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1-800-GET-THIN – “San Diego Living” On Ch. 6 Tells A Woman?s Weight Loss Story Dec. 5th.This Monday Dec. 5th, Channel 6′s morning show will feature Dr. Lee Au, a bariatric surgeon and Patty Gamberg, a San Diego woman who recently had the Lap-Band procedure after years of trying to lose weight and gaining it all back. The show?s hosts are Kr(EMAILWIRE.COM, December 03, 2011 ) San Diego, CA – A woman?s story of overcoming obesity and finding a healthier lifestyle will be featured on the Monday, Dec. 5th edition of ?San Diego Living?, the popular morning show on XETV Channel 6. The show airs at 9:00 a.m.

A recent study provides another reminder that losing weight is hard for many people, and maintaining that weight loss is even more difficult. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that for at least a year, subjects who lost weight on a low-calorie diet felt hungrier than they were before they started and actually had higher levels of certain hormones that signal the body to eat more, conserve energy and pack away fuel as fat.

“This study helps explain why about 4 out of 5 dieters end up gaining back the weight they lost within a year and, sometimes even add on a few extra pounds as well,” says Los Angeles bariatric surgeon Dr. Lee Au. “It’s often not their fault.”

Dr. Au will explain why many people have such difficulty losing weight and keeping it off, and will show how the Lap-Band works with photos, illustrations and video.
 
Also appearing on the Dec. 5th show is Patty Gamberg, a 44 year-old mom who had the lap-band procedure last July, after years of yo-yo dieting and diet pills. Patty found herself weighing 228 pounds when she decided to try losing weight with diet supplements and exercise. But after losing weight and then gaining it all back and then some after a year, she decided to call 1-800-GET-THIN after hearing a radio commercial. Patty was put in touch with professionals who provided her with information on weight loss options and lifestyle changes. Patty decided to have the Lap-Band done, and since having her procedure she has already lost 15 pounds and continues to lose 4 to 5 pounds  per month, on her way to her goal of getting down to 160. Patty says she is confident of staying there this time. “I’m on my way!” she says.
 
?Bariatric surgery has been shown to help people lose weight and can also reduce conditions associated with obesity including diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea,? says Dr. Au. ?The Lap-Band procedure is a ?laparoscopic? surgery, done with a few tiny incisions,? he says. ?The Lap-Band works by reducing the amount of food that the stomach can hold at one time, helping a person to gradually lose weight and keep it off without the need for stomach cutting or stapling. A person who has had the Lap-Band procedure will feel full faster and the feeling of fullness will longer, so the person will eat less but will still feel satisfied.?

For information on weight loss, lifestyle changes and the Lap-Band, call 1-800-GET-THIN or visit www.1800getthin.com. All individuals should consult with their physician prior to undergoing any weight loss program. Studies indicate that individuals can achieve 30-50% excess weight loss at 3 years with the Lap-Band. 

About 1-800-GET-THIN
1-800-GET-THIN puts people in touch with weight loss professionals who provide information needed to make informed choices & lifestyle changes. 1 800 GET THIN only works with accredited facilities that adhere to a strict surgical and pre-operative regimen where they follow extensive safety protocols that are among the most thorough in the industry. All surgical procedures, no matter how minor, have risks.

Source: 1-800-GET-THIN
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PREVENTION

The professors estimate the rollback to 1984 sentence lengths would reduce the prison population by 400,000, thus freeing up $12 billion from the $70 billion in annual prison expenditures. Now, how best to use or reallocate that $12 billion to better control crime? Cook and Ludwig came up with three possibilities:

– More cops on the streets.

– Better funding of Head Start or early-childhood education programs.

– Intervention with high-offending juveniles.

In terms of policing, the money diversion would increase the annual $100 billion the nation spends on police protection by 12 percent and perhaps add 100,000 more cops. What will that do?

Cook and Ludwig estimate, based on their study review, that it would lead to a decline in hundreds of thousands of violent and property-crime victimizations each year.

They theorize that if the benefit-cost ratio for marginal spending on long prison sentences is no more than 1 to 1, then reducing average sentence lengths to 1984 levels in order to increase spending on police could generate net benefits to society on the order of $36 billion to $90 billion per year.

Now, what about Head Start? A Rand Corp. review last year of early-childhood program studies estimated that the cost benefits to society in terms of reduced future delinquency or criminal behavior, job productivity and other factors ranged from $2 to $17 for each public dollar invested in such funding.

The $12 billion diversion would boost funding by 150 percent to the programs current annual $8 billion budget, which now serves just half of the nations poor 3- and 4-year-olds.

A defensible guess is that reallocating resources from long prison sentences to early-childhood education might generate between $12 billion and $60 billion in net benefits to society, the professors note.

CHANGE WONT COME EASY

A third funding reallocation possibility, they postulate, lies in funding human capital investments in the highest-risk subset of the population – namely, trying to address social-cognitive skill deficits of young people already involved in the criminal justice system.

The professors estimate $1 billion annually alone could provide functional family therapy (FFT) to roughly 300,000 youths on juvenile probation.

FFT costs approximately $2,500 per youth, with a benefit-cost ratio that may be as high as 25 to 1 from crime reductions alone, the professors state. With the remaining $11 billion, we could provide multisystemic therapy (MST) to almost every person age 19 and under who is arrested each year.

Such a reallocation, they estimate, could generate net social benefits on the order of $70 billion per year.

Of course, the professors are not that naïve about the probability of such a rollback or reallocation taking place.

As they point out in their essay, a key challenge we face is that our government systems are not well suited to converting the fifth year of a convicted car thiefs prison term into an extra year or two of Head Start for a poor child.

Government agency heads have strong incentives to maximize the budgets of their agencies and pour any resources that are freed up from eliminating ineffective program activities back into their own agencies, they conclude.

This is the intrinsic difficulty of rationalizing policies across domains, agencies and levels of government, they add. If we could solve this problem – and orient the policy system to up-weight evidence from design-driven research – then, in our quest for effective crime control, it appears possible that we could have more for less.

Now thats food for thought.

Ruben Rosario can be reached at rrosario@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5454.

Over the next 30 days, 1-800-GET-THIN will be urging the public to Please Eat Responsibly to fight obesity. The campaign will also share personal stories from Californians who are finally losing weight and keeping it off with the Lap-Band procedure.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 18, 2011

Successful weight loss is about making informed choices, lifestyle changes and having support from qualified professionals. For thousands of Californians, 1-800-GET-THIN serves as the gateway to learning from healthcare professionals and physicians about weight loss options, the psychology of obesity and lifestyle changes including eating responsibly.#160;

1-800-GET-THIN is sharing the stories of people who have successfully lost weight with the Lap-Band, with the help of professionals who support them on their weight-loss journeys, including counselors, dietitians and bariatric surgeons.#160;

Giselle is a 28 year-old who struggled to lose weight, trying nearly every weight-loss strategy including dieting, exercise and weight-loss pills. At one point I weighed almost 300 pounds! says Giselle, who is 59 tall. I tried to lose weight by eating much less, but always rebounded and ate even more. I tried over-the-counter diet pills, and eventually managed to lose about 80 pounds. Then I started to pile the weight back on. Eventually I was back up to 260 pounds and still gaining.

I remember seeing a 1-800-GET-THIN billboard near my home, says Giselle. Each time I passed that billboard I thought to myself, I couldnt really do it. But Giselle realized she had to try something that could work, and she eventually decided to call 1-800-GET-THIN to learn more about the Lap-Band. She attended a free seminar in her area. Everyone was so helpful, she says. They helped me with my insurance, and after I got approval I was able to schedule my Lap-Band, which was done in October 2010. My doctor was very attentive and he has been watching me closely since having my procedure, and Ive already lost over 100 pounds. I never thought of myself as being healthy, but now I do. Im really motivated to keep the weight off and now Im exercising every day at home. I have transformed my life!

Many people are unable to lose weight and keep it off with diet, medications and exercise. The Lap-Band can be a very good option for these patients, says Dr. Lee Au, a Los Angeles bariatric surgeon.#160;

According to the United States Surgeon General, obesity kills hundreds of thousands of Americans yearly and is the second leading cause of preventable death in the US. The Lap-Band procedure is an FDA approved surgical procedure, performed with the use of general anesthesia where a band is placed around the upper part of the stomach. Hundreds of thousands of obese patients have successfully lost weight and kept it off long-term with the Lap-Band. #160;Studies have shown increased life span after weight loss surgery.#160;All surgical procedures, no matter how minor, have risks. Every facility and physician working with 1 800 GET THIN is required to inform any potential patient of the risks and will also provide a written disclosure for which the patient will sign.

About 1 800 Get Thin:

1 800 GET THIN has assisted thousands of people in Southern California to find new health, a better life, and lose weight by putting them in touch with weight-loss professionals and related facilities. For more information visit www.1800getthin.com or call 1-800-GET-THIN. All individuals should consult their physician prior to any weight loss program. Studies indicate that individuals can achieve 30-50% excess weight loss at 3 years.#160;

Source: 1-800-GET-THIN

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A Dartmouth professor recently told a colleague: “Everything I teach my undergrads will be obsolete in 10 years.” He attempted to introduce his undergraduate students to the frontiers of research in his own special field and those frontiers are constantly moving. No doubt we are all tempted to teach our own research fields and try to introduce our students to the issues and questions that we find so exciting. And there is no doubt that our students often enjoy feeling like participants in creating new knowledge.

But research in the psychology of expertise reveals that we professors possess an immense reservoir of factual knowledge and tacit intuition that is almost totally absent in even our best undergraduates. Hence, our students may enjoy the feeling of working at the cutting edge of research, but that feeling is largely illusory. If undergraduates could create new knowledge, then there would be no intellectual justification for graduate education. What our undergraduates need is to develop that broad and deep reservoir of relatively permanent knowledge that will underwrite whatever expertise they choose to later acquire.

Of course, some of our senior majors and honors students can benefit from exposure to scholarly research. But we Dartmouth professors are increasingly teaching our narrow fields of expertise even to our first-year students, as I discovered by participating in a study of our first-year writing program. Studies show that students tend unconsciously to emulate the prose style of what they read, meaning that the last thing we want our writing students to read are scholarly and scientific articles!

Unfortunately, the most up-to-date education is always the fastest out of date. Most of our students want their expensive college educations to have a shelf life of more than 10 years. The old proverb turns out to be true to the psychology of expertise: “Teach the oldest things to the youngest people.” Undergraduate students should focus their learning on foundational theories and texts so that they can acquire the deep reservoir of knowledge that we professors possess. But because our own foundational knowledge is invisible to us, it becomes invisible to our students as well.

My friends who teach at large research universities often say to me, “It must be nice to teach in a department with no graduate students. Your undergrads must get a great education.” But lately I have been saying to them, “It must be great to be able to teach your own field of expertise to graduate students, so that you can give your undergraduates the foundational knowledge they need.” For example, several of the universities best known for their world-class graduate schools — Yale University, Columbia University and the University of Chicago — are also the schools that have most carefully protected the integrity of undergraduate education through Directed Studies at Yale and the core curricula at Columbia and Chicago. When I point to these examples, my friends at those schools say, “Yes, those are great programs, but we are having trouble staffing them because undergraduate teaching is such a low priority here.”

A great college should have some highly specialized, transient or boutique courses that reflect the ever-changing interests of our faculty. But only some. As things stand, the ideals and aims of graduate training are increasingly colonizing our undergraduate curriculum. Cutting-edge research can be exciting, but the path to “new” knowledge runs through “old” knowledge. The job of a great college is to give students the enduring foundation of basic theory and classic texts, so that they can develop the judgment, understanding and intuition that they will later use for discovery and innovation.

Hormones Make It Harder For Dieters To Lose Weight By Signaling The Body To Eat More: Study in the New England Journal of Medicine. After struggling for years, a woman says the Lap-Band has given her a whole new life.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 16, 2011

Los Angeles – A recent study provides another reminder that losing weight is hard for many people, and maintaining that weight loss is even more difficult. The study, from the University of Melbournes Department of Medicine and recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that for at least a year, subjects who lost weight on a low-calorie diet felt hungrier than they were before they started and actually had higher levels of certain hormones that signal the body to eat more, conserve energy and pack away fuel as fat.

This study helps explain why about 4 out of 5 dieters end up gaining back the weight they lost within a year and, sometimes even add on a few extra pounds as well, says Los Angeles bariatric surgeon Dr. Lee Au. Its often not their fault.

That was definitely my experience, says Melissa Acevedo, a 35 year-old mom from Covina, CA who lost over 65 pounds with the Lap-Band after nine years of yo-yo dieting, losing weight repeatedly then seeing it all come back each time. I struggled tremendously, says Melissa. I would lose ten or fifteen pounds, then my weight loss would just stop, even though I was sticking to my diet and exercise routine. I went through all the well-known diet plans and exercise programs, and it was a constant struggle. After seeing how well my cousin did with the Lap-Band, I called 1-800-GET-THIN to learn more. I attended a seminar which featured a doctor who gave the audience lots of information and answered everyones questions. I decided that I would have it done, and now my life is completely different. I know I can keep the weight off.

The Lap-Band procedure is an FDA approved surgical procedure performed with the use of general anesthesia where a band is placed around the upper part of the stomach. The procedure is a laparoscopic surgery done with a few tiny incisions. The Lap-Band works by reducing the amount of food that the stomach can hold at one time, helping a person to gradually lose weight and keep it off without the need for stomach cutting or stapling. A person who has had the Lap-Band procedure will feel full faster and the feeling of fullness will last longer so the person will eat less, but will still feel satisfied.

The study enrolled 50 obese men and women without major health problems and put them on a strict low-calorie diet for eight weeks. Within two weeks after subjects completed that diet, and again one year later, researchers measured blood levels of nine hormones that affect appetite and metabolism, and interviewed each subject about his or her feelings of hunger after meals, between meals and as mealtime approached.

The challenges of controlling hunger became apparent in the study. Thirty-four of 50 subjects made it to the one-year mark. Of those who remained, the average weight loss at 10 weeks, when hormone levels were first measured, was just short of 30 pounds. One year out, those subjects had gained back an average of just over 12 pounds. But after and between meals, their appetites – and the hormones that influence hunger – rebounded even more strongly. A full year after they had completed their crash diets and were struggling to maintain their loss, that mixture of hormones was sending a single message, loud and clear after every meal: Eat more food.

Its no secret that obesity is a major health problem in the US, says Dr. Au. Millions are spent each year on diet programs and pills. However, studies such as this one continue to show that many obese patients are unable to lose weight and keep the weight off with diet and exercise alone. For those patients, the Lap-Band procedure can be a very good option.

About 1 800 Get Thin:

1 800 GET THIN has assisted thousands of people in Southern California to find new health, a better life, and lose weight by putting them in touch with weight-loss professionals and related facilities. For more information visit www.1800getthin.com or call 1-800-GET-THIN. All individuals should consult their physician prior to any weight loss program. Studies indicate that individuals can achieve 30-50% excess weight loss at 3 years.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/11/prweb8971840.htm

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 29, 2011

Patty Gamberg says this holiday season may be her best in years. After years of gaining and losing weight, Patty had the Lap-Band procedure in July and has been steadily shedding pounds and she is well on her way to enjoying a healthier life. 1 800 GET THIN puts people in touch with weight loss professionals who provide information needed to make informed choices amp; lifestyle changes. “I was up to 228 pounds and thoroughly disappointed with myself,” says Patty, who is a 44 year-old mom in San Diego, CA. “The final straw was when I saw some photos my husband took of me at my birthday.”

The Lap-Band helps people to lose weight by restricting the amount of food they can eat at one time. Patty’s dietitian, Jessica says that she encourages patients who have had the Lap-Band to appreciate the second chance they have been given to be healthy and to eat responsibly during the holidays and beyond. She says that if they prepare before sitting down for a festive meal they’ll be better able to focus on the social aspect of the holiday instead of the food. “Be sure to eat your normal portions for breakfast and lunch’: she says. “That way you’ll be less tempted to overdo it later.

“Many bariatric surgery patients have overeaten for years, so they often feel anxiety when exposed to the large quantities of food on display during the typical holiday meal,” says bariatric surgeon Dr. Lee Au. To be able to lose weigh and keep it off, we need to eat when were hungry and stop when were not hungry. Dr. Au says that Lap-Band surgery is a tool for weight loss. But people still must eat responsibly, he says. If you overeat, youre going to gain weight again. It’s a complete lifestyle change, to alter the perception of food and eating.”

1-800-GET-THIN encourages everyone to eat responsibly. For information on weight loss, lifestyle changes and the Lap-Band, call 1-800-GET-THIN or visit http://www.1800getthin.com. Hundreds of thousands of obese patients have successfully lost weight and kept it off long-term with the Lap-Band. All individuals should consult with their physician prior to undergoing any weight loss program. Studies indicate that individuals can achieve 30-50% excess weight loss at 3 years with the Lap-Band.

Source: 1-800-GET-THIN

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The United States added about 5.1 GW of wind power generating capacity in 2010; about half of the amount that was added in 2009.Through US Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Program activities, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) funds, state and local initiatives, and private sector efforts, the nation is working toward a goal of producing 80% of US electricity from clean energy sources by 2035.

In 2010, DOE expanded existing wind power technology test centers in an ongoing effort to improve wind energy technology reliability and performance. DOE continued work on additional facilities around the country, such as a blade test facility, a large drivetrain testing facility, university-led research centers, and regional test centers for small wind technologies. DOE also launched a project to develop midsize wind turbines (100-kW to 1,000-kW).

DOE analyses resulted in strategies for offshore wind farm technology development, workforce development, and gearbox reliability improvement. The Wind Program studies provide utilities and regulators detailed analyses of the integration of high penetrations of wind power generation (between 20% and 30%) on a large scale in the synchronous electricity grids covering the contiguous 48 states. The Department of the Interior, the Department of Commerce, and DOE are working together tomitigate administrative and technical barriers to both land-based and offshore wind energy development.

Culminating a year of in-depth analysis, President Obama announced a goal to generate 80% of the nations electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. Windenergy will make critical contributions toward this long-term goal and to the shorter-term goal of doubling the nations electricity generation capacity from renewable sources by 2012.

DOEs report 20% Wind Energy by 2030examines the feasibility, costs, and benefits of supplying 20% of the nations electricity from wind power by the year 2030. This report, developed in collaboration with a broad range of wind industry and energy sector experts, identifies priority needs for accelerating wind energy expansion in the United States, and provides a foundation for coordinated action between the DOE Wind Program, industry, utilities, government, and other stakeholders.

In 2010, the US wind turbines industry installed 5,115 MW of generating capacity, increasing the countrys installed wind farm capacity by 15%, according to the American Wind Energy Associations (AWEA) US Wind Industry Year-End 2010 Market Report . This was about half of the capacity that was added in 2009. While 3,195 MW came on line in the last quarter of the year, 5,600 MW were under construction as the year ended. Wind power now can contribute about 3% of the total US electricity supply, and, in some states, wind contributes up to 25% of their electrical generation during peak production.

Generation from wind energy is making a difference to the nations energy supply. In early 2011, Texas wind power helped reduce the impact of cold and icy conditions that caused 50 fossil-fueled power plants with about 7.0 GW of generation to go offline. During the peak of the electricity shortage, wind was providing between 3.5 GW and 4.0 GW of power, demonstrating the importance of developing and maintaining a diverse energy portfolio.

Federal tax and grant incentives and state renewable portfolio standards (RPS) have played important roles in the wind capacity growth for the past four years. In February 2009, federal incentives were expanded and extended to 2012.

Because of its national importance, the energy sector receives research and development (Ramp;D) funding and tax incentives from the US government. Since its inception in 1992, the production tax credit has become one of the most important federal incentives for wind power. The production tax credit provides an income tax credit of 0.022USD/kWh (.016 euro/kWh), adjustedfor inflation, for the first 10 years of the wind power projects operation.

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (PL 110-343) and the Recovery Act of 2009 extended and expanded the federal incentives offered for wind energy, most notably by allowing project owners to elect to receive an investment tax credit instead of a production tax credit.

The investment tax credit allows 30% of the investment in a wind power project to be refunded in the form of reduced income taxes. Both the production and investment tax credits were extended to December 31, 2012. Under Section 1603 of the Recovery Act, the production tax credit may also be taken in the form of an up-front cash grant equivalent to 30% of total project value.

Tax credits are also available to businesses and homeowners who purchase and install qualified small wind systems. Businesses and homeowners can claim 30% of the cost as a tax credit for qualified small wind systems (under 100 KW) through 2017. The Recovery Act also included a 30% credit for investment in new or reequipped facilities that manufacture wind energy equipment, added several grant programs, and extended the eligibility of DOEissued loan guarantees to include commercial wind power technologies.

In 2010, the DOE finalized a partial loan guarantee to support the 845-MW Caithness Shepherds Flat project, the largest wind farm to receive a loan guarantee under the Financial Institution Partnership Program. According to company estimates, the project will directly employ 400 workers during construction and 35 workers during operation.

The company projects the wind farm will mitigate more than 1.2 million tons of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to the amount of CO2 from approximately 200,000 passenger vehicles.

State and local incentive programs

State-mandated RPS programs require utilities to purchase a percentage of their overall generating capacity from renewable resources. By the end of 2010, RPS programs had been adopted in 47 states. Other market stimulus programs offered by states include grant programs, loan programs, production incentives, and utility resource planning. Green pricing is an optional utility service that supports a greater level of investment in renewable energy technologies.

Participating utility customers pay a premium on their electric bills to cover the additional incremental cost of renewable energy. To date, more than 750 utilities, including investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and cooperatives, offer a green pricing option. Premiums vary from 0.002 to 0.116 USD/kWh (0.086 euro/kWh).

The United States faces several major challenges along the path to 20% wind energy by 2030. Investment in the electric transmission system is needed to deliver wind-generated electricity to urban centers, as well as for larger electric load balancing areas, and improved regional planning. The manufacturing supply chain must grow to provide wind turbine components, and a skilled workforce must be trained to staff these facilities.

Advancements in wind turbine technology and manufacturing should decrease capital costs and improve turbine performance. Finally, concerns about wind farmsiting, including environmental impacts and social acceptance, must be addressed. DOE is targeting its investments to address these barriers.

Cooperation among federal agencies is breaking down barriers to wind development that were identified in analysis reports such as the 20% Wind Energy by 2030 report and the Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States assessment issued in 2010. For example, DOE and the US Department of Commerce are collaborating on renewable energy modeling and weather forecasting to improve meteorological, oceanic, and climatological observations and forecasting.

Building on work begun in 2009, the Department of the Interior launched a Smart from the Start wind energy initiative in 2010. The initiative will speed offshore wind development on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf by facilitating project siting, leasing, and construction, and by working with coastal state governors to identify offshore locations suitable for wind energy development. The accelerated leasing process is being simplified through a regulatory change so that leases may be issued in 2011 or early 2012.

Transmission system planning and analysis is ongoing as potential contributions from wind and solar are being considered. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) group concluded, in September 2010 , that the states grid can reliably accommodate the integration of the renewable energy needed to meet Californias 20% RPS. The study assumed the state grid operator will have a total installed capacity of 2,246 MW of solar and 6,686 MW of wind generation to meet the RPS by 2012. Similar studies at national, regional, and state levels also have found that wind penetrations of 20% to 40% can be reliably accommodated if cost-effective grid reforms are implemented.

A Seattle news source, the Crosscut, has reported that the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will be receiving two train sets from the Spanish Talgo Company.  The trains are currently being built at Talgo’s Wisconsin plant at the cost of $37 million.  Five high-speed Talgo trains are currently operating in the rail corridor between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, BC and are greatly responsible for reviving Amtrak’ Cascades service.  The success of Talgo trains come from their unique design that tilts inward while navigating curved track, which allows for faster trains and a 25 minute reduction in travel time between Seattle and Portland.

Unfortunately for passengers on Amtrak Cascades service, it appears that the two addition Talgo trains will not equate to additional rail service.  According to a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) spokeswoman, the two trains-sets will only be used as part of the existing train pool as spares.  The integration of the two trains will allow for the other 5 Talgo trains more down time and longevity.

There is a great deal of debate as to whether or not the additional Talgo trains could be used for a better purpose.  By 2017 WSDOT plans on expanding the Portland to Seattle Cascades service from 4 to 6 daily trips, but many feel that this could be done immediately with the new Talgo trains. Others feel that the trains could be used outside of the Eugene to Vancouver corridor.  There have been talks about creating a rail service between Portland and Boise, Idaho.  The president of the Association of Oregon rail and Transit Advocates (AORTA) shared that, “It wouldn’t hurt my personal feelings if one of those trains were used to develop a pilot service between Boise and Portland.”  He continues to say, “We’ve got to think beyond the Willamette Valley.” Another supporter of a Boise-Portland service is Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, who is in great support of a pilot program possibly using one of the Talgo trains.  In order to begin this program, studies would have to be done to confirm the viability of the route, but funding is an issue.

Overall, the addition of two high-speed trains built in America to Amtrak’s Cascades route is good news, but the controversy over alternative uses for the trains will continue.  It seems that all sides of the  debate have their valid points.  It would be great for passengers if daily services from Portland to Seattle increased, but restoring passenger service between Portland and Boise would also be worthwhile.  At the same time, it is very possible for the Talgo trains to be useful in their roles as spares in the event of unforeseen problems with the original trains.  This story is an unfortunate example of several parties wanting access to the same resources, which is a common theme for passenger rail in this country.

We all fondly remember it – young Macaulay Culkin defending his home from rough and tough burglars Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern with a fake dinner party, booby traps and even a hot iron. But while Home Alone is a fun holiday movie to watch, its also a good reminder of the dark side that the holiday travel and shopping season can bring: home robberies. With the extreme rush and excitement of the holiday season, homeowners focus on shopping and travel rather than the safety of their homes, and basic steps to protect households are often overlooked.

On average, 117 million Americans travel during the holidays, spending three to five days away from home while gone. According to resources like the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, studies show that lack of preparation or clear holes in security are the main causes of home invasion during this time. Victims of these holiday hoodlums say that they would have taken steps to improve the safety of their home had they been aware of its vulnerability. Dropcam, Inc., maker of the most versatile Wi-Fi video camera and intelligent streaming service, offers the following 10 tips to ensure home owners take the proper steps to keep their homes protected:

1. Leave a key with a friend or relative who can stop by to check that everything is in order; having someone regularly visit the house will deter home invaders.

2. Let close neighbors know how long you will be out of town so they can keep an eye out for suspicious activity or individuals.

3. Research and use home safety technology such as a Wi-Fi video camera to keep an eye on things while youre gone, and smartphone apps such as ones that allow you to turn lights on and off remotely.

4. Ask a neighbor to shovel your driveway every few days and create tracks in the snow to show foot traffic to make it look like your home is lived-in.

5. If you have a neighborhood watch service, let them know the days you will be out of town and ask that they check in on your house and walk around the backyard.

6. Double-check that all doors, windows and pet exits are shut and locked before you leave.

7. Use a timer to switch on indoor lights at different times throughout the day to give the impression that someone is home.

8. Remove high value or attractive contents from windows, and bring any bicycles inside the house or garage.

9. Break down boxes of expensive gifts such as electronics, and carefully place them in trashcans so not to advertise to others the nice gifts under the tree.

10. Do not use social media like Facebook or Twitter to publicize that you will be out of town.

We unfortunately see an increase of burglaries during the holidays, and many are simply the result of distraction and ill-preparedness, says Gary Miller, former police chief of the Boerne Police Department in Texas. There are about five million homes burglarized each year in the US and its important to use common sense and understand it can happen to you. It only takes one time so you should keep home safety top of mind, especially in December when your home is not only more valuable, but also more vulnerable.

Dropcams camera and streaming service is one product you can buy this season that can help you keep a watchful eye on your home. After setting up a Dropcam HD, you can access your real-time video stream on a computer, smartphone or tablet for on-the-go 24/7 viewing. You can also stay up to date with instant email and push alerts for motion and audio detection. With Dropcam DVR, you can record up to 30 days of moment-by-moment video. Personal video feeds can be safely and privately shared with friends and family. Some examples of how people are using their Wi-Fi video cameras can be found at www.dropcam.com/demo.

Having a video monitoring system is a great way to increase your home security and ensure you dont miss an important moment. Any extra measure you can take will pay off, Miller says.

Highlight of Business Operations:In July 2010, Sandoz began the commercial sale of enoxaparin sodium injection. The profit-share or royalties Sandoz is obligated to pay us under the 2003 Sandoz Collaboration differ depending on whether (i) there are any third-party competitors marketing an interchangeable generic version of Lovenox, or Lovenox-Equivalent Product (as defined in the 2003 Sandoz Collaboration), (ii) a Lovenox-Equivalent Product is being marketed by Sanofi-Aventis, which distributes the brand name Lovenox, or licensed by Sanofi-Aventis to another company to be sold as a generic drug, both known as authorized generics, or (iii) there is one or more third-party competitors which is not Sanofi-Aventis marketing a Lovenox-Equivalent Product. Until October 2011, no third-party competitors were marketing a Lovenox-Equivalent Product; therefore, Sandoz paid us 45% of the contractual profits from the sale of enoxaparin sodium injection. We earned $74.7 million and $234.3 million in profit-share product revenue from Sandoz during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, respectively. Profits on sales of enoxaparin sodium injection are calculated by deducting from net sales the cost of goods sold and an allowance for selling, general and administrative costs, which is a contractual percentage of net sales. In October 2011, Sandoz confirmed that an authorized generic Lovenox-Equivalent Product was being marketed, which means that Sandoz is obligated to pay us a 10%-12% royalty on its net sales of enoxaparin sodium until the contractual profits from those net sales in a product year (July 1 June 30) reach $135.0 million (pro-rated to $99.1 million for the product year ending June 30, 2012). Thereafter, provided that no other third party is marketing a generic Lovenox, Sandoz is obligated to pay us 45% of the contractual profits on net sales through the remainder of the product year. In September 2011, Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Watson) announced that the ANDA for enoxaparin filed by Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Amphastar) had been approved by FDA. Although Watson and Amphastar are currently enjoined from marketing an enoxaparin product, if they or another third-party competitor begins marketing a Lovenox-Equivalent Product, Sandoz will instead pay us a 10% 12% royalty based on net sales of enoxaparin sodium injection. Consequently, our revenue will decline starting in the fourth quarter of 2011, and may further decline thereafter in the event another third-party launches a Lovenox-Equivalent Product.

General and administrative expense for the three months ended September 30, 2011 was $11.5 million, compared to $7.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2010. General and administrative expense increased by $4.2 million, or 57%, from the 2010 period to the 2011 period due to increases of: $2.6 million in royalty and license fees payable to Massachusetts Institute of Technology associated with the sales of enoxaparin sodium injection and milestones earned by us related to enoxaparin sodium injection; $1.7 million in professional and other fees primarily due to an increase in legal and consulting activities and an increase of $0.4 million in share-based compensation expense associated with the performance-based restricted stock. These increases were offset by a decrease of $0.5 million in personnel and related costs primarily due to employee performance payments made in 2010 related to the July 2010 regulatory approval of enoxaparin sodium injection.

General and administrative expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was $29.0 million, compared to $20.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2010. General and administrative expense increased by $8.2 million, or 40%, from the 2010 period to the 2011 period due to increases of: $5.6 million in royalty and license fees payable to Massachusetts Institute of Technology associated with the sales of enoxaparin sodium injection and milestones earned by us related to enoxaparin sodium injection; and $4.1 million in professional and other fees primarily due to an increase in legal and consulting activities. These increases were offset by a decrease of $1.0 million in share-based compensation expense primarily due to a modification in 2010 in the application of our forfeiture rate assumption and a decrease of $0.5 million in personnel and related costs primarily due to employee performance payments made in 2010 related to the July 2010 regulatory approval of enoxaparin sodium injection.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, our net income adjusted for non-cash items was $195.1 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, non-cash items include share-based compensation of $8.0 million, depreciation and amortization of our property, equipment and intangible assets of $4.2 million and amortization of purchased premiums on our marketable securities of $1.2 million. In addition, the net change in our operating assets and liabilities used cash of $29.6 million and resulted from: an increase in accounts receivable of $30.3 million, due to an increase in our quarterly profit-share on net sales of enoxaparin sodium injection; a decrease in unbilled revenue of $2.7 million, resulting from decreased reimbursable manufacturing activities for our M356 program; an increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $1.2 million, due to advance payments made for non-clinical program studies, the renewal of vendor maintenance agreements, and an increase in interest accrued on our available for sale marketable securities; a decrease in restricted cash of $1.8 million due to the expiration of a letter of credit related to our facility lease; a decrease in accounts payable of $1.8 million, primarily due to the timing of manufacturing activities for our M356 program and the timing of payments to vendors for purchases of laboratory equipment; an increase in accrued expenses of $0.9 million resulting from an increase in accrued royalties related to our profit-share on net sales of enoxaparin sodium injection; and a decrease in deferred revenue of $1.6 million, due to the amortization of the $13.6 million equity premium paid by Novartis Pharma AG in connection with the 2006 Sandoz Collaboration.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2010, our net income adjusted for non-cash items was $14.0 million. In addition, the net change in our operating assets and liabilities used cash of $46.5 million and resulted from: an increase in accounts receivable of $44.2 million, due to the quarterly profit-share for sales of enoxaparin sodium injection; a decrease in unbilled revenue of $2.9 million, resulting from decreased reimbursable commercial activities for our M356 program as well as decreased reimbursable activities for our enoxaparin sodium injection program; an increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $0.8 million, due to the timing of payroll tax related disbursements; a decrease in accounts payable of $2.0 million, primarily due to the timing of commercial activities for our M356 program; and a decrease in deferred revenue of $2.3 million, principally due to the amortization of the $13.6 million equity premium paid by Novartis Pharma AG in connection with the 2006 Sandoz Collaboration.

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