Thursday, February 28, 2013

LCH.Clearnet to raise 300 mln stg, Nasdaq to up stake - report

Feb 27 (Reuters) - LCH.Clearnet will raise 300 million

pounds ($454 million) through a capital raising in the coming

days that is expected to see exchange operator Nasdaq OMX Group

raise its minority stake in the trans-Atlantic clearing

house, Sky News reported on Wednesday.

LCH Clearnet is in advanced stages of finalising the

fund-raising as part of a takeover deal by the London Stock

Exchange Group, Sky News said on its website.

The LSE plans to pay 366 million euros ($479.8 million) for

60 percent of LCH, which as a clearing house makes its money by

acting as a middle man in financial trades and guaranteeing to

complete deals if one of the parties involved can't.

The deal offers the LSE diversification from its equities

base into the many debt and currency markets in which LCH

operates, but the exchange has already cut its offer price after

estimating that regulatory demands could require LCH to raise

300 million euros in additional capital this year.

The two parties last month set a deadline giving themselves

until Thursday to finalise detailed terms of a deal and Sky News

said the companies are on the brink of an agreement even though

they could still miss the deadline.

LSE Group and LCH declined to comment.

As part of the deal, yet to be finalised as of Wednesday

afternoon, Singapore Exchange operator SGX could

potentially snap up a minority shareholding, while Nasdaq was

also in talks to raise its minority stake in the business, Sky

News said.

Nasdaq declined to comment. SGX could not be reached for

comment outside regular business hours.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lch-clearnet-raise-300-mln-stg-nasdaq-stake-214904578--sector.html

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Glamorous Diana dresses up for auction

AAA??Feb. 28, 2013?7:41 AM ET
Glamorous Diana dresses up for auction
AP

The beaded neckline of a Catherine Walker black velvet evening gown worn for a Vanity Fair photo shoot by Britain's Princess Diana is adjusted by house assistant Lucy Bishop at the Kerry Taylor auction rooms in London, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. The dress estimated to realise 50,000-70,000 pounds ( 77,000-108,000 US Dollars) will be sold in the Fit For a Princess auction in London on March 19. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

The beaded neckline of a Catherine Walker black velvet evening gown worn for a Vanity Fair photo shoot by Britain's Princess Diana is adjusted by house assistant Lucy Bishop at the Kerry Taylor auction rooms in London, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. The dress estimated to realise 50,000-70,000 pounds ( 77,000-108,000 US Dollars) will be sold in the Fit For a Princess auction in London on March 19. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

A Victor Edelstein midnight-blue velvet evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana when she danced with actor John Travolta in 1985 at the State dinner at the White House given by President and Mrs Reagan, is adjusted by house assistant Lucy Bishop at the Kerry Taylor auction rooms in London, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. The dress estimated to realise 200,000-300,000 pounds ( 310,000-464,000 US Dollars) will be sold in the Fit For a Princess auction in London on March 19. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

A Catherine Walker sea-green sequined evening gown worn for the State visit to Austria by Britain's Princess Diana is adjusted by house assistant Lucy Bishop at the Kerry Taylor auction rooms in London, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. The dress estimated to realise 30,000-50,000 pounds ( 46,000-77,000 US Dollars) will be sold in the Fit For a Princess auction in London on March 19. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Beading detail is shown on a Catherine Walker burgundy velvet sheath with embroidered tailcoat worn for the State visit to Korea in 1992 by Britain's Princess Diana, at the Kerry Taylor auction rooms in London, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. The dress estimated to realise 40,000-60,000 pounds ( 62,000-93,000 US Dollars) will be sold in the Fit For a Princess auction in London on March 19. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

The bolero is adjusted on a Catherine Walker Mughal inspired embroidered pink silk evening gown made for Princess Diana's State visit to India in 1992, at Kerry Taylor auction rooms in London, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. The dress estimated to realise between 80,000-120,000 pounds (124,000- 186,000 US Dollars) will be sold in the Fit For a Princess auction in London on March 19. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

(AP) ? If dresses could talk, this dark navy, figure-hugging velvet number would have the best stories to tell.

Princess Diana wore it on state visits, at royal banquets and most memorably to a gala dinner at the White House in 1985, when she took to the dance floor with Hollywood star John Travolta.

The Victor Edelstein gown will go under the hammer at a vintage fashion auction in London in March, along with nine other of Diana's lavish evening dresses. In total, Kerry Taylor Auctions say the sale is expected to raise more than 800,000 pounds ($1.2 million.)

The dresses, all in the signature 1980s look ? padded shoulders, puffed sleeves, crushed velvet ? are snapshots in the princess's glamorous, jet-setting life.

The sale is set for March 19.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-28-Britain-Diana's%20Dresses/id-3c2b32cb5f034a9ca1e6111659e7e3ab

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Yahoo: Ads And Content Merging - Business Insider

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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoo-ads-and-content-merging-2013-2

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Kelly wins Dem. nod for ex-Rep. Jackson Jr.'s seat (cbsnews)

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Tax, wage ID theft tops FTC's complaints list

The Federal Trade Commission received a record number of complaints last year ? more than 2 million ? and for the 13th year in a row, identity theft tops the list.

According to the 2012 annual report released on Tuesday, 18 percent of all consumer complaints were related to identity theft.

The new numbers show a huge rise in the percentage of identity theft fraud cases related to taxes and wages. The IRS recently acknowledged the serious nature of this problem and how it?s trying to fight back.

ConsumerMan: IRS identity theft crackdown nets 109 arrests

The FTC says there are three basic types of ID theft related to taxes and wages:

  • The most common is when the scammer ? using your Social Security number ? applies for an income tax refund in your name. If the crook gets your refund before you file your return, it can hold up the process for months.
  • ID thieves sometimes misuse Social Security numbers to create bogus dependents to boost their fraudulent refund. Again, this delays legitimate refunds.
  • They also use stolen SSNs to get a job. Victims don?t find out about this until they get a notice from the IRS that says they?re under-reporting their income.

?The FTC report, when combined with the recently released Javelin Research survey ? that reported the number of identity theft victims reached over 12.6 million in 2012 ? is yet another confirmation of the inevitability of victimization,? said Adam Levin, chairman of Identity Theft 911.

?Human error, misplaced trust, individual over-sharing of information and countless data breaches impacting all segments of the business community and all levels of government have contributed to the depressing reality that it is literally impossible to prevent identity theft.?

Here is the complete list of the FTC?s Top 10 Complaint Categories for 2012:

  1. Identity theft: 369,132 complaints ( 18 percent)
  2. Debt collection: 199,721 complaints (10 percent)
  3. Banks and lenders: 132,340 complaints (6 percent)
  4. Shop-at-home and catalog sales: 115,184 complaints (6 percent)
  5. Prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries: 98,479 complaints (5 percent)
  6. Impostor scams: 82,896 complaints (4 percent)
  7. Internet services: 81,438 complaints (4 percent)
  8. Auto-related complaints: 78,062 complaints (4 percent)
  9. Telephone and mobile services: 76,783 complaints (4 percent)
  10. Credit cards: 51,550 complaints (3 percent)

?This report illustrates that we still have a huge problem with fraud in this country,? said John Breyault, director of Fraud.org, run by the National Consumers League. ?It?s more important than ever that people educate themselves and learn how to spot the warning signs of fraud.?

It?s also important to report suspected scams and let the authorities know if you?ve been victimized. They may not be able to help you specifically, but you might help them catch the bad guys.

?Law enforcement agencies nationwide will use this information to help stop those who try to scam U.S. consumers,? said Charles Harwood, acting director of the FTC?s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

You can file a complaint with the FTC online.

More Information:

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitteror visit The ConsumerMan website.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/tax-wage-id-theft-tops-ftcs-list-most-complaints-1C8569858

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Hagel swears in as defense chief after bruising confirmation battle (reuters)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/287797503?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Cell discovery could hold key to causes of inherited diseases

Feb. 26, 2013 ? Fresh insights into the protective seal that surrounds the DNA of our cells could help develop treatments for inherited muscle, brain, bone and skin disorders.

Researchers have discovered that the proteins within this coating -- known as the nuclear envelope -- vary greatly between cells in different organs of the body.

This variation means that certain disease causing proteins will interact with the proteins in the protective seal to cause illness in some organs, but not others.

Until now scientists had thought that all proteins within the nuclear envelope were the same in every type of organ.

In particular the finding may provide insights into a rare muscle disease, Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy.

This condition causes muscle wastage and heart problems, affects only muscles, even though it is caused by a defect in a nuclear envelope protein found in every cell in the body.

Scientists say that the envelope proteins they have identified as being specific to muscle may interact with the defective nuclear envelope protein that causes Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, to give rise to the disease.

In a similar way, this may help to explain other heritable diseases that only affect certain parts of the body despite the defective proteins being present in every cell. The study also identified nuclear envelope proteins specific to liver and blood.

Some of these also interact with proteins in all cells that are responsible for other nuclear envelope diseases, ranging from brain and fat to skin diseases, and so may help explain why things go wrong.

Dr Eric Schirmer, of the University of Edinburgh's Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, who led the study, said: "Nobody could have imagined what we found. The fact that most proteins in the nuclear envelope would be specific for certain tissue types is a very exciting development. This may finally enable us to understand this ever-growing spectrum of inherited diseases as well as new aspects of tissue-specific gene regulation."

The findings build on previous research that showed proteins in the nuclear envelope are linked to more than 20 heritable diseases.

The study, which was supported by the Wellcome Trust and conducted in collaboration with the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, is published in the journal Nucleus.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Edinburgh, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Nadia Korfali, Gavin S. Wilkie, Selene K. Swanson, Vlastimil Srsen, Jose de las Heras, Dzmitry G. Batrakou, Poonam Malik, Nikolaj Zuleger, Alastair R.W. Kerr, Laurence Florens, Eric C. Schirmer. The nuclear envelope proteome differs notably between tissues. Nucleus, 2012; 3 (6): 24 DOI: 10.4161/nucl.22257

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/health_medicine/genes/~3/r8kNvxe1h04/130226113830.htm

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Researchers explore PKC role in lung disease

Tuesday, February 26, 2013
A JGP study examines the role of PKC in airway smooth muscle contraction and raises the possibility that this enzyme could be a therapeutic target for treating asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases. The diagram shown summarizes the pathways regulating airway smooth muscle contraction. Credit: Dixon, R.E., and L.F. Santana. 2013. J. Gen. Physiol. appear in The Journal of General Physiology, provide new insight into the mechanisms involved in regulating luminal diameter of small airways and reveal PKC as a potential target for drug therapies.

The researchers used phase-contrast video microscopy, confocal microscopy, Western blot analysis, and pharmacological activators and inhibitors to investigate the role of PKC in airway SMC contraction in mouse lung slices. Their results suggest that activation of PKC in small airways promotes an influx of calcium into SMC and subsequent intracellular release of calcium ions to generate low frequency SMC twitching. PKC activation also induces a strong calcium ion sensitization of contraction, eliciting a stronger contractile response to stimuli that increase free intracellular calcium. Consequently, PKC activation downstream of various molecules, such as thrombin, that are present in the airways in conjunction with inflammatory lung diseases, could sensitize the airway SMCs to contractile stimuli and contribute to the airway hyper responsiveness that is characteristic of asthma and COPD.

###

Rockefeller University Press: http://www.rupress.org/

Thanks to Rockefeller University Press 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 27 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127020/Researchers_explore_PKC_role_in_lung_disease_

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SHOW BITS: A bump in the night for Kim K.

Show Bits brings you the 85th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles through the eyes of Associated Press journalists. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

___

PARTY TIME FOR PREGNANT KIM KARDASHIAN

Kim Kardashian didn't just step out at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar after-party in West Hollywood dressed to impress. She rocked her pregnancy bump like a glam accessory.

The reality TV starlet wore a white, cleavage-baring Donna Karan dress that showed off every curve without self-consciousness.

Kardashian and her sister Khloe, both without their respective loves, Kanye West, and Lamar Odom, chatted up party guest Chris Brown, who was at the party without his girlfriend, Rihanna.

Kim Kardashian added she was also looking forward to catching the show by the night's featured performer, soulful Scottish singer Emeli Sande.

"I love her!" she exclaimed.

Asked how late she would stay up celebrating, given her pregnancy, Kardashian considered the question for a moment.

"I don't know, hmmm," she told The Associated Press.

Then she added, "I always end up going to bed early!"

? Solvej Schou ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Solvej_Schou

___

QUICKQUOTE: ANG LEE

"I think sometimes this disadvantage can be an advantage. The fact that I come from another culture makes me special."? Ang Lee, encouraging Asian and other non-American filmmakers to take on Hollywood after he won the directing Oscar for "Life of Pi."

? Hannah Dreier ? Twitter http://twitter.com/hannahdreier

___

CARVING IT UP AT OSCAR AFTER-PARTY

The first stop on the party circuit for Oscar night winners is almost always the Governor's Ball.

Oh sure, the fancy food Wolfgang Puck lays out there is part of the attraction. But it's also the place to go to get your name engraved on your new toy.

"You trading that in?", lead actress winner Jennifer Lawrence asked Ben Affleck when she saw him show up with his best picture statuette.

"What can I get for this award?", Affleck joked.

Anne Hathaway arrived with her Oscar in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other.

She covered her mouth in awe when the engraver showed her the nameplate, then helped attach it to her trophy's base. Her husband, Adam Shulman, recorded the moment for posterity on his iPhone.

After spending a moment checking out his Oscar, Affleck stood up to a round of applause from those in the room.

"Thank you! I love it," he said.

? Sandy Cohen ? www.twitter.com/apsandy

___

OSCAR IS TRIP FOR LAWRENCE

Jennifer Lawrence's performance in "Silver Linings Playbook" was flawless enough to capture the best actress Oscar. She wasn't so adroit in claiming the trophy.

Lawrence stumbled as she took the steps to the Oscar stage, falling to her knees in her flowing Dior gown. That drew a sympathetic ovation from the auditorium.

She remained endearingly flustered during her acceptance speech, thanking her family, those who worked with her on the film and wishing a "Happy Birthday" to a fellow nominee, Emmanuelle Riva of "Amour," who turned 86.

"Look at this dress. I tried to walk up stairs in this dress," Lawrence said of her white, floor-length gown. "I think I stepped on the fabric and they wax the stairs."

Lawrence said she thought of a "bad word" to say when she tumbled but kept it to herself.

She had already been bleeped by ABC when she let loose with a four-letter word while joking with Kristin Chenoweth on the red carpet.

Asked how she got ready for the day, Lawrence said it was "chaotic" from the start, with her family taking over the house to prepare for the big evening.

After fumbling for a more descriptive answer, she apologized: "I'm sorry. I did a shot."

? Lynn Elber ? Twitter http://twitter.com/lynnelber

___

QUICKQUOTE: BEN AFFLECK

"I want to thank you for working on our marriage for 10 Christmases. It's good, it is work, but it's the best kind of work. There's no one I'd rather work with." ? Ben Affleck, thanking his wife, Jennifer Garner, as he accepted the best picture Oscar for "Argo."

? Christina Hoag.

___

ACTING GODS, TOGETHER

For a moment, it looked the Oscar stage had turned into the Mount Olympus of acting.

There stood the two reigning gods of the art, the man and the woman generally considered to be at the very top in the field today: Daniel Day-Lewis and Meryl Streep.

Though he's not known for comedy, Day-Lewis got a big laugh when he turned to Streep, who had just presented him his third best-actor trophy, and said he'd actually originally been slated to play Margaret Thatcher, the role Streep won the Oscar for last year in "The Iron Lady."

And, he added, Streep had actually been director Steven Spielberg's original choice for Abraham Lincoln.

"I'd like to see that version," Day-Lewis quipped.

With his win for "Lincoln," Day-Lewis became the first person to win three best-actor Oscars. Streep has won three Oscars too, one of them as supporting actress.

? Jocelyn Noveck ? Twitter http://twitter.com/JocelynNoveckAP

___

QUICKQUOTE: DANIEL DAY-LEWIS

"I love it when people are completely inarticulate giving speeches because it says the same thing in a different way"? Daniel Day-Lewis backstage, discussing the unpolished thank you's he gave after winning the lead actor award for "Lincoln."

? Hannah Dreier ? http://www.twitter.com/hannahdreier

___

ONION CRITICIZED FOR JOKE

A tweet from The Onion about the 9-year-old star of "Beasts of the Southern Wild" is drawing criticism for being tasteless, even amid the constant social media satire of the Oscars.

The satirical newspaper called Quvenzhane (kwuh-VEHN'-juh-nay) Wallis an expletive intended to denigrate women. The joke was meant to parody how beloved Quvenzhane is, but many thought the language inappropriate for discussing a child.

The Onion deleted the tweet about an hour after it was posted. Still, that was enough time to create a firestorm online, with many saying the remark crossed a line.

A spokeswoman for The Onion didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Not everyone thought the tweet went too far: It was retweeted more than 500 times and favorited by some 400 before being deleted.

? Jake Coyle ? http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

___

MASTER-FUL EXIT

In recent years, everyone would head for the door as soon as the best picture winner ? the last Oscar category in the show ? was announced, leaving the winner with an empty room to thank.

This year, organizers hoped to get attendees to stick around until the end of the show for a closing performance from Seth MacFarlane and Kristin Chenoweth, which was dedicated to all the evening's Oscar losers.

"Ladies and gentleman, we ask that you remain in your seats after the last award for a very special closing number," a female announcer calmly announced during the show's final commercial break.

Well, one pair of "losers" weren't interested. "The Master" stars Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman bolted for the door at the beginning of the song.

? Derrik J. Lang ? Twitter http://twitter.com/derrikjlang

___

THANKING THE 'MOVIE GOD'

Ang Lee had his priorities in order when he gave one of his first thank you's to the "movie god."

The Taiwanese director pulled off a huge upset when he won an Academy Award for directing "Life of Pi." He beat out front-runner and two-time Oscar winner Steven Spielberg.

Lee also gave a shoutout to the shipwreck story's lead actor, Suraj Sharma, but didn't thank the rest of the cast by name.

"I cannot waste this time talking about them," he said sheepishly.

He did slip in a quick mention of his agent, his lawyer and of course his wife.

"I have to do that," he said.

? Hannah Dreier ? Twitter http://twitter.com/hannahdreier

___

THE AVENGERS REUNITE

Just like the superheroes they played in the movie, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson huddled together backstage to get a plan together and of course joke around.

Downey suggested the stars of "The Avengers" bow as they headed onstage to make Oscar presentations. Or perhaps curtsy.

When a show worker asked Jackson to stand still so he could be wired with a microphone, the actor faced a backstage wall and pretended he was being frisked by police.

To pass the time, the superheroes watched Melissa McCarthy and Paul Rudd from a backstage monitor.

Suddenly Ruffalo asked, "Did we miss our cue?"

"You want to go out there with them?" asked Jackson.

After presenting two awards, the actors returned backstage, where Downey quipped, "Avengers disassemble."

? Sandy Cohen ? http://www.twitter.com/apsandy

___

QUICKQUOTE: QUENTIN TARANTINO

"I'm not an American filmmaker. I'm American and I'm a filmmaker, but I make movies for planet Earth"? Quentin Tarantino, tie loosened, talking with his hands and, at one point, drifting into an Australian accent while speaking with reporters backstage after winning the Oscar for original screenplay for "Django Unchained."

? Hannah Dreier ? http://www.twitter.com/hannahdreier

___

KRISTEN STEWART HOBBLED

Kristen Stewart ditched her crutches to hobble onstage as an Oscar presenter, appearing bored and disheveled in the process.

She and Daniel Radcliffe handled one of the less glamorous awards for production design. Stewart read her lines with a slouchy insouciance.

Just before going on, Stewart left a pair of crutches in the wings and apparently the backstage hairstylists didn't get ahold of her for a brushing. Her long brunette hair looked stringy.

The reaction on Twitter was swift and severe.

"Kristen stewart are you ok? And by that I mean where were the hash brownies before u got hit by bus (hash)bruise (hash)limp," tweeted comedian-actor David Spade.

Actor Joel McHale tweeted, "Kristen Stewart is limping because she sprained her ankle from being excessively disinterested."

Backstage, Stewart ran into supporting actress winner Anne Hathaway, who noted her crutches.

"I know, I'm an idiot," Stewart replied. "But congratulations!"

"Please tell me you're going on stage with those," Hathaway said, pointing to the crutches.

"Nope. I'm gonna hobble," said Stewart, explaining that she had stepped on glass.

? Beth Harris ? http://www.twitter.com/bethharrisap

___

TONYS OR OSCARS?

Did the Oscars intentionally turn into the Tonys?

All those song-and-dance numbers weren't lost on Twitter.

"Sucks for the actors at the Oscars who can't sing ... (hash)TONYS? (hash)HollywoodGoesBroadway," Nylon magazine tweeted after a tribute to the musical "Chicago."

"Am I watching the (hash)Oscars or the (hash)Tonys? Either way I'm happy:) lol," tweeted a belter herself, Lea Michele.

? Leanne Italie ? Twitter http://twitter.com/litalie

___

NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON

As soon as Adele stepped off the stage after singing the Oscar-winning theme from "Skyfall," she kicked off her sparkly Louboutin platforms.

"I'm sorry. (Forget) that," she said, flinging the shoes onto the floor. A stagehand quickly swooped them up.

"I'd pick them up but I can't bend over," she said, motioning toward her tight beaded dress.

? Sandy Cohen ? http://www.twitter.com/APSandy .

___

CELEBRITY SCHMOOZING

It was maybe the next best thing to being there.

Down the road from the Academy Awards, musicians and models found common schmoozing ground at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar viewing dinner in West Hollywood.

Lithe supermodel Naomi Campbell sat next to music mogul Quincy Jones then gripped hands and chatted with Steven Tyler and the party host himself, Elton John.

Bono, wearing his customary tinted shades, gleefully kissed Jones on the top of his head, then hugged statuesque model Petra Nemcova.

"Elton's a warrior on the HIV, AIDS scourge, since before anyone can remember," Bono told The Associated Press. "Like Bruce Springsteen is 'the Boss', Quincy is 'the President.' He is so unique. And Elton is both 'the king' AND 'the queen.'"

? Solvej Schou ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Solvej_Schou

___

BASSEY HITS IT OUTTA THE PARK

For all the sparkling young starlets and the edgy new host, it was none other than Dame Shirley Bassey who truly set the joint on fire early in the Oscar telecast.

The 76-year-old singer's rendition of the theme from "Goldfinger" ? or, as she sang so memorably, "GoldfinGAH" ? was a feel-good moment that won what was at the time the biggest ovation of the night.

Bassey, who recorded the song in the '60s to great acclaim, reprised it as part of the Academy's 50th anniversary tribute to the James Bond franchise.

On social networks, as people were debating vigorously how the telecast was going, there was no question as to how Bassey did: She was an unqualified hit.

Minutes after the performance, the singer and her song were trending on Twitter.

? Jocelyn Noveck ? Twitter http://twitter.com/JocelynNoveckAP

___

QUICKQUOTE: CHRISTOPH WALTZ

"Quentin writes poetry and I like poetry." ? Supporting actor winner Christoph Waltz of "Django Unchained" about working with writer-director Quentin Tarantino.

? Beth Harris ? http://www.twitter.com/bethharrisap

___

MAYBE IT LOOKED EASY ...

Charlize Theron, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were one big bundle of nerves before they took the stage for their opening song-and-dance numbers.

Radcliffe danced by himself. Theron dabbed at her eyes and Gordon-Levitt stood silently as Oscar host Seth MacFarlane delivered the Oscar show's opening monologue.

Then it was time to hit the stage.

"Thank God!" Theron said afterward as she let out a sigh of relief.

"You stepped on my dress," she told Tatum.

Radcliffe and Gordon-Levitt bear-hugged after their dance routine.

"We did all right! We did all right," they told each other.

"It felt good! How did it look?" Gordon-Levitt asked.

"Well done," Radcliffe told him.

? Sandy Cohen ? http://www.twittermcom/APSandy

___

AMY ADAMS SITTING PRETTY

To slide, plop or shimmy?

That's the dilemma that faced Amy Adams in her flowing Oscar de la Renta gown when she approached her front-row seat inside the Dolby Theatre before the Oscars began.

After greeting fellow nominee Phillip Seymour Hoffman in the row behind her with a big hug, "The Master" co-star tilted to her right side and sort of shimmied down into her seat.

While Jennifer Aniston and Samuel L. Jackson mingled with attendees nearby, Adams held court in her fluffy dove grey fabric cloud.

Across the aisle, Bradley Cooper rushed his mother to meet Jean Dujardin, who took home the best actor Oscar last year.

? Derrik J. Lang ? Twitter http://twitter.com/derrikjlang

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/show-bits-bump-night-kim-k-103408297.html

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General mechanism that accelerates tumor development discovered

Feb. 24, 2013 ? Cancer is characterized by uncontrolled cell division and growth. In order to identify new therapeutic targets through which to tackle the disease, scientists seek to clarify the mechanisms that control the expression of genes that favor the development of tumors, in processes such as uncontrolled cell division. Nature has just published a paper by the lab headed by Ra?l M?ndez, ICREA professor at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona). The study describes a mechanism controlled by the CPEB1 protein that affects more than 200 genes related to cell proliferation and tumor progression. The mechanism, which was discovered using Hodgkin lymphoma cells, has been proposed as a general regulatory system that enhances the spread of cancer.

The researchers describe that CPEB1 shortens a highly specific region of RNAs (RNAs are the molecules that carry gene information for protein synthesis). This region holds most of the signals that determine whether an RNA molecule is made into a protein or not. "CPEB1 "takes off the brakes" for hundreds of RNAs that stimulate cell desdifferentiation and proliferation, allowing them to be made into proteins; however, in addition to removing the brakes in the nucleus, this protein accompanies RNA to the cytoplasm, where it speeds up the production of these proteins," explains the senior author of the paper Ra?l M?ndez, head of the "Translational control of cell cycle and differentiation" group at IRB Barcelona.

Ra?l M?ndez is an expert on the CPBE protein family, a type of RNA-binding protein that has a positive and crucial role in early embryo development. "CPEB proteins are necessary during development and also during tissue regeneration via stem cells in adults, but if the programme governed by CPEBs is continually switched on, cells divide when they are not supposed to and form a tumor," explains M?ndez. The CPEB family comprises four proteins, which compensate each other's normal function but which have specific activities in diseased states. "This finding is positive from a therapeutic viewpoint because it means that if you remove CPEB1 from healthy cells, its function can be taken over by any other CPEB protein. In contrast, in tumors only CPEB1 has the capacity to shorten these regions, thus affecting only tumor cells," states Italian researcher Felice Alessio Bava, first author of the paper, and post-doctoral fellow with M?ndez's group who, this year, has obtained his doctorate degree through the "la Caixa" International Fellowship Programme. This study provides further evidence of the potential of CPEB proteins as therapeutic targets. In 2011, in a study published in Nature Medicine, M?ndez identified that CPEB4 "switches on" hundreds of genes linked to tumor growth. This new study explains that the overexpression of CPEB4 in tumors is because CPEB1 has also "released its brakes." "The fact that these proteins control each other is also advantageous from a therapeutic point of view," asserts M?ndez, "because partial inhibition, by a drug, would be amplified, thus allowing tumor cell reprogramming. The amplification should make it easier to find a viable compound."

The lab has developed a system to screen therapeutic molecules for a drug that can inhibit the action of CPEB in tumors while having few secondary effects on healthy cells. "There is no drug currently available that influences the regulation of gene expression at this level. Our findings open up a pioneering therapeutic window. We are optimistic about the potential of CPEB proteins as targets," says M?ndez.

The action of CPEB proteins should be considered in the design of other therapeutic strategies

The study published in Nature includes a meticulous genomic analysis of RNA molecules that are processed in different ways depending on whether CPBE1 is present. The study provides a list of between 200 and 300 of such genes, that is to say, those that would have the region holding regulatory signals removed. This is precisely the region where microRNAs -- small molecules regulating the translation of this RNA to protein -- bind. "Many antitumor therapies attempt to interfere with microRNA binding, but we have now revealed that CPEB proteins remove these regions beforehand. The pharmaceutical companies that are developing such compounds will be able to predict whether their targets are suitable approaches or not," explains the scientist.

The study has involved the collaboration of the group led by Juan Valc?rcel at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), an expert in RNA nuclear processing, and that of Roderic Guig?, an expert in biostatistics and also at CRG. This study received funding from the Consolider RNAreg consortium of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competition and the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia).

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona).

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Felice-Alessio Bava, Carolina Eliscovich, Pedro G. Ferreira, Belen Mi?ana, Claudia Ben-Dov, Roderic Guig?, Juan Valc?rcel, Ra?l M?ndez. CPEB1 coordinates alternative 3?-UTR formation with translational regulation. Nature, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nature11901

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/top_news/top_health/~3/6AD_azErazs/130224142827.htm

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Monday, February 25, 2013

DRIVER BENEFIT: Legal Expenses Mount | WHOTV.com ? Des ...

Posted on: 10:33 pm, February 24, 2013, by Jodi Whitworth, updated on: 10:13pm, February 24, 2013

It has been a week since an accident on Interstate 80-35 pinned a car under a semi.

Now the family of the driver, Tara Lietzinger, is trying to figure out a way to pay for her hospital expenses but legal issues are standing in the way.

Tara Lietzinger?s family and friends never imagined something like this would happen, ?With brain injuries it?s just waiting, there?s no bench mark,? said family friend Chris Lappe.

A car and semi crash left Tara in a coma and in critical condition at Iowa Methodist.

Doctors say, only time will tell how long it takes for the Johnston resident to recover. While the family waits, there are other things that need to be taken care of.

?There are a lot of legal proceedings that need to be done and it takes time. Court papers need to be filed to get the ball rolling so it does take some time.?

Everything is in Tara?s name; bank accounts, bills and insurance and since Tara can?t speak for herself, they have to hire an attorney and that costs money, ?We?re looking for some donations to get the ball rolling on that.?

Lappe hopes to raise $4,000 to pay for an attorney. He began accepting donations less than 24 hours ago and has already raised more than $800.

?Her mom needs some help getting it done and that?s why we?re looking for some donations so we can get the ball rolling real quick and get it taken care of for Tara.?

Without the power of attorney, they can?t access anything of Tara?s, ?There?s just all these steps you have to go through and think about that takes a lot of time and effort.?

Steps the police are also having to go through. Investigators are missing relevant information, such as the cause of crash. They can?t access that information because of Tara?s condition.

Lappe say the accident has him thinking differently as to what he would do if something happened to him, ?Yeah, ?it?s definitely not a bad idea to make sure you have a close family member who is able to give them access to your passwords, your bank accounts so they can at least go online. ?

One way to avoid this happening to you is planning ahead for unexpected situations with living wills to make things a little easier for family during difficult times.

Source: http://whotv.com/2013/02/24/driver-benefit-legal-expenses-mount/

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Cutting edge Calif. tunnels poised to open

(AP) ? Two slick new mile-long tunnels are undergoing final safety tests this month, poised to divert motorists away from an ocean cliff-hanging roadway dubbed Devil's Slide south of San Francisco to a smooth, Alpine-like passageway unlike any in the U.S. today.

The $439 million project, paid with federal emergency funds, features massive exhaust fans, carbon monoxide sensors and a pair of 1,000-foot bridges soaring 125 feet above a grassy horse ranch. A series of 10 fireproof shelters are staggered between the double bores, and remote cameras dangle from the ceiling, monitored by an around-the-clock safety staff of 15.

The tunnels, the first in the U.S. designed and built with an Austrian technique, have a Euro-glossiness to them, with white, glistening walls and shiny pipes gliding down a rounded ceiling. There's a bit of theme park vibe as well, with retaining walls and fake boulders at the entrance sculpted by the man who shaped and molded Disneyland's Indiana Jones ride.

"A new highway tunnel is a rare beast in this country, and what they are doing at Devil's Slide is certainly different than anything we've seen in the U.S.," said Neil Gray, director of government affairs at the Washington, D.C.-based International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association.

The Tom Lantos Tunnels, named after the late congressman, are the first tunnels built in California in more than 50 years. There are only a handful of tunnels under construction in the U.S. today, including the Alaskan Way Tunnel in Seattle, and the fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel, just 34 miles east of Devil's Slide in the eastern San Francisco Bay area.

Unlike those tunnels built to relieve commuter congestion, this new pair, 15 miles south of San Francisco, will divert a treacherous 1.2-mile stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway that constantly erodes and frequently collapses.

It's a spectacular section of road that was never meant to be.

Just three years after its 1937 completion, the road tumbled into pounding waves below. The road has fallen eight times since, causing costly closures that have devastated communities to the south ? Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Princeton and Half Moon Bay ? that depend on the route for daily commutes and for tourism from motorists heading south from San Francisco.

Each closure turns a 7-mile scenic drive from Pacifica to Montara into a 45-mile detour through the hills, and some have lasted for months.

In addition to slides, every year there are serious ? often deadly ? accidents on the narrow roadway, which twists so sharply that safe drivers are forced to slow to less than 25 mph. Reckless motorists have plunged hundreds of feet down the cliffs or drifted into oncoming traffic, resulting in horrifying head-on collisions. Plans are to turn the road, once closed, into a pedestrian and cycling park.

The new route, once bitterly contentious, became a model of Californian cooperation in 2006 after local voters declared 3-to-1 that they wanted the more expensive tunnels instead of a state-backed 4.5-mile road that would cut inland around a rugged, sage-covered mountain, crossing streams and paving over sensitive plants and habitat.

But not everyone wants to be rerouted.

For decades, Capt. William "Smitty" Smith, has eased his SUV every morning through the stretch, driving south from San Francisco to his charter boat in Half Moon Bay.

"I come around the Devil's Slide bend and the whole world opens up, the entire coast, and I can see what kind of day I'm going to have," he said.

Now, instead of dense fog, rainbows, choppy seas and rolling currents, he'll face a tunnel long enough to challenge the toughest breath holders in the back seat.

Other residents are apprehensive about earthquakes. The tunnels cut through a seismically flashy area, where the notorious San Andreas fault grumbles and jolts.

"I'm not going to like going through those tunnels, but it's mind over matter," said Phoebe McGaw, working in a coffee shop a few miles south of the project. "And it's about time they finish."

Neither on budget nor on time, it was a 5-year, $240 million project when it launched in 2006. Seven years and $439 million later, Y. Nien Wang, project manager for design contractor HNTB Corp., said seismic concerns, along with few existing standards and regulations, made it a particularly challenging project.

The Federal Highway Administration is only now developing national tunnel inspection standards, and doesn't track information on tunnels in any systematic way. And since this was the first tunnel constructed in decades in California, there were many first-time decisions to be made about seismic safety and design.

"A lot of what we did will be a model for future tunnel work in California," said Wang.

The one-lane tunnels with wide shoulders for stalled cars and bicycles are built to withstand a magnitude 7.5 to 8.0 earthquake, the maximum movement geologists estimate for this reach of the San Andreas fault.

Caltrans spokesman Bob Haus said the site's geology also added costs. With one set of machinery for soft rock, a different set for hard rock, crews dug with what were at the time the two largest excavators in the country, 148 tons each. Each time they bumped into a different type of rock, they would have to swap out the entire set of machinery.

"We had to demobilize, remobilize, demobilize, remobilize," said Haus. "That adds up."

And then there were the red-legged frogs. Early on, planners realized that at least one of the 256 streams this protected species lives in ran close to the tunnel sites. Thus, a team of three biologists were hired to protect whatever frogs they could find.

Going from sliding roadway to high-tech tunnels has been a grinding process for U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., who spent hours in emotional hearings about the slide as a county supervisor 25 years ago.

"When we first started debating this issue, I was young and frisky. Now I'm old and color my hair," she said. "But residents on the coast no longer have to live in fear that their road will wash out and they'll be stranded."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-24-Devil's%20Slide%20Tunnel/id-dacb3239fa71479a91c2ab1d28c2badf

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

AMD Turbo Dock tech boosts performance of docked Windows convertible laptops

amd-turbo-dock-convertible-laptop-tablet-windows

While the jury's still out as to whether users will embrace the new convertible laptops that have launched with the debut of Windows 8, AMD is betting that its new Turbo Dock technology can help improve the computing experience whether you're using one in tablet mode or as a traditional notebook.

The chip company says its new feature, to be showcased in devices unveiled at next week's Mobile World Congress 2013, addresses the fact that the hybrid device performs similarly whether it's in laptop or tablet mode, even if you are doing wildly different tasks. To remedy this situation, Turbo Dock will speed up the accelerated processing unit (APU) of the unit when its docked in its keyboard, while drawing less power when it's being used as a tablet.

The innovation will be baked into AMD's new "Temash" chip for tablets and hybrid devices, which will also be on display at MWC 2013. It will counter Intel's current Ivy Bridge processors being used in Windows 8 mobile PCs, as well as the forthcoming Haswell chips. Like Intel, AMD is playing catch-up in the tablet processor space, but hopes its long-time association with traditional Windows desktops and laptops will help it break into the market via the new form factors based around Windows 8.

The Turbo Dock feature is a nice selling point -- especially if it works well in real-world testing -- that marries internal performance to external usage, but will anyone be buying? That's not a question unique to AMD and its new Temash platform. To spur the adoption of touchscreen Windows 8 systems, including the convertible laptops Turbo Dock is designed to work with, Microsoft and Best Buy are planning a $100 discount program starting this Sunday.?

We'll see what types of devices Turbo Dock will launch with as MWC 2013 kicks into gear next week, so stay tuned.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/zdnetaustralia/~3/i2pds87DYQg/

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Ability of brain to protect itself from damage revealed

Feb. 24, 2013 ? The origin of an innate ability the brain has to protect itself from damage that occurs in stroke has been explained for the first time.

The Oxford University researchers hope that harnessing this inbuilt biological mechanism, identified in rats, could help in treating stroke and preventing other neurodegenerative diseases in the future.

'We have shown for the first time that the brain has mechanisms that it can use to protect itself and keep brain cells alive,' says Professor Alastair Buchan, Head of the Medical Sciences Division and Dean of the Medical School at Oxford University, who led the work.

The researchers report their findings in the journal Nature Medicine and were funded by the UK Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health Research.

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the UK. Every year around 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke.

It occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. When this happens, brain cells are deprived of the oxygen and nutrients they need to function properly, and they begin to die.

'Time is brain, and the clock has started immediately after the onset of a stroke. Cells will start to die somewhere from minutes to at most 1 or 2 hours after the stroke,' says Professor Buchan.

This explains why treatment for stroke is so dependent on speed. The faster someone can reach hospital, be scanned and have drugs administered to dissolve any blood clot and get the blood flow re-started, the less damage to brain cells there will be.

It has also motivated a so-far unsuccessful search for 'neuroprotectants': drugs that can buy time and help the brain cells, or neurons, cope with damage and recover afterwards.

The Oxford University research group have now identified the first example of the brain having its own built-in form of neuroprotection, so-called 'endogenous neuroprotection'.

They did this by going back to an observation first made over 85 years ago. It has been known since 1926 that neurons in one area of the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory, are able to survive being starved of oxygen, while others in a different area of the hippocampus die. But what protected that one set of cells from damage had remained a puzzle until now.

'Previous studies have focused on understanding how cells die after being depleted of oxygen and glucose. We considered a more direct approach by investigating the endogenous mechanisms that have evolved to make these cells in the hippocampus resistant,' explains first author Dr Michalis Papadakis, Scientific Director of the Laboratory of Cerebral Ischaemia at Oxford University.

Working in rats, the researchers found that production of a specific protein called hamartin allowed the cells to survive being starved of oxygen and glucose, as would happen after a stroke.

They showed that the neurons die in the other part of the hippocampus because of a lack of the hamartin response.

The team was then able to show that stimulating production of hamartin offered greater protection for the neurons.

Professor Buchan says: 'This is causally related to cell survival. If we block hamartin, the neurons die when blood flow is stopped. If we put hamartin back, the cells survive once more.'

Finally, the researchers were able to identify the biological pathway through which hamartin acts to enable the nerve cells to cope with damage when starved of energy and oxygen.

The group points out that knowing the natural biological mechanism that leads to neuroprotection opens up the possibility of developing drugs that mimic hamartin's effect.

Professor Buchan says: 'There is a great deal of work ahead if this is to be translated into the clinic, but we now have a neuroprotective strategy for the first time. Our next steps will be to see if we can find small molecule drug candidates that mimic what hamartin does and keep brain cells alive.

'While we are focussing on stroke, neuroprotective drugs may also be of interest in other conditions that see early death of brain cells including Alzheimer's and motor neuron disease,' he suggests.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Oxford, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Michalis Papadakis, Gina Hadley, Maria Xilouri, Lisa C Hoyte, Simon Nagel, M Mary McMenamin, Grigorios Tsaknakis, Suzanne M Watt, Cynthia Wright Drakesmith, Ruoli Chen, Matthew J A Wood, Zonghang Zhao, Benedikt Kessler, Kostas Vekrellis, Alastair M Buchan. Tsc1 (hamartin) confers neuroprotection against ischemia by inducing autophagy. Nature Medicine, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nm.3097

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/top_news/top_health/~3/ySYOgQpRh0A/130224142823.htm

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

U.S. troops to set up drone base in Niger

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama said Friday that about 100 American troops have been deployed to the African nation of Niger. Two U.S. defense officials the troops would be setting up a base for unarmed drones to conduct surveillance.

Obama announced the deployment in a letter to Congress, saying that the forces "will provide support for intelligence collection and will also facilitate intelligence sharing with French forces conducting operations in Mali, and with other partners in the region."

The move marks a deepening of U.S. efforts to stem the spread of al-Qaida and its affiliates in the volatile region. It also underscores Obama's desire to fight extremism without involving large numbers of U.S. ground forces.

The drone base will allow the U.S. to give France more intelligence on the militants its forces have been fighting in Mali, which neighbors Niger. Over time, it could extend the reach not only of American intelligence-gathering but also U.S. special operations missions to strengthen Niger's own security forces.

One of the two U.S. defense officials who discussed the development confirmed the American troops would fly drones and other surveillance platforms from Niger military airstrips, tracking militant and refugee movement inside Mali and around the border. The U.S. will share that intelligence with Niger's military, the official said.

Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the project.

The drones at the Niger base will be unarmed and used for surveillance, not airstrikes. Still, the development of a base in Niger raises the possibility that it could eventually be used for launching strikes.

Obama said in his letter to Congress that the U.S. forces have been deployed with the consent of Niger's government. The forces were also deployed with weapons "for their own force protection and security," the president said.

Last month, the U.S. and Niger signed a status-of-forces-agreement spelling out legal protections and obligations of American forces that might operate in Niger in the future.

Africa is increasingly a focus of U.S. counterterrorism efforts, even as al-Qaida remains a threat in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere. Last month's terrorist attack on a natural gas complex in Algeria, in which at least 37 hostages and 29 militants were killed, illustrated the threat posed by extremists who have asserted power propelled by long-simmering ethnic tensions in Mali and the revolution in Libya.

A number of al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremist groups operate in Mali and elsewhere in the Sahara, including a group known as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, which originated in Algeria and is active in northern Mali. Earlier this month, French forces intervened to stop the extremists' move toward Mali's capital, and Washington has grown more involved by providing a variety of military support to French troops.

France has said it will eventually pull out of its Mali operation so that African forces can help stabilize the West African country.

___

AP Intelligence Writer Kimberly Dozier contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-troops-niger-set-drone-011915164--politics.html

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Friday, February 22, 2013

Scientists make older adults less forgetful in memory tests

Feb. 21, 2013 ? Scientists at Baycrest Health Sciences' Rotman Research Institute (RRI) and the University of Toronto's Psychology Department have found compelling evidence that older adults can eliminate forgetfulness and perform as well as younger adults on memory tests.

Scientists used a distraction learning strategy to help older adults overcome age-related forgetting and boost their performance to that of younger adults. Distraction learning sounds like an oxymoron, but a growing body of science is showing that older brains are adept at processing irrelevant and relevant information in the environment, without conscious effort, to aid memory performance.

"Older brains may be be doing something very adaptive with distraction to compensate for weakening memory," said Ren?e Biss, lead investigator and PhD student. "In our study we asked whether distraction can be used to foster memory-boosting rehearsal for older adults. The answer is yes!"

"To eliminate age-related forgetfulness across three consecutive memory experiments and help older adults perform like younger adults is dramatic and to our knowledge a totally unique finding," said Lynn Hasher, senior scientist on the study and a leading authority in attention and inhibitory functioning in younger and older adults. "Poor regulation of attention by older adults may actually have some benefits for memory."

The findings, published online February 21 in Psychological Science, ahead of print publication, have intriguing implications for designing learning strategies for the mature, older student and equipping senior-housing with relevant visual distraction cues throughout the living environment that would serve as rehearsal opportunities to remember things like an upcoming appointment or medications to take, even if the cues aren't consciously paid attention to.

The study

In three experiments, healthy younger adults recruited from the University of Toronto (aged 17- 27) and healthy older adults from the community (aged 60 -- 78) were asked to study and recall a list of words after a short delay and again, on a surprise test, after a 15-minute delay.

During the delay period, half of the studied words occurred again as distraction while people were doing a very simple attention task on pictures. Although repeating words as distracters had no impact on the memory performance of young adults, it boosted older adults' memory for those words by 30% relative to words that had not repeated as distraction.

"Our findings point to exciting possibilities for using strategically-placed relevant distraction as memory aids for older adults -- whether it's in classroom, at home or in a long term care environment," said Biss.

While older adults are watching television or playing a game on a tablet, boosting memory for goals (such as remembering to make a phone call or send a holiday card) could be accomplished by something as simple as running a stream of target information across the bottom of their tablet or TV.

The study was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. R. K. Biss, K. W. J. Ngo, L. Hasher, K. L. Campbell, G. Rowe. Distraction Can Reduce Age-Related Forgetting. Psychological Science, 2013; DOI: 10.1177/0956797612457386

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/living_well/~3/4h0AXX1deF4/130221143946.htm

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Johnson High band to march in Rose Parade

The Johnson High School marching band is among 20 bands chosen to participate in the 125th Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 2014, in Pasadena, Calif., the Pasadena Tournament of Roses announced.

The bands must cover their own transportation and accommodations costs. They're chosen to participate based on several criteria, including musicianship, marching ability and entertainment or special interest value, the organization said.

lkastner@express-news.net

Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/article/Johnson-High-band-to-march-in-Rose-Parade-4296768.php

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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

GOOD OMENS

Hey there~

Just wanted to dangle my feet in the water and ask you all a question.

If I were to create a good omens role play, how many people would join?

I'm willing to go either 1x1 (so just Aziraphale and Crowley, most likely) or up to 10 people (which would include Zira, Crowley, Anathema, Newt, Shadwell, Madame Tracey, and the THEM)

I just wanted to put this out there to see how many responses it gets before I go ahead and make it.

So what's the verdict folks? C:

Image

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/wfC7xjTtOJs/viewtopic.php

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