Monthly Archives: July 2012

Liberty Tax Offers Tax Classes with Emphasis on New IRS Standards

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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Tax Service offers over 11,000 fall online and in-store tax preparation classes across the country that can help its students learn or refresh a marketable skill thats in demand. Taking the ten-week classes can also provide a fresh consumer perspective of how to save money on ones own tax return in a tight economy where every little bit helps.

The companys instruction includes how to become a registered tax preparer with the IRS, receive a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) from the IRS, and continue professional development in accordance with new IRS standards. The certainty of an ever-changing and confusing income tax code provides a million people employment in the tax industry each year. Over 60% of consumers opt for professional help to have their returns prepared.

Theres no down side to taking the class. It may pay off with new job opportunities and a bonus of tax savings, said John Hewitt, CEO and Founder of Liberty Tax Service. Many people may make the same mistakes year after year on their returns, often overlooking a tax advantage multiple times. After completing the class, students can apply for seasonal employment with Liberty Tax Service.

The curriculum engages students in practical application of the tax code to prepare returns, and covers the schedules, credits and forms used to file individual returns.

The companys basic income tax preparation classes educate the public about the latest tax changes, and every facet of individual income tax preparation. No prior tax experience is necessary to enroll and take the class, and students are under no obligation to Liberty Tax.

Class schedules are flexible with day or evening classes available twice a week for ten weeks. Theres a minimal charge for books and supplies. Liberty Tax Service is actively recruiting bilingual tax school students. To learn more about job opportunities and Libertys series of tax courses, visit http://www.libertytax.com/tax-education.html or call 1-800-658-1042.

About Liberty Tax Service

Liberty Tax Service is the fastest-growing retail tax preparation company in the industrys history, founded in 1997 by CEO John T. Hewitt, a pioneer in the tax industry. A tax school opportunity was the entry point for Hewitts entry into the tax industry in 1969. The Company has over 4100 offices in the United States and Canada, with the majority owned by franchisees.

The Class A Common stock of JTH Holding, Inc. (TAX), the parent company of Liberty Tax Service is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market. The Give Me Liberty! magazine contains more Liberty company news and information.

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Liberty Tax Offers Tax Classes with Emphasis on New IRS Standards

Russia, Japan seek to resolve islands feud

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SOCHI, Russia, July 29 (UPI) -- Russia and Japan are far apart in resolving their Kuril Islands dispute but they agreed during the weekend to hold frequent high level talks to find a solution.

Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, who held talks with his Russian hosts in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, told a news conference although wide gaps remain between the two countries over the issue, the two sides intend to keep talking in an attempt to resolve their territorial feud, Kyodo News reported.

The dispute is over four islands in the Kuril chain held by Russia since the former Soviet Union took them after World War II. Japan has been demanding the return of the islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, Kyodo said. The territorial issue has prevented the two sides from concluding a formal postwar peace treaty.

"With regard to the issue of a peace agreement, in reality, positions of the two countries are still different," Kyodo reported Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters with Gemba. "But both sides agreed setting their territorial dispute is essential to boost economic and security cooperation."

The Japanese foreign minister also spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit and the two agreed Japanese and Russian economic relations hold much potential, the news service said.

Gemba's Russia trip follows that of a visit by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Kinashiri, one of the four islands, early this month, which drew protest from the Japanese government, Kyodo said.

Lavrov was quoted as saying any protest would not help create an environment for constructive bilateral talks.

Putin, who wants the peace treaty concluded, was quoted as expressing hope of meeting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum leaders' gathering in Vladivostok in September.

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Gene mutations linked to most cases of rare disorder — Alternating Hemoplegia of Childhood

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Public release date: 30-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Phil Sahm phil.sahm@hsc.utah.edu 801-581-2517 University of Utah Health Sciences

(SALT LAKE CITY)Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a rare disorder that usually begins in infancy, with intermittent episodes of paralysis and stiffness, first affecting one side of the body, then the other. Symptoms mysteriously appear and disappear, again and again, and affected children often experience dozens of episodes per week. As they get older, children fall progressively behind their peers in both intellectual abilities and motor skills, and more than half develop epilepsy. Unfortunately, medications that work for epilepsy have been unsuccessful in controlling the recurrent attacks of paralysis, leaving parents and physicians with few options, and significantly disabling those affected.

Researchers at the University of Utah Departments of Neurology and Human Genetics, in collaboration with researchers at Duke University Medical Center, have discovered that mutations in the ATP1A3 gene cause the disease in the majority of patients with a diagnosis of AHC. The study was published online on Sunday, July 29, 2012, in Nature Genetics.

In a collaborative effort with the AHC Foundation, Kathryn J. Swoboda, M.D., co-first author on the study, associate professor of neurology and pediatrics, and director of the Pediatric Motor Disorders Research Program at the University of Utah, established an international database of patients with AHC from around the world, starting with a single family nearly 14 years ago. This database now includes 200 affected individuals from more than a dozen countries. Access to clinical information and DNA samples from this database were critical to the success of the international collaboration that helped to identify the first gene causing AHC in a significant percentage of patients.

"AHC is almost always a sporadic disease, which means that there is no family history of the disorder," says Tara Newcomb, genetic counselor, University of Utah Department of Neurology, and a co-author of the study. "The rarity of the disease and the almost exclusively sporadic inheritance made AHC an ideal candidate for next-generation sequencing."

The mysterious and intermittent nature of the neurologic symptoms, which range from unusual eye movements to seizure-like episodes, to partial and/or full body paralysis often results in a prolonged diagnostic odyssey for parents and children, according to Matthew Sweney, M.D., an instructor in the U of U Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics and an epilepsy specialist at Primary Children's Medical Center. "Families often present again and again to the emergency room, and children may undergo dozens of tests and invasive procedures," says Sweney, also a study co-author. "Often, it is only after the spells fail to respond to antiepileptic medications that the diagnosis is considered."

The ATP1A3 gene encodes one piece of a key transporter molecule that normally would move sodium and potassium ions across a channel between neurons (nerve cells) to regulate brain activity. Mutations in this gene are already known to cause another rare movement disorder, rapid onset dystonia parkinsonism, and clinical testing for mutations in this gene is readily available through a blood test. "Having a means to confirm a diagnosis more quickly, using a simple blood test, will allow us to better care for our patients and provide them opportunities for early enrollment in clinical trials," Swoboda says. "The identification of the gene provides scientists with the opportunity to identify specifically targeted and truly effective therapies."

In a broad international collaborative effort, the initial collaboration between the University of Utah and Duke investigators expanded to involve more than three dozen researchers from 13 countries. "This discovery is a testament to the power of the next-generation sequencing technologies, which are becoming increasingly available as a result of the Human Genome Project," says co-author Lynn Jorde, Ph.D., professor and chair of the U of U Department of Human Genetics. "These technologies are rapidly revolutionizing our ability to diagnose rare disorders, and provide hope for hundreds of families of children with rare disorders about which little is known and no targeted treatments currently exist."

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Gene mutations linked to most cases of rare disorder -- Alternating Hemoplegia of Childhood

Gene Mutations Identified as Cause of Most Cases of Rare Disorder–AHC

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Newswise (SALT LAKE CITY)Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a rare disorder that usually begins in infancy, with intermittent episodes of paralysis and stiffness, first affecting one side of the body, then the other. Symptoms mysteriously appear and disappear, again and again, and affected children often experience dozens of episodes per week. As they get older, children fall progressively behind their peers in both intellectual abilities and motor skills, and more than half develop epilepsy. Unfortunately, medications that work for epilepsy have been unsuccessful in controlling the recurrent attacks of paralysis, leaving parents and physicians with few options, and significantly disabling those affected.

Researchers at the University of Utah Departments of Neurology and Human Genetics, in collaboration with researchers at Duke University Medical Center, have discovered that mutations in the ATP1A3 gene cause the disease in the majority of patients with a diagnosis of AHC. The study was published online on Sunday, July 29, 2012, in Nature Genetics.

In a collaborative effort with the AHC Foundation, Kathryn J. Swoboda, M.D., co-first author on the study, associate professor of neurology and pediatrics, and director of the Pediatric Motor Disorders Research Program at the University of Utah, established an international database of patients with AHC from around the world, starting with a single family nearly 14 years ago. This database now includes 200 affected individuals from more than a dozen countries. Access to clinical information and DNA samples from this database were critical to the success of the international collaboration that helped to identify the first gene causing AHC in a significant percentage of patients.

AHC is almost always a sporadic disease, which means that there is no family history of the disorder, says Tara Newcomb, genetic counselor, University of Utah Department of Neurology, and a co-author of the study. The rarity of the disease and the almost exclusively sporadic inheritance made AHC an ideal candidate for next-generation sequencing.

The mysterious and intermittent nature of the neurologic symptoms, which range from unusual eye movements to seizure-like episodes, to partial and/or full body paralysis often results in a prolonged diagnostic odyssey for parents and children, according to Matthew Sweney, M.D., an instructor in the U of U Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics and an epilepsy specialist at Primary Childrens Medical Center. Families often present again and again to the emergency room, and children may undergo dozens of tests and invasive procedures, says Sweney, also a study co-author. Often, it is only after the spells fail to respond to antiepileptic medications that the diagnosis is considered.

The ATP1A3 gene encodes one piece of a key transporter molecule that normally would move sodium and potassium ions across a channel between neurons (nerve cells) to regulate brain activity. Mutations in this gene are already known to cause another rare movement disorder, rapid onset dystonia parkinsonism, and clinical testing for mutations in this gene is readily available through a blood test. Having a means to confirm a diagnosis more quickly, using a simple blood test, will allow us to better care for our patients and provide them opportunities for early enrollment in clinical trials, Swoboda says. The identification of the gene provides scientists with the opportunity to identify specifically targeted and truly effective therapies.

In a broad international collaborative effort, the initial collaboration between the University of Utah and Duke investigators expanded to involve more than three dozen researchers from 13 countries. This discovery is a testament to the power of the next-generation sequencing technologies, which are becoming increasingly available as a result of the Human Genome Project, says co-author Lynn Jorde, Ph.D., professor and chair of the U of U Department of Human Genetics. These technologies are rapidly revolutionizing our ability to diagnose rare disorders, and provide hope for hundreds of families of children with rare disorders about which little is known and no targeted treatments currently exist.

Funding for the work at the University of Utah was provided by a grant from the Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation (AHCkids.org). The Utah team also included former postdoctoral fellow Chad Huff, Ph.D., from the Department of Human Genetics, and Louis Viollet, M.D., Ph.D., and Sandra Reyna, M.D., from the Department of Neurology Pediatric Motor Disorders Research Program (https://medicine.utah.edu/neurology/research/swoboda).

Whole genome sequencing was performed in collaboration with the Institute for Systems Biology.

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Gene Mutations Identified as Cause of Most Cases of Rare Disorder--AHC

American Society of Human Genetics to hold 2012 annual meeting, Nov. 6 to 10, in San Francisco

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Public release date: 28-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cathy Yarbrough press@ashg.org sciencematter@yahoo.com 858-243-1814 American Society of Human Genetics

The American Society of Human Genetics will hold its 62nd annual meeting, Tuesday to Saturday, Nov. 6 to 10, at San Francisco's Moscone Center.

Over 6,000 scientists, medical geneticists and genetic counselors are expected to attend the ASHG annual meeting, the world's largest scientific conference on human genetics.

"The ASHG annual meeting provides a forum for presenting the highest quality basic and translational science and the latest clinical information in human genetics, as well as nurturing scientific collaborations through networking" said ASHG Executive Vice President Joann Boughman, Ph.D.

Mary-Claire King, Ph.D., ASHG president and professor of genome sciences and medicine at University of Washington, Seattle, will kick-off the conference, Tuesday, Nov. 6, by speaking on the topic, "The Scientist as a Citizen of the World."

The meeting's closing symposium, Saturday, Nov. 10, will address, "Present and Future Directions for Human Genetics."

Topics of the ASHG meeting's invited scientific sessions, platform presentations and posters will include:

Speaking at the presidential symposium, "Gene Discovery and Patent Law: Present Experience in the U.S. and in Europe," will be: Lori B. Andrews, J.D., ITT Chicago-Kent College of Law, Hank Greely, J.D., Mark Lemley, J.D., Stanford Law School, and Gert Matthijs, Ph.D., Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.

The annual meeting also will feature presentations of ASHG's annual awards and the Gruber Genetics Prize.

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American Society of Human Genetics to hold 2012 annual meeting, Nov. 6 to 10, in San Francisco

Health care on Pelee Island to be provided by VON

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Pelee Island has found a permanent solution to its health care dilemma.

The Windsor-Essex chapter of the Victorian Order of Nurses has been chosen as the permanent health care provider to staff the Pelee Island nursing station and its 24/7 on-call nursing service.

The Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network made the announcement on Friday on the island. The nursing station will be open on weekdays from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. (with a slightly different schedule possible on Wednesdays), 365 days a year. When the clinic is closed, nurses will be on-call, working in conjunction with paramedics.

Pelee Island found itself in a health care conundrum last summer when its full-time nurse, Marlene Pierce, retired. The LHIN established a task force to determine how to best serve the island. While it has a small population, questions remained about whether a nursing station was an adequate service for the island.

In the interim, the island had a hodgepodge of health care providers. The first was a combination of Leamington District Memorial Hospital staff who operated the clinic during the day while Pierce was lured out of retirement for a few months to provide after-hours care. After that, the Harrow Family Health Team stepped in to provide staff for the nursing station during daytime hours. The VON was brought on in January this year for a test-phase in which nurses worked on rotation to provide 24/7 care.

After an application process, the VON was selected to keep running the nursing station.

Andrew Ward, executive director for the Erie St. Clair VON, said that along with a team of three nurses working on rotation, two Windsor-based physicians, Dr. Albert Ng and Dr. Wayne Chan, will consult with the nurses by phone. As well, the nursing station is connected to the Ontario telemedicine network.

"It really widens the access to the residents of Pelee Island," Ward said.

He said in the evenings when the clinic is closed, residents who require care should call 911 and paramedics will determine whether to call in the nurse or take the patient to hospital on the mainland.

Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

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Health care on Pelee Island to be provided by VON

Penobscot Community Health Care joins effort to improve health of Medicare patients

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BREWER, Maine Penobscot Community Health Care is the latest Maine health organization to join a national effort that rewards doctors for keeping their patients healthy and happy.

PCHC announced Monday that it will join Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems accountable care organization, a group of providers tasked with better coordinating treatment for seniors covered by Medicare and saving taxpayer money.

Under the model, formalized under the federal health reform law, doctors and hospitals that show they have improved Medicare patients health and satisfaction get a cut of any savings in the form of bonus payments. Providers that dont make the grade either forgo the extra money or pay a penalty.

You dont get any financial gain in an ACO unless the most important thing happens, which is you have to demonstrate that your patients are getting healthier and that theres a very high level of satisfaction by your patients, said Kenneth Schmidt, president and CEO of PCHC.

The new approach is designed to upend the existing system that pays health care providers based on the number of patients they see and the amount of services and procedures they order. The hope is that doctors, nurses and other providers will work together to keep better tabs on patients health.

PCHC is the only organization to join EMHS accountable care organization since the system, parent to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, announced late last year that it was among the nations first to adopt the new model. PCHC, a network of community health centers in Greater Bangor, is also the first of its kind in Maine to embrace the approach, according to EMHS.

A portion of PCHCs roughly 8,000 patients on Medicare, the federal health insurance program for senior citizens, will be enrolled in the accountable care organization, Schmidt said. PCHC serves close to 60,000 patients altogether, most of whom are seniors and lower income.

While the community health center joined the accountable care organization in June, Medicare patients wont officially take part until Jan. 1, 2013, he said. Patients can continue to see providers outside of the accountable care organization and can also opt out of sharing their personal information with the program.

While PCHC has already shifted toward less expensive and more effective preventive care, the new partnership with EMHS will improve care for chronically ill patients, such as by further reducing avoidable emergency room visits, said Dr. Robert Allen, PCHCs executive medical director. A patient with uncontrolled diabetes, for example, can check in with a nurse every day by phone or email to make sure blood levels stay in check, he said.

Three other Maine health groups announced a similar effort to improve care and cut costs for Medicare patients earlier in July.

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Penobscot Community Health Care joins effort to improve health of Medicare patients

New Case Management Accreditation Raises the Bar in Care Coordination Evaluation

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Today the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) released its new Case Management (CM) Accreditation program for organizations managing care for patients with complex health care and social needs. Already, three organizations will be the first to seek NCQA accreditation: Alere (www.alere.com), Monroe Plan for Medical Care (www.monroeplan.com) and OptumHealth Care Solutions (www.optumhealth.com).

Designed for case management programs in provider, payer or community-based organizations, NCQAs CM Accreditation ensures that patients with complex conditions receive effective, coordinated patient-centered services that lead to good outcomes. In becoming an NCQA-Accredited Case Management program, organizations make a clear statement that they are dedicated to providing personalized effective care- not just checking a box for another distinction.

NCQAs Case Management Accreditation:

Additionally, it is the only program that assesses quality during a patients transition between care settings. As patients health needs often fall through the cracks when they move from one setting to the next, effective case management can ensure continuity of critical services as patients travel through the system.

Case Management Accreditation moves us closer to measuring quality across population health management initiatives, said Margaret E. OKane, President, NCQA. Not only does it add value to existing quality improvement efforts; it also demonstrates an organizations commitment to the highest degree of improving the quality of their patients care.

Alere is delighted for the opportunity to become one of the first-adopters of NCQAs Case Management Accreditation, said Scott Schell, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Alere. Holistic case management solutions represent the ideal platform for optimally managing increasing complexities in patient care, multiple co-morbidities, complicating social and financial challenges, and multiple sites and providers of care delivery. Together these changes underscore the need for systematic evaluation of program effectiveness and expanded accreditation standards.

Joseph A. Stankaitis, Chief Medical Officer, Monroe Plan for Medical Care and NCQA Review Oversight Committee member noted, With the Affordable Care Act driving monumental changes in the healthcare delivery arena, Monroe Plan believes that achieving NCQA accreditation for case management would provide a greater degree of assurance for its regulators, partners, practices and communities by demonstrating that Monroe Plan has what it takes to provide optimal person-centered care.

OptumHealth Care Solutions Inc. is excited to be an early adopter of the Case Management Accreditation program. It is an opportunity to continue to showcase our commitment to the highest in quality standards, explained Margaux Frazee, Director of Enterprise Audit and Accreditation for OptumHealth Care Solutions, Inc.

Current NCQA-Accredited health plans or accountable care organizations and NCQA-Recognized patient-centered medical homes are eligible for automatic credit when they work with an NCQA-Accredited CM organization. Organizations can apply for accreditation and receive a three-year or two-year accreditation status based on performance against the standards.

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Where We Can Go With Augmented Reality: The Spartan Gamified World Revisited in SIGHT

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With Google Glasses and other potential competing products coming into the limelight, the technological consciousness is going to slowly merge with the expectations set for us by science fiction books and futurist designs. To understand how one element of augmented realitythe ability to overlay UIs and instructions on visioncan affect our social interaction and our skills we need look no further than current video games and the concept of gamification.

Gamification is the process of giving game-like attributes to everyday goals, its used by websites to attract and retain visitors with numbers and fill-up-bars, its used by school teachers to gain compliance from students, and its even used by some corporations to help train and refresh the skills of workers. With a project like Google Glass it wouldnt be too difficult to project game-like interfaces onto everyday tasks and train a person to do something they otherwise would need a hands-on instructor to do.

A recent epic videoSIGHT by Eran May-raz and Daniel Lazoon Vimeo brings to mind the varied ways augmented reality could totally reconstruct our lives using augmented reality, futuristic sensor technology, and gamification (plus, no end of creepy cyberpunk dystopia to close off the social commentary.)

Watch the video below and think about how this will shape the consumer experience.

Apps become reality; physicality is more than just what we see but what we know

Right now, we have the nascent designs in our grasp for people to download apps to smartphones that enable them with instant information retrieval, extremely accurate GPS, and even search systems that look at peer groups to help decide what might be good to eat. Ive even looked into numerous advantageous technologies that could be combined into Google Glass to make a wearers life not just easier, but more interesting.

With an augmented reality system, hands-free manipulation of data would be only an eye-flick away as would a great deal of information otherwise locked away in a book, computer, or smart phone. Forget fingertips, being able to more quickly bring information into a heads-up-display or access it via the visual field could greatly speed up a persons capability to respond to an adapting information scenario (dating is a good one; although a rather antisocial science fiction social commentary here.)

I imagine that people would use things like Google Glass to convey information about interesting subjects, foment conversations about the news and lifestyle based on opinion and Wikipedia and grease our ability to better understand one anotherrather than just manipulate one another. The possibility of using emotion-recognition or other deep-sensor technology with Pick-Up-Artist tactics, of course, will likely become vogue enough to generate some wariness but we dont need technology to ruin the dating scene for us we do that by ourselves well enough already.

SIGHT does an excellent job of introducing multiple app-driven technologies that suggest a framework for how augmented reality might surpass our current experience. Replace television sets, instruct on how to chop a cucumber, provide directions to restaurants, and even drive communication across great distances.

Technologies like Google Glass are still in their infant stages from this sort of future; but what we do with it is being decided right now.

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Where We Can Go With Augmented Reality: The Spartan Gamified World Revisited in SIGHT

Religious freedom in Egypt "quite tenuous": Clinton

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Religious freedom in Egypt appears to be "quite tenuous" and its government has failed to aggressively prosecute perpetrators of sectarian violence, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday. Clinton made the comment as the State Department released a report that found a marked deterioration in religious freedom in China, where official interference with ...

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GKN Aerospace Wins Long Term Exhaust System Contract for KC-46A Tanker

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GKN Aerospace has been awarded a long term contract by Boeing Commercial Aircraft Company to supply the exhaust system for the United States Air Force KC-46A tanker. This system, comprising a complex acoustic nozzle and plug assembly, has provided excellent performance throughout a number of years in service on the 767 and versions of the 747. First deliveries for the KC-46A will take place in 2013 and continue through to the end of 2028 with manufacture and assembly taking place at the GKN Aerospace ASTECH facility in Santa Ana, CA, USA.

To produce this exhaust system, GKN Aerospace will use a proprietary resistance welded honeycomb panel process developed specifically to solve challenges in the exhaust environment. This technology overcomes the problem of voids common with brazed processes. It creates a lightweight stainless steel structure with exceptional strength and durability, extending engine performance and reducing noise.

Kevin Cummings, CEO - GKN Aerospace, North America comments: This work package extends our established relationship with Boeing into the next generation USAF tanker programme. We work closely with Boeing providing structural airframe components and assemblies, winglets, transparencies and ice protection systems for aircraft across their product portfolio. Applying our market-leading resistance welding technologies on the 767 and KC-46 continues the expansion of our relationship and introduces innovative process technologies.

GKN Aerospace is the worlds largest producer of systems and assemblies using resistance welded honeycomb technology and a market-leader in the supply of complex metal and composite structures for the aviation sector.

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GKN Aerospace Wins Long Term Exhaust System Contract for KC-46A Tanker

Global Aerospace and Defense Industry Sluggish in 2011: Deloitte

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WASHINGTON, July 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --According to a recent report by Deloitte, the financial performance of the global aerospace and defense (A&D) industry generally fell in 2011. Despite the uncertainty in the defense sector, the report found that the global A&D industry as a whole grew in 2011 to $681 billion, posting a sluggish revenue gain of 2.3 percent, compared to 2.5 percent in 2010.

The study, titled "2011 Global Aerospace and Defense Industry Performance Wrap-Up," reveals that reported operating earnings for the global industry decreased 3.1 percent, as did reported operating margins (down 5.3 percent), free cash flow (down 13.3 percent), and reported operating earnings per employee (down 5.2 percent). Despite this decline, the book to bill (BTB) ratio, an indicator of future revenue growth, increased 17.4 percent, primarily as a result of higher sales of new fuel-efficient commercial aircraft, according to the study.

"With the defense segment comprising about two-thirds of the global A&D industry, our report suggests that ongoing defense outlook uncertainty is likely to impact overall financial performance in 2012," said Tom Captain, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and global and U.S. aerospace & defense leader. "However, the findings indicate that defense spending is increasing in countries such as India, China, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil as a result of growing wealth and in light of mounting national security concerns."

The report also shows that financial performance differences between the commercial and defense segments widened in 2011; commercial revenues grew 10.1 percent while defense revenues declined by 3.3 percent. Contributing to the commercial revenue growth were record production levels of large commercial aircraft and increases in demand for aircraft services. The study found that Defense revenues were likely impacted by decreasing defense budgets, competing domestic priorities, weaker than expected economic performance in the western world, and the drawdown of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are also financial performance differences between A&D companies based in the United States and Europe. According to the study, the industry achieved 3.3 percent revenue growth in the U.S. in 2011, while it grew less than one percent (0.8 percent) in Europe. Significantly, operating earnings in Europe fell by 21.6 percent and increased 2.9 percent in the U.S. Reported return on invested capital was 20.7 percent and 8.7 percent in the United States and Europe, respectively. Furthermore, the U.S. employee productivity outpaces Europe with operating earnings per employee up 1.9 percent. Conversely, Europe saw this important metric fall 25 percent.

Tier one (5.1 percent), two (11.1 percent), and three (29.1 percent) A&D suppliers, many of which serve the commercial aerospace segment, reported revenue increases; while original equipment manufacturers experienced revenue growth of just 0.1 percent.

To access the 2011 Global Aerospace and Defense Industry performance wrap-up, go to http://www.deloitte.com/manufacturing.

About Deloitte's Aerospace & Defense GroupDeloitte's Aerospace & Defense Group (A&D) sector focuses on the top issues facing the industry. Deloitte A&D practitioners have deep industry experience and are actively involved in various segments of the industry, including: M&A, advanced technology programs, airplane program launches, and acquisition reform and economic assistance packages. For more information about Deloitte's Aerospace & Defense group, please visit: http://www.deloitte.com/us/a&d.

As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Please see http://www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

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Global Aerospace and Defense Industry Sluggish in 2011: Deloitte

DENR-IX joins the 38th National Nutrition Month (NNM) Celebration

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by H. A. Ascura/DENR-IX PR

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region -IX, has conducted various activities in support to the observance of the National Nutrition Month (NNM) pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 491 or the Nutrition Act of the Philippines with this years theme Pagkain ng gulay ugaliin, araw-araw itong ihain.

Regional Executive Director (RED) Arleigh J. Adorable led his officials and employees in attending a Nutrition Seminar which was held last July 9, 2012 at the Office of the RED Covered Court DENR, Sta. Maria, Pagadian City, Zamboanga Del Sur.

Nutrition Officer III Nimfa D. Ekong from the National Nutrition Council- Zamboanga City was the resource speaker. According to her, the month long observance aims to increase vegetable consumption; promote vegetable gardening as a source of additional food and income; and increase demand for vegetables can help local vegetable farmers.

In her power point presentation, Ms. Ekong explained the rationale of the NNM theme: 1) Filipinos are eating less and less vegetables. Based on food consumption surveys conducted by Dept. of Science & Technology (DOST) Food & Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), Filipinos on average are eating less and less vegetables per day in the last three (3) decades. From 145 grams per day of vegetables in 1978, consumption has decreased to 110 grams per day in 2008. Based on the 2012 NNM Talking Points, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating a minimum of 400 grams of vegetables and fruits per day which is equivalent to five (5) servings per day with 3 servings of vegetables per day. 2) Vegetables as part of a healthy diet can help prevent major non-communicable disease. Adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables reduces the risk for cardiovascular diseases, stomach cancer, and colorectal cancer. 3) Consumption of vegetables can help micronutrient deficiencies. Eating a variety of vegetables together with fruits ensures an adequate intake of most micronutrients, dietary fibers and a host of essential non-nutrient substances. 4) Having vegetable gardens in the household can increase supply and availability of vegetables for families. Only 67.7% or 7 out of every 10 households had vegetable gardens or fruit trees based on the 2008 National Nutrition Survey.

Ms. Ekong made mention that malunggay plant (from its roots, barks, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds) contains more nutritional value compared to other vegetables. She also shared technique on how to cook vegetables mixed with malunggay fruits.

The display of NNM streamer, press release as well as the conduct of radio program and guesting over DXKP-RPN in Pagadian City were undertaken by DENRs public affairs office to raise public awareness and participation while the livehood training-workshop was sponsored by DENRs Gender and Development (GAD) in cooperation with Technical Education and Skills Development Administration (TESDA) -ZDS Provincial Office.

For the latest Zamboanga City and Philippine news stories and videos, visit ZamboTimes.com

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DENR-IX joins the 38th National Nutrition Month (NNM) Celebration

New School Cafeteria Guidelines Make A Healthier Back-To-School Season

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SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- When students arrive at school this fall, their cafeteria will look a lot different. School meals must meet new federal nutrition standards requiring more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and less sodium and calories, as detailed in an article in the July issue of Food Nutrition & Science.

"With the ever-increasing childhood obesity rates, the government had to step in and help guide schools to provide healthier options for children," says Phil Lempert, founder of Food Nutrition & Science and CEO of The Lempert Report and SupermarketGuru.com. "I support these efforts and am confident the better foods will not only help their bodies, but their minds too."

Every school meal will come with fat free or 1percent milk to provide the calcium kids need for strong bones, and lunch entrees will meet strict limits on saturated and trans fats. Cafeterias will serve a wider variety of vegetables each week, including vitamin packed choices like broccoli, sweet potatoes and red pepper strips, and more fiber-rich beans and legumes.

Also in this month's issue results from a recent study from the Economic Research Service that shows price increases for some high-calorie foods and beverages can lead to lower children's BMI (body mass index). According to the study, a 10 percent increase in the price of sodas lowered BMI .42 percent over a year, and that same increase in the price of 100 percent juices and starchy vegetables lowered BMI .3 percent over a year.

Among other informative articles, this month also includes an interview with Deb Roussou, author of 350 Best Vegan Recipes, and Jerry Lynch, chief sustainability officer for General Mills.

About Food Nutrition & Science With more than 26,000 readers, Food Nutrition & Science is the only monthly newsletter created for all food industry players to communicate about the safest, most efficient and healthiest ways to get food to our plates. Founded by food industry analyst and CEO of The Lempert Report and SupermarketGuru.com Phil Lempert, Food Nutrition & Science provides readers analysis and offers discussions on all issues relating to the food industry. To learn more about healthy foods, trends, recipes and maneuvering the supermarket download "Smarter Shopping with Phil Lempert," a state-of the-art mobile app available at iTunes.

For more information or to subscribe to Food Nutrition & Science, please visit http://www.FoodNutritionScience.com.

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New School Cafeteria Guidelines Make A Healthier Back-To-School Season

City, school longevity pay tops $9M

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Home > News City, school longevity pay tops $9M By Thor Jourgensen / The Daily Item

LYNN Taxpayers paid $9.2 million in longevity pay extra money given to most city employees after theyve worked a certain number of years in 2012, according to city records.

That amount included $6.4 million paid in longevity to 1,254 school employees last year, according to School Business Administrator Kevin McHugh. Another $2.7 million paid to almost 600 other city workers represents a three-fold increase in longevity pay during the last 20 years.

McHugh said about 730 school employees do not receive longevity.

Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy said city employees receive the money regardless of how theyve performed.

It is a perk, a bonus paid not for any merit, said the citys chief labor contract negotiator.

School Committee member Rick Starbard agreed, saying longevity awards all city and school workers.

You can be a super teacher or a crappy teacher, come five years, youre getting longevity, he said.

Described in a statement from Police Association President William Sharpe as wage increases that are tied to the number of years an employee remains employed..., longevity has been a half century-old staple of municipal bargaining contracts, according to union officials.

I see longevity as an incentive for qualified, experienced employees to remain on the job, said Roger Ennis, the citys chief inspector and president of a city union representing about 50 municipal supervisors and school nurses.

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City, school longevity pay tops $9M

DNA damage in roofers possible cancer link

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AURORA, Colo., July 29 (UPI) -- Roofers and road workers who use asphalt are exposed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which may up their cancer risk, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Berrin Serdar of the Colorado Cancer Center and the Colorado School of Public Health said roofers have higher PAH blood-levels after a shift than before and that these high levels of PAHs are linked with increased rates of DNA damage, and potentially with higher cancer risk.

"We've known for some time that roofers and road workers have higher cancer rates than the general population, but we also know roofers have a higher rates of smoking, alcohol use and higher ultraviolet radiation exposure than the general population, and so it's been difficult to pinpoint the cause of higher cancer rates -- was it due to higher PAHs or is it due to lifestyle and other risk factors?" Serdar asked.

Serdar and colleagues at the University of Miami, studied 19 roofers from four work sites in Miami-Dade County and tested their urine -- before and after a 6-hour shift.

After acute exposure to hot asphalt, PAH biomarkers were elevated and were highest among workers who didn't use protective gloves and workers who reported burns.

"We can't say with certainty that exposure to hot asphalt causes roofers' increased cancer rate," Serdar said in a statement, "but that possibility is becoming increasingly likely. Hot asphalt leads to PAH exposure, leads to higher PAH leads to higher PAH biomarkers, leads to increased DNA damage."

The study was published in the British Medical Journal Open.

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DNA damage in roofers possible cancer link

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