Cities where residents have the best credit scores

By Daniel Bukszpan, cnbc.com

Wausau, Wis., leads the nation among cities where residents manage their money carefully.

?If you live in the Midwest, then you live in the U.S. region where residents are the most responsible with their money. So says Experian, an agency that collects financial information about people, businesses, cars and insurance.

They?ve analyzed the credit and debt habits of the American people and determined which cities have the people with the highest credit scores. The findings come from its second annual ?State of Credit?report.

Those results are based on the average VantageScore by designated market area from January through June 2011. The VantageScore has a range of 501 to 900, from worst to best.

Among other things, the analysis revealed that the average credit score in the U.S. is 749, the average debt is $24,542 and the average percentage of available credit in American households is 71.17 percent. Using data from Experian, CNBC.com presents 2012 edition of the?cities with the best credit scores.

No. 10: La Crosse, Wis.

?Credit Score: 777

?Debt: $19,985

?Number of late payments: 0.30 percent

?Credit available: 75.56

?Number of open credit cards: 1.84

La Crosse, Wis., has fallen two spots from last year?s No. 8 ranking. The average debt in the city is lower than that of any other in the top 10, but its loss of status indicates that other factors come into play when determining average credit scores, such as the 35 foreclosures that occurred during the survey period. That's a high number considering its small population of 51,320 people.

No. 9: Sioux Falls, S.D.

?Credit Score: 778

?Debt: $23,710

?Number of late payments: 0.24 percent

?Credit available: 75.84

?Number of open credit cards: 1.96

Sioux Falls, S.D., has risen one notch from No. 10. At the time?this analysis was conducted, the city had an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent, less than half of the 9.2 percent national average. This could only have helped improve its standing.

No. 8: Peoria, Ill.

?Credit Score: 778

?Debt: $26,075

?Number of late payments: 0.30 percent

?Credit available: 76.52

?Number of open credit cards: 1.85

Peoria, Ill., has fallen?one notch from No. 7 since the previous year. Although the average number of late payments is slightly higher than those of No. 9, Sioux Falls,?the average percentage of available credit is higher as well.

No. 7: Boston, Mass.

??Credit Score: 779

?Debt: $24,360

?Number of late payments: 0.30 percent

?Credit available: 73.15

?Number of open credit? cards: 2.13

Boston has fallen one spot?from last year's list. It has a lower percentage of available credit than most of the cities on this list and the highest number of open credit cards of all of them. However, the city has a median family income of $96,500, well above the national average of $64,200.

No. 6: Green Bay, Wis.

?Credit Score: 780

?Debt: $22,233

?Number of late payments: 0.34 percent

?Credit available: 76.43

?Number of open credit cards: 1.76

Like La Crosse, Green Bay, Wis., has fallen two spots from?the previous year. Although residents have a relatively low number of open credit cards and a healthy amount of available credit, the city experienced 97 foreclosures during the survey period, which is a lot for a city with 104,057 residents.

No. 5: San Francisco, Calif.

??Credit score: 781

?Debt: $23,973

?Number of late payments: 0.30 percent

?Credit available: 72.83

?Number of open credit cards: 2.02

At No. 5, San Francisco is the only city on this list to retain its ranking from the previous year. Its residents have a relatively high number of open credit cards and a relatively low percentage of available credit. At the time of the survey, the city had a 10 percent unemployment rate, higher than the national average of 9.2 percent. But at $101,600, San Francisco is the only city on this list with a six-figure median family income, which helps it retain its foothold.

No. 4: Cedar Rapids, Iowa

?Credit score: 781

?Debt: $23,628

?Number of late payments: 0.32 percent

?Credit available: 76.57

?Number of open credit cards: 1.82

Like most of the cities on this list, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has fallen one spot since the previous year. Still, No. 4 isn?t a bad place to be. Its high placement is due in part to a high percentage of available credit and a low unemployment rate of 6 percent.

No. 3: Madison, Wis.

??Credit score: 785

?Debt: $23,533

?Number of late payments: 0.27 percent

?Credit available: 75.90

?Number of open credit cards: 1.79

Madison, Wis., has fallen one spot to No. 3, but like Cedar Rapids, the city is still in good standing despite the slippage. It has a lower-than-average unemployment rate at 6 percent, a higher-than-average median family income of $81,800 and a high percentage of available credit.

No. 2: Minneapolis, Minn.

?Credit score: 787

?Debt: $24,994

?Number of late payments: 0.26 percent

?Credit available: 73.45

?Number of open credit cards: 2.08

In the previous year, Minneapolis, Minn., proudly topped the ?State of Credit? list. However, times change, and during the most recent survey period, it fell one spot. Still, its average credit score of 787 is impressive, and the city owes it in part to a low unemployment rate of 6.9 percent, and a median family income of $82,700. On the negative side, it had?786 foreclosures.

No. 1: Wausau, Wis.

?Credit score: 789

?Debt: $22,439

?Number of late payments: 0.27 percent

?Credit available: 77.52

?Number of open credit cards: 1.71

The highest-ranking city is Wausau, Wis., a remarkable development considering that in the previous year, it didn?t even make the list. Interestingly, of the 10 cities on this list, four, including Wausau, are?in?Wisconsin. When it comes to managing personal credit and debt, the people of Wisconsin must be doing something right.

More from CNBC.com:

CNBC.com: City by city: America?s most expensive homes

CNBC.com: America?s biggest wealth gaps

CNBC.com: Top cities for job growth

CNBC.com: Niche retirement communities

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/02/12526345-cities-where-residents-have-the-best-credit-scores?lite

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Diablotek Abyss

There's been a heartening renaissance with budget PC cases in recent years. As models like the Thermaltake Dokker and the NZXT H2 have shown, it's possible for companies to include big features and deliver good build experiences, but still maintain a sub-$100 price. Unfortunately, these advancements are not universal. With its Abyss ($64.99 list), Diablotek demonstrates that it's possible to get the broadest strokes correct but drop the ball on practically everything else. The result is a case that fulfills its basic task, but does so with little finesse.

The Abyss' best quality is, in fact, its outward flair. The 17.2-by-8.3-by-20-inch (HWD) case is fashioned mostly of white steel, with three significant exceptions: the white plastic front panel, the black mesh ornamentation on that panel (specifically, the covers over the drive bays and the 120mm intake fan); and the windowed side panel. It's not necessarily an adventurous look, but plenty of clever angles (the fan grille resembles a star, for example), unexpected lines, and vent-shaped depressions help the Abyss project a healthy sci-fi vibe that makes it appear more expensive than it actually is. Two grommeted holes in the rear panel (where there's also a single 120mm exhaust fan) for routing liquid cooling piping also suggested latent gaming PC potential.

Open up the Abyss and you'll see what, at first glance, looks like a typically well-appointed interior (which, for the record, is primarily white as well). Two filtered vents in the floor (including one in the power supply bay) aid with passive cooling, and a large hole cut into motherboard tray's upper-left section facilitates adding an aftermarket CPU cooler, but there aren't that many additional holes for routing cables. Whereas Thermaltake and NZXT have lately begun giving you plenty of these, only four are accessible after you install an ATX motherboard on the Abyss: One, located near the bottom, is decently wide, but three others on the side are narrow and may make it difficult to send cables and wires where you want them. (If you're installing a microATX or Mini ITX motherboard, you will have two more options, but they're even smaller.) And, aside from the channel those holes delineate, you'll find almost no room below the motherboard for stashing cables.

You do have a generous amount of space (slightly more than 1.5 inches) between the motherboard's interior edge and the start of the drive well, though some of this will be compromised when you add 3.5-inch drives (the intake fan keeps them from sliding all the way in). But there's only one-eighth inch between the bottom of the motherboard and the top of the power supply?cramped quarters for connecting cables to headers or hooking up front-panel wires. Space is a problem from another standpoint, too: Although there's technically room to install an oversized video card like the AMD Radeon HD 6990, the case's interior design makes it impossible to do so in the most likely location of the first accessible PCI Express (PCIe) x16 slot, so even the attempt is pointless. It looks like it should work, but it doesn't quite.

That's true of numerous other elements, too. Eight of the drive bays (the four 5.25-inch external bays and the four 3.5-inch internal bays) use tool-free retention brackets to hold the drives in place, but having one on each side inconveniently forces you to open both side panels rather than just the main one to secure the components. The remaining two bays (one external 3.5-inch and the bottom-most internal 3.5-inch) require screws to keep the drives in place. And if you want to install a 2.5-inch drive but you don't have a 3.5-inch adapter, forget it: There's no place to even just screw in smaller drives.

The seven expansion slots are also not tool-free. The spacers are attached and pop out easily, but installing a card requires screwing it in?and, if you change your configuration later and want to replace one or more spacers, you can't even do that. This obviously saves money, but it's a poor solution; the inexpensive ($59.99 list) MSI Raptor's external bracket, which haphazardly clamped down its loose spacers, wasn't an ideal solution, but it was better (though it also required a screwdriver).

Wackier still are two other characteristics of the drive well and one of the front-panel ports. The fourth 5.25-inch bay is blocked by a mount for installing a second intake fan; there's simply no way to install an optical drive in it (though it might be able to house a smaller device of some kind), leaving one wondering why there's a bay there at all. Even stranger is the black plastic panel at the rear of the 3.5-inch bay section. Printed with the words "Remove for long card," it's precariously positioned between the second and third bays, but provided no discernible function as it doesn't block anything near even the longest cards. If you remove it, not only do you gain no appreciable component space, but you also subject yourself to the mother of all migraines trying to get back in its original position. (It took us?no exaggeration?ten minutes to properly align everything again.) And regarding the front-panel ports, it's nice to have two USB 3.0 ports accompanying the headphone and microphone jacks, but why is there a slot (even bracketed over) to accommodate an SD card reader when no reader is included?

Things like this don't identify the Diablotek Abyss as a serious case for serious builders. As it is, it will suffice provided your needs aren't extensive or your expectations high. But more satisfying cases are out there, for not much more money, in the aforementioned Thermaltake Dokker and NZXT H2. And even the MSI Raptor, which will save you a few dollars more, is less frustrating to build in. Diablotek's case may be a looker, but, as always, the devil is in the details, and that's where the Abyss derails.

More Case Reviews:
??? MSI Barricade
??? Diablotek Abyss
??? Thermaltake Level 10 GTS Snow Edition
??? Thermaltake Armor Revo Snow Edition
??? NZXT Switch 810
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/VJctAgGJ1Y8/0,2817,2406510,00.asp

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EURO 2012 LIVE: Spain 4, Italy 0

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) ? Spain beat Italy 4-0 in the final of the European Championship on Sunday. Here's the best of the action and pre-match buildup. All times are Ukrainian.

___

2352: Spanish captain Casillas, surrounded by his teammates, lifts the trophy; Italy's Andrea Pirlo looks on in tears.

___

2345: The Spanish came under a lot of criticism before Sunday's match, with many saying they were too defensive. Well, the record's been put straight tonight. When it most mattered, they put in a stunning performance. The Italians were completely unable to keep up with their passing and movement. The victory lifts Spain to a record third straight major title, after winning Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

___

2339: PaulLogoAP: Balotelli storms off field to locker room as Italy coach Prandelli yells at him to stay out, assistant tries to keep him out. No chance.

___

2337: FULL-TIME: Spain 4, Italy 0.

___

2333: Torres is through again but taps a reverse pass into the path of Juan Mata who makes no mistake. 4-0 now, the Spanish are champions and they're still coming forward for more. Three minutes of extra-time left.

___

2332: GOAL! Spain 4, Italy 0 (Mata).

___

2331: PaulLogoAP: Fernando Torres is 1st player to score in 2 European Championship finals after rolling past Buffon in 84th minute for 3-0 Spain (via Twitter.)

___

2330: Torres latches onto a through pass from Xavi to slip it past Buffon who just gets a hand to it but it's not enough to stop a third. Great finish.

___

2327: GOAL! Spain 3, Italy 0 (Torres).

___

2323: Italy manages an attack but it lacks any punch or numbers. Spain, on the other hand, immediately breaks forward and really should have scored. The Italians look as though they've done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson, not the silky Spanish.

___

2321: Great move from Spain, Torres is in the middle in a goal-scoring position. But, no, they pass it back into midfield! He must wonder why he's out there.

___

2317: It's now looking easy for Spain. The Italians have been passed into submission. They look exhausted and the Spanish are playing at a walking pace. Fabregas, who's had a great game, is replaced by Fernando Torres. Time to show that strikers aren't a thing of the past, Fernando?

___

2312: PhillipsIan: Damage limitation for Italy at Euro 2012. They were adventurous early on but with 10 men look like they're trying to keep the score down (via Twitter)

___

2306: Big blow for Italy. Thiago Motta, just minutes after coming on, goes off with what looks like a hamstring injury. That means Italy is now down to 10 men because all substitutes have been used.

___

2300: Credit to the Italians. They're taking the game to Spain but they're just not finding the final pass or shot. Silva replaced by Rodriguez for Spain.

___

2253: Another chance for Di Natale but his shot goes straight at Casillas. Just before that, Italian defender Abate made a last-gasp interception to deny Spain a third. Iniesta was there to pounce but the Italian managed to stab it clear. Exciting game!

___

2248: Di Natale on for Cassano and has an immediate chance seconds after the re-start but he heads over the bar. The Italians are going to need to do something really special to get back into this game.

___

2232: HALF-TIME: Spain 2, Italy 0. A great opening 45 minutes from Spain. Beautiful, slick passing and a far more attacking attitude than in previous matches. They've still got no recognized striker out there, but does it matter? They find themselves 2-0 up and with one hand on the cup.

___

2230: A goal kick leads to the second goal as fullback Alba makes a 40-yard run into the box to take a pass from Xavi Hernandez and calmly slide the ball home for his first goal for Spain.

___

2228: GOAL! Spain 2, Italy 0 (Alba).

___

2223: Spain's intricate passing game is being loudly booed ? either by anxious Italian fans or Ukrainians who don't appreciate the subtlety. But the Spanish are gradually dominating possession as they have in previous games. But don't forget it takes just one goal to change everything. 35 mins gone.

___

2214: The midfield is packed with bodies but both teams are managing to break away with piercing attacks. Spain having the better chances but Casillas just gets fingertips to a cross to prevent Balotelli from adding another to his tally.

___

2213: PaulLogoAP (via Twitter): Having Fabregas, not a traditional striker on, helped on Spain's goal; striker probably would have shot, Fabregas carried ball to goal line.

___

2212: It's a yellow for Pique for a crude challenge on Cassano.

2210: Giorgio Chiellini is coming off for Italy. Looks as though it's a hamstring injury. Balzaretti comes on. That's going to seriously affect Italy. Chiellini is Pirlo's favorite target as an attacking wing back. Not so sure how ambitious Balzaretti will be.

___

2205: Italy straight onto the attack after Spain's opening goal. A Pirlo corner is flicked on but Sergio Ramos gets a head to it to clear for a second corner, which is punched clear by Casillas. The game is opening up nicely.

___

2203: It's a lovely flowing move from Spain after they'd threatened for a few minutes. Iniesta releases Fabregas with an inch-perfect pass down the right. Fabregas, squeezed by a defender, still manages a perfect pass back to Silva, who heads in from 10 yards into the roof of the net. Fourteen minutes gone here. Let's hope the Spanish continue this attacking display.

___

2200: GOAL! Spain 1, Italy 0 (Silva.)

___

phillipsian (via Twitter): Euro 2012 role reversal. The Spanish are attacking, the Italians packing men behind the ball. Has some of that criticism of Spain hit home?

__

2157: Lovely passing by Spain to find space. The ball comes to Xavi on the edge of the box who blasts just over the bar. Spain showing some real attacking intent tonight.

___

2152: Ramos has his eye on Balotelli here ? and an arm. A cross comes over and the Spanish defender annoys Balotelli during a physical aerial challenge. A good open start to the final, with both teams attacking. If they play without the handbrake on, this could be a great game.

___

2145: And they're underway at the Olympic Stadium, Spain kicking off.

___

2143: Both goalkeepers tonight ? Casillas and Buffon ? are captaining their teams tonight.

___

2142: Buffon's a great goalkeeper, but a singer? Eyes closed, roaring out the words of the national anthem again. Can't accuse him of lacking passion, could do with some tone practice, though.

___

2055: Cesc Fabregas will lead Spain's attack, with recognized strikers Fernando Torres and Alvaro Negredo starting on the bench. Italy coach Cesare Prandelli makes just one change from the semifinal win over Germany, with right back Ignazio Abate returning from injury to replace Federico Balzaretti. Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano will lead Italy's attack in front of Andrea Pirlo.

___

2050: And here are the lineups:

Spain: Iker Casillas, Alvaro Arbeloa, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, David Silva, Cesc Fabregas.

Italy: Gianluigi Buffon, Ignazio Abate, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi, Riccardo Montolivo, Antonio Cassano, Mario Balotelli.

___

2040: From AP's Trevor Huggins: "Spain hasn't beaten Italy in a competitive match that didn't end in penalties since 1920.

___

2030:

PaulLogoAP (via Twitter): Spain, Italy players out to inspect the Olympic Stadium turf; Xavi stares down on that grass, is it watered enough?

GDunbarap (via Twitter): How tough is Italy's task vs Spain? Last player to score past Iker Casillas in a knockout game - Zinedine Zidane, and he retired 6 years ago.

___

2015: About 90 minutes until kickoff. Both teams have left their hotel in purple UEFA coaches and are approaching the stadium. The Italians almost had to turn back. As the doors closed, one squad member came running out of his hotel!

___

2010: In Rome, thousands of fans are gathering around giant screens in the Circus Maximus where temperatures soared to 100F (38C). For one fan, mindful of the state of the nation's economy and general European slump, it's payback time: "They are paid very well, so they should give us who are watching some satisfaction," said Rossana Marrucci.

___

1915: In an era when many sports struggle to maintain ratings, U.S. viewership of international football is increasing at a startling rate. The two Euro 2012 semifinals averaged 1.91 million viewers, a 46 percent increase from 1.31 million four years ago. With both semis starting at 2:45 p.m. EDT, Spain's penalty kicks victory over Portugal was seen by 1.95 million on Wednesday, and Italy's 2-0 upset win over Germany was viewed by 1.85 million the following day. ESPN said the semis averaged 576,000 additional viewers on computers, smart phones, tablets and Xbox. The first 31 matches averaged 1.2 million viewers on ESPN's networks, up 61 percent from 2008.

___

1900:

jongreenlee (via Twitter): Today history will be made. Spain will win their first meaningful match with Italy in a century. Possesion will win.

cpes100 (via Twitter): Which Balotelli turns up today will influence the result. I go Spain 2 Italy 1 in normal time.

izzy15mercado (via Twitter): The Spanish D will be all over Balotelli making sure he's very uncomfortable on the pitch. Spain 1 Italy 0.

___

1645: Five hours until kickoff at the Olympic Stadium ? and the outcome is so hard to predict. Can Italy's Andrea Pirlo continue to shine even in the company of Spain's Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Xabi Alonso? Will it be showman Mario Balotelli's night? Or another headline-grabbing night for Cesc Fabregas whose penalty got Spain into the final and also won the 2008 European Championship final? Of course it could come down to nerve-wracking penalties ? with two of the world's very best goalkeepers, Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon, emerging the hero.

___

1630: Will Spain throw off the shackles and attack more tonight? They beat Portugal on penalties in the semifinals after a 0-0 draw. Their 2-0 victory over France in the quarterfinals included a penalty and a 1-0 win over Croatia in the final group match needed an 88th minute winner from Jesus Navas. That's just two goals from open play in 300 minutes of football. The coach has mostly opted for starting lineups without a recognized striker, hoping one of the midfielders will ghost into attacking positions and score. That's risky ? especially gainst Italy which over the years has traditionally been a hard team to break down.

___

1615: Among tonight's guests could be Belarus' authoritarian president Aleksander Lukashenko. EU leaders are boycotting Sunday's match over the jailing of former Ukraine premier Yulia Tymoshenko.

___

1600: So far, 72 goals have been scored and here are AP's John Leicester top five contenders. Still time, though, for another entry or two tonight. Want your say? Contact us via Twitter:

DANNY WELBECK vs. Sweden: Brilliant for its cunning and exquisite timing.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC vs. France: An acrobatic kick Bruce Lee would have been proud of.

DAVID SILVA vs. Ireland: He passed it into the back of the net ? past one defender, through the legs of two others, and beyond 'keeper Shay Given.

ANDREA PIRLO vs. England: The height of cool, chipping a penalty over the 'keeper ? Panenka-style.

DI NATALE vs. Spain: Not the prettiest of goals, but worth a mention because of the rarity of anyone scoring past Iker Casillas.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/euro-2012-live-spain-4-italy-0-203746062--sow.html

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Massage And Exercise-Fitness and Health | wellness center

If you are a working person than massage is perfect for you!

Nowadays more and more sports and fitness enthusiasts to take seriously the massage as part of the conditioning program. But many of us believe that it is only for elite athletes. It is not true. Massage is for everyone, including you. It has a larger number of doses that we do not see otherwise, I consider it a luxury.

Benefits of massage can be obtained by anyone. Normally, massage can help you by giving you one of relaxation, improves blood circulation and relieve muscle tension.

When it comes to sports fitness, massage can be of great help to improve their flexibility and reduces the anxiety of athletic competition. Massage helps you get better performance, increased endurance and reduce fatigue levels.

There are a variety of massages to choose from. a good massage therapist can use many different styles and help to give you a great sense of relief and relaxation.

Swedish

People who have ever had a massage should experiment with Swedish massage. This type covers the entire body and is the light that penetrates the top layer of the massage back muscles.
Shiatsu

Shiatsu is a Japanese healing hand massage technique, which is very effective in relieving stress, internal disorders and provide a better mobility.
Deep tissue

Deep tissue massage goes deep into the muscles and gives a complete feeling of relaxation and wellbeing. There is something deeper, slower and more muscle-specific.
Sports massage

As its name suggests is a regular sports massage for athletes in training. Athletes can benefit from this body treatment before and after the race.

If you try to get out of the body extended the benefits this way, it?s about time you give your body rest and go to the gym for a peaceful and relaxing massages.
If you are a working person than massage is perfect for you!

Nowadays more and more sports and fitness enthusiasts to take seriously the massage as part of the conditioning program. But many of us believe that it is only for elite athletes. It is not true. Massage is for everyone, including you. It has a larger number of doses that we do not see otherwise, I consider it a luxury.

Benefits of massage can be obtained by anyone. Normally, massage can help you by giving you one of relaxation, improves blood circulation and relieve muscle tension.

When it comes to sports fitness, massage can be of great help to improve their flexibility and reduces the anxiety of athletic competition. Massage helps you get better performance, increased endurance and reduce fatigue levels.

There are a variety of massages to choose from. a good massage therapist can use many different styles and help to give you a great sense of relief and relaxation.

Swedish

People who have ever had a massage should experiment with Swedish massage. This type covers the entire body and is the light that penetrates the top layer of the massage back muscles.
Shiatsu

Shiatsu is a Japanese healing hand massage technique, which is very effective in relieving stress, internal disorders and provide a better mobility.
Deep tissue

Deep tissue massage goes deep into the muscles and gives a complete feeling of relaxation and wellbeing. There is something deeper, slower and more muscle-specific.
Sports massage

As its name suggests is a regular sports massage for athletes in training. Athletes can benefit from this body treatment before and after the race.

If you try to get out of the body extended the benefits this way, it?s about time you give your body rest and go to the gym for a peaceful and relaxing massages.

About the Author

These exercises are seven results ? if they put them in the gym or technical home.Good is a must for a workout safe and effective. If you?re new, and the exercise of more than 40 years, suffering from health problems or take medication regularly, consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Source: http://www.ganwolam.net/archives/569

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Sleep deprivation effect on the immune system mirrors physical stress

ScienceDaily (July 1, 2012) ? evere sleep loss jolts the immune system into action, reflecting the same type of immediate response shown during exposure to stress, a new study reports.

Researchers in the Netherlands and United Kingdom compared the white blood cell counts of 15 healthy young men under normal and severely sleep-deprived conditions. The greatest changes were seen in the white blood cells known as granulocytes, which showed a loss of day-night rhythmicity, along with increased numbers, particularly at night.

"Future research will reveal the molecular mechanisms behind this immediate stress response and elucidate its role in the development of diseases associated with chronic sleep loss," said Katrin Ackermann, PhD, the study's lead author. "If confirmed with more data, this will have implications for clinical practice and for professions associated with long-term sleep loss, such as rotating shift work."

Previous studies have associated sleep restriction and sleep deprivation with the development of diseases like obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Others have shown that sleep helps sustain the functioning of the immune system, and that chronic sleep loss is a risk factor for immune system impairment.

For this study, white blood cells were categorized and measured from 15 young men following a strict schedule of eight hours of sleep every day for a week. The participants were exposed to at least 15 minutes of outdoor light within the first 90 minutes of waking and prohibited from using caffeine, alcohol or medication during the final three days. All of this was designed to stabilize their circadian clocks and minimize sleep deprivation before the intensive laboratory study.

White blood cell counts in a normal sleep/wake cycle were compared to the numbers produced during the second part of the experiment, in which blood samples were collected during 29 hours of continual wakefulness.

"The granulocytes reacted immediately to the physical stress of sleep loss and directly mirrored the body's stress response," said Ackermann, a postdoctoral researcher at the Eramus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

The study, "Diurnal Rhythms in Blood Cell Populations and the Effect of Acute Sleep Deprivation in Healthy Young Men," was a collaborative effort between the Department of Forensic Molecular Biology at Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam and Chronobiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom. The laboratory study was conducted at the University of Surrey Clinical Research Centre.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Katrin Ackermann, Victoria L. Revell, Oscar Lao, Elwin J. Rombouts, Debra J. Skene, Manfred Kayser. Diurnal Rhythms in Blood Cell Populations and the Effect of Acute Sleep Deprivation in Healthy Young Men. SLEEP, 2012; DOI: 10.5665/sleep.1954

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/UQHdwPkOJDE/120701191638.htm

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?Drive a Tank? Lets Thrill Seekers Crunch Cars With Ex-Military Armored Vehicles

Some people enjoy swimming with dolphins or?snorkeling?on their vacations. Others go skiing or strap into amusement park rides. Some, though, may consider these activities too tame, ordinary. These are the types of people who might instead be interesting in, say, driving a tank over old sedans, for example.

(Photo: Drive a Tank)

?Drive a Tank,? a company in Kasota, Minn., lets these types of thrill seekers try their hand at the military version of monster-truck driving.

With only a quick briefing on tank controls and operations ? no previous tank driving experience necessary ? newbie tank drivers can take the treads for a spin. According to the company?s website, the tanks are unarmed ? so no target practice. (Note: If you are interested in target practice, they have a historic machine gun that, depending on the package you sign up for.)

(Photo: Drive a Tank)

Watch this AP report with footage and tank-driver commentary of the experience:

?To have that much weight on just two brake handles, it?s awesome,? said Jacob Ostling, 19, after the tank rolled over a car and rained glass around his head. The car ?was like a tin can,? he said.

You may also notice that the tanks are from Europe. The company states that unlike America, which didn?t release its ?armor? to the public, some European countries have done so and ?Drive a Tank? is putting them to good use.

?Wars and skirmishes took place in Europe, and out of need for farm equipment and transport vehicles [...] Due to availability, the fact that England has been an ally through the years, and price of their vehicles; our armor is British,? the company website states.

(Photo: Drive a Tank)

Owner Tony Borglum, a construction and heavy equipment contractor, opened the tank park three years ago after seeing similar attractions during a visit to England. He said he knew it would fit nicely into American culture ? a more visceral version of what millions of guys are doing in video games anyway.

He began buying up old Cold War-era surplus and now has 11 armored vehicles available for use on a 20-acre site near this town 50 miles southwest of Minneapolis. Customers spend hours churning up and down a hilly, wooded course, getting a firsthand sense of what armored warfare might be like.

?It?s not as glorious as it looks like on TV,? said Borglum, a short-haired 25-year-old who wore camouflage pants, a tan polo shirt and boots at the session.

But it satisfies the curiosity of those who have watched tanks in war movies.

?It was very realistic,? agreed Brad Walker, of Amboy, Ind., who brought his 21-year-old son, Nick, for an outing before the young man got married. ?It kind of gives you an idea exactly how hard that job is.? Nick Walker, who squeezed his 5-foot-11, 230-pound frame into the cramped compartment, added, ?It?s not a big person?s job.?

(Photo: Drive a Tank)

There are various packages at differing price points, but to give you an idea, crunching cars could cost you up to $750 whereas a more simple drive through a wooded area will cost about $400. If you?re really a high roller, $3,500 will let you drive a tank through a trailer home. Even if you?re not interested in driving though, of if you?re bringing your friends along, you can also just take a ride in the tank for $45.

Borglum said his tank park wasn?t the first in the United States but he knows of no others still operating. Event coordinator Kessa Baedke said more than 600 packages have been sold this year.

Check out the Drive a Tank website here. See more tanking experience photos here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.?

Source: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/drive-a-tank-lets-thrill-seekers-crunch-cars-with-ex-military-armored-vehicles/

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