Typically, the week before Christmas, stocks and commodities drift higher due to the lack of participants. Light volume favours higher prices, which is why stocks want to rise going into the holiday season.
The big money players, like hedge fund managers, are finished for the year. They're sitting on the sidelines enjoying the holiday season while waiting for their year-end bonus checks.
Let's take a quick look at how the week finished...
Friday was an interesting session as stocks and oil reached some key resistance levels. Below are my thoughts, charts, and a possible trade idea for next week.
Gold & Silver Thoughts:
Looking at the long term charts of gold and silver, I feel they could head much lower in the first quarter of 2012. The inverse relationship between the dollar index and gold makes me think this is a high probability scenario.
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The weekly dollar index chart remains strong at this point and could start another very strong rally any day. Once the dollar starts heading higher, expect precious metals to move down along with equities.
SP500, Dollar and Volatility Index
Below are three charts stacked on top of each other. They are marked with my analysis and thoughts for next week. Personally, I don't feel shorting stocks is a safe play. The last week of the year, we can see the volatility index (VIX), and the dollar, rise without putting pressure on stocks. So be aware of that.
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TRADE IDEA - View Chart:
Crude oil looks like a great low risk opportunity (a real "Christmas" present!) from Mr. Market. SCO would be the ETF for US based traders. HOD, which is listed on the TSX, is good for Canadians. I favour this setup because I don't feel that oil will be as affected from the holiday bulge as will American equities.
Pre-Holiday Trading Conclusion:
I was planning on avoiding the market Friday, but the charts were calling my name... The session ended with what looked to be a short squeeze. The remaining short positions didn't get their expected drop in price. Consequently, when the traders all started to cover their shorts (buy) just before the close, it caused a strong surge higher.
I do not recommend shorting stocks next week because of the light volume. However, oil looks good to me.
Just thought I would share my end of the week thoughts, and wish you a Merry Christmas!
Earlier this year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced recommendations that surprised the medical community: Healthy men should no longer have the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test to screen for prostate cancer. An article published in the Dec. 6, 2011, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that PSA tests resulted in little or no reduction in the number of prostate cancer deaths.?
Local urologists?including Nilesh Patil, MD?say encouraging men to avoid the test all together may result in men dying unnecessarily, particularly for those in increased risk categories.?
"There has been a 40 percent decline in prostate cancer-related deaths since the PSA test was introduced,? says Patil, an assistant professor at the UC College of Medicine and UC Health physician. "The test could be improved, but it can provide important clues that prostate cancer may be developing. If the patient waits until he has symptoms, the cancer may have advanced to a less treatable stage.??
The National Cancer Institute estimates that 240,890 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 33,720 will die from the disease in 2011. Here, Patil addresses some of the common myths about prostate cancer.
MYTH: If I don?t have symptoms, I don?t need to have a check up or a blood test.
Most localized or early prostate cancers are asymptomatic. Prostate cancers arise from the periphery of the prostate, hence they are asymptomatic. If you are having symptoms of prostate cancer, then more likely than not, you are not going to be cured of prostate cancer as it will have been detected in an advanced stage.
MYTH: If you have surgical treatment of prostate cancer, you will be incontinent, i.e. leak urine.
Patil: Surgical treatment of prostate cancer, removes the prostate, not the control mechanism of urinary control. ?Most men are completely continent after surgery, when they relearn the use of the external sphincter, a muscle that controls leakage of urine. With current available modalities of surgery and technology (robotic) and the vision and precision with which these structures are preserved over 96 percent of men undergoing surgery are completely continent.
MYTH: If you have surgery, you will be impotent, i.e. lose sexual function
Patil: Sexual function of an individual is based on the pre-operative sexual function, stage and extent of cancer and the surgical procedure one undergoes. Broadly speaking there are two nerves in very close proximity to the prostate which are responsible for the sexual function of the men. If these nerves are spared and if an individual is young, the recovery of sexual function is very good. These nerves are spared in low grade and low volume cancer. Hence earlier detection will allow for sparing of these nerves and better recovery of sexual function post operatively.
MYTH: Prostate biopsy is a painful procedure.
Patil: Prostate biopsy is not a painful ?procedure Typically it is done as an office procedure and when done appropriately it is pain free. A nerve block is given and sample tissues are taken from the prostate. But the procedure requires a probe in the rectum which is uncomfortable, not pain inducing.
MYTH: If your PSA is normal, you don?t have prostate cancer:
Patil: The suspicion of prostate cancer is based on a digital rectal examination and a blood test (PSA). It is the combination of these tests that determine if you need a prostate biopsy. If there is one thing we know from the prostate cancer prevention trials, it is the fact that there is no range of PSA that rules out prostate cancer. Even people with PSA < 2 ng/ml can have prostate cancer.
? Patil offers a catheter-less robotic prostate cancer surgery that eliminates the need for a penile catheter post-surgery. Learn more about the procedure here.?
The HTC Radar 4G is available from T-Mobile. Unlike most smartphones that are released these days, the device was originally launched in white, looking like it was dropped in some snow. That is what makes the picture of the phone found on Microsoft's website so interesting. The variant shown in the image on the Microsoft site has the same white border but the outer part of the device is black. The two-tone look gives the phone the appearance of a Maitre d' wearing a tuxedo.
We are not sure if HTC plans on issuing a version of the handset looking like this, or if it was just done for the website. We must admit to digging the look, even if it seems formal. In fact, this might be the first Windows Phone handset that gets invited to a Black Tie affair.
By the way, while the Microsoft website is offering the HTC Radar 4G free with a $50 mail-in rebate, a $100 trade-in value on your old handset, and a signed two-year contract, T-Mobile's site is offering the device for free with the two year lock up.
One of the leading lithium-ion battery makers in theUSAis set to expand into China after announcing $30million in new private equity.
The company has received investment from GSR Ventures, as well as Oak Investment Partners and Foundation Asset Management. It follows on from an announcement in September of $125million in growth capital and Chinese government stimulus programmes that is being used to boost manufacturing, research and development in the country.
Boston Power has started work on a new manufacturing site in Liyang and hopes the facility will be open by the end of 2012 ? it will be capable of producing 400MWh of lithium-ion battery cells every year. Meanwhile, the company is also establishing an electric vehicle battery research and development, and engineering facility in Beijing.?
Of course this doesn?t mean that it is turning its back on its Massachusetts roots. It will still have a team in Westborough that focuses on intellectual property development, global customer support, research and development and business development and partnerships.
Climate change has seemed to fade from the news as of late, much to Charley?s chagrin, for good reason so we are told. The conventional narrative is that this is no longer a priority in light of the economic downturn and the desperation so many Americans have for jobs, any jobs, that can help them put food on the table and roofs over their heads. That narrative, now a bipartisan one, states that climate change is something only the elite are concerned about and a way for more government regulation and interference from the natural course of the economy.Union support of the Keystone pipeline and progressives like Gov. Cuomo backing accelerated fracking are just a few areas where the environment ?has? to go on the backburner. The irony is we stand to lose many jobs from climate change, and the impact is already being felt in our own backyards.
News items like this one about the ski industry and this one about the fishing industry suggest to me that climate change is already hurting staples of the New England middle class and it is only going to get worse. Climate change effects everything. Shorter falls mean a shorter foliage season hurting the already weak tourist industry in Western MA. The rising temperatures and ocean levels could cause severe damage to homes and entire communities, threatening coastal tourist meccas and leading to even more dangerous building collapses from harsh winters like we had last year. These are just some of the consequences. This issue should be front and center in the upcoming center race. One candidate, Elizabeth Warren, has already taken a clear and progressive position on climate change:
1)Its real
2)Its hurting all of us, especially New England
3)Tacking it head on creates, rather than destroys, jobs right here at home
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From her website:
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Renewable energy. If we invest now in 21st century energy, we can lower the costs of production for all of our future work. Right now, renewable energy competes with old energies that get lots of special breaks in Washington. Massachusetts can lead the world in using green technology to cut production costs and make our products competitive around the world. Again, we could do this right here, right now?and create jobs here in Massachusetts.
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From Sen.Brown we seem to hear multiple choices on this issue, perhaps a cue from his political mentor Mitt Romney:
There were early indicators he was against taking any action, coupled with contradictory notes to constituents.
Our next US Senator must take up this issue and be a drum major for progressive change and policies that will not only secure the health of our environment but the long term health of our economy as well. Multiple choices just don?t cut it on this test.
Improving family consent in organ donation could save livesPublic release date: 22-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Gabby Fletcher gabby.fletcher@oup.com 01-865-353-969 Oxford University Press
Research published today in the British Journal of Anaesthesia suggests that organ donation rates in the UK could be increased if the current issues affecting declined consent are improved. At present, only 30% of the UK population are registered on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR). From 2003 to 2005, the overall consent rate for donation after brain death (DBD) was 59%. This figure remains largely unchanged with a consent rate of 63% for DBD in 2007-2009. The low consent rate for organ donation in the UK is the largest factor limiting actual organ donor.
Currently, organ donation consent is established by views expressed prospectively via membership of the ODR or views expressed to a family member. However, when a patient is deceased and has not previously expressed a wish to their relatives about organ donation the health care professional will discuss donation with the family. Up to 10% of families of potential donors, who are on the ODR, still refuse assent to donation. At present, it is accepted practice to respect the family's wishes despite the existence of valid legal consent.
The paper 'Consent for Organ Donation' by Vincent and Logan, published in a special issue regarding organ donation for the British Journal of Anaesthesia, calls for action on the concerns and issues that affect consent.
Make Your Donation Wishes Known:
Findings have consistently shown that only 50% of those that wish to donate after death have discussed this with a family member. It is extremely important that donors discuss their wishes with their close relative because ultimately it is the family which authorizes organ donation. Research has found that family discussion strongly predicts consent for donation from family members.
Recent research has examined the negative attitudes felt in joining the ODR and suggests that these may be the most important barriers to address. These include a level of disgust felt in the idea of organ procurement, a belief that registering for organ donation will jinx the individual; and mistrust of the medical profession. Addressing such negative beliefs should be a key component in public campaigns to increase donation.
Staff Care and Interaction:
The relative's experience and interaction with staff can have a huge impact on the decision to consent or refuse donation. The basic principles of medical practice should always be in place. However, a wider treatment of care for the family itself can have a very positive or negative effect on consent. Provisions of physical support in the form of comfortable accommodation, staff availability throughout the patient's admittance, empathy to the family, and a respectful and dignified treatment, are all factors that can have a positive impact on donation rates.
Make Sure the Family Understands
Understanding brain stem death is an important factor in organ donation. Studies have consistently found that an astounding amount of relatives do not fully understand brain death, even after it has been explained by the attending doctors. It is extremely important that brain stem death is explained so that a relative can fully understand that their loved one is dead before donation takes place. Once this understanding has been reached discussion and consent for organ donation can then begin. Specialist Nurses in Organ Donation are also trained and have the time to make sure families understand this. It has been suggested that allowing a family to witness tests or providing imaging or diagrams to explain concepts could help to improve a family's understanding of brain death.
Who should request consent?
It is intuitive that a specialist coordinator, with systematic training, a skill set that understands the modifiable factors and grief reactions of the family, and a day-to-day experience of dealing with such encounters, may perform better than a physician who may be involved in donation infrequently. Studies carried out by Shafer and colleagues suggest that early contact with families and interaction before any conversation about donation increased consent and authorisation rates. The study showed 75% consent rates for groups that had contact with a coordinator for more than 3 hours. Since 2009, the UK has expanded its pool of coordinators from 100 to 250. It is anticipated that the value and expertise the specialist nurses bring to the intensive care unit will become accepted more widely in areas where the model has not already been embraced.
Practical steps for improving consent:
Promote the need for families to discuss their wishes regarding organ donation
Discuss donation at a time separate to that when the family are informed of the death or its inevitability, in an unhurried manner
Ensure the family are given specific information and that in particular, concerning DBD, the concept of brain stem death is fully explained
Use an approach pre-planned by the coordinator/specialist nurse and healthcare team that considers specific individual circumstances
Dr. A. Vincent, author of 'Consent for organ donation', comments that "Only 60% of families when asked, give consent for organ donation from a loved one. Research would suggest that adopting a best practice model with respect to the process involved in consent for organ donation could improve this rate. It is an improvement in consent rates, more than in any other area, that would see a real increase in donor numbers in the UK."
Paul Murphy, National Clinical Lead for Organ Donation at NHS Blood and Transplant said: "Organ transplantation is made possible through the generosity of people who donate their organs so that others can live on, but also through the skill and dedication of a great many clinical staff. There has been much progress in recent years in transforming the systems and processes across the UK to increase rates of organ donation and transplantation, and there is more work needed to improve rates further.
NHS Blood and Transplant plays a key part in overseeing and managing donation and transplant processes and is privileged to have been involved in producing this supplement which brings together the professional views of many highly respected and experienced clinicians and showcases the work being done in the UK to increase donor numbers."
###
Note to Editors:
Any reference to this article must be attributed to British Journal of Anaesthesia published by OUP.
'Consent for organ donation' by A. Vincent and L. Logan. British Journal of Anaesthesia. doi:10.1093/bja/aer353
The paper can be accessed here: http://www.oxfordjournals.org/our_journals/bjaint/prpaper.pdf
Other Papers of interest on the subject of organ donation:
'International practices of organ donation' by C. Rudge, R. Matesanz, F. L. Delmonico and J. Chapman. British Journal of Anaesthesia. doi:10.1093/bja/aer399
'Respecting wishes and avoiding conflict: understanding the ethical basis for organ donation and retrieval' by B. Farsides. British Journal of Anaesthesia. doi:10.1093/bja/aer370
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Improving family consent in organ donation could save livesPublic release date: 22-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Gabby Fletcher gabby.fletcher@oup.com 01-865-353-969 Oxford University Press
Research published today in the British Journal of Anaesthesia suggests that organ donation rates in the UK could be increased if the current issues affecting declined consent are improved. At present, only 30% of the UK population are registered on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR). From 2003 to 2005, the overall consent rate for donation after brain death (DBD) was 59%. This figure remains largely unchanged with a consent rate of 63% for DBD in 2007-2009. The low consent rate for organ donation in the UK is the largest factor limiting actual organ donor.
Currently, organ donation consent is established by views expressed prospectively via membership of the ODR or views expressed to a family member. However, when a patient is deceased and has not previously expressed a wish to their relatives about organ donation the health care professional will discuss donation with the family. Up to 10% of families of potential donors, who are on the ODR, still refuse assent to donation. At present, it is accepted practice to respect the family's wishes despite the existence of valid legal consent.
The paper 'Consent for Organ Donation' by Vincent and Logan, published in a special issue regarding organ donation for the British Journal of Anaesthesia, calls for action on the concerns and issues that affect consent.
Make Your Donation Wishes Known:
Findings have consistently shown that only 50% of those that wish to donate after death have discussed this with a family member. It is extremely important that donors discuss their wishes with their close relative because ultimately it is the family which authorizes organ donation. Research has found that family discussion strongly predicts consent for donation from family members.
Recent research has examined the negative attitudes felt in joining the ODR and suggests that these may be the most important barriers to address. These include a level of disgust felt in the idea of organ procurement, a belief that registering for organ donation will jinx the individual; and mistrust of the medical profession. Addressing such negative beliefs should be a key component in public campaigns to increase donation.
Staff Care and Interaction:
The relative's experience and interaction with staff can have a huge impact on the decision to consent or refuse donation. The basic principles of medical practice should always be in place. However, a wider treatment of care for the family itself can have a very positive or negative effect on consent. Provisions of physical support in the form of comfortable accommodation, staff availability throughout the patient's admittance, empathy to the family, and a respectful and dignified treatment, are all factors that can have a positive impact on donation rates.
Make Sure the Family Understands
Understanding brain stem death is an important factor in organ donation. Studies have consistently found that an astounding amount of relatives do not fully understand brain death, even after it has been explained by the attending doctors. It is extremely important that brain stem death is explained so that a relative can fully understand that their loved one is dead before donation takes place. Once this understanding has been reached discussion and consent for organ donation can then begin. Specialist Nurses in Organ Donation are also trained and have the time to make sure families understand this. It has been suggested that allowing a family to witness tests or providing imaging or diagrams to explain concepts could help to improve a family's understanding of brain death.
Who should request consent?
It is intuitive that a specialist coordinator, with systematic training, a skill set that understands the modifiable factors and grief reactions of the family, and a day-to-day experience of dealing with such encounters, may perform better than a physician who may be involved in donation infrequently. Studies carried out by Shafer and colleagues suggest that early contact with families and interaction before any conversation about donation increased consent and authorisation rates. The study showed 75% consent rates for groups that had contact with a coordinator for more than 3 hours. Since 2009, the UK has expanded its pool of coordinators from 100 to 250. It is anticipated that the value and expertise the specialist nurses bring to the intensive care unit will become accepted more widely in areas where the model has not already been embraced.
Practical steps for improving consent:
Promote the need for families to discuss their wishes regarding organ donation
Discuss donation at a time separate to that when the family are informed of the death or its inevitability, in an unhurried manner
Ensure the family are given specific information and that in particular, concerning DBD, the concept of brain stem death is fully explained
Use an approach pre-planned by the coordinator/specialist nurse and healthcare team that considers specific individual circumstances
Dr. A. Vincent, author of 'Consent for organ donation', comments that "Only 60% of families when asked, give consent for organ donation from a loved one. Research would suggest that adopting a best practice model with respect to the process involved in consent for organ donation could improve this rate. It is an improvement in consent rates, more than in any other area, that would see a real increase in donor numbers in the UK."
Paul Murphy, National Clinical Lead for Organ Donation at NHS Blood and Transplant said: "Organ transplantation is made possible through the generosity of people who donate their organs so that others can live on, but also through the skill and dedication of a great many clinical staff. There has been much progress in recent years in transforming the systems and processes across the UK to increase rates of organ donation and transplantation, and there is more work needed to improve rates further.
NHS Blood and Transplant plays a key part in overseeing and managing donation and transplant processes and is privileged to have been involved in producing this supplement which brings together the professional views of many highly respected and experienced clinicians and showcases the work being done in the UK to increase donor numbers."
###
Note to Editors:
Any reference to this article must be attributed to British Journal of Anaesthesia published by OUP.
'Consent for organ donation' by A. Vincent and L. Logan. British Journal of Anaesthesia. doi:10.1093/bja/aer353
The paper can be accessed here: http://www.oxfordjournals.org/our_journals/bjaint/prpaper.pdf
Other Papers of interest on the subject of organ donation:
'International practices of organ donation' by C. Rudge, R. Matesanz, F. L. Delmonico and J. Chapman. British Journal of Anaesthesia. doi:10.1093/bja/aer399
'Respecting wishes and avoiding conflict: understanding the ethical basis for organ donation and retrieval' by B. Farsides. British Journal of Anaesthesia. doi:10.1093/bja/aer370
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public health agencies are looking to interview survivors of the killer tornadoes that hit north and central Alabama on April 27.
State Health Officer Don Williamson says the goal is to explore ways to lessen the loss of lives and property in future disasters. The state departments of Public Health and Mental Health are working on the project with the Centers for Disease Control.
They are asking storm survivors to call the state Department of Public Health at 1-855-228-3777 or enter their contact information online at the department?s website. Then they will be called back to schedule a phone interview of 20 to 30 minutes beginning Jan. 9.
Interviewers will be either Alabama college students or staff from the Centers for Disease Control.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Public release date: 22-Dec-2011
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Public health agencies are looking to interview survivors of the killer tornadoes that hit north and central Alabama on April 27.