May 21, 2013 ? As many as 35 percent of Mexican young adults may have a genetic predisposition for obesity, said a University of Illinois scientist who conducted a study at the Universidad Aut?noma de San Luis Potos?.
"The students who inherited genetic risk factors from both parents were already 15? pounds heavier and 2 inches bigger around the waist than those who hadn't. They also had slightly higher fasting glucose levels," said Margarita Teran-Garcia, a U of I professor of food science and human nutrition.
In the study, 251 18- to 25-year-olds were tested for risk alleles on the FTO gene as part of the Up Amigos project, a collaboration of scientists at the U of I and the Mexican university. The researchers are following the 10,000 yearly applicants to the Universidad Aut?noma de San Luis Potos? to learn how changes in students' weight, body mass index (BMI), and eating and exercise habits affect their health over time.
According to Teran-Garcia, the FTO gene is associated with a predisposition to obesity, increased BMI, and increased waist circumference. These traits can in turn contribute to many health-related problems, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Of the young adults tested in the study, 15 percent had inherited the genetic risk from both parents -- in other words, they carried two copies of the risk allele. Another 20 percent had inherited risk from one parent, meaning they had one copy of the risk allele. Sixty-five percent of the students in the study did not carry the risk allele.
"If young people realize early that they have this predisposition, they can fight against it. If they are at risk for obesity, eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise is even more important for them," Teran-Garcia said.
She noted that 85 percent of Hispanics in the United States are of Mexican origin.
Although FTO markers and analysis are available for large groups of Caucasians, Asians, and African-Americans, few studies have examined the effects of this gene in Mexican and Mexican- American populations.
"This is the first study to target young adults in Mexico, although one other study has followed older Mexican adults who had already been diagnosed with diabetes, obesity, and obesity-related diseases," she said.
Scientists hypothesize that "fat" genes may be influenced by epigenetic modifications, she said. "So even if you have this predisposition, you may be able to change the way those genes behave by eating the right foods and getting more exercise. These good habits are especially important for young people who have a genetic risk for obesity."
"FTO genotype is associated with body mass index and waist circumference in Mexican young adults" is available online in the Open Journal of Genetics (2013, 3, 44-48). Co-authors are Teran-Garcia, Itzel Vazquez-Vidal, and Michelle Mosley, of the U of I Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Flavia C.D. Andrade of the U of I Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, and Eduardo Medina-Cerda and Celia Aradillas-Garcia of the Universidad Auton?ma de San Luis Potos? in Mexico.
It seems that someone still finds value in traveling to Austin (no matter what that Huffington Post article said). Travel + Leisure recently ranked Austin the No. 9 spot on its list of Best U.S. Cities for Affordable Getaways.
Though some have challenged Austin's worth as a weekend getaway due to "everyone ... here looking so stressed" (not true, David?Landsel!), Travel + Leisure finds plenty of redeeming reasons for a Capital City vacation, namely the bang for the buck. For the national magazine, that comes in the form of summertime favorites like food trucks and swimming holes.
Hungry? Hit a food truck. "Among the best food trucks, for instance, is Gourdough?s on South Lamar, which may finally legitimize the donut as a complete meal: its Boss Hog donut ($5.50) is topped with pulled pork, potato salad, and honey BBQ sauce," touts the publication.
If you want to cool off after your donut super meal, take a dip. "One of the most classic, all-ages Austin experiences costs just $3: taking a dip in Barton Springs in Zilker Park; it?s great for some free and colorful people-watching."
Kansas City took the top spot on the list, earning recognition for cheap hotel prices, "fun factory-style tours" of Hallmark and Boulevard Brewing Company and budget-friendly (read: burnt) barbecue.?San Antonio ranked No. 3 for its free historic attractions (Remember the Alamo!) and for the affordable option to B-Cycle along the Riverwalk for just $10 per day.?
At No. 7, Houston was recognized for "the city's old-school Tex-Mex [Ninfa's on Navigation]" and other deals like complimentary wine at art openings and free programming at Miller Outdoor Theatre.?Dallas/Fort Worth took No. 16, with a nod to the Dallas Museum of Art and $9?minor league baseball games with downtown Fort Worth views.
Describing architecture as "instant" can mean different things to different people. During the post-War housing shortage, it meant prefab homes that went up in weeks. For disaster survivors, it can mean something as simple as a shelter that's assembled in hours. For the military, instant architecture often means truly instantaneous?hangars and medical tents that pop up in mere minutes.
Over the past few decades, as warfare has evolved and climate change has hastened the frequency of severe weather, we've seen "instant" buildings emerge as a topic in design schools and relief organizations. From shipping containers that unfold at the touch of a button to "buildings-in-a-bag" that need only water and air to be assembled, we're experiencing a renaissance in rapidly deployable architecture. Nine interesting examples?including a few from the past?follow.
Jean Prouv?'s Maison Aluminium M?tropole:
Jean Prouv?, who died in 1984, was one of the most vocal supporters of prefabrication. This classroom was the winning entry from a 1949 competition run by the French government, which asked architects to design a prefab package to provide classrooms and teacher housing in rural areas. Only 15 of the buildings were ever produced?but the design became definitive in modern architectural history. This stop-motion video, posted over on Dwell, shows one of the sets being assembled as part of a recent exhibition on Prouv?'s work.
Assembly time: six days.
Building In a Bag:
Cement-impregnated cloth gives these shelters?which go up in under an hour?their nickname: "building in a bag." To set up the hard-shell tents, you spray the concrete cloth with water drape it over an inflated balloon until it dries. It's fireproof, immune to snow and rain, and lasts as long as a decade.
Assembly time: an hour or less.
QuaDror by Dror Benshetrit:
QuaDror is actually a structural component developed by the Israeli product designer Dror Benshetrit. QuaDror disaster shelters use the same component as a basic hinge for building shelter out of whatever happens to be lying around. It's a smart proposal, because even though it requires a bit of work on site, it's cheaper (and faster) to transport small components rather than entire shelters.
Assembly time: one day.
Shelter System for the B-2 Stealth Bomber:
Why does the B-2 need its own storage system? Because its stealth coatings require exacting temperature controls to maintain. And when the plane is in action, a good hangar isn't always easy to find. So the Air Force contracted a company called American Spaceframe Fabricators to design a system that can be transported anywhere and goes up fast. The military now owns a handful of the massive structures, which can be disassembled and reassembled as needed. The unique retraceable entryway is clam-shaped to accommodate the plane's wingspan. Similar shelters are now in use to house smaller aircraft, like these similar pop-up hangars.
Assembly time: roughly ten days.
Onagawa Temporary Container Housing by Shigeru Ban:
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban devoted most of his office's resources to helping the displaced find shelter after the 2011 tsunami. This community, in the town of Onagawa, gave earthquake survivors a place to live as their town was being rebuilt. Stacked shipping containers supply 1800 units of temporary housing, and one very beautiful community center provides meeting space.
Assembly time: several months.
Mobile Housing by Yatsutaka Yoshimura:
Japanese architect Yatsutaka Yoshimura recently unveiled a proposal for a mobile housing unit built to the specifications of a shipping container. This way, the finished homes can be transported to the crisis site aboard flatbed trucks, rather than assembled when they arrive.
Assembly time: one day.
Uniteam's Collapsible Military Shelters:
The Rapid Deployment Shelter System, or RDSS, arrives in a standard shipping container and unfolds at the touch of a button. The system was designed to improve on the military's standard tent system, giving temporary hospitals and combat centers instant access to air conditioning, wifi, and electricity.
Assembly time: two minutes.
Daisuke Sugawara Housing by Azuhito Nakano:
Being displaced from your home after a disaster affects people in a whole host of long-term ways, ranging from financial to emotional. The concept behind this community of 60 homes in Rikuzentakata (an area "wiped off the map" after the tsunami in 2011) was to encourage interaction between residents. The architects arranged the homes in an interlocking pattern that connects garden to garden?the hope being that residents will run into each other more often and build relationships.
Assembly time: a few weeks.
Liina Transitional Shelter:
"According to a 2007 report by Christian Aid," write the students behind this brilliant flatpack shelter, "the number of refugees worldwide is expected to exceed 1 billion by 2050." Liina, a modular shelter designed by Aalto University students, was designed to serve as a temporary home for refugees in colder climes. Using a system of interlocking wood panels and simple fabric straps, Liina only takes six hours to assemble after it's unpacked from its shipping container. And remarkably, it requires zero power tools.
BEIRUT (AP) ? A wave of tit-for-tat kidnappings between rival Islamic militant groups in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo risks sparking large-scale internal fighting between rebels after clashes killed at least four militants earlier this week, activists said Saturday.
The director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdul-Rahman, said a coalition of rebel groups known as the Judicial Council had accused another armed opposition faction, the Ghurabaa al-Sham, of plundering factories in Aleppo's industrial neighborhood. Aleppo, Syria's largest city and a former commercial center, is split between rebel and government control.
Any internal fighting between rebels in the city would play into the hands of the regime, which is trying to tarnish the image of the opposition by saying it is dominated by extremists linked to al-Qaida network.
Aleppo, a city of 3 million that was once a bastion of support for President Bashar Assad, has been engulfed in heavy fighting since rebels launched an assault there in July and captured several neighborhoods. Over the past few weeks, regime forces have been pursuing an offensive in the city, mainly focused on pushing the rebels from around the international airport and a nearby military air base.
Abdul-Rahman said tensions among rebel factions have been rising in opposition-held areas, mostly on the eastern side of the city.
The two groups, the Judicial Council and the Ghurabaa al-Sham, clashed on Tuesday near Aleppo in fighting that left four members of the Judicial Council dead, Abldul-Rahman said. He added that the Judicial Council is now holding dozens of members of Ghurabaa al-Sham captive.
Aleppo-based activist Mohammed Saeed said Ghurabaa al-Sham withdrew its fighters from several neighborhoods, including the industrial area, and that it had released all of the Judicial Council members it had been holding captive.
"The situation is very tense in Aleppo," said Abdul-Rahman, who relies on a network of activists around the country. He said that Ghurabaa al-Sham has warned it will bring some of its members from outside the city to fight against the Judicial Council if its members are not freed.
Saeed said Ghurabaa al-Sham released all Judicial Council members it was holding while the other group refused to set free Ghuarbaa al-Sham members and is still holding them.
He added that the Judicial Council is an umbrella organization that includes the Tawheed Brigade, al-Sham Liberals and the al-Qaida-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra ? one of the most effective forces among the mosaic of rebel brigades fighting to topple Assad in Syria's civil war.
"There are fears that fighting (between rebels) might erupt in Aleppo," Saeed said by telephone.
In other parts of Syria, the Observatory reported that rebels captured several villages late Friday in the central province of Hama after weeks of fighting with government troops. It said the villages were inhabited by members of Assad's minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.
It said the Alawite villages ? Tleisiyeh, Zaghba, Shaata and Balil ? are all on the eastern side of the central province. The Observatory said residents fled the area captured by rebels.
The uprising against Assad's rule that began in March 2011 quickly became an outlet for long-suppressed grievances, mostly by poor Sunnis from marginalized areas. It has since escalated into an outright civil war that killed more than 70,000 people according to the United Nations.
The conflict has grown increasingly sectarian, both in action and rhetoric.
Earlier this month, activists reported that troops and pro-government Alawite gunmen killed more than 100 people in Sunnis areas in the coastal city of Banias and the nearby town of Bayda. The violence in Banias and Bayda bears a close resemblance to two reported mass killings last year in Houla and Qubeir, Sunni villages surrounded by Alawite towns.
Many of the rebels trying to overthrow Assad today say they want to replace his government with an Islamic state.
The Syrian National Coalition, the main umbrella opposition group warned in a statement that government forces are currently imposing a siege and communications blackout on the towns of Halfaya and Aqrab in Hama.
"Civilians in those areas are now cut off from contact with the outside world, and lives are in extreme danger," the coalition said in a statement.
The Observatory and the Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, reported intense clashes around the town of Qusair near the Lebanon border. Syrian opposition groups say members of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group are taking part in the fighting along with Assad's forces.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's state radio says authorities have executed two men convicted of spying for Israel's Mossad and the American CIA intelligence agency.
Sunday's report says Mohammad Heidari, who was accused of providing Mossad with classified information in return for money, and Kourosh Ahmadi, who allegedly gave the CIA intelligence on Iran, were hanged.
The report didn't say when the men were arrested or tried.
Iran occasionally says it has dismantled Western spying networks in the country and announces arrests of individuals on espionage charges.
Tehran accuses Israel and the U.S. of spying on its vital interests, particularly its nuclear program, which the West suspects is aimed at producing an atomic weapon. Tehran denies the charge.
Both Israel and the U.S have not ruled out a military option against Iran's nuclear facilities.
Emmelie de Forest of Denmark performs her song "Only Teardrops" during a rehearsal for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden, Friday, May 17, 2013. The contest is run by European television broadcasters with the event being held in Sweden as they won the competition in 2012, the final will be held in Malmo on May 18. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Emmelie de Forest of Denmark performs her song "Only Teardrops" during a rehearsal for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden, Friday, May 17, 2013. The contest is run by European television broadcasters with the event being held in Sweden as they won the competition in 2012, the final will be held in Malmo on May 18. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Bonnie Tyler of Britain performs her song "Believe in Me" during a rehearsal for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden, Friday, May 17, 2013. The contest is run by European television broadcasters with the event being held in Sweden as they won the competition in 2012, the final will be held in Malmo on May 18. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Cezar of Romania performs the song "It's My Life" during a rehearsal for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden, Friday, May 17, 2013. The contest is run by European television broadcasters with the event being held in Sweden as they won the competition in 2012, the final will be held in Malmo on May 18. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Cezar of Romania performs the song "It's My Life" during a rehearsal for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden, Friday, May 17, 2013. The contest is run by European television broadcasters with the event being held in Sweden as they won the competition in 2012, the final will be held in Malmo on May 18. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Anouk of the Netherlands performs her song "Birds" during a rehearsal for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden, Friday, May 17, 2013. The contest is run by European television broadcasters with the event being held in Sweden as they won the competition in 2012, the final will be held in Malmo on May 18. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
MALMO, Sweden (AP) ? An ethno-inspired flute and drum tune from Denmark is the bookmakers' favorite to win this year's Eurovision Song Contest, which also features a bizarre opera pop number from Romania and an Armenian rock song written by the guitarist of Black Sabbath.
Yes, it's that time of the year again.
The televised pan-European extravaganza, known for its kitschy shows, bad taste and bizarre offerings, is still expected to be seen by about 125 million television viewers worldwide Saturday.
This year's contest is being hosted in Malmo, southern Sweden, following the victory of the Nordic country's contestant Loreen last year.
According to bookmakers, the hippie-chic Emmelie De Forest of Denmark is the favorite to win, driving the song "Only Teardrops" with her deep, Shakira-like voice. Her main challenge comes from the clean-cut techno pop tune "I Feed You My Love" by Norway's Margaret Berger, who rose to fame at home after becoming the runner-up in Norway's version of Pop Idol in 2004.
"I will be nervous before going on stage," De Forest said Friday. "I think we have a really good song that can take us far, but let's see, anything can happen."
Finland's Krista Siegfrid provided this year's controversy, ending her bouncy bubble-gum pop number "Marry Me" with a girl-on-girl kiss that some have interpreted as a stance promoting gay marriage. While the show will not raise eyebrows in most parts of Western Europe ? where Eurovision has long been a bastion of gay culture ? the act may jar sensitivies in parts of eastern and southern Europe.
"The fact is that Finland is the only country in the Nordic countries where gay marriage is not allowed, and I think that's wrong," Siegfrid told The Associated Press. "It's 2013 now and ... I can kiss anyone I want to. It shouldn't be a problem."
This year's competition also sees the return to the international stage of two seasoned European stars. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" singer Bonnie Tyler is representing Britain with "Believe In Me" while Anouk, whose song "Nobody's Wife" was a big hit in Europe in the 1990s, is singing the song "Birds" for The Netherlands.
Among the more notable performances is the Ukraine's Zlata Ognevich with her song "Gravity." Ognevich is carried onto the stage by the tallest man in the U.S. ? Ukrainian-born Igor Vovkovinskiy. Vovkovinskiy ? who stands 7 feet 8 inches (234 cms) ?wobbles onstage in a fur and feathers, placing the fairy-like Ognevich on a rock where she stands for the rest of the performance.
There is also Armenian rock group Dorians, whose gloomy song "Lonely Planet" has been written by Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and Romania's Cezar, who resembles a Dracula reborn as a castrato singer. Cezar is apparently a reputable opera singer, but is attempting a crossover opera pop number with techno beats and pyrotechnics. Three muscular male dancers in red body paint are delivered out of a large red cape.
Two semifinals this week have whittled down the contestants from 40 to 26. The winner is picked by juries and television viewers across the continent.
ROME (AP) ? A union of Italian metal workers has led thousands of people in a march through the heart of Rome to press the new government for measures to spur job creation.
FIOM union leader Maurizio Landini said Saturday's protest was held because Italy is "going nowhere" in terms of signs of economic growth amid a stubborn recession. The union is aligned with a left-wing labor confederation.
After weeks of political paralysis following inconclusive elections in February, Italy now has a "grand coalition" government, including bitter rivals from the center-left and center-right blocs in Parliament.
Unemployment for young people is at about 39 percent, while the overall jobless rate is 11.5 percent.
The previous government used spending cuts and higher taxes to battle Italy's debt. Italians are demanding job creation measures soon.
BlackBerry just introduced a cheaper phone. With colors. The new Q5 is the company’s first entry into the mid- to low-cost phone range since introducing its new operating system, BlackBerry 10. The phone is designed and built for emerging markets, ...
May 13, 2013 ? As leadership of the Arctic Council passes from Sweden to Canada May 15, experts say it is crucial that northern nations strengthen response capabilities to shipping-related accidents foreseen in newly-opened northern waters, as well as to more-common local emergencies such as floods, forest fires and rescue situations.
And Canada needs to lead by example. Despite having the world's longest Arctic coastline and second-largest territory in the region, its far northern marine and aviation infrastructure badly lags by international comparison, according to experts with the Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program, an initiative of the Canada Centre for Global Security Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto and the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation.
Northern emergency flight rescue operations today originate from the Royal Canadian Air Force base in the southern Ontario city of Trenton and involve at least eight hours of flying. The Canadian Coast Guard aims to respond to requests for icebreaking services within 10 hours. However, weather and distance often result in response times measured in days.
By contrast, Russia is building 10 search and rescue stations along its Northern Sea Route, expected to open in 2015.
The Arctic Council ministerial meeting this week is hosted by the outgoing chair, Sweden, in that country's northernmost city, Kiruna.
The anticipated 300 delegates -- perhaps the largest in Arctic Council history -- include noted Canadian historian John English, author of a forthcoming book -- Ice and Water: Power, Peoples and the Arctic Council -- and a senior member of the Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program team. Says Dr. English: "Chairing the Arctic Council represents a real opportunity for Canada to show leadership in a region whose importance to global affairs is rapidly increasing."
In Kiruna, specific initiatives and goals of the Canadian chairmanship will be articulated. Minister Leona Aglukkaq has detailed Canada's main priorities in the chair as "development for the people of the North," supporting this with sub-themes of sustainable Arctic communities, responsible resource extraction, and safe Arctic shipping.
"Underpinning all of the Arctic Council's work must be a commitment to the full involvement of Permanent Participants from indigenous communities," says Thomas Axworthy, President and CEO of the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation. "In that regard, as it moves forward on its priority of safe shipping, Canada should heed the voices of those living in the north who know first-hand the realities of Arctic emergency response."
In a May 2012 report, the Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program said: "A proudly northern nation, Canada is the second largest Arctic state. Half of the country's land mass lies in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. It has a 162,000-km Arctic coast line, but is the only Arctic nation without a deep water port."
The report recommended Canada "make the necessary strategic investments in Canadian Arctic air and marine infrastructure to enable Canada to effectively implement the Arctic Council negotiated accord on search and rescue" and be prepared to fulfil its international agreement obligations.
The "Agreement on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue" negotiated under Arctic Council auspices and signed in 2011, clearly defines the territory for which a nation is the primary responder, with responses augmented as required by other Arctic states.
Local community members are often the frontline of response to emergencies in remote Arctic communities, says Sara French, Director of the Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program which, early next year, will host a major meeting on northern security issues, partnering with several international organizations sharing common concerns.
A 2010 survey conducted for the Program showed about 90 per cent of northern respondents deemed of top importance (a four or five out of five) national capacity to respond to disasters, such as major northern oil spills, emergency search and rescue teams and equipment, and basic public infrastructure.
When asked if Canada is well equipped to respond to emergencies, including search and rescue teams and equipment, only 40 per cent of northerners agreed. Just 11 per cent thought there was sufficient capacity to respond to disasters, such as a major spill. Investing in infrastructure was virtually tied with better healthcare as an investment priority among Canadians in the Far North (65 per cent vs. 66 per cent respectively).
As stated in the Program report Canada as an Arctic Power:"For northern Canadians, fatal aircraft accidents in Resolute and Yellowknife, and the deadly fire on-board a Norwegian cruise ship -- all in the fall of 2011- further highlighted the need to develop effective emergency management systems in the Arctic that are matched by adequate assets to carry them out."
An Institute of the North survey in Alaska found similar thoughts about Northern priorities among residents of that state, with "capacity to respond to disasters, such as major oil spills" in first place; "capacity to respond to emergencies, including search and rescue teams and equipment" in third place; and "basic infrastructure, like roads, hospitals, libraries, schools and water treatment facilities" in fourth.
Meanwhile, a Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program background brief, "Interests and Roles of Non-Arctic States in the Arctic," based on a 2011 meeting held in conjunction with Canadian International Council, showed many Asian interests relate to shipping.
It is not yet known how many, if any, new non-Arctic countries will be accorded Arctic Council observer status. Their role in shaping Arctic governance is already being felt at the International Maritime Organization, however, which is negotiating a voluntary Polar Code for Arctic shipping. At the talks, Canada articulated a strong stance on pollution-related issues.
Top recommendations offered by the Munk-Gordon Arctic Security Program to the Canadian government as it takes the chair of the Arctic Council:
Propose a new funding mechanism to enable Permanent Participants to fully participate in all of the working groups of the Arctic Council.
Support the Permanent Participants in co-operation with the Arctic Council member states to jointly review the role of the Indigenous Peoples Secretariat (IPS) following the creation of the Permanent Secretariat of the Arctic Council in Troms?, Norway.
Make the necessary strategic investments in Canadian Arctic air and marine infrastructure to enable Canada to effectively implement the Arctic Council negotiated accord on search and rescue.
Encourage the Arctic Council to recognize the special role for regional, state, and territorial governments in Arctic governance and particularly in the Arctic Council.
Encourage the Arctic Council Secretariat to create plain-language summaries of its studies and activities so that the information is accessible to interested citizens.
Propose that any candidate for Arctic Council Observer status must publicly declare its respect for the sovereignty of Arctic states and the rights of Arctic indigenous peoples.
Fund the Canadian Polar Commission to a level equivalent to counterpart institutions in other Arctic states.
Mum may still be the word at Samsung, but between user agent profiles, leaked details and the word of the Wall Street Journal, the arrival of the Galaxy S 4 mini seems imminent. Still, there's nothing like a leaked gallery of snapshots to stoke the fire -- and Weibo user PunkPanda is happy to provide. A series of new images shows the diminutive Galaxy sizing up to its full sized sibling and a stray cigarette. Rumor has it the handset will debut later this summer with a 4.3-inch display, a dual-core 1.6Ghz processor and an 8MP camera. No word on pricing, availability or market just yet, but check out the attached gallery for an early eyeful.
?Being so skeptical about the usefulness of advice, I have been reluctant to lay down any ?rules? or guidelines on how to invest or speculate wisely. Still, there are a number of things I have learned from my own experience which might be worth listing for those who are able to muster the necessary self-discipline:
?
1. Don?t speculate unless you can make it a full-time job.
2. Beware of barbers, beauticians, waiters ? of anyone ? bringing gifts of ?inside? information or ?tips.?
3. Before you buy a security, find out everything you can about the company, its management and competitors, its earnings and possibilities for growth.
4. Don?t try to buy at the bottom and sell at the top. This can?t be done ? except by liars.
5. Learn how to take your losses quickly and cleanly. Don?t expect to be right all the time. If you have made a mistake, cut your losses as quickly as possible.
6. Don?t buy too many different securities. Better have only a few investments which can be watched.
7. Make a periodic reappraisal of all your investments to see whether changing developments have altered their prospects.
8. Study your tax position to know when you can sell to greatest advantage.
9. Always keep a good part of your capital in a cash reserve. Never invest all your funds.
10. Don?t try to be a jack of all investments. Stick to the field you know best.
The IRS has apologized for targeting tea party groups. But that hasn?t satisfied critics pushing for congressional investigations, and they're still waiting for President Obama to speak out.
By Brad Knickerbocker,?Staff writer / May 12, 2013
The Internal Revenue Service building in Washington. The agency has apologized for targeting tea party groups for special scrutiny of their tax status. Lawmakers promise investigative hearings.
Susan Walsh/AP
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Conspiracy theories aside, there?s no evidence that the Obama White House had anything to do with Internal Revenue Service bureaucrats targeting tea party-type organizations for special tax scrutiny.
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That?s despite new information that senior IRS officials knew agents were targeting such groups as early as 2011, according to a draft of an inspector general's report obtained by the Associated Press that seems to contradict public statements by the IRS commissioner.
Still, as Time political columnist Joe Klein writes this weekend, ?the absence of scandal is not the presence of competence.?
?Yet again, we have an example of Democrats simply not managing the government properly and with discipline,? Klein writes. ?This is just poisonous at a time of skepticism about the efficacy of government?. [Obama?s] unwillingness to concentrate ? and I mean concentrate obsessively ? on making sure that government is managed efficiently will be part of his legacy.?
? So far, the White House response seems a bit anemic, a bit hands-off. On Saturday, press secretary Jay Carney said the President believes government agencies should be staffed with "the very best public servants with the highest levels of integrity.?
The President ?is concerned that the conduct of a small number of Internal Revenue Service employees may have fallen short of that standard,? Carney said.
Given what?s been revealed in the inspector general?s report, such statements likely will not quell the criticism.
?It is absolutely chilling that the IRS was singling out conservative groups for extra review,? US Sen. Susan Collins (R) of Maine said on CNN?s ?State of the Union? Sunday.
?The president needs to make crystal clear that this is totally unacceptable in America,? she said. ?I think that it's very disappointing that the president hasn't personally condemned this and spoken out.?
As first reported by the AP, in June, 2011, Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt organizations, learned at a meeting that groups with "Tea Party," ''Patriot" or "9/12 Project" in their names were being flagged for additional and often burdensome scrutiny.
The greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) can hear sounds of a higher frequency than any bat can produce.Image: Andrew Darrington/Alamy
Many moths have evolved sensitive hearing that can pick up the ultrasonic probes of bats that want to eat them. But one species comes pre-adapted for anything that bats might bring to this evolutionary arms race. Even though its ears are extremely simple ? a pair of eardrums on its flanks that each vibrate four receptor cells ? it can sense frequencies up to 300 kilohertz, well beyond the range of any other animal and higher than any bat can squeak.
?A lot of previous work has suggested that some bats have evolved calls that are out of the hearing range of the moths they are hunting. But this moth can hear the calls of any bat,? says James Windmill, an acoustical engineer at the University of Strathclyde, UK, who discovered the ability in the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella). His study is published in Biology Letters.
Windmill's collaborator Hannah Moir, a bioacoustician now at the University of Leeds, UK, played sounds of varying frequencies to immobilized wax moths. As the insects ?listened?, Moir used a laser to measure the vibrations of their eardrums, and electrodes to record the activity of their auditory nerves.
The moths were most sensitive to frequencies of around 80 kilohertz, the average frequency of their courtship calls. But when exposed to 300 kilohertz, the highest level that the team tested, the insects' eardrums still vibrated and their neurons still fired.
Super sonic Until now, the highest known hearing range of any insect belonged to the North American gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), which can hear frequencies up to 150 kilohertz. Some bats can make and hear calls of up to 212 kilohertz. But the greater wax moth easily smashes both records.
?This shocking increase in the frequency sensitivity of moths' ears will require researchers to rethink the system,? says William Conner, who studies animal communication at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. ?Most [scientists] normally don't think of testing at frequencies this high, nor do they have the equipment to do so.?
?It makes us wonder about the hearing capabilities of other insects, even those that have been investigated extensively,? adds Fernando Montealegre-Z, a sensory biologist at the University of Lincoln, UK. Crickets, praying mantises and lacewings are all sensitive to the ultrasonic cries of bats, but are usually tested on frequencies below 150 kilohertz.
Why has the wax moth evolved to hear sounds so high-pitched that no bat can make them? Recording ultrasonic calls is difficult, so it is possible that researchers have simply been underestimating the calls of bats, just as they did the hearing range of moths.
But Windmill has a different explanation. As a side effect of its sensitivity to high frequencies, the moth?s eardrum vibrates for only a short time after being hit by a pulse of sound. This allows it to distinguish between courtship calls of its own species, which consist of extremely closely spaced pulses, and bat calls, which are separated by much longer intervals.
Windmill now wants to investigate how the moth manages to hear across such a wide frequency range, from 20 kilohertz (the highest frequency audible to humans) to the record-breaking 300 kilohertz. ?As an engineer, I know that we would struggle to design an artificial version of this ear,? he says. ?We are, however, working on it.?
This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on May 8, 2013.
LONDON (AP) ? International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways and Iberia, says it is still struggling to integrate the Spanish airline into its operations as it reported a deepening first-quarter net loss of 630 million euros ($827 million) compared to a 129 million euros loss last year.
CEO Willie Walsh says that despite 10 days of industrial action and the weak economic situation in Spain, IAG is adapting ? though he acknowledged much more needed to be done.
The company, one of the world's largest airline groups, posted an exceptional charge of 311 million euros in the quarter, principally relating to restructuring at Iberia.
The results come after unions accepted a mediator's proposal reducing the number of planned layoffs to some 15 percent of Iberia's workforce.
(Reuters) - The University of Montana has agreed to reform how the school responds to rape accusations after a U.S. probe into complaints that such allegations were not appropriately handled, the U.S. departments of justice and education agencies said on Thursday.
The U.S. government investigated allegations that the university failed to aggressively pursue sexual assault and harassment reports, several of which involved football players.
"What is noteworthy about this announcement today is not the problems our investigation found at the University, but a shared commitment to the equality of women students and their safety," Roy Austin, deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's civil rights division, said in a statement.
"We have worked together to create and implement a blueprint for reform that can serve as a model for campuses across the nation to ensure that women's educational opportunities are not limited by sexual harassment or sexual assault," Austin said.
Rape allegations on and off campus have shaken Missoula, a city of 86,000 in the Bitterroot Mountains of western Montana.
In May, the U.S. Justice Department announced it would examine responses by local officials to 80 reported rapes over a three-year period. Weeks later, the Education Department opened an investigation into whether the school responded appropriately to at least 11 reported sexual assaults since 2010.
A former school football player, running back Beau Donaldson, was sentenced to 10 years in prison last year after pleading guilty to raping a woman at his residence in 2010.
In March, a jury cleared former University of Montana quarterback Jordan Johnson of raping another student while they watched a movie in her bedroom last February.
The agreements reached with the school outline a number of steps that the university must take, including revising its policies and investigative practices into allegations of sexual harassment or assault.
The university must also "take effective action to fully eliminate a hostile environment based on sex," improve training and work with an independent monitor to implement the reforms.
The university, which has cooperated with the probes, has pledged to ensure the safety of women on the 15,600-student campus. A training program on preventing sexual violence is now required for incoming students.
(Writing and additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Richard Chang)
Future hospitalization and increased health service use may be linked to insomniaPublic release date: 10-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Natalie Wood-Wright nwoodwri@jhsph.edu 410-955-6878 Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Having trouble falling or staying asleep? According to a new study led by a team of researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, insomnia may be an important indicator of future hospitalization among middle-aged and older adults. They examined the association between insomnia and use of home healthcare services, nursing homes and hospitalization and found that insomnia symptoms experienced by middle-aged and older adults were associated with greater future use of costly health services. The results are featured online in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
"In a large representative sample of US middle-aged and older adults, we found that individuals with a greater number of insomnia symptoms were more likely to be hospitalized, and to use home healthcare services," said Adam Spira, PhD, senior author of the study and an assistant professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of Mental Health. "Over 40 percent of our sample reported at least one insomnia symptom, consistent with previous studies that showed insomnia to be very common in this population. If the association between insomnia symptoms and health service utilization is causal, our findings would suggest that the prevention of insomnia could decrease health service use by 6-14 percent in this population."
According to the National Institutes of Health, insomnia is the most common sleep complaint at any age and affects almost half of adults ages 60 and older. Insomnia symptoms include difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both, and individuals with insomnia often report getting too little sleep, having poor sleep quality and not feeling refreshed when they wake up.
Lead author, Christopher Kaufmann, MHS, and his colleagues examined the association between insomnia symptoms and reports of health service utilization using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Participants were asked how often they experienced trouble falling asleep; trouble with waking up during the night; trouble with waking up too early and not being able to fall asleep again, and how often they felt rested when they woke up. Researchers evaluated health care utilization in 2006 and respondents were asked questions about their use of several health services two years later, including whether they were hospitalized, used home health care services, or were placed in a nursing home. Participants' demographic characteristics as well as current or previous medical conditions were also recorded.
"We found that there was a statistically significant relationship between the report of insomnia symptoms and the future use of costly health services. A relationship was even found between insomnia symptoms and hospitalization as well as use of any of the three health services after accounting for common medical conditions and elevated depressive symptoms," said Kaufmann, a doctoral student with the Bloomberg School's Department of Mental Health. "These results suggest that treating and carefully monitoring insomnia symptoms in middle-aged and older adults might somewhat reduce the use of health services and presumably the poor health outcomes that necessitate these services."
"Insomnia and health services utilization in middle-aged and older adults: Results from the Health and Retirement Study," was written by Christopher N. Kaufmann, Sara L. Canham, Ramin Mojtabai, Amber M. Gum, Natalie D. Dautovich, Robert Kohn and Adam P. Spira.
###
Dr. Canham and Mr. Kaufmann receive funding from the Drug Dependence Epidemiology Training Program (T32DA007292). Dr. Spira is supported by NIA grant K01AG033195. The Health and Retirement Study is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA; grant number U01AG009740) and is conducted by the University of Michigan.
To access the full study, please visit: http://www.oxfordjournals.org/page/5147/4
Media contact for Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Natalie Wood-Wright at 410-614-6029 or nwoodwri@jhsph.edu.
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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.
Future hospitalization and increased health service use may be linked to insomniaPublic release date: 10-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Natalie Wood-Wright nwoodwri@jhsph.edu 410-955-6878 Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Having trouble falling or staying asleep? According to a new study led by a team of researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, insomnia may be an important indicator of future hospitalization among middle-aged and older adults. They examined the association between insomnia and use of home healthcare services, nursing homes and hospitalization and found that insomnia symptoms experienced by middle-aged and older adults were associated with greater future use of costly health services. The results are featured online in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
"In a large representative sample of US middle-aged and older adults, we found that individuals with a greater number of insomnia symptoms were more likely to be hospitalized, and to use home healthcare services," said Adam Spira, PhD, senior author of the study and an assistant professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of Mental Health. "Over 40 percent of our sample reported at least one insomnia symptom, consistent with previous studies that showed insomnia to be very common in this population. If the association between insomnia symptoms and health service utilization is causal, our findings would suggest that the prevention of insomnia could decrease health service use by 6-14 percent in this population."
According to the National Institutes of Health, insomnia is the most common sleep complaint at any age and affects almost half of adults ages 60 and older. Insomnia symptoms include difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both, and individuals with insomnia often report getting too little sleep, having poor sleep quality and not feeling refreshed when they wake up.
Lead author, Christopher Kaufmann, MHS, and his colleagues examined the association between insomnia symptoms and reports of health service utilization using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Participants were asked how often they experienced trouble falling asleep; trouble with waking up during the night; trouble with waking up too early and not being able to fall asleep again, and how often they felt rested when they woke up. Researchers evaluated health care utilization in 2006 and respondents were asked questions about their use of several health services two years later, including whether they were hospitalized, used home health care services, or were placed in a nursing home. Participants' demographic characteristics as well as current or previous medical conditions were also recorded.
"We found that there was a statistically significant relationship between the report of insomnia symptoms and the future use of costly health services. A relationship was even found between insomnia symptoms and hospitalization as well as use of any of the three health services after accounting for common medical conditions and elevated depressive symptoms," said Kaufmann, a doctoral student with the Bloomberg School's Department of Mental Health. "These results suggest that treating and carefully monitoring insomnia symptoms in middle-aged and older adults might somewhat reduce the use of health services and presumably the poor health outcomes that necessitate these services."
"Insomnia and health services utilization in middle-aged and older adults: Results from the Health and Retirement Study," was written by Christopher N. Kaufmann, Sara L. Canham, Ramin Mojtabai, Amber M. Gum, Natalie D. Dautovich, Robert Kohn and Adam P. Spira.
###
Dr. Canham and Mr. Kaufmann receive funding from the Drug Dependence Epidemiology Training Program (T32DA007292). Dr. Spira is supported by NIA grant K01AG033195. The Health and Retirement Study is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA; grant number U01AG009740) and is conducted by the University of Michigan.
To access the full study, please visit: http://www.oxfordjournals.org/page/5147/4
Media contact for Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Natalie Wood-Wright at 410-614-6029 or nwoodwri@jhsph.edu.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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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.
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Public release date: 10-May-2013
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