Q & A: Can You Get Allergies After Moving to a New City?

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Some people can acquire new allergies, usually after three to five years of exposure, experts say.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/science/can-you-get-allergies-after-moving-to-a-new-city.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Open webOS running on the Nook Color

You're seeing that right -- it's Open webOS running on our old friend the Nook Color. Yes, it's incomplete, and it's laggy, but it's also a pretty damned beautiful sight if you're a fan of open hardware and open source software.

Ping-Hsun Chen, a savvy fellow from Taiwan, got the desktop version of Open webOS up and running using the same methods we're used to seeing for Ubuntu distributions. It's running more as a layer on top of Android than it is natively, but it's still a huge first step and paves the way for all sorts of fun hackery getting Open webOS on any device that has been running Ubuntu -- like the Galaxy Tab 10.1 or the Transformer. 

With further refinement, and better hardware, we can see this becoming a viable alternative for folks who want to give Open webOS a try on a cheap device. It's the kind of innovation we all here at Mobile Nations love to see, and you can bet we're all keeping a close eye on this one. Derek and the crew over at webOS Nation are pretty excited about it, and you can bet the WN forums will be jumping. Head over and join in the fun!

Source: Penk; via webOS Nation

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/sQ7UZhkfnA8/story01.htm

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Meningitis outbreak rises to 205 cases: CDC

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Seven more people have been diagnosed with fungal meningitis linked to possibly tainted vials of a steroid medication, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 205 in 14 states.

The death toll from the unprecedented outbreak was unchanged at 15, the CDC said. It put the number of people sickened at 205 and said new cases were confirmed in New Hampshire, Florida, Indiana, and Tennessee.

All but two of those who became ill were diagnosed with a rare type of fungal meningitis that has been the hallmark of the deadly outbreak. Two patients were diagnosed with peripheral joint infections linked to the tainted drug.

Tennessee continues to be the hardest hit state, with 53 cases of meningitis and six deaths, the CDC said, followed by Michigan with 41 cases and three deaths, and Virginia with 34 cases and one death.

The outbreak has turned into a major health scandal after a company based in Massachusetts shipped vials that may have been tainted to 23 states and 76 medical facilities.

The scare has prompted multiple investigations, and the Massachusetts-based company at the center of the outbreak, New England Compounding Center, has recalled the product and suspended operations.

NECC distributed thousands of vials of a contaminated steroid that has put 14,000 people at risk of contracting meningitis, according to government health officials.

Meningitis is an infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include headache, fever and nausea. Fungal meningitis, unlike viral and bacterial meningitis, is not contagious.

The scare raised questions about how the pharmaceuticals industry operates. NECC engaged in a little-known practice called drug compounding that is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, which generally oversees drug makers.

In compounding, pharmacies prepare specific doses of approved medications, based on guidance from a doctor, to meet an individual patient's need.

Emails to one NECC customer obtained by Reuters revealed the company solicited bulk orders from physicians and failed to require proof of individual patient prescriptions as required by state regulations.

The emails support assertions made this week by state pharmacy regulators that the compounding firm, which was authorized to deliver products only in response to patient-specific prescriptions, had violated its license in Massachusetts.

Several states, including Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio, are investigating the company. New Hampshire and Tennessee have scheduled administrative hearings on possible violations.

(Reporting by James B. Kelleher; Additional reporting by Toni Clarke and Aaron Pressman; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/meningitis-outbreak-rises-205-cases-cdc-says-200417103.html

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A Letter to China, from America: Part III | China Briefing News

Selling U.S. goods and services to Asia, and the China considerations

Opinions and observations on U.S.-China-Asia trade from Chris Devonshire-Ellis

Oct. 15 ? Over the past couple of weeks, I?ve been addressing a number of American trade and commercial bodies, as well as universities. Our practice, Dezan Shira & Associates, maintains memberships with several international tax and accounting alliances; through which we continue to develop mutually beneficial relationships with mid-sized American tax and legal establishments across the country. Typically, such U.S. domestic practices have limited resources in terms of international trade, and although this position for them is now improving internally, the regional intelligence of what is going on in China, India and ASEAN (and the benefits now open to American companies to access these markets) often has to come from us, as we?re extant across Asia.

Our American partner firms benefit because we are able to:

• Provide a practical overview of the developing nature of Asia;
• Handle the technical questions foreign investors typically have;
• Assist with more detailed troubleshooting for specific clients when necessary; and
• Supply on-the-ground information through our pan-Asian infrastructure (our China practice alone maintains 12 offices in the country).

On the other hand, through this kind of relationship, our partners are able to:

• Advise their local American clients about the legal and tax issues to consider when preparing to make an investment in Asia; and
• Provide guidance to their clients in matters relating to export (and other) U.S. tax credits and incentives, as well as transfer pricing issues, and so on.

Such partnerships end up working well for both parties and in just the past 10 days I?ve spoken in Cincinnati, Providence, and Boston ? all arranged with local U.S. firms. The week ahead sees me visit both North and South Carolina and end the week speaking in San Francisco (a quite deliberate travel agenda policy!).

To summarize what I?ve been saying at these speaking engagements in terms of how Asia is developing (while condensing the content into basic highlights for this article), I can basically state that it?s all about the age demographics. In China, the consumer middle class has reached approximately 250 million, according to both the Wall Street Journal and McKinsey, with that expected to reach some 500 million by 2020. As China ages (the average age of a worker is 37 today, as opposed to 23 back in 1992), its domestic wealth is also increasing. This provides numerous new pockets of emerging consumer markets within China for U.S. companies to target.

American companies are also leading the way into these new Chinese markets ? KFC alone now has over 4,000 outlets spread across some 700 cities in China. How about that as a platform for introducing Chinese consumers to quality standards and American brands? Starbucks is close behind, and of course one cannot forget McDonald?s. As you read this, thousands of people across Chinese cities you may never have heard of are tucking into a good old-fashioned American fast food meal. These new consumer demographics are now having a significant impact on American exports to China ? which surpassed US$100 billion for the first time last year and is only going to keep increasing.

But China is only part of the story. ASEAN, with its 10 member countries tucked between China and India, has free trade agreements that kick in come 2015, and that means manufacturing opportunities in Asian destinations with cheaper labor costs ? such as Vietnam and Indonesia ? are starting to look more attractive. Those FTAs don?t just link ASEAN to China and India, they also link the bloc to Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

In addition, ASEAN includes some attractively wealthy nations as well that American manufacturers can sell too: Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are all well up there in per capita disposable income levels, while for infrastructure development, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia are all crying out for investment. It?s almost an embarrassment of markets to choose from. That need for infrastructure also extends to India ? where it still takes three days to turn a ship around in Mumbai, compared to eight hours for Shanghai. If your business is involved in infrastructure development and construction ? you should be heading off to India right now.

But those development and infrastructure statistics also demonstrate a real need for American investment capital and technology (and in turn represent some tremendous sales opportunities). With India just recently relaxing FDI regulations concerning retail in the country, large companies such as Wal-Mart are now set to massively increase their spread and influence. They need to ? India?s supply chain infrastructure is very poor and the cold chain almost nonexistent. A harsh fact concerning agricultural production in India is that 30 percent of crops rot before reaching the market. The introduction of large multi-brand retailers such as Wal-Mart will help solve these problems by putting in place those much-needed supply chains.

These problems have also translated into new market opportunities for some savvy American businesses, and I had the pleasure of spending time with one such company in Cincinnati last week. By developing a small, customized, portable refrigeration unit especially for hot countries with the agricultural problems I described, this company has already targeted India and has Wal-Mart chomping at the bit to distribute their product. The unit also contains a number of patented inventions. We discussed various issues (not least the margins retailers would probably ask for and related profits tax and VAT matters), when an interesting point came up about China.

?We only intend to sell this in India at the moment,? they said. ?But how long do you think it would be before a clever engineer in China gets hold of one of our units, takes it apart, understands how the technology works, and manufactures it there to compete with us in India??

It?s not a question I could answer with any precision, and I hazarded an 18 month window. However, in subsequent discussions elsewhere I have heard instances of China copying products within 6 weeks, but I suspect those were for inventions initially sold in China. Either way, it brought home a salient point ? if you intend to sell anywhere in Asia, you probably want to ask your patent lawyers to have your invention protected in China too. When doing this, make sure you choose a practice registered in China and not just a local U.S. firm. If you choose the latter, you may lose control of the process and end up with work that is subcontracted ? meaning you just pay extra for what amounts to a more remote and hands-off service. Although it is difficult to get statistics from China about this, it is wise to note that the number of patents being challenged in the country appears to be sharply on the rise. The message is to get those inventions patented in China, even if it?s not your target market.

Meanwhile, on a more upbeat note, another phenomenon I have noted about the United States today is how local businesses are starting to evolve from 20 years ago, when I first began advising American companies on doing business in China. In those days, many U.S. corporations were content to sell domestically, and made good money in doing so. But as a new generation of executives comes through, with many having spent time in China or Asia as part of their undergraduate degree or MBA, their experiences and dynamics are starting to make their way into the board room. A new breed of younger, international executives is beginning to influence American commerce, and these executives are starting to steer company sales away from relying purely on the domestic market, and are instead moving towards generating a higher percentage of profits from export sales.

That development neatly outlines what I?ve been saying: the future trend is U.S. exports. Once that can be matched up with the fantastic opportunities that Asia has to offer, American companies are going to be spreading their wings overseas in increasing numbers and, with that, increasing their profits ? from Asia.

Chris Devonshire-Ellis is the founding partner of Dezan Shira & Associates and is based in North America. He is available to meet with other legal and tax practices across the United States to coordinate a suitable Asia development strategy for individual businesses and their clients. He is also available to speak at international business events with chambers of commerce and similar entities, and to the appropriate international faculties of American universities. For further information, please email the practice at usa@dezshira.com or visit the firm?s website at www.dezshira.com.

Dezan Shira & Associates is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in emerging Asia. Since its establishment in 1992, the firm has grown into one of Asia?s most versatile full-service consultancies with operational offices across China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Vietnam as well as liaison offices in Italy and the United States.

You can stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends across China by subscribing to The China Advantage, our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary, guides, and multimedia resources.

Related Reading

An Introduction to Doing Business in China
Asia Briefing, in cooperation with its parent firm Dezan Shira & Associates, has just released this 40-page report introducing everything that a foreign investor should be familiar with when establishing and operating a business in China.

The Complete ?Letters to China from America? Series

Delaware and Nevada Holding Companies for Chinese Foreign-Invested Enterprises

Co-Investing in China with Chinese Partners

Double Taxation Agreements for China Investment

Source: http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2012/10/15/a-letter-to-china-from-america-part-iii.html

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Is Camel Milk Good For You?

According to the experts, camel milk is an excellent medicinal product. It?s said to be the closest thing to human mother?s milk, it contains more Vitamin C and iron than milk from cows. The properties found in the milk boosts the immune system, it's low in lactose so people who are lactose-intolerant have an easier time of digesting it, and it contains healthy servings of vitamin B.

The milk prevents the growth of bacteria, viruses, tumors, and can potentially be used as a defense against many diseases. It may also help people who are autistic, people with allergies, and people with poor immune systems. As with any supplement, check with your physician or nutritionist to find out if this product is right for you before trying it.

One of the biggest beneficiaries of it, however, are diabetics.

• It?s not only low in fat but contains a wealth of insulin. Medical professionals who tested Type I Diabetics after they consumed the milk found the amount of insulin needed to control blood sugar was greatly reduced. One renowned clinician discovered diabetics who ingested 500 ml of the milk in its rawest and freshest form every day had improved health benefits because the proteins found in the milk actually mimics insulin. These proteins helped sufferers quickly absorb insulin and they decreased blood clotting. The clinician advises diabetics to continue receiving their regular insulin treatments and suggests using camel milk as an additional viable choice if those treatments aren?t available.

People with compromised immune systems may also benefit from the milk.

• Antibodies that prevent the immune system from assaulting it?s own body tissues are found in the milk. HIV/AIDS, Crohn?s disease, cancer, and multiple sclerosis are some examples of autoimmune illnesses that can be treated. These antibodies pinpoint antigens and easily penetrate them for destruction by the immune system. One Israeli physiologist observed the advantages sufferers of these diseases received after consuming the milk over the course of five years. His studies showed it not only promotes a healthier immune system but it has the ability to regulate or restore the health of the immune system. Sufficient evidence to prove this claim is still forthcoming, however.

Autistic people may also reap advantages from the milk.

• Seven years ago, a scholarly journal published a study claiming the signs of autism were completely gone when medical researchers discovered a young female under the age of 5 drank the milk for several weeks. A teenage boy also had no sign of autism after drinking the milk for 30 days. Also, observers noticed a few autistic adults who consumed the milk for 14 days became more serene and less destructive to themselves. Researchers believe the milk has many advantages for people with autism, but no studies contain concrete data that autism disappears after the subjects observed drank it.

Until 2009, it was a felony to sell camel milk in America. The FDA has since approved it for sale in the United States. But don?t look for it on the store shelves yet because the product isn?t viable commercially. The benefits to health alone is not worth investing the time and resources needed to bring it to market. Some online stores sell chocolate confections made from camel milk. Personally, I would try the candy if I wanted to shell out $10 for a 2.5 ounce bar. But, then again, I can rarely say no to chocolate.

What do you think? Will you drink camel milk if it becomes widely available in the U.S.?

Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/food-and-drink/is-camel-milk-good-for-you

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