These are chaotic times for Americans. The nationwide cheese recall, I mean. (What did you think I was talking about?) Several well-known cheese brandsincluding Sargento, Meijer, Santino, Amish Classics, Country Fresh, and Guggisberghave issued recalls of Colby, pepper jack, shredded taco, and cheddar cheeses among concerns about listeria contamination at a cheese factory in Indiana. No illnesses have yet been reported. Listeriosis, the foodborne illness that the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria causes, is a particular danger for those with weakened immune systems. In pregnant women, listeria can cause premature labor, miscarriages, and stillbirth. Listeria is an especially resilient bacteriaunlike many other germs, it can keep growing in a cool fridge. The danger of an infection is part of why cheese sellers have voluntarily recalled their products in this case. But, as is often the case, the recalls have trickled out over the course of the past week. The timing raises questions about how food safety is handled and discussed among manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and regulatorsand further questions still about how long it takes for consumers to be notified of possible contamination. For cheese eaters, the questions are straightforward: Where did the contaminated cheese come from? And how do I know if … Continue reading →

Civil War Richard, Jackson, April and Catherine tackle a grueling trauma case intensified by hospital politics. Amelia finally faces her feelings about Owen, and Meredith gets caught between Nathan and Alex over a patient, on Greys Anatomy, THURSDAY, MARCH 9 (8:00-9:01 p.m. EST), on the ABC Television Network. Greys Anatomy stars Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey, Justin Chambers as Alex Karev, Chandra Wilson as Miranda Bailey, James Pickens Jr. as Richard Webber, Kevin McKidd as Owen Hunt, Jessica Capshaw as Arizona Robbins, Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery, Sarah Drew as April Kepner, Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd, Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson, Jerrika Hinton as Stephanie Edwards, Kelly McCreary as Maggie Pierce, Jason George as Ben Warren, Martin Henderson as Nathan Riggs and Giacomo Gianniotti as Andrew DeLuca. Guest starring is Debbie Allen as Catherine Avery and Marika Dominczyk as Eliza Minnick. Greys Anatomy was created and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes (Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder), Betsy Beers (Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder), Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan) and Rob Corn (Chicago Hope). William Harper, Stacy McKee, Zoanne Clack and Debbie Allen are executive producers. Greys Anatomy is produced by ABC Studios. Civil War … Continue reading →

NAGPUR: Various issues on revision of anatomy syllabus, including assessment of manpower and duration of teaching, came up for discussion during a conclave organized by the department of anatomy of NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre recently. The topic of the conclave was 'Challenges in anatomy curriculum and way ahead.' Dr DD Ksheersagar was the organizing secretary. Ninety-two delegates from Central India participated in the continuing medical education (CME) programme and discussed various issues on revision of the syllabus of anatomy that also highlighted modification in theory, practical examination, curricular reforms for histology, embryology, gross anatomy and genetics. Dr Mangala Kohli, head of the anatomy department, Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College, New Delhi, was the chief guest. Dr MD Huddar introduced Dr Kohli. Dr Ksheersagar welcomed the chief guest and other dignitaries and explained the purpose of holding the CME. Dr Kohli stressed the need for reforms in anatomy curriculum and improving job opportunities for anatomists. Ranjeet Deshmukh, chairman of VSPMAHE, congratulated Dr Ksheersagar for organizing the CME. Link: Doctors call for revising syllabus of anatomy - Times of India … Continue reading →

Hain Celestial (NASDAQ:HAIN)seemed like a perfectly positioned company. As consumers learned more and more about where their food came from, the organic movement only became more powerful. That's why, in November 2014, I invested my own money in the stock. But as I did more research on the company, I became wary of a narrowing moat. When I sold my shares in January 2016, it was long before accounting issues and an SEC investigation were brought to light, sinking the stock even further this week. Image source: Getty Images. As I gained more experience as an investor, I began to look very skeptically at the growth-via-acquisition strategy. While there are certainly success stories,the graveyard of value-destroying acquisitions is constantly growing. Hain is the poster child for this strategy. Under the leadership of founder and CEO Irwin Simon, the company has grown by buying up popular organic brands that had made a name for themselves independently. With the cash and scale that Hain could provide, the thinking went, these brands could flourish on a national and international platform that would otherwise take decades to accomplish. The problem is, you have to have an excellent system in place to manage all of … Continue reading →