TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's state TV says the country's border police have confiscated over 11 tons of narcotics after fierce clashes with drug traffickers in southeastern Iran, the biggest single consignment ever seized in Iran's war against drugs.
It quoted provincial border police chief, Gen. Qolam Nabi Kouhkan, as saying Saturday that the various narcotics were seized from traffickers Friday night.
One of the drug traffickers was killed and several others injured in the armed clashes that took place on Iran's border with Pakistan.
Kouhkan said the operation was helped by tips from locals, and that traffickers had carried the drugs on camels from Pakistan.
Iran lies on a major drug route between Afghanistan and Europe, as well as the Persian Gulf states, where the confiscation of large amounts of narcotics is common.
It's not often that you hear that Apple and Google?both fighting for utter smartphone dominance?have teamed up on anything, but reports from Bloomberg say it's the case. And they're both going in on a half a billion dollars worth of Kodak patents.
Kodak is selling that patents as part of its bankruptcy liquidation, and apparently there are valuable enough to cause Apple and Google to make temporary peace. At least, that's what Bloomberg's unnamed sources are saying. And while it might seem like an odd pairing, the alliance makes sense. This way both companies will get some patents, pay less for them, and not have to worry about being sued by a rival. It's a better bet than paying a fortune to outbid a competitor and then maybe still losing.
Apparently both Google and Apple had put up offers separately, with their own groups of allies. Now, with their powers combined, they can offer a higher sum and have a greater guarantee of snagging the 1,100 patent portfolio. And then they can go right back to fighting for market-share, as usual. [Bloomberg]
? 2012 American City Business Journals. All rights reserved. Use of this Site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 3/14/12) and Privacy Policy (updated 3/14/12).
Your California Privacy Rights.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of American City Business Journals.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The water wars are raging again in America's heartland. Drought-stricken states are competing for the increasingly scarce water of the Missouri River and have taken their case to the White House.
Officials from more than 30 states have written President Barack Obama urging him to intervene ? or not ? in a dispute about whether water in the Missouri River's upstream reservoirs should be released to flow down to the Mississippi River.
Officeholders in downstream states say the water is needed to help raise low levels on the Mississippi that are threatening to halt barge traffic.
But if the water is released, officials in upstream states warn that the toll of the drought could worsen for farms and towns that depend on the Missouri River.
Model Programs For Reducing Fire and Injury May 6, 2012
Leaders Demonstrate Life Saving Programs Have you ever sat in a room of your peers and wonder ?Why didn?t I think of that? or ??how did they have time to get it done?? That ahh ha moment came multiple teams this weekend as I participated in the Models in Fire Prevention Symposium put on by [...]
Michael O'Brian
ICC Hearings First Step to Develop 2015 Codes March 19, 2012
Public hearings include the International Building,?Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Plumbing and Private Sewage Disposal Codes Code enforcement officials, other construction industry professionals and the public will meet to consider a broad range of proposed code changes to several International Codes that will improve building safety. Codes developed by the Internat [?]
Michael O'Brian
NFPA Conference and Expo March 19, 2012
Scheduled for June 11-14 Las Vegas Nevada Join industry experts and professionals at this year?s conference and expo. ?If you haven?t been to an NFPA Expo this is a show to try to attend. ?The conference has over 350 classroom sessions, a large expo, and you can help shape the next round of codes issued [...]
Michael O'Brian
Call for Nominations: Excellence in Fire & Life Safety March 18, 2012
The Fire & Life Safety Section of the IAFC is now accepting nominations for the 6th Annual Excellence in Fire and Life Safety Award, sponsored by the International Code Council (ICC). The award was developed by the ICC and the Fire & Life Safety Section to honor individuals who have dedicated themselves to saving lives [...]
Michael O'Brian
Collinwood School Fire March 5, 2012
March 4, 1908 Clevland Ohio The Collinwood School Fire (also known as the Lake View School Fire) of Ash Wednesday, March 4, 1908 was one of the deadliest disasters of its type in the United States during its era. 172 students, two teachers and a rescuer were killed in the disaster in Collinwood, Ohio, a [...]
The MSU volleyball team is slated to play against Michigan today, but this time, the match will be anything but the usual.
The Spartans and Wolverines will clash for the third time this season in Berkeley, Calif., but it isn?t the long distance that is the biggest oddity of the match ? it?s the stakes.
?Winners go on, losers go home,? junior outside hitter Lauren Wicinski said.
And Wicinski is exactly right, since tonight will be a do-or-die match in the regional semifinal of the NCAA Tournament.
The Spartans? first Sweet 16 appearance since 2007 also will be the first time they play the Wolverines three times in the same season since 1994, where they squared off in a preseason tournament before two conference matchups.
Making a correct prediction for the match has the same difficulty as stopping a Wicinski kill shot. The teams split their matches on the year, with the Spartans sweeping the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, only to have the Wolverines return the favor in Jenison Field House on Nov. 21.
Although a win by either team is no guarantee, junior middle blocker Alexis Mathews knows that the Spartans will perform better than they did in their last match against Michigan.
?We are going to play better, obviously,? Mathews said. ?We know what they are going to do, so we are working on cleaning up what we didn?t do last time.?
If the Spartans continue their roll, they will play the winner of the Stanford-Iowa State match. No. 2 Stanford, who went 19-1 in the Pac-12 to win their conference title, have been 26-1 since starting their season on a rocky 3-3 record. Their success has been contributed to their balanced style of play, and owning the nation?s 11th-best blocks per set rate of 2.93.
No. 15 Iowa State is not a team to count out either, as they are carrying a 12-match winning streak into today?s match. During that run, Iowa State knocked off then-No. 20 Kansas State and, more impressively, then-No. 3 Texas, ending their 17-match winning streak.
The Spartans will have a chance to take one step closer to the Final Four at 8 p.m. EST tonight in University of California-Berkeley?s Haas Pavilion.
ScienceDaily (Dec. 4, 2012) ? Hitoshi Goto and colleagues have developed high performance molecular simulation tools to study the 3D arrangement of molecules, enabling better design of medicinal and agricultural drugs.
"We've developed high performance molecular simulation tools and a graphical user interface for researchers to study the conformation -- the three-dimensional structural arrangement of molecules, and this is enabling us to design medicinal and agricultural drugs that are more effective and have fewer side-effects," says Goto. The tool-set has been commercialized under the brand name CONFLEX/BARISTA, for which Goto wrote the algorithms.
He explains that CONFLEX, together with its graphical user interface BARISTA, enables researchers to visualize the possible spatial arrangements of atoms in a molecule and therefore more easily study their chemically important (energetically stable) molecular formations. This in turn can reveal how a particular arrangement or conformation influences a molecule's chemical behavior. For instance, HIV inhibitors can be better understood and studied with the aid of 3-D graphical representations provided by the software.
Another area of Goto's research involves the development of methods to predict crystal structures in instances of molecular structures having more than one crystalline form: a phenomenon known as polymorphism.
"When a molecule can be crystallized with different packing forms, a part of the grown crystal may show unexpected physical, chemical and biological (medicinal) properties," says Goto. For instance, a second crystal structure of aspirin has recently been discovered, which is slightly different to the commonly known standard structure. Goto's crystal simulation technology can be used to calculate the energies bound up in such a polymorphic structure, an understanding that can help research chemists predict its medicinal effects.
CONFLEX is currently available at version 6. Goto and his lab co-workers have been working on new algorithms that will help researchers search for new crystal structures, an endeavor that normally requires the use of expensive X-ray equipment. "This function will be available in a few months in version 7 of CONFLEX," says Goto. "Developing these algorithms is very complex and time consuming. In fact, I've been working on them for over a decade, for it's involved a lot of trial and error. So I'm pleased this feature is now ready to be distributed."
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Toyohashi University of Technology, via ResearchSEA.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
The reason all The Avengers 2 stories at this point have likely been bullshit is because there was nothing on paper.? It?s difficult to get a scoop without evidence, and while unnamed sources might leak particular bits of info, the info may quickly turn false.? So when you read that actresses are being eyed for the role of Ms. Marvel, it?s a rumor that should be taken with every grain of salt in the world.? But at least today, there is an outline for The Avengers 2.? Obviously, a lot changes over the course over the entire filmmaking process, and Joss Whedon?s first outline for the film might have no resemblance to the finished feature.
Hit the jump for more.? The Avengers 2 opens May 1, 2015.
EW?who has named Whedon one of their Entertainers of the Year?has revealed what?s going on with the very tired creator:
We met with him just days after he had submitted an outline for the 2015 sequel The Avengers, and as he was in the midst of preparing to shoot the pilot for what could be his next television series: S.H.I.E.L.D, a spy-fi drama tracking the ongoing adventures of the secret agents and superhero wranglers of Marvel?s movie world. If ABC he picks up the series, Whedon will remain involved as exec producer, and frequent collaborators Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen (Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible) and Jeffrey Bell (Angel) will serve as lead showrunners.
So just to recap: Whedon has joined Marvel President Kevin Feige in basically overseeing every Marvel?s Phase Two, keeping an eye on the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series, and working on one of the biggest movies of 2015.? No pressure.
Evidence to the contrary, Whedon is only human, but even he was a bit surprised when he found a personal connection with the Hulk.? He tells EW:
?What was most astonishing to me about making that movie was how personal it was,? he says. ?I literally had the I?m-always-angry revelation during production. I had this certain amount of back-burner simmer of rage that I was completely aware of, but apparently I wrote it for Bruce Banner, going (to myself): ?I think this is what a guy like this might go through!? Interesting! What guy, Joss? ?I don?t know! Some guy. I can?t think of anyone in particular, or why this is coming to me?? Really, Joss? Really??
Amazon is continuing its global march by making a big move into the country that could rightfully lay claim to being responsible for Amazon's name: today the online book and retail marketplace announced it would be launching its Kindle Store in Brazil. A move to Brazil with an e-bookstore-only operation has been on the cards since earlier this year; the main site opens this month with access to Amazon's Kindle e-book store from today, with Kindle devices going on sale in "the coming weeks," priced at 299 Brazilian reals (US$143).
I'm about to walk into my favorite restaurant in the world. The food is yummy, healthy and fits my budget. The staff knows my name and rarely has to ask how I'd like something served. And the location couldn't be better. It's the perfect place.
But before I can pass the threshold to nosh nirvana, a stranger on his way out gives me a sideways glance and whispers, "This place is horrible. Don't bother."
This place? My place? The best restaurant on earth? How can this be? Perhaps something has changed. Did the chef leave? Is the cute hostess gone? Have I been wrong this whole time?
But I have faith. I follow through, and the best restaurant in the world is still just that, just as I remembered.
Instagram has turned off Twitter Cards integration, leaving Instagram users on the short-winded social network with cropped, less-than-perfect copies of their masterwork in iPhonography. Kevin Systrom, Instagram's founder and CEO, spoke on stage at LeWeb 12 about it today, saying that "this is an evolution of where we want links to our content to go."
TODAY's Al Roker reports that temperatures across the country are much warmer than usual for this time of year, with some areas experiencing highs that are 20 to 30 degrees above normal.
By Miguel Llanos, NBC News
If you like your early Decembers mild and with just a touch of snow, this one's for you: Not only have temperatures been warm in many parts, just 7 percent of the continental U.S. is currently covered with snow ? a much smaller footprint than the 32 percent this time last year.
Some Midwest cities known for snow haven't seen any so far this season. Moreover, due to a warm spring, they are?closing in on?their records for most days without snow.?
Chicago has gone 275 days without measurable snow through Tuesday, weather.com reported. The record, set in 1994, is 280 days. The city's average snow total by Dec. 4 is 2.2 inches.?Milwaukee, Wis., and Des Moines, Iowa, are on similar tracks.
Omaha, Neb., on Wednesday tied its no-snow record of 285 days.
Data compiled by the National Weather Service?since 2003 show that no other Dec. 5 was in single digits in terms of snow cover???and 2005 was up to 48 percent.
As far as temperatures go, more than 1,600 daily warm temperatures were tied or broken during the week of Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, weather.com noted.?
Wednesday's forecast included temperatures "anywhere from 10 to almost 30 degrees above normal" in some places, NBC News meteorologist Al Roker said on TODAY. Cities in that range include Billings, Mont.; Amarillo, Texas; Tucson, Ariz.; Columbia, S.C.; and St. Louis.
On Tuesday, record highs for a Dec. 4 were set in various cities, including: Syracuse, N.Y. (70 degrees); Flint, Mich. (65); Georgetown, Del. (73); and Morgantown, W.Va. (69).
Cold air has been "trapped in Canada and Alaska," weather.com said. But, starting Friday, the Midwest and Plains should turn cooler.
By early next week temperatures will be below freezing and the system could produce "the season's first significant, plowable snow in many locations," weather.com stated.
Chicago, which reached 70 degrees on Monday, might even get snow, but don't expect it on the East Coast.
"Depending on how the storm develops, snow and wind could continue into Monday over the Great Lakes, including Chicago," weather.com noted. "By the time the frontal system gets into the East, rain looks likely to fall in most areas, including the I-95 urban corridor."
In Minnesota, locals looking forward to the first measurable snow this season include the owner of a store that sells snow blowers, NBC affiliate KARE11.com reported.
"Six inches would be great, just anything we can get that people have to get out in the driveway and clear the snowfall," said owner Ed Veits.
Watch KARE11.com's report on the lack of snow in Minnesota
More content from NBCNews.com:
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.
As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
The Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly informal networking business event Business First! on Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Waimea at the Red Water Caf?.
KKCC holds Business First! on the first Tuesday of every month in the Waimea area for North Hawaii businesses.
The informal networking event is free and open to people who do business in North Hawaii or want to do business in North Hawaii.
Because the event is informal, it is a good opportunity to network with businesses both within and beyond your industry.
Red Water Caf?, located at 65-1299 Kawaihae Road, is in the space previously known?as Edelweiss restaurant and later as Fujimamas.
Registration is not required. Call KKCC at 329-1758 for more information.
It?s always fun to predict what will happen in the next year. No one is ever right, but you can hope to be directionally correct. With that in mind, here?s a few of my thoughts for what will happen in 2013?
Reform (PPACA?aka ObamaCare) will happen. While the Republicans will fight it, with Obama?s re-election and the Supreme Court decision. Reform will continue to happen. The states will mess up the Exchanges which will create many issues, but private exchanges will come to the ?rescue?.
?Big Data? will be a focus at every healthcare company. What data to store? How to mine the data? What data to integrate? How to bring in unstructured data such as physician?s notes? What to do with consumer reported and consumer tracked data from all the different devices?
Physicians will emerge back in the power seat. With Accountable Care Organizations and Patient Centered Medical Homes, consumers are finally becoming more aware of all the shortcomings in our sick care system. They trust their physicians although somewhat blindly given ongoing challenges with evidence-based care and quality which are often the result of our Fee For Service system (too little time) combined with an abundance of new research happening concurrently.
mHealth will be the buzz word and exciting space as entrepreneurs from outside healthcare and people with personal healthcare experiences will attempt to capitalize on the technology gap and chaos within the health system. This will create lots of innovation, but adoption will lag as consumers struggle with 15,000+ apps and the sickest patients (often older patients) are the slowest to adopt.
Device proliferation?will go hand in hand with mHealth and with the Quantified Self movement. This will create general health devices, fitness devices, diabetes solutions, hypertension solutions, and many other devices for wellness and home monitoring for elderly patients. Like mHealth, this will foster lots of innovation but be overwhelming for consumers and lead to opportunities for device agnostic solutions for capturing data and integrating that data for payors and providers to use.
The focus on incentives will shift in two ways. Technology vendors will begin to look more and more at the gamification of healthcare and how to use gaming theory and technology to drive initial and sustained engagement. At the same time, the recent ruling will allow employers to shift from rewards to ?penalties? in the form of premium differentials where patients who don?t do certain things such as take biometric screenings or engage with a case manager will pay more. In 2014 and 2015, this shift will be from penalties with activity to penalties tied to outcomes.
Consumer based testing will drive greater regulation. With the focus on home based testing (e.g., HIV or High Cholesterol) and the increased interest in genetic testing especially when tied to a medication, the FDA and other government agencies will have to address this market with new regulations to close gaps such as life insurance companies being able to force disclosure of genetic testing in order to get coverage (even though the testing isn?t necessarily deterministic).
Clinics will prepare for 2014.?With the increase number of consumers being covered in 2014, there will be an access challenge for patients to see a provider. This will drive buildout and utilization of health clinics such as TakeCare or MinuteClinic. Clinics will have to look at how to adapt their workflow to create a patient relationship which will create potential integration points with TeleHealth and bring back up the issue of whether they should or could replace the traditional Primary Care Provider (PCP) relationship or not.
Telemedicine will hit a tipping point and begin to Cross the Chasm. They now have better technology and adoption within major employers. This will start to create more and more business cases and social awareness of the solution. With utilization, we will see great adoption and the increasing use of smart phones for healthcare will drive telemedicine into an accelerated growth stage.
Transparency solutions will continue to be a hot area with CastLight and Change Healthcare?leading the way. Their independence and consumer engagement approaches based on critical moments (i.e., pointing out how to save money on Rxs just before a refill) and using multiple channels will show high ROI which will also increase broader healthcare awareness making them part of the population health solution.
Generics will no longer be a talked about issue. With generic fill rates running so high across different groups and being front page news, PBMs, pharmacies, and pharma will truly begin to move forward to embrace the specialty market with a clear vengeance (at least in the US).
There are still a few longer term trends that I?m watching, but I don?t think that 2013 is the primary year for them.
The evolving role of pharmacists within the Medical Home and with vaccines.
A significant shift from mail order to 90-day at retail fulfilled by massive central fill facilities.
Pharma?co-opetition where they begin to collaborate at the disease state level realizing the a rising tide is good for all boats.
Integration of data from all types of solutions and actions into workflow triggers that automatically create new events within the care management infrastructure using Service Oriented Architecture and Business Process Management.
Kansas State players celebrate after their NCAA college football game against Texas Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, in Manhattan, Kan. Kansas State won the game 42-24. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas State players celebrate after their NCAA college football game against Texas Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, in Manhattan, Kan. Kansas State won the game 42-24. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein (7) celebrates with tight end Travis Tannahill (80) after Klein scored a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Texas Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, in Manhattan, Kan. Kansas State won the game 42-24. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Oregon coach Chip Kelly talks with his players during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012.(AP Photo/Don Ryan)
Oregon running back Kenjon Barner (24) heads down field ahead of a pack of Oregon State defenders during the first half of their NCAA college football game in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) ? Oregon and Kansas State were atop the BCS standings just two weeks ago, each needing two wins for a likely trip to the BCS championship.
Those plans were derailed quickly with a loss on the same day, but they ended up with a nice consolation prize: A trip to the desert to face each other in the Fiesta Bowl.
And it should be a doozy.
Nos. 4 and 5 in the BCS standings, two of the nation's best offenses, a pair of Heisman Trophy contenders ? yep, the Fiesta Bowl has done it again, pulling off a marquee matchup for the second straight year.
"(It's) not just the rankings, but type of teams, the kinds of exciting plays and players that they put on the field," Fiesta Bowl executive director Robert Shelton said Sunday night. "We're thrilled."
The fans should be too, again.
The 2012 Fiesta Bowl was certainly a memorable one: Oklahoma State vs. Stanford, Nos. 3 and 4 in the BCS, dynamic teams with two of the nation's best quarterbacks in Brandon Weeden and the Cardinal's Andrew Luck.
The game matched the hype, with the Cowboys outlasting Stanford 41-38 in overtime, giving the Fiesta Bowl a much-needed boost after nearly losing its BCS status due to financial improprieties and a dud of a game in 2011.
This year's game has the potential to one-up 2012.
Oregon (11-1) and its swarm-of-bees offense has been one of the nation's best teams under coach Chip Kelly, reaching the BCS title game in 2011 and winning the Rose Bowl for the first time in 95 years last season.
This year, the Ducks are loaded with fleet-footed players, rolling up yards in big chunks, scoring in bunches.
They have one of the most dynamic players in the country in running back Kenjon Barner, a Heisman Trophy hopeful, and quarterback Marcus Mariota had no trouble handling the pressure of running Oregon's potent attack as a freshman.
Oregon, No. 5 in the AP Top 25, finished the season second nationally with 50.8 points per game, fourth in total offense at 550 yards and will be making its fourth straight BCS bowl appearance. The Ducks also played at University of Phoenix Stadium when they lost to Auburn in the 2011 BCS title game.
"It's an amazing challenge," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. "They're extremely talented and well-coached collectively. Offensively, they go faster than the speed of light, so to speak."
Snyder hasn't done too bad for himself in the Little Apple.
Orchestrator of what may be the biggest turnaround in college football history his first go-round in Manhattan, Snyder came out of retirement to re-energize K-State again in 2009 ? in the stadium named after him, no less.
He led the Wildcats to the Pinstripe Bowl in 2010 and followed, after a 7-0 start, with a 10-win season and a trip to the 2011 Cotton Bowl.
This season, No. 7 Kansas State (11-1) opened some eyes by trouncing Miami in its second game and started to draw national attention by knocking off Oklahoma in Norman on Sept. 22. Behind the do-everything quarterback Collin Klein, another of the Heisman favorites, and a tough defense, the Wildcats kept piling up wins to become No. 1 in the BCS standings on Nov. 11 for the first time in school history.
The Wildcats averaged 40.7 points per game, 10th nationally, and have an opportunistic defense that led the nation in turnover margin at plus-21.
Kansas State is playing in its second BCS bowl, with the 2004 Fiesta Bowl.
"Obviously, the job that Bill Snyder has done in Kansas State, his first tour, now his second tour, he'll go down in history as one of the greatest college football coaches this game has ever seen," Oregon coach Chip Kelly said. "He is a model for how to run your program does an outstanding job."
Originally scheduled to play each other this season before the game fell through, Kansas State and Oregon were atop the BCS rankings after defending national champion Alabama lost to Texas A&M on Nov. 10.
All the Wildcats and Ducks had to do was win their final two games and they would almost assuredly play in the BCS title game.
They ended up losing on the same day, turning the BCS on end.
Kansas State fell flat under the pressure, run over 52-24 by unranked Baylor. The Ducks couldn't get their high-flying offense going against Stanford and lost 17-14 in overtime.
That moved Notre Dame up to No. 1 and put the SEC back in the BCS championship picture.
With its win over No. 3 Georgia this weekend, the Crimson Tide earned a spot in Miami on Jan. 7 to face the Fighting Irish for the national title.
Kansas State bounced back to beat Texas 42-24 on Saturday night, sending Wildcat fans rushing onto the field after the school earned its third conference championship in 117 years.
Oregon closed out its regular season a week earlier, rolling over No. 16 Oregon State 48-24 in the Civil War to keep its BCS bowl hopes alive.
The losses prevented the Wildcats and Ducks from playing for a national championship, but they sure gave the Fiesta Bowl a boost with another matchup that could be the 1A to the title game.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who have a hormone disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and who take the birth control pill have twice the risk of blood clots than do other women on the Pill, according to a new study.
"For many women with PCOS, (the risks) will be small," said Dr. Christopher McCartney, an associate professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, who was not involved in the new work. "For some women, they might be high enough to say we really shouldn't use the Pill, such as for women over 35 who smoke."
The three to five percent of women in the U.S. with PCOS have a hormone imbalance, which can lead to irregular periods, extra hair growth and higher risks for being overweight and developing hypertension and diabetes.
They are often treated with oral contraceptives, many of whose labels already include warnings about blood clots. A blood clot, also called venous thromboembolism, can be deadly if it spreads to the lungs, although none of the cases of blood clots in the study were fatal.
Because women with PCOS already tend to have more heart disease risk factors, researchers wanted to see if the Pill adds any additional risk.
They used medical and pharmacy information from a large health insurance database, including 43,500 women with PCOS.
On average, over the course of a particular year, about 24 out of every 10,000 women with PCOS taking the Pill were diagnosed with a blood clot, compared to about 11 out of every 10,000 women without the disorder using the contraceptive.
"Am I particularly surprised by the findings? No," said Dr. Shahla Nader-Eftekhari, a professor at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, who treats women with PCOS but was not involved in the current study.
OBESITY PLAYING A ROLE?
The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, could not say for sure why women with PCOS are more likely to have a blood clot.
McCartney said he suspects that obesity has something to do with it.
At the beginning of the study in 2001 the percent of women with and without PCOS who were obese was the same - about 13 percent - but by the end of the study in 2009, 33 percent of women with PCOS and 21 percent of women without the disorder were obese.
"I really think that could be something that's contributing to the risk," McCartney told Reuters Health.
"Weight not only contributes to the risks associated with the Pill, it also contributes to some of the symptoms of PCOS and some of the metabolic problems associated with PCOS," he added.
McCartney pointed out that the risk of developing a blood clot, even among women with PCOS, is still considered small, and shouldn't necessarily discourage women from taking the Pill.
Steven Bird, the lead author of the study and an epidemiologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said that the importance of the findings is to raise awareness among women and their doctors that there is an increased risk for them if they take the Pill.
"Although the risk is small, prescribers should consider the increased risk for blood clots in women with PCOS who are prescribed contraceptive therapy," Bird told Reuters Health by email.
McCartney agreed, and added that it's also a good reminder for doctors of women with PCOS to discuss the importance of maintaining a healthy weight.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/VgvaOa Canadian Medical Association Journal, online December 3, 2012.
Alt-week takes a look at the best science and alternative tech stories from the last seven days.
Science. We like to think of it as a force for good. But, in the wrong hands, this isn't always the case. Something we're reminded of all too well this week. As a counter to that negative vibe, we are also reminded that for every Yin, there is a Yang, and this comes in the form of some developments in med-science that could mean new technology options for the blind. Then there's the Bigfoot DNA and shape-shifting robots, of course. This is alt-week.
ScienceDaily (Dec. 1, 2012) ? With the X-ray vision of DESY's light source DORIS, a research team from Hamburg and Iceland has uncovered the molecular structure of a master regulator central to the most deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma. The results, published in the scientific journal Genes & Development, throw new light on the workings of the so-called Microphthalmia-associated Transcription Factor MITF, that is not only connected to skin cancer, but also to a variety of hereditary diseases where the production of the skin pigment melanin is disturbed, and to certain aspects of ageing.
"Our data could provide a rational basis for the development of tailor-made drugs targeting MITF," explains first author Vivian Pogenberg from the Hamburg branch of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of the cells that produce the skin pigment melanin, the melanocytes. It is not the most common form of skin cancer but the one with the greatest death toll by far: about 3 out of 4 skin cancer related deaths are caused by melanoma. Important for the development of melanoma are malfunctions of the Microphthalmia-associated Transcription Factor MITF. Transcription factors regulate which part of the DNA is read and transcribed into a blueprint for a protein within the cell. Only few parts of the DNA are active in each cell, and this activity also changes with time. MITF for instance activates the cell's machinery to turn the amino acid tyrosine into the pigment melanin.
But MITF also makes stem cells turn into melanocytes in the first place and controls cell proliferation and death in these cells. That's why MITF is called a master regulator. In fact, it also has functions in other cell types like mast cells of the immune system and bone eating osteoclasts. Mutations in MITF not only play a role in the development of skin cancer, but also cause severe genetic diseases like the Tietz and Waardenburg syndromes that lead to deafness, skin and hair pigmentation defects, abnormal eye anatomy and altered vision. The transcription factor also plays a role in our hair turning grey with age and other age-related pigmentation alterations.
The researchers crystallised MITF in the lab and x-rayed them with DORIS. Crystals scatter X-rays in characteristic ways and produce diffraction patterns from which the structure of the crystal -- and here MITF -- can be reconstructed. The analysis revealed unexpected molecular insertions that give MITF a unique kink. MITF forms a dimer with a long coiled-coil protein "zipper," and the kink in this zipper limits MITF's ability to bind to other transcription factors. The team could also identify structural changes caused by a number of MITF mutations known to lead to particular coat colours in mice and to Tietz or Waardenburg syndrome in humans. The different forms of MITF were supplied by the University of Iceland, where the lab of Eir?kur Steingr?msson hosts a comprehensive MITF library. Steingrimsson also provided his expertise in cell biology and genetics to support the structural data produced in Hamburg.
Thanks to the structural information from DORIS the team could also investigate the binding site of MITF to the DNA at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France. The analysis revealed for instance that the eponymous mutation (the one leading to white coats and small eyes -- or microphthalmia -- in mice) causes structural changes in the MITF that prevents it from binding to the DNA. Other mutations also affect the binding site to the DNA, making MITF bind to the wrong genes. "Ultimately the goal will be to fully understand how MITF functions to evaluate how it can be targeted for potential treatment," says Matthias Wilmanns, a group leader at EMBL Hamburg. "One way would be, for instance, to design molecules that specifically stop MITF dimerisation in melanocytes," explains Pogenberg. "Or, on an alternative route, a different custom made molecule could stop the recognition of DNA by MITF."
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Vivian Pogenberg et al. Restricted leucine zipper dimerization and specificity of DNA recognition of the melanocyte master regulator MITF. Genes & Development, 2012 DOI: 10.1101/gad.198192.112
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
You may have constantly needed to discover more regarding, or perhaps boost your recent Victor Cruz Jersey understanding of online marketing and have scoured the world wide web for details to assist you to. The tips and tricks we offer in this article, when implemented as suggested, should allow you to both enhance everything you already have carried out or help you begin effectively.
Put artwork on your web page that can give end users an idea of what to expect from the items. You can contribute pictures of your own product or service in the hands of smiling people. Should it be a product or service which had been created to develop the entire body or enhance the look of anything, you need to have both before and after images.
Make an effort to stay away from which includes music on your own site if you would like maintain your reader?s Victor Cruz Jersey focus. When you are operating a business, you should maintain things as specialist as you possibly can. Audio will move your customer?s concentration, and may hurt your web product sales throughout the entire year.
Fine-tuning the appearance of your online advertising and marketing site can result in a rise in product sales for your personal company. Try moving your ?Purchase Now? option to an alternative area to see if it gets a lot more use. Determine if a different color structure induces your clients to remain a little lengthier on your website.
A great tip for website marketing is to buy your online website and revenue characters analyzed by others. You can Victor Cruz Jersey become a member of various enterprise dialogue organizations and message boards and request others to gauge your advertising and marketing programs. This is the best way to gain new ways to apply and develop new techniques.
The net can be a profitable market for company owners, because so many Us citizens commit at least some component of their day online. Equally as with more conventional marketing strategies, whenever you market on-line, it is important to know your viewers properly, and goal your ads on their requirements and needs.
Use local business web directories. Several business online Victor Cruz Jersey internet directories will provide free listings. Get your business detailed on as many as possible to get more people to your blog. Look for the directories that offer cost-free sale listings, since there is no reason to buy something that you can get free of charge.
A great internet marketing suggestion for individuals that are trying to advertise online is usually to transform your advert into articles. This really is the best way to get the followers to read about your product or service without realizing it is an real advertising. Look at making a scenario or another write-up.
Supplying your online clients the ability to examine and amount items they buy from you is actually a most likely lucrative website marketing relocate. While feedback from customers does chance the potential of unfavorable evaluations, the entire presence of the system stimulates clients and potential customers to consider your site being a neighborhood. Furthermore, it creates Victor Cruz Jersey buyer believe in, even though your evaluations and scores are certainly not 100% beneficial.
To sum up, there is quite a little bit to learn about web marketing. Usually do not be overloaded though, simply because there is a lot to consider in. Depending on your situation, both your continuing achievement or the start of a whole new problem is dependent exclusively in your willingness to discover and also the individual determination that you just invest.
Acknowledged Victor Cruz Jersey Store shows a lot of discounted Eli Manning Jersey straight away with Speedily Shipping, Tighten Payment & Great Customer Service.
Related posts:
Verified Victor Cruz Jersey Tricks And Tips For Smart Internet Marketers
Confirmed Victor Cruz Jersey Guidelines For Savvy Internet Marketers
Come to be Victor Cruz Jersey An Online Advertising Skilled: Start With These Should-Know Suggestions
Suggestions Victor Cruz Jersey That Will Help You Promote Your Company Online
Fantastic Victor Cruz Jersey Online Marketing Suggestions To Help You Beat The Rivals
Conventional Grand Canyon wisdom holds two things to be true: it is exceptionally deep, and about five million years old. A new study, though, has pegged the yawning chasm's age as more than 10 times older than previously thought. More »
Iowa Wesleyan College seeks an Assistant Professor of Education to begin fall 2013. This is a nine-month, tenure-track position, with the option to teach during the summer. The successful candidate will teach day and night classes, and will teach both online and traditional formats. In addition to teaching, this person will advise teacher education students, serve on committees, assist in the development and submission of program reviews, and collaborate with faculty on other program duties.
Responsibilities include teaching a wide
variety of courses contingent upon candidate's training and experience. Preferred courses include elementary methods in reading, educational
psychology, or any elementary or secondary methods area. Preferred qualifications include Ph.D. or Ed.D. in education, minimum of two years
of PK-12 teaching experience, and a commitment to undergraduate education in a liberal arts residential college.
Iowa Wesleyan
College, affiliated with the United Methodist Church, is a liberal arts college of approximately 700 students located in SE Iowa.
A
complete application will include a letter of application, curriculum vitae, graduate transcripts, and three letters of reference.
Electronic submissions are preferred and may be sent to jeffrey.fager@iwc.edu. Paper applications
may be sent to Dr. Jeffrey Fager, Academic Dean, Iowa Wesleyan College, 601 North Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, IA 52461. Phone: 319-385-6205.
Formal consideration of all applications begins January 15th and will continue until position is filled. Iowa Wesleyan is an EOE
employer.
It is the policy of Iowa Wesleyan College not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, age, religion, creed, sexual orientation or gender identity in the provision of its educational programs and in its employment policies and practices. Questions, concerns or complaints should be addressed to the Office of Human Resources, 319.385.6209.
Swift Marathon confident about the Tote Gold Collar 550 Round 1 ? Heat 5
The ?100 prize money of the fifth heat of the 2012 Tote Gold Collar 550 Round 1 has attracted Hillcourt Joe, Swift Marathon, Head For Fame, Ravenswood Joey, Donanes Facebook and Gizmo Classic. The 550 yards
flat race will be staged at Harold?s Cross on Friday, 30th November. Racing out of the red trap will be, Hillcourt Joe, while racing in the black and white of the sixth trap will be, Gizmo Classic.
All the entries in the line-up are well seasoned at the open level and have been racing at it since quite a while now.
The most promising entry for the race is the blue trap, Swift Marathon. Out of the last three outings, the S. Graham trained has landed two and ended third in one.
Kinloch Brae?s son bagged the winner?s prize money of the Grade OR 550Y Flat race on 26th October, 2012 at Harold?s Cross over 550 yards. The most popular entry of the race broke from the third trap
and was quicker than any other contestant in the field to make it to the wire.
The two-year-old dark hound was on the other end of the wire in 30.42 seconds.
Coming at terms with the second position after missing the first by just half-length was, Forest Gerry.
The next outing witnessed some level of compromise on conviction as the two-year-old out of, Vatican Reba, ended third in the Grade OR www.igb.ie Open 525 on 3rd November, 2012 at Shelbourne Park
over 525 yards.
The blue trap was set into a quick pace initially but failed due to getting baulked when racing in the first position. The race was won by, Coolykereen Imp, in 28.56 seconds.
The black hound fell back right into form on 23rd November, 2012 at Harold?s Cross in the Grade OR Find Us On Facebook 525.
Swift Marathon made into the race as the favourite entry and broke out of the red trap. He was soon speeding past the rest of the lot and consequently made the transition to the other end of the wire in 28.85
seconds. His lead over the final 1 ? length set Donanes Facebook as the runner-up.
Formula 1 fans, the media and Ferrari themselves have pored over YouTube clips from the Brazilian Grand Prix that appeared to show Sebastian Vettel overtaking Jean-Eric Verge before the end of a yellow flag zone on lap four.
Yet although this short video was enough to prompt Ferrari to ask for clarification about the matter, detailed analysis of the incident by high level sources shows that the Red Bull driver was entirely within the regulations - and that there are no grounds for further investigation.
An FIA spokesman confirmed to AUTOSPORT that during the race itself there had been no report from a marshal about any overtaking under yellow flags, as would most likely have happened if a breach of the regulations had taken place.
Furthermore, an in-depth look of the warning lights and marshal's post set-up at the Interlagos circuit showed that Vettel's pass took place after he had passed a green flag.
Although the 'yellow' sector itself starts at a light panel just before Turn 3, and ends about 150m before Turn 4, the light panels are a supplement to the traditional flags and are rarely in the same location.
With the use of lights, due to increased visibility, the track can be divided up into fewer sectors as line-of-sight is not always needed between them. At Interlagos, there were 22 marshals' posts while the FIA installed 16 light panels, which means there was overlap in places. The warning lights are also linked to the display in the cockpit.
According to high level FIA sources, the light panel that was showing yellow for Pastor Maldonado's stricken Williams was shown 100 metres before the next marshal post, which was located near the exit of the pitlane.
At this marshal's post a green flag was being waved on lap four - at the same time as the light signal at Turn Four was displaying green.
The separation of these two posts was about 350 metres and FIA race director Charlie Whiting has made it clear to drivers since lights were introduced more than five years ago that when there are consecutive signals from both a flag and a light, it is the first one that counts.
So if, for example, a yellow flag is displayed followed later by a yellow light, then the no overtaking area begins at the first yellow signal which would be the flag.
So, as happened in the Vettel case, if a driver is given a green warning flag followed by a green warning light, it is the first green that counts.
Vettel's pass took place after the first green flag but before the green light, so was wholly legitimate.
This was why race control was not informed of any potential infringement and the matter was never subject to a post-race inquiry by the stewards.
Holiday gift ideas for food and drink lovers. Now, I know that covers everyone because we all eat and drink but some of us care more about what we eat than others.
We are the connoisseurs, or gluttons if you will, or perhaps the wine or beer aficionado who talks incessantly about the new breweries or local wine. Hey, that's me! Anyway, I've come up with a list of ideas for the foodie (I was trying to avoid that word) in your life.
First, I think everyone should be giving gift certificates to restaurants, breweries and wineries with a note attached saying, "We're going together because part of this gift is that we are spending time together and enjoying great food and drink." So, we really could end all this holiday gift quandary right now.
However, if you want something a little bit different, get someone on your list a cooking class at Stages at One Washington in Dover. Chef Evan Hennessey's concept restaurant in the mills there has two or three themed dinners each month and the chef has thrown something new into the mix ? you can take a cooking class that cooks the dishes for a given dinner. Alice in Wonderland? Indulgence? Sounds like a ton of fun. The kitchen is spectacular, I really want to get my hands on some of that equipment and the food will be delicious. www.stages-dining.com
While we're on classes, take a brewing class. At A&G Homebrew Supply in Portsmouth and The Homebrew Barn in Hampton, you can get someone the gift of learning how to brew beer and wine or even cider, vinegar or make cheese. That's something you can do together, too! www.aghomebrewsupply.com and www.thehomebrewbarn.com.
In October I did something that was a heck of a lot of fun. Over at the Lindt Chocolate Outlet in Kittery they have Create Your Own Chocolate Bar set up where you get a tray with melted chocolate, which is just like a Lindt bar (so much so that it actually is a Lindt chocolate bar), and then you go over to the bar where you can festoon it with all sorts of treats like gummy sharks, hot cinnamon hearts, coconut, nuts ? oh about 30 or so fun "toppings" in all colors. Then, the expert there will put it into a machine to harden it, wrap it up and label it and voila! You have a personalized, creative, and delicious gift for someone. This is one of those things your kids can make and give to Grandma and Grandpa (which was always the difficult part at the holidays for me). It's just $10. Now, while I was there, I discovered all sorts of new things about Lindt, including chocolate bars I'd never seen before (the outlet has a vast selection including many made in other countries). They also introduced me to the technique of putting one of those Lindt truffle balls into my coffee. I had a big "hey why didn't I think of that" moment. They have their fun gold foil-covered bears and colorful foil Santas as well as many other chocolate figures this year too. www.lindtusa.com.
I'm also recommending, as did Oprah, the Corkcicle, which you put in the freezer, then your white wine and your wine stays nice and chilled. www.corkcicle.com.
The SodaStream is on my gift list too (you can carbonate vodka!) because you can make your own soda out of an infinite list of flavor possiblities (bacon!). www.sodastreamusa.com.
I'm thinking about getting a juicer too after seeing "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead," and there are many to choose from at all price points. I love kale and carrot juice, I really do!
There are many great food-related books on the top of my list this year, including "Pastries," by Alison Pray who owns Standard Baking Co. in Portland (co-writer Tara Smith) Down East Books. The book is wonderfully designed and the recipes are easy and tasty.
Timothy Ferriss just came out with "The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life" (Kindle Edition and in hardback from Amazon Books) His whole premise is that you can become a world-class chef in six months or less and he takes us from Manhattan to Okinawa, and from Silicon Valley to Calcutta, unearthing the secrets of the world's fastest learners and greatest chefs.
Ferriss uses cooking to explain "meta-learning," a step-by-step process that can be used to master anything, whether searing steak or shooting 3-pointers in basketball. That is the real "recipe" of "The 4-Hour Chef." You'll train inside the kitchen for everything outside the kitchen. Featuring tips and tricks from chess prodigies, world-renowned chefs, pro athletes, master sommeliers, super models, and everyone in between, this "cookbook for people who don't buy cookbooks" is a guide to mastering cooking and life." I'm pretty intrigued by this. He brings you through meta-learning, then the building blocks of cooking, foraging and more before sending you on your way to lifelong mastery of everything.
Wine lovers will like "The Juice," by Jay McInerney. (Alfred A. Knopf, 2012). It's a collection of his columns from the Wall Street Journal and you learn about wine through entertaining and well-written stories from his life. He's quite an expert. He'll also be at The Music Hall Loft tonight (Nov. 29) if you can get there.
There is always a great new cookbook from Phaidon press to get, and this year it's "The Lebanese Kitchen," the definitive book on Lebanese home cooking, featuring 500 authentic and delicious recipes that are simple to create at home. Salma Hage is a Lebanese housewife from Mazarat Tiffah, with more than 50 years of experience as a family cook and the recipes are simple and elegant at the same time.
If you know any restaurateurs or anyone who works in a restaurant, get them "The Art of the Restaurateur," which reveals the hidden stories behind some of the world's best restaurants, and celebrate the complex but unrecognized art of the restaurateur. It's by Nicholas Lander who owned L'Escargot in London in the 1980s and is now a renowned food columnist for the Financial Times. It covers everything you ever wanted to know about the highs and lows of the restaurant business, presenting the untold stories of the world's best restaurateurs, from luxurious Michelin-starred restaurants, to bustling neighbourhood bistros, to stylish fast-food cafes.
I also like "Jerusalem" (Ten Speed Press, 2012). This is a collection of 120 recipes exploring the flavors of Jerusalem from the New York Times bestselling author of "Plenty," Yotam Ottolenghi along with Sami Tamimi. You'll explore the vibrant cuisine of their home city ? with its diverse Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities.
Also great is "Burma: Rivers of Flavor" by Naomi Duguid (Artisan, 2012). She tells terrific stories interspersed with 125 recipes and teaches you about the culture through food.
That's all for now! As I find more, I'll post them on my Facebook and Twitter pages so follow Rachel Forrest on both.
Rachel Forrest is a former restaurant owner who lives in Exeter. Her column appears Thursdays in Go&Do. Her restaurant review column, Dining Out, appears Thursdays in Spotlight magazine. Buy "Maine Classics: More Than 150 Delicious Recipes from Downeast," written by Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier with Rachel Forrest at www.rachelforrest.com. She can be reached by e-mail at rachel.forrest@dowjones.com.
We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Rules. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or fill out this form. New comments are only accepted for two weeks from the date of publication.Food and drink lovers: Rachel Forrest's 2012 gift guide | SeacoastOnline.com
1 of 10 Premium Clicks used this month
Today's most viewed articles
Buy This Photo
If your gift recipients like Lindt chocolate, they'll love making their own giant bar.Andrew Moore courtesy photo
";
aryZooms[imgCounter] = "javascript: NewWindow(870,625,window.document.location+zTemplate+'&img="+imgCounter+"')";
var ap = /AP/.test("Andrew Moore courtesy photo");
var courtesy = /COURTESY/.test("ANDREW MOORE COURTESY PHOTO");
var nfs = /NFS/.test("ANDREW MOORE COURTESY PHOTO");
if (ap==true || courtesy==true || nfs==true || "Andrew Moore courtesy photo"==""){
document.getElementById('purchasePhoto').style.display = "none";
}
bolImages=true;
Holiday gift ideas for food and drink lovers. Now, I know that covers everyone because we all eat and drink but some of us care more about what we eat than others.
We are the connoisseurs, or gluttons if you will, or perhaps the wine or beer aficionado who talks incessantly about the new breweries or local wine. Hey, that's me! Anyway, I've come up with a list of ideas for the foodie (I was trying to avoid that word) in your life.
First, I think everyone should be giving gift certificates to restaurants, breweries and wineries with a note attached saying, "We're going together because part of this gift is that we are spending time together and enjoying great food and drink." So, we really could end all this holiday gift quandary right now.
However, if you want something a little bit different, get someone on your list a cooking class at Stages at One Washington in Dover. Chef Evan Hennessey's concept restaurant in the mills there has two or three themed dinners each month and the chef has thrown something new into the mix ? you can take a cooking class that cooks the dishes for a given dinner. Alice in Wonderland? Indulgence? Sounds like a ton of fun. The kitchen is spectacular, I really want to get my hands on some of that equipment and the food will be delicious. www.stages-dining.com
While we're on classes, take a brewing class. At A&G Homebrew Supply in Portsmouth and The Homebrew Barn in Hampton, you can get someone the gift of learning how to brew beer and wine or even cider, vinegar or make cheese. That's something you can do together, too! www.aghomebrewsupply.com and www.thehomebrewbarn.com.
In October I did something that was a heck of a lot of fun. Over at the Lindt Chocolate Outlet in Kittery they have Create Your Own Chocolate Bar set up where you get a tray with melted chocolate, which is just like a Lindt bar (so much so that it actually is a Lindt chocolate bar), and then you go over to the bar where you can festoon it with all sorts of treats like gummy sharks, hot cinnamon hearts, coconut, nuts ? oh about 30 or so fun "toppings" in all colors. Then, the expert there will put it into a machine to harden it, wrap it up and label it and voila! You have a personalized, creative, and delicious gift for someone. This is one of those things your kids can make and give to Grandma and Grandpa (which was always the difficult part at the holidays for me). It's just $10. Now, while I was there, I discovered all sorts of new things about Lindt, including chocolate bars I'd never seen before (the outlet has a vast selection including many made in other countries). They also introduced me to the technique of putting one of those Lindt truffle balls into my coffee. I had a big "hey why didn't I think of that" moment. They have their fun gold foil-covered bears and colorful foil Santas as well as many other chocolate figures this year too. www.lindtusa.com.
I'm also recommending, as did Oprah, the Corkcicle, which you put in the freezer, then your white wine and your wine stays nice and chilled. www.corkcicle.com.
The SodaStream is on my gift list too (you can carbonate vodka!) because you can make your own soda out of an infinite list of flavor possiblities (bacon!). www.sodastreamusa.com.
I'm thinking about getting a juicer too after seeing "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead," and there are many to choose from at all price points. I love kale and carrot juice, I really do!
There are many great food-related books on the top of my list this year, including "Pastries," by Alison Pray who owns Standard Baking Co. in Portland (co-writer Tara Smith) Down East Books. The book is wonderfully designed and the recipes are easy and tasty.
Timothy Ferriss just came out with "The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life" (Kindle Edition and in hardback from Amazon Books) His whole premise is that you can become a world-class chef in six months or less and he takes us from Manhattan to Okinawa, and from Silicon Valley to Calcutta, unearthing the secrets of the world's fastest learners and greatest chefs.
Ferriss uses cooking to explain "meta-learning," a step-by-step process that can be used to master anything, whether searing steak or shooting 3-pointers in basketball. That is the real "recipe" of "The 4-Hour Chef." You'll train inside the kitchen for everything outside the kitchen. Featuring tips and tricks from chess prodigies, world-renowned chefs, pro athletes, master sommeliers, super models, and everyone in between, this "cookbook for people who don't buy cookbooks" is a guide to mastering cooking and life." I'm pretty intrigued by this. He brings you through meta-learning, then the building blocks of cooking, foraging and more before sending you on your way to lifelong mastery of everything.
Wine lovers will like "The Juice," by Jay McInerney. (Alfred A. Knopf, 2012). It's a collection of his columns from the Wall Street Journal and you learn about wine through entertaining and well-written stories from his life. He's quite an expert. He'll also be at The Music Hall Loft tonight (Nov. 29) if you can get there.
There is always a great new cookbook from Phaidon press to get, and this year it's "The Lebanese Kitchen," the definitive book on Lebanese home cooking, featuring 500 authentic and delicious recipes that are simple to create at home. Salma Hage is a Lebanese housewife from Mazarat Tiffah, with more than 50 years of experience as a family cook and the recipes are simple and elegant at the same time.
If you know any restaurateurs or anyone who works in a restaurant, get them "The Art of the Restaurateur," which reveals the hidden stories behind some of the world's best restaurants, and celebrate the complex but unrecognized art of the restaurateur. It's by Nicholas Lander who owned L'Escargot in London in the 1980s and is now a renowned food columnist for the Financial Times. It covers everything you ever wanted to know about the highs and lows of the restaurant business, presenting the untold stories of the world's best restaurateurs, from luxurious Michelin-starred restaurants, to bustling neighbourhood bistros, to stylish fast-food cafes.
I also like "Jerusalem" (Ten Speed Press, 2012). This is a collection of 120 recipes exploring the flavors of Jerusalem from the New York Times bestselling author of "Plenty," Yotam Ottolenghi along with Sami Tamimi. You'll explore the vibrant cuisine of their home city ? with its diverse Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities.
Also great is "Burma: Rivers of Flavor" by Naomi Duguid (Artisan, 2012). She tells terrific stories interspersed with 125 recipes and teaches you about the culture through food.
That's all for now! As I find more, I'll post them on my Facebook and Twitter pages so follow Rachel Forrest on both.
Rachel Forrest is a former restaurant owner who lives in Exeter. Her column appears Thursdays in Go&Do. Her restaurant review column, Dining Out, appears Thursdays in Spotlight magazine. Buy "Maine Classics: More Than 150 Delicious Recipes from Downeast," written by Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier with Rachel Forrest at www.rachelforrest.com. She can be reached by e-mail at rachel.forrest@dowjones.com.
We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Rules. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or fill out this form. New comments are only accepted for two weeks from the date of publication.
It's not often that you hear that Apple and Google?both fighting for utter smartphone dominance?have teamed up on anything, but reports from Bloomberg say it's the case. And they're both going in on a half a billion dollars worth of Kodak patents.
EW?who has named Whedon one of their Entertainers of the Year?has revealed what?s going on with the very tired creator:
Amazon is continuing its global march by making a big move into the country that could rightfully lay claim to being responsible for Amazon's name: today the online book and retail marketplace announced it would be 
Instagram has turned off Twitter Cards integration, leaving Instagram users on the short-winded social network with cropped, less-than-perfect copies of their masterwork in iPhonography. Kevin Systrom, Instagram's founder and CEO, spoke on stage at 
December 2, 2012 
Formula 1 fans, the media and Ferrari themselves have pored over YouTube clips from the Brazilian Grand Prix that appeared to show Sebastian Vettel overtaking Jean-Eric Verge before the end of a yellow flag zone on lap four.
So if, for example, a yellow flag is displayed followed later by a yellow light, then the no overtaking area begins at the first yellow signal which would be the flag.
