Tag Archives: ceo

Redskins vs. Bills Replay: 2012 Preseason Game No. 1 Live Blog

Here’s a little look at my Friday night when I live blog in Word my experience watching the replay of last night’s Washington Redskins versus Buffalo Bills preseason debut. Let me know what you think, I’m hoping to keep these going into the season.

I’m about 30 minutes late to turning on the first quarter of the Bills‘ replay, just in time to see RGIII throw his first pro touchdown to Pierre Garcon followed by a fine clothing commercial featuring Bills CEO Russ Brandon telling everyone where he buys his suits, that they don’t need to go to New York or Toronto to shop. thanks for the tip, Russ, next time I drop a G on a suit. the rebranding of the franchise and the demographic turnover of Bills fans from steel workers to something else apparently can’t come fast enough. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick is in the no-huddle on his own 10, apparently trying to K-Gun his way down the field.

At 4:46 Chandler catches it 25 yards down the seam. that has to be a good sign. then Stevie Johnson gets in on the next play for 10 yards or so. 

Third-and-10, 3:55, Bills go five wide. Ball’s there for Johnson near the sideline but it sails over his head. almost exactly where Chandler’s catch landed, but Johnson’s not 6’7’’.

Bubble player and gunner on special teams who showed something last year in same role, Ruvell Martin, makes a nice play on a punt to down it near the 5-yard line, but apparently he stumbled past the goal line? What did the officials see there? Not even close. Whoa! Moorman giving an earful to the officials. He looks like Earl Weaver out there; when has that ever happened?

Wait, the Bills are challenging punt coverage in a preseason game? bad call or no, it’s preseason, relax guys! Tasker says, “that’s a good challenge.” the replacement officials get on the scoreboard early with an awful call. no wonder Moorman was upset. Martin downs it at the 4-yard line, nowhere close to the goal line. 

Rex Grossman trots out. Where’s John Beck? How’s Carrington supposed to make the team without John Beck out there? Rookie Ron Brooks greets Grossman with a near pick on the first play. Brooks wears no. 33. that strikes me a classy. something tells me he’s gonna be a good player. 

Dareus, a run stuff on second down. 

Supposedly there’s 55,000-something in the stands, but c’mon. maybe half that in actuality. I guess seeing the new team versus RGIII for about eight minutes of action wasn’t appealing enough. 

Fitzpatrick passing again. Bills refusing to run, like it might kill them. If Fitz is only playing 15 snaps, why not let them throw it? Evidently, there’s work to do, he’s way off . On third down, Fitzpatrick looks like he wastes some energy on his throw, keeping his hands low. but the real reason the pass doesn’t work is Johnson is shoved to the ground as he breaks toward the middle of the field. Should’ve been an interference call on that one. Replacement refs chalk up another point. 

Grossman’s not going no-huddle, but he looks like he’s in a hurry to get back off the field. this has all the makings of a regular-season Cleveland versus Buffalo puntathon. 

A.C. Slater from Saved by the Bell lets me know on the commercial break that he hosts some celebrity news show in the 7 p.m. ET slot on my local ABC affiliate. Mario Lopez, as he’s known in the real world. just now realizing how non-Hispanic “a.C. Slater” is. I suppose it’s slightly ambiguous. 

Mario “Don’t call me Slater” Lopez Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Jay Ross and Sam Young are both wearing no. 71 in the same game. I never knew that happened. 

A bunch of flags, a bunch of commercials. I don’t think I’m ready for Buffalo injury lawyers Cellino and Barnes to switch their phone number from 854-2020 to 888-8888. Their jingle just doesn’t sound right. 

Game back on. I have to say I’ve noticed mark Anderson a LOT tonight. He’s off the snap super quick and into the backfield, sometimes overpursuing the pocket, but he still looks fast and dangerous. 

Roosevelt gets a 20-yard return on a punt. Love it. I doubt Roosevelt has a spot, but would love to see him find a way, even if it’s on special teams. 

Fitzpatrick on the sidelines. Apparently there was no real game plan for the game aside from letting Fitz go no-huddle and look for openings in the spread. And I like the approach; why not? They have to keep things pretty bland play call-wise, and if the Bills are to be any good this year, Fitzpatrick has to be an artist in quick decisions. 

Thigpen on a 3rd-and-3 tries to hit Clowney on a quick slant but Clowney is held and there’s no flag. We’re getting glimpses of how bad the season might be if this labor dispute with the officials lasts. If this game mattered, it might really get ugly. 

There’s 8:02 left in the second and the Bills D on the field looks like a first-string unit from previous years. I’m scared the Bills might cut Edwards or Johnson, a la Hangartner 2011. 

Ron Brooks makes a great play on a deep third-down ball, looking back for the ball in the air and almost picking it off. I like seeing a rookie having the awareness to not just go for a pass breakup, but a possible pick. 

Bills come down to the goal line with four minutes until the half and get stuffed on two run plays to Choice. the vanilla play calls in full effect now. On third down, they go to the air and there’s finally a defensive holding call. 

Now the Bills get three cracks on the 1-yard line. I already know they don’t score, the game’s on replay after all, but it’s still fun in a perverse kind of way. I’ve watched a lot of bad Bills football in my life. I can handle it. 

Not really. They try a draw play that got Choice some yards earlier on the drive but it goes nowhere too. Even in the replay they can’t score! 

With two minutes left, Lindell comes out and misses from extremely short range with one of the worst kicks you’ll ever see in an NFL game. 

Kirk Cousins, the other Redskins rookie QB comes out for the two-minute drill and my new favorite Bill, Ron Brooks, makes a great play on a hard pass and picks it off. 

Thigpen answers in kind with a pick of his own on a horribly underthrown ball to an open T.J. Graham down the sideline. 

It’s kind of nice to see football on TV, under lights. it always looks good. but it’s hard for me to care about preseason football. And I’m not alone. the Ralph is mostly empty, except for the diehards and season ticket holders who figured they already paid for the game, they might as well go. It’s been a while since the Ralph has hosted a night game, hasn’t it? 

Kirk Cousins passes over, err, no. 71 for the Bills! Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Cousins getting ready to throw a Hail Mary but then there’s a 10-second run-off for some reason and Cousins is put out of his misery, for now. 

During halftime, Hannah Buehler from buffalobills.com features a highlight on an Oakvillle, Ontario Bills fan named Robert Hall who built an enormous Lego replica of the Ralph in his basement. this guy’s inner child is so big it’s kind of lovely. To paraphrase, he says, “it took me a long friccin time to build this monstrosity but I didn’t give up, because Bills fans don’t give up.” 

Wait, are they seriously going to do a whole halftime show on the replay? I was so distracted by the Lego Ralph I didn’t realize they wouldn’t just skip it.

Vince Young comes out and goes three-and-out, featuring a screen pass where Kamar Aiken absolutely blows a block and Choice gets drilled by a corner. Even second- and third-string corners can hit, apparently. this game is starting to resemble a regular-season game against Cleveland.

My almost-11-year-old daughter (she wasn’t happy with me writing 10) comes out to watch this game and that makes me feel kind of bad because this is the last example of football anyone should ever try to endure. I try to explain the whole blackout policy and how and why we’re watching the game a day after when I realize again how idiotic the blackout policy is. However bad it is in the regular season, enforcing the blackout in the preseason is even worse. They should pay people to watch preseason games this deep into the second half.

Whoa! I just saw a breast close-up on a plastic surgery commercial, didn’t I? What a world. 

And it’s only halfway through the third quarter. Vince Young doesn’t look like he can actually pass a football. Tasker nicely points out how bad his footwork was on one incomplete throw. I understand he’s learning “the system,” but not getting his feet set right on a short throw with no one in his face is just kind of weird. Isn’t David Lee his coach too? 

I admit, I’m in and out here, but I come back in time to see Vince Young miss on an open Aiken down the sideline and again I see his feet not properly set. And then again on a pass intended for Dorin Dickerson, Young just kind of back-foots a floater. 

I just watched another, far more exciting, event on tape: the women’s 4×100-meter final. the Americans blew the Jamaicans away, posting a world record. my daughter’s interest finally piqued. 

Fast forward to 9:21 of the fourth quarter. Kyle Moore with two great QB pressures from the end position, one ending in an offensive holding call, the other an incompletion as he grabs Cousins’ body while he’s passing. of course it’s a backup tackle he’s burning, but this isn’t the first time I’ve noticed no. 54. He looks fast coming off the edge. 

Vince Young still looks best when he’s running. He’s like the second-coming of Tebow before Tebow’s style was celebrated. I’ve heard detractors of Young argue he received the benefit of an excellent running game and defense in Tennessee when he built his 31-19 pro record. but that’s just not good enough for me, especially given the media attention for everything Tebow does. 

Maybe the best moment of the night, aside from the interview with the ever-infectious glee of Marcell Dareus, the broadcast just showed a crowd of wide-eyed kids lining the sideline stands, after presumably having moved down from other seats into the vacated prime seats.  

More notable not-live sports moments on TV tonight. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Roosevelt with another nice punt return. the guy’s got great hands. that might be a punt returner’s greatest asset. 

Bentley and Tasker just lost me, praising Vince Young for his production? could they possibly be watching the same game? 

Whoa, I just noticed Mike Jasper. It’s not everyday you can look at a line of 300-pound men and see one noticeably bigger than any of them, by a lot. 

Two minutes left and the Redskins are facing a 3rd-and-long. the 12th man, all 12 of them left, actually make some noise, as in, “let’s get a stop here and try to win this game.” Have I mentioned the Bills are down by a point? It’s 7-6. Robert Hall from Oakville is right, Bills fans don’t give up. 

Neither does Kirk Cousins. He converts it. mark my words, Cousins is the next Matt Cassel/Matt Flynn/Kevin Kolb-type of guy. Backup to a very good starter (I think Griffin’s legit) who gets a chance with a team in the quarterback diaspora of some other team. 

Oh, that’s it. Thankfully, mercifully, this game is over. 

I wanna keep doing this, so let me know if you had fun. 

Redskins vs. Bills Replay: 2012 Preseason Game No. 1 Live Blog

Highwoods buying Greensboro buildings for $30M – Triangle Business Journal

Highwoods Properties, inc.    Highwoods Properties, inc. Latest from the Business Journals Highwoods sells Nashville buildings for MThree buildings near Moses Cone bought for MHighwoods sells five office buildings for million Follow this company has bought two medical office properties across from Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro with plans to buy a third building in the fall for a total investment of $29.8 million.

Highwoods (NYSE: HIW) has already completed the acquisition of the Church Street Medical two and Three buildings, and it expects to complete the acquisition of Church Street Medical One later in the third quarter after obtaining lender consent to a related loan assumption, President and CEO Ed Fritsch announced July 16.

The properties encompass 149,000 square feet of office space plus a structured parking deck. As part of the deal, Highwoods, a real estate investment trust based in Raleigh, plans to spend $220,000 on renovations to the Greensboro buildings, which were 86.4 percent occupied when the deal closed.

Prior to the Church Street deal, Highwoods owned or jointly owned nearly 4.3 million square feet of office and industrial properties in its Piedmont Triad region, which made up about 6.4 percent of the company’s annualized cash revenue in the first quarter.

Tenants in the office park include LeBauer HeartCare, which is a subsidiary of LeBauer HealthCare; Duke University Health System’s Children’s Specialties of Greensboro; and North Carolina Plastic Surgery Center. Click here for more.

The company also announced Monday that it has sold five office buildings it owned in Nashville, Tenn. for $41 million.

Amanda Jones Hoyle covers commercial and residential real estate. Follow her on Twitter @TBJrealestate

Highwoods buying Greensboro buildings for $30M – Triangle Business Journal

Sensex Down By 200 Points Amid RBI Keeping Repo Rate Unchanged

RBI last cut its policy rates by 50 basis points in April. The on-going economic crisis on the global level led many to believe that the Bank may slash rates on interest and cash reserve ratio.

Despite the drastic fall, RBI said that an additional reduction in interest rates at this point make deepen inflationary pressures.

“RBI has increased export credit refinance facility, up from 15% to 50%, allowing banks to access additional 30,000 crore through that window. RBI says this is equivalent of 50 bps cut,” George Cherian of ET Now said according to the Economic Times.

The government's inability to implement policies is mostly held accountable for the drop in markets, with the rupee sliding to an all time low. “Rates are headed lower, but cuts are going to be more unpredictable,” said Sandeep J. Shah, CEO of investment advisory firm S a mpriti Capital said according to Business Standard.  

To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail:

To contact the editor, e-mail:

Sensex Down By 200 Points Amid RBI Keeping Repo Rate Unchanged

Living Beauty, A Book Review

Living Beauty by internationally hailed makeup artist Bobbi Brown is a book I’ve turned to again and again for advice, on many things. Written by the founder and CEO of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, this book is about more than just makeup. in it, this phenom whose line of lipsticks debuted in the 1990′s at New York City’s Bergdorf Goodman discusses things like aging gracefully, and plastic surgery. she also makes note of how when she returns from travel abroad, she again notices how American popular culture is media driven and not guided by the people’s inherent beauty. she points out how pop culture advises those who will listen, to rid themselves of whatever they deem ‘flaws.’ she mentions how people are encouraged to have plastic surgery.Thus, in this book, Bobbi the author explores the challenge to be beautiful — with or without surgical enhancement. Ethnic beauties, she does so because like us, this exclusive beauty editor of The Today Show understands that there are different approaches to beauty. she knows that there is room for everyone.I like that in the book she offers readers wise words from famous women like designer Vera Wang, TV anchor Ann Curry and actress Vanessa Williams, all of whom are aging beautifully. I like that she quoted the late iconic actress Bette Davis who spoke of aging, “It’s not for sissies.”This graduate from Emerson College who holds a degree in theatrical makeup tells us in Living Beauty how to go from ‘barefaced to beautiful.’ she does so by giving step-by-step information on caring for skin. Bobbi Brown lists products and explains the use and necessity level (or not) of each one. There is also a section on makeup to coincide with every hair color, including gray. for each hair color, she gives the eyes, lips and cheeks palette. I personally love the section on how to pack the perfect makeup kit, and on teeth whitening. This guidebook is packed with more than you and I have time to discuss — wardrobe, jewelry, etc. There are even head to toe makeovers with before and after pictures.This woman whose makeup line was so successful that Estee Lauder purchased her company, reiterates throughout the book that true beauty is achievable and simple. This handbook has so much more in it, including full-color photos and short interviews. Living Beauty is refreshing with its surgery-free solutions for looking and feeling beautiful. If you’re not a twenty-something and need a bit of beauty advice, I’m counting on there being something in this book for you! Love it.

Living Beauty, A Book Review

UK Association Of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons are recruiting plastic surgeons in June for the Anglia Ruskin University MSc qualification in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

A Global Reputation For Patient Safety

Partnership with Anglia Ruskin University has developed an MSC in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

London, UK (PRWEB UK) 23 April 2012

“When I started Harley Street Plastic Surgery, I was amazed that in the eyes of the medical profession, cosmetic surgery was not yet considered a specialty. this meant that any GMC registered surgeon was able to perform cosmetic surgery, irrespective of his or her field of expertise. hardly a comforting thought for prospective patients” explains Mike Mazza CEO of Harley street plastic surgery.

“Having been involved with cosmetic surgery for many years, I believe that if skill levels of different surgeons were placed inside a pyramid, cosmetic surgery would rest at the top. the art of cosmetic surgery, for it is indeed an art, is gained through years of training and personal development”, said Mike Mazza.

Plastic surgeons are trained within the NHS, and it takes approximately 12 years to achieve GMC specialist register status. However at present their standard training does not involve cosmetic surgery skills, as this aspect of the profession is considered purely revenue generating. it is only right the general population should not be required to pay for a surgeon to train in an area that will never directly benefit the public.

Following the recent PIP fiasco the government is now looking to make cosmetic surgery a specialty, which will necessitate any surgeon involved in the field to be properly trained and qualified. “This is great news, and I for one hope that the government ensures this happens immediately. I have been working with UKAAPS (UK Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) for the past two years to deliver a training program for plastic surgeons working within the realm of cosmetic surgery. this program is now developed in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University as an MSc. the training involves 14 competencies including hands-on training under the watchful eye of a mentor, and is a pass or fail qualification that requires six months intensive participation in order to achieve an MSc, and a further 18 months to earn a Masters” explains Mike Mazza.

“If you were to look for a positive effect from the PIP disaster, it would be the fact that the groups were exposed as the primary users of the cheap implants and the number of foreign surgeons they were employing. If the government were to make cosmetic surgery a specialty there would be two instant benefits for the public, firstly, no foreign surgeon would be allowed to enter the UK and perform surgery without this qualification, secondly the mentors are senior surgeons with a standard 20 years of cosmetic surgery private practice under their belts, this training would ensure their experience will be transferred to the next generation of surgeons. currently this wealth of experience retires with them. in my eyes this is a travesty” said Mike Mazza.

“Harley street plastic surgery was the first company to launch affordable surgery in the UK, using UK surgeons and market leading products. the hardest part of delivering this model was re-educating plastic surgeons in terms of how much they would be paid for each procedure and how much they would be paid per day. in the current climate, UK surgeons are more aware of the need to reduce their fees and work harder to achieve their six-figure salaries, so UK cosmetic surgery prices are coming down. this in turn has had a positive effect in other areas, with fewer people traveling abroad for risky cut-priced surgery” said Mike Mazza.

UK Association Of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons are recruiting plastic surgeons in June for the Anglia Ruskin University MSc qualification in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Keith Wahl, MD, Joins Perminova Board of Advisors

Perminova, developer of web-based software for use in the nation’s leading cardiology centers, announced today that Keith Wahl, MD, has joined the Perminova Board of Advisors. as a member of the Perminova Board of Advisors, Dr. Wahl contributes nearly 40 years as a practicing surgeon and significant experience as consultant and mentor to early- and middle-stage businesses in health-related fields.

La Jolla, Calif. (PRWEB) February 29, 2012

Perminova, developer of web-based software for use in the nation’s leading cardiology centers, announced today that Keith Wahl, MD, has joined the Perminova Board of Advisors.

As a member of the Perminova Board of Advisors, Dr. Wahl contributes nearly 40 years as a practicing surgeon and significant experience as consultant and mentor to early- and middle-stage businesses in health-related fields.

“Keith Wahl brings to Perminova experience in both surgery and management of startup companies,” said Craig Collins, President and CEO of Perminova, Inc. “His knowledge and energy will be important for the company as we enter a high-growth period in products, services and clients.”

Dr. Wahl is founder of A-K Technology Consultants, a company that evaluates start-up and early-stage companies for business development and funding opportunities. he has been a Board of Advisors member for SinusPharma, a company that specializes in sinus care therapies. Dr. Wahl was COO of VR Neurotech LLC, a start-up company that produced a life-saving device for fatigued drivers and equipment operators. and he was founder of Advanced Data Concepts Computer Systems, an early software developer for ambulatory surgery center billing. Dr. Wahl is a medical consultant to the State of California Department of Social Services and the Medical Board of California.

Dr. Wahl has been practicing medicine since 1972. he is a Fellow at the American College of Surgeons, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American Society of Head and Neck Surgeons, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and American Academy of Liposuction Surgery. Dr. Wahl was Chief of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, Chief of Otolaryngology at Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego, and Chief of Surgery and Chief of Staff at Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley. Dr. Wahl was an assistant clinical professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and taught at many other institutions as well.

He graduated from UCLA with a BS in pre-med and earned his MD at UC Irvine. his residencies in general surgery and otolaryngology/head and neck surgery were completed at UCLA and Stanford University.

About Perminova

La Jolla, Calif.-based Perminova develops and markets web-based, cloud-based software for the nation’s leading cardiology centers. The company is pioneering healthcare’s move from outdated client-server technology to modern-and-secure cloud computing. Perminova products are electronic surgical records systems for cardiology, and they’re more robust, flexible and cost-effective than anything currently on the market. its products improve charge-capture and efficiency, while automatically producing case reports and billing reports. Perminova seamlessly integrates with existing electronic medical records systems and deploys and upgrades easily via the web. Perminova’s architecture allows integration of medical devices and customization of robust data for medical research and clinical trials. currently, Perminova EP is used at Mount Sinai Hospital in new York and the UC San Diego Health System.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/2/prweb9235352.htm

Keith Wahl, MD, Joins Perminova Board of Advisors

MedPlast watching for potential acquisitions

NEW YORK (June 27, 3:25 p.m. ET) — after a slew of expansions that added space, clean rooms and manufacturing capabilities, MedPlast Inc. executive Mike Farrell says the nearly $100 million 3-year-old company will focus, in the short-term, on “shoring up” its infrastructure while keeping an eye on potential acquisitions.

“Business is good,” said Farrell, executive vice president of sales and marketing, in an interview at the Medical Design & Manufacturing East show, held June 7-9 in new York.

“We’re ahead of where we thought we’d be. We are back to looking for acquisitions. We are looking for areas where we can expand in support of our customers, either domestically or offshore. We have a target for making an acquisition in the next 12 months.”

Currently, all five of the company’s plants are in the United States.

Farrell said MedPlast — created in 2008 through a number of acquisitions by longtime industry veteran and MedPlast CEO Harold Faig — will look for businesses that are “complementary.” Faig was president and CEO of medical manufacturer Tech Group Inc. for two years after retiring as president and chief operating officer of Milacron Inc. in 2003.

“We want something that brings in new technology, something that is additive to our skill sets, or something that is in a geography that would support our existing customer base,” Farrell said.

“We are growing substantially in the medical surgery business,” he said. “We are also targeting the dental side of the business, and silicone extrusion/fabrication for markets such as balloon catheters and drainage devices. The pipeline is as strong as it’s ever been.”

to help achieve that growth, Farrell said MedPlast needs to continue to build “talent and project management capabilities to handle the increased level of business. when you embark on new applications and new types of business, you have to have the infrastructure in place to support its success.

“We are continuing to grow the resources within the company,” Farrell said. “We have shored up the whole operating infrastructure of the company, upgraded our talent level, brought in operating guys, expanded our value-added offerings, upgraded our clean rooms and brought in veteran sales guys who understand the business.”

He said the Tempe, Ariz.-based custom molder, which gets 85 percent of its sales from medical products, will continue to expand the capabilities and space at its five existing plants.

“We will continue to expand, add more value-added capacities and more clean room capacities, and convert existing white rooms in our plants into clean rooms as the need arises,” Farrell said.

an example: MedPlast plans to transform non-clean room space into clean room space at its plant in Elkhorn, Wis., which next month will bring online silicone extrusion capacity.

That new silicone extrusion capacity will complement the existing elastomeric molding, rubber injection molding, silicone injection molding, thermoplastic and overmolding capabilities at that plant, and enable the Elkhorn plant to turn products and projects around more quickly for its customers.

“It will streamline the time involved because we won’t have to source that work somewhere else,” said Dan Winter, director of development for elastomers for MedPlast.

That meshes with the approach the company has used to build its business since it was formed in 2008.

in addition to the new silicone extrusion capabilities in Elkhorn, MedPlast added extrusion blow molding capabilities to its headquarters plant in Tempe in April, just two months after it put in place a Class 100,000 clean room for Class 8 medical devices at that plant, the second clean room at that plant.

and last September, MedPlast completed the conversion of 6,000 square feet of white room space at its West Berlin, N.J., plant into a Class 100,000 clean room that will have room for 12-14 injection presses. That boosted clean room space in West Berlin to 60,000 square feet.

Critically, the company also said that it has addressed and already corrected all but one of the safety issues raised in a recent citation issued to that West Berlin plant by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Except for one machine with an excessive noise level, everything “have already been remediated,” said Robert Piccoli, general manager of MedPlast West Berlin. “The one open issue relates to lowering the decibel level related to a brand new piece of equipment and MedPlast is working with the machine manufacturer to remediate this issue — a process that should be completed shortly.”

“We hold all OSHA requirements in the highest regard and with great respect, thus … our prompt and quick response,” Piccoli said.

Following a March 17 inspection of the plant, OSHA cited the West Berlin facilities for 17 serious and nine other violations with total proposed penalties of $72,000. The violations included failures to ensure that exits were unblocked, areas of improper training, lack of written lockout/tagout procedures and approved eye protection devices, inadequate machine guarding, and failure to conduct adequate inspections of powered industrial equipment and hoist chains.

since it was formed, MedPlast — which employs approximately 800 — has boosted its medical business from 70-85 percent of sales, and increased the number of its injection molding and elastomer molding presses, which range in size from 28-1,000 tons, from 130 to 220.

MedPlast focuses on hand-held, single-use surgical instruments and diagnostic devices geared to its capabilities in rubber, plastic and silicone — as well as overmolding, two-shot and thermoplastic molding. Its five plants have roughly 375,000 square feet of space. Its other plants are in Monticello, Iowa, and Westfield, Pa.

“We are still small and nimble enough to keep our arms around the business,” Farrell said. “We’re quick on our feet and quick enough to realize when we need additional resources.”

while the company’s sales are up 15 percent so far this year, Farrell noted that many of its customers are “in a wait-and-see mode to see what happens with medical reform.”

“everybody is waiting, but it is not impacting our business yet because medical is less impacted by the sluggish economy,” Farrell said. “We’ve upped the bar and we’re having a good year.”

“We have been aggressive and attacking the market and working to move up the ladder,” said John Rugari, vice president of business development. “We’ve been expanding our capabilities because having a single capability is not enough to meet the demands of healthcare OEMs.”

Farrell agreed. “Gone are the days where you are just going to mold everything. It is all about putting in value for your customers.”

Post a Comment

(You need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won’t appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

Fields marked with * are required.

<a href="http://www.plasticsnews.com/headlines2.html?id=22404&channel=298tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.plasticsnews.com/headlines2.html?id=22404″>MedPlast watching for potential acquisitions

linkedFA Announces Strategic Data Integration Relationship with Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI)

Jun. 1, 2011 (Business Wire) — linkedFA, the first social networking web site that enables financial professionals to leverage social media compliantly by addressing industry rules and regulations, announces a strategic content relationship with Thomson Reuters Corporation (NYSE: TRI ). Per the agreement, LinkedFA (www.linkedFA.com) will offer Thomson Reuters’ premium financial news and analysis content via linkedFA’s social media network. the relationship between Thomson Reuters and linkedFA embodies a powerful trend in social media, giving financial professionals access to the best tools and information for their industry in a collaborative social media platform. this information is available to share within their networks.

linkedFA will integrate Thomson Reuters’ content as a premium service, enabling financial professionals to easily find and share industry news, market data, market analysis, and more within their network via best-in-breed social media tools. this integration will mark not only the largest foray of premium financial content offered via social media, but also the first time members can digitally communicate and collaborate on the content all from one location.

linkedFA CEO, Jason Bishara states: “we are excited to offer Thomson Reuters’ financial data and content within linkedFA. Once released, members will have access to industry-leading financial content and analysis with the ability to compliantly share this content with their networks on linkedFA, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn simultaneously. this relationship will prove to be an exceptionally powerful tool for independent advisors and investors who previously could not gain access to Thomson Reuters’ content. this is just our first step in the direction of integrating content, tools and resources to bring additional value to our members.”

for linkedFADowney McKay MarketingHelen Downey/Michelle McKay, +1-954-804-1941helen@downeymckay.com

<a href="http://gamutnews.com/20110525/9539/cosmetic-surgeon-nathan-newman-md-innovates-stem-cell-procedure-to-fill-and-repair-scars-and-indentations.htmltag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://gamutnews.com/20110525/9539/cosmetic-surgeon-nathan-newman-md-innovates-stem-cell-procedure-to-fill-and-repair-scars-and-indentations.htmlWed, 25 May 2011 20:00:49 GMT 00:00″>linkedFA Announces Strategic Data Integration Relationship with Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI)

Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon is New President of American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

PayLoadz.com discloses internal valuation metrics for its online downloadable content ecommerce solution and displays a continued trend of considerable growth.During the past year, registered accounts increased 40% from 54,000 to 76,000. over 1,800 accounts pay a monthly fee for service. Similarly, the number of products registered for sale through PayLoadz increased 58% from 230,000 to 365,000.The number of file downloads processed for June 2008 1f40 was 70,000 compared with just 52,300 in June 2007, representing a 34% increase. The dollar value of transactions processed for the period from June 2007 to June 2008 was just over $7M.Monthly revenues have increased 28% when compared with June 2007 while yearly revenues have increased 40% in a year over year basis ending in the 2nd quarter. “I am very happy with the large percentage and dollar increases the company is showing. PayLoadz.com, Inc. is operating in a bootstrap scenario, with extremely low overhead and a simplified structure, in an attempt to make it a valuable acquisition target,” said Shannon Sofield, founder and CEO of PayLoadz.com. “We are building a strong base, which is ideal for a larger concern to come in and painlessly take the business to the next level. we are strategically positioned for the next phase of downloadable content ecommerce evolution as we have completed the test of concept phase and look forward to further growth in the upcoming fiscal periods.” The new York, NY based company employs a small staff of programmers and support staff while keeping costs down by outsourcing administrative tasks. in the near term PayLoadz will implement buyer oriented features intended in increase purchases and provide value to people looking for digital goods. according to mr. Sofield: “We’ve developed a full featured service from the seller’s point of view, now we are shifting our focus to the consumer to make the search, purchase, and acquisition of content as seamless as possible. by doing so, we will increase value to the seller which will ultimately increase our bottom line.”For more information, please contact Shannon Sofield at (646) 201-4019 or Shannon.Sofield @ PayLoadz.com.

Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon is New President of American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

CDHB Update 13

Saturday, 26 February 2011, 8:49 pm Press Release: Canterbury DHB

EARTHQUAKE UPDATE THIRTEEN – CANTERBURY DISTRICT HEALTHBOARD A MESSAGE FROM HEALTH MINISTER TONY RYALLTO CANTERBURY DISTRICT HEALTH BOARD CEO DAVID MEATES:‘this week you and your team have shown the restof New Zealand and the world how our health services havepulled together to support each other and the community.many of you will be dealing with losses among family andfriends or colleagues, but you have put patients’ needs -and the needs of Canterbury people ahead of your own. Ithank each and every one of you and wish you and yourfamilies well as Christchurch begins the long road torecovery.’

Tony Ryall Minister of Health

FREE GP CARE HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL SUNDAYWEEK Canterbury residents with urgent medicalneeds can visit a GP free of charge until end of day nextSunday (March 6). PRESCRIPTIONS FEES WAIVED UNTILSUNDAY WEEK Patients will not have to pay the $3co-payment or any other part-charges or premiums on theirprescriptions until Sunday March 6). BOIL ALL WATERUNLESS IT’S BOTTLED All water should be boiled– unless it’s been bought in a sealed bottle — thatincludes water from water tankers at refill stations. Hand-sanitisers have been ordered and are expected to beavailable from water stations. Public Healthleaflets and hand-sanitisers are being distributed at watertanker depots and welfare centres. “We’redoing everything we can to minimise the risk ofgastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhoea). Washing hands andboiling water are two of the most important things peoplemust remember to do.” CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITALTotal occupancy at Christchurch Hospital as of 26February is 278. 159 patients have been transferred to otherhospitals around New Zealand. there are presently 7 patientsin the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) – it is not known at thisstage how many in ICU have earthquake related conditions. as of Saturday morning, there have been 702 attendancesat Christchurch Hospital Emergency Department sinceTuesday’s earthquake. there were 133 attendances yesterdaywhich is fewer than normal on a Friday. MaternityServices at Christchurch Hospital are busy but steady with64 babies born since Tuesday’s earthquake (as of Saturday26 February). there are currently 60 women in the maternitywards. there are sufficient numbers of midwives in theimmediate and will be contacting a pool of availablemidwives including self employed midwives to relieve staffover the next few weeks. MEDIA ARE NOT TO ACCESSCHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL OR STAFF WITHOUT PERMISSION• all media queries must be directed tothe CDHB Strategic Communications Team. Please phone (03)337 7390, or 027 502 7523/ 027 531 4796. *NEWCOMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE AT COWLES STADIUM TheAustralian Army field community medical centre begandelivering primary care at Cowles Stadium to eastern suburbsresidents this morning. The 75-bed facility is staffed byAustralian clinicians including six emergency departmentdoctors, 13 nurses, general surgery staff, orthopaedicstaff, general trauma, anaesthetists and support staff. Itwill operate as a Primary Health Centre to support GeneralPractices in the eastern suburbs who are having difficultydelivering health services. The Centre will provide freeprimary care until Sunday night along with other GP Clinicsin Christchurch. The Centre will have capacity to manageexpected outbreaks of gastroenteritis in the easternsuburbs. Members of the public who suspect they aresuffering from gastroenteritis are urged to go to the Fieldhospital for treatment. A mobile community dental clinicwill also be operational from Monday. The CommunityMedical Centre is located at Cowles Stadium in Pages Roadand will be open 7 days 8am – 8 pm. IF YOU NEEDMEDICAL CARE PHONE YOUR OWN GP FIRST Phone your ownGeneral Practice (GP) Team first – if they’re not open anurse will answer the call and direct you to the nearest GPpractice that’s open. If your own GP’s phone isn’tworking please contact the Pegasus 24-hour medical centre inBealey Avenue – 365 7777. they have a team of nurses ableto provide health advice and can provide self-care advice onhow to care for minor injuries and illnesses at home. Theywill also direct callers to the nearest medical centre.The Pegasus 24-hour medical centre in Bealey Avenue isopen after-hours and clinics at Moorhouse Medical Centre andthe Riccarton Clinic are open from 8am to 8pm daily. The Rural GP Practice in Kaiapoi is also providing24-hour services to patients in Christchurch who are notable to access their own GP Teams. Approximately 84practices are operating now in Christchurch some withrestricted hours. Please keep Christchurch Hospital foremergencies only. If you need an ambulance, please phone111. LIST OF GP PRACTICES OPEN OVER THE WEEKEND OF 26AND 27 FEBRUARY Note: this list is subject tochange. You should always phone your own GP first and ifthey’re not available you will be directed to the nearestGP surgery that is open. Barrington Medical Centre Open Christchurch South Health Centre OpenDarfield Medical Centre Limited Open Doctors onRiccarton Sat only Helios Integrative Medical Centre Open Lincoln Medical Limited Sat only LinwoodAvenue Medical Centre Open Lyttelton Health Centre Open Methven Medical Centre Open Moorhouse MedicalCentre Open New Brighton Health Care Open PapanuiMedical Centre Sat only Promed Edgeware Doctors Satonly QEII Medical Centre Sat only Riccarton Clinic Open Sumner Health Centre Sat only

GPsWANTING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WAIVED FEES Shouldphone 353 9966 (Pegasus) REST HOME RESIDENTS BEINGRELOCATED All 187 rest home residents so faridentified for evacuation will have been transferred out ofChristchurch to other regions by the end of today (Saturday26 February). only residents from facilities where therehas been structural damage are being relocated at thisstage. Rest home staff are doing an amazing job despitetrying circumstances – many are keeping their residentssafe and well despite no water, power and, or telephone.Some rest home residents have gone home with familymembers or friends and it is very important that they ortheir families make contact and stay in contact with theirfamily general practice to ensure the medical needs of theirelderly relative are being met. Family members andfriends are requested not to take attempt to relocateresidents to other rest homes themselves. Rest homeresidents, when required, are being relocated through theCDHB. many rest homes need logistical help especiallywith practical things like, water and laundry.

Respite care capacity is significantly limited andaccess if via GP referral only.

Staff who havebeen freed up with the transfer of residents elsewhere arelikely to be redeployed and allocated to operating homes inChristchurch.

HEALTH CARE AT WELFARE CENTRES St John Ambulance, Public Health Nurses and armymedics are working together at Welfare Centres. A teamof public health nurses will be working at the WelfareCentres focusing on infection control, hand hygiene andisolating any cases of suspected gastroenteritis or measles.Teams will be on site every day while the centres are open.The Cowles Centre was closed yesterday to alleviateconcerns with sanitation and hygiene with 60 people movingto Rangiora and the rest likely to go the new RollestonCommunity Centre today. Rolleston has the capacity to take1000 people. It has improved facilities and has allservices up and running including sanitation and power.A Welfare Centre has also been set up at New Brightonunder the guidance of the New Zealand Police. Armymedics and St John Ambulance staff will also be present ateach welfare centre. Centres are currently located at:Rangiora Baptist Church Burnside High SchoolRolleston Community Centre LOOKING FOR AN INJUREDFAMILY MEMBER WHO MAY BE IN HOSPITAL? Relativeslooking for injured family members at Christchurch Hospitalshould go to the great Escape Café in the main foyer wherea relative centre has been set up and there are socialworkers and police available. To report missing people,contact Red Cross 0800 733 276. The relative care centrewill be open Saturday and Sunday – 8am- 4.30pm at the GreatEscape café. It will continue to be staffed by SocialWorkers. Police will be located at the Papanui Liaisonoffice at Papanui Police Station. CDHB HAS SET UP AFACEBOOK PAGE FOR STAFF Staff can keep up to datevia Canterbury District Health Board’s Facebook page. CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL IS OPERATIONAL Hospitalservices are continuing to provide care for hundreds ofinpatients. Staff are doing a remarkable job consideringeveryone has been affected by the quake. all hospitalbuildings are constantly being checked for damage bystructural engineers. Patient volumes have been steady. Staffing levels are good and have been boosted bycolleagues from around the country. Stable patients continueto be transferred to other hospitals to free beds for theseriously ill. Maternity services continue to be busy,as is the neonatal intensive care unit. Babies continue tobe transferred to other units around the country. there arecurrently 76 in-patients at the Women’s Hospital.Orthopaedics and Cardiology services also remain busy. The emergency department is steady at the moment andmanaging the workload very well. there are currently293 in-patients of which 10 remain in the Intensive CareUnit (ICU). OUTPATIENT SERVICES AT CHRISTCHURCHHOSPITAL • all orthopaedic fracturefollow-up clinics at Christchurch Hospital are continuing asnormally scheduled. • Patients with electiveoutpatient clinic appointments for non-acute problems willbe contacted by CDHB. • General Practitioners(GPs) will continue to refer patients for specialistassessment on the basis of clinical need, recognisingCDHB’s limited resources. • Paediatricclinics are closed for the rest of the week. • Community Oncology – Oncology Clinics will be starting onMonday. Try and have your clinic appointment letter with youto enable you to get through the cordon. • The Diabetes Centre is closed until further notice. The CDHB diabetes team are offering a semi-acute service andwill be working out of Parkside Outpatients. Please sendany urgent referrals you may have to Fax number 3640419,attn Diabetes • Emergency Adult DentalServices. The oral health emergency centre has beenrelocated to Hillmorton this is a Monday to Friday serviceonly. For appointments Ph 3354260.ALL ELECTIVESURGERY POSTPONED UNTIL 7 MARCH All elective surgery(public and private) in Christchurch is postponed untilMonday 7 March 2011 at earliest. Alternative arrangementsare being made for non-deferrable surgery.

DIABETES The Diabetes Centre is closeduntil further notice. The CDHB diabetes team are offering asemi-acute service for people who cannot access their GP andhave unstable diabetes or other serious diabetes-relatedissues which require further advice or assessment. Patientswho are unable to access their GP can phone 364 0640 to beput in touch with a diabetes triage nurse who is available8am to 5pm only. If outside these hours contact the BealeyAve 24-hour medical centre. HEALTHLINEHealthline provides health advice 24-hours a day,seven days a week. Phone: 0800 611 116. Calls are answeredby a registered nurse. Healthline uses language line and canaccess translators in many languages. Healthline can alsotransfer callers to mental health professionals for adviceand support. COPING STRATEGIES – STRESS AND ANXIETYThe Ministry of Health has created a series of factsheets with advice and coping strategies for peopleexperiencing stress or anxiety in the wake of this week’stragedy. these can be found on the Ministry’s website – www.moh.govt.nz – under the bannerheadline “Christchurch Earthquake” Mental HealthNurses are available to provide support in the community.Please phone your GP Team for information.POSSIBLE PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTIONS TO AN EARTHQUAKE- ANXIETY DISORDERS UNIT, CDHB. We have nowexperienced two major earthquakes and are continuing toexperience ongoing aftershocks with significant consequencesfor many people. following such immensely upsetting events,people understandably feel distressed. this can last days orweeks. Allowing enough time to heal physically and mentallyis important to recovery, as is support from friends andfamily. Some people find it helpful to talk about what hashappened to them, others prefer not to discuss it. Eitherstrategy is fine, provided you feel able to choose what youdo. The earthquakes and the ongoing aftershocks have hadtheir effects on everyone. It is common to experience thefollowing responses: • Fatigue and exhaustionparticularly as time goes on. • Feeling frightened, onedge, nervous, and tense. • Sleep disturbance such asdifficulty getting to sleep or waking often, waking earlyand not returning to sleep, and nightmares. • Beingeasily startled and looking out for danger. • Feelingvarious emotions such as fear, sadness, grief, guilt orself-blame, shame, irritability, anger or feeling numb ordetached from self or others. You may also notice markedswings in your emotions. • Anxiety symptoms like aracing heart, rapid breathing, trembling, sweating, loss ofappetite and stomach upsets. • Impaired concentration,decision making and memory which may obviously make us lessproductive. • Worrying about what might have been orhaving to deal with real ongoing concerns. • Feeling asense of lack of control. • Thoughts and memoriesabout the event continuing to pop into your mind, even daysor weeks afterwards. • Feeling like the distressingevents are happening again (i.e., flashbacks).• Feeling disconnected from reality, like you’re ina dream. • Increased conflict in our relationships,over-protectiveness or social withdrawal.Reactions canbe triggered by further aftershocks, images (things we reador see), and particularly sounds, smells, or movements (suchas shaking or swaying) that remind you of the experience.Usually, these reactions will gradually lessen over thefollowing days to weeks as we make sense of what hashappened. many people have lost loved ones, homes,businesses, and other valued aspects of their lives. Griefis a normal reaction to this and can take many forms, suchas distress, anger, sadness, disbelief, guilt, andhelplessness. Peoples’ reactions may differ; there is no“right” way to grieve and no “right” timeframe.It is really important to allow yourself time to workthrough the experience of the earthquakes. there are manydifferent ways of coping. these may include • Talking to family, friends, neighbours and colleagues ifthis feels okay for you. this may help you feel less aloneand more understood, as well as, leading to offers of help.If you do not feel like talking this is okay too. • Trying to keep a regular sleep patterns (appreciatingaftershocks may be disrupting sleep at times). • Re-establishing usual routines if and when possible (e.g.,housework, meals, interacting with others, exercise).• Eating regularly and being mindful ofnutrition. • Keep physically active whichhelps reduce tension and anxiety • Pacingyourself by keeping busy and taking time to relax. • Try to increase positive and engaging activities by doingthings you enjoy or find satisfying you will improve yourmood and less time to dwell. everyone needs some sense ofsatisfaction no matter how small. • be carefulnot to overwhelm yourself or your family with excessivemedia coverage of the events because this may increase yourdistress at times. this may also apply to checkingearthquake activity sites on the internet. • Setting realistic goals, if you try to behave as you didbefore the recent earthquake you might begin to feeloverwhelmed. Allowing a bit of space to come to terms withthe earthquakes is important. • Try not tobecome exhausted by trying to get everything done at once.this is a big challenge and will take time. • Remember having more than four to six cups of caffeinateddrinks per day may increase your anxiety levels, andinterfere with your sleep. • Try not toincrease your use of alcohol or recreational drugs. Thesemay initially relax you, but as they withdraw from yoursystem, they likely will increase your anxiety and affectyour sleep patterns. there is no set way of doing this.Whatever feels right for you will work best. A commonconcern people will often have is the reaction of childrento such events. It is important to remember that childrengenerally are resilient. However, younger children maystill be more clingy, be experiencing bad dreams (not alwaysjust about the earthquake), loss of appetite, and maycomplain of physical symptoms such as headaches and stomachaches. Suggestions for supporting children include thefollowing: • Be supportive and reassuring, yourchildren may need to be held. • Your child’s fearsare genuine to them, this may include worries they may beseparated from their parents and needing them close. Talkthis through with them. your child may want to re-enact ordraw pictures about the earthquake, this is okay.• Listen to your child’s fears and explanationsabout what happened.

CANTERBURY DHB STAFF ARETO TURN UP TO WORK FOR THEIR NORMAL ROSTERED HOURSStaff are not required to come in outside of theirrostered hours. Please check with your manager what thesehours are. CHECK ON YOUR NEIGHBOURS AND KEEP INTOUCH WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS At times like thisit’s important to look out for elderly neighbours andothers who live alone. TAKE YOUR MEDICATIONS WITHYOU If you’re moving out of your home or leavingChristchurch remember to take your regular medications andprescriptions with you. CHRISTCHURCH WOMEN’SHOSPITAL IS OPEN & RECEIVING PATIENTS Burwoodbirthing unit is closed today. Lyndhurst Centre isclosed until Monday and women with appointments will becontacted by a staff member. Rangiora and Lincolnbirthing units are open. METHADONE PATIENTSIf you are a methadone patient and your usualpharmacy is closed, phone the Community Alcohol and DrugService (CADS) on 335 4350 and they will direct you to thenearest pharmacy. MEALS ON WHEELS WILL RESUME NEXTWEEK. Meals on wheels are not available until earlynext week. It is planned to resume on Tuesday – ifyou have elderly neighbours or people who live alone, pleasecheck on them and help out if you can with meals andsupport. OTHER KEY PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGESPeople need to take the following advice to avoidgetting sick with stomach bugs and other illnesses.Surface waters People should avoid contactwith sewage. Assume river, sea water and any other surfacewater is contaminated with sewage. People should stay awayand not swim, fish or gather shellfish in the sea,Canterbury rivers or any standing water until notified.People who have sewage contamination within their homesshould be advised to move to alternative accommodation.make sure you wear shoes, due to broken glass, debrisand sewage leaks. Toilets Conserve water ifyou have it. People should be advised to flush toiletssparingly. “If its yellow let it mellow; if it’sbrown, flush it down.” People who do not have aflushing toilet are advised to make a temporary toilet witha bin lined with two plastic bags. The bin should be coveredbetween uses. The contents can be buried when the bin is nolonger needed. If you have no outdoor area, you can nowdispose of wrapped human waste in City Council red bins.Details of how to make a temporary toilet can be foundat http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/protecting-your-health-in-an-emergencyHand washing Frequent hand washing needs tobe emphasised. Where people do not have access to water,alcohol gel is a good alternative. Hands do not need to bedried if alcohol gel is used. Remind people to washhands, particularly after: • using the toilet• before and after preparing food • Handling rubbish or waste • Cleaning toilets,bathrooms • Handling soiled clothing or bedlinen • Handling cleaning equipment such ascloths, buckets and mops Hand washing stops diseasesspreading. Cold water is fine as long as soap is used andhands are thoroughly dried. DishwashersConserve water if you have it. If dishwashers areused a full hot wash with detergent (not economy wash) mustbe used. Dishes must be allowed to dry fully prior to use.Contact with neighbours/friends People shouldbe encouraged to look after each other. Advise people tokeep in touch with families, friends and neighbours andsupport each other. Food safety Members ofthe public and food business operators should phone the NewZealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) on 0800 693 721 (0800NZFSA1) if they have any enquiries. PHARMACIES THATARE OPEN TOMORROW – Sunday 27 February AirportPharmacy Avonhead Pharmacy Barrington PharmacyBastins Pharmacy Bush Inn Pharmacy DoddsPharmacy Rangiora Pharmacy HealthWorks PharmacyHornby Unichem Life Pharmacy Northlands LifePharmacy Miles Pharmacy Parklands Radius ChurchCorner Radius Moorhouse Avenue Shields PharmacyUnichem Ashburton Union Street Pharmacy UrgentPharmacy (Bealey Avenue) Waltham PharmacyGUIDANCE FOR DENTAL PATIENTS The New ZealandDental Association advises all patients in need of emergencyor routine dental care to contact their own dentistfirst. If their own dentist is un-contactable orunable to assist, a list of practices is available here:http://www.canterburydentists.org.nz/ENDS

   

CDHB Update 13