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Home News Hiking for hope: Local man to walk from Alabama to Maine to fundraise for pediatric cancer research
Hiking for hope: Local man to walk from Alabama to Maine to fundraise for pediatric cancer research
by Neal Embry
Dan Sims will be hiking the Appalachian Trail, starting at Flagg Mountain in Alabama to Maine, beginning in January to raise money for childhood cancer research in honor of his daughter, Janie.
Photos by Erin Nelson.
Dan Sims holds out his phone with a photograph of a Christmas parade where his daughter, Janie, was escorted at the front in a horse-drawn carriage in the early 2000s.
When his daughter Janie died at the age of 5 after battling leukemia, Dan Sims dedicated the rest of his life to honoring her memory and raising money for pediatric cancer research.
That journey is now set to take him from Talladega to Maine, a 2,600-mile hike along the Appalachian Trail that he hopes will highlight the need for pediatric cancer research and provide millions of dollars in new funding.
Sims, a Vestavia Hills resident, said while he's taken part in marathons and hiked many miles before, this will be the longest hike he's ever done. But the journey will be worth it if he can help children like Janie, who died in 2003.
One year after he and Janie's mom welcomed twin boys that were 10 weeks premature, Janie was diagnosed with leukemia. She was treated for 15 months before passing away in 2003.
"It blindsided us," Sims said of the diagnosis.
Janie had been running a fever, so her parents took her to the doctor, who delivered an ominous message.
"Within 15 minutes (of doing blood work), they got really quiet and said, 'You need to go to the emergency room,'" Sims said.
The emergency room admitted them immediately, and they were quickly told Janie had leukemia.
"You're scared to death as a parent," Sims said.
Photo courtesy of Dan Sims.
Janie Sims died at age 5 after battling leukemia. She inspired her father Dan to hike in her honor to raise money for pediatric cancer research.
Treatment was not easy, as chemotherapy weakens the immune system in an effort to kill cancer cells without killing the patient, Sims said.
"It's like you're walking a tightrope 100 floors off the ground with no safety net," he said.
While Sims put on a brave face for Janie, walking through that time was gut-wrenching, he said.
"You keep a positive attitude for her," Sims said. "At the same time, you're being eaten alive from the inside."
Janie, though, never complained. She was, even while undergoing treatment, "fun to be around and easy to love," Sims said. She woke up with a smile on her face and genuinely enjoyed life.
"Right after Janie completed some of her early intense rounds of chemo she came home from the hospital and learned how to ride her bike without training wheels at 4 years old," Sims said. "She was up for horseback rides and was the first to get on the rollercoaster. Janie loved to sing in the car and Kenny Chesney songs were her favorite.
"She lived her life and did not let the cancer get in the way. Whatever challenges and hardships that I will endure on my 2,600 plus mile journey will pale in comparison to what Janie had to go through after her leukemia diagnosis," Sims said.
She was one of those people to whom other people naturally gravitated, he said. She, the middle child between the twin boys and her older sisters Haley and Anna, was the "glue" in the family, Sims said.
So when Sims began to prepare for next year's hike, he knew he could not let anything stop him from honoring his daughter.
"I don't care what obstacle, this is something I've got to do now," he said.
Going through his daughter's treatment prepared him for the journey that he plans to begin in January.
"There's so many parallels between going through cancer with a child and doing a thru hike," Sims said.
Like he'll have to do on the hike, Sims said he learned to do what he had to do to take care of his daughter.
Sims will start at Flagg Mountain, the beginning of the Pinhoti Trail that eventually connects to the Appalachian Trail through the Benton MacKaye Trail, adding 408 miles to get to about 2,600 total miles of hiking.
Sims will carry all of what he needs on his back and will have to make stops in towns along the way to reload. He's also going during winter, where the elements could be more of a threat. And 2,600 miles is a lot more than the 26 he has run in many marathons.
"It's not a marathon," Sims said. "It's 100 marathons. It's you and the elements."
Sims knows that parents who have gone through similar struggles may be able to find a commonality with him, and he hopes they'll donate, along with many others.
"You never forget another parent or child," Sims said.
If each of Alabama's roughly 5 million residents gave $2 to pediatric cancer research, that would mean $10 million toward the cause, Sims said.
"You've raised $10 million without blinking an eye," he said. "This is a lottery you can't lose."
Sims is starting by donating $2,000 out of his own pocket, which is symbolic because about 1,000 children are undergoing cancer treatment in the state right now, he said. He's giving $2 for each of them.
It's not possible to be fully prepared or fully trained for dealing with childhood leukemia, and the same goes for such a long hike, Sims said. He has watched videos and purchased equipment, but 99% of it is just getting out there and doing it, he said. Only about 20 to 25% of people who attempt to hike the entire Appalachian Trail make it, he said.
Just as his daughter stayed in not-so-comfy hospital rooms, the ground on the trail isn't always the softest landing spot either, he said.
Looking back on his time in the hospital, Sims said other families with sick children become like family, which is similar to the family hikers build on long trails like the Appalachian Trail.
"We trust our lives to strangers and then we call them family," Sims said. "No one does anything truly alone."
Sims knows his idea to raise $10 million for pediatric cancer research might be seen as crazy. But he's OK with that, because, as Steve Jobs once said in one of his favorite quotes, those are the kinds of people who make a difference.
"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes … the ones who see things differently — they're not fond of rules. … You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things. … They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do," Jobs said in 1997.
To give, visit Sim's GoFundMe at gofundme.com/f/alabama-pediatric-cancer-fundraiser.
Janie cancer Flagg Mountain pediatric cancer Appalachian Trail Dan Sims Benton MacKaye Trail leukemia Steve Jobs


The Miss Universe pageant is happening again in less than two weeks and we're already keeping our eyes peeled for announcements. The contestants have already arrived in Las Vegas and just today, the organization released the list of preliminary judges. This includes Filipino-American modeling agent Cecilio Asuncion.
Cecilio, better known as Cece, is the founder of Slay Model Management—the first transgender modeling agency in Los Angeles. He also appears in the Oxygen Network reality show Strut, which features Slay's models. The show also won a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Reality Program earlier this year.
The panel of judges will also include women's rights activist Morgan Deane, model scout Isabelle Lindblom, IDT Corp CEO Bill Pereira, sports host Megan Olivi, and Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam.
The Miss Universe 2017 pageant will happen on Nov. 26. We can't wait to see who the judges will pick to succeed last year's winner Iris Mittenaere.
Congratulations also to Cece for getting the chance to judge the pageant!


I hope your all enjoying your holidays, and have all got what you desire..
I will be turning the forums offline, to schedule a maintenance and to update the forum and prepare the forum for the new year.
If you are intending to promote anyone (Which i doubt, because its christmas day!) then i suggest you use a notepad and remember to log it once the forums are back up!
During the maintenance there will be several changes and fixes/additions to the board so stay tuned!
Enjoy your christmas, and happy holidays everyone!


Can you believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow? It seems like the month of November has flown by!
We aren't able to travel home for thanksgiving this year but luckily we have some great friends that invited us over for dinner! I was asked to bring the rolls, (ok more like I offered) but only because I have a great recipe that has been passed down to me by my mother and it's always a hit!
These are a perfect side dish for any special occasion meal and the fact that they are refrigerated, means you can make the dough the night before and then bake them fresh the next morning!
Click below to get the recipe and tutorial!
*When I made this recipe I used 1/2 wheat flour, which is why my dough may seem darker.
Step 1. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Sprinkling a little sugar over the top will help dissolve the yeast (about 1-2 tsp.) It should take about 10 min. for the yeast to dissolve.
Step 2. In a large bowl, combine 2 beaten eggs and 1/2 cup sugar. Then add 1 tsp of salt and 3/4 cup warm water.
Step 3. Add in 1/2 cup melted butter and the dissolved yeast, mix well.
Step 4. Begin to add the 4-1/2 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time (you may not need to use all of the flour).
When the dough begins to take shape tip in into a floured surface. Add any additional flour needed and knead dough for 5-10 min. Your finished dough ball should still be slightly sticky.
Step 5. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking oil. Cover & refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. (dough should double in size).
Step 6. Pound down the dough ball and separate into 2 pieces. Flour a large surface and roll out each ball into a large circle.
Step 8. Roll the dough into crescent shapes, start from the large end and work your way down.
Step 9. Grease a large baking sheet and arrange rolls on the pan. You should be able to fit all of your rolls on 1 pan, but make sure there is a little space in between each one (about 1/2"). Cover with a dish towel and let rise for about 1 to 1-1/2 hrs. Bake at 350 degrees F for approx. 10 min. or until the tops are slightly golden brown.
They look delicious! Have a happy Thanksgiving!
These look so good! I've been wanting to experiment with more homemade roll recipes - this will have to be one of them! Have a great Thanksgiving!
yum! I was really into making bread over the summer...and then the smell made me sick...lol...I think i am over than now!
They look perfect!! I can NOT believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow...yeay bring on the dysfunction ha!
Beautiful, easy and I´m sure terribly yummy!
Love from the north of Spain!
amazing! this recipe sounds delightful.
have a lovely thanksgiving with your friends!


For more than 30 years the Chas Everitt International Property Group has been a service driven real estate company with a committed national and international focus. We may have changed our logos during this time but not our focus on delivering memorable property experiences for both the international real estate investor as well as to South African property buyers and sellers. At Chas Everitt we are motivated by our client's feedback and our service driven teams look forward to earning your future recommendations that have proven to be the secret to our success.


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'There Is Still So Much Evil': Growing Anti-Semitism Stuns American Jews
November 1, 2018 — Suzan
From The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/29/us/anti-semitism-attacks.html
By Laurie Goodstein
Until recent years, many Jews in America believed that the worst of anti-Semitism was over there, in Europe, a vestige of the old country.
American Jews were welcome in universities, country clubs and corporate boards that once excluded their grandparents. They married non-Jews, moved into mixed neighborhoods and by 2000, the first Jew ran for vice president on a major party ticket.
So the massacre on Saturday of 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue, by a man who told the police when he surrendered that he "wanted all Jews to die," was for many a shocking wake-up call.
"This kind of evil makes me think of the Holocaust and how people can be so cruel, that there is so much evil in the world, still," said Moshe Taube, 91, a retired cantor from Congregation Beth Shalom in Pittsburgh and a survivor of the Holocaust.
But it did not come out of nowhere, said experts in anti-Semitism. At the same time that Jews were feeling unprecedented acceptance in the United States, the climate was growing increasingly hostile, intensifying in the two years since President Trump was elected. And it comes at a time when attacks on Jews are on the rise in Europe as well, with frequent anti-Semitic episodes in France and Germany.
The hate in the United States came into full view last year as white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Va., with lines of men carrying torches and chanting, "Jews will not replace us."
Swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti have been cropping up on synagogues and Jewish homes around the country. Jews online are subjected to vicious slurs and threats. Many synagogues and Jewish day schools have been amping up security measures.
The Anti-Defamation League logged a 57 percent rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States in 2017, compared to the previous year — including bomb threats, assaults, vandalism, and anti-Semitic posters and literature found on college campuses.
A spokesman for the Anti-Defamation League said that before Saturday's shooting, the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in recent United States history was in 1985, when a man killed a family of four in Seattle. He had mistakenly thought they were Jewish.
There was also an attack by a white supremacist on a Jewish Community Center filled with children in Los Angeles in 1999 that injured five. More recently, in 2014, a white supremacist opened fire outside a Jewish Community Center in a suburb of Kansas City, Mo., killing three people.
"I'm not a Chicken Little who's always yelling, 'It's worse than it's ever been!' But now I think it's worse than it's ever been," said Deborah E. Lipstadt, a professor of Holocaust history at Emory University in Atlanta and the author of a planned book on anti-Semitism.
Ms. Lipstadt said she did not wish to be seen as alarmist, because in some ways "things have never been better" for Jews in America.
But she likened anti-Semitism to a herpes infection that lies dormant and re-emerges at times of stress. It does not go away, no matter how "acculturated" Jews have become in America, because "it's a conspiracy theory," said Ms. Lipstadt, whose win at trial against a Holocaust denier in England was portrayed in the 2016 movie "Denial."
Continue reading at: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/29/us/anti-semitism-attacks.html
Posted in Uncategorized. Comments Off on 'There Is Still So Much Evil': Growing Anti-Semitism Stuns American Jews
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: Press releases & position papers
: MIFEE
Foreign investment (1)
Forests & forest fires (1)
Land and food security (3)
Plantations (3)
Politics & democracy (1)
Home › Publications › Publication: Press releases & position papers ›
Indonesia's Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) project is clearing land and destroying the traditional livelihoods of indigenous Malind and other groups in southern Papua.
Launched in August 2010, MIFEE involves the conversion of a vast area of land, including forests and peatlands, into plantations growing food, energy and other crops. Workers are expected to be brought to Merauke to meet the demand for labour. [more]
Map of Merauke showing investors' concessions
Save the Malind and the Forests of Papua: Stop the MIFEE Megaproject
Indonesian and International Civil Society Statement on MIFEE policy
The attached statement, translated by DTE, was distributed in Geneva at an International Consultation on Papua.
Starvation and poverty in Indonesia: civil society organisations appeal for suspension of MIFEE project in Papua pending redress for local communities
Forest Peoples Programme, Pusaka, Sawit Watch, Down to Earth
Press Information, September 2nd, 2013
A PDF version is attached at the end of this page
Journalist's death overshadows launch of Papua food project
Press release - Tapol and Down to Earth
11 August 2010 - The death of a local journalist has increased concerns about a giant food estate, which according to reports is being officially launched today in Merauke, Southeastern Papua by Indonesia's Minister and Vice Minister of Agriculture.
TAPOL and Down to Earth, the International Campaign for Ecological Justice in Indonesia are calling for a moratorium on the food project, known as MIFEE (Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate) until independent assessments of the political, economic, socio-cultural, environmental and gender impacts of the project have been undertaken.


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Ex-Goa RSS chief unveils 'Goa Files' on atrocities by Portuguese colonists
Ex-Goa RSS chief unveils 'Goa Files' on atrocities by Portuguese colonists. -- IANS
Panaji, May 3 (IANS) Days after questioning the relevance of Spanish priest St. Francis Xavier as the patron saint of Goa, former state RSS chief Subhash Velingkar on Tuesday unveiled the 'Goa Files', underscoring the atrocitis committed by the Portuguese colonists during the colonial era.
The 'Goa Files' essentially contains photographs and documents depicting the atrocities carried out by the Portuguese on the people of Goa.
Velingkar, who now heads the Hindu Raksha Maha Aghadi, also said that while he is not against Goa's Catholic community, a section of the society is suffering from 'Stockholm Syndrome' due to the reported abuse suffered during the colonial regime, especially during the inquisition, which was requisitioned by Xavier.
"How can I call a person 'Patron saint of Goa' or 'Goencho Saib', because of whom our forefathers suffered? Xavier helped the Portuguese commit atrocities against Goans… How he can be referred to as 'Goencho Saib'," Velingkar questioned, while releasing the 'Goa Files' here.
Velingkar also said that he wants to bring the history of such atrocities before the people of Goa during the 20-day campaign launched by his association.
"We will continue to make people aware of the atrocities carried out by Xavier," he said.
Velingkar also said that some forces, namely some politicians and priests, are involved in dividing Hindu-Catholic unity, which should not happen.
"We (Hindus and Christians) should come together and unite on the lines of nationality. At many places, our traditions are the same. Our forefathers were the same," Velingkar said.
Velingkar's recent public statements in the build up to Tuesday's event, about atrocities committed during the Portuguese rule and questioning the credentials of St. Francis Xavier, had triggered a controversy, with politicians, priests and a section of the civil society criticising the ex-Goa RSS chief.
Velingkar had said that Sage Parshuram, who is claimed to have created the land of Goa, and not Xavier should be regarded as the patron saint of the region.
Former Chief Minister Churchill Alemao and ex-minister Micky Pacheco have already lodged a police complaint against Velingkar for his statements.
"I feel that Parshuram should be recognised as the patron saint of the state and we will work towards achieving this goal," Velingkar said.
Speaking to reporters, Velingkar also said that there is a need to produce a film by the name Goa Files' to show the atrocities carried out by the Portuguese colonists.
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You have probably been hearing this a lot, but i'm going to say it anyway.... I can't believe it is March already! Gosh time is really passing fast and before we know it i'm an old grandma. Lol. So make sure you use up most of your time wisely daily, not let it go to waste. Well I kinda did that and now I regret doing that. Anyways lets jump into Vanity Trove's March Edition Beauty Box.
See Vanity Trove's February Box here.
This would be my second time receiving a beauty box from Vanity Trove and I'm still loving the design of the box. For me when I look at the box I think of elegance, sophistication, and classy.
Sensiplus Hydrasilk Gel Tonic from ETRE BELLE.
Sensiplus Hydrasilk Day and Night Cream from ETRE BELLE.
Provides natural coverage and shine-free appearance with its SPF20 PA++ powder formula. Unlike some of the powder foundation that gives a cakey finish and a visible thick layer of powder foundation, Kanebo's Skin Fusing P. F. blends and melts into your skin when applied. This smoohens the uneven surfaces and gives a dewy and radiant complexion.
Unfortunately the shade too dark for me, would probably use this as a face contour/light bronzer.
Made from natural flowers, fruits and food essences, that will not only moisturise but improve firmness overtime. The lotion has a very delicate ginger scent, so delicate that it doesn't really smell like ginger to me.
Strangely, there's no description of this sample in the catalog.
Firstly I would like to thank Vanity Trove for sponsoring their Temptress Seduction Box to review. Although this box was sponsored to me, I am going to give my honest opinion for the sake of ethics.
As much as I was happy with the February Box, I've got to say that I'm quite disappointed with the March box. I still love their customer service, their box design, etc, but what's lacking here it's the products given in the box. I've mentioned before in the February's blog post that Vanity Trove would be a pretty good beauty box if at least one full sized product (high-end brands) was given as RM60.00 is not cheap at all.
I was just having a conversation with my girl friend earlier today regarding beauty boxes in Malaysia. To her understanding, samples should be given out for free unless they are giving travel sized products, not samples. I have to say that I agree with that statement. I really hope that Vanity Trove would WOW me again like the February's Box.
If you like what you see then SUBSCRIBE to them!
goes towards redeeming a complimentary trove!
3) Receive the troves hand-delivered to you and enjoy the beautiful surprises within it!
Try and share it with your beauty buddies.
wow. nowadays getting trendy all these box thing.
Join Mr. Lens Affiliate Program!


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Incidence of Colorectal Cancer Increasing in Young Adults
Younger population more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease, authors say
The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) among young adults (20 to 39 years of age) has increased during the past 20 to 30 years despite declining rates of CRC for the U.S. population overall, according to findings published in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology.
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, analyzed 231,544 cases from 1988–2009 (including 5,617 young adults) from the California Cancer Registry. They assessed age-specific incidence rates of CRC by race/ethnicity, gender, and colorectal tumor location, and calculated the biannual percent change (BAPC) to monitor the change in incidence over the 22-year study period.
The study population was predominantly Caucasian (71%), but also included Hispanics (12%), Asian/Pacific Islanders (10%), and African Americans (7%). The mean age of all study participants at diagnosis was 69 years.
CRC is uncommon in people younger than 50 years of age. Among older adults, screening to detect and remove precancerous polyps has largely contributed to declining CRC rates for the U.S. population as a whole.
In the new study, however, the authors found significant increases in CRC incidence among the 20–29 year and 30–39 year age groups. The data also showed a greater CRC risk for certain racial groups, and differences in tumor location and stage at diagnosis, for young adults compared with individuals 50 years of age and older.
Despite a low CRC incidence, both male and female young adults (aged 20 to 29 years and 30 to 39 years) had a significantly increased BAPC in the incidence of CRC.
The absolute incidence of CRC among adults aged 20 to 29 years ranged from 0.7 (African-American females and Hispanic females) to 1.2 (Asian/Pacific Islander males) per 100,000. Among young adults aged 30 to 39 years, the absolute incidence of CRC ranged from 3.4 (Hispanic females) to 5.0 (Asian/Pacific Islander males) per 100,000.
CRC incidence rates varied widely by tumor subsite, race/ethnicity, and age. Of note, the greatest observed biannual percentage changes were for distal colon cancer among Hispanic females aged 20to 29 years (BAPC: +15.9%; P = 0.042) and Hispanic males aged 30 to 39 years (BAPC: +10.4%, P < 0.001). Large BAPC increases were also observed among Hispanic females aged 20 to 29 years for rectal cancer (+10.5%) and among Caucasian males aged 20 to 29 years for rectal cancer (+9.4%).
The authors concluded that the incidence of CRC among young adults is low in terms of absolute incidence, but is increasing over time. They also found that CRC in young adults (a largely unscreened population) was more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage and therefore less likely to be cured.
Sources: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.; January 23, 2015; and JAYAO; December 15, 2014.
Report: Cancer Mortality Rate Continues to Drop in U.S.
CDC Report: Diabetes on the Rise Among Children, Teens
Report: Uninsured Adolescents and Young Adults More Likely to Be Diagnosed With Advanced Cancer
CDC Analysis: HIV Cases Decline for Black Women, Increase for Gay Men
Report: African-Americans, Hispanics, Older Americans Not Benefiting Equally From Improvements in Colon Cancer Treatment


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Bruce Lombard Prepares Penn Staters For The NFL Through MMA
By Jon Deasy
When you think of training in the NFL, the first things that may come to mind are long days in the weight room, benching countless reps, and grueling squats. For most NFL players, this is true. However, Titan Fitness & Martial Arts has found the key to success in helping athletes reach the top of their game, and it doesn't include one single free weight.
Paul Zelinka and Bruce Lombard, the two leaders behind Titan Fitness, have been innovating MMA training to fit a specific regiment that appeals to numerous athletes. Deep within the corner of LionHeart Fitness, Titan Fitness has diligently been helping players such as John Urschel, DaQuan Jones, Nate Stupar, and now Sam Ficken realize their dreams of making it in the NFL.
Originally the State College Martial Arts Academy, Titan Fitness began operating under its new name in 2003 with an emphasis on specific MMA techniques and elements.
Bruce Lombard, one of the head instructors of Titan Fitness, began his fight in 1991 after he picked up Jeet Kune Do, the original form of Mixed Martial Arts. It wasn't until 2001 when he began instructing alongside Zelinka.
"I played sports all my life and my dad was a coach, but I really found my start in 1994 when I moved to State College," Lombard said.
Once established, Titan Fitness primarily focused on the specific form of Mixed Martial Arts known as Jeet Kune Do, but as time progressed, both Zelinka and Lombard began to tweak their training methods to appeal to the changing times. Nowadays, all styles of MMA fighting, ranging from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to women's kickboxing to Krav Maga, are taught by Titan Fitness.
To help appeal to the growing UFC trend, Zelinka helped Lombard establish Lombard MMA, now a branch of Titan Fitness. "Prior to 2008, I was doing a lot of personal lessons, but Paul allowed me to start my own separate brand in Mixed Martial Arts," Lombard said.
Through this brand, Lombard has helped shaped the careers of numerous Penn State athletes.
In 2012, Penn State's Strength and Conditioning Coach Craig Fitzgerald realized the intensity and potential within MMA training and decided to incorporate the same techniques into a football workout. Under Bill O'Brien, Fitzgerald began using Lombard's instructions to ensure the team would be faster, stronger, and more aggressive on the gridiron.
Players were put through rigorous training and developed new grappling and punching techniques to help them improve their game. Their preparation emphasized Wing Chun, an element of Geet Kun Do that focuses on the immobilization of limbs, a core skill to have regardless of a player's position on the field.
"Not only do we get them in great physical condition, but there's certain MMA movements and elements that you use in football. From a blocking standpoint, you learn how to punch faster and harder. On the defensive line side, we show them how to quicken their hands and footwork," Lombard noted.
When Bill O'Brien left to coach for the Texans, Fitzgerald decided to take Titan Fitness's MMA training techniques to the NFL. However, Lombard remained in State College. Since then, James Franklin and his staff have continued to use similar methods that O'Brien and Fitzgerald originally brought into the program.
After realizing the beneficial impact this training regiment has on a football player, both Urschel and now Ficken continue to train individually with Lombard.
Urschel realized the full effectiveness of Lombard's training program after he received praise from Coach John Harbough during the Raven's mini-camp.
"The MMA elements combine a cardiovascular endurance you might get from various running and agility drills, while at the same time provide a muscular endurance that's completely different from lifting weights," Urschel said.
As an NFL player, Urschel works out once in the morning and once in the afternoon. However, he firmly pointed out that Lombard's workout is the more challenging and rigorous of the two.
"Bruce is my number one reason for training here in State College during the offseason. After the combine, he got me in the best shape of my life," Urschel said.
On the other end of the spectrum is Sam Ficken. Obviously, his and Urschel's roles on the football field are completely different, yet Ficken goes through the same workout that Urschel does.
"This is probably the most taxing workout you can do," Ficken said when asked how the workouts are preparing him for the NFL Combine. "The kickboxing works the core, hip flexors, and quads, so every bit of that correlates to kicking the football. It's more technical to what I'm trying to do."
Although Ficken has only spent a small portion of his training regiment with Lombard, he is hopeful that it will help him with his kicking distance and the further development of his leg muscles.
"This is more dynamic stuff. Normally I do one-legged squats, power cleans, and olympic lifts, but this gives me the full range of everything," Ficken said. With the combination of the two workouts, Ficken is confident his training regiment will make him a better player in the long-run.
Aside from preparing notable Penn Staters for the NFL, Titan Fitness is quickly able to shift its focus to other training regiments, such as women's kickboxing or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Not only is Lombard confident in his training regiments, but he believes you don't have to be a star-studded athlete to partake in them. In fact, any student can sign up whenever they like and take every lesson offered.
"The best cross training for any sport is MMA, whether you're a swimmer, football, basketball, or soccer player," Lombard said. "If you want to get in the best shape of your life, this is the training program to get you in shape both muscularly and cardiovascularly."
The workouts aren't just for NFL players and hopefuls. Kappa Kappa Gamma partakes in Titan Fitness' women's kickboxing course three days a week. After realizing a good opportunity to work together, as well as help them become more fit, the sorority is now in its fourth week of kickboxing lessons.
"It's a different to change to what you would usually do at the gym, it's a harder workout than just running on the treadmill," senior Monica Shterenberg said. "Plus, it's nice having an actual instructor helping you get more fit."
Given the prevalence of sexual assault on campus lately, the ability to defend yourself can give anyone a peace of mind. Although physical fitness is a goal, Lombard said, "these girls come here to learn how to protect themselves. The confidence in the back of their mind knowing they can protect themselves can be reassuring."
Of course, Lombard loves training students, but he also realizes the other priorities in students' lives.
As a student was walking out of the gym, Lombard asked if he was coming back later in the week, to which the student hesitantly referenced his midterm exam schedule. Lombard quickly understood and noted school is always the first priority.
With an emphasis on fitness, Lombard hopes to have a profound impact on the local community.
A big Penn State football fan, he remains loyal to Titan Fitness and State College. Eventually, he would like to see his MMA instructions used by numerous NFL teams like the Houston Texans, but he still receives the same amount of gratification training those with a simple desire to become fit.
Whether he or she is trying to achieve a dream of making it as a professional athlete or just simply to get in shape, anyone who takes any of Lombard's courses can expect the best fitness instruction in State College.
"I think it's valuable for any athlete, as well as any normal person. It's the best type of training to lose weight, develop strength, and mental confidence for any single person," said Lombard.
Jon Deasy
is a senior majoring in criminology from the Steel City. You can find him at the Rathskeller on a Saturday or in the library at four in the morning. He plans to attend law school in the future and enjoys writing about college kids committing the most comical crimes in State College. When he's not busy, he's aimlessly staring at his Twitter, @jon_deasy. You can reach him via email at [email protected]
Other posts by Jon
Cherish The Little Things: Jon Deasy's Senior Column
How do you sum up four years of life changing experiences into one column? You can't, but I can leave you with one piece of advice: cherish the little things.
Better Know A Bar: Chrome Liquor Lounge
Student Punches Landlord In Attempt To Get Out Of Lease
https://onwardstate.com/2015/02/18/bruce-lombard-prepares-penn-staters-for-the-nfl-through-mma/


Global Custodian looks at some of the key challenges facing market infrastructures and financial institutions in a CSDR landscape.
The introduction of regulations such as CSDR, UCITS and AIFMD have led to divisions in asset segregation according to an industry expert.
CSDR received initial European parliament approval in 2014 and certain provisions are under discussion.
Forthcoming CSDR regulation may lead to inconsistencies with other legislation.


This classic two story home with a basement that is ready to be finished offers relaxed living that is move in ready . The property is located on a flat lot right next to the fairgrounds and minutes from the schools. Did I mention the oversized 1 car detached garage? The entire home has been tastefully renovated by the current owners. You won't see a deal like this come on the market everyday so make an appointment today to make this home yours.


Linear statistical regression models such as simple, polynomial, multiple and multivariate linear regressions.
Least Squares learning algorithm for linear regression models.
Simple Linear Regression of the form y = Ax + B.
Common interface for Linear Regression Models.


HCM CITY— Women from across the country have been invited to take part in Miss Ocean Vietnam 2017, an event to encourage environmental protection.
The contest will feature women aged 18 to 35 who are high school graduates and at least 1.65 metres tall.
The organisers of the beauty event said they had invited a group of experts in the field to select 30 candidates for the contest's final round in Phan Thiết City.
At the semifinals scheduled in early September, the contestants will compete in the categories of talent, swimsuit, and question-and-answer sessions.
They will also take part in social and charity activities to encourage people, particularly youth, to protect the environment and promote the country's sea tourism.
American stylist Henri Hubert, who has more than 35 years of experience in fashion, and his staff of Vietnamese designers and models will help lead the contestants during the event.
The final night will take place on October 27 at the outdoor theatre Fishermen's Show in Phan Thiết.
The winner will receive gifts worth VNĐ3 billion (nearly US$ 132,000).
The contest's selective rounds will begin in April in Hà Nội and HCM City.


text:
Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance inaugural annual report, 2014
This is the inaugural report for PAEDS (Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance), a hospital -based active surveillance system for select serious paediatric conditions of public health importance. PAEDS has a focus on monitoring vaccine preventable diseases and adverse events following immunisation and in 2014 included surveillance for: acute flaccid paralysis; encephalitis; febrile seizures; influenza; intussusception; pertussis; and varicella and zoster.
Yvonne A Zurynski, Jocelynne E McRae, Helen E Quinn, Nicholas J Wood, Kristine K Macartney on behalf of the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance network
Introduction: The Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS) network is a hospital-based active surveillance system employing prospective case ascertainment of selected uncommon vaccine preventable diseases and potential adverse events following immunisation (AEFI). PAEDS enhances other Australian surveillance systems by providing prospective detailed clinical and laboratory data for the same child.
Methods: Specialist surveillance nurses screen hospital admissions, emergency department records, laboratory and other data, to prospectively identify hospitalised children aged under 15 years in 5 paediatric tertiary referral hospitals in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. Standardised protocols and case definitions are used across all sites. Conditions under surveillance include vaccine preventable diseases: acute flaccid paralysis, varicella, pandemic and seasonal influenza and pertussis, and potential AEFIs: febrile seizures and intussusception. PAEDS also conducts surveillance for acute childhood encephalitis.
Results: Since August 2007, PAEDS has recruited a total of 6,227 hospitalised cases in total, for all conditions. From January to December 2014, there were 1,220 cases recruited across all conditions. Key outcomes include: enhanced acute flaccid paralysis surveillance to reach World Health Organization targets; supporting varicella and influenza vaccination in children; confirmation of a known low risk of febrile seizures following the 1st dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine but no increased risk of febrile seizures after measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine, and a slightly increased risk of developing intussusception 1–7 days after rotavirus vaccination in infants aged less than 3 months. Acute childhood encephalitis data facilitated rapid investigation and response to the enterovirus 71 outbreak in 2013–2014.
Conclusions: PAEDS provides unique policy-relevant data. This is the first of planned PAEDS annual reports to Communicable Diseases Intelligence. Commun Dis Intell 2016;40(3):E391–E400.
Keywords: hospital-based; surveillance; immunisation
In 2007, the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (APSU) and a network of experts in immunisation and infectious diseases joined forces to develop a hospital-based active surveillance system: Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS).1 PAEDS provides important data on vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) and adverse events following immunisation (AEFI), which are sufficiently severe to result in hospitalisation or emergency department presentation for select conditions, and difficult to adequately capture through passive surveillance mechanisms. PAEDS enables timely, prospective case identification and ascertainment, collection of detailed clinical data, medical and vaccination history, and biological samples from the same child.1 For conditions where longer term outcomes are relevant, patients may be followed up after discharge from hospital.
Initially, 4 hospitals participated: The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales; the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria; the Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia; and the Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth, Western Australia. In 2013, the Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, joined PAEDS; this hospital moved and amalgamated in 2014 and is now the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital. Each of the 5 participating states' health departments now also contribute funding to support activities and PAEDS currently produces monthly data reports for all funding bodies and collaborators. The 5 paediatric hospitals have an estimated 148,920 admissions per annum (Table 1), representing approximately 72% of all admissions (~204,431) to tertiary hospitals providing specialist paediatric services in Australia.2
Table 1: Total hospital admissions and emergency department presentations for the 5 hospitals participating in Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance in 2014
Emergency department presentations
Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney
Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide
Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth
Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, Brisbane
PAEDS is a separate surveillance mechanism from the APSU which relies on passive reporting from paediatricians.
In August 2007, PAEDS began surveillance of 4 conditions, including 2 VPDs and 2 AEFIs of public health and clinical interest: acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), hospitalised varicella, intussusception (IS) and seizures in infants (Table 2). PAEDS also conducted active prospective surveillance for febrile seizures (FS) following measles-containing vaccines from 2013 to 2014, under funding by the Australian Government Department of Health as part of the vaccine safety plan for the introduction of measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine to the National Immunisation Program (NIP). MMRV vaccine was associated with an increased risk of FS when used as the 1st dose of a measles-containing vaccine in the United States of America.3 A retrospective review of FS (from January 2012 to April 2013) to investigate the risk of FS post-MMR (dose 1) and varicella vaccine was also conducted.4
Table 2: Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance conditions under surveillance, case definitions and rationale, 2007–2014
Condition and case definition
Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP)
(2007 – ongoing)
Case definition:
Any child aged up to 15 years and presenting with acute flaccid paralysis: onset of flaccid paralysis in one or more limbs or acute onset of bulbar paralysis.
The World Health Organization requires active national surveillance for cases of AFP in children aged <15 years in order to monitor for potential cases of paralytic poliomyelitis. Because of long-standing problems in obtaining adequate reporting and stool collection rates (at least 1/100,000 AFP cases in children <15 years of age and collection of 2 stool specimens within 14 days of onset of paralysis in all identified cases), AFP was considered as a priority condition for inclusion in Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS). PAEDS collects ~77% of all AFP cases identified annually in Australia.
Any child aged <24 months presenting with a diagnosis of acute intussusception confirmed on air/liquid contrast enema or surgery (i.e. based on Level 1 of Diagnostic Certainty using the Brighton Collaboration clinical case definition). Includes hospitalised or emergency department only.5
From May 2013 the case definition age changed to <9 months.
Intussusception is the most common cause of bowel obstruction in infants and young children and was associated with a previous rotavirus vaccine withdrawn from the United States of America in 1999. Timely, active and systematic surveillance of intussusception cases has been important to identify any temporal association with the 'new generation' rotavirus vaccines funded under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) from July 2007. Surveillance also aims to describe the epidemiology, aetiology and severity of intussusception.
Varicella and zoster hospitalisations
Any child aged 1 month to < 15 years hospitalised for varicella-zoster virus infection with or without complications.
Varicella vaccination was funded under the NIP from late 2005. Complications of varicella requiring hospitalisation provide a measure of disease burden and severity. Ongoing surveillance may show trends in both varicella and herpes zoster related to the varicella vaccination program and allow vaccine effectiveness estimations. The timely collection of vesicle samples and genetic subtyping of varicella-zoster virus allows for identification of vaccine failures in immunised children and genotypes associated with severe complications.
(August 2007–2008)
Any child aged 1 to <8 months who presents with seizures and meets the following criteria: first seizure presentation AND there is no identifying trauma (e.g. head injury) AND the hospital stay is 4 hours or more.
Infants presenting with seizures in the first 8 months of life are of interest because seizures are a recognised potential serious adverse event following vaccination. Surveillance for infantile seizures provides an opportunity to describe the temporal relationship between seizures and recent vaccination.
This surveillance was discontinued in 2008, in part due to the difficulty of applying the case definition in young infants, in whom the presentation of seizures can be complex to diagnose.
Febrile seizures following measles-containing vaccines
(May 2013 – June 2014)
Any child aged <5 years who presents with a seizure that fulfils the Brighton Collaboration case definition for a seizure AND occurs within 48 hours of an inactivated vaccine and/or 14 days of a live attenuated vaccine AND is associated with fever documented either by a parent and/or health provider.
Use of measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) combination vaccine as the first dose of measles-containing vaccine in the United States of America was found to double the risk of fever and febrile seizures in children aged 12–23 months in the 5–12 days after vaccination (when compared with children who received MMR and varicella vaccines as separate injections).3 In July 2013, MMRV vaccine was included on the NIP as the 2nd dose of measles-containing vaccine. Surveillance (retrospective and prospective) for febrile seizures following MMR, varicella and then MMRV vaccine was conducted to determine the risk of febrile seizures occurring after each vaccine as used under the Australian NIP.
Any child aged birth to 15 years (ineligible as of 15th birthday) admitted to hospital with laboratory-confirmed pertussis.
Despite immunisation coverage approaching 90% (for the 3 primary doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine in pre-school children), pertussis continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality in Australian children.6 The aims of this surveillance are to determine the burden of disease from hospitalised pertussis, with special emphasis on the duration of hospitalisation, use of intensive care, death and disability. The contribution of comorbidities to the severity of pertussis and possible sources of infection will also be examined. This surveillance data will assist in optimising pertussis prevention strategies.
Influenza – pandemic
(June–October 2009)
Any child aged <15 years at the time of diagnosis of influenza confirmed by laboratory testing, and admitted to hospital.
Children may suffer severe complications from influenza, including encephalopathy, myocarditis and rhabdomyolysis. Timely detailed data describing pre-existing risk factors, presentation, clinical course and outcome in children hospitalised with influenza, including H1N1-09, were lacking. Such data were needed to inform vaccination policy and clinical practice, as well as to assess the effectiveness of outbreak response measures.
Influenza – FluCAN
(April–October each year. Commenced 2014)
Any hospitalised child aged <18 years who presents with suspected influenza (respiratory symptoms +/– fever) who is positive for influenza by polymerase chain reaction.
The emergence of H1N1-09 influenza in 2009 demonstrated the importance of enhanced surveillance in children.7 PAEDS provides unique timely sentinel data from 2 sites (Sydney and Perth) on influenza hospitalisations including complications and deaths, which can be used to inform public health response and policy. The data on children supplements adult influenza surveillance data collected by the other 15 sites under the FluCAN network. Information on influenza test negative (control) patients with acute respiratory illness is also collected and allows calculation of vaccine effectiveness to be performed.
Acute childhood encephalitis
Any child aged <15 years AND hospitalised with acute encephalopathy AND who has one or more of the following: fever, seizures, focal neurological findings, at least one abnormality of cerebrospinal fluid, or EEG/neuroimaging findings consistent with infection-related encephalitis.
Encephalitis is a critical condition that requires hospitalisation and is considered a marker syndrome for emerging infectious diseases. It is most often caused by viruses (including those that are or potentially will be vaccine preventable). It can also be immune-mediated, and uncommonly can be associated with vaccine receipt. Although a potentially preventable cause of mortality and morbidity in children, there are limited epidemiologic data on encephalitis. PAEDS is uniquely placed to undertake active, syndromic surveillance with the additional capacity to collect biological specimens and enrol participants into comprehensive follow-up studies to improve understanding of long-term neuropsychological sequelae.8
PAEDS also conducted surveillance for children aged under 15 years with laboratory proven influenza during the influenza pandemic who were hospitalised during the period June to October 2009. This was funded by an National Health and Medical Research Council grant (no.633028) and supplemented by additional funding from the NSW Ministry of Health, enabling recruitment of influenza cases at 2 additional hospitals in New South Wales: John Hunter Children's Hospital, Newcastle and the Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick.7 The protocol and data collection forms were developed quickly by adapting the existing APSU protocol.9
From 2014, active prospective surveillance for influenza has been resumed at 2 PAEDS sites (Sydney and Perth) in collaboration with the Influenza Complications Alert Network (FluCAN) surveillance system, established in multiple adult and general hospitals.10,11 Surveillance for acute childhood encephalitis also commenced in 2014 following a successful pilot study in New South Wales in 2013.8
In this report we summarise data collected by PAEDS between 2007 and 2014, with emphasis on the impacts and outcomes of surveillance and their potential usefulness to inform clinical practice and policy. We also provide a detailed report of surveillance data for the year 2014, with a view to providing annual surveillance reports in Communicable Diseases Intelligence each year.
Active case ascertainment
Under PAEDS, specialist surveillance nurses in each hospital identified children aged less than 15 years diagnosed with the target conditions as defined in Table 2, by reviewing admission and emergency department databases and clinical records, laboratory results and/or infection control logs (Figure). Relationship-building and networking with medical and nursing staff in each hospital enhances prospective case identification.
Figure: Overview of Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance methods in the participating 5 sites*
Text version of Figure (TXT 1 KB)
* Participating sites are 5 sites: Children's Hospital at Westmead (Sydney), Royal Children's Hospital (Melbourne), Women's and Children's Hospital (Adelaide), Princess Margaret Hospital (Perth), Lady Cilento Children's Hospital (Brisbane)
Ethics permission was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committees at each of the 5 hospitals. The initial model was based on consent being obtained from parents or guardians, after which detailed data were extracted from the clinical record, with data collection enhanced by interviewing the family.1 In 2014, PAEDS moved to a 'no consent' model using de-identified data. By early 2015 all sites obtained ethics approval for reporting on de-identified data from clinical records, without the need to obtain written consent; families are provided with information sheets and written consent is still sought where information not collected in the medical record as part of best clinical practice is required from the family.
To check for completeness of case ascertainment, PAEDS nurses at each site conduct regular retrospective audits of medical records by searching for primary and secondary International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) codes describing the relevant conditions (e.g. K56.1 for intussusception and BO1/BO2 and subcategories for varicella infection). Cases ascertained through the medical records audits were compared with the cases ascertained by PAEDS for the same period. Any additional cases identified by the ICD-10-AM audit process were retrospectively recruited into PAEDS.
Collection of biological samples
Surveillance nurses facilitated collection of 2 stool samples within 14 days of onset of paralysis from children hospitalised with AFP. These samples were sent to the Australian National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory in Melbourne for identification of enteroviruses.12 Residual samples from vesicle scrapings obtained from children admitted for varicella or herpes zoster were collected and sent to the Institute for Clinical Pathology and Medical Research at Westmead Hospital in Sydney for genotyping of varicella-zoster virus. Stool samples from children with IS were analysed in local diagnostic laboratories for the presence of rotavirus (including vaccine-derived types), adenovirus and enterovirus. Residual specimens from children hospitalised with acute encephalitis were also collected and tested for unknown pathogens. Laboratory results for cases of influenza, pertussis and encephalitis were also collected and recorded in the PAEDS database.
Data management and communication
Originally, a purpose-built Microsoft Access database was developed by APSU and deployed to participating hospitals. Since 2013, PAEDS adopted the database 'WebSpirit',13 which enables online data entry by surveillance nurses at each site. Data are held securely and exported on a regular basis by staff at the PAEDS coordinating centre for clinical review, quality checks, analysis and reporting. Communication is facilitated by joint monthly teleconferences of all PAEDS investigators and nurses, as well as monthly nurse teleconferences. Detailed review of protocols and study outcomes occurs at an annual face-to-face meeting, which also facilitates planning for the introduction of new conditions into PAEDS.
From August 2007 to December 2014, PAEDS collected data on 6,227 cases of the conditions under surveillance (Table 3). Data on an additional 284 control cases (influenza test-negative acute respiratory illness cases) were collected under FluCAN surveillance. Key results and impacts of surveillance for all conditions for 2007 to 2014 are summarised in Table 4.
Table 3: Cases ascertained through the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance system, August 2007 to December 2014
Period of surveillance
Cases ascertained (n)
* Retrospective surveillance for febrile seizures was conducted using hospital discharge data (ICD-10-AM coding).4
† Children's Hospital at Westmead (Sydney) from 1 May 2013 and all Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance sites progressively from 1 January 2014.
‡ Children's Hospital at Westmead (Sydney) and Princess Margaret Hospital (Perth) sites only.
§ 284 hospitalised control cases were also recruited.
August 2007 – December 2014 299
Seizures in infants aged 1–9 months
August 2007 – October 2008 126
Febrile seizures*
May 2013 – June 2014 (prospective) 1,701
January 2012 – April 2013 (retrospective) 2,013
Pandemic influenza
June 2009 – September 2009 601 total (529 pandemic H1N1)
January 2012 – December 2014 201
Acute childhood encephalitis†
May 2013 – December 2014 140
Influenza (FluCAN)‡
April 2014 – October 2014 284§
Total for all conditions
Table 4: Key Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance results and impacts, 2007 to 2014
Results and impacts
* The Polio Expert Panel is a subcommittee of the Communicable Diseases Network Australia. Results of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance are published annually in Communicable Diseases Intelligence.
† Although the World Health Organization requires 2 stool samples within 2 weeks of paralysis and at least 24 hours apart, this target is rarely reached in developing countries.24
Cases reported to the Polio Expert Panel* for review; at least 1 stool sample collected in 72% of cases†
The World Health Organization (WHO) surveillance target reached12
Surveillance contributes to Australia fulfilling polio-free status, as certified by the WHO
Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS) contributed cases to the WHO surveillance effort for Guillain-Barré syndrome (identified as a potential adverse event following immunisation following pandemic influenza vaccination)14
Varicella and zoster
Number of hospitalised varicella cases has reduced since the introduction of vaccination onto the National Immunisation Program (NIP)13
Most hospitalised cases not vaccinated against varicella15
Varicella-zoster virus genotyping conducted to monitor for presence of wild and vaccine type strains15
First global study demonstrating that infants aged <3 months had a slightly increased risk of developing intussusception 1–7 days after the 1st dose of the new rotavirus vaccines.16 Results confirmed by additional Australian and global studies.17
Informed ongoing risk–benefit analysis for vaccine program, and information for parents and providers on rotavirus vaccine safety developed
Ongoing surveillance contributes to maintaining public confidence in rotavirus vaccines
Analysis showed known low risk of febrile seizures post measles-mumps-rubella dose 1, but no increased risk of febrile seizures post monovalent varicella vaccine
Preliminary analysis to 2013–2014 shows no increased risk of febrile seizures for measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) under the NIP (where MMRV is used as the 2nd measles-containing vaccine dose) 18
Affirmed safety profile of MMRV as used under the Australian NIP
Pandemic influenza (2009 only)
Approximately 30% of children admitted to hospital with pandemic influenza were previously healthy, while the remainder had a chronic disorder that predisposed them to infection
Only 17% of children who had a chronic disorder making them more vulnerable to influenza infection had been vaccinated against influenza7
Named in the National Health and Medical Research Council's 10 of the Best Projects for 2013 (grant number: 633028 under the 2009 Urgent Call for Research on H1N1 Influenza 09 to Inform Public Policy)
(in collaboration with FluCAN)
Inclusion of paediatric cases in FluCAN from 2014 (n=401 hospitalised cases, 284 from 2 PAEDS sites)
Demonstrated good vaccine effectiveness against paediatric influenza hospitalisation19
Demonstrated low vaccine uptake (among control subjects) suggests need to improve influenza immunisation program
Pilot surveillance and protocol development helped to inform comprehensive guidelines for the investigation and management of encephalitis in Australia and New Zealand20
Facilitated rapid investigation and response to enterovirus-71 outbreak and emergence of parechovirus disease in 2013–14, incorporating cases captured by PAEDS surveillance21,22,23
Surveillance results for 2014
Seven conditions were under surveillance during 2014, including 4 vaccine preventable diseases (AFP, varicella, pertussis and influenza [2 sites, collaboration with FluCAN]); 2 potential AEFIs (IS and febrile seizures); and another serious disease of childhood, encephalitis. Table 5 shows case numbers for all conditions for 2014 and provides details of auditing and assessment of cases in relationship to ICD-coded hospital discharge data for select conditions. Following the move to operate under a waiver of consent framework, data on cases identified from ICD audit only have also been eligible for inclusion.
Table 5: Cases recruited to Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance in 2014 by condition, number and methods of case ascertainment
Case identification methods
Total recruited cases (Surveillance and ICD-10 audit combined)
Total cases captured via active surveillance
Number captured by PAEDS only, not ICD-coded
Number recruited retrospectively following ICD-10 audit
ND = not done
* Acute flaccid paralysis numbers may differ from that published in the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit and/or Australian National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory reports due to differences in surveillance systems.
† Febrile seizure surveillance period January – June 2014; Children's Hospital at Westmead (Sydney) audited only, 164 total cases of which 7 were Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS) only and 6 added by audit.
‡ Acute childhood encephalitis ICD-10-AM audit incomplete at time of report.
§ Influenza – an additional 284 control cases were recruited at Children's Hospital at Westmead (Sydney) and Princess Margaret Hospital (Perth). These may include some cases separately reported to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit from other sites. No ICD-10-AM audit was carried out on this condition.
Febrile seizures†
Acute childhood encephalitis‡
93 93 ND 93
Influenza§
284 284 ND 284
1,191 36 29 1,220
In 2014, 284 paediatric cases of influenza and 284 controls were identified at the Children's Hospital at Westmead (Sydney) and Princess Margaret Hospital (Perth) sites and contributed to FluCAN surveillance. Of these 284 cases, 22 (7.8%) were admitted to the intensive care unit. There were 125 (44%) children who had chronic conditions predisposing them to influenza infection, but only 16 (6.5%) of these had received at least 1 dose of influenza vaccine in the 2014 influenza season.
The 46 cases of AFP identified in 2014 (rate 44/100,000 children aged <15 years per annum) met the World Health Organization (WHO) AFP surveillance target. At least 1 stool sample was collected within 2 weeks of onset of paralysis for 33 cases (72%), and 2 stool samples were collected for 24 (52%) cases. The most common diagnoses associated with AFP were transverse myelitis (24%) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (39%).
Of the 52 cases of IS identified in 2014, 12 (23%) had received a rotavirus vaccine in the previous 21 days. Of these 12 children, 3 had IS after the 1st dose of vaccine, 3 after the 2nd dose, and 6 after the 3rd dose. Two of the 12 children required surgery to correct IS, 6 resolved with air enema and 4 resolved spontaneously. Among all 52 cases of IS, 7 (13.5%) children required surgery, 32 (62%) resolved with an air enema and in 13 (25.0%) cases the IS resolved spontaneously.
Among the 49 cases of varicella, vesicular fluid or vesicle scraping samples were obtained from 25 (51%) cases; in many children sampling was difficult as vesicles had crusted over by the time the child was admitted and approached by the PAEDS nurse. Of the 49 children, 22 (45%) were eligible for NIP-funded varicella vaccination but only 14 had been vaccinated.
There were 49 children hospitalised with laboratory-confirmed pertussis in 2014. Detailed clinical data on all cases and their contacts and vaccination histories were collected. Seven children required admission to the paediatric intensive care unit. Approximately half (n=25) were under 3 months of age.
In 2014 (January–June), 647 cases of febrile seizures were captured by PAEDS. Active surveillance for this condition concluded on 30 June 2014. Between 1 May 2013 and 30 June 2014, prospective surveillance identified 1,701 FS episodes in 1,471 children aged 0 to <5 years. Of these, 1,335 had only 1 FS and 136 (11%) had 2 or more episodes in the study period. Five hundred and seventy (39%) children with an FS had received MMRV vaccine at any time. PAEDS analysis of the risk of FS in various time periods up to 30 days post MMRV vaccine, using self-controlled case-series analysis, showed no vaccine-associated increase in risk.18
Between May 2013 and December 2014, the surveillance identified 140 cases of suspected childhood encephalitis. An analysis of the pilot phase has shown that PAEDS performs very well in detecting cases of childhood encephalitis and has the capacity to identify cases associated with epidemic infectious diseases.21–23 Approximately 3-quarters of eligible children have been recruited to follow-up studies and over half have had biological specimens salvaged for future analysis. The study is revealing key differences in the clinical features of infectious encephalitis when compared with immune-mediated encephalitis.
PAEDS has provided novel and unique data on hospitalisations due to selected uncommon serious childhood conditions, particularly VPDs and potential AEFI, over the last 7 years. Active case finding by specialist surveillance nurses, and collection of detailed clinical and laboratory data in the same child is unique to PAEDS.1 This surveillance approach provides a rich and timely source of data that is comprehensive in nature and allows for the collection of demographic details, family history, clinical characteristics, outcome data and analysis of biological specimens, all matched to each individual patient. Such data are not available from other systems. Importantly, our detailed case ascertainment and reporting serves to enrich data collected under other systems. Comparison of PAEDS-ascertained cases with regular audits of hospital discharge data using relevant ICD-10-AM codes is conducted as part of quality assurance processes. These comparisons have shown that case ascertainment yields through PAEDS are high, and more timely than auditing medical records. PAEDS also provides additional cases not otherwise ICD-coded for the condition of interest.
PAEDS surveillance for AFP significantly enhanced surveillance conducted via the APSU and the Australian National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory and has enabled Australia to meet the WHO AFP surveillance targets for the last 7 years.12,24 Achieving the WHO stool collection target of 2 stool samples within 2 weeks remains challenging in the context of a modern health system where a non-polio AFP diagnosis is rapidly available.24 However, PAEDS nurses facilitated collection of at least 1 stool sample in 72% of AFP cases ascertained in 2014.25
PAEDS surveillance suggested an excess of IS cases in infants 1–7 days after receipt of the 1st dose of either of the new rotavirus vaccines currently used in Australia, the first study worldwide to describe this link.16 These data informed vaccination policy and practice, stimulated additional studies and resulted in the development of educational materials for parents and vaccine providers.17 Analysis of the more than 500 IS cases for which PAEDS holds detailed clinical data is underway to compare the clinical characteristics of vaccine proximate cases with non-vaccine proximate cases.
The number of hospitalised cases of varicella-zoster virus has reduced with increased uptake of varicella vaccination.15 Nevertheless, the majority of children (71%) hospitalised due to varicella-zoster virus infection were not vaccinated for varicella, despite being eligible under the NIP. These data support the continuation of the population-based funded varicella vaccination program in Australia, and current efforts to increase varicella vaccine coverage, such as via the inclusion of MMRV vaccine onto the NIP.
PAEDS also conducted a high intensity, short-term study of FS following measles-containing vaccines, to support the vaccine safety plan for the introduction of MMRV onto the NIP. Retrospective and prospective surveillance identified data on more than 3,700 FS presentations and, using vaccine data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register, we were able to analyse the risk of FS following MMR, varicella and MMRV vaccines.4 The absence of an increased risk of FS following MMRV vaccine supports ongoing use of this vaccine as the 2nd dose of measles-containing vaccine at 18 months of age under the NIP.
PAEDS has the capacity to rapidly respond to disease outbreaks as shown by surveillance for influenza during the H1N1-09 pandemic,7 contributions towards enterovirus 7122 and parechovirus21,23 outbreak investigations and, from 2014, PAEDS continues to contribute paediatric data to the influenza surveillance efforts in Australia through the collaboration with FluCAN.9 PAEDS data highlights the need for improved uptake of influenza vaccination in children, particularly those who have predisposing chronic conditions.19
PAEDS reliably collects demographic details such as ethnicity, enabling potential analysis of subgroups of children with greater susceptibility to severe disease and missed opportunities for disease prevention, including missed or late immunisation. PAEDS collects laboratory data that is directly linked to clinical details and vaccination history for the same child, enabling the description of relationships between genetic subtypes and disease severity or vaccine failures. Such data are important to support development of immunisation policy and for maintaining consumer and provider confidence in the NIP. However, collection of biological samples can be challenging for a range of reasons. For example, a child might be admitted after varicella vesicles have crusted over and taking a sample of vesicle fluid is not possible, or a patient with AFP may be unable to produce a stool sample within the prescribed time period and before they are discharged from hospital.
Currently, PAEDS operates in 5 tertiary paediatric hospitals based in large metropolitan centres, limiting surveillance coverage to populations served by these hospitals. Despite this, we estimate that approximately 70% of all paediatric admissions to tertiary paediatric services are covered by PAEDS. Further expansion, especially to hospitals in northern Australia which serve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, would enhance coverage in these vulnerable populations. Not all tertiary paediatric hospitals in New South Wales and Victoria participate in PAEDS and coverage could be significantly enhanced by including these hospitals.
PAEDS is an important capacity building initiative to enhance existing public health surveillance for VPDs and AEFIs, with the overarching aim of improving child health outcomes. This unique surveillance platform also has the potential to be used for other urgent or research focused studies, for which active surveillance is optimal. More information on PAEDS is available on the PAEDS web site (http://www.paeds.edu.au).
We thank all PAEDS investigators, collaborators and surveillance nurses past and present: C Blyth, R Booy, P Britton, J Buttery, J Clark, J Connell, N Crawford, R Dale, M Deverell, S Dougherty, E Elliott, C Finucane, C Gibson, M Gibson, M Gold, C Heath, L Hickie, T Hutchinson, C Jones, J Jones, J Kent, H Knight, A Kynaston, D Lee, G Lewis, S Low, N Maclean, H Marshall, F McDonald, P McIntyre, A McMinn, J Murphy, M Nissen, C Orr, K Orr, N Phillips, M Pym, J Quinn, L Rhind, P Richmond, A Roberts, C Robins, L Rost, J Royle, T Snelling, C Talbott, S Tan, L Trinh, L Vidler, M Walker, R West, C Wharton.
We would also like to thank: A Cheng and J Garlick (FluCAN), A Kesson, K Leung, D Grote (Children's Hospital at Westmead Laboratory). PAEDS and this paper would not have been possible without their important and sustained contributions since 2007.
We also thank the Australian Government Department of Health and departments of health in participating jurisdictions (New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland) for providing funding to support PAEDS core activities. Funding for PAEDS participation in FluCAN also comes via the Australian Government Department of Health, and Acute Childhood Encephalitis surveillance has been supported by the Australian Government Department of Health (Surveillance Branch), Norah Therese Hayes-Ratcliffe, Marie Bashir Institute, Sydney Medical School Dean's fellowship and the National Health and Medical Research Council (various sources).
The PAEDS network: for this report were: E Elliott, R Booy, J Buttery, P Richmond, C Blyth, M Gold, H Marshall, T Snelling, JE Clark, A Kynaston, P Britton, C Jones, P McIntyre, N Crawford, M Nissen.* N Phillips, K Orr, H Knight, S Tan, L Trinh, L Rost, S Low, J Murphy,* A McMinn, D Lee, M Gibson, S Dougherty, C Finucane, C Robins, C Orr, J Connell, C Heath and M Walker.
* Past PAEDS network members
A/Prof Yvonne A Zurynski1
Ms Jocelynne E McRae2
Dr Helen E Quinn3,4
Dr Nicholas J Wood5
A/Prof Kristine K Macartney6,7,8
1. Deputy Director, Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, New South Wales
2. PAEDS Network Manager, Clinical Nurse Consultant, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Kids Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, New South Wales
3. Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Kids Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead; New South Wales
4. Lecturer, Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales
5. Clinical Research Fellow, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Kids Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead; New South Wales
6. Deputy Director, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Kids Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead; New South Wales
7. Associate Professor, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales
8. Staff Specialist, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, New South Wales
Corresponding author: A/Prof Kristine Macartney, Deputy Director, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Kids Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Locked Bag 4001, WESTMEAD, NSW 2145. Telephone: +61 2 9845 1419 Email: kristine.macartney@health.nsw.gov.au
Zurynski Y, McIntyre P, Booy R, Elliott EJ, on behalf of the PAEDS Investigators Group. Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance: a new surveillance system for Australia. J Paediatr Child Health 2013;49(7):588–594.
Tapsall J. Annual report of the Australian Meningococcal Surveillance Programme, 1999. Commun Dis Intell 2000;24(7):181–189.
Klein NP, Fireman B, Yih WK, Lewis E, Kulldorff M, Ray P, et al. Measles-mumps-rubella-varicella combination vaccine and the risk of febrile seizures. Pediatrics 2010;126(1):e1–e8.
Macartney KK, Gidding HF, Trinh L, Wang H, McRae J, Crawford N, et al. Febrile seizures following measles and varicella vaccines in young children in Australia. Vaccine 2015;33(11):1412–1417.
Bines JE, Kohl KS, Forster J, Zanardi LR, Davis RL, Hansen J, et al. Acute intussusception in infants and children as an adverse event following immunization: case definition and guidelines of data collection, analysis, and presentation. Vaccine 2004;22(5–6):569–574.
Pillsbury A, Quinn HE, McIntyre PB. Australian vaccine preventable disease epidemiological review series: Pertussis, 2006–2012. Commun Dis Intell 2014;38(3):E179–E194.
Elliott EJ, Zurynski YA, Walls T, Whitehead B, Gilmour R, Booy R. Novel inpatient surveillance in tertiary paediatric hospitals in New South Wales illustrates impact of first-wave pandemic influenza A H1N1 (2009) and informs future health service planning. J Paediatr Child Health 2012;48(3):235–241.
Britton PN, Dale RC, Booy R, Jones CA. Acute encephalitis in children: progress and priorities from an Australasian perspective. J Paediatr Child Health 2015;51(2):147–158.
Zurynski YA, Lester-Smith D, Festa MS, Kesson AM, Booy R, Elliott EJ. Enhanced surveillance for serious complications of influenza in children: role of the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit. Commun Dis Intell 2008;32(1):71–76.
Cheng AC, Dwyer DE, Holmes M, Irving LB, Brown SG, Waterer GW, et al. Influenza epidemiology, vaccine coverage and vaccine effectiveness in sentinel Australian hospitals in 2013: the Influenza Complications Alert Network. Commun Dis Intell 2014;38(2):E143–E149.
Cheng AC. Hospitalisation with confirmed influenza in a sentinel surveillance system in 2010 and 2011. Med J Aust 2012;197(4):217.
Roberts J, Hobday L, Ibrahim A, Aitken T, Thorley B. Annual report of the Australian National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory 2012. Commun Dis Intell 2013;37(2):E97–E104.
Paediatric Trials Network Australia. WebSpirit. 2013. Accessed on 29 June 2015. Available from: http://www.ptna.com.au/index.php/webspirit
Dodd CN, Romio SA, Black S, Vellozzi C, Andrews N, Sturkenboom M, et al. International collaboration to assess the risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome following influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccines. Vaccine 2013;31(40):4448–4458.
Marshall HS, McIntyre P, Richmond P, Buttery JP, Royle JA, Gold MS, et al. Changes in patterns of hospitalized children with varicella and of associated varicella genotypes after introduction of varicella vaccine in Australia. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2013;32(5):530–537.
Buttery JP, Danchin MH, Lee KJ, Carlin JB, McIntyre PB, Elliott EJ, et al. Intussusception following rotavirus vaccine administration: post-marketing surveillance in the National Immunization Program in Australia. Vaccine 2011;29(16):3061–3066.
Carlin JB, Macartney KK, Lee KJ, Quinn HE, Buttery J, Lopert R, et al. Intussusception risk and disease prevention associated with rotavirus vaccines in Australia's national immunization program. Clin Infect Dis 2013;57(10):1427–1434.
Wood N. Hospital based sentinel surveillance for AEFI – the PAEDS network. NCIRS Vaccine Safety Seminar. Sydney.
Blyth CC, Macartney KK, Hewagama S, Senanayake S, Friedman ND, Simpson G, et al. Influenza epidemiology, vaccine coverage and vaccine effectiveness in children admitted to sentinel Australian hospitals in 2014: the Influenza Complications Alert Network (FluCAN). Euro Surveill 2016;21(30) doi: 10.2807/1560–7917.
Britton PN, Eastwood K, Paterson B, Durrheim DN, Dale RC, Cheng AC, et al. Consensus guidelines for the investigation and management of encephalitis in adults and children in Australia and New Zealand. Intern Med J 2015;45(5):563–576.
Khatami A, McMullan BJ, Webber M, Stewart P, Francis S, Timmers KJ, et al. Sepsis-like disease in infants due to human parechovirus type 3 during an outbreak in Australia. Clin Infect Dis 2015;60(2):228–236.
Zander A, Britton PN, Navin T, Horsley E, Tobin S, McAnulty JM. An outbreak of enterovirus 71 in metropolitan Sydney: enhanced surveillance and lessons learnt. Med J Aust 2014;201(11):663–666.
Britton PN, Dale RC, Nissen MD, Crawford N, Elliott E, Macartney K, et al. Parechovirus encephalitis and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Pediatrics 2016;137(2): e20152848.
Desai S, Smith T, Thorley BR, Grenier D, Dickson N, Altpeter E, et al. Performance of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance compared with World Health Organization standards. J Paediatr Child Health 2015;51(2):209–214.
Paterson BJ, Durrheim DN. Review of Australia's polio surveillance. Communi Dis Intell 2013;37(2):E149–155.


Locksmith in Chattanooga, Tennessee - Locksmith in Chattanooga, TN: Yellow Pages Directory Inc.
Below is a list of businesses which provide Locksmith services. If you do not see your business in the list, you can submit it for addition to this list. Adding your business will feature your listing above Standard listings.
Locksmiths are tradespeople who work with all aspects of locks, from those on homes and vehicles to sophisticated lock systems in companies and institutions. Most locksmiths today do electronic lock servicing in addition to offering more traditional services such as making and copying keys, fitting keys to homes and vehicles, changing lock combinations and installing lock-sets on homes and businesses. Whether commercial, mobile, retail (working in a hardware or department store) institutional (employed by a business or government agency) or forensic (dealing with investigations), locksmiths may be certified in specific areas or levels of skill within their trade; certifications issued by manufacturers and trade associations are generally held in higher esteem than general certificates indicating completion of various commercial training courses. Those locksmiths calling themselves "master locksmiths" may or may not have achieved the level of training this designation implies. Although a large number of locksmiths are also security consultants, not all security consultants possess the unique skills required to be locksmiths.


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Articles tagged "archaeological survey"
Gallipoli battlefield being mapped by GPS
by Sean McLachlan on Apr 24, 2011
Archaeologists in Turkey are making a detailed survey of the famous World War One battle of Gallipoli. Using period military maps and GPS technology, they're mapping the old trenches and redoubts used by both sides.
Gallipoli was the scene of fierce fighting starting in 1915. A peninsula with highlands dominating the Dardanelles strait linking the Black and the Aegean seas, it guarded the western approach to the Ottoman capital of Constantinople, now Istanbul. The Ottoman Empire was on Germany's side during World War One and the British Empire's high command believed an attack on Gallipoli would be the first step to knocking the Ottomans out of the war.
They were wrong. The Ottoman Empire, long dismissed "the sick man of Europe", put up a determined resistance and the British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and French troops got stuck on the beaches as Ottoman troops pummeled them from the highlands. After nine bloody months, the allies sailed away.
The international team of Turkish, Australian, and New Zealand archaeologists and historians have discovered large numbers of artifacts from the battle and are busy working out a complete map of the complicated network of trenches, many of which can still be clearly seen today.
The battle started 25 April 1915, and this date is marked as ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, who did some of the toughest fighting in the campaign. Many people in both of these countries feel the soldiers' efforts proved the worth of the two young nations.
Last year archaeologists discovered the HMS Lewis and a barge sunk off the shore.


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Washington state files public comments regarding EPA proposal to reverse Clean Power Plan, Gov. Inslee and AG Ferguson issue statement
New rules would cause increased air pollution, potentially thousands more deaths and illnesses every year versus the Clean Power Plan
OLYMPIA — A coalition of 26 state and local governments including Washington state filed a comment letter today challenging the EPA's proposal to replace the Clean Power Plan with the "Affordable Clean Energy" rule, which would not require significant carbon emission reductions.
Earlier this month, Gov. Inslee testified against the rollback at a public hearing in Chicago. The hearing was the only public opportunity the Administration has provided for input on the plan.
Governor Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson today issued the following statement:
"The comment letter we filed today could not be more clear: the proposed rule is one of the most harmful steps President Trump could take for human health and our environment. Time and time again, President Trump's Environmental Protection Agency shows it has no interest in actually protecting the environment — or following the law. The EPA has a statutory mandate to protect our environment. As our letter explains, this proposal does the opposite. It shamelessly panders to the fossil fuel industry at the expense of human health and the environment.
"Carbon emissions from electricity generation have already dropped 28 percent, nearly reaching the Clean Power Plan's 2030 goals more than a decade early. It is incomprehensible that the federal government would want to reverse this progress and put lives at risk.
"The EPA's proposal disregards the voluminous factual and science-based record developed in support of the Clean Power Plan. The government must have clear, fact-based reasons for the actions it takes. The Trump Administration has fallen short on this many times. Washington has won six cases against the EPA."
According to the letter, the proposed "Affordable Clean Energy" rule would result in an increase in air pollution compared to the Clean Power Plan. The EPA's own analysis shows that the increased pollution could cause thousands more illnesses and deaths per year.
In Washington state, the proposed rule could cause an increase in carbon emissions, even more than if the EPA chose to repeal the Clean Power Plan and do nothing to replace it. Washington has already seen adverse impacts of climate change, including rising sea levels, increased flooding, increased wildfires and ocean acidification.
In the letter, the attorneys general write that the Affordable Clean Energy rule "neither promotes 'clean energy' generation nor does it implement a policy that Americans can 'afford' given the need to aggressively cut carbon pollution from power plants and other sources to adequately confront the dangers of climate change."
Ferguson has filed 32 lawsuits against the Trump Administration and has not lost a case. Ferguson now has 14 legal victories against the Trump Administration. Eight of those cases are finished and cannot be appealed. The Trump Administration has or may appeal the other six, which include lawsuits involving Dreamers, 3D-printed guns and the transgender military ban. No court to rule on the merits of the Attorney General's arguments in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration has ruled against the office.


Switzerland is an amazing place to visit to hit the slopes or even just hike. The country offers some of the most varied terrain in the world. Some of the world's greatest mountains, including the Matterhorn and the Eiger, are located in Switzerland. While it may not be the cheapest, there are amazing views and charming villages all over the Swiss Alps. From the glam of St. Moritz and Davos to the county's iconic Matterhorn mountain in Zermatt, Switzerland has it all. Favorite resorts include: Zermatt, Davos and Grindelwald. I also recommend the Swiss chocolate when visiting.


Jaakko Löytty (b. 1955, Helsinki) is one of the most significant Finnish gospel musicians. Löytty spent his youth in Namibia with his parents, who were missionaries for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.


2006 Holiday Rambler Admiral SE 34SBD - Double Slide, Sleeps 6, Queen Bed, Dresser, Nightstands, Sofa, Booth Dinette, Flat Screen TV, Stove, Refrig., and MORE!
Double Slide, Sleeps 6, Queen Bed, Dresser, Nightstands, Sofa, Booth Dinette, Flat Screen TV, Stove, Refrig., and MORE!
This ad has been viewed 1,392 times.


CAMPAIGNSTATS CAMPAIGN SUPERSTAR:TRANSAMERICATALKSDOLLARSANDSENSE MOSTCOMMUNITY INSPIREDCAMPAIGN 200+ 77.3MILLION IMPRESSIONS 132KPEOPLEREADTHE REDDITINSPIREDPOSTS ANDSPENTOVER 6MINOFENGAGEMENTTIME ONEACH COMMUNITYCOMMENTS Recognizing that the #1 answer to the question "What do you wish they taught you in high school" was always about personal finance, Transamerica asked reddit what they wanted to know more about. And then delivered.
This is the best performing banner ad in reddit history CAMPAIGNSUPERSTAR:NEWCASTLE'S"IFWEMADEIT"CAMPAIGN PLAY ME!
CAMPAIGNSTATS LAPTOPS,GIFT CARDS,ANDREDDITTSHIRTS FOREVERY SUBMISSIONTOTHECONTEST CAMPAIGN SUPERSTAR:COMPUTERSLAPGAMECONTEST BESTUSER GENERATEDCONTENT 25FULLYFUNCTIONAL GAMES SUBMITTED 107,000+ CLICKSDRIVEN EVERY SUBMISSION RECEIVEDAPRIZE LAPTOPS, GIFT CARDS, AND REDDIT SHIRTS FOR EVERY ENTRY Lenovo needed an 8-bit game to mirror the new season of their web series, Tough Season. They ran a competition, targeted to our development community, challenging users to create their own 8-bit games for a chance to win an assortment of prizes. In the end, Lenovo could only award their prizes to the top 5 games. But so many amazing games were submitted, Lenovo stepped up and bought EVERY users that submitted a reddit t-shirt as a huge thank you for their work.
CAMPAIGNSTATS CAMPAIGNSUPERSTAR:COMMUNITYCREATEDPLAYLISTS COMMUNITYBRANDOF THEYEAR BRANDINTERACTIONS 450+ 2300+ TOTALCOMMENTS 10,000+SUBMISSIONS Everyone has songs that make them feel feelings. Spotify asked reddit over 30 different questions about songs that made them feel all kinds of different emotions. A few weeks and over 10,000 responses later and Spotify had enough content to create multiple reddit-inspired lists.
KEEPING THE MOMENTUM :12DAYS OFCHRISTMAS The 12 Days of Christmas is dated. Maker's Mark challenged the reddit community to freshen it up.


Under Tennessee law fault cannot be assigned to a plaintiff's employer but the defendant is permitted to prove and argue that the employer was the cause in fact of the injury.
But what if the defendant wants to ask the jury to apportion fault to an entity that is deemed an employer under Tennessee worker's compensation law and therefore obtains the benefit of immunity from suit by the plaintiff? Can the statutory employer be assigned fault even though the plaintiff cannot sue it?
In a case of first impression, the Court of Appeals (Western Section) says "yes" in Troup v. Fischer Steel Corp., No. W2005-00913-COA-R3-CV ( August 10, 2006) and in doing so reversed a $500,000+ verdict for the plaintiff. The court ruled that the Trial Court erred when it failed to permit the steel subcontractor defendant from proving and arguing the fault of the general contractor in a personal injury case filed by the employee of the roofing subcontractor.


Every user is the owner of his own fully featured project management system.
Every company & user can public expose curriculums for other companies & users to search.
Then every user owns his own fully featured project management system, it means that an organization eg. a company is build up of independent users however associated with said organization. From the perspective of the organization, it is just like any project management system with users, however from the perspective of the user, the organization is just one of possibly many organizations to which he is associated.
An organization can choose to public expose project experience and associated users qualifications. These experiences can then be searched by other organization in need of such qualifications, effectively making ProjectLog a qualification broker system allowing organizations to find suppliers within ProjectLog and tie them directly to projects.
The ProjectLog Calendar is integrated with projects & tasks. Dates can be created, edited, drag&drop moved and deleted from within the calendar interface. Dates can have categories, resources, descriptions and have a full user accessiblity system. The calendar can in addition be filtered on many different parameters like accounts, organizations, projects, users & categories.
Hierarchical project list allows for better organization of projects. Say for a customer you have a project that really consist of multiple projects. We have that kind of projects all the time, eg. a customer have multiple IT systems that all needs to be maintained. With ProjectLog you just create a project called Systems Maintance and for each system you create a sub project.
Many of our own customers and even our own employees like to use Google Docs for ad-hoc project descriptions and task lists, therefore ProjectLog allows to attach Google Docs to projects & tasks. While ProjectLog indeed support all aspects of project management, we don't want to force everyone to use ProjectLog, if some users are comfortable with using eg. Google Docs, we allow the project manager to acknowledge that and associate these external resources.
To make the work process faster, ProjectLog keeps most of the users time on dashboard using dialogs and dynamic data loading to build interfaces for manipulate data, this results in a streamlined and very responsive work flow.