jokomsharma: February 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013

FAPESP and JSPS organize Japan-Brazil Symposium

Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
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Contact: Fernando Cunha
cunha@fapesp.br
55-113-838-4151
Fundao de Amparo Pesquisa do Estado de So Paulo

The March 15-16, 2013 conference promotes international research collaboration between scientists in the state of So Paulo and in Japan through discussions on research in strategic areas

A symposium jointly organized by the So Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) will be held at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, March 15-16, 2013. Scientists from Japan and Brazil will come together to discuss scientific advances the two countries have made in the areas of Culture and Society, Economics and Development, Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, and Medicine and Pharmacology. The event is supported by the Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo.

Held within the context of FAPESP's 50th anniversary celebration, the schedule for the Japan-Brazil Symposium on Research Collaboration includes talks by researchers from educational and research institutions from the state of So Paulo and Japan. The objective is to promote the cooperation of scientists from the two countries on future research projects.

FAPESP president Celso Lafer points out that the Foundation has presented scientific conferences in several countries together with universities and local scientific institutions as part of its strategy to increase collaboration between researchers from So Paulo and the rest of the world. He goes on to say that, "Japan is one of the countries that FAPESP sees as a priority due to the proven excellence of its scientific institutions and the significant impact its researchers have had on scientific and technological production."

All sessions at the Japan-Brazil Symposium will address research topics of interest to both countries. On March 15, researchers will discuss immigration in the Amazon region, the Japanese cultural representation in Brazil, the requirements for agribusiness development and sustainability, the monitoring and conservation of biodiversity, agro-forestry systems for sustainable rural development in Brazil, and research on biofuel production, among other topics.

On March 16, the program will present researchers' findings on obesity, Chagas disease, the diagnosis of viral diseases, and the development of vaccines against malaria and factors associated with its emergence.
The full program is available at: www.fapesp.br/japanbrazilsymposium/

Exhibit on biodiversity

One of the activities slated for the Japan-Brazil Symposium will be the March 14 opening of the 'Brazilian Nature' exhibit in the Espao Cultural at the Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. Result of a partnership between FAPESP and the Berlin Botanical Museum, the exhibit displays the documentation of German botanist Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794-1868) in his work Flora brasiliensis, which, 172 years after its first publication, still stands as the most complete survey of Brazilian flora ever made.

The botanist's work also led to the project Flora Brasiliensis On-line and Revisted' that includes an updated nomenclature of von Martius' original work along with recent information and illustrations of species described after the initial publication. The exhibit also presents a comparison of the 19th century drawings and current photographs of plants and biomes, and depicts some of the findings of research performed under the scope of the project 'Phanerogamic Flora of the state of So Paulo' and the BIOTA-FAPESP program on biodiversity, which for 13 years has conducted research for the description, conservation, recovery and sustainable use of the biodiversity.

Conceived on the basis of data obtained through these three projects sponsored by FAPESP, the exhibit features 37 panels with reproductions of prints and illustrations along with explanatory text. The sample that will travel to Tokyo has already been viewed in Madrid and Salamanca (Spain), Berlin, Bremen, Leipzig, Heidelberg and Eichsttt (Germany), Toronto (Canada), and Washington, DC, Columbus, Cambridge and Morgantown (United States).

###

Digital scans of the exhibit may be viewed with subtitles in Portuguese, English, German and Spanish at: www.fapesp.br/publicacoes/braziliannature/.

About FAPESP
Established in 1962, the So Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is one of the most important science and technology research-sponsoring agencies in Brazil. Maintained by a 1% tax revenue allocation from the state of So Paulo, the Foundation works directly with the So Paulo scientific community in financing proposals in all fields of knowledge, funding research proposals selected on the basis of peer review, a method that utilizes the opinions of Brazilian and foreign researchers as a basis for project financing decisions.

In 2012, FAPESP outlays for research projects totaled $524.4 million. Approximately one third of the Foundation's annual disbursement targets the training of researchers through grant fellowships. Over 50% of its funds are used in academic research, with 10% invested in research projects for application in small businesses or in university and business partnerships, as well as in subsidizing the formulation of public policies.

Throughout its 50 years, FAPESP has awarded approximately 105,000 research grants from undergraduate to post-doctorate and over 96,000 awards to researchers in the state of So Paulo. Support is given to all areas of science as well as technology, engineering , the arts and the humanities. FAPESP also supports research projects in areas considered strategic for Brazil, through broad thematic programs such as biodiversity, climate change and bioenergy. To learn more, go to: www.fapesp.br.

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FAPESP and JSPS organize Japan-Brazil Symposium Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Fernando Cunha
cunha@fapesp.br
55-113-838-4151
Fundao de Amparo Pesquisa do Estado de So Paulo

The March 15-16, 2013 conference promotes international research collaboration between scientists in the state of So Paulo and in Japan through discussions on research in strategic areas

A symposium jointly organized by the So Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) will be held at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, March 15-16, 2013. Scientists from Japan and Brazil will come together to discuss scientific advances the two countries have made in the areas of Culture and Society, Economics and Development, Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, and Medicine and Pharmacology. The event is supported by the Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo.

Held within the context of FAPESP's 50th anniversary celebration, the schedule for the Japan-Brazil Symposium on Research Collaboration includes talks by researchers from educational and research institutions from the state of So Paulo and Japan. The objective is to promote the cooperation of scientists from the two countries on future research projects.

FAPESP president Celso Lafer points out that the Foundation has presented scientific conferences in several countries together with universities and local scientific institutions as part of its strategy to increase collaboration between researchers from So Paulo and the rest of the world. He goes on to say that, "Japan is one of the countries that FAPESP sees as a priority due to the proven excellence of its scientific institutions and the significant impact its researchers have had on scientific and technological production."

All sessions at the Japan-Brazil Symposium will address research topics of interest to both countries. On March 15, researchers will discuss immigration in the Amazon region, the Japanese cultural representation in Brazil, the requirements for agribusiness development and sustainability, the monitoring and conservation of biodiversity, agro-forestry systems for sustainable rural development in Brazil, and research on biofuel production, among other topics.

On March 16, the program will present researchers' findings on obesity, Chagas disease, the diagnosis of viral diseases, and the development of vaccines against malaria and factors associated with its emergence.
The full program is available at: www.fapesp.br/japanbrazilsymposium/

Exhibit on biodiversity

One of the activities slated for the Japan-Brazil Symposium will be the March 14 opening of the 'Brazilian Nature' exhibit in the Espao Cultural at the Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. Result of a partnership between FAPESP and the Berlin Botanical Museum, the exhibit displays the documentation of German botanist Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794-1868) in his work Flora brasiliensis, which, 172 years after its first publication, still stands as the most complete survey of Brazilian flora ever made.

The botanist's work also led to the project Flora Brasiliensis On-line and Revisted' that includes an updated nomenclature of von Martius' original work along with recent information and illustrations of species described after the initial publication. The exhibit also presents a comparison of the 19th century drawings and current photographs of plants and biomes, and depicts some of the findings of research performed under the scope of the project 'Phanerogamic Flora of the state of So Paulo' and the BIOTA-FAPESP program on biodiversity, which for 13 years has conducted research for the description, conservation, recovery and sustainable use of the biodiversity.

Conceived on the basis of data obtained through these three projects sponsored by FAPESP, the exhibit features 37 panels with reproductions of prints and illustrations along with explanatory text. The sample that will travel to Tokyo has already been viewed in Madrid and Salamanca (Spain), Berlin, Bremen, Leipzig, Heidelberg and Eichsttt (Germany), Toronto (Canada), and Washington, DC, Columbus, Cambridge and Morgantown (United States).

###

Digital scans of the exhibit may be viewed with subtitles in Portuguese, English, German and Spanish at: www.fapesp.br/publicacoes/braziliannature/.

About FAPESP
Established in 1962, the So Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is one of the most important science and technology research-sponsoring agencies in Brazil. Maintained by a 1% tax revenue allocation from the state of So Paulo, the Foundation works directly with the So Paulo scientific community in financing proposals in all fields of knowledge, funding research proposals selected on the basis of peer review, a method that utilizes the opinions of Brazilian and foreign researchers as a basis for project financing decisions.

In 2012, FAPESP outlays for research projects totaled $524.4 million. Approximately one third of the Foundation's annual disbursement targets the training of researchers through grant fellowships. Over 50% of its funds are used in academic research, with 10% invested in research projects for application in small businesses or in university and business partnerships, as well as in subsidizing the formulation of public policies.

Throughout its 50 years, FAPESP has awarded approximately 105,000 research grants from undergraduate to post-doctorate and over 96,000 awards to researchers in the state of So Paulo. Support is given to all areas of science as well as technology, engineering , the arts and the humanities. FAPESP also supports research projects in areas considered strategic for Brazil, through broad thematic programs such as biodiversity, climate change and bioenergy. To learn more, go to: www.fapesp.br.

[ | 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/2013-02/fda-faj022813.php
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Lew set to start at Treasury as budget cuts loom

FILE - In this Feb. 13, 2013, file photo, Jack Lew testifies at his confirmation hearing to be the new Treasury Secretary in Washington. The Senate confirmed Lew on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, to be Treasury secretary, affirming President Barack Obama's choice of a budget expert at a time when Congress and the White House are at odds over sharp government spending cuts. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Jacob Lew is scheduled to be sworn in Thursday as Treasury secretary and will have to hit the ground running.

He is taking over the job just a day before huge automatic government spending cuts are set to take effect. He's likely to be involved with any negotiations to reverse the cuts, and also in budget talks next month to continue funding the government.

The Senate confirmed Lew late Wednesday, affirming President Barack Obama's choice of a budget expert at a time when Congress and the White House are at odds over spending and taxes.

"At this critical time for our economy and our country, there is no one more qualified for this position than Jack," Obama said in a statement issued after the Senate vote. "His reputation as a master of fiscal issues who can work with leaders on both sides of the aisle has already helped him succeed in some of the toughest jobs in Washington."

The vote was 71 to 26 to support the nomination. Voting against Lew's confirmation were 25 Republicans and independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Lew, 57, had most recently served as Obama's chief of staff. He succeeds Timothy Geithner, who completed a tumultuous four-year term in which he helped lead the administration's response to the financial crisis and recession.

Lew began his government service in the 1980s as an aide to House Speaker Tip O'Neill. He brings nearly three decades of government service to the job, including two stints as White House budget director.

Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who opposed the nomination, said Lew as budget director was the architect of the Obama's administration's failed efforts to get soaring deficits under control.

During his confirmation hearing, Lew signaled no major economic policy changes. He advocated a balanced approach to reducing the long-term budget deficit through spending cuts and additional tax revenue.

He said he would be open to reforms to Medicare, but he didn't spell out any details. Lew also said he would work with the committee on a rewrite of the tax code.

Beyond the budget, Lew is expected to hew closely to the positions Geithner struck on Europe's debt crisis, the U.S. relationship with China and the administration's defense of the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul law that the banking industry has fought to weaken.

Some Republicans voted against Lew because they were not satisfied with his answers about his previous employment with Citigroup, including a brief time when he was chief operating officer for an investment unit in 2008. The unit has been criticized for making risky investments that imploded during the financial crisis. And Lew received a bonus of nearly $1 million in early 2009, a time when Citi was being bailed out by taxpayers.

Lew told the panel that he didn't make decisions about the investments being offered to clients. He said his bonus reflected compensation for his work.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, opposed Lew's nomination. He cited questions about his time at Citi, as well as Lew's compensation while working as chief operating officer at New York University.

"Mr. Lew's eagerness and skill in obtaining bonuses, severance payments, housing allowances and other perks raises concerns about whether he appreciates who pays the bills," Grassley said.

One potential weakness for Lew: His relative inexperience with financial markets and international economic crises ? areas that had played to Geithner's background. Analysts think Lew will keep pressuring Europe to deal aggressively with its budget and debt issues. But they think this will consume less of his time given that Europe's debt crisis now poses less of a threat to the global economy.

On trade, Lew is expected to keep prodding China. The U.S. trade gap with the world's second-largest economy hit another record high last year. No breakthrough is expected, though.

Lew will also need to calm investors who have grown concerned about possible currency wars after Japan's new government sought to lower the value of the yen as a way to boost exports and its weak economy. A weaker yen makes Japanese goods cheaper overseas and foreign goods costlier in Japan.

And Lew will need to defend the Dodd-Frank Act, which overhauled financial regulation after the 2008 crisis. Since the law was passed in 2010, Wall Street has fought to weaken many of its stricter regulations.

He may also need to work on his signature, which starts off with a soft "J'' but is followed by seven loopy scribbles that render it illegible. The Treasury secretary's signature is emblazoned in the lower right corner of U.S. dollar bills of all denominations.

When he announced Lew's nomination, Obama said Lew had promised to work to make one letter legible "in order not to debase our currency."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-28-Treasury-Lew/id-ced84fab4c924507a50e8a5d302bd1e4

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Viruses pass major test to enter ranks of living

By Jennifer Viegas
DiscoveryNews

Viruses can acquire fully functional immune systems, according to new research that bolsters the controversial theory that viruses are living creatures.

Until now, scientists thought that viruses existed only as primitive particles of DNA or RNA, and therefore lacked the sophistication of an immune system.

The study, published in the journal Nature, is the first to show that a virus can indeed possess an immune system, not to mention other qualities commonly associated with complex life forms.

The belief that viruses are living creatures ?stems from the fact that viruses have their own complex genome, they replicate to make more of themselves, and they are evolving,? co-author Andrew Camilli of the Tufts University School of Medicine told Discovery News.

The use of a complex immune system ?doesn?t prove? that viruses are living beings, ?but it does add to the argument,? he said.

Living organisms are typically defined as being capable of vital functions, such as the ability to grow and adapt to the environment over successive generations. Viruses are now on the fence between being considered a biological entity and an actual living creature.

Camilli and his colleagues focused their investigation on a viral predator of cholera bacteria. This type of virus is known as a bacteriophage (?phage? for short).

Lead author Kimberley Seed, a postdoctoral fellow in Camilli?s lab, was analyzing DNA sequences of phages taken from stool samples of Bangladesh cholera patients. She was surprised to find genes for a functional immune system previously only found in some types of bacteria.

To verify the discovery, she and her colleagues used phages both with and without the immune system to infect a new strain of cholera bacteria. Only the virus harboring the immune system readily killed the cholera bacteria.

Not only can some viruses have an immune system, some also can steal them from bacteria.

The scientists found that viruses can capture immunity genes from bacteria during a phase when ?the viral genome is being replicated into dozens of copies within the infected host cell,? Camilli explained. The virus therefore steals an immune system from the bacteria. This benefits the phage virus.

NEWS: Giant Viruses Are Ancient Living Organisms

?The immune system allows the phage to target and destroy specific inhibitory genes of the host cell by literally cutting the target genes into pieces,? Seed told Discovery News. By disarming these genes, ?the phage essentially disarms the host cell, and can then proceed with the infection and kill the host cell.?

While we tend to associate both viruses and bacteria with health threats, that is not always the case. In this instance, the virus winds up on the side of humans.

Camilli explained that ?phages are killers of bacteria. If the species of bacteria they happen to kill is a human pathogen, then the phage is doing us a favor.?

The researchers hope that this activity could battle ?superbugs,? which are bacteria with a resistance to most are all current antibiotics.

Mammals, including humans, possess immune systems that, unlike those of bacteria, are encoded on much larger pieces of DNA.

?It would be very difficult, if not impossible, for a virus to capture (such an immune system),? Camilli said.

?A second consideration is that the virus has to have a good use for the captured immune system in order to hang onto it,? he added. ?In the case of a phage, we have shown that it can use the captured immune system to good effect. This may or may not be true for another type of immune system, should a virus be able to capture it.?

Sylvain Moineau, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bioinformatics at Universit? Laval, is one of the world's leading experts on bacteriophages. Moineau told Discovery News that the discovery of a phage with an immune system "is a remarkable finding. Phages always seem to find a way to impress us."

Moineau and colleague Manuela Villion remind that phages are among the most abundant biological entities on the planet, outnumbering their bacterial hosts tenfold. Whether they and other viruses represent living organisms, however, is still up for debate.

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/28/17134524-viruses-pass-major-test-to-enter-ranks-of-living?lite

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LG discusses webOS strategy, no current plans for smartphones or tablets

Apple (AAPL) shares got a boost Tuesday afternoon on rumors that the company may announce a split on Wednesday during its annual shareholder meeting. The rumor comes from former money manager and current TheStreet.com contributor?Douglas Kass, who did not disclose his source. ?High above the Alps my Gnome is hearing a rumor that Apple will announce a stock split at tomorrow?s shareholder meeting,? Kass wrote in a post on Twitter, providing no further details. Apple shares rose more than 1.4% on the rumor after nearing a new closing low.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lg-discusses-webos-strategy-no-current-plans-smartphones-020029199.html

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Photos: Wheel, boy! Paralyzed herding dog gets second chance

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, was briefly hospitalized due to her bipolar disorder, the actress' spokeswoman said on Tuesday after video emerged of Fisher giving an unusual stage performance. The video came from a show Fisher gave aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean last week, according to celebrity website TMZ, which posted the clip. The clip shows Fisher, 56, singing "Skylark" and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," at times appearing to struggle to remember the lyrics. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/paralyzed-dog-gets-second-chance-slideshow/

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

SC court nixes James Brown estate settlement

FILE -In this Sunday, Jan. 26, 1997 file photo, James Brown performs during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXI between the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots, in New Orleans. The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, overturned a settlement divvying up the multimillion-dollar estate of James Brown, saying a former attorney general didn't follow the late soul singer's wishes in putting together the deal. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) ? The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned a settlement divvying up the multimillion-dollar estate of James Brown, saying a former attorney general didn't follow the late soul singer's wishes in putting together the deal.

Attorney General Henry McMaster brokered a settlement in 2009 that split Brown's estate, giving nearly half to a charitable trust, a quarter to his widow, Tomi Rae Hynie, and leaving the rest to be split among his adult children.

But the justices ruled that the deal ignored Brown's wishes for most of his money to go to charity. The court also ruled the Godfather of Soul was of sound mind when he made his will before dying of heart failure on Christmas Day 2006 at age 73.

The court sent the estate back to a lower court to be reconsidered.

The justices did agree with the lower court's decision to remove Brown's original trustees. Members of Brown's family said they wanted them gone because the trustees mismanaged the estate until it was almost broke.

The court said it had no idea what the estate was worth, giving an estimate of $5 million to more than $100 million.

The justices harshly criticized McMaster, who stepped in to broker the settlement after the estate floundered in court for years. Under McMaster's deal, a professional manager took control of Brown's assets from the estate's trustees, wiping out crushing debt ? more than $20 million Brown had borrowed for a European comeback tour ? and opening the way for needy students to receive college scholarships. The plan allowed a financial manager to cut lucrative deals that put Brown's music on national and international commercials for products such as Chanel perfume and Gatorade.

Chief Justice Jean Toal suggested Wednesday that, if the settlement was allowed to stand, it could discourage people from leaving most of their estate to charity for fear their wishes could easily be overturned.

The dispute came to the court after the ousted trustees sued.

"The compromise orchestrated by the AG in this case destroys the estate plan Brown had established in favor of an arrangement overseen virtually exclusively by the AG," giving large sums of money to relatives even though they were given little or no control in the singer's original will, Associate Justice John Kittredge wrote.

The fight over Brown's estate even spilled over into what to do with his body. Family members fought over the remains for more than two months, leaving Brown's body, still inside a gold casket, sitting in cold storage in a funeral home. Brown was eventually buried in Beech Island, S.C., at the home of one of his daughters. The family wanted to turn the home into a shrine for Brown similar to Elvis Presley's Graceland, but that idea has not gotten off the ground.

An attorney for Adele Pope ? one of the trustees who appealed ? commended the court for its ruling, which he said would more accurately fulfill Brown's wishes.

"James Brown was certainly devoted to the cause of education," James Richardson said. "Today's decision means that the bulk of his fortune will go to the cause of educating needy children."

McMaster, who left office in 2010, said that he respected the court's decision but stood by the settlement he brokered.

"I believe we took the correct legal steps to make the very best of a bad situation," McMaster said. "We worked hard to see that Mr. Brown's wishes were effectuated to the furthest extent they could be."

Current Attorney General Alan Wilson said he respected the court's decision but felt McMaster had acted legally.

___

Reach Kinnard at http://www.twitter.com/MegKinnardAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-27-US-People-James-Brown-Settlement/id-7fa86fd27a1645b2b6086273b3be85ec

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Novel combination therapy shuts down escape route, killing glioblastoma tumor cells

Feb. 26, 2013 ? Glioblastoma, the most common and lethal form of brain tumor in adults, is challenging to treat because the tumors rapidly become resistant to therapy. As cancer researchers are learning more about the causes of tumor cell growth and drug resistance, they are discovering molecular pathways that might lead to new targeted therapies to potentially treat this deadly cancer.

Scientists at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in San Diego worked collaboratively across the laboratories of Drs. Paul Mischel, Web Cavenee and Frank Furnari to investigate one such molecular pathway called the mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR. This signaling pathway is hyperactivated in close to 90 percent of glioblastomas and plays a critical role in regulating tumor growth and survival. Therapies that inhibit mTOR signaling are under investigation as drug development targets, but results to date have been disappointing: mTOR inhibitors halt the growth, but fail to kill the tumor cells.

A study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences uncovers an unexpected, but important molecular mechanism of mTOR inhibitor resistance and identifies a novel drug combination that reverses this resistance.

The story begins with a closer look at a gene-encoded protein called promyleocytic leukemia gene or PML. The study investigators explored the role of PML in causing resistance to mTOR inhibitor treatment. They found that when glioblastoma patients are treated with drugs that target the mTOR pathway, the levels of PML rise dramatically. Further, they showed that PML upregulation made the tumor cells resistant to mTOR inhibitors, and that if they suppressed the ability of the tumor cells to upregulate the PML protein, the tumor cells died in response to the mTOR inhibitor therapy.

"When we looked at cells in in vivo models and patients treated in the clinic, it became clear that the glioblastoma cells massively regulated PML enabling them to escape the effects of mTOR inhibitor therapy," reported senior author Paul Mischel, MD, Ludwig Institute member based at the University of California at San Diego.

"Our team hypothesized that if we could use a pharmacological approach to get rid of PML and combine it with an mTOR inhibitor, it could change the response from halting growth to cell death. The question was how?" added Mischel.

Previous research had shown that the use of low-dose arsenic could cause degradation of the PML protein in patients with leukemia. The team hypothesized that if arsenic could degrade PML, it may reverse resistance to mTOR inhibitors. The combination of mTOR and low-dose arsenic in mice indeed showed a synergistic effect, with massive tumor cell death along with very significant shrinkage of the tumor in mice with no ill side effects.

"Current therapy upregulates PML, turning off the mTOR signaling pathway. The tumor cells hide, waiting for the target signal to return," said Mischel. "When low-dose arsenic is added, not only does it stop the cell from returning, it shuts down the escape route killing the tumor cell."

These results present the first clinical evidence that mTOR inhibition promotes PML upregulation in mice and patients, and that it mediates drug resistance. The clinical relevance was confirmed when researchers looked at before- and after-treatment tissue samples from patients treated with mTOR inhibitors, confirming that PML goes up significantly in post treatment of mTOR inhibitors.

"These data suggest a new approach for potential treatment of glioblastoma," said Mischel. "We are moving forward to test that possibility in people."

Post-doctoral students Akio Iwanami and Beatrice Gini from the Mischel lab, as well as Ciro Zanca from the Furnari/Cavenee lab also contributed significantly to this paper.

This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Uehara Memorial Foundation, three NIH grants: NS73831, CA 119347 and P01-CA95616, the Ziering Family Foundation in Memory of Sigi Ziering and the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research.

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

Journal Reference:

A. Iwanami, B. Gini, C. Zanca, T. Matsutani, A. Assuncao, A. Nael, J. Dang, H. Yang, S. Zhu, J. Kohyama, I. Kitabayashi, W. K. Cavenee, T. F. Cloughesy, F. B. Furnari, M. Nakamura, Y. Toyama, H. Okano, P. S. Mischel. PML mediates glioblastoma resistance to mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-targeted therapies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1217602110

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/BY1dFrC_5v8/130226135525.htm

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Fiennes pulls out of Antarctica trek

25 February 2013 Last updated at 10:39 ET

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Sir Ranulph's team mate Ian Prickett: "We could be in for a week, we could be in for another day"

Sir Ranulph Fiennes has pulled out of an expedition across Antarctica during winter because of severe frostbite.

The 68-year-old was injured after a fall while skiing during training at a base camp in Antarctica. He used his bare hands to fix a ski binding in temperatures around -30C.

His evacuation to South Africa is being hampered by blizzard conditions.

Sir Ranulph is said to be "gutted," but his five team-mates will still embark on the 2,000-mile (3,219km) trek.

Tony Medniuk from the "Coldest Journey" expedition said Sir Ranulph had been due to lead the team from the front on skis, and had been practising his skiing in whiteout conditions when he fell.

"In seeking to reattach his binding he felt that he couldn't get it on and had to take his glove off in very cold conditions and exposed his hand to snow and as a consequence he has contracted frostbite," he told the BBC.

Continue reading the main story

Frostbite

Frostbite is damage to the skin and tissue due to exposure to freezing temperatures
It can affect any part of the body, but extremities like fingers, ears, the nose and toes, are particularly vulnerable
When it is cold the body diverts blood flow from the extremities to vital organs like the heart and lungs
As the blood is redirected, the extremities get colder and fluid in these tissues begin to freeze
Initially you may feel pins and needles and painful throbbing, but as the tissues freeze the area becomes numb
Ice crystals form, damaging cells, and the low blood flow starves the tissue of oxygen
If the blood flow is not restored soon enough the tissue will die and may need to be amputated
Almost all cases of frostbite can be prevented by wearing appropriate clothing and avoiding unnecessary exposure to cold

"After five years of preparation, a small slip like this and a few moments can undermine the most meticulous preparation," he added.

The team is attempting to evacuate Sir Ranulph by transporting him by skidoo to the Princess Elisabeth Station, about 70km away from his current position. From there he will be flown to Novo to get a connecting flight to Cape Town.

Blizzard conditions are currently making any evacuation impossible and Sir Ranulph will be unable to move until conditions ease.

The trek is known as The Coldest Journey on Earth. No human being has managed to walk across Antarctica in winter.

The team will face some of the toughest conditions on Earth - near permanent darkness and temperatures dropping close to -90C.

The expedition - from the Russian base of Novolazareskaya to the Ross Sea - is due to begin on 21 March and is expected to take six months.

The journey is to benefit Seeing is Believing, a charity which tackles avoidable blindness.

Sir Ranulph's past feats include becoming the first person to reach both poles by surface means and the oldest Briton to reach the summit of Mount Everest, aged 65.

Guinness World Records describes him as the world's greatest living explorer.

This is not the first time the explorer has experienced frostbite. In 2000, he lost the fingers on his left hand during an unaided attempt to reach the North Pole.

When he returned to the UK, he was told he would have to wait several months before they could be amputated to allow the partially damaged tissue to heal. But he decided to do the job himself and carried out the amputations using a fretsaw.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21571870#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Seattle Times Will Install Paywall Next Month

Poynter.:

The Seattle Times will begin a digital-subscription plan in March, Times Executive Editor David Boardman told readers in a column Sunday. The plan resembles The New York Times' paywall -- print subscribers will have full access to the Times' site, and nonsubscribers will be able to access a limited number of articles before hitting the pay gate.

Read the whole story: Poynter.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/25/seattle-times-will-instal_n_2758751.html

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The ultimate chimp challenge: Chimps do challenging puzzles for the fun of it

Feb. 23, 2013 ? A study, published by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), shows that just like humans love getting stuck into a crossword, chimpanzees get the same feeling of satisfaction from completing tricky puzzles.

Scientists set up a challenge for six chimpanzees at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo using plumbing pipes from a DIY store. The challenge involved moving red dice through a network of pipes until they fell into an exit chamber. This could only be achieved by the chimps prodding sticks into holes in the pipes to change the direction of the dice. The same task was also carried out with Brazil nuts, but the exit chamber removed so that the nuts fell out as a tasty treat for the chimps.

The paper was published February 24 in the American Journal of Primatology.

ZSL researcher Fay Clark says: "We noticed that the chimps were keen to complete the puzzle regardless of whether or not they received a food reward. This strongly suggests they get similar feelings of satisfaction to humans who often complete brain games for a feel-good reward."

The adult family group of chimpanzees at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo consist of two females and four males, three of which are half-brothers: Phil, Grant and Elvis. This study allowed them to solve a novel cognitive problem in their normal social grouping, by choice. In addition, the chimpanzees were not trained on how to use the device.

"For chimps in the wild, this task is a little bit like foraging for insects or honey inside a tree stump or a termite mound; except more challenging because the dice do not stick to the tool," Fay added.

The challenge, which only cost about ?40 to make, was made more intricate by connecting many pipes together, and the level further increased by making pipes opaque so chimpanzees could only see the dice or nuts through small holes.

The chimps took part in the cognitive challenge as part of their normal daily routine and doing the brain teaser was completely voluntarily. As part of the Zoo's enrichment programme, they also receive tasty treats hidden in boxes, as well as pillows and blankets every night to make up their own beds. Chimps build their own nests every night in the wild, and this enrichment encourages the animals' natural behaviours.

This study suggests that like humans, chimpanzees are motivated to solve a puzzle when there is no food reward. They do so for the sake of the challenge itself. It also suggests that chimpanzee cognition can be measured on social groups under more naturalistic conditions.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Zoological Society of London, 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:

Fay E. Clark, Lauren J. Smith. Effect of a Cognitive Challenge Device Containing Food and Non-Food Rewards on Chimpanzee Well-Being. American Journal of Primatology, 2013; DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22141

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/strange_science/~3/ZGjhf5Pxbw8/130224124635.htm

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Commercial Loan Banks | Business Banking Loans |Capital Finance ...

Duration : 0:3:0

Source: http://merfi.org/commercial-loan-banks-business-banking-loans-capital-finance-company-commercial-lending/

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Warby Parker Grabs New Investment From American Express & J. Crew CEO, Closing $41.5M Round

New York-based eyewear startup Warby Parker is off to a good start in 2013, having recently been fingered as a possible partner for Google Glass, and now is reported to have gained an additional investment from American Express and J. Crew chief executive Millard S. Drexler. The new investors went in alongside General Catalyst, Spark Capital, Tiger Global Management, Thrive Capital, Lerer Ventures?and Menlo Ventures, in a round totaling $41.5 million in financing, which officially closed in January.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/NsF8rysIqzw/

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Ezra Klein Teaches GOP To Find President?s ?Non-Existent? Sequester Plan ? On Google (VIDEO)

Screen Shot 2013-02-23 at 3.16.08 PM
John Boehner seems to have no idea how the government works. It?s up to his branch ? the legislative branch ? to pass laws and to make budgets, however he constantly tells the American people that it is President Obama who is failing the country by refusing to do the Speaker?s job. In this case, Boehner and his fellow Republicans repetitively accuse the President of not putting forth a Sequester plan. Obama?s not constitutionally required to put forth any sort of budget plan, but even though it?s not in his job description, he has proposed one. It?s Boehner who is refusing to do his job, all while passing the blame. On Friday?s The Last Word, guest host Ezra Klein and his guest, Chris Hayes, set the record straight.

?I don?t know if this is a failure of reading comprehension or internet searching capabilities or both,? said Klein.

Klein then did a Google search for the White House?s plan, which showed numerous results, including several that showed the President?s actual plan.

Additionally, as Klein pointed out, the sequestration plan is inside the President?s budget (which Republicans also deny exists).

// ]]>

Why do Republicans continue to deny the existence of the plan which is right in front of their faces? It?s simple. They don?t like it. The President?s plan will raise taxes on the wealthy. The American people love that idea. In fact, 68% feel that the President has a ?mandate? to do just that. There are fewer political downsides to pretending something doesn?t exist than in voting against the wishes of 2/3rds of the voters.

The other reason they can get away with it is simply because they can. As Speaker of the House, John Boehner is in the position to decide what deserves a vote. Should he decide (which he will) that the President?s plan doesn?t deserve a vote, the plan will be destined for the political trashcan. The plan may literally exist, but figuratively, it?s right up there with unicorns, fairy dust and Dennis Kucinich?s Department of Peace.

Watch as Ezra Klein and Chris Hayes discuss the politics and the realities of the sequester:

Tags: Barack Obama, budget, Congress, John Boehner, President sequester plan, sequester, sequestration, tax cuts for the wealthy

Source: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/02/23/ezra-klein-teaches-gop-to-find-non-existent-presidents-sequester-plan-on-google-video/

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Italy finds no trace of horse DNA in Nestle mince meals

ROME/ZURICH (Reuters) - Italy's Health Ministry said on Saturday that tests had found no trace of horse DNA in minced beef meals by Swiss food giant Nestle that were removed from sale on Monday.

Nestle removed the ready-made beef ravioli and tortellini sold under its Buitoni brand from shelves in Italy and Spain and halted production of the meals after its own tests had found more than 1 percent horse DNA in the products.

Italian authorities seized 26 tons of affected beef products on Thursday after Nestle withdrew the meals - the latest company to become embroiled in the scandal that has highlighted the complexities of Europe's food chain.

"No trace of horse DNA has been found in Nestle cooked and frozen minced beef," the ministry said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear what the outcome was of the tests of the food seized in Spain.

The Italian tests were carried out on beef products that had been stored at the Safim plant near Turin, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Italy also ordered the seizure on Saturday of about 6 tons of frozen beef lasagne made by Italian group PRIMIA after tests showed the presence of horse meat, an official with Italy's NAS, a police unit that monitors health and safety standards, told Reuters.

A Nestle spokesman welcomed the ministry's decision to release its products.

"We are happy the ministry's tests came back negative," spokesman Chris Hogg said in an email to Reuters.

"Our focus now though is on restarting production of these products today and tomorrow with a new supplier, using beef we have tested to ensure it contains no horse DNA."

The Swiss company had suspended production of the affected goods at its Moretta factory, in Piedmont, on Monday, the spokesman said.

Nestle had also suspended deliveries of all products using beef from German subcontractor H.J. Schypke.

The pan-European scandal has prompted widespread product withdrawals, consumer concern and government investigations into the continent's food processing systems.

Although horse meat poses little or no health risk, the discoveries have damaged the confidence of consumers in supermarkets and fast-food chains since it was first identified in Irish beefburgers.

(Additional reporting by Lisa Jucca; Writing by Catherine Hornby and Lisa Jucca; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/no-trace-horse-dna-nestle-minced-beef-italy-111308722--finance.html

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Video: Vatican blasts Italian media reports

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50923086/

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Administration warns of impact of broad budget cut

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Widespread flight delays and shuttered airports, off-limit seashores and unprotected parks.

The Obama administration is painting a dire portrait of the many ways the public will feel the effects of automatic federal spending cuts due to begin March 1.

The grim picture is emerging as the White House and lawmakers count down the days until the government is forced to trim $85 billion in domestic and defense spending with hardly any leeway to save some programs from the budget knife.

In detailing the costs of the cuts, President Barack Obama is seeking to raise the public's awareness while also applying pressure on congressional Republicans who oppose his blend of targeted savings and tax increases to tackle federal deficits.

"I've been very clear that these kinds of arbitrary, automatic cuts would have an adverse impact on families, on teachers, on parents who are reliant on Head Start programs, on our military readiness, on mental health services, on medical research," Obama said Friday. "This is not a smart way for us to reduce the deficit."

Just in case those consequences didn't capture the public's attention, the White House also had Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood spell out the impact on travelers, a frequent-flier nightmare of 90-minute airport waits, limited flights and closed regional airports. Republican lawmakers dismissed LaHood's warnings as "exaggerations."

But LaHood said the cuts would require slicing more than $600 million from the Federal Aviation Administration, resulting in furloughs of one day per pay period for a majority of the agency's 47,000 employees.

"Once airlines see the potential impact of these furloughs, we expect that they will change their schedules and cancel flights," LaHood said.

Moreover, he said, the Transportation Department is looking "to likely close" air traffic control towers at 100 airports that have fewer than 150,000 flight operations per year.

"We're talking about places like Boca Raton, Fla.; Joplin, Mo.; Hilton Head, S.C.; and San Marcos, Texas," he said. All in all, nearly two-thirds of the airports are concentrated in three states ? California, Florida and Texas.

But in a statement, Airlines for America, an industry group, said the organization, the FAA and airline carriers would be meeting soon to plan for potential cutbacks. "Air transportation is a key driver of our economy, and should not be used as a political football," the statement said.

Paul Rinaldi, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the reductions will not just inconvenience passengers, it will also affect local economies and result in more lost jobs. "The fact that they will not just be furloughing critical FAA personnel but closing air traffic control towers means the system will be even more compromised than anticipated," he added.

Still, top Republicans on congressional transportation and aviation panels accused the administration of unnecessary alarm.

"Before jumping to the conclusion that furloughs must be implemented, the administration and the agency need to sharpen their pencils and consider all the options," the lawmakers said in a joint statement issued by Rep. Bill Shuster, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; Sen. John Thune, the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; and Frank LoBiondo, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Aviation.

Throughout the administration, agency heads have been depicting an onerous after-effect to the cuts. The federal government is required to spell out the consequences to federal workers, but the details are also designed to warn lawmakers that the cuts could have a fearsome result: angry constituents. Some of the warnings:

? Defense Secretary Leon Panetta last week said that automatic cuts, known in Washington budget language as a sequester, would harm the readiness of U.S. fighting forces and he said the "vast majority" of the Defense Department's 800,000 civilian workers would have to lose one day of work per week, or 20 percent of their pay, for up to 22 weeks, probably starting in late April. The biggest potential losses, in term of total civilian payroll dollars, would be in Virginia, California, Maryland, Texas and Georgia, according to figures provided by the Pentagon.

? On Friday, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said cuts of more than $300 million to his agency would mean less money to solve outbreaks, fight hospital infections and keep illnesses overseas from making their way here. For instance, Dr. Tom Frieden said, the cuts could limit the agency's investigation of a tuberculosis outbreak in Los Angeles.

? At the National Park Service, employees would be furloughed, hours would be cut and sensitive areas would be blocked off to the public when there are staff shortages, according to a park service memo obtained by The Associated Press.

The giant sequoias at Yosemite National Park in California would go unprotected from visitors who might trample their shallow roots. At Cape Cod National Seashore, large sections of the Great Beach would close to keep eggs from being destroyed if natural resource managers are cut. Programs on the chopping block include invasive species eradication in Yosemite and comfort stations on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.

Gettysburg would decrease by one-fifth the number of school children who learn about the historic battle that was a turning point in the Civil War. And in Yosemite, park administrators fear that less frequent trash pickup would potentially attract bears into campgrounds.

Over the years, budget threats have inevitably resulted in grim warnings, no matter which administration, about calamitous consequences. Many have been avoided; others have been short-lived. But Obama administration officials say they are not exaggerating or bluffing.

The cuts, with few exceptions, are designed to hit all accounts equally. The law gives Obama little leeway to ease the pain.

Even if granted flexibility to apply the cuts with more discretion ? a legislative step Republicans say they might pursue ? White House officials say that would still require severe reductions.

"It's essentially rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic," Obama senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said of such a proposal in a recent interview.

LaHood, in response to a question, denied that he was simply describing a worst-case scenario that would scare the public and put pressure on Republican lawmakers.

"What I'm trying to do," he said, "is wake up members of the Congress with the idea that they need to come to the table so we don't have to have this kind of calamity in air services in America."

___

Cone reported from Sacramento, Calif. Associated Press writer Joan Lowy and AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard contributed to this report.

Follow Jim Kuhnhenn on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jkuhnhenn

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/administration-warns-impact-broad-budget-cut-223232012--politics.html

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Bail, bonds and old Facebook fogeys: The week in numbers

Image: Barrington Coombs/Everton FC

EVERY WEEK,?TheJournal.ie offers a selection of statistics and numerical nuggets to help you digest the week that has just passed.

40o ? The number of calls made to the Department of Justice?s support line for victims of Magdalene Laundries in the first day and a half of operation. The line was opened on Wednesday morning after the government made a formal apology to the women ? and opened the hotline to register for a possible redress scheme ? on Tuesday.

?85,468.60 ? The amount that Oscar Pistorius has been asked to pay to bail himself as he faces court proceedings for allegedly murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The bail ? of 1 million South African rand ? compares to his annual salary of 5.6 million rand.

?828.88 - The average weekly industrial wage in Ireland in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to figures published by the CSO. The earnings of the average worker rose to ?695.80 per week.

31.7 ? The estimated length, in hours, of the average working week. This was published in the same figures.

0.24 per cent ? The interest that Ireland will pay investors to borrow money for three months, under an auction this week. It?s the NTMA?s latest attempt at dipping its toes in the water before Ireland gets back to the bond markets in full later this year.

6 per cent ? The maximum amount of hydrogen peroxide that can be used in a solution for cosmetic tooth whitening. The Irish Dental Association has expressed fears that some gels bought online ? or even being administered by unregulated clinics in Ireland ? are in breach of the rules, which stem from an EU directive.

66 per cent ? The proportion of the Irish public who said Ireland?s current medical practice ? where an expectant mother and her child are seen as two patients ? should be protected and safeguarded. That?s according to a Pro Life Campaign poll, whose organisers said they deliberately opted against using the word ?abortion? as refusing to define the word led to ?uninformed answers?.

?1.3 billion ? The amount paid by the owners of Canada Life to buy Irish Life from the Government. The price is identical to the amount that the Minister paid Irish Life & Permanent (which he himself owns anyway) to split Irish Life from its parent company last year.

104 - The age of a woman who had to lie to make herself younger to sign up to Facebook. Marguerite Joseph got her granddaughter to sign her up, but the granddaughter had to round her age down because Facebook?s systems don?t permit birthdates from before 1910. Facebook says it?s working to fix the system.

0.5 per cent ? The amount by which the cost of living fell in January. That?s unusually high deflation, but meant that the annual rate of inflation was still a moderate 1.2 per cent.

11 ? The number of MEPs Ireland will have in the next European Parliament. That?s one down from the current 12 ? and it?s falling because Ireland, along with other countries, has to make room for Croatia.

39 per cent ? The proportion of eligible Irish families who will find themselves without the full amount of child benefit under proposals being considered by the government. Joan Burton has commissioned a report which recommends a ?two-tier? system of child benefit, which would be made taxable.

?1.67 million ? The amount claimed in costs and expenses by Ireland?s judges in 2012. The amount is 42 per cent less than in 2008, and about ?1.5 million of the amount was incurred by district and circuit court judges whose roles require travel between multiple courthouses.

Want more??Check out our previous ?In numbers? pieces>

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Source: http://www.thejournal.ie/week-in-numbers-february-23-805992-Feb2013/

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Vatican blasts 'false' pre-conclave reporting

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? The Vatican lashed out Saturday at the media for what it said has been a run of defamatory and false reports before the conclave to elect Pope Benedict XVI's successor, saying they were an attempt to influence the election.

Italian newspapers have been rife with unsourced reports in recent days about the contents of a secret dossier prepared for the pope by three cardinals who investigated the origins of the 2012 scandal over leaked Vatican documents.

The reports have suggested the revelations in the dossier, given to Benedict in December, were a factor in his decision to resign. The pope himself has said merely that he doesn't have the "strength of mind and body" to carry on and would resign Feb. 28.

On Saturday, a day before Benedict's final Sunday blessing in St. Peter's Square, the Vatican secretariat of state said the Catholic Church has for centuries insisted on the independence of its cardinals to freely elect their pope ? a reference to episodes in the past when kings and emperors vetoed papal contenders or prevented cardinals from voting outright.

"If in the past, the so-called powers, i.e., States, exerted pressures on the election of the pope, today there is an attempt to do this through public opinion that is often based on judgments that do not typically capture the spiritual aspect of the moment that the church is living," the statement said.

"It is deplorable that as we draw closer to the time of the beginning of the conclave ... that there be a widespread distribution of often unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories that cause serious damage to persons and institutions."

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi was asked how specifically the media was trying to influence the outcome; Lombardi didn't respond directly, saying only that the reports have tended to paint the Curia in a negative light "beyond the considerations and serene evaluations" of problems that cardinals might discuss before the conclave.

Some Vatican watchers have speculated that because the Vatican bureaucracy is heavily Italian, cardinals might be persuaded to elect a non-Italian, non-Vatican-based cardinal as pope to try to impose some reform on the Curia.

While Lombardi has said the reports "do not correspond to reality," the pope and some of his closest collaborators have recently denounced the dysfunction in the Apostolic Palace.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, for example, criticized the "divisions, dissent, careerism, jealousies" that afflict the Vatican bureaucracy. He made the comments Friday, the penultimate day of the Vatican's weeklong spiritual exercises that were attended by the pope and other officials. Ravasi, himself a papal contender, was chosen by Benedict to deliver daily meditations and on Saturday Benedict praised him for his "brilliant" work.

The divisions Ravasi spoke of were exposed by the documents taken from the pope's study by his butler and then leaked by a journalist. The documents revealed the petty wrangling, corruption and cronyism and even allegations of a gay plot at the highest levels of the Catholic Church.

The three cardinals who investigated the theft had wide-ranging powers to interview even cardinals to get to the bottom of the dynamics within the Curia that resulted in the gravest Vatican security breach in modern times.

Benedict too has made reference to the divisions in recent days, deploring in his final Mass as pope on Ash Wednesday how the church is often "defiled" by attacks and divisions from within. Last Sunday, he urged its members to overcome "pride and egoism."

On Saturday, in his final comments to the Curia, Benedict lamented the "evil, suffering and corruption" that have defaced God's creation. But he also thanked the Vatican bureaucrats for having helped him "bear the burden" of his ministry with their work, love and faith these past eight years.

The Vatican's attack on the media echoed its response to previous scandals, where it has tended not to address the underlying content of accusations, but has diverted attention away. During the 2010 explosion of sex abuse scandals, the Vatican accused the media of trying to attack the pope; during the 2012 leaks scandal, it accused the media of sensationalism without addressing the content of the leaked documents.

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-blasts-false-pre-conclave-reporting-130526801.html

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Download and Install CM10.1 Nightly Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean on Galaxy S2 I9100G

Thanks to CyanogenMod team, CM10.1 Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean is now available for Galaxy S2 I9100G. And this build from the CyanogenMod team includes support for a lot of Galaxy S2 smartphones, including the Galaxy S2 I9100G. The latest nightly build is based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean ROM, which brings some improvement along with it, including better security features. It will allow you to enjoy the latest iteration of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean on your Galaxy S2 I9100G.

Before installing this ROM, it is pertinent to mention that ROM flashing can cause your phone to brick. While, the majority of ROMs today prevent your device from getting bricked, it is still advisable to practice caution. Because it will be your responsibility in the event of your device getting bricked.

Download

CM 10.1 Nightly-Build 4.2.2 Jelly Bean ROM For Galaxy S2 I9100G [File: cm-10.1-20130221-NIGHTLY-i9100g.zip]
Google Apps [File: gapps-jb-20121212-signed.zip]

Guide to Download and Install CM10.1 Android 4.2.2 Nightlies on Galaxy S2 I9100G

Connect your Galaxy S2 I9100G with the PC, via USB cable.
Download the above mentioned CM10.1 Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Nightly file and copy it to the SD card of your phone.
Disconnect your phone and switch it off. And make sure that you wait 5-6 seconds to complete the power down cycle.
Now, you will boot the Galaxy S2 I9100G into recovery mode, by pressing and holding down the Volume Up button, alongside Home and the Power button, until the screen flashes, release the three buttons then. After a few seconds of that, the phone will enter recovery mode.
Once in the recovery mode, take a Nandroid backup of your existing ROM. This is necessary, to enable you to recover your current ROM install, just in case the new ROM does not perform according to your liking. In order to perform a backup, select Backup and Restore, then on the next screen, select Backup again. Go back to main recovery menu after backup is complete.
Once done, select wipe data/factory reset, select ?Yes? on next screen to confirm your action. Wait for a few minutes until the phone wipes your data. Once complete, go back to CWM recovery menu and Wipe Cache Partition and then Wipe Dalvik Cache.
Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Now, locate the ccm-10.1-20130221-NIGHTLY-i9100g.zip file that you copied earlier in Step 2 and select it by pressing Power button. Confirm installation by selecting Yes. Install the said zip file on the next screen. The ROM installation will begin.
Once, the phone finishes installing the ROM, you need to re-do step 7, but choose gapps-jb-20121212-signed.zip file instead of ROM zip to install the Google apps package.
When GApps get installed, go back to the main recovery menu and select reboot system now to reboot the phone and boot up into customized Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean ROM CM 10.1 Nightly-build. The first boot will take time, so be patient!

You are now running CM 10.1 Nightly-build Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean ROM on Galaxy S2 I9100G. If you are facing any issues, feel free to mention it in our comments section.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Wccftechcom/~3/lHfFVMhy5V4/

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Friday, February 22, 2013

Voting Starts For Kaplan International?s Latest Facebook Competition

(PRWEB UK) 21 February 2013

Kaplan International Colleges has opened the voting process for their Love at Kaplan Facebook video competition.

Inspired by Valentine?s Day, Kaplan International Colleges launched Love at Kaplan; a competition designed to encourage students and staff to share messages of love to their friends, families and partners by using video messaging and social media.

The competition was met with great enthusiasm by staff, students and fans alike who declared their love via video. All the entrants are competing for the prize, which is a romantic meal for two at a restaurant of the winner?s choice.

Voting for the competition has now officially opened on the Kaplan Facebook page and will last a week. The winner with the most votes will receive the prize of restaurant vouchers to the amount of ?100.

Hazel Marie Francis, Kaplan?s social media assistant, said: ?Valentine?s is a great time of year for engagement with our social media channels and Love at Kaplan has sparked creative and fun video content. I?m looking forward to seeing who will win the prize ? and how their date goes!?

Kaplan, a leading provider of English language courses, recently reached a social media milestone by reaching more than 75,000 fans on their global Facebook page.

About Kaplan International Colleges

Kaplan International Colleges is part of Kaplan, Inc., an international education services provider offering higher education, professional training, and test preparation. Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO). http://www.kaplaninternational.com

Source: http://uk.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10454744.htm

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