text:
America's Cup threatening to pull race from San Francisco

February 7, 2014 5:05:59 PM PST
America's Cup organizers are threatening to pull the race from San Francisco in 2017, saying negotiations are not going well with the city.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, they've extended the deadline for announcing the next venue from March until summer. Organizers are considering five other locations including San Diego and Hawaii.

San Francisco hosted last year's event, which cost taxpayers more money and brought in fewer visitors than expected. There was also a deadly tragedy involving the Swedish team, Artemis Racing.

The mayor's office says it wants the races back -- but not at any cost.

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3 dead, 2 injured after small plane crashes into California home

EMBED </>More Videos

A witness said he was right in front of the neighborhood where a home was destroyed after a small plane crashed into it in Riverside. (KABC)

Three people died and two were injured when a small plane carrying them home from a cheerleading competition crashed into two Southern California homes and sparked a major fire Monday, authorities said.

A husband, wife and three teenagers were on the plane that had just taken off from Riverside Municipal Airport at 4:40 p.m. intending to return to San Jose after the weekend cheerleading event at Disneyland when it crashed in the residential neighborhood, Riverside Fire Chief Michael Moore said.

One of the teenagers, a girl, was thrown from a back seat of the plane on impact but had only minor injuries, Moore said. Three witnesses told TV stations she crawled from the home asking for help. She was able to talk to firefighters about what had happened as she was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, Moore said.

VIDEO: Witness at nearby school recalls plane crashing into home
EMBED More News Videos

A witness at a nearby school recalled the moment a small plane crashed into a Riverside home, killing at least one person.

Firefighters entered one of the burning houses and pulled out another plane passenger, who was unconscious. That victim underwent surgery at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in San Bernardino and was in critical condition, Moore said.

Three bodies, all from the plane, were found in the combined wreckage of the aircraft and the homes.

"It's horrible," Moore said, especially given that they had gone to a cheer competition and it was "supposed to be a happy time."

Authorities had earlier said four were dead, and that the critically injured victim was a resident of the homes, but later reduced the death toll to three and said all five victims had been on the plane. They have not given the ages or identities of the victims.

All the residents of the homes have been accounted for, Moore said.

Moore did not give the name of the cheerleading competition, but the Jr. USA Nationals for girls age 15 and under was held at Disney California Adventure Park over the weekend.

The two homes that were hit directly were destroyed, and there was minor damage to some neighboring houses, Moore said.

The plane was broken into hundreds of pieces, its propeller sitting on the roof of a nearby home, and the fire burning with jet fuel was still ablaze several hours after the crash. Firefighters found plane pieces about a half-mile away.

H.L. Reyes, who lives about a quarter-mile from the crash site, told The Associated Press she felt the ground shake and saw plumes of black smoke.

"I thought it was a possible earthquake, and we heard all the birds just suddenly react outside, too," Reyes said. "This was just like a nightmare coming true."

Shannon Flores, a teacher at an elementary school about three blocks away, said she saw the plane out her classroom window. She said it was raining during the crash, though other witnesses said the rain was very light.

"As soon as we saw it fly over, we knew it wasn't a good thing," Flores told KABC-TV. "We watched it go down very quickly ... Before we knew it, there was a loud crash and huge plumes of smoke."

Related Topics:
newsplane crashhouse firecheerleadingdisneylandfirefightersFAARiversideRiverside County
(Copyright ©2017 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Drupal Planet

Integrating SMS Solution to Drupal Websites

SMS List Block

Reaching out to the targeted audience, is one of the goal for any business. here is a list of modules which will allow your website to interact with your audience

  • SMS Framework : Provides a extensible API that facilitates communication between Drupal and various SMS gateways.
    • SMS Actions : Provides an action for sending outgoing messages and the ability to define custom triggers for incoming messages.
    • SMS Blast : Allows bulk text messages to be sent to registered users.
  • SMS List : Manages Subscriptions, and send text messages when needed

SMS Gateways

My SMS Mantra Gateway for SMS Framework

My SMS Mantra Gateway for SMS Framework

Its been a long time since i added something new here, so this post comes with a New Drupal Module i recently did.

My SMS Mantra SMS Gateway is a small addon Module to SMS Framework which will allow you to add My SMS Mantra as a SMS Gateway to your drupal website. The module would be released  very soon.

Current Status:

Tested for Integrity with sms_bulk, sms_user, actions and the same is currently functional on Kashipur.in

Currently SMS could be delivered only on Indian Numbers, this limitation is forced from the Gateway and not from the module itself, the module however can be extended to other countries if needed.

G2Image in Drupal using TinyMCE with WYSIWYG API

UPDATE: This post is quite old now and wont work with the latest version of WYSIWYG API, will try to update this soon.

Gallery2 is one of the best galleries available which could be integrated with Drupal easily you would have read my post on integrating it earlier, after you have integrated it the bigger question is how get those images into your content or nodes so this posts answers it, after reading this post you would be able to integrate Gallery2 with your WYSIWYG (TinyMCE) Editor.

Adding CAPTCHA to Drupal Guestbook Module

Guest book is one of the essential part for any website, To add a guestbook on your drupal site you can use the guestbook module, the problem you would face is adding a captcha to this now captcha is also very essential to control spam now how to add captcha its very simple just execute the following query

INSERT INTO `captcha_points` ( `form_id` , `module` , `type` )
( 'guestbook_form_entry_form', NULL , NULL );

and you are done now go to /admin/user/captcha on your site and enable captcha on guestbook this would look something like this

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Thursday, January 6, 2011

Play-doh kind of day

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Friday, December 31, 2010

Same disco ball. Different venue.

My grandma sparkled...her glasses, clothes, shoes, decor.

She is always with us. She will help us ring in the new year in style.

-- Sent from my Palm Pixi

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Someone is excited for Christmas!

While wandering through the Xmas trees displayed at Bachmans, Tate plopped down, put his hands in his lap, and just stared.  "I really yike dis one Mom!"

-- Sent from my Palm Pixi

Friday, November 5, 2010

He is his father's son...

This is where Tate ended up taking a nap today. least he's sleeping!

-- Sent from my Palm Pixi

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Nutella is sooo good!

-- Sent from my Palm Pixi


text:
A haunting portrait of a 4 week old baby with hereditary syphilis who died just 24 hours after being admitted to hospital in 1897
A haunting portrait of a 4 week old baby with hereditary syphilis
who died just 24 hours after being admitted to hospital in 1897

Syphilis is an infectious systemic disease that may be either congenital or acquired through sexual contact or contaminated needles.

Syphilis has both acute and chronic forms that produce a wide variety of symptoms affecting most of the body’s organ systems. The range of symptoms makes it easy to confuse syphilis with less serious diseases and ignore its early signs.

Acquired syphilis has four stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary) and can be spread by sexual contact during the first three of these four stages.

Syphilis, which is also called lues (from a Latin word meaning “plague”), has been a major public health problem since the sixteenth century. The disease was treated with mercury or other ineffective remedies until World War I, when effective treatments based on arsenic or bismuth were introduced. These were succeeded by antibiotics after World War II.

At that time, the number of cases in the general population decreased, partly because of aggressive public health measures. This temporary decrease, combined with the greater amount of attention given to AIDS in recent years, leads some people to think that syphilis is no longer a serious problem.

In fact, the number of cases of syphilis in the United States rose between 1980 and 2001. This increase affected both sexes, all races, all parts of the nation, and all age groups, including adults over 60. The number of women of child-bearing age with syphilis is the highest that has been recorded since the 1940s.

About 25,000 cases of infectious syphilis in adults are reported annually in the United States. It is estimated, however, that 400,000 people in the United States need treatment for syphilis every year, and that the annual worldwide total is 50 million persons.

In 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined several other federal agencies in announcing the “National Plan to Eliminate Syphilis in the United States.”

Eliminating the disease was defined as the absence of transmission of the disease; that is, no transmission after 90 days following the report of an imported index case. The national goals for eliminating syphilis include bringing the annual number of reported cases in the United States below 1000, and increasing the number of syphilis-free counties to 90% by 2005.

In November 2002, the CDC released figures for 2000–2001, which indicate that the number of reported cases of primary and secondary syphilis rose slightly. This rise, however, occurred only among men who have sex with other men. The CDC also stated that the number of new cases of syphilis has actually declined among women as well as among non-Hispanic blacks.

The increased incidence of syphilis since the 1970s is associated with drug abuse as well as changes in sexual behavior. The connections between drug abuse and syphilis include needle sharing and exchanging sex for drugs.

In addition, people using drugs are more likely to engage in risky sexual practices. As of 2002, the risk of contracting syphilis is particularly high among those who abuse crack cocaine.

With respect to changing patterns of conduct, a sharp increase in the number of people having sex with multiple partners makes it more difficult for public health doctors to trace the contacts of infected persons.

Women are not necessarily protected by having sex only with other women; in the past few years, several cases have been reported of female-to-female transmission of syphilis through oral-genital contact.

In addition, the incidence of syphilis among men who have sex with other men continues to rise. Several studies in Latin America as well as in the United States reported in late 2002 that unprotected sexual intercourse is on the increase among gay and bisexual men.

Changing patterns of sexual behavior have led to a striking increase in the number of cases of syphilis in eastern Europe since the collapse of the Soviet Union; Slovenia reported an 18-fold increase in reported cases of syphilis just between 1993 and 1994. Over half of the new cases were linked to a source of infection in another European country.

In general, high-risk groups for syphilis in the United States and Canada include:
  • sexually active teenagers
  • people infected with another sexually transmitted disease (STD), including AIDS, herpes, and gonorrhea
  • sexually abused children
  • women of childbearing age
  • prostitutes of either sex and their customers
  • prisoners
  • persons who abuse drugs or alcohol

The chances of contracting syphilis from an infected person in the early stages of the disease during unprotected sex range from 30–50%.

Causes and symptoms

Treponema pallidum
Treponema pallidum

Syphilis is caused by a spirochete, Treponema pallidum. A spirochete is a thin spiral- or coil-shaped bacterium that enters the body through the mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. In 90% of cases, the spirochete is transmitted by sexual contact.

Transmission by blood transfusion is possible but rare, not only because blood products are screened for the disease, but also because the spirochetes die within 24 hours in stored blood. Other methods of transmission are highly unlikely because T. pallidum is easily killed by heat and drying.

Primary syphilis

Primary syphilis is the stage of the organism’s entry into the body. The first signs of infection are not always noticed. After an incubation period ranging from 10–90 days, the patient develops a chancre, which is a small blister-like sore about 0.5 in (13 mm) in size. Most chancres are on the genitals, but may also develop in or on the mouth or on the breasts. Rectal chancres are common in male homosexuals.

Chancres in women are sometimes overlooked if they develop in the vagina or on the cervix. The chancres are not painful and disappear in three to six weeks even without treatment. They resemble the ulcers of lymphogranuloma venereum, herpes simplex virus, or skin tumors.

About 70% of patients with primary syphilis also develop swollen lymph nodes near the chancre. The nodes may have a firm or rubbery feel when the doctor touches them but are not usually painful.

Secondary syphilis Syphilis enters its secondary stage ranging from six to eight weeks to six months after the infection begins. Chancres may still be present but are usually healing.

Secondary syphilis is a systemic infection marked by the eruption of skin rashes and ulcers in the mucous membranes. The skin rash may mimic a number of other skin disorders such as drug reactions, rubella ringworm, mononucleosis, and pityriasis rosea.

Characteristics that point to syphilis include:
  • a coppery color
  • absence of pain or itching
  • occurrence on the palms of hands and soles of feet

The skin eruption may resolve in a few weeks or last as long as a year. The patient may also develop condylomata lata, which are weepy pinkish or gray areas of flattened skin in the moist areas of the body. The skin rashes, mouth and genital ulcers, and condylomata lata are all highly infectious.

About 50% of patients with secondary syphilis develop swollen lymph nodes in the armpits, groin, and neck areas; about 10% develop inflammations of the eyes, kidney, liver, spleen, bones, joints, or the meninges (membranes covering the brain and spinal cord). They may also have a flulike general illness with a low fever, chills, loss of appetite, headaches, runny nose, sore throat, and aching joints.

Latent syphilis

Latent syphilis is a phase of the disease characterized by relative absence of external symptoms. The term latent does not mean that the disease is not progressing or that the patient cannot infect others. For example, pregnant women can transmit syphilis to their unborn children during the latency period.

The latent phase is sometimes divided into early latency (less than two years after infection) and late latency. During early latency, patients are at risk for spontaneous relapses marked by recurrence of the ulcers and skin rashes of secondary syphilis. In late latency, these recurrences are much less likely. Late latency may either resolve spontaneously or continue for the rest of the patient’s life.

Tertiary syphilis

Untreated syphilis progresses to a third or tertiary stage in about 35–40% of patients (only those who go untreated). Patients with tertiary syphilis cannot infect others with the disease.

It is thought that the symptoms of this stage are a delayed immune hypersensitivity reaction to the spirochetes. Some patients develop so-called benign late syphilis, which begins between three and 10 years after infection and is characterized by the development of gummas.

Gummas are rubbery tumor-like growths that are most likely to involve the skin or long bones but may also develop in the eyes, mucous membranes, throat, liver, or stomach lining. Gummas are increasingly uncommon since the introduction of antibiotics for treating syphilis. Benign late syphilis is usually rapid in onset and responds well to treatment.

CARDIOVASCULAR SYPHILIS. Cardiovascular syphilis occurs in 10–15% of patients who have progressed to tertiary syphilis.

It develops between 10 and 25 years after infection and often occurs together with neurosyphilis. Cardiovascular syphilis usually begins as an inflammation of the arteries leading from the heart and heart attacks, scarring of the aortic valves, congestive heart failure, or the formation of an aortic aneurysm.

NEUROSYPHILIS. About 8% of patients with untreated syphilis will develop symptoms in the central nervous system that include both physical and psychiatric symptoms. Neurosyphilis can appear at any time from five to 35 years after the onset of primary syphilis. It affects men more frequently than women and Caucasians more frequently than African Americans.

Neurosyphilis is classified into four types:
  • Asymptomatic. In this form of neurosyphilis, the patient’s spinal fluid gives abnormal test results but there are no symptoms affecting the central nervous system.
  • Meningovascular. This type of neurosyphilis is marked by changes in the blood vessels of the brain or inflammation of the meninges (the tissue layers covering the brain and spinal cord). The patient develops headaches, irritability, and visual problems. If the spinal cord is involved, the patient may experience weakness of the shoulder and upper arm muscles.
  • Tabes dorsalis. Tabes dorsalis is a progressive degeneration of the spinal cord and nerve roots. Patients lose their sense of perception of body position and orientation in space (proprioception), resulting in difficulties walking and loss of muscle reflexes. They may also have shooting pains in the legs and periodic episodes of pain in the abdomen, throat, bladder, or rectum. Tabes dorsalis is sometimes called locomotor ataxia.
  • General paresis. General paresis refers to the effects of neurosyphilis on the cortex of the brain. The patient has a slow but progressive loss of memory, decreased ability to concentrate, and less interest in self-care.

Personality changes may include irresponsible behavior, depression, delusions of grandeur, or complete psychosis. General paresis is sometimes called dementia paralytica, and is most common in patients over 40.

Special populations

NEWBORNS. Congenital syphilis has increased at a rate of 400–500% over the past decade, on the basis of criteria introduced by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 1990. In 1994, more than 2,200 cases of congenital syphilis were reported in the United States.

The prognosis for early congenital syphilis is poor: about 54% of infected fetuses die before or shortly after birth. Those who survive may look normal at birth but show signs of infection between three and eight weeks later.

Infants with early congenital syphilis have systemic symptoms that resemble those of adults with secondary syphilis. There is a 40–60% chance that the child’s central nervous system will be infected.

These infants may have symptoms ranging from jaundice, enlargement of the spleen and liver, and anemia to skin rashes, condylomata lata, certain congenital bone abnormalities, inflammation of the lungs, “snuffles” (a persistent runny nose), and swollen lymph nodes.

CHILDREN. Children who develop symptoms after the age of two years are said to have late congenital syphilis. The characteristic symptoms include facial deformities (saddle nose), Hutchinson’s teeth (abnormal upper incisors), saber shins, dislocated joints, deafness, mental retardation, paralysis, and seizure disorders.

PREGNANT WOMEN. Syphilis can be transmitted from the mother to the fetus through the placenta at any time during pregnancy, or through the child’s contact with syphilitic ulcers during the birth process. The chances of infection are related to the stage of the mother’s disease.

Almost all infants of mothers with untreated primary or secondary syphilis will be infected, whereas the infection rate drops to 40% if the mother is in the early latent stage and 6–14% if she has late latent syphilis.

Pregnancy does not affect the progression of syphilis in the mother; however, pregnant women should not be treated with tetracyclines.

HIV PATIENTS. Syphilis has been closely associated with HIV infection since the late 1980s. Syphilis sometimes mimics the symptoms of AIDS. Conversely, AIDS appears to increase the severity of syphilis in patients suffering from both diseases, and to speed up the development or appearance of neurosyphilis.

Patients with HIV are also more likely to develop lues maligna, a skin disease that sometimes occurs in secondary syphilis. Lues maligna is characterized by areas of ulcerated and dying tissue. In addition, HIV patients have a higher rate of treatment failure with penicillin than patients without HIV.

ADULT MALES. A recent study indicates that infection with syphilis increases a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer in later life. It is thought that infection may represent one mechanism among several through which prostate cancer may develop.

Patient history and physical diagnosis

The diagnosis of syphilis is often delayed because of the variety of early symptoms, the varying length of the incubation period, and the possibility of not noticing the initial chancre.

Patients do not always connect their symptoms with recent sexual contact. They may go to a dermatologist when they develop the skin rash of secondary syphilis rather than to their primary care doctor.

Women may be diagnosed in the course of a gynecological checkup. Because of the long-term risks of untreated syphilis, certain groups of people are now routinely screened for the disease:
  • pregnant women
  • sexual contacts or partners of patients diagnosed with syphilis
  • children born to mothers with syphilis
  • patients with HIV infection
  • persons applying for marriage licenses

When the doctor takes the patient’s history, he or she will ask about recent sexual contacts in order to determine whether the patient falls into a high-risk group.

Other symptoms, such as skin rashes or swollen lymph nodes, will be noted with respect to the dates of the patient’s sexual contacts. Definite diagnosis, however, depends on the results of laboratory blood tests.

Blood tests

There are several types of blood tests for syphilis presently used in the United States. Some are used in follow-up monitoring of patients as well as diagnosis.

NONTREPONEMAL ANTIGEN TESTS. Nontreponemal antigen tests are used as screeners. They measure the presence of reagin, which is an antibody formed in reaction to syphilis.

In the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test, a sample of the patient’s blood is mixed with cardiolipin and cholesterol. If the mixture forms clumps or masses of matter, the test is considered reactive or positive. The serum sample can be diluted several times to determine the concentration of reagin in the patient’s blood.

The rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test works on the same principle as the VDRL. It is available as a kit. The patient’s serum is mixed with cardiolipin on a plastic-coated card that can be examined with the naked eye.

Nontreponemal antigen tests require a doctor’s interpretation and sometimes further testing. They can yield both false-negative and false-positive results.

False-positive results (test shows a positive result when the patient does not have the disease) can be caused by other infectious diseases, including mononucleosis, malaria, leprosy, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. HIV patients have a particularly high rate (4%, compared to 0.8% of HIV-negative patients) of false-positive results on reagin tests.

False negative results (patient does have the disease, but test comes back negative) can occur when patients are tested too soon after exposure to syphilis; it takes about 14–21 days after infection for the blood to become reactive.

TREPONEMAL ANTIBODY TESTS. Treponemal antibody tests are used to rule out false-positive results on reagin tests. They measure the presence of antibodies that are specific for T. pallidum. The most commonly used tests are the microhemagglutination-T. pallidum (MHA-TP) and the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) tests.

In the FTA-ABS, the patient’s blood serum is mixed with a preparation that prevents interference from antibodies to other treponemal infections. The test serum is added to a slide containing T. pallidum. In a positive reaction, syphilitic antibodies in the blood coat the spirochetes on the slide.

The slide is then stained with fluorescein, which causes the coated spirochetes to fluoresce when the slide is viewed under ultraviolet (UV) light. In the MHA-TP test, red blood cells from sheep are coated with T. pallidum antigen. The cells will clump if the patient’s blood contains antibodies for syphilis.

A newer treponemal antibody test developed in Belgium, the INNO-LIA, uses recombinant and peptide antigens derived from T. pallidum proteins. Preliminary testing in Europe indicates that the INNO-LIA is the most accurate of the available treponemal antibody tests for syphilis.

Treponemal antibody tests are more expensive and more difficult to perform than nontreponemal tests. They are therefore used to confirm the diagnosis of syphilis rather than to screen large groups of people. These tests are, however, very specific and very sensitive; false-positive results are relatively unusual.

INVESTIGATIONAL BLOOD TESTS. As of 1998, ELISA,Western blot, and PCR testing are being studied as additional diagnostic tests, particularly for congenital syphilis and neurosyphilis.

Other laboratory tests

MICROSCOPE STUDIES. The diagnosis of syphilis can also be confirmed by identifying spirochetes in samples of tissue or lymphatic fluid. Fresh samples can be made into slides and studied under darkfield illumination.

A newer method involves preparing slides from dried fluid smears and staining them with fluorescein for viewing under UV light. This method is replacing dark-field examination because the slides can be mailed to professional laboratories.

SPINAL FLUID TESTS. Testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is an important part of patient monitoring as well as a diagnostic test. The VDRL and FTA-ABS tests can be performed on CSF as well as on blood.

An abnormally high white cell count and elevated protein levels in the CSF, together with positive VDRL results, suggest a possible diagnosis of neurosyphilis. CSF testing is not used for routine screening. It is used most frequently for infants with congenital syphilis, HIV-positive patients, and patients of any age who are not responding to penicillin treatment.

It is difficult to obtain information about alternative treatments for syphilis. The disease has a high profile as a public health issue and few alternative practitioners want to risk accusations of minimizing its dangers. One respected resource for alternative therapies states bluntly, “Syphilis should not be treated only with natural therapies.”

Most naturopathic practitioners agree that antibiotics are essential for the treatment of syphilis. Others would add that recovery from the disease can be assisted by dietary changes, sleep, exercise, and stress reduction, and immune support measures.

Homeopathic practitioners are forbidden by law in the United States to claim that homeopathic treatment can cure syphilis.

Given the high rate of syphilis in HIV positive patients, however, some alternative practitioners who are treating AIDS patients with homeopathic remedies maintain that they are beneficial for syphilis as well. The remedies suggested most frequently are Medorrhinum, Syphilinum, Mercurius vivus, and Aurum.

The use of Mercurius vivus as a homeopathic remedy reflects the past use of mercury to treat syphilis prior to the discovery of penicillin. Syphilinum represents a class of homeopathic remedy called nosodes. A nosode is a homeopathic medicine made from diseased material, such as bacteria, viruses, or pus.

Its effect is based on the homeopathic law of similars, in which a substance that causes a specific set of symptoms in a healthy person is determined curative when given to a sick person with the same symptoms. Syphilinum is a nosode made from a dilution of killed Treponema pallidum.

The historical link between homeopathy and syphilis is Hahnemann’s theory of miasms, which he defined as fundamental predispositions toward disease that were transmitted from one generation to the next. He thought that the syphilitic miasm was the second oldest cause of constitutional weakness in humans.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and other alternative methods emphasize the mental aspects of conditions and diseases such as syphilis. Mind-body medicine, guided imagery and affirmations are often used to help support a person through such a disease. New thought holds that humans can control physical as well as mental or spiritual events through the power of thinking itself.

Some alternative therapies reflect new thought beliefs by maintaining that humans make themselves ill through harmful thought patterns, and that they can heal themselves by affirming positive beliefs.

The affirmation suggested for healing syphilis is “I decide to be me.” Most alternative practitioners would recommend this or similar new thought affirmations only as adjuncts to conventional medical treatment for syphilis.

One interesting recent historical development is that outdated or discredited treatments for syphilis have resurfaced as alternative treatments for AIDS or cancer.

One study of alternative treatments for HIV infection notes that hyperthermia, which involves treating a disease by giving the patient a fever, originated as a treatment for syphilis. Syphilis patients were given malaria in the belief that the resultant fever would kill the spirochetes that cause syphilis.

Another example is the so-called Hoxsey treatment for cancer, which was started in the 1920s by an Illinois practitioner named Harry Hoxsey. The treatment is no longer legally available in the United States but is offered through a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico.

The treatment consists of several chemical mixtures applied externally and a formula of nine herbs taken internally. The Hoxsey herbal formula is almost identical to a remedy that was listed in the 1926 and 1936 editions of the United States National Formulary called “Compound Fluidextract of Trifolium.”

It was recommended as a treatment for secondary and tertiary syphilis. One of the external Hoxsey compounds contains both arsenic and antimony, which were used to treat syphilis before the use of antibiotics.

The internal formula includes Phytolacca americana, or pokeweed, which was used by Native Americans to treat syphilitic chancres; and Stillingia sylvatica, or queensroot, which has also been used to treat syphilis. There is no demonstrated data to support the therapy’s effectiveness for syphilis.

It should be noted that many alternative medicine therapies that claim to help such infectious diseases as syphilis have little data supporting their effectiveness.

Allopathic treatment

Syphilis is treated with antibiotics given either intramuscularly (benzathine penicillin G or ceftriaxone) or orally (doxycycline, minocycline, tetracycline, or azithromycin). Neurosyphilis is treated with a combination of aqueous crystalline penicillin G, benzathine penicillin G, or doxycycline.

It is important to keep the levels of penicillin in the patient’s tissues at sufficiently high levels over a period of days or weeks because the spirochetes have a relatively long reproduction time. Penicillin is more effective in treating the early stages of syphilis than the later stages.

In the fall of 2000, the CDC convened a group of medical advisors to discuss backup medications for treating syphilis. Although none of the newer drugs will displace penicillin as the primary drug, the doctors recommended azithromycin and ceftriaxone as medications that should have a larger role in the treatment of syphilis than they presently do.

Doctors do not usually prescribe separate medications for the skin rashes or ulcers of secondary syphilis. The patient is advised to keep them clean and dry, and to avoid exposing others to fluid or discharges from condylomata lata.

Pregnant women should be treated as early in pregnancy as possible. Infected fetuses can be cured if the mother is treated during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Infants with proven or suspected congenital syphilis are treated with either aqueous crystalline penicillin G or aqueous procaine penicillin G. Children who acquire syphilis after birth are treated with benzathine penicillin G.

Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction

The Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, first described in 1895, is a reaction to penicillin treatment that may occur during the late primary, secondary, or early latent stages.

The patient develops chills, fever, headache, and muscle pains within two to six hours after the penicillin is injected. The chancre or rash gets temporarily worse. The Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, which lasts about a day, is thought to be an allergic reaction to toxins released when the penicillin kills massive numbers of spirochetes.

Expected results

The expected results of alternative therapies used as adjuncts to conventional antibiotic treatment, for stress reduction or similar purposes, would include improvements in the patient’s emotional and spiritual quality of life.

The effectiveness of homeopathic treatment for syphilis has not been evaluated in clinical trials, although there are anecdotal reports of successful treatment of syphilis by homeopathic methods.

Analysis of the Hoxsey formulae, however, indicate that they should not be used to treat syphilis or other venereal diseases. Two ingredients in the internal formula have toxic effects: queensroot contains an irritant that can cause inflammation or swelling of the skin and mucous membranes, while pokeweed can cause potentially fatal respiratory paralysis. In addition, the arsenic and antimony in the external formula could potentially cause heavy metal toxicity.

Patients with syphilis do not acquire lasting immunity against the disease. As of 2002, no effective vaccine for syphilis has been developed even though the genome of T. pallidum was completely sequenced in 1998.

The sequencing may, however, speed up the process of developing an effective vaccine. Prevention depends on a combination of personal and public health measures.

Lifestyle choices

The only reliable methods for preventing transmission of syphilis are sexual abstinence or monogamous relationships between uninfected partners. Condoms offer some protection but protect only the covered parts of the body.

Public health measures

CONTACT TRACING. United States law requires reporting of syphilis cases to public health agencies. Sexual contacts of patients diagnosed with syphilis are traced and tested for the disease.

Tracing includes all contacts for the past three months in cases of primary syphilis and for the past year in cases of secondary disease. Neither the patients nor their contacts should have sex with anyone until they have been tested and treated.

Because of the rising incidence of syphilis abroad, a growing number of public health physicians are recommending routine screening of immigrants, refugees, and international adoptees for syphilis as of late 2002.

All patients who test positive for syphilis should be tested for HIV infection at the time of diagnosis.

PRENATAL TESTING OF PREGNANT WOMEN. Pregnant women should be tested for syphilis at the time of their first visit for prenatal care, and again shortly before delivery. Proper treatment of secondary syphilis in the mother reduces the risk of congenital syphilis in the infant from 90% to less than 2%.

As of late 2002, many obstetricians and gynecologists are recommending routine screening of nonpregnant as well as pregnant women for syphilis. At present, only about half of obstetricians and gynecologists in the United States screen nonpregnant women for chlamydia and gonorrhea, while fewer than a third screen them for syphilis.

EDUCATION AND INFORMATION. Patients diagnosed with syphilis should be given information about the disease and counseling regarding sexual behavior and the importance of completing antibiotic treatment.

It is also important to inform the general public about the transmission and early symptoms of syphilis, and provide adequate health facilities for testing and treatment.


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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Confronting Misconceptions

Among science educators it is almost gospel: the way to have students improve their understanding of the natural world is to have them confront their own misconceptions. I fully embraced this pedagogy myself as a high school physics teacher. Aside from potential efficacy, it is just fun to surprise young people with demonstrations and experiments.

To the extent I now teach principles of evolutionary biology to college students in southwest Virginia, I felt I was encroaching on ideology -- and instead of getting progress I was getting blowback. Anecdotally my students reported that my lessons helped to strengthen their prior and deeply held beliefs.

So this semester I worked with one of our biology professors to put the potency of confronting misconceptions to the test. We administered pre and post surveys to an entire cohort of our sophomores who took a "Becoming Modern" class that had the express purpose to help students think about progress in scientific understanding of the natural world. The course was inquiry-based and required students worked on four basic questions: By what means was ancient wisdom concerning motion and the heavens challenged? What is life? What is the relationship between the individual and the group? and What is a scientific model and how does it change?

The life question was addressed through an exhaustive unit we called "The Darwin Game." It is a published role-playing game in which students become members of the Royal Society and ultimately determine if Charles Darwin should receive the Copley medal. Because students are assigned roles that give them a stake on one side or the other of the debate, and because making the best case depends on understanding natural selection, they are quite likely to confront their own misconceptions about evolution. So we wanted to know: will students agree more strongly with a statement like "Humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas share a common ancestor" after taking this course?

Well, the data are in! I wish I could report those data, but alas, we plan to write up our investigation and report the results to a proper journal. Still, I wanted to launch Above Grade with something inspiring, so I will say that to at least a small extent my hopes for science education have been restored. More to come.

1 comment:

  1. This sounds interesting. Have you published the results?


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Abstract Impressionism

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Mark George Tobey

Mark George Tobey, the senior of the 'mystical painters' was born in Centerville, Wisconsin on the 11th of December 1890. He was author of densely structured compositions differing philosophically from most Abstract Impressionist painters. His work was widely recognized throughout the United States and Europe. Senior in age and experience, he was a friend and mentor. Tobey was mostly self-taught after early studies at the Art Institute of Chicago. Tobey lived in the Seattle, Washington area for most of his life before moving to Basel, Switzerland in the early 1960s with his companion, Pehr Hallsten.

Tobey was the youngest of four children. His parents were George Tobey, a carpenter and house builder, and Emma Cleveland Tobey. The father carved animals from stone and sometimes drew animals for young Mark to cut out with scissors. In 1893, the family settled in Chicago where Tobey studied at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1906 to 1908, but like others of the Northwest School, was mostly self-taught. In 1911, he moved to New York City where he worked as a fashion illustrator for McCall's. His first one-man show was held at Knoedler & Company in lower Manhattan, in 1917.

The beginning of his lifelong travels occurred in 1925 when he left for Europe, settling in Paris where Tobey met Gertrude Stein. He spent a winter at Châteaudun, and also traveled to Barcelona and Greece. In Constantinople, Beirut and Haifa, he studied Arab and Persian writing.

After 1927 Tobey became sufficiently interested in three-dimensional

form and carved some 100 pieces of soap sculptures. Next year, Tobey co-found the Free and Creative Art School in Seattle with Edgar Ames, and in autumn, he taught an advanced art course at Emily Carr's Victoria studio.

In 1929, he participated in a show that marked a change in his life: a solo exhibition at Romany Marie's Cafe Gallery in New York. Alfred H. Barr, Jr., then a curator at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), saw the show and selected several pictures from it for inclusion in MoMA's 1930 exhibition: Painting and Sculpture by Living Americans.

Tobey and his friend Bernard Leach in 1931 traveled to Mexico and then in 1932 to Europe. Then, in 1934 France and Italy, then they sailed from Naples to Hong Kong and Shanghai, Where Tobey alone visited his old friend, Teng Kuei, before departing for Japan where Japanese authorities confiscated and destroyed an edition of 31 drawings Tobey had brought with him from England to be published in Japan. No explanation for their destruction has been ever noted. In early summer, he studied Hai-Ku poetry and calligraphy at a Zen monastery outside Kyoto before returning to Seattle in autumn.

Tobey was expected to return to teaching in England in 1938, but the mounting tensions of war building in Europe kept him in the US. In 1945, he gave a solo exhibition at the Portland Art Museum in Oregon, and the Arts Club of Chicago held solo shows of his work in 1940 and 1946. Tobey showed at New York's Whitney Museum in 1951.

In 1952, the film “Tobey, Mark: Artist” debuted in the Venice and Edinburgh film festivals.

On September 28th, 1953, Life magazine published an article on Tobey called "Mystic Painters of the Northwest" which placed them in the national limelight. In 1958, he became the second American, after James Abbott McNeill Whistler, to win the International Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale.

Tobey and Hallsten immigrated to Basel, Switzerland in the early 1960s. In 1961 he became the first American painter to exhibit at the Pavillon de Marsan in Paris. Solo exhibits occurred at MoMa in 1962, and at the Stedelijk Museum in 1966.

Tobey is most notable for his creation of so-called "white writing" - an overlay of white or light-colored calligraphic symbols on an abstract field. His series of “Broadway” realized at that time has a historical value of reference today. Mark Tobey became very important figure in abstract impressionism movement.

Elizabeth Bayley Willis showed Tobey's painting Bars and Flails to Jackson Pollock in 1944. Pollock studied the painting closely and then painted Blue Poles, a painting that made history when, in 1973, the Australian government bought it for $2 million. A Pollock biographer wrote: "... dense web of white strokes, as elegant as oriental calligraphy, impressed Jackson so much that in a letter to Louis Bunce he described Tobey, a West Coast artist, as an 'exception' to the rule that New York was 'the only real place in America where painting (in the real sense) can come thru.".

Mark George Tobey, the senior of the 'mystical painters' died in 1976.


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Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year 2010!

***** Happy New Year 2010 !!! *****

Thanks to everyone for stopping by for a visit.
Thanks to my 115 Followers
Thanks to all my many Commenters.
Thanks to my new Friends.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Germany - short visit in Dresden / Drezno

I would like present you my short visit in Drezno/Dresden in Germany.
The weather was cloudy so the pictures in colours will be ugly that is why I decided on experyment with black&white colours.

Drezno or in German language Dresden, it is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near Czech and Poland borders.

Dresden has a very long history as the capital and royal residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony, who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendour. Dresden was completely destroyed by the controversial Allied aerial bombing towards the end of World War II. The impact of the bombing and 40 years of urban development during the East German socialist era have considerably changed the face of the city.

Do you know what was the symbol of East Germany?
It was Trabant or Trabi or Trabbi - the name was inspired by Soviet Sputnik! - you can see Trabi on this picture:

it is nice
- and do you know about this, that this car it does not rust because is made from plastic?!
yes it is true...!

Trabant was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc. The main selling point was that it had room for four adults and luggage in a compact, light and durable shell. For advocates of capitalism it is often cited as an example of the disadvantages of centralized planning as even refueling the car required lifting the hood, filling the tank with gasoline (only 24 litres[1]), then adding two-stroke oil and shaking it back and forth to mix.
It was in production without any significant changes for nearly 30 years with 3,096,099 Trabants produced in total!

... but we should return to the present day...

lots of restoration work has helped to reconstruct parts of historic inner city.

Since the German reunification in 1990, Dresden has re-emerged as a cultural, educational, political and economic centre of Germany.

Click here to watch MORE PHOTOS

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Christmas - Polish Traditions

Merry Christmas! / or Happy Holidays!,
Today (like I have promised in previous post) I would like describe you Christmas traditions in my country - Poland.
In Poland Christmas Eve is a day first of fasting, then of feasting.The feast begins with the appearance of the first star; there is no meat in the feast, and it is followed by the exchange of gifts.

The following days is often spent visiting friends. In Polish tradition, people combine religion and family closeness at Christmas.On Christmas Eve, so important is the first star of the night that it has been given the affectionate name of "little star" or Gwiazdka, in remembrance of the Star of Bethlehem. On that night, children watch the sky hoping to be the first to cry out, "The star!" The moment the star appears, people can start eating. According to tradition, bits of hay are spread beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that Christ was born in a manger. In some places on the table we prepare an empty place for a wanderer who may be in need.

The meal begins with the breaking of the opłatek (this is kind of very thin wafer - like on photo)Everyone at the table breaks off a piece and eats, then we share a piece with each family member giving good wishes for the following year.On the table should be twelve dishes, as a symbol of the Twelve Apostles.Poppy seed cake, beet soup, prune dumplings, carp, herring and noodles with cabbage and mushrooms are universal Polish Christmas foods.On the table should be twelve dishes, as a symbol of the Twelve Apostles. Traditionally, there is no meat eaten on Christmas Eve. Often there is compote of dry fruits.

The remainder of the evening is given to stories and songs around the Christmas tree. In the midnight Catholic go on Christmas midnight mass.

Many churches in Poland in Christmas time organize crèche which present history of Saints Family.
One of the largest creche in Europe (built inside church) is creche in Franciscans' basilica in Katowice - on the last one photo. For building of creche were used a lot of figures (the oldest are even 130 years old)and 2 kilometers of cables You may admire this crèche to 2 February.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Poland - Christmas Time

The Christmas season begins with Advent and lasts until the feast of the Three Kings. Christmas in Polish is known as Boze Narodzenie ("God's birth"). From a religious point of view, Christmas is considered the second most important feast after Easter, but it is definitively the biggest family gathering and reconciliation day of the year.
Today, like sings a Jim Brickman “I am Sending You a Little Christmas” – from Silesia – industrial region in Poland. I hope that it will be good “starter” to welcome a Christmas.
About Silesia – I should, and I will write a lot of stories but now I would like present my region in the different way. I show you some photos form The Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park in witch was organized the typical Silesian Christmas Eve

The Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park is an open air ethnographic museum located in Chorzow near Katowice. Museum presents traditional rural architecture from the end of 18th until first half of 20th century. Wooden Buildings collected in scansen come from various regions of Silesian Voivodeship. Sightseers are welcome to visit many wooden buildings:wind-mill and water-mill, granaries, wayside shrines and historic church - on photo in Christmas time beautifully decorated.

In Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park often are organize very interesting exhibitions and events. In previous Sunday I was in outdoor event named “Silesian’s Christmas Eve” ("Śląsko Wilijo" - in Silesian language). I must tell you that it was really great! Bread-soup (moczka), Cannabis-soup! ( siemieniotka), poppy seed with nuts and figs (makówki), fish, boiled cabbage with pea (kapusta z grochem), these and many different dishes I could taste on place in the cottages, besides I could listen carols and hostesses’ chats.
On the all place of Ethnographic Park was Christmas-trades. Visitors could buy hand made decorations, pictures – like this with Pope, as well as the Christmas dishes and cakes.
Besides on whole place of Scansen walked carolers, Saint Clauses, peoples with traditional hand-made color masks which they showed customs.
There are many Polish customs and beliefs that have been passed from generation to generation as part of a tradition. A lot of them are still observed today. And despite the passage of time, they keep their freshness and are a part of contemporary Polish culture. Some of them have deep folk roots others are connected to religious beliefs; and still others combine both religious and folk elements. The Polish customs, especially at Christmas time, are both beautiful and meaningful but about it I will write in the next post.
Click here to watch MORE PHOTOS

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Netherlands - Bicycles

Bicycles are a very familiar part of everyday life in the Netherlands. In fact, probable the 15 million Dutch people own about 12 million bicycles; that's nearly as many bicycles as people, and twice as many bikes as cars! Bikes are a great and easy way of getting around because the Netherlands is so flat. Dutch people don't just use their bikes for fun - cycling is an important way of travelling, from doing the daily shopping to going to work.
Because so many people in this country cycle, the Netherlands has special traffic lanes, rules and road signs to improve safety for bikes. There are over 17,000 km of cycle lanes, indicated by round blue signs with a white bicycle on them. In cities like Amsterdam or Rotterdam these lanes even have special bicycle traffic lights!

If you will be in Amsterdam you have to: firstly visit a special parking place for bike near to the railwaiy station it is anazing view; secoundly rent a bike and go ahead and in the end notice exceptional bicycle saddle.
If you see more photos klick on Click here to watch MORE PHOTOS


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Friday, 5 November 2010

Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis, Blockage, Further Synthesis, Murder

1st person: The cause is 'a'.

2nd person: No, the cause is 'b'.

1st: In that case, there must be a cause 'c' that encapsulates both our positions, and explains the disparity between our views.

2nd: No, the cause is 'b'.

1st: But listen, 'c' explains why you think 'b' and I think 'a' - it explains why we both feel differently.

2nd: Fuck off and stop torturing me! It is 'b'!

1st: You are refusing to accept that I have a viewpoint that forces you to think more widely than your defensive position. In effect, you are denying I exist, in an attempt to shore up your own existence. Call this position 'd' - it attempts to explain why you refuse to see that 'c' reconciles the discordance of 'a' and 'b'.

2nd: [stabs 1st] It's 'b'! 'b'! 'b'!!! you fucking bastard! Now leave me alone!

amadblog said...

Entertaining 1ST

David said...

Yet I can hardly blame 2nd.


text:
Guide to ACA/ACE Project Partnering Contracts PPC2000 and SPC2000

This Guide to PPC2000 and SPC2000 is rooted firmly in practical feedback, taken from many experienced industry professionals working on real projects. It provides in a logical form, the process of formulating an agreement and addresses the many issues that arise when using a partnering contract.

The guide looks in depth at both the backgrounds and key features of each of the contracts and goes through associated documentation. It also highlights standard watch points and common pitfalls to avoid.

ISBN: 978-1-901171-21-1


text:
Monday, December 14, 2009

Rudolph-the-red-nosed Reindeer is sick

Today Mike and I planned to meet during his lunch hour at the mall with Anne and Whitney to see Santa and get their picture taken with him. I got the girls all dressed up and did their hair and we headed out to see Daddy and Santa. I even checked online to see when Santa takes his "break" so we wouldn't get there during his break and have to wait with a three-year-old and 15-month-old. Mike got there before us and called me on my cell as I was in the parking lot to tell me there is no one there --- the chair, tree, set-up, etc... is there, but no santa and no photographer. I thought "that's odd" - I even told Mike how I had checked to see when his break is, maybe he had to go to the bathroom and couldn't wait??? I then found a place to park, got the girls out of the car and headed into the mall. Mike met us at the entrance and told me that Rudolph is sick and Santa had to stay home to take care of him. I said, "very funny!", he said, "I'm serious" - apparently there is a sign near where the photographer is normally set up stating, "Sorry folks, Rudolph is sick. Santa is taking care of him. He will be back tomorrow." Mike is convinced that Santa had a little too much fun at the Indianapolis Colts football game yesterday and just couldn't make it in to work today to take pictures with little kids and find out what they want for Christmas. We decided since the set was there and Santa's chair was available that we were going to at least take a few pictures of our own with the girls all dressed up. Here are a few of the pics (minus Santa and Rudolph):

Hector and Jennifer Varanini Sanchez said...

Those are the cutest darn girls!!!

Sasha said...

I can't believe it. Santa was sick. They should have a back up. Anyways the pics look great with the girls all dressed up and the decorations in the back. Love their outfits.

Jill said...

Too cute!! That's one big chair!

Kele said...

Don't mean to poke fun at your misfortune, but that is hysterical!
But I'm with Mike, surely there is more to the story and Santa is just making Rudolph the fall guy!
You got some cute pics tho, but that isn't too hard to do with your precious ones!

Sharon said...

Oh my gosh! How frustrating to get everyone dressed and ready only to find Santa and Rudolph took a sick day! Either way, the pictures are adorable!

kathy.stadler said...

You are amazingly flexible
and brilliant!
How smart of you to use the chair and
take pictures! You made lemonade out of lemons..and it turned out
Those dresses are beautiful on
your beautiful Girls!
Merry Christmas. God bless all.
Love, Aunt Kathy

Ellen said...

You still got some super cute pictures. I think Santa and Rudolph were nursing hangovers.

Anonymous said...

How frustrating! Ditto to mike's comment! The girls and family pictures are so adorable! Love Anne's dress! Whitney does not seem too upset! Beautiful girls!!!

Jen Gribble said...

Just adorable! No other words for these photos!!

Michelle said...

what pretty dresses! Great idea to take advantage of the set up :)


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FX markets fail to react to yet another failed summit…

With turkey-stuffed bellies and another disappointing round of negotiations from Brussels, the market has been left rather listless and wanting of directionality.

A thin week has become even thinner and aside from various sound bites from both Japan and Europe, little has gone on in recent days and certainly overnight.

The initial shock (well… not really) of a failure to agree on Greece saw the EURUSD plumb fresh depths to then quickly reverse and continue higher on its current path of mean reversion. Other crosses attempted to follow suit but ran into far stronger headwinds than did the single currency. Outperformance was perhaps most notable in the JPY crosses as Shinzo Abe, who is favourite to win the Japanese election, made it clear that direct FX intervention was not going to be the way forward for a weaker JPY, but rather definitive and consistent policy out of the central bank instead. The veiled attempt at central bank independence is certainly losing its lustre as the electioneering reaches full steam. This was enough to send a reversal shiver across the JPY pairs and last minute JPY shorts have now to a degree been washed out. The path higher for the USDJPY is still the one of least resistance, however, even this is slowly losing some of its puff.

EU budget talks overnight in Brussels have stalled once more and now (along with a decision on Greece) we await Monday for some more clarity, but as has been proven all year, holding your breath in expectation of a firm resolution, will only likely leave you breathless…

With regard levels on the day, well simply put, I’m not playing and nor should you…

EURUSD will have a tough time above 1.2930 on first attempt and I would not anticipate a weekly close above here, with 1.2850 a more likely closing level for the week. As such, nothing to be done in this pair today.

The cable still looks mildly constructive and as long as we can close the week above or at best around 1.5900/30 then next week should continue to see upside.

The AUDUSD is firmly in mid range and 1.0350 on the downside and 1.0430 on the topside should contain us.

As it’s Friday and the Yanks are on another half day, all the more reason not to ruin your weekend with a cheap punt.

Helmets on and good luck.


text:
Wednesday, 14 October 2015

Sensex Remains Range-Bound; Fertiliser, Infra Stocks Gain

BSE Sensex and Nifty struggled continued to struggle in afternoon trade amid weak global markets.
The Sensex was down 46 points at 26,800 while Nifty slipped 16 points to 8,115.

For best update news in the market on nifty future tips, nifty trading tips and all segment connect with us at or call at 07316619100

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The Most Effective Controls in Limiting Fraud Losses

John Warren, J.D., CFE
ACFE Vice President and General Counsel

One of the most important things we try to accomplish with our global fraud study, the Report to the Nations, is to identify key characteristics about organizations that have been victimized by occupational fraud. Although every business is vulnerable to fraud, the more we can learn about organizations that suffered frauds in the past, the more information we will have to prevent occupational fraud or at least limit its impact in the future.

Perhaps the most important victim data contained in the Report to the Nations is the information we gather on anti-fraud controls. We ask each of our respondents to tell us which, if any, of 16 common anti-fraud measures were utilized by the victim organizations while the frauds were occurring. We then compare the losses based on whether a particular control was or was not present. For example, in 2012 we found organizations that used a hotline experienced a median loss of $100,000 per occupational fraud case, while organizations that did not use a hotline had a median loss of $180,000.  This analysis gives us a general indication of the impact various anti-fraud controls have in limiting fraud losses. We can say, for instance, that the presence of a hotline was associated with a 44.4 percent lower median fraud loss.

In the table below, we’ve presented the results of this analysis for each edition of the Report to the Nations dating back to 2008. For each anti-fraud measure, you can see the reduction in fraud losses it was associated with, along with its ranking relative to other controls.[1]One interesting thing to note is that every one of these controls was associated with lower fraud losses in all three editions of the Report.

The key information in this table is contained in the yellow shaded columns at the right, where we have combined the results from all three editions of the Report. This data comprises more than 4,100 total cases of occupational fraud. The two bold columns show the average loss reduction and overall ranking of each control for the three combined studies. We see here that hotlines have ranked No.1 among all anti-fraud measures in this analysis, typically being associated with a 54.5 percent reduction in fraud losses.  Hotlines were followed by employee support programs, surprise audits, fraud training for managers and executives, job rotation/mandatory vacation, and fraud training for employees.  Every one of those six anti-fraud controls was associated with at least a 45 percent reduction in fraud losses, and all six controls ranked in the top 8, respectively, in each edition of the Report.

In the two far-right columns of the table above, we have presented the average rate of implementation for each control.  In other words, this shows what percentage of victim organizations were utilizing each control at the time the frauds occurred. We can clearly see that the six most effective anti-fraud measures all scored poorly in terms of implementation. With one exception, these controls all ranked 9th or lower in terms of implantation rate, and only two of them were used by more than half of the organizations in our studies.

What this data seems to indicate is that the anti-fraud measures which tend to have the greatest impact on fraud losses are being under-utilized. Every control in the table above is important and they all have an impact not only in limiting fraud losses but also in preventing them. But the six highest ranking anti-fraud controls, according to our study, are utilized by an unacceptably low number of companies and agencies.

Every organization is, at some point, vulnerable to occupational fraud. Ideally we would prevent all such frauds from ever occurring, but sooner or later a fraud will occur, and when it does, the best thing we can do is catch it as quickly as possible and limit the financial impact of the crime. We hope organizations that are serious about reducing their exposure to occupational fraud will consider this data and in future studies we will see the implementation rates for hotlines, support programs, surprise audits, fraud training and job rotation increase substantially.

[1] “Formal Fraud Risk Assessments” was not a category prior to the 2012 Report.


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Sunday, September 29, 2013

Harvesting Garden Herbs For The Winter

Fall Harvest
I've been busy getting my house ready for Fall.
A few weekends ago I cut down the potted herbs on my deck and began the process of prepping them for freezing.
I had a beautiful assortment of herbs this summer along with my tomato, jalapeno pepper and lavender plants.  Instead of flowers on my deck I grew tarragon, sage, lemon sage, rosemary, mint, apple mint, oregano, basil, dill, chives,  cilantro, parsley and hot and spicy oregano. The only good thing about the rain this summer was I rarely had to water.
After the herbs were cut and the best leaves were selected, I soaked them in separate bowls.  Then I washed and washed until not a particle of dirt was left.  I individually washed some of the larger leaves like the sage.
I always keep some large towels in my laundry room.  They come in handy for lots of kitchen chores.  I spread out all the herbs to dry.  Every now and then throughout the day I moved and turned them so they dried evenly.
When the herbs were completely dry I put them in bundles on the counter.  I mixed a few together like the mint, oregano, sage, etc. because I combined them in recipes all summer.  The flavors compliment each other.

Lastly the herbs were packaged in freezer bags and labeled making sure to let the air out of the bags before sealing. The jalapeno peppers were washed, dried and placed in the bags whole.

Last week I picked some of the last tomatoes from my pots.  We used the frozen cilantro and jalapeno peppers for salsa and it was really good.  Over the winter when it gets too cold to grill, I'll use the rosemary, sage and tarragon to season pork tenderloin which is stuffed with apples and onions. The recipe is coming soon!  Instead of butter, I use chives with sour cream for sweet potatoes .  Parsley goes so fast I can never keep enough of it in my freezer.  These herbs won't last through the winter but I love having them in my house when I need them instead of forgetting to buy them!

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Also found in: Medical.
AFBPAction For Blind People
AFBPAustin Family Business Program (Corvallis, OR)
AFBPAnimal Fat By-Products
References in periodicals archive ?
Since 1985, AFBP has been fostering healthy family businesses with innovative educational experiences and tools.
The need for the AFBP was first recognized by co-founders Jeff Grace of New Jersey, Matt Wentland of Wisconsin and Doug Manley of Kansas City, while hanging out in a bar in New Orleans after a night of revelry while at Mardi Gras.


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FEMAFederal Emergency Management Agency (US government)
FEMAForeign Exchange Management Act (India)
FEMAFarm Equipment Manufacturers Association
FEMAFederation of European Motorcyclists Association
FEMAFlavor and Extract Manufacturer's Association
FEMAFire Equipment Manufacturers' Association, Inc.
FEMAFailure Effects & Mode Analysis
FEMAFederation Europeenne du Modelisme Automobile
FEMAFacilities Equipment Maintenance Applications
References in periodicals archive ?
FEMA also recognizes the valuable role played by Regional, State, and local stakeholders, including Members of Congress, who have been instrumental in widely circulating this much needed flood hazard mapping update in the City and across the region.
Sadler's memo, though, says that unlike the standard flood insurance policy proof of loss deadline, which FEMA can extend because it has authority to interpret the law, "FEMA cannot extend the time limit for NFIP insureds to bring a lawsuit.
Dobson herself is still living in a FEMA trailer as she waits on replacement carpet for her home.
The FEMA fire grants will be available to cover 75 percent of the expenses for field camps, equipment, supplies and mobilization activities after Texas reaches a minimum cost threshold.
FEMA joined 22 other federal agencies, programs and offices in becoming part of the Department of Homeland Security, and its Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate.
Recommendation: To enhance the identification, management, and protection of SSI within FEMA in its administration of the Recovery Act PSGP, the FEMA Administrator should direct FEMA's Assistant Administrator for GPD to develop, document, and approve a policy that reflects management's intent to implement internal controls governing FEMA's review process for Recovery Act recipient reports that include appropriate internal controls and a procedure both for comparing recipient reports against SSI criteria and notifying recipients when their submissions contain SSI.
After any major disaster strikes, you should expect to be dealing with FEMA for anywhere from five to seven years before the incident is closed.
Wouldn't it have been better for FEMA to pay the electric bills?
FEMA also announced that proposed revisions to the National Response Plan, which guides federal response to disasters, will be delayed in order to ensure that "its key concepts .
Contrasting last year's convoluted effort with how the agencies have agreed to work together this year, Lippert first displayed a virtual "spaghetti" of lines and boxes depicting last year's DLA's approval chain for FEMA support.
Seems the FEMA folks didn't consider that their agency's own rules don't allow them to put mobile homes in flood zones, which includes most of the Katrina-hit areas on the Gulf Coast.


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Sunday, September 15, 2013

The Ins and Outs of Outfits

"I just bought a new outfit!"
"Wow, it's very cute...looks great on you!  Have you made an Outfit of it yet?"
"Uh...what do you mean?  It IS an outfit...isn't it?"

No, not quite.  In Second Life, there is a distinction between an outfit and an Outfit (besides the capitalization, I mean.)  In today's post, we're talking about the capital letter Outfits!

But before we can do that, we need to talk about the thing that makes Outfits possible...Links.  A Link is your inventory's equivalent of a Windows shortcut, or the link to a media file in a Windows Library.  Links are not objects, they are pointers to objects.  When you right click something in your inventory and copy it, you are given the option to Paste it (unless it is a No Copy object) or Paste As Link.  The second option creates a Link, a pointer to the object in your inventory.

This is a huge advantage in inventory organization.  Without Links, No Copy objects could only be accessed from one place in your inventory, and if you moved those diamond earrings from your Jewelry folder to be in the folder with your favorite gown, they would no longer be in Jewelry when you next looked for them there.  But, by creating a Link to the earrings and putting that into the folder with your gown, you can easily find the earrings when you wear that gown, and also in Jewelry when you want to wear them with something else.  One caution:  You can always safely delete a Link.  But, if you try to delete the object that the Link points to, you will first get a warning message.  If you continue and delete it, any Links to that object will be "broken".  They will continue to exist, but they can no longer find their parent object.  You might want to search for (broken) now and then and clean up any of these in your inventory.

Now that we understand Links, we can go on to our main topic, Outfits.  An Outfit is a "complete avatar" look.  It can contain every part of your look -- your skin, shape, hair, eyes, clothing, shoes, attachments and HUDs.  Outfits are stored in their own system-level inventory folder called, appropriately enough, Outfits.

The great benefit of Outfits is that, once you have created a look you love, you can save it as an Outfit.  Then the next time you want that look, you can put it on with two mouse clicks.  Just right click the folder for that Outfit, and choose "Replace Current Outfit" from the context menu... or drag the Outfit folder from your inventory and drop it on your avatar.

Once you have a number of Outfits, you will probably want to organize them within the Outfits folder to make them easier to find.  My partner Cindi has well over 100 Outfits, organized first into seasons, and then into categories like Beachwear, Casual, Costumes, Dressy, Clubbing, and Formal.  If you want, you can even make an Outfit for those intimate times with your lover...just your skin, shape, hair, eyes...and your add-on Naughty Bits.

To make an Outfit, first assemble your look.  Be sure to pay attention to every part of the look -- skin, shape, hair, makeup tattoos, prim fingernails, eyelashes, shoes, lingerie, clothing, and jewelry.  If any of the things you wear has a HUD (your shoes, for example), leave the HUD on screen and save it with the Outfit.  That way, if you have changed the color of something since the last time you wore it with this particular Outfit, it will be easy to change it back.

Once you are sure you have gotten your look totally together, right click yourself and select Appearance/Edit Outfit.  An Outfit window will open up, showing you all the things you are wearing or have attached.  Check one more time to be sure you have all the things you want, and nothing that you don't want.  Then, at the bottom of the window, expand the Save button and choose Save As.  A small window will open up, allowing you to give the Outfit a unique name.  Do so, then click OK.  Now you can detach any adjustment HUDs and go meet your friends.  Be ready to graciously accept compliments on your new Outfit!

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

FLASH! Firestorm Turns 3!

The very popular Firestorm third party viewer has turned three years old, and the team is celebrating.  Go to this location (and others, see the Firestorm blog on their web site) to collect some free gifts, this week only.

There's a lovely pendant designed by Zuri Rayna, and a Firestorm kitten pet.

Happy Birthday to Jessica Lyon and the dedicated Firestorm developer team!


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Sunday, March 20, 2011

Ask Members of the NC House to Support HB 234

On Thursday, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed HB 234, the Jurors Qualification bill. This legislation attempts for the second year to eliminate statutory language that discriminates against potential jurors who are deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, the legislation adds a section to allow a potential juror living with a disability to disclose their disability in private to let the court know in advance if their disability may interfere with their ability to serve.

The bill has bipartisan support, but may have gotten slowed down due to an amendment that allows for people to ask to be dismissed if they are 66 years or older (currently the age is 72). HB 234 will be up for third and final reading on Tuesday's legislative calendar.

Please thank legislators who voted in favor of the HB 234 last week and asked for their continued support on Tuesday. Please feel free to use the Society website to send an email to your NC Representative.

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Friday, May 9, 2014

Dear Friends, It's time to bring this blog back to life. It will take time and it will take patience, but I'm here and I'm thinking. A lot has been on my heart since I started baking again. I have more time for baking, for reading, for learning...and I'm changing the way I do things. I will still run my business "as is" for now, but I see many new things on our horizon. Get ready for some fun eats!

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