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Your MIND: The Window To Disease
That patients recover from illness doesn't really amaze me any more. After more than 20 years of practising homeopathy, what still takes my breath away is the transformation patients go through, completely and wholly, and the speed with which this often occurs.
This transformation is apparent in this short video of young Aneesa Ansari, who could barely sit upright on her own and needed help to walk. She had developed tuberculosis a couple of years earlier. She had grown resistant to the drugs and, over the next two years, developed tubercular meningitis, which had taken the disease process to her brain.
When Aneesa was helped into my clinic, she was disoriented, to say the least. She had been experiencing a high-grade fever that she could not shake off for four months. Despite being admitted to hospital four to five times, conventional physicians were unable to help her. Desperate and frightened, Aneesa entered my clinic, cannula still attached to her arm.
Barely a month after I began to treat her, Aneesa went from being a very sick young woman to a happy healthy and vibrant 24-year-old. And just in case you're wondering, yes, I believe in miracles and homeopathy is one of them. This wonderful system of self-healing is a lifeline for many, arriving at my clinic as they do with a sense of panic and helplessness.
Is This The Same Patient? (2.11min)
Aneesa is one of many patients who come to MindHeal Homeopathy as emergency cases.
But how does someone so sick recover so quickly and so completely? The lay public is sceptical about using homeopathy in an emergency situation. Isn't allopathy what you're looking for in serious and acute cases?
Before we come to that, let's take a look at Safina, a 26-year-old homemaker who was brought to me earlier this year. She had been experiencing frequent splitting headaches, and her vision was blurred. After the usual rounds of opthalmologists, Safina had been referred to a neurologist, who found her intracranial (inside the skull) and intraocular (inside the eye) pressure abnormally high.
Doctors then recommended CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) tapping to relieve the pressure inside her eye. They began periodically drawing the fluid out via a lumbar puncture. Thus, Safina had doctors draining fluid from her spine on a fortnightly basis. Finally, doctors recommended that a thecoperitoneal shunt be placed inside Safina's spine, to make the tapping procedure more convenient! All they needed to do was open the valve and let out the excess fluid when her vision grew blurry.
Sometimes, the solutions thrown up by conventional medicine boggle the mind. When will physicians realise that you simply cannot 'drain away disease' from the human body?
In Safina's case, the remedy I prescribed cleared up her symptoms in just 15 days. I had located the disease process at its source. Treatment, of course, continued much longer but relief came swift and easily. As with all patients, the upshot was that Safina began to feel more alive and free of the emotional burden she has been carrying. Take a look…
How is this possible? Without returning to the basic tenets of homeopathy, there is one pivotal point I would like to make, and that is: that the MIND is the window to all disease.
Patients usually provide a wealth of information during the initial consultation. All of it is relevant but the important elements are not flagged in red! Evaluating a case and piecing it together is like playing 'join the dots'. The experienced homeopath must pick out the dots and then connect them to form a complete picture.
We have to first pick out the dots, or, what I call the patient's 'key sensitivity' – their core fears, and psychological and emotional injuries that dictate their thoughts, actions and emotions in their everyday lives.
Cheers For Fears
Fear, by its very nature, is buried deep in the unconscious, its manifestation masked but still visible to the trained eye. But the homeopath does not psychoanalyse. All he/she needs to do is identify the fear and understand how it is expressed. There is no need to go backwards to understand why it exists.
After identifying the patient's key sensitivity, the next step is to understand how the patient has coped with these core issues. In other words, the homeopath must identify the patient's main defence mechanisms.
Human nature presents a wide array of personalities. Some people act out their feelings and fears, others bottle them up, while still others compensate or overcompensate. Identifying the patient's coping mechanisms and watching them at work in the patient's life is critical to arriving at an accurate diagnosis, or in homeopathic terms, the right rubrics.
In Safina's case, her lack of education and frustration at being unable to offer her children a good education was her 'key sensitivity'. The other key issue was the constant verbal abuse from her in-laws and her refusal to bare her feelings. Neither did Safina say anything to her parents as she didn't want to "burden" them with her problems. Her "stoic silence" and controlled nature were her coping mechanisms.
(To understand just how identifying the 'key sensitivity' is actually the key to every case and, I have discussed my rubrics and remedy in Safina's case here.)
Interestingly, some patients experience a perceptible change in their health within a couple of days after treatment begins; others in less than a day. There are still others in whom reversing the disease process takes longer.
Get Well 'Soon'
So what determines the speed of recovery? In simple terms, the human constitution has a genetically determined pace at which changes take places in each individual – changes of all kinds. This includes the pace at which disease sets in, their 'boiling point' or the point at which it intensifies before it becomes destructive, the progress of disease from one layer to another, the individual's tolerance and reactivity to stress, and their ability to absorb and adapt to unfavourable changes in life circumstances.
'Constitutional speed' varies between individuals, some 'changing gears' quickly; others not so fast. This explains why some individuals recover slowly while others, like Aneesa and Safina, recover from serious diseases in a matter of days or weeks.
Also, closely tied to the recovery process this is the human immune system. We classically think of the immune system as that which fights germs and keeps us free of disease. Many are also aware that the immune system plays a crucial role in healing all ailments. But it's more complex than that. The immune system does much more, even playing a part in determining your state of mind.
A word here about the way conventional medicine views illness vis-à-vis holistic systems of medicines such as homeopathy. Conventional medicine takes a mechanistic view of the human body and attempts to "cure" individual symptoms. Physicians are of the view that fixing the symptom is tantamount to cure.
They could not be farther from the truth. The truth is that disease is a process and this process manifests itself when the body can no longer cope and adjust to the disease process. As a result, something "gives way" in the body, leading to and overt symptom or ailment. Any attempt to suppress, manage or control (a la allopathy) the symptom or ailment only drives the disease process deeper. Eventually, when the patient is led to believe he/she is cured, they are actually getting sicker!
House-Cleaning Anyone?
Homeopathy, on the other hand, identifies the very source of the disease process and then altogether reverses it. When this happens, not only is the presenting ailment cured; the patient is cured of all that ails him/her at a deeper level. He/she is thus permanently cured.
To present an analogy… a can of insect-repellent will take care of nasty bugs but only a round of pest-control can effect a thorough house-cleaning!
Lesson Learnt: Symptomatic treatment cannot cure. Homeopathy is a science that altogether reverses the disease process. This is another reason this wonderful art and science can cure diseases and disorders that are completely untreatable by conventional medicine - pathological and incurable cases that conventional medicine has long since given up on. House-cleaning anyone?


See Sarah Swatch: Q: What's Black and White and Red All Over?
Yep. Totally in love. Anyway, I'll be at my church festival all weekend painting little girls' nails, so wish me luck!
Oh lala, what a pretty polish!
Wow that is packed with glitter! Really pretty!
nice! im a sucker for red white and black glitter polishes!
This is such a fun polish!
Oooh how fun! Enjoy the weekend painting their nails!
Is it weird that I want to play cards now??
I love/hate you for introducing me to this shop. Sooooo many things I want to order now!


Dry eye often sits on the back burner of a busy medical-oriented optometry/ophthalmology practice like mine. Glaucoma and proliferative diabetic retinopathy dwarf seemingly smaller issues like ocular surface disease, right? Not if, like me, you've had a patient tell you that you saved their life by treating her dry eye. Dry eye disease can be just as debilitating as a disabling hip fracture, studies say. I believe dry eye disease is a vastly underdiagnosed cause of decreased quality of life, and it is my job as the optometrist to identify this life-altering problem and treat it. Furthermore, dry eye can make even the perfect refractive surgery a disaster. Working in a premium surgery-based practice, it is imperative to me to treat dry eye to improve surgical outcomes.
Dry eye patients tend to suffer silently; they may not want to seem like "a complainer" or they might think "it's probably normal." Conversely, you may have patients whose whole life centers around dry eye symptoms. These patients simply want someone to listen to them and care enough to address their issue. I make sure to ask every patient of mine how their eyes feel day to day. This opens the door to discuss any symptomatic ocular surface disease. I spend a significant amount of my time with dry eye patients listening and empathizing. I then explain their diagnosis, and why I am advising the treatments that I recommend. My practice prides itself on our successful premium surgical outcomes, and part of that includes identifying dry eye preemptively and treating it pre- and post- operatively. This drastically decreases postop chair time and improves patient satisfaction. I am honest with my preoperative patients, and inform them up front if dry eye is going to delay or cancel their refractive surgery.
Since I have made the commitment to my practice last year to take dry eye seriously and direct our dry eye clinic, I have more than doubled (almost tripled) my dry eye patient base. These patients provide our own free marketing. Improve a dry eye patient's quality of life, and that patient will refer their family and friends to you. I make it a point to discuss new dry eye technology with my patients and provide them with up-to-date products and in-office procedures. Following up with my patients regularly is key, and I explain to them that dry eye maintenance is vital to preventing flare-ups. This not only keeps my schedule full, but it ensures compliance. If you make it a point to manage dry eye proactively, you will find that you are taking your silent sufferers and converting them to outspoken devotees of your practice. I have made dry eye my priority, and thus my patients have made my practice theirs.


text:
L' ORP Arctowski est un bâtiment hydrographique de la Marine polonaise. Il est le vaisseau principal de la classe Projekt 874, connue sous le nom de classe Modified Finik dans le code de l'OTAN et numéro 266. Il est le navire jumeau de l'ORP Heweliusz et porte le nom de Henryk Arctowski, un scientifique et explorateur polonais.

Historique
Ce navire a été conçu en Pologne et construit au chantier naval du Nord à Gdańsk. Il a été lancé le . Il est entré en service le . Désormais, il remplit à la fois des tâches hydrographiques pour la marine et des tâches scientifiques pour les institutions civiles. Il prit part à des opérations de sauvetage : en , il prit l'équipage du yacht tchécoslovaque "Makalu 80" et, en 1988, il retrouva l'équipage du bateau de pêche "Dar 123". En 1989, il fit deux voyages au Spitsberg avec l'équipe scientifique de l'Académie polonaise des sciences. En 1990/1991, il a transporté l'équipe de la 20 expédition antarctique de l'Académie des sciences de Pologne à la base antarctique Arctowski. Pendant son séjour en Antarctique de plus d'un mois, il a participé à une recherche biologique et hydrologique sur les mers environnantes dans le cadre d'une expédition de recherche internationale polono-néerlandaise.

En , il retrouva l'épave du MS "Steuben", coulé le  lors de l'évacuation de Baltiisk. Le , il a confirmé l'épave d'un porte-avions allemand de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, le Graf Zeppelin, précédemment retrouvé près de Łeba. Du  au , il a enquêté sur l'épave du navire à passagers allemand MS "Georg Büchner", qui a coulé le  au nord-est de  alors qu'il se remorquait vers la casse de Klaipeda.

Le navire dispose d'un ensemble riche et moderne d'équipements hydrographiques. Les données obtenues à partir des mesures sont développées par le système informatique hydrographique HOMAR (installé depuis 1995). Il a également des laboratoires de recherche à bord. Le navire fait partie de l'escadron de sécurité hydrographique de Gdynia avec le ORP Heweliusz et l'ORP Iskra II.

Galerie

Voir aussi

Note et référence

Articles connexes
 ORP Heweliusz
 Académie polonaise des sciences

Liens externes
 ORP Arctowski - Site Division hydragraphique polonaise

Nom de bateau
Navire construit à Gdańsk
Bateau polonais
Bateau lancé en 1982
Bateau océanographique polonais
Bâtiment hydrographique

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
NGC 3739 é uma galáxia espiral (Sbc) localizada na direcção da constelação de Leo. Possui uma declinação de +25° 05' 19" e uma ascensão recta de 11 horas, 35 minutos e 37,5 segundos.

Ver também
Astronomia extragaláctica
Lista de galáxias
Lista de objectos NGC
New General Catalogue

Ligações externas

NGC 3739
Constelação de Leo
Galáxias espirais


text:
"We don't even go outside much anymore," homeowner Cindy Wheatley told reporter Anita Wadhwani of The Tennessean. "I hope and I pray that we're all going to be fine."
Hazardous landfill, state inaction a toxic mix for Tennessee town
Hazardous waste detected at Camden landfill
Wheatley lives a few hundred yards from a landfill owned by Environmental Waste Solutions (George Orwell would love that name).
Every morning, she and her neighbors can watch the sun rise over "Black Mountain," a black-tarp covered mound of industrial waste that has become the tallest structure in Camden, the county seat.
They can smell the ammonia wafting from the chemically compromised site, and sometimes hear the combustible mix of heavy metals and moisture.
They keep their children and grandchildren inside as much as possible.
Since 2010, TDEC has approved more than a dozen requests to add "special waste" to the EWS landfill, according to The Tennessean.
Special waste is defined as "either difficult or dangerous to manage." It's also difficult to trace.
When a landfill company applies to TDEC for a permit to add special waste to an existing landfill, no one else has to be notified.
Not the city or county where the landfill is located. Not the general public. Not even homeowners who live next door to the landfill.
"Tennessee has some of the most permissive waste regulations in the country," said Scott Banbury, conservation coordinator for the Tennessee chapter of the Sierra Club. "We take anybody's waste."
Last year alone, TDEC approved 950 requests for special waste to be dumped at landfills across the state.
That includes aluminum dross, much of it trucked in from other states and deposited in landfills all over the state.
TDEC has allowed tens of thousand of tons of aluminum dross to be deposited in the Camden landfill, according to The Tennessean.
The dross, a grayish powder, isn't considered hazardous by itself, if disposed of properly and kept dry and away from other waste.
But when it mixes with rain or moist air, it can ignite. It produces dangerous and flammable gases such as methane, ammonia, and hydrogen.
It rains a lot in Camden. The landfill drains into two creeks that flow into the Tennessee River.
TDEC also allows the Camden landfill to take in gypsum waste.
A year ago, TDEC inspectors sampled the wastewater draining from the gypsum waste.
It tested positive for cadmium, a hazardous waste that has been shown to cause cancer and other health problems.
Last May, EWS quietly notified TDEC that its Camden landfill had become a "large quantity generator of hazardous waste."
Camden Mayor Roger Pafford told The Tennessean that TDEC failed to notify city officials about that.
The hazardous landfill's wastewater pipe crosses directly above Camden's drinking water line. EWS wants the city to move its water line.
City officials have asked the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate "permitting abuses" and "fraud" by Tennessee's environmental regulators.
That's unlikely.
President Donald Trump has appointed a zealous opponent of environmental regulation to lead the agency, and has suggested slashing the agency's budget, staff and regulatory powers.
Homeowners have asked TDEC for help.
When he took office in 2011, Gov. Bill Haslam — the gas station/truck stop billionaire — ordered TDEC to be more "customer focused." Landfill permit holders are some of TDEC's best customers.
Haslam also merged TDEC's two oversight boards into one after removing the only two citizen members on each board.
EWS bought the landfill in 2009 from a former TDEC employee who became an engineering consultant for the company, according to The Tennessean.
EWS also retained legal counsel from Waller, a Nashville law firm that specializes in regulatory law.
One of the Waller firm's partners was Robert Martineau, who in 2011 became commissioner of TDEC.
Before Martineau, TDEC was issuing an average of 182 water pollution enforcement orders a year. Last year, it issued about 50, up from 19 the year before, The Tennessean found.
Last week, thanks to continuing public pressure, TDEC notified EWS that it found 14 violations at the site. That includes failure to ensure the proper labeling, monitoring and transporting of hazardous waste.
EWS was fined $37,650. That wouldn't even cover the lost property value of one homeowner near the landfill.
Meanwhile, TDEC is working to speed up the "special waste" approval process by creating an online permit form.
"You think somebody is looking out for you," Michael Melton, a long-haul truck driver, told The Tennessean.
Melton bought his house a decade before the government allowed a landfill to move in next door.
"You think the city is looking out for you, but they don't have the resources. They don't realize what they are up against. You think TDEC is looking out for you. You think the EPA is looking out for you. But it turns out that no one is."
My dad worked in factories that produced a lot of waste. It had to be disposed of somehow, somewhere.
He knew corporations couldn't always be trusted to put people over profits, river beds and bottomland over a richer bottom line.
He believed that was the government's responsibility to put the public good over private interests.
Jobs and businesses and profits come and go but no one's making more land.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Chelsea produced a masterclass on Saturday to overcome Manchester City 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. While the Blues ended City's unbeaten run in the Premier League, handing them their first defeat of the league season, the result also extended a rather unique streak of their own.
Chelsea, with their 2-0 triumph courtesy goals from N'Golo Kante and David Luiz, ensured that they remained undefeated against the defending champions of the Premier League at Stamford Bridge – a streak that dates back to 2002.
In this 16-year period, they have won six and drawn five of their 11 games against defending champions at the Bridge; a mighty impressive statistic indeed.
2002 – Chelsea are unbeaten against defending Premier League champions at Stamford bridge in the league since April 2002 (W5, D6). Resolute.
What the win last night also did was to ensure Chelsea remained in the title race – at least for the time being.
The Blues currently sit third on the table, eight points off table-toppers Liverpool, but with the Reds enduring a difficult run of fixtures during the festive period, Maurizio Sarri's men might fancy their chances of closing that gap.
Chelsea's win was also their third against a Pep Guardiola-managed side; the most defeats he has suffered against a single team.


Hawaii 5-0 | GlobeWest bring a diverse group of real estate experts who collectively have a vast experience in the development marketing business and sold billions of dollars in real estate.
Our group has worked with some of the top developers in the world from Ritz-Carlton to the Four Seasons. We have expertise in all facets of marketing and sales, and have been schooled working within some of the top organizations in the real estate world such as Intrawest, Sotheby's and Trump. In addition we are licensed in many states and provinces and have worked extensively in the Hawaiian Islands selling projects in Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.
We know how to market Hawaii and how to target customers in different geographic areas of the globe. Our sales-first approach and hands-on experience provides developers with the know-how to get things done and to create a successful sales and marketing campaign.


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International community's foreign assistance to Pakistan should prioritize civilian institutions, says new CIGI paper
Kevin Dias
Pakistan's poor record on security governance has severe implications for global security and should be addressed by the international community through conditionality on military assistance and support for civilian institutions, says a new paper issued by The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).
In Security Sector Governance in Pakistan: Progress, But Many Challenges Persist, author and assistant professor at Georgetown University's Center for Peace and Security Studies C. Christine Fair says that a lack of security in Pakistan, largely caused and reinforced by the dominant role of its deficient armed forces, has important implications for South Asia and the international community. "The country's history of military government has stymied the development of civilian institutions of governance, so that civilians have provided little or no oversight of the nation's foreign policy and military budgets and activities," Fair writes. Pakistan's military focus, which has come at the expense of support for police services and human development, leaving, for example, its citizenry with an illiteracy rate of 37 percent for males and 64 percent for females, has done little to address serious internal threats posed by ethno-nationalist separatist movements, sectarian and communal violence, organized crime and other threats.
Despite positive developments Pakistan has made with regard to nuclear safety or disaster management, "meaningful steps towards enhanced security sector governance will require Pakistan's all powerful military to step down and Pakistan's civilian institutions to stand up." Fair writes that the international community should focus on capacity building support that will allow Pakistan to "tackle its criminal justice system, revisit its archaic legislative framework, and build modern and capable police forces." Anticipating a possible backlash from Pakistan's military, lack of funding or political will on the part of Pakistan's largest foreign contributor, the United States, Fair argues that the Leahy Amendment and Kerry-Lugar-Berman Legislation are two pieces of legislation that if enforced would be an important step in stopping unconditional support of Pakistan's military.
Security Sector Governance in Pakistan: Progress, But Many Challenges Persist was published by CIGI as part of the SSR Issue Papers series. As part of CIGI's Security Sector Governance project, this series examines thematic and geographic topics relating to the most pressing security sector reform issues. To access this paper, please visit: http://www.cigionline.org/publications/2012/1/security-sector-governance-pakistan-progress-many-challenges-persist.
Kevin Dias, Communications Specialist, CIGI
Tel: 519.885.2444, ext. 238, Email: [email protected]
The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is an independent, non-partisan think tank on international governance. Led by experienced practitioners and distinguished academics, CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate and generates ideas for multilateral governance improvements. Conducting an active agenda of research, events and publications, CIGI's interdisciplinary work includes collaboration with policy, business and academic communities around the world. CIGI was founded in 2001 by Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM (Research In Motion), and collaborates with and gratefully acknowledges support from a number of strategic partners, in particular the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. For more information, please visit www.cigionline.org.


text:
2016 Conference Registration
Access Grants
Contemplative Education Program Fair
Past ACMHE Conferences
About the ACMHE
Ecowomanist Wisdom: Engaging Earth Justice and Contemplative Pedagogies For Such a Time As This
Melanie L. Harris
Melanie L. Harris is Associate Professor of Religion at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX, where she teaches and conducts research in the areas of Religious Social Ethics, Environmental Justice, Womanist Ethics, and African American Religious Thought. Dr. Harris is the author of numerous articles and several books including Gifts of Virtue: Alice Walker and Womanist Ethics and co-editor of the volume Faith, Feminism, and Scholarship: The Next Generation. Her latest book, engaging Ecowomanism and the intersections between environmental justice and African American Women's Religious Life and Spirituality, is scheduled to be published by Orbis Books in 2016. Dr. Harris offers academic leadership in administration at TCU and has experience serving on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Religion, The Society of Christian Ethics and KERA-TV/Radio. She also leads retreats with her mother, Rev. Dr. Naomi O. Harris, and co-facilitates teaching workshops with The Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion.
Pre-Conference Retreat Day
Contemplative, Scholar, Activist: A Day to Honor our Wholeness
Each of us lives multiple lives. This pre-conference Day of Practice provides an opportunity to use the contemplative journey as a tool for the integration of our many roles. Through storytelling, meditation, movement, ritual, and interpersonal sharing, we will reflect upon our various life trajectories and cultivate and honor our wholeness. How do we foster our contemplative base for our fullest expression? How do we bring that expression into our efforts as teachers, learners, colleagues, and workers? How do we clarify, enliven and amplify the many connections of our contemplative journey into social action? This one-day retreat offers a chance to step out of the frenzied character of our days, and find rejuvenation, greater integration, and deeper meaning.
Pre-Conference Registration
Michelle Chatman
Pre-Conference Retreat Facilitator
Paul Wapner
Michelle Chatman is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Youth Studies at the University of the District of Columbia. As a contemplative educator, Michelle weaves storytelling, jazz, and meditation into her instruction to help facilitate student learning and growth. She is an active member of ACMHE and served as faculty at the 11th Annual Summer Session on Contemplative Pedagogy. She also served on the 7th Annual ACMHE conference planning committee, which was held at Howard University. Michelle is enthusiastic about spreading contemplative practices among her campus community, with particular interest in exploring contemplative traditions within the African Diaspora. Also a vocalist, she performs at cultural events in the DC area. A practitioner of the Yoruba belief system, the teachings of this ancient tradition, along with her Christian upbringing, serves as the basis of her personal, contemplative practices. Her most recent scholarly work, "Eshu's Crossroad: Pan African Identity In a Changing City" (Routledge 2016), examines the impact of gentrification upon the Pan African and Black Nationalist communities in her hometown of Washington, DC. Her TEDx talk, How Africa Changed My Life, links her contemplative journey to her volunteerism in The Gambia, West Africa.
Paul Wapner is Professor of Global Environmental Politics at the School of International Service at American University. He has published five books including Living Through the End of Nature, Global Environmental Politics: From Person to Planet, and most recently, Reimagining Climate Change. His current research focuses on environmental ethics and climate suffering. Paul serves on the boards of the Lama Foundation and Re-volv, and is a longtime vipassana practitioner. He was a 2008 Contemplative Practice Fellow.
The Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education, founded in 2008, connects a network of academic professionals committed to the transformation of education through the recovery and development of contemplative dimensions of teaching, learning, and knowing. Learn more at ACMHE.org.
The ACMHE is an initiative of The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, a 501-c (3) non-profit organization which works to integrate contemplative awareness and contemporary life in order to help create a more just, compassionate, reflective, and sustainable society. Since 1997, the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society has played a leading role in fostering the inclusion of contemplative practice and inquiry in colleges and universities.
The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society
info@contemplativemind.org
www.contemplativemind.org


Let me tell you about my gorgeous, energetic and passionate son. He is now 11 but his story starts at age 7.
At age 7 Zach was like every other, full on little boy that you know. He loved to be active, to play sports and to live each day to the fullest. He was a kid, you could say, that only had two speeds – on and off – and on being at 150% effort. He was passionate in that he would laugh and cry with the same intensity, and you never had to wonder what he was feeling. What a joy….and a challenge at times… to stream his energy into the fun and purpose of a 7-year old's life – family, school and friends.
The weekend began like any other, only that it was AFL grand final weekend and we were watching it on the TV with great snacks and family time. Zach was unusually thirsty…he seemed to be consuming glass after glass of water and just couldn't get enough. He became very upset when we finally said, 'enough is enough' and he needed to go to bed. The next day, Sunday, was a warm sunny afternoon, so we took Zach and his little brother to the park. Zach and dad got straight into a game of soccer. Dad got hot and took his shirt off and, of course, Zach did the same. It was then, as I watched them play, that I knew something was seriously wrong! My energetic boy was so skinny! I had to do a double take – why hadn't I noticed this before! Could he have changed overnight? Or maybe two? We were only at the pool last weekend! It was then that I knew, taking into account his drinking the day before…we were looking at either Kidney issues, or Diabetes.
First thing Monday, we took Zach to his GP who confirmed the worst, T1-Diabetes, by a quick wee test! Having had experience with this condition before, I was filled with dread over what this now meant for my little boy, and the whole family, on a daily basis. How would he cope? How would we alter all the routines to incorporate what Zach needed – and to do this without highlighting to Zach how big of a change this diagnosis would be. Zach was committed to the Royal Children's Hospital, for further testing and stabilisation of his weight loss. At the same time, Dad and I were receiving the guidance we needed to begin to structure life around Zach's Diabetes. His little brother was naturally worried and so we had two young boys to comfort in the moment, but without the ability to say things would ever be the same!
The initial months post Zach's diagnosis were full of tears (his, ours and his brothers), as blood glucose testing and insulin needles became a daily event. With Zach being so little, all these tasks fell to dad and I, and to his teachers at school. To help Zach with the transition back to school, he was given the opportunity to talk at an assemble about how it 'sucked' to have injections and most importantly – no lollies! Unpredictably, one of the biggest challenges was going to be the passion with which Zach engaged in life and the 150% he put into everything. This means he is typically in the flight/fight mode, running high with cortisol and adrenalin, spiking his blood glucose levels to the point they were hard to bring down without then crashing him into a hypo!
Zach is now 11 and still juggling the demands of his Diabetes. Like all pre-teens, he does not believe anything should stand in his way of doing everything his mates are doing – which of course, is highly physical and throws his levels. He will, at times, modify the information in his CGM (continuous glucose monitor) to give a false 'safe' reading, so that he will not be asked to stop playing – that game of soccer, basketball, or whatever physical activity he is engaged in. This is highly dangerous, and we are trying to help Zach understand this. With greater knowledge, Zach has other ways to modify his readings – even to the point of flexing his abdomen muscles when the pump is administering the insulin, to minimise the amount that can 'get through'. Add to this, the emotional challenges of pre-teens and soon to be -teen…and we are on a roller-coaster.
A roller coaster – that is exactly what T1 Diabetes is like. A roller coaster of levels in Zach's reading; a roller coaster of testing and administering, a roller coaster of high and lows in our family's ability to 'roll with the punches'. It is living with an ever-present uncertainty if this will be the day when we 'miss' a critical reading. So, we continue to regulate, to guide and to assist our son, in the hope that, one day, the biggest thing in Zach's life, will not be his Diabetes.
Type-1 Diabetes is an auto-immune condition where the immune system, for some unknown reason, begins to destroy the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. There is no cure for Type 1- Diabetes and to live a long and happy life this disease must be managed. Zach doesn't want to have Type-1 Diabetes and at the moment rebels against it, by cleverly outwitting his continuous glucose monitor, but that won't out smart a Type-1 Diabetes medical alert assistance dog. These special dogs are trained to detect and alert Zach and his mum and dad when his levels drop to a dangerous level. These dogs are lifesavers and will give Zach and his family back a quality of life they can relax in.
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You think about the first time you saw an axe.
You were in your father's workshop.
You think about the first time you held an axe.
An older man warned you not to cut off your own leg.
You think about the first time you sharpened an axe.
You held the sharpening stone in your fist.
The first time you saw a poem.
The first time you held a poem.
The first time you sharpened a poem.
The first time a poem sharpened you.
I really like this. Something about it reminds me of Billy Collins. And of course the last line is simply wonderful.
This piece made Gary Snyder's "Axe Handles" resound in my head.
And the form is great, Bill. An echo for me of the Wen Fu.
Yours is a wonderful poem.


text:
Hype surrounding Patrick Surtain Jr. not a product of his name
Photo: Troy Wayrynen, USA TODAY Sports Images
By Walter Villa, Special for USA TODAY High School Sports July 26, 2017 2:03 pm
By Walter Villa, Special for USA TODAY High School Sports | July 26, 2017 2:03 pm ET
PLANTATION, Fla. – The front door swings open. A tall teenager with a gray Nike cap worn backward and sitting high on his head offers a brief "hello" and leads a visitor through what can only be described as a mansion.
Once in the living room, the teen's father joins in and the conversation unfolds, detailing how a poor kid from one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country – the Magnolia Projects in New Orleans – got to South Florida, and how his son became the consensus No. 1 cornerback prospect in the nation.
"Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher, Dabo Swinney, Jim Harbaugh – the who's who of college football," Patrick Surtain Sr. said of the elite coaches who have come to Plantation to recruit his son, Patrick Jr. "Just everybody – it's crazy. It's nuts."
Surtain Jr., who is about to start his final year of high school at American Heritage – a private school located just two blocks from his house – has yet to narrow his list of college choices.
But his father mentioned LSU, Florida State, Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Miami and Florida as strong possibilities. The Surtains recently visited Southern Cal, but the distance may be a barrier.
"I think he likes that L.A. lifestyle, but it was a five-hour flight," Surtain Sr. said as his son listened. "He was intrigued, but I don't know if his mom will approve of that one. She wants him to stay close."
There are several reasons why Surtain has become such a hot recruit, ranked No. 4 among all players and No. 2 in the state of Florida, according to the 247Sports Composite.
For starters, Surtain has rare size for a cornerback. In an era with huge receivers, tall corners who can run and cover are at a premium, and that's what scouts see in Surtain, listed at 6-2, 185 pounds.
Surtain has been productive, too. He won a state title in track and field as a sophomore, running on the 4X100 relay team. As a junior last season, he won a state title in football, one of the stars on a 14-0 team.
Surtain Jr. will again pair with another of the nation's top cornerbacks in Tyson Campbell, who is ranked No. 3 at the position. Campbell has 22 offers and visited Alabama on Monday.
Heritage will be tested early. It has a preseason game against Booker T. Washington on Aug. 18 and then opens the season against Bishop Sullivan Catholic (Virginia Beach) and Nevada state runner-up Liberty (Henderson).
The fact that Surtain Sr. played cornerback for 11 years in the NFL also helps explains Surtain's instincts for the position.
Surtain Sr. is American Heritage's head coach and has been guiding his son along the football path since "Pat" was 5 years old.
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
"(Surtain Jr.) is a very physical player," said coach Matt DuBuc, whose Cardinal Gibbons team played Heritage twice last season. "He's got pretty good ball skills and is able to recover quickly if he makes a mistake.
"When you have those qualities, and you get to go home at night and talk football and watch film with a guy who played your position in the NFL … it's a benefit."
COMING A LONG WAY
Although they share a name and a passion for playing cornerback, Surtain Sr. and Jr. are opposites in many ways.
Surtain, 41, is warm and talkative. His son, 17, is quiet and soft-spoken, at least around strangers.
Their bodies are different, too. At 5-11 and with a playing weight of 195 pounds, Surtain Sr. is shorter and thicker.
Surtain Sr. grew up tough. The Magnolia Projects in the 1990s became infamous for having one of the worst rates of violent crime in the nation.
"The living conditions were different (than Pat's)," Surtain Sr. said. "But when you are entrenched, it doesn't feel (different) because that's what you are used to.
"Pat's never had to go through things that I went through. But that's not a bad thing."
Thanks to his father's NFL success, Surtain Jr. lives well, at the end of a cul-de-sac in a beautiful home with a stylish swimming pool and a full-court basketball setup, complete with lights for nighttime hoops.
Former Marlins baseball standouts Cliff Floyd and Charles Johnson live in the area, and it's a long way from Magnolia.
(Photo: Walter Villa)
"I didn't have to grow up like him, but you can still be tough in certain ways," Surtain Jr. said. "I still have to do chores around here – it's not easy.
"Just getting up early for school, coming home and doing school work and just being a man of the house … (Surtain Sr.) has had to be after me at certain times, but I feel like I've gotten better at being self-disciplined, teaching myself the ways."
Surtain Sr. met his wife, Michelle, when they attended different high schools in New Orleans, and the couple has three kids, Pat Jr. and two younger sisters, ages 13 and 8.
In high school, Surtain Sr. ran track and played football, basketball and baseball at Edna Karr in New Orleans. He signed with Southern Miss because the coaches promised him the chance to play quarterback.
But on the second day of practice, Surtain was switched to cornerback. Surtain went on to become a second-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins, which is how he got to South Florida. He made the Pro Bowl three straight years, 2002 to 2004, and ended his career by playing four years with the Kansas City Chiefs.
"They knew something I didn't," Surtain said about his coaches at Southern Miss, "and look how my career turned out.
"That's the game. They will lie to you to get you there. Most of it is BS. You sit down with these college coaches … you just have to read through the BS and see which university has your kid's best interests at heart."
Surtain Sr. said he remembers the first time his son put a helmet and pads on at age 5 in Kansas City.
"From the first day he was out there, you can tell this was something he loved," he said. "Even though it was cold, he was enthused. It's given him joy."
It's also made him a target for opponents, given what his father has accomplished in the game.
And that heat will only be turned up in 2018 when he goes up against college men – wide receivers who would love nothing more than to burn the kid with the big name and the even bigger hype.
Yet, so far at least, he's handled everything thrown his way … even when very little, in the way of pass attempts, is thrown his way.
Last year, he intercepted two passes and recovered three fumbles, one of which he ran for a touchdown.
As a punt returner, he fielded three for fair catches. Of the two punts he actually returned, one went for 25 yards and the other went 42 yards for a touchdown.
A former running back in youth-league football, Surtain will play wide receiver this year in addition to cornerback.
"All the rankings and hype are for real," said Manny Navarro, a Miami Herald reporter who has seen a half-dozen of Surtain's games. "I've seen him lay people out with huge hits. He's built like he's ready to be a college star.
"He's extremely athletic and gifted. When he gets the ball in his hands, he makes things happen. He's been playing against top competition since his sophomore year. I've seen him play since he was 15 years old, and he never disappoints."
DuBuc, the Cardinal Gibbons coach, watched Surtain make an interception against his team last season.
"It was a wheel route on the goal line," DuBuc said. "He came over the top and made an impressive play.
"He shrinks the field for them (because of his coverage)."
A college coach from outside of Florida who is familiar with Surtain said he has a "rare combination" of size and speed and added that he could end up at safety at some point in his career. College coaches are not allowed to comment on unsigned recruits.
That coach also cautioned that Surtain – or any highly rated player – could eventually be a bust because "they've spent the past three years hearing how great they are."
Surtain Sr. said that is not an issue with his son.
"With all this hype … he doesn't let it get to him," Surtain Sr. said. "He remains humble and steadfast.
"Some kids make videos of them signing. Pat will go to signing day and just fax it in, like, 'I'm going to college.' That's the kind of person he is."
Surtain Sr. bristles at any suggestion that his son was "given anything" as an explanation for his success.
"I've seen him put the work in," Surtain said. "I don't care if he grew up in Magnolia or here, he's earned everything he's gotten."

1. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) will attempt to equal De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) as the only teams to win four consecutive Super 25 football titles. The teams will play in Week 3 this season in Las Vegas and face off in California in 2018.

Photo: Icon Sportswire, AP Images

2. Kimberly (Wis.) enters the season with a nation's best 56-game winning streak. Kimblerly has won four consecutive state titles; only Stratford with six has won more in state history.

Photo: Rick Wood, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

3. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 recruit in 2018, will attempt to lead Cartersville (Ga.) to another state title. Cartersville finished 15-0 and is on a 30-game winning streak.

Photo: Rusty Mansell, 247Sports

4. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) will have a new quarterback -- either transfer and Miami commit Artur Sitkowski or last year's backup Zack Annexstad -- and prominent additions on offense and defense (such as No. 2 overall prospect Xavier Thomas) as it attempts another perfect season.

Photo: 247Sports

5. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) has a new coach for the second consecutive season. Christian Hunnicutt, who spent the 2015 season as offensive line coach, replaces Jeff Herron, who led Grayson to a state title in his only season. Hunnicutt helped Buford to seven state titles from 2004 to 2011.

Photo: Dale Zanine, USA TODAY Sports

6. Claude Mathis is back coaching high school football. After two years at SMU, Mathis is the head coach at Marshall in east Texas. From 2008 to 2014, Mathis had a 74-18 record with two state semifinal appearances. Marshall was 6-5 last year.

Photo: Marshall ISD

7. Longtime Cedar Hill coach Joey McGuire is now on the staff at Baylor and Carlos Lynn is back at Cedar Hill. Lynn spent nine years on the Cedar Hill staff and then had a 45-50 record in nine years at Seguin (Arlington).

Photo: John Glaser, TexasHSFootball.com

8. Who will end up where in Florida as the next phase of the state's open enrollment law goes into effect for the 2017-18 academic year? The legislation requires that students who switch schools be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities, including sports.

Photo: FHSAA

9. A total of 147 11-man football teams went undefeated last season. New York led all states with 10. Bremond (pictured) was among six unbeaten teams in Texas.

Photo: Joseph Nguyen, TexasHSFootball.com

10. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), coming off three consecutive state titles, will open against California power St. John Bosco (Bellflower) on Aug. 25 in south Florida in one of the more highly anticipated interstate games.

Photo: Ray Carlin, USA TODAY Sports Images

11. Former Maryville (Tenn.) quarterback Derek Hunt replaces his former coach George Quarles as coach. Quarles, who left to join the coaching staff at Furman, led the Rebels to 11 state championships since 1999. He finished with a 250-16 record with 15 state championship appearances. His teams had winning streaks of 74 (2004-08) and 44 (2013-2015).

Photo: WBIR

12. Memphis, which is known traditionally as a hotbed for basketball, showed in 2016 that it also has its share of football talent. Memphis high schools won four of eight of the Tennessee football championships – Lausanne (Division II-A), Trezevant (Class 2A), Memphis East (Class 4A) and Whitehaven (pictured) (Class 6A). Now, with a ninth class added in 2017, the Bluff City looks to continue that success.

Photo: Helen Comer, DNJ

13. Longtime assistant Dan Anderson (pictured) takes over for Tom Mach at Detroit Catholic Central. Mach won 10 state titles in 41 years leading the Shamrocks. His 370 victories rank second all-time in the state.

Photo: Detroit Central Catholic

14. Judson (Converse, Texas) returns a stacked team. The Rockets have to make it out of a difficult region, but there's a chance they could be one of the top teams in the nation. They face defending state champions Lake Travis in the opener.

Photo: GoRocketPride.com via TexasHSFootball.com

15. Texas state champions Lake Travis and DeSoto are losing some massive names, but return talent at key positions. It's difficult to repeat in Texas, but these schools will have a solid chance.

Photo: John Glaser, TexasHSFootball.com

16. Does Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) have the top QB-WR combo? J.T. Daniels threw for 4,849 yards last season with 67 touchdowns. Amon-Ra St. Brown, the No. 3 receiver in the Class of 2108, had 24 of them. Brother Osiris had 31, but he will be at Stanford in the fall.

Photo: 247Sports

17. Bedford was the lone unbeaten team in New Hampshire last season with a 12-0 mark and the Division I state title. The Bulldogs won the state semifinals and final by a touchdown each.

Photo: Bedford Football

18. Jackson Carman of Fairfield (Ohio) is the top-ranked offensive tackle prospect in the country and could be the first top-rated Ohio player to leave the state during Urban Meyer's time at Ohio State.

Photo: 247Sports

19. No one is still quite sure why or how, but Greg Toal is out as head coach at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) and replaced by former Rutgers star quarterback Mike Teel (pictured). The Ironmen will be led by a ferocious line anchored by one of New Jersey's top prospects in Tyler Friday and he will clear the way for precocious sophomore running back Jalen Berger.

Toal has since taken a job on the staff at nearby Bergen Catholic.

Photo: Marko Georgiev, NorthJersey.com

20. It has now been 13 years since Bergen Catholic (Oradell) last won a New Jersey state title, the longest drought since the state shifted to its current playoff format in 1974. Crusaders coach Nunzio Campanile will hope that senior quarterback Johnny Langan (North Jersey's version of "Johnny Football") can stay healthy this season.

Photo: Chris Monroe, NorthJersey.com

21. Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines) enters the season as the four-time defending state champions in Iowa's biggest class. The Maroons became the first Class 4A team to win three straight state titles in 2015, then followed it up with their fourth straight and fifth in seven years when they beat Iowa City West 23-10. Dowling has also won 52 out of its last 54 games.

Photo: Bryon Houlgrave, The Register

22. Pella is the three-time defending Iowa Class 3A state champions. Even more, the Little Dutch have won 41 straight games. Pella's last loss came on Nov. 8, 2013, a 28-0 loss to Washington, and the program is the 10th team in Iowa to boast a winning streak of 40 games or more (Iowa City Regina holds the record of 56 straight wins between Nov. 2010 and Aug. 2014).

Photo: The Register

23. Hartford, last year's Vermont Division I champion, will be chasing the program's 13th crown this fall. The Hurricanes have won six D-I titles since 2007.

Photo: Glenn Russell, Burlington Free Press

24. Taulia Tagovailoa, the brother of Alabama freshman QB Tua, is heading to Thompson High in Alabama. The family will move from Hawaii to be closer to Tua. Taulia threw for more than 3,100 yards and 41 touchdowns as a sophomore at Kapolei.

Photo: Honolulu Star-Advertiser

25. The inaugural Polynesian Football Classic in Las Vegas on Sept. 9 will feature Alta (Sandy, Utah) vs. Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) in the opener and Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) vs. Kahuka (Hawaii) in the second game.

Photo: Ray Carlin, USA TODAY Sports Images

26. Luke McCaffrey, a rising junior, is expected to be a key weapon at Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) Brother Dylan, the team's quarterback last season, will enroll at Michigan this summer. They are brothers of Christian McCaffrey and the son of former Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey. Colorado commit Blake Stenstrom is the projected starter at QB.

Photo: Daniel Brenner, The Coloradoan

27. Alex Huston of Glendale (Springfield, Mo.) threw for 6,131 yards last season – No. 2 all time for a single season. That included 706 yards in a single game. He enters his senior year with 11,739 yards.

Photo: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez, News-Leader

28. Life after Cam Akers begins for Mississippi 6A state champion Clinton against South Panola (Batesville, Miss.). Akers had 3,128 passing yards and 31 touchdowns with 2,105 rushing yards and 34 rushing touchdowns before heading to Florida State.

Photo: Chris Todd, Clarion-Ledger

29. Two of the top five recruits in Oklahoma play for Southmoore (Moore, Okla.) – top-ranked Brey Walker (pictured), an offensive tackle committed to the Sooners, and No. 5 Casey Thompson, a quarterback committed to Texas.

Photo: 247Sports

30. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) remains a powerhouse and won its fourth consecutive WCAC title and finished in the top 5 in the Super 25. They head into 2017, though, without quarterback Beau English, who has moved to the Air Force Academy.

Photo: Derik Hamilton, USA TODAY Sports

31. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) loses ALL-USA guard Wyatt Davis to Ohio State but returns quarterback Re-al Mitchell for a second season as the starter. Mitchell accounted for 31 passing touchdowns and 16 rushing touchdowns along with 4,000 total yards last season.

Photo: Brandon C. Severn, The Enquirer

32. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia) became the state's first 6A champion last fall under the new classification system and had its first 14-0 season in school history. The Prep has won three state titles in the last four years, but must replace Georgia-bound star D'Andre Swift, who had eight TDs in his three state title games.

Photo: James Robinson, PennLive.com via AP

33. The Rock-a-Chaws of St. Stanislaus (Bay St. Louis, Miss.) have been hit with the double-whammy of losing Myles Brennan, one of the top quarterbacks in state history, and coach Bill Conides. Brennan is heading to LSU; Conides has moved to Denham Springs (La.) after a 34-8 run in three seasons in Mississippi.

Photo: Chris Todd, The Clarion-Ledger

34. Archbishop Murphy (Everett, Wash.) made national headlines on the way to a 2A state title and perfect season because five of its six league opponents forfeited when players and parents cited safety concerns. Here's hoping things get back to some sense of normalcy in the Cascade Conference.

Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP

35. Oregon's top quarterback might again be a two-sport star. Jake Dukart is an Arizona State baseball commit and threw for more than 1,100 yards in eight games last season for Lake Oswego. Tim Tawa, a Stanford baseball signee, is considered by many to be he top high school QB prospect ever from the state.

Photo: 247Sports

36. Can anybody in Alaska stop Soldotna? The Stars are coming off their fifth consecutive Alaska Medium School state title and own the state record for winning streaks with 49 in a row.

Photo: Soldotna Football

37. Two years after Lake Stevens (Wash.) Jacob Eason was among the top QB prospects in the nation, the state of Washington has found another elite passer in Jacob Sirmon (pictured) from Bothell. Ranked as the No. 3 pro-style QB in the class, Sirmon has opted to stay home and has committed to Washington. He threw for more than 3,700 yards and had 29 passing touchdowns as a junior.

Photo: 247Sports

38. Dan Bangura from Harvest Prep (Canal Winchester, Ohio) is the nation's leading returning rusher after posting 4,128 yards last season on a whopping 11.1 yards per carry.

Photo: Jason Mowry, World Harvest Church

39. Braxton Ashcraft from Robinson (Texas) can throw the ball. The 6-6 righthander has committed to Baylor baseball. He can catch it, too. The nation's leading returning receiver, he surpassed 2,000 yards and had 37 touchdowns last season.

Photo: AMZimages

40. Jordan Byrd from Manzano (Albuquerque) is ranked as the top prospect in New Mexico and can do a bit of everything. He had 489 yards passing, 874 yards rushing and 381 yards receiving and 244 return yards.

Photo: 247Sports

41. Sheridan (Wyo.) has won back-to-back state 4A titles but must replace Gatorade Player of the Year Coy Steel, who was a star at defensive back and wide receiver during an 11-1 season.

Photo: Wyoming Tribune Eagle

42. Timber Creek will look to capture its third straight South Jersey Group 4 title this fall behind the arm of quarterback Devin Leary. The New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year and North Carolina State commit is coming off a record-setting junior season in which he set state records for touchdown passes (48) and passing yards (3,688) in a single season. He's currently third in South Jersey history with 6,809 passing yards and 74 touchdowns.

Photo: Joe Warner, Courier-Post

43. Longtime Florence (N.J.) coach Joe Frappolli (pictured) will look to join Paul Sacco of St. Joseph (Hammonton) as the only two coaches in South Jersey history to reach the 300-win plateau. Hired by his alma mater in 1974 as its head coach, Frappolli owns a career record of 297-135-5. Sacco is No. 1 at 305-62-5.

Photo: Jose F. Moreno, Courier-Post

44. Benny Sapp III is the top-ranked recruit in Minnesota and a Gophers commit after transferring from St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida. He is the son of the former Vikings defensive back, but he is coming off two ACL surgeries and has not played in two years. Will he be able to contribute for Eden Prairie (Minn.)?

Photo: 247Sports

45. Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) won the state Class A title last season by going 13-0 and posting 653 points, an average of almost 49 per game. But the Thunderhawks must replace running Jaylin Bradley, who set state Class A records with 52 touchdowns and 312 points.

Photo: Mike Sautter, NebraskaHSSports

46. Cameron Jurgens from Beatrice is ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Nebraska and the No. 5 tight end in the nation. He is already committed to the Cornhuskers. Jurgens averaged 12.4 yards per catch last season for Beatrice (8-3 in 2016).

Photo: Michael Bruntz, 247Sports

47. There hasn't been a repeat winner in Indiana's biggest class since Warren Central won four consecutive state titles from 2003-06. That trend held true again last year as Carmel upset Center Grove in the Class 6A finals in thrilling 16-13 overtime game. Can the Greyhounds repeat? They lose quite a bit to graduation but return quarterback Jake McDonald and linebackers Beau Robbins and Joey Schmidt.

Photo: Mykal McEldowney, Indystar

48. The Mr. Football race in Indiana should be a good one. Ben Davis quarterback Reese Taylor, Cathedral running back Markese Stepp and Decatur Central all-everything Tyrone Tracy (pictured) are a few names to watch for the state's top senior award.

Photo: Mykal McEldowney, Indystar

49. As per custom, Oklahoma powerhouses Jenks and Tulsa Union will have an early season showdown; this year's game is Sept. 8. Jenks, led by coach Allan Trimble (pictured), has won the last two meetings. The two schools have combined for the last 21 state titles in the largest class -- 13 for Jenks and eight for Union.

Photo: Duanewhitsettphotography.com

50. Talanoa Hufanga from Crescent Valley (Corvallis, Ore.) is ranked as the No. 3 athlete in the class and has seen his stock rise. Hufanga is expected to play defense at the next level, but had more than 1,500 total yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior.

Photo: 247Sports

51. New LSU coach Ed Orgeron wanted to make recruiting at home a priority. So far, the Tigers have commitments from three of the top four players in the state – cornerback Kelvin Joseph, defensive tackle Davin Cotton (pictured) and inside linebacker Micah Baskerville. Wide receiver Terrance Marshall, ranked No. 1, remains uncommitted.

Photo: Douglas Collier, The Times

52. St. Frances (Baltimore) finished 10-2 last season with both losses to out-of-state teams. The school has among the more intriguing prospects in the Class of 2018 in Eyabi Anoma, a basketball player turned defensive end who is ranked among the top 10 players nationally.

Photo: Tom Lemming

53. Brother Rice (Birmingham, Mich.) has a new coach, bringing in Seaholm defensive coordinator Adam Korzeniewski. Rice won state titles in 2011-13 when Korzeniewski was the defensive coordinator there.

Photo: Brother Rice

54. Isaac Hennen from Minneota returns as the leading scorer in Minnesota last season with 31 touchdowns. Minneota is 40-1 with two Class A state titles in the last three years.

Photo: Star Tribune

55. Maine Central (Pittsford) went undefeated a year ago and won the state Class D title after losing in the final the last two years to Oak Hill. Oak Hill had won all three state titles since Class D was reinstituted in 2013 after a hiatus since 1986.

Photo: Troy R. Bennett, Bangor Daily News

56. Two-time defending Delaware Division I champion Smyrna will take a 22-game winning streak into 2017. With All-State RBs Will Knight and Leddie Brown and four starting offensive linemen returning, coach Mike Judy's Eagles - who averaged 52.7 points per game in going 12-0 last season - should fly high again. Smyrna opens the season Sept. 8 at Middletown in a rematch of last year's D-I title game, won by the Eagles 36-14.

Photo: William Bretzger, The News Journal

57. Middletown has been searching for a replacement for longtime coach Mark DelPercio, who announced his resignation in March to pursue coaching opportunities in Texas. DelPercio amassed a 151-62 record at Glasgow and Middletown, and guided the Cavaliers to DIAA Division I championships in 2007, 2011 and 2012. Middletown has played in the D-I title game in seven of the last 10 years.

Photo: The News Journal

58. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, CA) head coach Kevin Rooney, who enters his 38th season with the Knights, is five wins away from becoming the ninth coach in California to win 300 career games.

Photo: Notre Dame School

59. Chandler, the defending Arizona state champion, once again will be the team to beat, especially with three transfers who have come in from rival Hamilton. The Wolves return 3,500-yard passer Jacob Conover, a defensive secondary that will tough to throw on, and a swagger that should make them, if nothing else, competitive at home in August against Florida football power IMG Academy.

Photo: Cheryl Evans, azcentral sports

60. Keep an eye on Phoenix North Canyon wide receiver Solomon Enis, rated the No. 1 prospect for the 2018 class in Arizona. He follows last year's top state prospect Austin Jackson, a left tackle at North Canyon who signed with USC. Enis is as good running the ball as he is catching it. He is the son of former Penn State and NFL running back Curtis Enis.

Photo: Keith Niebuhr, 247Sports

61. Florida this season will join at least a dozen states such as Ohio, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania to use a points or ratings system to seed playoff brackets. However, it will not be the first time the FHSAA has used a point system to seed football playoff brackets, as they did so from the inception of the playoffs in 1963-64 until 1974-75.

Photo: FHSAA

62. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) can become the first team to win five consecutive state championships. However, the program will have to do it in Class 5A, not Class 3A, due to changes to FHSAA's playoff format that eliminated districts in the lowest four classifications.

Photo: Jake Perper, FloridaHSFootball.com

63. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) will field two varsity teams for the 2017 season with a national team and a varsity team. The national team will play a schedule against ranked opponents, while the varsity team will play in-state teams from Florida, mostly teams that are in Class 4A and below.

Photo: IMG Academy

64. Can Duxbury (Mass.) turn a state title into a dynasty? In 2016, the Dragons finally finished a four-year reinvention of their program, culminating in a Division 2 state title. Now, with a talented crop of seniors including record-setting quarterback and coach's son Bobby Maimaron off to college, Duxbury will get a true test of its ability to implement an unstoppable system.

Photo: Barry Chin, Boston Globe

65. Will Xaverian (Westwood, Mass.) bounce back? Xaverian has been the class of Eastern Mass. football in recent years, capturing Division 1 Super Bowl titles in 2014 and 2015 … before running into a buzzsaw of a hot Everett team in the 2016 title game. Even though a quartet of titles is now off the table, Xaverian has motivation to bounce back.

Photo: Xaverian Athletics

66. What to make of Lake Zurich? Nestled in the tony Northwest suburbs of Chicago, Lake Zurich is coming off an embarrassing season that culminated in a hazing scandal and apparent cover-up attempt, leading to the resignation of head coach David Proffitt and athletic director Rolando Vazquez. That has destabilized a perennial playoff team and regional contender.

Photo: Lake Zurich High School

67. Can Northwestern build on recruiting success to own Chicago's top talent? Illinois isn't Florida or Texas, but there's still plenty of elite talent in Chicago and the surrounding area. After a strong season, Pat Fitzgerald has pledged commitments from four of the state's top-15 players, including top overall prospect Devin O'Rourke. All are from greater Chicagoland.

Photo: Vincent Carchietta, USA TODAY Sports

68. At this point, can we just go ahead and pencil Westfield (Chantilly, Va.) and Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) into the 6A state title this season? In consecutive years, the Bulldogs and the Tigers have created instant classics in the state title game; both games went to at least one overtime and both were won by Westfield.

Photo: Kevin Delaney

69. Good luck trying to stop Hayfield's (Quantico, Va.) Brian Cobbs; the 6-foot-2 wide receiver led all juniors in the state with 1,233 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Cobbs averaged 15 yards per catch and scored 13 touchdowns last season.

Photo: Isaiah Hole, 247Sports

70. Can new coach Billy Dawson keep Fayetteville's (Ark.) consecutive state titles coming? Dawson led Russellville to its first ever state championship last season and has four career state championships. The Bulldogs have won the past two titles.

Photo: 5news

71. Joe T. Robinson (Little Rock, Ark.) wide receiver Nathan Page isn't just the highest ranked prospect in the state, he's also the luckiest. Page walked away from a car accident that resulted in his car being wrapped around a tree late in the season and managed a career night in the next game. What's he got in store for his senior finale?

Photo: 247Sports

72. Trinity (Louisville) will try to win its second straight Class 6-A title - and record 25th title overall - behind two of the state's top college prospects in Class of 2018 wide receiver Rondale Moore (pictured) and Class of 2019 defensive end Stephen Herron.

Photo: Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal

73. Bowling Green won three consecutive Kentucky Class 5-A titles from 2011-13 and will look to accomplish another three-peat after winning the 5-A title in 2015 and 2016. Look for Class of 2020 star running back/defensive back Vito Tisdale to shine on both sides of the ball.

Photo: 247Sports

74. In South Dakota's Class 11AAA, will anyone be able to dethrone two-time defending champion Washington? Taking down the Warriors represents a rather sizable task, as they return most of their key pieces from last season, including All-State tailback Tupak Kpeayeh and offensive lineman Will Farniok, who recently committed to the University of Nebraska.

Photo: Joe Ahlquist, Argus Leader

75. As enrollment figures and participation dwindle, six-man football in South Dakota will continue to be a topic of discussion amongst the small schools. It appears to be a viable solution for the small-town high schools to maintain their programs., but it remains to be seen if it would make sense for the SDHSAA to add the class for the next cycle.

Photo: Argus Leader

76. A fumble into the back of the end zone in overtime, and some Wayne Hills "Magic" (a trick play that truly defies explanation) denied Wayne Valley its first New Jersey sectional championship since 1991. But the Indians and coach Roger Kotlarz return a host of talented playmakers in 2017, but they may have to go through their crosstown rivals once more to get a ring.

Photo: Michael Karas

77. Will Manvel (Texas) gets its redemption? Manvel has lost in the state quarterfinals in each of the last four season. The program returns many solid players as it makes another run at the 5A state championship.

Photo: Ashleigh Arnaud, TexasHSFootball.com

78. Last year saw San Angelo Central come out of West Texas, which is arguably the most storied region in Texas, as a challenger to the bigger schools from DFW. This year, Central reloads for another shot, but it'll have to get past traditional power Odessa Permian, which returns a lot of players from a 6-4 squad that clearly suffered from youthful mistakes.

Photo: Adam Sauceda, San Angelo Standard Times

79. Essex (Vt.) hires program alum Drew Gordon to take over from Charlie Burnett, who guided the Hornets to a memorable undefeated season in 2009 in a nine-year stint. Essex just celebrated the program's 50th anniversary.

Photo: Glenn Russell, Burlington Free Press

80. The Vermont Interscholastic Football League went through divisional alignments – a process done every two years – and several teams are on the move in the three divisions. That includes Burlington and 30 Mount Mansfield returning to Division I and Division II expanding its playoff field to an eight-team tournament and D-III reverting back to a four-team postseason.

Photo: Brian Jenkins, Burlington Free Press

81. Division I St. Xavier (Cincinnati) became the first five-loss team in OHSAA history to win a state championship last season. La Salle became the first Division II team to win three straight state championships. The schools are located five miles apart on the same road and compete in the same conference — the Greater Catholic League South. They'll both be in contention for titles again this season.

Photo: Kareem Elgazzar, The Enquirer

82. North Carolina state titles games return to Duke with two games on Dec. 9. The addition of a venue means all eight state championship games will be played on the same day on a Saturday. In recent years, a game has been played on Friday night.

Photo: Duke Photography

83. In Ohio, out of the 718 schools that play football, 75 moved up a division due to competitive balance and/or higher base enrollment numbers. Perennial powerhouse Coldwater goes from Division V to Division IV after winning four straight state championships from 2012-2015 and finishing runner-up in 2016.

Photo: Cincinnati Enquirer

84. Is this finally Brooklyn Erasmus Hall's year? For three straight years, Erasmus Hall has put together an excellent regular season before finally capitulating in the PSAL title game at Yankee Stadium. In 2017, the Dutchmen feature three of the top-six prospects in the entire state, including No. 1 Matthew Jones (pictured), and are poised to dominate the regular season.

Photo: Alex Gleitman, 247Sports

85. Is Jeremy Ruckert the nation's top tight end? The state of New York produces plenty of Division I football recruits, but rarely the top overall player at a position or in a class. That may be different in 2017 with Lindenhurst tight end Jeremy Ruckert, who is either the best or second-best tight end prospect in the Class of 2018. Most of the Big Ten, as well as Notre Dame, Stanford and a handful of other powerhouse programs are all chasing the 6-foot-5, 230-pound versatile end.

Photo: alabama.247Sports

86. Can 5-star RB Zamir White help Scotland (Laurinburg, N.C.) to avenge 2016 title loss? White is a top-five overall recruit, the nation's top-ranked running back, and a one-man wrecking ball. In 2016, he led the Scots to the state semifinals … where they were resolutely trounced, 27-7, by Cape Fear. Will the future college star be able to go two steps better and drive Scotland to a title?

Photo: Keith Niebuhr, 247Sports

87. Will Wake Forest (N.C.) repeat in 4AA? In the past three seasons, the Cougars have lost a total of two games … both in the playoffs. In 2016 they went all the way, routing fellow state power Page, 29-0, in the title game. Will the Cougars finally fully establish their dynasty status with a second-straight state title?

Photo: Raleigh News and Observer

88. Clemson is dominating the state's top recruits. It's no surprise, but the defending national champion Clemson Tigers are cleaning up among the state's top recruits. The Tigers have commitments from four of the top 10 prospects already (including Trevor Lawrence and Xavier Thomas, pictured) and could very well land four of the other five still uncommitted in that group.

Photo: Ken Ruinard, Independent Mail

89. Can Dutch Fork (S.C.) build off its 2016 title? The Foxes have captured two of the previous 5A titles, and finished the 2016 campaign in the Super 25. As with many dominant teams, the Foxes graduated many of their defending champs, and will have to find depth and development to hold off a Fort Dorchester squad.

Photo: Dutch Fork Football

90. Makoa Freitas takes over wealth of success at Kahuku (Hawaii). A former offensive line coach on the staff of departed coach Vavae Tata, Freitas played for the Indianapolis Colts and University of Arizona, so he has plenty of high level experience. He also has high standards to live up to: Tata finished a two-year term at Kahuku with a 24-2 record and appearances in the Division I title game in both 2015 and 2016, earning one state title.

Photo: Bruce Asato, Honolulu Star-Advertiser

91. Jim Oberweiser (middle), one of Montana's most successful coaches, has stepped down at Flint Creek. According to the state association, his final record of 233-94 makes him the winningest Class C 8-man coach in state history.

Photo: The Montana Standard

92. After reclassification, Montana will have 40 teams playing 11-man football this fall: 21 in Class A and 29 in Class B. Many are co-op programs that draw players from multiple schools.

Photo: MHSA

93. Norton (Kan.) dual-threat quarterback Jace Ruder is ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the state. A 6-3 Tulsa commit, Ruder threw for 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns and ran for 750 yards and 16 touchdowns for Norton (7-4) last season.

Photo: Michael Bruntz, 247Sports

94. Life after Najee Harris begins for Antioch (Calif.) on Aug. 25 against Lincoln (Stockton). Harris, a top 3 recruit in the Class of 2017, finished his high school career with nearly 8,000 yards and had 99 touchdowns (94 rushing).

Photo: Jeff Chiu, AP

95. Archbishop Hoban (Akron) allowed an average of 7.7 points per game in 2016 in repeating as OHSAA Division III state champions. Seven starters return from that dominant defense, although Hoban loses quarterback Danny Clark to the University of Kentucky.

Photo: Akron Beacon Journal

96. Northern California teams went 0-5 in the upper-division state finals played in Sacramento. Northern California teams then won six of the other eight state finals played in Southern California. St. John Bosco beat De La Salle 56-33 in the Open Division final.

Photo: Steve Yeater, AP

97. Derby (Kan.) is coming off back-to-back state championships after beating Blue Valley in the final for the second consecutive year. Derby is riding a 24-game winning streak and had just three losses in the last three seasons.

Photo: Derby High School

98. La'Damian Webb became the first junior to win Alabama's Mr. Football after running for 3,242 yards and an AHSAA record 47 rushing touchdowns for 5A state champion Beauregeard. What will he do for an encore?

Photo: Keith Niebuhr, 247Sports

99. The Cleveland area has seen significant turnover in coaches, including the retirement of Joe Yost, who spent 38 years at Ellet. Amazingly, three assistants spent all 38 years with him.

Photo: Akron Beacon Journal

100. Five quarterbacks are among the top 50 recruits in Georgia. They are committed to Clemson, Penn State, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Kentucky. That includes Buckeyes commit Emory Jones (pictured).

Photo: 247Sports

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text:
NFL reportedly found no evidence of claim Mason Rudolph used racial slur toward Browns' Myles Garrett
Rudolph's attorney says claim is assault on Steelers QB'S integrity
Updated: 7:27 PM EST Nov 21, 2019
In an appeal hearing with the NFL, Cleveland Browns' DE Myles Garrett accused Steelers QB Mason Rudolph of using racial slurs prior to Garrett hitting Rudolph with his own helmet in the final moments of last Thursday's game, according to ESPN. The NFL looked into the allegations and found no evidence to support the claims, a league spokesman said, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Rudolph's attorney has denied the claims, calling it an assault on Rudolph's integrity. On Wednesday, Rudolph told reporters he didn't say anything to provoke Garrett or escalate the situation.Garrett responded to the allegation in a tweet on Thursday night saying in part, "I know what I heard. Whether my opponent's comment was born out of frustration or ignorance, I cannot say. Read Garrett's full tweet below. Tap the video player above to hear Rudolph deny saying anything to escalate the situation. In a tweet, Rudolph's attorney, Timothy M. Younger, said, "According to ESPN, in his appeal Myles Garrett falsely asserted that Mason Rudolph uttered a racial slur toward him, prior to swinging a helmet at Mason's uncovered head, in a desperate attempt to mitigate his suspension. This is a lie. This false allegation was never asserted by Garrett in the aftermath of the game, never suggested prior to the hearing, and conspicuously absent in the apology published by the Browns and adopted by Garrett. The malicious use of this wild and unfounded allegation is an assault on Mason's integrity which is far worse than the physical assault witnessed on Thursday. This is reckless and shameful. We will have no further comment." ESPN reported that Garrett made the allegations as part of his initial comments during the appeal hearing in New York. The allegation reportedly made for an argumentative exchange between both sides about whether the allegation was permissible to use in his appeal. Garrett was banned last week for the rest of the regular season and playoffs, if Cleveland makes them. Rudolph avoided injury and was not suspended despite his attempt to grab Garrett's helmet and charge at him.
In an appeal hearing with the NFL, Cleveland Browns' DE Myles Garrett accused Steelers QB Mason Rudolph of using racial slurs prior to Garrett hitting Rudolph with his own helmet in the final moments of last Thursday's game, according to ESPN.
The NFL looked into the allegations and found no evidence to support the claims, a league spokesman said, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
Rudolph's attorney has denied the claims, calling it an assault on Rudolph's integrity. On Wednesday, Rudolph told reporters he didn't say anything to provoke Garrett or escalate the situation.
Garrett responded to the allegation in a tweet on Thursday night saying in part, "I know what I heard. Whether my opponent's comment was born out of frustration or ignorance, I cannot say. Read Garrett's full tweet below.
Tap the video player above to hear Rudolph deny saying anything to escalate the situation.
pic.twitter.com/IFKkZv5OC2
— Myles "Flash" Garrett ⚡ (@MylesLGarrett) November 22, 2019
In a tweet, Rudolph's attorney, Timothy M. Younger, said, "According to ESPN, in his appeal Myles Garrett falsely asserted that Mason Rudolph uttered a racial slur toward him, prior to swinging a helmet at Mason's uncovered head, in a desperate attempt to mitigate his suspension. This is a lie. This false allegation was never asserted by Garrett in the aftermath of the game, never suggested prior to the hearing, and conspicuously absent in the apology published by the Browns and adopted by Garrett. The malicious use of this wild and unfounded allegation is an assault on Mason's integrity which is far worse than the physical assault witnessed on Thursday. This is reckless and shameful. We will have no further comment."
pic.twitter.com/0AxaRT8H1G
— Younger & Associates/QB Limited (@YoungerAssoc) November 21, 2019
ESPN reported that Garrett made the allegations as part of his initial comments during the appeal hearing in New York. The allegation reportedly made for an argumentative exchange between both sides about whether the allegation was permissible to use in his appeal.
Garrett was banned last week for the rest of the regular season and playoffs, if Cleveland makes them.
Rudolph avoided injury and was not suspended despite his attempt to grab Garrett's helmet and charge at him.


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text:
Marketers of the Supplements Focus Factor and V-Factor Agree to Settle FTC Charges and Pay $1 Million
Marketers of "Focus Factor," a dietary supplement that purports to improve concentration, and "V-Factor," a supplement that purports to enhance sexual performance, have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they made numerous unsubstantiated advertising claims for the products. In one complaint, the FTC charges Vital Basics, Inc. of Portland, Maine, and its principals, Robert Graham and Michael Shane (VBI respondents), with not having adequate substantiation to back up claims they made about the efficacy of "Focus Factor" and the safety of "V-Factor Natural Pack." The VBI respondents have agreed to a consent order containing provisions designed to prevent them from engaging in similar acts or practices in the future and requiring the payment of $1 million in consumer redress. In the other complaint, the FTC charges Creative Health Institute, Inc. of Corinth, Texas, and its principal, Dr. Kyl Smith (CHI respondents), with making unsubstantiated claims about Focus Factor's ability to improve users' focus, memory, mood, and concentration. The CHI respondents have also agreed to a consent order designed to prevent similar practices in the future and requiring the payment of $60,000 in consumer redress.
Focus Factor is a dietary supplement that contains, among other things, vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and amino acids. Dr. Smith developed Focus Factor, and advertised and sold it through Creative Health Institute from at least 1997 to 2000. Since 2000, the VBI respondents have advertised and sold Focus Factor, and the CHI respondents participated in the advertising of the product. The respondents allegedly marketed Focus Factor as improving the focus, memory, and concentration of healthy adults; alleviating stress and combating the fatigue, irritability, and mood swings that healthy adults experience; making children and teenagers feel more alert, focused, and mentally sharp; improving students' ability to concentrate and their academic performance; improving senior citizens' memory, mental clarity, and energy; improving adults' ability to absorb information in books and to recall facts, figures, and names; and as having the desired effects in as little as one to 10 days. The Commission's two complaints challenge these claims as unsubstantiated.
V-Factor is a dietary supplement that contains, among other things, yohimbine and L-argenine. The VBI respondents allegedly marketed V-Factor as a male sexual performance enhancer. The FTC alleges that the VBI respondents did not have substantiation for their claim that V-Factor is safe for virtually all men, and that they misrepresented that a clinical study proved that V-Factor is safe and effective at improving sexual response and function.
The Commission's complaints further allege that both sets of respondents failed to disclose that certain endorsers who appeared in Focus Factor advertising had material connections with the product. In addition, the FTC alleges that the VBI respondents: (1) represented that consumer endorsements were made without compensation, and failed to disclose that consumer endorsements were solicited with a promise of a free 6-month supply of Focus Factor to those individuals whose testimonials were used in advertising; and (2) misrepresented that certain radio infomercials were independent radio programs, not paid commercial advertising.
The proposed consent agreement with the VBI respondents prohibits any representation about the safety, performance, benefits or efficacy for any food, drug or dietary supplement for:
the brain or any mental functions or processes;
sexual response, function, enhancement, or performance; or
the treatment, cure, mitigation, or prevention of any disorder;
unless the respondents possess and rely upon competent and reliable evidence substantiating that representation. In addition, the proposed settlement prohibits them from making unsubstantiated safety claims for V-Factor or any product containing yohimbine; misrepresenting the existence, contents, validity, results, conclusions, or interpretations of any test; failing to disclose material connections with endorsers; and misrepresenting the nature of paid advertising. Finally, the settlement requires the VBI respondents to pay $1 million in consumer redress.
The proposed consent agreement with the CHI respondents prohibits them from making any representation about the benefits, performance, or efficacy for any food, drug or dietary supplement for:
stress, anxiety, energy, mood, or behavior;
academic or business performance;
longevity, age-related memory impairment, or dementia; or
the treatment, cure, mitigation, alleviation of the symptoms, prevention, or reduction in the risk of any mental, brain, or central nervous system disease or disorder;
unless they possess and rely upon competent and reliable evidence substantiating that representation. The proposed settlement further requires that they clearly and prominently disclose any material connections with endorsers. Finally, the proposed settlement requires the CHI respondents to pay $60,000 in consumer redress.
The Commission vote to place the two proposed consent agreements and complaints on the public record was 5-0. Announcements regarding the two proposed consent agreements will be published in the Federal Register shortly. The agreements will be subject to public comment for 30 days, until April 16, 2004, after which the Commission will decide to make them final. Comments should be addressed to the FTC, Office of the Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.
NOTE: A consent agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission of a law violation. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of $11,000.
Copies of the complaints, proposed consent agreements, and analyses of the agreement to aid in public comment are available from the FTC's Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint, or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1 877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
(FTC File No. 012-3248)
Brenda Mack
Heather Hippsley or Shira Modell
326-3285 or 202-326-3116
Creative Health Institute, Inc., and Kyl L. Smith, In the Matter of
Vital Basics, Inc.; et al., In the Matter of


text:
Tools & Technology
Recent Studies Demonstrate Potential of ddPCR to Detect Circulating microRNA for Lung Cancer Dx
Dec 19, 2013 | Madeleine Johnson
While cancer's microRNA signature continues to yield to scientific scrutiny, tricky sample prep and the limitations of qPCR have hampered use of miRNA expression patterns as non-invasive biomarkers.
A pair of recently published studies from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, however, now show droplet digital PCR to be an effective tool for quantifying low-abundance circulating miRNAs from both plasma and sputum of lung cancer patients.
Feng Jiang and colleagues undertook the two efficacy studies to determine whether ddPCR could be used to quantify miRNA in lung cancer. Although previous studies have shown ddPCR to be a sensitive and precise way to detect low copy number nucleic acids, relative to qPCR, Jiang noted a paucity of data in the literature applying ddPCR technology specifically to clinical samples.
The group previously published a substantial body of work correlating different miRNAs with lung cancer, using standard qPCR on both sputum and plasma samples. They also showed a panel of miRNA biomarkers could be used to enhance computed tomography in lung cancer diagnosis, and help distinguish the small fraction of solitary pulmonary nodules that are in fact tumors.
His group is now one of a handful pursuing droplet digital PCR to quantify low-abundance, or diluted, nucleic acid signatures in clinical samples.
In one of the recent studies, published in The Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, the group showed that miR-31 and miR-210 could be amplified by ddPCR from sputum, and that these miRNAs were differentially expressed in lung cancer patients. Two other miRNAs, miR-21-5p and miR335-3p, were detectable in plasma and showed expression differences correlated with lung cancer. The later study was published in Biomarker Insights.
Determining the best endogenous miRNA controls for a given sample source has been problematic, according to the studies. There exist no widely accepted standards, and "spike-in" controls don't account for template-specific effects or bias due to primer design, the researchers claimed. Droplet digital PCR could get around these issues, and additionally has the advantages of not relying on Ct values or calibration curves.
In the plasma study, the researchers ran a head-to-head comparison of ddPCR and qPCR. The qPCR was run on an Applied Biosystems 7900HT thermocycler, while the ddPCR was carried out using Bio-Rad's QX100 droplet generator, with PCR amplification in Applied Biosystems' T100 thermocycler, and droplet reading on the Bio-Rad droplet reader.
Both techniques detected the higher concentrations of artificially seeded miR-21-5p and miR335-3p. But the study reported qPCR had no significant amplification signal in samples with fewer than 100 copies of miRNA per microliter input. It turned out the dynamic range of the ddPCR was narrower than qPCR, with ddPCR able to pick up between 1 and 10,000 copies of miRNA, but qPCR detecting levels between 100 and 10 million copies.
The researchers next isolated the same two miRNAs from a lung cancer cell line and ran a series of dilutions. Again, qPCR was unable to produce amplification signals in highly-diluted samples.
Clinical samples showed similar results. The researchers isolated miRNAs from 36 lung cancer patients (all stage I non-small-cell lung cancer, including both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma), versus 38 cancer-free controls. In these cases, clinical samples were from blood draws into EDTA tubes, with plasma isolated within two hours and subsequently stored at -80°C. For the miRNA known to be more highly abundant, miR-21-5p, there was no significant difference in copy number determined by the two techniques. For the low-abundance miRNA, mi-335-3p, ddPCR showed a copy number of about 100 per microliter of plasma, which proved to be too low for qPCR to amplify and generate a Ct curve.
Effectively detecting miRNAs may be moot, however, if they have no diagnostic potential. The study ultimately revealed a statistically significant difference between lung cancer patients and cancer-free controls in terms of copy numbers of these two miRNAs in blood plasma. However, the authors determined that the sensitivity and specificity of using only these two miRNAs as a diagnostic was likely too low to be useful in a clinical setting. The researchers also pointed out that miRNAs are dysregulated with other types of cancers, and, because of these and other confounds, expanding their results to a larger cohort and a broader panel of miRNAs would be necessary.
Importantly, this study also emphasized a potential weakness of ddPCR in diagnostic applications. While qPCR could not amplify miRNA signal below a threshold of 100 copies per microliter of plasma, concentrations above 10,000 in ddPCR could lead to droplets with two or more templates, defeating the digital nature of the assay and making it ineffective. Ultimately the authors proposed a synergistic approach, using qPCR to assay miRNAs suspected to be abundant, and ddPCR for those likely to be in lower concentrations.
In the second study, analyzing clinical samples of sputum, the group looked at miR-31 and miR-210. Here, the head-to-head portion of the study showed digital PCR and qRT-PCR to agree in terms of copy numbers and expression levels. The researchers also concluded that the digital nature of ddPCR meant data handling was more straightforward, and the platform was robust and able to obtain absolute quantification without external references.
This recent work is in harmony with the conclusions of a study published in September in Nature Methods, in which the authors ran nested analyses of ddPCR versus qPCR on cDNA from a dilution series of six synthetic miRNAs in both water and plasma on three different days. That study found a lower coefficient of variation in ddPCR. Then, in a side-by-side comparison of miR-141 in serum from patients with prostate cancer, they found ddPCR improved day-to-day reproducibility seven-fold, and improved the confidence over qPCR in differentiating cases from controls.
droplet digital PCR
Bio-Rad
Hera Biotech Aims to Diagnose Endometriosis With Single-Cell Targeted Gene Expression Panel


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