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Friday, August 31, 2012
When trial by jury is a crime | Progress | News and debate from the ...
It does seem strange, that in this modern day, we continue to put twelve lay persons in such a position of vulnerability, by placing them directly in the path of powerful, wealthy, violent criminals.
From the gangster?s point of view, it?s as if we make them a challenge, by presenting them with a jury. It?s as if we say, if you can destroy a human being, or at least gain control of their mind, then we will give you your freedom. Here?s a choice of twelve. You need to destroy two of them to be safe, so choose carefully. If you lose, you go to jail. If you win, you get your freedom back. If you get detected trying to destroy these people, we?ll stop the trial and start again with a new jury, so you can have another go.
To the violent criminal, this sounds like fun. He is worth millions, has multitudes of criminal underlings at his disposal, and has private detectives and bent former police officers willing to get him the information he needs. Yet just to make sure things are properly balanced in his favour, we tell him the names of the jurors, then publish the polling register from which we recruited them, allowing him to more easily get their addresses.
What?s also surprising is the reaction of the lawyers and police whenever a jury has been nobbled. They get angry with the jurors. Can you believe that? The lay people who have been intimidated, or terrorised, or had their family threatened, are considered to be the villains in all this.
Personally, I think if someone agrees to do public service, only to have petrol poured through their letterbox, then my condemnation is saved for the politicians who thought it was a good idea to put them in such a vulnerable position in the first place.
Yet if there is ever a suggestion that we should restrict trial by jury, then a great chorus of objection rises. ?It?s our human rights!? they shriek. I respond by asking what about the right of ordinary citizen, not to be made the quarry of violent criminals? ?They?re attacking Magna Carta!? goes the other cry. Magna Carta is a law created to stop King John from imposing arbitrary punishment on his citizens. It?s not relevant to this argument, although I understand where the cry comes from.
The British people have always been suspicious that those who govern us, the politicians, want to change the system to suit them rather than us, the people. An obvious way of doing that would be to gain control of the courts, like the situation in Russia, where those girls have been jailed for singing a song, poking fun at Mr Putin.
I totally agree that we don?t want politicians to be in control of the courts. However, reforming the jury system is a long, long way off from giving politicians the power to impose arbitrary verdicts in trials. For a government to take over, they would have to first gain control of the judiciary. This wouldn?t happen because the separation of the judiciary and the state is deeply engrained in our society.
And anyway, we don?t want to remove juries in the bulk of cases. The jury system is often the superior one. Jurors think differently to lawyers, in that they apply common sense to the evidence, while lawyers apply logic to the evidence. Often, this means that juries produce verdicts that seem to be surprising, but when the lawyers consider it later, they see the method, and agree with the jury. In this way, jurors are better, because their perspective is fresh.
I?m not saying we should abolish trial by jury, but I am saying that there are circumstances where it is not appropriate to put twelve lay persons in such a position of vulnerability, and at the moment this situation continues, due to the objection of a vocal minority, who I believe are misguided to believe that reform is an attack on freedom.
The judicial system should have a mixed system of trials, where some are twelve-person juries, while others are tried by a panel of experts, and some by judges only. The important point is that the mode of trial should reflect the type of case, not the loudness of a minority of protesters.
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Dan McCurry is a candidate in the members? section in the Progress strategy board elections 2012. You can find out more about all the? candidates at the dedicated Progress strategy board election microsite
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Source: http://www.progressonline.org.uk/2012/08/30/when-trial-by-jury-is-a-crime/
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NCAA finds North Carolina not guilty of academic fraud
Published Friday, Aug 31, 2012 at 12:17 pm EDT Last updated 36 minutes and 20 seconds ago
The NCAA has concluded that North Carolina did not commit any NCAA violations related to student-athletes? participation in the African and Afro-American Studies program that included made-up classes and grades.
On Aug. 23, UNC provided an update to the NCAA enforcement staff following a review of the program. The NCAA informed UNC that no NCAA rules appeared to have been broken in this case of academic fraud, UNC announced. However, three other NCAA probes are ongoing.
The classes were available to the general student body, including football and basketball players. However, an internal investigation found countless athletes enrolled in dozens of bogus courses that had little or no instruction. The classes include independent study courses and no-show classes.
The former chairman of the department, Julius Nyang?oro, was forced to retire. Later, UNC inadvertently posted the transcript of former two-sport athlete Julius Peppers online. It was littered with failing grades?and highlighted by better scores in classes that fell under that same area of African and Afro-American study.
UNC first notified the NCAA in August of 2011 that there were potential academic issues in that major. The NCAA launched an investigation and according to a UNC press release, visiting the North Carolina campus several times in the fall of 2011.
?Based on the joint review, UNC and the NCAA staff concluded there were no violations of current NCAA rules or student-athlete eligibility issues related to courses in African and Afro-American Studies. As a result, the NCAA did not add any allegations or include this issue during the University?s appearance in October 2011 before the Committee of Infractions.?
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Governor Quinn Breaks Ground on ?Phase Two? of WIU Riverfront Campus - $42 Million in Capital Funding to Add New Classroom Building on the Moline Campus and Create Nearly 300 Construction Jobs
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Source: http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=1&RecNum=10530
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Frankie Edgar steps in to face Jose Aldo in now enthralling UFC 153 main event
This time around, though, it was a far simpler process with much less drama in finding a replacement.
As first reported late Thursday by MMA Junkie.com, Erik Koch is injured and out of his featherweight title fight with Jose Aldo that is scheduled for Oct. 13 at HSBC in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will step up to face him.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the switch in a text with Yahoo! Sports. White said Koch had injured a knee in training. He was disappointed to lose Koch, but praised Edgar in comments made earlier Thursday to MMA Junkie's John Morgan.
Obviously, we've had a rough couple of weeks here at the UFC, and then sure enough, I walk in to work today, and Erik Koch is hurt. But Frankie Edgar, being the stud and the warrior that he is, steps up and accepts this fight.
Last week, a major controversy arose when Dan Henderson pulled out of a light heavyweight title fight against champion Jon Jones scheduled for Sept. 1 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. White arranged to Chael Sonnen to replace Henderson, but Jones declined. He said he didn't want to fight a different opponent with such little practice time.
As a result, the event was canceled and Jones will now defend the belt against Vitor Belfort on Sept. 22 in Toronto at UFC 152.
For years, White and fans had lobbied for Edgar to drop to the 145-pound class. Edgar barely needed to cut weight to make lightweight's 155-pound limit. But Edgar had always resisted, given he was winning.
But after losing back-to-back bouts and knowing that another shot at the lightweight title would be a long way off, he jumped at the chance to face Aldo.
The Aldo-Edgar match now pits the Nos. 3 and 7 pound-for-pound fighters in the world, according to the Yahoo! Sports rankings.
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Tips To Sharpen Your Article Marketing Skills | Make Money Blog
Tips To Sharpen Your Article Marketing Skills
You probably have some idea of the profit potential offered by article marketing. Even so, the process can seem very intimidating. In this article are some essential tips which can help to make your article marketing campaigns successful.
Your article writing should make sense to readers at every level of familiarity with your product. A very technical product deserves a complete technical explanation. As well as the technical jargon, you will also want to address readers who may not understand complicated terms by explaining things in a simpler manner. Keeping everyone informed with detailed explanations will earn more respect, and give you credibility with your entire audience.
Make sure your articles open with snappy introductions, and don?t let your total word count exceed approximately 500 words. Some readers have tiny attention spans so you need to get to the point quickly. Explanations are for later. The first couple of sentences need to draw them in quickly.
Develop a distinctive writing voice and use it when writing content for youself. Eliminate difficult vocabulary before posting your articles. The resulting article won?t be in your voice, and readers will not warm up to it.
A marketing article should include keywords or phrases that you think internet users will type into search engines when they are looking for what you are selling. That allows your customers to more easily find what they want out of the article, without having to do any in-depth searching that might turn them off. Stay focused on the promoted article.
Feature keywords at a prominent place in your article titles. Potential buyers who search for your keywords through search engines are going to visit your website when they see those keywords reflected in your link.
Be honest, and include content that is original in your articles. If your readers can trust you, it will help you create a relationship with your audience. They may even turn to you as an expert or authority when it comes to your chosen topic.
A wise tip for online article promotion is to have all your articles published in the form of an eBook after you have completed enough of them. One great way to take advantage of your eBook is to distribute it freely by e-mail in order to compile a contact list of your entire audience. You can then use that list for other purposes such as sending out newsletters.
The right keywords can be the answer to successful article marketing. Don?t be fooled into buying an overpriced keyword research program when you can get everything you need from Google?s free Keyword Tool. You need to be aware of any changes in how effective your keywords are to continue to be successful.
Make each article a segue for an action to take. Most readers do not expect a solution that is reached through a series of short steps; they understand that the article is just the starting point. Identify what step you want to take the reader to before you start formulating your article. Include these things in the article and you will get them to buy!
Do research on popular keywords and how to include them in your articles. Using the right keywords is important because it can help you get more traffic to your articles.
One way to have your articles stand out and be enjoyable for your visitors is to pretend you are speaking to a buddy as you write. This can avoid a tone of condescension, and will appeal to a wider audience. Stay informal and conversational to engage your readers? enthusiasm and interest.
Spark controversy to draw people to your articles. This is a lesson that the media has learned very well. Writing about often-touchy issues like politics, sports, or religion will not only draw readers in, but it will make them more likely to discuss your articles in blog and forum posts, which draws in more readers.
Make your articles informative. Great sources for information include eZine Articles and Google. You need to be very resourceful when finding information for your articles. The Internet has exploded the amount of information that is available, so try getting tips and ideas from resource books in the library.
Effectively marketing articles means you are aware of who you are targeting with the articles. Basically, know your target audience. For example, if your target market includes cat owners, you should stick with articles and content that focuses on cats and pet care. When you have provided your target audience with content that engages them, they will in turn share your content with the people they connect with online.
So you see, by using article marketing, you can truly increase your web traffic and make the most of your online business. If you use article marketing effectively, you can improve your company?s standing and success
Source: http://make-money-blog.com/tips-to-sharpen-your-article-marketing-skills/
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2012 Tamiya TCS North American Finals Coverage: Japan Trip Winners
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Thursday, August 30, 2012
Chronic stress linked to high risk of stroke
ScienceDaily (Aug. 29, 2012) ? Chronic stress, prompted by major life stressors and type A personality traits, is linked to a high risk of stroke, finds research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
Chronic stress, manifested as physical and/or mental symptoms in response to stressors lasting longer than 6 months has been linked to a heightened risk of heart disease. But its impact on the risk of stroke has not been clear.
The research team base their findings on150 adults, with an average age of 54, who had been admitted to one stroke unit, and 300 randomly selected healthy people of a similar age who lived in the same neighbourhood.
Levels of chronic stress were assessed using the combined quantitative scores of four validated scales, looking at major life events; symptoms, such as anxiety and depression; general wellbeing; and behaviour patterns indicative of type A personality (ERCTA scale).
Type A behaviours include hostility, aggression, impatience and a quick temper. A score of 24 or higher on the ERCTA scale is considered to be indicative of a type A personality.
Participants were also assessed for known biological risk factors for stroke, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, any history of heart rhythm abnormalities, and daytime sleepiness.
And they were quizzed on their lifestyle, including their caffeine, alcohol and energy drink intake, as well as whether they smoked, had a partner, and a job.
The results showed that several factors were independently associated with a heightened risk of stroke.
Compared with the healthy comparison group, the risk of a stroke was almost four times higher among those who had experienced a major life event in the previous year.
A high score on the ERCTA scale more than doubled stroke risk, as did a current or previous history of smoking, and intake of two or more energy drinks a day.
And those with heart rhythm disturbances were more than three times as likely to have a stroke while those with a high daytime sleepiness score almost tripled their risk. And being a man boosted the risk nine-fold.
But when all the factors were assessed together, the risk of a stroke was associated with a stressful life and type A behaviours. And this held true, irrespective of other risk factors, including gender and an unhealthy lifestyle.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BMJ-British Medical Journal, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- J. A. Egido, O. Castillo, B. Roig, I. Sanz, M. R. Herrero, M. T. Garay, A. M. Garcia, M. Fuentes, C. Fernandez. Is psycho-physical stress a risk factor for stroke? A case-control study. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 2012; DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2012-302420
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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To a few, 2012 is the year of the cloud. To everyone else, 2012 is the year of big data. A hot buzzword, ?big data has become viable as cost-effective approaches have emerged to tame the volume, velocity and variability ? Continue reading ?
McDonald Computer Corporation Receives SSAE 16 Certification
McDonald Computer Corporation, a leading mortgage servicing technology provider, announced today that the company recently completed its SSAE 16 SOC 1 report. The SSAE (Statements
The perils of do-it-yourself investing
Since the trauma of the financial crisis, the average joe investor has been playing it safe with his portfolio. However,
Schools investing millions in computers that are transforming education
A generation ago, Cumberland County students learned by sitting at their desks with textbooks and listening to a teacher at the blackboard. Those days are over, replaced by electronic "smart" white boards, laptop computers and social networking.
Experts hope to shield cars from computer viruses
By Jim Finkle BOSTON (Reuters) - A team of top hackers working for Intel Corp's (NSQ:INTC) security division toil away in a West Coast garage searching for electronic bugs that could make automobiles vulnerable ...
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Investing Tips for a Volatile Market
Advice for investors who have lost confidence in the integrity of the system and are considering dumping stocks.
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Analytical Information And Interpretation Of Few Best Universities To ...
For all those aspirants looking to pursue the courses on criminal justice then you can find plenty of schools in each state all around the nation. There are numerous private and public universities, community colleges, schools as well as other educational institutions offering criminal justice programs. The degrees are also multiple beginning from certificate course to associates degree, bachelors and master?s degree. If you think to go higher, then even doctoral degrees can be pursued. You can choose traditional or even with online colleges. For the students who cannot afford to quit their job for going back to schools, the online colleges can be the best options for you. In this program, you should find the best school to enroll in. Looking at the reviews available online and those done from the academicians from States, this short article offers description on few colleges, that are worth to get enrolled with. Determining your profession goals and interest comes first prior to deciding on school and even the affordability, however as per the popularity and educational success, the academic institutions given below, as I believe, would certainly fall upon your priority.
Among all, the first university that I recommend providing criminal justice programs would be the Kaplan University. This university is known for the complete selection of programs in criminal justice. You can choose to pursue associates, bachelors and master?s diploma with this particular university. This university also offers on-line program as well as couple of specialization courses.
The next university to follow the list would be the Walden University. This college is better known for its online education along with the traditional classes. Programs on this university are features with 4 years bachelors and two years master?s program. A special feature with this university is that it offers self-designed masters program. Those students thinking to determine their career aspects themselves can find this university as one stop place for educational excellence.
University of Phoenix is the next well recognized university in the states. This university is particularly known for its on-line education and the on-line training completed via this university is usually well known by the employers of the nation, although not limited rather extended to the entire world. You can pursue Bachelors diploma in criminal justice through this college.
This short article is just able to explain about couple of colleges which are outstanding in both conventional and online education. I hope this information will facilitate your search for the best college to pursue the course. If you would like detail information, then you must contact the respective college. I wish you all the best for your academic progress and profession ahead.
An occupation within the criminal justice field is usually both privately and professionally rewarding. So, hurry up and make preparations for criminal justice degree plan.
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SEAL book raises questions about bin Laden's death
FILE - This book cover image released by Dutton shows "No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden," by Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer. The firsthand account of the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden contradicts previous accounts by administration officials, raising questions as to whether the terror mastermind presented a clear threat when SEALs first fired upon him. (AP Photo/Dutton, File)
FILE - This book cover image released by Dutton shows "No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden," by Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer. The firsthand account of the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden contradicts previous accounts by administration officials, raising questions as to whether the terror mastermind presented a clear threat when SEALs first fired upon him. (AP Photo/Dutton, File)
This book cover image released by Dutton shows "No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden," by Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer. A first-hand account of the Navy SEAL mission that killed Osama bin Laden is coming out Sept. 11. Dutton announced Wednesday that Mark Owen?s ?No Easy Day? will ?set the record straight? on the raid in Pakistan in May 2011. ?Mark Owen? is a pseudonym for the combat veteran who was one of the first fighters to enter bin Laden?s third floor hideout and also witnessed his death, according to Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA). (AP Photo/Dutton)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? A firsthand account of the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden contradicts previous accounts by administration officials, raising questions as to whether the terror mastermind presented a clear threat when SEALs first fired upon him.
Bin Laden apparently was hit in the head when he looked out of his bedroom door into the top-floor hallway of his compound as SEALs rushed up a narrow stairwell in his direction, according to former Navy SEAL Matt Bissonnette, writing under the pseudonym Mark Owen in "No Easy Day." The book is to be published next week by Penguin Group (USA)'s Dutton imprint.
Bissonnette says he was directly behind a "point man" going up the stairs in the pitch black hallway. "Less than five steps" from top of the stairs, he heard "suppressed" gunfire: "BOP. BOP." The point man had seen a "man peeking out of the door" on the right side of the hallway.
The author writes that bin Laden ducked back into his bedroom and the SEALs followed, only to find the terrorist crumpled on the floor in a pool of blood with a hole visible on the right side of his head and two women wailing over his body.
Bissonnette says the point man pulled the two women out of the way and shoved them into a corner and he and the other SEALs trained their guns' laser sites on bin Laden's still-twitching body, shooting him several times until he lay motionless. The SEALs later found two weapons stored by the doorway, untouched, the author said.
In the account related by administration officials after the raid in Pakistan, the SEALs shot bin Laden only after he ducked back into the bedroom because they assumed he might be reaching for a weapon.
White House spokesman Tommy Vietor would not comment on the apparent contradiction late Tuesday. But he said in an email, "As President Obama said on the night that justice was brought to Osama bin Laden, 'We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country.'"
"No Easy Day" was due out Sept. 11, but Dutton announced the book would be available a week early, Sept. 4, because of a surge of orders due to advance publicity that drove the book to the top of the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com best-seller lists.
The Associated Press purchased a copy of the book Tuesday.
The account is sure to again raise questions as to whether the raid was intended to capture or simply to kill bin Laden. Bissonette writes that during a pre-raid briefing, a lawyer from "either" the White House or Defense Department told them that they were not on an assassination mission. According to Bissonnette, the lawyer said that if bin Laden was "naked with his hands up," they should not "engage" him. If bin Laden did not pose a threat, they should "detain him."
In another possibly uncomfortable revelation for U.S. officials who say bin Laden's body was treated with dignity before being given a full Muslim burial at sea, the author reveals that in the cramped helicopter flight out of the compound, one of the SEALs called "Walt" ? one of the pseudonyms the author used for his fellow SEALs ? was sitting on bin Laden's chest as the body lay at the author's feet in the middle of the cabin, for the short flight to a refueling stop inside Pakistan where a third helicopter was waiting.
This is common practice, as troops sometimes must sit on their own war dead in packed helicopters. Space was cramped because one of the helicopters had crashed in the initial assault, leaving little space for the roughly two dozen commandos in the two aircraft that remained. When the commandos reached the third aircraft, bin Laden's body was moved to it.
Bissonnette writes disparagingly that none of the SEALs were fans of President Barack Obama and knew that his administration would take credit for ordering the May 2011 raid. One of the SEALs said after the mission that they had just gotten Obama re-elected by carrying out the raid.
But he says they respected him as commander in chief and for giving the operation the go-ahead.
Bissonnette writes less flatteringly of meeting Vice President Joe Biden along with Obama at the headquarters of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment after the raid. He says Biden told "lame jokes" no one understood, reminding him of "someone's drunken uncle at Christmas dinner."
Beyond such embarrassing observations, U.S. officials fear the book may include classified information, as it did not undergo the formal review required by the Pentagon for works published by former or current Defense Department employees.
Officials from the Pentagon and the CIA, which commanded the mission, are examining the manuscript for possible disclosure of classified information and could take legal action against the author.
In a statement provided to The Associated Press, the author says he did "not disclose confidential or sensitive information that would compromise national security in any way."
Bissonnette's real name was first revealed by Fox News and confirmed to The Associated Press.
Jihadists on al-Qaida websites have posted purported photos of the author, calling for his murder.
___
Follow Kimberly Dozier on Twitter: http://es.twitter.com/KimberlyDozier
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iMore show 308: Angry bits of mostly plastic
Rene and Seth talk Apple vs. Samsung verdict, iPhone 5 and NFC, iPad mini and October, AirPlay and Wi-Fi Direct, Drafts 2.0, Dropbox two-factor verification, and answer your email and Twitter questions. This is the iMore show!
- Subscribe via iTunes: Audio | Video
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Show notes
- Mobile Nations 18: Apple vs. Samsung special verdict edition
- Apple vs Samsung
- No NFC bound for next generation iPhone
- AirPlay direct rumored to be coming to iOS 6, iPhone 5
- Regarding separate iPhone 5 and iPad mini events
- Take your notes to the next level with Drafts 2.0 for iPhone and Drafts for iPad
- How to set up two-step verification for Dropbox
Hosts
- Georgia (GeorgiaTiPb
- Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie)
- Seth Clifford (@sethclifford
Credits
You can reach all of us on Twitter @iMore, or you can email us at podcast@imore.com
For all our podcasts, including the iMore show, ZEN and TECH, Iterate, and more, see MobileNations.com/shows
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Rfqn41NILfU/story01.htm
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Metabolism in the brain fluctuates with circadian rhythm
ScienceDaily (Aug. 28, 2012) ? The rhythm of life is driven by the cycles of day and night, and most organisms carry in their cells a common, (roughly) 24-hour beat. In animals, this rhythm emerges from a tiny brain structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus. Take it out of the brain and keep it alive in a lab dish and this "brain clock" will keep on ticking, ramping up or gearing down production of certain proteins at specific times of the day, day after day.
A new study reveals that the brain clock itself is driven, in part, by metabolism, the production and flow of chemical energy in cells. The researchers focused primarily on a phenomenon known as "redox" in tissues of the SCN from the brains of rats and mice.
Redox represents the energy changes of cellular metabolism (usually through the transfer of electrons). When a molecule gains one or more electrons, scientists call it a reduction; when it loses electrons, they say it is oxidized. These redox reactions, the researchers found, oscillate on a 24-hour cycle in the brain clock, and literally open and close channels of communication in brain cells.
They report their findings in the journal Science, which also wrote a Perspective on the research. "The language of the brain is electrical; it determines what kind of signals one part of the brain sends to the other cells in its tissue, as well as the other parts of the brain nearby," said University of Illinois cell and developmental biology professor Martha Gillette, who led the study. "The fundamental discovery here is that there is an intrinsic oscillation in metabolism in the clock region of the brain that takes place without external intervention. And this change in metabolism determines the excitable state of that part of the brain."
The new findings alter basic assumptions about how the brain works, Gillette said.
"Basically, the idea has always been that metabolism is serving brain function. What we're showing is metabolism is part of brain function," she said. "Our study implies that changes in cellular metabolic state could be a cause, rather than a result, of neuronal activity."
The study team also included graduate student Yanxun Yu, postdoctoral researcher Gubbi Govindaiah, graduate student Xiaoying Ye, graduate student Liana Artinian, electrical and computer engineering professor Todd Coleman, chemistry professor Jonathan Sweedler and pharmacology professor Charles Cox. Gillette, Govindaiah, Ye, Sweedler and Cox also are affiliates of the Beckman Institute at Illinois.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal References:
- T. A. Wang, Y. V. Yu, G. Govindaiah, X. Ye, L. Artinian, T. P. Coleman, J. V. Sweedler, C. L. Cox, M. U. Gillette. Circadian Rhythm of Redox State Regulates Excitability in Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Neurons. Science, 2012; DOI: 10.1126/science.1222826
- M. D. C. Belle, H. D. Piggins. Circadian Time Redoxed. Science, 2012; 337 (6096): 805 DOI: 10.1126/science.1227203
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/XVIJVzDF7ck/120828143315.htm
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Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Increased risk of prematurity and low birth weight in babies born after three or more abortions
ScienceDaily (Aug. 28, 2012) ? One of the largest studies to look at the effect of induced abortions on a subsequent first birth has found that women who have had three or more abortions have a higher risk of some adverse birth outcomes, such as delivering a baby prematurely and with a low birth weight.
The research, which is published online in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction Aug. 29, found that among 300,858 Finnish mothers, 31,083 (10.3%) had had one induced abortion between 1996-2008, 4,417 (1.5%) had two, and 942 (0.3%) had three or more induced abortions before a first birth (excluding twins and triplets). Those who had had three or more induced abortions had a small, but statistically significant increased risk of having a baby with very low birth weight (less than 1500g), low birth weight (less than 2500g), or of a preterm birth (before 37 weeks), or very preterm birth (before 28 weeks), compared to women who had had no abortions. There was a slightly increased risk of a very preterm birth for women who had had two induced abortions.
Dr Reija Klemetti, an associate professor and senior researcher in public health at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, Finland, who led the research, said: "Our results suggest that induced abortions before the first birth, particularly three or more abortions, are associated with a marginally increased risk during the first birth. However, the increased risk is very small, particularly after only one or even two abortions, and women should not be alarmed by our findings."
Most of the induced abortions (88%) were surgically performed and nearly all (91%) were performed before 12 weeks gestation. The researchers adjusted their findings to take account of various factors that could affect birth outcomes, such as social background, marital status, age, smoking, previous ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages. Multiple births (twins and triplets) were excluded.
The risk of having a baby born very preterm appeared to increase slightly with each induced abortion, but only the risk from two abortions or more was statistically significant.
"To put these risks into perspective, for every 1000 women, three who have had no abortion will have a baby born under 28 weeks," said Dr Klemetti. "This rises to four women among those who have had one abortion, six women who have had two abortions, and 11 women who have had three or more."
Among women who had had three or more abortions, there was a statistically significant increased risk of a third (35%) of having a baby born preterm (before 37 weeks), a two-fold (225%) increased risk of very low birth weight, and a two-fifths (43%) increased risk of low birth weight.
The study also showed a small increased risk of a baby's death around the time of birth. However, the numbers for this finding were very low (1498 births or five per 1000 babies) and so should be treated with caution. In addition, the authors say they might not have been able to fully adjust for all the factors that could affect this result and perinatal deaths are sensitive to social factors such as poverty.
"Our study is the first large study to look at a broad set of perinatal outcomes and to control, at least partly, for the most important confounding factors such as smoking and socioeconomic position," said Dr Klemetti. "However, it is important to say that even though we adjusted for these factors, and also ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages, there might be some confounding for social class that we could not control for. Most probably, this may be related to women's (or some of these women's) way of life, life habits, and sexual and reproductive health.
"Furthermore, this is an observational study and, however large and well-controlled, it only shows there is a link between abortion and some adverse birth outcomes -- it cannot prove that abortions are the cause.
"Finland has one of the lowest rates of induced abortion in Europe*, but even so, a large number are carried out every year. In addition, Finland has good quality abortion and maternity care, and in other contexts, particularly in poorer countries, the situation may be different. For these reasons, even a very small increase in the risk of poor birth outcomes could have significant health implications, as preterm births and low birth weight can have serious, adverse effects on the health and well-being of both babies and mothers.
"We suggest that the potential for increased risks for subsequent births should be included in sex education, especially as there are other, good reasons to avoid induced abortions. Health professionals should also be informed about the potential risks of repeat abortions."
* In 2011 there were 10,108 induced abortions in Finland, which translates to 8.7 per 1000 women aged between 15-49.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), via AlphaGalileo.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- R. Klemetti, M. Gissler, M. Niinim?ki, and E. Hemminki. Birth outcomes after induced abortion: a nationwide register-based study of first births in Finland. Human Reproduction, 2012 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/des294
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/zeCrt7vjFHo/120829195117.htm
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Real estate investments struggle, fail without strong renters ...
Without great property management you won?t have great tenants. And great tenants are the key to a successful real estate investment.
Rental property sales are ripe and on the rise for investors, provided investors know how to attract the best tenants.
?This might seem counterintuitive to the novice real estate investor, but when we look for places to invest in properties we always begin with the tenant in mind,? said James McClelland, CEO and president of MACK Companies.
?A real estate investment works when you have steady, dependable income. And the best way to get that is by having excellent tenants,? he added.
He ought to know.
Tinley Park, IL-based MACK Companies manages some 570 single-family rentals, owning 370 of them. It manages the other 200 single-family homes for real estate investors who purchased the homes through MACK Companies. MACK Companies currently has a tenant waiting list of more than four months.
With housing prices at rock bottom levels it?s relatively easy to invest in properties with a cash-flow that will cover operating expenses and allow investors to rake in a decent profit.
John Burns Real Estate Consulting recently found investor buys comprised nearly 30 percent of all transactions in the first quarter of this year in 167 metro areas, up from the low point of about 24 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009.
?Our on-the-ground research leads us to believe second quarter activity exceeded first quarter, and since last quarter, investor activity has already spiked 2 percent. Most investors are buying homes below replacement costs, or at prices that allow for a reasonable rental return, said
Erik Franks, a senior research analysis at John Burns.
Tempting top tenants
However, if dollar signs become blinders and investors overlook the fundamentals, hot markets can melt down even experienced investors.
And it?s often not for the reason they think.
?There is a misconception that people fail in their real estate investments because they didn?t buy the right property or it wasn?t in the right location,? says McClelland.
?Of course, those factors come into play, but to be a successful real estate investor, property management has to be a priority. Without great property management you won?t have great tenants. And great tenants are the key to a successful real estate investment,? he adds.
The process of obtaining the best tenants begins with finding the right property in the right location and continutes with careful tenant screening and rolling out the red carpet.
Location ? Go where the tenants are. Seek real estate investment properties near thriving, vibrant downtown or other commercial corridors near employment centers with a diverse economy. In addition good jobs tenants wans what all households want ? clean and vibrant parks, highly-rated medical facilities, well-funded police and fire departments, good schools and access to public transit.
Also look for locations with a high ratio of homeowners-to-renters, where homeowners keep their homes in good condition and help fuel rising home values.
?It?s much easier to depend on owner occupants to keep their properties up than other landlords,? McClelland said.
Plan to manage the property? The nearer the better. Buy it no more than an hour?s drive away so you can be reponsive to your tenants? needs.
Condition ? Choose properties that attract renters, or upgrade to make it so. Much distressed properties can be purchased for a song but their condition is a different tune. Long vacant properties can be in all levels of disrepair. A property with a condition that?s inline with the surrounding community is a better deal.
If you do purchase a fixer-upper, be prepared to bring it up to new construction standards. Young investors should avoid homes with potentially costly foundation or structural issues.
?The best tenants are long-term tenants. And the best long-term tenants tend to be families. We want properties that a family would be proud to call home,? McClelland said.
Because the best long term tenants are families, MACK suggests investing in single-family homes with three or more bedrooms, at least one-and-a-half bath, two living areas, a nice yard space and a two-car garage.
Protect your investment ? Property management of one or more single-family homes can become a full time job ? especially if it?s more than an hour away ? and hiring a responsive management company will likely be more attractive to renters than an ?I?ll get to it,? reply to requests for help.
Keeping top tenants
With a property in place working to attract good tenants, it?s up to the investor to follow through, weed out the bad seeds and grow a healthy tenant-landlord relationship.
Screening ? Along with an application (with a request that no spaces be left empty), screening tenants should include a credit cehck, an interview with their current landlord, a visit to their curren home, employment check, especially regarding the prospects for their long-term employment, a skip trace and criminal backgroun check.
It sounds intrusive, but good investors don?t roll the dice when it comes to someone who will be housed in the investment for some period.
Roll out the red carpet ? On tenant day give the tenant a handsome housewarming gift, something new households almost always need ? extra sets of keys, window security devices, a can of touch up paint, even an emergency preparedness kit ? not a fivilous bottle of wine and basket of cheese and crackers.
Also, introduce the tenant to the home, the neighborhood and area attractions and conveniences
Provide maintenance tips on care and upkeep of appliances and equipment and suggest when to do-it-themselves and when to call management for help.
Collecting rent ? Online rental collection and banking sites can automate the rent collection process and even reduce costs, however, property managers who visit the propert to collect the rent can also spend time conduct a site survey to verify the condition and upkeep of the property.
?Does collecting rent in person take time? Absolutely,? said McClelland.
?But you know what takes more time? Finding great renters. Or making costly repairs to the property because you haven?t checked on the tenant in weeks and then come to find the property poorly maintained,? he added.
Source: http://www.deadlinenews.com/2012/08/29/real-estate-investments-struggle-fail-without-strong-renters/
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Candice Swanepoel Bikini Photos: THG Hot Bodies Countdown #98!
THG is counting down the 100 Hottest Bikini Bodies of 2012.
From now until the end of the year, we'll be paying tribute to the hottest of the hot with bikini photos galore. The competition is guaranteed to be sweltering.
Anna Sophia Berglund bikini pictures were featured yesterday. Keeping the countdown rolling at #98: Victoria's Secret stunner Candice Swanepoel!
The 23-year-old, 5'9" South African beauty is best known as a model for VS, but has also covered Vogue, Elle, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, and Ocean Drive.
Her impressive resume includes ad campaigns for Nike, Diesel, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, and Versace, making her one very successful model.
Despite criticism last year that she looked downright emaciated in certain photo shoots and needs to eat more, Candice swears she is both happy and healthy.
She's a hottie for sure. Click to enlarge some vintage Candice Swanepoel pictures below, and check back tomorrow to see THG's Hottest Bikini Body #97 ...
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4 Kenyan police wounded in grenade attack
Kenyan riot police officers stand guard Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012 after religious leaders and area member of parliament Ali Hassan Joho visited a church in Kisauni north Mombasa, which was destroyed my Muslim youth followed the death of a controversial Muslim preacher Aboud Rogo Mohammed. Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed who was sanctioned by the U.S. and U.N. for his alleged support for an al-Qiada-linked militant group, was shot to death by unknown gunmen Monday morning in his car as he drove family members including his five-year-old daughter who was unharmed. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)
Kenyan riot police officers stand guard Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012 after religious leaders and area member of parliament Ali Hassan Joho visited a church in Kisauni north Mombasa, which was destroyed my Muslim youth followed the death of a controversial Muslim preacher Aboud Rogo Mohammed. Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed who was sanctioned by the U.S. and U.N. for his alleged support for an al-Qiada-linked militant group, was shot to death by unknown gunmen Monday morning in his car as he drove family members including his five-year-old daughter who was unharmed. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)
Religious leaders and area member of parliament Ali Hassan Joho, right, visit a church Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012 in Kisauni north Mombasa, which was destroyed my Muslim youth followed the death of a controversial Muslim preacher Aboud Rogo Mohammed. Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed who was sanctioned by the U.S. and U.N. for his alleged support for an al-Qiada-linked militant group, was shot to death by unknown gunmen Monday morning in his car as he drove family members including his five-year-old daughter who was unharmed. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)
Kisauni area member of parliament Ali Hassan Joho, second left, speak to the residents of Kisauni, north Mombasa, Kenya Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012 calling for calm after two days of rioting followed the death of a controversial Muslim preacher Aboud Rogo Mohammed. Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed who was sanctioned by the U.S. and U.N. for his alleged support for an al-Qiada-linked militant group, was shot to death by unknown gunmen Monday morning in his car as he drove family members including his five-year-old daughter who was unharmed. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)
A Kenyan para military officer patrols outside the Masjid Musa Mosque in Majengo, Mombasa, Kenya, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. Police kept a tight security after riots following the killing of a radical Islamic preacher Aboud Rogo Mohammed, continued Tuesday in Kenya's second-largest city of Mombasa. A prison official says two guards who were wounded in a grenade attack during riots in Kenya's second largest city of Mombasa have died. James Kodiany, the Coast regional prisons boss, confirmed that two of his officers died Wednesday. Another prison officer died on Tuesday after a grenade was thrown into a truck carrying security officers on their way to quell rioters that had set fire to a church. The death of the prison officers raised the death toll from two days of rioting following the killing of Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed to four. A civilian was killed on Monday. (AP Photo/ Sayyid Azim)
Kenyan para military officers patrol outside the Masjid Musa Mosque in Majengo, Mombasa, Kenya, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. Police kept a tight security after riots following the killing of a radical Islamic preacher Aboud Rogo Mohammed, continued Tuesday in Kenya's second-largest city of Mombasa. A prison official says two guards who were wounded in a grenade attack during riots in Kenya's second largest city of Mombasa have died. James Kodiany, the Coast regional prisons boss, confirmed that two of his officers died Wednesday. Another prison officer died on Tuesday after a grenade was thrown into a truck carrying security officers on their way to quell rioters that had set fire to a church. The death of the prison officers raised the death toll from two days of rioting following the killing of Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed to four. A civilian was killed on Monday. (AP Photo/ Sayyid Azim)
MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) ? A grenade attack wounded four policemen in the latest outbreak of violence in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, ending what had seemed to be a lull in violence stemming from the killing on Monday of a radical Islamist preacher, a police officer said late Wednesday.
A hand grenade was hurled into a police van carrying several security officials who were patrolling the precincts of Mombasa Pentecostal Church, critically wounding three of them, police officer Kipkemboi Rop said.
The grenade attack shattered the relative calm that had started to spread over the city on the third day after the killing of Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed, who had been sanctioned by the U.S. and U.N. for his alleged support for al-Shabab, an al-Qiada-linked militant group in Somalia. He was shot to death by unidentified gunmen Monday morning as he drove in his car with his family. His wife was wounded in a leg.
Businesses reopened Wednesday morning in most parts of Mombasa after youths rioted for two days, angered over the killing of a hardline Muslim cleric.
The rioting on Monday and Tuesday had brought this vibrant city, Kenya's second-biggest, to a near standstill, left four people dead and several churches and businesses damaged, but some businesses had reopened Wednesday.
Police reinforcements helped contain attempts by youths from the populous Majengo area to continue with the protests for a third day.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga, addressing an interfaith meeting at Nyali Beach in Mombasa, said leaflets were circulating in Mombasa and Nairobi, claiming he was behind the killing. Odinga said the leaflets allege that he went to Israel and hired mercenaries who came to eliminate Mohammed, who was facing several terror-related charges.
Odinga denied the claims. The premier also confirmed that the government will compensate churches and businesses that were looted or burned during the protests.
Youths started to erect roadblocks of burning tires Wednesday but were chased away by police using tear gas and batons. Paramilitary and regular police patrolled Majengo on trucks while others carried out door-to-door searches for suspected looters and rioters.
Two dozen people arrested on Tuesday in the riots were arraigned in a Mombasa court Wednesday. They were charged with two counts of taking part in an unlawful assembly and taking part in a riot and were to be taken to Shimo la Tewa prison pending a ruling on their bond terms.
Hassan Joho, a member of parliament for the Kisauni area, where a grenade was thrown Tuesday into a truck full of security officers going to stop protesters from burning a church, urged his constituents to maintain peace. He said that if paramilitary police known as the General Service Unit, who have a reputation for brutality, are deployed to their area, they won't discriminate between rioters and those who are not involved in chaos.
Two prison guards who were wounded in the grenade attack died Wednesday, said James Kodiany, the Coast regional prisons boss. Another guard died on Tuesday in the grenade attack. A civilian was killed on Monday in the rioting.
At the scene of Mohammed's killing, his wife had angrily accused police of the murder.
"It is you policemen who have killed him, we don't want a post-mortem or any help from you," Khaniya Said Sagar told police who came to assist her.
Khaniya said that her husband had been driving her to the hospital for a checkup after she had a miscarriage two weeks ago.
The Muslim Human Rights Forum has called the shooting of Mohammed an "extrajudicial killing" and demanded an "an end to targeted killings and enforced disappearances of terrorism suspects."
But police Commissioner Mathew Iteere said that no police were involved in Mohammed's death.
Keriako Tobiko, Kenya's Director of Public Prosecutions, has formed a team to investigate the homicide made up of members of the police, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the Lawyers Society of Kenya and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority.
Police had said Mohammed was part of terror cell affiliated to al-Shabab that was planning to bomb Kenyan targets over Christmas. Al-Shabab has vowed to carry out a large-scale attack in Nairobi in retaliation for Kenya sending troops into Somalia to fight the Islamist insurgents.
Mohammed was acquitted in 2005 of murder charges for the 2002 bombing of a tourist hotel near Mombasa which killed more than 12 people.
He is the fifth alleged Muslim extremist who has been killed or who disappeared in the last four months, according to human rights campaigners. One corpse was found mutilated and the other four men vanished.
The killing brought to the surface tensions in Mombasa, a city established centuries ago by Muslim traders from the Arabian peninsula and the Indian subcontinent, now home to hundreds of thousands of people of Arab descent and a large Somali population.
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JMIR--Online Advertising to Reach and Recruit Latino Smokers to ...
Original Paper
Online Advertising to Reach and Recruit Latino Smokers to an Internet Cessation Program: Impact and Costs
Amanda L Graham1,2, PhD; Ye Fang1, MS; Jose L Moreno1, MA; Shawn L Streiff3; Jorge Villegas4, PhD; Ricardo F Mu?oz5, PhD; Kenneth P Tercyak2, PhD; Jeanne S Mandelblatt2, PhD; Donna M Vallone6, PhD, MPH
1Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research & Policy Studies, American Legacy Foundation, Washington, DC, United States
2Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center/ Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC, United States
3Marketing Department, American Legacy Foundation, Washington, DC, United States
4Business Administration, University of Illinois at Springfield, Springfield, IL, United States
5Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
6Research and Evaluation Department, American Legacy Foundation, Washington, DC, United States
Amanda L Graham, PhD
Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research & Policy Studies
American Legacy Foundation
1724 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC, 20036
United States
Phone: 1 202 454 5938
Fax: 1 202 454 5785
Email:
ABSTRACT
Background: Tobacco cessation among Latinos is a public health priority in the United States, particularly given the relatively high growth of this population segment. Although a substantial percentage of American Latinos use the Internet, they have not engaged in Web-based cessation programs as readily as other racial/ethnic subgroups. A lack of culturally specific advertising efforts may partly explain this disparity.Objective: Phase I of this study focused on the development of four Spanish-language online banner advertisements to promote a free Spanish-language smoking cessation website (es.BecomeAnEX.org). Phase II examined the relative effectiveness of the four banner ads in reaching and recruiting Latino smokers to the cessation website.
Methods: In Phase I, 200 Spanish-speaking Latino smokers completed an online survey to indicate their preference for Spanish-language banner ads that incorporated either the cultural value of family (familismo) or fatalism (fatalismo). Ads included variations on message framing (gain vs loss) and depth of cultural targeting (surface vs deep). In Phase II, a Latin square design evaluated the effectiveness of the four preferred ads from Phase I. Ads were systematically rotated across four popular Latino websites (MySpace Latino, MSN Latino, MiGente, and Yahoo! en Espa?ol) over four months from August to November 2009. Tracking software recorded ad clicks and registrants on the cessation website. Negative binomial regression and general linear modeling examined the main and interacting effects of message framing and depth of cultural targeting for four outcomes: number of clicks, click-through rate, number of registrants, and cost per registrant.
Results: In Phase I, smokers preferred the four ads featuring familismo. In Phase II, 24,829,007 impressions were placed, yielding 24,822 clicks, an overall click-through rate of 0.10%, and 500 registrants (2.77% conversion rate). Advertising costs totaled US $104,669.49, resulting in an overall cost per click of US $4.22 and cost per registrant of US $209.34. Website placement predicted all four outcomes (all P values < .01). Yahoo! en Espa?ol yielded the highest click-through rate (0.167%) and number of registrants (n = 267). The message framing and cultural targeting interaction was not significant. Contrary to hypotheses, loss-framed ads yielded a higher click-through rate than gain-framed ads (point estimate = 1.08, 95% CI 1.03 1.14, P = 0.004), and surface-targeted ads outperformed deep-targeted ads for clicks (point estimate = 1.20, 95% CI 1.13 1.28, P < .001), click-through rate (point estimate = 1.22, 95% CI 1.16 1.29, P < .001), and number of registrants (point estimate = 2.73, 95% CI 2.14 3.48, P < .001).
Conclusions: Online advertising can be an effective and cost-efficient strategy to reach and engage Spanish-speaking Latino smokers in an evidence-based Internet cessation program. Cultural targeting and smoking-relevant images may be important factors for banner ad design. Online advertising holds potential for Web-based cessation program implementation and research.
(J Med Internet Res 2012;14(4):e116)
doi:10.2196/jmir.2162
KEYWORDS
Internet; smoking cessation; recruitment; Hispanic/Latino; advertising
Cigarette smoking is a major cause of disease and death in Latinos [1]. Approximately 12.5% of Latinos currently smoke [2] translating into roughly 6.3 million Latino smokers. With a projected growth of the Latino population to 133 million by 2050 (30.2% of the US population) [3,4] and the potential for smoking prevalence to increase as Latinos become more acculturated [5,6], there may be more than 16 million Latino smokers by 2050 if smoking rates remain unchecked. Tobacco cessation among Latinos is a public health priority [7,8].
Web-based cessation programs are a promising approach to reach Latino smokers with evidence-based cessation treatment. More than 60% of Latinos (32 million) are online?projected to increase to 70% by 2014 [9]?and almost half of online Latinos (45%) have used the Internet to search for health information [10]. A growing body of evidence supports the reach, efficacy, and cost-efficiency of Web-based cessation programs [11-19], but additional research is needed to understand their impact among subgroups of online smokers, including racial/ethnic minorities. In general, there are few studies of smoking cessation interventions developed specifically for Latinos [20,21], and only two studies of the effectiveness of Web-based interventions for Latinos [12,22]. One of the challenges in conducting Web-based cessation research with Latinos in the United States is that they have not engaged in Internet cessation programs as readily as other racial/ethnic subgroups [23] and recruitment of Latinos into Internet cessation trials has been challenging [11,12,22,24].
Online advertising is widely acknowledged as an increasingly important method to reach Latinos who use the Internet [25-28]. Also known as ?display ads,? banner advertisements appear as graphical ads embedded into a webpage, typically including a combination of static/animated images, text, and/or video designed to convey a marketing message and/or cause the user to take an action [29]. Unlike ?offline? ads (eg, billboards, newspapers, and flyers), banner ads can immediately link smokers to Web-based cessation programs, thus capitalizing on the motivation to quit when it occurs which can be critical to engaging consumers with cessation treatment [23,30]. Moreover, banner ads can target consumers by strategic placement on selected websites with synergistic content, known demographic profiles, or past online behavior. Therefore, online advertising may represent a ?participant-friendly? and cost-efficient solution to reach and recruit online Latino smokers to Web-based cessation programs [31-34].
Reaching online Latino smokers requires not only efficient and effective advertising channels, but also an understanding of the target audiences? preferred content and context of messages [32,33,35]. Approximately half of online Latinos use the Internet either primarily in Spanish (19%) or in both English and Spanish (28%), with the growth of both segments outpacing English language usage as more Spanish content becomes available online [36]. Therefore, we tested ads in Spanish to reach this large and growing segment of online Latinos. With regard to message content, Prospect Theory [37,38] suggests that people respond differently to factually equivalent messages depending on whether they are framed to emphasize benefits through gain-framed messages (eg, ?if you quit smoking, you will live longer?) or costs through loss-framed messages (eg, ?if you do not quit smoking, you will die sooner?). Applied to health behaviors, research suggests that when behaviors have a relatively certain outcome, gain-framed messages are more persuasive; if behaviors result in an uncertain outcome, loss-framed messages are more effective [39]. Because quitting smoking will almost certainly prevent disease, Prospect Theory predicts that gain-framed messages will be more persuasive than loss-framed messages. Recent evidence suggests that highlighting the benefits of quitting (through gain-framed messages) is more effective to encourage preventive behaviors such as smoking cessation [40-42]. However, there have been few studies that have examined the impact of message framing in health interventions designed specifically for racial/ethnic minorities [43,44].
With regard to message context, research with Latinos indicates that addressing cultural elements is critical in developing smoking cessation interventions [5,45-48]. The process of designing messages around group-level characteristics has been referred to as both cultural tailoring and cultural targeting [49-50]. We use the term ?cultural targeting? in this study to refer to the delineation of a particular population segment. Cultural targeting can be done at a surface level (eg, attending to the visual characteristics or language of intervention materials) or at a deep level (eg, incorporating specific Latino cultural values) [51]. In general, few studies have investigated how surface- and deep-targeted messaging functions in specific subgroups of racial/ethnic minorities [52].
The purpose of this study was: (1) to investigate whether online advertising is an effective strategy to promote engagement with a Spanish-language cessation website among online Latino smokers, and (2) to identify the optimal message characteristics for this audience. To address these questions, we conducted a two-phased, mixed-methods study. In Phase I, formative research with online Latino smokers guided the development of four Spanish-language banner ad prototypes (deep-targeted/gain-framed, deep-targeted/loss-framed, surface-targeted/gain-framed, and surface-targeted/loss-framed). In Phase II, we tested the effectiveness of these four ads in reaching and recruiting Latino smokers to a free Spanish-language smoking cessation website. The primary outcomes in Phase II were: (1) the absolute number of clicks on an ad, (2) the click-through rate to the smoking cessation website, (3) the number of ad responders who went on to register on the cessation website (?registrants?), and (4) the cost per registrant. We hypothesized there would be an interaction between message framing and cultural targeting, such that the deep-targeted/gain-framed ad would outperform all others on all metrics. Based on Prospect Theory, we also hypothesized that gain-framed messages would outperform loss-framed messages on all metrics holding constant cultural targeting. Finally, we hypothesized that deep-targeted ads would outperform surface-targeted ads on all metrics holding constant the message frame.
Phase I: Advertising Development and Pre-testing
A multicultural, multidisciplinary, and bilingual expert panel with expertise in behavioral science, marketing, communication technology, and advertising identified two dominant cultural values to consider for cultural targeting of messages to Latino smokers: familismo and fatalismo. Familismo is central to the Latino health experience; family and close friends are often consulted for general health issues before a medical professional, and family is often a strong motivator of health behavior. Fatalismo refers to the belief ?si Dios quiere? (?what God wants?) which often guides Latino perceptions about their control over health and wellness. Our formative Phase I focused on developing banner ad prototypes for each cultural value that crossed message frame (gain vs loss) with level of cultural targeting (surface vs deep) resulting in a total of eight Spanish-language ads (see Figure 1). All ads were written in Spanish, developed in Adobe Flash with animation and motion by a professional creative developer, and included a call to action (ie, ?click here for more information?).
To examine preferences for ad characteristics, 200 American Spanish-speaking smokers were recruited from two Spanish-language websites: MSN Latino [53] and MySpace Latino [54]. A study invitation banner ad transferred potential participants to an online screening form where eligible individuals (ie, current smokers, aged 18 or older, and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity of any race) provided online consent and completed a survey. Survey items included demographics, smoking history, Internet use, general receptivity to online ads, and the language subscale of the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH) [55]. Next, each participant sequentially viewed two of the eight ads. The two ads differed on cultural value (familismo vs fatalismo), but were identical in message frame and depth of cultural targeting (eg, gain-framed/deep-targeted) for direct comparison of message characteristics. Ad presentation was counterbalanced so that an equal number of participants saw each of the 8 ads first. Participants were asked to indicate their receptivity to the ads using a 10-point Likert scale (1 = not at all, 10 = very much). Participants also responded to 12 statements that addressed the strength of cultural targeting (eg, this ad is for someone like me), ad credibility (eg, this ad is believable), perceived efficacy of the ad (eg, this ad has me thinking about quitting smoking), and intention to respond (eg, I would click on this ad if I saw it) using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Finally, both ads were presented in tandem, and participants were asked which one they liked the most and why. An equal number of participants viewed each ad pair. The survey was administered in Spanish.
Source: http://www.jmir.org/2012/4/e116/
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