brenden vilhelmina: June 2012

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Video: Becoming a citizen: ?It?s still very emotional?

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/48005879/

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Yahoo Technology News: Apple?s iPhone now available from Virgin Mobile

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[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-iphone-now-available-virgin-mobile-234529522.html

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Google Penguin and Online PR

It?s been a couple of months now since the Google Penguin update, which has had a significant effect on the way PRs do things. Google really hammered the message home that this is something that does concern a business?s PR strategy, and subsequently lots of companies have been forced to reevaluate.

Bye, bye Spam

Penguin?s impact has been most felt by sites using a narrow link building strategy.? Google treat links as a sign ofpopularity, so if all the links come from pages that no-one ever visits and look like they?ve been placed by the same person, you?re probably at risk.? If you?re mostly relying on directory submissions, and all of your links use a single keyword or phrase as anchor text, then it?s a pretty big signal to Google that your links are not naturally given.

Google has made a stand against irrelevant and spammy content in favour of well written, high quality, useful content and putting the customer?s needs first. The most relevant content has now been given prominence, rather than the most optimised.

GSOH seeks long-term love, not a superficial fling

This is something however which any Online PR with integrity would be following ?anyway. Shameless links to pointless content aren?t good for anybody as if the ?brand message within the content isn?t communicated in a professional way to a ?high standard then we aren?t representing our clients in a great light.

Good Online PR and SEO strategies should be part of a long ball game, laying the ?foundations for a strong representation of the brand and employing their tone of ?voice, key principles and reputation within beneficial content, placed where it ?has the strongest chance of being useful. It should not be about quick fix, low

quality content solutions as these represent the brand negatively and long-term are not beneficial.

No one trick ponies

In order to have a wide reaching strategy that communicates with more of their demographic, any good SEO Company will be employing a variety of effective ways. There needs to be a harmonious blend of a range of Online PR principles:

-????????? press releases

-????????? advertorials

-????????? guest posts

-????????? social media to leverage more coverage ? and the more you can get customers to engage with your content, the better.

Online PR should be maximising good blogger relations along with excellent content writers to produce high quality content and share it with bloggers. Online PR and Social Media naturally feed?into one another, so sharing is everything and the most popular content will therefore be recognised as high quality content and boost SEO rankings.

Like baking a cake, quality ingredients and timing is everything

However having an Online PR team within an SEO team bridges the gap ?between ?PR and SEO as they are at the front line of developments within ?search and this ?means they can spring into action with a renewed strategy ?much more quickly. ?Quality has always been the traditional approach to a ?PR campaign so why ?should an Online PR campaign be any different?

But as any PR worth their salt will know, timing is also important ? and in ?the ?world of Online PR this is even more crucial because of the nature of ?constantly ?evolving news and trends. Trending subjects and time sensitive content is everything. It encourages a higher level of engagement with customers and gains interest. It?s a great thing that Google have recognised the customer?s needs and the magic of Online PR is achieving useful content written for the customer and not necessarily the brand, but at the same time making the brand more visible to the customer so they can find this info.

Source: http://www.latitudegroup.com/blog/google-penguin-and-online-pr/

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Friday, June 29, 2012

Nutrition plan & pregnancy diet | Bodybuilding, Supplements, Diets ...

A pregnancy diet is extremely important as it determines the health of both the mother and her baby. Most women believe that they can meet their nutritional requirements from a regular balanced diet, but this is not true. A pregnant woman has unique nutritional requirements and so you should find out more about your dietary recommendations from your obstetrician. Once you have defined your requirements, you can make a list of healthy foods to eat and include these in your regular diet plan.

Foods To Eat During Pregnancy

Fruits and vegetables are obviously healthy foods but there are certain fruits and veggies that are especially beneficial for pregnant women. Given below are some of the foods that should be included in your daily pregnancy diet plan.

Fruits: Oranges are a very important ?pregnancy fruit? as they have a high Vitamin C content.

Vitamin C is necessary for the development of your baby?s cartilage, tendons, and bones. Oranges also contain folic acid, which is a vitamin that helps to prevent serious birth defects. In addition to oranges, other great fruits during pregnancy include bananas, grapes, watermelon, dates, and passion fruit.

Vegetables: Green leafy vegetables are a must in any pregnancy diet as they are an excellent source of folate and iron. These nutrients are among the most important, as a deficiency in either one can have extremely serious and lasting effects on the baby?s mental development. Asparagus, sweet potatoes, avocados, and beets are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals.
Dairy: Yogurt is a good source of calcium and protein and it is an important part of a pregnancy diet as it is easy to digest. Milk and milk products can aggravate nausea and morning sickness but a dry cracker smeared with a little yogurt will help to soothe your digestive tract and reduce morning sickness. Homemade yogurt popsicles are an excellent dessert, especially during hot summer afternoons.

Meat: Skinless poultry, lean meats (98 % fat-free), and fish are healthy sources of proteins, amino acids, and Vitamins A, B, and E. Proteins are the body?s building blocks and so a protein deficiency can impair your baby?s physical development
Nuts & Seeds: Nuts and seeds contain various vitamins as well as minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, and manganese. Your baby requires just small amounts of these minerals but these trace amounts play an important role in both physical and mental development. Also see diet during ninth month of pregnancy.

Pregnancy Diet Plan

It is not always easy to keep a track of your diet and nutrition during pregnancy, and so a diet chart will help you to track your requirements. A diet for pregnant women should also include healthy snacks so that you do not binge on chips and junk food. Typically, a healthy pregnancy diet chart would include the following:

Breakfast: You can include a bowl of whole grain cereal or whole wheat toast for the fiber value. If that doesn?t sound appetizing you could have a cup of low fat fruity yogurt. A cup of fruits like grapes or strawberries with a glass of fresh fruit juice would also work fine.

Morning Snack: A cup of fresh fruit juice with a small bowl of either fruit or vegetable salad would work fine. A fresh fruit smoothie may be a lot more appetizing, but make sure you don?t exceed your caloric requirements.

Lunch: Your lunch should be wholesome and nourishing, so try and include a lot of greens in whatever dish you?re eating. Salads like a Spinach Fettuccine with Chicken and Saut?ed Greens, or Sunset Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup would work well. You could also include a simple pasta dish or a soup like ginger carrot soup.

Dinner: Make sure your dinner isn?t too heavy. You can have a lean meat burger with some lettuce and tomatoes, on a whole wheat bun. You could also opt for a salad meal again with some fruits like oranges and raspberries and greens like lettuce or spinach.

Evening Snack: You can go healthy again with some fruit juice and a bowl of fruit salad, but if you?ve been moderate in your other meals, you?ve probably earned yourself some chocolate chip cookies and muffins. Indulge those taste buds, but don?t pig out!

There are several herbs such as Peppermint Leaf, Ginger root, and Slippery Elm Bark that are considered to be effective in reducing pregnancy symptoms but you will need to discuss these pregnancy herbs with a certified herbalist as well as your obstetrician. Your OB/GYN may also recommend pregnancy supplements such as a multivitamin supplement, a folic acid supplement, or Vitamin D supplements. Read more on diet menu for 4 week pregnant women

List Of Foods To Avoid By Pregnant Women

Pregnancy may be a time to indulge those taste buds, but you need to exercise some amount of caution. During pregnancy certain foods pose a higher risk of food poisoning and may threaten the development of your baby.

Seafood: While fish are typically included in any healthy diet, you need to limit your intake and there are some seafoods that you need to avoid altogether. While oily fish like tuna should only be consumed in moderation, avoid consuming fish like shark and marlin completely. Some varieties of fish contain high levels of mercury that can threaten the baby?s development. Seafoods like shellfish also put you at risk of severe food poisoning and should be avoided.

Meats: Meat products may be consumed in moderation, but you need to make sure that they are well cooked. Avoid eating any raw or undercooked meat, whether poultry or fish, as they pose a high risk of infection.

Cheese: Mould ripened varieties of cheese like camembert and blue-veined cheeses such as stilton should also be avoided, as they contain a bacteria (listeria), which can threaten the unborn child.

Unpasteurized Foods: Avoid the consumption of unpasteurized milk or any dairy product prepared from unpasteurized milk like soft goats? cheese. If you only have access to raw milk, make sure that is boiled.

Caffeine: Your caffeine intake should be severely restricted during pregnancy because of the risk it poses to the baby. In some cases it could even cause a miscarriage. Pregnant women are advised to limit caffeine intake to no more than 200mg of caffeine per day. Caffeine is present not just in tea and coffee, but it is also a common ingredient in many aerated drinks and colas.

Alcohol: Restrict your alcohol intake or abstain completely, as increased alcohol consumption can severely threaten the unborn child.

It is advisable that you maintain high standards of hygiene when handling and preparing meals. Consult with your health care provider for more specific instructions on foods to avoid during pregnancy.

First Boxer, Now Cover Girl ? Mary Spencer

Windsor boxer and Olympic hopeful Mary Spencer is also a CoverGirl. Procter & Gamble Canada, in cooperation with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), announced the sponsorship earlier this week. ?They contacted me a year ago out of nowhere. It?s not anything I would have expected or imagined,? Spencer said. Spotlight Teams in turmoil Sporting events [...]

Jim Miller

TRAINING: I train for all my opponents the same ? I train myself to become a better fighter. I train strength and conditioning, Muay Thai, wrestling and BJJ multiple times a week. When and why did you start training for fighting? I got into MMA in May of 2005, because I wanted to compete again [...]

Heartburn is an acidic indigestion to be forgotten

It can be stated as a burning feeling which keeps bothering you now and again. This happens mainly because due to acidic fluid flowing upwards from the stomach into the esophagus or the swallowing tube. Even though it is known as heartburn, it has nothing to do with the heart. It is very common digestive [...]

Women?s Heart Attack Symptoms

Every year hundreds of thousands of women die as the result of a heart attack or other cardiovascular disease. Women account for nearly half of all heart attack deaths. Between the ages of 40 and 60, as many women die of heart disease as breast cancer. ? What many people, including many healthcare professionals, don?t [...]

Natural sugars vs refined sugars

What is Sugar? ? Sugar is a carbohydrate substance found either in the form of sucrose, lactose, or fructose. ? Sucrose ? Sucrose is a disaccharide (simplest form of polysaccharides). This is the sugar we are most used to. It?s the table sugar we add in many of our foods. It comes from two plant [...]

Source: http://stek.org/nutrition-supplements/nutrition-plan-pregnancy-diet/

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Obama camp takes a celebratory lap, by way of a t-shirt (Washington Bureau)

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| Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/236174283?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Factbox: U.S. healthcare by the numbers

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court's healthcare ruling on Thursday has far-reaching implications for a healthcare system that, according to the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, is highest in spending but just 31st in providing coverage to its people among the OECD's 34 members.

The following information ranking the United States by category against the OECD's other members comes from the November publication "Health at a Glance 2011 - OECD Indicators."

* 1st in Spending - Annual healthcare spending totals $2.6 trillion, equal to 17.9 percent of U.S. annual gross domestic product, or $8,402 for every man, woman and child.

* 1st in Good Health Self-Assessments - 90 percent of U.S. adults aged 15 and older describe themselves as being in good health versus an OECD average of 69.1 percent.

* 1st in Obesity - More than one-third of American adults are obese, up from 15 percent in 1980.

* 2nd in Prevalence of Diabetes - 10.3 percent of the U.S. population suffers from diabetes, surpassed only by Mexico's 10.8 percent. The OECD average is 6.5 percent.

* 3rd out of nine in Waiting Time for Specialists - Out of nine countries from Europe, North America and Australia and New Zealand, the United States has the third shortest waiting time for specialist appointments at 20 weeks; Germany and Switzerland had shorter waiting periods.

* 4th in Preventing Death from Stroke - The United States ranks behind Israel, Switzerland and France with 32 stroke-related deaths per 100,000 people.

* 7th in Cancer Incidence - Cancer afflicts more than 300 people per 100,000 in the United States, compared with an OECD average of 261 per 100,000.

* 9th in Preventing Death from Cancer - At 185 deaths per 100,000, the United States is well above an OECD average of 208 per 100,000.

* 10th in Number of Practicing Nurses - 10.8 per 1,000 population versus an OECD average of 8.4 per 1,000.

* 11th of 11 in Unmet Need for Care Due to Cost - The United States ranks last among 11 OECD countries in its ability to provide affordable care: 39 percent of people with below-average income and 20 percent of people with above-average income report foregoing a doctor visit or prescription because of the cost.

* 25th in Preventing Death from Heart Disease - At 129 deaths per 100,000 people, the U.S. heart disease mortality rate is below an OECD average of 117 per 100,000.

* 27th in Life Expectancy - Americans can expect to live 78.2 years on average, below the OECD average and just behind Slovenia and Chile.

* 29th in Number of Practicing Doctors - The United States has 2.4 practicing doctors per 1,000 population, placing it below an OECD average of 3.1.

* 29th in Doctor Consultations - At 3.9 annual doctor visits per capita, the United States leads only Ireland, Mexico, Sweden and Chile versus an OECD average of 6.5 percent per capita.

* 30th out of 39 in Hospital Beds - 3.1 per 1,000 population.

* 30th in Medical Graduates - 6.5 per 100,000 population, ahead of only France, Japan and Israel. The OECD average is 9.9 per 100,000 population.

* 31st in Health Coverage - An estimated 81 percent of Americans are covered by private or government health insurance, placing the country ahead of only Turkey, Mexico and Chile; 25 OECD countries cover 99 percent or more of their citizens.

* 31st out of 40 in Infant Mortality - 6.5 babies die per thousand live births in the United States, placing the country behind Poland and the Slovak Republic and below an OECD average performance of 4.4 per thousand live births.

* 31st in Preventing Premature Death - The number of years lost in the United States to premature death is surpassed only by Hungary, Mexico and Russia. The main causes are accidents, violence, cancer and circulatory disease.

The OECD was established in Europe after World War Two to promote peace through cooperation and reconstruction. Its members are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

(Compiled by David Morgan; Editing by Howard Goller and Will Dunham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-u-healthcare-numbers-144624736.html

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Exceptional Graphic Design Is Art Through the Creation of Ideas

The most prevalent fields of art which has an effect on people each day is graphic design. This art and advertising skill is essential to many businesses. Drawing upon a number of disciplines which includes art, architecture, language, philosophy, and science this form of design speaks both to personal and public desires by clearly communicating messages to the consumer. High quality graphic design is not only a popular art, but also a practical art through the visualization of ideas. Good commercial design doesn't simply make something look pretty. Instead, it is always in the best interests of the client's needs to create advantageous visual communication with the target audience.

Often combining a complex mix of colors, shapes, fonts, along with words and pictures, numbers and possibly charts, photographs and even illustrations, the artist orchestrates these elements to create a exceptional, instructive, subversive and most importantly memorable visual result. The most successful design passes on ideas that inspire, inform, or captivate the audience. Every day we are literally overwhelemd with graphic design from the pages of newspapers and magazines, to every billboard, advertisement, and web page we look at. From corporate reports to business cards, to logos, credit cards, food wrappers, to train, bus, and airport signs, and to even all that junk mail, graphic designers have left their mark. Good design means beneficial visual communication and thus a connection between the design's meaning and the audience.

Imaginative graphic artists implement both image-based design and type-based (fonts / words) design when developing graphic design to communicate a client's message to a distinct audience. Both visuals and text can create quite worthwhile combinations. By exploring the creative options presented by words via typography and images through photography, illustration, and/or fine art, designers assemble and present their client's message. When the creative process begins, artists need to work with the client to comprehend the content and the objective of the message, as well as often working with market researchers and other specialists to understand the nature of the demographics. Once a design concept is chosen, the designer may have all skills necessary or may collaborate with a number of other specialists including photographers, typesetters, illustrators, printers, and even web development firms or HTML workers.

In addition to a extensive grounding in fine art, the finest artists in this field need computer software, marketing, and creativity, an extensive body of technical comprehension concerning special printing processes and limitations, paper materials, printing pigments, digital file preparation, quality control, and troubleshooting. It is common to find artists who are proficient in many programs with a broad knowledge and forms of design just as it is to find artists who work together. Web design plays a important role for many graphic artists, as well as motion graphics such as the titles for TV shows and movies. The expression "graphic design" is developing as new technologies are offered.

So the next time your interest is drawn to a poster, a billboard, a business logo, a magazines/book cover, a brochure, or an advertisement and you react, know that by means of design some company has reached with you!

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Lindsay Lohan Gun Photos Spark Controversy

Famed photographer Terry Richardson has caused a stir after he posted an image on his blog of troubled star Lindsay Lohan with a handgun in her mouth.

Considering who we're talking about, the imagery is shocking.

Playing with guns is never cool, of course, but when the girl doing so is the #1 seed in everyone's celebrity death pool and looks like a drugged-out mess?

That just feels wrong, but it certainly gets people talking ...

Wednesday, Richardson pulled the controversial photos of the 25-year-old star, replacing the gun pics with a new set of racy black and white images.

The sexy shots, taken inside her home away from home (the Chateau Marmont), show Lindsay in a see-through bra and underwear. Pretty standard.

Posing nude is nothing new for Lohan, who just took it all off for Playboy in an homage to Marilyn Monroe, and did a similar spread for NY Magazine years ago.

Terry is no stranger to pushing the envelope either. Racy photos of celebs are sort of his calling card ... along with the Kate Upton Cat Daddy video.

Check out more of the Lindsay Lohan photos in question below ...

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Remodeling Launches' Home for Life ?Virtual Home Tour ...

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

With Page voiceless, Brin appears at Google show

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Actress Hilary Swank helps Bucharest stray dogs

BUCHAREST, Romania BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) ? Thousands of Romanian street dogs have found a friend in Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank.

Swank, who won for her portrayal of a waitress-turned-boxer in "Million Dollar Baby," visited Bucharest last week and showed a different kind of skill: fighting for animal rights.

Swank, who says travel has been her best education, rarely leaves home without Kai, a devoted Jack Russell stray she rescued in Los Angeles.

In the Romanian capital on Friday, she visited projects set up by the animal welfare foundation Vier Pfoten that encourage interaction between stray dogs and institutionalized people.

Bucharest has 35,000 strays and their fate has sparked a fierce debate here. Some believe they should be put down, others advocate putting the dogs in shelters, while others want strays to be sterilized.

Swank spoke to The Associated Press about her devotion to animals, her belief in sterilization and the ways street dogs can help disadvantaged people.

'I believe that is so healing to these kids who don't trust people anymore," she said. "The unconditional love of an animal is very healing and teaches them about not just unconditional love but about a relationship, about responsibility, about anger management."

Swank said she is starting a U.S. charity called Hilaroo to bring needy children and animals together. The charity combines her name and that of her late dog, Karoo.

'I've seen firsthand how it changes the path of the soul, for the animal and for the child," she said.

Visiting a retirement home, she talked about one special dog that changed the life of an elderly woman.

"There was a woman didn't get out of bed, and after a few weeks of the dog coming to visit she's up walking," she said. "The dog literally got her out of bed."

Last week, the 37-year-old actress was in Paris for the Salvatore Ferragamo Cruise Collection 2013 show.

Next month, Swank begins work on "Martha and Mary," an HBO movie with Brenda Blethyn about two women trying to eradicate malaria. Directed by Phillip Noyce, it will be shot in North Carolina and South Africa.

Before leaving Bucharest, she urged people to neuter unwanted dogs and cats rather than kill them.

"I believe in a "No-Kill" policy," she said. "Hopefully (we are) getting to a place where we have "No-Kill" universally and just a more caring attitude in general to all animals."

Associated Press

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Understanding Senior Care and Elder Law - nyndog's posterous

Senior care and elder law are closely related industries that seek to provide care and protection for one of our most vulnerable populations -- senior citizens. But while distinctly different, senior care and elder law often intersect when it comes to the needs of our aging family members. Understanding what each is and how it can help your elder loved one can significantly improve the lifestyle of your entire family.

Senior care is a healthcare field dedicated to providing basic assistance and medical care for seniors. The field broadly refers to three primary types of care:

In Home Care -- The type of care that allows for the highest level of independence, in home care is provided by skilled professionals in the home of the elderly person. This can include full time, part time or relief care services.

Assisted Living -- Assisted living generally refers to a community designed, built and managed in such a way as to provide long term support to seniors. Members of assisted living communities often live in their own apartment or condominium and have access to a variety of senior care services.

Nursing Care -- Nursing care is the most intensive level of care and offers full medical services including medication management. Nursing care residents live in a specialized facility staffed by nurses and their aides, and in some cases psychiatrists and medical doctors are part of the regular staff.

Elder law is a relatively new field of law that deals exclusively with legal issues related to senior citizens. This includes estate planning, wills and trusts, laws dealing with insurance and medical care, and laws that protect the elderly from neglect or abuse.

Senior care and elder law intersect in the following 2 ways:

1.) Life Decisions

There are complicated laws surrounding legal issues like wills, long term care and estate planning. These laws require legal counsel even in the most ideal situations, but what often happens is that families begin asking about these laws only after a crisis has occurred.

For instance, in the case of an elderly family member suddenly taking ill and being unable to make their own rational decisions, legal intervention is often required in order for long term care to proceed. And in cases of dementia where family members want to provide care at home; there are legal responsibilities that must be undertaken when doing so.

The best solution to these problems is to create a plan before crisis occurs.

2.) Protection from Abuse

It's unfortunate that we would need them, but there are laws in place that protect seniors from neglect or abuse. In many cases the punishment for violating these laws are severe and come with hefty prison sentences. Family members that suspect their loved ones are being mistreated can take action by invoking elder law. Authorities are required to rigorously investigate any such claims.

Senior care is ultimately governed by elder law, so developing an understanding of the two is critical to providing a lifetime of support for an elderly family member. To learn more, call a professional in home care giver or senior care provider for an immediate consultation.

Click here to speak to one of our Pittsburgh Senior Care specialists now. Click here for the orginal source of this article: http://www.pittsburghseniorcare.org/understanding-senior-care-elder-law/

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Pentagon dilemma: More privacy in barracks linked to more sexual assault

Pentagon upgrades in troops' living quarters sought to ease rigors of persistent conflict, but lax regulations are also producing more high-risk situations for young servicemen and women.

By Anna Mulrine,?Staff writer / June 26, 2012

Former Marine officer Ariana Klay, who says she was raped in 2010 while serving at Marine Barracks Washington, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington in March, along with seven other current or former members of the US military who allege retaliation when they reported abuse to their superiors. She shown here in a March 5 photo taken in Washington a day before filing the lawsuit.

Carolyn Kaster/AP/File

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US military barracks have come a long way from the Beetle Bailey cartoon days, when troops slept in rows of metal bunks and awoke with "Reveille." Today?s new soldiers are inheritors of living quarters that more closely resemble condominiums.

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But there are more lax regulations in the barracks that have come with compassion for troops who have been fighting wars for a decade ? and with it, growing concern that the privacy afforded in these living quarters may need to be reevaluated in the wake of growing instances of sexual assault, senior military officials say.

The Marine Corps, for its part, this week issued a sobering acknowledgement of the pervasiveness of sexual assault within its ranks, and what it bills as a new plan for addressing it. ?Despite our efforts,? it read, ?we have been ineffective at addressing and eliminating sexual assault.??

The plan, signed by the Marine Corps' top officer, comes on the heels of the release of a documentary, "The Invisible War," that details the experience of women who say they were raped at the storied Marine Corps Barracks in Washington, D.C. ? the home of ceremonial forces and the Marines' top officer.

The plan includes ?more effective screening of individuals wanting to join the Corps? and ?identifying and mitigating high-risk situations.?

Some of these high-risk situations may occur in the barracks, where the youngest, lowest-ranking troops who are most likely to commit sexual assaults live, according to Pentagon statistics. The crime is most prevalent among what the military calls the E1 to E4 ranks ? generally enlisted troops from the ages of 18 to 24 or so.

Amid a heavy pace of war ? with 11 years of persistent conflict and the burden that places on soldiers and leaders ? there has been an effort over the past decade to ?make their home life feel more like home,? says Brig. Gen. Barrye Price, director of the Army?s human resources policy office. ?There has been an attempt to be less intrusive.??

As a result, some of the ?baseline? checks ?that leaders would normally do may be lost,? General Price adds.?

In a discussion earlier this year of risk behaviors among forces, retired Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army?s former No. 2 officer, noted that he frequently visited bases ?where soldiers ask for better control of their barracks.??

Says Price, ?I think it?s just going to require greater vigilance,? particularly as the Army has moved from open-bay barracks with bunk beds to private rooms with common areas shared by two soldiers. ?The barracks is one of those places where we know there is a problem.?

This will require more of ?those little leader things,? Price says, such as leaders patrolling barracks and ?looking for beer in the fridge? for troops under age 21. ?I don?t think we need to go back to an open barracks setup ? part of the growing experience is building autonomy? in new troops. ?Parents want us to change ?Johnny our son? into Johnny the man,? he says. That said, he adds, ?It?s one of those innate leaders responsibilities to be vigilant around the places soldiers frequent.?

The key is not simply enforcing rules in the barracks, says Anu Bhagwati, a former Marine officer and executive director of Service Women?s Action Network, an advocacy organization.?

?Truly asserting leadership doesn?t just mean physically patrolling barracks,? says Ms. Bhagwati, who adds that the Marine Corps' plans for ?mitigating high-risk situations? could simply lead to more focus on the behaviors of victims, rather than the perpetrators.?

Leadership, she says, ?means that when someone reports something, you support that young private and make sure they?re not bullied ? that there is no acceptance of hostility or lack of compassion,? she says. ?It?s so much deeper than walking the halls like a corrections officer."

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Kim K.: Kanye relationship isn't a publicity stunt ? The Marquee Blog ...

If you?re hoping for a Kimye wedding, don't hold your breath, Kim Kardashian says.

The reality star told Oprah Winfrey she?s not planning to marry Mr. ?Watch the Throne? just yet.

"I'm not thinking about marriage right now," she said during the second part of ?Oprah's Next Chapter? Kardashian interview, which aired Sunday night. "To have [Kanye] in my life this way, says a lot about us."

Kim went on to reveal more about her relationship with the artist.

"I don't know why it took so long for us to kind of get together," Kardashian said, noting that she and West have been friends for about six or seven years. "But I think I needed to go through all my experiences."

Despite her short-lived marriage to Kris Humphries, K insists, via USA Today, her relationship with Kanye isn't some kind of publicity stunt.

"It's your heart you're playing with," she said. "I couldn't sacrifice my heart for a publicity stunt."

Kardashian also admitted to buying West a Lamborghini for his birthday, but denied that they're moving in together.

"I hate to talk about myself. I'm so critical," Kim said when asked if she considers herself beautiful.

She called herself "pretty," but said she couldn't admit to being "beautiful." She told Oprah that looking the way she does is a full-time job - when she?s not Tweeting for money, that is.

It's all in the contracts,? the social networking diva admitted of her strategic product placements. "Like, you do a certain amount of appearances, there has to be a certain amount of tweets."

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User:Kagrbq - Data Management Guidance

From Data Management Guidance

SMS is actually small for Short Information Assistance, and is also the particular service provided by cellphone carriers that enables people to send out sms for some other phone people. Text messages message or perhaps texting is growing since the number 1 speediest developing marketing communications development globally. More than 2.4 million customers or maybe in relation to 74% on the the planet's phone people post as well as get sms messages. That's why it is no astonish a large number of services have got sprung up on the internet presenting free of charge Text message on the internet.

Just what are these facilities that offer free SMS online?

These services are just like instant messaging services. A person generate an account, log-in towards the accounts, in addition to send out mail messages. But rather than the particular receiver having your delivered communications on the laptop or computer, they will be given this on the cellphone. You on one other side, are mailing your message employing a computer system.

Why do cost-free?

How come other things free online? Possibly the inventors are generating as a result of marketing, or even they can be generating plenty of through via shawls by hoda, probably there is a revenue-sharing arrangement together with the cellphone service providers many people support, or maybe the creators are only simply philanthropists. Yep, it may transpire. The net see the industry of free, free software, in addition to shareware applications.

Should i do one thing specific to make use of your assistance?

Apart from applying? Simply no. You might want to provide your phone range if you'd like banking account associated with the cellphone therefore it can easily get mail messages provided for your account every time you happen to be off-line. Although or else, absolutely nothing is in addition needed. Unless you want to provide your own cell phone variety or maybe if you've got no phone, you can simply make use of your email to be able to sign-up as well as create an account.

Are there different rewards in addition to transmitting cost-free Taletid on the internet?

Several on the web texting products and services provide free email in addition to free MMS forwarding. There are also several services that could faultlessly perform both being an on the net txt messaging services plus an im services enabling you to connect with your pals using other instant messaging providers including Skype, GoogleTalk, along with Aol Messenger.

Exist hidden expenses I ought to be aware of?

Nothing. That you do not even require the by using a credit card in order to sign-up for most of these solutions. However, you'll want to understand cautiously their own phrases seeing that several on the net text messaging consumer charges individuals whenever they solution your emails.

How does someone ensure the privacy can be retained and that my emails are not becoming examine simply by other individuals?

See the service's online privacy policy and also other disclaimers. To be safe, employ services from reputable internet websites or firms like pakiet sms. Try to discover all the data since you can before by using a distinct service or maybe signing-up on the distinct web page.

My pal says he/she by no means acquired our information, what's up with this?

The services are certainly not promising that every concept mailed are going to be gotten. When you have almost any issues delivering mail messages, you should primary these phones your involved cellular insurers because the issues might be taking place on his or her conclude.

The wonderful competency to be able to match the world as a result of Text message has unquestionably changed into a very strong internet marketing strategy over the 12 months; just because a meaning is actually right brought to this receiver.

For you some sort of texting can be convenient, although often high-priced. It becomes costly if your cellular phone service that you make use of gives services that is certainly too high or else you could possibly be using the providers excessively over what's necessary. Some sort of technological innovation text to some mobile phone is actually receiving well-known on this planet involving conversation technological innovation. Just about any Text messages might be right now deliver to residential phone.

Text message with a phone allows you to mail a good Text messages communication from a mobile or portable, subsequently converted to style if your device acquire his landline cell phone about the idea wedding rings. Any time someone sees the actual residential phone phone, the writing meaning that was mailed is going to be heard and can reply back using one of the disposable reactions. In the event the particular person doesn't solution the telephone, next the landline tone of voice text goes toward voicemail. To help text message to your cellphone may be easy as you are don't talk vocally. You are able to respond instantly by just speaking over the phone to help relay ones reply. A new tone of voice report within your answer is going to be sent back to the unique emailer being an Text. Furthermore, ones voice communication can even be forwarded to some others. Various instant service providers provide the written text to your mobile phone feature. In addition, it will take someone to register for the actual plan to be able to enjoy the feature.

Text message to a phone would be the solution to conversation using a wi-fi phone to transmit a good Taletid in order to land line cell phone.

The actual advancement connected with SMS or texting has taken the earth to your crest associated with interaction technology. The application of mobile phone or even mobile devices smoothens the best way to simple and one on one conversation. Almost all of the cell phones now can deliver communications by having a wording a cellular phone or maybe residential phone mobile phones. Textual content some sort of cellular phone emails are mainly only a mobile correspondence and might conserve terrific time rather than a speech mobile call. Text a cellular phone can be quite functional for promoting short problem or components of details. Yet, any mindful shift will likely be noticed as soon as revealing the portable amount for you to internet sites as well as other services you are feeling uncertain as well as don't feel relaxed having may possibly the cell phone will finish receiving junk as well as unneeded commercials by promoters.

Send the written text some sort of cell phone coming from a computer is completely totally free! Even so, you will discover network providers that impose the actual beneficiary for every single meaning that they get. Nonetheless, whenever you text to some mobile phone through your cellphone with assorted companies oahu is the sender that's charges.

The fact remains which today text messages is becoming somebody's daily routine. For you a textual content a new cellular phone on your buddies, colleagues and also family members are a grand strategy to convey any speedy meaning when a words contact just isn't handi as well as required. Many phone insurers provide methods similar to size ideas as well as pay out every meaning plans. When believe you're wide texter (individual who directs word) it can save you quite a few by simply choosing the link strategy to suit your preferences, like having to pay a compact added for a Mobiles ( space ) unrestricted bundle, that will conserve bundle of money finally. However, if you might be a holiday texter who text the cellular simply several information 30 days, then this pay-per-text communication best suits anyone.

Free Text messages Textual content

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breaking news:Freelance writing & jobs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 24, 2012 -- Freelance writing & jobs

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?NEED OF website development & designing for upcoming sourcebook?

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Some more best things which you can offer

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For complete article please visit

http://webdevelopmenti.com/

Author:

MOHAMMAD IMRAN KHAN ,

CEO, GLOBAL PRESS CLUB

www.globalpressclub.com

This article was published on www.webdevelopmenti.com for first time.

Anyone can distribute it with proper reference & link back will be appreciated.

Disclaimer:

All the details and statistics about freelancer.com, their management team and their investors are taken by official web pages of www.freelancer.com

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Speeding up bone growth by manipulating stem cells

ScienceDaily (June 25, 2012) ? If you break a bone, you know you'll end up in a cast for weeks. But what if the time it took to heal a break could be cut in half? Or cut to just a tenth of the time it takes now? Qian Wang, a chemistry professor at the University of South Carolina, has made tantalizing progress toward that goal.

Wang, Andrew Lee and co-workers just reported in Molecular Pharmaceutics that surfaces coated with bionanoparticles could greatly accelerate the early phases of bone growth. Their coatings, based in part on genetically modified Tobacco mosaic virus, reduced the amount of time it took to convert stem cells into bone nodules -- from two weeks to just two days.

The key to hastening bone healing or growth is to coax a perfectly natural process to pick up the pace.

"If you break a rib, or a finger, the healing is automatic," said Wang. "You need to get the bones aligned to be sure it works as well as possible, but then nature takes over."

Healing is indeed very natural. The human body continuously generates and circulates cells that are undifferentiated; that is, they can be converted into the components of a range of tissues, such as skin or muscle or bone, depending on what the body needs.

The conversion of these cells -- called stem cells -- is set into motion by external cues. In bone healing, the body senses the break at the cellular level and begins converting stem cells into new bone cells at the location of the break, bonding the fracture back into a single unit. The process is very slow, which is helpful in allowing a fracture to be properly set, but after that point the wait is at least an inconvenience, and in some cases highly detrimental.

"With a broken femur, a leg, you can be really incapacitated for a long time," said Wang. "In cases like that, they sometimes inject a protein-based drug, BMP-2, which is very effective in speeding up the healing process. Unfortunately, it's very expensive and can also have some side effects."

In a search for alternatives four years ago, Wang and colleagues uncovered some unexpected accelerants of bone growth: plant viruses. They originally meant for these viruses, which are harmless to humans, to work as controls. They coated glass surfaces with uniform coverings of the Turnip yellow mosaic virus and Tobacco mosaic virus, originally intending to use them as starting points for examining other potential variations.

But they were surprised to find that the coatings alone could reduce the amount of time to grow bone nodules from stem cells. Since then, Wang and co-workers have refined their approach to better define just what it is that accelerates bone growth.

Over the course of the past four years, they've demonstrated that it's a combination of the chemistry as well as the topography of the surface that determines how long it takes a stem cell to form bone nodules. The stem cells are nestled into a nanotopgraphy defined by the plant virus, and within that nanotopography the cells make contact with the variety of chemical groups on the viral surface.

Wang and his team are now asserting control over these variables. In the most recent effort spearheaded by Lee, they built up a layer-by-layer assembly underneath the virus coating to ensure stability. They also genetically modified the viral protein to enhance the interaction between the coating and the stem cells and help drive them toward bone growth.

Their efforts were rewarded with bone nodules that formed just two days after the addition of stem cells, compared to two weeks with a standard glass surface. They're also carefully following the cellular signs involved with success. BMP-2 is involved, but as an intrinsic cellular product rather than an added drug.

"BMP-2 is bone morphogenetic protein 2. It can be added as a protein-based drug, but it's a natural protein produced in the cell," said Wang. "We see upregulation of the BMP-2 within 8 hours with the new scaffold." They also find osteocalcin expression and calcium sequestration, two processes associated with bone formation, to be much more pronounced with their new coatings.

"What we've seen could prove very useful, particularly when it comes to external implants in bones," said Wang. "With those, you have to add a foreign material, and knowing that a coating might increase the bone growth process is clearly beneficial."

"But more importantly, we feel we're making progress in a more general sense in bone engineering. We're really showing the direct correlation between nanotopography and cellular response. If our results can be further developed, in the future you could use titanium to replace the bone, and you might be able to use different kinds of nanoscale patterning on the titanium surface to create all kinds of different cellular responses."

Chuanbin Mao, a professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Oklahoma who was not involved in the work, wrote in an e-mail that he was "amazed and excited" by the results. "The display of peptides on viruses, including Tobacco mosaic virus, is a powerful approach for studying how engineered virus particles can direct stem cell differentiation."

"The discovery that the display of a cell adhesion peptide on Tobacco mosaic virus can enable the rapid differentiation of stem cells into bone-forming cells is very important for guiding scientists in designing a scaffold that can induce rapid bone formation in regenerative medicine."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of South Carolina. The original article was written by Steven Powell.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

L. Andrew Lee, Sevan M. Muhammad, Quyen L. Nguyen, Pongkwan Sitasuwan, Gary Horvath, Qian Wang. Multivalent Ligand Displayed on Plant Virus Induces Rapid Onset of Bone Differentiation. Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2012; : 120530092656003 DOI: 10.1021/mp300042t

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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