Posted on: 6:11 am, April 30, 2013, by Staff Writer
The American Farm Bureau Federation says the Mississippi River Navigation Sustainment Act ? recently introduced in the U.S. House ? would maintain the critical movement of goods during periods of extreme weather. In a letter to the bill?s sponsors ? Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman notes that the Mississippi River is a critical national transportation artery on which hundreds of millions of tons of essential commodities are shipped. He says low water events on the river created great uncertainty for those who depend on our waterway systems. But whether it?s low water conditions or devastating floods ? Stallman says we need to be proactive in planning and preparing to keep the Mississippi River open for commerce.
Analysis: Emergency care cost estimates are too lowPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: David Orenstein david_orenstein@brown.edu 401-863-1862 Brown University
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] Alternately praised in the aftermath of horrible tragedies as a heroic service and lamented in policy debates as an expensive safety net for people without primary care, emergency medicine is often a hot topic. Despite that importance, an analysis published online April 26 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine finds that national expenditures on emergency care are likely significantly higher than previously thought.
"The ER has become increasingly important as a place where people go for acute unscheduled care, however there has been little rigorous analysis of its cost structure," said paper lead author Dr. Michael Lee, assistant professor of emergency medicine in the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a physician at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital.
Lee, who had a prior career in economics and finance before training in emergency medicine, co-wrote the analysis with Dr. Brian Zink, professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Alpert Medical School, and Dr. Jeremiah Schuur, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and director of quality and patient safety for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Brigham and Women's Hospital.
The challenge of properly accounting for the costs of emergency care, Lee said, becomes crucial as health care financing moves from a fee-for-service model to bundled payments for patient populations or episodes of care.
Clarifying costs
The analysis first examines current estimates of aggregate spending on emergency department (ED) care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) estimates $48.3 billion of spending on emergency care in 2010, or 1.9 percent of the nation's total health care expenditures of $2.6 trillion. With the message that "The total cost is small relative to the entire health care system," the American College of Emergency Physicians has embraced the AHRQ figure in its "Just 2 percent" public relations campaign.
But Lee and his co-authors point out, based on data from other studies, that MEPS undercounts the number of ED visits and the number of ED patients who are admitted to hospitals. Adjusting for those discrepancies using data from a variety of other published sources, the authors estimate that ED costs are between 4.9 percent to 5.8 percent of total health care spending.
The authors went beyond national data sets, including the National Emergency Department Sample, to review ED spending data from a different source: a major national private insurer. The data included charges from doctors and hospitals for imaging, testing, and other procedures. But again there were accounting differences between admitted and discharged patients and a need to account fully for spending from Medicare and Medicaid. The authors' estimate based on this data is ED spending that is 6.2 to 10 percent of total health care spending.
Much of the debate in the academic literature around the expense of ED care has to do with whether the bulk of costs are fixed (e.g., expensive equipment and continuous staffing) or marginal (e.g., flexible staff time, expendable supplies). According to Lee, the cost structure of the ED remains poorly understood and is significantly more complex than what is modeled in existing studies.
As with assessments of total costs, the authors report, the studies vary widely even after adjusting for inflation. Across four major studies over the last three decades, the average cost per patient of an ED visit in 2010 dollars ranged from only $134 to more than $1,000, Lee and colleagues found. Meanwhile, the marginal cost of an ED visit (factoring out the fixed costs), ranged from $150 to $638.
Alternative accounting
The authors instead argue for an accounting based approach to ED costs using a methodology known as "Time-Driven Activity Based Costing (ABC)," which has been applied to health care by Robert Kaplan and Michael Porter, professors at the Harvard Business School.
The method maps all clinical, administrative, and diagnostic steps in a patient encounter and assigns costs to each activity, explicitly accounting for the time spent on each task.
ABC accounting might provide a more realistic and transparent measure of ED costs, Lee said, because the emphasis on time is particularly relevant for emergency medicine.
"The real cost of providing emergency care has to do with accurately measuring the resources that are used, and time is an important variable to take into account," he said.
The authors envision using the methodology to measure the cost of common ED processes or chief complaints, and to compare this to alternative sites such as primary care offices or clinics, he said. They also point out that ABC accounting gives "gives ED managers specific data they can use to improve the value of care by identifying high-cost steps in the process."
Emphasize value, not just cost
The authors acknowledge that an outcome of their analysis reporting higher overall costs for emergency care, may invite further criticism that the expense of emergency care represents unnecessary, inefficient care.
"However, we offer a more sanguine interpretation the high share of spending affirms the importance of emergency medicine within the health care system," they wrote. "With 130 million visits, 28 percent of all acute care visits, and accounting for nearly half of all admissions, emergency medicine should be expected to represent a large share of health care spending."
And Lee cautions, based on other studies, that efforts by private and government payers to divert ER care may not lead to large aggregate savings.
"Diverting nonemergency care may simply shift costs onto primary care offices and clinics which may not have the infrastructure to accommodate a large volume of unscheduled care," Lee said.
Instead there may be more potential for cost savings by focusing on reducing unnecessary diagnostic testing in the ED or unnecessary admissions that originate from the ED.
Lee and his co-authors call for the debate to include value, not just cost.
"More attention should be devoted to quantifying the value of specific aspects of emergency care," they wrote. "Rather than minimize the issue of cost, we should recognize the economic and strategic importance of the ED within the healthcare system and demonstrate that costs are commensurate with value.
Lee acknowledges that this remains a challenge for the field of emergency medicine. "The core of our business is ruling out critical diagnoses. Many of the things we look for are low probability but highly dangerous conditions. The big question is how do you quantify value when your work is often focused on trying to demonstrate the absence of something?"
###
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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.
Analysis: Emergency care cost estimates are too lowPublic release date: 29-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: David Orenstein david_orenstein@brown.edu 401-863-1862 Brown University
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] Alternately praised in the aftermath of horrible tragedies as a heroic service and lamented in policy debates as an expensive safety net for people without primary care, emergency medicine is often a hot topic. Despite that importance, an analysis published online April 26 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine finds that national expenditures on emergency care are likely significantly higher than previously thought.
"The ER has become increasingly important as a place where people go for acute unscheduled care, however there has been little rigorous analysis of its cost structure," said paper lead author Dr. Michael Lee, assistant professor of emergency medicine in the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a physician at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital.
Lee, who had a prior career in economics and finance before training in emergency medicine, co-wrote the analysis with Dr. Brian Zink, professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Alpert Medical School, and Dr. Jeremiah Schuur, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and director of quality and patient safety for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Brigham and Women's Hospital.
The challenge of properly accounting for the costs of emergency care, Lee said, becomes crucial as health care financing moves from a fee-for-service model to bundled payments for patient populations or episodes of care.
Clarifying costs
The analysis first examines current estimates of aggregate spending on emergency department (ED) care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) estimates $48.3 billion of spending on emergency care in 2010, or 1.9 percent of the nation's total health care expenditures of $2.6 trillion. With the message that "The total cost is small relative to the entire health care system," the American College of Emergency Physicians has embraced the AHRQ figure in its "Just 2 percent" public relations campaign.
But Lee and his co-authors point out, based on data from other studies, that MEPS undercounts the number of ED visits and the number of ED patients who are admitted to hospitals. Adjusting for those discrepancies using data from a variety of other published sources, the authors estimate that ED costs are between 4.9 percent to 5.8 percent of total health care spending.
The authors went beyond national data sets, including the National Emergency Department Sample, to review ED spending data from a different source: a major national private insurer. The data included charges from doctors and hospitals for imaging, testing, and other procedures. But again there were accounting differences between admitted and discharged patients and a need to account fully for spending from Medicare and Medicaid. The authors' estimate based on this data is ED spending that is 6.2 to 10 percent of total health care spending.
Much of the debate in the academic literature around the expense of ED care has to do with whether the bulk of costs are fixed (e.g., expensive equipment and continuous staffing) or marginal (e.g., flexible staff time, expendable supplies). According to Lee, the cost structure of the ED remains poorly understood and is significantly more complex than what is modeled in existing studies.
As with assessments of total costs, the authors report, the studies vary widely even after adjusting for inflation. Across four major studies over the last three decades, the average cost per patient of an ED visit in 2010 dollars ranged from only $134 to more than $1,000, Lee and colleagues found. Meanwhile, the marginal cost of an ED visit (factoring out the fixed costs), ranged from $150 to $638.
Alternative accounting
The authors instead argue for an accounting based approach to ED costs using a methodology known as "Time-Driven Activity Based Costing (ABC)," which has been applied to health care by Robert Kaplan and Michael Porter, professors at the Harvard Business School.
The method maps all clinical, administrative, and diagnostic steps in a patient encounter and assigns costs to each activity, explicitly accounting for the time spent on each task.
ABC accounting might provide a more realistic and transparent measure of ED costs, Lee said, because the emphasis on time is particularly relevant for emergency medicine.
"The real cost of providing emergency care has to do with accurately measuring the resources that are used, and time is an important variable to take into account," he said.
The authors envision using the methodology to measure the cost of common ED processes or chief complaints, and to compare this to alternative sites such as primary care offices or clinics, he said. They also point out that ABC accounting gives "gives ED managers specific data they can use to improve the value of care by identifying high-cost steps in the process."
Emphasize value, not just cost
The authors acknowledge that an outcome of their analysis reporting higher overall costs for emergency care, may invite further criticism that the expense of emergency care represents unnecessary, inefficient care.
"However, we offer a more sanguine interpretation the high share of spending affirms the importance of emergency medicine within the health care system," they wrote. "With 130 million visits, 28 percent of all acute care visits, and accounting for nearly half of all admissions, emergency medicine should be expected to represent a large share of health care spending."
And Lee cautions, based on other studies, that efforts by private and government payers to divert ER care may not lead to large aggregate savings.
"Diverting nonemergency care may simply shift costs onto primary care offices and clinics which may not have the infrastructure to accommodate a large volume of unscheduled care," Lee said.
Instead there may be more potential for cost savings by focusing on reducing unnecessary diagnostic testing in the ED or unnecessary admissions that originate from the ED.
Lee and his co-authors call for the debate to include value, not just cost.
"More attention should be devoted to quantifying the value of specific aspects of emergency care," they wrote. "Rather than minimize the issue of cost, we should recognize the economic and strategic importance of the ED within the healthcare system and demonstrate that costs are commensurate with value.
Lee acknowledges that this remains a challenge for the field of emergency medicine. "The core of our business is ruling out critical diagnoses. Many of the things we look for are low probability but highly dangerous conditions. The big question is how do you quantify value when your work is often focused on trying to demonstrate the absence of something?"
###
[ | 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.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? Rafael Nadal won the Barcelona Open for the eighth time Sunday, defeating Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-3 for his fourth title of the year.
After trailing 3-0 in the first set, Nadal found his form and broke his fellow Spaniard in three of his next four service games to take command.
Nadal has made six straight finals after returning from a knee injury that sidelined him since last summer. This title, the 54th of his career, comes one week after his eight-year reign at Monte Carlo ended with a loss to top-ranked Novak Djokovic.
Nadal has won all 10 of his matches against the 12th-ranked Almagro. He has won 39 straight matches on the red clay at Real Club de Tenis, his last loss coming 10 years ago.
BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian opposition forces have targeted government officials, army and police officers and civil servants in their campaign to topple President Bashar Assad's regime.
Here is a list of some of the major assassination attempts in Syria since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011:
?April 29, 2013: A bomb attached to a parked car detonates as Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi's car drove by. Syrian state media reported the prime minister was not hurt in the bombing in the upscale Damascus neighborhood of Mazzeh, which is home to many embassies and officials in Assad's regime.
?March 21, 2013: A suicide bomber blows himself up in a mosque in central Damascus, killing Sheik Mohammad Said Ramadan al-Buti, a leading Sunni Muslim preacher and outspoken supporter of Assad, and 41 others.
?Dec. 12, 2012: A car bomb targets the Interior Ministry in Damascus, wounding Interior Minister Mohammed al-Shaar. Initially, Syrian state media said al-Shaar was not hurt in the blast, but "several" were killed. News of his injuries emerged a week later, after he was brought to neighboring Lebanon for treatment.
?July 18, 2012: A blast at the Syrian national security building in Damascus during a high-level government crisis meeting kills four top regime officials, including Assad's brother-in-law and the defense minister.
Tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula amid reports the US has deployed an unmanned spy plane to Japan to boost its surveillance after North Korea readied missile launchers on its east coast.
The Global Hawk will be stationed at the US airbase in Misawa, northern Japan, in the first ever deployment of the aircraft in the country, the Sankei Shimbun reported, quoting government sources.
The US military informed Japan last month about plans to deploy the plane between June and September but has brought the date forward.
It comes after North Korea warned foreign diplomats they may not be safe in the country if war breaks out.
The spy plane will be stationed at the US airbase in Misawa, northern Japan
Pyongyang asked foreign embassies whether they were considering evacuating staff, saying the government could not guarantee their safety in the event of conflict from April 10.
The British Foreign Office dismissed the warning as "rhetoric".
However, an urgent international effort to defuse the situation is under way.
The heads of EU missions are to meet to hammer out a common position on the crisis, while the US works its diplomatic channels to resolve the stand-off with Pyongyang.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has been holding talks with officials in South Korea, as well as China - historically North Korea's ally - to see if the Chinese can put any more pressure on North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to back down.
Kim Jong-Un holding up a pistol as he supervises firing drills
Reporting from the South Korean capital Seoul, Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone, said: "In the skies above the Korean Peninsula there are spy planes operating.
"There will be drones - American drones - operating before long from a base in Japan.
"They are trying to get as much of a sense as possible of what it is that Kim Jong-Un is doing on the ground with his weaponry.
"We know he has some pretty sophisticated weaponry.
"There are artillery rounds just over the border. They could in theory hit Seoul. That's a big concern for South Korea.
"That's why they are trying to put these intelligence reports together, as well as the diplomacy behind the scenes, to try and work out what Kim Jong-Un might be up to."
A South Korean soldier looks to the north at a border observation post
He continued: "The diplomats were warned by Pyongyang to leave by April 10 - no one quite knows why that date should be significant.
"It seems pretty clear, certainly speaking to western diplomats based in Pyongyang, their belief is this is just the latest round of rhetoric from North Korea.
"You would assume that if North Korea was planning some sort of war, it would actually want the diplomats from foreign countries to remain there so that they could be used as some sort of a bargaining chip - not kicked out of North Korea.
"I think it is alarming, but I think it's also probably just more rhetoric," he added.
Most governments have made it clear they have no immediate plans to withdraw personnel from the area.
A rally in support of Kim Jong-Un's order to put missiles on standby
Western tourists returning from organised tours in Pyongyang - which have continued despite the crisis - said the situation on the ground appeared calm, with life going on as normal.
"We're glad to be back but we didn't feel frightened when we were there," said Tina Krabbe, from Denmark, arriving in Beijing after five days in North Korea.
The embassy warning on Friday coincided with reports that North Korea had loaded two mid-range Musudan missiles on mobile launchers and hidden them in underground facilities on its eastern coast.
The Musudan have never been tested but are believed to have a range of around 3,000km (1,860 miles), which could theoretically be pushed to 4,000km (2,485 miles).
That would cover any target in South Korea and Japan, and possibly even reach US military bases located on the Pacific island of Guam - which Pyongyang has threatened to strike.
Tensions have soared on the Korean peninsula since December, when the North test-launched a long-range rocket. In February, it conducted its third nuclear test and drew fresh UN sanctions.
Digital Trends has reported that Google and WhatsApp are in advance talks for an acquisition deal.
The report claims that the talks are stuck at the valuation of the deal. WhatsApp is seeking nearly USD 1 billion!
I personally think that it would be absurd that Google would pay 1 billion dollars for WhatsApp.
I understand that WhatsApp is currently the most popular group messaging app in the world. They have a monetization strategy that seems to be working. People do not mind paying 1 dollar per year to get connected to their network. But still.
Google already has Google Talk which probably has more users than WhatsApp. They have Google+ Messenger which can simply be merged with Google Talk. And then they have Google+ Hangouts?
In any case, a deal today would delay the release of the rumored Google Babble/Babel platform which is supposed to integrate all Google communication tools.
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One main issue facing recently elected student body president Eli Schooley, senior in political science, is the lack of communication between the K-State Student Government Association and the Manhattan City Commission.
?It?s been up and down over time, I would say,? Schooley said. ?Some administrations, as far as SGA goes, have put a lot of effort into getting to know the city commissioners really well and some haven?t.?
In recent years there has been very minimal communication according to recently reelected city commissioner Rich Jankovich.
?Directly, I?m not sure that there is any,? Jankovich said. ?There hasn?t been any communication directly from the student senate. It usually comes through staff and typically about the uses of the city-university fund.?
Current student body president president Nate Spriggs, senior in agricultural economics, said he interned and worked with city commission throughout the last two years.
?Several of them were pretty easy to work with, but a couple of the members were extremely difficult to communicate with, especially in regards to issues of students,? Spriggs said. ?I?ve maintained great working relationships and communication with Commissioner Jankovich, Pepperd and Sherow.?
Yet lack of SGA?s overall communication with the city commission is something Schooley is looking to change.
?I?m willing to do everything that I can to build that relationship,? Schooley said.
Jankovich, along with newly elected city commissioners Usha Reddi and Karen McCulloh were all cited by Schooley as being more ?student-friendly? and willing to hear issues that pertain to students.
?I?m going to try to schedule at least a quarterly session with student senate to be in front of them so they have an opportunity to tell me what they think of me and/or what?s going on with the city, and I can respond back about things that I think are important to them,? Jankovich said. ?We would open up a door and hopefully that becomes a tradition.?
Some plans are already in motion to begin connecting the student body and the city commission.
?There was an open forum in the Union that SGA put on that commissioner candidates came and basically said their stances on the issues so students would know who to vote for,? Schooley said. ?Things like that are good. I think it?d be great if the city commissioners could come to, like, SGA meetings on Thursday nights. Obviously not all of them, but just occasionally and see what it is we do.?
One main issue that both Jankovich and Schooley hope to work toward is coming to an agreement about is reinstating the inspections of rental properties in the Manhattan community.
?Most students have never rented a house before and they don?t know what to look for in safety regulations,? said Josh Cox, SGA senator and junior in history. ?It?s cheaper for property owners and renters if those updates aren?t made, but it can be dangerous.?
This policy of ensuring that rental properties reach a certain level of safety was lifted by the current administration after pressure from a group of rental property owners.
?The rental inspection policy has a big effect on students [if it?s put back into place]. It?s an impact in what their rent is,? Jankovich said. ?It may take some properties off the market that they may have rented, or have been forced to rent for whatever reason.?
Another issue facing the current administration is developing transportation in and around Manhattan.
?Potentially, we could have a much better mass transit system, which would be huge,? Schooley said. ?Currently we have the ATA bus system but they only go to each stop once an hour, which is not the most handy thing. And I think a lot of our international students, especially, could get a lot out of every 15 minute trip to Walmart or the mall.?
These issues, and others facing SGA, could be better addressed by improving communication between the two governing bodies.
?By improving communication, we can allocate students? dollars to better K-State as a university and assure a higher quality of life for students,? said Cox.
Schooley and Spriggs are optimistic that with the newly elected commissioners, this relationship will continue to improve and that they can work for the benefit of the students and the Manhattan community.
?The biggest things that we can improve by improving communication are that students would have a better idea of what it is the city commission does, and the commissioners would have a better idea of what SGA does,? Schooley said.
Editor?s Note: This article was completed as an assignment for a class in the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Look no further ! You?ve Come to the Right Place and Help is at Hand.
Hello from Amanda and Marco at the Writing Clinic.
We?ve both been teachers at EC Malta for many years and we both understand just how difficult it can seem sometimes to express ourselves in another language. We?ve also had to study other languages so we?ve been in your shoes and completely understand what you may go through sometimes. All you need is the right state of mind, a bit of guidance and a pen and paper would be handy!
We are both crazy about other languages and cultures because we are attracted to the ways different languages work in different ways. My goodness?.. If we all thought and acted in the same way, just imagine how boring the world would be.
Now ,since every language is beautiful and different in its own way, the most important step is trying to let go of the biggest obstacle which is the false security of thinking in our own language when we want to express ourselves in another. In fact, this is the main difference between writing and speaking because if the other person doesn?t understand you they can ask you to explain again or you will just be able to realise from the look on their face ( that person you?re chatting to may not speak your language or understand why you have made a mistake but at least there?s an option to sort it out) Sadly, until modern technology invents a new system, a piece of paper will never be able to give explanations to a confused reader if you?re not around.
No language is a direct translation of another ( ?. Thankfully ! ) The words and the grammar are all different just like our cultures and in that way those differences have to be respected as well.
Did you know that the Eskimos have so many different words for something as simple as ?snow?? Just imagine the confusion on an Eskimo?s face if Amanda and Marco were somewhere near the North Pole and translated this sentence directly into their language?.
?Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Would you care for a nice cup of tea before we play snowballs on this lovely day??
Somehow we think that it wouldn?t work but if you do see any Eskimos in class we would like to know how you say it correctly. We did actually have a lovely student from Greenland at EC seven years ago?.
Equally funny are the word for word translations which Mr Google gives you on those electronic devices. Forget that! Just keep it simple and try to think in English if your reader wants to read a text in real English.
The secret is simple but it takes some effort of course. First of all, just relax and try to feel comfortable with something that is different. If you can get on a local bus then this is much less of an adventure. Don?t hold on to what you have known from before. Our style is new,exciting and different and if you follow the rules step by step you will definitely see immediate results week after week and that is more or less a promise? Except of course if you still believe you can eat soup with chopsticks!!
If you want to hear about just how successful you can be and if you still have a few little doubts in your mind because it simply sounds too good to be true , then just ask your friends who come to Writing Clinic regularly and you will see for yourself .
Students focus on writing different sentences in different texts and compositions which are about real topics ,useful in the real world and in everyday situations. Students work alone, in pairs and in mini- groups helping each other , giving advice and sharing knowledge ( ? Extra speaking practice too , great ! )
Amanda and Marco monitor the session , walking round offering extra advice and suggestions , ready to give time one on one to every student who has a question. Meanwhile, students learn how to ? think? in English, keeping their ideas simple by brainstorming for ideas which they develop by following basic structures and which they go on to check and edit. In this way, our great writers to be feel confident that they have some solid structure and bases and soon enough they become aware of their own mistakes which simply disappear week after week. Just imagine the improved results in your writing after a month!
As well as looking at usual mistakes, students learn more about style in essays, letters, reports, stories, reviews and summaries. They learn to emulate structures from model texts or do fun activities like writing to music to really write about how they feel from the heart.
Each week, students happily complete a writing project which Amanda and Marco just as happily correct. You can leave your work at Adriana?s office and you will have your corrected copy with comments and constructive feedback on the same or next day. Don?t be afraid to do more than one piece of writing if you?re in the mood and full of inspiration and in the same way, don?t be afraid to give us any writing which you think may be too short or incomplete. We LOVE what we do and even more, we LOVE seeing your progress from week to week!
Look out for our special free Writing Clinic sessions for speakers from the same language group. We understand that students from specific language families usually have the same issues. ?S? or no ?S? , ?the? or maybe no ?the? , ?at the beginning or at the end? , ? to be or not to be? ?!?! Sounds familiar? Don?t worry about all these questions. We fully understand why you have all this on your mind so just relax and let us guide you towards a great long-lasting improvement in your writing skills.
Otherwise, our general free Writing Clinic is held every Friday afternoon in the East Block on the fourth floor. You can register every week on the notice board opposite Adriana?s office next to the library on the first floor. Don?t wait too long to write your name down as the free places go so quickly and by Wednesday the lists are often full. Everybody is more than welcome and we look forward to seeing you soon. Don?t worry about your level because we have groups of mixed levels and nationalities and all students are there to help and encourage each other so everybody can come out of a pleasant session feeling they have learnt something. It?s also a super way of meeting new friends from different countries so you can go for a coffee or a cocktail afterwards and work on your speaking skills as well
We really hope to have the pleasure of seeing you at Writing Clinic soon
Apple?s (AAPL) own-brand HDTV has reportedly been in the works for years now, and it will finally debut later this year according to a new report. Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, who has reported accurate details about unannounced Apple products in the past, is currently meeting with supply chain sources in China and Taiwan. During his travels, the analyst gleaned information from unnamed sources that has him convinced that Apple will finally launch its ?iTV? in the second half of 2013. And beyond the inevitable excitement among Apple fans as the company enters a new market, White says Apple?s HDTV will include some innovative new features that will make it a game-changer.
[More from BGR: Anonymous threatens cyberwar on North Korea, steals 15,000 passwords]
?Our meeting with an [sic] tech supply chain company suggests to us that a full blown Apple ?iTV? will launch in the latter part of 2013,? White wrote in a note to investors on Wednesday. ?Clearly, there has been plenty of mis-guided speculation around the timing of the Apple?s ?iTV? launch and we believe that this is largely due to changes by Apple, most recently around the creation of entirely new user interface aesthetics.?
[More from BGR: HTC One Review]
The analyst continued, noting that Apple?s upcoming HDTV will include ?a?major innovation that will revolutionize the TV experience.?
The ?iTV? ecosystem represents a major innovation for the $100 billion LCD TV industry that will revolutionize the TV experience forever, in our view. First of all, we believe ?iTV? will be 60-inches in size (but could also include 50-55 inch options). Secondly, we believe Apple will release a miniature device called ?iRing? that will be placed on a user?s finger and act as a navigation pointer for ?iTV?, enhancing the motion detection experience and negating some of the functionality found in a remote. Thirdly, ?iTV? will come with a ?mini iTV? screen that will seamlessly allow users to view content on this smaller, 9.7-inch screen, while also opening up use cases around home security, phone calls, video conferencing and other areas. As part of this experience, Siri and FaceTime will be important. Essentially, we believe the ?mini iTV? screens will be able to capture content from the 60-inch ?iTV? across a distance of up to 200 meters, allowing a user to view ?iTV? content in the kitchen, washroom, garage, bedroom, backyard, etc. We believe Apple will offer one ?mini iTV? per ?iTV? but package options will include up to four screens (i.e., one screen is part of the standard package and pay extra for each additional). While the ?mini iTV? screens will be similar in size compared to the iPad, and thus allow for some manufacturing efficiencies, the capabilities and features will be very basic and thus not an iPad replacement. Furthermore, we believe ?iWatch? will be an important part of the ?iTV? ecosystem, tapping into ?iTV? services in a much more mobile friendly manner, complementing the ?iRing?. The interaction between ?iTV? and making phone calls will be an important feature of this experience, while the ?iWatch? and ?iRing? will provide increased mobility around the home, supplanting the need to carry a smartphone around the house. Finally, we believe consumers will pay approximately $1,500 to $2,500 for the ?iTV? package. The price will be based on the number of ?mini iTV? screens in the package and the screen size of the ?iTV?. Also, we are being told that ?iTV? could be subsidized by certain service providers to expand the market opportunity.
White maintained his Buy rating on Apple shares with a 12-month price target of $888.
HANCEVILLE ? Wallace State Community College will offer plenty of opportunities for entertainment and introspection next month as it celebrates Arts in April. From a pianist and a storyteller to theater, band, and choir performances, WSCC will host a variety of events starting on April 1 and continuing throughout the rest of the month.
English Department faculty member Kathy Buckelew, who co-chairs the Arts in April committee, said the annual event started out as a week-long event before growing to encompass the entire month.
Faculty and staff from the English, Music, Theater, Speech, and Philosophy and Religion departments, as well as Museum staff and representatives from the college?s diversity team met to plan the agenda for the month.
Buckelew said the theater performances and the Jazz Band dance have become popular events throughout the month. This year the theater department will conduct five performances of the Pulitzer Prize winning comedy ?You Can?t Take it With You.? The performances will be held at 7 p.m. April 11-13, and at 2 p.m.?on April 14. A special morning performance is also scheduled for April 11 at 9:30 a.m.?
The Jazz Band will hold its dance on April 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the atrium of the Burrow Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. Buckelew said the dance is often attended by dance groups from the area, but is also fun for observers who may not feel like putting on their dancing shoes.?
?That?s for anyone who likes to listen to jazz and big band music,? said Ricky Burks, chair of the Fine and Performing Arts division and Arts in April committee co-chair.
Other events include a piano recital by UNA professor Dr. Yi-Min Cai; a presentation by storyteller Nina Reeves, who will talk about the art of storytelling and spin a few yarns herself; a discussion of philosophy by retired Ole Miss professor and author Dr. William Lawhead; a celebration of original poetry in honor of National Poetry Month; and a conversation on the art and architecture of Italy in advance of a spring trip sponsored by the Burrow Museum.
Artwork by local and student artists will be on display as part of the Wallace State Art Department?s Juried Visual Art Exhibition.? The Evelyn Burrow Museum is featuring an ongoing exhibit of Alabama pottery. Donny Wilson, museum director, will host a gallery talk on April 23 at 11:30 a.m. on Alabama pottery and the Burrow collection.
Events include:
April 1-13 ? Juried Visual Art Exhibition at the Burrow Center for the Fine and Performing Arts featuring art from students and community members.
April 1-31 ? Pre-1900?s Alabama Pottery Exhibition at The Evelyn Burrow Museum.? The Burrow Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
April 4 ? Piano recital by Dr.? Yi-Min Cai at noon in the recital hall at Burrow Center.
April 9 ? English Forum with Storyteller Nina Reeves at 9:30 a.m., in the recital hall at Burrow Center.
April 9 ? WSCC Choir ?Seasons of Love? concert at 7 p.m., in the recital hall at Burrow Center.
April 10 ? Sam Pugh, Outreach Coordinator of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Recital Hall at Burrow Center.
April 11 ? Wallace State Theatre performance of ?You Can?t Take it With You? at 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., in the Betty Leeth-Haynes Theatre in the Student Center building. Admission charged.
April? 12 ? Wallace State Theatre performance of ?You Can?t Take it With You? at 7 p.m., in the Betty Leeth-Haynes Theatre in the Student Center building. Admission charged.
April 13 ? Art Reception from 8 to 11:30 a.m., at Burrow Center.
April 13 ? Wallace State Theatre performance of ?You Can?t Take it With You? at? 7 p.m. at Betty Leeth-Haynes Theatre in the Student Center Building.? Admission charged.
April 14 ? Wallace State Theatre performance of ?You Can?t Take it With You?? at 2 p.m., at Betty Leeth-Haynes Theatre in the Student Center Building. Admission charged.
April 16 ? Philosophy Scholar Dr. William Lawhead at 9:30 a.m., in the recital hall at Burrow Center.
April 16 ? WSCC Concert Choir at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the recital hall at Burrow Center.
April 19 ? WSCC Jazz Band Dance at 7 p.m., in the atrium of the Burrow Center. Donation requested.
April 23 ? Gallery Talk with Museum Director Donny Wilson at The Evelyn Burrow Museum, 11:30 a.m.?
April 25 ?? WSCC Music Department Spring Show? with Jazz and Concert Bands at 7 p.m., in the recital hall at Burrow Center.
April 30 ? Cultural Conversation: Italian Art and Architecture at 5:30 p.m. in the recital hall at Burrow Center for the Performing Arts; a meeting for travelers taking part in Wallace State?s May trip to Italy will follow at around 6:15 p.m.
There is a $10 charge for adults and $5 for students, including WSCC students, to attend the theatre performances of? ?You Can?t Take it With You.? A $15 donation is requested for the Jazz Band dance on April 19.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ex-Goldman Sachs Group Inc trader Matthew Marshall Taylor has turned himself in to federal authorities in connection with charges that he defrauded the Wall Street bank out of $118 million in 2007, two sources familiar with the matter said.
Taylor voluntarily turned himself in to agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York around 8:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday morning, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Commodities Futures Trading Commission filed a civil lawsuit against Taylor in November, accusing him of fabricating trades to conceal an $8.3 billion futures position. The CFTC sought $130,000 in penalties.
Taylor's move on Wednesday is related to criminal charges that are expected to come from federal prosecutors in New York. He is expected to plead guilty to those charges later on Wednesday, the sources said. It was not clear precisely what he will be charged with.
An attorney who represented Taylor in his civil case did not immediately respond to a request for a comment. A Goldman spokesman declined to comment.
Goldman itself paid $1.5 million last year to settle charges that it had failed to appropriately supervise Taylor. The bank has since put in place procedures to catch wayward trading activity more quickly.
According to charges outlined against him, Taylor established his futures position in e-mini Standard & Poor's futures contracts on December 13, 2007. The next day, it was flagged by Goldman's controls. By the time the trade had been unwound, it had caused $118 million in losses.
After leaving Goldman Sachs, Taylor moved to a position at Morgan Stanley in March 2008. He left that bank in July 2012.
(Reporting by Lauren Tara LaCapra and Emily Flitter; Editing by Matthew Goldstein, Gerald E. McCormick and Maureen Bavdek)
CHOP collaborates with Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation to speed pediatric R & DPublic release date: 3-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: John Ascenzi
ascenzi@email.chop.edu
267-426-6055
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Jennifer Kokell
Jennifer.kokell@Pfizer.com
212-733-2596
Pfizer, Inc.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Pfizer, Inc., are joining forces with the goal of translating biomedical discoveries into novel treatments. CHOP is announcing its participation in the Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) network, a novel collaboration model built by Pfizer that brings academic researchers together with Pfizer scientists to expedite the pace of innovation.
Children's Hospital is only the second pediatric center to join the CTI network, which has established partnerships with 21 academic medical centers throughout the United States, such as Rockefeller University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of California, San Francisco.
"We are excited to have this opportunity to accelerate the process of moving scientific insights toward therapies that healthcare providers can offer in the clinic," said Philip R. Johnson, M.D., chief scientific officer and senior vice president of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Johnson is one of CHOP's representatives on a joint steering committee with Pfizer representatives that will direct CTI's activities in Philadelphia.
CTI will bring together scientists from Pfizer and Children's Hospital to identify preclinical research at CHOP with potential applications for innovative treatments. Pfizer will share with CHOP researchers an extensive collection of antibodies and other proteins, along with other proprietary research and drug-development tools. CHOP investigators will collaborate with Pfizer scientists at CTI laboratories in both Boston and New York City.
The goal is to advance a project into a Phase 1 clinical trial.
"This partnership will bring together the leading science at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with Pfizer's global capabilities," said Jose Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, Ph.D., senior vice president, Head of Biotherapeutics R&D at Pfizer. "Together, we increase the potential to bring novel medicines to patients."
A March 15 Town Hall at CHOP introduced CTI to the Hospital's researchers, who are being encouraged to submit concise proposals by April 15 for projects to be considered. In July 2013, the steering committee will choose projects for funding.
This expedited timetable is much faster than the typical schedule for federally sponsored research. In contrast to many partnerships between private industry and academia that focus on one highly defined end-product, CTI is designed to identify cutting-edge areas of research in areas of high unmet need that hold strong potential for therapeutic interventions.
"Working with leading academic researchers is a key part of the CTI model," said Anthony Coyle, Ph.D., CTI's Chief Scientific Officer. "CHOP's world-class reputation as a leading research hospital means it is an ideal partner for CTI as we continue our determined efforts to translate exciting science into effective medicines for patients."
"It's extremely rewarding for our researchers to see their scientific work translated into bedside treatments that directly benefit children," said Ellen Purpus, Ph.D., director of CHOP's Office of Technology Transfer. "This partnership will help to expedite that process."
###
About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 516-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.
About Pfizer's CTI
The Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) is an entrepreneurial Research Unit at Pfizer, Inc. dedicated to the establishment of partnerships with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) to transform research and development through a focus on translational medicine. CTI is an open innovation network with 21 leading AMCs focused on joint discovery and development of therapeutics, from early research through clinical proof-of-mechanism in humans. This model offers leading investigators the resources to pursue potential scientific and clinical breakthroughs by providing access to select Pfizer compound libraries, proprietary screening methods and antibody development technologies that are directly relevant to the investigators' work. The aim is to translate scientific ideas into clinically differentiated candidates ready for evaluation in a stratified patient population. CTI laboratories include Pfizer employees working side-by-side with leading investigators and post-doctoral researchers from the AMCs. The CTI collaborative model effectively and efficiently combines the best ideas, research and expertise of the AMCs with Pfizer's experience, technology and resources. For more information about CTI, visit http://www.pfizer.com/research/rd_works/centers_for_therapeutic_innovation.jsp
About Pfizer Inc.
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. To learn more, please visit us at http://www.pfizer.com
[ | 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.
CHOP collaborates with Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation to speed pediatric R & DPublic release date: 3-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: John Ascenzi
ascenzi@email.chop.edu
267-426-6055
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Jennifer Kokell
Jennifer.kokell@Pfizer.com
212-733-2596
Pfizer, Inc.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Pfizer, Inc., are joining forces with the goal of translating biomedical discoveries into novel treatments. CHOP is announcing its participation in the Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) network, a novel collaboration model built by Pfizer that brings academic researchers together with Pfizer scientists to expedite the pace of innovation.
Children's Hospital is only the second pediatric center to join the CTI network, which has established partnerships with 21 academic medical centers throughout the United States, such as Rockefeller University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of California, San Francisco.
"We are excited to have this opportunity to accelerate the process of moving scientific insights toward therapies that healthcare providers can offer in the clinic," said Philip R. Johnson, M.D., chief scientific officer and senior vice president of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Johnson is one of CHOP's representatives on a joint steering committee with Pfizer representatives that will direct CTI's activities in Philadelphia.
CTI will bring together scientists from Pfizer and Children's Hospital to identify preclinical research at CHOP with potential applications for innovative treatments. Pfizer will share with CHOP researchers an extensive collection of antibodies and other proteins, along with other proprietary research and drug-development tools. CHOP investigators will collaborate with Pfizer scientists at CTI laboratories in both Boston and New York City.
The goal is to advance a project into a Phase 1 clinical trial.
"This partnership will bring together the leading science at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with Pfizer's global capabilities," said Jose Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, Ph.D., senior vice president, Head of Biotherapeutics R&D at Pfizer. "Together, we increase the potential to bring novel medicines to patients."
A March 15 Town Hall at CHOP introduced CTI to the Hospital's researchers, who are being encouraged to submit concise proposals by April 15 for projects to be considered. In July 2013, the steering committee will choose projects for funding.
This expedited timetable is much faster than the typical schedule for federally sponsored research. In contrast to many partnerships between private industry and academia that focus on one highly defined end-product, CTI is designed to identify cutting-edge areas of research in areas of high unmet need that hold strong potential for therapeutic interventions.
"Working with leading academic researchers is a key part of the CTI model," said Anthony Coyle, Ph.D., CTI's Chief Scientific Officer. "CHOP's world-class reputation as a leading research hospital means it is an ideal partner for CTI as we continue our determined efforts to translate exciting science into effective medicines for patients."
"It's extremely rewarding for our researchers to see their scientific work translated into bedside treatments that directly benefit children," said Ellen Purpus, Ph.D., director of CHOP's Office of Technology Transfer. "This partnership will help to expedite that process."
###
About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 516-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.
About Pfizer's CTI
The Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) is an entrepreneurial Research Unit at Pfizer, Inc. dedicated to the establishment of partnerships with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) to transform research and development through a focus on translational medicine. CTI is an open innovation network with 21 leading AMCs focused on joint discovery and development of therapeutics, from early research through clinical proof-of-mechanism in humans. This model offers leading investigators the resources to pursue potential scientific and clinical breakthroughs by providing access to select Pfizer compound libraries, proprietary screening methods and antibody development technologies that are directly relevant to the investigators' work. The aim is to translate scientific ideas into clinically differentiated candidates ready for evaluation in a stratified patient population. CTI laboratories include Pfizer employees working side-by-side with leading investigators and post-doctoral researchers from the AMCs. The CTI collaborative model effectively and efficiently combines the best ideas, research and expertise of the AMCs with Pfizer's experience, technology and resources. For more information about CTI, visit http://www.pfizer.com/research/rd_works/centers_for_therapeutic_innovation.jsp
About Pfizer Inc.
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. To learn more, please visit us at http://www.pfizer.com
[ | 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.
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Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
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