Thursday, February 28, 2013

$3,000 Gets You Literally the Aston Martin of Strollers

Sometime in the past few years mankind took a small step backwards in our development by allowing super-expensive luxury baby strollers to get popular. So popular, in fact, that now even Aston Martin is getting into the game by teaming up with Silver Cross on this over-the-top way to transport a baby. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/EGiI14j9Hls/3000-gets-you-literally-the-aston-martin-of-strollers

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Green Blog: On Our Radar: The Last Coal-Fired Steamship

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to rule soon on whether to allow a car ferry called the Badger to continue to dump ash into Lake Michigan. It?s the last coal-fired steamship operating in American waters. [Associated Press]

Students from over 70 schools gather at Swarthmore College to confer on strategies for persuading their institutions to divest of their shares in fossil fuel companies. The authorities at Swathmore are not enamored of the idea, the college?s board chairman says, although they do want to take steps to help arrest global warming. [French Tribune]

The across-the-board federal spending cuts scheduled to go into effect on Friday are likely to cause further delays in weather and climate satellite programs, potentially reducing the government?s ability to issue accurate early warnings of extreme weather. [Climate Central]

Bad news for minnows: giant nonnative goldfish have invaded Lake Tahoe, seemingly damaging the habitat of small native fish. [University of Nevada, Reno]

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/on-our-radar-the-last-coal-fired-steamship/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Higher indoor humidity inactivates flu virus particles

Feb. 27, 2013 ? Higher humidity levels indoors can significantly reduce the infectivity of influenza virus particles released by coughing, according to research published February 27 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by John Noti and colleagues from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The researchers tested the effect of relative humidity on the capacity of flu virus released in a simulated 'cough' to re-infect cells.

They found that an hour after being released in a room at a relative humidity of 23% or less, 70-77% of viral particles retained their infectious capacity, but when humidity was increased to about 43%, only 14% of the virus particles were capable of infecting cells.

Most of this inactivation occurred within the first fifteen minutes of the viral particles being released in the high-humidity condition. The study concludes that maintaining indoor relative humidity at levels greater than 40% can significantly reduce the infectious capacity of aerosolized flu virus.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.

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Journal Reference:

  1. John D. Noti, Francoise M. Blachere, Cynthia M. McMillen, William G. Lindsley, Michael L. Kashon, Denzil R. Slaughter, Donald H. Beezhold. High Humidity Leads to Loss of Infectious Influenza Virus from Simulated Coughs. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e57485 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057485

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/sNX-ZAws_4Q/130227183456.htm

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ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top_news/ Top science, health, technology and environment news stories, featured on ScienceDaily's home page.en-usWed, 27 Feb 2013 09:51:47 ESTWed, 27 Feb 2013 09:51:47 EST60ScienceDaily: Top Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gifhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top_news/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily.Discovery on animal memory opens doors to research on memory impairment diseaseshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085944.htm A new study offers the first evidence of source memory in a nonhuman animal. The findings have fascinating implications, both in evolutionary terms and for future research into the biological underpinnings of memory, as well as the treatment of diseases marked by memory failure such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's, or disorders such as schizophrenia, PTSD and depression.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085944.htmNew fabrication technique could provide breakthrough for solar energy systemshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085942.htm Scientists are using a novel fabrication process to create ultra-efficient solar energy rectennas capable of harvesting more than 70 percent of the sun's electromagnetic radiation and simultaneously converting it into usable electric power.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085942.htmLearning and stress: Hormone Homer prevents stress-induced cognitive deficitshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085908.htm Before examinations and in critical situations, we need to be particularly receptive and capable of learning. However, acute exam stress and stage fright causes learning blockades and reduced memory function. Scientists have now discovered a mechanism responsible for these cognitive deficits, which functions independently of stress hormones. In animal studies, the researchers show that social stress reduces the volume of Homer-1 in the hippocampus -- a region of the brain that plays a central role in learning.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085908.htmSame-sex cohabitors less healthy than those in heterosexual marriages, study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085706.htm Same-sex cohabitors report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a new study, which may provide fuel for gay marriage proponents.Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:57:57 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227085706.htmShip noise makes crabs get crabbyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194012.htm A new study found that ship noise affects crab metabolism, with the largest crabs faring the worst, and found little evidence that crabs acclimatize to noise over time.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194012.htmSelf help books and websites can benefit severely depressed patientshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194010.htm Patients with more severe depression show at least as good clinical benefit from 'low-intensity' interventions, such as self help books and websites, as less severely ill patients, suggests a new article.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194010.htmIncreased risk of sleep disorder narcolepsy in children who received swine flu vaccinehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htm A study finds an increased risk of narcolepsy in children and adolescents who received the A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine (Pandemrix) during the pandemic in England.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194006.htmJust a drop? Alcohol consumption much higher than reported in Englandhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226193908.htm Alcohol consumption could be much higher than previously thought, with more than three quarters of people in England drinking in excess of the recommended daily alcohol limit, according to a new article.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:39:39 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226193908.htmBiting back: Snake venom contains toxic clotting factorshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226193845.htm The powerful venom of the saw-scaled viper Echis carinatus contains both anticoagulants and coagulants according to a new study. These may be a source of potent drugs to treat human disease. The saw-scaled viper family Echis, responsible for most snake attacks on humans, are recognizable by the ?sizzling? noise they make, produced by rubbing together special serrated scales, when threatened. Echis venom causes coagulopathy, which can result in symptoms ranging from lack of blood clotting, hemorrhage, renal failure and stroke.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226193845.htmMuscle, skin and gastrointestinal problems cause a quarter of patients with heart disease and strokes to stop treatment in HPS2-THRIVE trialhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226193840.htm The largest randomized study of the vitamin niacin in patients with occlusive arterial disease (narrowing of the arteries) has shown a significant increase in adverse side-effects when it is combined with statin treatment.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226193840.htmLinking insulin to learning: Insulin-like molecules play critical role in learning and memoryhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226162837.htm Though it's most often associated with disorders like diabetes, scientists have shown how the pathway of insulin and insulin-like peptides plays another critical role in the body -- helping to regulate learning and memory.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:28:28 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226162837.htmLong-term use of medication does not improve symptoms for heart failure patientshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226162725.htm Among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, long-term treatment with the medication spironolactone improved left ventricular diastolic function but did not affect maximal exercise capacity, patient symptoms, or quality of life, according to a new study.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:27:27 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226162725.htmPolice and firefighters at higher risk for mental disorders following traumatic eventshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141256.htm New research suggests that exposure to diverse types of traumatic events among protective services workers is a risk factor for new onset of psychopathology and alcohol use disorders.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141256.htmSimple method devised for determining atrial fibrillation risk in womenhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141254.htm Researchers have devised and tested a simple atrial fibrillation risk prediction model, based on six easily obtained factors: A woman's age, height, weight, blood pressure, alcohol consumption and smoking history.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141254.htmTexting Gloves Dangerous in Winter, Says experthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141235.htm Fingers are one of the first body parts to suffer from the cold and popular fingerless texting gloves can lead to frostbite and in worst cases, amputation, says an expert.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141235.htmLeatherback sea turtle could be extinct within 20 years at last stronghold in the Pacific Oceanhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141233.htm An international team led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has documented a 78 percent decline in the number of nests of the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) at the turtle's last stronghold in the Pacific Ocean.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141233.htmNovel combination therapy shuts down escape route, killing glioblastoma tumor cellshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135525.htm Scientists have uncovered an unexpected, but important molecular mechanism of mTOR inhibitor resistance and a novel drug combination that reverses this resistance using low dose arsenic in mice. The mTOR pathway is hyperactivated in 90 percent of glioblastomas, the most lethal brain cancer in adults. The data suggest a new approach for treatment of glioblastoma.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:55:55 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135525.htmGenetic variation behind acute myeloid leukemia treatment success identifiedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135523.htm Researchers are working to identify genetic variations that may help signal which acute myeloid leukemia patients will benefit or not benefit from one of the newest antileukemic agents.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:55:55 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135523.htmEvolution and the ice agehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135241.htm Scientists are discovering how the evolution of ecosystems has to be taken into account when speculating between different geological eras. Go back to the time of the dinosaurs or to the single-celled organisms at the origins of life, and it is obvious that ecosystems existing more than 65 million years ago and around four billion years ago cannot be simply surmised from those of today.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:52:52 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135241.htmPersistent negative attitude can undo effectiveness of exposure therapy for phobiashttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135154.htm Because confronting fear won?t always make it go away, researchers suggest that people with phobias must alter memory-driven negative attitudes about feared objects or events to achieve a more lasting recovery from what scares them the most.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:51:51 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135154.htmNotion of using herceptin only for HER2-positive breast cancer challengedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135109.htm New research finds that the protein HER2 plays a role even in breast cancers that would traditionally be categorized as HER2-negative ? and that the drug Herceptin, which targets HER2, may have an even greater role for treating breast cancer and preventing its spread.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:51:51 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135109.htmNew design could reduce complications in hip replacementhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135107.htm Andrew Murtha, a second-year medical student, hopes to specialize in orthopedic medicine. A unique opportunity to collaborate with experienced researchers not only gave him a head start in his medical career, but also allowed him to develop a new design for an artificial hip that should help reduce post-operative complications.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:51:51 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135107.htmFor some, surgical site infections are in the geneshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135103.htm An estimated 300,000 U.S. patients get surgical site infections every year, and while the causes are varied, a new study suggests that some who get an infection can blame it partly on their genes.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:51:51 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135103.htmResearchers test holographic technique for restoring visionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226134259.htm Researchers are testing the power of holography to artificially stimulate cells in the eye, with hopes of developing a new strategy for bionic vision restoration. Computer-generated holography, they say, could be used in conjunction with a technique called optogenetics, which uses gene therapy to deliver light-sensitive proteins to damaged retinal nerve cells. In conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), these light-sensing cells degenerate and lead to blindness.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226134259.htmEating well could help spread disease, water flea study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226120551.htm Plentiful food can accelerate the spread of infections, scientists have shown in a study of water fleas. Scientists studying bacterial infections in tiny water fleas have discovered that increasing their supply of food can speed up the spread of infection.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:05:05 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226120551.htmNon-brittle glass possible: In probing mysteries of glass, researchers find a key to toughnesshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114023.htm Glass doesn't have to be brittle. Scientists propose a way of predicting whether a given glass will be brittle or ductile -- a property typically associated with metals like steel or aluminum -- and assert that any glass could have either quality.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114023.htmConnecting the (quantum) dots: First viable high-speed quantum computer moves closerhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114021.htm Scientists have developed a new method that better preserves the units necessary to power lightning-fast electronics, known as qubits. Hole spins, rather than electron spins, can keep quantum bits in the same physical state up to 10 times longer than before, the report finds.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114021.htmCell discovery could hold key to causes of inherited diseaseshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113830.htm Fresh insights into the protective seal that surrounds the DNA of our cells could help develop treatments for inherited muscle, brain, bone and skin disorders. Researchers have discovered that the proteins within this coating -- known as the nuclear envelope -- vary greatly between cells in different organs of the body.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113830.htmClever battery completes stretchable electronics package: Can stretch, twist and bend -- and return to normal shapehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113828.htm Researchers have demonstrated a stretchable lithium-ion battery -- a flexible device capable of powering their innovative stretchable electronics. The battery can stretch up to 300 percent of its original size and still function -- even when stretched, folded, twisted and mounted on a human elbow. The battery enables true integration of electronics and power into a small, stretchable package that is wirelessly rechargeable.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113828.htmControlling element of Huntington's disease discovered: Molecular troika regulates production of harmful proteinhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113826.htm A three molecule complex may be a target for treating Huntington's disease, a genetic disorder affecting the brain.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113826.htmEat too much? Maybe it's in the bloodhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113824.htm Bone marrow cells that produce brain-derived eurotrophic factor, known to affect regulation of food intake, travel to part of the hypothalamus in the brain where they "fine-tune" appetite, said researchers in a new article.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113824.htmNew tool for measuring frozen gas in ocean floor sedimentshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113440.htm Scientists have developed an instrument capable of simulating the high pressures and low temperatures needed to create hydrate in sediment samples.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113440.htmBlood vessels 'sniff' gut microbes to regulate blood pressurehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113431.htm Researchers have discovered that a specialized receptor, normally found in the nose, is also in blood vessels throughout the body, sensing small molecules created by microbes that line mammalian intestines, and responding to these molecules by increasing blood pressure.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113431.htmInfrared digital holography allows firefighters to see through flames, image moving peoplehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101454.htm Firefighters now have a new tool that could help save lives. A team of researchers have developed a new technique using digital holography that can "see" people through intense flames -- the first time a holographic recording of a live person has been achieved while the body is moving. The new technique allows imaging through both.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101454.htmWomen's iron intake may help to protect against PMShttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101448.htm In one of the first studies to evaluate whether dietary mineral intake is associated with PMS development, medical researchers assessed mineral intake in approximately 3,000 women in a case-control study.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101448.htmBlueprint for an artificial brain: Scientists experiment with memristors that imitate natural nerveshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101400.htm Scientists have long been dreaming about building a computer that would work like a brain. This is because a brain is far more energy-saving than a computer, it can learn by itself, and it doesn't need any programming. Scientists are experimenting with memristors -- electronic microcomponents that imitate natural nerves.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101400.htmTexting becoming a pain in the neckhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101259.htm Orthopedic surgeon, spine specialist says excessive leaning head forward and down, while looking at a phone or other mobile device could result in what some people call ?text neck.?Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101259.htmUnlimited source of human kidney cells createdhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092142.htm Researchers have successfully generated human kidney cells from human embryonic stem cells in vitro1. Specifically, they produced the renal cells under artificial conditions in the lab without using animals or organs. This has not been possible until now.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092142.htmProtein that may control the spread of cancer discoveredhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092138.htm Researchers have uncovered a novel mechanism that may lead to more selective ways to stop cancer cells from spreading. Cancer biologists have identified the role of the protein RSK2 in cancer cell migration, part of the process of cancer metastasis.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092138.htmKey component of China's pollution problem: Scale of nitrogen's effect on people and ecosystems revealedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092136.htm It's no secret that China is faced with some of the world's worst pollution. Until now, however, information on the magnitude, scope and impacts of a major contributor to that pollution -- human-caused nitrogen emissions -- was lacking.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092136.htmMicroscopy technique could be key to improving cancer treatments with targeted therapeutic drugshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092132.htm For scientists to improve cancer treatments with targeted therapeutic drugs, they need to be able to see proteins prevalent in the cancer cells. This has been impossible, until now. Thanks to a new microscopy technique, medical researchers have now observed how clusters of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) -- a protein abundant in lung and colon cancers, glioblastoma and others -- malfunctions in cancer cells.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092132.htmSuperbugs may have a soft spot, after allhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092130.htm The overuse of antibiotics has created strains of bacteria resistant to medication, making the diseases they cause difficult to treat, or even deadly. But now a research team has identified a weakness in at least one superbug that scientists may be able to medically exploit.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092130.htmNewly observed properties of vacuums: Light particles illuminate the vacuumhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092128.htm Researchers have succeeded in showing experimentally that vacuums have properties not previously observed. According to the laws of quantum mechanics, it is a state with abundant potentials. Vacuums contain momentarily appearing and disappearing virtual pairs, which can be converted into detectable light particles.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092128.htm'Fat worms' inch scientists toward better biofuel productionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092126.htm Fat worms confirm that researchers have successfully engineered a plant with oily leaves -- a feat that could enhance biofuel production as well as lead to improved animal feeds.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092126.htmTaking omega-3 supplements may help prevent skin cancer, new study findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092002.htm Taking omega-3 fish oils could help to protect against skin cancer, according to new research. Scientists just carried out the first clinical trial to examine the impact of the fish oils on the skin immunity of volunteers.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092002.htmPTSD symptoms common among ICU survivorshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081238.htm One in three people who survived stays in an intensive care unit and required use of a mechanical ventilator showed substantial post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms that lasted for up to two years, according to a new study of patients with acute lung injury.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081238.htmBariatric surgery restores pancreatic function by targeting belly fathttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081236.htm Researchers have found that gastric bypass surgery reverses diabetes by uniquely restoring pancreatic function in moderately obese patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081236.htmNow hear this: Forerunners of inner-ear cells that enable hearing identifiedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081234.htm Researchers have identified a group of progenitor cells in the inner ear that can become the sensory hair cells and adjacent supporting cells that enable hearing.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081234.htmProtecting fish from antidepressants by using new wastewater treatment techniquehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081157.htm Researchers have developed a new technique to prevent pharmaceutical residues from entering waterways and harming wildlife.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081157.htmSleep reinforces learning: Children?s brains transform subconsciously learned material into active knowledgehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htm During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day a process even more effective in children than in adults, new research shows.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htmWhen morning sickness lasts all dayhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081023.htm Severe nausea during pregnancy can be fatal, yet very little is known about this condition. Hormonal, genetic and socio-economic factors may all play a role.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081023.htmPain can be a reliefhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081021.htm When something causes less pain than expected it is even possible for it to feel pleasant, a new study reveals. These findings may one day play a key role in treating pain and substance abuse.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081021.htmSweet news for stem cell's 'Holy Grail'http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081014.htm Scientists have used sugar-coated scaffolding to move a step closer to the routine use of stem cells in the clinic and unlock their huge potential to cure diseases from Alzheimer?s to diabetes.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081014.htm3-D atlas of the human heart drawn using statisticshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081010.htm Researchers in Spain have created a high resolution atlas of the heart with 3-D images taken from 138 people. The study demonstrates that an average image of an organ along with its variations can be obtained for the purposes of comparing individual cases and differentiating healthy forms from pathologies.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081010.htmWindmills at sea can break like matcheshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081005.htm Medium-sized waves can break wind turbines at sea like matches. These waves occur even in small storms, which are quite common in the Norwegian Sea.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081005.htmCortisone can increase risk of acute pancreatitishttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225210321.htm A new study shows that cortisone -- a hormone used in certain medicines -- increases the risk of acute pancreatitis. According to the researchers, they suggest that patients treated with cortisone in some forms should be informed of the risks and advised to refrain from alcohol and smoking.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:03:03 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225210321.htmPregnant mother's blood pressure may affect future health of childrenhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201930.htm Up to 10 percent of all women experience some form of elevated blood pressure during pregnancy. Researchers now show that mild maternal hypertension early in pregnancy actually benefits the fetus, but that late pregnancy hypertension has negative health consequences for the child.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201930.htmSmall molecules in the blood might gauge radiation effects after exposurehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201928.htm Researchers have identified molecules in the blood that might gauge the likelihood of radiation illness after exposure to ionizing radiation. The animal study shows that radiation predictably alters levels of certain molecules in the blood. If verified in human subjects, the findings could lead to new methods for rapidly identifying people at risk for acute radiation syndrome after occupational exposures or nuclear reactor accidents, and they might help doctors plan radiation therapy for patients.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201928.htmWasp transcriptome creates a buzzhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201823.htm New research delivers a sting in the tail for queen wasps.? Scientists have sequenced the active parts of the genome ? or transcriptome ? of primitively eusocial wasps to identify the part of the genome that makes you a queen or a worker. Their work shows that workers have a more active transcriptome than queens. This suggests that in these simple societies, workers may be the 'jack-of-all-trades' in the colony - transcriptionally speaking - leaving the queen with a somewhat restricted repertoire.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201823.htmCell scaffolding protein fascin-1 is hijacked by cancerhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201820.htm A protein involved in the internal cell scaffold is associated with increased risk of metastasis and mortality in a range of common cancers finds a meta-analysis. The protein, fascin-1, is involved in bundling together the actin filaments which form the internal scaffolding of a cell and are involved in cell movement.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201820.htm

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/rss/top_news.xml

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Helping Your Business Go Viral - Social Media Marketing Tips ...

Author: Greg James | Total views: 279 Comments: 0
Word Count: 1002 Date:

With today's technology and with everyone on a mobile device, marketing via the Internet and social media is really the only way to go. Social media is a fairly new way to market your business services, but you must learn how to do it to succeed. The article below contains some of the best tips on the subject of social media marketing.

Offer exclusive deals for social media fans. Provide your customers with valuable content and they will show interest in your campaign. Offer unique items through contests. Otherwise, you could just simply provide some special offers for your fans. You can make announcements strictly through a social media page.

In the age of the world wide web it can be easy to forget about printed advertising, but it can be quite beneficial to incorporate your social media marketing campaign with your printed ads. You should include your profile address on the publications and post them on your site. This can help you to generate a greater interest in your products, both online and in print format.

Ensure that you are always updating your blog and sharing it with your social media sites. Post any sales or promotions that you are offering in your blog. Also post updates containing information about vital news, such as changes in your operating hours, closings and new locations opening up. You should also put this into your blog.

Do not take time off during the holidays; this is the best time of the year for business. You can inspire holiday spirit and shopping enjoyment by staying in touch with customers during this busy time. Plan the holidays well ahead of time: come up with fun ideas for contests, giveaways or coupons. Customers will pick up on this.

If you have a tough time with formatting, use a list format for the next article you post on your social networking profiles. Doing this will allow you to display important information in an easy to digest manner that lets reader see what's most important. Social media users are usually young people with short attention spans, so this format will get them the information they need without a lot of filler to read through.

Use the Twitter API to keep your feed interesting. This can be performed so that other people's blog posts can be auto-tweeted. Find good blogs that are trustworthy and updated frequently to share with the followers you have. This will help to keep your page new and fresh.

When you publish something new on your company blog, be sure to repost it at your social media venues. By back-linking to your blog, you will be able to tell your social media followers that you have new content available.

Stay active! You can't be successful without being social. If you don't have any activity, then your social media campaign is not going to succeed. Being active can spark the interest of your followers and help you be more successful.

Games on Facebook are something to look into. Creating a game around your product or service will be a fun way to introduce it to a large audience. Some popular brands have been extremely successful with Facebook's games, which turned into viral phenomenons. It's worth the cost to pay a professional design team to create the app, and market it on social media!

Through helping others and commenting on social media posts, you can boost your positioning as an industry expert. This will consistently bring new business your way because of your expertise. Find questions about your industry and give quality answers. Specific and useful knowledge will help you gain customers that you may not have been able to find without SMM.

Create new content frequently, and update it often. If you post daily or more often, your customers will get in the habit of checking your feed regularly. If you rarely post, many customers will stop frequenting your page. Make a posting schedule, or use a company that will post for you in specific time intervals. You will also keep a schedule with your readers.

An effective way to use Twitter for social marketing purposes is to organize a group chat, commonly called a Twitter party. A Twitter party involves a number of people gathering on Twitter and talking about a topic chosen in advance, using a unique hashtag to track the conversation. Get a few bloggers to join and give advice to customers. Make sure you choose influential bloggers who will write about the upcoming party and attract their own crowd.

Be sure to think of eye-catching headings for your posts. This is the first thing that a reader sees, so it can make or break the deal. You must get their attention and keep them interested enough to read all of your content. So careful thought is necessary when thinking up headlines and titles to catch the readers attention.

If you have a blog or a site, you need to ensure that people can subscribe to it easily. Make sure you subscribe and share buttons are visible on your social media pages. When you put it in a noticeable location, it will help your fans sign up easier. Remember, some people may have very slow Internet connections, so it is best to have the subscribe button as the first thing that loads on your page.

Hopefully, the idea of launching a marketing push in social media is now looking a little less complex to you. Once you choose to start such an effort, continuing to educate yourself in trends and techniques will take you far. Consistent yields are the result of constant effort, so apply the ideas and insights from the preceding paragraphs, and block out whatever hours are needed to provide fresh content to your social media profiles with regularity.

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AddThis Social Bookmark Button -- HTML code --

1: Understanding Online Business Success

Starting a home based business to earn income online takes a significant amount of time and energy upfront to get things going. Not seeing results immediately can be discouraging and cause people to give up too early. In this article, we look at the process of starting a home based business and working through the frustrations to be there when the sales come flowing in.

2: Why You Need To Build Multiple Streams of Income For Yourself

Being an entrepreneur and earning multiple streams of income is a dream that many have, but in reality it does take some initial hard work to achieve this. Earning multiple streams of income is the wave of the future, and here are some tips and advice for you when you are looking for ways in which to do this for yourself.

3: What is Cyber Marketing And Why It Is So Important For The Success Of Your Website

Cyber marketing has now become an indispensable segment of e-commerce as well as the internet and World Wide Web related topics. Cyber marketing simply refers to a technique of attracting potential customers by advertising your products or services through such means as websites, emails, and banners.

4: Article Marketing Strategy: Putting Together a "Class Schedule" For Your Article Topics

Businesses go to so much trouble when there is one sure-fire, simple, very inexpensive way to attract new clients to a business: Teach a free class. That is what article marketing is like. Your articles are just like free classes. You teach your target readers something helpful in your article. Your resource box then says, "If you enjoyed this article you can visit my website and apply what you have learned."

5: The Best Way To Optimise Your Website SEO For Google Panda

If you want your SEO to work you now need to concentrate on appeasing Google Panda, and to do this you need to know what Google Panda's spiders/bots will be looking for. Find out here how to search engine optimise your website for the latest Google Panda algorithm, and achieve the success you deserve.

Source: http://www.content4reprint.com/internet-marketing/helping-your-business-go-viral-social-media-marketing-tips.htm

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Melissa King, Miss Teen Delaware USA, Resigns Crown After PORN Video Surfaces!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/melissa-king-miss-teen-delaware-resigns-crown-after-porn-surface/

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Orders jump for key US long-lasting factory goods

In this Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 photo, Andy Anderson, a salesman at the Aggressive Appliances store in Orlando, Fla., looks over washers and dryers on display. Orders for U.S. factory goods that signal business investment plans jumped in January by the most in more than a year, suggesting companies are confident about their business prospects. The Commerce Department said Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, that orders for so-called core capital goods, which include industrial machinery, construction equipment and computers, rose 6.3 percent in January from December. A sharp fall in demand for commercial aircraft caused overall durable goods orders to drop 5.2 percent, the first decline since August. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 photo, Andy Anderson, a salesman at the Aggressive Appliances store in Orlando, Fla., looks over washers and dryers on display. Orders for U.S. factory goods that signal business investment plans jumped in January by the most in more than a year, suggesting companies are confident about their business prospects. The Commerce Department said Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, that orders for so-called core capital goods, which include industrial machinery, construction equipment and computers, rose 6.3 percent in January from December. A sharp fall in demand for commercial aircraft caused overall durable goods orders to drop 5.2 percent, the first decline since August. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 photo, washers and dryers are displayed at an Aggressive Appliances store in Orlando, Fla. Orders for U.S. factory goods that signal business investment plans jumped in January by the most in more than a year, suggesting companies are confident about their business prospects. The Commerce Department said Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, that orders for so-called core capital goods, which include industrial machinery, construction equipment and computers, rose 6.3 percent in January from December. A sharp fall in demand for commercial aircraft caused overall durable goods orders to drop 5.2 percent, the first decline since August. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 photo, a salesman shows customers washers and dryers at Aggressive Appliances store in Orlando, Fla. Orders for U.S. factory goods that signal business investment plans jumped in January by the most in more than a year, suggesting companies are confident about their business prospects. The Commerce Department said Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, that orders for so-called core capital goods, which include industrial machinery, construction equipment and computers, rose 6.3 percent in January from December. A sharp fall in demand for commercial aircraft caused overall durable goods orders to drop 5.2 percent, the first decline since August. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

(AP) ? Orders for U.S. factory goods that signal business investment plans jumped last month by the most in more than a year, suggesting companies are confident about their business prospects.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that orders for so-called core capital goods, which include industrial machinery, construction equipment and computers, rose 6.3 percent in January from December. A sharp fall in demand for commercial aircraft caused overall durable goods orders to drop 5.2 percent, the first decline since August.

Orders for commercial aircraft are volatile from month to month and can cause large swings in the overall figure. Boeing reported orders for only two planes in January, down from 183 in December. Orders for defense equipment also plummeted by the most in more than 12 years.

Durable goods are items expected to last at least three years.

The increase in core capital goods suggests companies are willing to expand their production capacities despite worries that automatic government spending cuts will slow the economy in the coming months.

"The fact remains that capital spending appears to be holding up very well," Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategist at BTIG, a brokerage firm. "In fact, it appears to be accelerating."

Still, the jump in orders wasn't broad-based and occurred mostly in machinery and manufactured metal products. Orders for computers and communications equipment both fell and orders for autos and auto parts were unchanged.

And even with the increase, orders have mostly just recovered last year's losses. Total core capital goods orders reached $67.7 billion in January, just above December 2011's level.

Several economists warned that orders were likely to fall in the coming months after such a big gain.

"We don't expect businesses suddenly to throw caution to the wind," Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics, said in a note to clients.

About $85 billion in spending cuts are scheduled to kick in Friday and there is little sign that the White House and Congress will reach a deal to avoid them. Defense Department officials may have slowed purchases in January in anticipation of the cutbacks.

Business investment plans have held up in recent months despite the uncertainty surrounding tax and spending policies. Core capital goods orders dipped 0.3 percent in December but posted strong gains of 3.3 percent in November and 3 percent in October.

The report suggests U.S. manufacturing is strengthening. The Institute for Supply Management said earlier this month that factory activity grew in January at the fastest pace in nine months. Measures of new orders and hiring both rose.

But industrial production fell in January after two months of increases, the Federal Reserve said. Much of the decline reflected a big drop in auto production that was likely temporary. The auto industry is coming off its best year for sales in five years. Sales continue to rise, so production will likely rebound in February.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-27-Durable%20Goods/id-e09a094b56b9442eb4f5a53529a9bc6f

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The Place of Review Filters in Local Search | We Build eCommerce ...

Posted by David Mihm

In its recent report on "Yelp's Rocky Relationship with Small Businesses," PBS Media Shift was the latest mainstream media outlet to cover one of the most controversial topics in all of local search: search engines' filtering of customer reviews.

The topic first came to prominence four years ago in Kathleen Richards' landmark piece on Yelp's aggressive sales pitches -- or extortion, depending on your perspective and whom you believe. While I was never fully convinced of corporate misbehavior on Yelp's part, the company hasn't done itself any favors by continuing to allow its field operatives to use?deceptive sales tactics. Despite?its best efforts to educate?both business owners and everyday users of the site,?the poor reputation of Yelp's salespeople continues to contribute to confusion around review filtering among the small business community. I hope to be able to clear up some of that confusion with this post and offer a few tactical tips to help avoid the frustration these filters can cause.

Why review filters exist

As local search usage among the general public has exploded over the last several years, more and more directories have (rightly) seen reviews as a way to:

  • Gauge the offline popularity of a business in their algorithms
  • Provide better insight to searchers into the experience at that business
  • Increase the "stickiness" of their sites by increasing the sense of community
  • Get out of Google's Panda/Farmer purgatory by adding unique user content

In many ways, Yelp was ahead of its time on all four of these bullet points, and as a result, it had to tackle the inevitable review spam that accompanied its popularity. ?

Its answer was arguably the first widespread local review filter: an algorithm for detecting and removing spam or suspicious-looking content. ?In Yelp's own words:?

For those of you who couldn't quite keep up with Yelp's version of Micro Machines man, the primary reasons are:

  • To make sure reviews are left by actual people (not robots)
  • To make sure reviews are left by customers?and not just hired third parties
  • To make sure businesses don't leave reviews of themselves

Yelp's CEO, Jeremy Stoppelman, recently gave his own slower version of this rationale in a company-produced video:

How review filters work

While I don't have any detailed knowledge of Yelp's review filter specifically, many comparable filters seem to kick into action if any of the following is present in the content of the review:

  • Use of extreme adjectives or profanity in the review
  • Over-use of keywords in the review
  • Inclusion of links in the review

Another criterion that also tends to trigger filtering is a sudden burst of reviews preceded by or followed by a long lull between them.

Some of the more sophisticated review filters, including Yelp's, take a look at user characteristics, too, including:

  • Total number of reviews a user has left on the site
  • Distribution of ratings across all of a user's reviews
  • Distribution of business types among all of a user's reviews
  • Frequency of reviews that a user has left on the site
  • IP address(es) of the user when leaving reviews

The bottom line is that reviews written by active users have an astronomically-higher likelihood of "sticking" on a local search engine than those written by first-time or infrequent reviewers. And even beyond their stickiness, many local search experts (including myself) speculate that reviews left by active users also influence rankings to a much greater extent than those left by first-time or infrequent reviewers.

?

Problems with review filters

?

?I Can See the Future of Your Google Reviews?by Margaret Shulock is licensed under a?Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at?blumenthals.com

The algorithms behind review filters are far from perfect, as many readers probably know, and Yelp is far from the only local search engine with a review filter. In fact, Google+ has probably accrued more ire from business owners?as a result of its filter in 2012 and 2013 than any other site. ?

Unfortunately, these filters frequently:

  • Lead to?less-informed consumer decisions?about the experience at a business
  • Remove legitimate reviews, especially from less-sophisticated, less-active customers
  • Discourage new users from leaving reviews

All of which leads to frustration from the standpoint of a small business owner.

Avoiding review filters

Yelp is probably the most aggressive of its peers at enforcing its business review guidelines, which also happen to be the most onerous guidelines of any local search engine. ?Yelp's filtering is so aggressive that one in five reviews written on Yelp never shows up on the site!

To sum up those guidelines:

  • Don't ask anyone to review your business on Yelp.
  • Don't ask anyone to review your business on Yelp.
  • Don't ask anyone to review your business on Yelp.

O ye business owner who disobeys those guidelines, beware! ?You run the risk of a public shaming. ?

Although Yelp's guidelines are considerably more onerous than its peers', Google+ is?not far behind in stringency. However, many local search engines are far less prickly about soliciting reviews from customers, or even incentivizing them, and some (including Google) have even engaged in this behavior themselves.

For those who have been caught in the Google+ review filter, Mike Blumenthal has covered your travails?par excellence?and has?authored a most reasonable response. Miriam Ellis and Joy Hawkins have also given excellent advice on this front. ?

Review guidelines at major local search engines

Here are direct links to those guidelines at a few of the biggest players:

The review filters of the future

While the search engines may throttle their level of filtering?from time to time, the review filter is a local search institution that is?here to stay. ?

The primary methods of these filters, though, I think will change pretty dramatically. Rather than judging a review by its content or looking at website behavior (e.g. how many reviews a user has left for other businesses), the explosion in smartphone adoption is enabling a couple of far less easily-manipulated criteria to judge the veracity of a review.

  • Any local search platform operated by a handset maker (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Nokia, ...Amazon?) could register the device ID at the time of review and tie it to a bonafide human being.
  • Any local search platform that has implemented mobile payment processing (Google, Apple, ...Amazon?, any Square/PayPalHere partner) could disable the ability for a user to leave a review of a retail-category business unless he/she had completed a transaction at the storefront.

And even for those platforms without the handset or payment-processing advantage, requiring location-awareness for users of mobile applications prior to leaving a review seems like a no-brainer (which Yelp has already implemented and Google may be well on its way to doing).

For those sites that are more desktop-dependent, widespread adoption of primary?social logins?(Google+, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) could lead to a baked-in layer of spam-fighting. ?

As Eric Schmidt?recently said:

?Within search results, information tied to verified online profiles will be ranked higher than content without such verification, which will result in most users naturally clicking on the top (verified) results. The true cost of remaining anonymous, then, might be irrelevance.?

In some industries (e.g., DUI law, plastic surgery, psychology), anonymity may be a pre-requisite for any user reviews and these local search platforms may need a Plan B. But for most industries, requiring some sort of verified social profile would solve a lot of problems.

Facebook, of course, has a huge leg up on everyone else based on its knowledge of a user's social connections. Google+, meanwhile, could look at a user's activity across Google's entire range of products (web search, Gmail, YouTube, etc.) to stop spammers in their tracks. ?

While consumer privacy concerns around these mechanisms for review filtering may arise, many business owners would likely rejoice at a truer, less bug-ridden filtering algorithm and a more accurate and complete representation of their customers' experience.

Well, that's enough out of me for this week! How about you? What are some of your strategies for avoiding these dreaded review filters? What other methods of filtering do you see coming to Local Search?

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

Source: http://www.austinecommercewebsites.com/2013/02/26/the-place-of-review-filters-in-local-search/

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Mexico arrests head of teacher's union on fraud charges

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico arrested the head of the main teachers' union on fraud and embezzlement charges on Tuesday, striking out at a high-profile opponent of the new government's reform efforts and seeking to assert President Enrique Pena Nieto's authority.

Attorney General Jesus Murillo said Elba Esther Gordillo was arrested on suspicion of embezzling millions of dollars of union funds for private use, just a day after Pena Nieto signed a major overhaul of Mexican education into law.

Prosecutors accuse her of using intermediaries to move money to bank accounts in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, then back to the United States, where it was used to buy property for Gordillo in San Diego, works of art and plastic surgery.

"Clearly, we're facing a case in which the money of education workers has been misused illegally for the benefit of various people, including Elba Esther Gordillo," Murillo said. "Under this government nobody is above the law."

Gordillo, known as the "The Teacher" in Mexico, is known for her expensive clothes and lavish lifestyle. Critics have for years accused her of corruption.

She was detained at Toluca airport near the capital on Tuesday evening with three other people.

The 68-year-old has held a firm grip over the teachers' union, whose 1.3 million members make it one of the most powerful in Latin America.

She has long been viewed as an impediment to education reform in Mexico, and one of Pena Nieto's first acts in office was to push for a major revamp of the education system.

Gordillo's union fought against Pena Nieto's new education law, which aims to limit union control over hiring and teaching standards in a bid to improve school standards.

Pena Nieto also plans major changes to the Mexican tax system and state oil giant Pemex, a company with its own powerful union that has been accused of corruption.

Gordillo's arrest mirrors the removal of her predecessor Carlos Jonguitud 24 years ago by then-President Carlos Salinas, who took office pledging ambitious reforms, similar to the changes Pena Nieto has vowed since taking office on December 1.

Like Salinas, Pena Nieto belongs to the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which ruled Mexico for most of the 20th century and returned to power last year after 12 years on the sidelines.

The blow to Gordillo harks back to the days when the PRI governed under a strong presidency that brooked no dissent.

Gordillo, was born into poverty in the south of the country and started working as a teacher at 15.

Widowed at 18, she moved to Mexico City, befriended the union leader of the day and began her ascent through the organization's ranks. After Salinas became president in 1988, teachers' protests broke out over wages, and he turned to Gordillo to bring order, naming her union boss.

Gordillo was a heavyweight of Mexican politics and at one point led the PRI in the lower house of Congress. She quickly thwarted government efforts to decentralize education, give parents a bigger role and weaken the union.

But she fell out with PRI leaders ahead of the 2006 presidential election and founded the small New Alliance Party.

(Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Dave Graham, Kieran Murray and Jackie Frank)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mexico-arrests-head-teachers-union-suspicion-fraud-022004391.html

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Tenet swings to profit as hospital visits rise

(Reuters) - Tenet Healthcare Corp on Tuesday reported a fourth-quarter profit versus a year-ago loss as outpatient hospital visits increased and said it sees health reform next year will have a positive impact on earnings.

An estimated 26 million people, many of them now uninsured, are expected to obtain coverage through health insurance exchanges being set up under the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Tenet, the No. 3 for-profit U.S. hospital chain, said it has traditionally served a larger number of uninsured patients than other publicly traded chains. This burden is expected to diminish as those patients are insured through the exchanges, beginning in 2014.

"We see a lot of upside in our markets," Tenet Chief Executive Trevor Fetter said on a conference call.

Fetter said Tenet recently signed its first contracts with three Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans for health insurance to be sold through the exchanges, covering about 30 percent of its hospitals. The plans have a similar structure as its commercial contracts, with a pricing discount of less than 10 percent from current rates.

"Where we have accepted any discount at all, it is for additional market share," Fetter said.

Tenet posted fourth-quarter earnings of $49 million, or 45 cents a share, compared with a loss of $76 million, or 70 cents a share, a year earlier, when the company took a large charge for the early retirement of debt.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased 16.7 percent to $336 million. Net operating revenue rose 7.3 percent to $2.33 billion.

Tenet reiterated its outlook for 2013 EBITDA of $1.325 billion to $1.425 billion.

In the fourth quarter, Dallas-based Tenet said adjusted patient admissions rose 2.9 percent, with outpatient visits up 7.3 percent and outpatient surgeries climbing 13.9 percent. Total admissions were flat, while emergency room visits increased 8.6 percent.

Uninsured and charity admissions rose 1.1 percent. Bad debt expenses as a percentage of revenue was 7.9 percent, up from 7.7 percent from a year ago, as more uninsured patients sought treatment, Tenet said.

Tenet shares were down 1.4 percent at $37.12 on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Susan Kelly in Chicago; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Maureen Bavdek and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tenet-swings-profit-outpatient-visits-rise-134540702--sector.html

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Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 Is Finally Available for Download

Windows 7 users are finally getting Internet Explorer 10. They'll be auto-upgraded in a few weeks, but you can go ahead and download the updated browser starting today. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/MHWkuA1PxM8/internet-explorer-10-for-windows-7-is-finally-available-for-download

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Comments - Columbia Faith & Values

You?ve made your picks for the Sweet Sistine, right? If you haven?t, check out the RNS papal brackets.

(Papal basketball fun fact: Pope John Paul II was an honorary member of the Harlem Globetrotters. True.)

This is a brutal tourney. Just look what happened to Scottish Cardinal Keith O?Brien. Had to resign after sex-abuse allegations.? . . . . And then there were 115. (Cardinals of voting age in the conclave.)

Picking the pope ain?t for the faint-hearted, David Gibson explains.

It?s also not for the tardy. Cardinals who have not already booked their flights to Rome better hurry up, as Benedict XVI, who resigns on Thursday, has decided to allow the College of Cardinals to waive the usually required 15-20 day waiting period between the end of the pontificate and the beginning of the conclave.

Benedict will be ?His Holiness Benedict XVI, Roman pontiff emeritus? in retirement. He gets to keep the cassock, but will lose the red shoes.

Benedict?s critics say he leaves a holy mess at the Vatican.

For the new pope?s eyes only: the Vatileaks investigation report.

Send peanut butter, says New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, if the conclave meets past Palm Sunday.

Read the rest of the roundup?for the latest in other religion news, such as apologies -- including the one Fox News made to Wiccans.

Source: http://columbiafavs.com/faith/leaders-and-institutions/tuesdays-religion-news-roundup-sweet-sistine-pontiff-emeritus-sorry-wiccans

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Iran scoffs at Oscar-winning 'Argo'

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iranian officials on Monday dismissed the Oscar-winning film "Argo" as pro-CIA, anti-Iran propaganda, but some young, moderate Iranians welcomed it as a fresh view of recent history.

The movie, based on the escape of six American hostages from the besieged U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, has not been screened in any Iranian theaters.

But many Iranians have seen it nevertheless. In downtown Tehran, bootleg DVDs of "Argo" sell for about 30,000 rials, or less than $1.

The movie has set off a spirited debate that exposed a generational divide.

Iranians who took part in the 1979 Islamic Revolution picked apart the portrayals of Tehran at the time. But those too young to recall the events had a different view.

"I want to know what the other side is saying," said Shieda, a 21-year-old University of Tehran student, who gave only her first name for fear of a possible backlash for speaking with foreign media.

Tehran City Council member Masoomeh Ebtekar ? who was one of the students who occupied the U.S. Embassy and acted as the spokeswoman for the captors? says the film exaggerates the violence among crowds that stormed the compound in November 1979.

Fifty-two Americans were held hostage for 444 days, but a handful of Embassy staff were sheltered by the Canadian ambassador. Their escape, using a fake movie as a cover story, is recounted in "Argo."

Ebtekar insists the hostage-takers were mostly students. But other accounts suggest militants and members of the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard were involved.

Iranian Culture Minister Mohammad Hosseini criticized the film.

"The movie is an anti-Iran film. It is not a valuable film from the artistic point of view. It won the prize by resorting to extended advertisement and investment," he said, according to the official IRNA news agency.

He said Hollywood has "distorted history" as part of what Iranian officials call a "soft war."

Iran's state TV called the movie "an advertisement for the CIA."

The semiofficial Mehr news agency called the Oscar "politically motivated" because first lady Michelle Obama at the White House joined Jack Nicholson via video link to Los Angeles to help present the best picture prize.

In contrast, retired teacher Reza Abbasi who saw the Revolution first hand, said the film was realistic.

"I know Hollywood usually changes reality to make it attractive for movie lovers, but more or less it was close to the realities then."

Others said "Argo" shows the need for Iranian filmmakers to deal more with issues from the Revolution.

The moderate Hamshahri newspaper said the movie "targeted the culture and civilization of Iran," but it is worthwhile for Iranians to see a different perspective of the events that led to the collapse of relations between the U.S. and Iran.

"Iranian audiences are seeing a new version of the events for the first time," said a commentary in the newspaper. "This has been a weak point for our TV and cinema industry, which has not produced anything about the (U.S. Embassy takeover) after more than three decades."

Behnam Farahani , 28, a student in Tehran Art University said, he thought competing films "Django" and "Lincoln" were better than "Argo" in terms of structure and theme.

"They deserved more attention. Argo was just a political movie, it was a narration of a political event."

Mohammad Amin Sharifi, a movie fan in Tehran, was less harsh.

"In my opinion, it's a nice movie from technical aspects, and it was on the scale of Hollywood movies. But I don't think it was worth a nomination for Oscar and other awards," he said.

Iran's state-run film industry boycotted this year's Oscars in the wake of an Internet video clip made in the U.S. denigrating the Prophet Muhammad that set off protests across the Muslim world.

The affair was not related to "Argo."

Last year, Iranian director Asghar Farhadi won the Oscar for best foreign film for "A Separation," Iran's first Oscar.

A month before it won, Iranian authorities ordered the closure of the House of Cinema, an independent film group that operated for 20 years and counted Iran's top filmmakers, including Farhadi, among its members.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-scoffs-oscar-winning-argo-094025276.html

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Extremely high estrogen levels may underlie complications of single-birth IVF pregnancies

Feb. 25, 2013 ? Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have identified what may be a major factor behind the increased risk of two adverse outcomes in pregnancies conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Two papers published in the journal Fertility and Sterility support the hypothesis that extremely high estrogen levels at the time of embryo transfer increase the risk that infants will be born small for their gestational age and the risk of preeclampsia, a dangerous condition that can threaten the lives of both mother and child. They also outline a protocol that reduced those risks in a small group of patients.

Both papers addressed IVF pregnancies resulting in a single live birth, not multiple-birth pregnancies which continue to be the most significant risk factor of any assisted reproduction technology. But even single-birth IVF pregnancies are more likely than unassisted single-birth pregnancies to result in premature delivery, low birth weight and other serious complications. In the January 2013 issue of the journal, the investigators at the MGH's Vincent Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology report that freezing embryos of women who had excessively elevated estrogen at the time of egg retrieval, followed by embryo transfer in a later reproductive cycle when hormonal levels were closer to those of a natural cycle, significantly reduced the percentage of small newborns and eliminated the incidence of preeclampsia in a small group of patients.

"We've known for a long time that singleton pregnancies conceived by IVF were at higher risk of these adverse outcomes, but the reasons were unknown," says Anthony Imudia, MD, of the MGH Fertility Center, lead author of both articles. "Now we know which facet of IVF might be responsible, which will allow us to identify at-risk patients and implement ways of averting those risks."

At most fertility centers, IVF involves a sequence of coordinated events that stimulate the ovaries in a way that leads to the growth and maturation of several eggs at the same time. Prior to ovulation the eggs are retrieved for fertilization outside the mother's body. If fertilization is successful, embryos that appear to be developing normally are transferred into the woman's uterus within 5 days of egg retrieval in a process called fresh embryo transfer.

Egg cells grow and mature in ovarian sacs called follicles, which release estrogen, so the development of multiple maturing follicles can lead to significantly elevated estrogen levels. Animal studies have suggested that excessively elevated estrogen early in pregnancy can interfere with the development of the placenta, and other research has associated placental abnormalities with increased risk for both preeclampsia and delivery of small newborns.

In the June 2012 issue of Fertility and Sterility, the MGH team reported that -- among almost 300 IVF pregnancies that resulted in the birth of a single infant from 2005 through 2010 -- the women whose estrogen levels right before egg retrieval were highest had significantly greater incidence of preeclampsia and of delivering infants small for their gestational age. Women whose peak estrogen levels were at or above the 90th percentile had a nine-fold greater risk of a small infant and a five-fold greater risk of preeclampsia than women with lower peak estrogen levels.

To follow up that observation, the MGH team examined how a protocol instituted for mothers at risk of a complication of fertility treatment called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) might affect the apparent risks associated with extremely high estrogen levels. At the MGH Fertility Center, if the estrogen levels for IVF patients exceed 4,500 pg/mL on the day they are scheduled to receive a hormonal trigger of final egg cell maturation -- indicating increased risk for OHSS -- standard practice is to counsel patients on alternatives. These included postponing the procedure until a future IVF cycle or proceeding with egg retrieval and fertilization but freezing the embryos for implantation in a later cycle to allow time for the ovary to recover.

The team's January Fertility and Sterility report compared the outcomes of 20 patients who choose to have their embryos frozen and implanted later because of their risk of OHSS with those of 32 patients with pre-retrieval estrogen levels over 3,450 pg/mL who proceeded with fresh embryo transfer. Only 10 percent of the infants of mothers who choose embryo freezing and transfer in a subsequent cycle were small for their gestational age, compared with 35 percent of the infants of mothers who had fresh embryo transfer. While the incidence of preeclampsia after fresh embryo transfer was almost 22 percent, none of the patients who chose embryo freezing with later implantation developed preeclampsia.

"Our center takes a very individualized and conservative approach to ovarian stimulation, so fewer than 10 percent of our patients had extremely high estrogen levels of greater than 3,450 pg/mL," says Imudia, who is an instructor in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School. "If other centers validate our findings by following the same approach and achieving similar outcomes, we would recommend that each patient's hormonal dosage be adjusted to try and keep her estrogen levels below 3,000 pg/mL. If the estrogen level exceeds this threshold, the patient could be counseled regarding freezing all embryos for transfer in subsequent cycles, when her hormone levels are closer to that of a natural cycle."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Massachusetts General Hospital, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Anthony N. Imudia, Awoniyi O. Awonuga, Anjali J. Kaimal, Diane L. Wright, Aaron K. Styer, Thomas L. Toth. Elective cryopreservation of all embryos with subsequent cryothaw embryo transfer in patients at risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome reduces the risk of adverse obstetric outcomes: a preliminary study. Fertility and Sterility, 2013; 99 (1): 168 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.08.060

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/ExYwEf6xmzQ/130225131624.htm

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