Dentists and Overall Health

The mouth is truly a portal to the rest of the body.That is why dentists are able to detect more than 120 diseases in the course of their regular oral exams.Clearly they should be regarded as integral members of the health care team.Some of the conditions they can spot are diabetes,osteoporosis,kidney disease,tuberculosis and high blood pressure.Their oral cancer screening is often a lifesaver.
If you have dental checkups every six months,your dentist may be the health professional who examines you most often.Their careful evaluation can be extremely beneficial to your quest for wellness.

Citimortgage Faces the Headwinds

It looks like home prices are gonna be under pressure for the next couple of quarters,says Sanjiv Das of Citimortgage,but he's cautiously optimistic with all the government programs aiding homeowners.We've really been out there trying to help,but face headwinds such as unemployment and homeowners owing more than their homes are worth,Mr.Das explained.We are massively increasing the number of modifications;we are reducing rates and extending the terms.
For Q3,we did substantially better than the industry,Mr.Das held.I can't fight the headwind of unemployment,he admitted.The thing here is to keep aggressively modifying as many loans as we can to keep people in their homes.In Q3,we processed 175,000 mortgages.The modifications are tailored to individual circumstances,Rajiv Das pointed out.The U.S. government is scrutinizing whether the banks are helping enough homeowners with its aid.

Canadian Province Courts Businesses

The Ontario provincial government is courting U.S. businesses through an ad campaign.Ontario indicates that it has a number of strong points for the businesses to consider,such as R&D tax credits;educated workers;and billions in government investment.There is a climate of innovation in the province,creating an ideal environment for green businesses in particular.
Ontario says its R&D tax credits are some of the most generous in the world.And their combined federal/provincial corporate income tax rate is lower than the U.S. federal/state average,the province contends.Ontario is transforming green ideas into green business,which is why over 2500 environmental firms have set up shop there,according to the publicity.
Many U.S. observers have been complaining that high U.S. corporate taxes are making the nation less competitive in the global economy.

MedImmune Recognizes Student Researchers

A panel of MedImmune judges awarded cash prizes to three student researchers recently.They are considered the next generation of scientific leaders in respiratory diseases,inflammation and autoimmunity(RIA).The students and postdoctoral fellows submitted abstracts on RIA research and presented them at MedImmune's Gaithersburg,Maryland headquarters.
A first prize of 2,000 dollars went to Eric Boilard,postdoctoral student at Harvard Medical School and Brigham&Womens'Hospital for his arthritis research.Dr.Anthony J. Coyle,Ph.D.,vice president of R&D,said the research submitted could pave the way for further understanding of these diseases and could potentially help in the development of new therapies.
MedImmune is committed to investing in future scientists and promoting health and science education,Senior Vice President of R&D Buhija Jallal stated.MedImmune,a division of Astra Zeneca,has a pipeline of over 100 research projects and product candidates.It has facilities in the U.K. and the Netherlands,as well as in the U.S.

Vivendi Holds the Key

French communications firm Vivendi SA holds the balance of power over General Electric and Comcast at this point.The conglomerate has the final say on whether Comcast can acquire NBC Universal from GE.The decision will be handed down within three weeks,according to Vivendi Chief Financial Officer Philippe Capron.Vivendi owns 20% of NBC-U,and must sell its stake to GE,if the deal is to go forward.Mr.Capron said they are not there yet.
Through its various holdings,Vivendi is number one in video games and music worldwide;number two in France telecom;number one in Morocco telecom;and number one in Pay-TV France.It owns 56% of video gamer Activision Blizzard and 100% of Universal Music Group.The Parisian firm is led by CEO Jean-Bernard Levy.
Receiving a journalism award at Arizona State University,NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams said nothing about the deal.He did mention that NBC News viewership is up from where it was last year,however.GE's decision to sell NBC-U has been cited by some observers as a sign of the fading away of broadcast television.
Vivendi shares trade on the over the counter pink sheets.Their ticker symbol is VIVEF.

Feeling the Capital Markets

Duncan Niederauer is a man at the center of the financial world.As CEO of NYSE/Euronext,Mr.Niederauer feels the pulse of the business world as few others can.Young entrepreneurs were in his care recently as the NYSE held Global Entrepreneurship Week-Mentoring Madness.This annual event provides advice for young entrepreneurs.They were told to not just rely on banks for financing.NYSE awarded 25,000 dollars for the best business plan.
Initial public offerings are burgeoning at the NYSE.Companies feel like the window is open,Mr.Niederauer observed.We're gonna see if there's too much supply or not.It looks pretty good so far,he said.
Mr.Niederauer thinks it's easier for China to take steps more quickly,with their political system.Can they follow through for 2010?What they're really trying to do is create more domestic demand.The U.S. and China are intelligent enough to know that a mutually beneficial relationship is the only way forward,in Mr.Niederauer's view.
The market is telling you that they believe in what the companies are doing with getting leaner.I still need to see more consumer confidence,if you want my opinion,Duncan Niederauer confided.How the economy will do next year is the big question.We'll know in the next 2-3 months,in his assessment.

Diabetes Affects the Eye

As a metabolic disorder,diabetes affects many different organs.It can have a number of harmful effects on the eye.That is why eye care professionals may be the first to diagnose diabetes in their patients.Most distinctive is diabetic retinopathy,or damage to the blood vessels in the retina,at the back of the eye.Other diabetes-related eye problems include a 60% greater incidence of cataracts than normal-at earlier ages and with faster progression.Diabetics are 40% more likely to develop glaucoma as well.Such complications of diabetes are a leading cause of blindness.To safeguard their vision,diabetics must be vigilant in monitoring the condition of their eyes and securing needed treatment.