Nick James Skyping the Library Club
We talked of many things......writing, pearls, nature, islands, punching, and so much more.From:Jill SonnenbergViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:09More inPeople Blogs
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Review: Sand, surf, blood in thrilling 'Far Cry 3'
The travel brochure that enticed Jason Brody and his friends to book their spring break-style trip to the Rook Islands probably left out the pillaging pirates, aggressive bull sharks and lunging leopards.
The picturesque setting of "Far Cry 3" (Ubisoft, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, $59.99; PC, $49.99) turns out to be far from hospitable to the naive tourist, who can barely stand the sight of blood when he finds himself caged up in a village ruled by a sadistic drug lord.
Jason's transition into a seasoned survivor anchors "Far Cry 3," an outstanding open-world first-person shooter that intersperses character arc, plot and suspense throughout a variety of action-packed firefights, stealth sequences and side missions.
The game begins with Jason being led out of captivity by his military-trained brother, a linear sequence that helps introduce Jason and acclimate players to the control scheme. The islands quickly open up after the arrival of Dennis Rogers, an ally to the indigenous Rakyat tribe who guides Jason on his quest to reunite with his girlfriend and fellow tourists. Dennis sees a burgeoning warrior in Jason and entices him to help free the islands from ruthless criminals.
Each section holds a radio tower handicapped by a signal scrambler, and climbing a tower and disconnecting the device opens a small part of a ridiculously expansive map that's on par with Bethesda Softworks' recent "Fallout" or "Elder Scrolls" installments. Freeing a tower also helps open an area to trade, which makes weapon dealers so happy that they'll start showering you with free guns.
Ridding an enemy outpost of bad guys provides a new location to buy and upgrade weapons with scopes and silencers, as well as a fast travel point to speed trips between friendly villages. But with so many ATVs, trucks and jeeps spread throughout the islands not to mention hang gliders, jet skis and boats why not take the scenic route?
Once Jason grabs control of an enemy outpost, he can also browse the bulletin boards for side missions that offer rewards for hunting down rare creatures or wanted criminals. Tracking down a white belly tapir is exciting, but hunting is also a key survival mechanism. Slaying and skinning everything from wild boars to alligators allows Jason to craft holsters to haul more weapons, larger wallets to carry more cash and expanded rucksacks to carry more loot.
The various plants on the islands are another key to survival, as they provide ingredients that boost health and endorphins or enhance perception. And leveling up allows Jason to unlock new skills such as takedowns involving grenades and knives, increased health or adrenaline, and the ability to take less damage from falls and fires.
As in most first-person shooters, killing a bad guy leaves a body to loot, and the controls on this move inflict the game's only significant annoyance. On numerous occasions I found myself mistakenly swapping out a favorite gun for the enemy's weapon when all I wanted to do is grab a little cash.
"Far Cry 3" also has a formidable multiplayer element, with several familiar game modes and a creative addition called Firestorm, in which a team must set fire to the opponents' supply nodes and then escape the spreading flames while capturing a radio transmitter.
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Animal Planet Explores Life On Some Of The World's Wildest Islands
Islands can be home to the most extreme examples of life and the some of the most dramatic landscapes. Natural selection fuels evolution in the most extraordinary way. Isolated for hundreds of thousands of years, pockets of individuals survive, thrive and adapt to fill all available niches fuelling a rapid development of new species. Animal Planet presents Wildest Islands, a stunning five-part ...
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Animal Planet Explores Life On Some Of The World's Wildest Islands
New Regulations Passed for Cayman Islands Insurance Law
GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Honourable Minister Mark Scotland has announced the passing of new regulations required to enact the Cayman Islands Insurance Law (2010), including the fee schedule for both the existing and new categories of insurance companies. Speaking to a record 1,280 delegates at the 2012 Cayman Captive Forum, Scotland promised that the remaining regulations were in process and would be released in the coming weeks.
The new law was created to satisfy market demands and recommendations from the International Monetary Fund. Designed to clearly differentiate between the domestic and international insurance markets in the Cayman Islands, to regulate each in accordance with its requirements, to strengthen legislation to protect Cayman residents, and to bring the law, formally, into line with international standards, the new law is anticipated to open new markets for new business sectors. Mr. Gordon Rowell, Head of Insurance Supervision of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority commented in his presentation: this law underscores Caymans commitment to a platform for growth in this important industry.
The registration fees for captive insurance companies (Class B), which under the new law are sub-categorized depending on the amount of unrelated party risk written, are:
The registration fees for ILS and Catastrophe Bond Insurers (Class C) are CI$5,000 (US$6,098).
These fee schedules continue to make Cayman one of the most price competitive captive markets in the industry.
The 2012 Cayman Captive Forum celebrated its 20th anniversary and with more than 1,280 delegates in attendance, is the worlds largest captive conference. The 21st Forum will be held in the Cayman Islands 3 5 December, 2013.
The Insurance Managers Association of Cayman (IMAC) is a non-profit organization run by the insurance managers of the Cayman Islands. In operation since 1981, IMACs aim is to act as both regulatory liaison with the Cayman Islands Government and to promote the Cayman Islands as a domicile of choice for captive insurance companies.
For more information on IMAC visit http://www.caymancaptive.ky.
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23andMe scientists receive more than $500,000 in National Institutes of Health funding
( 23andMe Inc. ) 23andMe has received grants totaling $573,000 from the National Institutes of Health to support three projects that utilize 23andMe's unique web-based research platform. These include projects to better understand the genetics of allergies; to assess accuracy of new sequencing technologies in clinical applications; and to develop tools that will take advantage of the genotypic ...
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23andMe scientists receive more than $500,000 in National Institutes of Health funding
23andMe Scientists Receive More Than $500,000 In Funding from the National Institutes of Health
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --23andMe has received grants totaling $573,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support three projects that utilize 23andMe's unique web-based research platform. These include projects to better understand the genetics of allergies; to assess accuracy of new sequencing technologies in clinical applications; and to develop tools that will take advantage of the genotypic and phenotypic information in the 23andMe database to further accelerate the pace of human genetic research.
"These NIH grants recognize the ability of 23andMe's unique, web-based research platform to accelerate our understanding of human genetics," said Anne Wojcicki, co-founder and CEO of 23andMe. "23andMe is pleased to bring public funding to bear on data and research driven by the public our more than 180,000 customers."
The first of the grants will support genome wide association studies (GWAS) to discover genetic factors affecting allergic disease risk, and to assess gene environment interactions, as well as treatment responses. Asthma and allergies are extremely common, affect one in five Americans, and represent a substantial public health burden. GWAS of complex traits with both genetic and environmental contributions such as allergies - are most effective when a large cohort is used in the study. The 23andMe research cohort includes more than 25,000 individuals reporting one or more allergies, more than 8,000 reporting an asthma diagnosis and more than 5,000 reporting having eczema. In addition, the 23andMe research cohort includes more than 100,000 individuals serving as controls.
Identifying genetic associations improves understanding of disease mechanisms in the body and can inform work towards improved diagnostics and treatments of allergic conditions.
"This grant will enable 23andMe to effectively partner with leading experts and researchers in the genetics of asthma and allergies," said Principal Scientist at 23andMe, David Hinds, Ph.D. "Top experts will work together and with our data set seeking to discover genetic variants associated with allergies and asthma."
23andMe will also be investigating error rates from next-generation sequencing technologies to help define data-quality metrics and technical specifications to support a sequencing-based Personal Genome Service. This project was informed by the June 2011 FDA Public Meeting, "Ultra High Throughput Sequencing for Clinical Diagnostic Applications- Approaches to Assess Analytical Validity." In this project, 23andMe will focus on the accuracy of technology used to sequence 150 exomes, including 50 new exomes sequenced for this project, and 100 whole genomes.
"Novel genetic sequencing technologies are emerging rapidly, and before they can be broadly adopted the accuracy of their results must be validated, whether viewed by a clinician or by individual consumers," said 23andMe Founding Scientist Brian T. Naughton, PhD.
Naughton, principal investigator for this project, will oversee sequencing of 50 exomes known to carry disease-associated variants. This project will work toward creating a pipeline for next-generation sequence annotation that combines stringent quality control based on genotyping array and Sanger sequencing data; manually curated data from human genetics literature; and computational analysis of variants of unknown significance.
Principal investigator Nicholas Eriksson, PhD. will lead the development of tools to expand the utility of the 23andMe database, which includes phenotypic and genetic data from more than 180,000 customers. This project will measure and improve the reliability of self-reported data, analyze and organize survey responses for hundreds of new traits, and will extract more robust data to demonstrate the feasibility of the web-based approach to studying a broad range of conditions. This effort will establish the foundation for development of new surveys and data collection tools to support longitudinal studies and prepare for the depth of genetic data associated with whole-genome sequencing.
"A research engine will enhance not only research outcomes from 23andMe efforts," said Dr. Eriksson, "but also the research value of the data for clinical and pharmaceutical partners to identify causes, diagnoses and treatments for genetically based conditions and accelerate the translational process of moving research discoveries to practical applications for patients."
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23andMe Scientists Receive More Than $500,000 In Funding from the National Institutes of Health
University of Chicago's Graeme Bell Receives International Diabetes Prize
Graeme Ian Bell, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics at the University of Chicago, has been awarded the Manpei Suzuki International Prize for 2012 for his pioneering work in understanding the role of genetics in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.
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University of Chicago's Graeme Bell Receives International Diabetes Prize
Health Insurance Crisis Remix – Video
Health Insurance Crisis Remix
This remix video shows facts and accounts that demonstrate everything wrong with our current health care system. I don #39;t care which political party you affiliate with, these facts cannot be denied and something must be done to change them. The video was made for College Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Idaho taught by Ms. Mills-Rittmann. No copyright infringement was intended. All videos are being used in fair use by being used in new ways to make a statement. Videos are credited with title and link at the end of the video.From:CRWRemixVideosViews:0 0ratingsTime:02:47More inEducation
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Hospital Products
Hospital Products Services by Evolution Health Care Private Limited, Surat
[www.evolutionhealthcare.in Welcome to Evolution Health Care Private LimitedManufacturer Exporter of Hospital and Orthopedic AppliancesThe company was Established in 2011, at Surat. Our products are applicable inHospitals Health Care Centers and we cater to Australia, Africa Europe.Cost effectiveness, customized solutions on time delivery schedules help us toachieve an unrivalled position in the industry.Prosthetic Products, Lower Upper Limb Prosthesis Services are some of our Product services.We offer Pressure Garments, Orthosis Podiatric Products that are highly efficient.Rehabilitation, Walking Aids Wheel Chairs offered by us are superior in performance.Our Pop Bandages, Physio Therapy Machine Equipments are widely acclaimed in themarket.We also provide Foot Prosthesis Products Hydraulic Knee Joints that are extremelyreliable.Along with that we offer Mechanical Pneumatic Knee Joints that are available atindustry leading prices.To get more information, log on at - http://www.evolutionhealthcare.inFrom:IndiaMARTSuppliersViews:1 0ratingsTime:01:21More inPeople Blogs
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Serve, Taste or Trash at Central Farm Market 2 – Video
Serve, Taste or Trash at Central Farm Market 2
GLAM MORE FEAR LESS The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic plays his nutrition game, Serve, Taste or Trash! with the vendors and patrons at Central Farm Market in Bethesda, MD. You might be surprised by the results. In the game, you #39;re given three choices of fruits and vegetables. You must decide which one you #39;d serve, which one you #39;d taste and which one you #39;d trash. Before you decide to "trash" a veggie for good, why not try to eat it raw? Raw veggies can be more appetizing than their cooked counterparts to people who aren #39;t crazy about vegetables. The flavors of raw veggies can be milder than those of cooked ones. And the texture is crispy, rather than mushy. Special guest, Kathy Gold RN, MSN, CDE, Director of Outreach and Education at the Diabetes Research Wellness Foundation in Washington, DC helped to raise awareness for diabetes in a fun and glamorous new way. Since 2009, Central Farm Markets have been providing residents with a place to buy the freshest produce, meats, dairy, seafood and bakery goods from over 50 top quality farmers and artisan food producers. Visit Central Farm Market #39;s website and facebook page. Get inspired to eat more fruits and vegetables. Tune in to Divabetic #39;s free monthly podcast, Diabetes Roundtable hosted by Mr. Divabetic on blog talkradio. Divabetic #39;s dynamic free online and mobile podcast channel features a line-up of live and archived programs and specials. Guests include health care professionals, beauty, image/style and fitness ...From:mrdivabeticViews:5 0ratingsTime:07:35More inEducation
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123Triad : riversidefamilymedicinecom – Video
123Triad : riversidefamilymedicinecom
123Triad is proud to design website for riversidefamilymedicine.com Located in the Waterfront Marketplace, on Hwy 22 in Lower Livingston Parish, Riverside Family Medicine (RFM) is a state of the art, Nurse Practitioner-led clinic where health care is exciting and the voice of the patient is heard. their goal is to provide quality care in an environment where a patient is educated about their health, included in decision making, and valued as a person.From:123triadorgViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:52More inPeople Blogs
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internet,health care and nursing 2 – Video
internet,health care and nursing 2
internet,health care and nursing 2From:Elias GugsaViews:0 0ratingsTime:09:18More inEducation
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internet ,health care and nursing – Video
internet ,health care and nursing
internet ,health care and nursingFrom:Elias GugsaViews:1 0ratingsTime:06:29More inEducation
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Kate Walsh of the Tri-State Coalition on Responsible Investing – Video
Kate Walsh of the Tri-State Coalition on Responsible Investing
Harnessing their power as shareholders in the world #39;s largest and most influential corporations, ICCR members work in coalition to promote corporate practices that ensure long term business growth while measurably improving environmental and social impacts. With over 40 years of experience in shareholder advocacy and corporate engagement, ICCR members have been active partners in the co-creation of more just and sustainable business practices across a wide range of sectors. From mitigating the environmental and social impacts of the extractives industry to calling for greater access and affordability of health care services to advocating for supply chain accountability that eradicates the specter of human rights violations, ICCR has had an enduring record of influence and is a widely respected voice for social justice.From:ICCRDevAscViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:21More inNonprofits Activism
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Kate Walsh of the Tri-State Coalition on Responsible Investing - Video
Greg Walden introduces plan to protect health care access for Oregon military retirees – Video
Greg Walden introduces plan to protect health care access for Oregon military retirees
Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today introduced a bill, the TRICARE Protection Act, to protect thousands of Oregon military retirees from changes to TRICARE Prime that will soon be implemented by the Pentagon. He was joined by Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) in writing the bipartisan plan. "Thousands of Oregonians who have worn our nation #39;s uniform are at risk of losing access to their health care provider when the popular TRICARE Prime option is eliminated for many beneficiaries by the Pentagon. This could mean higher out-of-pocket costs and longer drives for many Oregon military retirees. These heroes have put their lives on the line for our freedom. They deserve the very best care our nation has to offer," Rep. Walden said. "Our common-sense, bipartisan proposal will require the Pentagon to report on the impact these changes will have on Oregon military retirees and their families, so they will know what is being planned. It also requires that the Pentagon guarantee that those affected retain access to a primary care doctor for two years to allow for a smooth transition under the switch," Rep. Walden said.From:RepGregWaldenViews:1 0ratingsTime:01:14More inNews Politics
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Greg Walden introduces plan to protect health care access for Oregon military retirees - Video
RWJF Podcast Series – Bringing New Voices and New Perspectives to the Research Agenda – Video
RWJF Podcast Series - Bringing New Voices and New Perspectives to the Research Agenda
In Bringing New Voices and New Perspectives to the Research Agenda podcast, Jacinta Gauda speaks with Gerri Spilka and Edith Arrington on how the New Connections program supports scholars and researchers from ethnic or racial minority or low-income communities, first-generation college graduates, or others who historically have been underrepresented in health care and health policy. Spilka and Arrington discuss the challenges faced by scholars and researchers from underrepresented groups -- isolation and the lack of access, funding and mentoring support -- and the impact these things can have on researchers #39; careers. They discuss how New Connections provides academics with the support they need to conduct research, publish findings and move up the academic hierarchy. Listeners will hear how New Connections provides funding, mentoring and networking opportunities and high-level recognition awards to scholars. Spilka and Arrington discuss outreach, networking and marketing efforts by the program that have led to the highest number of applicants in the program #39;s history. This podcast highlights the things that academia and philanthropy can do to bring new voices and perspectives to the research agenda.From:RWJFDiversityMattersViews:218 1ratingsTime:23:58More inNonprofits Activism
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RWJF Podcast Series - Bringing New Voices and New Perspectives to the Research Agenda - Video
EMRs: The New Health Care Fraud Frontier?
Whether referred to as electronic medical records, electronic health records, or electronic patient records, there is no doubting the tremendous potential benefits that the digitization of medical data holds for the health care industry and the public at large. EMRs can make a patient’s medical information readily accessible to a range of treating professionals, whether for routine visits or ...
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High-tech health care
How technology can benefit both patients and the NI economy
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Health care law has insurers focusing on attracting new customers
With the law overhauling health care all but certain to move ahead, the nation's health insurers are scrambling to reinvent themselves.
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Health care law has insurers focusing on attracting new customers
New Report: Health Care Payment Reform Could Save U.S. $200 Billion-$600 Billion over Coming Decade, but …
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Americans could realize net savings in health care costs of around $200 billion to $600 billion cumulatively over the next 10 years if concerted action is taken to reform care provider payment incentives, including moving away from the traditional fee-for-service model, according to a new working paper by UnitedHealth Groups (UNH) Center for Health Reform & Modernization.
The working paper, Farewell to Fee-for-Service? A Real World Strategy for Health Care Payment Reform, is being launched at todays Forbes Healthcare in the USA Forum in New York. (To read the full report, go to: http://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/reform.)
Underlining the size of the opportunity, the report also finds that U.S. physicians say that care costs could be cut by an average of 18 percent without any impact on quality, and 59 percent of physicians report there are meaningful differences in the quality of care provided by doctors in their local areas although only 44 percent of consumers are aware of them.
It is time to move past talk and convert the broad national consensus about the need to pay for value not volume into action. Payment reform is only going to move the needle on U.S. health spending growth if it is implemented on a massive, industrial scale, said Simon Stevens, chairman of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization, executive vice president of UnitedHealth Group, and one of the papers authors.
Speaking at todays Forbes Health Forum, Stevens said, We will need to provide doctors and hospitals with constructive support during the transition, but savings ultimately have to flow to consumers and cant just be recycled and retained within the health care system.
The federal government projects that national health spending will rise from $2.8 trillion to $4.8 trillion over the coming decade, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the U.S. economy. Paying health care providers on a fee-for-service basis is one of the key contributors to the quality and cost shortfalls in the current health system, recently documented by the Institute of Medicine, among others. This new UnitedHealth Group research therefore sheds light on three important debates on U.S. health care and government entitlement program reform:
Key findings
1. Care provider payment reform has the potential to slow U.S. health spending growth and improve the sustainability of Medicare and Medicaid but it wont be a silver bullet.
By looking at different scenarios for net savings and speed of adoption, the report estimates that care provider payment reform could slow U.S. health spending by between $70 billion and $1.01 trillion cumulatively over the coming decade, with more likely savings in the $200 billion to $600 billion range. Around half of these savings might accrue to Medicare and Medicaid.
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