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New Portable Laptop System Offers Best-In-Class Imaging Capabilities
in a Laptop Size

TUSTIN, Calif. — Designed to meet the needs of today’s hospitals by combining portability
with high-end radiology features, Toshiba America Medical Systems,
Inc.’s new ViamoTM laptop ultrasound system has received FDA
clearance. The Viamo is the industry’s no-compromise ultrasound system
with advanced radiology capabilities, previously unavailable on
hand-carried systems. Toshiba’s Viamo provides the best value in the
hand carried class by offering the same premier image quality as larger,
more expensive ultrasound systems, but at a lower price point for
hospitals. The Viamo was introduced at the 2009 Radiological Society of
North America (RSNA) annual meeting.

The Viamo combines the portability of a laptop system with advanced
radiology features to deliver outstanding image quality, enhance
diagnostic confidence and improve ease of use. Developed from a
radiology foundation, Toshiba’s Viamo provides the confidence to image
patients at bedside, which generally requires larger, more expensive
cart-based systems. When an immobile patient needs a high-end ultrasound
exam, the portable Viamo ultrasound is brought to the patient to improve
the patient’s comfort without compromising exam quality. It is also
ideal for a variety of patient exams, including general radiology,
pediatric, emergency, OB/GYN and vascular.

“The Viamo is specifically designed to provide advanced radiology
capabilities in a portable system, creating more comfortable exams for
patients,” said Girish Hagan, vice president, Marketing, Toshiba.
“Providing the best value in the hand-carried segment, the Viamo
delivers high-quality images for numerous clinical applications.”

The new Toshiba Viamo laptop ultrasound system offers:

New Portable Laptop System Offers Best-In-Class Imaging Capabilities
in a Laptop Size

TUSTIN, Calif. — Designed to meet the needs of today’s hospitals by combining portability
with high-end radiology features, Toshiba America Medical Systems,
Inc.’s new ViamoTM laptop ultrasound system has received FDA
clearance. The Viamo is the industry’s no-compromise ultrasound system
with advanced radiology capabilities, previously unavailable on
hand-carried systems. Toshiba’s Viamo provides the best value in the
hand carried class by offering the same premier image quality as larger,
more expensive ultrasound systems, but at a lower price point for
hospitals. The Viamo was introduced at the 2009 Radiological Society of
North America (RSNA) annual meeting.

The Viamo combines the portability of a laptop system with advanced
radiology features to deliver outstanding image quality, enhance
diagnostic confidence and improve ease of use. Developed from a
radiology foundation, Toshiba’s Viamo provides the confidence to image
patients at bedside, which generally requires larger, more expensive
cart-based systems. When an immobile patient needs a high-end ultrasound
exam, the portable Viamo ultrasound is brought to the patient to improve
the patient’s comfort without compromising exam quality. It is also
ideal for a variety of patient exams, including general radiology,
pediatric, emergency, OB/GYN and vascular.

“The Viamo is specifically designed to provide advanced radiology
capabilities in a portable system, creating more comfortable exams for
patients,” said Girish Hagan, vice president, Marketing, Toshiba.
“Providing the best value in the hand-carried segment, the Viamo
delivers high-quality images for numerous clinical applications.”

The new Toshiba Viamo laptop ultrasound system offers:

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HERES your chance to win an incredibly romantic break in a stunning boutique hotel in the beautiful Peak District National Park. The Maynard – with two AA rosettes for its food – has been recently refurbished, and all rooms are now decorated to an exceptionally high contemporary standard with plasma TVs and pocket sprung beds. The Maynard is the perfect base to explore the Peak District National Park, including the historic villages and towns of Eyam, Ashford-in-the-Water, Bakewell and the Tissington Trail. If you are a lover of the outdoors you will be in heaven – several good walks are possible from The Maynards front door and its possible to survive without your car for your entire stay. But if on the other hand you want a change and fancy a bit of retail therapy, the famous Meadowhall Shopping Centre is only a few miles away by train or car.
ONLY one word describes Mercs E63 AMG ubersaloon – sublime. More engaging than a BMW M5 or Jag XFR, its hysterically fast, can even return 22mpg and is one of the best-handling cars I know. The slightest prod on the accelerator summons up unfeasible heave and if you really mash the pedal, it delivers supercar-smashing shove. The switchable gearbox and air suspension provide amazing finesse and pliancy and getting the rear end to break away requires the fear threshold of a fool. The 6.2-litre 525bhp V8 is good for 60 in 4.5 seconds and delimited will thunder all the way to 175. Theres also been a heroic return to adamantine build quality.
A SINGLE MAN 12A, 100 mins Opens Friday, February 12 Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult. George Falconer (Firth), a gay English professor living in Los Angeles in 1962, grieves over the death of his lover of 16 years, and attempts to make sense of his life.

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The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, will visit the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Red Cross and will hold a media availability to provide an update on donations matched to date through the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund.

LIVERPOOL 1 TWO sent off, another taken to hospital and the matchwinner left nursing a black eye.

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Protest at Metropolitan State Hospital against Harmful, Costly
Staffing Cuts

California Association of Psychiatric Technicians:

The California Association of Psychiatric Technicians is the elected
union representative for 7,000 state-employed Psychiatric Technicians
and related workers who provide compassionate, professional mental
health and developmental services for the Californians in our care. CAPT
also is the professional organization for all of California’s 14,000
licensed Psychiatric Technicians.

Any of the 7 San Antonio and Austin area Car-X Auto Service locations
offer complete safety inspections that include checking the condition of
tires, brakes, suspension, lighting, wipers, etc. Car-X also provides
full scheduled vehicle maintenance services to help keep your car
running as smoothly as the day you bought it. From belts to batteries,
brake jobs to wheel alignments, exhaust to air conditioners, suspension
systems to filters, regular visits to Car-X Auto Service whose
technicians who are trained, tested and top of the line, will help
prevent costly repairs to your car, van, light truck or SUV.

Car-X Auto Service was founded in 1971 by a group of enterprising and
experienced muffler shop owners. During the early years, Car-X was
primarily an exhaust specialist. But today, due to our 24/7 non-stop,
fast paced world, we’ve adapted to providing just about any automotive
repair you can imagine. We continue to evaluate our position and
business and add products and services that are comparable to today’s
auto repair climate.

Car-X Auto Service has 173 locations and has built a reputation on
exceptional customer satisfaction. In fact, Car-X Auto Service was
ranked the #1 automotive services franchise by Success Magazine.

SUBNET Solutions Inc. (SUBNET) is excited to announce the launch of their newly redesigned and restructured website. The new client-centric tool is a gateway to help engineers , SCADA personnel, technicians, project managers and others become more proficient in creating smarter electrical substations .

Since the mid 1990s, SUBNETs website has attracted a breadth of people within the electrical utilities industry. In-depth product information, training abstracts and courses, and industry news and events are a few features currently available on the new website.

SUBNET is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and heavily leverages Microsoft technology in many of its substation intelligence software products. SUBNETs website is no exception which is built on Microsofts ASP.NET framework. This framework enables SUBNETs online presence to evolve over time.

“The framework has now been laid that enables us to respond to many of the support requests from customers”, comments SUBNETs project lead and Director of Marketing Brian Neufeld. “The newly launched website is just the beginning. SUBNETs web development team has been working on many features over the past few months which are yet to be launched on the new website. Over the coming months, the customer support side of the website, among other areas, will be significantly enhanced.”

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WOMENS GOLF: Defending Big Sky Conference champion Northern Arizona is the coaches top pick in the 2010 preseason poll, which was released by the league on Thursday. Brad Bedorthas Lumberjacks received six of the nine first-place votes and 62 total points. Sacramento State was a solid pick at the No. 2 spot, earning three first-place votes and 59 total points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Six of the top eight fall scoring averages were recorded by Northern Arizona golfers. Junior Alexa Kim, who tied for second at the 2009 Big Sky Championship, averaged 75.08 strokes per round with four top-10 finishes. Senior Megan Buck averaged 75.42 strokes per round, followed by senior Meghan Bremer (75.89), freshman Stephanie Kim (76.17), junior Bethany Leclair (76.84) and junior Dakin Banta (76.83).
in the raw WHAT: Planet Raw Organic, Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant HOURS: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sunday
Dee Ralph Clegg Dee Ralph Clegg, 84, peacefully reunited with his wife of 64 years on January 26, 2010 in Draper, Utah. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 14, 1925 to Levi and Marion Clegg. He married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy May Jensen, on February 24, 1945 at Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay while serving in World War II with the U.S. Navy. Dee was a big sports fan, but his loyalty was with the University of Utah and supporting his children and grandchildren in their activities.

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Visit Blueslice Networks, the Leader in Evolved Subscriber Data
Management (eSDM)

MONTREAL — Blueslice Networks has been receiving industry acclaim as the most
innovative, forward-thinking company in evolved Subscriber Data
Management. With over 50 deployments worldwide of the CSP 3000™,
Blueslice is challenging the industry’s legacy vendors by helping its
customers around the globe move away from silo’ed subscriber data.

As the leading provider of evolved Subscriber Data Management
(eSDM) solutions, the Blueslice Portfolio serves a diverse mix
of service providers across multiple markets, such as Mobile carriers,
Multi-play, VoIP and FMC operators, MVNOs, and M2M providers.
Blueslice’s solutions allow service providers to manage their principal
asset, their subscriber base, while delivering differentiated services
and significantly lowering costs.

Delaware Ford
dealers revel at the launch of Willis Fords revolutionary new web
system. Smyrna car dealers have been
struggling to sell new vehicles, but Santosh Viswanathan, VP of Willis
Ford, has discovered a solution for difficult times and continues to turn
big profits every month. On January 1, JP Automotive Marketing delivered a
brand new website for Santosh who has redirected his attention to improving
the quality and selection of his used cars and creating a solid online
profile.

” Ford Dealers in
Delaware are seeing new car sales down across the board; however the
used car market is very strong. Ive focused my ad spend where it counts,
online. When Christian Jorn spoke at our NADA meeting I knew that search
engine optimization would be the future for car dealers. The transition to
JPMs services was very smooth, our website is amazing, and we have seen an
significant increase in Internet sales already.”

– Santosh Viswanathan, VP Willis Ford, Smyrna DE

Willis Ford chose Jorn and Price Marketing for SEO with the goal of
increasing the number of targeted leads from Googles search network.
Fortunately, Willis Ford has a reputation for excellence and has been
delivering world class service for many years. Cindy Pangburn is head of
the Internet department and was intricately involved in the design of the
website.

“The support staff at JP Marketing is incredible, its nice to have one
company that handles it all, the switch from our previous provider was
quick, and adjustments along the way have been handled quickly and
professionally. Now Im busy selling cars.”

Search Engine Optimization Singapore

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Route1 Inc. (”Route1″ or the “Company”) (TSX VENTURE: ROI), a security and identity-based services company, today took action to correct previously granted stock options to directors, officers and employees. A review by the TSX Venture Exchange found that approximately 10,000,000 stock options granted between April 27, 2006 and the Companys most recent annual meeting held on September 24, 2009 were granted below the minimum exercise price allowable by the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange or were not publicly disclosed.

As a result of the non-compliance of the stock option grants referred to above, the board of directors (the “Board”) of the Company has cancelled the 6,241,646 outstanding options to directors and employees. Also, following the election of the new board of directors at the Companys annual and special meeting of shareholders, the 3,550,730 options to purchase common shares of the Company held by the outgoing board of directors expired on December 24, 2009 and another 3,700,000 options granted to a former officer of the Company expired on January 27, 2010, ninety days following the termination of such former officer.

After the above, all non-compliant stock options granted by the Company during the noted period have either been cancelled or have expired. The Company currently has 8,000,000 stock options outstanding.

The Board is reviewing compensation arrangements for all employees of Route1 during the first quarter of the 2010 calendar year. As part of the compensation review, the Board expects to issue new stock options that meet all regulatory requirements.

The Company has adopted policies and procedures to ensure all future stock option grants are in compliance with TSX Venture Exchange policies.

Route1 Inc. (”Route1″ or the “Company”) (TSX VENTURE: ROI), a security and identity-based services company, today took action to correct previously granted stock options to directors, officers and employees. A review by the TSX Venture Exchange found that approximately 10,000,000 stock options granted between April 27, 2006 and the Companys most recent annual meeting held on September 24, 2009 were granted below the minimum exercise price allowable by the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange or were not publicly disclosed.

As a result of the non-compliance of the stock option grants referred to above, the board of directors (the “Board”) of the Company has cancelled the 6,241,646 outstanding options to directors and employees. Also, following the election of the new board of directors at the Companys annual and special meeting of shareholders, the 3,550,730 options to purchase common shares of the Company held by the outgoing board of directors expired on December 24, 2009 and another 3,700,000 options granted to a former officer of the Company expired on January 27, 2010, ninety days following the termination of such former officer.

After the above, all non-compliant stock options granted by the Company during the noted period have either been cancelled or have expired. The Company currently has 8,000,000 stock options outstanding.

The Board is reviewing compensation arrangements for all employees of Route1 during the first quarter of the 2010 calendar year. As part of the compensation review, the Board expects to issue new stock options that meet all regulatory requirements.

The Company has adopted policies and procedures to ensure all future stock option grants are in compliance with TSX Venture Exchange policies.

Data Driven Marketing Tool

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SEATTLE — Northwest Physicians Network:

NEW YORK — Fitch Ratings has affirmed New Hampshire Catholic Charities (NHCC)
ratings as follows:

–Approximately $4.9 million outstanding New Hampshire Higher Education
and Health Facilities Authority revenue bonds, series 1997 at BBB ;

–Approximately $1.5 million outstanding New Hampshire Higher Education
and Health Facilities Authority revenue bonds, series 1997A at BBB .

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Entrepreneurs, small-business owners, and
self-employed professionals now have access to a guide filled with tips and
techniques to help them market their small businesses.

Randye Spina, Chief Solutions Officer of Affordable Marketing Solutions
LLC, wrote this handy workbook because she perceived a need in the
small-business marketing book industry that hadnt been filled. “There are
many great marketing books out there, but none grounded in the exact
how-tos for small-business owners, especially given the tough economy
right now,” says Spina. “I created an easy-to-use workbook. Chapters are
organized by technique — all affordable for small-business owners,
including websites, email marketing, telephone techniques, social media,
coupons and more.” At the end of each chapter there are checklists and
worksheets to ensure you get it right the first time, without wasting time
or money.

Reviews have been exciting. “Im so grateful that my book is being
embraced,” says Spina. And, at just $18.95, its a fit for anyones budget
– no matter how tight.

AMC Best Picture ShowcaseSM Changes
Include Spreading Events Throughout Two Weekends; Guests Invited to Help
Select Show Schedule Lineup for First Time Ever

With the doubling of nominated films in 2010, this year’s program will
be divided among back-to-back weekends, Saturday, Feb. 27 and Saturday,
March 6. The Oscar® “Best Picture” nominees include “Avatar,”
“The Blind Side,” “District 9,” “An Education,” “The Hurt Locker,”
“Inglourious Basterds,” “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by
Sapphire,” “A Serious Man,” “Up” and “Up in the Air.”

New this year, guests will be invited to select the films to
join box office smash hit “Avatar” (in 3D*) the first weekend of the
Showcase via an online poll. This feature allows guests the
unprecedented opportunity to help design the program’s show schedule for
the first time.

As in previous years, with the purchase of a pass, attendees receive a
large popcorn with unlimited refills and a souvenir lanyard,
which will feature artwork from the 10 nominated films and will give
guests the freedom to come and go throughout the event.

Wedding Tips

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SAN FRANCISCO — AMERICAN SHARED HOSPITAL SERVICES (NYSE AMEX:AMS), a leading
provider of turnkey technology solutions for advanced radiosurgical and
radiation therapy services, announced today that it has entered into a
contract to supply a Leksell Gamma Knife� PerfexionTM
system to Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. This new Perfexion
system, the eighth placed by AMS to date, will replace an existing Gamma
Knife supplied by AMS and is expected to begin treating patients later
this year.

Michael Beaver, Chief Operating Officer of Methodist Hospital, said,
“Methodist is known for quality, and quality care means exceeding our
patients expectations. This upgrade to the Leksell Gamma Knife
Perfexion system will help us achieve this goal. The Perfexion system
refines and expands the therapeutic potential for radiosurgery
procedures in the brain, cervical spine and head neck regions, and is
widely regarded as the most advanced stereotactic radiosurgery system
available today.” Opened in 1963, Methodist Hospital, the pioneer
facility of the world-renowned South Texas Medical Center, is the
flagship facility of the Methodist Healthcare System, the largest and
most preferred health care provider in South Texas.

AMS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ernest A. Bates, M.D., said,
“Methodist Hospital has been a Gamma Knife customer of ours for twelve
years. We are pleased that our creative financing solutions have made
possible this upgrade to next-generation radiosurgery technology at an
affordable price.”

About Leksell Gamma Knife� PerfexionTM

Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion maintains full clinical compatibility with
the classic Leksell Gamma Knife and is supported by efficacy and outcome
data from 500,000 treated patients worldwide and thousands of
peer-reviewed scientific articles, making it a proven choice for
radiosurgery of the brain. According to Elekta, Leksell Gamma Knife
Perfexion reduces unwanted body dose to the patient by up to 100 times
compared with competing technologies, which is particularly important
for treatment of children and women of childbearing age, and allows for
a dramatically increased treatable volume, which is expected to increase
the number of patients that can benefit from Gamma Knife surgery. Elekta
estimates that the fully automated and efficient single push-button
approach can save 3-5 working weeks of physician time per year at an
average Gamma Knife center.

Fortune River Resource Corp. (TSX VENTURE: FRX)(FRANKFURT: RG7A) (the “Company”) has been advised that Donald R. Head of 14850 North Scottsdale Road, Ste. 285, Scottsdale, Arizona 85254, United States of America, together with Head Children Investments LLC, a company at the same address as Donald R. Head and over which Donald R. Head exercises control and direction (collectively referred to as the “Shareholder”), has, since May 22, 2008, the date when the Shareholder reported holding 12.84% of the Companys outstanding share capital, acquired, through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange and through Private Placement purchases, additional shares and warrants at prices ranging from $0.08 to $0.44.

The Company had previously reported on May 22, 2008 that Head Children Investments LLC and Head Management Investments LLC (also a company over which Donald R. Head exercises control and direction) held 12.84% of the then outstanding share capital, including options. The additional purchases by the Shareholder, when added to previously reported holdings, represent an aggregate holding of 16.20% including options and warrants.

The Shareholder has advised that its current intention is that all of the shares of the Company acquired were acquired for investment purposes but the Shareholder may, from time to time, reconsider its holdings in the Company and, as circumstances dictate, may increase or decrease its position in the Company.

The Company is further advised that a report relating to these matters is being filed with the British Columbia and Alberta Commissions by the Shareholder. A copy of the report may be obtained from the Manex Group of Companies on behalf of the Shareholder by calling 604-684-9384.

Venoco, Inc. (NYSE: VQ) announced that its
Annual Stockholders Meeting will be held on June 2, 2010.

The meeting will be held at 7:30 a.m. Mountain Time on Wednesday, June 2,
2010, at the Brown Palace Hotel, 321 17th Street, Denver, Colorado.
Stockholders of record at the close of business on Monday, April 5, 2010,
are entitled to receive notice of the meeting and to vote the shares of
Venoco common stock they hold as of that date.

Venoco is an independent energy company primarily engaged in the
acquisition, exploitation and development of oil and natural gas properties
in California and Texas. Venoco operates three offshore platforms in the
Santa Barbara Channel, has non-operated interests in three other platforms,
operates four onshore properties in Southern California, has extensive
operations in Northern Californias Sacramento Basin and operates thirteen
fields in Texas.

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VIENNA, Va. WILMINGTON, Del. — Navy Federal Credit Union today announced it is providing best-fit
mortgage and home equity loan options to its members with MDA MindBox’s
ARTOptimize™.

Navy Federal Credit Union began working with MDA MindBox, a division of
MDA Lending Solutions that provides advanced-decisioning solutions to
the mortgage lending industry, after evaluating offerings from 20
vendors. According to credit union officials, ARTOptimize was
chosen for its superior decisioning capabilities, powerful maintenance
facilities and ease of integration into Navy Federal’s existing loan
origination infrastructure.

“MDA MindBox’s ARTOptimize allows Navy Federal employees, as well
as our members to quickly determine the best possible loan options from
our Web site based on financial situations and objectives,” said Joan
Cox, vice president, Real Estate Lending. “Our primary mission at Navy
Federal is to best serve the financial needs of our members, which
includes providing the right loan product for their individual need. We
can now do that within minutes instead of hours.”

MDA MindBox’s ARTOptimize personalizes each step in the loan
origination, deal negotiation, deal structuring, optimization and
underwriting process. ARTOptimize integrates credit data from
multiple sources, analyzes that data based on company-specific policies,
prices the final product, provides suggested strategies for lowering
costs or creating a debt portfolio and gives employees and counselors
information about the best loan products to cross sell.

“The Navy Federal Credit Union implementation is a prime example of how
MDA MindBox’s solutions can improve member service and streamline the
loan decisioning process,” said Bill Richer, president of MDA MindBox.
“By integrating the advanced capabilities of ARTOptimize into
Navy’s Web site, MDA MindBox is delivering a powerful tool that Navy
Federal Credit Union can leverage to best serve both existing and
potential members.”

Sharif Anbar-Colas Joins In London To Head CLO/CDO Trading

LONDON NEW YORK — Jefferies today announced the appointment of Sharif Anbar-Colas as a
Managing Director and Global Head of Collaterized Loan Obligation (CLO)
and Collaterized Debt Obligation (CDO) Trading.

Mr. Anbar-Colas will be responsible for all CLO/CDO trading within the
firms broader Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities (MBS/ABS) Group,
part of the Fixed Income Division at Jefferies. The firm’s MBS/ABS group
now includes approximately 85 sales, trading and origination
professionals in the US, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

“We are very pleased to welcome Sharif to lead Jefferies growing
CLO/CDO trading group in Europe and see his joining as another important
step in the continued expansion of Jefferies’ global fixed income
business,” commented Tim Cronin, Global Head of the Fixed Income
Division at Jefferies.

In a joint statement, Johan Eveland and William H. Jennings II, Co-Heads
of the Global MBS/ABS Group at Jefferies, said: We remain committed to
building out Jefferies’ broader asset-backed trading effort globally,
and Sharif’s knowledge, experience and relationships in trading CLOs and
CDOs will make an immediate contribution to the firm’s leading platform.”

VISTA, Calif. — California Community Bank (OTCBB:CABK), today announced that prominent
San Diego banker Steve Harrington has joined the Bank as Senior Vice
President, Business Banking at its Vista Office. Harrington is a veteran
commercial lender and has over 20 years of banking experience in the San
Diego and North County markets.

Harrington started his career with Wells Fargo Bank and in 1994 joined
First Pacific National Bank as a Commercial Loan Officer. After the
bank’s sale, he served as a Business Loan Officer with Fallbrook
National Bank and San Diego National Bank. Most recently he was the
Regional Manager for 1st Pacific Bank of California in
Oceanside.

“Steve’s strong reputation as a North County premier business banking
expert is a perfect addition to our high service and relationship
oriented banking philosophy,” commented Larry Hartwig, President and
CEO. “He has an excellent background in business and a strong history of
community involvement plus many long-term relationships in the San Diego
North County business community. We are most pleased to have him as a
lead member of our Vista Office banking team.”

Steve attended the University of California, San Diego and resides with
his wife in North County. He is active in various civic groups and
serves on the Board of the Vista Chamber of Commerce.

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If someone tries to rob you, do you care whether the policeman who stops him is black or white? The Department of Justice does. Using the standard of “disparate impact”–under which almost any test, no matter how carefully vetted, can be ruled illegally discriminatory if some group does not score high enough on it–DOJ has filed suit against New Jersey because of its exam for police sergeants.
Integration Platform Sets the Bar for Low-Cost, Low-Risk System
Implementations

POWELL, Ohio — Click4Care,
a leading provider of care
management software for payors, today announced that it has forged a
partnership with iWay Software, a provider of service oriented
architecture-based (SOA) enterprise
integration tools, to help Click4Care clients quickly and
cost-effectively integrate disparate information technology (IT) systems
with its award-winning care management platform. iWay’s streamlined,
scaleable and robust integration model enables healthcare
payors to rapidly interface Click4Care’s software with their claims
processing system, member and provider databases, decision support,
document management and other best-of-breed IT applications.

“With a rapidly aging population and nearly half of all adult Americans
living with a chronic condition, the payor community will face even
greater pressure to promote and provide higher quality and
cost-effective care management,” said Gerald Cohen, CEO and president of
iWay. “To successfully achieve this goal, payors must integrate data and
workflows that currently reside in separate IT systems, enabling them to
collaborate and share information more efficiently with care managers,
members and providers.”

Cohen continues, “By combining iWay’s powerful solutions and SOA
integration approach with Click4Care’s innovative care management
platform, payors will mitigate technology implementation risks and
enhance their ability to keep members healthier, identify at-risk
members more quickly and thoroughly, improve physician satisfaction and
collaboration, and gain greater control over their financial and
operational outcomes.”

“In working with payors of all sizes, we noticed a trend toward adopting
sophisticated, member-centric care management approaches that leverage
the interoperability and data integration of multiple IT systems,” said
Rob Gillette, Click4Care’s CEO. “Click4Care’s strategic relationship
with iWay helps our clients more readily design and deploy these
technology-driven programs to ultimately enhance the quality of member
care, improve member satisfaction, advance care coordination, and reduce
clinical and administrative costs.”

REDMOND, Wash. — Micronics, Inc. today announced that it has been issued a second letters
patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for an
integrated heat exchange system on a disposable, plastic cartridge. The
new patent has broad utility across the life sciences sector with
particular application in point of care molecular diagnostics.

The patent, entitled “System and method for heating, cooling and heat
cycling on a microfluidic device,” is U.S. Patent No. 7,648,835 (the
’835 case). The newly issued patent identifies the use of exothermic or
endothermic material in reservoirs that are contained within an
integrated disposable plastic cartridge. Once the chemical process of
the reservoir material is activated, the reservoir provides heating or
cooling to specific locations on the cartridge. Multiple reservoirs may
be included in a cartridge to provide varying temperatures. Micronics is
employing this technology in the development of disposable cartridges
for performance of a complete polymerase
chain reaction (PCR) temperature cycle in less than 15 seconds.

The ’835 case is related to an earlier patent, U.S. Patent No.
7,544,506, also issued to Micronics. The devices of these patents make
it possible to perform PCR or rtPCR in a fraction of the time of
commercial systems in use today. In Micronics’ molecular diagnostic
devices, all reagents required for a diagnostic test are incorporated
into the disposable cartridge.

Micronics is advancing a point of care molecular diagnostic platform,
called the PanNAT system, that employs disposable cartridges and a
small, lightweight, easy to operate instrument. Using microfluidics, the
Company is able to substantially reduce the volumes of sample and
reagents required to produce a test result, generally within a fraction
of the time and cost that traditional reference lab and bench top
methods require.

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Issuu is the leading publishing platform delivering exceptional reading
experiences of digital magazines, books, catalogs, reports, and more. In
just a few seconds, users can create beautiful digital editions available
in both web and mobile platforms simply by uploading their publications.
Issuu is used by more than 9 million visitors per month and is trusted by
leading organizations like Google, Viacom, Random House, Siemens, Cambridge
University Press, The Telegraph, the United Nations, and thousands of other
publishers. Time magazine recently named Issuu one of the Top 50 websites
of 2009. Issuu provides a digital newsstand with the best e-reader on the
market for popular mobile platforms like Android. Coming this spring, Issuu
will provide an e-reader for the new Apple iPad currently under
development.

“Issuu represents the future of publishing and has rapidly established
itself as a global leader,” said Ed Sullivan, CEO of Aria Systems. “The
Aria Platform powers a lot of next-generation businesses like Issuu that
need fast deployment, scalability, and billing flexibility and we look
forward to supporting Issuus continued growth.”

Taking advantage of the increasingly popular “freemium” model, Issuu needed
a platform that could manage both free and premium subscribers. Issuu also
needed to be able to support a large and diverse network of resellers that
includes print shops, web agencies, media and publishing companies,
freelancers and many others. It was also critical to Issuu to find a
billing and subscription management partner that could deliver a system
quickly.

Originally deployed in June 2009, the Issuu Pro Billing System, powered by
the Aria Billing and Subscription Management Platform, integrates with
Issuus internal financial systems to track receivables. Issuu considered
many other SaaS billing solutions and selected Aria because of the Aria
Platforms maturity and reliability, rich application programming interface
(API), administrative interface, and robust user self-service capabilities.

Signature Event with Beautiful Arabian Horses and Shopping Paradise

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Arabian Horse Association of Arizona (AHAA) will be celebrating its
55th Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show and Shopping Expo during
February 11th–21st, 2010. The show will attract
approximately 250,000 people to the world’s largest event of its kind.
This year’s event will attract over 2,250 of the world’s finest Arabian
and Half-Arabian horses out to WestWorld of Scottsdale to compete for
over $1,000,000 in prize monies in more than 640 diverse competitions.
Each year, these amazing, athletic and beautiful Arabian horses compete
with each other to vie for the coveted prize of Scottsdale Champion.

The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show is truly a family event; along with
beautiful horses, the show offers a shoppers paradise. This years
shopping expo will be overflowing with treasures and one-of-a-kind items
for every taste and every budget. Featuring more than 300 incredible
vendors and trade booths, the expo will bring artisans and entrepreneurs
from around the world to show their goods and offer a wide variety of
products and services. At this international event you will be tempted
and amazed by the sophisticated food served at the cuisine courts. You
can eat three meals a day here every day of the event and never eat at
the same place twice and have a fantastic dining experience every time.

Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show also offers a Free
Family Night that will be on the final Friday of the show.
Families will be admitted free to the show on Friday, February 19th,
at 6:00 p.m., giving everyone a chance to have an experience of a
lifetime.

Vaser Liposelection

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BOTHELL, Wash. — EKOS Corporation announced today that EKOS and their Netherlands
distributor, AngioCare BV, are supporting a Dutch multicentre randomized
trial (DUET) designed to compare ultrasound (US) accelerated catheter
directed thrombolysis to standard catheter directed thrombolysis in
patients with recently thrombosed infra-inguinal native arteries or
bypass grafts.

Participating Dutch investigators include: Drs. Jeal-Paul de Vries and
A.M. Schrijver (St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein). Additional study
sites in the Netherlands are being added.

Robert W. Hubert, President/CEO, said, “We are pleased to support this
most important study. The hypothesis is that EKOS ultrasound accelerated
thrombolysis will significantly reduce (by at least 12 hours) therapy
time compared to standard thrombolysis alone without increasing
complication rate.”

The study is conducted in accordance with the principles of the
Declaration of Helsinki and “good clinical practice”. (The study
protocol was approved on October 13th, 2009, by the Ethics Committee of
the St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein. Written informed consent will be
obtained prior to randomization.

A total of 60 adult patients with recently (between 1 and 7 weeks)
thrombosed infra-inguinal native arteries or bypass grafts with acute
limb ischemia class I and IIa, (according to the Rutherford
classification for acute ischemia), will be randomly allocated to either
group A (standard thrombolysis) or group B (EKOS ultrasound accelerated
thrombolysis). The anticipated duration of recruitment will be one year.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — U-Systems announced today that Radiology Regional Center has initiated
participation in the SOMO•INSIGHT Clinical Study. The first breast
center in Southwest Florida to participate, Radiology Regional Center is
recruiting participants for the national clinical research study
designed to evaluate whether digital mammography in combination with the
somo•v™ Automated Breast Ultrasound System (ABUS) from U-Systems is more
sensitive to detecting breast lesions when compared to Mammography alone
in women with dense breasts.

“We are pleased to take part in this important study evaluating
potential new approaches to the early detection of breast cancer in
women with dense breasts, which historically have been difficult to
screen,” said Mary Kay Peterson, M.D., Director of Women’s Imaging at
Radiology Regional Center and principal investigator for the
SOMO•INSIGHT clinical study. “We strongly believe that early detection
is critical and we are excited to be able to provide women in Southwest
Florida with access to cutting edge technology that could potentially
detect abnormalities earlier in the fight against breast cancer.”

The initiation of this multi-center study, which intends to recruit over
20,000 women, is an important milestone for U-Systems in evaluating new
approaches to improved cancer detection. Screening mammography can be
limited in women with dense breasts and these women may have a higher
risk of breast cancer. ABUS uses ultrasound (sound waves) at a safe
frequency to create images of the breast tissue. Ultrasound may
demonstrate cancer not visible with mammography in women who have dense
breasts. U-Systems has developed the somo•v and is sponsoring the
SOMO•INSIGHT clinical study to address the critical need of improved
breast cancer detection in dense breasts.

“We are very excited to be initiating the SOMO·INSIGHT Clinical Study
with Dr. Peterson and Radiology Regional Center,” said Ron Ho, president
and CEO of U-Systems. “The use of the somo•v™ ABUS in combination with
mammography may aid the physician in earlier detection of breast cancer
for a large group of asymptomatic women with increased breast density.
We believe that somo•v ABUS technology will play a vital role in
significantly advancing breast cancer screening and ultimately save
lives.”

ultrasound tech schools

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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Prior to adopting speech recognition, we relied heavily on digital dictation and a staff of in-house medical transcriptionists/editors (MT) to complete our reports. If one of the MTs took sick or went on vacation, making up the difference and completing reports could become backlogged for days. In one extreme instance, we lost two transcriptionists and then had one go on vacation, and in one weeks time we fell so far behind that it took us more than a month to catch up. This was a major impetus for us to look at a speech recognition solution. An Imperfect Solution Once we started using speech recognition, its value quickly became clear, even to our initially skeptical financial officers. We were able to show an ROI of $200,000 to $250,000 for the one hospital over a 3-year period by reducing the use of medical transcription by 50 percent. Typical report turnaround time (TAT) from exam order to report signed shortened to 24 hours, down from an average of 36 to 72 hours prior to employing speech recognition; however, we had low adoption of self-editing by the radiologists, due to the difficulty of switching between the systems editing and transcription options.
SPi Healthcare, a leading provider of medical
transcription solutions announced today the release of the latest version
of its transcription platform — eGlobal Enterprise. eGlobal Enterprise is
a web-based technology platform that seamlessly integrates dictation,
transcription, report distribution and electronic signature to provide
customized documentation solutions that meet the business needs of
healthcare providers.

Commenting on the occasion, Ethan Cohen, President, SPi Healthcare, said,
“We are very excited about the enhanced features and functionality of this
new release and the value it creates for our Clients. The advanced
workflow capabilities will improve our transcriptionists productivity and
accelerate turnaround times for our Clients. Further, the enhanced
web-portal will provide our Clients with real-time access to information,
improved reporting and greater control over the management of their
documents.”

Peter Maquera, President and CEO of SPi, stated, “SPi is committed to
growing its medical transcription business and to making the required
investments in people, processes and technology to serve our clients more
efficiently and effectively. Our investment in a talented development team
of 25 and the resulting deployment of the latest version of eGlobal
Enterprise is a reflection of our commitment to this business. With the
development team in place, our Clients and employees can rest assured that
the power and functionality of eGlobal Enterprise will continue to expand
as the needs of the medical transcription business evolve.”

The new version of eGlobal Enterprise is the culmination of over 12 months
of research and development and was based upon feedback from our Clients,
our transcriptionists, and domain and technology experts. Some of the
unique features of the system include:

medical transcriptionist training

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BOSTON — Orthofix International N.V. (NASDAQ: OFIX) (the Company) announced today
that it has contributed to the relief efforts in Haiti by making a
donation of its medical devices to charitable organizations involved in
assisting that country following the recent earthquake that occurred
there.

Employees at the Company’s business units in California, Texas and
Verona, Italy worked with Direct Relief International and Operation Hope
to donate $1 million worth of its spine, orthopedic and bracing products
to the relief efforts in Haiti. Additionally, Orthofix and its employees
around the world are supporting the relief efforts with individual cash
donations to the Red Cross that are being matched by the Company.

“Orthofix employees around the world have expressed their concern for
the people of Haiti, and we are very pleased to be in a position to
assist in the global relief effort,” said Orthofix’s CEO Alan Milinazzo.

NEW YORK — HMS
today announced that it had been awarded a contract by the North
Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of
Medical Assistance (DMA), to provide third
party liability (TPL) and cost
management services for its Medicaid and Health Choice for Children
programs. The contract has a two-year term, with an option to renew for
an additional one-year period.

HMS’s comprehensive suite of Medicare and commercial insurance recovery,
credit balance audits, and case
management services will help DHHS focus on their mission to provide
access to high quality, medically necessary healthcare for eligible
North Carolina residents through cost-effective purchasing of health
care services and products.

“As a leading provider of cost containment solutions, we are well
positioned to satisfy the State’s demand for the highest levels of
performance and reliability,” said Maria Perrin, Executive Vice
President of Government Services for HMS. We are pleased that North
Carolina has awarded HMS this contract and look forward to helping them
realize their revenue recovery and cost containment goals.”

Medicaid and Health Choice for Children are programs within DHHS. The
Health Choice program provides funding to extend healthcare coverage to
roughly 130,000 children each month whose family income exceeds Medicaid
financial eligibility criteria. Medicaid serves approximately 1.8
million people in North Carolina. DHHS’s third party liability program
currently saves the state more than $200 million annually.

dental assistant careers

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Swinton, the UKs leading high street insurance retailer is warning motorists to beware of the potentially dangerous effects of in-car navigation systems.

It is estimated that around 14 million drivers now use satellite navigation systems. A survey of 1,200 Swinton car insurance customers showed that one in five had hesitated on a busy road as a result of their sat nav. One in fifty also admitted that their sat nav had either caused or nearly caused an accident.

Following official RoSPA statistics showing that 78% of crashes were caused by driver inattention, researchers from Lancaster University and Royal Holloway are planning to study the impacts of sat navs on spatial attention and memory whilst driving.

Steve Chelton, insurer development manager at Swinton, the UKs leading high street car insurance retailer said: “We are seeing more drivers making claims for damage to their vehicles after following their sat navs to unsuitable roads. We urge all motorists to use their common sense when approaching a potentially impassable road.

“The authorities are beginning to take this problem very seriously and we are now finding that more and more people are receiving up to six penalty points and substantial fines for driving without due care and attention and putting themselves into dangerous situations after following sat nav instructions.”

Swinton Commercial is helping van drivers by giving them valuable tips on choosing the right van for cheapest insurance premiums.

Insurance companies decide premiums based on a range of factors with 20 rating groups depending on level of risk and cost of repair. Generally larger heavier vans are more expensive to insure, harder to drive and more expensive to fix.

Vans come in different size categories, which can also affect van insurance premiums. The size categories are:

“The scene is Capitol Hill. Its the year 2035. Thousands of elderly protesters assemble outside the Capitol building. Inside, the House Ways and Means Committee meets to enact huge cuts in both Medicare and the national health insurance program.” That is the opening of “The Medicare Monster,” a reason article from January 1993; authors Steven Hayward and Erik Peterson highlighted predictions of Medicares impending fiscal insolvency to warn against the push for government-run health care. Substitute 2017 for 2035, and you could write the scene today. Hayward and Petersons cautionary tale pointed out that Medicare costs had been dramatically underestimated from the inception of the program in 1966. Medicare cost $3 billion in 1966. A “conservative” estimate by the House Ways and Means Committee in 1966 projected that Medicare would cost $12 billion after inflation by 1990. The actual 1990 cost was nearly nine times more: $107 billion. Today Medicare costs $408 billion, consuming about 13 percent of the total federal budget. Since 1993 projections about Medicares eventual date of bankruptcy have oscillated considerably. In 1997 the Medicare Trustees projected that its hospital fund would be depleted by the middle of 2000. Fiscal collapse was avoided when the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 imposed what amounted to price controls on physicians and hospitals. As a consequence, in 2000 the Medicare Trustees sunnily projected that the program would be solvent through 2029. Nine years later, the latest Medicare Trustees report projects that the hospital fund (Part A) will be depleted by 2017. The trustees assert that bringing it into actuarial balance during the next 75 years will require either immediately raising the Medicare payroll tax from 2.9 percent to 6.78 percent or cutting current benefits by 53 percent. Medicare Part B, which pays for outpatient care and doctor bills, and the recently added Part D, which pays for prescription drugs, are “both projected to remain adequately financed into the indefinite future because current law automatically provides financing each year to meet next years expected costs.” Translation: About 75 percent of Medicare funds spent on doctors and drugs come from general tax revenue.

Maryland Auto Insurance Quotes

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Hospital reimbursement from all payers is at risk Take proactive approach to responding to auditors If your hospital has been focusing solely on improving Medicare records in preparation for the permanent Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program, you may find yourself in a bind as other payers roll out their own audit programs. Hospitals should prepare for the MICs and the commercial auditors in much the same way as they have been preparing for the RACs, and develop an organized group, similar to the RAC committee, with well-defined roles with each discipline, says Brian Flood, CHC, CIG, Esq., managing director for KPMG LLC.
“The scene is Capitol Hill. Its the year 2035. Thousands of elderly protesters assemble outside the Capitol building. Inside, the House Ways and Means Committee meets to enact huge cuts in both Medicare and the national health insurance program.” That is the opening of “The Medicare Monster,” a reason article from January 1993; authors Steven Hayward and Erik Peterson highlighted predictions of Medicares impending fiscal insolvency to warn against the push for government-run health care. Substitute 2017 for 2035, and you could write the scene today. Hayward and Petersons cautionary tale pointed out that Medicare costs had been dramatically underestimated from the inception of the program in 1966. Medicare cost $3 billion in 1966. A “conservative” estimate by the House Ways and Means Committee in 1966 projected that Medicare would cost $12 billion after inflation by 1990. The actual 1990 cost was nearly nine times more: $107 billion. Today Medicare costs $408 billion, consuming about 13 percent of the total federal budget. Since 1993 projections about Medicares eventual date of bankruptcy have oscillated considerably. In 1997 the Medicare Trustees projected that its hospital fund would be depleted by the middle of 2000. Fiscal collapse was avoided when the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 imposed what amounted to price controls on physicians and hospitals. As a consequence, in 2000 the Medicare Trustees sunnily projected that the program would be solvent through 2029. Nine years later, the latest Medicare Trustees report projects that the hospital fund (Part A) will be depleted by 2017. The trustees assert that bringing it into actuarial balance during the next 75 years will require either immediately raising the Medicare payroll tax from 2.9 percent to 6.78 percent or cutting current benefits by 53 percent. Medicare Part B, which pays for outpatient care and doctor bills, and the recently added Part D, which pays for prescription drugs, are “both projected to remain adequately financed into the indefinite future because current law automatically provides financing each year to meet next years expected costs.” Translation: About 75 percent of Medicare funds spent on doctors and drugs come from general tax revenue.
Nurses improve medication administration accuracy The study involved the implementation of the Integrated Nurse Leadership Program (INLP), which provides frontline nurses and other hospital staff with training, resources, and authority to devise and implement solutions. In addition to showing the importance of empowering frontline nurses, the most significant finding of the study is that “significant improvement in outcomes can be accomplished without very expensive fixes,” says Julie Kliger, MPA, BSN, RN, INLP creator and program director at the Center for the Health Professions, University of California, San Francisco; principal and founder of The Altos Group; and lead author of the article. “Thats important because there are a lot of financial and resource pressures today, and people sometimes think they need to spend millions for bar-coding; this demonstrates through almost old-fashioned QI and engaging the people who are doing the work and providing them with tools, skills, and resources, that they can make statistically significant improvement.”

respiratory therapist

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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Swelling and pain are usually the result of a stretched or torn ligament.
“The scene is Capitol Hill. Its the year 2035. Thousands of elderly protesters assemble outside the Capitol building. Inside, the House Ways and Means Committee meets to enact huge cuts in both Medicare and the national health insurance program.” That is the opening of “The Medicare Monster,” a reason article from January 1993; authors Steven Hayward and Erik Peterson highlighted predictions of Medicares impending fiscal insolvency to warn against the push for government-run health care. Substitute 2017 for 2035, and you could write the scene today. Hayward and Petersons cautionary tale pointed out that Medicare costs had been dramatically underestimated from the inception of the program in 1966. Medicare cost $3 billion in 1966. A “conservative” estimate by the House Ways and Means Committee in 1966 projected that Medicare would cost $12 billion after inflation by 1990. The actual 1990 cost was nearly nine times more: $107 billion. Today Medicare costs $408 billion, consuming about 13 percent of the total federal budget. Since 1993 projections about Medicares eventual date of bankruptcy have oscillated considerably. In 1997 the Medicare Trustees projected that its hospital fund would be depleted by the middle of 2000. Fiscal collapse was avoided when the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 imposed what amounted to price controls on physicians and hospitals. As a consequence, in 2000 the Medicare Trustees sunnily projected that the program would be solvent through 2029. Nine years later, the latest Medicare Trustees report projects that the hospital fund (Part A) will be depleted by 2017. The trustees assert that bringing it into actuarial balance during the next 75 years will require either immediately raising the Medicare payroll tax from 2.9 percent to 6.78 percent or cutting current benefits by 53 percent. Medicare Part B, which pays for outpatient care and doctor bills, and the recently added Part D, which pays for prescription drugs, are “both projected to remain adequately financed into the indefinite future because current law automatically provides financing each year to meet next years expected costs.” Translation: About 75 percent of Medicare funds spent on doctors and drugs come from general tax revenue.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Swelling and pain are usually the result of a stretched or torn ligament.

click here

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ACCORDING TO THE conventional wisdom, the United States faces a massive medical bill thanks to our use of pricey new treatments and equipment. “About half of all growth in health care spending in the past several decades was associated with changes in medical care made possible by advances in technology,” a 2008 Congressional Budget Office report declared. “Health care economists attribute about 50 percent of the annual increase of health costs to new technologies or to the intensified use of old ones,” the bioethicist Daniel Callahan writes in his new book Taming the Beloved Beast: How Medical Technology Costs Are Destroying Our Health Care System. This is familiar territory for Callahan, who for decades has advocated reining in medical innovation to reduce health care costs. He also favors limiting the life-extending treatments that older people receive, on the grounds that most of them will “have lived a full and fruitful biographical life prior to age 70.” Interestingly, Callahan, age 79, underwent a life-saving seven-hour heart procedure in August that cost upward of $100,000. In his new book, Callahan complains that “American health care is radically American: individualistic, scientifically ambitious, market intoxicated, suspicious of government, and profit-driven.” Hes right at least about our high-tech vitality: The U.S. does develop and deploy medical innovations much faster than other rich countries. New pharmaceutical products generally hit the market here two years earlier than elsewhere, according to a December 2008 report from the business consultancy McKinsey, which also blames high-tech medicine for escalating costs. The McKinsey report further notes that American physicians are “much quicker to adopt new surgical techniques and advances in anesthesia.” The top five U.S. hospitals alone conduct more clinical trials than any other single developed country. But is high tech medicine really to blame for rising health care costs? Last June Columbia economist Frank Lichtenberg published a study that suggests the opposite. Advanced medical technologies, Lichtenberg suggests, are not contributing to rising American health care expenditures because the money they save makes up for the money spent on them. Lichtenberg begins by looking at how the rate of increase in longevity has varied among U.S. states between 1991 and 2004. He investigates how such factors as the quality of medical care, behavioral risks, education, income, and insurance coverage affect life expectancy. To measure differences in the quality of medical care, he examines how quickly each state took up advanced medical diagnostics and new drugs. He also calculates what fraction of physicians in each state was trained at top-ranked medical schools.
“The scene is Capitol Hill. Its the year 2035. Thousands of elderly protesters assemble outside the Capitol building. Inside, the House Ways and Means Committee meets to enact huge cuts in both Medicare and the national health insurance program.” That is the opening of “The Medicare Monster,” a reason article from January 1993; authors Steven Hayward and Erik Peterson highlighted predictions of Medicares impending fiscal insolvency to warn against the push for government-run health care. Substitute 2017 for 2035, and you could write the scene today. Hayward and Petersons cautionary tale pointed out that Medicare costs had been dramatically underestimated from the inception of the program in 1966. Medicare cost $3 billion in 1966. A “conservative” estimate by the House Ways and Means Committee in 1966 projected that Medicare would cost $12 billion after inflation by 1990. The actual 1990 cost was nearly nine times more: $107 billion. Today Medicare costs $408 billion, consuming about 13 percent of the total federal budget. Since 1993 projections about Medicares eventual date of bankruptcy have oscillated considerably. In 1997 the Medicare Trustees projected that its hospital fund would be depleted by the middle of 2000. Fiscal collapse was avoided when the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 imposed what amounted to price controls on physicians and hospitals. As a consequence, in 2000 the Medicare Trustees sunnily projected that the program would be solvent through 2029. Nine years later, the latest Medicare Trustees report projects that the hospital fund (Part A) will be depleted by 2017. The trustees assert that bringing it into actuarial balance during the next 75 years will require either immediately raising the Medicare payroll tax from 2.9 percent to 6.78 percent or cutting current benefits by 53 percent. Medicare Part B, which pays for outpatient care and doctor bills, and the recently added Part D, which pays for prescription drugs, are “both projected to remain adequately financed into the indefinite future because current law automatically provides financing each year to meet next years expected costs.” Translation: About 75 percent of Medicare funds spent on doctors and drugs come from general tax revenue.

foreheadwrinklessolution.com

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Articles Appear on EE Times’ GreenSupplyLine.com and in Advanced
Imaging Pro Magazine

SAN FRANCISCO — The 1394 Trade Association has published a pair of new technical
articles detailing innovative applications of the 1394 (FireWire)
standard in security camera designs, and in systems used to measure the
operating condition of industrial equipment such as wind turbines.

Both new articles were developed by Burke Henehan, a former Texas
Instruments Corporation engineer and veteran of FireWire applications
development.

American Traffic Solutions Selected to Manage Program

HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — The Town of Huntingdon, Tenn., is implementing a new traffic enforcement
program after a 2009 study revealed that speeding on State Highway 70
threatens public safety. Huntingdon selected American Traffic Solutions
(ATS) of Scottsdale, Ariz., to develop, install and monitor an automated
red-light and speed camera traffic enforcement program that Town
officials expect will encourage drivers to decrease their speeds and
stop for red lights.

The analysis done last year of traffic safety issues on two
well-traveled roads in the community determined that:

Two cameras will be placed on Veterans Drive S to monitor speeders and
red-light runners in each direction, according to Chief Parker. An
analysis of where to place the cameras on West Main Street (State
Highway 70) is still underway. A determination has not yet been made
whether the Highway 70 cameras will just monitor speeders or both
speeders and red-light runners. The results of the analysis will drive
that decision.

Rollei Price

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FOSTER CITY, Calif. — Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:GILD) today announced receipt of a
Paragraph IV Certification Notice Letter advising that Teva
Pharmaceuticals submitted an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) to
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting permission to
manufacture and market a generic version of Viread®
(tenofovir disoproxil fumarate).

In the Notice Letter, Teva alleges that three patents associated with
tenofovir disoproxil – U.S. Patent Numbers 5,922,695; 5,977,089; and
6,043,230; and one patent associated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate
– U.S. Patent Number 5,935,946 – owned by Gilead Sciences are invalid,
unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by Teva’s manufacture, use or
sale of the product described in its ANDA submission.

Gilead is currently reviewing the Notice Letter and has 45 days from the
date of receipt to commence a patent infringement lawsuit against Teva.
Such a lawsuit would restrict the FDA from approving Teva’s ANDA for up
to 30 months or until a district court decision that is adverse to
Gilead, whichever occurs first.

Viread is currently protected by four patents, which are listed in the
FDA’s Approved Drug Products List, and all four patents would need to be
invalidated or expired before a generic version of Viread could be
marketed. The U.S. Patent Trademark Office (PTO) confirmed the
patentability of these four Viread patents in 2008.

Gilead currently has a lawsuit pending against Teva in response to
Teva’s attempts to seek approval for generic versions of Truvada®
(emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) and Atripla®
(efavirenz 600 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300
mg) based on allegations that two emtricitabine patents are invalid,
unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by Teva’s manufacture, use or
sale of its generic product.

IN EARLY August, Juan Carlos Gonzalez Marcos, known to his neighbors as Panfilo, consumed a large amount of alcohol and went for a stroll in Havana. Upon encountering a foreign documentary team–in Cuba to produce a film about the local music scene–the well-lubricated Panfilo jumped into the cameramans shot with a slurred but serious message for foreign viewers. “What we need here is a little bit of jama,” he bellowed, employing a colloquial Spanish term for food. “We need food. Were hungry here. Listen to what Panfilo tells you from Cuba. Food.” The video was later uploaded to YouTube, where, as of this writing, half a million people have watched it. A few days later, after Panfilo mania gripped the Cuban exile community, a second video appeared, this time on Cuban state television. In a scene that seemed plucked from an Arthur Koestler novel, a sober Gonzalez Marcos, looking agitated and depressed, performed a ritual retraction for his fellow citizens.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Before getting married in 1997, Neal Lyday never struggled with weight. Growing up, hed always been lean and athletic. But once he and Shelia Lyday said, “I do,” the struggles began for both of them. “We partied, drank beer, and ate a ton of fast food,” Neal says. “Id hit the drive-thru five times a day and eat about 10,000 calories.” Neal got the classic wake-up call after a routine physical in 2007 revealed that his cholesterol was twice that of a healthy man, a whopping 465 mg/dL. Because of Neals severe family history of heart disease, his doctor called Neal “a walking time bomb.” But it wasnt until he picked up a copy of Mens Fitness in March 2008 that he tried to change, and perhaps save, his life. “Shelia and I had both decided we were unhappy with our weight,” he says, “and knew we needed to do something.” The couple took before pictures, hanging them up all over their house, and started doing 20 minutes of cardio six days a week, eventually lifting as well. They also swore off fast food. Together, they cooked low-fat meals with a 1-2-3 formula: one part fat, two parts protein, and three parts carbs. They also started eating smaller meals more frequently to help keep their metabolisms stoked.

saeco aroma espresso machine

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With his high-bandwidth imagination and mad research skills, Kim Stanley Robinson mastered the terraforming of the Red Planet in his Mars trilogy, and the re-creation of world history without Christianity and European hegemony in “The Years of Rice and Salt.” Now, in “Galileos Dream,” he has written a novel thats both sci- fi and historical fiction, and pleasing as both. True enough, but Robinson deepens our sense of a man who is routinely called the father of modern science. Galileo, after all, did not invent heliocentrism, nor was this his only contribution. His work with pendulums, inclined planes, magnets and mathematics also fascinates. Robinson is especially good at capturing the driving curiosity and excitement Galileo brought to his experiments. When his work and thinking coalesce into a discovery or realization, Galileo feels it as though a bell were rung inside him. However, doing science in the Renaissance had its challenges. Galileo sometimes supported as many as 50 people, including his three children from the young mistress he did not marry. He had to work his experiments around teaching students, hustling potential patrons and selling his inventions. Rivals attacked his ideas, and church watchdogs could have a chilling effect on scientific assertions about reality. A lusty, hard-drinkin, big-eatin, temperamental, sometimes abusive man, Galileo often sabotaged himself.
Mundus Group Inc. (PINKSHEETS: MNDP) announced
on January 25th, 2010 that they have signed a letter of intent to form a
partnership with Litigation Animation, Inc. (LAI) of Northern California.

Forensic animation is one of the newest legal tools used in just about
every type of legal suit imaginable. In patent cases, forensic animation
can be used to recreate what the patent itself does. In accident cases, an
animated video tool can be used to recreate the accident and to determine
who was at fault which LAI did in a municipal wrongful death case,
resulting in a payout totaling $27 million.

By partnering with LAI, Mundus Group gains an additional revenue source to
its already expanding roster of clients and gains a foothold in the 30
billion dollar animation industry.

Other active stocks are Live Nation Inc (NYSE: LYV) Tellabs (NASDAQ: TLAB)
and PrivateBancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: PVTB)

Velvacs commitment to customer service was the driving force to pursue
VMI. “Velvac is known for providing excellent customer service,” said Doug
Mischock, Velvac National Sales Manager. “We were hitting our desired
customer service performance metrics, but at a cost of carrying high
inventory or scrambling on the manufacturing side to expedite specific
items. VMI gives us the visibility to gauge market conditions and allows
for a much more disciplined and orderly process. Rush and fill-in orders
are now the exception. Our overall efficiency has been improved, and
service levels have also increased — including distributor order fill
rates and on-time deliveries.”

Velvac believes that a successful VMI program helps them better service and
support their distributor customers for mutual benefit. “VMI allows us to
tailor inventory stocking plans for each individual distributor based on
their customer service and market strategies,” commented Mischock. “VMI
gives us the capability to customize our relationship with each individual
distributor. The market share and sales of our distributors grow as they
are better able to execute their strategies — increasing our sales and
market share in return. As our customers realize the value of VMI, they
often reward us with more of their business which helps us increase share
within each distributor account. By adding value, we build stronger,
mutually beneficial relationships with our key distributors.”

Mischock recalled, “We selected Datalliance, because they are the
established VMI leader in the truck parts aftermarket. We felt we could
implement Datalliance quickly and efficiently. We also liked the
Datalliance software-as-a-service model compared to the traditional
software alternatives. We dont have the manpower to reinvent the wheel or
to undertake a major implementation project that requires a substantial IT
commitment.”

Datalliance has played a key role helping Velvac get new distributors up
and running on Vendor
Managed Inventory . “Datalliance is our liaison with the customer at the
front end of every implementation — actively engaged to get all the
customer information and downloads,” explained Mischock. “They do the
lions share of the work involved in getting distributors implemented.
With limited IT resources, this works great for us. This all adds up to a
streamlined implementation approach that gets our customers using VMI much
quicker.”

folding camping chairs

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ONE HUNDRED TEN civically active live wires and one live Eurasian eagle owl had dinner together last Sunday evening at Orinda Country Club. There, the association honored two notable locals — multitalented multitasker Terry Murphy as “Top Volunteer of the Year,” and environmental planning and management professional Jenny Papka with the 2009 Environmental Award, a recognition established in memory of Orindan William Penn Mott, Jr., who in the 1950s led our successful effort to save beautiful Pine Grove from becoming a truck stop. Orinda Mayor Tom McCormick, who as a councilman has led, with Miramonte High School teenagers, the campaign to establish a place the students could call their own (he promised youll read about it here first), welcomed all diners. Association President Mark Roberts was a cool emcee, and proclamations from our Lamorinda District Two Supervisor, Gayle Uilkema, who calls Lafayette home, was read with all its honoring “whereases,” Gayle appearing in her signature red garb. Everybody had a good time, and from sounds issued by the owl as naturalist Jenny paraded him (her?) through the room, we gathered the owl had a hoot too.
Mrs. Blooms Direct, an importer of
fresh-cut flowers and the only company offering a national fresh-cut flower
fundraising program that delivers beautiful blooms directly from growers,
launched their Friday Flowers program Friday, January 22, at the Mack-Cali
lobby located at 50 Main Street in White Plains, N.Y. Within just three
hours and with limited prior knowledge of Mrs. Blooms presence in the
lobby that day, approximately 100 bouquets, dozen roses, tulips and other
flowers were sold to employees leaving the building for the weekend. Ten
percent of sales will be donated to the nearby Blythedale Childrens
Hospital, a national leader in developing innovative, multi-disciplinary
inpatient and ambulatory programs, as well as a community resource for
children with a variety of medical concerns.

“We are very grateful to Mrs. Blooms for providing area companies with
this unique opportunity to support Blythedale,” said Betsy Bowman, Chief
Development Officer for Blythedale Childrens Hospital. “This innovative
approach sets an example for other local companies that may be looking for
ways to lend a hand.”

“We feel Blythedales work is changing lives for the better as the hospital
is dedicated exclusively to the diagnosis, care and treatment of children
with complex medical and rehabilitative needs,” said Ari Shapiro, VP of
Marketing at Mrs. Blooms Direct.

With the above in mind, the innovative flower company approached Mack-Cali
with the Friday Flowers program, and worked with them to achieve the goal
of selling a gorgeous array of long-lasting flowers at superb prices,
offering employees a convenient amenity that helps support those in need.

Vaser Liposelection

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Traditional models for predicting
marketplace potential for “one-size-fits-all” drugs are inadequate for the
new world of personalized medicine in which developers of targeted
therapies hope to follow in the footsteps of successful drugs, such as
Genentechs Herceptin® or Tarceva®, according to the authors of a special
report in the current issue of Personalized Medicine (Vol. 7, Issue 1,
2010, pp.103-114).

The report describes why conventional financial models for predicting net
present value (NPV) and return on investment (ROI) for traditional drugs
dont work for development of targeted therapies. Currently, pharmaceutical
development teams lack financial benchmarks needed to understand how
targeted therapies and related diagnostics will perform in the emerging
personalized medicine marketplace — with a potential value of $245
billion, by some estimates.

Personalized medicine involves diagnostic testing to identify a patients
or a diseases specific genetic makeup and the use of this information to
identify the most appropriate therapy for that patient.

“Typically, executives fail to understand that targeted therapies and
associated tests are fundamentally different products from
one-size-fits-all drugs,” said Peter Keeling, chief executive officer of
Diaceutics and a co-author of the report. “Targeted drugs and stand-alone
tests do not behave in the market in the same way as one-size-fits-all
drugs or diagnostic tests.”

According to Keeling, pharmaceutical development teams have yet to
establish a financial model that enables them to maximize NPV and ROI for
targeted drug therapies that rely on a companion diagnostic test. In fact,
the authors estimate that Herceptin, as successful as it was, lost an
additional $3 billion in revenue as a result of a poorly executed companion
diagnostic strategy.

Route1 Inc. (”Route1″ or the “Company”) (TSX VENTURE: ROI), a security and identity-based services company, today took action to correct previously granted stock options to directors, officers and employees. A review by the TSX Venture Exchange found that approximately 10,000,000 stock options granted between April 27, 2006 and the Companys most recent annual meeting held on September 24, 2009 were granted below the minimum exercise price allowable by the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange or were not publicly disclosed.

As a result of the non-compliance of the stock option grants referred to above, the board of directors (the “Board”) of the Company has cancelled the 6,241,646 outstanding options to directors and employees. Also, following the election of the new board of directors at the Companys annual and special meeting of shareholders, the 3,550,730 options to purchase common shares of the Company held by the outgoing board of directors expired on December 24, 2009 and another 3,700,000 options granted to a former officer of the Company expired on January 27, 2010, ninety days following the termination of such former officer.

After the above, all non-compliant stock options granted by the Company during the noted period have either been cancelled or have expired. The Company currently has 8,000,000 stock options outstanding.

The Board is reviewing compensation arrangements for all employees of Route1 during the first quarter of the 2010 calendar year. As part of the compensation review, the Board expects to issue new stock options that meet all regulatory requirements.

The Company has adopted policies and procedures to ensure all future stock option grants are in compliance with TSX Venture Exchange policies.

Desktop Cites Future-Proof Bandwidth Provisioning, Platform
Resiliency and Faster ROI on Premium Network Services in Selection
Criteria

OAKLAND, Calif. — First graph, at the end first sentence of release the city listed should
read Sao Paulo (sted San Paulo).

ZHONE’S MXK SELECTED BY DESKTOP FOR GPON ROLLOUT IN THE STATE OF SAO
PAULO, BRAZIL

Desktop Cites Future-Proof Bandwidth Provisioning, Platform
Resiliency and Faster ROI on Premium Network Services in Selection
Criteria

Data Driven Marketing Tool

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WASHINGTON — With the biggest day of the year for football fans fast approaching,
more viewers may find the game bigger than ever – at least on screen.
According to the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association’s 2010
Super Bowl survey, conducted by BIGresearch, of the estimated 168
million (73.2%) people who will watch the game, at least 3.6 million
(3.6%) will take advantage of retailers’ promotions and buy a new
television, compared to the 2.6 million who said so last year.

Overall, however, consumers will keep expenditures to a minimum, with
the average person expected to spend $52.63 on game-related merchandise,
apparel and snacks, down from $57.27 last year. Total Super Bowl
spending is expected to reach $8.9 billion.*

“With slight improvements in the economy boosting consumer’s confidence,
many people are looking at flat screen televisions as a way to splurge
on something they’ve had their eye on for a while,” said Mike Gatti,
Executive Director, RAMA. “Retailers have restocked their shelves and
are already offering low prices on popular TV brands for those who have
their heart set on watching the game in better quality this year.”

The survey found nearly 32 million people (13.8%) will host a Super Bowl
party and an additional 59 million (25.6%) will attend a party. Grocery,
apparel, electronic, sporting goods and home furnishing stores can
expect to see increased traffic as sports fans head out to buy food and
beverages (71.4%), team apparel or accessories (6.5%), decorations
(6.1%), and furniture or a new entertainment center (1.9%).

Of the millions of people who plan on tuning in February 7 to watch the
Indianapolis Colts play the New Orleans Saints, nearly half (47.8%) say
the game itself is the most important part. Nearly one-quarter (24.3%)
of viewers watch for the commercials, 20.1 percent enjoy getting
together with friends,and 7.8 percent say the half time performances are
most important.

Conference Call and Webcast Also Rescheduled to February 1, 2010

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Pacific Capital Bancorp (Nasdaq: PCBC) has rescheduled the release of
its fourth quarter 2009 financial results to before the market opens on
Monday, February 1, 2010. The release is being delayed in order to
provide the Company with additional time required to finalize the
accounting treatment related to changes in healthcare benefits provided
to retirees.

The Company has also rescheduled its conference call to discuss fourth
quarter 2009 financial results and operational highlights. The call will
now be held at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time/8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday,
February 1, 2010.

Pacific Capital Bancorp is the parent company of Pacific Capital Bank,
N.A., a nationally chartered bank that operates 46 branches under the
local brand names of Santa Barbara Bank Trust, First National Bank of
Central California, South Valley National Bank, San Benito Bank and
First Bank of San Luis Obispo.

This report provides a snapshot of key statistical data, covering all
the major telecommunications segments including Internet, broadband,
mobile, telephone network and broadcasting. Broadband household
penetration in New Zealand is catching up rapidly compared with other
OECD countries. Mobile penetration is at saturation levels.

Internet Reputation Management

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SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco police today are searching for two suspects in a fatal home-invasion robbery Wednesday evening in the citys Sunset District. Police said two males wearing masks and armed with handguns burst into a home in the 2400 block of Moraga Street at about 5:45 p.m. Nine people inside the home were tied up and an unidentified man in his 40s was shot once in the chest, police spokeswoman Lt. Lyn Tomioka said. The shooting victim, who was not bound, was pronounced dead at the scene, Tomioka said.
Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTCBB: ALYI) today
announced plans to participate in a Pacific Rim sales conference March 8,
2010 in Shanghai, China. The week-long conference will be hosted by China
Crescent Enterprises, Inc. (OTCBB: CCTR) and feature China Crescents key
product offerings from its reseller partners, including Hewlett-Packard and
Lenovo. Alternet has partnered with China Crescent to expand and promote
sales in the region and recently announced kicking off its 2010 market
development plan in China.

Alternets solutions focus on mobile payment and m-commerce systems and
solutions that tie together telecom operators, financial institutions, and
payees such as mass public transportation and utility providers. With the
majority of the population in emerging markets belonging to the “unbanked”
sector, mobile banking opens up a major opportunity to deliver financial
services to a rapidly growing subscriber base. Penetration of mobile
services around the world has increased rapidly, with the subscriber base
worldwide growing from just over 11 million mobile phone users in 1990 to
over 3 billion in 2008. Growth is particularly impressive in developing
economies. With only 1 billion bank accounts worldwide and close to 4
billion mobile phone subscribers, both mobile network operators and
financial institutions recognize the value proposition in offering mobile
financial services.

Alternet Systems offers a wide range of mobile commerce and electronic
ticketing payment services and solutions. It facilitates the transition of
cash based transactions to mobile based cashless applications, by enabling
the end user with a simple, efficient and reliable mobile experience. From
M-Commerce Solutions IP Applications Billing to E-ticketing Services,
Alternet offers a comprehensive suite of applications for the Utilities,
Public Transportation, Financial, and Telecommunications markets. Its broad
range of solutions delivers affordable and efficient m-commerce platforms
that truly enable new customers, new merchants and new services. Alternet
Systems, Inc. is a U.S. corporation headquartered in Miami, Florida.

“SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT” UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT
OF 1995

Titans share first place — Skyline High remained unbeaten in the Oakland Athletic League girls basketball standings, thanks to a 45-44 home win over Oakland Tech on Jan. 22. The Titans (15-5, 4-0 OAL) are tied for first place with Castlemont. The two teams face each other at Skyline on Feb. 5.

ties

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THE EXERCISE: Scoop/Slam WHAT IT HITS: Core HOW IT APPLIES: The vertical vector of core training is the most trained movement pattern of the three (the other two are diagonal up and down, and across the body; we covered the former last month). Its aligned with the midline of the body, is the strongest and most stable area of the core, and is involved in virtually every physically strenuous task where military, police and fire personnel are concerned. The scoop and slam movement patterns train the up (scoop) and down (slam) axis in the center of the body. HOW TO DO IT: To execute a scoop movement, begin in a quarter- to half-squat position with your feet hip-width apart, back flat and core tight, holding a medicine ball between your knees. Explosively extend your hips, knees and ankles, and throw the ball underhand as far as possible; release it between shoulder and head level. Retrieve the ball and repeat. For beginners looking to develop strength and learn the pattern integration, execute this movement without the release. Make sure not to hyperextend your lumbar spine at the top or collapse your core at the beginning. For the slam portion, begin with your feet about hip-width apart and the medicine ball (we recommend using a “dead” med ball that doesnt bounce such as one made by Dynamax) overhead, reaching as high as possible without overarching your spine. Throw the ball straight down to the floor as hard as you can by explosively flexing your hips and knees, and releasing the ball around knee level. Then pick it back up and repeat for reps. To improve power, slam the ball off the floor to a partner. Keep your core tall and stable throughout the movement. Just as with the scoop, beware of hyper extending your spine at the top or allowing your core to fold at the bottom.
Nurses improve medication administration accuracy The study involved the implementation of the Integrated Nurse Leadership Program (INLP), which provides frontline nurses and other hospital staff with training, resources, and authority to devise and implement solutions. In addition to showing the importance of empowering frontline nurses, the most significant finding of the study is that “significant improvement in outcomes can be accomplished without very expensive fixes,” says Julie Kliger, MPA, BSN, RN, INLP creator and program director at the Center for the Health Professions, University of California, San Francisco; principal and founder of The Altos Group; and lead author of the article. “Thats important because there are a lot of financial and resource pressures today, and people sometimes think they need to spend millions for bar-coding; this demonstrates through almost old-fashioned QI and engaging the people who are doing the work and providing them with tools, skills, and resources, that they can make statistically significant improvement.”
Cmdr. Master Chief Norman Pretlow Helicopter AntisubmarineSquadron Light Four-Six Jacksonville, Florida * Ive been in the U.S. Navy for 27 years, most of those spent at sea, and training young men and women to become warriors in the worlds greatest navy. I currently weigh 160 pounds at 6% bodyfat, but joined the Navy at 125 pounds and a much higher bodyfat percentage. Heres my “old sailors” story: Over the years Ive enjoyed MFs articles and advanced workout information, all of which helped me maintain a fitness lifestyle that ties into my spiritual fitness. I believe in taking care of myself physically and spiritually in my Christian faith, and I continue to grow in both areas.

entry level medical transcription

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TOLEDO, Ohio — Health Care REIT, Inc. (NYSE:HCN) announced today that its Board
of Directors declared a cash dividend for the quarter ended December 31,
2009 of $0.68 per share. The dividend will be the companys 155th
consecutive quarterly payment, payable February 19, 2010, to
stockholders of record on February 8, 2010.

TEL AVIV, Israel — The fourth trading week of January on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE)
was marked by decline in most leading indices.

The TA-25 index decline 1.7% this week. From the beginning of this year
the index decreased by 0.8%, after a sharp rise of 75% rate of return
attained in 2009.

The TA-75 index dropped 1.3% over the week, yet remained 6.7% higher
from his levels at the beginning of the year, after total increase of
150% in 2009.

The Tel Tech-15 index of large technology companies dropped 3.7%,
followed by the major financial institutions and large real estate
shares, dropping 1.5% and 0.5% respectively.

The Israeli treasury raised US $390 million this week in a local
government bond issue, bringing the 2010 total to US $1.3 billion.

Granbury real estate

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First the RACs, now wait for whats coming next Medicaid, commercial insurers starting their audits By the end of the year, its likely that every type of medical record in your hospital will be scrutinized by one auditor or another, predicts Brian Flood, managing director for KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax, and advisory firm. The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfares Bureau of Program Integrity has been auditing fee-for-service Medicaid claims for the past three years, using one of the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS) contractors for the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) demonstration project, reports Charleeda Redman, RN, MSN, ACM, director of corporate case management for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, an integrated health system with 20 acute care hospitals.
Follow-up calls help avoid readmissions In an effort to improve transitions of care, the nurse care coordinators at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston make follow-up calls to patients who have been discharged, identify problems and solve them, and answer questions the patients may have about medication, symptoms, or their discharge plan. The hospital has an average of 53,693 discharges and 59,323 emergency department visits each year and had a 30-day readmission rate of 8.79% for medical-surgical patients in 2009.
THE GREEN BIBLE misses an opportunity to extol Noahs embrace of mass transit over less environmentally friendly modes of disaster evacuation, but it does highlight the parts of the Good Book “that speak to Gods care for creation” in a verdant shade of soy-based ink. In Bible Illuminated: The Book, the Holy Scriptures are paired with glossy photographs of Angelina Jolie, Al Gore, and Bono, among others, and supplemented with a section inspired by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals project, titled “Eight Ways to Change the World.” Naturally, such efforts to present the Bible in progressive contexts have not gone unnoticed by more right-leaning believers. Claiming that “liberal bias has become the single biggest distortion in modern Bible translations,” Andrew Schlafly, the fourth begotten son of Phyllis, launched the Conservative Bible Project in August 2009. An online collaborative effort, the project aims to produce “a fully conservative translation of the Bible” that will avoid gender-inclusive language, favor conciseness over “liberal wordiness,” use “conservative” terms like volunteer rather than comrade, and render “the numerous economic parables with their full free-market meaning.” Whatever concise, narrowly gendered language Schlafly and his comrades, er, volunteers conjure to illuminate the free-market meaning of, say, the Parable of the Vineyard Consultants (Matthew 20:1-15), theyll be hard-pressed to match the pedagogic power of the story of the Bible publishing industry itself. It wasnt always this way. In the 16th century, when William Tyndale translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into English, thereby unlocking the Word of God to the common man, he was rewarded for his efforts by being burned at the stake. So were most of the copies of his translation. In colonial times, it was illegal to print Bibles in North America; only certain printers in England and Scotland were authorized to publish the holy book. During the Revolution those imports stopped, creating, according to The Centennial History of the American Bible Society, a “famine of Bibles.” So in 1782 the Philadelphia printer Roger Aitken printed 10,000 copies of Americas first complete English Bible. The book came with a congressional endorsement, but when the war ended, cheap imports resumed, domestic competition exploded, and thousands of copies of the Aitken Bible failed to sell. In 1791, he wrote a letter to Pennsylvanias tax man stating that hed lost $4,000 on the venture.

click here

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Northern Ireland and all its troubles marches into the Martinez Cabaret this weekend as the Willows Theatre presents Mary Bracken Phillips powerful musical “Brimstone.” The Willows company originally produced the show on its main stage in Concord in 1998, where it was awarded nine Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards. It has been a bit of a challenge for director Richard Elliott to re-envision the production on the much smaller cabaret stage, but thanks to his ingenuity, audiences will experience the religious conflicts and the unfailing, upbeat spirit of the Irish up close and personal.
Margaret Faddies Tweed Margarets ability to play the piano was always in use: in high school, local areas, and church activities. This talent for music enriched many lives around her. Margaret was preceded in death by her sweetheart of 53 years and loving parents. Margaret is survived by her daughter, Julie (J. Todd) Rushton and four grandchildren: Jordan (W. Robert) McLaughlin, Madison, Andrew and Isaac. May God bless and keep you

metal wine rack

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Cmdr. Master Chief Norman Pretlow Helicopter AntisubmarineSquadron Light Four-Six Jacksonville, Florida * Ive been in the U.S. Navy for 27 years, most of those spent at sea, and training young men and women to become warriors in the worlds greatest navy. I currently weigh 160 pounds at 6% bodyfat, but joined the Navy at 125 pounds and a much higher bodyfat percentage. Heres my “old sailors” story: Over the years Ive enjoyed MFs articles and advanced workout information, all of which helped me maintain a fitness lifestyle that ties into my spiritual fitness. I believe in taking care of myself physically and spiritually in my Christian faith, and I continue to grow in both areas.
THE EXERCISE: Scoop/Slam WHAT IT HITS: Core HOW IT APPLIES: The vertical vector of core training is the most trained movement pattern of the three (the other two are diagonal up and down, and across the body; we covered the former last month). Its aligned with the midline of the body, is the strongest and most stable area of the core, and is involved in virtually every physically strenuous task where military, police and fire personnel are concerned. The scoop and slam movement patterns train the up (scoop) and down (slam) axis in the center of the body. HOW TO DO IT: To execute a scoop movement, begin in a quarter- to half-squat position with your feet hip-width apart, back flat and core tight, holding a medicine ball between your knees. Explosively extend your hips, knees and ankles, and throw the ball underhand as far as possible; release it between shoulder and head level. Retrieve the ball and repeat. For beginners looking to develop strength and learn the pattern integration, execute this movement without the release. Make sure not to hyperextend your lumbar spine at the top or collapse your core at the beginning. For the slam portion, begin with your feet about hip-width apart and the medicine ball (we recommend using a “dead” med ball that doesnt bounce such as one made by Dynamax) overhead, reaching as high as possible without overarching your spine. Throw the ball straight down to the floor as hard as you can by explosively flexing your hips and knees, and releasing the ball around knee level. Then pick it back up and repeat for reps. To improve power, slam the ball off the floor to a partner. Keep your core tall and stable throughout the movement. Just as with the scoop, beware of hyper extending your spine at the top or allowing your core to fold at the bottom.
I was really psyched to see your story on Kevin Durant and how he trained over the summer (”Off-Season Mission: Get Stronger,” November 2009). Heres to hoping that hard work pays off for Oklahoma this season.

online paralegal training

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According to the eBillme Online Spending Index, 9 Percent of
Consumers Will Spend More Online Than Last Year and 57 Percent Plan to
Purchase Something Other Than Flowers or Chocolates

RYE BROOK, N.Y. — Twenty-three percent of consumers plan to shop online for Valentine’s
Day gifts, with 9 percent indicating they will spend more money
online compared to last year. This represents an increase in online
shoppers over the 2009 Valentine’s Day holiday. Further, the majority of
consumers will shop for gifts other than the traditional flowers and
chocolates.

This is according to the eBillme Online Spending Index, a quarterly
survey conducted by Javelin Strategy and Research. The Index polls 1,200
consumers to measure projected online spending for the quarter and the
influencing factors. According to the Q1 Index, consumers plan to spend
an average of $236 online, which is in line with spending levels from Q1
2009.

This quarter, consumers were also asked if they have decided what
purchases they will make for Valentine’s Day. Overall, 47 percent of
respondents do not know what to purchase for their loved ones.

Grocery Shopping Network’s Groundbreaking Platform Enhances Grocer’s
Service Offerings

MINNEAPOLIS — Marvin’s
Food Stores has announced today the addition of Grocery Shopping
Network’s digital shopper planning platform to the website for their 21
stores located in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Operating 35 grocery
stores in total, this is the second launch for the C.V.’s Family Food
group with Grocery
Shopping Network. The new website for Marvin’s Food Stores will have
applications designed to save their shoppers time and money by assisting
in pre-shopping planning.

“It’s a privilege to expand the relationship with C.V.’s to another of
their store banners with the launching of Marvin’s website,” said Andy
Robinson, CEO
of Grocery Shopping Network. “GSN provides the best platform for
Marvin’s shoppers to use for saving time and money while providing
excellent content for meal planning, cooking, entertaining, and healthy
eating. GSN’s proven solutions consistently increase sales for retailers
by serving their customers better.”

The website’s cornerstone is an interactive weekly circular that
displays current sale items and suggests recipe ideas for shoppers.
After a shopper profile is created, the website will allow you to input
your dietary requirements and then select recipes that fall within your
dietary profile or match your personal preferences. In addition to
including shopper ratings for recipes and easy to follow videos, the
website also provides shoppers with access to a database of printable
manufacturer coupons that are updated on a daily basis with new offers
that can be broken down by department.

“Marvin’s
customers will now have access to our store specials online for planning
their weekly shopping trips. It is our goal to serve our customers, and
we see the new website as a way to deliver easy time and money savings
to our customers” said Jim Galloway, from Marvin’s. “The launch of our
new website adds a personal touch to our digital communications by
bringing our store to the consumer wherever they access the internet.”

Fifty-four Southland vehicle repair shops
have earned the Automobile Club of Southern Californias AAA Approved Auto
Repair coveted Quality Service Award for customer satisfaction and service
quality.

The Quality Service Award honorees were selected from nearly 650 AAA
Approved Auto Repair facilities in Southern California, which are
independent businesses regularly inspected by the Auto Club. To receive an
award, a repair shop has to meet extremely stringent Auto Club standards
for a consecutive two-year period: no more than one complaint from an Auto
Club member, a minimum 99 percent customer satisfaction rating during two
consecutive annual surveys and no facility deficiencies during either of
the Auto Clubs detailed annual shop inspections or the bimonthly shop
reviews.

“Automobiles are technologically challenging to repair and maintain,” said
the AAA Approved Auto Repair Program Manager Michael Hoshaw. “We are
pleased to acknowledge the ongoing dedication and effort necessary to
provide exemplary customer service to motorists. These repair shops
exceeded our programs strict requirements.”

Thirteen Quality Service Award winners are located in Orange County, and
another 13 winners are in the San Diego area. Horsman Automotive, Santee,
and Good Guys Automotive, Yorba Linda, lead the list with 7 Quality Service
Awards earned by their repair facility, followed by Karco Specialties in
Orange with 6. The rest of the winners are spread across many Southern
California communities, including Burbank, Long Beach, Norwalk, Ontario and
Santa Monica.

Mini Freezer

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ANYONE WHO HAS expended energy arguing for free trade, market competition, and the open exchange of ideas has repeatedly encountered the same obstacle: zero-sum assumptions misapplied to dynamic, nonlinear phenomena. Almost anywhere you see statism advancing–in economic policy, national security, even the basic conditions for free speech–you can bet that underneath theres a faulty zero-sum argument. All complicated matters of life, according to this way of thinking, can be reduced to a simple binary scale: Press your thumb down on the bad end, and the good one will go up. So when President Barack Obama slaps a 35 percent tariff on Chinese tires, as he did on September 11, he does it in the name of ensuring that (as he put it in a campaign promise) “China is no longer given a free pass to undermine U.S. workers.” In this yin-yang formulation, there is a single pie of domestic American tire consumption, and Chinas slice is growing bigger at the expense of domestic producers. Forget the over-all U.S. economy, with its 99.9 percent non-tire-industry workers (and its government-owned, money-hemorrhaging auto companies), all of whom are happy to take advantage of cheaper tire prices. And forget a once-starving country that has catapulted more human beings out of poverty within a generation than any nation in the history of the world. Most of all, forget the famous formulation by Adam Smith, dating back to the Declaration of Independence: “If a foreign country can supply us with a commodity cheaper than we ourselves can make it, better buy it of them with some part of the produce of our own industry employed in a way in which we have some advantage.” You might have thought that the New Democrats routed those zero-sum arguments years ago, perhaps when then-Vice President Al Gore eviscerated Ross Perot while debating the North American Free Trade Agreement on Larry King Live. But Old Democrat economics made a rousing and depressing comeback during the 2006 congressional elections, to the point where Hillary Clinton felt the need to actively campaign against the policies (including NAFTA) of her husband. Ideas long marginalized to the Ralph Nader slice of the left are back in vogue in the mainstream, and everywhere you look you see a pie. “The truth is,” first lady Michelle Obama said in April 2009, “in order to get things like universal health care and a revamped education system, then someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more.”
Chinas demand for Anesthetic Drugs has grown at a fast pace in the past
decade. In the next five years, both production and demand will continue
to grow. This new study examines Chinas economic trends, investment
environment, industry development, supply and demand, industry capacity,
industry structure, marketing channels and major industry participants.
Historical data (1998, 2003 and 2008) and long-term forecasts through
out 2013 and 2018 are presented. Major producers in China are profiled.

I. INTRODUCTION

Internet Reputation Management

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There is rarely one “quick fix” for a device or
operation. If a car is not running well it is likely a number of
accumulated problems that cannot be repaired by, say, the simple choice of
gasoline — despite fuel commercials of days past indicating otherwise. If
a kid cant run as fast as his or her friends, there wont likely be a huge
difference made by the choice of sneakers (again, despite an old commercial
that indicated otherwise). And of course theres always the health guru
pushing the one new amazing plant discovered deep in the Amazon jungle that
is virtually a cure-all for every ailment known to humankind — a claim
that turns out to be not quite true.

In the world of computers, however, there is one constant, maddening
problem that, if left unsolved, will cause bitter complaints from users and
the weeping and gnashing of teeth in the IT department. If that problem is
actually solved, performance and reliability are maximized, the IT
department receives far fewer help desk calls, and users tend to be much
happier. That problem is file fragmentation.

The trick however is to truly solve the problem as traditional solutions
being used in todays computing environments tend to fall short of that
goal. Fragmentation-related issues, such as slowed performance, process
hangs and decreased hard drive life, tend to persist when scheduled or
manual defrag
solutions are used, because in between times that defrag occurs,
fragmentation is still rearing its ugly head and causing the same old
problems. In the IT department, there is still fragmentation-related
overtime occurring as many hours are spent either scheduling or manually
running defrag .

The “one quick route” that actually accomplishes maximized system
performance and reliability is Diskeeper® performance software.

Utilizing a new revolutionary technology called IntelliWrite™
fragmentation prevention, Diskeeper 2010 intelligently writes files to the
disk to prevent up to 85 percent of fragmentation from occurring. Coupled
with superior defrag
technology, Diskeeper 2010 delivers a complete performance solution for
every Windows system at every site, and goes far beyond what
defragmentation alone can achieve. Significant savings are also achieved by
reducing energy consumption and cooling — even more than is done with
conventional defragmentation.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Mary D. McKoy has completed her certificate in Congressional Operations
from TheCapitol.Net. The Certificate in Congressional Operations is
awarded to participants in the program who have completed more than 75
hours of training about how congress works.

Mary McKoy is currently serving as a Congressional Associate in the
Congressional Affairs Office (CAO) at the U.S. Census Bureau where she
is primarily responsible for serving as a liaison between the CAO staff
and the Economic Directorate within the Bureau.

“The knowledge I’ve gained from the courses that I have taken is already
making a difference in my job performance,” she said.

Ms. McKoy began her career at the U.S. Census Bureau in 2000 as a
Statistician in the Manufacturing and Construction Branch working on the
Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Order’s survey (M3) where she
was responsible for data collection within the petroleum and
non-metallic minerals industries. In 2003, Ms. McKoy worked for the
Economic Coordination and Planning Division and served as the
Chairperson for the Standard Economic Processing System (StEPS) Change
Control Board.

Mary McKoy received her B.A. in Sociology from the University of North
Carolina, and her M.S. in Management from the University of Maryland. In
October, 2009 she completed the Senior Leader Program through The George
Washington University.

The following are previews of research reports on AAPH.OB, and ATPG:

ATP Oil Gas Corp. (NASDAQ: ATPG) — In the past year, shares of ATP Oil
Gas have risen over 230%, leading some investors to believe the stock has
run its course. Even the companys founder and CEO may be feeling that way.

American Petro Hunter Inc (OTCBB: AAPH) — On Monday, AAPH announced that
it received a newly updated, follow-on research report authored by Grass
Roots Research and Distribution, Inc. The report argues that AAPH is
extremely undervalued at the moment.

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CHICAGO — General Growth Properties, Inc. (“GGP” or the “Company”) today announced
it has engaged UBS Investment Bank, a leading global full service
financial firm, to assist the Company in evaluating potential financial
transactions for emergence from Chapter 11, raising exit capital and
with such other matters as may be required by the Board of Directors.
The engagement of UBS is subject to Bankruptcy Court approval.

GGP and certain of its subsidiaries filed bankruptcy in April 2009 as a
result of the inability to refinance maturing mortgage loans due to the
collapse of the credit markets. Since the filing, the Company has
pursued subsidiary plans of reorganization to extend mortgage
maturities, and, as previously reported, has confirmed plans to
restructure secured mortgage loans on 112 properties aggregating
approximately $11.6 billion. The Company is focused on the emergence
from bankruptcy for the remaining debtors and in connection with such
emergence, the reduction of corporate debt and overall leverage and
establishment of a sustainable, long-term capital structure for the
Company. The Company has determined that new financing will be desirable
to achieve these objectives and emerge from Chapter 11.

At the outset of the bankruptcy process, the Company engaged Miller
Buckfire Co., LLC as financial advisor and investment banker. Given
the unique circumstances of the Company’s bankruptcy filings and the
fundamental soundness of the Company’s core retail business, the Board
of Directors and management of the Company have determined that the
Company should consider all forms of exit financing, including capital
sources not generally associated with financing a company’s emergence
from bankruptcy. UBS has been retained to assist with this process.

“The engagement of UBS complements the services provided to us by Miller
Buckfire,” said Adam Metz, chief executive officer of GGP. “With both
advisors, we are positioned to analyze and source the most cost
effective primary capital that we will need to complete the
reorganization process, a goal intended to benefit all of our
stakeholders.”

A hearing to consider the Company’s motion to engage UBS is currently
scheduled before the Bankruptcy Court on February 16, 2010.

NEW YORK — Fitch Ratings has published its U.S. CMBS Focus Performance Report on
Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Inc., Series 2007-5 (BACM 2007-5).
The report provides a detailed and up-to-date perspective on key credit
characteristics of the BACM 2007-5 transaction and property-level
performance of the related trust loans.

Sectors >> Structured Finance >> CMBS >> Research

ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND
DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING
THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS.
IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE
AVAILABLE ON THE AGENCYS PUBLIC WEBSITE WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM.
PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS
SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCHS CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS
OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE CODE OF CONDUCT SECTION OF
THIS SITE.

Fourth Quarter Highlights
[Table Omitted]
HMN Financial, Inc. (HMN or the Company) (NASDAQ:HMNF), the $1.0 billion
holding company for Home Federal Savings Bank (the Bank), today reported
net income of $149,000 for the fourth quarter of 2009, a $2.6 million
improvement from a net loss of $2.5 million for the fourth quarter of
2008. Due to preferred stock dividends and discounts, there was a net
loss available to common shareholders for the fourth quarter of 2009 of
$292,000, a change of $2.3 million, from a net loss available to common
shareholders of $2.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2008. Diluted
loss per common share for the fourth quarter of 2009 was $0.08, a $0.62
improvement from the diluted loss per common share of $0.70 for the
fourth quarter of 2008. The improvement in net income for the quarter is
due primarily to a $4.8 million decrease in the loan loss provision
between the periods as a result of a decrease in the allowance required
for risk-rated commercial real estate loans.

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LAS VEGAS — Big League Dreams and the city of Las Vegas teamed up Monday with
baseball stars Jason and Jeremy Giambi, Bobby Grich, Wally Joyner and
Bill Russell to officially open the Big League Dreams Sports Park in Las
Vegas.

Hundreds of fans showed up to see the new facility featuring
family-friendly attractions and six fields replicating famous major
league baseball stadiums Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium,
Angels Stadium, Wrigley Field and Crosley Field.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman, Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese and Clark
County Commissioner Larry Brown all praised the sports park as a
world-class attraction for local and visiting ballplayers and families.

“Big League Dreams is a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility that raises
the bar for baseball and softball in the city of Las Vegas,” Goodman
said. “Las Vegas is known for having the best entertainment, hotels,
restaurants and shopping, and now we also have the best ball fields.”

“I can’t wait to see kids shagging flies and hitting home runs in our
very own versions of Fenway Park, Dodger Stadium and these other
historic replica fields,” Reese added.

STANFORD, Calif. — Georgia Sue Huston knew she was really sick. Every time the 82-year-old
woman tried to turn over in her bed in the coronary care unit at
Stanford Hospital Clinics, she’d panic because she couldn’t get enough
air and because it hurt so much.

In an effort to ease the pain, Laura Heldebrant asked the hospital’s
palliative care team to visit her mother. “I’m an ICU nurse here at
Stanford, and I’d seen them help other patients and their families,” she
said. “But I didn’t think my mother’s situation was end-of-life.”

It turned out Huston had pulmonary fibrosis—end-stage lung disease.
She’d known for some time that she was ill, but she hadn’t been able to
get anyone to tell her what the prognosis was. The palliative care team
answered her questions. Face to face.

“My mom said, ‘I’ve been wanting to bring this up for a long time, I’ve
been wanting to talk about this, but I didn’t know what to say,”
Heldebrant recalled. “Once Judy and Dr. Bouvier talked with her, she
looked relieved. She went from, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t do this,’ to being
at peace.”

Huston told Judy Passaglia, palliative care program director, and Denis
Bouvier, MD, palliative care attending physician, that she wanted to be
out of the hospital and home with her children and grandchildren for her
83rd birthday. They made arrangements for her to have hospice care at
her daughter’s home, and Huston was discharged on Oct. 31. She died 13
days later, in her sleep.

When Red Label Media Groups new reality
series “Boss Ladies” hits the airwaves, the world will get an insider look
into the lives of five special women — all unique, all beautiful, and all
transgendered.

The first of the five cast members to be introduced in the following weeks
is California native Nadia. Well versed in retail and cosmetics, Nadia will
combine her skills with four other boss ladies for one common goal:
launch a clothing boutique featuring their own design creations.

Born and raised in West Hollywood surrounded by an average middle-class
American family, Nadias interest in the education and advocacy of rights
for the GLBT community has been a passion since early adolescence. Putting
her corporate and commercial experiences to good work, she has been able to
parlay the value of her professional connections to benefit charitable and
nonprofit organizations. Recently relocating to Atlanta, Nadia frequently
travels back and forth to California to continue her work with GLBT youth
in the most economically suffering communities.

Makeup artist, fashion entrepreneur and about-to-become Primetimes newest
darling, the long-legged vibrant beauty with a golden heart is also eyeing
the runway. Preparing behind the scenes with her fashion-driven co-stars,
Nadia is planning to strut her stuff in the spotlight on center stage as a
model in the near future.

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“The scene is Capitol Hill. Its the year 2035. Thousands of elderly protesters assemble outside the Capitol building. Inside, the House Ways and Means Committee meets to enact huge cuts in both Medicare and the national health insurance program.” That is the opening of “The Medicare Monster,” a reason article from January 1993; authors Steven Hayward and Erik Peterson highlighted predictions of Medicares impending fiscal insolvency to warn against the push for government-run health care. Substitute 2017 for 2035, and you could write the scene today. Hayward and Petersons cautionary tale pointed out that Medicare costs had been dramatically underestimated from the inception of the program in 1966. Medicare cost $3 billion in 1966. A “conservative” estimate by the House Ways and Means Committee in 1966 projected that Medicare would cost $12 billion after inflation by 1990. The actual 1990 cost was nearly nine times more: $107 billion. Today Medicare costs $408 billion, consuming about 13 percent of the total federal budget. Since 1993 projections about Medicares eventual date of bankruptcy have oscillated considerably. In 1997 the Medicare Trustees projected that its hospital fund would be depleted by the middle of 2000. Fiscal collapse was avoided when the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 imposed what amounted to price controls on physicians and hospitals. As a consequence, in 2000 the Medicare Trustees sunnily projected that the program would be solvent through 2029. Nine years later, the latest Medicare Trustees report projects that the hospital fund (Part A) will be depleted by 2017. The trustees assert that bringing it into actuarial balance during the next 75 years will require either immediately raising the Medicare payroll tax from 2.9 percent to 6.78 percent or cutting current benefits by 53 percent. Medicare Part B, which pays for outpatient care and doctor bills, and the recently added Part D, which pays for prescription drugs, are “both projected to remain adequately financed into the indefinite future because current law automatically provides financing each year to meet next years expected costs.” Translation: About 75 percent of Medicare funds spent on doctors and drugs come from general tax revenue.
As THE HEALTH care debate dragged on last year, Democrats searched high and low for Republican support. But aside from Olympia Snowe, the ever-coy centrist senator from Maine, everyone with an R attached to his or her name was consistently opposed to Democratic plans. The always-useful bipartisan label remained elusive. Finally, in October, the majority party found four prominent Republicans to support the cause: former Senate majority leaders Bill Frist and Bob Dole, and former health and human services secretaries Louis Sullivan and Tommy Thompson. This was big news: The New York Times, The Washington Post, and ABC News all published stories on the endorsements, and President Barack Obama praised the four Republicans in his weekly radio address. But it turns out the turncoats were not necessarily motivated by bipartisan concern for the greater good. As reported by Timothy Carney in The Washington Examiner, all four had direct financial ties to health care interests that stand to gain from ObamaCare. Dole lobbies for a firm that represents the pharmaceutical industry and insurance companies. Frist has a partner stake in an investment firm that, according to its online description, has “deep expertise in the healthcare reimbursement and regulatory environments.” Thompson works as a health care consultant for Akin Gump, a lobbying firm paid by the pharmaceutical industry, medical device makers, and hospitals.

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As THE HEALTH care debate dragged on last year, Democrats searched high and low for Republican support. But aside from Olympia Snowe, the ever-coy centrist senator from Maine, everyone with an R attached to his or her name was consistently opposed to Democratic plans. The always-useful bipartisan label remained elusive. Finally, in October, the majority party found four prominent Republicans to support the cause: former Senate majority leaders Bill Frist and Bob Dole, and former health and human services secretaries Louis Sullivan and Tommy Thompson. This was big news: The New York Times, The Washington Post, and ABC News all published stories on the endorsements, and President Barack Obama praised the four Republicans in his weekly radio address. But it turns out the turncoats were not necessarily motivated by bipartisan concern for the greater good. As reported by Timothy Carney in The Washington Examiner, all four had direct financial ties to health care interests that stand to gain from ObamaCare. Dole lobbies for a firm that represents the pharmaceutical industry and insurance companies. Frist has a partner stake in an investment firm that, according to its online description, has “deep expertise in the healthcare reimbursement and regulatory environments.” Thompson works as a health care consultant for Akin Gump, a lobbying firm paid by the pharmaceutical industry, medical device makers, and hospitals.
ACCORDING TO THE conventional wisdom, the United States faces a massive medical bill thanks to our use of pricey new treatments and equipment. “About half of all growth in health care spending in the past several decades was associated with changes in medical care made possible by advances in technology,” a 2008 Congressional Budget Office report declared. “Health care economists attribute about 50 percent of the annual increase of health costs to new technologies or to the intensified use of old ones,” the bioethicist Daniel Callahan writes in his new book Taming the Beloved Beast: How Medical Technology Costs Are Destroying Our Health Care System. This is familiar territory for Callahan, who for decades has advocated reining in medical innovation to reduce health care costs. He also favors limiting the life-extending treatments that older people receive, on the grounds that most of them will “have lived a full and fruitful biographical life prior to age 70.” Interestingly, Callahan, age 79, underwent a life-saving seven-hour heart procedure in August that cost upward of $100,000. In his new book, Callahan complains that “American health care is radically American: individualistic, scientifically ambitious, market intoxicated, suspicious of government, and profit-driven.” Hes right at least about our high-tech vitality: The U.S. does develop and deploy medical innovations much faster than other rich countries. New pharmaceutical products generally hit the market here two years earlier than elsewhere, according to a December 2008 report from the business consultancy McKinsey, which also blames high-tech medicine for escalating costs. The McKinsey report further notes that American physicians are “much quicker to adopt new surgical techniques and advances in anesthesia.” The top five U.S. hospitals alone conduct more clinical trials than any other single developed country. But is high tech medicine really to blame for rising health care costs? Last June Columbia economist Frank Lichtenberg published a study that suggests the opposite. Advanced medical technologies, Lichtenberg suggests, are not contributing to rising American health care expenditures because the money they save makes up for the money spent on them. Lichtenberg begins by looking at how the rate of increase in longevity has varied among U.S. states between 1991 and 2004. He investigates how such factors as the quality of medical care, behavioral risks, education, income, and insurance coverage affect life expectancy. To measure differences in the quality of medical care, he examines how quickly each state took up advanced medical diagnostics and new drugs. He also calculates what fraction of physicians in each state was trained at top-ranked medical schools.
JOURNALISTS all over Washington, D.C., have already written the big story for February. The headline will be “Democrats Score Major Win on Health Care.” The lead: “After a bruising battle, President Obama has accomplished what Harry Truman and Bill Clinton couldnt. His friends and foes alike see comprehensive health-care reform as the most significant change in American government in decades.. White House sources say that while the president is of course pleased by the historic achievement, he intends to continue his recent focus on the economy and jobs in the months ahead, and signs of economic recovery will soon result in a political recovery for the Democrats.” Passage of health legislation is probable, though not nearly as certain as the Washington consensus would have it. But the extensive debate over the legislation has revealed more opportunities for conservatives than anyone imagined possible a year ago. Moreover, that debate will not end if the Democrats bill passes–and in fact, the opportunities may increase. The resilience of conservative attitudes on the part of the public is the chief reason those opportunities exist. The reigning assumptions a year ago were that the financial crisis had made the public much more favorable toward government activism than it had been during the age of Reagan, and that the new presidents eloquence would allow him to rally the public behind his agenda. Neither assumption proved true. The polls show a public that is skeptical, even resistant, toward big government in general and this health legislation in particular. President Obamas statements on health care have failed to arrest, let alone reverse, the growth of opposition. As the new year began, the chief political argument impelling congressional Democrats to enact the legislation was no longer that it would be popular, but that passing the bill would let them change the subject. Passage would indeed be historic: There is no modern precedent for such sweeping legislations becoming law without a public consensus in its favor. Republicans were supposed to be powerless over health legislation, marginalized in the House and unable to sustain a filibuster in the Senate. They were nonetheless able to drive much of the public debate. They did so by resisting the temptation to accept the inevitability of a liberal health-care overhaul and make a deal that would have merely tinkered with it around the edges–the only sort of deal that could have been on offer, given the balance of forces in Washington. The Democrats were not even willing to meet the Republicans halfway on tort reform, which would not have required them to abandon any of their bills core elements.

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DEAR AMY: My mom died about a year ago after a long illness. Im in 10th grade, continue to get As in school and have a lot of friends, but it has been really hard. Recently my dad decided to let his girlfriend, “Jenni,” move in with us. I know my dad likes her company, but when she moved in I was still adjusting to life without my mother. Jenni is nice and I like her, but my dad has also said that this relationship might not be permanent. I want to be friendly, but I dont want to bond with her. When I see them together I just want to break down and cry. Recently my doctor said that Jennis moving in was her biggest health concern for me. I want to talk to my dad about this, but I dont know what to say. — Upset and Grieving
WINCHESTER, Calif. — Ruth O’Donnell has spent years preparing herself to help people
suffering from disability and illness. A graduate of the University of
North Dakota, O’Donnell is a licensed, registered occupational therapist
(OTR/L). She was looking for a different kind of challenge when offered
a job by the national nonprofit organization Help Hospitalized Veterans
as a Craft Care Specialist (CCS). When the position opened at the St.
Cloud VA medical center, other VA employees who were aware of her skills
and background thought she would be a perfect fit.

O’Donnell, who has been a CCS for the past five years, says she has
never regretted the decision. “Helping veterans work on their fine and
gross motor skills through active participation in arts and crafts is
very satisfying. They are so grateful to have the arts crafts that
Help Hospitalized Veterans (HHV) provides. It’s fantastic to watch their
self-esteem rise with each new kit.”

O’Donnell works with several wards throughout the hospital. “The TBI
patients can have great difficulty with their attention spans, but
working with the kits really helps improve their concentration skills.”

O’Donnell has a deeply rooted compassion for veterans, as both her
father and father-in-law are veterans, and her mother was an employee at
the Fargo VA medical center. She says serving veterans is a natural fit
for her as she remembers fondly the reunions her father had with his
unit in their home when she was a child.

It’s the homeless veterans she works with, however, that have her really
feeling the spirit of Christmas. “We have some veterans that I know are
homeless or living in shelters. Working on the arts crafts is
particularly special for them as they have so very few personal
belongings.”

Theater Wednesday: “Fiddler on the Roof,” starring irrepressible Harvey Fierstein, opens at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco, where it plays through Feb. 21. Thursday: Aurora Theatre Company opens the world premiere of Joel Drake Johnsons dramedy “First Grade,” about a schoolteacher who rescues a troubled physical therapist, adding to her already complex extended family. It plays through Feb. 28 at the Berkeley theater.

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Q: Are the French correct in saying that “love makes the time pass and time makes love pass”? Or can friendship and commitment sustain a relationship after the initial passion cools? A: As passionate love matures, it becomes a steadier “companionate love,” says psychologist Elaine Hatfield in “A New Look at Love.” There may be adaptive wisdom here: “And if the inevitable odds against eternal passionate love were better understood, more people might choose to be satisfied with the quieter feelings of satisfaction and contentment,” adds social psychologist Ellen Berscheid in “Psychology: Ninth Edition,” by David G. Myers. Indeed, some societies regard passionate love as an irrational basis for marriage. Better, they say, is to choose (or have someone else choose for you) a partner with a compatible background and interests. In fact, argues cultural psychologist R. Levine, “Non-Western cultures, where people rate love less important for marriage, do have lower divorce rates.” Another key to an enduring relationship is equity:
Fisher Associates announced a news conference for Friday, Jan. 22,
regarding the disappearance of a psychologically-disabled woman.

On the morning of Jan. 8, Saron Teclu Belay was discharged over the
objections of her family from a hospital in Long Beach after a two-week
stay for treatment of a mental disorder. The hospital independently
arranged for her transfer to a supervised care-and-board facility in
Norwalk via taxi cab, providing the driver with an address and payment
of the fare. The driver took Belay to ”an address” on 166th Street in
Norwalk, a quarter mile away from where the facility was located,
and left her in front of a house. Belay lives in Lawndale and is
unfamiliar with the Norwalk neighborhood. She was spotted by witnesses
“wandering” back and forth on the sidewalk near this home but has not
been seen since.

Belay, 37, is Eritrean, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1990. She has two
children (girls, 11 and 15) and is on disability. She and her children
live with her parents, who are elderly and retired. The family reported
her missing to the L.A. County Sheriff’s office, which has put out a
missing-person flier and is investigating the situation.

Given the gravity of the situation (e.g., her mental disability, length
of time she has been gone and the current severe-weather conditions),
her family will hold a news conference on Friday (Jan. 22) to issue a
plea to the public and appropriate agencies for help in finding her, as
well as to announce a $10,000 reward. Details will also be provided on
the circumstances of the disappearance.

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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Swelling and pain are usually the result of a stretched or torn ligament.
DEAR AMY: My mom died about a year ago after a long illness. Im in 10th grade, continue to get As in school and have a lot of friends, but it has been really hard. Recently my dad decided to let his girlfriend, “Jenni,” move in with us. I know my dad likes her company, but when she moved in I was still adjusting to life without my mother. Jenni is nice and I like her, but my dad has also said that this relationship might not be permanent. I want to be friendly, but I dont want to bond with her. When I see them together I just want to cry. Recently my doctor said that Jennis moving in was her biggest health concern for me. I want to talk to my dad about this, but I dont know what to say. — Upset and Grieving

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SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. EVRY, France — Fluidigm, the inventor of integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs), has joined
with IntegraGen SA, one of France’s leading providers of genetic
research testing services, to bring IFC technology to French
researchers. IntegraGen will offer premium class services to its
customers using the Fluidigm BioMark™ System for Genetic Analysis and
the Access Array™ sample preparation system for next-generation
sequencing. IntegraGen’s lab will also be a demonstration site for
researchers investigating Fluidigm’s technology.

Fluidigm instrumentation, combined with its microfluidic-based chips,
provide high-performance, high throughput gene expression, genotyping,
digital PCR, and sample preparation for next-generation sequencing.

“With this wonderful partnership, researchers will be able to
immediately utilize IntegraGen’s premiere services based on Fluidigm
technology and enjoy the benefits of integrated fluidic circuits. In
addition, Fluidigm will have a demonstration site for our European
customers to observe and understand our easy workflow and other unique
capabilities of our technology,” said Dominique Remy-Renou, Fluidigms
Vice President of European Sales and Support.

“IntegraGen is proud to be able to provide Fluidigm’s technology to its
customers. These tools complete the IntegraGen Services portfolio and
put our lab at the cutting edge of genotyping and next generation
sequencing capabilities,” said Emmanuel Martin, director of genomic
services at IntegraGen.

About Fluidigm

Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the Campaign That Changed America, by Craig Shirley (ISI, 740 pp., $30) RONALD REAGANS 1980 campaign for the presidency was historic in numerous ways. Not only did Reagan inaugurate a new era of conservative governance, he was the only candidate in the 20th century to defeat an incumbent of the opposing party who had served just one term in office, and he did it by making major inroads into typically Democratic territory–winning working-class voters, white ethnics, and Catholics, all of whom became known as the “Reagan Democrats.” Republicans have followed this Reagan template for 30 years–with great success in 1988, 1994, 2000, and 2004. When the GOP finally recaptures the presidency, its an easy bet that the victorious Republican candidate will owe a great debt to Ronald Reagan and the campaign of 1980. Craig Shirley has offered a comprehensive account of Reagans triumphant march to Washington. Rendezvous with Destiny is a follow-up to his well-received account of Reagans failed quest for the presidency in 1976. Shirley takes the reader on a step-by-step journey from Reagans defeat at the 1976 Republican convention to his landslide victory over Jimmy Carter. It sometimes feels as though no detail has been spared. In the first half of the book, the reader is treated to an extensive discussion of the gripping primary battles on both the Republican and the Democratic sides. The Republican clash between Reagan and George H. W. Bush receives most of the attention, but Shirley is careful to keep the reader apprised of developments in the clash between Carter and Sen. Edward Kennedy. He approaches the often bitter general-election campaign with the same exacting care. Along the way come fascinating insider perspectives of the historic moments in the campaign: the Nashua Telegraph debate between Reagan and Bush, in which the Gipper famously shouted, “Im paying for this microphone, Mr. Green!”; the ever-present question of whether Gerald Ford would enter the race; the last-minute decision to go with George H. W. Bush as running mate; “debate-gate,” or the issue of Carters stolen debate books; and the late-breaking swing of the electorate to Reagan.
TOTTENHAM 2 DRAMA, controversy and heroics. They are the traditional ingredients of the FA Cup – and all were evident as another chapter was added to Leeds pursuit of glory.

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Moscow talk-radio host Matvey Ganapolsky said the following thing on air in October: “Stalin signed an order that children can be shot from the age of 12 as enemies of the nation. Which of the bastards dares say a single word in his defense?” Well, heres one: Eugene Dzhugashvili, Stalins grandson.
A SEASIDE landlady was behind bars last night after being found guilty of helping a gunrunner evade police. Fiona McIntyre helped set up her lover – known as Micky “The Fish” Sammon – in a tool hire shop around the corner from her pub in Blackpool, Lancs. But the shop was a front for his gun running. McIntyre, 41, who also provided Sammon with a false passport, was sentenced to 30 months at Preston Crown Court. It is not the first time McIntyre has fallen foul of the law. She was previously jailed for 30 months after she and two family members were convicted of a pounds 200,000 benefits scam.

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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Swelling and pain are usually the result of a stretched or torn ligament.
On the nuclear front, the administration is moving into its “next phase” with Iran, which promises to be as ineffectual as the last one. Now that Iran has blown through Obamas end-of-the-year deadline for a deal on its nuclear program, the administration wants to apply a new round of sanctions.

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CHRIS GELLERT A physical therapist and personal trainer for 19 years, Gellert is the founder of Pinnacle Training Consulting Systems in Germantown, Md. pinnacle-tcs.com Grasso has consulted for everyone from housewives to pro athletes. He is the founder of the International Youth Conditioning Association. iyca.org
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dont get us wrong–your lady probably gives great massages. But sometimes we need more than just a happy ending. Like a muscle-relieving sports massage. In fact, more and more elite athletes are incorporating regular rubdowns into their recovery programs, hitting strained hamstrings, pulled groins, and aching backs. “Guys are bigger, faster, and stronger, and as a result, collisions are more violent,” says South Florida–based sports massage therapist Chris Pikosky, whos worked on Super Bowl (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Stanley Cup (Carolina Hurricanes) champs. But you dont have to be an elite athlete to benefit from a good sports massage. This aint your girls froufrou spa day. Think a vigorous deep-tissue treatment. “A Swedish massage is soothing, and theres a lot of value to it, but its different from what an athlete is looking for,” Pikosky says. Sports massages involve rubs and stretches that target specific muscles and increase athletes range of motion.

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Norma F. Survived by her sons, David and Marty (Tootie); grandsons, Skylor and Grayson; sisters, Marilyn Rhodes and her family; Harriet Stubbs and her family. Also preceded in death by parents; sisters, Elaine Delong and LaRue French.
Scam warning There is an e-mail being sent out stating it is from the IRS, stating you are entitled to a refund. The form looks official but asks for your Social Security number, mothers maiden name, drivers license, credit card number and expiration date, etc. This is dangerous information to give out; please dont be tempted. The IRS is being notified of this scam.

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DEAR AMY: My cousin and I got engaged the same day. Ive been with my boyfriend for 18 months, and she has been with hers for only 11 months. She booked the church before she even got her ring. After a lot of thought, I came up with a date that means a lot to my fiance and me. The problem is, its two weeks before my cousins wedding. My mother was onboard for my day until a couple of days ago, and now we arent speaking. She says its too stressful for both sides of the family to have two large weddings two weeks apart, especially as we live eight hours away from the family. Dear Baffled: One of you needs to grow up and realize that a marriage is not about a wedding.
Save the Children child protection
teams are visiting camps, shelters, and communities across Haitis
earthquake zone to ensure the safety of children and to help unaccompanied
children be reunited with relatives whenever possible.

“Children are particularly vulnerable right now and we must do everything
possible to ensure their safety and wellbeing, especially when they may
have lost or been separated from relatives who were caring for them,” said
Annie Foster, Save the Childrens emergency response team leader in Haiti.
“Save the Children is giving children in camps and shelters safe places to
play and get support in recovering from the hardships theyve experienced.
At the same time, were actively setting up systems to locate and reunite
unaccompanied children with family members.”

Save the Children has already established six child friendly spaces at
camps and shelters in Port-au-Prince and Jacmel and will open more in the
days to come.

About 50 trained social workers, staff and affiliated personnel trained by
Save the Children are now identifying locations where unaccompanied
children have taken refuge. These child protection specialists are working
with community leaders to ensure the safety of the children during the
family reunification process. Save the Children is working with the
Haitian government and others to establish a wide-reaching system to
identify separated children and reunite them with family members.

There are great opportunities to reunite children with loving relatives in
the days to come. Many children were not with their families at the time
the earthquake struck because they were in school or pursuing work or other
activities. Others may have become separated from parents now receiving
medical attention in a different area. Some children are left temporarily
unaccompanied while parents search for food and work. Save the Children is
committed to identifying these children and protecting their safety, while
working to reunite Haitian families.

SATURDAY, Jan. 23 (DIY) Desperate Landscapes — Jason brings in a team of experts to add a beautiful and safe walkway to a couples yard. 7190033 (HGTV) Bang for Your Buck — Three master bathrooms are critiqued in Albany, N.Y. 2899526 (CC)

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CHELMSFORD, Mass. — ZOLL Medical Corporation (NASDAQ:ZOLL), a manufacturer of resuscitation
devices and software solutions, today announced they will report first
quarter results before the market opens on January 28, 2010. The Company
will then hold a conference call on that date at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time
(ET) to discuss its quarterly results, business highlights and outlook.

ZOLL Medical Corporation (NasdaqGS: ZOLL) is committed to developing
technologies that help advance the practice of resuscitation. With
products for pacing, defibrillation, circulation, ventilation,
temperature management, and fluid resuscitation, ZOLL provides a
comprehensive set of technologies that can help clinicians, EMS
professionals, and lay rescuers resuscitate sudden cardiac arrest or
trauma victims. ZOLL also designs and markets software that automates
the documentation and management of both clinical and non-clinical data.

China Metals Report provides industry professionals and strategists,
corporate analysts, metals associations, government departments and
regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive
intelligence on Chinas metals industry.

Market sentiment picked up in October 2009 on the back of end-users
restocking for Q110. The Chinese steel market endured a roller-coaster
ride in Q2 and Q3, with price volatility in an uncertain environment.
Renewed optimism in Q409 was a welcome surprise as all of the leading
steelmakers had reduced list prices in November, only to announce
increases in December based on expectations that demand will remain
firm. Buying has also been influenced by the rising trend in raw
material prices, especially iron ore, which rose above the US$100/tonne
mark in November.

Crude steel output grew 10.5% to 472.5mn tonnes for the 10M09 period
according to the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA). CISA forecasts
that production capacity will increase by 58mn tonnes to 718mn tonnes in
2009. However, the association warned that oversupply conditions
remained a threat and could affect both future steel prices and
profitability. With a fragile recovery taking place in the global
economy, Chinese steelmakers have not been able to export their way out
of trouble. Although finished steel exports rose in October for the
fifth month in a row to 2.71mn tonnes, they are still 41% down on the
corresponding period in 2008. Imports in October declined by 22.5% to
1.48mn tonnes compared with the previous month. For 10M09, China managed
to remain a net exporter of steel, selling 18.4mn tonnes of finished
steel overseas against imports of 14.8mn tonnes. Nevertheless, exports
are down by almost two thirds compared with a year ago.

Beijing is seeking to create three to five globally competitive
steelmakers along with half a dozen steel producers to carry out mergers
and acquisitions (MA) activity within China. The government has
consulted with CISA as well as with leading steelmakers, but
consolidation has been progressing at a slow pace and Beijings original
plan to have at least two giant steelmakers with 50mn tonnes per annum
(tpa) capacity by the end of this decade now looks an unlikely target.
The annual capacity of Chinas leading steel producers range from 27mt
to 35mt. In October 2008, state owned Shandong Iron and Steel Group took
over local producer Rizhao, raising its capacity to 29.3mn tpa and
making it Chinas third largest steelmaker after Baosteel (35.4mn tpa)
and Hebei Steel Group (33.3mn tpa). Wuhan is now fourth at 27.7mn tpa.

Additionally, an audio playback of Powerwave’s Fourth Quarter 2009
Financial Results Conference Call will be available at approximately
5:00 PM Pacific Time on February 4, 2010 through February 11, 2010 by
calling 617-801-6888 and entering reservation number 24135437.

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Free with Insurance, New Pre-Pregnancy Test Saves Lives While
Dramatically Cutting Health Care Costs

STANFORD, Calif. — Genetic diseases like those seen in the new Harrison Ford movie
“Extraordinary Measures” can now be prevented with a simple saliva test
which is free with insurance for more than 100 million Americans.

The movie centers on the real-life efforts of the Crowleys, a family
trying to find a cure for a rare genetic disease affecting two of the
family’s three children. The condition wasn’t detected until after their
children were born.

Now, couples can take a Universal Genetic Test before
pregnancy to determine whether their baby is at risk for more
than 100 life-threatening genetic diseases. At-risk couples may then use
a well-understood procedure called IVF/PGD to protect their child from
genetic disease and ensure a healthy pregnancy.

This Universal Genetic Test was invented by scientists and social
entrepreneurs from Stanford and Harvard and brought to the public via a
Stanford startup named Counsyl (counsyl.com).
As Newsweek recently reported:

Seldin Company is a diversified full-service commercial real estate,
multi-family management, and development organization. Founded by Ben I.
Seldin in 1923, the Seldin Firm began as a one-man insurance company in
Council Bluffs, Iowa. Through the years, Seldin Company has built single
family homes, developed subdivisions, apartments in Omaha, Nebraska,
hotels, shopping centers and other commercial developments.

Today, Seldin Company headquarters are located in the Montclair
Professional Building in Omaha, Nebraska and operates in the Midwest
states of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri. Currently, Seldin
Company specializes in property management, commercial sales and
leasing, and development with approximately 6,000 apartments in Omaha
and over 1.5 million square feet of commercial retail and office space.

Seldin Company is proud of all its contributions to help the Omaha
community grow over the years but perhaps one of its greatest
accomplishments is the development of the Westwood Community. The
Westwood Community was a master-planned development which began in 1957
when the company acquired the area which eventually included Westwood
Heights, Montclair, Montclair South and Royalwood and spanned nearly
1000 acres! Seldin Company also helped to develop the West Center Road
business corridor between 114th and 136th Streets by creating retail and
office centers, as well as single-family homes, apartments, schools,
churches, the Southwest YMCA, the Millard Public library, a fire
station, and the Westwood Golf Course. The company was recognized by the
Omaha Chamber of Commerce with a Golden Spike Award in 1991 and was
cited for its extensive developments in West Omaha totaling more than
$100 million at the time the award was made. Ted Seldin, Millard Seldin
and Stanley Silverman were recognized for their vision in planning this
mixed use community in Southwest Omaha over the decades.

EvergreenBancorp, Inc. (OTCBB: EVGG), the bank
holding company for EvergreenBank, today announced that EvergreenBank was
closed this afternoon by the State of Washington Department of Financial
Institutions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) has
been appointed as receiver of EvergreenBank.

The Companys shares of EvergreenBank were its principal asset.
Accordingly, as a result of the Companys current financial condition, the
board of directors of the company is considering its alternatives,
including the dissolution and winding up of the Company by its board of
directors under Washington law or filing a voluntary petition seeking
relief under the United States Bankruptcy Code.

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