You may improve your health and have a physically fit body by getting into boxing training fitness programs. This is the best way for you to have a stronger body and gain confidence. Boxing workouts can help you to be at your best fighting form as well.
Many people see positive results from boxing trainings. You may build stronger and more defined arms and legs. These programs and classes also help you to gain a sense of inner strength and emotional balance.
Boxing training classes got across to the mainstream of physical fitness training a few years back. They have seen the benefits on the cardiovascular and toning of the muscles by these boxing training workouts. Tae bo work out videos also popularized these boxing and kickboxing exercises.
Cardio boxing training classes and the innovative variations of the sparring jabs, power punches, defense, and fitness has all blends of aerobics exercises. You will learn the proper execution of the punch and kick combinations for a more intensive workout that can help you become stronger and more confident.
The combinations you perform on the blocks, jabs, and kicks are executed to an imagined opponent. You may see classes where participants throw punches and kicks on the air. You will also find training camps that have quality equipment such as punching bags and you may also have the option of getting a partner that has padded hands.
You may also enjoy more benefits aside from the physical aspects of boxing trainings. Cardio kick boxing workouts allow you to burn out 350 to 500 calories in just an hour. It also helps maintaining the heart rate at 75 percent to 85 percent regular beat. This has been proven to be good and is the recommended range if you are exercising or into training.
Moreover, these boxing training classes improve your speed, resistance, and strength. Flexibility and the reflexes of the muscles are also enhanced. Repetitive motion on arms by sparring and jogging while you punch helps your arms and legs gain strength and power.
These workouts also enable your joint movements to build very efficient fitness results. These movements require you to develop balance and coordination that enables your body to be stable and maintain a good form.
These physical benefits you gain from boxing and kickboxing are just few of the many benefits that they can provide. You will be able to learn more about defense mechanism skills, which you may use in case of unwanted instances. You will also feel the satisfaction when you punch or kick. Relaxation and self-motivation is also developed.
You will feel a sigh of relief and feel that you are released from stressed. It also helps you to get rid of that anger that is inside of you. Once these things are releases, you may feel lightness into your body and peace of mind as well.
Many aerobic and fitness experts recommend boxing training lessons for beginners. It allows you to workout on your desired pace and body condition. Boxing classes let you to push yourself to the limit as long as you are safe and well conditioned.
Positive results await you with boxing training. You will enjoy a physically fit body and will keep you in better shape. You have the option working out and exercising at your preferred level and skill. Enjoy the fun of these boxing training programs.
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? Democrats launched two ads in North Dakota on Tuesday criticizing Republican Senate candidate Rick Berg over the stalled farm bill as the party seeks to capitalize on rural voters' frustration with congressional inaction.
Congress left town last weekend with the five-year, nearly $500 billion farm and food bill, in limbo. The House Republican leadership declined to bring a bill to the House floor, contending that they did not have the votes to pass it. That has created a political headache for Republican candidates in states that count farming and ranching as top industries, such as North Dakota, Montana, Iowa and South Dakota.
In one of the new ads, newspaper headlines about the stalled bill and Berg's votes for the House budget that would cut $180 billion from farm programs are superimposed on water towers and the side of a red barn. North Dakota residents assail Berg and offer testimonials for his Democratic rival, Heidi Heitkamp, in the open seat race.
"We don't vote the party line, we vote for who we feel will do the best for us," Judi Hintz of Tappen, N.D., says in the commercial. "Heidi will get past the politics and get things done for North Dakota."
In a second spot, Les Franklund of Bismark, N.D., says Berg is "not thinking about my farm or my family." The ads, which are expected to air for at least a week, are part of the Democrats' $3 million-plus buy in North Dakota.
In response, the Berg campaign cited the congressman's repeated pleas to the leadership to move on the bill.
"I refuse to sit back and watch our farmers and ranchers face uncertainty while Washington plays political games," Berg said in a statement in early August when he raised the prospect of various procedural maneuvers to force a vote.
The congressman along with several of his House Republican colleagues had asked Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other leaders to bring legislation to the floor before Congress adjourned last weekend.
The Senate passed its version of the bill in June, and the House Agriculture Committee approved a similar version in July.
But the House Republican leadership declined to act. A key factor was the food stamp program, which costs nearly $80 billion a year, or 80 percent of all the spending in the bill. House conservatives say the committee's decision to trim that budget by about 2 percent was too small, while some Democrats said any cuts to the food stamp program were unacceptable.
And while both the House and Senate take major steps to reform farm subsidy programs, some conservatives say farmers still receive too much federal aid.
North Dakota is a Republican-leaning state that is expected to go heavily for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. But Heitkamp is locked in a close race with Berg for the seat currently held by Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad.
Farmers and ranchers also appear in a Republican ad in the Montana Senate race between incumbent Democrat Jon Tester and GOP Rep. Denny Rehberg. The National Republican Senatorial Campaign is airing a spot with rancher Turk Stovall, who expresses concern that the death of his father will mean the loss of the family ranch because of the estate tax.
The spot cites a March 23, 2007 vote that Tester cast against Sen. Jim DeMint's amendment to repeal the tax. Stovall says he can't understand Tester's vote and wonders whether the Democrat was voting with his party. One of the final images in the spot is Tester with President Barack Obama.
The federal estate tax reaches fewer than 1 percent of inheritances. The top tax rate is 35 percent but it exempts the first $5 million of an individual's estate; couples can exempt $10 million.
CBRE Group, Inc.. has launched the Real Green Research Challenge (RGRC), a four-year, $1 million commitment to fund leading-edge sustainability research and innovation relating to commercial real estate.
The program was unveiled yesterday (Tuesday) at The Climate Group?s Climate Week NYC.CBRE is accepting submissions for research proposals, with the goal of developing solutions to the industry?s critical environmental challenges.
?We?ve seen growing market awareness of commercial buildings? impact on the environment,? said Bob Sulentic, CBRE?s president.??This has inspired new thinking and innovation in sustainability research. However, people with good ideas often lack financial support and access to real-time market data and insight into building construction, occupancy and management that only a global firm like CBRE can provide.
?Our RGRC program will help to unleash innovation by connecting ideas with funding and with CBRE?s unparalleled information and people resources.?
Over the next four years, CBRE will award up to $1 million to fund independent academic research into sustainable real estate practices. Selected applicants will receive up to $250,000 for basic research and implementation, with initial funding in February 2013.
In addition to monetary funds, RGRC-funded projects will have access to CBRE?s global market data and resources, which can help them to commercialize their ideas.
?We are pleased to announce the creation of the industry?s first dedicated funding mechanism to support substantive research for commercial real estate,? said Dave Pogue, CBRE?s Global Director of Sustainability and head of the global sustainability taskforce that developed the RGRC.?Through this collaborative approach, we hope to create a meaningful impact in sustainable commercial real estate practices.?
Full details about the RGRC, its evaluation criteria, and terms and conditions are available at www.cbre.com/rgrc. Submissions will be accepted through December 31, 2012.
PFT: Even before Monday night?s Packers-Seahawks game, the officiating lockout had reached a tipping point. Casual, Super-Bowl-only fans were buzzing about the brouhaha, and the NFL?s ?remain calm . . . all is well . . . ALL IS WELL!? mantra was regarded as laughable. But the NFL had been lucky. No game had been decided by a bad call in a decisive moment. So much for that.
Navigating the New York City streets as a parent is much more than just being careful on the streets.
Having made a career out of helping New York City parents stay informed and updated on everything that goes on in our crazy city as an editor of parenting magazines, and also raising three kids here myself, I know that this city presents a certain set of unique challenges to moms and dads.
Still, I firmly believe that raising a family in New York City is one of?the?best things you can do for a child. I know of no other place that has an many educational, cultural, and everyday life experiences than New York.
However, it also has its fair share of insane, hard-to-believe parenting news stories.
Ranging from ridiculous to insane, here are just some of the recent stories in New York City parenting news:
The Wheels On The Bus Go Round and Round, Round and Round, Round and Round...For FIVE Hours!
3-year-old Levi Vidal from Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, who has autism, had to endure a five-hour bus ride five-hour bus ride home from his school in Manhattan and finally arrived home distraught in a soiled diaper. His irate mother Serena, was naturally irate, said ?He was delirious, starving and in his full diaper. It?s insane, heartbreaking. How can you treat kids like that?? Good question. Image: iStock
The trendy apparel store, which has been known for pushing limits or being slightly shocking, displays a profane word on their website, which sends one NYC mom calling for a boycott. It didn?t work, of course, because part of Urban Outfitters? appeal to young people is their cool factor. Plus, it?s New York City lady?WTF? Image: iStock
Only in New York Can A $350 Class To Not Watch Your Kids Get Publicized
Free Range mom Lenore Skenazy garnishes even more publicity for her ?free range? ideals (not to mention another effort to prolong a go at a career) by launching a program in Manhattan called I Won?t Supervise Your Kids. Skenazy charges $350 per kid who shows up to a public playground in Central Park where she not only promises NOT to watch your kid but makes parents sign a waiver saying she is absolved from any responsibility should any child get hurt. Oh, these warped New Yorkers, is it any wonder why the rest of the country finds up pretentious and /or ridiculous to boot? The very same day that the playgroup launches is when an elderly woman is brutally raped in the same park in the daylight by a homicidal felon. Image: iStock
Who Deserves The Beer Garden More: Teachers, Kids or Moms?
Local moms are up in arms since Greenwood Park, a very popular watering hole in Brooklyn, New York, announced that children were no longer welcome after 4pm Some say they have every right to an afternoon drink and the inconsiderate, young, and single folk who don?t want kids around should just wait until they find themselves a frazzled mom themselves who needs a 3pm beer. Others say the real reason behind the ban are the large number of teachers in the neighborhood who patronize the establishment once school gets out and who don?t necessarily want to see students (or their mothers) when they are trying to relax. Image: iStock
At I.S. 25 in Flushing, Queens, parents are up in arms because their children are being forced to eat their lunch at 9:45 am. Due to overcrowding and the inability to schedule various lunch periods, Principal Mary Ellen Beirne sent home a letter notifying parents that their children would eat brunch instead of lunch to help ease the lunchtime crowd. Beirne stated that kids that age tend to skip breakfast anyway, so on the first day of school, the cafeteria served roasted chicken at 9:45 am. Image: iStock
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg touched a few nerves by proposing soda ban this past year. If he gets his way (and it looks like he has because the Board of Health recently approved his proposal), New York City will soon ban the sale of single-serve soft drinks larger than 16 ounces. Under his proposed plan, any sugary drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces would be banned, including drinks found in movie theaters, street carts and stadiums. It would also affect the city?s 20,000 restaurants. However, the drinks would still be allowed in supermarkets, convenience stores, vending machines and newsstands. Um, yeah so I guess all the kids who want a really big soda will just just go to the supermarket instead of a restaurant...wait, they already do that! Image: Wikipedia
Again With Bloomberg Hide Baby Formula, Says The Mayor
Earlier this month, New York City hospitals were basically ordered to hide the baby formula. As Strollerderby?s Meredith Carroll reported when the story broke, ?City officials will keep track of the number of bottles that select hospitals have and use, and all but 13 of the city?s hospitals will also forgo so-called swag bags from formula companies and will document ?a medical reason for every bottle that a newborn receives.?? Image: iStock
Toddler Hits The Beach After Being Left Behind By Daycare
Two-year-old Alexia Karimi was on an outing with her daycare center to at Heckscher State Park in East Islip and was ultimately left behind. Just as worse, she was not reported missing until three hours later . Alexia?s mother, Christina, says that Alexia wandered blocks away? to a beach(!). There she played with another child but when that child and mother were ready to leave, the mom noticed that Alexia was alone and alerted a lifeguard who called police. Image: Facebook
Little Laila Davis spent a night at her grandmother?s home, along with her 8-year-old sister. While waiting outside for their father, Laila, touched a piece of scaffolding right outside the building and began screaming. The grandmother didn?t know exactly what was happening but ran over the Laila and managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. It was later determined that Laila has encountered a piece of scaffolding that was ?electrified as a result of a missing piece that connects two wires and the lack of a grounding device.? Image: iStock
Sabrina Bryan and Louis Van Amstel in Hollywood on Sept. 10.
"Dancing With the Stars" fans are used to seeing great moves, feuds, battles with the judges, injuries, wardrobe malfunctions, fainting, ?showmances? and other assorted dramas throughout the course of the season.
But perhaps because everyone on ??All-Stars? has already been through the competition before, viewers haven?t seen much drama yet in week one, though there have been some digs.
Take for example the barbs exchanged between former boy banders Drew Lachey (of 98 Degrees) and Joey Fatone ('N Sync). As Fatone noted on the premiere, rival Lachey is known as ?Lackey? to him. ?I?ll bust his chops,? Fatone joked to reporters after the premiere show.
But it?s all in fun, Lackey ... er ... Lachey said, adding, ?Joey and I have a great relationship. We go back 15 years and we?ve both been around the block a few times.?
Though viewers may have expected trouble when actress Pamela Anderson griped in her clip ?that season 11 finalist Bristol Palin had the whole Tea Party behind her when it comes to viewer votes, not even that seems to have stirred up any drama between the two ladies.
??It?s all in good fun,? Palin told reporters of the comment after the show. ?It?s a friendly competition.?
?I love Bristol,? Anderson said. ?But it?s true ? she does have the Tea Party (vote). That?s a lot of people!?
?Things may seem friendly at the moment, but the fireworks will come, one cast member promised.
?Everybody?s on their best behavior right now. Wait a few weeks,? teased pro dancer Louis Van Amstel.
?Then the claws probably do come out,? chuckled Sabrina Bryan, Van Amstel?s celebrity partner. ?It?s like Drew said: We?re a dysfunctional family.?
Michael Maloney is the author of "The Young and Restless Life of William J. Bell, creator of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful."
Having the proper concepts about how to set up a Clay Matthews Jersey business is only going to enable you to get thus far. You have to know how to preserve a company at the same time. Especially if you are trying to set up an online businesses, getting the information to assist you from the complete method is crucial in your achievement. Below are a few great tips on the subject.
You need to test out your site as much as you can to make sure every little thing works. A lot of people may well practical experience glitches when they get, or a number of the back links might be shattered. Be sure to add a get in touch with weblink so that individuals can record a problem, however you nevertheless need to test your internet site on your own.
Incorporate one thing cost-free with each and every acquire created at the web site. Even simple things like an important sequence or bumper sticker can make consumers truly feel valued. In the event you involve free examples of other items you offer, furthermore you will give the customer the Clay Matthews Jersey incentive to return to your organization to get the latest item.
When you are able acknowledge your internet site is not perfect, you can properly enhance it. Understanding that your web site will always be an are employed in advancement, provides you with the liberty to further improve at will. Nobody carries a perfect internet site, meaning that constant development can tremendously enhance the efficiency of your web traffic.
When building your site Clay Matthews Jersey to showcase a business or product or service, maintain your customer base under consideration. You want to design and style your site so well that folks are fascinated by follow the steps you immediate, without acknowledging they are becoming pressed in that course. This may lead to a lot more sales sales.
Use analytic information to your benefit. There are many cost-free analytic sites that measure several details attributes of the web site. Without having taking a look at this crucial data, you can be missing out on some key locations to boost on. Are the people who go to your web site within your target market, and the way very long could they be shelling out for your blog? Analytic information can advise you these and several other valuable stats on the site.
Provide some thing Clay Matthews Jersey free of charge or perhaps a good discounted. Whenever you can locate a good deal with a site, can you not spend some time to examine the internet site to find out if there are almost every other stuff which you might be curious about? It costs a tiny little however it will bring you much more company and clients are likely to purchase some items which are not reduced too.
Use switches! For online marketing to create your web internet pages weight speedier minimize banner ad advertisements, as an alternative use a lot more switch advertising. Key advertisements are smaller sized and take up less area! Considering that people usually ignore banner ad ads anyhow, they will bring you much more Clay Matthews Jersey company!
After you have study and fully grasp these tips, you could start to put into practice them so that you can finally profit with any sort of enterprise you?re looking to manage. Internet marketing lacks to become tough. It just usually takes a great deal of information to learn how to play and remain inside the activity. Utilize the following tips and you?ll appear a winner.
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Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Autoresponders Articles from EzineArticles.com
Put Your Business Email Communications On Autopilot
Email autoresponders are a great way to automate some parts of your business communication. Once you understand the power of using autoresponders, it will transform the way you stay in touch with your customers.
Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Audio-Streaming Articles from EzineArticles.com
Teaching Benefits That You Could Get From Audio Books
More and more children grew tired of reading, or does not have the slightest interest in reading books. Only a few enjoys reading. However reading has its alternatives. With audio books, it is possible for children to learn and gain the knowledge with the materials they don?t like reading. They will still have to read, however reading any materials and hearing it being read is much more fun and exciting. There are schools that incorporates listening to audio books while learning new things. Experts believe that with audio books?
Computers-and-Technology Articles from EzineArticles.com
Different Ways to Use Video Conferencing
Video conferencing is a fairly new form of technology that has quickly become integrated in everyday life. We no longer have to buy webcams and microphones because the technology is already built in to our computers and laptops. We can even use our mobile phones to video call each other.
Getting organized in your home can be less expensive and easier than you think. There are items all around your home that can help you get the clutter in order. Here are just a few tips to get you off to a good start:
A big problem is spices, they get lost in the cabinet, take up tons of room and are always hard to see. If this is a problem in your home use a?mop holder to store spices on the inside of a cabinet door.
Too many craft supplies and a place to put them is a typical problem. Arrange crayons, colored pencils and more in an over-the-door shoe organizer. You have all your supplies organized and easy to see in no time.
Use the shoe organizer for anything. It can also be great for cleaning supplies.
If you need decorations for your playroom walls and you have too many board games this is a great solution. Take the glass out of frames and frame the board games and hang on the walls. Attach the game pieces in little baggies to the frame.
What about all that jewelry? If you could actually see it you may even wear it more. Hang a peg board on the wall in your closet and hang your necklaces from it.
Need a place to put your earrings? How about an ice cube tray?
These are just a few nifty ideas. What are your best ideas to keep your home organized?
UNC Lineberger scientists lead cancer genome analysis of breast cancerPublic release date: 23-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dianne G. Shaw dgs@med.unc.edu 919-966-7834 University of North Carolina Health Care
Team identifies genetic causes and similarity to ovarian cancer
A team of scientists with The Cancer Genome Atlas program reports their genetic characterization of 800 breast tumors, including finding some of the genetic causes of the most common forms of breast cancer, providing clues for new therapeutic targets, and identifying a molecular similarity between one sub-type of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Their findings, which offer a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms behind each sub-type of breast cancer, are reported in the September 23, 2012 online edition of the journal Nature.
The researchers, including a large group from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, analyzed tumors using two basic approaches: first, using an unbiased and genome-wide approach, and second, within the context of four previously known molecular sub-types of breast cancer: HER2-enriched, Luminal A, Luminal B and Basal-like. Both approaches arrived at the same conclusions, which suggest that even when given the tremendous genetic diversity of breast cancers, four main subtypes were observed. This study is also the first to integrate information from six analytic technologies, thus providing new insights into these previously defined disease subtypes.
Charles Perou, PhD, corresponding author of the paper, says, "Through the use of multiple different technologies, we were able to collect the most complete picture of breast cancer diversity ever. These studies have important implications for all breast cancer patients and confirm a large number of our previous findings. In particular, we now have a much better picture of the genetic causes of the most common form of breast cancer, namely Estrogen-Receptor positive/Luminal A disease. We also found a stunning similarity between Basal-like breast cancers and ovarian cancers."
"This study has now provided a near complete framework for the genetic causes of breast cancer, which will significantly impact clinical medicine in the coming years as these genetic markers are evaluated as possible markers of therapeutic responsiveness."
Dr. Perou is the May Goldman Shaw Distinguished Professor of Molecular Oncology and a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Among the many discoveries include findings of some of the likely genetic causes of the most common form of breast cancer, which is the Estrogen-Receptor positive Luminal A subtype. Luminal A tumors are the number one cause of breast cancer deaths in the USA accounting for approximately 40 percent, and thus, finding the genetic drivers of this subtype is of paramount importance. The TCGA team found that the mutation diversity within this group was the greatest, and that even specific types of mutations within individual genes, were associated with the Luminal A subtype. Some of these mutations may be directly targetable by a drug(s) that is in clinical development,
thus possibly offering new options for many patients.
In addition, the team compared basal-like breast tumors (also known as triple-negative breast cancers) with high-grade serous ovarian tumors and found many similarities at the molecular level, suggesting a related origin and similar therapeutic opportunities. These data also suggest that basal-like breast cancer should be considered a different disease than ER-positive/Luminal breast cancer, and in fact, both basal-like breast cancer and ovarian cancer were more similar to each other than either was to ER-positive/Luminal breast cancer.
Dr. Perou adds, "Cancer is, of course, a complex disease that includes many types of alterations, and thus, no one technology can identify all of these alteration; however, by using such a diverse and powerful set of technologies in a coordinated fashion, we were able to identify the vast majority of these alterations."
Katherine Hoadley, PhD, study co-author, explains, "Our ability to compare and integrate data from RNA, microRNA, mutations, protein, DNA methylation, and DNA copy number gave us a multitude of insights about breast cancer. In particular, highlighting how distinct basal-like breast cancers are from all other breast cancers on all data types. These findings suggest that basal-like breast cancer, while arising in the same anatomical location, is potentially a completely different disease."
Dr. Perou describes UNC's role on the TCGA Breast cancer project as "extensive, including generating the RNA expression data, performing integrated data analyses, and playing a major role in the writing of the paper and crafting of the new hypotheses coming from this work."
###
TCGA is a groundbreaking effort to genetically characterize the entire genome of 20 different cancer types, involving scientists from around the world. UNC Lineberger was one of the original consortium members and will receive over $20 million in grants to fund this research. TCGA is funded jointly by the National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute, both part of the National Institutes of Health.
Other UNC authors on the paper are: Todd Auman, PhD; Cheng Fan, MS; Yidi Turman, BS; Yan Shi, PhD; Ling Li, MS; Michael Topal, PhD; Xiaping He, MD; Hann-Hsiang Chao, PhD; Aleix Prat, MD; Grace Silva, BS; Michael Iglesia, BS; Wei Zhao, BS; Jerry Usary, PhD; Jonathan Berg, MD; Michael Adams, MS; Jessica Brooker, PhD; Junyuan Wu, MS; Anisha Gulabani, BS; Tom Bodenheimer, MS; Alan Hoyle, BS; Janae Simons, BS; Matthew Soloway, BS; Lisle Mose, MS; Stuart Jeffreys, PhD; Saianand Balu, MS; Joel Parker, PhD; Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD; Leigh Thorne, MD; Mei Huang, PhD; Ashley Hill Salazar, BA; Lori Boice, BS; and Neil Hayes, MD, MPH.
This work was supported by the following grants from the USA National Institutes of Health: U24CA143883, U24CA143858, U24CA143840, U24CA143799, U24CA143835, U24CA143845, U24CA143882, U24CA143867, U24CA143866, U24CA143848, U24CA144025, U54HG003079, P50CA116201 and P50CA58223. Additional support was provided by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the US Department of Defense through the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
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UNC Lineberger scientists lead cancer genome analysis of breast cancerPublic release date: 23-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dianne G. Shaw dgs@med.unc.edu 919-966-7834 University of North Carolina Health Care
Team identifies genetic causes and similarity to ovarian cancer
A team of scientists with The Cancer Genome Atlas program reports their genetic characterization of 800 breast tumors, including finding some of the genetic causes of the most common forms of breast cancer, providing clues for new therapeutic targets, and identifying a molecular similarity between one sub-type of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Their findings, which offer a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms behind each sub-type of breast cancer, are reported in the September 23, 2012 online edition of the journal Nature.
The researchers, including a large group from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, analyzed tumors using two basic approaches: first, using an unbiased and genome-wide approach, and second, within the context of four previously known molecular sub-types of breast cancer: HER2-enriched, Luminal A, Luminal B and Basal-like. Both approaches arrived at the same conclusions, which suggest that even when given the tremendous genetic diversity of breast cancers, four main subtypes were observed. This study is also the first to integrate information from six analytic technologies, thus providing new insights into these previously defined disease subtypes.
Charles Perou, PhD, corresponding author of the paper, says, "Through the use of multiple different technologies, we were able to collect the most complete picture of breast cancer diversity ever. These studies have important implications for all breast cancer patients and confirm a large number of our previous findings. In particular, we now have a much better picture of the genetic causes of the most common form of breast cancer, namely Estrogen-Receptor positive/Luminal A disease. We also found a stunning similarity between Basal-like breast cancers and ovarian cancers."
"This study has now provided a near complete framework for the genetic causes of breast cancer, which will significantly impact clinical medicine in the coming years as these genetic markers are evaluated as possible markers of therapeutic responsiveness."
Dr. Perou is the May Goldman Shaw Distinguished Professor of Molecular Oncology and a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Among the many discoveries include findings of some of the likely genetic causes of the most common form of breast cancer, which is the Estrogen-Receptor positive Luminal A subtype. Luminal A tumors are the number one cause of breast cancer deaths in the USA accounting for approximately 40 percent, and thus, finding the genetic drivers of this subtype is of paramount importance. The TCGA team found that the mutation diversity within this group was the greatest, and that even specific types of mutations within individual genes, were associated with the Luminal A subtype. Some of these mutations may be directly targetable by a drug(s) that is in clinical development,
thus possibly offering new options for many patients.
In addition, the team compared basal-like breast tumors (also known as triple-negative breast cancers) with high-grade serous ovarian tumors and found many similarities at the molecular level, suggesting a related origin and similar therapeutic opportunities. These data also suggest that basal-like breast cancer should be considered a different disease than ER-positive/Luminal breast cancer, and in fact, both basal-like breast cancer and ovarian cancer were more similar to each other than either was to ER-positive/Luminal breast cancer.
Dr. Perou adds, "Cancer is, of course, a complex disease that includes many types of alterations, and thus, no one technology can identify all of these alteration; however, by using such a diverse and powerful set of technologies in a coordinated fashion, we were able to identify the vast majority of these alterations."
Katherine Hoadley, PhD, study co-author, explains, "Our ability to compare and integrate data from RNA, microRNA, mutations, protein, DNA methylation, and DNA copy number gave us a multitude of insights about breast cancer. In particular, highlighting how distinct basal-like breast cancers are from all other breast cancers on all data types. These findings suggest that basal-like breast cancer, while arising in the same anatomical location, is potentially a completely different disease."
Dr. Perou describes UNC's role on the TCGA Breast cancer project as "extensive, including generating the RNA expression data, performing integrated data analyses, and playing a major role in the writing of the paper and crafting of the new hypotheses coming from this work."
###
TCGA is a groundbreaking effort to genetically characterize the entire genome of 20 different cancer types, involving scientists from around the world. UNC Lineberger was one of the original consortium members and will receive over $20 million in grants to fund this research. TCGA is funded jointly by the National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute, both part of the National Institutes of Health.
Other UNC authors on the paper are: Todd Auman, PhD; Cheng Fan, MS; Yidi Turman, BS; Yan Shi, PhD; Ling Li, MS; Michael Topal, PhD; Xiaping He, MD; Hann-Hsiang Chao, PhD; Aleix Prat, MD; Grace Silva, BS; Michael Iglesia, BS; Wei Zhao, BS; Jerry Usary, PhD; Jonathan Berg, MD; Michael Adams, MS; Jessica Brooker, PhD; Junyuan Wu, MS; Anisha Gulabani, BS; Tom Bodenheimer, MS; Alan Hoyle, BS; Janae Simons, BS; Matthew Soloway, BS; Lisle Mose, MS; Stuart Jeffreys, PhD; Saianand Balu, MS; Joel Parker, PhD; Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD; Leigh Thorne, MD; Mei Huang, PhD; Ashley Hill Salazar, BA; Lori Boice, BS; and Neil Hayes, MD, MPH.
This work was supported by the following grants from the USA National Institutes of Health: U24CA143883, U24CA143858, U24CA143840, U24CA143799, U24CA143835, U24CA143845, U24CA143882, U24CA143867, U24CA143866, U24CA143848, U24CA144025, U54HG003079, P50CA116201 and P50CA58223. Additional support was provided by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the US Department of Defense through the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
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Do you want to lose weight , flatten abs, tighten your butt, firm your legs build your chest and tone your arms without looking like a man? Will strength training make you look too bulky? How do you do it? Is there such thing as a man?s workout? I know there are a lot of men who focus on the obvious body parts such as arms, back and chest and maybe a little legs. I admit that is not a woman?s style workout. But what about the men who do total body from head to toe? Should a woman do that type of workout? The answer to that question is YES.
Men naturally have bigger muscles than women which means we can burn more calories than women at a much faster rate. We also carry less body fat. But does that mean a women should go crazy and just focus on cardio, and only cardio with maybe a little weight training? The biggest myth that I have heard are women who believe that if they Lift heavy weights (strength training) they will get monster muscles like a guy. Ladies I am here to prove you wrong. Weight training is one of the best type or exercise to involve in your program. I am not talking about lifting some little 5lb. Weights. I am talking about heavy weight lifting that makes you want to scream for mercy and slap the person next to you for no reason. I know you want to have a nice tight butt and a wicked set of arms with the sexiest stomach on earth. [right?] Well how do you get it? Do you really think you can get that type of body from just using a treadmill or elliptical ? Video Rating: 4 / 5
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RIM?s BlackBerry e-mail service was offline earlier today for users across the Europe, Middle East, Africa. But service has since been restored, according to the company.
Research In Motion confirmed the outage in a tweet earlier today and said that services should now be up and running again.
A spokesman for RIM sent CNET the following statement from CEO and president Thorsten Heins:
I want to apologize to those BlackBerry customers in Europe and Africa who experienced an impact in their quality of service earlier this morning. The BlackBerry service is now fully restored and I can report that no data or messages were lost. Up to 6 percent of our user base may have been impacted. Preliminary analysis suggests that those customers may have experienced a maximum delay of 3 hours in the delivery and reception of their messages. We are conducting a full technical analysis of this quality of service issue and will report as soon as it concludes. I again want to apologize to those customers who were impacted today.
Though short-lived, the outage came at the worst possible time ? Apple?s new iPhone goes on sale today. RIM has been struggling to win back part of the healthy market share it once owned. But like other mobile players, the company faces a landscape dominated by Apple and Android.
This was also the latest in a line of BlackBerry outages.
Almost a year ago, more than 10 million BlackBerry customers in Europe and other parts of the world were hit by a outage that lasted several days.
The problem spread overseas to the U.S. and Canada before finally being resolved.
The outage triggered a lawsuit against RIM and prompted the company to offer free games and other apps to disgruntled customers.
Other BlackBerry outages have occurred over the years, including one in 2008, one in 2007, and another in 2006.
Updated 10:00 a.m. PT with full response from RIM.
.... end of excerpt Article Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57517554-94/rim-fixes-blackberry-outage-that-hit-europe-middle-east-africa/
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Gay-marriage supporters gather Sept. 10, 2012, at a rally outside of City Hall in Portland, Maine.
By Miranda Leitsinger, NBC News
Updated at 1:45 p.m. ET -- After losing some 30 ballots on same-sex marriage across the country over the past decade, advocates of lesbian and gay couples are encouraged by polls showing they have a good chance of finally logging their first victory in a statewide popular vote.
Polls show majorities back?same-sex marriage in Maryland, Washington and Maine, and they indicate a tight battle in Minnesota ? the four states holding votes on the issue in November.
?We?re feeling positive. The reality is, we haven?t won a ballot measure on marriage yet,? said Sarah Warbelow, state legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. ?I think it?s very reasonable and realistic to expect that we?ll win one or more of these ballot measures; certainly the polling suggests that all four are ? a possibility.?
Polling ahead of such ballots has not always accurately captured voters? sentiment: In California in 2008, the same-sex marriage camp had a majority, though the ban on gay and lesbian marriage ultimately prevailed. In North Carolina, polls had predicted a closer race in the May ballot on the constitutional amendment (a 16-point difference, according to Public Policy Polling at the time), but the anti-gay marriage camp won by more than 20 points.
?They?re doing what they?ve also done, taking their victory lap before their first victory,? said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, which on Thursday gave $250,000 to each of the four state campaigns opposed to same-sex marriage.
?The poll numbers that they?re interpreting as good for them are actually not good for them,? he said Friday, though noting that Washington could be tough for his side.
So far, the polls show support in the low-to-mid 50s for same-sex marriage:
-- In Maine, 53 percent said they will vote to back the initiative to institute gay marriage, compared to 44 percent who are opposed, according to Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm that works for Democratic candidates and progressive causes. The mid-September poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percent.
-- In Maryland, 54 percent said they?ll back the state law that was passed by the legislature earlier this year, compared to 40 percent who are opposed, according to Hart Research Associates, which conducted the July 24-28 poll for Marylanders for Marriage Equality. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.5 percent.
-- In Minnesota, the vote was a virtual tie, according to Public Policy Polling?s Sept. 10-11 poll, which had 48 percent supporting the amendment to ban gay marriage, 47 percent opposed and 5 percent undecided. The poll was not paid for or authorized by any campaign or political organization. The margin of error for the overall survey was? plus or minus 3.4 percent.
-- In Washington, 56 percent of voters think the law legalizing same-sex marriage should be upheld, while 38 percent think it should be overturned, and 6 percent are not sure, according to a Sept. 7-9 SurveyUSA poll for KING-5 News in Seattle. The margin of error was plus or minor 4.3 percent.
Though the numbers appear to bode well for the same-sex marriage camp, they shouldn?t count on victory, Public Policy Polling said in its analysis of its Maine survey.
Did Supreme Court justice tip hand on gay marriage?
?Our experience in polling gay marriage is that if people say they?re undecided it usually means they?re opposed to it,? said Dean Debnam, the firm?s president. ?Despite the 8 point lead for passage this should be seen as a very close race.?
Gregory B. Lewis, a professor at Georgia State University who has researched public opinion on gay rights for nearly two decades, believes the same-sex marriage side could prevail in Maine and Washington, with Maryland and Minnesota too close to call.
?Since 2004, we?re seeing a strong upward trend, about 2 percentage points a year -- more people are saying that they favor same-sex marriage than said so the year before? nationwide, said Lewis, who is chair of the Department of Public Management and Policy at Georgia State University.
Part of the uptick has been due to young people who support same-sex marriage hitting vote age, but primarily it has been a matter of voters changing their minds, he said.
Warbelow, of the HRC, said that even if people told pollsters one thing and voted another way, victory was within reach for her side.
?The polling is much higher than it?s ever been,? she said. ?We were not seeing these kinds of numbers in prior years.?
?We?re hoping for all four, but even one will really change the conversation in the United States,? she added.
Six states have same-sex marriage, led by Massachusetts in 2004, and followed by Connecticut, New York, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont plus the District of Columbia. A total of 38 states have either a state law or constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
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Appeals court: Denying federal benefits to same-sex couples is unconstitutional Despite marriage progress, gay couples face big hurdles to parenthood Conservatives target Republicans who back gay marriage Same-sex couple fights to stop deportation, gay marriage ban Obama: 'I think same-sex couples should be able to get married' Prop 8 backers ask Supreme Court to review gay marriage ban?
WASHINGTON (AP) ? On its last day in session before the election, the Senate tied itself in knots over 41 polar bear carcasses that hunters want to bring home from Canada as big game trophies.
After punting tough decisions on far weightier issues like raising taxes and cutting spending, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., insisted that the Senate address the wide-ranging sportsmen's bill.
Following the Senate's post-midnight approval of a bill funding federal agencies for six more months, senators voted 84-7 early Saturday for a motion that simply allows the sportsmen's bill to be taken up at a later time.
Republicans resisted for a while Friday, contending the only reason Reid wanted the vote now on the bill long sought by hunters and sport fishermen was to benefit Democratic incumbent Jon Tester 's re-election prospects in a tossup race in Montana that could determine which party runs the Senate next year.
"This isn't a campaign studio, It's the Senate," Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., complained on the Senate floor Friday. "We've got responsibilities to meet. Let's meet them. And leave the politics out of it for once."
The House had passed a similar bill in April that was co-sponsored by Rep. Denny Rehberg, Tester's Republican opponent in the Montana Senate race. In the end, Tester would get only a test vote as the Senate, yet again, punted another issue until after the election.
Tester's bill combines 19 measures favorable to outdoorsmen. In addition to dealing with the polar bear hides, it would allow more hunting and fishing on federal lands, let bow hunters cross federal land where hunting isn't allowed, encourage federal land agencies to cooperate with state and local authorities to maintain shooting ranges, exclude ammunition and tackle from federal environmental laws that regulate lead, boost fish populations and protect animal habitat.
Tester suggested that Friday's compromise allowing for a test vote but delaying a final one exemplifies why Congress has such a poor approval rating from voters.
"That might take some of the politics out of it and if we ever made a decision here without politics it would be an earth shattering day," Tester said. "This bill right here is a prime example of what is wrong in Washington, D.C. ? it's being held up for no reason whatsoever."
The polar bear provision would allow the 41 hunters ?including two in Montana ? who killed polar bears in Canada just before a 2008 ban on polar bear trophy imports took effect to bring the bears' bodies across the border. The hunters involved were not able to bring the trophies home before the Fish and Wildlife Services listed them as a threatened species.
Tester said it would just allow a few people who have polar bear trophies stored in Canada to finally bring them home. "These polar bears are dead, they are in cold storage and we know exactly who they are," he said.
Michael Markarian of The Humane Society of the United States criticized the measure. "The cumulative impacts of incentivizing this killing over and over again are contrary to American conservation law," he said.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Neither side in a bitter patent battle is satisfied with Apple Inc.'s $1 billion jury verdict over Samsung Electronics Co. after a three-week trial this summer.
Samsung wants a new trial. Apple is seeking an additional $707 million in damages and interest.
The two companies filed a blizzard of legal papers late Friday and early Saturday with their demands that a federal judge in San Jose significantly amend ? or toss out altogether ? the jury's Aug. 24 verdict.
The jury found that 26 Samsung products ripped off Apple's technology at the heart of its iPhones and iPads.
"Samsung made a calculated business decision to copy the industrial designs, graphical user interfaces, and touchscreen navigation technology of the iPhone and iPad," Apple lawyers wrote in court papers, arguing for the additional damages. "Samsung has reaped extraordinary rewards from its wrongful sale of iPhone and iPad clones by taking market share, revenues, and profits from Apple."
The Apple lawyers contend that the "massive damage to the iPhone's distinctive product identity caused by Samsung's sale of millions of iPhone clones is irreversible."
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh has scheduled a Dec. 6 hearing to discuss the myriad issues raised by both companies. Samsung says it will appeal if Koh turns down its demands.
The two companies are locked in a ferocious struggle for supremacy in the global smartphone market. Samsung is the worldwide leaders in smartphone sales, securing a market share of 33 percent in the second quarter, up from 17 percent a year ago. Apple's fell slightly to 17 percent, from 19 percent a year ago.
Apple accuses Samsung of essentially selling knockoffs of the Cupertino-based company's iPhones. Apple filed a lawsuit in San Jose federal court, alleging patent infringement. It was the latest legal action between the two companies, who are battling in courts in 10 countries over smartphone technology.
On Friday, Samsung asked the San Jose judge for a new trial. The company's lawyer argued that the jury's verdict was unreasonable and unsupported by the testimony and evidence. The company's lawyers also complained that the judge's strict constraints on the number of witnesses and testimony time deprived it of a fair trial.
"The Court's constraints on trial time, witnesses and exhibits were unprecedented for a patent case of this complexity and magnitude, and prevented Samsung from presenting a full and fair case in response to Apple's many claims," the company's lawyer wrote in court documents.
Representatives of both companies couldn't be reached for comment.
This coming Saturday, public television stations across the nation are dedicating an unprecedented seven hours of air-time to highlight solutions to the nation?s dropout crisis. According to NYC Department of Education? statistics, nearly 40 percent of? the city?s ninth graders will not graduate in four years, and in 2011, the high school graduation rate was 61 percent. American Graduate Day on Sept. 22 will feature? over 20 partner organizations across the country who are are helping youth succeed in school. Many of these organizations are headquartered here in New York City and viewers of? WLIW, THIRTEEN and NJ TV ? all part of WNET (the parent company of MetroFocus) ? will also hear from local organizations that are keeping youth engaged through art education, tutoring, health clinics,? teen pregnancy prevention programs and more.
Watch MetroFocus Video:
In May 2012, MetroFocus shared the story of Giselle Pe?a, 18, who earned her high school diploma with the help of the ?GPS?? (graduate, prepare, succeed) counseling system. This United Way program was administered by Queens Community House counselors at the school Pe?a attended, Newtown High School.
MetroFocus spoke this week with two city organizations whose dropout prevention programs begin with early education and continue through high school.
Children?s Aid Society
Richard Buery is president and CEO of The Children?s Aid Society (CAS), which serves New York?s neediest children and their families at more than 45 locations in New York City and Westchester County. Buery will appear on American Graduate Day with two students who participate in CAS programs.
Q: Is there a particular age when students are the most vulnerable to losing their track to graduate and what assistance do they most need at that time?
A: There are multiple key turning points. There?s early childhood, ages 0-4. There we need to invest in early childhood education ? programs that prepare kids for school academically, cognitively, and socially.
Third grade is another trigger point. If you?re not reading on level by third grade, it becomes increasingly difficult to catch up.
You signal to kids what?s important to you. You?ve got to let your kids know that school matters. ?Richard Buery
The transitions between elementary, middle, and high schools are points where challenges can happen, particularly around 8th grade. That?s a place when credit accumulation becomes critical. Young people are making decisions about whether or not they?re going to be on the school track. A principal at one of our high school partners told me that 38% of its ninth graders had failed one or more courses in the previous year. Be prepared to support students in ninth grade ? not just academically, which is critical ? but also for the experience of being in high school, which is so much different than middle school. There are more opportunities for kids to fall the cracks. Life coaching skills around independent learning, thinking and studying are important.
Transition points are points at which those who care about children have to be particularly focused in identifying children who are high need so that we don?t lose them.
Q: The Steps to Success Initiative has been helping black boys since 2007, and its first participants are now in junior high. Based on the experiences of these youth, is there a top priority you?d recommend to the NYC Department of Education?
A: Similar to the previous question, it?s important to provide early, intense ongoing support to young boys who are not on grade level and are struggling. Particularly for young boys of color, mentoring is critically important, as are life coaching and strategies of connecting young men to positive role models and engaging them in pro-social peer environments. We make sure the youth are part of a peer group that is focused on positive outcomes.
The time you have with kids is limited ? you have kids for ?x? hours per day. They?re going to make decisions when they?re away from you. So one of the things you can do is to make sure that they have role models that can help inspire them and make sure their friends are friends that will encourage them to do the right thing and not the wrong thing.
Q: Is this really something that the NYC Department of Education can do?
A: Absolutely. Schools are tremendous platforms for engaging children in positive activities because schools are where children go. Build strong after-school and summer programs, strong mentoring programs, case management and life coaching initiatives for the highest needs kids. That?s central to our model at the Children?s Aid Society of what we think it takes to make a great school. There?s no reason why the Department of Education couldn?t adopt those models on a broader scale ? or, the reason would be money and will.
Q: You have school-based health clinics at many of your Community Schools. What are some of the health concerns that affect students? ability to participate in school to their best advantage?
A: Health is critical.? On a very basic level, the ability to manage children?s primary health care in a school environment means they don?t have to miss school because they?re sick, or out for an appointment, or [have let] a small problem become a big one. The fundamental strategy is making sure that children have access to primary care and an environment where you remove the friction ? they?re in school anyway, they don?t have to leave school to get care.
Two overwhelming issues are asthma and obesity, which also affect your academic performance and your school persistence. School-based health clinic are critical to combat those and other issues. Twenty percent of students we served last year in our school-based health clinics systemwide were affected by asthma and that percentage is higher in certain neighborhoods.? We have a school-based clinic in East Harlem where 40 percent of the kids have asthma. We also know that 20 percent of the students we serve in our school-based health clinics are obese.
Asthmatic children in elementary schools are more likely to miss school. We find that children who are asthmatic but who receive care at our school-based clinics have higher attendance rates, and students are more likely to graduate or be promoted than those who do not come to our health clinics.? The emergency visits for kids in the Bronx without a school-based clinic are double than for those of kids with school-based clinics.
We also provide mental health services. It?s critically important particularly for? populations of color, which often attach a stigma to mental health services. Kids who would never go see a therapist or psychiatrist will come into a school-based wellness center or health clinic and receive mental health service there.
Q: For any New Yorker concerned about students? success and graduation, what would you recommend ? both to those who might volunteer and those who don?t have time, but want to help shape education?s future?
A: It sounds corny, but it starts with being an engaged citizen. Just thinking about the New York City environment ?? but it?s true statewide and nationwide ? so many of these issues come down to what investments we as a society are able and willing to make in a strong educational system, a strong health system for children. People need to call their city councilor and congressman and talk about the importance of after-school programs and school-based health clinics.
We have to elevate things like the dropout crisis, the education gap in the public imagination, because only when citizens demand results, only then do you get a change in policy. I often find that?s really what?s lacking. It?s one thing when we who do this for a living are standing at the barricades making demands, but what it takes is everyday citizens writing letters and showing up at city hall hearings and demanding that these things are as important as defense policy or anything else you can think of.
Q: What is a first step for parents to take if they?d like their area school to become a Community School, or start implementing services similar to the ones the Children?s Aid Society offers?
A: It starts with letting your principal know that you would like to see something developed. Identify the principal as an advocate, then begin to identify what resources and services exist in your community that you can leverage. Is there a local health clinic or a museum or after school program provider that you can engage? Make sure you have a principal that wants to make it happen.
Q: Are there recent partnerships or programs at your Community Schools that have proven especially successful at engaging students in academics and involving their parents or caretakers?
A: That?s a long list. Just on the parents end, one program I?m very proud of is the Ercilia Pepin Parent Leadership Institute. Last year we trained 500 parents in school and education leadership, how to be an advocate for their kid and helped them to develop their own academic skills. We help them understand the importance of education and? teach them what it means to be an education advocate for their children.
Another example is The Carrera Adolescent Pregancy Prevention Program, which is a school-based and after-school program where staff are intergrated into the school community. The program works with the entire school to help children believe in their future and it has remarkable results. Kids who participate in the program get pregnant at half the rate of a control group. The program also demonstrates strong results in terms of school persistence. Children are more likely to graduate and start college. It started as a pregnancy prevention program, but we found that the way you get kids to avoid pregnancy is by giving them a reason not to get pregnant and to invest in their futures ? with life skill classes, sports, and of course, sexuality classes.
Q: What do you advise parents do at home to help their children succeed in school?
A: Most simply, you have to ? in your household ? create an environment that promotes learning and create an expectation that college is the goal. At the earliest stages it?s important to have a literature-rich environment. In low income environments, I have heard statistics that they have something like 200 fewer books at home, and by the time children start school, they will have heard 3 million fewer words articulated. It?s important to read to your child, to show them books and let them see you reading.
Signal to your child what your expectations are. There are different ways to manifest that. That can be investing in your own education ? advancing yourself.? Your principal should know who you are, not because you?re complaining but because you are an active participant in the school community.? Talk to your child about school and what?s happening. Ask them about test grades. You signal to kids what?s important to you. You?ve got to let your kids know that school matters.
?
Queens Community House and an Update on GPS Graduate Giselle Pe?a
Queens Community House (QCH) serves nearly 25,000 children, youth, adults and older adults at 22 sites in 11 neighborhoods of Queens. It offers the GPS program at Jamaica High School, Newtown High School (where?Pe?a graduated) and VOYAGES Preparatory High School (a transfer school that the nonprofit?co-runs with the Department of Education).
At the Jamaica and Newtown schools, students who have had between 20 and 76 absences during the eighth or ninth grades can enter the GPS program, which helps students make up for missed credits so they can graduate on time four years later.?A spokesperson for QCH said that most students who are recruited for GPS choose to join the counseling program, which can in turn recommend them for other services, such as tutoring or SAT prep classes at QCH.
Do the best you can and try to keep grades high. One, it makes you feel good and two, you have better chances for college. ?Giselle Pe?a
Giselle Pe?a not only graduated this spring with the dedicated encouragement of GPS counselor Kazuko Sakamoto, but she entered LaGuardia Community College this fall.? Pe?a is continuing her work at Queens Community House as a program aide for a second year, assisting second and third graders from PS 120 in an after-school program. She is expecting a promotion to program leader, a position that?helps create lesson plans.
As for college, Pe?a is confident. ?I don?t find it too hard,??she said, but she does dedicate her time to studying. ?I have enough sense to get my homework done. When I?m at school I focus on it and when I?m at work I focus on work and during my free time ? on homework. ?
Her advice to ninth graders who are in the same position she was years ago? ?I?d tell them to not be afraid to trust an adult. At times you just need to take a chance and it will benefit you in the long run.?
She went on to address academics, too. ?I?d recommend that they do tutoring and prepare for the Regents exams.? If you pass a few, you don?t have to worry about them senior year.?
The one Regents test she did take her senior year was in U.S. history.? ?I wasn?t always good at that class, but I tried and I studied and passed it on the first time,? she said matter-of-factly.
It seems her mindset always looked past graduating high school to the next step, college.? Her tips for high schoolers:? ?Do the best you can and try to keep grades high. One, it makes you feel good and two, you have better chances for college. I also recommend the College Now program at Newtown because you can get credit for college.?
Her favorite class at LaGuardia is English 101, where she likes how her professor teaches. ?She keeps me in my seat, motivates.?
Pe?a wants to be a gym teacher and is majoring in secondary education.? Her final bit of wisdom for high schoolers who are in a similar situation to where she once was, with distractions outside of school and too many missed classes:
?I would like to say that life is not easy, but you have to try.?
Watch Video About American Graduate Day, Sept. 22, 2012:
The national television broadcast American Graduate Day will air live on public television stations from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center from 1 to 8 p.m. EST on Saturday, Sept. 22.
You may improve your health and have a physically fit body by getting into boxing training fitness programs. This is the best way for you to have a stronger body and gain confidence. Boxing workouts can help you to be at your best fighting form as well. 
Need a place to put your earrings? How about an ice cube tray?
These are just a few nifty ideas. What are your best ideas to keep your home organized?![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 23-Sep-2012
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