There is an umpteen quantity of options that are available available in the market these days, but doing the right choice of game copying software can go a long way in making certain the safety of your pc, the main reason for this currently being that there are a lot of game copying software that exist over the net right now but a lot of them may spoil your computer with a number of dangerous worms that can cause permanent and quite often irreparable damages for a computer, this is a thing you definitely might want to give you a miss at. The favorable game copying computer software give you very simple method to download them properly and easily, once you have downloaded a reliable game duplicating software all you have to perform is insert your disk of the initial Xbox 360 game that you just wish to copy therefore the software will ask you to give it a location in which you would like to save the actual copied game, when you finally do this the exact duplicate of your favorite Xbox 360 system game will be made and saved on your desktop and there after you will use it to burn several copies as you wish to. Now you can safely put away your original Xbox 360 system game disk in the safe place and enjoy the exact same gaming experience that a lot with a backup duplicate. The best part about the great and reliable online game copy software is which they allow you to copy your games in a very limited time and also they are extremely safe.

Now that you have all your facts in place as to the way to console game backup all you should do is handle the essentials that I possess laid down available for you and make as many duplicates of your Xbox 360 games as you wish and when you wish.

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Source: http://submityourbestarticle.com/copy-xbox-360-console-online-games-without-modchip-2/

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The warmer months are coming, and now is the time to start considering what you will do with your patio or garden area?s outdoor patio lighting. Lighting your outdoor area will let you to stay out on your patio long after dark, and you will enjoy your outdoor living area that much more.

More than just a few simple solar lights are involved in lighting your patio or garden. Technological innovations and modern styles and designs have given outdoor lighting an entirely new look.

The great thing about outdoor patio lighting is that you can be creative. There are no rules and you have an amazing backdrop to set the lights against: the outdoors. Candles are a great addition to any lighting scheme. Not only do they set the mood, but they are also very affordable.

If candles are included in your lighting, you should enclose them in glass fixtures to prevent their flames from being snuffed out by evening breezes.

Mason jars are unexpectedly charming and work well. You can create a lovely illuminated focal point for your patio table by placing three or four candles in a rectangular glass vase.

Torches can be used as an alternative to candles. Some use oil as fuel while others provide a place to insert a candle. They work well when placed along a garden path or around a patio dining area.

Citronella oil torches can be used to keep bugs away. If you want a different source for your lighting, try installing some patio fixtures or lamps. You can provide your guests with an unexpected touch of atmosphere by removing your standard patio light and using an outdoor lantern in its place.

The outdoor patio lantern will provide the additional benefit of being pleasant to look at even during the day.

Keep in mind that it is best to keep your lighting as warm as possible. This means you should use bulbs that have a warm tone. Warm lighting will keep your outdoor area cozy and comfortable for your friends and family.

Bringing some of your inside lighting outdoors provides another option for outside lighting. If an awning covers your patio dining area, bring out a few table lamps from your home and place them on tables near the patio. Floor lamps can make the atmosphere quite cozy. Always make sure you are using electric outlets that are suitable for outdoor use.

You can have an electrician install these for a very low cost. You can also have an electrician install dimmer switches. This will allow you to control the outdoor patio lighting as the night becomes more dark. As you can see, outdoor lighting can be fun, inviting, and affordable with a few simple touches.

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Source: http://www.thebrigantebrand.com/2012/02/21/outdoor-patio-lighting-is-a-great-way-to-add-your-personality-to-your-deck/

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Fortunately, strategic thinking training is available for companies who wish to develop a competitive advantage over their rivals. This training provides management teams as well as entire organizations using the required skills to increase their leadership potential. After completing the training individuals will see a higher business acumen, and the company will love increased profits and greater productivity.

Developing in addition to locating unique opportunities is a major focus in strategic thinking training. This can enable a creative exchange of ideas among critical people in the organization. By doing this, it?s easier to uncover potential opportunities that can be included in the strategic business plans. Challenging traditional thinking in conversations with others will help reveal the fundamental pros and cons of a company.

Analysis of a company?s good and bad points can help figure out how to develop a unique advantage over competitors. A strength may be superior technology to produce high quality products. Weaknesses could include inexperienced management, poor distribution channels along with a high price structure. The internal factors affecting the success of a business are these strengths and weaknesses.

SWOT is an acronym that stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Internal factors are considered to become strengths (e.g., superior technology) and weaknesses (e.g., inexperienced management). External factors include opportunities (e.g., new markets) and threats (e.g., strict government regulations). A SWOT analysis may help develop effective business and marketing strategies.

Strategic thinking training shows you how to use a SWOT analysis. One of the ways is to match an internal variable like strength by having an external variable like opportunity. As an example, a butcher could use his superior tasting meat (a strength) to spread out a cafe or restaurant (the opportunity). Weaknesses and opportunities may also be matched in a similar way. A company with inexperienced management (a weakness) can hire consultants before you take advantage of a new opportunity.

Going for a strategic thinking training course can tell you that the processes to develop strategies must follow certain guidelines. The strategy should fit with a company?s mission statement and vision in the future. Clearly defined company goals should not be thwarted with a new strategy. The strategy is really a method to achieve the goals. A company that can contemplate multiple alternatives will succeed over a company that may only see one outcome.

Only real data supports the best strategies. Even educated guesses must be based on facts. There are also choices to be made when developing the strategy. Prioritizing activities and determining how resources are to be deployed may not make all people happy. But you still need to be focused on the clear guidance needed to carry out the strategy.

Sandra has been doing business strategy books for countless years. She has seen the ins and outs for the right results to accomplish great strategic planning training level.

Source: http://business.redbright.co.za/create-a-competitive-edge-on-your-rivals-with-strategic-planning/

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The Specialized Ariel series of women-specific hybrid bikes is placed quite firmly at the mountain-bike end of the hybrid spectrum. With fat tyres and suspension forks on all models, these bikes are ideally matched to those who enjoy exploring off the beaten track.

On the other hand, as many happy Ariel owners have said, these bikes are just as happy on the morning commute to work or school. They will absorb all the vibration and shocks that you have to put up with these days, making modern road travel a pleasure.

Each Ariel is built onto the same Premium aluminium alloy frame. The beautifully curved top tube providing the step-through geometry. Specialized are evidently concious of practical issues, as the frame will accept racks and mudguards. There’s also a fitting for a kickstand.

All bikes in the range have suspension forks. Chosen from the Suntour collection, they feature increasing sophistication as you move up the range. The Ariel Sport Disc and Comp Disc both include lockouts which conserve energy when suspension is not needed on even surfaces.

As far as brakes are concerned, apart from the V-brakes on the entry-level Ariel, the collection carries discs – mechanical, or hydraulic on the top model. Discs are powerful – and hydraulics can make the command of that power more even. Disc brakes benefit from keeping their braking surfaces away from the gravel and puddles, improving performance and reducing wear and tear.

All the variants have triple chainrings, so there are lots of ratios available for getting up demanding hills. The number of gears goes up from 21 to 27 through the range.

Effective running on the tarmac is helped by the 700 mm wheels. The smooth face of the 45C tyres maintains rolling resistance low, while the grip on the side delivers enough grip for the grass and gravel.

Riser handlebars make for a very comfortable riding position, comfort being enhanced by the women-specific grips and Riva saddle.

So within the Specialized Ariel series there’s quite a selection. All clearly conform to the same design thinking – performance bikes that will suit the commuter, but at the same time capable of doing rather more off road work than the average.

The basic Ariel has a great deal going for it. However for those with the resources, the more high-priced models have a lot to offer. When you get to the top of the collection, the Comp Disc model has few rivals.

Source: http://leisure.ezinemark.com/the-specialized-ariel-go-anywhere-hybrid-bike-for-women-7d339bdc8839.html

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Leaked internal documents expose some of the mechanisms a prominent ‘free-market’ think tank uses to discredit climate science.

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The?website?DeSmogBlog, which seeks to “clear the PR pollution that is clouding the science on climate change” obtained documents leaked by the Heartland Institute, including the organization’s 2012 budget, its fundraising plan, and recent board meeting minutes. The institute, which has offices in?Chicago and Washington D.C., has claimed that one of the documents is fake, but admits that others were authentic. ?

The documents represent “a rare glimpse behind the wall of a key climate denial organisation,” Kert Davies, director of research for Greenpeace, told?The Guardian.

Whatever Heartland is doing, it seems to be working. Americans once largely embraced the science behind global warming, but no more. According to Harris interactive, in 2007, 71 percent of Americans believed that human activity was changing the Earth’s climate. By July of 2011, that number had fallen to ?44 percent.

Climatologists are mostly believers. Another Harris Interactive poll found that 97 percent of climatologists believe that global temperatures have increased in the past century. And 84 percent of these experts credit humans with causing the temperature increase. Scientists are still trying to understand the details of humans’ impact on climate, what it means for the future and how to mitigate its effects.

But among most Americans, but belief ? or disbelief ? in climate science seems to be shallow, and it is largely driven not by?science or scientists, but by politicians. A study published online in the journal Climatic Change last year, demonstrated that belief in climate change and its anthropogenic causes peaked in 2006-2007. The study suggests that this belief was due in part to congressional agreement on the issue.

The release of Al Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” in 2006 also helped, as did the relatively stable economy.

But in 2008, the economy began to falter the consensus among political leaders dissolved. At the same time, a growing number of Americans began to embrace climate skepticism.?

Ohio State University sociologist?J. Craig Jenkins, noted that one thing is clearly not influencing people’s beliefs on climate change: science.?

“There is no linear process where people get educated about the threat and then demand action.? People?s views fluctuate quite a bit, and [a] lot has to do with what they hear from their political leaders.?It is a political battle,” he said in a press release.?

As for the Heartland Institute, they describe the impact of their work in this way: “A telephone survey of randomly selected state and local elected officials conducted in 2011 found 79% of state legislators and 63% of local elected officials read at least one of our publications. 45% of state legislators say a Heartland publication changed their mind or led to a change in public policy.”

The organization influences opinion by providing funding to experts and bloggers, holding an annual climate change conference, and publishing responses to reports produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) through a group called the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC). The Heartland Institute’s communication tools emphasize areas of doubt and uncertainty in climate research.

An article published in July in the journal Nature said, “the Heartland Institute and its ilk are not trying to build a theory of anything. They have set the bar much lower, and are happy muddying the waters.”

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/cIZLPoZyPmM/Heartland-s-leaked-documents-show-how-climate-skepticism-spreads

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The final recipient in the chain was Don Terry, 46, of Joliet, Ill., who underwent a kidney transplant at Loyola. His kidney came from a donor in California.

“This kidney chain,” Terry said, “has brought me back to life.”

Living-donor chains have the potential to dramatically reduce transplant waiting times for thousands of patients. Loyola has started 13 kidney transplant chains. That’s second only to Cornell, which has started 17 chains, according to the National Kidney Registry, which coordinates kidney chains. In 2011, Loyola started more chains than any other center.

Dr. John Milner, a Loyola transplant surgeon, is a national leader in kidney transplant chains and a member of the Medical Board of the National Kidney Registry. Joe Sinacore, the registry’s director of research and education, said Milner is one of the nation’s most passionate and effective advocates of kidney chains.

Patients typically must wait as long as 5 to 10 years to receive a kidney from a deceased donor. Having a living donor can eliminate the wait. But in one-third of such cases, a transplant can’t be done because the immune systems of the patient and a willing donor don’t match.

A kidney chain provides an innovative solution. Each chain begins when a Good Samaritan steps forward to donate a kidney, expecting nothing in return. For example, say the Good Samaritan donates a kidney to a patient we’ll call John. John’s wife, Mary, would have donated a kidney to her husband, but her kidney doesn’t match. So instead of donating to John, Mary “pays it forward” by donating to a second patient, Bill. Bill’s sister is willing to donate, but she doesn’t match Bill. So she instead gives her kidney to a third patient, who she does match.

The chain can go on indefinitely, moving from hospital to hospital across the country. It stops only when a recipient does not have a friend or family member who can keep the chain going. The previous record for the longest chain, set in 2010 by the National Kidney Registry, was 23 transplants.

The recent record-breaking chain began when a Good Samaritan donated a kidney at Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, Calif. His kidney was flown cross-country to a recipient at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J. From there, the chain moved back and forth across the country, stopping at Loyola on the 12th link, and finishing at Loyola on the 30th link.

The last donor in the chain was a 59-year-old California woman. Her kidney was removed at UCLA and flown in the middle of the night to Loyola. Milner and transplant surgeon Amy Lu performed the historic final transplant in the chain.

The chain ended with the Loyola patient, Don Terry, because he did not have an available donor to keep the chain going. His only sibling, a brother, is deceased, and his elderly parents are unable to donate for medical reasons.

The National Kidney Registry ended the chain at Loyola, rather than at another center, because Loyola had started so many previous chains with Good Samaritan donors. This made Loyola eligible based on the registry?s chain-ending policy.

Thirteen chains have started at Loyola. So far, 11 chains have ended at Loyola, benefiting 11 patients who otherwise would have languished on the waiting list. “Loyola has been a beneficiary of its own altruism,” Sinacore said.

Six other Loyola patients have also been involved in transplant chains, bringing the total to 17.

Of the 13 good Samaritans who jump-started kidney transplant chains at Loyola, five are Loyola employees who donated kidneys to strangers. Two other Loyola employees have given kidneys to acquaintances. Collectively, they are known as the Seven Sisters of Loyola. Loyola is believed to be the only organization in the world in which seven employees have donated kidneys to non-relatives.

The National Kidney Registry has coordinated 77 transplant chains that have provided kidneys to 393 patients. That’s just a start. Milner said kidney chains have the potential to provide kidneys to as many as 20,000 patients immediately, and 3,000 patients per year thereafter.

“This is the best way for patients with incompatible donors to be transplanted quickly with the best results,” Milner said.

For more information, please call (708) 327-4897 or (800) 424-6120. To speak to a living-donor coordinator at Loyola, call (708) 327-2696.

Paulette’s Story: 12th Link in World’s Longest Kidney Transplant Chain

Paulette Behan of West Chicago, Ill., and her younger sister, Sunni Stupka of Baldwyn, Miss., are very close.

They text every day and talk at least once a week. So when Sunni learned that Paulette needed a kidney transplant, she was eager to donate one of hers.

But Sunni’s kidney didn’t match Paulette’s immune system. If Sunni donated to Paulette, her kidney would be rejected.

“It broke my heart,” Sunni said. “I felt like a failure, like I had let her down.”

Then the sisters learned about an innovative kidney transplant chain available at Loyola University Medical Center. Transplant surgeon Dr. John Milner explained that Paulette could receive a kidney from a donor in Pittsburgh who matched her. In return, Sunni would promise to donate a kidney to a matching patient in California. Paulette became the 12th link in what would become the world’s longest kidney transplant chain.

The kidney from the Pittsburgh donor was flown to Loyola from Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. Four days after Milner transplanted the kidney into Paulette, Loyola’s Chair of Surgery, Dr. Paul Kuo, removed a kidney from Sunni. Sunni’s donated kidney then was flown to a waiting patient at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

Don’s Story Final Link in Record-breaking Kidney Transplant Chain

Don Terry of Joliet, Ill., is the 30th and last recipient in the world’s longest kidney-transplant chain.

Terry, 46, has Type 2 diabetes. His kidneys began to fail two years ago, and he went on dialysis in January 2011. He was put on a transplant waiting list and told it could take as long as 5 to 10 years.

Terry has a full-time job with the U.S. Social Security Administration. Being on dialysis, he said, was like having a second, part-time job.

A diabetes patient on dialysis typically does not have a long life expectancy. Terry worried that he might not live to see his 50th birthday. “What bothered me the most was the possibility of leaving family members like my mom and dad by themselves, and having them see their son pass away from an excruciating disease,” he said.

Then Terry read about Loyola University Medical Center’s participation in kidney transplant chains, which are designed to eliminate waiting times for kidneys. Terry made an appointment with Dr. John Milner, one of the nation’s leading transplant-chain surgeons.

A kidney became available from a donor in California who matched Terry. The surgery was successful, and Terry recently returned to work.

“I think I have more energy now than I had when I was in my 20s,” he said.” I have made it my life’s mission to make people aware of kidney chains.”

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Loyola University Health System, via Newswise.

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

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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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220102128.htm

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The hearse carrying the body of Whitney Houston arrives at Fairview Cemetery for her burial in Westfield, N.J., Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

A long line of media vehicles line up to cover the burial of Whitney Houston at Fairview Cemetery for her burial in Westfield, N.J., Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

WESTFIELD, New Jersey (AP) ? Whitney Houston was laid to rest Sunday at a brief private ceremony in New Jersey, the end of a weekend that saw the pop star’s family and friends gather at a star-studded funeral to mourn her loss while celebrating her career.

Fans and onlookers gathered in several places along the route the motorcade took from the Newark funeral home to the cemetery about 20 miles (30 kilometers) away in Westfield, where Houston was buried next to her father, who died in 2003.

The 48-year-old singer died Feb. 11 in California, hours before she was to attend a pre-Grammy Awards party. No cause of death has been determined.

On Saturday, she was mourned at an invitation-only funeral at the church in Newark where she sang in the choir as a child. She was remembered by the biggest names in the music: Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys sang, and industry mogul Clive Davis was among those who spoke, as was Kevin Costner, Houston’s co-star in “The Bodyguard.”

The funeral was closed to fans, who were not allowed within blocks of the church. Still, many came to Newark to take part in what ways they could, some from as far as Miami and Washington, D.C.

Fans gathered again near the funeral home Sunday morning, and some even slowly ran alongside the hearse as it began the journey to Houston’s gravesite. Several yelled out “We love you, Whitney” as the hearse, which had a black and white headshot of the star in a window, slowly drove away.

Barbara Davis, 53, of Newark, said she had been waiting outside the funeral home since 8:30 a.m., hoping to get a glimpse of Houston’s final trip.

“To be here at her home-going is an honor and a blessing,” Davis told The Star-Ledger of Newark.

Also among the crowd was Newark resident Eva Aquino and her two granddaughters, ages 10 and 13. All three stood on a street corner as the hearse passed by, and they used cellphones to snap photos of the procession.

The girls were wearing T-shirts and buttons of Houston that their grandmother had bought from vendors outside the funeral home Saturday.

“We came here and bought all these things of her to cherish the memories,” said 13-year-old Nalani Velez of Kearny.

The burial came a day after an emotional, nearly four-hour service at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church that ended with the strains of Houston’s biggest record, “I Will Always Love You,” filling the church.

Her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston wailed, “My baby! My baby!” as she was held up by two women and led out of the church behind the casket bearing her daughter’s body. A few steps behind her was the pop icon’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, also crying uncontrollably as she was comforted by Houston’s close friend, singer Ray J.

Her death marked the end of a life of stunning achievement. Blessed with a voice of great power and beauty, Houston became one of pop music’s most successful artists over a career that spanned nearly three decades and segued into film with hits like “The Bodyguard.”

But her life was not without struggles. An addiction to drugs and a tumultuous union with ex-husband Bobby Brown saw her tumbling from grace.

Both sides of Houston were recalled at the service at New Hope, which was filled with about 300 mourners, including Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Hudson, Diane Sawyer and Houston’s cousin, Dionne Warwick.

“She was someone with a charmed and a beautiful life, sometimes misunderstood, even by herself,” said her sister-in-law and manager, Patricia Houston. “But a life nevertheless that gave joy, happiness, enthusiasm, peace and beautiful music to millions of people around the world.”

Costner, her co-star in “The Bodyguard,” said that for all of Houston’s beauty and success, she was still yearning for approval from the public and somewhat insecure, a superstar who “still wondered, ‘Am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Will they like me?’”

“It’s a tree we could all hang from ? the unexplainable burden that comes with fame,” he said. “Call it doubt. Call it fear. I’ve had mine. And I know the famous in the room have had theirs.”

Many who spoke talked about Houston’s unshakable faith in Jesus Christ. They said it got her through some of her most difficult times. Perry recalled a conversation where Houston would look sad when reflecting on her troubles, but then would hasten to add that God was taking care of her.

“The other thing I know for sure ? and this is more important than anything that she’s done in her life ? Whitney Houston loved the Lord,” he said.

Fittingly, music played a major role in the send-off to one of music’s greatest voices.

Stevie Wonder rewrote lyrics to “Ribbon in the Sky” for Houston ? “you will always be a ribbon in the sky,” he sang.

So did gospel’s the Rev. Kim Burrell for “A Change is Gonna Come,” which Warwick said was Houston’s favorite song of all time. R. Kelly brought the New Hope Baptist Church to its feet with a stirring version of “I Look to You,” the title of Houston’s final studio album.

And Keys, her voice breaking at times, dedicated her song “Send Me An Angel” to Houston

Brown briefly appeared at the funeral, walking to the casket, touching it and walking out. He later said in a statement that he and his children were asked repeatedly to move and he left rather than risk creating a scene.

Warwick presided over the funeral, introducing speakers and singers and offering short insights about her cousin; she joked that Houston’s Super Bowl performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” became almost as big as the telephone book.

Over her career, Houston sold more than 50 million records in the United States alone. Her voice, an ideal blend of power, grace and beauty, made classics out of songs like “Saving All My Love For You,” ”I Will Always Love You,” ”The Greatest Love of All” and “I’m Every Woman.” Her six Grammys were only a fraction of her many awards.

Houston had her first No. 1 hit by the time she was 22, followed by a flurry of No. 1 songs and multi-platinum records. Her last album, “I Look To You,” debuted on the top of the charts when it was released in 2009 with strong sales, but didn’t have the staying power of her previous records. A tour the next year was doomed by cancellations because of illness and sub-par performances.

___

Online:

http://www.whitneyhouston.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-02-19-Whitney%20Houston-Burial/id-41dfd2b2a15049b2ac91fe3b5df22427

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Contact: Dr. Abigail Stevenson
Abigail.Stevenson@effem.com
44-166-441-5400
WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition

Owners of obese dogs that are successful in losing weight notice significant improvement in their dogs’ health-related quality of life, a collaborative team of researchers has shown. The research was conducted by scientists from the University of Liverpool (UK), the Pain and Welfare Group at the University of Glasgow (UK), ROYAL CANIN and the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition – the science centre supporting Mars Petcare brands such as PEDIGREE and NUTRO.

The study involved fifty obese dogs, representing a mix of breeds and genders that had been referred to the ROYAL CANIN Weight Management Clinic based at the University of Liverpool. Owners were asked to complete a standardised questionnaire to determine the health-related quality of life of their dog prior to weight loss. Owners of the thirty dogs that successfully completed the weight loss programme and reached their target weight then completed a follow-up questionnaire. The completed questionnaire responses were converted into scores corresponding to a range of factors, including vitality, emotional disturbance and pain.

The results showed that quality of life improved in the dogs that successfully lost weight, as seen by their increased vitality scores and decreased scores for emotional disturbance and pain. The improvements in vitality score were greater the more body fat the dogs lost. The research also found that the dogs that failed to complete their weight loss programme had lower vitality and higher emotional disturbance scores than those successfully losing weight.

“Obesity is a risk for many dogs, affecting not only their health, but also their quality of life,” said lead study author, Dr. Alexander German from the University of Liverpool. “This research indicates that, for obese dogs, weight loss can be important for staying both healthy and happy.”

“Strategies for combating obesity and keeping dogs fit and healthy include portion control, increased exercise and diets specifically formulated for overweight pets”, added study author and WALTHAM scientist, Dr. Penelope Morris.

Measurement of health-related quality of life is a key tool in outcome assessment for human medicine and is being increasingly adopted by veterinary professionals. Health-related quality of life tools give us a valuable insight into pets’ wellbeing and can play an important role in assessing the impact of companion animal therapies.

###

WALTHAM is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of companion animals. This research forms part of a wider programme of ongoing collaborative research into the impact of health and nutrition on body weight in dogs and cats.

The research has been published in The Veterinary Journal and is available for free online: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023311003698

About the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition:

The WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition is a leading scientific authority in pet nutrition and wellbeing and has been advancing the frontiers of scientific research into the nutrition and health of companion animals for nearly 50 years. Located in Leicestershire, England, the renowned state-of-the-art science institute focuses on the nutritional and behavioural needs of companion animals and their benefits to humans, enabling the development of innovative products which meet these needs in a practical way. WALTHAM has pioneered many important breakthroughs in pet nutrition, and in collaboration with the world’s foremost scientific institutes, supports leading Mars brands such as WHISKAS, PEDIGREE, NUTRO, TRILL, CESAR, SHEBA, KITEKAT, AQUARIAN, WINERGY and the ROYAL CANIN brand.

About Mars, Incorporated:

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the philosophy of a “mutuality of benefits” for all stakeholders this vision serves as the foundation of the Mars, Incorporated we are today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $30 billion and six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks and Symbioscience. More than 65,000 Associates worldwide are putting our Mars Principles in action every day to make a difference for people and the planet through our performance.

Mars brands include: Chocolate M&M’S, SNICKERS, DOVE, GALAXY, MARS, MILKY WAY and TWIX; Petcare PEDIGREE, WHISKAS, SHEBA, CESAR and ROYAL CANIN; Wrigley ORBIT, EXTRA, STARBURST, DOUBLEMINT and SKITTLES; Food UNCLE BEN’S, DOLMIO, EBLY, MASTERFOODS and SEEDS OF CHANGE; Drinks ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS, THE BRIGHT TEA CO., KLIX and FLAVIA; Symbioscience SERAMIS, CIRKU and COCOAVIA.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Abigail Stevenson, Head of Value Transfer, WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition
Tel: 44-1664-415400 Email: Abigail.Stevenson@effem.com

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Public release date: 20-Feb-2012
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Contact: Dr. Abigail Stevenson
Abigail.Stevenson@effem.com
44-166-441-5400
WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition

Owners of obese dogs that are successful in losing weight notice significant improvement in their dogs’ health-related quality of life, a collaborative team of researchers has shown. The research was conducted by scientists from the University of Liverpool (UK), the Pain and Welfare Group at the University of Glasgow (UK), ROYAL CANIN and the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition – the science centre supporting Mars Petcare brands such as PEDIGREE and NUTRO.

The study involved fifty obese dogs, representing a mix of breeds and genders that had been referred to the ROYAL CANIN Weight Management Clinic based at the University of Liverpool. Owners were asked to complete a standardised questionnaire to determine the health-related quality of life of their dog prior to weight loss. Owners of the thirty dogs that successfully completed the weight loss programme and reached their target weight then completed a follow-up questionnaire. The completed questionnaire responses were converted into scores corresponding to a range of factors, including vitality, emotional disturbance and pain.

The results showed that quality of life improved in the dogs that successfully lost weight, as seen by their increased vitality scores and decreased scores for emotional disturbance and pain. The improvements in vitality score were greater the more body fat the dogs lost. The research also found that the dogs that failed to complete their weight loss programme had lower vitality and higher emotional disturbance scores than those successfully losing weight.

“Obesity is a risk for many dogs, affecting not only their health, but also their quality of life,” said lead study author, Dr. Alexander German from the University of Liverpool. “This research indicates that, for obese dogs, weight loss can be important for staying both healthy and happy.”

“Strategies for combating obesity and keeping dogs fit and healthy include portion control, increased exercise and diets specifically formulated for overweight pets”, added study author and WALTHAM scientist, Dr. Penelope Morris.

Measurement of health-related quality of life is a key tool in outcome assessment for human medicine and is being increasingly adopted by veterinary professionals. Health-related quality of life tools give us a valuable insight into pets’ wellbeing and can play an important role in assessing the impact of companion animal therapies.

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WALTHAM is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of companion animals. This research forms part of a wider programme of ongoing collaborative research into the impact of health and nutrition on body weight in dogs and cats.

The research has been published in The Veterinary Journal and is available for free online: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023311003698

About the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition:

The WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition is a leading scientific authority in pet nutrition and wellbeing and has been advancing the frontiers of scientific research into the nutrition and health of companion animals for nearly 50 years. Located in Leicestershire, England, the renowned state-of-the-art science institute focuses on the nutritional and behavioural needs of companion animals and their benefits to humans, enabling the development of innovative products which meet these needs in a practical way. WALTHAM has pioneered many important breakthroughs in pet nutrition, and in collaboration with the world’s foremost scientific institutes, supports leading Mars brands such as WHISKAS, PEDIGREE, NUTRO, TRILL, CESAR, SHEBA, KITEKAT, AQUARIAN, WINERGY and the ROYAL CANIN brand.

About Mars, Incorporated:

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the philosophy of a “mutuality of benefits” for all stakeholders this vision serves as the foundation of the Mars, Incorporated we are today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $30 billion and six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks and Symbioscience. More than 65,000 Associates worldwide are putting our Mars Principles in action every day to make a difference for people and the planet through our performance.

Mars brands include: Chocolate M&M’S, SNICKERS, DOVE, GALAXY, MARS, MILKY WAY and TWIX; Petcare PEDIGREE, WHISKAS, SHEBA, CESAR and ROYAL CANIN; Wrigley ORBIT, EXTRA, STARBURST, DOUBLEMINT and SKITTLES; Food UNCLE BEN’S, DOLMIO, EBLY, MASTERFOODS and SEEDS OF CHANGE; Drinks ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS, THE BRIGHT TEA CO., KLIX and FLAVIA; Symbioscience SERAMIS, CIRKU and COCOAVIA.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Abigail Stevenson, Head of Value Transfer, WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition
Tel: 44-1664-415400 Email: Abigail.Stevenson@effem.com

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/cl-rtp021712.php

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]]> http://mobilni.mobi/842/scientists-find-a-notable-improvement-in-quality-of-life-following-successful-weight-loss-in-obese-dogs/feed/ 0 http://mobilni.mobi/841/california-levee-fixes-lead-to-greater-risk-analysis-shows/ http://mobilni.mobi/841/california-levee-fixes-lead-to-greater-risk-analysis-shows/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:24:20 +0000 http://mobilni.mobi/841/california-levee-fixes-lead-to-greater-risk-analysis-shows/ LATHROP, Calif. — When Jack Robertson walks his dog atop the earthen levee just blocks from his home, the San Joaquin River rushes past on one side and rows of tract houses unfold on the other.

In Lathrop, a small community that mushroomed on a floodplain in California’s Central Valley, 18,000 people live in the shadows of levees that once failed.

To pave the way for thousands more homes and a tripling of its population, the community is making levee repairs funded largely by $5 billion in state voter-approved flood control bonds.

In California, whose antiquated levee system is the nation’s largest, such ambitious plans have raised the stakes in a long-running debate over how much should be built behind levees designed in large part to safeguard farmland, not the 1 million people and $69 billion in property now protected by them.

The planned development in Lathrop and other flood-prone places also has raised questions about whether the state’s flood control spending is heading off a potentially disastrous problem or will exacerbate it in the long run.

After Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast, California voters approved the bonds in 2006 for improvements to the most important and vulnerable levees and other flood infrastructure. The $5 billion is less than one-third of the $17 billion needed to completely shore up the state’s flood protection system.

An AP analysis of the $3 billion spent so far shows the largest expenditures have focused on improving levees in flood-prone areas where development recently occurred and where much more growth is planned. In several cases, the levee projects were also partially financed by developers waiting to build more housing on the floodplains.

In addition to Lathrop 75 miles east of San Francisco, major repairs are taking place to the north in Plumas Lake in Yuba County and in West Sacramento, across the Sacramento River from the state capital, and the Natomas area of Sacramento itself.

Records show $629,290,000 in bond funds were spent in direct costs on these projects, not counting state-wide costs such as levee evaluations, floodplain mapping or flood notifications.

Critics say this is a poor way to spend the state’s flood control dollars, because encouraging new development in floodplains puts more people and property at risk. And higher risk means ever-escalating demands for levee repairs, as well as greater rescue and rebuilding costs after flooding.

“It doesn’t make economic sense,” said Jeffrey Mount, geology professor at UC Davis. “The state should not be funding projects that induce growth and increase flood risk.”

But the state has little power over local land use decisions, and local governments need tax revenue from new construction to help pay for levee repairs.

“Communities are caught in a vicious circle,” said Mount. “To pay for their share of the cost of levee repairs, they need to have growth on the floodplain.” Mount is a former state’s levee safety board member who was critical of development and was fired by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005.

State water officials say the Central Valley’s flood risk ranks among the highest in the nation and they are spending the bond money to protect existing communities. The levees built along the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, they say, are particularly vulnerable to warm rain on top of a heavy melting snowpack, which can fill reservoirs and rivers to overflowing within days.

Although courts have found the state financially liable for levee failures, officials acknowledge the state has exercised little control over years of rapid residential and commercial development on what once were lightly populated floodplains.

But they have begun taking steps to change that, said Mike Mierzwa, senior engineer at the California Department of Water Resources.

A state flood control plan released in December calls for limiting growth in undeveloped floodplains and encourages smarter land use planning. It advocates widening floodways and bypasses and purchasing conservation easements to prevent urban development.

The state also will require urban communities that want to do new development to achieve 200-year flood protection, double the federal standard, by 2025. That level of protection means a flood has a 0.5% chance of occurring in any given year. That corresponds to a 14 percent chance of flooding over the course of a 30-year mortgage.

“Moving to 200-year protection sets the bar a little higher,” Mierzwa said. “It causes local communities to think about what they’re doing out there, and focus less on protection and more on risk.”

Experts say the state needs to do more to limit aggressive development behind levees.

“Climate change may bring larger floods, so we don’t have any certainty about what level of protection we really need,” said John Cain, director of conservation for California Flood Management at the nonprofit American Rivers. “One day, we could find out that gee, we were wrong, those people we allowed to buy houses behind that levee are in great danger.”

Meanwhile, communities that are hungry for development race to have their levees meet the minimum federal 100-year flood standard, as they will be grandfathered in under the lower standard of protection. Once accredited, they are no longer considered to be in a “floodplain” ? even if they have experienced frequent flooding.

That level of flood protection means that over the course of a 30-year mortgage, the chance of a 100-year flood occurring is about 1 in 4, or 26 percent.

In Lathrop, a new city hall and more than half dozen developments were built on land which most recently filled with water after the levees leaked during the 1997 flood. The levees, dating back to the mid-1800′s, were improved ? including recent widening and addition of seepage berms.

Eliud Nduti, a Kenyan immigrant who works as a Bay Area elevator mechanic, bought a house here two years ago. But he said he didn’t realize Lathrop was behind a levee until he moved in.

“One day, I just drove up, parked my car and walked,” he said. “I was really surprised. This levee is a concern for us, but we can’t afford flood insurance.”

Other residents, like Robertson, a retired computer company manager, said they feel safe and don’t buy insurance because the levees meet the federal 100-year flood protection standard. Federal records show only 173 Lathrop residents, fewer than 1 percent, have flood insurance, which is not required.

In Lathrop, as in several other areas, developers eager to build more housing helped pay for the local share of levee repairs.

More repairs will be needed, said the local reclamation district secretary, Dante John Nomellini Sr. Future development will help raise money so the district can continue paying for more repairs, he said.

Nomellini said his district had little choice but to develop the floodplain and put more people at risk.

“If you have an existing population in place that you want to protect, not developing anymore is not going to help; it’s going to hurt,” he said. “You’ve got to increase the risk, because that’s how you’re going to get revenue to provide increased protection.”

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/19/california-levee_n_1287210.html

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