Females develop breasts as an important part of their reproduction system. Development actually begins in the fetal stages, and continues throughout a female's lifetime. For young girls, outward breast development is an important, emotional time. Final changes occur at menopause, signifying the end of the reproductive cycle.
Fetal Stage
Around the 6th week of development, the fetus begins to show internal signs and symptoms of a milk line. This thickening produces a nipple by time of birth.
Puberty
The first outwardly noticeable symptoms of breast development happen during puberty. One of the first signs will be pubic and armpit hair. Fat begins to accumulate and the duct system begins to swell, causing breasts to enlarge. The menstrual cycle also begins around the time of breast development.
Menstrual Changes
Breasts undergo cyclical changes throughout normal menstruation. Nearing ovulation, breasts may show symptoms of swelling and hardening, as they prepare for impending pregnancy. If pregnancy fails to occur, signs fade until the following cycle.
Pregnancy
Signs of breast change are one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms. Breasts may become tender and lumpy. You may also notice a darkening of the areolas and soreness of the nipples.
Menopause
When a woman reaches middle age, breasts show outward signs of their final change. Having fulfilled their reproductive duties, milk ducts begin to shrink, showing outward symptoms of breasts sinking and sagging.
Hospitals and other medical facilities use GPOs to get better prices on supplies.
Group purchasing associations, often referred to as group purchasing organizations, aim to get businesses better prices on supplies and merchandise by pooling their purchase orders. This gives GPOs greater purchasing power and the ability to negotiate more favorable purchasing contracts than individual members could get on their own. The concept exists in several industries, including food retailing. Associated Grocers, for example is a network of independent grocery stores and small, regional supermarket chains that helps smaller operators compete with the large national chains. However, GPOs are best known in the health-care industry where medical facilities use them extensively, with some controversy.
Bargaining Power
Medical supply and equipment manufacturers are usually willing to give discounts and favorable terms in exchange for guaranteed sales. That's why they give discounts in exchange for contracts involving exclusivity, volume and long periods of preferred provider status. While large hospital systems may have the buying power to negotiate their own discounts and terms, independent hospitals and small medical facility systems often face higher prices that make it difficult for them to get good deals. Purchasing associations and organizations were founded to help level the playing field and get all participating facilities --- large and small --- the best prices possible.
Dominance
According to the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association (HIGPA), 98 percent of hospitals use GPOs to make purchases. In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission found that the top seven GPOs accounted for 85 percent of all medical facility supply buying. This means that a few companies control the buying power of the entire health-care industry, which has sparked concern among consumers and regulators.
Questions and Concerns
The Federal Trade Commission, the Government Accounting Office and Congress have investigated health-care GPOs for price-fixing and working against consumers' best interests. They are concerned that GPOs lack incentive to really get the best prices as their revenues are based in part on percentages of total sales. The higher the sales price, the more GPOs collect, which runs contrary to the concept of getting the best pricing. Many GPOs also charge administrative fees to vendors who become part of their network of contracts. The FTC regards this practice as a form of "kickback," which raises concerns about whether or not GPOs are fully representing the interests of health-care facilities and, therefore, health-care consumers.
Sufficient Change?
HIGPA has led member GPOs in a movement to establish ethical standards. Most GPOs have developed their own documents on ethics. The FTC reports that despite adoption of GPO statements dedicating themselves to the interests of consumers, there remains reason to believe that GPOs are price-fixing and keeping prices artificially inflated, which increases health-care costs.
Tags: best prices, better prices, better prices supplies, buying power, Federal Trade, Federal Trade Commission
The radiology department provides critical imaging information for hospitals around the world. Radiologists take important diagnostic tests such as MRIs, X-rays and CT scans. The staff interacts with radiologists, technologists, physicians, nurses and clerical workers in every department. Accurate records must be kept track of, and sent to, several departments daily. Clerical staff provide vital tracking, patient transporting duties and filing duties.
Radiology Assistant
A radiology assistant handles clerical as well as non-technical duties for internal and external customers. The customers consist of patients, radiologists, nurses, technologists and physicians. Other duties include lifting, positioning and transferring patients as well as other patient-care tasks. Usually they must have a high school education. Additional courses such as medical terminology and computer classes are also preferred. Radiology assistant salaries average just over $26,000 a year as of July, 2010.
Radiology Transporter/Clerk
Radiology transporters usually work under the supervision of the radiology clinic supervisor. Duties include transporting in-patients from radiology to various nursing units. Transporters check transport equipment daily and report malfunctions immediately to the supervisor. Minimal requirements include a high school diploma or equivalent and current CPR certification. Previous medical experience, though not required, is a plus for this position. Radiology transporters salaries range nationwide from $21,000 to almost $27,000 per year as of July, 2010.
File Clerk
The file clerk maintains active and interactive radiology files. This position usually falls under the supervision of the lead manager of the radiology or imaging department. They must be proficient with a computer and knowledge of medical technology is a plus. File clerks must also have good customer service skills, as they may greet and work with patients. Radiology file clerk salaries run comparable to radiology assistant compensation.
Radiology Representative
Radiology representatives perform clerical tasks in the operating room. This includes preparation of a patient's film record, making requisitions from prescription orders, accurate entry of patient information on the computer and customer service, including greeting the patient. A starting salary for radiology representative runs about $58,000 annually as of July, 2010.
Radiology Admitting Clerk
A front-line position requiring patient interaction, the admitting clerk acts as the receptionist for the radiology department. He assists with greeting customers, scheduling appointments, answering phones and providing general clerical support. As of July, 2010, the average salary for this position runs about $20,000 a year and most radiology departments hire clerks with previous medical experience.
Radiology Scheduling Clerk
Radiology departments need efficient clerks to handle the hundreds of appointments they schedule for out-patients as well as in-patients. The clerks must quickly and effectively juggle scheduled patients as well as emergency patients coming in for X-rays, scans or MRIs. Most radiology departments require previous experience in scheduling radiology appointments. The average salary for a scheduling clerk is comparable to an admitting clerk's salary.
Tags: July 2010, radiology department, 2010 Radiology, average salary, Clerk Radiology
Professional educators in London make more than their counterparts in other parts of the United Kingdom.
Educators in London schools earn more than teachers in other parts of the United Kingdom because of the higher cost of living in the city. Those who live near London also receive more compensation than those further away to offset the high cost of living. Salaries are based on experience and time vested at the particular institution, but can raise if teachers receive favorable evaluations that place them in the upper salary range or develop special skills.
Proximity to London
London-area teachers earn more money the closer the school is to the city's center, based on a 2010 salary scale approved by the School Teachers' Review Body. Teachers outside the London area start at a base salary of f21,588, as of September 2010 salary levels, according to the London Times' Times Educational Supplement, which reported the School Teachers' Review Body's salary levels. In the fringe area around London, salaries start at f22,626. In the outer London area, the salary base increases to f25,117. Teachers in inner London start at a salary base of f27,000.
Place on Pay Scale
Teachers' salaries also vary depending on their experience level. This is weighed on a six-point scale system, with the least experienced teachers starting at the lowest point on the salary scale and the more experienced teachers moving up the salary ladder. Each school has a different policy for where teachers are first placed scale and may award points to bump a teacher up a pay grade based on relevant experience or expertise. Each September, teachers move up another spot on the scale and can progress by two spaces for excellent performance.
Upper Pay Scale
Experienced teachers who get to the highest level on the main pay scale have an opportunity for higher salaries. They must apply to be evaluated and can cross the threshold to an upper pay scale if they meet the school's standards. Once teachers are placed on the upper pay scale, they can continue to receive raises, but do not receive them as frequently as before. Typically, movement upward on the upper pay scale is only every two years and is based on performance.
Pay for Advanced Skills
Educators with advanced skills have a separate pay scale that pays them significantly more than other teachers. Each advanced skill teacher is evaluated and placed on the scale based on their skills. The full advanced skills teachers scale is much broader than the pay scale for basic teachers, with 18 pay levels instead of just six. As with the other pay scales, teachers inside London earn more that those in the fringe areas around London. An advanced skills teacher in London with the lowest skill level would start at f44,540 a year, as of 2010 levels. A teacher with the highest level of expertise would earn f64,036.
Administration Salary Scales
Like teachers, head teachers and deputy head teachers are evaluated on a scale system and placed on a pay scale. They also earn more the closer to inner London they are. This x-point scale ranges from deputy head teachers earning f49,466 a year to the most experienced head teacher earning f112,181 a year, based on 2010 salary levels for those in London.
College and University Pay Scales
Pay for academic professionals at London colleges and universities is also based on a scale system that is approved by the University and College Union. Academic professionals are first rated on their position and then on a point system based on their experience. Pay is lowest for those who are classified as an unqualified lecturer. Pay increases for those who are classified as qualified lecturers, and more so if they have advanced teaching and training. Pay is highest for those who are in management. As of August 2009, the lowest-paid salary for an unqualified lecturer begins at f18,303. Qualified lecturers begin their salaries at f23,202 and, based on experience, can earn up to f35,106. Management can earn up to f87,834.
Unlike in the grade school sector, pay is not automatically set at a higher rate based on the area of London a teacher or administrator works in. Instead, the scale is the same for all colleges and universities in England.
Tags: earn more, 2010 salary, head teachers, more than, placed scale, salary levels, scale system
A transcriptionist listens to recorded materials and types the material into written form. The most common industry for transcriptionists is the medical field but transcriptionists do work in the legal industry and others. Transcriptionists typically work in an office environment, but many complete their work from home.
Job Duties
Transcriptionists need to transcribe dictation quickly and accurately.
Transcriptionists receive dictation (recordings) from professionals and type them to produce a written document. Depending on their level of experience and the field of work, transcriptionists may make corrections, such as fixing grammatical errors in speech. The transcriptionist generally works on deadlines and produces documents quickly and accurately. The professional usually receives the transcribed documents for approval and signature. Transcriptionists may physically retrieve and return the dictation and forms or the information or send them via the Internet or a company's intranet.
Job Requirements
Many employers require transcriptionist applicants to have some postsecondary training.
Many employers seek applicants with some postsecondary training in transcription. Many vocational schools and some community colleges offer training in transcription. Additional coursework or work experience that provides knowledge of the industry is beneficial for applicants to understand jargon and specialized terms used in the dictation. Employers often provide applicants with a skills test to determine their ability to complete the work in a timely manner. Applicants seeking to work from home will need to have a home computer and high-speed Internet access.
Work Environment
Transcriptionists typically work in a distraction-free environment.
Transcriptionists work at a computer terminal in an office environment or from home. Transcriptionists use a device the plays cassette or digital recordings of dictation. The transcriptionist usually uses a headset to listen to the machine and operates the machine with a foot pedal so she can use her hands to type. Transcriptionists often have a private office or location to work free from distraction. Because of the nature of the work, transcriptionists typically have only occasional interactions with others in the office.
Earnings Potential
Transcriptionist compensation varies widely.
The earnings of transcriptionist vary depending on several factors. Many transcriptionists receive pay on a per line or per word basis, making their income dependent on the speed and accuracy of their work. Transcriptionists are often contracted workers who are not eligible for employer-provided fringe benefits such as vacation and sick leave or health insurance. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in May 2008 the average wage of a medical transcriptionist was about $15.50 per hour.
Employers
Most transcriptionists will work in the medical field.
Hospitals and other health care facilities that have large amounts of dictated work typically employ transcriptionists. From doctors to counselors, many medical providers require transcriptionists to create notes documenting care and treatment. Not only required for a patient's medical records, these documents also are for insurance billing and industry compliance. Law firms and various levels of government also employ transcriptionists to document meetings, legal proceedings, and to create letters and memos.
Tags: from home, applicants with, employ transcriptionists, Many employers, medical field, office environment, postsecondary training
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), aspartame is a safe substitute for food sweeteners. The agency approved the compound for certain uses in 1981, 16 years after its discovery at G.D. Searles and Company. Despite numerous conflicting reports and studies by independent agencies, the approval has not been reversed as of 2010.
FDA Approved
The FDA lists aspartame as a nutritive sweetener, "in accordance with good manufacturing practices; or sufficient for purpose; or quantity not greater than required." In 1996, FDA stated aspartame was okay to use for "general purposes" as a sweetener, allowing it to be used in all foods and beverages.
Other Studies
The FDA website showcases one negative study on aspartame conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy. The FDA said it reviewed the data from the study, but not all the data were supplied. With the data on hand, the FDA noted shortcomings in the study and chose not to change its own findings.
Other Views
There are many websites that cast doubt on the safety of aspartame such as SweetPoison.com and NaturoDoc. However, none have provided exhaustive evidence to convince the FDA or other worldwide agencies that the compound is any more dangerous than normal food.
Aspartame.net lists many of the negative claims, along with its defense of the allegations.
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is a fundraising event that helps raise money for breast cancer research. It is made up of teams of racers that work together to raise money for the event and then participate together. The race is typically made up of a full or half marathon jog and walk. T-shirts can be provided by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, but if you want to get creative you can make your own Race for the Cure shirts for your team.
Instructions
1. Sketch your ideas for the T-shirts before you begin to paint. Does your team have a name? You will want to put the team name somewhere on your shirt. If your team has a certain logo or symbol that you want to use, make sure that gets included as well.
2. Decide how you want your shirts to look. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation asks that only breast cancer survivors wear pink, though pink lettering can be used. Choose colors to use on your shirt that will be appropriate. If you want to paint on your shirt, you will be using fabric paint. To tie-dye your shirts, you will need colorful fabric dyes and rubber bands.
3. Paint T-shirts by inserting a piece of cardboard in between the front and back layers of the shirt. Use fabric paint to paint designs onto the shirts. Stencils can be used to paint letters and numbers on the shirts, such as the team name and Race for the Cure.
4. Tie-dye shirts by using a tie-dye kit that includes squeeze bottles and fabric dye. Follow the directions on the kit to tie-dye your Race for the Cure shirts. Allow the shirts to dry before proceeding with fabric stencils.
5. Stencil your team name and other information on to the tie-dyed shirts with fabric paint and stencils.
6. Embellish either painted shirts or tie-dyed shirts using a hot glue gun and crystals, beads, buttons or ribbons. Decorate the shirts as you desire. Allow the shirts to completely dry before washing or wearing them.
Tags: Race Cure, your team, fabric paint, Susan Komen, team name, your shirt
Breast cancer is an abnormal cell change in the breast tissue. Chemotherapy is medication given and used with different goals in mind, depending on the stage of the cancer. Chemotherapy may be used to cure an early-stage cancer. Proof of the cure is when no more cancer cells appear for a long period of time. Chemotherapy may also be used to control a cancer from spreading, slow its growth or kill additional cells that have begun to spread to other parts of the body. Finally, chemotherapy may be used to help patients in an advanced stage by relieving pain and discomfort---all with the goal of improving the quality of life for those who suffer from breast cancer.
Metastatic Breast Cancer
Upon undergoing chemotherapy for an advanced stage cancer (cancer that has metastasized or spread), treatment is not curative. There is a strong relationship between clinical and sociodemographical factors, however. Regular medical visits, exams, treatment protocols in chemotherapy, psychological and financial support may improve a patient's quality of life. According to Science Daily, a study conducted at Copenhagen University Hospitals indicates mixed intensity exercise improves aerobic capacity, muscle strength and overall feelings of well-being; however, the study also describes patients as not having an improvement in quality of life due to chemotherapy's side effects such as fatigue.
Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Chemotherapy is sometimes an option for those diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. It usually depends on whether the surgically removed cancer is likely to reappear, which the patient discusses with the doctor or oncologist. According to chemotherapy.com, a survey conducted in May 2002 shows that almost all patients claim that support from family, friends and colleagues was what got them through chemotherapy, therefore improving their quality of life emotionally and physically.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy
Adjuvant chemotherapy is the use of drugs in combination with radiation therapy and surgery. Often, this form of therapy is given to stage 2 breast cancer patients. In premenopausal women, this form of therapy is said to delay recurrence of breast cancer significantly from the earliest stage to the most advanced stage. In post-menopausal women, researchers differ in the degree of impact. According to a study reported in the July 2000 Breast Cancer Research and Treatment journal, the quality of life after treatment demonstrates that younger patients who were unmarried had a poorer mental well-being and often displayed symptoms of depression correlating to previously mentioned studies, which indicates psychological support as being one of the most important factors in improving quality of life.
Support Networks
The Native American Cancer Research offers emotional and social support to those not only of Native American heritage. It also offers a cancer survivors network. Aquaticnet.com offers online as well as group-oriented support improving quality of life. Women's Cancer Network is also an online network that distributes monthly news letters and email updates.
Natural Stategies
Herbal and plant extract remedies, as well as vitamin and mineral supplements, may help improve quality of life for cancer patients. These remedies and supplements may be taken in place of conventional therapies or in conjunction with chemotherapy and may assist in either eradicating breast cancer or improving the side effects that go along with chemotherapy. To find out more about these natural remedies, go to cancerfightingstrategies.com.
Even though federal law prevents pregnancy from being considered as a pre-existing condition, pregnant women can still find themselves without insurance coverage for prenatal care and the baby's delivery. Since individual insurance companies have their own guidelines for coverage, a pre-existing pregnancy can be a complicated insurance issue.
HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prevents health insurers from terming pregnancy as a pre-existing condition in the event that the insured changes jobs or health plans when already pregnant. In this case, the insurer cannot deny coverage as long as the plan includes maternity coverage.
Group Health Plans
While HIPAA offers the most protection, it does not apply to everyone who needs coverage. HIPAA does not cover an individual who previously had no health insurance coverage or was covered under an individual plan and is then accepted in a group health plan. Even if a woman is enrolled in a new health insurance, the plan does not have to immediately cover her pregnancy. In other cases, a plan may require a pre-existing waiting period that can run longer than the pregnancy.
Changing Plans
When changing from one individual health insurance plan to another, pregnancy often is not covered. Even if a private plan covers pregnancy, the coverage could be expensive. Many insurance companies also require a waiting period. If you change jobs, but are not eligible for new group coverage until the eligibility period expires, your former employer is legally obligated to offer you a COBRA plan. This is one way to remain insured until your new plan becomes effective. However, many women cannot afford to pay the premiums, which can be more than 100 percent of the premium cost with administrative fees added. If your previous employer had fewer than 20 employees, the company is not required to offer you COBRA coverage.
Waiting Period
Some individual and group health plans have a one-month probationary period before you are eligible for insurance. While your pregnancy may be covered under an employer-sponsored plan, that coverage will not take effect until the plan takes effect. This could present problems if you are in the later months of pregnancy and find yourself without coverage for 30 days.
Short-Term Medical Plan
Because a short-term or temporary health insurance plan is intended to provide medical coverage for people who find themselves without health insurance for a brief time, a pregnancy makes a woman ineligible for coverage. Since the purpose of a short-term plan is to fill a temporary need, an entire family can be denied coverage when one family member is pregnant.
Short-Term Disability Plan
In most cases, short-term disability plans will not cover the medical costs associated with pregnancy until after you have been covered by the plan for at least one year. Although some short-term disability plans provide medical coverage for up to 12 months, many policies exclude pregnancy on the grounds that it is a pre-existing condition. Few plans will accept an applicant who has any kind of pre-existing condition. At the very least, plans typically have an exclusionary period under which a pre-existing condition is not covered until the period ends. The timing may not coincide with a pregnancy.
Planning
A pre-existing condition is typically defined as any health condition for which a person received medical care three to six months before the effective date of the policy. According to the American Pregnancy Association, it is estimated that about 13 percent of women who become pregnant in the U.S. each year are not covered by health insurance. So if you are thinking about getting pregnant, it might be wise to confirm the terms of your health insurance plan before your intentions become a reality. But if you are already pregnant and changing jobs, or if your spouse is thinking about changing jobs, bear in mind that you could find yourself without medical coverage for a time and plan accordingly.
Tags: health insurance, pre-existing condition, health insurance plan, insurance plan, medical coverage, already pregnant, changing jobs
Las Vegas, Nevada is a growing city that offers nurses opportunities after graduation.
Las Vegas evokes images of nightlife and gambling, but this city is also home to numerous higher institutions of learning. Nursing is a growing profession and Las Vegas is home to several schools that have degree programs for students seeking bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in nursing.
The University of Nevada in Las Vegas
The University of Nevada in Las Vegas offers programs for those seeking a bachelor's, master's, PhD or DNP degree in nursing. A DNP is a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. The bachelor's program is a four-year track that requires English and mathematics courses as well as nursing core courses and nursing clinical or internship requirements. The MSN, or master's in nursing, requires a BSN and further study in a specified track, such as family nurse practitioner or nursing education. The master's degree can be obtained in two years of full-time study. The PhD and DNP degrees are graduate degrees that involve intense study and clinical work. They can be obtained within two to three years of obtaining a master's degree for full-time students.
The University of Southern Nevada
The University of Southern Nevada offers traditional and accelerated bachelor of science in nursing degrees. The fast-track 18-month program offers classes such as Fundamentals of Nursing, Adult Health Nursing, Health Assessment, Nursing Research, Pediatric Nursing, Mental Health Nursing and Nursing leadership. Like other nursing programs, student must participate in clinical rotations to complete their degrees.
Touro University of Nevada
Touro University of Nevada offers a bachelor's degree in nursing, a master's degree in nursing and a doctor of nursing practice degree. The bachelor's degree consists of 16 months of nursing courses. For nurses who already have a bachelor's degree, a MS program requires five semesters of courses that include Human Diversity, Theoretical Applications of Nursing, Advanced Physical Assessment and Human Resource Development. The DNP degree program at Touro consists of six semesters of research-based and practice-based nursing courses.
Nevada State College
Nevada State College offers a two-year BN, a one-year accelerated BN and an online RN to BN degree for those who are already registered nurses. In addition to traditional college requirements such as Humanities, Math and English, the nursing program requires courses such as Medical Terminology, Human Development, Pathophysiology, Nutrition, Gerontology, Pharmacology, Mental Health Nursing, and Adult Health Nursing.
Tags: Health Nursing, master degree, University Nevada, bachelor degree, degree nursing
Work can be a dangerous place. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 4 million nonfatal workplace injuries occurred in 2007. Worse, more than 5,000 fatalities occurred in the workplace. Hazards exist in every job type, ranging from ergonomic factors to harmful radiation to toxic chemicals. Employers must understand and recognize these hazards in order to identify and implement appropriate protective measures.
Physical Hazards
Workplace physical hazards include heat, cold, vibration and high noise. Working at heights on roofs, ladders or scaffolding creates a risk of falling. Working in confined spaces carries a risk of asphyxiation. Workers can be struck by equipment or become entangled in machinery. Other equipment-related hazards include risk of electrical shock or exposure to harmful radiation such as with X-rays, lasers and radio-frequency energy. Improper lifting technique can cause back injuries, while just working at a computer for long periods can result in repetitive stress injuries. Simple housekeeping problems, such as spilled coffee on the floor, can cause a serious injury from a slip and fall. The most common cause of work-related injury is driving. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, highway incidents were the leading cause of workplace fatalities in 2006.
Chemical Hazards
Many jobs require the use of hazardous chemicals. These chemicals may be toxic, flammable, corrosive or reactive. Some are extremely dangerous, causing harm at very low doses, while others allow a greater exposure without causing physical harm. Health effects can manifest quickly (acute exposure) or over a long period of time (chronic exposure).
Respiratory Hazards
Many substances are harmful when inhaled. This includes substances such as asbestos, chemical solvents, metal fumes and dusts. Some individuals react adversely to certain types of mold found in the workplace. In addition, although many workplaces restrict smoking, secondhand smoke is still a potential respiratory hazard.
Biological Hazards
Medical and clinical laboratory workers handle potentially infectious bodily fluids and cultures. Medical professionals are exposed to sick and potentially infectious individuals. If workplace cafeterias do not follow proper food-handling protocols, their products can cause food-related illnesses. Virtually all workers are exposed to sick co-workers occasionally, increasing the risk of transmission of illnesses such as influenza and the common cold.
Stress and Violence
Increasingly, stress is surfacing as a workplace hazard. Worker reaction to long work hours, layoff fears and work pressures can manifest as tangible illnesses such as ulcers, high blood pressure and heart attacks. Worker stress can also spill over into violence. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workplace violence was the third leading cause of workplace fatalities in 2006.
Controls
Employers can implement measures to control these workplace hazards in order to enhance worker safety. Safety controls such as guards, interlocks and safe operating procedures control physical hazards. Personal protective clothing protects workers against chemical and biological hazards. Employers may also develop safe driver training and violence prevention programs to minimize these risks
Tags: According Bureau, According Bureau Labor, Bureau Labor, Bureau Labor Statistics, Labor Statistics
Breast cancer can occur in both women and men. This kind of cancer is more common among women, and the incidence in the United States is about 13 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. Less than 1 percent of breast cancer cases occur in men.
Some Basic Symptoms
Swelling in the breast and breast pain are just two of the physical symptoms of breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. A bloody or white discharge not related to milk production is another common symptom of breast cancer.
Breast Change Symptoms
Breast changes, such as indentation of a nipple or redness of skin on and around the breast also are indicators of possible breast cancer. If the size or shape of your breast changes significantly, this is another physical symptom that requires medical attention for a breast cancer test.
Other Symptoms
Breast cancer symptoms are not just limited to on or around the breast. Lumps on the collarbone or in the armpit could be warning signs of possible breast cancer.
Risk Factors
About 90 percent of breast cancer cases are not the result of inheriting a family history of cancer. The main risk factors for breast cancer include being a female and aging.
Death Rates
A breast cancer sufferer has a one in 35 chance of dying from the condition, according to the American Cancer Society. Because of better awareness of breast cancer, death rates have declined steadily declining in recent years.
Traditional Treatment
Breast cancer patients have more options for treatment, including lump removal and entire breast removal depending on the severity of the cancer condition. In addition, radiation and chemotherapy are treatment methods, especially when the cancer has spread beyond the breast.
Tags: breast cancer, breast cancer, according American, according American Cancer, American Cancer
Swelling after breast augmentation is the body's natural reaction to a foreign substance being introduced. Some implant patients may be alarmed at the amount of swelling after surgery, but knowing the usual time frame for healing can calm their fears.
Time Frame
After breast-implant surgery, swelling is common and can last from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the implant placement and variations in individual healing time.
Features
When implants are placed above the muscle, swelling usually lasts from four days to two weeks. For implants placed below the muscle, recovery takes longer, so swelling lasts from 2 to 12 weeks.
Preventing Swelling
To lesson the swelling, patients can sleep in a reclining position on their backs so pressure will not be on the chest.
Reducing Swelling
Compression bandages help support the breast implants and reduce swelling. Doctors recommend icing or cold compresses to reduce swelling as well.
Warning
If breast-augmentation patients experience extreme pain, blackening of the skin, excessive bleeding or swelling that gets worse, they should contact their physicians immediately.
Tags: days weeks, implants placed, lasts from, reduce swelling
Wall Street can help take a business to the next level.
Most entrepreneurs have visions of being their own boss, working for themselves and determining their own paths to success. They come up with an idea, research and plan, launch their business and are content. If their business is a success, it will continue to grow, and finally there will come a point where the entrepreneur will have to decide "Do I take this company public?" While it seems like going public takes a company out of the hands of the people that started it, there are some significant benefits to doing so.
Raising Capital
If a business needs an injection of funds to expand or grow its operations, going public can provide a significant advantage in terms of finding investors or allowing the general public to purchase stock in the company. Using stock funds as cash can help companies grow without relinquishing control over day-to-day operations. Going public also makes the company more visible to potential investors.
Gaining Publicity
Going public can increase the public's awareness of the company and contribute to growth in sales. Public companies are perceived as more stable than their private counterparts, giving the general public a greater level of trust in the company's policies and products. This publicity can also lead to the company's ability to attract a higher-caliber employee to come work for them.
Build Value for Sale
If a company's strategy is to grow, with the plan to sell the business for a large sum of money, going public can help contribute to the overall value of the company. Initial investors who see a value in the company will invest in the stock, with the hope that their return on investment will be lucrative in the future. Often value is perceived, but going public helps foster the perception that a company is worth more than what its books might initially show.
Tags: general public, going public, Going public, going public, their business, value company
A grant is a monetary award by a government agency or foundation that has a specific purpose: education, business development, or nonprofit development. These are not loans and do not require repayment (unless you do not follow the guidelines for the use of the grant money). Many women and minorities are able to improve their lives by applying for and being given grant money.
School Grants
If you are a woman or a minority, there are many grants that can assist with college education. Resources as CollegeScholarships.org provide grant information beyond the basic national Pell Grant available to most economically disadvantaged students. There are specific grants for Hispanic, African-American and Pacific Islanders. The Hispanic College Fund is one of many nonprofit organizations seeking to increase the number of Hispanic people (and other minorities) getting a college education. Large corporations such as Xerox and AT&T also offer minorities and women corporate grants to be applied to secondary education.
Small Business Grants
Small businesses are the backbone of many communities but often shut down because of a lack of adequate funding for development. The Minority Business Enterprise/Women's Business Enterprise helps small minority businesses achieve their "fair share" of funding. The Environmental Protection Agency offers special programs along with the Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization. These grants help small disadvantaged businesses gain funding and also qualify for government contracts.
Depending on the sector your business is in, you may qualify for specific funding from corporations that seek partnerships with small business owners. GovernmentGrantsUSA.com gives a comprehensive list of foundations that provide minority business grants.
Grant Writing
In applying for a grant, you need to make sure you are creating a customized grant application to each company and foundation to which you are applying. The reason for this is because you need to make sure your application is pertinent to the specific guidelines of each place. Foundations grant money for specific purposes, and if you are not meeting this purpose explicitly you will not qualify for the grant. Many individuals and businesses actually qualify in practice but do not make it clear enough in the application. A business that builds playgrounds may serve the needs of physical education for children, but if it isn't clearly spelled out for a grant funding companies that will prevent obesity, then you will be disregarded before your application is turned to page two.
Tags: grant money, Business Enterprise, college education, make sure, need make, need make sure, your application
The CF-73 was a laptop computer released by the Panasonic Corporation in 2004. Belonging to the company's "Toughbook" series, the machine's shock- and water- resistant components made it more durable than other laptops of its time. According to Laptop Magazine, lab tests indicated that the CF-73 performed above average for a machine in the "semi-rugged" category, making it one of the few products of its kind to achieve performance benchmarks comparable to those of mainstream laptops (See Reference 1).
Processor
Initially the CF-73 came standard with a 1.6 GHz Pentium M processor (See Reference 2). This was a single-core 32-bit processor with 2 MB of cache memory. Mobile Magazine reports that by 2005, Panasonic released another version of the CF-73 with an improved 1.86 GHz Intel Pentium M processor (See Reference 3).
Memory
The 2004 CF-73 came in two versions. A $3,500 machine included 256 MB of RAM upgradeable to 1,280 MB. A $3,750 version came with 512 MB of RAM upgradeable to 1,536 MB (See Reference 3). Paying the higher price also increased the hard drive size from 60 GB to 80 GB. Regardless of capacity, Panasonic used shock-and-vibration resistant hard drives in all CF-73s (See Reference 3).
Display
Unlike most laptops of its time, the CF-73 came with a touch screen option. Whether or not users opted for the touchscreen, the CF-73's display measured in at 13.3 inches (See Reference 3). Panasonic claimed that the screen was "sun-light readable." However, Laptop Magazine states that the screen lost significant contrast when viewed outdoors (See Reference 1).
Graphics
Early CF-73s used an ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics card (See Reference 2). According to Tom's Guide, this card operated at a speed of 240-250 MHz and was compatible with DirectX 8.1 software protocols (See Reference 4). Panasonic gave later CF-73s Intel's Graphics Media Accelerator 900 (See Reference 3). This unit had a speed of 333 MHz and was compatible with the updated DirectX 9 software protocols (See Reference 5).
Casing
The CF-73 housed its internal components in a magnesium-alloy case. The unit included a handle on its front panel, rubber coverings over some of its connection ports, and a water resistant keyboard and touchpad (See References 1 and 3). Its dimensions measured in at 11.7 by 10 by 1.7 inches (See Reference 2).
On-the-job training can be a way to become a CNA for free.
CNAs (certified nursing assistants) provide daily care for patients. They are vital in long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and hospitals. CNA training can often cost a few hundred dollars, depending on the type of training program you attend. However, if you train as a CNA while you work at a nursing home or hospital, you may be able to get your training at little or no cost.
Instructions
1. Check your local job classifieds. Look for advertisements for CNAs that offer paid training. Nursing homes and hospitals are two types of care facilities that may offer paid CNA training.
2. Call local nursing homes and hospitals to see if they offer paid CNA training. The programs may be full when you call, but ask when the next round of training begins or when they expect to be hiring in the future. Follow up at that time.
3. Apply for open CNA positions. After attending an interview, base your decision on what position to take based on your gut feel of the care provided at the facility to the patients as well as on how you think you would fit in to the facility's nursing and CNA teams.
Tags: homes hospitals, offer paid, offer paid training, paid training, care facilities, nursing homes, nursing homes hospitals
A stethoscope is commonly used during medical exams.
Doctors perform several medical exams on a daily basis. Regardless of whether the exam is a regular physical exam or an exam to identify the cause of symptoms, the same basic tools are used. These tools help provide basic information and vitals to the medical team. Additional tools may be used for more specific medical exams.
Scale
A scale measures how much a person weighs.
A medical scale is the most basic tool used during a physical exam. Scales can range from a simple sliding manual scale to a high-tech digital version. Some electronic versions are even able to provide a patient's body mass index. Weight is noted in the medical chart regardless of the reason for the medical visit. Generally, weight is recorded by a nurse or medical assistant prior to entering the exam room.
Otoscope
Otoscopes are used to examine the ears.
An otoscope is a small, hand-held, lighted instrument used to examine the ears. It allows nurses and doctors to see into the ear canal, tubes of the ears and eardrum. The light and magnification power of the instrument allow things to be noticed that cannot be seen with the naked eye. An ear speculum, a cone-shaped attachment, is used to see in the small opening of the ear. Speculums are disposable and changed with each new patient. Otoscopes may also be used to look at the eyes, throat or nasal cavity.
Stethoscope
A stethoscope has several different diagnostic functions.
A stethoscope allows doctors and nurses to listen to blood pressure, heartbeat and breathing sounds. This is an important diagnostic tool that allows medical professionals to quickly identify any abnormalities in the organs associated with these measurements. The stethoscope has two sides that can be placed against the body to listen to organ function. The larger side is used to listen to the cardiovascular system, and the smaller side is used for the respiratory system.
Thermometer
A thermometer checks a patient's temperature.
Temperature is usually measured during a physical examination. This is done with a thermometer. The specific type of thermometer used may vary between medical practices or according to the specific patient. Thermometers are generally digital and produce very quick results. Thermometers may be placed under the tongue, in an ear or under an armpit.
Sphygmomanometer
Sphygmomanometers are used to check blood pressure.
A sphygmomanometer is used to measure blood pressure. Traditional manual versions and advanced digital versions are used to obtain this measurement. A cuff is placed on the patient's right arm when using either version. Manual blood pressure measurements also require the use of a stethoscope. The stethoscope is placed on the arm near the cuff, where the health care staff can hear a pulse. Digital versions perform the same general function without the need of a stethoscope and often measure pulse rate, as well.
Tags: blood pressure, medical exams, during physical, examine ears, physical exam
Businesses are tapping the earth's geothermal energy as an environmentally friendly way to provide energy to buildings.
Part of the growing popularity of green energy has crept into the American business world. Regardless of the size of a business, they are tapping into geothermal systems as sources for business and their own heating and cooling. Federal and state agencies offer grants that can help businesses install geothermal energy systems as well as conduct research and develop production lines for the clean energy form. Small business have the most grant opportunities available to them because the federal government rarely awards grants to large companies. But both sizes can access many state-level grants.
Department of Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has allotted $30 million to award to small businesses to install clean energy technologies. The department gives the money through the Phase III Xlerator Program for Energy Research and Renewable Energy, Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Fossil Energy and Nuclear Energy. The money comes from the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer federal grant programs. In order for a small business to receive money from this program, it needs to have received grants from the SBIT or STTR's previous phases. Business must apply through Grants.gov.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Mail Stop EE-1
Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585
877-337-3463
eere.energy.gov
Department of Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development provides grants to small business in rural communities, as well as farmers and ranchers, to help them buy renewable energy systems. Along with geothermal systems, the Rural Energy for America Program covers the purchases of wind, solar or biomass systems. The grant program also covers certain types of upgrades, such as replacing HVAC systems or windows. Small businesses must meet the definition for one the Small Business Administration sets. The USDA also sets financial and population restrictions for eligibility.
USDA Rural Development, Room 205-W
Mail Stop 0107
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20250
202-720-4581
rurdev.usda.gov
California Energy Commission
Many states agencies award grants to help businesses develop geothermal programs. The California Energy Commission awards grants to companies that research, develop, demonstrate or commercialize geothermal energy. A power company in Mammoth Lake, Calif., for example, can receive $1 million from the state, with an approximately $4.6 million match, to install evaporative cooling of geothermal power plants with recycled water. The method involves cooling air by using evaporation to draw away surrounding warmth.
California Energy Commission
1516 Ninth Street, MS-29
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-654-4287
energy.ca.gov
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's Renewable Energy Program awards grants to manufacturing business based on how many jobs they create by beginning geothermal system production lines. The state awards up to $5,000 for every job a business creates and individual grantees can receive up to $5 million. Applicants must match the grants dollar-for-dollar. The program also offers loans valued up to $35,000 for every job created.
Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
Commonwealth Keystone Building
400 North Street, 4th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225
866-466-3972 (1-866-GO-NEWPA)
newpa.com
Tags: Renewable Energy, awards grants, California Energy, California Energy Commission, Department Energy, Energy Commission
Life insurance policies can actually benefit their owners while they're still alive.
In a viatical settlement, a person called the "viator" sells off his or her life insurance policy to a third-party viatical settlement company, called the "provider," for a lump-sum payment representing a fraction of the policy's face value. At that point, the provider becomes the beneficiary of the policy and takes over responsibility to pay the monthly premiums. When the viator dies, the provider then receives the full value of the policy.
History
Patients facing mounting medical costs can consider viatical settlements.
Viatical settlements can be viewed as a relatively new solution to an old problem: those diagnosed with serious illnesses face mounting medical bills while often unable to work as much as before, or at all, to offset those rising costs. These settlements first gained notoriety in the 1980s as the incidence of AIDS cases skyrocketed. Many of those afflicted with AIDS were young to middle-aged men who did not have children or spouses to worry about providing for after their deaths. And because they did not have enough retirement income to draw upon to see them through the deepening morass of medical bills, they had to find another way to fund their medical expenses. Those who had life insurance policies began selling them off to meet their more immediate financial needs.
As of 1989, only three investment firms specialized in the procurement of viatical settlements, compared with today's billion-dollar industry with more than 50 firms dealing in this type of settlement. Expectations are for this industry to evolve and grow still further as people live longer and medical costs continue growing.
Considerations
A viator receives a percentage of the life insurance policy's full face value.
The actual process of selling a life insurance policy is called to "viaticate." This process can be confusing, especially to those completely new to the idea. Viatical settlements can vary from state to state. The viatical industry is regulated on a state level, but some states don't regulate it at all. The first place to look to when considering a viatical settlement is your state's department of insurance, since these state agencies are the ones in charge of regulating viatical settlements---or not, as the case may be.
The process of viaticating typically begins when a terminal patient consults a broker, who helps negotiate the sale of the life insurance policy. Much more rarely, the policyholder will negotiate the sale to a viatical provider with no third-party broker involved. Depending upon a viator's life expectancy, he can expect to receive approximately 60 to 80 percent of the policy's face value. He then names the viatical provider as the beneficiary of his policy, and the provider takes over payment of the insurance premiums.
HIPAA
Under HIPAA, viatical settlement proceeds are tax-free up to the actual paid premium amount.
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the proceeds garnered from viatical settlements for the chronically or terminally ill are tax-free up to the actual paid premium amount over the life of the policy. According to the HIPAA, terminally ill means a patient has received a diagnosis "by a certified physician to have a life expectancy of under 24 months." Being chronically ill under HIPAA means the patient has become "permanently and severely disabled by an illness."
Settlement
Concern began mounting in the 1990s about the potential for abuses in the growing viatical settlement industry. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) stepped in and developed the Viatical Settlement Model Act and Regulation from 1993 to 2004. Over the years, up to 40 states have adopted some version of the Model Act. Government regulation of viatical settlements involves several areas, such as licensing requirements for brokers and providers, annual reporting requirements, requirements for filling out of forms, approval requirements, prevention of fraud, and privacy restrictions on disclosing the financial or medical information of an individual.
Regulatory Concerns
The life insurance industry is an ever-evolving one.
As the viatical settlement industry evolves, so, too, does the Model. It has been amended extensively and will no doubt continue to change. One trend receiving more scrutiny over the past few years is that of investor-owned life insurance, which involves companies convincing an individual to apply for life insurance, at which point the investor company pays the policyholder a lump sum to purchase the policy and then, in turn, resell the policy to new investors. This type of investment is often called a "wet ink" scheme because the ink barely has time to dry on one sale of the policy before it's sold off again. Another potential pitfall with investor-owned life insurance policies is the increased chance for fraud, either by falsifying information on an application so that a person who would otherwise not qualify for life insurance is able to buy the policy, or by the investor companies' inducing an otherwise-healthy individual to purchase the policy and then failing to disclose to third-party investors the truth about that individual's life expectancy.
Tags: life insurance, insurance policy, life insurance policy, viatical settlement, face value, insurance policies, life expectancy
If a physician detects tumors in a woman's breast, he will order a biopsy to test malignancy. A malignant tumor is cancerous. Even if the tumor is benign, health concerns may arise, so the doctor will want to have it removed. Before the decision is made, the physician orders a biopsy. A biopsy is a procedure that take cells from the tumor, and the physician is able to view them under the microscope for any malformations.
Needle Aspiration
Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a procedure in which the doctor removes cells directly from the tumor using a small needle. The doctor may not use anesthetics because the needle is usually smaller than the anesthetic needle. This makes injecting anesthesia more painful than the biopsy itself.
Core Needle
A core needle biopsy (CNB) uses a larger needle than the FNAB procedure. Because this needle is larger and needs to be inserted several times into the tumor, the doctor will use anesthetics. This procedure takes longer, but more accurate results are delivered.
Stereotactic
Stereotactic core needle biopsies are performed using an X-ray machine. Unlike the CNB and FNAB procedures, stereotactic methods are more accurate by using an X-ray machine and computer to guide the needle. This method is used most often for biopsies of calcium deposits.
Vacuum-Assisted
A vacuum-assisted biopsy (VACB) is a type of procedure in which cells are retrieved using a suctioning method. Anesthetics are used since the area of tumor-cell removal is cut. The vacuum tube is then placed in the cut and into the tumor for cell removal.
MRI Guidance
MRI guidance procedures are similar to stereotactic methods. The MRI machine maps out the location of the tumor for the doctor to follow when placing the needle in the body. This is beneficial for women who need biopsies done in areas that can only be seen by an MRI machine.
Tags: doctor will, FNAB procedure, from tumor, into tumor, more accurate
Responsibilities of sonographers include assisting surgeons during operations and using diagnostic imaging equipment to examine patients.
Sonographers or ultrasonographers are highly trained medical professionals. Operating sophisticated diagnostic imaging equipment to assess the medical conditions of patients requires experience and training. The profession requires an in-depth comprehension of pathology, anatomy and physiology. Sonographers must also be empathetic, patient and enjoy interacting with patients. Many sonographers are employees or contract workers at hospitals, medical clinics and laboratories. A medical diagnostic sonographer can expect to make an annual average salary of $61,980 according to BLS and employment is expected to grow 20 percent through 2018.
Diagnostic Imaging
Diagnostic medical sonographers use a specialized device known as a transducer which emanates high frequency sound waves through the area of the body being examined. When the sound waves reach the part of the body being evaluated, an image is created by a computer based on the vibrations. This process is commonly referred to as an ultrasound. The recorded images and analytical results are forwarded to the physician so that a medical diagnosis can be determined.
Patient Care
Sonographers must have strong communication skills due to close interactions with patients. Patients are interviewed by sonographers for the purpose of obtaining an accurate medical history. During the examination, the sonographer talks to the patients to let them know which positions will help them retrieve the clearest images. Sonographers are also responsible for determining if further tests need to be performed to accurately assess the patient's condition.
Managerial Duties
Managing the overall functioning of diagnostic centers and overseeing staff members' schedules may fall under a sonographer's responsibilities. When a surgeon has difficulty viewing certain areas of the patient's body during surgery, sonographers provide assistance. Their overall judgment and collaboration with medical staff is integral in providing high-quality care to the patients.
Physical Requirements
Physical strength and stamina is needed for this position, since a sonographer may stand for extended periods of time and maneuver patients during examinations. Good eyesight is imperative because this technician must choose images that will help the physician accurately assess the patient's medical condition. Excellent hearing is also an asset since it allows the distinguishing of the different sounds coming from the equipment when the patient is being examined.
Tags: accurately assess, accurately assess patient, assess patient, being examined, body being, diagnostic imaging
There are two different types of bone cancer. The first is primary bone cancer, which is cancer that starts in the bone. The second is secondary bone cancer, which occurs when cancer in another body part has spread, or metastasized, to the bones. People with breast cancer, lung cancer or prostate cancer are especially prone to bone metastases. Cancer can metastasize to several different parts of the bone.
Just as cancer can originate at other body parts and metastasize to the bone, bone cancer also can metastasize to other body parts. Primary bone cancer which has not spread is referred to as localized bone cancer, and generally has a much higher survival rate than bone cancer which has spread to other sites on the body.
The prognosis for primary bone cancer and secondary bone cancers differ. Additionally the prognosis for primary bone cancers differ, depending on what stage at diagnosis and the treatment.
Types of Primary Bone Cancer
The body has more than 200 bones, and any individual bone or set of bones within the body can be affected by bone cancer.
However, there are several common types of bone cancer which tend commonly to affect specific bones within the body. Osteosarcoma, which primary strikes children and young adults, is most commonly found in the knee bones or surrounding areas. Osteosarcoma begins to develop in new tissue, called osteoid, in growing bones.
A second common type of bone cancer, Ewing's sarcoma, again primarily strikes children and young adults. Doctors believe Ewing's sarcoma develops in immature nerve tissue in the bone. Ewing's sarcoma primarily affects bone in the upper leg and pelvis.
Approximately 20 percent of all bone cancers are referred to as Chondrosarcoma, which generally originates in the pelvis, ribs, or upper thigh, although it can also be found below the knees or elbows. Chondrosarcoma, which primarily affects adults, usually begins in cartilage, although it can also originate within a bone or along the surface of a bone. Chondrosarcoma primarily targets adults between the ages of 40 and 75. Rare cases diagnosed in young people are referred to as mesenchymal-chondrosarcoma.
Chordoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma--which typically originates in the legs and arms--and firbosarcoma are also mostly seen in adults and rarely in children.
Factors Affecting Prognosis for Primary Bone Cancer
There are several factors affecting prognosis for primary bone cancer. Localized bone cancers generally have a better prognosis than metastatic bone cancer. The most important factors are the type and location of the bone cancer; the stage of the disease; whether the disease is in one site or many; whether it has metastasized to other sites or other body parts; the grade of the cancer (how much the cells deviate from normal, the speed at which the cells multiply), and the patient's general health and response to treatment.
Other important factors include how long the patient had symptoms, including fatigue and pain at the site of the cancer, and how much of the cancer can be removed by surgery or killed by chemotherapy.
5 Year Survival Rates for Localized Primary Bone Cancer
While the survival rates vary, progress is being made to greatly improve the survival rates for the most common types of bone cancer.
For example, experimental therapies tested in 2007 by Holcombe E. Grier of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children's Hospital, demonstrated that Ewing's sarcoma patients with localized bone cancer--cancer in one particular site--had as much as a 72 percent survival rate, up from the 61 percent with previous treatments.
The survival rate for osteosarcoma can be as high as 70 percent to 75 percent for localized primary bone cancer.
Long term survival rate for those with chondrosarcoma is generally between 50 percent and 75 percent.
Survival Rates for Primary Bone Cancer That Has Metastasized
Once primary bone cancer metastasizes to other parts of the body, survival rates diminish greatly. This occurs because the cancer can no longer be treated or eliminated by removing the tumor and cancer cells within the bone.
Survival rates vary dramatically depending on where the cancer metastasizes to. Metastases to the nerves or blood vessels may be treated by amputating the affected limbs. Metastases to the lungs or breast is far more serious and carries relatively low 5-year survival rates, which vary depending on the extent of the metastases.
Survival Rates for Secondary Bone Cancer
Survival rates for secondary bone cancer depend on the extent of the metastases to the bone, other sites of metastases and the type of primary cancer. Generally, widespread metastases to the bone has a poor prognosis and very low survival rates. In addition, metastases to the bone often has symptoms which adversely affect daily living, including pain at the metastases site and/or elevated calcium levels in the bloodstream, leading to symptoms including delusions, kidney stones or even death.
Tags: bone cancer, bone cancer, bone cancer which, cancer which, bone cancers, Ewing sarcoma, primary bone cancer
Google.org offers technology awards, internships and scholarships.
Google.org is the philanthropic arm of the search engine giant. The charitable organization leverages the company's wealth, engineering talent and global presence to tackle some of the worlds' most pressing concerns, such as climate change, pandemic disease and poverty. In 2009, Google.org shifted its focus to its engineering contributions, seeking to create technology products that directly address these global issues. They offer a number of engineering grants that encourage technological innovation.
Faculty Research Awards
Google created this program to facilitate partnerships with academia. These annual awards, from $10,000 to $150,000, support faculty research that improves information access, according to Google.org. The website lists 17 areas of particular interest, including education innovation, health and human-computer interaction. Full-time university faculty members are eligible to apply for these Google research awards, which involve completing a three-page application that describes prospective research.
google.org
RISE Awards
The Google RISE (Roots in Science and Engineering) program funds initiatives in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computer science education. The awards are given to U.S. organizations that work with college students and support enrichment programs in these areas. Depending on the program, awards may be a combination of funding, such as in-kind donations and volunteer resources. Monetary awards are $500 to $10,000.
google.org
BOLD Internships
The BOLD (Building Opportunities for Leadership and Development) program encourages diversity, providing summer internships aimed at populations historically under-represented in the field of technology. The 11-week paid internship with a business unit gives students exposure to a technology company, and provides workshops, mentors and networking opportunities.
google.org
Ph.D. Fellowship
The Ph.D. Fellowship Program rewards graduate students who do exemplary work in "computer science, related disciplines or promising research areas," according to Google.org. The 2010 fellowship will recognize exceptional students conducting research in fields such as market algorithms, cloud computing, machine learning, computer security and natural language processing. Successful applicants will be awarded two-year fellowships that include tuition, books and fees; a $25,000 stipend; $5,000 toward a personal computer; $5,000 a year to attend conferences; and other perks. Eligible applicants are full-time doctoral students in a relevant research field who have completed their graduate coursework and are recommended by their department. Each eligible university can submit up to two candidates. Applications are not accepted from students. Contact your department to determine if your university is eligible.
google.org
Summer of Code
Summer of Code is an international program that offers student developers a stipend to write software code for selected open source projects during a three-month period. Successful applicants are assigned a mentor from one of the participating projects, gaining not only software developing experience but contacts in the field as well. Eligible participants must be college students enrolled in an accredited institution. Students in pre-university programs also may be eligible. Started in 2005, Summer of Code has mentored 2,500 students from 98 countries.
google.org
Tags: Summer Code, according Google, Awards Google, college students, computer science
The State of Illinois has a comprehensive health insurance program for children called All Kids. There are currently 1.3 million Illinois children enrolled in All Kids, and the state is working hard to get the remaining 250,000 uninsured children to join All Kids. All Kids is a means-based insurance plan, which means you pay premiums and co-pays (payments per visit) for your insurance based on your income and family size and is often completely free for larger families with lower incomes.
Instructions
1. Calculate your total income. Make sure to include all income sources like pensions, disability payments and so forth. The premiums and co-pays each family is responsible for are calculated on a sliding scale based on income and family size, and as of 2010 the children 18 or below of a family of four earning less than $29,000 annually would be insured through All Kids for no charge. As income increases, families are expected to contribute more, up to $80 a month premium per child and up to $10 co-pays.
2. Apply to All Kids. This can be done online or by mail or in person if you want to work with an All Kids application agent in your neighborhood or community. Look at the All Kids Application Agents Search website for the application.
3. Pick your medical home. Your medical home is the doctor's office or clinic of your primary care physician where all your records will stay in one place and your doctor can get to know you as you see him over time. To find a health care provider that works with All Kids for your medical home, visit the Illinois Health Connect website in the Resources for complete listings and assistance.
Tags: medical home, family size, income family, income family size, premiums co-pays, with Kids, your medical
If you have hard water and do not scrub your toilet bowl regularly, then calcium deposits can build up in your toilet bowl, causing unsightly crusts around the inside of the toilet. It not only looks unsightly, but can cause plumbing problems as well. Fortunately, there is a simple remedy that you can attempt yourself without the aid of an expensive plumber. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Wear rubber gloves that extend to your elbow to protect yourself from harmful bacteria.
2. Shut off the water valve that is located behind the toilet. Flush the toilet to empty the bowl of water. Pour a bottle of white distilled vinegar into the toilet bowl and allow it to soak for an hour. Vinegar is an acid that will loosen mineral deposits in the toilet while remaining safe for use around pets and children.
3. Rub a wet pumice stone or nail file over the calcified areas. It should come off easily, so use light pressure and be careful not to scratch the toilet bowl.
4. Scrub the toilet with a scrub brush to make it sparkling clean inside and flush the toilet.
Tags: toilet bowl, Calcification From, Calcification From Toilets, From Toilets, Remove Calcification
The thyroid gland is in front of the upper portion of the trachea. It is a small, ductless, bilobed, butterfly-shape gland. Unless you have an enlarged thyroid gland, you might have difficulty feeling it or finding it yourself. One way physicians palpate, or feel, the thyroid involves approaching the patient from behind and using both hands. They reach around to the front of the patient, and using three fingers, gently press on the sides of the trachea, meeting the fingers of both hands near center, while the patient is asked to swallow. The swallowing creates a bulge that makes the thyroid more apparent.
Instructions
1. Stand facing a mirror large enough to show your head, neck and chest. Look into the mirror and try to locate your thyroid just by visual inspection. It is on the front of your neck and above the breastbone. It is commonly not visible, although you might be able to find its approximate physical location. This is an internal gland and manual palpation might not be successful. If you have a goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid, finding it by sight or feel might be easier. People with large layers of fat around their necks can have difficulty in locating the thyroid, even with a goiter.
2. Palpate the thyroid to determine its approximate size and location. Bend both arms at the elbows, with your fingers outstretched. Face the palms inward, and place both hands onto the sides of the trachea, fingers nearly touching. Remember to keep a very light and gentle touch. Use the index, middle, and ring fingers to feel the sides of the trachea.
3. Swallow repeatedly to help find the thyroid. If the thyroid is enlarged, the tissue might be apparent on the sides of the trachea. If the thyroid is too small, it will be difficult to impossible to find. This test is most successful when performed by a trained medical practitioner. Do not be surprised or too discouraged if you are not successful.
Some girls participate in Girl Scouts from the time they are in kindergarten, as a Daisy, through their teen years, as a Senior Girl Scout. Therefore, meeting ideas and activities may vary, although the focus centers on friendship, good deeds and a healthy lifestyle.
Getting to Know You
No matter the age, at the first meeting, girls learn the Girl Scout promise and law, which states that they will treat others and God with honor and respect and help others in times of need. Girls will discuss ideas they have for activities with their troop leaders, although the Daisies and Brownies also have more scheduled time for arts and crafts and playful partner activities. Junior Girl Scouts will work in teams by performing skits to learn about each other, while Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts brainstorm their strengths to form ideas for the year.
Time Capsule
Plan an activity that centers on the girls themselves. This works best with Brownies and Junior Girl Scouts. Have the girls share about their families, interests, favorite books and television shows, and ideas for the year in the friendship circle. After writing them down, seal them away in a small cardboard box, not to be opened until the end of the year. At the last meeting of the year, the troop leader can reveal how well they met their goals and discuss how much each of the girls has changed.
Friendship
Discuss the importance of teamwork and cultural similarities and differences to get along with all the girls. Prepare the girls for the option of traveling abroad to another country in the International Recognition program, where they will live with a host family and be immersed with their culture and history. Have the girls build a scrapbook of their memories with their friends so they will always remember them. Encourage them to stay in contact with their host family and to invite their new friends to the United States for an upcoming holiday.
Education and Awareness
Since the Indian Hills Girl Scouts and the San Jacinto Girl Scouts founded the "In the Pink" project in 2005, several more troops have gotten involved. To participate in the project, which focuses on breast-cancer awareness, troops are required to learn more about breast cancer, including that the founder of the Girl Scouts, Juliette Law, died of it in 1927. They are encouraged to educate other young girls in the community about the risks of breast cancer and do breast exams at home. Although Girl Scouts technically are not allowed to raise money for events, they are encouraged to join breast-cancer walks to show their support for other walkers.
Nutrition and Exercise
Although the Girl Scout organization does focus on a healthy lifestyle, Richard Rosenkranz, an assistant professor at Kansas State, states that the program should focus more on physical activities than the current sedentary activities. The girls should consider practicing current dance moves or aerobics or running races outside. Troop leaders may also want to reanalyze the snacks to make sure they are serving healthy food, such as vegetables and low-fat dip or cheese and whole-grain crackers.
Tags: Girl Scouts, Girl Scout, with their, they will, Although Girl, breast cancer, Have girls
Fingernails, such as these, appear healthy when not affected by leukonychia.
Healthy fingernails are clear and free of discoloration and deformity of shape. The presence of abnormalities, such as white spots, indicates special attention is needed in one or more areas of your health.
Definition
The medical term for white spotting on fingernails is "leukonychia" which originates from the Greek words "leuko," meaning white and "onyx," the word for nail.
Nutrition
Abnormalities in the appearance of your fingernails often stem from poor diet or can be signs of a health disorder in another part of your body.
Considerations
Leukonychia can be acquired or passed on genetically. There can be several causes of acquired leukonychia including typhoid fever, cirrhosis, leprosy, trauma, drugs or hypocalcemia.
Types
In true leukonychia, white spots appear on the nail plate, however, pseudoleukonychia is a condition in which the spotting is underneath the nail and involves the nail bed.
Syndromes
Leukonychia can affect you as a sole condition or as part of a syndrome of disorders, some known as hypoparathyroidism, peptic ulcer disease, leukonychia totalis and the Bart-Pumphrey Syndrome.
In 1996, Richard Smally won the Nobel Prize. He discovered the components of carbon nanotubes, called Buckminsterfullerence. It emits an infrared light, seen in the body. Working with John Kanzius, Smally is working to discover a safe, non-invasive way to cure cancer. In time, we may have our cure for cancer.
Cancer research can help save people from this disease.
John Kanzius
John Kanzius had leukemia and endured 36 chemotherapy treatments. He knew there had to be a better method to killing cancer. He began trying to find a way to coat cancer cells with a substance that radio waves would seek out and destroy.
Steven Curley
Kanzius conducted tests using hot dogs and radio waves. When he met with Steven Curley and they experimented with different minerals. They changed from using copper, to carbon nanotubes. When radio waves hit the nanotubes, it destroys the cancer cells and leaves the healthy cells intact.
Carbon Nanotubes
Treating cancer cells with carbon nanotubes may be a safer alternative to ridding the body of cancer cells. There is no surgery or destructive chemotherapy to poison the body. Radio waves can deeply penetrate the infected area without harming any other area.
Leaking Nanotubes
In tests, some of the nanotubes leaked. This resulted in an area of 2.5 mm of healthy tissue receiving damage from the heat.
Other Problems
Radio waves do not penetrate water very well. Water makes up most of the human body. Getting the nanotubes only on the cancer cells is another problem.
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