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Arthritis ain't for sissies. As cartilage wears thin over the years, and bone begins to grind against bone, the ache of an arthritic joint can blossom into debilitating agony, hindering [...]

The article presents Time's best photographs of 2006.

The article examines the competition between traditional hospitals and newly emerging physician-owned surgery and imaging centers, and whether the phenomenon is improving the United States health care landscape, or just unfairly expanding it. Critics contend that the competition is driving up health care and medical equipment costs while decreasing non-profit care. Various statistics related to the issue are presented. Particular focus is given to the impact of a heart facility in Kansas.

The article focuses on increased escalating violence between Israel and the Hamas controlled Palestinian government and the Hizballah terrorist organization in Lebanon. Recent causes of the conflict are discussed, as well as diplomatic interventions by the United Nations, Arab countries interested in stability, or the United States through Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

This article discusses economic effects of outsourcing medical procedures due to rising health-care costs in the U.S. Many uninsured American citizens are traveling to India, Thailand, and Singapore for medical procedures that cost a fraction of the price than those at U.S. hospitals. Some U.S. companies have begun to offer outsourcing as a health-care option for their employees. This is in reaction to rapidly increasing medical costs in the U.S.

The article discusses the economic implications of skyrocketing gasoline for U.S. politicians, consumers and oil companies. More than any issue, gasoline has the potential of turning the 2006 congressional elections into a national referendum. Republicans are turning on the oil industry and ineffectual remedies for pulling down prices are being proposed by both parties. High energy prices are hurting workers and devastating certain industries, in particular the airlines. Yet a number of analysts argue that the best way to encourage conservation may be to raise gas prices, not lower them.

Discusses the role of bloggers in keeping accounts of current events and opinions of topics of interest. How lawyer John Hinderaker started the first weblog in 2002 when he created a personal website for his commentaries and opinions on various issues; Focus of blogs such as Powerlineblog.com started by Hinderaker on politics; Reference to how a typical blog offers the basic facts plus an additional analysis or spin; Suggestion that the appeal of blogs lies in the fact that they are opinionated and slanted and do not always need to be politically correct or objective; Loyalty among those who follow Power Line and other popular blogs; Efforts of presidential candidates such as Howard Dean to use blogging to raise campaign funds.

Reports that manufacturers are accommodating obese consumers in the United States by adapting products to their needs. Impact of the plus-size movement; Entrepreneurship of Pierre Sabourin in providing hard-to-find products to others his size on his Web site, overweightpeople.com; Statistics on overweight adults in the U.S.; Idea that attitudes are changing as Americans grow heavier; Description of changes made to automobiles, furniture, clothing, travel and entertainment, and medical equipment.

Discusses the outlook for employment in the U.S. as the baby boom generation ages and retires. Expectation that there will be a shortage of workers by 2010 despite help from labor-saving technology and immigration; Idea that there is opportunity for workers to go back to school and prepare for a change in careers to fill the expected skills gap in teaching and other fields; Occupations with the largest and smallest growth projections for 2000-2010.

Reports on scrutiny facing companies whose bookkeeping seems confusing, following the collapse of Enron Corp. Investigation of Tyco International and the insistence of its chief executive officer (CEO) Dennis Kozlowski that Tyco practices legitimate disclosure in its financial statements; Investor skepticism about companies such as American Airlines, the insurer American International Group, Coca-Cola, Electronic Data Systems, General Electric, IBM, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Xerox.

Examines the Enron scandal. Destruction of audit material by accounting firm Arthur Andersen prior to the company's collapse; Criminal investigation by the United States Justice Department; Implication of the U.S. White House, which received a call from Enron chief executive officer Kenneth L. Lay; Question of whether a crime was committed; Class action lawsuits against Enron; Role of Andersen; Proposed plans to protect 401(k)s.

Discusses what can be learned from observing how animal mothers behave with their offspring; Value in understanding elements of the human relationship between mother and child. Description of alloparenting; Critics' arguments that the parallels between human and animal parents are far less important than the few traits that the two share. INSET: Barefoot, pregnant and Ready to Fight, by Barbara Ehrenreich.

Examines the author's struggles with heart disease. Two heart attacks suffered by the author; How improvements in medicine have benefited him; Two multiple coronary bypasses and an angioplasty received by the author; Gene and laser experimental therapies; Description of angiogenesis gene therapy; How the American Heart Association views gene therapy. INSETS: Two Ways to Replenish Blood to the Heart;On the Heart Beat.

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Discusses the selling of stock in the biotechnology firm ImClone by Martha Stewart before the price of the stock collapsed. Sam Waksal, the founder of ImClone, who befriended celebrities; Charge that Waksal had tried to sell ImClone shares and tipped family members to sell their stock as well; Harm to the stockholders of ImClone, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, due to the collapse of the price of ImClone stock.

Examines health insurance options that are being offered in the United States. How options provide variety of choice but burden the consumer with more decisions; Overview of options, including so-called cafeteria systems, defined contribution, point of service, exclusive provider organization, concierge practices, and others; Importance of reliable information in evaluating managed-care plans.

Presents lessons that can be learned from economic recession in the United States. Factors thought to have caused the downturn; Benefits of mortgage refinancing; Influence of interest rate cuts on consumers; Effects of recession on employment; Impact of the technology industry on the economic business cycle.

Reports that a number of workers in the United States are taking pay cuts in bonuses and salaries in order to keep their jobs. Mention of workers in the automobile industry who are paying to keep their jobs; Idea that the loss of income, and not the loss of jobs, will be the biggest problem which people will face; Efforts of corporations to keep employees while cutting labor costs.

Information about several papers discussed at the AIDS Vaccine conference held in Barcelona, Spain in October 2013 is presented. Topics include the development of the BG505-SOSIP.664 trimer mimic which binds subsets of known broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), RV144 bNAbs, and subclass of IgGs called IgG3. The conference featured several researchers including Ian Wilson, Penny Moore, and Georgia Tomaras.

The article discusses hip resurfacing surgery. An alternative to total hip replacements, resurfacing procedures are best suited to young, active men. Resurfacing involves almost no loss of bone, and offer the potential for a greater range of motion than do replacements. However, resurfacing carries the risk of a fractured femoral neck, which would require a total hip replacement.

This article presents obituaries for U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, theater actress Elia Kazan and television personality David Brinkley.

Focuses on Novartis chief executive Daniel Vasella. His fluency in cross-cultural public relations; Positive outlook for the continued growth of the Swiss pharmaceutical company; His response to U.S. outcries against rising drug costs; Biographical and career information.

Examines the Enron scandal and the issue of accountability. Role of accounting firm Arthur Andersen, which destroyed audit material; Criminal investigation by the United States Justice Department; How the U.S. White House received a call from Enron chief executive officer Kenneth L. Lay; Question of whether a crime was committed; Class action lawsuits which were filed against Enron; Proposed plans to protect 401(k)s.

The article discusses Lincolnway Energy, a corn-ethanol distillery in Iowa. In May 2006, Lincolnway began producing the gasoline additive, and is due to send out its first quarterly dividend checks to investors in December. The article discusses the economic benefits that Lincolnway has produced for Nevada, the small town in Iowa where the company is based. The article also discusses the expansion of the ethanol industry.

The article reports on the decline of the global seafood supply through overfishing, near extinction of some species, and projections that by mid-century there will be almost nothing left to catch. Potential solutions of sustainable harvesting and farm-raising seafood may be inadequate without multinational agreement.

This article focuses on the 2006 U.S. midterm Congressional elections. An overview of major races both for the Senate and Congress is provided. A map of the United States is color-coded to show whether each state has a Republican or Democratic majority. The major election issues, including immigration, abortion, and gay marriage, are also summarized and discussed.

The article presents four proposals to deal with the problem of illegal immigrants in the United States. Proposals come from Republican congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Republican Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, United States President George W. Bush, and Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter.

The article reports on miniclinics, small health care clinics often located in pharmacies, supermarkets, and drugstores across the U.S. They are staffed by nurse practitioners, who in most states are able to write prescriptions. They do not require appointments and are more efficient and less expensive than doctors' offices. It is reported that several private companies have opened miniclinics in several states, and all have found the funds to expand as investors support the idea. According to the article, U.S. consumers are less successful at getting timely primary care than people in other countries with similar living standards.

The article focuses on brain-boosting pills and supplements. There is a lively market for drugs that enhance mental performance, popularly known as smart drugs. The latest addition is a narcolepsy drug called modafinil, approved to help shift workers stay alert. There is much more in the pipeline. Drug companies are testing compounds derived from discoveries to treat cognitive ailments. Ritalin-type drugs clearly improve attention and memory. Many supplements advertised as brain enhancers are a waste of money. Some popular brain supplements are stimulants, but have not been shown to improve cognition.

The article looks at the scandals involving U.S. lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Abramoff and his partner, Michael Scanlon, lobbied on behalf of Indian tribes while cheating them of millions. Abramoff moved money in numerous ways. Grover Norquist was a conduit of funds and took commissions. Abramoff used his funds to buy favors of legislators and power brokers.

Reports on how foodmakers are attempting to rid their recipes of trans-fatty acids. Explanation that trans fats are by-products in hydrogenated oils, whose constituent fats have been chemically altered by the addition of hydrogen atoms; Discussion of the impact of trans fats on the heart, including the fact that they boost so-called bad-cholesterol (LDL) levels and depress so-called good-cholesterol levels in the blood. Suggestion that canola, cottonseed, sunflower and corn oils could substitute for hydrogenated oils.

Focuses on the ongoing debate over the development of wind power in the United States. Review of how opposition to wind power has in the past centered on the affect of wind turbines on wildlife; Review of how farmers in the United States and Europe are leasing their land for wind turbine use as a source of extra income; Discussion of how some homeowners are beginning to grow concerned about wind power's effect on real estate values.

The article profiles corporate raider Carl Icahn. Icahn's latest target is media giant Time Warner. He is pushing the company to boost its stock price, stalled at about $18. Icahn's prescription is a $20 billion stock buyback and the spin-off of its vast cable operations. In his latest adventures, Icahn owes a big assist to the $1 trillion hedge-fund industry, to which he is closely allied and which gives him financial heft. In taking on Time Warner chief executive officer Richard Parsons, with his company's vast array of media properties, including CNN, HBO, America Online, Warner Brothers and New Line Cinema, and a current market value of $85 billion, Icahn has chosen his biggest mark yet. Time Warner has been struggling since the disastrous merger in 2000 with America Online, which sent the company's share price plummeting.

Offers a compendium outlining the views on certain issues of John Roberts, U.S. President George W. Bush's nominee to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the United States Supreme Court. Roberts' background and resume, noting there is not much of a paper trail for liberals to use to attack him; Review of Roberts' decisions and actions as a federal appeals judge and a corporate lawyer; Assessment of Roberts' judicial career; Roberts' view on several issues, including abortion, church and state, race, the environment, free speech, crime and punishment, executive privilege, and labor and employment.

Focuses on the resignation of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chief William Donaldson, and the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the conviction of accounting firm Arthur Andersen for obstruction of justice. Details of why the Supreme Court relieved Andersen, which destroyed documents to protect Enron Corp.; Information on the Sarbanes-Oxley corporate-reform law; Donaldson's conflict with fellow SEC commissioners, cites as the reason for his resignation.

Looks at tiny sensor technology invented by Thomas Thundat that detects individual chemicals. How the device works by detecting vibrations of a microscopic lever using a laser beam; Efforts of Thundat to create a cheap mine detector for use in third-world countries; Extent of applications for the technology; Significance of the technology in being inexpensive to produce; Awards Thundat has received for his invention. INSETS: WHAT ARE MEMS?;Big Jobs, Tiny Devices.

Reports on the reconstruction effort in postwar Iraq and the blame placed on United States Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz for incomplete planning of the Iraq War 2003. Amount requested by the United States for financing military operations; Discussion of Pentagon plans that included financing reconstruction with oil revenues; Idea that Iraqi troops would be able to assist with peacekeeping; Lack of vision by the Pentagon for anticipating the amount of resistance by guerrillas.

Offers a look at the proposal of Biogen chief executive officer James Mullen to merge his company with IDEC Pharmaceuticals to create the world's third largest biotechnology firm. Comments on biotechnology stocks; Competition from the profitable pharmaceuticals Amgen and Genetech; Discussion of corporate profits and profit forecasting for the pharmaceutical companies; History of the stock market movement in biotechnology starting in the 1990s; Help from Mark McClellan, the commissioner of the United States' Food and Drug Administration, in speeding new drugs to the market.

Discusses the use of human collagen in anti-aging dermatologic surgery. Promotion of collagen under brand names such as CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast; Description of an increasing number of materials available for dermatologists to use in filling wrinkles in aging skin; Popularity of Botox among dermatologists and patients. INSET: BEAUTY SHOTS.

Discusses the development of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic worldwide in July 1982. Tracking of the disease by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Development of the disease into a worldwide epidemic; Effect of the disease on millions.

Focuses on the two sons of Saddam Hussein and their roles in the Iraqi regime. Qusay, the second son who was in charge of a select security corps called the Special Security Organization and the Republican Guard in Iraq; Uday, the firstborn who was editor of the newspaper, 'Babel,' and leader of a security force called Saddam Fedayeen; Indication that Qusay would succeed Saddam; Characterization of Uday as depraved.

Focuses on the continued concern the United Nations have towards the possibility that terrorists will use smallpox virus in a biological attack. How an explosion used to disperse the virus would most likely destroy most of the virus; Preparations made in the U.S. following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; Amount of smallpox vaccination ordered for US citizens.

Reports on the appeal to consumers and the risks of do-it-yourself medical tests that are available in the United States. Types of tests, including for the presence of drugs, Lyme disease, prostate specific antigen, ovarian cancer marker, liver function, and cystic fibrosis genes; Mention of several laboratory firms such as Quest Diagnostics; Discussion of whether the tests are the same as those ordered by doctors and if they are accurate; Idea that consumers want more control over their medical care.

Reports on flooding in Eastern and Central Europe. Damage caused by flooding, including in Germany and Austria; Efforts of rescue workers to save a trapped woman and Raphael's 'Sistine Madonna'; Reaction of campaigning German politicians, such as Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin; Effects of industrial farming, deforestation, and the loss of meadows on flooding; Tornadoes and flash floods at tourist settlements near the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.

Reports on the kidnapping of a United States reporter, Daniel Pearl, in Pakistan, by a group called the National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty. Details of a ransom note found through an electronic message from a Hotmail subscriber called 'kidnaperguy'; Investigation by Pakistani investigators and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Suspects, including Jaish-e-Muhammad and Pir Mubarak Ali Shah Gilani, the leader of extremist group Jammat al-Fuqra.

Focuses on Pakistan's Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which smuggles jihadis and munitions into India's portion of Kashmir. Relations between India and Pakistan in light of a December 2001 terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament; Discussion of the role of Pakistan in the Kashmir insurgency; Changes made by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf within the ISI.