The beginning of everything: New paradigm shift for the infant universe

ScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2012) ? A new paradigm for understanding the earliest eras in the history of the universe has been developed by scientists at Penn State University. Using techniques from an area of modern physics called loop quantum cosmology, developed at Penn State, the scientists now have extended analyses that include quantum physics farther back in time than ever before -- all the way to the beginning. The new paradigm of loop quantum origins shows, for the first time, that the large-scale structures we now see in the universe evolved from fundamental fluctuations in the essential quantum nature of "space-time," which existed even at the very beginning of the universe over 14 billion years ago. The achievement also provides new opportunities for testing competing theories of modern cosmology against breakthrough observations expected from next-generation telescopes.

The research will be published on 11 December 2012 as an "Editor's Suggestion" paper in the scientific journal Physical Review Letters.

"We humans always have yearned to understand more about the origin and evolution of our universe," said Abhay Ashtekar, the senior author of the paper. "So it is an exciting time in our group right now, as we begin using our new paradigm to understand, in more detail, the dynamics that matter and geometry experienced during the earliest eras of the universe, including at the very beginning." Ashtekar is the Holder of the Eberly Family Chair in Physics at Penn State and the director of the university's Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos. Coauthors of the paper, along with Ashtekar, are postdoctoral fellows Ivan Agullo and William Nelson.

The new paradigm provides a conceptual and mathematical framework for describing the exotic "quantum-mechanical geometry of space-time" in the very early universe. The paradigm shows that, during this early era, the universe was compressed to such unimaginable densities that its behavior was ruled not by the classical physics of Einstein's general theory of relativity, but by an even more fundamental theory that also incorporates the strange dynamics of quantum mechanics. The density of matter was huge then -- 10⁹⁴ grams per cubic centimeter, as compared with the density of an atomic nucleus today, which is only 10¹⁴ grams.

In this bizarre quantum-mechanical environment -- where one can speak only of probabilities of events rather than certainties -- physical properties naturally would be vastly different from the way we experience them today. Among these differences, Ashtekar said, are the concept of "time," as well as the changing dynamics of various systems over time as they experience the fabric of quantum geometry itself.

No space observatories have been able to detect anything as long ago and far away as the very early eras of the universe described by the new paradigm. But a few observatories have come close. Cosmic background radiation has been detected in an era when the universe was only 380-thousand years old. By that time, after a period of rapid expansion called "inflation," the universe had burst out into a much-diluted version of its earlier super-compressed self. At the beginning of inflation, the density of the universe was a trillion times less than during its infancy, so quantum factors now are much less important in ruling the large-scale dynamics of matter and geometry.

Observations of the cosmic background radiation show that the universe had a predominantly uniform consistency after inflation, except for a light sprinkling of some regions that were more dense and others that were less dense. The standard inflationary paradigm for describing the early universe, which uses the classical-physics equations of Einstein, treats space-time as a smooth continuum. "The inflationary paradigm enjoys remarkable success in explaining the observed features of the cosmic background radiation. Yet this model is incomplete. It retains the idea that the universe burst forth from nothing in a Big Bang, which naturally results from the inability of the paradigm's general-relativity physics to describe extreme quantum-mechanical situations," Agullo said. "One needs a quantum theory of gravity, like loop quantum cosmology, to go beyond Einstein in order to capture the true physics near the origin of the universe."

Earlier work with loop quantum cosmology in Ashtekar's group had updated the concept of the Big Bang with the intriguing concept of a Big Bounce, which allows the possibility that our universe emerged not from nothing but from a super-compressed mass of matter that previously may have had a history of its own.

Even though the quantum-mechanical conditions at the beginning of the universe were vastly different from the classical-physics conditions after inflation, the new achievement by the Penn State physicists reveals a surprising connection between the two different paradigms that describe these eras. When scientists use the inflation paradigm together with Einstein's equations to model the evolution of the seed-like areas sprinkled throughout the cosmic background radiation, they find that the irregularities serve as seeds that evolve over time into the galaxy clusters and other large-scale structures that we see in the universe today. Amazingly, when the Penn State scientists used their new loop-quantum-origins paradigm with its quantum-cosmology equations, they found that fundamental fluctuations in the very nature of space at the moment of the Big Bounce evolve to become the seed-like structures seen in the cosmic microwave background.

"Our new work shows that the initial conditions at the very beginning of the universe naturally lead to the large-scale structure of the universe that we observe today," Ashtekar said. "In human terms, it is like taking a snapshot of a baby right at birth and then being able to project from it an accurate profile of how that person will be at age 100."

"This paper pushes back the genesis of the cosmic structure of our universe from the inflationary epoch all the way to the Big Bounce, covering some 11 orders of magnitude in the density of matter and the curvature of space-time," Nelson said. "We now have narrowed down the initial conditions that could exist at the Big Bounce, plus we find that the evolution of those initial conditions agrees with observations of the cosmic background radiation."

The team's results also identify a narrower range of parameters for which the new paradigm predicts novel effects, distinguishing it from standard inflation. Ashtekar said, "It is exciting that we soon may be able to test different predictions from these two theories against future discoveries with next-generation observational missions. Such experiments will help us to continue gaining a deeper understanding of the very, very early universe."

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation.

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---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Penn State. The original article was written by Barbara K. Kennedy.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Ivan Agullo, Abhay Ashtekar, and William Nelson. Quantum gravity extension of the inflationary scenario. Physical Review Letters, December 11, 2012

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/KJ2HhYd9VXM/121129143452.htm

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Skype for iOS update adds Microsoft account support, animated emoticons

Skype has just released an update to its iOS app, bringing the requisite bug fixes along with some new functionality. Version 4.2 lets iPhone and iPad users merge their Microsoft accounts with the VoIP service, enabling calls and instant messaging with Messenger, Hotmail and Outlook contacts directly through Skype, catching up with the functionality available on the desktop version and Android. The update also adds IM editing via tapping and holding on text, plus an emoticon picker -- and animated smileys with support for Retina displays -- so you can express the joy that comes with streamlining your contacts.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Apple

Comments

Source: iTunes (1), iTunes (2)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/28/skype-ios-update-microsoft-account-support/

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IA: Special education costs grow as scores and enrollment lag ...

By Sheena Dooley | Iowa Watchdog

DES MOINES ? Special education spending in Iowa has reached record levels in recent years, during a time when enrollment has dropped and test scores remain stagnant, an Iowa Watchdog analysis of state records shows.

Iowa doled out $743.4 million in special education money ? a figure based on the number of students enrolled and the severity of their disability ? to schools in fiscal 2012 for the more than 60,000 students they served. That represents an increase of $50.8 million, or 6 percent, from five years ago, when the state served 4,127 more special education students, according to the analysis.

Schools failed in the past five years to narrow achievement gaps and racked up record special education deficits, despite the additional state funding. They filled budget holes by raising property taxes, after first gaining permission from the state?s School Budget Review Committee, which oversees such requests. The committee granted $33.5 million worth of property tax hikes in fiscal year 2011, which is $3.5 million more than five years ago, according to state records that only went through 2011.

The six-member committee, which is appointed by the governor, rarely questioned how the money was being spent until about two years ago. The state was in financial straits ??Jason Glass had just taken over as the head of the Iowa Department of Education and new members were appointed by a newly elected Gov. Terry Branstad, said Jeff Berger, deputy director of the Iowa Department of Education.

?There isn?t much latitude with the committee,? Berger said. ?They want to see how the money was specifically being used. It isn?t the case where people can walk in with a number and it?s OK.?

Prior to the changes, districts submitted requests to the committee to use the money to build new facilities, maintain current buildings and cover unrelated transportation costs, all of which are not allowed under Iowa law. Districts also routinely misused the money to pay for programs that extended beyond special education, Glass said.

Glass and the committee called for districts to comply with state spending laws, which say the money can only be used for expenses directly related to special education. The committee rejected at least half of all requests last year for additional taxing authority, which is more than in previous years. Most of those districts did not return with revised applications, Berger said.

?It was actually one of the very first issues we dealt with when I became the director ? what role the state had in the expenditure of that money,? said Glass, a non-voting member on the state spending committee. ?There was a lot of pushback from people saying the state shouldn?t be involved. But we have to make sure that the taxpayer dollars are being spent for the purposes intended, and there was abuse of them with districts spending them so broadly.?

Other members of the School Budget Review Committee did not return calls seeking comment, including Dave Roederer, director of the Iowa Department of Management.

It?s unclear whether Glass? efforts have resulted in fewer requests or better use of the money because 2012 financial figures have not been finalized, state officials said. He came to Iowa in 2011.

But what is clear is the boost in funding hasn?t led to better results in the classroom.

Thirteen percent of Iowa?s students have special needs, while ideally it should be at 10 percent. A healthy education system would be between 5 percent and 8 percent, according to Glass.

Special education students in the state have continued to fall far behind their peers on state and national tests, with both groups making similar gains or losses in achievement in the past five years.

The annual ?Iowa Condition of Education? report showed a performance gap of roughly 57 percentage points between special education students and their peers in both fourth- and eighth-grade math. For example, only 18 percent of special education students showed mastery in fourth-grade math, while 75 percent of general education students passed the test.

The gap is similar to that found in eighth-grade reading, where 83 percent of general education students performed at grade level. Just 29 percent of children in special education did as well.

Additionally, 71 percent of special needs students earned their diploma in 2010, compared to 92 percent of their peers, according to the most recent state data.

?We are making headway,? Glass said.

?We can?t relent and ease up the pressure on this very important issue.?

Glass, who is a former special education teacher, publicly pledged in 2011 to narrow the achievement gap when the state released a report that criticized Iowa?s performance in special education when compared to other states.

Why the state fell behind in special education depends on who?s talking. Glass attributes it to a statewide reluctance to adopt a systemic program change and the Iowa?s long-held tradition of local control.

His first major effort in 2011 was adjusting how special education teachers taught their students. Dubbed ?Response to Intervention,? teachers now look at how individual students are performing and then adjust their instruction to address weaknesses. That compares to the one-size-fits-all approach that left

GOING UP: Special education funding is on the rise while scores remain stagnant.

behind students who failed to grasp concepts, Glass said.

Branstad has yet to publicly disclose his education reform proposals for the upcoming session. Glass, however, said some would include efforts to recruit more quality special education teachers through loan forgiveness programs and incentive pay, as well as a national recruiting effort. Standards for special education would also be raised under the proposal, he said.

?The state turns every decision over to the school district to determine what?s in the best interest of kids,? Glass said. ?We have a lot of place that are doing that with great quality and fidelity, and then there are others that are not doing as well with it.

?We don?t want this to be a tightly driven state solution. We are clearly saying this is an instructional approach that we should all be using.?

Contact Sheena Dooley at dooley@iowawatchdog.org

? Edited by John Trump at jtrump@watchdog.org

Source: http://watchdog.org/62780/ia-special-education/

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Thousands celebrate Hobbit premiere in New Zealand

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people packed New Zealand's capital city, clambering on roofs and hanging onto lamp posts on Wednesday to get a glimpse of the stars at the red carpet world premiere of the film "The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey".

Wellington, where director Peter Jackson and much of the post production is based, renamed itself "the Middle of Middle Earth", and fans with prominent Hobbit ears, medieval style costumes, and wizard hats had camped out the night before to claim prized spaces along the 500 meter (550 yards) red carpet.

Jackson, a one time newspaper printer and the maker of the Oscar winning "Lord of the Rings" trilogy more than a decade ago, was cheered along the walk, stopping to talk to fans, sign autographs and pose for photos.

The Hobbit trilogy is set 60 years before the Rings movies, but Jackson said it has benefited from being made after the conclusion of the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy saga.

"I'm glad that we established the style and the look of Middle Earth by adapting Lord of the Rings before we did the Hobbit," Jackson told Reuters from the red carpet.

Jackson, a hometown hero in Wellington, said the production had been on a "difficult journey", alluding to Warner Brothers' financial problems, and a later labor dispute with unions.

"Fate meant for us to be here," he told an ecstatic crowd, which hailed him as a film genius, but also a down to earth local boy.

"I came here to see the stars but also Peter (Jackson)...I loved the Lord of the Rings and that made me want to be here, without him none of it would be here," said teenage student Samantha Cooper.

OLD FRIENDS

The cast was no less enthusiastic about the Hobbit, especially those who had starred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

British actor Andy Serkis, who plays the creature Gollum with a distinctive throaty whisper, said picking up the character after a near-ten year break was like putting on a familiar skin.

"I was reminded on a daily basis with Gollum (that) he's truly never left me," he said.

Most of the film's stars attended the premiere, including British actor Martin Freeman, who plays the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Elijah Wood. Ian McKellen, who plays the wizard Gandalf, was absent.

Freeman, known for his roles in the comedy The Office and Sherlock Holmes, said he looked for a different, lighter, slightly pompous Baggins from the older, wiser character played by Ian Holm in the Rings movies.

"Between us - Peter (Jackson) and me -- we hashed out another version of Bilbo. There'll be others, but our version is this one and I hope people like it," he said.

The production was at the center of several controversies, including a dispute with unions in 2010 over labor contracts that nearly sent the filming overseas and resulted in the government stepping in to change employment laws.

The only sour note at the premiere came when animal rights activists held up posters saying "Middle Earth unexpected cruelty" and "3 horses died for this film", after claims last week that more than 20 animals died during the making of the film.

Event organizers tried to block out the protesters' posters with large Hobbit film billboards. Jackson has said some animals died on a farm where they were housed, but none had been hurt during filming.

The movies have been filmed in 3D and at 48 frames per second (fps), compared with the standard 24 fps, which Jackson has likened to the quality leap to compact discs from vinyl records.

The second film "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" will be released in December next year, with the third "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" due in mid-July 2014.

(Editing by Elaine Lies)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hobbit-faithful-occupy-zealand-city-ahead-premiere-002346739--spt.html

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Swisscom rolls out first LTE in Switzerland on November 29th

The European LTE landscape is unfortunately a fragmented one that favors large countries with large carriers. We can chalk up at least one victory for the smaller nation states, however: Switzerland is getting its first LTE network on November 29th. The country's main provider, Swisscom, is launching initial 4G coverage in 26 cities and regions using the LTE-equipped HTC One X (One XL abroad), quickly following up with the early December availability of the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II and Nokia Lumia 920. A Huawei USB stick and a ZTE hotspot will also be on tap. Customers won't need to spring for a new plan to use the new network on a basic level, although Swisscom's uncommon speed-based phone plans mean they'll be paying a stiff 169 francs ($181) per month to max out the 4G network. We imagine at least some will bite if it means speedy data in Zurich.

[Thanks, Joël]

Continue reading Swisscom rolls out first LTE in Switzerland on November 29th

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung, HTC, Nokia

Comments

Source: Swisscom

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/29/swisscom-rolls-out-first-lte-in-switzerland-on-november-29th/

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Choosing The Correct Laptop For Windows 8

Windows is officially released, and some people keep asking me for help on deciding what laptops and tablets they should get. I reply with the same response: Depends on your taste.

Question 1: Do you want a touchscreen?

Though Windows 8 works fine without one, it is optimized for it. In fact the entire existence of Windows is based on touch. The question is do you really want touch? Do you really want to reach out to your computer LCD and touch something just because you can? Some will do, some will not. If yes is your answer, might I suggest the Acer Aspire S7? (Not available, yet). If not, proceed to the next question.

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Question 2: Do you need a lot of power?

Do you just type or do you do hardcore 3D graphics animation? Do you watch movies or make 1080p HD movies? Do you need the power? Most of you will not, though some hardcore people might. The HP envy Spectre might help. Or the all awesome retina display Macbook Pro.

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Question 3: Do you want a tablet?

Some people like iOS. Some prefer Android (most of you here loves Android). Yet some would like to try Windows 8 RT, the tablet version of Windows 8. I do not suggest buying one yet, but if you're desperate, the Dell XPS 12 might do the trick. A lot of people ask me whether or not they should get the Surface. Don't. At least not yet. It still has a lot of bugs, and the Windows RT is not that great of an OS. Wait for the pro version, which can handle what most PCs can.

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Question 4: I still don't like all of them.

Then just use your old windows 7 (or XP if you still use it), or consider OSX.

?

Need more help? Email me at samuelvedrik@gmail.com , or write it on the comments below. (Samuel Vedrik - Kontributor Bhinneka Post)

Source: http://www.bhinneka.com/bpost_detail/choosing_the_correct_laptop_for_windows_8.aspx

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Rdio for iOS hits version 2.0: now with all-new design, unified player and more

Rdio's done a pretty decent job at often keeping its desktop and mobile apps updated with fresh features. With that in mind, the streaming service has just pushed out v2.0 of its iOS application, which includes a novel and very sleek design that, as you can see above, brings an all-new navigation bar, as well as the addition of a unified player to make syncing across multiple devices easier and a remote control feature to let folks tinker with other Rdio apps. Of course, this new version (2.0.0, to be precise) is compatible with the usual iOS suspects (iPod touch, iPhone and iPad) -- and, better yet, you can grab the updated app now directly from your Cupertino device or via the source link below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

Comments

Source: iTunes (App Store)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/27/rdio-for-ios-version-2-0/

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Source: http://tecnoculturaaudiovisual.com.br/?p=4338

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Did you see that? How could you miss it?

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2012) ? You may have received CPR training some time ago, but would you remember the proper technique in an emergency? Would you know what to do in the event of an earthquake or a fire? A new UCLA psychology study shows that people often do not recall things they have seen -- or at least walked by -- hundreds of times.

For the study, 54 people who work in the same building were asked if they knew the location of the fire extinguisher nearest their office. While many of the participants had worked in their offices for years and had passed the bright red extinguishers several times a day, only 13 out of the 54 -- 24 percent -- knew the location.

When asked to find a fire extinguisher, however, everyone was able to do so within a few seconds; most were surprised they had never noticed them. The researchers found no significant differences between men and women, or between older and younger adults.

"Just because we've seen something many times doesn't mean we remember it or even notice it," said Alan Castel, an associate professor of psychology at UCLA and lead author of the study. "If I asked you to draw the front of a dime or the front of a dollar bill from memory, how well could you do that? You might get some elements right. Do you know who the president is? On the dime, is he facing left or right? Does it say 'In God We Trust' on the front of the dollar or the back? Do you know what else it says? You've seen it so many times, but you probably haven't paid much attention to it."

Castel said that not noticing things isn't necessarily bad, particularly when those things are not important in your daily life. "It might be a good thing not to burden your memory with information that is not relevant to you," he said.

But with safety information, such as knowing where fire extinguishers are or what to do in an emergency, being prepared can, of course, be very useful.

"When you're on an airplane, do you know where the life vest is and what to do in the event of an emergency?" Castel asked. "You've been told many times, but how would you respond under stressful conditions, when there could be smoke and people screaming?"

A few months after being asked the location of the nearest fire extinguisher, the study participants were asked again if they knew where the closest one was. All of them knew.

"We don't notice something if we're attending to something else," Castel said. "Fire extinguishers are bright red and very conspicuous, but we're almost blind to them until they become relevant."

What does this tell us about the importance of training, whether for emergencies or something as common as learning a new computer program?

Castel stresses that making errors during training is useful. As with the fire extinguisher exercise, errors -- or simple oversights -- can teach us that we don't know something well and need to pay more attention in order to remember it.

"It's good if errors happen during training and not during an event where you need the information," he said. "That's part of the learning process."

The study is published in the journal Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics.

Castel's co-authors are Michael Vendetti, a UCLA psychology graduate student, and Keith Holyoak, a UCLA professor of psychology. The study's participants work in UCLA's psychology building.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Los Angeles. The original article was written by Stuart Wolpert.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Alan D. Castel, Michael Vendetti, Keith J. Holyoak. Fire drill: Inattentional blindness and amnesia for the location of fire extinguishers. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 2012; 74 (7): 1391 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-012-0355-3

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/Wodd1rtKU3c/121126151058.htm

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Tis The Season for Gratitude | Golda Smith

By Golda Smith

?

Here in the U.S. we recently celebrated Thanksgiving which marks the official start of the holiday season. The smell of turkey, fresh cranberry sauce and dressing?it was delightful! This was also the first Thanksgiving without our mom which is probably why we didn?t feel too much like celebrating.

We did however purchase, prepared and distribute food to 21 people. Now that was one of the best gratitude moments I?ve ever had. To be able to do something for someone who could possibly ever repay you is not something I take lightly.

That?s gratitude!

Just the other day my family and I took the train into the city to look at the holiday window displays. They were beautiful. I posted a few photos on my Facebook page. My children were so happy doing something so simple and I was grateful for quality family time.

What are you grateful for and how do you show gratitude?

As a business owner, there is so much that you can do to show your clients that you are grateful for them too. You probably had a Black Friday promotion and gave deep discounts to your shoppers.

What else can you do?

Here are a few ideas:

A Pin It to Win It contest on Pinterest

Create a photo #hashtag contest for your Instagram followers

A random giveaway for your Twitter followers

A 12 Day of Christmas Funtastic Giveaway

Send a pack of Thank You cards to your BEST clients

If you?re a coach, give away a seat in your coaching program

?now THAT?S radical!

That?s just the tip of what you possibly do to show gratitude to your clients during this holiday season. Sure, you?ll hear a lot of people complain that business is slow during this time of year and that?s their excuse for not going to work in their business. I dare to say that they just haven?t been as resourceful as their competitors.

If you want to be given more in life then you have to be grateful for what you already have. In addition, try being generous with what you have. Generous?not foolish, there is a difference. Give to your favorite charity or cause.

If you?re serious about building a profitable business, then it?s time to get serious about showing your gratitude. If you don?t already have one, think about incorporating a gratitude program into your business plan. This year I had the honor of being coached by one of the greatest business minds, Sandi Krakowski. While I?ve learned many lessons from her, one of the greatest is to always show gratitude. Every few months there would come a surprise gift to my door?be it a book, dry erase board, or a picture frame. These were presents to help me grow.

Whatever you give doesn?t need to be expensive. I can hear a sigh of relief from some of you. What matters is that it comes from the heart. I?m grateful for YOU. You who take the time to read and respond to my newsletters, talk to me on social media and allow me the honor of assisting some of your with your social media management needs.

Enjoy the holiday season and if you?re feeling less than celebratory, I promise you that one of the best and quickest ways to feel better is to give the gift of gratitude to someone else.

?

?

Golda Smith?is a mom and distance runner who is building her ?Business From The Kitchen Table? working with Fitness, Health and Wellness Experts to put more muscle in their social media marketing. Do you hire freelancers? If so, then you need to get this report NOW because you may be making this mistake. Don?t let it be you!

Tagged as: client attraction, client care, client retention, customer retention, customer service, getting new customers, gratitude, how to keep clients, lead generation

Source: http://goldasmith.com/tis-the-season-for-gratitude/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tis-the-season-for-gratitude

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Expressions and Significances of Prostasin and Claudin-3in ...

[Abstract]

Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumor which has the third most higher incidences in female reproductive system,that only less than the incidences of cervical cancer and endometrial cancer.The mortality rate of ovarian malignant tumor is the first place of gynecologic malignant tumors around the world.Because of lacking potent diagnoses and therapy in the early-stage disease,it is already late that about three of forth ovarian cancer patients were found, and it is just around28%about five-year survival rate. With the disease incidence guadually raises tendency around the world in recent years,looking for the causes?diagnoses and treatment method of ovarian cancer are the hot spots which are concerned by people.However it is not explicit about the pathogenic mechanises of the disease.With the rapid development in molecular biology,medical researchers have found some genes which are related to the occurrence,evolution and invasion and attack of ovarian cancer.Prostasin is a trypsin-like activity serine proteinase,that is synthesized in prostatic epithelial cells and is isolated from human seminal fluid and ductin rencent years.It has highly conserved sequenceis and it is a secretion type protein and glycosylphosphatidyl inositol(GPI)-anchored prostase.Prostasin is not only playing important roles in variety of physiological processes,but also linking to the occurrence and development of varius cancer. It was found that serine proteases was consistent with a role in protease degradation and promoted cells migration.However there are rare researches about the function and expression of Prostasin in ovarian cancer.Claudin-3(CLDN-3) is a number of Claudins,which was called RVP1formerly.It contains219amino acids and provides the foundation of conglutination and the tight junction of maintaining the transmission about signs and matters in the cells.Current researches showed that the abnormal expression of Claudins is probably related to the damage of tight junction,poorly tissue differentiated grade and enhancement of invasiveness about cancer cells,and link to the occurrence and invasiveness of varius cancer. However it is not all clear about the function and mechanism of Claudin-3in ovarian cancer.This study investigated the changes of the expression about Prostasin and Claudin-3and the functions about the happen,developmenthe of epithelial ovarian cance,and analysised relationship of them.The aim is to supply the reference for the diagnoses treatment and prognosis research about ovarian cancer.ObjectiveImmunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of Prostasin and Claudin-3in epithelial ovarian cancer tissue and normal ovarian tissue in this experiment,we studied the relationship between their expression and various histology pathplogical features in epithelial ovarian cancer,and researched their roles and correlation in of the mechanises of diseasea,in order to provide theory basis for the clinical diagnoses and prognosis of ovarian cancer and to find a new target for treatments of ovarian cancer.Materials and Methods1.Materials:Ninty epithelial oarian tumor tissue specimens were collected from the files organization of the patients who were in hospital and operate in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from October2008to February2011,which were from the department of Pathology in that hospital.Specimens is divided into50epithelial ovarian cancers,20borderline ovarian tumors and20benign ovarian tumors.According to histological classification,50epithelial ovarian cancers are divide into three groups and includ27serous carcinoma,15mucinous carcinoma,8endometrial carcinoma.In addition,20cases of normal ovarian tissues were collected as comparator,which were from operation about oophorectomize for uterine prolapse and uterine myoma caused hysterectomy at the same time were taken ovarian tissues for ovarian biopsy.All specimens?pathology diagnosis were confirmed by two pathology experts.The patients?average age was52.2years(36-70years), and they didn?t recept any chemotherapy,radiotherapy,and immune therapy history before their operations.2.Methods:Immunohistochemical SP method was used to detect the expression levels of Prostasin and Claudin-3in50cases with epithelial ovarian carcinoma,20cases with borderline ovarian tumor,20cases with benign ovarian tumor and20cases with normal ovarian tissues,we analyse the relationship between their different expression and each clinical pathological feature in epithelial ovarian cancer,and analyse correlation about Prostasin protein and Claudin-3protein and explore both roles about the occurrence,development and malignant evolution process in epithelial ovanan cancer.3.Statistical Methods:Statistical anylysis was performed using the SPSS17.0statistical software,datas were analyzed by Chi-Square Tests,and their relationship of Prostasin and Claudin-3were analysised by Spearman rank correlation. ?=0.05acted as level of significance.Results1The expressions of ProstasinProstasin protein was mainly displaied in the cytoplasm,and its positive cells were watched for brown dying in the microscope.1.1The expressions of Prostasin in different ovarian tissueThe positive expression lever of Prostasin in epithelial ovarian cancer groups was significantly higher than the expression in borderline groups,benign groups and normal groups,and the overall differences were statistical significances (P<0.05).1.2The expressions of Prostasin in different pathology types of ovarian cancerThe positive expression rates of Prostasin in15G1grade,18G2grade and17G3grade were40%?77.8%and88.2%, and expression differences in three groups have statistical significances (P<0.05)1.3The expressions of Prostasin in different pathology types of ovarian cancerThe expression of Prostasin in serous cystadenoma were highest (77.8%),and the expression in mucinous cystadenoma were lowest(60%). With comparing endometrioid carcinoma,different expression rates between groups had no statistical significances(P>0.05). 1.4The expressions of Prostasin in different clinic stages about ovarian canceThe positive expression level of Prostasin became stronger with the higher stage, the expression rates in21clinic stage ??? and29clinic stage??? were52.4%and82.8%, different expression rates between groups had statistical significances(P<0.05).2The expressions of Claudin-3Claudin-3protein was mainly expressed in the cell membrane and cytoplasm,especially in the cytoplasm,and positive cells were colored brown.2.1The expressions of Claudin-3in different ovarian tissueThe expression rates of Claudin-3was gradually rised in normal groups,benign groups,borderline groups and epithelial ovarian cancer groups, and there were statistical significances in all(P<0.05).2.2The expression of Claudin-3in different pathology types of ovarian cancerThe positive expression rates of Claudin-3in G1grade,G2grade and G3grade were40%?66.7%and82.4%, and differences in three groups had statistical significances (P<0.05)2.3The expressions of Claudin-3in different pathology types of ovarian cancerThe positive expression rates of Claudin-3in epithelial ovarian serous cystadenoma group,mucinous cystadenoma group and endometrioid carcinoma group were74.1%,60.0%and37.5%,groups expression differences had no statistical significance(P>0.05).2.4The expressions of Claudin-3in different clinic stages about ovarian canceThe positive expression level of Claudin-3in clinic stage ??? and ??? were47.6%and75.9%,and with the clinic stage higher,the expression rates became stronger,and there were statistical significances in all (P<0.05)3The relevance of Prostasin and Claudin-3in epithelial ovarian cancerIn50epithelial ovarian cancers,the number of positive expression of Prostasin observed was35,positive expression of Claudin-3was observed in32cases. There was positive correlation between Prostasin and Claudin-3expression in epithelial ovarian cancer (r=0.386, P<0.05).Conclusion1. High expressions of Prostasin and Claudin-3are closely related with the occurrence, development, migration and progression of epithelial ovarian carcinoma.2. There was positive correlation between the expression level of Prostasin and Claudin-3in epithelial ovarian carcinoma,which tiped they may ally to play the important synergistic promote roles in the occurrence,development and progression of ovarian carcer.

Title: Expressions and Significances of Prostasin and Claudin-3in Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma

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Source: http://www.tumorres.com/tumor-marker/54739.htm

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50 Cent And Eminem's 'My Life' Video Premieres Tuesday On MTV!

Tune in to MTV, MTV2, MTV Jams, MTV Hits and mtvU at 6 a.m. to catch the new video, featuring Maroon 5's Adam Levine on the chorus.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Rahman Dukes

50 Cent
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1697949/50-cent-eminem-my-life-video-premiere-tuesday-mtv.jhtml

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Making the most out of remote working | Armstrong Communications ...

It does not surprise us at Armstrong Communications that so many businesses choose to employ staff who work remotely, as there are so many benefits to doing so. Sometimes remote working is absolutely essential for the job ? such as for travelling salesmen and engineers ? but often a company makes a choice to create cross-branch teams or put a project in the hands of a homeworker, because there is very little stopping them from doing so anymore.

Some of the advantages of working with others from a remote location is that it reduces the cost of office space and travel, and allows the very best staff across the country ? or even internationally ? to collaborate on projects, rather than being limited by the geographical distribution of talent.

The technology available to achieve an ideal working environment for remote workers has been around for years, and comes on in leaps and bounds all the time. In fact, there is very little now that a remote worker cannot do that an office-bound employee can.

Take the ShoreTel Communicator for example. Let?s say you have five top-notch employee located in disparate locations and you want to bring their talents together to work on a brand new project. With the use of the ShoreTel Communicator, these workers do not have to leave their desk to speak with each other and share files live. The technology allows for video conferencing, instant messaging, phone calls and VoIP, and file sharing from a whole host of different devices, so colleagues can speak face to face and refer to the same document, even if they are hundreds of miles apart.

So what if your colleague is not at their desk today? No problem. A quick instant message or invite to a video conference can be sent directly to their mobile and you can have a video chat and share files just as easily as if they were sitting by a computer.

The team behind the ShoreTel Communicator have worked hard to break down all the boundaries stopping remote employees from being able to effectively communicate with each other. But now that teams can collaborate as if they were in the same room, so employers and their staff gain all the benefits of working remotely without the cons.

With technological improvements, increasing requests for flexible working as people?s family lives change, and ? for many companies ? a global workforce, remote working is the future and we believe the demand for solutions like the ShoreTel Communicator is just going to grow and grow. In fact, with our years of expertise as a ShoreTel reseller, engineering service and support provider, we are seeing a rise in the number of people coming to us to get ahead of the game now and give themselves an edge over their competitors.

An exciting new world of work is upon us ? one that would have seemed unachievable 20 years ago. We are just excited to be part of such a fast moving industry and cannot wait to see what comes next.

Armstrong Communications are a authorised?ShoreTel reseller and experts in Shoretel Communicator solutions, to find out more?about the ShoreTel range call our dedicated team on 0845 345 0045 or get a FREE No Obligation Quote via our?contact page.

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Source: http://www.acplc.com/making-the-most-out-of-remote-working/

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Article Directory USA :: Sehwags Good Attitude in Batting

This article explains the attitude of Virender Sehwag as he cuts the ball high above boundary as he keeps on scoring. However, he has to have good practice with cricket bowling machine.

Cricket bowling machine can help Sehwag to continue his outstanding performance as report says he needs more perfection for facing spinners. Cricket bowling machine gives utmost practice to any batsman and hence batsmen should use bowling machine of cricket in their daily practice. Sehwag's batting attitude so far is remarkable as though he is not able to maintain it consistently.

Sehwag said once, "You just react to the ball. If the ball is there to be hit, you just hit it. Don't worry that this is a Test or one-dayer or T20. You just hit it. Because it's your routine. Every time you practise in the nets, you just go and see the ball and hit the ball. You are not worried about 'what if I get out'. You are not worried about a four or a sixer, one or two. You just hit the ball. And enjoy the sound. At the end of the day if you hit the ball or defend the ball, you love the sound that comes when the ball hits the bat."

However, Dhoni said, "When it comes to Viru, you need a bit more time to understand him. It is not easy to sit here and say a few lines on how effective he is. All those who have shared the dressing room with him realise that his mindset is very different. He is very positive and bats with instinct. It doesn't matter if the wicket is turning or seaming. He only looks to score runs. His mindset is so different that it doesn't really matter whether he is in form or not. He just keeps thinking positive. He has been working a lot on his batting, but his approach remains the same. It is the mindset that really helps you get back into the game. If you see, the crucial decision of his career was when he decided that he will open the innings. It was a big challenge for him and he accepted it. He has the best statistics. He is someone who is very different for everyone else. He has got a very important role from the start because he's someone who can play his shots from the very first delivery. He looks to put pressure on the bowler. It certainly becomes a bit difficult for the bowler to get back into the game. Of course, not to forget the experience he has got in all the formats. And, also the fact that he can get a few wickets as well. We haven't been using him much, though."

By: sanjay umak

The author is highly experienced in Internet marketing topic writing considerably from many years now. He has written many good topics, which created sense for its readers around the world so far. His recent writing includes bowling machine for advanced level of players. Read more about choosing the best cricket bowling machine to improve your game.

Article Directory: http://www.articledirectoryusa.com

Source: http://www.articledirectoryusa.com/article/category/recreation-and-sports/sehwags-good-attitude-in-batting/

Article Tags: crixket bowling machine , bowling machine

Submitted On Nov 25, 2012. Viewed 3 times.

Source: http://www.articledirectoryusa.com/article/category/recreation-and-sports/sehwags-good-attitude-in-batting

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AP PHOTOS: Scenes from Bangladesh factory fire

The blaze broke out at the seven-story factory just outside Bangladesh's capital Dhaka late Saturday. More than 100 bodies had been found by Sunday morning.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear, and authorities have ordered an investigation.

Bangladesh has some 4,000 garment factories, many without proper safety measures. The country annually earns about $20 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the United States and Europe.

Here are photos of the deadly fire and its aftermath:

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-photos-scenes-bangladesh-factory-fire-194541247.html

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Is it time for Your Company to Start a Corporate Wellness Program ...

Promoting employee health is a proven key to controlling health care costs and worker happiness. Wellness?and Corporate programs are tailored to meet your health needs at the workplace. Resources are provided to employees to?achieve healthier, more productive lives.

Corporate Wellness programs have been around for decades. Companies Such as Google, Apple, Hanes Brands, SAS, Bandwidth.com, Hatch in Winston Salem, YWCA and even our small 6th Sense Health and Wellness have a Corporate Wellness program. Companies not only want to reduce healthcare expenses, but also strive to make the work space a more calm inviting and relaxing environment for their employees. Happy end healthy employees tend to stay with the company longer, are more creative, more valuable to the company and are more likely to get promoted faster.

Types of Corporate Wellness Program

There are different levels of Corporate Wellness programs. One level is offering basic services and referrals online. The Internet permits access to major sources of information, but many people are confused about what information is reliable and where to find specific information resources.

Online Corporate Wellness programs can be set up to allow employees access to certain types of pre-screened information that is reliable and easy to find.

In addition to internet based tools, many Corporate Wellness programs can tailor resources and data to each employee. Treating each employee and their concerns sensitively and in a timely manner, can help them see the importance of their health issues as well. And each one may employ different tools and wellness initiatives to encourage active participation from its staff. A company wellness program may range from a wellness newsletter to a multi-gym set up at the site.

Even the most basic company wellness programs consisting of simple health-based activities have proven to be beneficial in the company by way of increased productivity and reduced medical costs for healthier employees. Employers are increasingly incorporating company wellness programs as part of their overall strategy for promoting a healthier workplace. If you have a wellness program at work, your company is on the forefront on the Health care transformation.

Corporate Wellness is Necessary

Corporate Wellness is among the most vital investments that a company can make. Businesses that start Corporate Wellness programs aren?t only investing in the physical wellness, safety, and mental health of their employees, but are also taking preventive measures by creating a healthier environment.

By starting a Corporate Wellness program, corporations are able to improve the overall productivity and are able to save money on health care expenses. Often, corporations are concerned about the actual wellness ROI (return on investment) but the fact is that by encouraging healthier lifestyles, corporations are creating healthier employees who will work more diligently and miss fewer days of work due to illness.

It?s often helpful for a company to consult with physicians who participate in medical CME so that they?re up to date with how they can assist their employees in maintaining wellness.

Also, when a corporation maintains an on-site fitness club, it?s necessary that the corporation employs person who have received the proper training and certification, which makes up the fitness club management, for assist workers with exercising safely.

Although businesses may establish a comprehensive Corporate Wellness program with many options, an incentive Corporate Wellness program is often necessary for encourage employees to actually participate in the programs.

If your company is exploring Onsite Corporate Wellness Programs, please give our office a call. Our trained staff has been on the battle lines of corporate wellness since 1997 and can help you start or improve the program you already have.

Source: http://nrteam.com/time-company-start-corporate-wellness-program

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Brazilian soccer star on trial for killing lover

FILE - This April 7, 2010 file photo shows Flamengo's goalkeeper Bruno Fernandes during a soccer game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The captain of the Flamengo soccer team that won the Brazilian championship in 2009 is facing trial Monday, Nov. 19, 2012 on charges he kidnapped an ex-girlfriend and had her killed. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

FILE - This April 7, 2010 file photo shows Flamengo's goalkeeper Bruno Fernandes during a soccer game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The captain of the Flamengo soccer team that won the Brazilian championship in 2009 is facing trial Monday, Nov. 19, 2012 on charges he kidnapped an ex-girlfriend and had her killed. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

In this June 29, 2009 photo, late Brazilian model Eliza Samudio speaks during an interview in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. The trial of Bruno Fernandes, known in Brazil just as Bruno, charged with orchestrating the kidnapping and gruesome murder of Samudio, an ex-girlfriend of him, started Monday with courtroom arguments that caused two lawyers to abandon the case, and with a tearful plea for justice from the victim's mother. (AP Photo/Felipe O' Neill-Agencia O Dia)

In this photo released by TJMG, Justice Tribunal of Minas Gerais, former Flamengo goalkeeper Bruno Fernandes, right, talks to his lawyer Rui Pimenta, center, during his trial in Minas Gerais, Brazil, Monday, Nov. 19, 2012. The trial of Fernandes, known in Brazil just as Bruno, charged with orchestrating the kidnapping and gruesome murder of an ex-girlfriend started Monday with courtroom arguments that caused two lawyers to abandon the case, and with a tearful plea for justice from the victim's mother. (AP Photo/Vagner Antonio, TJMG, Justice Tribunal of Minas Gerais)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ? A former Brazilian soccer star charged with orchestrating the murder of his ex-girlfriend went on trial Monday in a case that includes allegations the young model was lured to a ranch where she was held hostage, killed and her body dismembered.

The case of former Flamengo goalkeeper Bruno Fernandes, known in Brazil just as Bruno, and Eliza Samudio has riveted Brazil, shocked the world of soccer and its twists and turns have reached the level of a macabre soap opera, including allegations that the model has never been found because her remains were fed to dogs.

The former captain of one of Rio's premier clubs led his team to Brazilian soccer championship victory in 2009. That same year, Samudio made the first allegations to police that she was pregnant with Fernandes' child, and that the soccer great and others kidnapped her and tried to force her to terminate the pregnancy.

She refused. The child was born healthy, and named Bruno. But the model disappeared in June 2010 and has not been found.

In December 2010, Fernandes was found guilty of Samudio's initial accusations and is serving a prison sentence of four years and six months in that case. After a court dispute, Samudio's mother was named the child's guardian.

The former soccer great is now being tried a second time, this time on charges he ordered his ex-girlfriend's death.

Investigators said the player was behind a scheme that lured the 25-year-old woman from Rio de Janeiro to a ranch in the neighboring state of Minas Gerais with the promise that Fernandes would recognize the child as his and give her an apartment. There she was allegedly held against her will by Fernandes' accomplices, killed and quartered, and her remains fed to dogs who roamed the property.

The first day of the murder trial in Minas Gerais was marked by high drama, with attorneys for two of Fernandes' alleged accomplices, who are also facing murder charges, walking out after arguing with the judge over access to videos of witness testimony.

"We would like to leave clear to the jury that it is impossible to carry out a fair trial," said Ercio Quaresmo, the attorney for Santos, according to O Globo newspaper.

The Associated Press could not reach the attorneys for comment.

Besides Fernandes, those charged with Samudio's kidnapping, murder and the hiding of her body include Dayanne Rodrigues, Fernandes' wife, Fernanda Castro, a lover, Luiz Romao, the soccer player's former right-hand man, and a former police officer. All those charged with the death have pleaded innocent, including Fernandes.

The attorney for the former soccer player said he remained confident that his client would walk out a free man.

"Bruno is tired of being in prison," said attorney Rui Pimenta to O Globo newspaper outside court in the town of Contagem. "He is ready to walk out and go eat some rare barbecue."

The defense's argument is that there can be no murder charges because Samudio is, in fact, alive. The attorney Pimenta says he will produce proof that Samudio is living in Eastern Europe.

Samudio's mother, Sonia Moura, told the news website G1 that she trusted justice would be made and dared the soccer player to look her in the eyes in court.

"I believe in justice, and in the condemnation of all the accused," she said. "I want my daughter's mortal remains."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-19-Brazil-Goalkeeper%20Trial/id-44d77fd5baf0446dac31e9e9671eed5d

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Blog Management for Small Businesses: The Ultimate Guide ...

Thousands of business blogs are launched every day. Big companies, small companies, even kitchen table companies use business blogs to get in front of new prospects and hold fast to sales-ready leads and existing customers. A small business blog can cast a wide net around target audiences afloat in various stages of buying readiness by fueling their interests, piquing their curiosity, and empowering them to make smarter decisions.

People (business buyers are still people) revisit good blogs. They also add them to their reader or subscribe to the email version of the posts. Bad blogs?well, those often fall off our radar after they fail to satisfy an information need, bomb on the entertainment factor, or skimp on quality.

What makes a good blog a good blog? How can your small company build one? How will you know if the blog is actually moving the needle in the right direction?

Let?s tackle those questions now. Here is our six-step approach to blogging for small businesses:

1. Strategic planning
2. Technical requirements and implementation
3. Tactical planning
4. Execution
5. Monitoring and evaluation
6. Continual improvement processes

Strategic Planning For Small Business Blogs

Most good business blogs were born from master plans developed in partnership with people very familiar with the overarching objectives of the business. A department manager may have a strong grasp on the expectations of a functional group, but at the strategic planning stage, one or more key executives should be involved in creating the framework that supports high-level key priorities.

To start off, a mix of relevant staff including marketing, sales, finance, service, and product or front-line staff can jump-start a series of collaborative discussions including:

1. Situation analysis
   1. What?s going on in your market? What?s the latest customer survey say?
2. Competitive review
   1. The good, bad, and ugly of what the other guys are doing. You?re not looking to replicate their efforts, but having awareness can generate relevant ideas.
3. Buyer personas (creation or affirmation)
   1. Dude. You should have a handle on your top 3 customer types already. Start discussions about those personas ? are there any tweaks that should be made to match up with the blog as a channel? If you don?t have audience personas, go develop some first, then come back.
4. Detailed assessment of the prospective audience
   1. With those buyer personas in mind, start cataloging high-level themes those people might be interested in. How are other blogs meeting those information needs? How are they failing? What?s being missed altogether as we look at the competition and marketplace? Think about the Blue Ocean instead.
5. Objectives
   1. Figured out your blog sweet spot yet? It falls somewhere between the info needs spectrum of your top three buyer types overlaid with your brand position. If the blog is a transition ground for conversion, think about what readers need to accomplish or where they need to go once they mentally commit to buy. How does (or can) the blog serve as a digital concierge?
   2. You may also wish to spend time discussing ?money? keywords and key phrases to concentrate on for a specific period of time. This component of the strategic blog plan may be two-pronged to reflect local SEO specifically as well.
6. Goals, including success metrics
   1. Since you?re just starting out, it may be useful to select some baseline goals that reflect your particular industry?s trends and company financial performance. You?ve identified the direction you want the blog to help you go, now develop some relevant numbers to help track your progress. Goals and metrics could easily vary by company, market, size, and other criteria.

This may also be a good point to discuss budget and internal resource availability, maybe with a smaller group of affected department heads.

The areas described above may take 2 to 3 group sessions timed at a couple hours each. But don?t let that scare you off. Start with a specific agenda that fits your model and communicate it ? along with participation expectations ? in advance of the meetings. Ask someone outside of the conversation to take notes and transcribe any whiteboard work. After each meeting, share what was accomplished and what?s left to work through.

The point of the meetings isn?t to reach a consensus on or talk ad nauseam about granular details. You want to bring together stakeholders with different perspectives to facilitate discussion among the very people who do or oversee work that can be directly or indirectly tied to the blog.

At the conclusion of your stakeholder meetings when the framework stands a little taller (with less wobble), you may want to consider sharing news about the project with the larger employee base. Depending on your company culture, openly discussing an enterprise-level project can rally enthusiasm and support. You may discover a rich vein of talent from an unexpected someone, too.

?

How to Start a Small Business Blog: Technical Requirements & Implementation

Ahh, this is the point where some folks invoke the clich? ?It?s easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission? by launching a business blog under the cover of darkness or tap the shipping manager?s oldest nephew to create some web something on the sly.

Don?t do either.

Going rogue disrespects the contributions everyone made in the strategic planning phase (you didn?t skip the strategic planning phase, did you?) which essentially closes the door on any subsequent communication flow that might later prove vital to your project. It erodes trust and earns you the dubious designation ?Least Likely To Care What Others Say.?

As time-consuming as it may first appear, advancing the project to the next phase which includes IT, the web team, and possibly Reporting and/or Compliance (or maybe outside legal counsel) is well worth the due diligence.? Before you meet with these folks, though, do some light reading to familiarize yourself with commonly held business blogging best practices for frame of reference.

The IT and web folks will ask for a prioritized list of functional requirements. They?ll debate whether to add a subdomain or take a different route. They?ll need the anticipated number of admin users, offer opinions on tiered access rights, want your thoughts on analytics packages, and bark out a bunch of other geeky stuff. Work through all of that with them. Frequently acknowledge you?re out of your depth, and ask their opinions on pros vs. cons on taking a particular direction. A little humility goes a long way if you need IT help but aren?t the gal who signs the paychecks. Chocolate and Twizzlers help, too.

After you nail down the technical pieces of creating and establishing the blog, you?ll need to talk through timelines and tasks. Establish a go-live date (remember, folks are taking on this project in addition to their regular work load), and work backwards from there to set milestones for nailing down visual design, user accounts, any contributing writer pages or bios, setting up an RSS feed of posts, etc. Its unlikely management will want a weekly account of status, but you?ll look smart if you have a basic, informed timeline detailed with tasks and dependencies.

What to Blog About: Tactical Planning

By this phase, the strategy is in place and primary technical and creative resources are making progress toward producing a functional, visually appropriate blog. This is the time to think more deeply about the tactical elements of blogging for business, including:

1. Editorial focus
   1. What?s the mission of your message? How do you want readers to think, feel, or perceive your ideas? What cognitive purpose do you want to fill? This will be a different answer than your strategic objective, but should ultimately support it.
2. Content development
   
   1. The ongoing ins & outs of business blogging may seem tedious. And it can be hard to think up solid content ideas for the long haul. Spend the time now to flesh out broad content topics and more granular content idea nuggets, though, and you?ll save yourself some anxiety later. It?s also important to consider content types ? long guides, list posts, how-to posts, product or book reviews, interviews, and many others. Which content forms might offer the most value to your audience, and with what frequency should you publish them?
   2. Consider using mindmap software as part of the creative process to identify related content pathways. Many business blog managers often find it helpful to use an editorial calendar to chart content across a time spectrum. Calendars can be very detailed to include category, links used, word count, comments, etc. Conversely, I?ve also seen calendars that reflect only high-level information in instances where the blog manager gave a lot of latitude to individual contributors.
3. Guidelines and requirements
   1. It?s good practice to have these two resources available. For blog guidelines, create a structured document detailing objectives, editorial direction, quality expectations, procedures for submitting post ideas, policy about original content, and so on. A separate requirements document can outline any nitty-gritty details about posts for your business blog. Style, tone, use of humor, list of taboo topics, preferences for supporting visuals, expectations on link use, mandates from Compliance or legal, etc. should be covered.
4. Responsibilities and workflow
   1. Whether content development is strictly an in-house endeavor or you have a team of external blog contributors, a clear statement of expectations and a defined workflow will help ensure the blog manager and writers are sharing common ground. For example, details such as how supporting media (videos, graphics, ) are sourced and attributed as well as whose responsibility it is to procure them should be laid out before someone begins a writing assignment. Is there a budget for stock photos, products to be tested, or business books planned for review? If external contributors are used, what is the fee schedule for compensating the writers? Do writers receive a byline?
   2. The purpose of the blog is to support your business objectives, so managing the blog as you might another project can ensure that others give it the proper priority (think back to the strategic planning phase ? if the blog has been openly supported by executive management, you might encounter less resistance when you push others to complete their tasks). Some multi-author blogs use plug-ins or other functionality as part of a process for writers to submit post titles and concepts for editorial review in advance of due dates. This approach can help reduce a last-minute scramble for material because authors have to give forethought to their assignment rather than react solely to a publishing deadline. Is this approach appropriate for your business? Use, adapt, or take a different tact ? there are many ways to formalize content production so that on the back end it runs like a well-oiled machine.

Running Your SMB Blog: Execution

All the pre-work you?ve done has set the stage for blog launch. Once that baby goes live, the days following might be somewhat anticlimactic unless you grasp the significance of keeping it alive and functioning at peak performance. Don?t panic! Continue to be resourceful, organized, and creative, and the execution phase may be the most fun yet.

1. Blog post idea sourcing and curation
   1. With your strategic blog plan in one hand and a finger of the other on the pulse of your industry, constantly scan ? and compel other subject matter experts within your company ? for timely topics, developing trends, hard news, rising stars, and other opportunities that might be mined for content. And don?t forget the role of keyword research. Clearly, maintaining alignment with the editorial vision of the blog is important, as your blog needs to cultivate a particular space in the mind of your readers. But by exercising a little lateral thinking you can draw lines between business interests and lighter mind fare now and again or simply ?see? blog content opportunities where you wouldn?t have before.
   2. Depending on the content types you decided to focus on while in the strategic planning phase, content curation may play a role in how the blog is executed. Posts including ?best links of the week? or similar may help fill in gaps on the publishing schedule while also curry favor in the social gift economy while building an audience.
2. Blog promotion
   1. If a blog post gets published but nobody comments on it, does it really matter? You bet it does! Business blog success is all about showing up every week (or day, depending on your publishing schedule) with relevant, useful, and entertaining content. Sure, some posts will generate a lot of traffic and comments but many other posts ? still worth their salt ? will not (although with some care, can still have a favorable impact on search rankings). Maybe not on the day of publication, or maybe not the week later. But over time, that smart thinking will continue to work for you as it establishes your organization as a stronghold in your space. So as part of your process (I recommend it?s actually tracked in the editorial calendar), develop a sequence for promoting the work via social networks under the corporate accounts. If you or other contributors have a following and also enjoy sharing via your networks, then that?s great too. ?Just don?t try to make it a requirement. There?s no love to be gained by forcing an employee to pimp business stuff to their networks.
3. Merchandising
   1. To get the most mileage out of your blog content, think like a retailer. A series of blog posts written around a central theme can be pulled together to produce an opinion paper or serve as fodder for a presentation destined for SlideShare. Post images can be seeded on Pinterest boards. Proprietary data released in a post can be developed into a press release, an infographic, a presentation, and an opinion paper. How can you get more out of your great content?

How to Maintain a Blog: Monitoring And Evaluation

Yet again elements from the strategic planning phase come full circle. Using the metrics ? points of value ? relevant to the blog?s business objectives, observe and document activity over time. At 3, 6, 9, and 12 month intervals following blog launch and promotion activity, are there any trends moving up and to the right? Use your analytics to determine the status of key performance indicators. If analytics and search engine marketing isn?t a core strength, consider tapping a reputable consultant for a blog health assessment and top recommendations.

Ongoing SMB Blog Management: Continual Improvement Processes

Few new processes are ever perfect right out of the gate. A ?fall back and regroup? milestone can be a way for the team to enjoy their initial accomplishment while remaining committed to the long-term success of the new business blog. For instance, a few software patches or code changes might be needed for the blog to operate optimally ? these might only be obvious after the blog is live. ?Or after the blog is in the wild for a few months, it might then become clear that the editorial direction needs a tweak or that the workflow should be more efficient. This is the point when a good debriefing can be helpful. The power of hindsight and fresh experience can provide new and valuable insight to make your good new blog even better. One way is to hold a group meeting with all the contributors, and another is to distribute a survey. With both, the objective is to collect both quantitative and qualitative input that can be applied to improve the blog.

As a business blog manager or contributor, how does this guide stack up? What additional considerations or resources would you add? If you have a small business blog success story, share it in the comments below. We want to help you become a superstar small business blogger!

Source: http://www.business2community.com/blogging/blog-management-for-small-businesses-the-ultimate-guide-0335917

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