Truths about Wal Mart India

No change in US visa policy with regard to Modi: Blake

2011-11-15T20:22:00.000+09:00

Washington, Nov 15 - The US today said there is no change in its policy of denying visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

ÒNo, there are no new developments on that,Ó Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake told reporters here when asked if there is any review of denial of visa to Modi.

The US had denied visa to Modi in March 2005 for his alleged complicity in the in the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002. Modi had applied for a visa to go to the US for participating in the annual convention Asian American Hotel Owners Blake, however, said Gujarat itself remains a very important place for American investment.

ÒI think it has shown itself to be a very welcoming environment for American business to flourish. We will continue to promote investment, encourage investment into that State,Ó he said yesterday.
Blake said the US is now trying to build up its relationship with Indian States.

ÒWe recently have begun an effort to try to enhance state-to-state ties between our two countries -Special Representative Rita Jo Lewis recently made a trip to India with that in mind -because we believe there are quite significant opportunities for individual American states to do more with their Indian counterparts,Ó Blake said.

ÒIndeed, there's quite a lot of dynamism at the state level in India, so we want to just try to capture that, and again, encourage those state-to-state and city-to-city links.

So I think you ll see more of that in our relations over the next several years, said the US official.

Inspan Announces Attractive Scheme for Resellers from Genius

2011-11-15T20:19:00.000+09:00

CHENNAI, India - November 15, 2011 - Inspan Infotech, one of the largest IT distribution companies for motherboards and hardware components, announced attractive scheme resellers on sales of Genius products for the OND 2011 quarter.

Resellers will be eligible for the following rewards on sales of Genius products

Invoice value worth Rs 50,000, will be eligible for Adidas gift vouchers worth Rs 1,500/-
Invoice value worth Rs 1, 00,000, will be eligible for Ray-Ban sunglasses
Invoice value worth Rs 2, 00,000, will be eligible for a AGAMA RC 520A Robotic vacuum cleaner
Invoice value worth Rs 3, 00, 000, will be eligible for a Pico projector GPP1000, Genius media player 200 and 8GB SD card

This scheme is valid from 1^st October 2011 to 30^th December 2011and is valid for the purchases billed out from Inspan Infotech. However above scheme cannot be merged or clubbed with any other scheme that may be running at that time. Genius reserves the rights of execution, alternation and will entertain all the scheme claims directly from distributors.

"Attractive schemes from Genius have always been well appreciated by the channel partners. With every inch of growth Genius has always rewarded its channel partners fairly to motivate them. The targets of Genius scheme have always been designed to be achievable by channel partners."said Sudhir S, Managing Director of Inspan Infotech.

Price, Warranty and Availability

Standard pricing and warranty clauses are applicable on the products as announced from Genius. These products are available ex-Stock across all offices of Inspan in the country.

World's First High-Performance Quad Channel

2011-11-15T20:10:00.000+09:00

Banglore, (India), Nov.15 - Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the world's first high-performance quad channel Dominator 32GB DDR3 memory kit.

The Dominator 32GB Quad Channel kit (part number CMT32GX3M4X1866C9) consists of four rigorously-screened 8GB DDR3 DRAM modules with Corsair's patented DHX+ heatsinks. It operates at 1.5V and is designed to run at 1866MHz, with 9-10-9-27 C9 timing. Corsair has compatibility tested the new 32GB Quad Channel kit with upcoming quad channel platforms as well as current dual channel platforms.

"The new Dominator 32GB Quad Channel memory kit is designed for high-performance PC enthusiasts using the latest motherboards, whether they're overclockers, gamers, or simply want a large amount of state-of-the-art memory," said Thi La, Vice President of Memory Products at Corsair. "Corsair is a market leader in high-performance memory, and we're pleased to be first to market with a high-performance 32GB quad channel kit."

Consumers Oppose Annual Rate Increases

2011-10-24T04:12:00.000+09:00

Clear Message to Legislators: No to Rate Hike Bill

CHICAGO, Oct. 24 - With the clock ticking towards the start of the legislative veto session in Springfield, Illinois consumers today sent a simple but clear message to lawmakers: No to Senate Bill 1652, ComEd and Ameren's annual utility rate hike legislation. The bill, which was vetoed by Governor Pat Quinn in September, is due back to legislators next week and consumers will reach out to their elected representatives to ensure the Governor's veto stands in both chambers.

To strengthen their message, consumer advocacy groups led by AARP joined with Governor Quinn, as well as with representatives from the Attorney General's office and leaders of the business community in Chicago, to unveil the results of a statewide telephone poll.

The poll of 800 registered voters, conducted by AARP and other concerned groups, found that nearly 7 in 10 Illinoisans oppose annual increases in their electric bills, even if they would improve reliability and prevent outages. Additionally, more than half of those polled (52 percent) stated that they wouldn't vote for a legislator who allows electric utilities to raise their rates annually.

"Consumers have expressed themselves very clearly: they do not want automated rate increases, and they believe their electric bill is already too high," said AARP Illinois State Director Bob Gallo. "We are asking our 1.7 million members, and all Illinoisans, to hold legislators accountable on this critical issue and urge their legislator to uphold the Governor's veto."

"When I vetoed this bill, I said consumers can't be expected to foot the bill for executive bonuses and lobbyists fees with massive rate hikes that don't do anything to improve Illinois' power grid. Before even considering rate hikes, we need to make sure consumers are getting the quality service they already pay for," Governor Quinn said. "More than 1.5 million people and businesses have had to deal with power outages and service disruptions this summer, and now these same utilities are trying to change the rules to guarantee themselves annual rate increases, while eliminating any real accountability. I'm not buying what they're selling and ratepayers agree."

"Consumers deserve—and are willing to pay for—reliable service, but until they get it, they won't support automatic profits for ComEd and Ameren," Attorney General Lisa Madigan said.

"Businesses throughout Illinois have fought hard to develop a competitive energy market," said Steve Longhta, who represents the Illinois Industrial Energy Consumers. "The passage of Senate Bill 1652 would move Illinois backwards by setting utility costs and dictating a utility's earnings in state statute." The Illinois Industrial Energy Consumers consists of more than 30 of Illinois' largest manufacturers who support decisions that are good for business in matters involving electric, natural gas and water service operations.

"Call it what you want, the bottom line is that SB1652 is a bad deal for Illinois consumers as it will significantly raise electric rates at a time when individuals and families are still struggling to afford basic necessities," said William McNary, Co-Director for Citizen Action. "We need consumers to stand up, and urge their legislators to uphold Governor Quinn's veto."
The statewide poll also found that:

81 percent responded that they believe utility donations had influence over legislators who voted for SB1652;
70 percent already believe their electric system is reliable;
50 percent think their electric bill is too high;
47 percent responded that the bill should be amended to protect consumers AND an additional 26 percent responded, without being prompted, that the legislature should not "pass anything";
Only 10 percent responded "State Legislature" when asked between the State Legislature and the ICC which group do they believe "would best represent your interests in regulating electric utilities."

AARP is urging individuals to call toll-free 1-800-719-3020 and urge their legislators to vote "NO" on SB1652. For additional information, go to: http://saynotoratehikes.org.

10 Test Driving Tips for Car Buying Consumers

2011-10-24T03:44:00.001+09:00

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 24 -It is easy for car buying consumers to fall in love at first sight with the sleek styling and attractive exterior of their dream machine. In most American households today, a vehicle purchase is a major financial expense, so a second look and an extensive test drive is time well invested.
AAA Automotive experts recommend that consumers start that test drive at the computer keyboard. Valuable information about vehicle safety features, performance data, and purchase pricing and resale value can be researched online.

"In today's economy, consumers have additional factors to consider when purchasing a vehicle, often making the selection process more difficult and extensive," said John Nielsen, AAA Director of Automotive Repair, Buying, and Consumer Information. "There is no substitute for quality research and an in-depth test drive tailored to your personal driving needs, to help make a sound financial car buying decision."

The physical test drive is the next step in the car buying research process. An extensive test drive can reveal many important factors not immediately obvious at first blush.
AAA recommends the following test driving tips:

Before You Drive. Walk around the car. Is it the right size for the needs of your family? Check the quality of the assembly and the tightness of the body panel alignment. Check for bubbles and pitting on the paint and chrome. Open and close the tailgate or trunk and doors. Does it sound solid and well made? Will the design allow for easy loading of luggage, sporting goods, and groceries?

Be a Backseat Test Driver. Ask the salesperson to take you for a preliminary test drive. You can focus on the ride without the distraction of driving, and you're more likely to notice noise and overall comfort. And, of course, you can evaluate backseat room for future passengers.

Find Your Fit. Get in and try the car on for size. Check the leg room and visibility. How easy is it to adjust the seats? Are the controls easy to read, reach and use? Try all of the accessories and options, such as air conditioning, the sound system, and navigation aids.

On The Road. Drive the exact model of the car you want to purchase. Pick your own route for the test drive. If possible, pick a route that mirrors your daily driving routine. It's a good idea to test the car's ride quality and handling on a number of different road surfaces: city streets, hills, freeways, and winding roads.

Power. Test the engine's responsiveness in real-world conditions. Is there a smooth and constant delivery of power? Try merging onto the highway, passing, and stop-and-go city driving. Spend part of the test drive with the air conditioner on to see if it drains power.

Transmission. Look for smoothness and ease of operation. Listen for hesitation or straining.

Handling. Check steering responsiveness. Practice long turns and sharp turns. Safely practice sudden swerves and gradual lane changes.

Brakes. Your life could depend on your brakes, so put them to the test. Brake both softly and decisively to gain an accurate idea of the car's stopping distance.

Noise Level. At various speeds, listen for excessive engine, road, and wind noise. Check for squeaks and rattles coming from the interior and bodywork. Listen with the windows open and closed.

Parking. Parallel park to discover any blind spots or potential difficulty in identifying the corners of the car.
AAA recommends that consumers always have pre-owned vehicles inspected by a quality repair facility prior to purchasing. More than 8,000 AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities are located across North America.

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 52 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com

Stage set for the Future of Mercury in Dentistry

2011-10-24T03:28:00.001+09:00

U.S. State Department Announces Position on Mercury Fillings

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 - For the first time in history, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) is evaluating international regulations that would ban mercury-containing products including silver/amalgam dental fillings, which contain 50% mercury and are already in the mouths of more than 122 million Americans.

The DOS will present their official position on the use of mercury in amalgam fillings and other medical devices at a stakeholder meeting on Monday, October 24th, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM at the DOS headquarters on 2201 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Injured consumers and members of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) will attend the meeting to encourage a ban on mercury/silver dental amalgam fillings.

The U.S. government's monumental decision about mercury fillings is being made in preparation for the third session of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC3), scheduled for later this month in Nairobi, Kenya. The committee was created with the specific purpose of developing a global, legally-binding instrument on mercury due to its significant negative effect on human health and the environment.

Mercury, a potent neurotoxin used in dental amalgam fillings, can damage the brain, kidneys, and nervous system, and is particularly harmful to the fetus and young children. Substantial, peer-reviewed, scientific evidence proving these dangers is documented in IAOMT's Petition for Reconsideration, which was filed with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009.

The hazards of mercury filings have also been addressed by other international groups. In 1991, the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that dental amalgam is "the greatest source of mercury exposure for the general population, exceeding those from food and air."

In the United States, President Obama has recognized the hazards of mercury since 2008, and he emphasized the need to protect children from being exposed to mercury in his September 8, 2011 speech to Congress.

Yet, no actions to defend the American public from the known risks of mercury/silver dental fillings have been taken, although a recent submission by the U.S. to UNEP's Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee supports "further consideration of dental amalgam by the INC...with the goal of potential or gradual phasedown of dental amalgam and ongoing research for affordable, viable alternatives."

Such a position is unacceptable to Dr. David Kennedy, past president of IAOMT, who explains, "Using the excuse of alternative materials to further delay protecting the public is illogical because safe alternatives to mercury fillings have already been used for more than 20 years."

Leo Cashman, executive director and volunteer for the non-profit, consumer advocacy group Dental Amalgam Mercury Solutions (DAMS), agrees: "Dental amalgam is not viable when the costs of mercury poisoning to the individual, to families, and to the healthcare industry are considered."

"If we accept the current treaty language of UNEP, WHO, and the U.S. State Department, as well as their associated health declarations that I completely disagree with, the treaty will be about an 'infinite phase down' which won't even begin phasing down mercury/silver amalgam dental filling placement until 2020 the soonest, but more likely 2030, with requested exemptions by the FDI", says Dr. David Simone, who will be representing IAOMT at the DOS meeting. He reiterates, "The way it stands now, the UNEP Mercury Instrument is designed to keep placing mercury amalgams in all populations for another 20 years at least."
Freya Koss, President of the PA Coalition for Mercury-Free Dentistry, was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis after having an old mercury amalgam filling drilled out and replaced with a new one, and she will be at the meeting to insure that the DOS keeps mercury fillings in a proposed ban portion of the INC treaty.

Marie Flowers, President of Dental Amalgam Mercury Solutions (DAMS), experienced neurological symptoms following the removal of a mercury amalgam filling and will likewise be at the DOS meeting on Monday. Flowers has commented, "The U.S. lags behind countries such as Sweden, who initiated a mercury phase out in 1987, followed by Denmark and Norway, who banned dental mercury amalgam in 2009.

Nashville's Fox 17 anchor Stacy Case told her personal story of mercury poisoning to the FDA at a recent Town Meeting in San Francisco: "I had four amalgams unsafely removed and replaced with four shiny mercury fillings, and I got out of bed one day and couldn't walk." However, Case recovered from her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis after her fillings were safely removed. Her message to the U.S. government is clear: "Use your power and position for good. Please right this wrong!"

IAOMT and other groups are strongly urging the DOS to support the position of the U.S. Government as stated in February 2009 by Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, who announced, "Mercury poses a serious threat to public health in communities around the world...The United States will play a leading role in working with other nations to craft a global, legally binding agreement that will prevent the spread of mercury into the environment and improve the health of workers, pregnant women, and children throughout the world."

Monday's DOS meeting about the U.S. position on the INC treaty will set the international stage for the future of mercury in dentistry, which many hope will be the end of drilling a potent neurotoxin into the mouths of an unsuspecting international public.

Indian Summit to Discuss Key Investments in Banking Technology

2011-10-24T03:23:00.000+09:00

DUBAI, UAE, October 23 - In the face of the rising competition, banks are currently investingmore in technology and as a result IT is considered a business enablerrather than a support function. Banks are competitively working to enrichbanking experience in various channels while contributing to their bottomline.

With consumers becoming more demanding, technology is now drivingbusiness in banks resulting in a shift from conventional banking to avariety of other platforms.

Banks are realising the growing importance of updating their legacysystems to enhance their service offering. In an interview with IQPC,Dharmaraj Ramakrishnan, Head of Core Banking Unit, ING Vysya Bank stressed"Progressive modernisation is the right way to go for cost-effectivetechnology aiding IT. Key steps we follow are: identifying the legacysystems which are to be replaced; carrying out a cost benefit analysis andjustifying the capital investment and finally ensuring deployment of newsystems are aligned with business priorities - this will help in achieving afaster ROI."

ING Vysya will be sharing their success story at the Banking TechnologyIndia Summit 2011 being held in Mumbai on the 15th and 16th November 2011 atthe Four Seasons Hotel. The Summit is being conducted by IQPC and bringstogether industry experts including Umesh Jain: CIO - Yes Bank , RajnishKhare: Head of Remote Banking - Standard Chartered Bank, P.R Somasundaram:CEO & MD- The Lakshmi Villas Bank Ltd, Shrinath Bolloju: MD& COO- IndiaDeutsche Bank, Sameer Ratolikar: CISO Risk Management- Bank of India, MunishMittal: Executive Vice President IT- HDFC Bank, Jason O'Shaughnessy :Managing Director EMEA- Yodlee, Sudhakar Ramasubramanian: Managing Director- Aditya Birla Money Ltd - Aditya Birla Money Mart ltd and many more.

About IQPC

IQPC provides business executives around the world with tailoredpractical conferences, large scale events, topical seminars and in-housetraining programs, keeping them up-to-date with industry trends,technological developments and the regulatory landscape. IQPC's large scaleconferences are market leading "must attend" events for their respectiveindustries.

IQPC produces more than 1,500 events annually around the world, andcontinues to grow. Founded in 1973, IQPC now has offices in major citiesacross six continents including: Berlin, Bengalaru, Dubai, Johannesburg,London, Madrid, New York, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, andToronto. IQPC leverages a global research base of best practices to producean unrivalled portfolio of conferences.

Lawsuit Against Corn Refining Industry Rejected

2011-10-24T03:14:00.001+09:00

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 - "The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is pleased that the court in the Western Sugar case has stricken the sugar industry's state law claim under the California anti-SLAPP statute, which provides for early dismissals of meritless cases aimed at chilling freedom of expression," says Audrae Erickson, President of the CRA. The sugar industry alleged that the CRA's educational campaign to defend the merits of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was deceptive. "To the contrary," Erickson said, "the educational campaign is science based and supported by a wide variety of medical and scientific experts."

SLAPP stands for "strategic lawsuit against public participation." The court on Friday, October 21, 2011, granted CRA's anti-SLAPP motion, and rejected the sugar industry's attempt to stop the CRA's speech concerning HFCS, finding that it was "protected under the anti-SLAPP statute" and that the sugar industry plaintiffs "have not met their burden to show a probability of prevailing on their unfair business competition claim," beyond their allegations.

As the prevailing party on its motion, under California's anti-SLAPP law the CRA is now entitled to recover its attorneys' fees and costs against the sugar industry members who brought suit.

Because the anti-SLAPP statute applies only to state law claims, the sugar industry's federal Lanham Act claim was not immediately dismissed against the CRA, at this early stage of the case, where the court was required to accept the allegations in the sugar industry's complaint. "It is important to note that this does not mean the sugar industry's allegations are true," Erickson said, "only that they have alleged enough to get to the next stage of the case on the Lanham Act claim."

Apart from the CRA, the court granted a motion to dismiss all of the individual companies who manufacture HFCS.

The CRA looks forward to demonstrating that Plaintiffs' remaining federal claim, like their dismissed state law claim, lacks merit beyond the bare allegations of the complaint. According to Erickson, "The sugar industry is attempting to shut down free speech rather compete in the marketplace."

The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012

2011-10-18T03:07:00.001+09:00

New list features places with an affordable cost of living and top-notch amenities

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2011 - U.S. News Media Group today unveiled The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012.

U.S. News worked with Onboard Informatics, the premier data services company for top tier organizations in real estate, media, and technology, to create a list of great places to retire in 10 key categories. "Everybody's got their own idea of the best place to live," said Brian Kelly, editor of U.S. News, "so we've created tools to make the search fun and useful. There are some great and unexpected choices."

Many of the categories focus on how to achieve the retirement lifestyle you want on a fixed income, such as the best place for water views on a budget (Traverse City, Mich.), an affordable mountain town for retirees (Boone, N.C.), and the best place to find affordable housing (Port Charlotte, Fla.). We also recognize Pittsburgh as a place that provides a great mix of affordability and amenities for retirees.

This list also includes a place with pleasant weather year-round (Flagstaff, Ariz.), a locale with unique recreation and cultural opportunities to explore (Santa Fe, N.M.), and a college town that is also friendly to retirees (Ithaca, N.Y.). Retirement is a period of life in which many people reinvent themselves, so we've included a great place to launch a second career (Lincoln, Neb.) or form a new relationship in a city with plenty of single people age 55 and older (Pittsfield, Mass.).

The U.S. News Best Places to Retire search tool provides extensive information for consumers considering relocating in retirement. The interactive search tool can help users find locations that best fit their individual lifestyles. Visitors can examine and sort through economic and quality-of-life data, such as housing prices, proximity to hospitals, and even the average temperature, to find a locale that best meets their needs.

The cities honored as The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012 are:

Pleasant year-round weather: Flagstaff, Ariz.
Affordable mountain town: Boone, N.C.
Water views on a budget: Traverse City, Mich.
Greenest place to retire: Walnut Creek, Calif.
A college town for retirees: Ithaca, N.Y.
Place to launch a second career: Lincoln, Neb.
Best mix of affordability and amenities: Pittsburgh
Best place for affordable housing: Port Charlotte, Fla.
Best place for single retirees: Pittsfield, Mass.
Best place for recreation and culture: Santa Fe

Wuzhou Changlian Offers Free Shiping to Worldwide Customers

2011-10-18T03:03:00.000+09:00

SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 17, 2011 - Shenzhen Wuzhou Changlian International Trading Co is pleased to announce a new promotion: Free shipping now available on all orders over USD 250 for all customers worldwide.

Esmodshopping, the comprehensive website introduced by Wuzhou Changlian, offers a wide selection of dresses and fashionable jewelries. Now to help customers adjust to the frequently changing weather, they are introducing a series of healthcare products to help those with chronic illness, especially for little babies. In order to bring more pleasure to those female fashion lovers who enjoy special occasions, esmodshopping holds the activity.

As most products in esmodshopping are affordably priced, the company offers customers wholesale wedding dresses, along with discounted wedding accessories, including high heels and matching freshwater pearl jewelries. In addition, combinations of wedding dresses and freshwater pearl necklaces, or a taffeta A line corset dress and a pair of high heels can enjoy free shipping.

International trade has become a more and more popular trade channel to benefit both customers and sellers, while retail or wholesale from China plays an important role. Esmodshopping is just such a trading company specialized in designing unique models to lead fashion trends.

With the launching of promotional activity, more customers will be benefited to spend less and get more surprises. In the activity, the products and shipping time won't be affected because of affordable prices. Esmodshopping welcomes wholesalers in a friendly long term business relationship.

Ten Things Parents Can Do To Make Halloween Safer

2011-10-18T02:57:00.001+09:00

"The Mentalist" Actor Tim Kang Tells Parents How They Can Build Safety into Halloween This Year

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 17, 2011 - Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year for children, but sometimes the most hectic for parents. Nearly 94 percent of children between the ages of four and twelve participate in Halloween activities each year. Tim Kang, actor from the hit CBS show The Mentalist has partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to help educate parents about what they should be telling their children to keep them safe. Parents need to take a moment to consider basic safety precautions that will make Halloween a safer night of fun.

CHOOSE bright, flame-retardant costumes or add reflective tape to costumes and candy bags so children are easily seen in the dark. In addition, carry a glow stick or flashlight.
PLAN a trick-or-treating route in familiar neighborhoods with well-lit streets. Avoid unfamiliar neighborhoods, streets that are isolated, or homes that are poorly lit inside or outside.
NEVER send young children out alone. They should always be accompanied by a parent or another trusted adult. Older children should always travel in groups.
ALWAYS walk younger children to the door to receive treats and don't let children enter a home unless you are with them.
BE SURE children do not approach any vehicle, occupied or not, unless you are with them.
DISCUSS basic pedestrian safety rules that children should use when walking to and from houses.
CONSIDER organizing a home or community party as an alternative to "trick-or-treating."
MAKE sure children know their home phone number and address in case you get separated. Teach children how to call 911 in an emergency.
TEACH children to say "NO!" or "this is not my mother/father" in a loud voice if someone tries to get them to go somewhere, accept anything other than a treat, or leave with them. And teach them that they should make every effort to get away by kicking, screaming and resisting.
REMIND children to remain alert and report suspicious incidents to parents and/or law enforcement.

"Child safety is vital year round, but Halloween is an especially important time for parents and children to pay extra attention to their surroundings and not let their guard down," said actor Tim Kang a spokesperson for NCMEC. "Parents need to exercise a few basic safety precautions to help ensure that Halloween is both fun and safe."

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1984. Designated by Congress to serve as the nation's clearinghouse, the organization has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children's hotline which has handled more than 3,421,390 calls. It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 166,800 children. The organization's CyberTipline has handled more than 1,233,990 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed and analyzed more than 56,672,970 pornography images and videos. The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice's office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

About Tim Kang
Tim Kang can currently be seen on the hit CBS drama The Mentalist as straight-arrow investigator "Kimball Cho," a fan favorite on the show. The Mentalist won a 2009 People's Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Drama," and was nominated for a 2009 Television Critics Association Award for "Outstanding New Program of the Year." Other appearances on popular TV shows include recurring roles in CBS's The Unit and NBC's Third Watch and guest starring on The Office, The Ghost Whisperer, The Sopranos, Monk, Chappelle's Show, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Trial By Jury. Tim was also seen in the films Rambo, The Forgotten, Two Weeks Notice and as the star of Mister Green.

Do Baby Products Prevent SIDS? FDA Says No

2011-10-18T02:51:00.003+09:00

SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 17, 2011- The best thing you can do to lower the chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is to place your baby on his or her back to sleep, with nothing else in the crib or bassinet.

That's the recommendation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is working to prevent manufacturers of sleep products for babies from claiming that their use will prevent or lower the chance of SIDS. These products include infant positioners, mattresses, crib bedding, pillows, crib tents and baby monitors.

The agency has never approved a product to prevent SIDS—the unexplained death of a baby younger than age 1—and is asking manufacturers to stop marketing their products with these claims until they have received FDA clearance or approval, or to change their labeling to remove all medical claims.

Learn more about SIDS prevention...

Britain's Top "40 Under 40" International Development Leaders Announced

2011-10-18T02:48:00.000+09:00

LONDON, October 17, 2011 - Devex, the world's largest community of relief and developmentprofessionals, today announces the top 40 under 40 international developmentleaders based in London. They represent the next generation of leadershelping to improve the quality of life for millions of people around theworld.

Honorees include a wide variety of professionals ranging from members ofParliament to private sector champions who are spearheading innovativeapproaches to global challenges from economic development and governance andto improved access to quality education and health care.

"The awardees comprise key international development leaders who arehelping to transform the global development agenda - and most importantly,make a difference in the lives of millions around the world," said DevexPresident Raj Kumar.

Sponsored by Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX), one of the world's leadingintegrated energy companies, the Devex-led initiative highlights theimportance of economic, social and infrastructure-based development as a keycomponent of the prosperity of local businesses and communities.

"In today's economic climate, our collective commitment to economicopportunity, global health and education must assume more importance, notless," said Russ Yarrow, general manager of corporate affairs for Chevron."At Chevron, we know that successful businesses, including ours, do bestwhen they operate in healthy, prosperous communities. Each of these 40individuals is contributing to the achievement of those goals."

The 40 individuals honored today were chosen by an independent selectioncommittee that includes the head of the UK's leading global developmentthink tank, the chief executive of one of the UK's largest internationalNGOs, and the senior executive responsible for global development at one ofthe world's largest software companies. Young leaders were chosen based upontheir impact on development and their influence on the development agenda.

All honorees will be recognized at a reception held tonight at the HeronTower in London and hosted by The Milken Institute. More information on thehonorees and selection committee can be found on london40.devex.com[http://london40.devex.com ]. The complete list of the Devex "40 Under 40"International Development Leaders in London is as follows (in alphabeticalorder):

    
    - Rushanara Ali, member of Parliament and shadow minister for
      international development

    - Rob Bailey, senior research fellow on energy, environment &
      resource governance at the Royal Institute of International Affairs

 - Rachael Barber, head of global community investment at Barclays
      Corporate Affairs

    - Laure Blanchard-Brunac, principal banker at the European Bank
      for Reconstruction and Development

    - Jasmine Burnley, global economic crisis advisor to Oxfam GB
    - Karin Christiansen, managing director of Publish What You Fund
    - Brendan Cox, director of policy and advocacy at Save the
      Children UK
    - Jo Cox, former director of the Maternal Mortality Campaign and
      head of policy and advocacy at Oxfam GB
    - Alex Evans, non-resident fellow and head of the program on
      resource scarcity, climate change and multilateralism at New York
      University's Center on International Cooperation
    - Sally Faiz, global portfolio manager at The Children's
      Investment Fund Foundation
    - Liz Ford, deputy editor of global development at The Guardian
    - Jonathan Glennie, research fellow at the Overseas Development
      Institute's Centre for Aid and Public Expenditure
    - Zac Goldsmith MP, member of Parliament
    - Jesse Griffiths, coordinator of the Bretton Woods Project
    - Kate Gross, CEO of the Africa Governance Initiative
    - Peter Guest, UK business editor for The Huffington Post
    - Louise James, Europe lead for Accenture Development Partnerships
    - Nik Kafka, founder and managing director of Teach a Man to Fish
      UK
    - Henriette Kolb, CEO of The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women
    - Christine Kolbe, governance, security and justice team manager
      at Coffey International Development
    - Anja Langenbucher, European government relations and public
      policy lead for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
    - Richard Leftley, president & CEO of MicroEnsure
    - Eric Levine, CEO of Restless Development
    - Alexander McLean, founder and director general of the African
      Prisons Project
    - Clare Melford, CEO of the International Business Leaders Forum
    - Ben Mellor, head of the Iraq inquiry team at the UK Department
      for International Development
    - Matthew Mitro, founder & chairman of Indego Africa
    - Rosemary Nuamah, senior policy officer for The Elders
    - Truman Packard, lead economist at the World Bank
    - Kathy Peach, head of external affairs, VSO
    - Tom Rippin, founder and CEO, On Purpose
    - Joel Roxburgh, head of sustainability, Vodafone
    - Bernadette Sexton, practice leader of the public administration
      and governance division, Maxwell Stamp
    - Matthew Smith, principal advisor, KPMG
    - Dr. Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, interim director, The
      Commonwealth Foundation
    - Andy Sumner, research fellow, Institute of Development Studies
    - Andy Wales, head of sustainable development, SABMiller
    - Peter Williams, founder and executive director, ARCHIVE
    - Ned Wills, director, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
    - Charlotte Wolff, corporate responsibility manager, ArcelorMittal

About DevexDevex is a social enterprise bringing efficiency to internationaldevelopment through recruiting and business information services. Ourmembers find development projects, business and career advice, jobs - andprofessional connections - on devex.com. Founded in 2000, Devex serves aglobal community of 500,000 development professionals and 1,000 donors,companies and NGOs. With a mission to bring greater efficiency tointernational development, our global staff of more than 100 in five offices(London, Barcelona, Manila, Tokyo, and Washington) works to provideinnovative products and services to address the needs of each member of ourdevelopment community.

Teamsters, Community Leaders Rally Outside Ascension Health

2011-09-30T05:14:00.000+09:00

Michigan Nurses Protest Ascension's Policies that Threaten Worker, Patient Safety

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 30, 2011- Registered nurses from Ascension Health's Genesys Regional Medical Center in Flint, Mich. rallied outside of Ascension Health's corporate headquarters in St. Louis today, where they protested cuts that would alter working conditions and impact direct patient care.

The nurses are members of Local 332 in Flint and were joined by advocates from Missouri Jobs with Justice and other community leaders.

"The nurses at Genesys see the care and safety of their patients as the highest priority, but the cuts in nursing and support staff are dramatically increasing their workloads. They are struggling to follow the Code of Ethics for Nurses, which states that nurses must strive to protect the health, safety and rights of their patients," said Nina Bugbee, President of Teamsters Local 332 in Flint. "The code of ethics also states that nurses must participate in improving conditions of employment conducive to the provision of quality health care. These RNs should be able to give feedback about changes to the delivery of care, but Ascension refuses to listen."

"We are here because we believe in dignity and quality patient care," said Martin Rafanan, co-chair of the Workers' Rights Board of Missouri Jobs with Justice. "Nurses must have a voice in the workplace. When we are most vulnerable and need care, we should count on our non-profit hospitals to be places where nurses are advocates for patients, where their voices are respected and where quality care is a shared goal."
This year's proposed cuts by Ascension Health come on the heels of earlier cuts Local 332 members successfully fought against. Last year, licensed nurses and technicians fought 10 months for a fair contract at Genesys. The hospital had wanted to cut their wages and eliminate the health care protections that had been promised to retired workers.

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

What Works in Teen Driver Safety

2011-09-30T05:10:00.000+09:00

Grants Available for High Schools to Implement these Effective Strategies

ST. PAUL, Minn. Sept. 30, 2011 - According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic crashes remain the leading cause of death for teens in the United States. For seven years teens themselves, in partnership with their teachers and communities, have been working to change that staggering statistic through a program called Project Ignition.

Funded by State Farm® and coordinated by the National Youth Leadership Council®, Project Ignition helps students, teachers and communities address teen driver safety through service-learning. Grant applications are now being accepted so that more high schools can support their students in designing and leading awareness and engagement campaigns. Project Ignition is seeking applications by November 15, which utilize strategies students have found to be effective in motivating peers to change their driving behaviors:

Experiences like all-school assemblies or mock crashes can and do motivate, but the impact is intensified when the experience is discussed among peers and merged with classroom curriculum. Students examine what they experienced, what it meant to them, and what they want to do about it. "In physics class a state highway patrolman explained the role of physics in car crashes and I truly realized the extent of the damage my decisions behind the wheel can create," said Shawn Smith, a Project Ignition student at Ridgemont High School, in Ridgeway, Ohio. Smith also now recognizes how physics concepts apply in the world.

2. Educating parents about the importance of their role in teen driver safety is critical and many Project Ignition schools have done that effectively. According to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, teen drivers whose parents are highly supportive and involved, set rules and monitor driving behavior have half the crash risk as parents who are less involved. Former Project Ignition student, Taylor Mock, from Rushville Consolidated High School in Rushville, Ind. confirms the research, "I know exactly what the driving rules are in my house and what would happen if I didn't follow them, so I always follow them. Parents need to know that opening the lines of communication, setting rules, and being a positive example really does change their teen's perspective on driving safely."

3.Awareness activities like posters or buttons are most effective when combined with proven prevention strategies like advocacy to change or enforce laws. These are the types of classroom-based learning activities that students at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School in Gibson City, Ill. have participated in to advocate for Illinois' stronger graduated drivers licensing laws, cellular phone ban in school zones and road construction areas and state-wide texting ban. "All of that legislation was instrumental in changing the driving behaviors of my peers. And, as students, it was a tremendous experience to help establish new laws that promote safer roadways in the State of Illinois and see first-hand that teens really can and do make a difference," said Joel Hood, a Project Ignition student there.

4. Indentifying and shaping normative behaviors in their communities is another effective strategy students have used to persuade their peers. Project Ignition students help their peers understand that most people do the right thing. Jaylea Falk, a student at Eureka High School in Eureka, Calif. said, "We have used kidsdata.org in California to show that most teens are not actually drinking and driving like most tend to think. Getting the real facts helps students further commit to doing the right thing." Project Ignition helps teens understand that most teens wear their seatbelt, most teens do not speed, most don't text while driving and this approach has proven to be powerful.

"Teens are the new generation with a strong voice. The more we continue to speak out about this issue the more people, young and old, will listen. We do have an impact on all ages," said Mock. Join in the effort to address teen driver safety through service-learning by visiting www.sfprojectignition.com for eligibility information, the application and tools to create a high-quality proposal. Twenty-five grants of $2,000 each will be given. For more information, contact Melissa Mitchell, Project Ignition National Program Coordinator at mmitchell@nylc.org or 1-888-856-7026. Applications are due November 15, 2011.

West Coast Chef Named Lamb Jam Master in National Cooking Competition

2011-09-30T05:04:00.002+09:00

American Lamb Board Partners with Share Our Strength to Crown 2011 Lambassador

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2011 On September 25, the American Lamb Board, in partnership with Share Our Strength®, brought four culinary kings and their winning dishes from four U.S. cities to New York City for the ultimate baaa-ttle. Hosted by Food Network personality Amanda Freitag, Adam Mali of MarketBar in San Francisco, CA, was crowned the 2011 "Lamb Jam Master" by a panel of esteemed media judges for his Braised Lamb Shank with Lemon Stewed Cannellini Beans and Lavender-Mint Gremolata. More than 200 fans of lamb named Mark Bodinet of Copperleaf Restaurant in Seattle the "People's Choice" for his Grilled Lamb Shoulder Confit with Creamy Parsnips and Preserved Huckleberries.

"From San Francisco to New York, Chef Mali's dish took home top honors and we are thrilled to welcome him to the Lamb Jam Hall of Fame," said Megan Wortman, Executive Director of the American Lamb Board.

Fans of lamb wolfed down competing dishes from Jason Santos (Boston), John Critchley (Washington DC) and lambtastic tastes from local lamb lovers at The Meatball Shop, Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, Dickson's Farmstand Meats and Old Chatham Sheepherding Company.

Local beer and wine from Foggy Ridge Cider, Harpoon, Paso Robles and Washington Wines were paired with competing dishes as attendees savored sips of Jefferson's Bourbon, a "ridiculously small batch" bourbon from Louisville. A local artist got the baaa-ty started with pasture caricatures of guests and their flocks before lamb lovers counted sheep and created their own spice rubs.

As the national partner for the 2012 Lamb Jam tour, a percentage of proceeds from Lamb Jam Masters will benefit Share Our Strength®, a nonprofit organization that is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives.

Pittsburgh Area Companies Unite to Support Job Placement for Disabled Veterans

2011-09-29T04:32:00.000+09:00

BNY Mellon and Aon host "Salute to America's Wounded Warriors," Promote Boots to Business Approach to Employment

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 28, 2011 - Many U.S. service men and women return from active duty only to become part of a growing group of unemployed veterans. A number of Pittsburgh area companies are uniting with organizations that support job placement for disabled veterans and help raise awareness of this growing concern.

Earlier today, dozens of local veterans looking for careers in business met with more than 40 area companies at "Salute to America's Wounded Warriors," a day-long event hosted by BNY Mellon and Aon. General Richard B. Myers, Retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; BNY Mellon Chairman, President and CEO Gerald Hassell; and Aon President and CEO Greg Case led the program held at BNY Mellon Center in downtown Pittsburgh.

Attendees received training on conducting a successful job search from the outplacement firm of Lee Hecht Harrison and participated in a networking session with representatives and hiring managers from a wide range of industries. BNY Mellon also announced that it had made a $100,000 grant from its BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania to support Operation Back Home, the Veterans Leadership Program's basic needs assistance program for veterans, service members, and their families.

"All of us should be very proud of the men and women serving our country and fighting for our freedoms," General Myers said. "Despite their unwavering courage, many of these men and women return home from duty only to become part of a growing group of unemployed and underemployed veterans that has reached dire levels."

"Our goal in joining with the Wounded Warrior Project, the Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania and other members of the business community is to help veterans go from 'boots to business' by successfully transitioning into the private sector," said Gerald Hassell. "By helping skilled individuals who have sacrificed so much for us, we can give them a chance to achieve economic independence and help restore our communities along the way."

"Transitioning into the civilian workforce and developing a new sense of identity are powerful tools in the rehabilitation process for wounded warriors. We thank all of the Pittsburgh area businesses for assisting these brave men and women during their journey to discovering a new career path," said Greg Case.
"Wounded Warrior Project aims to make this the most successful and well-adjusted generation of veterans in our nation's history," stated Wounded Warrior Project Chief Program Officer Jeremy Chwat.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate for veterans serving at any time since September 2001 was 11.5 percent in 2010. The jobless rate for veterans of all eras combined and U.S. civilians over the same period was 8.7 and 9.4 percent, respectively. Since the beginning of the Gulf War era in August 1990, more than 5 million veterans have served. Pennsylvania has a long and distinguished history of military service and a very large concentration of veterans; nearly one million veterans live in the Commonwealth, representing the 4th largest population of veterans within the U.S.

Tavis Smiley Foundation to Launch Parent Education Summits

2011-09-28T05:18:00.000+09:00

Program to raise parents' awareness of learning challenges facing children

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2011 - The Tavis Smiley Foundation announced today it will host a series of parent education seminars nationwide to give parents tools and information on how they can ensure their child's success in learning.

The Too Important to Fail Parent Education Summits will kick off in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 29 with six other cities scheduled throughout spring 2012. These include: Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Houston, and Montgomery, Alabama.

Funding for the initiative is provided by the Open Society Foundations Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA) and Hyundai Motor America. National program partners include the National Education Association.

This grassroots parents' engagement effort will inform parents and the community about educational initiatives and programs, family and school partnerships, and school district resources. The sessions will include learning strategies to support homework, planning summer learning activities, and the impacts of absenteeism as well as health and safety on learning.

Parents will learn how grade-level reading determines high school performance and what they can do if their child is not reading at grade level. A special emphasis will focus on the challenges facing African American boys. Research shows less than 50 percent of young Black males will graduate from high school and on average their 12th grade reading scores are significantly lower than those across every other racial and ethnic group.

"A well informed and empowered parent can make all the difference in the educational achievement of a child," said Shawn Dove, campaign manager for CBMA. "We are thrilled to partner with the Tavis Smiley Foundation to support this critical endeavor."

"Hyundai Motor America is pleased to support the Too Important To Fail Parent Education Summits as education is the best foundation for young people to succeed in an increasingly competitive and challenging national and global environment," says Zafar J. Brooks, director, Government Relations and Diversity Outreach Hyundai Motor America. "At Hyundai, we are committed to supporting those initiatives and activities that contribute to the continued robustness and success of our culture and society and we believe that this starts with our young people."

The Parent Education Summits are one part of a holistic effort to raise awareness and spark action by parents to become more involved in the education crisis, according to founder Tavis Smiley. Recently, Smiley's Too Important to Fail television documentary premiered on PBS examining the link between illiteracy and high school drop-out rates among African American boys.
"The enlightening conversations and information we were able to showcase through the documentary will now be shared with an even more important part of the puzzle – the parents who play a critical role as advocates for their children," said Smiley.

"Youth leadership development is the core work of the Tavis Smiley Foundation and an important pathway toward leadership success is education."
Through the interactive web portal, www.tooimportanttofail.com, summit attendees and the general public can learn more about the issues and engage in dialogue with organizations and constituents. Visitors can share ideas and vote on what they consider priorities through the use of social media.
All seminar sessions will be free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration information for the summits opens Oct. 1 and will be posted at www.tooimportanttofail.com and www.youthtoleaders.org.

ABOUT THE TAVIS SMILEY FOUNDATION
The Tavis Smiley Foundation was founded in 1999 to enlighten, encourage, and empower youth by providing leadership training that will promote and enhance the quality of life for themselves, their community and our world. Since its inception, more than 6,500 youth have participated in the Foundation's leadership workshops and conferences and it has awarded more than $500,000 in college scholarships. For more information, visit www.youthtoleaders.org.

ABOUT THE OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS
Active in more than 70 countries, the Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. Working with local communities, the Open Society Foundations support justice and human rights, freedom of expression, and access to public health and education.

ABOUT HYUNDAI
A global company with U.S. headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA, Hyundai is committed to supporting projects, initiatives and activities that champion diversity, make a difference in communities across the country and contribute to the American cultural landscape. This commitment is woven into the fabric and foundation of the organization. The company's $1.6 billion plant in Montgomery, Alabama (Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, LLC) employs more than 2,500 people and is one of the most advanced assembly plants in North America. Additionally, more than 78 suppliers have located businesses throughout North America to support Hyundai's plant. Altogether, these suppliers have created more than 6,000 additional jobs with a combined capital investment of $500 million. After more than 24 years in the U.S. automobile market and with "America's Best Warranty," Hyundai continues to reinforce its commitment to sell innovative, high-quality vehicles at affordable prices.

Increased Risk of Blood Clots with Certain Birth Control Pills

2011-09-28T05:13:00.001+09:00

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 28, 2011 - On Monday, the United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") said its primary results of an agency funded study suggest a 1.5 fold increase risk of blood clots for women who use drospirenone-containing birth control products, such as Yaz and Yasmin.

The safety of Yaz and Yasmin is the subject of approximately 2,000 lawsuits filed in Pennsylvania before Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Sandra Mazer Moss, Coordinating Judge of the Complex Litigation Center. Another 7,110 lawsuits are pending in federal court before the Honorable Judge David R. Herndon, who oversees the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL).

The lawsuits allege that Yaz and Yasmin have risks beyond those of traditional birth control pills and that Bayer over-promoted the drug without disclosing the higher risks. Bayer was warned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the fall of 2008, that its television advertisements were misleading and did not disclose the additional risks.

The FDA announced through its website that, "initial data from an FDA-funded epidemiologic study exploring the association of blood clots with several different hormonal contraceptive products, including levonorgestrel-containing contraceptives, appear consistent with results from the 2009 and 2011 published studies. Although FDA's review is ongoing, the preliminary data from the FDA-funded study are consistent with an approximately 1.5-fold increase in the risk of blood clots for users of drospirenone-containing contraceptives compared to users of other hormonal contraceptives."

Judge Moss appointed three Pennsylvania lawyers as Liaison Counsel for the plaintiffs, including Michael M. Weinkowitz of Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berman, Philadelphia; Daniel N. Gallucci of RodaNast, P.C., Lancaster, and Rosemary Pinto of Feldman & Pinto, Philadelphia. Dianne M. Nast, RodaNast, P.C. was appointed Pennsylvania Federal-State Liaison Counsel by the Honorable David R. Herndon.

Proposed Airline Taxes Will Eliminate Jobs, Force Higher Fares and Reduce Service

2011-09-28T05:11:00.000+09:00

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2011 - The Air Transport Association of America (ATA), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, today called on members of Congress to reject President Obama's plan to impose $3.5 billion annually in new taxes on airlines and their passengers to pay off the country's budget deficit. If the airline industry is burdened with billions of dollars in new taxes, ATA warned that its members will have no choice but to raise fares or reduce service, which will mean fewer jobs.

"Airlines are the physical Internet, connecting people, products and the world, driving the global economy and creating millions of jobs. To further burden this already financially challenged industry is both illogical and a job destroyer. The results will be devastating to the U.S. economy," said ATA CEO and President Nicholas E. Calio in a speech to the International Aviation Club of Washington.

"The U.S. government continues to use the airline industry as a cash cow, rather than seeing airlines as a growth enabler and understanding the strategic nature of aviation and what it takes to support one of our country's most critical industries," Calio said.

Today, federal taxes and fees in the United States constitute $61, or 20 percent, of the cost of a typical $300 domestic round-trip ticket, higher than taxes paid for alcohol, tobacco or guns. The overall federal aviation tax burden in the United States has tripled since 1972. "We are saddled with tax and regulatory mandates and restrictions that are unheard of for other industries," Calio said.

Calio offered a global perspective and compared increasingly punitive U.S. government policies with other countries that view aviation as a strategic asset and work cooperatively with airlines to ensure successful growth. "Governments in China, Brazil, India and the Middle East understand the competitive necessity and opportunity a vibrant aviation system provides," Calio said.

Rather than further taxing overburdened airline passengers, ATA urged Congress to focus its attention on supporting a National Airline Policy. "We are ready and willing to work collaboratively with the U.S. Government on our nation's priorities for the future, using all the good work that has already been done. We need an airline policy that will treat our airlines like the global businesses they are, and enable them to operate as such," Calio said.

ABOUT ATA
Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and more than 10 million U.S. jobs. ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic.

Americans Favor Investment in Community and Home-Based Health Care

2011-09-28T05:07:00.000+09:00

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2011 - In mid September, Harris Interactive polled more than 2,000 adults about federal spending priorities for health care and which types of Medicare spending cuts they would favor, if cuts were necessary to reduce the budget deficit.

Nearly four out of five Americans (79 percent) said the federal government should strengthen patients' access to home medical equipment and services, according to the online survey. Most Americans (61 percent) said they favor investment in community- or home-based care to improve cost-effective health care. The online survey was conducted on behalf of the American Association for Homecare between September 13 and September 15, 2011.

Tyler Wilson, president of the American Association for Homecare, commented, "These findings underscore the fact that home and community-based care is recognized as part of the solution to the nation's health care challenges. Home medical equipment and services and other forms of home-based care help to reduce time spent in more expensive institutional settings, and this type of care allows millions of Americans to remain safe and independent in their own homes. And as we saw during Hurricane Irene, providers of oxygen therapy and other types of home medical equipment and services are first-responders during emergencies. We urge Congress and the Obama Administration to preserve and strengthen the nation's infrastructure for providing homecare."

Survey Results
Asked whether the federal government should "strengthen access to home medical equipment and services" given its potential to reduce hospital length of stay and healthcare costs, respondents replied:

Agree (79 percent);
Disagree (11 percent);
Not Sure (9 percent).

Asked "Where should the U.S. government invest the most money to improve health care and cost-effective delivery of care?" respondents replied:

Community health clinics (37 percent);
Patients' homes (24 percent);
Hospitals (23 percent); and
Doctors' offices (15 percent).

Given four choices for ways the government might cut Medicare spending to help reduce the budget deficit, respondents selected:

Raising the premiums high income Medicare recipients have to pay (59 percent);
Raising the age people start receiving Medicare benefits (24 percent);
Cutting Medicare spending on home medical equipment such as oxygen, wheelchairs, and other equipment and services in their homes (9 percent); and
Raising the premiums all Medicare recipients have to pay (9 percent).

Wilson commented, "The continuing, disproportionate cuts to Medicare reimbursement for home medical equipment and services only weaken the safety net that homecare providers bring to the nation's healthcare system when we should be encouraging more home-based care to help control spending."

Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of American Association for Homecare between September 13 and 15, 2011 via the QuickQuerySM online omnibus service among 2,028 U.S. adults age 18+.
Results were also weighted as needed to reflect the composition of the U.S. adult population by age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income.

Teamsters Protest Celebrity Gala at Met Museum

2011-09-28T05:04:00.000+09:00

Art Handlers Demand Met and Sotheby's Board Members 'Stop The Discrimination'
NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2011 - Professional art handlers and their supporters protested in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual diversity-themed gala yesterday. Protestors called on museum board members to end an eight-week-long lockout of professional art handlers at Sotheby's Auction House.

Despite making record profits of more than $680 million in gross profit last year, the auction house has locked out its staff of 43 art handlers, most of who are minorities. Sotheby's wants to replace its longtime, dedicated art handlers with replacement workers.

Metropolitan Museum board members Michel David-Weill and Carroll Petrie serve on the board of advisors at Sotheby's. The protesters distributed handbills that read, "Michel David-Weill: Stop The Discrimination" and "What's Gone Wrong at the Met?"

"Throwing hard-working African-American and Latino workers out on the street without paychecks is the wrong way to celebrate diversity," said Jason Ide, President of Teamsters Local 814. Local 814 represents the art handlers at Sotheby's.

Sotheby's management continues to insist on eliminating retirement for current employees and eliminating benefits and union protections for all new employees.
"It's like they're trying to take us back to the 1950s," said forty-two year art handler Sim Jones. "This has always been a dignified job that you could be proud of. It looks like they're trying to take that away."

Price too High? Budget Tight? Negotiate for a Better Deal

2011-09-24T05:13:00.001+09:00

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Sept. 24 - According to the Federal Reserve, economic growth remains slow and signs point to continuing weakness. Unemployment rates remain elevated, and household spending has been increasing at only a modest pace. While this may affect your household budgeting, it could also work in your favor. Charles Lankau, a business professor and expert in negotiation at Wake Forest University, says in this economy, consumers should be assertive when shopping for just about everything.

These days retailers and service providers are willing to negotiate to get your business, says Lankau. "As a consumer in today's economy, people need to ask themselves, 'Am I about to spend some money?' If the answer is 'yes,' negotiating is almost always appropriate. Price, terms, perks or extras--most of the time they are there if you just ask."

For those new to bargaining, Lankau offers the following tips:
Give yourself permission to negotiate. Bargaining is one of many valuable budget-stretching tools available. Use it.
Focus on the result, not on any misplaced embarrassment for asking. Think of how good it will feel if you get something for your efforts. Even if you are successful, it's a win-win situation. In most cases, the seller will still be making a profit.

Touch a chord. Choose your words carefully to reach the emotional side of the person you are dealing with, for example: 'I'm just not sure I can afford this. Can you do any better?' Practice different approaches in the car to see how they sound.

Practice. Just like in sales, keep trying, and your 'ask' will improve.
Track your results. Keep a note card in your glove box and jot down every time you purchase an item for less than the asking price. It adds up! Seeing your savings grow is a great motivator.
Lankau says large purchases, like cars and homes, or competitive services for television or telephone, are expenses where people expect to negotiate, but deals can also be found in retail shops. "My mother never hesitated to point out a flaw, if there was one, in a blouse or sweater, and she almost always received at least a ten percent discount."

Walmart to Generate Solar Energy

2011-09-23T15:52:00.000+09:00

Walmart's solar power initiative will total more than 130 stores by the end of 2013; Adds hundreds of jobs through partnership with California-based SolarCity

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 23 - Walmart today announced its plan to install solar panels on up to 60 additional stores in California, expanding the company's solar portfolio to more than 75 percent of its stores in the state, making California the first state in the nation where Walmart has devoted this level of commitment to renewable energy.

"California presents a great opportunity for Walmart to make significant progress toward our sustainability goals by installing solar power on more than 130 store rooftops throughout the state," said Kim Saylors-Laster, Walmart vice president of energy. "Walmart has reduced energy expenses by more than a million dollars through our solar program, allowing us to pass these savings on to our customers in the form of everyday low prices."

When complete, Walmart's total solar commitment in California is expected to:

Generate up to 70 million kilowatt hours of clean, renewable energy per year, which is the equivalent of powering more than 5,400 homes*;
Avoid producing more than 21,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, which is the equivalent of taking approximately 4,100 cars off the road*; and
Provide 20 to 30 percent of each facility's total electric needs.

"Walmart's effort to expand and accelerate its solar power initiative program here in California demonstrates their commitment to sustainability. These kinds of projects create jobs, reduce costs for businesses by lowering power bills, and protect the environment," said Mary D. Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board. "We appreciate Walmart's leadership and encourage other businesses to follow Walmart's lead."

"Walmart's commitment to renewable energy in California is commendable," said Gwen Ruta, vice president for corporate partnerships at Environmental Defense Fund. "These projects are a win-win for the environment and our economy, and help move our country toward a cleaner energy future."

"Walmart has undertaken one of the most ambitious solar initiatives of any company in the U.S., and tripled the scale of its initial project with us," added Lyndon Rive, SolarCity's CEO. "Walmart is setting an example that far more companies in the U.S. can follow; it is possible for many businesses to pay less for solar power than they currently pay for electricity."

Walmart's investment in solar power is anticipated to create hundreds of jobs in California through its partnership with SolarCity, which will own, install and maintain the new solar power systems. The San Mateo, Calif.-based company has added more than 500 new full-time jobs since it initiated its first Walmart solar project, and expects to hire hundreds more before the end of the year.

"Our solar efforts in California have proven to be a great way for Walmart to build our renewable energy program," said Mack Wyckoff, senior manager of renewable energy at Walmart. "We are confident that we will continue to grow our solar energy program in the U.S. and around the world because of the initial success we have had in California."

Scholarship for Outstanding Aspiring Journalists

2011-09-23T15:43:00.000+09:00

Sponsored by The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 23 - The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania is taking applications for its sixth annual $5,000 scholarship awarded to aspiring journalists.

The award is designed to encourage outstanding collegiate journalism students in print and broadcasting.
The scholarship will be awarded in May 2012 in Pittsburgh at the annual Golden Quills Awards Dinner sponsored by The Press Club.

Candidates must be enrolled in an accredited college or university for at least two years. They must be able to demonstrate why they should receive the award. Their primary residence must be in one of the 29 counties of Western Pennsylvania (see list below).

The scholarship money will be credited to the winner's account at their university or college. The winner also will receive a plaque in recognition of the award.

Deadline for applications is January 13, 2012. The scholarship committee will review applications and select finalists. The winner will be notified by April 15.

An application can be downloaded from www.westernpapressclub.org or contact The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania at Engineers' Building, 337 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or (412) 281-7778, or pressclubwpa@yahoo.com.

For further information contact Senior Deputy Managing Editor Rick Monti of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 512 Martindale Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, 412-380-5638 or rmonti@tribweb.com.
The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania is a nonprofit organization comprising news media and public relations professionals, community leaders, academicians and other professionals devoted to first-rate communication. Members of The Press Club are dedicated to raising the quality of public discourse in Western Pennsylvania, keeping the region vital and relevant. It provides a setting, atmosphere, and programming that aim to further communication among media-related professionals and interested members of the general public. Encouraging and supporting journalism students in the region is also a priority. For membership information, contact The Press Club at (412) 281-7778.

Press Club Counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland

Tentative Seniority List: Southwest Airlines and AirTran Pilots Agreed

2011-09-23T15:40:00.001+09:00

Tentative Agreement on the Integration of the Two Groups' Seniority Lists Headed to Members of Both Pilot Unions for a Ratification Vote

DALLAS, Sept. 23 - Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) is pleased to announce a tentative agreement has been reached between the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA), the union representing Southwest Airlines Pilots, and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing the pilots of AirTran Airways. This tentative agreement would integrate the two groups' seniority lists. SWAPA's Board of Directors and ALPA's Master Executive Council both approved the agreement, allowing the membership of each Pilot's Union to review the proposed agreement and ultimately put it to a ratification vote. Southwest Airlines finalized closing of the acquisition of AirTran Holdings, Inc. on May 2, 2011.

"The unions and Company negotiating teams never lost focus on the ultimate goal of creating an integrated seniority list and transition plan for our Pilots outside of arbitration," said Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "All parties took ownership of their role in the integration of AirTran into Southwest Airlines, and I want to congratulate our teams for delivering what we feel is a fair and equitable deal for both sides."

"We are proud of both Pilot groups' initiative and persistence to reach a tentative agreement," added Capt. Chuck Magill, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Flight Operations. "History has shown the integration of two large airlines is no easy task, but our Pilots continue to demonstrate forward-thinking Leadership through this process, and their efforts should be recognized and commended."

Reaching a negotiated agreement with the two Pilot groups avoids the arbitration process and gives both groups ownership of the combined list. Each Pilot group will now spend the next four to six weeks reviewing the tentative agreement before putting it up for a ratification vote. SWAPA represents more than 6,000 Southwest Airlines Pilots, and ALPA represents close to 1,600 AirTran Pilots.

In its 40th year of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low-fare carriers--offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and has recently acquired AirTran Airways, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co. Southwest serves 72 cities in 37 states and is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the Southwest Airlines One Report(TM). Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,400 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.

Nurses United: Strike at 34 California Hospitals

2011-09-23T15:36:00.000+09:00

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 23 - Thousands of California registered nurses walked picket lines and joined rallies Thursday, part of a massive strike by 23,000 RNs at 34 hospitals in Northern and Central California.

The one-day strike by members of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United sent a strong message to two of the biggest and most profitable hospital chains in the state, Sutter and Kaiser Permanente plus Children's Hospital Oakland.

At a boisterous rally at Sutter Alta Bates in Berkeley Thursday morning, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka praised the RNs as "the last line of defense for patients" and excoriated the corporate assault by Sutter. "They disrespect you by attacking your healthcare, your retirement benefits, your right to advocate for patients, and now they want to force you to work when you are sick. Having sick nurses care for sick patients is sick."

Trumka said it was 23,000 nurses taking a stand, but that they were joined by "millions of patients" and had the support of working people across the country.
"When nurses are on the outside, there's something wrong on the inside," said CNA Co-President DeAnn McEwen, RN at the rally. She called the sweeping concession demands by Sutter "drastic, unwarranted, and unconscionable. They're harming patients and we're standing in the gap."

CNA/NNU said the key issues are:
Sutter. RNs are protesting 200 sweeping demands by Sutter executives that would:

Restrict their ability to effectively advocate for patients
Effectively force nurses to work when sick, dangerously exposing extremely ill patients to infection.
Sharply reduce nurses' healthcare coverage and retiree health benefits.
The Sutter RNs are also protesting years of widespread cuts in patient care services

Sutter is making these demands and cutting services despite amassing $3.7 billion in profits the past half decade. Sutter pays 20 top executives more than $1 million in salaries.
Kaiser. RNs struck to support Kaiser co-workers who are facing management demands for deep cuts in their health coverage and retirement plans.
Children's Oakland. RNs are protesting management efforts to cut their health coverage, demands they say would make it prohibitively expensive for nurses to bring their own children to get care at the hospital where they work, and inadequate staffing at the hospital.

UHC Recognized 10 Full Academic Medical Center

2011-09-23T15:26:00.000+09:00

CHICAGO, Sept. 23- UHC has recognized 10 of its full academic medical center* (AMC) members with the 2011 UHC Quality Leadership Award. The award is given to AMCs that demonstrated excellence in delivering high-quality care as measured by the UHC Quality & Accountability Study, which UHC has conducted annually since 2005. This year's winners are:

University of Colorado Hospital
The University of Kansas Hospital Authority
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Mayo Clinic in Rochester
UC San Diego Health System
Denver Health
University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics
Beaumont Health System (Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak)
The Ohio State University Medical Center
Emory Healthcare (Emory University Hospital)

"The efforts of these 10 hospitals in improving patient care and operational effectiveness distinguish them as leaders," said Irene M. Thompson, UHC president and chief executive officer. "Being named a UHC Quality Leadership Award winner is a testament to everyone at the hospital—from the executives and board members to the physicians to the nurses and support staff. Earning this distinction is truly a team effort."
UHC's distinctive Quality & Accountability Study was designed to help AMCs identify structures and processes associated with high performance in quality and safety across a broad spectrum of patient care activity. The Institute of Medicine's 6 domains of care—mortality, effectiveness, safety, equity, patient centeredness, and efficiency—were again used as a guide in structuring the study.

This year, 101 UHC member institutions were included in the analysis, which relies on data from the UHC Clinical Data Base/Resource Manager™, UHC Core Measures Data Base, and the publicly-reported Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems.

The award winners were announced at the UHC Annual Conference 2011, "LEAP: Lead, Excel, Achieve, Perform." Held in Chicago, the conference drew nearly 1,500 leaders in quality and safety from more than a hundred AMCs across the country.

"This event is just one example of how UHC brings together leading AMCs and affiliated hospitals to elevate performance and improve the quality of health care in the United States," said Julie Cerese, MSN, UHC vice president, Performance Improvement. "Through the 2011 UHC Quality Leadership Award and the annual conference, member AMCs' achievements in performance are showcased and shared with other members to help them improve."

*A full, integrated AMC is defined by UHC as one under common ownership with a medical school or one in which the majority of the medical school department chairs either serve as the hospital's chiefs of service or are responsible for appointing the hospital's chiefs of service.

Google launches mobile payment platform

2011-09-20T22:06:00.000+09:00

New York, Sep 20 - Internet search titan Google has launched 'Google Wallet', an application that enables users to make payments through their phone.

Google, which had first announced the application in May this year, said the application will initially be available only on the Nexus S 4G phone, with Sprint.

ÒWe have been testing it extensively, and today we are releasing the first version of the 'app' to Sprint. That means we are beginning to roll out Google Wallet to all Sprint Nexus S 4G phones through an over-the-air update just look for the 'Wallet' app,Ó Google Vice President of Payments Osama Bedier said in the company's official blog.

Google Wallet enables users to pay with their Citi MasterCard credit card and the Google Prepaid Card, which can be funded with any of the existing plastic credit cards.
Early adopters, who would set up Google Wallet on their phones before the end of the year would add a USD 10 free bonus to the Google Prepaid Card.

Besides, Google said it will add Visa, Discover and American Express to its payment system that could enable their cards to be added to future versions of Google Wallet.

ÒOur goal is to make it possible for you to add all of your payment cards to Google Wallet, so you can say goodbye to even the biggest traditional wallets,Ó Bedier added.

US lifts ban on gays in American military

2011-09-20T21:51:00.000+09:00

Washington, Sept 20 - The US military today formally lifted a ban on gays openly serving in the armed services, ending an 18-year-old practice that had resulted in dismissal of some 14,000 service members.
ÒWe are prepared for repeal,Ó Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters on the issue which has witnessed years of court battles and political debate.

The 1993 law had banned gays and lesbians from serving openly in the US military.
ÒNo one should be left with the impression that we are unprepared. We are prepared for repeal. The force is well aware that this is coming. They've had the training. It's been in the press for months. The September 20th day is not a mystery,Ó Little said.

ÒThis is something that has been known for a long time.
We've gone through a process to certify repeal,Ó he said.
US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are scheduled to address a joint press conference on the issue.

While applicants are not asked, or required to, reveal their sexual orientation, statements about sexual orientation will not be a bar to military service or admission to service academies, or any other accession programme, Little said.
ÒOpenly gay or lesbian applicants will be evaluated according to the same criteria and requirements applicable to all others seeking entry into the military,Ó he said.
The spokesman said 2.3 million service members have been trained on the repeal of the ÒDon't Ask Don't TellÓ policy.

ÒThe services provided commanders and experts in the field with the training tools to educate the force on what is expected in a post-repeal environment. The training focused on the changes in policy affected by the repeal of DADT, and on expectations that service members will continue to treat each other with dignity and respect,Ó he said.

Meanwhile, reports said gay rights groups have planned celebration events across the country and in overseas military communities to mark the repeal date.
One of them being at the Stonewall Inn in New York, which is the site of the 1969 riots viewed by many as the start of the gay rights movement.

ÒOur military will no longer be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian,Ó US President Barack Obama had said on July 22, when he announced that he has certified that the armed forces are ready for its repeal.

ÒAs commander in chief, I have always been confident that our dedicated men and women in uniform would transition to a new policy in an orderly manner that preserves unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness,Ó Obama had said.

Genetic links to schizophrenia?

2011-09-20T21:47:00.001+09:00

Washington, Sep 20 - Scientists claim they are a step closer to unravelling the genetic underpinnings of schizophrenia following the largest genome-wide association research of the disorder ever undertaken.
An international team of 190 scientists from 135 institutions found significant associations with schizophrenia for five new and two previously implicated locations on the human genome, the 'Nature Genetics' journal reported.

It has long been recognised that schizophrenia is highly heritable.
However, this research has pinpointed novel regions of the human genome significantly associated with disease, and confirmed other recently reported genomic regions that may harbour disease-causing genetic variation.

According to Prof Bryan Mowry from Queensland Brain Institute, a team member, these findings were made possible because of the unprecedented size of the study, with more than 50,000 participants.
ÒIt provides a solid foundation for beginning to understand the mechanisms underlying the substantial genetic predisposition to schizophrenia,Ó Prof Mowry said.

Schizophrenia affects 1 in 100 people and its onset is typically in adolescence or early adulthood. Psychosis (comprising hallucinations and delusions) is the hallmark of schizophrenia, but other symptoms such as personal neglect and amotivation are common, as is an increased risk of suicide.

Prof Mowry says that gaining a better understanding of the genetic architecture of schizophrenia will ultimately aid the earlier diagnosis and management of the disorder.

ÒIf your genetic profile suggests you have a predisposition towards developing schizophrenia, it will be particularly important for you to avoid known environmental risk factors, such as smoking cannabis.

ÒWe also expect that understanding the biological mechanisms underlying the disorder will lead to more robust therapeutics in future,Ó he said.

The strongest genome-wide association finding in the study was to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a region containing numerous immune-related genes, suggesting schizophrenia may be triggered by autoimmune responses or infection.

Another SNP in a region linked to neuronal development was also implicated, suggesting a novel mechanism underlying schizophrenia.

The study also confirmed genetic overlap between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, suggesting that these disorders have shared rather than separate roots.

Huge defunct satellite may fall on Earth this week: NASA

2011-09-20T21:06:00.002+09:00

Washington, Sep 20 - A six-and-a-half tonne defunct climate satellite that has been circling the Earth for the past 20 years will make a fiery death plunge this week, NASA officials have warned.

According to NASA's latest projections, the bus-size Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) will likely plummet down to Earth sometime around Friday (September 23). But there is a one-in-3,200 chance that its debris could hit any person, the US space agency officials said.

ÒRe-entry is expected September 23, plus or minus a day,Ó they said, adding that at least 26 large pieces of the dead satellite will hit the ground on Earth surviving the scorching temperatures of atmospheric re-entry, LiveScience reported.

Though it's still uncertain exactly where the debris will fall, NASA officials indicated that the drop zone for UARS satellite debris could be anywhere between the latitudes of northern Canada and southern South America, an area that includes much of the planet.

The USD 750-million satellite, which was launched in 1991 to study the ozone layer and the Earth's upper atmosphere to better understand their role in the planet's climate, should re-enter over a 804km track, the experts have predicted.

Since 75 per cent of Earth is covered with ocean, there is a high likelihood that the satellite will re-enter over the sea or a remote, uninhabited stretch of land, said Victoria Samson, the Washington Office Director of the Secure World Foundation.

The UARS was designed for a three-year mission, but it lasted for 14 years until newer satellites made it obsolete.

It was decommissioned in December 2005 with NASA experts commanding the spacecraft to fire its thrusters one last time to use all its remaining fuel to place it on a years-long path toward disposal in Earth's atmosphere.

If the satellite does fall while flying over a populated region of Earth, sky watchers could see a Òdazzling light show if they have clear weatherÓ, Nick Johnson, chief scientist of NASA's Orbital Debris Program in Houston, said.
As of Sunday, the UARS was flying in an orbit that reached a high point of about 149 miles (240 km) above Earth.

That is down from an orbit that peaked at an altitude of 171 miles (275 km) on September 8.
The huge satellite, which is 35 feet long and 15 feet wide, and has been falling faster than anticipated (initial re-entry estimates pegged its plunge to somewhere between late September and early October) due to increased solar activity last week.

Solar activity can cause the Earth's atmosphere to heat and expand, increasing drag on low-flying spacecraft, the researchers said.

The US Strategic Command at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and NASA are keeping a close eye on the falling UARS spacecraft, but have said that they will only be able to pinpoint the satellite's point of impact to within about 6,000 miles (10,000 km) about two hours before re-entry due to its unpredictable nature, the experts said.

3,000 Cases of Forced Marriage in Immigrant Communities in the United States

2011-09-20T05:25:00.001+09:00

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Sept. 20, 2011 - Today, the Tahirih Justice Center (Tahirih) released the results of a groundbreaking national survey, which identified as many as 3,000 known and suspected cases of forced marriage in the United States, in 47 states, among immigrant communities from 56 different countries. The survey is the first of its kind conducted in the United States and was designed to understand the scope and nature of forced marriage in immigrant communities.

Key findings of Tahirih's survey include:

500 service providers, community advocates, educators, medical/mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, religious leaders, and others from 47 states reported as many as 3,000 known and suspected forced marriage cases that they have encountered in just the last 2 years.
Some families are willing to go to great lengths to ensure that the marriage takes place and may send a young woman back to the family's country of origin until she submits, cut her off from financial support, withhold food and medical care, or limit a young woman's contact with those outside the family. Respondents also reported kidnapping, death threats, and even murder attempts.
Immigrant communities engaging in forced marriage in the United States are from at least 56 different countries.
Community-based service providers working on the frontlines are struggling with how to recognize and handle forced marriage situations.
- Only 10% of survey respondents have a working definition of forced marriage.
- Nearly 70% think there are forced marriage cases in their communities that are not being identified.

Despite recent media attention to cases of forced marriage and honor violence in immigrant communities in the United States, there is a regrettable lack of data in the United States about forced marriage, and there are no laws specifically designed to protect individuals from being forced into marriage. This is in stark contrast to the United Kingdom, which has a governmental "Forced Marriage Unit" at the ready to help victims and provide guidance and support to professionals on the frontlines, a national forced marriage hotline, and a specific forced marriage protection order.

PFSA-Backed Training Bill Approved to Help Spot Child Abuse

2011-09-20T05:22:00.000+09:00

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 20, 2011 - Legislation to require mandated reporters employed in Pennsylvania schools to receive training on recognizing and reporting child abuse has been unanimously voted out of the state Senate Appropriations Committee.

"The approval of Senate Bill 449 by the Appropriations Committee increases the likelihood that this important measure will be considered by the entire Senate sometime later this fall," said Angela Liddle, executive director of the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA). "We consider this an encouraging step toward ultimate passage. We applaud the members of the committee for their action."
PFSA has endorsed Senate Bill 449, which was introduced earlier this year by state Sen. Pat Vance, R-Cumberland and York counties.

Teachers and other school employees are considered mandated reporters and as such have a legal duty to report suspected abuse and neglect. "They need to be trained in order to be able to carry out and fulfill that duty," Liddle said. "This legislation will guarantee they have the knowledge and skills to fulfill their responsibility under the law."

The bill directs the state Department of Public Welfare, in consultation with the state Department of Education, to set up a child abuse recognition and reporting program.
Teachers and other mandated reporters employed by or under contract to schools would be required to undergo a minimum of three hours of training every five years. In addition to teachers, school-employed social workers, guidance counselors, school nurses, and administrators would be covered.
The proposed law would apply to public school districts, intermediate units, vocational-technical schools, charter schools, and private schools.

Pennsylvania officials received more than 24,600 reports of suspected child and student abuse in 2010. According to the state Department of Public Welfare, mandated reporters, the majority of whom are school employees, account for 77 percent of all substantiated reports of abuse in Pennsylvania.

PFSA, a nonprofit organization, provides training on recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect through schools, early childhood education centers, religious institutions, and social service agencies. It trained 8,100 mandated reporters during the past year.

US to upgrade Taiwan F-16s, not sell new ones

2011-09-19T20:39:00.001+09:00

Washington, Sep 19 - The Obama administration has decided to upgrade Taiwan's existing fleet of F-16 fighter jets but not sell it the new planes it also wants, congressional staff said.

The administration gave a briefing on Capitol Hill on its decision on Friday, but has yet to issue a formal notification of the intended deal. An announcement is expected by the end of this month.
Two congressional aides confirmed the decision to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to make it public.

The decision represents a compromise aimed at improving Taiwan's ability to defend itself, while assuaging China's concern over the arms sales. However, Beijing is still expected to react angrily. It regards the self-governing island as part of its territory.

There will also be criticism from Republicans and some Democrats in Congress who have strongly backed the sales of 66 F-16 C/D fighters that Taiwan wants, in addition to the upgrades of the 145 F-16 A/Bs that the US sold it in the 1990s.

There were no immediate details on the package of upgrades the US is providing for the A/Bs. But even if it includes sophisticated radar, avionics and missile systems,
Taiwan's air force will still lag far behind its Chinese counterpart, which is equipped with state-of-the-art jet fighters.

A Pentagon report issued last year painted a grim picture of Taiwan's air defence capabilities, saying many of the island's 400 combat aircraft would not be available to help withstand an attack from the mainland.
Wang Kao-cheng, a military expert at Taipei's Tamkang University, said Taiwan's air defences could get some lift from the upgrade, but the island is still at a profound disadvantage with Beijing in the number of third-generation warplanes it has at its disposal.

First detailed map of human neuroreceptor 'generated'

2011-09-19T20:37:00.001+09:00

Washington, Sep 19 - Scientists claim to have for the first time generated a detailed map of human neuroreceptor, a breakthrough that may revolutionise the engineering of drugs used to treat diseases like Alzheimer's and schizophrenia.

A team at the University of Southern California has produced the world's first high-resolution images of the ?7 (Alpha 7) receptor, a molecule responsible for transmitting signals between neurons -- particularly in regions of the brain believed to be associated with learning and memory.

Using the image, the scientists will be better equipped to design pharmaceuticals specifically to interact with the receptor, instead of blindly using a trial-and-error approach.

ÒA lot of interest in this work will come from pharmaceutical companies. They really have no clear picture of this. They don't know how or why (their drugs) work,Ó said team member Prof Lin Chen.
The high-resolution image will also help neuroscience researchers study how these receptors receive and transmit neuronal signals, a question that has puzzled researchers for decades, says the team.

Developing an image of the ?7 receptor was no simple task, which is partly why it has taken until now to achieve this despite the wide interest in the understanding the receptor's structure. Attempts to decipher neuroreceptors have been ongoing for 30 years.

ÒThis has been a longstanding challenge. The challenge is twofold,Ó Chen said.
In the case of ?7, the team engineered a chimera, a Frankenstein molecule sharing about 70 per cent of its structure in common with the ?7 that reacted to stimuli in the same way that natural ?7 does.

US to upgrade Taiwan F-16s, not sell new ones

2011-09-19T20:34:00.003+09:00

Wolak Wins Walmart FLW Tour Open on Lake Champlain

2011-09-19T13:33:00.001+09:00

Casey Martin wins co-angler title, $20,000

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y., Sept. 19, 2011 - David Wolak of Wake Forest, N.C., caught a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces Sunday to win $125,000 at the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Champlain presented by Snickers Peanut Butter Squared with a four-day catch of 20 bass weighing 81-0.

The catch gave him the win by a solid 6-pound, 4-ounce margin over pro Gary Yamamoto of Palestine, Texas, who caught a total of 20 bass weighing 74-12 and earned $31,329.

"The key for me this week was being able to make the proper adjustments," said Wolak who finally got redemption from a second place finish at Lake Champlain in 2007 and fifth in 2010 in FLW Series competition. "I fished in rain and cold and wind and was able to adapt correctly for every situation.

"On Thursday and Friday when we had the cold, wind and rain grass was gold," Wolak continued. "Yesterday and today I looked for clean hard bottom. I covered a lot of water using my history and experience on this lake to make wise decisions. I was very fortunate and was able to capitalize on my past failures this week.

"Current played a huge role in my victory as well," Wolak went on to say. "The lake is still pretty high so I looked for areas that had moving water, especially when I was targeting smallmouth. One of the great things about this lake is that it replenishes itself; if you catch one fish in an area go back because the fish will go back.

"Lake Champlain is a pretty special place for me. There is no other fishery in the country where you can catch both large- and smallmouth that are the same size," continued Wolak. "You can fish north or south, anywhere you go you'll catch fish. I must have caught over 50 fish today. It was amazing. I will be back every year."

Known as the mixologist, Wolak's winning sack contained four large- and one smallmouth today. His primary bait was 1/2 ounce Fin-tech Title Shot Jig for the largemouth and 1/4 ounce Title Shot Jig for the smallmouth.

Wolak opened the tournament in second place Thursday with five bass weighing 22-8. On Friday he added another five bass weighing 19-4 to maintain second place. He then caught five bass weighing 19-13 on Saturday to make the crucial top-10 cut in first place. On Sunday he sealed his victory with a 19-7 stringer that included one kicker largemouth that weighed over 5-pounds.

The remaining top 10 pros finished the tournament in:

	3rd:	Daryl Biron, South Windsor, Conn., 20 bass, 72-15, $26,829
	4th:	Band Aid/Neosporin pro Glenn Browne, Ocala, Fla., 20 bass, 72-6, $22,329
	5th:	Walmart pro Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 20 bass, 70-3, $17,829
	6th:	Straight Talk pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 20 bass, 70-2, $15,129
	7th:	Brian Bylotas, Olyphant, Pa., 20 bass, 69-8, $14,229
	8th:	Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 20 bass, 68-15, $13,329
	9th:	Kyle Mabrey, McCalla, Ala., 20 bass, 64-9, $12,429
	10th:	J Todd Tucker, Moultrie, Ga., 20 bass, 62-11, $11,529

Second place Yamamoto said that he fished docks with Senkos all week long. The key to his success was that he was hooking the Senkos backwards with #6 ¾ to 1 inch screw. This allowed the bait to go back toward the dock and according to Yamamoto, they didn't know what hit them.Overall there were 50 bass weighing 153 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 10 pros Sunday. The catch included five, five-bass limits.

Casey Martin of Huntsville, Ala., won the Co-angler Division and $20,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 49 pounds, 9 ounces followed by Christopher Hall of Clarks Summit, Pa., in second place with 15 bass weighing 45-11 worth $6,715.

In FLW Tour Open tournaments, pros and co-anglers are competing for valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. The top five pro and co-anglers in the point standings from the four FLW Tour Open tournaments will qualify.
The Walmart FLW Tour stop on Lake Champlain presented by Snickers Peanut Butter Squared was hosted by the City of Plattsburgh – New York and the Adirondack Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau, and was the ninth of 10 Walmart FLW Tour tournaments of the 2011 season.

The Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Guntersville presented by Mercury will be the next tournament and will be held Oct. 20-23 in Guntersville, Ala. The event will be hosted by the Marshall County Convention & Visitors Bureau and boats will launch from Lake Guntersville State Park in Guntersville, Ala. For a complete schedule, visit FLWOutdoors.com.

New Version of Lofchie's Guide to Broker Dealer Regulation Released

2011-09-19T13:28:00.000+09:00

New Guide Completely Revised To Address Substantial Changes in the Law

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2011- Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, a leading counselor to global financial institutions and corporations, today announced that it is releasing an updated Lofchie's Guide to Broker Dealer Regulation. The Guide, a legal standard for the financial community for over a decade, has undergone extensive revision and incorporates new materials on expert systems, portfolio margining, large traders and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.

The Guide provides regulatory history, legal precedent and standard market practices on topics including customer obligations, trading, custody, capital, insolvency, research, registration requirements, insider trading and expert systems, supervision and non-US broker dealers. The Guide is one of the most comprehensive and authoritative work of its kind for market participants and legal and compliance professionals.

"Cadwalader is very pleased to make this essential reference tool available to lawyers and financial services professionals," said the firm's Chairman, Christopher White. "Steve is a thought leader in the legal profession serving the financial services industry, and his encyclopedic guide will be required reading for everyone attempting to navigate the increasingly byzantine regulatory environment engulfing that industry."

This latest edition, the fourth, will be hosted entirely on-line, which will allow the Guide to be updated as policymakers continue to promulgate or clarify new regulations. In addition, this unique resource links to government and other source documents online, providing readers relevant background and reference material.

Recent comments include:
From: David S. Ruder, Professor of Law Emeritus, Northwestern University School of Law; former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
"Lofchie's Guide to Broker-Dealer Regulation is an excellent authoritative work. It is very well written, covers a remarkably broad range of material, and provides in depth analysis of significant topics. It combines practical advice with thorough research, and its strong historical presentation puts regulatory requirements in context. Steven Lofchie's criticisms and comments on policy matters provide the reader with active intellectual challenges. The Guide is a great reference for lawyers, regulators, scholars, and brokerage industry members."
From: Paul Atkins, Managing Director, Patomak Partners; former Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission
"One of the foremost authorities in broker-dealer regulation has led an experienced team to create an unmatched practical and insightful reference tool to help securities industry professionals make sense out of the shifting sands of the current scheme of regulation."
Lofchie has developed a systematic approach to address critical issues relevant to broker-dealer regulation, from dealing with employees to obligations to customers, from communications to the conduct of internal investigations. Hot topics are not neglected, such as up-to-the-minute analysis of the law of insider trading, including issues concerning the use of expert systems.
Lofchie's Guide provides a user-friendly, relevant, and reliable handbook on the conduct of the investment banking and broker-dealer business. Maintaining command of all of these regulatory issues is a tremendous challenge in this environment. I recommend Lofchie's Guide to anyone who must navigate the laws and regulations governing broker-dealers and wants to understand the underlying policy considerations.
From: Erik Sirri, Professor Finance, Babson College; former Director, SEC Division of Market Regulation
"Lofchie's Guide is a one-stop reference that gives anyone who has a need to know about financial regulation a comprehensive toolkit for understanding the regulation of broker-dealers and securities markets. Written by the leading authority in the field, a practicing lawyer who is also policy-minded, this book is the market standard. The Guide to Broker-Dealer Regulation is an indispensable summary and analysis of the legal and regulatory considerations relevant to the operation of broker-dealers."
From: David Harris, President, Chicago Board Options Exchange
"This is a comprehensive, all-inclusive guidebook to the ins and outs of operating a broker-dealer. The book is a wholly indispensable, step-by-step guide to dealing with legal and compliance issues. Lofchie explains how the regulations work, and how they came to be the way they are. He provides step-by-step guidance on all matters from how to register, to how to compute capital and determine custody requirements and to how to do a broker-dealer business across borders. Lofchie presents all of this information in an accessible manner that will be readily understood by those on the business side, just as much as those on the legal and compliance side."
Marcy Cohen, Managing Director and General Counsel, Americas, ING Financial Services
"Lofchie has done a superb job in navigating extremely complex issues. This undertaking represents a tremendous research effort. It is both comprehensive and practical, not an easy achievement. I plan to keep the manual right at my fingertips. The online version will make the manual all the more valuable - I am hoping to immediately download to my iPad."
From: Larry Goodman, President, Center for Financial Stability
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Visit - Cadwalader Website

Royal Mail to Recruit 18,000 Temporary Workers for Christmas

2011-09-19T13:20:00.000+09:00

LONDON, September 19, 2011 - Seasonal workers being sought to help sort the Christmas post - 18,000 seasonal roles available across the UK - 15,000 roles in England, 2,000 in Scotland, 1,000 in Wales and 400 in Northern Ireland - Positions available between mid November and early January 2012

Royal Mail is launching a drive to recruit 18,000 temporary workers tohelp handle its Christmas mailbag of around two billion items.

Temporary positions across a variety of shifts will be available betweenmid November and early January 2012. The peak of the additional temporarywork will be in December. The seasonal positions will support Royal Mail'spermanent 130,000 postmen and women who sort and deliver the mail all yearround, including Christmas which is the busiest time of the year for thepostal service.

Helping to sort the post

Around 18,000 people are needed to work in mail and distribution centresacross the UK. The recruits will help to sort Christmas cards and packetsbefore they go to around 1,400 delivery offices for postmen and women totake out on their rounds.

In England, Royal Mail will be recruiting around 1,000 people in London,1,500 each in the North West and Anglia, 2,000 in South East, South West,Thames Valley and the North East and 3,000 in the Midlands.

In Scotland, Royal Mail will be recruiting around 2,000 people with afurther 1,000 being sought in Wales and 400 in Northern Ireland.

Dedicated website

Royal Mail has set up a dedicated website for people to apply for thepositions - http://www.royalmail.com/xmasjobs

Last year more than 70,000 people applied to work for Royal Mail overthe Christmas period.

Royal Mail's Managing Director of Operations and Modernisation, MarkHigson, said: "Christmas is the busiest time of the year for Royal Mail andwe plan all year round to help ensure we deliver the best possible serviceto our customers. On peak days, the volume of cards, letters and packets wehandle is around double the 62 million items we deal with on an averageday."

Proposed Dairy Policy: Taxpayers Would Pay More, Get Less Return

2011-09-19T13:14:00.000+09:00

Neediest To Go Without Nutritious Dairy Products

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2011 - A new study of the impacts of proposed dairy policy legislation on federal nutrition programs has found millions of dollars in hidden costs. Behind typical estimates of the price of the National Milk Producers Federation's Foundation for the Future dairy policy proposal are large and unintended additional taxpayer costs, reductions in the effectiveness of federal nutrition programs, and reduced access to the programs for low-income women and children.

The study, commissioned by the International Dairy Foods Association and conducted by a Ph.D. economist at M + R Strategic Services, found that, had the program been in place in 2009, more than 178,000 qualifying participants would have lost access to the already strained Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, unless $92 million more in spending was appropriated. The proposals would also have affected USDA's donation programs for food banks and senior centers. An estimated 50 million fewer pounds of cheese would have been available to the commodity distribution programs had the policies been in place in 2009.

"With one in six Americans currently living in poverty, we need a cost-effective federal safety net more than ever," said Connie Tipton, president and CEO of IDFA. "This report shows that Foundation for the Future and Rep. Collin Peterson's proposal would impose unnecessary hidden costs on taxpayers and would significantly reduce our nation's ability to help those who are most in need."

Using the Food and Agricultural Research Policy Institute (FAPRI) analysis of the Dairy Market Stabilization Program and the NMPF estimate of the effect of its proposed changes to Federal Milk Marketing Orders on (beverage) milk prices, the report found that the hidden costs of the proposal's price increases on the federal nutrition assistance programs and their beneficiaries would have totaled $655 million in 2009 alone. Taxpayers also would have been hit with a previously unrecognized $379 million increase in federal spending triggered by mandatory inflationary adjustments in the nutrition programs.

"The increased costs to the federal government are several times larger than any alleged budgetary savings from the Foundation for the Future," noted Tipton. "NMPF is asking Congress to shift the costs of their proposal onto our nation's consumers, but they apparently forgot that our government buys a lot of milk."

Switch that controls stem cell pluripotency 'discovered'

2011-09-17T20:25:00.000+09:00

Washington, Sep 17 - Scientistsclaim to have found a control switch which regulates stem cell ÒpluripotencyÓ,the capacity of stem cells to develop into any type of cell in the human body.

An international team says the discoveryreveals that pluripotency is regulated by a single event in a process calledalternative splicing.

Alternative splicing allows one gene togenerate many different genetic messages and protein products.

The scientists found that in genetic messagesof a gene called FOXP1, the switch was active in embryonic stem cells butsilent in ÒadultÓ cells -- those that had become the specialised cells thatcomprise organs and perform functions.

ÒIt opens the field to the fact thatalternative splicing plays a really important role in stem cell pluripotency,Ósaid

ProfBenjamin Blencowe, principal investigator on the study and a Professor in the University of Toronto.

He added: ÒWe're beginning to see an entirely new landscape of regulation, which will be crucial toour understanding of how to produce more effective pluripotent stem cells fortherapeutic and research applications.Ó The findings have been published in the'Cell' journal.

In stem cells, scientists have shown that acore set of proteins called transcription factors control pluripotency.

At the same time, themechanism represses the genes required for differentiation -- the processwhereby by a stem cell loses ÒstemnessÓ and becomes a specific cell type thatmakes up an organ or performs a function.

Indian arrested for alleged investment fraud

2011-09-17T20:20:00.001+09:00

New York, Sep17 - An Indianbusinessman was arrested in the UStoday for allegedly defrauding investors of about USD 2.4 million and couldface up to 20 years in prison.

Janamjot Singh Sodhi, 35 of California was arrested on a warrant issuedearlier this week for the investment fraud scheme, US Attorney Benjamin Wagnersaid.

According to the complaint, Sodhi owned EliteFinancial Inc and enticed investors into giving him money for investmentopportunities, but used the money instead to pay off previous investors and forhis own personal use.

Since 2005, Sodhi's license to sellinvestments had been revoked and in January 2009, California issued a cease and desist orderagainst him and Elite Financial from selling securities to investors.

It is alleged that Sodhi defrauded investorsof USD 2.4 million.

If convicted, Sodhi facesa maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a USD 250,000 fine.

Chicago checks in for Foursquare city 'badge'

2011-09-17T20:19:00.000+09:00

Chicago,Sep 17 - Chicago willbecome the first major city with its own Foursquare city ÒbadgeÓ, earned afterÒchecking inÓ at five of 20 designated neighbourhood attractions under atech-savvy plan unveiled to coincide with Social Media Week.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel kicked off Social MediaWeek here by announcing Chicagoas the world's first city to have its own foursquare City Badge, in partnershipwith New York-based Foursquare, the social location-based service .

The city's Department of Cultural Affairs andSpecial Events selected 20 spots around Chicago.Foursquare users that check in to five of these locations will earn the ÒWindyCity BadgeÓ.

Emanuel while highlighting the innovativeefforts in social media, said Chicagogot its own first foursquare City badge, the ÒWindy CityÓ badge, in advance ofSocial Media Week (SMW) which kicks-off on Monday.

ÒI am pleased that Chicago can be the first city to offer afoursquare City badge and participate in this innovative programme,Ó Emanuelwas quoted as saying.

ÒThis badge and partnership with foursquarewill allow Chicagoans and our visitors to discover and share the City sneighborhood gems and diverse cultural attractions in a new way,Ó he added.

Emanuel was joined by foursquare co-founderNaveen Selvadurai to make the announcement about Chicago's foursquare City badge.

ÒFoursquare was built to help people explorethe world around them,Ó Selvadurai said adding, Chicago, with its rich diversity in cultureand business is the ideal environment for that exploration.

New York-based Foursqaure is a location-basedsocial networking website that allows users with GPS-enabled mobile devices toÒcheck inÓ at venues and earn badges.

Emanuel has advocated and promoted exploringthe neighbourhoods of Chicagoand we're excited to help Chicagoans and visitors check in to new places andenjoy the city.

Foursquare users who Òcheck-inÓ at five of 20designated cultural and small business attractions will receive the Windy Citybadge.

These locations include The Oriental InstituteMuseum in Hyde Park, Garfield Park Conservatory in GarfieldPark, Du Sable Museum in Washington Park,Chicago Velodrome in South Chicago, and Jane Addams Hull-House Museumin Little Italy.

Social Media Week'smission is to find and discover how cultural, local and regional economies arebecoming stronger through global communication networks.

New Hope for Treatment of Lupus on the Rise

2011-09-17T13:34:00.000+09:00

GERMAN TOWN, Md., Sept. 17, 2011 - With a patient's own adult stem cells, there is new hope for the intractable autoimmune disease lupus - systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) - which is difficult to cure.

RNL BIO's research team led by Dr. Jeong-Chan Ra collaborated with a research institute led by Dr. Eun-Hwa Choi from Samsung Bioscience Research Institute of Samsung Medical Center on a study on lupus using fat-derived stem cells. Through this study, it was confirmed that intravenous administration of adult stem cells restores lupus to normal bodily functions. The findings of this study were publicized in the famous global research journal, Arthritis and Rheumatism (Impact factor: 8.435) on September 15, 2011.

Model mice were injected with human fat stem cells intravenously in this study. These model mice demonstrated increased survival as well as improvement in clinical symptoms. Furthermore, a decrease in antinuclear antibodies were exhibited in these mice.

Stem cell treatment is more effective in early detection of lupus symptoms. These model mice were administered with stem cells repeatedly throughout the course of one year. Although human stem cells were given to these animals to suppress the immune system, no side effects appeared.

Lupus occurs in every 75 per 1 million people. There is no cure for SLE and symptoms can be controlled only temporarily through steroids or immunosuppressive drugs. This debilitating disease is painful and unbearable. Some patients with lupus have suicidal thoughts due to its life-threatening symptoms. Recently, a female patient with lupus who was known as the "joyful evangelist" committed suicide from the immense pain.

Dr. Jeong Chan Ra stated, "Based on this study, diseases that are difficult to treat, such as lupus have much potential to be treated through stem cell injection. We will further our research to find ways to cure chronic diseases."

Additional information regarding this study on stem cell treatment for lupus is available online (Arthritis & Rheumatism).

Tommrow is Aging Awareness Day (NHAAAD)

2011-09-17T13:30:00.000+09:00

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2011 - The AIDS Institute (TAI) is proud to announce that the 4th annual National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day (NHAAAD) will take place on September 18th. The campaign theme is "Aging is a part of life; HIV doesn't have to be."

In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report published that persons aged 50 and older accounted for approximately: 17% of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses, 36% of persons living with AIDS, 24% of all AIDS diagnoses and 45% of all deaths of persons with AIDS. As a society we need to dispel myths and stereotypes and acknowledge that the older population might be engaging in behaviors that put them at risk for HIV infection, such as being sexually active and/or using drugs.

Since the beginning, NHAAAD has highlighted the complex issues related to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment for aging populations in the United States. The day consists of different educational, awareness and HIV testing activities or events programmed all around the nation to take place on or around September 18th.

"NHAAAD is a comprehensive campaign. The AIDS Institute ensures that organizations and collaborators have all of the necessary tools and information to not only design Awareness day events or activities, but also be able to implement and evaluate them," comments Marylin Merida, President of The AIDS Institute's Board of Directors.

On September 15th, in recognition of the NHAAAD, three major health organizations expressed their continued commitment to advancing the care and treatment of older adults with HIV. The American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM), the AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA) and the America Geriatrics Society (AGS) have worked together to create the HIV & Aging Consensus Project. Key objectives include the assessment of how the presence of both HIV and common age-associated diseases alter the optimal treatment of HIV as well as treatment for co-morbidities.

A report titled, The HIV and Aging Consensus Project: Recommended Treatment Strategies for Clinicians Managing Older Patients with HIV is slated to be released in early October. The report will be used to guide HIV practitioners and other medical professionals who treat older patients with HIV disease on best practices for diagnosing, treating, and referring older adults with HIV.

"It is exciting to see collaborations like ACRIA, AAHIVM and AGS come together and recognize the importance of developing guidelines in treating older adults with HIV. With older adults living with the disease longer and individuals getting infected over the age of 50, we know there are many other age-associated factors in which to consider. We are happy to see that NHAAAD has helped enhance the issue of addressing the medical aspect of older adults and HIV," states Michael Ruppal, Executive Director at The AIDS Institute.

GM and UAW Reach Tentative Agreement

2011-09-17T13:26:00.000+09:00

DETROIT, Sept. 17, 2011 - General Motors and the United Auto Workers reached a tentative four-year agreement at approximately 11 p.m. EDT Friday.

"We used a creative problem solving approach to reach an agreement that addresses the needs of employees and positions our business for long-term success," said Cathy Clegg, GM vice president, Labor Relations. "We worked hard for a contract that recognizes the realities of today's marketplace, enabling GM to continue to invest in U.S. manufacturing and provide good jobs to thousands of Americans."

Since August 2009, GM has announced investments of more than $5.1 billion and created or retained almost 13,000 jobs in its U.S. manufacturing plants.

Terms of the four-year agreement are not being shared publicly to allow the UAW International to educate its membership about the agreement and conduct a ratification vote. The vote is expected to take place within the next seven to 10 days.

If ratified, the agreement would cover approximately 48,500 GM employees in the United States, who are represented by the UAW.

General Motors (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM), one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 208,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 120 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 30 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling. The global Chevrolet brand celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2011. GM's largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Italy. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.

NASA Announces Two Game-Changing Space Technology Projects

2011-09-17T05:06:00.000+09:00

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2011 - NASA has selected two game-changing space technology projects for development. The selections are part of the agency's efforts to pursue revolutionary technology required for future missions, while proving the capabilities and lowering the cost of government and commercial space activities.

"NASA's Game Changing Technology Development program uses a rolling selection process to mature new, potentially transformative technologies from low to moderate technology readiness levels -- from the edge of reality to a test article ready for the rigors of the lab," said Space Technology Director Michael Gazarik at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "These two new projects are just the beginning. Space Technology is making investments in critical technology areas that will enable NASA's future missions, while benefiting the American aerospace community."

The "Ride the Light" concept seeks to provide external power on demand for aerospace vehicles and other applications. The concept uses beamed power and propulsion produced by commercially available power sources such as lasers and microwave energy. The project will attempt to develop a low-cost, modular power beaming capability and explore multiple technologies to function as receiving elements of the beamed power.

This combination of technologies could be applied to space propulsion, performance and endurance of unpiloted aerial vehicles or ground-to-ground power beaming applications. Development of such capabilities fulfills NASA's strategic goal of developing high payoff technology and enabling missions otherwise unachievable with today's technology.

NASA has awarded approximately $3 million for concept studies to multiple companies during this first phase of the Ride the Light project. Systems engineering and analysis during this first phase of the Ride the Light project will be done by Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville, Ala.; Aerojet in Redmond, Wash.; ATK in Ronkonkoma, N.Y.; Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh; NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.; and Teledyne Scientific, Boeing, and the Aerospace Corp., all located in Los Angeles. Following these studies, NASA expects to make an implementation decision in 2013.

NASA also has selected Amprius Inc. of Menlo Park, Calif., to pursue development of a prototype battery that could be used for future agency missions. Amprius is teaming with JPL and NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland on the project, with an estimated value of $710,000 for one year of development.

The Amprius project will focus on the material optimization of silicon anodes and electrolyte formulation to meet the agency's low-temperature energy requirements. Amprius developed a unique ultra-high capacity silicon anode for lithium ion batteries that will enable NASA to dramatically improve the specific energy of mission critical rechargeable batteries. NASA requirements are unique because of the extremely low temperatures encountered in space.

These awards are being made through NASA's Game Changing Development Program. For more information about the program and the agency's Space Technology Program, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/oct

Kids and Teenagers participate and win $2,500

2011-09-17T05:00:00.000+09:00

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 16, 2011 - Mor Furniture for Less is hosting an online contest in which kids and teenagers may participate for a chance to win $2,500 for their school, team or student group, plus $1,000 for themselves to spend at Mor Kids & Teens furniture stores.

On September 6, 2011, the Mor Kids & Teens Back-2-School Video Contest commenced, allowing contest entries to be submitted online. To enter the contest, participants must create an original and unique 30 – 60 second video commercial about Mor Kids & Teens furniture stores. Any kid or teenager may enter and the winning entry will be chosen by online voting.

Contest entries and voting may be done on the Mor Furniture for Less website at http://www.morfurniture.com/ or on Mor Furniture for Less's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MorFurniture.

The closing date for entries is October 6, 2011. Voting on contest entries will begin October 7, and last through October 31, 2011.

Contest entries may be shared on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, E-mail and a variety of other channels, so that contest participants can promote their video. The contest entry with the most votes on November 1, 2011, will receive $2,500 payable to the winner's school, team or student group, in addition to $1,000 to spend at Mor Kids & Teens furniture stores. With many school and extra-curricular activity budgets shrinking recently, a $2,500 cash prize would be a welcome reward.

To participate, entries must be original video content, suitable for YouTube and does not infringe upon any copyrights. Video must be uploaded to YouTube, conforming to all YouTube guidelines and restrictions, and then linked by a registered contest user at http://back2school.morfurniture.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/MorFurniture.

Mor Furniture for Less, established 1977, is the largest furniture company based on the West Coast, offering the best value in bedroom, living room, kids, dining furniture and mattresses with 21 stores in 7 states.

Why Walmart so much Interested in Secretary Hilary Clinton's Statement

2011-09-17T04:54:00.000+09:00

How big business houses use politicians to gain for their business, this is latest example from Wal Mart. Without commenting so much on this issue,please go through this news item, you will learn whole story....

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 16, 2011- "There is perhaps no single issue more essential to the progress of our world than the progress of women. Secretary Clinton has been a leader in creating that progress, so we appreciate the Secretary's support of our efforts to open market access for women-owned businesses. Our plan to spend $20 billion with these businesses, as well as the work we'll do in factories and on farms to empower women, will help bring about a global marketplace where women's contributions are truly valued.

"The challenge of empowering women is a complex one, and we want to thank Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Verveer for their leadership on this issue. No one can solve this issue alone, but with the continued leadership of the Secretary and others, we will continue to make progress on the critical issue of providing women and girls the tools they need to succeed in life, at home and at work."

--- Leslie Dach, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Walmart

(Secretary Clinton made her remarks during a keynote address at the APEC Women and the Economy Summit this morning in San Francisco.)

Background:

Walmart's Global Women's Economic Empowerment Initiative:

On Sept. 14, 2011, Walmart announced a major global initiative to help empower women economically across its supply chain. Over the next five years, Walmart will lead an effort with specific goals to open markets for women-owned businesses and increase training and career opportunities for women on farms and in factories. The goals were developed with NGOs and other partners and are designed to leverage the company's size and scale to help women and their families live better. Like its work on sustainability, hunger and healthier foods, this initiative is another step forward in the company's commitment to leading on social issues.

APEC:
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) Women and the Economy Summit (WES) is being held this week in San Francisco. The United States is one of 21 member economies of APEC, whose primary goal is to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 9,600 retail units under 69 different banners in 28 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs 2.1 million associates worldwide.

....Wal Mart entered in Indian Market and this move is to win over Indian Woman.

Haitian Inspiration Tour for Wounded American Troops

2011-09-17T04:41:00.000+09:00

Knights of Columbus and Project Medishare partner to support U.S. tour, featuring soccer exhibitions and training sessions for wounded veterans

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Sept. 16, 2011 - A Haitian amputee soccer team, most of whose players lost limbs in the horrific January 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, will tour several cities in the eastern United States in mid-October. The "Haitian Inspiration Tour" will bring amputee soccer clinics to wounded American service members who have lost limbs in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Members of Team Zaryen, the Haitian soccer team cosponsored by Project Medishare and the Knights of Columbus, will visit the Washington, D.C., and New York City areas from Oct. 15-21. In Washington, they will conduct clinics and training sessions at both Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and at the D.C. United field at RFK Stadium in Washington. D.C. United, Washington's Major League Soccer team, agreed to host several of the Haitian team's clinics and demonstration matches.

More than 200,000 people died in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and the American military quickly stepped in with emergency relief and security when the local government's ability to provide basic services collapsed. Project Medishare, based at the University of Miami's medical school, immediately set up a large field hospital near the Port-au-Prince airport that offered around-the-clock emergency medical care for eight months after the earthquake.

In the aftermath of the quake, the Knights of Columbus joined with Project Medishare to provide prosthetic limbs for every Haitian child who suffered an amputation or disabling injury requiring long-term care in the disaster, and the Knights funded construction of a modern prosthetics and orthotics facility at Project Medishare's Hospital Bernard Mevs in downtown Port-au-Prince. There, hundreds of children and adult amputees have been provided with prosthetic limbs over the past 18 months. Likewise, many children with long-term disabilities are also receiving the much needed care that did not exist prior to the earthquake.

Team Zaryen was formed after the 2010 earthquake, to help amputees rebuild their lives and to help remove the stigma associated with being an amputee or disabled in Haitian society. During October, they will offer their gratitude for the U.S. military's assistance to Haiti, and share their enthusiasm for amputee soccer with American service members who face similar challenges following their traumatic injuries.

Team Zaryen will scrimmage in Washington with team members from the American Amputee Soccer Association, founded in 1997, which fields teams that compete under the umbrella of the World Amputee Football (Soccer) Federation.

Team Zaryen will also visit New York City and conduct a clinic for school children in Stamford, Conn. Members of the team believe their example will prove to the young people everywhere that despite any disability, there are no limits to what an individual, a team, or a nation can achieve.

Team Zaryen is one of many positive outcomes of the Healing Haiti's Children program co-sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, which has committed more than $1 million to the project, and Project Medishare, which provides the most extensive medical and rehabilitation services for amputees in Haiti. The program provides both prosthetic limbs and a two year course of physical therapy to children who lost a limb in the Haitian earthquake. In addition to helping the children of Haiti, the program has provided every athlete on Team Zaryen with complete prosthetic care, the opportunity to build the amputee soccer program in Haiti and funding for their U.S. tour.

Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting" for 2011

2011-09-17T04:34:00.000+09:00

RIVERWOODS, Ill., Sept. 16, 2011 - In its newly published list of "Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting" for 2011, Accounting Today recognized CCH President and CEO Mike Sabbatis and CCH Small Firm Services President Jeff Gramlich for the prestigious honor. CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business is the leading provider of tax, accounting and audit information, software and services (CCHGroup.com). CCH Small Firm Services (SFS) is a provider of tax and accounting software solutions, research products and training to small professional firms (cchsfs.com). Both companies are part of Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting, the world's leading provider of tax and accounting solutions.

Accounting Today honored CCH President and CEO Mike Sabbatis for his leadership in continuing to build on CCH's offerings, "with a strong focus on Best in Process solutions and a new tax unit aimed directly at the needs of professionals." He was also recognized for strengthening CCH's sales and use tax offerings with the recent acquisition of SpeedTax.

Sabbatis heads CCH's U.S. and Canadian businesses in serving as a strategic partner in delivering innovative, customer-focused online solutions for professionals. Under his leadership, CCH has invested at record levels in its solutions. He has led the development of CCH's Cloud and mobile solutions, as well as next generation research and software platforms. Sabbatis has also significantly expanded CCH's presence in both the professional CPA and corporate markets, and has led the extension of the ProSystem fx Suite across Asia Pacific, Canada and Europe. During his 29 years in the software, technology and information industries, Sabbatis successfully led activities in strategic planning, business development, marketing, consulting and sales.

The publication also recognized SFS President Jeff Gramlich for continuing to elevate the company's brand name and products for sole practitioners, tax preparers and modest-sized firms. Under Gramlich, SFS "is laser-focused on its user base and regularly delivers new technology to serve them," said Accounting Today.

Gramlich has led CCH Small Firm Services since the company was formed in 2006. Under his leadership, SFS has grown to be recognized as one of the industry's leaders. Gramlich has focused SFS on consistently meeting the needs of the small professional firms in the tax preparation industry while instilling in his team a constant drive to innovate. He has led the development of the industry's leading modernized e-filing capabilities. Gramlich is a 28-year industry veteran who has consistently focused on the development of products to modernize tax preparation and improve the productivity of the industry's professionals.

The annual list includes top professionals who have an active role in shaping the current and future direction of accounting. Accounting Today selects the honorees from a long list of thought leaders and change-makers in the profession that includes top executives, government officials, CPAs, educators and others. Sabbatis has been consistently recognized by Accounting Today in previous years, while Gramlich joins the list for the second time this year.

The publication noted that the parameters of influence in the accounting profession have changed over the years and that new practice segments, positions, technologies, work paradigms and demographics have become significant factors.

About CCH Small Firm Services
CCH Small Firm Services (SFS), a Wolters Kluwer business, is a provider of tax and accounting software solutions, research products and training to 45,000 small professional firms throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

SFS offers both the ATX™ and TaxWise® product lines. SFS also provides tax software to the Internal Revenue Service for use at volunteer tax assistance sites. SFS, formed in 2006 following the acquisitions of TaxWise and ATX by Wolters Kluwer, and is part of Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting.

About CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business
CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business (CCHGroup.com) is the leading global provider of tax, accounting and audit information, software and services. It has served tax, accounting and business professionals since 1913. Among its market-leading solutions are The ProSystem fx® Suite, CorpSystem®, CCH® IntelliConnect®, Accounting Research Manager® and the U.S. Master Tax Guide®. CCH is based in Riverwoods, Ill.

NYC Mayor Predicts Riots; How Do People Defend Themselves, CCRKBA Asks

2011-09-17T04:24:00.000+09:00

BELLEVUE, Wash., Sept. 16, 2011 - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Friday warning that there could be riots in the streets if something isn't done quickly to produce jobs and get the economy moving leaves an important question: How do people defend themselves under the city's current restrictive gun laws?
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today called on Bloomberg to answer that question. CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb noted that the mayor's alarmist rhetoric spotlight's the need for gun law reform in New York so that law-abiding citizens can better defend themselves in the event of anarchy.

"Mayor Bloomberg is long on warnings," Gottlieb observed, "whether it's about violence in the streets due to expanded concealed carry laws, increase gun ownership by law-abiding citizens, or a bleak economy for which he has offered no solutions, but expects big government to solve.

"Unfortunately," he continued, "Mayor Bloomberg's solutions to violent crime are typically counter to common sense, so we shouldn't expect too much in the way of economic wisdom, either. He would keep law-abiding citizens disarmed to prevent crime, so his response to rioting would probably be to arrest people who defend their homes and businesses.

"Bloomberg's policies," Gottlieb said, "penalize the wrong people and he knows it. He founded 'Mayors Against Illegal Guns' but has pushed policies that make it harder, if not impossible, for citizens to legally obtain firearms. He would drown people in paperwork for simply seeking the means to defend themselves against this predicted chaos.

"Michael Bloomberg cannot have it both ways," Gottlieb concluded. "If urban riots do erupt and innocent people are harmed, or lose their businesses and homes to rioters, he must accept part of the blame. His policies do not prevent victimization, they perpetuate it, and fomenting hysteria over the economy doesn't help."

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (www.ccrkba.org) is one of the nation's premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.

SOURCE Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (Contact +1-425-454-4911 )

Pipavav, Mazagon Dock in JV to build warships for Navy

2011-09-12T23:08:00.000+09:00

Mumbai, Sep 12 - State-run Mazagon Dock and private shipbuilder Pipavav Defence today formed the country's first public-private partnership venture to build warships and submarines for the Navy.

Pipavav Defence & Offshore Engineering Company (PDOL) and Mazagon Dock will have an equal stake in the joint venture --Mazagon Dock Pipavav. The partnership will also help Mazagon Dock to fast-track delivery of its Rs 1 lakh crore order book.

ÒThis partnership is formed primarily to fast-forward the process of warships and submarine contracts held currently by the MDL,Ó PDOL Chairman Nikhil Gandhi told reporters here.
ÒThe PDOL board unanimously approved setting up of the joint venture company with Mazagon Dock to be named as Mazagon Dock Pipavav Ltd,Ó Gandhi said.

Apart from carrying out work for the Navy, the JV will also look at export orders from Òfriendly countriesÓ, Gandhi said, adding, Pipavav has the capacity to carry out work on a dozen submarines and warships each at a given time due to its modular yard.

The joint venture will also be looking at bidding for future projects of the Navy, Gandhi said. The Navy is estimated to purchase assets worth USD 30 billion in the near-term, he added.
Modalities of the joint venture like the equity to be brought in by the partners, what kind of work to be undertaken, the quantum of work to be undertaken by Pipavav, etc, were not disclosed by Gandhi, saying work on many issues is under progress.

Reacting to the announcement, shares of the company jumped 11.31 per cent to close at Rs 91 on the BSE, after hitting an intra-day high of Rs 92 on a day when the main gauge Sensex plunged 365 points, or 2.17 per cent.

South Asians pledge to ensure fundamental ideals of America

2011-09-12T22:58:00.000+09:00

Washington, Sept 12 - South Asians in the US have pledged to work to ensure that America remains true to its fundamental ideals of fairness and inclusion.

ÒLike all Americans, South Asians in the United States were deeply affected by the events on and after September 11th,Ó said the National Coalition of South Asian Organisations (NCSO) in a statement yesterday as the community actively participated in the commemorative events to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

NCSO, which is a network of community-based organisations, said, ÒA decade later, many South Asians who call America home continue to be affected by unfair policies, xenophobic rhetoric, and discrimination.Ó ÒNow more than ever, members of the NCSO seek to ensure that our country remains true to its fundamental ideals of fairness and inclusion. Today, as we pause to remember September 11th, we also renew our pledge to work towards public policies and community-based efforts that will reaffirm our country's commitment to human rights, justice, and equality for all,Ó NCSO said.

Meanwhile, Sikh Coalition in a statement said, ÒOn this day, which affected all, we especially remember our obligation to stand together as one.Ó Like all Americans, Sikhs lost friends and colleagues on that tragic day. Sikhs were also amongst the first responders to the attacks, it said.

Invisible alien planet discovered

2011-09-12T22:19:00.000+09:00

Washington, Sep 12 - For the first time, scientists claim to have definitively discovered an ÒinvisibleÓ alien planet whose gravity affects the orbit of another neighbouring planet.

Both the planets, known as Kepler-19b and Kepler-19c, were detected by NASA's Kepler space telescope which was launched in 2009 with an aim to hunt for alien worlds.
First, Kepler spotted 19b as it passed in front of, or transited, its host star. Then, scientists inferred the existence of 19c after observing that 19b's transits periodically came a little later or earlier than expected. The gravity of 19c tugs on 19b, changing its orbit.

The discovery of Kepler-19c, the researchers said, marks the first time this method, known as transit timing variation or TTV, has robustly found an exoplanet, LiveScience reported.
ÒMy expectation is that this method will be applied dozens of times, if not more, for other candidates in the Kepler mission,Ó said lead researcher Sarah Ballard of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The Kepler spacecraft typically hunts for alien worlds by measuring the telltale dips in a star's brightness caused when a planet crosses the star's face from the telescope's perspective, blocking some of its light.
It has been incredibly successful using this so-called transit method, spotting 1,235 candidate alien planets in its first four months of operation. That's the way it detected Kepler-19b -- a world 650 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Lyra.

The researchers, who reported their findings in The Astrophysical Journal, said Kepler-19b has a diameter about 2.2 times that of Earth, and orbits 13.5 million km from its parent star. It likely has a surface temperature around 900 degrees Fahrenheit (482 degrees Celsius).

Organised kids wear market to touch Rs 3,800cr soon: Report

2011-09-12T01:30:00.000+09:00

Mumbai, Sep 11 - The organised kids wear market is expected to touch Rs 3,800 crore this fiscal from the current Rs 3,000 crore, says a report prepared by Images Retail Intelligence Services (Iris Retail).

ÒGiven the demand and improved supplies, by 2011-12, the organised children's wear segment is expected to reach Rs 3,700-3800 crore, due to rapid expansion of domestic players and influx of new domestic and international players,Ó it said.

At present, organised kids wear market is worth Rs 3,000 crore and is growing at nearly 30 percent, the report noted.
The report also said that the overall kids wear market is likely to touch Rs 30,800 crore this fiscal, buoyed by the robust growth in organised retail. This market was estimated at Rs 26,300 crore last year and is growing at 17 percent.

The kids apparel segment constitutes over 15 percent of the overall apparel market in the country.
While domestic players like Lilliput, Gini & Jony, and Catmoss dominate the organised kids apparel market, Benetton Kids, Tommy Hilfiger, Reebok, Zara Kids, Disney and Barbie are the leading international brands present in the country.

Lilliput is the largest player with an estimated market share of 14.3 percent followed by Gini & Jony with 11 percent and Catmoss with 7 percent, the report found.

ÒKidswear is an emerging market segment that has shown exciting growth with the demand for branded kids wear rising exponentially. Over the past few years there has been renewed interest in this segment from international kidswear and adult fashion apparel brands,Ó Images Group Marketing Director Gurpreet Wasi said.

The report said currently the boy's segment dominates the organised kids apparel market, but it expects the girls' segment to grow faster and match the boys' market in the next five to seven years.
ÒChildren's apparel market has plenty of headroom for expansion and thus presents a massive opportunity for retailers,Ó Iris Retail Director Vivek Kumar said.

Economic slowdown in west to impact work opportunities:IIFT

2011-09-12T01:27:00.000+09:00

Mumbai, Sep 11 - The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) is apprehensive about the deepening slowdown in Western markets having an impact on the domestic jobs market, even though requests from domestic companies for campus interviews at the institute have risen so far this year.

The looming slowdown may prevent companies from expansion and launching more products, which would in turn shrink the jobs market, IIFT Director KT Chacko said, adding that most B-school students were not looking for working abroad today.

Last year, only 15 per cent of IFFT students were hired by foreign companies to work abroad, he said, adding, ÒMoreover, nobody today wants to work overseas.Ó ÒI am afraid the not-so-promising economic outlook has led to a situation where companies are not keen on sourcing more products and talent,Ó Chacko told reporters.

When asked specifically whether IIFT, which is a deemed university and one of the top management schools, has assessed the gravity of the situation arising from the talks of a double-dip recession in the US and some of the leading European economies, Chacko answered in the negative, saying it was too early to take a call.

ÒWe need to see (whether) the recent drop in hiring is going to be a trend. If it lasts for a few more months, then obviously there is room for worry. We have to watch out for two-three months to arrive at a conclusion,Ó he said.

Chacko was, however, quick to add that at the IFFT, ÒWe have got more requests for campus interviews this year already.

Hairstyle making women pile on the kilos: Experts

2011-09-12T01:25:00.000+09:00

London, Sep 11 - Slow metabolism, age and bad genes are often blamed for those expanding thighs and tummies. But, the real obstacle in shedding those extra kilos could be your high-maintenance hairstyle, scientists say.

Women who spend hours attached to their straighteners are less likely to exercise than their low-maintenance peers, a top America's doctor has warned.
According to Regina Benjamin, the US Surgeon General, too many women are foregoing physical activity because it will ruin their hair.

ÒOften you get women saying, 'I can't exercise today because I don't want to sweat my hair back or get my hair wet',Ó Dr Benjamin was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
ÒWhen you're starting to exercise, you look for reasons not to, and sometimes the hair is one of those reasons. I hate to use the word 'excuse', but that's one of them,Ó she said.

The problem, Dr Benjamin said, is that many women invest considerable time and money in taming their hair. Motion and moisture can undo all their hard work, so some simply avoid physical exertion entirely.
Daniel Caceres, of Trevor Sorbie salons, said: ÒIt's an extremely common problem. If you have long hair and it's on your face it's going to get sweaty when you go to the gym, which can put people off.

ÒAnd if you normally blow dry your hair you don't want to pull it back because it will ruin the style.Ó Dr Emma Williams, of the British Nutrition Foundation, said the solution is to pick a form of exercise that doesn't involve getting too hot and sweaty, such as doing household chores or going for a brisk walk.

Aerobic exercise can help cut dementia risk: Study

2011-09-12T01:19:00.000+09:00

, Sep 11 -Any physical activity that gets the heart pumping may reduce the risk ofdementia and slow the condition's progression once it starts, a new study hasfound.

Researchers at Mayo Clinic in the US examined therole of aerobic exercise in preserving cognitive abilities and reached aconclusion that it should not be overlooked as an important therapy againstdementia.

The researchers broadly defined exercise as enoughaerobic physical activity to raise the heart rate and increase the body's needfor oxygen. Examples include walking, gym workouts and activities at home suchas shovelling snow or raking leaves, the Daily Mail reported.

Study researcher Eric Ahlskog said: ÒWe culledthrough all the scientific literature we could find on the subject of exerciseand cognition, including animal studies and

observationalstudies, reviewing over 1,600 papers, with 130 bearing directly on this issue.

ÒWe attempted to put together a balanced viewof the subject. We concluded that you can make a very compelling argument forexercise as a disease-modifying strategy to prevent dementia and mild cognitiveimpairment, and for favourably modifying these processes once they have developed.ÓThe researchers, who detailed their findings in journal Mayo ClinicProceedings, noted that brain imaging studies have consistently revealedobjective evidence of favourable effects of exercise on human brain integrity.

Also, they said, animal research has shownthat exercise generates trophic factors that improve brain functioning, plusexercise facilitates brain connections (neuroplasticity).

More research is needed on the relationshipbetween exercise and cognitive function, the authors said, but added thatexercise should be encouraged in general, especially for those with or worriedabout cognitive issues.

NASA launches twin satellites to map inner Moon

2011-09-10T23:17:00.000+09:00

Washington, Sept 10 - NASA today launched a USD 500 million pair of washing-machine-sized satellites on a mission to map the Moon's inner core for the first time.

The twin spacecraft took off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a three-month journey to the Moon at 9:08 am local time aboard a Delta II rocket.

ÒLiftoff of the Delta II with GRAIL, on a journey to the center of the moon,Ó NASA commentator George Diller said upon blast-off of the GRAIL mission, which stands for Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory.
High upper level winds delayed the first launch attempt on Thursday, and also briefly set back Saturday's launch.

The duo will travel to the Moon for more than three months, arriving into a polar lunar orbit one after the other around New Year's Day.
With one spacecraft trailing the other, the plan is for the two to use gravity tools to map the terrain beneath, revealing the contents of the inner core of the Moon, about which little is known.

The mission should also shed light on the unexplored far side of the Moon, and perhaps tell scientists whether there was once a second Moon that fused with ours.
ÒGRAIL will be the first mission to determine the internal structure of the Moon,Ó program scientist Bobby Fogel told reporters this week.
ÒWe have used gravity science before to try to gain some insight as to what is going on inside the Moon, however these have been very primitive attempts.

ÒIf those previous attempts could be likened to a magnifying glass, GRAIL by contrast would be a high-powered microscope.Ó Scientists believe that the Moon was formed when a planet-sized object crashed into the Earth, throwing off a load of material that eventually became what we now recognize as our planet's airless, desolate satellite.

How it heated up over time, creating a magma ocean that later crystallized, remains a mystery, despite 109 past missions to study the Moon since 1959, and the fact that 12 humans have walked on its surface.
A recent hypothesis that there may have been two Moons that slowly merged into each other can also be tested with this mission, said principal investigator Maria Zuber.

ÒIf we want to reconstruct the evolution of the Moon over time, we certainly need to reconstruct the temperature structure of the Moon right now,Ó she said.

Little is known for certain about what lies inside the Moon. The widely held belief that there is a small solid iron core surrounded by a liquid iron core is unproven, said Zuber.

Birth control pills 'affect memory'

2011-09-10T21:59:00.000+09:00

Washington, Sep 10 -Ladies, please note -- birth control pills affect memory, a new study haswarned.

Researchers at the University of Californiahave found that women who use contraceptives like birth control pillsexperience memory changes -- in fact, their ability to remember the gist of anemotional event improves, while women not using the contraceptives betterretain details.

ÒWhat's most exciting about this study is thatit shows the use of hormonal contraception alters memory. There are only ahandful of studies examining the cognitive effects of the pill, and more than100 million women use it worldwide,Ó researcher Shawn Nielsen said.

She stressed that the medications did notdamage memory.

ÒIt's achange in the type of information they remember, not a deficit,Ó she said.

In the study, groups of women either on thecontraceptive or experiencing natural hormonal cycles were shown photographs ofa mother, her son, and a car accident. The audio narrative differed; some ineach group were told the car had hit a curb, while others were told the car hitthe boy and injured him, the 'Neurobiology of Learning and Memory' journalreported.

One week later, all were given surprise testsabout what they recalled. Women using hormonal contraceptives for as little asone month remembered more clearly the main steps in the traumatic event -- thatthere had been an accident, that the boy had been rushed to the hospital, thatdoctors worked to save his life and successfully reattached both his feet.

Women not using them remembered more details,such as a fire hydrant next to the car.

The researchers said thefindings could help lead to fuller answers about why women experience posttraumatic stress syndrome more frequently than men, and how men rememberdifferently than women.

Managers 'have bigger brains'

2011-09-10T19:35:00.000+09:00

Washington,Sep 10 - Staffers agree or not, managers do have bigger brains, says a newstudy.

An international team has carried out thestudy and found that managing other people at work triggers structural changesin the brain, protecting its memory and learning centre well into old age.

Researchers, led by the University of New South Wales, have, in fact, for the first time,identified a clear link between managerial experience throughout a person'sworking life and the integrity and larger size of one's hippocampus -- thebrain's area responsible for learning and memory -- at 80.

ÒWe found a clear relationship between thenumber of employees a person may have supervised or been responsible for andthe size of the hippocampus,Ó said Dr Michael Valenzuela, who led the team.

ÒThis could be linked to the unique mentaldemands of managing people, which requires continuous problem solving, shortterm memory and a lot of emotional intelligence, such as the ability to putyourself in another person s shoes. Over time this could translate into thestructural brain changes we observed,Ó he added.

Using MRIimagery in a cohort of 75-92 year-olds, the researchers found largerhippocampal volumes in those with managerial experience compared to thosewithout, even after accounting for any of a number of alternative explanations.

While many maleparticipants followed traditional management career paths, the effect was alsoseen in women who had taken on managerial roles in nursing or teaching, forexample.

India is founding member of Global Counterterrorism Forum

2011-09-10T02:23:00.000+09:00

Washington,Sept 9 - India and Pakistan are among 28 founding members of the GlobalCounterterrorism Forum, a signature initiative of the Obama administration tocreate a collective international effort to fight the war against terrorism.

It will be launched officially in New York at the level offoreign ministers on the margins of the General Assembly meetings of UnitedNations later this month, the State Department announced today.

ÒThe GCTF will be a new, informal,multilateral CT (counter-terrorism) body that will focus on identifyingcritical civilian CT needs, mobilising the necessary expertise and resources toaddress these issues and build global political will,Ó US State Department saidin a fact sheet.

ÒIt will provide a needed venue for nationalCT officials and practitioners to meet with their counterparts from keycountries in different regions to share CT experiences, expertise, strategies,capacity needs, and capacity-building programmes.

ÒThe GCTF will prioritise civilian capacitybuilding in areas such as rule of law, border management, and counteringviolent extremism,Ó it said.

The GCTF will consist of a strategic-levelcoordinating committee, co-chaired initially by the United States and Turkey;five thematic and regional expert-driven working groups; and a smalladministrative unit that the USwill host for the first few years.

Indian officials to be allowed to use social media soon

2011-09-10T02:18:00.000+09:00

Ahmedabad(India), Sep 9 - The Centre is planning to put in place a framework forgovernment officials that would allow them to leverage power of social media, atop official of Department of Information and Technology (DIT) said here today.

ÒWe are creating a framework that would helpall the GoI departments and officials to make use of social media like Facebook, Twitter etc effectively,Ó AdditionalSecretary, DIT, Shankar Aggarwal told PTI on the sidelines of an event.

ÒWe expect to give final shape to it in nexttwo-three months and notify it,Ó he said.

ÒThe idea (behind the proposal) is that theycan enter into dialogue with public more freely, take suggestions, feedbacksand provide updates. It shall be more of a two-way rather than being a one-waycommunication,Ó Aggarwal stated.

ÒThe social media is being used extensively bythe civil society, but unfortunately, at present we don't have any frameworkfor central and state governments,Ó he said.

ÒThe government officersare scared of using social media because they are not sure whether they areallowed to use it or not. Even if they are allowed, then they are not sure whatare the dos and don'ts,Ó Aggarwal said.

Meanwhile,the Centre is planning to introduce 'The Right to Public Services Act' soonthat would make it mandatory for government entities to deliver public servicesin electronic form too.

ÒWe have already created a framework and forthis (Act) the framework is to be converted into a law. We think we will beable to introduce it in the next session of Parliament,Ó he said.

ÒUnder this, what we shall be trying, is toask the government entities to deliver all the public services in electronicform also. And it has to be achieved over next five years,Ó he informed.

ÒWe are also planning todevelop a payment gateway for the entire country so that people could payelectronically for various services,Ó Aggarwal said.

Soon, Twitter fans can tweet in Hindi

2011-09-10T02:15:00.000+09:00

New York,Sep 9 - There is a good news for Twitter fans in India as popularmicro-blogging site is all set to launch services in Hindi in the coming weeks.

Twitter, which came into existence five yearsago, now boasts of 100 million active users worldwide.

ÒAfter launching Hindi, Filipino, Malay andSimplified and Traditional Chinese in the coming weeks, Twitter will support 17different languages,Ó according to a company blog.

Both Twitter and social networking site Facebook have huge following in India. Amongothers, Facebook already offers its services inHindi and five other Indian languages -- Tamil, Malayalam, Punjabi, Telugu andBengali.

Going by estimates, Twitter has around 200million registered users.

ÒFor many, getting the most out of Twitterisn't only about tweeting: 40 per cent of our active users simply sign in tolisten to what's happening in their world... Our 100 million active users rangefrom passionate early adopters to recent converts,Ó the blog dated September 8said.

The micro-blogging site allows users to sendmessages, with a maximum of 140 characters.

Global leaders, film personalities,journalists and sports people, including Indian cricketers, are among thediverse Twitter users.

According to Twitter, 35 global heads of statesuch as Australia's JuliaGillard and Argentina'sCristina Fernandez de Kirchner, use the site.

ÒMore than 40 per cent of the top globalreligious leaders are on Twitter, including @DalaiLama and the Pope...,Ó theblog noted.

It said reporters share stories and photo fromthe front lines on Twitter.

ÒOrdinary citizens breaknews and give us a view we might otherwise miss, like the now-famous SpaceShuttle image that was re-tweeted over 2,300 times, and the first photo of theUS Airways plane that landed in the Hudson Riverin 2009,Ó the blog said.

Senate passes bill to prevent 'Reliance-Iran type' relations

2011-09-10T01:07:00.000+09:00

Washington, Sep 9 - Basingit on the experience of Reliance-Iran tie up in the past, a key SenateCommittee has approved changes in an Act that would ban the Export-Import Bankfrom assistance for foreign projects where a controlling sponsor is doingsanctionable business with Iran.

ÒThis amendment will prohibit the Export ImportBank from assisting entities like India'sReliance Industries, which was selling refined petroleum to Iran,Ó said ajoint statement issued by Senators Robert Menendez and Mark Kirk.

In 2007-08, the Export Import Bank providedUSD 900 million in loan guarantees for exports and services to Reliance,including USD 400 million to help finance the Jamnagarrefinery, which was in turn selling refined petroleum products to Iran, theSenators said.

SenatorsMenendez and Kirk were instrumental in relevant amendments in the Export-ImportBank Reauthorization Act.

As a result, the Act, among other things, willnow prohibit the Bank from extending guarantees, insurance or extensions ofcredit to US companies or their subsidiaries that are violating US sanctionsagainst Iran.

It will also ban export assistance for foreignprojects where a controlling sponsor is doing sanctionable business with Iran.

ÒIt is important that we use every opportunityand channel to impede Irans relentless drive to develop nuclear weapons.

ÒThe new Iran sanctions law passed by Congress in 2010and the Obama Administration s efforts to multilateralism sanctions has made adifference, but Irans mullahs (clergy) are persistent,Ó Menendez said after the business meeting inthe Senate Committee.

ÒJust last week, the IAEA confirmed that Iran is loading P-2 centrifuges at Qom, which will allow Iran to significantly enhance itsuranium enrichment capacity. As long as Iran continues on her march towardnuclear weapons, we will continue to expand and enhance our efforts to stalland thwart her achievement,Ó he said.

ÒThis amendment ensures that taxpayer dollarswill not help the Iranian government avoid sanctions for building nuclearweapons,Ó said Senator Kirk.

ÒWe should now movebeyond this step to the one recommended in August by 91 Senators: collapse theCentral Bank of Iran,ÓKirk said.

Judicial Watch Obtains Obamacare Records from Department of Health and Human Services

2011-09-09T05:10:00.000+09:00

3,497 Pages of Documents Include HHS Correspondence and Internal Emails Regarding Obamacare Waivers

WASHINGTON - Judicial Watch, the public interest organization that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it recently obtained 3,497 pages of documents from the Obama Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the Affordable Health Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Judicial Watch obtained the records as a result of a Freedom of Information Act FOIA) lawsuit filed on December 30, 2010 (Judicial Watch v. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (No. 10-2328)).

The records include internal HHS email correspondence and strategic documents, as well as email communications with unions and companies applying for waivers. The records also include preliminary drafts and multiple versions of the health care plan along with comments from the Office of Management and Budget, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other agencies with concerns and suggestions for revising the plan.

The majority of the communications related to the granting of waivers by the Secretary of HHS exempting companies and unions from the minimum annual cap on the amount payable to an individual in benefits. Such waivers enable companies and unions to keep their existing plans in place until January 1, 2014.

As of July 2011, 1,472 one-year waivers and 106 three-year waivers were granted, covering some 3.4 million enrollees, more than half of which belong to unions. Yet, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, union members account for only about 12% of the total workforce.

Judicial Watch previously obtained documents from HHS regarding closed-door health care meetings between union officials and Vice President Joe Biden, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and then-Obamacare Czar Nancy-Ann Min DeParle. The documents include a list of all of the labor union leaders who attended a meeting with President Obama, along with brief biographical information on each participant. The list includes: Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO; Andy Stern, President of the Service Employees International Union; and Jim Hoffa, President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, among other Big Labor leaders. The documents suggest that the key provisions of the Obamacare law were written solely to address the concerns of union interests.

Speaking at a rally for organized labor over Labor Day Weekend attended by Barack Obama, Hoffa criticized the Tea Party and urged attendees to get out the vote for Democrats: "President Obama, this is your army…Everybody here has got to vote. If we go back and we keep the eye on the prize, let's take these sons of bitches out and give America back to America where we belong."

"This first batch of documents has the gory bureaucratic details of the Obamacare mess. The Obama administration has tried to keep its government takeover of healthcare veiled in secrecy, especially the details of these waivers. Waiving the law for 3.4 million Americans is unfair and an affront to the rule of law," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "It seems corrupt when political supporters in Big Labor are getting a disproportionate number of waivers from Obamacare. Unions helped write the Obamacare law, and then get exempted from it! Now Big Labor is paying back these waiver favors with campaign support for Barack Obama. Judicial Watch is committed to bringing as much transparency as possible to Obamacare, especially this ongoing abuse of the 'waiver' process."

Walmart to Offer Special Layaway Option this Christmas

2011-09-09T05:04:00.000+09:00

Families Can Shop Their Wish Lists Early and Pay Later

BENTONVILLE, Ark.- To help families deliver a big Christmas this year, Walmart announced today that it will offer a Christmas layaway program for two of the season's most popular gift categories, electronics and toys. Available at all stores nationwide, the program will kick off on Oct. 17 and run through Dec. 16, with plenty of time for the gifts to take their rightful place under the Christmas tree.

Walmart announced the news to its nearly 9 million Facebook fans, many whom have expressed their desire for Walmart's layaway service. Customers have indicated that they are most interested in layaway for toys and electronics, and that during the holidays is when they need layaway the most.

"We're always looking for ways to ease budget strain for our customers, and we know this holiday season in particular brings with it additional financial pressure," said Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising officer, Walmart. "Our layaway program for Christmas, along with our every day low prices and great variety of gifts, will provide a worry-free way for our customers to fulfill their families' Christmas wish lists."

Walmart's Christmas layaway program will enable customers to make payments when they want and for how much they want on the hottest Christmas gifts. Toy and electronic gifts with a retail price of $15 or more will be eligible*, including dozens of toys on Rollback to $15 starting Sept. 12, such as Leapfrog Scribble and Write, Disney Princess Toddler Doll, Transformers 3 Mechtech and select Lego playsets. Other great gifts at an every day low price included in the Christmas layaway program are bicycles, HDTVs, and video games.

"Our customers told us they want a hassle-free layaway option during the holiday season," said Mac Naughton. "With our Christmas layaway program, they can focus on what's important to them during the Christmas season instead of stressing over mandated payments or how to tuck money away for gifts."

Layaway payments can be made at any register. Putting an item on layaway and picking up layaway orders is done at the Walmart.com counter in the majority of stores. Pick up hours are 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. local time. Layaway orders and pick up will not be accepted on the day after Thanksgiving.

'King crabs encroach on Antarctica, threaten sea life'

2011-09-09T04:56:00.000+09:00

Washington,Sep 8 - More thana million king crabs, known for their crushing claws and ecosystem-alteringhabits, have shown up in the warming waters of a deep basin in the Antarcticcontinental shelf, a finding scientists say could be the first sign of anecological disaster.

ÒIt looks like a pretty negative consequenceof climate warming in the Antarctic,Ó said Craig Smith, a professor ofoceanography at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, wholed the research into the crabs, estimated at 1.6 million, in the Palmer Deep.

This species of crab, Neolithodes yaldwyni, isknown to populate Antarctica's Ross Sea, which lies south of New Zealand. The Palmer Deep, apocket in the relatively shallow continental shelf, lies south of South America.

The discovery of a king crab population theresuggests that, after millennia of apparently being held at bay by the coldwater of the continental shelf, the dangerous predators can now cross it,LiveScience reported.

The worry is that king crabs will threaten theunusual, isolated animal life established on the seafloor of the shelf.

The research team saw evidence of this whenthey deployed a remotely operated vehicle to survey the Palmer Deep. While theyfound no evidence that the invasive species was living on the shallower, coldershelf, they warned that it could take hold there within two decades.

In the Palmer Deep, they saw that the crabshad disturbed sediment on the basin seafloor by digging for worms and othercreatures, an alteration that affects other animals' habitat.

The predatory crabs alsofeed on other invertebrates, like sea lilies and basket stars. These and othercreatures were absent from depths below 3,117 feet (950 meters) where the crabswere found, the researchers wrote in the journal Proceedings of the Royal SocietyB.

The deeperthe water, the warmer it is, the result of warmer water coming in from thenorth, Smith explained. The incoming water is saltier and denser, so it sinksbelow the cooler waters.

It appears the crabs are limited bytemperatures approaching 34.5 F, though the team found crabs living in basinwaters colder than 34.5 degrees Fahrenheit (1.4 degrees Celsius) and there isevidence that some members of this species can live at even coldertemperatures.

The Palmer Deep is located near the West Antarctic Peninsula, an area experiencing rapidwarming. Below 2,625 feet in the Palmer Deep, temperatures have been increasingat a rate of about 0.01 degrees Celsius per year for almost 30 years.

Given the warming trend, these crabs couldmove up onto the shelf within one to two decades, the researchers said.

The crab population inthe Palmer Deep Òis likely to serve as an important model for the potentialinvasive impacts of crushing predators,Ó they added.

Babies develop facial expressions in womb: Study

2011-09-09T04:50:00.000+09:00

Washington,Sep 8 - Babiesdevelop facial expressions such as parting lips, wrinkling a nose or lowering abrow much before they are born, a new study has shown.

And as the foetus grows, these facial motionsbecome increasingly complex, found the study by researchers at the University of Durhamin the UK.

While it was known that foetuses could formexpressions while in the womb, this new study tracked facial movements overtime, LiveScience reported.

By capturing images of two foetusesperiodically from 24 to about 35 weeks of gestation, the Durham team watched individual, unrelatedmovements progress to complex combinations, associated with recognisable facialexpressions.

ÒWhat we have found for the first time is youcan look at the progression of the complexity of the movements,Ó lead studyauthor Nadja Reissland said.

In addition to tracking 19 total facialmovements, the researchers focused on sets of movements associated with twoexpressions, one associated with crying, the other laughing.

Over time,the movements associated with these began to appear in more complexcombinations.

For the study, appeared in the journal PLoSONE, the researchers used 4-D ultrasound images, which resemble video, to trackthe facial motions of two female foetuses.

At 24 weeks, foetuses were more likely to makea single movement, like a widening of the lips for example, all by itself.Then, as the weeks passed, they began combining the movements, putting, say, alip widening movement with a nose wrinkle.

By about 35 weeks,combinations of three and four movements associated with the two expressionshad surpassed single or double movements. A similar trend occurred when theresearchers looked at all 19 movements.

Reisslandpointed out that these facial movements don't mean the foetuses wereexperiencing emotion.

ÒWe can see the expressions which we canrecognise; we can't say whether the foetus has emotion,Ó she said. ÒThey(don't) have yet the cognition necessary to have the emotions.Ó Rather, thesemotions are likely a form of practice, as the foetuses prepare to enter thesocial world, where they must form bonds with others, she said.

Foetuses also suck their thumbs in the womband make breathing motions, both precursors for important activities once theyare born, she added.

The researchers are nowplanning to look for other foetal facial expressions associated with anger,smiling and sadness.

Beating enzyme to curb breast cancer?

2011-09-08T23:12:00.001+09:00

Washington,Sep 8 - Scientists in Singapore claim to have uncovered a new method to targetan enzyme that promotes the oestrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, afinding which may pave the way for an effective treatment for the disease.

A team from the Genome Institute of Singaporeand the National University of Singapore says it has found the way to targetthe enzyme EZH2 which puts people at risk of developing the oestrogenreceptor-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of thedisease unresponsive to treatment.

According to them, the discovery may soon pavethe way to develop more effective treatment strategy for aggressive breastcancers associated with EZH2.

It has been known that EZH2 enzymatic activitypromotes cancer by inactivating some important tumour suppressors, whichfunction as ÒbrakesÓ to stop tumour growth.

Over-expressionof EZH2 is often linked to aggressive and rapid spread of breast cancers, themost common cancer in women all over the world.

Therefore, EZH2 is an ideal target for breastcancer treatment, says the team whose findings have been published in the'Molecular Cell' journal.

The team, led by Dr Qiang Yu, discovered thatbesides inhibiting tumour suppressor genes through its enzyme activity, EZH2 isalso able to promote cancer through the activation of specific genes involvedin the cancer pathway, called NF-kB that is associated with the aggressiveoestrogen receptor- negative breast cancer.

These genes include inflammatory cytokines such as IL6 and IL8which have important roles in breast cancer progression and cancer stem cellself-renewal. In fact, the team discovered that the latter gene-activatingfunction of EZH2 does not require its enzyme activity.

ÒThis work suggests that EZH2 may confer itsoncogenic role in cancer not just through its gene silencing function of thetumour suppressors but also through its gene activation function of NF-kBpathway.

ÒThis new understanding on how EZH2 works as acancer-causing gene in breast cancer has important therapeutic implication, theresults suggest that small molecule drugs that block enzyme activity of EZH2may not work for cancers caused by EZH2's activation genes in NF-kB pathway,Ósaid Yu.

Added team member Prof Cheng Wee Joo: ÒThiswork has important clinical implications. EZH2 is currently thought to causecancer through its enzymatic activity, hence inhibitors being developed mostlytarget EZH2's enzymatic activity.

Indians, Europeans share a milky past

2011-09-08T23:09:00.000+09:00

London, Sept 8 -In a major study, researchers in the UKhave discovered that lactose tolerant milk-drinkers in India and Europecould be related to the same person who lived at some point in the last 10,000years.

The Cambridge University team, in associationwith fellow researchers at CCMB Hyderabad, UCL, University of Tartu, Harvardand University of Chennai, were studying genetic changes that allow some 32 percent of the world's population to be lactase persistent able to digest lactose,the sugar in milk. To their surprise they found the same mutation, with thesame origin, at high frequency in Europe and India.

The focus of the Cambridge-led study was India theworld's largest producers and consumers of milk.

The team's study may also help scientists'understanding of evolutionary processes such as biological adaptation and howculture and economic developments affect human biology.

Its authors say the study has shown that witha little kick from natural selection, genes can spread far, wide and fast, auniversity release said.

Lactase persistence is common in Europe, theMiddle East and some parts of Africa and India areas where domesticatedcattle are widespread - but either rare or absent in most other parts of theworld.

When someone who is not lactase persistentdrinks milk they will often suffer symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating,nausea and diarrhoea otherwise known as lactose intolerance.

While all babiesproduce the gut enzyme lactase, essential for the digestion of lactose in milk,the production of the enzyme is usually shut down some time before adulthood.

Although once thought of as normal, lactasepersistence was found in the 1960s to be an unusual trait in humans and seemsto be completely absent from other mammals whose lactase production diminishessignificantly after being weaned and is never resumed.

The team looked at nearly 2,300 DNA samplesfrom across the Indian subcontinent from all major language groups andgeographic regions the first study of its kind.

Previous studies had shown that lactasepersistence had evolved at least four times in the last 10,000 years,independently in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

However, little was known about its geneticcauses in India,until now.

Cambridge's Irene GallegoRomero, the lead author, said: ÒIndia was an unknown quantity. But sincelactase persistence had evolved independently in the Middle East and Africa,and because cattle had been domesticated independently in India aroundseven or eight thousand years ago, we were expecting to see uniquely Indiangenetic causes.

Insurance Company Launch New Zero Deductible Insurance Program

2011-09-08T16:54:00.000+09:00

All owners of cars, homes and boats can now get an insurance policy that could eliminate the deductible risk on their auto, home and boat. With Zero Deductible if an accident occurs and insured's auto, home or boat policy pays the claim the insured will never have to pay a deductible to get their property repaired.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 8, 2011 - With the backdrop of 1 in 4 US consumers claiming that they could not afford a $2000 repair bill, and a growing number of consumers having increased their deductibles in the past couple of years in an effort to reduce expenses, Zero Deductible, a program launched by American Marine Insurance Services and Markel American Insurance Company (NYSE: MKL), fills a void in the marketplace. The program offers an alternative to existing insurance structures by significantly reducing out-of-pocket expenses when the unfortunate occurs.

The Zero Deductible program was specifically designed for those who cannot get a low (or no) deductible policy through our primary insurer - either because it is not available (certain insurers do not provide it) or because the premium is simply too expensive. The difference between a low and high deductible plan can be as high as 40% or more.

Zero Deductible highlights:

Available to anyone with a car, home and/or boat policy issued by a US insurance company.
Covers any driver, family member or individual as long as the claim exceeds the deductible level on primary policy and the primary carrier pays the claim.
No individual rating. Premium is set on a state-by-state basis.
10% multi-policy discount if multiple properties are insured and an additional 10% discount at first claim-free renewal.

"Personal finance experts always recommend that you maximize your deductible to save on insurance and then transfer the savings into a cash emergency fund. Then you have the money to cover costs in case of an accident where you need to pay your deductible," says Andreas Diwing, Zero Deductible Managing Director. "This is generally good advice, but we offer an even better alternative as we allow you to lock in the savings from day one. Now you can save on the premium on your primary insurance by raising your deductible and cover it with a deductible reimbursement policy. Your emergency fund can be saved for real emergencies."

Diwing adds, "We like to challenge the common belief that a policy holder must pay a deductible in order to have their property repaired. This is simply not true anymore."

The Zero Deductible Insurance Program is administered by American Marine Insurance Services in Ojai, California and underwritten by Markel American Insurance Company, an A.M. Best "A" Rated insurer. For more information, please visit http://www.zerodeductible.com or call (855) TRY-ZERO (879-9376).

Chinese Wine Wins International Trophy at Decanter World Wine Awards 2011

2011-09-08T16:50:00.000+09:00

LONDON, September 8 - The Royal Opera House played host to the Decanter World Wine Awards lastnight with some extraordinary wines winning top awards.

The most surprising win was the He Lan Qing Xue from China winning theInternational Trophy for the Red Bordeaux Varietal over GBP10 - beatingBordeaux blends from around the world, including Argentina, USA, Australia,and Bordeaux itself. The category is open to any region that produces aBordeaux varietal grape and this blend included Cabernet Sauvignon andMerlot grapes. This winemaking region of Ningxia has been rapidly improvingin past years, so the judges were delighted to award this wine with the topaccolade.

'China is not traditionally known for its wines so it was with greatsurprise and pleasure that we found this delightful blend. The producer wastrained in the famous French wine region of Bordeaux so his experience isvery credible,' said Steven Spurrier, Chairman of the awards. 'This is whatthe awards are about - finding hidden gems and putting them on the map.'

Mr Demei Li from He Lan Qing Xue commented 'This is an amazing win forus and the Chinese wine industry. We can't believe we won the InternationalTrophy from the most reputable and most trusted wine competition in theworld- this is sure to boost our own wine sales and encourage more wineproduction in China!'

The rest of the winemaking world was also in good form last night with atotal of 25 International Trophies being awarded.

Argentina cemented its position as a top wine producing country bywinning the most international trophies out of any other country with a verycredible 6 trophies. New Zealand and Australia weren't far behind scooping 3and 2 trophies respectively indicating that these countries are improvingevery year. Old World Wine producers also did well with France and Portugalboth winning 3 trophies a piece.

'Our awards are really about bringing quality wines to consumers,' saysSarah Kemp, Publishing Director for Decanter. 'This year's awards saw 9wines under GBP10 win International Trophies including a Macon-VillagesChardonnay from Burgundy and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc - proving thatquality wines don't need to break the bank!.'

Interim Managers are Valued More as They get Older

2011-09-08T16:44:00.000+09:00

LONDON - The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that in the last tenyears the share of the British workforce aged 65 and over has doubled to 3%- an increase which continued even during the recession of 2008-09.

However, research by Impact Executives, a global leader in interimmanagement [www.impactexecutives.com ] and a Harvey Nash company,says that more than 11% of the candidates they placed in interim managementroles, over that same period, were over the age of 65.

It is understood that interim managers will typically be more mature,have grey hairs and will be over qualified for the role to enable them todeliver at speed for their clients. But the industry has changeddramatically over the past three to five years, seniority and years' ofexperience are no longer sufficient.

The most successful candidates, regardless of age or experience, arethose that are experts in their field, with exceptional leadership skills.

According to Christine de Largy, who has over 12 years' experience ininterim management and as managing director of Impact Executives, this trendis set to continue. She said "Increasingly the driver for clients is tode-risk a project, so they place more value on a proven track record ofdelivery and technical expertise. In addition, they are looking for leaderswith maturity and gravitas, people who have been here before andsuccessfully ridden through the storm."

Christine added "The key change that we have seen is that age andexperience are irrelevant. Our clients seek the expert who has solved theirexact problem many times before, only in a bigger and more complexenvironment. Age is not a factor at all."

"The only thing that clients worry about is that interim managers havethe intellectual agility to solve complex problems and the ability to leadand engage with everyone around the organisation to bring about tangibleresults and sustainable change. But of course it is true that some of ourcandidates that are older have had more time to hone and sharpen theseskills."

We are used to talk of the War for Talent and hearing that youth oryouthfulness was a key attribute. But now perhaps there is a culture shift,where wisdom is respected. And interim managers who are intellectuallyagile, with a proven track record and deep expertise are leading the way andtheir age can give them a real advantage over their younger counterparts.

About Impact Executives
Impact Executives is a leading interimmanagement provider to organisations of every size in the UK and globally.Originally formed as a specialist practice within PA Consulting Group, overthe past 20 years Impact Executives has helped more than 2000 companies -including more than two-thirds of the FTSE -250 - to find the very bestexecutive interim management talent.

Almost Half of Black Youth Report Pressure to Have Sex

2011-09-08T05:16:00.000+09:00

New ESSENCE Magazine/National Campaign Survey Released

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 - Black youth report considerable pressure to have sex, according to a new survey of 1,500 Black youth ages 13-21 released by ESSENCE Magazine and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Of those who have had sex, 47% of those 13-21 (including 21% of those 13-15) say they have been pressured to go further sexually than they wanted to. The groundbreaking results are featured in the October issue of ESSENCE magazine, on newsstands September 12th. In the article, Our Teens' Secret Sex Lives, ESSENCE senior writer Jeannine Amber interviewed dozens of kids to uncover the truth about teens and sex.

Overall, the survey found that almost half of Black teens ages 13 to 21 reported that they have lied to get out of a sexual situation, and 54% of Black males said they feel pressure from their friends to have sex. When it comes to sex, pregnancy, and contraception, the survey reveals that the intentions of Black youth don't always match their actions. Even though more than 90% of Black youth say it is important to avoid a pregnancy at this point in their lives, 67% have had sex without contraception, 45% report using birth control inconsistently, and 20% say they will likely have unprotected sex with someone in the next three months.
The reasons for not using contraception vary:

38% of Black females who have had unprotected sex have done so because their partner doesn't want them to use contraception; 29% of sexually active Black females say they don't worry about contraception because they "haven't gotten pregnant so far;" and 18% say it doesn't matter whether you use protection of not—when it's "your time" to get pregnant, you will.
Respondents overwhelmingly believe that the TV shows and movies they watch paint a negative picture of Black youth:

72% believe that the media sends the message that Black females' most important quality is their sex appeal.
64% agree that the media sends the message that it is okay for Black males to cheat in relationships.
73% say the media portrays Black youth as sexually aggressive, compared to 39% who believe the media portrays Whites as sexually aggressive.
Just 18% say they see themselves in the TV shows and movies they watch.

Black youth, particularly younger teens, say there is much their parents can do to help:

31% of those ages 13-21 say their parents are most influential about deciding whether or not to have sex (compared to 27% who cited partners and 5% who cited friends).
Parental influence seems to wane as youth age—47% of those ages 13-15 say their parents' opinions matter most compared to 28% of those 16-18 and 17% of those 19-21.

Other findings from the survey include:

66% of Black males say that sex is a "big deal" and 73% would rather be in a relationship with no sex than have sex with no relationship
91% say they feel valued by their parents, 92% expect to be very successful in life, and 94% say the quality that most makes them feel good about themselves is "how smart I am."
46% of those ages 13-21 (including 34% of those 13-15) say they have seen pornography online when they were not looking for it.

"We are proud to work in partnership with the experts at the National Campaign on this survey, and to bring its eye-opening results to our readers in our October issue," said Constance C.R. White, ESSENCE editor-in-chief. "I am so grateful to the young people who opened up to us in the survey and told us what is really going on in their lives today. What they feel-and decide to do-about sex, love and relationships today can affect the rest of their lives. Parents know this but often don't know where to begin. This story gives parents and other caring adults a reason and a way to talk with their teens about this important topic."

The teen pregnancy rate among African-American youth has plummeted 44% since 1990 and the teen birth rate has dropped 47% since 1991. While teen pregnancy and birth rates dropped overall over the past two decades, rates among African-Americans declined more than those of any other racial or ethnic group. "The truly extraordinary declines in too-early pregnancy and parenthood among African-American youth should be recognized and celebrated as one of the nation's great success stories of the past two decades," said Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign. "Still, the rate of teen pregnancy remains disproportionately high among African-American youth suggesting that the nation needs to explore more targeted and innovative approaches that will help."

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families. Our specific strategy is to prevent teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy among single, young adults.

United Airlines and Adelante! Fund Announce Winner of Latin America Video Contest

2011-09-08T05:11:00.000+09:00

NEW MEXICO COLLEGE STUDENT WINS AIRLINE TICKETS TO VISIT LATIN AMERICA IN ADELANTE! EDUCATION FUND CONTEST

CHICAGO- United, a wholly owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL), and the Adelante! U.S. Education Leadership Fund have announced the winners of the "Destino: Latinoamerica" (Destination: Latin America) video contest for Hispanic college students.

Jamila Hull, 22, from Las Cruces, N.M., and a senior majoring in German and museum conservation at New Mexico State University, won first place with a three-minute video showcasing five reasons to visit Brazil. Hull's video is posted on www.adelantefund.org and on the Adelante! YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o03EmTDtfCw.

"From the beautiful shores of Ipanema to the heartland of the Amazon, Brazil captivates and welcomes its visitors," Hull said. "Brazil's vibrant culture, traditions and rich history provide visitors an incredibly diverse experience."

Participants had to submit a two-to-three-minute video highlighting five reasons to visit one of the 23 Latin American or Caribbean countries where United flies. A panel of judges from United, Adelante! and MarketVision, United's public relations agency for the Latino market, selected the winning video. Hull won four tickets for travel to any United destination in the continental U.S., Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean.

"Jamila really captured the excitement and beauty of Brazil," said Maria Cristina Osorio, director of public relations for Latin America and the U.S. Latino market for United. "The judges were impressed by the creativity of the students' Destino entries and how well they portrayed the tremendous diversity of the Latin American region."

Second-place winner Lauren Klibingat, an economics major at the University of California in San Diego, produced a video about visiting Panama. Klibingat, a native of Los Angeles, will receive two tickets.
"We are proud of the outstanding content and quality of the submissions received as part of the "2011 Destino: Latinoamerica" video contest," said Jay Zambrano, executive director, Adelante! "We were thrilled to see that so many of our students appreciate the cultures, histories, and lands of our Latin American friends throughout the Western Hemisphere. Congratulations to all who participated."

United also is providing tickets for 10 Adelante! scholarship winners to attend the organization's annual Leadership Institute in San Antonio in October.

The Adelante! U.S. Education Leadership Fund, a national nonprofit organization based in San Antonio, Texas, was established in 1993. The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and the Miller Brewing Company are the founding organizations of the Adelante! Fund, whose mission is to inspire Hispanic students to graduate and lead through scholarship, internship and leadership training. Since its designation as a 501(c)3 organization in 1997, the Adelante! Fund has awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to Hispanic undergraduate students across the nation and has provided career development, leadership training and internship opportunities to hundreds of promising young Hispanic college students.

American Red Cross and Walmart Foundation Partner to Help Military and Their Families Reconnect on the Homefront

2011-09-08T05:06:00.000+09:00

Walmart eyeing families of US Army and behind this they want to grab big retail customers

WASHINGTON - The American Red Cross today launched a new program to assist service members returning home from deployment.

Designed to help service men and women and their families successfully manage the transition from the field back into the routine of home life, the Coming Home Series presented by Walmart is a free, confidential set of small-group facilitated sessions designed to help foster positive reconnections between family members and help service members reintegrate into civilian life. The Walmart Foundation awarded a $500,000 grant in support of the program and is the lead sponsor.

"Transitioning back home after a deployment can be hard, and many service members have experienced challenges readjusting into life with their families, their jobs and their communities," said Sherri Brown, Senior Vice President for Service to the Armed Forces. "Through the generosity of Walmart, this new program will help ease that transition."

The Coming Home Series, which will be offered by Red Cross chapters throughout the country, covers a number of topics that service members and their families have found relevant to their experience as they transition back home, including managing anger, supporting children, building communication, reconnecting with others, recognizing Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and other topics critical to reunion adjustment.

"We're proud of our nation's heroes and are grateful for their service and sacrifice," said retired Army Brigadier General Gary Profit, the Senior Director of Military Programs for Walmart. "We recognize that sometimes those sacrifices mean that their hardship doesn't end once they're back on the homefront. We want to play a role in addressing unmet needs in the military community, so we're proud to team with the American Red Cross, especially on the Coming Home Series. We believe this will help bridge the gap that sometimes exists between the battlefield and the backyard."

The series, developed in cooperation with military experts, has been piloted in 8 different locations across the country. It will be available to members of all branches of the Armed Forces, as well as National Guard, Reserves, veterans and their families.

For three years, the Red Cross has assisted military families during the deployment cycle with its course Coping with Deployments: Psychological First Aid for Military Families. This is a national-level course specifically designed to assist spouses, parents, siblings and significant others across all signs of service.
"We've seen just how helpful Coping With Deployments has been to individuals whose loved ones are deployed," Brown said. "We have heard from those families that they are seeking similar assistance when they come home, and we believe the Coming Home Series will help."

The Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces program provides assistance to more than 2 million service members as well as many of the nation's 24 million veterans and their families, wherever they reside. In addition to the Coping with Deployments course and the new Coming Home series, the Red Cross provides emergency communications linking service members with their families during time of crisis; comfort and care in military and veterans medical facilities; access to financial assistance in partnership with the military aid societies; information and referral and assistance to veterans.

Our View : This is game plan of Walmart to make new customers.We should be alert against such tact.

How to Train Health Care Professionals

2011-09-07T16:55:00.000+09:00

ROCHESTER, Minn. - An analysis led by Mayo Clinic researchers found that simulation-based training is an effective way to teach physicians, nurses, dentists, emergency medical technicians and other health professionals. The team reviewed more than 600 studies evaluating the use of technologies such as virtual reality computers, mannequins and training models to teach skills and procedures including surgery, trauma management, obstetrics and team communication. Their conclusions were published Sept. 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Lead author David Cook, M.D., of Mayo Clinic’s Department of General Internal Medicine, worked with researchers from Mayo, the University of Ottawa, the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto. They concluded that training with simulation is consistently better than no instruction, as measured in controlled settings and in practice with actual patients.

“We reviewed hundreds of articles, and, with extremely rare exceptions, we found improved outcomes for those who trained with simulation,” Dr. Cook says. “This held true across a wide variety of learners, learning contexts and clinical topics.”

However, “we need more effective, more efficient, and safer ways to learn,” Dr. Cook says, citing the increasing volume of medical knowledge, rapidly changing practice environments and evolving physician-patient relationships. “Simulation-based instruction has unique advantages, including the opportunity to practice without harming patients, repeat training to become more proficient and structure training for more effective learning.”

The study also found a lot of variation in the quality and results of the simulation activities. “Not all training was equally effective,” Dr. Cook says. “Now that we know that simulation works, the next step is to understand how to use simulation-based instruction effectively and efficiently.” He and the others on his team are currently researching how to use simulation-based teaching most cost-effectively.

The other researchers were Benjamin Zendejas, M. D., Jason Szostek, M. D., Amy Wang, M. D., and Patricia Erwin, all of Mayo Clinic; Stanley Hamstra, Ph. D., University of Ottawa; Rose Hatala, M. D., University of British Columbia; and Ryan Brydges, Ph. D., University of Toronto.

Math Anxiety should be addressed in Grade School

2011-09-07T16:49:00.000+09:00

Philadelphia - As children of all ages head back to school, many will be burdened with the added challenge of math anxiety. “It’s a problem that usually starts at an early age, and if it isn’t addressed in grade school, math anxiety can hinder students throughout their education and beyond,” says Agnes Rash, Ph.D., professor of mathematics at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

Rash suggests that while teachers are often the first to detect and deal with the problem, parents need to be aware that their own behavior can strongly influence how their child navigates math class. “If a parent also has math anxiety, they should be careful of making statements that can be perceived as condoning failure,” Rash says. “Statements such as ‘I was never any good at math, either,’ or ‘I can’t help you with your homework; I don’t understand math,’ can give the child the message that it’s OK to give up.”

Similarly, Rash says that teachers need to be mindful of how they present math concepts in class. “Making statements like ‘this is going to be hard; pay attention,’ can create an atmosphere of anxiety and fear,” she notes.

According to Rash, difficulty with math often starts because an individual student has missed a concept in class, and not because there is any underlying learning deficiency.

“There is a misconception that some people don’t have the ‘brains’ to do math,” she says. “Most people in the general population have everything they need to be proficient in math, and this includes doing algebra and geometry. What they might lack is the desire to learn the basics, which requires them to practice and drill, just like any other discipline.”

Rash, who is an expert in math pedagogy, is currently developing Sudoku puzzles and other games that teachers can use as interventions for math anxiety. She can be reached for comment at 610-660-1562, arash@sju.edu, or the Office of University Communications at 610-660-3240.

Finance Bosses Demand Cost Parity from Electric Vehicles

2011-09-07T16:39:00.000+09:00

BIRMINGHAM, England - 4 out of 10 financial directors would not pay a financial premium tointroduce hybrid or fully electric vehicles (EVs), according to a survey bythe industry's largest supplier of company vehicles.

Lex Autolease, which leases 300,000 vehicles to firms nationwide, saysits poll of 100 financial directors confirms that cost remains a majorbarrier to entry for many.

However, for just over a third (35%) of those polled, a price premium ofup to 10% - compared to conventional fuels - wouldn't be too much toswallow.

Further findings from the survey, also reveal that half of firms (53%)would invest in hybrids and EVs if they could match petrol and dieselalternatives on a range of criteria, including running costs and convenienceof use.

Marcus Puddy, head of consultancy services at Lex Autolease, says:

"For a long time petrol ruled the roost, but today diesel is the mostpopular fuel choice. So, who knows what tomorrow will bring given our finiteoil reserves and rising carbon taxes?

"The fleet industry is renowned for being an early adopter of newtechnologies and, over the next five years, we anticipate that EVs willbecome a practical option, in limited numbers, for firms doing a lot oflocalised 'back to base' short journeys.

"Whether they eventually become a mainstream choice for the company cardriver is another matter altogether and this will largely be dictated by howwell the current generation of EVs perform on the used car market."

Following a year-long study, Lex Autolease has developed a comprehensiveguide to hybrids and EVs. To request a free copy of 'Next generation fleets:Is the future electric?', please email: newsdesk@lexautolease.co.uk

UK'S TOP 10 FANTASY FEMALE and MALE FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

2011-09-07T16:34:00.000+09:00

LONDON -Davina McCall and Piers Morgan have topped the list of UK celebritiesthat the public would love to have as 'Friends With Benefits'.

The survey questioned members of online dating siteFriendsWithBenefits.co.uk who rankedtheir famous heart-throbs for the fantasy title.

Heading the poll for the ladies was Davina McCall, no longer presentingBig Brother but still thought of very fondly (and naughtily) by the men inthe poll.

Piers Morgan was the surprise choice as top Friend With Benefits amongstthe men beating off classic heart throbs such as Robbie Williams, DanielCraig and David Beckham.

Neal Patterson of FriendsWithBenefits.co.uk said "It was fun to hear whoour members dream of as their fantasy FWB. It's great to have a UKperspective on this since the film, coming out soon, is based in America."

Every man's favourite bridesmaid Pippa Middleton was in third placefollowed closely by Jessie J, the openly bisexual singer.

Foul mouthed Chef Gordon Ramsey will no doubt use a four letter wordwhen he reads that Mr X Factor Simon Cowell is ahead of him at number 4.

Age was no boundary as Lord Sugar clearly "fired" up the passion of theladies voting. Another surprise inclusion was Anne Robinson. Anne was farfrom the weakest link coming in at number 8 amongst the men's choice ofFWBs.

Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson just made it into the top 10 but wasbeaten by his pint-sized co-presenter Richard Hammond who was three placesahead at number 7.

Singers featured heavily amongst the fantasy female FWBs with CherylCole, Pixie Lott and Denise Van Outen making the list along with Jessie J.

The poll also revealed how acceptable the idea of having Friends WithBenefits is. "Many people think that having Friends With Benefits onlyhappens in America, but that's just not the case. We have been runningFriendsWithBenefits.co.uk for nearly two years and now and have hundreds ofnew members joining every day," said the site's owner.

THE UK'S TOP 10 FANTASY FEMALE FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

    
    1 Davina McColl
    2 Cheryl Cole
    3 Pippa Middleton
    4 Jessie J
    5 Rachel Weisz
    6 Carol Vorderman
    7 Nigela Lawson
    8 Anne Robinson
    9 Pixie Lott
    10 Denise Van Outen

THE UK'S TOP 10 FANTASY MALE FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

    
    1 Piers Morgan
    2 Robbie Williams
    3 Daniel Craig
    4 Simon Cowell
    5 Gordon Ramsey
    6 David Beckham
    7 Richard Hammond
    8 Peter Andre
    9 Lord Alan Sugar
    10 Jeremy Clarkson

Don't Let Euphoria Turn to Tears - TDS Warns Students

2011-09-07T16:28:00.000+09:00

LONDON - The Tenancy Deposit Scheme has warned students going into accommodationin the private rented sector this autumn not to let the euphoria of a newuniversity year turn to tears.

In a message to student organisations throughout England, TDS ChiefExecutive Steve Harriott has urged students to take all necessaryprecautions to protect their deposits and to control the possible chargesagainst the deposit at the end of their tenancies.

The TDS message to students warned them to check that their deposits areregistered, to avoid damage and dilapidation and, if using a letting agent,to check that the business carries clients money protection insurance.

Steve Harriott pointed out to the students that "Asking questions aboutthe protection of the deposit at the earliest opportunity is the first lineof defence for a satisfactory letting and a good time at university."

The message to the student organisations urged them to encourage allstudents to read the overview of the deposit protection system on the TDSwebsite and for the student bodies to contact the Scheme should they needadvice about promoting the deposit protection message across their campuses.

Millions of Brits Suffering From a "Holiday Hangover"

2011-09-07T16:24:00.000+09:00

NEWPORT, Wales- 1 in 5 Will Still be Paying for Their Holiday in 2012

    
    - Only two thirds of holiday makers come home feeling relaxed
      and refreshed
    - 14 per cent feel tired and stressed, 13 per cent spent too much
      money
    - Four per cent wished they had never gone away
    - Travel delays and crime spoil holidays for many

As millions of Brits return from their summer holiday a new survey bycomparison site Gocompare.com [http://www.gocompare.com ] reveals that noteveryone does so feeling 'relaxed and refreshed'.

The poll of 3,000 holidaymakers reveals that only 39% believe that whatthey paid for their holiday was money well spent, while almost a fifth oftravellers admit they will still be paying off their 2011 summer holiday in2012.

Over 14 per cent said they came home feeling tired or stressed and 13per cent said that they had spent too much money. Meanwhile, four per centwished they had never gone on holiday!

    
    The Holiday Hangover top ten                      % of holidaymakers

    Things costing much more on holiday than expected 31%
    Bad weather                                       25%
    Resort not living up to the brochure description  23%
    Travel delays getting there or back               18%
    Disappointing food                                17%
    Member of party ill or injured                    14%
    Behaviour of British holidaymakers abroad         14%
    Unfriendly or rude resort staff                   12%
    Not able to switch off from work                   9%
    Member of party being the victim of a crime        6%

Value for money concerns topped the list of holiday spoilers for Britswith 31 per cent saying things cost much more on holiday than they thoughtthey would. 23 per cent said the resort didn't live up to the brochuredescription.

Over 18 per cent of travellers had suffered delays either getting awayor coming home, 14 per cent said a member of their party had taken ill orwas injured while away and six per cent of holidaymakers reported being avictim of a crime. Yet, over a quarter of holidaymakers admit they don'talways buy travel insurance when going abroad. Seven per cent say they neverbuy it while four per cent don't buy it because they have an EHIC (EuropeanHealth Insurance Card).

Jeremy Cryer, head of travel insurance at Gocompare.com [http://www.gocompare.com/travel-insurance ] commented, "While there islittle we can do about the weather spoiling our holiday, we can take stepsto be better organised financially and better protected should the worsthappen when we are abroad. Budgeting for a holiday should include somecontingency planning for extra meals out, trips or gifts."

"If you have overspent it is probably time to look for a better deal onyour credit card to ensure the damage is limited and the debt is paid off asquickly as possible. Look for an interest free balance transfer card so thatyou are not paying sky-high interest rates on your holiday debt.

"There's no excuse for heading abroad without travel insurance thesedays. There are plenty of good value policies available and it is easierthan ever to shop around for a good deal. As this survey shows, holidaysdon't always go to plan, so being prepared for all eventualities is asensible part of planning any trip."

California Attorney General Kamala Harris "Acted as the Pawn of America's Most Powerful Banks" While Violating Homeowners' Civil Rights, Lawsuits Allege

2011-09-07T16:18:00.000+09:00

LOS ANGELES - Hundreds of homeowners and former homeowners filed lawsuits in three states alleging that California Attorney General Kamala Harris "acted as the pawn of America's most powerful banks" when she seized their legal files and denied them the right to the legal counsel of their choice.
Suits were filed Tuesday in federal courts in New York, Florida and California, according to Erikson M. Davis, an attorney involved in the actions. Davis said he expect homeowners to file against Harris in additional states.

The California lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles said:
On August 17, 2011, Defendant Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General for Defendant State of California, grossly violated Plaintiffs' civil rights by seizing Plaintiff's legal files and denying Plaintiffs the right to the legal counsel of their choice. Defendant Harris did this under the cover of secrecy without any public airing of the facts, without proper court approval, and without allowing either Plaintiffs or their counsel or any court a chance to respond. Harris did so based on an inadequate investigation while citing demonstrably false accusations against Plaintiff Mitchell J. Stein, an attorney. And Harris did so at the behest of Bank of America, whose attorneys had been deeply alarmed by the substantive progress that attorney Stein has achieved in Plaintiffs' mass joinder case against the bank.

Defendant Harris took this action while making the transparently false claim that she was protecting "consumers." Plaintiffs herein are among the consumers she purports to be protecting and they hereby vigorously reject Harris' jaded interpretation of "protection." Plaintiffs' desire is to continue to be represented by the LLP – and one of its partners Mr. Stein – and for him to continue to unravel the worst systematic fraud committed by any financial institution in United States history. . . .
Rather than protecting consumers, Defendant Harris' actions primarily benefitted Bank of America, which has sought repeatedly to discredit attorney Stein ever since he filed the original lawsuit against Bank of America in 2009, a lawsuit that the attorney general herself described as the "granddaddy" of mass joinder bank cases,

Defendants' lawsuit . . . claimed, among other things, that attorney Stein had participated in illegal and unethical soliciting of clients through mail advertising. On February 3, 2011, Bank of America lawyer Keith Klein went into Superior Court with the very same allegations and was told that the bank had not presented a legitimate complaint against attorney Stein. Bank of America then took those same claims to Defendant Harris and arranged for her to do their bidding, . . .

Defendant Harris disingenuously stated that "her office takes no position as to the legal merits of any claims asserted in the mass joinder lawsuits filed by defendants." Yet she clearly has taken a position by seeking to remove the single most effective lawyer in prosecuting those cases.

Also to the benefit of Bank of America, Harris has chosen to support less able competitors to pursue the mass joinder claims against banks. In fact, the primary evidence cited by Harris against attorney Mr. Stein was provided by an affidavit from attorneys at a competitor law firm, Brookstone Law Group. . . Further, Harris and other Defendants approved and provided cover for a blatantly illegal marketing mailer . . .[which] states unequivocally that anybody signing up with Brookstone Law will receive $75,000 from a "class action settlement." The facts are that such a $75,000 "class action settlement" does not exist and is not close to existing. . . .
Plaintiffs were neither induced nor deceived in any fashion before asking Mr. Stein to represent them. To the contrary, had Harris taken the time to contact Stein's clients, she might have learned that many of Mr. Stein's clients were referred not by advertising but by the offices of California Senator Dianne Feinstein or the Department of Homeland Security. . . .

Mr. Stein was the first attorney to file a lawsuit against the Bank of America – in the California Bank of America litigation -- laying out a massive fraud against homeowners that has since been validated in reports from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, the Government Accountability Office and the Federal Reserve and in a series of lawsuits by AIG, attorneys general and – this week -- the Federal Housing Finance Agency. All of these subsequent reports and lawsuits were built on attorney Stein's foundation. . . .

The simple truth is this: Mitchell Stein and his legal associates, who have built their case load not through fraudulent mailings but through tens of thousands of hours of detective work, are Bank of America's biggest nightmare. And while Defendant Harris claims to be on the side of the California homeowner, she is effectively trying to provide Bank of America, one of the nation's worst corporate citizens in history who is now being sued again by a very recent federal lawsuit, a "get out of jail free card" by silencing attorney Stein. . . .
Defendant Harris has acted as the pawn of America's most powerful banks, rather than in the interests of California homeowners. Plaintiffs refuse to be made victims of Harris' poor judgment. . .

Since Defendants unlawfully shut down the LLP by duping a superior court into believing that it was only shutting down Mitchell Stein's law practice, the LLP's clients have not been given any information about their lawsuits from the attorney general or by Defendant California State Bar, which has reportedly taken over their cases nationwide. Many Plaintiffs are fearful that Defendant Harris has shared their files with the very banks they are suing. Some have been told they cannot get their personal legal files for at least three years. By that time, if the evidence of fraud is correct, their homes will be long gone, Bank of America will no longer exist and they will have been denied their day in court.

COURTS:
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York: Case 11CIV 6230.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida: Case 0:11-CV-61967-WJZ
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: Case LACV-117303-CBM(MRWx)