Right now, a series of underground oil blowouts are happening at a tar sands operation in Alberta. The spills have been going on for at least 6 weeks with no end in sight, and have already killed beavers, birds and ducks. Over 4,500 barrels of oil have been recovered in addition to 3 million litres of contaminated water laden with hydrocarbons.
Even though industry doesn’t seem to understand how to cap these spills, it is planning to massively expand this kind of in situ tar sands development. We need to ask some difficult questions about the safety of this kind of extraction and Canadians need answers now.
Please share this now to help spread the word...
‘Nobody understands’ spills at Alberta oil sands operation
Link to share:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/07/19/nobody_understands_ongoing_spills_at_alberta_oilsands_operation.html
Share on Facebook - http://on.fb.me/1aESZch
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Upvote on Reddit - http://redd.it/1ipa4h
Thank you.
With hope and respect,
Emma on behalf of the Leadnow team
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Monday, 22 July 2013
ursing Philosophy (Post)Graduate Student Essay Prize
Posted: 21 Jul 2013 03:56 AM PDT
International Philosophy of Nursing Society (IPONS) and Nursing Philosophy (Post)Graduate Student Essay PrizeSponsored by the International Philosophy of Nursing Society (IPONS) and Nursing Philosophy (the official journal of IPONS), two prizes are available for the best essays on any aspect of philosophy as it relates to nursing or other health or social care practice. The essay should demonstrate philosophical understanding of an area of practice, research, or education and should have clear application to one or more of those domains.
While essays from (post)graduate coursework are welcome, students are advised to review and, if appropriate, revise such coursework to meet both the requirements of the prize and the requirements of publication. Students considering submitting an essay for this prize might find it helpful to refer to earlier winning entries as published in the journal.
The essay should be no more than 5000 words (including references) with an abstract of no more than 300 words. The winning essay will be published in Nursing Philosophy.
First prize
A £100 (or equivalent) reduction in the fee for the 2014 International Philosophy of Nursing conference or books to the value of £150 from the Wiley-Blackwell catalogue
One year membership of IPONS
Publication in Nursing Philosophy
Second prize
One year membership of IPONS
The panel of judges will be chaired by the editor of Nursing Philosophy and will include the Chair, Secretary, Treasurer of IPONS, and the Conference organiser for 2014. Other judges may be appointed at the discretion of the panel. All decisions of the panel are final and not subject to appeal. The panel reserves the right not to award a prize and no cash alternatives are available.
Essays must be submitted by email to the editor of Nursing Philosophy at derek.sellman@ualberta.ca no later than 1 May 2014. Please supply the following information in a separate file:
Title of essay
Name, email address, fax and telephone numbers of author
Title of the (post)graduate course with name and address of the institution at which the author is a student
The decision of the panel will be communicated by email to entrants by 24 June 2014. Essays submitted may be considered for suitability as concurrent papers at the 2014 conference at the discretion of the conference organizer.
Friday, 19 July 2013
Greenwall Bioethics awards
Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics
Posted: 17 Jul 2013 10:30 AM PDT
Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics
The Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics is a career development award to enable junior faculty members to carry out innovative bioethics research. Each year three Greenwall Faculty Scholars are selected to receive 50 percent salary support for three years to enable them to develop their research program.
The Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics supports research that goes beyond current work in bioethics to help resolve pressing ethical issues in clinical care, biomedical research, and public policy.
Scholars and Alumni/ae attend twice-yearly meetings, where they present their work in progress, receive feedback and mentoring from the Faculty Scholars Program Committee and other Scholars, and have the opportunity to develop collaborations with other researchers. The ongoing involvement of Alumni/ae with the Program provides them ongoing opportunities for professional development and feedback and and engages them in mentoring of younger Scholars.
The Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program creates a community that enhances future bioethics research by Scholars and Alumni/ae.
The Faculty Scholars Program Committee provides oversight and direction for the program and is involved not only with selection of the Scholars but with mentoring and faculty development activities.
Selection Criteria
The goal of the Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics is to nurture the next generation of leading bioethics researchers at a crucial stage in their academic careers, when they have started a tenure-track faculty appointment, need protected time to establish a long-term, sustainable research program, and would benefit from mentoring from senior bioethics scholars and joining a community of other bioethics researchers.
Applicants must be junior faculty members holding at least a 60% appointment in a tenure series at a university or non-profit research institute in the U.S. Priority will be given to applicants who have not yet been considered for tenure, who have not received a comparable career development award, and whose work will have an impact on public policy, biomedical research, or clinical practice.
Faculty Scholars will be selected on the basis of their achievements, the strength of their research project, their commitment to the field of bioethics, and support from their home institution. While the amount and quality of an applicant's research in bioethics will count favorably towards his/her application, outstanding candidates with less direct experience in bioethics will also be considered.
Within this group, priority will be given to applicants whose research addresses innovative and emerging topics. Lower priority will be given to applicants who are primarily carrying out institutional change, educational reform, or theoretical bioethics research.
Only one applicant from a university will be considered. Institutions are requested to have an internal screening and selection process. A university with a law school, medical school, several teaching hospitals, and a faculty of arts and sciences, for example, may nominate only one applicant.
Funding for Greenwall Faculty Scholars
The award supports 50% of a Scholar’s salary plus benefits for three years, up to the NIH cap, with 10% institutional costs for the salary and benefits. In addition, we provide $5000 each year for limited project support and travel (no indirect costs are provided for these items).
About the Preliminary Application
Applicants must write a three-page letter of intent that includes
• A cover page including the project title and the applicant's contact information
• A description of the research proposal, particularly its significance
• How the research will be carried out and how it is likely to have an impact on public policy or clinical practice
• A personal statement describing the applicant's goals in the field of bioethics
• A curriculum vitae, no longer than 5 single-spaced pages
Preliminary applications should be submitted electronically. This letter should be double-spaced and in type no smaller than 12-point. Please send the required materials with the letter of intent described above first and the curriculum vitae second. The subject line of the email should contain the applicant's full name. Files should be sent as PDF (.pdf) files to ensure that application formatting is not lost.
Application Process
A letter of intent is due by November 1, 2013. Approximately 12 applicants will then be invited to submit a full application.
Letters of intent should be sent as file attachments to admin@greenwall.org.
Questions and Concerns
Questions should be directed to Bernard Lo, MD, Greenwall Foundation President, or Chelsea Ott, Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program Coordinator.
Funding Opportunity: Greenwall Foundation Making a Difference in Real-World Bioethics Dilemmas Program
Posted: 17 Jul 2013 10:18 AM PDT
Funding Opportunity: Greenwall Foundation Making a Difference in Real-World Bioethics Dilemmas Program
The Greenwall Foundation will fund a new bioethics grants program, Making a Difference in Real-World Bioethics Dilemmas to support research to help resolve an important emerging or unanswered bioethics problem in clinical care, biomedical research, public health practice, or public policy. We hope these grants will have a real-world, practical impact. These grants will be of modest size and short duration; one-year grants of up to $60,000 will receive priority. However, we might also consider a few larger or longer projects of exceptional merit.
Two types of bioethics grants will be funded:
Mentored research projects. Awards to a senior bioethics researcher to carry out a mentored bioethics research project with a post-doctoral fellow or junior faculty member. The close mentoring will help ensure that the project is completed within this time frame. The Foundation will provide salary support for the effort of the mentor on the project. Projects where the mentee already has salary support will receive priority. Proposals in which the mentee has other responsibilities that compete with carrying out such a research project, such as courses for a degree program and resident physicians, will be considered only in exceptional circumstances.
Senior collaboration projects. Grants to allow innovative biomedical or clinical researchers or leaders of health care organizations or government agencies to partner with an established bioethics scholar to carry out research on the intersection of their primary work with bioethics. For example, a leading researcher in an innovative biomedical field could bring deep knowledge of that field to help analyze important unresolved bioethics problems in it. As another example, a physician-leader in a safety-net hospital or a public health agency could analyze ethical problems she or he had encountered and struggled with. Both collaborating senior scholars are eligible for salary support.
We expect grantees to disseminate their research through practical articles in one or more peer-reviewed journals that reach the appropriate audience for the topic studied, and through presentations in relevant national and international professional meetings.
Examples of the kinds of real-life bioethics problems grantees might address include:
• Dilemmas raised by innovative biomedical research and new communication technologies.
• Dilemmas from major changes in the delivery of U.S. health care resulting from the Affordable Care and Patient Protection Acts and private initiatives.
• Dilemmas that are particularly salient -- and particularly ripe for analysis -- in certain cultural and ethnic communities, although they also involve people across the population.
In evaluating proposals the Foundation will consider:
• The importance of the bioethics problem to be studied
• The innovative nature of the project's approach
• The professional background of the proposed collaborators, and their close, working familiarity with the practical bioethics problems to be addressed
• The likelihood the project will have a constructive real-world impact
• The previous success of the principal investigator in mentoring younger researchers or collaborating with senior researchers or leaders outside of bioethics
• The success of the investigators publishing practical bioethics articles in top-tier journals with a broad audience.
• The reasonableness of the budget.
While we will give strong preference to proposals that meet these criteria, we will also consider exceptional proposals that meet our strategic goal of supporting bioethics research that will have a real-world impact. More than one applicant may apply from each institution.
Projects with the following characteristics will not be funded:
• Projects that implement or make incremental improvements in established approaches to bioethics problems, build institutional infrastructure, or provide bioethics education, training or course work.
• Projects that simply describe or analyze bioethics issues or provide a conceptual framework, without making practical recommendations for resolving the issues. However, projects that present normative recommendations that are based on previous empirical research are encouraged.
The Greenwall Foundation awards grants only to tax-exempt institutions in the U.S. Proposals from unaffiliated individuals and from institutions outside the U.S. cannot be funded.
Application Process
Monday, August 19, 2013 – Deadline for email inquiry. We encourage applicants with projects already in development to submit their inquiries as soon as possible, as The Foundation will respond to applicants on a rolling basis. This enables The Foundation to respond quicker, allowing you additional time for the application and sufficient time to release approved grant funds to successful applicants before the conclusion of the year.
Please send a 400-600 word e-mail of inquiry describing:
• the bioethics problem to be addressed
• how the proposed project is innovative and goes beyond the current work on the problem
• names of the proposed research team. Please attach copies of CV's (no more than 3 pages each, highlighting publications relevant to the this application) of the two main investigators (or mentee and mentor).
• the amount and duration of funding requested.
Selected applicants will be encouraged to submit a full application. Some applicants will receive feedback on issues to be specifically addressed or clarified. Please direct all inquiries to applications@greenwall.org.
Friday, September 20, 2013 – Deadline for full applications, by invitation only.
In six single-spaced pages, please describe:
• the bioethics problem to be addressed and its significance
• the methods / approach / conceptual framework to be employed. If the proposal is to analyze a bioethics problem, describe key ideas in your analysis. Reviewers will give particular attention to whether the applicants are thinking about the problem they propose to study in an innovative and rigorous manner
• how the proposed project is innovative and goes beyond the current work on the problem
• why the results of the project are likely to have a real-world impact
• names of the proposed research team. Please attach copies of CV's (no more than 3 pages each, highlighting publications relevant to the this application) of the two main investigators (or mentee and mentor).
• the amount and duration of funding requested.
• Attach a peer-reviewed publication that best illustrates the team's ability to carry out a mentored or collaborative bioethics project.
Monday, October 7, 2013 - After the first stage of review, the most competitive applications will be asked to submit a formal proposal through their Contracts and Grants office, including a budget and budget justification and current IRS determination letter.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013 - Announcement of awards, with funding to be sent to grantee institutions before the end of 2013, if possible.
We will fund another cycle of grants in Spring 2014. The deadline to submit email inquiries to applications@greenwall.org for the next cycle will be Tuesday, January 14, 2014.
Thursday, 18 July 2013
Spotlight on a Modality: Oral Probiotics NCCAM
National Institutes of Health
N C C A M: Part of the National Institutes of Health. N I H: Turning Discovery Into HealthClinical Digest
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/providers/digest/probiotics?nav=cd
July 2013
for health professionals
Lactobacillus acidophilus
© iStockphoto.com/ humonia
Spotlight on a Modality: Oral Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms (e.g., bacteria) that are either the same as or similar to microorganisms found naturally in the human body and may be beneficial to health. Probiotics are available to consumers in oral products such as dietary supplements and yogurts, as well as other products such as suppositories and creams. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any health claims for probiotics.
There is mounting evidence that probiotics can have beneficial effects on human health. Possible mechanisms under active investigation include altering the intestinal “microecology” (e.g., reducing harmful organisms in the intestine), producing antimicrobial compounds (substances that destroy or suppress the growth of microorganisms), and stimulating the body’s immune response.
Probiotics commonly used in the United States include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. There are many specific types of bacteria within each of these two broad groups, and health benefits associated with one type may not hold true for others. This issue of the digest provides information on what the science says about probiotics, with an emphasis on oral products.
Read more »
What the Science Says:
Spotlight on a Modality: Oral Probiotics
Learn what current research has to say about:
Bullet Scientific Evidence
Bullet Side Effects and Risks
Bullet Talking With Your Patients About Probiotics
Read more »
Additional Resources
Bullet Clinical Practice Guidelines
Bullet Scientific Literature
Bullet Research Spotlights
Bullet For Your Patients
Bullet Time to Talk Tips:
5 Things To Know About Probiotics
Visit NCCAM's website
to read the full issue of
this month's Clinical Digest
Follow NCCAM on:
Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Petrie-Flom Center Academic Fellowship PhRMA Foundation Grants Program
Call for Applications: Petrie-Flom Center Academic Fellowship, 2014-2016
Posted: 16 Jul 2013 09:30 AM PDT
Call for Applications: Petrie-Flom Center Academic Fellowship, 2014-2016
Petrie-Flom Center (PFC) — A Harvard center dedicated to interdisciplinary research and debate of cutting-edge issues in health law policy, biotechnology, and bioethics.
The Academic Fellowship is a postdoctoral program specifically designed to identify, cultivate, and promote promising scholars early in their careers. Fellows are selected from among recent graduates, young academics, and mid-career practitioners who are committed to spending two years at the Center pursuing publishable research that is likely to make a significant contribution to the field of health law policy, medical innovation policy, or bioethics.
STIPEND AND BENEFITS: Fellows have access to a wide range of resources offered by Harvard University. The Center provides each fellow with a private office, a research budget, options for health insurance, and a stipend of $5,000 per month.
ELIGIBILITY: By the start of the fellowship term, applicants must hold an advanced degree in a discipline that they intend to apply to issues falling under the Center’s umbrella. The Center particularly encourages applications from those who intend to pursue careers as tenure-track law professors, but will consider any applicant who demonstrates an interest and ability to produce outstanding scholarship at the intersection of law and health policy, bioethics, or biotechnology during the term of the fellowship. Applicants will be evaluated by the quality and probable significance of their research proposals, and by their record of academic and professional achievement.
APPLICATION: Applications will be accepted from September 16, 2013 through November 18, 2013.
Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy
Biotechnology and Bioethics
Harvard Law School
23 Everett Street, 3rd Floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617-496-4662
Email: petrie-flom@law.harvard.edu
PhRMA Foundation Grants Program
Posted: 16 Jul 2013 08:56 AM PDT
PhRMA Foundation Grants Program
Over the past 48 years, the PhRMA Foundation has helped thousands of scientists advance their careers and has inspired new generations to enter biopharmaceutical research. The early-career support provided by the PhRMA Foundation has been a catalyst for our scientists to become leaders in their organizations and fields. Our programs help build a larger pool of highly-trained researchers to meet the growing needs of academic institutions, the government and the research-intensive pharmaceutical industry.
The PhRMA Foundation funds scientists at critical points in their research careers to support and reward innovation in disciplines essential to the development of safe and effective medicines. The PhRMA Foundation offers competitive pre and post doctoral fellowships, sabbatical fellowships, and research starter grants to advance science in pharmacology, toxicology, informatics, pharmaceutics, and health outcomes. The Foundation also offers a Comparative Effectiveness Research Center of Excellence Award.
PhRMA Foundation award recipients will continue to play an instrumental role in substantial achievements in medicine for the benefit of public health and ultimately the patient.
Adherence Improvement Young Investigator Grant Program
(Deadline: September 1, 2013)
Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Award
Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award
Research Starter Grant
Pharmacology/Toxicology (Deadline: September 1, 2013)
Pre Doctoral Fellowship
Post Doctoral Fellowship
Sabbatical Fellowship
Research Starter Grant
Informatics (Deadline: September 1, 2013)
Pre Doctoral Fellowship
Post Doctoral Fellowship
Sabbatical Fellowship
Research Starter Grant
Pharmaceutics (Deadline: September 1, 2013)
Pre Doctoral Fellowship
Post Doctoral Fellowship
Sabbatical Fellowship
Research Starter Grant
PhRMA Foundation
950 F Street, N.W.
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20004
Telephone: 202-572-7756
Fax: 202-572-7799
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
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Ethnic uses of medicinal plants from thirty eight villages in India for ...www.asianjtm.com/qikan/manage/wenzhang/AJTM2012,7(6)-6.pdf by MP Mangulkar - 2012 - Related articles Ethnic uses of medicinal plants from thirty eight villages in India for gynecological care. / Asian Journal of Traditional Medicines, 2012, 7(6). Reviews. |
Monday, 15 July 2013
sold my first bag
I sold my first bag - it is like the one below. It is going off to France and I am pleased. I gave one away to be auctioned for a Foundation so this is my first real sale. I am surprised at the slow sales. One woman wanted to pay under $3.00 for one of the big ones and said I was talented. I thought to myself that if I was talented she would be telling me that she was buying more to give as gifts or resell and that she was paying too little.
small drawstring bag 12 inches X 10 inches X 7 by Ecohippychic http://etsy.me/ZzC5VH via @Etsy
Friday, 12 July 2013
American Botanical Council website free offer till July 15
American Botanical Council website invites you try out the entire website for free, now through Monday, July 15, at 11:59 PM EDT. You can log in here or go to www.herbalgram.org and in the top right hand corner log in using your regular user name and password:
Thursday, 11 July 2013
Crooked Timber follows up on Twitter tennis Bartoli bullying
Perceived looks matter more than sports accomplishments, naturally
http://crookedtimber.org/2013/07/10/perceived-looks-matter-more-than-sports-accomplishments-naturally/#more-29945
by Eszter Hargittai on July 10, 2013
Here is a helpful compilation of extremely disgusting comments that Wimbledon Champion Marion Bartoli received on Twitter. That post does a good job of highlighting some of the ways in which these reactions have been sexist, misogynistic, offensive and plain dumb. Go take a look, seriously, I can’t do the vitriol of the commentary justice.
What I thought I would do, however, is follow up with the Twitter accounts of some of the people quoted, not by contacting anyone, simply by looking them up. I wanted to see whether being featured in such a post had any effect on them, and also to get some context. Not surprisingly, several have deleted the quoted tweets from their accounts. It is almost more surprising that some have not. Some have made their Twitter accounts private and others have altogether deleted them.
One of the things that I find fascinating in all this is how many people decided to make such hateful and stupid comments publicly under seemingly their own name. And hey, in some ways that’s a public service. But it does seem to add another layer of crazy. (As someone who studies people’s Internet uses and skills including privacy and reputation issues, I’m not surprised by this, but I do think it’s worthy of mention. It’s also why I’m now working with Brayden King on a book about reputation management in the digital age although in some ways I’d rather have people like this come right out about their ignorance with whatever repercussions follow.)
Another interesting aspect of the inane tweets is that in many cases several people have decided to favorite and retweet them. (I realize favoriting could function as bookmarking for later perusal, but I suspect favoriting in most of these cases means an up-vote.)
So let’s examine the commentators’ Twitter accounts in the order in which they appear in that post a couple of days after the compilation was published. I only had time to transcribe a dozen or so. There’s painfully more where this came from.
Danwatt8’s featured tweet stating “Bartoli looks like she’s a cross between man and ape. #NotAWimbledonBabe” no longer seems to be on his account, but another one is.
Will Showers has decided to protect his tweets. I guess he doesn’t want his name linked to the following comment he made: “Someone as ugly and unattractive as Bartoli doesn’t deserve to win“.
Damian Ristović deleted the featured tweet that stated: “Female tennis is useless, I’ve never seen a disgusting champion like Bartoli.”, but kept this one: “Lisicki should be able to beat this ogre come on“. He also went on to defend his comments and yell at some people who dared send a critical tweet his way.
Max Bateman no longer seems to have the account that stated the following: “I wanted Lisiki to win because Bartoli is ugly & she looks like she’s covered her face & hair in Bertolli, oily faced French bitch.”
Rudi Taylor seems to have decided to get off Twitter as well. I guess he figured being associated with the following quote wouldn’t be beneficial: “Marion Bartoli is a fat ugly smelly little slut“.
London’s Stifler has kept the offensive “Bartoli you fat shit. I don’t want an ugly bitch to win” up on his account and has even pointed people to the Tumblr post where his comment is featured in addition to engaging with responses in the same style as his original post.
Ellis Keddie’s post stating “How is bartoli a professional athelete and fat as fuck” is still available. He’s received some responses and has replied as one might expect.
User Suman under account sumandutta had shared the following: “Feeling for the trophy presenters who had to exchange kisses with the fat ugly sweaty pig Bartoli.” Maybe upon reflection Suman decided this was not an ideal use of Twitter as that account no longer has any tweets on it.
Cameron Shulak had added the following observation: “bartoli is too ugly to win wimbledon“, a tweet no longer on his account. Ironically, however, he seems to have retweeted the following just a day before his insightful observation about sports: “Life’s much more enjoyable when you look for the beauty in everything/everyone rather than the flaws #justsayin”. Go figure!
Kurt Hopkins doesn’t seem to be embarrassed by his tweet stating: “That’s it Bartoli, there’s your plate, now get back in the kitchen and make everyone a sandwich #wimbledon” as it’s still on his account. In fact, he’s engaged in quite a bit of back-and-forth with some responses.
User TallTyrionLannister added this to the conversation: “Fuck off Bartoli you fat greasy bitch” and went on to defend it in a subsequent exchange. He also had additional insightful tweets: “Gwan Lisicki, smash that French bitch.“, “Bartoli is such an ugly twat.“, “Fuck off, Bartoli“, “Lisicki is so lovely, can’t believe this greasy haired twat is battering her. Leave her alone.”
Rhys Quinn’s account no longer has the tweet stating “Bartoli ate 37 tennis balls before playing her tennis match for her source of energy! #whale“, but has some responses that were likely a follow-up such as: “@SeanCaio7 she’s near the same size as you ye fat cunt”.
Alex Wilkie’s account stating “Bartoli stopp fist pumping every time you win a point.. You ugly French fuck. #wimbledon” no longer exists.
Ben Ledger’s deep contribution is no longer on his account: “Wondering what would bounce better the balls or Bartoli #Wimbledon #fatty“.
That’s it for now. I wish I had time to follow up on more of the accounts included in the Tumblr post. If you’re so inclined, please feel free to do so and please share. It’s not reasonable or necessary to rank the level of crazy in these tweets, but note that the above examples only scratch the surface.
15-year-old Malala has dared to campaign for girls education in Pakistan
Dear friends,
The Taliban shot 15-year-old Malala in the head for her education activism. But she survived, helped win education for all girls in Pakistan, and will address the UN in 3 days asking leaders to agree to put every child on the planet in school, a shockingly achievable goal. Let's stand with her, and call for education for all:
Sign the petition
The young women were heading home from college in Pakistan when the Taliban firebombed their school bus, burning 14 of them alive. The survivors were rushed to the hospital, where another bomb went off, injuring their friends and the nurses who came to help.
Sometimes out of the deepest darkness come our brightest lights. In the face of this horror, 15-year-old Malala has dared to campaign for girls education in Pakistan. She was shot in the head for it last year, but she survived, and with almost 1 million of us behind her, she helped win a new government policy to put all Pakistani girls in school!
But she's not stopping there. On Friday, Malala will speak at the UN to propose a new global goal: to put every child on the planet in school. Her request is shockingly doable -- with experts saying it would cost the same as just two nuclear power plants! In the next 72 hours, let's show world leaders that Malala has millions of us behind her as she appeals to them to act, and turn Taliban horror into powerful new hope -- education for all:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/every_child_in_school_global/?bOUfzbb&v=26866
Malala will present our campaign to the UN Secretary General on Friday, and work with an army of youth delegates around the globe to lobby the UN Security Council to pass a resolution recognizing the global education crisis and listing concrete steps to promote education for all. Then we'll help them take the message to capitals around the world, until governments write cheques and change policies.
Here are top lines from the plan:
guarantee equality for girls and marginalized youth disproportionately denied education
provide rigorous training for teachers
increase education funding with higher aid from donors and all countries better targeting their spending to close the gaps and guarantee every child has at least 9 years education
Getting every child into school may sound ambitious, but it's actually entirely achievable with a moderate increase in international financial support of $26 billion, and will yield massive benefits for the future peace and prosperity of our world. Let's seize this moment and momentum, and make it happen:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/every_child_in_school_global/?bOUfzbb&v=26866
When Malala was shot, our community rallied to her support and helped build an effective strategy to advance her cause, working closely with the UN Envoy on Education, Gordon Brown, to press the Pakistani government to announce a stipend programme to get all kids into school. Let's do it again now, and make the Malala magic work across the world.
With hope and determination,
Mia, Diego, Ricken, Alex, Anne, Dalia, Pascal, Wen-Hua and the entire Avaaz team
PS - Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community! Start yours now and win on any issue - local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=26859
MORE INFORMATION:
Reductions in Aid Jeopardise Schooling for Millions of Children (Huffington post)
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/pauline-rose/education-aid-reductions-jeopardise-schooling_b_3413691.html
Drop in aid for primary schools puts education MDG at risk (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/jun/11/drop-aid-primary-schools-mdg-risk
Poorly-educated worst off in economic crisis (EU observer)
http://euobserver.com/education/120636
Malala's global voice stronger than ever (CNN)
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/30/world/malala-girls-education
Education For All Global Monitoring Report (UNESCO)
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/efareport/
The Youth Resolution: The Education We Want
http://www.worldwewant2015.org/node/352851
Gordon Brown: Malala’s Fight for Girls’ Education in Pakistan Continues (The Daily Beast)
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/17/gordon-brown-malala-s-fight-for-girls-education-in-pakistan-continues.html
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Differences In Alzheimer’s Disease ENTER THE CHALLENGE $100,000 IN PRIZES
http://geoffreybeenechallenge.org/
Differences In Alzheimer’s Disease
ENTER THE CHALLENGE $100,000 IN PRIZES!
Proposals will be accepted through August 31, 2013
The 2013 Geoffrey Beene Global NeuroDiscovery Challenge focuses on the need to better understand gender-based differences in Alzheimer’s disease progression and its impact on early cognitive decline. In heart disease, men and women present differently for both diagnosis and treatment. Is the same true for Alzheimer’s disease? Do women get Alzheimer’s more than men, even after correcting for longer lifespan? In what ways does the disease appear to affect them differently? Rigorous and critical investigation is needed to set the direction for future research on key aspects of Alzheimer’s, including:
Disease progression
Biologic biomarkers such as beta amyloid and tau proteins
Effectiveness of brain imaging technologies in diagnosis
Genetic risk factors
Bioenergetic systems
Penetration of the blood brain barrier for transport of medicines
Performance on cognitive and functional tests
The 2013 Geoffrey Beene Global NeuroDiscovery Challenge is the second in a series of open-source competitions engaging multi-disciplinary teams to develop NEW THINKING—new theoretical hypotheses, novel wireless technologies and cost-effective applications, to help accelerate earlier Alzheimer’s diagnosis and recruit asymptomatic populations for prevention trials.
Click here to read the 2013 Geoffrey Beene Global NeuroDiscovery Challenge Press Release
- See more at: http://geoffreybeenechallenge.org/#sthash.lvCftPLL.dpuf
posts about tennis
http://feministphilosophers.wordpress.com/
A woman, but not tall, skinny and blonde? July 9, 2013
Filed under: beauty,sports — Monkey @ 5:07 pm
… then how dare you win Wimbledon! Another face-palm moment from the intarwebz. What is wrong with people?
http://publicshaming.tumblr.com/post/54864863081/womens-wimbledon-champion-marion-bartoli-deemed
First British Wimbledon Champ in 77 Years? July 8, 2013
Filed under: Uncategorized — jennysaul @ 2:40 pm
That’s what the headlines are saying. But….
Chloe Angyal: “Murray is indeed the first Brit to win Wimbledon in 77 years unless you think women are people”
For more, go here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/shortcuts/2013/jul/08/virginia-wade-wimbledon-champion-tennis
(Thanks, C!)
Call for Nominations: Health Services Research Impact Award
Call for Nominations: Health Services Research Impact Award
Posted: 09 Jul 2013 08:42 AM PDT
Call for Nominations: Health Services Research Impact Award
AcademyHealth requests nominations of health services research that has made a positive impact on health policy and/or practice. The lead researcher of the winning impact will receive $2,000, and the research will be disseminated widely as part of AcademyHealth's ongoing efforts to promote the field of health services research and communicate its value for health care decision-making. The award will be announced at the 2014 National Health Policy Conference, held February 3-4, and the winner will receive complimentary registration, travel and lodging to the conference.
The deadline for submissions is August 31.
Eligibility Criteria
Research may be published or unpublished, a single study or a body of work, the work of an individual or a team.
Time frame for when the research was conducted is open, but the impact should have occurred recently.
Nominators and nominees are not required to be AcademyHealth members
Self-nominations will be accepted.
Selection Criteria
Each nomination will be evaluated on:
Quality of research;
Effectiveness of research dissemination and translation approach; and
Impact of the research.
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
InspireHealth Research Updates for July 2013
Research Updates for July 2013
Dear Reader,
In this issue:
- Wagner et al. found that oral vitamin D administered before radical prostatectomy was beneficial for men with prostate cancer.
- Jagielski et al. found that not all women consider themselves "survivors" of breast cancer, and this may impact follow-up counselling and care.
- Bokmand and Flyger found that acupuncture was safe and effective in relieving hot flashes and sleep disturbances in women with breast cancer.
- Babaee and colleagues found that Calendula mouthwash significantly decreased radiation-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer.
- Wyatt et al. found that reflexology improved the quality of life of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy.
- Hamad and colleagues concluded that probiotic supplements can be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced diarrhea.
- Hoffman et al. reported that a home-based, light intensity exercise intervention (walking and balance exercises) was beneficial for lung cancer patients experiencing cancer-related fatigue.
- Mutrie and associates found that a supervised exercise intervention with a discussion about behaviour change techniques can have long-term benefits for breast cancer survivors.
- Lavretsky et al. studied the effect of yogic meditation on mental health, cognitive functioning and immune cell telomerase activity of family caregivers of dementia patients.
In our study of the month, Durant and associates found that in online communities, men prefer to socialize in larger, interconnected less-intimate groups, whereas women tend to form fewer, more intimate connections.
Thanks,
Jan
http://www.inspirehealth.ca/pdfs/research-updates/eResearchUpdates_July2013.pdf
Monday, 8 July 2013
Call for Nominations: 2014 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize
Call for Nominations: 2014 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize
Posted: 25 Jun 2013 10:00 AM PDT
Call for Nominations: 2014 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize
The Warren Alpert Foundation Prize recognizes one or more scientists whose scientific achievements have led to the prevention, cure or treatment of human diseases or disorders, and/or whose research constitutes a seminal scientific finding that holds great promise of ultimately changing our understanding of and/or ability to treat disease. The $250,000 Prize is open to scientists, physicians, and researchers from any country.
Nominations must be received by November 1, 2013.
Prize recipients are selected by the Foundation's Scientific Advisory Committee, comprising internationally renowned biomedical scientists and chaired by Jeffrey S. Flier, MD, the Dean of Harvard Medical School.
The recipient of the 2014 Prize must be available to attend the Warren Alpert Foundation Scientific Symposium at Harvard Medical School on Thursday, October 2, 2014.
If you have questions about the nomination process, please contact Edward Canton: edward_canton@hms.harvard.edu
Friday, 5 July 2013
Most viewed slideshare presentations this week
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Thursday, 4 July 2013
Organic Consumers Association ‘O No’ You Don’t, Safeway
‘O No’ You Don’t, Safeway
Organic Consumers Association http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50865/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=11436
TAKE ACTION: Just Say ‘O No!’ to Safeway’s O Organics™ Brand!Nope. You’re not fooling us, Safeway, with your O Organics™ brand products. We know you’d love to cash in on the growing market for organics, but you’ll have to do it without us. Why? Because you run with a bad crowd.
That’s right. Safeway is a dues-paying member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), that slimy trade group that donated $2 million last year to kill Proposition 37, the California initiative to label GMOs. The grocery chain also recently gave $472,500 to the campaign that wants to defeat a similar initiative, I-522 in Washington State. What’s more, Safeway won’t join the more than 4,000 supermarkets in the U.S. that have pledged to refuse to sell genetically engineered seafood if the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approves it.
It’s time to take to the phones, facebook pages and twitter accounts and tell Safeway: We won’t buy your O Organics products until you pull out of the GMA, make a donation to the I-522 GMO labeling campaign in Washington, and pledge not to sell genetically engineered seafood in your stores.
TAKE ACTION: Just Say ‘O No!’ to Safeway’s O Organics™ Brand!
Download your wallet-sized boycott guide
Download a poster-sized boycott guide
Sign the boycott pledge
Order printed copies of the boycott guide or poster
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Cancer and Complementary Health Approaches
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/cancer/camcancer.htm?nav=upd
On this page:
- Introduction
- Key Facts
- Keep in Mind
- About Cancer
- About Complementary Health Approaches
- Use of Complementary Health Approaches for Cancer
- Safety
- What the Science Says
- NIH Research on Complementary Health Approaches for Cancer
- If You Have Been Diagnosed With Cancer and Are Considering a Complementary Health Approach
- For More Information
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Avaaz.org - Burma's Rohingya people
Most people didn't know who the Rwandans were until 800,000 had been killed. Now, the fate of the Rohingya people of Burma is hanging by a thread as mobs attack them while the police look on. The Burmese President could stop the violence - all he has to do is approve a plan to protect them and ensure it is enforced, while granting them citizenship. Let’s appeal to European leaders to press him when he visits them in days, and stop the next Rwanda: |
Genocides happen because we don't get concerned enough until the crime is committed. The Rohingya are a peaceful and very poor people. They're hated because their skin is darker and the majority fear they’re 'taking jobs away'. There are 800,000 of them, and they could be gone if we don't act. We've failed too many peoples, let's not fail the Rohingya.
Burmese President Thein Sein has the power, personnel and resources to protect the Rohingya, all he has to do is give the word to make it happen. In days, he’ll arrive in Europe to sell his country’s new openness to trade. If EU leaders greet him with a strong request to protect the Rohingya, he’s likely to do it. Let’s get 1 million voices and plaster images of what’s happening in Burma outside his meetings with key EU heads of state:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/we_said_never_again/?bOUfzbb&v=26500
Torture, gang rape, execution style killings -- human rights groups are using the term "ethnic cleansing" to describe the brutality in Burma. Already more than 120,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee, many to makeshift camps near the border, while others have fled in boats only to drown, starve, or be shot at by coastguards from neighboring countries. Reports show that violence is escalating -- earlier this year President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency after another round of deadly attacks, and it’s just a matter of time until there is a large scale massacre.
Genocides don’t happen when governments oppose them, but the Burmese regime has been leaning the wrong way. Recently, a government spokesperson admitted that authorities were enforcing a rule that limits the Rohingya population to having only two children and forces couples seeking to get married to obtain special permission. And experts report that government authorities have stood by or even participated in acts of “ethnic cleansing.” President Sein has finally been forced to acknowledge what’s happening to the Rohingya, but he has so far refused to implement plans to stop the violence and protect those at risk.
Until he does, the risk of genocide hovers like a dark cloud over not just Burma, but the world. Through their trade relations, UK PM Cameron and French President Hollande have massive leverage with Sein -- if they press him to act when he meets with them this month, it could save lives. Let’s make sure they do. We've failed too many peoples, let's not fail the Rohingya. Join the call now and share this with everyone:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/we_said_never_again/?bOUfzbb&v=26500
Time and again, the Avaaz community has stood with the people of Burma in their fight for democracy. When the regime brutally cracked down on Buddhist monks in 2007, Avaazers donated hundreds of thousands of dollars/euros/pounds to provide technical support and training to activists to fight a communications blackout. In 2008, when a devastating cyclone killed at least 100,000 Burmese, but the venal military regime stopped all official international aid from coming in, our community donated millions directly to monks on the front line of the aid effort.
Our community didn’t exist when genocide was committed in Rwanda, 20 years ago. Would we have done enough to stop it? Let’s show the Rohingya our answer to that question.
With hope and determination,
Luis, Jeremy, Aldine, Oliver, Marie, Jooyea and the whole Avaaz team
PS - Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community! Start yours now and win on any issue - local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917
MORE INFORMATION
Burma riots: Video shows police failing to stop attack (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22243676
Burma: End ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ of Rohingya Muslims (Human Rights Watch)
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/22/burma-end-ethnic-cleansing-rohingya-muslims
Video shows Burmese police standing by as Buddhists attack Muslims (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/22/burmese-police-buddhists-attack-muslims
The unending plight of Burma's unwanted Rohingyas (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23077537
Dalai Lama Pleads for Myanmar Monks to End Violence Amid Damning Rights Report (ABC News)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/dalai-lama-pleads-myanmar-monks-end-violence-amid/story?id=19013148#.UXV3vCt4a5w
Thein Sein to visit Britain, France in July (AFP)
http://www.dvb.no/news/thein-sein-to-visit-britain-france-in-july/28815
Monday, 1 July 2013
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