From 10th Mountain Division equipment to Andy Mill?s Olympic uniform to Elizabeth Paepcke?s lavender shoes and gardening hat, the basement archive of the Aspen Historical Society is a treasure trove of local life.
On a recent tour, archivist Anna Scott showed off the scenes depicted in a recently acquired collection of 1,500 glass plate photograph negatives, capturing Aspen from 1900 to World War I. Poking through the archive, one might find the town fire chief?s helmet from the late 1800s, Hilder Anderson?s accordion, Albert Schweitzer?s piano, or all of the legal briefs from Whip Jones? legendary U.S. Supreme Court battle with the Aspen Skiing Co.
While this stuff is priceless, the price of properly protecting it is about $1 million.
The society is making a fundraising push to raise the money to do that, as the centerpiece of a larger $3 million capital campaign. The remaining $2 million would also give the society a general endowment, which is does not currently have.
The archive collection boasts more than 24,500 photographs, 6,500 objects, 5,900 written items and documents and 1,000 books. Longtime Aspen Times photographer Mary Hayes recently agreed to give the society her 65,000 photograph collection.
A professional analysis of the overflowing basement archive found it is undersized and outdated, with inadequate, precarious protection from fire and flood, falling below current museum archive standards.
Among the archival no-nos in the current set-up: a downstairs bathroom pumps waste up to ground level, moving it through a ceiling above the archive room; lights and plugs in the room serve as ignition sources and raise fire risk; there?s no cold storage for film and negatives, and no firewalls.
?We?re stuck in the ?70s down here,? Scott said.
The new design would add 35 percent to the storage capacity ? without adding to the building or basement?s footprint ? by moving the archivists? desks upstairs and otherwise rejiggering the downstairs. The work would also provide firewalls on all sides and remove any possible fire-starters.
?We want to protect our archives, because they are extraordinary,? society President Georgia Hanson said. ?The fact is that they are at risk and we want to reduce every occurrence of risk. ... Water is a huge fear. Fire is a huge fear.?
?Dorothy M. Atkins/Aspen Daily News
Aspen Historical Society?s President Georgia Hanson opens the late Hildur Anderson?s accordion, which is one of many items in the organization?s archive. Anderson, a member of the Aspen Hall of Fame, was a longtime local who was know for the many accordion lessons she gave to children in the area. Anderson died in 2002.
As is, staff members each have a ?red book? emergency binder. It carries instructions for what to do in case of an archive-threatening emergency, and has a list of what items firefighters should prioritize pulling out of the archive first.
After the renovation, Hanson said, the risk of catastrophic loss would be greatly reduced, and the archives would be brought up to the standards of the American Alliance of Museums.
The new plan was developed with the help of national archive expert Walter Crimm, who has worked for the Smithsonian Institute and History Colorado. Crimm provided his services in exchange for ski passes. The architectural design is by Steev Wilson of Forum Phi Architecture.
The $999,500 project would renovate the entire carriage house on the Historical Society?s West End grounds. Built in 1976, the three-story carriage house hosts five society employees as well as its rich archive collection.
Along with the archive renovation, and included in the $1 million price tag, the nonprofit is aiming to remodel the upper floors of the carriage house, which are currently over-run with piles of items from the archive. Without expanding the building?s footprint, the plans would revamp the upstairs offices and add a public research area, a meeting room, and include an energy efficient retrofit. The attic, currently used for overflow storage, would be renovated into office space for the society president and other staff. The conceptual plans show the interior crafted in Bauhaus style, in tribute to Herbert Bayer, with flourishes of ?Bayer blue.?
?We are not trying to get bigger,? Hanson said. ?We are trying to fulfill our responsibility to preserve these archives.?
The collection, noted Scott, is used by locals as well as researchers and people with local interest from around the world.
?We get used by people all over the world and the nation,? she said.
Hanson is hoping to complete the overhaul by the end of next year, which marks the society?s 50th anniversary and is also the time of her planned retirement. She wants to leave the archive safely protected, she said, and the organization with an endowment assuring its financial well-being.
A voter-approved property tax has helped support the society since 2006, levying about $2.38 for every $100,000 of property value. It brings in about $575,000 per year. Last year the tax funds accounted for 72 percent of the society?s operating budget. The rest comes from donations and program fees, according to the society?s budget.
Despite the modern convenience of electronic communication and the popularity of social networking sites, it seems many people today have difficulty getting past surface level and developing lasting friendships. Many admit they are lonely and don?t feel connected, describing themselves as relationally incomplete.
Many people also seem to lack a sense of community ? having somewhere they feel they belong to; where they can interact with others face to face.
Are we losing the skills needed to develop strong close relationships that last the test of time? The truth is: we can?t achieve a whole lot on our own ? we need to join with others in every area of life.
When difficulties arise within a partnership it may seem easier to walk away than to stick with it and work through the problems. Our culture seems to encourage walking away from difficulties.
?It is easier to walk away from a friendship when you are offended.
It is easy to just walk away from a church when you don?t like something
It can feel easier to walk away form a marriage that is in crisis.
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Maybe we don?t fully understand or value the long term benefits of lifelong partnerships ? ones built on mutual principles, character and trust. Learning the keys to sticking together can unlock great potential.
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Philippians 2:25?30 (NKJV)Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need;
At a time when Paul was imprisoned, unwell and unsure of his own future survival, he chose Epaphraditus to deliver his letter to the Philippians because of the strong relationship they had built over time. Paul needed someone proven, reliable and trustworthy ? someone he knew would get the job done. Paul had helped Epaphroditus recover from serious illness, trained him, and over time a strong bond of respect and trust had grown between them.
Paul describes Epaphroditus as his:
brother
fellow worker
fellow soldier
Here we have a model for success for relationships in many areas, including family, friendships, career endeavours, church involvement and ministry. Here we see a relationship that goes far deeper than just surface level, with various layers built of commitment into it over time.
A Brother: speaks of a family bond, denoting closeness and common attributes, commitment, mutual protection, strength, a common lineage and heritage
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The story of David and Jonathan comes to mind. These two had a brotherly bond, and made a strong and lasting pact together, despite the fact that Jonathan?s father wanted to kill David and also David was set to take the throne that could have been Jonathan?s. (1 Sam 18)
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?A Fellow Worker: represents more than lip-service ? it speaks of action and productivity ? someone who will roll up their sleeves and help to get the job done. Regarding church, it denotes those who get involved in helping out rather than just talking about what needs to be done. There?s always plenty to do, but not everyone wants to do the work.
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Matt 9:37-38 Then He said to His disciples, ?The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. 38 ?Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest. (NKJ)
A Soldier: the fighter. There will be times in relationships when you will need to contend for them ? not with the other party, but to keep the relationship moving forward. This applies to friendships, marriages, families and at church. This seems to be an aspect we?ve forgotten. In the heat of battle, it can seem easier to bail out rather than persisting until problems have been overcome. Like soldiers, we need to pursue victory!
To be successful we need to link up with others. Paul knew this. He had very little in prison, but one thing he had was his partnership with Epaphroditus ? more than a surface level friendship; a relationship with depth, built on layers of strength.
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Invest in your relationships and you will reap the benefits. As you become the friend others need they will be more likely to be there for you in your time of need.
Even after a young person struggling with an eating disorder makes the all-important decision to seek help, treatment can still be a way off.
So the Children?s Hospital of Eastern Ontario announced Wednesday that it would begin research that will result in the creation of a web-based resource for youth awaiting treatment and their families.
?There?ll be some videos of specialists speaking, videos of parents speaking about what was helpful, videos of youth speaking about their experience having an eating disorder and then some interactive online questions,? said Dr. Katherine Henderson, describing what will likely be included in the final product.
The research is made possible by a $45,000 gift from Bell?s ?Let?s Talk? program, which promotes mental health and destigmatizes mental illness.
Eating disorders remain a real threat to young people.
CHEO estimates that over one in four girls aged 12 to 18 suffer from eating disorders, leading them in many cases to binge on food, induce vomiting or abuse laxatives.
But to get into CHEO?s eating disorders program, patients first need a referral from family doctor or pediatrician. The online resource will aim to kickstart treatment by providing interim support.
Henderson said the resource should help to empower parents by giving them information and by making them feel involved in caring for their son or daughter.
?Is that effective when they don?t have a full team around them? The initial research shows yes, when it?s live,? Henderson said. ?And so now we want to research (if it?s) helpful ? when we put it online.?
With the cash in hand, the research team can now get down to business.
?We hope to have something that we can start piloting by the summer,? Henderson said. ?And then we?ll evaluate it over the course of the next year.?
Recycled water for landscaping, a new park and second fire station are improvements Rancho Bernardo Planning Board members want the city to pursue for Rancho Bernardo when crafting the fiscal year 2014 budget.
These three priorities received an overwhelming amount of support during the board?s Oct. 25 meeting over other suggestions that will also be forwarded to city officials.
Board member Vicki Touchstone said city officials this summer decided to ask each community to give suggestions for their Capital Improvement Program projects. CIP is a multi-year forecast of capital needs that can include new construction or planned improvements to existing facilities. They have to be ?tangible? with ?a life expectancy greater than one year.? Possible areas include environmental services, fire-rescue, park and recreation, public utilities, transportation and storm water.
The board is also to give feedback on a list city officials compiled because some of the projects listed in previous years have been completed or are no longer needed. These include various roadway and median improvements and expansions, renovations at Rancho Bernardo Community Park, Rancho Bernardo-Glassman Recreation Center, Ed Brown Senior Center, Rancho Bernardo Library, water services infrastructure, storm water projects and sewer improvements.
When voting on suggestions generated at the meeting by board members, residents and other community groups, Touchstone said cost and financing should not be considered since the city has various funding options along with possible grants the board members do not know about.
Each board member was given three votes, which they could distribute as they wished among the suggestions. Making recycled water available for landscaping in public areas received 33 percent of the votes (16 of 48 cast). The city purchasing an almost 11-acre vacant site on Avenida Venusto that Poway Unified School District intends to sell so part or all can be turned into a park received 25 percent of votes (12 of 48). Constructing a second fire station in Rancho Bernardo since Station No. 33 has the largest geographical area to cover citywide came in third, with 21 percent of votes (10).
Bus stop and shelter upgrades received three votes (6 percent). There was a three-way tie with two votes each (4 percent) for completing missing sidewalk sections at Escala and Bernardo Center drives and along Rancho Bernardo Road between Via del Campo and Matinal Road, and installing lights on sports fields two and four at Rancho Bernardo Community Park.
Other suggestions considered included bicycle lane additions, storm drain renovations and installing artificial turf on two community park sports fields.
Related posts:
Forum to address Rancho Bernardo?s lack of recycled water
Bernardo Heights school site eyed for park
Committee needed to move forward with recycled water
Memo to Caltrans: That?s ?Cooke? with an ?e?
Rancho Bernardo Planning Board elections are March 3
Decades ago, there was a popular book titled ?What They Don?t Teach You at Harvard Business School.? Perhaps someday, another book will appear to detail certain aspects of the retirement experience that go unrecognized ? the ?fine print,? if you will.
Here are some things that can be frequently overlooked:
How will you save in retirement? More and more baby boomers are retiring with the hope they can become centenarians. That could prove true thanks to health care advances and generally healthier lifestyles. We all save for retirement. But with our increasing longevity, we also also need to save during retirement for the decades ahead. That means more than budgeting ? it means investing with growth and tax efficiency in mind year after year.
Could your cash flow be more important than your savings? While the No. 1 retirement fear is someday running out of money, your income stream actually could prove more important than your retirement nest egg. How great will the income stream be from your accumulated wealth??
There?s a longstanding belief that retirees should withdraw about 4 percent of their savings annually. This ?4 percent rule? became popular back in the 1990s thanks to an influential article written by a financial advisor named Bill Bengen in the Journal of Financial Planning. While the ?4 percent rule? has its followers, the respected economist William Sharpe (one of the minds behind modern portfolio theory) dismissed it as simplistic and an open door to retirement income shortfalls in a widely cited 2009 essay in the Journal of Investment Management.
Volatility has become pronounced in today?s financial markets. The relative calm we knew prior to the last recession could take years to return. Because of this volatility, it?s hard to imagine sticking to a hard-and-fast withdrawal rate in retirement. Your annual withdrawal percentage could need to vary due to life and market factors.
What will you begin doing in retirement? In the classic retirement dream, every day feels like Saturday. Your reward for decades of work is freedom. But will all that freedom leave you bored?
Impossible, you say? It happens. Some people retire with only a vague idea of what?s next. After a few months or years, they find themselves in the doldrums. Shouldn?t they be doing something with all that time on their hands?
A goal-oriented retirement has its virtues. Purpose leads to objectives, objectives lead to plans and plans can impart some structure and order to your days and weeks that can help cure retirement listlessness.
Will your spouse want to live the way you live? Many couples retire with shared goals, but soon discover their ambitions and day-to-day routines differ. Over time, this dissonance could become aggravating. A conversation or two could help you iron out potential conflicts. While your spouse?s ?picture? of retirement will not simply be a mental photocopy of your own, the variance in retirement visions might surprise you.?
When should you (and your spouse) claim Social Security benefits? As soon as possible might not be the best answer. An analysis could be required. Talk with a financial professional you trust and run the numbers. If you can wait and apply for Social Security strategically, you might realize as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars more in benefits over your lifetimes.
This material was prepared by MarketingLibrary.Net and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please note ? investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service and should not be relied upon as such.
All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.
Related Articles:
Make the most of time: Tell Congress to avoid the ?cliff?
Retirement community schedules free events
Double-check your estate-planning checklist
The top 10 reasons not to plan for retirement
Initiative offers quick check on disaster prep
Family Health West administrator announces retirement
Kim Last is President of Kimberley A. Last Financial Services, Inc. She has worked in the financial services arena since 1998, and holds the CFP?, CLU and CLTC designations. Kim?s clients include individuals and small businesses, and she focuses primarily on retirement planning including accumulation, tax strategies, distribution, long-term care and wealth transfer planning. Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Brokers International Financial Services, LLC, Panora, IA, Member FINRA/SIPC. Brokers International Financial Services, LLC, and Kimberley A. Last Financial Services, Inc. are not affiliated companies.
So, you?ve decided to build a new website for your business. You know how you want it to look, you?ve written the text for each page and found a web design company to make it all happen. Job done!
?
Well? not quite.
?
A Needle in A Haystack
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There are currently 644 million websites on the internet (March, 2012). That means the chances of your customers finding your website by chance are negligible (at best). If your shiny new website is going to be seen by anyone, you need to do some marketing.
?
?Online Marketing
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When it comes to marketing you should view your website as if it was a business card or company brochure. You could spend lots of time and money getting the information and design exactly right, but it?s not going to deliver any business until you put it in the right hands. That?s the tricky part.
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Firstly, in order for a website to attract targeted visitors and convert those visitors into loyal customers, you need to build your website with this marketing in mind. This means integrating elements of social media into your website, building it in a way that allows the search engines to index each page quickly and easily and building in elements of dynamic content ? such as a blog. These things need to be considered right from the word ?go?.
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Secondly, the moment when your website goes live is only the beginning. It?s what you do after that which will govern the success or failure of your website. Successful online marketing requires using a range of channels on a regular basis to target and attract visitors to your website. Some of these channels might deliver short term results and others might invest in the long term value of your website.
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The marketing of your website can be roughly divided into three key elements:
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Search Marketing ? Visibility in the search engine results is crucial if you hope to get targeted visitors to visit your website. By optimising the pages on your website for your most valuable keywords, and by building the overall authority of your site, you can gradually climb the search engine results, increase traffic and generate revenue.
?
Social Media ? The social web is a relatively new development. This allows you to connect and converse with a community of followers using a variety of online channels. This can be a very valuable way to build a community, develop relationships and generate traffic.
?
Content Marketing ? Both search marketing and social media rely on content. If you are going to attract targeted visitors to your website and successfully convert them into customers, you need to produce high quality content for your visitors. There are many ways to do this but the most effective is to start a blog on your website.
?
We don?t pretend that online marketing is easy. To do it well you need to have time, resources and expertise. However, unless you do it, your website will always be a needle in a haystack and deliver almost no value.
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We understand that most companies don?t have the time, resources or expertise to run their own online marketing campaign. That?s why we offer a fully managed online marketing service to help our customers get the greatest possible value from their websites.
So you have a great new idea or a way to improve on an existing one, but what now? Starting a business is no easy task and the requirements to do it correctly can seem overwhelming. But, while there are a number of local, state and federal requirements to formally create the business structure and get off the ground, with some guidance and a little organization you can be up and running in no time. Here are 10 legal areas to consider when launching your business.
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Five things to watch for when President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney debate foreign policy Monday night:
1. THE TIEBREAKER: Romney ran away with the first. Obama edged him in the second. Stakes are high for their third and final showdown. Does that mean a repeat of last week's ornery tone? Or will the gravity of the issues ? war, terrorism, world leadership ? inspire more dignified discourse?
2. REMATCH ON LIBYA: It sparked one of the hottest exchanges of the second debate. And there's more to it than when Obama called the consulate attack an "act of terror." Expect to hear about failed security, intelligence lapses and the Obama administration's shifting account of what happened in Libya. After Obama's parry last week, Romney gets another try.
3. ROMNEY'S TEST: The former governor and businessman has limited foreign experience. He took hits for comments that ruffled British and Palestinian leaders last summer, and for hastening to criticize the administration's response even as chaotic events were unfolding in Libya and Egypt. This debate is the prime moment for Romney to display the knowledge and judgment to lead on the world stage.
4. ON DEFENSE: Obama must defend four years of foreign policy. Expect Romney to accuse the president of weakening America's world leadership by mishandling Iran's nuclear ambitions, the pullout from Afghanistan, the Syrian conflict and the U.S. relationship with Israel. Can Obama rebut that criticism and focus on ending the Iraq War and killing Osama bin Laden?
5. A NEW MEME? First Big Bird. Then "binders full of women." Watch Twitter to see whether another phrase catches fire while the debaters are still onstage.
Increased use of colonoscopy screening could explain decrease in colorectal cancer ratesPublic release date: 23-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Krista Conger kristac@stanford.edu 650-725-5371 Stanford University Medical Center
STANFORD, Calif. Use of colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening could explain a significant decrease in the cancer's incidence over the past decade, according to a new study from researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Although colonoscopy is now the most common colorectal cancer screening method, there has been conflicting evidence as to its effectiveness compared with sigmoidoscopy, a method that examines only a portion of the colon.
The team scrutinized data collected from more than 2 million patients over the past 20 years, and found that a drop in colorectal cancer incidence correlated with Medicare's extension of colonoscopy coverage in 2001.
"Widespread colonoscopy screening may actually be having an impact in the risk of colon cancer at the level of the general population," said Uri Ladabaum, MD, MS, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology and senior investigator for the study. The results will be published online Oct. 23 in Gastroenterology.
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Cancer Society and other groups recommend colorectal cancer screening for people at average risk beginning at age 50. Colonoscopies are recommended once every 10 years for average-risk adults, and more often in those found to have precancerous lesions known as polyps.
Several methods are currently available for the screening. Less-invasive methods, such as stool sample analysis, cause minimal discomfort but some patients consider them a hassle, and the tests need to be performed regularly to be effective. And although these methods occasionally detect precancerous polyps, their primary purpose is detecting early stage cancers.
Colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy are endoscopic screening methods used both for early cancer detection and for precancerous polyp removal. Sigmoidoscopy only extends into the lower (or distal) part of the colorectum, while colonoscopy extends beyond the lower colorectum and into the upper (or proximal) colon. Although sigmoidoscopy has demonstrated clear benefits in preventing cancers in the lower colorectum, U.S. doctors have increasingly relied on colonoscopy and have made it the most common method of colon cancer screening.
"The faith for a long time has been that looking more deeply into the colon must be better because we're looking at more of the colon," said Ladabaum. Despite the presumed benefits of colonoscopy, the actual superiority of the procedure as
compared with sigmoidoscopy has been the subject of conflicting studies.
With the hope of shedding some light on this murky issue, Ladabaum's team examined available data on the surgery rates for colorectal cancer, and interpreted these in light of the dramatic rise in the use of colonoscopy that began more than a decade ago. The researchers analyzed data from more than 2 million patients collected from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a large database that includes more than 1,000 hospitals. Ladabaum and colleagues looked for trends in colorectal cancer surgery, which reflect cancer incidence. They also specifically looked for differences in rates of cancer in the lower versus the upper colon, as colonoscopy is hoped to have a benefit in preventing cancers in both areas due to its extended reach.
The results of the study suggest that increased use of colonoscopy may explain the decrease in incidence of upper colon cancer through the identification, and removal, of precancerous polyps in the last decade. The overall rate for removing, or resecting, colorectal cancer dropped from 71.1 to 47.3 per 100,000 persons between 1993 and 2009. Resection rates for lower colorectal cancer decreased gradually (at a rate of about 1.2 percent per year) from 1993 to 1999, and then dropped more steeply (to a rate of 3.8 percent per year) from 1999 to 2009. In contrast, the resection rate for upper colon cancer remained steady until 2002, and then started dropping at a rate of 3.1 percent per year until 2009.
These results support the idea that the drop in the incidence of lower colorectal cancer might be associated with screening in general, since some patients were already undergoing stool tests and sigmoidoscopy in the early 1990s, whereas the reduction in upper colon cancer incidence might be specifically associated with colonoscopy, Ladabaum said.
Interestingly, the drop in upper colon cancer incidence was seen not only for people within the suggested screening ages, but also for those over age 75. Currently, there is no consensus on whether to screen people older than 75, Ladabaum said. While some of these older patients may opt to get colonoscopies, he said he thinks these results could mean that colonoscopy screening at an earlier age prevents colorectal cancer later in life.
The availability of a screening technique that effectively detects and removes precancerous lesions makes colorectal cancer a uniquely preventable cancer, he added. "We really do have an opportunity to find the pre-cancers, before there is even a cancer there," said Ladabaum.
###
The study's first author is Parvathi Myer, MD, a former postdoctoral scholar at Stanford. Other co-authors are research associate Ajitha Mannalithara, PhD, and adjunct professor Gurkirpal Singh, MD.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://mednews.stanford.edu. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. For information about all three, please visit http://stanfordmedicine.org/about/news.html.
PRINT MEDIA CONTACT: Krista Conger at (650) 725-5371 (kristac@stanford.edu)
BROADCAST MEDIA CONTACT: M.A. Malone at (650) 723-6912 (mamalone@stanford.edu)
[ | 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.
Increased use of colonoscopy screening could explain decrease in colorectal cancer ratesPublic release date: 23-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Krista Conger kristac@stanford.edu 650-725-5371 Stanford University Medical Center
STANFORD, Calif. Use of colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening could explain a significant decrease in the cancer's incidence over the past decade, according to a new study from researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Although colonoscopy is now the most common colorectal cancer screening method, there has been conflicting evidence as to its effectiveness compared with sigmoidoscopy, a method that examines only a portion of the colon.
The team scrutinized data collected from more than 2 million patients over the past 20 years, and found that a drop in colorectal cancer incidence correlated with Medicare's extension of colonoscopy coverage in 2001.
"Widespread colonoscopy screening may actually be having an impact in the risk of colon cancer at the level of the general population," said Uri Ladabaum, MD, MS, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology and senior investigator for the study. The results will be published online Oct. 23 in Gastroenterology.
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Cancer Society and other groups recommend colorectal cancer screening for people at average risk beginning at age 50. Colonoscopies are recommended once every 10 years for average-risk adults, and more often in those found to have precancerous lesions known as polyps.
Several methods are currently available for the screening. Less-invasive methods, such as stool sample analysis, cause minimal discomfort but some patients consider them a hassle, and the tests need to be performed regularly to be effective. And although these methods occasionally detect precancerous polyps, their primary purpose is detecting early stage cancers.
Colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy are endoscopic screening methods used both for early cancer detection and for precancerous polyp removal. Sigmoidoscopy only extends into the lower (or distal) part of the colorectum, while colonoscopy extends beyond the lower colorectum and into the upper (or proximal) colon. Although sigmoidoscopy has demonstrated clear benefits in preventing cancers in the lower colorectum, U.S. doctors have increasingly relied on colonoscopy and have made it the most common method of colon cancer screening.
"The faith for a long time has been that looking more deeply into the colon must be better because we're looking at more of the colon," said Ladabaum. Despite the presumed benefits of colonoscopy, the actual superiority of the procedure as
compared with sigmoidoscopy has been the subject of conflicting studies.
With the hope of shedding some light on this murky issue, Ladabaum's team examined available data on the surgery rates for colorectal cancer, and interpreted these in light of the dramatic rise in the use of colonoscopy that began more than a decade ago. The researchers analyzed data from more than 2 million patients collected from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a large database that includes more than 1,000 hospitals. Ladabaum and colleagues looked for trends in colorectal cancer surgery, which reflect cancer incidence. They also specifically looked for differences in rates of cancer in the lower versus the upper colon, as colonoscopy is hoped to have a benefit in preventing cancers in both areas due to its extended reach.
The results of the study suggest that increased use of colonoscopy may explain the decrease in incidence of upper colon cancer through the identification, and removal, of precancerous polyps in the last decade. The overall rate for removing, or resecting, colorectal cancer dropped from 71.1 to 47.3 per 100,000 persons between 1993 and 2009. Resection rates for lower colorectal cancer decreased gradually (at a rate of about 1.2 percent per year) from 1993 to 1999, and then dropped more steeply (to a rate of 3.8 percent per year) from 1999 to 2009. In contrast, the resection rate for upper colon cancer remained steady until 2002, and then started dropping at a rate of 3.1 percent per year until 2009.
These results support the idea that the drop in the incidence of lower colorectal cancer might be associated with screening in general, since some patients were already undergoing stool tests and sigmoidoscopy in the early 1990s, whereas the reduction in upper colon cancer incidence might be specifically associated with colonoscopy, Ladabaum said.
Interestingly, the drop in upper colon cancer incidence was seen not only for people within the suggested screening ages, but also for those over age 75. Currently, there is no consensus on whether to screen people older than 75, Ladabaum said. While some of these older patients may opt to get colonoscopies, he said he thinks these results could mean that colonoscopy screening at an earlier age prevents colorectal cancer later in life.
The availability of a screening technique that effectively detects and removes precancerous lesions makes colorectal cancer a uniquely preventable cancer, he added. "We really do have an opportunity to find the pre-cancers, before there is even a cancer there," said Ladabaum.
###
The study's first author is Parvathi Myer, MD, a former postdoctoral scholar at Stanford. Other co-authors are research associate Ajitha Mannalithara, PhD, and adjunct professor Gurkirpal Singh, MD.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://mednews.stanford.edu. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. For information about all three, please visit http://stanfordmedicine.org/about/news.html.
PRINT MEDIA CONTACT: Krista Conger at (650) 725-5371 (kristac@stanford.edu)
BROADCAST MEDIA CONTACT: M.A. Malone at (650) 723-6912 (mamalone@stanford.edu)
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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I?ve made the observation before, about how Hollywood has made the ?absent father? a near-cliche.
Few directors have touched upon the relationship, or lack of one, between fathers and sons more often than Steven Spielberg. He was on 60 Minutes last night, talking about Lincoln, a movie I can?t wait to see.
The piece delved into his childhood, a childhood that sounded like one of his movies. Lonely kid with a workaholic dad and loving, present mother. Not much of an athlete, he?s bullied constantly. Gets a camera from his dad and starts making movies. Pours the pain of his parents divorce into his work. Become famous. Terrifies a generation of children ? including my wife ? by making E.T.
Spielberg was about 35 when he made E.T. He said that it started as a story about his parent?s divorce, which had happened years earlier and that he still wasn?t over. He blamed his father, for leaving them. Turns out, he didn?t know the truth. His mother had fallen in love with another man. His father didn?t tell him until years later, out of love for his mother.
"If my dad was around, he would be totally pissed."
That love is obvious. You can see that love, still, in an old man?s eyes, as he talked about things that happened almost 50 years ago. Things that changed not just the life of his young son, but popular culture.
I?ve made the observation before, that there?s a lot of art powered by absent fathers. But if you look at what?s happening to fatherhood right now, how much more involved men are in the raising of their children, absent fathers are becoming less common.
My dad worked a lot, at hours that were not convenient for the attending of baseball games or school plays or any of those other things that dads try to be there for now. And his job ? he was an electrician ? wasn?t one where he could finish up from home at night.
My job is different. I have flexibility and a laptop. Sometimes it feels like I am always working. That I never get time to pursue things I?m interested in, just for myself.?But, I can go trick or treating with the boys on Wednesday afternoon.
I?ll take the trade off.
Maybe we?ll never have another E.T. Maybe that?s just fine.
DALLAS (AP) ? Chipmaker Texas Instruments Inc. said Monday that its third-quarter earnings rose 30 percent as it benefited from tax changes and a change in a Japanese pension program. Revenue fell slightly.
Net income in the three months to Sept. 30 rose to $784 million, or 67 cents per share, compared to $601 million, or 51 cents per share, a year ago.
The company's earnings benefited from tax and pension changes worth about 22 cents per share, but it booked 7 cents per share of charges for its acquisition of National Semiconductor and restructuring.
Revenue fell 2 percent to $3.39 billion from $3.47 billion a year ago. Analysts were expecting $3.34 billion in revenue.
CEO Rich Templeton said in a statement that the company executed well in the quarter "even though the economy and semiconductor market remained weak and likely will get weaker in the fourth quarter."
Texas Instruments said it expects fourth-quarter earnings of 23 cents to 31 cents per share. That's below the 36 cents per share expected by analysts. The company said it sees revenue in the final three months of the year at $2.83 billion to $3.07 billion, also below the average of $3.23 billion that analysts were looking for.
Shares fell a penny in after-hours trading to $27.78 following the release of results. Shares closed down 2 cents at $27.79 in the regular session.
Pregnant women can eat pomelo? Pregnant women eat grapefruit What are the considerations?
Pregnant women eat pomelo benefits
1, Grapefruit contains vitamin C, B2, P, folic acid, and calcium, chromium, phosphorus, iron, potassium and other minerals. grapefruit vitamin C content much higher than other fruits, with Victoria C 57 mg per 100 grams of grapefruit meat, which is 10 times the pear. Of pregnant women need multivitamin supplement, on this point, pregnant women can eat grapefruit.
2, Diabetic pregnant women eat grapefruit benefits: The fresh grapefruit meat containing insulin-like ingredients, it is the ideal food for diabetic patients. Therefore, pregnant mothers with diabetes, grapefruit course is the best fruit.
3, Anemia in pregnant women eat grapefruit benefits: Anemia is a more common phenomenon of pregnancy! Grapefruit with the effectiveness of the prevention of the symptoms of anemia and to promote the normal development of the fetus. Grapefruit can enhance physical fitness, and easier to help the body absorb calcium and iron.
4, Colds pregnant women eat Grapefruit benefits: Pregnant mother colds troublesome thing! Because of fear of medication on the fetus and the consumption of Grapefruit can be effective in treating colds, relieve sore throat. Dry fall and winter climate, the pregnant mother is also for mouth ulcers, sore gums distress it? Grapefruit can reduce anger inhibition of oral ulcers, might as well eat some Grapefruit!
Note:
1, Grapefruit cold, the body Deficiency pregnant women should not eat more.
2, Hypertension in pregnant women should not eat pomelo, especially grapefruits.
3, If pregnant women not to eat Grapefruit, while taking the drug in order to avoid overdose. Bitter grapefruit should not eat.
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Tags: grapefruit, grapefruit benefits, pomelo benefits, Pregnant women eat grapefruit, women eat grapefruit benefits, women eat pomelo This entry was posted on Saturday, October 20th, 2012 and is filed under Health Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
OCALA, Fla. (AP) ? Vilinda York lies in her Florida hospital bed, facing a dry-erase board that lists in green marker her name, her four doctors and a smiley face.
Also on the board is this: "Anticipated date of discharge: NOT YET DETERMINED."
The 64-year-old contracted fungal meningitis after receiving three tainted steroid shots in her back. She's one of 271 people nationwide who are victims of an outbreak that began when a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy shipped contaminated medication. Twenty-one people have died.
Like many trying to recover, York, who has been hospitalized since Sept. 27, faces a long and uncertain road. Many people have died days or even weeks after being hospitalized. Fungal meningitis ? which is not contagious ? is a tenacious disease that can be treated only with powerful drugs.
"I'm determined I'm going to fight this thing," she said. "The devil is not going to win."
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist who chairs Vanderbilt University's Department of Preventive Medicine, said the treatment includes intravenous anti-fungal medicines that are tricky to use.
"These are powerful drugs. They're toxic," he said. "You're walking a tightrope because you want to get enough into a patient to have the therapeutic effect while at the same time you're trying not to affect, or to minimize the effect on the liver and kidneys."
Even after leaving the hospital, he said, patients will continue antifungal drugs for weeks or months.
The infectious disease doctor handling York's case did not immediately respond to a phone message.
When York talks about the last six weeks, tears run down her cheeks. She knows the disease is deadly. And if she needed a reminder, it's right there in the headline from a local newspaper on her hospital bed: "Third death reported in Marion County from fungal meningitis."
For York, 2012 started well. The retired clothing shop clerk and widow from Illinois was doing water aerobics three times a week, tending to her flower garden and spending time with church friends. They'd get together at Olive Garden and Red Lobster a couple of times a week and go to church every Sunday.
On Jan. 21, she was on her way to a wedding when she got into a car crash. It wasn't enough to put her in the hospital, but she did suffer back problems.
The pain was strong enough for her to visit a doctor at Marion Pain Clinic, where she received two steroid shots on Aug. 16. A week later, the pain was still there and she began feeling headachy, nauseous and dizzy. She chalked it up to her back and got a third shot Aug. 28.
In the weeks that followed, her health deteriorated. She couldn't lie down without extreme back pain. A friend gave her a recliner to sleep in. The headaches grew severe, sharp pains shooting from all directions into her skull.
"I couldn't walk well, I couldn't see good and I could wipe the sweat off my arms," she said.
On Sept. 27, her legs and arms grew numb. The numbness flowed upwards to her waist. That's when she called 911.
"I didn't know whether I was getting ready for a stroke," she said.
When she arrived at the hospital, doctors took a spinal tap and discovered she had meningitis.
Health officials have noticed that the sickest patients with meningitis are those who either did not catch the symptoms early or who didn't receive appropriate treatment early because doctors didn't know what they were dealing with. The fungi become harder to kill once they have established themselves in a person's body.
"If treatment is given early, it is very effective," said Dr. David Reagan, medical officer for Tennessee, where the outbreak was first detected. "If it is given late, it is not very effective."
Most of the positively identified cases are caused by Exserohilum rostratum (ex-sir-oh-HY-lum ross-TRAH-tum). The fungus is commonly found in the environment, but it has never before been observed as a cause of meningitis.
Because of that, Reagan said, officials have been unable to firmly establish the incubation period and give those who received the tainted injections a date for when they will no longer need to worry about developing meningitis.
"We're saying at least six weeks, or 42 days, but we probably will extend that," he said. "This is new territory. There's no literature to tell us how long."
In York's case, doctors initially thought she had bacterial meningitis, but when she told them about the steroid shots, doctors began to assemble a theory. On Sept. 25, the New England Compounding Center had voluntarily recalled three lots of the steroid methylprednisolone acetate.
York's three shots were that steroid ? and the Marion Pain Clinic had gotten some of the tainted medicine, health officials said.
York said a doctor from Marion Pain Clinic visited her in the hospital and told her about the contaminated shots. The doctor was crying as she spoke, York added.
York passes her days by talking on the phone to two children and three grandchildren who live out of state, receiving visitors from her church and reading the Bible.
She's lost more than 10 pounds in the past month. She realizes she's not the woman she once was; now she's pale and weak whereas before, she liked to put on a little makeup, fix up her short brown hair and go for a walk. The only time she has walked since Sept. 27 was to shuffle to the shower on Oct. 17.
"I got to shampoo my hair and the whole nine yards," she smiled. "I enjoyed it tremendously."
York is worried about whether the meningitis will have lasting effects on her body, and she's concerned about the powerful anti-fungal medication she's taking. Doctors have had to pause the treatment because they were concerned about her liver and kidney.
York has filed a lawsuit against NECC claiming negligence, and her lawyer is getting calls from others who were sickened.
She says she's "blessed, not lucky," to be alive at this point.
"I want to get out of here," she said. "I want to go home, I want to live a normal life again. God still has a plan for me, and I'm looking forward to it."
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Travis Loller contributed to this report from Nashville.
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Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter at https://twitter.com/tamaralush