Legislators Rack Up Million-Dollar Travel Bill

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In 2013, the state paid nearly a million dollars for lawmakers to fly across Alaska, across the country, and in some cases, around the world. APRNs Alexandra Gutierrez reports that legislative travel costs went up nearly 50 percent last year.

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Over the past year, Kurt Olson has traveled out of state 10 times in his capacity as a legislator. Hes gone to Boston, Denver, DC, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Nashville. Hes also had to bust out his passport twice once for an Arctic policy meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland and once for an energy meeting in Banff, a Canadian resort town.

At that point in time, it was the coldest place in the world. Not just North America. It was 40 or 42 below for three days, says Olson. So, I dont think anyone would accuse me of having gone on a junket on that one.

All told, the Kenai Republican racked up a $40,000 travel bill, making him the second most-traveled person in the Legislature. Usually, hes closer to the middle of the pack.

I was not expecting to be as high as I was, but if I couldnt justify them, we wouldnt be having this conversation, Olson laughs.

When Olson and I sit down to talk about travel, hes got all his documentation out and annotated. Kansas City was for the annual Council on State Governments conference. Nashville was for the National Conference of Insurance Legislators, which is relevant to Olson because he chairs the House Labor and Commerce Committee.

Two of the other meetings were generally workers compensation. At least two were related to Obamacare, which I am involved in. And none of the meetings were offered in Alaska, says Olson.

Olson says he can point to four bills hes working on that are the direct result of his travel. One has to do with opioid use by injured workers; another, their medical bills.

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Legislators Rack Up Million-Dollar Travel Bill

Global Travel Network Denver Complaints About Trips Resolved with NotFreeTrips.com

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Denver, Colorado (PRWEB) February 13, 2014

Global Travel Network Denver established its brand as a travel leader helping members afford luxurious vacations across the globe. Fulfilling the desires of its members is at the core of GTN Denvers mission to provide the best vacation experiences possible. As of 2014, Global Travel Network Denver has begun a new initiative to investigate the misconceptions behind becoming a member of a luxury vacation club.

Global Travel Network Denvers latest initiative comes in the form of a website where current members and prospective members can learn about luxury vacation clubs and the services they offer. The website, NotFreeTrips.com, will emphasize the details of attending the 90-minute presentations where potential members have the opportunity to learn about luxury vacation clubs while redeeming travel incentives. One common misconception outlined on the website deals with redeeming travel incentives like airline and hotel tickets. After members are approved based on necessary financial and age qualifications, they are able to redeem GTN Denvers incredible offers, but still have to pay for taxes and fees in regards to these offers. It is important to note that GTN Denver does not give out free trips. However, these fees are just a fraction of what it would normally cost to take the trips that are offered.

It is because of these common misconceptions regarding free trips that Global Travel Network Denvers search results can often turn up negative comments that include words like complaints. However, these complaints have nothing to do with the services themselves, but merely a lack of understanding on the part of prospective members about the costs and qualifications associated with redeeming travel vouchers after attending one of GTN Denvers luxury vacation club promotions. Once again, while these travel promotions are at incredibly discounted prices, they are not free trips.

Global Travel Network Denver doesnt want prospective members to feel like theyve been taken advantage of when attending a presentation; this luxury vacation provider wants them to understand the value of becoming a member of a luxury vacation club. This is why GTN Denver has taken steps to ensure an understanding from prospective members about the costs associated with becoming a member of a luxury vacation club.

Global Travel Network Denver is pleased to share the results of implementing http://notfreetrips.com/, revealing that new membership has reached an all-time high as prospective members who may have been worried about qualifications, taxes and fees can now visit the new website to learn more about the incredible deals offered at GTN Denver.

Global Travel Network Denver is at the forefront of industry development in luxury vacation clubs, ensuring the highest quality customer care for all of its members. It is excited to announce that not only have these trends led to the highest-ever levels of member satisfaction, but also it has paved the way for other vacation clubs to implement similar services and led to greater transparency and trust in the industry.

http://www.mygtn.com/ 801-287-9999

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Press release distributed by JW Maxx Solutions, a leader in online reputation management and part of a family of companies that includes Prensa Ahora and Enterate Ahora.

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Global Travel Network Denver Complaints About Trips Resolved with NotFreeTrips.com

Facebook offers users more online gender identities

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MENLO PARK, Calif. You dont have to be just male or female on Facebook anymore. The social-media company has added a customizable option with about 50 different terms people can use to identify their gender and three preferred pronoun choices: he/him, she/her or a neutral they/them.

Facebook said the changes initially will cover the companys 159 million monthly users in the United States and are aimed at giving people more choices in how they describe themselves, such as androgynous, bi-gender, intersex, gender fluid or transsexual.

Theres going to be a lot of people for whom this is going to mean nothing, but for the few it does impact, it means the world, said Facebook software engineer Brielle Harrison, who worked on the project and is undergoing gender transformation, from male to female. On Thursday, while watchdogging the software for problems, she said she was also changing her Facebook identity from female to transwoman.

Facebook, which has 1.23billion active monthly users worldwide, also allows them to keep their gender identity private and will continue to do so.

The Williams Institute, a think tank based at UCLA, estimates there are at least 700,000 individuals in the United States who identify as transgender, an umbrella term that includes people who live as a gender different from the one assigned to them at birth.

The move by Facebook represents a basic form of recognition of the nations growing transgender-rights movement, which has been spurred by veteran activists and young people who identify as transgender at younger ages. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) last year found that 10 percent of the 10,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender youths it surveyed used other or wrote in their own gender terms.

Over the past few years, a persons Facebook profile truly has become their online identity, and now Facebook has taken a milestone step to allow countless people to more honestly and accurately represent themselves, HRC President Chad Griffin said.

The change to the gender-selection option is seen as a major step toward acceptance for people who dont self-identify as male or female, but the high-profile development seemed senseless to those who believe in two genders, no more.

Of course Facebook is entitled to manage its wildly popular site as it sees fit, but here is the bottom line: Its impossible to deny the biological reality that humanity is divided into two halves: male and female, said Jeff Johnston, an issues analyst for Focus on the Family, a national religious organization based in Colorado Springs, Colo. Those petitioning for the change insist that there are an infinite number of genders, but just saying it doesnt make it so.

Selectingtransgender in a dropdown box isnt necessarily so simple for some trans people, who may prefer to continue using the male or female designation, said Carrie Davis, 54, who works at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City.

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Facebook offers users more online gender identities

'Super computer' reveals how the Premier League table will look in May

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Yesterday we revealed how the boffins at Bloomberg Sports had used complex data analysis to prove the validity of Tim Sherwoods theory that Spurs could lose fourof their remaining 13 Premier League matches and still finish in the top four.

Now, the geniuses at Bloomberg have gone one step further and used their super computer to predict the outcome and winner of this years Premier League. The conclusion produced from the numbers crunched in their complex algorithm is that Chelsea will lift the Premier League title with 83 points, beating Manchester City by only a single point in the race for the top.

Plucky Arsenal will, according to Bloomberg, finish third, while resurgent Liverpool will indeed finish in the top four, quite comfortably, ahead of Tottenham.

Manchester United, meanwhile, could be without any kind of European football if they finish in seventh. Theres more misery for Norwich, Cardiff and Fulham however, as Bloomberg predict they will be relegated.

Its worth keeping in mind that Bloombergs predicted table is constantly updated as calculations adjust according to the results of each Premier League matchday, but for the moment, it makes for promising reading if youre a Chelsea or Liverpool fan, and immense disappointment for City, United, Spurs and Arsenal supporters. Check out the full table below...

Blues, are you confident of winning the league? Let us know by leaving a comment below...

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'Super computer' reveals how the Premier League table will look in May

Total Recovery Lecture Series: Novel Treatments for Joint, Tendon & Ligament Pain, Part 3 – Video

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Total Recovery Lecture Series: Novel Treatments for Joint, Tendon Ligament Pain, Part 3
Part 3: Regenerative Therapies: Prolotherapy, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Stem Cell Therapy Dr. David Wang, Harvard trained and Board Certified in Physica...

By: KaplanCenter

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Total Recovery Lecture Series: Novel Treatments for Joint, Tendon & Ligament Pain, Part 3 - Video

Cancer researchers discover pre-leukemic stem cell at root of AML, relapse

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Cancer researchers led by stem cell scientist Dr. John Dick have discovered a pre-leukemic stem cell that may be the first step in initiating disease and also the culprit that evades therapy and triggers relapse in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The research, published online today in Nature is a significant leap in understanding the steps that a normal cell has to go through as it turns into AML, says Dr. Dick, and sets the stage to advance personalized cancer medicine by potentially identifying individuals who might benefit from targeting the pre-leukemic stem cell. AML is an aggressive blood cancer that the new research shows starts in stem cells in the bone marrow. Dr. Dick, a Senior Scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network (UHN), and Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, pioneered the cancer stem cell field by first identifying leukemia stem cells (1994) and colon cancer stem cells (2007).

"Our discovery lays the groundwork to detect and target the pre-leukemic stem cell and thereby potentially stop the disease at a very early stage when it may be more amenable to treatment," says Dr. Dick, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Stem Cell Biology and is also Director of the Cancer Stem Cell Program at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR).

"Now we have a potential tool for earlier diagnosis that may allow early intervention before the development of full AML. We can also monitor remission and initiate therapy to target the pre-leukemic stem cell to prevent relapse," he says.

The findings show that in about 25% of AML patients, a mutation in the gene DNMT3a causes pre-leukemic stem cells to develop that function like normal blood stem cells but grow abnormally. These cells survive chemotherapy and can be found in the bone marrow at remission, forming a reservoir of cells that may eventually acquire additional mutations, leading to relapse.

The discovery of pre-leukemic stem cells came out of a large Leukemia Disease Team that Dr. Dick assembled and included oncologists who collected samples for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Biobank and genome scientists at the OICR who developed sophisticated targeted sequencing methodology. With this team, it was possible to carry out genomic analysis of more than 100 leukemia genes on many patient samples. The findings also capitalized on data from more than six years of experiments in Dr. Dick's lab involving growing human AML in special mice that do not reject human cells.

"By peering into the black box of how cancer develops during the months and years prior to when it is first diagnosed, we have demonstrated a unique finding. People tend to think relapse after remission means chemotherapy didn't kill all the cancer cells. Our study suggests that in some cases the chemotherapy does, in fact, eradicate AML; what it does not touch are the pre-leukemic stem cells that can trigger another round of AML development and ultimately disease relapse," says Dr. Dick, who anticipates the findings will spawn accelerated drug development to specifically target DNMT3a.

These findings should also provide impetus for researchers to look for pre-cancerous cells in AML patients with other mutations and even in non-blood cancers.

Dr. Dick is also renowned for isolating a human blood stem cell in its purest form (2011) -- as a single stem cell capable of regenerating the entire blood system. He is a Senior Scientist at UHN's McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine and co-leader of a Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (CSCC)-funded research project HALT (Highly Active Anti-Leukemia Stem Cell Therapy), which is a partnership between CSCC and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

For more than 20 years, Dr. Dick's research has focused on understanding the cellular processes that maintain tumour growth by investigating the complexities and interplay among genetic and non-genetic determinants of cancer. His research follows on the original 1961 discovery of the blood stem cell by Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (formerly Ontario Cancer Institute) scientists Dr. James Till and the late Dr. Ernest McCulloch, which formed the basis of all current stem cell research.

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Cancer researchers discover pre-leukemic stem cell at root of AML, relapse

Vet-Stem, Inc. and Petplan Work Together in the New Year to Bring Regenerative Cell Therapies to Pets

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Poway, California (PRWEB) February 13, 2014

The leading Regenerative Veterinary Medicine company, Vet-Stem, Inc., and Americas best-loved pet insurer, Petplan, are working together to bring stem cell therapy and other regenerative cell therapies to pets nationwide. Stem cell therapy by Vet-Stem has been available for pets like dogs and cats for the last decade and covered by Petplan since 2010.

Founded in 2003 by Chris and Natasha Ashton, Petplan was recently named to Forbes magazines annual ranking of Americas Most Promising Companies for the second year in a row, and is rated one of the top pet insurance companies by Consumer Advocate and Canine Journal. Petplan proudly offers life-long coverage for hereditary and chronic conditions as well as alternative treatments, like stem cell therapy, as standard.

Our core value is that pets come first, and that starts with our comprehensive plans. So, were excited to see so many of our policyholders start to take advantage of cutting-edge treatments like Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy. Our team thrives on being able to provide coverage for the best and most up-to-date treatment modalities for the pets in our Petplan family, so hearing great stories about stem cell therapy from our policyholders is a real boost for us! - Dr. Jules Benson, Vice President of Veterinary Services at Petplan

Current uses of stem cell therapy are treating the pain and inflammation from arthritis and to repair orthopedic injuries. According to veterinarians, greater than 80% of dogs showed an improved quality of life after stem cell therapy. At 90 days post-treatment, more than 33% of dogs discontinued use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) completely, with an additional 28% decreasing their usage.

I started Vet-Stem in order to help horses with career-ending injuries to their tendons and ligaments, but so many more animals have been saved from a life of pain or even from euthanasia. I feel privileged and excited to be a part of this therapy that has changed how veterinary medicine is practiced, as well as contributing to changes in human medicine, - Robert Harman, DVM, CEO, Vet-Stem, Inc.

About Vet-Stem, Inc. Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. The privately held company is working to develop therapies in veterinary medicine that apply regenerative technologies while utilizing the natural healing properties inherent in all animals. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem, Inc. pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine. The company holds exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world-wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells. In the last decade over 10,000 animals have been treated using Vet-Stem, Inc.s services, and Vet-Stem is actively investigating stem cell therapy for immune-mediated and inflammatory disease, as well as organ disease and failure. For more on Vet-Stem, Inc. and Veterinary Regenerative Medicine visit http://www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

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Vet-Stem, Inc. and Petplan Work Together in the New Year to Bring Regenerative Cell Therapies to Pets

Scientists discover pre-leukemic stem cell at root of cancer

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Dr. John Dick, a senior scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, is shown in a handout photo.

TORONTO Canadian researchers have discovered a pre-leukemic stem cell that may be at the root of acute myeloid leukemia and also be the bad actor that evades chemotherapy and triggers a relapse in patients who have gone into remission.

Acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, is a rapidly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects myeloid cells, which normally develop into mature red and white blood cells and platelets.

Leukemia develops when blood stem cells in the bone marrow make abnormal blood cells, which over time crowd out normal blood cells, affecting their ability to function as they should.

READ MORE:Could this new therapy kill cancer? Canadian doc thinks so

In a paper published online Wednesday in the journal Nature, researchers led by John Dick of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto report on the discovery of a pre-leukemic stem cell the forerunner to leukemia stem cells that give rise to the disease.

A leukemia stem cell can lie dormant and theyre the ones that will sustain the growth of the leukemia, Dick said in an interview. The pre-leukemic guys are basically the ancestors that are on their way to becoming leukemia and becoming leukemic stem cells.

Dicks lab was the first to identify the existence of leukemia stem cells, in 1994, followed by the discovery of colon cancer stem cells in 2007.

Teasing out pre-leukemic stem cells from the blood of AML patients based on samples taken at diagnosis, after chemotherapy-induced remission, and then following recurrence advances the understanding of the genetic changes a normal cell has to go through before it turns into AML.

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Scientists discover pre-leukemic stem cell at root of cancer