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Sunday, June 30, 2013
Oil may be booming in North Dakota, but real estate is slow to follow
While billions of dollars of oil money is flowing freely to North Dakota, investment in new real estate has not followed. With demand far outpacing supply, rents and land prices are sky-high, and residents have few retail options.
This billboard stands along Interstate 94 in Moorhead, Minn., and can be seen driving into North Dakota.
Dave Kolpack/AP
EnlargeMoney and workers are pouring into Williston, the capital of North Dakota's oil boom, but the only department store in town is a JCPenney, with a facade straight out of the 1950s.
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"We desperately need some kind of shopping center or mall here in Williston," said Rev.?Jay Reinke, a 20-year resident and pastor of?Concordia Lutheran Church. "You have to drive hours to find decent shopping."
That drive is not getting shorter anytime soon. Real estate developers are finding loans and investments hard to come by from?Wells Fargo, private equity firm Carlyle Group and other major American financial powerhouses for new department stores and other commercial property, as well as residential developments.
While billions of dollars in oil money may be rushing into?North Dakota, big money has resisted financing large real estate deals there, barring some projects entirely and leading other developers to self-finance.
Many would-be financiers say the?North Dakota?oil patch real estate market is too hot to handle right now, with demand for housing outstripping supply, fueling high prices. The average two-bedroom apartment in the oil patch rents for more than $2,500 per month, helping drive land prices sky-high and sparking concern about a bubble.
National homebuilders such as?Pulte Group, D.R. Horton and Hovnanian Enterprises have yet to enter?North Dakota. Pulte said it was focused on improving its market share on the East and West Coasts, as well as some?Midwest?states. The other two declined to comment.
Part of the hesitancy stems from the reluctance of energy-field workers to move their families full-time to North Dakota, a step that would cause them to spend more money locally. The state's biting winter weather and remoteness have discouraged all but a few families, realtors say.
Data about home-building permits suggests workers are still keen to rent apartments rather than invest in housing and settle down. Only 20 permits were granted in Williston during the first five months of this year, compared to permits to build 482 apartment units, according to the city's building department. As recently as 2010 the number of homebuilding permits in Williston, a city of about 16,000, far outpaced apartment permits.
"At first we thought we really had to run fast to get position in the homebuilding market, and now we see a landscape that frankly isn't running away from us," said Terry Olin, a?North Dakota?native now exploring real estate projects in the state with Switzerland-based investment company?Stropiq LLP.
HISTORY IS A GUIDE
Many banks remain wary of the past repeating itself. North Dakota saw a surge of oil activity in the 1950s and 1980s, only to have the flare-ups burn out, leaving many residents, municipalities and banks in debt after funding large projects. Williston alone had millions in debt from the 1980s oil boom as recently as 2005.
"What we don't want to do is go into a community like Williston and engage in speculative lending and not have an exit strategy," said Dan Murphy,?Wells Fargo's regional president for?North Dakota,?South Dakota?and?western Minnesota. "We're happy to make loans. We want to be repaid."
The hesitancy comes even as?Marathon Oil, Exxon Mobil,?Statoil?and dozens of other energy companies spend billions of dollars to extract?North Dakota's oil and natural gas.
Many bullish geologists say the?North Dakota?oil boom will last for half a century at least, citing technological advances that have made supply easier to reach.
The Peace Garden State has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation and the fourth-lowest foreclosure rate on home mortgages. But many of the new jobs are filled by men living in temporary work camps who send chunks of their paychecks back to their families in other states, rather than put money toward longer-term investments locally.
That makes it tough for developers to argue oilfield salaries - many of which exceed $100,000 per year, far higher than the national average of $40,600 - will be spent on permanent housing or at stores that could anchor shopping centers.
"I don't think anybody can clearly articulate how any of this is going to develop," said?Robert Stuckey, head of private equity firm Carlyle Group's U.S. real estate business, which has held off investing in?North Dakota's oil patch. "There is inherently some ambiguity and therefore some risk to it."
WRITING THEIR OWN CHECK
Some developers have decided to write their own checks in the meantime. Private equity firm KKR, which broke ground last month on 330 apartments as part of a 164-acre housing development, has yet to convince a bank to fund a construction loan. Plans for the total project include 810 apartments and lots for more than 300 single-family homes.
"We believe there are financing alternatives available, but we're prepared to build all cash," said?Michael Friedland, a principal with KKR.
KKR and smaller developers acknowledge that spending their own cash now, with the hope a loan will come later, could be considered a risk too large to take. But they feel science is on their side.
The rise of horizontal drilling, a complex process where energy companies drill down two miles then turn right to drill an additional two miles to extract oil, has vastly increased the number of wells tapped in?North Dakota. The U.S. Geological Survey in April doubled its estimates for the amount of crude oil recoverable from the state's energy-fertile plains to 7.4 billion barrels.
Despite that bullishness, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup, the largest American banks, don't have retail branches in?North Dakota, which has the distinction of being the least-visited U.S. state.
While a few national retail and restaurant chains, including McDonald's and?Wal-Mart, have opened in Williston, they've found they need to pay workers starting hourly wages around $15 to $16, far higher than their other locations nationwide.
Home Depot Inc plans to open a small satellite store this summer inside an old warehouse in Williston. The location, the company's first in the city, will employ about 25 workers and have only a fraction of the products offered in its big-box stores.
So far, Home Depot said it's holding off on a decision to build a new hardware store in the heart of the oil patch.
Reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Williston,?North Dakota, and Ilaina Jonas in New York; Additional reporting by Anna Driver in New York
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EU strikes 2 major deals, stumbles on unemployment
BRUSSELS (AP) ? The past week has seen a rare flurry of activity in the European Union. Two major deals have been brokered ? a ?960 billion ($1.3 trillion) budget for the 27-country bloc and a system for rescuing banks without making taxpayers foot the bill. But the leaders from the 27 nations achieved little progress on fighting youth unemployment and speeding up plans for a so-called banking union.
Here is a look at what progress has been made this week to overcome the bloc's economic crisis and what still needs to be done:
PROGRESS: A 960 EURO BILLION BUDGET TO FUND EU PROJECTS.
The blueprint for the 2014-2020 budget includes the bloc's first-ever spending cuts, as many of its countries are in recession and struggling to reduce their national debt.
Separate from national finances, the EU budget funds everything from joint infrastructure projects and farming subsidies to development aid, research and employment measures.
The seven-year plan was brokered early Thursday after months of infighting between the European Parliament and governments. An EU summit of leaders in Brussels then endorsed the compromise, sending it to Parliament for a formal vote next Wednesday.
DEADLOCK: NO NEW INITIATIVES TO TACKLE RECORD UNEMPLOYMENT
Unemployment is at an all-time high of 11 percent for the EU, which forms the world's largest economy, and stands at 12.2 percent for the group of 17 EU countries that use the euro.
The plight is worse for the young, with almost one in four people aged under 25 without a job. In crisis-hit Greece and Spain, that rate is more than 50 percent.
EU leaders agreed to speed up spending up to 6 billion euros ? about 0.05 percent of the bloc's annual output of 13 trillion euros ? to fight youth unemployment starting next year. However, they had announced that step since last year, and half of the money is only repackaged from other budget positions.
Analysts have warned that the step will make little to no difference, and European Parliament President Martin Schulz called it a "drop in the ocean."
Leaders also called on the bloc's European Investment Bank to kick-start investment and job creation by boosting lending to small and medium-sized firms by up to 150 billion euros through until 2015. The increase in lending is made possible by a capital increase decided last year.
PROGRESS: NEW EU RULES MAKE SURE TAXPAYERS WON'T FOOT THE BILL FOR BANK FAILURES
In the small hours of Thursday morning, European finance ministers reached a compromise on rules enshrining that bank rescues will be primarily funded by the banks' shareholders and creditors, with taxpayer money only a last resort. The new rules create certainty for investors and strengthen Europe's banking system.
The decision draws on the lesson of the 2008-2009 financial crisis when several European governments had to pump dozens of billions of taxpayers' money into their banks to stop the financial system from collapsing.
If a bank fails, losses will be forced on its shareholders, creditors and holders of uninsured deposits worth more than 100,000 euros to cover 8 percent of a bank's total liabilities. Then the government can chip in, as much as another 5 percent of liabilities ? but no more.
DEADLOCK: LONG WAY STILL TO GO ON THE BANKING UNION
Analysts say restoring confidence in Europe's highly fragmented banking sector is one of the key policies to turn the tide on the 17-nation eurozone's debt crisis.
The plan was first endorsed by EU leaders a year ago when markets were worried that Spain ? like Greece, Ireland and Portugal before ? might be forced to seek a full-blown bailout to stay afloat after pumping billions into its ailing banks.
The plan consists of three main pillars: Centralized oversight of big banks anchored at the European Central Bank, a central authority able to prop up or wind down ailing banks, and a jointly guaranteed deposit insurance.
The ECB's oversight is due to be operational late next year, but progress on other fronts has been slow since some countries have started back-pedaling on last year's pledges. Investors no longer feared an imminent breakup of the currency zone following an ECB pledge to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro.
Thursday's agreement on rules for bank failures was a step toward establishing a joint bank resolution authority, but Germany and others seek to delay further progress on that issue and on a joint deposit insurance scheme. The EU summit showed complacency on the matter, making no progress, while pledging to discuss further steps in the fall.
Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker acknowledged that it appears leaders "have bid farewell to the somewhat further reaching ideas." Leaving the EU summit, he added "I would have wished for a little more forward-looking dynamic, not a dynamic of stagnation."
___
Follow Juergen Baetz on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jbaetz
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-strikes-2-major-deals-stumbles-unemployment-130557260.html
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Saturday, June 29, 2013
French Property ? Buyers Guide to buying property in France | Home ...
CompromisThis document is a document signed an agreement to buy the property at an agreed price. The letter was signed by the seller and the buyer and set all the details of the purchase price and signed the first 7 days fees.Once cold season, in which the consumer can withdraw from the sale without penalty. After a quiet period of the contract is valid for both vendors and customers, and can pay a deposit. The average down payment of 10% of the purchase price.
The compromis is a legal and binding contract to withdraw may result in your deposit of 10% is lost. But there is a kind of compromis prepared to allow the removal, in certain circumstances, such as the French refused compromis drawn mortgage.To need a passport, marriage / divorce, the relevant details of the document if you take out a loan to buy property.You should seek advice as soon as you receive the compromis and if it needs to be translated by experts before you sign.Surveys and heritage adviceOnce compromis is signed and payment begins after seeing a notary deposit, checking boundaries, public roads termite inspection test, in addition to removing lead and asbestos. Notaries are responsible for ensuring that this is done and the seller is responsible for the French costs.Unlike not always have a survey done on the property when sold. You may find inspectors in France to offer this service, or registered builders often called to give his opinion. These things must be overcome before signing.French inheritance law is complex and you should consult with matter.The Notaires office late attorney signingThis fact, if you can not afford to France for final signature can see the power and have someone to sign on your behalf . See matterIdeally legal representative must see property upon signing a clause that says ?sold as seen on the day of signature.?
You will need to ensure that the transfer payments account balance came Notaires final time signature, the date agreed for the original supplier is clearly important that this can be achieved if not, you could lose your deposit and most importantly home sales. Money from the sale is not complete unless it is clearly notary bank account.
This entry was posted in Real Estate. Bookmark the permalink.Source: http://redevelopks.org/2013/06/french-property-buyers-guide-to-buying-property-in-france.html
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Digg has updated its iOS app to incorporate its experimental new Reader?and it'll directly import yo
Digg has updated its iOS app to incorporate its experimental new Reader?and it'll directly import your feeds from Google Reader, too. Go get it.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/digg-has-updated-its-ios-app-to-incorporate-its-experim-595741773
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Friday, June 28, 2013
Aereo coming to Chicago on September 13th
Between Chicago Hope, Chicago Fire and, erm, The Chicago Code, the Windy City's got a strong pedigree in television drama. That's why it makes perfect sense that streaming TV service Aereo is coming to the Chicagoland area of Illinois on September 13th. As with Aereo's other launches, users will be able to watch the local ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox (yup) affiliates on your computer, smartphone and tablet -- with DVR add-ons starting at $8 a month. At the same time, we've also heard a rumor that Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia has revealed that the service would launch in Washington D.C. at some point in August, and we'll keep an ear to the ground to see if that's true.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video, HD
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Court lifts ban on Calif. gay marriages
A federal appeals court on Friday cleared the way for the state of California to immediately resume issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after a 4 1/2-year freeze.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a brief order saying it has dissolved a stay it imposed on gay marriages while a lawsuit challenging the state's voter-approved ban on such unions worked its way through the courts.
Matt Dorsey, a spokesman for San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, said city officials were preparing to let couples marry right away.
Just minutes after the appeals court issued its order, the two lead plaintiffs in the case were standing in line at San Francisco City Hall to get a marriage license. They planned to wed at 4:15 p.m., with state Attorney General Kamala Harris officiating, according to the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which brought the lawsuit.
"On my way to SF City Hall. Let the wedding bells ring," Harris tweeted after the 9th Circuit issued its order.
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Wednesday that the sponsors of California's voter-approved gay marriage ban lacked authority to defend Proposition 8 in court once Harris and Gov. Jerry Brown refused to do so.
The decision lets stand a trial judge's declaration that the ban violates the civil rights of gay Californians and cannot be enforced.
Under Supreme Court rules, the losing side in a legal dispute has 25 days to ask the high court to rehear the case. The court said earlier this week that it would not finalize its ruling in the Proposition 8 dispute until after that time had elapsed.
It was not immediately clear whether the appeals court's action would be halted by the high court.
Source: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/appeals-court-lifts-hold-calif-gay-marriages-19528404
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Battleground DOMA: What next for opponents of gay marriage?
After twin losses at the Supreme Court, the battleground shifts to the states, where social conservative leaders aim to 'fight like crazy,' with little help from the national GOP establishment.
Enzo Catalano, 9, holds up a sign amongst thousands of revelers at Castro St. in San Francisco, Calif., after the United States Supreme Court delivered rulings on California's Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act June 26, 2013. Opponents of the ruling now face a long battle in the states, as support for gay marriage nationally grows.
Noah Berger/REUTERS
EnlargeSome are angry, others are philosophical, but opponents of same-sex marriage agree on one thing: The battle against gay marriage just got tougher, after twin losses in the Supreme Court that have given pro-gay-marriage forces a burst of momentum.?
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But social conservatives are ready to press on in the states, in defense of a religiously based definition of marriage that has endured for millennia, even if they don?t expect much help from the Republican establishment.?
?The mix of decisions magnifies the fact that people who believe in normal marriage need to fight like crazy at the state level to ensure that they keep the right to define what they want marriage to be in their state,? says Gary Bauer, leader of the group American Values and one-time Republican presidential candidate.
For now, Christian conservative activists have a cushion. Gay marriage is banned in the constitutions of 30 states, and even though nationally, a growing majority of Americans supports a right to same-sex marriage, many individual states still tilt against it. Social conservative leaders also have a ready army of supporters, easily reached through churches and representing a significant portion of the Republican Party?s base.
Keeping the traditional-marriage-only wing of the GOP from becoming demoralized will be part of the battle. But after Wednesday?s rulings ? which struck down a key part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act and opened the door to a resumption of gay marriages in California ? conservative leaders expressed hope that their supporters would be all the more motivated to keep fighting.
Some leaders took a glass-half-full approach to the decisions, applauding the justices for, at least, not establishing a national right to same-sex marriage as the high court did for abortion in the 1973 ruling Roe v. Wade. ?That, they say, gives them time to get organized and rally their troops, even if, by outward appearances, time is not on their side.
Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council (FRC) in Washington, asserts that, in fact, time is not on the side of those seeking to create a right to same-sex marriage. ?
?As the American people are given time to experience the actual consequences of redefining marriage, the public debate and opposition to the redefinition of natural marriage will undoubtedly intensify,? Mr. Perkins says.
His ally Ralph Reed, head of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, calls for pressure on Congress to pass legislation that will limit the impact of the DOMA ruling. And he goes back to a core focus of religious conservatives -- the selection of judges.
The Supreme Court?s decisions ?underscore why people of faith must remain engaged and energetic in seeing genuine conservatives nominated and confirmed to the federal courts,? says Mr. Reed. That requires electing conservative senators who will make judicial confirmation battles a priority.
Imgur Now Has a Meme Generator
The internet's (aka Reddit's) favorite online image hosting service now has a built-in meme generator. This is the greatest thing to ever happen to Imgur or the worst. Either way, the workflow is fairly straightforward and even the dopiest of luddites can make their own memes now. Great. Grand. Wonderful!
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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/L8oD-t6GiU4/imgur-now-has-a-meme-generator-597123554
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Thursday, June 27, 2013
World's toughest programmer explains how to make educational games fun
Mike Lee's New Lemurs has released Lemurs Chemistry: Water - a fun educational game that teaches kids (and adults) the chemistry of water. As the name of the game (and company) implies, lemurs abound in the game. Lee shares with us some of his thoughts on how you can make an educational game enriching and fun to play.
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Jt5-fAVA1_w/story01.htm
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People prefer 'carrots' to 'sticks' when it comes to healthcare incentives
June 26, 2013 ? To keep costs low, companies often incentivize healthy lifestyles. Now, new research suggests that how these incentives are framed -- as benefits for healthy-weight people or penalties for overweight people -- makes a big difference.
The research, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, shows that policies that carry higher premiums for overweight individuals are perceived as punishing and stigmatizing.
Researcher David Tannenbaum of the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles wanted to investigate how framing healthcare incentives might influence people's attitudes toward the incentives.
"Two frames that are logically equivalent can communicate qualitatively different messages," Tannenbaum explains.
In the first study, 126 participants read about a fictional company grappling with managing their employee health-care policy. They were told that the company was facing rising healthcare costs, due in part to an increasing percentage of overweight employees, and were shown one of four final policy decisions.
The "carrot" plan gave a $500 premium reduction to healthy-weight people, while the "stick" plan increased premiums for overweight people by $500. The two plans were functionally equivalent, structured such that healthy-weight employees always paid $2000 per year in healthcare costs, and overweight employees always paid $2500 per year in healthcare costs.
There were also two additional "stick" plans that resulted in a $2400 premium for overweight people.
Participants were more likely to see the "stick" plans as punishment for being overweight and were less likely to endorse them.
But they didn't appear to differentiate between the three "stick" plans despite the $100 premium difference. Instead, they seemed to evaluate the plans on moral grounds, deciding that punishing someone for being overweight was wrong regardless of the potential savings to be had.
The data showed that framing incentives in terms of penalties may have particular psychological consequences for affected individuals: People with higher body mass index (BMI) scores reported that they would feel particularly stigmatized and dissatisfied with their employer under the three "stick" plans.
Another study placed participants in the decision maker's seat to see if "stick" and "carrot" plans actually reflected different underlying attitudes. Participants who showed high levels of bias against overweight people were more likely to choose the "stick" plan, but provided different justification depending on whether their bias was explicit or implicit:
"Participants who explicitly disliked overweight people were forthcoming about their decision, admitting that they chose a 'stick' policy on the basis of personal attitudes," noted Tannenbaum. "Participants who implicitly disliked overweight people, in contrast, justified their decisions based on the most economical course of action."
Ironically, if they were truly focused on economic concerns they should have opted for the "carrot" plan, since it would save the company $100 per employee. Instead, these participants tended to choose the strategy that effectively punished overweight people, even in instances when the "stick" policy implied a financial cost to the company.
Tannenbaum concludes that these framing effects may have important consequences across many different real-world domains:
"In a broad sense, our research affects policymakers at large," says Tannenbaum. "Logically equivalent policies in various domains -- such as setting a default option for organ donation or retirement savings -- can communicate very different messages, and understanding the nature of these messages could help policymakers craft more effective policy."
Co-authors on this research include Chad Valasek of the University of California, San Diego; Eric Knowles of New York University; and Peter Ditto of the University of California, Irvine.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/NltV_68swwU/130626143118.htm
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Wednesday, June 26, 2013
New data support community-wide approach to addressing child obesity
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Public release date: 26-Jun-2013[ | E-mail |
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Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus
Fewer obese, overweight children following 20-month Shape Up Somerville intervention in Somerville, Mass.
BOSTON (June 26, 2013)-- Community wide interventions hold promise as an effective approach to reducing childhood obesity rates according to new research from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and Tufts University School of Medicine. An analysis of data from the first two school years (20 calendar months) of the Shape Up Somerville: Eat Smart Play Hard intervention showed that schoolchildren in Somerville, Massachusetts gained less weight and were less likely to be obese or overweight than schoolchildren in two similar control communities. The results are published online ahead of print in the journal Preventive Medicine.
Designed and implemented by Tufts University researchers and the community of Somerville, Shape Up Somerville, targeted the city's public school students in grades 1-3 and engaged the adults who shaped their daily environment. Parents, teachers, school food service and health care providers, as well as city departments and local media outlets participated in and promoted initiatives that included overhauling school lunch menus; introducing nutrition education curriculum in schools; attempting to increase energy expenditure through in-school and after-school physical activity programs; and working with area restaurants to offer healthier menu items.
Compared to the control communities, the data show fewer Somerville children were obese or overweight after two full school years of the intervention. Principal Investigator Christina D. Economos, Ph.D., associate professor at the Friedman School, and colleagues used a measure called Body Mass Index (BMI) z-score to calculate the relative weight of 335 children from the intervention group and 693 children from the control group.* Over two school years, including one summer vacation, BMI z-scores decreased by 0.06 in Somerville children, signaling a modest reduction in weight gain compared to children in communities that did not receive the intervention.
"These results are more meaningful than the modest reduction in weight gain suggests," said Economos, who is also Vice Chair and Director of ChildObesity180, an organization that, in collaboration with the Friedman School, is committed to cross-sector partnerships that reverse childhood obesity. "The early years of elementary school are when we expect children to gain weight as they grow. What's driving the child obesity rate is pervasive unhealthy weight gain in children at a young age, particularly in low-income and often culturally diverse communities where access and availability of healthy food and physical activity options are limited."
After the first school year, the day-to-day responsibilities of Shape Up Somerville gradually transferred from Economos and the research staff to the community. "We were very encouraged to see the data show progress in the second school year when we started to step back and the community took the reins," Economos said. "The fact that Shape Up Somerville remains a vibrant city program that has expanded significantly over the last eight years attests to its sustainability."
"Reversing the child obesity rate requires widespread policy and environmental changes and involvement of just about everyone with a stake in the community; including children and families, schools, health professionals, business leaders, health insurers and policy makers," Economos continued. "Shape Up Somerville and its enduring presence are a reflection of their buy-in."
Following the researchers' blueprint, Shape Up Somerville has operated independently of Tufts University for several years. School breakfast and lunch menus continue to emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and healthy snacks. Improvements to bike and walking paths and the development of physical activity spaces and recreation programming encourage community participation. Somerville now offers year-round farmer's markets that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and encourages restaurants to add healthier dishes offered on menus as "Shape Up Approved."
"The initial study's blueprint told us that making the healthy choice the easy choice required a community-based effort, holistically addressing the systems that shape our environment," Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone said. "A top-down plan cannot address the needs of a diverse community. It cannot sustain over the long haul, because leadership has limited time to devote any single program, and leadership also changes over time. Cultivating a strong grassroots effort is the only way to see an effort like this take root, sustain and grow.
"Everyone must be invested, transforming their own spheres of influence to transform our environment," Curtatone added. "We've now seen, time and time again, that if we can give people ubiquitous and accessible options, they will choose to eat healthier, get active and live better lives."
###
Co-authors of the research are Jeanne P. Goldberg, Ph.D., R.D.; Ray Hyatt, Ph.D.; Aviva Must, Ph.D.; Elena N. Naumova, Ph.D.; and Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D. all of Tufts University. Additional co-authors include Jessica J. Collins, formerly the project manager on the Shape Up Somerville: Eat Smart. Play Hard. study, and Julia Kuder, formerly of the Friedman School.
*Body mass index (BMI) is a commonly used measure of weight which accounts for height. Because children are growing, BMI needs to account for age as well. BMI-for-age, expressed as a z-score or percentile, indicates the relative position of a child's BMI among children of the same age and sex. Based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as a screening measure, a BMI z-score between the 85th percentile and 95th percentile defines overweight and a BMI z-score above the 95th percentile defines obesity.
Major funding for this research was provided by grant R06/CCR121519-01 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additional support was provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, The U.S. Potato Board, Stonyfield Farm and Dole Foods. The funders had no study oversight and no role in data collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of data nor did they have a role in preparation, review or approval of the manuscript.
Economos CD, Hyatt RR, Must A, Goldberg JP, Kuder J, Naumova EN, Collins JJ, and Nelson ME. Shape Up Somerville Two Year Results: community-based environmental change intervention sustains weight reduction in children. Preventive Medicine. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.06.001.Published online ahead of print June 9, 2013.
The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University is the only independent school of nutrition in the United States. The school's eight degree programs, which focus on questions relating to famine, hunger, poverty, and communications, are renowned for the application of scientific research to national and international policy. For three decades, the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University has studied the relationship between good nutrition and good health in aging populations. Tufts research scientists work with federal agencies to establish the USDA Dietary Guidelines, the Dietary Reference Intakes, and other significant public policies.
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Public release date: 26-Jun-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Andrea Grossman
617-636-3728
Tufts University, Health Sciences Campus
Fewer obese, overweight children following 20-month Shape Up Somerville intervention in Somerville, Mass.
BOSTON (June 26, 2013)-- Community wide interventions hold promise as an effective approach to reducing childhood obesity rates according to new research from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and Tufts University School of Medicine. An analysis of data from the first two school years (20 calendar months) of the Shape Up Somerville: Eat Smart Play Hard intervention showed that schoolchildren in Somerville, Massachusetts gained less weight and were less likely to be obese or overweight than schoolchildren in two similar control communities. The results are published online ahead of print in the journal Preventive Medicine.
Designed and implemented by Tufts University researchers and the community of Somerville, Shape Up Somerville, targeted the city's public school students in grades 1-3 and engaged the adults who shaped their daily environment. Parents, teachers, school food service and health care providers, as well as city departments and local media outlets participated in and promoted initiatives that included overhauling school lunch menus; introducing nutrition education curriculum in schools; attempting to increase energy expenditure through in-school and after-school physical activity programs; and working with area restaurants to offer healthier menu items.
Compared to the control communities, the data show fewer Somerville children were obese or overweight after two full school years of the intervention. Principal Investigator Christina D. Economos, Ph.D., associate professor at the Friedman School, and colleagues used a measure called Body Mass Index (BMI) z-score to calculate the relative weight of 335 children from the intervention group and 693 children from the control group.* Over two school years, including one summer vacation, BMI z-scores decreased by 0.06 in Somerville children, signaling a modest reduction in weight gain compared to children in communities that did not receive the intervention.
"These results are more meaningful than the modest reduction in weight gain suggests," said Economos, who is also Vice Chair and Director of ChildObesity180, an organization that, in collaboration with the Friedman School, is committed to cross-sector partnerships that reverse childhood obesity. "The early years of elementary school are when we expect children to gain weight as they grow. What's driving the child obesity rate is pervasive unhealthy weight gain in children at a young age, particularly in low-income and often culturally diverse communities where access and availability of healthy food and physical activity options are limited."
After the first school year, the day-to-day responsibilities of Shape Up Somerville gradually transferred from Economos and the research staff to the community. "We were very encouraged to see the data show progress in the second school year when we started to step back and the community took the reins," Economos said. "The fact that Shape Up Somerville remains a vibrant city program that has expanded significantly over the last eight years attests to its sustainability."
"Reversing the child obesity rate requires widespread policy and environmental changes and involvement of just about everyone with a stake in the community; including children and families, schools, health professionals, business leaders, health insurers and policy makers," Economos continued. "Shape Up Somerville and its enduring presence are a reflection of their buy-in."
Following the researchers' blueprint, Shape Up Somerville has operated independently of Tufts University for several years. School breakfast and lunch menus continue to emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and healthy snacks. Improvements to bike and walking paths and the development of physical activity spaces and recreation programming encourage community participation. Somerville now offers year-round farmer's markets that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and encourages restaurants to add healthier dishes offered on menus as "Shape Up Approved."
"The initial study's blueprint told us that making the healthy choice the easy choice required a community-based effort, holistically addressing the systems that shape our environment," Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone said. "A top-down plan cannot address the needs of a diverse community. It cannot sustain over the long haul, because leadership has limited time to devote any single program, and leadership also changes over time. Cultivating a strong grassroots effort is the only way to see an effort like this take root, sustain and grow.
"Everyone must be invested, transforming their own spheres of influence to transform our environment," Curtatone added. "We've now seen, time and time again, that if we can give people ubiquitous and accessible options, they will choose to eat healthier, get active and live better lives."
###
Co-authors of the research are Jeanne P. Goldberg, Ph.D., R.D.; Ray Hyatt, Ph.D.; Aviva Must, Ph.D.; Elena N. Naumova, Ph.D.; and Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D. all of Tufts University. Additional co-authors include Jessica J. Collins, formerly the project manager on the Shape Up Somerville: Eat Smart. Play Hard. study, and Julia Kuder, formerly of the Friedman School.
*Body mass index (BMI) is a commonly used measure of weight which accounts for height. Because children are growing, BMI needs to account for age as well. BMI-for-age, expressed as a z-score or percentile, indicates the relative position of a child's BMI among children of the same age and sex. Based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as a screening measure, a BMI z-score between the 85th percentile and 95th percentile defines overweight and a BMI z-score above the 95th percentile defines obesity.
Major funding for this research was provided by grant R06/CCR121519-01 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additional support was provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, The U.S. Potato Board, Stonyfield Farm and Dole Foods. The funders had no study oversight and no role in data collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of data nor did they have a role in preparation, review or approval of the manuscript.
Economos CD, Hyatt RR, Must A, Goldberg JP, Kuder J, Naumova EN, Collins JJ, and Nelson ME. Shape Up Somerville Two Year Results: community-based environmental change intervention sustains weight reduction in children. Preventive Medicine. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.06.001.Published online ahead of print June 9, 2013.
The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University is the only independent school of nutrition in the United States. The school's eight degree programs, which focus on questions relating to famine, hunger, poverty, and communications, are renowned for the application of scientific research to national and international policy. For three decades, the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University has studied the relationship between good nutrition and good health in aging populations. Tufts research scientists work with federal agencies to establish the USDA Dietary Guidelines, the Dietary Reference Intakes, and other significant public policies.
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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/tuhs-nds062613.php
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Location of upwelling in Earth's mantle discovered to be stable
June 26, 2013 ? A study published in Nature today shares the discovery that large-scale upwelling within Earth's mantle mostly occurs in only two places: beneath Africa and the Central Pacific. More importantly, Clinton Conrad, Associate Professor of Geology at the University of Hawaii -- Manoa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) and colleagues revealed that these upwelling locations have remained remarkably stable over geologic time, despite dramatic reconfigurations of tectonic plate motions and continental locations on the Earth's surface. "For example," said Conrad, "the Pangaea supercontinent formed and broke apart at the surface, but we think that the upwelling locations in the mantle have remained relatively constant despite this activity."
Conrad has studied patterns of tectonic plates throughout his career, and has long noticed that the plates were, on average, moving northward. "Knowing this," explained Conrad, "I was curious if I could determine a single location in the Northern Hemisphere toward which all plates are converging, on average." After locating this point in eastern Asia, Conrad then wondered if other special points on Earth could characterize plate tectonics. "With some mathematical work, I described the plate tectonic 'quadrupole', which defines two points of 'net convergence' and two points of 'net divergence' of tectonic plate motions."
When the researchers computed the plate tectonic quadruople locations for present-day plate motions, they found that the net divergence locations were consistent with the African and central Pacific locations where scientists think that mantle upwellings are occurring today. "This observation was interesting and important, and it made sense," said Conrad. "Next, we applied this formula to the time history of plate motions and plotted the points -- I was astonished to see that the points have not moved over geologic time!" Because plate motions are merely the surface expression of the underlying dynamics of the Earth's mantle, Conrad and his colleagues were able to infer that upwelling flow in the mantle must also remain stable over geologic time. "It was as if I was seeing the 'ghosts' of ancient mantle flow patterns, recorded in the geologic record of plate motions!"
Earth's mantle dynamics govern many aspects of geologic change on the Earth's surface. This recent discovery that mantle upwelling has remained stable and centered on two locations (beneath Africa and the Central Pacific) provides a framework for understanding how mantle dynamics can be linked to surface geology over geologic time. For example, the researchers can now estimate how individual continents have moved relative to these two upwelling locations. This allows them to tie specific events that are observed in the geologic record to the mantle forces that ultimately caused these events.
More broadly, this research opens up a big question for solid earth scientists: What processes cause these two mantle upwelling locations to remain stable within a complex and dynamically evolving system such as the mantle? One notable observation is that the lowermost mantle beneath Africa and the Central Pacific seems to be composed of rock assemblages that are different than the rest of the mantle. Is it possible that these two anomalous regions at the bottom of the mantle are somehow organizing flow patterns for the rest of the mantle? How?
"Answering such questions is important because geologic features such as ocean basins, mountains belts, earthquakes and volcanoes ultimately result from Earth's interior dynamics," Conrad described. "Thus, it is important to understand the time-dependent nature of our planet's interior dynamics in order to better understand the geological forces that affect the planetary surface that is our home."
The mantle flow framework that can be defined as a result of this study allows geophysicists to predict surface uplift and subsidence patterns as a function of time. These vertical motions of continents and seafloor cause both local and global changes in sea level. In the future, Conrad wants to use this new understanding of mantle flow patterns to predict changes in sea level over geologic time. By comparing these predictions to observations of sea level change, he hopes to develop new constraints on the influence of mantle dynamics on sea level.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/9X-MlqwvM38/130626142936.htm
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The Finely Manicured Madness of Lawnmower Racing
Once upon a time, Aaron Crowl was a dirt-track racer, kicking up dust in old stock cars. But after a friend showed him some lawnmowers he had tinkered with, turning them from suburban grass cutters into track-day speed demons, Crowl was hooked on lawnmower racing.
ARMA competitions allow racers to ride any self-propelled rotary or reel-style riding lawnmower (but not zero-turns), so long as it was originally designed and sold to mow lawns, and it must remain suitable for lawn cutting, though for safety's sake the blades are removed on racing mowers. Riders can tinker with the engines and transmissions but must use ones made for mowers. The preference for brand is up to the rider, but the USLMRA advises using a mower you already have rather than buying a new one specifically to race with. It leaves more money for modifications that can make all the difference in the race.
Throwing around all that horsepower on machines made for cutting lawns can be frightening. "It can be a little scary sometimes," says USLMRA vice president Kerry Evans.
For Crowl, it is important that lawnmower racing stay strictly amateur and that points, bragging rights, and trophies remain the only prizes. Any money is shared between racers to help compensate for gas and expenses. "The day we start racing for money is the day I resign," he says. "That's not who we are. I would just as soon have the good times, the good competition, the companionship, the camaraderie after the races, and be poor."
"Lawnmower racers are pretty damn innovative," says Crowl, who today is president and founder of the American Racing Mower Association (ARMA). "When you can take something that was just meant to go out and cut grass and put it out on the track, and it can handle and endure speeds of 70, 80, 90 miles an hour, that's a pretty good accomplishment."
Lawnmower racing gives adventure seekers with a passion for DIY a way to satisfy their need for speed. "It's probably one of the friendliest, most cost-effective forms of motor sport that's out there," Crowl says. Mower racing seasons run from about February to September, with hundreds of races each year between ARMA, USLMRA (United States Lawn Mower Racing Association), and local clubs. Mowers typically race on dirt or clay tracks. Bruce "Mr. Mow-It-All" Kaufman, president and founder of the USLMRA, says there are at least 50 dedicated lawnmower tracks across the county, typically measuring about a tenth of a mile around, that host races during fairs, festivals, and car shows.
Grass Guzzlers
ARMA competitions allow racers to ride any self-propelled rotary or reel-style riding lawnmower (but not zero-turns), so long as it was originally designed and sold to mow lawns, and it must remain suitable for lawn cutting, though for safety's sake the blades are removed on racing mowers. Riders can tinker with the engines and transmissions but must use ones made for mowers. The preference for brand is up to the rider, but the USLMRA advises using a mower you already have rather than buying a new one specifically to race with. It leaves more money for modifications that can make all the difference in the race.
Top speed depends on how much time and effort builders are willing to put into their mowers. Racing mowers are broken up into classes ranging from super-stock to super-modified, based on the horsepower and modifications. "Mild to wild and everything in between," is the way Kaufman puts it. Super-stock mowers must be virtually straight off the factory floor, while super-modified, or prepared, mowers can have all kinds of work done to them, including removing the governor and modifying the drivetrain and engine. The higher classes of mowers can reach as high as 60 mph on the track. Given the crazy speeds, kill switches must be installed and attached to the rider by a tether during a race.
A sense of adventure and a knack for tinkering unites these racers. "It's a thing you by and large build yourself," Kaufman says. "You build it, you race it, you share secrets of the trade." Most riders aren't looking to use lawnmower racing as a launching point into other forms of motor sport. They do it because they love it.
Take Bobby Cleveland, the world land-speed-record holder with a lawnmower. He started with a normal 20-hp V-twin Snapper lawn tractor. After making modifications that included increasing the gear ratio and turn radius, he coaxed 45 hp from the engine?enough to break the speed record in 2010 by rocketing across the Bonneville Salt Flats at 96.529 mph. Cleveland, a nine-time USLMRA champion, says he has three requirements when it comes to lawn mowers. "Number one, I want it to look good; number two, I want it to sound good; number three, I'll make it go fast."
Mower Mods
Throwing around all that horsepower on machines made for cutting lawns can be frightening. "It can be a little scary sometimes," says USLMRA vice president Kerry Evans.
How do you make a mower deal with all that power? Evans, who helped Cleveland modify his record-setting mower, says that the front ends on standard lawnmowers aren't suited to handle the high-speed turns in racing. Stiffening up the frame or building a stronger one is the first mod many riders make. The engine is fair game as well. Riders can regrind the camshaft, put in bigger valves, and install different pistons. Riders can change the duration on the valves, making them stay open longer and allowing more fuel into the engine, resulting in a greater explosion inside the cylinder for that extra giddyup."The whole goal is to get as much air and gas into the motor so you can get more power out," Evans says.
Other mods: Stock billet rods won't last under the added pressure of a souped-up engine. They'll last until only about 6000 rpm?anything more than that will wreck the engine. Evans suggests replacing those and the billet flywheels to take the rotation pressure off the engine.
Racers have to use lawnmower tires, but they can install stronger all-terrain-vehicle or go-kart wheels. Swapping in bigger brakes is a must, too. And other specialized parts are available. Evans says that companies like Precision Cams will modify an existing camshaft or sell a new one specifically for mower racing, which can cost up to $150.
Never For Money, Always For Love
For Crowl, it is important that lawnmower racing stay strictly amateur and that points, bragging rights, and trophies remain the only prizes. Any money is shared between racers to help compensate for gas and expenses. "The day we start racing for money is the day I resign," he says. "That's not who we are. I would just as soon have the good times, the good competition, the companionship, the camaraderie after the races, and be poor."
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Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Documents show IRS also screened liberal groups
FILE - In this June 6, 2013 file photo, acting IRS commissioner Danny Werfel testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Werfel unveils his plan to fix an agency besieged by scandal. President Barack Obama ordered Werfel to conduct a 30-day review of the IRS when he appointed him last month. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
FILE - In this June 6, 2013 file photo, acting IRS commissioner Danny Werfel testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Werfel unveils his plan to fix an agency besieged by scandal. President Barack Obama ordered Werfel to conduct a 30-day review of the IRS when he appointed him last month. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Internal Revenue Service's screening of groups seeking tax-exempt status was broader and lasted longer than has been previously disclosed, the new head of the agency acknowledged Monday. Terms including "Israel," ''Progressive" and "Occupy" were used by agency workers to help pick groups for closer examination, according to an internal IRS document obtained by The Associated Press.
The IRS has been under fire since last month after admitting it targeted tea party and other conservative groups that wanted the tax-exempt designation for tough examinations. While investigators have said that agency screening for those groups had stopped in May 2012, Monday's revelations made it clear that screening for other kinds of organizations continued until earlier this month, when the agency's new chief, Danny Werfel, says he discovered it and ordered it halted.
The IRS document said an investigation into why specific terms were included was still underway. It blamed the continued use of inappropriate criteria by screeners on "a lapse in judgment" by the agency's former top officials. The document did not name the officials, but many top leaders have been replaced.
In a conference call with reporters, Werfel said that after becoming acting IRS chief last month, he discovered varied and improper terms on the lists and said screeners were still using them. He did not specify what terms were on the lists, but said he suspended the use of all such lists immediately.
"There was a wide-ranging set of categories and cases that spanned a broad spectrum" on the lists, Werfel said. He added that his aides found those lists contained "inappropriate criteria that was in use."
Werfel ordered a halt in the use of spreadsheets listing the terms ? called BOLO lists for "be on the lookout for? on June 12 and formalized their suspension with a June 20 written order, according to the IRS document the AP obtained. Investigators have previously said that the lists evolved over time as screeners found new names and phrases to help them identify groups to examine.
Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee released one of the lists, dated November 2010, that the IRS has provided to congressional investigators. That 16-page document shows that the terms "Progressive" and "Tea Party" were both on that list, as well as "Medical Marijuana" and "Healthcare legislation."
Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, top Democrat on the Ways and Means panel, said he was writing a letter to J. Russell George, the Treasury Department inspector general whose audit in May detailed IRS targeting of conservatives, asking why his report did not mention other groups that were targeted.
"The audit served as the basis and impetus for a wide range of congressional investigations and this new information shows that the foundation of those investigations is flawed in a fundamental way," Levin said.
George's report criticized the IRS for using "inappropriate criteria" to identify tea party and other conservative groups. It did not mention more liberal organizations, but in response to questions from lawmakers at congressional hearings, George said he had recently found other lists that raised concerns about other "political factors" he did not specify.
Democratic staff on Ways and Means said in a press release that they had verified that of the 298 groups seeking tax-exempt status that George's audit had examined, some were liberal organizations ? something George's report did not mention.
Many organizations seeking tax-exempt designation were applying for so-called 501(c)(4) status, named for its section of the federal revenue code. IRS regulations allow that status for groups mostly involved in "social welfare" and that don't engage in election campaigns for or against candidates as their "primary" activity, and it is up to the IRS to judge whether applicants meet those vaguely defined requirements.
Werfel's remarks came as he released an 83-page examination he has conducted of his embattled agency. The conclusions, which Werfel cautioned are preliminary, have so far found there was "insufficient action" by IRS managers to prevent and disclose the problem involving the screening of certain groups, but no specific clues of misconduct.
"We have not found evidence of intentional wrongdoing by anyone in the IRS or involvement in these matters by anyone outside the IRS," he told reporters.
The report found no indication so far of improper screening beyond the IRS offices, mostly in Cincinnati, that examine groups seeking tax-exempt status.
Werfel's report describes several new procedures the agency is installing to prevent unfair treatment of taxpayers in the future. They include a fast-track process for groups seeking tax-exempt status that have yet to get a response from the IRS within 120 days of applying. He is also creating an Accountability Review Board, which within 60 days is supposed to recommend any additional personnel moves "to hold accountable those responsible" for the targeting of conservative groups, a Treasury Department fact sheet on Werfel's report.
The top five people in the agency responsible for the tax-exempt status of organizations have already been removed, including the former acting commissioner, Steven Miller, whom President Barack Obama replaced with Werfel.
"The IRS is committed to correcting its mistakes, holding individuals accountable as appropriate" and establishing new controls to reduce potential future problems, Werfel told reporters.
IRS screening of conservative groups had sparked investigations by three congressional committees, the Justice Department and a Treasury Department inspector general.
Werfel's comments and report drew negative reviews from one of the IRS's chief critics in Congress, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Issa said the review "fails to meaningfully answer the largest outstanding questions about inappropriate inquiries and indefensible delays. As investigations by Congress and the Justice Department are still ongoing, Mr. Werfel's assertion that he has found no evidence that anyone at IRS intentionally did anything wrong can only be called premature."
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., whose panel is also investigating the agency, said the IRS "still needs to provide clear answers to the most significant questions ? who started this practice, why was it allowed to continue for so long, and how widespread was it? This culture of political discrimination and intimidation goes far beyond basic management failure and personnel changes alone won't fix a broken IRS."
Werfel had promised to produce a report within a month of taking over the agency.
Werfel said he briefed Obama and Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew on the report earlier Monday.
Werfel, initially named the IRS's acting commissioner, is now the agency's deputy principal commissioner because federal law limits the time an agency can be led by an acting official.
___
Associated Press writers Stephen Ohlemacher and Henry C. Jackson contributed to this report.
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