Public Relations Vacancies In Los Angeles Projected To Balloon

If the Bureau of Labor Statistics‘ occupational outlook is on the money, employment for those specializing in the field of public relations is forecast to balloon by the year 2020, with a greater acceleration than the norm for all occupations. An expected 21 percent labor spike for public relations managers is being spurred by a growing need for organizations to beef up their public image as they utilize the advantages of high-information social media and other manipulative platforms.

Wolcott Company President Denis Wolcott (photo courtesy of Denis Wolcott)

“In the Los Angeles area, companies and public relations agencies are looking at entry-level positions for individuals with strong writing skills and a solid understanding of social media and the digital landscape,” said Denis Wolcott, president of The Wolcott Company, a prominent media relations provider. “For mid-level positions, they are looking for individuals with success in leading projects and programs, a strong awareness of the competitive landscape, nationally and internationally, and some level of expertise in a particular field, such as consumer products. There are also occasional executive and senior manager positions that definitely require a strong record of success in leading teams, growing accounts and being results oriented.”

The former print journalist, whose enterprising father was once president of the Public Relations Society of America, said businesses in the greater L.A. region are already seeking competent candidates for enviable public relations career assignments.

“Public relations is tied to the economy like many other professions. As the economy has rebounded, so have jobs,” said Wolcott, whose industrious company currently handles the communicative necessities for such corporeal entities as the Port of Long Beach, UCLA and Pardee Homes. “Add in the rise of social media, I know that companies, whether they are Fortune 500 firms like The Walt Disney Company or public relations agencies with a large local presence, such as Golin Harris International, are constantly posting openings or recruiting prospects from others.

“Also, smaller public relations shops are opening up all the time.”

The public relations guru, with some 20 years of expertise under his belt, advises job prospects to pay close attention to those pivotal areas that are fast developing from a simpler to a more complex stage of progress.

“Technology also is blending with entertainment, so it’s important to have skills in both. Digital history is a huge area that covers a range of industries,” said Wolcott. “Health care is another growing field for public relations, particularly as our population grows and becomes older. And to be able to manage all that is around the Affordable Care Act will be a plus.”

Sharon Raiford Bush is an award-winning journalist who covers topics of social interest in greater Los Angeles. Some news articles she has authored have been archived by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Sharon also contributes to Examiner.com.

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Is Cat Poop A Danger For Public Health?

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Academic Journal
Main Category: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Also Included In: Public Health;  Veterinary
Article Date: 12 Jul 2013 - 5:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Is Cat Poop A Danger For Public Health?

Every year, 1.2 metric tons of cat feces are deposited in the US, raising the risk of infection with the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, researchers from the Stanley Medical Research Institute and Johns Hopkins University Medical Center reported in Trends in Parasitology (July 10th, 2013 issue).

Some cat feces are contaminated with Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan known to cause toxoplasmosis epidemics in healthy individuals, not just patients with weakened immune systems and pregnant mothers.

Co-author, E. Fuller Torrey, said: "The accumulation of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts, found in cat feces, may be a much bigger problem than we realize because of their apparent long life and their association with some diseases."

Torrey said authorities need to gain better control of cat populations, especially feral cats. He also called for more research.

American backyards and communities contain between 3 and 400 oocysts per square feet. Just one single Toxoplasma gondii oocyst can infect a human.

There are between 25 and 60 million
feral cats in the USA

Cats become infected when they catch infected mice, birds and other small mammals. The infected cat then spreads oocysts through its feces in soil, water, grass, etc.

If you have a pet cat, no mice or rats in your home and your pet stays indoors all the time, you have nothing to worry about, Torrey said. If it does spend time outdoors, be extremely careful with litter boxes, makes sure sandboxes are covered, and wear gloves when you are gardening.

Torrey quoted one study showing that 100 T. gondii oocysts may be found under your fingernails.

Co-author Robert Yolken says parents, teachers and guardians need to be extra careful with young children.

Should we get tested? - Torrey says: "No, except perhaps in the case of pregnant women. Fifteen percent of us have antibodies, including me." Somebody may test positive one day and negative the next.

Toxoplasmosis prevention in newborns inadequate in USA - American babies born with toxoplasmosis have significantly higher rates of eye and brain damage compared to infants in Europe, researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine reported in Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the common Toxoplasma gondii parasite.

Signs and symptoms of toxoplasmosis are usually "flu-like" and may include

The majority of infected people will have no signs or symptoms at all.

For people with weakened immune systems, such as patients with cancer, AIDS, or transplant organ recipients on immunosuppressive medications, signs and symptoms may include the same as those listed above, plus:

ConfusionCoordination problemsSeizures (fits)Tuberculosis-like complicationsOcular toxoplasmosis - severe inflammation of the retina

If a pregnant woman becomes infected with Toxoplasma gondii, there is a 30% chance that the developing fetus will also become infected (congenital toxoplasmosis), even if the mother has no symptoms.

The pregnant mother is more likely to pass on the infection during the third trimester. However, the risk of more serious outcomes is greater earlier on during the pregnancy.

The following risks and complications are possible if the pregnant mother becomes infected with Toxoplasma gondii:

Miscarriage or stillbirthThe baby may suffer from seizuresThe newborn will have jaundiceThe infant may have serious eye infectionsThe newborn may have brain damageThe baby's liver and spleen may be enlargedMost complications appear when the child is a teenager or later, and may include:

- deafness
- recurrent and serious eye infections
- rheumatoid arthritis
- brain cancer
- mental problems, including schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and problems in school

As background information, Torry and Yolken informed that between 1989 and 2006 in the US, cat ownership rose by about 50%, from 54.6 million to 81.7 million. However, during the same period, the country's human population grew by only 23%. There are also between 25 and 60 million feral cats in the US.

In the UK, cat ownership rose from 4.5 million in 1990 to 8 million in 2009. Cat ownership has increased all over the world, especially in China and Latin America.

Some cat owners are very close to their pets. Torrey quoted one study showing that 62% of cats sleep with their adult owners and another 13% slept with children.

Written by Christian Norqvist

Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Visit our infectious diseases / bacteria / viruses section for the latest news on this subject. "Toxoplasma oocysts as a public health problem"
E. Fuller Torrey andRobert H. Yolken
Trends in Parasitology, 10 July 2013. DOI:10.1016/j.pt.2013.06.001 Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

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NFL Blows Chance To Do Public Good

I'm like most sports fans who like to keep sports and politics as far apart as possible.

Not always possible.

It's like Dave Zirin wrote in his book Game Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down: "Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, a politically charged atmosphere pervades all of professional sports."

So, you'll forgive me for mixing a little politics with football.

Plus, it's July.

This little story deals with how the NFL could have helped out informing the public about the Affordable Care Act, but went all scaredy-cat on us when it got a nasty letter from a couple of Senators.

Feel free to offer your cogent and incisive thoughts.

- Getty Images

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