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When Science Meets Fiction

This weekend I?ll be at Science Online 2013 in North Carolina, moderating a panel with io9?s Annalee Newitz on science and science fiction. It?s a topic near and dear to both our hearts, and Annalee kicked off a pre-discussion last week with her post exploring the evolutionary biology of Star Trek. I?d like to do the same by talking a bit about the history of how science has fed into popular culture over the years ? especially science fiction.

The prevailing scientific worldview of a given era has always been reflected in the art and literature of the time ? not to mention the theology. This was certainly the case in the 1500s, when the ancient Ptolemaic worldview still prevailed, with the Earth nestled at the center of the solar system, and the moon, Sun and known planets at the time revolving around it in perfect circular orbits. That movement was believed to produce a celestial music ? the ?music of the spheres? ? undetectable to sinful human beings on the fallen Earth. Anything below the moon was ?sublunary,? separate from the rest of the solar system?s state of grace.

Allusions to this worldview abound in Milton, Shakespeare, John Donne and many other leading literary figures, but by the time Sir John Davies penned his poem ?Orchestra? in 1596, the Ptolemaic system was beginning to crack as the Copernican revolution gained momentum:

Only the earth doth stand forever still,
Her rocks remove not nor her mountains meet;
Although some wits enricht with learning?s skill
Say heav?n stands firm and that the earth doth fleet
And swiftly turneth underneath their feet

Illustration from Jules Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon"

Ah, but then came the dawn of science fiction in the 19th century, beginning (arguably) in 1818, when Mary Shelley?s Frankenstein was first published anonymously in London. (Fans of classic sci-fi from this era should totes be reading Skulls in the Stars; Dr. Skyskull is an expert on the subject.)

By the time Jules Verne?s From the Earth to the Moon (1865) and H.G. Wells? First Men in the Moon appeared, science fiction was an established genre, one that inspired many young kids to dream of traveling to other worlds ? most notably rocket pioneers J. Robert Goddard and Werner von Braun, who helped launch the 20th century space program.

No longer was it just science seeping into the popular culture: now popular culture was inspiring scientists in turn. And then came film and television! Verne?s novel inspired Georges Melies to make the first science fiction silent film, A Voyage to the Moon.

The 1950s was a veritable Golden Age of cheesy B-movie science fiction, and? as the decades rolled on, you even had sly references to scientific breakthroughs showing up in mainstream films. Sure, it took a few decades, but Hubble?s discovery that the universe was expanding went on to give little Alvy Singer nightmares in Woody Allen?s Annie Hall:

These days, science is everywhere in film, TV, books, music, theater, art ? you name it. It?s handy for people like me, who love to ferret out the science in popular culture ? or physicists like Jim Kakalios, whose book The Physics of Superheroes is a must-read for any lover of classic comic books. My own book (shameless plug alert!), The Physics of the Buffyverse, combed through episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff, Angel, to compare and contrast the science in Whedon?s world with that of our own.

World-building in science fiction is all about establishing the rules of how your world works; it is artistically essential, because a world with no constraints has no conflict, and hence no story. Those rules might evolve over time, and inconsistencies invariably creep in, but they exist ? even in the Buffyverse which has its own thermodynamics of magic. There are costs incurred, consequences that must be paid, and above all, strict rules as to how and when it can be used. Willow even cites energy conservation in a Season 7 episode, declaring, ?Magic works on physics!? At least, it does in the Buffyverse.

The Buffyverse (and much of popular culture in general) abounds in what I like to call ?found physics?: elements that perhaps aren?t central to the world-building aspect, but nonetheless provide ?teachable moments.? For instance, in the Emmy-nominated ?Hush,? the Gentlemen are fairy tale monsters that steal everyone?s voices, so their victims can?t scream when the creatures arrive to surgically remove their still-beating hearts. It?s necessary because the Gentlemen are extremely sensitive to any kind of noise. Eventually, Buffy figures out how to get her voice back and emits a single loud, prolonged, and high-pitched scream that causes the monsters? heads to explode, scattering green goo everywhere.

The Gentlemen's heads on the verge of exploding.

Sound can affect the heads of creepily cadaverous demons because it is mechanical energy.? Still, it is not a simple feat for Buffy to cause the heads of the Gentlemen to explode. The secret is a precisely tuned frequency, combined with long duration, and lots of decibels. Every material object has a natural resonant frequency at which it vibrates. That?s why running your damp finger along the rim of a crystal wine glass produces a faint hum.

We?re basically talking about forced oscillation resonance: if an object has a particular natural rate of vibration, and if one pumps in more energy of the same resonance, the object will vibrate so strongly it can shatter, just like the wine glass in those old Memorex commercials.

Similarly, the Gentlemen?s exploding heads would have to have a resonant frequency perfectly matched to the pitch of Buffy?s scream in order for this to happen. Buffy?s sustained scream would probably have to be at least 135 decibels in order to generate sufficient mechanical vibration to cause them to explode. Unlikely? Sure. But it?s good enough for Purposes of the Plot.

Of course, there are plenty of groan-worthy gaffes in the Buffyverse, too, as there are in just about any form of popular entertainment that dares to inject a bit of science. That?s why nerd-gassing is such a popular and time-honored pastime among the geekerati. I went to see J.J. Abrams? Star Trek reboot with five PhD physicists, and the post-movie nerdgassing reached Olympic proportions. Their unanimous conclusion: ?Red matter? didn?t have to happen.

Some people are in favor of this kind of sci-fi handwaving, as detailed in this post by Steven Padnick at Tor.com.? I think Padnick is right in principle (science fiction should stretch the imagination and look beyond what is currently possible, and you don?t want to bog down your story with lengthy technical explanations) and wrong in the specific example of red matter, which is so ridiculous that it actually pulls the viewer out of the story ? something no self-respecting creator of a fictional world wants to do.

For an example of an error that still works in the fictional context, consider this scene from Third Rock from the Sun, in which visiting alien Dick Solomon ? now a physics professor ? finally proves his career isn?t, like, totally boring and useless when he gets a criminal to confess using physics:

Dick: Using Coulomb?s Third Law, I was able to prove that he did it.
Tommy: What does that have to do with it?
Dick: Nothing. All I proved was that he?s rotating around the sun, but he didn?t know that. That?s the wonderful thing about physics, nobody understands it.
Sally: So you can use your knowledge to bully people into submission.
Dick: That?s the plan. As long as America?s educational system remains woefully inadequate, I rule!

The physics literate no doubt spotted the problem: the writers have conflated Coulomb?s Law with Newton?s Law of Universal Gravitation. Both employ the inverse-square law, and whether we?re talking about electrons moving around an atomic nucleus or planets moving around the sun, we?re still dealing with spherical objects with point charge and point mass. But Newton?s law deals with very large mass, while Coulomb?s law deals with objects with little mass but large charges. Also, gravitation is just attraction; Coulomb?s law incorporates both attraction and repulsion. Here?s the thing: the scene still works. When it comes to scientific bloopers, this one?s a misdemeanor.

The science should always be in service to the narration, but it?s always marvelous when you can both tell a terrific story and have it be reasonably accurate. Some of the best examples include such classic films as Contact and Apollo 13 ? and a lesser-known portrayal of the invention of the atomic bomb, Fat Man and Little Boy. My favorite scene depicted a famous experiment dubbed ?tickling the dragon?s tail,? in which physicists tried to find the critical mass points of different materials to see which would be the best choice to set off the first stage of a nuclear chain reaction.

Needless to say, it was incredibly dangerous, yet Manhattan Project scientists sometimes skimped on the safeguards ? like removing the shims separating? the two halves of the beryllium sphere housing the plutonium core. John Cusack?s character is based on a physicist named Louis Slotin, one of two men who died as a result of botched criticality experiments. The first was in August 1945; at the time, Enrico Fermi told Slotin, ?Keep doing these experiments the way you?ve been doing them, and you?ll be dead within the year.?

Fermi?s fears were realized. A few months later, Slotin was using a screwdriver to tweak his experiment, when the screwdriver slipped and the two halves of beryllium came together for a moment, producing an intense burst of hard radiation. Fat Man and Little Boy recreates that moment in exquisite detail, right down to marking where each man was standing at the time of the accident (so the different doses of radiation received by each could be calculated) and removing all metal from their persons. Only Slotin, who manually separated the spheres and stopped the reaction, died. Horribly. Within nine days.

The current fictional descendent of Dick Solomon is Sheldon of The Big Bang Theory, currently the top sitcom in the US, garnering a whopping 19 million viewers for a recent episode (that?s on a par with Friends, one of the most popular sitcoms of all time). The show has its own physicist as a technical adviser ? UCLA?s David Saltzberg ? and its writers are justly proud of the fact that the equations on the whiteboard, the posters, books, and other props are drawn from actual physics departments.

But the geekerati are never satisfied; where?s the fun in that? There are frequent objections to the show?s stereotypical characters: socially awkward, poorly dressed, pining for unobtainable women, and so forth. I usually point out that the depiction is exaggerated, but not necessarily 100% wrong (we?ve all run into a real-world version of Howard Wolowitz), and comedy thrives on exaggeration. The nerdy guys actually get the girls in the end (well, except for Raj, who complains at one point that he never thought Sheldon would get a girlfriend before him). And Sheldon is a sex symbol among the fandom: he is by far the most popular character, as any attendee of the annual Big Bang Theory panel at Comic-Con can attest.

In one classic scene, Sheldon uses the paradox of Schroedinger?s Cat to give Penny advice on whether or not to go on a date with Leonard and give their budding romance a chance. (You can watch the clip here; embedding is disabled.) Never mind that nobody should be seeking advice on love from Sheldon; his explanation is dead-on ? and also works really well metaphorically. Personally, I?ll take Sheldon?s loveable nerd over Flash Forward?s cringe-inducing scene where sleazy quantum physicist Simon uses Schroedinger?s cat to pick up a young woman on a train:

There is a time-honored tradition of satirizing scientists: back in 1676, Thomas Shadwell wrote a play called The Virtuoso, with bumbling, pedantic character based on Robert Hooke of Micrographia fame. The caricature was so dead-on, Hooke exclaimed in a letter, after attending a performance,? ?Dammd Doggs. Vindica me Deus, people almost pointed.?

Sometimes whether or not you accept the scientific premise of a film depends on your perspective. The Time Lord and I loved Inception, and shared our enthusiasm with psychologist Carol Tavris over dinner one night. We especially savored the careful attention to physics details, notably a scene in an elevator that served as the perfect cinematic depiction of Einstein?s equivalence principle. Check it out:

It?s a great example of using physics principles in a ?what if?? kind of way to explore how the rules could change (or not) in the dreamscape. But for Tavris, the very premise ? that the most difficult thing to accomplish is to implant an original idea in someone else?s mind, such that they believe it is their own (the ?inception? of the title) ? was ludicrous, making it impossible for her to suspend her disbelief. ?Inception is easy,? she declared.

It is the issue of authorship that is significant. The film makes clear that planting an idea in someone?s head is simple enough: tell someone not to think of pink elephants, and chances are that images of pink elephants will spring to mind. But they know that the pink elephants came from an outside suggestion. Tavris? point was that it is just as easy to manipulate someone into thinking the pink elephants were their idea all along, and there?s a lot of psychology research to back her up.

Finally, sometimes long-discarded scientific ideas can come full circle and find their way back into fiction. Remember the music of the spheres? We no longer adhere to the Ptolemaic cosmology, but the notion is still inspiring science fiction, as in this special episode of Doctor Who (penned by Robertson Davies):

The Doctor?s explanation is an extrapolation of something very real: there is indeed a kind of ?music? in the universe, and we can ?hear? it through techniques like sonification ? like this video showcasing the sound of Saturn?s rings, based on data collected by the Cassini spacecraft. It sounds very similar to the sound effects in that Doctor Who clip.

As Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek and Betsy Devine observed in Longing for Harmonies: ?The marvelous dream [of the music of the spheres] is in fact closely realized in the physical world. The spheres, however, are not planets, but electrons and atomic nuclei, and the music they emit is not in sound, but in light?. If our eyes were more perfect, we would see the atoms sing.?

?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=9e005ebced3934c7c060eb3ca3a59af4

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One killed, many hurt at funerals in Egypt port city

CAIRO (Reuters) - A man was shot dead and hundreds of people were injured in Egypt's Port Said on Sunday during the funerals of 33 protesters killed at the weekend in the city, part of a wave of violence that has compounded challenges facing President Mohamed Mursi.

The 18-year-old victim was killed by a gunshot wound in the chest, Abdel Rahman Farag, the Mediterranean port's head of hospitals told Reuters. More than 416 people suffered from teargas inhalation, while 17 sustained gunshot wounds, he said.

Gunshots had killed many of the 33 who died on Saturday when residents went on the rampage after a court sentenced 21 people, mostly from the city, to death for their role in a deadly stadium disaster in Port Said last year.

Some in the crowd chanted on Sunday for revenge or shouted anti-Mursi slogans. "Our soul and blood, we sacrifice to Port Said," they said, as coffins were carried through the streets.

Elsewhere in Egypt, police fired teargas at dozens of stone-throwing protesters in Cairo in a fourth day of clashes over what demonstrators there and in other cities say is a power grab by Islamists two years after Hosni Mubarak was overthrown.

The protesters accuse Mursi, elected in June with the support of his Muslim Brotherhood group, of betraying the democratic goals of the revolution. Since protests began on Thursday, 43 people have been killed, most in Port Said and Suez, both cities where the army has now been deployed.

The violence adds to the daunting task facing Mursi as he tries to fix a beleaguered economy and cool tempers before a parliamentary election expected in the next few months which is supposed to cement Egypt's transition to democracy.

It has exposed a deep rift in the nation. Liberals and other opponents accuse Mursi of failing to deliver on economic promises and say he has not lived up to pledges to represent all Egyptians. His backers say the opposition is seeking to topple Egypt's first freely elected leader by undemocratic means.

"BLOOD BEING SPILT"

"None of the revolution's goals have been realized," said Mohamed Sami, a protester in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Sunday.

"Prices are going up. The blood of Egyptians is being spilt in the streets because of neglect and corruption and because the Muslim Brotherhood is ruling Egypt for their own interests."

On a bridge close to Tahrir Square, youths hurled stones at police in riot gear who fired teargas to push them back towards the square, the cauldron of the uprising that erupted on January 25, 2011 and toppled Mubarak 18 days later.

Clashes also erupted in other streets near the square. The U.S. and British embassies, both close to Tahrir, said they were closed for public business on Sunday.

The army, Egypt's interim ruler until Mursi's election, was sent back onto the streets to restore order in Port Said and Suez, which both lie on the Suez canal. In Suez, at least eight people were killed in clashes with police.

Egypt's defense minister who also heads the army, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, called for the nation to stand together and said the military would not prevent peaceful protests. But he called on demonstrators to protect public property.

Many ordinary Egyptians are frustrated by the regular escalations that have hurt the economy and their livelihoods.

"They are not revolutionaries protesting," said taxi driver Kamal Hassan, 30, referring to those gathered in Tahrir. "They are thugs destroying the country."

CALL FOR DIALOGUE

The National Defence Council, headed by Mursi, called on Saturday for national dialogue to discuss political differences.

That offer has been cautiously welcomed by the opposition National Salvation Front. But the coalition has demanded a clear agenda and guarantees that any agreements will be implemented.

The Front, formed late last year when Mursi provoked protests and violence by expanding his powers and driving through an Islamist-tinged constitution, has threatened to boycott the parliamentary poll and to call for more protests if a list of demands is not met, including having an early presidential vote.

Opponents also criticized Mursi for not taking a more public role during weekend violence. The Popular Current movement, led by leftist Hamdeen Sabahy, said it "denounces the state of silence of the presidency and the government during the sad events that the country went through the past 48 hours".

Egypt's transition has been blighted from the outset by political rows and turbulence on the streets that have driven investors out and kept many tourists away, starving the economy of vital sources of hard currency.

Egypt's pound has been hit hard by the turmoil, steadily weakening against the dollar despite efforts by the central bank to slow the fall and preserve foreign reserves now at critical levels. The latest violence has added to investors' concerns.

The Port Said clashes erupted after a judge sentenced 21 men to death for involvement in 74 deaths at a soccer match on February 1, 2012 between Cairo's Al Ahly club and the local al-Masri team. Many of the victims were fans of the visiting team.

There were 73 defendants in the case. Those not sentenced on Saturday will face a verdict on March 9, the judge said.

Al Ahly fans cheered the verdict after threatening action if the death penalty was not meted out. But Port Said residents were furious that people from their city were held responsible.

(Additional reporting by Yusri Mohamed in Ismailia; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/riots-over-egyptian-death-sentences-kill-least-32-005245042.html

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Video: Rebranding the GOP

A Second Take on Meeting the Press: From an up-close look at Rachel Maddow's sneakers to an in-depth look at Jon Krakauer's latest book ? it's all fair game in our "Meet the Press: Take Two" web extra. Log on Sundays to see David Gregory's post-show conversations with leading newsmakers, authors and roundtable guests. Videos are available on-demand by 12 p.m. ET on Sundays.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/50606347#50606347

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Cat Refuses Affection, Overtures of Love From Owner

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Hackers claim attack on Justice Department website

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hackers sympathetic to the late computer prodigy Aaron Swartz claimed on Saturday to have infiltrated the website of the U.S. Justice Department's Sentencing Commission, and said they planned to release government data.

The Sentencing Commission site, www.ussc.gov , was shut down early Saturday.

Identifying themselves as Anonymous, a loosely organized group of unknown provenance associated with a range of recent online actions, the hackers voiced outrage over Swartz' suicide on January 11.

In a video posted online, the hackers criticized the government's prosecution of Swartz, who had been facing trial on charges that he used the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's computer networks to steal more than 4 million articles from JSTOR, an online archive and journal distribution service.

Swartz had faced a maximum sentence of 31 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million.

The FBI is investigating the attack, according to Richard McFeely, of the bureau's Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch.

"We were aware as soon as it happened and are handling it as a criminal investigation," McFeely said in an emailed statement. "We are always concerned when someone illegally accesses another person's or government agency's network."

(Reporting by Deborah Zabarenko; Editing by Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hackers-claim-attack-justice-department-website-173352467.html

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Kim Kardashian Divorce Demand: Pay My Bills!

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DMHSA - 2012 Highlights, 2013 Goals

Last Updated on Sunday, 27 January 2013 12:39 Written by News Release Sunday, 27 January 2013 10:56

Guam News - Guam News

Guam - The DMHSA has released the following report highlighting its accomplishments in 2012 and its goals for 2013.

Department of Mental Health - "Your Community Behavioral Health Center?

MISSION STATEMENT:

To provide comprehensive inpatient and community-based outpatient mental health, alcohol and drug programs, and services for the people of Guam and to continually strive to improve, enhance, and promote the physical and mental well-being of the people of Guam who experience the life?disrupting effects of mental illness, alcoholism, and drug abuse, as well as those who are at risk of suffering those effects and who need such assistance; and to provide such assistance in an efficient and effective manner in order to minimize community disruptions and strengthen the quality of person, family and community life. (P.L. 17-21, 10 GCA Chapter 86 & 93, Budget Acts)

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

I. INCREASE THE COMMUNITY?S CAPACITY IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR TO SUPPORT, SERVE, AND TREAT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES SUFFERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF MENTAL ILLNESS & SUBSTANCE AND/OR ALCOHOL ABUSE.

Objective l: Recruit and hire allied health professionals to include, but not limited to, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Behavioral Specialists and Social Workers.

Obiective 2: Continue to implement Crisis Intervention Program for individuals and families.

Objective 3: Continue to implement a Community Outreach and Support Program.

Objective 4: Continue to implement Respite Care Program.

Objective 5; Develop additional funding sources to support community?based programs in tandem with Government agencies to include BBMR, DOA and the Guam State Clearinghouse.

Objective 6: Update and implement a? Maintenance Plan for facilities.

Objective 7: Create programs that are ready for community-Based implementation as noted in the Comprehensive Implementation Plan and the Guam Strategic Plan for the Expansion of System of Care for Children/Youth with Mental Health Challenges and their Families.

Objective 8: Federal Management Team's Plan of Action

II. PROVIDE THE MOST APPROPRIATE TREATMENT, SUPPORT, PLACEMENT, AND LEVEL OF CARE FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS REOUIREING THE SERVICES OF THE DEPARTMENT.

Objective 1: Implement multi-disciplinary team in all patient treatment planning.

Obiective 2: Improve behavioral programs for patients with co-occurring disorders.

Objective 3: Develop appropriate programs to expand the professional capacity and workforce development such as Counselors, Psychiatric Nurses, and Psychiatric Technicians for education and training.

Ill. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY?S MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.

Objective 1: Implement the Guam System of Care Unified Expansion Plan.

Objective 2: Implement the Client Satisfaction Survey.

Objective 3: Conduct community needs assessment.

Obiective 4: Continue the following programs:

Program Target Group Services

Objective 5: Provide for a new Day Treatment Program as part of the Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program.

Objective 6: Provide for Residential Behavioral Treatment for adult consumer found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI).

IV INCREASE AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND LEVEL OF CLIENT/PATIENT CARE.

Objective 1:? Reduce the caseload ratio of counselors and case managers per client/patient where warranted. Increase efficiency in those areas identified.

Objective 2:? Hire critically needed clinical vacant positions.

Objective 3: Improve current written policies and procedures.

Objective 4: improve and increase availability of medical records.

Objective 5: Upgrade medical charting and record keeping standards.

Obiective 6: Increase staff development and clinical training.

Objective 7: Conduct periodic quality review of services and programs and implament recommendations that improve and correct deficiencies found.

IMPACT STATEMENT:

The department continues to be impacted dramatically on all facets of the organization due to increasing demands of federal and local mandates. Program mandates are affected by federal laws that are enacted to address program weaknesses and enforcements. DMHSA strives to provide the best level and quality care and ensure a safe and healthy environment for both patients and statt, with available resources, as well as to explore other means that will support and maintain objectives. Critical and vital objectives of main concern and calling for greater attention:

* Availability of qualified clinicians and support staff recruitment retention.

* Current ratio of consumers (clients/patients) to professional care providers of services and the level of care, type of service, and treatment they need that must be addressed in the multi-disciplinary determination process.

* Availability and access to services provided by other departments such as the Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities (DISID), GHUHA Housing, Food Stamps, Welfare, Public Health, Child Support Services, etc.

* Community support for residential, group homes, and other programs in the neighborhood.

* Overall mental health of our community and address the issue of stigma.

* Funding from federal grants and other sources.

* Cultural milieu of island regarding conceptualization of mental health.

DMHSA is constantly facing shortages in critical clinician position mostly because of the lack of qualified professionals on the island (i.e., psychiatrist, counselors, pharmacist, and nurses). Although the department has made some progress at acquiring the services of these professionals, much more needs to be done.

Funds for medical supplies have been made available but pharmacy stock level are still being addressed due to a lack of adequate local suppliers and the cumbersome procurement regulations that govern psychotropic medications. The department is still focusing on refining the process within the confines of regulations so the DMHSA may readily obtain the medications required for consumers in the most efficient manner.

Continued funding for implementation of the DMHSA Comprehensive Implementation Pian is also critical to meet minimum care and national Olmstead requirements.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

We envision that through ?Caring Communities,? DMHSA will be the forefront health care service provider. Major accomplishments have already been made and are listed as follows:

* Implementation of the Direct Support Provider Program.

* Continuation of reducing the residential Wait List.

* Implementation of the Guam?s Comprehensive Implementation Plan that provides community services and supports for proper placement of individuals with disabilities in the least restrictive settings.

* Improvement of our Management information System (MIS), which sets to successfully implement electronic recordkeeping of clients? records, electronic filing of documents, and provide for paperless filing of records.

* Organization and implementation of Muiti?discipiinary teams to comply with the mandates of the Amended Permanent injunction.

* Opening of four new group homes.?

* Authority to bill and collect for adult fees and services through P. L. 31-239.

* Capital improvement projects on?going or near completion are for the facility cable system, entry cover and reception waiting room area, recreation area cover, window refurbishment, furniture for ward and out-patient waiting area, exterior lighting for parking lots, electric lights re-wiring, maintenance storage building, and exterior painting to name a few major projects.

*? Completion of the updated Guam Profile 2011 on Substance Abuse and Suicide.

* Development of Mass Media Campaign and Training for Suicide Prevention.

* Establishment of Governor?s Executive Committee for System of Care through Executive Order 2012-16.?

* Fees and services for Children Adolescent Services Branch authorized by Public Law 31-274.

* Read Flag/Green Flag presentations conducted in 9 local elementary schools.

* Nurse examiner recognized and received the National Sexual Violence Flesource Center?s 2012 Visionary Voice Award and the received National Recognition Citation from the Governor?s MagPro Awards.

Summary

The Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse operations covers an array of many important and critical purposes. They range from providing the best level of health care services to the development of a ?road map? to continue the ?TFlANSFOFlMATlON? to community-based, consumer and family driven continuum of services and support. Through the adoption of the concept ?Caring Communities?, our families are given the opportunity to have a ?voice" of their service delivery.

These priorities include sustainability of our operations that include recruitment and retention of critical staff, encumber?ng contractual obligations, and securing potential outsourcing of programs.

The department?s operational needs are based on local and federal mandates that must be focused on by every government body who participate inthe sphere of mental health care from the community (mayors), to hospitals/clinics/DPHSS, to judicial services, and all others that affect the success or failure of service delivery for behavioral (mental health) care. Our mission can only be achieved successfully through the positive contributions of all who influence in some way the outcomes of DMHSA efforts. Federal audits, lawsuits, and court orders mandate services must be fulfilled to avoid injunctions and penalties and further adverse actions through inactions. DMHSA continues to work with available resources to ensure continuing
compliance of the amended permanent injunction and the plan of action. Funding for the plan is currently being provided by the U.S. District Court order for deposit of stipulated installments specific to the implementation of the plan as scheduled by the Federal Management Team.

Our services are provided throughout the Community starting with the intake process at our main facility in Tamuning, auxiliary services at our satellite offices in Hagatna and referrals to the appropriate living and treatment centers throughout the Community rendered by a staff of 191 GovGuam employees and an array of contracted service providers. More information and related resources for "Your Community Behavioral
Hea/th Center? can be found at www.dmhsa.ouam.oov. www.oeaceouam.oro and www.icareouam.oro

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ?

Prevention and Training Branch 2012 Highlights

Grants Acquired

Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Grant (Youth Suicide Prevention) (FY? 2015)
Substance Abuse and Prevention Treatment Block Grant (Ongoing)
State Prevention Enhancement Planning Grant (FY 2012 - FY 2013)
FDA State Tobacco Compliance Check Inspection Grant (FY 2013)
Synectics - SEOW (FY 2011-FY 2013)

Focus on Life - Suicide Prevention and Earlv Intervention?

Goals:
1. Establish and/or improve Guam's surveillance and centralized monitoring and reporting system for capturing data on suicide attempts and deaths, as well as other intentional self-harming that is reportable by identified private and public sector partners;

2. Strengthen public, private and community-based partnerships with the development of culturally relevant suicide prevention resources and training for responding effectively to the community?s identified needs for suicide prevention and education, early intervention, and treatment services;?

3. Strengthen Guam?s 24-Hour Crisis Hotline services with the hiring of full-time staff and recruitment and training of community volunteers;

4. Implement culturally appropriate evidence?based suicide prevention policies, programs, and practices among Guam?s key stakeholders; and,

5.. Evaluate the program effectiveness to reduce preventable injuries and suicides and attempts on Guam.

Objectives:
1. Increase community awareness and understanding that suicide is a public health problem that is preventable;

2. Develop broad-based support for suicide prevention in the development and implementation of culturally appropriate, evidence?based prevention programs, policies and practices;

3.. Develop and implement strategies to reduce the stigma associated with being a consumer of mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention services;

4. Develop and implement culturally appropriate, evidence-based community?based suicide prevention programs;

5. Promote efforts to reduce access to lethal means and methods of self-harm;

6. Implement training for recognition of at-risk behavior and delivery of effective treatment;

7. Develop and promote effective clinical and professional practices;

8. lmprove access to and community linkages with mental health and substance abuse services?

9. lmprove reporting and portrayals of suicidal behavior, mental illness, and substance abuse in the entertainments and news media;

10. Promote and support research on suicide prevention; and,?

11. Improve and expand on Guam?s Suicide Surveillance and Monitoring System.?

Accomplishments to Date:

*Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and safe TALK
*23 trainings hosted
*Certified 248 individuals in ASIST and 185 in safeTALK
*Gathering of Native Americans (GONA)
*1 training hosted
*25 individuals completed 4-day workshop
*13 individuals continued for certification to become trainers
*Holiday Crisis Hotline
*Trained at least 10 new community volunteers to be hotline responders
*Received 15 calls, with issues of relationship problems, grief, needing medical assistance, sexual abuse and social problems
*Other outreach presentation and display
> Participated/Hosted 11 outreach presentations at schools, through non?profit organizations, and in partnership with other government agencies
> Includes suicide prevention forum hosted by the UOG?s |?Pinangon Suicide Prevention Program
> Had a total audience of 962 youth and adults

PEACE State Prevention Enhancement

Goals:
1.Prevent or reduce consequences of underage drinking and adult problem drinking;
2. Prevent suicides and attempted suicides among populations at risk, including military families and
3. Reduce prescription drug misuse and abuse;
4. Enhance state workforce development; and
5. Develop and enhance Government of Guam policy and funding to support needed services for mental health and substance abuse system improvements.

Objective: To develop a five-year comprehensive plan for PEACE; To bridge the prevention infrastructure with the mental health system of care, Guam?s SPE for PEACE will establish systematic linkages between Guam?s substance abuse and mental health infrastructure that will highlight the correlation between tobacco use, alcohol abuse, mental illness and suicide risk.

Accomplishments to Date:

Completion of four Mini Action Plans for PEACE SPE centered around Data, Coordination of Services, Training and Technical Assistance and Evaluation

Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant

Goal:

The Prevention & Training Branch staff provides technical assistance, training and resources to policy makers, program managers, community coalitions (faith and school-based), and public and private sector leaders in an effort to empower community-based program leaders with tools and opportunities to effectively reduce the incidence and prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and other drug?related problems, and to promote overall health and wellness. This Branch adopted the public health model of prevention that recognizes that prevention is a lifelong process and attempts to reduce both the supply of and the demand for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Prevention programs and services involve the use of six strategies: 1) information Dissemination, 2) Education, 3) Alternatives, 4) Problem Identification and Referral, 5) Community-Based Process, and 6) Environmental and Social Policies.

Objectives:

1) To annually update Guam?s Substance Abuse Epidemiological Profile, 2006 and A Profile of Suicide on Guam, January 2009;

2) To document process and outcomes in the implementation of Guam?s Comprehensive Strategic Prevention Framework Plan and the collaborative work accomplished with Guam?s Community Coalitions for Prevention and Early Intervention;

3) To maintain and update the Prevention and Training Branch website: www.peaceguam.org as well as an annual Mass Media Educational Campaign on Prevention;

4) To develop and implement evidence-based prevention programs for Guam?s targeted communities that are based on established data?driven, substance use priorities (tobacco and alcohol), cultural appropriateness and relevant strategies;

5) To implement Guam?s Comprehensive Plan for Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention, entitled ?Focus on ?

6) To strengthen Guam?s workforce in the public and private sector and in particular to increase and sustain a pool of Certified Prevention Specialists, Tobacco Cessation Program facilitators and trainers for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASlST);

7) To strengthen program components for evaluating process and outcomes and to utilize these findings to improve and sustain prevention and training branch services; and

8) To establish MOUs with key public and private sector partners in an effort to leverage available resources and to sustain positive outcomes as a result of established prevention programs, policies and practices implementation.

Accomplishments to Date:

*Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training
> 1 training hosted
> 19 individuals completed a 5-day training
*Youth for Youth LIVE! Guam? Annual Conference
* Attended by approximately 60 youth leaders and 400 participants (middle and high school students) from Guam, CNMI, and Native American tribes
*Substance Abuse Prevention Mini-Conference
* Hosted 1 mini?conference, in partnership with Jose Rios Middle School
*Attended by at least 10 youth leaders and 53 student participants
*SYNAR Tobacco Compliance Inspection
*98.3% of establishments licensed to sell tobacco were covered in the inspection; that is 328 or 337 total establishments
*93.1% were found in compliance to tobacco retail laws
*22 on-site citation issued and fines assessed, in partnership with the Alcoholic Beverage Control at the Dept. of Revenue and Taxation
*One Nation Liberation Day Parade
*31 families pledged to host? panies/tents at the parade route
*29 families of the 31 were confirmed to be in compliance
*Responsible Beverage Skills Training
*7 individuals participated in a 2-day training of trainers, 3 of them represented the Prevention and Training branch of DMHSA
*Other outreach presentation and display
*Participated/Hosted 11 outreach presentations at schools, through non-profit organizations, and in partnership with other government agencies
*Includes town hall meetings on underage drinking hosted by non-profit organizations such as Astumbo Middle School Parent-Teacher Organization, *UOG Student Services Office, Christian Life Center, St. Jude Confirmation Class.
*Had a total audience of 789 youth and adults
*Youth Summer Water Safety Instruction Program
*35 youth leaders (age 12 through 18) and 201 youth participants (age 5 through 15) completed this 6-week summer program
*Non-Communicable Diseases Consortium
*The department was well-represented in two committees of the NCD Consortium - Alcohol Abuse
*Prevention and Tobacco Abuse Prevention
*Stress Management Workshops
*Hosted 2 Stress Management workshop in partnership with the Dept. of Administration
*Trained a total of 86 individuals
*Media Campaign
Continued to produce and implement media campaigns and youth-oriented talk shows:
o Youth Talk Today! (in partnership with Sorensen Media Group)
o One Nation, Alcohol-Free campaign
o Focus on Life Suicide Prevention campaign

FDA State Tobacco Enforcement

Goal: To enforce FDA?s new regulation that prohibits retailers from selling cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to children under 18,

Synectics - State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroug iSEOW)

Goal:?

To promote the strategic use and dissemination of data for informing and guiding Guam?s substance abuse prevention and behavioral health promotion policy and program development, decision-making, resource allocation and capacity building.

Objectives:

1.Systematically collate and analyze relevant data (including but not limited to consumption and consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use, and risk and protective factors for mental health) to delineate and better understand the magnitude and nature of substance abuse and
mental illness on Guam and to effectively and efficiently utilize resources for substance abuse prevention and behavioral health promotion

2. Promote data? driven decision making across all stages of the Strategic Prevention Framework throughout the State substance use prevention and mental health system

3. Strengthen and build capacity and data infrastructure for effective data utilization for substance abuse prevention and behavioral health promotion

4. Facilitate inter-agency and community collaboration to optimize the exchange, access, and utilization of data across organizations and stakeholders working on substance abuse prevention, mental health promotion and other related fields

5. Provide technical support to key health policy and program leaders, and community stakeholders to promote cross-systems planning, program integration, implementation and monitoring for substance abuse prevention and mental health promotion.

Accomplishments:

Development of Guam?s SEOW Charter and continued partnerships with SEOW members in the annual updates, production and distribution of Guam?s 2011 Epi-Profile on substance abuse and suicide.??

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I Famagu'on-ta Child Adolescent Services Division 2012 Highlights

To establish a unified System of Care across all of Guam's child serving agencies which includes a broadly supported, sustainable array of home and community-based services that enables children and youth to achieve their maximum potential building on the strengths of Guam's diverse families, provided by skilled providers trained with System of Care values, principles and best practices.

Goals

1.Raise awareness of Guam's child and adolescent mental health needs.

2. Reduce the stigma of mental illness and increase referral of mental health services.

3. Promote systems of care and wraparound for positive child/youth development, recovery and resilience.

Significant Accomplishments

1 January-February, 2012. Hired four personnel for the System of Care Expansion Planning Grant, a $500,000 federal grant award to develop strategic plan unifying and expanding Guam System of Care for children/youth with mental health challenges and their families.

2. March, May and September, 2012. Held 3 planning summits to accomplish the development of a Guam, unified and expanded system of care for children and youth with mental health challenges and their families. This will bring /Famagu?on?ta and Project Kar?nu together as a unified system of care for children from birth to 18 years of age.

3. October, 2012: The Guam strategic system of care expansion plan was finalized pending printing for distribution.

4. October, 2012: lnitiation of the Saturday column on children mental health and related topics in the Pacific Daily News.

5. November 8, 2012. Governor Eddie Baza Calvo signed the Executive Order No.2012-16 establishing the Governor?s Executive Committee For System of Care. This will be publicly presented when the Guam Strategic Pian on System of Care Expansion booklet is ready for distribution. Anticipated date is February 2013.

6. December 4, 2012. The artwork on ?System of Care Through the Eyes of Children?, a 5 large? mural was completed and exhibited at the Guam Council of the Arts and Humanities Gallery in Hagatna. This is the work of young people with the guidance of their art teachers. This project was
funded through a CAHA grant awarded to lFamagu'on?ta.

7. SERENITY Horne, a step down/transition and respite home for adolescent with mental health challenges successfully transitioned one of the residents into a therapeutic foster care placement.? Altogether, DMHSA has 3 therapeutic foster care homes for our special needs children/youth.?

8. December 26, 2012. /Famagu?on?ta Children Adolescent Services Division Fee Schedule was signed into law. This fee schedule allows for the Medicaid billing of system of care type of services as well as private insurance billing.

9. December 28, 2012: Celebrated our 13th annual Christmas Cheer for our children/youth and their families at /Famagu?on-ta Office. Over 190 children/youth and their families attended. Donations from numerous businesses were used for this event.

Goals and Events for 2013

1. To publicly announce the creation of the Governor Executive Committee for system of care.

2. To Launch a new website for children?s services at www.icareguam.org

3. Conduct 2 presentations at the NASW Social Work Conference on: (1) The System of Care Expansion Plan, and (2) Training on the Core Content of the Crisis Counseling Program (CCP).

4. To continue the implementation of the Guam SOC Expansion Plan

5. To hold the 13th annual Art of Healing Project artwork display of students from K-12 grade during mid April and mid May. April is the Young Child Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month and early May is Children Mental Health Week. The artwork will be on display at the Agana shopping center.?

6. To reclassify the 10 I Famagu?on?ta personnel that are still unclassified employees to ensure the sustainability of system of care and wraparound.

7. MAY 2013. Children Mental Health Awareness Week. Some of the events for the week is the 2nd annual School Personnel System of Care Ambassador Award, Open House at I Famagu?on-ta, and the Big Awareness Wave.

8. Summer Blast (Late? enrolled children and youth, 4-6 weeks of Summer activities to keep them busy , productive and safe during non?schoo| days.

9. Organizing the 6th Annual System of Care Conference and Training Institute on Mental Health First Aid, training of trainers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Healing Hreats Crisis Center 2012 Highlights

Mission: The Healing Hearts Crisis Center incorporates a holistic approach for individuals who may have experienced a sexual assault. Regardless of when the assault occurred or the age, race or sex of the victim, Healing Hearts offers a supportive, healing atmosphere with caring people to assist them in regaining feelings of safety, control, trust, autonomy and self ?esteem.

Goals/ Objectives:?

1) To improve the collection of evidence in sexual assault cases, which will assist with the successful prosecution of criminal sexual assault cases; improve the use of the Multi-Disciplinary Team.?

2) To ensure that survivors of sexual assault are provided with the necessary support/resources to report and participate in the investigation and prosecution of criminal sexual conduct cases.

Major Accomplishments:

1) Recruitment of the HHCC Program Manager and Social Worker III.

2) Participation in the Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Children within the Child Protective Act.

3) HHCC Nurse Examiner achieved certification as a Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE?P).

4) A memorandum of? Understanding between HHCC and the Guam Sexual Assault and Abuse Resource Center? Association (SAARCA) was signed and approved by the Governor of Guam to promote cooperation in the fulfillment of? the mutual interest and objectives between the two organizations and implement programs and services, diversify? funding and decrease sexual violence.

5) Preliminary work began to establish a Sexual Assault Survivors Support Group.

6) HHCC was chosen as DMHSA?s nomination for unit of the year for MagPro Awards.

7) HHCC Nurse Examiner received the National Sexual Violence Resource Centers 2012 Visionary Voice Award and the National Recognition Citation for MagPro.

8) Staff training included: Social Worker ll attended the 26Ih Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment in San Diego, California , On-Call Medical Examiner attended ?Forensic Investigations: From Scene to Courtroom in Kansas City, Missouri, all HHCC attended ?Heart of Healing: Secondary Stress? on Guam, Program Manager attended the National Sexual Assault Conference in Chicago, Illinois, Social Worker lll attended the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children's Child Forensic Interview Clinic in Seattle, Washington
HHCC Nurse Examiner attended the 20lh Annual Scientific Assembly sponsored by the International Association of Forensic Nurses in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

9) 2 peer reviews were conducted in calendar year 2012.

10) Red Flag/ Green Flag presentations were conducted at 9 local elementary schools reaching out to over 2.800 students, teachers, librarians, school aides, school nurses and counselors.

11) Statistics: 156 clients were served in calendar year 2012; 56 medical examinations were conducted; 8 multi-disciplinary team interviews were conducted; 30 Guam Police Department Sexual Assault kits collected.??

?

Objectives:

Source: http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30954:dmhsa-healing-hearts-2012-highlights-2013-goals-&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156

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Investigators still unable to find cause of 787 fire

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Further testing still has not found the cause of a battery fire aboard a Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner in Boston earlier this month, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Sunday.

In a statement released Sunday, the safety regulator said "no obvious anomalies were found" in its initial investigation of an undamaged battery aboard the plane and that a more detailed examination would follow.

The NTSB's preliminary finding, along with the absence of any reported progress in determining a root cause of the auxiliary power unit's battery fire, underscores that the safety investigation and the grounding of 787s may drag on longer than Boeing had hoped.

Oliver McGee, an aerospace and mechanical engineer who was a deputy assistant secretary of transportation for technology policy under President Bill Clinton and a former consultant to Boeing, described the challenge facing the investigators as a "megascale engineering puzzle."

The Dreamliner's troubles have roiled the airline industry, with safety regulators and experts warning that investigations into the cause of a series of small fires on the plane could take months or even a year.

Regulators grounded the Dreamliner on January 16 after a series of safety incidents, including one on a Japan Airlines Dreamliner in Boston and an All Nippon Airways Dreamliner in Japan. The incident in Japan forced a plane to make an emergency landing.

The grounding has forced hundreds of flight cancellations worldwide, including in the United States, India and South America.

The uncertainty over the Dreamliner has raised questions for Boeing as deliveries for its signature aircraft remain stalled and airlines await the futuristic plane, which was to play a major role in their plans for expansion.

(Reporting by Jim Wolf, Ben Berkowitz, and Samuel P. Jacobs; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/investigators-still-unable-cause-787-fire-205959111--finance.html

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Comprehensive immigration plan coming this week: McCain

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leading Democratic and Republican senators said on Sunday there were encouraging signs in the push to overhaul U.S. immigration laws - a top priority for President Obama's second term - and they would introduce their plan this week.

With Obama set to begin his push for immigration reform with a speech in Las Vegas on Tuesday, a group of three Democratic and three Republican senators have been working for weeks on a plan.

One of those senators, Republican John McCain of the border state of Arizona, said on ABC's "This Week" program that the group still had hard work ahead but that he was pleased with the progress and that the principles of a comprehensive plan would be put forth this week.

McCain said the plan was much like a 2007 immigration proposal that died during the presidency of George W. Bush. That plan included a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, tighter borders, a guest worker program and requirements for employers to verify workers' immigration status.

The immigration issue was largely pushed aside during Obama's first term as economic concerns weighed more heavily, but the president, who had overwhelming backing from Hispanic voters in his 2012 re-election, cited it as part of his agenda when sworn in for a second term last week.

McCain said the political aspect of immigration reform should sway any Republicans who object to a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

"We are losing dramatically the Hispanic vote, which we think should be ours, for a variety of reasons, and we've got to understand that," he said.

McCain said change also was needed because "we can't go on forever with 11 million people living in this country in the shadows in an illegal status. We cannot forever have children who were born here, who were brought here by their parents when they were small children, to live in the shadows, as well."

Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois, another member of the six-person Senate group, said on "Fox News Sunday" that work remained to be done but that the progress was encouraging.

"We are trying work our way through some very difficult issues but we are committed to a comprehensive approach to finally in this country having an immigration law that we can live with," he said. "We have virtually been going for maybe 25 years without a clear statement about immigration policy. That's unacceptable in this nation of immigrants."

Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey who is also a member of the immigration group, said on "This Week" that he was cautiously optimistic because of the bipartisan spirit that has prevailed in the recent reform effort.

"I see things that were once off the table for agreement and discussion being on the table with a serious pathway forward," he said.

Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, a Republican who is not a member of the group, said he had spoken with one of its members, who said he was "very optimistic" about reform.

(Reporting by Bill Trott; Editing by Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/comprehensive-immigration-plan-coming-week-mccain-180538935.html

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Spotting fetal growth problems early could cut UK stillbirths by 600 a year

Jan. 24, 2013 ? Growth restriction in an unborn child is the single largest risk factor for stillbirth, especially when it goes unrecognized before birth, finds a new study. Yet it is currently missed in most pregnancies.

The authors say spotting it early could substantially reduce the risk, and this needs to become a cornerstone of safety and effectiveness in antenatal care.

Stillbirth rates in the United Kingdom are among the highest in developed countries. They have often been considered unexplained and unavoidable, and their rates have changed little over the last two decades.

Recently, doctors have found that many stillborn babies fail to reach their growth potential, prompting a renewed focus on what causes fetal growth restriction. So a team of researchers at the West Midlands Perinatal Institute in Birmingham set out to assess the main risk factors associated with stillbirth in a multiethnic population.

Using NHS records, they identified 92,218 normally formed singleton babies, including 389 stillbirths, from 24 weeks of gestation, delivered during 2009-11 (a stillbirth rate of 4.2 per 1,000 births). They then assessed several maternal and fetal risk factors for stillbirth and calculated the proportion of stillbirths that could be potentially avoided if these risks were removed.

These included mother's age, parity (the number of times she had given birth), body mass index, mental health history, pre-existing diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, smoking in pregnancy, alcohol consumption, and fetal growth problems.

First, third and subsequent pregnancies were associated with an increased risk of stillbirth compared with second pregnancies, but high maternal age carried no increased risk in this population which excluded congenital anomalies. Ethnicity (African, African-Caribbean, Indian and Pakistani) carried a higher risk, as did deprivation and unemployment of the mother or her partner.

Maternal obesity (BMI of 30 or more), smoking, pre-existing diabetes, a history of mental health problems, and fetal growth restriction were all associated with a significantly increased risk.

As potentially modifiable risk factors, maternal obesity, smoking in pregnancy and fetal growth restriction together accounted for 56% of all stillbirths.

However, the strongest risk factor was fetal growth restriction, which carried a fourfold higher risk of stillbirth compared with normal growth pregnancies. This increased to an eightfold risk if it was not detected during pregnancy, accounting for 32% of all stillbirths in the study.

Yet the authors point out that the presence of fetal growth restriction is currently missed in most pregnancies.

They estimate that 71 stillbirths in their study population could have been avoided through better antenatal recognition. Extrapolated to the UK population, this would represent 600 fewer stillbirths per year.

"Our study shows that while there are several risk factors for stillbirth that can be ascertained from the outset of pregnancy, the single largest factor is fetal growth restriction, which is currently not well predicted and not recognised antenatally in most pregnancies," say the authors. "Most normally formed singleton stillbirths are potentially avoidable ? and preventive strategies need to focus on improving antenatal detection," they conclude.

In an accompanying editorial, two experts from the University of Auckland say this study adds "important new insights" about modifiable risk factors for stillbirth, but that efforts to improve detection of fetal growth restriction must be intensified.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BMJ-British Medical Journal.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. J. Gardosi, V. Madurasinghe, M. Williams, A. Malik, A. Francis. Maternal and fetal risk factors for stillbirth: population based study. BMJ, 2013; 346 (jan24 3): f108 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.f108

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.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/cwKZgpdKpWc/130125104226.htm

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Learn How To Run An Affiliate Marketing Program | Internet ...

Not only must you and your business be seen, but you must also imprint your differences versus others working a similar niche, whom have been around much longer. Yet, even with all the differences from company to company, there are some core bits that remain similar in those that make good profits and a few are listed here.

If you are watching your affiliate stats, you should be watching where the links perform the best also. Test your link on different parts of the page and compare the results. Only change the position of the link; don?t change a single other thing about the content.

Beginning affiliate marketing sometimes requires a financial investment to reap a profit. Put some money back into the business by advertising with other sites and services. There are three sites that are the best for advertising: Facebook, Yahoo, and Google.

Set small, daily goals in order to better assist with your particular affiliate marketing strategy. This will make tasks easily accessible, and may help motivate you.

Think of things to add when you are picking affiliates. Take it even further by considering items, such as water containers, that can be easily accessed.

Back-end sales are also essential to being successful for your affiliate marketing. You should get commissions on items that you refer customers to. Only do business with companies who offer you a fair commission.

Improve your success in affiliate marketing by building an extensive network. These tools can help connect great advertisers to webmasters. One of the benefits of an affiliate network is that it can help to build credibility and respect. If you choose an established network, your will get a good reputation.

Be wary of vendors who want you to utilize their tracking system; in many cases, this is a scam. Make sure you use a good, legitimate tracking system.

When it comes to affiliate marketing, honesty is the best policy. People aren?t going to become loyal customers if you aren?t honest with them. Being dishonest with your audience can lead to them distrusting you and avoiding your links.

Your company?s current online marketing strategy can be greatly improved upon by adding affiliate marketing programs. Affiliate programs have been shown to generate much more site traffic than passive methods such as banner advertisements. When looking at affiliate programs, consider how much you will get for referrals, how popular the directory is and how easy it is to navigate.

Use screenshots and recommendations for your products. Since your customers cannot physically touch or see the product you need to provide them with as much information as possible.

You can make most profits when you use paid ads. If you buy ads that target keywords, you will boost traffic to your website and increase sales. This will add to the pool of potential customers you have.

Explain to your readers why your affiliates are a good fit for you and for them. They will be happy that you were honest, and become more loyal as a result.

In the world of affiliate marketing, the product review is key. Make every effort to enhance yours by adding content such as video, endorsements, reviews and other content that portray the product in a positive light. People will want to buy your product because it is so appealing. Include details in your review. People need to know exactly what they are buying, especially if they can not actually touch it or use it before the purchase.

Be as honest as you can and let your followers and readers know that when they purchase through you that you make a portion of the profits. You should not attempt to deceive customers with affiliate links because many of them will know you are not being honest and they will not trust to do any business with you. Customers appreciate honesty, and you can increase the likelihood that they will return?and click on your links?by working to gain their trust.

Text services can help affiliates earn more commissions. Even though text services are still fairly new, many affiliates apply this service in order to ensure their customers stay informed, as well as to advertise new products to customers.

To be a successful in affiliate marketing, it is very crucial that you remain relevant. Be certain you always know about the latest deals and offers with your affiliate programs. New tools are implemented constantly to improve the useability of different kinds of affiliate programs that make advertisements more appealing to its readers.

Lifetime commissions for affiliate marketing programs have never been so difficult to lock down. Since the profit from this type of commission is high, it will still be worthwhile to try to manage the commission into your sale. Webmasters get a cut on products sold through affiliates. In most cases, a commission is given only if the purchase is made in a specified period of time. This makes them extremely popular in the industry.

As an affiliate marketer, you represent your current and future businesses as a whole; which requires an honest attitude at all times. Inform your readers about affiliate programs you promote, especially if you are writing articles, reviews or blog entries that include your affiliate links. If your visitors don?t trust you, they won?t purchase through your site.

A great tip for affiliate marketers who have started to generate money is not to be satisfied with what they have accomplished. Keep your sights set on bigger things and higher goals. Consider creating another blog or any other website as a means to generate more income. Most importantly, never give up on your online business venture.

Study up on the possibility of joining referral programs if your affiliate marketing partnerships make them available. By referring other people to their companies, you could receive higher compensation rewards from these established businesses. Many sites will offer commissions on referred sales. If you are a busy company you can perhaps refer a affiliate to them.

These types of methods are employed for a reason: they provide results and pull in the intended customer. All you have to figure out is how to apply them to the position you?re interested in.

Search Engine Optimization, SEO

Source: http://www.websitehostdirect.com/learn-how-to-run-an-affiliate-marketing-program/

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Iranian ship back home after Sri Lankan escape: data

DUBAI (Reuters) - An Iranian-flagged cargo ship that fled Sri Lankan waters after weeks of detention by the island nation's navy has arrived back in Iran, according to ship-tracking data published by Reuters.

The Sri Lankan navy fired warning shots in early January to prevent the MV Amina from leaving its waters, acting on a court order obtained by Germany's DVB Bank in pursuit of debts it said were unpaid.

Days later however the vessel sailed away from the island in rough seas, the navy said.

The Amina, formerly called Shere, is managed by Tehran-based Rahbaran Omid Darya Ship Management, which the European Union and United States have said is a front for Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), Iran's biggest cargo carrier.

IRISL has faced Western sanctions for years based on accusations of transporting weapons, a charge it denies.

After sailing out of Sri Lankan waters the Amina vanished from ship-tracking systems off the southwest coast of India. It arrived back in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Friday where it has dropped anchor near two other ships which DVB Bank has previously tried to seize, tracking data shows.

The Amina was seized in December after DVB obtained an order on December 12 from the Colombo High Court to hold the vessel. Court documents showed that DVB Bank sought to recover millions of dollars in unpaid debts.

Amina is one of four Iranian bulk ships DVB has been trying to seize. An Iranian-owned dry bulk ship called Uppercourt has been held in the northern Chinese cargo port of Qinhuangdao since November.

Two other vessels that DVB Bank has previously tried to seize, the Tongham and Artin, are also anchored off Bandar Abbas, a key Iranian port near the Strait of Hormuz.

The Artin, previously called Vobster, sailed away from Qinhuangdao in early November, arriving back in Iran in mid-December.

IRISL has tried to dodge sanctions by changing its flags, ship names, and setting up front companies, the U.S. Treasury and the EU have said.

(Reporting by Daniel Fineren; editing by Andrew Roche)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-ship-back-home-sri-lankan-escape-tracking-083641390.html

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Royal Caribbean Cruises | 2013 Update - beyond luxury travel ...

This morning I attended a seminar on Royal Caribbean Updates for 2013. ?And there is actually some significant news to pass along. ?Like it?s sister company Celebrity, Royal Caribbean is upgrading all it?s ships with the extras found in it?s latest ship. ?For Celebrity, that?s to its Solstice Class ships. ?And for Royal Caribbean it?s to it?s Oasis Class.

Josh Friedman Luxury Travel specializes in the Suite Life aboard Royal Caribbean & Celebrity Cruises. Ask me about the details of suites and what amenities come along with that. A partial list is below.

More Speciality Restaurants | +?discounted package when you prepay for multiple reservations. [So this is a win/win. ?You the client get more choices, and RCI gets more revenue.]

More wi-fi

Culinary Upgrade | Gourmet & locally produced options to regular dining menu, managed by Michael Schwartz from South Beach. And new china.

New Dessert Menu |??includes Bailey?s Banana Creme Brule (OK, pack your bags!)

Dreamworks Partnership. ?Enjoy fun family (and adult activity) activities with your favorite characters, like Shrek!

Barbie!?Yes, you can purchase a Barbie package for your daughter!

Stuff to Do | Flowrider (surfing at sea); Ice Staking (very fun)

SUITES
When booking a Grand Suite or above with Josh Friedman Luxury Travel, enjoy the following exclusive perks and amenities

Fruit plate & Evian on boarding
Chocolate at turndown, every evening
Luxury spa bathrobes and slippers
Gilchrist & Soames toiletries
In-room coffee maker with Starbucks & tea with Tazo
Pillow menu with 4 options
Pressing service on first formal night
Luggage valet (ask for details)
Personalized port and shopping advice
Priority tender tickets (on select itineraries)
Priority departure arrangements
Invitation to the exclusive to the Captain?s Welcome Aboard Reception (4 or more nights)
Limited exclusive pool deck seating?(ask for details)
Limited reserved seats for shows (ask for details)

?

Call Josh for details,?excellent pricing, the ultimate in service & complimentary amenities with Virtuoso Travel?s Voyager Club.

Top Producer with & Knowledgeable Person for All Luxury Lines:
? Seabourn?s Pinnacle Club
? Cunard?s Commodore
? Regent Seven Seas Cruises
? Crystal Cruises
? Silversea

josh friedman luxury travel
in san francisco?s financial district
415.987.0372 | joshfriedmantravel.com
with travel experts, a virtuoso member agency
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Read my review of Seabourn Sojourn
Read my review of Seabourn Spirit
Read my review of Silver Cloud
Read my review of Oceania?s Marina
Read all my ship reviews with photos

Josh Friedman?is a travel agent specializing in luxury travel for small groups and individuals ? particularly ultra-luxury cruises, customized vacations and food & wine inspired journeys.? Based in San Francisco, and with clients throughout the USA, his business is focused on 24/7 personalized service to the sophisticated leisure and business traveler.? His personal? relationships with the world?s top hotels, cruise lines and local agencies often allows for exclusive amenities and VIP status.

?If you?d like to learn more about luxury travel and our services, please contact?Josh Friedman Luxury Travel?in San Francisco?s Financial District via phone at 415.987.0372? or email:?josh [at] joshfriedmantravel [dot] com. Follow him on?Twitter and Facebook, too.

associated with travel experts, a virtuoso member and four seasons preferred partner, 201 spear street, suite 1100, ?san francisco, ca 94105 cst# 2080753-40

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Source: http://blog.joshfriedmantravel.com/2013/01/24/royal-caribbean-cruises-2013-update/

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