Now that we’ve basked in the glow of the youthful throngs at the March for Life, let’s not ignore its lesson: The pro-life issue can transform America.

It’s February after January’s March for Life. The buses have been there and back. The pro-life marchers from around the country have had time to rest their weary legs, catch up on lost sleep and get back into their daily routines.

But our brains are still vibrating with the sights and sounds of 650,000 people pleading for America to respect the right to life of the weakest ones among us.

Now is the time we can see more clearly than at any other time in the year that being pro-life is America’s future — and that a pro-life America will be an America transformed.

A recent Time magazine cover said it like it’s a bad thing, and Business Week provided a state-by-state graphic showing just how real the change has been: America is becoming pro-life.

Each year, more and more reporters take their heads out of the sand, notice the March for Life and are shocked by its youth and vigor. Each year, more lions of the abortion movement are shaken to their cores to learn the lesson the March for Life keeps teaching ("I just thought, my gosh, they are so young," said NARAL president Nancy Keenan, 62, after happening upon marchers. "There are so many of them, and they are so young.")

Truly, "Pro-life is the new normal," as March for Life leader Jeanne Monahan put it. If you don’t believe her, George Weigel counted down the evidence for First Things in "Pro-Life Rising, 40 Years After Roe." And as a kind of corollary to the pro-life ascendancy, Fox News published "The Coming Collapse of the Abortion Lobby."

So, what does all this mean for pro-lifers? It means what we do next is crucial.

The way societal change works, getting 51% is half the battle. The next step is to push support to the tipping point — the critical mass at which a position goes from "normal" to "normative." Civil rights looked like it could go either way throughout the 1960s, until a certain percentage of support was reached. After that, political correctness made it impossible to be against civil rights, thank God. In the abortion battle, we need to go from "being pro-life is totally acceptable" to "being for abortion is totally uncool."

Second, we need to be prepared to take new pro-lifers to the next level.

Changing your mind on abortion can change everything, and these weeks after the March for Life are the perfect time to see that this is true.

I brought this up before, but my timing was terrible. During the Fortnight for Freedom, I confidently wrote "Let Us Count the Ways Pro-Life Will Triumph" — but published it the day Chief Justice John Roberts was fooled (or fooled everyone?) on Obamacare, and so it looked like naïveté. I brought it up right after the election, saying "Double-Down on Pro-Life," but that was the week that, whenever someone brought up politics, pro-lifers covered their ears and repeated: "I am in my happy place. I am in my happy place" and couldn’t listen.

But it’s true: Becoming pro-life is transformative. You have probably seen it in others, and you may even have seen it in yourself.

People who become pro-life start to be hopeful about the potential of the good and wise about the ways of the world.

They become hopeful about the future: "Lives are worth bringing into the world." They become wise about the sexual revolution: "Promiscuity hurts women and children — and men, too."

They become compassionate: "We should help women, not corner them into abortion." They see through the world’s easy answers: "They are willing to kill for a lifestyle."

They embrace science: "I don’t have to pretend that’s not a human being anymore." They become savvy about the abortion industry and its politicians: "They know what it is, but they do it for money."

They see the importance of marriage and responsibility: "We owe it to children to tame and direct our passions." They wake up about the mainstream media: "They are not telling people the truth; they are just serving an agenda."

Here is a handy checklist about the fruits of the pro-life position:

Becoming pro-life undermines moral relativism.

Becoming pro-life introduces people to "faith in things unseen."

Becoming pro-life teaches people to act out of hope instead of despair.

Becoming pro-life teaches people that rights don’t come from the state, but from somewhere above the state.

Becoming pro-life teaches people that duties and responsibilities accompany rights.

There is no "silver bullet" that will change the culture in one fell swoop. But the abortion issue is as close as we can get. With abortion, the devil has made the mistake he always makes: He goes for evil that is so extreme that it is bound to implode in a dramatic way.

The greatest triumph of evil in our day is that mothers are willing to kill their own children; the greatest threat to evil in our day is that, of course, mothers aren’t going to keep killing their own children (as one Washington Post writer who had an abortion put it, "Roe at 40: I don’t want my children to have 40 more years of this.").

Use whatever metaphor for the abortion issue you like: The abortion issue is the One Ring; destroy it, and the empire falls. Abortion is the Matrix: Expose it, and the world wakes up. The abortion issue is the left’s Achilles Heel. The abortion issue is the weak link on which the whole, rotting edifice hangs. The abortion issue is the camel’s nose under the tent, the point of the spear, the edge of the wedge.

However you say it, don’t miss the crucial March for Life lesson: We can win by changing hearts and minds about the evil of abortion, and when we do, we may find we have won on even more.

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Posted by Matrix Reloaded on Wednesday, Mar, 20, 2013 9:41 AM (EDT):

Abortion is the Matrix? Which “Matrix”? Are you talking about the movie created by sub-human Lana Wachowski? OMG. An what about GOD? He can’t wake up people anymore? Ha?

@Ann: Who is condemning whom? The prolifers I know not only demonstrate in prolife demonstrations, they also side walk counsel in from of abortion mills, provide for homes for unwed mothers, help mothers stay in college and provide help for post abortive women and men who are in grief because of their “choice”. As for asking prolifers to support condoms, pills, devices, etc., read the Theology of the Body and get a clue.

Posted by adolfo on Sunday, Mar, 3, 2013 4:15 PM (EDT):

I’m not saying the MFL doesn’t have merit, but that the article misses that merit. We aren’t “winning” and probably won’t win the fight in this country. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t fight, mind you. The fight is absolutely worth it.

The MFL serves the same function as retreats in high school. It energizes, provides some good bonding with fellow believers, and raises spirits. Those are good, even necessary, things. Let’s not make it more than it really is, though.

Posted by Lin on Saturday, Mar, 2, 2013 9:21 PM (EDT):

Adolfo….....Hey, why the negativity?!? The event has grown every year and the average age is younger! Pro-life will win the battle someday. Pray and be active more than once a year.

Posted by Adolfo on Saturday, Mar, 2, 2013 4:24 PM (EDT):

Millions of attendees have participated in the MFL over the years and every year we are told the same thing about hope for the future and whatnot. Abortion remains legal, the number of abortions pet year had not declined significantly, and it doesn’t look like either of those things is changing soon. I think the biggest lesson of the MFL is that we’ve gotten very good at marketing the event.

Posted by pro-life Catholic on Thursday, Feb, 28, 2013 7:53 AM (EDT):

Yes, we need to be active. Speaking of “Catholic” organizations undermining our efforts, do not forget CRS (Catholic Relief Services). They have written another response to the Catholics trying to hold them accountable for supporting Pro-abortion and pro-contraception organizations (like BIll and Melinda Gates Foundation). The bottom line is there is no excuse. We scream foul when Planned Parenthood uses our money for “Title X” and yet abortions skyrocket, so these Catholic organizations can not try using the same excuse and think that they can get away with it. Supporting sin is supporting sin. There are many, many organization out their that can live truly Catholic values, they need our support, not these wasteful non-Catholic (or fake Catholi/Catholic hating) enterprises.

Posted by Lin on Monday, Feb, 25, 2013 8:49 PM (EDT):

Ann…...No one condemns the women. Contraception is NOT pro-life.

Posted by David Craig on Monday, Feb, 25, 2013 11:54 AM (EDT):

Tom, your article is so hopeful. Sometimes we want to give up. It inspired me to think positivly and to look for every opportunity God gives me to help change this culture of death. Keep up the good work. Dave Craig, Connectict

Posted by Joe DeCarlo on Monday, Feb, 25, 2013 8:49 AM (EDT):

650,000 people at the pro-life rally and not a word in two newspapers that I rec. The Phila Inquirer and a local newspaper. In the Phila Inquirer, they had a anti-gun rally with 2000 people on the 2nd page and a tree-hugger with 35,000 people on the front page. The Phila inquirer should change its name to Pravda, the former USSR organ, which printed only the news that they wanted the people to read.

Posted by Ann on Monday, Feb, 25, 2013 2:57 AM (EDT):

If you pro-lifers are serious about reducing abortions,advocate in the extreme to promote contraception(condoms,birth control)and have the moring-after pill more readily available.Unless you all of you adopt all children(in this country-not in another),then help out and donate most of your monies in the foster care system. Perhaps all of you should check out Direction for Our Times and read the books. One of these books has Our Lord saying “it makes Me sad when a new soul comes back, but let the women know that I will always love them,no matter why or how many times. Never let them be afraid to come to Me. I have already forgiven them and want them to come to Me to receive My Love.” if Our Lord has already forgiven them without them asking for His forgiveness,who are you to condemn the women?

Posted by Crispin on Monday, Feb, 25, 2013 1:03 AM (EDT):

Our young people, even in the Philippines, many of them exposed to the treacherous and relentless war against humans inside the womb by the Malthusians (left or right)are coming to light. Let’s sustain their new-found strength to repulse the evil. A first step to assisting them is to help the youth understand the supply-value chain of the abortion industry, which leaves both mother and fetus-child bereft of assistance, mere grist in the mill of the “moneylenders in the temple of God.”

Posted by MJC on Sunday, Feb, 24, 2013 6:23 PM (EDT):

Your last checklist point is important and part of the story is the contraceptive mentality. Coming to prolife has allowed me to connect the dots which should naturally take a person to the start - that is, the thinking that using contraception liberates the woman. When contraception fails, the woman presents herself at the abortion mill.
I urge everyone to read (or re-read) Humanae Vitae in a spirit of openness to properly consider Pope Paul’s arguments. All Christian denominations were united in opposition to contraception right up until 1930s when first the Anglican Church and then other Christian denominations, broke away from the Church’s teaching on contraception. The neo-pagan alternatives on sexuality, marriage and family thrust on society have been played out and it’s heartening to see that many people are recognising this.

Posted by KristyM on Sunday, Feb, 24, 2013 12:05 PM (EDT):

“I am in my happy place, I am in my happy place.” Haha! Never heard it referred to like that, but totally true. Great article. Thought provoking and right on the mark.

Posted by MM on Saturday, Feb, 23, 2013 9:19 PM (EDT):

The pro-life does look young but then when I started out in the pro-life movement at the height of the “Reagan Revolution” I felt it was young then too and I thought by now we would have won this thing. So what happened? Well, eventually my friends in the movement got married, kids and got busy with family. But they had a lot of pro-life kids and now those kids are getting ready to have kids. If we keep out reproducing the other side eventually we will have the votes to topple abortion.

Posted by Grey Bear on Saturday, Feb, 23, 2013 12:44 AM (EDT):

Good News ! Pro-Lifers should also get their respective Bishops to STOP the annual CCHD collection of the USCCB. The millions collected have been granted for decades to left-wing radical, pro-sodomite & pro-Abortion groups. These scandalous grants will continue until the flow of funds is terminated in every parish. The USCCB was made aware of this over 5 years ago & they derided the faithful Catholics that brought it to their attention. Then they said they would correct matters. They have not & it continues. What is really reprehensible is the man they placed in charge of approving the grants has supported the campaigns of Pro-Abortion politicians !

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Students who open up the Education Ministry’s new civics textbook won’t find a word about military rule or discrimination against 20 percent of the population. There’s a reason for that.

By Gil Gertel

Education Minister Naftali Bennett has managed to make some changes in Israel’s civic education curriculum: it is now more religious and less humanistic. The problem is not with civic education, but rather with the state; civic education reflects reality, not those who mold it. The responsibility for reality does not fall on teachers, but on our elected leadership.

Bennett is pushing education to the right

It is true that Bennett recently fired the chairperson of the Pedagogic Secretariat, appointing Dalia Fenig in his stead. Who is Fenig? She is the one who decided that Israeli students would not be able to read a book about a relationship between a Jewish woman and a Palestinian man, because those idiots might just end up having their own relationships with non-Jews.

It is true that Bennett appointed Assaf Malach to head the professional advisory committee on civics. Malach is a settler from Ofra, a doctor who researched the legitimacy of the Jewish nation-state. He knows how to explain just why Palestinians — even if they are defined as a nation — are not entitled to a state of their own. The Jews, of course, are. Those who are not convinced by his argument are labeled “refugees of the Jewish tradition searching for a way toward global culture.” He also claimed that the Nakba is a “position taken by the enemy” and not a historical event.

It is true that Bennett himself, without the assistance of his two wonderful helpers, hold positions that belong to Ancient Greece: equal rights for those who are like me.

It is true that the Jewish Home party rewrote the civics book. And although the book has yet to be published, it has already been the subject of a hearing in the Knesset Education, Culture, and Sports Committee. The irony? Assaf Malach told the ministers, members of Knesset and others at the hearing that they “cannot interfere in the curriculum.” As if this isn’t what Bennett has been doing. He also promised that changes were not made in he curriculum (so why do we need a new book?). This argument did not confuse Committee Chairman Yaakov Margi, who summarized it nicely: “The committee cannot ignore the criticism of the way in which changes were made in the civics curriculum.” But don’t worry the Education Ministry cares little for the committee. The hearing ended on December 22 at 12 p.m. — that same day the Ministry spokesperson announced that the new book was approved for use.

It is true that the Jewish Home party also made changes in civics matriculation exam. A recent summary of what the exam would cover strengthens the view that Israel is Jewish before it is democratic. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) sent a letter in protest to the director-general of the Education Ministry, while the council for civics teachers — a voluntary group — sent a letter to the Yael Goron, who oversees the civics curriculum on behalf of the Education Ministry.

The real issue, however, is with the reduction of civics education to a few simple sentences that students must learn and regurgitate during exams. The national problem is that Israel basks in its “civic democracy,” which cover up social injustices and occupation.

The Education Ministry releases a summary of the civics textbook, which is intended to release teachers from the complexity of our reality, and to feed students short slogans. These summaries were made with one goal in mind: to make the students know and think less, yet come out with a good grade. The Education Ministry publishes the short, simple sentences that students must write as an answer on the exams in order to pass.

It is true that according to the summary, democracy takes a back seat to the state’s Jewish character, and it is true that democracy is presented as the tyranny of the majority more than a protector of the minority. However, the summary also includes many other basic terms, including ministerial responsibility, Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty, etc. Many of these terms are listed as part of a complex public discussion, such as “judicial activism” or the “desired character of the state.” This is good and well.

Read: Why Israel’s education minister thinks hope is dangerous

But the educational mistake is the very existence of this summary. It stops teachers and students from dealing with reality and expressing an opinion on it. For instance, the summary includes a question about issues that are discussed in Knesset committees, and students are asked to remember two of four of those issues: bill proposals, approving secondary legislation, hearings with professionals, or any topic that was passed on to the committee by the Knesset plenum. This is nice. But the summary does not include a discussion on the gap between the positions of the education committee — which represents the entire public — and the positions of the education minister, who represents the majority. It is impossible to provide a short, simple answer to this kind of question. That is why it isn’t taught.

This is how generations of Israeli students do not learn how to deal with the complex reality we face. Instead, they learn to ignore it.

The problem is with the state

This kind of ignorance is at its most prominent in everything having to do with the occupation. The summary does not mention the fact that the State of Israel has held nearly three million people under military control for 48 years. This civic issue simply does not exist. And it did not exist even before Naftali Bennett was born in 1972. The summary does not include the fact that in the State of Israel, there is a minority group that is discriminated against. We can hardly blame the teachers for this situation.

On the contrary — let’s put it all out on the table. We will teach our children that this is a Jewish state, and that those who are not Jewish are worth less. We will frighten our children by teaching them that “the Jewish people is threatened by anti-Semitism,” and lie to them that “Israel does more than any other country to realize the rights of Jews to life and security” (the quotes are from the summary). We will shamelessly tell them that positions such as “Israel must be a run according to Jewish law” is as legitimate as any other. And we will not be ashamed of the fact that all Jewish citizens of Israel must marry and divorce according to the “law of the Torah.”

This article was first published in Hebrew on Local Call. Read it here.


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Phlebotomy Training in Mesa | AZ

Many health care occupations like phlebotomy remain in high demand, especially with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Phlebotomists provide basic technical support in the diagnostic laboratory, drawing blood and performing some lab tests. In Mesa, Arizona, becoming a phlebotomist is relatively easy compared to entering other allied health occupations. Salaries are in the middle range of the national average.

List of Phlebotomy Training Schools in Mesa

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Requirements & Eligibility

Arizona has minimal requirements for phlebotomy training. You must have a high school diploma or GED to enter a training program. Most programs require the student be at least 18. The remaining requirements are institution-specific. In most cases, the student must provide proof of immunizations. A negative tuberculosis test is usually required, as is a health examination. The purpose of these requirements is to prevent infecting members of the public. Students must pass a drug screen and most schools also conduct a criminal background check. Depending on the program, the student may be required to have a current CPR card or may become CPR certified during the program. Some programs also require that the student have health and liability insurance. Prospective students should assure the program they plan to enter is accredited — the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences is the most commonly used accrediting body. Accreditation ensues a standardized course of training and meets the requirements for national certification exams.

Application Process & Costs

Each organization or institution that offers phlebotomy training in Mesa has its own application process. Training venues include community colleges, technical/vocational schools and private institutions. At the Arizona Medical Training Institute, course tuition is $1,890. Students apply/register online. Cactus Wren Training is a home care provider that offers a similar program at a cost of $1,740. Estrellea Mountain Community College requires a pre-admission assessment test and costs $2,050 for tuition and $332 for lab fees. This program offers training in medical billing and computer skills as well as phlebotomy.

Online Programs

Some programs offer online training for the didactic/theory portion. The Arizona Medical Training Institute requires online training for the first four weeks. After completing the initial portion online, the student has the option of day or night classes for the clinical portion. All programs must have a hands-on clinical component in which the student performs venipuncture and other phlebotomy tasks under the supervision of a qualified instructor. The more hands-on training, the better, as the technical skills required for phlebotomy require much practice.

Maintaining Certification/License & Renewal

Arizona does not require either certification or licensure for phlebotomists. However, most employers will prefer or require national certification as proof of basic knowledge and competence. To become nationally certified, you must provide proof of training at an accredited school, pay a fee and pass an examination. Certifications are offered by several different organizations, each with differing requirements and fees. The certification period also varies depending on the organization. Re-certification may require continuing education or repeating the examination.

Salary & Job Prospects

The average hourly wage for phlebotomists in Arizona was $14.38 in May of 2014, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Annual salaries in the state ranged from $22,670 to $37,600. In the Mesa area, wages and annual salaries were very close to that average, with an hourly wage of $14.39 and an annual salary range of $22,490 to $37,770. Demand for phlebotomists is expected to remain high, according to the BLS, with a projected growth rate of 27 percent through 2022 — nearly three times the growth rate expected for all occupations.


Unique histopathologic features of the eyelid dermatofibroma.
Purpose: Dermatofibromas are common cutaneous lesions, but rarely occur in the eyelid skin. The reason for the low incidence in the palpebral skin has not been elucidated. In this study, we analyze the histopathologic features of an illustrative case of dermatofibroma and review previously published cases to determine whether eyelid dermatofibroma develops differently from the prototypical dermatofibroma. Methods: Histopathologic analysis of a new illustrative case of eyelid dermatofibroma and retrospective review of published cases. Results: The distinguishing features of the illustrative lesion included a rounder gross appearance, nonacanthotic epithelium, basophilic staining, cellular character, and a paucity of "collagen trapping." These features deviated from the typical features associated with classic dermatofibroma. Review of the 11 previously published cases of eyelid dermatofibroma revealed that they were more similar in appearance to the illustrative lesion than to classic dermatofibroma. Discussion: The rarity and histological deviations of the eyelid dermatofibroma suggest that the dermal substrate from which the lesion develops differs from that of the classic dermatofibroma. This difference may be explained microanatomically based on the fact that the dermis of the eyelid is predominantly papillary, whereas the dermis of extrapalpebral skin where dermatofibromas are more common is predominantly reticular. Conclusions: Although related, eyelid dermatofibromas appear to be histologically distinct from classic dermatofibromas, owing to the unique dermal composition of the site of origin.


Autosomal dominant adult amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A six generation Dutch family.
A pedigree is reported in which adult autosomal dominant ALS with complete penetrance manifested in 18 individuals through 6 generations. The clinical and neuropathological details are analysed of 13 and 5 persons, respectively, from the 2nd generation onward. Onset was between the ages 19 and 46; duration of disease averaged 1.7 years. The clinical symptoms were predominantly those of initial shoulder girdle and ultimate partial bulbar muscle involvement. Neuropathological findings included, next to classical features, degeneration of various spinal tracts (as revealed most clearly with the Häggqvist procedure) and Purkinje cells loss. As accurate clinicopathological screening and the use of more than just routine staining methods indicate, presently available MND/ALS classifications accommodate actual data insufficiently.


A year or so ago I found myself across a chilly patio table from … let’s call him a graduate of the then recently-defeated Conservative government. He wasn’t even bothering to try to conceal his malevolent glee over the leisurely pace of the Liberals’ legislative agenda.

After rolling into power on an ambitious platform that featured all-caps signature promises to legalize recreational marijuana, rejig the federal electoral system and roll back controversial Conservative initiatives on everything from citizenship laws to financial disclosure requirements for labour unions and First Nations communities, the new government seemed curiously reluctant to actually convert those commitments into draft legislation.

Even when a Team Trudeau frontbencher did bring forward a bill, the government seemed even less enthusiastic about using the Liberals’ majority clout to force it through the various parliamentary stages on a specific timeline, preferring instead to let the debate come to an end without their interference.

Meanwhile, the prime minister appeared to be honouring his pre-election pledge to take a hands-off approach to the Senate — which meant that even those bills that managed to make it through the snakes-and-ladders in the Commons would come to an abrupt halt as soon as they made it over the threshold of the Red Chamber.

Trudeau’s only shot at getting even a few of his big-ticket items through Parliament during his first (and possibly only) term, my Conservative contact predicted, would be to bundle as many tangentially-related measures together as possible, as it’s far easier to plot out safe passage for one well-stuffed omnibus bill than for a flotilla of separate bills — particularly when it comes to the uncharted (and arguably unchartable) waters of an Upper House increasingly dominated by unpredictable independents.

Even then, he was skeptical that it could be done without occasionally resorting to time allocation to hustle it through the pipeline within a reasonable time frame.

At the time, both strategies were basically non-starters as far the Liberals were concerned – they had, after all, been actively campaigning against exactly those sorts of parliamentary “tricks” just a few months previously, and had even proposed bringing in new rules to prevent it or any future government from “using inappropriate omnibus bills to reduce scrutiny of legislative measures.”

With the unofficial halfway point between fixed election dates now in sight, most first-time majority governments likely would be starting to think seriously about hitting the reset button – requesting prorogation and cobbling together a Speech from the Throne. With the unofficial halfway point between fixed election dates now in sight, most first-time majority governments likely would be starting to think seriously about hitting the reset button – requesting prorogation and cobbling together a Speech from the Throne.

As for time allocation, a check of the record reveals that the government went 42 sitting days without putting forward a motion to shut down debate — which it finally did for the first time on April 20, 2016, in an effort to wrap up second reading debate on proposed changes to the regional operating requirements for Air Canada.

Since then, they definitely seem to have come around on its usefulness, as evidenced by the controversial proposal to change the House rules to make time allocation virtually automatic.

Meanwhile, the most recent Budget Implementation Act weighed in at over 300 pages and included at least a few measures that easily could have been turned into stand-alone items, which was sufficient for the opposition parties to decry it as an ‘omnibus’. For the most part, though, the Liberals haven’t really taken advantage of that particular time-saver – not, at least, as creatively as they might have (like slipping the pot legalization changes into the budget as a vaguely commerce-related add-on).

As a result, it appears my patio companion can cheerfully claim gloating rights.

While the Liberals have managed to keep the money flowing through supply bills and other fiscal measures, and did make it under the wire (only just) with a response to the Supreme Court ruling on physician-assisted dying, most of the substantive legislation brought forward in the 17 months that they’ve been in office is still cluttering up the Order Paper – some stalled in the Senate, but even more still way back at the starting line, awaiting second reading approval from the House.

With the unofficial halfway point between fixed election dates now in sight (depending on how you calculate such things, it will hit at some point this fall), most first-time majority governments likely would be starting to think seriously about hitting the reset button – requesting prorogation and cobbling together a Speech from the Throne to serve as a mission statement for the next two years.

In this scenario, however, there would be so many bits and pieces of unfinished legislative business left on the Order Paper that it might just draw more attention to Trudeau’s lack of progress on his 2015 to-do list.

Still, there might be one advantage to a parliamentary reboot: It could, in theory, allow the Liberals to do a post-prorogation review of the bills awaiting resurrection to see if there might be some way to roll them up into something … well, a little more omnibus. (While legislation can be reinstated in its original form at whatever stage it had reached at the time of dissolution, there’s no rule that says you can’t bring in a tweaked – or expanded – version as an entirely new bill.)

That would, of course, immediately give their political adversaries exactly the ammunition they’d need to call out the Liberals for utter hypocrisy, at least on the anti-omnibus front. At the same time, it might give the government the strategic advantage it needs to get at least a few of its most crowd-pleasing policies through Parliament before they have to hit the hustings in 2019.

It could even relieve at least some of the pressure that seems to be fuelling the sudden push to rewrite the Commons rules over the objections of the other parties – which, after all, risks doing far more lasting damage to Parliament than the occasional time allocation motion or omnibus bill.

The views, opinions and positions expressed by all iPolitics columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of iPolitics.


Central Nervous System Effects of Ginkgo Biloba, a Plant Extract.
Extracts of Ginkgo biloba (EGb) are among the most prescribed drugs in France and Germany. EGb is claimed to be effective in peripheral arterial disorders and in "cerebral insufficiency." The mechanism of action is not yet well understood. Three of the ingredients of the extract have been isolated and found to be pharmacologically active, but which one alone or in combination is responsible for clinical effects is unknown. The recommended daily dose (3 x 40 mg extract) is based more on empirical data than on clinical dose-findings studies. However, despite these, according to double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, EGb has therapeutic effects, at least, on the diagnostic entity of "cerebral insufficiency," which is used in Europe as synonymous with early dementia. To determine whether EGb has significant pharmacological effects on the human brain, a pharmacodynamic study was conducted using the Quantitative Pharmacoelectroencephalogram (QPEEG(R)) method. It was established that the pharmacological effects (based on a predetermined 7.5--13.0-Hz alpha frequency band in a computer-analyzed electroencephalogram = CEEG(R)) of EGb on the central nervous system (CNS) are significantly different than placebo, and the high and low doses could be discriminated from each other. The 120-mg, but particularly the 240-mg, single doses showed the most consistent CNS effects with an earlier onset (1 h) and longer duration (7 h). Furthermore, it was established that the electrophysiological effects of EGb in CNS are similar to those of well-known cognitive activators such as "nootropics" as well as tacrine, the only marketed "antidementia" drug currently available in the United States.


Just remember, your graphics card only has a limited number of "locations" to keep track of your variables. A float takes up the same number of locations (1) as a vector4. So if you end up making a complicated shader that requires lots of data to be passed around, you may want to bundle your float's into vector4's since then you will be able to pass 4 parameters around but still only take up one location.

Just a tip, if you call glGetUniformLocation every time you update your variable you run the risk of stalling your pipeline which heavily degrades performance.

I'd expect that drivers would store uniform locations locally rather than needing to round-trip to the GPU in order to get them. OpenGL uniform locations bear absolutely no relation to what's actually happening in hardware, after all, and drivers already need to do a job of translating them to actual GPU registers, so drivers already have a "uniform table" of some kind implemented.

The performance hit would be needing to do a string-based lookup on this table, which is not as bad but which should still be avoided; your advice to cache and reuse the location remains valid.

It appears that the gentleman thought C++ was extremely difficult and he was overjoyed that the machine was absorbing it; he understood that good C++ is difficult but the best C++ is well-nigh unintelligible.

Just a tip, if you call glGetUniformLocation every time you update your variable you run the risk of stalling your pipeline which heavily degrades performance.

Given he said it changes "every frame", I assume that means it changes only once per frame. The penalty of that is probably minimal, especially since you'd be already waiting for the pipeline to finish in order to swap buffers.

Don't pay much attention to "the hedgehog" in my nick, it's just because "Sik" was already taken =/ By the way, Sik is pronounced like seek, not like sick.


Q:

probability of getting specific consequence

I roll the dice and puts down the results in his notebook. I want the numbers 3,4,5,2,6,1 to be written in this order. However there can be other numbers in between. How many times on average should I roll the dice in order to get such kind of a result?

A:

Hint
The length of the sequence = $n_1+n_2+n_3+n_4+n_5+n_6+6$, where $n_1$ is the number times that the dice has to be rolled before first 3 occurs, $n_2$  is the number times that the dice has to be rolled before first 4 occurs after a 3, and so on. Clearly, $n_i$ are iid and
\begin{equation}
P(n_i = n) = \left(\frac{5} {6}\right)^n\frac{1} {6}.
\end{equation}
After some algebraic simplifications, we get that the expected value is 42.


Dress

Bukhari :: Book 7 :: Volume 72 :: Hadith 775

Narrated Um Salama:

that once the Prophet was in her house, and an effeminate man
was there too. The effeminate man said to 'Abdullah, (Um Salama's
brother) "0 'Abdullah! If Ta'if should be conquered tomorrow, I
recommend you the daughter of Ghailan, for she is so fat that she
has four curves in the front (of her belly) and eight at the back."
So the Prophet said (to his wives) "These effeminate (men) should
not enter upon you (your houses).


Q:

In projectile.el's source code, how does switch-project-action "know" which project to switch to?

In this function definition snippet, a call to switch-project-action is done without any arguments. How does it switch to the correct project?
(defun projectile-switch-project-by-name (project-to-switch &optional arg)
  "Switch to project by project name PROJECT-TO-SWITCH.
Invokes the command referenced by `projectile-switch-project-action' on switch.
With a prefix ARG invokes `projectile-commander' instead of
`projectile-switch-project-action.'"
  (let* ((default-directory project-to-switch)
         (switch-project-action (if arg
                                    'projectile-commander
                                  projectile-switch-project-action)))
    (run-hooks 'projectile-before-switch-project-hook)
    (funcall switch-project-action)
    (run-hooks 'projectile-after-switch-project-hook)))

A:

The current project is determined by the value of default-directory, which is let-bound to "switch" projects before calling the action.


Kitchen Coach Weight Loss Tips

With summer just around the corner, now is the time to start making healthy changes so that you can look and feel great in your summer clothes! Permanent weight loss doesn’t happen overnight. To make the weight loss stick start making small changes, one day at a time. Here are some practical weight loss tips!

Eat your Veggies. Fill half of your plate with vegetables or fruit. Studies suggest that people eat the same volume of food every day. Since vegetables and fruits have a high water and fiber content they are lower in calories than other food groups. If you include more of them you’ll be taking in less total calories.

Focus on Protein. Protein satisfies while fiber fills you up! Try to include both every time you eat. Great protein choices include lean meats, seafood, nuts, eggs, low fat dairy, and soy. Pair them with high fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Practice mindful eating. Eat when you feel hungry, not “starved”. Stop when you feel satisfied, not “stuffed”. Eat slowly, savor, sit down, turn off the TV, and enjoy every bite!

Watch the White Stuff. Minimize white flour, white rice, pasta, instant potatoes, and sugar. These foods will give you an instant lift followed by a crash soon after. It’s a vicious cycle that can cause inflammation, obesity, and a host of other medical conditions. When choosing carbohydrates, stick to whole grains, starchy vegetables, and legumes.

Choose Healthy Fat in Moderation. People tend to think if a little is healthy more must be better. This is not the case when it comes to healthy fats and weight management. Choose monounsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocados and olives and omega 3 fats from fish oil, flaxseed, chia seed, and walnuts, but watch the portion. One tablespoon of oil, regardless of the type, has 120 calories of fat. That is 3 servings of fat. By comparison, for the same calories you’d have to eat 5 cups of raw vegetables or two cups of berries.

Think of Food as Fuel. If you didn’t give your car gas it wouldn’t run very well. The same thing goes for people! Fuel your body evenly throughout the day with small frequent meals high in protein and fiber. This will keep your energy high, help you avoid temptation and excessive hunger which can lead to overeating, and keep your metabolism humming.

Stay Hydrated. Fluids are essential for your body to function. Most people walk around slightly dehydrated which can contribute to low energy and muscle fatigue. It’s also common to confuse feeling of thirst with hunger, so drink up! Fruit juice and soda are 100% sugar. Try to stick with water, unsweetened ice teas. If you don’t like water, slice up some fresh fruit or cucumber in water and let it soak up the essence of the fruit for natural refreshing flavor and hydration.

Keep Moving. Standing burns more calories than sitting, walking burns more calories than standing, and so forth. Be a body in motion and exercise every day!


Q:

Ruby/Rails - Problem to build a method with request.fullpath

I'm trying to build a method in order to add a specific css class to my nav menu on current pages.
Here is my start: (in application_helper)
def menu_links(param)
 if request.fullpath == "#{param}_path"
   return "#{param}_path"
 end
end

in my app view:
<%= menu_links("help") %>

However, if I change request.fullpath == "#{param}_path" by request.fullpath == help_path, it works. don't know why.
Thanks for any help!

A:

Because in the second case (request.fullpath == help_path), you use the help_path method, which expands to some URL (say http://example.com/help). In the first case, you just use a "help_path" string, which doesn't mean anything special to Rails. You probably need to use eval:
def menu_links(param)
  if request.fullpath == eval("#{param}_path")
    return eval("#{param}_path")
  end
end

Although it's not the best solution...


Pages

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Power To Forgive

He sat across from his friend-the one having an affair with his wife. He didn’t know he knew, but he was about to.

John raged when his wife confessed. He suspected something was awry but had no proof. That was before his friend’s wife caught them, exposing the whole sordid affair. Now John faced a tough decision: forgive or hate.

John prayed before confronting his friend. It was the only way. I could kill you, he seethed through gritted teeth, but I’m going to forgive you instead. Then he hugged his friend.

Joseph did one better. Jealous brothers who hated him sold him into slavery. He languished in prison for years until finally being released after interpreting the king’s dream. Now he governed a region ravished by famine and his brothers were kneeling before him begging for food. They trembled when he revealed his identity and feared his revenge after their father died.

Joseph could have killed his brothers but chose to forgive: Don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children. And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:21)

Forgiveness is difficult but is always the right course when others abuse and hurt us. We can instantly release them from the debt they owe for the wrong they committed. But only by God’s power. No personal infraction will ever exceed our sin against God.

God's forgiveness is unlimited and unrestricted. Ours should be too. Who needs your forgiveness?


Health-related quality of life in patients with peripheral arterial disease undergoing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty: a prospective one-year follow-up.
Measuring Health Related Quality of Life has become more and more important in evaluating patients with peripheral arterial disease. This prospective longitudinal survey aimed to investigate health related quality of life over time in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) undergoing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) between December 2005 and June 2008. Health Related Quality of life was assessed using the Claudication Scale (CLAU-S) and EQ5D and the Sense of Coherence Scale was used to estimate the patients' sense of coherence. The findings of this study shows that the total CLAU-S score was improved both at one-month follow-up (p < 0.0001) and one-year follow-up (p < 0.0001) compared to baseline. There were significant differences regarding all five dimensions: every day life, pain, social life, illness-specific fears and psychological wellbeing. The EQ5D computed by index improved significantly both at one-month follow-up (p = 0.0006) and one-year follow-up (p = 0.0019) compared to baseline. Differences were found between the groups with low and moderate sense of coherence (p = 0.0169) as well as between the groups with low and high sense of coherence (p = 0.0208) regarding health related quality of life (HRQoL). This study showed that PTA improves HRQoL among individuals suffering from PAD and that the effect is sustainable over time. For more accurate results, a disease-specific instrument should be used to evaluate HRQoL.


Radiotherapy in the treatment of verrucous carcinoma of the head and neck.
Because of reports of anaplastic transformation following irradiation, this study examines the incidence of anaplastic transformation and local control of these lesions. This review of seven patients who had verrucous carcinoma of the head and neck that was treated with irradiation shows local control in 71% of cases. There were no cases of anaplastic transformation. This report adds to the literature two cases of "de-differentiation" to less differentiated squamous carcinomas; one such case occurred after surgery alone. The literature is reviewed. Overall, anaplastic transformation is reported in 7% of patients who had irradiation. De-differentiation occurs after surgery as well. The rate of local control with irradiation is less than 50%; with surgery it is 85%. It is concluded that surgery should be used if the procedure has acceptable morbidity. Otherwise, irradiation can be used. Failures can be salvaged surgically. "Anaplastic transformation" should not affect treatment approach.


tests-utilities
testLogger
	self assert: (self script logger log: 'Hello Wold') equals: 'console.log("Hello Wold")'


Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, EBSCO-Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CNKI and Wanfang to identify primary research reporting the effects of n-3 PUFAs compared with isocaloric nutrition on GI cancer patients who underwent surgery up to the end of June 30, 2016. Two authors independently reviewed and selected eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Keywords

Background

GI cancers are the most common group of malignancies and many types of GI cancer are ranked as the leading cause of cancer death worldwide [1, 2]. Surgery is the primary treatment for patients with early-stage GI cancer. However, patients undergoing selective GI cancer surgery will face the risk of developing various postoperative complications due to negative impact factors, such as malnutrition, tumor-induced immune suppression, surgical stress, and inflammation.

Postoperative complications affect the clinic outcome of patients, resulting in prolonged hospital-stay and increased costs. Of these complications, malnutrition is the most important factor influencing clinical prognosis [3, 4].

Current studies indicate that nutritional support can reduce the incidence of adverse events after major GI surgery. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) modulate the level of inflammation and reduce oxidative stress and complications [5–8]. The evidence from these studies indicates that n-3 PUFAs have an anti-inflammatory effect, which promotes wound healing, and enhances the adaptive immune response [9, 10]. However, interpretation of these studies is problematic due to methodological limitations and small sample sizes. Moreover, the results of several recent RCTs are controversial. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the potential role of n-3 PUFAs in the outcome of GI cancer patients after surgery.

Methods

Research design

We searched PubMed (January 1, 1976, through April 30, 2016), EMBASE (January 1, 1985, through April 30, 2016), the Cochrane Library (January 1, 1987, through April 30, 2016), CNKI (January 1, 1986, through April 30, 2016), Wanfang (January 1, 1985, through April 30, 2016) and VIP databases (January 1, 1985, through April 30, 2016) using common keywords related to n-3 PUFAs and GI cancer. The following key words were included: n-3 PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA, docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, gastrointestinal malignancy or cancer surgery. We reviewed the bibliographies of relevant articles for additional publications.

Selection criteria

We included trials that met the following four criteria: (1) the trial enrolled adult patients (male or female aged at least 18 years) undergoing surgery for GI malignancy; (2) the trial design was randomized, double blind, and placebo-controlled; (3) the trial compared n-3 PUFAs support with isocaloric nutrition; (4) the trial reported outcome measures such as CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+/CD8+ T cells, ALB, IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP; (5) the study did not include obese patients and there was no difference in body mass index (BMI) between the groups.

Data extraction

Two co-first authors reviewed all the articles independently and discussed the articles until a consensus was reached. Data obtained from the studies included the first author, year of publication, patient source (region), tumor types, and type of study. All data were extracted independently by two investigators. As all the studies were RCTs, we summarized the basic parameters and then assessed the quality of the included studies.

Quality evaluation

We assessed the methodological quality of the included studies using the scale of Risk of bias summary and Risk of bias graph, which is the most widely used assessment tool in meta analyses. The scale measures the following characteristics in RCTs: 1. random sequence generation (selection bias), 2. allocation concealment (selection bias), 3. blinding method used for participants and study personnel (performance bias), 4. blinding method used for outcome assessment (detection bias), 5. incomplete outcome data (attrition bias), 6. selective reporting (reporting bias), 7. other biases. The risk of each included study was rated as “high bias risk”, “unclear bias risk” or “low bias risk” according to the information extracted. The graphical results of methodological quality are shown in Fig. 2.

Statistical analysis

The levels of CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α, ALB, CD3+T cells, CD4+T cells, CD8+T cells, and CD4+/CD8+T cells were calculated using the Review Manager 5.0.24 statistical software (Cochrane Collaboration Software). Publication bias was evaluated according to a funnel plot and Begg’s and Egger’s tests using the Review Manager 5.0.24 package. Heterogeneity was considered statistically significant when P < 0.05.

Results

Characteristics of the included studies and risk of bias

The electronic literature search yielded 672 potential studies for inclusion. And finally, 126 articles had titles and abstracts that appeared to be potentially relevant. Of these studies, 54 studies were excluded because the patients received arginine. 8 studies were reported neither in Chinese nor in English and were thus excluded; 55 studies with full texts were further excluded as the patients received chemotherapy. All procedures were performed by two investigators independently. In total, 9 eligible studies were included in this meta-analysis. The flow chart of retrieval and selection of the studies is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

Flowchart of computerized search and the eligible studies included in this systematic review and meta-analysis

Table 1 summarizes the basic characteristics of the included studies. Of the 8 studies included, 5 trials reported the association between fish oil consumption and the level of CRP [11–15], 5 trials described the correlation between PUFAs and the level of IL-6 [11, 12, 14, 16, 17], 4 trials investigated the association between n-3 PUFAs and the level of TNF-α [11, 12, 14, 16], 4 trials investigated the association between n-3 PUFAs and the level of ALB [12–14, 17], 7 trials investigated the association between n-3 PUFAs and the level of inflammation [11–17], and 7 trials described the correlation between n-3 PUFAs and immune functions [12–16, 18, 19]. Nutritional status was classified by the Nutritional Risk Index (NRI). If the NRI was >100, the patient was not considered malnourished, 97.5–100 indicated mild malnutrition, 83.5–97.5 indicated moderate malnutrition, and <83.5 indicated severe malnutrition. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of mean weight and BMI in the included studies. Of the included studies, 6 studies were from China [11, 13–16, 18], one study was from Brazil [12], one study was from UK [19], and one study was from Ireland [17].

Publication bias

There was no evidence of publication bias following assessment by funnel plot, Egger’s test (P > 0.05) and Begg’s test (P > 0.05).

Discussion

The ASPEN guide recommends that for patients with large tumors undergoing surgery, a variety of immune nutrients in the nutritional formulation are conducive for improving prognosis. It is best to start nutritional support 5–7 days before surgery, and it should be continued into the postoperative period [20]. N-3 PUFAs have been reported to have a role in enhancing host immunity and attenuating the inflammatory response in GI cancer patients undergoing surgery [21]. There is evidence to suggest that n-3 PUFAs play an important role in the host immune response and inflammatory reaction in GI cancer, thus n-3 PUFAs are the best option for postoperative management compared with isocaloric nutrition [22–25].

We conducted a systematic review based on eight RCTs involving 583 patients and evaluated the impact of n-3 PUFAs on postoperative inflammation status and immune function. The results of our study showed that n-3 PUFAs significantly decreased the level of inflammation and increased immune function.

N-3 PUFAs are beneficial as a dietary supplement for cancer patients as they reduce the level of inflammatory cytokines, including IL-2, IL-6, as well as TNF-α, and promote anti-inflammatory activities. IL-6, an inflammatory cytokine, can down-regulate the stress response, and mainly originates from immune cells (e.g., T cells), endotheliocytes, and macrophages. It can effectively modulate the immune system and fight infection. Serum ALB is a negative acute phase protein and ALB concentration has important roles in the regulation of inflammation [24], while CRP is a marker of acute inflammation. Many previously published studies have revealed that n-3 PUFAs can down-regulate the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in cancer patients postoperatively [26–30]. The trial by Turnocket al. revealed that perioperative administration of n-3 PUFAs suppressed the level of CRP in patients undergoing surgery for GI malignancy [31]. High EPA and DHA intake, both of which are n-3 PUFAs, was closely related to a reduction in the level of CRP, which indicated a better prognosis. In addition, a nutritional supplement enriched with n-3 PUFAs has shown advantages in serum ALB levels in patients with head and neck cancer [32]. Vasson [33] confirmed that immunonutrition improves albuminemia in head and neck and esophageal cancer patients undergoing radiochemotherapy. The results of our meta-analysis are in accordance with these reports, in which n-3 PUFAs reduced host inflammatory response by decreasing the concentration of IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP, and improving hypoalbuminemia. The anti-inflammatory response plays an important role in patients with GI cancer [34–36]. N-3 PUFAs may be of benefit in down-regulating the strong and discordant inflammatory response which occurs after surgery.

N-3 PUFAs are beneficial as a dietary supplement in cancer patients as they enhance immune functions. N-3 PUFAs have been recognized as having immuno-modulatory activity, including the activation of T cells and cytokine production [37]. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are important effector cells of cell-mediated immunity. CD8+ T cells are strong effector T cells. All mature T cells express CD3+; CD3+ and CD4+ T cells are helper T lymphocytes that promote anti-tumor immunity. CD8+ cells are suppressor T lymphocytes. Presentation of intracellular antigen on MHC class I molecules activates CD8+ T cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes that will attempt to suppress the intracellular infection. If this does not succeed, the CD8+ T cell will kill the target cell by inducing apoptosis or cell lysis. Elevation of CD4+/CD8+ ratio, CD3+ and CD4+ lymphocyte percentage were also observed as a result of n-3 PUFAs supplementation. It is essential to understand precisely how specific (n-3) PUFAs modulate immune function. Turbitt [38] suggested that it is possible that n-3 PUFAs induced an increase in IL-2 and IFN-g production in T cells, which may drive a Th1 response, enhance antitumor immunity, and contribute to the cancer prevention effect of n-3 PUFAs. Thus, n-3 PUFA supplementation may enhance Th1 cytokine response and may differentially alter the effector function of T cells. Anita [39] suggested that EPA alone or in combination with 5-FU + Oxaliplatin (FuOx) could be an effective preventive strategy for recurring sporadic colorectal cancer. Cancer stem/stem-like cells (CSCs/CSLCs) are self-renewing undifferentiated cells and are thought to be one of the leading causes of cancer recurrence. EPA acts synergistically with chemotherapy to markedly inhibit the growth of chemo-resistant colon cancer cells which form the bulk of the recurrent tumor. These findings are in accordance with previous evidence that EPA and DHA reduce inflammation in humans and may have anti-neoplastic properties. Kim [40] confirmed that CD4+ T-cell proliferation was stimulated by a fish oil diet. The level of CD4+ T-cells was higher in the n-3 PUFAs group than in the conventional nutritional support group, indicating that n-3 PUFAs enhanced host immune function. On the other hand, Marano [41] suggested that the intake of n-3 PUFAs improved the immune response by increasing peripheral total lymphocytes, including T lymphocytes, and CD4+ T-cells, while several other studies [42–44] suggested negative or inverse results. Different subsets of mature T cells carry out the functions of cell-mediated immunity, including killing virally infected cells and tumor cells (CD8+ T cells) and providing help for and regulating components of the immune system (CD4+ T cells). Our meta-analysis showed that n-3 PUFAs effectively increased the level of CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells and CD4+/CD8+ T cells in patients undergoing surgery for GI cancer, but could decrease the level of CD8+ T cells, indicating that the immune response was enhanced and rehabilitation was promoted after surgery. Thus modulation of immune responses and reduction of inflammatory responses together lessens postoperative hospital stay for GI cancer patients. And postoperative n-3 PUFAs nutrition for GI cancer is a challenge and need further research.

Conclusions

Our study has important limitations. The intake of n-3 PUFAs varies considerably within countries, and this may explain the heterogeneity across studies. The outcome estimates were taken from published data; therefore, systematic biases could not be minimized and the data in some cases were incomplete. However, we confirmed that the addition of n-3 fatty acids improved immune function and reduced the level of inflammation in GI cancer patients postoperatively. Thus, despite these limitations and although further larger trials are needed, these fatty acids should be widely used in the clinic.

Notes

Jing Yu and Lian Liu are first co-author.

Abbreviations

ALB:

Albumin

CRP:

C-reaction protein

GI:

Gastrointestinal

IL-2:

Interleukin-2

IL-6:

Interleukin-6

n-3 PUFAs:

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

TNF-α:

Tumor necrosis factor-α

Declarations

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the help of the members of the oncology department in Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University.

Competing interests

Consent for publication

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Publishers note

Springer nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.


H04L25/49—Transmitting circuits; Receiving circuits using code conversion at the transmitter; using predistortion; using insertion of idle bits for obtaining a desired frequency spectrum; using three or more amplitude levels ; Baseband coding techniques specific to data transmission systems

Abstract

In a serial, bidirectional data transmission method for communication between a programming device and a service device which is to be programmed, such as a hearing device, data are transmitted from the programming device and clock pulses are transmitted to the service device for individual adjustment of the application-specific data of the service device. Using a single signaling line, clock pulses that are variably formed for data transmission, are applied at the signaling line, and the digital information is recovered at the service device side by means of clock pulse variation and is subsequently processed with the transmitted clock pulse. Clock pulsewidth variation is performed as the clock pulse variation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a serial bidirectional data transmission method for communication between a programming device and a service device which is to be programmed, such as a hearing aid.

2. Description of the Prior Art and Related Application

Serial, bidirectional data transmission is known for communication between a programming device and a hearing aid device, wherein data and clock pulses are transmitted from the programming device to the hearing aid device for individually adjusting auditory environment-specific data, or hearing deficiency-specific data, of the hearing aid device. It is known to accomplish such transmission using a single signaling line for the data transmission, with variable clock pulses being supplied to the signaling line. The digital information is recovered at the hearing aid device by analyzing the variation in the clock pulses. The recovered digital information is subsequently processed with the transmitted clock pulse. It is known to employ clock pulsewidth variation as the clock pulse variation.

German OS 196 51 126, corresponding to co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/984,060, filed Dec. 3, 1997 (“Serial Bidirectional Data Transmission Method and Apparatus and Hearing Aid Employing Same,” W. Meyer), assigned to the same Assignee (Siemens AG) as the present application, teaches a serial, bidirectional data transmission method for communication between a programming device and a service device, wherein for data transmission variably formed clock pulses are applied to a signaling line, and the digital information is recovered by means of clock pulse variation. As an example of a clock pulse variation, a clock pulse amplitude variation is suggested, which, however, can be realized only with considerable technical outlay in a realization of a wireless transmission path between a programming device and a service device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for data transmission of the type initially described which is also suitable for wireless data transmission between a programming device and a service device.

The above object is achieved in accordance with the principles of the present invention in a serial, bidirectional data transmission method of the type initially described, wherein a transmission frame with a defined pulsewidth is used, the transmission frame having a start bit which is set to 0 and a stop bit which is set to 1. In the data transmission from the programming device to the hearing aid device, the transmission frame has at least one other bit position, besides the start bit, which is set to 0, this at least one other position being set to 1 in the responsive (answerback) data transmission from the hearing aid device to the programming device. Additionally or alternatively, the responsive data transmission may have at least one other bit position besides the stop bit which is set to 1, this at least one other being positioned being set to 0 in the responsive data transmission from the hearing aid device to the programming device.

Compared to the cited data transmission described in German OS 196 51 126, and U.S. application Ser. No. 081984,060, the inventive data transmission method enables a simplified data transmission, particularly given the use of a wireless transmission path between a programming device and a service device, since a transmission of different signal amplitude information, which is susceptible to interference, is not used.

The overall disclosure of the aforementioned co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/984,060 is incorporated herein by reference. The inventive data transmission method can be expanded by suitable methodological and/or circuit variants described in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/984,060.

For reasons of cost, a standardized serial interface, particularly an RS232 interface, is utilized in the inventive method.

For simpler processing of the clock pulse information, a transmission frame with a defined pulsewidth (particularly 8 bit positions) is advantageously used.

The start of a transmission frame is specified by a start bit that is set at 0, thereby generating the chronological zero point of the transmission frame and making it possible to forgo a separate clock line. The end of a transmission frame can be indicated by a stop bit that is set at 1.

Within the transmission frame, only a certain number of neighboring bit positions are set at 0, and the remaining bit positions are set at 1, so that a pulsewidth signal with an assigned significance is produced. By changing the number of neighboring bit positions that are set at 0 or 1, respectively, different significance assignments can be coded within a transmission frame.

In another variant of the method, in the data transmission from a programming device to a service device, the transmission frame has at least one other bit position (besides the start bit) which is set to 0, or has at least one other bit position (besides the stop bit) which is set to 1. In the transmission back from the service device to the programming device, response information can be inserted in the transmission frame at this additional location. A transmission frame such as TXD and RXD frame is used.

A known interface can be connected between the programming device and the service device, particularly the hearing device, by which interface a voltage level matching between the interface of the programming device and the hearing device can occur, for example. Furthermore, increased programming voltages (e.g. 15V) and answerback signals can be generated via the interface. In addition, in programming of a hearing device which is a dual device, a changeover between the left and the right hearing aids can occur via the interface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a transmission frame with a first significance assignment in accordance with the inventive method.

FIG. 2 illustrates a transmission frame with an additional significance assignment in accordance with the inventive method.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 depict a transmission frame 11 which has a width of 10 bit positions 1-10. In the transmission frame 11 according to FIG. 1, in a data transmission from a programming device to a service device, the bit positions 1-4 are set at 0, and the bit positions 5-10 are set at 1, so that a specific significance assignment is produced.

Bit position 1 is set at 0, so that a 1/0 transition arises at the beginning of the transmission frame 11, and bit position 1 thus serves as start bit. Bit position 10 is set at 1 and serves as stop bit. The bit positions 2-9 are set at 0 or 1 with respective significance assignments.

In the transmission frame 11 according to FIG. 2, which can serve as an example of a response by the service device to the programming device, the bit positions 3 and 4 have been set (charged) from 0 to 1, as compared to FIG. 1. The response information of the hearing device to the programming device thus has been inserted into the transmission frame of the response at the bit positions 3 and 4.

Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventor to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of his contribution to the art.

Claims (15)

I claim as my invention:

1. In a serial, bidirectional data transmission method for communicating between a programming device and a hearing aid device, wherein digital data and clock pulses of respectively variable pulse widths are transmitted, via a single signaling line, from the programming device to the hearing aid device for adjusting operating parameters of the hearing device, and wherein said digital data are recovered at the hearing aid device by analyzing the variations of said pulsewidths of said clock pulses, and wherein said hearing aid device, upon recovery of said digital data, transmits a responsive transmission of digital data from said hearing aid device to said programming device, the improvement comprising:

transmitting said digital data between said programming device and said hearing aid device in a transmission frame with a defined pulsewidth and having a start bit which is set to 0 and a stop bit which is set to 1;

for transmission of said digital data in said transmission frame from said programming device to said hearing aid device, setting at least one bit position besides said start bit to 0; and

in said responsive transmission of said digital data from said hearing aid device to said programming device, setting said at least one bit position to 1.

2. The improvement of claim 1 comprising transmitting said digital data between said programming device and said hearing aid device via a standardized serial interface.

3. The improvement of claim 2 comprising the step of employing an RS232 interface as said standardized serial interface.

4. The improvement of claim 1 comprising employing a transmission frame comprising 10 bit positions as said transmission frame for transmitting said digital data between said programming device and said hearing aid device.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising employing a TXD frame as said transmission frame for transmitting said digital data from said programming device to said hearing aid device, and using an RXD frame as said transmission frame for transmitting said digital data from said hearing aid device to said programming device.

6. In a serial, bidirectional data transmission method for communicating between a programming device and a hearing aid device, wherein digital data and clock pulses of respectively variable pulse widths are transmitted, via a single signaling line, from the programming device to the hearing aid device for adjusting operating parameters of the hearing device, and wherein said digital data are recovered at the hearing aid device by analyzing the variations of said pulsewidths of said clock pulses, and wherein said hearing aid device, upon recovery of said digital data, transmits a responsive transmission of digital data from said hearing aid device to said programming device, the improvement comprising:

transmitting said digital data between said programming device and said hearing aid device in a transmission frame with a defined pulsewidth and having a start bit which is set to 0 and a stop bit which is set to 1;

for transmission of said digital data in said transmission frame from said programming device to said hearing aid device, setting at least one bit position besides said stop bit to 1; and

in said responsive transmission of said digital data from said hearing aid device to said programming device, setting said at least one bit position to 0.

7. The improvement of claim 6 comprising transmitting said digital data between said programming device and said hearing aid device via a standardized serial interface.

8. The improvement of claim 7 comprising the step of employing an RS232 interface as said standardized serial interface.

9. The improvement of claim 6 comprising employing a transmission frame comprising 10 bit positions as said transmission frame for transmitting said digital data between said programming device and said hearing aid device.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6 comprising employing a TXD frame as said transmission frame for transmitting said digital data from said programming device to said hearing aid device, and using an RXD frame as said transmission frame for transmitting said digital data from said hearing aid device to said programming device.

11. In a serial, bidirectional data transmission method for communicating between a programming device and a hearing aid device, wherein digital data and clock pulses of respectively variable pulse widths are transmitted, via a single signaling line, from the programming device to the hearing aid device for adjusting operating parameters of the hearing device, and wherein said digital data are recovered at the hearing aid device by analyzing the variations of said pulsewidths of said clock pulses, and wherein said hearing aid device, upon recovery of said digital data, transmits a responsive transmission of digital data from said hearing aid device to said programming device, the improvement comprising:

transmitting said digital data between said programming device and said hearing aid device in a transmission frame with a defined pulsewidth and having a start bit which is set to 0 and a stop bit which is set to 1;

for transmission of said digital data in said transmission frame from said programming device to said hearing aid device, setting at least one first bit position besides said start bit to 0 and setting at least one second bit position besides said stop bit to 1; and

in said responsive transmission of said digital data from said hearing aid device to said programming device, setting said at least one first bit position to 1 and setting said at least one second bit position to 0.

12. The improvement of claim 11 comprising transmitting said digital data between said programming device and said hearing aid device via a standardized serial interface.

13. The improvement of claim 12 comprising the step of employing an RS232 interface as said standardized serial interface.

14. The improvement of claim 11 comprising employing a transmission frame comprising 10 bit positions as said transmission frame for transmitting said digital data between said programming device and said hearing aid device.

15. A method as claimed in claim 11 comprising employing a TXD frame as said transmission frame for transmitting said digital data from said programming device to said hearing aid device, and using an RXD frame as said transmission frame for transmitting said digital data from said hearing aid device to said programming device.