3 Weird Allergies that are Common - Health Niche

Have you ever felt like you can?t stand the smell of leather? Or The Cold weather seems choking for you? If you feel like this then you are suffering from allergy. There are many forms of allergy. Some are known while others are unknown and some are common while others are uncommon. Here are 3 weird allergies that are common.

1.?? ?Polymorphic Light Eruption or Allergy to Sun

When you get small bump marks or itching sensation four days after sun exposure then you have this polymorphic light eruption allergy. In common words, you are allergic to sun. Skin swelling is also a common phenomenon in this allergy.? And, this allergy is attributed to ultraviolet radiation from sun?s rays. These rays result in alterations in the protein of your skin. The immune system takes these proteins to be harmful and attacks it.

2.?? ?Cold Induced Urticaria or Allergy to Cold Water or Air

Does your skin swells up whenever you are in contact with cold water or air? It happens because you are allergic to cold water or air. Also called cold induced urticaria, this allergy, makes your skin red. The blood vessels narrow down because of chemical mediators that skin produces.

3.?? ?Nickel Induced Contact Dermatitis or Allergic to Money

This allergy doesn?t means you are not interested in earning money. But it means that when you touch specific type of jewelry, coins or watches made from nickel, itching and skin rashes come up.

You may also notice dry skin just like a burn mark when you have nickel induced contact dermatitis or allergy to money. In the worst condition, swollen and leaky blisters erupt on your skin. This allergy might be hereditary.

There are other allergies too that are common. Remedies do exist for these conditions but take them under expert medical supervision.

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Source: http://www.health-niche.com/1460/3-weird-allergies-that-are-common/

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Energy Sector Wrap

During trading today, the S&P 500 dropped 0.7%, and the Energy sector (XLE) showed little change.

The ETF, as a proxy for the sector, tracked closer to the overall market today than over the past month. As trading began today, XLE was up 1.2% over the last thirty trading days, and the S&P 500 climbed 2.1%.

Zion Oil & Gas (ZN) was a major gainer in the sector, rising 9.8% (+22 cents) to close at $2.47 with 232,729 shares moving. The stock traded in a range of $2.20 to $2.50.

Pioneer Natural Res (PXD) declined 2.4% to close at $96.14, moving below its 50-day moving average of $94.49 and 200-day moving average of $97.55.

Oil States International (FTI) fell 2.7% to close at $76.77, moving closer to its 50-day moving average of $76.18. Also, the stock moved closer to its 200-day moving average of $45.61. Union Drilling (UDRL) rose 1.9% to close at $4.28, moving closer to its 50-day moving average of $4.29.

InterOil Corporation (IOC) was one of the sector's big losers, as its price dropped 4.6% (-$3.86) to close at $79.49. 473,652 shares of the stock moved. The stock traded between $78.61 and $83.28. Shares have been on on the rise over the past three months, climbing $8.95 (10.1%) from a price of $88.44 on August 1, 2012.

Marathon Petroleum (MPC) hit a new 52-week high today, reaching $50.99 to top the previous high of $50.79.

Source: http://feeds.foxbusiness.com/~r/foxbusiness/allnews/~3/NDjYN_ERlbc/

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Scientists test marine robot hurricane-hunters

As Tropical Storm Isaac was on its path through the Caribbean before becoming a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico this week, U.S. scientists were testing an experimental new weather spy tool ? an unmanned, marine robot about the size of a surfboard that can gather storm data at sea level.

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research laboratory in Miami sent the "Wave Glider," a floating platform of sensors with an underwater stabilizer christened Alex, into ocean waters about 100 miles north of Puerto Rico last week to try to intercept Isaac.

"Isaac did not barrel right over it," said Alan Leonardi, deputy director of NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, after the storm passed to the south of the island before turning north and making landfall near New Orleans as a Category 1 hurricane.

"But Isaac being the size storm it is, the Wave Glider was able to collect data from the outer rain bands. We can't steer a hurricane, but we did get good data out of it."

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   4. 'See' Hurricane Isaac's powerful winds

A few days later, scientists got a second look at Isaac, from another Wave Glider ? named G2 ? on a separate oil and gas mission in the Gulf of Mexico.

The eye of Isaac passed barely 60 miles east of G2, enabling it to collect valuable ocean data, including evidence of a dramatic drop in water temperature, "suggesting that Isaac was vacuuming the heat from the Gulf," according to its manufacturers, Liquid Robotics, based in Sunnyvale, California.

Bill Vass, CEO of Liquid Robotics, grew up in Louisiana and is a veteran of hurricanes. His grandparents died in Hurricane Camille in 1969, and his family lost a home to Katrina.

Close encounter
"We are proud that it was able to survive the mission," battling 85 mph sustained winds, and gusts up to 120 mph," he said. "Hopefully the Wave Glider will make it possible to better predict the severity and risk to everyone in the Gulf Coast area in the future."

Testing of another robotic boat, the Emergency Integrated Life-Saving Lanyard, or EMILY, will begin in the Pacific Ocean off California this week, said Justyna Nicinska, project manager for NOAA's Weather In-Situ Deployment Optimization Method.

Its builder, Hydronalix, based in Green Valley, Arizona, launched EMILY in 2010 as a robotic lifeguard. For NOAA, the builder outfitted the 5-foot, 5-inch boat with storm data-gathering sensors.

NOAA bought 10 EMILYs at $30,000 each last spring, Nicinska said. Researchers said they plan to send one into a tropical storm by the end of the 2012 hurricane season.

Both Wave Glider and EMILY can measure a tropical storm's surface air temperature, wind chill, barometric pressure, actual wind speed, relative wind speed, wind direction, ocean temperature and ocean salinity, researchers said.

Both will be less expensive to operate than C-130 hurricane-hunter flights or NOAA ocean research vessels that cost $10,000 to $20,000 a day to operate, Leonardi said.

The tiny boats will also be used for other NOAA projects in marine resources, fisheries, archaeology, imagery and bottom topography, researchers said.

But meteorologists hope to plug the craft's storm data into forecast models and better predict when a tropical storm is going to intensify into a hurricane, researchers said.

"We're trying to understand what happens at the ocean surface, which is where the energy transfer happens between the ocean and the overlaying hurricane," said Erica Rule, spokeswoman for NOAA's oceanographic and meteorological laboratory.

"Heat energy becomes the kinetic energy that drives the hurricane, and it comes from the warm water that they pass over," she said. "It's why hurricanes die when they go over land or over colder water."

Autonomous, military version
The Wave Glider is so rugged it can stay at sea for a year at a time relying on renewable energy from technology that converts wave motion into energy for propulsion.

Solar panels power the onboard communications and sensor equipment, and it can be piloted by satellite from the company's California offices.

The robots are already being used in marine research by scientists off the coast of California monitoring great white sharks. A military version, dubbed the "Shark" has also been adapted for intelligence, communications and surveillance operations.

"The Department of Defense is a big customer of ours," said Vass.

Leonardi said his NOAA lab is working with the builder to have several ready for the 2013 hurricane season. They will be placed in a line east of the Leeward Islands in the path of an approaching tropical storm, he said.

"It's what we call a picket fence," he said. "The dream scenario would be to have six or 12 of these all get run over by a storm."

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48866777/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Visualized: Samsung's eerily familiar IFA Smart Lounge

So many tired and weary feet at this show, who wouldn't want a nice lounge? Particularly a Smart one? And hey, Samsung's tenty IFA lounge seemed oddly welcoming -- at least to us Engadget folk. You'd think Samsung would be a little more cautious these days...

Visualized: Samsung's eerily familiar IFA Smart Lounge originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/30/visualized-samsungs-eerily-familiar-ifa-smart-lounge/

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Using Evergreen Content to Improve Business Sales and Marketing ...

Content marketing is a marketing practice that has been recently embraced by a lot of online marketers, especially people in the SEO industry.

Although the principle has existed for decades, continual changes in the online marketing landscape have substantiated the immense weight that Content Marketing can contribute to today?s businesses. Given that it allows small to large brands to be more competitive in their respective industries and this channel enables them to empower both sales and marketing efforts.

Infographic via Junta42

Now that you have a brief background of what content marketing is, let?s head on to the one approach in content marketing that can extremely grow your business in so many ways -?pushing out evergreen content on a massive scale. Why? Because this methodology for content strategy can touch several aspects of online marketing in one go (particularly the important ones), such as:

• Scalable link acquisition
• Achieving high search rankings for industry terms
• Continuous social sharing of content
• Constant traffic generation from different sources (referring sites, social and search)
• Helping the site?s online conversions in terms of lead and revenue generation
• Uncovering more opportunities for the site (links, relationships, coverage, partnerships, etc?)
• Supporting and giving more visibility to the other important pages of the site
• Growing subscribers, social followers and brand advocates as the content consistently draws traffic to itself.
• Brand strengthening

We?ll go more on the details and on how to optimize content for each listed aspects below. But before everything else, I just want to share that this post was heavily inspired by Nick Eubanks? case study of my blog (which will be out soon).

Creating an evergreen content that will create impact for your business

Evergreen content, as the term defines itself, is a content that never relies on current trends and is simply an informational or reference material that somehow never goes out of date (as explained by WiseGeek).

Content marketers commonly use this type of content with the intention to drive consistent web traffic to it (for a long period of time), since this type of content discusses generally searched information most of the time (such as guides and historical information).

So how do you create one? Here are few tips on creating a robust evergreen content that will influence your overall online marketing campaign:

• Build content based on keywords that a specific segment of your target audience/customers generally seek for (ex. ?learn SEO? or ?advanced SEO tips?). Use Google Keyword Tool to identify topics that are being constantly searched and appeal to your market.
• Make your content as in-depth as it can be. Look at how the content is presented on Wikipedia. Their pages are mostly cited as a reference mainly because of the extensiveness of their content.
• Use visualizations, like rich images, to generate more interest from your readers/viewers.
• Explore other content formats in presenting content, such as videos, slide presentations and/or data visualizations.
• Aim to have the best content about that certain subject in your industry?s online sphere. Research your competitors? similar content. This principle will help you create a better copy and will also be its unique selling point in continuously attracting traffic and activity.

Once you are done with the content, interconnecting other areas of web marketing efficiently will be more often than not its end-results, seeing that you?ll have plenty of time to make use and benefit from it.

Scalable Link Acquisition

Getting voluntary given and editorial links to an evergreen content is almost always certain to happen. It can even work on continuously acquiring natural links to itself over time, as long as people can find it and as long as the content provides useful/relevant information by the time they see it.

Making an evergreen content very comprehensive is so important, because it?s the element that will entice people, especially content creators in your field, in using it as a reference (whether on blog posts, forum threads or other community discussions).

For instance, the link growth for an evergreen post that I?ve published last March 16, 2011 about Ecommerce SEO strategies has been increasing for the past 17 months.

That post also received a link from SEOmoz recently (May 2012, after 14 months of being published). And one reason why the amount of new links acquired on that month increased is because of the sites that have scraped the linking content from SEOmoz.

How to optimize your content for linking:

• Make sure that the content will be found by people who are specifically searching for it. This will involve optimizing the page/content for several possible search terms that are used when researching for information (both short and long-tail keywords).
• Build internal contextual links to the content to improve its visibility through search rankings and referred page visits. A useful advice for this method is to use longer strings of texts for their anchors, as longer anchor texts are more receptive to readers and can also allow the destination content to target multiple keywords that they can rank for.
• Build incoming links to the content from other websites through outreach or content distribution (contextually linking to them through your guest blogs). This will increase the chances of getting more traffic to the page, which can also encourage more people in your industry in referencing the content.

Basically, the key to make your content a scalable link building machine is to build channels that will consistently send traffic to it, whether from search, social or links. The more new visitors the page can get over time, the better chances of getting people who might find and use the content as a resource for their works.

Better Search Rankings for Industry Keywords

Solid content that?s meant to last a lifetime (or almost) has higher potentials of getting good SERP rankings, as they have most of the factors that search engines tend to look for in terms of quality of information/content, page activity, user engagement and ability to continuously attract natural links.

Having good rankings for your content can stretch possibilities for your business? marketing and sales efforts, knowing that it can almost ensure highly targeted traffic to the page who may take actions (sharing, linking, subscribing and even purchasing).

As soon as your content is capable of generating search-traffic, the likelihood of getting natural links, continuous social shares, followers and potential customers will be higher.

How to get higher search rankings for your evergreen content: ????

• Optimize content for search, especially in making the content absolutely relevant to the keywords it?s aiming to rank for.
• Build more exposure and authority to the content through both internal linking and content-based link building.
• Utilize social media marketing techniques to send out more positive signals from the content as well as for the content to be more visible on personalized search results.

Continuous Social Sharing

One of the most awesome things that you can get from an evergreen content is its ability to create a recurring cycle for social sharing.

In social media, even if the content is already months or years old, it can still work for you as long as the content has proven to offer value to its audience.

For example, the ?SEO for ecommerce? post I?ve shared earlier is still generating social shares even its publication date was a year and half ago.

These instances can tremendously help in keeping your content alive, as it can generate traffic, possible linkers, subscribers/followers and leads to the site.

Being able to get social shares to already existing content can also generate sudden traffic spikes, depending on the authority/influence of the sharer.

How to optimize your content for social sharing

• Make the social buttons serve as the secondary call-to-action of the content by making them very visible to your visitors. Place it above the fold and right after the content.
• Use awesome titles for your posts that aren?t limited by trends (extensive tips, guides and lists are usually effective in this type of content). Check out Dan Shure?s guide on writing effective titles.
• Implement the ?unexpected hook? element when creating content, where you try to exceed the readers? expectations out from the content. This will increase the likelihood of the content of being shared on social networks.
• Build more channels to draw new traffic from (sites/pages linking to them or keywords they are ranking for). As the more new visitors the page can get, the more social shares it can eventually generate.

Evergreen Content Generates Constant Traffic

A special feat that a strong evergreen content has is its capability to consistently draw traffic from different sources, particularly from the first 3 areas that I?ve mentioned above (natural links, search rankings and social shares).

Using this approach for your content strategy is like building a marketing army that will promote your brand on autopilot, because it will continuously bring traffic to your site that may:

• Link to your content
• Share your content
• Subscribe to your feed/newsletter
• Follow you on social networks

Just imagine the power this method can lend to your site if you have tens or hundreds of this kind of high performing content hosted in your domain.

How to drive constant traffic to your evergreen content:

• Improve its search rankings by optimizing the content for its targeted keyword(s), building internal links to it and acquiring links that will generate traffic (editorial, contextual, and links from relevant discussions from pages/threads that are also getting constant traffic).
• Update content if necessary to make sure that new visitors will be satisfied with the content they?ll be landing on. This will increase the chances of the established content of being shared.
• Share your old content on social networks once in a while to send your new followers who might have missed the content.

Grow Conversions (lead and revenue generation)

Given that your content will going to continuously drive traffic to itself, getting potential customers/clients will not be impossible, since the content strongly exemplifies your expertise in your field.

Just like what I?ve mentioned on my guest post on Kikolani, I mostly got my past and current clients because of my blog posts, not through rankings. And this can certainly work for any size of businesses.

To further illustrate what I?m meaning to say, an evergreen content usually acts as a middle of the funnel element that can stimulate the buyer?s decision process.

For instance, the ecommerce post I?ve mentioned as a sample above has generated several client inquiries through my blog?s SEO consulting services page and contact page over the months it?s been live (approximately 14 potential clients out of 443 highly-engaged readers ? 3.16% conversion rate).

How to optimize content for conversions:

• Improve the page?s loading speed. You can use tools like Page Speed Online or Pingdom to see how the page is performing in terms of speed and the areas you?ll need to optimize to enhance load time.

• Include strong CTAs right after the content to attract leads. Look at how Hubspot attract specifically targeted leads on every end of their blog posts:

• Internally link to other useful pages or high-converting pages of your site, to improve visitor as well as brand retention and to move them further down through your conversion funnel.
• Identify the content?s keywords that are sending converted visitors through Google Analytics. Optimize the content for those keywords for them to generate more traffic that have high chances of converting.

Grow Subscriptions and Social Following

Bringing continual traffic to the evergreen content can also successively increase and grow your subscribers (feed or newsletter) and social followers. You can make these aspects be parts or goals of your conversion optimization, by simply adding them to your content?s calls-to-action (placing it on parts where readers can easily see them).

Support and lend visibility to other important pages (through internal linking)

Your evergreen content will continually improve its page authority, due to various activities that will occur within the content over time. It?ll eventually be a strong asset that you can utilize to support your other important pages (useful content, transactional pages, etc?) through internal linking.

These internal links can funnel through your content?s new visitors to your other important pages, and most importantly, the internal links can also pass link value to the internally linked pages, which can help them improve their search rankings as well.

Scale Link opportunity discovery and Relationship Building via social shares

Once your content is already well-established (constantly receives traffic and new social shares), you can start tracking those who have shared your content, as it can lead you to finding more opportunities and easier-to-acquire links.

Monitoring these can also help you build relationships and alliances in your community, which your brand can benefit from for your future content marketing efforts (through social outreach).

How to do Social Reverse Engineering:

For Twitter, you can use Topsy. Monitor and make a list of those who have recently shared your old content, especially those who run or have websites/blogs.

You can also use Google Search in finding people who have shared your content on Facebook

and Google+

Check the ones who own websites (from the search results) and start engaging them.

Initiate conversations by simply thanking them for sharing your old post/content. Building a good rapport will help you get easier ? but higher value ? link acquisitions or higher response rates once you start pitching for guest blogs and/or link requests.

Online Brand Strengthening

Serving high value content that?s meant to attract traffic for a long time ? and being consistent with production ? can definitely be a solid ground in creating advocates/loyalists/evangelists for your brand.

Another factor that helps in shaping a unique identity for your brand as a thought-leader, aside from the expertly done content you provide, will somehow rely on the industry keywords that your site is ranking for or your brand?s search share in its specific niche.

Since people, particularly from your industry or interested in your industry, are easily reminded by those who they mostly see when they search for your industry?s major keywords (for both research and consumption purposes).

For instance, I?ve been kind of popular in the link building scene and have been mentioned on several blog posts that mainly discuss link building:

Why? Because I?ve created dozens of remarkable posts about it.

A lot of people also know me as an SEO strategist because I?ve been ranking for this keyword for over a year now:

Creating an evergreen content that appeals to a large audience, which people can also easily find (through search engines), can instantly build perceptions about you as a brand.

If you?re in the SEO industry and you know who Jon Cooper is, then I?m kind of sure that the words ?link building strategies? are already playing around your head.

That?s how evergreen content can strengthen and expand your brand presence as well as the perceived value that people see in your business.

Making this content approach as the foundation of your online marketing strategy and having ton of them will scale and almost automate your business? marketing and sales efforts.

And the best thing about this approach is that even if the content failed to attract massive traffic/links on its initial launch, it?ll still be able to survive and eventually attract people to share/link/consume it? because it?s evergreen.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to my feed and follow me on Twitter @jasonacidre. For more tips you can check out my list of online marketing strategies.

Related posts:

1. Viral Content Marketing: Creating, Promoting and Scaling Content
2. Online Brand Marketing ? Building a Strong Brand Presence using SEO, Social and Content
3. Viral Content Ideas for Boring Industries

Tagged as: Content Marketing, SEO Strategies

Source: http://kaiserthesage.com/evergreen-content/

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Business Marketing: You Can't Be Half Pregnant. | KEXINO

OK, so it may seem blindingly obvious, but you?re either pregnant or you?re not. You can?t be half-pregnant. It?s the same with marketing your?business: you?re either all-in, or you?re out.

Many company owners are coming to the realization that they can no longer continue to run their?business?in the same way that they?ve been doing. It?s no longer working.

Addressing The Causes, Not The Symptoms

The temptation is to shout at your salespeople, or fire the Marketing Director. But any sales process is simply the natural end-result of a corporate strategy that takes in marketing, manufacturing, support and so on. Poor sales aren?t the cause of the problem. They?re a symptom. The issue is further up the value chain.

With many companies, this is where things go wonky. Rather than biting the bullet and taking the required actions to begin to effect a remedy, too many?business?owners wimp-out at the last stage. They dilute the prescription. They take half-measures that are a step in the right direction, but are non-committal and don?t go anywhere as near far enough to effect real change.

?But making any change is better than making no change, right??

Wrong. Very wrong. In fact, it?s usually worse than doing nothing.

Why?

Because half-way measures are ineffective. You get frustrated, you get tired, and the people around you get confused because they don?t see the results of these much-heralded changes. Which makes you even more frustrated. Rinse and repeat?

No Guts, No Glory

Half way solutions are compromises, and are made because you?re too scared to take the necessary measures. You point fingers at external factors and use them as an excuse not to take action. It?s the economy, it?s your competition. You convince yourself that things aren?t that bad really, and that things will work out.

Guess what? They won?t. The Good Old Days are gone forever. Your?business?is struggling because its value proposition is no longer perceived as having the same relevance with its target audience. Your job is to find that relevance again, and implement the change within Marketing, Sales, Customer Service and everywhere else. This means making some tough decisions.

Don?t even bother trying change the condition of your?business?if you aren?t willing to make (and execute) those decisions.

It?s all, or it?s nothing. Either pull the trigger on real, meaningful change ? or pack up, go home, and stop complaining.

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Source: http://kexino.com/business/marketing-half-pregnant

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Education adviser: Romney would take on unions

Courtesy of Jim Peyser

Jim Peyser, education adviser to Mitt Romney

By Sarah Butrymowicz, The Hechinger Report

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has attempted to make his philosophy about how to improve American education widely known and easily accessible in recent weeks. But he hasn?t answered many specifics on the campaign trail. The Hechinger Report spoke with Jim Peyser, a member of Romney?s education team and a partner at the NewSchools Venture Fund, to find out more. ?Peyser also served as an adviser to Romney during his years as Massachusetts governor.

Here are some highlights of the phone conversation:

On what we could expect from the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) -which funds and defines the federal government?s role in the nation?s school - under Romney:

---

ESEA will likely be reauthorized under our next president. (Republicans and Democrats alike have criticized the current iteration of the law, the No Child Left Behind Act or NCLB.) Under a Romney administration, expect the focus to be ?more about taking things out than putting things in,? Peyser said.

Romney has already said he would eliminate the No Child Left Behind requirement that core classes be taught by highly qualified teachers. This portion of the law defines a highly qualified teacher as one who has a degree in the subject area he or she teaches.

More from The Hechinger Report

Peyser said a Romney administration would retain NCLB?s focus on assessments and accountability for schools and districts, but would likely minimize the consequences for schools that fail to meet standards.

?Those [consequences] have a minimal impact on what states and districts actually do. It ends up being more of a compliance exercise,? he said. ?Those sorts of things would probably go away.?

Any bill produced would be consistent with Romney?s overall platform. ?In general what he?d be looking to do is have a more narrowly focused federal education framework that is more targeted towards providing parents with greater choice,? Peyser said. ?[It would be] less about micromanaging and establishing broad federal mandates.?

On how a Romney administration would take on teachers unions:

Although Republicans commonly criticize President Obama for not being tough enough on teachers unions, Peyser acknowledges that ? especially with Romney?s goal of avoiding new mandates ? a Romney administration would be limited in how it could enforce changes that some teachers unions balk at ? such as new teacher evaluations or tenure reforms. Work rules for teachers are typically controlled at the state or local level.

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That doesn?t mean there would be no role for Romney, though. ?The federal government can do things that either reinforce or provide incentive one way or another,? said Peyser.

The highly qualified teacher provision of NCLB, for instance, reinforced a salary structure in which teachers are awarded pay bumps based on the number of years they teach and number of degrees they earn, rather than how well they perform in the classroom, he said.? ?It?s reinforcing the basic structures that are enshrined in collective bargaining agreements,? he said. ?It?s things like that ? being more sensitive to these federal mandates and the way they play out on the ground.?

Peyser also added that Romney would support the development of more charter schools, which often operate outside of union contracts, and that he would use the bully pulpit of the presidency to get his message across.

Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com

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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

On school choice:

Increased school choice has become a signature issue for Romney ? and the entire Republican Party. Romney?s white paper on education calls for putting more power in parents? hands to choose schools for their children.

Yet, while parents care about academic quality, they might have a hard time evaluating it, Peyser said. An important component of expanded school choice would be having ?information that is not only easier to get, but easier to understand,? he said.

?That?s only half of the equation,? Peyser said. ?The other half is you have to have something to choose from.? Building up these quality options will take time. ?It?s not a magic wand solution,? he said.

On how small ?a heck of a lot smaller? U.S. Department of Education would be:

Romney told donors in April that he wouldn?t close the Department of Education. But he would consolidate it with another agency or make it ?a heck of a lot smaller.?

Peyser said he didn?t know just how small we could expect the ?department?to be under Romney but said it would certainly shrink substantially.

More from The Hechinger Report

One likely target for cutting or elimination would be grant programs run through the federal government. Many were created decades ago and have narrow requirements and focuses, according to Peyser.

?There is a huge opportunity for both a lot of consolidation and elimination of those programs that should have a pretty significant impact on the scale of the federal Department of Education as well,? he said.

This story,"From the convention: A Romney education adviser on how he?d take on unions and shrink the education department," was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education-news outlet based at Teachers College, Columbia University.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/30/13574650-education-adviser-how-romney-would-take-on-unions-shrink-education-department?lite

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Should you write as you talk? - K Creative | Richard Knobbs ...

Opinions and advice on the topic of whether you should write as you speak are as varied as the people asking the questions. Here's how to decide for yourself.

1) Record yourself speaking

If you mumble, ramble or sound like Yoda after a night on the ale, you probably don't want to write in a similar fashion.

Some people might enjoy articles that read like a whiny teenager ranting about clothes, but others would probably rather bathe in battery acid.

2) Pay close attention to what you are writing

If you're writing a blog post about a night out, you can probably get away with things like 'OMG!!!'. That kind of thing should be avoided, however, when writing something like an obituary.

3) Pay close attention to where you are writing

Your personal blog: you make the rules.

A professional site/publication: you play by the rules.

4) Pay close attention to your audience

Do the people you write for enjoy a more relaxed, chatty style of writing, or do they tend to go for a more formal style with lots of facts and figures? Write accordingly.

5) Stay true to yourself

However you choose to write, make sure you use your voice.

If you make jokes when you talk, make jokes when you write. If you sound like a pretentious arse when you talk, well...possibly somebody likes that style of writing.

6) Remember that speaking and writing are different

You can go back and edit something you have written just as if it never existed. That's not quite the way speaking works.

So, as I suggested in point 1 - record yourself, edit it, and write it down. If it pains you to read it, don't write as you speak. If it reads well, go with it.

Source: http://www.k-creative-japan.com/2012/08/should-you-write-as-you-talk.html

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Fed says economy grew slowly in July

By Lucia Mutikani, Reuters

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. economy continued to grow gradually in July and early August, but manufacturing activity was softening in many areas of the country, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday.

In its Beige Book report of anecdotal information on business activity collected from contacts nationwide, the U.S. central bank said retail activity, including auto sales, had picked up since the last report.

"Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve districts suggest economic activity continued to expand gradually in July and early August across most regions and sectors," the Beige Book said.

The economic snapshot was prepared for use by Fed officials at their upcoming policy meeting on Sept. 12-13, when policymakers will debate whether further central bank bond purchases are warranted to spark a stronger recovery.

The economy grew at a 1.7 percent annual rate in the second quarter, supported by exports and investment in the construction of nonresidential structures. The pace was a slowdown from the 2.0 percent rate set in the first quarter.

The Beige Book captured the beginning of the third quarter and suggested the speed of the recovery was falling short of what was needed to spur faster hiring. "Most districts reported that employment was holding steady or growing only slightly," the Fed said.

It also noted that manufacturing was softening in many districts, matching findings from recent regional factory surveys. Much of the slowdown is blamed on weak demand overseas, especially in Asia.

"Many districts reported some softening in manufacturing, either a slowdown in the rate of growth or a decline in the level of sales, output or orders," the Fed said. "Across the districts, few manufacturing firms reported any major hiring or layoffs."

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Source: http://economywatch.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/29/13550711-federal-reserve-says-economy-grew-slowly-in-july?lite

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Facial Acupressure Guide, Health & Fitness

Gaiam Wellness - Massage Practice: Acupressure

Gaiam Wellness Massage Practice for Acupressure is based on the ancient Chinese art of using finger pressure to stimulate the body's natural healing abilities is easy to learn and heal. Certified massage therapist Michelle Kluck offers step-by-step instructions.
Ranked 3.60 / 5 | 6 views | 0 comments

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Asian Massage Techniques on Table: Legs 3

Learn how to give a full body Asian leg massage including Thai, Japanese shiatsu and tuina Chinese massage. Asian massage therapy and techniques are gentle but deep reaching. These asian massage techniques can be given with or without oil. The videos are presented by Carlo De Paoli who has more than 40 years experience in massage therapy and bodywork including Chinese medicine and osteopathy.
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Baba Ramdev - Acupressure For Eyes - English - Yoga Health Fitness

Watch Baba Ramdev - Acupressure For Eyes - English - Yoga Health Fitness. Your eyes are often called the windows to your soul. The only time this organ gets rest is when we sleep. We work our eye muscles all the time, yet fail to exercise them. Here, Baba Ramdev shows some easy ways to exercise your eyes and keep them healthy. Also, some home remedies to soothe and lubricate tired eyes are mentioned in this video. Yoga helps to strengthen vision, relax and tone eye muscles and alleviate stress. Click on http://www.rajshri.com/Listing/Baba-Ramdev/Free-Yoga-Videos-By-Baba-Ramdev-Pranayam-Ayurveda-Home-Remedies to watch more Baba Ramdev Yoga videos and bring fitness and spirituality into your lives.
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Quit Smoking Tips

http://amzn.to/nWLdds Hypnosis CD by one of my favourite hypnosis guy, Paul McKenna. Glenn Harold is another favourite. Quit smoking tips. How to stop smoking easily and quickly without weight gain or having the willpower of a superman and one tip on using acupressure. How to locate acupressure point to quit smoking.
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Massage for Acupressure Points 4

acupressure massage has been used for centuries to alleviate common complaints, in this section we have adominal points St25, SP15, CV12, CV6, CV3
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Naked Aerobic Foot Massage: Do It While You View It

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Massage and Acupressure for Better Breathing

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Acupressure and Its Benefits!

Baba Ramdev explains the benefits of Acupressure.
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Marisa Finestone ? Mindbody Balance Kinesiology

Mindbody Balance is a complementary health and wholistic healing practice, offering individual treatments utilising information gained from non-invasive body techniques, to help you identify elements that are inhibiting your body?s natural state of health. Working together, MindBody Balance will support you in removing these blockages and teach you techniques to energetically balance your Mind, Body and Lifestyle choices so you can achieve effective and lasting results and live a healthy and enjoyable life. By understanding and resolving the cause of your stress triggers, you?ll be able to alleviate the associated symptoms and take control of your life. Website: www.mindbodybalance.com.au Phone: (02) 8588 1277 Mobile: 0416 088 144 Clinic Locations: All Health Clinic 37a Rohini St Turramurra NSW 2074 Enki Natural Medicine Shop 2, 4 Clarke St Crows Nest NSW 2065 Mindbody Potential Suite 1, 77 Willoughby Rd Entrance & Parking on Holtermann St Crows Nest NSW, 2065 Video created by www.healingways.com.au
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Aging kidneys may hold key to new high blood pressure therapies

Public release date: 29-Aug-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Lisa Merkl
lkmerkl@uh.edu
713-743-8192
University of Houston

UH pharmacologist examines age-related oxidative, inflammatory stress with $1.5M NIH grant

HOUSTON, Aug. 29, 2012 Gaining new insight to managing sodium balance and blood pressure, investigators at the University of Houston (UH) College of Pharmacy believe their work may identify future therapeutic targets to control hypertension.

Mohammad Asghar, assistant professor of pharmacology, is exploring the mechanisms by which oxidative and inflammatory stressors considered hallmarks of the aging process alter the function of two critical receptor systems in the kidneys that are involved in sodium metabolism and blood pressure. While there are different hormonal systems in the body that aid in sodium balance, at the center of Asghar's research are the dopamine and angiotensin II receptor systems that play pivotal roles in fine-tuning sodium stability and maintaining normal blood pressure.

"When the function of these two receptor systems is defective, the equilibrium of sodium is disturbed, causing an increase in blood pressure," Asghar said. "Yet, it remains unclear as to what triggers the dysfunction of the receptors and their delicate balancing act."

In research conducted up to this point, supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Asghar and his collaborators have identified two likely factors inflammation and oxidative stress that have adverse effects on kidney functions. His results showed that exercise training builds up strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant environments, thereby improving kidney functions during aging.

"We now are attempting to determine the mechanisms by which oxidative stress and inflammatory stress exert their actions upon these receptors and contribute to increased blood pressure," Asghar said. "We are currently investigating if exercise training has beneficial effects in improving dopamine and angiotensin II receptor functions, sodium balance and control of blood pressure during aging."

With this next phase of research funded by a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the NIH's National Institute on Aging, Asghar has set out to specifically examine resistant hypertension, which is a particular type of high blood pressure that does not respond to treatment.

"Resistant hypertension, which is typical of the aging phenomenon, requires a combination of drugs for blood pressure control," he said. "Currently available medications are not effective to treat resistant hypertensive patients. While my research is focused on aging, the outcomes may very well benefit both adult and older populations who suffer from hypertension."

Citing studies that have linked both a low-sodium diet and exercise to reducing oxidative and inflammatory stress, Asghar is a proponent of moderate, regular exercise and better dietary habits. In addition to further investigating the relationship between high salt and hypertension through his analyses of receptor systems in the kidneys, he also is looking at how exercise and antioxidant or anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents may restore the function of those two key receptors to reduce hypertension. He believes this exercise research could yield potential therapeutic targets that mimic exercise, which may prove beneficial for those individuals who are unable to exercise due to physical or other disabilities.

Asghar and his team's ongoing work could lead to new treatments for millions of hypertensive individuals at risk for stroke, heart failure and a range of other cardiovascular diseases due to high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for these ailments.

###

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation's best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 39,500 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country. For more information about UH, visit http://www.uh.edu/news-events/.

About the UH College of Pharmacy

For more than 60 years, the University of Houston College of Pharmacy has shaped aspiring pharmacists, scientists and researchers. The college offers graduate degrees in pharmacy administration, pharmacology and pharmaceutics, a professional pharmacy degree and combined professional/graduate degrees. With facilities on the UH campus and in the Texas Medical Center, the UH College of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

To receive UH science news via e-mail, sign up for UH-SciNews at http://www.uh.edu/news-events/mailing-lists/sciencelistserv/index.php.

For additional news alerts about UH, follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/UHNewsEvents and Twitter at http://twitter.com/UH_News.

---

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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: 29-Aug-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Lisa Merkl
lkmerkl@uh.edu
713-743-8192
University of Houston

UH pharmacologist examines age-related oxidative, inflammatory stress with $1.5M NIH grant

HOUSTON, Aug. 29, 2012 Gaining new insight to managing sodium balance and blood pressure, investigators at the University of Houston (UH) College of Pharmacy believe their work may identify future therapeutic targets to control hypertension.

Mohammad Asghar, assistant professor of pharmacology, is exploring the mechanisms by which oxidative and inflammatory stressors considered hallmarks of the aging process alter the function of two critical receptor systems in the kidneys that are involved in sodium metabolism and blood pressure. While there are different hormonal systems in the body that aid in sodium balance, at the center of Asghar's research are the dopamine and angiotensin II receptor systems that play pivotal roles in fine-tuning sodium stability and maintaining normal blood pressure.

"When the function of these two receptor systems is defective, the equilibrium of sodium is disturbed, causing an increase in blood pressure," Asghar said. "Yet, it remains unclear as to what triggers the dysfunction of the receptors and their delicate balancing act."

In research conducted up to this point, supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Asghar and his collaborators have identified two likely factors inflammation and oxidative stress that have adverse effects on kidney functions. His results showed that exercise training builds up strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant environments, thereby improving kidney functions during aging.

"We now are attempting to determine the mechanisms by which oxidative stress and inflammatory stress exert their actions upon these receptors and contribute to increased blood pressure," Asghar said. "We are currently investigating if exercise training has beneficial effects in improving dopamine and angiotensin II receptor functions, sodium balance and control of blood pressure during aging."

With this next phase of research funded by a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the NIH's National Institute on Aging, Asghar has set out to specifically examine resistant hypertension, which is a particular type of high blood pressure that does not respond to treatment.

"Resistant hypertension, which is typical of the aging phenomenon, requires a combination of drugs for blood pressure control," he said. "Currently available medications are not effective to treat resistant hypertensive patients. While my research is focused on aging, the outcomes may very well benefit both adult and older populations who suffer from hypertension."

Citing studies that have linked both a low-sodium diet and exercise to reducing oxidative and inflammatory stress, Asghar is a proponent of moderate, regular exercise and better dietary habits. In addition to further investigating the relationship between high salt and hypertension through his analyses of receptor systems in the kidneys, he also is looking at how exercise and antioxidant or anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents may restore the function of those two key receptors to reduce hypertension. He believes this exercise research could yield potential therapeutic targets that mimic exercise, which may prove beneficial for those individuals who are unable to exercise due to physical or other disabilities.

Asghar and his team's ongoing work could lead to new treatments for millions of hypertensive individuals at risk for stroke, heart failure and a range of other cardiovascular diseases due to high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for these ailments.

###

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation's best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 39,500 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country. For more information about UH, visit http://www.uh.edu/news-events/.

About the UH College of Pharmacy

For more than 60 years, the University of Houston College of Pharmacy has shaped aspiring pharmacists, scientists and researchers. The college offers graduate degrees in pharmacy administration, pharmacology and pharmaceutics, a professional pharmacy degree and combined professional/graduate degrees. With facilities on the UH campus and in the Texas Medical Center, the UH College of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

To receive UH science news via e-mail, sign up for UH-SciNews at http://www.uh.edu/news-events/mailing-lists/sciencelistserv/index.php.

For additional news alerts about UH, follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/UHNewsEvents and Twitter at http://twitter.com/UH_News.

---

[ | 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/2012-08/uoh-akm082912.php

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Handbook Highlight: The Library Network in New York State ...

Libraries and library trustees in New York State are supported by one of the most extensive and comprehensive library networks in the country. This network is both institutional and digital.

Public libraries are chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, one part of our vast statewide educational system. The Regents? responsibilities include oversight of all educational and cultural institutions, including more than 750 public libraries.

The Regents appoint the Commissioner of Education, who is the chief executive officer of the State Education Department. Among the divisions of the Education Department is the Office of Cultural Education (OCE), comprised of the State Archives, Library and Museum and the Office of Public Broadcasting. The Assistant Commissioner for Libraries and State Librarian is responsible for the activities of the New York State Library and the Division of Library Development. The Division of Library Development coordinates and administers state aid programs as well as the rules and regulations that govern public libraries and library systems. The Division of Library Development also helps to develop new statewide programs of library service and provides guidance on charter changes and other matters that must be referred to the Board of Regents.

Nearer to the local library, and its first source of assistance and resources, is the public library system. Virtually all of the public libraries in the state belong to one of the twenty-three public library systems. There are three types of public library systems: consolidated, federated and cooperative.? Each has a different legal structure and relationship with its members or, in the case of consolidated systems, its branches.

A thorough comparison of the three different types of public library systems

Each public library system develops its own long range plan of service as required by Education Law, reflecting the needs of the libraries in the area the system serves. Local governance and control allows library systems to offer programs and services that vary greatly from one region to another. Nevertheless, all public library systems share the same common purpose and responsibility for the development and improvement of their member libraries. The systems are also responsible for providing library service in those areas without public libraries and coordinating resource sharing among member libraries.
Finally, each system is required to designate a central library or co-central libraries whose purpose is to house and offer resources in greater numbers and depth than usually found in local libraries.

Public library system services may include the following:

• Online union catalogs of member library materials;
• Interlibrary loan and delivery of materials;
• Administration of computer networks and integrated library automation systems, including circulation, online public catalogs (OPACS) acquisitions and other sophisticated software modules;
• Cooperative purchase and support of electronic databases, Internet access and telecommunications services;
• Continuing education seminars, workshops and training for library staff and trustees;
• Consultation on library administration, programs and services;
• Specialized support for Young Adult and Children?s Services;
• Centralized purchasing, ordering and processing of library materials;
• Assistance in materials selection and collection development;
• Materials cataloging services and advice;
• Web page design and maintenance; printing and other duplication services;
• Service to correctional facilities, nursing homes, and other institutions;
• Outreach services to special populations and consultation on accessibility issues;
• Assistance in, and administration of, state and federal grant programs;
• Services to unchartered areas including contract library services, bookmobiles or other extension services.

New York State also supports two other types of library systems that work with the public library systems to broaden the variety of resources available to all residents of the state. Reference and Research library Resources systems (3Rs councils) were established to enhance resource sharing and to meet specialized reference needs. The 3Rs councils serve primarily as the systems for academic and special libraries but their membership also includes library systems, hospital libraries, and specialized libraries of all types. Individual public and school libraries may also join. The state is also served by forty-one school library systems sponsored by the BOCES and Big Five City School Districts. The school library systems provide support services, consultation, and assistance to both public and non-public school libraries.

See also: A thorough comparison of the three different types of public library systems

The statewide library network also has an important digital component. All public library systems and the State Library offer online catalogs, access to databases and locally developed digital resources that are available on the World Wide Web. Using the Web and various software products to link systems and databases, the State Library, the Library Systems and New York?s local libraries offer a seamless virtual library with access to library and information resources within the state and worldwide. This same resource also provides unprecedented opportunities for communication. Through electronic mail, listservs, and online discussion groups, trustees and others concerned with the development of public library service have a fast, easy, inexpensive way to communicate to every corner of our state and beyond.

Working together, the State Library, the public library systems, school library systems and the 3Rs councils offer the local public library and its patrons? access to a vast array of services and resources from around the state and all over the world.

In addition to these resources library trustees have several statewide and national associations available to help them fulfill their mission.? Membership and active participation in these organizations not only provides assistance on the local level, but also adds significantly to the collective strength and wisdom of library trustees throughout the State and the nation.

The Library Trustees Association of New York State (formerly NYSALB) is an important source of support and information for local libraries. It is the state organization for library trustees, offering a range of valuable services. It advocates on behalf of library interests at the state level and offers training and workshops of interest to trustees through its Annual Trustee Institute and website: www.librarytrustees.org.

The New York Library Association (NYLA) is the statewide organization of library professionals, support staff and advocates. It is dedicated to advancing the interests of all types of libraries and library service in New York State. By representing the library community before the State Legislature, it provides important planning and support in the development of library-related legislation and offers extensive continuing education opportunities through its annual conference and other programs.

Since many issues affecting libraries originate on the federal level there are also two national associations that work to inform and support libraries, their trustees and their advocates. The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF) is the division of the American Library Association dedicated specifically to library trustees and their particular concerns. The American Library Association is the national association for library professionals, trustees, advocates and support staff and is also an invaluable resource for information and assistance.

Each public library is part of this national and statewide library community. An informed trustee is familiar with the members and components of this community and uses the information and opportunities available to improve the programs and services of their local library.

Source: http://librarytrustees.org/blog/2012/08/handbook-highlight-the-library-network-in-new-york-state/

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Oversized fat droplets: Too much of a good thing

ScienceDaily (Aug. 29, 2012) ? As the national waistline expands, so do pools of intra-cellular fat known as lipid droplets. Although most of us wish our lipid droplets would vanish, they represent a cellular paradox: on the one hand droplets play beneficial roles by corralling fat into non-toxic organelles. On the other, oversized lipid droplets are associated with obesity and its associated health hazards.

Until recently researchers understood little about factors that regulate lipid droplet size. Now, a study from the Stowers Institute of Medical Research published in an upcoming issue of Journal of Cell Biology reports a genetic screen of roundworms that identifies two proteins required for the dramatic expansion of lipid droplets. That study, from the lab of Assistant Investigator Ho Yi Mak, Ph.D., sheds new light onto the molecular processes linked to fat metabolism.

"In worms and mammals lipid droplets are evolutionarily conserved structures that store cellular fat as triglycerides, a benign form of fat," says Mak, whose lab relies heavily on the roundworm C. elegans to evaluate the genetics and biochemistry of fat storage. "Currently, there is a great appreciation that a diverse range of systems can be exploited to understand where triglycerides are synthesized and how they get stored in lipid droplets."

Prior to the Journal of Cell Biology study, Mak's lab and others had shown that some enzymes that direct triglyceride synthesis are physically located in a network of intracellular tubules called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), suggesting that the ER communicates with lipid droplets. In fact, high magnification imaging of single cells showed that ER membranes often "push up" against droplets, suggesting they might in some way load them.

To determine if this was the case, the Mak team employed mutant roundworms they previously discovered that displayed abnormally large-sized lipid droplets. Using genetic techniques, Mak introduced additional mutations in the genome of these worms to search for hits that restored droplets to normal size.

That effort revealed that disruption of two genes that encode proteins named FATP1 and DGAT2 did just that: hits in either shrank fat droplets to normal size. Further biochemical analysis showed that FATP1 and DGAT2, which catalyze sequential steps in triglyceride synthesis, were closely associated in a protein complex, strongly suggesting that they act in a two-step process required to form out-sized droplets in the first place.

Most interestingly, both FATP1 and DGAT2 resided in the right cellular space: imaging of living worms revealed that FATP1 resides in ER membranes, while DGAT2 is enriched at the surface of the droplets, suggesting an anatomical link between the two enzymes regulating triglyceride biosynthesis.

Finally, the team demonstrated the relevance of this mechanism to mammalian cells by expressing mouse versions of FATP1 and DGAT2 in cultured cells. They then added a fatty acid building block of triglycerides to the culture media -- the equivalent of feeding cells a pizza -- and monitored fat storage.

"What we saw was that again the two proteins were in close proximity to each other in cells and acted synergistically to allow cells to store more fat and expand the size of lipid droplets," says Mak. "This shows that coupling of FATP1 and DGAT2 seen in worms is evolutionarily conserved in mammalian cells."

Mak cautions that no one should assume that simply inactivating FATP1 and DGAT2 could be a panacea to weight gain: apparently, there is one thing worse than having an oversized fat droplet, and that's not being able to form one at all. "One side of this issue suggests that lipid droplet formation is actually protective," he says, noting that failure to sequester fat into droplets can cause cellular stress and insulin resistance. "By the time you see large lipid droplets, tissues are trying very hard to contain the harmful effects of excess fat."

Thus, although out-sized lipid droplets are often observed in liver and muscle cells of obese individuals, the toxic conditions that trigger obesity-related conditions like diabetes may emerge when fat depots can no longer expand.

On the flip side, Mak notes that endurance athletes also display oversized lipid droplets in muscle cells. "Lipid droplets store a rich form of energy," he says. "Having a high energy depot on site likely allows muscle tissues use them as a sustained form of energy."

Mak's team will now address whether nutrient intake regulates FATP1-DGAT2 activity and hence droplet size. "Right now the worm is our primary discovery tool," he says. "But we will continue to extend our studies to mammalian cell culture models. We want to know whether the FATP1-DGAT2 complex becomes more active after you eat a Big Mac or a piece of apple pie."

The study's first author was Ningyi Xu, a postdoctoral fellow in the Mak lab. Also contributing to the study were Shaobing O. Zhang, Ronald A. Cole, Sean A. McKinney, Fengli Guo, and Sudheer Bobba -- all of the Stowers Institute -- and Robert V. Farese, Jr., and Joel T. Haas, both of the University of California, San Francisco.

The work was supported by funding from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and the National Institutes of Health.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. N. Xu, S. O. Zhang, R. A. Cole, S. A. McKinney, F. Guo, J. T. Haas, S. Bobba, R. V. Farese, H. Y. Mak. The FATP1-DGAT2 complex facilitates lipid droplet expansion at the ER-lipid droplet interface. The Journal of Cell Biology, 2012; DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201201139

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/s9V78Qe1X10/120829111718.htm

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GeoPalz ? Pedometers for Kids

To promote physical fitness and as another tool to help?fight childhood obesity, GeoPalz is pairing their kid styled pedometers with an online rewards based gaming website. Through the online arcade, users (5-10yrs old) can report their steps walked, which are logged through their pedometers and exchange steps for time with games such as Avalanche, Snow-Drift, [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/08/29/geopalz-pedometers-for-kids/

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