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Cashier Shot During Robbery Leads to OSHA Fines for Circle K

Federal workplace safety investigators cited Circle K Stores Inc. for failing to provide a safe place of employment after a cashier suffered a serious gunshot injury during a robbery. Two men…




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CFO Asks Court to Revisit Definition of Heart Disease for Presumptive Claims

Florida's Chief Financial Officer is asking the state's 1st District Court of Appeal to revisit its definition of heart disease under a 2023 decision dealing with presumptive claims by first…




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Construction Labor Contractors Charged With Fraud

Federal prosecutors in Florida announced that five people were indicted on fraud charges for an alleged labor contracting scheme that was structured to avoid payroll taxes and comp coverage. The U.S.




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OSHA Cites Contractors for Fatal Fall

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited two contractors that it said could have prevented a fatal accident if they followed workplace safety rules. Jorge De La Torre, 27, died…




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Employer Should Have Been Granted Continuance After Doctor's Unexpected Change in Opinion

A Florida appellate court ruled that an employer should have been granted a continuance after its medical expert expressed an unforeseen change in opinion shortly before the scheduled hearing on…




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Court Upholds Worker's Entitlement to Further Medical Care

An Arizona appellate court upheld a determination that a worker was entitled to additional treatment as he had not reached a medically stationary state. Case: Tenet Health System Medical v. Industrial…




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Court Upholds Denial of Worker's Request to Reopen Car Accident Claim

The Arizona Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s request to reopen his claim arising out of a car accident. Case: Parr v. Industrial Commission, No. 1 CA-IC 23-0018,…




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Performer Injured During Jousting Match Not Subject to Comp Coverage

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that a worker injured while participating in a jousting demonstration was exempt from coverage under the state Workers’ Compensation Act as a “performer.” Case: McKeane v.




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Court Upholds Dismissal of Municipal Employee's Tort Suit Against Employer

A Louisiana appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of a municipal employee’s suit against her employer for her injuries from a fall allegedly caused by the city’s negligence in maintaining…




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LASIE Seminar to Cover Basic Principles of Medical Injuries

The Louisiana Association of Self Insured Employers is holding a one-day seminar covering the basic principles of medical injuries commonly seen in workers’ compensation. The seminar will cover how to review…




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Court Upholds Award for Carpal Tunnel, Denies Employer's Request to Take Offset

A Louisiana appellate court upheld an award of benefits for a worker with carpal tunnel syndrome and ruled that his employer was not entitled to an offset against its liability. Case: Caldwell…




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Court Overturns Approval for Change in Doctors, Denies Forfeiture Claim

A Louisiana appellate court overturned a judge’s decision approving a worker’s change of physician but upheld the denial of the employer’s request for a forfeiture of benefits. Case: Southern v. Servpro…




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Res Judicata Does Not Bar Worker's Intentional Tort Claim Against Colleague

A Louisiana appellate court ruled that res judicata did not bar a school district employee’s intentional tort claim against a colleague even though she received a workers’ compensation settlement for her…




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Supreme Court Says Injured Worker Using False Identity Can't Pursue 3rd Party Tort Claim

The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that an injured worker lost his ability to pursue a civil suit he had filed under a false name and an illegally obtained identity. Rafael Antonio…




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Injured Deputy Doesn't Prove Entitlement to PTD Award

The South Carolina Court of Appeals upheld an award of permanent partial disability benefits to an injured deputy sheriff. Case: Crowley v. Darlington County, No. 2022-000282, 06/26/2024, unpublished. Facts: Michael Crowley worked…




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Court Upholds Award of Benefits to Nurse, Corrects AWW Calculation

The South Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that an injured nurse was entitled to benefits for a closed period and that the Workers’ Compensation Commission erred in calculating her average weekly wage. Rachel…




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High Court Questions Viability of Defense Based on Worker's Failure to Disclose Prior Injury

The South Carolina Supreme Court upheld a finding that a worker was entitled to benefits for a back injury, but it questioned the continued viability of its case law allowing…




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Supreme Court Clarifies Statutory Review Process for Comp Cases

The South Carolina Supreme Court seized an opportunity to clarify the statutory review process for workers' compensation cases in addressing an injured correctional officer’s long-pending claim. Gena Cain Davis worked as…




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Truck Driver's Prior Leg Injuries Don't Subject Award to Offset

The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled that an injured truck driver’s award for a knee injury was not subject to offset due to prior leg injuries. Case: Cregger v CLW Farms Inc.,…




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Court Upholds Denial of Worker's Request to Modify Award

The Kansas Court of Appeals upheld a decision of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board denying a government employee’s request for a modification of her award. Case: Jackson v. Johnson County, No.




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Court Rejects Constitutional Challenges to Lack of Jury Trial, Cap on Benefits

The Kansas Court of Appeals rejected a widower’s constitutional challenges to the lack of a jury trial in workers’ compensation matters and the statutory cap on the benefits payable for…




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Worker Fails to Show Good Cause for Delayed Prosecution of Claims

The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled that a worker failed to show good cause for his delay in prosecuting his claims and that they were therefore properly dismissed after pending for…




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Worker Fails to Prove Employer's Payroll Met Threshold for Coverage

The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled that an injured worker failed to prove that his employer’s payroll met the statutory threshold for coverage under the state Workers Compensation Act. Case: Romero v.




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10.5% Rate Cut Approved for October

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner said businesses will pay an average of 10.5% less for workers’ compensation coverage, starting Oct. 1. The state’s…




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Attorney Has No Duty to Advise Comp Client on Potential Third-Party Claims

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled that the attorney and law firm hired to represent a man on solely his workers’ compensation claim did not have a duty to advise…




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Social, environmental factors may raise risk of developing heart disease and stroke

Research Highlights: People living in neighborhoods with more environmental adversities, including pollution, toxic sites, high traffic and few parks, had higher rates of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular disease risk factors. This association ...




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Early diagnosis & treatment of peripheral artery disease essential to improve outcomes, reduce amputation risk

Guideline Highlights: The new joint guideline from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the treatment of patients with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) and ...




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El diagnóstico y tratamiento tempranos de la enfermedad arterial periférica son esenciales para mejorar los resultados y reducir el riesgo de amputación

Aspectos destacados de la guía: La nueva guía conjunta de la American Heart Association (la Asociación Americana del Corazón) y el American College of Cardiology ofrece recomendaciones para guiar a los médicos en el tratamiento de pacientes con...




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Palliative care beneficial to manage symptoms, improve quality of life for people with CVD

Statement Highlights: Palliative medication management focuses on providing relief from symptoms and enhancing quality of life for people with cardiovascular disease throughout the various stages of the disease. Decisions about initiating, adjusting...




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Los cuidados paliativos son beneficiosos para tratar los síntomas y mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas con ECV

Aspectos destacados de la declaración: El manejo de los medicamentos paliativos se enfoca en el alivio de los síntomas y en la mejora de la calidad de vida de las personas con enfermedades cardiovasculares en las distintas etapas de la enfermedad. La...




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Popular home blood pressure monitoring cuff devices may not fit some US adults

Research Highlights: An analysis of at-home blood-pressure monitors estimates that the arm cuffs for 10 of the most popular potentially do not fit up to 18 million adults in the U.S. and nearly 12% of Black adults. To ensure accurate blood pressure ...




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Remote monitoring and pharmacist helped improve hard-to-control blood pressure

Research Highlights: A new study finds that up to 74% of participants with resistant or difficult-to-control high blood pressure, including those with chronic kidney disease, were able to improve control of their blood pressure within 12 months after ...




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New Spanish language stroke prevention website aims to remove barriers to equitable health

DALLAS, September 9, 2024 — While stroke is the fifth-leading overall cause of death in the United States, it disproportionately impacts Hispanic people. It is the third leading cause of death among Hispanic women and the fourth leading cause of death ...




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Measure of body roundness may help to predict risk of cardiovascular disease

Research Highlights: Body roundness index — a measure to reflect abdominal body fat and height that some health care professionals believe better reflects the proportion of body fat and visceral fat than body mass index — may help to predict a...




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COVID-19 infection appeared to increase risk of heart attack & stroke up to 3 years later

Research Highlights: An analysis of UK Biobank health data that included adults who had mild to severe COVID-19 before vaccines were available found an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death among those adults during the nearly three-year...




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Heart failure, atrial fibrillation & coronary heart disease linked to cognitive impairment

Statement Highlights: Previous studies have found that 14-81% of patients with heart failure experience some degree of cognitive impairment affecting language, memory or executive function. Evidence also indicates that people with atrial fibrillation...




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Initial prescriptions of sedatives among older stroke survivors may include too many pills

Research Highlights: Within 90 days after having an ischemic (clot-caused) stroke, about 5% of stroke survivors ages 65 and older were prescribed benzodiazepines (depressants that relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, produce sedation and reduce seizures)...





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International research challenge to tackle knowledge gaps in women’s cardiovascular health

DALLAS, Sept. 25, 2024 — The American Heart Association, celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, is joining with other top cardiovascular research funders around...




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Nominate a stroke hero today: 2025 Stroke Hero Awards open for submissions

DALLAS, Oct. 1, 2024 - Strokes can strike at any age, challenging survivors to overcome physical, emotional and cognitive changes. Nominations are open now for the 2025 Stroke Hero Awards from the American Stroke Association, a division of the ...




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Nomine hoy a un héroe del derrame cerebral: Ya está abierto el plazo de presentación de candidaturas para los Stroke Hero Awards 2025

DALLAS, 1 de octubre de 2024 - Los derrames cerebrales pueden producirse a cualquier edad, lo que obliga a los supervivientes a superar cambios físicos, emocionales y cognitivos. Ya está abierto el plazo de presentación de candidaturas para los ...




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Free estate planning webinar provides tools for a secure financial future




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Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine Dr. Robert Harrington to receive the 2024 Chairman’s Award

Embargoed until 7 a.m. CT/8 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024   DALLAS, Nov. 6, 2024 — Robert A. Harrington, M.D., FAHA, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, will receive the 2024 Chairman’s Award at the...




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Dr. Lauren Sansing to receive the 2024 Basic Research Prize

Embargoed until 7 a.m. CT/8 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 DALLAS, Nov. 6, 2024 — Lauren H. Sansing, M.D., M.S., FAHA, professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, will receive the Basic Research Prize from the ...




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Photographing Fall Colors – Where is the Vividness That I Saw


Many times I've gone out to photograph the beautiful colors that blanket the trees in Fall. My mind and inner vision is completely lit up with these glowing embers that dance in the wind on the trees. At this moment and place nothing seems more wondrous and somehow these colors seems to permeate deep into my collective thoughts where vivid memories live.

You may wonder why the need for all these flowery thoughts. Its because  when I get home, what I see from the camera is nowhere near as spectacular as how I felt at the time. I do shoot in RAW format and I know that this format from the camera tends to be a little muted but even increasing the vibrancy, it still doesn’t come close to the mind's snapshot.

I think that photographing the wondrous colors of fall is actually a hard thing to accomplish if you want to achieve the vision you had at the moment the shutter clicked.

I believe there are 2 main reasons for this.
First is that the reds, oranges and yellow of the leaves are highly saturated & luminous and beyond the ability of the camera's color gamut to capture. The color space of sRGB and Adobe RGB just don’t extend far enough to record these highly saturated and bright colors.

Second the leaves normally have small moments in the wind and they appear to shimmer, thereby giving them the appearance in the mind's memory of being brighter.

When I took the above photograph the yellows on these 2 trees did appear this bright. They glowed in the afternoon sun and were even brighter, almost like a candle flame, but upon reviewing the camera's result it was duller and more greenish-yellow. The image below is from camera with white balance on birch tree set to neutral white 5300K.


You may find my modified version (1st photo) a bit gaudy but it does reflect how I felt about this scene. I darkened the sky to increase contrast between the 2 yellow tees. I also, for the greenish yellow leaves, shifted the hue to be more yellow and then increased lightness and saturation as much as I could and still retain detail. The grass was also darkened and made cooler, more blue-green, to again increase contrast with the yellow tops.

In the photograph below the sun peeked out near sunset just after the rain had gone by and lit up this singular tree. Again the camera made those leaves less bright and more orange. Once again I increased lightness and saturation towards yellow for the bright leaves. I also added a purplish tint to clouds, (complementary color of yellow) to increase color contrast. I extracted the yellow leaves and increased layer size by 10 pixels and then added a slight blur of about 2 and set this layer to overlay. A pseudo Orton effect to give a glowing effect.




In the next image below, the colors, except for a little vibrancy, remain mostly as captured. I did change the sky from a bright blue to a duller and less saturated version with clouds. The original blue negative space was too dominating and took viewers vision away from the tree colors.



Many of the good fall photographs have lots of cooler and darker tones surrounding bright trees that help make those fall colors more prominent within the scene.

If you have good photo-editing tools don't be afraid to play around and change anything to suit your needs and vision. After all, it's how you saw it at least in your mind.


Niels Henriksen




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Playful Indulgences with Adobe Pixel Blender for Photoshop


Sometimes I just find I have a need to play. Not the sand lot type, even though that might be fun, but more along the lines of creativity with my artworks. With painting I can just slop the wonderful colors around and see what happens but clean-up is more effort. But with photography it's not always as easy.

I could throw my camera up in the air with a timed shutter and see what happens, but I am afraid of dropping it and then seeing a lot on money becoming dust on the ground with a broken camera.

Digital editing allows me that freedom and the only cost is my time. Definitely less risky.

I came across a video that shows the use of an Adobe Labs plug-in for Photoshop CS 4&5 called Pixel Bender. Being also a painter I was more interested in the oil painting effects as demonstrated with the image I 'bent' below. I may take this further as I will need to get rid of those bright white objects at the top of frame to make this image useful.


The above image was run once in pixel bender to give texture in the parrot, but I found that the remaining detail was all too much the same and still too fine in detail for the background. I masked out the parrot, used the blending too to see if this would help. Not much, so I ran pixel bender again on several iterations on just the background to get the final image above. I didn’t realize until later that the smudging of texture actually added to the larger texture in pixel bender.


One again for above image I ran pixel bender to get the effect for the chairs and table and then playing around with iterations on just the background and with the smudging tool to get a less contrasty detail here.
In trying to use other images to see how they worked it became apparent that for it to work well there should be sufficient detail and contrast in image for it to produce better results. I also noticed that image size from 800 to 4,000 pixels each had different effects. The largest brush size was 15 pixels and with the large images the effects became smaller. 


The 2 photos of the fall scene are identical except for image resolution. The above was 1,000 pixels wide and below was 4,000+ wide


It's easy to see the difference in effects. For the smaller image I even had tor reduce the brush size so as not to over-dominate the bending effect.

From the experiments, or is it playing around, I noticed that when areas were smudged in linear or curved arches it increased the detail effects to make them larger as in the parrot's background and with the same fall scene but with smudging on the trees in image below.


These may not be exactly to your taste but if you are digitally creating painting-type images then by combining different effects for areas within the photograph, a more pleasing painting effect can be created. It is important for any effect type that there be variation in texture detail, size and contrast, like a real painting to create harmony and vision flow within the image.

The most important aspect is to create images that you like and not for others and that you have fun doing this. While I was playing around I completely lost track of time which for me is a sign that my creative juices are really flowing and I'm exploring new avenues.

Please send me some links if you have any digital creations that were just fun and you enjoyed the outcome.

Niels Henriksen




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Reviewing your photographs from Older Archives


Sometimes its just plain fun to go through your archive of older photos. Now with a distant memory of the scenes and events your photographs may appear better than previous scans. This is in part due to that at the time there are too many good photos and those not with the highest rating but still with merit tend to get drowned out.


This image was taken at one of the great Buddhas in Kamakura Japan. The hawk like bird may seem small but this Buddha is very large.  Without the bird it would be hard to understand the scale of this image. It could be in anyone’s home garden. Besides scale the bird helps to give height to statue as there is the appearance that the head is up high where birds soar.


The next image with people in it does convey the scale of the Buddha. In theses type of metal statues the green colors are soft and muted and it is easy for green foliage to overpower the scene. That is why I have mute the greens in the background to give the Buddha statue more visual punch.

The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura Daibutsu) is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple.  It's the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, at a height of 13.35 meters, surpassed only by the statue in Nara's Todaiji Temple.
The statue was originally built in 1252 and located inside a large temple hall. The temple buildings were destroyed many times by typhoons and a tidal wave in the 14th and 15th centuries. So, since 1495, the Buddha has been standing in the open ground. 

Do take the time to review your collection as there may be hidden gold or at least fond memories of places you've been.


Niels Henriksen.




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What to do When a Photo is Missing Parts


There are times when I'm walking around enjoying the scenery and occasionally taking what I think are interesting photographs around town and I forget to compose correctly. This is normally not noticed until I review them later as I tend not to look at each shot when taken.

This is a different shooting mode than when I really want something special. Then the histogram is reviewed and for images with strong contrast several exposures may be taken. And if tripod is available it will be used.

The above image is the final edited version that I wanted but failed to capture correctly.

Part of the problem is that I wear glasses and sometimes I don't remove them when looking in the camera view finder. I do when the image is critical but for shoot and grab shots I tend to place viewfinder only on the glass face and if I don't line up correctly the image is off centre to what I see.

If you have taken several photos then there may be parts in others that you can use to correct test perfect sections.

In the 3 photos combined below, the far left image is the one I wanted (#1) but as you can see, it's missing parts like the feet and sidewalk. The 2 other photos (middle #2 and right #3) are ones I used to fill in missing sections and cover parts that needed to be removed. The big problem with the other photographs is that they are from different angles and perspectives and therefore, a direct overlay to match parts will not work. You will need to stretch, twist and rotate a little to make the parts fit.



In the next composite photo below with the main image, I extracted the parts of each section that was used to reconstruct the final photograph.

Image #1 provides a good frame-work (base layer) for the whole of photo, except I wanted the lady in image #2
Image #2 was cut and placed on a separate layer and set to difference mode to make it easier to see when frame matches as it all turns black. I needed her bottom feet from another image (#3) to finish off her legs.
There was still the problem of the missing parts of the steps from part #2 which was added by image #4.


Rather than placing a whole copy of another image on top and using masking for desired parts and moving around, I recommend only cutting out the main parts from another file and copying to the working file. The reason for this is that when you zoom in on a large image to examine the fit, the handles are no longer available to use for positioning as these are at the edges of image. By only using a cropped parts, the handles for positioning are now just outside the smaller part and available for use even when zoomed in.

This is a lot of work and not for everyone. It would be easier to retake the photograph, if possible, but if you're on vacation or it's an impromptu moment, it may not be possible. This process allows you to get the photograph that you wanted but somehow missed.
I do realize that I need to be more careful when using glasses and maybe a monocle for the other eye would work. This is one advantage that EV viewfinders on back of camera work well for people with glasses.


Niels Henriksen




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Using the Camera GPS to find the Sunken Church In San Miguel


I've now been in San Miguel de Allende for almost 6 weeks, about half way through our winter stay here. I have been enjoying all flavours and experiences that this city has to offer. I've even experienced some of the standard tourist events such as fighting with the Aztec gods (Montezuma of course). This laid me low for a few days but unfortunately after a few days when I thought I was getting better I developed a secondary infection that required visiting the doctor and getting medication. Now after 2 weeks I'm finally starting to get the spring back in my step and venturing back out. This does curtail your photography.


But back to the GPS item. Several weeks ago my friend Mike took me out to see the sunken church on the large shallow lake south-east of San Miguel.  The lake is really a reservoir and during the dry season, winter here, the church becomes fully visible.  The ground is still too mucky to be able to walk all the way out, but you can get close enough for some good shots.


If you look closely you can see some cacti growing out of the top portion of the church spire and therefore the church is not completely sunken.

What was really surprising when we first arrived was that we saw pelicans, which to many may not be unusual near water but this is at an elevation of 6,000ft and and 550 km from the nearest ocean.


I've been using on-camera GPS for almost 3 years, at least capturing the meta data with the image but I've never had to really use the info as until now I've always known exactly where I was. Not this time as this was new territory, so when I tried to use the Nikon format to enter into Google maps it took a while to find a site that would convert correctly.

Nikon gives a format such as:
Longitude:  20,52.1567N
Latitude:     100,50.1574W
Altitude:     1853m

Nikon is not DDD, MMM, SSS (Degrees, Minutes , Seconds but in format of DDD, MMM.MMMM)

Whereas Google maps required decimal degrees only in format DDD.DDDDD.

After some web searching I did find one site that would provide conversion in the Nikon format.

Nikon GPS Converter

In the Google map below the green arrow shows where I took the photo of the church above and the red arrow the top of church spire above the water.  This Google map (satellite view) was taken when the area was flooded. It is a bit strange to see that where you were standing is now underwater. A little north east of red arrow is a round ring. This is visible in the last photo of this article.


Towards the hill on the south-east in the map above is another church, not sunken but still abandoned.

Most of the foliage,except for the cacti at this time of year, is brown. This make a colour image rather drab. But converting to B&W and adding some contrast can make the photo stand out more.

In the image below the green cacti with a blue sky does make a colour version work better.


Below is the map and the green arrow shows where I was standing taking the photo above with the cacti.


As you can see the camera GPS is very accurate in capturing within feet where you where standing at the time when photograph is taken.
Another version of the sunken church where you can see the round ring that shows up beside the spire in the Google water map.

  Church with ring structure

Niels Henriksen




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Why Photographing Hats Can Improve Your Street People Photography

This wasn’t something that I consciously knew, maybe deep down we all tend to know these types of things, but something I discovered while undertaking a new photography project in San Miguel de Allende.


There are many, many ideas to photograph in San Miguel. Doors are a very common theme, I did one last year and one I am continuing this year. I was looking for something different and with the almost constant blue skies and bright sun, even stronger at 6,800 feet, most people if not all the gringos wear hats.


Everyday I walk around photographing almost anything and everything. Great fun and focusing on Hats gave me a new challenge.


I am reserved when it comes to photographing people out and about on the street. I feel reluctant to invade their privacy but deep down I love how people relate and engage the city streets. Here in Mexico, being such a tourist destination, the locals are even more wary of being photographed and many times hide there face or just look away. If a person is not comfortable with their photo being taken I won't take it.

A different type of sun covering

When I photographed street people I tended to hesitate too long (should I or not) with taking the shot and the impromptu moment was lost as they tended to now be aware of the camera.

This man is not praying but doing close-up photography of the cactus

I found out after the fact that when I was just focusing on people's hats I tended to think less of the person and more on the object of the hat. This allowed me to be quicker with the decision to shoot and also it allowed me to shoot more often.

Who wouldn't love this big Mexican hat

Because I was focusing on an object it even allowed me to approach people and ask then if I could photograph them with their hat as this was a project of mine. I think people felt more comfortable in letting me photograph them because I wasn't really just photographing them. It was an inanimate object and somehow that was OK.

A hatted man with lots of hats

I suggest you give yourself a try at this project and see if you don't now photograph more people.

Niels Henriksen