text: Quinnipiac Poll of Connecticut Governor's Race is Underway Jennifer Swift Those waiting for Quinnipiac\u2019s next rollout of polling numbers in the governor\u2019s race won\u2019t have to wait much longer. An individual in the presence of a reporter was called by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute and participated in a poll Thursday night. The interviewee, called on their cell phone, was asked questions on a wide range of topics including the candidates for governor as well as current topics discussed in the legislature, such as aid in dying legislation and the minimum wage. A pollster asked an interviewee if the election were today, if they would vote for Governor Dannel P. Malloy or one of the Republican candidates, who were named individually for six different questions. Malloy has not yet announced if he\u2019s running for re-election. The respondent was asked if they approve or disapprove of the job the legislature is doing, and the same approve\/disapprove question was posed to ask about Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Chris Murphy and President Barack Obama. These questions all mirror similar questions the Quinnipiac poll reported results of lastly in June 2013. As the landscape of the governor\u2019s race has changed, politicos and media have wondered when the next poll would take place. That first poll was taken before official candidates had announced and gauged opinion on 2010 Republican candidate Tom Foley, House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton and State Sen. Minority Leader John McKinney. Since that poll, Cafero has bowed out, though Boughton, Foley and McKinney are all formal candidates. The current poll also asked respondents if they would vote for Malloy or candidates West Hartford Councilman Joe Visconti and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, and State Sen. Toni Boucher who has formed an exploratory committee. The June 2013 poll showed Foley beating Malloy if the two had a re-match by 3 points, with 43 percent to Malloy\u2019s 40 percent.\u00a0It also showed Foley with a wide lead over other potential Republican candidates in a primary, at 36 percent to McKinney\u2019s 11 percent, Boughton with 8 percent and Cafero with 4 percent. Foley was the only candidate with numbers that topped Malloy, the June poll showed. A race with Malloy v. McKinney had the governor at 44 percent versus McKinney's 37. The poll reported 43 percent would go for Malloy over Boughton with 36 percent and 44 for Malloy versus Cafero with 37. The newest poll also asks questions to gauge the interviewee\u2019s opinion on the economy, taxes, the budget, the death penalty, gun policy and education. Questions on the gun policy mirrored what individuals were asked for the June 2013 poll, as they were asked if they feel more or less safe since the gun legislation was passed. They were also asked if they think the economy has gotten better, worse or stayed the same, a similar question from previous polls. Minimum wage was also the subject of a question, and the interviewee was asked if they support a minimum wage and if they support a proposal for a $10.10\/hour minimum wage. Enacting a $10.10 minimum wage is a proposal of Malloy\u2019s, which came after President Obama made the same proposal in his state of the union. Obama is scheduled to come to Hartford next Wednesday to attend an event on the minimum wage. \u00a0Malloy\u2019s plan to give each eligible resident a $55 tax rebate to disburse $155 million dollars of surplus was also the subject of a few questions \u2014 specifically whether the person being polled believed the rebate to be \u201ca good move\u201d or \u201cpolitical gimmick.\u201d Questions on the death penalty versus life in prison were asked. Very specific questions about current proposals about aid in dying legislation were asked, including if the interviewee were told they had six months to live, if they would seek help to end their life. When asked in January when the polling institute would conduct their next poll of the governor\u2019s race in Connecticut, poll director Doug Schwartz said they do not disclose their polling schedule. Schwartz again issued the same statement when asked for comment Friday. (This article was originally published on a different platform. Some formatting changes may have occurred.)


text:
WASHINGTON – House Republicans pushed toward Thursday night passage of legislation to prevent year-end tax increases for most Americans while letting rates rise for million-dollar earners.
It's a politically charged but largely symbolic measure meant to position the party for final compromise talks with President Barack Obama on averting an economy-threatening fiscal cliff.
The White House threatened a veto, and Senate Democrats made plain they would sidetrack the bill the moment it arrived from the House. Yet officials in both parties suggested the House vote would clear the way for a final stab at negotiations to prevent looming separate tax and spending changes that could push the nation into a new recession.
The fiscal cliff has dominated the postelection session of Congress that now seems certain to extend well beyond Christmas. More broadly, it marks the end of a tumultuous period in which dozens of tea party-backed conservative Republicans roared into the House demanding lower taxes, yet now find themselves two years later called on by their own leadership to raise rates on upper incomes.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Thursday night's legislation — he'd dubbed it Plan B — marked a move to "protect as many American families and small businesses as possible from the tax hikes that are already scheduled to occur" with the new year.
Referring to one of the core themes of Obama's re-election campaign, he said the president has called for legislation to protect 98 per cent of the American people from a tax hike. "Well, today we're going to do better than that," he said. "Our bill would protect 99.81 per cent of the American people from an increase in taxes."
Democrats said that by keeping tax rates unchanged below $1 million — Obama wants the level to be $400,000 — Republicans had turned the bill into a tax break for the wealthy. They also accused Republicans of crafting their measure to impose a tax increase on 11 million middle class families.
"This is a ploy, not a plan," said Rep. Sandy Levin, D-Mich. He accused Republicans of being "deeply cynical," saying the legislation would scale back some education and child tax credits.
A companion bill on the evening's House agenda, meant to build GOP support for the tax bill, called for elimination of an estimated $97 billion in cuts to the Pentagon and certain domestic programs over a decade. Those cuts would be replaced with savings totalling $314 billion, achieved through increases in the amount federal employees contribute toward their pensions and through cuts in social programs such as food stamps and the health care law that Obama signed earlier in his term.
Ironically, the votes were set in motion earlier in the week, after Boehner and Obama had significantly narrowed their differences on a compromise to avoid the fiscal cliff.
Republican officials said that members of the GOP leadership had balked at the terms that were emerging. Democrats said Boehner's abrupt decision to shift to his Plan B — legislation drafted unilaterally by Republicans — reflected a calculation that he lacked support from his own rank and file to win the votes needed for the type of agreement he was negotiating with the president.
Asked at a news conference a few hours before the scheduled vote if that were so, Boehner avoided a direct answer. "Listen, the president knows that I've been able to keep my word on every agreement we've ever made," he said.
At the same time, Boehner hinted broadly that however Democrats end up responding to the legislation he placed before the House, it will not be the end of the attempt to keep the economy from reaching the fiscal cliff.
"Our country faces serious challenges. The president and I in our respective roles have a responsibility to work together to get them resolved. I expect that we'll continue to work together."
Obama made it clear on Wednesday that he, too, is prepared for further negotiations, and numerous officials in both parties in the Senate predicted that might happen quickly after the votes in the House.
The tax bill would prevent scheduled increases from taking effect on Jan. 1 on all income under $1 million. Above that, the current rate of 35 per cent would rise to 39.6 per cent, the level in effect more than a decade ago when then-President George W. Bush signed tax cuts into law that now are expiring.
The top rates also would rise on capital gains and dividends from 15 per cent to 20 per cent.
By any measure, the two bills in the House were far removed from the latest offers that officials said Obama and Boehner had tendered.
Obama is now seeking $1.2 trillion in higher tax revenue, down from the $1.6 trillion he initially sought. He also has softened his demand for higher tax rates on household incomes so they would apply to incomes over $400,000 instead of the $250,000 he cited during his successful campaign for a new term.
He also has offered more than $800 billion in spending cuts over a decade, half of it from Medicare and Medicaid, $200 billion from farm and other benefit programs, $100 billion from defence and $100 billion from a broad swath of government accounts ranging from parks to transportation to education.
In a key concession to Republicans, the president also has agreed to slow the rise in cost-of-living increases in Social Security and other benefit programs, at a savings estimated at about $130 billion over a decade.
By contrast, Boehner's most recent offer allowed for about $940 billion in higher taxes over a decade, with higher rates for annual incomes over $1 million.
His latest offer seeks about $1.2 trillion in spending cuts, not counting the change in the cost-of-living adjustment that Obama has said he can accept. He is seeking $600 billion in savings from Medicare and Medicaid, $200 billion from other benefit programs and $300 billion from a range of government accounts.
Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor, Alan Fram and Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this story.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Medical Research
M.D.- Ph.D. Programs
There is clearly a need in modern medicine for clinical researchers. MD/PhD programs are designed to give students a medical education as well as training in scientific research. Most of these programs offer full stipends and tuition allowances. Application is competitive as the number of positions available is somewhat small (there are about 1,000 MD/PhD trainees in the US, compared to about 65,000 medical students).
MD/PhD students typically complete the first two years of medical school with the regular medical students. Some time during this period, the MD/PhD students also complete rotations in 1-3 research laboratories in an effort to choose an area in which to do PhD work; often the first rotation can be done during the summer before starting medical school. After completing basic medical course requirements, students choose a research laboratory and begin work on a Ph.D. thesis; occasionally additional course work is also required. This portion of the degree normally takes 3 or 4 years. Finally, the student would participate in clinical rotations, just as other medical student do, in order to complete their medical curriculum.
Research experience is essential for potential applicants. Most successful applicants have had at least one summer of research, and often two or three summer research experiences. The topic of the undergraduate research experience is not as important as one might think. The important consideration is that you have enjoyed research in an area that genuinely interests you, whether it is studying the mating behavior of dragonflies or development of polymerization catalysts. Admissions officers will be able to assess your potential for medical research based on your performance in other research areas.
Applicants to MD/PhD programs need to take the MCAT and complete an AMCAS application, just like other MD applicants. In addition, applicants usually must fill out an additional application for the MD/PhD program at each school. The general GRE is usually not required but is often recommended.
A number of MD/PhD programs are directly supported by the National Institutes of Health, which has an interest in training future medical researchers. There are about 30 NIH-funded Medical Science Training Programs at institutions across the US. In addition, a number of other schools have similar MD/PhD programs of their own.


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The event 'LKF' has been closed at the Civic Hotel, and thank god for that. The promoters have moved their Saturday event to another venue, Mr. Tipply's under the new moniker "Nova". Time to check it out!
NOVA Nightclub Saturdays @ Mr. Tipplys (Formerly City Hotel)
Nova has been running since September 2014 on a Saturday weekly basis. The promoters aim to keep out the riff raff by promoting the event as for VIP only (i.e. Men with money to spend on alcohol) and promote attractive waitresses for "one on one" service. Kind of borderline sexual. The promoters directly target the Overseas Chinese crowd in Sydney by bringing in popular Chinese celebrities or DJs.
Opening Hours:
349 Kent St (The old City Hotel)
There is nearby street parking on Kent St or at the Kent St carpark with weekend flat rate.
Venue Website:
Event Website:
Mizuya Entertainment, Dynamic Entertainment
Every Saturday since September 2014
Dress Code / Door Policy:
Smart casual at minimum, but I got away with running shoes, a hat and t-shirt. (I had just returned from the Hardwell concert) To be sure, we asked the promoters and security if it was okay to get in looking like poor uni students. They said it was fine.
Entry Fee / Cover Charge:
Tonight it was a full blown $30. It's finally happened outside of Marquee and Ivy. Massive hole in my wallet.
Passouts: No passouts before midnight.
Guestlist: See website for details
Cloak Room: $5 initial reservation and $2 for bag re-checks. Standard for an Asian club.
Bottle Service / Table Service:
There are ten bottle service areas inside the club. Any object that resembles a table is converted to a bottle service table. The pricing per table is unknown, but typically you are looking at for a few hundred dollars per bottle. Tonight:
Assessment Time:
Continue reading »
I've been living in a country town. I've made a special weekend trip to Sydney to visit friends, family, and a new club event. Let's check it out!
Mink @ Martin Place Bar
Mink has been running since July 2014
Opening Hours:
51 Martin Place, Martin Place, Sydney
Come later in the night and you can find street parking within 2-3 blocks around.
Event: https://www.facebook.com/minksaturdays
Venue: http://www.martinplacebar.com.au
Promoters: Clique: https://www.facebook.com/cliquesydney
Every Saturday since July 2014. Prior there was another short-lived event, #Fabric run by competitors Syndicate Events
Dress Code / Door Policy:
Theres no dress code enforced tonight. People wore whatever they wanted.
Entry Fee / Cover Charge:
Paid $25 at the door.
There are weekly free entry specials so long as you enter the venue before 11:30 or before midnight.
Cloak Room:
Didn't use cloak room facilities tonight, but based on earlier events, you are probably looking at $5 / item.
Continue reading »
A birthday! At the Retro. It's been a long time since I've been. Let's go!!
Saturdays @ The Retro Bristol Arms Hotel
This review incorporates elements from tonight and a prior visit in 2010.
Assessment Time:
11:30ish – 02:30AM
Opening Hours:
Open during the day until 3:00AM (Possibly later?)
Lockout: 1:30AM at time of writing
Address: 51 Sussex St , Sydney
Venue Website: http://www.theretro.com.au
Promoter Website: Self Promoted by the venue
Occurrence: Every Saturday are the themed nights, Friday does not seem to have themed nights
Dress Code / Door Policy: Anything goes. Half the crowd wear casual while the other half, are wearing costumes and outfits. It's pretty cool.
Entry Fee / Cover Charge: Free if you dress up in the weekly them. $20 Standard cover charge between 9PM and midnightDiscount on guestlist. Tonight's theme is bikies or something. Some of our friends are of those who are like 'I hate dressing up' types – you know exactly EXACTLY what kind of friends I am talking about. They rather cough up money than dress up. The closest phobia is masqueradeaphobia. No line upon lining up
Guestlist: See website.
Inside: The retro is attracting a smaller crowd as opposed to a few years ago. Not sure if due to lockout laws or due to other factors. The ground floor is no longer a dance area.
Level 1
Walk inside to directly enter the stairway upstairs to level 1. It's the 80's and 90's level, split into two areas – Chill out lounge room on the right – where there are sofas a pool table and small bar. On the left is the dancefloor area where there is a bar on the left, a the DJ in the far middle centre, with a podium in front to hold about 10 people. There are sofas spotted to the right along the walls and a private taped off VIP area to the left corner. The middle is dancefloor space dotted with the holding colums.
Level 2
Up to the top 90's level where you walk through to a carpeted dancefloor room. Bar and VIP/sofas to the right. DJ on the far left corner. Coloured flourescent retro lights flash in sequence. Two podiums on the left to hold about 8 people each, and dancefloor space left to hold about 100-150 people. There are also some beer pong tables.
Cloak Room: Couldn't find it.
Bar Prices / Line: Didn't drink tonight. Line at the bar was quite the wait – it's tragic on level 1 as there is like 1 bartender – the wait is 10-15 minutes. Level 2 there is 2 or 3 bartenders with the wait being approx 5 minutes.
Unknown – Level 2 was pretty good, friendly, joking and mixed well
Level 1 DJ was pretty bad. Played songs in their entirety and quite a few songs even I didn't know and/or the crowd didn't seemingly were into. It was truly retro.
Music Style:
Level 1 was dedicated to 80's and 90's retro dance and rock music, while the top level was dedicated to 2000's retro rnb, pop, whatever was well known.
Wildly varied ages from early 20's to probable late 40's and 50's. However dominantly were people in their 30's as evident by the birthdays and hen's nights. Dominantly white crowd of Ausises and Euros. Only some Asians were here.
Beer pong competition on level 2
Level 1 1980's retro was a bit dirty and crowded, but people were enjoying themselves. Like an older version of a backpackers bar. It's quite a happy vibe with happy tunes playing. Much the same can be said for the top level, but not as 'happy' as the middle level. Upstairs was more of a dancing atmosphere due to the younger crowd, smoke machines and less lightingIt is really the upper levels that are the highlight of the venue, and where most of my night was spent.
Continue reading »
The promoters for the old popular Saturday nights at Zeta Bar called it a day, and the gap has been filled by Urban Agent et al, for tonight's event. Let's check it out!
Embassy @ Zeta Bar
This review encompasses multiple visits: Grand Opening night (May 2013), various visits in between, and a 19th May 2014 full visit.
Opening Hours:
Hilton Hotel, accessed via 488 George St. Zeta Bar is on Level 4, but you need to wait outside in line as the elevator is guarded by security.
Venue Website:
Event Website:
Urban Agent, et al.
Every Saturday since May 2013
Dress Code / Door Policy:
Encouraged that collared shirt and dress shoes for guys, and at least decent dresses for girls. Not too casual. Quite a number of guys were very suited up / dressed well. No homo.
I got in most recently (20/4/14) with a t-shirt, jeans and my running shoes. I was not planning to go clubbing this particular revisit.
Entry Fee / Cover Charge:
$25 Standard entry if you are coming off the street
$15 before 11:30PM if you submitted a guestlist. Grand opening, I got the $15, then the week after I sent my own guestlist a day before and they didn't find my list on the night, so I had to pay $25 second time round..
I didn't purchase drinks here.
Bottle Service
$330AUD for a bottle of 750mL Grey Goose with unlimited soft drinks – Only available for reserved tables.
No passouts before midnight.
Lockout laws in place.
Cloak Room:
$5 for any item in the cloak room. The cloak room is just as you walk in on the left wall, at the realms of the dancefloor.
Assessment Times:
19th April 2014: 11PM-03:00AM
10th May 2013: 11:30PM – 1:30AM
3rd May 2013 (Grand Opening): 11:20PM – 2:30AM
Outside Line:
(19/4/14 ; 11:30PM) Took about 10 minutes of lining up.
At 11:20PM: (3/4/13) It took 5 minutes to get to the front of the line, but at that point in time, the venue reached "capacity" at 400 people. I had to wait a further 20 minutes (11:45PM) before I could be let in. No idea how long the people behind me had to wait but it would have to be had been quite some time.
The layout has remained exactly the same. Elevator to take you up to level 4. Come out and turn left to enter the near front of the narrow, marble stone, hallway-like venue. On the right is the DJ set with dancefloor (for about 50 people) and "fireplace" which isn't really on. There is also the largest of the reserved areas, which is the same size as the dancefloor.
Turn left and walk down the hallway to the rear. On your left is the long main bar which serves cocktails and standard drinks. It can serve probably 15-20 people.
At the far end is the second bar, to hold 10 people at the frontline. In this rear there is a second, "minor" DJ playing beats separate to the main area at the front.
On the right are small curtained off reserved areas for people who like sitting down in a nightclub.There are about 2 large reserved areas and 3 smaller, non-enclosed areas which are just like sofas. On the far left is the outdoor smoking area / terrace overlooking george st.
It's quite the long and narrow place and almost resembles Martin Place Bar (where the same promoters used to promote) but more relaxed and classier.
Bathroom Facilities:
Pretty well maintained. The kind where there is a permanent person in the washroom giving you paper towels.
Music Style:
Mostly Rnb, Top 40 and some daring trance / house / EDM tracks. Lots of hands in the air kind of tunes.
(19/4/14) Mostly Aussie Asians. Mix of ages, but mostly people in their mid-20's late 20's.
(2013)Opening night it was a mix of Asian and non-Asians who thought it was a regular night. The following week there was pretty much all Asians.
Not too favourable. There were plenty of guys to go around the place. Best guesstimate 1 girl to 3 guys.
No extra MC's or dancers
Continue reading »
A bunch of Asians walked into the Casino. Haha. But this time its Marquee Nightclub that these younger Asians are heading to. So rather than losing money at the Sic Bo or Roulette tables, these guys invest their money into entry fees and expensive drinks. I don't want to miss out, so let's check it out!
OPM Fridays @ Marquee Nightclub Sydney (The Star)
This event is now Every Friday night. It used to be on a Thursday.
Opening Hours:
80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont. It's within the Star (Casino) Entertainment Complex. Walk in through the main entrance on the Eastern side, and the entrance to Marquee is immediately to your right.
Venue Website: http://www.star.com.au
Event Website:
Promoters: Urban Agent
Occurrence: Every Friday since early 2014, and previously ran on irregular Thursdays from mid-2012
Dress Code / Door Policy: Casual clothing is allowed tonight, but don't risk it despite the dress code being relaxed significantly since the grand opening of Marquee Nightclub. Most guys are wearing collared shirts at minimum, while girls are pretty glammed up.
Entry Fee / Cover Charge: $25 at the door, but a friend was asked to pay $30. The highest cover charge price you'll pay for a Friday night.
Table / Bottle Service: Starting at $1,600+ for a 10 person table including entry and the equivalent price for drinks. Higher packages can reach $3,000+ . Welcome to Australia
Guestlist: See event website or contact your local promoter
Cloak Room: $5 per item. The cloak room would be right at the entrance to the club after you go up the escalators
Assessment Time: 11:00PM – 4:00AM
Outside Line: Arriving at 11:00AM and expecting long lines, we were surprised to see a line of about 10 people. It went by quite fast. It could have been because all the other Asians were at the Jay Chou concert tonight On previous nights I've spent from 1 hour and another time, 3 (three) hours lining up in the pre-paid line from 11:00PM to finally get in at 2:00AM due to capacity issues. So be aware when buying pre-paid, as general lines (who pay more) get faster access.
There was also a guestlist line, a general line (for people who just rocked up), and also a VIP Bottle Servce entry line. Four lines in total! The line roping is almost as big as the club.
Continue reading »
Since Kinki @ City Hotel stopped, two events have popped up. Fabric, and tonight's review – Taboo. We were at a booze cruise earlier, a bit tired but still keen to club. Lets check it out!
Taboo @ Verandah Bar, Sydney
Taboo used to run, years ago, down beneath Mr B's hotel, then I think it popped up at Equilibrium / World Square Pub, before going into hiding again. It's finally made a return to Verandah Bar.
Opening Hours:
55-65 Elizabeth St
Entry is only available from Elizabeth St for the club event.
Venue Website:
Event Website:
Kick On Entertainment, Got Game Entertainment, X, As One Ent, B Diamond
Tonight is the public grand opening. There was a VIP only soft launch the previous week. The event aims to run every Saturday from March 2014
Dress Code / Door Policy:
"Strict Dress Code Applies" is encouraged. I got in with black pants, shoes, and a daggy striped jumper. My female friends wore simple black dresses. One wore flats, other heels.
Entry Fee / Cover Charge:
Paid $25 at the door full entry.
$20 on guestlist. Unknown what time the guestlist expires, but typically a guestlist will end at 11:30PM or Midnight.
1:30AM Lockout applies tonight to this venue
Table / Bottle Service
Available on enquiry. Prices unknown.
Cloak Room:
$5 Cloak per item, $2 for recheck
Continue reading »
It's a grand opening, some friends were going and I had some time – so let's check it out!
#Fabric Saturdays @ Martin Place Bar
It appears the promoters Syndicate Events and their friends have decided to end the old Kinki event and go with two separate events next door to each other. Tonight let's suss out the offering at Martin Place Bar – #Fabric (One assumes the hashtag is silent)
Opening Hours:
10:00PM – 3:00AM(?) unconfirmed
51 Martin Place
Venue Website:
Event Website:
Syndicate Events, Colab
Every Saturday since March 2014
Dress Code / Door Policy:
There is no longer a dress code recommended or enforced tonight as per previous events here. Half the crowd was casual and the other half, smart casual. I got in with just a t-shirt, pants and shoes. My friend Marty got in wearing his hat. It would probably be too much to ask patrons to dance to EDM in a business shirt. Or is it?
Entry Fee / Cover Charge:
$20 Full cover charge, and $15 for guestlist entry! Wow, no longer $25 entry? $20 is back on par with other 'premium clubs' (barring Ivy/Marquee) but these guys were previously charging $25 for other events. Perhaps people are getting tired of clubbing, or perhaps there is lots and lots of competition. Perhaps they make all the money with bottle service.Perhaps paying $20 for a small venue like Martin Place Bar is more appropriate.
It's probably a mix of these factors and, in the end, the average tight ass punter wins.
Passouts/Stamps to re-enter are fine. However 1:30AM lockout laws apply to this venue.
Visit the Facebook page for details.
Cloak Room:
$5 for checking in your item
$2 for recheck.
Continue reading »


text:
What if there was a type of graffiti that was completely legal, could be added to anything, didn't destroy property, and was itself potentially indestructible? Such a refreshing medium might lead us to rethink our physical environment and even use our handheld devices—so often accused of disconnecting people from their environments—to engage further with the world around us. Andy Biar and Andrew Bueno's Peek app uses augmented reality, paired with filmed performances and 3D renderings, to do just that. Biar's video compiling his experiments and process turns his city of Pittsburgh (he is a student at Carnegie Mellon University) into a treasure trove of unexpected easter eggs, some of them permanent and others as ephemeral as a pile of dead leaves. The city's famous Cathedral of Learning, for example, is satirized by a performance of an actor rapidly kneeling and pretending to 'pray' in front of its stained-glass windows.
Each superimposed element, whether rendered or filmed, is attached to a specific physical 'fiducial' in the actual world that is marked by the app and cannot be removed unless the physical space is significantly altered. Through the RGBD workflow, filmed footage is overlaid with points in 3D space, giving the app some flexibility in recognizing where to place performers and objects. However, there are still many limitations in the app's functionality, many of them possibly the result of limited mobile device image sensors. For example, Biar and his collaborators found that they could only place fiducials at certain times of the day, and the app didn't recognize the same locations when the lighting was different.
There are also significant barriers that must be surmounted before ordinary users of the app can create content for it. Creating assets that respond to specific video cues is still a complex process, involving a green-screen process similar to the kind used by professional movie and TV studios. For now, however, it's more of an art project than a tool. There's a certain beauty to an experience that relies on finding your way around familiar settings in a new medium and allowing others to discover a common experience with you. See it in action below.
This post was originally written by Rachel Pincus for PSFK


text:
Much of what I know about jazz, I learned from Bugs Bunny. But don't tell my father.
When my dad was a kid in the 1940's, he loved jazz so much that he occasionally skipped school to hear the big jazz bands play in matinees at local theaters. So, he wouldn't want to know that I learned about jazz almost by accident – while sprawled out on our couch, eating Lucky Charms from the box, watching old cartoons that used his favorite songs as background music.
But recently, I learned about jazz in a way that Looney Tunes could never have taught me. And while I had expected to understand Dizzy Gillespie a little better, I never anticipated learning something about my father as well.
More From Good Housekeeping
As a kid, I knew enough not to talk about music with Dad. As much as he loves jazz, he disdains rock n' roll – my music. To Dad, discussing, say, the Psychedelic Furs, would be like hanging pictures of scribble at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He'd sooner attend a concert of kindergarteners with kazoos than accompany me to see Bruce Springsteen on stage. So Dad listened to his music, and I listened to mine.
Last year, though, I heard angry young men torture their guitars while they screamed about I-don't-know-what over the loud speaker at my gym. I stumbled out of the weight room – and stumbled upon the soothing sounds of Ella Fitzgerald on my car radio. Right away, I called my dad. I was finally ready for an education in jazz. And boy, did I have a lot to learn.
The Benny Goodman CDs my dad lent me made me think of Bugs Bunny flying a World War II bomber. I recognized just one Count Basie tune – from the movie, "Blazing Saddles." And Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll" reminded me of the moment in every wedding reception when the salad is served.
I didn't dare tell my dad.
I did a little better with his piano jazz CDs. Soon I was tapping my steering wheel to Nat King Cole's music. The kid who used to jam out to "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" was getting her kicks from "Route 66."
When he stuck Post-It notes on his modern jazz CDs with tips on what to listen for, I was confused. I had never listened for anything in particular in a rock song, except to hear if the Beatles really do say "Paul is dead" at the end of "I Am the Walrus."
Listening to Dad's music was beginning to make me hear all kinds of music – even mine – differently. Suddenly, I heard Billy Idol in a whole new way. And I'm not sure I liked it.
To me, it seems that listening to jazz is like watching a basketball game; you have to pay attention to everything that's going on to truly appreciate it. But listening to the average rock song is more like watching a stock car race; you pretty much know where it's headed.
Oh God. I'm turning into my father.
I used to roll my eyes when Dad pointed out that perhaps Bananarama didn't produce the most sophisticated music. (Of course, he didn't say it that way. I believe there was a comparison to the cat's litter box). But now, at least I understand.
After hearing Dad's CDs, I started tuning out some of the songs I had grown up listening to in favor of jazz. More importantly, I began to see how frustrating it must have been for my father when rock n' roll started pushing his beloved jazz out of theaters. Or when the electric guitar took the place of the horn section on popular radio.
Today, there's maybe a dozen radio stations nationwide playing jazz full-time, and yet potentially hundreds with "Love Shack" on their play lists. Now I understand why that annoys him. At last, it annoys me, too.
Now I can talk to my father about music – his music, which is quickly becoming mine, too. And it's even becoming my son's music. After listening to his grandfather's CDs with me, my son demanded, "Put on Billie Holliday, Mom!" He's getting his jazz lessons early.
My father still has some 250 jazz CDs for me to listen to. In the meantime, I'm going to buy some Count Basie, Dave Brubeck and Nat King Cole for my own CD collection.
Oh, yeah, and Bruce Springsteen's new "Magic" CD, too. But don't tell my father.


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Today's News: Our Take - Jonathan Taylor Thomas to Reunite with Home Improvement Dad on Last Man Standing
Last Man Standing is cooking up another Home Improvement reunion and this one is sure to catch the eye of the ladies.
Former teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas will guest-star on the ABC family sitcom alongside his former TV dad (Tim Allen), Entertainment Weekly reports.
Photo Gallery: Which classic shows should reunite?
Thomas, 31, will play the manager of a high-end restaurant where the daughter of Allen's character, Kristin (Amanda Fuller), applies for a job. The episode is slated to air in March or April.
The appearance comes after Thomas, Allen and the rest of the Home Improvement cast reunited for Entertainment Weekly in the fall of 2011.
Has your favorite show been canceled? Check out our Fall TV scorecard
Thomas left Home Improvement one season before it ended its run to focus on his academics. After that, he appeared sporadically on a handful of TV shows including Smallville, 8 Simple Rules and most recently Veronica Mars back in 2005. Earlier this season on Last Man Standing, Home Improvement's Richard Karn guest-starred as an architect working with Allen's character.
Last Man Standing airs Fridays at 8/7c on ABC. Are you excited to see TV father and son back together?
View original Jonathan Taylor Thomas to Reunite with Home Improvement Dad on Last Man Standing at TVGuide.com
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While no one health story dominated in 2015, the year did mark some milestones and important trends, with news in cancer screening and prevention topping the list.
In October, the American Cancer Society revised its influential guidelines on breast cancer screening — moving the suggested start age for annual mammograms from 40 to 45. After age 54, women can also decide to reduce screening to once every two years, the cancer society said.
The new rules bring the cancer society's recommendations more in line with those of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which set off a national debate in 2009 when it raised the start date for an average-risk woman's first mammogram to 50.
Earlier this month, another group of cancer experts — this time a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel — proposed new regulations that would ban the use of indoor tanning beds and booths by minors. The proposal was long sought by experts concerned about cancer risk from the devices. Dr. Mark Lebwohl, president of the American Academy of Dermatology, said that if the FDA follows through and turns the proposal into policy, it would mark a "historic victory" against skin cancer.
Outbreaks of childhood diseases such as measles — once thought nearly eradicated in the United States — swung the spotlight back to the anti-vaccination movement. Including a major outbreak that began at California's Disneyland last spring, a total of five measles outbreaks caused 189 cases of the highly communicable illness this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Many experts place at least some of the blame for the resurgence of measles, whooping cough and other infectious ills on "clusters" of unvaccinated children in areas where parents have decided against immunization. Health officials decried the trend, and in July the California legislature passed tough new laws mandating vaccination for nearly all children in the state's public schools.
Rising numbers of two other conditions that emerge in childhood — autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — also made the news in 2015. In November, the CDC said that new calculation methods had pushed its estimate of the rate of autism spectrum disorders in kids to one in 45.
And in December, researchers at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., estimated that ADHD rates among American children rose 43 percent between 2003 and 2011, with the condition now affecting 12 percent of kids aged 5 through 17. The researchers stressed that they can't be sure if the surging numbers represent a true increase or a trend toward "overdiagnosis" of the behavioral disorder.
This year also marked the advent of the first FDA-approved libido pill for women, called Addyi. The pill — aimed at helping women diagnosed with low sexual desire — has its supporters and detractors. Fred Wyand, speaking for the American Sexual Health Association, called it "another option" for women. But, others noted that Addyi comes with worrying side effects that can include severely low blood pressure and loss of consciousness. As part of its approval, the FDA mandated a warning label advising certain precautions when taking the drug.
The American diet got another jolt in August, with a much-reported study that cast doubt on the notion that animal-based saturated fats (think butter, fatty meats) were, in fact, unhealthy. The "meta-analysis" of data from 20 different studies found no clear or consistent evidence that diets high in saturated fat were tied to higher risks for heart disease or early death.
The controversy around e-cigarettes — a healthier alternative to smoking for some, a "gateway" to the deadly habit for others — continued in 2015. One study in April found that 12 percent of U.S. kids aged 11 to 16 said they had at least tried "vaping," although relatively few used the devices regularly. A second study released the same month found the number of teens who'd used an e-cigarette rose from 8 percent in 2012 to 11 percent two years later. Numerous groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have called for restrictions on vaping similar to those seen with smoking.
Another deadly habit — addiction to narcotic painkillers such as OxyContin and Vicodin — remained at epidemic levels in the United States this year. For many abusers, tighter restrictions on the availability of the prescription drugs merely pushed them toward heroin. In October, President Barack Obama noted that 120 Americans now die from drug overdoses each day, topping the number who die in car crashes.
Stories on the link between head trauma suffered in contact sports — most notably football — and concussion and long-term brain damage continued to make the news.
In May and then again in August, two studies linked the rough-and-tumble of football in youth with brain damage observed decades later in retired NFL players. In March, rising NFL star Chris Borland, 24, announced that he would abandon his career due to fears of brain damage that might occur over time. And in November, the family of the late Frank Gifford announced that an autopsy revealed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the NFL legend's brain, possibly tied to hits sustained in his career.
Stories like these may be altering Americans' views of a beloved sport: A HealthDay/Harris Poll released in December found rising numbers of fans believe that more must be done to safeguard players' brain health.
Flu also grabbed the nation's attention earlier this year. While the current flu season appears mild so far, the 2014-2015 season was a tough one. The CDC conceded that last season's vaccine was a very poor match for circulating strains, and by February high numbers of cases were being recorded, especially among groups such as the elderly and very young.
As the year drew to a close, there was some very good — potentially historic — news for the health of the world's people, as leaders of 195 nations gathered in Paris to sign an accord bent on at least slowing global warming. Health experts believe the agreement could pay dividends in public health for generations to come.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


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Now that the healthcare bill has passed and been signed into law, one must inquire: How will the federal government keep track of the millions of persons in America now (supposedly) required to operate according to the federal government's healthcare program?
Now that the federal government is responsible to ensure that millions of people's health concerns are treated or eliminated, how will the federal government distribute, execute, and ration its resources paid for by tax dollars? Now that the federal government has a vested interest in the health of hundreds of millions of Americans, how will they ensure that the system itself can be maintained by the government?
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The National Biometric ID Card: The Mark of the Beast?
RFID Chip
What is the RFID chip? It is a small electronic computer device placed into the skin of a person that can be used for identification, tracking, information storage and interfacing with external sources, such as for financial, business, commercial, governmental, educational, and medical institutions. In other words, an RFID can be utilized for every area of life.
Many legitimate and natural questions have been raised about RFID chips, like: What are the societal risks of the RFID chip? What are the foreseeable or likely governmental abuses? How does its implementation relate to the principles of freedom in a Constitutional Republic? Will I be able to maintain my rights of privacy and other liberties if I have an RFID implanted in my skin for societal and governmental purposes? As we will show, the answers are very relevant, because it is known that the federal government will likely mandate that these RFID chips be implanted into all persons in America.
The German IT industry group BITKOM recently conducted a survey that found that one out of four Germans would willingly, without force of law, have a RFID chip placed inside their skin for societal and governmental purposes. Perhaps those in the United States are not much different. The idea of a microchip being implanted into your body for these purposes has been around for several years and is only becoming more popular and accepted.
Advocates for RFID for Societal and Government Purposes
Some of the most well-known and widely listened to news commentators and political leaders have advocated the use of RFID chips for societal and government purposes. Andy Rooney, news commentator on CBS's 60 Minutes, said on February 10, 2002: "Something has to change. They have to find a better way to identify the bad guys or the rest of us are gonna' stay home and watch the world go by on television…. We need some system for permanently identifying safe people…. I wouldn't mind having something planted permanently in my arm that would identify me."
While interviewing Scott Silverman (Applied Digital CEO), Sean Hannity said on October 24, 2008: "[Parents are saying:] we can't even allow our kids to play in the front yard. Is there anything – technologically speaking – that [parents] can do that can help the situation, like a kidnapping. Is there, for example, a microchip…we can use for our kids?" In the interview, Silverman describes a PLD, which is an acronym for "Personal Locating Device," which is an RFID chip. This PLD is to be implanted into the body of the "child or someone you are interested in tracking."
While Hannity initially presents the RFID's use into the context of "protecting children from being kidnapped," Silverman quickly admits the multi-function purpose of the RFID: "It is the first implantable microchip for humans that has multiple security, financial and healthcare applications." Sean Hannity's response: "I love this idea, Scott." Security, financial, and healthcare: These are the vast categories of use which would encompass all of human life and activity in America.
Three years earlier, Silverman already outlined his ambitions for revolutionizing healthcare in the United States. A July 25, 2005 WebMD article opened with this bold query: "They're here. They have FDA approval. But are Americans ready to get chipped?"
According to WebMD, Silverman offered the following statistics as support for his company's technology in relation to medical care:
"When we first announced VeriChip, a network poll asked people if they would put one in their bodies," Silverman tells WebMD. "Only 9% said yes. After FDA approval, 19% said yes. When former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson joined our board, the rate went up to 33%. But our own study shows that if you ask people whether they would have a VeriChip implant to identify their medical records in case of an emergency, the positive response goes to 80%."
WebMD concluded its report with this unsettling thought: "… Silverman says, some 2,000 people worldwide are using them for medical or security purposes. But soon he expects that millions of people will get VeriChip implants every year."
On July 31, 2005, in an articled titled "'Health Chips' Could Help Patients in US," The Business reported: "President Bush's former health secretary Tommy Thompson is putting the final touches to a plan that could result in US citizens having a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip inserted under their skin." Thompson's purpose in doing so? According to The Business: "The RFID capsules would be linked to a computerised database being created by the US Department of Health to store and manage the nation's health records."
Two months before these scattered news reports made less-than-noticed headlines, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) introduced S. 1262, the "Health Technology to Enhance Quality Act of 2005." During a press conference at George Washington University Hospital, Senator Clinton stated: "This legislation marries technology and quality to create a seamless, efficient health care system for the 21st century." Senator Frist characterized it as "an interoperable national health information technology system." The only way to have an interoperable information system is to have a unique identifier for each person in the system, which can't be altered, lost, stolen, or tampered with. In 2005, Clinton and her allies sought to lay the technological infrastructure for just such a system. Now that health care has been nationalized, why would they approach things any differently?
So, will the "common person" in America accept the implantation of an RFID for societal and government purposes? Some already are. Daniel Hickey, a retired Navy Commander, expresses his of-course-attitude when interviewed by Channel 5, WPTZ news: "They've been putting them into dogs and cats for years. It's about time they put them into human beings." Perhaps like Germany, the numbers of those who accept this idea in America will only continue to grow.
Plans for RFID Chips for Healthcare
The facts already establish that certain infrastructure in America is being implemented to incorporate the use and application of the RFID chip. Today, hospitals throughout America are already implementing RFID technology and have begun implanting RFID chips into their patients for medical purposes, such as those who suffer from Alzheimer.
Openly, "a number of U.S. hospitals have begun implanting patients with RFID tags and using RFID systems, usually for workflow and inventory management." There are various groups that openly advocate for the use of RFID chips for all medical patients. As a result of this movement, many predict that the investment value of RFID technology will increase exponentially and dramatically, making many people very rich.
Even "the Department of Homeland Security has indicated it likes the concept of RFID chips," CNN reported several years ago in an article about the Real ID Act. For what purpose does Homeland Security like RFID chips to be implanted into people's skin? You name it. The same CNN report also noted that the Real ID Act required that "the IDs must include a 'common machine-readable technology' that must meet requirements set out by the Department of Homeland Security." – which could very well have meant RFID chips, though as the article pointed out, other possibilities could have included magnetic strips or enhanced bar codes. The Real ID Act requirements were derailed by a firestorm of resistance from the states. But there is, without question, a push by the private industry, investors, and the federal government to accept and (as time will tell) force this type of technology for "security, financial and healthcare" purposes.
Pre-Obama Nationalization of Healthcare and Use of RFID
What few people know is that the federal government has been making attempts to national the healthcare system for years, relating back to the Clinton administration's push to create a National Identification for medical purposes, and which continued during the Bush administration.
To effectuate a national healthcare system, the federal government advances the use of RFID technology to be used in each medical patient for healthcare purposes. More than just for the treatment of the patient, the federal government proposes a "nationwide electronic health care information network for research and disease prevention."
Without equivocation, on October 19, 1992, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, said: "It is our intention to act on our own and with the private sector in every area where we have authority to bring the new electronic network into being." It was this same "electronic network" of healthcare that was advanced by G.W. Bush during his administration: "Strengthening the health care safety net is a necessary part of improving American's access to care."
To the federal government, the purpose of creating a nationalized electronic safety network was to "research to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of diseases." As became law under the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, the federal government recognized their role in "disease management programs" through their healthcare safety network. Then, one year after the FDA approved the full use of the RFID chips in humans, by executive order in 2005, G.W. Bush ordered HHS "to create a nationwide interoperable health information technology infrastructure."
In conjunction with and to the end of creating a nationwide health information infrastructure, HHS is to advance "the development, adoption, and implementation of health information technology standards nationally through collaboration among public and private interests that are consistent with current efforts of the Federal Government [for the prevention, detection and treatment of diseases]." This collaboration with public and private interests easily identifies the method by which this national safety network system will be effectuated: RFID technology.
Some of the most highly influential medical groups and organizations propose not only that the private industry utilize RFID technology, but also that the federal government use its "policy-making" power to advance its use of an electronic healthcare safety network and to abandon the old methods. In short, each patient would and should be required to possess an RFID chip before getting medical treatment.
The New Healthcare Application
Today, the federal government has more motivation and incentive than ever to create and mandate a national safety network system. They have been working on it for 20 years or more, but its reality is with us today. The federal government now has the responsibility and power to control much (if not all) of the regulations and systems used in the medical industry, including how patients will be identified, processed, and treated through the system. Its vested interest in the entire medical industry and in the cost of healthcare for each person will undoubtedly create a system of control upon the lives of those within its system.
To do this, facts reveal that the federal government will utilize RFID chip technology and will require every person within the healthcare system to receive this chip into their bodies. For some Americans, this may be acceptable, just as it is for one out of four persons in Germany. For others Americans, this is going to be a serious and fundamental line in the sand.
Consequently, these questions must be asked. Who will submit? Who will resist? What will the states do to protect their citizens from these mandates? What will the states do to require their citizens to comply with these mandates? What will the individual do to receive medical treatment who does not take this chip? Where will the individual go to receive quality medical treatment if all medical facilities require that you have this RFID chip? What penalties will be imposed upon those who do not take this chip?
These are all questions which must be answered and realized, because inevitably, the federal government will do all that it can to implement a RFID chip system.
The New American, a biweekly magazine, is the essential news source for freedom-loving Americans.
Our editorial point of view is guided by our support of the U.S. Constitution and the principles upon which our Constitution is based. Specifically, we want to restore and retain the values and vision that made America great – limited government under the Constitution, the freedoms our Constitution guarantees, and the personal responsibility a free people must exercise to stay free. In the area of foreign policy, our editorial point of view is based on avoiding foreign entanglements and going to war only when necessary to defend our country and citizens. Our purpose is encapsulated by the slogan appearing on the cover of The New American "That freedom shall not perish."
Identifying the means and methods by which the government will accomplish their task is less than speculative. Though the legislation itself does not mandate this technology to be used, as we reported five years ago, the implantation of Radio Frequency Identification chips (RFID) into all persons within the government's healthcare system for purposes of "prevention, detection and treatment of diseases" is a primary objective of a number of government officials and industry proponents. Whether or not they will be successful in doing so remains to be seen.


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Percentage of patients with a positive influenza test result by baseline cough and temperature score.
Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.
Monto AS, Gravenstein S, Elliott M, Colopy M, Schweinle J. Clinical Signs and Symptoms Predicting Influenza Infection. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160(21):3243–3247. doi:10.1001/archinte.160.21.3243
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New antiviral drugs are available for the treatment of influenza type A and type B infections. In clinical practice, antiviral use has rarely been guided by antecedent laboratory diagnosis. Defined clinical predictors of an influenza infection can help guide timely therapy and avoid unnecessary antibiotic use.
To examine which clinical signs and symptoms are most predictive of influenza infection in patients with influenzalike illness using a large data set derived from clinical trials of zanamivir.
This analysis is a retrospective, pooled analysis of baseline signs and symptoms from phase 2 and 3 clinical trial participants. It was conducted in mainly unvaccinated (mean age, 35 years) adults and adolescents who had influenzalike illness, defined as having fever or feverishness plus at least 2 of the following influenzalike symptoms: headache, myalgia, cough, or sore throat who underwent laboratory testing for influenza. Clinical signs and symptoms were evaluated in statistical models to identify those best predicting laboratory confirmation of influenza.
Of 3744 subjects enrolled with baseline influenzalike symptoms, and included in this analysis, 2470 (66%) were confirmed to have influenza. Individuals with influenza were more likely to have cough (93% vs 80%), fever (68% vs 40%), cough and fever together (64% vs 33%), and/or nasal congestion (91% vs 81%) than those without influenza. The best multivariate predictors of influenza infections were cough and fever with a positive predictive value of 79% (P<.001). The positive predictive value rose with the increase in the temperature at the time of recruitment.
When influenza is circulating within the community, patients with an influenzalike illness who have both cough and fever within 48 hours of symptom onset are likely to have influenza and the administration of influenza antiviral therapy may be appropriate to consider.
INFLUENZA VIRUS infection is a major public health problem, occurring, typically, in the Northern Hemisphere, between the months of December and April. Epidemics of influenza are characterized by an increased morbidity and mortality in the community and result in increased absenteeism from school and work.1-6 The classic influenza syndrome is sudden in onset and is characterized by fever, headache, cough, sore throat, myalgia, nasal congestion, weakness, and loss of appetite.3-8
Vaccines, the most cost-effective primary prevention for influenza, are effective and readily available but have their limitations.9,10 Two antiviral agents with similar activity, amantadine hydrochloride and rimantadine hydrochloride, have been available many years for prophylaxis and treatment of influenza.3,10-13 However, both of these agents are active only against influenza type A and not influenza type B, and resistance of influenza A viruses to these drugs can be a problem.14,15 Zanamivir and oseltamivir, new, recently approved antiviral agents, are inhibitors of the influenza virus enzyme neuraminidase and are active against influenza type A and type B.3,11,12,16 When administered early in the course of infection, both reduce the time to alleviation of clinical symptoms in individuals infected with influenza.3,11,12
To be maximally effective against influenza, antiviral therapy must be initiated as soon as possible after symptom onset, and clearly cannot await traditional laboratory diagnosis.11,12,17,18 This analysis examined which clinical signs and symptoms are most predictive of influenza infection in patients with influenzalike illness using a large data set derived from clinical trials of zanamivir. Knowledge of the most predictive symptoms of influenza could be used by physicians to diagnose influenza more accurately and to begin an appropriate course of treatment in time to be of most benefit to the patient.
Eight double-blind, placebo-controlled studies involving 231 study centers in North America, Europe, and the Southern Hemisphere were included in this analysis (Table 1). These studies were phase 2 and 3 clinical trials designed to evaluate the use of the antiviral agent zanamivir vs placebo for the treatment of influenza type A and type B viral infections and were conducted during the fall and/or winter of 1994 through 1998.
Data regarding patients' signs and symptoms, collected at baseline (ie, prior to any treatment), were pooled across the 8 studies. All available study data were included in the analysis to minimize the potential for bias.
To be eligible, study participants were required to have fever (body temperature ≥37.8°C or ≥37.2°C for patients ≥65 years old in NAIA/B3002 [the protocol report number]) or a symptom of feverishness, plus at least 2 of the following influenzalike symptoms: headache, myalgia, cough, or sore throat. Feverishness was defined as the patient's subjective symptom of feeling like they had a fever or chill. Specific influenzalike symptoms required for patient enrollment into each study are also summarized by study in Table 1.
A requirement for a study site to begin patient enrollment was the identification of at least 2 individuals with culture-confirmed influenza within a 7-day period prior to enrollment, who resided in the geographic region around the site. Geographic region was defined as the area within a 50-mile radius of the study location. This requirement was to improve the probability that influenza was actually present in the geographic region of the study.
The following baseline signs or symptoms were analyzed as potential predictors of influenza infection: fever, feverishness, cough, headache, sore throat, myalgia, nasal congestion, weakness, and loss of appetite. Although the symptoms were collected using a 4-point severity scale, for this analysis they were analyzed as either absent or present. A diagnosis of influenza was defined either as a positive culture for influenza virus or as a 4-fold or greater increase in influenza antibody titer in convalescent vs acute serum samples as determined by hemagglutination inhibition. In some studies, influenza infection could also or alternatively be confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (NAIA/B3002 [the protocol report number]) or by immunofluorescence.19,20
Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to compare clinical signs and symptoms with the diagnosis of influenza. Demographic factors such as age, sex, high-risk populations (defined as having chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, or more advanced age [ie, ≥65 years old]), and hours from symptom onset to collection of the diagnostic specimen were also incorporated into the analysis. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to determine which baseline symptoms and patient characteristics best predict influenza infection. The stepwise procedure selected the best explanatory variable into the model first, then selected the second best explanatory variable, and so forth. The stepwise procedure stopped selecting additional variables when they did not reach statistical significance at the α = .05 level, given the other variables already in the model. The stepwise logistic regression model was tested for goodness of fit to determine the most parsimonious model. Odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each variable in the logistic regression model. Measures of positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated to also identify the best predictors of an influenza infection. Positive predictive values were compared for individual symptoms, as well as combinations of symptoms (SAS Statistical Analysis Software, version 6.12; SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC).
A total of 3744 clinical trial participants with influenzalike symptoms were enrolled during the fall and/or winter of 1994 through 1998. Demographic information of study participants, the percentage who had been vaccinated against influenza, and the percentage with a positive diagnosis of influenza, are given in Table 2. Approximately two thirds of the patients recruited to this study were identified as being infected with influenza virus.
Among individuals with influenza, the most frequently reported symptoms were weakness (94%), myalgia (94%), cough (93%), and nasal congestion (91%%) (Table 3). Among those individuals without influenza, weakness (94%) and myalgia (94%) were also commonly reported. Individuals with influenza were more likely than those without influenza to have baseline cough (93% vs 80%), fever (68% vs 40%), and cough and fever together (64% vs 33%).
As listed in Table 4, the stepwise logistic regression selected 9 baseline symptoms and characteristics into the model, with fever (odds ratio = 3.26; P<.001%) and cough (odds ratio = 2.85; P<.001) as the 2 best explanatory variables. Headache, myalgia, and high-risk status were poor explanatory variables (P>.05) and were not selected into the model. Feverishness was not included since fever (body temperature ≥37.8°C%) was already in the model. Both older age and onset over 36 hours from recruitment predicted positive influenza status. This may relate to the greater likelihood that such individuals would be seen by a physician for management of their symptoms. Sore throat negatively predicted the presence of influenza.
The ability to use these findings to identify which patients are most likely to have influenza was examined in a sensitivity analysis (Table 5). Of particular interest is the PPV proportion of those with a symptom who are confirmed positive for influenza. The PPV for baseline fever and cough was 79%, with sensitivity and specificity values of 64% and 67%, respectively. The PPV for baseline cough and fever was even higher (PPV = 85%) in the subset of patients with time from onset between 36 and 48 hours; in those recruited closer to illness onset, the PPV was still 77%. Adding other symptoms did not improve the PPV substantially. However, as shown in Figure 1, the probability of a patient having confirmed influenza increased with increasing baseline temperature and was consistently greater in patients with a cough than in patients without a cough. The proportion of patients who were confirmed positive for influenza exceeded 80% when their temperature was above 38°C.
Acute respiratory illnesses are the leading cause of medical visits for outpatients of all ages. The precise origins for these illnesses are rarely identified.8 This is largely because for most respiratory viral diseases, establishment of the specific viral cause is neither necessary (ie, does not direct therapy) and thus is not cost-effective. The situation is different for influenza virus infection, for which specific antiviral therapy has been available for many years. The introduction of the new neuraminidase inhibitors has made the need to be able to recognize influenza illness much more important.3,10-12
This analysis determined if there are clinical signs and symptoms that might help the clinician discriminate influenza infection from illness due to other respiratory viruses. The most common presenting symptoms among individuals with influenza in this cohort were feverishness (feeling of fever or chills), cough, myalgia, and weakness, consistent with previous publications.4-8,21 In this population, the PPV of cough and fever was 79%, compared with the 69% reliability of "practitioner intuition" as recently described.7 The PPV rose even further as the height or degree of fever at recruitment increased. Thus, during periods when influenza virus is known to be present within a community, a high index of suspicion for influenza is warranted in patients who are seen with acute onset of cough and fever (body temperature ≥37.8°C).
Our results corroborate those of Monto and Ohmit,21 who reported that in individuals with influenzalike illness, the 2 best predictors of a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of influenza are cough and fever, both for type A (H3N2) and type B viruses. The current results, analyzed from a much greater number of patients, show that cough and fever are better predictors of influenza infection than either symptom alone. Most isolates in the current analysis were type A(H3N2) viruses but based on the previous study, there is no reason to think that the situation with type B will be different. In contrast, Carrat et al22 examined 610 patients, of whom only 168 (28%) were positive for influenza, mainly type A viruses. They found that fever and, for type A(H3N2) viruses, cough predicted influenza infection, but the PPV was not high with a variety of case definitions. The difference in conclusions may reflect the very different settings of the 2 studies, one derived from a surveillance program in which general practitioners were asked to collect a fixed number of specimens, and ours, derived from a clinical trial in which only patients with a predefined influenzalike illness were considered in the presence of circulating influenza. In any event, in 3 different studies, fever and cough have independently been found to predict influenza infection.
The clinical studies analyzed herein were performed in geographic regions where influenza was known to be present. Knowledge of the prevalence of influenza virus in the community can optimize the practicability of making the clinical diagnosis of influenza. First, there is the expected relationship between the PPV and the prevalence of a condition. Also, when influenza virus is prevalent, the incidence of illness due to other respiratory viruses tends to decrease, and because of this, the PPV of clinical signs and symptoms increases.4 Although physicians are often informally aware of the arrival of influenza virus in the community, their knowledge could be increased with the help of better surveillance and rapid confirmation of infection. A problem arises at the start of an epidemic, when information is scanty and the PPV might be lower. Physicians might collect diagnostic specimens from patients who are seen at the start of the epidemic, not as much to direct therapy for these patients as to gather information about the local prevalence of the virus. These surveillance techniques, in combination with the symptoms of cough and fever, could improve the accuracy of physicians in making a clinical diagnosis of influenza.
There are limitations to the application of this information in everyday practice. Young children were not included nor were significant numbers of older individuals. It is known that in elderly persons, living in the community and especially in nursing homes, outbreaks of agents such as respiratory syncytial virus can sometimes mimic those of influenza, so that identifications on the circulating viruses should be done in a small number of those affected to confirm the cause.23,24 In the present analysis, fever or feverishness (a feeling of fever or chills) was an enrollment criterion for participation in these study protocols. In everyday practice, a diagnosis of influenza may be missed in individuals who do not have fever at the time of their office visit or clinical presentation. Furthermore, this analysis cannot consider altered (reduced) symptom presentation that may occur with antecedent vaccination (reducing or altering sensitivity and specificity of fever, cough, and other symptoms of influenza), since most participants were unvaccinated. Due to the selection of a patient population with defined symptoms of influenzalike illness such as fever, we may have overestimated the PPV that would actually be observed among practicing physicians in the community. The prevalence of laboratory-confirmed influenza infection in our study population of individuals with defined influenzalike illnesses was 66%; Cate4 reported that at least 50% of throat swab specimens from patients with respiratory illness yielded influenza virus during a typical epidemic. However, these investigators suggest that this percentage might increase if specimens were collected only during the first few days of the disease.4 Thus, if it is clear that influenza is prevalent within a practitioner's practice area, the PPV of all symptoms would increase and the threshold for intervention should be lowered.
Thus, the results of this study suggest that cough and fever are good predictors of infection among patients with an influenzalike illness when influenza is present within the community. To maximize their ability to diagnose and treat influenza, clinicians should work with community health officials and among themselves to keep apprised of influenza in the community. Education, better surveillance methods, an appropriate index of suspicion, and early treatment can reduce the time to alleviation of symptoms for patients suffering from influenza infection.
Accepted for publication June 14, 2000.
These studies were funded by Glaxo Wellcome Inc, Research Triangle Park, NC.
We thank Chandra Louise at Glaxo Wellcome Inc, and Don Smith at MediTech Media, Atlanta, Ga, for assistance in preparing the manuscript.
Presented in part as an abstract at the 1999 Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, San Francisco, Calif, September 26, 1999.
Corresponding author: Arnold S. Monto, MD, University of Michigan, 3080 SPH-1, 109 Observatory St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029 (e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com).


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The grounds of critique : on the concept of human dignity in social orders of justification
Der Grund der Kritik : zum Begriff der Menschenwürde in sozialen Rechtfertigungsordnungen
- Ernst Bloch pointed out in a particularly emphatic way that the concept of human dignity featured centrally in historical struggles against different forms of unjustified rule, i.e. domination – to which one must add that it continues to do so to the present day. The "upright gait," putting an end to humiliation and insult: this is the most powerful demand, in both political and rhetorical terms, that a "human rights-based" claim expresses. It marks the emergence of a radical, context-transcending reference point immanent to social conflicts which raises fundamental questions concerning the customary opposition between immanent and transcendent criticism. For within the idiom of demanding respect for human dignity, a right is invoked "here and now," in a particular, context-specific form, which at its core is owed to every human being as a person. Thus Bloch is in one respect correct when he asserts that human rights are not a natural "birthright" but must be achieved through struggle; but in another respect this struggle can develop its social power only if it has a firm and in a certain sense "absolute" normative anchor. Properly understood, it becomes apparent that these social conflicts always affect "two worlds": the social reality, on the one hand, which is criticized in part or radically in the light of an ideal normative dimension, on the other. For those who engage in this criticism there is no doubt that the normative dimension is no less real than the reality to which they refuse to resign themselves. Those who critically transcend reality always also live elsewhere.
|Rainer ForstGND
|Series (Serial Number):
|Normative orders working paper : Normative Orders, Cluster of Excellence at Goethe University Frankfurt, Main (2011, 01)
|Goethe-Univ., Cluster of excellence The Formation of Normative Orders
|Place of publication:
|Frankfurt am Main
|Ciaran Cronin
|Document Type:
|Working Paper
|Date of Publication (online):
|Year of first Publication:
|Publishing Institution:
|Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
|Release Date:
|Critique; Human Dignity; Human Right; Justification; Social Order
|GND Keyword:
|Menschenwürde; Rechtfertigung; Sozialordnung; Menschenrecht
|Page Number:
|First Page:
|Last Page:
An earlier version of this essay was published as "Der Grund der Kritik. Zum Begriff der Menschenwürde in sozialen Rechtfertigungsordnungen", in Was ist Kritik, ed. Rahel Jaeggi and Tilo Wesche, Frankfurt am Main 2009, pp. 150-164.
|Cronin, Ciaran [Übersetzer]
|Gesellschaftswissenschaften / Gesellschaftswissenschaften
|Exzellenzcluster / Exzellenzcluster Die Herausbildung normativer Ordnungen
|Dewey Decimal Classification:
|3 Sozialwissenschaften / 32 Politikwissenschaft / 320 Politikwissenschaft
|Licence (German):
|Deutsches Urheberrecht


text: How do harsher measures to counter possible terrorist attacks impact our relation to political life and to citizenship ? frankieleon/Flickr December 6, 2017 'Counter-terrorism policies play an important role in shaping a national identity narrative': Conversation with Lee Jarvis Sylvain Antichan, Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (FMSH) and Lee Jarvis, University of East Anglia Counter-terrorism policies have social and political impacts on citizenship, identity and our perception of self and the Other. Through the British case, Lee Jarvis discusses his latest research with Sylvain Antichan.


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The Tigers' organization All-Stars
This time of year, Minor League Baseball honors the players in each organization's farm who had the best seasons. This season was a good one for the Detroit Tigers' minor leaguers, as many of them had some solid stats. I've always enjoyed following the players up through the system, especially the ones who played in West Michigan for the Whitecaps. I plan on making trips down to Toledo and Erie, along with my usual stops in Grand Rapids, so I'll have a good chance to see most of these players next season. It looks like eight out of the 12 selected played for the Whitecaps at one point in their career.
Catcher-James McCann (Erie Seawolves): Suited up for nine games with West Michigan in 2009. This season with Erie, he hit .277, with 30 doubles, eight home runs, and 54 RBI's. His BA, doubles, along with 178 total bases and 50 runs scored, lead all catchers in the system. Behind the plate he threw out 28 of 76 base runners (1/3), and had a .991 fielding percentage.
First Base-Jordan Lennerton (Toledo Mud Hens): Played for the Whitecaps during the 2009-10 seasons. This season with Toledo, he lead all first basemen with 17 home runs and 143 hits. He placed second in the Tigers organization with 84 walks, fourth with 57 RBI's, and fourth with 221 total bases.
Second Base-Devon Travis (West Michigan Whitecaps/Lakeland Flying Tigers): Played most of the season in West Michigan before being promoted to Lakeland. Travis was the Midwest League All-Star Game MVP, the Tigers' Minor League Player of the Year, and won two MiLBY Awards for Breakout Prospect and Offensive Player. He hit .351 across both leagues, and lead all middle infielders with 16 home runs and 76 RBI's. He was also successful in 22 out of 26 base stealing attempts.
Third Base-Wade Gaynor (Erie Seawolves): Played for the 'Caps during the 2010 season. This season with Erie, he lead all players at the hot corner with 108 hits, 179 total bases, 64 RBI's, 31 doubles, and 12 stolen bases. He also contributed 12 homers and 45 extra-base hits.
Shortstop-Eugenio Suarez (Erie Seawolves/Lakeland Flying Tigers): Won a Gold Glove last season with the Whitecaps, as the best defensive shortstop in the minors, and a Midwest League All-Star. In 2013 with Lakeland and Erie, he hit .264, added 10 home runs (career high), 57 RBI's across both levels. He led all Tiger shortstops with six triples and 70 runs scored.
Outfield-Danny Dorn (Toledo Mud Hens): Dorn led all Tigers' minor leaguers with 25 home runs and 82 RBI's. He ranked second in the system with 228 total bases, also. He was signed by Detroit as a free-agent in 2012.
Outfield-Tyler Collins (Erie Seawolves): Skipped over the Whitecaps, moving up to Lakeland from Connecticut. He ranked second in the system with 21 home runs and 79 RBI's, hitting .240, with 29 doubles, and 67 runs scored.
Outfield-Nick Castellanos (Toledo Mud Hens): Played with the Whitecaps in 2011. Was called up to the big team for 11 games this season, but with Toledo he hit 18 homers and 76 RBI's. He also led all outfielders with 240 total bases and 81 runs scored. His biggest improvement, was cutting down on strikeouts, and drawing more walks this season (54). I'd like to see him starting for Detroit next season in left field.
Utility Player-Daniel Fields (Erie Seawolves): The Michigan native hit .284 for Erie this season, hitting 43 extra-base hits including 10 home runs. He added 58 RBI's, 24 stolen bases, and 71 runs scored.
Starter/RHP-Wilsen Palacios (Lakeland Flying Tigers): Played for the Whitecaps last season. In 2013 with Lakeland, he posted a 3.07 ERA and struck out 109. He held opponents to a .238 batting average and 1.23 WHIP. Had a 7-8 record in 23 starts, including a complete game. He's currently pitching in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Starter/LHP-Kyle Lobstein (Erie Seawolves/Toledo Mud Hens): Playing 15 games with the 'Wolves and 13 with the Hens, he went 13-7 this season. He led all pitchers in wins and with 148 strikeouts. across both leagues, he boasted a 3.27 ERA.
Relief Pitcher-Corey Knebel (West Michigan Whitecaps): Played for the Whitecaps this season, after finishing his collegiate career at the University of Texas. He had 15 saves in half a season for the 'Caps, good for fourth in the system. Had an impressive 41-to-10 strikeout to walk ratio, and held opponents to a .133 average, and had an ERA of 0.87.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball


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Here is a situation that cries out for Penn Wagers.
11 Games since a Texas A&M offensive lineman has been called for holding. The Aggies' streak stretches from a holding call in the second game of the 2011 season. Texas A&M's offensive interior, which returns four starters for 2012, managed to avoid being flagged for holding even though the Aggies averaged 41 passes per game in 2011.
Welcome to the SEC, boys.


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Aruba vacation and travel information on Aruba hotels, beaches, restaurants and so much more
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Looking for a translator
I'm a Dutch student searching for someone who wants to translate some sentences for me into Papiamento (like it is used on Aruba).
It's for a project on analyzing the Papiamento-language.
I found some translation-sites, but they all seem to work with Papiamentu, used on the other islands. The differences between these different versions of Papiaments are very confusing to me.
Can you help me?
I'll type the sentences I need at the end of this message.
Danki in advance!
Re: Looking for a translator
Ok, I found a translator outside this forum, but I can't reach him anymore because he's on vacation and at some points I had a little trouble deciphering his handwriting.
Can someone please look at what I made from it and correct me where needed?
1. E rei a haya algun bukinan.
2. E no a lesa ningun bukinan pa su yiu hòmber.
3. E tres sòldánan a drai e sòpi.
4. Nan lo drai e pa tres ora.
5. Tur sòldánan tawata bieu i mahos.
6. E kastel ta riba un seru banda di un meer awa?
* It seems like you don't have a word for 'lake'. Maybe because you don't have any lakes???
7. Antonio a biba den Venice pa tres aña.
8. Ningun hende a yega na e kastel ayera.
9. Mayó parti di bukinan di Prospero lo yega siman ku ta bin.
10. E hòmber afabel a duna su yiu muhé un buki.
11. E lo buta abou e buki riba un stul.
12. Macbeth lo por haya nan den e bòshi.
13. Falstaff a bebe un glas di serbes.
14. Falstaff a bebe pasobra e tawata fin sed.
15. Miranda tawata sa ku Prospero tawata tin hopi bukinan.
16. Hamlet a bisa ku sa mama tawata infiel.
17. Portia a bisa Shylock ku e mester ta amabel pa Antonio.
18. Macbeth a purba di mata e rei.
19. Macbeth a purba di kontra ku un hasidó di bruha.
20. Prospero a priminti di duna e tur e bukinan.
Again, thanks in advance!
Re: Looking for a translator
don't know that many words in the curacao papiamento, they have certain words that we don't use. like the word "dark" arubans say "scur", the people of curacao say "sucu". "sucu" for the arubans means "sugar". aruba say "drei" while curacao say drai.
2. E no a lesa ningun di e bukinan pa su yiu hòmber.
3. E tres sòldánan a drei e sòpi.
4. Nan lo a drei e pa tres ora.
6. E kastel ta riba un seru banda di un rooi? or meer (Curacao)
7. Antonio a biba na Venecia pa tres aña.
10. E hòmber amabel a duna su yiu muhé un buki.
12. Macbeth lo por haya nan den e bos.
14. Falstaff a bebe pasobra e tawata tin sed.
19. Macbeth a purba di enkontra ku un hasidó di bruha.
Last edited by LocaLisa; Monday, May 12th, 2008 at 09:47 AM.
Re: Looking for a translator
Finally, a reply!
Thank you, Lisa!
Some words I looked up in a dictionary, but still that was difficult at times.
After some words in it, there's an (A), (B) or (C), which means that the word is used like that on Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao.
I tried to only use the Aruban words, but according to you I didn't?
at 10. Both amabel and afabel were in my dictionary, but you usually use amabel?
at 12. I can't find the word 'bos' in my dictionary, but I see now why bòshi is incorrect. It's more like 'hopi'. Now I found the word 'mondi' instead. Could you agree with that too?
at 19. My translator wrote enkontra as well, but in my dictionary I could only find kontra. (My translator told me he didn't get any writing lessons in school for Papiamento, so sometimes I picked the dictionary over what he wrote...)
And thanks for correcting the grammar!
Re: Looking for a translator
i agree that mondi can be used here, although mondi we see it as a tropical vegetation (cacti, weed, and some trees like kwihi, divi-divi, etc.) the trees are not that tall or denser than in a forest, curacao have a more denser vegetation and they call it bos which is a dutch word for forest.
yes the "kontra" in aruba means against. it's kind of tricky, the curacao papiamento is influenced by the dutch and the one of aruba is by the spanish. the bonaire is also influenced by the dutch but lesser than the curacaolanians. the bonaire language has this primitive version. for example the word ice, aruba say "ijs" which is the same as in dutch, curacao also, the bonaire say "awa duro"(hard water).
Re: Looking for a translator
Ok, thanks for the information.
Can you also help me out with the syllable-structure in Papiamento?
Is it similar to the Dutch one?
For example, is it:
And how about 'bieu' ?
Again, thanks in advance!
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Beautifully upgraded condo in Moiliili
Since I live nearby, I may be biased when I say the location of Kapiolani House couldn't be more convenient to shopping, restaurants and as a launching point to other points around Oahu. You're situated in town and just a few minute drive to the H1.
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A feature I love about the attractively redone kitchen: It features two bar seats allowing for conversation over a glass of wine while preparing dinner. It's always nice to have company while you're getting your mise en place.
The 1,200-square-foot corner unit offers loads of upgrades including granite countertops, bamboo flooring and Berber carpeting. Click here for details.
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The building's central location puts you within walking distance to Waikiki and right across from Ala Wai Park, where on any given night, you'll find leagues playing soccer and softball. It's also home to the Waikiki Beachboys Canoe Club, which offers social paddling on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons – if you've always wanted to try the sport, this is a terrific low-key introduction. For those who enjoy growing their own flowers and vegetables, a community garden is adjacent to the park.
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Money talk: $485,000 fee simple
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