Actor/musician/security guard Derrick T. Tuggle's smooth moves earned him a starring role in the Keys' new clip. By James Montgomery
Derek T. Tuggle in The Black Key's "Lonely Boy" music video Photo: Warner Music Group
Forget about that "Evolution of Dance" guy or the "Double Dream Feet" dude. The real Internet dancing sensation may very well be Derrick T. Tuggle, the 48-year-old actor/musician/part-time security guard currently setting the Web ablaze with his smooth moves in the Black Keys' "Lonely Boy" video.
For the uninitiated, the clip stars Tuggle — and only Tuggle — as a herky-jerky dance machine who grooves to the Keys' new single while standing outside a motel room. Over the course of three-plus minutes, as the sleeves of his dress shirt become increasingly unrolled, he cycles through a series of rather amazing moves (and even mimics a few of the lyrics) before triumphantly thrusting his fist skyward as the song comes to a close. It is a decidedly odd, strangely compelling performance, and because of it, the "Lonely Boy" video — the first clip from the Keys' El Camino album — has racked up nearly 400,000 views in less than 24 hours. It's also made a rather unwitting star of Tuggle, even though (up until right now), no one knew his name.
But what's even more amazing is the fact that his star-making turn almost didn't happen at all, as Tuggle told MTV News on Thursday (October 27).
"I was cast as an extra, and there were maybe six or seven other people who were supposedly going to be in the video. ... I was the first one to perform in the video. It was a motel shot where the guys from the Black Keys come and give me the keys to their motel room," he said. "The director just sort of noticed me dancing and asked me, 'Can you perform?' I said, 'I can dance, anybody can dance,' so I took some moves from everybody: John Travolta from 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'Pulp Fiction,' the Carlton Banks dance from 'The Fresh Prince' and a little bit of Michael Jackson, so it was a smorgasbord of everybody in there.
"It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing," Tuggle added. "My acting teacher Mark McPherson, he has us do this thing before we start class called 'Song and Dance,' where he'll have us sing one of our favorite songs, and then while we're singing it, he'll have us do a crazy dance, or a sexy dance, and I guess it spawned from that."
The end result is most definitely crazy — not to mention rather incredible, considering Tuggle nailed the routine in a single take ("As an actor, you have to know your lines, you have to be ready, so I was," he explained). And though he's had music-video experience in the past (he's done background work in clips for the Dave Matthews Band, Lenny Kravitz and Lloyd), he's never experienced anything quite like the reaction to "Lonely Boy," and he's hoping it will translate to more roles in the future.
"I'm elated, and I'm still in shock, to be honest. I've been out [in Los Angeles] for 10 years, pursuing acting and music, so hopefully this will lead to more work," he said. "Honestly, I just went down there to do my part and see what would happen. Who knew I would take over the whole thing?"
What did you think of Tuggle's moves? Let us know in the comments!
Matt Mitrione is an insanely talented athlete. He played in the NFL, and then made a seamless transition into MMA. Going into his bout this weekend with Cheick Kongo, he is undefeated, and every one of his bouts have been in the UFC. But is he athletic enough to beat a bantamweight in a foot race?
When trying to figure out what position in sports is the most athletic, Mitrione tweeted that he would challenge every UFC belt holder to a forty-yard dash, with nothing but pride on the line. Urijah Faber, the one-time UFC featherweight champ, jumped in and challenged every UFC heavyweight to a timed mile. Mitrione said he would take the challenge.
Oh, please can this happen? Between the trash talk and the idea of Mitrione and Faber competing in anything, this is about as fun as it gets. Is there anyone who wouldn't want to see a heavyweight and a bantamweight in a foot race? If you raised your hand, you clearly don't like fun.
(Reuters) ? An Iraq war veteran was listed in critical condition on Wednesday from injuries he sustained at economic protests on the streets of Oakland, triggering calls for renewed Occupy Wall Street demonstrations across the country.
Protest organizers say 24-year-old Scott Olsen, a former U.S. Marine, was struck in the head on Tuesday night by a tear gas canister fired by police during a confrontation with demonstrators trying to move back into a downtown Oakland plaza.
A spokesman for Highland General Hospital in Oakland confirmed Olsen was in critical condition there from injuries sustained during the protest but could not confirm he had been hit by a tear gas canister.
Oakland Police spokeswoman Cynthia Perkins said the department was investigating the incident. She declined further comment.
Keith Shannon, who said he served alongside Olsen in Iraq, told Reuters his friend was suffering from a two-inch skull fracture and brain swelling and had been sedated in the hospital's emergency room trauma center while neurosurgeons decide whether to operate.
The hospital declined to comment on those medical details.
Shannon said Olsen served two tours in Iraq from 2006 to 2010 with the 3rd battalion, 4th Marine regiment. Shannon, 24, and Olsen deployed together to Iraq, where they worked in tactical communications, Shannon said.
They both now work as systems administrators at a software firm, he said.
VIDEO MAY SHOW INCIDENT
Olsen, originally from Onalaska, Wisconsin, had been camping overnight with the Occupy San Francisco protest before joining the Oakland movement after a police crackdown, said his friend Adele Carpenter, who spoke to Reuters by phone from the hospital waiting room.
"The irony is not lost on anyone here that this is someone who survived two tours in Iraq and is now seriously injured by the Oakland police force," Carpenter, 29, told Reuters.
YouTube videos that appear to be from Tuesday night's clashes show a man identified as Olsen being carried away from a police line by protesters, bleeding and unresponsive to questions.
The video could not be independently verified by Reuters.
The injuries to Olsen touched off a furor among protesters in Oakland and elsewhere, where organizers took to Twitter and other social media to call for marches in his name on Wednesday night.
"In #solidarity with #occupyoakland, march at 9PM tonight! Meet us at #libertysquare!" Occupy Wall Street's Twitter account said in a tweet on Wednesday afternoon.
More than 1,000 people marched on Oakland's city hall on Tuesday night to protest scores of arrests made by police when they broke up an encampment in a plaza nearby earlier on Tuesday.
The protests in Oakland are an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement launched more than a month ago in New York.
The demonstrations voicing frustration over government bailouts of big banks, persistent high unemployment and economic inequality have spread across the United States and overseas, although participant numbers remain relatively small in most cities.
TUESDAY, Oct. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Men who drink plenty of low-sugar fluids may reduce their risk for bladder cancer, new research suggests.
Although the reason for the association between fluid intake and protection against cancer remains unknown, researchers theorize the fluids may flush out potential cancer-causing agents before they have a chance to cause any damage.
In conducting the study, Jiachen Zhou, a doctoral candidate in epidemiology at Brown University, and colleagues evaluated the fluid intake of nearly 48,000 men who were part of a long-term study. The men, who were aged 40 to 75 when they enrolled in the study in 1986, answered a questionnaire about their fluid intake every four years for more than two decades.
The investigators found that the men with a high daily fluid intake, or those who drank more than 10 cups (2,531 milliliters) per day, had a 24 percent reduced risk for bladder cancer. The study authors concluded that doctors should tell their patients to drink plenty of low-sugar fluids.
Although this link between fluid intake and bladder cancer risk was discovered 10 years ago, the association, the study found, was stronger among younger men. This could be due to the fact that the men drank less as they aged, particularly water, the researchers pointed out in a news release from the American Association for Cancer Research.
The study findings -- which revealed an association between fluid consumption and reduced cancer risk, but not a cause-and-effect -- were slated for presentation Oct. 24 at the AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, in Boston. Research presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about bladder cancer.
Why can't every single digital camera be encased in gorgeous walnut and cherry wood? Probably because it'd be outrageously expensive. Luckily, for those with the means, these custom Japanese Fujifilm X100 coverings are stunning. High tech meets... trees. More »
PARIS (AP) -Nene scored both goals in Paris Saint-Germain's 2-0 victory over Dijon on Sunday to help his team keep a three-point lead over Montpellier in the French league.
The Brazilian midfielder converted a cross from Jeremy Menez in the 42nd minute and doubled the lead in the 90th with a long-range strike inside the far post.
"That's our fifth straight win in the league," PSG coach Antoine Kombouare told the club's website. "Those matches are very complicated. We were facing a promoted side that came here with nothing to lose. We were the big favorite and therefore had to win. And we got the job done."
Meanwhile, defending champion Lille rallied past Lyon 3-1 to climb to third place, four points off the pace, and Rennes beat mid-table Auxerre 1-0 to take fourth place.
"Lyon troubled us with its attack in the first half," Lille coach Rudi Garcia told Canal Plus television. "We played well in the second half. What's more, we scored on set pieces, things on which we are working and were not very efficient."
In Lille, Jimmy Briand collected a pass from playmaker Yoann Gourcuff to slip the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Mickael Landreau from a tight angle and put Lyon ahead in the 22nd.
Lyon nearly added a second goal in the 33rd when Michel Bastos found Bafetimbi Gomis inside the area. But the Lyon striker chested the ball down only to fire wide from 10 yards.
Lille equalized on the stroke of half-time with a backheel flick from Senegal striker Moussa Sow. Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris spilled a header from Marko Basa from a corner and Sow followed up to score.
Lyon faded in the second half as Lille dominated possession. Basa outjumped Lyon defender Bakary Kone in the 64th to head home a free kick from Dimitri Payet and give the hosts a 2-1 lead.
Sow charged down the left flank on a counterattack to pull the ball back for Joe Cole, who slid home from six yards in the 83rd.
"It's disappointing that we were a bit passive on two set pieces," Gomis said. "Unfortunately, you pay dearly against that kind of team."
Lyon slipped to fifth place, one point behind Rennes, which scored the only goal of the game against Auxerre when midfielder Julien Feret took a pass from Razak Boukari on a counterattack to beat goalkeeper Olivier Sorin in the 74th.
A minute earlier, Rennes defender Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik saved his team by clearing a lob from Auxerre striker Yaya Sanogo off the line.
"Teams ahead of us are impressive and it's not easy to keep pace with them," Rennes coach Frederic Antonetti told Canal Plus television. "We must win matches not to be dropped."
(Reuters) ? Oracle Corp struck a deal to buy online customer service company RightNow Technologies Inc for about $1.5 billion, sparking speculation of bids for other so-called cloud technology companies that deliver software, data and computing power over the Internet.
Oracle's bid of $43 a share amounted to a 20 percent premium over RightNow's closing price on Friday. RightNow's shares rose 19.3 percent in Monday afternoon trade to $42.89. Oracle shares rose 1.9 percent to $32.74.
Oracle is pushing into the cloud technology market, including sales force automation, human resources and databases.
"RightNow got a very good price from Oracle. I don't see other bidders. Not at this valuation," said Pacific Crest analyst Brendan Barnicle
Started in a spare bedroom by its founder Greg Ginaforte in 1997, RightNow clocked sales of over $185 million in 2010 and competes with bigger rival SalesForce.com Inc and online marketing software maker Constant Contact Inc.
"We believe Oracle's acquisition of RightNow will make it a more direct competitor and formidable threat to SalesForce.com's service cloud offering," Oppenheimer analyst Brad Reback said.
For years, Oracle has been rumored to be targeting SalesForce.com to beef up its cloud offering. Another possible target for Oracle could be NetSuite Inc, which is already partly owned by Oracle Chief Executive Officer Larry Ellison.
However, Rick Sherlund said it is not all about SalesForce.com, as Oracle is trying to broaden out its entire software-as-a-service offerings to make sure they are broadly competitive in the market.
RightNow might have to pay Oracle a termination fee of around $60 million if it accepted a higher bid from another party. The termination fee could be around $18 million if the deal were terminated under some other conditions. A RightNow spokesman declined to comment further on the transaction.
Oracle expects the deal to close in late 2011 or early next year.
MORE DEALS TO COME?
Analysts said Oracle has been buying assets to fill in holes in its cloud offerings in the last year; acquisitions have included ATG, Inquira and FatWire. RightNow's technology helps manage customer call centers and extends support to Web and social networks.
"This acquisition shows Oracle is serious about being in the cloud space," said Susquehanna analyst Derrick Wood. "We, however, do not think it can do it organically and that if it wants to be a formidable competitor it will need to enter the market through acquisitions," Wood said.
Analysts estimated the price Oracle is paying for RightNow amounts to about 4 percent of its total cash and investments.
But the interest in smaller cloud computing companies will not be limited to Oracle, said analysts, Other major technology companies that could be interested include Dell Inc, Hewlett-Packard Co and Microsoft Corp.
Pacific Crest's Barnicle said the RightNow deal is good for the entire sector as it signals a potential wave of acquisitions.
"I think we will continue to see acquisition in the customer relationship management space," said Rebecca Wettemann, an analyst with Nucleus Research.
Shares of Egain Communications Corp, one of RightNow's peers, jumped as high as $7.98 following the news and was still up 8.8 percent to $7.70 in afternoon Nasdaq dealings.
Oracle's acquisition proves that the cloud is a safe place to conduct business and a genuine place for chief investment officers of any corporation to look, said Fahim Siddiqui, chief product officer of IntraLinks Holdings Inc. IntraLinks is a customer of both RightNow and SalesForce.com.
In July, RightNow raised its full-year recurring revenue growth outlook to 27 percent from a previous 24 percent.
(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee, Yinka Adegoke and Michael Erman in New York, editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Dave Zimmerman, Derek Caney)
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The original launch of Google TV didn't go so well. Will an updated UI and expanded access to the Android marketplace help the set-top boxes find a place in living rooms? Maybe not. Check out a full gallery of screen grabs and further analysis at Zat's Not Funny. More »
BEIJING ? China says its coal mines have had fewer fatalities and accidents this year compared with the same period in 2010, though its mines are still the world's most dangerous.
The official Xinhua News Agency on Saturday quoted the top official in charge of coal mine safety as saying that 1,419 miners were killed in the first nine months of the year, 27.6 percent fewer than the same period last year.
Zhao Tiechui told Xinhua that the number of deadly accidents fell 18.7 percent to 892 during the same period.
The report didn't credit any specific measures for the improvements, though China has cracked down on the smaller, illegal mines blamed for many deaths.
Fatalities in China's coal mines last year were about one-third of the high of nearly 7,000 in 2002.
The U.S. Forest Service has backed away from claims about the effectiveness of dropping huge red plumes of fire retardant on wildfires, but does not expect to cut back on its use.
Acting under a court order, the agency Friday began sending out copies of an environmental impact statement laying out how it plans to use fire retardant without harming threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants.
Forest Service analyst Glen Stein says that after it was pointed out the agency has no hard data showing fire retardant to be effective, it toned down earlier claims.
But he says firefighters know from experience that fire retardant is useful, and they plan to keep using it while taking steps not to harm endangered species.
Contact: Christian Basi BasiC@missouri.edu 573-882-4430 University of Missouri-Columbia
Research is a step toward understanding cause of autism
COLUMBIA, Mo. The face and brain develop in coordination, with each influencing the other, beginning in the embryo and continuing through adolescence. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found distinct differences between the facial characteristics of children with autism compared to those of typically developing children. This knowledge could help researchers understand the origins of autism.
"There is no clear answer about whether autism is caused by genetics or by environmental influences," said Kristina Aldridge, lead author and assistant professor of anatomy in the MU School of Medicine and the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. "If we can identify when these facial changes occur, we could pinpoint when autism may begin to develop in a child. Knowing that point in time could lead us to identify a genetic cause, a window of time when the embryo may be susceptible to an environmental factor, or both."
Aldridge and colleagues found the following distinct differences between facial characteristics of children with autism and those of typically developing children:
Children with autism have a broader upper face, including wider eyes.
Children with autism have a shorter middle region of the face, including the cheeks and nose.
Children with autism have a broader or wider mouth and philtrum the divot below the nose, above the top lip.
She says these are subtle differences that will enable researchers to further study people with autism spectrum disorders.
Aldridge analyzed 64 boys with autism and 41 typically developing boys aged eight to 12 years old, using a camera system that captures a 3-D image of each child's head. Then, she mapped 17 points on the face, such as the corner of the eye and the divot in the upper lip. When Aldridge calculated the overall geometry of the face using these points, and compared children with autism and typically developing children, she found statistically significant differences in face shape.
Understanding that people with autism have statistically different facial characteristics enables researchers to focus on the underlying causes of autism, Aldridge said. Additionally, the study identified two groups of children with autism who show further distinct facial traits that occur in children with specific characteristics of autism, such as behavior problems, language level and repetitive behaviors. Identifying these subgroups within the group of children with autism allows better study of these children and why autism is so variable.
"This research would not be possible without the children and their families that participated," Aldridge said. "Their help is key to advancing research and helping us better understand autism, and how to develop better treatments. We are also indebted to the University of Missouri's Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders for their support of this project and the care it provides for children with autism and their families in Missouri."
The study was published in Molecular Autism. Aldridge collaborated with Ian George, a graduate student in the School of Medicine; Kimberly Cole, a research technician at the School of Medicine; Jordan Austin, a senior in the College of Arts and Science; T. Nicole Takahashi, project director at the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Ye Duan, associate professor of computer science in the College of Engineering and the Thompson Center; Judith Miles, professor emerita in the School of Medicine and the Thompson Center. The entire team is affiliated with the Thompson Center. This research was supported by an Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Program grant, the Simons Foundation and the Thompson Center Research Scholar Funds.
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Contact: Christian Basi BasiC@missouri.edu 573-882-4430 University of Missouri-Columbia
Research is a step toward understanding cause of autism
COLUMBIA, Mo. The face and brain develop in coordination, with each influencing the other, beginning in the embryo and continuing through adolescence. Now, University of Missouri researchers have found distinct differences between the facial characteristics of children with autism compared to those of typically developing children. This knowledge could help researchers understand the origins of autism.
"There is no clear answer about whether autism is caused by genetics or by environmental influences," said Kristina Aldridge, lead author and assistant professor of anatomy in the MU School of Medicine and the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. "If we can identify when these facial changes occur, we could pinpoint when autism may begin to develop in a child. Knowing that point in time could lead us to identify a genetic cause, a window of time when the embryo may be susceptible to an environmental factor, or both."
Aldridge and colleagues found the following distinct differences between facial characteristics of children with autism and those of typically developing children:
Children with autism have a broader upper face, including wider eyes.
Children with autism have a shorter middle region of the face, including the cheeks and nose.
Children with autism have a broader or wider mouth and philtrum the divot below the nose, above the top lip.
She says these are subtle differences that will enable researchers to further study people with autism spectrum disorders.
Aldridge analyzed 64 boys with autism and 41 typically developing boys aged eight to 12 years old, using a camera system that captures a 3-D image of each child's head. Then, she mapped 17 points on the face, such as the corner of the eye and the divot in the upper lip. When Aldridge calculated the overall geometry of the face using these points, and compared children with autism and typically developing children, she found statistically significant differences in face shape.
Understanding that people with autism have statistically different facial characteristics enables researchers to focus on the underlying causes of autism, Aldridge said. Additionally, the study identified two groups of children with autism who show further distinct facial traits that occur in children with specific characteristics of autism, such as behavior problems, language level and repetitive behaviors. Identifying these subgroups within the group of children with autism allows better study of these children and why autism is so variable.
"This research would not be possible without the children and their families that participated," Aldridge said. "Their help is key to advancing research and helping us better understand autism, and how to develop better treatments. We are also indebted to the University of Missouri's Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders for their support of this project and the care it provides for children with autism and their families in Missouri."
The study was published in Molecular Autism. Aldridge collaborated with Ian George, a graduate student in the School of Medicine; Kimberly Cole, a research technician at the School of Medicine; Jordan Austin, a senior in the College of Arts and Science; T. Nicole Takahashi, project director at the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Ye Duan, associate professor of computer science in the College of Engineering and the Thompson Center; Judith Miles, professor emerita in the School of Medicine and the Thompson Center. The entire team is affiliated with the Thompson Center. This research was supported by an Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Program grant, the Simons Foundation and the Thompson Center Research Scholar Funds.
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Actress sues Amazon for revealing her age on IMDb GENE JOHNSON - Associated Press - AP - 18 hours ago
An anonymous actress claims in a million-dollar federal lawsuit that her offers for roles dropped sharply after the popular Internet Movie Database published damaging?? More??Actress sues Amazon for revealing her age on IMDb
PROVIDENCE, R.I. Researchers at The Miriam Hospital demonstrated a practical strategy for regularly screening HIV-infected patients for acute hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), a "silent epidemic" that is rising undetected in this population and can lead to serious health complications.
"Acute HCV outbreaks have led to calls for ongoing screenings for HIV-infected individuals, but it has been unclear how best to implement this," says lead author Lynn E. Taylor, M.D., an HIV/AIDS physician at The Miriam Hospital. "Detecting HCV in the acute stage is important because antiviral therapy is much more effective in the acute phase than treatment in the chronic phase of HCV infection, especially for people living with HIV."
Acute HCV is an emerging sexually transmitted infection among HIV-infected men who have sex with men. Left untreated, acute HCV defined as the first six months after exposure to the virus can progress to chronic HCV, a leading cause of non-AIDS related illness and death among individuals infected with HIV. Due to overlapping routes of transmission, including injection drug use and certain sexual behaviors, HIV and HCV coinfection is common. However, most individuals with acute HCV are asymptomatic, or have mild, nonspecific symptoms, and early diagnosis is rare because most at-risk individuals are not tested for the virus.
Taylor and colleagues piloted an acute HCV screening strategy for at-risk HIV-infected individuals that coincided with their routine HIV clinical care schedule. At these quarterly appointments, patients completed a risk questionnaire and received a low-cost blood test to measure alanine aminotransferase (ALT), a liver enzyme that when newly elevated may indicate recent HCV infection. ALT elevations triggered a more expensive HCV RNA rest to definitively diagnose a new HCV infection.
Although the visits took place in a busy HIV clinic, 88 percent of participants had at least one ALT test. There were seven instances in which a rise in ALT prompted HCV RNA testing. One participant was diagnosed with acute HCV during the course of the study, which researchers say was anticipated given the sample size and duration of study; this corresponded to a considerable annual incidence of 2.0 percent per year.
The findings are reported in the October 2011 issue of AIDS Patient Care and STDs.
"We demonstrate that even in a busy HIV clinic setting, it is possible to screen for and diagnose hepatitis C in its earliest stages, giving patients the best chance for HCV treatment success while providing an opportunity to educate patients about how to prevent transmitting the infection to others," Taylor says.
The Miriam study included 58 HIV-infected individuals. In addition to ALT blood tests, participants also completed risk screening questionnaires at each study visit, which included questions about sexual and drug-related risk behaviors and perceptions about their risk for acquiring HCV.
The study revealed that many at-risk HIV-infected individuals do not know they are at risk for HCV. More than half of the male participants who have sex with men reported that they do not believe that risk behaviors such as unprotected anal intercourse or certain drug practices put them at risk for HCV infection.
However, Taylor says that self-reported HCV risk and participation in several risk behaviors declined during the study. This could be explained by risk reduction counseling, which was provided at each clinic visit underreporting due to the stigma of some of these behaviors, or diminished memory of behaviors during substance use. However, reducing risk through proactive educational and counseling interventions merits further consideration.
According to Taylor, routine acute HCV screening efforts have important public health implications. "Hepatitis C is a common, potentially life-threatening and costly infection, both here in Rhode Island and across the United States," Taylor says. "Physicians should establish strategies and approaches for systematically identifying hepatitis C early in the course of infection among HIV-infected individuals who are particularly vulnerable to an accelerated HCV disease course. Our findings make it clear that it is possible to do so."
An estimated five million people in the U.S. have chronic HCV, a liver disease that may result in long-term health problems, including liver scarring, liver failure and liver cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 12,000 people die every year from HCV-related liver disease. In HIV-infected patients, the liver damage may happen more quickly. HCV infection itself is an indication to introduce antiviral medications for HIV early in the course of HIV disease in order to slow HCV disease progression.
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The study was funded by grants from the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for AIDS Research and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Co-authors included Josiah Rich, M.D., M.P.H., and Kenneth H. Mayer, M.D., from The Miriam Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Michaela Maynard, M.P.H., and Stacey Chapman, R.N., from The Miriam Hospital; Alison K. DeLong, M.S., of Brown University; Pierre Gholam, M.D., AGAF, of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; and Jason T. Blackard, Ph.D., of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
The principal affiliation of Lynn E. Taylor, M.D., is The Miriam Hospital (a member hospital of the Lifespan health system in Rhode Island), and direct financial and infrastructure support for this project was received through the Lifespan Office of Research Administration. The researcher also has an academic appointment at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
The Miriam Hospital (www.miriamhospital.org) is a 247-bed, not-for-profit teaching hospital affiliated with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. It offers expertise in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, men's health, and minimally invasive surgery and is home to the state's first Joint Commission-certified Stroke Center and robotic surgery program. The hospital is nationally known for its HIV/AIDS and behavioral and preventive medicine research, including weight control, physical activity and smoking cessation. The Miriam Hospital has been awarded Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Services four times and is a founding member of the Lifespan health system.
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Miriam Hospital researchers pilot new acute hepatitis C screening strategy for HIV-infected patientsPublic release date: 18-Oct-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
PROVIDENCE, R.I. Researchers at The Miriam Hospital demonstrated a practical strategy for regularly screening HIV-infected patients for acute hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), a "silent epidemic" that is rising undetected in this population and can lead to serious health complications.
"Acute HCV outbreaks have led to calls for ongoing screenings for HIV-infected individuals, but it has been unclear how best to implement this," says lead author Lynn E. Taylor, M.D., an HIV/AIDS physician at The Miriam Hospital. "Detecting HCV in the acute stage is important because antiviral therapy is much more effective in the acute phase than treatment in the chronic phase of HCV infection, especially for people living with HIV."
Acute HCV is an emerging sexually transmitted infection among HIV-infected men who have sex with men. Left untreated, acute HCV defined as the first six months after exposure to the virus can progress to chronic HCV, a leading cause of non-AIDS related illness and death among individuals infected with HIV. Due to overlapping routes of transmission, including injection drug use and certain sexual behaviors, HIV and HCV coinfection is common. However, most individuals with acute HCV are asymptomatic, or have mild, nonspecific symptoms, and early diagnosis is rare because most at-risk individuals are not tested for the virus.
Taylor and colleagues piloted an acute HCV screening strategy for at-risk HIV-infected individuals that coincided with their routine HIV clinical care schedule. At these quarterly appointments, patients completed a risk questionnaire and received a low-cost blood test to measure alanine aminotransferase (ALT), a liver enzyme that when newly elevated may indicate recent HCV infection. ALT elevations triggered a more expensive HCV RNA rest to definitively diagnose a new HCV infection.
Although the visits took place in a busy HIV clinic, 88 percent of participants had at least one ALT test. There were seven instances in which a rise in ALT prompted HCV RNA testing. One participant was diagnosed with acute HCV during the course of the study, which researchers say was anticipated given the sample size and duration of study; this corresponded to a considerable annual incidence of 2.0 percent per year.
The findings are reported in the October 2011 issue of AIDS Patient Care and STDs.
"We demonstrate that even in a busy HIV clinic setting, it is possible to screen for and diagnose hepatitis C in its earliest stages, giving patients the best chance for HCV treatment success while providing an opportunity to educate patients about how to prevent transmitting the infection to others," Taylor says.
The Miriam study included 58 HIV-infected individuals. In addition to ALT blood tests, participants also completed risk screening questionnaires at each study visit, which included questions about sexual and drug-related risk behaviors and perceptions about their risk for acquiring HCV.
The study revealed that many at-risk HIV-infected individuals do not know they are at risk for HCV. More than half of the male participants who have sex with men reported that they do not believe that risk behaviors such as unprotected anal intercourse or certain drug practices put them at risk for HCV infection.
However, Taylor says that self-reported HCV risk and participation in several risk behaviors declined during the study. This could be explained by risk reduction counseling, which was provided at each clinic visit underreporting due to the stigma of some of these behaviors, or diminished memory of behaviors during substance use. However, reducing risk through proactive educational and counseling interventions merits further consideration.
According to Taylor, routine acute HCV screening efforts have important public health implications. "Hepatitis C is a common, potentially life-threatening and costly infection, both here in Rhode Island and across the United States," Taylor says. "Physicians should establish strategies and approaches for systematically identifying hepatitis C early in the course of infection among HIV-infected individuals who are particularly vulnerable to an accelerated HCV disease course. Our findings make it clear that it is possible to do so."
An estimated five million people in the U.S. have chronic HCV, a liver disease that may result in long-term health problems, including liver scarring, liver failure and liver cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 12,000 people die every year from HCV-related liver disease. In HIV-infected patients, the liver damage may happen more quickly. HCV infection itself is an indication to introduce antiviral medications for HIV early in the course of HIV disease in order to slow HCV disease progression.
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The study was funded by grants from the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for AIDS Research and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Co-authors included Josiah Rich, M.D., M.P.H., and Kenneth H. Mayer, M.D., from The Miriam Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Michaela Maynard, M.P.H., and Stacey Chapman, R.N., from The Miriam Hospital; Alison K. DeLong, M.S., of Brown University; Pierre Gholam, M.D., AGAF, of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; and Jason T. Blackard, Ph.D., of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
The principal affiliation of Lynn E. Taylor, M.D., is The Miriam Hospital (a member hospital of the Lifespan health system in Rhode Island), and direct financial and infrastructure support for this project was received through the Lifespan Office of Research Administration. The researcher also has an academic appointment at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
The Miriam Hospital (www.miriamhospital.org) is a 247-bed, not-for-profit teaching hospital affiliated with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. It offers expertise in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, men's health, and minimally invasive surgery and is home to the state's first Joint Commission-certified Stroke Center and robotic surgery program. The hospital is nationally known for its HIV/AIDS and behavioral and preventive medicine research, including weight control, physical activity and smoking cessation. The Miriam Hospital has been awarded Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Services four times and is a founding member of the Lifespan health system.
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Abingdon, UK, 6 October 2011 ? In today?s business climate, organisations of all sizes are looking to drive greater efficiency, productivity, competitiveness and profitability. Many are turning to new technologies such as cloud computing, virtualisation and mobile technologies to help them achieve these goals. However, these technologies bring with them new threats and vulnerabilities, often dramatically increasing the risk of malware infection. Kaspersky Lab has today announced the availability of its new business security solution, Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Windows and its Kaspersky Security Center, designed to protect companies as they introduce the latest technologies into their business operations.
The launch of Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Windows and Kaspersky Security Center provides channel partners with an ideal opportunity to drive new business among smaller firms and corporate enterprises and extend existing customer relationships.
Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Windows constitutes an advanced endpoint protection suite, built to deliver a new level of business-wide threat protection and centrally managed and controlled by a comprehensive, unified protection management system: Kaspersky Security Center. It provides an ideal platform for channel partners to engage with, educate and support businesses as they address the changing vulnerability of their IT networks, PCs, laptops and mobile devices.
?We believe that Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Windows will bring new revenue opportunities for resellers while adding value and depth to existing customer relationships,? said Andrew Lintell, Corporate Sales Director, UK and Eire, Kaspersky Lab. ?Businesses want to leverage new technologies for competitive advantage, but face resistance from IT professionals concerned about security and logistical costs. Channel resellers are uniquely placed to help companies address these concerns and introduce an appropriate security solution that will facilitate flexibility, improve overall business productivity and at the same time minimise risk.?
Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8
Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Windows uses the intelligent methods outlined below to ensure that protection for new technologies is sophisticated, flexible and responsive, leaving companies free to focus on their business operations.
The intelligent protection includes enhanced, multi-layer, anti-malware protection combining new anti-virus engine with a number of sophisticated technologies, like pattern-based signature detection and System Watcher. This is backed by a global intelligence network and unparalleled research expertise. Device-installed software is integrated with the cloud-based Kaspersky Security Network to provide real-time protection against new and unknown threats.
Other key features include System Watcher that proactively monitors applications? activity and can undo the damage caused by malicious programs; advanced Application Control and Whitelisting functionality that monitors and classifies applications, can grant, block or audit the launches of new software and identify application vulnerabilities; Web Control and content filtering; granular Device Control functionality providing exceptional flexibility in controlling the usage of external devices; an enhanced, integrated personal firewall; and Intrusion Detection System to prevent network attacks.
These best-of-breed anti-malware features are matched by comprehensive manageability:
Kaspersky Security Center
Kaspersky Security Center is a revolutionary control hub that supports Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 for Windows, along with all other previously supported and Kaspersky Lab?s new corporate security applications. It replaces Kaspersky Lab?s former Administration Kit. Designed as a single seamless management console, Kaspersky Security Center protects physical endpoints and virtualised environments while greatly enhancing IT productivity and flexibility. The system is built for scalability to fit the needs of smaller, growing businesses as well as large enterprises. Managing protection for multiple platforms from a single console improves visibility and response time, ultimately making IT operations more efficient and ready to address new business requirements.
Kaspersky Endpoint Security 8 and Kaspersky Security Center are part of the Kaspersky Open Space Security product line.
FOLLOW JIM SALISBURY ON TWITTER October 6, 2011, 6:40 pm
Seven weeks of spring training. Six months of regular season. One hundred and two wins. The best team earned run average in the majors. Eighty-one sellouts. A fifth straight National League East title.
It has been a long and remarkable season for the Phillies and now it all comes down to a few hours on Friday night.
If those few hours go smoothly, if this team pulls off another remarkable feat, the long season will continue.
If those few hours don?t go well, the disappointment will echo for weeks, months and maybe years.
?We?ve got to go out and win the game,? Charlie Manuel said Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. ?We're going to go out there and play our game and have a lot of fun. We've earned a right to get here. This is the biggest game we're going to play, and things are going to work out for us.?
Manuel is confident that his team, pushed to the brink of elimination by an upstart St. Louis Cardinals team, can win Game 5 of the NL Division Series and go on in this postseason.
The Phillies have a lot going for them in the decisive game. They are playing at home, where they were 52-29 this season, and have their top pitcher, Roy Halladay, on the mound.
But the Cardinals also have a thing or two going for them. They have their best pitcher, Chris Carpenter, on the mound. They are hot, having won 25 of their last 36 ballgames, including the postseason, and have outplayed the Phillies in the last three games of the series.
Consider:
The Phillies have an all-aces pitching staff, but the Cards have posted come-from-behind victories against two of those aces, Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt, in Games 2 and 4, respectively. Lee and Oswalt have allowed 10 runs in 12 innings.
The Phillies scored 11 runs in the first game, but just 10 in the next three. They have scored runs in just three of the last 25 innings. Some of that has to do with the anxiousness of Phillies? hitters, some with the work of the Cardinals? pitchers. Cardinals? relievers have allowed just one run in 11 innings in the last three games.
The Cardinals are also playing with some moxie. They lost pitcher Adam Wainwright to a season-ending elbow injury in spring training. Wainwright finished third in NL Cy Young voting in 2009 and second in 2010. Losing a pitcher like that would have brought down some clubs, but the Cardinals continued to scrap behind a high-scoring offense and they?ve continued to exhibit that scrappy nature in the postseason with competitive, disciplined at-bats. The Cards? on-base percentage in the first four games is .338 and only one Phillies starter has made it through the seventh inning. The Phillies? on-base percentage is .299.
?I think at times we?ve gotten a little anxious and started chasing some balls out of the strike zone,? Manuel said.
Phillies? cleanup man Ryan Howard, who had six RBIs in his first four official at-bats of the series, is 0 for his last 11 with six strikeouts since. Howard?s difficulties have been crushing because the Phillies? top two hitters, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, have been getting on base. Rollins is 9 for 16 with a walk in the series. Utley is 6 for 13 with three walks.
Howard is 2 for 9 with a homer in regular-season play against Carpenter. He had a two-run single against the right-hander in Game 2 of the series. That game was pivotal in the series. Lee could not hold an early 4-0 lead and the Cardinals were able to win despite their ace pitching poorly on three days? rest.
Carpenter will work on full rest in Game 5. He and Halladay were young major leaguers together in Toronto and remain the best of friends. Both have won Cy Young Awards. Carpenter led the NL with 237 1/3 innings pitched this season. Halladay was second at 233 2/3.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa called the matchup of Halladay and Carpenter ?a classic.?
Halladay allowed three runs in the first inning of Game 1 then blanked the Cards for seven innings in the Phils? 11-6 win.
Deciding games are filled with pressure, but Halladay doesn?t want to put too much on himself.
?We realize it?s an important game and I?m looking forward to that,? he said Thursday. ?But at the same time, they?re all important right now.
?We know they?re a good team, but I think it's important for us to realize what we have on our side, too. We feel like we have a team that can go out and win games when we need to win games, and I think that's important for us to keep in mind.?
Never have the Phillies needed to win a game more than now.
Game 5. Friday night. Winner goes on. Loser goes home. Enough said.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com.
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Public release date: 19-Oct-2011
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