Karla Fetrow | Page 27 | World Tech Today

Ndamukong Suh to sign $114 million deal with Miami Dolphins over six years

Mar 9, 2015 by Karla Fetrow Leave a Comment

Ndamukong Suh to the dolphins has been a strong rumor, and it seems Miami Dolphins will take some credit for clinching one of the finest defensive players of all time. It is starting to be evident that no other team but the Dolphins ever had a chance of signing him. Contract amounts being talked out in many sources can tell everyone this is no ordinary smoke screen deal.

Ndamukong Suh is to sign for $114 million deal over six years with $60 million already guaranteed. The Lions had reportedly offered $17 million per year with $58 million guaranteed, but that has since been trumped by about $2 million by Miami. If the speculation about Suh to Miami has any truth in it, then it will set a new bar for defensive players, Houston Texans J.J. Watt having walked away with a $100 million deal with $51.8 million guaranteed last year. Suh, a free agent, is expected to beat that by a margin.

Suh is considered one of the finest defensive free agents to have ever hit the open market since the likes of Reggie White or Deion Sanders in the mid-1990. It will be a big coup for Miami on signing Suh but on the other hand it could be one of the biggest risks in the history of NFL free agency. Suh is to become the highest-paid defensive player, with Miami having in its ranks a player known to deliver cheap shots while enjoying kicking dudes in the groin.

The amount of talent that Suh comes with is unquestionable which should justify the amount of money Miami is willing to pay for his services. He represents in many ways an old school approach to football in an era where offense is king.

However, it is still a big bet for Miami considering the last time the NFL rolled out a hefty check for Albert Haynesworth worth $100 million, everything went sour with the player managing only two seasons.

Frank Gore signs $7.5 million deal with Philadelphia Eagles

Mar 9, 2015 by Karla Fetrow Leave a Comment

Free agent Frank Gore might have found his new home at Philadelphia Eagles according to sources, which say he is to sign a three-year deal worth $7.5 million for the first two years. On signing the agreement, the running back will end an impressive 10 year run with San Francisco 49ers.

Gore 32 replaces, LeSean McCoy, who was traded last week to the Buffalo Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso. Another free agent joining the Eagles is cornerback Byron Maxwell, who has told ESPN that he will sign when free agency begins on Tuesday. The Eagles had to fend off a last ditch effort from Seattle Seahawks, who were also interested on the running back.

Gore is to take his place in the team having shown no signs of slowing down with Eagle’s coach Chip Kelly reiterating that he is the kind of leader in the locker room that he has always coveted. The running back joins the Eagles having managed four straight 1,000 yard rushing seasons and running over a thousand yards in 8 of the past 9 seasons

Gore, a five-time Pro-Bowler, opted to leave the Niners after Coach, Jim Harbaugh, parted ways, with the team on mutual consent. The end of Harbaugh’s reign at the team played a pivotal role in Gore also calling quits as he had initially said he wanted to see what the 49ers wanted to do with the job before deciding on his future. 49ers consequently promoted defensive line coach Jim Tomsula to the head-coach position.

Gore is rugged and perfect fit for Kelly’s up-tempo and zone-blocked run scheme as a one cut; joining the team with a low center of gravity that has always made him tough to tackle. He also joins the Eagles with good hands as a receiver out of the backfield, having caught a 55-yard touchdown last season against the Eagles.

Daylight Saving Time: the good and the bad about the concept

Mar 8, 2015 by Karla Fetrow Leave a Comment

It’s that time of the year when time is to be pushed forward by an hour in a bid to leap back into the world of Daylight Saving Time until November when a reversal will take place back to the Eastern Standard Time. The original reason behind this changes has always had with a push to conserve energy. Most people in the U.S will be forced to push forward their clocks by 60 minutes as part of the transition.

Daylight Saving Time

The switch is however starting to raise questions in the wake of recent studies indicating that fewer benefits were usually associated with the practice. A study carried out in the 1970’S by the Department of Transportation concluded that the total electricity savings as of result of the changes amounted to about 1% in the spring and fall months.

Experts have also warned of increased rates of accidents especially on the first Monday after the switch as motorists usually end up struggling with an hour less of sleep and darker than usual morning road conditions.

Utah representative, Lee Perry, is one of the legislatures fighting the Daylight Saving time practice as his sponsored bill seeks to have the Utahns ‘fall behind’ when other states make the switch. His bill seems to have stagnated and looks unlikely to go anywhere as it has yet to come out of the House Rules Committee. Lawmakers admit to having received submissions to end the practice, but the House Speaker maintains that making such a change could result in bigger ramifications than what many realize.

Arizona is one of the state’s that does not observe Daylight Saving Time and has done so, for about 40 years; a bill that sought to change this trend was shot down in January by an outpouring opposition. If Arizona is not going to change its practice, it awaits to be seen how many states will push to join it going forward.

FDA approves first affordable biosimilar cancer drug

Mar 8, 2015 by Karla Fetrow Leave a Comment

The Food and Drugs Administration has moved to address increased concerns over the costs of cancer treatments by approving biosimilar drug, Zarxio, produced by Novartis Sandoz. The move by the agency moves to curtail a long running monopoly by some biotechnology companies, which have manufactured and sold expensive, complex medicines that have fewer less-expensive alternatives.

Zarxio is a drug that its developers hope will assist patients in forming white blood cells in cancer therapy. The drug should act as a substitute for the most costly treatments that usually leave a hole in cancer patient’s pockets. Some people are however arguing that it is a copy of an existing medication called Neupogen or Filgrastim that was approved in Europe as Zarxio in 2009.

Amgen’s Neupogen generated $1.2 billion in sales last year as a therapy for increasing cancer patient’s white blood cells and fight infections. The drug is part of an exclusive class of drugs called biologics that have never faced any generic competition. Biosimilars are not expected to cut the prices of drugs by 80% like other generic drugs but should go a long way in ensuring prices go down by between 10-50%.

Neupogen remains underused in the U.S. because of its price, which is expected to provide Zarxio with a clear opportunity to access a huge marketplace that has been yearning for affordable alternatives. A report by Rand Corp notes that biosimilars like Zarxio have the potential of saving up to $44 billion over a decade.

The approval is of importance as it opens the door for a class of new drugs that are cheaper because of increased competition. Biosimilars cost almost of a third of brand-name biologics on average. The Wall Street Journal reports that companies are pushing for the approval of 50 biosimilars for 15 different drugs. There is a belief in the industry that biosimilars may end up accounting for 70% of U.S prescriptions.

Barack Obama: 50 years after ‘bloody Sunday in Selma’ but our March is not yet finished

Mar 8, 2015 by Karla Fetrow Leave a Comment

Thousands of people including President, Barack Obama, gathered to reenact a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in commemoration of the regrettable history of segregation now known as ‘Bloody Sunday’. Obama commemorated the 50th anniversary by telling thousands of people in attendance that the march was not yet over, but the end was in sight.

The commemoration came into being after Alabama state troopers beat and gassed peaceful protesters who were demonstrating in the bridge to promote black voting rights on March 7, 1965. The day of commemoration is not enough according to Obama to repay the hefty debt paid by marchers who were brutally beaten on that fateful day.

Coverage of the Bloody Sunday event in 1965 triggered national outrage prompting Congress to pass landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 which mandated federal oversight of elections for states known of discrimination.

Looking back at the history of black Americans is a painful experience for many people but the resonating tone at the Selma reenactment served as motivation in spearheading efforts to promote equality. Participants at the event were able to learn the culture that was once divided by the superficial difference in skin color.

Even though, stories of segregation in the state years ago continue to paint pages of modern history books, many people in attendance remained moved by the speeches of solidarity. Nations leader’s activists and celebrities were in Selma commemorating the historic event. The mood in the crowd was of unity with leader after leader calling for talks focused on how to move America forward away from the forces of racism and discrimination based on skin color.

Current Selma residents who live beyond the national poverty level were on the other hand left asking whether after the dignitaries left, the town with 82% black will change for the better, or it will fade away. Many black residents say they live in divisive society where discrimination is still a sting with true change yet to be seen.

Google marks International Women’s Day with a special doodle

Mar 8, 2015 by Karla Fetrow Leave a Comment

Thousands of women are expected to take to the streets around the world, to mark this year’s International Women’s day an annual event that celebrates women’s achievements while promoting global gender equality. This year’s theme ‘make it happen’ aims at encouraging the recognition of women in all professional fields where gender parity is still an issue.

Too often, it is the women that bear the burden of war or discrimination from Iraqi women being abducted and enslaved by ISIL to Nigerian school girls being kidnaped and forced into marriage

Prior to the big day, hundreds took to the street in downtown Toronto, calling for pay equality and better child care among other changes. Participants in the Saturday event also called for more actions to be taken on the more than 1,200 indigenous women and girls who have been murdered or gone missing over the past three decades.

Gender pay gap is also a point of concern for women advocacy groups; standing at 17.5% in the U.K while the Equality and Human Rights Commission suggests that it might take up to 70 years for parity between women and men to be achieved. Women continue to face even greater challenge when they return to their workplaces upon giving birth, with reports indicating that most of them usually end up being demoted to more junior roles.

Google Inc (GOOGL) is celebrating this year’s international women’s day with a doodle highlighting women in high achieving roles in the fields of science, sports, teaching and arts with a caption reading ‘Happy International Women’s Day’. The search giant will also be working with The Drum to acknowledge some prominent women working in the search and marketing sector with a poll expected to open on March 8th.

Last year, Google marked the event with a video doodle featuring over 100 famous female personalities including Pakistani teen and Nobel laureate Malala and Bollywood legend Asha Bhonsle. The first celebration of International Women’s day was marked on May 3, 1908 in Chicago U.S.

Spouses likely to inspire each other when it comes to exercising, finds study

Mar 8, 2015 by Karla Fetrow Leave a Comment

The best source of inspiration when it comes to exercising might come from one’s spouse according to a study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of public health. The best peer pressure to get you moving when exercising could come from the person sitting next you at the breakfast table says, Laura Cobb, a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins.

The findings of the study were presented at the EPI/Lifestyle 2015 Scientific Sessions arranged by the American Heart Association.

Counselling married couples on health related matters together was found to be an effective way of increasing the level of exercising in some individuals. Medical records of 3,261 spouses associated with Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities were analyzed in the study with two medical visits being conducted for the source pairs with a gap of approximately six years. Physical activity levels of each of the spouse were recorded upon visiting and compared with the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

It was later found that if a wife met the guidelines on the first visit. The husband was also 70% likely to meet the physical activity guidelines upon the second visit when compared to husbands whose wives were inactive. On the other hand, if a husband met recommendations on the first visit the wife was 40% likely to meet the Physical Activity recommendations on the second visit.

A prior research carried out in January found out that it was more plausible for a person to adopt a healthy way of life such as quitting smoking and engaging in rigorous exercising. If they had partners to look to. The findings, therefore, suggest that healthcare professionals trying to encourage clients to increase exercise levels may need to counsel both people in a relationship.

Obesity remains a major health concern in the U.S. and around the globe with routine exercising as well as healthy diets being mooted as the most effective ways of staying healthy and losing weight.

Researchers discover second lost city of Monkey God in Jungle of Honduras

Mar 8, 2015 by Karla Fetrow Leave a Comment

Scientists from the US, the UK, and Honduras using infrared mapping believe they might have discovered a second fabled lost city in the Jungles of Honduras where Monkeys were worshiped as gods. It is however, believed that the city was discovered in the 1940’s by researcher, Theodore Morde, who committed suicide to ensure it was never found and looted.

The search for the mythical city has been ongoing for centuries since Spanish Conquistadors heard rumors about a city in the sixteenth century filled with extraordinary wealth, hidden somewhere in the jungles of Honduras. The two cities discovered in a span of a week were found to contain remnants of houses, plazas, a burial mound among many surprising aspects.

Archaeologist are believed to have unearthed half human and half jaguar spirit statue in the latest discovery. The discovery of half-human hybrid according to scientists could be an indication of shaman in the middle of a spiritual transformation. The city was likely inhabited between 1000 AD and 1400 AD according to scientists who also believe that people who lived there had a resemblance to the Maya

The ‘City of the Monkey God’ was spotted during an aerial tour in 2012, with a deep forest laser probe on the ground backing initial findings that it was indeed the lost city by revealing ruined sites. Based on how animals reacted on an expedition in the area, scientists believe it is likely the city has been abandoned for at least 600 years.

Filmmakers, Bill Benenson and Steve Elkins have been spearheading efforts in the search for the lost city having flew a helicopter into the remote Honduran jungle in hopes of locating the lost city using infra-red. Remains of human’s habitation made of houses, paved roads and fields used for cultivating crops have already been discovered. Carved stone sculptures bearing designs of vultures and snakes have also been discovered as part of more than 50 artifacts.

FDA approves country’s first Neupogen Biosimilar drug Zarxio

Mar 7, 2015 by Karla Fetrow Leave a Comment

The healthcare industry is setting new trends every day. One trend that has grabbed the attention of most of the people is copied bio-similar drugs. The U.S. government has faced a lot of issues, with respect to these drugs, but against all the odds, it has finally given them the long-awaited green light. According to reports, regulators in the U.S. have approved Zarxio; the first copied biosimilar drug of the country.

What’s Special About Zarxio:

The newly approved Zarxio has most of the ingredients similar to Neupogen or filgrastim, which marked sales of $1.2 billion in 2014 across the globe. Both these drugs are developed and distributed by Amgen, which is a prominent American multinational biopharmaceutical company. The drug helps the patients in preventing any infection. It is mostly given to those who suffer from cancer.

Zarxio attracted quite a few controversies from the day of its launch, but FDA backed the drug always. It always believed that Zarxio could uplift the standards of healthcare treatments in the near future. Europe had approved biosimilar drugs in 2006, but patients in United States always struggled to get them. Earlier FDA didn’t have authority to approve any such drug, but Obama government passed a resolution named Obamacare in 2010, which made it possible for FDA to approve biosimilar drugs.

Unlike all the chemical drugs, bio-similar drugs are developed inside the living cells, which make it difficult for the companies to produce two identical drugs. According to experts, scientists can produce two similar bio-similar drugs, but not two identical ones.

Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner, FDA stated that after the approval of biosimilar drugs, it would become easier for the patients to get access to them as and then they want. It will not only improve the standards of the healthcare industry, but also make it easy for the patients to get proper treatment of life-threatening diseases.

Follow Mediterranean diet for a healthy Heart

Mar 7, 2015 by Karla Fetrow Leave a Comment

As per the latest study, following Mediterranean diet results in a strong and healthy heart. The adults who stick to a 70% plant-base diet are at 47% lower risk of suffering from heart disease compared to people who are non-vegetarian. The study results will be presented at upcoming ‘64th Annual Scientific Session’ of the American College of Cardiology.

The research involved a group of more than 2,500 Greek adults in age group of 18 to 89 years. The subjects were under observation for eleven years, from 2001 to 2012. The researcher monitored everything from their medical records to dietary habits to adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

The research highlighted that subjects who adhered to the Mediterranean diet and didn’t focus on physical activity had super protection against heat diseases. The previous studies had supported the fact that health benefits of diet outweigh other protective factors.

As per Ekavi Georgousopoulou, who is co-author of the study stated that the Mediterranean diet proves to be a beneficial intervention for all people irrespective of age or gender. It is applicable to both healthy people and those suffering from health problems. Professor Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos supported Georgousopoulou in the study. The adherence to a plant-based diet ensures heart health and offers other health benefits, including inflammation and hypertension management as well as diabetes management.

The researchers closely monitored how strictly subjects stick to their diet. As per the intake level and self-reported frequency, they were ranked on a scale of 1 to 55. The candidates who scored high on a scale were adhered to the Mediterranean diet and had lower risk of getting a heart disease. A one-point increase on the scale was proportionate to a 3% decrease in heart disease risk.

The Mediterranean diet consists of various types of food including vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans, olive oil, grains and nuts.