Paul, I do have thoughts about the episode?s title, ?The Quality of Mercy?! It comes of course from Portia?s speech in Merchant of Venice in which she tries to convince Shylock that he should not in fact extract his due pound of flesh from her friend Antonio, that the more noble, and, in fact, the more powerful thing to do would be to have mercy. It is a beautiful compassionate Christian speech that can move you in the moment?but it?s also utterly cynical. Portia is playing Shylock for a fool; she and the whole wealthy, spoiled Venetian society that is the 16th-century version of Madison Avenue has treated Shylock with nothing but contempt and made it clear that he is beneath their Christian values. Plus Portia is about to use some clever legal maneuvering to cheat Shylock out of his rightful pound of flesh anyway. Mercy in this case is a power play; it is entirely situational and does not arise naturally from a pure heart. ?
One thing Mad Men gives us very little of is a pure heart. Megan is as close as it gets this season, but in general, the show?s philosophy seems to be that people who do the right thing do it despite themselves. An act of mercy arises accidentally from the muck of human existence, like a baby aspirin that appears in a room full of monsters. Did Don do the right thing in that meeting with the St. Joseph?s executives? Did he rescue the whole ad campaign by coming up with that bogus heartrending story about how this was Frank Gleason?s last idea? Did he save Ted and Peggy from themselves by making them acknowledge the fact that their mutual mooning is getting in the way of their work? (And do it in a way they will never, ever forget?) Yes, yes, and yes (and yes).
But still, Peggy?s not wrong when she yells at Don that he?s a monster. Don did not need to shame Peggy and Ted like that. It was in fact part of a power play for him, a corollary to getting Sunkist back and once again vanquishing Ted. It was the right thing to do?Peggy and Ted were poisoning the office atmosphere and they seemed totally unaware of it?but it was also totally cynical and cruel. After betraying his old friend Peggy, Don collapses into a fetal position?this time not in an imaginary crib screaming ?Wah wah? but on his own couch.
Paul, you ask if Pete is Shylock. I think that?s reversed?in that case it?s Pete who is playing the role of Portia (who in the play gives her speech disguised as a man) and Bob who is Shylock. Shylock is the outsider, the one trying to absorb the values of the ruling class he lives in but who is always in danger of getting smoked out. (The Jews and the gays, together again.) Pete already had one fake magnanimous act earlier in the episode, when he ?graciously? agreed to take Kenny Cosgrove?s role on the Chevy account, which he?s been angling for all along. And now with Benson he was again trying to be magnanimous. I have to admit, I could not follow all of Pete?s maneuvers in his speech to Bob Benson. What exactly was he apologizing for? And he?s off limits for ? sex? But in the end he wound up doing just what Portia does?neutralizing an enemy and putting him back in his place.
A subtheme in Merchant of Venice is the spoiled rich kids who come out of this culture of greed. In this episode we get or own version of the tainted next generation. Paul, I deeply appreciated your analysis of boarding school mores. I think you?re right, that boarding school provides Sally with a ruling system she can figure out how to navigate. But I take slight issue with your characterization of how she behaved. Did she really call Rollo out on his behavior and call Glen to the rescue? Rollo was a jerk to call her ?frigid? but is that the same as trying to ?force? her, as she accused him of doing? Or did Sally just knock on Glen?s door because she didn?t want Millicent to win that one, just like her father doesn?t want Ted to win? I tend to side with what Millicent the mean girl told Sally: ?You like trouble, don?t you???
Obesity associated with hearing loss in adolescentsPublic release date: 17-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Elizabeth Streich eas2125@cumc.columbia.edu 212-305-3689 Columbia University Medical Center
NEW YORK (June 17, 2013)Obese adolescents are more likely than their normal-weight counterparts to have hearing loss, according to results of a new study. Findings showed that obese adolescents had increased hearing loss across all frequencies and were almost twice as likely to have unilateral (one-sided) low-frequency hearing loss. The study was recently e-published by The Laryngoscope, a journal published by the American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society.
"This is the first paper to show that obesity is associated with hearing loss in adolescents," said study first author Anil K. Lalwani, MD, professor and vice chair for research, Department of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center.
The study found that obesity in adolescents is associated with sensorineural hearing loss across all frequencies (the frequency range that can be heard by humans); sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the inner-ear hair cells. The highest rates were for low-frequency hearing loss15.16 percent of obese adolescents compared with 7.89 percent of non-obese adolescents. People with low-frequency hearing loss cannot hear sounds in frequencies 2,000 Hz and below; they may still hear sounds in the higher frequencies (normal hearing range is from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz). Often they can still understand human speech well, but may have difficulty hearing in groups or in noisy places.
"These results have several important public health implications," said Dr. Lalwani, who is also an otolaryngologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. "Because previous research found that 80 percent of adolescents with hearing loss were unaware of having hearing difficulty, adolescents with obesity should receive regular hearing screening so they can be treated appropriately to avoid cognitive and behavioral issues."
Although the overall hearing loss among obese adolescents was relatively mild, the almost 2-fold increase in the odds of unilateral low-frequency hearing loss is particularly worrisome. It suggests early, and possibly ongoing, injury to the inner ear that could progress as the obese adolescent becomes an obese adult. Future research is needed on the adverse consequences of this early hearing loss on social development, academic performance, and behavioral and cognitive function.
"Furthermore, hearing loss should be added to the growing list of the negative health consequences of obesity that affect both children and adultsadding to the impetus to reduce obesity among people of all ages," said Dr. Lalwani.
In the United States, nearly 17 percent of children are obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of ?95 percentile. (BMI in children is expressed as a percentile; adult BMI is expressed as a number based on weight and height.) Obesity and its associated morbidities have been identified as a risk factor for hearing loss in adults.
The study analyzed data from nearly 1,500 adolescents from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveya large, nationally representative sample of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19, conducted from 2005 to 2006 by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Participants were interviewed at home, taking into account family medical history, current medical conditions, medication use, household smokers, socioeconomic and demographic factors, and noise-exposure history.
Dr. Lalwani and his colleagues speculate that obesity may directly or indirectly lead to hearing loss. Although additional research is needed to determine the mechanisms involved, they theorize that obesity-induced inflammation may contribute to hearing loss. Low plasma levels of the anti-inflammatory protein adiponectin, which is secreted from adipose tissue, have been found in obese children, and low levels in obese adults have been associated with high-frequency hearing loss (which affects a person's ability to understand speech). Obesity also may contribute indirectly to hearing loss as a result of its comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and high cholesterolall of which have been reported to be associated with loss of peripheral hearing (relating to the outer, middle, and inner ear).
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The paper is titled, "Obesity is Associated with Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Adolescents." The other authors (from the New York University Langone Medical Center) are Karin Katz, MD; Ying-Hua Liu, MD, PhD; Sarah Kim, BA; and Michael Weitzman, MD.
The authors declare no financial or other conflicts of interest.
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.
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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.
Obesity associated with hearing loss in adolescentsPublic release date: 17-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Elizabeth Streich eas2125@cumc.columbia.edu 212-305-3689 Columbia University Medical Center
NEW YORK (June 17, 2013)Obese adolescents are more likely than their normal-weight counterparts to have hearing loss, according to results of a new study. Findings showed that obese adolescents had increased hearing loss across all frequencies and were almost twice as likely to have unilateral (one-sided) low-frequency hearing loss. The study was recently e-published by The Laryngoscope, a journal published by the American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society.
"This is the first paper to show that obesity is associated with hearing loss in adolescents," said study first author Anil K. Lalwani, MD, professor and vice chair for research, Department of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center.
The study found that obesity in adolescents is associated with sensorineural hearing loss across all frequencies (the frequency range that can be heard by humans); sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the inner-ear hair cells. The highest rates were for low-frequency hearing loss15.16 percent of obese adolescents compared with 7.89 percent of non-obese adolescents. People with low-frequency hearing loss cannot hear sounds in frequencies 2,000 Hz and below; they may still hear sounds in the higher frequencies (normal hearing range is from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz). Often they can still understand human speech well, but may have difficulty hearing in groups or in noisy places.
"These results have several important public health implications," said Dr. Lalwani, who is also an otolaryngologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. "Because previous research found that 80 percent of adolescents with hearing loss were unaware of having hearing difficulty, adolescents with obesity should receive regular hearing screening so they can be treated appropriately to avoid cognitive and behavioral issues."
Although the overall hearing loss among obese adolescents was relatively mild, the almost 2-fold increase in the odds of unilateral low-frequency hearing loss is particularly worrisome. It suggests early, and possibly ongoing, injury to the inner ear that could progress as the obese adolescent becomes an obese adult. Future research is needed on the adverse consequences of this early hearing loss on social development, academic performance, and behavioral and cognitive function.
"Furthermore, hearing loss should be added to the growing list of the negative health consequences of obesity that affect both children and adultsadding to the impetus to reduce obesity among people of all ages," said Dr. Lalwani.
In the United States, nearly 17 percent of children are obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of ?95 percentile. (BMI in children is expressed as a percentile; adult BMI is expressed as a number based on weight and height.) Obesity and its associated morbidities have been identified as a risk factor for hearing loss in adults.
The study analyzed data from nearly 1,500 adolescents from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveya large, nationally representative sample of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19, conducted from 2005 to 2006 by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Participants were interviewed at home, taking into account family medical history, current medical conditions, medication use, household smokers, socioeconomic and demographic factors, and noise-exposure history.
Dr. Lalwani and his colleagues speculate that obesity may directly or indirectly lead to hearing loss. Although additional research is needed to determine the mechanisms involved, they theorize that obesity-induced inflammation may contribute to hearing loss. Low plasma levels of the anti-inflammatory protein adiponectin, which is secreted from adipose tissue, have been found in obese children, and low levels in obese adults have been associated with high-frequency hearing loss (which affects a person's ability to understand speech). Obesity also may contribute indirectly to hearing loss as a result of its comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and high cholesterolall of which have been reported to be associated with loss of peripheral hearing (relating to the outer, middle, and inner ear).
###
The paper is titled, "Obesity is Associated with Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Adolescents." The other authors (from the New York University Langone Medical Center) are Karin Katz, MD; Ying-Hua Liu, MD, PhD; Sarah Kim, BA; and Michael Weitzman, MD.
The authors declare no financial or other conflicts of interest.
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.
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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.
While running between booths at Computex earlier this month, we were momentarily distracted by these vegetable boxes (maybe it was lunch time as well). As it turned out, this product was launched by Taiwan-based Home Lohas around the same time as when the expo started. The company pitches its hydroponic gardening appliance -- so the vegetables rely on nutritious water instead of soil -- as a hassle-free, low-power solution for growing your own greens, plus it's apparently the only solution in the market that doesn't need water circulation. With its full spectrum LED light, air pump and timers, harvest time can apparently be reduced by about 30 percent. It's simply a matter of filling up the water tank, adding the necessary nutrients and placing the seeded sponge on the tray (the package includes three types of organic fertilizers and some seeds).
The only downside is that this system costs NT$15,800 (about US$530) in Taiwan, and for some reason, it'll eventually be priced at US$680 in other markets. If that's too much, then stay tuned for a half-size model that's due Q4 this year.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? It's all about the odds, and one lone ticket in Florida has beaten them all by matching each of the numbers drawn for the highest Powerball jackpot in history at an estimated $590.5 million, lottery officials said Sunday.
The single winner was sold at a supermarket in Zephyrhills, Fla., according to Florida Lottery executive Cindy O'Connell. She told The Associated Press by telephone that more details would be released later.
"This would be the sixth Florida Powerball winner and right now, it's the sole winner of the largest ever Powerball jackpot," O'Connell told AP. "We're delighted right now that we have the sole winner."
She said Florida has had more Powerball winners than any other state.
The winner was not immediately identified publicly and O'Connell did not give any indication just hours after Saturday's drawing whether anyone had already stepped forward with that winning ticket.
With four out of every five possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, lottery executives said earlier that someone was almost certain to win the game's highest jackpot, a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars ? and that's after taxes.
Saturday night's winning numbers were 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball of 11.
Estimates had earlier put the jackpot at around $600 million. But Powerball's online site said Sunday that the jackpot had reached an estimated $590.5 million.
Terry Rich, CEO of the Iowa Lottery, initially confirmed that one Florida winning ticket had been sold. He told AP that following the Florida winner, the Powerball grand prize was being reset at an estimated jackpot of $40 million, or about $25.1 million cash value.
The chances of winning the prize were astronomically low: 1 in 175.2 million. That's how many different ways you can combine the numbers when you play. But lottery officials estimated that about 80 percent of those possible combinations had been purchased recently.
While the odds are low for any one individual or individuals, O'Connell said, the chance that one hits paydirt is what makes Powerball an "exciting game to play."
"There is just the chance that you will have the opportunity and Florida is a huge Powerball state. We have had more winners than any other state that participates in Powerball."
Such longshot odds didn't deter people across Powerball-playing states ? 43 plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands ? from lining up at gas stations and convenience stores Saturday for their chance at striking it filthy rich.
Calls by AP to the Publix supermarket outlet in Florida where the winning ticket was sold were not answered Sunday.
Elsewhere, Rich said, lottery officials reported 33 winning tickets for a $1,000,000 prize each were sold around 17 states, led by six tickets in New York. He said lotteries reported 2 winning tickets each for the $2,000,000 PowerPlay, one in New York and the other in South Carolina.
Before the drawing, there was a rush for tickets around the country.
At a mini market in the heart of Los Angeles' Chinatown, employees broke the steady stream of customers into two lines: One for Powerball ticket buyers and one for everybody else. Some people appeared to be looking for a little karma.
"We've had two winners over $10 million here over the years, so people in the neighborhood think this is the lucky store," employee Gordon Chan said as he replenished a stack of lottery tickets on a counter.
The world's largest jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot in March 2012. If $600 million, the jackpot would currently include a $376.9 million cash option.
Clyde Barrow, a public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, specializes in the gaming industry. He said one of the key factors behind the ticket-buying frenzy is the size of the jackpot ? people are interested in the easy investment.
"Even though the odds are very low, the investment is very small," he said. "Two dollars gets you a chance."
That may be why Ed McCuen has a Powerball habit that's as regular as clockwork. The 57-year-old electrical contractor from Savannah, Ga., buys one ticket a week, regardless of the possible loot. It's a habit he didn't alter Saturday.
"You've got one shot in a gazillion or whatever," McCuen said, tucking his ticket in his pocket as he left a local convenience store. "You can't win unless you buy a ticket. But whether you buy one or 10 or 20, it's insignificant."
Seema Sharma doesn't seem to think so. The newsstand employee in Manhattan's Penn Station purchased $80 worth of tickets for herself. She also was selling tickets all morning at a steady pace, instructing buyers where to stand if they wanted machine-picked tickets or to choose their own numbers.
"I work very hard ? too hard ? and I want to get the money so I can finally relax," she said. "You never know."
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Associated Press Radio Correspondent Julie Walker and AP writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C., Betsy Blaney in Lubbock, Texas, Russ Bynum in Savannah, Ga., John Rogers in Los Angeles and Verena Dobnick in New York contributed to this report.
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Follow Barbara Rodriguez at http://twitter.com/bcrodriguez .
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande has signed into law a bill allowing same-sex marriage, making France the 14th country to legalize gay weddings.
France's official journal announced on Saturday the bill had become law after the Constitutional Council gave it the go-ahead on Friday.
The bill, a campaign pledge by the Socialist president, has been for months hotly contested by many conservatives in France, where allowing gay marriage is one of the biggest social reforms since abolition of the death penalty in 1981.
Opponents have staged huge and often violent demonstrations against the bill and have called yet another protest on May 26. The leader of opposition to gay marriage, a political activist and humorist who goes under the name of Frigide Barjot, has said the protest would draw millions into the streets.
Montpellier mayor Helene Mandroux, who is due to celebrate France's first gay marriage in the southern city on May 29, said the law marked a major social advance.
"Love has won out over hate," she said, while voicing concerns the first gay wedding could attract violent protests.
France, a predominantly Catholic country, follows 13 others including Canada, Denmark, Sweden and most recently Uruguay and New Zealand in allowing gay and lesbian couples to wed. In the United States, Washington D.C. and 12 states have legalized same-sex marriage.
Unlike former president Francois Mitterrand's abolition of the death penalty, which most French people opposed at the time, polls showed more than half the country backed gay marriage.
Nonetheless, with Hollande's popularity ratings at record lows a year into office, the law has proved costly for the president with critics saying it has distracted his attention from reviving the recession-hit economy.
After lawmakers adopted the bill in late April, opponents had sought to scupper it with a last-ditch appeal to the Constitutional Council.
Immune system B cells play a crucial role in the defence of pathogens; when they detect such an intruder, they produce antibodies that help to combat the enemy. They concurrently and continuously improve these molecules to more precisely recognize the pathogens. A team of scientists with participation of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) has discovered that during this process the cells are able to advance their own evolution themselves by increasing the selection pressure through previously-produced antibodies. The results are also significant for the development of new vaccination strategies.
The principle of evolution signifies the competition for limited resources and a reaction to changeable environmental conditions. This selection pressure is virtually produced by the B cells on their own; they subject themselves to an optimization cycle in the lymph node, a process which only a few of them survive, i.e. particular cells that are able to produce "better" antibody molecules as compared to those that already exist within the body. The quality of these antibodies is tested in the lymph nodes, and only those cells that are able to prove themselves here receive signals from other immune cells that assure their survival.
Every B cell carries a specific defence molecule on its surface. It recognizes certain structures of pathogens ? so-called antigens ? similar to the way a key fits into one specific lock. This molecule is furthermore produced in a certain form that does not remain on the cell surface; rather, it travels with blood and lymph throughout the body. If the antibody encounters an antigen, it either binds it to neutralise it, or it sends out an alarm to other players within the immune system.
At the beginning of an infection there are, figuratively speaking, several keys that do not yet fit properly. This changes in the course of a process that immunologists refer to as "somatic hypermutation": B cells mutate those gene segments that determine the design of both the surface molecule and the soluble variation ? thus influencing how strongly the antibodies attach themselves to the pathogens. Those cells, in which the optimal fit of the key increases, survive and multiply. They then produce the desired molecule in large quantities and thus help us to get healthy again.
But how do the immune cells know that they are on the right way with this arbitrary mutation process, i.e. that the key will fit better later on? Scientists from England, Germany and Switzerland have now been able to answer this question jointly in a collaborative project between Dr. Kai-Michael Toellner, University of Birmingham, and Prof. Michael Meyer-Hermann, Head of the Department Systems Immunology. They published their findings in the renowned Journal of Experimental Medicine. Meyer-Hermann makes use of mathematical models to understand diseases more thoroughly and quicker. "Systems immunology enables us to simulate, in a short amount of time, numerous experimental conditions," he describes his area of expertise. With the aid of such mathematical simulations followed by experimental examinations, the researchers discovered that the antibody producers advance their own evolution, which represents without a doubt an alignment with the enormous selection pressure that we are subject to due to a constant threat from pathogens.
The stage for this process is the so-called germinal centres within the lymph nodes. Here, the maturing B cells encounter the antigens. The researchers' results suggest that completed antibodies from all germinal centres re-appear at the sites of antibody production and bind there to pathogen fragments as well. They represent competition thereby for those cells that are still in the process of refining the optimal fit of their surface molecules. Once the immune cells with their "surface-key" are able to bind to the "antigen locks" more readily than the finished antibodies, they receive survival signals and their key-form asserts itself.
"This is the 'survival of the fittest' as previously described by Charles Darwin on a molecular level," compares Meyer-Hermann. Studies with mice were able to be confirmed in computer simulations only under the assumption that the B cells compete with their own products ? namely the antibodies ? for the right to bind to antigens.
This astounding mechanism could, in the future, improve conventional vaccination methods. "It is plausible that patients could be administered, in addition to a vaccine, sufficiently-strong-binding antibodies," explains Meyer-Hermann. "Our models constructed in the computer suggest that this method accelerates the process of identifying optimal antibodies." The scientists suspect that the addition of antibodies manipulates the reaction to vaccination, since the newly-generated antibodies are now in competition with the externally-introduced molecules. The conditions for selection are thus intensified and the B cells react by producing optimal antibodies earlier on. The result is that vaccinations could take effect quicker.
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Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research: http://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en
Thanks to Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research for this article.
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Surface Pro, the long-awaited tablet from software giant Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), may be getting all the big attention these days as IT clamors after a device that offers the portability that their C-level executives want, but now with Office integration that lets business users be truly productive. But Microsoft may soon slowly be making inroads with another product ? one that isn?t a household name like Office, Surface or Windows. Here?s the scoop.
Lync is Microsoft?s answer to modern unified communications in business ? a PBX replacement ? with IM and presence, video conferencing, meetings, and telephony. And it?s fair to say that it hasn?t been a huge hit. Companies have been slow to move off their old PBX solutions. So why might Lync?s day be coming? We spoke with Scott Gode (pictured), now a senior director at Avanade, the ?joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft (and formerly with Microsoft MSP Azaleos which was?acquired by Avanade?last year). Admittedly Gode works for a company that sells Microsoft-based solutions, so one would expect him to be promoting those solutions. But he had some interesting insights when it came to the rise of the cloud and a changing of the guard in old-time enterprise?telephony?solutions and unified communications.
Lync?s Perfect Storm?
First, consider the rise of mobile communications and the bring-your-own-device trend. Consumers have driven both of these, and their adoption of them has translated into a comfort level and familiarity with how the technology works and its benefits.
Second,??Microsoft isn?t sitting still. The company recently included the 2013 version of Lync with its?cloud-based productivity suite, Office 365 for business.
Third, Microsoft cares about this space. The company acquired the consumer-based UC company Skype, which so many business customers have used, too, and has much better name recognition than Lync. Microsoft has renamed its UC division as the Skype division and Lync is part of that division.
The Road Ahead
But there is still work to be done, Gode said. While Microsoft is bundling Lync 2013 in with the new version of Office 365 for business, Gode told me that it?s still incomplete when it comes to the voice part of the solution. ?If you want to do an enterprise voice piece, you need to put voice in the enterprise ? a stand alone server on premise.? ?Putting the voice part of the solution into a public cloud means resolving the networking challenges that come with relying on a public cloud for time-sensitive traffic such as voice.
Enterprises want to take their IT to the cloud, Gode told me. ?That?s where they want to go, conceptually. They want to get management of these systems out of their hair. They are not there yet. That?s why Avanade managed services exists.?
ScienceDaily: Living Well Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/living_well/ Stories about health and wellness, lifestyle issues and trends, family concerns and other topics about everyday life.en-usThu, 07 Mar 2013 18:18:56 ESTThu, 07 Mar 2013 18:18:56 EST60ScienceDaily: Living Well Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gifhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/living_well/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily.Risk of brain damage in college football players, even among those without concussionshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307145742.htm Researchers have found that football players may suffer long-term brain changes even in the absence of concussion. In a study of 67 college football players, researchers found that the more hits to the head a player absorbed, the higher the levels of a particular brain protein that's known to leak into the bloodstream after a head injury.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:57:57 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307145742.htmIs this peptide a key to happiness? Findings suggests possible new treatment for depression, other disordershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307145720.htm For the first time in humans, scientists have measured the release of a specific peptide, that greatly increased when subjects were happy, but decreased when they were sad. The findings have implications for the treatment of depression.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:57:57 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307145720.htmIndustrial chemicals found in food sampleshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307124701.htm Researchers have discovered phthalates, industrial chemicals, in common foods purchased in the United States. Phthalates can be found in a variety of products and food packaging material, child-care articles and medical devices.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:47:47 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307124701.htmDo-gooder or ne'er-do-well? Behavioral science explains patterns of moral behaviorhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307124655.htm Does good behavior lead to more good behavior? Or do we try to balance our good and bad deeds? The answer depends on our ethical mindset, according to new research.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307124655.htmBetter living through mindfulnesshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307124645.htm Results of a new study suggest that mindfulness -- awareness of the present moment -- may be linked to self-regulation throughout the day, and this may be an important contributor to better emotional and physical well-being.Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307124645.htmProcessed meat linked to premature death, large study findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306220950.htm In a huge study of half a million men and women, researchers have demonstrated an association between processed meat and cardiovascular disease and cancer.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:09:09 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306220950.htmCircuitry of cells involved in immunity, autoimmune diseases exposed: Connections point to interplay between salt and genetic factorshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134230.htm New work expands the understanding of how Th17 cells develop, and how their growth influences the development of immune responses. By figuring out how these cells are "wired," the researchers make a surprising connection between autoimmunity and salt consumption, highlighting the interplay of genetics and environmental factors in disease susceptibility.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134230.htmUse it or lose it: Molecular mechanism for why a stimulating environment protects against Alzheimer's diseasehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134224.htm Researchers provide specific pre-clinical scientific evidence supporting the concept that prolonged and intensive stimulation by an enriched environment, especially regular exposure to new activities, may have beneficial effects in delaying one of the key negative factors in Alzheimer's disease.Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130306134224.htmIntrusive advising boosts student persistence, class performancehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305174041.htm Researcher found that getting intrusive could increase student support at universities. The researcher examined intrusive advising -- working with at-risk students to identify challenges and solutions to overcome them -- in residence halls.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305174041.htmWhy fish is better than supplements: Omega-3s from fish vs. fish oil pills better at maintaining blood pressure in mouse modelhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305154531.htm Researchers show how fish oils help lower blood pressure via vasodilation at ion channels. In vascular smooth muscle cells, such as those that line blood vessels, ion channels that span the outer membrane of a cell to let such ions as sodium, calcium, and potassium in and out, are critical to maintaining proper vessel pressure.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 15:45:45 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305154531.htmGreen tea extract interferes with the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's diseasehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305145137.htm Researchers have found a new potential benefit of a molecule in green tea: preventing the misfolding of specific proteins in the brain.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:51:51 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305145137.htmWalking away from back painhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305131404.htm A new study says a low-cost program of aerobic walking is just as effective as expensive clinical therapy in the treatment of lower back pain.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305131404.htmSeniors who play video games report better sense of emotional well-beinghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305131249.htm New research finds that older adults who play video games report higher levels of emotional well-being.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305131249.htmTargeting diet products: Why are more independent consumers better at delaying gratification?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305130740.htm Product benefits that occur later in time are more likely to appeal to more independent consumers than to those who are more group or family oriented, according to a new study.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:07:07 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305130740.htmConservation development has some developers thinking -- and seeing -- greenhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305130449.htm Homes in neighborhoods that incorporate protected open space command prices 20 to 29 percent higher than those without open space, according to a new study.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:04:04 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305130449.htmKirk, Spock together: Putting emotion, logic into computational wordshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305100951.htm In a large neuroimaging study, 127 volunteers played a take-it-or-leave-it game that shows cold reasoning and hot feelings may be more intimately connected than previously thought.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:09:09 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305100951.htmHealth benefits of marriage may not extend to allhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305100926.htm Marriage may not always be as beneficial to health as experts have led us to believe, according to a new study.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:09:09 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305100926.htmParents, religion guard against college drinkinghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305090958.htm Religious college students report less alcohol use than their classmates -- and the reason may have to do with how their parents handle stress, according to new research.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:09:09 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305090958.htmChildren of divorced parents more likely to switch, pull away from religionshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305090956.htm Adults whose parents were divorced are more likely to switch religions or disassociate themselves from institutional religions altogether -- but growing up in a single-parent family does not have any effect on private religious life, including praying, according to a new study.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:09:09 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305090956.htmOstracism cuts both ways: Hurting someone else can hurt the one who inflicts pain just as muchhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305080452.htm If you think giving someone the cold shoulder inflicts pain only on them, beware. A new study shows that individuals who deliberately shun another person are equally distressed by the experience.Tue, 05 Mar 2013 08:04:04 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130305080452.htmIs baby still breathing? Is mom's obsession normal?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151807.htm A new mother may constantly worry and check to see if her baby is breathing. Or she may obsess about germs. A new study found postpartum moms have a much higher rate of obsessive-compulsive symptoms than the general population. This is the first large-scale study of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in new moms. The symptoms could result from hormonal changes or be adaptive, but may indicate a psychological disorder if they interfere with a mother's functioning.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151807.htmWhy your brain tires when exercisinghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151805.htm For the first time ever, a research team is able to explain why our brains feel tired when we exercise. By mapping the mechanism behind so-called central fatigue, the researchers are hoping, among other things, to learn more about how to identify doping use.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304151805.htmExercise key to good sleephttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304123551.htm Exercise can affect your sleep. The results of the National Sleep Foundation's 2013 Sleep in America? poll show a compelling association between exercise and better sleep.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304123551.htmUnhealthy drinking widespread around the worldhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304123549.htm A new study shows that alcohol is now the third leading cause of the global burden of disease and injury, despite the fact most adults worldwide abstain from drinking.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304123549.htmBankruptcy judges influenced by apologieshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304123540.htm Debtors who apologized were seen as more remorseful and were expected to manage their finances more carefully in the future compared to debtors who did not offer an apology, finds a new study.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304123540.htmGene discovery reveals importance of eating your greenshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304105658.htm Eating your greens may be even more important that previously thought, with the discovery that an immune cell population essential for intestinal health could be controlled by leafy greens in your diet. The immune cells, named innate lymphoid cells, are found in the lining of the digestive system and protect the body from 'bad' bacteria in the intestine. They are also believed to play an important role in controlling food allergies, inflammatory diseases and obesity, and may even prevent the development of bowel cancers.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:56:56 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304105658.htmGrandmother's cigarette habit could be the cause of grandchild's asthmahttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304105531.htm Studies finding that grandmother's smoking habit may cause her grandchild to have asthma suggest environmental factors experienced today can affect families' health for generations to come.Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:55:55 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130304105531.htmFacebook 'Likes' a good indicator of quality hospital carehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301123312.htm While those active on social media aren't shy about expressing opinions on their Facebook pages, how much do their "Likes" really reflect the quality of an organization? A new study shows that Facebook "Likes" were indeed an indicator of hospital quality and patient satisfaction.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301123312.htmPregnancy permanently changes foot sizehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301122306.htm A new study of women's feet during and after pregnancy shows that arch height and arch rigidity decrease significantly from early pregnancy to five months after childbirth, causing corresponding increases in foot length that appear to be permanent.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:23:23 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301122306.htmCancer doesn't change young girls' desire to have children, study showshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301034833.htm Researchers have found that healthy adolescent females have predetermined expectations for becoming parents in the future, but have concerns about fertility and childbearing should they develop a life-threatening illness, such as cancer.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:48:48 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130301034833.htmProblems with identifying meat? The answer is to check the barcodehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228194659.htm Want to know what you are eating? DNA barcodes can be used to identify even very closely related species, finds a new article. Results from the study show that the labelling of game meat in South Africa is very poor with different species being substituted almost 80 percent of the time.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:46:46 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228194659.htmBrain can't cope with making a left-hand turn and talking on hands-free cell phonehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124142.htm Most serious traffic accidents occur when drivers are making a left-hand turn at a busy intersection. When those drivers are also talking on a hands-free cell phone, "that could be the most dangerous thing they ever do on the road," said an expert.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124142.htmAction video games boost reading skills, study of children with dyslexia suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm Much to the chagrin of parents who think their kids should spend less time playing video games and more time studying, time spent playing action video games can actually make dyslexic children read better, new research suggests. In fact, 12 hours of video game play did more for reading skills than is normally achieved with a year of spontaneous reading development or demanding traditional reading treatments.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:41 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228124132.htm'Crazy-busy' Canadians under pressure on the jobhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103458.htm Having more control in the workplace can have negative consequences for individuals, but it depends on the form of job control. Having control over one's work schedule and job autonomy are associated with lower levels of job pressure.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103458.htmEating junk food while pregnant may make your child a junk food addicthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103443.htm A healthy diet during pregnancy is critical to the future health of your children. New research suggests that pregnant mothers who consume junk food cause developmental changes of the opioid signaling pathway in the brains of their unborn children. Consequently, these children are less sensitive to opioids released upon consumption of foods high in fat and sugar, and need to eat more to achieve a "feel good" response.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228103443.htmReading, writing, arithmetic, and aerobics: Evaluating the new 'R' in academic performancehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080547.htm Although the long-term consequences of childhood obesity are well documented, some school districts have reduced physical education classes to devote more time to the three Rs in education -- reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, there is new evidence that leaving out an important fourth R -- aerobics -- could actually be counterproductive for increasing test scores. A new study studied the associations between aerobic fitness, body mass index, and passing scores on standardized math and reading tests.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:05:05 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080547.htmWhy some people get zits and others don'thttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080135.htm Researchers have discovered that acne bacteria contain "bad" strains associated with pimples and "good" strains that may protect the skin. The findings could lead to a myriad of new therapies to prevent and treat the disfiguring skin disorder.Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:01:01 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130228080135.htmCan your breath identify stress?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227225636.htm The perennial stress-buster -- a deep breath -- could become stress-detector. According to a new pilot study, there are six markers in the breath that could be candidates for use as indicators of stress.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:56:56 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227225636.htmSitting less and moving about more could be more important than vigorous exercise to reduce risk of type 2 diabeteshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183526.htm New research reveals that individuals at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes would benefit from being told to sit less and move around more often -- rather than simply exercising regularly. The experts suggest that reducing sitting time by 90 minutes in total per day could lead to important health benefits.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:35:35 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183526.htmHeading a soccer ball may affect cognitive performancehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183458.htm Sports-related head injuries are a growing concern, and new research suggests that even less forceful actions like 'heading' a soccer ball may cause changes in performance on certain cognitive tasks, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183458.htmHigher indoor humidity inactivates flu virus particleshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183456.htm Higher humidity levels indoors can significantly reduce the infectivity of influenza virus particles released by coughing, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183456.htmPraising children for their personal qualities may backfirehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183316.htm Praising children, especially those with low self-esteem, for their personal qualities rather than their efforts may make them feel more ashamed when they fail, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:33:33 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227183316.htmResearch explores factors that impact adolescent mental healthhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151258.htm Research indicates that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, well before adulthood. Three new studies investigate the cognitive, genetic and environmental factors that may contribute to mental health disorders in adolescence.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151258.htmLipid researcher, 98, reports on the dietary causes of heart diseasehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151254.htm A 98-year-old researcher argues that, contrary to decades of clinical assumptions and advice to patients, dietary cholesterol is good for your heart -- unless that cholesterol is unnaturally oxidized (by frying foods in reused oil, eating lots of polyunsaturated fats, or smoking).Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227151254.htmName your neighborhood, define your health?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134342.htm Does your neighborhood really define health? Most of us make a choice between suburbs, countryside, or city and settle down. But others, particularly those living in poverty, don?t always get to make that choice ?- the choice that could actually determine our quality and length of life. So how does this choice affect our health?Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227134342.htmContaminated diet contributes to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Phthalates and BPAhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121903.htm While water bottles may tout BPA-free labels and personal care products declare phthalates not among their ingredients, these assurances may not be enough. According to a new study, we may be exposed to these chemicals in our diet, even if our diet is organic and we prepare, cook, and store foods in non-plastic containers. Children may be most vulnerable.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227121903.htmTrust makes you delusional and that's not all bad: Trusting partners remember transgressions in ways that benefit the relationshiphttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227113100.htm New research is the first to systematically examine the role of trust in biasing memories of transgressions in romantic partnerships. People who are highly trusting tended to remember transgressions in a way that benefits the relationship, remembering partner transgressions as less severe than they originally reported. People low on trust demonstrated the opposite pattern, remembering partner transgressions as being more severe than how they originally reported.?Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227113100.htmDefining the new normal in aginghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227113058.htm Researcher says terms such as "normal," "healthy" or "successful" aging can prejudice our views of seniors.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:30:30 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227113058.htmNew studies link gene to selfish behavior in kids, find other children natural givershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102940.htm Most parents would agree that raising a generous child is an admirable goal -- but how, exactly, is that accomplished? New results shed light on how generosity and related behaviors -- such as kindness, caring and empathy -- develop, or don't develop, in children from 2 years old through adolescence.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:29:29 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102940.htmMarried opposite-sex couples have better overall health than same-sex couples who live togetherhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102100.htm Same-sex couples who live together have worse health than married opposite-sex couples and similar health as opposite-sex couples who are living together (after adjusting for socioeconomic differences), according to a new study.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227102100.htmPessimism about the future may lead to longer, healthier lifehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101929.htm Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 10:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227101929.htmDo thin models and celebrities really help sell to women?http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085840.htm Advertisers who put images of female celebrities and models next to their products spark scorn rather than shopping, according to new research.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:58:58 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085840.htmToo much vitamin D during pregnancy can cause food allergies, research suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085838.htm Pregnant women should avoid taking vitamin D supplements, new research suggests. Substitution appears to raise the risk of children developing a food allergy after birth.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:58:58 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085838.htmSame-sex cohabitors less healthy than those in heterosexual marriages, study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085706.htm Same-sex cohabitors report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a new study, which may provide fuel for gay marriage proponents.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:57:57 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085706.htmIncreased risk of sleep disorder narcolepsy in children who received swine flu vaccinehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htm A study finds an increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents who received the A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix) during the pandemic in England.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htmTexting Gloves Dangerous in Winter, Says experthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141235.htm Fingers are one of the first body parts to suffer from the cold and popular fingerless texting gloves can lead to frostbite and in worst cases, amputation, says an expert.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141235.htmTexting becoming a pain in the neckhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101259.htm Orthopedic surgeon, spine specialist says excessive leaning head forward and down, while looking at a phone or other mobile device could result in what some people call ?text neck.?Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101259.htmSleep reinforces learning: Children?s brains transform subconsciously learned material into active knowledgehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htm During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day a process even more effective in children than in adults, new research shows.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htmMediterranean diet helps cut risk of heart attack, stroke: Results of PREDIMED study presentedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htm Results of a major study aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases show that such a diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htmDoing good is good for you: Volunteer adolescents enjoy healthier heartshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htm Giving back through volunteering is good for your heart, even at a young age, according to researchers.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htm
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the 'sequester' will force the FAA to furlough air traffic controllers, creating an air travel nightmare. Some Republicans are calling this a scare tactic.
By Husna Haq,?Correspondent / February 25, 2013
A jet departs Washington's Reagan National Airport next to the control tower outside Washington, Monday. The US Department of Transportation says the 'sequester' will force the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce hours at hundreds of control towers and airports and completely close dozens more, creating an air travel nightmare.
Larry Downing/Reuters
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In the world of air travel, it sounds like a nightmare scenario.
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The federal budget ?sequester,? Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Friday, would be a ?calamity? that would force the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce hours at hundreds of control towers and airports and completely close dozens more, leading to gridlock in the skies and long delays and cancellations in the nation?s airports.
As part of the $85 billion across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester, the Department of Transportation must cut $1 billion from its annual budget, of which about $600 million would be slashed from the FAA, which oversees air travel. According to Secretary LaHood, that translates into furloughs for most of the agency?s 47,000 employees and closures of more than 100 air traffic control towers across the country ? a situation LaHood, in a series of appearances over the weekend, said would be ?very painful for the flying public.?
?It is going to be chaos for air travelers,? says Henry Harteveldt, a travel-industry analyst with advisory firm Hudson Crossing. ?Hundreds of control towers are slated to have either hours reduced or eliminated altogether. This is big.??
And while the projected disruption to air travel is deeply concerning to many, the ?sky-is-falling? scenario has some analysts skeptical about the administration?s use of the cutbacks in air transportation as a political football. After all, air travel delays are a popular weapon in the political debate because they impact so many Americans in a particularly irritating fashion.
?There may be some actions being done to create drama where there doesn?t need to be,? says Mr. Harteveldt. ?It can be as bad as the FAA and TSA want to make it.?
To what extent, then, is the dismal picture painted by LaHood fear-mongering designed to pressure lawmakers to reach a budget deal? Can the FAA target cuts in other areas to mitigate the impact for travelers, or are LaHood?s hands tied?
Congressional Republicans have accused the administration of using the air traffic control cuts to ?create alarm.?
?Before jumping to the conclusion that furloughs must be implemented, the administration and the agency need to sharpen their pencils and consider all the options,? Sen. John Thune (R) and Reps. Bill Schuster (R) and Frank LoBiondo (R), said in a joint statement Friday.
According to?Politico, the group said there were other areas in which the FAA could instead cut ?fat,? like the more than $500 million spent each year on consultants, or the $200 million spent on supplies and travel.
LaHood has countered the claims, saying he has no choice but to reduce air-traffic staffing.
?The largest number of employees at DOT is at FAA, of which the largest number are FAA controllers," LaHood said Sunday on CNN?s ?State of the Union.? "We are going to try and cut as much as we possibly can out of contracts and other things that we do. But in the end, there has to be some kind of furlough of air traffic control.?
Michael Boyd, an aviation analyst with Boyd Group International, an aviation consulting and forecasting firm, says the move is ?engineered to be as difficult as possible for the consumer.?
?Ray LaHood and his group will make it as hard as possible. They?re going to want to take this right to the consumer and make the consumer feel as much pain as possible,? says Mr. Boyd. ?This is how you make a point.? This is frankly a political program.?
What?s more, says Harteveldt, cuts could be focused on less critical areas to lessen the impact for travelers.
?I?m sure there are options available to them that would be considered discretionary ? less important, less strategic areas ? that could be examined and cut [without] ? affecting frontline service and frontline personnel,? he says.
Among the options cited by Harteveldt and Boyd are reducing spending on private contractors, management, and support staff, as well as temporarily suspending discretionary projects like personnel training and next-generation air traffic control systems.
?There is a concentrated effort to tell everyone how bad it will be,? says Boyd. ?It doesn?t have to be.?
Scott Lilly, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, disagrees. Not only are LaHood?s options limited under the law, he says, ?it could be even worse.?
?It?s surprising to a lot of people, but the truth is these budgets don?t work the way you think they do,? says Mr. Lilly, who worked in Congress for more than three decades, including as staff director of the House Appropriations Committee. ?There is a lot less latitude than you might suppose.?
The 1985 Gramm-Rudman Act, which originally introduced the concept of automatic spending cuts, as well as the Budget Control Act of 2011, which introduced this sequester, stipulate how government programs must be cut if voluntary spending reductions are not agreed on. The legislation, says Lilly, mandates formulaic across-the-board cuts of approximately?5.3 percent?on all non-national security government programs, with some exceptions. That means the FAA must shoulder an equal percentage of the financial burden as other government agencies.
?The problem with programs like the FAA is that they?re almost all salaries,? he adds, explaining that much of the budget is devoted to air traffic controllers? salaries and control towers that are leased under fixed contracts.
What?s more, the FAA will have spent half of its budget for the fiscal year by March 30, when cuts would likely go into effect, which means the agency would have to enact even steeper cuts to achieve the necessary reductions over a shorter period of time.
As such, says Lilly, LaHood?s hands are effectively tied.
?There?s not a lot of flexibility,? he says. ?My view is that this may be even worse for the FAA than what LaHood has described.?
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Public release date: 17-Jun-2013
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Surface Pro, the long-awaited tablet from software giant Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), may be getting all the big attention these days as IT clamors after a device that offers the portability that their C-level executives want, but now with Office integration that lets business users be truly productive. But Microsoft may soon slowly be making inroads with another product ? one that isn?t a household name like Office, Surface or Windows. Here?s the scoop.