Diagnosis and treatment now possible for osteoarthritic cats

Public release date: 19-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: William Raillant-Clark
w.raillant-clark@umontreal.ca
514-343-7593
University of Montreal

Most owners are unaware that their cat's behavior is due to the painful condition

This release is available in French.

Scientists at the University of Montreal's Quebec Research Group in Animal Pharmacology have found a way to recognize and treat osteoarthritis in cats a condition that the owner might not notice and that can make even petting painful. "Osteoarthritis frequently affects cats' elbows, backs and hips and joints in the hind limbs, and its prevalence increases dramatically with age. More than 80 % of cats older than 11 years old have it," explained lead author Eric Troncy of the university's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. "Despite the fact that cats are the most popular pet in North America, nobody had found a way to easily diagnose and treat cat osteoarthritis. We used our knowledge of cat behaviour and worked with experts in human osteoarthritis to develop a diagnosis tool and test an effective medication: meloxicam." Osteoarthritis induces chronic pain that results in a decrease in cat's daily activity, a reluctance to jump and other behaviours that owners may notice.

The researchers examined 120 cats and found that 39 were suffering from osteoarthritis. They established an evaluation chart for measuring the cats' pain by looking at their kinetic gait analysis, which reveals impairment in their limbs, their daily activity as recorded by an accelerometer, and how sensitive the cat is to touch by testing what level of force will cause the cat to withdraw its paw.

Once the researchers had standardized their evaluation tools, they proceeded to the treatment part of the study. For 74 days, a control group was fed a placebo while the others were fed different dosages of meloxicam. Meloxicam is an anti-inflammatory drug that is already used in the treatment of other animals. "Our study demonstrated that daily oral meloxicam administration over four weeks provided various levels of pain relief, depending on the amount of the drug the cat was given. Cats that were in treated with the high dosage continued to enjoy pain relief for five weeks after dosage stopped. None of the cats had any side-effects," Professor Troncy said. "As expected, the drug unfortunately does not appear to reduce pain associated with touch, such as stroking the same flawing occurs in hypersensitive osteoarthritic people treated with anti-inflammatory drugs."

The study opens a range of possibilities for the application of the findings. "The touch hypersensitivity occurrence rate of 30% in our osteoarthritic cats sample is quite similar to what is reported in osteoarthritis-affected human beings. In pain research and development, we have so desperately looked for validated translational experimental models, when they could be here, in front of us, with natural diseases in pet animals," Troncy said.

Nevertheless, the cats were able to regain the rest of their normal life. "Unalleviated chronic pain induces functional limitations, contributes to behaviour troubles and loss of the human-animal bond leading potentially to pet euthanasia or surrender," Troncy explained. "The development of adapted therapy protocols to correctly treat arthritis associated chronic pain will provide a better quality of life particularly in older cats and will in turn have a direct impact on owners, as their cat will be more active and sociable." The researchers will now start looking at how brain scans may further improve our understanding of pain in cats, particularly with regards to the neurophysiological hypersensitive process.v

Meloxicam will be considered for use in cats by the Europe Medicines Agency on April, 2013.

###

About this study

This research was supported by funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Morris Animal Foundation and by a partnership with the animal health pharmaceutical industry (Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.). It results from a rich collaboration between the Quebec Research Group in Animal Pharmacology (GREPAQ) and the Centre hospitalier de l'Universit de Montral (CHUM) Research Centre Musculoskeletal Diseases Axis. The studies were published in Research in Veterinary Science on February 13, 2013 (Moreau M, et al. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2013.01.020 Kinetic peak vertical force measurement in cats afflicted by coxarthritis: Data management and acquisition protocols) and in the Veterinary Journal on February 14, 2013 (Guillot M, et al. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.01.009 Characterization of osteoarthritis in cats and meloxicam efficacy using objective chronic pain evaluation tools). The University of Montreal is officially known as Universit de Montral.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 19-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: William Raillant-Clark
w.raillant-clark@umontreal.ca
514-343-7593
University of Montreal

Most owners are unaware that their cat's behavior is due to the painful condition

This release is available in French.

Scientists at the University of Montreal's Quebec Research Group in Animal Pharmacology have found a way to recognize and treat osteoarthritis in cats a condition that the owner might not notice and that can make even petting painful. "Osteoarthritis frequently affects cats' elbows, backs and hips and joints in the hind limbs, and its prevalence increases dramatically with age. More than 80 % of cats older than 11 years old have it," explained lead author Eric Troncy of the university's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. "Despite the fact that cats are the most popular pet in North America, nobody had found a way to easily diagnose and treat cat osteoarthritis. We used our knowledge of cat behaviour and worked with experts in human osteoarthritis to develop a diagnosis tool and test an effective medication: meloxicam." Osteoarthritis induces chronic pain that results in a decrease in cat's daily activity, a reluctance to jump and other behaviours that owners may notice.

The researchers examined 120 cats and found that 39 were suffering from osteoarthritis. They established an evaluation chart for measuring the cats' pain by looking at their kinetic gait analysis, which reveals impairment in their limbs, their daily activity as recorded by an accelerometer, and how sensitive the cat is to touch by testing what level of force will cause the cat to withdraw its paw.

Once the researchers had standardized their evaluation tools, they proceeded to the treatment part of the study. For 74 days, a control group was fed a placebo while the others were fed different dosages of meloxicam. Meloxicam is an anti-inflammatory drug that is already used in the treatment of other animals. "Our study demonstrated that daily oral meloxicam administration over four weeks provided various levels of pain relief, depending on the amount of the drug the cat was given. Cats that were in treated with the high dosage continued to enjoy pain relief for five weeks after dosage stopped. None of the cats had any side-effects," Professor Troncy said. "As expected, the drug unfortunately does not appear to reduce pain associated with touch, such as stroking the same flawing occurs in hypersensitive osteoarthritic people treated with anti-inflammatory drugs."

The study opens a range of possibilities for the application of the findings. "The touch hypersensitivity occurrence rate of 30% in our osteoarthritic cats sample is quite similar to what is reported in osteoarthritis-affected human beings. In pain research and development, we have so desperately looked for validated translational experimental models, when they could be here, in front of us, with natural diseases in pet animals," Troncy said.

Nevertheless, the cats were able to regain the rest of their normal life. "Unalleviated chronic pain induces functional limitations, contributes to behaviour troubles and loss of the human-animal bond leading potentially to pet euthanasia or surrender," Troncy explained. "The development of adapted therapy protocols to correctly treat arthritis associated chronic pain will provide a better quality of life particularly in older cats and will in turn have a direct impact on owners, as their cat will be more active and sociable." The researchers will now start looking at how brain scans may further improve our understanding of pain in cats, particularly with regards to the neurophysiological hypersensitive process.v

Meloxicam will be considered for use in cats by the Europe Medicines Agency on April, 2013.

###

About this study

This research was supported by funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Morris Animal Foundation and by a partnership with the animal health pharmaceutical industry (Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.). It results from a rich collaboration between the Quebec Research Group in Animal Pharmacology (GREPAQ) and the Centre hospitalier de l'Universit de Montral (CHUM) Research Centre Musculoskeletal Diseases Axis. The studies were published in Research in Veterinary Science on February 13, 2013 (Moreau M, et al. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2013.01.020 Kinetic peak vertical force measurement in cats afflicted by coxarthritis: Data management and acquisition protocols) and in the Veterinary Journal on February 14, 2013 (Guillot M, et al. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.01.009 Characterization of osteoarthritis in cats and meloxicam efficacy using objective chronic pain evaluation tools). The University of Montreal is officially known as Universit de Montral.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/uom-dat021913.php

pietrus cheney tori spelling marion barber marion barber syracuse ohio state

University Of Miami Basketball Team Ranked #2 In The Country ? Plays Virginia Tonight

The University Of Miami basketball program has been excelling so much this past year that many locals are still trying to make grasps with it. Even us here at The305.

They?re currently rocking a 12-0 record and have just been bumped up to #2 in the country, just 29 points #1 ranked Indiana. And a week or so ago, they had LeBron, and D-Wade courtside watching them in action.

Tonight, they play Virginia at 9PM, right here at the BankUnited Center. A couple tickets are still left.

Check out the game on 560 WQAM Radio with Joe Zagacki (play-by-play) and Josh Darrow, as well as Miami?s student station, 90.5 WVUM. And check out the game notes here.

RELATED STORY: Alabama hires UM?s Mario?Cristobal

Source: http://the305.com/2013/02/19/university-of-miami-basketball-team-ranked-2-in-the-country-plays-virginia-tonight/

fandango kobe bryant google play Christmas Story after christmas sales case mccoy case mccoy

Brain Age - Concentration Training review: Cram session | Joystiq

Nintendo's Brain Age: Concentration Training starts by describing my life in detail. Information is everywhere, says the polygonal, disembodied head of Dr. Ryuta Kawashima. He really says it, by the way, as this Brain Age features copious voice over. Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes, Dr. Kawashima is describing my life to me.

When trying to focus on work, I'm compelled to check my email, he says. That's true enough. When I find myself in a social situation without access to my phone, I often get fidgety and restless. Double true. This condition, says Dr. Kawashima, is known as Information Addiction. I'm not sure what happens after that, because I stopped focusing on Concentration Training in order to write this introduction.

This might not go very well.

Brain Age: Concentration Training centers around "Devilish Training," difficult exercises designed to help you focus and build your working memory. Essentially, working memory is information you simultaneously maintain and manipulate in your brain. In other words, your working memory governs your ability to focus on a given task or set of tasks. Each exercise in Concentration Training asks for five uninterrupted minutes of your time. And don't think you can close your 3DS in the middle of an exercise ? Dr. Kawashima will know. If your work day is anything like mine, you might be surprised by how hard it is to find five minutes to do just one thing.

Day 1
Exercise: Devilish Calculations
Before the exercise starts, I'm shown a simple math problem ? let's say it's 5 + 3 ? which soon disappears from the screen and is replaced by a second equation, we'll say 9 - 7. Now the exercise begins, and I have to write down the correct answer. The twist is that I have to answer the problem that displayed before the one currently on the screen. So, while 9 - 7 is displayed on screen, the problem I'm actually solving is 5 + 3. This method of solving the previous problem is called "1-Back."

It's easy enough at first, but the better I do, the harder it gets. Soon I graduate to 2-Back, which requires me to remember the previous two answers. The strain on my brain is palpable, and I feel like it's really being worked. Then I move up to 3-Back, tasking me with remembering the last three answers. My brain instantly breaks down.

At the end of my five minutes, Dr. Kawashima tells me my performance is commensurate with someone in their 30s or 40s. Considering I just celebrated my 30th birthday two months ago, I'm none too reassured. The feeling diminishes even further when I see that my current concentration grade is an "F."

I have, however, unlocked some new exercises and modes, including a Relaxation Mode designed to give my brain some rest. I play a simple match three puzzle game, recognizing that it's not really relaxation ? it's merely thinking in disguise. Definitely easier on the ol' noggin than calculations, though.

Day 2
As I flip open my 3DS, it occurs to me that I probably shouldn't be chewing gum.

I decide to check out some Supplemental Training before diving into today's concentration exercise. I nail 20 simple calculations in 24 seconds, which I'm told is "automobile speed," accompanied by a little car whizzing across the screen. I'm feeling good.

Exercise: Devilish Pairs
It's just like Memory! A small grid of cards is laid out on the touch screen, each with a numbered side facing down. All I have to do is flip over a card, remember the number, and find the matching card elsewhere. What separates this from traditional Memory is that flipping over the same card twice without correctly matching it garners a penalty.

I'm really good at this. I zoom to level 6 in no time. Then my wife says something to me and I lose concentration. I make many mistakes and shamefully descend back to level 5. Concentration Training asks you for five minutes, so make sure you actually have five minutes available. Anyway, my final pass gets me back to level 6, and I'm happy. Upon completion of the exercise, I'm promoted to concentration grade "E." Success.

To celebrate, I try the Concentration Challenge mode. It has rules similar to Devilish Calculations 2-Back, except instead of solving problems I have to remember how many blocks were displayed on the screen. The challenge ends after one mistake, and I last for 1:05. I'm informed that this is bicycle speed and that someone in their 30s taking the challenge for the first time should aim for 1:15. I'd like to blame this on the game's occasionally spotty writing recognition, but that seems petty.

Day 3
Exercise: Devilish Mice
A four-by-four grid contains two mice, while the remaining spaces are filled with cats. Cards then cover the grid, masking the positions of the mice and cats, and the exercise begins. The cards change position for around 20 seconds or so, and my job is to keep track of where the mice are.

This one is pretty tough. I immediately fail to find either mouse and the game takes pity on me, lowering the difficulty to one lonely little mouse. I go up and down levels a few times, eventually working my way up to three mice, which promptly melts my brain. It's okay, though ? Dr. Kawashima tells me going back and forth between levels is good stimulation for my brain. That's a relief.

Day 4
Exercise: Devilish Reading
Read a sentence out loud (the microphone will know if you don't) and remember the underlined word. After you've read a few sentences out loud, write down the underlined word from each.

This one doesn't seem too taxing at first, but its difficulty is subtle. The trick is to remember the underlined words without letting the unnecessary words clog your memory. For example, it's easy to forget the underlined word in favor of a more interesting word. Devilish Reading was particularly tough for me, as I like to memorize things by repeating them out loud, something this exercise prevents you from doing.

You also have to be very mindful of writing recognition here. The game mistook my U for a V, causing me to fail the exercise once. You're given ample time to write down each word, so there's no need to rush.

Exercise: Devilish Shapes
Similar to Devilish Calculations 1-Back. A shape is displayed on the screen, followed by another shape. My job is to remember the shape that came before the one currently on the screen.

I do fairly well at this, maybe because it reminds me of that one scene from Ghostbusters. The shapes are deliberately designed to be difficult to remember, so I start naming them as best I can. This one looks like a mask, that one looks like a jar, etc. Eventually I have to remember the previous two shapes and then the previous three. As seems to be my running theme, three is when my brain ceases to function. I'm starting to think that I'll never surpass this challenge in any of the exercises.

In a last ditch effort, I decide to try my hand at Devilish Calculations again. Dr. Kawashima knows I left off at 3-Back last time, so that's where I start today. Once again, my brain fizzles and it drops me to 2-Back. I go around this circle twice ? clear 2-Back, fail 3-Back, clear 2-Back. This time, however, when I play 3-Back, something happens. I still don't clear it, but I score 74 percent, high enough to stay at the same level. On my next try, I score 76 percent. On my next, above 80 percent. I never reach the 85 percent needed to go up a level, but I'm definitely improving.

Conclusion
I spent a few more days with Concentration Training, but the thrust of every exercise is pretty clear: cram as many simultaneous pieces of information into your brain as possible. Whether it's tracking numbered balls under cups or solving equations, the principle is the same.

I can see some clear improvement in different games, even after only ten days or so. I've pretty effectively broken my 3-Back block, and have graduated to keeping track of four bits of information in most exercises. It's up for debate whether I'm actually improving my brain function or just getting better at these specific tasks, but it certainly feels taxing. In fact, it's actually stressful, to the point that I almost want to avoid it altogether. Like most things that are good for you, however, I usually start to enjoy it once I buckle down and try. Besides, even if all I'm doing is coming up with mental tricks to make these games easier, that means I'm adapting my brain to suit new tasks, right? That seems like a worthwhile skill.

Brain Age: Concentration Training is a little hard to quantify in the critical sense, as it's more of a motivational tool for self-improvement than a form of entertainment. Even compared to the original Brain Age, Concentration Training is much more demanding, and players shouldn't expect to breeze through exercises and watch their training grade skyrocket. Getting better only rewards you with more difficult training, so those looking for a blissful feeling of mastery may be disappointed. If, however, you used the original Brain Age primarily as a portable Sudoku machine, you'll be happy to know that Concentration Training also includes several types of Solitaire.

Oh, and if you couldn't sit through this whole review without scrolling down to check the score, this might be the perfect game for you.

---

This review is based on an eShop download of Brain Age: Concentration Training, provided by Nintendo.

Joystiq's review scores are based on a scale of whether the game in question is worth your time -- a five-star being a definitive "yes," and a one-star being a definitive "no." Read here for more information on our ratings guidelines.

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/brain-age-concentration-training-review/

band of brothers presidents george washington russell westbrook horsetail falls ice t president day

Kurdish refugees have mixed feelings about Syria

In this Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 photo, Syrian Kurdish refugees makes traditional bread in a tent in the Dumiz refugee camp in northern Iraq. Syrian Kurds who fled their country's civil war have mixed feelings about a future without Bashar Assad: They hope to win autonomy if the regime falls, but fear chaos and the rise of Islamists could instead make their lives worse. (AP Photo/Karin Laub)

In this Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 photo, Syrian Kurdish refugees makes traditional bread in a tent in the Dumiz refugee camp in northern Iraq. Syrian Kurds who fled their country's civil war have mixed feelings about a future without Bashar Assad: They hope to win autonomy if the regime falls, but fear chaos and the rise of Islamists could instead make their lives worse. (AP Photo/Karin Laub)

In this Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 photo, Syrian Kurdish refugee Abdel Khader Taha, 37, shows off his tatto of Massoud Barzani, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan, with a flag of Iraqi Kurdistan in the background, in the Dumiz refugee camp in northern Iraq. Syrian Kurds who fled their country's civil war have mixed feelings about a future without Bashar Assad: They hope to win autonomy if the regime falls, but fear chaos and the rise of Islamists could instead make their lives worse. (AP Photo/Karin Laub)

In this Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 photo, Syrian Kurdish refugees Khader Qassem, 30, poses with his son, Abdel Qader, 4. outside his grocery store in the Dumiz refugee camp in northern Iraq. Syrian Kurds who fled their country's civil war have mixed feelings about a future without Bashar Assad: They hope to win autonomy if the regime falls, but fear chaos and the rise of Islamists could instead make their lives worse. (AP Photo/Karin Laub)

In this Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 photo, a Syrian Kurdish refugee plays on a pile of dirt in the Dumiz refugee camp in northern Iraq. Syrian Kurds who fled their country's civil war have mixed feelings about a future without Bashar Assad: They hope to win autonomy if the regime falls, but fear chaos and the rise of Islamists could instead make their lives worse. (AP Photo/Karin Laub)

DOMIZ REFUGEE CAMP, Iraq (AP) ? Syrian Kurds who fled their country's civil war have mixed feelings about a future without Bashar Assad: They hope to win a measure of autonomy after the fall of the regime, but fear chaos and the rise of Islamists could instead make their lives worse.

More than 81,000 Syrian Kurds have found refuge in northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region in recent months and hundreds more arrive every day. Few seem in a rush to go home.

The Kurdistan Regional Government allows fellow Kurds from Syria to work and move freely in the three provinces of northern Iraq it controls. Some 30,000 refugees still live in a camp of tents and cinderblock shacks near the Syrian border, while the rest have found jobs and homes in towns across the autonomous region, some staying with relatives.

Even those struggling with the hardships of camp life say they prefer to stay in Iraq after the fall of the regime, until they have a better idea how Islamists and other groups in the Sunni Arab-dominated Syrian opposition will deal with Kurds, Syria's largest ethnic minority.

"If the Muslim Brotherhood takes over and there are problems in the future, we want to stay here," said Faroush Fattah, a 28-year-old laborer from the northeastern Syrian town of Qamishli who arrived in the Domiz camp three months ago.

The refugees' ambivalence about the upheaval in Syria is shared by Iraqi Kurdish leaders, who have carved out an increasingly prosperous quasi-state in the autonomous region, aided by an oil-fueled economic boom.

Kurdish autonomy in post-Assad Syria, similar to the Iraqi model, could strengthen long-standing Kurdish demands for an independent homeland for the more than 25 million Kurds in parts of Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq.

But the emergence of yet another autonomous Kurdish region would likely spook Turkey, a regional power that is key to plans by Iraq's Kurds to export their oil riches directly, if necessary without permission from the central Iraqi government.

Turkey is home to an estimated 15 million Kurds, some with self-rule aspirations, and has been battling Kurdish insurgents for nearly three decades. Adding to Turkey's concerns, the dominant Kurdish faction in Syria, the Democratic Union Party, or PYD, is seen as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, the leader of the armed rebellion in Turkey.

The president of Iraq's Kurdish region, Massoud Barzani, has tried to exert influence over Syrian Kurdish groups, presumably in part to protect his strategic relationship with Turkey. Last year, he helped form an umbrella group of Syrian Kurdish groups that includes the PYD and smaller factions loyal to him.

"Barzani has some sway over Syrian Kurds," said Washington-based Turkey expert Soner Cagaptay. "He has been reaching out to a spectrum of Syrian Kurds, including the PYD, to stop the hostile rhetoric and attitude toward Turkey."

Falah Mustafa, in charge of the Barzani government's foreign relations, said Iraqi Kurds want to make sure their Syrian counterparts are united when negotiating their role in a post-Assad Syria with the Sunni Arab-led opposition.

He said it's up to all Syrians to shape their future, but that Kurdish rights have to be protected ? an outcome he suggested is not assured. Asked in an interview if Syrian territory should remain intact at all costs, he said, "I do not believe that these borders have to be sacred, because these were artificial."

Syria's Kurds, who make up more than 10 percent of a population of 23 million, initially remained largely on the sidelines after the uprising against Assad erupted almost two years ago. They had been marginalized by the regime, but were also weary of the Syrian rebels, many of them Sunnis. Some prominent Kurds joined the Syrian political opposition in exile, while some younger Kurds joined street protests against Assad.

Kurds were pulled into the conflict on a larger scale when Assad's forces unexpectedly withdrew from predominantly Kurdish areas in the northeast of the country last summer, enabling the PYD to take control there.

The pullback appeared to serve two objectives at the time ? giving the PYD a higher profile to pressure Turkey, one of the most vocal backers of the Syrian opposition, and allowing thinly stretched government troops to move to hotspots elsewhere.

The PYD denies it is affiliated with the PKK or coordinates with the Syrian regime, even though in some areas, such as Qamishli, residents say both the regime and PYD forces maintain military posts. At the same time, the PYD has clashed with rebel fighters, particularly those from the al-Qaida-inspired Jabhat al-Nusra.

Some in the Domiz camp said the PYD protects Kurds against both rebel fighters and regime soldiers, while others described the PYD militiamen as regime sub-contractors terrorizing residents.

"The regime and the PYD work together," said Abdel Khader Taha, a 37-year-old laborer from Qamishli who sported a colorful tattoo of Barzani on his chest. Taha said he fears all Kurds will one day be targeted by Syrian rebels because of the PYD's perceived collusion with the regime.

Taha and others in the camp seemed ambivalent about Syria's future.

While favoring Kurdish autonomy, they acknowledge that carving out a self-rule zone, like in Iraq, is difficult because Kurds are dispersed across the country. Refugees say they fear the Muslim Brotherhood, the pan-Arab Sunni movement driving the anti-Assad rebellion, will disregard Syria's ethnic and religious minorities once Assad falls.

"We fear a big ethnic war in Syria," said Ali Kalash, 57, a former Syrian civil servant, standing with a group of men in one of the tent-lined alleys of the camp.

Staying in Iraq may be their best option, and the Kurds are getting an easier start than hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

Ali Sindi, the planning minister in Iraq's Kurdish region, said his government has a special obligation to the Syrian Kurds because of the uncertainties over their future after the fall of the regime.

Many of the new arrivals have found jobs, in part because they're willing to work for less than the locals.

Biran Hassan, 25, left Qamishli nine months ago and now works as a waiter in a hotel in Irbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdish region, making $500 a month ? just half what local residents get paid. Most of the hotel staff are Syrian refugees.

Faisal Mahmoud, 42, left behind his family in the Syrian town of Kobani and arrived in Domiz last week. If he can find work as a cook, he'll bring them to Iraq, he said.

Some are even carving out a life in the camp, administered by the government and a U.N. agency.

Cousins Rezzan and Ibrahim Jegarkhouen invested $2,000 to build a cinderblock shack and turn it into a barbershop, spending a recent sunny afternoon whitewashing the walls.

Even before the Syrian uprising, there was little work in their hometown of Qamishli, and the move to Iraq presents an opportunity, they said. "If there is no democracy (after the fall of Assad), we will not go back," said Ibrahim.

Khader Qassem, 30, has planned even further ahead.

Since arriving with his wife and five children eight months ago, he has replaced a U.N.-issue tent with a cinderblock shack complete with tiled floors, running water and a washing machine. He has also built an adjacent grocery, for a total of $7,000.

"I want to stay here for at least 10 years," Qassem said of Iraq. "We have more rights here than in Syria."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-18-ML-Iraq-Kurds-Syria-Dilemma/id-b962e5a579964df6b787be500a7d0602

giuliana rancic elie wiesel temptations work hard play hard tim ferriss wmt human nature

Heroic Texas woman graduates from flight-nurse school

On this day in 1943, Dolly Shea graduated with the first flight-nurse class of the United States Army Air Forces at Bowman Field, Kentucky. The San Benito, Texas, native served in the European Theater during World War II. She was killed on April 14, 1945, when her evacuation plane, ferrying wounded Americans to hospitals behind the front line, was shot down over Germany. She was one of three women in the Army Nurse Corps known to have been killed by direct enemy action and the only one from Texas. Her awards include the Air Medal, the Red Cross Medal, a Special Citation from President Harry Truman, and a posthumous Purple Heart.

Related Handbook Articles:?

Source: http://www.tshaonline.org/day-by-day/31371

kyla pratt justified season 3 custer scott walker restaurant week type 2 diabetes occupy congress

Chinese New Year

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Pre-schoolPlay/~3/eIk9QJWndZU/chinese-new-year.html

ed reed football schedule jo paterno dead south carolina tuskegee airmen mike james red tails

Animal Services throws party for Pits and their people

Hillsborough County, Florida-- Hillsborough County Animal Services is stepping up to meet the challenge of finding large dogs and mixed breeds their forever homes.

On Saturday, February 23 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Hillsborough County Animal Services, along with Best Friends Animal Society and the Hillsborough Animal Health Foundation will present Neighborhood Pit Bull Day.?

Organizers say the?party will be for pit bull terrier type dogs (pits and pit mixes) and their people, and will?take place at the Town 'N Country Recreation Center, 6039 Hanley Road in Tampa, next to Webb Middle School.

Admission and parking will be free.

Neighborhood Pit Bull Day is a family-friendly event featuring concessions, dog contests, a DJ, and a children's area. The aim is to help keep the most at-risk dogs in loving homes through education and responsible ownership. And 500 lucky dog owners in Hillsborough County can get free rabies vaccinations, micro-chips, new collars with County pet registration tags, and more!

Release courtesy of Hillsborough County Animal Services.

Source: http://carrollwood.wtsp.com/news/events/166485-animal-services-throws-party-pits-and-their-people

billy joel bent new york jets etch a sketch romney sean payton saints bounty program toulouse france

Children's Program: Passamaquoddy Animal Names

Really make your business's listing POP!? With an enhanced business directory listing you can add your website address, photos and bio about your business or organization.? You'll receive a digital subscription to The American or Islander, your choice!? AND be able to have your business's news posted to Fenceviewer's business today section!? All for just $49.95 a month!? Contact the Fenceviewer Staff at (207) 667-2576 or e-mail btoday@fenceviewer.com.

Source: http://fenceviewer.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41118&Itemid=945&trumbaEmbed=view=event&eventid=103950667

ny lottery Ohio Lottery Colorado Lottery Pa Lottery Ebates lotto Illinois Lottery

UFC President Dana White vows to 'test the sh*t' out of TRT users throughout training camp to stop 'cheating'

Dana White reiterated his stance against testosterone-replacement-therapy (TRT) at the UFC on FUEL TV 7 post-fight press conference and announced users of TRT are going to be tested regularly throughout their training camps.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White sent a shockwave throughout the mixed martial arts (MMA) community on Friday (Feb. 15, 2013) when he ripped into testosterone-replacement-therapy (TRT) users in a questions and answer session with media members.

White proclaimed there are fighters taking advantage of TRT by using it to cheat, and announced that he's had enough and his organization is going to step up testing for those using TRT.

White was vague on what this advanced testing would involve, but at Saturday's (Feb. 16, 2013) UFC on FUEL TV 7: "Barao vs. McDonald" post-fight press conference in London, England, the UFC's head honcho shared some more details, saying TRT users are going to be tested regularly throughout their training camps to ensure they stay within legal limits.

"We're going to go after, you know, these guys who get exemptions for TRT," White said. "We're going to make sure that we test you through your entire camp."

Prior to the recent rant, White was never openly against TRT usage, as he believed it was an issue for the athletic commissions to handle with the athletes. While his change of stance may have come as a surprise to many, White says the recent surge in fighter requests for therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for TRT raised his suspicions on the treatment was being used.

"If you asked me three months ago, it's legal, it's sports science but everybody figures out a way to take a great thing and cheat and make it bad," White said. "I think that from what I've seen over the last year, I've seen situations where guys, those of you that know what testosterone replacement is, if you're older, your testosterone starts to get lower, they can get you testosterone to get your back up to a 25-year-old.

"What I believe guys are doing, is jacking up this stuff through roof through their entire training camp, then getting back down to normal levels right before the fight, which is cheating. I hate it, I don't like it and I'm going to fight it. And if you are using TRT in the UFC, we're going to start testing the shit out of you for the entire camp."

There are certainly fighters out there who need TRT for legitimate reasons, but White has a strong belief there are also people abusing the system. He doesn't believe the athletic commissions are doing enough to weed out any potential cheaters, and that's particularly due to the fact that there is a widespread lack of education when it comes to TRT.

"The TRT thing is legal," White said. "The commission lets guys use testosterone replacement therapy. I believe that guys are cheating on it. I truly believe that guys are cheating on it, and I don't like to see a natural gifted athlete fight against a guy against who has been jacked up on TRT for three months.

"The other problem that I have? You get four guys together, four smart guys who can have an educated conversation about testosterone replacement therapy? They'll give you four different answers. When it's that vague, and that many people don't understand it, nanograms and this ratio to that ratio and all that bullshit, when you sit down and start talking about it, it's not fair. If you're testosterone level isn't high enough, maybe you're too old to fight."

What date the additional testing will go into effect is unknown at this time; however, there are three high profile fighters who openly use TRT scheduled for upcoming fights in Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2013/2/16/3996858/ufc-dana-white-trt-users-to-be-tested-throughout-training-camp-mma

kelsey grammer martin henderson mlk day golden globes 2012 winners golden globes 2012 red carpet golden globes red carpet nfc championship game

Pink Cloud 9 Launches Revolutionary Wedding Planning Site On Valentine?s Day

Pink Cloud 9 Launches Revolutionary Wedding Planning Site On Valentine?s Day 11:36:42 - 15 February 2013
First-of-its-kind Online Wedding Planning Company Delivers Fun, Easy and Cost-effective Experience With New DIY Web Tools; Wins The Knot's ?Best Wedding Planners Award.?

Los Angeles, Calif. (PRWEB) February 15, 2013 - First-of-its-kind online wedding planning company, Pink Cloud 9, celebrates today its first year anniversary by launching an array of innovative web tools. Savvy brides and grooms gain unprecedented access to a curated directory of highly trained coordinators and their top vendors.

Pink Cloud 9 makes wedding choices easy by delivering cutting-edge resources to DIY brides and grooms in California and beyond. Couples can find, hire, and manage the best service providers all in one place with the help of detailed profiles and customer reviews. Instant online chat with in-demand planners, convenient credit card booking, and a Vendor Concierge with over 600 packages in Los Angeles alone are among the many exclusive features the company has created to transform the wedding experience.

?Technology innovation is at the heart of Pink Cloud 9,? says Pink Cloud 9?s CTO and Co-founder Mark Shervey. ?Wedding planning is a complex and time consuming process and we are thrilled to introduce a broad spectrum of online tools to save couples? valuable time, energy and cost this February.?

Wedding vendors report a 150 percent increase of services sold online between 2010 and 2012 with a total market share of fifteen billion dollars in the U.S. alone. Pink Cloud 9?s innovative business model is positioned for growth in 2013 and beyond.

Affirming the company?s strong start in 2012, the bridal industry?s #1 publication, The Knot recently awarded Pink Cloud 9 with ?Best Wedding Planners? in their ?Best of Weddings, 2013? edition. The Knot Wedding Network, which includes TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com, reaches 8 in 10 U.S. brides every year.

As the cost of a wedding rises, modern couples are looking for creative ways to say ?I do? for less. According to The Wedding Report, 84% of couples spent less than $30,000 on their big day in 2012. Do-it-yourself wedding trends can bring significant cost-saving benefits, which allows Pink Cloud 9 to offer custom-tailored professional wedding planning tools at a fraction of the cost of traditional services.

?At Pink Cloud 9 we work tirelessly to make sure everyone?s big day is carefree, even on a small budget,? shares Pink Cloud 9 Founder and CEO Sarah Shewey. ?We launched our service on St. Valentine?s Day to symbolize our true commitment to keeping the wedding focus away from planning minutiae and on what really matters -- love.?

Brides and grooms can take back control of their wedding day now at http://www.pinkcloud9.com.

Source: http://www.hostreview.com/news/130215-pink-cloud-9-launches-revolutionary-wedding-planning-site-on-valentines-day

jobs report tiger woods masters 2012 nikki haley stan van gundy navy jet crash virginia beach crash stephen hawking

Naples the 'Crown Jewel' of southwest Florida

The Naples Pier that juts out into the Gulf of Mexico is the perfect place to watch the sunset.

Report an error

Naples, known as the "Crown Jewel" of southwest Florida, is located on the sun-soaked, white-sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Greater Naples has a population of 315,000. Old Naples, which is the original historical city, has a population of 21,000.

This is where my wife and I decided to retreat to for the month of January when Mother Nature started to make life miserable in the cold north. With the temperature consistently around 27?C, it was a delicious thought knowing that back home in Canada it was freezing.

WHERE TO STAY

We lucked out when we found The Lemon Tree Inn in the heart of Old Naples. This well-maintained inn with cheerful staff has generous-sized, immaculately clean rooms. Each of the 34 rooms has a microwave, coffeemaker, a small fridge and a TV that was easy to operate (don't you just hate those remote controls that require you to have an engineering degree to use?)

Outside the room are two Adirondack-style chairs overlooking a sparkling pool and beautiful garden. Tommy Borodemos, the gardener and all-round nice guy, can tell you all about the different flowers in the garden and the magnificent king palms.

There are even on-site laundry facilities. But best of all, we could walk or ride our bikes (available at the inn to rent for $10 a day) to the downtown area and the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Within a few minutes' walk is a grocery store where we stocked up on supplies for the month. Rates for the inn start at $130 per night for two people (plus 6% state tax and 4% bed tax). This includes a free continental breakfast (nothing fancy) each day.

WHAT TO DO

All of these suggestions are within a 40-minute walk or 20-minute bicycle ride of the inn.

First on your list should be a stroll to trendy Fifth Ave. South. This place oozes decadence. You'll find upscale boutiques, jewelry shops, antique stores and one-of-a-kind art galleries. Fifth Avenue South also features 33 restaurants, just about every one of them with patios that flow onto the sidewalk, and the luxurious Inn on the Fifth where nightly rates start at $380.

Every second Thursday of the month there's free music and entertainment on the avenue.

At the end of the avenue are splendid million-dollar homes and condos. Go beyond these homes and you'll walk right into the Gulf of Mexico.

There is free access to all the beaches.

One evening we rode our bikes to Naples Municipal Beach and Fishing Pier. We first went for a swim in the Gulf of Mexico, then stayed later to walk the historic pier to catch a magnificent sunset. Hundreds of others did the same thing as locals fished from the pier.

On other days we grabbed a morning coffee or tea at the Fifth Avenue Coffee Shop and sat on their patio while reading the Naples Daily News. When we were there, Florida Gov. Rick Scott and his wife Ann (they live in Naples) and two bodyguards stopped by the table beside us to talk to friends. They were out for a morning jog. We offered them greetings from Canada.

One day we visited the Naples Depot Museum located across the road from our Florida "home." This museum tells about the railroading boom days of the Roaring Twenties. There are restored rail cars and plenty of interactive exhibits to keep you interested. We learned waterfront property in 1887 sold for $3 an acre. Today's price is around $1million an acre! Admission to the museum is free, funded by the state's 4% bed tax.

Across the road from the museum is the historic waterfront district and Tin City.

This is a collection of eclectic shops and popular casual restaurants housed in onetime tin buildings where fishermen processed their day's catch. These buildings were renovated in the 1970s with the collapse of the fishing industry. Here we caught the Naples Princess Cruise ship for a two-hour narrated cruise of the Naples Bay and Gulf. On the cruise we spotted dolphins trailing alongside our ship. It's a memory that will last a lifetime.

Behind 5th Ave. South you'll discover a pretty municipal park. Cambier Park was a great place to read and people-watch. Check the schedule to learn when the Naples Concert Band and Family Movie Nights are held.

Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2013/02/13/naples-the-crown-jewel-of-southwest-florida

summerfest fidel castro rick santorum ozzie guillen castro comments phish gluten free diet barry zito

Jesse Jackson Jr. charged with misusing campaign funds

/

Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.

By Ward Room staff, NBCChicago.com

Federal officials filed charges Friday against Jesse Jackson Jr. after the former congressman reportedly signed a plea deal for allegedly improperly spending hundreds of thousands in campaign funds.

The paperwork was filed at the U.S District Courthouse in Washington. Jackson, who left the public eye last summer for treatment of bi-polar disorder and resigned from office in November, is not expected to make an appearance, but he offered a response in his first statement to the public in months.

Read the full indictment here in PDF

---

?Over the course of my life I have come to realize that none of us are immune from our share of shortcomings and human frailties,"?Jackson said in the statement released by the attorneys representing him in the federal probe.

"Still I offer no excuses for my conduct and I fully accept my responsibility for the improper decisions and mistakes I have made,"?he said. "To that end I want to offer my sincerest apologies to my family, my friends and all of my supporters for my errors in judgment and while my journey is not yet complete, it is my hope that I am remembered for the things that I did right.?

Among the items that Jackson is accused of purchasing with campaign funds:?

NBCChicago reported last week that Jackson will plead guilty as part of his plea deal, and jail time would be in the hands of a federal judge who has not yet been assigned. Converting campaign contributions for personal use is strictly prohibited by federal law and opens Jackson up to ?not more than 5 years? in prison.?

Prosecutors will recommend a prison sentence for between 46 and 57 months plus fines, according to reports.

Jackson's wife, former Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson, has also been charged with falsifying her tax returns and reporting less income than she made.

Read the Sandi Jackson indictment here in PDF

Sandi Jackson has pleaded guilty to the tax offense, according to her attorney Tom Kirsch. The single charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 3 years, but Kirsh said the plea agreement calls for significantly less time.?

"Today, Sandi Jackson reached an agreement with the U.S. Attorney?s Office to plead guilty to one count of tax fraud," reads a statement from her attorneys. "Ms. Jackson has accepted responsibility for her conduct, is deeply sorry for her actions, and looks forward to putting this matter behind her and her family. She is thankful for the support of her family and friends during this very difficult time."

Per the reported plea deal for Jackson Jr., he must repay the government hundreds of thousands of dollars for items such as a $40,000 Rolex watch, travel expenses for a woman he described as a ?social acquaintance? and furniture purchased for his home.

Related coverage from NBCChicago

Sandi Jackson resigned last month from her elected position as Chicago?s 7th Ward alderman. For years she received a $5,000 a month check from her husband as his political consultant.

Jackson Jr., the son of famous civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, has been the subject of a federal investigation into potential misuse of campaign funds since around the time he left office to seek medical treatment on June 10, 2012.

?

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/15/16977324-jesse-jackson-jr-charged-with-misusing-750000-in-campaign-funds?lite

Ed Koch Groundhog Day 2013 What Time Is The Superbowl Caleb Moore House of Cards Warm Bodies Colin Kaepernick

Meteor explodes over Russia; about 1,100 injured

MOSCOW (AP) ? A meteor streaked across the sky and exploded over Russia's Ural Mountains with the power of an atomic bomb Friday, its sonic blasts shattering countless windows and injuring about 1,100 people.

The spectacle deeply frightened many Russians, with some elderly women declaring that the world was coming to an end. Many of the injured were cut by flying glass as they flocked to windows, curious about what had produced such a blinding flash of light.

The meteor ? estimated to be about 10 tons ? entered the Earth's atmosphere at a hypersonic speed of at least 54,000 kph (33,000 mph) and shattered into pieces about 30-50 kilometers (18-32 miles) above the ground, the Russian Academy of Sciences said in a statement.

Amateur video showed an object speeding across the sky about 9:20 a.m. local time, just after sunrise, leaving a thick white contrail and an intense flash.

"There was panic. People had no idea what was happening," said Sergey Hametov, a resident of Chelyabinsk, a city of 1 million about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of Moscow.

"We saw a big burst of light, then went outside to see what it was and we heard a really loud, thundering sound," he told The Associated Press by telephone.

The meteor hit less than a day before asteroid 2012 DA14 is to make the closest recorded pass by the Earth for a rock of its size ? about 17,150 miles (28,000 kilometers). But the European Space Agency said its experts had determined there was no connection ? just cosmic coincidence.

The meteor released several kilotons of energy above the region, the Russian science academy said. According to NASA, it was about 15 meters (49 feet) wide before it hit the atmosphere, about one-quarter the size of the passing asteroid.

Some meteorite fragments fell in a reservoir outside the town of Chebarkul. The crash left an eight-meter (26-foot) -wide crater in the ice.

The shock wave blew in an estimated 100,000 square meters (more than 1 million square feet) of glass, according to city officials, who said 3,000 buildings in the city were damaged. At one zinc factory, part of the roof collapsed.

The Interior Ministry said about 1,100 people sought medical care after the shock wave and 48 of them were hospitalized. Most of the injuries were caused by flying glass, officials said.

There was no immediate word on any deaths or anyone struck by space fragments.

Meteors typically cause sizeable sonic booms when they enter the atmosphere because they are traveling so much faster than the speed of sound. Injuries on the scale reported Friday, however, are extraordinarily rare.

"I went to see what that flash in the sky was about," recalled resident Marat Lobkovsky. "And then the window glass shattered, bouncing back on me. My beard was cut open, but not deep. They patched me up. It's OK now."

Another resident, Valya Kazakov, said some elderly women in his neighborhood started crying out that the world was ending.

Russian-language hashtags for the meteorite quickly shot up into Twitter's top trends.

Lessons had just started at Chelyabinsk schools when the meteor exploded, and officials said 258 schoolchildren were among those injured. Amateur video footage showed a teacher speaking to her class as a powerful shockwave hit the room.

Yekaterina Melikhova, a high school student whose nose was bloody and whose upper lip was covered with a bandage, said she was in her geography class when a bright light flashed outside.

"After the flash, nothing happened for about three minutes. Then we rushed outdoors. I was not alone, I was there with Katya. The door was made of glass, a shock wave made it hit us," she said.

Russian television ran footage of athletes at a city sports arena who were showered by shards of glass from huge windows. Some of them were still bleeding.

Other videos showed a long shard of glass slamming into the floor close to a factory worker and massive doors blown away by the shock wave.

The vast implosion of glass windows exposed many residents to the bitter cold as temperatures in the city were expected to plummet to minus 20 Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) overnight.

The regional governor immediately urged any worker who can pane windows to rush to the area to help out.

Meteroids are small pieces of space debris ? usually parts of comets or asteroids ? that are on a collision course with the Earth. They become meteors when they enter the Earth's atmosphere. Most meteors burn up in the atmosphere, but if they survive the frictional heating and strike the surface of the Earth they are called meteorites.

The site of Friday's spectacular show is about 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) west of Tunguska, which in 1908 was the site of the largest recorded explosion of a space object plunging to Earth. That blast, attributed to a comet or asteroid fragment, is generally estimated to have been about 10 megatons; it leveled some 80 million trees.

Scientists believe that a far larger meteorite strike on what today is Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula may have been responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago. According to that theory, the impact would have thrown up vast amounts of dust that blanketed the sky for decades and altered the climate on Earth.

The meteor could have produced much more serious problems. Chelyabinsk is an industrial town long held to be one of the world's most polluted areas, and the area around it hosts nuclear and chemical weapons disposal facilities.

Vladimir Chuprov of Greenpeace Russia said the Russian government has underestimated potential risks of the region. He noted that the meteor struck only 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Mayak nuclear storage and disposal facility, which holds dozens of tons of weapons-grade plutonium.

A chemical weapons disposal facility at Shchuchye also contains some 6,000 tons (5,460 metric tons) of nerve agents, including sarin and VX, about 14 percent of the chemical weapons that Russia is committed to destroy.

The panic and confusion that followed Friday's meteorite crash quickly gave way to typical Russian black humor and entrepreneurial instincts.

Several people smashed in the windows of their houses in the hopes of receiving compensation, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Others quickly took to the Internet and put what they said were meteorite fragments up for sale.

One of the most popular jokes was that the meteorite was supposed to fall on Dec. 21 last year ? when many believed the Mayan calendar predicted the end of the world ? but was delivered late by Russia's notoriously inefficient postal service.

The dramatic event prompted an array of reactions from prominent Russians.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, speaking at an economic forum in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, said the meteor could be a symbol for the forum, showing that "not only the economy is vulnerable, but the whole planet."

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a nationalist leader noted for his vehement statements, blamed the Americans.

"It's not meteors falling. It's the test of a new weapon by the Americans," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted him as saying.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said the incident showed the need for leading world powers to develop a system to intercept objects falling from space.

"At the moment, neither we nor the Americans have such technologies" to shoot down meteors or asteroids, he said, according to the Interfax news agency.

Jim Green, NASA's director of planetary science, called the back-to-back celestial events an amazing display.

"This is indeed very rare and it is historic," he said on NASA TV. "These fireballs happen about once a day or so, but we just don't see them because many of them fall over the ocean or in remote areas. "

___

Max Seddon in Moscow contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/meteor-explodes-over-russia-1-100-injured-175838744.html

nfl schedule houston texans houston texans aaron rodgers Joe Webb Fiesta Bowl Jeanie Buss