Can changes in nutrition labeling help consumers make better food choices?Public release date: 23-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Eileen Leahy andjrnlmedia@elsevier.com 732-238-3628 Elsevier Health Sciences
Single-larger-portion-size and dual-column nutrition labeling may help consumers make healthful decisions, reports Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Philadelphia, PA, January 23, 2013 The Nutrition Facts label was introduced 20 years ago and provides consumers with important information, including: the serving size, the number of servings in the package, the number of calories per serving, and the amount of nutrients for each serving of a packaged food. However, research has shown that consumers often miscalculate the number of calories and the nutritional content of products that have two or more servings per container but are usually consumed in a single eating occasion.
Two nutrition labeling changes could have the potential to make nutritional content information easier to understand: 1) dual-column information that details single serving and total package nutrition information, and 2) declaring nutritional information for the entire container.
Amy M. Lando, MPP, and Serena C. Lo, PhD, of the Food and Drug Administration's, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD, conducted an online study with more than 9,000 participants to measure consumers' accuracy in using modified versions of the Nutrition Facts label and to assess their perceptions of how useful, trustworthy, and helpful the label was.
Says Ms. Lando, "FDA commissioned this experimental study to look at whether different ways of presenting the serving size and nutrition information on the Nutrition Facts label might help consumers. In particular we were interested in studying products that have two servings per container but that are customarily consumed in a single eating occasion."
Study participants evaluated nine modified Nutrition Facts labels and the current label format for four fictitious products (two frozen meals and two grab-and-go bags of chips). The labels were classified into three groups. The first group of labels used a single-column format to display information for products with two servings per container; the second group used versions of a dual-column format to display information for products with two servings per container; and the third group used single-column formats that listed the contents of the product as a single, large serving.
The study team also tested whether changes in formatting, such as enlarging the font size for the declaration of "Calories," removing the information on the number of calories from fat, or changing the wording for the serving size declaration, would be helpful to consumers in determining the calories and other nutrient information for a single serving and for the entire package.
Study investigators determined that participants could more accurately assess the number of calories or amount of fat or other nutrients per serving and in the entire package when a single, large serving per container format or a dual-column format was used.
"This research is just one step in understanding how some potential food label modifications might help consumers make better decisions. Ideally, we would like to see how these labels perform in a more realistic setting, such as in a grocery store, with actual packaged foods as opposed to large labels on a computer screen," concludes Dr. Lo. The Nutrition Facts label is only one tool that can help consumers make informed food choices and maintain healthy dietary practices, but it is a valuable tool so it's important to continue exploring ways to support effective use of the label for these purposes."
In an audio podcast accompanying the study, Ms. Lando and Dr. Lo discuss their study methodology, the labeling they tested, and study results and implications.
###
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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.
Can changes in nutrition labeling help consumers make better food choices?Public release date: 23-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Eileen Leahy andjrnlmedia@elsevier.com 732-238-3628 Elsevier Health Sciences
Single-larger-portion-size and dual-column nutrition labeling may help consumers make healthful decisions, reports Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Philadelphia, PA, January 23, 2013 The Nutrition Facts label was introduced 20 years ago and provides consumers with important information, including: the serving size, the number of servings in the package, the number of calories per serving, and the amount of nutrients for each serving of a packaged food. However, research has shown that consumers often miscalculate the number of calories and the nutritional content of products that have two or more servings per container but are usually consumed in a single eating occasion.
Two nutrition labeling changes could have the potential to make nutritional content information easier to understand: 1) dual-column information that details single serving and total package nutrition information, and 2) declaring nutritional information for the entire container.
Amy M. Lando, MPP, and Serena C. Lo, PhD, of the Food and Drug Administration's, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD, conducted an online study with more than 9,000 participants to measure consumers' accuracy in using modified versions of the Nutrition Facts label and to assess their perceptions of how useful, trustworthy, and helpful the label was.
Says Ms. Lando, "FDA commissioned this experimental study to look at whether different ways of presenting the serving size and nutrition information on the Nutrition Facts label might help consumers. In particular we were interested in studying products that have two servings per container but that are customarily consumed in a single eating occasion."
Study participants evaluated nine modified Nutrition Facts labels and the current label format for four fictitious products (two frozen meals and two grab-and-go bags of chips). The labels were classified into three groups. The first group of labels used a single-column format to display information for products with two servings per container; the second group used versions of a dual-column format to display information for products with two servings per container; and the third group used single-column formats that listed the contents of the product as a single, large serving.
The study team also tested whether changes in formatting, such as enlarging the font size for the declaration of "Calories," removing the information on the number of calories from fat, or changing the wording for the serving size declaration, would be helpful to consumers in determining the calories and other nutrient information for a single serving and for the entire package.
Study investigators determined that participants could more accurately assess the number of calories or amount of fat or other nutrients per serving and in the entire package when a single, large serving per container format or a dual-column format was used.
"This research is just one step in understanding how some potential food label modifications might help consumers make better decisions. Ideally, we would like to see how these labels perform in a more realistic setting, such as in a grocery store, with actual packaged foods as opposed to large labels on a computer screen," concludes Dr. Lo. The Nutrition Facts label is only one tool that can help consumers make informed food choices and maintain healthy dietary practices, but it is a valuable tool so it's important to continue exploring ways to support effective use of the label for these purposes."
In an audio podcast accompanying the study, Ms. Lando and Dr. Lo discuss their study methodology, the labeling they tested, and study results and implications.
###
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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.
The family of Junior Seau has sued the NFL, claiming the former linebacker's suicide was the result of brain disease caused by violent hits he sustained while playing football.
The wrongful death lawsuit, filed Wednesday in California Superior Court in San Diego, blames the NFL for its ''acts or omissions'' that hid the dangers of repetitive blows to the head. It says Seau developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from those hits, and accuses the NFL of deliberately ignoring and concealing evidence of the risks associated with traumatic brain injuries.
Seau died at age 43 of a self-inflicted gunshot in May. He was diagnosed with CTE, based on posthumous tests, earlier this month.
An Associated Press review in November found that more than 3,800 players have sued the NFL over head injuries in at least 175 cases as the concussion issue has gained attention in recent years. More than 100 of the concussion lawsuits have been brought together before U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody in Philadelphia.
Helmet manufacturer Riddell Inc., also is being sued by the Seaus, who say Riddell was ''negligent in their design, testing, assembly, manufacture, marketing, and engineering of the helmets'' used by NFL players. The suit says the helmets were unreasonably dangerous and unsafe.
Seau was one of the best linebackers during his 20 seasons in the NFL. He retired in 2009.
''We were saddened to learn that Junior, a loving father and teammate, suffered from CTE,'' the family said in a statement released to the AP. ''While Junior always expected to have aches and pains from his playing days, none of us ever fathomed that he would suffer a debilitating brain disease that would cause him to leave us too soon.
''We know this lawsuit will not bring back Junior. But it will send a message that the NFL needs to care for its former players, acknowledge its decades of deception on the issue of head injuries and player safety, and make the game safer for future generations.''
Plaintiffs are listed as Gina Seau, Junior's ex-wife; Junior's children Tyler, Sydney, Jake and Hunter, and Bette Hoffman, trustee of Seau's estate.
The lawsuit accuses the league of glorifying the violence in pro football, and creating the impression that delivering big hits ''is a badge of courage which does not seriously threaten one's health.''
It singles out NFL Films and some of its videos for promoting the brutality of the game.
''In 1993's 'NFL Rocks,' Junior Seau offered his opinion on the measure of a punishing hit: 'If I can feel some dizziness, I know that guy is feeling double (that),'' the suit says.
The NFL consistently has denied allegations similar to those in the lawsuit.
''The NFL, both directly and in partnership with the NIH, Centers for Disease Control and other leading organizations, is committed to supporting a wide range of independent medical and scientific research that will both address CTE and promote the long-term health and safety of athletes at all levels,'' the league told the AP after it was revealed Seau had CTE.
The lawsuit claims money was behind the NFL's actions.
''The NFL knew or suspected that any rule changes that sought to recognize that link (to brain disease) and the health risk to NFL players would impose an economic cost that would significantly and adversely change the profit margins enjoyed by the NFL and its teams,'' the Seaus said in the suit.
The National Institutes of Health, based in Bethesda, Md., studied three unidentified brains, one of which was Seau's, and said the findings on Seau were similar to autopsies of people ''with exposure to repetitive head injuries.''
''It was important to us to get to the bottom of this, the truth,'' Gina Seau told the AP then. ''And now that it has been conclusively determined from every expert that he had obviously had CTE, we just hope it is taken more seriously. You can't deny it exists, and it is hard to deny there is a link between head trauma and CTE. There's such strong evidence correlating head trauma and collisions and CTE.''
In the final years of his life, Seau went through wild behavior swings, according to Gina and to 23-year-old son, Tyler. There also were signs of irrationality, forgetfulness, insomnia and depression.
''He emotionally detached himself and would kind of 'go away' for a little bit,'' Tyler Seau said. ''And then the depression and things like that. It started to progressively get worse.''
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Obama administration says it won't oppose a House Republican proposal to increase the nation's $16.4 trillion borrowing authority for only three months, even though President Barack last week decried such short-term measures as harmful to the economy.
The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a statement Tuesday saying the GOP measure "introduces unnecessary complications, needlessly perpetuating uncertainty in the nation's fiscal system."
But it says the administration is encouraged because Republicans backed off their insistence of one dollar of spending cuts for every dollar of increase in the debt ceiling.
Without congressional action, the Treasury sometime in late February or early March will not have enough money to pay for all of its obligations, creating the possibility of a first-ever default on the government's debts.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
The White House says a House Republican bill to extend the government's borrowing authority for three months still faces concerns in Congress but press secretary Jay Carney says that if it reaches President Barack Obama's desk, "he would not stand in the way of the bill becoming law."
The White House in the past has voiced reservations about a short-term debt ceiling extension. But on Tuesday, Carney said the three-month plan by House GOP leaders is significant because it "de-escalates the sense of conflict."
The government is on track to surpass its $16.4 trillion debt limit in late February or early March. Congressional Republicans had initially wanted to use a vote to extend the debt ceiling as leverage to win spending reductions, creating the threat of a first-ever government default.
Gay African-American youth face unique challenges coming out to familiesPublic release date: 22-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Steve Manas smanas@ur.rutgers.edu 732-932-7084 x612 Rutgers University
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. Coming out to one's family can be stressful, but gay black males face a unique set of personal, familial and social challenges.
"Parents and youths alike worry that gay men cannot meet the rigid expectations of exaggerated masculinity maintained by their families and communities," says Michael C. LaSala, director of the Master of Social Work program at Rutgers University School of Social Work. LaSala, an associate professor, recently completed an exploratory study of African American gay youth and their families from urban neighborhoods in New York City and Philadelphia.
The study, "African American Gay Youth and Their Families: Redefining Masculinity, Coping with Racism and Homophobia," was published in the Journal of GLBT Family Studies and co-authored with Damien T. Frierson from Howard University. The research focused on gay black males, ages 19 to 25, and their families.
Gay black males struggle to cope with intersecting oppressions racism, homophobia and sexism, says LaSala. They carry a "special stigma" that some straight black males may find particularly disturbing. "The world already sees you as less than others. By being gay, you're further hurting the image of African-American men," LaSala says was a common reaction among the male relatives of the black youth when they learned that their relative was gay.
"On a clinical level, targeted interventions, especially those that include the young man's biological father or a father figure, can assist families to cope with what for many is an unexpected and troubling reality," says LaSala, who works with gay youths and their families in private practice and outlines interventions for families in transition.
Child-rearing for the parents of a black son can be especially daunting, given the increased risk for poverty, HIV/AIDS and other illnesses and imprisonment faced by African- American men. Black parents often feel guilty when they learn their child is gay and many African-American gay youths before coming out distance themselves from their parents. In his study, LaSala observed that many parents found that having a confidante with whom they could share emotions, helped them realize that their sons' sexual orientation was not caused by faulty parenting, and they risked losing their child if they could not accept his being gay.
Black parents may be less likely than whites to "mourn the loss of a normal life" for their gay sons, perhaps understanding that a normal life was less of a sure thing, according to LaSala, author of "Coming Out, Coming Home: Helping Families Adjust to a Gay or Lesbian Child" (Columbia University Press, 2010).
"I found that parents of African-American gay youth said, 'You have everything going against you as a black man. This is one more strike against you.' Conversely, parents of white gay youth stated, 'You have everything going for you and now this!'" LaSala said.
Gender role concerns are a repetitive theme for young African-American men and their families. One young man in the study described the African-American community as very strict when it comes to homosexuality. "It's a masculinity thing," he said.
LaSala points to existing research that calls upon black men to be hypermasculine, a trait characterized by the absence of overt emotions and the appearance of vulnerability, as well as a readiness to have sex at any time. When gay blacks realize they don't fit the stereotype, they often develop a sense of alienation, loneliness and anxiety, not knowing where they fit in.
LaSala recalls the words of a black single mother in the study who worried about gender expectations in her community: "You are told to be a man and being a man does not mean you sleep with other men," she said. "Being a man means you have a woman and you procreate and continue the family name."
LaSala calls for more research to identify the needs of this understudied population. Education is key to resolving the clash between homosexuality and male gender role expectations in the black community. Social workers, therapists and community leaders need to better understand the multiple pressures on gay black youth to help families build stronger bonds.
The involvement of a young gay man's biological father or a father figure can be crucial to relationship building. Too many family therapists and social workers accept the mother's explanation that their son's father "isn't in the picture," which is too easy a way out, according to LaSala. "Family discussions can lead to expanded and more flexible views of masculinity, so clinicians must engage the youth's father if at all possible," he says. "A father is an essential part of the child's history and can add a lot to the discussion."
###
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Gay African-American youth face unique challenges coming out to familiesPublic release date: 22-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Steve Manas smanas@ur.rutgers.edu 732-932-7084 x612 Rutgers University
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. Coming out to one's family can be stressful, but gay black males face a unique set of personal, familial and social challenges.
"Parents and youths alike worry that gay men cannot meet the rigid expectations of exaggerated masculinity maintained by their families and communities," says Michael C. LaSala, director of the Master of Social Work program at Rutgers University School of Social Work. LaSala, an associate professor, recently completed an exploratory study of African American gay youth and their families from urban neighborhoods in New York City and Philadelphia.
The study, "African American Gay Youth and Their Families: Redefining Masculinity, Coping with Racism and Homophobia," was published in the Journal of GLBT Family Studies and co-authored with Damien T. Frierson from Howard University. The research focused on gay black males, ages 19 to 25, and their families.
Gay black males struggle to cope with intersecting oppressions racism, homophobia and sexism, says LaSala. They carry a "special stigma" that some straight black males may find particularly disturbing. "The world already sees you as less than others. By being gay, you're further hurting the image of African-American men," LaSala says was a common reaction among the male relatives of the black youth when they learned that their relative was gay.
"On a clinical level, targeted interventions, especially those that include the young man's biological father or a father figure, can assist families to cope with what for many is an unexpected and troubling reality," says LaSala, who works with gay youths and their families in private practice and outlines interventions for families in transition.
Child-rearing for the parents of a black son can be especially daunting, given the increased risk for poverty, HIV/AIDS and other illnesses and imprisonment faced by African- American men. Black parents often feel guilty when they learn their child is gay and many African-American gay youths before coming out distance themselves from their parents. In his study, LaSala observed that many parents found that having a confidante with whom they could share emotions, helped them realize that their sons' sexual orientation was not caused by faulty parenting, and they risked losing their child if they could not accept his being gay.
Black parents may be less likely than whites to "mourn the loss of a normal life" for their gay sons, perhaps understanding that a normal life was less of a sure thing, according to LaSala, author of "Coming Out, Coming Home: Helping Families Adjust to a Gay or Lesbian Child" (Columbia University Press, 2010).
"I found that parents of African-American gay youth said, 'You have everything going against you as a black man. This is one more strike against you.' Conversely, parents of white gay youth stated, 'You have everything going for you and now this!'" LaSala said.
Gender role concerns are a repetitive theme for young African-American men and their families. One young man in the study described the African-American community as very strict when it comes to homosexuality. "It's a masculinity thing," he said.
LaSala points to existing research that calls upon black men to be hypermasculine, a trait characterized by the absence of overt emotions and the appearance of vulnerability, as well as a readiness to have sex at any time. When gay blacks realize they don't fit the stereotype, they often develop a sense of alienation, loneliness and anxiety, not knowing where they fit in.
LaSala recalls the words of a black single mother in the study who worried about gender expectations in her community: "You are told to be a man and being a man does not mean you sleep with other men," she said. "Being a man means you have a woman and you procreate and continue the family name."
LaSala calls for more research to identify the needs of this understudied population. Education is key to resolving the clash between homosexuality and male gender role expectations in the black community. Social workers, therapists and community leaders need to better understand the multiple pressures on gay black youth to help families build stronger bonds.
The involvement of a young gay man's biological father or a father figure can be crucial to relationship building. Too many family therapists and social workers accept the mother's explanation that their son's father "isn't in the picture," which is too easy a way out, according to LaSala. "Family discussions can lead to expanded and more flexible views of masculinity, so clinicians must engage the youth's father if at all possible," he says. "A father is an essential part of the child's history and can add a lot to the discussion."
###
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Posted by Alex on January 22, 2013 ? Leave a Comment?
Mary Metcalfe
As part of our continuing series of interviews with authors, songwriters and other outspoken creative people, we?re happy to introduce you to author Mary Metcalfe, who talks about her writing, career as an editor and thoughts on the era of new publishing.
Alex Greenwood: Tell us a little about yourself.
Mary Metcalfe: I?m a wife, mom, recent grandmother, dog and cat lover and accidental gardener who caves in on weeding as soon as the hot summer weather hits. I love long walks in the woods with my husband and dog where neither needs to be leashed. I am a slave to my three cats 24/7 and keep a bag of catnip handy when I need them to give me a break. I reluctantly gave up chocolate a few years ago and have never recovered. I also now only have Bailey?s once a year as a true treat.
When/why did you start writing?
I?ve been a professional writer for all of my adult life but on a technical non-fiction level. Three years ago, when my daughter had her first literary non-fiction book published commercially, I realized I wanted to see my name on the cover of a book and not just in the Acknowledgements at the end as a contributor or editor.
Your work has a definite bent towards mental health and social issues. Could you elaborate on that and why you went that direction?
When I first started writing fiction I started with some detailed character outlines and a basic plot. As the books and my research for them evolved, I realized I was exploring questions about people I?ve known and why they behaved in the ways they did. My characters took on the issues that I wondered about: Alzheimer?s (a very dear neighbor), PTSD (my father), Traumatic Brain Injuries (my father and maternal aunt), spousal abuse (a topic I had analyzed extensively for clients and one seen frequently in my mother?s generation). Researching and writing my stories helped me understand what had happened to some wonderful people who became very damaged.
How do you market your work?
My background is in communications, marketing and public relations. But, I?ve quickly learned that the principles may still be the same but the practices have changed big-time. So, I?m well aware of branding but am working on how to apply that to 21st century marketing via social media. At the moment, I?m working with a couple of professional book marketing experts to fine-tune a strategy that will give me broad exposure and still let me sleep and read a good book now and then (like your Pilate?s Ghost?. J).
What is the biggest lesson you?ve learned about marketing your work so far?
Not to get so caught up in relationship building, promotion and marketing (especially Twitter) that you have no time to write. It is simply not possible to have a personal relationship with three thousand people and maintain it. And, I?ve learned the ?conversion rate? from interested to becoming a buying reader is miniscule. I?m now focusing on reviews and interviews and working at finding and reaching the niche audience that is already reading and looking for books in my genre and reaching out to them. I?m done with ?I don?t usually read this genre? people who got a freebie and give it three stars because they wouldn?t like the book in the first place. Let?s not waste each other?s time.
Any favorite writers?
Oh my ? so many. I am a historian by my early university studies and then through my journalism degree. I particularly like social histories and autobiographies so that list would be quite long. I would say that Barbara Walters? autobiography really stands out for me. She rose up through the journalism ranks at a time when women were not taken seriously at all and always ?needed? a male co-anchor to whom they always played second fiddle. Ms. Walters paved the way for today?s female anchors and investigative journalists. She?s as close to a legend or idol for me as anyone in the biz.
Among fiction writers I am a huge fan of Grisham, Le Carr?,? Nora Roberts, Barbara Delinsky, Nicholas Sparks and a growing cadre of mid-list authors who are writing wonderful books that don?t get to the bestseller lists including a certain J. Alex Greenwood, C. L. Withers, Barbara Brunner, Karen Tyrrell? that list just goes on and on.
You are too kind! What?s your take on the future of publishing?
My biggest concern at the moment is that the Amazon model for Kindle Direct is undermining book sales on a very insidious level. I?ve seen myself doing it: I wait/lurk/check around for the latest freebie/99 cent title to pop out from a known or emerging author and find myself loading up my Kindle. At the moment, I have 80 titles on my Kindle ? enough for a year of reading and I didn?t spend more than perhaps $25. That compares to my pre-Kindle/Amazon era where I easily spent $500 or more per year and often paid $20 a copy for a favorite author.
My concern is that this model will either leave good mid-list authors working 2nd and 3rd jobs (do we really need to starve our artists?) to make ends meet or the whole system will implode and there will be a new normal that sees authors paid something of what their work is worth.
Personally, I?m eschewing the Amazon model (once my Kindle contracts run out) and holding out for sales rather than giveaways.
Mary, I agree about Kindle Select. I experimented with it on my third book, the aforementioned Pilate?s Ghost, and a couple of short stories, but I?m opting out as soon as the first contract period expires.
As well, I know from personal experience, that my best reviews are coming from readers who bought my novels. The worst have come from the freebies. So, never again.
What?s next for you?
Other than working on my 2nd job as a freelance editor to help pay my bills? I?m working on the fourth novel in my Look to the Future series. I?m under a lot of pressure from readers who have read the first three and are looking for their Metcalfe fiction fix.
Anything I didn?t ask that you?d like to mention?
As an editor, one thing that concerns me greatly is the number of authors who are publishing without benefit of professional editing. I?m not trying to create more business for my company but it is hard to read a book with a good storyline, great characters and then undermined by poor grammar, spelling and/or punctuation. A few typos are natural ? I find them in Nora Roberts every time ? but missing words and wrong words are an issue for some otherwise very good storytellers.
As my author buddy Barbara Brunner has said, ?a good editor is worth her weight in gold? or words to that effect. I second that thought. Fifty Shades of Gray completely aside, you can?t write a true break-out novel without the support of an editor and a proofreader. And, I don?t think they should be the same person. Each has something different to look for.
A related issue is that I am finding Barbara Freethy (a NY Time bestselling author) schlepping her books alongside those books full of mistakes. I haven?t quite figured out what this means to publishing, but I am concerned that the publishing pool is getting very muddy and good mid-list authors are working their hearts out for little return, much as they deserve it.
Alex ? thanks so much for this interview. You got me thinking. And, I hope your followers/readers will find some good nuggets to think about from my musings.
Winds of Change video book trailer: http://bit.ly/QC3LYw
Winds of Change: http://amzn.to/PhSJt4
New Beginnings: http://amzn.to/QUESaR
Road to Tomorrow: http://amzn.to/QUESaR
All three novels are available in paperback at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indigo and wherever print on demand books can be ordered. I?m also on LinkedIn, Goodreads, LibraryThing and Shelfari. Please join me January 26, 2012 on live LA Talk Radio at TwoTalkBooks with Starla Faye; 11 a.m. PST and 2 p.m. EST at http://www.latalkradio.com/Starlafaye.php
Disclaimer: Ms. Metcalfe is not a client of AGPR.
About Alex Alex has earned a reputation for success and ingenuity from his more than twenty years experience in public relations, journalism, marketing and broadcasting. His career has spanned several industries including healthcare, television, non-profit organizations and higher education.
His work in the news media included positions as an editor, journalist, radio talk show host and vice president of Kansas City Public Television.
He founded AlexanderG Public Relations, LLC in January 2010. AlexanderG PR is a member agency of PRConsultants Group, a collaborative made up of senior-level PR experts in every major market in the United States.
Alex wrote the bestselling crowdfunding ebook "Kickstarter Success Secrets" and is also the award-winning author of several works of fiction, including the popular mystery novels "Pilate's Cross," "Pilate's Key," and "Pilate's Ghost," available wherever ebooks are sold. The books are also available in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Lulu and on order from your local bookstore. Visit the website at www.PilatesCross.com for more info.
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa will likely miss its target of creating five million jobs by 2020, given labor strife and strained relations between the government and private firms, a newspaper quoted a deputy minister as saying.
"We are not going to achieve them (job targets) if we don't systematically look at priority sectors," Economic Development Deputy Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize told Business Day in an interview - marking the first such public admission by a government minister.
President Jacob Zuma's government has pushed a major development plan to slash unemployment to 15 percent from 25 percent over seven years, but economic growth remains far below the levels needed to reduce the problem, carving deep social divisions in Africa's largest economy.
Referring to one priority sector, Mkhize said often-violent wildcat strikes in recent months and the threat of job losses at some of the country's mines stand in the way of creating jobs.
Two major mining firms are looking to slash jobs due to labor strife with Anglo American Platinum, the largest producer of the precious metal, planning to mothball some of its operations and cut some 14,000 jobs.
Harmony Gold, South Africa's third-largest gold producer also plans to mothball its Kusasalethu mine, which could lead to 6,000 job losses.
Zuma's ruling African National Congress has severely criticized the moves and threatened to review mining licenses.
The possibility of further job losses has kept tensions simmering in the mining sector after strikes last year left more than 50 people dead and shaved off about 0.5 percentage points from the country's 2012 economic growth.
The Treasury has forecast growth of 3 percent this year from 2.5 percent in 2012, far below the 7 percent the country needs to significantly reduce the jobless rate.
(Reporting by Stella Mapenzauswa; Editing by Jon Herskovitz, John Stonestreet)
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While everyday factors such as human error and equipment failure cause the majority of minor disconnections, the constant threat from excavation incidents, acts of terrorism and increasingly occurring natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and fires can take networks down for extended periods of time. ?Some of these risks could take your organization offline for only an hour, others for weeks, but in a competitive and highly-automated environment, even minutes of lost communication between company sites or processes can have significant results. In a recent internal study by Hewlett Packard, it was found that unexpected network downtime costs their organization approximately $900,000 per hour.
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Long gone are the latency challenges that have previously prevented businesses from seriously considering satellite technology as the wireless data link they use to augment their wide area data network.
If you are currently considering 3G, 4G, LTE or WiMax wireless data as part of your business continuity or disaster recovery solutions, such as the one shown in the diagram below, please contact a recommended solution partner in your area?to learn how a managed satellite solution from X2nSat can provide a 2 meg symmetrical wireless data connection that may be far superior and more economical.
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Keywords:?x2nsat, garrett hill, business continuity, satellite, whitepaper, disaster recovery, wireless data, 3g, 4g, lte, wimax, wide area data network. ?Image: iStock
An Indian woman and her daughter pray as they take part in a silent protest to mourn the death of a gang rape victim in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. The gang-rape and killing of a New Delhi student has set off an impassioned debate about what India needs to do to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. The country remained in mourning Tuesday, three days after the 23-year-old physiotherapy student died from her internal wounds in a Singapore hospital. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin)
An Indian woman and her daughter pray as they take part in a silent protest to mourn the death of a gang rape victim in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. The gang-rape and killing of a New Delhi student has set off an impassioned debate about what India needs to do to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. The country remained in mourning Tuesday, three days after the 23-year-old physiotherapy student died from her internal wounds in a Singapore hospital. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin)
An Indian man makes a banner during a protest to mourn the death of a gang rape victim in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. The gang-rape and killing of a New Delhi student has set off an impassioned debate about what India needs to do to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. The country remained in mourning Tuesday, three days after the 23-year-old physiotherapy student died from her internal wounds in a Singapore hospital. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Indian schoolgirls form numbers representing the year 2013 during a prayer ceremony in Ahmadabad, India, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. The gang-rape and killing of a New Delhi student has set off an impassioned debate about what India needs to do to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. The country remained in mourning Monday, two days after the 23-year-old physiotherapy student died from her internal wounds in a Singapore hospital. Floral writing at the center reads "Condolence to Damini," a symbolic name given to the victim. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
NEW DELHI (AP) ? A bone test is being conducted to confirm the age of a young suspect in custody in the fatal assault and gang rape of a woman on a bus in India's capital, while prosecutors will seek the death penalty for five other men arrested with him, police said.
The six will be formally charged in court on Thursday on accusations that they kidnapped, gang raped and murdered the 23-year-old woman in New Delhi on Dec. 16, police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said Tuesday.
Media reports say some 30 witnesses have been gathered, and the charges have been detailed in a document running more than 1,000 pages.
Outraged Indians have been demanding the death penalty for the six men, holding demonstrations almost every day since the rape. Murder is punishable by death and rape by life imprisonment. But juveniles ? those below 18 years of age ? cannot be prosecuted for murder.
Another police officer said a bone test is being conducted to determine if the youngest suspect is indeed a juvenile. If the test determines he is 18 years or older he will be treated as an adult, said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose sensitive information.
Doctors can confirm a person's age by evaluating X-rays and determining the maturity of the person's bones.
The brutality of the case has made Indians confront the reality that sexual violence is deeply entrenched in the society. Women face daily harassment, from catcalls on streets and groping in buses to rapes. Often police refuse to accept complaints by female victims and even accuse them of inviting unwanted male attention by dressing provocatively. Families also dissuade victims from coming forward in the belief that it will ruin their reputations.
Activists hope the savage assault on the woman, a physiotherapy student, will shake off the taboo and make authorities take such cases more seriously.
The woman and a male companion were attacked when they boarded an off-duty bus in southern New Delhi to go home. The six men, including the bus driver, allegedly took turns raping her and beat her with an iron bar which they also inserted in her body, causing severe injuries to her organs.
The woman, who has not been identified, was airlifted to Singapore for emergency treatment but died Saturday. She was cremated in New Delhi on Sunday, and the ashes were to be submerged in the holy river Ganges near her hometown in the northern Uttar Pradesh state in accordance with Hindu customs.
Protesters and politicians from across the spectrum called for a special session of Parliament to pass new laws to increase punishments for rapists ? including possible chemical castration ? and to set up fast-track courts to deal with rape cases within 90 days.
Thousands of Indians have lit candles and held prayer meetings and marches to express their grief and demand stronger protection for women and the death penalty for rape. The protests continued Tuesday.
On Monday, the Indian army and navy canceled their New Year's Eve celebrations, as did Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress party. Several hotels and clubs across the capital also did not hold their usual parties.
The car-share business has just gotten a big vote of confidence from rent-a-car giant Avis, which is buying Zipcar for $491.2 million.?
The move is the biggest deal yet in the nascent market for alternatives to traditional automotive rental?systems where users might seek a set of wheels for trip of as little as an hour. Founded in 2000, Zipcar is generally seen as the leader in the car-share market and now claims 760,000 members.??
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?By combining with Zipcar, we will significantly increase our growth potential, both in the United States and internationally, and will position our company to better serve a greater variety of consumer and commercial transportation needs,? Avis Chairman and CEO Ronald Nelson said in a statement accompany the Wednesday morning announcement.?
The car-sharing concept has begun to revolutionize the rental business, attracting young and often affluent buyers, especially in urban areas and around college campuses. Ford Motor Co. last year announced a partnership that placed hundreds of new Ford Focus models on campuses around the country, an alliance the maker hoped would eventually convince students to buy the car once they graduated.
The challenge for many of the new competitors in the field has been to raise capital to expand, industry experts note.? Zipcar has so far spread into 20 metropolitan markets in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
?It?s a fact of life in those places that people want the convenience of a car but don?t want the hassle of owning one,? noted Dr. David Cole, chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research, or CAR, based in Ann Arbor, ?so, I think the carsharing concept is going to work.??
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The most significant difference between a car-sharing service and a traditional rental company like Avis Budget Group Inc. is in providing community-based access to vehicles that can be rented on a short-term basis, rather than by the day or week.
?We?re targeting a generation that only knows how to buy music by the song so paying for a car by the hour is a natural for them,? Scott Griffith, Zipcar?s chairman and CEO, told TheDetroitBureau.com in an earlier interview.
Several key executives, including Zipcar Chairman Griffith and Chief Operating Officer Mark Norman, are expected to remain with the firm, though they will relocate to new headquarters in Boston.
Zipcar went public in 2011 and in November said it anticipated ending its fiscal year with its first annual profit of $4 million. It had ended the third quarter with a 15% jump in revenue, which climbed to $78 million.
Observers were not entirely surprised by the announcement, especially in light of the consolidation in the overall rental industry.? Rival Hertz just last month locked down a takeover of the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group.?
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Avis said it expects significant ?synergies? as part of the deal.? It could ease pressure on Zipcar on weekends and other occasions when it struggles to maintain a large enough fleet to meet demand. It could lead the car-sharing company to expand into other metropolitan markets.
Avis itself sees the opportunity to save between $50 million and $70 million through the acquisition ? for which it will pay $12.25 for Zipcar shares, a 49% premium over the December 31, 2012 closing price of $8.24. ?That is still a significant decline from the strike price of $18 a share for Zipcar stock during its April 2011 IPO.
Under Avis, Zipcar will face a number of other car-sharing services, some looking to take even more radical approaches, such as RelayRides.? That services concept not only skips the traditional busy rental counter but allows individual vehicle owners to put their cars, trucks and crossovers on the market for short-term rentals.?
Last summer, RelayRides announced a partnership with General Motors? OnStar service that lets a renter access a vehicle without having to first connect with the owner to get the keys.?
The Causes and Cure of Hemorrhoids ? Health Fitness. Most people of adult age have probably suffered the indignity of having to cope with Hemorrhoids, otherwise known as Piles. As anyone who has suffered from piles knows, these can be very uncomfortable and painful. What exactly are Hemorrhoids? In a medical sense they are enlarged or swollen veins. They are somewhat similar to varicose veins that develop in the legs, except that these are veins located in the anus. These veins cushion and protect the anal canal. Problems arise when these veins are stretched and tear under pressure, resulting in the familiar discomfort and pain experienced with haemorrhoids. One may experience hemorroids as either internal or external. Internal hemorrhoids are located higher up in the anus and normally manifest themselves as stools covered in blood or blood on the toilet paper. Sometimes the hemorrhoids will protrude from the anal canal, in which case they should just be pushed back inside. External haemorrhoids, on the other hand, exist as hard lumps that can be felt by hand and are extremely painful compared to internal haemorrhoids. These may also cause bleeding which will be seen on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl. Causes of Piles Constipation tends to be the main cause of Piles. The straining of bowel movement during prolonged siting on the toilet puts pressure on the blood vessel in the anal canal, causing swelling and irritation and eventual rupture of the blood vessels <b>?</b>
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Public release date: 23-Jan-2013
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When I first started writing fiction I started with some detailed character outlines and a basic plot. As the books and my research for them evolved, I realized I was exploring questions about people I?ve known and why they behaved in the ways they did. My characters took on the issues that I wondered about: Alzheimer?s (a very dear neighbor), PTSD (my father), Traumatic Brain Injuries (my father and maternal aunt), spousal abuse (a topic I had analyzed extensively for clients and one seen frequently in my mother?s generation). Researching and writing my stories helped me understand what had happened to some wonderful people who became very damaged.
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