NBCUniversal chief Steve Burke made his observations this morning in Comcast?s Q2 conference call with analysts as he discussed his?company?s approach to films following its new production and finance partnership with Legendary Entertainment. Burke noted that NBCU is delighted with its animation alliance with Illumination. The partners? Despicable Me 2 will become ?the single most profitable film in the 100 year history of Universal Studios.? Meanwhile, Legendary is ?going to make some of their own films? that target fanboys while Universal ?will concentrate on everything else.? Burke says that NBCU will co-finance some of Legendary?s films, and it will co-finance some of Universal?s. He?s pleased with the outcome: ?It was a competitive auction to see who would end up with the Legendary film relationship.?
Related: Comcast Beats Q2 Earnings Forecasts With Help From NBCU
Get Deadline news and alerts FREE to your inbox...
Environment: Titanium SDK 3.1.1.GA, Android SDK 4.0.3, Phone: Samsung Galaxy S III Problem: Saving photos and retrieving photos works fine in Android Emulator but does not work in Android phone (only 2 photos show up on the device)
After the photo has been taken, I am assigning a file name (unique) and save the file name into the database. During the display, I retrieve the file name from the database and retrieve the image. Photo is getting saved in the device in the specified path.
I have read through the forum and various Q&A and still not able to figure out why only 2 photos show up in the scrollview whereas in the Android Emulator any number of photos show up.
Code:
Photo saving:
Titanium.Media.showCamera({
success:function(event) { var image = event.media; var db = Titanium.Database.open('table1'); var imgsPath = Ti.Filesystem.externalStorageDirectory + 'projImages' + Ti.Filesystem.separator; var userDir = Ti.Filesystem.getFile(imgsPath); userDir.createDirectory(); var filename = 'projImage'+new Date().getTime()+'.png'; var f = Ti.Filesystem.getFile(userDir.nativePath,filename); db.execute('INSERT INTO my_photos("age_id","act_id","sub_id","image_id") Values ("'+Ti.App.ageId.ageDesc+'","'+Ti.App.actId.actDesc+'","'+Ti.App.subact.sact+'","'+f.nativePath+'")'); if (f.exists()) { Ti.API.info('The file exist , trying to delete it before using it :' + f.deleteFile()); f = Titanium.Filesystem.getFile(userDir.nativePath,filename); } f.write(image); db.close(); }, saveToPhotoGallery:true, allowEditing:true, mediaTypes:[Ti.Media.MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO,Ti.Media.MEDIA_TYPE_PHOTO],
var db = Titanium.Database.open('table1'); var dbImageRows=db.execute('Select image_id from my_photos WHERE age_id = "'+Ti.App.ageId.ageDesc+'" and act_id="'+Ti.App.actId.actDesc+'" and sub_id="'+Ti.App.subact.sact+'"');
var imageView=[]; var i = 0; var temp=0; while(dbImageRows.isValidRow()){ imageView[i] = Ti.UI.createImageView({ top:'0%', width:'100dp', height:'100dp', left:temp+'dp', image:dbImageRows.fieldByName("image_id") }); temp=temp+130 scrollView.add(imageView[i]); i++; dbImageRows.next();
Convocation mystique pour les joueurs de JEUX sur mobile : Kabam lance Dragons of Atlantis : Les H?ritiers du Dragon sur l?App Store
La franchise estim?e ? 100 millions de dollars ?Dragons of Atlantis? apporte le Monde d?Atlantis et la Fureur des Dragons sur mobiles pour une toute nouvelle exp?rience de jeu.
Kabam, le leader en Occident des jeux free-to-play, sort aujourd?hui Dragons of Atlantis : Les H?ritiers du Dragon sur iPhone, iPad et iPod Touch, et pr?voit une sortie sous Android rapidement sur Google Play. Bas? sur son hit mondial, Dragons of Atlantis et disponible en ligne, Dragons of Atlantis : Les H?ritiers du Dragon est un tout nouveau titre de la franchise, enti?rement con?u pour les mobiles.
? Dragons of Atlantis est une des plus grosses franchises de Kabam, g?n?rant plus de 100 millions de dollars de revenus en moins de trois ans ?, selon Andrew Sheppard, pr?sident des Studios Kabam.
Dragons of Atlantis : Les H?ritiers du Dragon est le premier jeu sur mobile permettant aux joueurs de dresser leur propre arm?e pour reconstruire la gloire d?Atlantis. Un myst?rieux charme attire les peuples vers cette terre mystique pour aider la majest? des Dragons ? se d?fendre d?attaques ennemies venant de viles barbares. Le temps est venu de trouver le h?ros qui fera rena?tre la cit? de ses ruines et qui trouvera la sagesse perdue des Anciens. B?tissez votre arm?e et dresser vos Dragons que vous d?ploierez sur le champ de bataille pour sauver Atlantis.
About Kabam Kabam is the leader in the western world for free-to-play core games with first and third party published titles available on mobile devices via the Apple Store, Google Play, and on the Web via Facebook, Yahoo, Kabam.com and other platforms. In 2012 Kabam revenues grew by 70 percent to more than $180 million. The company is profitable and has seven titles that gross more than $1 million per month. Kabam?s Kingdoms of Camelot franchise has grossed more than $200 million in less than four years, making it one of the top 10 strategy franchises of all time. In 2012, Kabam Publishing was launched to provide third-party developers access to Kabam?s technology platform, distribution channels, data analytics and best practices that Kabam?s in-house development teams use to bring wildly successful games to players worldwide. Kabam has approximately 700 employees across three continents, with corporate headquarters in San Francisco. The company's investors include Google, Warner Brothers, MGM, Intel, Canaan Partners, Redpoint Ventures, Pinnacle Ventures and others. More information about Kabam can be found at www.kabam.com.
It doesn?t matter how healthy you or your family members are or appear to be ? emergencies can strike at any time. Even the healthiest of individuals can become victims to sudden heart attacks, strokes or accidents, and there?s no amount of planning that can help to keep these issues from occurring at random. You can strive to live the healthiest lifestyle imaginable, but even that isn?t enough to keep certain ailments at bay.
One of the best ways to keep the anxiety of suffering a sudden ailment away is to prepare a toolkit for home health emergencies. There are a variety of life-saving devices that everyone can benefit from having in their homes, and they don?t have to be exceedingly costly to pick up.
No emergency toolkit is complete without an AED, or automated external defibrillator. In the case that a heart-problem might arise, it can take quite a bit of time for an emergency team to show up at your house.
If you or one of your family members is having a heart-attack, it could indeed end up being too late.?An AED then can sometimes mean the difference between life or death.
Fortunately, they don?t have to be expensive to purchase. Since not all AEDs are created equal, be sure to take the time to compare?AED brands?before you make a purchase. Don?t take only the cost into consideration either; pay attention to the features each option offers, as some AEDs are more feature-rich than others.
First Aid Materials
It doesn?t matter how healthy someone is; all it takes is one accident for a scare to occur. Even chopping vegetables can result in a trip to the emergency room if you?re not paying attention, which makes it all the more important to have the proper first aid materials at your fingertips. If an event such as this happens, you?ve got to have the right tools at your disposal; rubbing alcohol isn?t going to be enough to get it done.
While you could fill an entire medicine cabinet with first aid materials if you wanted to, you really only need to consider the basics at first; bandages, antibacterial ointment and tape are enough to clean and protect most wounds, and if you?ve injured yourself beyond that scope, it may be worth visiting the ER.
Blood Pressure Cuff
It?s not always easy to tell whether or not one is close to having a cardiovascular event. Blood pressure, however, can be a strong indication that something isn?t right. Fortunately, you can test your blood pressure within the realm of your own home, as there are countless blood pressure cuffs available on the market.
If you find readings that are over the norm, you may want to make an appointment with your doctor. Excessively high blood pressure readings can sometimes warrant immediate attention, especially if you?re having other symptoms.
Don?t get stuck at home without the right emergency tools on your side. If you take the time to build a proper toolkit, you?ll be protecting yourself against potential disaster.
Remember, though, that even the best emergency toolkit may not be enough depending upon the situation, in which case you should always consider a trip to the emergency room.
Related posts:
Stop. Don't Leave! Don't forget to check other pages of HealthDefine.com.
We have hundreds of interesting articles about Diets, Nutrition, Fitness, Beauty Secrets, etc.
RolePlayGateway is proudly powered by obscene amounts of caffeine, duct tape, and support from people like you. It operates under a "don't like it, suggest an improvement" platform, and we gladly take suggestions for improvements or changes.
The custom-built "roleplay" system was designed and implemented by Eric Martindale as of July 2009. All attempts to replicate or otherwise emulate this system and its method of organizing roleplay are strictly prohibited without his express written and contractual permission; violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
? RolePlayGateway, LLC | with the support of LocalSense
A group of former college football players can sue Redwood City company Electronic Arts over the use of their images in video games, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
The company can't escape litigation by seeking protection under the First Amendment, said the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
The 2-1 decision upheld a federal judge's ruling in a lawsuit filed by Danville native Sam Keller, who played football at Arizona State University and the University of Nebraska from 2003 to 2007.
The court said Electronic Arts' "NCAA Football" video game uses avatars that are exact replicas of real players, down to their jersey number, build, skin tone and hair color. The game does not use the players' names.
"EA's use does not qualify for First Amendment protection as a matter of law because it literally recreates Keller in the very setting in which he has received renown," Judge Jay Bybee said in the majority opinion. "Given that 'NCAA Football' realistically portrays college football players in the context of college football games, the district court was correct in concluding that EA cannot prevail as a matter of law."
Steve Berman, an attorney for Keller, said, "We expect that when we appear before the trial court again this fall, the defendants will have a very difficult time mounting a new defense for their blatant exploitation of student-athletes."
Electronic Arts spokesman John Reseburg said the company was disappointed with the ruling and would "seek further court review."
Bybee dismissed Electronic Arts' assertions that it was protected by free speech in using publicly available biographical information about players, saying the company's case is "considerably weakened" by the fact that the games don't include players' names.
"EA can hardly be considered to be 'reporting' on Keller's career at Arizona State and Nebraska when it is not even using Keller's name," Bybee wrote.
Dissenting Judge Sidney Thomas said the ruling would jeopardize the creative use of historic figures in movies, books and sound recordings.
"Absent the use of actual footage, the motion picture 'Forrest Gump' might as well be just a box of chocolates," Thomas wrote. "Without its historical characters, 'Midnight in Paris' would be reduced to a pedestrian domestic squabble."
A young girl suffered a severe allergic reaction on Friday after biting into a dessert during a family vacation to a camp in California, according to police.
Officers and paramedics rushed to Camp Sacramento to treat Natalie Giorgi, 13, who had stopped breathing late Friday night due to an anaphylactic reaction, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff?s Office.
Giorgi was transported to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead a little over an hour later, police said.
Kelly Brothers, 49, a friend of the Giorgi family, was with the victim when she bit into a rice crispy treat, which triggered her peanut allergy.
He said the treats were passed around during a dance at ?the end of a perfect camp day.?
The auditorium was dark, he said, so Giorgi thought the dessert had a chocolate topping, but the moment she took a bite, he said she?"immediately spit it out and said 'I think there?s peanut butter in there.'"
Brothers, who was aware of the young girl?s allergy, called her parents over.
?For 15-20 minutes, she was fine,? he said.
But suddenly Giorgi began to feel sick and her father, who is a physician, injected her with three EpiPens, designed to prevent anaphylactic shock during an allergic reaction.
?She fought,? said Brothers, ?she just couldn?t catch her breath.? He said paramedics were on the scene within 15 minutes of calling 911.
Emergency workers transferred the young girl to an ambulance, but police told Brothers and his wife that Giorgi would be pronounced dead at the hospital ?so we would know what we were walking into,? he said.
?When I was growing up allergies meant sneezing or coughing, not sudden death,? said Brothers.
Brothers said Giorgi was ?always very diligent about what she ate.? He said she was?always armed with her EpiPen and sat at a table at school that was deemed "peanut free."
Brothers said Giorgi?s parents feel guilty for not acting quickly enough, but ?she had never had a reaction like this before.? They ?are holding up best they can,? he added.
Camp Sacramento issued a statement regarding the young girl?s death, reading in part, ?On behalf of the city, we are deeply saddened by the sudden death of one of our young campers ... Our thoughts are with the family.?
According to a 2013 study by the CDC, the number of children who suffer from food allergies increased by 50 percent between 1997 and 2011.
John Lehr, CEO of Food Allergy Research & Education, said in an email that, while only four percent of the U.S. population has a food allergy, eight percent of children have been diagnosed with a food allergy.
And the amount of people with peanut allergies tripled between 1997 and 2008, said Lehr.
He said ?scientists do not yet know why there has been such an increase in food allergy prevalence,? but ?there is a prevailing thought that the rise could be attributed to some combination of genetic and environmental factors.?
?We advise parents to make sure they read the ingredient label, every time,? he said.
if you are worried types, you can always note down the firmware you have now.
Take a screenshot of "About page" and keep it for future, which includes, baseband and other details, once done, find the OEM ROM on sam firmware site and download it and keep it.
This way you can always revert to your original firmware no matter what Rom you flash after rooting.
?
Use the tool by "Binary " on xda, I've rooted not less than 20 phones using it, mostly running ICS and upwards, from lava to Samsung the tool is easy if it
supports your phone.
?
unrooting is as easy as of rooting.
?
For service center service limitations read this, I had a Tab2, hardware problem, service center in my town didn't even had its ROM, so I downloaded it, flashed it 3-4 times, but wifi problem didn't solved, then deposited it for warranty claim, it tool 20+ days for fix, but it was repaired.
What I mean to say is, Samsung Flash counter doesn't increases if you flash stock rom,?
?
And as your phone is already out of warranty you would be delighted to flash custom roms, mods, tweaks etc etc and enjoy the phone for another year at-least and won't feel left behind with a year old phone.
?
Follow this to be on safer side:-
Root it
Install titanium backup from playstore, no need to purchase it works fine for backup/restore, you can pay later for advance features.
Make a full backup for user+system from "Batch Action"
keep this backup on computer.
?
Install mods, or change the ROM, and Do the game, beat the hell out of your phone? ?
BEIJING ?- A prominent Chinese rock singer?s acerbic taunts about bombing government offices following a real airport bombing in Beijing this month have led police to detain her on terrorism charges, although she could be free within 10 days.
Rock singer Wu Hongfei, the 38-year-old lead singer of the group Happy Avenue and a frequent government critic, was taken into custody more than a week ago, after she took to her microblog in the hours following a July 20 explosion at the capital airport, caustically saying she?d like to set off an explosion at Beijing?s local housing commission office. On Wednesday, police were set to pursue charges against her for spreading threats of terrorism.
The case has set off a debate in China over free speech versus harmful threats, particularly focused on where the line should be drawn online.
The airport bomber, Ji Zhongxing, a 34-year-old former motorcycle taxi driver who has spent eight years trying to draw attention to the police beating that left him permanently disabled, was charged in the explosion that wounded only him. Ji, who faces up to 10 years in prison, reportedly distributed leaflets about his plight and waved bystanders away from his wheelchair before detonating homemade charges in Beijing's main airport terminal.
In a series of caustic posts following Ji?s bombing, the singer Wu posted about places she wants to bomb, including specific government offices and an unidentified person. Wu?s lawyer, Chen Jiangang, said the comments were never serious and cannot be taken as such. Chen posted online updates on the case until his Weibo microblog account was deleted on Wednesday. By phone, Chen said his client should be entitled to legal protection as it was obvious her online comments were mocking, not malicious.
"Wu Hongfei is definitely not guilty, as she has freedom of speech,? said Chen. ?She shouldn't be arrested, summoned to the court or interrogated. The 130 words of Weibo comments she posted could not provoke troubles or disturb the social order."
Later in the day, Chen refused to say what was happening with his client?s case, but one Chinese media outlet reported she was only under administrative detention and likely would be freed within 10 days.
The case is another test of China?s tolerance for critical speech on the Internet. State-run media outlets have condemned Wu?s outburst, likening it to terrorist threats.
?We support the actions taken by the police which will enhance the stature of the law,? the Global Times newspaper wrote on Wu?s detention. ?They will also send signals to the public opinion environment.?
Her fans, meanwhile, have defended the singer, saying it?s clear she was not going to bomb anyone. Human rights groups have said Wu was targeted for her ongoing criticism of government.
ALSO:
Iran gives Gazans aid, but bypasses Hamas
Spree of jailbreaks stirs fear of new Al Qaeda threat
Zimbabwe election: Voters line up for poll plagued with doubt
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Sugary cereals eaten dry could cause tooth decay, but when washed down with milk after eating, plaque acid levels are reduced, reducing damage to tooth enamel that leads to cavities, according to new research.
Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview is now available for download so customers can start testing the operating system in their environments. Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview builds on the Window 8.1 Preview, adding premium features designed to address the mobility, security, management and virtualization needs of today?s companies. MORE
After a military court on Tuesday acquitted former U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning of aiding the enemy when he released classified documents to the website Wikileaks, Yahoo News asked military service members and veterans for their reactions. Below are excerpts from some we received.
***
Hero or traitor a complex question: The heart of the matter in the Bradley Manning case, to many, seems to be this question: At what point do the people of the United States, be they low-ranking enlisted men like Manning, or private citizens ? like Edward Snowden, the recent whistleblower and U.S. government-labeled traitor ? have the right to stand up and speak out about government abuses that are affecting not just America and Americans, but the people of the world?
Did Pfc. Manning put troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan at greater risk by leaking the information that he gathered over a period of time in 2009 and 2010? As a veteran of the Iraq War myself, I would say yes. Did he send a message to an overreaching behemoth U.S. government that it will be held to account for misleading the American people and trying to cover up wrong-doings? As a U.S. citizen, I would say yes.
Manning still faces more than 130 years in prison for his convictions of 19 of 20 lesser charges. But one message has been sent loud and clear: A U.S. government that seems to feel it can start wars based upon rumors and half-truths, and by misleading the American people, should be reminded of the adage that you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.
Manning may spend some time in a prison cell, but on his way down the corridor, he has revealed a little more of the man behind the curtain to a not-so-ignorant public.
? Kevin E. Lake served as a machine gunner for a convoy security team in Mosul, Iraq, as a member of the Washington Army National Guard.
***
Stiff sentence would dissuade others : Manning willingly broke his word and the law. I know this because I've signed that same paperwork countless times over the years.
With this in mind, I cannot sympathize with him. Manning was put in a position of trust and responsibility, and he lacked the correct attributes for the job. He broke his word and hurt America in an incalculable way.
Is Manning a traitor or whistleblower? Downloading more than 700,000 documents to WikiLeaks isn't the action of a man who discovered a couple of ugly secrets and wanted to expose them. He downloaded a massive amount of classified on a wide range of subjects. This suggests he grabbed anything that had an interesting title. He may have started out wanting to expose an ugly secret, but he got foolishly wild and sloppy. He also showed a horrible lack of judgment. I have to think he is a petty young man who naively committed terribly traitorous acts. A whistleblower brings wrong-doings to the proper authorities; he doesn't pass them along to the open market.
Between Pfc. Bradley Manning's weak principles, his co-workers' lack of interest, and his supervisor's complacency, this was bound to happen eventually. A strong and harsh sentence will hopefully dissuade others from doing similarly foolish things.
? A 23-year military veteran, Mark Murphy's career has included satellite communications, housing hundreds of junior enlisted personnel, helping train F-22 pilots, developing and monitoring government contracts and even performing courier duties with the Air Force and U.S. State Department.
***
Manning lucky I wasn't his judge: Manning had access to top-secret communications that he should have known, by releasing to others, could have landed in enemy hands. He, like I did, took an oath, which states: "I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."
This young man, only 25, should have known better, and, although he may serve some time in prison on the other charges, is lucky I was not his judge because instead of life in prison, I believe that violation of Article 104 deserves the stiffest penalty: death.
? Gene Bannister served in the U.S. Army from 1989 1991 in Operation Desert Storm.
***
Heart in right place, but he still erred: I understand Pfc. Manning's desire to make Americans aware of faulty ethics in the country's foreign policy. I am not saying I would have reacted in the manner he did had I disagreed with information I was privy to. Was his illegal publishing of material to Wikileaks the correct way to blow that whistle? Probably not.
But action needs to be taken and not swept under the rug. Sooner or later, the government is going to have to realize it cannot get away with everything. This nation's citizens deserve the right to know how its government is conducting its business.
We will continue to see more like Manning and Snowden, as they are witness to absurdities in this government. And, when they unveil the truth, the government will have no choice but to attempt to throw them to the dogs and scream, "Spy!" Both sides should realize there are consequences to what they do.
? Michael Hedges enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2002. He served in the infantry from 2002 to 2010, when he was medically re-classed to Army Finance due to combat-related injuries. He served two tours of duty in Iraq in infantry and one tour in Afghanistan in Army Finance.
***
Bradley Manning verdict is a shame: One of the main lessons I took from my time in combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan is that the local population's opinions of how we conduct ourselves as a unit deployed to their country and as a nation back home have a direct effect on the average soldier on the ground.
What Bradley Manning did was irresponsible and done from the point of view of someone who has never had to engage the enemy, someone who has never had to walk a patrol where the average citizen can turn against you in an instant and attempt to take your life.
Manning presents himself as a "whistleblower" and as someone who stands for the free flow of information. While the free flow of information is a good thing, it has to be moderated in certain cases and when there are lives on the line is a perfect time to exercise that restraint.
? Tim Smith served five years of active duty in the U.S. Army's 82nd and 173rd Airborne units as an infantry soldier, reaching the rank of staff sergeant. He served three additional years in the reserves after leaving active duty.
***
Manning knows what he did was wrong: While in the Navy, I worked in a "secure" facility where it was necessary to have a security clearance. Security clearances are not given out freely. The government does complete background checks that often include interviewing the candidate's teachers, religious leaders and even neighbors, in person.
Therefore, I cannot see any way Bradley Manning was not aware he was releasing sensitive information. He had no authority to declassify information, and he was aware of consequences of releasing the information.
? Paul Smith enlisted in the U.S. Navy before graduating from high school, attended boot camp one week after graduation and served four years, 1967-71
Los Angeles, CA (July 31, 2013) In his January 2009 State of the Union address, President Obama announced his goal for the U.S. to lead the world in college graduates by 2020. While policymakers often blame university systems for low graduation among college students, according to new research, characteristics known about a student before he or she even enters a college classroom can accurately predict graduation rates. This new study, published in SAGE Open, finds that characteristics such as fulltime enrollment status, race, transfer credits, and expected family contribution predict successful graduation from college.
Researcher Tim Gramling, LP.D., conducted research on characteristics of more than 2,500 students from the full population of one large, for-profit university and found that higher GPA, fulltime enrollment status, black race (over whites), a higher number of transfer credits when enrolling, and higher expected family contribution weighed most heavily in accurately predicting higher graduation odds.
Taken together, these five characteristics predict graduation rates with 86.9% accuracy, despite the fact that federal policy has worked under the assumption that tax status of an institution is the primary determinant of student graduation (i.e., non-profit v. for-profit). Additionally, when GPA is removed as one of the predicting factors, the remaining four characteristics (determined before a student even begins his or her studies), still predict graduation rates with 74.3% accuracy.
"The findings of this study challenge the traditional assumptions for improving university graduation rates. Because student characteristics have such a dramatic impact on graduation odds, changing federal tax status of a university would have little positive impact on graduation," Gramling stated.
Gramling offered different ways to improve graduation rates based on his findings, "Policymakers could increase funding for lower income students which would mitigate the need for expected family contribution and provide incentives for them to attend school full time both factors that have shown accurately predict higher graduation odds."
The findings of the study also had implications for traditional methods for rewarding higher GPAs. Since the study found that black students were more likely than white students to graduate, especially if they had a GPA between a 2.0 and a 2.5, public policy that rewards high GPAs and punishes low GPAs would disproportionately impact black students.
Gramling continued, "As blacks exhibited higher odds of graduating than whites at this campus, the U.S. Department of Education should explore how for-profit institutions can benefit black students, especially as other research does not suggest that blacks have higher (or even equal) odds of graduating than whites at traditional institutions."
###
For an embargoed copy of the article titled "How five student characteristics accurately predict for-profit university graduation odds" published in SAGE Open, please email camille.gamboa@sagepub.com.
SAGE Open is an award-winning, peer-reviewed, "Gold" open access journal from SAGE that publishes original research and review articles in an interactive, open access format. Articles may span the full spectrum of the social and behavioral sciences and the humanities. http://sgo.sagepub.com/
SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped informand educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology, and medicine. An independent company, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC. http://www.sagepublications.com
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
How do student characteristics predict university graduation odds?Public release date: 31-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Los Angeles, CA (July 31, 2013) In his January 2009 State of the Union address, President Obama announced his goal for the U.S. to lead the world in college graduates by 2020. While policymakers often blame university systems for low graduation among college students, according to new research, characteristics known about a student before he or she even enters a college classroom can accurately predict graduation rates. This new study, published in SAGE Open, finds that characteristics such as fulltime enrollment status, race, transfer credits, and expected family contribution predict successful graduation from college.
Researcher Tim Gramling, LP.D., conducted research on characteristics of more than 2,500 students from the full population of one large, for-profit university and found that higher GPA, fulltime enrollment status, black race (over whites), a higher number of transfer credits when enrolling, and higher expected family contribution weighed most heavily in accurately predicting higher graduation odds.
Taken together, these five characteristics predict graduation rates with 86.9% accuracy, despite the fact that federal policy has worked under the assumption that tax status of an institution is the primary determinant of student graduation (i.e., non-profit v. for-profit). Additionally, when GPA is removed as one of the predicting factors, the remaining four characteristics (determined before a student even begins his or her studies), still predict graduation rates with 74.3% accuracy.
"The findings of this study challenge the traditional assumptions for improving university graduation rates. Because student characteristics have such a dramatic impact on graduation odds, changing federal tax status of a university would have little positive impact on graduation," Gramling stated.
Gramling offered different ways to improve graduation rates based on his findings, "Policymakers could increase funding for lower income students which would mitigate the need for expected family contribution and provide incentives for them to attend school full time both factors that have shown accurately predict higher graduation odds."
The findings of the study also had implications for traditional methods for rewarding higher GPAs. Since the study found that black students were more likely than white students to graduate, especially if they had a GPA between a 2.0 and a 2.5, public policy that rewards high GPAs and punishes low GPAs would disproportionately impact black students.
Gramling continued, "As blacks exhibited higher odds of graduating than whites at this campus, the U.S. Department of Education should explore how for-profit institutions can benefit black students, especially as other research does not suggest that blacks have higher (or even equal) odds of graduating than whites at traditional institutions."
###
For an embargoed copy of the article titled "How five student characteristics accurately predict for-profit university graduation odds" published in SAGE Open, please email camille.gamboa@sagepub.com.
SAGE Open is an award-winning, peer-reviewed, "Gold" open access journal from SAGE that publishes original research and review articles in an interactive, open access format. Articles may span the full spectrum of the social and behavioral sciences and the humanities. http://sgo.sagepub.com/
SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped informand educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology, and medicine. An independent company, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC. http://www.sagepublications.com
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
In this image taken from Associated Press video, flames rise from an explosion at the Blue Rhino propane plant in Tavares City, Fla., late Monday, July 29, 2013. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said early Tuesday that there were no fatalities despite massive blasts that ripped through the gas plant. Seven people were injured and transported to local hospitals. (AP Photo/AP video)
In this image taken from Associated Press video, flames rise from an explosion at the Blue Rhino propane plant in Tavares City, Fla., late Monday, July 29, 2013. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said early Tuesday that there were no fatalities despite massive blasts that ripped through the gas plant. Seven people were injured and transported to local hospitals. (AP Photo/AP video)
Firefighters walk through an area of exploded propane cylinders in the aftermath of an explosion and fire at a propane gas company, Tuesday, July 30, 2013, in Tavares, Fla. Eight people were injured, with at least three in critical condition. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said early Tuesday there were no fatalities despite massive blasts that ripped through the Blue Rhino propane plant late Monday night. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Firefighters keep an eye on a fire of plastic cylinder caps while standing in an area of exploded propane cylinders after an explosion and fire at a propane gas company Tuesday, July 30, 2013, in Tavares, Fla. Eight people were injured, with at least three in critical condition. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said early Tuesday there were no fatalities despite massive blasts that ripped through the Blue Rhino propane plant late Monday night. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Firefighters walk through a sea of propane cylinders on the grounds of a propane gas company after a series of explosions rocked the central Florida propane gas plant a and fire was extinguished, Tuesday, July 30, 2013, in Tavares, Fla. Eight people were injured, with at least three in critical condition. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said early Tuesday there were no fatalities despite massive blasts that ripped through the Blue Rhino propane plant late Monday night. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
The remains of several burned and melted trucks are seen after an explosion at a propane gas company Tuesday, July 30, 2013, in Tavares, Fla. In the foreground are several propane cylinders that exploded and landed in an area near the trucks. Eight people were injured, with at least three in critical condition. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said early Tuesday there were no fatalities despite massive blasts that ripped through the Blue Rhino propane plant late Monday night. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
TAVARES, Fla. (AP) ? A series of explosions rocked a central Florida propane gas plant and sent "boom after boom after boom" through the neighborhood around it. Eight people were injured, with at least four in critical condition.
John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said early Tuesday there were no fatalities despite massive blasts that ripped through the Blue Rhino propane plant late Monday night. Officials initially scrambled to find more than a dozen employees after the explosions.
"Management is comfortable saying all of those they knew were there tonight have been accounted for," he said.
Tavares Fire Chief Richard Keith said possible causes of the explosion may be either equipment malfunction or possibly human error. Sabotage was not suspected.
One person injured in the explosion was listed in critical condition at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital and three others were listed in critical condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Herrell said some others drove themselves to area hospitals.
Tavares Battalion Commander Eric Wages said five workers walked up to a command center firefighters set up near the plant Monday night with skin hanging off their arms, torso and faces. He said their arms were outstretched and they were in complete shock.
The Blue Rhino plant, which is northwest of Orlando, refilled propane tanks typically used for barbecues and other uses. There were some 53,000 20-gallon tanks at the plant on Monday.
Herrell said a crew of 24 to 26 people was working the overnight shift when the explosions occurred around 10:30 p.m. Monday.
Tuesday morning, smoke still billowed from a storage container on the property, which consists of a couple of warehouses next to each other. The parking lot was littered with thousands of blackened 20-gallon propane containers.
Nearby, three 33,000-pound tanks of propane sat untouched. Lake County Battalion Chief Chris Croughwell said the hoses designed to spray water on the large tanks in case of fire, did not go off as planned because they had to be manually activated. "Most sane people don't stick around for an event like this," he added.
Tavares Mayor Robert Wolfe said Tuesday that he was surprised to learn the hoses at the plant had to be manually activated. If Blue Rhino reopens the plant, Wolfe said he plans to raise the safety issue. "That way, it's fail safe," Wolfe said. "We're lucky those tanks didn't explode."
Croughwell said firefighters who responded to the initial fire had to wait to enter plant site because conditions were so dangerous. Just as they were finally about to go in, four tractor trailers parked next to the large propane tanks caught fire.
If the large tanks exploded, Croughwell said, "it would have wiped us out."
Video footage on WESH-TV in Orlando showed fires burning through trucks used to transport propane tanks, which were parked at the plant. The fire sent plumes of smoke into the air hours after the blast.
Keith said the explosions shook his house several miles from the plant. "It truly sounded like a car hit our house," he said.
Herrell said about 50 homes were evacuated Monday night but residents were allowed back in about four hours later.
Marni Whitehead, 33, who lives less than a mile from the plant, said she was in bed ready to go to sleep when she heard a loud boom.
She ran outside and saw other neighbors outside and then they saw the explosions.
"We knew right away it was the plant, the propane plant," Whitehead said. "After that, it was just sort of panic."
Whitehead likened the explosions to Fourth of July fireworks. "And it was just boom after boom after boom," she said.
Herrell said officials believe the fire was contained and wouldn't spread to another part of the plant.
According to the Leesburg Daily Commercial, the plant was built in 2004 and employs fewer than 50 people.
Tyler Gibson just had made his commute a little easier for himself and family as he recently made the decision to attend Bentley University in Waltham and to forego his initial choice which was the University of Massachusetts- Lowell.
For Gibson the choice was an easy one.
?I was recruited to play basketball at UMass Lowell and I was looking forward to that situation,? said the 6-foot-6-inch Gibson, who will go down in the Rockland history books as one of the most dominating players in the paint.
??There was a new coach hired at Lowell (former Northeastern University assistant Pat Duquette) and after a one-on-one meeting, it was clear that he wanted his own players.?
Rockland?s head basketball coach Freddie Damon concurs.
?Tyler?s (Gibson) ability to change the momentum and outcome of a game was unmatched.?
Gibson was assured a roster spot for one year but Duquette made it clear that after that initial year he was interested in recruiting his own players at Lowell, which was moving up a level to compete as an NCAA Division 1 school.
The move to Bentley, which competes in the Northeast-10 Conference, an NCAA Division 2 school, was an easy one as NCAA rules allow a student-athlete to rescind their National Letter of Intent when a coaching change has been made.
?I had a few options,? Gibson said. ?Bentley was a great fit and the timing was perfect, plus they offer the same major which is finance.?
In the meantime, Gibson is hard at work refining his already considerable basketball skills for the next level of competition.
?I had a great Bay State Games competition (which included a monster 39 point outburst in the semifinals),? Gibson continued. ?Every day I am working hard on my fitness and improving my skills.?
Gibson will report to Bentley on Aug. 24.
It is the end of an era at Rockland High School and the beginning of a new one for Gibson and Bentley University.
Flashback, 2007, Terry McAuliffe On Mexican Illegals: ?These People Shouldn?t Be Coming Into This Country, Taking Our Jobs? ? Pat Dollard Home ??? Politics ??? Flashback, 2007, Terry McAuliffe On Mexican Illegals: ?These People Shouldn?t Be Coming Into This Country, Taking Our Jobs?
July 31, 2013 Latest Update: July 31, 2013 01:05 pm
A banner which reads, Political banners and a military flag displayed at a football match between South Korea and Japan have dragged top government officials from both countries into a diplomatic spat.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) issued a statement today insisting that Japanese fans waving a large "rising sun" Japanese military flag had incited South Korean supporters at Sunday's East Asia Cup tie in Seoul.
The home fans had unfurled a giant banner in the first half that read: "There is no future for a people that have forgotten history" - a reference to Japan's 1910-45 occupation of South Korea.
Many South Koreans believe Japan has failed to atone for abuses during the colonial period which remains a constant source of tension between the two countries.
The banner was taken down at half-time, but Japan's football association still lodged an official complaint and demanded an explanation from the KFA.
Two other banners displayed before the game bore portraits of a Korean independence activist who assassinated a top Tokyo official in 1909, and the admiral who fought off a Japanese invasion in the 16th century.
On Monday, Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said the banners were "extremely regrettable" and violated a FIFA ban on political statements.
Sports Minister Hakubun Shimomura went further yesterday, saying the style of the banners called into question "the nature of the people" in South Korea.
The South Korean foreign ministry then responded with a statement deploring Shimomura's "rude comments."
Although the size of the South Korean banners suggested the protest was pre-planned, today's KFA statement argued it had been triggered by the away supporters' military flag-waving.
"The flag evokes painful memories for Koreans. Yet the Japanese fans waved a giant flag right after the match kicked off, greatly provoking South Korean fans and triggering the whole incident," it said.
"Japan should stop highlighting the act by South Korean fans while ignoring the fact some Japanese waved the giant Rising Sun flag in the middle of the South Korean capital," the KFA said.
A similar incident occurred when the two football teams met during the London Olympics last year.
South Korea's Park Jong-Woo was banned for two games by FIFA and fined after he displayed a sign referring to a territorial dispute between the two countries. - AFP, July 31, 2013.
By Associated PressPublished: Jul 29, 2013 at 10:16 PM PDTLast Updated: Jul 29, 2013 at 11:20 PM PDTThis frame grab provided by WKMG TV shows the fire at the Blue Rhino plant in Tavares City, Fla Tuesday July 30, 2013. (AP Photo/WKMG TV)TAVARES CITY, Fla. (AP) ? A series of major explosions at a Florida gas plant injured several workers, but none were killed.
John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said early Tuesday that 15 people who worked at the Blue Rhino propane plant were originally unaccounted for.
He said a crew of 24 to 26 people were working at the plant on an overnight shift when the explosions occurred late Monday. He said seven people were injured and transported to a local hospital and two employees escaped unharmed.
Video footage on WESH-TV in Orlando showed fires burning through trucks used to transport propane tanks, which were parked at the plant. The fire was sending plumes of smoke into the air nearly two hours after the blast. Emergency crews could also be seen massing nearby.
Herrell said an evacuation zone was initially a one-mile radius but had been reduced to a half-mile radius. No injuries have been reported from residents in the neighborhood.
Herrell said officials believe the fire is contained and won't spread to another part of the plant but they cannot guarantee that.
Bryan Koon, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said he was still getting "preliminary information" from local authorities.
The blasts began about 11 p.m.
Herrell said the plant usually has 53,000 20-pound propane tanks.
According to the Leesburg Daily Commercial, the plant was built in 2004 and employs fewer than 50 people.
TUESDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) ? Wide fluctuations in blood pressure may be associated with memory and thinking difficulties in older adults already at high risk for heart disease, a new European study suggests.
Regardless of average blood pressure, ?high variability in blood pressure may lead to mental impairment,? said lead researcher Dr. Simon Mooijaart, director of the Institute for Evidence-Based Medicine in Old Age in Leiden, the Netherlands.
The three-year study, published July 30 in the online edition of the BMJ, involved more than 5,000 seniors, average age 75.
Fluctuating blood pressure has previously been linked with an increased risk of stroke, and evidence is mounting that factors that disrupt blood flow to the brain contribute to dementia?s development and progression, the researchers noted.
However, because the study shows only an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship, Mooijaart cautioned that it is still too early to make definitive claims about blood pressure inconsistency and mental decline.
?It?s an interesting association, because it might very well be causal,? he said. If it is causal, controlling these fluctuations with blood pressure medication might help reduce the risk of dementia, Mooijaart added. But further research is needed, the study authors noted.
?It?s very important to keep your vasculature healthy to prevent detrimental effects to your body,? Mooijaart said.
Another heart expert agreed.
?Variability in blood pressure readings has been shown to be associated with greater risk of heart attack and stroke, independent of average blood pressure readings,? said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a spokesman for the American Heart Association.
Blood pressure medications can reduce fluctuations and lower the risk of cardiovascular events, stroke and, some studies suggest, decline in mental function, he added.
?Physicians and patients with hypertension should increase focus on keeping blood pressure levels consistently at goal levels minimizing, to the extent possible, fluctuations in blood pressure,? Fonarow said.
To gauge the effect of blood pressure changes on mental ability, Mooijaart?s team collected data on more than 5,400 men and women, aged 70 to 82, who took part in the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk. That study, conducted by centers in Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, looked at whether lowering cholesterol protected people at risk for heart disease.
Over three years of follow-up, participants? blood pressure was checked every three months. Researchers looked at the variability in those readings and tested participants? mental functioning. Specific tests evaluated attention, reaction time and memory.
Mooijaart?s team found that people whose blood pressure varied from visit to visit performed worse on all of the tests than those with stable readings. These results persisted after the researchers accounted for cardiovascular disease and average blood pressure.
But Mooijaart said it isn?t clear whether blood pressure variability is a cause or consequence of impaired mental function.
Several explanations may exist for this connection, he said. It?s possible that blood pressure variability and mental impairment both result from cardiovascular risk factors. Or blood pressure variability might be a sign of long-term instability in blood flow to vital organs. Another possibility is that blood pressure fluctuations could deprive the brain of blood, which might lead to poorer mental functioning, Mooijaart noted.
More information
For more information on blood pressure, visit the American Heart Association.
David Bradley hasn't yet signed a contract to do more "Game of Thrones," but is hopeful his Walder Frey will be back.
In the bloody aftermath of the ?Game of Thrones? Red Wedding episode, actor David Bradley is persona non grata. ?Wedding invitations have dried up,? he joked to reporters at the Television Critics Association's press tour.
Bradley plays the nefarious Walder Frey, who will forever be known as the worst wedding host ever for the bloody union that happened under his roof.
?I love playing (Walder) because he?s just irredeemable,? Bradley told TODAY.com. ?He just relishes what he does. It?s almost iconic relish.?
There?s little doubt that Bradley will be returning to the role for the next round of HBO's ?GoT,? and Bradley couldn?t be happier.
?My character is still alive, and he appears later in the books, so although I don?t have a contract, I?m hopeful I?ll be back for the next season,? Bradley said. ?I think he has a lot more to give.?
Bradley noted that it?s interesting to be known as such a reviled character.
?I was actually really enjoying (the Red Wedding), every bit of it,? he confided. ?What does that say about me as a person??
Walder Frey wiped out a fairly substantial number of cast members in that now notorious scene, including the beloved King in the North Robb Stark, Queen Talisa, Catelyn Stark and more all in one fell swoop.
With so many deaths in just three seasons, ?Game of Thrones? might run out of British actors before the show begins to struggle for more stories. (After all, George R. R. Martin's novels ? upon which the epic drama is based ? aren't writing themselves, and the show is quickly gaining ground.)
?I think of those spiked heads on the castle wall, each one another actor who won?t be able to return to the show,? Mark Addy, better known as the late King Robert Baratheon, told TODAY.com.
As fans of the novels ? and now the show ? know all too well, Martin doesn't hesitate when it comes to killing off characters, no matter how big or small their role may be. So it wouldn't be a stretch to anticipate more visits from the Grim Reaper in the coming season. After all, there is a war going on for the Iron Throne.
Fans can only hope British thespians can fill in the ranks as quickly as Khaleesi?s army of the Unsullied.
A textbook used in Advanced Placement history classes in Florida is under scrutiny by Rep. Ritch Workman (R-Melbourne) and a group of parents who think the book displays a pro-Islam bias.
According to Workman and the parents, the book?s partiality to Islam is apparent when compared to its coverage of Christianity and Judaism. Workman and several others criticized the textbook at a Brevard County School Board meeting last week, saying that information in the book is incorrect.
?Our children deserve facts and accuracy, not history being revised for our own failure or desire to not offend one culture or another,? said Workman to the school board, according to Florida Today.
In a video for local outlet WESH-TV, Workman explains that the book, titled ?World History,? dedicates 36 pages to Islam and only several paragraphs to Christianity. He also says the book ?sugar-coats the rise of Islam.?
"When you report history truly, then you report those horrible things that we did in the name of Christ or that the Jews did. And you should also report that in the name of Islam," he told the outlet.
According to Fox News, the book, which is published by Pearson PLC, has been used for several years in schools across Florida without previously encountering opposition. While Pearson spokesperson Susan Aspey confirmed that the book has a chapter titled ?Muslim Civilizations,? she told Fox News that there is ?balanced attention given to the beliefs of Islam, Judaism and Christianity.?
Workman alleges that the textbook publisher told him that it had "hired a Muslim cleric to write the Muslim section,? according to Fox News. Aspey denied his claim in her Fox interview and said that "academic experts did review the content, but they did not write it or edit it."
Brevard School Board members Amy Kneessy and Andy Ziegler told Florida Today that they would investigate claims of bias in the textbook.
?When I went to school, I thought that the textbooks were gospel,? Ziegler told the outlet. ?If there is information in our textbooks that is incorrect, I believe it needs to be correct.?
Wilfredo Ruiz, an attorney for the Florida Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the outlet he believes Workman and other critics of the textbook "just want to create an environment of intolerance toward Muslims and an environment of hate against Islam."
The controversy comes as some Texas legislators are working to ban CSCOPE lesson plans from the classroom. An internet-based curriculum plan previously used by hundreds of school districts in the state, CSCOPE has come under fire from politicians who allege it promotes a "progressive pro-Islamic curriculum."
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - IBM, the world's largest technology services company, will receive 21 million euros ($27.86 million) state-aid from the Romanian government for investment that will generate 900 jobs, daily Ziarul Financiar reported on Monday.
"IBM Romania will receive 21 million euros to develop an information technology consultancy project in Bucharest and Brasov," the finance ministry said. Under Romanian law, state aid is given for large investments that create new jobs.
The investment project is worth a total 51.2 million euros.
(Reporting by Ioana Patran; Editing by Luiza Ilie)
company?s approach to films following its new production and finance partnership with Legendary Entertainment. Burke noted that NBCU is delighted with its animation alliance with Illumination. The partners? Despicable Me 2 will become ?the single most profitable film in the 100 year history of Universal Studios.? Meanwhile, Legendary is ?going to make some of their own films? that target fanboys while Universal ?will concentrate on everything else.? Burke says that NBCU will co-finance some of Legendary?s films, and it will co-finance some of Universal?s. He?s pleased with the outcome: ?It was a competitive auction to see who would end up with the Legendary film relationship.?
?
?
Voir la discussion sur le forum
? ![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 31-Jul-2013
Share ] 
