text:
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Ahluwalia JS, Harris KJ, Catley D, Okuyemi KS, Mayo MS. Sustained-Release Bupropion for Smoking Cessation in African Americans: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA. 2002;288(4):468–474. doi:10.1001/jama.288.4.468
Author Affiliations: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas School of Medicine, and Kansas Cancer Institute (Drs Ahluwalia, Harris, Catley, Okuyemi, and Mayo); and Departments of Internal Medicine (Dr Ahluwalia) and Family Medicine (Drs Ahluwalia and Okuyemi), University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City.
Context African Americans disproportionately experience greater smoking attributable
morbidity and mortality. Few clinical trials for smoking cessation in African
Americans have been conducted, despite a different profile of both smoking
and quitting patterns.
Objective To compare a sustained-release form of bupropion hydrochloride (bupropion
SR) with placebo for smoking cessation among African Americans.
Design, Setting, and Participants Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted from February
11, 1999, to December 8, 2000, of 600 African American adults treated at a
community-based health care center. Volunteers, who smoked 10 or more cigarettes
per day were recruited by targeted media and health care professionals.
Intervention Participants were randomly assigned to receive 150 mg of bupropion SR
(n = 300) or placebo (n = 300) twice daily for 7 weeks. Brief motivational
counseling was provided in-person at baseline, quit day, weeks 1 and 3, end
of treatment (week 6), and by telephone at day 3 and weeks 5 and 7.
Main Outcome Measures Biochemically confirmed 7-day point prevalence abstinence at weeks 6
and 26 following quit day.
Results Using intention-to-treat procedures, confirmed abstinence rates at the
end of 7 weeks of treatment were 36.0% in the bupropion SR group and 19.0%
in the placebo group (17.0 percentage point difference; 95% confidence interval,
9.7-24.4; P<.001). At 26 weeks the quit rates
were 21.0% in the treatment and 13.7% in the placebo groups (7.3 percentage
point difference; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-13.7; P
= .02). Those taking bupropion SR experienced a greater mean reduction in
depression symptoms at week 6 (2.96 [9.45] vs 1.13 [8.84]) than those taking
placebo, and after controlling for continuous abstinence, those taking bupropion
SR also gained less weight than those taking placebo.
Conclusions Bupropion SR was effective for smoking cessation among African Americans
and may be useful in reducing the health disparities associated with smoking.
Despite significant reduction in smoking prevalence in the United States,
certain groups retain a higher smoking rate than the general population. African
Americans living in the inner city, for example, have a smoking rate as high
as 45% while the general population's smoking rate is 25%.1,2
The higher smoking rate among this population is not for lack of motivation
to quit. In fact, compared with whites, African Americans are more likely
to attempt to quit smoking more times in any given year.3,4
However, the success rate is 34% lower for blacks than it is for whites.3,4 Studies show that the higher number
of quit attempts would likely result in sustained abstinence if improved smoking
cessation modalities for African Americans are developed and disseminated.5,6
Two randomized clinical trials found a sustained-release form of bupropion
hydrochloride (bupropion SR) to be effective for smoking cessation. In one
study,7 7-day abstinence rates at 6 months
after initiation of the 7-week treatment were 27% for those taking 300 mg
of bupropion SR compared with 16% for those taking placebo. In the other study,8 which assessed bupropion SR in combination with the
nicotine patch, 7-day abstinence rates at 6 months after initiation of 7-week
treatment were 35% for bupropion SR alone, 39% for bupropion SR plus a nicotine
patch, and 19% for the placebo group. Although these studies have shown the
efficacy of bupropion SR to help smokers quit, the subjects were predominantly
white (>93%) and of a middle or higher socioeconomic status (80% with an educational
level of high school or above). The results have limited generalizability
for African Americans, since their smoking patterns are quite different from
those of whites.6 African Americans smoke fewer
cigarettes per day (15 vs 25 for whites), prefer mentholated and higher tar
or nicotine cigarettes,9 and are more likely
to smoke within 10 minutes of awakening.6 Researchers
have also found that African Americans metabolize nicotine slower and have
higher serum cotinine levels per cigarette smoked than do whites.10,11
If the goals of Healthy People 201012
set by the federal government are to be reached, significant smoking cessation
must occur in special populations such as African Americans. Since prior studies
of bupropion SR included few African Americans and few smokers from lower
socioeconomic groups, we conducted a trial to assess the efficacy of bupropion
SR for smoking cessation among inner-city African Americans.
This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial
of 600 African American smokers. Participants were seen at a community health
care center during a 16-month period and were randomly assigned to receive
a 7-week supply of bupropion SR or placebo. Both groups received 8 counseling
sessions and a previously developed smoking cessation guide.13
Focus groups, a community advisory board, and a small pilot test assisted
in refining the study to maximize cultural sensitivity and enhance recruitment
Participants provided written informed consent during the first visit.
The trial procedures were approved and monitored by the University of Kansas
Medical Center's human subjects committee.
Eligible persons described themselves as being either "African American
or black," were at least 18 years of age, smoked at least 10 cigarettes per
day, were interested in quitting in the next 30 days, spoke English, and had
a permanent home address with a working telephone. Only 1 smoker per household
was allowed to enroll. Participants were excluded if they had a contraindication
for bupropion SR (predisposition to seizures, excessive alcohol use, bulimia
or anorexia nervosa, current use of bupropion, were pregnancy, current use
of psychoactive medication, use of other forms of tobacco or nicotine replacement
in the past 30 days), were in drug treatment during the past 6 months, or
were being treated for depression.
Smokers were recruited using clinic, media, and community outreach,
including speaking at churches and posting signs in local minority-owned businesses.15 Participants were randomized between February 11,
1999, and April 26, 2000, with the last 6-month follow-up session completed
in December 8, 2000. Of the 1498 people who were screened, 981 met screening
criteria and were invited to participate (Figure 1). Sequential enrollment continued until 600 participants
were randomized.15 The randomization codes
were generated in blocks of 50 and sent to the pharmaceutical company, which
packaged the treatment and then shipped the blinded drug to the investigator.
Blinding was successful. At the end of treatment, 58% (150/259) of participants
correctly guessed that they received bupropion SR, and 41% (104/253) correctly
guessed they received placebo. Sixty-one percent (366/600) of participants
attended all medication dispensing visits, a proxy measure for medication
At the baseline visit, participants were randomly assigned to receive
either 150 mg of bupropion SR (Zyban, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park,
NC) once a day or placebo once a day for 3 days, after which the dosages were
increased to twice a day for a total of 7 weeks. Study staff instructed all
participants to continue taking pills for the full 7 weeks regardless of their
smoking status. Tablets were packaged in bubble-sheets containing a 1-week
supply. The 45-minute counseling session at the baseline visit included exploring
ambivalence about quitting, preparing to quit, problem solving difficult situations,
and medication adherence. All counselors were African American, had master's
degrees, received training in motivational interviewing,16
and followed semistructured counseling scripts.17
In general, participants received counseling from the same person for all
8 sessions. At the baseline visit, participants also received the smoking
cessation guide Pathways to Freedom13
and completed a battery of assessments.
Participants set a target quit date a week after the start of medication,
and returned on that day (quit day) for a second in-person visit (week 0).
They returned the following week (week 1) and at weeks 3 and 6. These visits
consisted of brief counseling sessions, completion of short batteries of assessments,
and distribution of medications (weeks 1 and 3). Counselors provided brief
supportive telephone calls 3 days after the target quit day and at week 5.
A brief relapse prevention telephone call occurred 7 weeks after the
target quit day, and follow-up assessments occurred at months 3 and 5 (telephone),
and at month 6 (in-person).
Postcard appointment reminders were sent before every visit and participants
who missed appointments were called up to 3 times to reschedule their visit.
For the 6- and 26-week visits staff attempted to call participants as many
as 6 times after having mailed appointment postcards. Participants received
token gifts at every visit (eg, magnet, pen, T-shirt, tote bag, water bottle)
and were reimbursed a total of $100 during the 6-month period: $20 at week
1, $40 at week 6, and $40 at week 26.
The baseline assessment included measures of demographic and health
information, smoking behaviors, and psychosocial variables (Table 1). Nicotine dependence was assessed with the 6-item Fagerström
Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scale.18
Seven withdrawal symptoms from the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition19
and cravings were assessed using a modification of the scale developed by
Hughes and Hatsukami.20 Each of 8 symptoms
was rated from 0 (none) to 4 (severe). Psychosocial measures included the
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale21
scores, which range from 0 to 60. Scores of 16 or higher indicate the likelihood
of clinical depression.
The primary outcome variable for the study was 7-day point prevalence
smoking cessation at week 26, defined as having smoked no cigarettes—not
even a puff—for the previous 7 days. Secondary outcomes include 7-day
point prevalence smoking cessation at week 6, continuous abstinence at weeks
6 and 26, and change in the number of cigarettes smoked at weeks 6 and 26.
Continuous abstinence was defined as no cigarettes—not even a puff—since
quit day. We allowed participants to miss no more than 1 in-person visit prior
to each assessment. Self-reported abstinence was confirmed with expired carbon
monoxide assessment (≤10 ppm) and discrepancies were resolved by obtaining
saliva for cotinine analysis (≤20 ng/mL). Withdrawal symptoms, nicotine
dependence, and depressive symptoms were also reassessed at weeks 6 and 26.
Surveys were double-data entered and exported into SAS version 8.22 Once the 2 versions of the database were identical,
range and logic checks were performed using SAS statistical software.
The sample size was determined a priori assuming a 2-tailed χ2 test with a type I error of .05, a power of 80%, and a 6-month biochemically
verified (carbon monoxide) quit rate of 14% in the placebo and 24% in the
treatment groups,23 assuming those lost to
follow-up would be imputed as smokers. Under these assumptions 300 smokers
were to be randomly assigned to each group. The 6-month period was chosen
because evidence suggests that cessation rates at 6 and 12 months do not differ
and in a lower socioeconomic status population, it may have been difficult
to follow up all participants for a year.
Categorical baseline variables were summarized by frequencies and percentages,
and quantitative variables were summarized by mean (SD) for each treatment
regimen. Baseline categorical variables were compared using the χ2 test, and quantitative baseline variables were compared using the
2-sample t test.
All statistical analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis.
Seven-day point prevalence and continuous abstinence at weeks 1, 3, 6, and
26 were summarized using frequencies and percentages. The χ2
test was used to compare treatments on our primary dichotomous outcome; 7-day
point prevalence at 6 months; and our secondary dichotomous outcomes; 7-day
point prevalence at week 1, week 3, week 6; and continuous abstinence at all
4 times, between treatments. For comparisons on 7-day point prevalence cessation
at weeks 26, 6, 3, and 1, we considered those subjects who failed to return
within their scheduled visit window as smokers. Scheduled visit windows were
3 days before to 7 days after for week 1, 7 days before and after for week
3, 14 days before to 30 days after for week 6, and 30 days before and after
for week 26. Secondarily, for 7-day point prevalence cessation, we also compared
only those who returned regardless of their returning outside of their follow-up
visit interval, and we treated those lost to follow-up as missing. Treating
those lost to follow-up or those being outside the visit window as smokers
provides a conservative estimate but may underestimate the variance, whereas,
analysis on only those who return may overestimate the cessation rate.
We also used generalized estimating equations to conduct longitudinal
analyses comparing verified 7-day point prevalence at weeks 1, 3, 6, and 26
between the 2 groups. This procedure allows inclusion of subjects who returned
outside the appointment window and is appropriate assuming data are missing
completely at random.33,34
Changes in the number of cigarettes smoked were summarized and compared
across groups for all 600 participants imputing no change for those who missed
follow-up or who did not return within scheduled visit windows. Mean (SD)
summarized the change in the number of cigarettes smoked at weeks 6 and 26.
Given the large sample size and the lack of skewness, the 2-sample t test was used to compare the change in the number of cigarettes smoked
at weeks 6 and 26 between the 2 treatment groups.
Frequencies and percentages were used to summarize adverse events by
type over the entire treatment period. Due to the small number of adverse
events, the Fisher exact test was used, for each type of adverse event, to
compare the percentage of subjects who experienced an adverse event between
the 2 groups.
The mean (SD) change in depression scores was summarized at weeks 6
and 26. The 2-sample t test was used to compare the
changes between the 2 groups at weeks 6 and 26. Weight and withdrawal symptom
scores were compared between the 2 treatment groups over time (day 0, week
1, week 3, and week 6) using mixed linear models, assuming an autoregressive
correlation structure, adjusting for baseline (before week 1) levels and whether
a subject had been continuously abstinent from quit day to week 6. Mixed linear
models allow for modeling longitudinal data using fixed and random effects
while taking into account the correlation structure between repeated observations
on individuals over time. This method was chosen over the traditional repeated
measures design to include all subjects in the analysis whether or not they
had returned for all of the visits after quit day.35
There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics
of participants between treatment groups (Table 1). The average age of the participants was 44 years, and
70% were women. On average, they smoked 17 cigarettes a day, with about half
having previously tried nicotine replacement therapy. Three difference tests
established that the study had high internal and external validity. First,
randomized participants did not differ in sex and number of years they smoked,
but they were older than those who were eligible but did not return for randomization
(44.2 vs 38.8 years). Second, neither treatment allocation nor baseline number
of cigarettes smoked differed between those lost to follow-up and those who
returned at weeks 1, 3, 6, or 26. The only sociodemographic smoking-related
variable listed in Table 1 that
differed was baseline age. Therefore, age at baseline was included as a covariate
in the generalized estimating equation models for 7-day point prevalence abstinence.
Third, for those lost to follow-up at weeks 1, 3, 6, and 26, there were no
differences on these same variables between groups. Of the 600 participants,
470 (78.3%) were followed up at week 6 and 411 (68.5%) at week 26 (Figure 1). For the 189 participants lost
to follow-up at week 26, 107 were seen outside the study window, 81 were not
locatable, and 1 withdrew consent.
The biochemically confirmed point-prevalence abstinence for the treatment
and control groups is shown in Table 2.
The cessation rate for the treatment group was significantly better than the
placebo group at the end of the treatment phase (36.0% vs 19.0%, P<.001) and the improvement was maintained over 26 weeks (21.0%
vs 13.7%, P = .02). These results remained statistically
significant when we analyzed only those subjects who returned, treating those
lost to follow-up as missing. Since our data were determined to be missing
completely at random, we compared the treatment effect longitudinally on 7-day
point prevalence using generalized estimating equations, with and without
controlling for baseline age. When controlling for baseline age, we found
significantly higher rates of smoking cessation in the bupropion SR group
than in the placebo group (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.12-1.26; P<.001). In addition, after assessing the effect of sex on smoking
cessation, we found no sex by treatment interactions nor main effect due to
sex when controlling for treatment.
Rates of continuous abstinence (Figure
2) were significantly higher for the bupropion SR group at weeks
1, 3, and 6 (P<.001 for all comparisons) and at
week 26 (P = .01). Among all participants, the week-6
mean (SD) reduction in number of cigarettes smoked among those taking bupropion
SR was 11.5 (8.4) vs 10.1 (9.1) among those taking placebo (P = .06). At week 26, the reduction among those taking bupropion SR
was 8.3 (10.3) vs 7.9 (8.8) among those taking placebo (P = .61).
We assessed the effects of bupropion SR on withdrawal scores and weight
over 6 weeks using mixed linear models adjusting for baseline values. For
withdrawal scores over time (Figure 3),
there was a significant effect for continuous abstinence (babs = −2.12; P<.001)
but no effect for treatment (bbup = −0.27; P = .40) and no significant interaction effect (b represents the estimated slope parameter). Those who were continuously
abstinent had lower average withdrawal scores compared with those who relapsed.
For weight over time, there were significant differences for continuous
abstinence (babs = 1.25; P<.001) and treatment (bbup
= − 0.62; P = .03) but no significant interaction
effect. Those who were continuously abstinent at week 6 had a significantly
higher average weight over time, and those taking bupropion SR had significantly
lower average weight over time. The differences in weight gained between the
2 groups were not maintained at the week-26 follow-up session.
However, there were differences among the 2 groups in the effect of
bupropion SR on depressive symptoms. Participants who received bupropion SR
experienced a significantly greater mean (SD) reduction in their depressive
symptoms (2.96 [9.45] vs 1.13 [8.84], P = .03) at
6 weeks compared with baseline depressive symptoms. At the week-26 follow-up
session, which is 4½ months after discontinuance of study medications,
this reduction in depressive symptoms was no longer significant (1.56 [9.04]
vs 1.12 [8.74], P = .59).
Table 3 shows the percentages
of participants who reported adverse events at any of the study contact points
through week 6 of drug treatment. Problems sleeping and dry mouth were the
most commonly reported adverse events. There were no reports of rhinitis,
abnormal or bizarre dreams, or seizures. The bupropion SR group was significantly
more likely to report problems sleeping (P = .02).
Twelve participants reported being hospitalized during the treatment phase,
11 of which were known to be unrelated to the medication, and 1 was suspected
to be unrelated to the medication.
To our knowledge, this study is the first to establish the efficacy
of bupropion SR for smoking cessation among African Americans. The 21% quit
rate at 26 weeks for the bupropion SR group was slightly lower than the rates
found in 2 previous studies, which reported 27%7
and 35%8 quit rates among mostly white, middle-class
participants. Our difficulty locating participants within an acceptable time
frame, combined with counting those lost to follow-up as smokers, may underestimate
the actual quit rate. Alternatively, participants in our study may have had
higher relapse rates due to high amounts of stress associated with lower-income
populations.36 However, the 13.7% quit rate
in our placebo group was comparable with the 16%7
and 19%8 quit rates found in these 2 studies.
Higher levels of nicotine addiction among African Americans, as suggested
by some epidemiological and laboratory data,10,11
may partially account for these results. Although lower FTND scores suggest
lower nicotine dependence, the FTND score heavily weights quantity of smoking
and therefore is a less sensitive measure of dependence among lighter smokers,
such as those in our study.37 It has also been
suggested that African Americans develop dependence at lower levels of smoking.6 Finally, the vast majority of participants in this
trial smoked menthol cigarettes. There is some evidence that smokers using
menthol cigarettes may be less likely to quit than those not smoking these
types of cigarettes.38
Our study also found that bupropion SR attenuated weight gained by participants.
Concern about weight gain after smoking cessation is a barrier keeping many
smokers from quitting. Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES III) found that more than half of African American women are
overweight compared with a third of the general population.39
Obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and coronary artery
disease are also more prevalent among African Americans.40
A medication that can help African Americans quit smoking and is also associated
with less weight gain could play an important role for the health of African
Participants who were continuously abstinent from smoking experienced
fewer withdrawal symptoms compared with those who relapsed. However, contrary
to findings from 2 earlier studies, Jorenby et al8
and Dale et al,41 but similar to a third study,
Hurt et al,7 use of bupropion SR did not have
a significant effect on withdrawal symptoms experienced by participants in
our study. This does not support the notion that bupropion SR helps smokers
quit only by reducing their craving or withdrawal of their symptoms.42 Also in contrast to previous studies, participants
who received bupropion SR in our study experienced a significantly greater
reduction in their depressive symptoms compared with those who received placebo.
Although this might be explained by a higher level of depressive symptoms
among participants in our study vs what participants in other studies may
have experienced, the use of different depressive symptom measures precluded
a direct comparison. However, participants in our study had, on average, lower
income and educational levels, and they were less likely to be living with
a partner than participants in other studies. This suggests that there may
be related differences in stress and distress levels that could account for
the discrepant results.
There are a number of strengths of this study. To our knowledge, it
is the largest treatment-based trial of smoking cessation in any ethnic minority
conducted to date. We successfully randomized 600 African American smokers
at a community health care center in a 14-month period. This study also shows
that smokers no matter their economic status want to quit smoking and are
successful. We also achieved good internal and external validity.
There are some limitations to our findings. First, our findings cannot
be generalized to all African Americans. Although this is a community-based
study, it remains a single-site study with certain eligibility criteria such
as the requirement to have access to a telephone for study participation.
Second, similar to our other published work with African American smokers,
the majority of participants were women.22
This may result in a lower overall quit rate in our study populations because
African American women appear to have lower quit rates in the short- and long-term.4 Third, smokers in cessation clinical trials are a
self-selected group who are motivated to quit, which limits the generalizability
but does represent the group of smokers for whom pharmacotherapy may be most
appropriate. Fourth, although our behavioral intervention was more than it
might be in the "real world," it was less intensive than the behavioral interventions
discussed in the other trials using bupropion SR.8
Bupropion SR was effective in assisting African American smokers to
quit. Translating this scientific finding to the population of African American
smokers is critical to further decrease the prevalence of smoking and to reach
the goals of Healthy People 2010. In addition, reductions in smoking will
also aid in reducing the excess smoking-attributable morbidity and mortality
that exists between African Americans and other segments of the population.
Expanding access to medication through health insurance programs, especially
government programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, may be a wise investment
to reduce some of the health disparities that exist in the United States.


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text:
Hundreds of runners turned up for the inaugural Rainford 10k race on Sunday.
The event has been hailed as a huge success by organisers and runners alike, and plans are already underway for next year’s race.
First past the post was Darryl Davison, second was Mark Glynn, third Chris Green, and fourth Mo Manir-Jolley.
Other winners were:
Female Winner: Kirsty Longtoy, Jayne Taylor (runner up), and Joanne Lee (third place).
Vets Male (over 40) Winner: Morgan Manir-Jolley, and Stephen Stoneman (runner up).
Vets Female Winner: Lynn Manir-Jolley, and Janet Davies (runner up)
Youth Winner: James Wardle (ABC)
Fun Run (1k) Winner: Alex Petterson
Runner-Up: Jack Cowie
Third place: Danny Glover

domain: news


text:
3 Yiddish folksongs collection
A collection of three settings for mixed voices and piano of Jewish folksongs from Eastern Europe. English translations are supplied for all three songs.
Yiddish originated in Central Europe, and is based on German fused with elements taken from Hebrew and Aramaic, as well as from Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages. It is written in a script similar to Hebrew so the version in this publication is a phonetic transliteration.
Pronunciation notes. These pronunciation notes may be helpful to performers.
A klezmer-inspired arrangement of a traditional Yiddish riddle-song from Russia. Tum is the Yiddish word for “noise” and a balalaika is a stringed musical instrument of Russian origin. 2. Papir is dokh vays ("Paper is white")
A traditional Yiddish folk-song: paper is white, ink is black. This song has an interesting history: By the early 20th century it had become well known as a folksong throughout the Hapsburg Empire. It is believed to have derived originally from a song written in 1874 by the Lithuanian Jewish poet and songwriter Eliakum Zunser (1836-1913) 3. Sha, shtil ("Hush, quiet")
A traditional and unforgettable Yiddish folksong, a nonsense song for quietening small children.
|Individual printed copies£4.00 (+ p&p)||Bundles of 10 printed copiesDiscounts apply*|
|You can select the quantity later *10% discount applies to 1st bundle, 15% to 2nd and subsequent bundles.|

domain: artistic


text:
Change in population
: 3.1% Population 7/11
: 416,468 Population 4/10
: 403,903 Average annual city unemployment (2011)
: 7.6% Increase in jobs (2010 to 2011)
: 10,500 (2.07%)
Raleigh’s economy suffered through a tough year in 2009, as the Raleigh-Cary MSA’s real gross domestic product declined 0.93%. However, Raleigh’s economy recovered, growing at a robust 5.2% pace in 2010. In 2011, the Raleigh MSA added 10,500 jobs over the year with 3,200 of these coming from the trade, transportation and utilities industr ies, which cumulatively make up what is as of May the city’s largest employers. Much of the Raleigh area’s housing is new — 14.6% of all housing units were created between 2005 and 2010. In 2011, Meritage Homes (NYSE: MTH), the United States’ ninth-largest homebuilder, began constructing homes in the region.
(Istock) More From 24/7 Wall St.
: Eight Products the Facebook Generation Will Not Buy The Most Dangerous Cities in America The Best Tips to Sell Your House The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

domain: geography


text:
The newly installed equipment at SNCT is special ship-to-shore (STS) cranes designed to unload cargoes from containerships. Five have been installed in the first phase in the quay section at Incheon port, MANA correspondent reported.
The new mid- to large-size cranes at SNCT, produced by Hanjin Heavy Industries, have outreach of 51 meters long and are capable of unloading 50 containers per hour.
“The introduction of cranes befitting mid-sized vessels expedites unloading work at Incheon New Port,” said Kim Jong-gil, head of the logistics promotion team at IPA.
Meanwhile, SNCT will open the entire part of its 480,000-square-meter quay which is 800 meters long in January 2017. The complete opening of Incheon New Port is expected to give a boost to Incheon port’s logistics service as it will facilitate a pelagic route service and the come-and-go of large vessels.


The Reserve Bank of Australia will likely “see through” the inflation effects of a carbon tax proposal announced yesterday by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, said economist Warwick McKibbin, an RBA board member.
The Australian government should borrow money to pay for rebuilding from flood damage instead of imposing a one-time levy on taxpayers to fund the effort, said Warwick McKibbin, a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s board.
Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens, with a pay level set more than four times that of Ben S. Bernanke at the Federal Reserve, oversees a bank that’s less transparent than Poland’s in setting policy.
Reserve Bank of Australia board member Warwick McKibbin said the stimulus plan by Australia’s current ruling Labor party was not responsible for saving 200,000 jobs as Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said, the Australian newspaper reported.
Manoj Wanzare, an Indian fund manager with a master’s in business administration, personifies Australia’s best bet to address the risk of a slump in income growth as the nation’s once-in-a-century mining boom fades.


With Barack Obama's resounding victory in the Iowa Democratic caucus, Hillary Clinton's presidential nomination no longer looks so inevitable. Indeed, if Obama can follow through with a victory in the New Hampshire primary next week, he will replace Clinton as clear favourite for the Democratic nomination. Watching Obama's victory speech, it is hard not to be impressed, even inspired:
He is a remarkable speaker – more reminiscent of the presidents of Hollywood blockbusters than of the incumbent – and his appeals to hope, change and unity are what have brought so many young people, independents, and even disillusioned Republicans to the polls in his favour.
But being a good president requires more than just rhetoric, and now that Obama is no longer an underdog, he will need to firm up his policy positions if he wants to make it all the way to the White House. That said, he would be a very tough candidate for the Republicans to beat. A Hillary nomination would give them a much better chance of hanging on to the White House.
US politics is going to be fascinating to watch in 2008.


text:
Why people go on an expedition when they can sit at ease, at home, and enjoy a popular TV show? The reason for someone leaving the safety and coziness of the home, to get sweaty and bone tired is a thing that one can only understand by going on a hike. However, it must be a planned, considering to the terrain of the hike and one's energy requirements.
One should not compromise on the food stuffs to carry because of their weight. One can plan his or her own camping food on the basis of duration of the expedition and the durability of the food. Along with all your food stuffs, it will pay to pack in a food guide which can help you out with ideas for hiking meals.
Hiking Food Tips
If the hike is going to last for a few hours then, carrying some snacks may be a solution for you. However, if you expect such a hike to end by the evening or early night, it would be a good idea to end it on a good note by utilizing one of the food ideas from a food guide to prepare a meal. Whatever your choice in this regard, be prepared to support it.
On the other hand, if the hike is going to last for two or more days at a stretch. In that case, you may like to juggle a few hiking and picnic food ideas to decide what kind of food stuff you would like to take with you.
Hiking or Backpacking Breakfast Ideas
It is always a good idea to start your march after having a hearty breakfast. If you have done your homework properly while preparing for your backpacking and have essential stuffs ready, you may like to try some snack ideas for hiking. The following are a few ideas for hiking meals such as a breakfast.
Couscous is like a porridge, that you can enjoy on your first morning of the hike. Mix it with the honey to improve its taste from plain to sweet and add hand full of chopped almonds, apricots and powdered milk to it.
Add hot water to this concoction as prescribed on the package or in the food guide and let it wait for 10-15 minutes before cooking. If you are already in the targeted area by the breakfast time, this is one of the easy to do food ideas for hiking which you may like to try on the first day of the hike.
Next morning while preparing the breakfast, may be you can try Bulghur wheat. It is a whole wheat which, in short time, can be turned into the breakfast. If you are really looking forward to this dish, then you should not forget to let the Bulghur wheat sit overnight in water. This helps in drastically reducing cooking time for this dish.
Follow the instructions in the food guide and let the Bulghur wheat soak water and go soft on you while you sleep. While preparing the breakfast add sugar, chopped almonds and dried cranberries to it for the taste before heating the mixture.
If you are looking for a power meal as your breakfast, try Bacon-flavored hash browns. You may not prefer it at home, but, on an outing it really works. Mix hash browns (dehydrated), powdered milk, bacon bits, chopped onion and pepper, powdered egg, parsley and salt as per the instructions. Add water to the mixture before cooking it like a pancake.
Hiking Food Menu Ideas
Mushroom in Brown Sauce
- Noodles (Opt for a large packet)
- 1-2 Pint of fresh mushrooms
- Brown Sauce
- Sliced Beef Jerky
Cook noodles by adding water to them. Set them aside. Spend about 10 minutes to prepare mushrooms in margarine. Now, it is time to add sauce packet and jerky to the mushrooms. Refer a good food guide to know cooking directions for sauce.
Potatoes, Beef Gravy and Jerky
- 1 cup of potatoes (instant type)
- 1 package of beef gravy mix or sausage
- 2 tablespoons of powdered milk
- Dried jerky
This is one of the easiest food ideas for an hiker to utilize. Start by mixing all ingredients in a camping cookware and add 1 cup boiling water to it. Mix well and cover the pot. When it is cooked, let it sit for 5 min.
- 5-7 Tortillas (soft)
- 1 box of Taco Hamburger substitute (vegetarian meat substitute)
- 1 packet of Taco Sauce for the flavor
Use taco hamburger substitute as it saves time (seasonings are already added). You can use taco hamburger substitute, add water and seasonings and cook for 15 minutes. Add tortillas and cheese, let it cool and then enjoy.
Well, each one of us needs a little bit more breathing space than our daily lifestyle allows us. Before you set out on a hiking expedition, care must be taken to pack everything one may need in the area where you are going. One thing that must be kept in mind is that physically, hiking is a demanding sport. When you are in it, you need to eat properly.

domain: food


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A strategic location in the heart of Penang. A minute walk to Gurney Plaza and Gurney Paragon as the apartment is just opposite the shopping malls. Easy access to anywhere as bus stop and taxi service is just in front the apartment. Food paradise around this area with eateries at the malls and hawkers center along Gurney Drive.
This host has 9 reviews for other properties.View other reviews


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- (1) Three-dimensional cutting, large breathing space
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- (3) High elastic ear rope, more comfortable
Ships within 1 - 3 days from the order date.

domain: design


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8 May 2018 With all the focus on the benefits and effects of CBD, many wonder if there are negative effects. Read on to find out.
E-cigarettes have been known to help people quit smoking, but are there major cons for your health when vaping? Learn more about the pros and cons here. 10 Dec 2019 Vaping CBD Oil has become the preferred method of consumption when asking enthusiasts. Find out Each way has its own pros and cons. 27 Jan 2020 Electronic smoking devices (or ESDs), which are often called primary and passive exposure to the aerosol in smokers and nonsmokers.15 The Comprehensive Guide on CBD Oil For Vaping: All You Need To know About Vapes, and Vaping CBD Oil. Discover the Truth - Kindle edition by Dr. Vincent They can help people quit smoking, but they are not approved by the FDA for this However, research shows that they may have a negative impact on health. CBD hardly has any negative impact on humans, may occur only in very rare cases CBD or any other cannabinoids – in both cases of consuming or smoking.
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domain: medical


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This Summer, the husband and dad decided to cut down a tree that had seen it’s last Spring.
The tree was a fantastic shade tree with three central trunks that gave the appearance of a nice seat. Unfortunatly, it didn’t return healthy this Spring, so it needed to go. The tree was very tall, probably 30 feet at least. I collect as much of the lichen as I could find as then cut it down and sawed the limbs up.
I weighed it prior to soaking it. I had collected just 20 grams.
I did some research online, and was dismayed to find very little information. I decided to do an ammonia and water soak. I poured 2 cups of ammonia and 1 cup of cool water into a bottle. I then added the lichen. After closing it up again, I gave it a good shake. I continued to give a shake everyday for a few weeks. TYhis served to airate the liquid, and make sure the lichen was well soaked.
I figured the dye was ready when I no longer noticed much change in the color of the liquid. I soaked 15 grams of sock yarn in water that had alum (a mordant) mixed in. I let it soak over night:
The next step was th pour the dye into a non-reactive container ( I used a plastic bowl) and to strain out the lichen:
I added the yarn and a generous ‘glug’ of vinegar to acidify the dye bath:
I let the skein soak for about an hour, and it had pretty much reached it’s final color, though I decided to make sure, by putting the dye bath and ayrn into the crock pot to add heat. I fiured it couldn’t hurt, and may well help set the dye better:
I let the pot heat completly, then turned it off and let it cool over night. It did appear to have gotten darker, but after the first cool rinse, it lightened back up:
The final color is a very soft mauve. It would be great to learn a bit more and purhaps be able to get a much more intense color from thelichen. I wonder if cooking down the liquid and then using it would be beneficial? Anyhow, here is a shot of the final yarn, destiny unknown:

domain: chemistry


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Every New Year, Daniel made the same resolution; he always said he'd exercise more. For a day or two, he'd make an effort, but it never lasted more than a week. Of course, 2013 was looking to be a little different already. New Year's Eve had been the typical drunken mess, but waking up the next morning with a completely different body was a real surprise for him! He immediately considered rethinking his resolution, but soon he discovered how phenomenally flexible his new body was! Thanks to this new body's abilities, it might be possible for Daniel to not only keep his New Year's resolution this year to exercise but to actually enjoy the experience of putting forth the effort!
Both Carmen and Louis were excited that the body swap spell had worked. Each certainly had their own reasons for their enthusiasm. Louis was gay and disgusted by his overweight body. On top of it all, he always felt like he was born the wrong gender. He was so excited to swap with Carmen. Nothing could curtail his desire. He couldn't understand why Carmen wanted to be him. However, Carmen was sick and tired of men being promoted over her at work. Louis's body certainly wasn't her ideal, but she knew he probably got more respect than she did in the workplace. She could certainly do excercise to improve his physique. She had no clue why he would want to be a woman!
Craig looked around nervously. This wasn't his apartment. He had just been there a moment ago, but now it seemed he was suddenly in a fancy restaurant with people in fancy clothes and a guy sitting across from him in a suit. Then he noticed the long blond hair on the side of his head and the strapless red dress he was wearing. Dear God! He was a woman now! How did this happen? Where was he? Who was he?
Benjamin had plotted for months to steal Angela's body. It required finding and purchasing a rare and expensive magical spell, tracking her to obtain a bit of her hair, and many other ordeals. During the entire time, he was downright giddy with the idea of stealing her body. Being a woman, especially one as beautiful as Angela, was a pure dream for him. Once initiating the spell, he was so excited to be in her body. He did the types of things one would expect a male to do upon finding themselves in the body of the opposite gender. But after about a day of playing with his breasts and feeling up his new body, it stopped being so excited. After about a week, he just sat on Angela's couch, watching TV, chewing gum, or whatever. He was already bored with being a woman.
Michael tried to approach the Great Shift as calmly and rationally as he could. First, he assessed he was now in a woman's body. It was certainly weird and unexpected, but he'd roll with it. It would also appear this woman was in the middle of getting dressed when he switched with her, so he picked up the pants laid out on the bed and proceeded to put them on. They were certainly tight! He had had to shimmy his butt to fit into them; his new breasts jiggled uncomfortably as he did so. It was a unique and odd experience for him, but he knew he'd have to get used to it. Next was trying to figure out what happened. He turned on the television to hear the news reports, and it all became clear...

domain: literature


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Extra-esophageal complications of GERD
Because the pharynx is a shared conduit for swallowing and respiration, it is known that the breathing cycle is well coordinated with the swallowing in humans [1-3]. The process of inspiration and expiration is very precisely linked with the swallowing reflex via the supralaryngeal nerve. However, the anatomical configuration of the pharynx may allow for the risk of food aspiration of material into the lower airways during bolus passage, particularly in elderly patients with a history of stroke and dementia [4-11]. The condition and function of the pharynx and upper airways may be considerably affected by nocturnal disturbed breathing including obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) [12-14].
Gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) also affects the breathing and respiratory symptom . The coincidence of recurrent respiratory symptoms and gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) is a well-known phenomenon in infants . It has reported that gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) is increased in patients with OSAHS . The GER is also associated with swallowing and breathing. Since the GER, OSAHS, and dysphagia are rapidly increased in adult and elderly patients, this chapter describes the interesting features of sleep apneas in terms of swallowing function and GER.
2. Breathing and swallowing
Swallowing function is necessary for eating, and it is coupled with breathing. it is well known that the breathing cycle is well coordinated with the swallowing in humans .The adult pattern of breathing-swallowing coordination during eating and drinking is well studied, with 75-95% of swallows beginning in the expiratory phase [2, 3] compared to 39% in newborns . Swallowing elicits inspiratory suppression during breathing (Figure 1). Aspiration related infectious events are prevented by defense mechanisms, such as swallowing reflex, cough reflex, and mucocilliary clearance. Protection of the airway from aspiration requires inhibition of inspiratory airflow throughout the period of laryngeal exposure to the swallowed bolus. This respiratory inhibition is called deglutition apnea and appears to be a universal accompaniment of the normal swallow sequence in man [4-10]. Oral infusion of water at a variable rate of 40 ml/min while the subject breathes through the nose elicits repetitive swallows (rate: 8.1+/-4.1 swallows/min, mean+/-SD), but this does not cause a single incidence of coughing or aspiration in normal adults (Figure 2) . The swallows interrupts inspiration and expiration and leads to compensatory changes in tidal volume and breathing frequency. Swallowing also causes respiratory phase resetting with a pattern that is characteristic of the strong perturbations of an attractor-cycle oscillator . The threshold for initiation of swallowing in awake subjects is influenced by, but not strongly coupled to, the phase of respiration. The respiratory timing, in addition to anatomical barriers within the upper airway, influences the vulnerability for aspiration during deglutition. Swallows initiated near the expiratory-inspiratory transition may be the most likely to result in bolus aspiration, especially in pathological conditions that weaken the impact of swallowing on respiratory rhythm or slow the transport of the bolus through the pharynx . Breathing and swallowing are well-controlled by the interaction of neuronal groups co-localized in the brainstem [12, 13]. This central neuronal control, combined with local anatomical conditions and sensory input from the pharynx, permit safe and directed passage of air and food materials. Ventilatory control as indicated by arterial partial pressure of CO2 affects swallowing [14, 15]. The dysphagia due to anatomical disorders or diseases may also affect breathing patterns [16-18]. The changes in pharyngeal function by surgical conditions may be concerned. However, the coupling between the swallowing and respiratory pattern generators is highly stable even in the post-laryngectomized patients .
3. Swallowing function in sleep apnea
The condition and function of the pharynx and upper airways is affected by nocturnal disturbed breathing and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) . Although the mechanisms of apnea termination in obstructive sleep apnea have not been fully elucidated, mechanoreceptor feedback from the respiratory muscles or pharynx has been thought to play an important role in apnea termination . The influence of chemoreceptor information may be mediated indirectly through an effect on ventilatory effort. The constant positive airway pressure applied via a nose mask through the nares (nasal CPAP, nCPAP) has been established as the first line of therapy for obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). It has been reported, however, that nCPAP exerts an inhibitory influence on the water-induced swallowing reflex .
Several investigators have reported that gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is increased in adult and child patients with OSAHS [23, 24]. It appears that the swallowing mechanism may be affected by mechanical and/or chemical stimuli, including apnea and positive pressures in the upper airways. Because abnormalities of neural networks in the area of the suprapharynx are implicated in the cause and/or results of obstructive sleep apneas, it is possible that patients with OSAHS have an abnormal swallowing reflex due to impaired neural/muscular function at the upper airways.
The phenomenon was observed. The swallowing reflex was determined according to the following criteria: latent time (LT), the time following a bolus injection of distilled water at the suprapharynx to the onset of swallowing; inspiratory suppression time (IST), the time from the termination of swallowing to the next onset of inspiration; and threshold volume, the minimum volume of water (range, 0.4 to 2 mL) that could evoke the swallowing response. Whereas the LT values in patients with OSAS were larger than the LT values in the control subjects, the IST values (which may reflect the switching mechanism from deglutition apnea to breathing) were actually shorter (Figure 3). In addition, a greater bolus volume was necessary to elicit swallowing in patients with OSAHS than was necessary in the control subjects. Thus, patients with OSAHS are likely to exhibit an impaired swallowing reflex, probably due to the perturbed neural and muscular function of the upper airways . However, Jobin and others have reported that threshold volume did not differ between the OSAHS and control groups with obesity. Although the swallowing latency was shorter for OSA patients, IST were similar for OSA patients and control subjects. Since there was a significant inverse relation between vibratory sensation threshold (VST) and IST, oropharyngeal sensory impairment in OSA may be associated with an attenuation of inhibitory modulating inputs to reflex and central control of upper airway swallowing function .
4. Clinical implication of swallowing dysfunction in sleep apnea
Sleep apnea caused swallowing dysfunction may lead to susceptibility to upper airway infection in child patients and older patients [27-29]. The increased respiratory effort to breath against a closed airway may facilitate pulmonary aspiration in the patients. It is known that children with sleep-disordered breathing experience more respiratory infections. Sleep apnea associated swallowing abnormality is possibly a predisposing risk factor for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children . In the frail elderly, sleep apnea considered to be a significant risk factor for the development of pneumonia [28-30]. Further, immune perturbations secondary to disrupted sleep may render them susceptible to invasion of pathogens . The impaired immune function caused by sleep-disturbed breathing may also potentiate the emergence of pneumonia.
From treatment viewpoints of sleep apnea, nCPAP therapy may have favorable effects on the risk reduction of airway infection. The treatment of OSAHS with CPAP may be effective for the improvement of awakens and daytime activity as well as the prevention of nocturnal aspiration and pneumonia. On the other hand, poor maintenance of the CPAP machine and the humidifier leads to bacterial growth. Although this does not cause an infection, it can result in the introduction of bacteria to the patient's respiratory system. Keeping the machine and its components clean decreases the opportunity for bacterial growth. The only infection clearly associated with CPAP use may be meningitis. It has been reported that meningitis occurred in patients using CPAP only following a skull trauma . In the elderly, OSA and central type apnea was associated with an increase in mortality from pneumonia in addition to increased risk of cardiovascular related and all-cause mortality. However, there was no relationship between mortality and severity of sleep apnea .
5. Breathing and gastroesophageal reflux (GER)
Acid reflux events are very different between the awake period and the sleep period. During sleep, acid reflux events tend to be less frequent and of a longer duration as compared with acid reflux events during the awake period . This is due to the profound effect of sleep on esophageal response to acid reflux events. During sleep, there is a significant reduction in voluntary swallowing and thus primary peristalsis. In addition, diminished saliva production during sleep results in delayed normalization of the distal esophageal pH after an acid reflux event has occurred. Loss of gravitation effect as well as alteration in perception of acid reflux events and thus less symptom generation may all adversely affect physiological response to GER. Consequently, nocturnal GER has been demonstrated to be associated with esophageal inflammation, GER-related complications and extra-esophageal manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) [34, 35]. It is well known that GERD, besides its classical symptoms, is associated with extra esophageal symptoms and complications as well (Table 1). The most common ones are respiratory symptoms, no cardiac chest pain, and physiatrist symptoms including nocturnal disturbed breathing [36-38].
|Organ specialty||Symptoms /complications|
|Cardiology||non-cardiac chest pain|
|Pulmonologist||bronchial asthma, chronic cough|
|Otolaryngology||Posterior laryngitis, reflux laryngitis,|
|Psychiatry||sleep disorders, sexual disorders, anxiety|
|Pediatrics||recurrent lower respiratory tract infection, apnea (sudden death), otitis media|
|Geriatrics||sleep disorders, recurrent lower respiratory tract infection|
6. Gastroesophageal reflux in sleep apnea
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a very common disorder defined as various symptoms or esophageal mucosal damage generated by the abnormal reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus . Patients with OSAHS have been reported to have a high prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) symptoms . The increase of transdiaphragmatic pressure in parallel with the large negative intrathoracic pressure produced during apnea events may directly lead to GER (Figure 4) . Some studies have demonstrated that the application of nCPAP for OSAHS also improve GER symptoms. However, GER does not occur with every apnea . Because the common conditions observed in patients with OSAHS, including obesity or alcohol ingestion, are also predisposing factors for GER, the direct pathologic association between OSAHS and GER has not been established. In fact, a recent investigation in over 1000 subjects failed to show a causal link between both diseases . Thus, there is a common pathology between OSAHS and GERD, but the direct causal relationships between two disorders remains controversial. Further, a temporal relationship between cough and reflux events has been suggested by studies utilizing impedance-pH monitoring of reflux events and objective cough recording. However, consensus is lacking in terms of whether this temporal relationship proves a causal link between reflux and cough .
7. Clinical implication of GER in sleep apnea
Extraesophageal complications of GERD have been concerned in patients with sleep apnea. The GER may be associated with cardiovascular, pulmonologic, laryngeal, and dental complications . The most recognized manifestations are non-cardiac chest pain, bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic cough, and posterior laryngitis, as well as the acidic damage of dental enamel .
Heartburn during sleep is very common in the general population. This type of symptom of GERD is strongly associated with increased body mass index (BMI), carbonated soft drink consumption, snoring, daytime sleepiness, insomnia, hypertension, bronchial asthma, and usage of benzodiazepines. These factors are also strong risk factors for sleep apnea. Thus, heartburn during sleep may be associated with the severity of OSA related negative intrathoracic pressure, resulting in increased sleep complaints and excessive daytime sleepiness . It has been suggested that sleep deprivation is hyperalgesic in patients with GERD and provides a potential mechanism for increase in GERD symptom severity in sleep-deprived patients .
8. Possible links among dysphagia, GER and sleep apnea
Chronic cough is a common problem in patients who visit physicians. The cough is associated with deterioration in patients’ quality of life. The three most common causes of chronic cough in those who are referred to pulmonary specialists are postnasal drip, asthma and gastroesophageal reflux. It has been reported that asthma, postnasal drip syndrome (PNDS), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), alone or in combination, were responsible for > 90% of the causes of chronic cough . The chronic cough may lead to true asthma and asthma is exacerbated by the gastroesopgaeal reflux [49, 50]. The initial treatment of patients with cough is often empiric and may involve a trial of decongestants, bronchodilators or histamine H2 antagonists, as monotherapy or in combination . If a therapeutic trial is not successful, sequential diagnostic testing including chest radiograph, and barium swallow may be indicated. The chronic cough could be caused by repeated GER, aspiration, and OSA . The pathologic link between chronic cough and sleep apneas has been considered. The chronic cough is a symptom of GER and dysphagia. The daytime symptom may affect the night time symptom including sleep apneas. One possible explanation for the risk of chronic cough in OSA patients may be related to easy pulmonary aspiration. Since high collapsibility of the upper airway is characteristic to OSA, resultant hypoxemia may stimulate such patients to breath against a closed airway, therefore generating a more negative intra-thoracic pressure [53-55]. The more negative intra-thoracic pressure induces a higher pressure gradient and a vacuum pressure through the upper airway, facilitating aspiration of pharyngeal secretions, saliva or oral contents into the lower respiratory tract. Because the fundamental mechanism of sleep-disordered breathing in children may not be the same as that of sleep apneas in adults and the elderly, the inter-relationships among chronic cough, sleep apnea, and GER in younger subjects and children is different from those in adult and elderly patients. Post-swallow apnea and post-swallow inspiration occur significantly more frequently in infants suffering from acute bronchiolitis than healthy infants .It is interesting to know the swallowing function in child patients and older patients with sleep apneas or GERD. Because the swallowing function is impaired in patients with OSAHS, and because the swallowing function is associated with cough reflex thorough substance P, the abnormality in swallowing function in OSAS may be associated with chronic cough in children and adults [58, 59]. It has been suggested that excessive daytime sleepiness seen in some OSAHS patients may be associated with various pathophysiological mechanisms including changes in substance P levels . Although many patients with adults OSAHS complain of sleep-related heartburn and regurgitation of gastric contents into the pharynx, the complaint is rarely heard in children with apneas. Therefore, the similarities and differences in swallowing function, cough reflex, and GER between children and adult patients with SAS may lead to further knowledge regarding the coupling mechanism between respiration and deglutition [61, 53]. However, as GERD manifests a spectrum of conditions, including asthma, posterior laryngitis, and chronic coughing, the pathologic link among chronic cough, OSAS, and GERD is not simply determined in children.
Breathing and swallowing is tightly coupled. Disruption of breathing-swallowing coordination causes aspiration, which facilitates several pulmonary complications including lower respiratory tract infection.
Swallowing is also affected by the gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Thus, GER affects respiratory symptom including aspiration, cough, and dysphasia. The coincidence of recurrent respiratory symptoms and GER is important in infants as well as elderly patients. The GER related respiratory symptoms are considerably influenced by nocturnal disturbed breathing including OSAHS. The intrathoracic pressure changes during obstructive apnea and compensated hyperinflation are associated with the occurrence of GER and aspiration. We should seriously consider that the swallowing, breathing and GER are dependently and independently linked in various clinical condition during daytime and nighttime.


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Posted: Tuesday, April 5, 2022. 7:40 pm CST.
By BBN Staff: A Belize City man, reportedly caught with a stolen gas tank, is out on bail after pleading not guilty to a charge of handling stolen goods.
Thirty-eight-year-old Eugene Lanza was allegedly found in possession of a butane tank valued at $80. Reports are that he went to the victim’s home and stole the tank on the night of April 1, and was seen doing so.
The victim then reported the matter to police and Lanza was arrested on April 2.
In court, he pleaded not guilty to the charge and was offered bail in the sum of $500 plus one surety of the same.
Lanza is due back in court on June 6.
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Sunday, April 12, 2020
LP, Cadence Jazz Records, 1995
Fastest re-post from another blog ever -
found on the ever tireless Bleak Bliss - GO THERE NOW.
Alien Dillo-rattle vibe accompaniment through out.
Also on this: Peter Kowald (!), Tristan Honsinger (!!),
Toshinori Kondo (!!!) and Milo Fine (!!!!). MEGA.


I recently devoted a piece to trying to decode President Obama. In reading more of his comments, I’ve noticed a tendency that now almost qualifies as a reflex: the more strongly the president denies something — and especially, the more he mocks his critics and feigns amusement at what they say — the greater the odds are that he will do what he denies.
In an interview yesterday, the president said, “I think the irony … is that I actually would like to see a relatively light touch when it comes to the government.”
Of course; examples of his “light touch” abound during the first five months of his presidency.
During his press conference discussing his first 100 days in office, Obama said, “And that’s why I’m always amused when I hear these, you know, criticisms of, ‘Oh, you know, Obama wants to grow government.’ No. I would love a nice, lean portfolio to deal with, but that’s not the hand that’s been dealt us.”
Why would anyone think Obama wants to “grow government”? Isn’t it clear by now he wants to limit it?
While speaking at a town hall forum in New Mexico last month, Obama insisted that the “long-term deficit and debt that we have accumulated is unsustainable.”
They are, and they certainly seem to be a primary concern of the president, who is clearly doing everything humanly possible to reduce the deficit and the debt.
At a June 1 White House Press event, Obama asserted, “What I have no interest in doing is running GM.”
Why would he even need to say that? Why would anyone think he wants to run GM?
During a health care event in Green Bay, Obama said: “And the reason [he supports his so-called “public insurance option”] is not because we want a government takeover of health care — I’ve already said if you’ve got a private plan that works for you, that’s great.” And speaking to the AMA, Obama said, “Health-care reform is the single most important thing we can do for America’s long-term fiscal health.”
It is; and we all know Obama is doing everything he can to oppose a government takeover of health care.
During his presidential campaign, Obama ridiculed those who said he was interested in reading Miranda rights to terrorists. During a “60 Minutes” interview with Steve Kroft, Obama was emphatic: “Now, do these folks deserve Miranda rights? Do they deserve to be treated like a shoplifter down the block? Of course not.”
No-sir-ee; such a thing would never happen on his watch.
Here’s the thing, though: in every one of these instances Obama is not only doing something different than what he said, he’s doing very nearly the opposite of what he says. Obama’s “light touch” is turning out to be as intrusive a set of actions by the federal government as we have seen. He is “growing government” in record-shattering ways. Facing a staggering deficit and debt, Obama has decided to hit the accelerator rather than pump the brakes when it comes to federal spending. Facing a deficit and debt he calls unsustainable, Obama is adding trillions to them. He actually is running GM. He really is trying to engineer a government takeover of health care. His health-care plan may be the single worst thing he could do for America’s long-term fiscal health. And his Justice Department has acknowledged that FBI agents have read terrorist suspects their Miranda rights.
Let’s stipulate that most politicians use words in an elastic and imprecise manner, that often their account muddles rather than clarifies things, and that what they say doesn’t always correspond to what is. Even with all of that, President Obama seems to be carving out some fairly exclusive rhetorical real estate for himself.
No one doubts Obama speaks exceedingly well; he uses soothing words that come across as reassuring and reasonable. The problem comes when you examine what he says versus what he does. And by that standard, Mr. Obama is turning out to be almost promiscuously misleading. He is not yet Bill Clinton, who belongs in a category all his own — but Obama is taking up residence in the same zip code, which is troubling enough. And for those of us who thought Obama, whatever his political ideology, would bring intellectual integrity to his words and his tenure, it is disappointing. It is hardly the change we were promised. But I imagine that it will catch up with him sooner or later — and when it does, the man who promised to be the antidote to cynicism will only deepen it.


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Flag finally jumped up on the stump, and was ready to tell her story. You know, the one about walking, and walking and walking all the way up the hill with 8 horses, 2 dogs and 1 human?
The walk where she endured gravel burns on her delicate pads. The walk where she stepped right on a burr plant and later found her belly covered with burrs. The walk where everyone else chickened out and she alone reached the summit, not to mention the fact that she did all of this on an empty stomach!!
Did anyone want to hear HER tale?
Nope!! They didn't want to hear about it then, and they sure as heck don't want to hear about it now!!


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One and a half million fans from all over the world are expected to visit Qatar to watch the World Cup finals, which start on 20 November.
But the Gulf state, which follows strict Muslim laws, has been widely criticised for its ban on same-sex relationships and its treatment of migrant workers.
What are Qatar’s laws on same-sex relationships?
Homosexual acts are illegal in Qatar because they are considered to be immoral under Islamic Sharia law.
Punishments include fines, prison sentences of up to seven years – and even death by stoning.
Qatar’s World Cup organisers state “everyone is welcome”, and claim no one will be discriminated against.
However, Qatar 2022 chief executive Nasser al Khater insists the government will not change its laws on homosexuality and has asked visitors to “respect our culture”.
In the run-up to the tournament, a Qatar World Cup ambassador said that homosexuality was “damage in the mind“, and LGBTQ+ people attending the tournament should “accept our rules”.
Former Qatar international Khalid Salman made the comments to German broadcaster ZDF for a forthcoming documentary.
A recent Human Rights Watch report says that Qatari security forces are continuing to arrest citizens who are gay, lesbian, and transgender, sometimes forcing them to undergo conversion therapy.
Qatar’s government said the report contains false allegations.
Fifa has written to the 32 teams competing at the World Cup telling them to “now focus on the football”. It said football should not be “dragged” into ideological or political “battles”, or “hand out moral lessons”.
In response, ten European football associations – including those of England and Wales – said that “human rights are universal and apply everywhere”.
England captain Harry Kane and the captains of the other nine teams will wear “One Love” armbands to protest against Qatar’s anti-homosexuality laws.
How are foreign workers treated in Qatar?
An estimated 30,000 workers from countries such as India, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines have been building facilities for the World Cup finals, including new stadiums, hotels, roads and the city in which the final match will take place.
In February 2021, the Guardian said 6,500 workers had died in Qatar since it won its World Cup bid, using data supplied by embassies in Qatar.
However, the Qatar government said the total was misleading, because any of those who died would had been living and working in Qatar for several years, and could have died from old age or other natural causes.
It said official records show that between 2014 and 2020, there were 37 deaths among labourers at World Cup stadium construction sites, only three of which were “work-related”.
The International Labour Organisation says this is an underestimate, because Qatar doesn’t count deaths from heart attacks and respiratory failure as work-related – even though these can result from working in high temperatures.
It estimates that 50 foreign labourers died and more than 500 others were seriously injured in Qatar in 2021 alone, and another 37,600 suffered mild to moderate injuries.
Why was Qatar chosen as the World Cup host?
In 2010, Qatar clinched the rights to the World Cup after winning a ballot of Fifa’s 22 executive members, beating bids from the US, South Korea, Japan and Australia.
It is the first Arab nation to host the tournament.
Qatar was accused of paying Fifa officials £3m ($3.7m) in bribes to secure their backing, but was cleared after a two-year investigation.
At the time, Fifa’s then-chairman, Sepp Blatter, supported the bid, but now says it was a “mistake” to award the World Cup to Qatar.
What can World Cup fans expect in Qatar?
Qatar has built seven stadiums specifically for the finals, as well as more than 100 new hotels, a new metro and new roads.
As a conservative Muslim country, drinking in Qatar is normally restricted to hotel bars. A pint of beer can cost £10 ($13).
World Cup organisers say that during the finals, alcohol will be served within stadiums for three hours before matches and for one hour afterwards.
Alcoholic drinks will also be available in a 40,000-capacity fan zone in Doha, and there will be zones where fans can go to sober up.
How hot is it in Qatar?
At the time of the finals, the temperature in Qatar is usually around 25C (77F).
Had the competition been held in June and July, as usual, matches would have been played in temperatures exceeding 40C, and possibly reaching 50C.
Qatar initially proposed hosting the finals during the summer in air-conditioned enclosed stadiums, but the plan was rejected.
Disclaimer: This story is generated from RSS Feed and has not been created or edited by Waba News. Publisher: BBC News


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To save this background simply select the small texture above and choose "save image as" or "save image".
This red and white seamless texture background is only 6kb in size so if bandwidth or page speed is important to your site it may be useful. Image is in JPEG format.
A tiled image will fit and fill any size screen.


Legislation sponsored by Senator Anthony Bucco (R-Morris) to gift a New Jersey flag to every state resident who enrolls in a federal service academy was advanced by the Senate Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
New Jersey residents enrolling in a federal service academy would be provided a State flag in honor of their commitment under legislation sponsored by Sen. Anthony Bucco. (SenateNJ.com)
“Some of our best and brightest young people attend the service academies and make a commitment to serve this country,” Senator Bucco said. “We couldn’t be prouder of them for their hard work and service.”
The legislation, S-1788, requires the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs to identify each New Jersey resident who enrolls in a service academy and issue them a New Jersey State Flag. Students of the United States Military Academy, United States Naval Academy, United States Coast Guard Academy, United States Merchant Marine Academy and the United States Air Force Academy will all get a flag.
Candidates for the service academies go through a rigorous application process where they must first get nominated before their credentials and qualifications are even considered for acceptance. Once they attend an academy, the individual must commit to at least five years on active duty as a military officer.
“This measure gives them a small token of our gratitude,” Senator Bucco said. “Hopefully, having that flag will remind them of their New Jersey roots as they begin their journey in the military.”
Related Facebook Post:


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ITV's famous boardroom drama from the 1960's starring Patrick Wymark, Barbara Murray, Clifford Evans, Rosemary Leach, Peter Barkworth, Ian Holm and George Sewell. A spin-off from the earlier The Plane Makers, The Power Game made a star of Patrick Wymark as the now knighted Sir John Wilder, the ruthless and power hungry executive who everybody loved to hate. The series captivated the viewing public in 1965 when first aired (one of the five most watched programme of 1966 when this first series ended) and again in 1985 when Channel 4 re-screened the saga at peak time on Saturday evenings.
Episodes Comprise: 1. The New Boy 2. Lady for a Knight 3. Hagadan 4. The Politician 5. Point of Balance 6. Saturday's Women 7. The Switch 8. The Crunch 9. Late Via Rome 10. Persons and Papers 11. Trade Secrets 12. The Man With Two Hats 13. Confound Their Poltics

domain: entertainment


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The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), a Colombo-based think tank, has recently released a new report that examines peoples' opinions vis-à-vis constitutional reform. (The Sri Lankan government has already initiated a consultative process for constitutional reform.) CPA used semi-structured questionnaires to conduct interviews across the country; the fieldwork was conducted in January 2016.
This is a brief report that provides interesting insights into what Sri Lankans think about a range of salient issues including devolution of power and the place of Buddhism in the constitution.
Let's turn to a few of the survey questions. In response to the question, "How important is to establish devolved institutions?", 57.2 percent of Tamils said it was very important. On the other hand, only 25.2 percent of Sinhalese people believe that establishing devolved institutions is very important.
Questions about police powers were also split along ethnic lines. According to the survey, 47.8 percent of Sinhalese believe that police powers should be exercised exclusively by the central government. Only 14.3 percent of Tamils agreed. 24.3 percent of Muslims believe that the central government should control all police powers.
When asked about a merger of the historically Tamil Northern and Eastern Provinces, just 14.5 percent of Sinhalese said they were extremely agreeable to such an idea. Yet 73.2 percent of Tamils are extremely agreeable to such a merger.
In the months ahead, awareness-raising will be vital. According to the survey results, nearly 80 percent of respondents did not know what the word 'federalism' means. Over 50 percent of respondents did not know what the word 'devolution' means.
For now, it appears that the that Sri Lanka's constitution-building project will remain at the forefront of the coalition government's reform agenda. Nevertheless, drafting a new, more inclusive constitution that fully recognizes the island nation's considerable diversity will not be easy. As this timely survey shows, there are some prominent (and unsurprising) differences of opinion which fall largely along ethnic lines.

domain: law


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Stefan is one of the most special models in the Miss Hamptons sunglasses collection. Refresh your look with some bicolor fashion and it’s awesome frame with brown leopard exterior pattern and a brilliant pearl interior. Give up and give in to its magnetic charm.
Cellulose acetate and stainless steel mount
Triacetate lenses with Anti-Scratch technology and UV400 protection
Flex technology adaptable to all kind of faces
Size: Front: 13,4 cm., Height 4,9 cm., Temples 13,4 cm.
Includes: pink leatherette case with microfiber cleaning cloth and set of decorative stickers


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Howard Pack is categorized under Ranches in Desdemona, Texas .
|Business Name:||Howard Pack|
|Contact Person:||Howard N Pack Full Name Report|
|Address:||450 County Road 4984, Desdemona, TX 76445|
|Phone Number:||(254) 758-2534 Full Phone Report|
Howard Pack has been offering Ranches from its single location in Texas since their foundation in 1962. This company is registered under the SIC code 0291 and NAICS code 112990, which can be used to gain more understanding on the nature of its business.
It now employs 1 to 4 personnel and its BOTH services by Ranches in the greater Texas area contribute to the company’s annual revenue of $100.000 to $499.999. Visit the single location of Howard Pack at the coordinates 32.2362,-98.541867, or at their street address of 450 County Road 4984 in TX 76445, United States.
To speak to a representative, call (254) 758-2534 Full Phone Report and address inquiries to Howard N Pack Full Name Report. Alternatively, this business can also be followed and interacted with through the social media platforms Twitter and Facebook . Howard Pack’s website can be found at .
|Annual Revenue ($):||$100.000 to $499.999|
|Location Type:||Single Location|
|Employee #:||1 to 4|
|Business Type:||B2B & B2C|
|Share This Business:|
Hallmark Ranch - Desdemona, TX 76445
J Little Ranch - Desdemona, TX 76445


March 2013 was one of Northern Ireland's coldest
March 2013 was the joint second coldest in Northern Ireland since records began, alongside 1919, 1937 and 1962.
According to figures from the Met Office the mean temperature for the month was a cold 2.8C.
March was also colder than any of the preceding winter months of December, January and February.
December and January each had a mean temperature of 4.3C, while February was slightly cooler at 3.9C.
The amount of sunshine during the month was just 51.5 hours, well below the average 97 hours.
The salt mine just outside Carrickfergus, County Antrim, reported a rise in demand for grit to keep the roads clear from ice and snow, although not in the same scale as the big freeze of 2010.
A spokesperson said many local authorities had learned from that, and were well stocked up.
It is the only mine of its kind on the island and it is capable of bringing up to 4,000 tonnes of salt to the surface every day.
To get to it, you have to go deep underground. In fact, it is so far below the surface it is like scaling down the height of the Empire State Building in New York.
Huge boring machines chomp away at the huge salt walls from a seabed that dried up millions of years ago.
The roads in the mine, if laid out straight, would stretch from Belfast to Newry. But they never need to be salted... it's warm underground all year round.
March in Britain, was also the joint second coldest on record along with 1947. It set the record for coldest Easter Sunday, with the lowest temperature recorded as -12.5C in Braemar, in the Scottish Highlands.
The previous coldest Easter Sunday since modern records began in 1960 was in 1986, when temperatures dipped to -9.8C, the Met Office said.
March in the Irish Republic was also cold with mean temperatures 3C or more below average in most parts. According to Met Éireann mean temperatures were the lowest on record nearly everywhere, except in the south and southwest.
Dublin Airport recorded its coldest March since the site opened in 1942.
The cold, dry conditions were largely due to high pressure dominating the weather pattern over Ireland and Britain, which allowed cold and relatively dry air to move in from eastern and northern Europe.
This weather pattern is set to continue through the rest of this week before milder, but more unsettled, conditions move in from the Atlantic next week.


Coming to a kickstarter near you! But is Ford and Pung’s comic any good?
Disclaimer: I have backed this campaign and have worked with the artist of it before.
A kickstarter funded project by writer Jason Ford and artist David Pung, it bills itself as “one part Kamandi, one part DUNE, one part Shadowrun and ALL action”.
To a degree it is, clearly wearing the linage that influenced it on its sleeve. Add in artwork that is part Jhonen Vasquez, part Manga you have a very diverse pool of sources, all pouring into one comic.
In comics like this, it’s all to common for the influences and wellspring of ideas to overwhelm the comic, to the expense of the script. Thankfully that isn’t the case here, as Ford’s melding of genres takes us from a meeting with a killer snake being, through a ruined world and onto more sci-fi trappings.
Having followed David’s artwork for a while now, it has been interesting to see his artistic techniques and style evolve. In this comic in particular, he seems to revel in the panels that show the journey of one character through many motions. It makes his storytelling far more physical and it’s nice to see him begin to transition from mostly static poses, to those with a better sense of fluidity and movement.
What is apparent though is that, as is the case with a lot of smaller indie projects (and sadly some from the Big 3 too), it could have done with another pass over just to catch a few grammatical errors and sentences that don’t quite make sense at the moment. Nothing that will noticed by most comic book fans, but they are there and they drew me out of the comic at times.
On the whole though, Jason’s writing brought me into the world quickly and blended exposition with character building rather well. Which given the length of the mini series, is a good thing! Economical storytelling is something that is often overlooked in short series, so it seems that, if one is to infer anything from the first issue, readers will be in safe hands.
All in all, for a first issue it holds a lot of promise. One that hopefully will be fulfilled as the series progresses. As for if it is a good investment? The kickstarter has already made it’s pledge goal and $1 you get the comic as a PDF guaranteed.
That’s darn good value.
The Kickstarter for Regret #1 is now running. You can check it out here.
Blunt Instruments were provided with a review copy of Regret #1.


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Did some redecorating and I'm finally using an old window I had in my laundry room for something fun! Check it out.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
I had seen a similar idea like this before.. not sure where because I searched it on pinterest I couldn't find it. A simple, yet effective way to display a picture. I had my dad cut me squares from a framing 2x4 we had laying around from when we finished the basement. Then, it was sanded, painted and I applied a printed and edited picture (you need to edit it down and crop)... added a date for a nice keepsake. Take a look at the finished product!
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Life has gotten in the way of my hobby lately... but alas, I was inspired to do some crafting when a friend (thanks, Nicole!) brought me a lovely chair that was itching for a makeover. Amazing what a little paint and some fabric can do. Here are the before and afters! And project number 2..........this is a dresser that I use to hold my computer... I decided it needed a little more pizazz! Here are the before and afters!


The two Patriotic Front (PF) Ministers, Justice Minister, Wynter Kabimba and his Defence Minster Geoffrey Mwamba have both welcomed the probe instituted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
In separate interviews both Ministers said that they had nothing to fear or hide.
Mr Kabimba said he had confidence in the ACC and that it would get to the bottom of the matter and the truth would surface.
“I welcome the investigations. I have confidence in the ACC and I am sure the truth will come out,” Mr Kabimba said.
His counterpart, Mr Mwamba said the investigations would help to establish the truth and that he looked forward to the outcome of the probe.
“I have welcomed the investigations and I am looking forward to the probe and there is no problem, let them do the investigations.
ACC has launched preliminary inquiries into corruption allegations against Justice Minister, Wynter Kabimba and his Defence counterpart, Geoffrey Mwamba.
ACC spokesperson, Timothy Moono said at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that the launch of the inquiries followed complaints received on the alleged conduct of the two Cabinet Ministers.
“Yes we are on that case, our officers have received official complains of alleged corruption involving the two Ministers and the nation will be kept informed of the outcome of the investigations,” Mr Moono said.
Mr Kabimba, who is Patriotic Front (PF) Secretary-General, is alleged to have influenced the procurement tender process so that Trafigura would be awarded the tender to supply Zambia with petrol and diesel for one year.
Trafigura was awarded the supply deal at a cost of US$500 million for the one year period.
On the other hand, Mr Mwamba is accused of influencing ZESCO to award his company and others where he had interests, a one-year contact for the supply and delivery of wooden poles.
ZESCO intends to award a tender for the supply and delivery of nine, 10 and 12 metre-wooden poles on a year-running-contract basis to several bidders, among them Arizona Marketing and Distribution, which belongs to Mr Mwamba and two of his family members.
Arizona Marketing and Distribution’s bid price on the ZESCO poles contract was about K36.7 billion.
The company, according to the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA), was owned by Mr Mwamba, of Plot 10 Roan Road in Lusaka’s Kabulonga area.
Preliminary notification of the contract award for the tender, whose bids were closed and opened on June 8, 2012, indicated that the preliminary award had been issued pursuant to Part VI, Section 53 (1) and (2) of the Zambia Public Procurement Act No. 12 of 2008.


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Lady Pirates sunk in final seconds at Bayfield
BAYFIELD — Stung not once, but twice by opposing center/forward Jordan Lanning’s last-second shooting at the end of a quarter, Monte Vista’s girls unluckily dropped their second 3A Intermountain League game in as many days Saturday afternoon on the road.
But that was only after senior guard Mariah Barbosa—exactly whom the hosting Lady Wolverines didn’t want to see with the ball—was narrowly off-line with her buzzer-beating three-point attempt, coming after Lanning dropped in a 14-footer with 0:03.2 remaining in an unexpected thriller, putting Bayfield up 51-49 as MVHS head coach Vicente Barbosa clamored for a timeout amidst the crowd’s roar.
Having also knocked down a jumper ending the third quarter, cutting the Lady Pirates’ lead down to 40-38 after MVHS senior Kaitlyn Porter’s second three of the stanza had put the guests up 39-29 just 2 minutes, 45 seconds earlier, Lanning finished with a team-high 15 points and a whole new level of respect from first-year skipper Josh Kitchen.
“I’m crazy proud of her as a junior to step up in a tough game, a big environment when the crowd’s loud, and attack like that…make those kinds of shots,” he said. “And I think the girls kind of followed that; it was a phenomenal effort.”
It had to be. For with Barbosa scoring seven first-quarter points, senior Tayler Chacon five and junior Hannah Jones five, Monte Vista (3-6, 0-2 IML) raced out to a 19-7 lead before BHS junior reserve post Mikayla Barnes hit back-to-back 16-footers from straight away just before time expired.
Boosted by their bench, the Lady Wolverines (3-7, 1-1) made their first of two large rallies to finally pull even at 22-22 via two close-range hoops by freshman reserve post Macee Schultz, and a putback by freshman forward/guard Halle Loveday. But starting junior guard Tymbree Florian, tasked with blanketing Barbosa, then picked up her fourth foul with 37 seconds still remaining before halftime—at which point MVHS had regained a four-point lead via two disconnected Barbosa free throws and a Chacon deuce.
Indicating that Bayfield would be ready to fight to the finish, freshman forward Kira Riley rejected Porter’s last-second attempt to keep the home fans energized. Monte Vista, however, wasted no time in declaring their ultimate intent with Porter opening the third quarter with a confident trey.
Her third and final long-distance make would put the Lady Pirates up 48-47, immediately after Lanning had briefly put BHS ahead with a breakaway layup. But after Florian fouled out with 1:26 left, senior starter Cinnamon Varnell, to that instant held scoreless, cleaned up a Schultz miss—already twice rebounded by the shooter—to re-tie the battle at 49-49 following a Barbosa free throw resulting from Florian’s disqualification.
All told, Jones’ 17 points led all players, but she was just 2-of-8 from the charity stripe—where MVHS finished just 14-of-29 (by comparison, BHS was 6-of-13). Eight-of-thirteen herself in the FT category, Barbosa totaled 13 points and Porter 11. Chacon booked eight, but Monte Vista’s bench was outscored 18-0.
Schultz and Riley each finished with eight points to go with Barnes’ four and Loveday’s two. Regulars Florian, Tiarra Christensen and Madison Wells also scored four points apiece as nine different Lady Wolverines logged at least a point.
After a non-league test Wednesday at Buena Vista (2-6 overall), the Lady Pirates will resume IML work Friday versus Montezuma-Cortez (2-8, 0-2) at home and then visit #1-ranked Centauri on Saturday.
BHS, meanwhile, will travel to #4 Pagosa Springs—7-2 overall, 2-0 IML prior to hosting 2A Sanford (6-3) tonight—on Friday, then host Alamosa on Saturday.