If you?re an accomplished student who has completed high school in another country, have you considered attending college in America? Chances are that you have. As you know, there are hundreds of excellent American colleges and universities, far more than in any other country in the world. And the value of an American education is unequalled on the world stage.?
Yet if you?re not an American citizen, attending college in the United States can seem like an impossible dream ? especially with the high cost of tuition at American colleges and universities.?
But don?t give up hope. There really are ways to attend college in America and pay for it too. Let?s take a closer look.?
Getting Into an American College or University?
Many American colleges and universities are eager to welcome students like you. After all, you bring an international and varied perspective to their campuses and classrooms. So your first step is to investigate American colleges and universities, if you haven?t already.?
Start with MyUSearch.com, our favorite website for researching colleges and financial aid. This college-search site is unique and very user-friendly. Its online search function even calculates your need for financial aid and pinpoints colleges that you should investigate.?
After that, you can do some college hunting on more mainstream websites, such as The College Board and U.S. News. ?But be aware, MyUSearch is a lot more user-friendly than either of those bigger sites, and much more tailored to the needs of international students.?
You Can Also Jumpstart Your American College Education by Studying Online?
If you want to start taking American college courses today ? even if you have never set foot in America ? there is a way, thanks to StraighterLine.com. You can take StraighterLine online college courses and transfer the credits you have earned earn to hundreds of American colleges and universities, thanks to the ACE program.?
You can also take courses at StraighterLine and then begin studying at one of StraighterLine?s Partner Colleges. They are all excellent American colleges. Many of them allow you to complete some or all of your college studies online. The result? You can start studying at an American college without worrying about immigration, relocation or housing. ?Bear in mind, however, that some of these schools do require a certain period of residency on campus. So as you make your plans, be sure to check out their requirements carefully. You can learn more about them right here on the StraighterLine website.?
How to Afford an American College?
Let?s assume that after following the steps outlined above, you have identified a college or university that interests you. Now, how are you going to pay for it??
Your first step is to talk to a financial aid officer at the college or university where you might apply. He or she is your first source of information about financial aid for foreign students at the school.?
After that, be sure to check out some or all of the following sources of financial aid for foreign students who are interested in studying in the United States:?
Welcome to College in America!
So is attending college in America in impossible dream for international students? Not at all.? If you check out the resources we reference above, the education of your dreams at an American college or university could be yours.
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A New Way for International Students to Get Into College in America Lady Liberty Welcomes International Students to Our Shores Britain Plans to Triple Tuition Nationwide But Guess What ? College Will Still be TONS Cheaper than in the USA StraighterLine vs. Oxford University: Death Match Series, Part I Think Getting into College is Complicated in America? Students in other Countries Have it Even Worse
You have heard and read about prices coming down and real steals available in houses and condos in Miami. You probably also have heard about Miamis foreclosures, short sales in Miami, REO, bank owned properties and other terms that intuitively you understand but might not know the implications.
Well, it?s a thriving buyer?s market right now, but it still isn?t that easy to find the perfect home in Miami. Finding it takes some work ? eyeballing options and keeping a close watch on prices. Now with South Florida saturated with foreclosures, homes have become much more affordable.
However, you need to be patient, since the house that you want is out there. Narrow your focus to an area where you would like to live and start doing your homework. Most of it can be done online by using property search tools that allow you to search specifically for short sales in Miami, Miami REOs, Miami Florida foreclosures or simply properties that meet your criteria.
Here are some tips to help you get started.
Get an agent: Since many of the properties you?ll be looking at will be Miami short-sales or bank-owned homes in Miami, getting the help of a real estate agent is probably more important than ever. If you want to exclude Miami, Florida foreclosures and short-sales from your search, which would seem unlikely since that?s where bargains abound, a real estate agent will be able to eliminate those using the MLS data base. Also, if your agent is being a little clingy, don?t be shy about suggesting you limit your discussions to once a week or every two weeks.
Narrow your choices: At the end of January, there were about 64,000 homes on the market across South Florida. Doing some research on your own to winnow your choices will save you and your real estate agent a lot of time. It?s worth holding out until you find exactly what you are looking for. With property values on the decline, you don?t stand to lose much by holding out for the perfect home.
Get prequalified: Getting a loan is tricky business these days because banks have significantly tightened their underwriting standards, making it a time consuming and cumbersome process. By getting prequalified, you?ll not only find out how much home you can buy but you also might gain a negotiating edge because sellers know you can close a sale. Many agents handling foreclosures are swamped managing properties and want to know they?re dealing with a serious buyer before extending the time and effort needed to close a sale.
Make a reasonable offer: Clients can lose out on smoking deals because they make unreasonable offers on homes already priced to sell fast. If it?s a fantastic deal, don?t try to make it a super fantastic deal. Premium foreclosures will sell in seven days with multiple offers, so don?t assume that the bank will give the home away for peanuts.
Beware of short-sale listings: Don?t get over-excited when you see a staggeringly low price for a short-sale listing. In a short sale, a lender must agree to allow a buyer to sell a home for less than the amount owed on it. But usually a lender doesn?t approve until there is an acceptable offer, so any listed short-sale price is usually an agent?s guesstimation of what a bank is likely to accept. Some agents list short sales at excessively low prices just to get the bids coming in and increase the odds of finding a buyer acceptable to the bank.
Know what you?re getting into: Buying a foreclosure is usually an as is purchase with no warranties. So what you see is what you get. Before buying, make sure you do your research. You don?t want to get stuck in a home that you can?t afford because you have to spend thousands bringing it up to livable standards. Also, beware of liens and other encumbrances that you may be responsible for when you take title.
Constec Realty is real estate brokerage firm that works exclusively with prospective buyers looking to purchase a condominium or house in Miami. Bank owned properties and short sales in Miami provide the best opportunities in the current market place. We have access to practically the entire inventory of short sale and bank owned Miami condos and houses available for sale in Miami. Again, we represent the buyer and have their best interest in mind. Commissions are pre-negotiated with sellers (i.e. banks) so there is no cost to you. A condition to purchase is that you will need to be financially pre-qualified or willing to purchase the property cash.
Shrubs lend an insight into a glacier's pastPublic release date: 26-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Bishop michael.bishop@iop.org 01-179-301-032 Institute of Physics
The stems of shrubs have given researchers a window into a glacier's past, potentially allowing them to more accurately assess how they're set to change in the future.
Their findings have been published today, 27 November, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, and show how a glacier's history of melting can be extended way past the instrumental record.
Much like the rings on a tree stump indicate how old it is, measuring the width of rings on the stem of a shrub can give a good indication of how well it has grown year on year. Under extreme environmental conditions, such as those close to a glacier, a shrub's growth relies heavily on summer temperatures, meaning the ring-width of a shrub can be used a proxy for glacial melting, which also relies heavily on summer temperatures.
Lead author of the study, Allan Buras, said: "In warm summers, shrubs grow more compared to cold summers. In contrast, a glacier's summer mass balance is more negative in warm summers, meaning there is more melting compared to cold summers.
"Big rings in shrubs therefore indicate comparably warm summers, and thus a strongly negative summer mass balance in other words, more melting."
The researchers, from the University of Greifswald, tested this theory on a local icecap in the Scandic Mountains of southern Norway. They took 24 samples of shrubs from a site close to the glacier and analysed their ring-widths.
Monthly precipitation and temperature data from a local climate station were retrieved from the Norwegian Meteorological Office, and the summer mass balance of the glacier, from 1963 to 2010, was retrieved from the existing literature.
Each of these data sets was then statistically tested to see if there was a correlation between them. The results showed a robust and reliable correlation between the ring-width of shrubs and the summer melting of the glacier.
"Our results show that it is possible to reconstruct glacier summer mass balance with shrub ring-width series and it is therefore theoretically possible to extent records of summer mass balance into the past," Buras continued.
The shrubs that were collected in the study were relatively young, only allowing for reliable reconstructions over the past 36 years, meaning they could not be used to extend the record of the glacier; however, the researchers are confident that this could have been achieved if longer-lived shrubs were selected.
Most of the available data on the mass balance of glaciers only spans several decades and there is some data missing, mainly because most glaciers are situated in hard-to-reach arctic and alpine areas.
With the possibility to extend the instrumental records of summer mass balance, researchers may gain a better understanding of how glaciers behave in the summer, which they can use to calibrate and verify their existing models.
From Tuesday 27 November, this paper can be downloaded from http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/7/4/044031/article
###
Notes to Editors
Contact
1. For further information, a full draft of the journal paper or contact with one of the researchers, contact IOP Press Officer, Michael Bishop:
Tel: 0117 930 1032
E-mail: Michael.bishop@iop.org
Can shrubs help to reconstruct glacier retreats?
2. The published version of the paper 'Can shrubs help to reconstruct glacier retreats?' (Allan Buras et al 2012 Environ. Res. Lett. 7 044031) will be freely available online from Tuesday 27 November. It will be available at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/7/4/044031/article.
Environmental Research Letters
3. Environmental Research Letters is an open access journal that covers all of environmental science, providing a coherent and integrated approach including research articles, perspectives and editorials.
IOP Publishing
4. IOP Publishing provides publications through which leading-edge scientific research is distributed worldwide. IOP Publishing is central to the Institute of Physics (IOP), a not-for-profit society. Any financial surplus earned by IOP Publishing goes to support science through the activities of IOP. Beyond our traditional journals programme, we make high-value scientific information easily accessible through an ever-evolving portfolio of community websites, magazines, conference proceedings and a multitude of electronic services. Focused on making the most of new technologies, we're continually improving our electronic interfaces to make it easier for researchers to find exactly what they need, when they need it, in the format that suits them best. Go to http://ioppublishing.org/.
The Institute of Physics
5. The Institute of Physics is a leading scientific society. We are a charitable organisation with a worldwide membership of more than 45,000, working together to advance physics education, research and application. We engage with policymakers and the general public to develop awareness and understanding of the value of physics and, through IOP Publishing, we are world leaders in professional scientific communications.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Shrubs lend an insight into a glacier's pastPublic release date: 26-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Bishop michael.bishop@iop.org 01-179-301-032 Institute of Physics
The stems of shrubs have given researchers a window into a glacier's past, potentially allowing them to more accurately assess how they're set to change in the future.
Their findings have been published today, 27 November, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, and show how a glacier's history of melting can be extended way past the instrumental record.
Much like the rings on a tree stump indicate how old it is, measuring the width of rings on the stem of a shrub can give a good indication of how well it has grown year on year. Under extreme environmental conditions, such as those close to a glacier, a shrub's growth relies heavily on summer temperatures, meaning the ring-width of a shrub can be used a proxy for glacial melting, which also relies heavily on summer temperatures.
Lead author of the study, Allan Buras, said: "In warm summers, shrubs grow more compared to cold summers. In contrast, a glacier's summer mass balance is more negative in warm summers, meaning there is more melting compared to cold summers.
"Big rings in shrubs therefore indicate comparably warm summers, and thus a strongly negative summer mass balance in other words, more melting."
The researchers, from the University of Greifswald, tested this theory on a local icecap in the Scandic Mountains of southern Norway. They took 24 samples of shrubs from a site close to the glacier and analysed their ring-widths.
Monthly precipitation and temperature data from a local climate station were retrieved from the Norwegian Meteorological Office, and the summer mass balance of the glacier, from 1963 to 2010, was retrieved from the existing literature.
Each of these data sets was then statistically tested to see if there was a correlation between them. The results showed a robust and reliable correlation between the ring-width of shrubs and the summer melting of the glacier.
"Our results show that it is possible to reconstruct glacier summer mass balance with shrub ring-width series and it is therefore theoretically possible to extent records of summer mass balance into the past," Buras continued.
The shrubs that were collected in the study were relatively young, only allowing for reliable reconstructions over the past 36 years, meaning they could not be used to extend the record of the glacier; however, the researchers are confident that this could have been achieved if longer-lived shrubs were selected.
Most of the available data on the mass balance of glaciers only spans several decades and there is some data missing, mainly because most glaciers are situated in hard-to-reach arctic and alpine areas.
With the possibility to extend the instrumental records of summer mass balance, researchers may gain a better understanding of how glaciers behave in the summer, which they can use to calibrate and verify their existing models.
From Tuesday 27 November, this paper can be downloaded from http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/7/4/044031/article
###
Notes to Editors
Contact
1. For further information, a full draft of the journal paper or contact with one of the researchers, contact IOP Press Officer, Michael Bishop:
Tel: 0117 930 1032
E-mail: Michael.bishop@iop.org
Can shrubs help to reconstruct glacier retreats?
2. The published version of the paper 'Can shrubs help to reconstruct glacier retreats?' (Allan Buras et al 2012 Environ. Res. Lett. 7 044031) will be freely available online from Tuesday 27 November. It will be available at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/7/4/044031/article.
Environmental Research Letters
3. Environmental Research Letters is an open access journal that covers all of environmental science, providing a coherent and integrated approach including research articles, perspectives and editorials.
IOP Publishing
4. IOP Publishing provides publications through which leading-edge scientific research is distributed worldwide. IOP Publishing is central to the Institute of Physics (IOP), a not-for-profit society. Any financial surplus earned by IOP Publishing goes to support science through the activities of IOP. Beyond our traditional journals programme, we make high-value scientific information easily accessible through an ever-evolving portfolio of community websites, magazines, conference proceedings and a multitude of electronic services. Focused on making the most of new technologies, we're continually improving our electronic interfaces to make it easier for researchers to find exactly what they need, when they need it, in the format that suits them best. Go to http://ioppublishing.org/.
The Institute of Physics
5. The Institute of Physics is a leading scientific society. We are a charitable organisation with a worldwide membership of more than 45,000, working together to advance physics education, research and application. We engage with policymakers and the general public to develop awareness and understanding of the value of physics and, through IOP Publishing, we are world leaders in professional scientific communications.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) ? Adam Merchant had a wish and a command for the New York Giants.
The 15-year-old fan from Barre, Vt., attended practice and then Sunday's game with the Packers thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He wanted the Giants to snap their two-game slide and get out of their offensive funk.
So he ordered the Giants to "play like world champions," and they delivered a 38-10 rout of the Green Bay Packers.
"That was the theme of our meetings," coach Tom Coughlin said.
Eli Manning came back from the bye week with a rested arm, and that offensive slump was tossed aside. The Giants (7-4) said they turned things around for themselves, and for Merchant, who has cancer.
"They have one wish," Manning said after throwing for three scores to set a team record with 200 TD passes for his career. "It is sad when you think about it ? they have one wish, what you want to do, and he wanted to come to Giants practice ... and to a game.
"He said, 'Go show everybody you are the world champions and why you are the world champions and play that way.' Everybody got fired up and played the way we know we can."
The Packers (7-4) certainly did not. The showcase game was decided early as the Giants outscored the Packers 31-10 in the opening half to end Green Bay's five-game winning streak. While New York took a two-game lead in the NFC East, Green Bay fell out of a tie with Chicago atop the NFC North.
The Packers were missing such key starters as linebacker Clay Matthews, defensive back Charles Woodson and receiver Greg Jennings, and it showed. After being manhandled in last season's playoffs by the Giants, who went on to win the Super Bowl, the Packers weren't much more competitive this time. Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times, including twice by Mathias Kiwanuka, who spent much of the game at defensive tackle rather than in his usual linebacker spot.
"When your quarterback is under pressure like that, it affected me tonight," coach Mike McCarthy said of his play-calling. "I probably didn't call the best game I've called. You have to protect your quarterback. It's your No. 1 responsibility. That's not what we're looking for."
New York's balanced attack was guided by Manning, who had his first strong game in a month with 249 yards passing.
"I never thought my arm was tired, never felt like it," Manning said. "After a week off, you come back to practice, it felt good, alive, balls coming out with a little pop on it.
"After 10 weeks, it definitely needed a little rest."
Coughlin knew Manning would return with some extra verve.
"There was no doubt he was going to come back and play well," Coughlin said. "I think the rest really helped him. ... Eli said he felt as if he was coming back for the start of the season. I was very confident he would come back and be Eli."
Ahmad Bradshaw gained a combined 119 yards and scored a touchdown. He had the first big play of the night to begin the offensive onslaught.
New York struck early with a brilliantly conceived screen pass to Bradshaw off a fake reverse to Victor Cruz. Bradshaw sped down the field before being caught at the Green Bay 2, a 59-yard pickup that led to Andre Brown's scoring run.
Brown later broke his leg; Coughlin did not say which leg after the game.
"It will be a tough loss, he is an important player," Manning said.
Green Bay didn't flinch, with Jordy Nelson getting behind Corey Webster in single coverage down the right sideline for a 61-yard TD reception from Rodgers.
The scoring flurry went back in the Giants' favor ? and pretty much stayed there ? when Manning hit Rueben Randle in the back of the end zone for a 16-yard TD. It was the first score for the rookie and Manning's first touchdown throw in four games, and he set it up with, of all things, a scramble in which he laid his shoulder into Packers cornerback Tramon Williams for a 13-yard gain.
"It sparked our sideline," Coughlin said. "It would not be the recommended way. To see him do that kind of sent the message to the rest of our team: Whatever you have to do to succeed, do it."
Webster's interception led to Lawrence Tynes' 43-yard field goal late in the first quarter for a 17-7 lead, and the Giants weren't nearly done. Manning's 9-yard connection with Cruz tied him for the club record with 199 TD passes, and after Osi Umenyiora's strip-sack of Rodgers was recovered by Jason Pierre-Paul at the Green Bay 23, Bradshaw scored from the 13.
The 31 points were the most New York scored in a half all season and nearly equaled the 33 it scored in its two losses before the bye.
And the Giants had more offense in them. Manning threw his 200th TD pass to move ahead of Phil Simms, a 13-yarder over the middle to Hakeem Nicks, who stretched the ball over the goal line as he was tackled.
"There was a different enthusiasm in practices," Manning said, "and I think that paid off in the game."
It paid off for the Giants, and for their young fan.
"It kind of hit home," Justin Tuck said. "You got this kid that don't know us from James and watches us on TV every Sunday and it's so profound."
NOTES; The Giants lost safety Kenny Phillips with a knee injury in the third quarter. He was making his first appearance since Week 4, when he was sidelined with a knee problem. ... Giants right tackle David Diehl sustained a stinger in the first half. ... Green Bay lost safety M.D. Jennings (rib), DE C.J. Wilson (knee), and RB Johnny White (concussion). ... Rodgers was 14 of 25 for 219 yards, one TD, one interception and one lost fumble.
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
If you don?t like Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, you?re not alone. A poll of fans conducted last season found that Cutler was one of the Top 5 most disliked players in the NFL.
And if you?re looking for reasons not to like Cutler, you saw one when the Bears beat the Vikings on Sunday: Cutler committed one of the dumber penalties of the day when he ran out of bounds and then threw the ball at Vikings cornerback A.J. Jefferson. Throwing the ball at an opponent is an automatic 15-yard penalty, as every NFL player should know. Yes, Cutler can be an idiot sometimes.
But if you don?t think Cutler is a good quarterback, well, you?re wrong. Cutler?s abilities were on display in Sunday?s 28-10 win over the Vikings, but they were even more on display in the way the Bears completely fell apart without him a week ago against the 49ers. And Cutler?s importance to the Bears is on display in every game he misses: In the last three years, in games Cutler both started and finished, the Bears are 26-9. In games Cutler either missed entirely or was knocked out because of an injury in the first half, the Bears are 1-8.
No, Cutler doesn?t put up the kinds of numbers that the NFL?s elite quarterbacks produce, but Cutler doesn?t have anywhere near the kind of offensive talent surrounding him that the NFL?s elite quarterbacks have. The Bears have had one of the NFL?s worst offensive lines for Cutler?s entire tenure in Chicago, and they only got a high-level wide receiver for the first time this year, when they traded for Brandon Marshall.
I believe it?s that Chicago offensive line and that Chicago receiving corps ? as well as, yes, acting like a jerk at times by doing things like throwing a ball at an opponent ? that has made Cutler one of the most underappreciated players in the NFL. This is a good quarterback, playing on a team that appears headed toward the playoffs, in the NFL?s second-biggest media market, and he should get more credit than he does.
Cutler has a great opportunity, however, to change the way he?s regarded over the next couple of months. With the Bears right in the thick of the NFC playoff race, Cutler has the chance to do what he didn?t do when a knee injury knocked him out of the NFC Championship Game a couple years ago, and play the best football of his career on the biggest stage. I think Cutler is going to open some eyes in December and January. And maybe by February, he won?t be unappreciated anymore.
Here are my other thoughts on Sunday?s games:
Robert Ayers was the toughest player in the league on Sunday. Ayers, a backup defensive end for the Broncos, found out late on Saturday night that his father had died suddenly. But instead of heading home right away, he decided to stay in Kansas City to be there for his team against the Chiefs. Ayers played and played well in a 17-9 win in which the Broncos? defense shut down the Chiefs? offense, then was awarded a game ball in the locker room afterward and headed home to tend to his family.
Jared Allen got away with a brutal cheap shot. While his teammate Antoine Winfield was returning an interception, Allen launched himself directly into the head of Bears offensive lineman Lance Louis, delivering a hit that knocked Louis out of the game. Allen said after the game that he thought the hit was legal, but he?s wrong. That?s a blatant penalty that the officials somehow missed, but the league office won?t. Allen is in for a big fine.
The Chiefs got too cute. Kansas City?s opening drive against Denver was running smoothly, with an emphasis on running: Out of the Chiefs? first nine offensive plays, eight of them were runs, and those eight runs produced 48 yards. So what on earth were the Chiefs thinking with the play they called on third-and-3 in the red zone? Instead of running it again, the Chiefs called a bizarre trick play on which running back Peyton Hillis took the snap, ran to his right, then turned around and threw it to quarterback Brady Quinn. Hillis?s pass showed that there?s a reason he?s not a quarterback: He threw an ugly duck that didn?t even get close, falling to the ground a few feet in front of Quinn. That was a dumb play call that stopped a promising drive.
Something has to be done about the officials, Part 1. Everyone saw the horrendous call on Thanksgiving in which the officials somehow ruled that Texans running back Justin Forsett had run 81 yards for a touchdown, even though he was obviously down after just eight yards. But on Sunday not as many people noticed that the opposite mistake was made in the 49ers-Saints game: San Francisco receiver Michael Crabtree caught a pass, got hit, put his hand down to steady himself and kept running, about to break a big play ? except that the officials whistled the play dead, wrongly thinking Crabtree had been down. If we can?t count on the officials to get it right on a call as fundamental as whether or not a player was down, what can we count on them to get right?
Something has to be done about the officials, Part 2. Remember during the lockout, how everyone complained that the replacement refs were dragging out the games by taking way too long to make their rulings? No delays from the replacement refs were as bad as the ridiculous delay late in Sunday?s Ravens-Chargers game. After Ray Rice made an amazing play to turn a short pass into a first down on fourth-and-29, the officials delayed the game by a whopping 10 minutes to watch a replay and re-measure the spot of the ball, only to discover that it had been correctly ruled a first down on the field all along. A 10-minute delay late in the fourth quarter of a close game takes all the energy out of the building. Make the call and move on, refs.
Anyone want to help Charlie Batch out? With Batch, the Steelers? 38-year-old third-string quarterback, pressed into duty on Sunday, the Steelers needed to get big games from their running backs. Instead, Pittsburgh?s four running backs ? Rashard Mendenhall, Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman and Chris Rainey ? combined for just 49 yards on 20 carries, while fumbling six times. Mendenhall and Rainey had two fumbles apiece, while Dwyer and Redman each had one. The Steelers? eight turnovers were the most for any NFL team in one game since 2001, and the Steelers were upset by the Browns.
Jim Harbaugh made the right decision. Colin Kaepernick is a better quarterback than Alex Smith, and if anyone doubted it before, no one should doubt it after Kaepernick led the 49ers to a big win at New Orleans on Sunday. Harbaugh was wise to bench Smith in favor of Kaepernick, who is now 2-0 as a starter with wins over the Bears (playing without Cutler) and Saints. With Kaepernick under center, the 49ers are going to be a tough team to beat in January. Although if they meet again in the playoffs, I like the Bears? chances with a healthy Cutler.
Throughout difficult occasions of monetary downturn and falling home prices, every single penny allocated to home improvement ought to be well-rehearsed and considered. May possibly not be the greatest idea to in excess of invest on home renovation and improvement considering that the return about this investment won?t be corresponding to the need for the investment that you simply make towards home renovation. Data indicates the average return on home improvement continues to be showing a decreasing trend. This past year figures claim that the return on home improvement had dropped to application. 70% which signifies that for each 1 USD allocated to home improvement, the appreciation inside your property is always to the tune of 70 cents.
However, there still appears to become several reasons to choose home improvement. You will find several home renovation possibilities but those that appear to become the most popular ones for that traders in line with the return on their own investment are Trendy siding alternative, Adding a wooden deck, Minor kitchen remodeling, Changing home windows, Midrange bathroom remodeling, Remodeling an loft right into a bed room, Finishing a basement, Adding another room, Adding a garage and Adding an trendy bathroom
The home renovation ideas may broadly be classified into minor, mid-range and major investments with respect to the amount needed for that task. A small facelift would typically cover items like charging the flooring, tiling work, shower doorways, changing taps, and fitting new doorways and home windows. The mid-range changes would come with remodeling the bathroom, setting up a brand new counter with sink and placing a new toilet with a brand new tub surround.
You can definitely, you?re somebody that will be remaining within this for that relaxation of the existence and also have always dreamed of individuals top end home improvements, generally you?ll probably pass your heart and needs instead of your mind. You perfectly know that you?re not likely to gain any return however, you don?t care less. Whether it is that extra stylish gourmet kitchen, a spa, creating a pool, an outdoor kitchen or fire space, these ideas certainly make s style statement.
Home improvement ideas which make your home more energy efficient, beautiful and comfy will make your living much more enjoyable. Fuel efficiency and energy saving measures will always be within the top carrying out home improvement ideas due to the connected ?green? factor. Approaches to help make your home more environmentally friendly and energy efficiency measures like fitting UPVC home windows and wall insulation would go a lengthy means by lowering your energy bill. Another home improvement idea that?s a success with many people includes home safety measures. This really is one aspect many people think about a necessity but supplies a good return on investment. You will find lots of choices to finance your home renovation. The rates billed by various loan companies towards home improvement usually move consistent with home loan rates.
Related posts:
5 Home Improvement Projects to enhance the Resale Worth of
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Suggestions If you are Thinking about Home Renovations
Laws meant to prevent the overuse of expensive healthcare services don?t stop doctors from using pricey prostate cancer treatments, according to two new studies.
Researchers found doctors used robots and special radiation to treat prostate cancer regardless of whether their area had laws requiring government approval before money is spent on healthcare facilities and new equipment.
?Certificate of need laws were designed to align public need with use of different services,? said Dr. Bruce Jacobs, a lead author of one of the studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The U.S. government required states to implement the laws in the 1970s and early 1980s, but stopped a few decades ago. Still, some states continue to use the laws in an effort to control costs.
In each study, the researchers looked at treatments for prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer in American men.
The American Cancer Society estimates that one in every six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, but most will not die from it. Past research found that many men?s prostate cancer is slow-growing, and most are candidates for active surveillance or ?watchful waiting.?
In Jacobs?s study, the researchers looked at whether states with strict laws - those that require approval for even low-cost equipment - used robotic surgery to remove fewer prostates than states with less strict or no laws.
Jacobs and his colleagues write in The Journal of Urology that the price of such robots, and the questions surrounding whether or not robotic surgery to remove a prostate is better than the old-fashioned way should make it an ?ideal target? for review under the laws.
In September, for example, one of the studies that have questioned the usefulness of robotic surgery found that men who had robotic surgery ended up having fewer short-term complications, but questioned its long-term benefits and whether the hefty price tag of $1.5 million in startup costs is worth it. (see Reuters Health article of Sep. 12, 2012:)
But another recent study found robotic surgery led to fewer complications, fewer readmissions to the hospital, and fewer deaths due to surgery than traditional methods, according to Intuitive Surgical, the maker of the da Vinci Surgical System.
?That is significant for the patient and for reducing overall costs to the system,? wrote Angela Wonson, a spokesperson for Intuitive Surgical, in an email to Reuters Health.
Overall, in the new study, the use of robotic surgery to remove prostates in Medicare patients increased regardless of whether there were strict, less strict or no laws in place. Also, the chance a surgeon used robots had nothing to do with the laws.
RADIATION AND COSTS
A second study by another group of researchers looked at whether the laws limited the use of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or slowed the growth of healthcare costs related to prostate cancer.
IMRT allows doctors to focus radiation beams onto the cancer without harming healthy tissue.
However, the researchers write that IMRT is costly and - to their knowledge - has not been compared to other prostate cancer treatments in a randomized controlled trial, which is considered the ?gold standard? of medical research.
In a group of Medicare patients, Dr. Ganesh Palapattu, the chief of urologic oncology at the University of Michigan and the study?s senior researcher, found that areas with the laws actually saw greater growth in IMRT use.
Palapattu and his colleagues found that IMRT use increased from about 2 percent of all prostate cancer treatments in 2002 to almost half in 2009 in areas with the laws.
In areas without the laws, IMRT use increased from about 11 percent of all prostate cancer treatments to about 42 percent over the same time span.
The laws also didn?t seem to help control prostate cancer treatment costs when the researchers compared the price to treat one person with prostate cancer in states with laws, compared to states without laws.
Palapattu told Reuters Health that it may be time to reevaluate the regulations.
?If the goal is to limit the overutilization of more expensive therapies and to improve efficacy or health, then we have to reexamine how we?re doing this,? he said.
Jacobs told Reuters Health that there is more research to be done, because his group?s study did not look at how many applications for equipment may have been turned down by the states? approval board.
?I think if we really want to get to the bottom of how effective these (laws) are, the next step is to really look closely at each state?s process of review,? he said.
Palapattu said he?d also like to see if the findings are the same for non-Medicare patients. But, for now, he said men with prostate cancer should talk to their doctors about which treatment is right for them.
?Newer isn?t always better, and it?s important to have a meaningful conversation with your physician on treatment options and which one might be best for you and why,? he said.
SOURCE: The Journal of Urology, online November 19, 2012.
###
Certificate of Need Programs, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Use and the Cost of Prostate Cancer Care
Results
In propensity score adjusted analyses, intensity modulated radiation therapy use increased from 2.3% to 46.4% of prostate cancer definitive therapies in CON Yes regions vs 11.3% to 41.7% in CON No regions from 2002 to 2009. Furthermore, we observed greater intensity modulated radiation therapy use with time in CON Yes vs No regions (p Conclusions
Certificate of need programs were not effective in limiting intensity modulated radiation therapy use or attenuating prostate cancer health care costs. There remains an unmet need to control the rapid adoption of new, more expensive therapies for prostate cancer that have limited cost and comparative effectiveness data. ###
Abhinav Khanna, Jim C. Hu, Xiangmei Gu, Paul L. Nguyen, Stuart Lipsitz, Ganesh S. Palapattu The Journal of Urology - 19 November 2012 (10.1016/j.juro.2012.08.181)
Provided by ArmMed Media
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Public release date: 26-Nov-2012
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