Lack of free play among children is causing harm, say experts in American Journal of Play

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Aug-2011
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Contact: Kathleen Sullivan
kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
Boston College

CHESTNUT HILL, MA (8-26-11) -- Hovering helicopter parents who restrict their kids' unstructured play may actually harm, rather than help, children according to the latest issue of the American Journal of Play, a scholarly journal which has gathered a distinguished group of experts to probe the near-extinction of free play and its effects on children and society.

"Remarkably, over the last 50 years, opportunities for children to play freely have declined continuously and dramatically in the United States and other developed nations; and that decline continues, with serious negative consequences for children's physical, mental, and social development," said Guest Editor Peter Gray, a research professor of psychology at Boston College. "This special issue of the American Journal of Play reviews the evidence for the crucial roles of play in children's development and proposes ways we may create a world in which playespecially free outdoor play with other childrenis once again a normative part of childhood."

Included in this issue are two articles by Gray, one presenting research that shows a correlation between the decline of free play and the rise of depression, suicide and narcissism in children and teens, and the other highlighting the importance of age-mixed play.

"The Decline of Play and the Rise of Psychopathology in Children and Adults": Gray presents a review of research showing a correlation between the decline of free play in developed nations and the rise of depression, suicide, feelings of helplessness, and narcissism in children, teens, and young adults.

"The Special Value of Children's Age-Mixed Play" : Gray notes that the modern segregation of kids into same-age groups, common in today's classrooms and school yards, may not be optimal for child development. He says that during age-mixed play, older, more skilled participants "provide scaffolds that raise the level of the younger participants' play" and stretch their abilities to higher levels. He cites other studies in which older children were observed exposing younger children to more complex concepts of literacy, math, and sociability. By interacting with younger children, older students develop increased capacities to nurture, lead, and learn by teaching.

Other highlights in the journal are:

"Why Parents Should Stop Overprotecting Kids and Let them Play", an interview with Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids: How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children, and Hara Estroff Marano, former Psychology Today editor in chief and author of A Nation of Wimps: The High Cost of Invasive Parenting : Skenazy and Marano point accusing fingers at over-protective parents, over-organized sports, overblown media hype about stranger danger, and the allure of electronic games and social media, which have combined to decrease the amount of free play among today's children. Without free outdoor play, they say, kids are prone to obesity, poor physical health, and an inability to develop social skills.

"Evolutionary Functions of Social Play: Life Histories, Sex Differences, and Emotional Regulation" by Peter LaFreniere, Professor of Psychology at the University of Maine: LaFreniere reviews research about free play from an evolutionary biologist perspective and asserts that evolved patterns of play help children develop strong bones and muscles, promote cardiovascular fitness, and help hone skills of communication, perspective taking, and emotion regulation.

"Marbles and Machiavelli: The Role of Game Play in Children's Social Development" by David F. Lancy, Professor of Anthropology at Utah State University, and M. Annette Grove: The authors review several case studies of children engaged in rule-governed play and conclude that the process of learning rulesand of breaking them and making new onespromotes gamesmanship, which is theoretically linked to the evolution of human intelligence.

###

The American Journal of Play, an interdisciplinary scholarly journal devoted solely to the study of play, is published by The Strong in Rochester, New York. The journal is available free online at www.journalofplay.org.

Guest Editor Peter Gray has been a faculty member in the Psychology Department at Boston College for nearly 40 years. He is the author of Psychology, a widely-used psychology textbook now in its 6th edition, and has conducted and published research in comparative, evolutionary, developmental, and educational psychology. His current research and writing focuses primarily on children's natural ways of learning and the life-long value of play. He writes "Freedom to Learn," a blog for Psychology Today.


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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.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Aug-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Kathleen Sullivan
kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu
Boston College

CHESTNUT HILL, MA (8-26-11) -- Hovering helicopter parents who restrict their kids' unstructured play may actually harm, rather than help, children according to the latest issue of the American Journal of Play, a scholarly journal which has gathered a distinguished group of experts to probe the near-extinction of free play and its effects on children and society.

"Remarkably, over the last 50 years, opportunities for children to play freely have declined continuously and dramatically in the United States and other developed nations; and that decline continues, with serious negative consequences for children's physical, mental, and social development," said Guest Editor Peter Gray, a research professor of psychology at Boston College. "This special issue of the American Journal of Play reviews the evidence for the crucial roles of play in children's development and proposes ways we may create a world in which playespecially free outdoor play with other childrenis once again a normative part of childhood."

Included in this issue are two articles by Gray, one presenting research that shows a correlation between the decline of free play and the rise of depression, suicide and narcissism in children and teens, and the other highlighting the importance of age-mixed play.

"The Decline of Play and the Rise of Psychopathology in Children and Adults": Gray presents a review of research showing a correlation between the decline of free play in developed nations and the rise of depression, suicide, feelings of helplessness, and narcissism in children, teens, and young adults.

"The Special Value of Children's Age-Mixed Play" : Gray notes that the modern segregation of kids into same-age groups, common in today's classrooms and school yards, may not be optimal for child development. He says that during age-mixed play, older, more skilled participants "provide scaffolds that raise the level of the younger participants' play" and stretch their abilities to higher levels. He cites other studies in which older children were observed exposing younger children to more complex concepts of literacy, math, and sociability. By interacting with younger children, older students develop increased capacities to nurture, lead, and learn by teaching.

Other highlights in the journal are:

"Why Parents Should Stop Overprotecting Kids and Let them Play", an interview with Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids: How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children, and Hara Estroff Marano, former Psychology Today editor in chief and author of A Nation of Wimps: The High Cost of Invasive Parenting : Skenazy and Marano point accusing fingers at over-protective parents, over-organized sports, overblown media hype about stranger danger, and the allure of electronic games and social media, which have combined to decrease the amount of free play among today's children. Without free outdoor play, they say, kids are prone to obesity, poor physical health, and an inability to develop social skills.

"Evolutionary Functions of Social Play: Life Histories, Sex Differences, and Emotional Regulation" by Peter LaFreniere, Professor of Psychology at the University of Maine: LaFreniere reviews research about free play from an evolutionary biologist perspective and asserts that evolved patterns of play help children develop strong bones and muscles, promote cardiovascular fitness, and help hone skills of communication, perspective taking, and emotion regulation.

"Marbles and Machiavelli: The Role of Game Play in Children's Social Development" by David F. Lancy, Professor of Anthropology at Utah State University, and M. Annette Grove: The authors review several case studies of children engaged in rule-governed play and conclude that the process of learning rulesand of breaking them and making new onespromotes gamesmanship, which is theoretically linked to the evolution of human intelligence.

###

The American Journal of Play, an interdisciplinary scholarly journal devoted solely to the study of play, is published by The Strong in Rochester, New York. The journal is available free online at www.journalofplay.org.

Guest Editor Peter Gray has been a faculty member in the Psychology Department at Boston College for nearly 40 years. He is the author of Psychology, a widely-used psychology textbook now in its 6th edition, and has conducted and published research in comparative, evolutionary, developmental, and educational psychology. His current research and writing focuses primarily on children's natural ways of learning and the life-long value of play. He writes "Freedom to Learn," a blog for Psychology Today.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-08/bc-lof082611.php

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Exclusive: Groupon taps Citydeal team to boost sales (Reuters)

BANGALORE (Reuters) ? No. 1 daily deals website Groupon Inc is turning to executives from Citydeal -- the European business it bought last year -- to help boost slowing growth in its domestic business, ahead of a planned public listing.

The company appointed Christopher Muhr as its sales chief, taking over from Darren Schwartz, a source familiar with the matter who did not want to be named, said.

Muhr is moving from London where he was managing director of Groupon UK.

The move seems aimed at tapping into the strength of the company's international team as growth in its domestic market starts to mature.

In June, Groupon filed to raise up to $750 million in an IPO, expected to be one of the most high-profile new listings of 2011.

Groupon's valuation has dropped 20 percent to $16 billion in the latest private auction of shares, according to brokerage Wedbush Securities.

Wedbush partly blamed that on the market slump, but also highlighted slowing sales growth as a concern.

"Groupon's recently amended S-1, indicating rapidly decelerating Q2 growth, did little to help drive investor interest in the shares," Wedbush wrote in a note to investors on Tuesday.

Second-quarter revenue at the company, which offers group-buying deals on everything from spa treatments to flying lessons, was up 36 percent, down from the 63 percent increase it posted in the first quarter.

Groupon ended the second quarter with just over 115 million subscribers -- an increase of 32.6 million subscribers -- which Wedbush called "disappointing." Most of the slowdown in growth was in the U.S., Groupon's most mature market.

Revenue per subscriber fell 12 percent to $8.57 in North America, according to Yipit, which tracks the daily deal industry.

Joining Muhr at the company's Chicago headquarters are members of the international management team, including fellow Citydeal co-founders Rajen Ruparell, Emanuel Stehle and Jens Hutzschenreuter, the source said.

The changes were communicated to Groupon employees last week, the source said.

When contacted, a Groupon spokeswoman did not immediately confirm the appointments.

Germany's Citydeal, which Groupon bought last year, was used by the company to kick-start its international operations.

(Reporting by Nivedita Bhattacharjee in Bangalore; Additional reporting by Alistair Barr in San Francisco; Editing by Anthony Kurian, Sriraj Kalluvila)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110823/bs_nm/us_groupon

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You Need To Comprehend What You Are Signing Prior To Accepting ...

Adverse credit loans are being fallen back on by a truly alarming range of individuals, primarily as a result of the struggling UK financial system. This sort of loan can frequently be your last chance to repair an ailing credit ranking, it can even so be disastrous. Anybody who has got a history of bad credit of any type regardless of what it might be, who desperately would like to reconstruct their personal standing should ensure that they?re not taking on too much when contemplating using any kind of loan. Read on to discover what really should be accomplished to make certain that you are achieving the most from your financial situation.

As would be the same with pretty much any sort of loan it really is important that you obtain the finance that delivers you the least expensive rate, making an application by means of a decent finance broker may well ease this process. Be aware that it?s very likely silly rates of interest that got you in the mess you are in today, you ought to make sure that you just don?t make the exact same error in judgment again. It can make a terrific deal of sense to comprehend precisely what rates are available for poor credit loans within the current market prior to you apply for a loan to be certain you fully understand exactly what a sensible rate is. Think things through very carefully well before you rush headlong into anything, you need to make sure that you simply come up with the correct choices while wishing to improve your credit score. Once more you ought to bear in mind what it was that landed you in the mess you are to begin with, being eager and not thinking things through correctly could most likely played a part in it.

It truly is almost certainly worth visiting several brokerages websites prior to deciding on which one to select, to be certain the one you decide on has an extensive finance panel, it truly is also worth making a note of the charges that the brokers charge on paying out the loan. As soon as your broker has found the loan that he is suggesting that you consider, make him clarify why he has picked that provider and why it is more suitable for your situation compared to any products made available through other lenders. As with every sort of finance the rate of interest that may be charged for a bad credit loan will probably be affected by the amount of money that you receive. This usually will mean that the more substantial the loan amount of money the lower the interest rate imposed, this doesn?t mean you should acquire any more than you may need purely to attract a smaller rate of interest.

Settlement charges will need to also be considered when deciding upon finance, make sure you fully understand if there will be any type of costs for repaying the advance early and also what they may be. Most lenders won?t impose high redemption fees but there are there are many that do, so decide cautiously.

Tom Dawson is a specialist UK loans broker who has access to all the UK best lenders offering bad credit loans, and in fact loans of any kind at all. Why not check out his website today.


Retrieved from ezinearticles

Source: http://studentloans-withoutcosigner.com/you-need-to-comprehend-what-you-are-signing-prior-to-accepting-poor-credit-loans/

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Job Search Website ? Top 10 Job Search ... - Job Search Techniques

With no mal-intentions towards such web sites, this list has been prepared specifically for you that will support you get into the details of getting a job on the well-known sites.

One note of caution though ? these rankings are really volatile and fluctuating. This list has been prepared on the basis of their success rate since their inception. The newer websites have been rated accordingly, utilizing the success rate. Also, 1 essential parameter undermines these rankings ? number of actual users. There are in reality, more fake users than anybody could believe; more the number of fake users on them, lower the ranking and henceforth.

1. Monster: Over the years, this web site has been expanding its operations throughout the world and is also 1 of the most common job sites, even in the developing economies. As the name suggests, Monster has a database expanding into millions! It is increasingly making its internet site presence felt all over the world. No wonder, the Monster has morphed into a mammoth job website which is a favorite amongst the recruiters as well.

2. Job: The very domain name of it was one of the factors that this site gained prominent reception. It was the domain name which catapulted it into a various league altogether. Slowly after its inception years, the web site became a force to reckon with on the global on-line job search marketplace. The slow but steady gain helped its trigger and right now it is one of the leaders in job search. It is 1 of the most common job search internet sites in the US, though it is yet to make its presence felt in other parts of the world.

three. Yahoo Hotjobs: Yahoo gains an upper hand over Google in the job search marketplace owing to its dedicated jobs search database. One great factor about the site is that it has an ?intelligent? algorithm which attempts to scan out the very best resumes of the ones which are posted on the site.

4. Net-Temps: This web site also provides the alternative of part or full-time jobs and is a main job hunting ground for the fresher as well!

5. Indeed: The interface is quite easy and like Google. The site is simple to recognize and heavily relies on the power of search and keywords.

6. CareerBuilder: The web site is 1 of the few job search websites that also supply tips to enhance one?s prospects of obtaining a job.

7. JobFox: It is a cleverly created website which acts as a major database to other major job search internet sites.

8. SimplyHired: The job listings could be lesser but is 1 of the couple of websites that seriously attempt to collect the greatest jobs currently performing the rounds!

9. USAJobs: It is a accurate US based internet site and has recently broken into the top 10 chart!

10. CollegeRecruiter: It is a network that is rapidly expanding its base today. What began out as an perfect platform or college students to get jobs, branched out for other experienced job seekers as well.

Source: http://www.aftertoomany.org/job-search-website-top-10-job-search-websites.htm

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Libyan revolution: In Libya, "leading from behind" was the best policy.

?/?

foreigners

?:?

Opinions about events beyond our borders.

Rebels burn a portrait of Qaddafi. Click image to expand.Finally, the Libyan revolution ended the way it was supposed to. "A few sharp victories, some conspicuous acts of personal bravery on the Patriot side and a colorful entry into the capital," as Evelyn Waugh would have put it. That was the Western policy for the war?except that the war went on longer than it was meant to, and it might not be over yet, either. On Monday, the rebels reached Green Square and declared victory. On Tuesday, Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, the regime's dauphin, was driving around Tripoli in an armored convoy, declaring that the rebels had been drawn into a clever trap.

But then, that's the problem with wars and revolutions: They have a way of diverging from the policy and confounding the planners. They continue even when they are supposed to be over. They spill into other areas and lead to new conflicts. Even wars that end with solemn surrender ceremonies and elaborate peace treaties sometimes have unexpected afterlives. World War I begat World War II, World War II begat the Cold War, the Cold War begat the Korean War, and so on.

The Libyan revolution needn't end in civil war. At the same time, there is no guarantee that it won't. Either way, our ability to influence the course of events is limited. We can aid the rebels, as we have been doing all along: In fact, they've quietly received not only NATO air support but also French and British military training, as well as weapons and advice from elsewhere in Europe and the Gulf, most notably from Qatar. But we can't fight their war for them, we can't unify them by force, and we can't write their new constitution. On the contrary, if we make ourselves too visible in Libya, either with troops on the ground or too many advisers in dark glasses, we will instantly become another enemy. If we try to create their government for them, we risk making it instantly unpopular.

What we should do instead?to use a much-mocked phrase?is bravely, proudly, and forthrightly "lead from behind." When the NATO engagement started, I argued that Obama's best weapon was silence?no false promises, no soaring rhetoric, no threats. Keep this their war, not ours. The result: The rebels who marched into Tripoli and waved at Al-Jazeera's TV cameras looked like a Libyan force, not a Western one?because they were. Those pictures of them stomping on Qaddafi's photograph looked a lot more authentic, and will play better in Libya and across the Arab world, than the pictures of Marines pulling down a statue of Saddam Hussein in 2003, his head draped with an American flag.

There was a price to pay for our silence. The absence of visible American leadership?indeed, the absence of any Western leadership?might have worked brilliantly for the Libyans, but it has been a disaster for the NATO alliance. Not by accident did the U.S. defense secretary, Robert Gates, lash out at NATO's European members at the height of this conflict: After only a month of forays, the alliance's weaknesses were on full display, as never before. European armies that joined the conflict ran out of arms and ammunition; most of those that stayed out didn't have arms and ammunition to lend them. The two most prominent interventionists, the French president and the British prime minister, hardly spoke about Libya at all. There was no public support for the intervention in the West because it had so few public advocates in the West. That's not a good sign for the future. But then, that's our problem, not Libya's.

Fortunately for us, leading from behind in Libya is not merely the only option, it's still the best option. This was their revolution, not ours. Now it's poised to become their transition, not ours. We can help and advise. We can point to the experience of others?in Iraq, Chile, Poland?who have also attempted the transition from dictatorship to democracy and who can offer lessons in what to do and what to avoid. We can keep expectations low and promises minimal. After all, we have a lot to learn about the Libyan rebels, their tribal divisions, their politics, and their economics. And we have a lot of ammunition to replace back home.

Become a fan of Slate on Facebook. Follow Slate and the Slate Foreign Desk on Twitter.

Anne Applebaum is the director of political studies at the Legatum Institute.

Photograph of Qaddafi photo being burned by Adem Altan/AFP/Getty Images.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=4d7b2b769e39659d93ce7033853cdec1

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UN Member States jeopardize international progress on non-communicable disease epidemic

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-Aug-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Margaret Walker
margaret.walker@easloffice.eu
41-799-461-549
European Association for the Study of the Liver

Geneva, 23rd August 2011 The fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and liver disease, is at grave risk, because of recent efforts by some countries to stall and weaken critical United Nations negotiations, the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) warned today.

In a letter addressed to Mr Ban Ki-Moon, Dr Margaret Chan and Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, EASL called on them to personally push for progress at the first ever UN High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases, scheduled for 19? September in New York.

"The situation is urgent," said Prof. Mark Thursz, Secretary General of EASL. "Sound proposals for clear goals and timelines to tackle devastating diseases, including liver disease, are being systematically deleted, diluted and downgraded by some member states. Urgent action is needed now to put the negotiations back on track."

NCDs are the leading cause of death worldwide each year, causing 36 million deaths in 2008 and accounting for 63 per cent of all global deaths (1). Over the next 20 years, the NCD epidemic is projected to accelerate exponentially, putting enormous strain on families, health systems and economies.

In Europe alone, 86% of all deaths are caused by chronic non-communicable diseases with up to 80% of health-care expenses being allocated to them. What is worse is the fact that the majority of chronic non-communicable diseases can be prevented.

Liver disease is estimated to affect 6% of the EU's population (approx. 29 million people) and is reported to be the EU's 5th biggest killer, accounting for at least one in six deaths. In 2004, the mortality rate for chronic liver diseases was estimated at 14.3 per 100.000 in the EU-25. This means that more than 70,000 Europeans are dying from chronic liver diseases every year. Even more worrying is the fact that the EU statistics do not cover all disease of the liver in one category, e.g. alcohol abuse related deaths and liver cancer are treated separately. Therefore, the actual rate of deaths from liver diseases is certainly much higher than the statistics suggest.

And yet, says EASL, the NCD epidemic could be effectively addressed through the reduction of risk factors principally tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol as well as early detection and timely treatments.

"We have a unique and historic opportunity to change the course of this ticking time bomb and stop millions of people around the world suffering unnecessary pain and hardship", said Prof. Dominique-Charles Valla, EASL's EU Policy Councillor. "To do that, we need governments to agree and act on a common goal."

EASL is calling on the High Level Meeting to agree on:

  • An overarching goal to reduce preventable deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025
  • A clear timeline for tackling the epidemic of major NCDs, including liver disease
  • A set of specific, evidence-based targets and global indicators
  • A high-level collaborative initiative of governments and UN agencies with civil society to stimulate and assess progress.

###

Contact details: Margaret Walker, EASL Director of EU Public Affairs, margaret.walker@easloffice.eu Mobile number: + 41 79 946 15 49

Notes to Editor:

About Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

NCDs are now the leading cause of death worldwide each year, causing 36 million deaths in 2008 and accounting for 63 per cent of all global deaths. NCDs also account for half of all global disability, including blindness and amputations, imposing huge costs on families, healthcare systems, businesses and national economies. The burden of death and disability attributable to NCDs is rising everywhere due to changing patterns in the way we live and work. The greatest increase will be in low- and middle-income countries, contributing to poverty and becoming a major barrier to development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The World Economic Forum's 2010 Global Risks Report identifies NCDs as the second most severe threat to the global economy and a global risk equal in cost to the current global financial crisis.

The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)

EASL is the leading liver association in Europe. EASL attracts the foremost hepatology experts as members and has an impressive track record in promoting research in liver disease, supporting wider education, and promoting changes in European liver policy. EASL believes the EU has a key role to play in raising awareness of liver disease in Europe, increasing additional funding for research, setting standards and guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of liver disease across the EU and encourage member states to make liver disease a public health and research priority. For more information please visit www.easl.eu

About the UN High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs

The NCD Alliance originated the call for the first-ever United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs, which will be held in New York on 19? September 2011. This High-Level Meeting will be attended by Heads of State and Government from around the world, and is an unprecedented opportunity to ensure that NCDs become central to the long-term global development agenda, to generate high-level and sustained political commitments for a coordinated global response to NCDs; and to increase resources for NCDs and save millions from debilitating health complications. A Political Declaration issued at the end of the meeting will guide future action on NCDs globally.

Reference

(1) World Health Organization, Global Status Report on non-communicable diseases 2010, last accessed on 15 August 2011


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-Aug-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Margaret Walker
margaret.walker@easloffice.eu
41-799-461-549
European Association for the Study of the Liver

Geneva, 23rd August 2011 The fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and liver disease, is at grave risk, because of recent efforts by some countries to stall and weaken critical United Nations negotiations, the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) warned today.

In a letter addressed to Mr Ban Ki-Moon, Dr Margaret Chan and Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, EASL called on them to personally push for progress at the first ever UN High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases, scheduled for 19? September in New York.

"The situation is urgent," said Prof. Mark Thursz, Secretary General of EASL. "Sound proposals for clear goals and timelines to tackle devastating diseases, including liver disease, are being systematically deleted, diluted and downgraded by some member states. Urgent action is needed now to put the negotiations back on track."

NCDs are the leading cause of death worldwide each year, causing 36 million deaths in 2008 and accounting for 63 per cent of all global deaths (1). Over the next 20 years, the NCD epidemic is projected to accelerate exponentially, putting enormous strain on families, health systems and economies.

In Europe alone, 86% of all deaths are caused by chronic non-communicable diseases with up to 80% of health-care expenses being allocated to them. What is worse is the fact that the majority of chronic non-communicable diseases can be prevented.

Liver disease is estimated to affect 6% of the EU's population (approx. 29 million people) and is reported to be the EU's 5th biggest killer, accounting for at least one in six deaths. In 2004, the mortality rate for chronic liver diseases was estimated at 14.3 per 100.000 in the EU-25. This means that more than 70,000 Europeans are dying from chronic liver diseases every year. Even more worrying is the fact that the EU statistics do not cover all disease of the liver in one category, e.g. alcohol abuse related deaths and liver cancer are treated separately. Therefore, the actual rate of deaths from liver diseases is certainly much higher than the statistics suggest.

And yet, says EASL, the NCD epidemic could be effectively addressed through the reduction of risk factors principally tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol as well as early detection and timely treatments.

"We have a unique and historic opportunity to change the course of this ticking time bomb and stop millions of people around the world suffering unnecessary pain and hardship", said Prof. Dominique-Charles Valla, EASL's EU Policy Councillor. "To do that, we need governments to agree and act on a common goal."

EASL is calling on the High Level Meeting to agree on:

  • An overarching goal to reduce preventable deaths from NCDs by 25% by 2025
  • A clear timeline for tackling the epidemic of major NCDs, including liver disease
  • A set of specific, evidence-based targets and global indicators
  • A high-level collaborative initiative of governments and UN agencies with civil society to stimulate and assess progress.

###

Contact details: Margaret Walker, EASL Director of EU Public Affairs, margaret.walker@easloffice.eu Mobile number: + 41 79 946 15 49

Notes to Editor:

About Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

NCDs are now the leading cause of death worldwide each year, causing 36 million deaths in 2008 and accounting for 63 per cent of all global deaths. NCDs also account for half of all global disability, including blindness and amputations, imposing huge costs on families, healthcare systems, businesses and national economies. The burden of death and disability attributable to NCDs is rising everywhere due to changing patterns in the way we live and work. The greatest increase will be in low- and middle-income countries, contributing to poverty and becoming a major barrier to development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The World Economic Forum's 2010 Global Risks Report identifies NCDs as the second most severe threat to the global economy and a global risk equal in cost to the current global financial crisis.

The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)

EASL is the leading liver association in Europe. EASL attracts the foremost hepatology experts as members and has an impressive track record in promoting research in liver disease, supporting wider education, and promoting changes in European liver policy. EASL believes the EU has a key role to play in raising awareness of liver disease in Europe, increasing additional funding for research, setting standards and guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of liver disease across the EU and encourage member states to make liver disease a public health and research priority. For more information please visit www.easl.eu

About the UN High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs

The NCD Alliance originated the call for the first-ever United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of NCDs, which will be held in New York on 19? September 2011. This High-Level Meeting will be attended by Heads of State and Government from around the world, and is an unprecedented opportunity to ensure that NCDs become central to the long-term global development agenda, to generate high-level and sustained political commitments for a coordinated global response to NCDs; and to increase resources for NCDs and save millions from debilitating health complications. A Political Declaration issued at the end of the meeting will guide future action on NCDs globally.

Reference

(1) World Health Organization, Global Status Report on non-communicable diseases 2010, last accessed on 15 August 2011


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-08/eaft-ums082411.php

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Quake rocks East Coast of US, no major damage

(AP) ? One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded on the East Coast of the United States shook buildings and rattled nerves on Tuesday and forced the evacuations of parts of the Capitol, White House and Pentagon.

There were no immediate reports of deaths, but fire officials in Washington said there were at least some injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake registered magnitude 5.8 and was centered about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Richmond, Virginia.

Two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Power Station, in the same county as the epicenter, were automatically taken off line by safety systems, said Roger Hannah, a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Around Mineral, Virginia, a small town close to the epicenter, people milled around in their lawns, on sidewalks and parking lots, still rattled and leery of re-entering buildings. There was least one aftershock.

All over town, masonry was crumpled, and there were stores with shelved contents strewn on the floor. Several display windows at businesses in the tiny heart of downtown were broken and lay in jagged shards.

The earthquake came less than three weeks before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, and in both Washington and New York it immediately triggered fears of something more sinister than a natural disaster.

Obama, who is vacationing on Martha's Vineyard, led a conference call Tuesday afternoon on the earthquake with top administration officials, including the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

At the Pentagon in Washington, a low rumbling built until the building itself was shaking, and people ran into the corridors of the complex. The shaking continued there, to shouts of "Evacuate! Evacuate!"

The Park Service closed all monuments and memorials on the National Mall, and ceiling tiles fell at Reagan National Airport outside Washington. All flights there were put on hold.

Also in Washington, the National Cathedral said cracks had appeared in the flying buttresses around the apse at one end. "Everyone here is safe," the cathedral said on its official Twitter feed. "Please pray for the Cathedral as there has been some damage."

In New York City, the 26-story federal courthouse in lower Manhattan, blocks from the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the World Trade Center, began swaying, and hundreds of people streamed out of the building.

Also in New York, workers in the Empire State Building spilled into the streets, some having descended dozens of flights of stairs.

"I thought we'd been hit by an airplane," said one worker, Marty Wiesner.

Another, Adrian Ollivierre, a 28-year-old accountant who was in his office on the 60th floor when the quake struck, said: "I thought I was having maybe a heart attack, and I saw everybody running. I think what it is, is the paranoia that happens from 9/11, and that's why I'm still out here ? because, I'm sorry, I'm not playing with my life."

The last quake of equal power to strike the East Coast was in New York in 1944. The largest East Coast quake on record was a 7.3 that hit South Carolina in 1886.

Amtrak said its trains along the Northeast Corridor between Baltimore and Washington were operating at reduced speeds and crews were inspecting stations and railroad infrastructure before returning to normal.

More than 12 million people live close enough to the quake's epicenter to have felt shaking, according to the Geological Survey.

Social media site Twitter lit up with reports of the earthquake from people using the site up and down the U.S. eastern seaboard.

"People pouring out of buildings and onto the sidewalks and Into Farragut Park in downtown DC," tweeted Republican strategist Kevin Madden.

John Gurlach, air traffic controller at the Morgantown Municipal Airport was in a 40-foot (12-meter) tower when the earth trembled.

"There were two of us looking at each other saying, 'What's that?'" he said, even as a commuter plane was landing. "It was noticeably shaking. It felt like a B-52 unloading."

Immediately, the phone rang from the nearest airport in Clarksburg, and a computer began spitting out green strips of paper ? alerts from other airports in New York and Washington issuing ground stops "due to earthquake."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-08-23-East%20Coast%20Quake/id-31da4333a3a04c748d168ed346c780b0

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Google settles pharmacy ad probe for $500 million

Peter Neronha, U.S. attorney for the district of Rhode Island, announces a $500 million settlement with Internet giant Google over Canadian drug advertisements Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, in Providence, R.I. The agreement settles a federal investigation into Google's distribution of online ads from Canadian pharmacies that were illegally selling prescription and non-prescription drugs to American consumers. (AP Photo/Joe Giblin)

Peter Neronha, U.S. attorney for the district of Rhode Island, announces a $500 million settlement with Internet giant Google over Canadian drug advertisements Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, in Providence, R.I. The agreement settles a federal investigation into Google's distribution of online ads from Canadian pharmacies that were illegally selling prescription and non-prescription drugs to American consumers. (AP Photo/Joe Giblin)

Peter Neronha, U.S. attorney for the district of Rhode Island, announces a $500 million settlement with Internet giant Google over Canadian drug advertisements Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, in Providence, R.I. The agreement settles a federal investigation into Google's distribution of online ads from Canadian pharmacies that were illegally selling prescription and non-prescription drugs to American consumers. (AP Photo/Joe Giblin)

Kathleen Martin-Weis, acting director of the FDA office of criminal investigations, and Peter Neronha, U.S. attorney for the district of Rhode Island, announce a $500 million settlement with Internet giant Google over Canadian drug advertisements Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, in Providence, R.I. The agreement settles a federal investigation into Google's distribution of online ads from Canadian pharmacies that were illegally selling prescription and non-prescription drugs to American consumers. (AP Photo/Joe Giblin)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) ? Google Inc. has agreed to pay $500 million to settle a U.S. government investigation into the Internet search leader's distribution of online ads from Canadian pharmacies illegally selling prescription and non-prescription drugs to American consumers, a U.S. attorney in Rhode Island said Wednesday.

The settlement means the Internet search leader will not face criminal prosecution for accusations that it improperly profited from ads promoting Canadian pharmacies that illegally imported drugs into the United States, U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha said.

"It sends a clear message to both Google and to others that contribute to America's pill problem that they will be held to account for endangering the health and safety of the residents of this district and to persons all across the United States," said Neronha, who described the settlement as one of the largest in U.S. history.

The $500 million represents the gross revenues Google collected in ad buys from the Canadian pharmacies, plus the earnings generated from the illegal sales of drugs to American consumers, federal investigators said. The money has already been wired to a Department of Justice account, Neronha said.

Google issued a statement that it should not have allowed Canadian pharmacies to market prescription drugs to American consumers.

"We banned the advertising of prescription drugs in the U.S. by Canadian pharmacies some time ago," the statement said. "However, it's obvious with hindsight that we shouldn't have allowed these ads on Google in the first place." The company declined further comment. Google shares up slightly, trading at about $519.

Federal officials also say Google knew as early as 2003 that its ad system was allowing Canadian pharmacies to make illegal sales. These transactions included selling prescription drugs without valid prescriptions from a licensed medical practitioner at a premium, federal prosecutors said.

Shipping prescription drugs into the U.S. from abroad violates drug and other laws, investigators said. Prescription drugs shipped into the U.S. from Canada are not subject to oversight by Canadian regulatory authorities and many sell drugs from countries with inadequate pharmacy regulations, prosecutors said. A separate U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation into drugs that claimed to be manufactured in Canada found that 85 percent of the drugs examined came from 27 different countries including that were found to be counterfeit, said Kathleen Martin-Weis, acting director of the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations.

The probe did not touch the overseas online pharmacies, Neronha said, because American officials did not have the authority to bring charges. He said the case raised some "novel legal theories."

Investigators snared Google's ad system by creating undercover web sites offering hundreds of over-the-counter and prescription drugs to be sold without a prescription or the completion of an online medical questionnaire, Martin-Weis said. She added an undercover investigator informed Google employees creating the advertising for these products that they were manufactured overseas and did not require customers have a valid prescription.

"In each instance, despite this knowledge, Google employees created a full advertising campaign for each of the undercover web sites," Martin-Weis said.

Officials said they burned quickly through the money set aside for Google ad buys for the undercover web sites and then pored over 4 million documents to make their case.

Officials started probing Google after a suspect involved in an unrelated multi-million financial fraud was caught by authorities after fleeing to Mexico in 2006, officials said. The suspect told investigators that while on the lam be began to advertise drugs illegally on Google, Neronha said.

The investigation laid bare how vulnerable the company's automated ad system known as AdWords is to the machinations of shady operators. The ad network is a major money maker for Google and is expected to generate more than $30 billion in revenue this year.

Google acknowledged holes in its ad system in a federal lawsuit filed last fall against dozens of "rogue" online pharmacies that were finding ways to place ads for drugs despite the company's efforts to prevent abuses. The individuals identified in the complaint were in New York, Tennessee and Ohio.

In one of the more common practices, the illicit drug dealers would plug subtle misspellings of drug names frequently entered into Google's search engine to generate ads alongside the results. For instance, one illegal drug advertiser spelled the anabolic steroid Dianabol as "Diano bol" in Google's automated system to produce an ad, according to the lawsuit in San Jose federal court.

Google has obtained court orders banning some of the rogue pharmacies named in the lawsuit and is still seeking injunctions against the others.

Rhode Island has aggressively investigated doping activities recently. Last year, the Chinese company GeneScience Pharmaceutical Co. and its CEO pleaded guilty to selling human growth hormone and agreed to pay $7.5 million.

The Google lawsuit came seven months after the Internet search leader imposed new restrictions on the kinds of pharmaceutical ads it would accept in the U.S. and Canada. The new rules were supposed to allows ads only from U.S. pharmacies that had been accredited by a special program run by the National Association Boards of Pharmacy. In Canada, the accreditation had to come from the Canadian International Pharmacy Association.

Google's critics have complained in the past that the company and other websites haven't been vigilant about policing pharmaceutical ads because they are so lucrative. Drug and health care advertising generated about $1 billion in Internet spending last year and is expected to grow to nearly $1.9 billion by 2015, according to the research firm eMarketer Inc.

The agreement also ends speculation that began in May when the company made a reference in its quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission to a Justice Department investigation into the usage of Google's automated system for placing ads alongside search results and other content at hundreds of thousands of websites. Google had raised even more intrigue by subtracting $500 million from its first-quarter earnings to cover a potential settlement.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-08-24-Google-Advertising%20Investigation/id-d93a4d3368824191a227b4f5e95dc839

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Small Business Check-Up: Are You Operating Under the Right Legal ...

Analyze whether a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation is still the right fit for your business.

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Many businesses start out as sole proprietorships or partnerships because they are the simplest to form. That may have been fine when your business first opened its doors, but it pays to check in and see if your current legal structure is still a good fit for your business ? especially when it comes to tax breaks and personal liability ? or whether it?s time to step up to a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation. Answer these seven questions to find out.

1. Has your business become engaged in risky activities?

Certain businesses ? a hazardous waste cleanup company or building demolition contractor, for example ? are inherently riskier than others (see Nolo?s article Risky Businesses for other examples). If your business is starting to engage in risky activities, that may be reason enough to convert your business to a corporation or LLC. That?s because by incorporating or forming an LLC you get the protection of ?limited liability,? meaning your personal assets are shielded from business-related debts and claims.

For more information on liability protection and selecting the best legal structure for your business, see Nolo?s articles Learn About Business Ownership Structures and Choosing the Best Ownership Structure for Your Business.

2. Have your personal assets grown since you started your business?

If you now have a significant amount of personal assets, that may also be reason enough to convert your business?s legal structure to an LLC or corporation. Without the limited liability protection offered by these business forms, your personal assets will be at risk if your business can?t pay off its debts or satisfy court judgments entered against it.

To learn more about how an LLC or corporation can help you protect your personal assets, see Nolo?s articles LLC Basics and Corporation Basics. For information on when an LLC or corporation might not shield you personally, read Nolo?s article Personal Liability for Corporate Debt.

3. Will business insurance cover the risks of your business?

Your business may be able to protect itself against certain risks through insurance. For example, you can use an insurance policy to guard against work-related car accidents involving your employees. If it looks like the right business insurance policy will cover most of your business?s risk, then converting to an LLC or corporation may not be warranted. Unless there are other compelling reasons to convert to and maintain an LLC or corporation, save yourself the expense and paperwork, and just stick with the status quo.

To learn more about business insurance, see Nolo?s article Obtaining Business Insurance.

4. Are you thinking about sell stock to investors or issuing employee stock options?

If you?re thinking of taking the next step by raising investment capital by selling stock ? or issuing stock options to attract and retain key employees ? you would have to first convert your business to a corporation. While it?s true that LLCs can raise capital by selling membership interests, the process of doing this is more cumbersome than issuing stock, particularly if you expect to have multiple investors or want to raise money from the public.

Another benefit of issuing stock is the ability to make gifts of stock to family members as part of an estate plan. You can easily make gifts of corporate shares without giving up management control and, if you do it correctly, you can avoid paying a gift tax.

For more on the differences between LLCs and corporations when it comes to issuing stock, see Nolo?s article Corporations vs. LLCs.

5. Has your business started to turn a good profit?

If your business is now bringing in some money, you could save some income tax dollars by converting your business to a corporation and keeping some of your profits in the corporation each year. The profits left behind (called the ?retained earnings?) would be taxed to the corporation at corporate income tax rates (15% on the first $50,000 of profit and 25% on the next $25,000 of profit), which are lower than most business owners? individual income tax rates. However, the tax savings alone ? probably a few thousand dollars ? may not be worth the hassle of converting to a corporation and filing a corporate tax return.

For more information on corporate taxation, see Nolo?s article How Corporations Are Taxed.

6. Do you want to start providing extensive fringe benefits to yourself or your employees?

Another tax benefit of corporations is that they can deduct the full cost of fringe benefits (like health insurance and reimbursement of medical expenses) that are provided to employees (including owner-employees), and the employees and owner-employees don?t have to pay any tax on the value of these benefits. Other types of business entities can also deduct the cost of many fringe benefits as a business expense, but the owner-employees who receive these benefits will ordinarily be taxed on their value.

To find out how different business entities are taxed, see Nolo?s articles How Sole Proprietors Are Taxed, How Partnerships Are Taxed, How Corporations Are Taxed, and How LLCs Are Taxed.

7. Are you worried about retaining independent contractor status?

If you?re an independent contractor and want to ensure the IRS or other government agency doesn?t reclassify you as an employee, you may want to incorporate. Because reclassification is highly unlikely for incorporated independent contractors, your clients may also insist that you be incorporated before they hire you.

For other tips on retaining independent contractor status, see Nolo?s article Preserving Your Status as an Independent Contractor.

More Information

Once you decide it?s time to upgrade the legal structure of your business, LLC or Corporation?, by Anthony Mancuso (Nolo), will help you decide which legal structure is right for you and will walk you step-by-step through the process of converting your business entity.

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Copyright Nolo ? http://www.nolo.com ? Reprinted with Permission

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Warning: Electronic messages are not necessarily confidential. Please do not send any message you consider to be confidential or sensitive in nature until you receive information from us on how to encrypt your message. Please be aware that the act of sending electronic mail or messages to Thompson Law Office will not of itself create an attorney-client relationship. Unless you are already a client of our law firm, any electronic communication will not be privileged, and may be disclosed to other persons. The contents of this website are intended for general information and educational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice.

Source: http://www.thompson.law.pro/2011/08/small-business-checkup-operating-under-right-legal-structure/

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Libyan rebel to give Gaddafi hat to his father (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? A Libyan rebel, wearing a flamboyant military peaked hat that he said he had seized from Muammar Gaddafi's bedroom in his Tripoli compound, said he planned to give the trophy to his father.

Speaking to Britain's Sky News, the bearded fighter identified only as al-Windy, was among the fighters who stormed Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Tuesday, seizing weapons and trophies.

"I just went inside his room, Gaddafi's bedroom, and I was really, I was like 'Oh my God'. I am in Gaddafi's room. Oh my God. Then this thing happened. I found this, oh my goodness," the rebel said, taking the red and grey hat embroidered with gold thread off his head.

"I am going to give this to my dad as a present because he has suffered a lot from Gaddafi and from Gaddafi followers," the rebel, who also wore a huge gold chain over his drab olive-green T-shirt and carried what looked like a ceremonial mace.

Gaddafi, reputed for his eccentricities, was once crowned Africa's "king of kings" by those from south of the Sahara.

The fighter said he had fought with rebels in the Western Mountains region before they advanced on Tripoli and overran Gaddafi's main stronghold early this week.

Pro-Gaddafi forces initially tried to defend the vast Bab al-Aziziya compound, the seat of Gaddafi's political power and the principal base of loyalists seeking to rescue his 42-year rule, but their resistance later faded, the reporters said.

"I am really proud for this moment that the Libyans have waited for 42 years," al-Windy said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110824/wl_nm/us_libya_fighter_hat

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