Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Small molecules in the blood might gauge radiation effects after exposure

Small molecules in the blood might gauge radiation effects after exposure [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Feb-2013
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Contact: Darrell E. Ward
Darrell.Ward@osumc.edu
614-293-3737
Ohio State University Medical Center

  • Currently, doctors have no way to accurately measure damage to the body soon after a person is exposed to ionizing radiation.
  • It is therefore difficult to know whether a person is likely to suffer serious effects after an occupational or accidental exposure.
  • This animal study shows that radiation exposure alters the levels of certain small molecules in the blood, perhaps offering a reliable measure of damage to the body.

COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio State University cancer researchers have identified molecules in the bloodstream that might accurately gauge the likelihood of radiation illness after exposure to ionizing radiation.

The animal study, led by researchers at The Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC James), shows that X-rays or gamma rays alter the levels of certain molecules called microRNA in the blood in a predictable way.

If verified in human subjects, the findings could lead to new methods for rapidly identifying people at risk for acute radiation syndrome after occupational exposures or accidents such as the recent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor incident. The microRNA markers might also help doctors plan radiation therapy for individual patients by taking into account how different people respond to radiation treatment, the researchers say.

The findings are reported in the journal PLOS ONE.

"Our paper reports the identification of a panel of microRNA markers in mice whose serum levels provide an estimate of radiation response and of the dose received after an exposure has occurred," says senior author Dr. Arab Chakravarti, chair and professor of Radiation Oncology, the Max Morehouse Chair in Cancer Research and co-director of the Brain Tumor Program.

"Accurate dose evaluation is critical for making medical decisions and for the timely administration of therapy to prevent or reduce acute and late effects."

The findings might also one day allow doctors to evaluate radiation toxicity during the course of therapy based on an individual's biology. "This would particularly benefit leukemia and lymphoma patients who receive total body irradiation in preparation for stem-cell transplantation," Chakravarti says.

First author Dr. Naduparambil Jacob, a research assistant professor in radiation oncology, noted that the study could be an important step in the development of biological dosimetry, or biodosimetry, a technology for identifying people at risk for acute radiation illnesses that develop within weeks of radiation exposure, and cancers and degenerative diseases that can occur months or years later.

"Biodosimetry is an emerging concept that could enable us to identify individuals who need immediate treatment after a radiation exposure and to better develop personalized radiation treatment plans for patients," Jacob says.

For this study, Chakravarti, Jacob and their colleagues evaluated dose-dependent changes in levels of 88 individual microRNAs in serum from mice after a single acute radiation exposure, and after fractionated doses of radiation that are typical of radiation treatment prior to stem-cell transplantation. Samples were collected from exposed and control animals 24 or 48 hours after exposure.

Key technical findings include:

  • After a one-time exposure, miRNA-150 showed a clear decrease over time with increasing radiation dose, with a drop of 30 percent after 24 hours and of 50 percent after 48 hours, even at the lowest exposure of one gray of radiation.
  • miRNA-200b and miRNA-762 showed increased levels after radiation exposure, with the changes more pronounced in animals receiving higher doses.
  • Animals receiving fractioned doses showed similar changes; e.g., miRNA-150 dropped about 50 percent after 24 hours in animals receiving 4 gray.

###

Funding from the NIH/National Cancer Institute (grant CA148190, CA108633) and a Brain Tumor Funders Collaborative Grant supported this research.

Other researchers involved in this study were James V. Cooley, Tamara N. Yee, Jidhin Jacob and Hansjuerg Alder, The Ohio State University; Priyankara Wickramasinghe, The Wistar Institute; and Kirsteen H. Maclean, NanoString Technologies.

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute strives to create a cancer-free world by integrating scientific research with excellence in education and patient-centered care, a strategy that leads to better methods of prevention, detection and treatment. Ohio State is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of only seven centers funded by the NCI to conduct both phase I and phase II clinical trials. The NCI recently rated Ohio State's cancer program as "exceptional," the highest rating given by NCI survey teams. As the cancer program's 210-bed adult patient-care component, The James is a "Top Hospital" as named by the Leapfrog Group and one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation as ranked by U.S.News & World Report.


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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Small molecules in the blood might gauge radiation effects after exposure [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 25-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Darrell E. Ward
Darrell.Ward@osumc.edu
614-293-3737
Ohio State University Medical Center

  • Currently, doctors have no way to accurately measure damage to the body soon after a person is exposed to ionizing radiation.
  • It is therefore difficult to know whether a person is likely to suffer serious effects after an occupational or accidental exposure.
  • This animal study shows that radiation exposure alters the levels of certain small molecules in the blood, perhaps offering a reliable measure of damage to the body.

COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio State University cancer researchers have identified molecules in the bloodstream that might accurately gauge the likelihood of radiation illness after exposure to ionizing radiation.

The animal study, led by researchers at The Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC James), shows that X-rays or gamma rays alter the levels of certain molecules called microRNA in the blood in a predictable way.

If verified in human subjects, the findings could lead to new methods for rapidly identifying people at risk for acute radiation syndrome after occupational exposures or accidents such as the recent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor incident. The microRNA markers might also help doctors plan radiation therapy for individual patients by taking into account how different people respond to radiation treatment, the researchers say.

The findings are reported in the journal PLOS ONE.

"Our paper reports the identification of a panel of microRNA markers in mice whose serum levels provide an estimate of radiation response and of the dose received after an exposure has occurred," says senior author Dr. Arab Chakravarti, chair and professor of Radiation Oncology, the Max Morehouse Chair in Cancer Research and co-director of the Brain Tumor Program.

"Accurate dose evaluation is critical for making medical decisions and for the timely administration of therapy to prevent or reduce acute and late effects."

The findings might also one day allow doctors to evaluate radiation toxicity during the course of therapy based on an individual's biology. "This would particularly benefit leukemia and lymphoma patients who receive total body irradiation in preparation for stem-cell transplantation," Chakravarti says.

First author Dr. Naduparambil Jacob, a research assistant professor in radiation oncology, noted that the study could be an important step in the development of biological dosimetry, or biodosimetry, a technology for identifying people at risk for acute radiation illnesses that develop within weeks of radiation exposure, and cancers and degenerative diseases that can occur months or years later.

"Biodosimetry is an emerging concept that could enable us to identify individuals who need immediate treatment after a radiation exposure and to better develop personalized radiation treatment plans for patients," Jacob says.

For this study, Chakravarti, Jacob and their colleagues evaluated dose-dependent changes in levels of 88 individual microRNAs in serum from mice after a single acute radiation exposure, and after fractionated doses of radiation that are typical of radiation treatment prior to stem-cell transplantation. Samples were collected from exposed and control animals 24 or 48 hours after exposure.

Key technical findings include:

  • After a one-time exposure, miRNA-150 showed a clear decrease over time with increasing radiation dose, with a drop of 30 percent after 24 hours and of 50 percent after 48 hours, even at the lowest exposure of one gray of radiation.
  • miRNA-200b and miRNA-762 showed increased levels after radiation exposure, with the changes more pronounced in animals receiving higher doses.
  • Animals receiving fractioned doses showed similar changes; e.g., miRNA-150 dropped about 50 percent after 24 hours in animals receiving 4 gray.

###

Funding from the NIH/National Cancer Institute (grant CA148190, CA108633) and a Brain Tumor Funders Collaborative Grant supported this research.

Other researchers involved in this study were James V. Cooley, Tamara N. Yee, Jidhin Jacob and Hansjuerg Alder, The Ohio State University; Priyankara Wickramasinghe, The Wistar Institute; and Kirsteen H. Maclean, NanoString Technologies.

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute strives to create a cancer-free world by integrating scientific research with excellence in education and patient-centered care, a strategy that leads to better methods of prevention, detection and treatment. Ohio State is one of only 41 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of only seven centers funded by the NCI to conduct both phase I and phase II clinical trials. The NCI recently rated Ohio State's cancer program as "exceptional," the highest rating given by NCI survey teams. As the cancer program's 210-bed adult patient-care component, The James is a "Top Hospital" as named by the Leapfrog Group and one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation as ranked by U.S.News & World Report.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/osum-smi022113.php

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How Many People Have Been Killed by Guns Since Newtown?

The answer to the simple question in that headline is surprisingly hard to come by. So Slate and the Twitter feed @GunDeaths are collecting data for our crowdsourced interactive. This data is necessarily incomplete. But the more people who are paying attention, the better the data will be. You can help us draw a more complete picture of gun violence in America. If you know about a gun death in your community that isn?t represented here, please tweet @GunDeaths with a citation. (If you?re not on Twitter, you can email slatedata@gmail.com.) And if you?d like to use this data yourself for your own projects, it?s open. You can download it here.

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states=[{name:"Alabama",abbrev:"AL"},{name:"Alaska",abbrev:"AK"},{name:"Arizona",abbrev:"AZ"},{name:"Arkansas",abbrev:"AR"},{name:"California",abbrev:"CA"},{name:"Colorado",abbrev:"CO"},{name:"Connecticut",abbrev:"CT"},{name:"Delaware",abbrev:"DE"},{name:"Florida",abbrev:"FL"},{name:"Georgia",abbrev:"GA"},{name:"Hawaii",abbrev:"HI"},{name:"Idaho",abbrev:"ID"},{name:"Illinois",abbrev:"IL"},{name:"Indiana",abbrev:"IN"},{name:"Iowa",abbrev:"IA"},{name:"Kansas",abbrev:"KS"},{name:"Kentucky",abbrev:"KY"},{name:"Louisiana",abbrev:"LA"},{name:"Maine",abbrev:"ME"},{name:"Maryland",abbrev:"MD"},{name:"Massachusetts",abbrev:"MA"},{name:"Michigan",abbrev:"MI"},{name:"Minnesota",abbrev:"MN"},{name:"Mississippi",abbrev:"MS"},{name:"Missouri",abbrev:"MO"},{name:"Montana",abbrev:"MT"},{name:"Nebraska",abbrev:"NE"},{name:"Nevada",abbrev:"NV"},{name:"New Hampshire",abbrev:"NH"},{name:"New Jersey",abbrev:"NJ"},{name:"New Mexico",abbrev:"NM"},{name:"New York",abbrev:"NY"},{name:"North 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Matched Deaths: or more since Newtown

Show Methodology

Each victim under 13 years of age is designated "child"; from 13 to 17: "teen"; 18 and older: "adult."

The same icons used to represent male victims is also used to represent victims of unknown gender. The same icons used to represent adult victims is also used to represent victims of unknown age group.

The yellow and blue backgrounds represent alternating days.

The information is collected by @gunDeaths from news reports about the deaths. The Slate interactives team and @gunDeaths continually manages and revises the data.

The data are not comprehensive because not all gun-related deaths are reported by the news media. For example, suicides often go unreported.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=69ac6522a826ffe41ff70e9f2b4324be

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Hot air balloon crash in Egypt kills 18 foreigners

Map locates Luxor, Egypt, where a hot air balloon crash killed foreign tourists

Map locates Luxor, Egypt, where a hot air balloon crash killed foreign tourists

Egyptians gather near the scene of a balloon crash outside al-Dhabaa village, just west of the city of Luxor, 510 kilometers (320 miles) south of Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. A hot air balloon flying over Egypt's ancient city of Luxor caught fire and crashed into a sugar cane field on Tuesday, killing at least 19 foreign tourists, a security official said. (AP Photo/Hagag Salama)

A victim of a ballon accident is seen in a body bag lying on a dirt road near the scene of a crash outside al-Dhabaa village just west of the city of Luxor, 510 kilometers (320 miles) south of Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. A hot air balloon flying over Egypt's ancient city of Luxor caught fire and crashed into a sugar cane field on Tuesday, killing at least 19 foreign tourists, a security official said. (AP Photo/Hagag Salama)

Rescue workers inspect the scene of a balloon crash outside al-Dhabaa village, just west of the city of Luxor, 510 kilometers (320 miles) south of Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. A hot air balloon flying over Egypt's ancient city of Luxor caught fire and crashed into a sugar cane field on Tuesday, killing at least 19 foreign tourists, a security official said. (AP Photo/Hagag Salama)

LUXOR, Egypt (AP) ? A hot air balloon flying over Egypt's ancient city of Luxor caught fire and crashed into a sugar cane field on Tuesday, killing at least 18 foreign tourists, a security official said.

It was one of the worst accidents involving tourists in Egypt and likely to push the key tourism industry deeper into recession. The casualties included French, British, Japanese nationals and nine tourists from Hong Kong, the official said.

Three survivors of the crash ? two tourists and one Egyptian ? were taken to a local hospital.

According to the Egyptian security official, the balloon carrying at least 20 tourists was flying over Luxor when it caught fire, which triggered an explosion in its gas canister, then plunged at least 300 meters (1,000 feet) from the sky.

It crashed into a sugar cane field outside al-Dhabaa village just west of Luxor, 510 kilometers (320 miles) south of Cairo, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Bodies of the dead tourists were scattered across the field around the remnants of the balloon. An Associated Press reporter at the crash site counted eight bodies as they were put into body bags and taken away. The security official said all 18 bodies have been recovered.

The official said foul play has been ruled out. He also said initial reports of 19 dead were revised to 18 as confusion is common in the aftermath of such accidents.

In Hong Kong, a travel agency said nine of the tourists that were aboard the balloon were natives of the semiautonomous Chinese city. It did not say whether all nine were killed. The information was posted on the agency's website.

In Paris, a diplomatic official said French tourists were among those involved in the accident, but would give no details on how many, or whether French citizens were among those killed.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to be publicly named according to government policy, the official said French authorities were working with their Egyptian counterparts to clarify what happened. French media reports said 2 French tourists were among the dead but the official wouldn't confirm that.

Hot air ballooning, usually at sunrise over the famed Karnak and Luxor temples as well as the Valley of the Kings, is a popular pastime for tourists visiting Luxor.

The site of the accident has seen past crashes. In 2009, 16 tourists were injured when their balloon struck a cellphone transmission tower. A year earlier, seven tourists were injured in a similar crash.

Egypt's tourism industry has been decimated since the 18-day uprising in 2011 against autocrat leader Hosni Mubarak and the political turmoil that followed and continues to this day.

Luxor's hotels are currently about 25 percent full in what is supposed to be the peak of the winter season.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-26-Egypt-Balloon%20Accident/id-144a9b81486a4200a952c78dd901aab4

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Football: Berbatov's magic moment sinks Stoke

LONDON: Fulham forward Dimitar Berbatov produced a moment of magic to end his side's poor run with a 1-0 win over Stoke at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Berbatov marked his 200th Premier League appearance with his 85th goal in the English top-flight and it was one of the former Manchester United star's best as he netted a superb volley just before half-time.

Martin Jol's team still needed a second half penalty save from Mark Schwarzer, who kept out Jon Walters' effort, to clinch just their fourth win in 19 Premier League games.

Berbatov and Schwarzer's heroics lifted Fulham to 11th, nine points clear of the relegation zone, and continued the away-day misery for Stoke, who have won just one in their last 23 leagues games on their travels.

Fulham's first sight of goal fell to Berbatov after Sascha Riether's cross picked out the Bulgarian forward for a close-range volley that looped just over.

Bryan Ruiz had the ball in the net moments later but Fulham's celebrations were cut short as referee Lee Probert correctly ruled that the Costa Rican forward had used his hand to score.

Steven Nzonzi needed treatment after a collision with Berbatov left the Stoke midfielder with blood dripping from the bridge of his nose.

Nzonzi still seemed miffed following that incident and he was fortunate to escape with a booking after cuffing Ruiz around the head in an off-the-ball incident.

A ferocious free-kick from Fulham's Greek midfielder Giorgos Karagounis brought the best save of the half from Asmir Begovic.

Stoke sent on American midfielder Brek Shea for his debut when Matthew Etherington hobbled off with a back injury.

Jol's team pushed on and finally broke the deadlock in first half stoppage-time when a cross was only half cleared to Berbatov, who showed superb technique to lash a brilliant volley into the top corner of Begovic's goal.

Fulham defender Philippe Senderos almost gifted Stoke an equaliser immediately after the interval when his attempt to shepherd the ball back to Schwarzer allowed Peter Crouch to nip ahead of him and flick a shot that the Australian saved well.

Schwarzer came to Fulham's rescue again in the 54th minute after Dejagah conceded a penalty when he blocked Shea's cross with his raised arms.

Walters stepped up to take the spot-kick, but the Stoke striker has a poor record with penalties this season and his luck was out again as Schwarzer dived to his right to save.

- AFP/fa

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_sports/view/1256076/1/.html

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Football - Solo role taxes Torres - Benitez

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Source: http://www.chelseanews.net/football-solo-role-taxes-torres-benitez/

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Diane Lampert Dead: Songwriter Dies At Age 88

  • Rick Huxley

    Bass player Rick Huxley, one of the founding members of the Dave Clark Five, died on Feb. 11, 2013, at the age of 72. Though the band broke up in 1970, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

  • John Kerr

    John Kerr, the stage and film actor whose credits include the movie "South Pacific," the thriller "The Pit and the Pendulum" and a Tony Award-winning turn in "Tea and Sympathy," died on Feb. 9, 2013, at the age of 81. He passed away due to heart failure at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, Calif.

  • Donald Byrd

    Jazz musician Donald Byrd, a leading hard-bop trumpeter of the 1950s who collaborated on dozens of albums with top artists of his time and later enjoyed commercial success with hit jazz-funk fusion records such as "Black Byrd," died on Feb. 4, 2013. He was 80. No details have been released regarding his death.

  • Mark Balelo

    Mark Balelo, an auction house owner featured on the A&E reality TV show "Storage Wars," was found dead on Feb. 11, 2013. He was 40. His death has been declared a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/13/mark-balelo-suicide_n_2674485.html">suicide</a>.

  • Mary O'Connor

    O'Connor, Hugh Hefner's longtime secretary who appeared on the reality series "Girls Next Door," died on Jan. 27, 2013.

  • Robin Sachs

    The British actor died on Feb. 1, 2013, just four days shy of his 62nd birthday. He is best known for playing villainous character Ethan Rayne on the hit series "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," but boasts a full resume and will also be remembered for his roles on "Babylon 5" and "Star Trek: Voyager."

  • Robert F. Chew

    The actor, best known for his role as drug kingpin Proposition Joe on the critically acclaimed HBO series ?The Wire,? died January 17th, 2013, of apparent heart failure in his sleep at his home in Northeast Baltimore. He was 52.

  • Freddy E

    Seattle rapper Freddy E (real name Freddy E. Buhl) died on January 5, 2013, of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The 22-year-old is believed to have live tweeted the moments leading up to his apparent suicide.

  • Ned Wertimer

    Ned Wertimer (here seen on the left), who appeared on 11 seasons of "The Jeffersons" as Ralph The Doorman, died January 2, 2013, at the age of 89. Wertimer died following health complications at the Sherman Village Health Care Center in California.

  • Pauline Phillips

    Pauline Phillips, who as Dear Abby dispensed snappy, sometimes saucy advice to millions of newspaper readers around the world, died Jan. 16, 2013, in Minneapolis after a long battle with Alzheimer's. She was 94.

  • David R. Ellis

    Ellis, the director of "Snakes on a Plane," died in South Africa on January 7, 2013. He was 60.

  • Jenni Rivera

    In this March 8, 2012 file photo, Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during an interview in Los Angeles. Las Vegas-based Starwood Management, the company that owns the luxury jet that crashed and killed Rivera on Dec. 9, is under investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the agency seized two of its planes earlier this year as part of the ongoing probe. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

  • Charles Durning

    The revered actor, who played everyone from a Nazi colonel to the pope to Dustin Hoffman's would-be suitor in "Tootsie," died of natural causes in New York on December 24, 2012, at the age of 89.

  • Nora Ephron

    Director, author, journalist, playwright, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nora-ephron/" target="_hplink">HuffPost blogger</a>, and three-time Academy Award nominated screenwriter, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/nora-ephron-dead-dies-age-71_n_1627757.html" target="_hplink">Nora Ephron passed away</a> on June 26 after a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/nora-ephron-leukemia-cancer-illness-death_n_1629152.html" target="_hplink">secret multi-year battle with acute myeloid leukemia</a>. With genre defining films like "Sleepless In Seattle", "You've Got Mail", and "When Harry Met Sally", Ephron, 71, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/nora-ephron-influence-movies_n_1628700.html?utm_hp_ref=entertainment" target="_hplink">left an indelible mark on the film industry.</a>

  • Herbert Lom

    Herbert Lom, best known as Inspector Clouseau's long-suffering boss in the "Pink Panther" movies, died peacefully in his sleep at home in London on Sept. 27, 2012. He was 95.

  • Michael Clarke Duncan

    "The Green Mile" actor Michael Clarke Duncan died at the age of 54 on Sept. 3, 2012 in a Los Angeles hospital after nearly two months of treatment following a July 13, 2012 heart attack.

  • Jerry Nelson

    "Sesame Street" puppeteer Jerry Nelson, shown here with "Sesame Street" character Count von Count in New York in June 2012, died at age 78 on Aug. 23, 2012, in Massachusetts after battling emphysema.

  • Conrad Bain

    The actor best known for his long run as father Philip Drummond on the hit series "Diff'rent Strokes," died on January 14, 2013, of natural causes in his hometown of Livermore, California. He was 89.

  • Phyllis Diller

    Actress/comedienne Phyllis Diller, who was best know for her stand-up act, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/20/phyllis-diller-dead_n_1812818.html">died at the age of 95</a> on Aug. 20. 2012 in Los Angeles.

  • Tony Scott

    Director Tony Scott, whose projects include "The Hunger," "Top Gun," "Enemy of the State," died after jumping off a bridge in Los Angeles on Aug. 19, 2012.

  • Scott McKenzie

    "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" singer Scott McKenzie, seen here in the center with "The Mamas And The Papas" 1967, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/20/scott-mckenzie-dead-dies-san-francisco-73_n_1809989.html">died on Aug. 18. 2012</a>, after battling Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease that affects the nervous system.

  • William Windom

    A 1980 file photo provided by CBS shows actor William Windom, who won an Emmy Award for his turn in the TV comedy series "My World And Welcome To It," died Aug. 16, 2012, of congestive heart failure at his home in Woodacre, north of San Francisco. He was 88.

  • Jack Klugman

    The "Odd Couple" star died at peacefully in his California home at the age of 90, on Christmas Eve, 2012. In the 1980s, Klugman lost his voice to throat cancer and trained himself to speak again.

  • Ron Palillo

    This June 8, 2008 file photo shows actor Ron Palillo at the TV Land Awards in Santa Monica, Calif. Palillo, best known as the nerdy high schooler Arnold Horshack on "Welcome Back, Kotter," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/14/ron-palillo-dead-dies-welcome-back-kotter-heart-attack_n_1776155.html">died Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012</a>, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., of an apparent heart attack. He was 63.

  • Lupe Ontiveros

    This Oct. 7, 2008 file photo shows actress Lupe Ontiveros at Padres Contra El Cancer's 8th annual "El Sueno de Esperanza" benefit gala in Los Angeles. Ontiveros, the popular Texan actress known for her portrayal of Yolanda Saldivar in "Selena," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/27/lupe-ontiveros-dead-star-_n_1709783.html">died Thursday, July 26, 2012</a>, of cancer at the Presbyterian Hospital in the City of Whittier, Calif., according to friend and comedian Rick Najera. She was 69.

  • Sherman Hemsley

    In this Aug. 11, 1986 file photo, actor Sherman Hemsley poses for a photo in Los Angeles. The manager for Hemsley says the late star of the television sitcom ?"The Jeffersons"? refused treatment for lung cancer in the weeks before he died of what a coroner says were complications from the disease on July 24, 2012. (AP photo/Nick Ut, File)

  • Frank Pierson

    In this Feb. 14, 2004 file photo, Academy President Frank Pierson arrives at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Scientific and Technical Achievements Awards dinner in Pasadena Calif. Pierson's family announced that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/23/frank-pierson-dead-dog-day-afternoon-dies_n_1696126.html">he died of natural causes on Monday, July 23, 2012</a> in Los Angeles after a short illness. He was 87.

  • Jon Lord

    Deep Purple's Jon Lord, seen here in 2004, died at age 71 on Monday, July 16, 2012, after battling pancreatic cancer.

  • Whitney Houston

    With perhaps one of the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/whitney-houston-celebrate-jordin-sparks-sparkle_n_1532870.html" target="_hplink">greatest voices</a> of her generation, Houston was a multi-Grammy winning singer and actress left an indelible mark on both the pop and R&B genres. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/15/whitney-houston-xanax_n_1279947.html" target="_hplink">Houston's well documented struggles with drug addiction</a> are thought to have contributed to her unexpected and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/11/whitney-houston-dead-sing_n_1270889.html" target="_hplink">untimely demise</a> at age 48 on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/05/whitney-houston-death-report-last-day_n_1405206.html" target="_hplink">February 11</a>.

  • Kitty Wells

    This May 1986 file photo shows country music singer Kitty Wells in Nashville, Tenn. Wells, the first female superstar of country music, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/kitty-wells-dead-queen-of-country-dies_n_1677532.html">died at the age of 92 on Monday, July 16, 2012.</a> The singer?s family says Wells died at her home Monday after complications from a stroke. Her recording of "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" in 1952 was the first No. 1 hit by a woman soloist on the country music charts. Other hits included "Making Believe" and a version of "I Can't Stop Loving You." (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, file)

  • Donna Summer

    <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/donna-summer-queen-of-disco_n_1526799.html" target="_hplink">The Queen of Disco</a> lost her <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/donna-summer-dead-queen-of-disco-dies_n_1524410.html" target="_hplink"> battle with cancer</a> on May 17. Summer, 63, earned that title with dance hits like "Last Dance", "MacArthur Park", and "Hot Stuff".

  • Ernest Borgnine

    Perhaps best remembered for his<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/08/ernest-borgnine-movies-films_n_1657787.html" target="_hplink"> Oscar-winning performance in the film "Marty",</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/ernest-borgnine-dead-remembered_n_1658937.html" target="_hplink">Borgnine</a> continued to act until his death, voicing a character on "SpongeBob SquarePants" and earning an Emmy Nomination on the TV series "ER." He was 95 when he passed away on July 8 due to renal failure.

  • Andy Griffith

    <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/03/andy-griffith-dead_n_1645969.html" target="_hplink">Andy Griffith,</a> the star of beloved television programs "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Matlock", <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/05/andy-griffith-cause-of-death-heart-attack_n_1652599.html" target="_hplink">died of a heart attack</a> on Tuesday, July 3. He was 86.

  • Helen Gurley Brown

    In this Sept. 20, 1982 file photo, Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown poses during an interview at her office in New York. Brown, longtime editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, died on Aug. 13, 2012 at a hospital in New York after a brief hospitalization. She was 90. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, File)

  • Don Grady

    <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/28/don-grady-my-three-sons-obituary_n_1633047.html" target="_hplink">The multi talented musician, composer, and actor</a> who memorably starred on the television series "My Three Sons" lost his battle with cancer on June 27. An original Mouseketeer, Grady was 68 he passed away.

  • Yvette Wilson

    Comedienne most famous for her hilarious roles on TV shows "Moesha" and "The Parkers", Wilson <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/15/yvette-wilson-star-of-moe_n_1600037.html" target="_hplink">lost her battle with cervical cancer</a> on June 14. She was 48.

  • Ann Rutherford

    This Nov. 5, 1971 file photo shows actress Ann Rutherford in New York. Rutherford, who played Scarlett O'Hara's sister Carreen in the 1939 movie classic "Gone With the Wind," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/12/ann-rutherford-dead-gone-_n_1589753.html">died at her home in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Monday, June 11, 2012</a>. She was 94. (AP Photo/HF)

  • Robin Gibb

    <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/barry-gibb-tribute-video-robin-gibb-bee-gees_n_1539954.html" target="_hplink">Co-founder of The Bee Gees</a>, Gibb was 62 when he <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/20/robin-gibb-dead-bee-gees_n_1531648.html" target="_hplink">lost</a> his battle with colon cancer on May 20.

  • Bob Welch

    From AP: Bob Welch, a former member of Fleetwood Mac who went on to write songs and record several hits during a solo career,<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/07/bob-welch-dead-fleetwood-mac-gunshot_n_1579166.html"> died June 7, 2012</a>, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. He was 65.

  • Chuck Brown

    In this Feb. 13, 2011 file photo, Chuck Brown arrives at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Brown, who styled a unique brand of funk music as a singer, guitarist and songwriter known as the "godfather of go-go," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/16/chuck-brown-dead-godfather_n_1522375.html">died Wednesday, May 16, 2012</a> after suffering from pneumonia. He was 75.

  • Mitchell Guist

    Mitchell Guist, who appeared in segments of the "Swamp People" with his brother, Glenn, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/14/mitchell-guist-dead-swamp-people_n_1515423.html">died after collapsing Monday, May 14, 2012</a> while working on a houseboat he was building on Belle River.

  • Adam Yauch

    Best known as one of the founding members of the<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/mca-ad-rock-adam-horovitz-beastie-boys-interview_n_1539705.html" target="_hplink"> trailblazing hip-hop group the Beastie Boys</a>, Yauch, also known by his stage name MCA, was also a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/04/adam-yauch-films_n_1478993.html" target="_hplink">film director</a> and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/04/adam-yauch-dead-tibet_n_1478359.html" target="_hplink">human rights activist</a>. At age 47, Yauch unfortunately lost his almost three year battle with cancer on May 4.

  • George Lindsey

    George Lindsey, seen here in character as Goober Pyle on "The Andy Griffith Show" in 1982,<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/06/george-lindsey-dead-andy-griffith-show-goober-pyle-dies-83_n_1490083.html"> died early Sunday, May 6, 2012.</a> He was 83.

  • Levon Helm

    In this May 15, 2010 photo, Levon Helm performs on the mandolin during a Ramble performance at Helm's barn in Woodstock, N.Y. Helm, who was in the final stages of his battle with cancer,<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/19/levon-helm-dead-the-band-cancer-battle_n_1434772.html"> died Thursday, April 19, 2012 in New York.</a> He was 71. He was a key member of The Band and lent his distinctive Southern voice to classics like "The Weight" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."

  • Dick Clark

    Radio personality, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/18/dick-clark-quotes_n_1435713.html" target="_hplink">TV host</a>, and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nelson-davis/dick-clarks-business-less_b_1466150.html" target="_hplink">beloved producer</a>, Dick Clark died of a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/18/dick-clark-heart-attack-death_n_1435551.html" target="_hplink">massive heart</a> attack on April 18. The host of classic programs such as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120418/us-dick-clark-highlights/" target="_hplink">American Bandstand</a> and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/19/dick-clarks-new-years-eve_n_1437040.html" target="_hplink">Dick Clark's Rocking New Years Eve was 82.</a>

  • Davy Jones

    Lead singer of hit 60's band <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/29/davy-jones-dead-monkees-moments-video_n_1310837.html" target="_hplink">The Monkees</a>, Jones' <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/01/monkees-davy-jones-obituary_n_1312799.html" target="_hplink">heartthrob status</a> was cemented with hits like "Day Dream Believer" and "I Wanna Be Free". He died at age 66 on February 29 after <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/05/davy-jones-autopsy-report_n_1406273.html" target="_hplink">suffering a heart attack</a>.

  • Don Cornelius

    <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/don-cornelius-dead-soul-train_n_1246642.html" target="_hplink">Cornelius</a>, creator and host of the long-running, groundbreaking<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/don-cornelius-dead-celeb-tweets_n_1247021.html" target="_hplink"> TV dance show "Soul Train,"</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/24/don-cornelius-autopsy-depression_n_1450184.html" target="_hplink">committed suicide </a> on Feb. 1. He was 75.

  • Ian Abercrombie

    In this Sept. 17, 2005 file photo, actor Ian Abercrombie is shown during the British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences third annual Emmy Nominees Tea Party in Los Angeles. Abercrombie, a veteran British stage and screen actor whose TV roles included Elaine?s boss Mr. Pitt on "Seinfeld" and Professor Crumbs on ?Wizards of Waverly Place,?<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/28/ian-abercrombie-tv-moments_n_1239120.html"> died Thursday, Jan. 22, 2012</a> at a Los Angeles hospital from complications of kidney failure. He was 77.

  • Etta James

    The "At Last" crooner <a href="http://http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/etta-james-dead-legendary_n_1219083.html" target="_hplink">passed away</a> on January 20 due to complications from leukemia. James, also known as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/22/etta-james-singers-passio_n_1222010.html" target="_hplink">The Matriarch of R&B</a>, was 73.

  • Andy Williams

    This Feb. 23, 1978 file photo shows performer and host Andy Williams at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Williams, who had a string of gold albums and hosted several variety shows and specials like "The Andy Williams Show," died Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, at his home in Branson, Missouri, following a yearlong battle with bladder cancer, his Los Angeles-based publicist, Paul Shefrin, said Wednesday. He was 84. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, file)

  • Ravi Shankar

    In this Feb. 7, 2012 file photo, Indian musician Ravi Shankar performs during a concert in Bangalore, India. Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over an eight-decade career, has died. He was 92. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, File)

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/24/diane-lampert-dead-dies_n_2753140.html

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    Saturday, February 23, 2013

    Conserving corals by understanding their genes

    Friday, February 22, 2013

    In reef-building corals variations within genes involved in immunity and response to stress correlate to water temperature and clarity, finds a study published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Genetics. This information could be used to conserve or rebuild reefs in areas affected by climate change, by changes in extreme weather patterns, increasing sedimentation or altered land use.

    A research team led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and in collaboration with Penn State University and the Aix-Marseille University, studied DNA variations (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, SNPs) across populations of reef corals found at a range of temperatures and water clarity along the Great Barrier Reef.

    SNPs which correlated to water clarity and water temperature preferred by cauliflower coral were found in genes involved in providing immune response, and regulating stress-induced cell-death. This means that coral with a specific version of these genes tended to grow at higher temperatures (or water clarity) and another variant at lower. A similar story was found for staghorn coral - SNP in genes involved in detoxification, immune response, and defense against reactive oxygen damage, were found to be associated with temperature or to water clarity.

    Dr Petra Lundgren, from The Australian Institute of Marine Science, explained, "Corals are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Not only is the temperature of the water they live in affected but extreme weather and higher rainfall leads to increased levels of sediment, agricultural runoff, and fresh water on the reef. This work opens up possibilities for us to enhance reef resilience and recovery from impacts of climate change and pollution. For example, if in the future we need to restore coral populations, we can make sure that we use the most robust strains of corals to do so."

    ###

    BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com

    Thanks to BioMed Central for this article.

    This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

    This press release has been viewed 42 time(s).

    Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126981/Conserving_corals_by_understanding_their_genes

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    Foreign military sales growth area for Army

    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Army News Service, Feb. 21, 2013) -- Selling military hardware to allied nations is a way to keep weapon production lines hot, ensure the viability of America's industrial base, and strengthen ties with the militaries that buy the equipment. Foreign military sales is a growth area for the future, and a good idea, said the commander of Army Materiel Command.

    "There's a growth in demand for training," said Gen. Dennis Via, commander, U.S. Army Materiel Command, during a presentation at the 2013 Association of the United States Army Institute of Land Warfare Symposium and Exposition in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "We think this is an opportunity we can leverage as we continue to build partner capacity and build relationships with allies and partner nations."

    Through its Foreign Military Sales office, the Army facilitates the sale of military weapons and hardware to partner nations. When that happens, training and support packages are also sold to those customers, which ensure an ongoing relationship between the U.S. Army and the allied nation's military.

    In FY 2012, the Army was able to generate $19.6 billion in foreign military sales to 144 different nations. The projected sales in FY 2013 are about $12.2 billion. Via said partner nations and allies want American military goods, and AMC can provide those goods through FMS.

    "What I'm finding in my travels, as I meet with embassies and foreign militaries, is they have trust in the equipment the United States provides to them," Via said. "Certainly, I'd leverage every opportunity to push for a sustainment package as well. Because, at some point in time it is going to have to be sustained; it is going to have to be maintained."

    Providing those sustainment packages along with FMS helps the Army preserve its own organic industrial base, its arsenals and depots, as well as provides opportunities for training and creates interoperability between U.S. and foreign militaries.

    "That's been a win-win for both the U.S. Army and our allies as well; and also a win-win for industry," Via said. "We see that as continuing in the out years. This is a growth industry."

    Source: http://www.army.mil/article/96953/Foreign_military_sales_growth_area_for_Army/

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    Border Patrol Mechanic Saves Woman And Child From Car Submerged In Canal (PHOTO)

    One mechanic has added another tool to his belt.

    On Wednesday morning, a U.S. Border Patrol mechanic saved a woman and her 2-year-old daughter after their car became submerged in a canal.

    The incident began when the woman, driving near Interstate 8 in El Centro, Calif., lost control of her vehicle and veered into the water. According to the Imperial Valley Press, as the car went under, the woman and her 2-year-old daughter managed to climb onto its roof.

    Meanwhile, the unidentified Border Patrol mechanic, who was driving near the canal, saw that the pair was "in need of urgent assistance," Agent Fabian Morales told the paper.

    The mechanic stopped his car and helped them from the roof of the car to the canal bank.

    Read the full story at the Imperial Valley Press

    This isn't the first rescue to take place in water.

    In January, a sheriff's deputy pulled two women from a car sinking into Lake Ray Hubbard in Texas. The rescue was captured on the patrol car's dashboard camera.

    Earlier this month, the NYPD rescued a pair of boaters who fell into Jamaica Bay.

    Also on HuffPost:

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    Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/23/border-patrol-mechanic-save_n_2734846.html

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    Friday, February 22, 2013

    During Oscars Weekend, Who Will Win Box-Office Gold?

    'Identity Thief' looks to take back the #1 spot, as sci-fi horror 'Dark Skies' and action flick 'Snitch' are the only new releases.
    By Ryan J. Downey


    Melissa McCarthy in "Identity Thief"
    Photo: Universal Pictures

    Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702398/identity-thief-oscars-box-office.jhtml

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    How to grow out of deficits and debt

    The Budget should focus on growth, rather than tax the rich, to prune the fiscal deficit.

    February 22, 2013:??

    The country is preparing for a pre-election year Union Budget, and much is expected of the experienced Finance Minister. Would the rich be taxed further to narrow the deficits and woo the aam aadmi? On fiscal prudence, an enlightening argument is presented by Evsey Domar, accomplished academician and central banker. To quote: ?If all the people and organisations who work and study, write articles and make speeches, worry and spend sleepless nights ? all for fear of debt ? could forget about it for a while and spend even half their efforts trying to find ways of achieving a growing national income, their contribution to the benefit and welfare of humanity and to the solution of the debt problem would be far greater (Page 823, American Economic Review, 1944).?

    INDIA AND THE REST

    In 1992, the Maastricht Treaty sanctified the two ratios of fiscal deficit and debt to GDP at 3 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively.

    There was, and still is, no theoretical literature to justify these ratios; fiscal pundits simply claim that these were based on select empirical literature.

    The performance of India on various fiscal indicators has been mixed. The fiscal balance between 2006 and 2012, vis-a-vis other major countries, was not among the highest. And, the debt to GDP ratio has certainly been improving.

    Contextually, in 2003, when The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Bill was adopted by the Government of India, the combined GFD of the Centre and States was nearly 10 per cent and debt was 85 per cent of GDP. In 2012-13, the combined deficit is estimated to be about 7 per cent and debt-GDP ratio around 71 per cent. The improvement in the ratios has been mainly due to high growth recorded by the economy over the years (Table 2).

    The recently announced measures on prices of cooking gas, diesel and petrol would allow a further reduction in subsidies in the current year and beyond.

    On raising taxes on the rich, the number of income tax payers in India, estimated at around 3.5 crore or about three per cent of the population, is less than the owners of cars, two-wheelers and expensive cell-phones, many of which are arguably provided by employers/firms.

    TAXING THE RICH

    Therefore, identifying the rich for higher taxation may not be easy. An easier way to raise revenue could be to tax those services which are generally availed of by the rich.

    However, it is difficult to contain the spillover of such indirect taxes on to the aam aadmi; these get built in the price spiral, because a lot of such conspicuous expenditure is incurred in the name of firms and companies.

    However, it also needs to be conceded that most of the ?rich? are entrepreneurial in nature and instrumental in creating jobs.

    Therefore, taxing them excessively could be counter-productive to growth. Rather, given the technological advancements, availability of Aadhaar cards, and in-principle acceptance of GM crops which raises income levels manifold, widening the tax base should be a priority.

    GROWTH MEASURES

    A still better alternative could be to make efforts to kick start the sagging economy. The government needs to think innovatively and out-of-the-box to spearhead growth, translating into higher employment, higher revenue, and lower ratios of debt and deficits. In view of the continuous slowdown in the global economy, export markets are not expected to be encouraging.

    Therefore, the government should be looking inward at the domestic economy. Infrastructure and construction could be an area of continued interest. There is the example of China which has built an extensive infrastructure, boosting economic growth in the process.

    On tourism, given that India is considered a low-cost destination, renewed international efforts through the Indian embassies could be explored, especially with respect to medical tourism. India can also attract international students to study in elite educational institutions, bringing in financial resources, giving a boost to educational tourism.

    An important area to explore is the housing sector, which has inter-sectoral linkages with many other industries. There is a housing shortage for economically weaker sections of the society. In an election year, this could be a trump card.

    A pre-election year Budget could be an opportune instrument to launch some of the schemes.

    (The author is RBI Chair Professor, IIM Bangalore. Views are personal.)

    '; } else if (google_ads[0].type == "html") { s += google_ads[0].snippet; } else if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { // Adjust text sizes to occupy the majority of ad space. if (google_ads.length == 1) { ad_title_class = 'ad_below_title_large'; ad_text_class = 'ad_below_text_large'; ad_url_class = 'ad_below_url_large'; } else { ad_title_class = 'ad_below_title'; ad_text_class = 'ad_below_text'; ad_url_class = 'ad_below_url'; } for(var i=0; i

    Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/how-to-grow-out-of-deficits-and-debt/article4443381.ece

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    UW Oshkosh Today ? Whitburn honored by Madison&#39;s In Business ...

    40University of Wisconsin Oshkosh alumnus Luke Whitburn ?98, vice president of operations at Drake & Company Staffing Specialists, is at the top of his class.

    The sociology graduate, of Waunakee, has been named to In Business magazine?s 40 Under 40 Class of 2013. He was selected by the Madison-based magazine from more than 120 nominations based on the highest standards of community involvement, organizational leadership and industry contributions.

    The 40 Under 40 award winners are profiled in the February issue of In Business. A special reception for the winners was held Wednesday at HotelRED in Madison.

    While a student at UW Oshkosh, Whitburn worked as a teaching assistant for the late sociology professor Greg Olsen. ?While teaching class for Professor Greg Olsen, I realized my ability to teach and my ability to lead. Two talents I have been working on since that day,? Whitburn said. ?He was not only my professor but also a mentor as I entered the workforce in January 1998.?

    At Drake & Company, Whitburn executes strategic planning to increase profitability, productivity and efficiency throughout the company?s operations. He also provides strategic sales and operations support for a variety of the company?s clients.

    His previous experience includes working as business development director for Adtec and as a branch manager for ManpowerGroup.

    Outside the work day, Whitburn has spent countless hours volunteering for the West Side Coalition on Aging.

    ?Since 1990, I have been helping out with everything from home chores to shoveling driveways and from helping manage bills and assisting in moving to driving folks to doctor?s appointments,? Whitburn said. ?I find that our youth today need to really understand the importance of their elders.?

    In addition, Whitburn and his wife, Alicia, have worked on a six-year forest restoration project that has included the U.S. Forestry Service and the Boy Scouts.

    ?My true passion is spending time with my wife on our 80-acre property in Upper Michigan,? he said. ?We harvest more than 1.2 million tons of timber and have planted more than 10,000 trees in the past six years.?

    Learn more about the 40 Under 40 awards.

    Read more:

    Source: http://www.uwosh.edu/today/25326/whitburn-honored-by-madisons-in-business-magazine/

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    Friday, February 15, 2013

    Xcel Energy warns customers of billing scams

    Xcel Energy has sent out warnings to customers of increased incidences of scams targeting utility customers.

    The scams generally involve attempts to illegally obtain payments for ficticious utility bills.

    People impersonating Xcel Energy representatives or collection agency personnel are using a variety of techniques to gain access to customers' funds, usually by indicating a customer has an outstanding debt and is about to immediately lose service.

    In many cases, the impersonator directs the customer to go to a local retailer and purchase a pre-paid cash card. The impersonator then persuades the customer to provide the card number over the phone.

    In some cases, impersonators provide a fake employee name and/or a fake ID number, and offer to come to the customer's residence to pick up the payment.

    Impersonators also appear to have "spoofed" an Xcel Energy telephone number, thus making it look like the collection call is from the company.

    There have been variations to obtaining the bogus payments, including requests over the phone for payment by credit card or personal check.

    Impersonators also have used different stories, such as telling a customer he or she has overpaid a bill, so that the company needs personal bank account or credit card information to be given over the telephone to refund the money.

    Impersonators have shown up at customers' homes and told customers that their meter is broken and immediate payment is needed for repairs. Customers are told that the utility later will refund the money.

    The reports of billing scams in Xcel Energy service territory are consistent with what other utilities are reporting across the country. Xcel Energy investigates all reported impersonations and recommends customers also contact their local law enforcement agencies.

    Xcel Energy always advises that customers should only use authorized methods and proven banking practices to pay their bills. Credit card numbers and any personal information should not be provided to suspicious callers.

    If a customer has given credit card information over the phone to someone posing as an Xcel Energy employee, Xcel Energy recommends that the customer call his or her credit card company and follow the company's recommendations.

    Customers should report incidents to Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-4999. Xcel Energy also provides information on its Web site on how to identify an Xcel Energy worker, identifying e-mail or phone scams, payment options and payment assistance.

    Source: http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/fort-morgan-business/ci_22581291/xcel-energy-warns-customers-billing-scams?source=rss_viewed

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    Jon Stewart Interviews Susan Rice On Benghazi - Business Insider

    Comedy Central

    Daily Show host Jon Stewart challenged U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice on Thursday, asking her about the mixed messages from the Obama administration about the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.?

    Rice highlighted many of the same talking points she has peddled since the attack. Rice caught the ire of Republicans for her appearances on Sunday news shows in the days following the attack, when she suggested that the attacks were a spontaneous demonstration in response to an obscure anti-Muslim?YouTube?video. Of course, those claims turned out to false. Rice was considered to be nominated for Secretary of State, but she withdrew her nomination amid rising tension.

    Stewart pressed Rice, saying that the Sunday show explanations and the administration's other initial responses were "odd."

    "It does look like there?s a great deal of confusion there," Stewart told Rice.

    "There is always confusion when you have a tragedy of that sort and Americans are killed," Rice said. "The bigger tragedy is we've spent all of these months trying to figure out the origin of some talking points ? which were cleared at the highest level of the intelligence community ? and, in my opinion, not enough time doing the service that we owe to our fallen colleagues."

    At the end of the interview, Stewart asked Rice if she wanted to respond directly to her critics.

    "They're dead wrong," Rice said. "And they are, in fact, doing a disservice to those we lost."

    Watch the full interview in the clips below:

    Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/jon-stewart-susan-rice-benghazi-obama-2013-2

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    Nitric oxide: A little molecule's remarkable feat -- prolonging life, worm study shows

    Feb. 14, 2013 ? Nitric oxide, the versatile gas that helps increase blood flow, transmit nerve signals, and regulate immune function, appears to perform one more biological feat -- prolonging the life of an organism and fortifying it against environmental stress, according to a new study.

    The study reveals that a roundworm called Caenorhabditis elegans, an animal widely used in laboratory studies of aging, lives significantly longer when fed bacteria capable of manufacturing nitric oxide. The tantalizing observation points to one of the mechanisms by which the microbiome, the trillions of microbial cells inhabiting our bodies, may play a vital role in our health.

    Our own nitric oxide levels decrease as we get older, a decline that may contribute to normal aging, says Evgeny Nudler, PhD, the Julie Wilson Anderson Professor of Biochemistry at NYU Langone Medical Center, who led the new study. Supplemental bacteria, he speculates, might provide a healthy boost by supplying humans with some of the missing compound.

    "In worms, we now know that bacteria can use nitric oxide not only to their own advantage but also to provide their host with a beneficial response, and the same thing could be true in a human gut," says Dr. Nudler. "It may well be the case that our commensal bacteria control some of our genes, at least in the gut, to protect those cells against stress and age-related decline." Commensal bacteria provide a benefit to the organisms they colonize.

    Although humans and many other organisms have the enzyme needed to produce nitric oxide, C. elegans does not. Instead, Dr. Nudler and his team report in the February 14th online issue of Cell that the worm can "hijack" the compound from the soil-dwelling Bacillus subtilis bacterium that is not only a favored food but also a common colonist within its gut. This resourcefulness, Dr. Nudler says, partially explains why worms fed B. subtilis live roughly 50 percent longer than counterparts fed Escherichia coli, which does not produce the compound.

    In the new study, the average C. elegans lifespan increased by nearly 15 percent, to about two weeks, when researchers fed the worms nitric oxide-producing B. subtilis bacteria, compared to worms fed mutant B. subtilis with a deleted nitric oxide production gene. The research group also used fluorescent sensors to show that C. elegans does not make its own nitric oxide gas. When the worms were fed normal B. subtilis bacteria, however, the fluorescent signal appeared in their guts.

    Fluorescent labeling and other tests also demonstrated that B. subtilis-derived nitric oxide penetrated the worms' tissues, where it activated a set of 65 genes. Some had been previously implicated in stress resistance, immune response, and increased lifespan, though others have unknown functions. Importantly, the researchers showed that two well-known regulatory proteins were essential for activating all of the genes.

    "What we found is that nitric oxide gas produced in bacteria inside the worms diffuses into the worm tissue and activates a very specific set of genes acting through two master regulators, hsf-1 and daf-16, resulting in a high resistance to stress and a longer life," Dr. Nudler says. "It's striking that a small molecule produced by one organism can dramatically affect the physiology and even lifespan of another organism through direct cell signaling."

    As part of nitric oxide's expansive repertoire, Dr. Nudler's lab previously showed how dangerous pathogens can exploit the molecule to fight off antibiotics. Despite its versatility, the new research suggests that nitric oxide is only one of multiple beneficial molecules produced by B. subtilis, Dr. Nudler says. His lab plans to look more closely at other potential mechanisms by which commensal bacteria can promote health and longevity, using the powerful and easily manipulated C. elegans system as a model.

    The study co-authors include Ivan Gusarov, Laurent Gautier, Olga Smolentseva, and Ilya Shamovsky from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at NYU Langone Medical Center; and Svetlana Eremina and Alexander Mironov from the State Research Institute of Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms in Moscow, Russia.

    The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Biogerontology Research Foundation, and the Dynasty Foundation.

    Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

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    Story Source:

    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NYU Langone Medical Center, via Newswise.

    Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


    Journal Reference:

    1. Ivan Gusarov, Laurent Gautier, Olga Smolentseva, Ilya Shamovsky, Svetlana Eremina, Alexander Mironov, Evgeny Nudler. Bacterial Nitric Oxide Extends the Lifespan of C. elegans. 14 February 2013, Cell DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.12.043

    Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

    Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/ibVgvxDP1_4/130214132623.htm

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    Thursday, February 14, 2013

    In Timbuktu, al-Qaida left behind a manifesto

    TIMBUKTU, Mali (AP) ? In their hurry to flee last month, al-Qaida fighters left behind a crucial document: Tucked under a pile of papers and trash is a confidential letter, spelling out the terror network's strategy for conquering northern Mali and reflecting internal discord over how to rule the region.

    The document is an unprecedented window into the terrorist operation, indicating that al-Qaida predicted the military intervention that would dislodge it in January and recognized its own vulnerability.

    The letter also shows a sharp division within al-Qaida's Africa chapter over how quickly and how strictly to apply Islamic law, with its senior commander expressing dismay over the whipping of women and the destruction of Timbuktu's ancient monuments. It moreover leaves no doubt that despite a temporary withdrawal into the desert, al-Qaida plans to operate in the region over the long haul, and is willing to make short-term concessions on ideology to gain the allies it acknowledges it needs.

    The more than nine-page document, found by The Associated Press in a building occupied by the Islamic extremists for almost a year, is signed by Abu Musab Abdul Wadud, the nom de guerre of Abdelmalek Droukdel, the senior commander appointed by Osama bin Laden to run al-Qaida's branch in Africa. The clear-headed, point-by-point assessment resembles a memo from a CEO to his top managers and lays out for his jihadists in Mali what they have done wrong in months past, and what they need to do to correct their behavior in the future.

    Droukdel, the emir of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, perhaps surprisingly argues that his fighters moved too fast and too brutally in applying the Islamic law known as Shariah to northern Mali. Comparing the relationship of al-Qaida to Mali as that of an adult to an infant, he urges them to be more gentle, like a parent:

    "The current baby is in its first days, crawling on its knees, and has not yet stood on its two legs," he writes. "If we really want it to stand on its own two feet in this world full of enemies waiting to pounce, we must ease its burden, take it by the hand, help it and support it until its stands."

    He scolds his fighters for being too forceful and warns that if they don't ease off, their entire project could be thrown into jeopardy: "Every mistake in this important stage of the life of the baby will be a heavy burden on his shoulders. The larger the mistake, the heavier the burden on his back, and we could end up suffocating him suddenly and causing his death."

    The letter is divided into six chapters, three of which the AP recovered, along with loose pages, on the floor of the Ministry of Finance's Regional Audit Department. Residents say the building, one of several the Islamic extremists took over in this ancient city of sundried, mud-brick homes, was particularly well-guarded with two checkpoints, and a zigzag of barriers at the entrance.

    Droukdel's letter is one of only a few internal documents between commanders of al-Qaida's African wing that have been found, and possibly the first to be made public, according to University of Toulouse Islamic scholar Mathieu Guidere. It is numbered 33/234, a system reserved for al-Qaida's internal communications, said Guidere, who helps oversee a database of documents generated by extremists, including Droukdel.

    "This is a document between the Islamists that has never been put before the public eye," said Guidere, who authenticated the letter after being sent a two-page sample. "It confirms something very important, which is the divisions about the strategic conception of the organization. There was a debate on how to establish an Islamic state in North Mali and how to apply Shariah."

    While the pages recovered are not dated, a reference to a conflict in June establishes that the message was sent at most eight months ago.

    The tone and timing of the letter suggest that al-Qaida is learning from its mistakes in places like Somalia and Algeria, where attempts to unilaterally impose its version of Islam backfired. They also reflect the influence of the Arab Spring, which showed the power of people to break regimes, and turned on its head al-Qaida's long-held view that only violence could bring about wholesale change, Guidere said.

    The letter suggests a change in the thinking, if not the rhetoric, of Droukdel, who is asking his men to behave with a restraint that he himself is not known for. Droukdel is believed to have overseen numerous suicide bombings, including one in 2007 where al-Qaida fighters bombed the United Nations building and a new government building in Algiers, killing 41 people. The same year, the U.S. designated him a global terrorist and banned Americans from doing business with him.

    In a video disseminated on jihadist forums a few months ago, Droukdel dared the French to intervene in Mali and said his men will turn the region into a "graveyard" for foreign fighters, according to a transcript provided by Washington-based SITE Intelligence.

    The fanaticism he exhibits in his public statements is in stark contrast to the advice he gives his men on the ground. In his private letter, he acknowledges that al-Qaida is vulnerable to a foreign intervention, and that international and regional pressure "exceeds our military and financial and structural capability for the time being."

    "It is very probable, perhaps certain, that a military intervention will occur ... which in the end will either force us to retreat to our rear bases or will provoke the people against us," writes Droukdel. "Taking into account this important factor, we must not go too far or take risks in our decisions or imagine that this project is a stable Islamic state."

    According to his own online biography, Droukdel was born 44 years ago into a religious family in the Algerian locality of Zayan. He says he enrolled into the technology department of a local university before turning to jihad, and his first job was making explosives for Algerian mujahedeen. In 2006, the group to which he belonged, known as the GSPC, became an arm of al-Qaida, after negotiations with Ayman al-Zawahri, bin Laden's lieutenant.

    As Droukdel rose through the ranks, he came into direct contact with bin Laden, Guidere said.

    In the document found in Timbuktu, he cites a letter he received from bin Laden about the al-Hudaybiyah deal, a treaty signed circa 628 by the Prophet Muhammad and the Quraish tribe of Mecca, an agreement with non-Muslims that paved the way for Muslims to return to Mecca.

    "The smart Muslim leader would do these kinds of concessions in order to achieve the word of God eventually and to support the religion," he says.

    Perhaps the biggest concession Droukdel urges is for his fighters to slow down in implementing Shariah.

    When the Islamic extremists took over northern Mali 10 months ago, they restored order in a time of chaos, much as the Taliban did in Afghanistan, and even created a hotline number for people to report crimes. But whatever goodwill they had built up evaporated when they started to destroy the city's historic monuments, whip women for not covering up and amputate the limbs of suspected thieves.

    "One of the wrong policies that we think you carried out is the extreme speed with which you applied Shariah, not taking into consideration the gradual evolution that should be applied in an environment that is ignorant of religion," Droukdel writes. "Our previous experience proved that applying Shariah this way, without taking the environment into consideration, will lead to people rejecting the religion, and engender hatred toward the mujahedeen, and will consequently lead to the failure of our experiment."

    Droukdel goes on to cite two specific applications of Shariah that he found problematic. He criticizes the destruction of Timbuktu's World Heritage-listed shrines, because, as he says, "on the internal front we are not strong." He also tells the fighters he disapproves of their religious punishment for adulterers ? stoning to death ? and their lashing of people, "and the fact that you prevented women from going out, and prevented children from playing, and searched the houses of the population."

    "Your officials need to control themselves," he writes.

    Droukdel's words reflect the division within one of al-Qaida's most ruthless affiliates, and may explain why Timbuktu, under the thumb of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, experienced a slightly less brutal version of Shariah than Gao, one of the three other major cities controlled by the extremists. There was only one amputation in Timbuktu over their 10-month rule, compared to a dozen or more in Gao, a city governed by an al-Qaida offshoot, MUJAO, which does not report to Droukdel.

    Droukdel's warning of rejection from locals also turned out to be prescient, as Shariah ran its course in Timbuktu. The breaking point, residents say, was the day last June when the jihadists descended on the cemetery with pickaxes and shovels and smashed the tombs of their saints, decrying what they called the sin of idolatry.

    Many in Timbuktu say that was the point of no return. "When they smashed our mausoleums, it hurt us deeply," said Alpha Sanechirfi, the director of the Malian Office of Tourism in Timbuktu. "For us, it was game over."

    Droukdel's letter also urges his followers to make concessions to win over other groups in the area, and in one case criticizes their failure to do so. For several months, the Islamic extremists controlling northern Mali coexisted with the secular National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, or NMLA, the name given to Mali by Tuareg rebels who want their own state. The black flag of the extremists fluttered alongside the multi-colored one of the secular rebels, each occupying different areas of the towns.

    In late May, the two sides attempted to sign a deal, agreeing to create an independent Islamic state called Azawad. The agreement between the bon vivant Tuareg rebels and the Taliban-inspired extremists seemed doomed from the start. It fell apart days later. By June, the Islamic extremists had chased the secular rebels out of northern Mali's main cities.

    "The decision to go to war against the Azawad Liberation Movement, after becoming close and almost completing a deal with them, which we thought would be positive, is a major mistake in our assessment," Droukdel admonishes. "This fighting will have a negative impact on our project. So we ask you to solve the issue and correct it by working toward a peace deal."

    In an aside in brackets, Droukdel betrays the frustration of a manager who has not been informed of important decisions taken by his employees: "(We have not until now received any clarification from you, despite how perilous the operation was!!)"

    Droukdel also discusses the nuts and bolts of how territory and control might be shared by al-Qaida and the local radical Islamic group known as Ansar Dine, or Defenders of the Faith. For much of last year, Ansar Dine claimed to be the rulers of both Timbuktu and Kidal, although by the end, there was mounting evidence that al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb was calling the shots.

    The reason for this is now clear in his letter: Droukdel asks his men to lower their profile, and allow local groups to take center stage.

    "We should also take into consideration not to monopolize the political and military stage. We should not be at the forefront," he says. "Better for you to be silent and pretend to be a 'domestic' movement that has its own causes and concerns. There is no reason for you to show that we have an expansionary, jihadi, al-Qaida or any other sort of project."

    The emir acknowledges that his fighters live on the fringes of society, and urges them to make alliances, including fixing their broken relationship with the NMLA. He vows that if they do what he says, they will have succeeded, even if an eventual military intervention forces them out of Mali.

    "The aim of building these bridges is to make it so that our mujahedeen are no longer isolated in society," he writes. "If we can achieve this positive thing in even a limited amount, then even if the project fails later, it will be just enough that we will have planted the first, good seed in this fertile soil and put pesticides and fertilizer on it, so that the tree will grow more quickly. We look forward to seeing this tree as it will be eventually: Stable and magnificent."

    ___

    Associated Press writer Baba Ahmed in Timbuktu, Mali, and the Associated Press News Research Center contributed to this report.

    ___

    This document can be seen at http://apne.ws/YuuVAC

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/timbuktu-al-qaida-left-behind-manifesto-173454257.html

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