HOUSTON (Reuters) - Former President George H. W. Bush is being treated at a Houston hospital for complications related to bronchitis and is in stable condition, the hospital said on Thursday.
"President Bush has been in and out of The Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center being treated for complications related to his bronchitis," Bush's office said in a statement released by the hospital. "He is in stable condition, and is expected to be released within the next 72 hours."
The Houston Chronicle reported Thursday that Bush, 88, has been in the hospital for a week.
Bush, a Republican and the 41st president, took office in 1989 and served one term in the White House.
The father of former President George W. Bush, he also served as a congressman, U.N. ambassador, envoy to China, CIA director and was vice president for two terms under Ronald Reagan.
As president, Bush routed Iraq after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 and his approval ratings soared to the 90 percent range. But just 20 months later he was defeated in his re-election bid by Democrat Bill Clinton.
(Reporting by Deborah Quinn Hensel and Corrie MacLaggan; Editing by Dan Burns, Vicki Allen and Greg McCune)
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ScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2012) ? If you're looking to get some of the benefits of exercise without doing the work, here's some good news. A new research report published online in The FASEB Journal shows that low-intensity vibrations led to improvements in the immune function of obese mice. If the same effect can be found in people, this could have clinical benefits for obese people suffering from a wide range of immune problems related to obesity.
"This study demonstrates that mechanical signals can help restore an immune system compromised by obesity," said Clinton Rubin, Ph.D., study author from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York. "While it is well known that obesity can cripple many physiologic systems, this work suggests that mechanical signals -- in the absence of drugs -- can help combat this disease and its sequelae. That these mechanical signals are so brief, and so mild, is further evidence of how exquisitely tuned our body is to external signals, and that remaining active -- climbing stairs at work, taking a walk at lunch, standing while reading a book -- will help achieve and retain good health. Stand up!"
To make this discovery, Rubin and colleagues fed a group of adult mice a high fat diet for seven months to make them obese. At the end of this first phase of the experiment, the damage to the immune and skeletal systems of the obese mice was significant, decreasing B- and T-cell populations in the blood, and markedly accelerating the loss of bone. The second phase began after the mice were obese relative to regular controls, with the creation of a sub-group that was subjected to daily 15-minute bouts of low-intensity vibration, barely perceptible to human touch. Results showed that the vibration intervention helped to rescue both the immune and skeletal systems, returning them toward outcomes measured in mice that were fed a regular diet. This study provides evidence that obesity markedly reduces the production of B- and T-cells and that brief daily exposure to low magnitude mechanical signals rescues B- and T-cell populations, even in a mouse that is already obese.
"This solid support for a shaky intervention should get scientists and health care professionals buzzing," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "If it works out in people, low intensity vibration could be a relatively cheap way of helping obese folks regain health without drugs -- until they lose weight by diet and exercise."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
M. E. Chan, B. J. Adler, D. E. Green, C. T. Rubin. Bone structure and B-cell populations, crippled by obesity, are partially rescued by brief daily exposure to low-magnitude mechanical signals. The FASEB Journal, 2012; 26 (12): 4855 DOI: 10.1096/fj.12-209841
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.
Greensboro, NC - Florida State wide receiver Rashad Greene and defensive end Cornellius Carradine headline a list of 10 players named as the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Players of the Week, announced by the conference on Monday. Greene caught the game-winning touchdowns with under a minute remaining and Carradine registered 11 tackles in the Seminoles' 28-22 win at Virginia Tech.
Virginia's Michael Rocco, the Offensive Back of the Week, engineered the game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter to lead the Cavaliers to a 41-40 win over Miami. Maurice Canady, the Co-Defensive Back of the Week, had nine tackles to earn conference honors for the second straight week.
Georgia Tech's Quayshawn Nealy, the Co-Linebacker of the Week, had two sacks and six tackles and Jamal Golden, the Specialist of the Week, set a school record with 230 kickoff return yards in the Yellow Jackets' 68-50 win at North Carolina.
NC State's Camden Wentz, the Offensive Lineman of the Week, tallied 13 knockdown blocks and Dontae Johnson, the Co-Defensive Back of the Week, helped limit the Demon Deacon passing attack in the Wolfpack's 37-6 victory.
Duke Johnson set a Miami record with 368 all-purpose yards to earn Rookie of the Week honors for the fourth time and Gionni Paul, the Co-Linebacker of the Week, had a career-high 14 tackles in the 41-40 loss at Virginia.
OFFENSIVE BACK - Michael Rocco, Virginia, Junior, QB, 6-3, 225, Lynchburg, Va.
Rocco completed 29 of 37 passes for 300 yards, four touchdowns, and had no interceptions to help Virginia to a 41-40 upset of Miami. Rocco tossed a 10-yard throw to TE Jake McGee in the back of the end zone with six seconds left to produce the go-ahead score for the Cavaliers. Rocco's passing numbers included a school record streak of 18 consecutive completions and set new career highs in completions (29) and touchdowns (4). Virginia's final drive saw Rocco direct the Cavaliers 87 yards in 2:32, converting two fourth downs during the drive. Rocco either passed or ran (one QB sneak) for all 87 yards during the drive.
Wentz tallied 13 knockdown blocks to help pave the way for the Wolfpack's 428 yards of total offense in the win over Wake Forest. Making his 36th consecutive start at center, Wentz was in for 86 snaps from scrimmage and posted the offensive line's top grade of 88%.
Greene turned a quick slant pass from quarterback EJ Manuel into the 39-yard game-winning touchdown with 40 seconds remaining in the Seminoles' 28-22 win at Virginia Tech. Greene finished the night with six receptions for 125 yards - his first 100-yard receiving game of the season - and a pair of scores.
Carradine turned in one of the most productive games of his two-year career in leading the Seminoles with 11 tackles in their 28-22 road win at Virginia Tech. His career-high 11 tackles - six solos and five assists - also included his ninth sack and 10th tackle for loss of the season. Carradine has helped the Florida State defense climb to No. 1 nationally in total defense and rank among the top four in each major statistical category. Carradine is currently tied with linebacker Christian Jones for the team lead in tackles with 64.
Playing in place of injured Denzel Perryman, Paul tallied a career-high 14 tackles - seven solo - in Miami's 41-40 loss at Virginia. It was his second double-digit tackle game of season, and his 14 stops are the most by Hurricane in a game this season.
CO-DEFENSIVE BACK - Maurice Canady, Virginia, Freshman, CB, 6-2, 180, Richmond, Va.
A week after his first start and earning ACC Player of the Week honors, Canady had another big game in Virginia's 41-40 win over Miami. He came up with nine tackles, broke up one pass and forced a fumble that he recovered on the Virginia 2-yard line early in the fourth quarter.
Johnson matched up against Wake Forest flanker Michael Campanero for most of the game in the Wolfpack's 37-6 win over the Demon Deacons. In the game for 55 snaps from scrimmage, Johnson limited Campanero to five catches for just 14 yards, shy of his average of 8.5 receptions and 86.3 yards. He tallied five solo tackles, including a three-yard tackle for loss, and forced a fumble in the second half.
Golden returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown - his second kick return for a touchdown over the last three weeks - and he broke a school record with 230 kickoff return yards in Georgia Tech's 68-50 win at North Carolina. Georgia Tech had not returned a kickoff for a touchdown from 1998 through 2011, but Golden has tied a Tech record with two kickoff returns for scores in one season. His 100-yard kick return on the opening kickoff of the second half was the longest scoring play in the Paul Johnson era.
Johnson rushed for a career-high 150 yards on 16 carries and also threw for a 9-yard touchdown - his career-first pass - in Miami's 41-40 loss at Virginia. He has three 100-yard rushing games this season, including 100+ yards in back-to-back games. Johnson amassed a Miami-record 368 all-purpose yards in the game which ranks as the fourth-most in ACC history. He registered 214 kick return yards on four tries, including a 95-yard kick return for a score, his second kick return for touchdown this season which is tied for most in school history. He became only the third FBS player since 2000 with a TD pass and a kickoff return for TD in the same game.
John Ambrosini learned to juggle multiple tasks from a young age.
From growing up on Long Island as one of 11 children, to studying music composition and steering a ship with the Coast Guard, Ambrosini seemed destined to be a manager.
Now the senior managing director of property management at ABS Partners Real Estate, he leads a team that currently manages a six million square feet commercial portfolio that continues to grow.
?It?s growing all the time,? he said. ?It?s growing because people see that we are very professional and we do what we say we?re going to do.?
Ahead of Hurricane Sandy, Ambrosini readied his team for the worst. Although the bulk of the portfolio is in midtown, two ABS-managed buildings downtown suffered significant flooding.
?Because of our staff, we were able to take control of the situation,? Ambrosini said. ?One of the building managers pre-emptively emptied large storage tanks so they were able to pump water in there.
?Through some good engineering practices and understanding how buildings can be used in emergencies, I think we took control of a storm that was devastating.?
It?s that kind of thinking on his feet that has helped Ambrosini develop dual careers as both a manager and a successful musician who has performed with the likes of American folk icon Pete Seeger.
His work has been performed by the Harlem School of the Arts Choir and he has released a total of seven jazz albums. Ambrosini also continues to perform at many venues around the city, including Trinity Church, the Triad Theatre and Grasso?s in Long Island.
?I?ve been blessed to do both these things ? make an adult salary and be a musician,? he said.
Ambrosini grew up in Massapequa, on the south shore of Long Island. By high school graduation, he was an accomplished pianist and composer, but decided to pursue a more practical career and enrolled at the SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx, where he studied engineering and earned an assistant coast guard license.
On a six-month voyage on a merchant vessel in college, he gained hands-on mechanical and engineering skills that would give him an early start on managing properties.
?You?re literally running every aspect of the ship,? he said of his time aboard.
That included taking charge of electrical generation, running boilers, sanitation systems and heating supplies for several hundred students on board.
?An entire city is basically floating,? he said. ?It was an excellent experience for me and it?s where I got hands on experience.?
While at sea for six months, he even managed to bring piano on board, enabling him to practice as well as entertain fellow cadets.
Before he was at ABS, Ambrosini got his start at the Domino Sugar manufacturing plant in Brooklyn where he ran a large power plant. Tough economic times and tight margins on sugar manufacturing lead to downsizing in the company, which in turn led Ambrosini to look for the next step.
Soon after, he took a job running facilities at Fordham University?s Rosehill campus. Running the dorms on campus gave him his first glimpse of engineering buildings.
?I got a taste of it and very much enjoyed the day-to-day dynamics, problem solving and people skills,? he said. ?I was able to see this was something I could be good at.?
In the years following 9/11, he was a member of the executive real estate team at Trinity Real Estate & the Parish of Trinity Church and later worked as vice president of real estate at Alliance Bernstein.
Now living in Huntington, Long Island with his wife and two children, Ambrosini joined ABS in 2007. He said he has focused on efficiency and growth.
?We?re very focused on sustainability and being green,? he said, adding that the company has adopted sophisticated software and?mechanical analysis technology to ensure its buildings are as efficient as possible.
?We have an in-house construction team that we use at our buildings that helps us keep our costs down,? he added. ?If we can do the work and compete with non-union and union construction teams, we try to do that as much as we can.?
Current projects involve front lobby renovation work at 270 Madison Avenue, and planing for lobby projects at for 915 Broadway and 200 Park Avenue South.
Ambrosini said he plans to keep recording, releasing albums and performing live, but he is also committed to elevating the position of ABS within the property management field.
?I?m very committed to ongoing improvements in how we serve our tenants,? he said. ?My goal is to help create a great name for ABS.?
Car Insurance North Aurora IL Every year, more cars and drivers travel the highways. With countless vehicles on the road, accidents will happen. The difference between a small aggravation and major obstacle can be car insurance. How can you decide what insurance you require and how to buy it? Car insurance protects you by covering the cost of damage caused to your car or another person?s car and injury to others, yourself, or your passengers, and certain other occurrences, such as theft. Every state and province mandates auto insurance by law. Without insurance, you risk having to pay the full cost of any harm you cause others or of repairing or replacing your car if it is damaged or stolen.Liability pays for damages due to bodily injury and property damage to others for which you are responsible. Bodily injury damages include medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. Property damage includes damaged property and loss of use of property. It also covers your defense and court costs if you are sued. Higher recommended insurances are available that cover more than the lower, state-mandated insurance. Personal injury protection: This is required in some states and is optional in others. Sometimes referred to as no-fault coverage, this pays the medical treatment for you or your passengers regardless of who was at fault. It may also cover lost earnings, replacement of services and funeral expenses. State law usually sets minimum amounts. Medical payments: This type of coverage is available in non-no-fault states and will pay no matter who is responsible for the accident. It pays for an insured person?s reasonable and necessary medical and funeral expenses for bodily injury from an accident. Collision: Pays for damage to your car caused by a collision. Comprehensive: Applies if your car is stolen or damaged by causes other than collision, including fire, wind, hail, flood or vandalism. Uninsured motorist: Pays for damages when an insured person is injured in a crash caused by another person who does not have liability insurance or by a person who cannot be identified (usually a hit-and-run driver). Under-insured motorist: Pays for damages when an insured person is injured in a crash caused by another person who does not have enough liability insurance to cover the full amount of the damages. Other coverage, such as emergency road service and car rental, is also available.Your auto insurance payments vary by company and will depend on several factors, including: *Your selected coverage *Your vehicle?s make and model * Your driving record * Your age, sex and marital status and * Where you live Many people think of auto insurance as a necessary evil, but it can save your financial well-being. Evaluate your needs, do your research and with the support of your insurance agent choose the option that best suits you. Car Insurance Coverage
A lesson plan in schools across Texas depicts the Boston Tea Party, the historical protest against taxation without representation and a seminal event leading up to the American Revolutionary War, as an act of terrorism.
The lesson plan, designed for world history and social studies classes, remained available to teachers as recently as January of 2012, CBS Houston reports, and was promoted by the Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative.
?A local militia, believed to be a terrorist organization, attacked the property of private citizens today at our nation?s busiest port,? the part of the curriculum pertaining to the Boston Tea Party reads, according to CBS Houston. ?Although no one was injured in the attack, a large quantity of merchandise, considered to be valuable to its owners and loathsome to the perpetrators, was destroyed. The terrorists, dressed in disguise and apparently intoxicated, were able to escape into the night with the help of local citizens who harbor these fugitives and conceal their identities from the authorities.?
?It is believed that the terrorist attack was a response to the policies enacted by the occupying country?s government. Even stronger policies are anticipated by the local citizens.?
The controversial lesson plan is a product of the?Texas Education Service Center Curriculum Collaborative ? or?CSCOPE ? a nonprofit K-12 educational curriculum provider that has become widespread in Texas. CSCOPE bills itself on its website as ?a comprehensive, customizable, user-friendly curriculum management system built on the most current research-based practices in the field.?
The Blaze notes that CSCOPE received $25 million in state funding last year.
Advocates of CSCOPE say the lesson calling the Boston Tea Party an act of terrorism hadn?t been taught in Texas schools since the fall of 2010, according to CBS Houston. However, the lesson plan reportedly remained available for use on CSCOPE?s website as late as January 2012.
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At a time when few young players are signing long-term deals, 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman has decided to take the money and run ? before he can?t run anymore.
Per a league source, the deal that Bowman accepted includes less than $8 million in fully-guaranteed money, via a $7.5 million signing bonus and the balance of his $540,000 base salary for 2012.? But the deal contains millions more in salary guaranteed for injury only, for now.
In 2013, a $4 million option bonus is due to Bowman; it?s fully guaranteed for now.? Ditto for Bowman?s $630,000 base salary in 2013.? The salary becomes fully guaranteed at the start of the 2013 league year.
In 2014, Bowman has a $4 million base salary, which is guaranted for injury, for now.? It becomes fully guaranteed at the start of the 2014 league year.? He also can earn per-game active roster bonuses that total, if all earned, $750,000.
In 2015, Bowman?s base salary is $4.7 million.? Again, it?s guaranteed for now for injury only.? It becomes fully guaranteed at the start of the 2015 league year.? Bowman also has the per-game roster bonuses that total $750,000.
In 2016, the base salary is $5.85 million.? $4.17 million of it is guaranteed for injury only for now; it becomes fully guaranteed at the start of the 2016 league year.? Bowman once again has the per-game roster bonuses that total $750,000.
In 2017, Bowman?s base salary is $6.75 million, non-guaranteed, with the per-game roster bonuses that total $750,000.
In 2018, the salary pushes to $8.7 million, with the per-game roster bonuses that total $750,000.
Given the free-agent market for linebackers (it?s nearly as soft as the veteran running back market) and the ever-present injury risk for a young player making minimum salaries, it makes sense for Bowman to take an offer that, in reality, he couldn?t have refused.
Generally, the martial arts mean self-defense tactics originated in Asian nations. Some martial arts pressure using the feet to attack the opponents, although others concentrate on the use from the hands to render the opponents. Mental discipline and the search for enlightenment are also the concentrate of martial arts.
Martial arts are exceptional for individuals of either sex and all ages. Ladies will discover an successful self-defense that may be utilized against an opponent who might be larger and stronger than themselves. There are a number of forms of martial arts originating from all over the planet. Each martial art possesses their very own special strengths and also weaknesses. Primarily, martial arts aren't only designed just for fighting and combat.
Korea plays a vital role inside the promotion of martial arts within the globe. Obviously, taekwondo was their best served dish in the globe of martial arts. This is a Korean martial art that originally came from Korea and became as there national sport. It's certainly one of one of the most sympathetic and scientific kind of martial art not only in Korea but in addition in virtually nations worldwide. Taekwondo may be the finest type of art that utilizes fists and feet.
Just like Korea, Japan also influenced the popularity of martial arts globally. Judo is regarded as as their national sport. Judo was established by combining jiu jitsu, a form of wrestling that needs mental and physical discipline. Therefore, Japan is continuing to promote Judo for the complete globe particularly to those countries who does not know it yet.
Kung Fu is one more time-honored and common type of martial arts. The teachings of Kung Fu are according to the movements of 5 animals: the dragon, the tiger, the snake, the leopard, as well as the crane. Grace, strength, and mental discipline are the aim of any student of Kung Fu.
Aikido, translating roughly as "the way in the harmonious spirit", is often a Japanese martial art. Morihei Ueshiba could be the proponent for this martial art. Just like other martial art it's much more about punches and kicks to knock down opponent.
The root of Karate can be traced to the 5th century BC, and as such it carries an excellent deal of mystery with it. Karate created mainly as a form of fist combat, and also the teaching of Karate instructors still focus on utilizing the hand as a weapon. Today, Karate is nonetheless taught at martial arts academies by way of the globe. Martial art emphasizes on balance-both thoughts and physique each of them really should work as one particular consequently every single student of martial arts should go on difficult coaching to locate a balance with regards to karate. Karate also originated in japan but you will find misconceptions that China could be the 1 who introduce it worldwide.
Take the useful time whilst the martial artist is explaining the strategy to create a reason that it will not perform. This can save you from in fact having to listen to the entire explanation with the martial arts strategy and provides you more time to determine a reason NOT to add it for your repertoire.
Sure you'll be hit by the strategy because you don't train with it or against it, but related methods could be utilized to create excuses why you had been hit, there is no should practice the method. I assure you this would only speed up your martial arts training and enhance your expertise.
This technique works greatest when the person you are discussing the martial arts style or sport knows as little as you do about it. I've observed this completed really effectively, let me assure you, it's a proven approach for slowing down your martial arts coaching. Here's how the approach functions.
Study links improved consumer welfare to increased prescription drug advertising effortsPublic release date: 26-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jayani Jayawardhana jayaward@uga.edu 706-369-5963 University of Georgia
Athens, Ga. More people are better off thanks to the impact of an influx of direct-to-consumer advertising spending than they would be without those marketing efforts, according to a study recently published by Jayani Jayawardhana, an assistant professor in the University of Georgia College of Public Health.
The multi-year study focused on advertising efforts surrounding cholesterol-reducing prescription medications. Jayawardhana found increased levels of consumer welfare due to direct-to-consumer advertising than when compared to situations without this type of marketing. Her research, which was published in the International Journal of Industrial Organization, concludes that such efforts also spurred under-diagnosed patients to seek medical treatment.
Federal deregulation of prescription drug marketing in 1997 lowered cost barriers and enabled manufacturers to advertise prescription drugs without including a detailed summary of the product. Since the relaxation of those rules, advertising spending from pharmaceutical companies has increased by more than 200 percent.
Jayawardhana, a health economist in the college's department of health policy and management, said her study was the first to provide an analysis of consumer welfare that demonstrated a connection to the increased marketing expenditures. It also adds further support to existing academic research suggesting that direct-to-consumer advertising efforts lead to a more informed and more inquisitive consumer, which could lead to better health outcomes.
"Let's say you see a commercial for Lipitor, and you suspect that you have high cholesterol, so you come and ask for that drug from the physician," Jayawardhana said. "For whatever reason, the doctor may assume that isn't the best drug for you, and you get prescribed Zocor instead. The point isn't that you didn't get the drug you saw on the commercial but rather that you came to the doctor and got treatment for your condition, which leads to welfare improvement."
Because of the role of physician in the decision-making process, pharmaceutical companies have to market their drugs to the two purchasing agents involvedthe consumer and the physician.
"When you see an advertisement for something like Coke, the intent is to give you an incentive to go buy the product," she said. "But with the prescription drug market, the consumer is not the final decision maker. You have to go through a gatekeeper in the physician."
Jayawardhana's research indicates those advertising effortsto both consumers and physiciansare paying off. In addition to heightened consumer awareness, targeted advertising toward physicians has both an informative and persuasive effect on the selection of the drug.
Jayawardhana, who holds master's and doctoral degrees in economics from the University of Virginia, said critics of the federal deregulation have suggested the marketing spending boom could lead to a myriad of harmful resultssuch as patients requesting and receiving inappropriate drugs or higher dosages than necessary from their physician.
While such incidences may be possible, it is difficult to recognize such outcomes in the data. However, because physicians act as gatekeepers for prescription drugs and consumers have limited access to advertised products, such negative outcomes may be scarce, she said.
###
UGA College of Public Health
Founded in 2005 as a response to the state's need to address important health concerns in Georgia, the UGA College of Public Health is comprised of four departments and two research institutes as well as the Center for Global Health. The college offers degree programs in biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health promotion and behavior, public health, health policy and management and toxicology as well as certificate programs in gerontology, disaster management and global health.
Graduates from the College of Public Healthnationally known for its work related to infectious disease, cancer research, gerontology, disaster preparedness and other areastypically go on to a diverse range of careers, including medicine, health education, emergency management, public health policy, environmental science and social work. For more information, see www.publichealth.uga.edu.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Study links improved consumer welfare to increased prescription drug advertising effortsPublic release date: 26-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jayani Jayawardhana jayaward@uga.edu 706-369-5963 University of Georgia
Athens, Ga. More people are better off thanks to the impact of an influx of direct-to-consumer advertising spending than they would be without those marketing efforts, according to a study recently published by Jayani Jayawardhana, an assistant professor in the University of Georgia College of Public Health.
The multi-year study focused on advertising efforts surrounding cholesterol-reducing prescription medications. Jayawardhana found increased levels of consumer welfare due to direct-to-consumer advertising than when compared to situations without this type of marketing. Her research, which was published in the International Journal of Industrial Organization, concludes that such efforts also spurred under-diagnosed patients to seek medical treatment.
Federal deregulation of prescription drug marketing in 1997 lowered cost barriers and enabled manufacturers to advertise prescription drugs without including a detailed summary of the product. Since the relaxation of those rules, advertising spending from pharmaceutical companies has increased by more than 200 percent.
Jayawardhana, a health economist in the college's department of health policy and management, said her study was the first to provide an analysis of consumer welfare that demonstrated a connection to the increased marketing expenditures. It also adds further support to existing academic research suggesting that direct-to-consumer advertising efforts lead to a more informed and more inquisitive consumer, which could lead to better health outcomes.
"Let's say you see a commercial for Lipitor, and you suspect that you have high cholesterol, so you come and ask for that drug from the physician," Jayawardhana said. "For whatever reason, the doctor may assume that isn't the best drug for you, and you get prescribed Zocor instead. The point isn't that you didn't get the drug you saw on the commercial but rather that you came to the doctor and got treatment for your condition, which leads to welfare improvement."
Because of the role of physician in the decision-making process, pharmaceutical companies have to market their drugs to the two purchasing agents involvedthe consumer and the physician.
"When you see an advertisement for something like Coke, the intent is to give you an incentive to go buy the product," she said. "But with the prescription drug market, the consumer is not the final decision maker. You have to go through a gatekeeper in the physician."
Jayawardhana's research indicates those advertising effortsto both consumers and physiciansare paying off. In addition to heightened consumer awareness, targeted advertising toward physicians has both an informative and persuasive effect on the selection of the drug.
Jayawardhana, who holds master's and doctoral degrees in economics from the University of Virginia, said critics of the federal deregulation have suggested the marketing spending boom could lead to a myriad of harmful resultssuch as patients requesting and receiving inappropriate drugs or higher dosages than necessary from their physician.
While such incidences may be possible, it is difficult to recognize such outcomes in the data. However, because physicians act as gatekeepers for prescription drugs and consumers have limited access to advertised products, such negative outcomes may be scarce, she said.
###
UGA College of Public Health
Founded in 2005 as a response to the state's need to address important health concerns in Georgia, the UGA College of Public Health is comprised of four departments and two research institutes as well as the Center for Global Health. The college offers degree programs in biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health promotion and behavior, public health, health policy and management and toxicology as well as certificate programs in gerontology, disaster management and global health.
Graduates from the College of Public Healthnationally known for its work related to infectious disease, cancer research, gerontology, disaster preparedness and other areastypically go on to a diverse range of careers, including medicine, health education, emergency management, public health policy, environmental science and social work. For more information, see www.publichealth.uga.edu.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The Dark Knight Rises was pretty incredible for many reasons. But one of the most jaw-dropping bits was when Bane blew-up an American football stadium right at the start of a game. Here's how they actually did it. More »
After the election, I published an article in this space that struck a chord with many Christians. I suggested that engaging in a bitter 'culture war' in order to preserve America's formerly dominant Christian culture has been largely a failed strategy. We cannot win in the courts and at the ballot box that which we have lost in the court of public opinion. Instead, I argued, we should embrace the strategy that has successfully attracted people to Jesus for two thousand years - authentic Christianity.
What if we simply stuck to what Jesus commanded us to do: love our neighbors as ourselves, care for the poor and the sick and the brokenhearted, stand up for the oppressed, be generous with our time and our money, and live winsome lives filled with grace and gentleness?
Christians have always lived, and often thrived, in cultures where they are minorities. Christianity began in a Jewish culture and thrived in a pagan Roman one. The apostle Paul, writer of nearly half the New Testament, actually offers advice to the church in Corinth which lived in the midst of a very pagan society. His words should guide us today.
In I Corinthians 5:9, Paul encourages the Christians to clean up their own affairs. The church was in a mess with sexual shenanigans, internal bickering, and a deep division between rich and poor. Paul gives them some advice, but he also says Christians shouldn't worry about whether others follow Christian moral teaching.
"I wrote you in my earlier letter that you shouldn't make yourselves at home among the sexually promiscuous. I didn't mean that you should have nothing at all to do with outsiders of that sort. Or with crooks, whether blue- or white-collar. Or with spiritual phonies, for that matter. You'd have to leave the world entirely to do that! ... I'm not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don't we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house. (I Cor. 5:9-13, The Message)
Paul's point is this: Be strict with yourselves, expecting fellow Christians to obey the demands of Jesus. But don't hold others to the same rules.
I think these verses can show Christians the way forward in today's America. We need to find a way to live in a pluralistic society without engaging in an arms race with those who are not Christians.
I recently saw a beautiful example of how Christians can love their neighbors, offering a compelling invitation to the kingdom of God at a banquet for a Christian homeless ministry, the Bread of Life Mission in Seattle.
A man spoke to those present that night about his life of the streets and the addiction that cost him his job, his family, and his self respect. "I was on drugs, sleeping under the bridge," he said. Just eight months ago, he visited the mission in order to get a free wool hat. He decided to accept the offer to help him get off the streets. Next he wheeled in the shopping cart that once carried all of his belongings, and he held up a cardboard sign. On it, he had written, "I don't live here anymore." He was about to graduate from the Bread of Life discipleship program and would soon be living on his own with his own roof over his head. He showed us a picture of himself while he lived on the street. "I gave my life to Christ," he said. "The man you see here tonight is a different person altogether."
What I witnessed at the Bread of Life Mission is a perfect example of Jesus' calling for Christians today. In Matthew 25, Jesus says that those who enter his kingdom will be people who feed the hungry, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the prisoners.
In his book, UnChristian, David Kinnaman cites a Barna Research study that asked non-Christians whether they viewed the role of Christians in American society in a favorable or unfavorable way. In 1996, 85% viewed Christians favorably. Ten years later, that approval rating had dropped to just 15%. When people were asked to describe Christians, adjectives like, judgmental, hypocritical, close-minded, insensitive, too critical and too political were most often cited. We might contrast this list with what the Apostle Paul in Galatians listed as the 'fruits of the Spirit': "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."
"Against such things," Paul exhorted, "there is no law."
There isn't any question that American culture is in a transition from a dominantly Christian culture to a dominantly secular culture. We can no longer expect America society to uniformly embrace Christian values or morality. How the Christian community chooses to respond to this will be critical. Angry rhetoric, and bitterly contested lawsuits and elections create adversaries, but no one ever made an enemy by offering the hand of friendship, helping the down and out, mentoring kids, giving generously to others or helping people after a hurricane get their lives back together. Paul was right - "against such things, there is no law".
Click through the slideshow to see most and least Christian states in the United States:
Utah
78,438 Christian adherents per 100,000 people. <br>
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Parowan_Utah_Church.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
North Dakota
66,950 Christian adherents per 100,000 people. <br>
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catholic_Church_in_Warsaw,_North_Dakota.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Alabama
62,467 Christian adherents per 100,000 people.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:16th_Street_Baptist_Church.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Louisiana
59,598 Christian adherents per 100,000 people. <br>
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:St._Stephens_Episcopal_Church_(Innis,_Louisiana).jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Oklahoma
58,598 Christian adherents per 100,000 people. <br>
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catesby_Oklahoma_Church.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Mississippi
58,342 Christian adherents per 100,000 people. <br>
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mississippi_Church.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
South Dakota
58,212 Christian adherents per 100,000 people. <br>
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Methodist_Episcopal_Church_Pierre_South_Dakota.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Minnesota
55,280 Christian adherents per 100,000 people. <br>
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Church_near_Flom,_Minnesota.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Massachusetts
55,023 Christian adherents per 100,000 people.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sandwich_Church,_Massachusetts.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Arkansas
54,985 Christian adherents per 100,000 people.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Our_Lady_of_Perpetual_Help_Church_silhouette_altus_arkansas.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Nebraska
54,776 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Visitation_Church_%28O'Connor%2C_Nebraska%29_church_from_S.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Tennessee
54,764 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/First_Baptist_Church_Donelson_Tennessee_04032012.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Rhode Island
53,576 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Texas
53,525 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Iowa
53,403 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Wisconsin
52,863 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Pennsylvania
51,883 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Illinois
51,442 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
South Carolina
51,374 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Kentucky
51,055 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Idaho
50,695 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
District of Columbia
49,903 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Kansas
49,666 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
New Jersey
49,575 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Georgia
49,374 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons. <br>
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Washington_(Georgia)_Presbyterian_Church.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Connecticut
49,096 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
New Mexico
49,044 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Missouri
48,436 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
North Carolina
46,737 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carolina_Baptist_Church.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
New York
44,488 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons. <br>
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Church_in_Rye,_New_York.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Indiana
43,788 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Ohio
42,744 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
California
42,430 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Virginia
41,304 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Michigan
40,186 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Delaware
39,575 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_Church,_Dover,_Delaware.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Wyoming
39,341 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Maryland
39,214 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Montana
37,824 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Florida
37,104 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Colorado
36,461 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Hawaii
36,103 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Arizona
35,842 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
West Virginia
35,211 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
New Hampshire
34,617 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Nevada
33,395 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/StJoanofArcCatholicChurch_in_Las_Vegas_founded_1910.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Washington
33,065 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Methodist_Church_at_Historic_Washington_State_Park_IMG_1467.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Vermont
32,954 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Alaska
32,810 Christian adherents per 100,000 persons.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Orthodox_church_in_Seldovia%2C_Alaska.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) ? It was a brazen and surprisingly long-lived scheme, authorities said, to help aspiring public school teachers cheat on the tests they must pass to prove they are qualified to lead their classrooms.
For 15 years, teachers in three Southern states paid Clarence Mumford Sr. ? himself a longtime educator ? to send someone else to take the tests in their place, authorities said. Each time, Mumford received a fee of between $1,500 and $3,000 to send one of his test ringers with fake identification to the Praxis exam. In return, his customers got a passing grade and began their careers as cheaters, according to federal prosecutors in Memphis.
Authorities say the scheme affected hundreds ? if not thousands ? of public school students who ended up being taught by unqualified instructors.
Mumford faces more than 60 fraud and conspiracy charges that claim he created fake driver's licenses with the information of a teacher or an aspiring teacher and attached the photograph of a test-taker. Prospective teachers are accused of giving Mumford their Social Security numbers for him to make the fake identities.
The hired-test takers went to testing centers, showed the proctor the fake license, and passed the certification exam, prosecutors say. Then, the aspiring teacher used the test score to secure a job with a public school district, the indictment alleges. Fourteen people have been charged with mail and Social Security fraud, and four people have pleaded guilty to charges associated with the scheme.
Mumford "obtained tens of thousands of dollars" during the alleged conspiracy, which prosecutors say lasted from 1995 to 2010 in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Among those charged is former University of Tennessee and NFL wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, who is accused of employing a test-taker for a Praxis physical education exam. He was charged in late October with four counts of Social Security and mail fraud. He has pleaded not guilty and is out of jail on a $10,000 bond. He has been suspended by the Memphis City Schools system.
If convicted, Mumford could face between two and 20 years in prison on each count. The teachers face between two and 20 years in prison on each count if convicted.
Lawyers for Mumford and Wilson did not return calls for comment.
Prosecutors and standardized test experts say students were hurt the most by the scheme because they were being taught by unqualified teachers. It also sheds some light on the nature of cheating and the lengths people go to in order to get ahead.
"As technology keeps advancing, there are more and more ways to cheat on tests of this kind," said Neal Kingston, director of the Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation at the University of Kansas. "There's a never-ending war between those who try to maintain standards and those who are looking out for their own interests."
Cheating on standardized tests is not new, and it can be as simple as looking at the other person's test sheet. The Internet and cell phones have made it easier for students to cheat in a variety of ways. In the past few years, investigations into cheating on standardized tests for K-12 students have surfaced in Atlanta, New York and El Paso, Texas.
Still, most of the recent test-taking scandals involved students taking tests, not people taking teacher certification exams. Cheating scams involving teacher certification tests are more unusual, said Robert Schaeffer, public education director for the National Center for Fair & Open Testing.
Schaeffer notes that a large-scale scandal involving teacher certification tests was discovered in 2000, also in the South. In that case, 52 teachers were charged with paying up to $1,000 apiece to a former Educational Testing Services proctor to ensure a passing grade on teacher certification tests.
Teachers from Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi took tests through Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark., in 1998. The college was not accused of wrongdoing.
Educational Testing Services also writes and administers the Praxis examinations involved in the Memphis case. ETS spokesman Tom Ewing said the company discovered the cheating in June 2009, conducted an investigation and canceled scores. The company began meeting with authorities to turn over the information in late 2009, Ewing said.
"These cases are rare, but we consider them to be very serious and something we have to guard against happening for all the honest test-takers, students and teachers," Ewing said.
Ewing said ETS observes test-takers and reviews test scores to try to root out cheaters. ETS also has received anonymous tips that have led them to cheaters, Ewing said.
Prosecutors in the Mumford case say he, the teachers and test-takers used the Internet and the U.S. Postal Service to register and pay for the tests, and to receive payment. The indictment does not say how much he allegedly paid the test-takers.
An experienced educator, Mumford was working for Memphis City Schools when the alleged scam took place. Authorities say Mumford defrauded the three states by making the fake driver's licenses.
"What happens at many testing centers is that a whole bunch of test-takers show up simultaneously, early on a Saturday morning, and the proctors give only a cursory look to the identification," Schaeffer said. "It's not like going through airport security where a guy holds up a magnifying glass and puts our license under ultraviolet light to make sure it has not been tampered with."
Mumford was fired after news of the investigation came out, and others, like Wilson, have been suspended. But at least three teachers implicated in the scandal remain employed with their school district.
Kingston, the university professor, said prospective teachers may not be confident in their knowledge base to pass the test. Or, the cheaters may believe they are smart enough to pass on their own but also know they are poor test takers.
Kingston said his research has shown that cheating on exams is getting more prevalent.
"The propensity to cheat on exams both through college and for licensure and certification exams seems to be increasing over time," said Kingston. "People often don't see it as something wrong."
The pressure of passing the test could make people do things they normally would not do. And it could take a while for authorities and test-taking services to catch up with the cheaters.
"When people come up with a new method for cheating, it takes some time for folks to figure it out, partly because this has been an understudied area in the field of assessment," Kingston said.
Nina Monfredo, a 23-year-old history teacher at Power Center Academy in Memphis, has taken Praxis exams for history, geography, middle school content, and secondary teaching and learning.
Monfredo, who passed all her tests and is not involved in the fraud case, said the exams she took were relatively easy for someone who has a high school education. She said some people use study aids to prepare, but she didn't. And she didn't feel much pressure because it was her understanding that she could take the test again if she did not pass.
"If you feel like you can't pass and you hire someone it means you really didn't know what you were doing," she said. "I think it would be easier to just learn what's on the test."
In this Friday, Nov. 23, 2012 photo released by the Egyptian Presidency, President Mohammed Morsi speaks to supporters outside the Presidential palace in Cairo. Egypt's official news agency says that the country's highest body of judges has called the president's recent decrees an "unprecedented assault on the independence of the judiciary and its rulings." In a statement carried on MENA Saturday, the Supreme Judicial Council says they regret the declarations President Mohammed Morsi issued Thursday. (AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency)
In this Friday, Nov. 23, 2012 photo released by the Egyptian Presidency, President Mohammed Morsi speaks to supporters outside the Presidential palace in Cairo. Egypt's official news agency says that the country's highest body of judges has called the president's recent decrees an "unprecedented assault on the independence of the judiciary and its rulings." In a statement carried on MENA Saturday, the Supreme Judicial Council says they regret the declarations President Mohammed Morsi issued Thursday. (AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency)
CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's benchmark stock index has plunged 9.5 percent halfway through the first trading session since the country's Islamist president issued decrees to assume near absolute powers.
Sunday's losses on the Egyptian Exchange's EGX30 index are among the biggest since the turbulent days and weeks after the ouster of authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak last year.
The fall follows the announcement Thursday by President Mohammed Morsi of a package of decrees that place him above any oversight, including judicial, and extend the same protection to two Islamist-dominated bodies: a panel drafting a new constitution and parliament's upper chamber.
Morsi says his measures are designed to "protect the revolution," but they triggered an uproar among non-Islamist political groups now vowing to press on with street protests to force him to back down.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Nine people were arrested near a Walmart store in California on Friday as part of national protests for the rights of hourly workers, even as the world's largest retailer enjoyed what it said was its best ever start to the holiday shopping rush.
Hundreds of protesters, including some Walmart workers who skipped their shifts on the retail industry's busiest day, spoke, chanted and sang outside of Walmart stores around the United States, making pleas for higher wages and better healthcare for Walmart hourly workers.
OUR Walmart, an organization backed by the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) union, said it counted 1,000 protests in 46 U.S. states, including strikes in 100 cities - figures that Walmart said were "grossly exaggerated."
There was no evidence that such activity disrupted what appeared to be a strong start for Wal-Mart Stores Inc to the crucial holiday shopping season.
The arrest of nine people in Paramount, California, who told law enforcement they intended to be arrested, occurred at around 12 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET), well after the rush of specials that kicked off at 8 p.m. the night before and culminated with a 5 a.m. round of deals on "Black Friday," the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.
Nine people, who refused to leave the street, were peacefully arrested for refusal to disperse, said Captain Mike Parker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Three of those arrested were striking Walmart workers, OUR Walmart said.
Other demonstrations were smaller and less disruptive. At a Walmart on Chicago's South side, just one employee from the store's nearly 500 staff took part in the demonstration, according to Walmart. There, four busloads of protesters marched outside and were not stopped by police or security guards.
Many of the demonstrators were not Walmart workers, but were supporters such as Candice Justice, a retired teacher who stood with dozens of others in Chicago on Friday morning.
Walmart said it was aware of a few dozen protests on Friday, and said the number of workers that missed scheduled shifts was "more than 60 percent less than Black Friday last year."
The team organizing the protests disagreed.
"Right now there are hundreds and hundreds currently on strike," Dan Schlademan, director of Making Change at Walmart, a campaign anchored by the UFCW, said on Friday afternoon. He said he could not provide a specific number of striking workers.
'SAM WALTON WAS A GOOD MAN'
Walmart said five workers of the 250 scheduled to work at the Paramount, California store skipped shifts on Friday, while OUR Walmart said 18 did so.
One shopper leaving the store with his girlfriend said that the protest might deter him from shopping at Walmart again.
"We need to put ourselves in their shoes. I probably won't shop here; I don't think they should take advantage of workers," said Joe Tegue, a 30-year-old contractor.
For its part, Walmart said it recorded its best Black Friday events ever, with more shoppers than last year and nearly 10 million register transactions between 8 p.m. Thursday and 12 a.m. Friday. It said it sold more than 1.8 million towels, 1.3 million TVs and some 250,000 bicycles.
Shares of Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart rose 1.9 percent to $70.20 on Friday, outpacing the gains in the broader stock market during a shortened trading session.
Rosetta Brown, who has been with the company for 15 years and works at the Sam's Club in Cicero, Illinois, joined the protest and lamented how employees are treated now compared with the era of company founder Sam Walton.
"Sam Walton was a good man ... Walmart passed away with him," she said. Walton opened the first Walmart store in 1962 and died in 1992.
The Chicago worker who protested, Tyrone Robinson, said he earns $8.95 an hour working in the produce department, and that his shifts have been cut back to less than 40 hours per week.
Wal-Mart filed an unfair labor practice charge against the UFCW with the National Labor Relations Board last week in a bid to thwart the protests. Days later, OUR Walmart filed its own charge with the NLRB, saying the retailer was illegally attempting to deter workers from participating in strikes.
More allegations of violations are expected to be filed with the NLRB in the coming days, Schlademan said.
The NLRB regional office completed its investigation on Wednesday and submitted a report for further legal analysis, NLRB Director of Public Affairs Nancy Cleeland said on Friday.
"We don't expect to have any announcements or decision today or during the weekend," she said.
(Additional reporting by Dana Feldman in Paramount, Calif., David Morgan in Washington and Jon Nielsen in Dallas,; writing by Ben Berkowitz; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe, Matthew Lewis and Bob Burgdorfer)
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Public release date: 26-Nov-2012
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