04.24.2008 ---> News and Notes

Experts Hope to Find Mozart Works

WARSAW, Poland (May 27) - A team of musicologists is reviewing 19th-century copies of musical scores from a Polish monastery's archives in hopes that some might prove to be previously unknown works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the lead scholar said Tuesday.

Musicologists are combing through the archives of a Polish monastery, hoping to find some perviously unknown works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The famed composer is shown in an oil painting purchased in 2005 by an American collector.

The team is focused on nine scores, though the musicologists will review 2,000 from the Jasna Gora monastery in Czestochowa, southern Poland. The lead of research at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, Austria, said it was "highly unlikely" that new works by Mozart would be discovered.

Mozart kept a catalog of all his works from 1784 on. This catalog does not contain any major work we are missing.

7 behaviors that may lead you leave current job.

• (1) Gossiping. You may think of it as time killing, but engaging in these conversations could be risky business. According to a 2005 issue of HR Advisor, workplace gossip can reduce productivity, alienate employees, and break down trust within teams. In rare cases, the office rumor file could even earn you a pink slip.

• (2) Bullying. As it turns out, bullying isn't just found in schoolyards. A growing body of research suggests that intimidation and abuse run rampant in the workplace. According to the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI), on-the-job bullying can be defined as "repeated, health-harming mistreatment" that may include verbal abuse, offensive conduct, or sabotage.

• (3) Chronic lateness. When it comes to getting to work on time, you may think "better late than never," but your employer probably feels differently. According to experts, tardiness costs U.S. businesses more than $3 billion each year in lost productivity. And the effect on the bottom line is significant: An employee who is 10 minutes late every day has, by the end of the year, taken the equivalent of an entire week's paid vacation.

• (4) Forwarding SPAM. Whether it's a chain letter that promises to bring good luck or a YouTube video of silly pet tricks, it's not appropriate office communication. Nowadays, there's email overload in virtually any workplace, and forwarding SPAM to your colleagues will probably just annoy them. Plus, your boss may be watching: According to the 2001 Electronic Policies and Practices Survey, nearly 62 percent of employers exercise their legal right to monitor employees' email.

• (5) Wardrobe malfunctions. These days, lots of office dress codes are business casual—but that doesn't mean anything goes. In a recent U.K. study, employers were asked which habit they found most annoying among employees, and more than 25 percent responded that it was unsuitable clothing or appearance. Moreover, according to a survey by California-based staffing service Accountemps, nearly 40 percent of managers said they thought workers appeared too casual when dressing down.

• (6) Being a cell-phone addict. Mobile phones are invaluable devices for conversation base, making plans, and averting catastrophes. But at work, you should be focused on the job at hand—not chatting with Mom from your cubicle. The problem is, some users are so addicted that they excuse meetings to answer their phones or send text messages. Instead, turn off the ringer from nine to five, and if you must talk on the phone, do it from a private area.

• (7) Sharing too much information (TMI). Among friends and family, your l ife may be an open book, but revea ling too much information at work could be an instant career-buster. This is especially true when it comes to personal medical issues, family secrets, or relationship problems. And don't even think about sharing the details of your intimate encounters—remember, although you may be friendly with your coworkers, it's always important to maintain a professional demeanor on the job.

Have a nice day.

YT
xo

04.20.2008 ---> For a Better Sleep

A Little Night Music

Snoring is an everynight reality for many of us. About 45 percent of adults snore occasionally; 25 percent do so habitually. But that doesn’t mean snoring isn’t potentially harmful. "Because people think snoring is part of life, they don’t seek treatment for it," says Michael Friedman, M.D., chair of Sleep Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Basically, snoring occurs when airflow through mouth or nose is obstructed and soft tissues on the roof of your mouth and the uvula relax and vibrate with each breath.

"It can progress to sleep apnea, a serious condition in which breathing stops periodically during sleep," cautions Dr. Friedman.

What are the risk factors for snoring? Common triggers for snoring include age; excess weight; having a long soft palate or large uvula; and clogged nasal passages from a cold, allergies or nasal deformities such as a deviated septum. Alcohol and medications such as antihistamines, muscle relaxants and antidepressants may have the same effect.

What’s sleep apnea? Basically, loud snoring that’s interrupted by bursts of choking or gasping may be obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Episodes last a few seconds and occur frequently, reducing the blood oxygen levels and stressing the heart and lungs. Untreated OSA puts a person at increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

What treatments are there? No over-the-counter (OTC) remedies are proven to work. Your best bet is a medical evaluation—and if you snore occasionally and don’t have apnea, try losing weight, avoiding alcohol and sedating medications before bedtime, and sleeping on your side instead of your back. Steroid nasal sprays can relieve chronic nasal congestion caused by allergies. If you do have apnea, lifestyle changes may help, but you’ll probably need medical care. The most common treatment is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), administered through a nasal mask that keeps the airways open by blowing a pressurized stream of air into your throat. Some people may benefit from surgery. The type depends on where blockages occur.

An effective method for stopping both snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea is the Pillar procedure, in which several small woven inserts are placed in the soft palate to support and stiffen it, reducing tissue vibration.

Some other minimally invasive treatments are available that help treat snoring:
(1) Custom-fit mouthpieces can be worn at night to position the jaw so the airway stays open.
(2) Injection snoreplasty is the injection of a hardening agent into the soft palate to reduce tissue fluttering.
(3) Laser-assisted uvula palatoplasty shortens the uvula and part of the palate, lessening airway obstruction.
(4) Radiofrequency ablation shrinks tissues in the palate and uvula (for snoring), the base of the tongue (for apnea) and inside the nose.

YT
xo

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