ATCHISON, Kan. ? An explosion at a northeast Kansas grain elevator injured at least two people Saturday, shaking the ground for miles around and sending a fireball high into the night sky that was visible across the river in Missouri, authorities said.
The two injured victims were in critical condition in the burn unit at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., about 50 miles south of the blast site at the Bartlett Grain Co. elevator in Atchison, Kan., hospital spokesman Dennis McCulloch said.
A news release from Atchison city officials said multiple injuries were reported, but that authorities were withholding details pending notification of families. A spokeswoman for Atchison Hospital, TC Roberts, said the hospital had not treated any patients from the explosion and didn't expect to receive any.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, though grain elevator mishaps often occur after grain dust becomes suspended in the air and turns explosive in the right conditions. In its news release, the city said rescue operations "can be difficult because workers are often scattered throughout the facility, making them difficult to locate."
Several area police and firefighting agencies were on the scene late Saturday, and fire crews were seen pumping water onto the wreckage well into the night.
The explosion could be seen and felt across Atchison, a town of about 11,000 people known as the birthplace of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart.
Across the river in Buchanan County, Mo., a sheriff's dispatcher said their office took numerous calls from residents saying they could hear the explosion deep into the county. The St. Joseph, Mo., News-Press reported the blast sent up a fireball that could be seen well away from the site.
Randy Burton, an employee at the Quick Stop East convenience store in Atchison about two miles from the elevator, said the explosion "shook our whole building."
"All I saw was a flash and then the building shook really good," Burton said. "Some things fell off our shelves."
If you love pickles you can make your own without having to buy canning equipment by combining the ingredients into jars and leaving in the refrigerator for 24 hours. After that you'll have fresh crunchy pickles that will keep in your fridge for two weeks.
Culinary blog Never Trust a Skinny Baker provides a simplified recipe for refrigerator pickles that is an ideal introduction to home food preservation. Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices in a large bowl then pour hot water into the bowl to dilute the brine; mix until the sugar is dissolved and allow to cool to room temperature. Chop cucumbers into ? inch slices and divide them into jars. Chop dill and garlic together and add to the jars then pour the cooled brine in the jars until it just covers the cucumber slices. Seal the jars and place in your fridge and they're ready in 24 hours.
Since the pickles never leave your refrigerator you don't need airtight mason jars. Previously used pickle or spaghetti sauce jars work fine for this. For more information on the exact ingredients see the source link below.
JUNDIAI, Brazil (Reuters) ? The nondescript stretch of asphalt is an unlikely symbol of Brazil's attempt to lift its economy into a new high-tech era.
If officials in the industrial town of Jundiai get their way, it will soon be named Steve Jobs road -- in homage to the late Apple Inc co-founder and a nod to the expected windfall that producing iPads and iPhones here will bring.
Brazil's government has loudly proclaimed a deal it says is worth $12 billion for Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn to produce iPads and build a whole new industry based around screens used in an array of consumer electronics from smartphones to televisions.
But the infamous "Brazil cost" -- shorthand for the bureaucracy and high taxes that plague business in the country -- is already overshadowing the deal, complicating negotiations with Foxconn over the broader investment plan. The likely need for large state subsidized loans to lure Foxconn also revives concerns about the state's heavy hand in Brazil's economy.
The deal's transformative potential for Brazil is clear -- a home-grown technology industry could move the commodities giant up the value-added chain to join the likes of Taiwan and South Korea, reducing its dependence on manufactured imports from Asia.
Yet critics say Brazil's shallow labor pool and poor infrastructure make it ill-prepared to make the leap to high-end work and that it risks being stuck at the low end -- assembling components designed and made elsewhere. At first, Foxconn will have to fly in most of the key components such as semiconductors, modems and screens from China, as Brazil attempts to raise its ability to produce more of them locally.
"We are selling our market very cheaply, giving tax incentives for a company to come and produce something that is already developed in the world market," said Joao Maria de Oliveira, a researcher at the government-linked Institute for Applied Economic Research, or IPEA. "It's not something that adds much value and it won't leave much here."
The amount of value added to Apple products by Foxconn's approximately one million workers in China is a mere $10 or so per device, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine.
Brazil has cut taxes and duties on tablet production in a move that should reduce the retail price by about a third and is phasing in production requirements to foster a local components industry.
Separately, it is in talks with Foxconn on a package of incentives, including priority customs access, more tax breaks and subsidized loans from state development bank BNDES to secure the bigger investment in high-end screens.
It isn't hard to see what's in it for Foxconn, Apple and other foreign companies, including Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd that have expressed interest in making tablets here.
Apple will gain better access to Brazil's voracious consumers, who have faced high prices for its products due to hefty import tariffs, and will create a jumping-off point for other rapidly growing Latin American countries.
Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics company, with around a third of the global market, would gain a vital foothold in Latin America's largest economy and reduce the risks of having so much Apple production in China.
Producing in Brazil would also give Foxconn and Apple preferential access to Brazil's partners in the Mercosur customs union -- Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
But the "Brazil cost" raises doubts over whether Apple will be able to make the iPad cheaply enough for the Brazilian market and use it as a major base to export to the United States and Latin America.
Brazil's consumer market is a huge draw for companies such as Apple, but analysts say the domestic industry will likely take years to move beyond assembly to higher-end production.
"It will take at least five, six years to create the entire ecosystem there," said Satish Lele, vice president, consulting, Asia Pacific at Frost & Sullivan in Singapore.
"I don't think they (Brazil) are ready to support huge growth as far as the electronics sector is concerned."
THE BRAZIL COST
The Foxconn factory near "Steve Jobs" road is rumored by Brazilian media to already be producing iPhones and is expected to start churning out iPad tablets by December for sale to Brazil's growing middle class. The company, whose main listed vehicle is Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, has already hired more than 1,000 people in Jundiai, a medium-sized city an hour away from Sao Paulo, to work at a new plant.
Jundiai is planning to build a technology park and nearby towns are also looking to draw more such investment.
"We're the BRICs of Brazil," said Carmelo Paoletti Neto, a spokesman for the town, comparing the region to role played the emerging powerhouses Brazil, Russia, India and China on the global stage.
But the starting monthly wage for members of the metalworkers' union in Jundiai is about 1,058 reais ($605) -- nearly double the 2,000 yuan ($315) minimum wage Foxconn paid in China as of last October.
Those wage pressures are likely to make it hard for the iPad price to fall any time soon to a range that would give it the mass-market appeal it enjoys in the United States.
Tablet sales in Brazil will jump to 450,000 this year from 105,000-110,000 last year, according to consulting firm IDC, surging to above 1 million next year. That is significant growth -- but the 60 percent of Brazilian households without a computer won't necessarily rush out to buy tablets, cautioned Jose Martim Juacida, an analyst with the company.
"The first computer purchase is usually a desktop or a laptop, because a desktop can be shared," he said.
(Additional reporting by James Pomfret in Hong Kong; Lee Chyen Yee and Clare Jim in Taiwan; editing by Kieran Murray, Martin Howell and Andre Grenon)
In Silicon Valley, failure has been democratized. You don?t need a lot of money to fail. Nor do you need any previous experience. Take, for example,?Brian Wong?and?Roger Dickey?? two young Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who, in spite of their youth, are already steeped in failure. Wong, who was the youngest person ever to receive venture capital funding and is now the CEO of the mobile rewards network?Kiip, once worked at Digg ? the paragon of a failed Silicon Valley technology start-up. While Dickey managed to build 16 sixteen (yes, that?s SIXTEEN) failed Facebook apps before getting lucky with Mafia Wars. When I spoke to Wong and Dickey earlier this week at?FailCon,?they both embraced the idea of failure. It?s all about ?mental resilience?, they told me. Every setback is a ?learning opportunity?, they said, and they described failure as ?the ultimate rebirth?. Great failures of the past include Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers, they explained, while Groupon?s Andrew Mason and Zynga?s Mark Pincus are today?s heroic failures, guys who failed so fast and frequently that in the end that had to get something right.
UNITED NATIONS ? The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to lift the no-fly zone over Libya on Oct. 31 and end military action to protect civilians, acting swiftly following the death of Moammar Gadhafi and the interim government's declaration of the country's liberation.
The council authorized the actions on March 17 in response to an Arab League request to try to halt Moammar Gadhafi's military, which was advancing against rebels and their civilian supporters. The NATO bombing campaign that followed was critical in helping the rebels oust Gadhafi from power in August.
"This marks a really important milestone in the transition in Libya," Britain's U.N. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said. "It marks the way from the military phase towards the formation of an inclusive government, the full participation of all sectors of society, and for the Libyan people to choose their own future."
The council adopted the resolution a day after Libya's deputy U.N. Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi told the council Libyans wanted their sovereignty restored but asked members to hold up action until the transitional government made a formal request, which he hoped would come by Oct. 31.
The U.N.'s most powerful body rejected his request, deciding that there was no need for U.N.-authorized military action following the death of Gadhafi on Oct. 20 and the National Transitional Council's announcement of liberation on Oct. 23.
Last week, NATO announced preliminary plans to phase out its mission on Oct. 31. But the alliance unexpectedly postponed a decision on Wednesday, saying NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen needed to continue consultations with the U.N. and Libya's transitional government. The alliance's governing body, the North Atlantic Council, was scheduled to meet Friday to discuss the Libyan mission.
The resolution ends the U.N. authorization for military action just before midnight on Oct. 31, which means that Libya will regain control of its airspace and all military operations effective Nov. 1.
The Security Council said it looks forward "to the swift establishment of an inclusive, representative transitional government of Libya" committed to democracy, good governance, rule of law, national reconciliation and respect for human rights.
It strongly urged Libyan authorities "to refrain from reprisals," take measures to prevent others from carrying out reprisals, and to protect the population, "including foreign nationals and African migrants." Those two groups have been targeted by anti-Gadhafi forces because they were seen as supporting the late dictator's regime.
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who earlier argued that the resolution authorizing military action was misused by NATO to justify months of airstrikes against Gadhafi's regime, circulated a resolution last week calling for an end to military operations on Oct. 31.
Churkin welcomed the council's unanimous vote but told reporters that "numerous violations have taken place" in implementing the Libya resolution and "serious lessons should be drawn for the Security Council."
U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice countered that NATO's action prevented "mass slaughter" in the eastern city of Benghazi and elsewhere over many months. And she insisted that all council members knew what authorization of the use of force to protect civilians would entail.
"We discussed it very concretely and plainly, and described thoroughly that this would entail active use of air power and air strikes," she said.
As the air campaign unfolded, Rice said, "there were those that found it increasingly uncomfortable what they had agreed to. But to suggest that somehow they were misled is false."
While U.S. aircraft were crucial at the beginning of the air campaign, France and Britain then took the lead in the NATO operation.
France's U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud said his country was proud that it "stood on the side of the Libyan people" from the beginning and would now help them rebuild the country. As for Churkin's criticism, Araud said, "we let the historians decide."
SEOUL (Reuters) ? South Korea's Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) warned of rising competition and economic uncertainty after it posted on Thursday a 21 percent rise in quarterly net profit, fueled by solid sales gains in the United States, Europe and other markets.
Hyundai, the world's fifth-biggest carmaker by sales, along with affiliate Kia Motors (000270.KS), also said it will beat its already-upgraded sales target of 4 million units this year, after its global sales rose 9.6 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier.
Once viewed as manufacturers of bland but economical cars, Hyundai and Kia have addressed design and reliability problems in recent years to outperform during the global financial crisis and have become formidable competitors to more established rivals.
Their sales are expected to remain solid in the fourth quarter with new models winning over consumers with attractive prices, features and styling, analysts said.
The South Korean duo will also continue to benefit from the woes of Japanese rivals suffering from a strong yen and floods in Thailand, where some maintain production units, they said.
Still, maintaining sales momentum next year in the face of a slowing global economy, resurgent Japanese automakers, and stretched manufacturing capacity is seen a challenge.
"Tougher competition from recovering Japanese carmakers is inevitable in the short term," said Lee Dong-geun, a fund manger at Heungkook Asset Management said. "But Japanese firms still have concerns about a stronger yen and the recent floods in Thailand."
Hyundai on Thursday reported a 1.92 trillion won ($1.7 billion) net profit for the July-to-September quarter, in line with a consensus forecast of 1.89 trillion won from Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
That was up from a 1.59 trillion won net profit a year ago and down from 2.31 trillion won in the preceding quarter.
COMPETITION IN U.S.
"We expect Japanese rivals to carry out an aggressive sales policy in the United States after normalizing production in the fourth quarter," said Hyundai's chief financial officer, Lee Won-hee. "But we will maintain our low-inventory, low-incentive policies and pursue qualitative growth."
"We believe our Sonata and Elantra are ahead of Toyota's new Camry and Honda's new Civic in terms of product competitiveness expect that we will be able to achieve global sales of more than 4 million vehicles this year," he said.
Hyundai's president, Chung Jin-haeng, told Reuters on Tuesday that Hyundai and Kia expected to beat their already upgraded combined 2011 sales targets of 6.5 million vehicles, but the growth rate is forecast to slow next year because of capacity constraints.
Lee said he expected global car demand to rise by 4.2 percent to 78.5 million vehicles next year, almost flat from 2011's growth rate, but said there is a downside risk to the 2012 demand should economic conditions in the United States and Europe deteriorate.
"Hyundai will probably benefit from some operational issues that its Japanese counterparts are facing due to flooding in Thailand, where some production units are located," said Jung Sang-jin, a fund manger at Dongbu Asset Management.
"Looking at next year however, earnings growth momentum may slow. This is quite natural given that Hyundai has seen very sharp earnings growth in recent years. Hyundai has a stronger presence in the United States than Europe, so the health of the U.S. auto market is one uncertainty," he said.
Shares in Hyundai Motor closed flat versus the wider market's (.KS11) 1.46 percent gain. Its shares have jumped 29 percent this year, outperforming the broader market's (.KS11) 8 percent fall.
(Additional reporting by Ju-min Park, Jungyoun Park and Meeyoung Cho; Editing by Matt Driskill and Jonathan Hopfner)
Amid the throes of the summer's heated and bitterly partisan debates over the federal debt, President Obama channeled the frustrations of most Americans when he remarked that they voted for divided government, not dysfunctional government. Since then, it appears this dysfunction is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
But it would be foolhardy to confuse the health of the debate in our nation's capital with that of the country as a whole, or the vitality of our federal government with that of our federal republic.
In fact, we find America ? or, more precisely, our states, cities and metropolitan areas ? awash in leadership and increasingly governed by a Pragmatic Caucus of political, business, university and civic leaders. In sharp contrast to Beltway polarization, these leaders are acting decisively to grow jobs in the near term and retool their metropolitan economies for the long-haul.
(See how the jobs bill vote proved congressional dysfunction.)
The rise of a Pragmatic Caucus at a time of federal inaction reflects the genius of American democracy. The U.S. is not just the federal government. It is also a union of states, and perhaps more importantly, a network of cities and metropolitan areas.
States matter constitutionally, sharing responsibility for shaping the economy, safeguarding the environment and caring for our most vulnerable and disadvantaged.
Cities and metros dominate economically as they concentrate and agglomerate the innovative firms, talented workers, risk-taking entrepreneurs and supportive ecosystems of universities, community colleges and business associations that drive modern economies.
Members of the Pragmatic Caucus share common ground even if they have different political or ideological leanings. They are close to the ground, and prize place over party, collaboration over conflict and solution over dogma. They form what Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter likes to call the "Get Stuff Done" party.
(See why Obama's actions don't always live up to his words.)
Mayors, not surprisingly, are charter members of the Pragmatic Caucus, since so many duties of local office ? from providing basic services to regenerating blighted neighborhoods to preparing for and responding to natural disasters like Hurricane Irene ? require practical rather than political solutions and demand leaders who are hungry for results and impatient with ideological grandstanding.
The current cast of U.S. mayors ? both Republicans and Democrats ? is one of the best in modern memory. But the Pragmatic Caucus extends far beyond elected officials to include enterprising presidents of major universities, major philanthropic leaders and the heads of influential metropolitan business organizations.
Governors, too, are getting the message about metropolitan power. Colorado, New York and Tennessee, for example, have all initiated state economic development strategies that intentionally build upon and align with the distinctive strategies of each state's cities, counties and metropolitan areas. This is not surprising since the Governors of these states are all either former Mayors or individuals with deep experience with urban issues. Others, like Rick Snyder of Michigan, have brought deep business backgrounds and a focus on tangible results and short-term deliverables.
See "The De Facto Religious Test in Presidential Politics."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The economy grew at its fastest pace in a year in the third quarter as consumers and businesses stepped up spending, creating momentum that could carry into the final three months of the year.
The expansion was a welcome relief for an economy that looked on the brink of recession just weeks ago, although part of the pick-up came from a reversal of factors that held back growth earlier in the year and analysts worry about 2012.
U.S. gross domestic product grew at a 2.5 percent annual rate in the third quarter, up from 1.3 percent in the prior three months, the Commerce Department said on Thursday.
The pace matched economists' forecasts, but domestic demand showed a bit more vigor than most had expected.
"The economy is now heading in the right direction and this is very encouraging, particularly given the heightened global uncertainties and the fact that other major economies appear to be heading into recessions," said Millan Mulraine, a senior macro strategist at TD Securities in New York.
An agreement by European leaders to ramp up their debt-crisis response combined with the data to spark a rally on Wall Street. U.S. Treasury debt prices dropped, while the dollar fell broadly.
The GDP report could give Federal Reserve policymakers some breathing space. They meet next week to debate additional ways to help the economy and lower an unemployment rate that has been stubbornly stuck above 9 percent for five months.
The economy needs to grow at a rate of more than 2.5 percent over a sustained period to cut the jobless rate.
"The persistence of high unemployment and ongoing fragility of the economy ... will prompt the Fed to take more unconventional actions as we move into 2012," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial in Chicago.
TEMPORARY BOOST?
A jump in gasoline prices had weighed on consumer spending earlier in the year, and supply disruptions from Japan's earthquake had curbed auto production.
As those factors faded, the economy perked up.
Consumer spending grew at a 2.4 percent rate in the third quarter, the strongest since the fourth quarter of 2010, while business investment spending shot up at a 16.3 percent pace, the most in more than a year.
Failing to anticipate the fairly strong demand, businesses were slow to restock warehouses. Inventories posted their smallest gain since the fourth quarter of 2009, a slowdown that subtracted more than 1 percentage point from GDP growth.
Excluding the drag from inventories, the economy grew at a 3.6 percent pace.
The peppier spending and sluggish pace of inventory growth lays the base for a solid fourth quarter, but the possibility of a recession in Europe and the exhaustion of pent-up U.S. demand could leave a weak spot early in 2012.
For the U.S. economy, the biggest problem is the weakness of the labor market. Inflation-adjusted disposable income fell at an annual rate of 1.7 percent in the third quarter, and consumers had to dip into savings to lift their spending.
The jobs market is showing little improvement. Data from the Labor Department on Thursday showed new claims for state unemployment benefits fell 2,000 last week to 402,000 -- a level that suggests little headway.
Households, however, should get some relief as price pressures abate. A price index for personal spending rose at a 2.4 percent rate in the third quarter, slowing from the April-June quarter's 3.3 percent pace.
A core inflation measure, which strips out food and energy costs, rose at a 2.1 percent rate after increasing 2.3 percent in the prior three months.
Apart from consumer and business spending, growth in the third quarter was also supported by a smaller U.S. trade deficit.
Spending on residential construction also rose modestly.
Still, there are no signs of a real housing recovery. A report from the National Association on Realtors on Thursday showed pending sales of previously owned homes fell for a third successive month during September.
Government spending was flat in the third quarter, reflecting continued budget cuts by state and local governments.
While the pace of decline in state and local government spending is now moderating, economists worry fiscal policy will tighten next year if Congress fails to extend expiring payroll tax cuts and emergency jobless benefits.
"Fiscal tightening and policy uncertainty will weigh on growth. We expect growth to slow from 2.0 percent in the first half of next year to a 1 percent handle by year-end," said Michelle Meyer, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York.
(Additional reporting by Glenn Somerville and Jason Lange; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) ? U.S. authorities arrested 22 people in Florida on Friday, including pharmacists and doctors, in a crackdown against prescription drug abuse that officials say is the nation's fastest growing drug problem.
The arrests in Orlando and Tampa were the latest steps in successive operations by federal and local authorities to shut down so-called "pill mill" pain clinics, prescription forgery rings and illegal online pharmacies involved in the illegal distribution of prescription drugs such as painkillers.
At a news conference in Tampa, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said these operations, dubbed Pill Nation I and II, had led so far to 118 arrests, the seizure of more than $19 million in assets and the closure of at least 40 Florida pain clinics.
"Our targeted, aggressive enforcement actions are sending a clear message that -- here in Florida, which has long been the nation's epicenter for the illegal distribution of prescription drugs -- the days of easily acquiring these drugs from corrupt doctors and pharmacists are coming to an end," Holder said.
He was accompanied by the administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Michele Leonhart, and Florida state officials.
Those arrested in Florida on Friday, who included five doctors and two pharmacists, were charged with illegally diverting controlled substances.
Holder said in prepared remarks the abuse of prescription drugs, such as painkiller oxycodone and methadone, which is used for drug addiction detoxification, was now the fastest-growing drug problem in the country.
DEA chief Leonhart called it an "epidemic." Prescription drugs now caused more overdose deaths in the United States than "street drugs" such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
Holder said an estimated 7 million people in the United States regularly used prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes and this abuse contributed to nearly 40,000 deaths and almost $200 billion in healthcare costs annually.
Last year alone, one in seven teens abused prescription drugs to get high, officials said.
Holder said the problem had reached "crisis proportions" in Florida, where between 2005 and 2010 the number of oxycodone-related deaths increased by 345 percent.
On Saturday, the DEA was sponsoring a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day which will allow people to dispose of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs at more than 5,000 collection sites throughout the United States.
(Writing by Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Eric Walsh)
We're thrilled to present this smart Bundle story here on Savvy!
You're a good grownup. You have health insurance, life insurance, car insurance, and homeowner's insurance. Life can throw anything your way, and you'll be covered! Well, not anything. Each of the insurance plans that you pay premiums for every month have caveats and asterisks and fine print. Here are ten surprising things that you insurance probably doesn't cover.
Stuff in your car. If your car is broken into, your comprehensive coverage will replace the broken window. What it won't replace is anything that got jacked. The property in your car is covered instead by your homeowner's or renter's insurance, if you have it.
Nuclear disaster. If you live near a nuclear power plant and it has a meltdown and you are forced to abandon your house, your homeowner's insurance will not cover it.
Your shrink. Some health insurance policies have mental health coverage, but many do not. Before you get too comfortable on the therapist's couch, double check to see who will be paying for it.
Read on for more.
Earthquake. Earthquake coverage must be purchased in addition to homeowner's insurance. Damage from tsunamis spurred by earthquakes is not covered (awesome).
Home healthcare. Some heath insurance plans will pay for home nursing care, but many won't. Check your policy.
Terrorism. Pre 9/11, many homeowner's insurance policies didn't mention terrorism. Post 9/11, most policies exclude acts of terrorism as a legit reason for filing a claim.
Mold. If your house is infested with mold, it can mean health problems for your whole family; it might even mean abandoning your house. But it won't be a problem for your insurance company: your policy won't cover mold.
Floods. Earthquake insurance doesn't cover tsunamis, but flood insurance does. Again, flood coverage is an extra add-on that normal homeowner's insurance doesn't cover.
Sewer or sump pump backup. As a homeowner, few things might be worse than to find your house filled with sewage, except maybe that your homeowner's insurance won't cover it.
Reproductive medicine Whether you want hormone therapy and in vitro to have a baby or a vasectomy so you can't have one, your health insurance likely won't cover it.
Lynch?s Landing, Lynchburg?s leader for downtown revitalization, seeks a full-time Communications and Event Coordinator to assist in the development and implementation of events and marketing materials to position and promote downtown Lynchburg as a ?great place to live work and play?. The Coordinator will be an energetic resource for the long-term revitalization of downtown Lynchburg and will represent the Main Street program throughout the community. Responsibilities include coordinating, managing, and staffing special events sponsored by Lynch?s Landing (Friday Cheers, Holiday Traditions, Get!Downtown and others) and coordinating and managing volunteer teams to assist with the implementation of special events. The Coordinator will also work with community organizations sponsoring events in Downtown Lynchburg and monitor and support all efforts that bring customers into the community. Additionally, the successful candidate will work with the Executive Director to develop marketing and media relations campaigns, prepare marketing materials, and manage social media and online information for Lynch?s Landing.
Job Responsibilities
Produce high-quality financially profitable events that create a positive image for Lynch?s Landing and downtown Lynchburg
Negotiate sound/lighting/staging contracts, labor and vendors; anticipate potential needs and difficulties prior to event
Secure and coordinate entertainment, negotiate fees
Provide consulting services for groups interested in producing events downtown and create partnerships with other organizations to produce events downtown
Serve on the City of Lynchburg Special Events Committee
Prepare licensing and permit applications for all events
Recruit and direct the work of volunteers to ensure adequately planned and staffed events
Proactively manage Lynch?s Landing website and social media sites
Draft, edit and disseminate weekly e-newsletter
Assist in the research, planning, implementation and evaluation of public relations and marketing campaigns; write, edit, and publish informational brochures, information packets, and flyers
Assist with media relations efforts ranging from writing and editing media releases/media advisories/ fact sheets to maintaining media lists, cultivating relationships with journalists and pitching stories
Write and issue media insertion orders and ensure that space and material deadlines are met
Assist with committee projects as needed
Perform administrative work as needed to track and report event financial activity
Perform functions such as answering the telephone and provide information as needed to resolve questions about Lynch?s Landing activities
Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
A bachelor?s degree in a related field and at least three years experience in one or more of the following: marketing, public relations, sales, event planning and production, media, and experience working with volunteers and the general public. The Coordinator should be a self-starter, imaginative, and well-organized. Excellent written and verbal skills are required; public speaking experience is a plus. Must have general computer skills and be proficient in word processing and spreadsheet applications; proficiency in online/social media channels and website management a plus. Demonstrated creative problem solving skill and experience, including the ability to apply independent judgment, discretion and initiative to addressing problems and developing solutions, is required. Ability to work and prioritize in a fast paced, deadline driven environment and to communicate effectively with all levels of staff, volunteers, donors and community representatives is important. Attendance and participation at events and activities in downtown Lynchburg will be expected outside of normal office hours and on weekends.
How To Apply
To apply, please send a resume, cover letter, salary requirements and three references to: Anna Bentson Executive Director, Lynch?s Landing 1023 Commerce Street Lynchburg, VA 24504 anna@downtownlynchburg.com (No Phone Calls Please)
Additional Information
This position is currently not eligible for benefits.
WASHINGTON ? Federal agents trying to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border say they're hampered by laws that keep them from driving vehicles on huge swaths of land because it falls under U.S. environmental protection, leaving it to wildlife ? and illegal immigrants and smugglers who can walk through the territory undisturbed.
A growing number of lawmakers are saying such restrictions have turned wilderness areas into highways for criminals. In recent weeks, three congressional panels, including two in the GOP-controlled House and one in the Democratic-controlled Senate, have moved to give the Border Patrol unfettered access to all federally managed lands within 100 miles of the border with Mexico.
Two of the panels expanded the legislation's reach to include the border with Canada.
The votes signal a brewing battle in Congress that will determine whether border agents can disregard environmental protections as they do their job.
Dozens of environmental laws were waived for the building of the border fence, and activists say this is just another conservative attempt to find an excuse to do away with environmental protections.
But agents who have worked along the border say the laws crimp their power to secure the border.
Zach Taylor, a retired Border Patrol agent who lives about nine miles from the Arizona-Mexico border, said smugglers soon learn the areas that agents are least likely to frequent.
"The (smuggling) route stays on public lands from the border to Maricopa County," Taylor said, referring to the state's most populous county. "The smugglers have free rein. It has become a lawless area."
Environmental groups said lawmakers lining up to support the legislation have routinely opposed the Endangered Species Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and dozens of other laws, and they accused the lawmakers of using illegal immigration as the latest excuse to gut protections.
"For every problem that's out there in society, there's some extremists in Congress who say the solution is, `Well, let's roll back the environmental laws, let's open up the public lands,'" said Paul Spitler, spokesman for the Wilderness Society. "It doesn't comport to reality, but it fits their mindset that it's simply the environmental regulations that are holding back America."
Nearly 40 percent of the land on the U.S.-Mexico border and about a quarter of the land on the U.S.-Canadian border is public land, including Big Bend National Park in Texas and Glacier National Park in Montana. Driving is prohibited on those parts of the land that are designated wilderness areas.
Wildlife officials say vehicle use can be particularly hazardous in the desert. Water gathers in the tire tracks instead of in natural pools and evaporates more quickly, leading to less vegetation and less available food. Some areas, such as Big Bend and the desert farther west, are deadly to traverse in certain months and immigrants and smugglers avoid them.
The wilderness areas also have other restrictions on development. Border patrol agents, for example, must get permission from other federal agencies before maintaining roads and installing surveillance equipment. Federal auditors found it can take months to get that permission.
"What the Border Patrol says they really need down there is not necessarily more manpower or money," said Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, whose bill easing the restrictions passed the House Natural Resources Committee along party lines. "They need more east-west access on those public lands."
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., sponsored an amendment that requires the Agriculture and Interior departments to give Border Patrol personnel immediate access to federal lands on the southern border for security activities, including for routine motorized patrols. The amendment passed a Senate committee with the support of five Democrats and eight Republicans.
McCain told colleagues that up to 100 people sit on mountaintops near the border serving as lookouts for smugglers, suggesting that improved law enforcement access on those mountains would deter the lookouts.
"What he says is absolutely true," said Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, who visited Arizona with McCain. "For the life of me, I can't understand the hesitancy on the part of Interior or Agriculture to provide access to border security guards."
Rep. Ben Quayle, R-Ariz., sponsored a similar amendment that extends the law to the Canadian border as well, and it passed by a voice vote, which is usually reserved for noncontroversial legislation.
During a House subcommittee hearing in April, Ron Vitiello, deputy chief of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, said he had "no complaints" about environmental laws.
But George McCubbin, president of the union that represents about 17,000 Border Patrol agents and support staff, likened current policy to telling city police officers they can't patrol a particular neighborhood.
"If they want to get serious about this problem on the border, they can't be restricting areas we go in," said McCubbin, who works in Casa Grande, Ariz. "Don't let us there and you have nothing but the bad element going through that area."
The Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, reported that supervisors at 17 of 26 Border Patrol stations along the Mexican border said access to federal lands had been limited because of environmental restrictions. Yet, the vast majority of the agents in charge also said that they were generally able to adjust their patrols without sacrificing effectiveness.
Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups cite the GAO's findings in arguing against giving the Border Patrol authority to operate as it sees fit on federal lands.
"The record is clear. The problem this bill claims to be solving does not exist," said Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. "So, if this is not about border security, what is it about? It's about undermining fundamental environmental protections for millions of Americans."
Bishop said federal agents would be better stewards of sensitive lands than illegal immigrants and smugglers.
"What is so ironic is that the environmental degradation is not being done by the Border Patrol," Bishop said. "It's being done by the illegals who are coming across."
___
Associated Press writer Jacques Billeaud contributed to this report from Phoenix.
Having sealed its base on Android ? and wrapped up the French mobile market in the process ? mobile payments firm Boku has put pen to paper on a new deal, this time with an online gaming outfit.
The agreement with the US arm of Chinese gaming portal ChangYou.com will see Boku's billing solution integrated into the firm's library of online games, allowing users to pay for play with their mobile phone bills if they don't have a credit card to hand.
An eye on online
"ChangYou is enjoying tremendous success in China, and we look forward to partnering with them to help monetise their business as they expand globally," said Boku's VP of business development, Kurt Davis.
"ChangYou will be a great partner for BOKU as they grow the free to play MMORPG market here in the United States.
"They provide gamers with a world of excellent gameplay, and we give their players around the world the easiest and safest way to pay for ChangYou virtual tokens via mobile payments."
Billing with Boku
The first games wrapped up in the deal include Zentia and Dragon Oath.
Further online releases will see Boku's carrier billing solution integrated into their set up at a later date.
"Boku clearly understands the gaming market," added VP of publishing at ChangYou.com US arm, Dirk Metzger.
"It's important to us that transactions for virtual goods be as seamless and as safe as possible for our customers, and as such Boku's system is a great fit for our needs."
Space debris, more efficient LEDs, and thinner, cheaper solar cellsPublic release date: 25-Oct-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Angela Stark astark@osa.org 202-416-1443 Optical Society of America
The Optical Society's Renewable Energy & the Environment Congress highlights the role of optics in energy generation and conservation
WASHINGTON -- Scientists and engineers from around the world will convene in Austin, Texas next week as experts gather to discuss recent advances in optics and photonics -- the branch of physics dealing with the science of light -- affecting renewable energy and environmental research.
Journalists are invited to the Optical Society's (OSA) Optics and Photonics Congress: Renewable Energy & the Environment, which will be held at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown Nov. 2-3. Four co-located meetings will cover optics for solar energy, solid-state and organic lighting, photovoltaics, and instrumentation for energy and environmental applications . Press registration details are below.
In addition to seven plenary session keynote speakers from institutions such as the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab and Stanford University, many of the research presentations at the meeting focus on the most cutting-edge discoveries in renewable energy and photonics, including new designs for solar cells and LEDs. Highlighted presentation topics include:
1. Thousands of Sensors to Keep Watch on Earth's Climate
2. Looking for CO2 Leaks
3. Let the Sunshine In
4. Studying Space Debris: NASA Uses Optics to Help Reveal Size, Composition of Space Junk
5. Novel LED Design May Boost Efficiencies
6. 'Inverted Pyramid' Design Makes Thinner Wafers, Cheaper Solar Cells
7. Toward a Simpler White Organic LED Design
8. Improving Efficiency with Photonic Crystal Sandwiches
9. 'Power Droop' Challenges of LEDs for High-power Lighting
10. Plasmonics for Better Light Trapping
1. Thousands of Sensors to Keep Watch on Earth's Climate
Science is only as good as the data on which it is based, the saying goes. To help meet the forecasting challenges of climate-change science, the U.S. National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) plans an ambitious network of more than 45,000 sensors to monitor climate indicators such as temperature, precipitation, carbon dioxide concentration, and soil characteristics. Researchers will present a strategy for automating and managing this vast array of climate sentinels. Full presentation information.
2. Looking for CO2 Leaks
One proposed method to slow anthropogenic climate change is to capture carbon dioxide emissions and store them underground. But the solution won't work if the CO2 escapes. Researchers have designed and tested an imaging system that may be able to spot leaks by the telltale way the CO2 feeds vegetation growth. Full presentation information.
3. Let the Sunshine In
Natural light is free and aesthetically pleasing, but it can't reach basements or windowless offices. Novel daylighting systems, called core sunlighting, that bring light into these building areas might solve this problem by piping the sunshine through cost-effective, mirror-lined tubes. Full presentation information.
4. Studying Space Debris: NASA Uses Optics to Help Reveal Size, Composition of Space Junk
NASA is using new optical techniques to study the ever-growing cloud of space debris encircling the Earth. NASA uses the information it gathers to help develop space debris mitigation standards and collision avoidance maneuvers for spacecraft, making space a little safer. Read full summary.
5. Novel LED Design May Boost Efficiencies
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are vastly more efficient than incandescent light bulbs and even compact fluorescent bulbs, but they still have design constraints that limit their potential. Researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan has used a new ridge-shaped design that is 10-16 times more efficient than the current flat design. Read full summary.
6. 'Inverted Pyramid' Design Makes Thinner Wafers, Cheaper Solar Cells
The battle between solar power and fossil fuels can be fought on many fronts, but a big one is cost. Researchers at MIT will discuss their newly designed prototype silicon solar cell that promises to be just as efficient as a standard silicon cell, but that uses much less material, making it theoretically cheaper to produce. Read full summary.
7. 'Power Droop' Challenges of LEDs for High-power Lighting
The United States is currently in a transition from old and familiar incandescent light bulbs to vastly more efficient solid-state LEDs, or light emitting diodes. There remain, however, formidable challenges facing LED technologies, particularly when trying to use them for high-power lighting applications. One of the major hurdles is the so-called "efficiency droop" that occurs when attempting to ramp up LEDs to high current densities. Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York will discuss the origin of this droop as well as ways to reduce it. Full presentation information.
8. Toward a Simpler White Organic LED Design
Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), because of their remarkable efficiency and low-energy consumption, show great promise in meeting home and business lighting needs. One of the remaining hurdles to deploying these more broadly, however, is the challenge of producing white light, which is currently generated through a complex design that combines multiple color emitters. Research is underway to develop an efficient white OLED that uses a single, broadband emitter. Full presentation information.
9. Improving Efficiency with Photonic Crystal Sandwiches
"Tandem" solar cells can increase energy efficiency by combining multiple materials that absorb different frequencies of light. But they are difficult to manufacture because only certain materials are compatible, and minor defects can have a major impact on the ability of two adjacent materials to work together. Researchers in Germany have discovered that 3-D photonic crystals sandwiched between two different absorbing materials can manage the flow of photons within a tandem solar cell, preventing one material from interfering with the light-absorbing abilities of the other, and making it easier to manufacture tandem solar cells on a large scale. Full presentation information.
10. Plasmonics for Better Light Trapping
In their quest for more efficient sunlight-to-energy converters, scientists are exploring the light-controlling properties of metals in the burgeoning field of plasmonics, which examines the flow of a special type of light wave along the surface of metals. Stanford University materials scientist Mark Brongersma will discuss recent progress in the development of plasmonic and other nano-sized structures that can increase the efficiency of light absorption and trapping in solar cells. Full presentation information.
About the Meeting
The Renewable Energy & the Environment: OSA Optics and Photonics Congress provides a forum where speakers present the latest results in the energy/environment arena ranging from solar energy research to photovoltaic applications. This Congress is composed of four complimentary co-located meetings dealing with the most recent, high-impact optical advances in the energy and environment areas:
Optics for Solar Energy
Solid State and Organic Lighting
Advanced Solar Materials and Nanostructures for Photovoltaics
Optical Instrumentation for Energy and Environmental Applications
Optics & Photonics Congresses (OPCs) are clusters of new and established topical meetings in order to bring together leaders among communities within optics. Congresses are designed to retain the collegial settings of OSA topical meetings and provide richer experiences for networking, information sharing and discussion across the disciplines of optical science and engineering. They also offer opportunities for more special events including plenary sessions, symposia, short courses and joint exhibits. Scientists who attend the topical meeting of their discipline will not only have the opportunity to network with colleagues within their own field but can also learn more about other fields.
###
Useful Links:
Meeting home page
Searchable presentation abstracts
Plenary session keynote speakers
PRESS REGISTRATION: Members of the media that are interested in obtaining a press badge should contact OSA's Angela Stark at 202-416-1443 or astark@osa.org.
About OSA
Uniting more than 130,000 professionals from 175 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit http://www.osa.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Space debris, more efficient LEDs, and thinner, cheaper solar cellsPublic release date: 25-Oct-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Angela Stark astark@osa.org 202-416-1443 Optical Society of America
The Optical Society's Renewable Energy & the Environment Congress highlights the role of optics in energy generation and conservation
WASHINGTON -- Scientists and engineers from around the world will convene in Austin, Texas next week as experts gather to discuss recent advances in optics and photonics -- the branch of physics dealing with the science of light -- affecting renewable energy and environmental research.
Journalists are invited to the Optical Society's (OSA) Optics and Photonics Congress: Renewable Energy & the Environment, which will be held at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown Nov. 2-3. Four co-located meetings will cover optics for solar energy, solid-state and organic lighting, photovoltaics, and instrumentation for energy and environmental applications . Press registration details are below.
In addition to seven plenary session keynote speakers from institutions such as the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab and Stanford University, many of the research presentations at the meeting focus on the most cutting-edge discoveries in renewable energy and photonics, including new designs for solar cells and LEDs. Highlighted presentation topics include:
1. Thousands of Sensors to Keep Watch on Earth's Climate
2. Looking for CO2 Leaks
3. Let the Sunshine In
4. Studying Space Debris: NASA Uses Optics to Help Reveal Size, Composition of Space Junk
5. Novel LED Design May Boost Efficiencies
6. 'Inverted Pyramid' Design Makes Thinner Wafers, Cheaper Solar Cells
7. Toward a Simpler White Organic LED Design
8. Improving Efficiency with Photonic Crystal Sandwiches
9. 'Power Droop' Challenges of LEDs for High-power Lighting
10. Plasmonics for Better Light Trapping
1. Thousands of Sensors to Keep Watch on Earth's Climate
Science is only as good as the data on which it is based, the saying goes. To help meet the forecasting challenges of climate-change science, the U.S. National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) plans an ambitious network of more than 45,000 sensors to monitor climate indicators such as temperature, precipitation, carbon dioxide concentration, and soil characteristics. Researchers will present a strategy for automating and managing this vast array of climate sentinels. Full presentation information.
2. Looking for CO2 Leaks
One proposed method to slow anthropogenic climate change is to capture carbon dioxide emissions and store them underground. But the solution won't work if the CO2 escapes. Researchers have designed and tested an imaging system that may be able to spot leaks by the telltale way the CO2 feeds vegetation growth. Full presentation information.
3. Let the Sunshine In
Natural light is free and aesthetically pleasing, but it can't reach basements or windowless offices. Novel daylighting systems, called core sunlighting, that bring light into these building areas might solve this problem by piping the sunshine through cost-effective, mirror-lined tubes. Full presentation information.
4. Studying Space Debris: NASA Uses Optics to Help Reveal Size, Composition of Space Junk
NASA is using new optical techniques to study the ever-growing cloud of space debris encircling the Earth. NASA uses the information it gathers to help develop space debris mitigation standards and collision avoidance maneuvers for spacecraft, making space a little safer. Read full summary.
5. Novel LED Design May Boost Efficiencies
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are vastly more efficient than incandescent light bulbs and even compact fluorescent bulbs, but they still have design constraints that limit their potential. Researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan has used a new ridge-shaped design that is 10-16 times more efficient than the current flat design. Read full summary.
6. 'Inverted Pyramid' Design Makes Thinner Wafers, Cheaper Solar Cells
The battle between solar power and fossil fuels can be fought on many fronts, but a big one is cost. Researchers at MIT will discuss their newly designed prototype silicon solar cell that promises to be just as efficient as a standard silicon cell, but that uses much less material, making it theoretically cheaper to produce. Read full summary.
7. 'Power Droop' Challenges of LEDs for High-power Lighting
The United States is currently in a transition from old and familiar incandescent light bulbs to vastly more efficient solid-state LEDs, or light emitting diodes. There remain, however, formidable challenges facing LED technologies, particularly when trying to use them for high-power lighting applications. One of the major hurdles is the so-called "efficiency droop" that occurs when attempting to ramp up LEDs to high current densities. Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York will discuss the origin of this droop as well as ways to reduce it. Full presentation information.
8. Toward a Simpler White Organic LED Design
Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), because of their remarkable efficiency and low-energy consumption, show great promise in meeting home and business lighting needs. One of the remaining hurdles to deploying these more broadly, however, is the challenge of producing white light, which is currently generated through a complex design that combines multiple color emitters. Research is underway to develop an efficient white OLED that uses a single, broadband emitter. Full presentation information.
9. Improving Efficiency with Photonic Crystal Sandwiches
"Tandem" solar cells can increase energy efficiency by combining multiple materials that absorb different frequencies of light. But they are difficult to manufacture because only certain materials are compatible, and minor defects can have a major impact on the ability of two adjacent materials to work together. Researchers in Germany have discovered that 3-D photonic crystals sandwiched between two different absorbing materials can manage the flow of photons within a tandem solar cell, preventing one material from interfering with the light-absorbing abilities of the other, and making it easier to manufacture tandem solar cells on a large scale. Full presentation information.
10. Plasmonics for Better Light Trapping
In their quest for more efficient sunlight-to-energy converters, scientists are exploring the light-controlling properties of metals in the burgeoning field of plasmonics, which examines the flow of a special type of light wave along the surface of metals. Stanford University materials scientist Mark Brongersma will discuss recent progress in the development of plasmonic and other nano-sized structures that can increase the efficiency of light absorption and trapping in solar cells. Full presentation information.
About the Meeting
The Renewable Energy & the Environment: OSA Optics and Photonics Congress provides a forum where speakers present the latest results in the energy/environment arena ranging from solar energy research to photovoltaic applications. This Congress is composed of four complimentary co-located meetings dealing with the most recent, high-impact optical advances in the energy and environment areas:
Optics for Solar Energy
Solid State and Organic Lighting
Advanced Solar Materials and Nanostructures for Photovoltaics
Optical Instrumentation for Energy and Environmental Applications
Optics & Photonics Congresses (OPCs) are clusters of new and established topical meetings in order to bring together leaders among communities within optics. Congresses are designed to retain the collegial settings of OSA topical meetings and provide richer experiences for networking, information sharing and discussion across the disciplines of optical science and engineering. They also offer opportunities for more special events including plenary sessions, symposia, short courses and joint exhibits. Scientists who attend the topical meeting of their discipline will not only have the opportunity to network with colleagues within their own field but can also learn more about other fields.
###
Useful Links:
Meeting home page
Searchable presentation abstracts
Plenary session keynote speakers
PRESS REGISTRATION: Members of the media that are interested in obtaining a press badge should contact OSA's Angela Stark at 202-416-1443 or astark@osa.org.
About OSA
Uniting more than 130,000 professionals from 175 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit http://www.osa.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Bath salts emerging as new recreational drugsPublic release date: 24-Oct-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sue Roberts sroberts@chestnet.org 847-498-8334 American College of Chest Physicians
The use of bath salts as recreational drugs has greatly escalated in recent years. Researchers from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma describe an incident of a man experiencing significant agitation, paranoia, and hallucinations who also exhibited violent behavior upon his emergency department arrival.
His case is not unique. Despite disclaimers of "not for human consumption" package warnings, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, calls for bath salt poisoning incidents have skyrocketed, with 1,782 since January 2011 compared with 302 in all of 2010. The inexpensive powdery substances with benign names contain stimulants not detectable through drug screens. However, they can produce a "high" along with increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, agitation, hallucinations, extreme paranoia, and delusions, not unlike the Oklahoma patient.
Treatment for ingesting these bath salts is sedation until the side effects wear off, along with supportive care. Although currently federally unregulated, 26 states have made these substances illegal. This new research was presented at CHEST 2011, the 77th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), in Honolulu, Hawaii.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Bath salts emerging as new recreational drugsPublic release date: 24-Oct-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sue Roberts sroberts@chestnet.org 847-498-8334 American College of Chest Physicians
The use of bath salts as recreational drugs has greatly escalated in recent years. Researchers from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma describe an incident of a man experiencing significant agitation, paranoia, and hallucinations who also exhibited violent behavior upon his emergency department arrival.
His case is not unique. Despite disclaimers of "not for human consumption" package warnings, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, calls for bath salt poisoning incidents have skyrocketed, with 1,782 since January 2011 compared with 302 in all of 2010. The inexpensive powdery substances with benign names contain stimulants not detectable through drug screens. However, they can produce a "high" along with increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, agitation, hallucinations, extreme paranoia, and delusions, not unlike the Oklahoma patient.
Treatment for ingesting these bath salts is sedation until the side effects wear off, along with supportive care. Although currently federally unregulated, 26 states have made these substances illegal. This new research was presented at CHEST 2011, the 77th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), in Honolulu, Hawaii.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
If you love pickles you can make your own without having to buy canning equipment by combining the ingredients into jars and leaving in the refrigerator for 24 hours. After that you'll have fresh crunchy pickles that will keep in your fridge for two weeks. 
In Silicon Valley, failure has been democratized. You don?t need a lot of money to fail. Nor do you need any previous experience. Take, for example,?
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Public release date: 25-Oct-2011
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