Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/287635241?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Wednesday 27 February 2013
Airbus parent EADS sees Q4 earnings fall
BERLIN (AP) ? Airbus parent company EADS NV posted a 47 percent drop in fourth-quarter net profit Wednesday after taking costly charges at its helicopter and defense electronics divisions.
The aerospace giant earned ?325 million ($425 million) in the October-December period, down from the previous year's ?612 million.
But full-year earnings were up 19 percent at ?1.23 billion from ?1.03 billion in 2011.
"There's still some way to go to meet our profitability targets," said chief executive Tom Enders.
Revenues rose 17 percent during the fourth quarter to ?19.22 billion, with the core Airbus division posting a 36 percent increase.
But EADS took a ?198 million hit during the quarter at its defense electronics contractor Cassidian, in part reflecting restructuring costs.
Renegotiating contracts with government customers resulted in a ?100 million charge at helicopter maker Eurocopter.
The company's core business, aircraft maker Airbus, posted a 36 percent increase in revenue during the final three months, rising to ?393 million from ?289 million in 2011. Of that, orders for civilian aircraft brought in ?309 million while military planes garnered ?85 million during the quarter.
Spaceflight division Astrium reported revenues of ?121 million, an increase of 19 percent from ?102 million in the same period the previous year.
EADS said it expects to sell more commercial aircraft ? about 700 ? in 2013. Revenues will grow modestly, it said, but results will be affected by problems with its A350 XWB model.
The A350, intended to challenge Boeing's 787 "Dreamliner," was delayed because of a problem with the plane's wings.
"The A350 XWB program remains challenging," EADS said in a statement. "Any schedule change could lead to increasingly higher impact on provisions."
The company said it is inviting shareholders to an extraordinary meeting March 27 to approve its new governance structure. EADS last year announced sweeping governance changes that will see influence by state shareholders France and Germany shrink.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/airbus-parent-eads-sees-q4-earnings-fall-075810861--finance.html
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Tibetan monks self-immolate in anti-China protest
BEIJING (AP) ? Two Tibetan monks in their early 20s set themselves on fire in protest against Chinese rule near dozens of pilgrims who had gathered for prayers to mark the end of the Tibetan New Year festival, a Tibet rights group said. Both died.
One of the monks, Tsesung Kyab, self-immolated Monday outside a temple in Luqu county in northwestern Gansu province while the other, Phagmo Dundrup, set himself ablaze Sunday at a monastery in neighboring Qinghai province, said the Washington, D.C.-based, International Campaign for Tibet reported.
The ICT said large numbers of religious pilgrims had gathered at both monasteries for prayer ceremonies to commemorate the end of the Tibetan new year festival, Losar. The group says it received images of the self-immolation in Luqu, in which pilgrims watched as Tsesung Kyab was ablaze.
The latest self-immolations bring the total since 2009 to 106. Last week, two Tibetan teenagers set themselves on fire in a double self-immolation in Aba prefecture of Sichuan province, Tibet rights advocacy groups said. Seventeen-year-old Richen and his childhood friend Sonam Dargye, 18, were among the youngest to have died after staging the fiery protests.
The protests have come despite an intensified crackdown in Tibetan areas by Chinese authorities hoping to stop the self-immolations. Authorities have detained and jailed Tibetans they accuse of helping others self-immolate, an act that Beijing now considers a crime.
A woman who answered the phone at the Communist Party's propaganda department in Gannan prefecture, which oversees Luqu county, said she was unaware of the reported self-immolation while county officials could not be reached. Authorities in Qinghai's Haidong prefecture, where the second protest took place, either could not be reached or said they had no information on the case.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tibetan-monks-self-immolate-anti-china-protest-011846664.html
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Infrared digital holography allows firefighters to see through flames, image moving people
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 26-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Angela Stark
astark@osa.org
202-416-1443
Optical Society of America
Other applications could include monitoring breathing, cardiac beat detection and analysis, body deformation measurements during exercise
Firefighters put their lives on the line in some of the most dangerous conditions on Earth. One of their greatest challenges, however, is seeing through thick veils of smoke and walls of flame to find people in need of rescue. A team of Italian researchers has developed a new imaging technique that uses infrared (IR) digital holography to peer through chaotic conflagrations and capture potentially lifesaving and otherwise hidden details. The team describes its breakthrough results and their applications in a paper published today in the Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal Optics Express.
Firefighters can see through smoke using current IR camera technology. However, such instruments are blinded by the intense infrared radiation emitted by flames, which overwhelm the sensitive detectors and limit their use in the field. By employing a specialized lens-free technique, the researchers have created a system that is able to cope with the flood of radiation from an environment filled with flames as well as smoke.
"IR cameras cannot 'see' objects or humans behind flames because of the need for a zoom lens that concentrates the rays on the sensor to form the image," says Pietro Ferraro of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) Istituto Nazionale di Ottica in Italy. By eliminating the need for the zoom lens, the new technique avoids this drawback.
"It became clear to us that we had in our hands a technology that could be exploited by emergency responders and firefighters at a fire scene to see through smoke without being blinded by flames, a limitation of existing technology," Ferraro says. "Perhaps most importantly, we demonstrated for the first time that a holographic recording of a live person can be achieved even while the body is moving."
Holography is a means of producing a 3-D image of an object. To create a hologram, such as those typically seen on credit cards, a laser beam is split into two (an object beam and a reference beam). The object beam is shone onto the object being imaged. When the reflected object beam and the reference beam are recombined, they create an interference pattern that encodes the 3-D image.
In the researchers' new imaging system, a beam of infrared laser light is widely dispersed throughout a room. Unlike visible light, which cannot penetrate thick smoke and flames, the IR rays pass through largely unhindered. The IR light does, however, reflect off of any objects or people in the room, and the information carried by this reflected light is recorded by a holographic imager. It is then decoded to reveal the objects beyond the smoke and flames. The result is a live, 3-D movie of the room and its contents.
The next step in moving this technology to the field is to develop a portable tripod-based system that houses both the laser source and the IR camera. The systems may also be suitable for fixed installation inside buildings or tunnels. In addition, the team is exploring other applications, most notably in the biomedical field for non-destructive testing of large aerospace composite structures.
"Besides life-saving applications in fire and rescue, the potential to record dynamic scenes of a human body could have a variety of other biomedical uses including studying or monitoring breathing, cardiac beat detection and analysis, or measurement of body deformation due to various stresses during exercise," Ferraro says. "We are excited to further develop this technology and realize its application for saving and improving human life."
###
Paper: "Imaging live humans through smoke and flames using far-infrared digital holography," M. Locatelli et al., Optics Express, Vol. 21, Issue 5, pp. 5379-5390 (2013) (link: http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-21-5-5379).
EDITOR'S NOTE: Images and a movie of the new technique are available to members of the media upon request. Contact Angela Stark.
About Optics Express
Optics Express reports on new developments in all fields of optical science and technology every two weeks. The journal provides rapid publication of original, peer-reviewed papers. It is published by the Optical Society and edited by Andrew M. Weiner of Purdue University. Optics Express is an open-access journal and is available at no cost to readers online at www.OpticsInfoBase.org/OE.
About OSA
Uniting more than 180,000 professionals from 175 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 26-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Angela Stark
astark@osa.org
202-416-1443
Optical Society of America
Other applications could include monitoring breathing, cardiac beat detection and analysis, body deformation measurements during exercise
Firefighters put their lives on the line in some of the most dangerous conditions on Earth. One of their greatest challenges, however, is seeing through thick veils of smoke and walls of flame to find people in need of rescue. A team of Italian researchers has developed a new imaging technique that uses infrared (IR) digital holography to peer through chaotic conflagrations and capture potentially lifesaving and otherwise hidden details. The team describes its breakthrough results and their applications in a paper published today in the Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal Optics Express.
Firefighters can see through smoke using current IR camera technology. However, such instruments are blinded by the intense infrared radiation emitted by flames, which overwhelm the sensitive detectors and limit their use in the field. By employing a specialized lens-free technique, the researchers have created a system that is able to cope with the flood of radiation from an environment filled with flames as well as smoke.
"IR cameras cannot 'see' objects or humans behind flames because of the need for a zoom lens that concentrates the rays on the sensor to form the image," says Pietro Ferraro of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) Istituto Nazionale di Ottica in Italy. By eliminating the need for the zoom lens, the new technique avoids this drawback.
"It became clear to us that we had in our hands a technology that could be exploited by emergency responders and firefighters at a fire scene to see through smoke without being blinded by flames, a limitation of existing technology," Ferraro says. "Perhaps most importantly, we demonstrated for the first time that a holographic recording of a live person can be achieved even while the body is moving."
Holography is a means of producing a 3-D image of an object. To create a hologram, such as those typically seen on credit cards, a laser beam is split into two (an object beam and a reference beam). The object beam is shone onto the object being imaged. When the reflected object beam and the reference beam are recombined, they create an interference pattern that encodes the 3-D image.
In the researchers' new imaging system, a beam of infrared laser light is widely dispersed throughout a room. Unlike visible light, which cannot penetrate thick smoke and flames, the IR rays pass through largely unhindered. The IR light does, however, reflect off of any objects or people in the room, and the information carried by this reflected light is recorded by a holographic imager. It is then decoded to reveal the objects beyond the smoke and flames. The result is a live, 3-D movie of the room and its contents.
The next step in moving this technology to the field is to develop a portable tripod-based system that houses both the laser source and the IR camera. The systems may also be suitable for fixed installation inside buildings or tunnels. In addition, the team is exploring other applications, most notably in the biomedical field for non-destructive testing of large aerospace composite structures.
"Besides life-saving applications in fire and rescue, the potential to record dynamic scenes of a human body could have a variety of other biomedical uses including studying or monitoring breathing, cardiac beat detection and analysis, or measurement of body deformation due to various stresses during exercise," Ferraro says. "We are excited to further develop this technology and realize its application for saving and improving human life."
###
Paper: "Imaging live humans through smoke and flames using far-infrared digital holography," M. Locatelli et al., Optics Express, Vol. 21, Issue 5, pp. 5379-5390 (2013) (link: http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-21-5-5379).
EDITOR'S NOTE: Images and a movie of the new technique are available to members of the media upon request. Contact Angela Stark.
About Optics Express
Optics Express reports on new developments in all fields of optical science and technology every two weeks. The journal provides rapid publication of original, peer-reviewed papers. It is published by the Optical Society and edited by Andrew M. Weiner of Purdue University. Optics Express is an open-access journal and is available at no cost to readers online at www.OpticsInfoBase.org/OE.
About OSA
Uniting more than 180,000 professionals from 175 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/osoa-idh022613.php
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Tuesday 26 February 2013
Music Sales Have Biggest Jump in MP3 Age
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/cYX4Z7dwcIU/
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Janet Jackson Married!
Is Janet Jackson married to her long-time beau Wissam Al Mana? That would be yes and as it turns out they have been hitched for quite awhile. Jackson broke the news that she is a married woman to ET Online, where she had this to say about the rumors that she and her hubby wed in a lavish ceremony. “The rumors regarding an extravagant wedding are simply not true. Last year we were married in a quiet, private, and beautiful ceremony. Our wedding gifts to one another were contributions to our respective favorite children’s charities. We would appreciate that our privacy is respected and that we are allowed this time for celebration and joy. With love, Wissam and Janet” Well there you have it straight from the singer herself. She got hitched, is happy and looking for privacy. Here is what I wonder, how have they have managed to keep it quiet for like a year? Why release the statement now?? If you want your privacy that bad just keep ignoring the rumors, which I hadn’t even heard I might add and go on about your business. Just my little two cents there. It really isn’t a surprise they kept [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/CEK_f4oiXk0/
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Wall St trips and falls on cloudy Italian election
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks on Monday suffered their biggest drop since November after a strong showing in Italian elections by groups opposed to the country's economic reforms triggered worry that Europe's debt problems could once again destabilize the global economy.
The decline marks the biggest percentage drop for the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 Index since November7, and drove the S&P down to its lowest close since January 18. The CBOE Volatility Index or VIX, Wall Street's favorite barometer of fear, surged 34 percent, its biggest jump since August 18, 2011.
Selling accelerated late in the trading session after the S&P 500 fell below the 1,500 level, which has acted as a significant support point. Monday marked the S&P's first close under 1,500 since February 4.
Italy's center-left coalition holds a slim lead over former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's center-right bloc in the election for the lower house of parliament, three TV projections indicated. But any government must also command a majority in the Senate, a race that is decided by region.
The resulting gridlock in parliament could lead to new elections and cast into doubt Italy's ability to pay down its debt.
"Europe hasn't gone away as an issue, it is going to hang around, and it is rearing its ugly head today," said Stephen Massocca, managing director of Wedbush Morgan in San Francisco.
"If someone gets elected who is simply not going to play by the rules, what are they going to do? It puts them in a real quandary here because their financial support, their monetary support is all stipulated by the fact that these austerity programs are going to be in place."
Earlier polls pointing to a center-left victory boosted stocks in Milan and other European markets, and also helped lift the S&P 500 to a session high of 1,525.84 on optimism that Italy would continue down its austerity path.
After a strong start to the year, equities have retreated more recently. The S&P 500's slight fall last week was its first weekly drop after a seven-week string of gains.
In Monday's volatile session, banks and other financial stocks were among the worst performers on worries about the sector's exposure to Italy's massive debt. The KBW Bank Index fell 2.7 percent.
The CBOE Volatility Index ended at 18.99, up 34.02 percent.
The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 216.40 points, or 1.55 percent, to 13,784.17 at the close. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 27.75 points, or 1.83 percent, to 1,487.85. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 45.57 points, or 1.44 percent, to 3,116.25.
Although the overall market lost ground on Monday, there were a few bright spots.
Barnes & Noble Inc
Amgen Inc shares climbed 3.1 percent to $89.55, after rival Affymax issued a voluntary recall of its only drug, an anemia treatment that competes with Amgen's top-selling red blood cell booster, Epogen. Affymax shares lost 85.4 percent to $2.42.
The FTSEurofirst-300 index of top European shares edged up 0.04 percent and Italy's main FTSE MIB ended up 0.7 percent after earlier gaining nearly 4 percent.
Political uncertainty on the home front, though, is also on Wall Street's mind.
U.S. equities will face a test with the looming debate over so-called sequestration - U.S. government budget cuts that will take effect starting on Friday if lawmakers fail to reach an agreement over spending and taxes. The White House issued warnings about the harm the cuts are likely to inflict on the economy if enacted.
"Sitting out there is the one-thousand-pound gorilla - the sequester issue - and certainly nothing is happening there," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Group in Bedford Hills, New York.
Lowe's Companies Inc
With 83 percent of the S&P 500 companies having reported results so far, 69 percent beat profit expectations, compared with a 62 percent average since 1994 and 65 percent over the past four quarters, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Fourth-quarter earnings for S&P 500 companies are estimated to have risen 6 percent, according to the data, above a 1.9 percent forecast at the start of the earnings season.
Volume was active with about 7.27 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE MKT and Nasdaq, above the daily average of 6.46 billion.
Declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones on both the NYSE and the Nasdaq by a ratio of about 4 to 1.
(Editing by Kenneth Barry, Nick Zieminski and Jan Paschal)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/p-500-posts-worst-day-since-november-212229403--finance.html
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Monday 25 February 2013
PFT: Desmond Bryant arrested? |? Not that Dez
APIt?s late February.? The Combine is unfolding.? And that means it?s time for scouts to rip or praise players under the cloak of anonymity.
Plenty of writers who publish assessments made by unnamed scouts are now ridiculed when doing so.? The pedigree and accomplishments of Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tend to insulate him from scrutiny, even when his unnamed scouts swing and miss on players like Robert Griffin III.? (Heck, McGinn can even publish Wonderlic numbers without being vilified.)
McGinn assesses the players who could be available when the Packers use their first-round pick, and he shares the insights of a pair of unnamed scouts regarding Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner, a German-born-and-bred prospect who is now poised to fulfill the very unlikely dream of being a first-round draft pick in the NFL.
?He?s good, but I don?t see the special in him,? one unnamed scout said. ?Kind of a try-hard, good football player but nothing special.?
Said another:? ?He?s not a dynamic pass rusher but he seems to get sacks.? He comes off the ball hard but he?s not special.?
Without knowing anything about the team(s) for which these scouts work, there?s no way of knowing whether they?re badmouthing Werner in the hopes that he?ll be available when their team(s) pick.? That?s how it works.? Teams that love a player say bad things about him, wishing for a free fall.? Teams that hate a guy say great things about him, hopeful he?ll be taken early ? pushing down the board players in which the team is actually interested.
With more and more media swarming around the pre-draft process, there?s always someone ready to publish these anonymous assessments.
But citing an ?unnamed scout? tells the audience nothing about the skills or credentials of the scout.? As the late George Carlin used to say (as Carlin himself would say, he?s saying nothing now), there?s a worst doctor in the world ? and someone has an appointment with him tomorrow.? Similarly, there are plenty of scouts who aren?t as skilled as others.? Any time an unnamed scout is being quoted, there?s a chance that he?s the worst of them all.
You know, like the ones who told McGinn last year that, as to RG3, ?[e]verybody is just assuming because of the Heisman and the socks and all that bs. . . . they are ignoring a lot of bad tape that he?s had,? that ?I don?t think he has vision or pocket feel, which to me are the two most important components of quarterbacking,? that ?[h]e?s just running around winging it,? that ?[h]e?s [Michael] Vick, but not as good a thrower,? that ?he?s not as good as Cam Newton,? that ?[a]s much as is written about his athleticism, his athleticism under duress in the pocket isn?t even close to Cam Newton?s,? that ?the only way he gets big plays with his feet is if he?s got a wide-open field and the sea opens for him,? that ?[h]e?s got a little bit of a selfish streak, too,? and that ?[h]e doesn?t treat anybody good.?
Or maybe these unnamed scouts are just good enough to know how to push lies in the hopes of advancing agendas.
Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/24/raiders-desmond-bryant-arrested/related/
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Sunday 24 February 2013
Distinct niches in bone marrow nurture blood stem cells
Public release date: 24-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Caroline Arbanas
arbanasc@wustl.edu
314-286-0109
Washington University School of Medicine
In research that could one day improve the success of stem cell transplants and chemotherapy, scientists have found that distinct niches exist in bone marrow to nurture different types of blood stem cells.
Stem cells in the blood are the precursors to infection-fighting white blood cells and oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
The research, by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is reported Feb. 24 in the advance online edition of Nature.
The new findings, in mice, suggest that it may be possible to therapeutically target support cells in a particular niche. On the one hand, a drug that nourishes support cells could encourage blood stem cells to establish themselves in the bone marrow, enabling patients who have had stem cell transplants to more quickly rebuild their immune systems.
On the other, tumor cells are known to hide in the bone marrow, and a drug that disrupts the niche environment may drive cancer cells into the bloodstream, where they are more vulnerable to the damaging effects of chemotherapy.
"Our results offer hope for targeting these niches to treat specific cancers or to improve the success of stem cell transplants," says senior author Daniel Link, MD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Medicine. "Already, we and others are leading clinical trials to evaluate whether it is possible to disrupt these niches in patients with leukemia or multiple myeloma."
Working in the mice, the researchers selectively deleted a critical gene, CXCL12, which is known to be important for keeping blood stem cells healthy. Rather than knock out the gene in all of the support cells in a niche, the researchers deleted the gene in specific types of support cells. This led to the discovery that each niche holds only certain blood stem cells that are nourished by a unique set of support cells.
"What we found was rather surprising," Link says. "There's not just one niche for developing blood cells in the bone marrow. There's a distinct niche for stem cells, which have the ability to become any blood cell in the body, and a separate niche for infection-fighting blood cells that are destined to become T cells and B cells."
The findings provide a strong foundation for investigating whether disrupting these niches can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
In a phase II pilot study led by Washington University medical oncologist Geoffrey Uy, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Link is evaluating whether the drug G-CSF can alter the stem cell niche in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia whose cancer has recurred or is resistant to treatment. The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration more than 20 years ago to stimulate production of white blood cells in patients undergoing chemotherapy, who often have weakened immune systems and are prone to infections.
But Uy and colleagues will evaluate the drug when it is given before chemotherapy. Patients enrolled in the trial at the Siteman Cancer Center will receive G-CSF for five days before chemotherapy, and the investigators will determine whether it can disrupt the protective environment of the bone marrow niche and make cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy.
While it's too early to know whether the treatment approach will be successful, Link's new research in mice is bolstered by a companion paper in the same issue of Nature. In that research, Sean Morrison, PhD, director of the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, used similar molecular methods to also discover distinct niches in the bone marrow for blood stem cells.
"There's a lot of interest right now in trying to understand these niches," Link adds. "Both of these studies add new information that will be important as we move forward. Next, we hope to understand how stem cell niches can be manipulated to help patients undergoing stem cell transplants."
###
The research is supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants RO1 HL60772 and F30 HL097423)
Greenbaum A, Hsu Y-MS, Day RB, Schuettpelz LG, Christopher MJ, Borgerding JN, Nagasawa T, Link DC. CXCL12 production by early mesenchymal progenitors is required for haemoatopoietic stem-cell maintenance. Nature. Advance online publication Feb. 24, 2013.
Washington University School of Medicine's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 24-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Caroline Arbanas
arbanasc@wustl.edu
314-286-0109
Washington University School of Medicine
In research that could one day improve the success of stem cell transplants and chemotherapy, scientists have found that distinct niches exist in bone marrow to nurture different types of blood stem cells.
Stem cells in the blood are the precursors to infection-fighting white blood cells and oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
The research, by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is reported Feb. 24 in the advance online edition of Nature.
The new findings, in mice, suggest that it may be possible to therapeutically target support cells in a particular niche. On the one hand, a drug that nourishes support cells could encourage blood stem cells to establish themselves in the bone marrow, enabling patients who have had stem cell transplants to more quickly rebuild their immune systems.
On the other, tumor cells are known to hide in the bone marrow, and a drug that disrupts the niche environment may drive cancer cells into the bloodstream, where they are more vulnerable to the damaging effects of chemotherapy.
"Our results offer hope for targeting these niches to treat specific cancers or to improve the success of stem cell transplants," says senior author Daniel Link, MD, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Medicine. "Already, we and others are leading clinical trials to evaluate whether it is possible to disrupt these niches in patients with leukemia or multiple myeloma."
Working in the mice, the researchers selectively deleted a critical gene, CXCL12, which is known to be important for keeping blood stem cells healthy. Rather than knock out the gene in all of the support cells in a niche, the researchers deleted the gene in specific types of support cells. This led to the discovery that each niche holds only certain blood stem cells that are nourished by a unique set of support cells.
"What we found was rather surprising," Link says. "There's not just one niche for developing blood cells in the bone marrow. There's a distinct niche for stem cells, which have the ability to become any blood cell in the body, and a separate niche for infection-fighting blood cells that are destined to become T cells and B cells."
The findings provide a strong foundation for investigating whether disrupting these niches can improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
In a phase II pilot study led by Washington University medical oncologist Geoffrey Uy, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Link is evaluating whether the drug G-CSF can alter the stem cell niche in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia whose cancer has recurred or is resistant to treatment. The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration more than 20 years ago to stimulate production of white blood cells in patients undergoing chemotherapy, who often have weakened immune systems and are prone to infections.
But Uy and colleagues will evaluate the drug when it is given before chemotherapy. Patients enrolled in the trial at the Siteman Cancer Center will receive G-CSF for five days before chemotherapy, and the investigators will determine whether it can disrupt the protective environment of the bone marrow niche and make cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy.
While it's too early to know whether the treatment approach will be successful, Link's new research in mice is bolstered by a companion paper in the same issue of Nature. In that research, Sean Morrison, PhD, director of the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, used similar molecular methods to also discover distinct niches in the bone marrow for blood stem cells.
"There's a lot of interest right now in trying to understand these niches," Link adds. "Both of these studies add new information that will be important as we move forward. Next, we hope to understand how stem cell niches can be manipulated to help patients undergoing stem cell transplants."
###
The research is supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants RO1 HL60772 and F30 HL097423)
Greenbaum A, Hsu Y-MS, Day RB, Schuettpelz LG, Christopher MJ, Borgerding JN, Nagasawa T, Link DC. CXCL12 production by early mesenchymal progenitors is required for haemoatopoietic stem-cell maintenance. Nature. Advance online publication Feb. 24, 2013.
Washington University School of Medicine's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/wuso-dni022213.php
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Get the Rustic Home Look: Farmhouse Wood Floors | Care2 Healthy ...
Nothing could be cozier than farmhouse wood floors. Reclaimed floor boards from a barn that?s been torn down are the ultimate in sustainable wood beauty. It?s sort of crazy to think about creating your own floorboards from reclaimed lumber, but people are doing it. If reclaimed lumber is out of your price range, there are a few ways to fake the look of reclaimed lumber, using inexpensive wooden boards. The floor has such a visual impact. If you are going for the rustic look, start with the floor and work upwards. Here?s how to get that rustic farmhouse floor look, whether you have access to actual reclaimed barnwood, or not.
Fake it ?til you make it: OK, so in totally affluent DIY blogger land, we all have money and transportation to purchase reclaimed floor boards from a farm up in the Hudson Valley that just went up for auction. Um, yeah right. I myself would be working that day, and would be unable to skip work for the day, rent a truck to transport the lumber, and drive up to the farm on auction day to buy and pick up the lumber. For me, as for most working stiffs, doing such a project would take a literal miracle. That does not mean that I could never install my own farmhouse wood floors. It just means that I?d need to fake it ?til I make it. This DIY flooring project by Gina at the Shabby Creek Cottage is a fake barnwood wide plank floor that looks so real?that it is real. I mean, it might not be ?real reclaimed barnwood?, but it is definitely a real farmhouse wood floor. Gina and her DH bought regular old pine planks and screwed them to the subfloor (I personally would have installed a green floor underlayment, but hey, they like their floor so who am I to argue).
Buying reclaimed lumber, already laquered and ready to go: Steve, a home improvement and remodeling expert from Denver, posted this link to Viridian Reclaimed Wood on Hometalk.com. If you?re going the conventional flooring installation route, all you need to do is purchase nice, normal flooring lumber that just happens to be made from reclaimed wood and stained to look like conventional (and rustic, if you?re into that) flooring, and then have your flooring contractor install it. For some people, time is money, and there is something to be said for convenience.
Installing an actual reclaimed barnwood floor, from your own barn: Right, so then there are those people who actually own an old barn, like Rachel from The Rehomesteaders. I?m not romanticizing it, since I know that tearing down a barn and harvesting floorboards from it is not exactly a walk in the park , but at the same time, let us all take a moment to sigh.
Photo of a traditional Japanese farmhouse by Tanaka Juuyah/Flickr.
Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/hot-home-feature-farmhouse-wood-floors.html
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Thursday 21 February 2013
Google Glass' Now-like UI finally revealed, just accept and say 'ok'
If you've been wondering what all the Google this, Glass that fuss is all about, Mountain View's revealed what it'll be like to actually wear the virtual specs with a new video, now that it's announced limited availability. In it, we get to see how the search giant's integrated all its apps and functions in the upcoming wearable computer, how you're likely to use it, and what the results might be. To activate the device, users say "ok, glass," then it's off to the races.
From there, we see a hot air balloonist and ballet dancer initiate video recording and send an email or text with a voice command, which are likely to be jobs one and two for most users. Then, a (hopefully not distracted) stunt plane flyer joins a Google hangout mid-flight and sends real-time video to other members of the group, showing the Google+ and social interaction aspects of Project Glass. Image search is shown off by an ice sculptor, who selects various perspectives of a tiger for some inspiration.
The lost and confused are shown navigating their way through New York streets, the Golden Gate bridge, an airport and a ski hill to highlight Google's latest Maps and Now goodies, while a tourist all-too-happy with his Thai meal learns the word for delicious in that language using Google Translate. Finally, there's oodles of first person video from a fencer, horse jumper, trapeze artist, ping pong player and fire juggler, to name a few. All that gives us a sneak preview of the many, many YouTube videos likely to come from the device when it arrives -- though we'd hate to drop, burn or stab it by accident, given the cost. You'll find the video right after the break.
Filed under: Wearables, Google
Source: Google (YouTube)
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/20/google-glass-how-it-feels-video/
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Thursday 14 February 2013
GOP senators to grill Treasury Dept. nominee Jack Lew on his time at Citigroup
Some Republicans think Lew has not provided satisfactory answers about his exact responsibilities at the bank during the financial crisis, congressional staffers say. The issue is relevant, they say, because the Treasury secretary has new responsibilities for overseeing Wall Street.
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Apple Updates Retina MacBook Pro, Drops 13-inch Retina Pro, MacBook Air And SSD Upgrade Prices
The MacBook Pro with Retina and 13-inch MacBook Air got some mid-cycle improvements under the hood today, with a new 2.6GHz processor for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, new 2.4 and 2.7GHz processors for the 15-inch version, and 16GB of memory as a top-end spec on the larger Retina model. The MacBook's 256GB version has a new lower price of $1399, and the 13-inch Retina now starts at $1499 and $1699 for the base and upgraded configurations respectively.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Q_a5QOdz5A0/
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Wednesday 13 February 2013
3 Nigeria journalists charged over polio killings
KANO, Nigeria (AP) ? Police in northern Nigeria say they've arrested three radio journalists over the killings of at least nine female polio vaccinators, saying their on-air discussion about rumors around the vaccine sparked the attack.
Kano state police commissioner Ibrahim Idris said Tuesday that the journalists, who work for Wazobia FM, will be charged with culpable homicide over the killings Friday. Officials with the radio station could not be immediately reached for comment.
The radio station aired a program last week, describing how one of its journalists was manhandled by government officials as he recorded a man refusing to allow his children to be vaccinated. The radio program later discussed longtime rumors in Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north that the vaccine sterilizes young girls.
Nigeria is one of three countries where polio remains endemic.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/3-nigeria-journalists-charged-over-polio-killings-081355371.html
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Whitney Houston's legacy, a year after her death
By James Sullivan, Rolling Stone
One word. Near the end of "The Greatest Love of All," the third straight Billboard?No. 1 single for the 22-year-old Whitney Houston, the singer transformed the tone of the song from sweetly exalted to absolutely unstoppable. "No matter what they take from me, they can't take away myy! dig-ni-ty," she thundered on the second pass through the verse, distilling all the great gospel and soul legacy of her very talented family (mother Cissy Houston, cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, godmother Aretha Franklin) into a single syllable.
Kevin Winter / Getty Images
The co-author of the song, Linda Creed, wrote it about her own battle with breast cancer. After living with the disease for a decade, she died at age 36 in April 1986, a month before Houston's version hit the top of the charts. Houston was just getting started. Perfecting a definitively 80s brand of pop-soul -- smooth-jazz keyboards and rhythms, swelling orchestration?-- she was, for a good stretch, the brightest star in an era marked by super-duper-stars.
Though she had one of the most astonishing, confident voices pop had ever heard, she also had restraint, and she dealt with criticism that her style was airbrushed. "You're not black enough for them," she explained to Katie Couric in a 1996 interview. "You're not R&B enough. You're very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them." But Houston's voice was no appeasement, and the fact that she didn't push every line over the edge meant each of her songs contained a signature moment -- sometimes as fleeting as that "my dignity" -- when she vaulted the song into the realm of divine possession. When she was singing, she knew precisely what she was doing, always.
She hit the mark on the full-hearted pity party "All At Once," when she took the line "I looked around and found that you were with another love" up and up, like a dizzying hot-air balloon ascent. She did it on "All the Man That I Need," when her voice broke into a heart-stopping flutter on the last word of the line "He gives me more love than I've ever seen." She made patriotism sound like the greatest joy on earth with her resplendent version of "The Star-Spangled Banner." And the sustained note that centers her version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You"?-- "and Aaaaah-e-aye, will always love you" -- raises the song from a bittersweet memory to the power of existence itself.
Whitney Houston lived for the moment. Sadly, it eventually led to addiction, and the ravaging of her extraordinary voice. But if gospel music was created to express those moments of pure communion with your inner truth, then Whitney Houston was undoubtedly heaven-sent.
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Tuesday 12 February 2013
Scotland "new state" outside EU, U.N. if splits - Britain
LONDON (Reuters) - The British government on Monday intensified its campaign to stop Scotland leaving the United Kingdom, publishing a legal opinion saying it would forfeit its membership of international bodies such as the European Union if it chose independence.
The pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) that runs Scotland's devolved government plans to hold a referendum on the politically sensitive and emotionally charged subject next year, and has played down the impact of a "Yes" vote on Scotland's international status.
But the 57-page legal opinion - drafted for the British government by two independent experts on international law - said the implications could be far-reaching, likening the situation to the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union when Russia was declared the USSR's legal successor but the 14 other Soviet states had to forge their international relations anew.
The overwhelming weight of international precedent suggested Scotland would be legally deemed a "new state", it said - a scenario that would force it to re-apply to join international bodies such as the EU, the United Nations and NATO.
The government's unusual decision to publish such an opinion reflects its concern that Scots may vote for independence, triggering the break-up of a United Kingdom comprising England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
"If Scotland became independent, only the 'remainder of the UK' would automatically continue to exercise the same rights, obligations and powers under international law as the UK currently does, and would not have to re-negotiate existing treaties or re-apply for membership of international organisations," the government said.
CAMERON LEGACY
That is a position backed by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso who, when asked about Scotland, has repeatedly said that any new state that breaks away from an existing EU state would have to re-apply to join the bloc.
Spain's government is facing a similar challenge with Catalonia, where at least one poll has shown that more than half of Catalonian voters would choose independence if given the chance.
Prime Minister David Cameron intervened in the British debate on Sunday, conceding that Scotland had what it takes to be an independent nation, but arguing it enjoyed "the best of both worlds" as part of the UK.
"Put simply: Britain works. Britain works well. Why break it?" he wrote in an article published in Scottish newspapers.
Cameron's political future and historic legacy are on the line. He has pledged to contest the next British election in 2015 and his own Conservative party would never forgive him if he presided over the break-up of the UK.
London's main parties are campaigning jointly against independence, knowing that Alex Salmond's SNP is a highly motivated political machine that will spare no effort to win a vote on its flagship policy.
Tapping into an emotive cocktail of historical rivalry and a perception that the British parliament in London does not nurture Scotland's national interests, the "Yes Scotland" campaign wants independence to be a reality by 2016.
Scottish secession could create serious problems for the remainder of the United Kingdom.
Britain's Trident nuclear submarine fleet is based in Scotland, revenues from Scottish North Sea oil remain important to its coffers, and analysts say Britain would find it harder to maintain its voice in international bodies such as the U.N. Security Council as well as in European Union decision-making.
"ARROGANT"
An SNP-backed working group is due to publish proposals on Monday setting out economic reform options for an independent Scotland.
The SNP published a document this month suggesting the transition arrangements could be made relatively swiftly, and that Independence Day for Scotland could come in March 2016, a timetable opponents dismissed as unrealistic.
Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP's deputy leader, told BBC radio on Monday that different legal experts gave different views on the international status of an independent Scotland.
"These are matters that will be settled not by law but by negotiation and agreement," she said. "If the UK government is really saying that they would, in the event of a yes vote, go out of their way to make life difficult for Scotland, not only is that very arrogant but it would also put them in a position of arguing against their own interest."
Opinion polls suggest support for independence has stalled, with around one third or less of voters backing it and just under half opposing it. But Cameron and politicians from other parties remain nervous.
One of the central planks of Cameron's argument is that Scotland already enjoys a high degree of autonomy through its own parliament, and he has hinted that it would be able to repatriate even more powers if it rejected full independence.
"This must not be a leap in the dark, but a decision made in the light of day," he told Scots.
(Additional reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/britain-scotland-lose-global-clout-exit-uk-000358373.html
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Video: Westminster: No performance-enhanced pooches
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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50781247/
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Monday 11 February 2013
Adopting and adapting | News | Gambit New Orleans News and ...
Kim Shultz stacks four photo albums in front of her, each representing a different couple who wants to adopt her unborn child. She has been pregnant for six months and it has all come down to four photo albums.
??Shultz places the first album on her belly, which is now big enough to both get in the way and be useful. Inside, the prospective family has chosen to include photographs of themselves in what must be every room of their home. Each crinkle of cellophane and turn of the page further suggests this family may never leave its home.
??This is not what Shultz wants in a family. She wants people who are active and involved in their community. But she can only blame herself.
??She had only one request for the adoption agency orchestrating the arrangement. "I just want him to have siblings that were adopted," she told her adoption counselor a few months earlier. "I want him to have siblings who will share the same experiences and understand what he's going through."
??The second album was everything the other was not, with several images of a mother and a father and two daughters, all with sunshine on their faces. Here is everyone at the beach. They're fishing. Baking cookies. Playing. At 15 years old, with some close to her urging for an abortion she did not want, it had all the makings of a life Shultz would have wanted for a younger version of herself.
??As she gets deeper into the album, it suddenly bounces and shifts, however slightly. Then again. And again. Finally Shultz takes a firmer grasp of the album with one hand and brushes her tears away with the other.
??The baby boy she calls Evan, but who eventually will be named Matthew, is kicking. Maybe punching, too. "I hear you," she says rubbing her belly between sobs. "I hear you."
If you want to adopt an infant in the greater New Orleans area, you are not alone. Ten or 20 years ago, people could get through the adoption process with a little bit of patience, says Danna Cousins of Catholic Charities Adoption Services in Metairie. These days, though, it takes a lot of patience. "There are more loving families looking to adopt infants than there are infants available for adoption in the region," Cousins says.
??Foster care adoptions in New Orleans have hit their lowest point in recent years. According to statistics provided by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), 72 foster care children were adopted by 53 New Orleans area families between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012 ? down from 129 adopted children and 88 families during the 2009-2010 fiscal year. (In 2010-2011, 75 children were adopted by 54 families in New Orleans.) These figures do not include private or intra-family adoptions, only foster care adoptions managed by the state, which can include ages ranging from a few months to 17 years.
??The reasons are varied. Societal norms have been shifting for generations, Cousins says, and there is a greater acceptance of teenage mothers and more support for related resources. These factors, among others, are why adoptive parents often have to wait years to embrace a child of their own.
??But children of all ages also can be adopted through the local foster care system overseen by the state. Whereas infant adoptions are declining due to fewer available babies in the private-adoption sector, foster care adoptions are down because interest in the public system has waned.
??Trey Williams, DCFS' director of communications and government affairs, says it is a simple matter to explain: Fewer people in the New Orleans region express interest in public adoptions. "This is something that we are seeing in regards to foster parents as well," Williams says. "The number of people wanting to become foster parents is decreasing. We are working on some outreach in the next year to address both of these concerns."
??Regarding the need for more foster care families, Williams says the agency plans meetings and recruitment efforts on the community level. While there are more than 4,000 children in the Louisiana foster care system, there are only about 2,000 certified homes.
??Unfortunately, the potential for growth is limited. Only 350 applicants began the process of becoming a foster family over the past four months.
??Williams points to the state's online adoption portal, which has helped transfer 64 children from foster care to permanent homes, including some cases in Orleans Parish. The portal connects foster children from each region with potential adoptive families by featuring and profiling the children on the DCFS website.
??Last month, potential adoptive parents were introduced via the site to Brandon, an "energetic Star Wars fan" who excels academically, among other things. In November, it was a 4-year-old who's described as "lovable" and "enjoys chicken nuggets and giving hugs"? a child who is now in the process of being adopted, Williams says.
In December 2012, just two weeks before Christmas, an infant was introduced into the home of Bruce and Stacy Montesano ? but only for eight days. Nonetheless, it was an unforgettable Yuletide experience. "We were called and asked to be a foster family," Stacy says. "They told us they were looking for an inn. I mean, come on. What were we supposed to say?"
??The Montesano home in Breaux Bridge was briefly transformed into a holiday holding station of sorts, a safe transition for the infant to move from the foster care system to its new adoptive family.
??When it came time for the child to be handed over, Stacy says she and her husband realized that the experience was worth it for three reasons: Amanda, 18, Stephanie, 17 and Matthew, 14.
All three were adopted by the Montesanos when they were infants, and over Christmas the teenagers were able to see how their own stories began.
??Their son Matthew is the same baby who kicked and punched a 15-year-old Kim Schultz from inside her womb while she was viewing photographs of the Montesano family fishing, baking cookies and vacationing on a beach almost a decade and a half ago.
??Even though they took the initiative to change their lives, with the help of Shultz and two other birth mothers before her, the Montesanos are not eager to take any credit. That's because they ended up with something more lasting in exchange.
??"We get praise for being willing to adopt, but we don't feel like we deserve it," Stacy says. "The praise goes to these children, who are really responsible for changing our lives. They have no idea how lucky they make us feel."
Kim Shultz, now 30, lives in Mandeville. Recalling the decision that led to her son's adoption still brings tears, particularly the moment when her unborn child jostled around in her womb. "That's why I always tell Matthew he picked his own family," she says. "But he just confirmed what my heart already knew."
??Shultz says the birth father was "not a good person" and her home life was "terrible" as a teenager. She felt that an open adoption ? a private process where the birth mother knows the adoptive parents and can change her mind late in the process ? was the right thing to do.
??For Shultz, it is a testament to the power of adoptions. "Matthew never has to wonder why I did what I did," she says. "It was a decision I made for Matthew. If I had kept him, he would not have had such a life full of the opportunities he has had."
??For the Montesanos, it is a testament to how far a little bit of patience and a whole lot of faith can go. It was the same way with the other open adoptions they participated in before welcoming Matthew into the family.
??"We were somewhat resistant at first, but it was only because we weren't educated on the process. We didn't know what was coming." Bruce Montesano says. "You just have to realize that you're not in control. Nothing you can do or say will change the outcome."
What is especially sad about the decline in foster care adoptions in the greater New Orleans area is that the rest of the state is posting record adoption numbers. Statewide there were 654 children adopted by 468 families last fiscal year ? an all-time high. In the Lafayette region, which is leading all other metro areas, 154 foster care children were adopted by 102 families during the last fiscal year ? an increase of 41 adopted children compared to the 2009-2010 fiscal year.
??While declining figures are evident in New Orleans, Slidell attorney Laura M. Borchert says the number of private cases she is picking up out of the city remains steady.
??But there are still obstacles to overcome.
??Borchert says the most common fears involve open adoptions, which are not technically covered under Louisiana law. Why? Because the birth mother can always change her mind. "You never know what's going to happen when the baby is born and the mother takes that first look," she says.
??As for barriers that have been removed, Borchert says families are learning new ways to deal with the costs involved in adopting a child. There are more firms that offer pro bono services, she says, and there is a federal adoption tax credit available that Congress renewed as part of the so-called fiscal cliff deal last year.
??While the $10,000 tax credit was made permanent and is not subject to renewal again, adoption supporters were unable to make it refundable for families whose tax liability is less than the credit. U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat from New Orleans, worked to expand the adoption tax credit. She currently co-chairs the Congressional Coalition on Adoption.
??"For families who have generously opened their hearts and homes to a child, the adoption tax credit gives them important assistance along the journey," Landrieu says.
??The senator has her own story to tell. Her husband, Frank Snellings, was adopted from an orphanage in Ireland at a young age, and the couple are adoptive parents themselves.
??"My husband and I are blessed with two precious adopted children, and I am hopeful that this credit will encourage others to consider enlarging their families through adoption," Landrieu says.
??Landrieu herself has more conventional roots in New Orleans, being the fifth of nine children. But that has helped inform her politics on the issue, too. "I grew up in a loving and large family and know how important it is for children ? and adults ? to have a family they can count on," Landrieu says.
In addition to traditional public and private options, local families often pursue international adoptions, the popularity of which has helped decrease domestic adoption figures. Each year, American families open their homes to approximately 1,000 Russian children through adoption. But a new Russian law banning American adoptions took effect Jan. 1 and keeps Russian children and American families in limbo as interested parties seek a compromise.
??Landrieu and fellow U.S. Sen. David Vitter, a Republican from Metairie, are appealing to Russian President Vladimir Putin to reverse his country's adoption ban, to no avail so far. The State Department estimates that 350 to 500 active adoption cases involving Russian children matched with American families were in process before Russia's ban.
??The Russian ban is known as the Dima Yakovlev law, named for an adopted child that had the American name of Chase Harrison, and whose adoptive father from Washington, D.C., left him in an overheated car before he died of heat stroke. Russian officials have used the ban as a way of encouraging its citizens to adopt more native infants and children.
??But Vitter says Putin's ban actually was issued in response to Congress' decision to prohibit human rights violators from entering the U.S. and, if needed, freeze their U.S. assets. The provision was included in December as part of the Russia Permanent Normal Trade Relations bill, which also removed some of the remaining Cold War-era restrictions on trade.
??"Putin's ban is simply retaliatory," Vitter says. "We need to stand up to this ridiculous order, stand by our support for human rights, and continue processing the adoptions that have already been matched."
??If a compromise is not brokered on Russian adoptions, it will mean Louisiana families have fewer options than ever. Considering the unwillingness of Congress to expand financial assistance to adoptive families, the lull in interest in regional foster care children and the lack of infants available through private means, adoptions may become more difficult than ever.
??But advocates and others who have successfully navigated the system know there is something else waiting on the other end of the trials and tribulations for adoptive parents who stay the course.
Shultz sees Matthew at least twice a year and has stayed at the Montesanos' home on several occasions. It is an unconventional family, but one that works, with Shultz finding some of the compassion that was kept from her in her youth ("I kind of wish they would have adopted me," she jokes), and Matthew getting the upbringing his birth mother wanted.
??Shultz has a family of her own now, with two boys, ages 2 and 5. Matthew is always a phone call or brief drive away. "Once during the summer and once at Christmas, that has been the arrangement so far," she says. "And we all talk on a regular basis."
??She says she regrets having to make the decision, but not the decision itself. "It was some pretty hard lessons to learn at 15. I was in a maternity home with six other girls for four months until I delivered," Shultz recalls. "But I did it all for Matthew.
??"I'm just so happy to see how much love he has in his life. It's overwhelming, really."
Jeremy Alford is a freelance journalist based in Baton Rouge. You can reach him at jeremy@jeremyalford.com.
Source: http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/adopting-and-adapting/Content?oid=2147033
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Enegi Oil, Essar Energy, Exillon Energy and JKX Oil & Gas feature in Fox-Davies Newsflash
Daily Oil & Gas Monitor
() ? Worldview Ups its Stake to ~14%: Today?s RNS outlining the fact that Worldview now has 14% of the share capital steps up the pressure in what is shaping up to be a proxy fight. While Worldview may, or may not, be successful, what this has done is highlight the fact that the Board is short of Oil & Gas experience, and would benefit from bulking up. Worldview?s independent candidates seem to be sensible choices, James Dewar would add financial muscle to the Board, although it still needs a strong, results orientated CFO and Yves Merer would add E&P technical understanding. We don?t believe that either of these candidates can be deemed revolutionary, but similarly, nor do we believe that they would be pushovers. But, to make a difference, they need to be supported by shareholders, and have their independence enshrined. The only contentious selection that we would see for shareholders, and the incumbent board, is Andrey Kruglykhin. With ~14% of the issued equity, arguably Worldview are entitled to a Board seat (especially as there is provision for a Board of twelve), and his Russian political credentials would suggest that his presence on the Board would add value, but activist shareholders don?t always enjoy the most constructive of environments. Nevertheless, the tension that exists can be harnessed constructively as a fresh approach and perspective can bring rewards, which would benefit all shareholders. We will watch with interest.
JKX () ? Step in the Right Direction, but a Small One: Today?s announcement from JKX is a positive for the Company, but it doesn?t exactly move the needle. JKX has come through a difficult time, but there is still a lot to do before its cash flow reaches sustainable levels, and starts to dramatically strengthen the balance sheet.
In this news:
? Remaining 2P reserves for Elizavetovskoye (Ukraine) have been revised upwards to 22bcf
o Further 20mm bbl net prospective resources estimated in the licence
? Licence was acquired in November 2004 and finalised the JPA for the three legacy wells on the licence in late 2011. The M-53 well to production in April 2012 and receives 33% of the production from it
o The well continues to flow at 2.7 MMcfd on a restricted choke
? Five well development of the licence continuing
? Spudding of the first new well is scheduled for mid-year ahead of installation of new production facilities in the third quarter
o First gas is anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2013.
News in brief:
? EnQuest (LON:ENO) ? Balance Sheet Bolstered ? Another Sign that the Markets are Thawing?: The ?144mm bond (5.5% due 2022) underlines the fact that the markets appear to be thawing, and access to liquidity, for companies that can demonstrate cash flow, is becoming easier to achieve.?
? () ? Azimuth Deal Gets More Legs, but Where is it Going?: The extension of the Azimuth deal is another step forward for the Company, but now we need to start to see the full programme that Azimuth is going to undertake for its working interest.?
? () ? Does the Interim Statement Suggest the Company has Turned the Corner?: Today?s interim statement suggests that progress is being made in moving the Company away from the horibilis it has endured recently (Gujarat $1bn tax bill), especially as Stanlow appears to have enjoyed an uptick in refining margin (despite a fire in the convection section of a furnace), but as this management team have proved in the past, they are not always alive to the issues before they happen ? as what happened in Gujarat ? and given the fact that the debt pile seems to be getting bigger, the room for manoeuvre is shrinking. Consequently, while this news should be received positively, the Company is not in the clear yet.?
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