Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/252082160?client_source=feed&format=rss
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রবিবার, ৩০ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
From words to deeds: Why election matters
When you vote for Democrat Barack Obama or Republican Mitt Romney in November, you'll be voting for more than a president. You'll be casting a ballot for and against a checklist of policies that touch your life and shape the country you live in.
It can be hard to see, through the fog of negative ads, sound bite zingers and assorted other campaign nasties, that the election is a contest of actual ideas. But it is always so. A candidate's words connect to deeds in office.
Roll back to 2008. Obama was the presidential candidate who promised to get the country on a path to health insurance for all. He delivered. If you haven't noticed one way or another, you soon will.
And back to 2000. George W. Bush ran on a platform of big tax cuts. That's precisely what the country got. A decade later, taxes are lower than they otherwise would have been.
That's not to say you can count on Romney's checklist or Obama's to come into full being. You sure can't.
By nature and necessity, the presidency is in large part a creature of compromise and improvisation. The unforeseen happens (the terrorist attacks), or circumstances change (the December 2007-June 2009 recession), or things that the candidate sets out to do run into a buzz saw in Congress (way too many examples to mention). That's why promises are broken, priorities shift and intentions get swept away by the fistful.
Even so, you get what you vote for, probably about as often as not. And a lot of what you get, you will feel in a personal way, for better or worse, no matter how distant Washington seems from your world.
The wars called away people in your orbit, if not in your family. The spending that each candidate wants to do ? Romney vows military expansion, Obama would put more into education, for starters ? is bound to benefit many livelihoods in some fashion, at the risk of even deeper national debt. And read their fine print: Medicare won't be the same in the years ahead. Perhaps not Social Security, either. (There's that national debt, after all.)
Across the spectrum of issues, Obama and Romney have drawn contrasts and telegraphed divergent ways for the nation to go.
You can't believe everything you hear. But you can believe enough to know that Tuesday, Nov. 6, is a true day of decision.
In this series, Associated Press writers who cover subjects at stake in the election look at the positions of the candidates, the underlying issues ? and why it matters.
EDITOR'S NOTE _ An introduction to The Associated Press' "Why It Matters" series, which explores top issues confronting the nation in this presidential campaign season and their impact on Americans.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/words-deeds-why-election-matters-182002929--election.html
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Phl cybercrime law angers hackers, draws widespread protests
A newly-enacted cybercrime law in the Philippines has triggered widespread protests from bloggers, journalists and cause-oriented groups for its criminal and oppressive provisions.
The new law known as The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, was recently passed by congress primarily to combat cyber crimes such as, but not limited to, pornography, hacking, identity theft and spamming.
The government says police and security people need legal tools to combat these cyber crimes as offenders usually get away due to absence or lack of laws covering Internet or cyber crimes.
But the protesters are questioning some provisions of the law that could send to jail anyone who makes what is perceived to be a libelous act or comment such as a defamatory message or comment posted on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.
Under the law, authorities are also allowed to collect or obtain information from users' accounts on social media without a legally-issued search warrant.
Based on the controversial law, convictions carry a penalty of 12 years in prison plus a fine of 1 million Philippine pesos or roughly $25,000.
According to Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch Director for Asia, the law was having a chilling effect in the Philippines, which, with its population of almost 95 million, is one of the world?s biggest users of Facebook and Twitter.
?Anybody using popular social networks or who publishes online is now at risk of a long prison term should a reader ? including government officials ? bring a libel charge,? Adams said.
At least five concerned groups have filed a petition before the Supreme Court to stop the government from implementing the controversial law.
Human rights lawyer Harry Roque and Journalist Ellen Tordesillas, led a group of petitioners who sought an injunction and/or temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court
"In their 41-page petition for certiorari, the petitioners sought for a writ of prohibitory injunction and/or temporary restraining order, against the respondents to stop them from implementing the five provisions, as well as Section 27, which appropriates P500,000 annually for the implementation of the law," Inquirer.net writes.
Meanwhile, several government offices discovered their websites were hacked on Wednesday by an unidentified hacker in protest at the controversial cybercrime law.
The websites that were defaced include those of Central Bank of the Phlipppines, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, American Chamber of Commerce, and the Philippine Anti-Piracy Team.
The anonymous hacker demanded the revision or amendment of the newly-enacted law before its implementation, saying "it is the most notorious act ever witnessed in the cyber-history of the Philippines.
?It is just so disappointing that our government, in adopting our 80-year-old antiquated libel laws to the Cybercrime Law, again seems to have retarded our march with the rest of the world with respect to giving full force to the people?s freedom of expression."
On Thursday another government office, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOP), was also hacked. The hacker left a message: "We are legion. Expect us!" the message said.
The government defended the newly-enacted cybercrime law, saying that freedom of expression comes with responsibility.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda appealed to the petitioners to await the rules and regulations which would implement the new cybercrime law. He said (via Philstar.com), Malacanang, the Office of the President of the Philipines, respected the petitioners' action or decision to question it before the Supreme Court.
The new law known as The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, was recently passed by congress primarily to combat cyber crimes such as, but not limited to, pornography, hacking, identity theft and spamming.
The government says police and security people need legal tools to combat these cyber crimes as offenders usually get away due to absence or lack of laws covering Internet or cyber crimes.
But the protesters are questioning some provisions of the law that could send to jail anyone who makes what is perceived to be a libelous act or comment such as a defamatory message or comment posted on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.
Under the law, authorities are also allowed to collect or obtain information from users' accounts on social media without a legally-issued search warrant.
Based on the controversial law, convictions carry a penalty of 12 years in prison plus a fine of 1 million Philippine pesos or roughly $25,000.
According to Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch Director for Asia, the law was having a chilling effect in the Philippines, which, with its population of almost 95 million, is one of the world?s biggest users of Facebook and Twitter.
?Anybody using popular social networks or who publishes online is now at risk of a long prison term should a reader ? including government officials ? bring a libel charge,? Adams said.
At least five concerned groups have filed a petition before the Supreme Court to stop the government from implementing the controversial law.
Human rights lawyer Harry Roque and Journalist Ellen Tordesillas, led a group of petitioners who sought an injunction and/or temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court
"In their 41-page petition for certiorari, the petitioners sought for a writ of prohibitory injunction and/or temporary restraining order, against the respondents to stop them from implementing the five provisions, as well as Section 27, which appropriates P500,000 annually for the implementation of the law," Inquirer.net writes.
Meanwhile, several government offices discovered their websites were hacked on Wednesday by an unidentified hacker in protest at the controversial cybercrime law.
The websites that were defaced include those of Central Bank of the Phlipppines, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, American Chamber of Commerce, and the Philippine Anti-Piracy Team.
The anonymous hacker demanded the revision or amendment of the newly-enacted law before its implementation, saying "it is the most notorious act ever witnessed in the cyber-history of the Philippines.
?It is just so disappointing that our government, in adopting our 80-year-old antiquated libel laws to the Cybercrime Law, again seems to have retarded our march with the rest of the world with respect to giving full force to the people?s freedom of expression."
On Thursday another government office, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOP), was also hacked. The hacker left a message: "We are legion. Expect us!" the message said.
The government defended the newly-enacted cybercrime law, saying that freedom of expression comes with responsibility.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda appealed to the petitioners to await the rules and regulations which would implement the new cybercrime law. He said (via Philstar.com), Malacanang, the Office of the President of the Philipines, respected the petitioners' action or decision to question it before the Supreme Court.
Source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/333820
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Slowdown galvanizes Polish opposition protesters
WARSAW (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of protesters marched through the Polish capital on Saturday, the start of an opposition drive to capitalize on the spluttering economy and try to loosen Prime Minister Donald Tusk's grip on power.
Poland's economy, the biggest in central Europe, has grown robustly even while its neighbors slipped into recession, handing Tusk high levels of support and leaving his opponents struggling to win credibility with voters.
Economic growth is expected to slow to just above 2 percent next year. That is healthy by the standards of most European countries but a jarring deceleration for Poles used to two decades of uninterrupted growth.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the opposition Law and Justice Party, said ordinary Poles were no longer prepared to give Tusk's government, in its second term, the benefit of the doubt.
"These huge crowds mean strength. They mean that Poland has awakened. More and more Poles will be awakening. The cup of evil has overflowed. We Poles, we Polish patriots say 'no'," Kaczynski told protesters in Warsaw's Castle Square.
"Tusk will probably stand up and say he is the leader for difficult times. Do you want such a leader?" he said. "Honest businessmen and the working masses do not want that."
People close to the government say the downturn could prove the biggest political test yet for Tusk. He has established a reputation for steady and competent stewardship in a part of Europe more familiar with mercurial leaders.
Nevertheless, analysts and diplomats say the opposition is unable to exploit the slowdown because, while it has a strong base among the most devout of Poland's Catholics, it is too hard-line to win over voters in the middle ground.
It is against abortion, gay marriage and in vitro fertilization. That stance is in line with the teachings of the Catholic church, which is still powerful in Poland. But surveys show it does not resonate with young, urban middle classes.
Saturday's demonstration was the biggest in several months. Protesters, some of them clutching rosaries and portraits of the Virgin Mary, knelt on the tarmac in Warsaw's Three Crosses Square as a priest said mass before the march.
Banners demanded more generous terms for pensioners and a broadcast license for a television station run by a conservative Catholic cleric who opposes the government.
One grey-bearded protester, who gave his name as Wojciech, said the Communist cabal which used to rule Poland before the fall of the Berlin Wall had been replaced by another elite, this one preaching free market economics.
"Unemployment is so high," he said, holding up one end of a Law and Justice banner. "Under Communism you could get hit by a truncheon, and now the truncheon is the economy."
Tusk's government does not face re-election for another three years. The latest opinion polls show the prime minister's Civic Platform party still has a significant lead over the opposition, though the gap has narrowed. (Additional reporting by Patrycja Sikora; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/slowdown-galvanizes-polish-opposition-protesters-175525370--business.html
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Video: Afghan insider attacks: US troops armed and ready
>>> and continuing on that thought, to a person, u.s. commanders i've spoken to over the past week are bullish on the prospects of turning this war over to afghan security forces . there's no question they are making visible progress on a lot of fronts but attacks like today remind us how delicate the process and u.s. policy are. setting out on the road, the physical and spiritual heart of the taliban is a journey often fraught with uncertainty. these soldiers jammed inside a striker combat vehicle know the taliban still fights hard for this land and regularly planned ieds along the way. you've lost some guys to ieds?
>> absolutely. we've had a number of guys wounded and a number of guys killed both mounted and dismounted.
>> lately, however, the americans don't make the journey alone. afghan troops and police man checkpoints along the way. lieutenant general james terry, the operational commander of the war, brought us here to see for ourselves the robust presence of their afghan partners.
>> you look at these afghan national security forces, here is what's very different, very different from two years ago, moving out and taking charge of this.
>> training the afghans to take over the war is practically the singular focus of the international coalition as of 2014 withdrawal date draws closer.
>> and as they become increasingly more capable, we'll skill up some of that advice and assist and then over time they have the lead completely. we're not kicking the crutches out from underneath them.
>> over here is the mosque where omar in 1994 established the taliban and now today u.s. and afghan troops patrolling this village with relative impunity. but there is an undeniable tension that now looms over joint operations like these. that's because of the insider attacks in which members of afghan security forces have turned their guns on their american and other coalition partners.
>> it does shake the confidence of the soldiers out there. a lot of this hard fighting that you've seen down here is shared hardship with the afghan national security forces.
>> worried about undoing the results of those shared hardships, the afghans are now taking steps to better vet their people. are you worried about trust between the u.s. and afghan forces being destroyed?
>> we trust them and they trust us . it is no different. but the act is an individual act and something that happened.
>> you're not fearful the taliban have infiltrated the afghan army ?
>> they have tried to. we filter 0 our people, also.
>> u.s. and afghan commanders agree they cannot afford to disrupt the pace of joint operations , the ability to stand together on the spiritual doorstep of a taliban makes a powerful military and psychological statement for both armies. and for sergeant chad sparks who chose to re-enlist at this very spot, a reminder of why he and his fellow american soldiers are still in the fight.
>> this ought to be a great place to enlist and show that i had a lot of honor for why we're here be a what we're doing here.
Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49229687/
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শনিবার, ২৯ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১২
Alcohol Consumption, Beverage Preference, and Diet in Middle ...
EA 4373, G?n?tique Cardiovasculaire, Universit? de Lorraine, Nancy 54000, France
Copyright ? 2012 Bernard Herbeth et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The question about differences in dietary patterns associated with beer, wine, and spirits is still unresolved. We used diet data from 423 middle-aged males of the STANISLAS Study. Using adjusted values for covariates, we observed a negative significant association between increasing alcohol intakes and the consumption of milk, yogurt, and fresh/uncured cheese, sugar and confectionery, vegetables and fruits, and a significant positive relationship with cheese, meat and organs, pork-butcher's meat, and potatoes. In addition, the first dietary pattern identified by factor analysis (characterized a more prudent diet) was inversely related to alcohol intakes. Conversely, when analyzing daily consumption of specific food groups and diet patterns according to beverage preference (wine, beer, and spirits), no significant difference was observed. In conclusion, in this sample of middle-aged French males, there was a linear trend between increasing alcohol intakes and worsening of quality of diet, while no difference was observed according to beverage preference.
1. Introduction
Alcohol is linked to an extensively documented J-shaped dose-effect curve, with light to moderate consumption reducing cardiovascular and overall mortality, whereas excessive drinking has the opposite effect [1?3]. Moreover, drinking pattern (heavy episodic or binge drinking versus a steady pattern of consumption [4, 5]), type of alcoholic beverage (wine, beer, spirits), and various related lifestyle and sociocultural factors may account for differences in health benefits or adverse effects associated with alcohol drinking. In the field of nutrition, prior research supports that increasing levels of alcohol consumption are associated with poorer dietary patterns [6?9]. Generally, increased alcohol intake was associated with higher consumption of potatoes and animal products such as meat, meat products, and pork-butcher's meat and low consumption of dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and fresh/uncured cheese, fruits and vegetables, and pastries and cookies. In addition, variation in diet associated with the preferred drink may explain why a type of alcoholic beverage seems to have specific effects on ischemic heart disease mortality. Some studies in Danish or American populations found that wine drinkers tend to have a healthier lifestyle profile (including diet) than beer or spirit drinkers [10?12]. However, in Navarra (Spain) dietary patterns between wine, beer, or spirit drinkers did not significantly differ [13]. Even within the same country, geographical factors could play an important role; for example, in France, living area, diet behaviors, and alcoholic beverage preference were strongly associated in the study of Ruidavets et al. [9].
Since data about French are limited, this present study aims to describe the associations of alcohol consumption and alcoholic-beverage preferences with dietary patterns measured in term of food groups and pattern in 423 middle-aged males living in Eastern France.
2. Material and Methods
2.1. Subjects
This work is based on the STANISLAS Family Study, a 10-year longitudinal study conducted since 1994 on 1,006 families selected at the Center for Preventive Medicine of Vandoeuvre-l?s-Nancy (east of France) [14, 15]. These families (2 parents and at least 2 children between 10 and 26 years) were identified from the files of the State Health Insurance Fund and invited every 5 years for checkups at the Center for Preventive Medicine. Due to the design of the STANISLAS Family study, subjects were of French origin and were free from acute or chronic diseases such as stroke, myocardial infarction, or cancer. At baseline, a random subsample of these families (about 45%) had to complete a 3-day food-intake diary. We performed this cross-sectional analysis on data of the entrance checkup (1994-95) from the sample of 423 fathers, who completed the 3-day food-intake diary and who had available covariate measurements (aged: 30?60 years, median age: 42 years, alcohol intakes: 0 and 112?g/day). Each subject gave written informed consent for participating in this study, which was approved by the ?Comit? Consultatif de Protection des Personnes dans la Recherche Biom?dicale de Lorraine? (France). In addition, we certify that all applicable governmental regulations concerning the ethical use of human volunteers were followed during this research.
2.2. Dietary Assessment and Data Collection
Dietary intake was assessed with a 3D dietary record, which was completed during 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day assigned at random for each individual [16]. All the food and drinks consumed at home and away were recorded in a 3-day diary. Each day of the diary comprised of six meal slots labelled: breakfast, midmorning, lunch, midafternoon, dinner, and ?late evening and night.? During the first part of the checkup, the subjects received instructions from a dietitian on the procedures for completing the dietary record and measuring food portions. Detailed guidance notes were provided at the beginning of the diary to assist subjects in describing portion sizes using g, ml, or household measures units. One week later, during the second part of the checkup, with the presence of the subject, the diary was checked, completed, coded, and quantified by the dietitian using colored photographs of foods, each with 3 different portion sizes. Two intermediate and extreme portions could also be chosen, yielding a total of 7 choices for estimating quantities consumed [17].
The daily consumption of 18 generic main food groups was computed as the mean value of the 3 days: milk, yogurt and fresh/uncured cheese, cheese, eggs, fish, poultry, meat and organs, pork-butcher?s meat, snacks, cereals and pasta, bread and toast, pastries and cookies, sugar and confectionery, pulses, potatoes, other vegetables than potatoes, fruits, and added fats and vegetable oils. By using data of the 3-day diary, total alcohol was calculated as the sum of ethanol in all the types of specific alcoholic beverages and expressed in grams of pure alcohol per day using the French Food Composition Database of INRA [18].
Data about lifestyle were collected by using relevant questionnaires [14], including information concerning smoking, and education. Weight and height were measured while the participants were standing in light clothing without shoes. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight (kilogram) divided by height (meter) squared.
2.3. Statistical Analysis
Statistical analyses were performed using SAS software (version 9.1; SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC, USA). Subjects were ranked according to their alcohol consumption in 4 groups: (non-)occasional drinkers (0?2?g/day), 3?22?g/day (2.0 standard drinks), 23?44?g/day (2 to 3.9 standard drinks), and 45?112?g/day (4 to 10 standard drinks). Intake of 22, 44, and 112?g of alcohol correspond to the consumption of , , and 1.3 liter of wine; , 1, and 2.6 liters of beer; 2, 4, and 10 standard drinks of spirit, respectively. In addition, drinkers (consuming 3?112?g/day) were classified according to their beverage preference in 4 categories (wine preference, beer preference, spirit preference, and no preference). A preference for a specific beverage type was defined as an intake of pure alcohol 50% of the total alcohol intake. A drinker with no preference was defined as a person whose intake of none of the specific beverage types exceeded 50%. No individual preferred two beverages equally (50% versus 50%).
Exploratory principle component analysis (PCA) was performed to define dietary patterns by using data from the 18 main food groups [19], followed by orthogonal (varimax) rotation to assist in interpretation of the factors and to ensure that the factors were uncorrelated. PCA aggregates specific food groups on the basis of the degree to which items in the dataset are correlated with one another. All variables in PCA were adjusted for nonalcohol energy intakes. Factors with an eigenvalue greater than 1 were retained. Variables with factor loadings having absolute values of 0.20 were used in interpreting the factors. Scores were computed for rotated factors as the sum of products of observed variables multiplied by their factor loading.
ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare differences between groups. Firstly, baseline characteristics of the participants were computed and compared according to alcohol intake and alcoholic beverage patterns. Secondly, relationships between alcohol intake and diet were assessed by using ANOVA with the hypothesis of linear trend and after adjustment for age, nonalcohol energy intakes, cigarette smoking, body mass index, education, and season. Thirdly, associations of diet with pattern of alcoholic beverage consumption were tested using ANOVA after adjustment for age, alcohol consumption, nonalcohol energy intake, cigarette smoking, body mass index, education, and season. (Non-)occasional drinkers and drinkers with no preference were excluded from this latter analysis. was accepted as significant.
3. Results
The characteristics (especially the covariates used in ANOVA) of the 423 males are shown in Table 1. A positive significant association between increasing alcohol intakes and proportion of smokers and number of cigarettes smoked per day was found. Wine drinkers were older than beer and spirit drinkers and consumed more pure alcohol per day. Spirits drinkers had significant higher body mass index and higher education status.
Table 1: Characteristics of the sample of 423 adult males according to alcohol consumption and beverage preferencea.
Two major dietary patterns with eigenvalue greater than 1 were identified by factor analysis using varimax rotation (Table 2). The first factor (eigenvalue = 1.24) was characterized by higher consumption of sugar and confectionery, added fat including vegetal oil, fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, poultry, and eggs and lower consumption of meat and organ, pork-butcher's meat, and pastries and cookies. The second factor (eigenvalue = 1.06) was associated with higher consumption of pastries and cookies, and snacks and lower consumption of pork-butcher's meat, cheese, and bread and toast.
Table 2: Factor-loading matrix for the major factors (diet pattern) identified by using food group intakesa.
Table 3 presents the consumption of food groups across the 4 categories of alcohol intake. By using adjusted values for age, nonalcohol energy intake, cigarette smoking, body mass index, education and season, we observed a negative significant association between increasing alcohol intakes and the consumption of milk, yogurt and fresh/uncured cheese, sugar and confectionery, pastries and cookies, vegetables and fruit, and a significant positive relationship with cheese, meat and organs, pork-butcher's meat, and potatoes. In line with the above cited data, the first dietary pattern was inversely related to alcohol intakes () and there was a significant association between alcohol intake and the second diet pattern (): heavy drinkers having lower value of pattern.
Table 3: Daily intake of foods and nutrients according to alcohol consumption in the sample of 423 adult malesa.
When analyzing daily consumption of specific food groups and diet patterns according to beverage preference (wine, beer, and spirits), after adjustment for age, nonalcohol energy intake, alcohol intakes, cigarette smoking, body mass index, education, and season (data not shown), differences for all food groups were not statistically significant. An exception was the consumption of poultry which was significantly higher in the spirit drinkers group (). Likewise, diet patterns were not significantly related to beverage preferences: , , and () for the first diet pattern and , , and () for the second; for wine, beer, and spirit drinkers, respectively.
4. Discussion
In this study, increased alcohol intake was associated with higher consumption of potatoes and animal products such as meat, meat products, and pork-butcher's meat and low consumption of dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and fresh/uncured cheese, and fruits and vegetables. In addition, pastries and cookies and sugar and confectionaries were less consumed by alcohol drinkers. The significant associations of poorer dietary practice with alcohol consumption were underlined previously in various populations around the world [6?9].
In line with our above results, the first dietary pattern was inversely related to alcohol intake. Previous studies using a dietary score based on components representing different aspects of a healthy diet such as the Healthy Eating Index in USA (HEI) [20] or the Diet Quality Index in France [9] showed that as alcohol quantity increased, diet index worsened. When cluster analysis or factor analysis was used to search for dietary patterns in various populations, patterns identified and labeled ?alcohol and meat products? [21], ?alcohol users? [22], ?alcohol and convenience foods? [23], or ?convenience food/beer? [24] reflected mainly the aggregation of alcoholic beverages with higher consumption of meat and processed meat and lower consumption of low-fat dairy products, desserts, fruits, and vegetables.
While levels of alcohol consumption were significantly and inversely associated with dietary quality in our sample of healthy adult men, food consumption according to wine, beer, or spirit preference did not significantly differ (except for poultry; spirits drinkers having the highest consumption). Likewise, the first diet pattern identified by factor analysis was not associated with beverage preference. Despite the growing number of studies in the literature, the question about differences in dietary patterns associated with beer, wine, and spirits is still unresolved. Contrary to our results, in studies conducted in United States, Australia or northern Europe [7, 10, 11, 25?27], wine drinkers tended to report healthier dietary patterns: more fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, olive oil, and fewer red or fried meats, sausage, bacon, and fried potatoes versus other groups of drinkers. In Denmark, by using information on number, type of item, and total charge from transactions in supermarkets, wine buyers made more purchases of healthy food items than people who bought beer [28]. Conversely, in studies conducted in Spain or in Italy, no relevant difference in healthy foods consumption and/or in adherence to Mediterranean diet was shown [13, 29, 30]. The study of Ruidavets et al. [9] on 3 population samples of Northern, North-eastern, and South-western France (MONICA study), showed that wine drinkers had healthier diet compared to other drinkers or abstainers. However, in this last French study, the living area played a significant role in the dieting behaviour and also in alcoholic beverage preferences since all associations became nonsignificant after additional adjustment for this parameter. These results are in agreement with the North-South differences for relationships between beverage behaviours and diet patterns.
Discordance of results between North and South areas may be due to the fact that in a specific population (area), various factors aggregate with drinking habits such as regional culture, socioeconomic status, diet and beverage habits, food and beverage availability, food and beverage purchases, attitude and knowledge about potential effects of wine, and other foods on heath. For instance, in Denmark or in California wine drinkers have a higher level of education and higher income, better psychological functioning, and better subjective health than people who do not drink wine [31?33]. Conversely, in Spain or in Italy, wine is largely consumed by all social classes because it is economically affordable for all [13]. In addition, population interests with food and health may be very different: the Northern European and American populations are more inclined to associate food with health and not with pleasure, conversely to French people [34].
The present study has some limitations and strengths. First, among the number of method of dietary assessment reported in the literature, the 3-day dietary record (with the 5-day instrument) is considered as one of the reference methods without recall bias, limiting the accuracy or completeness of the information [35]. Moreover, an experimenter reviewed the diaries with the participants using pictures of dishes in order to estimate quantities and clarified any ambiguities or missing data. However, the 3-day dietary record did not allow taking into account the long term variability in comparison to alternative methods such as Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) that better measure long term diet. Second, although factor analysis takes into account the high intercorrelations of foods within the diet, this approach involved several arbitrary decisions such as the component of food groups, the number of factors extracted, the rotation method, the label of factors. Third, respondents? participation in this study was on a volunteer basis, therefore the study subjects may be more health conscious than the general population. As for other epidemiological studies, misreporting of diet, particularly consumption of foods regarded as ?unhealthy,? is a major concern when looking for determinants of food intakes. Moreover, the participants in this study were middle-aged men from a specific area of France (the east) where beer drinkers denote a particular population group. These findings may not generalize to younger/older individuals, women, or individuals living in other regions. Fourth, since important differences between the beverage prefererer?s were highlighted (wine drinkers had by far the highest alcohol intake and were oldest; beer drinkers had the lowest BMI, smoked the most, with the lowest education); we adjusted for these covariate in the dietary pattern analyses. Another limitation of our study is the low number men having beer or spirit preferences and consequently the possible lack of statistical power.
To conclude, in our study, there was a linear trend between increasing alcohol intakes and worsening of quality of diet. Conversely, in agreement with other data obtained in the south of Europe, food intakes did not significantly differ according to wine, beer or spirit preference. Taking into account limitations due to the small sample of beer and spirit drinkers, this similarity in dietary patterns according to beverage preferences don?t support the hypothesis that the positive cardiovascular effects reported in the literature for wine could be attributable to an overall healthier dietary pattern of wine drinkers in particular in this sample from Eastern France.
Conflict of Interests
Grant from ARMA (Association pour la Recherche M?dicale en Aquitaine) was obtained for this particular study. The authors declare that there is no other conflict of interests associated with this paper.
Acknowledgments
The STANISLAS study was supported by the Caisse Nationale d?Assurance Maladies des Travailleurs Salari?s (CNAM), the Institut National de la Sant? et de la Recherche M?dicale (INSERM), the R?gion Lorraine, the Communaut? Urbaine du Grand Nancy, and the Henri Poincar? University of Nancy I. The authors are deeply grateful for the cooperation of the families participating in the STANISLAS Cohort. They acknowledge the management, reception, preclinical, laboratory, and medical staff of the Center for Preventive Medicine of Vandoeuvre-l?s-Nancy (France).
Source: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnume/2012/987243/
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Key to Financial Control Budgeting Finances
When you?re learning about something new, it?s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.
For the average household, the money coming in never seems to match the money going out. Which is why every pay day, we face a lot of stress in deciding what to spend the money on, how much and when.
We all want to live well and comfortably without busting our budget. We want to have the right amount of money when we need to pay the rent, utilities and other necessary expenses but still have some money left to buy those things we want. Oh, yes we want to have ?financial control? as economists have put it.
Budgeting finances is the key to have that financial control we have all been dreaming of. Budgeting finances isn?t as complex as Differential Calculus or as abstract as Symbolic Logic. Budgeting finances is equal to Common Sense.
Below are five simple keys to financial control:
1. CUT THE CREDIT CARDS
It is best if you don?t use credit cards, or even own one. If you think you?re responsible enough to use it in emergency situation, then leave one for those times. Buying a Gucci dress for a hot date isn?t an emergency situation. Paying for school tuition fee or electric bills is a right example of emergency situation.
Only fools keep more than one credit card. If you want to go down the pool of debt then own ten.
Keeping ourselves away from temptation is the first step to effective finance budgeting and financial control.
2. ELIMINATE WASTE
You can see that there?s practical value in learning more about Budgeting. Can you think of ways to apply what?s been covered so far?
A new pair of shoes is considered a waste if you still own four workable sets of pumps. Expensive toys that you just display on the dusty corner, the set of paperbacks lined on the bookshelf but left untouched, dining out when you can cook at home, are all waste of money. Whenever you feel the impulse to shop and dine for your pleasure, why not try this little experiment: estimate the amount you?ll possibly pay for giving in to your heart?s desire, then set the money aside, put it in an envelop, seal it, and open it after six months. When you see how much you?ve saved, you will, undoubtedly, never buy impulsively again.
3. START TO COUNT IT ALL DOWN
Many people don?t even know where their money is being spent. To them, budgeting finances is simply laying out the money on the table, apportioning them in envelops, and labling each envelop with Bills, Rent, Amortization, Transportation, Food.
But budgeting finances require a pen and a notebook. Input the incoming money and the outgoing money, find the difference, and voila, your personal budget right in front of your eyes. Write in a separate sheet all your debts, recurring expenses and future expenses (such as yearly fee for life insurance or health card). Writing everything down will help you see when you spend the most and for what purpose, and how much you must raise for future expenditures.
4. DECREASE DEBTS ONE AT A TIME
The amount of debt left unpaid increases overtime due to interest rates. To keep yourself and family from sleepless nights due to debts, start budgeting your finances with special interest on decreasing debts.
Write down in your budget pad or software every debts you have, even the small ones. Number them according to importance. Between a house mortgage and a car mortgage, label the house mortgage as 1.
Then study your budget pad. Could you cut down expenses on utility bills or transportation? If yes, how much would it raise to add up to fund the mortgage? Study all possibilities of cutting down your expenses.
Take advantage also of the amnesty program that banks and credit card companies offer. Most especially the credit card companies, they offer payment of principal amount less the padded interest. Having been able to settle one debt is already a big leap to financial control.
Now you can be a confident expert on Budgeting. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on Budgeting.
About the Author
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Source: http://www.qtsites.com/budgeting/key-to-financial-control-budgeting-finances.htm
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Awkward Celebrity Yearbook Photos: Guess Who's Who!
No one would have guessed that these dorky kids would grow up to be Hollywood stars! Can you recognize these celebs from their school pics?
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Home Improvements Kitchen Remodeling Tips | My Blog
A contemporary home is incomplete without a remodeled kitchen. And if you believe your kitchen area isn?t looking because it need to look, then the the years have some to consider charge!Some websites provide reliable and valuable details about do it yourself, particularly with kitchen remodeling tips. For example, you will notice that there are lots of online companies that do the work of remodeling the kitchen. You can just send them an e-mail as well as their professionals will come to your house for more discussion.You may also get books and ebooks on home improvement that concentrate on kitchen remodeling tips. Simply search Amazon.com or eBay.com for starters.Here are a few remodeling tips for your kitchen projects:1) If you are interested in changing the tiles of your kitchen, there are numerous natural stones available for sale. Natural stones for example granite, marble, sandstones, quartzite and limestone are used and may be also on the web.2) Lots of people actually prefer granite for kitchen floors, countertops along with other surfaces which are used a lot. And granite is extremely common as it is durable and it has immense compressive strength. In fact it is the hardest stone, hence is an important part of heavily used surfaces. Also decorative stone, granite is available in rich colors. Characteristics such as density and stiffness turn it into a sensible choice for flooring and countertops.3) Kitchen remodeling also involves changing around some room furniture in certain projects. Along with a quantity of soft and hard woods are utilized in making kitchen furniture; for instance, red oak is commonly used to make a kitchen cabinet, as it is heavy, durable and it has a high cheap ugg boots uk crushing strength, hence, is popular. Ash is yet another material that is used to make cabinets.Regardless of the material you utilize to make your kitchen area furniture though, ensure top quality material is required. Ensure that those who are making the furniture or the manufacturers have good knowledge and also the prerequisite experience. Novices damages your material and hence place a crimp in your remodeling efforts. So in a nutshell, each piece of furniture that you include needs to have a good finish in order that it looks attractive.Hint: You can also seek the help of friend that has good knowledge, taste and experience with remodeling to provide you with good do it yourself kitchen remodeling tips.4) The kitchen cabinets are another very important part of the kitchen remodeling tasks for your project as you have a lot of necessary items for daily ugg boots sale uk use. So if you are thinking of making or installing new cabinets, then it?s essential to first of all concentrate on your materials choice.Wood is generally preferred in making cabinets. Wood provides a classic, rich attract your cabinet and comes in a number of types. You can create the appearance you desire for the cabinet with the aid of wood, giving a stylish stye for your project, for instance. And also observe that whether it?s antique or modern, ornate or minimalists, the wood type that you choose will not only have an affect on the cabinet but additionally on the overall look of the kitchen.Depth of colour of your wood cabinet should also be taken into account while deciding on the type of wood for the cabinet. Cherry wood is most often used in making cabinets because it is medium dark. If you would like darker richer effects for your cabinet and other cheap ugg kitchen furniture then you definitely should consider mahogany, walnut and ebony. Teak, rosewood and butter offer a rich warm color and therefore are preferred by many. The cupboard and other furniture are certain to shine because these types of wood are of excellent quality. (2)
Source: http://funclub24.com/2012/09/28/home-improvements-kitchen-remodeling-tips/
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New material, graphene, may soon replace silicon for technology industry, experts say
ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2012) ? Norwegian researchers are the world's first to develop a method for producing semiconductors from graphene. This finding may revolutionise the technology industry.
The method involves growing semiconductor-nanowires on graphene. To achieve this, researchers "bomb" the graphene surface with gallium atoms and arsenic molecules, thereby creating a network of minute nanowires.
The result is a one-micrometre thick hybrid material which acts as a semiconductor. By comparison, the silicon semiconductors in use today are several hundred times thicker. The semiconductors' ability to conduct electricity may be affected by temperature, light or the addition of other atoms.
Fantastic potential
Graphene is the thinnest material known, and at the same time one of the strongest. It consists of a single layer of carbon atoms and is both pliable and transparent. The material conducts electricity and heat very effectively. And perhaps most importantly, it is very inexpensive to produce.
"Given that it's possible to make semiconductors out of graphene instead of silicon, we can make semiconductor components that are both cheaper and more effective than the ones currently on the market," explains Helge Weman of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Dr Weman is behind the breakthrough discovery along with Professor Bj?rn-Ove Fimland.
"A material comprising a pliable base that is also transparent opens up a world of opportunities, one we have barely touched the surface of," says Dr Weman. "This may bring about a revolution in the production of solar cells and LED components. Windows in traditional houses could double as solar panels or a TV screen. Mobile phone screens could be wrapped around the wrist like a watch. In short, the potential is tremendous."
The researchers have received assistance in gaining patents and founding a company from NTNU Technology Transfer AS, a collaborative partner to the programme entitled Commercialising R&D Results (FORNY2020) at the Research Council of Norway.
However, the path to these findings started with basic research funded under the Research Council's Clean Energy for the Future Programme (RENERGI) and the now-concluded programme, Nanotechnology and New Materials (NANOMAT), which initiated the findings.
The researchers will now begin to create prototypes directed towards specific areas of application. They have been in contact with giants in the electronics industry such as Samsung and IBM. "There is tremendous interest in producing semiconductors out of graphene, so it shouldn't be difficult to find collaborative partners," Dr Weman adds.
The researchers are hoping to have the new semiconductor hybrid materials on the commercial market in roughly five years.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by The Research Council of Norway. The original article was written by B?rd Amundsen/Thomas Keilman. Translation: Glenn Wells/Carol B. Eckmann.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
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Apple CEO apologizes for Maps, recommends you use Google instead
Well, this is certainly... odd. Apple CEO Tim Cook took to his company's website earlier today, posting a letter apologizing for the now-infamous Maps debacle, suggesting that upset iPhone owners try other mapping applications such as the web version of Google Maps.
Given Apple's notorious hatred for all things Google?? or, at least, former CEO Steve Jobs' hatred ? a letter suggesting their customers try a solution from Apple's number one competitor is somewhat surprising. Then again, just as surprising is the fact that Cook feels it necessary to apologize for Maps, one of the major apps that defines iOS 6. Read the full text of the letter is below, and then decide for yourself: Would Steve Jobs had written this letter if he was still alive?
"At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.
We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.
There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.
While weâ????re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the?App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and?creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.
Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard."
This article was written by Fox Van Allen and originally appeared on Tecca
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Angry pet owners take jerky treat fight to stores
Grieving pet owners have started warning other consumers with fliers, cards and posters about potentially dangerous chicken jerky treats from China. After the death of her German shepherd, one Illinois woman gathered 60,000 signatures demanding retailers stop selling the treats.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49202309#49202309
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Ruling in Pennsylvania voter ID case could come Thursday
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania judge may rule as early as Thursday on whether to block a voter identification law that could influence turnout in a key swing state in the U.S. presidential election.
Lawyers appearing for a second day of hearings on Thursday were asked by Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson earlier this week for suggestions on what kind of injunction to issue should he find voters have less than "liberal access" to the IDs required to vote under the new state law.
Simpson said he planned to rule ahead of the October 2 deadline set by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which ordered him to reconsider his August decision upholding the law.
The law, which was passed by the Republican-led legislature in May without a single Democratic vote, says that all voters must show either a state driver's license, government employee ID or a state non-driver ID card to vote.
With just six weeks before the tight presidential election on November 6, national attention is focused on the court battle over the law. Supporters of the voter ID law say it is aimed at ensuring that only those legally eligible to vote cast ballots.
Critics say it is designed to keep minority voters, who typically vote Democratic, away from the polls.
The state of Pennsylvania has acknowledged that there has never been a single case of in-person voter fraud, according to court testimony.
Obstacles to obtaining IDs - from two-hour lines to crowded waiting areas with few seats to a lack of parking - were described by the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, a non-partisan watchdog group, at a press conference on Wednesday.
The group deployed observers this month to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation offices where the free IDs are issued. They found workers instructing those seeking the cost-free cards to apply for a different ID that costs $13.50, said center's executive director Sharon Ward.
One observer said elderly people seeking IDs at one center saw the crowd and left empty-handed.
"Although the Department of State ID was established to make it easier for individuals to obtain an ID, it appears ? that there's confusion, that the facts about how to obtain this ID are not well known and PennDOT staff are having some difficulty managing this process," Ward said.
She said the law, passed in March, should be delayed until after the November election because of the problems.
(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Vicki Allen)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ruling-pennsylvania-voter-id-case-could-come-thursday-121741096.html
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Internet Marketing Suggestions That Will Help increased Your - First
Website marketing has quickly become an established market, and can be considered the forefront of advertising and marketing. This article contains many tips to help increase your profitability.
Look into research that has been done on how a business?s website design or online marketing techniques influence the psychological behavior of consumers. Many psychological factors can determine how people perceive your product, including the color and design of your site. You should have a basic understanding of this information in order to ensure your overall profit is maximized.
Advertise your company with the Internet?s most popular sites. Consider it an investment that will get you a lot of valuable exposure and lead to brand recognition. If your page has traffic all day, the presence of your ad will be implanted in a customer?s mind.
TIP! Ask for feedback often. This particular factor can prove really critical to your overall success, since your perspective of your site appearance and pricing structure might not match the perspective of others.
User Friendly
A great way to make your site user friendly is to include a FAQ section which is frequently asked questions. This will enable your customers to get answers quickly and will make your site more user friendly, in general. The more evident it is to your customer that purchasing services or goods from you is to his or her benefit, the more likely the person is to complete a transaction.
One tip webmasters forget is to keep their sites simple. A lot of web design and marketing companies rely too much on gimmicks like Flash and Silverlight. Experts should understand that many visitors do not want to deal with this type of technology. A website can be more functional if it doesn?t have fancy bells and whistles.
TIP! Before you set out to get your website ranked, you should concentrate on building a quality site. This should be the first step for everyone in web business.
Although you may not know it at first, you are well-equipped to create a successful online marketing strategy. All you need to have is you. No expensive software or other tricks are needed. Simply work diligently, and think before you act on a decision.
It is important that you handle all customer service complaints on your own. It?s better to handle these types of situations on your own, even if you?re tempted to hire someone else to do so. If an unhappy customer sends you an irate email, respond yourself to that email, offer a resolution, and let the customer know that you value him or her and his or her business.
Don?t just abandon and reject ideas that did not produce the results that you wanted. Something that did not catch on a few months ago might work now. The Internet is constantly evolving, and people regularly find new applications for it. Avoid investing too much money in unworkable ideas, but save them.
TIP! It is essential when owning a business that you spend your advertising dollars in the right ways. Like many other business expenditures, advertising is subject to the law of diminishing returns.
Check frequently for outdated information on your website. If your site has only old articles on it, it will not rank well in search results and people will not visit it again. A well-received and current site is one which will attract more people.
You should be able to guarantee that your system for ordering is secure. Open a Paypal or similar account that lets you have a secure transaction system for your website. Personal user accounts should also be password protected to make sure their personal and payment information is secure.
Internet Promotion
TIP! Use internal links that include your keywords. Once you get a visitor to your site, keeping them there becomes vital.
There is no step-by-step recipe for Internet promotion success; it is as much an art as it is a science. Prior to starting an Internet promotion campaign, make sure you understand both parts. Use your creativity to build effective Website marketing techniques for your particular type of business.
Invest some time in learning basic web design techniques and principles. There?s plenty of information online about CSS or HTML that will help you in web design. Spending just a half an hour every day learning about good web page design will give you a lot of ideas in as little as a few weeks.
The beginning of this article pointed out that every bit of knowledge that you can gain on Web marketing will help you in your business. Now that you have learned some new insights into this area, you are hopefully already having new visions and ideas to apply to your own affiliate marketing efforts. Remember the tips in this article and be sure to enjoy your new profits
TIP! An Internet marketing trick everyone should know, is to give people the choice of paying wholesale or retail, according to how much they buy. You should still be making a profit on wholesale items you sell but this is a great way to increase the amount of product you sell.
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Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/internet-marketing-suggestions-that-will-help-increased-your-business
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