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Fruit juice: friend or foe?

Grapefruit, orange and apple juices can harm the body’s ability to absorb certain medications and make the drugs less effective, said a Canadian study released last week in the United States.
The research showed that these juices can decrease the effectiveness of certain drugs used to treat heart disease, cancer, organ-transplant rejection and infection, “potentially wiping out their beneficial effects,” it said.
David Bailey, a professor of clinical pharmacology with the University of Western Ontario and leader of the study, was the first researcher to identify grapefruit juice’s potential to increase the absorption of certain drugs two decades ago, possibly turning some doses toxic.
The new findings came as part of his continuing research on the subject, and were presented at the 236th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“Recently, we discovered that grapefruit and these other fruit juices substantially decrease the oral absorption of certain drugs undergoing intestinal uptake transport,” AFP quoted Bailey as saying.
“The concern is loss of benefit of medications essential for the treatment of serious medical conditions.”
Healthy volunteers took fexofenadine, an antihistamine used to fight allergies, along with either a glass of grapefruit juice, a glass of water with naringin (which gives the bitter taste to grapefruit juice), or plain water.
Those who drank the grapefruit juice absorbed only half the amount of fexofenadine, compared to those who drank plain water.
Researchers said the water with naringin served to block “a key drug uptake transporter, called OATP1A2, involved in shuttling drugs from the small intestine to the bloodstream.”
Among the drugs affected by consumption of grapefruit, orange and apple juices are: etoposide, an anticancer agent; beta blockers (atenolol, celiprolol, talinolol) used to treat high blood pressure and prevent heart attacks; and certain antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, itraconazole).
The drug-lowering interaction also affected cyclosporine, a drug taken to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, and more drugs were expected to be added to the list as the research continued.
Bailey said patients should consult with a doctor about taking medications with juice, and stick to plain water when taking most medications.

Peking duck flies off plates of athletes

Beijing’s most famous dish is proving to be a hit with athletes in the Olympic Village, who do not even have to step out of the area to enjoy the treat.
“I like the Peking Duck,” said Cyrille Gombrowicz, a badminton coach from France, in the village cafeteria last week.
“It’s very special.”
Dipped in sweet plum sauce and wrapped with spring onion in a thin pancake, the succulent slices of roast duck is now a must-have on most plates in the village.

Athletes take supper at the dining hall in the Olympic village. [File photo]
A special kitchen in the village cafeteria makes sure the dish is served adequately.
“Asian food is always popular,” said Matthew Moss, operations director of Olympic caterer Aramark.
“We couldn’t have had a station without Peking duck.”
The kitchen serves 300 ducks daily, he said. The fowl are so popular stocks are out by 8 pm.
Aramark has hired chefs from Quanjude, the 136-year-old Peking duck chain, to ensure authenticity of the dish.
“We adapted our kitchen to make sure everything is prepared as it would be in the traditional duck restaurant,” Moss said.
“From the oven to the racks and hooks, things are exactly as what the Chinese do.”
The caterer has also hired 800 top chefs, as well as 124 executive chefs from 11 countries, to satisfy every palate.
Moss said the Chinese chefs whip up all kinds of dishes and have a particularly good grasp of Asian flavors.
The company has also prepared about 900 recipes, the result of two years of testing and being involved in 14 Olympic Games.
Preserving local flavors goes hand in hand with maintaining a high standard, he said.
“Our local partners help educate us on special flavors needed for making authentic Chinese food,” Moss said.
The caterer churns out about 35,000 meals in the village a day, said Doug Bradley, Aramark’s Olympic project culinary director.

Study: Kids’ popular fast foods dangerous

Letting kids eat at popular fast-food and chain restaurants can be downright dangerous because the servings are far too high in calories, said a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) on Monday.
The center, a U.S. consumer group, examined the menus at 13 popular restaurants that promote children’s meals.
It found in most chain restaurants more than 90 percent of the kid’s menu meals packed way more than the recommended 430 calories per meal.
“Nearly every single possible combination of the children’s meals at KFC, Taco Bell, Sonic, Jack in the Box, and Chick-fil-A is too high in calories,” the group said in a statement.
More than 90 percent of meals offered at hamburger chains would fill virtually all of a child’s calorie needs for the day, CSPI said.
The findings showed that overall 45 percent of the meals are too high in saturated (animal) and trans fat and 86 percent too high in sodium.
CSPI nutrition policy director Margo Wootan said that most of these kids’ meals appear to be designed to put America’s children on the fast track to obesity, disability, heart attack, or diabetes.

Chef: Sorry for suggesting poison plant in salad

A British celebrity chef says he’s sorry for mistakenly recommending a deadly plant as a tasty salad ingredient.
Anthony Worrall Thompson says he meant to suggest using the weed fat hen, a member of the spinach family whose leaves are edible. He instead told Healthy and Organic Living magazine for its July edition that henbane could be used in salads.
Henbane, whose name means “killer of hens,” is a toxic plant that can cause hallucinations, drowsiness and disorientation if ingested. Large doses can kill.
The magazine issued a correction Monday on its Web site. Worrall Thompson told reporters he’s sorry for the mix-up, which he called “a bit embarrassing.”

Beijing Snacks

Beijing is renowned for the variety,long history,high qualituy ingredients and delicate production of its authentic local snacks.On sale in markets and temple fairs across the city,these snacks are known as “meeting food” among local people because they are such a commmon sight on the streets of Beijing.
 
 

Ai Wo Wo is a kind of Muslim food in Beijing, with a history back to the Ming Dynasty. It’s made from sticky rice with a sweet filling. The fillings are made of red bean, taro or many other sweet ingredients. Ai Wo Wo’s color is snow white and shaped like a small ball. It has a soft, sticky texture with a fragrant smell. Ai Wo Wo is on sale from the Spring Festival period to early autumn.

Traditional Beijing delicacies in Wangfujing snack street

 

Photo taken on July 29, 2008 shows the night view of Wangfujing snack street in Beijing, capital of China. In the past, the popular Beijing snacks used to be hawked at temple fairs or roadside bazaars. Along with the change of times, traditional Beijing snack bars have emerged in streets and lanes of the city. There are also some snack streets with business of traditional Beijing snacks and other flavor snacks from around China that favor lots of local residents and tourists. (Xinhua/Du Huaju)

Beijing bars offer a cocktail of new sounds

Dressed in tight tops and slinky black pants, the four members of the Chinese Britpop band Super VCon stage at Beijing’s Yugong Yishan club performed their hit songs to a large crowd moving hands and bodies to the beat.
The band threw theatrical rock-star poses and the audience — mostly hip young Chinese in their 20s and a mixed crowd of seemingly more mature foreigners — loved it. In the end, the vocalist took off his T-shirt and the girls in the audience screamed in joy.
Yugong Yishan club, a mainstay of Beijing’s music scene, is named after a Chinese proverb which means a foolish man succeeded in removing a mountain stone by stone.
An unlikely location in the heart of Beijing for a Chinese rock music club, the historic west courtyard of the government of Duan Qirui, the warlord who was the provisional chief executive of China between 1924 and 1926, Yugong Yishan attracts a crowd for almost every live performance.
With chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, the space between the stage and the bar counter has no seats and can hold up to 1,000 people for a live performance, according to bar owner Lui Zhiqiang.
“The music scene in Beijing is quite vibrant and a lot of interesting things are happening here,” says Chris Hawke, a Canadian who teaches journalism in a university in Beijing.
About three blocks north of Yugong Yishan, M.A.O. Live house, located right across from the northern entrance of Nanluoguxiang, an old Beijing alleyway that has evolved into a favorite destination for backpackers and the chic set, makes a statement with its iconic logo and the iron-riveted facade.
Backed by the Japanese independent music label Bad News Records, who signed Beijing’s famous punk band Brain Failure, M.A.O.’s stage is sectioned off from the bar and lounge, just like Yugong Yishan.
“I like M.A.O. It’s smaller and more intimate to the stage,” says Mikael Salomonsson, a Swedish musician living and playing his music in Beijing.
The cost of each concert — 20 to 200 yuan (2.9 to 29.4 dollars) for a visiting foreign band and a 20-yuan (2.9 dollars) beer — are nothing compared with Europe, Mikael says.
Through a hazy mixture of smoke and sweat and raw energy, the Autumn Insects, or officially called Fall InSex in English, an old school flash rock band going back a few years, performed with their exaggerated blond wigs and bloody gothic make-up In M.A.O. on a recent weekend. The audience raised their hands in tribute.
“The music venues in Beijing has changed drastically,” says Niu Ben, guitarist of Fall InSex, who formed the band with the vocalist Ying Zi in 1998.
From the stage, to the lighting to the sound system, big changes have taken place, he says.
Music lovers in Beijing today enjoy a wider variety of music than in the past. In its heyday in 2000, Happy Paradise, among the very few venues for live rock music, in Wudaokou, was packed at weekends, according to Yan Jun, a Chinese rock music critic.
With almost no seats and no decoration, the audience simply sat on the edge of the stage when they got tired. In the dark, some were drinking, some were sleeping on the ground in this former roller skating rink when bands played late into early mornings, Yan Jun wrote.
Back then, most rock bands lived in Shucun Village, including Fall InSex, about 40 minutes bus ride from Wudaokou, where the cheap rents gave them a place to stay. Some survived and thrived and even became big names.
“The few music venues at that time had a lot of enthusiasm in supporting Chinese rock music but they lacked the professional equipment and experience,” said Niu Ben, the guitarist.
Mikael, the Swedish musician, and his friends who frequent rock clubs in Beijing said the top four venues for local rock music would be Yugong Yishan, M.A.O. Livehouse, 2 Kolegas on the Third Ring Road and D-22 in the university area in Haidian District.
In addition to local bands, big or small, world famous musicians have also played in Beijing’s live music houses, including names such as Yann Tiersen, the Go! Team and Keren Ann. This year, the French electronic music duo Air is scheduled to perform in Yugong Yishan in September, according to the band’s tour dates on its official website.
“The crowd who comes to see a live band today is quite different from the past,” says Li Jie, a veteran gig goer of 12 years experience.
With the Internet, today’s bands certainly have more resources such as Myspace where they can upload their music and share it with people all over the world, says Li, admitting he goes to fewer concerts.
“But when there are good bands performing in Beijing, I will definitely go,” Li says. “The feeling you get from a live performance is absolutely different from hearing it on the stereo.”

Yang Jinbo obtains honorary certificate New China net Su Haiping absorbs

(This article originates: New China net)

　　People.com Beijing, December 21 – 2009 county territory economy most had the influence bank electing result on December 19 to make known in Beijing grandly. Jiangsu Yixing rural cooperatives bank and Zhejiang Yiwu rural cooperatives bank and Jiangsu Wu Jiang rural commercial bank and Agriculture Bank of China Fujian Nan’an Sub-branch and Inner Mongolia Yijinhuoluoqi rural credit cooperation unites the society and Liaoning Jinzhou bank Linghai sub-branch and Agriculture Bank of China Sichuan Emeishan Sub-branch and Jiangsu Dongtai rural credit cooperation to unite the society and Liaoning Xingcheng rural credit cooperation to unite the society and Xinjiang Yining County rural credit cooperation to unite the society, from more than 300 candidate units blooming, obtains 2009 year “county territory economy will most have influence top-notch bank” title of honor.

　　Unites many authoritative organizations are conducted “county territory economy most to have influence bank” by the Chinese county territory economical newspaper evaluation in September formally to start, the lasted 4 months, under the science evaluation system guarantee, the electing committee take county territory economy hundred strong counties (city) financial institution each data as the basic material, carry on layer upon layer screen and screen, simultaneously give dual attention conform to the evaluation condition initiative declaration unit material, in the balanced east-west section’s region difference foundation, pass through prove repeatedly, evaluate the county territory economy most to have the influence top-notch bank finally.

　　This evaluation, the fund scale and market share are the important reference data. But not only and regards the scale, but even more pays attention announces candidacy the bank, in supporting the farmer additionally receives the influential role, in the promotion county territory economy developing process gets up. Not only emphasized the market share, even more paid attention to the agriculture loan the market proportion, therefore, in evaluation to these, although the market share was big, but the main fund went to consumes energy, the high pollution enterprise’s bank organization not to give the support high.

　　In the near future, Chinese county territory economical newspaper will also organize the concerned expert to carry on the special investigation to the top-notch bank, to promote our country first county territory economy most to have the influence bank investigation report, provides the enlightenment with for reference for the financial service and accord development of county territory economy.

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In the near future the stock market bulk lots are under the deadlock, the platelet stock and undertaking board stock release are actually getting more and more lively, the release market profit creates new high repeatedly. The first batch of undertaking board stock issue market profit close 60 times, after going on the market , to continue to explode fries, when the second wholesale line naturally refers to the first batch of current price on market, the result release market profit becomes on average 80 multiple, if after second batch of going on the market, presses “convention” to rise again maliciously a section, later the undertaking board must send over hundred times market profit. Is infected the undertaking board, the release of platelet stock is also when production costs rise, prices rise too, high price release of the primary market boosts rise of the secondary market again, is lying motionless when the bulk lots blue chip, thus index rubber, the small stock’s quotation actually gets stronger and stronger. Is it possible that is the value investment only suitable to bulk lots blue chip stock?

In the past our new stock release and other targets carried on the instruction fixed price by the management according to the market profit, now the management basically does not intervene the new stock to fix a price, the release fixed price of new stock is handed over by demand both sides decided. The marketability of new stock fixed price certainly is a progress, but is also big when the present supply and demand gap, particularly everybody generally believes new stock perfection, the new stock market becomes a typical seller’s market, since hoards as a rare commodity, the market to the restraint of everywhere initial price is very weak.

Perhaps marketability of release fixed price but is actually compelling our release controls also as soon as possible to market, at least in the near future must speed up, as soon as possible to let the new stock small new stock supply the supply-demand relation be more balanced particularly again, because the present condition continues at least to have two aspect harm, on the one hand to distributing the side each time ultra solicits has needed to be more than much funds, was to the resources waste, must know that China also had the innumerable good enterprises to lack financing seriously. A more serious harm is the high purchase price will have caused the secondary market investor to be in the danger, in the future their the wealth will receive the corrosion, but a market, if cannot provide the long-term persistent repayment to the investor in the future, the market future prospect will be also worrying.

Therefore may want to see next year’s new stock supply is the quick speed, China’s going on the market resources, particularly the middle-and-small listed enterprise’s resources are very rich, perhaps will not have used the consideration new stock following availability issue, the financing marketability also will provide supply for the stock continuously again. When new stock supply and demand balances gradually, after when particularly hit must gain newly the gilded image which has broken, we hope that this gilded image early exposed, perhaps the release market profit gradually will also return, at the appointed time today crazily pursues the new stock after the investor very possibly became ebbs swimming in the raw.

Therefore now the market is generally very freely optimistic, we very much were actually worried that next year more than half stock possibly will not rise. (Du Changyong)

(Origin: Xinmin Evening News)

(This article originates: Xinmin Evening News)