Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.
It's that time of the week, where we take a pause from blitzkrieg hands-on opps and pick apart the gadgets we've been using long-term. This time around, Joe tries Sennheiser's CXC 700 headphones, Mat defends the original Xperia Arc and Darren breaks down the pitfalls of trying to get work done with a temperamental VZW hotspot. Because when it comes to getting a consistent LTE signal across the US, what could possibly go wrong?
At the AT&T Mobility local leadership conference, D6 staff join VP Claude Cummings, center, and CWA-TU members Blake Poindexter and Jamone Ross, 4th and 5th from left.
CWA AT&T Mobility local leaders from across the Southwest met in Dallas Nov. 7-8 to discuss and vote on bargaining goals and priorities. The contract covering 9,400 Mobility workers in District 6 expires Feb. 24.
CWA District 6 Vice President Claude Cummings joined participants in discussing ways to build membership mobilization and support for organizing, and pledged support for T-Mobile workers trying to get their union.
Also at the meeting were two CWA-TU organizing committee members, technical care specialists from T-Mobile in Frisco, Texas. Jamone Ross and Blake Poindexter talked about problems at their call center, including unattainable and constantly changing metrics, mass terminations and the lack of respect for workers on the job.
Ross and Poindexter got a firsthand look at CWA democracy in action, as Mobility members set bargaining goals, planned mobilization and moved forward on bargaining.
CWA will hold a Mobility leadership training session in December in Detroit; CWA President Larry Cohen and UAW President Bob King will be on hand.
I love the holidays because people get cheery, weather gets crispy and food gets delicious. Luckily, I don't cook anything! If you do cook, however, it's probably a good idea to have some recipes and a plan. FOOD52 Holiday Recipe and Survival Guide is an ace iPad cookbook that'll take care of everything for you. More »
LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Two title officers have been indicted on more than 600 charges alleging they directed a "robo-signing" scheme that led to the filing of tens of thousands of fraudulent foreclosure documents, the Nevada attorney general's office said Wednesday.
A Clark County District Court judge issued warrants for California residents Gary Randall Trafford, 49, and Geraldine Ann Sheppard, 62, after a grand jury handed up the 439-page indictment. Their hometowns were unavailable, and they could not be immediately located for comment.
The indictment says that between 2005 and 2008, Trafford and Sheppard directed employees to forge their names on foreclosure documents, then notarize the signatures they just forged. The defendants then had the employees file the fraudulent notices of default with the county recorder's office to begin foreclosures on homes.
Trafford and Sheppard face more than 200 felony charges of offering a false instrument and false certification of an instrument, and more than 100 misdemeanor notarization charges, Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto said.
Jennifer Lopez, a spokeswoman for Masto, said Trafford and Sheppard had not been arrested.
Nevada has been the state hit hardest by the recession and the housing crisis, leading the nation in bankruptcies, foreclosures and unemployment. Yet, the problem of shoddy mortgage paperwork, which comprises several shortcuts known collectively as "robo-signing," is more widespread.
Judges who handle foreclosures in Maine, California, Arizona, New York and other states have thrown out foreclosure cases because documents apparently were robo-signers. The nation's largest banks, including Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo & Co., and other lenders temporarily halted foreclosures nationwide last fall because of the issue.
In Michigan, the attorney general took the rare step in June of filing criminal subpoenas to out-of-state mortgage processing companies after 23 county registers of deeds filed a criminal complaint with his office over robo-signed documents they say they have received.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office has said it is conducting a banking probe that could lead to criminal charges against financial executives, and the attorneys general of Delaware, California and Illinois have been conducting their own probes.
Meanwhile, federal bank regulators have focused on getting banks to clean up their act in the future, not on fixing the potentially millions of tainted documents that have been filed across the country.
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) ? Palm Springs police say they're seeking actor Jeremy London for questioning after receiving a call from his girlfriend alleging he assaulted her.
Sgt. Kyle Stjerne says the department received a call at about 10:30 a.m. Friday from London's girlfriend, alleging the actor assaulted her outside her Palm Springs home.
Stjerne says a verbal altercation over custody of the couple's child became violent and she suffered minor injuries. The woman's name wasn't released.
London's lawyer Catherine Lombardo denied allegations that the abuse occurred.
London's volatile relationship and addiction issues were broadcast to VH1 viewers during season four of the reality show "Celebrity Rehab" with Dr. Drew Pinsky.
London's most memorable performances include the slacker anti-hero lead role of TS Quint in "Mallrats" and roles on television's "7th Heaven" and "Party of Five."
Julia Roberts' version of the Snow White tale, "Mirror, Mirror," is more light-hearted than "Snow White and the Huntsman." By a factor of forever.
By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Two movies based on the "Snow White" fairy tale are on the way, and both now have trailers out. Both trailers focus on the Evil Queens, with Snow White pretty much an afterthought. Movie fans can weigh the differences and pick a favorite. I'm Team Huntsman, and not just because of Kristen Stewart -- Charlize Theron is all kinds of scary as the Queen.
"Snow White and the Huntsman" is due out in June.
Snow White: Kristen Stewart, looking all Joan of Arcy, proving a princess can be beautiful and also kick some butt. Evil Queen: Deliciously creepy Charlize Theron, sucking down souls as if they were Cheetos and bathing in ... milk? paint? Wite-Out? Huntsman: Chris "Thor" Hemsworth, getting all "Game of Thronesy" as he's forced to hunt Snow down Bonus points for: Creepy liquid-human magic mirror, dwarves named Tiberius and Caesar. Overall trailer vibe: Terrifying.
"Mirror, Mirror" is due out in March.
Snow White: Lily Collins, Phil's daughter, who does pick up a sword but would get cut in half?by Stewart's Snow. Evil Queen: A campy Julia Roberts, in giant gowns and a painful-looking waist-squeezer. Prince: Armie Hammer, who gets turned into a dog, kind of, by a puppy-love potion. Bonus points for: Dwarf makes "Scarface joke," cracks "Snow White? Snow Way!" Overall trailer vibe: Zany.
Are you interested in either of the Snow White movies? Tell us in the comments.
ASMBS and ASGE issue white paper on endoscopic bariatric therapies (EBTs) Public release date: 17-Nov-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Anne Brownsey abrownsey@asge.org 630-570-5635 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Societies explore role of endoscopy in treating obesity
NOVEMBER 17, 2011 The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) have issued a new white paper on the potential role of endoscopic bariatric therapies (EBTs) in treating obesity and obesity-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes.
The white paper entitled, "A Pathway to Endoscopic Bariatric Therapies," appears online in both GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD), the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
"The two societies formed a joint task force to identify opportunities where endoscopic treatments may play a role in improving patient outcomes and reducing costs," said Gregory G. Ginsberg, MD, FASGE, ASGE president and chair of the ASGE/ASMBS Task Force on EBT. "The white paper establishes the criteria for success as new technologies and procedures are developed."
According to the white paper, several EBTs are currently in different stages of development and include a wide variety of methods to induce weight loss and reduce obesity-related diseases and conditions.
EBTs are performed entirely through the gastrointestinal tract using thin flexible endoscopes and may offer patients an outpatient alternative to bariatric procedures including laparoscopic gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy.
"Endoscopic therapy has the potential to be applied across the continuum of obesity and metabolic disease," said Bipan Chand, MD, chairman, ASMBS Emerging Technology and Procedure Committee, and co-chair of the ASGE/ASMBS Task Force. "However, it is generally expected that endoscopic modalities achieve weight loss superior to that produced by medical and intensive lifestyle interventions, have a favorable risk/benefit profile and have scientific evidence to support its use."
The white paper addresses endoscopic bariatric therapy treatment classification, potential indications, and efficacy including: primary efficacy endpoints such as weight loss, definitions for weight loss, comparison of weight loss between therapies, threshold for weight loss, and study design; and secondary efficacy endpoints such as reduction in obesity-related co-morbidities, changes in quality of life, safety, durability and repeatability, adoption of EBTs in the context of global patient care, endoscopy unit considerations, training and credentialing, cost effectiveness, and government and industry relations.
To read the full white paper, log on to GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy online at www.giejournal.org or see the November print issue; or see the ASMBS journal, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases http://asmbs.org/soard/.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one-third of U.S. adults (33.8 percent) are obese. Medical costs associated with obesity are about $147 billion or 10 percent of all medical spending, double what it was a decade ago. The ASMBS estimates there are 17 million people in the U.S. with morbid obesity (BMI of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 or more with an obesity-related disease).
Obesity is a disease that contributes to more than 30 other obesity related diseases and conditions that include Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, sleep apnea and certain cancers.
Bariatric surgery has been shown to be the most effective and long lasting treatment for obesity and many related conditions. Studies have shown patients may lose 30 to 50 percent of their excess weight 6 months after surgery and 77 percent of their excess weight as early as one year after surgery. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reported significant improvements in the safety of bariatric surgery over the last several years due in large part to improved laparoscopic techniques and the advent of bariatric surgical centers of excellence. The overall risk of death from bariatric surgery is about 0.1 percent and the risk of major complications is about 4 percent.
###
About Endoscopy
Endoscopy is performed by specially-trained physicians called endoscopists using the most current technology to diagnose and treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Using flexible, thin tubes called endoscopes, endoscopists are able to access the human digestive tract without incisions via natural orifices. Endoscopes are designed with high-intensity lighting and fitted with precision devices that allow viewing and treatment of the gastrointestinal system. Millions of endoscopic procedures are performed in the U.S. each year. It is a safe, effective and well-tolerated procedure. Sedation is commonly used to make the patient comfortable throughout the exam.
About the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Since its founding in 1941, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has been dedicated to advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence in gastrointestinal endoscopy. ASGE, with nearly 12,000 members worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education. Visit www.asge.org and www.screen4coloncancer.org for more information and to find a qualified doctor in your area.
About the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery
The ASMBS is the largest organization for bariatric surgeons in the world. It is a non-profit organization that works to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery and is committed to educating medical professionals and the lay public about bariatric surgery as an option for the treatment of morbid obesity, as well as the associated risks and benefits. It encourages its members to investigate and discover new advances in bariatric surgery, while maintaining a steady exchange of experiences and ideas that may lead to improved surgical outcomes for morbidly obese patients. For more information on the ASMBS, visit www.asmbs.org.
EA Finkelstein et al. "Annual Medical Spending Attributable To Obesity: Payer-And Service-Specific Estimates." Health Affairs. 2009. 29(5):w822-w831. http://healthaff.highwire.org/cgi/content/abstract/28/5/w822
RA Weiner. " Indications and Principles of Metabolic Surgery." U.S. National Library of Medicine. 2010; 81(4):379-94
AC Wittgrove et al. "Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass, Roux-en-Y: Technique and Results in 75 Patients With 3-30 Months Follow-up. "Obesity Surgery. 1996. 6:500-504.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Statistical Brief #23. Bariatric Surgery Utilization and Outcomes in 1998 and 2004. Jan. 2007.
Flum et al. "Perioperative Safety in the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery." New England Journal of Medicine. 2009. 361:445-454. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/361/5/445
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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.
ASMBS and ASGE issue white paper on endoscopic bariatric therapies (EBTs) Public release date: 17-Nov-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Anne Brownsey abrownsey@asge.org 630-570-5635 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Societies explore role of endoscopy in treating obesity
NOVEMBER 17, 2011 The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) have issued a new white paper on the potential role of endoscopic bariatric therapies (EBTs) in treating obesity and obesity-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes.
The white paper entitled, "A Pathway to Endoscopic Bariatric Therapies," appears online in both GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD), the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
"The two societies formed a joint task force to identify opportunities where endoscopic treatments may play a role in improving patient outcomes and reducing costs," said Gregory G. Ginsberg, MD, FASGE, ASGE president and chair of the ASGE/ASMBS Task Force on EBT. "The white paper establishes the criteria for success as new technologies and procedures are developed."
According to the white paper, several EBTs are currently in different stages of development and include a wide variety of methods to induce weight loss and reduce obesity-related diseases and conditions.
EBTs are performed entirely through the gastrointestinal tract using thin flexible endoscopes and may offer patients an outpatient alternative to bariatric procedures including laparoscopic gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy.
"Endoscopic therapy has the potential to be applied across the continuum of obesity and metabolic disease," said Bipan Chand, MD, chairman, ASMBS Emerging Technology and Procedure Committee, and co-chair of the ASGE/ASMBS Task Force. "However, it is generally expected that endoscopic modalities achieve weight loss superior to that produced by medical and intensive lifestyle interventions, have a favorable risk/benefit profile and have scientific evidence to support its use."
The white paper addresses endoscopic bariatric therapy treatment classification, potential indications, and efficacy including: primary efficacy endpoints such as weight loss, definitions for weight loss, comparison of weight loss between therapies, threshold for weight loss, and study design; and secondary efficacy endpoints such as reduction in obesity-related co-morbidities, changes in quality of life, safety, durability and repeatability, adoption of EBTs in the context of global patient care, endoscopy unit considerations, training and credentialing, cost effectiveness, and government and industry relations.
To read the full white paper, log on to GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy online at www.giejournal.org or see the November print issue; or see the ASMBS journal, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases http://asmbs.org/soard/.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one-third of U.S. adults (33.8 percent) are obese. Medical costs associated with obesity are about $147 billion or 10 percent of all medical spending, double what it was a decade ago. The ASMBS estimates there are 17 million people in the U.S. with morbid obesity (BMI of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 or more with an obesity-related disease).
Obesity is a disease that contributes to more than 30 other obesity related diseases and conditions that include Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, sleep apnea and certain cancers.
Bariatric surgery has been shown to be the most effective and long lasting treatment for obesity and many related conditions. Studies have shown patients may lose 30 to 50 percent of their excess weight 6 months after surgery and 77 percent of their excess weight as early as one year after surgery. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reported significant improvements in the safety of bariatric surgery over the last several years due in large part to improved laparoscopic techniques and the advent of bariatric surgical centers of excellence. The overall risk of death from bariatric surgery is about 0.1 percent and the risk of major complications is about 4 percent.
###
About Endoscopy
Endoscopy is performed by specially-trained physicians called endoscopists using the most current technology to diagnose and treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Using flexible, thin tubes called endoscopes, endoscopists are able to access the human digestive tract without incisions via natural orifices. Endoscopes are designed with high-intensity lighting and fitted with precision devices that allow viewing and treatment of the gastrointestinal system. Millions of endoscopic procedures are performed in the U.S. each year. It is a safe, effective and well-tolerated procedure. Sedation is commonly used to make the patient comfortable throughout the exam.
About the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Since its founding in 1941, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has been dedicated to advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence in gastrointestinal endoscopy. ASGE, with nearly 12,000 members worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education. Visit www.asge.org and www.screen4coloncancer.org for more information and to find a qualified doctor in your area.
About the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery
The ASMBS is the largest organization for bariatric surgeons in the world. It is a non-profit organization that works to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery and is committed to educating medical professionals and the lay public about bariatric surgery as an option for the treatment of morbid obesity, as well as the associated risks and benefits. It encourages its members to investigate and discover new advances in bariatric surgery, while maintaining a steady exchange of experiences and ideas that may lead to improved surgical outcomes for morbidly obese patients. For more information on the ASMBS, visit www.asmbs.org.
EA Finkelstein et al. "Annual Medical Spending Attributable To Obesity: Payer-And Service-Specific Estimates." Health Affairs. 2009. 29(5):w822-w831. http://healthaff.highwire.org/cgi/content/abstract/28/5/w822
RA Weiner. " Indications and Principles of Metabolic Surgery." U.S. National Library of Medicine. 2010; 81(4):379-94
AC Wittgrove et al. "Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass, Roux-en-Y: Technique and Results in 75 Patients With 3-30 Months Follow-up. "Obesity Surgery. 1996. 6:500-504.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Statistical Brief #23. Bariatric Surgery Utilization and Outcomes in 1998 and 2004. Jan. 2007.
Flum et al. "Perioperative Safety in the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery." New England Journal of Medicine. 2009. 361:445-454. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/361/5/445
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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Public release date: 17-Nov-2011
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