Halloween is this Friday already, so I have grabbed a few
great articles for the scary occassion. There are even tips
for your pets below…

Be Well,
Kris

Clearance Sale – Electronics, DVDs, Housewares and more…
http://pd.gophercentral.com/r/186/a/100119/l/si4we0

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VIDEO CORNER: Boost Brain Power
Current Rating 3.2

Tired of being shown up by a know-it-all colleague’ Boost
your brain power with these natural tips!

http://evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=10679

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HEALTH TIP: Halloween Can Be Hazardous to People With Braces.

More than five million children and adults in North America wear
braces. For them, Halloween season can be a dangerous time. The
hard, chewy, sticky or crunchy candy usually handed out can easily
result in damaged or broken braces, a painful and costly experience.

Well, according to the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO),
people with braces should steer clear of these traditional
halloween treats…

* All hard candies
* All chewy candies
* Caramel
* Nuts
* Licorice
* Taffy
* Jelly beans
* Hard pretzels
* Bubblegum
* Popcorn (including unpopped kernels)
* Taco chips
* Ice

Happy trick or treating!

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Portable Auto Vac by AutoTrends…

Retail Price: $19.99
DEAL PRICE: $9.99

Keep your vehicle looking its best with the Auto Trends 12V
hand-held portable auto vac. Powerful yet lightweight, this
handy vacuum plugs directly into your car’s cigarette lighter
socket for charge-free operation that’s ready when you are.

Features include an easy twist-off dirt catch that keeps your
hands clean. No messy replacement bags. Two (2) removable
attachment nozzles for cleaning cracks, crevices, and other
hard-to-reach areas. A lengthy 8.5 foot cord gives you the
reach you need.
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Study: Diabetes Found Linked With TB…

HOUSTON,– U.S. medical researchers say patients with type 2
diabetes might be at increased risk of contracting tubercu-
losis because of a compromised immune system. Scientists at
the University of Texas School of Public Health previously
reported type 2 diabetes was the leading factor for develo-
ping TB in the U.S.-Mexico border area. Assistant Professor
Blanca Restrepo and Drs. Joseph McCormick and Susan Fisher-
Hoch say they’ve have conducted three new studies that fur-
ther illuminate the previous findings. The scientists said
they discovered the immune systems of patients with type 2
diabetes and tuberculosis respond differently, compared
with patients with TB alone. Restrepo and her colleagues
found innate and type 1 cytokine responses were significantly
higher in patients with tuberculosis who had diabetes than
in the control group of patients with TB and no diabetes.
The researchers report their findings in the American Journal
of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and in a recent issue of
The Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

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Leather Wallet With Checkbook Holder…
(Available in Tan or Black)

Retail Price: $19.99
DEAL PRICE: $9.99
Get Two (mix n match or two of the same): $15.98

The folks at Marshal Leather have done it again for all our
readers. Yep, it’s a Leather Wallet With Checkbook Holder and
they’ve given us a very special price to pass on to you.

Their motto has always been, “Sure, Pure & Perfect”. One look
and touch of this wallet and you’ll see why.

It’s a great way to keep all of money and banking organized.
The super smooth leather makes for quality you can feel! This
slim checkbook wallet features 7 card slots, 1 clear ID window,
removable checkbook cover with flap for duplicates, photo
inserts and additional slots for paper money or receipts.

Plus an inside slip pocket with zippered closure… for that
extra bit of security. Get one for $9.99 or get two for $15.98.
You can mix and match the colors or get the same. To see a
picture or to order, visit:
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Body’s Natural Anti-HIV Enzyme Is Examined…

LOS ANGELES, — U.S. medical scientists say they’ve deter-
mined the atomic structure of a key enzyme involved in in-
hibiting the human immunodeficiency virus. The researchers,
led by Professor Xiaojiang Chen of the University of South-
ern California, said the enzyme APOBEC-3G — present in
every human cell — is capable of stopping HIV at the first
step of replication, when the retrovirus transcribes its RNA
into viral DNA. The reason APOBEC-3G works so well, but peo-
ple still develop AIDS, is because the HIV virus has evolved
to encode the protein Vif, which blocks APOBEC-3G. But Chen
said his group’s research offers important clues on where
Vif binds to APOBEC-3G. Those findings, he said, could be
used to design drugs that would prevent Vif from binding,
allowing APOBEC-3G to do its job. That, he added, would un-
lock humans’ innate ability to fight HIV. The study that
included Lauren Holden, Courtney Prochnow, Y. Paul Chang,
Ronda Bransteitter, Linda Chelico, Udayaditya Sen and Pro-
fessors Raymond Stevens and Myron Goodman appears in the
online edition of the journal Nature.

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Link Between Mitochondria And Tumors Found…

BETHESDA, Md., — U.S. scientists say they have discovered a
link between stem cell potency and the metabolic rate of
their mitochondria. The scientists said they discovered stem
cells with more active mitochondria have a greater capacity
to differentiate and are more likely to form tumors. The
researchers led by Dr. Toren Finkel at the National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute said they sorted mouse embryonic
stem cells by their mitochondrial potential — the amount
of voltage going across mitochondrial membranes, similar
to how nerve activity is measured. They found both visually
and in the expression of key stem cell markers, low and high
metabolism stem cells were indistinguishable. But, when tran-
splanted into mice, the researchers said the two types of
cells had contrasting properties, as cells with lower meta-
bolic rates were more efficient at differentiating into other
cell types and the highly metabolic cells were more prone to
keep dividing and form teratomas — tumors characterized by
having various tissue types mixed together. Although the
study was conducted with mouse cells, the researchers said
they expect a similar relationship to hold true in human stem
cells. The study appears in the Journal of Biological Chem-
istry.

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GIANT 600 Cartoons Special Collector’s DVD Tin
With Bonus Poster & T-Shirt.

Retail Price: $79.99
DEAL PRICE: $39.99

This is the largest collection of classic cartoons EVER
assembled in one package. Many of these cartoons have never
been released before on VHS or DVD! Iconic favorites will
include Popeye, Woody Woodpecker, Felix the Cat, The Three
Stooges, Baby Huey, Hunhy & Spunky, Mighty Mouse, Heckle &
Jeckle, Little LuLu, Casper, Tom & Jerry and many many more.

DVD FEATURES/EXTRAS:
* Includes 12 DVDs (over 60 Hours of fun)
* A Collectors Tin.
* Exclusive Collectors Poster.
* A Detailed Info Booklet.
* All Cartoons are Digitally Remastered.
* Includes an exclusive collector’s T-shirt (XL size) with a
host of Classic Cartoon Characters (Betty Boop, Popeye, Felix
The Cat, The Three Stooges and more…)

No question this is one of the most fun and complete cartoon
collections we’ve ever seen.

To watch a video clip from one of the cartoons, visit:
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Study: Steroids Aid Pneumonia Recovery…

DALLAS, — U.S. medical researchers say they’ve found adding
corticosteroids to traditional antimicrobial therapy for
pneumonia can result in quicker recovery times. Scientists
at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center deter-
mined mice infected with a type of severe bacterial pneumonia
recovered more quickly and with far less lung inflammation
than did mice treated only with antibiotics. “Some people
might think that if you give steroids, it would counteract
the effect of the antibiotic,” said Dr. Robert Hardy, an
associate professor of internal medicine and the study’s
senior author. “But it turns out you need the antibiotic to
kill the bug and the steroid to make the inflammation in the
lung from the infection get better. The steroids don’t kill
the bugs, but they do help restore health.” Hardy said it’s
too early to recommend steroids as standard treatment for
people with bacterial pneumonia, but the findings do support
the need for a clinical trial. The study is to appear in a
future issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

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How To Make Sure Your Pet Has A Safe Howl-o-ween…

* An owner should approach his dog slowly if dressed in
clothing that radically alters his silhouette. As we
approach Halloween, I’m thinking that a gigantic Grim
Reaper scythe or even that dress of your mom’s you
finally get to wear, complete with her heels (calm down
guys, only a few more days!) might really send your pooch
over the edge.

* Keep cats indoors as much as possible in the week leading
up to Halloween, and all day and night of the holiday.
There are disgusting tricks that people come up with, up
to and including the painful death of a pet, especially a
black cat. Keep dogs indoors on Halloween as well. All of
the people out and about can scare them into aggression or
barking that is out of character. Sometimes kids, with the
anonymity of a Halloween costume, will do stuff you’d not
think of or they simply don’t know any better.

* NO CHOCOLATE for dogs! There is a chemical in chocolate that
dogs don’t have the enzyme to digest and it is poisonous in
quantity. I’m SOOOO glad I’m not a dog when I chow on… well
anything chocolate. Let your kids know not to share their
loot with the pets, and this includes wrappers as well. Give
the pets one of their regular treats if you want them to
share in the festivities. Remember, variety is the indigestion
of your pet’s life. (Psst… the ASPCA Animal Control Poison
Center can be reached at (888) 426-4435)

* Dogs can get aggressive in unfamiliar situations or ones in
which their regular defenses are compromised. Don’t put an
over-the-eyes mask on your dog, as this cuts into his
peripheral vision and can make him nervous. If you must mask
the bandit, try some non-toxic body paint, and stay at least
a half-inch from his eyelids. DO NOT try this with cats. They
simply won’t let you. Too proud (or is it cranky? Either way…)

* Keep dogs and cats in a closed-off room the eve of the holiday.
(more than one if they don’t get along). The annoying doorbell
ringing all night long and the shrieking strangers in front of
the house repeatedly may make a dog really nervous. Biting and
other aggressive behavior is a risk in this situation. Keeping
them in a closed room will also negate the possibility that
your pet will dart out between your feet into the ghoul-filled
night while you are busy trying to keep the fat kid from taking
all the candy.

Continued below….

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Super Slim iPod Like MP3/MP4 Player by Coby Electronics
The feel of an iPod but it’s HALF THE PRICE…

Retail Price: $79.99
DEAL PRICE: $49.99

This Digital MP3/MP4 player, made by Coby, is more than just a
music machine. Store photos, playback some movies, record your
voice… even listen to the FM radio! Power via a battery
charger OR computer.

This is a a quality product designed to deliver outstanding
performance. So many features are included, we’ll just give
you some, click on the link to see a picture and get ALL the
details.

PRODUCT FEATURES:
- 1.66″ TFT LCD full-color display (160 x 128)
- Plays music, video, photos, and text
- Plays digital music from most online stores & sub services
- Integrated FM radio
- Integrated microphone for digital voice recording
- Touchpad Control Panel with LED backlight
- Stores up to 33 hours of music (roughly 500 songs)

Accessories included are earphones, USB cable and more. This is
one of those deals that will have you coming back to order
more… problem is, we don’t know how long they will last.
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* There are several “calming” products on the market for nervous
travelers or pets who are afraid of thunderstorms. This can be
helpful to high-strung pets on Halloween or for any party you
have at your home. Silent Night is the one I use. You can get
it at a health food store and dose it by weight. Assume the
dose on the packaging is for a 120lb person and divide from
there (Don’t get freaky about the algebra here and spend a
lot of time over exact proportions-this stuff isn’t poisonous.
If your dog weighs 50lbs, give him half a dose. If your cat
weighs 10 lb, just give him a little-whatever you can get in
there without getting it in your eye).

* Be sure your animals have ID tags that are current, just in
case you think the points above are stupid and you’re not going
to keep your pets inside. (Hey, just get a crate for that big
smelly outside dog! It’s only one night!)

* Carved pumpkins can be bacterial breeding grounds after
they’ve been on the porch/deck/headboard for a few days.
Keep this in mind before and after the holiday. If they
insist on pumpkin (some crave the fiber or the magnesium,
phosphorus, copper, vitamin A, or manganese that is plentiful
in pumpkin), give them some canned pumpkin, not to be confused
with pumpkin pie filling that is spiced and salted.

* Please remove the grinning witches from around your dog’s
neck. No, he does NOT look cuter than Grandma in her
knickers. Lights have cords with electricity (bad) and
candles have flames (badder). Keep cords up and away from
your pets (they look tacky all over the floor like that
anyway), and save the candles for high places, pet-less
rooms, and church-I mean séances.

* As always, don’t let your pets play with anything small
and choke-worthy. This includes many party favors, costume
pieces, and any threads or garland you don’t want to pay
$600 to retrieve, via your vet’s steady hand, from your
pet’s small intestine.