Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/302570943?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Germany charges 4 with sending Iran reactor parts
BERLIN (AP) ? Federal prosecutors say they have charged three German-Iranian dual nationals and a German man with breaking export laws for allegedly supplying Iran with parts needed to build a nuclear reactor in violation of the country's trade embargo.
Prosecutors said in a statement Monday suspect Hamid Kh., 80, set up contact for Gholamali Ka., 70, and his son Kianzad Ka., 25, with German businessman Rudolf M., 78, whose Thuringia firm produced valves needed for a nuclear reactor's construction. Their last names were not released in accordance with German privacy laws.
The group is accused of supplying Iran with 92 German-made valves, and another 856 Indian-made valves, in 2010 and 2011.
They're accused of supplying the parts through front companies in other countries in deals worth millions of euros in total.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/germany-charges-4-sending-iran-reactor-parts-103039909.html
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Cat and mouse: One gene is necessary for mice to avoid predators
Apr. 29, 2013 ? When a mouse smells a cat, it instinctively avoids the feline or risks becoming dinner. How? A Northwestern University study involving olfactory receptors, which underlie the sense of smell, provides evidence that a single gene is necessary for the behavior.
A research team led by neurobiologist Thomas Bozza has shown that removing one olfactory receptor from mice can have a profound effect on their behavior. The gene, called TAAR4, encodes a receptor that responds to a chemical that is enriched in the urine of carnivores. While normal mice innately avoid the scent marks of predators, mice lacking the TAAR4 receptor do not.
The study, published April 28 in the journal Nature, reveals something new about our sense of smell: individual genes matter.
Unlike our sense of vision, much less is known about how sensory receptors contribute to the perception of smells. Color vision is generated by the cooperative action of three light-sensitive receptors found in sensory neurons in the eye. People with mutations in even one of these receptors experience color blindness.
"It is easy to understand how each of the three color receptors is important and maintained during evolution," said Bozza, an author of the paper, "but the olfactory system is much more complex."
In contrast to the three color receptors, humans have 380 olfactory receptor genes, while mice have more than 1,000. Common smells like the fragrance of coffee and perfumes typically activate many receptors.
"The general consensus in the field is that removing a single olfactory receptor gene would not have a significant effect on odor perception," said Bozza, an assistant professor of neurobiology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
Bozza and his colleagues tested this assumption by genetically removing a specific subset of olfactory receptors called trace amine-associated receptors, or TAARs, in mice. Mice have 15 TAARs. One is expressed in the brain and responds to amine neurotransmitters and common drugs of abuse such as amphetamine. The other 14 are found in the nose and have been coopted to detect odors.
Bozza's group has shown that the TAARs are extremely sensitive to amines -- a class of chemicals that is ubiquitous in biological systems and is enriched in decaying materials and rotting flesh. Mice and humans typically avoid amines since they have a strongly unpleasant, fishy quality.
Bozza's team, including the paper's lead authors, postdoctoral fellow Adam Dewan and graduate student Rodrigo Pacifico, generated mice that lack all 14 olfactory TAAR genes. These mice showed no aversion to amines. In a second experiment, the researchers removed only the TAAR4 gene. TAAR4 responds selectively to phenylethylamine (PEA), an amine that is concentrated in carnivore urine. They found that mice lacking TAAR4 fail to avoid PEA, or the smell of predator cat urine, but still avoid other amines.
"It is amazing to see such a selective effect," Dewan said. "If you remove just one olfactory receptor in mice, you can affect behavior."
The TAAR genes are found in all mammals studied so far, including humans. "The fact that TAARs are highly conserved means they are likely important for survival," Bozza said.
One idea is that the TAARs may make animals very sensitive to the smell of amines. Humans may have TAAR genes to avoid rotting foods, which become enriched in amines during the decomposition process. In fact, the TAARs may relay information to a specific part of the brain that elicits innately aversive behavior in animals.
Bozza's lab has recently shown that neurons in the nose that express the TAARs connect to with a specific region of the olfactory bulb -- the part of the brain that first receives olfactory information. This suggests that the TAARs may elicit hardwired responses to amines in mice, and perhaps humans.
"We hope this work will reveal specific brain circuits that underlie instinctive behaviors in mammals," Bozza said. "Doing so will help us understand how neural circuits contribute to behavior."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Northwestern University, 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:
- Adam Dewan, Rodrigo Pacifico, Ross Zhan, Dmitry Rinberg, Thomas Bozza. Non-redundant coding of aversive odours in the main olfactory pathway. Nature, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nature12114
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_science/~3/LHj98X5KInQ/130429154115.htm
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Monday, April 29, 2013
Foul-smelling gas shows health benefits in reducing joint swelling
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Public release date: 29-Apr-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Louise Vennells
l.vennells@exeter.ac.uk
44-013-927-24927
University of Exeter
A gas associated with the smell of rotten eggs has proven to effectively reduce joint swelling, in research which could lead to advances in the treatment of arthritis.
Scientists at the University of Exeter Medical School have discovered that a novel drug molecule, which slowly generates the gas hydrogen sulfide (H2S), effectively reduces swelling and inflammation in arthritic joints.
For years, H2S has been regarded as a highly poisonous by-product which is corrosive, flammable and explosive. But research is now showing an altogether more benign side to the substance.
Professor Matt Whiteman, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said the research, which is published online in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, could pave the way for more effective treatments of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Prof Whiteman said: "H2S is widely dismissed as a toxic and foul-smelling environmental pollutant, but it has recently been shown to be created in humans and animals by a specific set of enzymes. Why would the body do this if it had no benefit? Our research has shown that the key to unlocking the therapeutic qualities of H2S is through slow release, mimicking the body's own production."
The team has previously shown that H2S levels were increased by up to four times in the knee joints of patients with joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, but intriguingly the higher H2S levels strongly correlated with a lower number of inflammatory cells in the joint. The latest study provides further evidence that the real role for H2S may be to combat inflammation, swelling and joint destruction.
Prof Whiteman added: "A patient will usually visit their doctor with a joint already inflamed, swollen and painful. Since the compound worked after arthritis was established, it may be useful in treating arthritis in the future. Many compounds can prevent arthritis in the laboratory, but of course nobody knows when they will get arthritis. Having a class of compounds which reduce inflammation and swelling when arthritis is already active is extremely exciting. These molecules may also be useful in other inflammatory conditions, and even in the inflammatory aspects of diabetes and obesity."
The study was part of a large collaboration funded by the Wellcome Trust and Arthritis Research UK, involving Professor Philip K Moore and Dr Julie Keeble from King's College London, as well as researchers at the National University of Singapore and Queen's University, Belfast. The team used primary human cells as well as a model of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis causes some cells to proliferate too quickly in the joint and secrete substances which promote tissue inflammation, swelling and eventually joint destruction. However, the H2S donor molecule prevented this secretion, and inhibited the activity of several enzymes which cause inflation. In the arthritis model, the compound did not prevent arthritis, but was highly effective at reducing joint inflammation and swelling once arthritis was established, suggesting H2S-based compounds may one day be useful in clinic.
The same team has previously found that people who are overweight or have diabetes have lower levels of H2S in their bodies than healthy adults resulting in higher blood pressure, poorer insulin sensitivity and higher levels of sugar in their blood. It has also been reported to promote ulcer healing and reduce lung injury in smokers.
Co-author Dr Mark E Wood, at the University of Exeter, added: "Despite its reputation for being hazardous, H2S could in fact hold the key to solving some of the widespread health problems affecting the country. Our work is a major step in proving that it can be more hero than villain to the human body, providing it is administered in the right way, at the right time. We currently have several more efficient H2S donor molecules being evaluated with collaborators and this is a very exciting time for us."
Dr Julie Keeble, co-author from King's College London, commented: "The finding that H2S is able to reduce joint inflammation in experimental models makes it a very exciting prospect for treating arthritis. Many patients with arthritis do not respond effectively to current treatments or suffer side-effects from their medication. We hope that H2S-releasing drugs like the one tested in this study will be effective in treating arthritis without uncomfortable side effects."
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 29-Apr-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Louise Vennells
l.vennells@exeter.ac.uk
44-013-927-24927
University of Exeter
A gas associated with the smell of rotten eggs has proven to effectively reduce joint swelling, in research which could lead to advances in the treatment of arthritis.
Scientists at the University of Exeter Medical School have discovered that a novel drug molecule, which slowly generates the gas hydrogen sulfide (H2S), effectively reduces swelling and inflammation in arthritic joints.
For years, H2S has been regarded as a highly poisonous by-product which is corrosive, flammable and explosive. But research is now showing an altogether more benign side to the substance.
Professor Matt Whiteman, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said the research, which is published online in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, could pave the way for more effective treatments of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Prof Whiteman said: "H2S is widely dismissed as a toxic and foul-smelling environmental pollutant, but it has recently been shown to be created in humans and animals by a specific set of enzymes. Why would the body do this if it had no benefit? Our research has shown that the key to unlocking the therapeutic qualities of H2S is through slow release, mimicking the body's own production."
The team has previously shown that H2S levels were increased by up to four times in the knee joints of patients with joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, but intriguingly the higher H2S levels strongly correlated with a lower number of inflammatory cells in the joint. The latest study provides further evidence that the real role for H2S may be to combat inflammation, swelling and joint destruction.
Prof Whiteman added: "A patient will usually visit their doctor with a joint already inflamed, swollen and painful. Since the compound worked after arthritis was established, it may be useful in treating arthritis in the future. Many compounds can prevent arthritis in the laboratory, but of course nobody knows when they will get arthritis. Having a class of compounds which reduce inflammation and swelling when arthritis is already active is extremely exciting. These molecules may also be useful in other inflammatory conditions, and even in the inflammatory aspects of diabetes and obesity."
The study was part of a large collaboration funded by the Wellcome Trust and Arthritis Research UK, involving Professor Philip K Moore and Dr Julie Keeble from King's College London, as well as researchers at the National University of Singapore and Queen's University, Belfast. The team used primary human cells as well as a model of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis causes some cells to proliferate too quickly in the joint and secrete substances which promote tissue inflammation, swelling and eventually joint destruction. However, the H2S donor molecule prevented this secretion, and inhibited the activity of several enzymes which cause inflation. In the arthritis model, the compound did not prevent arthritis, but was highly effective at reducing joint inflammation and swelling once arthritis was established, suggesting H2S-based compounds may one day be useful in clinic.
The same team has previously found that people who are overweight or have diabetes have lower levels of H2S in their bodies than healthy adults resulting in higher blood pressure, poorer insulin sensitivity and higher levels of sugar in their blood. It has also been reported to promote ulcer healing and reduce lung injury in smokers.
Co-author Dr Mark E Wood, at the University of Exeter, added: "Despite its reputation for being hazardous, H2S could in fact hold the key to solving some of the widespread health problems affecting the country. Our work is a major step in proving that it can be more hero than villain to the human body, providing it is administered in the right way, at the right time. We currently have several more efficient H2S donor molecules being evaluated with collaborators and this is a very exciting time for us."
Dr Julie Keeble, co-author from King's College London, commented: "The finding that H2S is able to reduce joint inflammation in experimental models makes it a very exciting prospect for treating arthritis. Many patients with arthritis do not respond effectively to current treatments or suffer side-effects from their medication. We hope that H2S-releasing drugs like the one tested in this study will be effective in treating arthritis without uncomfortable side effects."
###
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/uoe-fgs042913.php
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Owner of collapsed building captured in Bangladesh
SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) -- The fugitive owner of an illegally constructed building that collapsed and killed at least 377 people was captured Sunday by a commando force as he tried to flee into India. At the disaster site, meanwhile, fire broke out in the wreckage and forced authorities to suspend the search for survivors temporarily.
Mohammed Sohel Rana was arrested in the western Bangladesh border town of Benapole, said Jahangir Kabir Nanak, junior minister for local government. Rana was brought back by helicopter to the capital of Dhaka where he faced charges of negligence.
Rana's capture was announced by loudspeaker at the disaster site, drawing cheers and applause from those awaiting the outcome of a continuing search-and-rescue operation for survivors of Wednesday's collapse.
Many of those killed were workers at clothing factories in the building, known as the Rana Plaza, and the collapse was the deadliest disaster to hit the garment industry in Bangladesh that is worth $20 billion annually and is a mainstay of the economy.
The fire that broke out late Sunday night sent smoke pouring from the piles of shattered concrete and halted some of the rescue efforts ? including a bid to free a woman who was found trapped in the rubble.
The blaze was caused by sparks as rescuers tried to cut through a steel rod to reach the woman, said a volunteer, Syed Al-Amin Roman. At least three rescuers were injured in the fire, he said. It forced them to retreat while firefighters frantically hosed down the flames.
Officials believe the fire is likely to have killed the trapped woman, said army spokesman Shahinul Islam. Rescue workers had delayed the use of heavy equipment for several hours in the hope that she could be extricated from the rubble first. But with the woman presumed dead, they began using heavy equipment around midnight.
An exhausted and disheveled Rana was brought before reporters briefly at the Dhaka headquarters of the commando team, the Rapid Action Battalion.
Wearing a printed shirt, Rana was sweating as two security officers held him by his arms. A security official helped him to drink water after he gestured he was thirsty. He did not speak during the 10-minute appearance, and he is likely to be handed over to police, who will have to charge him and produce him in court within 24 hours.
A small-time politician from the ruling Awami League party, Rana had been on the run since the building collapsed Wednesday. He last appeared in public Tuesday in front of the Rana Plaza after huge cracks appeared in the building. Witnesses said he assured tenants, including five garment factories, that the building was safe.
A bank and some shops on the first floor closed Wednesday after police ordered an evacuation, but managers of the garment factories on the upper floor told workers to continue their shifts.
Hours later, the Rana Plaza was reduced to rubble, crushing most victims under massive blocks of concrete.
Rana's arrest was ordered by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also the Awami League leader.
On Saturday, police arrested three owners of two factories. Also detained were Rana's wife and two government engineers who were involved in giving approval for the building design. Local TV stations reported that the Bangladesh High Court has frozen the bank accounts of the owners of all five garment factories in the Rana Plaza.
Three floors of the eight-story building apparently were built illegally.
A garment manufacturers' group said the factories in the building employed 3,122 workers, but it was not clear how many were inside when it fell. About 2,500 survivors have been accounted for.
Army Maj. Gen. Chowdhury Hasan Suhrawardy, the coordinator of the rescue operations, said the next phase of the search involved the heavy equipment such as hydraulic cranes that were brought to the disaster site Sunday. Searchers had been manually shifting concrete blocks with the help of light equipment such as pickaxes and shovels, he said.
The work will be carried out carefully so as not to mutilate bodies, he said. "We have engaged many private sector companies which supplied us equipment, even some heavy ones," Suhrawardy said.
In a rare bit of good news, a female worker was pulled out alive Sunday. Rescuer Hasan Akbari said when he tried to extricate a man next to the woman, "he said his body was being torn apart. So I had to let go. But God willing, we will be able to rescue him with more help very soon."
The collapse and previous disasters in garment factories have focused attention on the poor working conditions of workers who toil for as little as $38 a month to produce clothing for top international brands.
The death toll surpassed a fire five months ago that killed 112 people and brought widespread pledges to improve worker-safety standards. But since then, very little has changed in Bangladesh.
Its garment industry was the third-largest in the world in 2011, after China and Italy, having grown rapidly in the past decade.
Among the garment makers in the building were Phantom Apparels, Phantom Tac, Ether Tex, New Wave Style and New Wave Bottoms. Altogether, they produced several million shirts, pants and other garments a year.
The New Wave companies, according to their website, make clothing for several major North American and European retailers.
Britain's Primark acknowledged it was using a factory in Rana Plaza, but many other retailers distanced themselves from the disaster, saying they were not involved with the factories at the time of the collapse or had not recently ordered garments from them.
Wal-Mart said none of its clothing had been authorized to be made in the facility, but it is investigating whether there was any unauthorized production.
__
AP writers Farid Hossain and Gillian Wong in Dhaka contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/owner-collapsed-building-captured-bangladesh-184621056.html
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Sunday, April 28, 2013
Conversion from 'bad' fat to good fat
Apr. 28, 2013 ? Scientists from ETH Zurich have shown for the first time that brown and white fat cells in a living organism can be converted from one cell type to the other. Their work, using mice as a model organism, provides important new insights into the origin of brown fat cells, which is a prerequisite for the development of successful anti-obesity therapies.
Two types of fat cells can be found in mammals and hence in humans: White fat cells function mainly as highly flexible energy stores which are filled in times of calorie abundance. The fat is stored in the form of lipid droplets, which are mobilized when energy is needed. Diametrically opposed in function are the so-called brown adipocytes: These cells specialize in burning energy in the form of fat and sugar to produce heat. New-born babies possess substantial amounts of brown fat and utilize it to maintain body temperature. Since it was recently shown that brown adipocytes also exist in adult humans, research has focused on understanding how brown adipocytes are formed. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to increase brown adipocyte number and activity in obese humans, allowing them to burn excess calories and thus reduce weight.
Against the current belief
It is known that both humans and mice can adapt to cold temperatures by forming brown fat cells within their white fat depots. These cells are called "brite" fat cells (brown-in-white) and are less common at warmer versus colder temperatures. However, the origin of these special brown adipocytes has remained a matter of debate. The prevalent hypothesis was that brite cells are formed from special precursor cells and are removed when no longer needed. The alternate idea of a direct interconversion between white and brown fat cells gained less attention. By demonstrating that this interconversion does occur and is one of the main contributors to brite fat cell formation, the current belief has been challenged.
Genetically labelled fat cells
To demonstrate how brite fat cells are formed the researchers in the laboratory of Christian Wolfrum, a professor at the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, generated mice that allowed them to genetically label specific fat cells. These animals were kept in a changing environment: starting at 8?C for a week and for several weeks afterwards at normal room temperature. During the cold exposure, the mice formed brown adipocytes in their white fat depots -- a process called "britening." After warm adaptation the fat tissue turned white again. Using the genetic markers the scientists concluded from these experiments that white fat cells can convert into brown fat cells and vice versa. As humans have the same type of cells as mice it is likely that the same process occurs in humans upon cold stimulation.
Treatments against obesity
"To develop new treatment strategies we need to find ways to convert white into brown adipocytes," says Wolfrum. Most of the research has focused on identifying the precursor cells for brown fat cells, an approach that may be insufficient. Future work will address the question of how to manipulate this interconversion process either by pharmacological or by nutritional means.
This approach would represent a novel strategy. "Current anti-obesity therapies target the energy intake side of the equation by controlling appetite and the uptake of nutrients," says Wolfrum. The pharmacological treatments that are available are not very efficient and usually are associated with side effects. In contrast, this novel approach to treat obesity would target the energy expenditure side of the equation by promoting brown fat formation.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by ETH Zurich, 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:
- Matthias Rosenwald, Aliki Perdikari, Thomas R?licke, Christian Wolfrum. Bi-directional interconversion of brite and white?adipocytes. Nature Cell Biology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/ncb2740
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/3LfJOKXIqoE/130428144925.htm
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Boston suspects' father postpones trip to US
MAKHACHKALA, Russia (AP) ? The father of the two Boston bombing suspects said Sunday that he has postponed a trip from Russia to the United States because of poor health.
"I am really sick," Anzor Tsarnaev, 46, told The Associated Press. He said his blood pressure had spiked to dangerous levels.
Tsarnaev said at a news conference Thursday that he planned to leave that day or the next for the U.S. with the hope of seeing his younger son, who is under arrest, and burying his elder son, who was killed. His family, however, indicated later Thursday that the trip could be pushed back because he was not feeling well.
Tsarnaev confirmed on Sunday that he is staying in Chechnya, a province in southern Russia, but did not specify whether he was hospitalized. He is an ethnic Chechen and has relatives in Chechnya, although he and his family spent little time in Chechnya or anywhere else in Russia before moving to the U.S. a decade ago.
He and the suspects' mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, returned to Russia last year and settled in Makhachkala, the capital of neighboring Dagestan, where Tsarnaeva's relatives live.
During the past week, they were both questioned extensively by U.S. investigators who had traveled to Makhachkala from Moscow. They also were besieged by journalists who staked out their home.
Tsarnaev's family said last week that he intended to get to the U.S. by flying from Grozny, the Chechen capital, to Moscow. He and Tsarnaeva left Dagestan on Friday, but their whereabouts were unclear.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boston-suspects-father-postpones-trip-us-124041600.html
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Nadal, Almagro reach Barcelona Open final
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? Seven-time winner Rafael Nadal defeated Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-0 Saturday to reach the final of the Barcelona Open.
He will play for the title Sunday against Nicolas Almagro in a match between Spaniards. Almargo defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-1 in the other semifinal to advance to his second clay-court final of the year.
"Almagro will be a tough rival," Nadal said. "He will come out aggressive as always. My goal is not to find myself in defensive positions all the time, and even though it will be tough, try to move him around."
The start of Nadal's match was delayed because of rain. He overcame an early break and dominated the rest of the way, with Raonic's big serve doing little damage.
Nadal has won 38 straight matches on the Real Club de Tenis's outdoor red clay. His last loss in Barcelona came 10 years ago to Spain's current Davis Cup captain, Alex Corretja. Nadal is now ranked fifth and has reached six straight finals ? winning three ? since returning from a seven-month knee injury layoff.
He said his long absence makes him value his chance at a title.
"I can't consider this just one more final," the 26-year-old Nadal said. "With everything I have been through over the last few months, one never knows when all this will come to an end. Every chance I have to win a title is in itself maximum motivation. I never imagined reaching six finals in a row."
His eight-year winning run at Monte Carlo ended last weekend when he lost in the final to top-ranked Novak Djokovic.
Both Nadal and Almagro arrive in good form to the final with neither having dropped a set. However, Nadal is 9-0 against Almagro in career meetings.
In the semifinal, Raonic started strong and broke Nadal to love to go up 2-0. But after that initial misstep, Nadal didn't give up a single break chance while converting 5 of 11 to ease past his rival.
Nadal finished off the first set with a slam after wearing Raonic down with a series of drives to work his way to the net. The Canadian soon crumbled and ceded the match point by hitting wide.
"I understood the way to play (Raonic). Tall players have difficulties with shots at their feet," Nadal said of the 6-foot-5 Canadian.
Almagro will play his first final at Barcelona after falling in his two previous appearances in the semifinals.
He dominated Kohlschreiber, hitting nine aces and breaking the German four times.
"To beat Rafa, a lot of things have to go your way," Almagro said. "I'm calm and believe in my tennis, which before was more erratic. Now I believe I can win and that is an important step.
"He is the favorite, but why can't tomorrow be my day?"
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nadal-almagro-reach-barcelona-open-final-194758697.html
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Saturday, April 27, 2013
Apple in talks with Nuance to bring Swype to iOS
By Terry Daley ROME, April 27 (Reuters) - Udinese beat Cagliari 1-0 on Saturday thanks to a goal from Roberto Pereyra to move above Inter Milan into fifth place in Serie A, which brings a Europa League spot for next season. Pereyra's curling strike after 56 minutes saw Francesco Guidolin's side move up to 54 points, one ahead of Inter who visit relegation-threatened Palermo on Sunday (1300 GMT). Cagliari, who had striker Mauricio Pinilla sent off in added time, remain 10th on 42 points, two points and one place above Bologna, who drew 1-1 at Atalanta in the other early kickoff. ...
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-talks-nuance-bring-swype-ios-151032725.html
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Green Throttle Takes (A Few) Mobile Games to the ... - AllThingsD
The last time I owned a videogame console, Hypercolor shirts were in, everyone pegged their jeans, and I had a perm. In other words, it was a long time ago. (It was the Nintendo Entertainment System, by the way.)
I?m ready to get a new system now, and choosing one is proving to be a difficult decision. Microsoft?s Xbox 360, Sony?s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo?s Wii U are the most well-known and popular ones. But I don?t want to spend a lot of money, and I already have a Roku set-top box and DVD player, so I don?t necessarily need the entertainment aspects of those systems. What to get?
Enter Green Throttle. Started by one of the co-creators of the Guitar Hero videogame with two former Palm employees, Green Throttle is an app and game-controller solution that aims to turn your existing Android tablet or smartphone into a game console.
The only thing you have to buy is the Atlas game controller, which costs $40 and connects via Bluetooth. If your mobile device can be plugged into a TV for playing video, the company also sells bundles that include special cables for connecting to your HDTV. Meanwhile, the company?s free Arena application acts as the game center, where you can download titles and play games.
Green Throttle is more about enhancing the game-playing experience of mobile devices, rather than being a direct competitor to Xbox or PlayStation. And it succeeds in that goal. The controller allows for more precision and capabilities than a touchscreen. It?s also nice to be able to play games on a bigger screen. But there?s a big drawback, and that?s its lack of compatible games. There are currently fewer than a dozen games that work with Green Throttle, so it?s simply not worth buying right now ? though it has potential.
Green Throttle works with any device running on Google?s Android operating system, version 4.0 or higher. I tested it on the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD, and setup was relatively painless.
After turning on the Atlas controller and downloading the Arena from the Google Play Store, I went to the app?s settings menu to connect the controller. The pairing process took some time, though. Normally, when I connect a Bluetooth headset or keyboard to a smartphone or tablet for the first time, the whole process only takes a couple of minutes.
With Green Throttle, it took at least a few minutes for both tablets to find the Atlas controller. Enough time had elapsed that I thought something might be wrong, but eventually I got a prompt to connect to the controller, and I was up and running shortly after that. Fortunately, once paired, reconnections were almost instantaneous.
The controller is similar to the ones used with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It?s powered by two AA batteries (included in the package), and there are two joysticks, a directional pad, X, Y, A, B buttons, and two trigger and two shoulder buttons on the top edge of the controller. The power, start and back buttons are located in the middle. All the controls were within easy reach, and provided good feedback ? not too stiff or mushy-feeling.
The user interface of the Green Throttle Arena game hub is pretty straightforward. There are four tabbed sections you can peruse: Home, My Games, Recommended and Settings. The latter is self-explanatory. Home features the latest Green Throttle news, recent games and featured games. My Games is where you?ll find all your downloaded titles, while Recommended surfaces editors? picks.
A couple of things were missing: One is a search feature for looking up specific titles; the other is the ability to look for games by type, such as action, puzzle, sports and so on. Green Throttle says it will add both functions in the future.
For now, this isn?t a huge issue, since there aren?t that many games. Games must be built to work with the Atlas controllers, so you can?t use them to play titles you?ve already downloaded from the Google Play store.
Currently, there are only eight available titles from the Arena game store, with six c. Green Throttle said it is adding one or two new games to the store every week, and more than 500 companies are using its software to build titles for the system, including a few well-known console game developers.
I tried all eight titles. Most are casual or retro-style arcade games. Given the limitations of a mobile device?s hardware (computing and graphics power, memory, etc.), you won?t find any really complex or graphics-intensive titles, compared to dedicated game consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation, or even the Razer Edge gaming tablet. So, if you?re looking for big-name titles like Assassin?s Creed III or BioShock Infinite, this isn?t the system for you.
Instead, you get games like Coral Combat, a Space Invaders-type game that takes place underwater, or FishTails, a racing game where you have to collect as many coins as possible while dodging obstacles. There are also multiplayer games like Crystal Swarm, where you can team up to kill alien bugs. I played the game with a friend, using the Kindle Fire HD hooked up to my Samsung TV.
They?re all worth a try (most games are free, but APO Snow costs $1.99, and Gunslugs costs $1.49), but given their simple nature, I wasn?t drawn to play them on a regular basis, with the exception of the snowboarding game APO Snow, and Blocks Party.
Performance was smooth. Also, having a controller with physical buttons made it easy to navigate through the games and accomplish moves.
Final score: Green Throttle takes the mobile gaming experience to the next level in an affordable way, but it?s not worth it until it beefs up its game selection.
Update: Shortly after this review was originally published, Green Throttle announced six new games for the Arena app, including The Bard?s Tale and Duke Nukem 3D.
Source: http://allthingsd.com/20130425/green-throttle-takes-a-few-mobile-games-to-the-living-room/
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Red panda shows off its strength with pullups
* Lewandowski scored four goals against Real Madrid * Poland international refuses contract extension (adds details, background) BERLIN, April 26 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski have not signed a deal, the newly-crowned champions said on Friday, shooting down widespread speculation of another imminent surprise transfer. "Bayern, as opposed to some reports, has no contract with Robert Lewandowski," the Bavarian Champions League semi-finalists said in a brief statement. ...
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/red-panda-bear-shows-off-strength-pull-ups-155523646.html
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Friday, April 26, 2013
White House hedges on 'red line'
President Barack Obama during his meeting Friday with King Abdullah II of Jordan. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP???A whole bunch,? meet ?systematic.? President Barack Obama's cautious stance on the conflict in Syria shone clearly Friday as he warned President Bashar Assad that ?the systematic use? of chemical weapons against Syrian rebels would trigger a forceful American response.
Back in August, Obama bluntly warned Assad?s regime that while he had not ?at this point? ordered an American military response to Syria's civil war, ?a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized."
When it comes to chemical weapons, what is "a whole bunch"? What does "systematic" mean? The White House has carefully refused to define either term precisely, keeping the president's options open. Republicans have called for a far more forceful U.S. role in Syria, notably by arming the rebels and establishing "safe zones" to protect the opposition or Syrians fleeing the fighting.
In 2008, Obama used his opposition to the Iraq war?and Hillary Clinton?s initial support for it?as a potent weapon to capture the Democratic presidential nomination. The flawed case for toppling Saddam Hussein looms large now as the president wrestles with the U.S. response to signs that Assad?s iron-fisted regime used chemical weapons in Syria?s two-year civil war. The conflict has claimed the lives of an estimated 70,000 people.
?I think all of us, not just in the United States but around the world, recognize how we cannot stand by and permit the systematic use of weapons like chemical weapons on civilian populations,? Obama said as he met Friday in the Oval Office with King Abdullah II of Jordan.
The president?s comments came a day after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the White House revealed that U.S. intelligence believed Assad had used chemical weapons, specifically the deadly nerve agent sarin, against opposition forces in the country's ongoing civil war.
On Thursday, the White House disclosed that "our intelligence community does assess with varying degrees of confidence" that Assad's regime had used sarin. But top officials?from Hagel on down?warned that those findings did not mean that Assad had now crossed Obama's "red line" or that American military action might be imminent. Instead, they said Washington will now work with its allies, Syria's opposition and the United Nations to build what one top Obama aide called an ?airtight? case.
"These are preliminary assessments; they?re based on our intelligence gathering. We have varying degrees of confidence about the actual use, but there are a range of questions around how, when, where these weapons may have been used," Obama said Friday, vowing "to make sure that we are investigating this as effectively and as quickly as we can."
"But I meant what I?d said, and I will repeat," he said. "Horrific as it is when mortars are being fired on civilians and people are being indiscriminately killed, to use potential weapons of mass destruction on civilian populations crosses another line with respect to international norms and international law. And that is going to be a game changer."
"We have to act prudently. We have to make these assessments deliberately. But I think all of us, not just in the United States but around the world, recognize how we cannot stand by and permit the systematic use of weapons like chemical weapons on civilian populations," he said.
Just how big a factor is the March 2003 invasion of Iraq? A senior Obama aide, briefing reporters Thursday on a conference call arranged by the White House, made repeated references to it as a reason to tread cautiously.
?I?d say that given our own history with intelligence assessments, including intelligence assessments related to weapons of mass destruction, it?s very important that we are able to establish this with certainty and that we are able to present information that is airtight in a public and credible fashion," he said. "That is, I think, the threshold that is demanded."
White House press secretary Jay Carney sharply rejected any notion that Obama might show more "leniency" on weapons of mass destruction because of the Iraq War. "Absolutely not," he told reporters at his Friday briefing.
"The fact is that we do have some evidence and we need to build on that," Carney said. "The precedent you cite I think is a significant one, and it simply stands to reason that the assessments that we make, the intelligence community makes, are extraordinarily valuable, and they do excellent work, but they are building blocks towards a broader objective here, which is the accumulation of concrete evidence?evidence that can be corroborated, evidence that can be presented and reviewed and then acted on if the conclusion is that a red line has been crossed."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/iraq-looms-large-wary-obama-warns-syria-over-201513845.html
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Minorities wait longer for breast cancer surgery
By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Among young women diagnosed with breast cancer, black and Hispanic patients were more likely to wait weeks for treatment, in a new study from California.
Researchers found treatment delays were also more common among poor women and those without private insurance - and that a woman's chance of surviving at least five years after cancer surgery was lower when it was put off.
"This study adds to a number of other studies that have also documented treatment delays that are patterned by race or socioeconomic status," said Sam Harper, who has studied racial differences in breast cancer diagnosis and survival at McGill University in Montreal.
"What the study does identify is that there are differences? the study really can't tell us much about why that's occurring," he told Reuters Health.
For example, Harper said, it's possible minority patients are sicker than whites, on average, and doctors wait to treat them for good reason. Or, poor women may have more trouble taking time off from work and getting to their appointments.
"Of course, there's the potential for discrimination in treatment," said Harper, who wasn't involved in the new research. "I think that's what's most concerning about findings like this."
For their study, Hoda Anton-Culver from the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues analyzed records of 8,860 women age 15 to 39 that were diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 through 2006. Although cancer is rare in that age group - accounting for 5 to 6 percent of all breast cancers - it's typically more aggressive than in older women, the researchers noted.
They found the time between diagnosis and treatment - whether surgery or chemotherapy - was delayed more than six weeks in 8 percent of white women and 15 percent of both Hispanic and black women.
Likewise, between 9 and 10 percent of privately-insured women had their treatment delayed more than six weeks, compared to 18 percent of those who had no insurance or were covered by Medicaid.
And for women treated with surgery, in particular, outcomes were substantially worse after a long delay: 80 percent of those women lived at least five years after surgery, compared to 90 percent of patients who waited less than two weeks for treatment.
Anton-Culver said younger women are a unique group because they're often in between insurances or in between jobs.
"Our healthcare system does not allow for access to healthcare by all people in the same manner," she told Reuters Health.
"Without having a real standard of care (for type of treatment and time to treatment) that the healthcare system is accountable for, you will see those differences."
DIFFERENCES FOR THOSE ON MEDICAID?
In another study published concurrently in JAMA Surgery, researchers from the University of Toledo Medical Center found women with early-stage breast cancer had larger tumors at diagnosis, and were more likely to be treated with breast-removing surgery, if they were covered by Medicaid.
Sixty percent of those women had a mastectomy, compared to 39 percent of patients with private insurance. The National Institutes of Health endorses breast-conserving surgery - rather than mastectomy - for early-stage breast cancer, the team led by Dr. Linda Adepoju noted.
The studies are consistent with prior research which has shown, for example, that black women are more likely to die of breast cancer - in part due to segregation and lower neighborhood and family incomes (see Reuters Health story of March 21, 2012 here: http://reut.rs/GFcJLF ).
However, with so many questions about the potential causes behind disparities in cancer treatment and outcomes, it's hard to know where to go next, Harper noted.
"It really should push us to try to get at some of those questions for understanding: how much of these differences may be due to discrimination, or where people live and access to treatment?" he said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/K8qAyI JAMA Surgery, online April 24, 2013.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/minorities-wait-longer-breast-cancer-surgery-201156573.html
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Thursday, April 25, 2013
Anonymous Just Took Down NAMBLA's Homepage to Protest Pedophilia Pride Day
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Nokia Chat beta messaging app released for WP8, is exclusive to Lumias
One of the benefits of buying a Windows Phone 8 handset with a Nokia stamp is the exclusive apps, and today we can add another to that list with the beta release of Nokia Chat for WP8. The software started life on Symbian and Series 40 devices before falling out of favor with Nokia, but this WP8 refresh enables cross-platform chatter between those older phones, the newer Lumia range and, as Yahoo Messenger contacts are supported, anything running that IM client, too. In addition to standard messaging, you can share your location with others, and send details about a specific place -- a restaurant, for example -- that'll link with Nokia Maps on Lumias for more info. (That sounds an awful lot like Nokia's other beta messaging app Pulse, doesn't it?) Other Lumia-only features in Nokia Chat include Live Tile and lock screen push notifications, Live Tile message previews, voice commands and text-to-speech composition. Nokia Chat beta is only available in a handful of countries right now, including the US, Canada and the UK, with more being added "in the near future." Head over to the Nokia Beta Labs source link to try it out.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Nokia
Via: WMPoweruser
Source: Nokia Beta Labs (1), (2)
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/bdh6QQjw8pA/
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Wednesday, April 24, 2013
6 NY pols being arraigned on corruption charges
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) -- Amid a growing perception that corruption is a serious problem in New York, six politicians are up for arraignment in a case that alleges an audacious plot to buy a line on New York City's mayoral ballot.
Even one of the suspects said it, according to the indictment: When it comes to politicians taking money, "They're all like that."
Defense lawyers said Monday that not-guilty pleas are expected from all six defendants, including state Sen. Malcolm Smith, at Tuesday's arraignment. He is accused of scheming with New York City Councilman Daniel Halloran, a Republican, to bribe county Republican leaders for the GOP line on this year's mayoral ballot.
Because he's a Democrat, Smith would have needed three leaders' permission.
The indictment said two Republican Party leaders, Joseph Savino of the Bronx and Vincent Tabone of Queens, accepted tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for their agreement.
Halloran is also accused of agreeing to steer City Council funds to a company in exchange for more bribes.
The indictment quotes him as saying, "That's politics, it's all about how much. Not about whether or will, it's about how much, and that's our politicians in New York, they're all like that."
In a separate bribery scheme, Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin and Deputy Mayor Joseph Desmaret are accused of taking money and property to approve a real estate project.
The bribery and extortion charges produced hand-wringing in the city and in Albany, where Smith was removed from his most influential post.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced several anti-corruption proposals and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who announced the charges three weeks ago, said Monday that he has met with the FBI "to discuss expanding our corruption efforts."
"It seems that a culture of corruption has developed and grown, just like barnacles on a boat bottom," Bharara said. "And just as with barnacles on a boat bottom, when a growth is permitted to spread and grow unchecked, it unsurprisingly takes an unrelenting, collective effort to clean up."
A Quinnipiac University poll released last week found that 48 percent of New Yorkers see corruption as "very serious," the highest share since the poll began asking the question in 2003. And a Siena College poll released Monday showed 81 percent of New York voters expect more corruption arrests.
The complaint and indictment make clear that much of the evidence will come from recordings made by an undercover FBI agent and a cooperating witness.
Neither is identified by name in the indictment, but the witness has been widely reported to be Moses Stern, a Rockland County real estate developer. Prosecutors acknowledge that the witness pleaded guilty to unspecified federal charges last month, hoping to win leniency at sentencing.
Desmaret's attorney, Kenneth Gribetz, said Monday he's eager to see the details of that plea bargain.
___
Associated Press Writer Michael Gormley contributed to this report from Albany, N.Y.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/6-ny-pols-being-arraigned-125208218.html
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Reminder: Webby Awards voting ends tomorrow, help the Engadget Show out
That's right, we're in the home stretch, and we can still use a little bit of love. As we subtly hinted previously, The Engadget Show is a nominated for a Webby, and we need your help to win! Remember all the fun we had last year with Douglas Rushkoff, DJ Spooky, Ben Heck, Wayne Coyne, LeVar Burton, Chris Anderson and John Hodgman? Or how about those hacked Boston bikes, sweet pinball machines, the creepy robotic head, spooky ghost hunting trip and a couple of classic cartoons? We're really proud of what we've been able to bring you and hope you've enjoyed it half as much as we have. Sure, we don't need an award to keep bringing you the Engadget Show each month, but hey, it certainly wouldn't hurt. So please click on through and give us a vote, won't you?
Source: Webby Awards
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100 years later, a time capsule is opened
SYDNEY, April 24 (Reuters) - Australia named the following squad for the Ashes test series against England in July and August. Squad: Michael Clarke (captain), Brad Haddin (vice captain), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja, Chris Rogers, Matthew Wade, Nathan Lyon, James Faulkner, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Jackson Bird (Compiled by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/100-years-later-time-capsule-opened-185852550.html
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