NEW YORK - In a metropolitan area with the world's second largest Jewish population, residents and visitors have endured a spate of recent anti-semitism not seen in a major American city since Mel Gibson went to rehab, a variety of Jew-baiting that's strange by any standard.
CNN's Jeanne Moos covered the story yesterday of an Elmo impersonator cursing the conspirators at World Jewry headquarters and castigating the general public in Central Park and elsewhere with a rash of profanity that eventually got him hauled off by the NYPD, apparently for psychiatric evaluation. I'm sure glad Moos picked up on the story, but I wonder why Wolf Blitzer or Anderson Cooper didn't lead with it. That's major news! Even in New York it's not every day you see a life-sized muppet getting cuffed and carried away by the cops.
Not that the Nasty Elmo saved his vituperation for the Jews, mind you. He also vented some ill feelings toward Hindus and other groups and toward individual passersby, for that matter, all for no apparent reason. And if you think it's weird that a grown man would dress himself as a Sesame Street character for the joy he gets from dropping f-bombs in front of children, well it's just as weird that last Saturday an organization hired a pilot to fly around the New York-New Jersey area hauling a banner behind his biplane promoting the swastika as a symbol of goodness.
Fearful of the prospect of hotheaded kosher-keepers fomenting an uncontrollable backlash, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is said to be mulling a city-wide ban on Big Gulp Manischewitz.
As HuffPost's David Moye reported on Monday, organizers of World Swastika Rehabilitation Day are adherents to a putatively non-cockamamie faith known as the Ra?lians whose followers believe the swastika is a symbol of the Elohim, an extra-terrestrial race that created us human beings. For whatever it's worth, the official image of the Ra?lians, who claim to number 70,000, combines a swastika with a Star of David. Sick dudes, those Ra?lians.
According to a statement from Rick Roehr, a leading Ra?lian, despite the symbol's co-option by the Nazis and the horrible memories and images therefore associated with it, "[T]he swastika has always meant something very beautiful, peaceful and loving for billions of people all over the world and still is by billions of people."
Really? There are billions of people in the world who still see a swastika and think about beauty, peace and love? I'm sure the Ra?lians have either some iron-clad poll numbers or the revelation of an exalted elohim to back up their claim, but I've been to a good portion of the world -- not everywhere mind you, but lots of places -- and I haven't found a place yet where a swastika flies as a banner to welcome wayfarers into some loving, beautiful, peaceful Shangrila. I've seen a few swastikas but they all adorned places where I'd probably also find a noose. I passed right by those joints.
I know that for a very long time swastika-like symbols were common features in the art of Near Eastern religions and some Native American groups. I also know that the swastika got swept up by the Nazis in the 1920s and ever since that time it is irrevocably associated with tens of millions of deaths in a war to free the world from tyranny and butchery. Today it means what it means and no inter-galactic life-givers can change that.
There are plenty of good sci-fi symbols worth stealing. We don't need Nazi symbols flying over the homes of millions of Jews no matter what they're supposed to promote. If the Ra?lians want to fly a swastika in the Gamma Cephei system, they should feel free. But on Earth they really should heed the dictates of common decency.
As for some individual nut-job on the streets of Manhattan in a red fur suit, he needs to stop hollering and cussing at folks out for a stroll and I hope the good people at Bellevue can help him with that. And whenever he thinks he can take a break from Elmoing he might want to check out the Ra?lians. They seem to have some pretty sound ideas.
?
Follow Tony Phillips on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TPhillipsSD
Parent involvement in early childhood education is a very important aspect in the growth and development of a child. Decisions that a care giver undertakes right from the time a child steps into kindergarten can affect this young one positively or negatively. Research has been made in the past and acknowledged that children whose care givers have reading time with them at home are better advantaged when it comes to factors such as academic.
Teachers are advised to keep mothers and fathers interested in their children progress at school. Getting to know the close next of kin of a child personally can strengthen this bond. With this, a teacher can capitalize on the family strength. Mothers who feel that a teacher is genuinely willing to see their kid excel academically tend to give willingly give a hand in realizing this dream.
Communication with the mothers by means of phone calls or letters from the teacher is equally beneficial. Having a one way communication disseminates information to moms. Two-way communication between a close relative and a teacher creates room to share more and both parties can tell their feelings, fears, hopes and also ways to help this child move forward.
Celebrating the children achievements is a very good way to keep the bond alive. You can create portfolios or even scrap books containing the children?s achievements. The guardians can visit the classrooms on school events and get to see their children?s work and achievements. This elicits excitement and more concern from the guardians.
As much as dad/ mom participation is concerned, one must take into account that they have work and schedules to meet. The school should take into account the needs of the close family member and schedule open days and other school events and flexibly fix them to be able to capture as many mummies. The school can go an extra mile and schedule home visits if the mother is too busy.
If you enjoy fishing, then you will enjoy spending some time outdoors, on the water with a rod in your hand. What if you are traveling with children or someone that has not had this opportunity yet. A trip is a great way to open the world into new things. You may even find that there are a few helpful ways that you can learn how to improve your ability as well. If you are visiting a location where there are large lakes or the ocean is nearby, make sure you book a few early mornings where you can head out onto the water truly to enjoy the opportunities there.
Making it Enjoyable
When it comes to ensuring you get the best catch plan fishing expeditions and opportunities early on. For example, if you are visiting an area that is popular, be sure to book your reservations in advance. This way, you ensure there is no reason you will miss the big bite. The following tips can help you to make this trip an enjoyable one for anyone who is heading out onto the water for their first outing.
Do not buy or bring your own gear unless you must. Not only is it expensive to take onto a plane, but if you are traveling a long distance, you risk losing it or it breaking. In addition, most areas with charter services will provide you with rental options. These are often ideal for the area, too.
Do rent a charter. Locate one that can provide you with the best possible action. That means doing a bit of research before you even leave for your trip. Be sure that those you are planning to fish with understand that at least one of you is new to the experience. This can help make the trip more enjoyable for everyone involved.
It is also possible to find great locations with educational programs. If you are traveling with children who you want to learn to fish, find one of these programs meant for the youngsters. That way, they can rest easy and really enjoy the experience. They may even become pros before the end of the trip.
Fishing is a fantastic opportunity for those who are traveling. There is nothing quite as relaxing as sitting in a boat, deep in the water, in the peace of dawn waiting for the fish to bite. As you do so, perhaps for the first time, remember to make it worthwhile. To do that, learn from the best so you can visit the best fishing holes in the area. Best of all, do it with those you enjoy being with and you may even start a tradition.
For a great fishing experience, come to Florida. Fishing in Navarre Beach, FL, offers a variety of options: fishing from the Gulf Coast?s longest pier to kayaking. For more information visit: http://www.floridabeachestorivers.com.
Home ? DataSAC Inc. Hiring Business Change Management Specialist In Toronto ONJob Title :Business Change Management Specialist Company :DataSAC Inc. City :Toronto State :Ontario Country :CA Location :Toronto, ON Date :2012-06-28 06:53:50 Status Active DataSAC Inc. provided job description and job requirement for positions as Business Change Management Specialist located in Toronto, ON and publised 2012-06-28 06:53:50.
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Business Unit Leader Cornelis van der Waal has completed extensive analysis on the Green Energy Market. The research expert will lead a short teleconference about new findings that affect the market, followed by a live question-and-answer session.
http://www.eventspan.com/event/3mv4rzqtsvm
Cornelis van der Waal
Africa is at the brink of a green energy revolution. Various countries have introduced feed-in tariffs and the need for supplementary power in remote locations is on the rise. At the same time, the costs of RE technologies have been decreasing, becoming ever more competitive. Many companies are bracing themselves for grid parity pricing ushering in an era of rapid green technology expansion. However, green technology is not always the best solution for a developing economy and policy makers have to be careful in their allocation of green energy when industrial expansion is required. So what is best for the continent?going green or seeking a least-cost solution? Join us as we identify the current opportunities and investigate?the expected long-term energy mix for the Dark Continent.
Why You Should Attend:
Learn more about feed-in tariffs and green technology deployment in Africa
Learn more around policy developments and the impact on the continent
Identify the main entry barriers and level of competition
In a four-month investigation of 10 of Apple?s Chinese suppliers, China Labor Watch has found what they call ?deplorable? working conditions in many of the factories of Apple?s component manufacturers. These factories allegedly contain hazardous working conditions and excessive overtime.
According to the New York based company, these long work hours and low pay are commonly found throughout Apple?s supply chain, and not limited to a single supplier. Overall, 620 workers were surveyed, along with tours of various factories taken by a group of six people.
The continual push for better working conditions has prompted both Apple and Foxconn to take extra measures to increase on the job safety and working environment quality. According to the labor group, many of the Chinese employees worked in excess of 100 hours of overtime per month, even though the legal Chinese limit is 36.
Another interesting statistic found by China Labor Watch, although unsurprising, is that 70% of workers assembling these products do not own an Apple device, but many said they would like to have at least one.
It?s important to note that these working conditions are not unique to Apple only, though. Many other U.S. companies also have suppliers based in China who offer the same working conditions towards their employees. Apple often gets knocked for their working conditions, but the reality is that many other companies receive components from even the same plants as Apple.
Regardless, investigations like these, while sometimes over dramatized by the media, are slowly helping working conditions change for the better in China.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? For tourists struck by the summer heat in the nation's capital, a quilt might be the farthest thing from their minds. But thanks to the NAMES Project Foundation, one quilt in particular is stealing the show at the national Mall.
To mark its 25th anniversary, the AIDS Memorial Quilt has returned to Washington as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. It's the quilt's first appearance on the Mall since 1996. Each of the 8,000 panels of the quilt on display for the festival memorializes a man or woman who died battling HIV/AIDS.
When the quilt was here 16 years ago, the entire thing stretched across the Mall. At 1.3 million square feet, organizers say today's quilt is too large to be displayed in full.
Most of the panels sent in come from friends, family or loved ones of those who died of HIV/AIDS. At the onset of the project in 1987, organizers believed the disease would be cured and the squares would be taken apart and sent back within five years, said Julie Rhoad, NAMES Project Foundation executive director.
Rhoad said the foundation has made a lot of progress in 25 years towards educating the public, but there still is not a cure.
"I think that we've come a long way," Rhoad said, "but the question is: 'Do we settle on where we are right now?'"
Almost 35,000 people were diagnosed with AIDS in 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though medication exists to slow HIV from becoming AIDS, the agency says these treatments must be taken daily for the rest of the patient's life.
"The least among us don't have access to quality care," Rhoad said.
At the opening ceremony for the festival held Wednesday, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., said the AIDS Memorial Quilt symbolizes a need for people "to learn to live together."
"The AIDS Quilt is saying we all live in the same house, the American house, the world house," Lewis said. "We can never, ever leave this house, so together we must build a world community that is free from disease and is finally at peace with itself."
For those unable to get to the Mall to see the quilt in person, researchers from the University of Southern California created a website for the Names Project Foundation that launched at the festival Wednesday.
Organized alphabetically by first name, it allows users to see blocks dedicated to specific people, their name, city, date of birth and date of death if that information is available, and the block's location among those laid out on the mall. Users can also post stories and comments alongside squares of the quilt displayed online. Those at the event can use it to locate specific panels laid out on the mall.
The standard size of a panel is 6 feet-by-3 feet. Eight panels make up one block, and on the Mall, four blocks were cable-tied together to form what they refer to as a patch, with an area of about 576 square feet, bigger than some D.C. studio apartments.
Many of the panels on the Mall indicate birth and death dates of the people they memorialize.
Festival visitor Nancy Bard of Seaford, Del., was surprised to see that she was born in the same year as many of those who had passed away.
Since the first cases of AIDS appeared in the United States more than 600,000 people diagnosed with the disease have died, according to the CDC.
"I think people have put their heart and soul into this," Bard said, "and I'm surprised. As I see them, you know it hits home how many people have and are dying from AIDS."
Kelly Rivera Hart, a volunteer for the NAMES Project Foundation from San Francisco, contributed a panel this year in honor of his friend, Rick Flener, who succumbed to AIDS in 2002.
The panel for Flener is a blue rectangle with a disco ball in the left-hand corner made from shiny fabric Hart found in the Haight-Ashbury district. Clear letters written on the panel spell out one of Flener's favorite jokes and qualities that friends and family remember about him: "his sweet smile," ''his warm friendship" and "silliness."
Hart became involved with HIV/AIDS activism when he received his diagnosis in 1992. He said finding out he had HIV woke him up.
"I thought, you know, I need to be doing something with my life," Hart said.
After his diagnosis, Hart began taking medication to treat the disease, which he said gave him nerve damage, forcing him to give up running and going out dancing four nights a week.
But Hart remains optimistic.
"Things slow me down," Hart said, "I'm not letting them stop me."
The Folklife Festival also contains an exhibit called "Citified" that displays art from southeast Washington D.C. and one called "Campus and Community," celebrating colleges established by land grants in 1862. Those exhibits and the AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibit will run from June 27 to July 1 and July 4-8.
Mark Regnerus claims to have produced the first rigorous scientific evidence showing that same sex families harm children. As a family sociologist at the University of Texas, I am disturbed by his irresponsible and reckless representation of social science research, and furious that he is besmirching my university to lend credibility to his ?findings.?
The recent study by my colleague Mark Regnerus on gay parenting purports to show that young adults with a parent who ever had a same-sex relationship turn out worse than young adults with continuously married heterosexual parents (who are, in addition, biologically related to their children). He calls this latter group the ?gold standard for parenting.?
But in making this claim, he has violated the ?gold standard for research.? Regnerus? study is bad science. Among other errors, he made egregious yet strategic decisions in selecting particular groups for comparison.
His definition of children raised by lesbian mothers and gay fathers is incredibly broad ? anyone whose biological or adopted mother or father had a same-sex relationship that the respondent knew about by age 18. Most of these respondents did not even live with their parent?s same-sex partner; in fact, many did not even live with their gay or lesbian parent at all! Of the 175 adult children Regnerus claims were raised by ?lesbian mothers,? only 40 actually lived with their mother and her same-sex partner for at least three years.
On the other hand, to be included in the ?heterosexual married family? category, respondents had to have parents who were continuously married from the time of their birth to the time of the survey! Anyone whose parents had divorced between the time they left home and when they took the survey (respondents were aged 18 to 39 at the time of the survey) was not included in this so-called ?gold standard.?
By casting his net so widely for children of supposedly gay and lesbian parents, and so narrowly for the children of heterosexual couples, Regnerus practically guaranteed that his study would find that those with so-called gay and lesbian parents would fare worse than those with so-called heterosexual parents. His approach selected for people who had experienced far more stress and far less stability than average for their generation, much of which arguably had little to do with their parent?s sexual orientation. They experienced more parental divorce, remarriage, and adoption (perhaps preceded by foster care). They were also more likely to be nonwhite and less economically privileged.
Regnerus could have compared young adults who lived continuously in exclusively heterosexual households and those who lived continuously with a parent in a same-sex relationship. But he did not, both because his sample of youth from ?gay families? was too small to parse in this fashion and because his sample of youth from heterosexual households of all types would not likely produce many differences from the ?gay parent? group.
While Regnerus has the right to investigate any question, he also has the responsibility to report only robust findings. We are dismayed by the poor quality of this analysis. Regnerus is not an expert in family sociology, nor does he represent the views of other faculty at the University of Texas. I have been conducting research on family relationships, including gay and lesbian relationships, for many years. Yet the first I learned of this study was when it hit the press. Had Regnerus walked down the hall and knocked on my door, I would have been happy to explain that stress and instability harm children in any family context. Love and support help children to thrive and succeed. Pseudo-science that demonizes gay and lesbian families contributes to stress, and is not good for children.
Debra Umberson collaborated with three other prominent family sociologists at the University of Texas, Austin, to assess the scientific merits of Regnerus? research. These colleagues include: Shannon Cavanagh, Associate Professor, University of Texas, Austin; Jennifer Glass, Barbara Bush Professor of Liberal Arts, University of Texas, Austin; and Board Member of the Council on Contemporary Families, Kelly Raley, Professor, University of Texas, Austin and Editor, Journal of Marriage and Family
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Google I/O, the search engine giant's annual developer conference is taking place in San Francisco, California this week. The show kicks off today, with a keynote event, and I'm here to report live about all the things Google unveils today.
T-mobile customers may have the displeasing distinction of being the only mobile subscribers not to get their paws on the much-hyped and forthcoming iPhone 5. Bummer. More »
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the lawmakers of his Justice and Development Party at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, June 26, 2012. " Any Syrian military element that approaches Turkish border will be regarded as threat " Erdogan said four days after a Turkish warplane was shot down by Syria.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the lawmakers of his Justice and Development Party at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, June 26, 2012. " Any Syrian military element that approaches Turkish border will be regarded as threat " Erdogan said four days after a Turkish warplane was shot down by Syria.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the lawmakers of his Justice and Development Party at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, June 26, 2012. " Any Syrian military element that approaches Turkish border will be regarded as threat " Erdogan said four days after a Turkish warplane was shot down by Syria.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen addresses the media after he met with NATO ambassadors at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, June 26, 2012. According to NATO, Syria's downing of a Turkish jet is 'unacceptable,' and NATO condemns 'it in the strongest terms'. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen addresses the media after he met with NATO ambassadors, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, June 26, 2012. According to NATO, Syria's downing of a Turkish jet is 'unacceptable,' and NATO condemns 'it in the strongest terms'. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)
In this image made from amateur video released by the Shaam News Network and accessed Tuesday, June 26, 2012, smoke rises from buildings following purported shelling in Homs, Syria. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL
BEIRUT (AP) ? Turkey warned Syria on Tuesday to keep its forces away from the countries' troubled border or risk an armed response ? a furious reply to the downing of a Turkish military plane last week by the Damascus regime.
NATO backed up Turkey and condemned Syria for shooting down the plane but stopped short of threatening military action, reflecting its reluctance to get involved in a conflict that could ignite a broader war.
Near the capital of Damascus, meanwhile, Syria's elite Republican Guard forces battled rebels in some of the most intense fighting involving the special forces since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime began in March 2011, according to activists.
Assad appeared to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation while addressing his new Cabinet on Tuesday in a statement broadcast on Syrian state TV. He said his country is in a "genuine state of war." Up to now Assad has described the uprising against him as run by terrorists carrying out a foreign agenda.
More than 14,000 people have been killed in the last 15 months. Despite global outrage over the crackdown by the Assad regime, the international response has been focused entirely on diplomacy and sanctions, not intervention, as the violence escalates.
In a speech to parliament, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Syria shot down the unarmed reconnaissance plane in international airspace without warning in a "deliberate" and "hostile" act.
"Any military element that approaches the Turkish border from Syria and poses a security risk and danger will be regarded as a threat and treated as a military target," Erdogan said.
He said border violations in the region were not uncommon and Syrian helicopters had violated Turkish airspace five times recently without a Turkish response. The two countries share a 566-mile (910-kilometer) frontier.
Turkey's limited response to Friday's incident suggested there was no appetite for a violent retaliation. Still, Erdogan cautioned Syria against testing his resolve.
"No one should be deceived by our cool-headed stance," he added. "Our acting with common sense should not be perceived as a weakness."
Syrian officials insist the plane violated its airspace, saying a Syrian officer shot it down with anti-aircraft fire after spotting an unidentified jet flying at high speed and low altitude.
Turkey disputes that. Turkey says although the RF-4E jet had unintentionally strayed into Syrian airspace, it was inside international airspace when it was brought down over the Mediterranean. Its two pilots are still missing.
The RF-4E is the reconnaissance version of the U.S.-built Phantom fighter-bomber which was used heavily in the Vietnam War. Most of the RF-4Es were unarmed, although some have been equipped with cannons and racks for bombs.
Erdogan has said Syrian forces also fired on a search-and-rescue plane Friday following the downing of the jet. It was not clear if the second plane was hit.
The incident renewed fears of an escalation of the violence that could draw in neighboring countries. The Turks have launched pre-emptive attacks in the past, notably in 2007 and 2008 against Kurdish rebels in Iraq who used Iraqi territory to strike targets inside Turkey as part of their war for Kurdish self-rule.
The head of NATO called the downing of the jet unacceptable after Turkey briefed NATO's North Atlantic Council about it. The talks were held under Article 4 of NATO's founding treaty, which allows a member to request consultations if its security has been threatened.
The meeting was the first time a country has invoked Article 4 in nearly a decade. In 2003, Turkey also invoked Article 4 when tensions escalated ahead of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance condemned the Syrian attack "in the strongest terms" and expressed solidarity with Turkey ? but he did not speak of any possible armed action against Syria.
"It's my clear expectation that the situation won't continue to escalate," Fogh Rasmussen told reporters after the meeting. "What we have seen is a completely unacceptable act, and I would expect Syria to take all necessary steps to avoid such events in the future."
The uprising against Assad has obliterated the once-close ties between Syria and Turkey. Turkey has repeatedly called for Assad to step down as 33,000 Syrians have sought refuge in Turkey from the violence.
Turkey also is also hosting civilian opposition groups as well as members of the Free Syrian Army, which is fighting to bring down the Assad regime.
"We will continue to support the struggle of our brothers in Syria at any cost," Erdogan said. Turkey denies harboring armed Syrian rebels.
Fogh Rasmussen has repeatedly said NATO would need a clear international mandate and regional support before it embarked on a mission in Syria. Last year, NATO launched airstrikes on Libyan government targets only after receiving such a mandate from the U.N. Security Council, along with backing from the Arab League.
But Russia and China ? both veto-wielding members of the Security Council ? have stood by Assad and shielded his regime from international sanctions. Both countries are keen to avoid any type of military intervention in Syria, and they vow to veto any attempts.
Military intervention has been all but ruled out in Syria for now, in part because the conflict has so much potential for escalation. Damascus has strong allegiances to powerful forces including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Shiite powerhouse Iran.
Russia's president and foreign minister repeated Tuesday that Iran should take part in a meeting on the Syrian crisis in Geneva, slated for Saturday.
"The more of Syria's neighbors that are brought into this process the better," President Vladimir Putin told Russian journalists traveling with him in Jordan. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he will take part in the Geneva meeting even if Iran is not represented, but without Iran, "we will be talking about how then to gather all of the participants."
A deputy to international envoy Kofi Annan told a closed Security Council meeting that the principles and guidelines for a Syrian-led political transition must be agreed on before the Geneva meeting can happen, a diplomat said on condition of anonymity because the meeting was not public.
The diplomat said that Nasser Al-Kidwa, a deputy joint special envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League on Syria, told the council Tuesday that Annan believes the meeting he is trying to organize will only be worth holding if participants can agree on how a Syrian political transition should work, and can't simply be a "talking shop."
As part of a U.N.-Arab League peace plan that failed to take hold in Syria, U.N. observers were sent to the country, but they suspended their work earlier this month after coming under fire. The U.N.'s peacekeeping chief, Herve Ladsous, told the Security Council on Tuesday that it is too dangerous for the observers to resume their mission, although it could restart at some point, according to a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because the session was closed.
Assad blames the violence gripping his country on foreign terrorists and armed gangs. In the early months of the uprising, he acknowledged a need for political reforms, but his opponents have dismissed his gestures as a facade.
Tuesday's fighting near Republican Guard compounds and bases in the suburbs of Damascus killed at least six people, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Republican Guard, which is commanded by Assad's younger brother, Maher, has the task of protecting the capital, the seat of the regime's power. The fighting suggested growing boldness by the rebels.
Clashes erupt regularly in the suburbs between troops and rebels, but Assad's forces have firm control of Damascus and it is very rare for fighting to take place near the Republican Guard bases. It was unclear what prompted the clashes or how close they were to the heavily guarded compounds.
Syria's military remains loyal to Assad despite some recent high-profile defections, and the opposition is fragmented and unable to attack as a unified force, according to U.S. intelligence officials who briefed reporters in Washington on the Syrian conflict.
The regime has maintained troop loyalty by keeping paychecks coming even as food and fuel run out for the rest of the country, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to provide the sensitive information
The officials say the opposition has learned effective guerrilla-like tactics, but is still too disorganized to hold territory, which will likely produce a continuing "seesaw" battle between the two sides.
Also Tuesday, Syria's new Cabinet was sworn in in front of Assad.
Although he vowed after May 7 parliamentary elections to make the government more inclusive to politicians from other parties, the new government is headed by a key loyalist, and the foreign, defense and interior ministers kept their jobs.
The opposition boycotted the elections, saying they were designed to strengthen Assad's power. Parliament is considered little more than a rubber stamp in Syria, where the president and a tight coterie of advisers hold the real power.
During the swearing-in, Assad said Syria must direct all its energy to overcoming the conflict.
"We are living in a genuine state of war," he said.
___
AP writers Slobodan Lekic in Brussels, Selcan Hacaoglu and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, Lynn Berry in Moscow, John Heilprin in Geneva, Kimberly Dozier in Washington, and Ron DePasquale at the United Nations contributed to this report.
[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
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With 2012 a bumper year for patriotic events, Go Electrical are stocking a new range of red, white and blue products, including Union Jack branded digital radios from Pure.
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With 2012 a bumper year for patriotic events, Go Electrical are stocking a new range of red, white and blue products, including Union Jack branded digital radios from Pure.
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee has already whetted our appetite for all things British, but 2012 still has so much to offer the patriotic Brit. Wimbledon, Euro 2012 and the Olympics are still to come, and what better way to listen to the action than on a Union Jack radio?
The Pure Evoke Mio digital radio has a stylish, smart design, and although it is available in a range of colours, the limited edition Union Jack version is bang on trend. Being from Pure, the radio is fantastic quality. After all, the Evoke series has won the 'Best Portable DAB Radio' award from What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision. A brilliant addition to any picnic, the Evoke Mio runs on batteries or mains power for maximum flexibility. You can even plug your iPod in.
For even more portability, Go Electrical are stocking the Pure ONE Mini Series II. This is a compact radio, again with a bold, Union Jack design. The optional ChargePAK rechargeable battery gives up to 20 hours of listening time and the sound quality is crisp and clear, despite the radio's dinky size.
However, radios are not the only way to celebrate. Go Electrical also have a Union Jack vacuum cleaner in the limited edition Sebo Felix Royale. Its name sounds like something from James Bond and it has the charm, good-looks and power to match.
For those who want to be more subtle about their patriotism, Go Electrical have a large range of red, white and blue products, such as Le Creuset ?Britain Celebrates' gift sets. These feature a trio of red, white and blue mugs or casserole dishes. Given that these don't have a flag on, they are suitable even if you happen to be -- ahem -- French or American.
Go Electrical specialise in quality electrical goods and appliances. They are a company that like to keep up with current trends, and have a wide variety of retro and vintage-style pieces, as well as offering cutting edge technologies as they emerge. Visit the website for the full range of 2012 commemorative items.
Company: Go Electrical Contact Name: John Garnett Street: The Market Place City: Settle State: North Yorkshire Zip Code: BD24 9EF Country: United Kingdom Phone: 0844 249 1001 Email: John.garnett@jwgarnett.co.uk Website: http://www.go-electrical.co.uk/
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Contact: Brian Pearson brianpearsonelliot@gmail.com More Details about Pure radio here.
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Keywords: Pure radio, pure portable radio
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Since it?s supposed to be a slow week, here?s an item that is best suited for consideration during a slow week.
Colts owner Jim Irsay has taken to Twitter to call me out personally for a joke included at the bottom of a Saturday item regarding Irsay?s position that marketing rights aren?t holding up an eventual contract with quarterback Andrew Luck.
Since most of the latest available pictures of Luck show him wearing a mortar board and a gown tied and draped over his shoulders like an Andy Bernard sweater, and given that the topic of the item was Luck?s marketing rights via the poorly-crafted tweets of Jim Irsay, I closed with this:? ?Luck likely will be free to endorse whatever he wants to endorse, including the use of images of his Stanford graduation to be included in a campaign for online courses aimed at teaching rich, middle-aged white guys how to type legibly on Twitter.?
It was a slap at Irsay?s notorious habit of oft-indecipherable Twitter messages, and using the term ?rich, middle-aged white guys? was aimed at describing Irsay?s overall demographic.
Irsay didn?t see it that way.? On Monday morning, Irsay started the debate with this:
Then, without a response, he said this:
I considered not taking the bait; after all, the guy owns an NFL team.? But like I mentioned above, it?s slow right now.? Also, I wasn?t entirely comfortable with the not-so-subtle effort to suggest that I expect only white people to type legible Twitter message.? (For the record, I expect everyone to type legibly on Twitter.)? Besides, Irsay asked a question.? The least I could do was answer it.
A loyal PFT reader (I knew there was at least one) thereafter responded to the kerfuffle. Irsay then replied to Wes LaFever?s tweet with this:
So, basically, Jim Irsay thinks I?m a racist and I don?t like old people (even though I?m now seven years into the legally-protected class of old people) and I don?t like rich people (even though I?d very much like to be one, someday).
Wow.? He really has cracked the code.
Now if only I could crack the code for interpreting 99.8 percent of his Twitter messages, this job would be a lot easier.
MUMBAI: Japanese carmakers Nissan and Toyota have started exporting midsized cars made in India, spearheading a strategic change that seeks to make the most of the country?s cost advantage and growing technical prowess.
In the next 12-18 months, Nissan plans to export 50,000 units of India-made sedan Sunny to the West, executives familiar with the matter said, adding that rival Toyota will ship Etios cars, made at its Indian unit, to South Africa.
Volkswagen, Ford and Renault are expected to join them soon. Experts say exports not only help in dealing with the slowdown in the domestic market, but also act as a hedge against costlier imports, which have turned dearer by 25-30% in recent months.
French carmaker Renault plans to export to the UK about 25,000 units of its sports utility vehicle Duster over 12-18 months. The shipments may start in October.
Similarly, Germany?s Volkswagen is keen on producing left-hand drive Vento sedans in India for markets in the West. Volkswagen, which exports India-made Vento cars to South Africa and Malaysia, has mandated vendors to develop components for a left-hand drive version of the sedan. The carmaker plans to export 8,000-10,000 such units by 2013, said an executive, who did not wish to be named.
?Our export of the Vento to South Africa confirms that we are able to produce high-quality cars in India at competitive costs,? Volkswagen India?s spokesperson said, adding, ?This also shows our potential to further extend our exports to other markets. We are looking at various opportunities in the future, also in left-hand drive markets.?
The Volkswagen spokesperson, however, declined comment on target markets and numbers.
Ford Motor, too, is likely to export its yet-to-be launched EcoSport SUV from India, according to people familiar with the company?s plans.
Executives dealing with the projects of multinational carmakers say that over 100,000 sedans and SUVs manufactured in India are slated for export over the next 12 months. The depreciating rupee, which ended at a record low on Friday, is only likely to accelerate such plans.
Experts say the growth in exports, which comes at a time the global economy is slowing down, could accelerate once the economy picks up. There are not many right-hand drive manufacturing bases that are as cost competitive as India, said Kumar Kandaswami, director at Deloitte.
?The cost of engineering, both at the carmaker?s end and supplier?s level is very competitive, which gives India an edge. Manufacturers use exports as not only an opportunity to mitigate risk arising out of volatile currency, but even to balance the demand in the domestic market,? said Kandaswami.
Toyota Kirloskar, the Indian subsidiary of the Japanese carmaker, has already received orders to export 20,000 units of the Etios sedan to South Africa. The company?s deputy MD, marketing, Sandeep Singh, told ET the exports will help cut losses on account of the falling rupee.
Ford, too, is firming up plans to export its EcoSport SUV from India to South Africa next year.
Clinical trial first to test heart drug regimen for Duchenne muscular dystrophyPublic release date: 26-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Nick Miller nicholas.miller@cchmc.org 513-803-6035 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
CINCINNATI The first landmark randomized clinical trial for a cardiac drug regimen in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is testing whether earlier treatment can stop or slow down heart damage that usually kills people with the disease.
The study is a collaboration of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Ohio State University (OSU) and The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati.
Extensive research including studies in mouse models of DMD suggests an anti-fibrosis drug long used to treat heart attack victims, eplerenone, could help people with the disease, said Kan Hor, MD, a principal investigator and a physician/researcher at Cincinnati Children's.
Disease-associated heart damage is the leading cause of death in patients between ages 20 and 30 the maximum life span for people with DMD.
A key element of the new treatment approach is using enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, Hor said. The technique more sensitive than standard echocardiogram tests now used in DMD is designed to catch minute declines in heart function much earlier in a child's life.
"Standard diagnostic techniques rarely catch significant heart damage in DMD in the first decade, although research shows scar tissue is already developing in many patients before it's clinically detectable through current methods," said Hor, who works in the Cincinnati Children's Heart Institute. "We want to determine the optimal time point to detect these early changes in heart function and start cardiac therapy with anti-fibrotic medication."
A genetic disease that affects mostly boys, DMD is the most common form of muscular dystrophy. Most children begin losing the ability to walk between the ages of 7 and 13. With decades of research, testing and increased emphasis on multidisciplinary care, physicians have been able to use steroids and other drugs to preserve some ambulation, pulmonary function and push survival ages well into the 20s.
Still, there remains no consensus on how to best manage DMD-associated heart fibrosis and disease, Hor said. Often, between the ages of 7 and 10, echocardiogram results
show the heart is functioning normally by conventional measures delaying needed heart treatment in an intensely time-sensitive disease.
Evidence-driven approach
Hor and his colleagues theorize earlier diagnosis and treatment with anti-fibrotic medication could enhance quality of life and survival for people with DMD. They base this on a broad range of studies at Cincinnati Children's and other institutions, including reviews of clinical data.
One stark conclusion from those reviews is that, by the time current diagnostic methods catch DMD-associated heart disease after the age of 10, damage is often irreversible. By then, standard treatment with beta-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors provide little if any long-term benefit.
One study co-authored by Hor reviewed the cases of 247 children with DMD. Thirteen percent of patients under the age of10 years already had significant evidence of cardiac scarring even though conventional tests indicated normal heart function.
Standard echocardiograms now used in DMD look for declines in left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) a measure of heart muscle pumping ability. Although reliable for many heart conditions, functional assessments by echocardiograms are not sensitive enough to detect early DMD-associated heart disease, such as heart muscle fibrosis, scarring and important functional decline that precedes measurable LVEF reductions.
To overcome this limitation, the clinical trial is using advanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) techniques. They include imaging with a contrast agent called gadolinium, which allows physicians to detect the early formation of heart muscle fibrosis while patients are still young and ejection fraction is normal.
The image analysis includes an overlay tool that divides the heart into 24 equal sub-segments. As the heart beats, the segment grids move in line with the region of the heart they cover. The grids start out as perfectly square, but then contort in conjunction with a twisting motion the heart makes to force blood through the body. This allows physicians to measure heart function region by region to catch the smallest of declines.
"On an individual basis, measuring each of the grids doesn't tell you very much," Hor explained. "But when you add up the grids, you can see cumulative changes and catch small but important declines in heart function. We believe this test will help us pick the best time to begin drug treatment."
Preclinical drug tests
The decision to test the drug eplerenone is based in part on extensive clinical studies of DMD patients at Cincinnati Children's and in mouse models of DMD at OSU spear led by Dr. Hor's collaborator Dr. Subha Raman. Another factor is its success in treating people with certain types of advanced heart disease.
The drug is an aldosterone antagonist, a diuretic that helps the body get rid of excess fluid (tissue swelling) while retaining sufficient potassium levels. It blocks the buildup of fibrotic material and scarring that over time can turn heart muscle into non-functioning fatty tissue.
The drug's success in treating fibrosis in adult heart patients has led to it being sought for off-label treatment in patients with DMD, creating a sense of urgency behind the current clinical trial, Hor said.
In the mouse studies, early treatment with eplerenone resulted in reduced heart fibrosis and improved cardiac function. Researchers treated two groups of mice, one at 8 weeks of age and a second at 4 weeks. As the mice aged, the researchers noted normal LVEF and functional improvement in both groups, although reported the benefit was more pronounced in mice treated earlier at 4 weeks.
"The results of that research indicated that earlier treatment with this medication offers an excellent chance of preserving heart function, decreasing fibrosis and reducing cardiac death in DMD," said Hor.
The Phase 2/3 double-blind randomized clinical trial will treat 40 patients initially for one year, focusing on patients older than 7 years of age with evidence of heart muscle scarring but normal heart function as determined by LVEF.
The study is supported in part by Ballou Skies, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), and The Lindner Center for Research & Education at The Christ Hospital Foundation. Long time research collaborator, Dr. Wojciech Mazur from The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, is also assisting with the trial.
Hor said treatment with eplerenone will be compared to a placebo and current standard drug treatments. Depending on trial results, the research could move into a larger trial to include more patients at different stages of heart disease. Hor said he expects the current trial to take about 12-18 months to enroll patients and a little over two years to complete.
###
For more information about the clinical trial, please call the study research coordinator at 513-803-0369 for Cincinnati Children's and 614-688-8020 for Ohio State.
Additional information is also available at: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01521546?term=eplerenone&recr=Open&rank=15.
For more information about the Cincinnati Children's Heart Institute, please visit: http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/h/heart-institute/default/.
About Cincinnati Children's
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals in U.S. News and World Report's 2012 Best Children's Hospitals ranking. It is ranked #1 for neonatology and in the top 10 for all pediatric specialties. Cincinnati Children's is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health. It is internationally recognized for improving child health and transforming delivery of care through fully integrated, globally recognized research, education and innovation. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.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.
Clinical trial first to test heart drug regimen for Duchenne muscular dystrophyPublic release date: 26-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Nick Miller nicholas.miller@cchmc.org 513-803-6035 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
CINCINNATI The first landmark randomized clinical trial for a cardiac drug regimen in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is testing whether earlier treatment can stop or slow down heart damage that usually kills people with the disease.
The study is a collaboration of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Ohio State University (OSU) and The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati.
Extensive research including studies in mouse models of DMD suggests an anti-fibrosis drug long used to treat heart attack victims, eplerenone, could help people with the disease, said Kan Hor, MD, a principal investigator and a physician/researcher at Cincinnati Children's.
Disease-associated heart damage is the leading cause of death in patients between ages 20 and 30 the maximum life span for people with DMD.
A key element of the new treatment approach is using enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, Hor said. The technique more sensitive than standard echocardiogram tests now used in DMD is designed to catch minute declines in heart function much earlier in a child's life.
"Standard diagnostic techniques rarely catch significant heart damage in DMD in the first decade, although research shows scar tissue is already developing in many patients before it's clinically detectable through current methods," said Hor, who works in the Cincinnati Children's Heart Institute. "We want to determine the optimal time point to detect these early changes in heart function and start cardiac therapy with anti-fibrotic medication."
A genetic disease that affects mostly boys, DMD is the most common form of muscular dystrophy. Most children begin losing the ability to walk between the ages of 7 and 13. With decades of research, testing and increased emphasis on multidisciplinary care, physicians have been able to use steroids and other drugs to preserve some ambulation, pulmonary function and push survival ages well into the 20s.
Still, there remains no consensus on how to best manage DMD-associated heart fibrosis and disease, Hor said. Often, between the ages of 7 and 10, echocardiogram results
show the heart is functioning normally by conventional measures delaying needed heart treatment in an intensely time-sensitive disease.
Evidence-driven approach
Hor and his colleagues theorize earlier diagnosis and treatment with anti-fibrotic medication could enhance quality of life and survival for people with DMD. They base this on a broad range of studies at Cincinnati Children's and other institutions, including reviews of clinical data.
One stark conclusion from those reviews is that, by the time current diagnostic methods catch DMD-associated heart disease after the age of 10, damage is often irreversible. By then, standard treatment with beta-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors provide little if any long-term benefit.
One study co-authored by Hor reviewed the cases of 247 children with DMD. Thirteen percent of patients under the age of10 years already had significant evidence of cardiac scarring even though conventional tests indicated normal heart function.
Standard echocardiograms now used in DMD look for declines in left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) a measure of heart muscle pumping ability. Although reliable for many heart conditions, functional assessments by echocardiograms are not sensitive enough to detect early DMD-associated heart disease, such as heart muscle fibrosis, scarring and important functional decline that precedes measurable LVEF reductions.
To overcome this limitation, the clinical trial is using advanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) techniques. They include imaging with a contrast agent called gadolinium, which allows physicians to detect the early formation of heart muscle fibrosis while patients are still young and ejection fraction is normal.
The image analysis includes an overlay tool that divides the heart into 24 equal sub-segments. As the heart beats, the segment grids move in line with the region of the heart they cover. The grids start out as perfectly square, but then contort in conjunction with a twisting motion the heart makes to force blood through the body. This allows physicians to measure heart function region by region to catch the smallest of declines.
"On an individual basis, measuring each of the grids doesn't tell you very much," Hor explained. "But when you add up the grids, you can see cumulative changes and catch small but important declines in heart function. We believe this test will help us pick the best time to begin drug treatment."
Preclinical drug tests
The decision to test the drug eplerenone is based in part on extensive clinical studies of DMD patients at Cincinnati Children's and in mouse models of DMD at OSU spear led by Dr. Hor's collaborator Dr. Subha Raman. Another factor is its success in treating people with certain types of advanced heart disease.
The drug is an aldosterone antagonist, a diuretic that helps the body get rid of excess fluid (tissue swelling) while retaining sufficient potassium levels. It blocks the buildup of fibrotic material and scarring that over time can turn heart muscle into non-functioning fatty tissue.
The drug's success in treating fibrosis in adult heart patients has led to it being sought for off-label treatment in patients with DMD, creating a sense of urgency behind the current clinical trial, Hor said.
In the mouse studies, early treatment with eplerenone resulted in reduced heart fibrosis and improved cardiac function. Researchers treated two groups of mice, one at 8 weeks of age and a second at 4 weeks. As the mice aged, the researchers noted normal LVEF and functional improvement in both groups, although reported the benefit was more pronounced in mice treated earlier at 4 weeks.
"The results of that research indicated that earlier treatment with this medication offers an excellent chance of preserving heart function, decreasing fibrosis and reducing cardiac death in DMD," said Hor.
The Phase 2/3 double-blind randomized clinical trial will treat 40 patients initially for one year, focusing on patients older than 7 years of age with evidence of heart muscle scarring but normal heart function as determined by LVEF.
The study is supported in part by Ballou Skies, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), and The Lindner Center for Research & Education at The Christ Hospital Foundation. Long time research collaborator, Dr. Wojciech Mazur from The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, is also assisting with the trial.
Hor said treatment with eplerenone will be compared to a placebo and current standard drug treatments. Depending on trial results, the research could move into a larger trial to include more patients at different stages of heart disease. Hor said he expects the current trial to take about 12-18 months to enroll patients and a little over two years to complete.
###
For more information about the clinical trial, please call the study research coordinator at 513-803-0369 for Cincinnati Children's and 614-688-8020 for Ohio State.
Additional information is also available at: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01521546?term=eplerenone&recr=Open&rank=15.
For more information about the Cincinnati Children's Heart Institute, please visit: http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/h/heart-institute/default/.
About Cincinnati Children's
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals in U.S. News and World Report's 2012 Best Children's Hospitals ranking. It is ranked #1 for neonatology and in the top 10 for all pediatric specialties. Cincinnati Children's is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health. It is internationally recognized for improving child health and transforming delivery of care through fully integrated, globally recognized research, education and innovation. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.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.