Five oil firms drop petrol, diesel prices, Auckland, New Zealand

Thursday Oct 23, 2008, Auckland-- New Zealand's big five oil companies have all dropped the price of petrol by four cents and diesel has also gone down.

Caltex, Gull, Mobil, Shell and BP all dropped petrol by four cents.

Caltex spokeswoman Sharon Buckland said diesel and petrol prices had been "de-coupled for some time now" and the international market price of diesel had not gone down overnight.

But Shell spokeswoman Jackie Maitland said her company had seen a softening in price and had passed that on in time for the long weekend.

"We could see some decrease in the cost of the product," Ms Maitland said.

She said the decrease in petrol has been larger than diesel.

BP spokeswoman Anita Ferguson said both the price of petrol and diesel had decreased on the international market.

Mobil spokesman Alan Bailey said his company has not moved on diesel because "we didn't see the same market drive".

"If they've made the move, then we'll probably need to respond," Mr Bailey said.

All oil companies operating in New Zealand buy their product from the Singapore market.

Gull's retail business manager Graham Stirk said his company's fall in the price of petrol had also come as a result of a drop in the refined price.


Shell
91: 172.9 cents
V Power: 177.9 cents
Diesel: 131.9 cents

BP
91: 172.9 cents
95: 178.9 cents
98: 186.9 cents
Diesel: 131.9 cents

Gull
91: 171.9 cents
91 ethanol mix: 169.9 cents
Diesel: 131.9 cents

Caltex:
91: 172.9 cents
95: 177.9 cents
Diesel: 131.9 cents

Mobil:
91: 172.9 cents
95: 177.9 cents
Diesel: 131.9 cents

Randomized Controlled Study Confirms MonaVie Active(TM) Acai Juice has High Antioxidant Capacity

Results To Be Presented At Fruits and Vegetables Health 2007 Conference


PUYALLUP, WA, October 9, 2007 - The results of recent research surrounding MonaVie Active(TM), a juice containing acai berries and pulp, as well as other nutrient-rich fruits, will be presented in a session entitled "Antioxidants in Fruits and Vegetables and Improving Human Health" at the 2nd International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables on Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 10:15 a.m. - noon, in the Grand Salon East at the Omni Hotel in Houston, TX. Alexander Schauss, PhD, FACN, will highlight findings of in vitro studies evaluating the antioxidant capacity of MonaVie, as well as in vivo studies to determine antioxidant absorption and bioactivity.

This three-part study examined whether the fruit antioxidants in MonaVie are in a form able to enter into and protect living cells in vitro and also examined the bioavailability of MonaVie and its effect on serum biomarkers of oxidative damage after ingestion. An initial in vitro study was performed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of MonaVie in a cell-based antioxidant capacity (CAP) assay, as well as using the TEAC assay that found it to be 28,421 umolTE/L. MonaVie showed a clear dose-dependent antioxidant effect in the CAP assay, indicating that compounds in MonaVie are able to cross the plasma membrane of living cells and subsequently provide significant protection from oxidative damage within the cells.

In the second stage of the study, four ounces of MonaVie was administered to six participants on a single day to identify the time course for antioxidant absorption and bioactivity. Blood samples were collected immediately prior to ingestion and at 30, 60 and 120 minutes post consumption. Evidence of absorption, based on increased antioxidant bioactivity and antioxidant compounds in serum was found in all six subjects. A third randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study of 12 healthy adults was then conducted. Participants fasted overnight and a baseline blood sample was drawn. Immediately afterward, four ounces of MonaVie or a placebo was consumed. Blood samples were drawn at one and two hours after ingestion, and CAP and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assays were used to evaluate serum antioxidant capacity and serum lipid peroxidation, respectively. Consumption of MonaVie resulted in an increase in the serum antioxidant capacity in 11 of 12 participants within two hours of consumption. Results also found that ingestion of MonaVie resulted in a decrease in serum lipid peroxidation within two hours of consumption in 10 of the 12 study participants, most likely due to the increased serum antioxidant capacity.

Alexander G. Schauss, PhD, FACN, senior director of natural and medicinal products research for AIBMR Life Sciences, has held faculty appointments at four institutions of higher learning, including that of associate professor of behavioral sciences, associate professor of research, clinical professor of natural products research and adjunct research clinical professor of botanical medicine. He now concentrates on research. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Linus Pauling Lecture Award from the American College for the Advancement of Medicine for "contributions to the medical sciences." The author of 12 books on health and nutrition, and the senior co-author of four others, Dr. Schauss lives in Tacoma, Wash.

Founded in January 2005 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, MonaVie develops and markets scientifically formulated, premium quality nutritional juices. The company's flagship product, MonaVie Active(TM), is a proprietary blend of the acai berry, which independent studies have shown has the highest antioxidant activity of any fruit or vegetable in vitro, and other nutrient-dense fruits including pomegranate, goji berry, camu camu, passion fruit, aronia, acerola, bilberry, blueberry, apricot, purple grape, white grape, nashi pear, lychee, banana, kiwi, pear, cranberry and prune, each selected for its unique, beneficial properties. Acai contains concentrated levels of anthocyanins, a powerful family of antioxidants that assist in neutralizing harmful free radicals. The acai berries used to make MonaVie are processed in a cGMP, ISO certified and U.S. FDA-inspected food manufacturing facility in Brazil. For more information visit www.monavie.com.

The 2nd International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruit and Vegetables provides a forum for horticultural scientists, nutritionists, food scientists, biomedical scientists, chemists, biochemists, clinicians, medical professionals and social economists to exchange information and bridge the communication gap between the agricultural sciences, nutrition and health sciences. This symposium, sponsored by the 2nd International Society for Horticultural Sciences (ISHS) and Texas A&M's Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center (VFIC) and Center for Obesity Research and Program Evaluation (CORPE), will focus on cultural and genotypic factors affecting the content of bioactive compounds in fruits and vegetables, and will cover a wide range of topics related to the characterization, pharmacokinetics, nutrition and human health clinical aspects of fruits and vegetables. For more information visit http://favhealth2007.tamu.edu/index.htm.

Skateboard, only covered Australia once!

Skateboard, only covered Australia once. Sentimental attachment but may sell. British skateboarder Dave Cornthwaiteis contemplating putting his custom-made yellow skateboard Elsa up for sale. Mr Cornthwaite says he's become "incredibly sentimental" about Elsa after riding a world-record 5823km from Perth to Brisbane. The 27-year-old raised more than A$40,000 ($45,677) for three charities during the five-month journey, averaging 65km a day.

He says he made the "heartbreaking" decision to put Elsa up for sale if it helps reach his trip's charity fundraising goal of A$100,000.

"I know she's just a skateboard but we are very, very close. I've spent more time with this board than I have spent with a girl, put it that way."

Skateboarder sets record by skating across Australia, davidlim, monavie

Reuter, Monday Jan 22, 2007, Sydney -- A British skateboarder claimed a world record for skating on Monday after riding across Australia from Perth on the west coast to the eastern city of Brisbane, a journey of more than 5823km.|

David Cornthwaite endured searing outback temperatures and freezing nights and dodged poisonous snakes in his five-month skateboarding journey across the breadth of Australia, wearing out 13 pairs of shoes and 5 sets of wheels.

His journey sets a new world record, smashing the previous mark of 4830km set by US Jack Smith in 2003, said Cornthwaite's support crew in a statement.

The 27-year-old skateboarder set off from Perth on the Western Australia coast in August 2005, crossing the vast outback Nullarbor Plain, and then skating through major eastern cities of Melbourne, Sydney and finally Brisbane.

He only took up skateboarding in March 2005. "It's really been hard sometimes and I am not going to say that I haven't wanted to throw my skateboard away a few times, but here we are now," Cornthwaite told local radio.

Crossing the featureless Nullarbor Plain, Cornthwaite said he had to avoid poisonous snakes at times as he pushed along the seemingly, endless outback road.

"It was empty, it was a long stretch, it was very hot and there were barely any turns," he said.

"So I had to put my head down and really try not to focus on the end of the road, purely because I couldn't see it."|

To prepare for his Australian journey, which raised money for British and Australian charities, Cornthwaite skateboarded the length of Britain, a distance of about 1500 km, said his crew.