Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/181107426?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Afghanistan cabinet OKs oil deal with China?s CNPC (Reuters)
KABUL (Reuters) ? Afghanistan?s cabinet cleared the way for the war-torn state to sign a deal with China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) for the development of oil blocks in the Amu Darya basin, the Afghan president?s office said on Monday.
The deal covering drilling and a refinery in the northern provinces of Sar-e Pul and Faryab will be the first international oil production agreement entered into by the Afghan government for several decades.
It marks the second major deal for China in Afghanistan after Metallurgical Corp of China signed a contract in 2008 to develop the huge Aynak copper mine south of Kabul, which is due to start producing by the end of 2014.
?The Afghan cabinet has ordered Mines Minister Wahidullah Shahrani to sign an oil exploration contract for Amu Darya with China National Petroleum Corporation,? the statement said.
Jawad Omar, a spokesman for the mines ministry, said the contract would be signed on Wednesday.
State-owned CNPC and joint venture partner Watan Group ? a diversified Afghan company ? will explore for oil in three fields in the basin ? Kashkari, Bazarkhami and Zamarudsay, which are estimated to hold around 87 million barrels of oil.
Under the contract, CNPC will agree to pay a 15 percent royalty on oil, a 20 percent corporate tax and give up to 70 percent of its profit from the project to the Afghan government.
The mines ministry said in October that the deal was likely to result in government revenues of $ 5 billion over the next 10 years.
Indian and Chinese bidders have been front-runners for deals to develop Afghanistan?s vast mineral deposits, which are valued at $ 3 trillion, worrying Western firms that have hesitated to invest in the country due to security concerns.
Experts have warned that mining projects in Afghanistan are likely targets for insurgents, that production and transport costs will be high and that sovereign risk is a serious concern.
But China and India, where demand for energy and industrial inputs is booming, are willing to take risks to secure supplies.
(Writing by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Jane Baird)
Yahoo! News: World ? China
You might also be interested in:
- China?s CNPC says Iraqi oil field now onstream (AFP)
- Afghanistan Says Help Needed to Deal With Foreign Threats
- Analysis: China seeks profit, shuns politics, in Afghanistan (Reuters)
- Roadside bomb kills 15 in southern Afghanistan (AP)
- Afghanistan, Pakistan agree to implement transit trade accord (Reuters)
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U.S. adds surveillance drone on Mexico border (Reuters)
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz, Dec 27 ? U.S. authorities took possession of an additional high-tech surveillance drone on Tuesday to overfly the rugged Arizona borderlands to look for drug smugglers and illegal immigrants crossing from Mexico.
The Predator-B drone is based at the National Air Security Operations Center in Sierra Vista, a few miles north of the Mexico border in southeast Arizona, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said.
The addition brings CBP's fleet of surveillance drones along the nearly 2,000-mile southwest border with Mexico to six. Four are based at the Arizona center, and two more overfly the border from Corpus Christi, Texas.
"The missions from these two centers will allow CBP to deploy its unmanned aircraft from the eastern tip of California across the common Mexican land borders of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas," CBP said in a statement.
The unmanned aircraft are equipped with tools including powerful day and night vision cameras which enable operators to spot incursions by drug traffickers and illegal immigrants slipping over the border from Mexico.
The surveillance operations under the program have led to the seizure of around 46,600 pounds of illicit drugs and 7,500 arrests along the southwest border.
This past year, arrests of illegal immigrants crossing north over the southwest border dropped to 327,577, their lowest level since 1972 when President Richard Nixon was in the White House.
Factors in the stark decline have included tightened border and workplace enforcement, a slowed U.S. economy providing fewer jobs to undocumented workers, and increased drug cartel-related violence in Mexico making the journey north more hazardous, according to analysts.
The arrival of the Predator-B marks the second of two unmanned aircraft earmarked in supplemental budget provisions identified in August 2010.
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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Tebow vs. Orton? 'Time will tell,' says Broncos coach John Fox
During his weekly briefing with the media this afternoon, Broncos coach John Fox was asked whether Denver or Kansas City will have the better quarterback Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Fans are sure to view this as a battle between quarterback Tim Tebow and former Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton.
Fox appeared ready for that question.
"I know we made that decision," Fox said of releasing Orton in mid-November and naming Tebow the starter. "As I would say about anything looking forward, time will tell.
"My interpretation of this week is the Denver Broncos vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. And I am sure it will be their approach as well."
Orton is 44-for-67 for 599 yards with one touchdown pass and
two interceptions in two starts with the Chiefs. That includes the victory over then-unbeaten Green Bay and Saturday's 16-13 overtime loss to Oakland.Kansas City, 6-9, is hoping to finish a trying year on a positive note. The Chiefs lost three top players ? safety Eric Berry, running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki ? in the first month of the season, and head coach Todd Haley was fired on Dec. 12.
The Broncos can clinch the AFC West title and a spot in the playoffs by beating the Chiefs. Otherwise, Denver must hope that San Diego wins at Oakland.
"In my mind (Sunday's game) is much like a playoff game already," Fox said.
?The Broncos coach said there were no updates on injuries to report, including that of safety Brian Dawkins (neck).
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
The Denver Post's NFL reporters post analysis, notes and more on this blog dedicated to the Denver Broncos.
Source: http://feeds.denverpost.com/~r/dp-sports-broncos/~3/H-blJMz5nnI/ci_19621444
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Monday, December 26, 2011
Is model Turkey sliding into authoritarianism?
The trial of prize-winning Turkish journalist Nedim Sener resumed today. His case, along with many others, are raising concerns about Turkey and its model democracy in the Middle East.?
A constitutional law professor, a prize-winning investigative journalist, a noted free-speech activist.
Skip to next paragraphAll of them are among the mounting number of Turkish lawyers, politicians, journalists, and academics put behind bars in recent months on dubious terror charges that are stoking fears that Turkey's courts and police are being used to crush political dissent.
Critics say that such cases are evidence that Turkey is sliding toward authoritarianism, even as it is lauded by Western governments as a role model for the Middle East ? particularly in the wake of this year's Arab uprisings.
"Everyone is so dazzled by Turkey's regional role at the moment that there is almost total silence over this great situation of injustice unfolding at home," says Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey researcher for Human Rights Watch.
Since 9/11, Turkey has convicted nearly 13,000 people of terrorism offenses, more than any of 66 countries ? including China ? examined in an Associated Press investigation published in September.
One case that has fueled fears of authoritarianism is that of two investigative reporters who were indicted as part of an antiterror probe targeting alleged ultrasecularist coup plotters.
Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener, whose trial began last month and resumed today, are accused of conspiring with a gang aiming to overthrow Turkey's Islamic-rooted government ? a gang whose criminal activity they had exposed in the past. More recently, Mr. Sener, who was named a World Press Freedom Hero by the International Press Institute last year, and Mr. Sik had begun investigating the activities of a powerful Islamic network with links to the government. Among evidence seized during Sik's arrest was a book he was writing, in which he claimed Turkey's police had been infiltrated by Islamists.
Prosecutors ordered every copy of the manuscript, which they described as an "illegal organizational document," to be seized.
"If people are satisfied with this democracy, then I wish them luck and happiness," says Sik's wife, Yonca, "but it is not my definition of democracy."
The majority of those being detained are Kurds or pro-Kurdish activists. Turkey's Kurdish minority of 15 million has long faced persecution, and since 1984 Turkey has been fighting an insurgency led by the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
In the first nine months of 2011, more than 4,500 people were arrested and 1,800 held in custody as part of a probe supposedly targeting the PKK's urban wing, according to the Turkish Peace Council.
In October, Ragip Zarakolu, a prominent publisher and free-speech activist, and Busra Ersanli, a constitutional law professor, were among those arrested. Taken at the same time was Kurdish-language teacher Kemal Seven.
Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/QSPwIVb6sOY/Is-model-Turkey-sliding-into-authoritarianism
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Friday's sports briefs
Holloway, Evans make all-state team
ASHEVILLE ? Asheville High senior Tysean Holloway and Franklin senior Thomas Evans were named to the NCPreps.com 3-A all-state football team on Friday.
Holloway was named the Mountain Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,405 yards and 24 touchdowns. Evans was named the Western North Carolina Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year after making 58 tackles and nine sacks.
Hayesville football coach steps down
HAYESVILLE ? Hayesville football coach Gary Miller has resigned.
Miller compiled a 11-23 record in three seasons with the Yellow Jackets, including a 4-7 mark last fall.
Hayesville lost 7-6 to Rosman in the first round of the NCHSAA 1-A playoffs and will enter the 2012 season with a six-game losing streak.
The Yellow Jackets have not had a winning season since 2007.
Hayesville now joins North Henderson as Western North Carolina high schools without a football coach.
North Henderson had hoped to have a new coach before Christmas, but Knights athletic director Jason Joyce said Friday that the Knights are still interviewing candidates.
Reds trade for Cubs reliever Marshall
CINCINNATI ? The Cincinnati Reds acquired left-handed reliever Sean Marshall from the Chicago Cubs on Friday for young lefty starter Travis Wood and two other players.
It was the second time in a week that the Reds gave up several prospects for pitching help.
They earlier sent four players to San Diego for starter Mat Latos.
Nets' Lopez breaks foot, out 6-8 weeks
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. ? With the prospect of a trade for Dwight Howard fading and the season opener less than a week away, New Jersey Nets coach Avery Johnson was getting a feel for his team.
That all changed Thursday when center Brook Lopez broke his right foot.
Lopez had surgery Friday. He was hurt on Wednesday and will be sidelined at least six weeks and probably more.
Source: http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20111224/SPORTS/312240029/1002/rss
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Sunday, December 25, 2011
AskJune_USAA: RT @BBB_MilLine: #BBB Warns of Phone #Scam Aimed at Hotel Guests http://t.co/Ds7w7LBu #SOT #Military #Troops #MilFam #Vets
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Saturday, December 24, 2011
Sony?s Tablet S and P to get Ice cream Sandwich update as well
Sony hasn?t been the most popular tablet manufacturer this year. They came into the market a bit late and their products don?t really offer much more than the competition, specs-wise. There is no doubt that Sony has taken a much different approach in design, but what would make their tablets much more enticing would be the hottest Android version, Ice Cream Sandwich.
Sony will?treating all of its 2011 smartphone line-up with Android 4.0 starting next March/April. But some of you may be wondering what will happen with the tablets, though, which Sony has not mentioned when talking about the updates.
Sony has just released a statement about the matter, and both the?Tablet S and P will indeed be getting an update to Ice Cream Sandwich. Sony has been working hard at keeping its devices up-to-date, so we assumed these bad boys would be getting ICS as well. It is always good to hear it straight from the manufacturer, though.
Sony Tablet? is evolving, and we'd like to keep you informed with the latest updates.Today we're happy to confirm that an update to Android 4.0 will be available for Sony Tablet. Details including timing will be announced in due course, so please stay tuned.
LeeSony
As mentioned, we still do not know when these updates will be coming. We would assume that the time frame should be pretty close to that of the update to Sony?s smartphones, though. Sony promises to give us more information soon, so stay tuned for more details.
Via: Phandroid
Source: Sony UK
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Silence of the Bams, cont?d (Powerlineblog)
Friday, December 23, 2011
Rules Set For Valley Forge Casino's Gaming Floor Access ? CBS ...
An artist?s rendering of Valley Forge Casino?s gaming floor. (Credit: VF Casino Resort)
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) ? The Gaming Control Board has approved some final adjustments to the plan to allow the public to access the gaming floor at the Valley Force casino expected to open next spring.
The Valley Forge Convention Center casino license is a different category of license than other Pennsylvania casinos already open. The gaming law anticipates that smaller ?resort? casinos like Valley Forge are to be used primarily by guests of the resort.
In October, the Gaming Control Board approved the regulations for access by the general public, and on Tuesday, made some minor adjustments to the plan.
Daily visitors to the Valley Forge casino will be able to access the casino floor after spending at least $10 dollars at a restaurant or other amenity at the resort. Members of the resort?s dining club and entertainment club will also be allowed floor access.
Patrons will also be able to gain access to the gaming floor if they are attending a meeting, banquet, wedding or some other event at the facility, and for 24 hours after the event ends. And of course, overnight guests can play.
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Source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/12/21/rules-set-for-valley-forge-casinos-gaming-floor-access/
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Monday, December 19, 2011
Migrant ship sinks off Indonesia; over 200 missing
An asylum seekers who survived a wreck is taken into an ambulance in Trenggalek, East Java, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. Rescuers battled high waves Sunday as they searched for asylum seekers still missing after their wooden ship sank off Indonesia's main island of Java. (AP Photo)
An asylum seekers who survived a wreck is taken into an ambulance in Trenggalek, East Java, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. Rescuers battled high waves Sunday as they searched for asylum seekers still missing after their wooden ship sank off Indonesia's main island of Java. (AP Photo)
Asylum seekers who survived a wreck take a rest at a temporary shelter in Trenggalek, East Java, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. Rescuers battled high waves Sunday as they searched for asylum seekers still missing after their wooden ship sank off Indonesia's main island of Java. (AP Photo)
Asylum seekers who survived a wreck walk outside their temporary shelter in Trenggalek, East Java, Indonesia, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. Rescuers battled high waves Sunday as they searched for asylum seekers still missing after their wooden ship sank off Indonesia's main island of Java. (AP Photo)
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) ? Rescuers battled high waves Sunday as they searched for 200 asylum seekers feared dead after their overcrowded ship sank off Indonesia's main island of Java. So far only 33 people have been plucked alive from the choppy waters.
Two were children, aged 8 and 10, found clinging to the broken debris of the boat five hours after the accident Saturday.
"It's really a miracle they made it," said Kelik Enggar Purwanto, a member of the search and rescue team, as horrifying accounts emerged of the disaster.
The boat ? packed with 250 people fleeing economic and political hardship in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Turkey ? was heading to Australia when it ran into a powerful storm 20 miles (32 kilometers) off Java's southern coast.
It was hugely overloaded, carrying more than twice its capacity, said Lt. Alwi Mudzakir, a maritime police officer overseeing rescue operations.
As strong waves rocked the vessel, panicked passengers started shoving one another, causing it to sway even more violently, he said.
Finally it disappeared into the dark waters.
A 25-year-old local fisherman, Jambe, told The Associated Press that he and his three-member crew spotted several dark dots in the distance on Saturday afternoon and decided to investigate.
They were horrified at what they found: more than 100 hysterical and exhausted people clinging to anything that floated.
On spotting their tiny fishing boat ? big enough only for 10 people ? survivors started racing toward them.
"They were all fighting, scrambling to get into my boat," Jambe said, adding in the end he managed to get 25 on board, many of them injured and all begging for water to drink.
Those left behind were screaming and crying.
"I'm so sad ... I feel so guilty, but there were just too many of them," said Jambe, who like many Indonesians uses only one name. "I was worried if we took any more we'd sink, too."
Indonesia, a sprawling nation of 240 million people, has more than 18,000 islands and thousands of miles (kilometers) of unpatrolled coastline, making it a key transit point for smuggling migrants.
Many risk a dangerous journey on rickety boats in hopes of getting to Australia, where they face years in crowded, prison-like detention facilities. Australia's harsh immigration policy has loosened up in recent months, however.
Those on the ship that sank Saturday had passed through Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, days earlier without any legal immigration documents, according to police.
An unidentified group loaded them onto four buses and took them to a port, promising to get them to Australia's tiny Christmas Island.
Local television showed a half-dozen survivors at a shelter in Trenggalek, the Javanese town closest to the scene of the sinking, some with dazed, empty expressions as they sat on the floor drinking and eating.
Several others were taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
One of the survivors, Esmat Adine, told the official news agency Antara that when the ship started to rock, people were so tightly packed, they had nowhere to go, exacerbating the problem.
"That made the boat even more unstable," said the 24-year-old Afghan migrant, adding that at least 50 of the asylum seekers were children.
At Prigi, the nearest port, several members of the national search and rescue team were getting ready to head out to sea, empty body bags stacked up on the deck, local television footage showed.
Mudzakir said so far 33 people have been rescued, many suffering from severe dehydration and exhaustion.
He was worried ? as the hours passed ? that no one else would be found alive.
Weather was bad Sunday and four fishing boats, two helicopters and a navy ship already involved in the operation were battling 4-meter- (13-foot-) high waves.
"They have scoured a 50-mile (80-kilometer) radius but haven't found anything," Mudzakir said, adding that currents were very strong and the weather was worsening.
Last month, a ship carrying about 70 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan capsized off the southern coast of Central Java province, and at least eight people died.
___
Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini contributed to this report.
(This version CORRECTS that boat sank early, not late Saturday)
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Sunday, December 18, 2011
Sleep Through Your Alarm in This Week's Open Thread [Open Thread]
Same drill as always, open-threaders: You can chat and ask questions with your fellow readers all week long at the #openthread hashtag page, but our weekly open thread post is your opportunity to reach the most people. Ask questions, offer advice, discuss productivity tips, or just chat about whatever's on your mind. You'll need a commenter account to participate, then you're ready to roll.
An extra reminder: If you're not quite satisfied with the interaction in the weekly open thread or in #tips, remember that you can also share your expertise every day on our Expert Pages. Photo by Bev Sykes.
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Saturday, December 17, 2011
Nicole Scherzinger Booed During 'X Factor' Elimination
In this week's elimination episode of The X Factor, the Top 4 contestants -- Melanie Amaro, Marcus Canty, Josh Krajcik, and Chris Rene -- could not be saved by the judges any more; the decision was solely based on viewers' votes. So which three acts will go through to the finals round?
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Friday, December 16, 2011
Toward a therapy to healing stroke
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
With 100 billion nerve cells, the brain is the most complex organ in the human body. "We want to understand the development program behind," says Dr. Steffen Scholpp from the ITG. "We want to find out how individual parts of the brain develop, this means, what makes precursor cells build a specialized area such as the thalamus." Scholpp's group at ITG studies the development of the thalamus. "It is the central interface between the brain and the outer world: Everything that is perceived via eyes, ears or the tactile sense has to pass the thalamus before it is routed to the cerebral cortex for further processing."
In the long term, the scientists want to be able to heal damaged brain parts by a tissue replacement therapy. If, for example, brain tissue is damaged after an infarct, is the body is not able to regenerate this tissue. "Today, stroke is the most frequent cause of disability acquired at adult age and due to its central role, damage of the thalamus is very serious," emphasizes Steffen Scholpp. "For this reason, we have to find a strategy to activate stem cells such that the damaged tissue can be replaced." Recently, an important step was made by the scientists: By studying zebrafish, they identified Lhx2 and Lhx9, the factors controlling the development of neurons in the thalamus. "Without these factors, the thalamus would accommodate undifferentiated nerve cells only ? this means, the precursory cells lack the information required for specialization," explains the biologist. Analysis of brain development in zebrafish allows conclusions to be drawn with respect to the development in all vertebrates, including human. The results of the group are published in the current issue of the PLoS Biology journal.
In the same study, Scholpp and his team identified another factor that acts as "adhesive" in the thalamus: The cell adhesion molecule Pcdh10b ensures development of the thalamus without mixing with the surrounding brain areas. If this factor is lacking, the neurons differentiate, but do not find their target destination. It is now the objective of the researchers to activate these factors in the cultivating dish (in vitro) in undifferentiated cells first for new thalamus tissue to form. In close cooperation with engineers, the biologists are already developing 2-dimensional cell culture systems. In January, they will start a 3D cell cultivation project. "KIT offers excellent opportunities: Parallel to our research, materials researchers work on the development of various biomaterials (biopolymers) which will be tested in the cultivation experiments", says Scholpp.
Dr. Steffen Scholpp thinks that it will be possible to heal stroke patients in the future. "Of course, this will take some years. But it is our ultimate goal to take out quiescent stem cells from a stroke patient and to switch on the specific development biology program in these cells outside of the body. Finally, we plan to bring them back to the position of the damaged tissue. This would be real healing."
Under the Emmy Noether program, the German Research Foundation (DFG) has granted funding in the amount of EUR 1.3 million to Dr. Steffen Scholpp for a duration of five years. The Emmy Noether program is designed to support young scientists in establishing an own working group. The team of Dr. Steffen Scholpp presently comprises one postdoctoral research fellow, three doctoral students, a technical employee, and two master students.
###
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres: http://www.helmholtz.de/en/index.html
Thanks to Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres 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.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116002/Toward_a_therapy_to_healing_stroke
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Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Jobs are growing, period.
We can look at each monthly report and pick it apart, of course. But overall, employment is growing, and that's a great thing.
Is there jobs growth happening in America right now?
Skip to next paragraph Joshua M. BrownJoshua has been managing money for high net worth clients, charitable foundations, corporations and retirement plans for more than a decade.
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Yes.? It's undeniable.? We can look at each monthly report and pick it apart, of course.? We can say it's too slow or too seasonal or too white or not enough small business hiring or whatever.? But the noise is pointless.? The trend is the thing.? As Floyd Norris points out, the trend is higher...
From Economix:
Over the last three months, the job survey has averaged gains of 143,000 per month, while the household survey has gained 318,000 per month. Moreover, the job survey has been regularly revised upward. August went from zero ? a number that seemed terrifying at the time ? to a decent 104,000. The September gain was 103,000 when it was first reported; now the figure is 210,000. October was 80,000 when first reported; now it is 100,000 with one more revision to come.
These are signs of a generally strengthening labor market.
Can it continue and build.? I think so, but the pace will frustrate anyone looking for a miracle.
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on www.thereformedbroker.com.
Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/AW-MfoP0IOA/Jobs-are-growing-period
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Monday, December 5, 2011
Pampered pandas flown into Scotland (Reuters)
EDINBURGH (Reuters) ? A pair of pampered giant pandas arrived in Scotland on Sunday to a reception of cheering and flag-waving crowds while British officials said the 10-year loan of the bears by China strengthened ties between the two countries.
Tian Tian and Yang Guang -- whose names in English are Sweetie and Sunshine -- arrived at Edinburgh airport after flying in from Chengdu, Sichuan province, and were later greeted at Edinburgh zoo by around 450 people waving Chinese and Scottish flags.
"Scotland's relationship with China is hugely important and the pandas represent a fantastic opportunity to deepen our business, cultural and diplomatic ties," said Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Since the 1950s, China has given away pandas as gestures of goodwill in what has come to be known as "panda diplomacy."
Modern China gave its first pair of giant pandas to Britain in 1974.
British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "I know that a huge amount of work has gone into securing their loan and they will be a great showcase for UK-China links in science and research."
Afforded a reception worthy of a state visit, the bears' journey on a private plane was no less extravagant, with four crew members, two attendants, one veterinarian and a cargo handler among the retinue.
Ahead of the flight, veterinarian Tang Chunxiang said he was worried about the pandas' nerves and fear of flying.
"They might get air sick, they may get a bit dizzy on the plane," he said. "...if there is any problem, we have brought some simple medicine."
Visible through clear containers after being unloaded from the plane, the bears appeared nonplussed by the fanfare, one munching on food calmly as a photographer snapped away nearby.
The eight-year-old pair, raised at the Giant Panda Conservation and Research Centre in Ya'an, Sichuan, will become Britain's first pair of breeding pandas in 17 years.
Iain Valentine, director of conservation and research at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, was pleased that five years of negotiation with the Chinese authorities had finally paid off.
"This is the exciting bit, this is the bit I have been waiting for a very long time," he said.
Tian Tian and Yang Guang will not go on display at Edinburgh Zoo for at least a week, until they have settled into their new surrounds. They will remain there for 10 years, after which they, and any young they have, will be returned to China.
Edinburgh Zoo said that, as part of the loan deal, it would pay $1 million (637,105 pounds) a year to China, 90 percent of which would pay for conservation and genetics research. The zoo will also have to find up to 70,000 pounds a year to provide around 18,000 kg (almost 20 tons) of bamboo shoots, most of which will come from a special nursery outside Amsterdam.
Considered a national treasure, the giant panda is seen as having come back from the brink of extinction, but remains under threat from logging, agriculture and rapid urbanisation.
There are an estimated 1,600 living wild in China, almost all in Sichuan. Around 300 are in captivity around the world, the vast majority of them inside China.
Pandas are notoriously difficult to breed because females ovulate only once a year and can only become pregnant during a two- or three-day period.
(Additional reporting by Samuel Shen and Mohammed Abbas; Editing by Nick Macfie and Alessandra Rizzo)
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Sunday, December 4, 2011
Apple's request to block Samsung Galaxy tablet, phone sales in the US is denied
...developing
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Saturday, December 3, 2011
Wind Damage Insurance Information ? CBS Los Angeles
(credit: Ivan Serrano/CBS)
STUDIO CITY (CBS) ? What does home owners and car insurance cover if your property was damaged by the wind?
The California Department of Insurance has provided these helpful hints:
? Most homeowner insurance policies have coverage for wind damage, including a tree falling on a home
? The coverage includes the actual damage and the cost to remove the tree, up to the policy limit
? In most cases, If a tree causes damage to the home, tree removal will be limited to $500
? If the tree falls and does not cause damage to any insured structure, there is usually no coverage for tree removal
? The auto policy?s ?comprehensive? coverage will pay for any damage cause by trees or any falling object on the car
? If a person only has ?liability? coverage (which is mandated by law) they will not have coverage for falling trees or debris
For more information on insurance coverage, click here.
Source: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/12/01/wind-damage-insurance-information/
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First analysis of tumor-suppressor interactions with whole genome in normal human cells
First analysis of tumor-suppressor interactions with whole genome in normal human cells
Wednesday, November 30, 2011Scientists investigating the interactions, or binding patterns, of a major tumor-suppressor protein known as p53 with the entire genome in normal human cells have turned up key differences from those observed in cancer cells. The distinct binding patterns reflect differences in the chromatin (the way DNA is packed with proteins), which may be important for understanding the function of the tumor suppressor protein in cancer cells. The study was conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and is published in the December 15 issue of the journal Cell Cycle.
"No other study has shown such a dramatic difference in a tumor suppressor protein binding to DNA between normal and cancer-derived cells," said Brookhaven biologist Krassimira Botcheva, lead author on the paper. "This research makes it clear that it is essential to study p53 functions in both types of cells in the context of chromatin to gain a correct understanding of how p53 tumor suppression is affected by global epigenetic changes ? modifications to DNA or chromatin ? associated with cancer development."
Because of its key role in tumor suppression, p53 is the most studied human protein. It modulates a cell's response to a variety of stresses (nutrient starvation, oxygen level changes, DNA damage caused by chemicals or radiation) by binding to DNA and regulating the expression of an extensive network of genes. Depending on the level of DNA damage, it can activate DNA repair, stop the cells from multiplying, or cause them to self-destruct ? all of which can potentially prevent or stop tumor development. Malfunctioning p53 is a hallmark of human cancers.
Most early studies of p53 binding explored its interactions with isolated individual genes, and all whole-genome studies to date have been conducted in cancer-derived cells. This is the first study to present a high-resolution genome-wide p53-binding map for normal human cells, and to correlate those findings with the "epigenetic landscape" of the genome.
"We analyzed the p53 binding in the context of the human epigenome, by correlating the p53 binding profile we obtained in normal human cells with a published high-resolution map of DNA methylation ? a type of chemical modification that is one of the most important epigenetic modifications to DNA ? that had been generated for the same cells," Botcheva said.
Key findings
In the normal human cells, the scientists found p53 binding sites located in close proximity to genes and particularly at the sites in the genome, known as transcriptions start sites, which represent "start" signals for transcribing the genes. Though this association of binding sites with genes and transcription start sites was previously observed in studies of functional, individually analyzed binding sites, it was not seen in high-throughput whole-genome studies of cancer-derived cell lines. In those earlier studies, the identified p53 binding sites were found not close to genes, and not close to the sites in the human genome where transcription starts.
Additionally, nearly half of the newly identified p53 binding sites in the normal cells (in contrast to about five percent of the sites reported in cancer cells) reside in so-called CpG islands. These are short DNA sequences with unusually high numbers of cytosine and guanine bases (the C and G of the four-letter genetic code alphabet, consisting of A, T, C, and G). CpG islands tend to be hypo- (or under-) methylated relative to the heavily methylated mammalian genome.
"This association of binding sites with CpG islands in the normal cells is what prompted us to investigate a possible genome-wide correlation between the identified sites and the CpG methylation status," Botcheva said.
The scientists found that p53 binding sites were enriched at hypomethylated regions of the human genome, both in and outside CpG islands.
"This is an important finding because, during cancer development, many CpG islands are subjected to extensive methylation while the bulk of the genomic DNA becomes hypomethylated," Botcheva said. "These major epigenetic changes may contribute to the differences observed in the p53-binding-sites' distribution in normal and cancer cells."
The scientists say this study clearly illustrates that the genomic landscape ? the DNA modifications and the associated chromatin changes ? have a significant effect on p53 binding. Furthermore, it greatly extends the list of experimentally defined p53 binding sites and provides a general framework for investigating the interplay between transcription factor binding, tumor suppression, and epigenetic changes associated with cancer development.
This research, which was funded by the DOE Office of Science, lays groundwork for further advancing the detailed understanding of radiation effects, including low-dose radiation effects, on the human genome.
The research team also includes John Dunn and Carl Anderson of Brookhaven Lab, and Richard McCombie of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where the high-throughput Illumina sequencing was done.
Methodology
The p53 binding sites were identified by a method called ChIP-seq: for chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), which produces a library of DNA fragments bound by a protein of interest using immunochemistry tools, followed by massively parallel DNA sequencing (seq) for determining simultaneously millions of sequences (the order of the nucleotide bases A, T, C and G in DNA) for these fragments.
"The experiment is challenging, the data require independent experimental validation and extensive bioinformatics analysis, but it is indispensable for high-throughput genomic analyses," Botcheva said. Establishing such capability at BNL is directly related to the efforts for development of profiling technologies for evaluating the role of epigenetic modifications in modulating low-dose ionizing radiation responses and also applicable for plant epigenetic studies.
The analysis required custom-designed software developed by Brookhaven bioinformatics specialist Sean McCorkle.
"Mapping the locations of nearly 20 million sequences in the 3-billion-base human genome, identifying binding sites, and performing comparative analysis with other data sets required new programming approaches as well as parallel processing on many CPUs," McCorkle said. "The sheer volume of this data required extensive computing, a situation expected to become increasingly commonplace in biology. While this work was a sequence data-processing milestone for Brookhaven, we expect data volumes only to increase in the future, and the computing challenges to continue."
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DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory: http://www.bnl.gov
Thanks to DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory for this article.
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Friday, December 2, 2011
Bhopal survivors protest Dow's Olympic sponsorship (AP)
BHOPAL, India ? Hundreds of survivors of the world's worst industrial disaster burned effigies of two Olympics officials Friday to protest Dow Chemicals' sponsorship of the London Games.
The protests were on the eve of the 27th anniversary of the disaster in Bhopal, India, where a Union Carbide pesticide plant leaked lethal gas that killed an estimated 15,000 people and maimed tens of thousands.
Nearly 200 people, some carrying banners that read, "Down with London Olympics" and "We want justice," marched to the now-abandoned plant.
They burned effigies of Sebastian Coe, the chairman of the London organizing committee, and Vijay Kumar Malhotra, the head of India's Olympic Organizing Committee.
Dow bought Union Carbide in 2001 and has maintained that legal claims regarding the gas leak were resolved when Union Carbide paid $470 million as compensation for those killed or injured.
The Indian government is seeking an additional $1.7 billion for the victims from Union Carbide, and activists accuse Dow of not cleaning up contamination in Bhopal.
Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh state where Bhopal is located, last month wrote a letter to India's Sports Minister Ajay Maken asking that the country boycott the London Olympics, which start in July.
At least 21 Indian Olympic athletes have also urged the organizers of the London Games to end Dow's sponsorship of the Games, which includes a curtain-style wrap around a stadium where some Olympic events will be held.
Earlier this week, Malhotra said India had no intention of keeping its athletes away from the games. London Olympic organizers have said they will not change their position on Dow's sponsorship.
Five Bhopal victims' rights groups have said they will stop all trains that pass through Bhopal on Saturday to draw attention to their demands.
They say the Olympic sponsorship deal gave undue publicity to a company that was refusing to clean up the toxic contamination of soil and groundwater in Bhopal.
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Monday, November 28, 2011
Cyber Monday gives Black Friday a run for its money
PORTLAND, Ore.?? Cyber Monday. Green Tuesday. Black Friday. Magenta Saturday.
Chances are you won't find any of these holidays on your calendar. Yet retailers are coming up with names for just about every day of the week during the holiday shopping season.
During T-Mobile's "Magenta Saturday," the event named for the company's pinkish-purple logo earlier this month offered shoppers the chance to buy cellphones and some tablets on a layaway plan. Mattel lured customers in with discounts of 60 percent off toys for girls and boys on "Pink Friday and "Blue Friday." And outdoor retailer Gander Mountain is giving shoppers deals on camouflage and other gear every Thursday through December during "Camo Thursdays."
"There are hundreds of promotions going on this time of year," says Steve Uline, head of marketing for Gander. "We needed to do something a little bit different."
Story: Online sales surge 26 percent on Black FridayIt's difficult to get Americans to spend money when many are struggling with job losses, underwater mortgages or dwindling retirement savings. But merchants are hoping some creative marketing will generate excitement among shoppers during the last two months of the year, a time when many of them make up to 40 percent of their annual revenue. And they know that a catchy name can make a huge difference.
"The more special you make it sound, the more you might be able to get people," says Alan Adamson, a managing director at brand consulting firm Landor Associates. "It's tricky to come up with something simple and sticky."
Retailers have done it before.
"Black Friday," the day after Thanksgiving, in the 1960s became known as the point when merchants turn a profit or operate "in the black." Later, retailers began marketing it as the start of the holiday shopping season with earlier store hours and deep discounts of up to 70 percent off.
Black Friday shoppers get bargains, less brouhahaIt's since become the busiest shopping day of the year. This past weekend, "Black Friday" sales were $11.4 billion, up 7 percent, or nearly $1 billion from the same day last year, according to a report by ShopperTrak, which gathers data from 25,000 outlets across the country. It was the largest amount ever spent on that day.
U.S. retailers racked up a record $52.4 billion in sales over the Thanksgiving weekend, a 16.4 percent jump from a year ago, the National Retail Federation said Sunday. It also forecast a 2.8 percent increase in sales for the November-to-December holiday season, down from the 5.2 percent increase in the same period last year.
'Victim of its own success'
But "Black Friday" has been a blessing and a curse: In recent years, it's become so popular that it's known for its big crowds, long lines, and even disorder and violence among some shoppers.
"Black Friday has become a victim of its own success," says Adamson, the branding expert. "It has been successful to the point where it has created the opportunity that if you don't want to deal with the madness, come out on Tuesday or some other day."
Video: Black Friday marred by violence (on this page)"Cyber Monday" was coined in 2005 when a retail trade group noticed a spike in online sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving when people returned to their work computers and shopped. While more people now have Internet access at home, retailers still offer discounts and other online promotions for the day started by Shop.org, part of The National Retail Federation.
The day has grown increasingly popular. Last year, it was the busiest online shopping day ever, with sales of more than $1 billion, according to research firm ComScore Inc.
During this week's "Cyber Monday," the NRF says nearly 80 percent of retailers plan to offer special promotions. And a record 122.9 million of Americans are expected to shop on the day, up from 106.9 million who shopped on "Cyber Monday" last year, according to a survey conducted for Shop.org.
Video: Holiday shopping breaks records (on this page)Marketers are hoping to strike gold again. Many are doing so by appealing to Americans who've become disenchanted with big business and commercialism.
Nonprofit Green America is launching "Green Tuesday" this week to encourage people to buy gifts with the environment and local communities in mind. The group is planning to push the event every Tuesday through December.
Green America, which says it aims to support society and the environment through economic programs, plans to showcase deals on its website, including jewelry made from recycled nuclear bomb equipment from online retailer Fromwartopeace.com and a self-watering system for plants by Dri Water.
Story: Black Friday weekend 2011 sees record turnout"Mass culture encourages people to run out of their house, now at midnight, and go shopping," says Todd Larsen, director of corporate responsibility for Green America, which vetted the businesses it's highlighting on its website to ensure they meet certain environmental and ethical standards. "Why not wait another day or more and buy something that helps others?"
Last year, American Express named the Saturday after Thanksgiving "Small Business Saturday" to encourage Americans to shop at mom-and-pop shops. This year, it offered a $25 credit to cardholders who register on social media website Facebook and shop at participating stores.
The company launched a campaign to promote the day ? including TV ads and marketing materials for small businesses to display in stores.
The effort has worked. Small retailers that accept Amex had a 28 percent increase in revenue during the daylong event last year, compared with a 9 percent rise for all retailers, according to card activity measured by American Express. The company did not disclose the dollar amount spent that day.
Crazed weekend launches crucial retail seasonIt's not clear yet how small businesses fared during the event this past Saturday, but a company survey before "Small Business Saturday" showed that 89 million consumers had planned to "shop small" on the day.
"People get it; they are behind it 100 percent," says Yabette Alfaro, owner of Swankity Swank, a San Francisco home furnishings and accessories shop that participates in "Small Business Saturday." "Our customers don't want to participate in Black Friday. Most of them think anyone making a stand is great."
Lizbeth Turq, a 26-year old in Deerfield, Ill., this past weekend shopped at several local shops during "Small Business Saturday." She ended up buying some gifts for the holidays, including one for her mother at a home d?cor store. Most of the items she found were 20 percent off, she says.
"It's really not an issue of having a sale or not," Turq says, "It's an issue of supporting the community I live in and creating jobs, particularly in the economy we are in."
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45459573/ns/business-retail/
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Sunday, November 27, 2011
Stockard Channing eyes 'Other Desert' return
FILE - In this June 7, 2009, file photo, actress Stockard Channing arrives at the 63rd Annual Tony Awards in New York. Channing, the Tony Award-winning star of Broadway?s play ?Other Desert Cities,? has had to leave the production after undergoing knee surgery. The play also features Stacy Keach, Judith Light and Rachel Griffiths in her Broadway debut. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, file)
FILE - In this June 7, 2009, file photo, actress Stockard Channing arrives at the 63rd Annual Tony Awards in New York. Channing, the Tony Award-winning star of Broadway?s play ?Other Desert Cities,? has had to leave the production after undergoing knee surgery. The play also features Stacy Keach, Judith Light and Rachel Griffiths in her Broadway debut. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, file)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Stockard Channing plans to return to a Broadway stage Friday night for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on her right knee just five days ago.
The 67-year-old Tony Award-winning actress said in an interview at the Booth Theatre a few hours before Friday's show time that she hopes she can reclaim her part in "Other Desert Cities" despite swelling and pain. Recovery time after surgery for such injuries is usually at least two weeks ? and that's for professional athletes.
"Obviously, I'm not out here playing football. I'm just out here walking around in high heels. So blame it on the Manolos," Channing joked.
Dressed in a black shirt and sneakers, the actress rolled up the leg on her sweat pants to reveal two small bandages around her right knee and very little swelling. She's been using crutches and a wheelchair.
"This is maybe stupid. I don't know. But if it doesn't blow up or get painful, I'm doing the right thing," she says. "I think I will be OK. I hope it will be OK."
The Jon Robin Baitz play, about a wealthy, dysfunctional family wrestling with a deep secret, opened Nov. 3. Channing felt her knee collapse backstage after the Nov. 18 evening show and missed seven performances. She underwent surgery on Monday afternoon and is taking an anti-inflammatory drug. She is also routinely icing the injury and sitting with her legs elevated.
Producers are trying to accommodate Channing by supplying her with shoes with a smaller heel on stage, slightly changing some scenes so she won't have to move around as much, and ferrying her between acts in a wheelchair. She hopes those measures will only last a few weeks but expects to miss some matinees because she doesn't want to perform twice in one day.
The play also features Stacy Keach, Judith Light, Thomas Sadoski and Rachel Griffiths in her Broadway debut. It is directed by Joe Mantello. During the performances she missed, Channing was replaced by an understudy.
Channing has been a fixture on stage, TV and film since making her debut as an undergrad in a Harvard University production of "The Threepenny Opera." She first hit Broadway in 1971 in "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and her early film credits include the 1978 movie version of "Grease," in which she played bad girl Rizzo.
She won the 1985 Tony for her role in "Joe Egg," and went on to act in "Six Degrees of Separation" on stage and in the film version, which earned her an Oscar nomination. She is perhaps best known for her role as the first lady on the former NBC series "The West Wing," where she spent time in a wheelchair after breaking her left ankle.
She was last on Broadway in the 2008 update of the Richard Rogers-Lorenz Hart musical "Pal Joey" and sang a beautiful rendition of "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered."
"Other Desert Cities" won rave reviews this fall when it was off-Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater. It won the Outer Critics Circle Award for outstanding off-Broadway play and was nominated for multiple Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Awards.
Channing stayed with the play when it jumped to Broadway and is at her droll best, looking glamorous and shooting off one-liners, like this one to her son: "It's all or nothing with your generation. Either vegans or meth addicts or both at the same time." In one scene, she boasts that she's just beaten her 40-year-old daughter at tennis ? a line that now has a new twist.
___
Online: http://www.lct.org
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