Blogging presents more risks than you might realize, and it’s vitally important that you’re ready to deal with those risks. It’s all about keeping your site safe and secure, and in turn, ensuring your visitors feel secure when using and exploring your site. On top of that, you need to protect yourself as a blogger. Read on to find out more about how you can avoid exposing yourself to too much risk as a blogger.

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Only Work With People and Companies You Know You Can Trust

One of the times in which your business can really be put at risk is when you’re dealing with other people and other companies. It’s much easier to protect your blogging brand when it’s you and you alone running things. But when you aim to grow, bring in new writers and partner with external companies, you can feel like you’re losing some of that control. So only work with people and companies you know you can trust.

Know Your Customers

Knowing your customers can mean a few different things. Knowing them, what they care about and what they want from you will help you to provide them with what they need. You will then be able to keep them coming back for more. Then there is Know Your Customer compliance; Netverify from Jumio helps with KYC compliance if this is something that applies to your site.

Be Open About Ads and Sponsors

When you’re having your content sponsored or there are ads in your content, this is something that you should be open and honest about wherever possible. That’s important because you will only put your blog at risk and risk alienating your audience if you fail to do that. It’s what people expect these days and it’s always best to be ethical in order to avoid risks.

Learn From the Mistakes of Other Bloggers

There are lots of bloggers out there who have made big mistakes and had their blogging careers completely ruined as a result of those mistakes. That’s what you should be looking to avoid, and you can do that by learning the lessons from these bloggers and finding ways to avoid having to deal with the risks and potential threats that did so much damage to them.

Stay Original

Finally, you should remember the importance of staying original and not just copying the content that’s put out there by other people. You will betray your audience and potentially get into legal troubles if you copy content from other writers. It’s not ethical and it’s not something you should ever have to deal with if you run your blog in the correct and proper way.

As you now know, there are lots of risks that you can be exposed to as a blogger. It doesn’t matter what your niche is or even how big your blog is, there are still risks that you need to be aware of and know how to avoid. So don’t forget about the things you’ve learned here today.


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Today, most people are familiar with DNA and the impact that it can have on a person, including their looks, their health outcomes, and even their personality. The way that DNA affects humans has become increasingly important in the practice of medicine today, but it’s also become an entire market on its own. Commercial DNA testing and non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) have now become commonplace for people looking to better understand their risk of developing a health condition or the risk that their unborn child will develop one.



But how does DNA work and how do we test for DNA mutations? DNA is usually taught in the classroom in high school biology (around 9th or 10th grade), so it’s likely that most of us need a small refresher to brush up on their knowledge about DNA and the human genome.

What is DNA?

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a material that holds the instructions for how your cells go about making other cells, proteins, and molecules. Without DNA, your body would not perform the functions necessary to sustain life.

This material is unique to every person. Each person’s set of DNA’s first created at conception when the sperm fertilizes the egg and the 23 chromosomes from each parent combine to create the child’s unique 46 total chromosomes.

Where is DNA found?

DNA is found in the nuclei of human cells, within structures called chromosomes. To undergo DNA testing (testing for an adult) or non-invasive prenatal DNA testing (for a fetus), the person or expectant mother undergoing testing will have their blood drawn and analyzed for particular DNA sequences and mutations. While a pregnant woman does not have her child’s cells in her bloodstream, detectable DNA fragments of the fetus are usually present in the mother’s blood sample. Lab technicians use these fragments to analyze the unborn child’s DNA for particular mutations or abnormalities. At the same time, they are also usually able to tell the sex of the baby.

What is DNA made of?

DNA consists of many smaller molecules, or nucleotides, that combine to form a “chain” of DNA. Each nucleotide is composed of deoxyribose (sugar), a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate group. The DNA chain is composed of two strands of nucleotides, held together by the bonding of their corresponding nitrogenous bases.

There are four different kinds of nitrogenous bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. Each of these bases has a corresponding, or opposite, nitrogenous base that it is exclusively able to bond with. Adenine nucleotides will only bond with thymine nucleotides, and cytosine nucleotides will only bond with guanine nucleotides. When the two strands of nucleotides bond, they create the two-stranded double helix DNA structure that we’re used to seeing in illustrations.

Mutations in DNA

The order of the nucleotides and their bases is a code that provides instructions to cells for how to make certain proteins and how to express certain genes. Depending on what instructions are encoded in the DNA, you will have certain genes turned “on” (or expressed) and other genes turned “off” (or not expressed).

Most mutations in DNA occur during meiosis, when a cell is dividing and needs to make a copy of its DNA for the new cell. Mutations can also occur due to damage from environmental factors. There are many different kinds of genetic mutations that can vary greatly in their expression and overall effect on a person. Depending on the mutation and subsequent expression of a gene, you or your unborn baby may be more likely to develop a particular genetic disorder or health condition later in life.

Learn More About DNA Testing

If you’re interested in learning more about genetic mutations, genetic diseases, or DNA testing in general, speak with your doctor. They will be able to recommend genetic testing that is specific to your health and family history (if deemed necessary) or refer you to a healthcare professional called a genetic counselor who specializes in the assessment and treatment of genetic health issues.

SOURCES:

• https://basicbiology.net/micro/genetics/dna
• https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2010/12/fetal-dna-sequenced-mothers-blood
• https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/01/26/368449371/dna-blood-test-gives-women-a-new-option-for-prenatal-screening
• https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/basics/dna
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9944/
• https://biologydictionary.net/phosphate-group/
• https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/%3C?%20echo%20$baseURL;%20?%3E/mutations_04

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There are a staggering amount of people who are addicted to opioids in the United States, and the number is only growing. It is an epidemic, and there are new synthetic opioids such as fentanyl that is emerging. In 2016 overdose deaths increased by 21.5 percent according to the CDC. The problem doesn't look like it's going to get better anytime soon, either.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Luckily, addiction is a treatable as well as preventable disease. It is estimated that almost 64,000 Americans die of a drug overdose involving a prescription or illicit drug in 2016 alone. New drugs like fentanyl which are 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine are party to blame.

There are many different medications that are effective at helping those addicted to opioids to get off the drug, but it is often necessary for there to be a combination of both medication as well as therapy. With any addiction, there is normally an underlying problem that caused a person to begin using in the first place. It could be that they were depressed or that they have a painful past that they are trying to escape.


When you take that person off of their "self-treatment," they are often likely to relapse. They simply do not know how to deal with all of the emotions as well as the withdrawal symptoms that come flooding in when there's an absence of the opioids or other substance to help numb the pain. They don't know where to turn. When you take someone off of their drug or other substance, everything is much more magnified as well, and they can be overwhelming. It can be helpful to be able to talk to others who are going through the same thing in a support group. Treatment centers are often centered around therapy and support groups such as https://www.harrishousestl.org

Treatment centers are often very effective because they not only treat the addiction but they also deal with the underlying situations that can be in the present or in the past. Patients learn how to cope without the use of opioids, and they also learn the different triggers for them and how to deal with them in alternative ways.

A treatment center offers the tools needed to overcome addiction as well as provides the support system that the patients need in order to feel love when they may not be able to get it elsewhere. Sadly, not everyone has a good, strong support system at home or know anyone who genuinely cares about their well-being. Many addicts simply know their dealer and other addicts since their lives are so deeply involved in their addition.

An addiction recovery center shows its patients how to live again and without any judgment. Recovery from an addiction is a long and slow process. It is necessary to detox as well as to get treatment so that the brain can recover from the damage that has been done. Daily life has to be relearned, and coping skills need to be adopted.

It can take as much as an entire year to get off the medication-assisted treatment, and each path to sobriety is a different one. No one is the same, so there is no universal plan that will make everyone better. Each patient who attends a treatment center will get the one-on-one care and attention that they need, and they will also meet with a therapist to access the severity of their addiction before deciding on a treatment plan. It is also best to involve the family if they are going to be supportive as well as friends who care about the well-being of the person attending treatment.

In many instances, family and friends are the ones to get the patient to get treatment in the first place, so it is important to have them involved in the life of the patient. Loved ones of the patient are going to help support them once they get out of the rehabilitation center and they are going to have to be a strong support system for the patient. It can be difficult to resume life after a crippling addiction, and it may be best to cut ties with former acquaintances if they are still addicted to a substance so as not to be a bad influence.

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Last December 13, 2018, at Mall of Asia Music Hall, Del Monte Spaghetti Sauces treated families for the 2nd time to an excitingly different spaghetti experience by sampling all five of their delicious spaghetti sauce flavors in their Del Monte Spag Sarap Squad Headquarters - Carbonara, Italian, Sweet, Filipino, and their newest flavor, Creamy and Cheesy.

The Del Monte Spag Sarap Squad (Photo Courtesy of: Del Monte Philippines Facebook page)

These flavors came to life through the Del Monte Spag Sarap Squad heroes whose mission is to save the day with delicious spaghetti. The squad - Carlo Carbonara, Taliana, Sweetie, Ino Filipino, and Cheesy, interacted with the audience and hosted fun games with them to help them experience the variety of these delicious flavors:

• Sweet Style - made with 100% naturally sweet California tomatoes is everyone's yummy childhood favorite;
• Filipino Style - a leveled up sweet sauce because it's also meaty and cheesy;
• Italian Style - a tomato-ey sauce with basil, oregano, and parmesan cheese for that authentic Italian taste;
• Carbonara - an up and coming comfort food favorite for resto-going yuppies as it's made of real cream and milk; and lastly,
• Creamy and Cheesy - an "extra fun" sauce because of the extra cream and cheese in it.

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Get your running gear ready as 7-Eleven officially launches the seventh year of the 7-Eleven Run Series!


Happening simultaneously in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao on February 3, 2019, 7-Eleven Run 2019 promises to be an exciting event for both professional and recreational runners. The race was first held simultaneously in 3 locations across the country last 2018, with over 25,000 runners participating. This year promises to be even bigger, better, and more exciting. Runners can expect to see new race categories, a chance to compete in an international Asian marathon, and even have the opportunity to win P500,000 cash.

Simultaneous race events all over the country

The race in Luzon will be held in Filinvest City, Alabang. The Visayas leg will be held at Cebu Business Park, while the Mindanao leg will be in SM City Davao.



This year, runners will see new distances that will challenge experienced and novice runners alike. 7-Eleven is introducing the 32K category. Runners also have other options: from a short 500 meter run for kids, a 10K buddy category, and up to a 42K full marathon.

The race in Manila and Cebu will have 10 categories that will cater to different types of runners. The categories are as follows:

● 500M kids
● 3K
● 5K
● 5K Buddy
● 10K
● 10K Buddy
● 16K
● 21K
● 32K
● 42K

The race in Davao, on the other hand, will only have 9 categories (all except 500M).

“The 7-Eleven Run Series is one of the most anticipated marathons in our country today,” said Jose Victor Paterno, President and CEO of Philippine Seven Corporation. “We listened to our runners and added new distances like the 32K which will serve as an entry point or trial run for 42K.”

Prizes at stake

As always, 7-Eleven continues to support Filipino athletes. This year, the overall top 18 Filipino winners for 21K, 32K, and 42K will be awarded cash prizes and medals, plus a chance to join an international marathon in Asia, all expenses paid. Last year, winners of the 21K and 42K races from 7-Eleven Run Series 2018 were sent to Jeju, South Korea to compete at the 23rd Jeju International Tourism Marathon Festival where they dominated the top spots in their respective race categories.

To further encourage the spirit of competition, 7-Eleven will be giving away a bonus cash prize to the top Filipino runner who can beat the Philippine record for the 42K category. The record setter will get to take home P500,000 in cash.

Registration details

Registration is now open until January 15, 2019.

Customers can also redeem free race kits from the CLiQQ Rewards Catalog when they buy participating items from sponsors. Run 2019 e-stamps can be earned when customers buy participating items worth P100 and have their CLiQQ app barcode scanned. To redeem free race kits, customers must earn 8 e-stamps for non-buddy categories and 16 e-stamps for buddy categories. Promo runs from November 21- January 1, 2019.

Be sure to visit the official website at https://run711.com/ and follow its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/run711 for more information about the race.

7-Eleven Run 2019 is held in partnership with Filinvest Alabang, Cebu Business Park, SM City Davao and our official timer, Soleus and L Studio. The event is also brought to you by Selecta, Cornetto, Nature’s Spring, Summit, Gatorade, Del Monte, Pocari Sweat, Refresh, Kopiko78, San Miguel Beer, Fit n’ Right, Aquafina, Pepsi, Nova, Evian, Le Minerale, Sip, Safeguard, C2, Mogu Mogu, and Magnolia. Official media partners: ESPN 5, Smart, PLDT, and Cignal.

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