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');Translate()Submit articles freeThe Free Library > Business and Industry > Business > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Food and beverage industries > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Travel industry > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Communications > News, opinion and commentary > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Entertainment/The Arts > Arts and entertainment industries > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > General Interest/Informational > General interest > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > International relations > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > Politics > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Recreation and Leisure > Sports and fitness > AP Features > December 3, 2010 The Free Library > Date > 2010 > December > 3 > AP FeaturesFDA scrutinizes weight loss pill from Orexigen
diggit();LinkToThis()Scientists for the Food and Drug Administration said Friday a pill to treat obesity from Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. helped patients lose weight, though it didn't meet all the criteria set forth by the agency.
The FDA's review, posted online Friday, also raised questions about the pill's effects on the heart, a perennial issue for weight loss drugs Weight Loss Drugs Definition
Weight loss drugs are medications that may help an obese person lose weight in combination with a low-calorie diet and physical activity.
Purpose
More than 60% of American adults are overweight or obese. that have been plagued by safety issues.
Orexigen's pill Contrave is the third weight loss pill to be reviewed by the FDA this year. FDA officials have acknowledged the need for new weight loss drugs amid an epidemic of U.S. obesity, though the agency rejected the two other medications due to safety concerns.
Shares of Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., based in La Jolla La Jolla (l? hoi`y?), on the Pacific Ocean, S Calif., an uninc. district within the confines of San Diego; founded 1869. The beautiful ocean beaches, in particular La Jolla shores and Black's Beach, and sea-washed caves attract visitors and , Calif., fell 73 cents, or 13 percent, to $4.74 in morning trading.
The FDA said Friday four studies conducted by Orexigen showed patients taking its drug lost, on average, 4.2 percent more weight than patients taking a placebo. However, the results did not meet an FDA guideline that there should be at least a 5 percent difference in weight loss between the groups.
The drug did meet a second measure of effectiveness involving the number of patients who lost at least 5 percent or more of their weight. FDA guidelines published in 2007 state that a drug can be considered effective if it meets this requirement.
The FDA will ask a panel of experts to vote on the drug's efficacy and safety on Tuesday. The vote is non-binding, though the FDA often follows the guidance of its panelists.
With U.S. obesity rates nearing 35 percent among adults, doctors and public health officials say new weight-loss therapies are desperately needed. And even a modestly effective drug could have blockbuster potential.
But the search for a drug that helps patients safely shed pounds has been largely unsuccessful. Earlier this year Abbott Laboratories' Meridia weight loss pill was pulled from the market after regulators said it increased the risk of heart attack and stroke.
In reviewing Contrave, FDA scientists complained that the company enrolled few elderly patients or patients with a history of heart disease in its trials, making it difficult to determine the drug's safety in patients at risk for heart attack and stroke.
Contrave is a combination pill, mixing the antidepressant bupropion bupropion /bu·pro·pi·on/ (bu-pro´pe-on) a monocyclic compound structurally similar to amphetamine, used as the hydrochloride salt as an antidepressant and as an aid in smoking cessation. with the anti-addiction drug naltrexone naltrexone /nal·trex·one/ (nal-trek´son) an opioid antagonist used as the hydrochloride salt in treatment of opioid or alcohol abuse.
nal·trex·one
n.
An endorphin and narcotic antagonist. . FDA reported higher rates of side effects Side effects
Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. already linked to the drugs, including high blood pressure, dizziness and insomnia insomnia, abnormal wakefulness or inability to sleep. The condition may result from illness or physical discomfort, or it may be caused by stimulants such as coffee or drugs. However, frequently some psychological factor, such as worry or tension, is the cause. .
The quest for Verb 1. quest for - go in search of or hunt for; "pursue a hobby"
quest after, go after, pursue
look for, search, seek - try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of; "The police are searching for clues"; "They are searching for the a blockbuster weight loss drug has been plagued for decades by safety issues. Doctors and patients had hoped a new wave of treatments submitted to the FDA would prove safer than older therapies. But in October the FDA rejected two drugs in one week: Qnexa from Vivus Inc. and lorcaserin from Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Qnexa had shown significant weight loss in trials but was linked to potential heart problems and birth defects. In lorcaserin's case, the FDA raised concerns about cancerous tumors seen in rats who took the drug.
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FeedbackAuthor:StaffPublication:AP FeaturesDate:Dec 3, 2010Words:496Previous Article:US judge orders removal of GMO seed plantsNext Article:Caricom to launch ID cards for regional travelPublications by NamePublications by DateAuthorsLiteratureA-D E-O P-T U-Z before 1995 1995-1999
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diggit();LinkToThis()Members of a Caribbean trade bloc A trade bloc is a large free trade area formed by one or more tax, tariff and trade agreements. Typically trade pacts that define such a bloc specify formal adjudication bodies, e.g. NAFTA trade panels. will issue identification cards next year to expedite travel within the region, officials said Friday.
Scanners are being installed at several airports that will allow passengers to swipe their cards after checking in with airlines to avoid long lines In communications, circuits that are capable of handling transmissions over long distances. at immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. checkpoints, according to according to
prep.
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.
2. In keeping with: according to instructions.
3. a Caricom statement.
Participating countries include Jamaica, Trinidad, Antigua and Guyana. Those not yet enrolled are the Bahamas, Suriname, Haiti and others.
Caricom warned that people still have to carry passports if they plan to travel outside the Caribbean.
The card known as Caripass is valid for up to three years and will be issued to those 16 and older who are residents of participating nations. It is about the size of a credit card.
Caricom spokesman Shabaka Kambon said he did not immediately know the cost of the project that is part of a larger push for economic integration within the region. 
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');Translate()Submit articles freeThe Free Library > Business and Industry > Business > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Food and beverage industries > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Travel industry > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Communications > News, opinion and commentary > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Entertainment/The Arts > Arts and entertainment industries > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > General Interest/Informational > General interest > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > International relations > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > Politics > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Recreation and Leisure > Sports and fitness > AP Features > December 3, 2010 The Free Library > Date > 2010 > December > 3 > AP FeaturesRV industry rebounding, led by smaller trailers
diggit();LinkToThis()American families are ready to hitch up To fasten up.
To pull or raise with a jerk; as, a sailor hitches up his trousers.
To attach, as a horse, to a vehicle; as, hitch up the gray mare.
See also: Hitch Hitch Hitch their trailers and tow the RV industry out of its worst stretch in nearly two decades.
The industry was driven into the ditch last year by the Great Recession. Sales plunged, plants closed and thousands of jobs were cut as orders for recreational vehicles dropped to their worse level since 1991.
Now, RV makers such as Winnebago are starting to turn profits and have begun to hire. And dealers are ordering more RVs for their showrooms. This year, shipments of RVs ranging from entry-level pop-ups to spacious motor homes are expected to hit their highest level since 2007, when the economic downturn began.
The upswing Upswing
An upward turn in a security's price after a period of falling prices. is a sign that somewhat looser credit, stable fuel prices and improved consumer confidence are inspiring Americans to buy more RVs.
"Things are starting to look up," says Tim O'Brien Tim O'Brien can refer to: Tim O'Brien (author), the American author Timothy L. O'Brien, the American journalist Tim O'Brien (musician), the American musician Sir Tim O'Brien, the Irish-born cricketer , president of an RV dealership in Lapeer, Mich., where sales are up 55 percent from a year ago. "People are ready to get out from underneath the frugality of the last couple of years and go out and have some fun and recreation," he says.
Typical RV buyers are people between 35 and 54 with disposable income disposable income
Portion of an individual's income over which the recipient has complete discretion. To assess disposable income, it is necessary to determine total income, including not only wages and salaries, interest and dividend payments, and business profits, but also . They're starting to buy again, say industry leaders and dealers who convened at a trade show in Louisville this week. But a growing share of RV sales come from families choosing less expensive towable RVs, including folding camping trailers, or pop-ups. Those towables are smaller and cost a fraction of the price of amenity-filled motor homes favored by older travelers.
Before the recession hit, towables accounted for eight out of every 10 new RV shipments. Now they make up about nine out of 10 RVs shipped to dealers.
Towables, attached to pickups or hitched to the back of another vehicle, cost between $4,000 and $100,000, according to according to
prep.
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.
2. In keeping with: according to instructions.
3. the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association. Stand-alone motor homes can start at about $41,000 for van-like RVs, according to the industry group, while spacious, bus-like vehicles can run as much as $400,000 for top-of-the-line models. And that's before the cost of gas. Big RVs can get as little as 8 mpg.
Bob Olson Bob Olson was an American football player.
His home town was Superior, Wisconsin. He attended Notre Dame where he played linebacker between 1968 and 1969 and became team captain. , CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of RV manufacturer Winnebago Industries
This article reads like a news release, or is otherwise written in an overly promotional tone.Please help [ rewrite this article] from a to be less promotional, per Wikipedia . Inc., says a trend of families buying cheaper towables is encouraging. "They have to start somewhere. And one thing about this lifestyle, you get hooked on it and you want to upgrade."
Winnebago recently signaled its intention to move back into the towables by signing a letter of intent to buy SunnyBrook RV, which makes those type of RVs. Winnebago last built travel trailers in 1983.
The industry is looking for a recovery across all RV models.
It expects shipments from manufacturers to dealers to hit 236,700 in 2010, up 43 percent from last year's nearly 20-year low of 165,700. Through October, shipments have risen nearly 53 percent from the same period in 2009, according to RVIA RVIA Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, Inc. . In 2011, shipments are forecast to reach 246,000.
Higher shipments mean dealers expect retail sales to rise. While the two don't always correlate, there are signs that sales will, in fact, grow in the mid-single digits in 2011 "with a bias toward cheaper units," says Bret Jordan, who follows RV companies for Avondale Partners.
"It correlates pretty well with consumer confidence and economic improvement," he says.
Profits are returning to the industry. Winnebago, which closed two plants during the recession, posted net income of $4.9 million in the fourth quarter ending Aug. 28, compared with a loss of $50.2 million a year earlier. That marked its second straight profitable quarter. Revenue more than doubled to $449.5 million for its full fiscal year.
The results follow the company's biggest loss of $78.8 million in fiscal 2009. Its profit peaked at $70.6 million in fiscal 2004.
Jobs are also starting to come back. About 250,000 RV workers were laid off at the height of the downturn, according to RVIA. But Jayco, which makes towables and motor homes, has hired about 500 more workers this year. Dutchmen, a division of Thor Industries Thor Industries, Inc. is a manufacturer of recreation vehicles and mid-sized commercial buses. History
Thor Industries, Inc., was founded on August 29, 1980, when Wade F. B. Thompson and Peter B. Orthwein acquired Airstream. Inc. and a maker of towables, has nearly doubled its work force from about 400 during the worst of the recession to about 770 now. Winnebago shed about half its work force, roughly 1,670 workers, but has since added back about 400 employees.
The recovery is becoming evident at Kevin Stone's RV dealership in Berlin, N.J. Stone had to offer discounts to entice people to his lot in 2008 and 2009. But his dealership just had its best sales year ending in October, he says.
"It's just pent up demand," Stone says. Customers don't feel things are going to get any worse than they've been, he says.
Still, this year's pace of shipments remains far below the 2006 level of 390,560 — the high-water mark for a quarter century.
And speed bumps remain. Many consumers remain wary of big-ticket purchases and many RV owners have delayed trading in older models for bigger ones. Credit isn't as nearly free flowing as in pre-recessionary times.
Still, a recovery seems to be taking hold.
Winnebago's Olson, who became CEO just before the RV industry tanked in 2008, says "It's kind of nice to sit here and see that things are improving." .
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Printer friendly Cite/link Email FeedbackAuthor:BRUCE SCHREINERPublication:AP FeaturesDate:Dec 3, 2010Words:869Previous Article:Caricom to launch ID cards for regional travelNext Article:Judge re-sentences convicted Ohio health execPublications by NamePublications by DateAuthorsLiteratureA-D E-O P-T U-Z before 1995 1995-1999
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');Translate()Submit articles freeThe Free Library > Business and Industry > Business > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Food and beverage industries > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Travel industry > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Communications > News, opinion and commentary > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Entertainment/The Arts > Arts and entertainment industries > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > General Interest/Informational > General interest > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > International relations > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > Politics > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Recreation and Leisure > Sports and fitness > AP Features > December 3, 2010 The Free Library > Date > 2010 > December > 3 > AP FeaturesJudge re-sentences convicted Ohio health exec
diggit();LinkToThis()A federal judge on Friday declined to reduce the prison sentence of a former health care financing executive convicted in a $1.9 billion corporate fraud case.
Donald Ayers had asked that his sentence be cut from 15 years to five years after a federal appeals court said the government hadn't proved a money laundering The process of taking the proceeds of criminal activity and making them appear legal.
Laundering allows criminals to transform illegally obtained gain into seemingly legitimate funds. charge.
Ayers, of Fort Myers Fort Myers, city (1990 pop. 45,206), seat of Lee co., SW Fla., on the Caloosahatchee River, near the Gulf of Mexico; founded 1850, inc. 1905. It has a tourist trade and light industry and is a shipping point for citrus fruits, winter vegetables, flowers (especially , Fla., said re-sentencing him to 15 years amounted to double jeopardy double jeopardy: see jeopardy. double jeopardy
In law, the prosecution of a person for an offense for which he or she already has been prosecuted. In U.S. . He also said the multiple sentences he received for his convictions should be viewed independently, meaning he should receive the lesser sentence.
But U.S. District Court Judge Algenon Marbley recalculated Ayers' sentence to give him the same 15 years. The higher court had not made it clear that the prison term could be reduced, so the judge felt he had no choice, defense attorney Brian Dickerson said. He said a further appeal would be filed within 30 days.
Ayers, 74, who is serving his sentence in a minimum-security prison in Coleman, Fla., waived his right to attend the hearing and was not present. He's scheduled for release in 2021.
Federal prosecutors declined to comment on the re-sentencing, said Fred Alverson, a U.S. attorney's office spokesman.
Last summer, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati overturned Ayers' conviction on a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering, saying the government didn't provide enough proof.
His convictions on conspiracy to defraud To make a Misrepresentation of an existing material fact, knowing it to be false or making it recklessly without regard to whether it is true or false, intending for someone to rely on the misrepresentation and under circumstances in which such person does rely on it to his or the U.S. and securities fraud remained in place.
Marbley's decision was not surprising. In October, the judge re-sentenced another National Century executive, Roger Faulkenberry, to the same 10-year sentence he had originally received.
"We basically expected this. It's not like something we want to happen, but we expected Marbley to do exactly what he did today," Dickerson said, while still describing Ayers' defense team as disappointed.
Ayers was vice chairman, chief operating officer Chief Operating Officer (COO)
The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. , director and owner of National Century Financial Enterprises in Dublin, a Columbus in suburb.
National Century offered financing to small hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers by buying their accounts receivable accounts receivable n. the amounts of money due or owed to a business or professional by customers or clients. Generally, accounts receivable refers to the total amount due and is considered in calculating the value of a business or the business' problems in paying , usually for 80 or 90 cents on the dollar, so the providers wouldn't have to wait for insurance payments. National Century then collected the full amount of the payments.
Prosecutors said executives authorized millions in unsecured loans to the health care providers, then misled mis·led
v.
Past tense and past participle of mislead. investors about the loans.
As the money owed to the company mounted, National Century declared bankruptcy in November 2002.
The National Century case was often likened to the Enron and WorldCom scandals, and Marbley has called it the worst fraud case involving a privately held U.S. corporation.
Another co-defendant, Rebecca Parrett, 62, disappeared in March 2008 after she was convicted of securities fraud, wire fraud and other charges. She was found and arrested in Mexico in October and is now being held at the Franklin County Franklin County is the name of 24 counties in the United States.
All except Franklin County, Idaho are likely named for Benjamin Franklin, a Founding Father of the United States. Jail in Columbus.
___
Associated Press writer Andrew Welsh-Huggins contributed to this report.
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Printer friendly Cite/link Email FeedbackAuthor:DOUG WHITEMANPublication:AP FeaturesDate:Dec 3, 2010Words:480Previous Article:RV industry rebounding, led by smaller trailersNext Article:Spain gets tough to end strike at airportsPublications by NamePublications by DateAuthorsLiteratureA-D E-O P-T U-Z before 1995 1995-1999
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18,541,484 articles and booksPeriodicalsLiteratureKeywordTitleAuthorTopicMember loginUser name Password Remember meJoin us Forgot password? TopLine();dw('
');Translate()Submit articles freeThe Free Library > Business and Industry > Business > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Food and beverage industries > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Travel industry > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Communications > News, opinion and commentary > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Entertainment/The Arts > Arts and entertainment industries > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > General Interest/Informational > General interest > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > International relations > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > Politics > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Recreation and Leisure > Sports and fitness > AP Features > December 3, 2010 The Free Library > Date > 2010 > December > 3 > AP FeaturesUS drilling decisions ripple on Gulf Coast
diggit();LinkToThis()Less than a year ago, struggling states and coastal towns saw crude exploration off the Gulf Coast and Atlantic seaboard as an economic savior. Yet the backlash from the BP oil spill — most recently the Obama administration's decision this week not to open up some of that area to new drilling — has residents wondering if the industry will ever thrive again in U.S. waters.
Some fear an exodus of oil rigs in search of friendlier waters overseas. And with each passing day, folks that rely on deepwater drilling say the damage is multiplying, creating a ripple affect from blue-collar Main Street to beachside beach·side
adj.
Situated on or along a beach. drives. They warn it will only get worse.
"Deepwater was the future," said Lori Davis, owner of Rig-Chem, a Houma, Louisiana, business that sells chemicals to oil companies. If there's less new exploratory drilling, everyone from industry suppliers to doctor's offices who treat oil field workers will have less business.
Davis has already cut a consultant, reduced a profit-sharing plan for workers and left a recent job vacancy unfilled. "Today, we have to rethink that because we have an administration that's clueless clue·less
adj.
Lacking understanding or knowledge.
clueless
Adjective
Slang helpless or stupid
Adj. 1. , with no interest in supporting oil and gas," she said.
President Barack Obama's latest move to maintain a drilling ban in both the eastern Gulf of Mexico Noun 1. Gulf of Mexico - an arm of the Atlantic to the south of the United States and to the east of Mexico
Golfo de Mexico
Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean - the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east and along the Atlantic seaboard is a reversal of his promise to do just the opposite three weeks before the disaster. And it shows that more than seven months after the Deepwater Horizon Deepwater Horizon is a 5th generation, dynamic positioned (DP), Semi-submerisble oil rig owned by Transocean. History
Designed originally for R&B Falcon, she was completed in 2001 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, South Korea, after their merger with Transocean. rig explosion killed 11 men and led to some 200 million gallons of oil spewing from BP's undersea well, the worst offshore oil spill oil spill: see water pollution. in U.S. history is still very much shaping national oil policy.
After the April spill, the government placed a moratorium on issuing new deepwater drilling permits in the Gulf. The moratorium was lifted Oct. 12, but industry watchers say it effectively remains in place. In the nearly eight weeks since the ban was lifted, the government has not issued a single permit that would allow the resumption of any previously suspended drilling activities.
The administration previously backed the major expansion of offshore drilling Offshore drilling typically refers to the act of extracting resources, primarily oil, in an ocean or lake. Controversy
As with all oil drilling, there has been a certain level of controversy surrounding the issue. , in part to gain support for comprehensive climate legislation in Congress, one of Obama's top legislative goals. But with that bill now off the table, the president stands much to gain politically by saying no to powerful oil interests, particularly in tourism-conscious Florida, which is expected to be a crucial swing state in the 2012 election campaign.
Many other tourism-driven towns stand to gain, too, simply because of the perception of a pristine ocean.
Ask Marsha Henson of Tybee Island, Georgia, and she'll tell you Obama's decision brings her a sense of relief. She's co-owner of Sea Kayak Georgia, which gives offshore tours and paddling lessons to thousands of tourists along Georgia's 100 miles (160 kilometers) of Atlantic coast each year.
"Obviously he (Obama) is listening to people's current feelings of how we may in this lifetime never see a healing of what has happened in the Gulf," said Henson, whose business picked up after the BP spill because of more vacationers coming to oil-free coastal Georgia rather than risk having their trips ruined by fouled Gulf beaches.
In Maryland, Marie-Noelle Sayan, owner of the 22-room King Charles King Charles can refer to: A number of kings named Charles I A number of kings named Charles II A number of kings named Charles III A number of kings named Charles IV A number of kings named Charles V A number of kings named Charles VI Hotel in Ocean City, said she was thankful.
"If we have offshore drilling, one, just one, accident could put the whole town out of business because the town is completely driven by tourism," Sayan said.
On Wednesday, the Obama administration reversed a March plan that would have authorized officials to explore the potential for drilling from Delaware to central Florida For the college, see University of Central Florida.
Central Florida is the central region of the United States state of Florida, on the East Coast. , plus the northern waters of Alaska. The new approach allows drilling in Alaska, but officials said they will move cautiously before approving any leases. The focus instead will be on areas with active leases, which is largely in the central and western Gulf of Mexico and in a limited area of Alaska.
So far, rigs aren't leaving the Gulf en masse en masse
adv.
In one group or body; all together: The protesters marched en masse to the capitol.
[French : en, in + masse, mass. , but industry officials fear they will.
According to according to
prep.
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.
2. In keeping with: according to instructions.
3. ODS-Petrodata, which follows the market for oil and gas producers, there were 36 floating rigs in the Gulf on Thursday, one more than were there the day before the explosion aboard the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon. However, the firm said that only six of the rigs were conducting operations Thursday — basically maintenance work, not exploratory drilling.
The lack of a decline could be due to the way contracts work. Because of the absence of deepwater drilling, some oil and gas firms have tried but failed to get out of leasing contracts with rig owners that were signed before the moratorium. Other firms have softened the blow by negotiating lower rates with rig owners to remain in the Gulf on a standby basis, but that reduces the rig owners' revenue because they command higher lease rates when rigs are drilling. Also, a number of rigs were headed to the Gulf before the BP well blowout, and those offset some of the rigs that departed.
"The government hates it, but it's true, there is a de facto [Latin, In fact.] In fact, in deed, actually.
This phrase is used to characterize an officer, a government, a past action, or a state of affairs that must be accepted for all practical purposes, but is illegal or illegitimate. moratorium in place," said ODS-Petrodata's Julian Gunther.
The Interior Department maintains it is simply making sure rig operators are in compliance with tough new regulations before issuing permits.
Chevron and Exxon Mobil both criticized the latest decision by the Obama administration. Technology Professionals LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol.
LLC - Logical Link Control of Houma, Louisiana, a firm that sells and services computers and works with oil companies, has had a lot of projects put on hold or delayed, owner Jason Bergeron said. "At some point, we're all tied to the oilfield. Even the doctors offices we work with, they've seen a downturn," Bergeron said.
Todd Hornbeck, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Covington, Louisiana-based Hornbeck Offshore Services Hornbeck Offshore Services NYSE: HOS is a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Covington, Louisiana providing offshore drilling and support services in the Gulf of Mexico and other areas. , which provides vessels and other services for the offshore industry, said Thursday he has already laid off some employees and may have to lay off more. While he wouldn't provide specific numbers, he said he will likely have to consider redeploying assets in friendlier waters overseas. He said half of his 85 ships are idle.
"Everyone is scared," Hornbeck said.
___
Associated Press writers Alex Dominguez in Baltimore, Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, and Kevin McGill in New Orleans contributed to this report.
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Printer friendly Cite/link Email FeedbackAuthor:HARRY R. WEBERPublication:AP FeaturesDate:Dec 3, 2010Words:1034Previous Article:Spain gets tough to end strike at airportsNext Article:Qatar must win over skeptical WCup fansPublications by NamePublications by DateAuthorsLiteratureA-D E-O P-T U-Z before 1995 1995-1999
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');Translate()Submit articles freeThe Free Library > Business and Industry > Business > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Food and beverage industries > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Travel industry > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Communications > News, opinion and commentary > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Entertainment/The Arts > Arts and entertainment industries > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > General Interest/Informational > General interest > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > International relations > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > Politics > AP Features > December 3, 2010The Free Library > Recreation and Leisure > Sports and fitness > AP Features > December 3, 2010 The Free Library > Date > 2010 > December > 3 > AP FeaturesQatar must win over skeptical WCup fans
diggit();LinkToThis()Qatar won over FIFA FIFA International Association Football Federation [French Fédération Internationale de Football Association]
FIFA n abbr (= Fédération Internationale de Football Association) ? FIFA f with a promise that a World Cup in the Middle East would be good for soccer. Now it faces what could be an even harder task: Convincing skeptical fans who fear the desert nation will hold a sweltering and alcohol-free tournament.
Some fans wrongly believe Qatar has the same social restrictions of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia (sä
Twitter A Web site and service that lets users send short text messages from their cellphones to a group of friends. Launched in 2006, Twitter (www.twitter.com) was designed for people to broadcast their current activities and thoughts. was abuzz with such concerns immediately after Qatar was awarded the 2022 tournament on Thursday. Some fans suggested Qatar would keep women out of stadiums and many fretted they won't be able to buy a beer.
They might be surprised to find a largely safe, cosmopolitan capital where celebrity British chef Gordon Ramsay Gordon James Ramsay OBE (born November 8, 1966 in Johnstone, Scotland) is a Scottish celebrity chef and currently one of only three chefs in the UK whose restaurant is rated at three Michelin stars. He has been awarded a total of twelve Michelin stars[1]. has set up shop, malls are filled with designer goods and the skyline rivals any in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Women are free to work, drive and cheer on their favorite soccer team, as they did during last month's Brazil-Argentina exhibition. Drinking is allowed, but mostly restricted to ex-pat havens.
Still, this country of 1.6 million is no Paris or Rio or even neighboring neigh·bor
n.
1. One who lives near or next to another.
2. A person, place, or thing adjacent to or located near another.
3. A fellow human.
4. Used as a form of familiar address.
v. Dubai — and Qataris seem to want to keep it that way. Drinking and dancing is limited to the handful of raucous bars and nightclubs in four- and five-star hotels, public affection is usually tolerated but occasionally punished. Bikini-clad swimmers only began appearing on beaches two years ago.
Most understand, though, that the country will have to open up with the World Cup coming and find a balance between the modern and traditional. Organizers have already promised to allow drinking in designated fan zones and Qataris have resigned themselves to the sight of scantily-clad foreigners strolling through their streets — something that is frowned upon.
"I never wanted the World Cup in the first place because of the girls and the drinking. It's against our religion," said Mohammed al-Sayegh, a 16-year-old Qatari dressed in full-length white thobe worn by most men.
But like many of his friends shopping at the Villagio Shopping Center shopping center, a concentration of retail, service, and entertainment enterprises designed to serve the surrounding region. The modern shopping center differs from its antecedents—bazaars and marketplaces—in that the shops are usually amalgamated into — complete with an ice skating ice skating, gliding along an ice surface on keellike runners known as ice skates.Skating as a Sport
Skating, besides being an important form of winter recreation and the essential skill in the game of ice hockey (see hockey, ice) has developed rink and canal network with gondolas — al-Sayegh supports the bid as a way to boost the country's standing on the international stage.
"We want to take the World Cup, but we can't take everything," he said. "We can show the world that we can preserve our culture even if we host such a big event."
Another Qatari shopper in the mall, 21-year-old Hassan al-Emadi, said he was willing to take the "good with the bad" that would come with the World Cup.
"The good will be that other countries know Qatar is a peaceful place and has the capacity to host big events," he said. "The bad is the drinking in the streets. By 2022, there will be a new generation and when they see people acting like this, they will think this is the Qatar. It will be a challenge to keep our traditions."
Most expatriates in Doha felt the tournament would be a success, but that some things would have to change — at least for those four weeks during the tournament.
"If you can't drink beer, there is no World Cup," said Bono Van Wyk, a South African who has lived in Qatar for three years and works for an oil company. "They will have to lift all the restrictions. People want to drink where they want to drink."
Out at a makeshift beach on the outskirts of Doha, two fully clothed Muslim women waded into the water at a public beach, while several women in bikinis lounged on chairs at a private beach at the nearby Intercontinental hotel.
"I don't have any difficulties at all. It's very safe and secure," said Lara Koujou, a Lebanese national. "You have to respect the traditions and culture but you can go to the beach or the clubs. Of course, this is not Europe or America. I can wear a short dress at a club but not on the street. That isn't the norm here."
Most agree the challenge will be about changing perceptions of this Gulf country. It first came to the attention of Westerners as one of the Pentagon's Gulf partners during the U.S.-led battles to drive Iraq from Kuwait in 1991 and later hosting the U.S. military's command center for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It still hosts U.S. warplanes.
As recently as the 1990s, Qatar was a sleepy, port city that over the past quarter-century has transformed itself into one of the world's richest nations thanks to the discovery of vast oil and gas reserves. It's also a media hub for the Arab world as the home of the Al-Jazeera network, which is backed by Qatar's ruling family. It has become one of the hot spots hot spots
acute moist dermatitis. in the Gulf for sporting events, including a European Tour golf tournament, men's and women's professional tennis tournaments, the 2006 Asian Games The Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The games are regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). and upcoming 2011 Asian Cup.
Ruled by the Al Thani family without any opposition, there is no doubt that Qatar will make good on its commitment to spend $42.9 billion on infrastructure upgrades and $4 billion to build nine stadiums and renovate three others. All those stadiums, Qatar says, will have a state-of-the art cooling system cooling system: see air conditioning; internal-combustion engine; refrigeration. cooling system
Apparatus used to keep the temperature of a structure or device from exceeding limits imposed by needs of safety and efficiency. that will keep temperatures about 81 degrees. Similar cooling systems will be used at training sites and fan zones.
Qatar has to address not only questions of its openness but also about its location in the volatile Middle East. Like most Arab nations, it has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
Bid chief executive Hassan al-Thawadi promised Israel would be allowed to participate if it qualifies and earlier said fans from all nations would be welcome.
"We are a very, very hospitable hos·pi·ta·ble
adj.
1. Disposed to treat guests with warmth and generosity.
2. Indicative of cordiality toward guests: a hospitable act.
3. place that welcomes people from all parts of the world," he said. "Bringing the World Cup to the Middle East now ... will feature to the world that the Middle East is home to a lot of people, it's opening its arms to the rest of the world."
Al-Thani also said the country was making strides in promoting women's sports, noting how it soon would be starting one of the first women's soccer leagues in the Gulf.
"This is another perception, another perception that women are oppressed op·press
tr.v. op·pressed, op·press·ing, op·press·es
1. To keep down by severe and unjust use of force or authority: a people who were oppressed by tyranny.
2. in the Middle East and this is a wrong, wrong perception," he said. "We hope with the World Cup being awarded to Qatar, we can change that."
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diggit();LinkToThis()Declining demand has Philadelphia's port getting out of the cruise ship business.
The Delaware River Port Authority The Delaware River Port Authority or DRPA is a bi-state port district located within the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Board of commissioners says bigger ships and lower interest have led to fewer departures out of Philadelphia's Navy Yard terminal. Only two cruises are scheduled to depart out of Philadelphia Philadelphia, ancient cities
Philadelphia, name of several ancient cities. One was in Lydia, W Asia Minor (now W Turkey). At the foot of Mt. Tmolus and near the location of modern Alasehir, it was founded in the 2d cent. B.C. next year, down from more than 30 a few years ago.
The authority's executive committee approved a plan Wednesday to end the terminal lease on January 1. The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia Inquirer
Morning newspaper, long one of the most influential dailies in the eastern U.S. Founded in 1847 as the Pennsylvania Inquirer, it took its present name c. 1860. It was a strong supporter of the Union in the American Civil War. reports the agency would save $18 million in renovation costs by ending cruises.
The full board is expected to give the plan final approval later this month. The two departures scheduled for 2011 would still be honored.
___
Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com 
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diggit();LinkToThis()About 12 million more obese Americans could soon qualify for surgery to implant a small, flexible stomach band designed to help them lose weight by dramatically limiting their food intake.
The Food and Drug Administration will make a final decision on the Lap-Band in the coming months.
The device from Allergan Inc. is currently implanted in roughly 100,000 people each year and usually helps patients lose 50 pounds or more. Under federal guidelines, it has been limited to patients who are morbidly mor·bid
adj.
1.
a. Of, relating to, or caused by disease; pathological or diseased.
b. Psychologically unhealthy or unwholesome: obese.
On Friday, a panel of FDA advisers recommended expanding use of the device to include patients who are less obese. The panel voted 8-2 that the benefits of broader approval outweighed the risks.
If approved for wider use, the Lap-Band could be available to patients like Angela Denson, a 37-year-old Indianapolis woman who wants to lose 80 or 85 pounds. She said she has struggled with obesity since she started having children 20 years ago.
"I've tried diet pills. I've tried Weight Watchers ... all different types of diet plans," she said.
Denson is not quite obese enough for the surgery under the current standards, but she still wants to pursue the procedure to ward off future health problems and feel better.
But experts stress that the Lap-Band cannot stop deeply ingrained behavior that drives people to overeat o·ver·eat
v.
To eat to excess, especially habitually. . And the high cost of the procedure will remain a barrier for many potential patients.
More than a third of all American adults are obese. About 15 million of them meet criteria for gastric banding surgery under existing guidelines, which say a person should have a body mass index of 40 or higher, or a BMI BMI body mass index.
BMI
abbr.
body mass index Body mass index (BMI)
A measurement that has replaced weight as the preferred determinant of obesity. of 35 or higher if the person suffers from a weight-related medical problem such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
If adopted, the proposal would lower the Lap-Band requirement to a BMI of 35 or higher, or as low as 30 with one related health problem.
Doing so would increase the number of eligible patients to 27 million, according to according to
prep.
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.
2. In keeping with: according to instructions.
3. federal health data.
Denson said her insurer denied her doctor's request for a band procedure because her BMI was 39.3, and she had no serious conditions.
Dr. Jack Ditslear said broader approval could help people with lower BMIs avoid dangerous complications down the road.
"We know that being overweight increases the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease," said Ditslear, a surgeon at Clarian Bariatrics bariatrics /bar·i·at·rics/ (-e-a´triks) a field of medicine encompassing the study of overweight and its causes, prevention, and treatment.
bar·i·at·rics
n. in Indianapolis. "Ideally you want to lose the weight before you have the onset of those diseases."
The adjustable band has been available in the U.S. since 2001 but far longer in Europe and Australia, where it is dominant. A ring is placed over the top of the stomach and inflated with saline to tighten it and restrict how much food can enter and pass through the stomach.
The device was developed as an alternative to gastric bypass surgery Gastric bypass procedures (GBP) are any of a group of similar operations used to treat morbid obesity—the severe accumulation of excess weight as fatty tissue—and the health problems (comorbidities) it causes. , a permanent procedure in which food is rerouted from a pouch in the stomach to the small intestine small intestine
Long, narrow, convoluted tube in which most digestion takes place. It extends 22–25 ft (6.7–7.6 m), from the stomach to the large intestine. .
There were about 220,000 gastric surgeries last year, with banding accounting for an estimated 40 percent. Surgeons say the fact that the procedure is reversible and relatively low-risk accounts for its growing popularity.
"As a clinician clinician /cli·ni·cian/ (kli-nish´in) an expert clinical physician and teacher.
cli·ni·cian
n. , it's pretty common for patients to come in because they've heard about banding," said Dr. Eric DeMaria, a surgeon at Durham Regional Hospital Durham Regional Hospital (DRH) has been a member of the Duke University Health System family since 1998. The hospital has 369 beds and over 500 physicians on the medical staff, and has a certified Level II Intensive Care Nursery. . "It's probably the lowest-risk surgical procedure available for morbid obesity morbid obesity
n.
The condition of weighing at least twice the ideal weight. morbid obesity Superobesity Bariatircs A condition defined as 45 kg > ideal body weight, 2 times > ideal/standard weight or, for ."
But there are hurdles to wider use of the procedure, particularly its cost, which can range from $14,000 to $20,000. The device itself costs $3,000.
Susquehanna International analyst Gary Nachman says both insurers and patients are often reluctant to pay.
"It's a very expensive procedure and even if someone has coverage, they may have to pay a copay co·pay
n.
A copayment. of a few thousand dollars," Nachman said. "And that's why in a tough economy, we've seen this franchise struggle more than you would normally."
According to Nachman, the payment issues for Lap-Band will only increase if it is approved for patients with less severe obesity. He projects a modest 8 percent rise in Allergan's business through 2014 to about $258 million.
Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for the industry trade group America's Health Insurance Plans, said she believes a majority of insurers now cover bariatric Bariatric
Pertaining to the study, prevention, or treatment of overweight.
Mentioned in: Malnutrition surgeries.
"They may approach this surgery in a cautious way, but I think there is a broad acknowledgment that there is a place for surgery in the treatment of morbidly obese people," she said, noting that some employers who provide group health coverage choose not cover the procedure in their plans.
The FDA's consideration of the Lap-Band comes as rising health care costs threaten to consume nearly a fifth of the U.S. economy. Obesity-related health care spending is estimated at $147 billion, double the level of a decade ago.
While experts say the Lap-Band can help patients control their weight, it cannot replace healthy lifestyle choices.
"It is a tool to make the lifestyle easier, but not easy. It doesn't help people exercise more or resolve their behavioral issues," said Madelyn Fernstrom, director of the University of Pittsburgh's weight management center. "It's most important for people to understand what it can and can't do."
To change eating behavior, the drug industry has invested billions of dollars to develop weight-loss medications, most of which have not proven effective.
The FDA has rejected two such medications this year alone because of safety concerns.
On Friday the agency issued a lackluster review of a third drug called Contrave, which combines an antidepressant with an anti-addiction drug used to treat alcoholism.
Experts say such drugs have been largely unsuccessful at addressing the main obstacle to weight loss: the brain's fundamental drive to eat enough food to maintain current weight.
Dr. Derek Lowe Derek Christopher Lowe[1] (born June 1, 1973 in Dearborn, Michigan)[2] is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He throws and bats right-handed. , a pharmaceutical researcher and blogger, says unless medicine finds a way to address that issue, devices like the Lap-Band will have mixed effectiveness.
"There are certainly people who've had gastric bypass surgery and managed to turn themselves back into their original size by sipping on milkshakes all day," he said.
___
AP Business WriterTom Murphy contributed to this story from Indianapolis. 
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Spain's government halted an air traffic control strike Saturday by imposing an emergency decree to threaten the disgruntled employees with prison terms under military law. Flights resumed, but hundreds of thousands of travelers remained stranded at airports.
By Saturday evening the decree, which had never been used before, prompted 283 of the 295 controllers scheduled to report for duty to do so, Spain's civil aviation agency AENA said, and flights were resuming at an increasing pace at airports packed with bewildered travelers.
Spanish air space reopened after being closed with the start of the wildcat strike Friday evening over a work scheduling dispute, but the government warned that it could be up to two days before airports return fully to normal at one of Europe's top tourism destinations.
All over the country, people marooned at airports at the start of a long holiday weekend told stories of being herded around like cattle in search of information, sleeping on chairs or floors, or resting on check-in weighing scales or propped up against their luggage.
"It's total chaos," said Spaniard Rocio Garcia, who had hoped to spend the weekend in Paris. "There are two people attending a line of some 500 people."
AENA said an estimated 600,000 people missed flights Friday or Saturday because of the strike.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero placed the country's 2,000-odd air traffic controllers under military authority in a 'state of alarm' order, meaning strikers who refused to resume guiding aircraft in and out of airports faced the threat of jail terms under the military penal code.
Zapatero acted under a constitutional clause which had never been used before and also is reserved for national emergencies such as earthquakes or other breakdowns in essential public services.
Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Saturday evening that AENA will investigate all air traffic controllers who failed to show up for work over the past 24 hours without due justification, and a prosecutor also is probing if they can be punished. Travelers also are filing complaints, he said.
"These are very serious events, and it is clear that accountability will be demanded," he told a news conference.
"There will certainly be consequences for those who in an irresponsible, inexplicable and very damaging way abandoned their posts at the control towers," Rubalcaba said.
He said the government will never allow another air traffic controllers strike to take place, but declined to explain what legal mechanisms the government would employ.
Scenes of chaos abounded.
At Barajas Airport in Madrid, Jason Bridger, 40, of Brighton, England, said: "We have been told that the airspace is open, but these guys won't open the security."
"So the airspace is open but they won't open the airport. Loco!," Bridger told AP Television News.
Marcos Salt, a 50-year-old from Buenos Aires, said he was in Spain en route to Vienna. "Nobody can tell me how I am going to get to Vienna or get back to Buenos Aires. They can't get you a hotel because they are all full. So we are here forgotten by God!"
The strike was yet another headache for Zapatero as he tries to pull his country out of recession and fighting off suggestions that Spain's debt load will put it next in line for a bailout, after Greece and now Ireland.
The strong-arm tactic was almost certainly a bitter pill to swallow for a man who takes pride in his Socialist ideology and always tries to curry favor with unions. It recalled a similar wildcat strike in the United States in 1981, although Zapatero stopped short of firing air traffic controllers and breaking their union, as then US President Ronald Reagan did.
Blanca Uriarte, an air traffic controller in Palma on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, practically cried as she told reporters outside the airport what happened in the air traffic control tower Saturday.
"The Civil Guard and the Air Force came in with pistols and forced us — in this state, and I am one of the ones in best shape — to sit there and guide airplanes. That is what the government did," she told reporters. "In this state of anxiety, it is impossible to guide planes."
The strike also was an echo of the painful austerity saga hitting much of Europe — Greeks strike regularly over austerity measures imposed as part of the country's massive debt bailout and the French have taken to the streets en masse to protest a law that raised the retirement age to save the country's money-losing pension system.
In the case of the Spanish air traffic controllers, a money-saving reform enacted earlier this year slashed their salaries by about half by reducing the overtime hours they can work, which are paid at triple the normal rate.
The controllers and the government have been locked in a dispute for months over working conditions, benefits and other issues, and there has been much bad blood.
Government officials had said openly it was outrageous for some controllers to make nearly half a million euros ($660,000) a year at a time of crisis, with Spain's unemployment rate at nearly 20 percent, many people's jobless benefits running out and the average yearly salary at about (EURO)20,000 ($26,500). Even with the lower salary, the controllers make an average of ten times that figure.
The final straw seems to have been a decree approved by the Spanish Cabinet on Friday under which controllers who miss work shifts because of illness or certain other reasons must make up the lost hours and can be subject to medical checkups immediately if they call in sick.
Development Minister Jose Blanco said Saturday that air traffic controllers have been counting hours spent at union meetings, for instance, as hours spent on the job and the decree passed Friday ended this practice.
"It was a matter of clarifying what an hour of work is. That should not bother anyone," he told Spanish television.
The timing of the strike was awful, and each side blamed the other for the ensuing mess. This is usually one of the busiest travel weekends of the year in Spain because Monday and Wednesday of next week are holidays, and many people planned to take Tuesday off as well, making for a mini-vacation.
The air traffic controllers union USCA and the conservative opposition Popular Party blasted the government for passing the decree right before the long travel holiday, knowing it was certain to inflame tempers. The government responded by saying it was the controllers who are to blame by choosing Friday to do their walkout.
"This has been a very hard blow to the international image of Spain. The controllers have provoked an absolutely terrible situation," said deputy Tourism Minister Joan Mesquida.
Mesquida said it was too early to calculate how much all the missed flights and other reservations will cost the travel industry.
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');Translate()Submit articles freeThe Free Library > Business and Industry > Business > AP Features > December 4, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Food and beverage industries > AP Features > December 4, 2010The Free Library > Business and Industry > Travel industry > AP Features > December 4, 2010The Free Library > Communications > News, opinion and commentary > AP Features > December 4, 2010The Free Library > Entertainment/The Arts > Arts and entertainment industries > AP Features > December 4, 2010The Free Library > General Interest/Informational > General interest > AP Features > December 4, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > International relations > AP Features > December 4, 2010The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > Politics > AP Features > December 4, 2010The Free Library > Recreation and Leisure > Sports and fitness > AP Features > December 4, 2010 The Free Library > Date > 2010 > December > 4 > AP FeaturesRussian jet crash-lands after engines fail; 2 dead
diggit();LinkToThis()Two engines failed on a Russian passenger jet shortly after takeoff Saturday, and the plane made an emergency landing as its third engine cut out, skidding off the snowy snow·y
adj. snow·i·er, snow·i·est
1.
a. Abounding in or covered with snow: a snowy day.
b. Subject to snow: a snowy climate. runway and breaking apart, officials said. Two people were killed and 83 injured in·jure
tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures
1. To cause physical harm to; hurt.
2. To cause damage to; impair.
3. .
The plane, a Tupolev Tu-154 belonging to Dagestan Airlines, was carrying at least 155 people when it landed at Domodedovo Airport, federal aviation agency spokesman Sergei Izvolsky said.
The cause of the engine failure was unclear, he said, but recent crashes involving the aging Tu-154 aircraft have prompted the Russian carrier Aeroflot to stop using it.
Officials said 155 people were aboard the Dagestan Airlines Dagestan Airlines (Avialinii Dagestana) is an airline based in Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia. It is the only airline in Dagestan. It operates scheduled domestic services and international services to Istanbul, as well as charter services within Russia and the other CIS plane, but the Emergencies Ministry said in a website statement that the aircraft was carrying 168 passengers and 8 crew members. It was not immediately possible to resolve the discrepancy DISCREPANCY. A difference between one thing and another, between one writing and another; a variance. (q.v.)
2. Discrepancies are material and immaterial. .
The plane had taken off from another Moscow hub, Vnukovo Airport, and was en route to Makhachkala, the capital of Russia's southern region of Dagestan, officials said. Federal aviation agency spokesman Sergei Izvolsky said the pilot received signals that engines had cut out about 80 kilometers (50 miles) into the flight at an altitude of 9,100 meters (30,000 feet), and requested an emergency landing at Domodedovo, to the southeast of Moscow.
Federal officials said two people were killed, and Health Minister Tatyana Golikova said in a website statement that 83 injured people were taken to five hospitals.
The federal Investigative Committee said in a website statement that two of the three engines had initially cut out, and the third failed as the plane was coming in to land.
"The plane slid off the runway and, having hit uneven ground, broke up," the statement said. A previous Investigative Committee statement had said the plane slammed into buildings after touching down.
Passenger Vitaly Chumak was quoted by Russian news agency Interfax as saying the plane broke into three parts after landing and barely missed a fence.
In September, a Tu-154 airliner was carrying 72 passengers and nine crew when it suffered an electrical system failure while flying from the northern Siberian town of Polyarnyi to Moscow. President Dmitry Medvedev Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev (Russian: ??????? ??????????? ????????; born September 14, 1965 in Leningrad), is a Russian bestowed awards on the pilot, who landed the plane and avoided casualties, despite rolling into a forest outside an abandoned military base.
The Tu-154 has been the workhorse work·horse
n.
1. Something, such as a machine, that performs dependably under heavy or prolonged use: "the 50-year-old DC-3 ... of the Soviet and post-Soviet civilian aviation industry, first entering service in the 1970s. But after a series of crashes involving the aging fleet raised safety concerns, flagship carrier Aeroflot recently withdrew all of its Tu-154s from service, with the last flight in January.
The midrange midrange Epidemiology The halfway point or midpoint in a set of observations; for most data, MR is calculated as the sum of the smallest observation and the largest observation, divided by 2; for age data, one is added to the numerator; a midrange is usually jet remains, however, the mainstay of smaller airlines across Russia and the former Soviet Union. It is banned from parts of Europe due to excessive engine noise.
The plane that crashed in heavy fog earlier this year killing Polish President Lech Lech (lekh), river, c.175 mi (280 km) long, rising in Vorarlberg, W Austria, and flowing NE into S Germany past Augsburg to the Danube River. The Wertach River is its chief tributary. Kaczynski also was a Tu-154.
On Saturday, Domodedovo Airport switched scheduled flights to a second runway, and normal service was not affected, officials said in televised comments.
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Printer friendly Cite/link Email FeedbackAuthor:DAVID NOWAKPublication:AP FeaturesDate:Dec 4, 2010Words:496Previous Article:Football player's death points to screening limitsNext Article:Floods force evacuations in Bosnia, AlbaniaPublications by NamePublications by DateAuthorsLiteratureA-D E-O P-T U-Z before 1995 1995-1999
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diggit();LinkToThis()Andrea Ybarra's donated heart was beating rhythmically by the time she awoke from the grogginess grog·gy
adj. grog·gi·er, grog·gi·est
Unsteady and dazed; shaky.
[From grog.]
grog of her surgery.
Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. In fact, it was warm and pumping even before doctors transplanted it.
Ybarra belongs to a small group of people who have had a "beating heart" transplant, an experimental operation that's mostly been done in Europe. The donor heart is placed into a special box that feeds it blood and keeps it warm and ticking outside the body.
"I felt peaceful when I woke up. I wasn't scared," recalled the 40-year-old from Los Angeles who suffers from lupus. "It felt like the heart was a part of me all the time."
Despite advances in heart transplantation Heart Transplantation Definition
Heart transplantation, also called cardiac transplantation, is the replacement of a patient's diseased or injured heart with a healthy donor heart. , the way hearts are moved around the United States and most places remains low-tech.
A team of doctors and organ recovery specialists stuffs an off-the-shelf picnic cooler with ice and jets off at odd hours to a donor hospital where a heart from a brain-dead patient awaits. They inject a chemical to stop the organ and preserve it in the ice chest for the trip home.
Once a heart is harvested, it's a race against time. A heart can stay fresh in the cooler for 4 to 6 hours before it starts to deteriorate. Because of this constraint, doctors can't travel too far to heart-hunt.
It's been done this way for more than four decades, ever since the first U.S. heart transplant was performed on Dec. 6, 1967.
Research has shown that the longer it takes to remove a heart and transplant it, the greater the patient's chance of death or heart disease.
But what if a heart could beat on its own after removal from a cadaver cadaver /ca·dav·er/ (kah-dav´er) a dead body; generally applied to a human body preserved for anatomical study.cadav´ericcadav´erous
ca·dav·er
n. ?
It may sound a bit macabre, more like an Edgar Allan Poe story. The new high-tech heart box circulates blood from the donor to the heart so that it continues throbbing throb
intr.v. throbbed, throb·bing, throbs
1. To beat rapidly or violently, as the heart; pound.
2. To vibrate, pulsate, or sound with a steady pronounced rhythm: while in transit from hospital to hospital.
Based on some success overseas, the University of California, Los Angeles UCLA comprises the College of Letters and Science (the primary undergraduate college), seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Since 2001, UCLA has enrolled over 33,000 total students, and that number is steadily rising. is currently heading an experiment along with several other schools that compares the safety and effectiveness of the new preservation method versus the standard cooler.
If the new technology succeeds in preserving hearts longer, it could change the field, experts say.
No longer will patients be limited by location. Doctors could make cross-country heart runs without worrying about how long it takes. Hearts are now given first to people on the waiting list who live near where the donor is hospitalized. If there's no match, then the circle widens until a recipient is found.
"The rush factor will be taken out. I can go all the way to the West Coast to get a heart," said Dr. Bruce Rosengard of Massachusetts General Hospital, who performed the first beating heart transplant in the United Kingdom in 2006.
It may also potentially help ease the organ shortage organ shortage Transplantation The gap between the number of organs transplanted and number needed. See UNOS. Cf Organ brokerage. crisis. Some 3,000 Americans are currently on the heart transplant waiting list. Last year, 359 died waiting for a heart — almost one person a day.
The thinking is that hearts may be in better condition if they're kept beating instead of being cooled in ice. And if hearts can be monitored outside the body, proponents say this may help increase the organ pool by allowing less-than-perfect hearts to be transplanted.
Ybarra's surgery began like any other. The call came in to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center UCLA Medical Center is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California. It is rated as one of the top three hospitals in the United States and is the top hospital on the West Coast according to US News & World Report. shortly before 4 p.m. on Aug. 24. There is a heart available. Do you have a match?
The transplant team dialed Ybarra. Her lupus, an immune system immune system
Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. disease in which the body attacks its own organs, had ravaged her heart, leaving it enlarged and weak. She desperately needed a transplant.
The following day, a brigade of doctors and technicians set off before dawn by limo to the Van Nuys Airport Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY, FAA LID: VNY) is a public airport located in Van Nuys, California in the San Fernando Valley, within the Los Angeles city limits. to board a private jet to the donor hospital in the Palm Springs area east of Los Angeles.
Since Ybarra signed up to be part of the beating heart experiment, she had a 50-50 chance of having the new operation.
Before the team left, a nurse practitioner drew a card at random: Ybarra was getting the experimental heart transplant.
The doctors arrived at the donor hospital at 6:20 a.m. and cut open the patient's chest an hour later. After examining the heart, they stopped it to remove it. Instead of packing the heart on ice, doctors transferred it to a box filled with blood and nutrients to revive it. The box was then tucked inside a portable machine for transport.
On the way back to UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles
UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University)
UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , the heart was closely checked to make sure it was stable.
In the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified"
meantime, meanwhile , Ybarra was wheeled into the operating room and put under. She was placed on a heart-lung machine as doctors took out her failing heart. The new one was ticking nearby. Surgeons re-stopped the donor heart and sewed it into Ybarra. As her own blood coursed through, it began to pound.
All told, the donated heart had been beating in the box for a little over three hours.
If a heart can survive outside the body longer than the current limit, heart transplants may someday be less an emergency procedure and more like an appointment that can be scheduled — a convenience for both patients and doctors.
"If you knew an organ could be preserved, instead of doing a transplant at 3 a.m., you can push it back to 6 a.m.," said UCLA's Dr. Richard Shemin, who performed Ybarra's operation on his 39th wedding anniversary.
The world's first beating heart transplant was performed in Germany in 2006, using an organ box invented by TransMedics Inc., a private medical device company in Andover, Mass., as part of a multi-center study in Europe.
The company followed up with a pilot study in the U.S. It is currently funding the UCLA-led experiment, which will enroll 128 patients nationwide, randomly chosen to get a beating heart transplant or the traditional kind.
About 100 patients, mostly in Europe, have had a beating heart transplant, according to TransMedics.
Early signs from two European experiments involving 54 patients are encouraging. There has been 97 percent survival a month after the operation and few episodes of rejection and heart-related complications. But since there were no comparison groups in either study, it's impossible to know whether a beating heart transplant is actually better.
The current U.S. study is the first to test the methods head-to-head.
Doctors admit some patients are spooked by the idea of a heart beating on its own before the transplant.
"It's very difficult to remedy their anxiety. But when you think about it, the human heart was never meant to be in a cooler on ice," said lead investigator Dr. Abbas Ardehali of UCLA. TransMedics paid his travel expenses to a medical meeting, but he does not have other financial ties to the company.
Transplant doctors with no connection to the research note that the current system works despite the antiquated way hearts are carted around. Before beating heart transplants can be routine, researchers must not only prove that the technology can preserve hearts better and longer, but that recipients also have improved survival and health than if they had a regular heart transplant.
"In theory, it's a fabulous idea," said Dr. Stuart Russell, heart transplant chief at Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University, mainly at Baltimore, Md. Johns Hopkins in 1867 had a group of his associates incorporated as the trustees of a university and a hospital, endowing each with $3.5 million. Daniel C. . But more data is needed to determine whether "it will or won't fly."
There's also the issue of cost. A typical heart transplant in the U.S. costs about $787,000 including hospital stay and anti-rejection drugs. An Igloo igloo (ig`l
) [Inuit,=house]. The Eskimos traditionally had three types of houses. cooler costs $35 compared with the heart box, which is sold in Europe for about $200,000. The interior is not reusable so there's an added expense each time a hospital does such an operation.
Like other transplant recipients, Ybarra was monitored closely after her August surgery to make sure her body wasn't rejecting the foreign organ. Her health slowly improved. She could walk around the block without getting tired — a small victory for someone who couldn't even take a few steps before.
During a recent checkup in October, Ybarra laid on a table as a doctor snaked a thin tube into her jugular vein and removed small pieces of her heart for a biopsy. She then walked over to her cardiologist's office where she got the scabs on her chest checked out.
Her last stop was getting an echocardiogram ech·o·car·di·o·gram
n.
A visual record produced by echocardiography.
A non-invasive ultrasound test that shows an image of the inside of the heart. , a sonogram son·o·gram
n.
An image, as of an unborn fetus, produced by ultrasonography. Also called echogram, sonograph, ultrasonogram. of the heart.
It looked normal. 
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Story;
On a stormy night, Devendra (Dilip Kumar), an engineer, drives down a hill road with his friend, to fetch his wife and child from the railway station. A landslide blocks their path and the friends take shelter in an old mansion just off the road. Devendra finds the house uncannily familiar. In the large front room he finds an old portrait which he recognizes. His friend and the old caretaker join him, and Devendra, amidst flashes of memory from another life, sits down to tell his story while the storm rages outside. Anand (Dilip Kumar) had come to Shyamnagar Timber Estate as its new manager. An artist in his spare time, he roamed the hills and forests with his sketching pad and fell in love with Madhumati (Vyjayantimala), a tribal girl whose songs have haunted him from a distance..........
Awards & Nominations; * Filmfare Best Movie Award * Filmfare Best Director Award for Bimal Roy * Filmfare Best Actress Award for Vyjayanthimala * Filmfare Best Music Director Award for Salil Choudhury * Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Johnny Walker * Filmfare Best Art Direction for Sudhendu Roy * Filmfare Best Female Playback Award for Lata Mangeshkar singing "aa ja re pardesiya" * Filmfare Best Editing Award for Hrishikesh Mukherjee * Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor-Dilip Kumar * Filmfare Nomination for Best Story-Ritwik Ghatak....
Lata Mangeshkar ( born September 28, 1929) is a highly known playback singer in the Indian Hindi movie industry. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six decades. She has done playback singing for over 980 Bollywood movies, and has sung songs in over twenty Indian languages. She is the elder sister of the equally accomplished singer, Asha Bhosle....
Awards and recognitions;
Lata Mangeshkar has won several awards and honors, including Padma Bhushan (1969), Padma Vibhushan (1999), Dada Saheb Phalke Award (1989), Bharat Ratna (2001), three National Film Awards, and 12 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards. She has also won four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards. In 1969, she made the unusual gesture of giving up Filmfare Best Female Playback Award, in order to promote fresh talent. She was later awarded Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993.
In 1984, the State Government of Madhya Pradesh instituted the Lata Mangeshkar Award in honor of Lata Mangeshkar. The State Government of Maharashtra also instituted a Lata Mangeshkar Award in 1992.
In 1974, The Guinness Book of Records listed Lata Mangeshkar as the most recorded artist in the history, stating that she had reportedly recorded "not less than 25,000 solo, duet and chorus backed songs in 20 Indian languages" between 1948 and 1974.
Although the entry has not been printed in Guinness editions since 1991, reputable sources claim that she has recorded thousands of songs, with estimates ranging up to figures as large as 50,000.
Lata is the second vocalist to receive "Bharat Ratna", India's highest civilian honour......