Larry Chandler, 34, was one of the first people through the door at the Indiana lottery headquarters Thursday morning.
By Michelle Relerford and Marcus Riley, NBCChicago.com
A Powerball winner has 180 days to pick up their prize, but a Highland, Ind., man didn't bother to waste a single day after winning $1 million in Wednesday's Powerball.
Larry Chandler, 34, was one of the first people through the door at the Indianapolis lottery headquarters Thursday morning after discovering he was one of the big winners in the $587.5 million drawing.
But the union electrician says he'll be back at work on Monday -- after he hires a tax adviser and a financial planner.
For more, visit NBCChicago.com
Chandler's girlfriend's daughter tells NBC 5 that he had been living with them because his own home was in foreclosure. His immediate plans for the money include helping out his mom, starting a college fund for his daughter and taking his girlfriend to Red Lobster -- which should buy plenty of cheddar biscuits.
?
Chandler says he played his own numbers and matched every one except the Powerball.
The winning ticket was purchased at the Highland Citgo on Kennedy Avenue.
"It's really great that one of my customers has had good fortune," Citgo employee Keith Barnes said.
A second million-dollar ticket was purchased in Vincennes, IN, but it has yet to be claimed, and two other million-dollar tickets were purchased in Central Illinois.
Two tickets, purchased in Arizona and Missouri, matched all six numbers and the winners will split the more than half a billion-dollar jackpot.
It's probably less the number of probes we're sending, and more the general decrease in amount of Plutonium. PU hasn't been manufactured much since the end of the cold war; everybody is busy stepping down their weapon programs instead. Now, some of that former-warhead material is great for RTGs, but the stuff degrades. It has a moderately short half-life (it has to, or it wouldn't be active enough to passively generate the heat needed for an RTG) and a lot of the stuff that was viable for spacecraft 30 years ago is pretty cold now (see the Voyager probes, for example, which are running on extremely low power).
They can't just fix the problem by sending more, either; not only is it in short supply in general, but it's too heavy to send much on a spacecraft. Instead, they send enough to run the mission at full capacity for a few years, scaling back over time. That requires a supply of pretty fresh / pure Plutonium though, and that means making and separating more of it... except doing runs into a serious political problem. We *could* keep using RTGs (although they aren't perfect by any means, they get the job done) if we could convince people to let us manufacture their fuel source...
By MEGAN MANAGAN
Mercer Island Reporter Reporter November 26, 2012 ? Updated 4:52 PM?
Coach: Chauntelle Johnson
Number of
athletes: Over 60
Last season: The Islanders finished second in state, ending a six-year state title run. Mercer Island won the KingCo meet and took second to Lakeside during the SeaKing District meet ? the team that would go on to beat Mercer Island in the state finals.
Strengths: ?Our sprint freestyles,? said coach Chauntelle Johnson. ?We did time trials last week and had a lot of guys under 24 seconds in the 50.?
?Diving,? said captain Sam Peterson. The team will have at least four seniors and one sophomore diving this season. ?And we have some great relays,? he added.
This season the team has a lot of younger swimmers, said Johnson.
?A lot of new guys who really want to get better,? she said.
?Everyone?s really supportive,? said captain Harrison Leeds.
Focus: ?Getting their endurance back,? said Johnson. ?Some of the guys play water polo, so working on their mechanics, and for others, even our year-round swimmers, getting them ready for a lot of racing.?
?Teamwork,? said senior Sam Chong. ?Showing them that when we work as a whole, we can do something great.?
?We want to make sure that everyone improves and has a KingCo time,? said Peterson.
Captains: Seniors Cody Hall, Sam Chong, Sam Peterson, Harrison Leeds
Meet to watch: Newport, Bellevue, Bainbridge Island, Kennedy Catholic, Lakeside
?We?re also going to the Kentridge Invitational,? said Johnson.
?Bellevue,? said the captains. ?It?ll be close, but we can do it,? said Leeds.
?Lakeridge, because they beat us last year at state; it?ll be tough,? said Chong.
Contact Mercer Island Reporter Reporter Megan Managan at mmanagan@mi-reporter.com or (206) 232-1215 ext. 5054.
Contact: Sarah McDonnell s_mcd@mit.edu 617-253-8923 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
New design technique could enable personalized medicine, studies of brain wiring
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Borrowing from microfabrication techniques used in the semiconductor industry, MIT and Harvard Medical School (HMS) engineers have developed a simple and inexpensive way to create three-dimensional brain tissues in a lab dish.
The new technique yields tissue constructs that closely mimic the cellular composition of those in the living brain, allowing scientists to study how neurons form connections and to predict how cells from individual patients might respond to different drugs. The work also paves the way for developing bioengineered implants to replace damaged tissue for organ systems, according to the researchers.
"We think that by bringing this kind of control and manipulation into neurobiology, we can investigate many different directions," says Utkan Demirci, an assistant professor in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST).
Demirci and Ed Boyden, associate professor of biological engineering and brain and cognitive sciences at MIT's Media Lab and McGovern Institute, are senior authors of a paper describing the new technique, which appears in the Nov. 27 online edition of the journal Advanced Materials. The paper's lead author is Umut Gurkan, a postdoc at HST, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.
'Unique challenges'
Although researchers have had some success growing artificial tissues such as liver or kidney, "the brain presents some unique challenges," Boyden says. "One of the challenges is the incredible spatial heterogeneity. There are so many kinds of cells, and they have such intricate wiring."
Brain tissue includes many types of neurons, including inhibitory and excitatory neurons, as well as supportive cells such as glial cells. All of these cells occur at specific ratios and in specific locations.
To mimic this architectural complexity in their engineered tissues, the researchers embedded a mixture of brain cells taken from the primary cortex of rats into sheets of hydrogel. They also included components of the extracellular matrix, which provides structural support and helps regulate cell behavior.
Those sheets were then stacked in layers, which can be sealed together using light to crosslink hydrogels. By covering layers of gels with plastic photomasks of varying shapes, the researchers could control how much of the gel was exposed to light, thus controlling the 3-D shape of the multilayer tissue construct.
This type of photolithography is also used to build integrated circuits onto semiconductors a process that requires a photomask aligner machine, which costs tens of thousands of dollars. However, the team developed a much less expensive way to assemble tissues using masks made from sheets of plastic, similar to overhead transparencies, held in place with alignment pins.
The tissue cubes can be made with a precision of 10 microns, comparable to the size of a single cell body. At the other end of the spectrum, the researchers are aiming to create a cubic millimeter of brain tissue with 100,000 cells and 900 million connections.
Answering fundamental questions
Because the tissues include a diverse repertoire of brain cells, occurring in the same ratios as they do in natural brain tissue, they could be used to study how neurons form the connections that allow them to communicate with each other.
"In the short term, there's a lot of fundamental questions you can answer about how cells interact with each other and respond to environmental cues," Boyden says.
As a first step, the researchers used these tissue constructs to study how a neuron's environment might constrain its growth. To do this, they placed single neurons in gel cubes of different sizes, then measured the cells' neurites, long extensions that neurons use to communicate with other cells. It turns out that under these conditions, neurons get "claustrophobic," Demirci says. "In small gels, they don't necessarily send out as long neurites as they would in a five-times-larger gel."
In the long term, the researchers hope to gain a better understanding of how to design tissue implants that could be used to replace damaged tissue in patients. Much research has been done in this area, but it has been difficult to figure out whether the new tissues are correctly wiring up with existing tissue and exchanging the right kinds of information.
Another long-term goal is using the tissues for personalized medicine. One day, doctors may be able to take cells from a patient with a neurological disorder and transform them into induced pluripotent stem cells, then induce these constructs to grow into neurons in a lab dish. By exposing these tissues to many possible drugs, "you might be able to figure out if a drug would benefit that person without having to spend years giving them lots of different drugs," Boyden says.
###
Other authors of the paper are Yantao Fan, a visiting graduate student at HMS and HST; Feng Xu and Emel Sokullu Urkac, postdocs at HMS and HST; Gunes Parlakgul, a visiting medical student at HMS and HST; MIT graduate students Jacob Bernstein and Burcu Erkmen; and Wangli Xing, a professor at Tsinghua University.
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Paul Allen Family Foundation, the New York Stem Cell Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Engineering and Technology A.F. Harvey Prize, and MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
Written by Anne Trafton, MIT News Office
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Sarah McDonnell s_mcd@mit.edu 617-253-8923 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
New design technique could enable personalized medicine, studies of brain wiring
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Borrowing from microfabrication techniques used in the semiconductor industry, MIT and Harvard Medical School (HMS) engineers have developed a simple and inexpensive way to create three-dimensional brain tissues in a lab dish.
The new technique yields tissue constructs that closely mimic the cellular composition of those in the living brain, allowing scientists to study how neurons form connections and to predict how cells from individual patients might respond to different drugs. The work also paves the way for developing bioengineered implants to replace damaged tissue for organ systems, according to the researchers.
"We think that by bringing this kind of control and manipulation into neurobiology, we can investigate many different directions," says Utkan Demirci, an assistant professor in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST).
Demirci and Ed Boyden, associate professor of biological engineering and brain and cognitive sciences at MIT's Media Lab and McGovern Institute, are senior authors of a paper describing the new technique, which appears in the Nov. 27 online edition of the journal Advanced Materials. The paper's lead author is Umut Gurkan, a postdoc at HST, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.
'Unique challenges'
Although researchers have had some success growing artificial tissues such as liver or kidney, "the brain presents some unique challenges," Boyden says. "One of the challenges is the incredible spatial heterogeneity. There are so many kinds of cells, and they have such intricate wiring."
Brain tissue includes many types of neurons, including inhibitory and excitatory neurons, as well as supportive cells such as glial cells. All of these cells occur at specific ratios and in specific locations.
To mimic this architectural complexity in their engineered tissues, the researchers embedded a mixture of brain cells taken from the primary cortex of rats into sheets of hydrogel. They also included components of the extracellular matrix, which provides structural support and helps regulate cell behavior.
Those sheets were then stacked in layers, which can be sealed together using light to crosslink hydrogels. By covering layers of gels with plastic photomasks of varying shapes, the researchers could control how much of the gel was exposed to light, thus controlling the 3-D shape of the multilayer tissue construct.
This type of photolithography is also used to build integrated circuits onto semiconductors a process that requires a photomask aligner machine, which costs tens of thousands of dollars. However, the team developed a much less expensive way to assemble tissues using masks made from sheets of plastic, similar to overhead transparencies, held in place with alignment pins.
The tissue cubes can be made with a precision of 10 microns, comparable to the size of a single cell body. At the other end of the spectrum, the researchers are aiming to create a cubic millimeter of brain tissue with 100,000 cells and 900 million connections.
Answering fundamental questions
Because the tissues include a diverse repertoire of brain cells, occurring in the same ratios as they do in natural brain tissue, they could be used to study how neurons form the connections that allow them to communicate with each other.
"In the short term, there's a lot of fundamental questions you can answer about how cells interact with each other and respond to environmental cues," Boyden says.
As a first step, the researchers used these tissue constructs to study how a neuron's environment might constrain its growth. To do this, they placed single neurons in gel cubes of different sizes, then measured the cells' neurites, long extensions that neurons use to communicate with other cells. It turns out that under these conditions, neurons get "claustrophobic," Demirci says. "In small gels, they don't necessarily send out as long neurites as they would in a five-times-larger gel."
In the long term, the researchers hope to gain a better understanding of how to design tissue implants that could be used to replace damaged tissue in patients. Much research has been done in this area, but it has been difficult to figure out whether the new tissues are correctly wiring up with existing tissue and exchanging the right kinds of information.
Another long-term goal is using the tissues for personalized medicine. One day, doctors may be able to take cells from a patient with a neurological disorder and transform them into induced pluripotent stem cells, then induce these constructs to grow into neurons in a lab dish. By exposing these tissues to many possible drugs, "you might be able to figure out if a drug would benefit that person without having to spend years giving them lots of different drugs," Boyden says.
###
Other authors of the paper are Yantao Fan, a visiting graduate student at HMS and HST; Feng Xu and Emel Sokullu Urkac, postdocs at HMS and HST; Gunes Parlakgul, a visiting medical student at HMS and HST; MIT graduate students Jacob Bernstein and Burcu Erkmen; and Wangli Xing, a professor at Tsinghua University.
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Paul Allen Family Foundation, the New York Stem Cell Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Engineering and Technology A.F. Harvey Prize, and MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
Written by Anne Trafton, MIT News Office
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
NEW YORK (AP) ? A wealthy Missouri man posing as "Secret Santa" stunned New Yorkers on Thursday, handing $100 bills to many in Staten Island who had lost everything to Superstorm Sandy.
The Kansas City businessman is giving away $100,000 this holiday season, and spent the day in New Jersey and New York giving away thousands. But he says money is not the issue.
"The money is not the point at all," said the anonymous benefactor as he walked up to surprised Staten Island residents and thrust crisp bills into their hands. "It's about the random acts of kindness. I'm just setting an example, and if 10 percent of the people who see me emulate what I'm doing, anybody can be a Secret Santa!"
A police motorcade with sirens took him across the borough, passing a church ripped from its foundations and homes surrounded by debris. At a nearby disaster center run by volunteers, a woman quietly collected free food and basic goods.
"Has anyone given you any money?" he asked her.
"No," replied Carol Hefty, a 72-year-old retiree living in a damaged home.
"Here," he said, slipping the money into her hand.
"But this isn't real money!" said Hefty, glancing at the red "Secret Santa" stamped onto the $100.
"It is, and it's for you," he tells her.
She breaks down weeping and hugs him.
And so it went, again and again.
Secret Santa started his daylong East Coast visit with stops in Elizabeth, N.J. Keeping close watch over the cash handouts was his security entourage ? police officers in uniform from New York and New Jersey, plus FBI agents and former agents from various states. Some have become supporters, wearing red berets marked with the word "elf" and assisting "Santa" to choose locations where people are most in need. He himself wears an "elf" cap and a red top, plus blue jeans.
The group must choose stops carefully, and refrain from simply appearing outdoors in a neighborhood, lest they be mobbed by people hearing that cash is being handed out.
At a stop at a Staten Island Salvation Army store, one woman is looking over a $4 handbag. "But you get $100!" he tells her, offering the bill.
"Are you serious?" said Prudence Onesto, her eyes widening. "Really?"
"Secret Santa," he deadpans, breaking into a broad grin.
The 55-year-old unemployed woman opened her arms and offered him a hug.
An aisle over, 41-year-old Janice Kennedy is overwhelmed: She received four $100 bills.
Unemployed with a 2-year-old daughter, she lost her home in the storm and lives with her boyfriend. The money will go toward Christmas presents and her toddler's next birthday.
"You're not alone. God bless you!" the Missouri stranger tells Phillip and Lisa Morris, a couple in their 30s whose home was badly damaged ? but now had an extra $300 in cash for rebuilding.
Secret Santa took up the holiday tradition from a close Kansas City friend, Larry Stewart, who for years handed out bills to unsuspecting strangers in thrift stores, food pantries and shelters. Stewart died in 2007 after giving away more than $1 million to strangers each December in mostly $100 bills.
The current Secret Santa will not divulge his name. Nor does he allow his face to be photographed. But he said he's been to cities across America, from San Diego to Chicago to Charlotte, N.C.
A reporter asked whether he might be a sort of Warren Buffett of Kansas City. He smiled mysteriously and said only that he admires Buffett for his philanthropy. "And I hope I give all my money away before I die."
Then, as suddenly as he arrived, the generous stranger left for the airport and home, riding in the volunteer motorcade he jokingly calls "my sleigh," zipping with ease through red lights and city traffic.
ScienceDaily (Nov. 28, 2012) ? A study dating the age of more than 1 million single-letter variations in the human DNA code reveals that most of these mutations are of recent origin, evolutionarily speaking. These kinds of mutations change one nucleotide -- an A, C, T or G -- in the DNA sequence. Over 86 percent of the harmful protein-coding mutations of this type arose in humans just during the past 5,000 to 10,000 years.
Some of the remaining mutations of this nature may have no effect on people, and a few might be beneficial, according to the project researchers. While each specific mutation is rare, the findings suggest that the human population acquired an abundance of these single-nucleotide genetic variants in a relatively short time.
"The spectrum of human diversity that exists today is vastly different than what it was only 200 to 400 generations ago," said Dr. Joshua Akey, associate professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is one of several leaders of a multi-institutional effort among evolutionary geneticists to date the first appearance of a multitude of single nucleotide variants in the human population.
Their findings appear in the Nov. 28 edition of Nature. The lead author is Dr. Wenqing Fu of the UW Department of Genome Sciences.
The work stems from collaboration among many genome scientists, medical geneticists, molecular biologists and biostatisticians at the UW, the University of Michigan, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, the Broad Institute at MIT and Harvard, and the Population Genetics Working Group. The study is part of the Exome Sequencing Project of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health,
To place this discovery in the context of the prehistory and ancient history of people, humans have been around for roughly 100,000 years. In the Middle East, cities formed nearly 8,500 years ago, and writing was used in Mesopotamia at least 5,500 years ago.
The researchers assessed the distribution of mutation ages by re-sequencing 15,336 protein-coding genes in 6,515 people. Of them, 4,298 were of European ancestry, and 2,217 were African.
The researchers based their explanation for the enormous excess of rare genetic variants in the present- day population on the Out-of-Africa model of the human diaspora to other parts of the world.
"On average, each person has about 150 new mutations not found in either of their parents," Akey said. "The number of such genetic changes introduced into a population depends on its size." Larger populations, continuing to multiply by producing children, have more opportunities for new mutations to appear. The number of mutations thereby increases with accelerated population growth, such as the population explosion that began 5,115 years ago.
During the Out of Africa migration of some early humans into Europe and beyond some 50,000 years past, a population bottleneck occurred: The number of humans plummeted, and the shrinking remnant became more genetically similar. Back then, mutations that were only slightly damaging had a greater probability of being carried from one generation to the next, Akey explained.
"Those mutations don't influence the ability to survive and reproduce," he said. "The Out of Africa bottleneck led to inefficient purging of the less-harmful mutations."
His group found that, compared to Africans, people of European descent had an excess of harmful mutations in essential genes -- those required to grow to adulthood and have offspring -- and in genes linked to Mendelian, or single-mutation diseases.
The study team also observed that the older the genetic variant, the less likely it was to be deleterious. In addition, certain genes, they learned, harbored only younger, more damaging, mutations that surfaced less than 5,000 years ago. These include 12 genes linked to such diseases as premature ovarian failure, Alzheimer's, hardening of the heart arteries, and an inherited form of paralysis.
Overall, the researchers predicted that about 81 percent of the single-nucleotide variants in their European samples, and 58 percent in their African samples, arose in the past 5,000 years. Older single- nucleotide variants -- first appearing longer than 50,000 years ago -- were more frequent in African samples.
The scientists also noted that mutations affecting genes involved in metabolic pathways -- chemical reactions in the body to generate and tap energy -- tended not to be weeded out by selective forces. Aberrant metabolism contributes to diabetes, lipid disorders, obesity, and insulin resistance -- all common, modern scourges.
The researchers pointed out that the results illustrate the profound effect recent human evolutionary history has had on the burden of damaging mutations in contemporary populations.
"The historical details of human protein-coding variation provide practical information for prioritizing approaches to disease gene discovery," Akey said.
Although the enlarged mutational capacity resulting from population growth has led to a greater incidence of genetic disorders among the world's 7 billion people, there is brighter side to the story.
Mutations have fostered the great variety of traits seen among modern humans, according to the researchers, who added, "They also may have created a new repository of advantageous genetic variants that adaptive evolution may act upon in future generations."
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Washington. The original article was written by Leila Gray.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Wenqing Fu, Timothy D. O?Connor, Goo Jun, Hyun Min Kang, Goncalo Abecasis, Suzanne M. Leal, Stacey Gabriel, David Altshuler, Jay Shendure, Deborah A. Nickerson, Michael J. Bamshad, NHLBI Exome Sequencing Project, Joshua M. Akey. Analysis of 6,515 exomes reveals the recent origin of most human protein-coding variants. Nature, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nature11690
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
The U.S. economy grew faster than initially thought in the third quarter, but the momentum is unlikely to be sustained as the nation braces for deep cuts in government spending and tax increases early next year.
Gross domestic product expanded at a 2.7 percent annual rate, the Commerce Department said on Thursday, as faster inventory accumulation and export growth offset weak consumer spending and the first drop in business investment in more than a year.
While the growth pace was much quicker than the 2.0 percent rate the government estimated last month and the best since the fourth quarter of 2011, it was hardly a sign of strength in the economy given the boost from restocking and weaker consumer spending.
That will likely be lost in the fourth quarter and inventories may be a drag on growth, which is already being weighed down by fears of austerity, known as the fiscal cliff.
Lawmakers and the Obama administration are engaged in talks to avert the fiscal cliff, which could suck $600 billion from the economy and fuel a fresh recession.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected GDP growth to be raised to a 2.8 percent pace. Business inventories added 0.77 percentage point to third-quarter GDP growth. They were previously estimated to have subtracted 0.12 percentage point.
Excluding inventories, GDP rose at a revised 1.9 percent rate, underscoring sluggish demand. Final sales of goods and services produced in the United States had been previously estimated to have increased at a 2.1 percent pace.
Output during the July-September quarter was also revised up to show a smaller trade deficit as export growth outpaced the rise in imports. But the trend in exports is unlikely to be sustained given slowing global demand, especially in China and debt troubled Europe.
Trade contributed 0.14 percentage point to GDP growth instead of subtracting 0.18 percentage point, as previously reported.
Away from exports, details of the report were rather weak. Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity, was lowered to a 1.4 percent growth rate - the slowest since the second quarter of 2011, from the 2 percent gain previously reported.
Consumer spending increased at a 1.5 percent rate in the second-quarter.
Business spending was revised to show much deeper cutbacks, which have been blamed on the fears a tightening in fiscal policy next year. Business investment fell at a revised 2.2 percent rate instead of 1.3 percent decline. That was the first drop since the first quarter of 2011.
Part of the drag in business investment, which had been a source of strength for the economy, came from equipment and software, where spending was the weakest since the second quarter of 2009.
The report also showed that after-tax corporate profits rose at a 3.3 percent rate in the third quarter after gaining 2.2 percent in the second quarter.
Spending on nonresidential structures contracted after five straight quarters of growth. Government investment was revised to a 3.5 percent growth rate from 3.7 percent as defense, and state and local government spending estimates were pared.
Growth in home building was trimmed to a 14.2 percent rate from 14.4 percent. Residential construction is benefiting from the Federal Reserve's ultra accommodative monetary policy stance, which has driven mortgage rates to record lows.
Question: ?My husband is very angry with my supervisor. I work the late shift in a hospital laboratory and usually sleep for a while before going in. The other night, my supervisor called and asked if I was available. When my husband said I was sleeping, my boss explained that he needed me to come in early because of a 'medical crisis.' My husband refused to wake me and suggested calling someone else, then hung up rather abruptly.
"When I arrived at work, my supervisor called me into his office. After ranting for ten minutes about my husband?s behavior, he said, 'You are a wonderful employee, but if this ever happens again, you will not have a job.'
"Now my husband is furious. He is protective of my sleeping time and insists that management can?t make me come in early because there is no 'on call' policy. He also says my supervisor had no right to threaten me.?
"I have considered taking this issue to my supervisor?s boss, but I?m not sure whether further discussion is indicated. Does my supervisor have the right to make me go in early? And how should we handle any future calls??? Losing Sleep
Answer: "Further discussion" is definitely indicated, but with your husband, not management. Hanging up on your boss may have been rude and politically stupid, but refusing to inform you of a medical crisis was appallingly irresponsible.
Your supervisor rightfully expects to discuss work issues with you, not your family. If he calls during nap time, your husband should simply say, "She?s asleep. Should I wake her up?" And if the answer is yes, the only appropriate response is "Okay, I?ll get her."
Unless you have a contract which dictates otherwise, the hospital undoubtedly has the right to call you in during a staff shortage or emergency. Depending on the laws in your state, they may also be able to fire you for refusing.
You are a capable and responsible adult, not a child who needs protecting. If your husband continues to behave like a parent, this will not be the end of your problems.
Worried about losing your job? This quiz may help to determine whether your fears are justified ?? Quick Quiz: How Secure Is Your Job?
Like what you've read? ...Republish it and share great business tips!
Attention: Readers, Publishers, Editors, Bloggers, Media, Webmasters and more...
We believe great content should be read and passed around. After all, knowledge IS power. And good business can become great with the right information at their fingertips. If you'd like to share any of the insightful articles on BusinessManagementDaily.com, you may republish or syndicate it without charge.
The only thing we ask is that you keep the article exactly as it was written and formatted. You also need to include an attribution statement and link to the article.
" This information is proudly provided by Business Management Daily.com: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/33901/dont-let-family-step-between-you-and-the-boss "
Getting medical insurance is amongst the most Dez Bryant Jersey challenging things a person can do. The biggest thing would be to have plenty of reliable information so that you can make well informed decisions. Use the specifics and suggestions in this article to obtain the understanding you need.
When youngsters abandon school their own health insurance coverage could also disappear. If your kid has to take time away from from college as a result of health-related worry, Michelle?s Rules makes it possible for them 12 months to accomplish this yet still be paid by health insurance. The abandon of absence should be medically required, though, and you?ll have to have a medical professional certify it.
Many individuals tend not to take full advantage of their health treatment FSAs (versatile investing accounts), to nutritional supplement healthcare expenditures not paid by their standard insurance. FSAs are a form of health care insurance that fills up from the spaces and can be quite useful in covering medical care costs Dez Bryant Jersey you may get.
While searching for affordable insurance coverage make sure you get rates coming from all available alternatives. Every single supplier has distinct prices depending on your history. The most effective bet to ensure that you save as much as possible is always to do a price comparison. With that in mind, ensure you are confident with the decision you will be making and the type of protection you have.
When contemplating a fresh medical insurance policy, find out all you are able as to what an insurance deductible is and the way it can have an impact on your expenses. Several plans have one particular. It?s generally a set quantity that you may have to spend out of pocket just before your insurance coverage starts off and prior to the Dez Bryant Jersey insurance provider needs to share fees. They differ from coverage to insurance policy plus they have varies. Better insurance deductibles can occasionally conflict with coverage that has a higher proportion, but not usually.
Do not forget to get your vision into consideration when buying a brand new medical health insurance coverage. You need to understand exactly how much you possess invested in vision exams, sunglasses, contacts, or some other vision relevant products. You should even take into account the price of cleaning supplies like saline and contra?fog baby wipes.
Before re-signing up for your current prepare when once-a-year registration time will come, ensure you search for alterations in precisely what is or isn?t covered. Program rewards and insurance do transform, in fact it is well worth examining your plan options Dez Bryant Jersey annually to actually receive the best insurance to improve your health proper care needs.
Stay mindful of enrollment times for your health insurance. These are the basic periods to create alterations for your insurance policy or review well before a fresh coverage explores outcome. Often times there may be alterations in your strategy which will boost your fees or make alterations to deductibles and co-will pay. Remaining up to date with these adjustments will let you still budget your health attention charges or search for a new policy.
As previously stated, knowledge Dez Bryant Jersey is the key to making very good judgements when selecting medical insurance. Take some time, and don?t dash into nearly anything until you?re sure. When you stick to the suggestions in the following paragraphs then you will have the information and methods you need to buy insurance plan with confidence.
Official Miles Austin Jersey Online Store provides all kinds of inexpensive Tony Romo Jersey today with Readily available Delivery, Protect Checkout & Good Customer Service.
Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn swung and missed on his first two coaching hires, Dan Hawkins and Jon Embree. So it?s no surprise that the first name to surface as a candidate to become Colorado?s next coach is a proven winner hungry to get back into coaching: Mark Mangino.
Bohn, a 1983 graduate of Kansas University, where he played football and baseball, knows how tough it is to build a winning football program at KU. Bohn knows his KU history well enough to know that Mangino was the first football coach to leave Kansas with a winning record since Jack Mitchell.
Colorado is in the midst of seven consecutive losing seasons. Mangino inherited a Kansas program coming off six consecutive losing seasons.
If Bohn is allowed to make the hire, nobody should be surprised if he picks Mangino.
Living in Naples, Fla., Mangino?s interest in returning to the sidelines was put on hold last season while wife Mary Jane battled breast cancer. Friends are happy to report Mary Jane is doing well and has completed treatment.
?She?s given me a directive: Go find a coaching job,? Mangino told the Oklahoman in an October interview. ?So we?ll see what happens. I don?t know where it will be. Could be anywhere.?
Could be Colorado.
If Mangino lands the job, he could become quarterback Jordan Webb?s first and fourth coach. Webb redshirted one season under Mangino at Kansas, played two for Turner Gill at KU and one for Embree at CU.
Mangino?s former assistants thriving
Dave Doeren left Mangino?s staff for Wisconsin, where he worked his way up to defensive coordinator. Doeren?s in his second season as head coach at Northern Illinois, where his team is 11-1 and ranked 19th in the nation. He has a two-year record of 22-4 (1-1 vs. KU) and is in line for a BCS conference job. His name has been mentioned in speculation for the Purdue job.
Doeren?s recruiting coups at Kansas included James Holt, Kevin Kane, James McClinton, Joe Mortensen, Mike Rivera, Darrell Stuckey and Aqib Talib.
Former KU defensive coordinator Bill Young left Mangino?s staff for Miami, where he spent one year and has been at Oklahoma State since then.
Ed Warinner, offensive coordinator for Mangino, left his job as Notre Dame?s offensive line coach to join Urban Meyer?s Ohio State staff as co-offensive coordinator/O-line coach.
Ineligible for the postseason, the Buckeyes went 12-0. He?s ready for a big head-coaching job.
John Reagan is offensive coordinator for the Rice squad that upset Kansas in Memorial Stadium in September.
David Beaty knows better than just about anybody the value of Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel?s Heisman Trophy worthiness. Beaty is the Aggies? wide receivers coach. Brandon Blaney is a defensive assistant coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Bill Miller is assistant head coach/linebackers coach at Minnesota. Je?Ney Jackson is strength and conditioning coach for Tom Crean?s top-ranked Indiana basketball team.
Louie Matsakis handles special teams and running backs and is recruiting coordinator at Youngstown State, where Tom Sims is assistant head coach/defensive line.
Chris Dawson has been Kansas State?s strength and conditioning coach since getting fired with Mangino. Dawson reportedly accepted an offer from Washington State?s Mike Leach shortly after his hiring, but quickly changed his mind and decided to stay with Bill Snyder.
Tommy Mangino is Hutchinson Community College?s offensive coordinator. He apparently inherited his father?s fiery personality and was ejected late in an early season game Hutch won, 49-12.
Lawmakers kept Wall Street on its toes Wednesday as investors waited for signs of progress on the "fiscal cliff."
Stocks fluctuated in the morning. The Dow Jones industrial average fell as much as 112 points shortly after the open, then erased its loss by late morning.
As of midday the Dow was up 13 points to 12,889. The Standard and Poor's 500 was down 0.6 points to 1,398. The Nasdaq Composite was off 2 points at 2,965.
Huge tax increases and spending cuts will come into effect Jan. 1 if no deal is reached. Economists say the measures could push the U.S. back into recession. Senator Erskine Bowels said Tuesday in a meeting that the White House was flexible on the level of top tax rates, according to the Wall Street Journal. That report bolstered expectations that a compromise could be reached.
"We're all on pins and needles waiting for every bit of news, or rumors, coming out of Washington," said Ryan Detrick, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based technical analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research. "That's what's Wall Street is focused on. Everybody is watching the fiscal cliff."
Concern that the U.S. will go over the "cliff" has weighed on stocks since the Nov. 6 elections returned a divided government to power, with President Barack Obama staying in the White House and Republicans retaining control of the House.
In economic news Wednesday, U.S. sales of new homes dipped 0.3 percent in October though remain up 20.4 percent for the year, according to a government report. Stable home prices suggest the housing market is steadily recovering.
Investors will also look will also look to the Federal Reserve for indications about the strength of the economy. A Fed snapshot of business conditions around the nation, covering October through mid-November, will be published at 2 p.m.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.62 percent from 1.64 percent.
Among stocks making big moves:
? Chipmaker Analog Devices fell 27 cents to $39.85 after it said sales fell 3 percent in the third quarter due to weak economic conditions and global uncertainty.
? Costco, the wholesale club operator, gained $4.50 to $101 after the company said that it would pay a special dividend of $7 a share next month, in addition to the regular quarterly dividend it pays shareholders.
? Green Mountain Coffee Roasters surged $6.84 to $35.80 after the beleaguered coffee company reported fourth-quarter results and guidance that far exceeded the market's expectations.
CAIRO (Reuters) - The decree that expanded President Mohamed Mursi's powers and plunged Egypt into crisis came as a shock to some of his team; a step with huge legal ramifications, it appeared to have caught even his justice minister off guard.
The surprise move on November 22 has fueled debate on how far the Muslim Brotherhood is dictating policy and ignoring cabinet members and others in an administration that Mursi presents as being inclusive of Egypt's political forces and not dominated by the Islamist party whose electoral muscle put him in office.
Signs that Mursi failed to consult those formally appointed as his advisers on a decree that has set off countrywide protests and violence have given ammunition to critics.
These paint a picture of a man with autocratic impulses who either heeds only his own counsel or, what is more troubling to many, is in thrall to old friends in the Brotherhood, a movement long banned by the old regime and which many Egyptians still view with suspicion as a secretive cabal with radical aims.
That is the very perception he has been trying to fight since he came to office, when the Brotherhood pledged to free Mursi of partisan pressure and he himself promised to be a president for all and to build a broad-based presidential administration. Much of that work has been undone.
"There is a lot obscurity linked to how decisions are taken in the presidency," said Nabil Abdel Fattah, a political scientist. "There is a certain party that is taking this decision," he said. "And the most likely answer is that it is members of the Muslim Brotherhood."
RESIGNATIONS
At least two of Mursi's advisers have resigned in the days since he issued a decree opponents see as a major threat to the country's nascent democracy. One of them, a Christian, had the title of Mursi's assistant for "democratic transformation".
Like most Egyptians, Samir Morkos only learnt of what was in the decree when it was read on state television late on Thursday, he told the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.
Another adviser, Emad Abdel-Ghaffour, told Reuters he had not been consulted either. Head of the hardline Islamist Nour Party, he is still serving as an adviser on "social outreach". He is in almost daily contact with Mursi, an aide said.
"Our opinion was not sought," Abdel-Ghaffour said of the decree, adding that he had reservations on the text, but like other Islamists, was broadly supportive of it.
It is the second time Mursi has surprised Egyptians with a dramatic move that has challenged perceptions of him as an accidental president - the man who ran only because the Brotherhood's first-choice candidate was disqualified.
Khairat al-Shater, the group's original candidate, has largely stayed out of the public eye since Mursi took office.
Mohamed Habib, a former Brotherhood deputy leader who left the movement last year, said he had no doubt Mursi had consulted the group before making such a controversial move: "It's clear that some were consulted, and others were not," he said.
"He is in great need of their backing, especially when a decision is expected to face attack," he said, referring to the Brotherhood. "He has not and will not break with them until he is on a firm footing in the presidency," Habib told Reuters.
Mursi, a 61-year-old, U.S.-trained engineer, similarly made waves with an August decision that forced into retirement Hosni Mubarak-era generals who had established themselves as a rival source of authority. That time, Mursi enjoyed broad support for sidelining Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Not this time however.
OBSCURITY
Critics of Mursi's decree fear it puts at risk the entire democratic transformation in Egypt, run for decades by army-backed autocrats. Among other controversial articles, it shields from judicial review decisions taken by Mursi until a new parliament is elected some time next year.
The Mursi administration has defended the decree as a temporary step needed to smooth the transition to a new system of government. It guarantees new steps to investigate violence against protesters during the uprising against Mubarak.
The president's only public appearance since the decree was to Islamist supporters outside his presidential offices.
Liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei said Mursi had not given "a whiff of an indication" that he had anything of the sort in mind when they met in the days before the announcement.
"You assume that if somebody, the president, is going to take sweeping measure grabbing all powers that he will at least consult before. There was no consultation at all. That doesn't show the best of good intentions or good will," he told Reuters.
"He didn't mention anything of that kind," added Amr Moussa, the former Arab League secretary general who ran in the presidential election and met Mursi three weeks ago. He was also speaking to Reuters.
Brotherhood spokesmen routinely refer questions about Mursi to the president's staff, saying they cannot speak for him.
Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan dismissed the accusations that the group shapes presidential policy as one of an endless list of fabrications against the group.
"The president has many legal experts and I think they wrote it," he said, referring to the decree.
Justice Minister Ahmed Mekky, a judge broadly respected for his independence in the Mubarak era, has studiously avoided answering journalists' questions on whether he knew about the decree in advance. He has since expressed his "reservations".
(Additional reporting by Edmund Blair; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)
Early success for the iPhone 5 smartphone has helped Apple to overtake Google's Android software in the United States, research firm Kantar WorldPanel said on Tuesday.
Apple's U.S. share of smartphone sales in the 12 weeks to October 31 more than doubled from a year ago to 48.1 percent, putting it within reach of the record 49.3 percent it managed in early 2012.
Android's share dropped to 46.7 percent from 63.3 percent, Kantar WorldPanel's data showed, but it continues to dominate in key European markets. The platform claimed 74 percent market share in Germany and 82 percent in Spain.
Android's combined share of the top five European markets rose to 64 percent, from 51 percent a year earlier, while Apple's share edged up by one percentage point to 21 percent.
Research In Motion Ltd saw its share fall in all but one of the surveyed markets, sliding to 1.6 percent from 8.5 percent in the United States, and to 2.7 percent from 8.7 percent in Brazil. In Germany, the BlackBerry maker's share rose 0.9 percentage points to 2.5 percent.
RIM's stock fell 5.9 percent to C$11.20 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. But the shares, which soared last week on rising optimism around RIM's soon-to-be-launched BlackBerry 10 devices, were still up more than 15 percent from last Monday's close.
Calling to mind the patent dispute between Apple and Samsung, Nokia is now seeking to block the sale of pretty much all of RIM's BlackBerry line, reports Computerworld.
Nokia is arguing that it has a patent on the ability to join a wireless network and that RIM's devices infringe on that.
Specifically, Nokia says that RIM "is not entitled to manufacture or sell products compatible with the WLAN standard without first agreeing with Nokia on the royalty to be paid for its manufacture and/or sale of subscriber terminals compatible with such standards."
WLAN, or wireless local-area networking, is better known as Wi-Fi. While some older RIM phones like the BlackBerry Storm lacked Wi-Fi, it's pretty much standard in recent models.
RIM and Nokia signed a patent deal in 2003, but Nokia argued that the patent in question wasn't covered by that deal. The dispute went to arbitration, and Nokia's now trying to enforce the result of that arbitration, according to Computerworld.
Five of the 10 Most Affordable Markets in Canada Reside in Ontario as Home Listing Prices in Hamilton-Niagara Corridor and Golden Horseshoe Reflect Attractive Options for Buyers; Survey of Four-Bedroom, Two-Bathroom Homes Covers Properties in 74 Canadian Markets and Over 2,500 Markets Across North America
BURLINGTON, ON - (Marketwire - Nov 28, 2012) - Despite recent headlines of record home prices across Canada, a new study by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC indicates there are still many affordable markets where Canadian buyers can achieve their dream of homeownership. Today, Coldwell Banker released its annual Home Listing Report (HLR) revealing several of Canada's most affordable real estate markets are found in Central Ontario and the Maritimes.
Windsor, Ontario was Canada's most affordable market, averaging a $170,991 list price for the studied four-bedroom, two-bathroom home, aspired to by many move-up buyers. It was the only major market under $200,000 in the study of 'aspirational' homes in 75 markets across Canada. Affordability remains strong in many markets across the country as close to thirty Canadian markets analyzed by the report had an average home listing price of less than $300,000 for four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes. Ontario accounted for five of the ten most affordable markets in the study, while an additional three markets were in Atlantic Canada.
About the Coldwell Banker Real Estate Home Listing Report
Serving as an analysis of the most expensive and affordable markets across North America, the Coldwell Banker HLR provides a snapshot of the average listing price of four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes across Canada and the US. This year's report analyzes more than 72,000 home listings in more than 2,500 North American markets, comparing the listing prices of similar homes in markets throughout Canada and the U.S. from January 2012 to June 2012.
"Our home listing report captures an insightful look at local market conditions and emerging trends in real estate," said John Geha, president of Coldwell Banker Canada Operations ULC. "Although home prices have reached record highs in many markets across Canada, there are still affordable options available to homebuyers, especially those who are able to work from home, or who make the decision to trade location for commute. We recognize buying a home is a significant life decision, so each year we do this apples-to-apples comparison of similar homes to provide homebuyers with useful information about the many great opportunities that exist across Canada, as well as in the U.S."
About North America's Most Expensive Markets
Vancouver once again held its position as the most expensive market in Canada, with an average list price of $1,876,414 for the subject home. Nearby Richmond ($1,181,654) and Burnaby ($917,968) followed Vancouver as the BC markets secured the top three spots in Canada.
"The universal appeal of Vancouver for foreign buyers and relocating Canadians, particularly retirees, continues to fuel demand for this market," said Paul Prade, president of Coldwell Banker Westburn Realty, operating throughout the Greater Vancouver area. "Despite some moderation after new mortgage regulations took effect last July, listing prices in our market are a product of ongoing high demand, projected population growth and the low inventory levels of homes in what is one of the most desirable locations in Canada."
In the U.S., the five most expensive markets are all in California, with four in the San Francisco Bay Area. Los Altos, Calif. tops the list, followed by Newport Beach ($1,658,000), Saratoga ($1,582,434), Menlo Park ($1,506,909) and Palo Alto ($1,495,364). But even with these high priced markets, California was not the most expensive state. The average listing price of a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in California ($431,625) is less than both Hawaii ($742,551) and Massachusetts ($489,063).
About North America's Most Affordable Markets
Not surprisingly, the most affordable markets in North America this year are all found in the U.S. Four of the top 20 most affordable markets are located in Michigan, where bidding wars are making headlines, particularly in pockets of the metro-Detroit region. The most affordable market is Redford, Mich. a suburb of Detroit with an average list price of $60,490. Redford is followed by College Park, Ga. ($62,080); Detroit, Mich. ($65,155); Cleveland, Ohio ($70,066); and Poinciana, Fla. ($76,341). In the South, Georgia and Florida each have four of North America's 20 most affordable markets.
"Canadians are well aware of the wealth of real estate opportunities that are currently available in many U.S. markets," said John Geha, "In fact, Canadians are the number one foreign buyers in the U.S., with a particularly strong presence in warm weather destinations such as Florida and Arizona that are favoured by Canadian 'snowbirds'."
2012 Canadian HLR markets:
Ranked by average list price for a 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom home.
WINDSOR
ON
$170,991
RIMBEY
AB
$201,950
WELLAND
ON
$218,354
NEW GLASGOW
NS
$218,641
AMHERST
NS
$224,662
NIAGARA FALLS
ON
$228,858
TRAIL
BC
$232,300
SMITHS FALLS
ON
$232,343
TRENT HILLS
ON
$237,800
CORNWALL
PE
$239,750
ST. CATHARINES
ON
$243,596
HAMILTON
ON
$245,292
THOROLD
ON
$248,083
WALKERTON
ON
$252,730
CAMROSE
AB
$253,398
LOWER SACKVILLE
NS
$255,733
MORRISBURG
ON
$256,217
BRANTFORD
ON
$259,830
LETHBRIDGE
AB
$260,081
BROCKVILLE
ON
$260,600
SIMCOE
ON
$265,694
FORT ERIE
ON
$267,708
MOUNT FOREST
ON
$267,744
AYLMER
ON
$272,217
GODERICH
ON
$272,720
LLOYDMINSTER
AB
$274,988
NAKUSP
BC
$280,540
RIDGEWAY
ON
$297,860
GREATER SUDBURY AREA
ON
$298,044
TABER
AB
$309,920
PERTH
ON
$312,707
LLOYDMINSTER
SK
$321,515
WINNIPEG
MB
$322,113
PORT DOVER
ON
$322,500
RED DEER
AB
$326,151
LACOMBE
AB
$326,226
KITCHENER
ON
$328,933
COLD LAKE
AB
$336,320
CHARLOTTETOWN
PE
$337,964
ORILLIA
ON
$338,167
QUISPAMSIS
NB
$340,733
SACKVILLE
NS
$341,773
ARNPRIOR
ON
$342,048
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE
AB
$343,476
FONTHILL
ON
$352,267
OSHAWA
ON
$353,720
BRAMPTON
ON
$359,738
KEMPTVILLE
ON
$361,688
DARTMOUTH
NS
$363,412
NANAIMO
BC
$364,062
LEDUC
AB
$381,083
HUNTSVILLE
ON
$391,273
WATERLOO
ON
$391,920
CAMBRIDGE
ON
$396,738
CALGARY
AB
$409,900
MAPLE RIDGE
BC
$422,508
KELOWNA
BC
$452,665
SURREY
BC
$452,728
NELSON
BC
$457,725
TORONTO
ON
$466,183
GUELPH
ON
$466,930
EDMONTON
AB
$468,474
MISSISSAUGA
ON
$481,850
PORT PERRY
ON
$497,800
OTTAWA
ON
$500,233
BEDFORD
NS
$505,900
WINDERMERE
BC
$552,380
WHITEHORSE
YT
$555,492
FORT MCMURRAY
AB
$608,655
BURLINGTON
ON
$709,930
OAKVILLE
ON
$745,000
BURNABY
BC
$917,968
RICHMOND
BC
$1,181,654
VANCOUVER
BC
$1,876,414
Methodology
The Coldwell Banker Home Listing Report analyzes the average listing price of four-bedroom, two-bathroom properties on coldwellbanker.com between January 2012 and June 2012. Coldwell Banker affiliates as well as other franchise brands associated with Realogy Holdings Corp contribute to listings on coldwellbanker.com. Canadian markets without at least 5 four-bedroom, two-bathroom listings on coldwellbanker.com between January 2012 and June 2012 were excluded from the ranking. For the purposes of this survey, Canadian dollars are expressed at par with U.S. Out of respect to those still dealing with damage by Hurricane Sandy, some affected U.S. markets will not be included in the 2012 Home Listing Report data set that will be published to the Coldwell Banker website.
About Coldwell Banker?
Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker? organization has been a premier provider of full-service residential and commercial real estate. Coldwell Banker is the oldest national real estate brand in the United States and today has a network of approximately 83,000 sales agents working in approximately 3,100 offices in 50 countries and territories. The Coldwell Banker brand is known for creating innovative consumer services as recently seen by being the first national real estate brand to create an iPad application and the first to fully harness the power of video in real estate listings, news and information through its Coldwell Banker On Location(SM) YouTube channel. The Coldwell Banker system is a leader in specialty markets such as resort, new homes and luxury properties through its Coldwell Banker Previews International? marketing program. In Canada, Coldwell Banker pioneered Ultimate Service?, a unique marketing approach and business philosophy which has earned a 98% customer satisfaction rating for 16 straight years, from over 65,000 Canadian home buyers and sellers. Each office is independently owned and operated. Coldwell Banker is subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global provider of real estate services.
Editor's Note: Please follow the link to find the Home Listing Report rankings for Canada and the U.S. and view listings http://hlr.coldwellbanker.com/Fulldata.html
Contacts:
Barbara Zaprzala Coldwell Banker Canada 905.278.4964
David Siroty Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC 973.407.7199
SOC 3-Certified Cloud and Communications Services Provider?Offers Data Protection Strategies to Enhance Business?Continuity
ATLANTA, Nov. 27, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) ? In the wake of superstorm Sandy, and with the potential for disruptive winter storms in the coming months, Cbeyond Inc. (Nasdaq:CBEY), the technology ally to small and mid-sized businesses, today released its top five disaster prevention strategies IT teams can implement now to ensure business continuity.
With the threat of natural disasters such as storms and floods as well as man-made hazards such as fires, power outages and theft constantly looming, businesses need to prepare for incidents that could potentially inhibit their ability to operate. In the worst case scenarios, these events can force businesses to close permanently. The end of the year is the ideal time for small and mid-sized businesses to evaluate and refine their current disaster recovery plans or, if such plans do not already exist, build a first-time strategy.
To maintain continuous communications and secure work capacity in the event of natural and man-made threats, Cbeyond recommends the following five best practices:
?Plan now: Consider what technological and logistical steps are needed to?ensure your mission-critical data and applications will be protected and?establish a plan to communicate with your team and important?stakeholders. Testing and reviewing your plans quarterly will identify?gaps to fix.
Back-up your data off-site: Ensure your business has a secure backup?solution in place to allow data to be stored off-site. In the event of a?disaster affecting the home office, critical business information can?still be recovered.
Consider deploying applications in the cloud: Many businesses still?maintain their most important infrastructure (such as servers for?business-critical applications) at their own premises. In many cases, it?is possible to run applications in the ?cloud? instead. Cloud?facilities, typically located in hardened infrastructure and remote?locations, are more disaster-resistant than typical office locations.
Evaluate redundant network connectivity options: In the event of a?disaster, network connectivity from the office may become unavailable.?Today, it is possible to have a wireless back-up system to increase the?chances of maintaining connectivity.
Reroute communications as necessary: While the advancements in smart?phone and tablet technology have made workers more ?disaster-ready,??businesses should still verify that all employees have access to e-mail?via mobile and web sources, and that desk phones can be forwarded to?personal cell or home numbers to ensure contact with customers and?partners.
?Many small business owners believe they don?t have the time or resources to build a disaster plan, and unfortunately often don?t see the value of such planning until it is too late,? said Brent Cobb, chief customer officer at Cbeyond. ?Taking a few fundamental, low-cost steps to close potential operational gaps can help businesses protect their most critical data, guarantee remote access and ensure minimal disruption should a damaging event occur.?
Cbeyond further assists its customers? disaster prevention plans through its TotalCloud(TM) Data Center service, which enables secure, affordable and private offsite information storage. TotalCloud Data Center provides users with their own ?slice of the cloud? that has been Service Organization Control 3 (SOC 3)-certified to ensure maximum protection. Cbeyond additionally helps customers securely transition critical data and applications off-site through its TotalCloud(TM) Migration Service, which helps businesses resume operations quickly and without disruption after their data is migrated to the cloud.
To learn more about Cbeyond?s disaster recovery and business continuity offerings, and its entire suite of cloud and network communication services, visit http://cbeyond.com/. To view a social media version of this press release, please click here.
About Cbeyond
Cbeyond, Inc. (Nasdaq:CBEY) is the technology ally for small and mid-sized business. Our private, proactively-managed IP network connects customers to voice, data and enterprise applications hosted in our award-winning cloud data centers. Since 1999, Cbeyond has served the unmet needs of businesses through technology and service innovation. We were the first company to build an all-IP network specifically for small businesses and among the few to offer consultative sales and service professionals onsite. Today, our expanded portfolio helps customers reduce the burden of outlaying capital and manpower to manage infrastructure. Creating an exceptional customer experience is in our DNA. It?s why more than a third of our approximately 60,000 customers come from referrals. For more information on Cbeyond, visit www.cbeyond.com and follow Cbeyond on
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Cbeyondinc.
CONTACT: Media Contacts: Helga Ojinmah (678) 370-2243 helga.ojinmah@cbeyond.com Jackie Parker (on behalf of Cbeyond) (404) 929-0091 x220 jparker@arketi.com
[caption id="attachment_10014" align="alignleft" width="275" caption="Image courtesy of iStockphoto/TheCrimsonMonkey"] [/caption]
It doesn't matter where you look: the U.S., Mexico, Malaysia or Portugal, the more high fructose corn syrup consumption, on average, the more diabetes. A new study of 43 countries in Global Public Health, published online November 27, found that adult type-2 diabetes is 20 percent higher in countries that consume large quantities of high fructose corn syrup. "The study adds to a growing body of scientific literature that indicates HFCS consumption may result in negative health consequences distinct from and more deleterious than natural sugar," Michael Goran, of the University of Southern California Department of Preventive Medicine and co-author of the new study, said in a prepared statement. Countries in which per person annual high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption was less than 0.5 kg had similar BMIs, daily calorie intake and total sugar intake as did countries in which HFCS was higher. The big difference in these two groups of countries was diabetes prevalence. The link between HFCS and poor health outcomes--such as obesity or diabetes-has often been speculated, but it has been difficult to prove. The availability of the cheaper-than-sugar sweeteners starting in the U.S. in the 1970s appears to have helped boost the number of overall calories people imbibe. In the U.S. today, for example, high fructose corn syrup is in everything from sodas to ketchup. In fact, we each consume, on average, some 24.8 kilograms of this processed corn sweetener every year. With the extra calories, weight gain has quickened, leading to more obesity, one of the strongest risk factors for type-2 diabetes. HFCS may also pose a greater risk for diabetes greater than pure sugar alone. Instead of a composition evenly divided between fructose and glucose like table sugar, HFCS contains as much as 30 percent more fructose. (The exact quantities are unknown because manufacturers are not required to disclose the amount on food and beverage packages.) Glucose is metabolized quickly and used as energy or retained as fat. But fructose processing is more complex. It is broken down primarily in the liver and seems to induce less leptin production (a hormone that signals fullness to the body) and less insulin (which is why sweeteners composed primarily of fructose are sometimes recommended for people who already have diabetes). Some studies have also found fructose consumption increases the types of fats that are linked to insulin resistance, a hallmark of diabetes. These scattered findings suggest that "our metabolism has not evolved sufficiently to be able to process the fructose from high fructose corn syrup in the quantities that some people are consuming it," Stanly Ulijaszek, of the University of Oxford and study co-author, said in a prepared statement. Some illuminating international differences emerged during the course of the study. For example, the European Union imposes production quotas for HFCS for member countries. Those countries, such as Sweden, that do not use the sweetener in their own food supply can export it to countries, such as Hungary, that are willing to buy more for residents. This distribution imbalance allowed the researchers to compare countries that were similar in other respects (BMI, gross national product, etc.) but different in HFCS consumption. While the U.S. is the largest producer--and consumer--of HFCS and has been for decades (thanks in large part to farm subsidies), other countries are just beginning to experience high amounts of HFCS in the food system. Mexico, for example, long limited imports of HFCS to protect their own sugar market. In 2008, however, those barriers were removed, and for the past few years, HFCS has been flooding in from the U.S. The authors of the study argue that with the new findings, perhaps some of these policies should be revisited. Further research into the mechanisms for the possible link between HFCS consumption and diabetes risk remains to be done. But, "if HFCS is a risk factor for diabetes--one of the world's most serious chronic diseases--then we need to rewrite national dietary guidelines and review agricultural trade policies," Tim Lobstein, director of policy at the International Association for the Study of Obesity, said in a prepared statement.
Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news. ? 2012 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 29-Nov-2012
Share ] 
