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by Guest Post on November 12th, 2012

CEHD alumna writes children?s book about animal friends on St. Kitts

Can a dog and a monkey be best friends? In Heidi Fagerberg?s first children?s book, Lion Paw and Oliver ? An Unlikely Friendship, readers learn that the answer is yes.

Fagerberg, a University of Delaware College of Education and Human Development alumna, is writing a series of realistic fiction children?s books centered around the theme ?Living the Beach Life.? It is based on orphaned animals found near her home on St. Kitts, an island in the Caribbean.

?The main goal of this book is to show children that two individuals, who look different, act different, and come from two different worlds, can become friends. The series itself is based on how to manage friendships, survival tactics, and how to deal with losing family and friends,? explains Fagerberg, who received an undergraduate degree in early childhood development, education and human services in 1998 and a master?s in teaching English as a second language (TESL) in 2005.

?My education at UD taught me a lot about literacy development and what makes a good children?s book,? she says. ?This knowledge has helped me write my books in a way that touches on many different aspects of children?s development.?

UD alumna and author Heidi Fagerberg at home on St. Kitts with dog Lion Paw and monkey Oliver, the subjects of her children's book. Image credit: University of Delaware

At the UD Children?s Campus, students at the Early Learning Center (ELC) and Laboratory Preschool have enjoyed the book, especially knowing that it was written by a UD graduate. ?The children think it?s very exciting that Miss Heidi lives on the beautiful island pictured in the book,? says Peg Bradley, director of the ELC.

Hers has not been a normal career path, Fagerberg admits. Originally from Irvington, N.Y., she came to UD because it was centrally located between family in New York and Maryland. While earning her master?s degree, she participated in a study abroad program in Costa Rica. This inspired her to pursue a concentration in TESL and led to a teaching position in Costa Rica where she lived for two years upon graduation. She subsequently moved to the Caribbean where she now owns and runs St. Kitts Sailing School.

?I use the skills I learned as an undergrad when teaching my young students, ages four to eight, how to sail,? says Fagerberg. ?I can also explain to my staff how to instruct children, which is great because I have junior staff who not only have learned to sail, but are also learning how to teach.?

Fagerberg also received a strong education in the use of technology at UD in and out of the classroom. It has helped her run her business as well as design the type of books she is writing. To enhance the educational experience of her books, she has created a website, called Living the Beach Life, that will soon include learning questions and activities for teachers to incorporate into their readings.

?Reflection was a key to my education at UD. We always were asked to reflect on our implementation of lesson plans and how we could implement them better the next time. This has taught me a valuable skill ? reflection has allowed me to learn from my mistakes. I?ve learned not to be afraid to make mistakes, but try very hard not to make the same mistake twice.?

Fagerberg is currently working on a second book, titled Remember When, which deals with loss of a loved one and features a beloved beach pig named Wilbur. The Living the Beach Life series is edited and published by CaribbeanReads.

"Lion Paw and Oliver" is a children's book by UD alumna Heidi Fagerberg. Image credit: University of Delaware

Lion Paw and Oliver is available at UD?s Education Resource Center in the Willard Hall Education Building.

- Article by Alison Burris

*Source: University of Delaware

Source: http://www.shamskm.com/blogs/?p=13032

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Kilgrogan Nicked set to win Shelbourne Park's Music After Racing ...

Kilgrogan Nicked set to win Shelbourne Park?s Music After Racing For The Month Of December 550 in upset

Ignoring his recent two straight victories, the bookmakers have given Kilgrogan Nicked the lowest starting price in Saturday?s Music After Racing For The Month Of December 550 at Shelbourne Park. Showing no respect to him is really injustice, as he is coming off a couple of great wins.

Despite facing mess early on, the brindle dog sealed a classy victory in the A1 class at the end of October. It was a very close contest. Under a lot of pressure, he held on Nippy Girl to clinch the first rank by a neck?s distance.

It was not a fluke. The son of Ballymac Maeve continued the great work, adding another win to his tally on the third of this month. Even though both wins came at the lower levels, he is really in good shape after striking twice.

So, it would not be a good move to rule out his chances in today?s battle. The draw is massively in his favour. Wearing red jacket, the in-form hound is all set to upset the principals in today?s crucial meeting.

Among his opponents are:?Yonko, Robbiesgoneagain, Fluff The Lines, Glenanore and?Riverside Mary. As per the plan, the open event will be kicked off at 2-:32 GMT. It carries a handsome prize of 400 Euros.

Riverside Mary won an open race in August, but struggled to do the same thereafter. The black bitch was terrible on her previous two rides; therefore, the punters should not trust her blindly.

Similar is the case with Glenanore, who is looking for his lost rhythm. He has shown good works at the A1 level, and needs to raise his game to spark here.

Yonko is enjoying good odds following his two decent acts at this level recently. However, he surely needs an extra push to unchain the shackles. We expect him to be among the leading runners.

Fluff The Lines is unlikely to settle down at this level. His recent form is a huge question mark. Any inside crowding will greatly help Robbiesgoneagain?s cause. The black dog is not in good form though. Good luck to all.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and do not reflect Bettor.com?s editorial policy.

Source: http://blogs.bettor.com/Kilgrogan-Nicked-set-to-win-Shelbourne-Parks-Music-After-Racing-For-The-Month-Of-December-550-in-upset-a200325

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Nana Addo's Speech on Agriculture - Ghana Homepage, Business ...

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Nana Akufo-Addo

Nana Akufo-Addo

Mr. Chairman, Julius Ametepe, distinguished former Regional Director of Agriculture, Togbeo, Mamao, Okyeame of Agortine and Ziope traditional areas, senior staff and students of Ho Poly, fellow Ghanaians, Ladies and Gentlemen: Please excuse me for my late arrival. This business of being a presidential candidate is not an easy matter, as you pulled here and there. I am sorry for the delay and I apologise above all to Togbeo and Mamao for keeping them waiting so long. I am prepared to do custom to purge myself and hope that I am duly forgiven.

I am very happy to be here in Ho, and particularly happy to be at this now renowned polytechnic. A great deal of the infrastructure here was put in place by the NPP government of President John Agyekum Kufuor. It is an excellent investment, which is going to yield dividends, because it will produce the managerial and technical class that is going to be at the heart of our nation?s transformation agenda.

I have come to speak to you on the critical subject of Agriculture, and to do so in this region of hardworking, energetic farmers. The role of agriculture in transforming our economy and nation is potentially tremendous it is an appropriate subject in a region where all the ecological zones are to be found. It means that everything can be grown here and any type of livestock reared here.

At this time of the election campaign, I appreciate the opportunity to state my party?s position on a subject that affects all of us. I must first of all, congratulate the award winners at this year?s Farmers? Day celebrations. I congratulate especially, Mr. Wisdom Aglago, the Volta Region Best Farmer.

The figures speak for themselves and they cannot be repeated enough. More than 50% of our population are engaged in agriculture, the poorest people in our country are engaged in food crop farming. If we are to make any meaningful change in the lives of the people therefore our efforts must be directed at this sector. The majority of people can only feel a change in their lives when we develop agriculture.

We have been making some progress especially in the cocoa sector but nowhere near enough in the staple food grain sector, like rice maize and soya. Having said that, I believe it is worthwhile stating one of the most understated successes of the last NPP administration that we no longer hear about something called ?the hunger months? especially in the northern sector of our country. And you would recall that it was in 2003 that the phenomenon of ?bayere foforo abetu bayere dada?, ?new yam has come to meet the old yam? first started. Now that is accepted as a normal part of the farming cycle because of the success of the development of the roots and tubers during the Kufuor administration.

Unlike, the current NDC government, the blessing of oil will not distract the next NPP government from making the agriculture sector more sophisticated, more productive and more efficient. Currently, the economic indicators show Ghana is beginning to show signs of suffering from Dutch disease although the NDC government will have us believe otherwise.

Mr Chairman, the Dutch disease is an economic concept also known as the ?curse of oil?. The term was coined in 1977 by The Economist magazine to describe the decline of the manufacturing sector in the Netherlands after the discovery and development of a large natural gas field in 1959. In Ghana?s case, it is our agricultural and manufacturing sectors that have floundered.

The statistics speak for themselves. When you take account of the depreciation of the cedi and/or the rate of inflation, budgetary allocation to the Agriculture ministry has been falling steadily since 2008. In the same period agriculture growth has fallen sharply from 7.6% in 2008 to only 2.8% in 2011

There has to be a fundamental change in attitude towards agriculture if we are to make headway. Agriculture is not and cannot be a single sector industry. Farming is a business and it is a profession that must be promoted and studied like all other professions.

We tend to take farmers for granted, we tend to think it is a job that can be done by anybody, and some people think it is what you do when you have failed at everything else. But the truth is when farmers get it wrong, the consequences are immediate, catastrophic and affect all of us.

If when you got up this morning, you have had something to eat, and I hope that all of us apart from those among us who are fasting or on a diet, have had something to eat, then you must say thank you to a farmer.

I have spoken extensively on the importance of teachers in our society, I have spoken about the critical role medical professionals play in our society, but if we do not find food to eat, we will not even be alive to go to school or have any ailments that require treatment.

A farmer is firstly an entrepreneur, and more than all other entrepreneurs, a farmer doesn?t count his hours. He takes risks and he must be able to manage humans, animals and plants; he is at once a historian and a scientist and a weatherman. A farmer heads a business, but, being a farmer means he must constantly adapt to the climate, market and in today?s world, to technology and regulations.

For years many of our farmers, the successful ones have done these things to which we now ascribe fanciful names but often they have had to struggle through without help from government and yet we expect them to provide our most basic need as human beings, food.

In recent years one of the best organized and planned support that has been accorded agriculture, has been in the Millennium Challenge Account Compact started under the Kufuor government.

One of the most exciting examples of what happens when you have an integrated approach to agriculture and you adopt modern methods is happening not too far from us here in the North Tongu area. Under the Millennium Challenge Account programme this little corner of the Volta Region has something to teach us all. A well-known company VEGPRO has invested in a 900 hectare farm in the Togorme Irrigation project located on the left bank of the Kpong Hydroelectric Dam. Relying entirely on water from the Kpong Left Bank Irrigation Scheme and investment in very modern central pivot irrigation arrangements, the anchor farmer, VEGPRO has within a few months cropped a large variety of vegetables which, I understand, will soon be ready for export to British supermarkets.

Mr Chairman, the next NPP government will adapt the same integrated approach. Access to Finance, Improved Training and Technology, Land Tenure, Post Harvest Issues, Feeder Roads, farm tracts and Irrigation are going to be the nucleus of this approach. To address the problems our farmers face in terms of finance, an Akufo-Addo government will establish an Agricultural Technology Fund (ATF). This fund will provide finance to small and large scale farmers at subsidised rates. This will enable them acquire the relevant inputs and technology to make them more competitive and increase their output per hectare. We will also reposition the Agriculture Development Bank to fulfil its original mandate of specifically supporting agricultural finance. We will continue with reforming security in land tenure so that an ordinary small-scale farmer can use his land as collateral to secure a loan to finance his crop in any particular season.

Mr Chairman, improving the way land is administered in Ghana will facilitate the efficient transfer of title and use of agricultural land. The Land Title Registration and the Land Administration Projects have gone on long enough and we will make sure they are operational. MiDA has made it possible for 1,400 small farmers to have land titles for the first time ever.

In terms of increasing access to farming land in the Northern Savannah belt we must bring to bear the results of local research and of technological innovation in other parts of the world. In Brazil fro example, we know that the Savannah lands, which had lain uncultivated for years because of low yields, were treated with heavy doses of potash over a period of time. Now Brazil has become a powerhouse of agricultural production. We can do the same in Ghana!

Ladies and Gentlemen, we will facilitate the interaction between the Crop Research Institute, the Extension Services, Farmer Based Organizations and individual farmers to achieve high yields in farm production. We will also ensure that good quality fertilizer is readily available to the farmer at affordable prices, as was the case in the recent era of the Kufuor-led NPP government. Currently, only 20% of the acreage under maize cultivation benefits from improved seeds and fertilizer. The next NPP government, God-willing, will double this figure to 40% in four years. With this target, Ghana will become a major exporter in the ECOWAS grain market.

There is an urgent need to promote the use of technology and to update the farming methods that we use in our country and we intend to apply the same vigor to tackling this challenge as we intend to do in education. The next NPP government will establish 250 Mechanization Centres or Plant Pools across Ghana. These centres will provide mechanization services to farmers at competitive prices.

Farmers will also be provided with the business skills to enhance their crop productivity and boost their planning skills in order to forestall post-harvest losses. The aim is to support the farmers to get better value for their produce. Being equipped with business skills will also enable our farmers to negotiate better deals at various stages of the production chain.

Mr Chairman, in the Asian experience, the existence of a relatively extensive road network that carries fertilizer and other inputs to the farms and carries farm output to the markets has set them apart from us in Ghana. We will expand the feeder road and farm track network to mitigate post-harvest losses and also ensure foodstuffs are available to consumers.

Mr. Chairman, Ghana?s agricultural sector remains mostly rain-fed. It functions like clockwork. In times of drought our harvests are poor and when there is abundance of rain, our harvests are abundant. Mr. Chairman, under the last NPP government in 2008, a feasibility study was made in which 5,000 hectares were to be put into agriculture production under the Accra Plains Irrigation Projects. The current government has not made good its promise to commence that project but continues its mention in succeeding budgets with a further promise to increase it to 10,000 hectares, and yet, as is their stock in trade, there has been no implementation.

As at 2010, only 35,000 hectares of Ghana?s 7.3 million-hectare farmland was under irrigation. The MCA has shown that we do not need high end technology to irrigate our farming lands. But we do need to train farmers to be able to use simple pumps and take advantage of the numerous water bodies in this region for example. Mr. Chairman, irrigation must be taken seriously if we are to have the desired results in agriculture and an Akufo-Addo government will make the required investment.

As I said, farmers head business enterprises and we will work to provide them with the business skills they need to enhance their productivity and boost their planning skills in order to forestall post-harvest losses. We shall initiate a minimum Guarantee Price System for maize, rice and soya to support farm gate prices.

Mr Chairman, there is much to do in promoting Commercial Agriculture and it remains a largely untapped sector. With only 7.3 million hectares of Ghana?s total agricultural land of 13.6 million hectares being under cultivation, the potential for the development of commercial agriculture is vast. Again the MCA has shown that there is a lot to be gained from farmers working together. We shall support farmers with small holdings by providing them with improved seeds and fertilizers to make them much more productive. There are examples of successful commercial size farms that we can copy. We will pick existing winners in commercial farming to give them the requisite incentives and access to funding to push them into major regional and global players.

Mr. Chairman, there is nothing more heartbreaking than a farmer recounting the losses suffered due to perishing produce after harvest. A priority of an Akufo-Addo presidency will be the building of post-harvest infrastructure for preserving the quality of crops during their transportation from the production site to final market destination.

Together with the private sector, we will work to develop pack houses, warehouses and improve our market places so as to ensure effective and efficient distribution and thereby minimize post-harvest losses.

The MCA has shown the way with the construction of the new perishable cargo centre at the airport and pack houses around the country. Our food exports stand a better chance of doing well in foreign markets because of the construction and rehabilitation of the laboratories that make it possible for goods to be certified to international level. Mr. Chairman, our mangoes, our pineapples, the beautiful garden eggs, peppers, cabbages and other vegetables I saw displayed on the road on my way here will get better value with a GlobalGAP sticker on them and we will work to bring the quality of our farm produce to international standards .

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would now like to speak on the plans the next NPP government has for the Fisheries Sector. Not only does fish constitute a substantial portion of the Ghanaian diet, fisheries are essential to the livelihood and economy of Ghana. The Kufuor Government instituted a Ministry of Fisheries to oversee this sector and it was beginning to show good results. I promise that next January, God willing and with your votes, an Akufo-Addo government will bring the Fisheries Ministry back. Fisher folk will have a voice around the cabinet table and their concerns will be articulated at the highest level of government.

Nearly all Ghana?s marine fisheries and some inland fisheries are currently being overfished. Sustainable management of our fishing resources is crucial to the livelihood of the sector. A fishing sector where regulations are neither followed nor enforced is not the way forward. We will allocate additional resources for the enforcement of fisheries management policies as set forth in the Fisheries Act of 2002.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the poultry industry in Ghana has been hurting as a result of challenges it faces from imports of chicken from Europe and the Americas. This has led to the collapse of farms around the country. The high cost of inputs like soya and maize for feed, chemicals and even day-old chicks has rendered this once-viable venture an expensive undertaking.

The next NPP government will in collaboration with farmers and feed processors, assist poultry farmers to access cheaper feed ingredients. We will also put in place time-bound import tariff and non-tariff measures to ensure that there is an even playing field for our local producers of poultry and rice to compete on.

Our non-traditional exports have the potential of greatly boosting Ghana?s GDP, Sheanut, pineapples, mangoes, bananas and vegetables have been successfully cultivated for export and an NPP government will focus on expanding and increasing efficiency in the farming of these high value cash crops.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I must say a few words on cocoa the cash crop, which has served as the bedrock of Ghana?s development for generations. An Akufo-Addo government will continue to provide incentives in our cocoa industry through high producer prices, bonuses, cocoa scholarships, mass spraying and extension services to improve productivity and output. We aim to consolidate production at one million tones per annum and process up to 60% of our cocoa locally by 2018.

Mr. Chairman, agriculture remains the fuel that powers all our activity in Ghana. We ignore it at our risk. I give you my pledge that farmers, food crop farmers, fish farmers and livestock farmers will all have the support and respect they deserve from an Akufo-Addo government. We need to raise agriculture to a higher plane to be able to improve on the quality of life for our people. The NPP has the plans and the will to make it happen and I lead a dynamic and competent team that will show results, not propaganda and misinformation, but concrete, verifiable results.

On December 7, I ask for your votes to make it all possible.

Thank you, God bless you, God bless Ghana.

NPP Communications Directorate

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Posted by worldghana on November 10, 2012. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Source: http://worldghana.com/2012/11/10/statement-nana-addos-speech-on-agriculture/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=statement-nana-addos-speech-on-agriculture

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Petraeus relationship leads to book, scandal for Broadwell

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - When Paula Broadwell first met David Petraeus in 2006, she was a soldier-turned-graduate student at Harvard University. The acclaimed U.S. Army general gave her his card and offered to help her with her studies.

Broadwell soon began trading emails with the general, and four years later she was in Afghanistan turning a dissertation about his leadership into a book published this year entitled "All In." Interviews for the book often took place on endurance-testing runs together, she would later say.

"That was the foundation of our relationship," Broadwell said of their runs when promoting the book on Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" TV program in January.

That relationship is now at the center of a scandal that has not only ended Petraeus' short tenure as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency but also badly tarnished the reputation of a revered military leader.

And it has raised awkward questions about whether the White House had any inkling of the problem before the November 6 presidential election.

Until now, the 40-year-old wife and mother of two young children had appeared to excel at juggling scholarly pursuits, family life, a military career, triathlons, charity work and even demonstrations for a machine gun manufacturer.

"She has obviously achieved a lot in her field as a soldier and a scholar," said Ed Williams, a neighbor who lives two houses down from Broadwell, in a leafy, affluent Charlotte, North Carolina, neighborhood.

"Everyone is surprised and shocked," Williams said.

Earlier in the week, Williams, a retired editor, saw Broadwell with her two children when she was voting in last week's U.S. presidential election. He said she was chatty and cheerful. Neighbors were working on putting together a belated party in honor of her book.

"She gave no indication all this was going on," Williams said.

Broadwell did not return emails or calls. A 40th birthday party for her had been scheduled at her brother and sister-in-law's home in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, but invitees received an e-mail saying it had been canceled.

ACCOMPLISHED FROM EARLY AGE

A man who answered the door at the home told a reporter to get off the property. Three bags, displaying the name of a cupcake bakery, were on the front porch.

Broadwell grew up in North Dakota, where in high school she was valedictorian, student council president, homecoming queen and an all-state basketball player, according to a biography on the Century High School web site.

She went on to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where she graduated with academic, fitness and leadership honors, according to a biography promoting a speech to the World Affairs Council of Charlotte. She has held positions in the U.S. intelligence community, U.S. Special Operations Command and FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces, according to the bio.

Later, she would add degrees from the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies and Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is also a PhD candidate at King's College, London.

In her book, she says she was recalled to active duty three times to work on counterterrorism issues after the Sept 11 attacks and joined the U.S. Army Reserve. In August, Broadwell was promoted to lieutenant colonel, according to the Army.

Among her many military-related activities, Broadwell has been a "valued member" of the Warlord Loop, an elite invitation-only email forum that has about 500 national security specialists as members, said John Collins, who runs the group.

"She remains a member and I predict no change in her status," he said in an email on Saturday.

Broadwell is also featured in videos for a machine gun manufacturer. On her LinkedIn site, she lists "KRISS Vector .45 cal Demonstrator/Model" under her experience. The company couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

About three years ago, Broadwell settled in Charlotte with her husband, Scott, who is a radiologist in a Charlotte medical group. Their home is valued at $908,500, according to county property records. Over the years, the family has alternated moves based on each other's career opportunities.

"It was his turn," Williams, the neighbor said.

In her book's acknowledgements, Broadwell says her husband played "Mr. Mom" for her two boys while she was in Afghanistan and Washington "and shielded them from the concerns about their adventure-seeking mother's travels in a third-world country."

Her husband "showed admirable tolerance for my absence and the many late nights and early mornings at the computer; I am grateful to have such an amazing and supportive partner," she added. The book is dedicated to "my three favorite troopers" - her husband and two boys - and "to those who serve."

The acknowledgements gives "special thanks" to Petraeus' wife, Holly.

'STRATEGIC INITIATIVE' IN WARS

In the past year, Broadwell has been busy promoting her book with TV appearances and speeches. Written with Washington Post editor Vernon Loeb, the book received positive reviews, with author Doris Kearns Goodwin calling it "majestic."

In the preface, Broadwell writes that history has yet to fully judge Petraeus' service in Iraq and Afghanistan but "there is no denying that he achieved a great deal during his thirty-seven-year Army career, not the least of which was regaining the strategic initiative in both wars that followed September 11, 2001."

While noting his critics fault him for "ambition and self-promotion," she writes that his "energy, optimism and will to win stand out more for me." In the acknowledgements, she thanks Petraeus for a "once-in-a-lifetime" education as well as "his candor, trust and support."

On "The Daily Show," Stewart teased her about the book's admiring tone for the now 60-year-old Petraeus.

"The real controversy here is, 'Is he awesome or incredibly awesome?'" Stewart said.

Playing along, Broadwell quipped: "He can turn water into bottled water."

At the show's end, Broadwell, who lists running, skiing, triathlons and kickboxing among her interests, challenged the host to a push-up contest, with the loser making a donation to a wounded warriors organization. Stewart brought Broadwell's husband on stage to do push-ups with him, but still lost.

Broadwell has remained in the news recently. Earlier this month, she donated a parachute jump she had scheduled for her birthday to a wounded veteran, according to the Charlotte Observer newspaper. She also authored an article for "Newsweek" magazine called "General David Petraeus's Rules for Living."

No. 5: "We all will make mistakes. The key is to recognize them and admit them, to learn from them, and to take off the rear? view mirrors - drive on and avoid making them again."

(Additional reporting by David Ingram, John Shiffman, Debra Sherman, Phil Stewart and Matthew Goldstein; Editing by Warren Strobel and Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/petraeus-relationship-leads-book-scandal-broadwell-060248326.html

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Taking on the challenges of replication in psychological science

Friday, November 9, 2012

Psychological science has come of age. But the rights of a mature discipline carry with them responsibilities, among them the responsibility to maximize confidence in our findings through good data practices and replication.

The November issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), reflects the discipline's ongoing commitment to examine methodological issues that affect all areas of science ? such as failures to replicate previous findings and problems of bias and error ? with the goal of strengthening our discipline and contributing to the discussion that is taking place throughout science.

The issue features two special sections: one on replicability and one on research methods.

The special section on replicability brings together articles that examine the extent, causes, and solutions to some of the challenges faced by psychological science with regard to replication of research. The first nine articles in the section focus on diagnosing the problems within psychological science, while the next six articles discuss potential solutions. The aim of this special section is not to provide definitive answers, but to promote discussion and collective action to strengthen our science.

"We hope that the articles in this special section will not only be stimulating and pleasurable to read, but that they will also promote much wider discussion and, ultimately, collective actions that we can take to make our science more reliable and more reputable," write the section editors Harold Pashler of the University of California, San Diego and Eric-Jan Wagenmakers of the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands.

The special section on research methods features articles that examine various aspects of research methodology, including the problem of false negatives and different approaches to detecting fraud. The section also includes a report on the goals, structure, and state of the Reproducibility Project from the Open Science Collaboration and a tongue-in-cheek take on questionable research practices in psychological science.

Because these topics are so important and so central to the scientific enterprise, APS is making the entire issue available to non-subscribers free for three months.

###

Association for Psychological Science: http://www.psychologicalscience.org

Thanks to Association for Psychological Science for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125197/Taking_on_the_challenges_of_replication_in_psychological_science

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Expensive arthritis treatment no better than steroid therapy

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 10-Nov-2012
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Contact: Phyllis Fisher
phyllis.fisher@gmail.com
212-606-1724
Hospital for Special Surgery

A randomized, double-blind clinical trial by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery has revealed that corticosteroids are more effective than the more expensive treatment, hylan G-F 20 (Synvisc One, Genzyme Biosurgery), in providing pain relief to patients with thumb arthritis. The study also showed that both of these commonly used treatments provided clinically meaningful pain relief, but so did a placebo injection.

"On average, each of the therapies resulted in clinically meaningful improvement in pain," said Lisa Mandl, M.D., MPH, a rheumatologist at Hospital for Special Surgery, in New York City, who led the study. "What this study suggests is that a number of different injectable treatments might be effective for patients who have pain in their thumb and that the one that appeared to be the most effective was corticosteroids." The study will be reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals, to be held Nov. 9-14, in Washington D.C.

The new study is the first large randomized clinical trial in patients with carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis (thumb arthritis). The study compared a placebo, an injection of a local anesthetic called bupivacaine, with two commonly used injectable treatments: a corticosteroid called triamcinolone acentoide and hylan G-F 20, which is made from a natural substance that lubricates and decreases inflammation in the joints. CMC osteoarthritis, caused by regular wear and tear, is common in individuals over 60. It occurs in 80% of women who are 80 years of age or older.

The researchers enrolled 200 patients with thumb arthritis and randomized them to receive bupivacaine, hylan G-F 20, or triamcinolone. The average age of patients in the study was 66.5 and roughly 70% were female. Over the 26-week study, pain, as measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), showed a statistically and clinically significant improvement in all treatment groups. Each group gained slightly more than an average of 10 points; an improvement in 10 points is clinically meaningful. Patients who received corticosteroids had slightly greater improvements in pain compared to patients who received Hylan G-F 20. No treatment arm had clinically meaningful improvements in function.

"Overall, this was a negative trial," said Dr. Mandl. "If you compare the three treatments to each other, neither the steroid or Synvisc provided better pain relief than bupivacaine. Bupivacaine shouldn't do anything. It should numb and wear out in 20 minutes, but even that seems to help some people. What this suggests is that maybe the injection itself is making people feel better."

The researchers say that clinicians can consider trying any of the three treatments in their patients with CMC. "It may be that steroids are the most effective, so I would probably try steroids first. If that didn't work, then I would try hylan G-F 20. If patients were hesitant to try either steroids or hylan G-F 20, I'd even try bupivacaine," said Dr. Mandl.

The researchers point out that clinicians need to weigh the pros and cons of the different treatments. For example, Hylan G-F 20 is usually prescribed every six months and could be used repeatedly over time. Steroid injections, however, if given repeatedly, could end up damaging the joint further. Hylan G-F 20 costs in the ballpark of $600 for each treatment, whereas corticosteroids cost roughly $15 per treatment.

Dr. Mandl points out that even patients with very severe osteoarthritis benefited from the treatments. Arthritis severity is measured by the amount of cartilage left in a joint; in Grade 4, there is no cartilage left and bone is grinding against bone. "Even if you have a patient with terrible arthritis, it is worth trying one of these therapies," said Dr. Mandl. "There is no other therapy besides surgery for these people once they have failed other conservative measures."

###

The study was partially funded by the Arthritis Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and Genzyme Biosurgery. Genzyme provided the Synvisc at no charge, and the company had no input into study design, analysis or interpretation of the data.

Other Hospital for Special Surgery investigators involved in the study are Scott Wolfe, MD, Aaron Daluiski, MD, Robert Hotchkiss, MD, Wei-Ti Huang MA and Stephen Lyman, PhD. Jeffrey Katz, MD, from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston was also involved. The study will be presented Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. ET.

About Hospital for Special Surgery

Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. HSS is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics, No. 3 in rheumatology, No. 10 in neurology and No. 5 in geriatrics by U.S. News & World Report (2012-13), and is the first hospital in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center three consecutive times. HSS has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. From 2007 to 2011, HSS has been a recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award. HSS is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College and as such all Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are faculty of Weill Cornell. The hospital's research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at www.hss.edu.

For more information contact:

Phyllis Fisher
212-606-1197
646-584-2714 cell
Phyllis.Fisher@gmail.com

Tracy Hickenbottom
212-606-1197
HickenbottomT@hss.edu



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?


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.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 10-Nov-2012
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Contact: Phyllis Fisher
phyllis.fisher@gmail.com
212-606-1724
Hospital for Special Surgery

A randomized, double-blind clinical trial by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery has revealed that corticosteroids are more effective than the more expensive treatment, hylan G-F 20 (Synvisc One, Genzyme Biosurgery), in providing pain relief to patients with thumb arthritis. The study also showed that both of these commonly used treatments provided clinically meaningful pain relief, but so did a placebo injection.

"On average, each of the therapies resulted in clinically meaningful improvement in pain," said Lisa Mandl, M.D., MPH, a rheumatologist at Hospital for Special Surgery, in New York City, who led the study. "What this study suggests is that a number of different injectable treatments might be effective for patients who have pain in their thumb and that the one that appeared to be the most effective was corticosteroids." The study will be reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals, to be held Nov. 9-14, in Washington D.C.

The new study is the first large randomized clinical trial in patients with carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis (thumb arthritis). The study compared a placebo, an injection of a local anesthetic called bupivacaine, with two commonly used injectable treatments: a corticosteroid called triamcinolone acentoide and hylan G-F 20, which is made from a natural substance that lubricates and decreases inflammation in the joints. CMC osteoarthritis, caused by regular wear and tear, is common in individuals over 60. It occurs in 80% of women who are 80 years of age or older.

The researchers enrolled 200 patients with thumb arthritis and randomized them to receive bupivacaine, hylan G-F 20, or triamcinolone. The average age of patients in the study was 66.5 and roughly 70% were female. Over the 26-week study, pain, as measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), showed a statistically and clinically significant improvement in all treatment groups. Each group gained slightly more than an average of 10 points; an improvement in 10 points is clinically meaningful. Patients who received corticosteroids had slightly greater improvements in pain compared to patients who received Hylan G-F 20. No treatment arm had clinically meaningful improvements in function.

"Overall, this was a negative trial," said Dr. Mandl. "If you compare the three treatments to each other, neither the steroid or Synvisc provided better pain relief than bupivacaine. Bupivacaine shouldn't do anything. It should numb and wear out in 20 minutes, but even that seems to help some people. What this suggests is that maybe the injection itself is making people feel better."

The researchers say that clinicians can consider trying any of the three treatments in their patients with CMC. "It may be that steroids are the most effective, so I would probably try steroids first. If that didn't work, then I would try hylan G-F 20. If patients were hesitant to try either steroids or hylan G-F 20, I'd even try bupivacaine," said Dr. Mandl.

The researchers point out that clinicians need to weigh the pros and cons of the different treatments. For example, Hylan G-F 20 is usually prescribed every six months and could be used repeatedly over time. Steroid injections, however, if given repeatedly, could end up damaging the joint further. Hylan G-F 20 costs in the ballpark of $600 for each treatment, whereas corticosteroids cost roughly $15 per treatment.

Dr. Mandl points out that even patients with very severe osteoarthritis benefited from the treatments. Arthritis severity is measured by the amount of cartilage left in a joint; in Grade 4, there is no cartilage left and bone is grinding against bone. "Even if you have a patient with terrible arthritis, it is worth trying one of these therapies," said Dr. Mandl. "There is no other therapy besides surgery for these people once they have failed other conservative measures."

###

The study was partially funded by the Arthritis Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and Genzyme Biosurgery. Genzyme provided the Synvisc at no charge, and the company had no input into study design, analysis or interpretation of the data.

Other Hospital for Special Surgery investigators involved in the study are Scott Wolfe, MD, Aaron Daluiski, MD, Robert Hotchkiss, MD, Wei-Ti Huang MA and Stephen Lyman, PhD. Jeffrey Katz, MD, from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston was also involved. The study will be presented Nov. 12 at 9 a.m. ET.

About Hospital for Special Surgery

Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. HSS is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics, No. 3 in rheumatology, No. 10 in neurology and No. 5 in geriatrics by U.S. News & World Report (2012-13), and is the first hospital in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center three consecutive times. HSS has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. From 2007 to 2011, HSS has been a recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award. HSS is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College and as such all Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are faculty of Weill Cornell. The hospital's research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at www.hss.edu.

For more information contact:

Phyllis Fisher
212-606-1197
646-584-2714 cell
Phyllis.Fisher@gmail.com

Tracy Hickenbottom
212-606-1197
HickenbottomT@hss.edu



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-11/hfss-eat110912.php

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How Much Does that Drug Cost? You Have to be Kidding ...

How much money is a drug worth and how much money should we be willing to spend for it have been questions that have been increasingly asked by economists, doctors and cancer survivors.

Last month in an Op-Ed article three doctors from Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center in New York (Sloane) let the world know that Sloane had made a decision not to use a drug made by Sanofi to treat colon cancer. The FDA recently approved the drug, Zaltrap because it extended life by a median of 1.4 months, but at a cost of more than $100,000 per year. Sloane?s decision not to use the drug was simply based on the high cost of the drug, especially given that a competing drug with a similar action, Avastin at one half the cost of Zaltrap has demonstrated a similar median survival advantage in similar patients.

As a result of this announcement Sanofi has stated that they will now provide Zaltrap to the America market at a 50% discount (this means that the base price of the drug to the medical community will remain the same for the purpose of insurance reimbursements). This action could provide an additional economic incentive for doctors to make the clinical decision to use Zaltrap over Avastin solely for their own economic gain.

Sloane has stated that they will not change their decision and will continue not to use Zaltrap. I believe that Sloane?s decision to not move in the direction of their own economic gain is laudable.

This is probably the first time that doctors have stood up to the pharmaceuticals and objected to the high prices of certain cancer drugs. This is probably the first time that doctors have asked about the relationship of the cost of cancer drugs, its development costs and the ultimate value it provides to the cancer survivor.

In the prostate cancer world there has also been economic push back to the increasingly high costs of drugs for men with advanced prostate cancer. Zytiga costs about $5,000/month; Jevtana about $8,000 every three weeks; Provenge $93,000 for the entire course of treatment; Xtandi about $6,500/month and we don?t yet know what the cost of Alpharadin if approved but experts have said that it will probably be in excess of $25,000.

Do any of these costs actually bear a relationship to the real development and manufacturing cost burdens of the pharmaceuticals? I know that I can not answer this question, but it is not surprising that these questions are now being asked and it is good that they are now being asked.

Even in the cost of primary prostate cancer treatments the costs have grown astronomically and without any rational reason. A review of Medicare records showed that the average reimbursement for proton beam therapy is about $32,500 while the reimbursement for IMRT is only $18,500, a significant cost difference without any evidence of any clinical advantage for proton beam treatment.

So, where is this going to end? Could this mini-revolution at Sloane be the needed warning shot over the bow of the pharmaceuticals, or is it just going to be business as usual?

Joel T. Nowak, M.A., M.S.W.

Source: http://advancedprostatecancer.net/?p=3537

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LUKOIL says looks into Exxon offer on Iraqi oil: report

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's second largest crude producer LUKOIL said on Friday it will study an offer from Exxon to take over the West Qurna-1 oilfield in Iraq, Interfax news agency said.

ExxonMobil has informed the Iraqi government it wants to pull out of the $50 billion oil project in southern Iraq.

LUKOIL, which is already developing West Qurna-2, has previously said West Qurna-1 is "too big for it to swallow", but on Friday said it would at least look into the proposal.

"We received an offer from Exxon. We will likely study this possibility. But we haven't make any decision today," Andrei Kuzyayev, head of LUKOIL foreign operations was quoted as saying.

Baghdad expects Exxon to complete the sale of its shares in West Qurna-1 by the end of December and the U.S. company has told Iraq it is already in talks with other oil majors, a senior official said on Friday.

"Exxon informed us that it has started talks with some oil majors, including BP , Shell , Lukoil, CNPC and Eni offering them its complete stake in West Qurna-1," said Faisal Abdullah, a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussain Shahristani.

"Our condition for approval of the purchase is that the buyer should have adequate financial and technical resources to develop the super-giant oilfield."

LUKOIL is attempting to offset production decline at its fields in Russia, where it faces competition from the state-backed companies, by acquiring foreign upstream assets.

LUKOIL is active in Middle East, Central Asia, West Africa and Latin America. But Russia's vast Arctic offshore reserves are off-limits for the company due to legal restrictions, which allow only state-controlled company participation.

Doubts about who can replace Exxon in the important project could raise questions about Iraq's target to increase crude output to 5-6 million barrels per day by 2015 from 3.4 million bpd.

Some industry sources have said Baghdad is keen to replace Exxon with companies from Russia or China. But it was unclear which companies would have the financial heft to follow Exxon. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad, editing by William Hardy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lukoil-says-looks-exxon-offer-iraqi-oil-report-090718285--finance.html

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Ariel Winter Heads Back to Modern Family Set Amid Abuse ...

The show must go on.

Modern Family actress Ariel Winter headed back to work this morning, despite still being embroiled in some serious personal drama with her mother, Chrisoula "Crystal" Workman.

PHOTOS: Secrets from the Modern Family set

On Wednesday, Nov. 7, TMZ reported that the 14-year-old star had been removed from her home and placed under the temporary guardianship of her older sister, Shanelle Gray, amid allegations of physical and emotional abuse against Workman. The site also claimed that a restraining order had been put in place, forcing the actress' mom to stay 100 yards away from her.

Us Weekly spoke with Winter's brother, Jimmy Workman, who says that the allegations against his mother are false.

PHOTOS: Stars at court

"There is no truth to these allegations," he told Us. "The allegations made 20 years ago are not true, and the ones today are not true."

"This is a mother who does everything for her kids," he added. "Chris misses Ariel and wants her to come home."

PHOTOS: Stars who survived abuse

In any case, Winter, who plays brainy middle child Alex Dunphy on ABC's hit sitcom, seems determined not to let the ordeal interfere with her work. Leaving her sister's home in Los Angeles -- where she has been staying amid all the drama -- she hid her usually smiling face beneath a New York Giants cap and oversized sunglasses and got a ride to Fox Studios, where Modern Family is filmed.

"It's a very sad situation," Winter's mom told Us. "Very sad."

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/ariel-winter-heads-back-to-modern-family-set-amid-abuse-allegations-against-mom-2012811

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Obama to visit Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand

FILE - This Dec. 2, 2011 file photo shows Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meeting with Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon, Myanmar. Fresh from his re-election, President Barack Obama will embark on a trip to Southeast Asia and become the first U.S. president to visit Cambodia as well as the once pariah nation of Myanmar where he will hail the country?s shift to democracy after five decades of ruinous military rule. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win, File)

FILE - This Dec. 2, 2011 file photo shows Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meeting with Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon, Myanmar. Fresh from his re-election, President Barack Obama will embark on a trip to Southeast Asia and become the first U.S. president to visit Cambodia as well as the once pariah nation of Myanmar where he will hail the country?s shift to democracy after five decades of ruinous military rule. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win, File)

FILE - This Nov. 7, 2012 file photo shows President Barack Obama speaks at his election night party, in Chicago. Fresh from his re-election, President Barack Obama will embark on a trip to Southeast Asia and become the first U.S. president to visit Cambodia as well as the once pariah nation of Myanmar where he will hail the country?s shift to democracy after five decades of ruinous military rule. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)

(AP) ? Less than two weeks after his re-election, President Barack Obama will become the first U.S. president to visit the once pariah nation of Myanmar, drawing attention to the country's shift to democracy and highlighting what his administration regards as a marquee foreign policy achievement.

Obama will also travel to Cambodia, a first for a U.S. president as well, and to Thailand during the Nov. 17-20 trip. In Cambodia, the president will attend the East Asia summit in Phnom Penh and meet with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The symbolic highlight of the trip, no doubt, is Obama's stop in Myanmar, also known as Burma, a country emerging from five decades of ruinous military rule. While there, Obama will meet with President Thein Sein and also with Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the White House said.

While the trip places new focus on Obama's foreign policy and American attention to the Asia and Pacific region, it also comes as Obama begins sensitive negotiations with congressional leaders about how to avoid looming tax increases and steep cuts in defense and domestic spending.

Obama ended the longstanding U.S. isolation of Myanmar's generals, which has played a part in coaxing them into political reforms that have unfolded with surprising speed in the past year. The U.S. has appointed a full ambassador and suspended sanctions to reward Myanmar for political prisoner releases and Suu Kyi's election to parliament.

In a statement, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Obama intended to "speak to civil society to encourage Burma's ongoing democratic transition."

A procession of senior diplomats and world leaders have traveled to the country, stopping both in the remote, opulent capital city Naypyitaw, built by the former ruling junta, and at Suu Kyi's dilapidated lakeside villa in the main city Yangon, where she spent 15 years under house arrest.

Earlier this year, Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first secretary of state in five decades to visit Myanmar. The State Department announced Friday that Clinton would join Obama in Bangkok and travel with him to Myanmar and Cambodia. Before that, she and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta meet with Australian officials in Perth and she will hold meetings in Singapore.

The East Asia Summit in Cambodia will also provide Obama with opportunities for possible sideline discussions with a number of fellow heads of state, including leaders such as outgoing Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. Also expected to attend are Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.

"The Myanmar trip is potentially historic, and for that reason has both tremendous opportunity and risk associated with," said Matthew Goodman, a former Obama international economics adviser.

But the East Asia Summit, he added, is also important "as an opportunity to reaffirm U.S. engagement as an Asia-Pacific power in regional affairs and for the newly re-elected president to touch base with all the relevant regional allies, partners and other countries."

"There's going to be great interest in understanding his aspirations for his second term, and on Obama's side for reassuring these other countries about continuity and desire for continued engagement," Goodman, now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said.

The Obama administration regards the political changes in Myanmar as possibly diluting the influence of China in a country that has a strategic location between South Asia and Southeast Asia, regions of growing economic importance.

But exiled Myanmar activists and human rights groups are likely to criticize an Obama visit as premature and one that rewards Thein Sein before his political and economic reforms have been consolidated. The military is still dominant and implicated in rights abuses. It has failed to prevent vicious outbreaks of communal violence in the west of the country that have left scores dead.

In a statement Friday, the government of Myanmar said it "warmly welcomes" Obama's upcoming visit and a spokesman for the country's president said the U.S. support would strengthen Myanmar's commitment to reform.

The spokesman, Maj. Zaw Htay, said the government hopes "bilateral relations and cooperation will significantly increase after this historic visit."

While no U.S. president has ever visited Cambodia or Myanmar, Thailand is one of the America's oldest allies in Asia and has been a stop for American commanders in chief since the mid-1960s, according to the State Department historian's office, which compiles records on presidential travel.

George W. Bush visited Thailand twice while president, in 2003 and 2008. Bill Clinton visited in 1996. During the war in neighboring Vietnam, Richard Nixon traveled there in 1969 and Lyndon Johnson in 1966 and 1967, the records show.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Pennington and Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-09-Obama-Asia/id-4bec1844dbca43a79b29a7367d2540a2

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