You work hard enough to win your meeting and conference business, so it makes sense to leave a positive lasting impression and an incentive for delegates to return.
In my line of work I see a lot of meeting and conference venues—sometimes as a mentor, but frequently also as the client or a delegate. Normally the first impression is alright. You get a warm welcome and are asked at the outset if everything is OK. But it's what happens after this that invariably lets you down.
The room setup
The appearance of the room is of course important, but the first impression goes beyond how the room looks.
Is best use made of natural light, or is this blocked off with a dependence on artificial light (which is far more tiring on the eye and wastes a lot more energy)? Where artificial lighting is a must, is this logically positioned so delegates are not sitting in their own shadows? Is there good light on the presenters and props?
The setup of the room requires common sense. I often get the impression that porters have had no training and have not checked the rooms. For example:
* If using a projector, are there sufficient impact socket for a laptop, and can these be easily reached without presenters tripping on a lead and breaking their necks?
* Has the presenter been included in the delegate numbers and been provided with a chair, glass and water, or does the venue really expect them to stand for eight hours? (At two venues only last week I was not given a chair for separate all-day workshops.)
* Check the size of the table needed for the presenter; if they have notes and handout materials, have you provided them with a workspace that is big enough to put down their notes and props, or it is taken over by the projector?
* Is the projector lined up properly with the screen (and in focus), or is it so close to the screen that the image only fills a quarter of the space available. Worse still, is the projector not angled upwards so the image only shows on the bottom third of the screen?
* If presenters have requested flip charts, is there a supply of fresh paper, and do all the pens work? Test them at the end of every meeting and discard those that have passed their best.
* Consider also the positioning of tables and chairs. I frequently find the presenter is positioned so far away from the rest of the participants that it’s necessary for them to shout to be heard. When a cabaret set up is used, factor in the length of the meeting; if it is an all-day meeting and delegates are required to face the front, ensure they can do so without having to keep turning around and straining their necks.
Refreshments
Whereas the room setup will be more of a concern to the presenters than the delegates, the quality and timing of refreshments are a key factor for presenters and delegates alike.
* Having refreshments turn up on time is critical to the smooth operation of any event. A mere five-minute delay during a 10-minute break can have a serious impact on the meeting timetable. And it’s not just refreshments that need to be delivered promptly, but clean cups, fresh milk, plenty of teabags, etc. I know this sounds obvious, but you’ll be amazed how often the milk runs out or everyone favours a particular flavour of tea and there isn’t enough to go around.
* Avoid bottlenecks at coffee stations: Arrange cups, flasks and milk and sugar so you don’t get congestion all around one spot. It might be obvious to the venue which pot or flask is tea and which is coffee and which is hot water, but it isn't to the delegates, so please make this clear. (A show of hands: Who has ever poured coffee as opposed to hot water onto their teabag?) And then what are we supposed to do with our tea bag once our tea is brewed? Please provide a bowl for spent tea bags. (This goes for hotel rooms, too.)
* If you have more sophisticated coffee machines, ensure they can keep pace with demand. A machine that takes just 20 seconds to brew and dispense a cup of coffee at best can only accommodate 30 people in a 10 minute period. It certainly won’t be suitable for a meeting with 50 delegates.
* I don't know about you, but I find it quite difficult to distinguish what's in a sandwich without either opening it up or eating it. A few simple labels on buffet food make such a difference and cost next to nothing in time and effort.
* Watch for trends. If your delegates go through more still water than sparkling (which in my experience is usually the case) match what you provide in your set up to meet the demand. It not only keeps your delegates happy but saves on wastage, too.
Be responsive
Check the room temperatures and respond quickly to organisers’ requests to adjust them. The bane of my life is air conditioning. Invariably it blows too hot or too cold. Half the time I question whether it adds anything, particularly in a room where the windows open. And nobody wants to sit right beneath a blast of cold air. Adjusting it to suit everyone's requirements is a fine line.
Have a system that can be turned off if required. Systems designed to keep every room at the same temperature are sheer madness. If you have a room with just two people in it sitting still compared to a room with 30 people doing group activities letting off all that body heat, you’re obviously going to want them at different temperatures. Be prepared for organisers to ask for a temperature change or for the air conditioning to be turned off altogether. I sometimes feel as if I've asked for the moon when I make this request; is it really too difficult? But then please, please, respond and check that the adjustments have worked rather than simply adjusting them to the opposite extreme.
2011年4月20日星期三
2011年4月19日星期二
PwC sign first corporate electric car rental deal in London
The deal with Hertz, will encourage employees to swap taxi journeys of over six miles with booking the cars from the firm’s central London offices in Westminster or Southwark.
Bridget Jackson, head of sustainability, PwC said: “The journeys our people take at work in central London can be to locations with no direct transport link, or involve carrying materials either too bulky or confidential for public transport. We only need to convert around two of those journeys a day that currently use cabs, to our new electric vehicles to make this add up for us.
“It’s a pioneering initiative for PwC and fits our commitment to work with new technologies, test how they fit in our mix of needs, so we can reduce our overall environmental impact. We need to understand the day to day reality of working with electric cars, just as we test any other transport on offer, so we can lower our overall emissions, potentially rolling out the scheme nationwide.”
The two five door, small hatch cars have a 90 mile range, are 100% electric, and provide a live member car care support line via the Connect by Hertz in car communications system, including statistics on emissions and usage. The cars will be charged at the two PwC offices or via Hertz's wider network, or Source London's network. Employees could also charge them overnight via a three pin impact socket.
Research by PwC’s automotive practice estimates that by 2020, pure electric vehicles (PEVs) could represent between two and five percent of the total output of light vehicles. The depth and speed at which electric vehicles will be able to penetrate the market will rely on several factors, but there remains little doubt that this technology will have a significant impact on the automotive industry moving forward.
The auto industry is responsible for 15 percent of global carbon emissions, amounting to roughly 8 billion tons annually. Although environmental protection has been the primary driver for change, other factors such as the price volatility of fossil fuels and energy independence have also helped drive a change to alternative and renewable energy sources.
Richard Gane, head of automotive, PwC commented: “Electric vehicles (EV) could play a very big part in the future of the automotive market as firms and individuals becoming increasingly conscious of the need to switch to more environmental alternatives to lower our emissions.
“EVs may well represent a more promising transport option to reducing vehicle emissions and creating a more sustainable passenger vehicle fleet but the sector does face its own challenges.
“Comparative battery performance, availability of battery materials, storage technology, mileage range and the need for a 'smart grid' that can recharge millions of EVs using low-carbon electricity without overloading local distribution circuits are all issues manufacturers need to think about. However, the automotive market is ready to take on the challenge.”
Bridget Jackson, head of sustainability, PwC said: “The journeys our people take at work in central London can be to locations with no direct transport link, or involve carrying materials either too bulky or confidential for public transport. We only need to convert around two of those journeys a day that currently use cabs, to our new electric vehicles to make this add up for us.
“It’s a pioneering initiative for PwC and fits our commitment to work with new technologies, test how they fit in our mix of needs, so we can reduce our overall environmental impact. We need to understand the day to day reality of working with electric cars, just as we test any other transport on offer, so we can lower our overall emissions, potentially rolling out the scheme nationwide.”
The two five door, small hatch cars have a 90 mile range, are 100% electric, and provide a live member car care support line via the Connect by Hertz in car communications system, including statistics on emissions and usage. The cars will be charged at the two PwC offices or via Hertz's wider network, or Source London's network. Employees could also charge them overnight via a three pin impact socket.
Research by PwC’s automotive practice estimates that by 2020, pure electric vehicles (PEVs) could represent between two and five percent of the total output of light vehicles. The depth and speed at which electric vehicles will be able to penetrate the market will rely on several factors, but there remains little doubt that this technology will have a significant impact on the automotive industry moving forward.
The auto industry is responsible for 15 percent of global carbon emissions, amounting to roughly 8 billion tons annually. Although environmental protection has been the primary driver for change, other factors such as the price volatility of fossil fuels and energy independence have also helped drive a change to alternative and renewable energy sources.
Richard Gane, head of automotive, PwC commented: “Electric vehicles (EV) could play a very big part in the future of the automotive market as firms and individuals becoming increasingly conscious of the need to switch to more environmental alternatives to lower our emissions.
“EVs may well represent a more promising transport option to reducing vehicle emissions and creating a more sustainable passenger vehicle fleet but the sector does face its own challenges.
“Comparative battery performance, availability of battery materials, storage technology, mileage range and the need for a 'smart grid' that can recharge millions of EVs using low-carbon electricity without overloading local distribution circuits are all issues manufacturers need to think about. However, the automotive market is ready to take on the challenge.”
2011年4月18日星期一
St. Charles Hospital: Leading-Edge Orthopedics on Long Island
“We see this as a reaffirmation of our very high-quality program,” says Jim O’Conner, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. “It’s good to have an outside source agree with us.”
There’s little evidence of the St. Charles Hospital’s humble beginnings more than a century ago, when four Sisters of the Order of the Daughters of Wisdom accepted 24 homeless children with developmental and physical disabilities into their care. The hospital’s expertise grew during the height of the polio epidemic, when 400 children were in residence and when it opened its Outpatient Orthopedic Clinic in 1948 to provide monitoring and care for children who were able to live at home. As devastating childhood illnesses became less common, St. Charles Hospital enhanced its focus on the adult population, fastidiously advancing to a full-service, acute care hospital featuring three Centers of Excellence. One such center includes the team of experts that promote collaboration and use the most advanced surgical procedures in the field of orthopedics. Today, St. Charles Hospital’s innovative orthopedic program is tailored to meet each individual’s specific needs. Four new high-tech operating rooms opened late last year to accommodate the cutting-edge procedures the hospital’s orthopedic surgeons perform. Its focus on orthopedics and rehabilitation sets St. Charles Hospital apart in five areas of expertise: total hip and knee joint replacement; spine surgery; sports medicine; hand, wrist and elbow surgery; and shoulder surgery.
Leading the Way
St. Charles Hospital’s orthopedic department accounts for nearly half of all surgeries performed in the 231-bed hospital. Led by both long-time and newly recruited surgeons — many of whom are affiliated with teaching hospitals on Long Island and in New York City — the program highlights a range of accomplishments that include “firsts” for both its local community and beyond. Among these are its achievements in computer-assisted navigation systems that result in shorter surgeries and smaller incisions with reduced bleeding, more precise alignment of prostheses and quicker healing. In 2007, St. Charles Hospital became the second hospital in the world to use computer navigation for reverse ball and socket total shoulder replacement. Two years earlier, it became the first hospital on Long Island to use that technology for hip replacement surgery and was the first in the Northeast to use it for total knee replacement surgery. It was also the first hospital in Suffolk County to perform gender-specific total knee replacement surgery.
It doesn’t stop there. St. Charles Hospital provides both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs for adults, adolescents and children. As the first rehabilitation facility on Long Island to receive accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities, its network includes the most technologically advanced rehabilitation techniques for patients following orthopedic surgery, with nine outpatient facilities available on Long Island.
“Rehabilitation following orthopedic surgery is critically important. It is necessary to ensure optimum range of motion and to restore strength,” says O’Conner. “No matter what procedure a patient has done, our ability to hand them from their orthopedic surgeon to rehabilitation within the same facility is a major advantage.”
There’s little evidence of the St. Charles Hospital’s humble beginnings more than a century ago, when four Sisters of the Order of the Daughters of Wisdom accepted 24 homeless children with developmental and physical disabilities into their care. The hospital’s expertise grew during the height of the polio epidemic, when 400 children were in residence and when it opened its Outpatient Orthopedic Clinic in 1948 to provide monitoring and care for children who were able to live at home. As devastating childhood illnesses became less common, St. Charles Hospital enhanced its focus on the adult population, fastidiously advancing to a full-service, acute care hospital featuring three Centers of Excellence. One such center includes the team of experts that promote collaboration and use the most advanced surgical procedures in the field of orthopedics. Today, St. Charles Hospital’s innovative orthopedic program is tailored to meet each individual’s specific needs. Four new high-tech operating rooms opened late last year to accommodate the cutting-edge procedures the hospital’s orthopedic surgeons perform. Its focus on orthopedics and rehabilitation sets St. Charles Hospital apart in five areas of expertise: total hip and knee joint replacement; spine surgery; sports medicine; hand, wrist and elbow surgery; and shoulder surgery.
Leading the Way
St. Charles Hospital’s orthopedic department accounts for nearly half of all surgeries performed in the 231-bed hospital. Led by both long-time and newly recruited surgeons — many of whom are affiliated with teaching hospitals on Long Island and in New York City — the program highlights a range of accomplishments that include “firsts” for both its local community and beyond. Among these are its achievements in computer-assisted navigation systems that result in shorter surgeries and smaller incisions with reduced bleeding, more precise alignment of prostheses and quicker healing. In 2007, St. Charles Hospital became the second hospital in the world to use computer navigation for reverse ball and socket total shoulder replacement. Two years earlier, it became the first hospital on Long Island to use that technology for hip replacement surgery and was the first in the Northeast to use it for total knee replacement surgery. It was also the first hospital in Suffolk County to perform gender-specific total knee replacement surgery.
It doesn’t stop there. St. Charles Hospital provides both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs for adults, adolescents and children. As the first rehabilitation facility on Long Island to receive accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities, its network includes the most technologically advanced rehabilitation techniques for patients following orthopedic surgery, with nine outpatient facilities available on Long Island.
“Rehabilitation following orthopedic surgery is critically important. It is necessary to ensure optimum range of motion and to restore strength,” says O’Conner. “No matter what procedure a patient has done, our ability to hand them from their orthopedic surgeon to rehabilitation within the same facility is a major advantage.”
2011年4月17日星期日
Most child accidents caused by trips, falls
Falling or tripping at home is the most common cause of infant and toddler accidents resulting in hospital visits, the Bureau of Health Promotion said yesterday.
The bureau recently surveyed more than 20,000 parents with children under the age of three and asked them about accidents that were serious enough to warrant a trip to hospital.
The survey found that -accidents involving children falling off an elevated location or tripping when walking at home were the most common, followed by impact from other humans or objects. This could include accidentally running into adults or other children or a child bumping his or her head on the edge of a table or a chair.
The third most common form of accident came in the form of cuts and scrapes from sharp objects, including unsafe toys or sharp edges of furniture that have not been child-proofed, the survey showed.
As many as 90 percent of respondents said their household floors were made of hard, smooth materials such as marble or tile, as opposed to wood, carpeting or mats.
Childproofing is lacking in many households, with close to half of the parents who participated in the survey saying that some sharp corners on furniture remained uncovered by rounded protection devices.
One in three households did not cover electric sockets to prevent accidental electrocution, the survey showed.
Other common unsafe locations in the household for children included water coolers that are within reach of children and objects that could be dangerous or even potentially fatal for children to play with, such as the cords on window shades and curtains, as well as plastic bags, the bureau said.
The bureau said local health departments were offering door-to-door services for disadvantaged and low-income families to have a specialist check out the household environment for child safety and to offer helpful tips on childproofing around the house so that children can live and play safely at home, where most accidents happen.
More information on safe environments for children is available on the bureau’s Web site.
The bureau recently surveyed more than 20,000 parents with children under the age of three and asked them about accidents that were serious enough to warrant a trip to hospital.
The survey found that -accidents involving children falling off an elevated location or tripping when walking at home were the most common, followed by impact from other humans or objects. This could include accidentally running into adults or other children or a child bumping his or her head on the edge of a table or a chair.
The third most common form of accident came in the form of cuts and scrapes from sharp objects, including unsafe toys or sharp edges of furniture that have not been child-proofed, the survey showed.
As many as 90 percent of respondents said their household floors were made of hard, smooth materials such as marble or tile, as opposed to wood, carpeting or mats.
Childproofing is lacking in many households, with close to half of the parents who participated in the survey saying that some sharp corners on furniture remained uncovered by rounded protection devices.
One in three households did not cover electric sockets to prevent accidental electrocution, the survey showed.
Other common unsafe locations in the household for children included water coolers that are within reach of children and objects that could be dangerous or even potentially fatal for children to play with, such as the cords on window shades and curtains, as well as plastic bags, the bureau said.
The bureau said local health departments were offering door-to-door services for disadvantaged and low-income families to have a specialist check out the household environment for child safety and to offer helpful tips on childproofing around the house so that children can live and play safely at home, where most accidents happen.
More information on safe environments for children is available on the bureau’s Web site.
2011年4月14日星期四
The seven stones of simpler living
When I was a kid, my parents would sometimes take us to a campground called Paradise Park. It was a little camp in the California foothills: a woodsy reserve dotted with old oak trees sloping down to a well-shaded river.
Most of the time, it wasn't much more than a stream. But its bed was thick with well-worn river stones, testimony to uncountable seasons of floods and the persuasive nature of water.
Over the centuries, the river had slowly carried away mountainsides, tumbling and cracking rock, reducing boulders into a rainbow of smooth, flat stones the size of a child's hand.
We'd spend hours picking through the best of them, finding the perfect rock to skip across the river. Invariably, we'd build little stacks of stones along the bank.
There's something deeply satisfying about stacking stones. It's a common motif in Zen gardens, which seek to create order out of nature's seeming chaos. In doing so, they highlight the harmony and balance of our place in the world.
MNN: 7 apps to get the most out of nature
It's not difficult to find a lesson in the stones for those of us trying to simplify our sprawling lives. We've chosen seven from the riverbed for you today -- ideas that can help you live a lighter, healthier, more sustainable life. Stack them as you will.
1. Reduce your consumption
Anyone who thinks they can shop their way to greener living has been watching too much television. Sure, responsible consumerism matters.
Every purchase is a choice. But the key to simpler, greener living is pretty straightforward: consume less.
A simple way to cut back on unnecessary purchases is the one week rule. Unless you have a real show-stopper, write down the things you need and sit on them for seven days.
Stores are designed to encourage impulse spending, so staying away as much as possible is good news for your bank account. After a week, round up the items you still need and group them together with an eye toward combining as many trips as possible. T
hen stick to your list. While this all sounds very simple, you'll quickly realize how chaotic our spending habits can be -- and how much money you can save through better planning.
2. Reduce your waste stream
We call it garbage; other nations might call it wealth. There's no end to things we send to the landfill. Recycling helps, but the sheer volume of waste generated by the average household is overwhelming.
From obsolete electronics to that mason jar you casually tossed in the trash last night, we're flooding our landfills while robbing ourselves of things which might be put to another use.
Start by thinking twice when you purchase something: is whatever you're buying too heavily packaged? Do you need it all?
Think again before putting anything in a trash or recycling bin. Nobody expects you to become a packrat, but that jar could easily be repurposed as a water bottle or something to pack a snack.
Food scraps belong in the compost heap. Maybe that cardboard, too. For some idea starters on keeping things out of the bin, check out this helpful list from No Impact Man.
3. Trim your energy use
Energy prices have relaxed over the past few months as a direct result of the worldwide economic slowdown. But electricity, gasoline, natural gas and heating oil still represent a hefty portion of the average family budget.
MNN: Can weatherization help the economy and save the world?
Unless you're fortunate enough to live in an area already invested in renewable energy, every unattended TV or flick of the light switch means you're burning fossil fuels. That means you're directly responsible for the air pollution and all the related consumables it took to bring that power to your wall impact socket.
Learn to weatherize; replace or retire inefficient appliances; consider more energy-efficient lighting; and rearrange your living spaces so they take better advantage of natural heat, lighting and cooling.
Switch things off and pocket the change. You'll probably enjoy the peace and quiet.
4. Prepare and grow your own food
If there's one lost art in the past decade or two, it's cooking real food. By "cooking," we don't mean warming up packaged food from the grocery store.
We're talking about preparing meals from fresh ingredients. That's how our parents and grandparents did it.
Admittedly, society has changed: with dual-income households and ever-expanding work schedules, it's easy to fall back on processed meals and fast foods. And that's a shame.
Making a meal -- whether it's just for yourself or a whole family -- is the one of the little rituals which forces us to slow down and be mindful of what we eat. It's also healthier, and an enormous money saver.
Not too handy in the kitchen? Take a class, or spend time cooking with someone you love. Real food needn't be complicated.
And consider growing some of what you consume. Even if you're not blessed with the space to plant a garden, you can grow a satisfying crop of herbs and vegetables in modest containers.
5. Reduce your reliance on automobiles
We love our cars. And why not? Virtually everything about modern living -- particularly in the United States -- assumes automobile transportation. Think how much blacktop and concrete there is within a hundred yards of you right now.
Our cities sprawl across what used to be countryside. Stores and businesses which make provision for bicycles and mass transit are the exception, and we feel inconvenienced if there's not plenty of parking within a few paces of wherever we travel.
Dust off that bicycle or grab a backpack and get walking. Perhaps you could start by taking our 10-mile pledge.
The more you leave your car parked, the more money you'll save and the healthier you'll feel. Start small, establish new habits, and you'll be surprised how much you can get done without burning a drop of gasoline.
6. Reduce your personal stress
It's not an accident that virtually every one of our "simplicity stones" has a meditative component. You have to make time to prepare food, choose walking over a car trip, or even make a proper shopping list.
This is a good thing, because it forces you to unburden yourself of something else. We are hopelessly overstimulated. Living a greener life is less about learning new things than letting go of the old.
Most of the time, it wasn't much more than a stream. But its bed was thick with well-worn river stones, testimony to uncountable seasons of floods and the persuasive nature of water.
Over the centuries, the river had slowly carried away mountainsides, tumbling and cracking rock, reducing boulders into a rainbow of smooth, flat stones the size of a child's hand.
We'd spend hours picking through the best of them, finding the perfect rock to skip across the river. Invariably, we'd build little stacks of stones along the bank.
There's something deeply satisfying about stacking stones. It's a common motif in Zen gardens, which seek to create order out of nature's seeming chaos. In doing so, they highlight the harmony and balance of our place in the world.
MNN: 7 apps to get the most out of nature
It's not difficult to find a lesson in the stones for those of us trying to simplify our sprawling lives. We've chosen seven from the riverbed for you today -- ideas that can help you live a lighter, healthier, more sustainable life. Stack them as you will.
1. Reduce your consumption
Anyone who thinks they can shop their way to greener living has been watching too much television. Sure, responsible consumerism matters.
Every purchase is a choice. But the key to simpler, greener living is pretty straightforward: consume less.
A simple way to cut back on unnecessary purchases is the one week rule. Unless you have a real show-stopper, write down the things you need and sit on them for seven days.
Stores are designed to encourage impulse spending, so staying away as much as possible is good news for your bank account. After a week, round up the items you still need and group them together with an eye toward combining as many trips as possible. T
hen stick to your list. While this all sounds very simple, you'll quickly realize how chaotic our spending habits can be -- and how much money you can save through better planning.
2. Reduce your waste stream
We call it garbage; other nations might call it wealth. There's no end to things we send to the landfill. Recycling helps, but the sheer volume of waste generated by the average household is overwhelming.
From obsolete electronics to that mason jar you casually tossed in the trash last night, we're flooding our landfills while robbing ourselves of things which might be put to another use.
Start by thinking twice when you purchase something: is whatever you're buying too heavily packaged? Do you need it all?
Think again before putting anything in a trash or recycling bin. Nobody expects you to become a packrat, but that jar could easily be repurposed as a water bottle or something to pack a snack.
Food scraps belong in the compost heap. Maybe that cardboard, too. For some idea starters on keeping things out of the bin, check out this helpful list from No Impact Man.
3. Trim your energy use
Energy prices have relaxed over the past few months as a direct result of the worldwide economic slowdown. But electricity, gasoline, natural gas and heating oil still represent a hefty portion of the average family budget.
MNN: Can weatherization help the economy and save the world?
Unless you're fortunate enough to live in an area already invested in renewable energy, every unattended TV or flick of the light switch means you're burning fossil fuels. That means you're directly responsible for the air pollution and all the related consumables it took to bring that power to your wall impact socket.
Learn to weatherize; replace or retire inefficient appliances; consider more energy-efficient lighting; and rearrange your living spaces so they take better advantage of natural heat, lighting and cooling.
Switch things off and pocket the change. You'll probably enjoy the peace and quiet.
4. Prepare and grow your own food
If there's one lost art in the past decade or two, it's cooking real food. By "cooking," we don't mean warming up packaged food from the grocery store.
We're talking about preparing meals from fresh ingredients. That's how our parents and grandparents did it.
Admittedly, society has changed: with dual-income households and ever-expanding work schedules, it's easy to fall back on processed meals and fast foods. And that's a shame.
Making a meal -- whether it's just for yourself or a whole family -- is the one of the little rituals which forces us to slow down and be mindful of what we eat. It's also healthier, and an enormous money saver.
Not too handy in the kitchen? Take a class, or spend time cooking with someone you love. Real food needn't be complicated.
And consider growing some of what you consume. Even if you're not blessed with the space to plant a garden, you can grow a satisfying crop of herbs and vegetables in modest containers.
5. Reduce your reliance on automobiles
We love our cars. And why not? Virtually everything about modern living -- particularly in the United States -- assumes automobile transportation. Think how much blacktop and concrete there is within a hundred yards of you right now.
Our cities sprawl across what used to be countryside. Stores and businesses which make provision for bicycles and mass transit are the exception, and we feel inconvenienced if there's not plenty of parking within a few paces of wherever we travel.
Dust off that bicycle or grab a backpack and get walking. Perhaps you could start by taking our 10-mile pledge.
The more you leave your car parked, the more money you'll save and the healthier you'll feel. Start small, establish new habits, and you'll be surprised how much you can get done without burning a drop of gasoline.
6. Reduce your personal stress
It's not an accident that virtually every one of our "simplicity stones" has a meditative component. You have to make time to prepare food, choose walking over a car trip, or even make a proper shopping list.
This is a good thing, because it forces you to unburden yourself of something else. We are hopelessly overstimulated. Living a greener life is less about learning new things than letting go of the old.
2011年4月13日星期三
Don’t let child abuse damage your career
Child abuse is just as serious in the military as it is in the civilian sector. However, the high-stress environment of the military means a stable two-parent home can become a one-parent home when a service member deploys. There can be more moves and more emotional stress than in a civilian home.
But the military also has standards - and those who maltreat their children can face problems more wide-ranging than their civilian counterparts.
The Department of Defense recognizes this, and each branch of service has a family advocacy program to help families work through the stresses and prevent maltreatment of children and other family members.
Air Force Maj. Michael Burpee, family advocacy officer at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson hospital, explained there is a process for families with a suspected case of child maltreatment.
"We bring the parents and all the children for interviews and assessments," Burpee said. Every possible family member is asked about the family dynamic and what, if any, maltreatment is going on.
After the assessment is made, it is presented at the Central Registry Board. On JBER, that board consists of Army Col. Timothy R. Prior, deputy joint base commander and vice commander of the 673d Air Base Wing, as well as representatives from the office of the judge advocate, security forces, family advocacy and senior enlisted personnel.
The board follows a decision-making tree to determine if the case meets criteria as child maltreatment. If it does - and only about 30 percent of referrals on JBER meet those criteria - it can have far-reaching repercussions.
Most cases can be solved with intervention by Family Advocacy - although it's better to use the program's preventive services, such as the New Parent Support Program or the Home Improvement anger-management class.
Parenting classes offered by Family Advocacy include instructions on time-outs, communication skills, and consistency. In two-parent households, Burpee explained, it's important both parents use the same techniques to reduce children's confusion.
Often, education is all that's needed. A parent might be referred to family advocacy because they left a child unattended in a car on a cold day. It may not have affected the child much on that occasion, but nonetheless, the parents might not know that it's illegal in the state and against base policy to leave a child alone in a vehicle when it's hot or cold out, or perhaps they didn't understand the risks.
"We provide parents with information regarding children being left alone at home, or being on a playground unattended," said Burpee. "There are age-appropriate standards for when that's okay and when it isn't."
Base housing authorities and the chain of command can also refer service members for having unsanitary or unsafe housing conditions.
"We make sure that they understand the risk levels of having dangerous things - from the immediate risk of open electrical sockets to the long-term emotional impact of growing up in a chaotic, disorganized or dirty living situation," said Burpee.
"That has an impact on the child's sense of self-worth and can contribute to anxiety and depression."
When Family Advocacy receives a referral, or any time there is an allegation of maltreatment, it's triaged to determine whether it meets a threshold of a real threat to child safety. If it does, it's referred to the State of Alaska's Office of Children's Service, security forces and the chain of command.
"People should know that our first goal is the safety and well-being of military children," Burpee said. "Secondly, when a situation is identified and Family Advocacy is expecting to intervene, we want to help the service member remain in the service and help the family, with tools to prevent another problem. In the majority of cases, we can do that.
"A referral to Family Advocacy doesn't need to negatively impact a career; in fact, the earlier we get a referral, the more likely that person's career is able to be saved, because we can intervene."
When there isn't time to go to an anger-management class or calling the New Parent Support Program is the furthest thing from a stressed family member's mind, there are coping strategies, Burpee said.
"It's okay for a baby or toddler to cry," Burpee said. "Parents get frustrated when a child won't stop crying, but often they keep holding it and trying to console it.
But there are moments it's okay to put the child in a crib or in a safe room, and get away for a few minutes.
Sometimes the child just won't be consoled, and the parent is frustrated, and then shaking the baby is a real risk, but it's a preventable action. It's okay to just step away for a few minutes."
There are also neighbors, friends, and people from the unit who can take a child for a little while, when a parent is feeling too stressed.
"Sometimes parents feel guilty, like they're not stepping up or they're failing somehow," Burpee said. "But it's better parenting to recognize when you've reached the end of your rope, and let someone else step in."
For older children, he said, reaching the point of frustration often just takes stepping back and redirecting the child's attention.
"If the child is upset about something in particular, don't get into it right then. Come back later, and ask what you can both do to improve those reactions in the future," Burpee said. "Kids like it when you come to them in a calm and rational manner."
Burpee stressed that calling Family Advocacy for help will not result in any investigation or notification of the chain of command.
"Someone seeking services can connect and call Family Advocacy - if it's for preventive care, there's no case opened, we're not notifying anyone," he said.
Bringing in the family for interviews in the case of a referral to the program can be seen as very intrusive, Burpee said. Family Advocacy personnel understand that, and are careful to take that step only when the referral meets a certain threshold.
"We want to make sure we're doing everything possible for children," he said. "But we also respect people's privacy and their right to choose how to parent. It's a balance."
But the military also has standards - and those who maltreat their children can face problems more wide-ranging than their civilian counterparts.
The Department of Defense recognizes this, and each branch of service has a family advocacy program to help families work through the stresses and prevent maltreatment of children and other family members.
Air Force Maj. Michael Burpee, family advocacy officer at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson hospital, explained there is a process for families with a suspected case of child maltreatment.
"We bring the parents and all the children for interviews and assessments," Burpee said. Every possible family member is asked about the family dynamic and what, if any, maltreatment is going on.
After the assessment is made, it is presented at the Central Registry Board. On JBER, that board consists of Army Col. Timothy R. Prior, deputy joint base commander and vice commander of the 673d Air Base Wing, as well as representatives from the office of the judge advocate, security forces, family advocacy and senior enlisted personnel.
The board follows a decision-making tree to determine if the case meets criteria as child maltreatment. If it does - and only about 30 percent of referrals on JBER meet those criteria - it can have far-reaching repercussions.
Most cases can be solved with intervention by Family Advocacy - although it's better to use the program's preventive services, such as the New Parent Support Program or the Home Improvement anger-management class.
Parenting classes offered by Family Advocacy include instructions on time-outs, communication skills, and consistency. In two-parent households, Burpee explained, it's important both parents use the same techniques to reduce children's confusion.
Often, education is all that's needed. A parent might be referred to family advocacy because they left a child unattended in a car on a cold day. It may not have affected the child much on that occasion, but nonetheless, the parents might not know that it's illegal in the state and against base policy to leave a child alone in a vehicle when it's hot or cold out, or perhaps they didn't understand the risks.
"We provide parents with information regarding children being left alone at home, or being on a playground unattended," said Burpee. "There are age-appropriate standards for when that's okay and when it isn't."
Base housing authorities and the chain of command can also refer service members for having unsanitary or unsafe housing conditions.
"We make sure that they understand the risk levels of having dangerous things - from the immediate risk of open electrical sockets to the long-term emotional impact of growing up in a chaotic, disorganized or dirty living situation," said Burpee.
"That has an impact on the child's sense of self-worth and can contribute to anxiety and depression."
When Family Advocacy receives a referral, or any time there is an allegation of maltreatment, it's triaged to determine whether it meets a threshold of a real threat to child safety. If it does, it's referred to the State of Alaska's Office of Children's Service, security forces and the chain of command.
"People should know that our first goal is the safety and well-being of military children," Burpee said. "Secondly, when a situation is identified and Family Advocacy is expecting to intervene, we want to help the service member remain in the service and help the family, with tools to prevent another problem. In the majority of cases, we can do that.
"A referral to Family Advocacy doesn't need to negatively impact a career; in fact, the earlier we get a referral, the more likely that person's career is able to be saved, because we can intervene."
When there isn't time to go to an anger-management class or calling the New Parent Support Program is the furthest thing from a stressed family member's mind, there are coping strategies, Burpee said.
"It's okay for a baby or toddler to cry," Burpee said. "Parents get frustrated when a child won't stop crying, but often they keep holding it and trying to console it.
But there are moments it's okay to put the child in a crib or in a safe room, and get away for a few minutes.
Sometimes the child just won't be consoled, and the parent is frustrated, and then shaking the baby is a real risk, but it's a preventable action. It's okay to just step away for a few minutes."
There are also neighbors, friends, and people from the unit who can take a child for a little while, when a parent is feeling too stressed.
"Sometimes parents feel guilty, like they're not stepping up or they're failing somehow," Burpee said. "But it's better parenting to recognize when you've reached the end of your rope, and let someone else step in."
For older children, he said, reaching the point of frustration often just takes stepping back and redirecting the child's attention.
"If the child is upset about something in particular, don't get into it right then. Come back later, and ask what you can both do to improve those reactions in the future," Burpee said. "Kids like it when you come to them in a calm and rational manner."
Burpee stressed that calling Family Advocacy for help will not result in any investigation or notification of the chain of command.
"Someone seeking services can connect and call Family Advocacy - if it's for preventive care, there's no case opened, we're not notifying anyone," he said.
Bringing in the family for interviews in the case of a referral to the program can be seen as very intrusive, Burpee said. Family Advocacy personnel understand that, and are careful to take that step only when the referral meets a certain threshold.
"We want to make sure we're doing everything possible for children," he said. "But we also respect people's privacy and their right to choose how to parent. It's a balance."
2011年4月12日星期二
Data center design, Itanium roadmap, power management
Rory McInerney discusses power management, the impact of high end processors on data center design. The future of Itanium. What facilities should ask IT prior to a server refresh. Power and heat management. And what’s happening inside Intel’s own data centers.
Energy Management and energy Performance:
In 2006 your data center might have had Intel’s dual core servers. Replace those today with the E7 and we can reduce 18 racks to one and save 93% of energy and deliver a massive consolidation and lower footprint. We’re on a vector of power manager with products like data center manager and node manager. The server is still consuming the most energy within the data center.
What about Energy management?
You’ve bought this hardware. The question is how can I do more work on it. I’ve designed my data center for peak loading and I’ve bought the hardware and that’s were virtualization comes in. As people virtualize their average utilization continues to go up. And that’s where people see the value in buying faster and more powerful servers, because they are getting more out of it. Your value in servers goes up if you can operate at higher utilization more often, then the more work gets done. And that's not from the perspective of using more power, your average energy use over time will be better and that means you don’t need as much infrastructure. Or it can mean you can put more load on so you can expand your business without having to expand your data center.
We’re giving the end user much more visibity into what’s really happening at the CPU and what’s happening over time. We do a lot of turning off things or powering off things. Just using the hardware that’s needed for a particular application or making the hardware more application aware. We are innovating on that space and giving more visibility
Common infrastructure and scaling
There are still interpretations – we’re in a dynamic environment. How do you allocate resources in a dynamic environment? Do you do it in at the rack level, at the server level or do you go into the core. You have to go the [hardware] providers to see if they really go down the actual core and some of them will want to provide that level of granularity.
We’re providing 10 cores in this product. For the E7 on 10 cores that is a little different from doing dynamic provisioning on 2 cores.
How do become efficient?
There are two ways to get efficient. Take inefficient equipment out and put efficient hardware in, and maybe less of it, because you can consolidate. And once you have that infrastructure in provide visibility to how that is being used such that you make smarter decisions dynamically.
Itanium – roadmap:
Following the Xeon E7 announcement will come Poulson – for release in 1st half of 12. This is part of integrated roadmap. We’ve an Itanium roadmap and an E7 roadmap – and they are not exactly timed the same. The rates which systems get refreshed is different in those two markets. Our Itanium roadmap stretches as far as our Xeon roadmap. Poulsion is at 32nm – the E7 is also at 32nm and we haven’t disclosed anything about our future products.
A typical data center scenario – if I’m moving to a Westmere E7 processor – what should I thinking about in terms of my energy efficiency. What kind of energy savings can I see if I am deploying these latest processors?
You have to compare to what? We have a power envelope that we design these CPUs for. We collaborate with hp, IBM and Dell on this power envelope. We have a power envelope that we design these CPUs for. Our typical Xeon, DP2 socket – is probably operating on a 130W CPU envelope. There are lower performance nodes, depending on the data center you are trying to design. Below the Xeon 130W, we have 90W products and 60W products.
What typically happens is that you look at how much memory is being deployed. When you go to lower power products, not as much memory, not as many i/o channels, so you are becoming targeted and less scalable in terms of the applications. So within the Xeon family you can see products with half the power within that same platform family. We see those trends staying, so when we look at our design points over time, what those numbers will be, in terms of Intel design points, will stay. The amount of volume that ships will change [in relation to the power performance] and that’s something we tend to see depending on performance per watt. What is my performance per unit of energy for my application?
The Atom family of Intel products– really low wattage – for deployments that are not performance centric but is extremely power sensitive.
At the CPU level, we have solutions at ultra low power all the way to Itaniums at 170W. So the question for the facilities guys [to ask the IT guys] is which one of those you are looking at deployiong and what are you replacing.
And I would say within the Intel family, you are largely fitting in to the same ecosystem you already have, we’re very cogniscent of making sure you don’t have to do something special, you don’t have to do special cooling over and above what you already have.
Energy Management and energy Performance:
In 2006 your data center might have had Intel’s dual core servers. Replace those today with the E7 and we can reduce 18 racks to one and save 93% of energy and deliver a massive consolidation and lower footprint. We’re on a vector of power manager with products like data center manager and node manager. The server is still consuming the most energy within the data center.
What about Energy management?
You’ve bought this hardware. The question is how can I do more work on it. I’ve designed my data center for peak loading and I’ve bought the hardware and that’s were virtualization comes in. As people virtualize their average utilization continues to go up. And that’s where people see the value in buying faster and more powerful servers, because they are getting more out of it. Your value in servers goes up if you can operate at higher utilization more often, then the more work gets done. And that's not from the perspective of using more power, your average energy use over time will be better and that means you don’t need as much infrastructure. Or it can mean you can put more load on so you can expand your business without having to expand your data center.
We’re giving the end user much more visibity into what’s really happening at the CPU and what’s happening over time. We do a lot of turning off things or powering off things. Just using the hardware that’s needed for a particular application or making the hardware more application aware. We are innovating on that space and giving more visibility
Common infrastructure and scaling
There are still interpretations – we’re in a dynamic environment. How do you allocate resources in a dynamic environment? Do you do it in at the rack level, at the server level or do you go into the core. You have to go the [hardware] providers to see if they really go down the actual core and some of them will want to provide that level of granularity.
We’re providing 10 cores in this product. For the E7 on 10 cores that is a little different from doing dynamic provisioning on 2 cores.
How do become efficient?
There are two ways to get efficient. Take inefficient equipment out and put efficient hardware in, and maybe less of it, because you can consolidate. And once you have that infrastructure in provide visibility to how that is being used such that you make smarter decisions dynamically.
Itanium – roadmap:
Following the Xeon E7 announcement will come Poulson – for release in 1st half of 12. This is part of integrated roadmap. We’ve an Itanium roadmap and an E7 roadmap – and they are not exactly timed the same. The rates which systems get refreshed is different in those two markets. Our Itanium roadmap stretches as far as our Xeon roadmap. Poulsion is at 32nm – the E7 is also at 32nm and we haven’t disclosed anything about our future products.
A typical data center scenario – if I’m moving to a Westmere E7 processor – what should I thinking about in terms of my energy efficiency. What kind of energy savings can I see if I am deploying these latest processors?
You have to compare to what? We have a power envelope that we design these CPUs for. We collaborate with hp, IBM and Dell on this power envelope. We have a power envelope that we design these CPUs for. Our typical Xeon, DP2 socket – is probably operating on a 130W CPU envelope. There are lower performance nodes, depending on the data center you are trying to design. Below the Xeon 130W, we have 90W products and 60W products.
What typically happens is that you look at how much memory is being deployed. When you go to lower power products, not as much memory, not as many i/o channels, so you are becoming targeted and less scalable in terms of the applications. So within the Xeon family you can see products with half the power within that same platform family. We see those trends staying, so when we look at our design points over time, what those numbers will be, in terms of Intel design points, will stay. The amount of volume that ships will change [in relation to the power performance] and that’s something we tend to see depending on performance per watt. What is my performance per unit of energy for my application?
The Atom family of Intel products– really low wattage – for deployments that are not performance centric but is extremely power sensitive.
At the CPU level, we have solutions at ultra low power all the way to Itaniums at 170W. So the question for the facilities guys [to ask the IT guys] is which one of those you are looking at deployiong and what are you replacing.
And I would say within the Intel family, you are largely fitting in to the same ecosystem you already have, we’re very cogniscent of making sure you don’t have to do something special, you don’t have to do special cooling over and above what you already have.
HOW TO INSTALL A HINSON SS CLUTCH IN THE HONDA CRF450
If you ride hard and put it away wet, odds are that Honda’s four-spring clutch will not be in good working order by the end of the moto.
Honda’s four-spring clutch is a thing of wonder—most Honda CRF450 owners wonder what Honda’s engineers were thinking. If you ride hard and put it away wet, odds are that Honda’s four-spring clutch will not be in good working order by the end of the moto. Most MXA test riders can get four hours out of the stock CRF450 clutch before it needs new plates (some get four minutes). That is too often to be forced to replace $80 worth of clutch plates. So, MXA decided to solve the problem by installing Hinson’s innovative Single Spring (SS) clutch. The most significant feature of the Hinson SS clutch is its single Belleville washer spring. The Hinson clutch fixes the inherent problems of the stock four-spring clutch.
Before you remove the clutch cover, stick a screwdriver in the swingarm pivot hole so that the handle of the screwdriver pushes the rear brake pedal down. This allows you to access all of the 8mm clutch cover bolts without having to remove the brake pedal.
With the clutch cover removed, use an 8mm T-handle wrench to remove the four Honda CRF450 clutch bolts on the pressure plate and lift it off. Once you have the pressure plate off, carefully remove the needle bearing, clutch lifter top hat and washer from the center of the hub. Set them aside. Leave the clutch plates in the clutch for now.
Use a hammer and punch to flatten the lock washer that secures the inner hub clutch nut in place. You may need to get a new lock washer, but in most cases the stock washer can be reused.
Honda’s four-spring clutch is a thing of wonder—most Honda CRF450 owners wonder what Honda’s engineers were thinking. If you ride hard and put it away wet, odds are that Honda’s four-spring clutch will not be in good working order by the end of the moto. Most MXA test riders can get four hours out of the stock CRF450 clutch before it needs new plates (some get four minutes). That is too often to be forced to replace $80 worth of clutch plates. So, MXA decided to solve the problem by installing Hinson’s innovative Single Spring (SS) clutch. The most significant feature of the Hinson SS clutch is its single Belleville washer spring. The Hinson clutch fixes the inherent problems of the stock four-spring clutch.
Before you remove the clutch cover, stick a screwdriver in the swingarm pivot hole so that the handle of the screwdriver pushes the rear brake pedal down. This allows you to access all of the 8mm clutch cover bolts without having to remove the brake pedal.
With the clutch cover removed, use an 8mm T-handle wrench to remove the four Honda CRF450 clutch bolts on the pressure plate and lift it off. Once you have the pressure plate off, carefully remove the needle bearing, clutch lifter top hat and washer from the center of the hub. Set them aside. Leave the clutch plates in the clutch for now.
Use a hammer and punch to flatten the lock washer that secures the inner hub clutch nut in place. You may need to get a new lock washer, but in most cases the stock washer can be reused.
2011年4月10日星期日
Pacific nations bid to ‘combat’ obesity
On Tonga’s supermarket shelves, huge cans of corned beef the size of paint tins replaced traditional fare such as fish and coconuts long ago — contributing to an obesity epidemic that sees the Pacific region ranked as the fattest in the world.
Meat in Tonga almost invariably comes in a tin, whether it be turkey breast, meat loaf, luncheon meat or Spam, which can be bought in a variety of forms including smoked, with chilli or laced with cheese for an extra calorie hit.
The common denominator, Tonga’s Chief Medical Officer Malakai Ake says, is that the “junk meat” is loaded with salt and saturated fats, meaning islanders’ waistlines continue to expand.
“This is the biggest issue facing Tonga,” he told AFP, citing soaring levels of weight-related coronary disease, diabetes and strokes among islanders.
“Every other day there’s a funeral, a next-door neighbour, a relative, a friend. It’s always heart disease, diabetes, it’s ridiculous.”
The Tongan Health Department says more than 90 per cent of the total population is classed as overweight and more than 60 per cent is obese.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) data released last year, Pacific island nations account for eight of the top 10 countries where the male population is overweight or obese.
Weight-related diseases are responsible for three-quarters of deaths in the region, Fiji-based WHO nutritionist Temo Waqanivalu said, with diabetes rates in some Pacific nations close to 50 per cent.
“It’s a problem that health systems are struggling to deal with,” he said.
“If you walk into a hospital in any of the Pacific countries, about 75-80 per cent of the surgeries are the result of non-communicable diseases linked to obesity.”
Experts say economic, cultural and lifestyle factors have combined to make the obesity epidemic, which is an increasing problem across the globe, more acute in the Pacific.
Ake said the traditional lifestyles, where people kept fit through farming and fishing, gave way to a more sedentary existence in recent years and motor vehicles became more readily available.
“In my young days we would walk everywhere and go swimming,” he said. “Now people use the car to go just a little way down the street.”
Traditional diets based around fish and root crops have also fallen out of favour, replaced with fatty foods imported from Western nations that islanders see as more convenient and prestigious.
“They are unable to compete with the glamour and flashiness of imported foods,” Waqanivalu said, adding that cash-strapped consumers in the Pacific often had little choice about making poor dietary choices.
“In some countries it’s cheaper to buy a fizzy drink than a bottle of water.
“When they go down the aisle of the supermarket, probably the last thing people are looking at is the nutritional information, they’re looking at the price.”
Pacific islanders sometimes argue that they naturally have big frames and are more prone to put on weight than other people, although it’s a theory Waqanivalu rejects.
He said a generous girth had long been seen as a sign of status in the Pacific but the message was slowly getting out that bigger is not necessarily better.
“We’re telling people that being large is OK but being fat is different and that’s what we’re beginning to see,” he said.
Tonga’s late King Tupou IV, who died in 2006, helped raise awareness about obesity in the 1990s, when he organised a national diet and exercise routine after receiving warnings from his doctors about his weight.
Listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the heaviest monarch in the world at almost 210 kilograms (463 pounds), he reportedly lost 70 kilograms.
But Tonga’s current Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano said more needed to be done to combat the obesity problem and his government would look at restricting imports such as mutton flaps — cheap, fatty sheep offcuts popular in the country.
“We have to go back to the old ways, just eating good food — taros, kumaras (sweet potatoes), yams,” he said
“It’s a matter of saying ‘sorry, you have to find an alternative’, probably eat fish rather than mutton flaps.”
Home safety: Installing stair gates, cabinet locks, and smoke detectors led to a drop in injury rates in young children in a new study that provided and set up the safety products in almost 200 homes.
Injuries that could be prevented by making the home environment safer were cut by more than two-thirds, the researchers found.
“It seems to me that there’s a number of hazards that children encounter in the home that we have failed to protect them from,” said Dr Bruce Lanphear from Cincinnati Children’s Environmental Health, one of the study’s authors.
This initiative, he told Reuters Health, “is actually amazingly effective. We didn’t expect to see quite this much benefit.”
Lanphear and his colleagues recruited about 350 expectant mothers and inspected their homes for possible injury hazards, including unlocked cabinets, unstable furniture, and accessible electrical sockets.
In a randomly selected group of half those mothers, the researchers discussed safety products with the family and installed all products the families agreed to when their babies were an average of 6 months old. All mothers in the study were also given information on injury risks and how to make their homes safer for kids.
ADHD drugs: The US drugs regulator said it was not recommending changes in the use of stimulants such as Adderall XR and Ritalin to treat hyperactivity, after a review of a study into potential heart disease risks from the drugs.
“At this time, FDA is not recommending any changes to the drug labels and or use of these medications,” the US Food and Drug Administration said on its website.
The FDA said it would give a full update after the final analyses on the potential impact of stimulant ADHD drugs on the risk of heart disease and strokes were evaluated.
Shares in British group Shire, which makes the stimulant Vyvanse as well as Adderall XR, rose 1.7 percent after analysts said the update clearly suggested the FDA had seen no obvious safety signals in the study.
“While not absolutely definitive, this is positive for the stimulant class and for Shire,” Beinstein analyst Jack Scannell said. “Concerns over the possibility of a bad outcome have curbed our enthusiasm for Shire.”
Justin Smith at MF Global said the news was unsurprising, as rigorous monitoring for any potential change in cardiovascular risk had been in place since the study started in 2007, but was still positive for sentiment.
Adderall XR carries a warning about cardiovascular risks for patient with serious heart problems, and doctors generally assess a patient’s cardiovascular history before starting treatment.
Meat in Tonga almost invariably comes in a tin, whether it be turkey breast, meat loaf, luncheon meat or Spam, which can be bought in a variety of forms including smoked, with chilli or laced with cheese for an extra calorie hit.
The common denominator, Tonga’s Chief Medical Officer Malakai Ake says, is that the “junk meat” is loaded with salt and saturated fats, meaning islanders’ waistlines continue to expand.
“This is the biggest issue facing Tonga,” he told AFP, citing soaring levels of weight-related coronary disease, diabetes and strokes among islanders.
“Every other day there’s a funeral, a next-door neighbour, a relative, a friend. It’s always heart disease, diabetes, it’s ridiculous.”
The Tongan Health Department says more than 90 per cent of the total population is classed as overweight and more than 60 per cent is obese.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) data released last year, Pacific island nations account for eight of the top 10 countries where the male population is overweight or obese.
Weight-related diseases are responsible for three-quarters of deaths in the region, Fiji-based WHO nutritionist Temo Waqanivalu said, with diabetes rates in some Pacific nations close to 50 per cent.
“It’s a problem that health systems are struggling to deal with,” he said.
“If you walk into a hospital in any of the Pacific countries, about 75-80 per cent of the surgeries are the result of non-communicable diseases linked to obesity.”
Experts say economic, cultural and lifestyle factors have combined to make the obesity epidemic, which is an increasing problem across the globe, more acute in the Pacific.
Ake said the traditional lifestyles, where people kept fit through farming and fishing, gave way to a more sedentary existence in recent years and motor vehicles became more readily available.
“In my young days we would walk everywhere and go swimming,” he said. “Now people use the car to go just a little way down the street.”
Traditional diets based around fish and root crops have also fallen out of favour, replaced with fatty foods imported from Western nations that islanders see as more convenient and prestigious.
“They are unable to compete with the glamour and flashiness of imported foods,” Waqanivalu said, adding that cash-strapped consumers in the Pacific often had little choice about making poor dietary choices.
“In some countries it’s cheaper to buy a fizzy drink than a bottle of water.
“When they go down the aisle of the supermarket, probably the last thing people are looking at is the nutritional information, they’re looking at the price.”
Pacific islanders sometimes argue that they naturally have big frames and are more prone to put on weight than other people, although it’s a theory Waqanivalu rejects.
He said a generous girth had long been seen as a sign of status in the Pacific but the message was slowly getting out that bigger is not necessarily better.
“We’re telling people that being large is OK but being fat is different and that’s what we’re beginning to see,” he said.
Tonga’s late King Tupou IV, who died in 2006, helped raise awareness about obesity in the 1990s, when he organised a national diet and exercise routine after receiving warnings from his doctors about his weight.
Listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the heaviest monarch in the world at almost 210 kilograms (463 pounds), he reportedly lost 70 kilograms.
But Tonga’s current Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano said more needed to be done to combat the obesity problem and his government would look at restricting imports such as mutton flaps — cheap, fatty sheep offcuts popular in the country.
“We have to go back to the old ways, just eating good food — taros, kumaras (sweet potatoes), yams,” he said
“It’s a matter of saying ‘sorry, you have to find an alternative’, probably eat fish rather than mutton flaps.”
Home safety: Installing stair gates, cabinet locks, and smoke detectors led to a drop in injury rates in young children in a new study that provided and set up the safety products in almost 200 homes.
Injuries that could be prevented by making the home environment safer were cut by more than two-thirds, the researchers found.
“It seems to me that there’s a number of hazards that children encounter in the home that we have failed to protect them from,” said Dr Bruce Lanphear from Cincinnati Children’s Environmental Health, one of the study’s authors.
This initiative, he told Reuters Health, “is actually amazingly effective. We didn’t expect to see quite this much benefit.”
Lanphear and his colleagues recruited about 350 expectant mothers and inspected their homes for possible injury hazards, including unlocked cabinets, unstable furniture, and accessible electrical sockets.
In a randomly selected group of half those mothers, the researchers discussed safety products with the family and installed all products the families agreed to when their babies were an average of 6 months old. All mothers in the study were also given information on injury risks and how to make their homes safer for kids.
ADHD drugs: The US drugs regulator said it was not recommending changes in the use of stimulants such as Adderall XR and Ritalin to treat hyperactivity, after a review of a study into potential heart disease risks from the drugs.
“At this time, FDA is not recommending any changes to the drug labels and or use of these medications,” the US Food and Drug Administration said on its website.
The FDA said it would give a full update after the final analyses on the potential impact of stimulant ADHD drugs on the risk of heart disease and strokes were evaluated.
Shares in British group Shire, which makes the stimulant Vyvanse as well as Adderall XR, rose 1.7 percent after analysts said the update clearly suggested the FDA had seen no obvious safety signals in the study.
“While not absolutely definitive, this is positive for the stimulant class and for Shire,” Beinstein analyst Jack Scannell said. “Concerns over the possibility of a bad outcome have curbed our enthusiasm for Shire.”
Justin Smith at MF Global said the news was unsurprising, as rigorous monitoring for any potential change in cardiovascular risk had been in place since the study started in 2007, but was still positive for sentiment.
Adderall XR carries a warning about cardiovascular risks for patient with serious heart problems, and doctors generally assess a patient’s cardiovascular history before starting treatment.
2011年4月7日星期四
Alison Berkley: The Princess's Palate
I had a little snowboarding mishap Monday and hit a tree. Or I should say, the tree hit me. The tree seemed fine, not a scratch.
When I saw that thing coming at me, knowing I couldn't stop to avoid hitting it, I didn't see my life flash before my eyes. I didn't think about the people I love or about what might happen.
I thought, "Oh, great. Now that I don't have any health insurance …"
It was just the other day my friend Cathy and I were talking about that very topic.
"Aren't you scared? What if something happened," she asked.
"No, not really. No. I know I should be, but I'm not. I had health insurance and spent like thousands of dollars and it didn't pay for dick," I said. I felt the need to edit myself, but as usual, I ignored the urge. I knew what I was saying didn't make me sound like a good person, like saying "I don't like animals" or "I don't want to breast feed."
It's true that I did have health insurance for the past five years. I watched it increase, not gradually, but rapidly, from $170/month to $490/month for what seemed like no reason. Still, it made me feel good on the rare occasion I had to go to the doctor.
I thought it was so cool that when I did need to go to the doctor, I was a responsible member of society, toting one of those laminated insurance card things that I'd proudly present to the receptionist on my way out.
It turns out my little insurance policy didn't cover much of anything at all, like all that lab work I had to see if I could still get knocked up or not. If I would've known that, I would've come up with some excuse to get a prescription for Botox, or said I had migraine headaches that warranted a medical marijuana card or something legit like that.
After all that, and all that money the insurance company basically stole from me for this insanely high monthly premium, I get this letter in the mail saying they're going out of business. Instead of going with some other lame-ass insurance company, they referred me to for the same insanely high premium.
I let my policy lapse.
"I'd be terrified not to have health insurance," Cathy said. "I mean, what if something happened? What if I got hurt skiing or something?"
"Yeah, that's true. But I don't ski like you do," I said. Or maybe I thought it but didn't say it out loud. "It's not like I'm hitting the park or doing first descents at this stage of the game. I'm just making turns."
So of course this tree decided to come and attack me out of nowhere a few days later just to make a point.
It was that big powder day, the one on Monday that everyone was freaking out about. It was one of those perfect bluebird days that mocks you for staying inside. It's just like when you were a kid and everyone's taunting you to ride your bike over the jump your brother made in the backyard out of dirt even though you know you're gonna eat it if you do. But you have to because everyone else is doing it, and then you get the old, "If your brother told you to jump off a bridge, would you do that too?" lecture from your mom when you go running into the house bleeding.
Ry went up for a few lunch runs, so I figured the fresh air would do me some good. We were coming down Jackpot and I saw this untracked patch of snow, just glistening in the midday sun. You would think I would know by now that when you see untracked powder at one o'clock in the afternoon there is a reason.
Like, when I lived in Jackson Hole, I would always get sucked into these untracked powder fields in Casper Bowl that inevitably lead to exposure I'd have to hike out of. Those were some of my most terrifying days, crawling through thigh deep powder with my board off, trying not to slide off a cliff.
Still not having learned my lesson, I threw a heelside turn into that untracked snow like I was heli boarding in Alaska. Instead of floating through bottomless powder, I hit the reef underneath — frozen death cookies with a deceptively thin layer of dust on top — and went "ass over teakettle" (as Ryan likes to say). I landed on my butt and saw that big trunk coming at me, so I stuck my legs out in front of me to brace myself.
Then, wham! My left foot hit first and my stiff, straight leg and adrenaline did nothing to cushion the impact. I could see it in my mind's eye: My hip joint, that ball-and-socket joint, jamming together and pushing up on my spine.
I sat in the snow breathing hard like I was about to have a baby. Ryan stood over me, trying to do the right thing, remaining calm and trying not to laugh.
"Can you stand up?" he said.
I thought about my conversation with Cathy and the dollar signs and the number of zeros that would appear on my medical bill.
"No, I'm okay," I said, and propped myself up. I felt sick but managed to make my way down the mountain. Once I took my board off, walking proved to be even more difficult. But I didn't break anything. I could walk and talk. I was lucky to be alive. On that very same day, others wouldn't be so lucky.
When I saw that thing coming at me, knowing I couldn't stop to avoid hitting it, I didn't see my life flash before my eyes. I didn't think about the people I love or about what might happen.
I thought, "Oh, great. Now that I don't have any health insurance …"
It was just the other day my friend Cathy and I were talking about that very topic.
"Aren't you scared? What if something happened," she asked.
"No, not really. No. I know I should be, but I'm not. I had health insurance and spent like thousands of dollars and it didn't pay for dick," I said. I felt the need to edit myself, but as usual, I ignored the urge. I knew what I was saying didn't make me sound like a good person, like saying "I don't like animals" or "I don't want to breast feed."
It's true that I did have health insurance for the past five years. I watched it increase, not gradually, but rapidly, from $170/month to $490/month for what seemed like no reason. Still, it made me feel good on the rare occasion I had to go to the doctor.
I thought it was so cool that when I did need to go to the doctor, I was a responsible member of society, toting one of those laminated insurance card things that I'd proudly present to the receptionist on my way out.
It turns out my little insurance policy didn't cover much of anything at all, like all that lab work I had to see if I could still get knocked up or not. If I would've known that, I would've come up with some excuse to get a prescription for Botox, or said I had migraine headaches that warranted a medical marijuana card or something legit like that.
After all that, and all that money the insurance company basically stole from me for this insanely high monthly premium, I get this letter in the mail saying they're going out of business. Instead of going with some other lame-ass insurance company, they referred me to for the same insanely high premium.
I let my policy lapse.
"I'd be terrified not to have health insurance," Cathy said. "I mean, what if something happened? What if I got hurt skiing or something?"
"Yeah, that's true. But I don't ski like you do," I said. Or maybe I thought it but didn't say it out loud. "It's not like I'm hitting the park or doing first descents at this stage of the game. I'm just making turns."
So of course this tree decided to come and attack me out of nowhere a few days later just to make a point.
It was that big powder day, the one on Monday that everyone was freaking out about. It was one of those perfect bluebird days that mocks you for staying inside. It's just like when you were a kid and everyone's taunting you to ride your bike over the jump your brother made in the backyard out of dirt even though you know you're gonna eat it if you do. But you have to because everyone else is doing it, and then you get the old, "If your brother told you to jump off a bridge, would you do that too?" lecture from your mom when you go running into the house bleeding.
Ry went up for a few lunch runs, so I figured the fresh air would do me some good. We were coming down Jackpot and I saw this untracked patch of snow, just glistening in the midday sun. You would think I would know by now that when you see untracked powder at one o'clock in the afternoon there is a reason.
Like, when I lived in Jackson Hole, I would always get sucked into these untracked powder fields in Casper Bowl that inevitably lead to exposure I'd have to hike out of. Those were some of my most terrifying days, crawling through thigh deep powder with my board off, trying not to slide off a cliff.
Still not having learned my lesson, I threw a heelside turn into that untracked snow like I was heli boarding in Alaska. Instead of floating through bottomless powder, I hit the reef underneath — frozen death cookies with a deceptively thin layer of dust on top — and went "ass over teakettle" (as Ryan likes to say). I landed on my butt and saw that big trunk coming at me, so I stuck my legs out in front of me to brace myself.
Then, wham! My left foot hit first and my stiff, straight leg and adrenaline did nothing to cushion the impact. I could see it in my mind's eye: My hip joint, that ball-and-socket joint, jamming together and pushing up on my spine.
I sat in the snow breathing hard like I was about to have a baby. Ryan stood over me, trying to do the right thing, remaining calm and trying not to laugh.
"Can you stand up?" he said.
I thought about my conversation with Cathy and the dollar signs and the number of zeros that would appear on my medical bill.
"No, I'm okay," I said, and propped myself up. I felt sick but managed to make my way down the mountain. Once I took my board off, walking proved to be even more difficult. But I didn't break anything. I could walk and talk. I was lucky to be alive. On that very same day, others wouldn't be so lucky.
2011年4月6日星期三
The new Siemens "Aquaris" hearing instrument is watertight and robust
Chicago, USA / Erlangen, Germany, Whether it is being used during leisure activities
or in a work environment, the new Siemens "Aquaris" hearing aid copes with many
challenges. It is not only watertight and dustproof, but also robust and impact-
resistant. These qualities are achieved by features such as a special casing with a
sealed battery compartment, a watertight microphone membrane and a protective cover.
A slip-on sports clip holds the hearing instrument securely behind the ear, even
when the wearer is moving around or being jolted. The "BestSound Technology"
developed by Siemens guarantees enhanced hearing comfort, even in difficult noise
environments.
Manufacturing a hearing aid that not only repels water, but is truly waterproof,
represented a particular challenge for the engineers. In traditional hearing aids,
there are a number of points through which water can penetrate and damage the
sensitive technology inside. These include not only the tiny screws that normally
hold the casing together, but also the battery compartment and the microphone and
earpiece sockets.
To cope with this, Siemens developed a one-piece casting for Aquaris. A
scratchproof, rubber-like surface holds the device securely behind the ear and
prevents it from slipping. The battery compartment is equipped with a waterproof but
air-permeable membrane. As a result, environmentally-friendly zinc air batteries can
be used, which always require "air to breathe". The cover clip is attached to the
top of the casing via ultrasound. It also protects the waterproof but acoustically
transparent microphone membrane, which was specially developed for Aquaris. A nano
coating and a seal protect the earpiece.
The result speaks for itself: Siemens engineers tested Aquaris under severe climatic
conditions, including in tropical Australia. Independent institutes also tested the
device for compliance with the relevant standards. For example, it was submerged for
30 minutes at a depth of one metre without water penetration. As a result, Aquaris
can officially be described as "waterproof".
Aquaris hearing aids are ideal for anyone with impaired hearing who undertakes
sweat-inducing activities either as part of their job or in their leisure
activities, or who spends time in a damp or dusty environment. They are equally
reliable even in floury bakehouses and building sites. They can be worn when
sailing, surfing or even swimming. A swimming program developed by Siemens itself
deals with the special acoustic conditions encountered during swimming while the
cover clip on top of the device absorbs even the strong wind noise.
The casing protects the sensitive inside workings not only from damp and dirt, but
also from impacts and jolts, such as can occur when playing sport. When the wearer
is involved in sports such as mountain biking, jogging and beach volleyball, where
there is extensive movement, a slip-on sports clip holds the device securely behind
the ear.
Just like the entire latest generation of Siemens hearing aids, Aquaris is equipped
with the BestSound Technology developed by Siemens, which ensures true sound comfort
and excellent speech understanding. The wearer is able to make adjustments using
Siemens "Tek" and "miniTek" remote operation, and can link the hearing aids
wirelessly with modern communication and entertainment electronic devices. Siemens
produces a waterproof "Aquapac" to protect this remote operation facility.
The planned market launch date for "Aquaris" is June, 2011.
The products mentioned here are not yet available for purchase in some countries.
Due to regulatory reasons, future availability in any country cannot be guaranteed.
Please contact your local Siemens organization for further details.
or in a work environment, the new Siemens "Aquaris" hearing aid copes with many
challenges. It is not only watertight and dustproof, but also robust and impact-
resistant. These qualities are achieved by features such as a special casing with a
sealed battery compartment, a watertight microphone membrane and a protective cover.
A slip-on sports clip holds the hearing instrument securely behind the ear, even
when the wearer is moving around or being jolted. The "BestSound Technology"
developed by Siemens guarantees enhanced hearing comfort, even in difficult noise
environments.
Manufacturing a hearing aid that not only repels water, but is truly waterproof,
represented a particular challenge for the engineers. In traditional hearing aids,
there are a number of points through which water can penetrate and damage the
sensitive technology inside. These include not only the tiny screws that normally
hold the casing together, but also the battery compartment and the microphone and
earpiece sockets.
To cope with this, Siemens developed a one-piece casting for Aquaris. A
scratchproof, rubber-like surface holds the device securely behind the ear and
prevents it from slipping. The battery compartment is equipped with a waterproof but
air-permeable membrane. As a result, environmentally-friendly zinc air batteries can
be used, which always require "air to breathe". The cover clip is attached to the
top of the casing via ultrasound. It also protects the waterproof but acoustically
transparent microphone membrane, which was specially developed for Aquaris. A nano
coating and a seal protect the earpiece.
The result speaks for itself: Siemens engineers tested Aquaris under severe climatic
conditions, including in tropical Australia. Independent institutes also tested the
device for compliance with the relevant standards. For example, it was submerged for
30 minutes at a depth of one metre without water penetration. As a result, Aquaris
can officially be described as "waterproof".
Aquaris hearing aids are ideal for anyone with impaired hearing who undertakes
sweat-inducing activities either as part of their job or in their leisure
activities, or who spends time in a damp or dusty environment. They are equally
reliable even in floury bakehouses and building sites. They can be worn when
sailing, surfing or even swimming. A swimming program developed by Siemens itself
deals with the special acoustic conditions encountered during swimming while the
cover clip on top of the device absorbs even the strong wind noise.
The casing protects the sensitive inside workings not only from damp and dirt, but
also from impacts and jolts, such as can occur when playing sport. When the wearer
is involved in sports such as mountain biking, jogging and beach volleyball, where
there is extensive movement, a slip-on sports clip holds the device securely behind
the ear.
Just like the entire latest generation of Siemens hearing aids, Aquaris is equipped
with the BestSound Technology developed by Siemens, which ensures true sound comfort
and excellent speech understanding. The wearer is able to make adjustments using
Siemens "Tek" and "miniTek" remote operation, and can link the hearing aids
wirelessly with modern communication and entertainment electronic devices. Siemens
produces a waterproof "Aquapac" to protect this remote operation facility.
The planned market launch date for "Aquaris" is June, 2011.
The products mentioned here are not yet available for purchase in some countries.
Due to regulatory reasons, future availability in any country cannot be guaranteed.
Please contact your local Siemens organization for further details.
2011年4月5日星期二
Lightning damages house, kills dog
Some families are still busy surveying storm damage. Last night lightning struck several houses in one Knoxville neighborhood, sending two people to the hospital and killing a dog.
Crystao Phelps says, "it sounded like a bomb was exploding in this whole neighborhood." The blast wasn't a bomb, it was a bolt of lighting that hit several houses at the same time. "My first impression was i thought a tree had fallen and hit the house it shook so bad."
Fire officials say the bolt hit Tom Best's tree first, then traveled through the root system and exploded under his house. He says, "it must have hit right behind the vanity. It busted the ceramic in two."
The impact was so strong, it blew out electrical sockets and shattered glass. Best says, "every one of the pictures that was in the hallway was knocked off and shattered. It just completely destroyed the back part of the house."
Best lost his bathroom in the blast. But that's not the worst part. The lightning also hit his dog - killing it. He says, "we took better care of that dog than most people would. And we loved that dog to death."
Two houses down, the same bolt hit Crystao Phelps. The lightning actually traveled through an open window and hit her as she was sitting on the couch. "You don't think you're going to sit in your living room and get struck by lightning," she tells us. She adds that she heard a loud rumble of thunder and looked up just as it struck. "It looked red when it hit my arm. Before it came in the window it looked like it was blue and purple. I seen exactly when it hit." She says, " I was scared to death! I never experienced anything like that in my life, and hope to never again!"
She says her angel statue turned out to be more than a decoration.
"I believe that's my guardian angel now. I'm glad my brother brought it to me."
Her arm is still sore, but her doctors say Phelps will be ok. As for the Bests; they're staying with friends and family while they fix up their house
Crystao Phelps says, "it sounded like a bomb was exploding in this whole neighborhood." The blast wasn't a bomb, it was a bolt of lighting that hit several houses at the same time. "My first impression was i thought a tree had fallen and hit the house it shook so bad."
Fire officials say the bolt hit Tom Best's tree first, then traveled through the root system and exploded under his house. He says, "it must have hit right behind the vanity. It busted the ceramic in two."
The impact was so strong, it blew out electrical sockets and shattered glass. Best says, "every one of the pictures that was in the hallway was knocked off and shattered. It just completely destroyed the back part of the house."
Best lost his bathroom in the blast. But that's not the worst part. The lightning also hit his dog - killing it. He says, "we took better care of that dog than most people would. And we loved that dog to death."
Two houses down, the same bolt hit Crystao Phelps. The lightning actually traveled through an open window and hit her as she was sitting on the couch. "You don't think you're going to sit in your living room and get struck by lightning," she tells us. She adds that she heard a loud rumble of thunder and looked up just as it struck. "It looked red when it hit my arm. Before it came in the window it looked like it was blue and purple. I seen exactly when it hit." She says, " I was scared to death! I never experienced anything like that in my life, and hope to never again!"
She says her angel statue turned out to be more than a decoration.
"I believe that's my guardian angel now. I'm glad my brother brought it to me."
Her arm is still sore, but her doctors say Phelps will be ok. As for the Bests; they're staying with friends and family while they fix up their house
2011年4月1日星期五
Don't Be Fooled Again by Cyber Criminals
April Fool's Day is one of those days I wanted to avoid when going to the office. My former co-workers were pranksters who liked pulling April Fool's jokes, knowing there'd be someone who would fall for the spoof.
For cyber crooks, every day is April 1, as they are always hoping to fool someone in order to find a way to mine into corporate data and personal information. The Online Trust Alliance (OTA) wants to help folks avoid falling for the fake websites and phishing emails. So, in honor of April Fool's Day, OTA released its Top 10 Recommendations to Help Businesses Protect Consumers From Being Fooled. According to Craig Spiezle, executive director and president of the OTA, the reason for the list is to show that cyber security and identity theft threats can be prevented with simple but effective actions. He said in a release:
Upgrade all employees to the most current version of browsers that have integrated phishing and malware protection and privacy controls including support of "Do Not Track" mechanisms and controls. Such controls provide users the control on third-party data collection, usage and data sharing of their online browsing activities, while balancing out the value of ad supported online services. Encourage consumers to update their browsers by notifying them of insecure and outdated browsers. In addition, consider terminating support for end-of-life browsers with known vulnerabilities by preventing logons and providing instructions to upgrade.
For cyber crooks, every day is April 1, as they are always hoping to fool someone in order to find a way to mine into corporate data and personal information. The Online Trust Alliance (OTA) wants to help folks avoid falling for the fake websites and phishing emails. So, in honor of April Fool's Day, OTA released its Top 10 Recommendations to Help Businesses Protect Consumers From Being Fooled. According to Craig Spiezle, executive director and president of the OTA, the reason for the list is to show that cyber security and identity theft threats can be prevented with simple but effective actions. He said in a release:
Upgrade all employees to the most current version of browsers that have integrated phishing and malware protection and privacy controls including support of "Do Not Track" mechanisms and controls. Such controls provide users the control on third-party data collection, usage and data sharing of their online browsing activities, while balancing out the value of ad supported online services. Encourage consumers to update their browsers by notifying them of insecure and outdated browsers. In addition, consider terminating support for end-of-life browsers with known vulnerabilities by preventing logons and providing instructions to upgrade.
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