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Rx ICT: Digitally disrupting healthcare
Technology can be a game-changer in addressing the endemic problems that affect the Indian healthcare ecosystem. However, digital disruption needs careful identification of the right problems to solve
By Sarang Deo & Hanu Tyagi
"Lycra bike shorts that take our pulse, count our steps and read our moods are pretty nifty, but they aren't the change we need." – Robert Wachter, The Digital Doctor
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) – ranging from hospital information systems to cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics – are rapidly transforming the healthcare sector. The McKinsey Global Institute's Industry Digitisation Index 2015 data shows that healthcare has traditionally been one of the least digitised sectors globally.¹ Health technologies are now connecting doctors to patients seamlessly, aiding providers with their clinical decision- making and empowering patients to self-manage their ailments. These global innovations are driving rapid growth in the uptake of digital solutions in the Indian health ecosystem against the backdrop of local structural changes such as growing broadband connectivity and increased awareness about health and wellness among individuals. However, we believe that extant health technology solutions need much more contextualisation. This requires that health technology developers understand the stakeholders and second, that the government provides a strong and clear regulatory environment to support the digital health ecosystem in India.
The Ailing Indian Healthcare System
India stood at 145th out of 195 countries on the Healthcare Access and Quality Index, behind Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan (Lancet 2018). India's abysmal performance is also reflected in its health indicators on which it lags behind its peers. The maternal mortality rate at 174 per 100,000 live births is almost seven times higher than that of China (World Bank 2016).
Structural quagmires further exacerbate the problems. The low penetration of the organised payer market puts immense financial pressure on the already cash-constrained population base in India. Healthcare expenditures push 39 million additional people into poverty every year (Balarajan and Subramanian 2011).
With 0.7 qualified doctors per 1000 population, India also faces a shortage of physicians. That ratio is substantially lower than other low- or middle-income countries, according to a 2015 SwissRe study. Consequently, patients often resort to the informal healthcare system for their clinical needs. In addition, Indian healthcare provider space is extremely heterogeneous in terms of clinical knowledge, attitude and practice. Healthcare institutions vary from large hospital chains across Tier 1 cities to single physician clinics in remote parts. Many practising physicians in India are trained only in traditional Indian systems of medicine – Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) – and are unqualified by global standards.
The Healing Touch of Technology
While ICT solutions are often touted as a panacea to all our healthcare problems, a closer look reveals a much more nuanced picture regarding who is using these tools and for what purposes. Stakeholders are consuming technology-led health solutions for a variety of purposes, depending on their varying levels of readiness to adopt ICT (See Appendix: Global Digital Health Services and Primary Buyers). For instance, while providers are mainly using digital solutions for workflow automation and digitisation of health records, patients are leveraging technology to be better informed about their health problems.
Providers – Towards efficient care
Corporate hospital chains lead the way in the use of digital healthcare. However, they vary widely in the extent to which they use available digital features in everyday practices (Powell 2018). Hospitals at the forefront are deploying advanced solutions in pursuit of better clinical outcomes and improved care delivery. For example, digital solutions such as clinical decision support systems provide automated suggestions based on disease condition, medication history and other contextually relevant information from the patient. Consequently, they minimise clinical errors. In contrast, small hospitals and single provider practices have not moved beyond rudimentary ICT solutions like invoice and billing systems.
In rare instances, we see technology being used to develop novel models of care delivery. Aravind Eye Care, for instance, operates primary telemedicine centres called Vision Centres (VCs). Affiliated to a base hospital, each VC is equipped with instruments like refraction cubicles, optical dispensing unit and a computer with a webcam to interact with the base hospital. VCs are only staffed with paramedical staff known as mid-level ophthalmic personnel who can deliver services like preliminary eye examinations, refraction tests and eye-care counselling. Patients who require procedural interventions like surgery or laser treatment are referred to the base hospitals. Aravind Eye Care enhanced the eye-care service reach from 7% to 80% within the first four years of establishment (Shaw and Hathiari 2013). Today, they operate more than 65 VCs, examining an average of 1,800 patients daily (Thomas 2018).
Patients – Consumerisation of healthcare
Technology has the potential to empower patients and make them more active participants in the health system. The most elementary way in which this is happening is by enabling patients to manage diagnostic results online, book appointments and search for provider information on aggregator websites, like Practo, based on reviews and ratings. A few early adopters are beginning to use mobile applications combined with personal health monitoring devices to manage chronic diseases and stay healthy.
An unusual occurrence in the Indian healthcare ecosystem is that non-healthcare players are tapping into 'consumerisation' of health to join the digital health party. For example, leading telecommunications operator Reliance launched JioHealthClub – an inbuilt health app for Jio users. JioHealthClub plans to leverage its subscriber base and collect patient-level clinically-relevant data through hand-held devices. Such platforms and services will enable patients to become comfortable with digital health technologies.
Payers –insurtech on the rise
Only 30% of the total population enjoyed health insurance policy coverage during 2015-16.² However, a few insurance start-ups are leveraging ICT to design innovative products and increase penetration.
Health insurance in India conventionally does not provide coverage for outpatient visits despite the fact that they impose a bigger burden on out-of-pocket expenses when compared to inpatient care (Garg and Karan 2009). The biggest impediment to insuring outpatient visits in India is the ease of fraud. Since most outpatient visits do not involve formal billing, it is easy to furnish fake bills for outpatient consultations and drugs. However, InsurTech is trying to solve this problem. As an example, Max Bupa launched its everyday use digital insurance plan in partnership with Practo and 1mg.
Customers could potentially make cashless transactions for outpatient visits to providers on Practo's network and fill their prescriptions from online pharmacies such as 1mg. Incumbents too are investing in digital insurance solutions to capitalise on consumerisation of health. Aditya Birla Health Insurance, for example, recently launched an 'Activ Health' app which monitors physical activity of policyholders and incentivises them for their healthy lifestyles. The monetary rewards could go up to 2.5% premium value per month or 30% of the annual premium (Gupta 2017). A tech-driven approach could allow insurance firms to assess patient-level risk, promote proactive health, and offer personalised solutions.
The Digital Intervention for India
While recent activity among the Indian digital health stakeholders is exciting to note, there is a long way to go before it has a lasting impact on health outcomes in the country. This journey will require coordinated and concerted efforts from all stakeholders in the health ecosystem. First, the government needs to build a comprehensive regulatory framework that serves the dual objective of protecting patients' interests while simultaneously supporting digital health providers. Second, the health-tech developers need to design digital solutions which effectively address problems faced by our healthcare system. And last, these digital interventions need to be accompanied by a perceptible business case so that they achieve the necessary scale to make a sizeable impact.
Building an inclusive regulatory framework
The Government of India is recognising the need to regulate digital health. They have embarked upon several initiatives which are intended to reduce the trust deficit between patients and providers in India. First, the central government recently proposed the first draft of the Digital Information Security in Healthcare Act (DISHA) to design the ownership and privacy framework for digital health data. Second, the government appointed the Srikrishna Committee to propose a data protection bill for addressing issues around data transfer, portability, and informed consent. Third, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) announced the creation of an online platform for standard Electronic Health Records (EHR) called the Integrated Healthcare Information Platform (IHIP). In addition, NITI Aayog recently proposed the creation of the National Health Stack (NHS) which will make personal health records accessible to beneficiaries based on patient consent.
Initiatives like IHIP and NHS are encouraging first steps. However, their success hinges on private sector participation, since most patients in India get treated in the private healthcare setting. Historically, government schemes have seen a lukewarm response from the private sector. Unaligned incentives, scepticism around commercial viability or an unclear implementation plan could deter private sector participation. The government will need to provide incentives to private players to contribute to the health database.
While DISHA intends to address data ownership and privacy issues, the trust deficit between patients and providers is also driven by the information asymmetry around the quality of care. The first step towards regulating the quality of digital health providers is to expand the regulatory framework to recognise them. The magnitude of this problem is much larger than it seems as the existing Clinical Establishment Act itself is archaic and not implemented in many states. Regulatory recognition of digital health providers will bring in much-needed clarity and allay trust concerns.
Designing the right interventions
Health-tech developers must understand the existing care delivery system to design the right digital health interventions. They need to be mindful of the environment in which the end-user operates. For example, it might not be the best approach to design real-time or synchronous solutions for digital products meant to be used in the remote areas. Designing digital solutions for 'lite' or offline usage would be more effective, given the constraints on network bandwidth in rural areas.
Appreciating the user environment is crucial even in urban areas. For instance, the average time spent by an urban Indian provider with a patient is significantly lesser when compared to developed markets. The proposed EHR solutions need to take these time constraints into account. Creative solutions which predict prescription pattern based on patient history and provider practices could reduce the administrative burden of filling out the EHR forms.
Designing the right digital interventions is often challenging because of the digital divide between the user and the technology developers who are typically more adept at using technology than the user. Although the digital divide is a well-recognised issue, it gets further compounded in the healthcare context. Given the disparity of our healthcare system, the haves and the have-nots access very different versions of healthcare systems. This could lead to the digital-haves being impervious to the healthcare problems faced by the have-nots.
Early examples are demonstrating that this divide can be bridged. For instance, Khushi Baby is a combination of wearable tech, mobile-based application and cloud computing to bridge the immunisation gap in the developing world. A newborn wears a pendant with a chip that is loaded with medical histories – such as immunisation schedules, body vitals and more – by a Frontline Health Worker (FHW) using Near Field Communication technology and a mobile application. FHWs need not be connected to the internet while interfacing with patients and the data could be later synced with the cloud when connectivity is better.
Scaling up health-tech efforts
Scaling up health-tech efforts would require a diligent review of challenges. These could be different in the public and private sectors. Most digital health initiatives in the public sector do not get scaled up despite successful pilots. For example, the Indian government launched the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives Online (ANMOL) application in April 2016 after a successful pilot. Designed to assist the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) in identifying and managing beneficiaries of the governmental maternal health programs, ANMOL has seen a weak and fragmented uptake after more than two years of its launch. Many projects suffer from budgetary issues, and others get stuck between the bureaucracy of the state and the central government. Scaling up pilot programmes will require stronger political will and closer coordination between state and central governments.
Digital health scale-up within the private sector is contingent on commercial viability. Among other impediments to digital uptake, the business case for using health technology is often obscure for the providers. This challenge could be overcome by giving incentives to providers to use ICT. For instance, the mandate for private providers to notify tuberculosis (TB) cases to the central database Nikshay had initially seen a lukewarm response. Private providers were sceptical about losing potential revenue once a TB patient was notified and got referred to public facilities. In 2017, the Central TB Division of the Indian government announced monetary incentives to encourage TB case notification among private providers. This is expected to assuage the provider's concern on notional revenue loss and encourage them to use technology to notify TB cases. Highlighting the benefit – either cost reduction or revenue growth – of using health ICT could be instrumental in digital scale-up among private providers.
Technology: We Reap What We Sow
Technology can fundamentally change the Indian healthcare system. However, technology is subservient to the existing healthcare structure and stakeholder ecosystem. Slapdash applications of health technology without studying the market and end-user could aggravate systemic inefficiencies.
In the worst case, it will lead to technology taking the blame for alien designs and inadequate planning. Lest we throw the baby out with the bath water, we need a conscious effort to identify the right problems and build tailored digital solutions to address endemic health issues. Empathetic design of technological solutions will help us channel the technology juggernaut towards improved health.
¹ Reported in Agarwal et al. (2016).
² IBEF, 2018. Insurance Sector in India: Industry Overview, Market Size & Trends. Retrieved July 27, 2018: https://www.ibef.org/industry/insurance-sector-india.aspx
[This article has been reproduced with permission from ISBInsight, the research publication of the Indian School of Business, India]
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Money tends to seduce genders in different ways. According to a new study, women, on average, were about twice as likely to associate cash with love and emotion, whereas men were about twice as likely to see it as a sign of power and freedom.
According to this poster, a giant panda mom is 900 times more massive than her baby, while a giraffe baby is one-tenth the size of its mom!
It's true, and this enables them to easily squeeze through the tightest spaces - like the pipes draining your toilet. And rats are great swimmers too; they can hold their breath for up to three minutes and swim non-stop for more than 48 hours!
It's true, and this estimate is the same for tomorrow, and the day after. This video explains the Years of Life Lost measurement - a measurement which takes into account the age at which deaths occur by giving greater weight to deaths at younger age and lower weight to deaths at older age (more information can be found here). The video neatly displays the leading causes of death in each country from 2013. According to statistics, Saudi Arabia really needs to chill out with its driving antics given that death by vehicle is the leading cause of early death there at 19 people per day!
The researchers found the bizarre tube-lipped nectar bat (Anoura fistulata) - the first record of this species in the park. Described in Ecuador just a decade ago and known from only three records. It has the longest tongue in relation to its size of any mammal - stretching 8.5 cm to reach into the deepest flowers.
Here's how the technology industry shaped the way we see the world today.
"Okilly Dokilly" is a Ned Flanders-themed Metal band based off the Simpsons character!
How do you weigh an extinct animal?
Researchers have a new way to estimate the weight of creatures that no longer exist using just its bones and a digital model. With no flesh to fill in the gaps, researchers "shrink wrap" the skeleton to come up with an estimated volume-to-mass conversion based on 14 modern-day mammals. Scientists hope that this weight-estimating technique can eventually be used on other extinct creatures... like dinosaurs!
According to a new report published out of the UK, E-cigarettes are 95% less harmful to your health than normal cigarettes. When supported by a smoking cessation service, they help most smokers to quit tobacco altogether. They have also concluded that there is "no evidence" that they offer young people a gateway into smoking.
In fact, the review suggests that e-cigarettes may be contributing to falling smoking rates in the U.K., as 2.6 million adults are now thought to be using the product. They also found that almost all of these adults are ex-smokers, providing evidence that many people are not starting to use the devices after having never smoked in the first place, and instead are using them to either quit or cut down on tobacco.
Turkish communities living in the mountains in the north east of the country use a remarkable whistling language to communicate. Around 10,000 people use the bird-like whistle, which researchers suggest is the first known form of language to use both sides of the brain.
Would someone feel more calm after seeing the colour blue? Or perhaps they would feel more aggressive after having seen the colour red?
Swiss psychiatrist, Max Lüscher, had completed a study in the 20th century that linked colour preference to your personality and your mental state. His belief was further hardwired after an experiment concluded that 151 out of 153 people were weaker after looking at the pink card, when compared to how strong they were when they had looked at the blue card.


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Get Your Russell Bids In Next Week!
It's time to get your bids in for Russell Investments [profile], the asset management business at least. The London Stock Exchange seems to be leaving no stone unturned when it comes to searching for possible buyers.
Luisa Beltran of PE Hub reports that, according to unnamed sources, the LSE has sent out more than 50 (and up to 70) books to potential bidders, some as far away as in China and Japan. One unnamed private equity executive told the trade publication that first round bids are due early next month; and April 1 is coming up in just five days. PE Hub points to Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan as LSE's bankers for the deal, and Reuters previously pointed to Barclays being involved, too.
That PE exec and an unnamed banker reportedly told PE Hub that the pricing in the deal has come down. They estimate that the Russell business will sell for between $800 million and $1 billion. That price translates into 6.4 to 8 times Russell's EBITDA of $125 million, or 0.291 to 0.364 percent of Russell's September 30 assets under management of $275.09 billion.
That's a noticeable drop from the $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion price tag reported as recently as a month ago.
The LSE bought all of Russell last summer, specifically to get its hands on Russell's index business. Even before the deal was official in June, fundsters were whispered about the Russell asset management sale that they assumed would follow LSE's victory, and the exchange officially kicked off the sale last month.
Who's going to bite? CIBC, which was outbid by the LSE last year for all of Russell, is one name being tossed around. Yet MFWire still wonders how the Canadian bank would balance owning Russell, a consultant and manager-of-managers, with the big minority stake the bank already owns in American Century, which manages its money in-house and has to deal with investment consultants.
PE Hub says that "private equity is expected to dominate the auction." Like CIBC, private equity firms CVC Capital Partners, Silver Lake, TPG Capital, and Warburg Pincus were all outbid by the LSE last year, and PE Hub's sources point to TPG and Warburg as both being possible bidders this time around. The publication also mentions several other possible PE bidders:
Aquiline Capital Partners, which backs the TAMP Asset Mark and alternatives manager Altegris;
Carlye Group, which filed to launch its own mutual funds a year ago and which backs fixed income asset manager TCW;
Friedman Fleischer & Lowe;
Genstar Capital, on whose strategic advisory board ex-Russell vice chairman Hal Strong sits and which backs Asset Mark and alternatives manager Altegris;
KKR, which had its own alternative mutual fund effort but closed two funds a year ago;
Stone Point Capital, which backs an acquisitive 401(k) recordkeeper, Verisight;
TA Associates, which once backed AIM (now part of Invesco) and AMG, currently backs First Eagle, bought a majority stake in Stadion Money Management in 2011, once looked into buying AIG Investments and what is now American Beacon, is buying a majority stake in CLS Investments and Gemini Fund Services/Northern Lights Distributors backer NorthStar Financial Group, and is still hungry for asset manager deals; and
Thoma Bravo, which failed in its bid to buy mutual fund shop Munder Capital in 2013 as possible bidders this time around.
MFWire also still sees Russell's competitors, like Wilshire (which also has its own multi-manager mutual fund family) and Callan (which has multi-manager collective funds for retirement plans, the channel that inspired Russell's own mutual funds), as possible fits, too.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The San Francisco Foundation and SOMArts Cultural Center present The Annual Murphy and Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition, a focused look at the future of the Bay Area visual arts, September 1–24, 2016. The exhibition showcases 15 promising visual artists working across disciplines and identifies young artists from Master of Fine Arts programs throughout the Bay Area whose work intersects with emerging trends.
The competitive Jack K and Gertrude Murphy Award and the Edwin Anthony and Adalaine Boudreaux Cadogan Scholarships are administered by The San Francisco Foundation. The awards are designed to further the development of Bay Area MFA students and foster the exploration of their artistic potential in hybrid practice, installation, mixed media, painting, photography and sculpture.
The Jack K and Gertrude Murphy Award of $40,000 is given to an MFA student of unusual caliber with great artistic promise. Edwin Anthony and Adalaine Boudreaux Cadogan both experienced financial challenges as art students and understood the great difference scholarships can make in the early phase of an artist's career. The winners of the Cadogan Scholarships receive $6,500 each to support their MFA studies. All the students benefit from participation in a professionally curated exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center.
Mark Baugh-Sasaki's photography explores how human history collides with natural landscapes to create our sense of place. Specifically, Baugh-Sasaki's series of photographs of found objects and geologic features of Tulelake, California reveals the multiple and intersecting histories of trauma embedded in the landscape, where hundreds of Japanese families were interned during WWII and where the Modoc War was fought between the US Army and the Modoc Indians in 1873.
Invoking the radical hospitality of her Filipino heritage as an aesthetic value, France Viana's photography makes traditional symbols unfamiliar in order to track changing values as immigrants adopt and adapt the values of their new home. Mining Philippine and Filipino American historical and cultural sources, social media, myths and puns, Viana's work re-presents contemporary multiculturalism with irreverent humor.
Murphy Awardee Andrew Wilson works in sculpture, fiber arts, book arts, photography, and performance and literary poetry to explore and unravel the threads of Black masculinity and sexuality in African American history. Challenging harmful stereotypes and representations of Black men, Wilson creates space for honest self-expression for queer Black men.
The exhibition and all accompanying events are free to attend and take place at SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St. (between 8th and 9th) in San Francisco, CA.
Read more about the exhibition, including artist statements and bios, here!
An afternoon of artist-led creative workshops and live music.


Facebook announced it's removing 20 Ads Manager metrics to help advertisers focus more on the 'more meaningful ones.' Also, it's introducing new labels on some others, providing more clarity on how they are calculated.
Businesses can always do with more insight into Facebook's measurement tools and metrics. So, starting this week, Facebook will start to label some of its metrics in Ads Manager, providing more clarity on how they are calculated. The new labels – displaying whether a metric is "estimated or in development" – will now appear as tooltips as part of the Ads Manager reporting table, but also in the customise column selector. They will be available to view on all ads that run on Facebook, Instagram, and Audience Network.
Businesses can always do with more insight into Facebook's measurement tools and metrics. So, starting this week, Facebook will start to label some of its metrics providing more clarity on how they're calculated.
The recent Facebook Business announcement explains the difference between the two metric types.
Facebook may update its measurement methodologies as it gathers more data and improves its signals. The post further explains that a good example is reach. "Reach is an estimate of the number of people who saw an ad at least once." So, in order to report it, Facebook analyses "the number of people who see an ad multiple times, de-duplicate them and then calculate the total number of unique people in real time." This is exactly how the same metric is calculated for TV ads and on other other digital platforms.
"Estimated metrics" are those that "are calculated based on sampling or modeling. Metrics in development "evolve" as Facebook improves its "ad products and measurement methodologies.
Finally, Facebook will be removing around 20 ad metrics, in July, that marketers have said are "redundant, outdated, not actionable or infrequently used." Social reach for example – i.e. "the number of people who saw an ad with social information above it, such as noting a friend who also likes a certain brand." As a metric, it doesn't "meaningfully" differ from reach. Also, it doesn't actually indicate a business outcome. Therefore, Facebook is removing the metric altogether.
You can find a full list of all the metrics that will be removed, but you can also find out more about the changes detailed above, in the video below.
If you want to learn more about measurement on Facebook, keep an eye out for Facebook's "Measure What Matters" program that will be rolling out in March.


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HUL expects more sequential inflation, challenging operating environment in near term
While the company will continue to drive savings 'harder', it will also take calibrated price increases but foresees a decline in margins in the short term.
New Delhi: FMCG major HUL expects the operating environment to remain challenging in the near term as inflation is likely to continue for the next few quarters. In order to overcome the challenge, the company is adopting a 'bridge pack strategy', under which it will introduce products packs priced between the existing highest and the lowest prices, according to company officials.
"Looking ahead, the near-term operating environment will remain challenging. We expect to see more sequential inflation. Growth will be predominantly price-led. We will continue to drive savings harder and take calibrated pricing actions whilst ensuring we protect and grow our consumer franchise," HUL CFO Ritesh Tiwari said in an earnings call for the March quarter and financial year 2022.
He further said, "Our margins will decline in the short term as price versus cost gap increases".
In order to overcome the challenge, the company has kickstarted what it terms as the 'bridge pack strategy'. For example, in the skin cleansing category, it has introduced a Lifebuoy soap pack at Rs 16, which is positioned between the Rs 10 and Rs 36 price point packs.
"We have approximately 30 per cent of our business in the price-point packs," Tiwari said, adding that such offerings give better value to consumers and they are still able to source good brands at an affordable price point.
"And for us, it gives us scale. And also, unit economics gives us better value as manufacturers and sellers. So, bridge pack is what we are trying now to do across all the commodity-impacted categories," Tiwari said.
Elaborating further, an HUL spokesperson said, "The high levels of input cost inflation have had an impact on the offerings we have in some parts of this portfolio. We are, therefore, creating bridge packs to provide the right price-value equation to our consumers, while making sure our products remain affordable and accessible. This will ensure that we protect and grow our consumer franchise in these times of unprecedented inflation."
HUL expects the growth to be price-driven in the coming quarters with calibrated rate hikes in the offing.
About Indonesia's ban on palm oil exports, Tiwari said there may be an impact "in the short term". However, he also added looking at the amount of total production surpassing the local needs of that country, he believes that the sales of palm oil from Indonesia will continue.
Tiwari added that HUL is also looking for alternatives to palm oil for soap manufacturing.
"There is more than one way to make soap, so looking at alternatives, looking at our own efficiencies, and the mix that we end up using in terms of producing soap," he said.
The company will grow its top line ahead of the market by growing competitively, premiumising its portfolio and doing market development at scale, Tiwari added.
"We will deliver modest margin expansion and continue with our track record for strong capital discipline," he said.
The leading FMCG major crossed the Rs 50,000-crore turnover-mark in FY22.
price hikes


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Homecoming Hardships: Eagles' fourth quarter comeback overwhelms San Marcos
San Marcos Football
Daily Record Correspondent
@Jacob_Aromy
Jacob Aromy
San Marcos' homecoming was spoiled after visiting Eagle Pass completed an unexpected comeback Friday evening. A 20-point fourth quarter propelled the Eagles to victory after once trailing by 19.
The comeback was led by senior Eagle quarterback Issac Stanwick — who rushed for three touchdowns in the second half — with the last coming in the final minutes of the game to clinch the victory. Stanwick fueled the Eagles in the fourth as the Rattlers dealt with internal struggles including turnovers and penalties.
"What did we learn? Just (about) situations (and how to handle them), the first situation that went bad was before the half and that just put us behind," Head coach John Walsh said. "So, we had an opportunity right there to really open it up. And then if we haven't learned now, turnovers haven't really been a problem, (but) they were definitely the problem at the end today."
After entering the second half with a 19-6 lead, the Rattlers found that their biggest opponent was themselves. A pair of touchdowns were called back, and drives were stalled due to penalties. San Marcos also turned the ball over multiple times, letting the Eagles claw their way back into the game.
"We just got to finish drives and we just didn't do that," Walsh said. "I've gone in my bag of tricks at practice trying to figure it out and all my psychology that I know but at some point, you know, those guys got to own it up front and not hurt us."
Despite the loss, San Marcos produced an efficient offense during the first half. They came out the gate strong — the first play of the game featured a 75-yard touchdown reception by junior receiver Tony Diaz. The defense also made themselves known forcing multiple fumbles and not letting up a scoring drive until halfway through the second quarter. Junior linebacker Lucious Herrera also found the end-zone on a scoop and score late in the third quarter.
"You know, sometimes, you can get a whole lot better from failure than you do from winning that game at the end," Walsh said. "So (it) doesn't feel good, but it's our job to make sure we get better."
The purple and white conclude non-district play with a 2-3 record. After next week's bye, they'll kick off play in District 27-6A with a visit from Schertz Clemens (3-1). A new district awaits them as they have two weeks to forget about the loss and prepare for the Buffaloes.
"Tough to give the message tonight, but I did tell him you know, we got an open week," Walsh said. "It's going to be a sour open week because (of) how we lost this ballgame. But you know, everything gets wiped clean, Schertz Clemens is a must-win for us and they just got to man up."
San Marcos looks to learn from the loss and build off what they found successful. They hope the sting of defeat only makes them better as they prepare for their district opponents. The Rattlers won't be back in action for another two weeks, and that's when they'll match up with Clemens at Toyota Rattler Stadium on Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. to kick off district play.


Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser Reviews - Does Biolabs Work?
Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser attacks the problem of aging skin from several different directions. This anti-wrinkle cream is applied directly to the wrinkles, assuring that all of the active ingredients go directly to the source of the problem. Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser also encourages collagen development. Collagen is the element in the skin that keeps the elasticity and suppleness, keeping the skin taut and smooth. Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser also employs a proven combination of powerful antioxidants, which protect the cells of the skin from damage caused by environmental stresses and harmful free radicals found in the body.
Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser contains a powerful and proven combination of ingredients. Glucosamine HCI and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 take advantage of the fact that the tissue that forms wrinkles and fine lines is very similar to the tissue of scars. These two ingredients take advantage of the body's own healing power to improve the condition of the skin. Palmitoyl Oligopeptide is included to help preserve and enhance the elasticity of the skin, which declines with age. Keeping the skin elastic and supple keeps it from settling into deep sagging lines and wrinkles.
Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser is available for purchase online through the manufacturer's website. The makers of Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser are so confident in the effectiveness of their product that they offer a 14 day free trial to give consumers the chance to evaluate the cream. There is a limited number of free trials available, however, so those interested in Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser will need to act quickly to guarantee a chance to test out the product. When ordering a free trial of Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser, buyers need only to pay shipping and handling. With a full 14 days to evaluate the product, there is plenty of time to view the proven and guaranteed results of this anti-wrinkle cream. This risk free trial is an excellent chance for an introduction to one of the best anti-wrinkle creams available today.
Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser works on all three layers of the skin. With proven ingredients that target several different aspects of the skin aging problem, the multifaceted treatment provided by Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser smoothes the appearance of the skin of the face, while also increasing the collagen needed to keep the full, youthful appearance. Fine lines and wrinkles begin to fade almost immediately, with the tough areas around the eyes, mouth and forehead benefiting greatly from the powerful ingredients that work to heal the tissue that causes wrinkles. Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser is the recipient of positive reviews from those who have opted in to the generous free trial. While many anti-aging treatments are available for sale all over the internet, few contain the proven combination of powerful ingredients that makes Biolabs Instant Wrinkle Releaser anti-wrinkle cream such a popular and effective product in fighting the signs of aging.
Despite its positive qualities, this was not our highest ranked anti-aging cream. Click here to find out which product ranked the highest after our review of the top anti-aging creams on the market.


What is a dashboard? It is, or it should be, a visual display of the most important information needed to achieve one or more objectives, consolidated and arranged in a single screen. Does this definition corresponds to a Power BI dashboard? Not necessarily, also a report can be a dashboard in this definition.
Regardless of its technical implementation, many dashboards fail to reach their goals and are merely decorative, even if they end up being ugly. And this latter issue, alone, is a good reason why a dashboard could be ignored.
In this session, Marco Russo introduces the principles to design useful and good looking dashboard in a page of a Power BI report. You will see some of the common issues and the possible solutions, with an overview of the main rules that you should apply to create a useful, consistent, and nice-looking dashboard.


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Marines use snowmobiles, aircraft to deliver toys to remote Alaskan villages
By Megan Ziegler
U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Keith Lowell, inspector-instructor assigned to Detachment Delta Company, 4th Law Enforcement Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve, poses for a photo while dressed as Santa Claus with students from June Nelson Elementary School in K
Santa's sleigh got a break for some gift deliveries this month in Alaska.
Marines traveled by snowmobile and aircraft to deliver toys to children in remote Arctic villages to support Toys for Tots.
Alaska's Northwest Arctic Borough is larger than the state of Indiana yet boasts a population of under 7,800 residents residing within 11 different communities, many of whom are Alaskan Natives. Infrastructure is extremely limited to the villages and towns of the borough.
U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Robert Golike shows Sgt. Joshua Purrington how to navigate the Kuskokwim Valley from the air on their way to deliver toys to a local village during a Toys for Tots event in the Kuskokwim Valley, Alaska on Dec. 3, 2021. Golike i
So that's where the Marines with Delta Company, 4th Law Enforcement Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve, also known as the Alaska Marines, step in.
By way of donated flights on small propeller planes and snowmobiles, the Marines travel to each remote community in the borough this holiday season with extra-special deliveries.
"Really, it seems like a lot of trouble, but it's not," said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Keith Lowell. "To see the sparkle in these kids' eyes when they see Santa Claus coming into their school. When they come up and they get a gift from Santa Claus, it," he paused, "it's so special."
Students of June Nelson Elementary School wait to receive their toys gifted by Toys for Tots and delivered by the U.S. Marines with Detachment Delta Company, 4th Law Enforcement Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve, in Kotzebue, Alaska, Dec. 12, 2022. (U
RELATED: Police called after 'Cousin Eddie' holiday display spooks neighbor
The toys are first sorted when they reach the base near Anchorage and then travel 500 miles north to a town called Kotzebue.
Kotzebue is a larger city in the borough, 26 miles above the Arctic Circle, where many travel for essential shopping and community gatherings. From there, the Marines disperse onto the smaller communities.
Many dressed as Santa Clause as they hopped on the snowmobile for a trek that isn't for the faint of heart.
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Joshua Purrington, the armory chief for Delta Company, 4th Law Enforcement Battalion, rides away in a snowmobile after delivering toys to the children of Takotna School during a Toys for Tots event in Takotna, Alaska, Dec. 3, 2
The dangerous task of crossing hundreds of miles on snowmobiles in sub-zero weather becomes more like a guided expedition — and some locals do step in to help.
In total, the Marines sorted and shipped over 3,000 toys.
The Toys for Tots program is run by the Marine Corps and a nonprofit foundation. Started in 1947, the program now delivers 18 million toys to 7 million less fortunate children each year.
This story was reported from Detroit.
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We decided to cap our biking year last weekend with the Back Roads Century ride, doing the 29-mile route. The ride looked like it would have pretty scenery and the course was described as "moderately hilly," so we didn't think it would be too bad…especially since we did 50 just a couple weeks ago.
The ride starts in Berryville, VA, about 60 miles from our house, so we got an early start. The day started out on the bad note when we were just 15 minutes from home and the "check engine" light went on in Andrew's car. We debated for a minute, then decided that it would be bad if we were off in Berryville and the engine conked out. So, we turned around and moved all of our stuff to my car.
Note the home burial plot in front of the horses. I really wanted to take a closer look at the gravestones, but refrained – I wasn't sure how the homeowners would take it if they were to see me stomping around.
Around mile 12 there was a beautiful rest stop at the Burwell-Morgan Mill. We actually kept a fairly good pace on the first 12 miles – there were hills on the way, but most of the uphills were immediately preceded by downhills that allowed a little momentum into the uphills. At the rest stop There were snacks and a Charlie Casabona's Trio, a trio that included a hammered dulcimer. We stayed a little while to refuel and rest.
After the rest stop, though, things got ugly. There was a scary downhill, which I rode the breaks on (because I couldn't see the bottom and it was very steep). Of course, this was later followed by an equally scary uphill. I made it about halfway up the hill and then walked the rest of the way.
Yeah, and there were more hills, and bigger hills than were on the first leg of the trip. And then more hills, and then more, and then more. I made it up a few of them, but not up all of them. The second, and last, really big one was killer. Several bikers were walking up it, so I wasn't alone.
After Andrew and I stopped for some water and caught our breath, we went on again…and I had a flat. Yup. Flat, flat, flat. Turned out that there was a small piece of glass in my tire. When we pulled out my spare inner tube, it appeared to be the wrong size. So, with the last few electrons in my phone, I called the roadside assistance, and we waited.
It took a while, but the roadside car came, and the guy fixed up my tire very quickly. Then we were an our way again. There weren't any more really big hills, but by this time my legs were pretty much spent. I made it up a few hills (very slowly), but I also walked up a couple…I just couldn't do them all.
When we made it back to our starting point, there was a big picnic. We picked up our t-shirts and water bottles, and then grabbed a well-deserved lunch.
Yup, we took a bike ride to celebrate our sixth anniversary! Wonder why?
Aren't we cute? We've come a long way since then…both on the bikes and off. Best six years of my life so far…any moments that weren't best (such as finishing my thesis) were made better by having Andrew in my life. I love you, honey.
Holy crap, we did it!!!
I don't think I've mentioned it here, but Andrew and I have been training since March to do a half-century bike ride. For those of you unfamiliar with biking "lingo", a half-century is a 50-mile bike ride. This is a huge jump from last year's longest ride of 30 miles, so we knew we had to train for it. Previous years we've just noodled around, adding a mile or two to our ride each weekend, but not seriously training. As a result, the 30 mile rides nearly killed us…okay, not really, but we were exhausted after them, staying in our jammies the day after those rides.
So we decided to train for this ride, and we have trained since April. Since then, I have put in nearly 950 miles between the real bike and the stationary bike in our basement. I've done 300 miles on the real bike alone. We started to find that 30 mile rides were no problem…much more than that was still a lot of work. We trained up to a 40 mile ride, which we did 3 weeks ago.
From the beginning, I wanted to do the entire length of the W&OD trail for our ride, but it's only 44.5 miles long, so we had to add a little on. The plan was to take Metro to East Falls Church, which lies at mile 5 of the W&OD. From there take the trail to mile 0, then out to 44.5. The little extra getting to the Metro and getting from the Metro to the trail would take care of the extra 0.5 miles.
For the second time this summer, we've done a 30 mile ride! Yay us!
This time we drove the bikes out to Ashburn, where the W&OD trail crosses Belmont Ridge Road. I thought this was the location of the convenience store that we've often biked to from Herndon, but turned out to be the next crossing out. Good thing, though, because our goal was the end of the trail, in Purcellville, and back, and I'm not sure I would have made it even the extra couple miles.
Today was very, very humid, but the temperature wasn't too bad. On the stretches of trail with lots of tree-cover, the ride was very pleasant. However, on the few stretches without any shade, it got to be opressive – especially on the ride back when I was already reaching seat-intolerance.
It was a lot of fun to get back out to Purcellville again, though. We stopped in at Final Draft Books, browsed for a little while and picked up some well-earned drinks and snacks. Then we walked down the street to the cool toy store we discovered on our Honeymoon. There, I found an awesome toy for my brother's birthday (can't say what it is, just in case he stumbles upon this entry). All-in-all we spent about an hour in Purcellville before bopping back on the bikes and returning.
I have to say that 30 miles, after several weeks of too-hot biking conditions, being on travel, and pathetic rides, was perhaps a bit too much. I mean, yes, I made it, but a muscle in my right leg started hurting around mile 20 and I reached seat-intolerance at about mile 25. As long as I didn't do any real damage, though, it does feel good to push myself.
Despite the perfect biking weather today, we still had some trouble getting out of the house for a ride. So, we decided on just to tool around Vienna. We headed up to a nearby cemetery that we've been meaning to see, and then just putzed around the back streets of Vienna. It was a short, short ride, but it was good to get out on the bikes finally.
We finally got out on the bikes again today. Yesterday it looked like rain in the morning, so we decided to scrap our biking plans, catch the farmer's market in Vienna and finally see Superman Returns. It was wet outside this morning, but the sun was out, and despite weather.com's report that we had 80% humidity, we decided to brave it. As it turned out, it wasn't that bad for biking. The temperature wasn't too high and there was a bit of a breeze which helped with that humidity. The clouds returned for a while and we felt a few drops, but all in all not bad weather for biking.
And Andrew finally got to try out his new biking outfit we bought him over a week ago. I'd been raving about how much I loved my biking clothes – the padded shorts, the water-wicking material, and of course, the fashion statement it makes.
Our destination was Hole in the Wall Books. We've biked there several times, but usually we drive the bikes up to Vienna and bike from there. Today we just biked from home. That adds about 6 miles to the round trip total, and, actually, without that the ride has become almost too short for us now.
When we got to Falls Church, we biked up Broad Street a bit to a statue Andrew had seen on his last trip to the doctor. He had thought it was a man with a bunch of dogs. What was it really? A disturbing statue of a farmer feeding slop to a bunch of pigs. WTF? The statue is outside Don Beyer's Volvo, and apparently Don Beyer Sr. was the one who commissioned the statue. Just weird.
Well, we don't have to bike anymore this summer!
Why? Because we made our summer's goal! Today's ride? 32.6 miles. Yay us!
We decided to take the Mount Vernon Trail to…well, Mount Vernon, of course. We metroed to Rossyln, and hopped the trial from there, went through Alexandria, down to Mount Vernon, and back to Alexandria. We've done the trail from Rossyln to Alexandria several times before this, but it was the first time we ventured further south.
Getting out of Alexandria and under the Wilson Bridge (read: construction), was a bit nerve-wracking, but the rest of the trail was beautiful. I worried on the trail south about the return trip – we seemed to be going down several small hills, but it seemed that there weren't so many uphills, which, of course, would translate to downhills on the return trip. The last hill up to Mount Vernon did defeat me, and we walked the last 0.2 miles to the top (it was a long hill!).
Fortunately, the ride back to Alexandria was hardly as bad as it seemed it might be. In fact, except for one bad, long, hill, it turned out toe be reasonably easy. And, 30 miles, to boot! Yay us, again!


Patently Apple has been following Apple's patent applications over the years regarding future interfaces and three dimensional visions, and today we present you with a series of patent applications from Apple regarding Safari 3D. The 3D version of Safari will allow users to stack bookmarks, emails, docs and apps in a very interesting 3D manner. While we're definitely a few years away from shifting to 3D, it's still interesting to read up on the evolutionary thinking behind this shift from the minds of Apple's engineers.
A modern computing device, such as a personal computer, a smart phone, a game device, a handheld computer, a GPS device, and so on, includes a software operating system that allows the computer device to be controlled either directly by the user or by one or more application programs executing within the operating system.
Many operating systems and software applications employ graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to present information to users and to receive user input for controlling the behavior and functionalities of the underlying computing devices and/or application programs. A typical two-dimensional GUI of an operating system could be described as a "desktop" metaphor. Many software applications executing in the operating system could provide graphical objects, so-called "windows," to present information content and various input control elements. Visually, a two-dimensional desktop of an operating system provides a background plane on which application windows provided by active software applications can be displayed.
Operating systems of the computing devices could often support multiple active applications at the same time, and each of the active applications can have multiple open windows concurrently presented on the desktop. Various schemes for managing the presentation and layout of open windows on the desktop have been proposed to improve the organization and navigation of the open windows.
Apple's invention generally relates to presentation and management of Desktop GUIs and opening windows on the desktop GUIs. Most of the discussion supports a 3D version of Safari.
In general, one innovative aspect of the subject matter described in Apple's patent application could be embodied in methods that include the actions of: grouping a plurality of open windows into one or more groups based on respective values of a grouping property associated with the plurality of open windows, each group of open windows sharing a common value for the grouping property; and causing each group of open windows to be presented in a respective stack, where the respective stack includes representations of the open windows in the group and permits user browsing through the representations.
In some implementations, the method further includes the actions of: representing the plurality of open windows in a two-dimensional (2D) desktop environment; and while the open windows are presented in the 2D desktop environment, detecting an input for browsing the plurality of open windows, where the groups of open windows are presented in the groups' respective stacks in response to the detecting, and the respective stacks are presented in a three-dimensional (3D) desktop environment.
As shown in Apple's patent FIG. 1B below, the currently selected stack is shown to be stack 138, and the current active window in the desktop is the window 138a shown in the frontal view. When a pointing device is hovered over the lower portion of the stack 138, the window 138a is rotated about an axis parallel to the group plane and falls back into a horizontal position and presented in a side view. The next window 138b below the window 138 in turn could be rotated about an axis parallel to the ground plane into an upright position and presented in the frontal view. Now, the window 138b becomes the front window of the stack 138 and the current active window of the desktop.
If the pointing device continues to hover over the same portion of the stack 138, the window 138b will be rotated into a horizontal position and presented in the side view again, while the next window 138c below the window 138b could be rotated into the upright position and presented in the frontal view. If the pointing device is now hovered over an upper portion of the stack 138, the open windows in the stack will be cycled through and presented in the frontal view one by one in an order going up the stack.
Apple states that the user will also be able to scroll the content of the webpage in the window 138b, click on links in the webpage, play a video in the embedded video player, and so on, in the window 138b.
In addition, the user may use the application menu bar 144 displayed in the designated menu location of the 3D desktop to locate previously visited webpages, go to a bookmarked webpage, to view the source code of the webpage, to view other open windows of the web browser application, and so on, by selecting the appropriate menu items in the application menu bar 144.
In some implementations, an icon of the application program providing the open windows in each 3D browsable stack could be used as the graphical representation indicative of the value of the grouping property (e.g., the application type). For example, as shown in FIG. 1B, icon 137 is used to represent the email application, icon 139 is used to represent the web browser application, and icon 141 is used to represent the word processing application. In some implementations, the application icon could be enlarged so that it is prominent and easy to see on the desktop.
Apple's Safari 3D browsing invention is extremely wordy and in order to really understand it all, you have to read it all. For those wishing to review this patent in full could do so by visiting patent application 20120131496. Additionally, we've provided you with Apple's patent abstracts and convenient links to the other two patents in this series regarding Safari 3D.
Apple's Patent Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for managing open windows in a desktop GUI are disclosed. In various implementations, within a three-dimensional desktop, the open windows can be displayed in a three-dimensional browsable parade. As the user browses through the open windows in the browsable parade, the open window passing through a designated primary location of the three-dimensional desktop becomes the current active window of the desktop. An application menu bar of the current active window can be displayed on the three-dimensional desktop. The application menu bar and the active window together provide the full range of interactive capabilities that the native application environment of the open window would allow, even though the open window is currently displayed within the browsable parade. For more, see patent application 20120131495.
Apple's Patent Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for presenting and browsing items in a tilted 3D space are disclosed. In tilted viewing mode, groups of items from several consecutive levels of a hierarchy can be presented in respective browsable parades shown at different depths into a viewable region of the tilted 3D space. The user can browse laterally across each browsable parade, and browse up and down the hierarchy within the tilted 3D space. With the combination of browsing laterally across the parades presented in the viewable region of the tilted 3D space and browsing up and down the hierarchy along the depth dimension of the 3D space, the user can navigate the entirety of the hierarchy in the tilted 3D space. For more information, see patent application 20120127156.
Apple's patent FIG. 1C illustrates an exemplary 3D space 142 showing a browsable parade of items in a first viewing mode. In the first viewing mode, a collection of child items that have the same parent item are presented in a 3D browsable parade 144 in the 3D space 142 depicted in the display 104.
In some implementations, the 3D browsable parade is associated with a series of locations along a lateral dimension (e.g., in the horizontal direction across the display screen) across the 3D space. The 3D browsable parade could advance through the series of locations under the user's direction.
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Both through the Alberta green certificate and my personal interest I have gained both practical and technical knowledge.
I'm currently a student at the University of Saskatchewan, in the BA&SC for environment and society.
I've been riding for 11 years. Both on a lesson, lease and my own horse. I have also completed my equine green certificate in Alberta.
I've competed in various shows around Alberta, both at small local ones as well as places such as RMSJ and Spruce Meadows.


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Published on February 20th, 2013 | by James Ayre
Solar-Powered Planes In Russia — Solar Being Considered As Replacement For Jet Fuel
February 20th, 2013 by James Ayre
Solar energy may be replacing fossil fuels as the power source of the Russian civilian aircraft industry not too far into the future, based on where some of the country's funding is going.
What happens to the aviation industries of the world as fuel prices continue to rise? What are the alternatives? Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade (Minpromtorg) seeks to answer these questions by ordering several new studies into possible fuel alternatives for its civilian aircraft industry. Among the most prominent of those alternatives is solar energy. A considerable amount of money has been allocated for this research, RUB628 million ($21 million).
In a recent statement from the Minpromtorg, it was stated that new research on this subject is a necessity as Russia's domestic airline industry expands and increases its fuel requirements. The ministry mentions that reducing fossil fuel use will have other benefits in addition to reducing costs, including helping to cut down on emissions.
Minpromtorg says it intends to make RUB628 million available for the studies. The ministry is expected to select successful companies, via a tender process, to conduct the research by this March. The results are then scheduled to be presented in 2015. If successful, they will then be shared with Russia's aviation companies. This is the second project dealing with the use of solar energy in aircraft, undertaken by the Russian government. The first was initiated by Russia's Ministry of Defense, and investigated the use of solar energy in light aircraft. However due to unsatisfactory results, the project was stopped in 2010.
The problem of what happens to the aviation industry when fossil fuels start becoming prohibitively expensive for civilian flight is one that needs to be addressed. Without alternatives fuel sources, will flying simply become something that is only for the rich and the military again?
Electric aircraft have been around for quite some time already, with the first flight of an electric aircraft being back in 1957 (and a disputed claim of a flight in 1909) — the primary choices being between those powered by batteries, solar cells (such as the Solar Impulse), or power beaming. But, so far, none of the technologies available could really support the same functions that fossil fuel–powered aircraft currently support. New research and technology will be a necessity if the large scale civilian use of airplanes is going to continue into the foreseeable future, as the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade seems to know.
Source: PV Magazine
Image Credits: Airport via Wikimedia Commons
Tags: aviation after fossil fuels, aviation peak oil, peak oil aircraft, Russia solar industry, Russia solar powered aviation, solar energy aviation industry, Solar power planes, solar-powered planes
James Ayre James Ayre's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy.
Solar Impulse, Famous Solar Airplane, Carries a Message (VIDEO) →
Solar Impulse Flies Into Aviation History →


Organ transplantation has become an exceedingly common, safe and predictable procedure today in this country. It both saves lives and markedly improves the quality of life for the fortunate recipients who have sustained end stage organ failure. This could involve the kidneys, liver, pancreas, intestine, lungs or heart.
Individuals who were doomed to die far before their time now can live normal or relatively normal lives due to the wonders of organ transplantation.
In order to prevent a person's immune system from rejecting and destroying the transplanted organ so that it will continue to function and thrive, immunosuppressive agents are prescribed. These medications suppress the immune system – body's defense mechanism against things that are not normal such as foreign, transplanted tissue from another person. By their actions, they have allowed for the success of transplantation surgery.
However, by suppressing the immune systems, these same medications do make these individuals far more susceptible to the development of bacterial and viral infections as well a multitude of cancers of the body. It has been known for a long time that transplantation patients have a substantially high risk of developing multiple skin cancers, particularly basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, the types which tend to just grow locally and don't often spread elsewhere. It was thought, however, that the risk of developing malignant melanoma, a far more dangerous and lethal skin cancer, was only mildly increased.
In a paper to be published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, researchers discovered that individuals who have undergone an organ transplantation are twice as likely (200% greater risk) to develop a malignant melanoma and three times more likely to die from it as compared to a non-transplanted person. The average melanoma also tends to be more aggressive and in a more advanced stage.
These findings are quite significant and should be taken seriously.
If you or someone you know has had an organ transplantation, you/he/she should have a thorough skin cancer screening by a qualified dermatologist AND then be checked on a regular basis thereafter. Malignant melanomas are associated with a far better prognosis when they are detected and appropriately treated early.
For more information on malignant melanomas or the treatment of skin cancers in general, please call my office at 480-451-3000.


Home » SIMPLE STEPS TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION AT INTERVIEW!!
SIMPLE STEPS TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION AT INTERVIEW!!
ARRIVE ON TIME – NOT TOO EARLY EITHER (10 MINUTES MAX BEFORE THE ALLOCATED TIME.
RESEARCH THE COMPANY BEFOREHAND AND FIND OUT THEIR COMPANY MISSION STATEMENT AND COMPANY ETHOS ANDN LONG-TERM GOALS – UTILISE GOOGLE!!!
KEEP YOUR ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS CONCISE – SPEAK CLEARLY AND DO NOT WAFFLE!
KEEP FOCUSED AND PROFESSIONAL AT ALL TIMES – IMPRESS YOUR INTERVIEWER!
LASTLY REMEMBER TO SWITCH OFF YOUR MOBILE PHONE OR ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES!


Invites to those big deal events racking up and in need of some inspo to claim your best dressed title? You're in luck. Blogger and bride to be Amy Neville has us going seriously heart eyed over these occasion looks worthy for bride, bridesmaid or best dressed guest. Who said the dresses for those big deal occasions can't be affordable and hella chic?
Whether you're on bridesmaid duty and have been granted the ultimate luxury in picking out your own garm, get inspired with lookbook of essential garms for all those summer weddings and beyond.
Dresses that are flattering for all body shapes can be tricky to find but the Janeen plunge maxi dress ticks all the boxes. The kimono sleeve silhouette and soft plunging neckline is all kinds of right, making this the ideal bridesmaid dress to please all the besties in your bridesbabe squad no matter how picky they are and how different their personal style is. What's more, lilac is having a serious moment right now.
Reinvent the classic 90's silhouette that is the simple but effective slip dress in this white strappy frill detail maxi dress. The ruffle detailing to the middle adds an edge and mixes up the style giving it a modern feel. We're thinking this would look totes dreamy for a less traditional bride hosting a beach wedding in Ibiza.
Busy professional babes favouring a city wedding need a dress that is both practical whilst still OTT luxe and oh-so-chic. Show that mini dresses can be bride worthy too with the Riella premium sequin panelled dress. The heavy embellishment and intricate detailing makes this garm special enough to be worn on your big day and then again after. Plus it's a serious breath of fresh air from the typical traditional wedding dress. We're obsessed.
Summer wedding's call for a standout print and none is more appropes than a warm weather friendly bold bloom. This floral cold shoulder frill maxi dress is ideal for both bridesmaid or guest dressing when you want to make your aisle style standout. The cold shoulder detailing and heavy ruffling is both figure flattering and current and we can't get enough. Just be wary not to overshadow the bride.
Another fabric associated with the traditional feel when it comes to getting hitched is lace. The Ellina premium lace fishtail dress serves up a modern take on the expected lace with its midi length and super chic and flattering fishtail hem. We're feeling this look for the bride who wants to tap into that vintage feel on her wedding day but in a more wearable way.


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Q: Pentaho Report Designing issue with excel I have created a report in pentaho report designer when i run this report in pdf format it seems to be Ok but when i run this same report in excel format the design get diturbed and cells got merged and data places also get change.enter image description here
I want that each column from pentaho designer come in a single cell of excel.

A: There is a separate format for PDF like A4,A4_Extra and A5. So that you can get what you have selected.There is no specific format for Excel like PDF,So You should use ruler to avoid such merged cells in excel(You have to do separately for excel)

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Home / US / American space hero John Glenn died at age of 95
American space hero John Glenn died at age of 95
in US 09.12.2016
John Glenn, a national hero who was the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth was on February 20, 1962, died on Thursday at the age of 95
John Glenn started his career as a pilot in the US Navy. He was a distinguished pilot during World War II and the Korean War. In 1959, Glenn joined NASA. He was among the first group of astronauts, one of the "Mercury Seven" group, Joinfo.com reports with reference to NPR.
On February 20, 1962, Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission and became the first American to orbit the Earth and the fifth person in space. The dangers of the mission were great. No one knew whether the people in that group, the Mercury Seven, would survive.
"Roger, zero G and I feel fine," Glenn said his legendary phrase from space. "Capsule is turning around. Oh, that view is tremendous!"
After the history-making flight 4 million Americans greeted him at a parade in New York.
Glenn made history a second time in 1998, when he flew aboard the shuttle Discovery to become the oldest person to fly in space.
In 1974, he was elected to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate. Two years later, Glenn's name was among those mentioned as a running mate for Democratic presidential nominee Jimmy Carter, but Carter ended up picking Sen. Walter Mondale of Minnesota.
Glenn campaigned in the Democratic primary for the 1984 presidential election, but ended up losing to Mondale.
But he remained in the Senate, serving four six-year terms. He retired from politics in 1999.
John Glenn United States	2016-12-09


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