasks of the school system. However, some factors may affect the validity of the teachers' assessments.

Stefan Johansson based his doctoral thesis on data from the large-scale literacy study PIRLS 2001, involving more than 11 000 pupils and some 700 teachers from grades 3 and 4 in Sweden. The studied material consisted of teachers' assessments and pupils' test results and self-assessed literacy. The teachers responded to 12 different statements about their pupils' reading and writing skills and assessed their skill levels on a 1-10 scale.

Teachers who had had the same pupils for more than one year showed a higher correspondence between their assessments and the pupils' test results. The same was true for teachers with higher levels of formal competence, meaning more education and experience.

Moreover, Johansson found large differences in how teachers assessed classes with similar test results.

'The teachers had different frames of reference. They seem to interpret aims and assessment criteria in many different ways,' says Johansson.

In addition, girls and students with higher socioeconomic status received somewhat higher scores from the teachers than reflected in the PIRLS test results, which confirms previous research in the area.

'One way to explain this is that a test doesn't cover everything in the applicable curricula. So maybe girls are better at demonstrating skills that are not reflected in their test results, such as verbal ability, and then their teachers include these skills in their assessments. Another possibility is that girls show more effort and are given credit for it,' says Johansson.

The results indicate that fair and gender-equal education in the lower grades requires an external instrument that can be used to calibrate assessments between different classes and schools. It may also be important to enable teachers to meet across class and school boundaries to discuss their views of assessments.

'The ability of teachers to identify pupils' strength and weaknesses and provide responses that support their learning is one of the most important parts of their job. If teachers don't do this well, their pupils may not get the help and support they need, which in the end will limit their opportunities for learning,' says Johansson.

'Even if the methods may differ between schools, the Swedish Education Act provides that children must be given equal opportunities to education and that teachers must consider children's different conditions and needs. Differences in assessments may lead to some schools providing feedback and support to pupils who need it while others don't.'

###

For more information: Stefan Johansson, telephone: +46 (0)31 786 2134, e-mail: stefan johansson@gu.se

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 15-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Stefan Johansson
stefan.johansson@gu.se
46-031-786-2134
University of Gothenburg

Teachers' assessments of pupils' literacy can vary significantly, even for pupils with similar test scores. This may interfere with children's right to fair and gender-equal education, according to a new doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Assessment of students' knowledge and skills is one of the most important tasks of the school system. However, some factors may affect the validity of the teachers' assessments.

Stefan Johansson based his doctoral thesis on data from the large-scale literacy study PIRLS 2001, involving more than 11 000 pupils and some 700 teachers from grades 3 and 4 in Sweden. The studied material consisted of teachers' assessments and pupils' test results and self-assessed literacy. The teachers responded to 12 different statements about their pupils' reading and writing skills and assessed their skill levels on a 1-10 scale.

Teachers who had had the same pupils for more than one year showed a higher correspondence between their assessments and the pupils' test results. The same was true for teachers with higher levels of formal competence, meaning more education and experience.

Moreover, Johansson found large differences in how teachers assessed classes with similar test results.

'The teachers had different frames of reference. They seem to interpret aims and assessment criteria in many different ways,' says Johansson.

In addition, girls and students with higher socioeconomic status received somewhat higher scores from the teachers than reflected in the PIRLS test results, which confirms previous research in the area.

'One way to explain this is that a test doesn't cover everything in the applicable curricula. So maybe girls are better at demonstrating skills that are not reflected in their test results, such as verbal ability, and then their teachers include these skills in their assessments. Another possibility is that girls show more effort and are given credit for it,' says Johansson.

The results indicate that fair and gender-equal education in the lower grades requires an external instrument that can be used to calibrate assessments between different classes and schools. It may also be important to enable teachers to meet across class and school boundaries to discuss their views of assessments.

'The ability of teachers to identify pupils' strength and weaknesses and provide responses that support their learning is one of the most important parts of their job. If teachers don't do this well, their pupils may not get the help and support they need, which in the end will limit their opportunities for learning,' says Johansson.

'Even if the methods may differ between schools, the Swedish Education Act provides that children must be given equal opportunities to education and that teachers must consider children's different conditions and needs. Differences in assessments may lead to some schools providing feedback and support to pupils who need it while others don't.'

###

For more information: Stefan Johansson, telephone: +46 (0)31 786 2134, e-mail: stefan johansson@gu.se

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/uog-tan041513.php

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