Shaman Black Raven and His Mate, Medicine Woman Blue Fairy (Semi-Relief Sand Sculpture) – Video

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Shaman Black Raven and His Mate, Medicine Woman Blue Fairy (Semi-Relief Sand Sculpture)
Duane specializes in his own unique variation of the traditional Native American sand sculpture found in the American Southwest. His style builds up the sculpture on portions of the artwork...

By: Artistic Conquests by Duane L. West

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Shaman Black Raven and His Mate, Medicine Woman Blue Fairy (Semi-Relief Sand Sculpture) - Video

Improving access to medicine in developing countries

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Pharmaceutical industry doing more to improve access to medicine in developing countries; performance on some aspects lags

Amsterdam, the Netherlands: The worlds leading pharmaceutical companies are doing more to improve access to medicine in developing countries, with a raft of new initiatives, scale-ups and innovations over the last two years. However, the industry struggles to perform well in some practices that matter, according to the 2014 Access to Medicine Index, published Monday.

GSK tops the Index for the fourth time. This is driven by robust performance across most areas, with several innovative practices. Novo Nordisk has made the most progress, improving in five of the seven areas the Index focuses on. This has resulted in a remarkable leap from 6th to 2nd place. Sanofi and Pfizer fell down the ranking most significantly. After sharpening what and how we measure, we are now able to draw a much clearer picture of the industrys strengths, weaknesses, progress and struggles, and what it takes to be a leader in access to medicine, said Wim Leereveld, founder and CEO of the Access to Medicine Index. No company is in the top five in all areas we analyse, but the leaders tend to perform well across most of them, even though they differ in their focus. Top performers innovate constantly, and usually have to innovate in several areas to maintain their position.

The Access to Medicine Index is an independent initiative that ranks the worlds leading pharmaceutical companies according to what they are doing for the millions of people in developing countries who do not have reliable access to medicine. It scores companies across seven areas of activity considered key to improving access to medicine, including product research and development, to what extent they facilitate or resist efforts to create generic versions of their drugs, how they approach pricing in developing countries, lobbying activities and marketing ethics.

Companies that have the biggest market presence are not necessarily at the top of the Index. We found that four companies currently produce 50 percent of all the relevant products. However, they are scattered across the Index, said Jayasree K. Iyer, Head of Research at the Access to Medicine Index. This means that what defines where companies rank has less to do with how many relevant products they have, than with what they do with their products and expertise.

Progress on several fronts The industry has stepped up its efforts on several fronts. For instance, it is paying more attention to socioeconomic factors, increasingly tailoring prices within countries. Since 2012, the number of products in the pipeline appropriate for developing countries has grown by 47. More companies are experimenting with innovative access-oriented business models. Companies are granting more licences to developing country companies to make and distribute generic versions of their medicines. Meanwhile, policies and activities to improve access to medicine continue to get better organised.

Performance weak in two areas However, progress is uneven across the areas of activity that matter, with the industry struggling to perform well in two important areas. Firstly, nearly all companies (18) have been the subject of settlements or judgements regarding breaches in ethical marketing, bribery or corruption standards or competition laws in the last two years. During the period of analysis there were high-profile allegations of corrupt practices against several companies operating in China. The case against GSK, one of those companies, was settled after the period of analysis, and therefore did not affect its score in the 2014 Index. Secondly, companies remain conservative in their disclosure of where patents are active and when they will expire information that is very useful to medicine procurers and generics manufacturers.

Research and development analysis Pharmaceutical company research and development (R&D) is a crucial element of enhancing access to medicine. The 2014 Index reveals how concentrated the relevant R&D is. Just five companies are developing 54% of the 327 products in the pipeline. All disease classes are being targeted, but more than half of the products under development target just five diseases: lower respiratory infections, diabetes, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and malaria. About 36% of the pipeline targets non-communicable diseases, which are becoming increasingly important in developing countries. But plans to make these products available in developing countries are limited. Pricing strategies for them are also limited, and lag behind those for many communicable diseases. More than half of the companies are developing child-size medicines, as liquids, chewable tablets, child-appropriate doses, or new formulations. Since the 2012 Index, at least 30 products from the pipeline, for 11 diseases relevant to developing countries, have come to the market. These include:

A new type of pill for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis that is the first new drug for the disease in 40 years. (Johnson & Johnson) A ground-breaking pill that can cure hepatitis C, which is a high-burden disease in developing countries. The company has issued licences allowing distribution of generic versions of the drug in more than 91 developing countries. (Gilead) Our company report cards identify a tailored path for each company to follow in order to maximise its opportunities for improving access to medicine. They all address access issues in different ways, but our analysis shows that all companies can do more, Leereveld said.

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Improving access to medicine in developing countries

USF medical school's proposed move to downtown Tampa part of a trend

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TAMPA The University of South Florida is not alone in its ambitions to build a medical school in the heart of a city.

The University of Buffalo, Indiana University, the University of Texas and the University of Washington have all launched or plan to launch similar projects.

"It makes the medical school more attractive to top faculty and students," urban consultant Paul Umbach said of a downtown campus, "and it helps economically stimulate urban areas."

He cites such institutions as Johns Hopkins Medicine in downtown Baltimore, the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. They're renowned as medical schools as well as research and treatment centers.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn also sees successful urban cores fueled by the rise of those schools.

"An economic engine in the form of a major university," Buckhorn said, "has transformed other cities."

Umbach said it's not just medical schools going downtown. Everyone and everything is going urban.

"I think you'll see that's a megatrend in the next 50 years," he said.

His firm, Tripp Umbach, which has helped plan and build about 20 of these urban medical campuses, is working on similar projects in Evansville, Ind.; Omaha, Neb.; Spokane, Wash.; and Las Vegas.

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Dr. Franklin Zeplowitz, surgeon, UB professor

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Sept. 30, 1933 Oct. 7, 2014

Dr. Franklin Zeplowitz, former chief of staff at Our Lady of Victory Hospital and past president of the Erie County Medical Association, died Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland following a short illness. He was 81.

Dr. Zeplowitz was a lifelong Buffalonian. He earned his bachelors and medical degrees from the University of Buffalo, graduating from medical school in 1958, and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society. From 1959 to 1970, he was a captain in the New York National Guard Medical Corps, and from 1962-63 he was chief resident in surgery at the Youngstown Hospital Association in Youngstown, Ohio.

Dr. Zeplowitz, a general and pediatric surgeon, joined the staff at OLV in 1963. He was president of its medical and dental staff in 1980-81 and vice president of medical affairs and chief of staff from 1994 until the hospital was closed in 2000. He also practiced at Mercy, Buffalo General and Women & Childrens hospitals, where he maintained emeritus staff status. After OLV closed, Dr. Zeplowitz continued work as a private medical consultant.

Also, in 1990, he was appointed to the faculty of the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Dr. Zeplowitz was a member of several professional organizations. He was a past president of the Buffalo Surgical Society as well as the Erie County Medical Association; past chairman of the Governing Board of the James Platt White Society of the UB Medical School, and a member of the UB Medical School Alumni Association and the American Medical Association. He was a state alternate delegate to the AMA from 1998 to 2005 and was a tireless advocate for patients rights.

My father put patients first, second and third, said his son, David Zeplowitz.

Dr. Zeplowitz also was a member of Temple Beth Zion and Temple Beth Tzedek.

Besides his son, he is survived by his wife of 52 years, the former Piera Salama; and his daughter, Lynn.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Sunday at Temple Beth Zion, 80 Delaware Ave.

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Dr. Franklin Zeplowitz, surgeon, UB professor

Opening Day – Liberty Mountain Resort – 2014 – 2015 Winter Season – Video

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Opening Day - Liberty Mountain Resort - 2014 - 2015 Winter Season
Winter has arrived and Liberty Mountain is opening for skiing snowboarding! It #39;s going to be an awesome season! Make plans to visit us and take a snow day! http://www.LibertyMountainResort.co...

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Vodafone Said to Eye Takeover of Malones Liberty Global

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Vodafone Group Plc (VOD) is exploring a combination with John Malones Liberty Global Plc (LBTYA) that would create Europes largest phone, Internet and TV company, worth more than $130 billion, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The British phone company is holding internal deliberations and analyzing the financial and regulatory hurdles as well as investor support for a share-based transaction, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. No formal negotiations with Liberty are under way, theres no guarantee a deal will be reached, and valuation and regulatory issues remain key obstacles, the people said.

In particular, Vodafone has concerns about the combined companys debt levels and the reaction of its own investors to a deal, one of the people said. Cable operator Libertys shares climbed 7.4 percent to $51.99 yesterday in New York. Vodafone shares closed up 2.9 percent in London.

The case for a combination has been strengthened after BT Group Plc, the former U.K. phone monopoly, entered talks to buy either Telefonica SAs O2 unit or EE, the wireless carrier co-owned by Orange SA and Deutsche Telekom AG, two of the people said. The likelihood of a deal has also increased as Vodafone bolsters its fixed-line operations and Liberty moves toward offering mobile services in some markets, they said. While Vodafone is examining several options in the wake of BTs negotiations, Liberty remains the likeliest partner for a transaction, one of the people said.

John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media Corp. Close

John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media Corp.

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John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media Corp.

Liberty, which owns Virgin Media in the U.K., has a market capitalization of $39.4 billion and $41.1 billion in total debt after a series of European acquisitions, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Vodafone, which has a market value of about 62 billion pounds ($97 billion), has been adding cable assets across Europe as the telecommunications market moves toward bundled packages combining TV, phone and broadband services. After agreeing to buy Germanys Kabel Deutschland Holding AG for 7.7 billion euros ($9.6 billion) last year, it acquired Grupo Corporativo Ono SA of Spain. Chief Executive Officer Vittorio Colao, when asked in September whether Liberty Global would be a good fit for the wireless carrier, said he would consider buying it for the right price.

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Vodafone Said to Eye Takeover of Malones Liberty Global

Liberty Media Reports Higher Revenue for Third Quarter

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John Malone's Liberty Media on Tuesday reported that it had taken in $1.18 billion in the third financial quarter, a slight increase in revenue from the $1.11 billion derived in the previous year's same quarter.

The company, which controls satellite radio firm Sirius XM Radio and owns stakes in Charter Communications and Live Nation, also reported that its net income came in at $33 million. Fueling the financial performance for the three months ending September 30 was record income from Sirius XM, which took in $1.1 billion and was alone made a $136 million profit.

"SiriusXM again posted outstanding results and raised guidance across the board," said Liberty CEO Greg Maffei.

Liberty is set to complete a spin-off of its cable business, Liberty Broadband, which will include stakes in Charter, Time Warner Cable and TruePosition, along with $300 million in net debt.

Liberty's stock has been punished by investors this year, down almost 70 percent, but the last three months has gone better in the market for the company.

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Liberty Property Expands in Greenville-Spartanburg Market – Analyst Blog

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LibertyProperty Trust ( LPT ) is accelerating its industrial expansion plans in the Greenville-Spartanburg market - a large metropolitan area in upstate South Carolina. The investors responded positively, with an increase of 0.89% during the trading session on Nov 26, on this real estate investment trust's (REITs) portfolio enhancement efforts.

In particular, Liberty Property disclosed the commencement of speculative development of the warehouse at 130 Caliber Ridge Drive in Caliber Ridge Industrial Parkin Greer. The property will span 156,000 square foot and is expected to be ready for occupancy in April 2015. Notably, this is the fourth development of Liberty property at Caliber Ridge Industrial Park.

Previous Expansion Moves

In the beginning of 2014, the company has stated its plans to build three properties at the park. Of these, 110 Caliber Ridge Drive building (spanning 156,000 square feet) was finished in February 2014. The other two buildings at 120 and 140 Caliber Ridge Drive (stretching 312,000 total square feet in total) are anticipated to be completed by 2014. The assets are 80% leased in aggregate.

Along with these developments, in Jan 2014, Liberty Property bought a warehouse facility at 25 Brookfield Oaks Drive in Mauldin, SC. The asset, spanning 90,000 square foot, is fully housed by three tenants and complements Liberty Property's assets in the area.

Our View

Given the thriving industrial market of the Greenville-Spartanburg region, the abovementioned transaction bodes well for the company in the future. Post-development of this 130 Caliber Ridge Drive property, Liberty Property's industrial portfolio in the Greenville-Spartanburg market will span to a total of 1.6 million square feet. The company's properties seem to benefit from the rising demand for premium quality industrial space in the Greenville-Spartanburg region, with pre-leasing of its under-construction buildings.

Liberty Property currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Other better-ranked stocks in the REIT industry include Cousins Properties Incorporated ( CUZ ), Prologis, Inc. ( PLD ) and Duke Realty Corporation ( DRE ). All stocks have a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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DUKE REALTY CP (DRE): Free Stock Analysis Report

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Liberty Property Expands in Greenville-Spartanburg Market - Analyst Blog