California Vacation Packages - Risk of Human-to-Human Spread of Deadly New Bird Flu Virus Higher Than Previously Thought

Source - http://news.yahoo.com/
By - Dina Fine Maron
Category - California Vacation Packages
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

California Vacation Packages

Before this year the H7N9 bird flu virus linked to 133 human infections and 43 deaths was never seen in people. All the available evidence suggests that an effective biological barrier apparently kept a pandemic at bay—humans only contracted the novel virus via direct contact with poultry or environments such as live bird markets rather than by human-to-human transmission. New analysis from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), however, suggests that the virus is closer to becoming a disease transmitted among humans than previously thought.

A large study comparing the genomes of the five reported human H7N9 strains with 37 H7N9 viruses isolated from more than 10,000 poultry market, farm and slaughterhouse samples from across China suggests that the virus would only need small mutations in its protein structure in order to become easily transmissible among humans. Moreover, testing in ferrets—widely considered to the best proxy for humans in flu testing—finds that one lethal strain of the virus that killed the first H7N9 victim in China is transmissible via respiratory droplet, meaning that it could conceivably be spread by coughing and sneezing. The new results are published in Science today. “Our findings indicate nothing to reduce the concern that these viruses can transmit between humans,” says study author Hualan Chen of the CAAS.

The new findings are “worrisome,” says Charles Chiu, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco. “For this particular virus, for H7N9, whether or not there is human-to-human transmission is a critical question.”

Since April the number of H7N9 cases has abruptly dropped, but public health officials are concerned that, like other avian influenza viruses that have seasonal infection patterns, H7N9 could mount a resurgence in the fall. With more cases of H7N9 there would be more opportunities for the virus to mutate among humans and, consequently, make the necessary amino acid changes to create human-to-human transmissible H7N9. The H7N9 viruses isolated from birds and humans are already closely genetically related. In the Science analysis researchers found the viruses can bind to human airway receptors, but they maintain the ability to bind to avian airway receptors, too. In order for the virus to be transmissible among humans, it must further mutate to lose its ability to bind to avian airway receptors—a genetic re-sorting the authors say might be possible with only a few amino acid changes.

The Science paper’s results diverge somewhat from earlier research. A study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control published in Nature last week also considered H7N9 transmission in ferrets and found that although ferrets housed together transmit the flu, when the animals were physically separated but shared the same air via a net between their cages, the healthy ferrets only rarely contracted the virus. In that work CDC researchers looked at respiratory droplet transmission in two different strains of H7N9 and found that in a strain originating in Anhui Province, China, only two out of six ferrets contracted the virus whereas in a strain from Shanghai, only one out of three ferrets contracted the virus. (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.)

In the new study researchers also looked at multiple H7N9 strains and found the virus was similarly transmitted via direct contact. But in contrast to the authors of the Nature reports, they found that all three ferrets exposed to the Anhui H7N9 strain contracted the virus when exposed via respiratory droplets. The Science study authors ran the experiment twice and received the same results.

The significance of the conflicting airborne infection figures from the two studies is unclear because both studies looked at very small numbers of ferrets. Some of the discrepancy could have stemmed from differences in the lab environments. Alternatively, the virus may have changed slightly as the samples grew in the labs. What these studies, along with other existing research, make clear is that H7N9 can indeed spread via airborne transmission, but that this mode of transmission is not very effective compared with direct contact, says Richard Webby, an influenza expert at Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. The new Science report “adds a whole lot of data to the growing list of evidence that this virus is something we need to be worried about,” he says.

Adding to the virus transmission concerns is the fact that chickens, ducks and mice experimentally infected with avian strains of H7N9 show no visible disease symptoms. In outbreaks of H5N1, another flu strain, severely infected poultry served as a warning knell for human infection. But H7N9 could silently spread in poultry markets and there would be no easy way to detect it.

Chiu says that the new findings should prompt more robust surveillance of poultry populations. Other public health measures to combat the virus in humans include washing hands, avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth, and coughing into the elbow to help stop the spread of transmission. “Replication in humans,” the authors wrote, “will provide further opportunities for the virus to acquire more mutations and become more virulent and transmissible in the human population.”

Hotels In Northern California - A Pregnant Pause: 8 Things Every Woman Should Know About PCOS

Source - http://shine.yahoo.com/
By - Babble.com
Category - Hotels In Northern California
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotels In Northern California

Are you having trouble getting pregnant? Do you have an onset of adult acne? Is your hair starting to fall out? Then you might just have some other signs of PCOS, too.

Polycystic (pah-lee-SIS-tik) ovary syndrome, commonly known as PCOS, affects as many as 5 million women in the United States. It is the result of a hormonal imbalance whereby the ovaries make more androgens than normal. Androgens are male hormones that females also make, and having higher than normal levels of these hormones affects the development and release of eggs during ovulation. In women with PCOS, mature eggs are not released from the ovaries, and instead become very small cysts inside the ovary.

I have PCOS. It was not until I had issues with infertility that it was discovered, but looking back the diagnosis makes a lot of sense. (That is a sentiment I have heard from several women who have it as well.) PCOS is actually the most common cause of female infertility. Since then I have come to know my own symptoms (such as severe pelvic pain) and take medicine to ease them.

 Symptoms of PCOS can vary, and while there is no known cure - there are several treatment options available. Here is what you need to know about PCOS:

1. Causes

There is no one known cause of PCOS. Experts theorize that genetics can play a factor, though in my case that theory does not hold true.

A woman's level and resistance to insulin may also play a role in causing PCOS. Experts have found that many women with PCOS have too much insulin stored in their bodies because they have problems using it. Too much insulin in the body seems to increase the production of androgen, thus starting the hormonal imbalance that is PCOS.

2. Reproductive Symptoms and Concerns

Because of the high levels of androgens in the body, PCOS can result in reproductive issues, such as:

• Cysts on the ovaries
• Problems with ovulation
• Pelvic pain
• Infertility
• Irregular or painful menstrual periods

3. Cosmetic Symptoms and Concerns

There are cosmetic symptoms of PCOS too, including:

• Acne or oily skin
• Weight gain, often around the waist
• Issues with hair, such as: dandruff, thinning hair or hair loss
• Excessive hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes
• Dark patches of skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
• Skin tags - excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
• Weight gain, often around the waist

4. Pregnancy Symptoms & Concerns

Many women (like myself) are diagnosed when they have fertility issues. However, there can also be issues arising from PCOS during pregnancy, such as:

• Miscarriage
• Gestational diabetes
• Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
• Premature delivery

5. Long Term Symptoms and Concerns

Some of the other serious, more long-term concerns associated with PCOS are:

• Anxiety or depression
• Sleep apnea
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Endometrial cancer

6. Tests

There is no single test to diagnose PCOS. If you or your doctor suspects that you may have PCOS, he or she will look at any or all of the following:

• Medical history
• Physical exam
• Pelvic exam
• Blood tests
• Vaginal ultrasound (sonogram)

7. Treatment Options

Treatment options may vary depending on whether you are at an age or stage where pregnancy is an issue. Some people may also wish to treat the issues that happen as a result of PCOS, such as acne and hair loss.

Most healthcare practitioners will encourage following a healthy lifestyle, including:

• limiting processed foods and high sugar foods
• eating healthy meals with lean meats, vegetables and whole grains
• engaging in regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise

8. Other Treatment Options

Other treatments for PCOS may include:

• Birth control pills (for those who do not wish to be pregnant)
• Progesterone pills (such as Provera)
• Diabetes medications (such as Metformin, which is also known as Glucophage)
• Fertility medications (for those who wish to become pregnant)
• "Ovarian drilling" surgery (for those who wish to become pregnant who have not responded to fertility medications)
• Anti-androgen medicines (such as Spironolactone or Finasteride)

Again, please note that treatment options will vary from person-to-person and all treatment options should be discussed with a healthcare practitioner.

Santa Clarita Local Colleges - Windows 8 Tablets: A Confusing World For Buyers

Source - http://www.zdnet.com/
By - James Kendrick
Category - Santa Clarita Local Colleges
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita Local Colleges

The choice by Microsoft to make Windows 8 an OS for desktops, laptops, and tablets has been cheered by many and jeered at by others. Whatever side of the Windows 8 for every device camp you fall on the fact is that the multi-dimensional OS is here to stay. Microsoft wants everyone to buy Windows 8 tablets and numerous models are starting to hit the market. 

Tablets running Windows 8 come in all sizes and styles, each trying to get consumers to purchase one rather than the competition, iPads and Android tablets. Having choice is always a good thing for prospective buyers but that may not be the case when it comes to tablets running Windows 8.

Buyers looking for an iPad have a choice of two sizes and that's it. The purchase decision comes down to which size you want, large or small. The decision is easy with storage space the only option other than size. Most buyers don't want integrated LTE and it usually doesn't enter the purchase decision process.

Shoppers wanting an Android tablet have more options but many of them end up getting a Samsung tablet. It's the biggest selling brand in the Android tablet space. Samsung offers several different sizes so once the consumer decides on how big a tablet is desired the purchase decision is straightforward.

Samsung tablets come with different storage sizes and like the iPad that's the only real decision for purchase. Like the iPad, Samsung Galaxy tablets all run good ARM processors and similar hardware components. 

Even the budget Nexus 7 tablet has good hardware inside and buyers don't have to wade through various internal hardware options.

The same is not true for those looking at the Windows 8 tablet. While tablets of different sizes are beginning to appear on the market, size is only one of several choices that may end up confusing prospective buyers.

The big choice confronting Windows 8 tablets is of course the Windows RT vs Windows 8 option. Buyers will often find Windows RT on the cheapest of the tablets available, due to the ARM processor inside (like the iPad and Android tablets). The fact that legacy Windows apps cannot be installed on Windows RT tablets is another reason these tablets are cheaper than full Windows models. While current advertising leads buyers to believe that Windows RT and Windows 8 are the same, there's a big difference in the two as noted above.

Once the choice to get a tablet with full Windows 8 is made, buyers need to get familiar with the different Intel processors being used before making a purchase. Most of the cheaper tablets have an Atom processor inside, and while that handles common tasks with ease they aren't the best performing choice. Buyers may end up frustrated by lags doing typical tasks like watching video with the Atom.

To get the best performance possible on tablets running Windows 8 buyers need to go with full Intel Core processors. That usually drives the prices up significantly, even double that of the iPad or Android tablet. That choice also hits the battery life hard, dropping it from near all day utility to just four or five hours. That's not even close to what the competition delivers.

It's no wonder that tablet buyers may be confused when it comes to buying a Windows 8 tablet. There are two versions of Windows to choose from along with several different processor options. The choices can overwhelm non-techie buyers, who often end up buying based on price.

In the Windows world low price means inferior processors which translates into low performance. The buyer will likely end up less than thrilled with the tablet for this reason.

So the typical tablet shopper can choose from the iPad, Android tablet, or Windows tablet. The iPad decision just involves a single model making the purchase process simple. The same is basically true for Android tablets as most branded tablets come with a single model. The iPad and Android tablets all have powerful hardware configurations that run all available apps with ease.

That's not the case with Windows tablets. Some run all Windows apps, some don't, and depending on the hardware inside some tablets may not run heavy apps very well if at all. The only tablets that run all Windows apps well are the high-end models that come with prices that are much higher than the competition. It's no wonder tablet buyers seem to be going with the competition much more often than the Windows 8 options.

Hotel In Santa Clarita - Timing Of First Solid Food Tied To Child Diabetes Risk

Source -  http://www.denverpost.com/
By - Kathryn Doyle
Category - Hotel In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Hotel In Santa Clarita

When babies already at increased risk for type 1 diabetes had their first solid foods before four months of age or after six months, their chances of developing the disorder at least doubled, according to a new study.

Four to six months is the recommended age window for all kids to start on solid foods, but the new results suggest timing could be even more important for babies at high risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D) because of genetic susceptibility.

The results weren't totally surprising, according to senior author Jill Norris, since type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease in which the immune system attacks the cells that make insulin and previous research has found that the development of certain immune cells is related to the introduction of solid foods.

"We did not choose this window out of the blue," said Norris, who studies chronic diseases like diabetes at the University of Colorado, Denver.

But this was the first study to examine how many kids were actually diagnosed with diabetes.

"We think the clearest message for parents is to wait to introduce any solid foods until after the 4 month birthday," Norris told Reuters Health in an email. "And when baby is ready, solid foods should be introduced by 6 months of age or soon thereafter, preferably while the mother is still breast-feeding the baby."

Norris and her coauthors followed 1,835 children at high risk for type 1 diabetes - based on genetic testing done at birth or family history - until they were eight years old. Fifty-three children were diagnosed with the disease.

Infants first given solid food before they were four months old were almost two times as likely to develop the disease as those given solid food during the ideal age window. Kids who got solid food after they were six months old were three times as likely to be diagnosed with the disease.

There are many other risk factors at play for these kids, for example, when there were complications during vaginal birth, the children were also about twice as likely to develop the disease, regardless of when solid food was introduced.

Of the 53 kids who did get diabetes, 28 had been given solid food before four months of age, and seven hadn't tried solid food until after six months, according to results in JAMA Pediatrics.

"We hypothesize that at a very young age, an infant's gut and immune systems may not be ready for the new food, triggering a cascade of reactions that lead to autoimmune diseases, like T1D, in susceptible children," Norris said.

Although the study stratified results by food types, there is not yet enough evidence to recommend which foods are best to introduce when, she said. But she did stress the importance of continuing to breastfeed while transitioning to solid food, since this study and others suggest that breast milk has a protective effect.

About 3 million Americans have type 1 diabetes and need to closely monitor their blood sugar levels and take insulin several times daily. The study was limited to only 53 kids who eventually got the disease, which makes the results less powerful, the authors write.

"The children enrolled in this study were selected because they were at a higher genetic risk of developing type 1 diabetes," Norris said.

Kids who are not predisposed to the disease might not have the same results, she said.

"As the authors state themselves in the article, these findings need confirmation from other studies," said Dr. Suvi Virtanen of the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, Finland. "The number of children who got diabetes is still very small in the current study as it is also in most of the previous studies done in this field."

"We do not yet know how to prevent type 1 diabetes," she told Reuters Health. More studies need to corroborate the results first.

Although following the nutritional recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Institute of Medicine does decrease the risk of kids becoming overweight and obese, "parents cannot now do anything to prevent this disease in their children, and it's important not to worry them before we really know."

Vacations In Santa Clarita - Astronomers For First Time Determine Color Of a Planet Outside Solar System _ It's Blue

Source - http://www.startribune.com/
By - JAMES BROOKS
Category - Vacations In Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Vacations In Santa Clarita

Astronomers have for the first time managed to determine the color of a planet outside our solar system, a blue gas giant 63 light-years away.

Using the Hubble Space Telescope, an international team said the planet known as HD 189733B would look like a deep blue dot if viewed up close.

"Measuring the planet's color is a real first — we have never managed it before with a planet outside our own solar system," Frederic Pont of the University of Exeter in England said Friday.

While Earth looks blue from space because of its oceans, the astronomers said the planet's color was created by a hazy turbulent atmosphere of silicate particles that scatter blue light. To determine the planet's color, the team measured the amount of light reflected off its surface as it passed behind its star.

Discovered in 2005, the planet belongs to a class of giant gas planets called "hot Jupiters" that orbit close to their stars. It has a daytime temperature of around 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 F), and the heat causes rocks to evaporate and glass to possibly rain sideways in howling 4,500 mph (about 7,250 kph) winds.

Astronomers chose the planet for observation because of its proximity to Earth and size in relation to the star it orbits. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles.

Pont said the technology the astronomers used pushed the Hubble telescope to its limit given the distance and light from other stars obscuring their view.

"People keep coming up with a better way of viewing planets indirectly so I'm sure the technology will eventually improve," Pont said.

Budget Hotels Santa Clarita - Justin Bieber Apologizes For Presidential Antics

Source - http://music.yahoo.com/
By - CARYN ROUSSEAU
Category - Budget Hotels Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita

Budget Hotels Santa Clarita

Justin Bieber apologized by phone to Bill Clinton, the former president's office said Thursday, for cursing Clinton and spraying his photo with cleaning fluid in a New York City restaurant kitchen earlier this year. 

The pop star also had repercussions from a tour stop in Chicago earlier this week when city officials said Bieber was listed as an underage guest on a citation that police issued to a nightclub.

Clinton's office said Thursday the pop star called and "he apologized and offered to help the Clinton Foundation." Clinton's office declined to provide any other details.

A video released Wednesday by TMZ.com shows the 19-year-old Bieber urinating in a mop bucket as he and others race through the restaurant kitchen. Before exiting, Bieber sprays the Clinton photo and drops the F-bomb in reference to the former president.

Bieber tweeted to his more than 41 million followers Wednesday night, thanking Clinton "for taking the time to talk." Bieber tweeted: "Your words meant alot. #greatguy."

Separately, Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection spokeswoman Jennifer Lipford confirmed Thursday that the 19-year-old Bieber was listed as an underage guest on a citation of Bodi nightclub. Police cited the club early Wednesday for admitting and knowingly having an underage person in the establishment, she said.

Bieber performed in a concert at Chicago's United Center on Tuesday evening.

The next step is for the citation to go to an administrative hearing. The club faces a fine of up to $1,000. A date hasn't been set.

Bodi issued a statement saying Bieber made a brief appearance to support a friend who is a DJ and was performing at the nightclub. The club said Bieber was not served alcohol.

"Neither Justin nor anyone affiliated with Bodi broke any laws," the statement said. "We believe this matter amounts to a simple misunderstanding with local police officers."

A representative for Bieber did not immediately have comment.

In California, the rapper known as Lil Twist was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence after being stopped while behind the wheel of Bieber's luxury sports car.

Christopher Moore, 20, was pulled over around 3:30 a.m. Thursday on a Calabasas road leading to a gated community where Bieber lives, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore.

Moore was driving a 2012 Fisker registered to the pop star and going between 60 and 70 mph in an area that has a 30 mph speed limit because of construction, authorities said.

Investigators think Moore might have been under the influence of marijuana. Bail was set at $5,000 for the misdemeanor offense. Moore is signed to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment label imprint. An email seeking comment was sent to his record label.

Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita - Instagram Launches Embed Feature For Videos, Photos. Start Sharing!

Source - http://www.latimes.com/
By - Jessica Guynn
Category - Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita
Posted By - Hampton Inn Santa Clarita 

Hampton Hotels Santa Clarita

Last month when Instagram launched video to compete with Twitter's Vine, there was a collective groan. It lacked a key feature: the ability to embed videos elsewhere on the Web.

So, just to make their visual moments much more visible, crafty people came up with all kinds of complicated workarounds that were not supported by Instagram and could, of course, break at any time.

Instagram says it heard time and again impassioned pleas from users who didn't want to train as software engineers to embed their photos and videos. So starting Wednesday, you can share your favorite Instagram moments with the world as easily as with YouTube or other digitally forward services.

A new share button will let you embed your Instagram videos and photos anywhere (except Twitter, naturally). And, of course, marketers can use this handy new button, too, a key selling point as Instagram looks to conquer the world of visual social sharing and start building a moneymaking business.

How it works: When you visit an Instagram photo or video page on your desktop Web browser, you'll see a new share button on the right side of your photo (just under the comments button). Click the button to see the embed code. Copy the block of text it gives you and paste it into your blog, website or article. When you hit publish, the photo or video will appear. 

 

Instagram also says please don't worry: "As always, you own your photos and videos, and we want to make sure that's understood no matter where your content appears." (That's now a standard line in every Instagram announcement after this happened.)

The embedded photo or video appears with your Instagram user name. If people click on the Instagram logo, they'll be whisked to your Instagram page. And never fear, no one is going to be able to embed those photos or videos that you really should have done on Snapchat in the first place. Embedding works only for photos and videos that are public, not for private ones, Instagram says.

This kind of worldwide Web distribution should make it a lot easier for Justin Bieber to take over the rest of the known digital universe and for Paris Hilton to get even more people to gush over videos of her puppies.

It's also part of a major effort from Facebook not just to be in the moment but to capture the moment.

Whether it's the Boston Marathon bombings or the Oscars, Instagram is well positioned to do just that with images that can be quickly blasted across the Web and universally understood across all borders and language barriers.

Twitter has ruled the world of real time with its short messages that have telegraph breaking news as it happens, but it looks like Instagram could pose a serious threat to its real-time rule.