Shares Climb as Oil Prices and Supply Concerns Ease

Follow the link http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/26/business/26markets.html?_r=1&scp=10&sq=economic%20growth&st=cse to read my article.

Shares Climb as Oil Prices and Supply Concerns Ease

Mark Flannery wrote the article, ``Shares Climb as Oil Prices and Supply Concerns Ease `` on the New York Times on February 25, 2011. My interest in this article comes from my major, economics. It deals with changes in one of the biggest determinants of economic growth, oil price; therefore making it very informative and appealing.

The article elucidates the effects of rising oil prices on different giant corporations and on the U.S. economy. The writer mentions that war and unrest in Libya, 5^th biggest oil producer in Africa, is taking a toll on many other countries and businesses. The writer specifically draws the examples of Boeing, which has suffered a 2.8% decline in its share prices. Economic analysts think the major reasons behind the decline are rising oil prices and proportionately smaller rise in sales. The writer also discusses about the effects of increasing oil prices on the U.S. economy. Analysts calculated the US economy grew at a rate of 2.8% last year compared to the predicted rate of 3.2%.

However, the author only refers to the short-term consequences of an increase in oil prices. In the long run many other factors come into play. For example, an alternative to oil as a non-renewable resource to power industries. Thus I am left with a major question; what are the long-term effects of such an increase in oil prices?

Anyone Need a new limb?

The FDA has approved of this new replacement limb for people who have undergone amputations, had a stroke, or spinal injuries. These new arms have near natural movement and are controlled by a chip implanted on the surface of the brain, learning how the brain works and the responding to the signals that the brain sends.

This is interesting because people who have had those diseases or have had an accident and fell that people treat them differently because of how they lack the limb or can't move it as effectively will feel less of a stare when they have that function again through this prosthetic.

article

No More Flu anyone?

In this article, talks about a break through in the flu vaccine earlier this month. Doctors in Oxford's Jenner Institute have found a way to create a universal flu vaccine. Previously, flu vaccines were made using a proteins on the shell of the flu virus to destroy it. The problem arises because those proteins mutate all the time, thus giving us the swine flu, bird flu and many others. Each flu had to be taken in to guess the strain and taken through a 4 month process to get vaccines off the production lines and into stores.

Now, Dr. Sarah Gilbert and her team have used activated T-cells (part of our immune system, the main component of our body learning to fight new diseases, these are the first soldiers at the battle scene scoping out the weakness of the enemy) to target common proteins inside the flu virus common to almost all strains of flu, called nucleoproteins. How this vaccine differs from normal seasonal flu vaccines are seasonal flu vaccines use weakened or killed flu viruses with the protein still left in them, and are injected into our body for OUR body's T-cells to get the information to defend itself, which takes a bit of time. On the other hand, this new activated T-cell vaccine, injects T-cells that already know how to kill the flu virus into our body, this alerts our body, and cuts the time our body has to learn the virus and preparing for it out. After vaccinating the Dr.'s saw an increase in the bodies immune system, but most importantly, it has the intelligence needed and is ready to fight, before the virus even enters the body.

The reason I chose this article is because I saw the it was cool for researchers to finally find a more efficient way to fight the flu, although it is not a 100% protection it is still a step up from the regular seasonal vaccines that we have to get a shot every year to get protected against, this is you get vaccinated once, and you are set for life.

With the seasonal flu vaccines, adults over 50 have a 30%-40% effectiveness, I wonder (as well as the researchers) if the effectiveness for older adults who have weakened immune systems would increase.

Pet stores see healthy sales of organic food; Independent shops are stocking more of the premium-priced brands

In this article they discuss the pet food movement. Lately more organic and holistic choices have been appearing on the selves of pet food stores. As the years go by, pets are becoming less as our property and more as our family members. This also is influencing how we take care of them. BY providing our pets with natural pet foods, people are hoping that this will help extend the lives of our pets, as eating healthier would extend our lives as humans. But with increased value comes increased prices. One reporter predicted a 15% increase on this multibillion-dollar industry.

This makes a lot of sense to me as a pet owner. You would not feed a child a mystery food, so why would you feed your pet a food you knew nothing about? Dogs are omnivorous and need a completely balanced diet in order to keep their internal structures running smoothly. Cats on the other hand are carnivores, so they should not have any corn or wheat products in their diet, yet many cat foods use these as fillers. So even though these foods come at an increased cost, it would be worth it to keep your pet at their optimal health.

Article

The Home With No Energy Bills

This article is about Colorado University's Solar Decathlon house. The house employed energy efficient appliances, lighting, windows and most importantly employed solar panels to generate energy for the home. In using all these technologies, they were able produce more energy then they could use and were actually paid by the power company.

The article was interesting to me because it showed a practical approach to building green by using materials that can be easily found and used a house that was actually a mobile home.

After reading the article would you say that the Colorado University Solar Decathlon team approached the project in a way that was in fact practical?

www.servicemagic.com/articles.show.The-Home-with-No-Energy-Billss.14002.html

FDA Clears iPhone, iPad, Radiology App

Recently, the FDA approved software that runs on the iPhone and iPad to be used by doctors to aid in medical diagnoses. The benefit of this software is that it allows doctors to view medical images immediately at any location. This eliminates the need for a doctor to use valuable time traveling to a lab to view films.

I was interested in using this article for this Biz Buzz assignment because it is different from articles I used in the past. This is the first time software has been approved by the FDA for use by doctors to aid in medical diagnoses.

What measures should be taken to ensure patient’s privacy? What would prevent an unauthorized person from taking the iPhone/iPad and viewing private medical records? Do you think the benefits out-weight the risks?

http://www.lexisnexis.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/lnacui2api/auth/checkbrowser.do?rand=0.7990547490848645&cookieState=0&ipcounter=1&bhcp=1

Green Water House Costing Portland Residents

This article was about Portland’s Water House, which is a green home built by the Portland Water Bureau. The bureau spent over $400,000 to build the house, and is designed to showcase some of the features residents can use in their homes. The Water House will also be the first EPA Water-Sense certified home in Oregon.

The problem with the project is that it is increasing costs for Portland residents, who pay the fifth highest utility bill in the country. The large bill is affected in part by the Water House and other similar projects. The article provided a link to the original story, and the article states that the Water Bureau has a history of working on projects that are in some views removed from the bureau’s mission and services, and may not provide benefits for residents. Because they are a public agency, the Water Bureau doesn’t have to prove that its projects are “used and useful” according to its mission, leaving them free to spend money on these controversial projects. Should public agencies be able to spend money on projects that may not be beneficial to the public?

Article: http://www.earthtechling.com/2011/02/portland-water-house-a-green-housing-dream/

Original Story: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/01/as_big_construction_projects_d.html

iPS cells

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20110224/Progeria-derived-iPS-cells-may-treat-aging-related-disease-in-children.aspx

To start with, the human aging process for 8 decades or more has been difficult for people to study. At the Salk Institute for Biological studies they have replicated premature aging in the lab, where they are able to study aging related disease in a dish.

Juan Carlos, PH.D a professor at the Salk Institute and and his team have reported that they successfully generated induced pluripotent stem( iPS) cells from skin cells, that are obtained from patients that have Hutchinson- Gilford Progeria Syndrome, which is when people age 8 to about 10 times faster than the rest of the human population.

It goes on to say that people that face this disease, features resemble the aging process that are put on fast foward and afflicted people which they live rarely beyond 13 years. Almost all people that suffer from this, die from complications of arteriosclerosis, which is clogging of that hardening of arteries, or the blood vessles caused by plaques which then lead to either heart attacks or stroke.

For a Sharp Brain, Stimulation

In this article from The New York Times, it was found that Alzheimer’s, which affects around 1/8 of adults over the age of 65, is considered one of the scariest diseases in the U.S. The number of the affected is rising, but there are few treatments and they only slow it down, but do not cure the disease. However, doctors are now more hopeful, after discovering that older brains actually can produce new nerves, as opposed to the long-standing belief that people are born with as many nerve cells as they’ll ever have. So the question is, are there really things people can do to help their brain make new nerve cells?

Studies have shown that older people that retain their mental alertness usually have active social lives and connections. Also, they tend to engage in intellectually stimulating or challenging activities. Furthermore, a research team studied the effects of aerobic versus anaerobic exercise on cognitive functioning. Their findings indicated that after six months, the 60-70 year olds had improved their memory, decision-making ability and attention/focus by 15-20%. Other studies have shown that just staying cognitively active by learning new things, traveling, and reading can help keep the brain healthy. Some things experts suggest include learning a new language, picking up a hobby like painting or playing an instrument, and volunteering in the community. Furthermore, doctors say that a person’s diet should be well-balanced, along with their attitude, which can have a surprising effect. Being able to handle stress is a big part of staying healthy in all ways, not just cognitively.

This article is interesting because it shows the ways that small changes can have a large impact on brain functioning and health. I wonder, f every American knew how these little things could help prevent scary diseases like Alzheimer’s, would they actually make an effort to maintain their cognitive functioning?

Not so low cost fines for Wal-Mart

On May 24, 2004 federal officials filed an agreement to fine Wal-Mart a total of 3.1 million towards storm water runoff violations. This fine of 3.1 million is a record civil penalty. These violations were cited at 24 sites in nine different states including: California, Colorado, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. Assistant attorney general Thomas L. Sansonetti states that “Complying with the storm water portion of the regulations is not that difficult it requires some low-cost technology, and these contractors, on behalf of Wal-Mart, weren't doing it”.

In response Wal-Mart has stepped forward stating that they hope to be a trendsetter in environmental compliances moving forward. They will be requiring their contractors to attend educational sessions addressing compliance with storm water management. They also plan to spend $250,000 on an environmental project in one of the nine states where they failed to comply with storm water regulations.

This is not the first time Wal-Mart has been fined for the inability to comply with storm water regulations, in 2001 they were fined 1 million for violations at 17 different sites. The Federal Government feels the more specific assurances from Wal-Mart for how they plant to go about correcting problems will provide a greater chance of continued implementation.

According to the EPA, less than half of all commercial construction companies do not obtain proper storm water permits or undertake all of the necessary actions needed for adequate storm water mitigation approaches.

Article: http://www.lexisnexis.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?

Vitamin D deficiency linked to lung disease, poor lung function

This study was published on February 1, showed that Vitamin D deficiency in the body is linked with reduced lung function and lung disease. Researchers from Perth’s Telethon Institute did the study on two week old mice with vitamin D deficiency. Compared to normal mice the deficient mice's lungs were substantially different. The airway gave more resistance with a smaller lung capacity. A closer look at lung tissues under the microscope showed reduced lung function. This research is the first direct link showing that low levels of vitamin D affects lung development. With more research changes in treatments for patients with asthma and COPD could take place and could maybe cure the diseases.

The reason I was interested in this article is because, my brother and I both have asthma. Asthma causes a lot of limitations to the body of the bearers and seeing new research breakthroughs gives me hope of getting cured from the disease. In the US last year, CDC statistics show that there are over 24 million people suffering from asthma, 7 million of those being children. This breakthrough could help those children return to normal lives and not have to be dependent on inhalers and restrictions from the effectiveness of their lungs.

Portland is great place to visit

Saburo- Saburo is the probably best Sushi place at Portland. This place is famous about their big portion of Sushi. There is a huge line before open every day. Saburo is open for only dinner.

1667 SE Bybee Blvd
Portland, OR 97202

(503) 236-4237

Marin Police-Famous Sushi land we can see all over the Oregon. I believe Portland one is the best one since they have good quality and most of stuff is from Japan.

Portland - Pearl
138 NW 10th Ave.
Portland OR 97209

(503) 546-9933

Henry's-This restaurant is located at 12^th Ave of Portland, they serve great burger and other good food. You sometime have difficult to time to get your seat since this place is so popular.

10 NW 12^th Ave Portland OR 97209

(503) 227 5320

Isabel- Great place to eat breakfast I was surprised quality of food and their commitment for their food. I highly recommend coming here if you are in Portland.

330 NW 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
503-222-4333

(503) 222-4333

Article

http://www.foodtacular.com/2010/saburos-portlands-very-big-very-little-sushi-restaurant/

Portland is great place to visit. Every time I visit Portland I enjoy a lot. If you have time I highly recommend visiting restaurants I introduced here.

Alaskan Way Viaduct Tunnel

The SR99 Alaskan Way Viaduct is in dispose and City of Seattle officials have proposed a new tunnel under down town to reroute traffic off the busy surface streets. Citizens of Seattle are apposed to the project due to the high costs and for the way that funding was obtained for the project.

The article discussed how a tunnel would provide citizens with an enhanced downtown environment, a place for them to recreate, and a place where business would thrive. The project would not only redirect traffic but would include new transit lines that could further reduce traffic on the busy streets of Seattle. The article also discusses how it is the only option that would significantly reduce traffic loads on surface streets now and into the future.

After reading the article do you feel that a tunnel sounds like a good idea for Seattle? Keep in mind that it will be the largest diameter tunnel ever bored and there are no American contractors with the necessary experience in large diameter tunnels.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008610476_opin11phillips.html

Adam Smith, Marriage Counselor

Jenny Anderson wrote the article on ``Adam Smith, Marriage Counselor`` on the NY Times on February 11, 2011. My interest in the article emerged from my major, economics. However, I found the article particularly engaging because the author applied economics out of the generic realms of national budgets, consumption, and markets. She applied basic economic theories and ideologies in marital life. In an unorthodox approach, she urges readers to consider marital disputes from an economists` point of view.

She focuses on issues such as child-care and balance between professional and personal lives. Anderson elucidated why marriages don’t work out and tried to offer solutions that exhort readers to employ different techniques in offering ``incentives`` to their partners. She also explored the ostensible ignorance and indifference people show to their partner’s words and feelings. All the while she used technical economic jargon to draw connections between everyday situations and economic ideas.

However, she leaves one basic question unanswered; how accurate is it to classify humans as forces of market? Do we really behave like Adam Smith’s ``invisible hand of market? ``

Please follow the link http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/fashion/13Cultural.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq=economics&st=cse&scp=3 to read the article.

Animal Lovers, Beware Of Ownership Costs

This article talks about the heavy costs of owning a pet. Whether it is a cat or a horse, they caution against impulse buying. According to the article the cost per year for a large dog is $875 for basic needs and for a cat the yearly cost is around $670. These prices however do not include emergency trips, which can cost thousands of dollars or the cost of owning during their first year. This is important for people to realize before buying a pet because while you may want the pet for its company, a low budget may hurt the animal later on. Maybe animals are relinquished every year because their owners do not take care of them and their expenses. People can also choose to euthanize their animals because they cannot afford emergency veterinary costs – even if it is for a simple fix.

As an owner of two dogs I can relate with this article when they say it is not cheap to own a pet. As an owner you want to provide the very best for your animals to ensure they stay healthy and fit. Skipping out in one aspect may lead problems in another area. For example, buying cheap food may lead to severe digestive problems or obesity. Do you think more people would reconsider buying a pet if they knew how much it actually costs to take care of them?

Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/27/your-money/27wealth.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Animal%20Lovers,%20Beware%20Of%20Ownership%20Costs%20%20%20%20%20&st=cse

Cell origin of for childhood muscle cancer

http://www.breakthroughdigest.com/medical-news/scientists-discover-cell-of-origin-for-childhood-muscle-cancer/

This article is from Portland, Oregon actually the Oregon Health and Science University Doernbecher Childrens Hospital, they have defined a cell or origin for a kind of cancer called sarcoma. It goes on to say that childhood muscular cancer is a condition in which spreads throughout the body which has a low survival rate in just 20 to 40%. Researchers are now able to show where the tumors arise and what makes them grow and spread in the body.

They cancer should be cut out, burned out, or killed. Another way to help patients is by giving them drugs that can convert the muscle cancer into a non cancerous muscle fiber. The survival rate for children that have this cancer have been unchanged for the last 40 years. Increasing the intensity of chemotherapy, raditaion, and surgery is having no effect on people with this cancer .

Doernbecher travles through out Oregon and southwest Washington to provide specialty care to some 3,000 than 154 outreach clinics in 13 locations. Overall I thought this article was good, it is always good when people, no matter if they are payed or not are willing to help little boys and girls feel better, and become healthier, because no one wants to see children suffer.

Microsoft Aquires Hospital IT Software From GCS

Microsoft has acquired software from Global Care Solutions (GCS). Microsoft because the demand for IT in the medical field is growing. Many health care systems around the world are turning to IT to make their health systems more efficient. The software Microsoft acquired is used in the health care industry to automate tasks such as patient record keeping, billing as well as clinical work-flows. This software is used by 1.2 million people. In Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok it reduced the wait time of patients by 17 minutes.

I was interested in this article because it is a good example of the utilization of information technology in the medical industry. I was also interested in this article because it is an example of a large corporation showing interest in information technology in health care.

What do you think of Microsoft’s involvement in the health care information systems? Do you think they should be required to meet higher quality standards for health care IT systems than operating systems?

Article: http://www.lexisnexis.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?

BIM and Green Construction

I had mentioned BIM (Building Information Modeling) in my first post, and how it helps people in the construction industry build projects more effectively and efficiently. BIM is now being used more often in green construction projects as well. The article talks about SMARTBIM and ecoSCORECARD, two companies that recently joined to provide modeling services on green construction projects. BIM will allow project personnel to view "green data" such as impact on the environment and the green building rating of materials and components of the project.

I thought the article was interesting because as the article states, green construction is more than just using green materials, it's becoming more of a whole process. BIM gathers data on materials and their green rating in one place and makes keeping track of documentation for green certification easy. Do you think advances in technology such as BIM will make green construction standard? I think it will. Green construction is becoming more and more common, and technology like this will make the transition easier for anyone involved in construction projects.

Article: http://www.constructech.com/news/articles/article.aspx?article_id=8754&SECTION=1

Explaining Epilepsy

This article from the Washington Post describes the experiences of Alyssa Genna, a sixth grader that has dealt with epilepsy throughout most of her childhood. Some of the consequences of being a child with epilepsy include teasing and being excluded from activities because others think you are incapable. Alyssa has been on many different drugs, which have helped control her seizures and let her be a normal kid.

Epilepsy used to be thought of as a type of insanity, or even possession by evil spirits. Now, doctors know that it is a medical condition in which people have recurring seizures that are caused by abnormal electrical brain activity. Complex-partial seizures can make people fumble and feel confused, while grand mal seizures are the kind that last for a while and can make people fall down and shake. Some of the causes of epilepsy include strokes, brain tumors, lead poisoning, and brain injuries. Currently, epilepsy and seizures can usually be controlled by medication, and in some instances, brain surgery has been shown to cure the disorder.

This article is very interesting because it describes a relatively simple neurological disorder that, though not necessarily harmless, does not merit the amount of fear people usually ascribe to it. What I want to know is, could epilepsy have anything to do with genetics or other factors that affect the brain besides damaging strokes, tumors and injuries?

Favorite Place at Beaverton OR(restaurants-tourism)

Beaverton OR

Ikenohana- Ikenohana is authentic Japanese restaurant located at Beaverton Oregon. It is right next to the Chevron Gas station and Safe Way. I know Ikenohana since 2005 and regularly visited and enjoyed their foods. Portion of food is really great and price is fair. Everything is above average. You will be surprised at the salad they serve. Miso soup and salad come with most of meal. The dressing they use is simply amazing. Sesame based dressing with ginger make refreshing sensation. I went to here right before New Year, then I missed New Year count down. Even though, it was great to have fine food at New Year Eve.
All of my friends went here with me responded this is best Japanese restaurant in Beaverton area.
14308 Southwest Allen Boulevard,
Beaverton, OR 97005
(503) 646-1267
Link; http://www.examiner.com/ethnic-restaurants-in-portland/ikenohana-s-consistency-brings-restaurant-longevity



Nakwon Restaurant
Nakwon is located at downtown Beaverton nearby Beaverton library. Most interesting fact about authentic Korean restaurant is various kinds of appetizers. You can get many kinds of pickled vegetables with seasonings, seaweeds and Kimchi. You will be pleased that just eating these appetizers. I ordered panned fried rice egg in top. Vegetables,seasoning blended with egg and they make great taste. I highly recommend to go here, since they use many vegetable, it is really healthy to eat.
4600 Southwest Watson Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97005(503) 646-9382 ‎
Link; http://maps.google.com/maps/place?rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS408US408&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Nakwon+Restaurant+oregon&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Nakwon+Restaurant&hnear=Oregon&cid=7095420208346277076
http://www.oregonlive.com/northwest-life/index.ssf/portland-restaurants/best-restaurants-southwest-beaverton.html

Benihana
Benihana is famous about their style of foods and unique performance they give. According Wikipedia ,”Tepannyaki is a Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food.”
What unique this restaurant is chef cooks your meal in front of you. They make foods fly around make food artistic while they are cooking. By the time we went there at my graduation party and birthday they made onion volcano and made shrimps fly into customer’s plates. This place is also kid friendly , I saw many of kids enjoy foods and performance at Benihana. For special day Benihana would be great choice for you.
9205 SW Cascade Avenue
Beaverton, OR 97008
(503) 643-4016
Link; http://eater.com/archives/2010/08/23/mad-men-benihana.php#

Pho Van
Pho Van is the authentic Vietnamese restaurant located Portland/Beaverton area. I know this restaurant since 2005 and it’s been one of my favorite restaurants since then. It located right next to high way in Beaverton Town Square so it is easy to find. Everything is great and they have huge selection of menu. I personally love their special rice combo which includes Pork chop, grilled honey lemongrass pork& shrimp, dried shredded pork, and egg & pork patty or I recommend Egg noodle.

11651 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy.
Beaverton, OR 97005
(across from Fred Meyer)
Sunday - Saturday 11am to 9pm
503.627.0822
Link; http://www.ehow.com/list_6129876_vietnamese-restaurants-beaverton_-oregon.html
http://www.trails.com/list_33985_vietnamese-restaurants-beaverton-oregon.html
http://www.phovanrestaurant.com/Default.htm

Cheese cake factory
Cheese cake factory came to Oregon November 2005 and since then this restaurant is popular and been great place to eat and spend good time. They serve traditional American Foods and various cakes. I like pizza, meatloaf, crispy Chicken Costoletta and cheese cake. Since they have so many selections of cheese cake, I am sure that you will find your favorite cake.
Link; http://www.allbusiness.com/food-beverage/restaurants-food-service-restaurants/5146084-1.html

The Weak Heart of Economics

Nancy Folbre, an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts, wrote the article `` The Weak Heart of Economics ``on the New York Times. She evaluated the compatibility of social responsibility and freedom in economic terms.

She wrote that individual freedom doesn’t necessarily have to come in conflict with social responsibility all the time. She argued for a loophole in Adam Smith’s statement that an individual is first and foremost recommended for his/her own care. Folbre contended that the statement does not apply to children. She said that humans experience periods of dependency that largely determine their access to resources. Moreover individual freedom doesn’t necessarily collide with social responsibility because at times humans willingly sacrifice for ones they love. However social balance doesn’t just depend on individual preference but also on the much controversial issue, social responsibility. Laws and accepted norms have emerged that make parents care for their vulnerable children and children care for their old parents. She further says that President Obama has invoked social responsibility in his State of the Union, for he urged American companies to not just operate to make profit but also to create jobs. This is where the debate breaks in as individuals and firms try to avoid such social responsibilities and maximize their own benefits, often at the cost of others.

My interest in this article sprouts from my major, economics. The article addresses one of the key areas of conflict between different schools of thought. The socialist argues for social welfare whereas the capitalist argues for personal freedom. I especially liked the article cause it weighs and balances different theories and possibilities of compatibility between social responsibility and personal freedom.

Follow the link http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/the-weak-heart-of-economics/ to read the article.

Colon Cancer Can Be Sniffed Out By Labrador Retriever

In this article, a Labrador, Marine, was being trained to be a water rescue dog, but during training, Marine showed the ability to sniff out the chemical changes in the breath of patients that had cancer. With a 98% accuracy rate, and she was able to catch the disease which a stool same test may have missed it, is quite astounding.

With research on how Marine sniffs out the disease, researchers believe that chemicals released into the stool, get absorbed into the bloodstream and out through the lungs as blood circulates back through the body. This new finding has lead researchers to start developing a sensor to detect the chemical changes in our breath to detect the development of cancer in our bodies.

This article was interesting to me because, people say, dogs are a mans best friend and that dogs can sense our feelings. Now we know that they can sense more than just our feelings, but also chemical changes in our body. A question that is brought to mind after reading this is if dogs can sniff out more than just cancer.

Kaiser Modesto Pervious Pavement Project

As Kaiser continues to build buildings, they continue to push for greener and greener ideas to bring to construction. Their current project in Modesto is no exception to this thought. They have placed many green ideas into this $462 million dollar project. One of the most notable pieces of infrastructure is the pervious pavement parking.

A pervious pavement parking lot is almost identical to most regular pavements, but they do not put in the finer particles that would close up any gaps in the pavement before laying the asphalt over it. By not using the smaller aggregate particulates they allow the pavement to be more open to allow for the water to seep through and be filtered out before the water reaches the ground.

Kaiser went about putting in 4,400 tons of pervious pavement in. The process used during the construction first started with a fabric filter then overlaid with a perforated pipe in order to distribute water evenly throughout the entire pavement system. After the pipe they then laid a 2 inch thick layer that constituted a rough washed aggregate and then covered it with an asphalt cover.

The reason I was drawn to this article was the fact that I had heard of using an open gradation asphalt on highways where there is a lot of moisture as a means to help reduce possible hydroplaning. I had not thought of using this same idea as a means of explicitly using it as a water runoff and treatment approach. I am curious to know if this is something that could feasibly be used as a way to reduce water run-off on all projects that use asphalt.

Article: http://www.lexisnexis.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?

The dogs won their hearts; Gallery helps place several 'underdogs'

This article talks about a rescue, The Underdog Club, helping place dogs that a passed over in shelters. Referred to as “underdogs,” these are dogs taken out of shelters and are given another chance. Adoption rates are a lot lower than people may realize, so groups that specialize in placing certain animals, such as mutts and misfits, are extremely helpful to not only shelters and the dogs but to prospective dog owners. Aside from their website, The Underdog Club Gallery also posts columns in their local newspaper in order to help spotlight these dogs in desperate need of home. This helps expand their audience. Their advertising reaches a larger audience than just the shelter crowd. Many people who may not be actively looking for a new dog may find their new family member in the morning paper or while surfing the web. I think it’s great that more rescues are helping shelters out by taking in some of their dogs. Some dog breeds have adoption rate under 10%, so it’s great rescues like this are trying to help people see past a dog’s looks. Do you think these rescues will help steer more people towards adoption rather than buying from breeders?

New Interactive Patient Portal

Uptown Health Centre in Ontario has created a new web service for use by patients and doctors. This services allow patients to log in via the web to accomplish tasks such as book appointments and view medical test results. This application was a joint effort between hospitals, health authorities, clinics as well as doctors. This project was started 4 years ago and has cost 4 million dollars.

I was interested in this article because this online web service looks like a great way to help improve the efficiency of health care in the United States. This web service looks like it has seen a lot of positive feedback from its users in Canada.

How do you feel about this web based system? Do you think it is a good idea to make confidential medical information available via a web application?

Article: http://www.lexisnexis.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?

Brain Tumor

This article is about brain tumors. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110124184428.htm

Gilioblastoma, is the most common and lethal form of brain cancer that is out there. This brain tumor resists all treatments when it is given to the patient. When the gilioblastoma is running out of oxygen it shifts gears and gets into the blood vessels to ensure that they continue with supply and nutrients.

The tumors can grow in one to two millimeters in diameter, about the size of a pinhead, also tumors need their own blood supply to survive. Many tumors can overexpress growth factors predomintaly vasular enothelial growth factor, also known as the VEGF. Which led to the development of Avasti, which is a monoclonal antibody that interecepts the VEGF.

They injected rats with viruses that carry out activated oncogenes and a marker gene that causes all the cells to glow green under the ultraviolet light. Its intersting to see what they can do with rats to see how it is similar in the human brain when it comes to the brain tumor.

Feel free to read more!

Robotic Arm Fast-Tracked

This article talks about how DARPA's Brain-Controlled Robotic Arm has been approved for clinical testing by the FDA. Who promises to place the Robotic Arm on the fast track for commercial use if the year long clinical trials are successful. By "fast-track" they mean 4 years compared to the usual 10-15 years that it takes form something to be certified of the FDA. Also the FDA is working to restructure its-self so that products like DARPA's Brain-Controlled Robotic Arm can reach the public faster better life for everyone.

When the Robotic Arms are first available they will be given to soldiers returning from the Middle East who have lost limbs in the line of duty. The DARPA's Brain-Controlled Robotic Arm has taken several years to develop and build, as well as over $100 million so far.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-02/darpas-brain-controlled-robotic-arm-could-be-available-just-four-years

Brain Music Therapy Trains Minds

In this article from the Bradenton Herald, a new type of neuro-feedback treatment is discussed as a way to influence brain activity. Dr. George Rozelle, a psycho- and neurotherapist, is only the second doctor in his field to be working with brain music therapy. In this form of therapy, brain waves are recorded with an EEG at different times, while the activity levels in the brain are either deeply relaxed or active. The brain waves are then converted into music through the use of a mathematical formula. This music is played back to the patient from whose brain the music originated, and whose brain recognizes the frequencies of the music. With this mechanism, the music re-calibrates the brain and induces different levels of activity, which can help patients relax and fall asleep, wake up, or just improve the functioning of the brain.

Brain music therapy has been commonly used in Europe, and can treat conditions such as anxiety, ADHD, and substance abuse. This article is fascinating because it combines music and the physiology of the brain to treat people in a very relaxed and completely nonintrusive way. One must wonder: would other forms of music therapy be able to treat different kinds of conditions?

Another effect brain music therapy seems to have is on pets. They apparently pick up on the music and show their response through their own behavior, such as becoming more relaxed and affectionate. What kind of effects would brain music therapy have on humans other than the patient from whom it originated?

Green Building Impacts Door Suppliers

This article talks about the impact of green construction on door suppliers. It mainly talks about how not only does green construction impact the contractor and designer, but it changes how suppliers also do business. Steve Farley, who works for Mohawk Flush Doors, talks about how they’ve had to change their products to conform to new standards and codes for green construction. Also, while most standards were once mandatory, new ones are starting to become mandatory. Should more and more components of building construction be required to meet green construction standards?

There can also be advantages that come from this change. While they have had to change their products and be more careful about what goes into them, they have also been able to become part of a growing market of sustainable products, which allows them to provide services for more projects. I also thought this article was interesting because it shows that green construction can have a big impact on small details such as doors. I think a lot of us think of big changes like solar power when we think of green buildings, but it can be as simple as changing the doors and windows you use.

Article: http://www.usgnn.com/newsGreen20110209.htm

Turn off the light, lower risk of cancer

This article if called, Shut off the light at night, reduce risk of cancer. It is by John Pillip. http://www.naturalnews.com/031087_night_lights_cancer.html

In this article when it first start out I thought this must be a joke, right? Of course most of us sleep in the dark, but can you really get cancer from your bedroom light?. I have it on as we speak. It says that, our bodies functions are carried out by our sleep and are dependent on a circadian rythms that are distributed by the smalled things that has to deal with light even from little devices like our ipods, laptops, T.Vs our bodies come disturbed from this. Bascially, you want to sleep in the dark not have your laptop on or your ipod to reduce your risk of getting some sort of cancer.

We all know that our bodies require atleast 8 hours of sleep so I thought, but it is 7 to 9 hours of sleep. I also found this interesting because, this is something I didnt know, and that is, light emission which I'm guessing is from anything like what was said above from you ipod, laptop, or tv, distrupts your sleep cycle and alters your celluar division. The reason it says our bodies need atleast 7 to 9 hours of sleep is because when you dont have the light on your body is being repaired through those hours to obtain an optimal health.

It goes on to say that exposure to light from dusk to dawn can disrput your physiological processes which are regulated to the hormone melatonin. Which means, a hormone that is secreted by the pineal gland, which is inverse prorption to the amount of light that your retina recieves, then it says which adds lighting to the skin.

At the end it talks about how techonolgy has become a big part of almost everybodies life in the past decade, and no matter what people are always going to have them in close proximity such as your cell phone, ipod or laptop. Which is very true, because I sleep with my phone, its my alarm, it wakes me up in the morning, and of course throughout the night I will wake up and check my phone therefore being exposed some more to the light which may give me cancer if I dont have it already since pretty much our whole lives we have been under this light that enables us to see through the night.

What happens though when people like me, do this it causes a dysfunction increase in the health risks that relate to high blood pressure, temperature regulation and lastly insulin resistance. I dont know where to believe this or not. I find it kind of not true, because we have been exposed to being under the light or our laptops, ipods, and phones, as well as tv's for so long, wouldnt I have cancer already? Would I know if I had it though?

Oregon Medical Association - News Letter Proposal

The Oregon Medical Association (OMA) is a non-profit based in Portland, OR. Their mission is to serve and support physicians in their efforts to improve the health of Oregonians. Their vision is a health Oregon cared by a vibrant medical profession. Their values are integrity, leadership, and unity. OMA provides services that help physicians and their staff manage operations more efficiently. For example they provide forms that physicians can use for day-to-day operations such as Patient informed consent forms as well as insurance claim forms.

I am interested in using this non-profit for the news letter proposal because it is concerned with improving the health care system. I am interested in writing articles related to how information technology is being used to improve the efficiency of health care. After investigating how information technology is being used in health care I learned that IT is being used to all over the country to improve the efficiency of health in the United States. The audience I would be writing to would be members of OMA. I.E. physicians and people concerned with improving the health of Oregonians.

The Oregon Medical Association has a professional aesthetic. The web site is very clean and organized. It does not use bright colors or images. When I look at the web page I get the impression that this is place you go to do business.

An idea I have for an article would be to discuss the e-prescribing system I mentioned in my most recent BizBuzz. I think this would be something that the medical community would be interested in learning about because it is consistent with OMA’s mission. The e-prescribing system has a lot of potential to improve the health of Oregonians by reducing the risk of errors in prescriptions.

Do you think the BizBuzz article related to e-prescribing would be of interest to the OMA community?

Providence Brain Institute- Newsletter Proposal

The organization that I will be designing a newsletter for is called the Providence Brain Institute. It is part of a larger, not-for-profit health care system called the Providence Medical Foundations that serves the state of Oregon. The Brain Institute provides treatments and surgery for patients with diseases or injuries of the brain or spine. They also perform research in order to advance treatment methods, as well as technology.

I picked this non-profit group because it addresses the brain, which is incredibly interesting to me. I want to study the brain, and apply my education to either psychology or medicine. This particular foundation stood out because it is a nonprofit treatment center, as well as research organization.

For the newsletter, the potential audience will be researchers in the field, doctors that specialize in the brain and could use the research and technology of the foundation. Also, any patients or family of people with brain diseases or injuries may also read the newsletter. Another potential audience are potential donors and contributors to the foundation, as it is not-for-profit and relies on donations. Because of the broad range of the potential audiences, the demographic is likely to be just as broad, from young, poor children, to rich, older professionals, and everything in between, including the sick. I will be writing to the patients, their families, and possible contributors.

The aesthetic of the organization is informative and polite, and definitely professional. They currently have several e-newsletters. One is the Health and Fitness, which provides information about classes and seminars. Another is the Wellness Watch, which contains articles written by Providence physicians on various ways of staying healthy. However, these are both newsletters that cover the whole foundation, rather than just the Brain Institute. The colors they have on their website are bright and clean, and the images sometimes look bright and original, like they’re from a magazine.

An idea for an article that I have is something on the information in my second blog post, on Parkinson’s research and the future of developing treatments. It will include information on the current treatments, as well as possible advancements that experts are hoping to make. This kind of article will show the kind of work that the Brain Institute is doing, which will encourage people to support it. However, it will also provide good information for the patients and their families, as it is hopeful and about better treatment possibilities. Another idea I have is for “brain food”, as just a small article on foods and exercises to do to maintain or increase brain health. It would be a fun way for the audience to see the little things they can do to keep their brain healthy.

The only questions that I have is should this newsletter focus on one “brain” aspect, or on various topics? It could be like a brain cancer issue, or a disease issue. Perhaps it could include a variety of information on different brain diseases, research, treatments, and injuries. Any ideas for articles would be great.

Scientists find 5 new Parkinson's genes

In this article from the Washington Post, it has been revealed that scientists have found 5 new genes that contribute to Parkinson’s disease, on top of the 6 previously identified. Though this doesn’t automatically mean that new treatments will be available, scientists are hopeful that the confirmation of their theories that Parkinson’s is caused by people’s genes will help in the development of future treatments. Before they had identified genes as the main cause of Parkinson’s, researchers had believed that chemicals or past injuries were the cause. However, with their study of over 30,000 people, people with the 11 genes linked to Parkinson’s were more than twice as likely to develop the disease than people that had fewer of the genes. However, does this mean that even individuals without any of the 11 genes can still develop the disease?

What scientists already knew about Parkinson’s is that it is an degenerative brain disease that acts up when the chemical dopamine isn’t produced in high enough amounts. Usually this leads to tremors and rigidity or slowed movement. As of now, there are few treatments and no cure. Experts are hoping that the genetic research may lead to evidence of what actually triggers the disease, which will hopefully lead to further treatments.

This article is fascinating because it involves both genetics and the brain. Parkinson’s is such a debilitating disease, any further work and development of treatments would be incredible and lead to hope for those that may have the genes that make Parkinson’s more likely.

The Moral Heart of Economics

*Continuation of my last post

Being an economics major, I was particularly drawn to this article because it addressed one of the most controversial topics in the discipline. One of the key characteristics of morally sound actions is to not impede in the maximization of the others` welfare. However economics tend to explain various ``morally unethical `` actions such as employing child laborers and polluting the environment as maximization of personal welfare. The author refers to important components of society such as taxation to develop a thesis supporting the compatibility of economics and morals.

The Moral Heart of Economics

Harvard professor, Edward L. Glaeser wrote the article ``The Moral Heart of Economics `` on the New York Times. He argued that contrary to popular belief, economics does have an underlying moral base. He wrote that, although most economists ostensibly believe only in the maximization of personal satisfaction often at the cost of others` welfare, the discipline economics is perfectly compatible with morals and ethics. Glaesar said that in the past famous economists such Adam Smith has said that moral consciousness is integral in the proper distribution of income in society. He also makes the controversial argument that welfare occurs when people have more choices. Essentially, this means that the consequence of any public policy is the maximization of choices. Fondness for freedom is perfectly compatible with the redistribution of income that take place due to the imposition of taxes. The imposition of specific public policies such as taxation results in the inevitable maximization of choices for certain groups in society-the poor in many cases. In such ways, the greater welfare of the society is possible to be attained while taking morals and ethics into consideration.

However in this article, Glaeser does not account for the effects of the range of choices of richer members of society. By the imposition of certain progressive taxation, income is redistributed from the rich to the poor to strike a more equitable balance in society. But this policy inevitably results in the minimization of choices for the advantaged class of society. Therefore, while it may be true that public policies do create welfare for many, it results in the minimization of choices for others. One question that remains unanswered is, how can certain public policies be designed that maximize choices for all members of society and henceforth result in overall social welfare?

Follow the link http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/the-moral-heart-of-economics/ to read the article.

Girl Power: How your daughter's nutrition affects future generations

So, watched this video, about a medical breakthrough about how a mother eats before and throughout the pregnancy affects the kid's life, whether he/she has a higher chance of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, etc. Dr. Thornburg, OHSU's Cardiovascular director, says that from the time that the egg is fertilized in the mother's ovaries and travels back the the Uterus through the Fallopian tubes, electrical impulses are sent to the egg to tell it how fast to grow and what to grow first. From this point on, what the mother eats affects the fetus and how it grows. The pace the fetus grows at is very vital, too fast and the baby will be premature and will lack nutrition, too slow and the baby maybe over weight. The weight the baby is born at as well as the nutrition the mother gave it during the pregnancy can affect the chances that the baby may attract illnesses as it grows. The average weight of an american baby is around 7.1 pounds, but the ideal weight for a baby is 9 pounds, through his research, Dr. Thornburg says that with a average of 1 pound increase in American babies, the likeliness that the baby gets diabetes drops 60% and gets cardiovascular disease drops 40%. Many other habits as the baby grows up also affects the health it has, such as nutrition and exercise. With the current weight average, kids may exhibit hypertension as early as the age of 10 years old.

I was fascinated by this video because I always liked the health field and am planning to continue on as being a doctor, and seeing these breakthroughs in research that help us gain knowledge and understanding on how to better take care of ourselves makes me happy and more motivated to become a doctor.

There has been numerous studies that show that when the mother does not have enough nutrition for the fetus, the fetus will sacrifice its organs to save the brain. Physical features that tell us that it occurred is when the baby is born with a big head and smaller than average body. My question is, do all diseases show symptoms on our skin or body? Because our skin is the biggest organ on our body, like some symptoms that we know of that shows up is jaundice, which shows that there is a liver problem, blue colored nails which tell us many things, such as lack of oxygen, bad circulation to the extremities.

Portland Rain Garden Projects

As a way of creating wise and sustainable approaches to storm water management, rain gardens are getting special attention in an effort to make environmentally sufficient systems more aesthetically appealing. According to Carol Mayer-Reed, "The early engineering approach to rain gardens was to put a big hole in behind the building". An approach Portland is taking is an attempt to showcase them in the front of the building. These rain gardens help to qualify with LEED and sustainability construction and can be used as educational tools.

A rain garden is essentially a bioswale or shallow area to collect storm water runoff from impervious surfaces allowing the water to filter back into natural aquifers to help reduce pollution. Many of these areas are planted with specialized plants to help with the water filtration and absorption and will look good throughout the year.

Portland has been conducting many projects that retrofit current buildings and areas around town to include rain gardens or similar water runoff approaches. The article mentions that retrofitting these rain gardens after the fact can be hard to do, and feels this process can be a lot easier if rain gardens or other treatment options are put into the designs of new construction.

The reason I chose this article is because it was one of the ways EPA recommended storm water mitigations, as discussed in my previous blog, and can help buildings achieve a LEED certification while still being aesthetically pleasing. Rain gardens seem to achieve both a purpose and still look nice, but will they be feasibly possible to be implemented?

Article: http://www.lexisnexis.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?

Pitter-Patter of Paws Is Time-Tested Remedy

This article discusses the benefit of having a pet. Having a pet has been proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol along with helping people heal faster and live longer. There have also been studies on the chance that having a pet will improve your chances of surviving a heart attack. Just being in the same room as a child lowers their heart rate, blood pressure, and distress.

Can pets be the answer to helping heal sickness? Well people have been clueing into this fact for years. Therapy dogs are trained to go into nursing homes and hospitals to sit with sick or just lonely patients. But just now are we learning the real effects animals have on people at a cellular level.

Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/24/health/pitter-patter-of-paws-is-time-tested-remedy.html?scp=1&sq=Pitter-Patter%20of%20Paws%20Is%20Time-Tested%20Remedy%20%20&st=cse

Electronic Prescribing

SureScripts a company based in Minnesota is working with various organizations to create the largest e-prescribing network. These organizations include pharmacies, pharmacy technology vendors and software companies who supply electronic health records. This e-prescribing network is having a positive impact on the medical community. This e-prescribing system is making the prescribing work-flow more efficient for both physicians and patients. It is helping to reduce medication errors as well saving time and money.

I was drawn to this article because I was interested in seeing how software is being used to improve health care in the United States. It is encouraging to see information technology being used to improve the efficiency and security of information in health care.

Do you think health care in the United States is trailing behind other industries in terms of the use of information technology?

Article: http://www.lexisnexis.com.proxy.library.oregonstate.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?

Green Construction Saves Money and Energy

This was a short article discussing reality green building from a home builder's prospective.
The article's author started out by using one of the builders quotes that points out how many skeptics of green building are feeling. It reads: "a lot of people, I think, think green construction's gonna be an old VW bus with a piece symbol on the side of it - and the tree-huggers" Prior to working in the construction industry, I would have agreed with the skeptics. Now however, I understand that green building focuses on more than just being environmentally friendly, it's also about being user friendly and efficient.
I found the article interesting because it does a good job of explaining this and it does it with a minimal amount of writing.
After reading the article, do you feel that green construction is a good practice or is it another fad? This is a question that I have heard all sort of answers to and am always curious to hear what people have to say about it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18422485/ns/nightly_news/

Affordable Homes Go Solar

Five affordable homes in San Luis Obispo county in California are going to be built with a solar electrical system. The photovoltaic cells could provide up to 90% of energy needs for these homes. The installation will be done through a partnership of two non-profit organizations and students from Cal Poly. The home owners will not have to pay extra for the solar power, but are expected to help with the work.

Funding comes from the state’s California Solar Initiative Single-family Affordable Solar Homes program, which started in 2004. Since that time more than 600 affordable homes have been equipped with solar energy systems. I found this article interesting because generally solar energy is not used in residential housing, especially affordable housing. My question was if it's so effective and easy to install, why isn't used more often in other places. My guess is that you have to find the right organizations and funding, as well as people to make it possible.

Article: http://www.theadobepress.com/articles/2011/01/28/news/featurednews/news01.txt