Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/harry-styles-hit-in-crotch-by-flying-shoe/
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Thursday, February 28, 2013
Video: Fantasy Fix: Which catchers should you target?
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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/50964847#50964847
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Doubts Emerge on the Value of Very Low Cholesterol Levels
Image: frentusha /iStockphoto
From Nature magazine.
Soon after Joseph Francis learned that his levels of ?bad? LDL cholesterol sat at twice the norm, he discovered the short?comings of cholesterol-lowering drugs ? and of the clinical advice guiding their use. Francis, the director of clinical analysis and reporting at the Veterans Health Administration (VA) in Washington DC, started taking Lipitor (atorvastatin), a cholesterol-lowering statin and the best-selling drug in pharmaceutical history. His LDL plummeted, but still hovered just above a target mandated by clinical guidelines. Adding other medications had no effect, and upping the dose of Lipitor made his muscles hurt ? a rare side effect of statins, which can cause muscle breakdown.
So Francis pulled back to moderate Lipitor doses and decided that he could live with his high cholesterol. Later, he learned that other patients were being aggressively treated by doctors chasing stringent LDL targets. But Francis found the science behind the target guidelines to be surprisingly ambiguous. ?You couldn?t necessarily say lowering LDL further was going to benefit the patient,? he says.
The standard advice may soon change. For the first time in more than a decade, the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute is revising the clinical guidelines that shaped Francis?s treatment (see ?How low can you go??). Expected to be released later this year, the fourth set of guidelines, called ATP IV, has been drawn up by an expert panel of 15 cardiologists appointed by the institute. The guidelines will set the tone for clinical practice in the United States and beyond, and will profoundly influence pharmaceutical markets. They will also reflect the growing debate over cholesterol targets, which have never been directly tested in clinical trials.
Since 2002, when ATP III called on doctors to push LDL levels below set targets, the concept of low cholesterol has become synonymous with heart health. Patients brag about their cholesterol scores, physicians joke about adding statins to drinking water, and some hospitals reward doctors when patients hit cholesterol targets.
In 2011, US doctors wrote nearly 250 million prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering drugs, creating a US$18.5-billion market, according to IMS Health, a health-care technology and information company based in Danbury, Connecticut. ?The drug industry in particular is very much in favour of target-based measures,? says Joseph Drozda, a cardiologist and director of outcomes research at Mercy Health in Chesterfield, Missouri. ?It drives the use of products.?
ATP III reflected a growing consensus among physicians that sharply lowering cholesterol would lessen the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes, says Richard Cooper, an epidemiologist at the Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in Illinois, who served on the committee that compiled the guidelines. The committee drew heavily on clinical data, but also took extrapolations from basic research and post hoc analyses of clinical trials. LDL targets were set to be ?less than? specific values to send a message, Cooper says. ?We didn?t want to explicitly say ?the lower the better? because there wasn?t evidence for that,? he says. ?But everybody had the strong feeling that was the correct answer.?
By contrast, the ATP IV committee has pledged to hew strictly to the science and to focus on data from randomized clinical trials, says committee chairman Neil Stone, a cardiologist at Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago. If so, Krumholz argues, LDL targets will be cast aside because they have never been explicitly tested. Clinical trials have shown repeatedly that statins reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, but lowering LDL with other medications does not work as well. The benefits of statins may reflect their other effects on the body, including fighting inflammation, another risk factor for heart disease.
Krumholz?s scepticism is rooted in experience. In 2008 and 2010, the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) clinical trial challenged dogma when it reported that lowering blood pressure or blood sugar to prespecified targets did not reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. In the case of blood sugar, the risks were worsened. The trial demonstrated the folly of assuming that risk factors must have a causal role in disease, says Robert Vogel, a cardiologist at the University of Colorado, Denver. ?Short people have a higher risk of heart disease,? he says. ?But wearing high heels does not lower your risk.?
Jay Cohn, a cardiologist at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, also worries that the focus on LDL levels offers up the wrong patients for statin therapy. Most of those who have a heart attack do not have high LDL, he notes. Cohn advocates treating patients with statins based on the state of health of their arteries, as revealed by noninvasive tests such as ultrasound. ?If your arteries and heart are healthy, I don?t care what your LDL or blood pressure is,? he says.
?We can?t just assume that modifying the risk factor is modifying risk.?
Not all cardiologists want to abolish LDL targets. Indeed, Seth Martin, a fellow in cardiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, believes that ATP IV should reduce LDL targets further. The simplicity of targets has helped to deliver an important public-health message, he says, and motivated many patients to get the statin therapy that he believes they need. ?Just to throw that out the window doesn?t seem like the ideal scenario.?
Whatever the decision, the pharmaceutical industry will be watching closely, says Donny Wong, an analyst at Decision Resources, a market-research company based in Watertown, Massachusetts. Although most statins are off patent, the big pharmaceutical companies are racing to bring the next LDL-lowering drug to market. In particular, millions of dollars have been poured into drugs that inhibit a protein called PCSK9, an enzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis. This approach lowers LDL but has not yet been shown to reduce heart attacks or strokes.
Francis expects the new guidelines to relax the targets. He and his colleagues decided last autumn to change the VA?s own clinical standards, so that they no longer rely solely on an LDL target but instead encourage doctors to prescribe a moderate dose of statin when otherwise healthy patients have high LDL cholesterol. The ATP IV guidelines will take a similar approach, he speculates, noting that the VA consulted several outside experts who are also serving on the ATP committee.
Despite an increasingly vegetarian diet, Francis?s cholesterol has not budged. ?Sometimes I want to call my physician and say, ?Don?t worry about that target,?? he says. ?It?s going to be changing very soon.?
?
This story is reprinted with permission from Nature. It was first published on February 26, 2013.
Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=cce506b4a151d1f8aa11d637c60ec862
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Workout Schedule for Bodybuilding | Body Health ? Bodybuilding ...
Bodybuilding Workout Schedule
Whenever you decide to begin a bodybuilding program you will need a workout schedule. This will help you stay focused and is a necessary part of muscle growth. The schedule is what will get your muscles used to the rigors of strength training and help you gain muscle mass.
A workout schedule for bodybuilding will consist of two components: exercise and rest. You will need to strength train on a regular basis. Usually, trying to do this every day at the same time is a good idea as it helps your body get used to it and keeps you from not putting it off for later. Once you establish a schedule you will get into the rhythm of things and can begin transforming your body.
Rest is another important factor in your bodybuilding schedule. Your muscles need rest in order to recover from the training. When you strength train, your muscle tissues are broken down. They need time to repair themselves so they may grow. This part is just as important as the exercise itself.
If you are looking to gain muscle mass in a very short period of time, you will need to follow an intense exercise program. Begin each workout with a short warm up. This should be five to ten minutes of light cardio. Walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike will work well for this. You should also be sure to stretch your muscles after warming up so they will be ready for the workout.
Warm up before each exercise using approximately half the weight you will use during your working sets. Perform around four to six repetitions with the lighter weight. This will prepare your muscles to work under heavier loads.
Exercise each muscle group, doing two to three sets of each with eight to 12 reps. As time goes by, you will decrease the number of reps while increasing the amount of weight. This is what makes it an intense workout. You are pushing your muscles to the max by using heavier weights. More reps here won?t do you more good, in fact, they may wind up doing less. You don?t want to over train your muscles, you simply want to stimulate them, not annihilate them. More weight is what will do this for you in a short amount of time.
Move through all your exercises and cool down afterwards. Post-workout stretching will help you relax the muscles and begin the repair process. You muscles need to stay flexible, with msucle flowing nutrients to them in order to grow. Work out three to four days a week hitting different muscle groups on different days. Splitting it up like this also keeps you from over training. Rest the remaining days. Your muscles will thank you for it by beginning to grow stronger and before you know it you?ll gain more muscle mass in a short period of time than you ever thought possible.
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Source: http://mybodyhealth.net/workout-schedule-for-bodybuilding/
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Oscars 2013 Backstage: Private Meet-Ups Revealed
MTV News' eyes on the inside share best behind-the-scenes moments.
By Brett White
Bradley Cooper at the 2013 Oscars
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702534/backstage-oscars-academy-awards-2013.jhtml
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Google's E-Commerce Push - Business Insider
Online behemoth Google is preparing to try to "steal online retail from Amazon," according to?Marcus Wohlson at Wired.?
Google's position is a "pretty high perch from which to take aim," Wohlson wrote.?
Big retailers don't have an incentive to work with Amazon, as evidenced by the struggles it has?had breaking into fashion. The big brands already have stores of their own and fear losing their identities to Amazon.?
But what they do want is more play on search, which gives Google leverage over Amazon.?
The San Francisco business Inkling is working with Google to overtake Amazon's Kindle business, according to Wired.?Meanwhile, another startup called Bloomreach helps companies optimize their search results so they'll show up on Google before Amazon does.?
An e-commerce company called Shoprunner doubled sales in one year by improving Google search results, but company executive Fiona Dias told Wired she's wary of the search engine.
?Google will likely evolve from a friend of retailers to a foe,? she said. ?Google Shopping just needs a ?buy now? button to become a retailer rival.?
Google's aggressive e-commerce bid could put Amazon in big trouble, wrote?Kerry Folan at Racked.?
"Google?wants to get in on?Amazon's?online retail domination, and that they're in a unique position to do just that, seeing as Google essentially still runs the internet," Folan wrote. "At the end of the day, customers just want their stuff."?
If Google could get people products as cheaply as Amazon, it could present a real threat.?
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/googles-e-commerce-push-2013-2
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
More proof Mediterranean diet can ward off heart disease
(Reuters) - A Mediterranean diet high in olive oil, nuts, fish and fresh fruits and vegetables may help prevent heart disease and strokes, according to a large study from Spain.
Past research suggested people who eat this type of diet have healthier hearts, but those studies couldn't rule out that other health or lifestyle differences had made the difference.
But for the new trial, written up in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers randomly assigned study volunteers at risk of heart disease to a Mediterranean or standard low-fat diet for five years, allowing the team to single out the effect of diet in particular.
"This is good news, because we know how to prevent the main cause of deaths - that is cardiovascular diseases - with a good diet," said Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, who worked on the study at the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona.
He and colleagues from across Spain assigned almost 7,500 older adults with diabetes or other heart risks to one of three groups.
Two groups were instructed to eat a Mediterranean diet - one supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and the other with nuts, both donated for the study - with help from personalized advice and group meetings. The third study group ate a "control" diet, which emphasized low-far dairy products, grains and fruits and vegetables.
Over the next five years, 288 study participants had a heart attack or stroke, or died of any type of cardiovascular disease.
People on both Mediterranean diets, though, were 28 to 30 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those on the general low-fat diet, the researchers said.
The new study is the first randomized trial of any diet pattern to show benefit among people initially without heart disease, said Dariush Mozaffarian, who studies nutrition and cardiovascular disease at the Harvard School of Public Health.
It's the blend of Mediterranean diet components, and not one particular ingredient, that promotes heart health, according to Martinez-Gonzalez.
"The quality of fat in the Mediterranean diet is very good," he told Reuters Health. "This good source of calories is replacing other bad sources of calories. In addition, there is a wide variety of plant foods in the Mediterranean diet," he added, including legumes and fruits as desserts.
He suggested that people seeking to improve their diet start with small changes, such as forgoing meat one or two days a week, cooking with olive oil and drinking red wine with meals rather than hard alcohol.
Replacing a high-carbohydrate or high-saturated fat snack with a handful of nuts is also a helpful change, experts said.
"I think it's a combination of what's eaten and what's not eaten," said Mozaffarian, who wasn't involved in the study. "Things that are discouraged are refined breads and sweets, sodas and red meats and processed meats.
"The combination of more of the good things and less of the bad things is important."
Teresa Fung, a nutrition researcher at Simmons College in Boston, said that many people in the trial were already on medications, such as statins and diabetes drugs.
"The way I see it is, even if people are on medication already, diet has substantial additional benefit," she added. "This is a high-risk group, but I don't think people should wait until they become high-risk in order to change." SOURCE: http://bit.ly/YuyV7v
(Reporting from New York by Genevra Pittman at Reuters Health; editing by Elaine Lies)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/more-proof-mediterranean-diet-ward-off-heart-disease-233927031.html
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Video: Cardinal accused of mishandling sex abuse cases to take part in conclave
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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/50945272/
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New England storm to pack less punch than feared
The Weather Channel's Kim Cunningham has the latest on a storm that's headed to New England and a second storm that's coming out of the Rockies.
By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Ross Kerber, Reuters
BOSTON - A weather system threatening New England with a third straight weekend of winter storms appeared to be weakening on Saturday night, promising less snowfall than expected.?
Another storm was rolling out of the Rocky Mountains in the Western United States and could create blizzard conditions in Colorado over the weekend, according to a National Weather Service advisory.?
Forecasters were also predicting blizzard conditions from Oklahoma through Missouri early next week when another snowstorm hits an area of the Northern United States from the Plains to the Great Lakes.?
But by Saturday evening, the East Coast storm was moving more east and offshore than anticipated - potentially leaving areas like Boston with much less snowfall than originally expected, said Eleanor Vallier-Talbot of the National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts.?
"The further south you go, the less snow. Boston proper might not even see an inch of snow," she said. "The forecast models have been slowly but surely backing off this thing."?
Related:?Snow, freezing rain to lash New England through Sunday
Much of the Midwest is already blanketed with snow, with more than a foot reported in Kansas on Thursday, forcing airports to cancel hundreds of flights and leaving motorists stranded on highways.?
On Colorado's high plains, up to a foot of snow was possible overnight and throughout Sunday, with winds gusting up to 45 miles an hour, said Frank Cooper, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boulder.?
A spokeswoman for the Denver International Airport said passengers could expect delays on Sunday as crews de-iced aircraft and cleared runways, and a Southwest Airlines spokeswoman, Olga Romero, said 46 flights in and out of Denver had been canceled until 11 a.m. on Sunday.?
States of emergency?
The New England coast - from northern Connecticut to southern Maine - was expecting an extended mix of snow and rain, according to a National Weather Service advisory. Residents were taking it in stride.?
"Look, it's winter, it's New England, it snows. Happens every time!" said Steve Scardino, a software sales executive and lifelong New Englander from Hopkinton, Massachusetts.?
Farther north, near Portland, Maine, the heaviest snow was not expected until Sunday, with accumulations up to 8 inches farther inland.?
The weather service said the storm may bring sleet and freezing rain to the Appalachians and mid-Atlantic states as well, with thunderstorms expected in the Southeast. It likely will dump rain from New York City to Philadelphia, it said. The storm barreled eastward after pummeling the Midwest during the week. In Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Sly James said about 60 buses were stuck on snowbound streets on Friday, and even tow trucks were immobilized.?
After a storm last week dumped some 14 inches of snow on Wichita, Kansas, and 11 inches on Kansas City, residents from Texas to Nebraska were bracing for another one early next week, according to AccuWeather.com.?
Forecasters predicted heavy snow developing on Sunday night and increasing to a rate of 2 inches an hour from northern Oklahoma through central Kansas.?
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback declared states of emergency because of possible power outages and generally hazardous travel.?
Drought-stricken farmers in the Great Plains, one of the world's largest wheat-growing areas, welcomed the moisture, although experts said even more rain or snow would be needed to ensure healthy crops.?
Related:
Storm expected to give New England third straight weekend of snow
Storms to dump snow on New England, heavy rain on Southeast, forecasters warn
?
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The Bird's Eye View Workspace
We rarely have the opportunity to look at our workspaces from above, but hopefully a glance from the top still shows a nicely organized and designed office. Lori and Ken put this comfortable little room together that easily passes the bird's eye view test.
Like with most well-designed home offices, you see mostly black, white, gray, and splashes of color here and there. Lori and Ken used bold red, green, and yellow in both the furniture and the art to provide a consistently attractive look. To see their entire home, hit up Apartment Therapy Tech for the tour.
If you have a workspace of your own to show off, add it to the Lifehacker Workspace Showcase. Be sure to include some details about your setup and why it works for you, and you just might see it featured on the front page of Lifehacker.
A Home Office Overhead | Apartment Therapy Tech
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/m4j9OD0GUK4/the-birds-eye-view-workspace
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Monday, February 25, 2013
Become a Personal Trainer and start a Successful Fitness Career ...
Press Releases
?
Become a Personal Trainer and start a Successful Fitness Career with NESTA's Personal Trainer CertifRancho Santa Margarita, CA, 24 February 2013 -- NESTA's personal trainer certification course will provide the step-by-step success blueprint to getting a job as a personal trainer or starting up a profitable fitness business. The program is accredited by the NCCA.
Getting a fitness certification from NESTA is the first step anybody looking to start a successful career in the field of fitness and personal training should take. NESTA's personal Trainer certification course at http://www.personaltrainercertification.com/ is nationally accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and will provide students with the step-by-step success blueprint they need to either secure a fitness job or start a lucrative and successful career as a personal trainer.
At the end of the certification program, successful certified personal trainers will have all the necessary knowledge and expertise to work in gyms, health and fitness clubs, and private personal fitness studios around the world. Those who wish to start their own fitness business will also find the accredited certification course very useful as they will also learn how to start up their business, develop it, market it and get a lot of personal training clients. The program is a combination of fitness business strategies and fitness training principles.
"There has never been a better time for you to enroll in the NESTA personal training school and earn your accredited personal training certification and education," said John Spencer Ellis, founder and president of NESTA. "Becoming a professional personal fitness trainer is exciting and incredibly rewarding. You can have a career in sports training, wellness, senior fitness, fitness coaching, martial arts conditioning and so much more."
The NESTA nationally accredited personal trainer certification is completely online and self paced. The program will be delivered through easy-to-follow instructional online videos, comprehensive digital manuals, video PowerPoint lectures, online workshop videos, audio training lessons and much more.
About NESTA
NESTA is a professional fitness association offering a wide range of primary, advanced and specialized educational programs. With over 55,000 members spread across the world, the association is one of the largest and fastest growing associations in the world. For more information about NESTA and the accredited personal trainer certification course, please visit http://www.personaltrainercertification.com
NESTA Fitness School
30245 Tomas
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
949-484-8454
Submitted by datwriterguy on Sunday, 24 February 2013 at 10:09 PM
Category: Education
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Head and neck cancer molecular tumor subtypes documented
Feb. 22, 2013 ? Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the seventh most common form of cancer in the United States, but other than an association with the human papillomavirus, no validated molecular profile of the disease has been established. By analyzing data from DNA microarrays, a UNC-led team has completed a study that confirms the presence of four molecular classes of the disease and extends previous results by suggesting that there may be an underlying connection between the molecular classes and observed genomic events, some of which affect known cancer genes. The clinical relevance of the classes and certain genomic events was demonstrated, thus paving the way for further studies and possible targeted therapies.
The study was published in the Feb. 22, 2013 issue of the PLOS ONE.
Neil Hayes, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine and senior author, says, "Cancer is a disease caused by alteration in the DNA and RNA molecules of tumors. A cancer results when broken molecules initiate a cascade of abnormal signals that ultimately results in abnormal growth and spread of tissues that should be under tight control within the body.
"However, most common tumors, including head and neck cancer, have relatively little information in the public record as to how these signals coordinate to create different patterns of abnormalities. This study is among the largest ever published to document reproducible molecular tumor subtypes. Subtypes, such as those we describe, represent attractive models to understand and attack cancers for treatment and prognosis."
Dr. Hayes is a member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and national co-chair of the Data Analysis Sub-Group for The Cancer Genome Atlas, a program of the National Institutes of Health.
The team, composed of investigators from UNC and five other institutions, analyzed a set of nearly 140 HNSCC samples. By searching for recurrent patterns known as gene expression signatures, they were able to detect four gene expression subtypes. The subtypes are termed basal, mesenchymal, atypical, and classical based on similarities to established gene expression subtypes in other tumor types and expression patterns of specific genes.
In spite of being the seventh most common form of cancer in the United States, HNSCC is relatively under-studied in comparison to other tumor types, e.g. breast and lung. By leveraging the similarities found in the gene expression subtypes, the results of this study provide a connection to a range of well-established findings and additional insight into the disease.
Other UNC authors are: Vonn Walter, PhD; Xiaoying Yin, MD; Matthew Wilkerson, PhD; Christopher Cabanski, PhD, now at Washington University at St. Louis; Ni Zhao, MS; Ying Du,PhD; Mei-Kim Ang, MD, now at the National Cancer Center in Singapore; Michele Hayward, RD; Ashley Salazar, BA; Katherine Hoadley, PhD; Mark Weissler, MD; William Shockley, MD; Adam Zanation, MD; Trevor Hackman, MD; Leigh Thorne, MD; William Funkhouser, MD; Andrew Olshan, PhD; Scott Randell, PhD; and Carol Shores, MD, PhD.
Other institutions are the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
Funding for the study was provided by a Clinical/Translational Award from the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University Cancer Research Fund, and a grant from the National Institutes of Health (K12-RR-023248).
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of North Carolina School of Medicine, via Newswise.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Vonn Walter, Xiaoying Yin, Matthew D. Wilkerson, Christopher R. Cabanski, Ni Zhao, Ying Du, Mei Kim Ang, Michele C. Hayward, Ashley H. Salazar, Katherine A. Hoadley, Karen Fritchie, Charles G. Sailey, Mark C. Weissler, William W. Shockley, Adam M. Zanation, Trevor Hackman, Leigh B. Thorne, William D. Funkhouser, Kenneth L. Muldrew, Andrew F. Olshan, Scott H. Randell, Fred A. Wright, Carol G. Shores, D. Neil Hayes. Molecular Subtypes in Head and Neck Cancer Exhibit Distinct Patterns of Chromosomal Gain and Loss of Canonical Cancer Genes. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e56823 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056823
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/OCdgj_NWGKE/130223111351.htm
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Sunday, February 24, 2013
Shirakawa accepts money from Silicon Valley college at center of scandal
A private college in Silicon Valley whose CEO faces federal charges of illegally assisting foreign students enrolled at its campus has shown a pattern of reaching out to California politicians -- passing out thousands of dollars, and in some cases requesting favors.
But while a bevy of state and congressional leaders boosted their campaign funds with contributions from administrators of Sunnyvale's Herguan University, embattled Santa Clara County Supervisor George Shirakawa Jr. did something different: He reported school officials paid him between $1,000 and $10,000 as a consulting fee -- then refused to discuss it further. And shortly after a reporter from this newspaper contacted the university, one Herguan
George Shirakawa, Santa Clara County Supervisor, attends a Board of Supervisors meeting in San Jose, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012. Shirakawa is under investigation amid mounting reports of misusing taxpayer funds to pay for trips to casinos, golf courses and expensive eateries. (Gary Reyes/Staff)
administrator dashed off an internal email that appears to show the money was intended as a political donation, but the veteran politician instead pocketed it as income."You need to be careful," Herguan Vice President Richard Friberg warned school officers on Dec. 6 after a reporter's call. "George Shirakawa is in more trouble."
Friberg's email was sent to indicted CEO Jerry Wang; his father and president, Ying Qiu Wang; and his mother, Chief Financial Officer Su Tong. The subject line stated: "Daisy and George." (Daisy Chu, who is married to San Jose Councilman Kansen Chu, is a Shirakawa county staff member.)
The email continues: "The newspaper called today wanting to know what George is consulting on at HGU. Daisy maybe
taking your money and NOT putting it to Political Donations to avoid the other problems George has with the county and State. She maybe saying it is for 'consulting' so it does not have to be reported on the political reporting forms, but just the tax forms. As an elected official, George still has to list his income sources!"The email raises the prospect that Shirakawa may have run afoul of the state penal code and election laws governing campaign contributions, gifts and outside employment. A misrepresentation on forms submitted to the state -- signed under penalty of perjury -- could add to the supervisor's woes. Shirakawa is already under scrutiny by the county District Attorney's Office and the state Fair Political Practices Commission for expense account abuses and failure to file campaign statements.
According to reports he filed last year, Shirakawa received an unspecified amount between $1,000 and $10,000 from Herguan for "Consultant Services" performed between January and December 2011. The services overlapped with an 18-month period that the Department of Homeland Security was secretly investigating the university, a fact known publicly only after a federal search of Herguan's offices last year.
Shirakawa's Form 700, an economic interest report he must file each year, does not detail his work. When this newspaper asked Shirakawa to produce his contract with Herguan, and to describe precisely what he did for the troubled university and for how long, the supervisor and Daisy Chu rebuffed the inquiries.
Shirakawa offered only: "I had nothing to do with that investigation."
But the email suggests the supervisor may have taken what Herguan considered to be a political contribution, and instead used it as personal income. Three legal experts familiar with Shirakawa's case who reviewed the email on the condition of anonymity agreed the message clearly indicated Shirakawa did no work for Herguan, and that he misrepresented the income reported to the state.
Violations of that type can result in charges of perjury, a felony, and the crime of submitting false documents to the state.
If the money from Herguan was a gift instead of a campaign contribution, then the amount -- even at its lowest reported value of $1,000 -- far exceeds the $420 statewide limit for elected officials. Exceeding that limit can trigger a $5,000 fine, plus the amount of the gift.
If someone makes a campaign contribution, "then it has to be reported as a contribution," said Gary Winuk, chief enforcement officer for the Fair Political Practices Commission. Speaking generally and not about Shirakawa's case, Winuk added: "If you received income, it has to have been from work provided, otherwise it's a gift and needs to be reported as a gift."
In his email, Herguan's Friberg fretted about associating with Shirakawa, stating that the university should avoid "any more bad publicity. It also just makes Jerry's case look bad because it looks like the school and Jerry are associated with corrupt people."
While Shirakawa is being investigated, he is not the subject of any criminal charges. The email nonetheless urged university officials to instead seek out other politicians: "Doing anything that ties you or the schools to Shirakawa will sink the ship!" he wrote. "Get Daisy to focus on someone else like Paul Fong or Mike Honda or even her husband Kansen."
The email was forwarded anonymously to this newspaper, after questions to school officials about its financial dealing with Shirakawa. Herguan administrators, including Friberg, declined to discuss the matter. CFO Tong, who was shown a printed copy, refused to comment other than to vigorously question who had forwarded the email.
Like Shirakawa, Herguan has reason to be concerned about more scrutiny. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, the school's ability to enroll foreign students is now in jeopardy, after the August arrest of its CEO. Wang is charged with aggravated identity theft, filing false documents and unauthorized access to a government computer from 2007 to 2011, and faces up to 23 years in prison and more than $1 million in fines.
Wang is charged with illegally assisting the school's mostly Asian students to the campus off Lawrence Expressway, where they would pay thousands of dollars in tuition for academic credits and degrees that accredited universities refuse to recognize. A 2011 investigation by this newspaper showed Herguan misrepresented information on federal applications, which allowed it to sponsor overseas students for coveted visas.
Wang entered a not-guilty plea in U.S. District Court and is free on bond awaiting trial.
There is evidence that Herguan officials have tried multiple routes to woo public officials, donating individually although their connection to Herguan was not always noted on campaign forms. As recently as September, contributions went to state lawmakers Jim Beall, D-San Jose, and Paul Fong, D-Mountain View, as well as congressional Democrats Mike Honda, Zoe Lofgren, and Judy Chu, of Pasadena.
Herguan sought both money and assistance:
When asked about their connections with the university, the politicians distanced themselves. Lofgren and Judy Chu both emphasized they have pushed for legislation banning what Lofgren calls "fly-by-night U's." Upon learning from a reporter this month that she had received two $1,000 donations from Herguan administrators not identified on her campaign forms with the university's name, Lofgren immediately returned the money.
Shirakawa has previously filed disclosures detailing consulting income. In Form 700s he filed in 2008 when he was running for supervisor, he reported receiving tens of thousands of dollars from consulting contracts with developers, political strategists and a Monterey Road nightclub. But those disclosures involved clients during a two-year period when he worked as a lobbyist after leaving the San Jose City Council -- before becoming a full-time supervisor.
Judy Nadler, a former mayor and government ethics expert at Santa Clara University, said even if Shirakawa worked for Herguan, it raises questions.
"There are two reasons you hire consultants, one is because they have expertise and you hire them to get their skills or information; the other reason is you want a person with the ability to open doors." Given the expanding probe into Shirakawa's abuse of public office, Nadler added: "The more questions that come up about his various activities, the more troubling it is. That's why the public trust is at stake here."
Contact Karen de S? at 408-920-5781.
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Samsung Galaxy S4 Will Not Come with Exynos CPU, Nor Super AMOLED Display, Release Date Yet Unconfirmed
While the Samsung Galaxy S4 release date is getting closer, more leaked details about the next-gen flagship smartphone of the South Korea-based company are starting to hit the web.
After Eldar Murtazin, the faimous Russian blogger,?said that the Samsung Galaxy S4 release date was set for March 14th?during an event held in New York, the guys at Sammmobile?come with fresh details about the technical specifications of the Android-powered smartphone. It was just yesterday when we?ve told you that Galaxy S4 might not come with the Exynos 5 Octa SoC, as Samsung?s proprietary chipset has overheating issues, and today one of the biggest source for Samsung leaks are confirming the info.
According to a Samsung ?insider? quoted by the?aforementioned?tech publication the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be based on a Snapdragon 600 processor, similar to the one fitted inside the recently announced HTC One. The same report claims that the processor underpinning the Samsung flagship says that the Snapdragon 600 processor is overclocked at 1.9 GHz, compared to HTC One?s 1.7 GHz clock rate. The source also informs that Samsung Galaxy S4 will come with 2 GB of RAM and that it will be available in three variants with 16, 32, or 64 GB of internal storage.
The latest smartphone launches have indicated that the 1080p 5-inch displays are becoming the 2013 standard for the high-end Android segment. Samsung Galaxy S4 will reportedly boast a 4.99-inch screen with full HD resolution, but what?s even more interesting is that the South Korea-based company will ditch the Super AMOLED panels.
Sammobile?s trusted source says that the flagship smartphone will come with a SoLux Display, but didn?t reveal more details about it. Is it based on LCD3 technology like HTC One?s display? We don?t know yet, but if it is to believe Murtazin?s report, we will find out in less than a month.
The dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 also leaked?alongside?with other details and it seems that the terminal will be 140.1 mm tall, 71.8 mm wide and 7.7 mm thin, thinner than it?s biggest rival, Apple?s iPhone 5. As it was previously reported the Galaxy S4 will keep the same two-capacitive-one-physical button combo below the 4.99-inch display.
A low-quality photo of the Galaxy S4 also leaked revealing a smartphone that is not following the design language introduced last year by the SGS3, but a square-ish device reminiscent of the Galaxy S2. We?d recommend you to take the rumor with a grain of salt, as the South Korea-based company is usually using some rubber cases on their prototypes, in order to make sure that the real design of their smartphone isn?t revealed ahead of the official announcement.
The Samsung insider quoted by Sammobile claims that the Galaxy S4?s back is made of plastic, but the smartphone?s sides are made of aluminium.
We know almost everything about the Galaxy S4 so far, and it was yesterday when some photo samples posted on Google Plus confirmed that the SGS4 will come with a 13 megapixel camera. We?ve exclusively told you about the Photo Sphere-like Samsung Orb camera feature of the Galaxy S4 a couple of days ago, and hopefully the company?s software?engineers?will get ready just in time to fit it inside the next-gen flagship, so the camera aspects of the new-comer will sure be impressive.
Are you excited by the Snapdragon 600 -?SoLux display team, or would you rather the Galaxy S4 coming with an Exynos chipset and Super AMOLED display? Please let us know in the comments section below.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Softsailor/~3/wyd6ZmQBeUs/
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Saturday, February 23, 2013
UK's "Big Four" accountants under fire from watchdog
LONDON (Reuters) - Companies in Britain could be forced to switch accountants to break up the cozy relationships between the "Big Four" and their clients, blamed for masking weaknesses exposed by the financial crisis.
The "Big Four" - KPMG
The UK's Competition Commission proposed that companies put out their audit work to tender every five to seven years, and change accounting firms every seven to 14 years - roughly in line with changes being discussed at the European Union level.
Investors would also play a role in selecting an auditor, according to plans put forward by the commission, which published preliminary findings from a probe it began in 2011.
The industry was put under scrutiny after auditor "complacency" was blamed by UK lawmakers for deepening the financial crisis.
The Competition Commission found that 31 percent of the top 100 companies in the UK and a fifth of the next 250 firms had had the same auditor for over 20 years.
Competition in the UK is restricted by factors that make it hard for companies to switch accountants, the Competition Commission found, and there is a tendency for auditors to focus on satisfying management rather than shareholder needs, it said.
The findings add weight to a draft European Union law which contains plans for boosting competition in the 27-country bloc's audit market which would override UK changes.
The United States is also mulling auditor rotation as the sector faces questions for giving banks a clean bill of health just before governments had to step in and rescue them in the 2007-09 financial crisis.
Critics have said the Big Four should separate out their audit and advisory units, a step the draft EU law looks at.
"The real issue we have identified is stickiness in the market," Laura Carstensen, who chaired the probe, told Reuters. "The question of break-up was not on our list."
There was "significant dissatisfaction" among big investors, the commission said, but changing the "long standing and entrenched" system would take time.
Its proposals go further than a recent change introduced by Britain's Financial Reporting Council (FRC), which requires companies to consider changing accountants every decade. The FRC said it was pleased the Commission was looking at taking more steps to enhance competitiveness and switching.
PIRC, which represents pension funds and fund managers, said mandatory rotation was the best way to ensure auditor independence and large shareholders increasingly favored this.
The commission also proposes banning "Big Four only" clauses, meaning banks could not insist on a borrower using one of the four top audit firms.
"GROSSLY UNDERESTIMATED"
The Big Four insist there is strong competition and point to downward pressure on fees and some recent switchings of auditors among big companies.
PwC said the Competition Commission had "grossly underestimated" the critical role the audit committees at client firms play in protecting shareholder interests.
Ernst & Young said it was pleased the watchdog found no collusion, abuses or excess profits but rejected accusations that the audit market was not serving shareholders, as did Deloitte and KPMG.
"In addition, we believe that competition between audit firms is healthy and robust and that the evidence supports this," E&Y said.
But second tier audit firms, such as Mazars, BDO and Grant Thornton, welcomed the findings after having argued it would not be worthwhile expanding unless there was some intervention to help prise open the market.
"It's clearly going to make a significant contribution in Brussels as the European institutions decide the way forward," said David Herbinet, Mazars' UK head of public interest markets.
The watchdog did not propose curbing the Big Four's advisory services such as tax to clients they audit and also said joint audits, whereby one of the Big Four must share a customer with a smaller accountant, was a non-starter for now.
Joint audits were a top demand from several mid-tier firms and could still be included in the EU law.
The Competition Commission will publish its full report next week and final, binding recommendations by mid-October.
The European Parliament's legal affairs committee is due to vote on the bloc's audit shake-up next month.
(Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-watchdog-takes-aim-uk-accounting-deals-101916316--finance.html
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Gizmodo: Let Your iPhone Toot Its Own Horn With These Custom Brass Amplifiers
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All-Time Best Baseball Films
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Top 50 baseball movies. The hugely historically inaccurate, "The Babe" or the awful "Babe Ruth Story" won't be found here. Bad "Major League" sequels, baseball movies with Keanu Reeves, "Bad New Bears" sequels or remakes and silly things like, "The Scout" just didn't make the cut...
Source: http://www.ranker.com/list/all-time-best-baseball-films/kirksaw
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Friday, February 22, 2013
Jon Huntsman: Marriage Equality Is A Conservative Cause
Former Utah Governor, and 2012 Republican Presidential candidate, Jon Huntsman has a piece up at The American Conservative in which he endorses same-sex marriage:
It?s difficult to get people even to consider your reform ideas if they think, with good reason, you don?t like or respect them. Building a winning coalition to tackle the looming fiscal and trust deficits will be impossible if we continue to alienate broad segments of the population. We must be happy warriors who refuse to tolerate those who want Hispanic votes but not Hispanic neighbors. We should applaud states that lead on reforming drug policy. And, consistent with the Republican Party?s origins, we must demand equality under the law for all Americans.
While serving as governor of Utah, I pushed for civil unions and expanded reciprocal benefits for gay citizens. I did so not because of political pressure?indeed, at the time 70 percent of Utahns were opposed?but because as governor my role was to work for everybody, even those who didn?t have access to a powerful lobby. Civil unions, I believed, were a practical step that would bring all citizens more fully into the fabric of a state they already were?and always had been?a part of.
That was four years ago. Today we have an opportunity to do more: conservatives should start to lead again and push their states to join the nine others that allow all their citizens to marry. I?ve been married for 29 years. My marriage has been the greatest joy of my life. There is nothing conservative about denying other Americans the ability to forge that same relationship with the person they love.
All Americans should be treated equally by the law, whether they marry in a church, another religious institution, or a town hall. This does not mean that any religious group would be forced by the state to recognize relationships that run counter to their conscience. Civil equality is compatible with, and indeed promotes, freedom of conscience.
Marriage is not an issue that people rationalize through the abstract lens of the law; rather it is something understood emotionally through one?s own experience with family, neighbors, and friends. The party of Lincoln should stand with our best tradition of equality and support full civil marriage for all Americans.
Huntsman is absolutely right, of course. The arguments in favor of same-sex marriage have been stated here before and don?t really need to be restated again. The arguments against, which generally just boil down appeals to tradition and religion that become less persuasive as time goes on. There?s nothing necessarily remarkable about Huntsman joining the growing ranks of conservatives coming out in favor of marriage equality, of course, but I would suggest that it?s at least somewhat significant that the former Governor of what is arguably one of the most socially conservative states in the nation doing so is at least somewhat significant.
More importantly, though, I?d argue that Huntsman?s argument that support for marriage equality is a conservative?cause is significant for reasons that don?t necessarily have anything to do with politics. As a cultural matter, there are mountains of social science studies that show that relationships involving committed couples, regardless of the gender pairings involved, are far more stable that ?casual? relationships. Additionally, it?s fairly clear that established families are far better for children than single parent families, and the evolving practice of homosexuals either bearing children via artificial insemination or adoption has shown that such relationships are just as beneficial for children as heterosexual relationships. What all of this suggests is that allowing gays and lesbians to enter into a legal marriage tends to lead to exactly the kind of social?stability?that conservatives claim that they support.
Sadly, I?m fairly sure that most conservatives will reject Huntsman?s argument out of hand.
Source: http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/jon-huntsman-marriage-equality-is-a-conservative-cause/
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Florida Basketball: Gators' Takeaway from Stunning Loss at Missouri
So much for balanced scoring and solid defense. That formula, which had propelled the University of Florida basketball team to the top of the SEC, fell woefully short Tuesday night as the Missouri Tigers exposed the Gators as a team with virtually no inside presence and an inability to finish.
The result was a crushing 3-point loss for the Gators, who led for most of the game until Missouri took their first lead with 2:47 remaining. The Gators, who only days ago appeared to have a lock on the SEC title, are now clinging to a 1 1/2 game lead over Alabama, with five conference games remaining before the SEC tournament.
The Gators (21-4,11-2), enter the final stretch of the regular SEC season with a myriad of concerns, not the least of which is an inconsistent, inside post game. Against Missouri, Florida center Patric Young was virtually invisible offensively, scoring only two points in four field-goal attempts in his 26 minutes on the court.
Never was the lack of an inside game more apparent than in the Gators' next-to-last possession, trailing by one point with 18 seconds remaining.
The Gators never threatened to go low, before senior guard Kenny Boynton launched an errant 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining. Missouri's Junior Cadougan grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Florida forward Erik Murphy. Cadougan sank two free-throws, sealing the victory for Missouri, which remained undefeated at home (15-0) and improved to 8-5 in the SEC (19-7 overall).
It was an impressive turnaround for Missouri, which lost to Florida by 31 points (52-83) earlier this season in Gainesville.
Biggest Challenge Facing Florida's Basketball Team
-
Lack of an inside game
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Inability to finish
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Lack of a go-to-shooter
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Loss of Will Yeguete
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Poor shooting from the foul line
Biggest Challenge Facing Florida's Basketball Team
The Gators' inability to finish was very reminiscent of its early season loss at Arizona, where the Gators blew an 11-point lead with 10 minutes remaining, before losing by one point, 65-64. The Gators actually led Arizona by 6 points with 56 seconds left in the game.
?
The Gators have blown similar leads in their back-to-back Elite 8 losses to Louisville and Butler during the last two NCAA tournaments.
In spite of a lineup that features balanced scoring, the Gators showed once again that?they lack a prolific scorer they can turn to with the game on the line.
Compounding the Gators' problems at Missouri was poor free-throw shooting. The Gators shot 50 percent from the free-throw line (6-12), including a stretch of five misses in a row during the second half.
Despite these obstacles, the Gators are still in the driver's seat for an SEC title and could secure a No. 2 seed at the NCAA tournament barring any additional setbacks.
But to do so, Gator coach Billy Donovan will have to find a way overcome a number of Achilles' heels, or the Gators could be headed for a disappointing finish. The possible return of injured forward Will Yeguete for the post-season could help, although forward Casey Prather has filled in admirably.
Florida's road to the Final Four has now detoured into the road to recovery. That journey begins Saturday night in Gainesville, when the Gators look to avenge their most lopsided loss of the season in a rematch with Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Gators 80-69 on February 5 in Fayetteville.
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Gaming Commission speaks . . . about problem gambling
February 20, 2013 at 1:33 pm in Casinos, OTB, Racing
In its first press release, the newly minted New York State Gaming Commission has announced a partnership to assist with problem gambling.
In union with the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and the New York Council on Problem Gambling, the gaming commission said it has set up the Responsible Play Partnership to address problem gambling in New York State.
The new group said it is committed to making sure gaming operators honor regulations and undertake proper outreach measures while considering the best ways to advance New York?s long-term commitment to prevent and treat compulsive gambling.
Robert Williams, the Gaming Commission?s acting director said, ?This type of relationship is a critical component of the effective regulation of gaming and wagering within the state.?
Partnership priorities include:
-Swift enforcement laws banning gambling by people less than 18 at OTBs, horse tracks and casinos (21 if alcoholic beverages are served in the facility). Stings are planned.
-Proper resources at gambling facilities to identify and address problem gambling.
-Procedures for the exclusion of self-identified problem gamblers who request that they be prohibited from entering facilities or prohibited from participating in gaming activities are inconsistent, inadequate and/or non-existent throughout the state?s various gaming venues.
-Enhanced outreach and awareness: The New York State Lottery has prominently promoted OASAS? HOPEline (1-877-8-HOPENY) at retail locations, on play cards and tickets, on every VLT and on signage at each gaming facility. The Gaming Commission will expand language referring to HOPEline and make it more prominent at OTB facilities, tracks and casinos, as well as online.
Source: http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/179058/gaming-commission-speaks-about-problem-gambling/
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Meridian Explorer USB DAC Review: Make Your Digital Music Sing
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Thursday, February 21, 2013
Orange County shooting spree leaves several dead
TUSTIN, Calif. (AP) ? Police in the Southern California city of Tustin say at least three people are dead and others wounded after a chaotic 25-minute shooting spree that moved from street to freeway.
Tustin police Supervisor Dave Kanoti says there are several crime scenes and many questions as authorities work to determine if the shootings were connected.
The first call came in to Tustin police at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, but Kanoti says the shootings are believed to have started in unincorporated Orange County with a fatal carjacking. As the carjacker moved into Tustin, police started getting reports of shots fired.
Kanoti says two victims are confirmed dead in Tustin. He says the shooter then went several miles away where he killed himself.
Kanoti says it's possible there are more victims.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/orange-county-shooting-spree-leaves-several-dead-154730398.html
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Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Biological marker predicts susceptibility to common cold
Feb. 19, 2013 ? Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have identified a biological marker in the immune system that -- beginning at about age 22 -- predicts our ability to fight off the common cold.
Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and led by Carnegie Mellon's Sheldon Cohen, the study found that the length of telomeres -- protective cap-like protein complexes at the ends of chromosomes -- predicts resistance to upper respiratory infections in young and midlife adults. Telomere length is a biomarker of aging with telomeres shortening with increasing chronological age. As a cell's telomeres shorten, it loses its ability to function normally and eventually dies. Having shorter telomeres is associated with early onset of aging related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, and with mortality in older adults. Unknown until now is whether telomere length plays a role in the health of young to midlife adults.
"Our work suggests the possibility that telomere length is a relatively consistent marker across the life span and that it can start predicting disease susceptibility in young adulthood," said Cohen, the Robert E. Doherty Professor of Psychology in CMU's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. "We knew that people in their late 50s and older with shorter telomeres are at a greater risk for illness and mortality. We also knew that factors other than aging, such as chronic stress and poor health behaviors, are associated with shorter telomeres in older people. Consequently, we expected that younger people would vary in their telomere length as well and wanted to see what this would mean for their health."
Cohen and his team measured the telomere length of white blood cells from 152 healthy volunteers aged 18-55. These individuals were then exposed to a rhinovirus, which causes a common cold, and quarantined for five days to see if they actually developed an infection.
The results showed that participants with shorter telomeres were more likely to become infected by the cold virus. Further, although there was no relationship between telomere length and infection among the youngest participants (ages 18-21), beginning at about age 22, telomere length started to predict whether individuals would develop an infection. As participant age increased, telomere length became an even stronger predictor. Additionally, telomere length of a specific type of white blood cell -- a CD8CD28- T-cytolytic cell -- was a superior predictor of infection and cold symptoms than other white blood cell types. The telomeres found in CD8CD28- cells shorten more quickly than those found in other cell types, and previous research has found shorter telomere length in these cells to be associated with decreases in markers of immune competence.
"These cells are important in eliminating infected cells and those with shorter telomeres in the CD8CD28- cell population may be at greater risk for infection because they have fewer functional cells available to respond to the [cold] virus," Cohen said. "The superior ability of CD8CD28- T-cytolytic cells to predict infection gives us an idea of which cells to focus on in future work on how telomere length influences the immune system's response to infection and other immune-related challenges."
Cohen added, "The increased importance of telomere length with age is likely because the younger participants had fewer very short telomeres, or that their young immune systems were able to compensate for the loss of effective cells."
Cohen emphasized that "this is preliminary research and further work with other viruses and with natural infections will help clarify its implications."
In addition to Cohen, the research team included CMU's Denise Janicki-Deverts; the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center's Ronald B. Turner; Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh's Margaretha L. Casselbrant, Ha-Sheng Li-Korotky and William J. Doyle; and Elissa S. Epel of the University of California, San Francisco.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases funded this research, with supplemental support from the MacArthur Foundation's Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health, the Eberly Foundation, the Hamburg Fellowship and National Institutes of Health funding to the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Carnegie Mellon University.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Sheldon Cohen, Denise Janicki-Deverts, Ronald B. Turner, Margaretha L. Casselbrant, Ha-Sheng Li-Korotky, Elissa S. Epel, William J. Doyle. Association Between Telomere Length and Experimentally Induced Upper Respiratory Viral Infection in Healthy Adults. JAMA, 2013;309(7):699-705 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2013.613
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/5Rsq4jFxeKI/130219172157.htm
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Lack of rain can put a damper on South Florida
Being drenched in sunlight rather than rain might be nice for tanning and outdoor dining. But a lack of the wet stuff has its drawbacks, and South Florida has been generally parched lately.
Some parts of the region are still experiencing moderate drought conditions despite widespread showers and some thunderstorms on Friday, the National Weather Service said.
"One day of rain doesn't really help the drought," said meteorologist Steven Ippoliti. "It evaporates pretty quick and doesn't soak into the ground enough."
Here are some of the impacts of a lack of rain.
Mosquitoes: A potentially dangerous variety of the nasty little biters "becomes more apparent" during dry sunny days, said Gary Goode, of the Palm Beach County Mosquito Control Division. Called container mosquitoes, they don't need much water to thrive and they can carry dengue fever. "They're not the most aggressive mosquitoes, but they are a nuisance," he said.
Fish: When skies are sunny, some species of fish are hard to catch, said "Capt. Danny" Barrow, of Silver Lining Fishing Charters in Lantana. "Tuna fish have giant eyeballs, and their eyes pull in a lot of light," he said. "So when it's a bright sunny day, they to tend to run deeper.''
Wildfires: Wildfire season is likely to "ratchet-up" quickly, as the ground is drying out and vegetation is becoming kindling, said Scott Peterich, spokesman for the Florida Forest Service. Miami-Dade already has seen several fires. "We're at the point where it doesn't take much to get a fire going," he said.
Air quality: A lack of rain doesn't directly result in lower air quality. However, if wildfires break out, wind carries their ashes and smoke over populated areas, said Maribel Feliciano, of the Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department.
Agriculture: Some farms and nurseries, particularly those that grow lettuce, have already been forced to increase irrigation and "that adds to their costs," said Arthur Kirstein, of the Palm Beach County and University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service.
Water management: Because of year-round restrictions, the lack of rain has yet to endanger water supplies, said Randy Smith of the South Florida Water Management District. However, the dry season has three months to go and "we strongly urge everyone to continue with conservation because that's what always get us through these periods."
kkaye@tribune.com or 954-572-2085
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Tuesday, February 19, 2013
MS Windows Live Essentials for Vista
Hi everyone, got another problem :-)
On my laptop running Visa HP SP2 I have some of the 'Essentials' programmes installed. One of them, 'Writer' is causing no end of problems in that it ceased working some time ago, so I tried to uninstall it and then reinstall it. Of course, WLE is a package, so you have to play with the whole package to install/uninstall/repair etc.
1. I used 'Programmes' in control panel to uninstall, but this left no end of trash behind in the registry so I then after reinstalling I ran the Revo uninstaller and it found 580 registry items that were associated with Writer, which I uninstalled on the 2nd attempt.
2. I cannot now install or uninstall this program in either control panel or Revo as it does not appear to exist.
3. Now I attempted to download and install again, but it will not install as it says a version is still running on my computer. If I look in C\program\writer, there is a whole folder full of files.
4. I would guess that the Revo unistall of all those registry files went a step to far.
On my laptop running Visa HP SP2 I have some of the 'Essentials' programmes installed. One of them, 'Writer' is causing no end of problems in that it ceased working some time ago, so I tried to uninstall it and then reinstall it. Of course, WLE is a package, so you have to play with the whole package to install/uninstall/repair etc.
1. I used 'Programmes' in control panel to uninstall, but this left no end of trash behind in the registry so I then after reinstalling I ran the Revo uninstaller and it found 580 registry items that were associated with Writer, which I uninstalled on the 2nd attempt.
2. I cannot now install or uninstall this program in either control panel or Revo as it does not appear to exist.
3. Now I attempted to download and install again, but it will not install as it says a version is still running on my computer. If I look in C\program\writer, there is a whole folder full of files.
4. I would guess that the Revo unistall of all those registry files went a step to far.
I do have a back-up of them, but suspect that will not help. Really what I wish to do is to clean out all traces of the 'Writer' software.
Any suggestions ??
PS I would also like to get rid of Messenger as that is no longer supported by MS and I don't use it now anyway.
Source: http://forums.v3.co.uk/showthread.php?t=231771&goto=newpost
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