Artificial spleen to treat bloodstream infections: Sepsis therapeutic device under development

Mar. 30, 2013 ? The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University announced today that it was awarded a $9.25 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to further advance a blood-cleansing technology developed at the Institute with prior DARPA support, and help accelerate its translation to humans as a new type of sepsis therapy.

The device will be used to treat bloodstream infections that are the leading cause of death in critically ill patients and soldiers injured in combat.

To rapidly cleanse the blood of pathogens, the patient's blood is mixed with magnetic nanobeads coated with a genetically engineered version of a human blood 'opsonin' protein that binds to a wide variety of bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, and toxins. It is then flowed through microchannels in the device where magnetic forces pull out the bead-bound pathogens without removing human blood cells, proteins, fluids, or electrolytes -- much like a human spleen does. The cleansed blood then flows back to the patient.

"In just a few years we have been able to develop a suite of new technologies, and to integrate them to create a powerful new device that could potentially transform the way we treat sepsis," said Wyss founding director and project leader, Don Ingber, M.D., Ph.D. "The continued support from DARPA enables us to advance our device manufacturing capabilities and to obtain validation in large animal models, which is precisely what is required to enable this technology to be moved towards testing in humans."

The team will work to develop manufacturing and integration strategies for its core pathogen-binding opsonin and Spleen-on-a-Chip fluidic separation technologies, as well as a novel coating technology called "SLIPS," which is a super-hydrophobic coating inspired from the slippery surface of a pitcher plant that repels nearly any material it contacts. By coating the inner surface of the channels of the device with SLIPS, blood cleansing can be carried out without the need for anticoagulants to prevent blood clotting.

In addition to Ingber, the multidisciplinary team behind this effort includes Wyss core faculty and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science faculty member Joanna Aizenberg, Ph.D., who developed the SLIPS technology; Wyss senior staff member Michael Super, Ph.D., who engineered the human opsonin protein; and Mark Puder, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School who will be assisting with animal studies.

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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/O8CKu3xNkz0/130330130531.htm

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Personal Injury - Lowman Law Firm

Personal Injury: The Top Five Weirdest Claims and Five Myths

Posted by Amanda Butler on Fri, Mar 29, 2013

In the world of personal injury, justice is served for those who have been in an accident which resulted in a painful aftermath. But between the falls and accidents in daily life, there exists strange moments which exist somewhere between coincidence and bad luck. It?s also not the strangest incidents that deserve attention, but the negative connotation of personal injury as well. The recorded moments are listed below, along with five myths in regards to personal injury.

What is Personal Injury?

Personal injury is legal jargon for an individual?s physical, psychological, or emotional injury, most often due to the negligence of another person, company, or outside party. The most common personal injury claims are:

• Traffic accidents
• Work accidents, including industrial disease
• Tripping accidents
• Assault claims
• Accidents in the home
• Accidents due to product defect
• Holiday accidents

If the claimant is found to have suffered injury, they receive compensation for their troubles. Some insurance covers these claims and provides legal defense. The system is perceived as controversial by some, due to myths that are listed below.

Top Five Weirdest Moments in Personal Injury History

There are many strange moments throughout history that are sprinkled in every area of life. In the world of personal injury, this is no different. While some stories generate the reaction of ?I can?t believe that happened,? others have warranted the reaction of a simple, confused ?What?? The following moments listed below are sourced from Graphs.net and Visual.ly:

• 1878: a grocer was compensated 734 Euros for slipping while playing Blind Man?s Bluff.
• 1991: an American claimed for $10,000 against Budweiser, under the claim that drinking Budweiser caused him emotional stress and psychological trauma.
• 2000: A client was taking care of her horse in a shared stable when a different person?s horse bit her lip, taking out a chunk of flesh. The horse was not properly cared for and the client received 21,500 pounds.
• 2005: Austin Aitken filed a case against the television show Fear Factor. The show, which often portrays grotesque situations, made Austin nauseous after watching participants on the show eat rats. He did not get compensation due to incorrect explanation.
• 2011: The client was driving in an open-top car when a cement vehicle spilled cement over the client and his car.

Five Myths

The negative connotation of personal injury claims lead to others who rightfully deserve compensation, but don?t seek it out due to the false rumors. Listed below are five such myths. Don?t let these falsehoods get in the way of your justice.

1.) You will always win. Unfortunately, not everyone receives compensation. Your claim may be deemed as inconclusive, like the case of Austin Aitken as listed above.

2.) You have to go to court if you want to get paid. It is much easier for cases to be settled outside of the court, which is the reason it is more common. Most never go to trial, which saves the claimant time and money.

3.) You don?t need lawyers. This is a myth because lawyers are specifically prepared to handle cases. Lawyers are also trained to be more accurate in regards to the amount of compensation, which is more reliable than an average estimate.

4.) Personal injury cases always involve excessive effort. Many think that common cases are complicated and a waste of time. Most cases are settled within a year, while cases take longer to be settled if the disagreements result in a trial.

5.) Every claim is frivolous. This myth is the result of media attention, which reports the frivolous cases to appear entertaining. Most claims are normal people who suffered injuries from legitimate accidents.

Even if your case is unusual, don?t hesitate to get the help you need. Don?t let negative myths get in the way of your compensation. If you or your loved one needs to make a personal injury claim, contact us here at Lowman Law for your accident claims.

Source: http://www.lowmanlawfirm.com/blog/bid/95613/Personal-Injury-The-Top-Five-Weirdest-Claims-and-Five-Myths

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Parkinson's disease protein gums up garbage disposal system in cells

Friday, March 29, 2013

Clumps of ?-synuclein protein in nerve cells are hallmarks of many degenerative brain diseases, most notably Parkinson's disease.

"No one has been able to determine if Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, hallmark pathologies in Parkinson's disease can be degraded," says Virginia Lee, PhD, director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

"With the new neuron model system of Parkinson's disease pathologies our lab has developed recently, we demonstrated that these aberrant clumps in cells resist degradation as well as impair the function of the macroautophagy system, one of the major garbage disposal systems within the cell."

Macroautophagy, literally self eating, is the degradation of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular bits and pieces by a compartment in the cell called the lysosome.

Lee, also a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and colleagues published their results in the early online edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry this week.

Alpha-synuclein (?-syn ) diseases all have clumps of the protein and include Parkinson's disease (PD), and array of related disorders: PD with dementia , dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. In most of these, ?-syn forms insoluble aggregates of stringy fibrils that accumulate in the cell body and extensions of neurons.

These unwanted ?-syn clumps are modified by abnormal attachments of many phosphate chemical groups as well as by the protein ubiquitin, a molecular tag for degradation. They are widely distributed in the central nervous system, where they are associated with neuron loss.

Using cell models in which intracellular ?-syn clumps accumulate after taking up synthetic ?-syn fibrils, the team showed that ?-syn inclusions cannot be degraded, even though they are located near the lysosome and the proteasome, another type of garbage disposal in the cell.

The ?-syn aggregates persist even after soluble ?-syn levels within the cell are substantially reduced, suggesting that once formed, the ?-syn inclusions are resistant to being cleared. What's more, they found that ?-syn aggregates impair the overall autophagy degradative process by delaying the maturation of autophagy machines known as autophagosomes, which may contribute to the increased cell death seen in clump-filled nerve cells. Understanding the impact of ?-syn aggregates on autophagy may help elucidate therapies for ?-syn-related neurodegeneration.

###

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/

Thanks to University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine 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/127519/Parkinson_s_disease_protein_gums_up_garbage_disposal_system_in_cells

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Obama touts infrastructure in Florida trip focused on economy

By Jeff Mason

MIAMI (Reuters) - President Barack Obama walked into the mouth of a giant tunnel in Miami on Friday to highlight proposals to boost investment in U.S. infrastructure, a move designed to show a leader still focused on the economy in the midst of broader policy battles in Washington.

Obama's tour of the Port of Miami tunnel project and a subsequent speech were aimed at convincing members of the U.S. Congress to back proposals that would leverage taxpayer dollars into funds to rebuild American roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

"My main message is, let's get this done," he said. "Let's rebuild this country that we love."

Obama, as he has in the past, said he wanted to develop a national infrastructure bank and capitalize it with $10 billion. The idea is to pull in private-sector funding and pick projects based on merit.

He would also create "America Fast Forward Bonds" that would help state and local governments attract money for infrastructure projects. These would be direct subsidy bonds in which the issuer would receive a 28 percent subsidy of the borrowing cost as a way of attracting a wider set of investors.

In addition, Obama would add $4 billion to support two programs that are used to provide grants for infrastructure projects like the Miami tunnel.

It is unclear how far the proposals will go in Congress. Republicans are reluctant to support what they consider government stimulus spending after a much criticized $787 billion stimulus plan that Obama managed to push through Congress in 2009.

The president noted that some people on both sides of the political spectrum, such as labor unions and the Chamber of Commerce, had supported his infrastructure ideas.

"Building bridges and schools, that's not a partisan idea," he said.

Obama was criticized in his first term for focusing too much on his signature policy goal of revamping the U.S. healthcare system, which critics said resulted in him giving less attention to the slow economic recovery.

The White House rejects that charge.

Since his re-election in November and his January inauguration, Obama has steered a policy push focused primarily on passing both immigration reform and tighter gun control measures.

However, his State of the Union address in February included a series of measures to boost the economy, and the Florida trip fleshed out some of those ideas.

Alan Krueger, Obama's chief economist, told reporters traveling with Obama on Air Force One that the three main proposals outlined by the president would cost some $21 billion but that cuts would be made elsewhere to avoid increasing the budget deficit.

Obama's fiscal 2014 budget proposal, which will be released on April 10, would spell out how they are paid for, he said. All of the proposals require congressional approval.

Although Obama will not run for re-election again, Florida is still important for him and his fellow Democrats. The political swing state backed the president in 2012 and will be critical to determining whether a Democrat holds on to the White House or whether a Republican recaptures it in 2016.

The White House believes an increase in infrastructure investment would make the United States more competitive while providing a boost to the construction industry, which is still suffering high levels of unemployment.

(Additional reporting by Steve Holland in Washington; editing by Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-touts-infrastructure-florida-trip-focused-economy-185512785--business.html

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Expedia's Gay Marriage Ad Helped The Couple In ... - Business Insider

Nikki and Jill Goldstein in Expedia's gay marriage-themed ad.

According to one of the real-life stars of Expedia's gay marriage-themed ad, the spot played an?instrumental role in the adoption of her son.?

Expedia and 180LA released a video last October in which businessman Artie Goldstein hesitantly travels across the country for his daughter Jill's wedding to another woman, which occurred in 2010.

"That startled me. I told her, this is not the dream I had for my daughter," he says. But along the way his perspective completely shifts and he proudly stands at his daughter's side during the wedding.

Nikki Weiss-Goldstein, Artie's new daughter-in-law, recently posted to her Facebook that commercial helped sway a social worker to determining she was fit to adopt her son that her wife gave birth to.

After a frosty meeting with the social worker, that included fingerprinting and a barrage of questions, Weiss-Goldstein told Ad Age,??"then she asked us how our family felt about our relationship. I think Expedia had just come out a week before. We looked at each other, played it for her and she was just in tears. I don't think there were any more questions after that."

She posted on her Facebook, "If we changed that social worker's views that day, we made a small difference in this world."

Both spouses work in advertising, Jill has been copywriter at the likes of of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and Y&R, and Nikki runs?Nikki Weiss & Co. She also appeared on the first season of the reality show "The Real L Word."

Expedia approached the couple after they decided not to participate in season two of the show.

Watch the ad below and check out her Facebook post on Ad Age:

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/expedias-gay-marriage-ad-helped-the-couple-in-it-adopt-a-child-2013-3

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PFT: Romo gets six-year deal from Cowboys

Getty Images

When the Browns signed quarterback Jason Campbell, many assumed he?d potentially become the team?s starter in 2013.? And he?ll definitely get a chance to win the job, since he?s the first signal-caller signed by the new regime in Cleveland, after previously starting in Washington and Oakland.

For now, though, he?s getting paid like a backup, and not a lot when compared to other backups.? A source with knowledge of the contract tells PFT that Campbell?s contract pays out $1.5 million in 2013.

Specifically, he gets a base salary of $1.5 million in 2013, $500,000 of which is fully guaranteed.

That said, if Campbell can win the job, he?ll make more money via incentives.? Specifically, he gets $150,000 for 50 percent playing time in 2013, 65 percent results in $350,000, and 80 percent triggers $600,000.

In 2014, Campbell?s base salary is a bit higher, at $2 million.? He also gets roster bonus of $250,000 due the third day of the league year.

But there are escalators for 2014 based on playing time in the coming season.? Campbell?s 2014 base salary will increase by $500,000 based on 30 percent playing time in 2013.? 40 percent playing time in 2013 increases the 2014 salary by another $500,000.? Ten more percent in 2013?? Another $500,000 in 2014.? And if Campbell takes 65 percent or more of the snaps in 2013, his $2 million salary will double.

Still, his backup pay for 2013 is low, and that?s largely because Campbell?s options were limited.? Especially in light of the egg he laid when he had a chance during 2012 to sub for Jay Cutler in Chicago, during that Monday night debacle against the 49ers.

Campbell could have stayed in Chicago and backed up Cutler, or he could have gone to Cleveland with a chance to win the starting job.? If Campbell pulls it off, he?ll be paid more on the back end.

And if he plays really well in 2013, the Browns likely will tear up the 2014 deal and sign him to something better.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/29/report-deal-done-romo-gets-more-guaranteed-money-than-flacco/related/

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Gay marriage foes draw fire for linking rivals to Nazi propaganda effort (Star Tribune)

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New study aims to prevent sports-related brain injury in youngsters

Mar. 28, 2013 ? Ice hockey accounts for nearly half of all traumatic brain injuries among children and youth participating in organized sports who required a trip to an emergency department in Canada, according to a new study out of St. Michael's Hospital.

The results are part of a first-of-its-kind study led by Dr. Michael Cusimano that looked at causes of sports-related brain injuries in Canadian youth and also uncovered some prevention tactics that could be immediately implemented to make sports safer for kids.

"Unless we understand how children are getting hurt in sport, we can't develop ways to prevent these serious injuries from happening," said Dr. Cusimano, a neurosurgeon and the lead author of the study. "One would think that we know the reasons why kids are having brain injuries in sports, but until know, it was based mainly on anecdotes."

The study used data from The Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program to look at the almost 13,000 children and youth aged 5-19 who had a sports-related brain injury between 1990 and 2009. The results appeared in the journal PLOS ONE today.

The researchers categorized injuries by players' ages, what sport they occurred in and what mechanisms had caused them -- "struck by player," "struck by object" (such as net or post), "struck by sport implement" (such as ball or stick), "struck by playing surface" and "other."

Hockey accounted for 44.3 per cent of all injuries and almost 70 per cent of them occurred in children over 10 as a result of player-to-player contact or being hit into the boards.

Dr. Cusimano said they expected to see high numbers in hockey because it's Canada's "national sport."

"This shows that body contact is still an area where we need to make major inroads to preventing brain injuries," Dr. Cusimano said. "For example, enforcing existing rules and making more effective incentives and disincentives about checking from behind could make huge improvements."

Nineteen per cent of the youth who suffered brain injuries got them during soccer, with most in the 10 to 14 or 15 to 19 age group. In these age ranges, the most common cause of injury was being struck by another player, kicks to the head or head-on-head collisions. In the younger group, age five to nine, players were more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury from striking a surface or a goal post than those in older groups.

"There's a really straightforward solution here," Dr. Cusimano said. "Padding the goal posts could have potentially prevented a large number of these brain injuries in young children."

The results also found that the youngest age group was at the highest risk for getting seriously injured in baseball. Most of the 15.3 per cent of injuries occurred in children under the age of 14, with 45 per cent of them in children under nine.

Ball and bat injuries were most common, with the majority of injuries caused because the players stood too close to the batter or bat and were not supervised by an adult.

"These results give us a very specific prevention message for kids under nine who play baseball: make helmets and supervision a mandatory," said Dr. Cusimano. "The younger the child, the more supervision they need when using things like bats and balls. Simple rules around not being close to the batter can be taught to children and adults."

Football and rugby accounted for 12.9 per cent 5.6 per cent of injuries respectively, and the majority of them were caused by tackling.

Basketball made up 11.6 per cent of injuries, mostly caused by player-to-player elbowing, which increased as players got older.

"There is a real opportunity for prevention here," Dr. Cusimano said. "Having educational programs, proper equipment, rules and other incentives that support a culture of safety in sports should be a mandate of parents, coaches, players, sports organizations, schools, sports sponsors, and other groups like governments."

Funding for the research was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by St. Michael's Hospital, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Michael D. Cusimano, Newton Cho, Khizer Amin, Mariam Shirazi, Steven R. McFaull, Minh T. Do, Matthew C. Wong, Kelly Russell. Mechanisms of Team-Sport-Related Brain Injuries in Children 5 to 19 Years Old: Opportunities for Prevention. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (3): e58868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058868

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/3M3mmJkKrl8/130329125301.htm

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Judge rejects divorce for transgender pregnant man

PHOENIX (AP) ? An Arizona judge on Friday refused to grant a divorce for a transgender Arizona man who gave birth to three children after beginning to change his sex from female.

Maricopa County Family Court Judge Douglas Gerlach ruled that Arizona's ban on same-sex marriages prevents Thomas Beatie's 9-year union from being recognized as valid.

Thomas Beatie was born a woman and later underwent a double-mastectomy, and began testosterone hormone therapy and psychological treatment to become a man, but he retained female reproductive organs and gave birth to three children.

Gerlach said he had no jurisdiction to approve a divorce because there's insufficient evidence that Beatie was a man when he married Nancy Beatie in Hawaii. He said the Beaties never provided records to fully explain what Thomas Beatie actually had done and not done to become a man.

"The decision here is not based on the conclusion that this case involves a same-sex marriage merely because one of the parties is a transsexual male, but instead, the decision is compelled by the fact that the parties failed to prove that (Thomas Beatie) was a transsexual male when they were issued their marriage license," he wrote in Friday's ruling.

A spokesman for Beatie, Ryan Gordon, said the judge's comments came as a shock and that Beatie plans to appeal the ruling. He said Beatie legally was married as a man and never was required to disclose that he retained female reproductive organs when applying for and being granted a new birth certificate in Hawaii as a man. He said Beatie halted testosterone treatments so that he could give birth to his children.

"It's unfortunate that the judge out here doesn't recognize marriage in another state," Gordon said.

Beatie is eager to end his marriage, but the couple's divorce plans stalled last summer when Gerlach said he was unable to find legal authority defining a man as someone who can give birth.

Gerlach's ruling didn't address whether Arizona law allows a person who was born female to marry another female after undergoing a sex change operation.

A separate ruling issued Friday by Gerlach sets guidelines on how the Beaties will co-parent their three children and grants them joint authority in making legal decisions. Thomas Beatie is required to pay nearly $240 a month to Nancy Beatie for child support, but she won't get alimony because the marriage was declared invalid.

Nancy Beatie's attorney, David Higgins, praised Gerlach for the thoroughness of the decision on the marriage, although it wasn't the one she had hoped for.

"He still sees a same-sex marriage, but he gave us all the rulings that we're asking for as far as the children," Higgins said.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights, which isn't involved in the Beatie divorce case, has said courts have declared marriages involving a transgender person invalid in a handful of cases across the country, but that those cases had different factual and legal issues than those in the Beatie case.

Thomas Beatie, known as "The Pregnant Man," was born Tracy Lehuanani Lagondino in Oahu, Hawaii. He began testosterone treatments in 1997 and underwent double mastectomy and chest reconstruction surgery in 2002. He changed his Hawaii driver's license to say he was a man and had a Hawaiian court approve his name change to Thomas.

Gerlach's ruling noted that Thomas Beatie halted the testosterone treatments and that he didn't provide documentation for any additional non-surgical efforts.

Thomas Beatie married his partner Nancy in early 2003 in Honolulu and became pregnant because Nancy was unable to have children. Thomas Beatie conceived with donated sperm and gave birth to children who are now 4, 3 and 2 years old. The couple eventually moved to Arizona.

Beatie has garnered a range of media attention, making the rounds on talk shows such as Larry King and Oprah Winfrey and winning a spot on Barbara Walters' list of "10 Most Fascinating People" in 2008, alongside President Barack Obama, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh and swimmer Michael Phelps. He also published a book, "Labor Of Love: The Story of One Man's Extraordinary Pregnancy," the cover displaying an image of a shirtless Thomas sporting facial hair and holding a hand over his bare pregnant belly.

___

Fonseca reported from Flagstaff, Ariz. Associated Press Writer Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-rejects-divorce-transgender-pregnant-man-162832151.html

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Google Play Movies now available in Mexico

Google Play Movies llega a México

Google has pushed the button and made Google Play Movies live in Mexico. Users south of the border can now rent or purchase select movies, and view them on their Android devices or on the web. Last week we saw the launch of Google Play Books in Mexico, and we're glad to see Google able to provide their content services to more and more countries. 

We've no word on when further Google content will be made available in Mexico, or any other regions where it's currently unavailable. We assume there are teams at work all over the globe figuring out the licensing and regulations in order to deliver all of Google Play's content to anyone who wants it.

If the Movies & TV application is not installed on your Android device, you can grab it at the Google Play link above. 

Thanks, Spook!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/QHNWZNpCZXs/story01.htm

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Gun control: Did Obama let the moment pass?

While polls show a shift in US attitudes, President Obama is insisting, 100 days after the massacre in Newtown, Ct., that it's not too late to get gun control legislation through Congress.

By Linda Feldmann,?Staff writer / March 29, 2013

President Barack Obama urges Congress to take action on measures to protect children from gun violence, Thursday, March 28, 2013, while speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington.

Susan Walsh/AP

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Has the moment passed for tighter gun restrictions?

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President Obama himself raised that question Thursday at a White House event aimed at revitalizing the prospects for legislation, 100 days after a Connecticut elementary school massacre that shocked the nation.

Flanked by families affected by gun violence, the president made an emotional plea for action and insisted it?s not too late.

?The notion that two months or three months after something as horrific as what happened at Newtown happens, and we?ve moved on to other things?? he said. ?That?s not who we are.?

Next Wednesday, Obama will travel to Colorado to highlight the state?s new laws requiring universal background checks for gun buyers and a ban on ammunition magazines of more than 15 rounds. Colorado has seen two of the deadliest shootings in US history ? one last July in Aurora, the other at Columbine High School in 1999.

There are certainly signs that momentum toward significant gun legislation has slipped since Newtown.?In a CBS News poll out Monday, 47 percent of respondents said gun control laws should be more strict, down from 57 percent right after the Newtown massacre. According to Politico, the National Rifle Association is enjoying record fundraising, which translates into more donations to politicians.

In the Senate, a growing roster of Republicans is ready to filibuster legislation. On Thursday, two senators, Marco Rubio of Florida and James Inhofe of Oklahoma, joined three others ? Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Lee of Utah, and Ted Cruz of Texas ? in signing a letter threatening to filibuster any bill with new restrictions on guns.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/oDJpLYBhFE0/Gun-control-Did-Obama-let-the-moment-pass

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How NYC's Ethnic Profiling Unnerves Innocent Muslim Americans (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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U.S. halts Chinese IT purchases over hack attacks

The U.S. has taken its first real swipe at China following accusations that the Beijing government is behind a widespread and systemic hacking campaign targeting U.S. businesses.

Buried in a spending bill signed by President Barack Obama on Tuesday is a provision that effectively bars much of the federal government from buying information technology made by companies linked to the Chinese government.

It's unclear what impact the legislation will have, or whether it will turn out to be a symbolic gesture. The provision only affects certain non-defense government agency budgets between now and Sept. 30, when the fiscal year ends. It also allows for exceptions if an agency head determines that buying the technology is "in the national interest of the United States."

Still, the rule could upset U.S. allies whose businesses rely on Chinese manufacturers for parts and pave the way for broader, more permanent changes in how the U.S. government buys technology.

"This is a change of direction," said Stuart Baker, a former senior official at the Homeland Security Department now with the legal firm Steptoe and Johnson in Washington. "My guess is we're going to keep going in this direction for a while."

In March, the U.S. computer security firm Mandiant released details on what it said was an aggressive hacking campaign on American businesses by a Chinese military unit. Since then, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has used high-level meetings with Beijing officials to press the matter. Beijing has denied the allegations.

Congressional leaders have promised to push comprehensive legislation that would make it easier for industry to share threat data with the government. But those efforts have been bogged down amid concerns that too much of U.S. citizens' private information could end up in the hands of the federal government.

As Congress and privacy advocates debate a way ahead, lawmakers tucked "section 516" into the latest budget resolution, which enables the government to pay for day-to day operations for the rest of the fiscal year. The provision specifically prohibits the Commerce and Justice departments, NASA and the National Science Foundation from buying an information technology system that is "produced, manufactured or assembled" by any entity that is "owned, operated or subsidized" by the People's Republic of China.

The agencies can only acquire the technology if, in consulting with the FBI, they determine that there is no risk of "cyberespionage or sabotage associated with the acquisition of the system," according to the legislation.

The move might sound like a no-brainer. If U.S. industry and intelligence officials are right, and China is stealing America's corporate secrets at a breathtaking pace, why reward Beijing with lucrative U.S. contracts? Furthermore, why install technical equipment that could potentially give China a secret backdoor into federal systems?

But a blanket prohibition on technology made by the Chinese government may be easier said than done. Information systems are often a complicated assembly of parts manufactured by different companies around the globe. And investigating where each part came from, and if that part is made by a company that could have ties to the Chinese government could be difficult.

Depending on how the Obama administration interprets the law, Baker said it could cause problems for the U.S. with the World Trade Organization, whose members include U.S. allies like Germany and Britain that might rely on Chinese technology to build computers or handsets.

But in the end, Baker says it could make the U.S. government safer and wiser.

"We do have to worry about buying equipment from companies that may not have our best interests at heart," he said.

???

Follow Anne Flaherty on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AnneKFlaherty.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-swipes-china-hacking-allegations-193407762.html

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Researchers discover how model organism Tetrahymena plays roulette with seven sexes

Mar. 26, 2013 ? It's been more than fifty years since scientists discovered that the single-celled organism Tetrahymena thermophila has seven sexes. But in all that time, they've never known how each cell's sex, or "mating type," is determined; now they do. The new findings are published 26 March in the open access journal PLOS Biology.

By identifying Tetrahymena's long-unknown mating-type genes, a team of UC Santa Barbara biologists, with research colleagues in the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and in the J. Craig Venter Institute, also uncovered the unusual process of DNA rearrangements needed for sex determination in this organism. The discovery has potential human health implications ranging from tissue transplantation to cancer, including allorecognition?the ability of an organism to distinguish its own tissues from those of another?which can be a first line of defense against infection and illness.

In the study, the scientists show that in this multi-sexed, single-celled organism, the sex of the progeny is randomly determined by a series of "cut and paste" genomic recombination events that assemble one complete gene pair and delete all others.

"We found a pair of genes that have a specific sequence which is different for each mating type," said Eduardo Orias, a research professor emeritus and part of the UCSB team. "They are very similar genes?clearly related to one another, going back probably to a common ancestor?but they have become different. And each is different in a specific way that determines the mating type of the cell."

Each unicellular Tetrahymena boasts two nuclei: the 'germline nucleus' and the 'somatic nucleus'. Genetic information for progeny cells is stored in the former, analogous to ovaries or testes in humans, while genes are actively transcribed in the latter, the "working copy" nucleus. The sex of the progeny is determined during mating, when fertilization results in new germline and somatic nuclei that are made using contributions from the germline nucleus of each parent.

The authors found that the germline nucleus contains a tandem array of similarly organized but incomplete gene pairs?one for each mating type (although Tetrahymena have seven sexes, the particular cell line used in this study has just six). In the new somatic nucleus, a single complete gene pair is assembled when DNA segments from each end of this array are fused to one of the six incomplete pairs, and the remaining five are deleted. This precise but random rearrangement leaves the new cell with exactly one gene pair?and one mating type.

"The mating type of the 'parents' has no influence whatsoever on the sex of the progeny," Orias said. "It's completely random, as if they had roulette wheel with six numbers and wherever the marble ends up is what they get. By chance they may have same mating type as the parents?but it's only by chance. It's a fascinating system."

"By understanding this process better in Tetrahymena, what we learn ultimately may be of use in medicine," Orias said. "Tetrahymena has about as many genes as the human genome. For thousands of those genes you can recognize the sequence similarity to corresponding genes in the human genome with the same biological function. That's what makes it a valuable organism to investigate important biological questions."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Marcella D. Cervantes, Eileen P. Hamilton, Jie Xiong, Michael J. Lawson, Dongxia Yuan, Michalis Hadjithomas, Wei Miao, Eduardo Orias. Selecting One of Several Mating Types through Gene Segment Joining and Deletion in Tetrahymena thermophila. PLoS Biology, 2013; 11 (3): e1001518 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001518

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/zD4vlCQXda8/130326194102.htm

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APNewsBreak: Pentagon cuts number of furlough days (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson goes 2-1 at jiu-jitsu tournament

UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will fight Gilbert Melendez on April 20, but he took on other competitors over the weekend. Henderson competed in the 2013 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships. He won his first two matches, but lost 8-0 to Jaime Soares Canuto.

Henderson, a brown belt in jiu-jitsu, decided to do the tournament for fun. It wasn't a break from training for the bout with Melendez. Henderson's coach said he did six rounds of MMA sparring on Saturday before competing on Sunday. Instead, it was just a little bit of competition.

He tweeted about the tournament:

Guess who still got #OnePercentBetter today??? That's right, this guy did...congrats to all the #PanAms2013 winners twitpic.com/ce5c8n

? Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) March 25, 2013

Just got done w/#2013PanAm 's, didn't go the way I wanted, 2-1, on the day, lost 8-0...had a blast, MUCH LOVE to the #BJJ community...

? Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) March 25, 2013

What are your thoughts on Henderson competing just weeks before his fight? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-lightweight-champ-benson-henderson-goes-2-1-200528627--mma.html

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Delinquent Balances on Home Equity Lines Drop 28 Percent ...

According to Equifax's latest National Consumer Credit Trends Report, severe derogatory or charged-off balances, the bulk of student loan write-offs, for the first two months of the year hit $3 billion, an increase of more than 36 percent from same time a year ago ($1.9 billion) while balances in bankruptcy remained level at $0.5 billion.?In the home finance department, severely delinquent balances on home equity lines of credit declined 28 percent from February 2012 to February 2013, from $14 billion to less than $10 billion.?Severely delinquent balances on closed-end home equity loans declined 25 percent from February 2012 to February 2013, from $6.6 billion to $5 billion.?In that same time, severely delinquent balances on first mortgages declined 23 percent, from $490 billion to $375 billion. Sixty-five?percent of total severely delinquent balances on first mortgages are tied to loans opened from 2005-2007.?Similarly, 73 percent of delinquent balances on home equity lines of credit were opened in that same time period.

"Driven heavily by economic factors, including unemployed or under-employed consumers going back to school along with the rising cost of tuition, student lending has demonstrated consistent, year-over-year growth," said Equifax Chief Economist Amy Crews Cutts. "Continued weakness in labor markets is limiting work options once people graduate or quit their programs, leading to a steady rise in delinquencies and loan write-offs. Many policy options are being discussed regarding how to reduce some of the burden, including graduated payments that reflect the lower starting salaries of new graduates, and improve the performance of these loans."

Other changes in student loan characteristics from February 2012 to February 2013:

?Balances outstanding on student loans increased more than 14 percent, from $746.3 billion to $852.7 billion.

?The number of student loans outstanding increased nearly 13 percent, from 108 million to more than 123 million.

"Student loans are unique today in that they are the only major form of credit that is not rigorously underwritten on either a past credit-performance basis (such as using credit scores) or ability to pay based in income," said Crews Cutts.

?

Source: http://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news35818/student-loans-highlighted-recent-equifax-report

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Usher, Fogerty sign on for Rock Hall ceremony

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/usher-fogerty-sign-rock-hall-ceremony-152851793.html

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Rebel leader takes Central African capital, dissolves constitution

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) ? A rebel leader whose fighters seized the capital of Central African Republic over the weekend has taken to the airwaves to make his first declaration, announcing he has dissolved the country's constitution and will stay in power for three years, according to excerpts from the broadcast carried on French radio.

Michel Djotodia, one of the leaders of the Seleka rebel coalition, said late Monday that he plans to stay in power until 2016, the length of time left in the term of the president he and his soldiers overthrew.

Ousted President Francois Bozize fled the presidential palace over the weekend, resurfacing Monday in the neighboring nation of Cameroon, where the government issued a statement saying he had sought "temporary exile" on their soil.

The Seleka rebel leader justified his coup d'etat, saying Bozize had veered into dictatorship during his 10 years in power.

"Through us, it was the entire population of Central African Republic that rose up as a single man against the president," Djotodia said, according to Radio France Internationale.

"To this effect, we have decided to guide the destiny of the people of the Central African Republic during this transitional period of three years, in keeping with the spirit of the accords signed in Libreville in January 11, 2013 ... As a result, I have decided that it is, therefore, necessary to dissolve the constitution of Dec. 27, 2004, as well as the parliament and the government," he said.

Meanwhile, French forces protecting Bangui's main airport opened fire on three cars that were speeding toward a security checkpoint, said the French Defense Ministry.

The cars, carrying Indian and Chadian citizens, continued despite warning shots. Two Indian citizens were killed, and the wounded Indian and Chadian passengers were taken for medical care, the defense minister said in the statement Monday.

France is investigating into the shooting, the statement said.

Pillaging, meanwhile, continued in the capital, Bangui, days after the Seleka rebels took the city. The rebels' advance started last week when they pushed past Damara, a town 75 kilometers (47 miles) to the northeast, which had marked the line of control drawn by regional forces in January, following an accord signed in Libreville, the capital of neighboring Gabon.

The rebels broke that accord last week, claiming that Bozize's government had failed to make good on a series of promises, including sending back the South African troops guarding the capital. The South African troops came under an onslaught of fire from the Seleka rebels, who shot and killed 13 South African soldiers over the weekend, in their fight to take the capital.

Seleka is a loose coalition of fighters, many of whom fought in previous rebellions. They joined forces last fall, beginning their advance toward the capital in December.

The developments mirrored a similar rebellion in eastern Congo by the M23 rebels, who took the provincial capital of Goma, pressing the government which then agreed to enter into talks with them. Seleka seemed to be taking a page from the Congolese rebels' playbook as they advanced to less than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the capital.

The Seleka fighters benefited from the growing dissatisfaction with Bozize, who came to power in 2003, at the helm of a column of a different rebel group which also invaded the capital and toppled the former leader.

Bozize is accused of growing cronyism, and in the last election in 2011, around 20 of Bozize's family members and close associates including former mistresses, won posts in the government, according to Louisa Lombard, a postdoctoral fellow in geography at the University of California, Berkeley.

"There was the sense that governing was being carried out by a tighter and tighter circle of people around Bozize," says Lombard, who has been travelling to Central African Republic for the past 10 years for research.

"And although all sorts of technocratic procedures were in place to make the government more inclusive, it was in fact less and less inclusive. The more technocratic people got sidelined. Those who held positions of power did not have much education, much background in their chosen field. There was a disregard for any kind of merit in governing."

Lombard cautions, however, that the Seleka coalition is very loosely held together. Already on Monday, a different rebel leader, 26-year-old Nelson N'Djadder who is based in Paris, said that he does not recognize Djotodia as their new president.

"Seleka is a very heterogeneous group. That is something we noticed since the beginning, when it first emerged," said Lombard. "Holding it together will be a big problem."

___

Lori Hinnant contributed to this report from Paris.

___

Rukmini Callimachi can be reached at www.twitter.com/rcallimachi

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rebel-leader-dissolves-c-african-constitution-104121961.html

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Hate allergy shots? Oral allergy drops are a pretty good option for some allergy and allergic asthma sufferers, review suggests

Mar. 26, 2013 ? A scientific review of 63 published studies affirms that putting small amounts of purified grasses, ragweed, dust mites, pollen and mold, in liquid drops under the tongue is a safe and effective alternative to weekly injections of those allergens or the use of other medications, in treating symptoms of allergies and allergic asthma in some people.

Results of the review, conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins, are contained in a report to be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association online March 27. The report is believed to be the largest synopsis of its kind, reviewing previous research comparing various therapies designed to stop the wheezing, sneezing and runny nose that accompany allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and allergic asthma, researchers say.

Specifically, the Johns Hopkins team analyzed 63 studies, involving some 5,131 participants, almost all in Europe, where allergy drops, or so-called sublingual immunotherapy, have been widely available for nearly two decades. Sublingual therapies have not been approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but physicians in the United States do use the drops "off-label" for some patients.

In eight of 13 studies evaluated, researchers found what they say is "strong evidence" that drop therapy produced a 40 percent or greater reduction in coughing, wheezing, and tightness in the chest compared with other treatments, including inhaled steroids.

In nine of 36 studies comparing allergy drops to other allergy treatments, including antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays, researchers found that allergy drops produced a 40 percent or greater reduction in symptoms of runny nose, sneezing and nasal congestion, results which they describe as "moderate evidence" in support of using sublingual immunotherapy.

"Our findings are clear evidence that sublingual immunotherapy in the form of allergy drops are an effective potential treatment option for millions of Americans suffering from allergic asthma and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis," says senior study investigator Sandra Lin, M.D.

According to Lin, an associate professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, allergy drops are more convenient for many people because they can be taken at home, and allow such individuals to avoid the discomfort and travel time needed for regularly scheduled trips to the physician's office for an allergy shot. Lin says that, according to current estimates, as many as 40 percent of Americans suffer from some form of allergic rhinitis or allergic asthma.

Lin cautions that drop therapies may not be for all sufferers of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and allergic asthma, but that many will want to weigh the risks and benefits of sublingual immunotherapy before deciding on long-term treatment options.

Study funding was provided by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The corresponding grant number is HHSA 290-2007-10061.

Other Johns Hopkins researchers involved include Jodi Segal, M.D., M.P.H.; Darcy Ward, B.A.; Yohalakshmi Chelladurai, M.B.B.S.; Catalina Suarez-Cuervo, M.D.; Murugappan Ramanathan, M.D.; Julia Kim, M.D., M.P.H.; and Nkiruka Erekosima, M.D., M.P.H.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medicine.

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Journal Reference:

1. Sandra Y. Lin et al. Sublingual Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis and AsthmaA Systematic ReviewImmunotherapy for Rhinoconjunctivitis and Asthma. JAMA, 2013; 309 (12): 1278 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2013.2049

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/GW_MJ5U1Gsk/130326193829.htm

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Centrica to buy U.S. natural gas in landmark deal

By Oleg Vukmanovic , Lorraine Turner and Edward McAllister

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Britain's Centrica PLC signed a long-term deal to import U.S. natural gas on Monday, the first pact of its kind for the island nation as it weathers a winter energy crisis.

The 20-year deal with U.S. exporter Cheniere Energy Inc will supply enough liquefied natural gas (LNG) to heat 1.8 million British homes starting in 2018, and comes as domestic gas production continues to decline while U.S. output hits record highs.

Reuters reported earlier in March that Centrica, Britain's biggest household energy supplier, was in talks with Cheniere to secure the country's first long-term LNG import deal in a bid to guarantee supplies and tame price spikes.

The issue of gas imports has come to the fore this month as late winter cold reduced stockpiles to around a 10th of their capacity, sparking fears of supply restrictions as forecasts show wintry weather continuing into early April.

Prime Minister David Cameron, under pressure to bolster Britain's vulnerable energy import infrastructure, welcomed the Centrica deal, which will diversify the country's energy mix away from dependency on a small group of existing gas suppliers and will give Britain its first taste of cheap U.S. shale gas.

"Future gas supplies from the U.S. will help diversify our energy mix and provide British consumers with a new long-term, secure and affordable source of fuel," Cameron said in a statement on Monday.

Booming natural gas production from U.S. shale deposits has unlocked a plentiful source of cheap gas that producers want to liquefy for export to higher paying markets overseas. Gas prices in the UK are on average three times higher than in the United States at $10 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), although last week's UK price spikes saw that premium widen dramatically.

Britain already receives gas from a range of countries including Norway, the Netherlands and Qatar. But it depends increasingly on LNG from Qatar to plug its growing energy supply deficit. High prices in Asia have diverted supplies originally earmarked for Britain to Japan and South Korea, depleting strategic stockpiles and sending British prices to record highs as the cold weather hit.

Shipments of LNG can have a major effect on British gas prices at times of tight demand. Gas prices fell by up to 20 percent on Monday, relieved by the expected arrival of two Qatari shipments this week.

However, Qatar and other established exporters refuse to commit long-term supply on anything but prices linked to relatively expensive crude oil, while Centrica has sought market prices. Centrica was forced to settle for a three-year LNG supply agreement with Qatar in 2011 after talks to secure a 20-year contract fell through.

Despite the deal, Qatari volumes of LNG to Britain plunged by 68 percent in January from a year earlier, according to shipping consultancy Waterborne.

Centrica said it would purchase about 1.75 million tonnes per year (mtpa) of LNG from Centrica's Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana, the price of which will be linked to U.S. gas prices.

The contract is for an initial 20-year period, with the option for a 10-year extension. The target date for first delivery is September 2018.

Under the terms of the deal, Centrica will retain destination rights for the U.S. cargoes, meaning it could divert them to other markets during times of low UK demand or high prices elsewhere.

(Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic and Lorraine Turner in London and Edward McAllister in New York; editing by Kate Holton, Keiron Henderson and Peter Galloway)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/centrica-buy-u-natural-gas-landmark-deal-174446940--finance.html

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Iron Man 3 TV Spot: You'll Never See Me Coming

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/iron-man-3-gets-first-tv-spot-youll-never-see-me-coming/

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Apple buys WiFi-location startup

NEW YORK (AP) ? Apple has bought WiFiSLAM, a startup that has been developing a way to use WiFi hotspots to help smartphones navigate large indoor spaces, like stores, airports and conference centers.

The purchase is part of Apple's efforts to bolster its own mapping and location capabilities, after breaking up with Google Inc. last year.

The purchase was reported over the weekend by The Wall Street Journal, which said Apple Inc. paid $20 million for the Silicon Valley company. Apple confirmed the purchase Monday but did not say how much it paid or why it wanted WiFiSLAM.

WiFiSLAM has shut down its website and closed its YouTube account.

Traditional methods of locating cellphones include GPS and sensing of nearby cell towers. Neither of these approaches work well indoors. Retail chains are interested in helping shoppers find things in their stores, and apps that could help them navigate the aisles could be valuable. ABI Research estimates that the market for "indoor retail location" aids will be worth $5 billion in 2018.

Apple initially relied on Google to supply the default mapping and location application for the iPhone, but launched its own "Maps" app last year. The features of Google's iPhone app had been lagging those in the company's app for its own Android operating system. Among other things, the Android app included indoor navigation for some malls and airports.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-03-25-US-TEC-Apple-WiFiSLAM/id-7dfe4d1a421445bf8b80cdec72bde905

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Elvis Dumervil, Ravens Agree To Deal: Broncos Lose Out On Defensive End To Baltimore

DENVER -- Elvis Dumervil is putting his seven seasons in Denver and one bizarre fax fiasco behind him after agreeing to a five-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Dumervil tweeted his thanks to the Broncos and team owner Pat Bowlen shortly after rejecting the club's latest contract proposal.

"Can't say enough about the Broncos fans, my great teammates, equipment staff, training staff, media staff, Mr. Bowlen, Coach Fox, John Elway and the city of Denver. Its been an unforgettable 7 years. I am looking fwd to this next chapter of my career," Dumervil wrote.

So, after a second stinging loss to the Ravens this offseason, the Broncos find themselves in need of a new pass-rushing partner for Von Miller.

Elway, the Broncos football operations chief, issued a statement Sunday saying the Broncos "worked diligently over the last week" to re-sign Dumervil, a defensive captain, but "are now moving forward without him."

Free agents John Abraham, 34, and Dwight Freeney, 33, visited the Broncos last week and it's expected one of them will sign on soon to replace Dumervil, 29.

Dumervil collected 63 1/2 sacks in seven seasons in Denver, three of which ended with Pro Bowl berths. He was scheduled to fly from his offseason home in Miami to Baltimore to take his physical Tuesday and sign his new contract.

On March 15, Dumervil waffled but finally agreed to reduce his 2013 salary from $12 million to $8 million in Denver as part of a renegotiated three-year, $30 million contract. But the paperwork didn't reach the NFL offices in time and the Broncos were forced to release him to avoid having to pay him the full $12 million for next season.

Dumervil fired agent Marty Magid after that deadline debacle and hired agent Tom Condon.

The Broncos issued a new contract proposal to Dumervil and his new agent, but the Ravens swooped in and beat Denver for the second time this year ? they also upset the AFC's top-seeded Broncos 38-35 in double-overtime in January on their way to winning the Super Bowl.

The Ravens have suffered several blows since beating San Francisco for the Lombardi Trophy, losing wide receiver Anquan Boldin, safeties Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard, cornerback Cary Williams, linebackers Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe and guard Bobbie Williams while also bidding star linebacker Ray Lewis and center Matt Birk good luck in their retirements.

Luring Dumervil ? and taking him from their AFC rivals ? eases some of that sting.

The Broncos, on the other hand, have been one of the league's big spenders in free agency, acquiring wide receiver Wes Welker, right guard Louis Vasquez, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and linebacker Stewart Bradley ? all of whom could be starting for a team that went 13-3 in Peyton Manning's first year in Denver last season.

The debacle with Dumervil put a big blemish on the Broncos' otherwise stellar offseason makeover. Dumervil agreed to a $4 million pay cut two weeks ago but when the paperwork didn't get submitted on time, the Broncos had to cut Dumervil or else his $12 million salary for next season would have been fully guaranteed.

By cutting him, they took a nearly $5 million salary cap hit for next season, which factored into the latest offer from Denver that Dumervil ultimately rejected in favor of Baltimore's.

"As we have from the start of this process, we worked diligently over the last week to find a way for Elvis Dumervil to remain a Denver Bronco," Elway said in a statement Sunday. "Although we made multiple contract offers to Elvis after being forced to release him, we were unable to reach an agreement and are now moving forward without him.

"Elvis was a team captain and a talented player who made a great impact during his seven seasons in Denver. I appreciate all of his effort on the field and the work he did in the community," Elway added. "I wish Elvis all the best as he continues his NFL career."

Although Dumervil was often replaced on early downs last season, the Broncos weren't eager to jettison him. But they thought his $12 million salary for next season was out of whack, so they asked him to take a cut in pay. Dumervil earned $14 million in each of the last two seasons, part of a six-year, $61.5 million deal he signed in 2010 shortly before missing that entire season with a torn chest muscle.

Dumervil is a popular teammate who will be sorely missed in Denver, both on and off the field.

"I concern myself with everything and the locker room's a huge one because you're dealing with players," coach John Fox said at the NFL owners meetings last week. "But I think our guys understand there's two sides of football. ... I don't know if business is my favorite part or anybody else's favorite part. But it's a part of football and it usually occurs in the offseason. So, they understand that and I think guys separate that."

Dumervil, a fourth-round draft pick out of Louisville in 2006, had 20 1/2 sacks the last two seasons, making two trips to the Pro Bowl alongside Miller, the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011 who had 18 1/2 sacks last year, breaking the franchise record of 17 set by Dumervil in 2009.

Together they were dubbed "Doom & Gloom," and were the most prolific pair of pass-rushers in the league over the last two years.

Freeney, who played a decade with Manning in Indianapolis, has 107 1/2 career sacks in 11 seasons, all with the Colts. He had 13 1/2 sacks over the last two seasons.

Abraham has 122 sacks in 13 NFL season, six with the New York Jets and the last seven years with the Atlanta Falcons. He collected 19 1/2 sacks over the last two years.

___

Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/25/elvis-dumervil-ravens-deal-broncos-lose_n_2948006.html

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