Oakland's bullpen has converted 45 of 51 save opportunities. Willie McCovey, playing with a 14 handicap, shot a 79 Sunday to winthe first Hall of Fame Golf Classic at Cooperstown, N.Y. RobinRoberts finished second with an 80 and Joe Morgan, Billy Williams andDuke Snider shared third place with 85s. The Arlington Stadium crowd of 41,635 Sunday was the seventh selloutof the season for the Rangers. It was the sixth time this …
SANYA, China (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday made a rare visit by an American official to a Chinese island once a flash point in relations between the powers and pressed Beijing to settle territorial disputes with its smaller, wary neighbors.
The Obama administration's top diplomat also urged Chinese officials to use their influence with North Korea to keep the communist country from taking any provocative actions that might disrupt a summit of world leaders set for South Korea next month.
Clinton's main goal, though, was to seek Chinese help in lowering tensions across East Asia and she proposed hosting a three-way meeting between the U.S., …
Israeli settlers blocked roads, scuffled with police and pelted officers with eggs on Sunday, in the most aggressive display of resistance yet to the government's ban on new housing construction in West Bank settlements.
Trying to calm the tensions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the pain his order has caused to the settlers. But he said the freeze was necessary to demonstrate that Israel is serious about seeking peace, and he criticized the Palestinians for rejecting the gesture.
Netanyahu announced the 10-month halt in most West Bank constucio ltelat onh n n ttmp t rstrtpecetaks hih broke down a year ago.
The settlement freeze …
Marty Schiene of Naperville was at the top of his game when hewon consecutive Illinois Opens in 1991 and 1992, then earned hisplaying privileges on the PGA Tour the next season.
That hot streak didn't last long, but Schiene may have starteda new one Thursday when he shot a course-record 5-under-par 67 in thefirst round of the 47th lIllinois Open at Fox Bend in Oswego.
Schiene had five birdies in a seven-hole stretch in taking aone-stroke lead over three struggling touring pros - Gary March ofArlington Heights, Kurt Wittek of Park Ridge and Jerry Smith ofTaylorville - and Wilmette Golf Club assistant Jamie Locke.Defending champion Mark Hensby is another stroke …
"The Soldier Is The Focus Of Everything We Do"
Introduction
"These are exciting times at the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC). As part of the new Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), TARDEC is leading the Army in developing cutting-edge vehicle and vehicle support system technologies for the Objective Force by working with partners in industry, academia, and other Army research centers," said TARDEC Director Dr. Richard E. McClelland. Echoing Dr. McClelland's statement, the 1,100 associates at TARDEC are working on programs that are propelling the Army into the Objective Force.
TARDEC's …
Five years ago this month, Paul Wolfowitz, then the U.S. Defense Department's second-ranking official, dropped in on this northern Iraqi city to take its temperature. He walked the streets, chatted with locals and came to a quick conclusion: The people here had grown impatient with post-invasion chaos.
"The biggest problem is people need jobs," Wolfowitz told an accompanying reporter, adding, "Some people (Iraqis) think that because we're the United States, we can fix things right away. We can't."
It seems he was right on both counts.
Lack of employment was a problem here in the earliest days of the post-invasion period, …
BANKING
* Justin Heindl has joined the staff of the Poca Valley Bank asthe compliance officer. He has more than six years of bankingexperience. Heindl earned a bachelor's degree from Concord Collegeand has earned the Certified Community Bank Compliance Officerdesignation.
* Nichole Janick and Bridget Pratt have joined the staff of TheFirst State Bank, Barboursville. Janick is the bank's new mortgagelending accounts manager in the Mortgage Operations Department.Pratt is the assistant manager of the branch in the HuntingtonKroger store.
GOVERNMENT
* Jamie Smith has joined the staff of Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., as the senator's communications …
Television and movies stress outer beauty as one of the necessities of life. This belief has been integrated into mainstream society and is the cause of millions of breast implants, liposuctions, and facelifts. It has also resulted in numerous cases of bulimia, anorexia and other hazardous eating disorders.
My beliefs are opposite to those portrayed by the media. I have learned that it is one's spirit that makes you beautiful, not the mask worn daily by the human population. In the Bible it is wisely stated that "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting," meaning that outer beauty easily fades. However, inward beauty will last until death. The best example of this theory was Jesus …
London 2012 organizers expressed concerns Tuesday that companies supplying material for the Olympic Park could go under due to the global economic downturn.
The 100-hectare east London site will feature key Olympic venues and the athletes' village, with plans already having been scaled back from 4,200 apartments to 3,300 for the 17,000 competitors and coaches due to the fall in the housing market.
"The risk to companies getting into financial difficulty and perhaps going bust is a risk to us," John Armitt, chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, told a parliamentary committee Tuesday. "Hopefully we can keep a reasonable eye on the state …
BAGHDAD The personal pilot of Iranian parliament Speaker HashemiRafsanjani landed the speaker's official plane in Baghdad yesterdayand asked for political asylum, the Iraqi News Agency reported.
Pilot Ali Akbar Mouhammadi, 35, told a press conference that hiswife, daughter and two relatives, "military officers who refuse toparticipate in Iran's aggression against Iraq," also were in theplane, INA said.
The agency said two co-pilots and a mechanic also were …
CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri said the United States was being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq and other fronts in a new video released Thursday, the latest in a series put out by the terror network.
The video came days after Osama bin Laden released two messages to mark the Sept. 11 anniversary - including his first new appearance in a video in nearly three years.
The 80-minute video posted on Islamic militant Web sites Thursday was in a documentary style, touting al-Qaida's activities in various areas, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and North Africa.
"What they claim to be the strongest power in the history of mankind is today …
Randy Wolf pitched seven strong innings and Kevin Kouzmanoff drove in the go-ahead run to lead the San Diego Padres to a 2-1 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night.
The Padres won their third straight game, all by 2-1 scores, including Thursday night's win over the Mets when Scott Schoeneweis hit Paul McAnulty with a pitch with the bases loaded in the ninth inning to give San Diego the win.
On a day when San Diego placed second baseman Tadahito Iguchi on the disabled list with a separated right shoulder, the club did just enough right to defeat New York ace Johan Santana (7-4).
Wolf (4-4) limited the Mets to one run and seven hits in seven …
With much talk and blame emanating over the alleged R. Kelly scandal, and questions being raised why Black teen girls seemingly fall prey to the sexual desires of older men, answers and solutions are finally being sought.
The crew of Black radio station WVON-1450 AM is holding a public forum today at the Southside YMCA, 6330 S. Stony Island, at 6:30 p.m. to address and resolve issues that have devalued the virtues of teen girls in the Black community.
"Sexual Predators in our Community," will be hosted by Monique Caradine of "Mo in the Midday." She will be joined by panelists, Mary Mitchell of the Chicago Sun-Times, Dr. Grant White of Community Mental Health Counsel, Donna Irving of Englewood Rape Crisis Center, Ken Dunkin, nominee State Rep. for the 5th district and a host of community activists.
"We want to create and promote awareness about these relationship that take place on a daily basis," said Niqqi Smith, producer of "Mo in the Midday."
The forum will deliver an analysis behind a predators mindset and the child which accepts his or her advances. In addition, issues will regard the parental control and rights to prosecute their childs' abuser.
"The consensus among some of these men and teens is that there is nothing wrong with it," Smith cited, after several callers justified that some teens have lied about their age and are more mature than the women from "yesteryear."
"We have to instill in our girls as mothers or just women that they shouldn't care who he is and what they have to offer, you must have dignity and respect for yourself."
Ernest Ward, a South Side resident, has been following the R. Kelly scandal and is appalled by the lackadaisical attitude many community members have taken. Although he is not a father, he knows the value of young Black girls.
"Our girls today don't know how to love themselves and have never been exposed to loving themselves," he said.
"But it is up to us to show them that true love starts within. If we don't, they will be lost. Black men have to take responsibility for their action and learn when to say no."
R. Kelly has tipped the scale on the issue after several lawsuits revealed him, to some of the public, as being a pedophile after allegedly engaging in sexual encounters with underaged girls. Now there is a videotape circulating on urban street corners across the United States depicting him allegedly having sex with a girl who is believed to have been 14 at the time. The sexual act has caused many to doubt his innocence.
But the matter stems much deeper than Kelly. It was less than two weeks ago a parent had to bury her daughter because she chose to persue a May-December romance. Chavana Prather was only 17 when she was brutally beaten, stabbed, strangled and shot by her 33-year-old boyfriend, Tony Fountain.
"This forum will be the first step in saying that it is not okay for men to prey on our young girls. This will not be accepted and we, as a community, will not tolerate it," she said.
"It's time we uncover this dirty little secret and find out why some men think it's okay to violate young girls and why society says little or nothing about it."
As mothers, grandparents, aunts, sisters and female friends, Caradine found stance wise, women have failed these young girls. She cites that women especially should be willing to protect these girls by any means necessary.
"There needs to be a cultural standard in our community. We have failed our little sisters. We get so caught up in our careers and lifestyles, we tend to look past these girls and not offer them guidance," she said.
"Before we start to blame these young girls for what they are doing wrong and for destroying the image of black women, we have to look at ourselves and ask what we are doing to help them understand what being a Black woman is all about."
But Caradine is also sending a strong message to the predators who think messing with young girls is okay.
"No one in the Black community is standing up against older men having sexual relationships with these young girls. It has become common place and accepted in many ways," she said.
"So if a young girl appears willing to engage in sexual acts with an older men, the man has an opportunity then and there to put them in their place. If they don't, they are failing their responsibility."
The community forum is sponsored by WVON, the Southside YMCA and the Xi Mu Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta and is open to the public. For more information on the event, call WVON at 773-247-6200 ext. 235
Photograph (Monique Caradine)
The leaders of New Zealand and Uruguay agreed Monday to hold annual bilateral foreign policy talks, and announced plans for a deal to eliminate double taxation and encourage investment in each other's economies.
An expansion in investment was expected to particularly focus on dairy products _ a key foreign currency earner for New Zealand, worth about NZ$8 billion (US$6 billion; euro4 billion) for the economy per year and second only to tourism.
"Expanded ties can be a win-win for both of us," Prime Minister Helen Clark told reporters after meeting with Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez in the capital, Wellington, noting "a very significant recent increase in New Zealand business interest in Uruguay."
New Zealand Farming Systems Uruguay, which already owns 31,000 hectares (76,000 acres) of farmland in Uruguay, announced Monday it was raising NZ$50 million (US$38 million; euro26 million) to expand its intensive dairy farming operations there.
Clark said matching New Zealand investment and dairy technology with Uruguayan resources "could result in a 10 percent increase in total Uruguayan dairy production in five years time."
Vazquez and his delegation of business leaders, Cabinet ministers and other officials, were expected to visit a farm on South Island on Tuesday to view high-production, sustainable dairy farming.
Clark and Vazquez also agreed to begin regular high-level talks, and they were considering how to promote more bilateral investment, including a double taxation agreement to reduce overseas investment taxes. They agreed to double to 200 the number of young people who can work in the other's country every year on working vacation visas.
"I am very encouraged by the speed of growth and I'm sure we can do more ... together," Clark said.
Vazquez, who arrived in New Zealand late Sunday, was scheduled to fly to Malaysia on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON Consumer prices shot up 0.4 percent in March, thesteepest in more than five years, in a broad-based advance fueled inpart by demand for heating products as winter renewed its chill overmuch of the nation.
The Labor Department said today the increase in its ConsumerPrice Index matched the advance in January when energy costsskyrocketed because of the blizzard that covered much of the East andfrigid temperatures elsewhere.
Consumer prices advanced just 0.2 percent in February, whentemperatures moderated.Energy costs jumped 1.4 percent in March, the biggest advancesince a 1.9 percent gain in January. It was the fourth straight gainafter declining throughout most of 1995.But other components shared in the CPI increase, including a 0.6percent surge in food prices, largest since a 0.8 percent jump inDecember, 1994.Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the so-calledcore rate of inflation was up 0.3 percent, matching the Januaryincrease.For the year so far, inflation at the consumer level has beenrising at an annual rate of 4 percent. The CPI rose just 2.5 percentin 1995, the fourth year in a row it remained below 3 percent.
A person briefed on the matter says Toyota will cast doubt on a California man's claim that his Prius sped out of control.
The person says the automaker will show that a backup safety system worked properly. The person didn't want to be identified because the information will be released at a news conference later Monday.
The person also says Toyota will show that damage to the Prius brakes was inconsistent with driver James Sikes' story. Sikes says his car raced to 94 mph (150 kph) on a freeway near San Diego.
The March 8 incident ended when Sikes stopped the car with help from a California Highway Patrol officer.
ABSTRACT
Asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy is the major risk factor for developing symptomatic urinary tract infection during pregnancy. In the present study, 300 pregnant women are screened for significant asymptomatic bacteriuria in order to provide an insight into the prevalence in developing countries, reassessment of some predisposing factors and aetiological agents and their susceptibility tests. The mean age of the patients in the study is 26.8 years (SD: 5.8 years, range: 16-40 years). Using 10^sup 3^ organisms/mL as a significant level of bacteriuria, the prevalence was found to be 21.0%. One hundred and fifty-eight samples had no pus cells with 25 showing significant bacteriuria, 116 samples contained 1-4 pus cells/high power field (hpf) with 25 showing significant bacteriuria, while 26 samples had ≥5 pus cells/hpf with 13 showing significant bacteriuria. There was no particular trend associated with age and rate of infection. However, there was a decline in the rate of infection in the 26-30 age group, with a sharp increase as age increased. There was high incidence of bacteriuria during the third trimester of pregnancy (21.9%) compared with that in the first trimester (7.7%), while the level in the second trimester was 22.5%. Multiparity is associated with increased bacteriuria in pregnancy. Thirty-one (49.2%) isolates grew Gram-negative bacilli; 27 (42.9%) grew Gram-positive cocci and the remainder (7.9%) grew yeast-like cells. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent pathogen (41.3%), followed by Klebsiella species (33.3%) and Escherichia coli (11.1%). Bacterial isolates from this study were most sensitive to ceftazidime, followed by ceftriazone, and least susceptible to co-trimoxazole.
KEY WORDS: Bacteriuria.
Pregnancy complications, infectious.
Urinary tract infections.
Introduction
Urinary tract infection (UTI) can be classified into three disease categories according to the site of infection: cystitis (the bladder), pyelonephritis (the kidney), and bacteriuria (urine). Colonisation of urine in the absence of clinical symptoms is termed asymptomatic bacteriuria, which is regarded as the presence of ≥1000 (10^sup 3^) colonies/mL urine from a specimen obtained by the clean-catch, midstream collection method. However, Kass1 suggests that this level should be 100,000 (10^sup 5^) colonies.
Asymptomatic bacteriuria may precede symptomatic urinary tract infection, characterised by dysuria, frequency, pain and fever, which accounts for over six million outpatient visits each year.2 Studies of women with acute dysuria show that significant bacteriuria can be associated with lower colony counts. Asymptomatic bacteriuria is common, with a prevalence of 10% during pregnancy.3 Hence, routine screening for bacteriuria is advocated.4
Pregnant women are at increased risk of UTI. From the sixth week of pregnancy to a peak during weeks 22 to 24, approximately 90% of women develop ureteral dilatation, which will remain until delivery (hydronephrosis of pregnancy). Increased bladder volume and decreased bladder tone, along with decreased ureteral tone, contribute to increased urinary stasis and ureterovesical reflux.5 In pregnancy, 13-27% of untreated women with asymptomatic bacteriuria develop pyelonephritis, usually requiring hospitalisation for treatment.6 Bacteriuria in pregnant women increases the risk for preterm delivery and low birthweight by about 1.5-2-fold and may also increase the risk of fetal and perinatal mortality.7 Bacteriuria occurs in 2-7% of pregnant women. Of those who are not bacteriuric at initial screening, 1-2% will develop bacteriuria later in pregnancy.8
Through screening and aggressively treating pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria, it is possible to decrease the annual incidence of pyelonephritis during pregnancy significantly.3 In randomised, controlled trials, treatment of pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria has decreased the incidence of preterm birth and low-birthweight infants.9
This study aims to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy and its aetiological agents. Accuracy in predicting the presence or absence of significant pyuria as an indicator for early asymptomatic bacteriuria is also evaluated. Prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy in the three tiers of healthcare in Ibadan is also determined.
Materials and methods
Study population
The study was carried out at University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, for a period of six months. The study groups comprised pregnant women attending obstetrics and gynaecology clinics at UCH, Adeoyo Maternity Hospital (AMH) and the primary Healthcare centre (HCO), Oniyanrin, Ibadan, for the first antenatal visit. Information about their age, occupation, residential address, period of pregnancy, number of children, prophylactic use of antibiotics and previous obstetrics and gynaecology complication(s) were obtained. All subjects were examined and no signs or symptoms of classical urinary tract infection (UTI) were observed.
Specimen collection
Clean-voided midstream urine was collected from each patient in sterile screw-capped universal glass containers by nurses who had been instructed in the technique of perineal cleansing and specimen collection.
Culture and sensitivity
Uncentrifuged urine specimens, irrespective of leucocyte count, were cultured using a platinum loop that delivers 0.001 mL urine to the surface of well-dried blood agar and McConkey agar plates, with subsequent streaking to produce discrete colonies. After incubation at 37� C for 24 h, the numbers of colony-forming units were estimated and bacterial counts of ≥1000 were regarded as indicative of significant bacteriuria.1
Microscopy
A quantity (10 mL) of each well-mixed urine sample was centrifuged at 2000 xg for 5 min. Supernatant was discarded and a drop of the deposit was examined microscopically at high magnification for the presence of pus cells, red blood cells, epithelial cells, casts, crystals, yeast-like cells, Trichomonas vaginalis and Schistosoma ova.
Bacterial isolates were confirmed by standard microbiological methods.10 The antibiotic susceptibility of each isolate was tested manually according to NCCLS recommendations for disc diffusion.11
Results
The mean age of the patients included in the study was 26.8 years (standard deviation [SD]: 5.8 years, range: 16-40 years). Sixty-three (21%) of the 300 specimens yielded significant growth using a level of bacteriuria of 103 organisms/mL as an indication of significant bacterial count. Association of the presence of pus cells with bacterial growth is recorded in Table 1.
There were no child-bearing women ≥40 years of age in this study. Although there was no particular trend in infection rate within the different age groups (Table 2), the highest rate of infection was seen in the 36-40 age group. Table 3 shows the association of trimester of pregnancy with bacterial growth. Table 4 shows the association of number of children with bacterial growth.
Sixty-three isolates were recovered, of which 31 (49.2%) were Gram-negative bacilli, 27 (42.9%) were Gram-positive cocci and the remainder (7.9%) were yeast-like cells. Frequency of isolates is shown in Table 5 and their distribution is shown in Table 6. The majority of the isolates in this study were most sensitive to ceftazidime, followed by ceftriazone. The lowest level of susceptibility was to co-trimoxazole. Fluoroquinolones were not used in this study as their use is contraindicated in pregnancy.
Discussion
In pregnancy, 13-27% of untreated women with asymptomatic bacteriuria develop pyelonephritis, which usually requires hospitalisation for treatment.6 Bacteriuria in pregnant women increases the risk (1.5-2-fold) of preterm delivery and low birthweight, and may increase the risk of fetal and perinatal mortality. In this study, prevalence of 21% was found, which is very high compared with that reported by Baleiras et al.,12 Bachman et al.8 and Gebre-Salassie,13 but is consistent with that found in a population of diabetic pregnant women.14 However, significant pyuria with bacteriuria was only found in 50% of cases in the present study. This underlines the relevance of correlation of pyuria with bacteriuria.15
The level of bacteria growth found in non-pyurial subjects corroborates the findings of de la Rosa et al.16 and Bort and Beller,17 who stated that pyuria is not a useful marker for the diagnosis of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy. The presence of significant pyuria should not be used as a screening test for asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy. If this had been used in the present study then 37.4% subjects would have been missed.
Study of the prevalence of bacteriuria shows that it generally increases with age and sexual activity.18 In addition, occurrence of bacteriuria during pregnancy increases with trimester, which agrees with the work of Stenqvist et al.19 In the present study, all the subjects in their second and third trimesters were visiting the antenatal clinic for the first time, hence it could not be established if they carried infection from the first trimester. The study also confirmed that multiparity is associated with increased bacteriuria in pregnancy.20
The aetiological agents associated with bacteriuria are similar in pregnant and non-pregnant women. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common (41.3%), followed by Klebsiella species (33.3%), Escherichia coli (11.1%) and Candida albicans (7.9%). The physiological alterations during pregnancy that affect immunity may account for this prevalence of C. albicans. The preponderance of aerobic Gram-negative enteric bacilli (Klebsiella species, E. coli and P. aeruginosa) in this study (49.2%) confirms the findings of Patterson and Andriole.18 The report of the aetiological agents confirms the findings of previous studies by Okubadejo et al.21 and Phillips et al.,22 from Ibadan and Kampala, respectively, in which S. aureus featured more frequently than E. coli. Gebre-Selassie found S. aureus in small numbers and E. coli in high numbers (46%).13
Nitrofurantoin and co-trimoxazole should be the drugs of choice for either asymptomatic or symptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy, in view of their relatively non-toxic nature because of the sensitivity of UTI bacterial isolates to these antibiotics. Increasing numbers of urinary isolates are developing resistance to amoxicillin and augmentin; therefore, treatment should be based on antibiotic susceptibility testing.5
Bacteria isolated in the present study were generally sensitive to cephalosporins (ceftazidime and cetriaxone); however, they are not usually recommended as first-line therapy because of the lack of clinical experience in pregnant women or because of potential or unknown toxicity during pregnancy. Antibiotic sensitivity patterns provide important information about the emergence of multiresistant bacterial strains, and an indication of how successful treatment may be with a particular antibiotic. Therefore, antibiotic sensitivity testing should be encouraged, and the results of the test should be acted upon in order to treat infection successfully.
In conclusion, the prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in developing countries is three times higher than in developed countries. Asymptomatic bacteriuria is the major risk factor for developing symptomatic UTI during pregnancy and may be associated with adverse effects on maternal and fetal health. Most asymptomatic UTIs develop in women with bacteriuria early in pregnancy; thus, screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria, and subsequent treatment, is indicated.
All pregnant women should be screened at the first antenatal visit, preferably during the first trimester. Pyuria is an unreliable diagnostic method for detecting asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant women and thus all samples, irrespective of leucocyte count, should be sent for culture.
[Reference]
References
1 Kass EH. Pyelonephritis and bacteriuria. A major problem in preventive medicine. Ann Intern Med 1962; 56: 46-53.
2 Detailed diagnosis procedures for patients discharged from short-stay hospitals. National Centre for Health Statistics, 1985: 87-1751.
3 Gratacos E, Torres PJ, Vila J, Alonso PL, Cararach V Screening and treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy prevent pyelonephritis. J Infect Dis 1994; 169:1390-2.
4 Delzell JE, Jr, Lefevre ML. Urinary tract infections during pregnancy. Am Fam Physician 2000; 61: 713-21.
5 Patterson TF, Andriole VT. Bacteriuria in pregnancy. Infect Dis Clin North Am 1987; 1: 807-22.
6 Campbell-Brown M, McFadyen IR, Seal DV, Stephenson ML. Is screening for bacteriuria in pregnancy worthwhile? BMJ (Clin Res Ed) 1987; 294 (6587): 1579-82.
7 Schieve LA, Handler A, Hershow R, Persky V, Davis F. Urinary tract infection during pregnancy: its association with maternal morbidity and perinatal outcome. Am J Public Health 1994; 84: 405-10.
8 Bachman JW, Heise RH, Naessens JM, Ttaunerman MG. A study of various tests to detect asymptomatic urinary tract infections in an obstetric population. JAMA 1993; 270:1971-4.
9 Romero R, Oyarzun E, Mazor M, Sirtori M, Hobbins JC, Bracken M. Meta-analysis of the relationship between asymptomatic bacteriuria and preterm delivery/low birth weight. Obstet Gynecol 1989; 73: 576-82.
10 Cowan ST, Steel KJ. Manual for the identification of medical bacteria (2nd edn). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1974.
11 Approved Standards M2-A5. Vallanova: National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards for Antibacterial Disk Susceptibility Tests, 1993.
12. Baleiras C, Campos A, Lourenco I, Revez AI. Urinary tract infections and pregnancy (in Portugese). Acta Med Port 1998; 11: 839-46.
13 Gebre-Selassie S. Asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy: epidemiological, clinical and microbiological approach. Ethiop Med J 1998; 36 (3): 185-92.
14 Brauner A, Flodin U, Hylander B, Ostenson CG. Bacteriuria, bacterial virulence and host factors in diabetic patients. Diabet Med 1993; 10: 550-4.
15 Little PJ. A comparison of the urinary white cell concentration with the white cell excretion rate. Br J Urol 1964; 36: 360-3.
16 de la Rosa M, Rojas A, Garcia V, Herruzo A, Moreno I. Asymptomatic bacteriuria and pyuria during pregnancy (in Spanish). Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 1994; 12 (2): 79-81.
17 Bordt J, Beller FK. Is asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy combined with pyuria? (in German). Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 1981; 41 (2): 118-9.
18 Patterson TF, Andriole VT. Detection, significance, and therapy of bacteriuria in pregnancy. Update in the managed Healthcare era. Infect Dis Clin North Am 1997; 11: 593-608.
19 Stenqvist K, Dahlen-Nilsson I, Lidin-Janson G et al. Bacteriuria in pregnancy. Frequency and risk of acquisition. Am J Epidemiol 1989; 129: 372-9.
20 Andriole VT, Patterson TF. Epidemiology, natural history, and management of urinary tract infections in pregnancy. Med Clin North Am 1991; 75: 359-73.
21 Okubadejo OA, Akinkugbe OO, Ojo OA. Asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy in Nigeria. East Afr Med J 1969; 46: 367-70.
22 Phillips I, Basson SS, Kasule J, Makuto DG. Bacteriuria of pregnancy in Kampala. A preliminary survey. East Afr Med J 1969; 46: 516-9.
[Author Affiliation]
O. AKINLOYE*, D. O. OGBOLU[dagger],[double dagger], O. M. AKINLOYE[double dagger] and O. A. TERRY ALLI*,�
* Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Osogbo; [dagger] Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University College Hospital, Ibadan; [double dagger] Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu, Ogun Sate, Nigeria; and � Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Accepted: 26 June 2006
[Author Affiliation]
Correspondence to: Dr Oluyemi Akinloye
Email: oluyemiakinloye@hotmail.com
An explosion in Myanmar's main city Thursday wounded at least seven people amid tight security marking the one-year anniversary of the junta's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
Seven people were hospitalized following the morning blast near Yangon's City Hall, said a hospital official who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals from the junta.
It was not immediately clear how badly the seven were wounded.
The explosion occurred at a bus stop near City Hall, which was central to street protests led by Buddhist monks a year ago.
Riot police poured into the area and sealed it off with yellow tape, adding to the already-tight security in place around the city since late August.
"The explosion shook my building and made a very loud noise," said Thein Myint, who owns a stationary shop about 100 yards (meters) from where the blast went off.
At least 31 people were killed when troops fired on protesters Sept. 26-27, 2007, violently crushing the peaceful uprising sparking global outrage against the military government. The anti-government protests were the biggest demonstrations in the country in 20 years.
Terrorism is rare in Myanmar, which has been under near-continuous military rule since 1962.
Several small-scale bombings have occurred in recent years, however. The government has blamed the attacks on opponents of the regime or ethnic rebel groups seeking autonomy.
On Sept. 9, an explosion on a passenger bus in Yangon left three people injured.
Nov. '92 Oct. '93
All food/beverages +3.0 +0.1 Alcoholic beverages +2.0 -0.4 Dairy products +1.4 -2.2 Fruits, vegetables +3.8 +5.2 Food away from home +2.2 -0.2 Meat/fish/eggs +6.1 -1.2 All housing +2.1 -1.5 Renters' costs +4.0 -0.6 Homeowners' costs +3.5 +0.5 Natural gas -2.3 -4.6 Electricity -8.3 -29.2 All apparel/upkeep +5.4 -1.5 Men's/boys' apparel +18.3 -0.4 Women's/girls' apparel 0.0 -2.0 Footwear +5.9 -1.7 All transportation +1.1 +0.6 Private transportation +0.4 +0.2 Public transportation +6.7 +2.6 Gasoline -7.5 -1.4 All medical care +6.0 +0.1 All entertainment +2.7 +0.1
Brandon, Man.
The worship service on April 14 at Grace Mennonite Church here was different from most Sundays as 11 youth, mostly junior high age, led the congregation of about 80 people. In the past, the annual youth service differed little from any other Sunday.
This year, the youth decided to include only aspects of the service that were meaningful to them. Many felt that they had more questions about faith and worship than answers, so the theme of the morning became, "Having questions doesn't mean we doubt God."
The "sermon" consisted of each youth presenting a question and a time for the congregation to respond. The questions ranged from the age-old "Why do we have to dress up for church?" and "Is a variety of music styles good?" to deeper questions like "Did Jesus really experience everything we do?" and "How do we know ours is the right religion?"
Some members of the congregation had been invited to prepare thoughts in advance to ensure responses. It was a pleasant surprise to have more than enough people responding to the questions.
People entering the church were greeted by youth serving drinks and dainties they had made. Young ushers handed out rainbow-coloured bulletins. Each youth was involved in the service--in song leading, ushering or praying. The youth planned the entire service and many learned to appreciate the effort that goes into a Sunday morning service.
Our church is supportive of youth involvement in worship. Responses to this special service varied from thorough enjoyment to the feeling that it was inappropriate to ask questions during the service.
The youth leaders hoped that this service would better connect the youth to the rest of the congregation, and they received both written and verbal affirmation from the congregation. It was interesting to note that the youth chose to follow the traditional worship format for their service!
Results Sunday from NASCAR's Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway (starting position in parentheses):
Lap length: 2 miles (3.2 kilometers)
1. (24) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 250 laps, 131.4 rating, 195 points.
2. (6) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 250, 133.7, 175.
3. (10) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 250, 110.1, 165.
4. (5) Greg Biffle, Ford, 250, 122.1, 165.
5. (4) Kurt Busch, Dodge, 250, 111, 160.
6. (23) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 250, 99.9, 150.
7. (25) Carl Edwards, Ford, 250, 102.3, 151.
8. (11) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 250, 101.9, 147.
9. (2) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 250, 121.3, 143.
10. (1) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 250, 85.2, 134.
11. (15) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 250, 90.5, 135.
12. (22) Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 250, 82.1, 127.
13. (38) David Stremme, Dodge, 250, 78.6, 129.
14. (7) David Reutimann, Toyota, 250, 81, 121.
15. (42) Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 250, 72.6, 118.
16. (3) Jamie McMurray, Ford, 250, 89.1, 115.
17. (13) David Ragan, Ford, 249, 85.8, 112.
18. (37) Travis Kvapil, Ford, 249, 65.9, 109.
19. (21) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 249, 70.4, 106.
20. (16) Bobby Labonte, Ford, 249, 61.5, 103.
21. (17) Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 249, 51.4, 100.
22. (14) Marcos Ambrose, Toyota, 249, 68.4, 97.
23. (26) Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 249, 72.3, 94.
24. (29) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 249, 44.2, 91.
25. (20) Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 249, 50.7, 88.
26. (34) Joey Logano, Toyota, 249, 40.6, 85.
27. (33) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 249, 53.2, 82.
28. (28) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 248, 57.6, 79.
29. (8) AJ Allmendinger, Dodge, 248, 59.2, 76.
30. (12) Robby Gordon, Toyota, 248, 44.6, 73.
31. (40) John Andretti, Dodge, 248, 32.8, 75.
32. (41) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 247, 35.5, 67.
33. (32) David Gilliland, Chevrolet, 246, 37.2, 64.
34. (39) Jeremy Mayfield, Toyota, 245, 28.9, 61.
35. (31) Aric Almirola, Chevrolet, engine, 242, 45, 58.
36. (36) Scott Riggs, Toyota, 240, 45.8, 55.
37. (27) Paul Menard, Ford, 221, 46.7, 52.
38. (19) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, accident, 207, 71.9, 49.
39. (35) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, engine, 205, 54.9, 46.
40. (18) Mark Martin, Chevrolet, engine, 179, 73, 48.
41. (9) Scott Speed, Toyota, engine, 172, 34, 40.
42. (30) Dave Blaney, Toyota, fuel pump, 50, 29.9, 37.
43. (43) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, fuel pump, 36, 25.8, 34.
___
Race Statistics-
Average Speed of Race Winner: 135.839 mph (218.612 kph).
Time of Race: 3 hours, 40 minutes, 51 seconds.
Margin of Victory: 1.463 seconds.
Caution Flags: Five for 43 laps.
Lead Changes: 19 among 11 drivers.
Lap Leaders: J.Johnson 1-43; J.Andretti 44; Ku.Busch 45-46; J.Johnson 47-77; J.Gordon 78-85; G.Biffle 86; C.Edwards 87; J.Gordon 88-127; G.Biffle 128-142; J.Gordon 143; J.Montoya 144; M.Kenseth 145-170; J.Gordon 171; T.Stewart 172-174; M.Martin 175; M.Kenseth 176-195; J.Gordon 196-209; D.Stremme 210-212; M.Kenseth 213-250.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): M.Kenseth, 3 times for 84 laps; J.Johnson, 2 times for 74 laps; J.Gordon, 5 times for 64 laps; G.Biffle, 2 times for 16 laps; T.Stewart, 1 time for 3 laps; D.Stremme, 1 time for 3 laps; Ku.Busch, 1 time for 2 laps; C.Edwards, 1 time for 1 lap; J.Montoya, 1 time for 1 lap; J.Andretti, 1 time for 1 lap; M.Martin, 1 time for 1 lap.
Top 12 in Points: 1. M.Kenseth, 385. 2. J.Gordon, 304. 3. Ku.Busch, 294. 4. T.Stewart, 294. 5. G.Biffle, 268. 6. C.Bowyer, 266. 7. M.Waltrip, 264. 8. D.Ragan, 262. 9. C.Edwards, 260. 10. J.Montoya, 256. 11. E.Sadler, 248. 12. D.Reutimann, 248.
___
NASCAR Driver Rating Formula
A maximum of 150 points can be attained in a race.
The formula combines the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish.
A lawmaker in Kazakhstan has proposed renaming the capital to Nursultan after the president who has ruled the country since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Lawmaker Sat Tokpakbayev says the gesture would honor President Nursultan Nazarbayev's efforts in promoting the city.
The capital was moved in 1997 from Almaty to barren northeastern Kazakhstan. The move transformed the backwater city of Akmola into Astana, a showplace of gleaming modernist buildings and monuments.
Tokpakbayev's spokeswoman said Wednesday that most deputies support the proposal to change Astana's name to Nursultan.
SINGAPORE (AP) — Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. said its quarterly profit dropped 9.6 percent as costs rose and the contribution from its India unit slumped.
SingTel said Monday that profit for the October-December quarter fell to 902 million Singapore dollars ($717 million) from SG$998 million a year earlier. Operating revenue rose 2.7 percent to SG$4.8 billion from SG$4.7 billion a year earlier.
Operating expenses jumped 4 percent to SG$3.6 billion amid higher customer acquisition costs.
SingTel said profit from its regional mobile units fell 7.9 percent to SG$449. Indian unit Bharti Airtel's contribution to earnings dropped 30 percent while SingTel's unit in Pakistan posted a loss of SG$15 million for the quarter.
The company said a stronger Singapore dollar also crimped profits from its regional units.
"Our regional mobile associates recorded strong operating performance in the quarter, said Hui Weng Cheong, CEO of SingTel International. "However, overall contributions were lower due to unfavourable currency movements."
KHANTY-MANSIYSK, Russia (AP) — Results Saturday from the biathlon world championships (missed targets in parentheses):
| Women |
|---|
| 12.5-kilometer Mass Start |
1. Magdalena Neuner, Germany, 36 minutes, 48.5 seconds (4).
2. Darya Domracheva, Belarus, 4.8 seconds behind (3).
3. Tora Berger, Norway, 14.0 (3).
4. Kaisa Makarainen, Finland, 24.2 (3).
5. Teja Gregorin, Slovenia, 24.9 (1).
6. Olga Zaitseva, Russia, 31.6 (2).
7. Helena Ekholm, Sweden, 34.7 (2).
8. Marie Dorin, France, 39.8 (1).
9. Marie Laure Brunet, France, 44.1 (2).
10. Anastasiya Kuzmina, Slovakia, 44.6 (3).
11. Michela Ponza, Italy, 1:10.3 (2).
12. Tina Bachmann, Germany, 1:18.5. (5).
13. Andrea Henkel, Germany, 1:19.2 (5).
14. Miriam Gossner, Germany, 1:40.8 (6).
15. Ekaterina Yurlova, Russia, 1:43.3 (4).
It's hucksterism with a high-tech twist - a movie blockbuster outof thin air with good old fashioned hoax thrown in for good measure.
Repeat after me if you don't already know it: "The Blair WitchProject" is not real. It is a movie. Don't believe the Web site.Don't believe the buddy of yours whose friend's cousin remembersreading about three documentary filmmakers who disappeared in thewoods.
It is fake.
It also happens to be one great movie and the hottest ticket ofthe summer. More than that, though, it has become a phenomenon.
"We've never seen anything quite like this," said Loews Piper'sAlley manager Sam Dobschuetz, where a total of more than 60,000people packed three screens over 16 daily showings for the last twoweeks. Evening shows typically were sold out by early afternoon,Dobschuetz said.
Of course, Piper's Alley happened to be the only place in theChicago area where the movie was showing for the last two weeks,which partly explains the full theaters and long lines for tickets.It was part of a marketing scheme designed to create "buzz" about thefilm. It worked.
"Blair Witch" earned $2 million in its first weekend, showing on31 screens nationally. That is the same amount of money earned onthe same weekend by "Muppets in Space," showing at more than 2,200locations.
What is so special about this movie?
"It's the scariest movie I've ever seen in my whole life," saidJennifer Williams, 26, of Chicago, moments after she walked out of anafternoon showing. "The reality of it is unbelievable."
It is scary, to be sure. But it uses none of the tried and truetechniques of the scary movie - no eerie music, monsters jumping outof closets or machete-size butcher knives slicing through the showercurtain.
Also left on the shelf are all the typical methods of promoting ablockbuster movie - no screaming ads or national roll-outs inthousands of multiplexes across the country.
It's a movie that's been hot ever since a midnight screening atthe Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, after which independentfilmmakers Dan Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez sold their movie for $1million. The movie cost them about $20,000 to make.
Its believability is at the core of its success. The plot issummed up in a frame that appears at the opening of the film - anopening that includes no credits or titles.
"In October of 1994 three student filmmakers disappeared in thewoods near Burkittsville, Maryland, while shooting a documentary. . .. A year later their footage was found."
The entire movie was filmed by the three actors, just as if theywere the three documentary filmmakers the movie is about. The wholefilm is shot with a family-style video camera the "students" broughtalong for fun, as well as the 16-millimeter camera the were using forthe "documentary."
The actors themselves were sent out in the woods with only a basicidea of the script and instructions to film everything as if theywere the characters they were playing. They were told to hike tospecific locations, where food, film and batteries would be waitingfor them, along with notes from the directors.
The result is a film that is chilling in its realism, as the fearand tension of the audience builds along with the characters, eventhough the audience has known from the first moment of the film thatthe students disappear.
But there's more than the movie at work here. A Web site -blairwitch.com - has enhanced the tale. It includes a timeline ofevents beginning with the witch's rumored origin and ending withalleged details of the search for the missing film students. It evenincludes excerpts from one of the character's journals.
Also, a promotion on cable television's Sci-Fi channel includesinterviews with the family and friends of the film's characters.There's even a novel purportedly written by a private detective whosearched for the students.
All of it has a "War of the Worlds" feel to it, hearkening back toOrson Welles' legendary broadcast of a fictional invasion from Mars.
"The advertising is like a companion piece to the film," saidAmorette Jones, marketing director at Artisan Entertainment. "Wenever lied to anyone, but we tried to make it scarier by creating anelement of truth in the story."
Some believers have organized search parties to look for thefictional documentary crew.
"You hate to waste their time," filmmaker Myrick said. "But atthe same time you are really excited."
He recalled a letter from one fan regarding a scene in the moviethat retells the story of an 1886 search party that was foundhorribly murdered in the woods at "Coffin Rock," apparently by theforest-dwelling witch.
"The letter started out: `It's all a lie. It's a big hoax,' "said Myrick. "And I thought, well, this guy figured it out. Then hewent on to say, `You had it wrong. Here's the real way they werefound.' "
Contributing: Sun-Times wires
After clocks are turned back this weekend, pedestrians walking during the evening rush hour are nearly three times more likely to be struck and killed by cars than before the time change, two scientists calculate.
Ending daylight savings time translates into about 37 more U.S. pedestrian deaths around 6 p.m. in November compared to October, the researchers report.
Their study of risk to pedestrians is preliminary but confirms previous findings of higher deaths after clocks are set back in fall.
It's not the darkness itself, but the adjustment to earlier nighttime that's the killer, said professors Paul Fischbeck and David Gerard, both of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Fischbeck, who regularly walks with his 4-year-old twins around 6 p.m., is worried enough that he'll be more cautious starting Monday.
"A three times increase in the risk is really dramatic, and because of that we're carrying a flashlight," he said.
Fischbeck and Gerard conducted a preliminary study of seven years of federal traffic fatalities and calculated risk per mile walked for pedestrians. They found that per-mile risk jumps 186 percent from October to November, but then drops 21 percent in December.
They said the drop-off in deaths by December indicates the risk is caused by the trouble both drivers and pedestrians have adjusting when darkness suddenly comes an hour earlier.
The reverse happens in the morning when clocks are set back and daylight comes earlier. Pedestrian risk plummets, but there are fewer walkers then, too. The 13 lives saved at 6 a.m. don't offset the 37 lost at 6 p.m., the researchers found.
The risk for pedestrian deaths at 6 p.m. is by far the highest in November than any other month, the scientists said. The danger declines each month through May.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety of Arlington, Va., in earlier studies found the switch from daylight savings time to standard time increased pedestrian deaths. Going to a year-round daylight savings time would save about 200 deaths a year, the institute calculated, said spokesman Russ Rader.
"Benjamin Franklin conceived of daylight savings time as a way of saving candles," Rader said Friday. "Today we know it saves lives."
The risk at 6 p.m. in November, after daylight savings time ends, is 11 times higher than the risk for the same hour in April, when daylight savings begins, according to the Carnegie Mellon researchers.
Fischbeck and Gerard used federal traffic fatality data that they've incorporated into a searchable database for different risk factors. Their analysis was not peer-reviewed or being published in a scientific journal.
But it does jibe with other peer-reviewed studies that looked at raw fatalities.
A 2001 study by John M. Sullivan at the University of Michigan looked at national traffic statistics from 1987 to 1997 and found that there were 65 crashes killing pedestrians in the week before the clocks fell back and 227 in the week after.
Fischbeck and Gerard found the increase in fatality risk after the end of daylight savings time is only for pedestrians. No such jump was seen for drivers or passengers in cars.
Once everyone "springs forward" to daylight savings time in April, there is a 78 percent drop in risk at 6 p.m., they said.
But overall for the evening rush hour, turning the clock back is a killer. In seven years there have been 250 more deaths in the fall and 139 fewer deaths in the spring.
"This clearly shows that both drivers and pedestrians should think about this daylight savings adjustment," Gerard said. "There are lives at stake."
___
On the Net:
The Traffic Stats database: http://www.traffic-stats.us
Almondsbury building services consultancy Property Solutions has anew line-up on its board.
Edmund Costelloe, former head of professional property services atBT, has been named chairman, while personnel and business developmentspecialist Clive Poulton joins as a non-executive director.
Property Solutions specialises in refurbishing buildings as wellas mechanical and electrical installation.
A large international field experiment and use of transport modeling has yielded physical, chemical, and radiative properties of the abundant aerosols originating from Asia.
No other region on Earth is as large and diverse a source of aerosols (and trace gases) as the Asian continent. In spring, when storm and frontal activity in Asia is most prevalent, industrial pollution, biomass burning, and mineral dust outflows produce an extraordinarily complex regional aerosol mix, composed of inorganic compounds (such as salts of sulfates and nitrates), organic carbon (OC), black carbon (BC or soot), mineral dust, and water. Yet there are few data on the chemical, physical, and optical …
With every bag of coal Madad Khan dumps into trucks at this mine reopened with the army's help, Pakistan hopes it is moving closer to quelling a 60-year-old nationalist insurgency in this restive southwest province where Afghan Taliban leaders are rumored to hide.
Echoing U.S. counterinsurgency strategy in neighboring Afghanistan, the army has peppered Baluchistan with dozens of development projects to win hearts and minds, an effort officials say has accelerated in recent months alongside a push by the federal government to address local grievances.
Pakistan hopes to replicate this counterinsurgency strategy in other areas along the Afghan border where the …
THE RESULTS OF A BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY (B&I) vending test conducted in 2000 and 2001 by the Fluid Milk Strategic Thinking Initiative (FMSTI) concluded there is strong consumer interest in vended milk. FMSTI, a marketing "think tank" co-funded by America's dairy farmers and fluid milk processors, and part of The National "got milk?[R]" Milk Mustache Campaign, noted the B&I test results were consistent with the results of a later vending study conducted by FMSTI in schools across the country in the spring of 2001, as reported in the …
BYLINE: ASHFAK MOHAMED
STORMERS coach Rassie Erasmus says he is delighted by the "freedom on attack" his team showed in their 34-16 win over the Reds in Brisbane.
"I do believe the guys played with more freedom on attack. Let me tell you that that is where we were heading towards with our process," said Erasmus. "Defence is 50 percent of the game. It doesn't help if we just want to attack a bit and defend a bit. You must be convincing in both areas.
"The guys used their instincts today. And that is what you want to see. You want them to play the situation, and I thought they did that well today," he said.
From the opening whistle, the Stormers moved the ball around and …
Byline: EVAN RAMSTAD Associated Press -
NEW YORK AT&T Corp. laid the groundwork for a sharp staff reduction Wednesday by offering a severance package to 77,800 managers if they leave by the end of the year.
The move is designed to prepare the company to be split in three next year. AT&T did not estimate how many people would take up the offer.
The company has not said how many of its 302,000 employees will be needed by the three companies that result from the breakup. The Wall Street Journal, citing inside sources anonymously, has reported that 20,000 may be cut.
The managers who received the severance offer represent half of the …
A group of six pro-independence Puerto Ricans was arrested Wednesday for demonstrating inside the U.S. House of Representatives, a police spokeswoman said.
The group got passes to the House gallery from Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico's delegate to Congress, his office said. Constituents can request and obtain passes to watch House proceedings through their representative.
Pierluisi said he recognizes the group's right to express their opinions, but incidents like the demonstration could hurt Puerto Rico's image.
"There are appropriate and …
MINNEAPOLIS - Daunte Culpepper's seven up-and-down seasons in Minnesota came to an end Tuesday.
Just what the disgruntled quarterback wanted.
The Vikings agreed to trade the three-time Pro Bowl selection to the Miami Dolphins for a second-round draft pick, less than a week after Culpepper - who is still rehabbing his injured right knee - said he wanted out.
The move marked the end of a winding career path in Minnesota for Culpepper, who went from the team's biggest star and cornerstone to a malcontent that had to be jettisoned in less than a year.
Culpepper dazzled with his blend of accuracy, scrambling and size, but also made fans' stomachs turn with turnover …
B-to-b ad spending surged sharply in the first half of this year, according to figures released last week by Business Information Network Inc.
The gain is important because it shows that depleted market caps of many b-to-b companies have not led to decreased ad spending. Some b-to-b executives and analysts had fretted this would happen.
Among BIN's most significant findings:
* Overall b-to-b ad spending was up 13% in the first half of this year, compared with the same period in 1999.
* Ad pages were up 5.9% in the first half of 2000.
* The finance, business and advertising category led the charge with a 57% boost in ad spending. …
HH DRILLBIT TAYLOR. Directed by Steve Brill, with Owen Wilson, Alex Frost, Casey Boersma, Dylan Boersma, Troy Gentile, David Dorfman, Josh Peck and Nate Hartley. MICHAEL PHILLIPS reviews.
We can't go back to the dear old movie bullies of yesteryear. It's too late. The world is now officially more dangerous, and violent teens aren't much of a punchline.
This new Owen Wilson vehicle knows this. The film's eerily unfunny antagonist skulks around in a hooded sweatshirt, looking like one of the Columbine perps - as much as it's possible to do so and still exist inside some sort of comedy, albeit a queasy and increasingly grim one.
Drillbit Taylor makes …
Byline: ERIC LICHTBLAU New York Times
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is planning to allow religious groups for the first time to use federal housing money to help build centers where religious worship is held, as long as part of the building is also used for social services.
The policy shift, which was made in a rule that the Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed this month, significantly expands the administration's contentious faith-based initiative.
Current regulations generally prohibit religious groups from using federal housing and community development grants for building or rehabilitating structures. The new rules, still …
Byline: Matt Graves
Saratoga Raceway driver Kim Crawford has done something few have been able to accomplish in recent years, beat the New York State Racing and Wagering Board.
You may recall the controversy swirling about the so-called pylon hub rail rule last year at Saratoga, which caused problems between horsemen and racing officials when on several occasions horses left the course and were not penalized for the apparent infraction.
The original rule stated, in part: "Any horse or sulky which shall leave the course is disqualified and ruled out; except that in races contested at a track without a continuous hub rail, if in the opinion of the judges, a horse or sulky is forced off the course as a result of the actions of another horse or driver the judges may determine the appropriate order of finish."
…
The Netherlands managed to grind out a 2-0 win over Denmark on Monday despite failing to live up to its billing as one of the most dangerous attacking teams at the World Cup.
The Dutch took the lead in the 46th when Denmark defender Simon Poulsen headed a ball off the back of teammate Daniel Agger and into the net. Poulsen had been trying to clear a cross …
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's Supreme Court has brought forward a hearing this week on the appeal of a Palestinian prisoner waging an unprecedented two-month hunger strike, court officials and his lawyers said Monday.
A statement from the Supreme Court said Khader Adnan's appeal will be held Tuesday. No explanation was given as to why it had been brought forward. It was scheduled to take place on Thursday.
Adnan's lawyer Mahmoud Hassan says the 33 year-old member of the Islamic Jihad militant group is in danger of death after 65 days of a hunger strike protesting Israel's policy of long-term detention without trial.
His case has attracted widespread attention among …
IT media company TechTarget (Needham, MA) said that revenue for the second quarter grew 62% over last year. The …
LANGHORNE, Pa. Dawn Hollister Hillgrube of Langhorne, died Sunday, August 24, 2008 at St. Mary Medical Center, Langhorne. She was 69. Mrs. Hillgrube was the beloved wife of the late Samuel Hillgrube. Born in Albany, she was the daughter of the late Robert H. Sr. and Florence Novotny Day of Colonie, N.Y. Mrs. Hillgrube was raised in Colonie and Albany. She attended Roessleville and School 24 Grade School and graduated from St. Agnes School in Loudonville. After graduation, she attended flight attendants school in Calif. and was an airline hostess for Continental Airlines until she met and married her husband, Samuel A. Hillgrube in 1958. Dawn was a stay at home mom and raised …
Byline: New York Times
WASHINGTON -- A report by House Republicans asserts that President Clinton's grant of clemency to Puerto Rican nationalists followed discussions in the White House that such a move would provide political help to some Democratic members of Congress and Vice President Al Gore.
The report by the Republicans on the House government Reform Committee included documents subpoenaed from the White House and Justice Department in connection with the President's Aug. 11 grant of clemency to 16 of the prisoners. The …
Borden Chemical has reached a $25-million settlement related to an explosion at the Jahn Foundry in Springfield, MA in 1999 that killed three workers and injured six more, according to local press reports. Borden was the sole manufacturer of the foundry resin Durite, used by Jahn to …
When Karen Monroe relocated to Fort Wayne with her family five years ago, she had very little on her agenda. She'd spent years developing a sense of sophisticated business savvy in corporate America, and quite frankly, she thought she might be ready for a break.
It didn't take long, though, for Monroe to hatch an idea that would ultimately become a booming crafting business. In April 2000, Luv2Scrapbook opened its doors and instantly became a haven for local scrapbooking enthusiasts. Within two years, the store's Web site, Luv2Scrapbook.com, became a virtual paradise for scrapbookers worldwide.
Monroe, who previously served as vice president of development and organizational …
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has ordered the following up of the health condition of the Iraqi World Bodybuilding Champion, Ali al-Gayar, the Minister of Youth & Sports, Jassim Mohammed Jaafar, said on Wednesday.
Jaafar's statement said that Prime Minister Maliki had responded to his request and instructed one of his representatives to follow the health condition of the "great Iraqi sportsman and the World Bodybuilding Champion Ali Al-Gayar, conveying the Prime Minister's greatings for Gayar."
The Minister said that the …
Byline: DON KIRK New York Times
SEOUL, South Korea -- The 60,000 spectators who filled the World Cup Stadium here saved their loudest cheers Saturday night for the spectacle of North and South Korean soccer players holding aloft a large ``unification'' flag, depicting a blue Korean peninsula against a white field with no line separating the two countries.
As loudspeakers blared the strains of ``Arirang,'' the sentimental Korean folk song that Korean fans relentlessly sang during the World Cup soccer finals in June, the players -- the northerners in white, the southerners in red -- strode around the field, clutching the flag, as the roars reverberated through …
TOKYO (AP) — Two-time world figure skating champion Mao Asada of Japan says that her new coach will be Nobuo Sato.
The 19-year-old Asada has been looking for a coach since parting ways with Russian coach Tatiana Tarasova after the world championships in …
The 2002 Board of Directors for the the European Medical Technologies Association, Eucomed, retains its current Chairman for a second year. Barry Wilson, Senior Vice-president Corporate and President, Medtronic International, was confirmed in his post in October at the organization's Annual General Meeting in Barcelona, Spain.
The board meets about five or six times a year …
Here are the answers to the quiz on Page C-1.
1.) Twinkies' inventor James A. Dewar named them when he saw a billboard for Twinkle-toe shoes, which were brown and oblong, shaped like the snack cake he had just devised (in 1930).
2.) The original TV dinner contained turkey, whipped sweet potatoes, peas and cranberry sauce. The sweet potatoes, however, had a tendency to turn into watery gruel and so were immediately replaced by mashed potatoes.
3.) The Pic-A-Deli Kosher Pickle Caddy allows the hostess to lift the pickles out of the brine without soiling her fingernails.
4.) 39 D.
5.) Ken and Barbie were never married, although they did tour Europe together, without a chaperone, in a 1962 Barbie comic book.
6.) A blue mood ring signifies "the ultimate mood." Brown signifies a gloomy gus. Black means evil …
