Deciding Which State To Incorporate A Business - Small Business ...

After you decide to incorporate your business and choose a business structure, you need to decide which state to incorporate your business in. This means that, as part of the process?of forming a legal entity for your business, you need to choose a state to incorporate?in and which to make your filing in.

Many people want to know, ?What is the best state state to incorporate?a business?? Or ?Can I save money on taxes by incorporating my business in a different state??

Even though a business can be legally based in any state, even if that state is different from the owner?s state of residence, most business owners choose to incorporate in their own home state, or Delaware or Nevada.

Delaware is a popular?state to incorporate in, especially for larger companies, because it has the most developed and flexible corporate statutes in the country and is widely considered to be a pro-business state.

Nevada has also become popular state to incorporate?because of its lack of state corporate income tax, franchise tax and personal income tax. It also has relatively low fees.

However, most small business owners are likely better off incorporating in their own home state. If you are going to be conducting a substantial amount of your business in your home state, it will likely be beneficial to choose that?state to incorporate in.

Even if you incorporate out-of-state, if you do a lot of business in your home state (and/or have a significant physical presence in your home state), you will have to make a filing to ?qualify to do business? in your home state. You will then be subject to the same fees, taxes and regulations as if you had incorporated in your home state in the first place, and you will have paid filing fees (and, perhaps franchise taxes) to more than one state.

Sometimes it pays to keep it simple when you?re incorporating (and?avoid some of the most common incorporation mistakes). Big corporations can often find certain shortcuts that are not available to smaller businesses. Often the simplest answer ? the best?state to incorporate?in is your home state ? the right one for your small business. For more details on this, read Nellie Akalp?s article on Small Business Trends on?where is the ?best state? to incorporate.

If you?re operating a business in multiple states, then your incorporation and business filing requirements get a bit more complicated. For details, read this article from Small Business Trends on?how to handle your business filings when doing business in multiple states.

The bottom line: If your business is like most small businesses, you should probably choose the state where you live as the?state to incorporate.

While there can be benefits to incorporating out-of-state, those benefits usually are biggest for larger companies that have more complex tax filing and regulatory situations. Small business owners who do a majority of business in the same state should usually plan to ?keep it simple? by incorporating in the same state where they reside.

State Incorporation Photo via Shutterstock

Source: http://smallbiztrends.com/2012/10/which-state-to-incorporate-a-business.html

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Nexus 4 vs. Lumia 920 - Know Your Cell

The Nexus 4?is poised to be one of the best smartphones this holiday season but there are many other devices vying for the crown. Let's compare the Nexus 4 to the upcoming Nokia Lumia 920 with Windows Phone 8 and see which one will be a better fit for you.?

Screen

Both phones will display that appear to be stunning. The Nexus 4 has a 4.7-inch display that utilizes LG's IPS technology to provide a 1280 x 768 resolution with a stunning 320 pixels per inch. We're expecting it to have great viewing angles and provide an excellent experience for watching movies and reading crisp text.?

The Nokai Lumia 920 will also have an impressive 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ screen which provides a 1280 x 768 resolution. The pixels per inch likely won't be as high as that of the Nexus 4 but Nokia's handset will provide some really clear blacks and it can be used with gloves on. Heck, we've even seen people use a fork?to interact with the Lumia 920 and it held up well.?

Other specs

The Nexus 4 and Nokia Lumia 920 are poised to be powerful handsets and both will feature specs that are more powerful than many home computers just a few years ago.?

The Nexus 4 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, has 2GB of RAM, 8 or 16GB of storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, HSPA+, 8-megapixel camera, NFC, wireless charging and more. The one major feature that the Nexus 4 lacks is 4G LTE.?

The Lumia 920 will also be a powerhouse, as it's powered by a 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor, sports an 8.7-megapixel PureView camera, has Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS and 4G LTE. That PureView technology?could be a very big deal as it means the phone has an optical image stabilizer which should provide some of the best photos we'll see from a smartphone. Previous Galaxy phones haven't really placed a premium on the camera but we still have our hopes up for the Nexus 4.?

The Nexus 4 and Lumia 920 will both be top-of-the-line handsets. The Nexus 4 has everything you'd want in a smartphone except for 4G LTE while the Lumia 920's 4G LTE and PureView camera technology may make it stand out a bit more.?

Software

The Nexus 4 will launch with Android 4.2 and this is going to be the best version of Android yet. It has all the goodies included in 4.1 Jelly Bean?like a faster touch response and offline maps but it also includes some cool, new features.?

For example, Android 4.2 will include a guesture keyboard which is similar to Swype for faster input, particularly with one hand. Look for a revamped camera interface including the ability to stitch together some incredible panorama photos with the Photo Sphere feature. Google Now is also getting more improvements and we're sure there will also be more tweaks in the latest version of Android.?

If you've never used Android before you should know that it's a powerful and customizable platform which works really well with Google's services.?

The Nokia Lumia 920 is one of the flagship Windows Phone 8 devices out there and it will be a showcase for Microsoft's latest version of mobile software. Like Windows 8, the Lumia 920 can be filled with customized tiles which can update in real-time with your information. For example, you can set up a People's tile with your wife on the home screen and her texts, tweets and Facebook updates will automatically appear on your homescreen.?

Windows Phone 8 also includes Nokia Maps for your directions, built-in Facebook integration, deep hooks into Microsoft's services and it's the only platform that comes with Office. Nokia is also bringing some of its own custom software to the Lumia 920, too.?

Windows Phone 8 is a well-designed platform that really stands out from the crowd with its live-tile interface. The app selection is getting better but it still lags behind Android.?

Ecosystem

As nice as the Nexus 4 and Nokia Lumia 920 are by themselves, these wouldn't be that appealing without a strong ecosystem to hook in to.?

The Nexus 4 runs Android and the Google Play?store now has over 700,000 apps and Google sells all sorts of music, eBooks and videos. You can also do things like throw widgets on your home screen or root your device and throw on your own custom ROMs. Google's selection of videos is not the best in the market, though.?

Microsoft and Nokia have done a good job of beefing up the app store for the Lumia 920 but it still trails Android when it comes to the sheer number of apps. We've been promised that most of the popular apps will be on Windows Phone 8 eventually but there's still a bit of a disparity.

Luckily, the media and content selection on the Nokia Lumia 920 will be stellar. Along with the portfolio from Microsoft, Lumia 920 users will get free streaming music with the Nokia Music app. Look forward to having Nokia-specific apps and software moving forward. ?

Price, accessories

?

The Nexus 4 will be compatible with wireless charging mats and a charging dock will be available soon. We'd expect a few cases and other accessories to come out for Google's flagship but nothing along the lines of what you'd get with the iPhone. Still, the Nexus 4 is mostly built with standard technologies, so many accessories not specifically made for it will still work.?

The Nexus 4 will be sold by Google completely unlocked for $299 and $349 for the 8GB and 16GB models, respectively. T-Mobile will also offer a version which starts at $199 with a new, two-year contract. The unlocked version will work on AT&T and T-Mobile.?

The Nokia Lumia 920 will be coming exclusively to AT&T in November and early leaks suggest the price will be $159 with a new, two-year contract. Off-contract pricing will probably start in the $500+ range.?Nokia will have a plethora of cool and custom accessories for the Lumia 920 and we've already seen a Fatboy wireless charging pad and a JBL speaker which can play music from your phone with just a tap of your phone.?

The Final Take

The Nexus 4 and Nokia Lumia 920 will both offer fantastic smartphone experiences and each has its own advantages.?

The Nexus 4 will be a great Android device?which offers fantastic Google integration, a strong selection of apps and it comes at a very reasonable price. On the down side, it won't have 4G LTE and we're not sure how well its camera will perform.?

It's quite the opposite with the Nokia Lumia 920, as it should provide some of the best photos we've ever seen from a phone. The Windows 8 platform is also a refreshing take on mobile computing, Nokia will bring its own fun software and the handset has all the features you'd expect including 4G LTE. On the down side, the app selection won't be quite as good as what you'd find on Android or iOS. ?

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Source: http://www.knowyourcell.com/news/1657500/nexus_4_vs_nokia_lumia_920.html

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How Teaching Agencies Help You Be A Better Educator

For many people, teaching isn't just a job. More than a profession, it's a lifelong vocation committed to inspiring lives, imparting values, and shaping the future generations. It's also a motivation for many education graduates that being a teacher is a relatively stable position, and that being an educator offers a wide variety of challenges and incentives to make it a fulfilling career to maintain.

It is due to these advantages of being a teacher that the field can be one of the most highly-competitive areas in the job market today. Education graduates do not only compete with themselves during hiring season; they also face competition with a wide range of candidates who may also be fit for the post: graduates of other courses with a penchant for teaching, mid-career professionals armed with skills to enhance the classroom environment, practitioners in their field willing to share their specialised knowledge, and others with a background that may be relevant in the academe setting.

Given this situation, being hired for your dream teaching role can be a challenging experience. As schools today face a huge need for better quality teachers, it is crucial that you present yourself as the best choice over several others who are as qualified as you are and vying for the same position. One of the ways to gain an edge over the competition is to get help from the right teaching agencies.

A leading, established teaching agency can help you be a better educator with their list of training courses that offer opportunities for professional and personal development. Most of these are free of charge, so take time and effort to attend as many courses as you can.

One of the courses you can take is a seminar that discusses the specific component and objectives of each grade level. If you're geared toward teaching in the Primary level, for instance, the course could help you understand the standards and expectations of OFSTED regarding what a good quality Primary teacher should be. With the lessons and workshops facilitated by expert educators, you could soon find yourself enhancing your teaching and classroom skills that are essential for this long-term position.

Another enriching course to take is the Behaviour Management seminar. A lot of teachers, even if they have mastered the subject matter, still fail to impart the needed knowledge because they lack the strategic know-how on handling student behaviour. With this course, you'll learn management techniques that allow you to inspire achievers and resolve difficult classroom situations.

Signing up with the right teaching agency and taking full advantage of the resources they offer allows you to not only find your dream job, but more importantly, be good at it.

Get help from the right teaching agencies to gain an edge over the teaching competition.

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/how-teaching-agencies-help-you-be-a-better-educator-300857

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October 31, 2012 - Bill Mullins' Weblog ? Tech Thoughts - Blog

Google Search adds excellent Voice Search (pictures) ? Google Search comes with access to Google apps and docs, well-known search capabilities, and new Voice Search that?s tough to beat.

How to report a computer crime: Unauthorised email account access ? Well, there is no one size fits all solution ? it depends on the individual circumstances and where you are in the world ? but we?ve drawn up some scenarios that are typical of some of the crimes that any computer user, at home or work, might come across.

Obey the law, or else. California cracks down on app developers for privacy ? Attorney General Kamala Harris is notifying mobile-app developers and companies that they must get in line with California law and post privacy notices for users or else face steep fines.

Google Chrome Remote Desktop Graduates From Beta ? Chrome Remote Desktop lets you remotely access other computers, or allow another user to access your computer securely over the Internet. The Web giant first launched a test version of the tool last year. As part of the transition out of beta, Google has also added some additional features to Chrome Remote Desktop, like a real-time audio feed on Windows. This feature lets you listen to MP3?s stored on your home computer while you?re away. The latest version also lets you copy and paste between your local and remote computers.

Auslogics Duplicate File Finder frees up hard drive space quickly ? Duplicate file finders are a great way to free up precious hard drive space. Scanning your drive by file name, date, and content, these tools can point out files which appear more than once on your hard drive, thus helping you get rid of them swiftly. Sounds useful? Auslogics Duplicate File Finder is a quick, simple, and free option.

The smug tweeter posting Hurricane Sandy misinformation ? For reasons that can only be his own, a man takes to the Twitter account @ComfortablySmug and posts scary misinformation about the hurricane. Stunningly, he is outed as a hedge fund analyst.

Dual booting Nook Tablets with Android Jelly Bean ? If you own a Nook Tablet and want to dual-boot the device?s integrated operating system (Gingerbread) alongside a full-blown version of Jelly Bean, well, you might want to check out N2Acards, formally known as Nook2Android.

Soluto ? Soluto is a free, easy-to-use PC utility that lets users perform an array of computer-related maintenance functions, but it?s only as useful as your Web connection.

-ROM, -R, +R, +RW? Understanding optical drive alphabet soup ? I can?t blame anyone for being confused. We?ve got three types of optical discs (CDs, DVDs, and BDs), with five different capacities between them.

How to master Storage Spaces in Windows 8 ? Windows 8 introduces Storage Spaces, a cool new feature that lets you create virtual data pools from your external storage drives.

Infographic: The generation gap in your office ? Ever wondered what constitutes a baby boomer, gen x?er, or a millenial? This infographic breaks it down and shows what the near future will look like in the workplace.

Storage on the go: We test five fast portable hard drives ? For system backup, archiving, or simply carrying around large data sets, 2.5-inch portable hard drives rule the roost. Competing flash drives are super portable and convenient, but they top out at 128GB; and at larger capacities, they cost a whopping buck per gigabyte. By comparison, each of the five portable hard drives we tested in this roundup cost about 10 cents per gigabyte?and some cost even less. All five units also feature USB 3.0 interfaces, making them considerably faster than previous-generation drives.

Gmail rolls out new pop-out window for composing emails ? Google changes the design of its email service, incorporates photos into contacts and changes how replies are displayed.

Security:

Facebook tries cloaking probe into data leak involving 1 million accounts ? Blogger who bought e-mail addresses for $5 told to keep discussions private. Facebook officials told a blogger to keep their discussions with him private as they investigate claims he acquired names and e-mail addresses belonging almost one million account holders for $5 through a publicly available service online.

Are you ready for International Kill A Zombie Day, 2012? ? Forget trick-or-treating, use the excuse of Halloween to exterminate some zombie computers instead!

Israel Police pulled computers offline due to RAT infestation ? Trend Micro researchers have managed to get their hands on the malware that caused the Israeli Police Department to pull all of its systems offline last Thursday, and the analysis revealed that it?s a so-called Remote Access Trojan (RAT).

Whodunnit? Conflicting accounts on ARAMCO hack underscore difficulty of attribution ? A recent report suggests that the devastating cyber attack that wiped out thousands of computers belonging to Saudi Arabia?s national oil company was the work of a lone hacker ? days after the US Secretary of Defense cited it as an example of a state sponsored attack. What do we really know?

Company News:

Secunia launches Secunia Vulnerability Intelligence Manager 4.0 ? The Secunia VIM 4.0 is the latest evolutionary step in the technology Secunia has developed to help organizations handle vulnerabilities and protect business critical information and assets against potential attacks. Because it covers more than 40,000 software systems and applications, the VIM 4.0 solution provides the most comprehensive intelligence about software vulnerabilities available to organizations, ensuring that all security threats can be dealt with before the IT infrastructure is compromised by cybercriminals.

Ubuntu Linux?s Amazon integration gets a thumbs-down from the EFF ? Plenty of customer ?feedback? greeted both developments, but the Amazon partnership was recently brought back into the limelight by a statement of disapproval from none other than the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). ?It?s a major privacy problem if you can?t find things on your own computer without broadcasting what you?re looking for to the world,? wrote EFF Web developer Micah Lee in a blog post on Monday. ?There are many reasons why you wouldn?t want any of these search queries to leave your computer.? It?s also not just Amazon that gets to see your data, Lee charges, but rather a number of third parties.

New Security-as-a-Service Implementation Report Provide Guidance for Deployment of Cloud-based SIEM ? The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) today released the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) guidance report as part of its Security as a Service (SecaaS) Implementation Guidance. The new report, prepared by the SecaaS Working Group, provides guidance for best practices on how to evaluate, architect, and deploy cloud-based SIEM services to both enterprise and cloud-based networks, infrastructure and applications.

ARM Launches New 64-Bit Processors ? ARM announced two new 64-bit processors for phones, tablets, and especially servers.

EE Begins Rollout of U.K.?s First 4G Network ? The U.K.?s Everything Everywhere (EE) 4G service launched today in 11 major cities, bringing superfast mobile service to the region for the first time.

Facebook stock: Let the insider selling begin ? Shares of Facebook, still far below their IPO price, will likely face new pressure as insiders become free to sell hundreds of millions of pre-IPO shares.

Webopedia Daily:

Zombie ? A computer that has been implanted with a daemon that puts it under the control of a malicious hacker without the knowledge of the computer owner. Zombies are used by malicious hackers to launch DoS attacks. The hacker sends commands to the zombie through an open port. On command, the zombie computer sends an enormous amount of packets of useless information to a targeted Web site in order to clog the site?s routers and keep legitimate users from gaining access to the site. The traffic sent to the Web site is confusing and therefore the computer receiving the data spends time and resources trying to understand the influx of data that has been transmitted by the zombies. Compared to programs such as viruses or worms that can eradicate or steal information, zombies are relatively benign as they temporarily cripple Web sites by flooding them with information and do not compromise the site?s data. Such prominent sites as Yahoo!, Amazon and CNN.com were brought down in 2000 by zombie DoS attacks. Zombies are also referred to as zombie ants.

Off Topic (Sort of):

The Strange Anti-Obama Texts Blowing Up D.C. Area Cell Phones ? The messages, from mysterious email addresses, attack the president on Medicare, abortion, and more. (recommended by Michael F.)

Tech skills: Is it getting harder to keep up? ? Professional skills and experience are hard won from education, training and time in the industry. But it?s amazing how many people get by despite a fundamental lack of knowledge.

Watch: How to Save the Earth from Killer Asteroids by Using a Paintball Gun ? What?s the best way to knock a killer asteroid off a collision course with Earth? Ding-ding if you said ?paintball gun.?

ATM heist clears $1 million exploiting Citigroup e-payment flaw ? Federal authorities said they uncovered an advanced bank heist that defrauded Citigroup of more than $1 million by exploiting a security loophole in the way it handles electronic payments.

The Story Behind The Famous FedEx Logo, And Why It Works ? It isn?t what?s there; it?s what?s not there, argues Matthew May in The Laws of Subtraction. (recommended by Michael F.)

Sitting at your desk could be killing you ? If your job requires a lot of sitting, you could be putting your health at danger. Here are some steps to avoid this

Today?s Quote:

?Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.?

-???? Thomas A. Edison

Today?s Free Downloads:

Surf Anonymous Free ? Surf Anonymous Free is the most advanced and reliable software for Internet users who want to ensure that their sessions and all online activities are secure and private. For instance, it is used to protect your sensitive data such as bank account information, private photos from being stolen and pried, or visit those websites, blogs and forums that once blocked you.

Funny Photo Maker 2.1.0 ? Funny Photo Maker can easily turn your photos into and artistic, interesting or funny masterpiece without a complicated interface.

AVG Rescue CD (for USB stick) ? A powerful must-have toolkit to assist with the rescue and repair of infected machines. This software provides essential utilities for system administrators and other IT professionals. This download is for portable USB drives.

Source: http://billmullins.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/tech-thoughts-daily-net-news-october-31-2012/

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Economic Evaluation of Internet-Based Interventions for Harmful

Original Paper

Economic Evaluation of Internet-Based Interventions for Harmful Alcohol Use Alongside a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial

Matthijs Blankers^1,2, PhD; Udo Nabitz¹, PhD; Filip Smit^3,4, PhD; Maarten WJ Koeter², PhD; Gerard M Schippers², PhD

¹Department Jellinek, Arkin Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, Netherlands
²Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
³Trimbos Institute, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht, Netherlands
⁴EMGO Institute, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Corresponding Author:
Matthijs Blankers, PhD

Department Jellinek
Arkin Mental Health Care
PO Box 75848
Amsterdam, 1070 AV
Netherlands
Phone: 31 611785270
Fax: 31 205905692
Email:

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ABSTRACT

Background: Internet interventions with and without therapist support have been found to be effective treatment options for harmful alcohol users. Internet-based therapy (IT) leads to larger and longer-lasting positive effects than Internet-based self-help (IS), but it is also more costly to provide.
Objective: To evaluate the cost effectiveness and cost utility of Internet-based interventions for harmful use of alcohol through the assessment of the incremental cost effectiveness of IT compared with IS.
Methods: This study was performed in a substance abuse treatment center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We collected data over the years 2008?2009. A total of 136 participants were included, 70 (51%) were female, and mean age was 41.5 (SD 9.83) years. Reported alcohol consumption and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores indicated harmful drinking behavior at baseline. We collected self-reported outcome data prospectively at baseline and 6 months after randomization. Cost data were extracted from the treatment center?s cost records, and sex- and age-specific mean productivity cost data for the Netherlands.
Results: The median incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was estimated at ?3683 per additional treatment responder and ?14,710 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. At a willingness to pay ?20,000 for 1 additional QALY, IT had a 60% likelihood of being more cost effective than IS. Sensitivity analyses attested to the robustness of the findings.
Conclusions: IT offers better value for money than IS and might therefore be considered as a treatment option, either as first-line treatment in a matched-care approach or as a second-line treatment in the context of a stepped-care approach.
Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Register NTR-TC1155; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=1155 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6AqnV4eTU)

(J Med Internet Res 2012;14(5):e134)
doi:10.2196/jmir.2052

KEYWORDS

Cost-benefit analysis; randomized controlled trial; alcohol-induced disorders; self-help; computer-assisted therapy

Harmful alcohol use is the number-3 leading contributor to global burden of disease [1] and causes 3.8% of global mortality [2], as well as losses in gross domestic product [3]. The majority of people with alcohol use disorders are not receiving any form of treatment, leading to a treatment gap [4]. Among the possible means of bridging this treatment gap is the use of accessible and efficient treatment, delivered over the Internet. Internet interventions with and without therapist support [5-8] have been found to be effective treatment options for harmful alcohol users and could perhaps be used sequentially in a stepped-care format. Internet-based therapy (IT) leads to larger and longer-lasting positive effects than Internet-based self-help (IS) in the treatment of depression [9,10], anxiety [10,11], and problem drinking [8]. However, IT is more costly to provide and more demanding for both participants and therapists. Thus, the research question is, ?Does the additional positive result of therapist support outweigh its additional cost?? We present an economic evaluation assessing the cost effectiveness and cost utility of IT compared with IS for harmful alcohol use. Recently, studies have been published on the cost effectiveness of Internet-based (self-help) interventions for depression [12], weight management [13], and harmful alcohol use [14]. The cost effectiveness of therapist support in Internet-based alcohol interventions has not yet been supported, however.

Study Design and Participants

We collected data for the cost effectiveness analysis alongside a pragmatic randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of IT relative to IS and a waiting list, conducted in the Netherlands in 2008?2009. Because in economic evaluation the preferred comparison is between the intervention of interest (IT) and its best alternative, in this case IS, we do not present waiting list data in this paper.

We recruited applicants through jellinek.nl, a substance abuse treatment center website with 650,000 visitors annually [8]. For inclusion, applicants had to (1) be between 18 and 65 years old, (2) live in the Netherlands with health care insurance coverage, (3) have Internet access at home, (4) score above 8 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) [15], (5) report a weekly consumption of more than 14 standard (10 g ethanol) drinking units, and (6) provide informed consent. Exclusion criteria were (1) prior substance abuse treatment, (2) a history of alcohol delirium or drug overdose, (3) a history of severe cardiovascular or gastrointestinal diseases, (4) a history of schizophrenia, epilepsy, or suicidal tendencies, (5) extensive substance use in the last month, and (6) unavailability of more than 2 weeks during the study. Of the 1720 who were assessed, 832 applicants were eligible for inclusion; 205 participants were included. Compared with all 832 eligible applicants, the 205 included participants reported somewhat higher baseline AUDIT scores, but this difference was not significant (mean 18.9, SD 4.98 vs mean 19.5, SD 5.13, t₂₀₄ = 1.617, P = .11). In the IT group, 48 received the allocated intervention, that is, they participated in treatment exercises and chat therapy. In IS, 57 received the intervention, which consisted of exercises only. Outcome data were collected at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months after randomization (Figure 1). The study design [16] and outcomes of the randomized controlled trial [8] were published elsewhere.

Interventions

Both IT and IS were based on a cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing treatment protocol [17]. In IS, participants were introduced to various treatment exercises. Without a therapist?s support, participants acquired skills and knowledge about coping with craving, drinking lapses, and peer pressure. IT was driven by 7 synchronous text-based chat-therapy sessions with a personal (Internet) cognitive behavioral therapy-trained therapist, lasting 40 minutes each, and accompanied by homework assignments. Each of the chat-therapy sessions had its own theme: monitoring and goal setting, self-control, and relapse prevention, for example.

Cost Measures

In this economic evaluation, we used the societal perspective. All costs related to IT and IS interventions, health care uptake, opportunity costs of the participant?s time, and productivity losses were included. All costs (Table 1) are expressed in euros and were indexed to the reference year 2010 using an inflation correction based on the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) [18].

Source: http://www.jmir.org/2012/5/e134/

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Isolation of Puerto Rico's manatees affects survival odds

ScienceDaily (Oct. 25, 2012) ? New evidence shows there is no cross-breeding between endangered manatees in Puerto Rico and those in Florida, resulting in less genetic diversity in Puerto Rico's small manatee population and impacting its odds of survival.

The findings, which come from a study of West Indian manatees by the U.S. Geological Survey and Puerto Rico Manatee Conservation Center, could help resource managers make decisions about how to conserve the endangered marine mammal.

"Wildlife management has been one of the fields to benefit greatly from the ability to determine relatedness of individuals from DNA analysis, allowing management decisions to be based on concrete scientific evidence for genetic diversity and prospects for it to increase," said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "These results for Puerto Rico's manatees are a wake-up call."

One key management concern is the ability of Puerto Rico's manatees to absorb and rebound from population declines. Current estimates suggest as few as 250 individual manatees may currently live in Puerto Rico. Furthermore, the population's genetic diversity is low, a fact which decreases a wildlife population's capacity to adapt to changing conditions and rebound after critical events that can cause deaths, such as hurricanes, boat strikes, or disease.

This latest finding -- that Puerto Rico's manatees are genetically isolated -- shows the population's vulnerability to future ups and downs is not being offset by migration from Florida manatees, as was once hoped.

"Puerto Rico's Antillean manatees have low overall numbers and low genetic diversity, both of which present risks for the population's long-term survival," said Margaret Hunter, Ph.D., a USGS geneticist and lead author of the study. "The lack of gene flow is another risk factor. We detected no signs that the Puerto Rico population is being supplemented by Florida manatees, through migration or breeding. This means that Puerto Rico's population must absorb shocks -- such as environmental change or disease -- on their own. It's a trifecta of genetic vulnerability."

In their most recent 5-year review, released in 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended that West Indian manatees be downlisted from endangered to threatened, although no decision was made at that time.

As of the last status review, it was difficult to determine whether the two populations were mixing. Puerto Rico's manatees were already considered a different subspecies -- the 'Antillean' subspecies, while those in the continental U.S. are the 'Florida' subspecies. Although the distinction had been based on different physical traits observed in the two types of manatees, this study confirms that there is indeed a strong genetic basis to those differences.

The research offers a clearer picture of breeding relationships because the research team compared Florida and Puerto Rico using nuclear DNA, which provides enough granular detail about diversity to draw conclusions about current breeding rates. Earlier genetic data on West Indian manatees came from analysis of mitochondrial DNA, a type of genetic material typically used to understand a species' ancient migratory past.

Among other findings in the study is the existence of two manatee populations within Puerto Rico itself that do not frequently interbreed. The two genetically different groups provide diversity that may improve the long-term prospects for manatees in Puerto Rico.

"This study provides solid data that allows us to better understand what Puerto Rico's manatee population faces internally to survive?both as individuals and as a population. It also directs us in developing and implementing future studies in health assessments and habitat use that will enhance current conservation efforts in the island on behalf of the species," said co-author Antonio Mignucci, Ph.D., director of the Puerto Rico Manatee Conservation Center and research professor at Inter American University of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico's manatees are not only isolated from Florida's population, but have little chance of receiving migrants from other nearby islands. The USGS has been working with the PRMCC and other biologists in Caribbean nations to gather new data about causes of death, habitat use, and breeding among manatees found on the surrounding islands. At this point, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic are believed to have small manatee populations while Guadeloupe, Haiti and the Virgin Islands have no known manatees.

"The more that we continue to learn about this unique mammal, the better we can enable managers to make decisions that ensure adequate protection," said Bob Bonde, Ph.D., a USGS research biologist and co-author of the research.

The study, "Puerto Rico and Florida manatees represent genetically distinct groups," is available online in the journal Conservation Genetics.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by U.S. Geological Survey.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Margaret E. Hunter, Antonio A. Mignucci-Giannoni, Kimberly Pause Tucker, Timothy L. King, Robert K. Bonde, Brian A. Gray, Peter M. McGuire. Puerto Rico and Florida manatees represent genetically distinct groups. Conservation Genetics, 2012; DOI: 10.1007/s10592-012-0414-2

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/cpe_8Sn532o/121025145233.htm

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New look for Singapore MyPaper - Newspaper Innovation

My Paper, the bilingual freesheet published by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), will get a new ? more colorful ? design and extra content from 1 November 2012.

In the business section, there will be greater focus on personal finance. There will also be a new ?My Executive? section which will carry lifestyle news and features of interest to young working adults.

The Chinese section of My Paper will be enhanced with more extensive and authoritative coverage of Asian entertainment and lifestyle news.

My Paper will focus on various topics throughout the week. On Mondays, there will be a new spotlight on parenting, with news, opinion pieces as well as useful guides for young parents.

Tuesdays will focus on self-improvement and career development while Wednesdays will feature popular travel destinations and useful tips. (4-traders)

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 25th, 2012 at 5:14 pm and is filed under Titles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.newspaperinnovation.com/index.php/2012/10/25/new-look-for-singapore-mypaper/

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