Wednesday, April 24, 2013

High-nutrition and disease-resistant purple and yellow-fleshed potato clones obtained

Apr. 24, 2013 ? The Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, Neiker-Tecnalia, has created four new potato clones which are characterised by their high antioxidant content, their good production both in size and number of tubers, as well as by their resistance to the usual diseases of this crop. The clones were obtained by natural methods through crossing varieties from South America with commercial varieties used in Europe. The result was three clones of the purple-fleshed potato and one with a markedly yellow flesh. The attractiveness and nutritional value of these types of potato make them a product highly regarded by professionals in gastronomy and by the public in general.

The work of creating the clones is part of the Potato Genetic Enhancement Programme drawn up by Neiker-Tecnalia. The research was led by agricultural engineer Ms Raquel L?pez, being the basis for her PhD thesis, and was presented at the University of the Basque Country. The aim of this specialist was to find potatoes which brought together the features of the South American varieties (their colour, resistance to pathogens and their nutritional and organoleptic properties) with those of the commercial varieties employed in our latitudes and characterized by their high productivity.

The Neiker-Tecnalia researchers brought 37 varieties from the Centro Internacional de la Papa, based in Peru. These native South American varieties were crossed in the greenhouse with commercial varieties, using natural procedures. The selection of and crossing between individuals with the best traits has given rise to the four clones mentioned. For the moment, these involve advanced clones and not commercial varieties, as they are not registered at the Spanish Office for Plant Varieties (OEVV in the Spanish acronym) or the European Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO). The process of registering is a long one, lasting about 15 years.

The varieties imported from Peru have a very low productivity in our latitudes, both in size and the number of tubers. Nevertheless, with the process of crossing and selection, the final clones having acceptable productivity has been achieved.

Nutritional value and resistant to pathogens

The four clones obtained are characterised by the high presence of antioxidants compounds, making them very attractive from a nutritional perspective. The three purple-flesh clones contain a large quantity of anthocyanins ? a highly appreciated pigment in the preparation of high added value foods ?, while the yellow flesh variety have carotenes ? essential chemical components for the diet ? and in greater quantities than in the usual commercial varieties.

Resistance to diseases is another of the achievements. The four clones show certain resistance to the pathogens analysed, such as the potato virus Y, as well as the Pectobacterium atrosepticum bacteria, which weaken the vegetable and considerably undermine its production.

Researcher Raquel L?pez highlights the importance of taking into account the clones achieved. ?It is beneficial for European producers to have varieties of purple flesh potato that are adapted to the climatological conditions of this continent. Moreover, these varieties incorporate natural antioxidant compounds, which are nutritionally and visually attractive, both for restaurant professionals and for end consumers?.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/i5mIBlRVxmw/130424081058.htm

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96% War Witch

All Critics (46) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (2)

Canadian writer-director Kim Nguyen spent nearly a decade researching this docudrama about child soldiers in Africa, and the film feels as authoritative as a first-hand account.

A haunting take on unspeakably grim subject matter, shot on location in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A powerful and upsetting portrait of a young girl compelled into unimaginably horrific circumstances.

Nguyen, astonishingly, manages to wring something vaguely like a happy ending from this tragic story.

War Witch is most effective not when we are looking in on Komona but when we are inside her head.

The powerful things we expect from "War Witch" are as advertised, but what we don't expect is even better.

You're likely to ponder its images, its insights into a very foreign (for most of us) location and the tragic situation of Komona (and others like her) for a long time to come.

Is it accurate depiction of Africa's child soldiers? I don't know, thank God. But it feels authentic to its very core, and that makes it as hard to forget as it is to ignore.

Brutal without turning exploitative, the result is harrowing and heartbreaking.

Nguyen creates a mesmerizing tone through his camerawork, editing, sound and the infusion of African folk imagery and ritual, but it's Mwanza's performance as Komona that makes "War Witch" feel so miraculous.

Nguyen reportedly worked on "War Witch" for a decade, and it shows in both the immediacy and authenticity of his tale, and the meticulous craft with which it's told.

Made with extremely clear-eyed restraint from harangues, sentiment, message-mongering, or anything else that would cheapen its central character's suffering and fight.

War Witch features a standout performance by Rachel Mwanza, but the supernatural visions don't really suit the film's tone and mood.

Nguyen's compassion and commitment to the issue is admirable, and at its best, War Witch is devastating.

War Witch is remarkable for the fact that it never strays into sentimentality or sensationalism.

...a love story between youngsters who are forced to become adults all too early in their lives.

This is a straight ahead essay on warfare at its worst and the survival of the human spirit at its best.

An astonishing drama set in Africa that vividly depicts the courage and resiliency of a 12-year-old girl whose spiritual gifts enable her to survive.

It is astonishing that film that contains such violence can have such a serene tone. The source of the serenity is the measured, calm narration by Komona (voice of Diane Umawahoro) that is the telling of her story to her unborn child

An exquisitely made film in direct contrast to the ugliness of its subject matter

The portrait of a girl who retains her dignity and strength, her faith in the future, in the face of unimaginable horrors. It's inspirational in a very real way.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/war_witch/

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Print your own Extreme Rules poster

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2013 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2013 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/extremerules/2013/printable-poster

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NKorean soldiers put down arms to help plant crops

North Korean soldiers sit on the side of a road in south of Kaesong, North Korea near the demilitarized zone which separates the two Koreas on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. For weeks, North Korea has threatened to attack the U.S. and South Korea for holding joint military drills and for supporting U.N. sanctions. Washington and Seoul said they've seen no evidence that Pyongyang is actually preparing for a major conflict, though South Korean defense officials said the North appears prepared to test-fire a medium-range missile. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

North Korean soldiers sit on the side of a road in south of Kaesong, North Korea near the demilitarized zone which separates the two Koreas on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. For weeks, North Korea has threatened to attack the U.S. and South Korea for holding joint military drills and for supporting U.N. sanctions. Washington and Seoul said they've seen no evidence that Pyongyang is actually preparing for a major conflict, though South Korean defense officials said the North appears prepared to test-fire a medium-range missile. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

North Korean Army Col. Kim Chang Jun, stands behind field binoculars on a hilltop overlooking the demilitarized zone which separates the two Koreas in south of Kaesong, North Korea, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. For weeks, North Korea has threatened to attack the U.S. and South Korea for holding joint military drills and for supporting U.N. sanctions. Washington and Seoul said they've seen no evidence that Pyongyang is actually preparing for a major conflict, though South Korean defense officials said the North appears prepared to test-fire a medium-range missile. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

North Korean soldiers ride in the top of a military truck on a road in south of Kaesong, North Korea on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 near the demilitarized zone which separates the two Koreas. For weeks, North Korea has threatened to attack the U.S. and South Korea for holding joint military drills and for supporting U.N. sanctions. Washington and Seoul said they've seen no evidence that Pyongyang is actually preparing for a major conflict, though South Korean defense officials said the North appears prepared to test-fire a medium-range missile. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

North Korean soldiers stand on steps overlooking the border village of Panmunjom, North Korea, which has separates the two Koreas since the Korean War, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. For weeks, North Korea has threatened to attack the U.S. and South Korea for holding joint military drills and for supporting U.N. sanctions. Washington and Seoul said they've seen no evidence that Pyongyang is actually preparing for a major conflict, though South Korean defense officials said the North appears prepared to test-fire a medium-range missile. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

A North Korean boy on rollerblades is pulled by a woman on a bicycle on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 on a road south of Kaesong, North Korea, and north of the demilitarized zone which separates the two Koreas. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

(AP) ? The North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone is a hive of activity ? not of fighting, but of farming.

Beyond the barbed wire, ruddy-faced North Korean soldiers put down their rifles Wednesday and stood shoulder to shoulder with farmers as they turned their focus to another battle: the spring planting.

As neighboring nations remain on guard for a missile launch or nuclear test that South Korean and U.S officials say could take place at any time, the focus north of the border is on planting rice, cabbage and soybeans. In hamlets all along the DMZ, soldiers were knee-deep in mud and water as they helped farmers with the spring planting.

Inside the DMZ, hundreds of North Korean soldiers marched in a line with backpacks. On a hilltop above them in North Hwanghae province, Col. Kim Chang Jun said they were being dispatched to farms ? but still prepared for war if need be.

"From the outside, it looks peaceful: farmers are out in the fields, children are going to school," he said. "But behind the scenes, they are getting ready for war. They're working until midnight but come morning, if the call comes, they'll be ready to go to battle."

To the west, inside the Joint Security Area that is the heart of the DMZ, a tense quiet hangs over the area that divides North from South. This is the spot that foreign tourists see, a stage where the observation decks, pavilions, pine trees, cherry blossoms and azaleas belie the tanks and traps hidden from view along the 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer) buffer zone.

South Korean soldiers stand with fists curled at their hips in a combat-ready mode borrowed from taekwondo. Across the way, a unit of North Korean soldiers goosesteps into position, rifles slung across their backs. Visitors on a tour bus from the South Korean side peer up at a North Korean building known as Panmungak.

Because of the tensions, tourists are not allowed inside the three blue conference halls straddling the border, North Korean Lt. Col. Nam Dong Ho said. Typically, they are allowed to go into the meeting rooms as soldiers from both Koreas stand guard.

"This is a place that the whole world is watching, so of course it seems quiet on the surface," said Nam, who guides tours to Panmungak. But he said the prospect of war is always on the minds of soldiers manning the world's most militarized border.

"Is there anyone in the world who doesn't worry about war?" he told the AP on Tuesday. "We don't want a war. But if the American imperialists provoke us unjustifiably, we will answer with a nuclear war."

Since early March, North Korea has steadily and dramatically ramped up the rhetoric warning of a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula, though it has quieted in recent days.

Leader Kim Jong Un ordered soldiers in charge of North Korea's arsenal of missiles on standby and North Korean officers at the front line severed communications with the South Korean military.

North Korea takes issue with tightened U.N. sanctions punishing Pyongyang for carrying out a long-range rocket launch in December and conducting a nuclear test in February in violation of Security Council resolutions. Pyongyang also is incensed by joint U.S.-South Korean military drills taking place now south of the border, annual exercises that this year have included nuclear-capable bombers and fighter jets.

South Korean defense officials say the North has moved missiles to the east coast, including a medium-range missile believed to be designed to strike U.S. territory, but there has been no indication of when they might test-fire the weapon.

When asked about North Korea's plans to fire a missile, Lt. Col. Nam said he didn't know anything specific, adding with a chuckle, "That's a national secret, top secret among secrets.

"But we have made it clear: Our army is capable of striking any place on earth."

As diplomats in the region conferred about how to bring down the tension and rein in an increasingly belligerent Pyongyang, Nam and Col. Kim reiterated in separate interviews this week that North Koreans want peace. But they said North Korea will not give up its nuclear weapons, seen here as a necessary deterrence against the powerful "American imperialists."

"We want to live peacefully and happily, but we will not sit by for one second if we are provoked," said Kim, whose job involves telling tourists about a concrete wall that the North says the South built in the late 1970s just south of the DMZ. North Korea considers the structure an affront to the goal of reunification.

"If a (nuclear) war breaks out, the death and destruction would be heartbreaking," Kim said. "But we may have no other course but to defend ourselves if we are provoked."

It remains unclear how far North Korea's nuclear weapons program has progressed in the years since six-nation negotiations to provide aid in exchange for nuclear disarmament fell apart in 2009. After pledging to mothball its plutonium-processing plant in 2008, Pyongyang announced last month that it would restart the facilities and continue enriching uranium, which experts say would provide North Korea with a second way to make atomic bombs.

Last month, Kim Jong Un enshrined the pursuit of nuclear weapons, along with building the economy, as key goals for the nation.

Col. Kim, at the lookout point along the DMZ, called nuclear weapons "the lifeblood" of North Korea. "If we don't have nuclear weapons, we'll continue to be threatened by outside forces."

For the moment, however, the labor of many North Korean soldiers is turned to the land. Spring is arriving slowly this year in North Korea, pushing back the crucial planting season by a month. Impoverished North Korea struggles to feed its 24 million people, with the U.N. estimating that two-thirds of the population cope with chronic food shortages.

Farmers in Panmunjom-ri, the North Korean village inside the DMZ, were busy planting rice, cabbage, soybeans and radish in fields surrounded by barbed wire and anti-tank barriers.

Elsewhere, faces flushed and still in their uniforms, men and women soldiers waded into muddy paddies and bent down with fistfuls of spinach to plant.

Around them, red banners fluttered in the wind. One read, "At a breath," a phrase urging North Koreans to work hard. The other read, "Defend to the death."

___

Follow AP's bureau chief in Pyongyang at www.twitter/newsjean.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-24-Koreas-Tension/id-6145eb65e3b84666b9e187c5e0c1e417

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Earthquake Hits Afghanistan (Voice Of America)

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Ricin? I barely knew him! (Cont.) (Unqualified Offerings)

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China HSBC Flash PMI falls, points to tepid second-quarter recovery

By Kevin Yao

BEIJING (Reuters) - Growth in China's vast factory sector dipped in April as new export orders shrank, a preliminary survey of factory managers showed on Tuesday, suggesting the world's second-largest economy still faces formidable global headwinds into the second quarter.

The flash HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index for April fell to 50.5 in April from 51.6 in March but was still stronger than February's reading of 50.4.

A sub-index measuring new export orders fell to 48.6 in April from 50.5 in March, reflecting weaker global demand as the U.S. economic recovery remains fragile and the euro zone is mired in recession.

The figures follow an unexpected contraction in export orders in March to Taiwan, one of the region's biggest providers of tech gadgets, signaling that Asia's trade-reliant economies may be losing further momentum.

Exports from South Korea, another big supplier to the global tech industry, fell by 3.1 percent for the first 20 days of April from a year earlier.

"New export orders contracted after a temporary rebound in March, suggesting external demand for China's exporters remains weak," said HSBC's China chief economist Qu Hongbin.

"Beijing is expected to respond strongly to sustain the economic recovery by increasing efforts to boost domestic investment and consumption in the coming months."

The Australian dollar fell to multi-week lows against the U.S. dollar, euro and pound after the data. Asia stock markets were lower across the region, with the CSI300 index of the leading Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listings down 1.8 percent.

The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday cut its 2013 forecast for global growth to 3.3 percent, down from its January projection of 3.5 percent.

The latest PMI data may overshadow China's recovery in the second quarter after growth unexpectedly slowed to 7.7 percent in the first quarter from 7.9 percent in the previous three months.

The slowdown, which came despite a credit boom, suggesting the cash sloshing around the economy is not having the desired effect of stoking growth and could instead exacerbate property and inflationary risks.

China's industry ministry noted in a separate statement on Tuesday that companies had no strong desire to invest given weak demand and overcapacity, and it did not see any improvement in their difficulties operating in an uncertain and unstable global environment.

Still, the HSBC PMI has been above the 50-point level demarcating growth from contraction from the previous month since November 2012, though its failure to break above 53 indicates that the economic expansion it signals is only moderate.

Sub-indexes measuring both input and output prices fell in April, indicating overcapacity upstream and soft demand, according to the Flash PMI survey.

An employment sub-index also dipped as factory activity cooled, although China's job market is holding up relatively well despite slower growth.

The latest Reuters poll showed China's economic growth could pick up in the second quarter as the government boosts infrastructure spending.

Analysts in the poll expected full-year economic growth to pick up slightly to 8.0 percent in 2013 from 7.8 percent last year, its weakest rate since 1999.

China has set a 7.5 percent GDP growth target for 2013, a level Beijing deems sufficient for job creation while providing room to deliver structural adjustment.

The government is expected to step up infrastructure investment to cushion the economy against global headwinds, but a big stimulus package looks unlikely as Beijing plans to deepen reforms to put growth on a more sustainable long-term footing.

On Tuesday the China Daily newspaper quoted a researcher from the Ministry of Finance as saying that stimulus on the scale of that in 2008 was not necessary, as the economy is on an overall stable trend.

The final HSBC manufacturing PMI is scheduled to be published on May 2, a day after the official PMI.

(Editing by Eric Meijer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-hsbc-flash-pmi-eases-points-tepid-second-022436444--business.html

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Feds halt funding for $361M pipeline

BOX ELDER, Mont. (AP) ? Federal officials temporarily stopped funding a $361 million water pipeline for a Native American reservation in Montana after learning that millions of project dollars were missing and a Chippewa Cree leader in charge of the project steered federal dollars to a company he owns.

The tribe has since replaced the missing money, but federal funding for the pipeline won't resume until tribal leaders show they have permanently fixed the problems, Bureau of Reclamation regional director Michael J. Ryan said.

"While we commend the tribe for restoring the funds soon after the shortage and for self-reporting the issue, this reallocation of funds without consultation is a serious non-compliance matter with potentially long-lasting implications," Ryan said in a March 18 letter obtained by The Associated Press.

Pipeline funding is controlled by the Bureau of Reclamation, which is part of the Interior Department. Bureau spokesman Tyler Johnson confirmed that the agency's inspector general is conducting an investigation, but Johnson declined to provide details.

The irregularities are among several alleged corruption issues on the Rocky Boy's reservation in northern Montana, said Kenneth Blatt St. Marks, a former tribal chairman. Marks said he reported the missing pipeline funds to the Bureau of Reclamation and that he is cooperating with the inspector general and with federal prosecutors in an investigation into alleged corruption on the reservation.

"There's millions and millions and millions of dollars missing here," claimed St. Marks, whom Ryan also identified as having a potential conflict of interest in the pipeline project. "This reservation is upside down."

Calls to tribal officials were referred to attorney Dan Belcourt, who said he was not authorized by acting tribal chairman Richard Morsette to comment on the pipeline project or St. Marks' allegations. Belcourt released a brief statement Saturday on behalf of tribal leaders that said they are "actively working with BOR on the issues raised in that letter."

"The tribe and BOR share a common goal of seeing the Rocky Boy's/North Central Montana Regional Water System project through to completion," the statement said.

Congress approved the project in 2002 to bring reliable drinking water to the poverty-stricken reservation in the shadow of Montana's Bear Paw mountains. Construction began in 2006, and when it is completed, the pipeline will run about 50 miles from Lake Elwell, serving as many as 30,000 people on and off the reservation.

Congress originally estimated the project's cost at $228 million. That has since risen to $361 million due to inflation and rising costs.

It was unclear what effect a funding delay would have on constructing the pipeline, which is now 22 percent complete. As of last year, the bureau had allocated $96 million in addition to $10 million allocated by Congress.

St. Marks said that, as then-tribal chairman, he discovered at a Dec. 31 meeting with tribal leaders that $3.5 million was missing from Chippewa Cree bank accounts for the water project. Johnson declined to confirm the amount missing, saying it was part of the investigation.

No one could explain where the money went, St. Marks said. The meeting was held at the Chippewa Cree Construction Corp., the company that heads the project.

St. Marks reported the missing funds to the Bureau of Reclamation. In January, the Chippewa Cree Business Committee ? the tribe's governing council ? replaced the money with cash from other tribal enterprises, he said.

It still is not clear what happened to the missing money.

Tony Belcourt is CEO of the construction company and head of the pipeline project. Belcourt also co-owns MT Waterworks, a company formed in 2010 that was awarded a $633,000 contract by the tribal construction corporation he heads to supply pipe for the project.

St. Marks said he fired Belcourt as the construction corporation's CEO after the Bureau of Reclamation learned of that conflict of interest. But the eight other members of the ruling Chippewa Cree Business Committee reinstated Belcourt while St. Marks was on a trip to Washington, D.C.

That reinstatement, and St. Marks' ownership in another company that was awarded a separate $1.9 million contract for the pipeline, prompted Ryan in his letter to tell the tribe to correct the ethics violations.

"We request that the tribe take immediate corrective action to remedy these apparent conflicts of interest," Ryan wrote. He did not elaborate on what action the tribe had to take.

Belcourt, a former state legislator, declined to comment Friday and referred questions to his cousin, tribal attorney Dan Belcourt, who said he was not authorized to comment.

St. Marks was the owner of Arrow Enterprises, a private construction company that was awarded the $1.9 million contract before he became the tribe's chairman. St. Marks said he turned over the company to his wife to end any conflict of interest.

But Johnson, of the Bureau of Reclamation, said the federal agency has not accepted that arrangement and the agency is requesting action to resolve the conflict.

In his letter, Ryan said the Chippewa Cree's accounting of project funds was not accurate and lacked supporting data such as bank statements, balance sheets and expense statements. Johnson said Friday that the tribe has submitted additional financial information and corrected its accounting.

Still, Ryan gave the tribe until April 29 to resolve the rest of the problems and avoid more funding delays.

St. Marks became tribal chairman in November but was impeached in March by the business committee, which leveled seven charges against him ranging from inappropriate sexual comments to an employee to trading in two tribal vehicles so he could buy a sport-utility vehicle for personal use.

St. Marks denied the charges. He claimed he was impeached for cooperating with the federal investigation and for asking questions about the finances of some of the tribe's biggest enterprises: its casino, health clinic and an online lender.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-feds-halt-funding-361m-pipeline-161203080.html

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Immigration fight gets personal in Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Tempers flared at a Senate hearing on immigration legislation Monday as a Republican senator objected to a Democrat's criticism of attempts by some to link the Boston Marathon bombings to the immigration bill.

"I never said that! I never said that!" Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, interjected as Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., suggested that some were using the Boston bombings as "an excuse" to slow down or stop the bill.

Schumer said he wasn't talking about Grassley, who said last week that the bombings raised question about gaps in the U.S. immigration system that should be examined in context of the new bill.

Meanwhile Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., accused Schumer of "demeaning" several witnesses called to Monday's Judiciary Committee hearing by the GOP side. Schumer had complained about Sessions saying that business and labor officials backing the Democratic side on immigration were "special interests," noting that the immigration bill has widespread support and asserting that the three witnesses scheduled to testify against the bill were "far more special interest."

Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., banged his gavel to settle the proceedings.

The exchange came as the Judiciary Committee opened its second hearing on sweeping legislation to strengthen border security, allow tens of thousands of new high- and low-skilled workers into the country, and provide an eventual path to citizenship for some 11 million immigrants now here illegally.

As happened at the first hearing Friday, the Boston Marathon bombings cast a shadow over the proceedings. The attacks were carried out by two ethnic Chechen immigrant brothers; both arrived legally and one was a naturalized U.S. citizens.

Leahy used part of his opening statement to chastise those who would link the bombings to the legislation. "Let no one be so cruel as to try to use the heinous acts of these two young men last week to derail the dreams and futures of millions of hardworking people," Leahy said.

He said the bill would strengthen national security by focusing on border security and enforcement.

Grassley bridled at Leahy's comments, saying that when Leahy proposed gun legislation, "I didn't accuse you of using the Newtown killings as an excuse."

"I think we're taking advantage of an opportunity where once in 25 years we deal with immigration to make sure that every base is covered," Grassley said.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., raised similar concerns in a letter Monday to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., telling him, "We should not proceed until we understand the specific failures of our immigration system." Paul also said that national security protections must be part of any immigration legislation to ensure the federal government does everything it can to keep immigrants "with malicious intent" from using the immigration system to enter the country to commit acts of terror.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, also weighed in on the matter Monday, telling an interviewer on Fox News' "American Newsroom", "I'm in the camp of, if we fix our immigration system, it may actually help us understand who all is here, why they're here, and what legal status they have."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tempers-flare-immigration-hearing-160230661--politics.html

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Monday, April 22, 2013

Jonny Gomes' Bat Pays Tribute To 3 Killed In Boston Marathon Bombing, Slain MIT Campus Police Officer (PHOTO)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: Members of law enforcement react during pre-game ceremonies in honor of the Marathon bombing victims before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    A Boston Red Sox cap decorates a makeshift memorial April 20, 2013 on Boylston Street, near the scene of Boston Marathon explosions as people get back to the normal life the morning after after the capture of the second of two suspects wanted in the Boston Marathon bombings. Thousands of heavily armed police staged an intense manhunt Friday for a Chechen teenager suspected in the Boston marathon bombings with his brother, who was killed in a shootout. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, defied the massive force after his 26-year-old brother Tamerlan was shot and suffered critical injuries from explosives believed to have been strapped to his body. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    Police and National Guard soldiers stand outside Fenway Park before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals in Boston, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    A vendor stands sells souvenirs outside Fenway Park before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals in Boston, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    Fans pass through security before entering Fenway Park for a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals in Boston, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    A vendor stands sells souvenirs outside Fenway Park before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals in Boston, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    Fans pass through security before entering Fenway Park for a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals in Boston, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox takes batting practice before a game the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    Adam Comeau, 17, hold a U.S. flag as he waits in line to enter Fenway Park before the start of a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox, the first game held in the city following the Boston Marathon explosions, Saturday, April 20, 2013, in Boston. Police captured Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, the surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect, late Friday, after a wild car chase and gun battle earlier in the day left his older brother dead. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: Members of law enforcement react during pre-game ceremonies in honor of the Marathon bombing victims before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: A man holds an American flag during pre-game ceremonies in honor of the Marathon bombing victims before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: A woman sheds a tear during pre-game ceremonies in honor of the Marathon bombing victims before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: A ribbon is displayed as a symbol of the Marathon bombing victims before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: Members of law enforcement react during pre-game ceremonies in honor of the Marathon bombing victims before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: A woman sheds a tear during pre-game ceremonies in honor of the Marathon bombing victims before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: The Kansas City Royals stand on the third base could line during the National Anthem during pre-game ceremonies in honor of the Marathon bombing victims before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: Members of the Boston Red Sox throw beneath a Boston Strong, in honor of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, before a game the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: The Kansas City Royals stand on the third base could line during the National Anthem during pre-game ceremonies in honor of the Marathon bombing victims before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox poses with a Boston Strong sign, which honors the Marathon bombing victims, before a game the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox speaks during a pre-game ceremony in honor of the bombings of Marathon Monday before a game at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox and Will Middlebrooks #16 of the Boston Red Sox shake hands Matt Paterson, who aided victims, and Steven Byrne, who was among the injured, during a pre-game ceremony in honor of the bombings of Marathon Monday before a game at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: The Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals stand along the base paths during a pre-game ceremony in honor of the bombings of Marathon Monday before a game at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox speaks during a pre-game ceremony in honor of the bombings of Marathon Monday before a game at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: The Red Sox applaud members of law enforcement during pre-game ceremonies in honor of the Marathon bombing victims before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: The Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals stand along the base paths during a pre-game ceremony in honor of the bombings of Marathon Monday before a game at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: The Red Sox applaud members of law enforcement during pre-game ceremonies in honor of the Marathon bombing victims before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    Fans, accompanied by the stadium organist, sing the national anthem before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals in Boston, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    A fan cheers during a tribute to first responders to the Boston Marathon bombing before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals in Boston, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    Scenes from the Boston Marathon bombings is displayed on an outfield screen before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals in Boston, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    Police officers stand near statues of fromer Boston Red Sox greats, from left, Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio during a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox, the first game held in the city following the Boston Marathon explosions, Saturday, April 20, 2013, in Boston. Police captured Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, the surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect, late Friday, after a wild car chase and gun battle earlier in the day left his older brother dead. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    Police officers stand near statues of fromer Boston Red Sox greats, from left, Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio during a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox, the first game held in the city following the Boston Marathon explosions, Saturday, April 20, 2013, in Boston. Police captured Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, the surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect, late Friday, after a wild car chase and gun battle earlier in the day left his older brother dead. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

  • Boston Returns To Fenway Park

    Police officers stand near statues of former Boston Red Sox greats, from left, Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio during a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox, the first game held in the city following the Boston Marathon explosions, Saturday, April 20, 2013, in Boston. Police captured Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, the surviving Boston Marathon bombing suspect, late Friday, after a wild car chase and gun battle earlier in the day left his older brother dead. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/21/jonny-gomes-bat-tribute-names-boston_n_3128282.html

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    Sunday, April 21, 2013

    Something's fishy in the tree of life: Largests and most comprehensive studies of fish phylogeny

    Apr. 19, 2013 ? Fishes account for over half of vertebrate species, but while groups such as mammals, birds and reptiles have been fairly well understood by scientists for decades, knowledge about relationships among many types of fishes was essentially unknown -- until now.

    A team of scientists led by Richard Broughton, associate professor of biology at the University of Oklahoma, published two studies that dramatically increase understanding of fish evolution and their relationships. They integrated extensive genetic and physical information about specimens to create a new "tree of life" for fishes. The vast amount of data generated through large-scale DNA sequencing required supercomputing resources for analysis. The result is the largest and most comprehensive studies of fish phylogeny to date. Broughton notes, "The scope of the project was huge in terms of the number of species examined and the number of genes analyzed, and the new patterns of relationships among fish families result in what may be the broadest revision of fish systematics in history."

    While some of the findings provide new support for previously understood fish relationships, others significantly change existing ideas. Many different groupings are proposed in this new tree. For example, tunas and marlins are both fast-swimming marine fishes with large, streamlined bodies, yet they appear on very different branches of the tree. Tunas appear to be more closely related to the small, sedentary seahorses, whereas marlins are close relatives of flatfishes, which are bottom-dwelling and have distinctive asymmetric heads.

    Beyond a better understanding of fishes themselves, the potential implications of this research are wide reaching, said Edward Wiley, curator of ichthyology at the University of Kansas. "Our knowledge about one group can be extended to closely related species, if we understand those relationships," Wiley said. He noted that knowledge of evolutionary relationships among fishes improves scientists' ability to predict how closely related species might react to environmental factors such as climate change. It helps identify and target potential biomedically beneficial substances, and has broader applications related to exploring disease-causing genes and developmental processes shared with humans.

    The fish tree is the result of years of work among a collaborative team of scientists as part of the National Science Foundation-funded Euteleost Tree of Life project. Researchers involved in the project include Broughton, Wiley and Guillermo Ort?, George Washington University; Kent Carpenter, Old Dominion University; Andr?s Lopez, University of Alaska-Fairbanks; Guoqing Lu, University of Nebraska-Omaha; and Terry Grande, Loyola University of Chicago.

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    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Oklahoma.

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


    Journal Reference:

    1. Betancur-R. R, Broughton RE, Wiley EO, Carpenter K, L?pez JA, Li C, Holcroft NI, Arcila D, Sanciangco M, Cureton II JC, Zhang F, Buser T, Campbell MA, Ballesteros JA, Roa-Varon A, Willis S, Borden WC, Rowley T, Reneau PC, Hough DJ, Lu G, Grande T, Arratia G, Ort? G. The Tree of Life and a New Classification of Bony Fishes. PLOS Currents Tree of Life, 2013 Apr 18 [link]

    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/N9rfDnKe_b4/130419132609.htm

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    Boston Bombings Create Three New Stress Points for Obama

    President Obama seemed like a man ready to exhale after the surviving Boston Marathon bomber suspect was captured, but he shouldn?t breathe too easy. Going forward, the tragic episode and its timing have created at least three new areas of stress for his already beleaguered administration.

    Immigration setback? The public rollout of comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform legislation the same week as the marathon bombings was timing at its most unfortunate. The misfortune was compounded by later news that the two suspects in the bombings, which killed three and injured more than 170, were Muslim brothers of Chechen heritage from an area of Russia near Chechnya.

    It?s beyond obvious that there are millions of undocumented immigrants in this country who are creating businesses and jobs, who are working at jobs, who are paying taxes or are prospective taxpayers making contributions to their adopted country. But immigration is an emotional issue, and reform opponents now have a perfect hook in the case of the Tsarnaev brothers --?Tamerlan, 26, a legal U.S. resident killed in a shootout with police, and Dzhokhar, 19, a naturalized U.S. citizen taken into custody in serious condition after an intensive day-long manhunt.

    The reform package laboriously crafted by the Senate?s bipartisan Group of 8 (and blessed this week by Obama) would grant provisional legal status to most of the 11 million people in the United States without legal documents. Some of them would have a potential path to citizenship years down the road after many border enforcement conditions have been met.

    Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., made what he called ?a conservative case? for the package Saturday in National Review, focused heavily on its border control provisions. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., ?the Florida senator and much-mentioned Republican presidential possibility, has been issuing a series of ?Myth vs. Fact? releases to counter misinformation. Speaking Saturday to the Nevada GOP, Rubio said the bombings might make passage tougher, but he noted that the brothers got into this country under the broken system he is trying to fix.

    Still, reform advocates are up against rising GOP opposition fueled by the bombings. A sampling: After Suspect No. 1 -- Tamerlan -- was killed, conservative Ann Coulter tweeted: ?It?s too bad Suspect #1 won?t be able to be legalized by Marco Rubio, now.? Bryan Fischer, director of issue analysis for the conservative American Family Association, tweeted Saturday that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is a citizen ?because of our insanely misguided immigration policy.? He wondered why Muslims are being allowed in at all.

    In contrast, Obama has spent the week tacitly reminding the country of the Latin motto on the seal of the United States: E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one.

    The American spirit, he said Friday night after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured, ?includes staying true to the unity and diversity that makes us strong -- like no other nation in the world.? Part of the greatness of America and Boston., he added, is that ??we welcome people from all around the world -- people of every faith, every ethnicity, from every corner of the globe. ?So as we continue to learn more about why and how this tragedy happened, let's make sure that we sustain that spirit.?

    Obama also celebrated immigration at the prayer service for bombing victims on Thursday. ?Boston opens its heart to the world,? he said. ?Over successive generations, you?ve welcomed again and again new arrivals to our shores -- immigrants who constantly reinvigorated this city and this commonwealth and our nation.?

    Some reform proponents are already making a more explicit and practical counter-argument to counter those who view the Boston bombings as a rationale to kill the reform package. They say the current dysfunctional immigration system is a recipe for more terrorism -- not less. ?Immigration reform will strengthen our nation?s security by helping us identify exactly who has entered our country and who has left,? Republican Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham said Friday.

    That case, always a hard political sell, has become even more difficult over the past week.

    FBI Goof? The FBI says ?a foreign government? asked in early 2011 for information about Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the second suspected bomber, who was killed in a shootout with police this week at age 26. The request was ?based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country?s region to join unspecified underground groups,? the FBI said.

    The changes in Tamerlan were obvious. His aunt said that several years ago he became very religious and started praying five times a day. He grew a long beard. He also married a young American woman, Katherine Russell, and had a daughter with her. Russell ? the daughter of a doctor and nurse from North Kingston, R.I. -- converted to Islam and wore Islamic dress.

    When the request for information came in 2011, the FBI said it checked into ?derogatory telephone communications, possible use of online sites associated with the promotion of radical activity, associations with other persons of interest, travel history and plans, and education history? and ?did not find any terrorism activity, domestic or foreign.? But clearly there was no follow-up, or the FBI would probably have noticed that Tamerlan Tsarnaev posted Islamic extremist videos on a YouTube account created in 2012, and flew from New York to Russia in January 2012 and stayed there until July.

    Criminal or Combatant? In the latest flare-up of a longrunning conflict between the administration and conservatives, there is already pressure from the right to treat Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as a potential enemy combatant who is not entitled to legal protections (such as the right to remain silent) ? rather than as a potential criminal who is.

    ?We remain under threat from radical Islam and we hope the Obama Administration will seriously consider the enemy combatant option,? ?Graham wrote on Facebook right after Tsarnaev was taken into custody. He said the accused perpetrators of last Monday?s two bombings were ?not common criminals? but terrorists, and ?the least of our worries is a criminal trial which will likely be held years from now.?

    ?

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boston-bombings-create-three-stress-points-obama-130335364--politics.html

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    Blog of the health and fitness: hemorrhoid alternative cures

    If you've tried many types of hemorrhoid solutions then you probably understand the differences of how each is used. In this article, I'll go over what each of them do for the body, how they intend to treat hemorrhoids or piles, and the controversial, raw truth on most of them.

    The first popular type is creams and ointments where a topical treatment is rubbed on your outer rectal area and aims to soothe blood vessels. This creates a relaxation of the tissue so that it does not bulge out so much. Once the tissue does not bulge, the hemorrhoid will be less likely to flare up. This is great for some relief in the temporal matter but unfortunately you are practically guaranteed to flare up again.

    The 2nd type that is very popular as well in the form of suppositories which is inserted inside the rectum for the purposes of delivering moisture to the hemorrhoid and creating a lubricating effect once the next rectal pressure comes. The aim is to ensure the hemorrhoid heals without rupturing again. For some it works well, for others not so but it's worth seeing.

    The 3rd type is pills where one can consume that regulate some blood pressure in the system. This can have its side effects but overall it's used to tighten vein tissue so that the hemorrhoid is less susceptible to problems. It's a very top down approach that has its benefits but can also induce real side effects and big pharmacies like to push this.

    These three types are the most common and once these are exhausted, you still have options such as cryotherapy or surgery. It all depends on the individual case and what you can tolerate. In my personal experience, it's best to first try the safer options before going to the extreme measures. Even if the pain is unbearable, you can still use relief from these methods. It?s just not pleasant long-term either.

    Now, not all hope is lost. I do have one solution that has surprised me pleasantly. I?d like to review a totally safe, natural remedy that works within a few days. It?s called the H Miracle system and you can find it at: http://namehere.hemor.hop.clickbank.net

    It?s already been proven by hundreds, if not thousands of success stories in the underground fashion of alternative medicine. The system includes ingredient resources, charts, audio lessons and basically everything you need to cure your hemorrhoids one and for all. I really recommend it and just see the testimonials from users who have triumphed even severe hemorrhoids for good.
    Once again see the free report clicking the images..

    Source: http://blogofthehealthandfitnees.blogspot.com/2013/04/hemorrhoid-alternative-cures.html

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    Saturday, April 20, 2013

    Newlyweds injured in Boston bombings receive outpouring of support

    Patrick and Jessica Downes (photo via GiveForward)Patrick and Jessica Downes (photo via GiveForward)

    Patrick and Jessica Downes were two of the people to suffer severe injuries at the Boston Marathon on Monday. The newlyweds, who were married last August, each lost a leg below the knee in the explosions.

    In the aftermath, friends and relatives set up a GiveForward site for people to donate money to help with the couple's rehabilitation and medical expenses. In just a few days, over $430,000 has been donated. Also pouring in: messages of support from both friends and strangers.

    One anonymous well-wisher posted the following:

    Dear Patrick and Jess, My daughter graduated from BC in 2004. The beautiful picture of you two reminds me of her and her husband. My heart breaks for you and all the others affected by this tragedy, but your faith and love for each other will sustain you and make you stronger than ever. Please know that there are countless people who are thinking of you and sending healing thoughts your way. Sincerely, A California BC mom

    The couple's GiveForward site received so many hits that it crashed on Thursday, according to NBC News. Jessica, a nurse at Massachusetts General, is described as funny, selfless and introspective. Patrick is a Boston native who, according to the GiveForward page, cried tears of joy when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. He was nicknamed "Jesus" in high school "for his goodness," according to the site.

    "She has the spirit of a lion, and combined with Patrick's good (the most good!) heart and interminable support for his wife," the site says, "I have no doubt in my mind that they will persevere through this horrific time and will soon enough lead happy, normal, fulfilling lives."

    The families of Jessica and Patrick posted an update thanking all those who have already donated:

    Friends-

    Your support in just 24 hours is overwhelming, there are no words to describe what your outpouring of kindness and generosity means to our family as Patrick and Jess start their long road to recovery.

    At this point, we do not know what all the costs associated with Patrick and Jess's full recovery will be (between prosthetics and home modifications, etc.), but we want them to have enough to not worry about the financial implications of what has happened. We've increased the fundraising goal and if we raise more money than Patrick and Jess need, we have no doubt that they will be conscious of the other people affected by all of this.

    For many of us, Monday's events shook our faith in humanity. But a quick look at the outpouring of support from friends and strangers -- both in the immediate aftermath and now here on this site -- restores it.

    Thank you,

    The Downes and Kensky Family

    Watch the most recent video on the manhunt related to the Boston Bombings:

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/newlyweds-injured-bombing-receive-outpouring-support-202013823.html

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    Man who sold up to $40 million worth of counterfeit headphones gets two years in jail

    Man who counterfeited up to 4 million headphones gets 2 years in jail

    A man accused of being one of the "most prolific sellers" of counterfeit electronics in the UK has just been sent down for two and a half years. Over 4,000 KiRFs, mainly consisting of knock-off Sennheiser and Monster headphones, were found at Michael Reeder's address, with a value of around £250,000 ($400,000). However, Sennheiser claims this is just 1 percent of $40 million worth of items Reeder has sold online, which is why the German manufacturer has taken a keen interest in his prosecution. Last year, Sennheiser introduced a series of authentication technologies to prevent counterfeiting that was mainly originating in China -- including QR codes on product packaging that customers can verify online. If Sennheiser's estimate of 400,000 fake items is accurate, then it makes the UK's recent Microsoft Windows scandal look almost like small fry.

    Update: Apologies for the earlier stumble with missing zeroes on this post.

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    Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/19/man-sentenced-for-selling-counterfeit-headphones/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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    Friday, April 19, 2013

    CISPA: Is the controversial cybersecurity bill a threat to privacy?

    The House passes the bill with bipartisan support, but Obama has threatened a possible veto

    On Thursday, the House of Representatives handily passed a major?cybersecurity measure long sought by tech industry groups, but which critics have labeled a "privacy-eviscerating bill."?

    By a vote of 288-127, the House approved the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), sending it to the Senate in defiance of a threatened White House veto. The bill has been a top priority of tech giants that say it's a necessary tool to combat attacks on their computer networks, though digital rights activists claim it lacks enough protections to ensure personal information isn't compromised in the process.?

    CISPA would make it easier for private companies and the government to share data with each other about suspected cyberattacks, allowing them to address those attacks more effectively. Huge tech and communications companies ? including HP, IBM, Comcast, Verizon, and many others ? have thrown their weight behind the bill, seeing it as a way to defend their businesses while ensuring legal protection should users' personal information somehow get out.?

    From?The Economist:?

    Companies and spooks often remain silent about cyber-threats because they fear that sharing the details might land them in legal hot water. But this makes it much harder to hunt hackers and defend power grids and other infrastructure against online assaults. The bill encourages both groups to be more forthcoming by offering them an exemption from civil and criminal liability when gathering and sharing data about cyber-threats. [The Economist]

    CISPA's proponents spent $605 million lobbying Congress from 2011 through last fall, according to the non-profit Sunlight Foundation, 140 times more than the $4.3 million spent by the bill's opponents, who've instead used social media campaigns to protest the legislation. IBM alone sent almost 200 executives to Washington this week to press for final passage of the bill.

    The House passed a similar version of CISPA last year, though it flamed out in the Senate over objections that it was ill-defined and fraught with privacy loopholes. The House brought the bill back for discussion this year, adding a few amendments aimed at mollifying the legislation's opponents.

    However, critics still contend that the final bill is too weak on the personal protection front, and they fear it would go too far in "creating?a backdoor for individuals' data to fall into government hands," as Forbes' Andy Greenberg puts it.

    Here's how Mark Jaycox of digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation?described the bill's problems on a Reddit?forum last week:

    Companies have new rights to monitor user actions and share data ? including potentially sensitive user data ? with the government without a warrant.

    Cispa overrides existing privacy law, and grants broad immunities to participating companies.

    Information provided to the federal government under Cispa would be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and other state laws that could otherwise require disclosure (unless some law other than Cispa already requires its provision to the government). [Reddit]

    A House subcommittee rejected a proposal that would have required companies to honor their privacy contracts with users, leading Jaycox?to call the changes that did pass "window dressing." Many others, including the American Civil Liberties Union, a Reddit?co-founder, and Mozilla, maker of the open source Firefox browser, have opposed CISPA, citing similar privacy concerns.?

    So where does the legislation go from here??

    The Senate is busy with other weighty measures ? gun control and immigration reform foremost among them ? so the bill will likely stall for some time. And as CNET's Declan McCullagh notes, Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.V.), who was deeply involved in last year's cybersecurity talks, has called CISPA's personal protections "insufficient."

    Even should a bill emerge from Congress, the White House has already issued a veto threat, as it did last year when CISPA's previous incarnation was debated in Congress.

    "The Administration, however, remains concerned that the bill does not require private entities to take reasonable steps to remove irrelevant personal information when sending cybersecurity data to the government or other private sector entities," a White House statement reads. "Citizens have a right to know that corporations will be held accountable ? and not granted immunity ? for failing to safeguard personal information adequately."?

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    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cispa-controversial-cybersecurity-bill-threat-privacy-163900804.html

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    Sunday, April 14, 2013

    Unusual suspect: Scientists find 'second fiddle' protein's role in Type 2 diabetes

    Unusual suspect: Scientists find 'second fiddle' protein's role in Type 2 diabetes

    Friday, April 12, 2013

    A team of researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center has found that a protein long believed to have a minor role in type 2 diabetes is, in fact, a central player in the development of the condition that affects nearly 26 million people in the United States alone and counts as one of the leading causes of heart disease, stroke and kidney, eye and nerve damage.

    Working with mice, the scientists discovered that a protein called EPAC2 ? deemed a second-fiddle player up until now ? is actually an important regulator of insulin that appears to work by nudging insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas to ramp up production of the sugar-regulating hormone when the body needs it most. Until now, EPAC2 was suspected of playing a merely supporting role as a signaling molecule, but scientists remained uncertain why and how that mattered, if at all.

    The results of the federally funded research, described online April 11 in the journal Diabetes, also suggest EPAC2 could provide an important new target for treatment to restore pancreatic cell function, the researchers say. Current diabetes treatments halt disease progression at best and focus on controlling symptoms and averting complications, so therapies that actually reverse the disease are badly needed.

    "Drugs that precision-target failing pancreatic cells and restore or boost their function have become the holy grail of diabetes research. We believe that our finding establishes a pathway to do just that," says lead investigator Mehboob Hussain, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and a metabolism expert at the newly formed Johns Hopkins Diabetes Institute.

    The researchers say several experimental compounds known to alter EPAC2 are now lined up for testing in diabetic animals, but caution that their findings remain far from human application.

    Type 2 diabetes stems from the failure of beta cells ? members of a family of hormone-secreting pancreatic cells known as islets of Langerhans ? to keep up with the body's demand for insulin. Insulin regulates blood sugar by transporting glucose from the blood into organs and tissues for fuel or storage. The body normally releases extra insulin when blood sugar levels surge after eating, but repeated or continued overeating and high-fat diets put added demand on the pancreas to churn out more insulin to keep up with constantly high blood sugar levels. The chronically overworked beta cells eventually slow down their insulin output until it ceases altogether. Insulin deficiency causes abnormal buildup of glucose in the blood and the body's inability to deliver it as fuel to organs and tissues. This, the researchers say, is the essence of diabetes.

    Working with mice whose pancreatic cells were missing the EPAC2 signaling molecule, the researchers found that lean, healthy mice regulated their blood sugar levels even in the absence of EPAC2. Short-term surges in food consumption did not affect the mice's ability to regulate their blood sugar, but when the mice were put on a high-fat diet for a month, they developed a condition similar to human diabetes. At the same time, a group of overfed, pudgy mice with intact EPAC2 managed to control blood sugar levels without a problem. In other words, EPAC2 remained dormant and played no role in insulin production under normal conditions, but emerged as a critical factor when the fat mice needed more insulin to control their surging blood sugar levels. This finding led the scientists to believe EPAC2 is an important fail-safe mechanism unlocked only during abnormal conditions.

    "It is as if during these extreme conditions, the body calls upon EPAC2 as backup to help it balance insulin supply and demand," Hussain says.

    The study further reveals that EPAC2 is critical because it acts as a link in a signaling cascade that culminates in the release of insulin by pancreatic cells. Comparing EPAC2-deficient and normal pancreatic cells under a microscope, the investigators found that the EPAC2-deficient cells were unable to regulate calcium, a well-known catalyst that triggers the release of insulin into the blood. EPAC2 functioned as calcium's gatekeeper, the researchers say. In its absence, calcium did not reach the critical mass needed to initiate the release of insulin.

    The researchers say it remains unclear whether type 2 diabetes damages EPAC2 directly or whether EPAC2 can coax the cells to crank out extra insulin only for so long and eventually gives up. Either way, Hussain says, targeting EPAC2 with drugs could ratchet up the beta cells' dwindling insulin production and nip, or even reverse, diabetes at its root.

    Type 2 diabetes is the predominant form of the disease, accounting for more than 90 percent of all diabetes diagnoses. It is commonly associated with diet and lifestyle. Previously seen mostly in middle-aged and older adults, type 2 diabetes is now increasingly diagnosed in younger people and children, a phenomenon fueled by growing obesity rates, experts say.

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    Johns Hopkins Medicine: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

    Thanks to Johns Hopkins Medicine for this article.

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