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Genetics and Alzheimer’s disease. While the vast majority of cases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are not strictly related to heredity, there are instances where there is a clear genetic cause for its occurence. A number of genes have been linked to the development of AD, some as indicators of susceptibility and others as definitive disease causing mutations, more info.

Mutations in betaAPP. The first gene to be identified as having been mutated in some inherited forms of AD encodes a protein known as the beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP). Contained within the sequence of this protein is a small sub-fragment, or peptide, known as beta-amyloid. This peptide was originally identified as a major component of the plaques that are essentially always present in brains of patients with AD. In actuality, the small amyloid fragment was characterized first, and only later was APP identified as the protein precursor from which it is derived. The beta-amyloid fragment has been shown to be quite toxic to nerve cells.

betaAPP gene mapping WIth its linkage to the development of a familial form of Alzheimer’s disease, the subsequent localization of this gene to human chromosome 21 proved particularly intriguing. It is chromosome 21 that is abnormally present in an extra copy in individuals with Down’s syndrome (trisomy 21). And if they live long enough, many people with Down’s syndrome unfortunately, will also develop AD. This information suggests that while certain mutations in the betaAPP gene can cause AD, so can the presence of an extra copy of the betaAPP gene. This last point however, remains unproven.

Multiple APP mutations have now been identified. So what do the AD-related mutations in betaAPP cause biochemically? It appears that the mutations that are most strongly associated with the development of AD cause a shift in the typical pattern of breakdown of the amyloid precursor protein. Like most other proteins in our cells, after some specified period of time, dependent upon circumstances, betaAPP will be degraded by the cellular machinery. In the vast majority of cases, betaAPP is chewed up in such a way that the self-contained sequence for the toxic beta-amyloid fragment is destroyed as well. In many of the mutant forms of the protein a greater percentage of the total molecules of betaAPP are degraded in a slightly different way. This shift in degradation pattern leads to an increase in the generation of the toxic beta-amyloid fragment with its negative implications for nerve cells in the brain.

So why does beta-amyloid accumulate in the brain in AD? Interestingly, betaAPP is expressed throughout the body, yet it appears that only the brain is injured in AD. Why? In the brain itself, not all regions are equally affected by AD, why not? For these and many other questions, in short, no one knows for sure. Yet, there are features of nerve cells that tend to make them more vulnerable to toxic insults like those associated with the accumulation of the beta-amyloid peptide. Another possibility is that the normal complement of proteins made by nerve cells is clearly different from those made by other types of cells and this makes them more susceptible to the toxic effects of beta-amyloid. One thing is certain; our brains do not make a regular habit of replacing dead or damaged nerve cells, so better understanding the biochemical problems at the root of AD should ultimately allow us to reach an important goal, to preserve the nerve cells we have.

I knew when he first stepped into the room that my new eye doctor looked young enough to be my son. I, also knew that I shouldn’t have been old enough to be diagnosed with cataracts only three weeks after my 50th birthday. Surely his youthful lips had misspoken. Alas, that was wishful thinking. The diagnosis was confirmed by a specialist and three months later I found myself under the scalpel.

Before and after cataract surgery

I was terrified at the thought of having cataract surgery. However, after much research on the frequency and safety record of the procedure, I realized that my fears were founded not in statistical probabilities, but rather in personal fears. I’ve had extremely poor vision since early childhood, and for 35 years I’d worn glasses, then contacts, and then glasses over contacts in recent years. My eyes have always been my Achilles heel, the one painful thing that always reminded me of how cruel kids can be. As if the embarrassment wasn’t enough, I’ve always had a secret fear of going blind. Knowing that one minuscule miscalculation on the part of my surgeon could cost me what little sight I had left was terrifying.

I’m truly thankful to report that the surgery (in both eyes), was a resounding success. I now have 20/20 vision in one eye and 20/30 in the other, which means I can drive, swim, watch TV, and cook without glasses or contacts. I still have to wear readers when I read or use the computer, but that’s a small price to pay for the freedom I’ve gained in return.

Lessons learned from cataract surgery

As wonderful as my new physical vision is, I must say that cataract surgery has given me so much more in a spiritual sense. Just as my surgeon has given me new lenses through which to see the world, this experience has opened my spiritual eyes to things that God has been trying to show me for quite some time.

Don’t miss the forest because of the trees.To say that I spent most of my life focused on what was right in front of my face would be an understatement. It’s all I could see clearly. Only now am I beginning to realize how much I missed because of that limited and spiritually short-sighted point of view. Even with perfect eyesight, it’s easy to get so hung up on our daily dramas that we miss the bigger picture. Nothing happens by accident and life is a continuum of intricately intertwining events. What seems like a challenge today will more than likely be viewed as an opportunity for growth when considered later in the context of the tapestry that God is weaving for our lives.

Seeing something doesn’t necessarily make it so My first startling post-surgery discovery was learning after three years of living in my apartment was that my ivory-colored walls are actually white. One of the difficulties in self-detecting the presence of cataracts is that they are often very slow to develop. As a result, subtle changes in vision are often difficult to perceive. I would have sworn in a court of law that my walls were ivory, because that’s what I saw. But it wasn’t an accurate depiction of reality. The same is true about the assumptions, judgments, prejudices and preconceived notions that we have – about others, about God, about our circumstances, about ourselves. It’s important to remember that while we view everything through our own unique set of lenses, God doesn’t wear glasses.

Life is full of subtleties that make it so much more interesting.Before surgery, the driveway was just a slab of asphalt, a tree-lined street was just a mass of green, a piece of clothing was just colored fabric. With my new eyes I see variations in color and texture, a richness and a depth to things that I never saw before. It has been amazing to drive through the country and notice the different types of foliage, to see colors that I never noticed before. Everything seems to “pop” now. My challenge is to extend that same type of vision to all of my life – refusing to take things, people, or situations for granted. Everything, and I do mean everything, is so much more complex, and more interesting, than it first appears. God is an amazing Creator.

Just because I can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.There were so many things in everyday life that I didn’t notice – simply because I couldn’t see them. That doesn’t mean they weren’t there. It’s like faith. Just because I go through periods when I can’t see God working in my life, it doesn’t mean He isn’t. Even though circumstances sometimes seem insurmountable and relationships irreconcilable, that doesn’t mean that they are. I can rarely see the big picture, but God always can.

We don’t have to wait for something as dramatic as cataract surgery to alter the way we view ourselves, other people, and the world around us. Start viewing the world through God’s eyes, not your own. You’ll be surprised at the beauty you see.

Let us be frank here: your standard Android browser is slow, and downloading is even slower. Still sure there is no other way? Or you are finally ready for faster and more convenient downloading on your device? Then take a look and the following five download manager apps.

It seems like Download Manager software (yes, there are similar programs for your computer) was designed for people who have slow Internet/device. What they do is they break files into smaller parts and download them all at once. The additional feature we dream about in standard downloading is resuming the broken downloads so you will not have to start them again and waste your time and nerves.

There are more than five options you can use when it comes to download management apps. But we’ve reviewed five we like the most – feel free to look up for more, but we suggest you start with these first.

• Easy Downloader Pro

Are you having troubles with downloading multiple files to your Android device? Easy Downloader Pro is an effective tool to help you with this problem. It can deal with several large files of any type or numerous small files you want to download, plus it organizes your files in the order – quite convenient, right?

Easy Downloader Pro supports all the popular browsers, and you can download files using Share Link option or just copy and paste the link to the app. It also has multiple protocols enabling multiple file types. You can pause and resume downloads whenever you wish, and cute progress bar allows you to keep an eye on the download.

• Advanced Download Manager

This manager was created specifically for Android platform which means it works really well on any Android device. This application splits the files into three parts and offers various downloading speeds for each separate part. You can easily choose the highest speed for every bit – this will make the download much faster.

And don’t you worry about the Internet connection – the app will automatically resume the download once the lost connection is back. It supports browsers like Stock Browser, Chrome, Dolphin, and Boat Browser, and also has the built-in browsers for all the indirect links.

ADM stores the files onto your SD card, and it also has some cute looking widget for your screen.

• Download Manager for Android

The clean and simple interface of Download Manager for Android is a pleasure to your eye and real help for your downloads. It supports larger files (up to 2Gb) and divides them into smaller parts to get the most of your connection. It can be paused and resumed manually, and you can even use it to download web page history.
They promise three times faster download speed and voice search for the files, which is quite a cool feature for all the smartphone users.

• Loader Droid Download Manager

This one supports any type of downloads including videos and apps, and like ADM it accelerates the download speed for all the three fragments it divides the files into. It has the same features previous apps are offering. It recognizes the links in browsers and pauses/resumes automatically when there is connection loss/renewal.

• Turbo Download Manager

The name says it all – Turbo Download Manager boosts the download speed up to five times and for such impressive speed it uses multiple HTTP connections. The app offers you the choice of speed for each part of the file, and you can even modify the buffer size to customize the app to your needs. Also, Turbo Download Manager has no limitations for the file sizes – you can download literally any file, even movies if you feel like it.

So, if you are interested in speeding up the downloading on your smartphone, you now have 5 options to choose from. Have fun and no lags on your favorite device!

Under market economy system, ifone wants to base on the market on must first set up a marketing plan.The marketing is connected to the social need and the enterprise function link. The marketing is one kind of creation of behavior. The marketing not only seeks for the customer who already has a need that existed, and meets the needs, moreover one must discover and solves the customers’ request, but must respond warmly to any questions. The marketing is one kind of management process, it is the analysis, the plan, the execution, and the control process of management. The marketing studies the market, it studies the customer needs and the characteristic and the demand. The enterprise through the production and the sale on commission satisfy the need for a product, through the network, by finding the suitable price, the suitable method carries on the dissemination, and enables the customer to gain the benefit. Therefore the marketing is the enterprise and society’s link and the bridge.

Emerging electronic commerce surpasses the traditional marketing. Electronic commerce causes the enterprise to use the Internet processing as a daily service, the transaction, namely with the supplier, the customer, the bank, the distributor and other trade partner’s daily are in contact, reducing the enterprise production and the selling costs, reduces cost between the manufacturer and end-user’s distance. A recent change has been between doctor and patient. The substantial clause is between the pharmaceutical factory and the patient, between the hospital and the patient, is away from many middle links such as the traditional role of the doctor that is no longer in the marketing of the final product. The drugs defer to the traditional pattern of marketing, because layer upon layer we see increases in price which causes the drugs price to be higher than the cost at certain times. With traditional drugs marketing customer quantity was few, the selling costs were high, the convenience is bad, communicating the abilities of the product were a weak shortcoming with the patient. However now new drugs are made that have high demand for problems affecting us all to some degree and marketing may be adding to the number of suffers when in fact the people may be healthy but see the ads and think they have something wrong with them. Electronic commerce uses electricity and the telephone line; the computer network transmits the information, the commodity and the service. This allows the pharmaceutical factory, the medical instrument factory, the medical reagent plant to use the electronic commerce to process the daily service, electronic commerce is the commercial trade and the work flow automations technical application. Electronic commerce causes the medicine business management social stratum to reduce the cost, improves the product quality, and the acceleration pf product transmission. Through the network purchase and the sales of drugs, the reagent, the medical instrument, caused between the pharmaceutical factory and the patient have gotten rid of the traditional commercial intermediary, reduced the drugs cost expense, thus reduced the medicine price. Reducing the pharmaceutical factory go between has changed the market mechanism. The expanded customer community, has brought the infinite development opportunity to the pharmaceutical factory, and raised the marketing efficiency, click over here.

In the past month, I’ve had the opportunity to chat with a few people about career and educational choices and changes they’re making as a result of (dramatic drum roll, please) “the economy”.

As if the palpable stress of so many weren’t bad enough, what I’ve been hearing has made me sad. I know it’s all just a sign of the times – kind of like texting and ‘tweeting’ every single thought that crosses your mind, rather than just calling or speaking complete words and sentences to people (!)… I digress yet again!! Nonetheless, sign of the times or not, it still makes me sad.

The first ‘incident’ happened in our practice. I was introducing myself to a lovely, bright young practice member that I had not yet met. After chatting for a few minutes I discovered that, although her true passion was for teaching, she had chosen to study pharmacology “because that’s where all the money is!”

Yes, you know I threw up a little bit!

I think the look of surprise and horror on my face caused her to try to explain! She very enthusiastically told me “how great the money is in pharmacy, and how they need more pharmacists and pharmacy techs because more and more people are taking drugs… and they only expect it to keep getting better as the economy worsens and people get more stressed out and start taking antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication!!”

Yep… she said “getting better” as she was referring to people taking more drugs. Unbelievable.

Next, in one week’s time, I talked to two high school students who would both like to work for pharmaceutical companies “because they make a lot of money, and there’s total job security… dude!” Oh, and “When you’re a drug rep, you just have to be good looking and really good at schmoozing doctors into trying your new drugs… it’s sweeeet!!”

Seriously. Who on earth is putting these thoughts in teenagers heads??? I’m never letting my kids out of the house again.

Then, the most recent conversation I’ve had on this subject came last weekend. I met a young mother who had recently gone back to school to work toward becoming a pharmacist. In this case, there was some passion. There was also a whole lot of focus on “how much big time money they make”, but, some passion too!

She told me how she wants to become a pharmacist so that she can save people’s lives. Interesting. So I asked her if she meant ‘saving’ people’s lives by helping them get OFF their meds and talking to their docs about addressing the cause? Or by being an astute ‘guard dog’ that makes sure their drugs aren’t contraindicated or reacting negatively to each other? (Since, God knows, our doctors can no longer manage all the drugs!)

That, by the way, is a very REAL life-saving endeavor I believe pharmacists can and often DO accomplish – protecting us from dangerous combinations of prescriptions.

She said that the protection aspect was definitely part of it, but even more than that was the vision to help people feel better, and therefore “save their lives”.

Hmmmm. Interesting definition of saving lives. Someone could feel ‘good’, yet be developing cancer, while someone else could feel rotten because they’ve got a toothache, yet they’re healthy overall. Hmmmm… no wonder our society is in a health crisis. Strange definitions of health!

If you can’t accurately define what “healthy” is, how can you achieve it?

Then this young pharmacist-to-be went on to share her excitement with me regarding what a “booming industry” the pharmaceutical industry is! I kid you not: “It’s totally awesome! I mean, I know it’s sad and all… what’s happening with the economy and people’s jobs and losing their homes and stuff… but it’s great for the pharmaceutical companies! More people are taking drugs now than ever before… and more and more will start taking them because of all the stress and depression and all the sickness that happens because of stress! People don’t want to DO anything to get better – they just want to pop a pill and feel better! You wouldn’t believe all the things they’re working on making drugs for – it’s awesome!!”

Uh-huh… that time I threw up much bigger!

And I cried inside.

That same weekend, I had three separate conversations with friends of mine who are all teachers. We were discussing how Michigan schools are now moving into full-day kindergarten. Each lady (all are moms) was sharing their opinion and the opinions of many parents they’ve spoken to on this issue.

I found it interesting that so many teachers and parents are not in favor of this move, yet it’s happening anyway. (I don’t know enough of the ‘facts’ to share an educated opinion on this, nor do I feel the need to since I home school at this time!)

Apparently, many feel the primary impetus for this move is the fact that so many families have both parents working and that daycare is far too expensive for families these days. Sending them to school is cheaper and allows a parent to get in a few more hours of work (and pay). I get it. It’s understandable. If it’s true, it’s just sad that what’s best for those little children isn’t what came first in the decision.

What I found sad and horrible – and a sign of our times – was that each of these three teachers, without ANY prompting from ME … I mean it! – ALL ended up talking about how this single move will result in a significant increase in the number of young children being diagnosed with some type of behavioral disorder and taking drugs.

Honestly, I hadn’t thought of it until the first teacher brought it up.

They talked about having a room full of 4 and 5 year olds, for the entire day, and expecting them to sit still and pay attention for that long… how next-to-impossible that would be! Then the conversations transitioned to how many teachers would start taking drugs as a result! They said this jokingly… but then we realized it’s probably a pretty accurate estimation of what might happen.

Crazy times when, as a society, our ‘solution’ for stress is to add toxic chemical stress to the body… and to expect things to actually get better as a result! Drugs for short-term survival? Sure. Whatever floats your boat and saves your life. For long term solution? Not a chance. Sooner or later, you need to address the cause.

A completely hilarious friend, who also happens to be a pastor, has been joking around with us ever since we had children. He says, as a pastor, the fear is always that your kids are going to go out and be a menace to society or demonstrate questionable morals, like having premarital sex or joining a cult. He said it’s a mortifying thought as a pastor! So, he has always joked with us that, as wellness docs, what would our kids do that would drive us over the edge… sneak aspirin? Take drugs for a cold? Take an antibiotic for a virus?

Yeah, he’s pretty funny, all right!

But now, I have a new response for him. The thing they could do that would push me over the top would be to choose to work in the pharmaceutical industry because “it’s totally awesome, dude… and they make so much money…. it’s sweeeet!”

Mathematics shares a common number symbol system throughout the world. But when those numbers are encased in contextual, language-based story problems, English language learners can be easily confused.

Helping ESL Students Learn to Read the Question in a Math Word Problem

Young ESL learners often compensate for language confusion by making assumptions about what to do with the numbers in story problem. It is not uncommon for first or second grade ESL students to assume they should add any numbers they see in the problem, regardless of what the problem is actually asking them to do.

Here is a story problem that some teachers have found useful to initiate class discussion among ESL (and even native English speakers) students in first grade:

• The farmer has 6 cows and 5 pigs. How old is the farmer?

Teachers may be surprised by how consistent young students’ answers to the above problem tend to be. Many students, especially English language learners, will insist that the farmer is eleven years old. Some will say the farmer is 65 or even 56. It takes a pretty savvy first grader to volunteer that the problem doesn’t make sense.

Regardless of what answers the students offer, always ask “How do you know?” It is the discussion surrounding a problem of this type that is key to assessing where the students are in terms of being able to independently read story problems.

As an extension of the above problem, write and discuss these questions:

• How many cows does the farmer have?
• How many pigs does the farmer have?
• How many chickens does the farmer have?
• How many animals does the farmer have?

Spending several sessions with simple, but similar math story problems will help students learn to read and focus on exactly what question is being asked.

Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners to Focus on Relevant Details in Story Problems

English language learners (and many native English speakers) need practice reading and discerning relevant information in a math story problem. The key to focusing on the details of the problem is in the questioning. Whole class and small group exercises like the one described above will encourage students to be alert to the actual question being asked and will naturally lend to attending to detail within the problem.

Story problems can also be written for students to solve independently or with a partner (to engender discussion) that contain a variety of questions asking students about the relevant information in the problem. [Tip: use names of students in the class to reduce language confusion and increase enthusiasm for the practice.] Some examples include:

• Andy has 12 red balls and 6 blue balls. How many red balls does Andy have?
• Maria has 5 big stars and 7 little stars. How many little stars does Maria have?
• Ben has 15 cookies. Janna has 11 cookies. Who has more? [Many students miss the meaning of “who” in this problem.]
• Anna has 9 stickers. Michael has 13 stickers. Who has less?
• Tyra has 10 ducks. Her friend gives her 5 chickens. How many ducks does Tyra have now? [Many students will miss the fact that getting 5 chickens has no relevance to the number of ducks Tyra has.]
• Daniel had 25 cookies. Ben ate one of them. How many cookies does Daniel have now?

Vary the Operations in Math Story Problems

Consider moving from questions that ask about the details of the “story” to questions that require students to subtract one, two, or three from the beginning number. By posing simple subtraction rather than addition problems early on, students move to a greater level of mathematical complexity without over-reliance on the most obvious operation.

Thereafter, always provide a mix of operations when providing sets of story problems. When children are only given addition story problems to solve early on and spend lots of time focusing on that operation, it is natural for them to avoid the step of reading and analyzing the problem. By varying the operations in sets of story problems from the very beginning, children learn not to rely on any one operational strategy.

English language learners can be intimidated by the confusing language in math story problems. To compensate for their confusion they will often rely on one operational strategy, making incorrect assumptions about what they should do. Teachers can Scaffold Geelong reading and problem solving efforts by challenging them with story problem questions that focus on discerning relevant information in a problem. They can also vary the operational problem types from the beginning, using simple number combinations, so that students learn to expect diversity rather than set formulas as they work with math story problems.

Certain foods are more dangerous to eat than others. Pufferfish, for example, is a delicacy in parts of Asia, yet is practically untouched elsewhere.

Why is this? It is because pufferfish, while alive, have bodies filled with neurotoxins, and only if cooked appropriately are they safe (otherwise they can be very deadly).

What are Neurotixins?

The name itself is rather frightening; a toxin which affects the neurological system (that is, the system which revolves around the brain).

The particular toxin in pufferfish, called tetrodotoxin, has a peculiar habit of making its way through the body, shutting off the electrical signals sent by nerves (causing numbness, usually beginning in the mouth and then spreading, depending on the severity of the poisoning).

Then, the toxins bind themselves to pores on sodium channels which send electrical current through the myocytes (the cells which cause muscles to contract), which inhibits muscles motion, effectively paralyzing the victim.

Fortunately, these toxins only really affect certain fast sodium channels, where the muscles of the heart are made of slow sodium channels, so the toxins have no effect on the heart. This is little consolation, however, as death often occurs from the paralysis of the lungs and a resulting collapse of the cardiovascular system while the victim is often entirely lucid, though paralyzed.

Is There a Cure?

There is no real cure for poisoning by tetrodotoxin, though there are treatments which possess varying degrees of effectiveness.

The most effective treatment involves emptying a victim’s stomach of its contents (that is, half-digested pufferfish or one of those even rarer animals which possess the same toxin), then forcing the ingestion of activated charcoal (a carbon-based product) which bonds with some of the toxins, preventing them to a certain extent from causing harm.

After this, the idea is really just to wait and see what happens. While upwards of 80% of those paralyzed by tetrodotoxin die within the first 24 hours, if a victim can make it longer than this, the odds are very good that they will make a complete recovery to full health as the toxins finally begin to flush from the system and the paralysis lessens, go to website.

Clearly, neurotoxins are not something which should be taken lightly, and don’t think for a moment that tetrodotoxins are the only ones. In fact, they may not even be the worst.

Batrachotoxin

While amongst some this might be open to debate, the worst neurotoxin most likely is Batrachotoxin.

This is the stuff that is most commonly found South American Poison Dart Frogs (well-respected as the most venomous vertebrate roaming the Earth today), which coats their entire colorful bodies, making them absolutely deadly even to the touch.

How much batrachotoxin does it take to kill a person? One hundred micrograms. An amount roughly the size of a couple grains of table salt.

It’s no wonder the Central and South American natives were known to rub their arrowheads with these frogs – it gives it that extra boost of deadliness that a normal arrowhead lacks.

So what happens when a person finds themselves having just accidentally ingested some form of batrachotoxin? Nothing good.

Like tetrodotoxin, this stuff quickly affects the body’s sodium channels, though unlike the pufferfish’s poison, batrachotoxin directly affects the heart muscles, causing severe symptoms which lead, more often than not, to a quick case of cardiac arrest. It’s quick, and perhaps even more pleasant compared to death by tetrodotoxin.

An Ironic Cure?

While no sure antidote has been discovered for batrachotoxin, there is a small ray of hope on the horizon.

It has actually been found that some positive effects may be gleaned from the application of tetrodotoxin, which acts as a non-competative inhibitor for the deadlier toxin.

In other words, these two neurotoxins might just act to cancel each other out! Such a treatment is still in the theoretical stages, but it’s interesting and ironic nonetheless.

A World of Neurotixins

Those are the basics of tetrodotoxin and batrachotoxin – two of the most potent toxins known to man.

They are not the only ones to be sure – they are just the ones which affect the body’s sodium channels. There are others, such as charybdotoxin (found in a certain type of scorpion) which affects the potassium channels and some such as calciseptine (found in the Black Mamba snake) which affects the calcium channels.

Indeed, there are about as many different types of neurotoxins as ice cream flavors at the grocery store… but you wouldn’t want to eat them.

In fact, it’s probably best to just let neurotoxins be.

Layered fabric and leather bracelets are very hot for Spring/Summer 2020. To be totally up-to-the-minute use a blinged-out or oversized watch as one of the layering pieces. Sandwich the watch between two leather-wrap bracelets for a eye catching wrist profile.

For those that have the ability and desire to spend a lot of money on a watch getting blinged out is easy work. Just about any upscale watch manufacturer has fabulous watches with diamond-crusted cases and elaborate exotic skin or precious metal bands. The hard part will be choosing which one to buy.

What about if one is on a budget? There are many cash -onscious alternatives. Follow the guidelines below when shopping for watches in the under $150 price range.

Top Wrist Watch Picks This Season:

• Oversized – in the recent past during the “boyfriend wear” fashion craze, many women accompanied the oversized man cut shirt by wearing men’s watches. It’s a good casual look. The oversized men’s watch made the female wrist look even smaller proportionately than it is.This illusion gave every woman, regardless of size, a wrist that appeared to be a tiny size 0. The new twist on the old trend is that deliberately oversized woman’s watches are being manufactured. Made for the woman’s wrist – but exaggerated – these watches have a better fit. Suggestion: Fossil has three lines of woman’s watches: petite, medium and oversized.
• Wide, Clear Lucite Watch Bands – Popular for jewelry in the 1940s, Lucite (a strong, plastic material that can be molded into detailed shapes) has been making its way back into mainstream jewelry for the last few years. Combining the Lucite band with an ornate watch face is key for this season. Suggestion: eBay has a nice selection of vintage Lucite banded watches with very interesting faces. Remember to always proceed with caution when purchasing jewelry in an auction setting, visit here.
• Rubber Watch Bands – This goes for the rubber banded watches as well. For example, choose Lucite or rubber banded watches with cases and bezels encrusted with Swarovski crystals or with mother-of pearl faces. This juxtaposition of elegance with materials that are not commonly used in traditional jewelry construction makes for a very compelling wrist profile. Want it all? Go for the Tommy Hilfiger watch. It’s got a stainless steel case with a mother-of-pearl dial, Swarovski crystal bezel and either a baby blue or pink rubber watch band.

Finally, for those that really want to go over the top – check out the Guess ladies’ watch with black dial, Swarovski crystal-studded case and black leather band with fur. That’s right – it’s got fur too – and it’s only $88!

In the last blog post I wrote about the importance of reviewing and rating content. I briefly mentioned all the problems that Amazon had been having with fake reviews. This problem caused Amazon to receive a lot of bad press, and one wonders if the result of this bad press cut into their bottom line. Authors write their own fake reviews, their friends and family write fake reviews, and some pay others to write fake reviews.

The magnitude of fake reviews on the internet almost defies believability. A New York Times article from August 25, 2012 tells about the people who write fake reviews and the people who buy them. One author spent $20,000 on review services.

A Guardian article from January 25, 2013 claims that fake reviewing is taking place “on an almost industrial scale, with companies paying offshore contractors to post [fake reviews].” The article goes on to explain the details of the world-wide fake review industry, which can be found on websites like Freelancer.com.

Gartner, an information technology research company, came out with a research report in September of 2012, that claims by 2014, 10-15% of all online reviews will be fraudulent. 15% equals 1 in 7 of all online reviews. And then there is the problem of fake Facebook Likes, which I am not even going to get into in this blog post.

So, what’s being done about all this deception and lying? Companies like Amazon, Hilton, and Trip Advisor are hiring researchers who have developed software to spot fake reviews. A team from Cornell has come up with an algorithm that can spot fake reviews 90% of the time (New York Times article 8/20/2011). Software engineers at the University of Illinois have developed a program called GS Rank, or Group Spam Rank, that targets groups who write fake reviews. And yet another approach has been developed by a team of researchers from the Stage University of New York at Stony Brook. You can read about their work here.

On Yelp’s blog page, the company lays out their anti-fake review strategy, which uses shaming sting operations, and automated software called the “review filter.” TripAdvisor also uses software to spot fake reviews and then marks the guilty businesses with a Red Badge that warns users that the reviews may not be genuine (see blog.reviewinc.com). Algarvedailynews.com reports that about 13,000 of Trip Advior’s reviews “fall into a questionable category every day.” The Advertising Standards Authority ordered TripAdvisor to remove the slogan “reviews you can trust”, because so many of their reviews are fake.

With all these problems from user generated reviews, you would think that the best solution would be to avoid them all together. For some websites this is obviously not an option, but with other websites, where customer reviews do not make up the core value of their service, using other rating methods may be more accurate and less controversial. I will talk about some of these methods in future blog posts. Perhaps fake reviews can be eliminated some day, but for now and in the foreseeable future, they remain a huge problem and a constant challenge for websites that rely heavily on customer reviewing.

Your Body Will Be Thankful for Your Extra Care

SPRING CLEANING
Your Body Will Thank You

Spring can be an exciting time; new flowers are blooming, we feel more warmth from the sun, new or rejuvenated love appears. Summer is at our heels and it’s just about this time we think of swimsuits and our bodies. Yes, this is the perfect season for a little personal spring-cleaning.

Wash Out Winter

Over the colder months, we often retreat to comfort foods. These types are generally high in carbs and fats. Grains and good fats are still needed in our diet, but perhaps we can make a choice to cut back slightly on those and increase our consumption of vegetables and fruits. Our bodies will cleanse itself of toxins, the more water we intake, with the addition of select beneficial vitamin-rich, anti-oxidants.

Spring Cleansing Foods

There is truly no need to go overboard. Generally extremes don’t allow for maintenance, nor do we continue with the program. A slow, steady introduction of certain foods, along with light-to-moderate exercise will work wonders!

First of all adding spices such as cinnamon and ginger help detox and raise metabolism. Drop a pinch in your coffee or your soup. A great herb is basil-Delicious with a tomato slice and a thin dollop of skim-mozzarella cheese, and you can make your own pesto too.

All vegetables have dietary benefits but avocados have the “good” fat. They also help clean your colon. A slice in a salad or homemade guacamole can be healthy treat. Artichokes are great for your liver. Beets are high in iron, zinc, and magnesium. Onions may stink, but your body loves their amino acid content, find more info.

More Yummy Options

A handful of nuts (especially Brazil or Hazel) instead of chips will help flush out the old. Seeds, like pepitas, pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame are good for your liver and digestion as well. Try to resist processed items from the grocery store or fast food restaurants. Supplements are available to ensure your body’s overall health during a detox period. Always check with your doctor before adding vitamin supplements or any type of ingestible pill.

Spring Ahead

Don’t worry about trying something new. If it doesn’t feel right, you can also stop. Just try to keep in mind that preventative action is easier than a cure for something that ills. Think of things you pick off a tree or what grows out of the ground; those food sources will assist you in your “spring forward into health” journey!

It’s no secret that you can often find better deals online than you can in the store. And, you know, sometimes you don’t have time to make it there in the flesh, or the place it’s easiest to get to isn’t fashion-conscious enough or doesn’t have the label you’re looking for (if you’re on a designer-specific mission), or the shop’s hours don’t mesh with your work schedule, or they never have designer sales….there are a multitude of reasons for doing your shopping from your computer.

Below, you’ll find the three sites that I feel are the best out there for online fashion and shopping, especially if you’re looking for stuff on sale. I’m very designer label-conscious and always looking for a great deal (designers are just so expensive – yet I want to own them all…well…except Emilio Pucci…or Etro…anyway). If you order stuff and it doesn’t fit, you can always send it back – and if you’re purchasing a designer you’ve owned or tried on before, you probably won’t veer too far off in the wrong direction. If you want to play it really safe, then just stick to accessories: handbags, shoes, scarves, jewelry, and the like, check here.

1) Gilt Groupe. Hands-down one of the best fashion and shopping sites out there. It’s members only, but free and easy to join, and each sale has a shelf-life of about a day-and-a-half. Gilt not only has the most fabulous A and B list designers (I’ve seen everything from Juicy Couture and Free People to Roberto Cavalli and Valentino), they have relatively unknown and inaccessible couture designers, jewelry, handbags, shoes, make-up, skin care lines, luggage, men’s (Gilt Man), children’s, and travel (I kid you not – the site is called Jet Setter, and they have deals on all the most fabulous hotels and spas all over the country. The best part? On average, the merchandise is on sale at around 70% off retail – so you’re getting a great bargain, too.

2) Rue La La. These guys are in a tie for first place with Gilt Groupe for fashion and shopping sites. They have similarly fantastic lines (at the writing of this article, they had all three MaxMara lines, plus Hermès and Chanel accessories – including the timeless Birkin bag, made infamous by Samantha on Sex and the City), and an excellent sizing chart. They operate in the same way Gilt does, which means you need to be a member (free), and each sale has a shelf-life of about 36 hours. And again, each designer is on sale for around 70% off retail. The only thing these guys don’t have over Gilt Groupe is the travel site – and their presentation isn’t nearly as glamorous (it’s more frou-frou in nature – but don’t let that fool you).

3) Shop It To Me. This fashion and shopping site works a little differently than the aforementioned two. They give you a list of all the designer labels they are authorized to sell, and you check them off. Then, they scour the web for you, compile a list of all the designer labels you requested that are on sale, and they email that sale list to you twice a week (they suggest Tuesdays and Fridays, and I see no reason not to take their recommendation on this). You get a little preview pane for each item, and if you want it, you just click on it, it takes you right to that page, you can order it in your size, and it’s on its way. The sale prices vary on these items, since they are collected from all over the web – but it’s fashion done your way, with your favorite designer labels, and you’ll find them all on sale to some extent. These guys add designers to their ever-growing list all the time, so make sure you go back and update your choices. With these three sites, you’ll have access to the store of your dreams: all the designer labels and lines you want, filtered by your sizing specifications, and all on sale. What could be better than that?