Style-ish Makeover merger

StyleCaster is getting a makeover — literally.

The fashion media startup, based in the Garment District, has bought Daily Makeover, another Manhattan tech firm in the beauty business, The Post has learned.

StyleCaster, founded in 2007, bought Daily Makeover in part for its technology that allows people to experiment online with virtual cosmetic makeovers.

"Daily Makeover's technology uploads your picture and lets you try on different makeup in real time," said StyleCaster CEO Ari Goldberg. "Brands license the technology to put on their websites."

Goldberg wouldn't say how lucrative the licensing deals, only that they generate "millions" in revenue.

ARI GOLDBERG
Growing in fashion.

The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but as part of the deal StyleCaster raised $2 million from investors.

"The round is open if additional dollars want to come in," Goldberg said. "But the beauty of both businesses is that both do millions in revenue and both are profitable."

The company is exploring more acquisitions with the money it raises, he added.

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Darden’s clawback

The owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants is putting more workers on part-time status in a test aimed at limiting costs from President Barack Obama's health care law.

Darden Restaurants declined to give details but said the test is only in four markets across the country.

The move entails boosting the number of workers on part-time status, meaning they work fewer than 30 hours a week.

Darden closed at $54.74, off 0.7 percent.

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UN Plaza could rake in $180M

Lois Weiss

BETWEEN THE BRICKS

The office portion of the double tower at 866 United Nations Plaza has hit the sales block and could fetch around $180 million.

Vornado Realty Trust has hired the "Queen of the Skyscrapers" Darcy Stacom, and her CBRE team to market the six office floors. The nearly 400,000 square feet can also be remeasured to reflect modern loss factors.

The building is 97.2 percent leased with numerous small- mission tenants. Among the largest is the Permanent Mission of Japan, which renewed its lease for 50,740 square feet in 2010 through Cassidy Turley.

Overall rents in 2011 were $52.41 per square foot, according to Vornado's annual report.

"The tenants are sticky," Stacom said. "They stay and renew and renew."

Developed on land owned by Equitable Life as Alcoa Plaza by William Zeckendorf in 1968, it came to Vornado as part of the original Bernie Mendik portfolio.

A few years ago, sources said Vornado created an office-condominium plan but never forced the tenants to buy the spaces because of the tax consequences for a real estate investment trust.

Stacom said they are selling it as one piece but that a buyer could resell the individual office condominiums.

"This is a basis play, as the price per square foot is low and it has a good return," she said. "The asset does not have debt, so you can take advantage of the strong financing market."

Gil Robinov of Murray Hill Properties, who has represented tenants at the building, said it has always been attractive to foreign tenants but needs a sensitive buyer and good management — like Vornado's — to work with the various foreign governments.

The rest of the 38-story twins are filled with river-view co-op apartments that have sold for up to $5 million.

***

The Association Building at 120 Wall St. is getting a boost as Empire State Development has a new 20-year program that allows nonprofits to once again obtain property-tax exemptions at the Silverstein property.

The initial IDA Civic Facilities legislation program that began in 1994 ran out in 2008. To the dismay of nonprofits, unions insisted any new program include a provision that participating properties had to employ union workers.

Since then, without the tax break, 120 Wall has lost the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Guttmacher Institute and the Ms. Foundation for Women — all of which either bought condominiums or signed cheaper leases elsewhere.

Sources said that because Silverstein already employs union workers, this new building-specific program would not ruffle any mops.

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Smash-ville

Linda Stasi

TV REVIEW

Nashville
Tomorrow night at 10 on ABC

We've seen it before — the devious, young up-and-comer who is determined to punch out the old star's lights.

Bette Davis rose into the stratosphere after she played the fading star to Anne Baxter's young'un in "All About Eve," (Bette was all of 40 when she made the movie).

Barbra Streisand did it with a man — Kris Kristofferson in "A Star Is Born," which was a remake of a remake starring Judy Garland. Now Tom Cruise and Beyoncé are working on yet another remake.

And although it was panned, Gwyneth Paltrow and Leighton Meester picked that tune in 2010's "Country Strong."

ABC

MAGIC MIC: Hayden Panetierre (left) plays a hot, young country-singing star who claws her way to the top in the new ABC series "Nashville."

Now comes the latest incarnation, ABC's new series, "Nashville," about, yes, the older country-music star and the up-and-comer.

Considering that Paltrow's country music excursion was a pretty much a bust, why would ABC consider trotting out the old busted up geetar and playing that song one more time?

The reason is clear within the first five minutes of "Nashville."

And for once it's not just the great casting of Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere. It's all about the writing.

Even terrific actors can't make dopey dialogue fly, and "Nashville" is arguably the best- written new TV series of the fall season.

Because I write for a living, I tend to watch TV with my ears. If it's badly written, I'm badly offended.

Although lots of New Yorkers tend to think of country music as the epitome of music for idiots, I figure that anyone who believes that is the real idiot.

Having grown up with country music — my mom was raised on a ranch in Colorado — I love a good twang.

And "Nashville" is good twang on all counts — writing, acting and original music sung, yes, by the actors.

Britton plays Nashville's reigning star, Rayna James, who is about to have her rhinestones shot off by Panettiere's bratty newcomer, Juliette Barnes.

Juliette is a crossover country star with a bad attitude, a way with men, a junkie mother and an cinematic drive to run over everyone in her way.

Rayna's hits built the record label she's been with since the beginning — but now her new album is tanking. Suddenly, the suits expect her to be the opening act for the suddenly chart-topping Juliette on a double-bill tour.

Not going to happen.

Working for (and against) Rayna is her ruthless, power-broker father (Powers Boothe) who wants Rayna's once-successful house husband Teddy (Eric Close) to give up the dishes and run for mayor.

This show is everything that the horribly written "Smash" could have been.

Kudos to both Callie Khouri ("Thelma and Louise") for creating these characters and Khouri's husband, music producer T Bone Burnett, for the music — especially the gorgeous tune from the the first episode, "If I Didn't Know Better."

And really, I should know better but . . . I'm going to predict a big future for this up-and-comer.

The show, I mean.

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Go to Greg

I was offered a job with $35,000/year as the starting salary. I have a B.S. in marketing and an M.A. in mass media communications, and my thesis won national honors; I've interned at NBC and BWR, worked as an office and research assistant for two years and spent another year freelancing. Given my background, do you think that is a fair salary? Is there any way I can negotiate a higher salary?

Fair? What's fair is what the market will bear. There are plenty of people with lots of letters after their names with honors and experience who can't even find a job. And, no offense, but it's not like an M.A. in mass media communications is a degree that satisfies a huge talent drought in the job market. That said, the salary does seem entry-level which is fine if you're a recent college grad. There is no harm in trying to negotiate. Point out your experience and education and ask them if there is any flexibility on the salary. Do so professionally and thoughtfully so as not to put the offer in jeopardy.

I started a new job six months ago, and my boss isn't great at giving feedback. I actually don't know whether or not she thinks I am doing a good job. Any advice?

Ummm . . . ask? Many employees seem to avoid asking their boss for feedback. Some fear projecting that they are insecure or needy. Others default to "no news is good news" — while some are just afraid of the response and grateful to avoid the conversation altogether. Why be in the dark? If your boss isn't a great communicator, take the initiative. Schedule time to have a conversation and take the burden off your boss. Say that you've been in the role six months and that you want to make sure that you are performing in a way that meets her expectations. Offer a self-assessment and suggest ways that you can be even more effective. When you aren't getting what you need from your boss, you have two choices — accept it or take some ownership. It's your career. Take the initiative.

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What’s up with that job?

What does an actuary do all day?

Actuaries work for insurance companies, in the areas of life, healthcare and property/casualty insurance. Using statistics, modeling software and formulas, actuaries analyze the financial costs of risk and help companies develop strategies to minimize that risk and reduce costs. An actuary specializing in auto insurance, for example, will analyze data related to a driver's age, sex, driving history and car to help set policy rates.

What kind of cash are we talking about here?

This is a field that pays very well. The median pay for an actuary nationally was $87,650 in 2010. Experienced actuaries can earn more than $100,000.

What do you have to do to get this job?

First comes a bachelor's degree — usually in mathematics, actuarial science, business or statistics. After graduation, an actuary will spend four to six years working toward associate certification, and then another two years earning fellowship certification status. These certifications require hundreds of hours of study to pass an exam given by one of two actuarial societies.

OK, tell me the bad part.

The amount of time and effort required to become a certified actuary — six to eight years after college, plus continuing education after earning certification — is daunting! The initial three-hour certification course requires about 300 hours of studying.

What's the upside?

It's an extremely well-paying field that's expected to grow quite a bit in the next 10 years.

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Get time on your side!

At first blush, Robert C. Pozen doesn't seem like an extreme kind of guy.

He doesn't BASE jump, BMX bike or bodyboard.

Instead, he has simultaneously taught a full load at Harvard Business School and served as executive chairman at MFS Investment Management in Boston, written six books and hundreds of articles and raised two children with his wife of more than forty years.

His secret? Extreme productivity!

After 40 years in the business world, Pozen is sharing his efficiency tips in his newly published book, "Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours."

BEATING THE CLOCK: A new book details how you can up your productivity at work to make more time for a life outside of it.

For many, this comes not a moment too soon.

"People are really struggling with these issues," he says. "The whole point of this is for you to make some sort of trade-off between your professional and personal life to get more personal life."

In a lengthy interview with @work, Pozen shares his tips for reclaiming wasted time and making the most out of the day:

1. Like "Memento," the end is the

beginning: "On the high-priority stuff, the key is to start at the end," Pozen says. It's important people figure out what they're after as soon as possible, what he calls reaching "tentative conclusions," so that they don't waste their time down the line. "I've seen people spend days, if not months, researching and gathering data, but only at the end did they finally figure out what they were really looking for; then they have to redo a lot of stuff," he says. "If after a day or so you force yourself to put together your tentative conclusions, then you'll have guidance for the rest of your research. Of course, these tentative conclusions will be revised. They're meant to be revised. But if you don't do them early, you waste a tremendous amount of time doing other things."

2. Productive mornings begin at night: "The night before, go over your schedule and see what you're going to do and what the purpose of what you're doing is," Pozen says. "I advocate having a two-column schedule. On the left, put down all your appointments and phone calls. On the right, put down what the purpose is. [Ask] what am I trying to get out of this?"

His other advice for productive mornings is far simpler: Lay out your clothes the night before, so you don't have to think about it and can start the day with ease. "I'm a great advocate of being boring in the morning," Pozen says.

3. Save your strength: "Routinize the routine," Pozen says. "The things that aren't important to you, whether it's breakfast or your commute, try to do them with the least energy possible so that leaves you with more energy for other things."

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Kanker Prostat Cegah Buah Delima

Kanker Prostat Cegah Buah Delima Buah delima atau pomegranate kini mulai banyak dijual dan dikemas dalam botol sebagai minuman. Selain kaya vitamin c, buah yang satu ini juga memiliki kemampuan melawan sel-sel kanker prostat yang menyerang lelaki.

Jus buah delima telah dibuktikan oleh ilmuwan dari University of California untuk meningkatkan kesehatan para penderita kanker prostat dan obat alami untuk mencegah kanker prostat.

Manuela martins dan koleganya menyebutkan bahwa jus buah delima menyebabkan sel-sel prostat testosteron bermetastasis. Ketika sel delima disuntikkan, terjadi peningkatan adhesi (tarik-menarik antarsel) sel-sel kanker.

Itu tandanya sel tersebut lebih sedikit memisahkan diri dan membuat mereka cenderung kurang menyebar dan melakukan migrasi sel di dalam tubuh.

Selain itu, jus delima juga menghambat terbentuknya tumor baru karena menghambat fungsi protein sel. Dengan demikian, jus ini memiliki potensi mencegah metastasis sel kanker prostat ke tulang.

Menurut para peneliti, ada empat bahan aktif dalam jus delima yang memiliki molekul guna memerangi sel kanker diantaranya phenylpropanoids, asam hydrobenzoic, flavon dan asam lemak terkonjugasi.

"Karena gen dan protein yang terlibat dalam gerakan sel kanker prostat pada dasarnya sama dengan mereka yang terlibat dalam pergerakan jenis lain sel-sel kanker, komponen dapat dimodifikasi sehingga memiliki dampak yang lebih luas dalam pengobatan kanker," harap martin.

Memang sampai saat ini belum ada obat yang dapat menyembuhkan penyakit kanker prostat. Biasanya, para penderita hanya dirawat dengan pembedahan atau radiasi testosteron Kanker Prostat Cegah Buah Delima.

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Mengobati Prostat Kanker Payudara

Obat yang saat ini dipakai para dokter untuk mengatasi kanker prostat menjadi kandidat kuat untuk mengobati kanker yang sulit disembuhkan, yakni kanker payudara. Penelitian awal menunjukkan beberapa tipe tumor payudara merespon dengan baik obat kanker prostat.

Sebelumnya, pengobatan menggunakan hormon seperti tamoxifen dan aromatase inhibitor pada obat kanker prostat dikatakan tidak cukup efektif melawan 30% dari kanker payudara. Tetapi penelitian laboratorium terbaru di Cambridge, dalam The Journal EMBO, menyarankan beberapa tumor payudara ternyata dapat merespon dengan baik.

Cancer Research Inggris mengatakan bahwa temuan itu sebagai "kejutan besar". Pasalnya, hormon (tamoxifen dan aromatase) dapat mengaktifkan gen yang menyebabkan perkembangan sel yang tak terkendali dan berkembang menjadi tumor.

Pada wanita, kanker payudara dapat terjadi karena berlebihnya hormon estrogen. Sedangkan pada pria, kanker prostat dapat disebabkan karena peningkatan oleh hormon testosteron. Terobosan telah dibuat dalam pengobatan kanker payudara dengan mengembangkan obat yang mengganggu hormon estrogen dan menghentikan perkembangan tumor.

Para peneliti di Cancer Research Inggris Cambridge Research Institute menemukan bahwa beberapa hormon estrogen negatif sebagai penyebab tumor justru dipengaruhi oleh hormon laki-laki. Gen yang sama yang diaktifkan oleh hormon perempuan pada tumor estrogen responsif dengan yang diaktifkan oleh hormon pria.

Ini menimbulkan prospek bahwa obat yang sudah dikembangkan untuk kanker prostat bisa membantu beberapa wanita. Sementara hormon androgen, seperti testosteron, yang biasanya dikaitkan dengan perkembangan laki-laki, sebenarnya juga ada pada wanita meski dalam jumlah yang tidak banyak.

Dr Ian Mills, ketua peneliti mengatakan, pasien dengan tipe estrogen-reseptor-negatif pada kanker payudara berpotensi mendapatkan keuntungan dari terapi yang diberikan pada pasien kanker prostat. "Penemuan ini bisa mengubah pengobatan untuk kelompok ini di masa depan,” ujarnya.

Sementara itu, Dr Lesley Walker, dari Cancer Research UK, mengatakan, “Kanker prostat tergantung pada reseptor androgen sehingga menjadi sebuah kejutan besar apabila jenis kanker payudara mungkin juga dipicu oleh protein ini."

Dr Caitlin Palframan, policy manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, mengatakan, “Penelitian ini dapat menjadi pintu pembuka untuk perawatan personal pada kelompok kecil pasien kanker payudara. Wanita dengan penyakit reseptor estrogen negatif memiliki sedikit pilihan pengobatan dan cara-cara baru untuk mengatasi hal itu sangat dibutuhkan,” tandasnya Mengobati Prostat Kanker Payudara.

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Perhatikan Gejala Mengidap Prostat

Perhatikan Gejala Mengidap Prostat Kanker prostat saat ini menjadi salah satu penyakit dengan tingkat keganasan yang tinggi. Kanker prostat menjadi penyebab utama kematian akibat kanker bagi pria di atas usia 74 tahun. Untuk itu, perlu dikenali dan diantisipasi penyakit ini sejak dini.

Menurut Ketua Perhimpunan Urolog-Onkolog Indonesia (ISUO) Prof. dr. Rainy Umbas, Sp.U, mengenali penyakit gangguan prostat sejak dini dapat memperbesar peluang menyembuhkan penyakit yang mematikan, khususnya bagi orang lanjut usia ini. Yang ia sesalkan, masih ditemui adanya pasien yang terlambat melakukan pengobatan kanker prostat, sehingga sulit disembuhkan.

Di Indonesia, jika sejak stadium awal sudah ditangani, angka harapan hidup bisa mencapai 70 persen. Sementara, di Barat, lebih baik yaitu 90 persen. Kalau sudah capai stadium lanjutan , pada banyak kasus, angka harapan hidupnya hanya 50 persen. Dalam 5 tahun, pasien akan meninggal, ujarnya dalam Media Edukasi bertajuk Kenali dan Waspadai Kanker Prostat yang diadakan Sanofi Group dan ISUO, Sabtu kemarin.

Adapun gejala penyakit gangguan dan kanker prostat antara lain penderita sering terbangun di malam hari untuk buang air kecil, dalam sehari bisa buang air kecil hingga 8 kali dan pancaran air seni lemah atau tak tuntas. Gejala lanjutannya, muncul darah pada air seni atau sperma, disfungsi ereksi, dan keluhan sakit di tulang belakang.

Penanganan penyakit kanker prostat, menurut dr. Aru Wisaksono, SpPD, onkolog dari Universitas Indonesia, dewasa ini menggunakan pendekatan multidisipliner atau komprehensif. Untuk itu, penanganan kanker prostat kini juga melibatkan ilmu onkologi. "Berbeda dengan dahulu, saat ini sudah ada obat-obatannya, misal kemoterapi. Tetapi, sangat penting untuk melakuka deteksi dini," ujarnya.

Pengobatan kemoterapi terutama dilakukan terhadap para penderita kanker prostat yang mengalami stadium lanjut, yaitu menyebar hingga ke jaringan syaraf tulang belakang. Dalam kondisi ini, penderita biasanya mengalami nyeri luar biasa pada bagian tulang belakang dan pinggul. Pengobatan kemoterapi berfungsi untuk mengurangi nyeri, sehingga setidaknya meningkatkan kualitas hidup penderitanya Perhatikan Gejala Mengidap Prostat0.

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