Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Egypt's ancient monuments face modern sprawl

In this more than 4,500-year-old pharaonic necropolis, Egypt's modern rituals of the dead are starting to encroach on its ancient ones. Steamrollers flatten the desert sand, and trucks haul in bricks as villagers build rows of tombs in a new cemetery nearly up to the feet of Egypt's first pyramids and one of its oldest temples.

The illegal expansion of a local cemetery has alarmed antiquities experts, who warn the construction endangers the ancient, largely unexplored complex of Dahshour, where Pharaoh Sneferu experimented with the first true, smooth-sided pyramids that his son Khufu ? better known as Cheops ? later took to new heights at the more famous Giza Plateau nearby.

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The encroachment also reflects the turmoil of today's Egypt, two years after the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Police, still in disarray since the revolution, do nothing to enforce regulations. Fired up by the sense of rebellion against authority, Egyptians feel little fear of taking what they want ? sometimes to redress neglect or corruption by authorities, sometimes just for personal gain. Also, as the new Islamist rulers and their opponents struggle over the country's identity, experts fear that Egypt's ancient monuments, which hard-liners see as pagan, could pay the price in neglect.

'Where are the antiquities?'
In the case of Dahshour, villagers say that their cemeteries are full and that authorities don't give permits or land for new ones. So they took matters into their own hands and grabbed what they insist is empty desert to erect family tombs.

"The dearest thing for us is burying our dead," said Mohammed Abdel-Qader, a resident of nearby Manshiet Dahshour. "This land here is wide and flat, it's a valley. Where are the antiquities they talk about? ... We have no antiquities here."

The problem is not just at Dahshour. An explosion of illegal building the past two years is endangering Egypt's ancient treasures around the country, authorities say. Locals living next to some of most beloved pharaonic sites ? including the famed Giza Pyramids outside Cairo ? are seizing land, building homes, laying farmland or selling off parcels, said Mohammed Younes, head of antiquities for Dahshour.

At the same time, looting has become more brazen in many places. Just a few weeks ago, several guards at Dahshour were shot and wounded when they confronted thieves doing an illegal dig during the night, he said.

The cemetery expansion is the most dangerous encroachment yet, because of how close it comes to the Dahshour monuments, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage site list, Younes said. Moreover, Dahshour is largely unexcavated, since the area was a closed military zone until 1996. What remains buried is believed to be a treasure trove shedding light on the largely unknown early dynasties.

"When you build something over archaeological site, you change everything. We can't dig in and know what is inside," Younes told The Associated Press. "This is the only virgin site in all of Egypt."

Sudden start to construction
The area is part of the vast Memphis necropolis where pharaohs built their monumental funeral complexes stretching south from Giza in the desert along the Nile Valley.

The construction started suddenly about two weeks ago, apparently when one villager added a new tomb in the desert on the edge of an existing cemetery, guards and residents said. Word went out, and hundreds of residents from at least four neighboring villages descended on the site to build tombs of their own, up a small desert valley.

Police did nothing to stop them ? nor did the military, still stationed nearby.

The tombs are small complexes on their own, built mainly of cheap white bricks. Each is a walled courtyard with multiple enclosed niches where multiple family members can be buried.

Rows of them now cover several acres inside the UNESCO-defined antiquities zone of Dahshour, coming to within 150 meters (yards) of Sneferu's Valley Temple. The site is the first known such valley temple, which later each pharaoh would build in connection with his pyramid.

Adjacent to the construction is the crumbled 3,800-year-old Black Pyramid of Amenemhat III, an area that has faced heavy looting over the past two years. Just beyond towers Sneferu's Bent Pyramid, dating some 700 years earlier, with its distinctive bent sides believed to have been caused when the builders had to correct a too-steep angle of ascent halfway through construction. Farther away is the Red Pyramid, in which Sneferu's builders got the job right, producing the first smooth-sided pyramid, evolving from the stepped structures built by earlier dynasties.

The state minister of antiquities, Mohammed Ibrahim, said in a statement Monday that an order had been issued to remove the construction and the Interior Ministry, in charge of police, had been asked to carry it out. "The financial resources of the ministry are not enough" to protect the sites, it said.

The question is whether it will be implemented. Younes said the military would have to get involved since police have refused to act. He said past requests for orders to remove illegal construction at archaeological sites had been ignored. "There is no deterrent," he said.

Worries about antiquities
He also worries that the rise of Islamists to power brings a dismissive attitude to pre-Islamic antiquities.

He pointed out that pharaonic treasures ? a key part of the country's identity ? are mentioned in the Islamist-drafted constitution only as "an afterthought," just in terms of maintaining sites. In fact, the constitution doesn't refer directly to pharaonic sites or Egypt's ancient civilization at all, making only a vague reference to "heritage."

Some at the construction site said they were sure Islamist President Mohammed Morsi won't order the removal of the modern cemetery because he was a believer and respects Islam's ways.

Authorities may be wary of forcibly removing the construction and risking a clash with the villagers, who say they won't go unless they are given a new site nearby and compensation for what they have already built.

Ehab Eddin el-Haddad, one resident building a burial plot, said removing the tombs would require "killing these people, and it would mean a return to the old regime ... it would be the return of repression." Nearby, workers slapped together bricks for a new wall, and a heavy machine flattened the earth for construction.

Desperate for space
The villagers come from a string of nearby farming communities crammed amid the palm groves in the narrow, verdant strip of the Nile Valley, where land is limited as Egypt's population of 85 million swells. Residents said they were desperate for new space for burial plots, pointing to old family tombs they said were full. Authorities balked at issuing permits for new tombs or demanded exorbitant fees and bribes, several residents said.

"What can people do with their dead? They can't throw them in the canal," said Ali Orabi, a local farmer. "There is death and there is birth, these things don't stop ... You dignify the dead by burying them."

El-Haddad said nearby land had been set aside to expand the cemetery but after the revolution it was seized by armed local "thugs" who started building houses on it and selling off plots, a common problem with Egypt's new lawlessness.

Like many others, he resented the authorities' concern over antiquities and tourism that the villagers say benefit only rich Egyptians, corrupt officials and foreign archaeologists, with no gains for the poor.

"Where is the gold that came out of this land? All smuggled out," said el-Haddad. "I'm not waiting for some half-naked foreigner to come take out what she finds in the cemeteries. What do I get out of it? ... I want a place to be buried in."

Antiquities theft is believed to be big business in Egypt, fueled by post-revolution chaos, and press reports often accuse local officials of involvement, though few cases have gone to court.

The fear is that looters could also use the construction as cover, even if the villagers are acting out of a legitimate need for land, said Monica Hanna, an independent archaeologist who has worked at Dahshour. Hills nearby are dotted by pits from digs by thieves searching for treasure, mostly from last year.

In the area in general, "there has been more looting than scientific excavation," Hanna said.

Saleh Mohammed Shafei, a 77-year-old villager, acknowledged that "there are people who come and dig at night" ? but said those like him who are building tombs had nothing to do with the thieves.

"Where else would people go" with their dead, he said. "These people are building because they're forced to. These old tombs are filled, some three layers deep."

More about Egyptian antiquities:

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50462608/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Introducing: Susan Matthews

This is a series of Q&As with new, young and up-and-coming science, health and environmental writers and reporters. They ? at least some of them ? have recently hatched in the Incubators (science writing programs at schools of journalism), have even more recently fledged (graduated), and are now making their mark as wonderful new voices explaining science to the public.

Today we introduce you to Susan Matthews (Twitter).

Hello, welcome to The SA Incubator. Let?s start from the beginning: where are you originally from?

Hi, and thanks for having me! I?m originally from the other part of New York ??upstate. I grew up in a tiny town with one traffic light, just south of Albany. Living across from a bird sanctuary definitely infiltrated my child brain?s subconscious thoughts on conservation and respect for nature.

I went to college in another small town in New Hampshire, so moving to the city was a bit of an adjustment. At first I couldn?t get over how many people there were all the time (deer outnumber people where I grew up), but I?ve adjusted.

How did you get into science and how did you get into writing? And how did these two trajectories fuse into becoming a science writer?

I got into writing first. I recently cleaned out my closet at home and found stacks upon stacks of journals with stories (mostly murder mysteries, strangely? I had a thing for Agatha Christie). In high school, I departed from fiction, launching a school newspaper in my high school. I cut and glued the first stories into the first layouts. Passing those papers out to my classmates was so exciting.

When I started visiting college campuses, whether the school had a daily paper became a big factor for me. I ended up at Dartmouth, where I started working for the daily paper there, The Dartmouth, and eventually became Editor in Chief. I got great advice from alums of the paper now in journalism ? Dartmouth didn?t have a journalism program, so they encouraged me to major in a subject that I would eventually want to write about. That?s how I ended up studying environmental studies. I traveled to southern Africa on a term abroad to study sustainable development and environmental, and I also worked in a biogeochemistry lab on an experiment on climate change in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica.

I decided I wanted to learn how to write well about science. I believe some of the world?s biggest problems have to do with science ? development, energy, climate change, obesity. But this also means that these problems can be solved via science. Being able to write about these issues in an engaging manner is critical for bringing information and fact to the forefront of discussion. I like to think that better coverage will result in better solutions.

Why did you decide to attend a specialized science/health/environmental writing program instead of a generalized journalism or writing program, or just starting a blog and hoping to break into the science writing business?

I mentioned that being editor of my college paper gave me great contacts in the journalism world. One of those former editors was Dan Fagin, who invited me to coffee because he was up in Hanover during the winter of my junior year. Once I started telling him about my time in Africa and my interest in science writing, he wasted no time encouraging me to consider grad school, particularly the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program he runs at NYU ? nicknamed SHERP.

Because I had spent so much time traveling and in labs, I hadn?t had much real world experience when I graduated from college. SHERP was a great balance between classes and internships, so it allowed me to seamlessly weave together my two passions and become much more experienced in just 16 months.

Apart from writing, do you also do other aspects of science communication?

I?ve learned the basics of video, and hope to incorporate it more into my work going forward. My real other skill is graphics, particularly those that are data-driven. When a graphic succeeds at conveying information, words become superfluous.

What professional experience you have had so far?publications, internships, jobs? Feel free to include a bunch of links here! What is your current job?

I jumped at the chance to go to SHERP because I knew it would offer me great internship opportunities, and it did. I interned at OnEarth last spring, getting a full look at how a magazine runs. From there, I went to Tech Media Network, where I wrote several stories a day for MyHealthNewsDaily. This past fall, I was interning with Nature Medicine, where I got in-depth experience covering the biomedical world. Now, I?m a fellow at Popular Science, doing short stories for the front and back of the book, and trying my hand at gadgets and tech. While I came into SHERP with an environment focus, my internships have helped me branch out, particularly into covering health. Now that I?m done with school I?m also freelancing a bit. You can check out my work on my website.

How do you see the current and future science media ecosystem, how it differs from the past, and what role will new, young science communicators like yourself play in building it and making it the best it can be?

One of the reasons I struggled with whether or not to go to j-school was because I believe that journalism is something that you learn by doing. Well, right now, the whole world of journalism is changing so much that everyone ??young and old ??needs to be learning by experimenting.

Luckily, I was able to incorporate some of this experimenting into my coursework at NYU, first taking a class with Jay Rosen on how to break free of horse race political coverage, and then studying how giving everyone access to the publish button (aka the Internet) is changing the media landscape with Clay Shirky. I?m really lucky to have had the chance to experiment in a setting that was part academic and part real life (we partnered with the Guardian in Jay?s class, for example).

I think that right now, we?re seeing an explosion of journalism, even though all of it may not be profitable and all of it may not be written by journalists, per se. But if anything, more interest in journalism is a good thing, even though we still have to figure out how to make a living off this and make sure the audience isn?t overwhelmed with information.

This is particularly important for my generation, which will face the consequences of climate change and may be the first generation to have a shorter lifespan than our parents. Any science communicator ? no matter the age ? can help make the science journalism world (and in consequence, the general world) better by offering clear explanation and insightful analysis in an engaging format, not just a barrage of 700-word articles. Graphics, short stories, video, interactive media, longform and crowd-sourced journalism should all play a role.

====================

Previously in this series:

Kristina Ashley Bjoran
Emily Eggleston
Erin Podolak
Rachel Nuwer
Hannah Krakauer
Rose Eveleth
Nadia Drake
Kelly Izlar
Jack Scanlan
Francie Diep
Maggie Pingolt
Jessica Gross
Abby McBride
Natalie Wolchover
Jordan Gaines
Audrey Quinn
Douglas Main
Smitha Mundasad
Mary Beth Griggs
Shara Yurkiewicz
Casey Rentz
Akshat Rathi
Kathleen Raven
Penny Sarchet
Amy Shira Teitel
Victoria Charlton
Noby Leong and Tristan O?Brien
Taylor Kubota
Benjamin Plackett
Laura Geggel
Daisy Yuhas
Miriam Kramer
Ashley Taylor
Kate Yandell
Justine Hausheer
Aatish Bhatia
Ashley Tucker
Jessica Men
Kelly Oakes
Lauren Fuge
Catherine Owsik
Marissa Fessenden
Mollie Bloudoff-Indelicato
Kelly Poe
Kate Shaw
Meghan Rosen
Jon Tennant
Ashley Braun
Suzi Gage
Michael Grisafe
Jonathan Chang
Alison Schumacher
Alyssa Botelho
Hillary Craddock

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=e2eb6f1e21d36160ad7a01d1c4667c99

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MOVIE REVIEW: 'Gangster Squad' - Lake Forest, CA Patch

Are you ready to be completely underwhelmed?

Gangster Squad is based on the sorta true events of a secret Los Angeles Police Department unit assigned by Chief William H. Parker (played by Nick Nolte) to take down Los Angeles-based racketeer Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn), whose illicit dealings and infiltration into the justice system made him seemingly untouchable.

And that?s the last time I?ll use THAT word because The Untouchables is a far better gangster movie.

That being said, I, myself, prefer film noir, a la L.A. Confidential, for my period gangster movies. But I?ll have to take Gangster Squad at face value, because that?s all it?s asking of me. And at face value, it?s stylized and quick-paced, a step up from a music video but nothing like the genre demands.

Sean Penn?s performance, however, is worth the admission price, because he is always riveting. Say what you will about the guy?s politics, he is one of Hollywood?s best actors, and here he is sharp and convincingly terrifying, the kind of character you could see prompting a lie-and-deny police hit squad.

Ryan Gossling is also good, though his voice grated more than usual. We were all looking forward to watching him recreate the great chemistry he had with Emma Stone?in Crazy, Stupid Love.

Alas, it never happened. Emma Stone is so miscast here. As adorable as she is, she doesn?t scream late ?40s bombshell. She?s best when she plays the quick-witted smarty pants, like in Easy A. Here, she?s just arm dressing, which any voluptuous starlet could have provided.

It?s a pretty well known axiom even outside Hollywood that January movies aren?t the greatest. They?re designed to give us some respite from the heady Oscar contenders thrown at us just before December's end. Still, I had hopes that Gangster Squad would be the exception to the rule. It wasn?t.

Most of the other characters are throwaways, even leading man Josh Brolin, who plays Sgt. John O'Mara. Other than references to soldiers unable to stop being soldiers when they returned from World War II, the audience doesn?t know what motivates them. At 113 minutes, a character study this is not. You don?t hear this complaint often, but? the movie was too short.

My daughter read the book, so I?d have someone on whom to bounce questions about historical accuracy afterward. Turns out, even I could see the movie couldn?t possibly be true to history. A multiracial police squad in 1949? Do we have to put 20-oh-oh values on our period pieces, ones that claim they're based on true events? Seems silly to me.

No. 2 also informed me that the squad was much bigger than six members, and it took more than a decade to bring Mickey Cohen down. In the movie, he's charged with murder. In real life, he got pinched for tax evasion ... twice. And the timing's all wrong. The movie takes place over a few months at best, based on a pregnancy in the film.

Also, says my personal expert, Mickey Cohen in real life was nothing like Sean Penn?s version. He was rolly-polly, an inept boxer in his day who was not nearly as personally intimidating, a lot more like a nemesis Sean Penn takes out than the one he plays.

But none of this would have made a compelling movie.?

Not that this was one.

Source: http://lakeforest-ca.patch.com/articles/movie-review-gangster-squad-0b7a59c2

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Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Specialized Spirita RBX | SPARK Bike Run Sports - Bicycles ...

The term ?spin shoe? to some is a shoe designed specifically for spin class.? In reality any cycling shoe capable of accepting an SPD style Shimano cleat can be used for spin class.? There actually aren?t too many cycling shoes out there designed specifically for spin class use, just some work better for it than others.? We have another page devoted entirely to Spin Shoe Education HERE.

The Specialized Spirita RBX is an updated version of their already most popular Spirita Sport Touring shoe which we primarily sold for spin class use.? It?s been updated with more mesh for ventilation, a softer sock liner, a much more comfortable velcro retention system, and even better color options.? Previously only available in all black, this new model is available in Black with grey and pink (shown above), or in White with teal shown below.

So if not just for spin, what else is this shoe good for?? Well, for many cyclists their events are recreation charity rides and Gran Fondos.? These events typically include long rest stops where riders dismount their bikes and walk around to use the bathroom and have a snack.? While we rarely recommend the use of mountain bike pedals for road cycling, these events are typically more enjoyable using these kinds of shoes and mountain bike pedals.? We also will sometimes sell this combination to a customer who desires to use the same shoe for spin class as they do for road cycling.

The new Specialized Spirita RBX is already available at Spark Bike Run Sports and is not sold online.? In fact, no Specialized products are sold online because the folks at SBC believe that the best way for anyone to experience their products is to go to a local dealer and be fit properly.

This comfortable and ventilated shoe blends performance features with the added off-bike stability of our SlipNot? touring sole.

  • Women?s specific contoured fit
  • Stiff, injection-molded internal plate for on-the-bike pedaling efficiency, with SlipNot? rubber sole for off-the-bike stability: 6.0 stiffness index
  • Performance-enhancing Body Geometry features in the outsole and footbed
  • 2-bolt SPD-style cleat pattern.
  • Approximate weight: 310g (1/2 pair #39)

Source: http://sparkbrs.com/archives/5697

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Bitter cold grips West; citrus and lettuce damaged

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) ? As an unusual cold spell gripped parts of the West for a fifth day, some California citrus growers reported damage to crops and an agriculture official said national prices on lettuce have started to rise because of lost produce in Arizona.

The extreme chill in the West comes as the eastern U.S., from Atlanta to New York City, is seeing spring-like weather.

In California's San Joaquin Valley, where farmers are fighting to protect about $1.5 billion worth of citrus fruit on their trees, Sunday temperatures dropped to 25 degrees in some areas and stayed low longer than previous nights.

Prolonged temperatures in the mid-20s or below cause damage to citrus crops.

"It was our coldest night to date," said Paul Story of Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual, an association of the state's 3,900 citrus growers. "I think mandarin growers are going to see a range of significant damage, enough that they will have to separate their crops."

Mandarins are more susceptible to cold than other citrus and start to freeze at about 32 degrees, Story said. Because many mandarin trees were planted in recent years as the fruit's popularity soared, they are grown in colder areas outside the traditional citrus belt.

Other citrus crops saw little or minimal damage, Story said. This year's high sugar content in oranges helped protect them, he said, because sugar inhibits freezing.

Growers deployed wind machines to keep the warm air closer to the ground and irrigation to raise the temperature in the groves. Rows farthest away from the protection could be damaged, Story said. And farmers who do not have wind machines could lose crops.

Lindsey-based Robert LoBue ? who grows 1,000 acres of citrus, including mandarins ? said wind machines were critical in his groves, but saving the crop doesn't come cheap. LoBue runs one wind machine for every 10 acres and has to employ a crew to operate them.

"We're very diligent, we run the wind and water all night," LoBue said, "but we're spending thousands of dollars to protect these crops."

And farmers are on the hook for a fifth cold night: a freeze warning remains in effect until 10 a.m. Tuesday for central California.

In Southern California, where strong winds helped keep some crops out of danger by keeping the cold from settling, farmers said any damage would negatively impact workers and consumers.

"We have between 170 to 200 employees and if we can't pick we have to lay off our picking crews," said John Gless, a third-generation Riverside-based grower. And if there's less fruit to pick, he said prices will go up.

Temperatures in downtown Los Angeles fell to 34 degrees, breaking the previous record of 36 degrees set on Jan. 14, 2007.

In Angeles National Forest, where overnight temperatures have been dropping into the 20s, Arcadia hiker Danny Kim, 28, was found Sunday night after surviving 26 hours in the frigid West Fork wilderness. Kim was airlifted to a hospital for treatment of hypothermia.

In Beverly Hills, fans brought heavy coats and scarves as they waited along the red carpet hoping to catch glimpses of stars arriving for the Golden Globes ceremony Sunday evening. Some of the actors shivered but weren't complaining.

"I'd rather be nippy than boiling hot," said actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who arrived in a strapless dress. "No, I'm not wearing any leggings or long underwear."

In San Diego, zookeepers offered extra heat and shelter for some animals.

To the east, the freezing temperatures already have done enough damage to southwestern Arizona lettuce crops that prices are increasing, said Kurt Nolte, a Yuma, Ariz.-based agricultural agent for the University of Arizona.

The area provides much of the nation's leafy greens during the winter, and farmers are reporting damage to many romaine and iceberg lettuce crops. The cold is freezing the heads of the lettuce and affecting the quality and yield, Nolte said.

The price for a carton of lettuce in Yuma two weeks ago was $7 to $8. As of Monday, it cost around $20 per carton, he said.

"That's a result of cold weather in the Yuma area for the last six weeks," Nolte said.

Overnight temperatures this week have dipped into the 20s around Yuma, and Nolte said lettuce farmers can't protect their crops.

"With lettuce, you don't have the luxury of wind machines to stir up the atmosphere," he noted. "You have to live with what Mother Nature brings. Very little can be done other than maybe running some water to protect what's going to be harvested the next day."

Nolte said Yuma farmers haven't seen much damage so far with other crops such as spinach, cauliflower and broccoli.

Metropolitan Phoenix marked one of its coolest stretches since 1988 and Sunday morning's low of 7 degrees in Douglas, Ariz., broke a record for January in the Mexican border town.

In Nevada, the temperature in Ely plummeted to 24 below zero early Monday and wind chills were expected to drop to near 40 below into Tuesday.

And in northern New Mexico, parts of Interstate 25 and some other highways were snow packed and icy Monday, and officials warned travelers that additional light snow could lead to hazardous driving conditions when coupled with the freezing temperatures.

-------------

Associated Press writer Walter Berry contributed to this report from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Jeff Wilson and Raquel Dillon contributed from Los Angeles.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bitter-cold-grips-west-citrus-lettuce-damaged-222047236.html

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Monday, 14 January 2013

Pakistan Shi'ites to bury bomb victims after meeting PM

QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Shi'ite Muslims agreed on Monday to begin burying nearly 100 of their people killed three days ago in one of Pakistan's deadliest sectarian attacks after the prime minister said he would comply with their demands to sack the local government.

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf met leaders of the Shi'ite Hazara community in a mosque near the site of Thursday's twin bombings in Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, and told them he would dismiss the province's chief minister and cabinet.

He voiced deep sorrow over the killings, which led members of the Hazara community to hold a sit-in next to the 96 unburied bodies of the victims and sparked protests across Pakistan.

Ashraf said he would impose "governor rule", which allows him to replace local authorities, some of whom the Hazara accuse of fomenting violence against them.

"When you will awake in the morning, Governor Rule would have been imposed in Balochistan province," he said in a statement.

In response, the Shi'ites will call off their three-day-long protest sit-in and begin burials on Monday, said Qayyum Changazi, chairman of the Yakjehti Council, a national umbrella organization of Shi'ite groups.

The protesters told Ashraf that hundreds of Shi'ites from the Hazara ethnic group had been killed in Quetta in recent years and that members of the provincial government had sponsored some of the violence.

Ashraf said he and President Asif Ali Zardari "express our deep sorrow and grief over the killing of innocent people of Hazara Shi'ite community who were killed in bomb blasts."

Protests against the Thursday attacks on Shi'ites had spread across Pakistan over the weekend. The attacks, claimed by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group, killed at least 96 people.

Sectarian killings have been rising in Pakistan even as deaths from other militant violence have dropped.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, whose roots are in the heartland Punjab province, is a Sunni militant group that wants to expel the Shi'ites, who make up about a fifth of the 180 million population. Human Rights Watch says more than 400 Shi'ites were killed in sectarian attacks last year.

Thousands of protesters chanted religious slogans during Ashraf's visit, many holding placards or pictures of their loved ones. Sunday night was the third day of protest alongside the unburied bodies.

"We want assurances that the killers will be arrested so our younger children will not die also," said Sakina Bibi, 56, sitting by the coffins of two of her sons.

"They were my everything," she said, weeping. "Sitting here will not bring them back but it is our right to protest."

Islamic tradition demands that the dead be buried as soon as possible. Leaving the bodies of loved ones above ground for so long is such a potent expression of grief and pain that many people in other cities held protests and vigils in solidarity.

Protests spread on Sunday. In the commercial capital Karachi, home to 18 million people, protesters blocked railway lines and the road connecting the airport to the city, while hundreds gathered outside the president's private house.

"If we remain silent now, the whole Shi'ite community will be wiped out in Pakistan and the security agencies won't say anything," said Ali Muhammad, 55.

"We will choke the roads of the entire country if the demands of the Hazara community are not met."

PROTESTS IN LAHORE, PESHAWAR

In the eastern city of Lahore, thousands of people gathered outside the governor's mansion, vowing to stay there in solidarity with the Quetta protesters.

In Peshawar, around 600 people settled down for the night outside the governor's house in protest. Small protests broke out in 11 other cities across the country, including Islamabad.

Two national government ministers and three other senior officials also wrote to the president and prime minister recommending that Balochistan's chief minister, Aslam Raisani, be fired.

Human Rights Minister Mustafa Khokhar said the head of the police and paramilitary Frontier Corps, which has primary responsibility for security in the province, should also be replaced.

"The government has miserably failed to protect the rights of its citizens," he said.

Raisani has been on a private trip to Dubai and has not made any public comments since the attack.

(Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Roger Atwood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shiite-protests-spread-across-pakistan-killings-180226665.html

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Sunday, 13 January 2013

VMware vs Microsoft Hyper-V: Is Red Hat In the Game?

Amid the virtualization war between VMware (NYSE: VMW) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), The VAR Guy continues to wonder: Can Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization, based on the KVM open source platform, battle its way into a leadership position? The question is especially timely as Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) partners gather in San Diego for a major conference.

Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst in June 2010 predicted VMware would suffer Sun Microsystems? fate. Much in the way that Linux leapfrogged Sun Solaris, open source virtualization would eventually leapfrog VMware, Whitehurst insisted.

Fast forward to the present and that prediction has yet to play out. VMware revenues continue to grow, and the company is firmly entrenched in corporate IT departments. Microsoft, meanwhile, has made some progress with Hyper-V. The Windows Server 2012 launch with an improved Hyper-V hypervisor has received upbeat feedback from channel partners and early customers, The VAR Guy has heard.

Red Hat, meanwhile, also has momentum but it?s difficult to pinpoint how much progress Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization (RHEV) has made in the market. At the partner conference, Red Hat is expected to spend considerable time explaining its open hybrid cloud strategy. Of course, RHEV is a core component of that effort. But Red Hat must also push its storage, middleware, IaaS and PaaS agenda.

Can channel partners digest all of that information? Hmmm?

Red Hat North America Channel Chief Roger Egan sure sounds upbeat about the overall partner strategy. And the latest RHEV 3 release has positive buzz in the market.

But overall, The VAR Guy thinks Red Hat can do far more to get the RHEV message out ? especially as the VMware, Hyper-V and Citrix Systems Xen businesses continue to generate significant growth.

Source: http://lxer.com/module/newswire/ext_link.php?rid=179091

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What Would It Take for China to Become Apple's Biggest Market?

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL??) has monster growth opportunities in China. During the week, CEO Tim Cook was quoted during an interview with Xinhua News Agency as saying he strongly believes that China will become Apple's biggest market, overtaking the U.S. for the first time ever.

China is currently our second largest market. I believe it will become our first. I believe strongly that it will. We are growing very fast. We are continuing to invest in retail stores here and will open many more over the next several years. We have some great sites selected, our manufacturing base is here, and we have incredible partners here. So it's a very, very important country to us.

What would it take for this to actually happen?

They grow up so fast
Apple's Greater China segment, which includes Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, has posted incredible growth for Apple over the past few years, both in terms of absolute dollars and in the geography's percentage of total revenue. Unsurprisingly, Apple's U.S. home turf has long been its largest market, but that could easily change within the next few years.

Sources: SEC filings and earnings conference calls.

In fiscal 2009, the U.S. generated $23.4 billion in revenue, while China was only approximately at $858 million. Those figures represent 54% and 2% of total sales, respectively. But in fiscal 2012, China's contribution to the top line rose to 15%, as domestic sales were just 39% of Apple's total revenue.

Metric

FY 2009

FY 2010

FY 2011

FY 2012

U.S. Revenue

$23.4 billion

$28.5 billion

$41.6 billion

$61.3 billion

U.S. % of Total Revenue

54%

44%

38%

39%

China Revenue

$858 million

$3 billion

$13.3 billion

$23.8 billion

China % of Total Revenue

2%

5%

12%

15%

Sources: SEC filings and earnings conference calls.

From 2009 to 2012, U.S. sales grew at a compound annual growth rate of 27.3%, far short of the 129.5% CAGR that Greater China put up. However, China's four-year CAGR is a little misleading, because it's coming off such a small base, and Apple can't be expected to double sales in Greater China every year. The U.S. four-year CAGR is more realistic, since it's a mature market and sales could conceivably grow at this rate in the near future.

If Apple grows U.S. sales by 20% annually while China grows at 70% annually, Greater China would surpass the U.S. to become Apple's biggest market in three years.

As it stands, the U.S. still generates more than two and a half times as much as Greater China, so the Middle Kingdom still has a way to go before it can become Apple's top contributor. How will it get there?

Retail
Apple now has 11 stores in Greater China: eight in Mainland China and three in Hong Kong. Growing its retail footprint is an important aspect of Apple's local presence. The company has also fallen short of some of its prior plans. At the 2010 annual meeting, then retail chief Ron Johnson said that Apple was planning to open upwards of 25 retail stores in China over the next few years.

Well, it's been nearly three years since then, and Apple's shy by quite a bit. Apple needs to make up for lost time, and Cook's comments point to aggressive retail expansion in the region.

China Mobile
Investors are widely expecting Apple to finally enter into a deal with China Mobile (NYSE: CHL??) this year, giving Apple access to a subscriber base of 707 million. The nation's two smaller carriers offer the iPhone and have grown their share of the 3G market as a result.

This partnership has been a long time coming, but both companies would benefit once it's inevitably inked.

It's on the horizon
It will be a milestone when China becomes Apple's largest market, especially if you consider the breathtaking speed at which it may happen. If it happens in three years, Greater China will have gone from being 2% of revenue in fiscal 2009 to its biggest revenue generator in 2015. That's not too far away.

There's no doubt that Apple is at the center of technology's largest revolution ever and that longtime shareholders have been handsomely rewarded, with more than 1,000% gains. However, there is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. The Motley Fool's senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric Bleeker, is prepared to fill you in on both reasons to buy and reasons to sell Apple, and what opportunities are left for the company (and, more importantly, your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thinking on Apple, simply click here now.

Source: http://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/krxkQZJqgxM/story01.htm

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Depressed stroke survivors may face triple the risk of death

Jan. 11, 2013 ? People who are depressed after a stroke may have a tripled risk of dying early and four times the risk of death from stroke than people who have not experienced a stroke or depression, according to a study released January 12 that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

"Up to one in three people who have a stroke develop depression," said study author Amytis Towfighi, MD, with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Los Angeles, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "This is something family members can help watch for that could potentially save their loved one."

Towfighi noted that similar associations have been found regarding depression and heart attack, but less is known about the association between stroke, depression and death.

The research included 10,550 people between the ages of 25 and 74 followed for 21 years. Of those, 73 had a stroke but did not develop depression, 48 had stroke and depression, 8,138 did not have a stroke or depression and 2,291 did not have a stroke but had depression.

After considering factors such as age, gender, race, education, income level and marital status, the risk of dying from any cause was three times higher in individuals who had stroke and depression compared to those who had not had a stroke and were not depressed. The risk of dying from stroke was four times higher among those who had a stroke and were depressed compared to people who had not had a stroke and were not depressed.

"Our research highlights the importance of screening for and treating depression in people who have experienced a stroke," said Towfighi. "Given how common depression is after stroke, and the potential consequences of having depression, looking for signs and symptoms and addressing them may be key."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Academy of Neurology (AAN), via Newswise.

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


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/DMhwwezRmUA/130112195732.htm

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Boehner invites Obama to give State of the Union on Feb. 12

President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the White House on Nov. 28, 2012. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)Republican House Speaker John Boehner on Friday formally invited President Barack Obama to deliver his State of the Union address on Feb. 12.

?Our nation continues to face immense challenges, and the American people expect us to work together in the new year to find meaningful solutions,? Boehner said in a letter to Obama released by the speaker?s office. ?This will require a willingness to seek common ground as well as presidential leadership.

?For that reason, the Congress and the Nation would welcome an opportunity to hear your plan and specific solutions for addressing America?s great challenges,? the lawmaker continued. ?Therefore, it is my privilege to invite you to speak before a Joint Session of Congress on February 12, 2013, in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building.?

Obama will get two high-profile opportunities to address the country (and the world) within just a few weeks. He will make his inaugural address on Jan. 21, laying out his broad vision for his second term in the White House. The State of the Union is expected to be more heavy on policy (though that particular speech is sometimes lampooned as ?I come before you tonight to speak in ringing tones and stare into the middle distance," no matter who is the president).

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/boehner-invites-obama-state-union-feb-12th-162150252--politics.html

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Saturday, 12 January 2013

Sephora Expands Its Talent Community On Facebook With Work4 Labs And Lumesse

Released on: January 11, 2013, 1:50 pm
Author:
Industry: Human Resources

San Francisco, California, -- /EPR NETWORK/ -- Lumesse, a global leader in integrated talent management, and Work4Labs, the world leader in Facebook recruiting solutions, have partnered with Sephora to improve the visionary beauty retailer's employer branding online.

As a long time user of Lumesse's recruitment solutions, Sephora sources and hires an average of over 1000 people each year. The company is constantly evolving to meet the challenges of the market, as seen with the recent integration of social networks into its overall branding strategy. Now Sephora has begun to interface Lumesse's recruitment solution with Work4 Labs's Work for Us application to allow recruiters to advertise their vacancies on their Facebook career pages, attract new candidates, and promote their employer brands.

Innovation, automation and customization is key

In July 2011, Sephora migrated its HR Blog to Facebook and gave birth to the page We Are Sephora, which quickly became a huge success. To date, the page has more than 23,000 fans in France and Europe ? fans whose numbers continue to grow. Visitors can discover the different career opportunities and learn about training through video interviews with current employees. Visitors can also follow newsworthy events like store openings, awards, and partnerships, such as the business games Sephora organizes with MBA programs.

The central focus of Sephora's Facebook presence is its online recruitment. All vacancies on Sephora's career site, which have been managed with Lumesse's recruitment tool for several years, are now automatically posted on the Facebook page "We Are Sephora" using Work4 Lab's Work for Us.

Before the launch, Sephora already had a "Job Opportunities" tab; however, the Work for Us application allows for greater efficiency and visibility of Sephora's HR communication. This page does not just aggregate all of the available jobs, but also displays smart content, targeted at the profile of the viewing candidate. When a user ?likes? a job, all of his friends are alerted, which expands Sephora's audience. The user can also view who among his friends would be best fit for a particular position, ?share? or ?send? a job opportunity to a particular contact, and perform more targeted research to find opportunities by location, keyword, type of contract or trade. These innovative and automated features create a real online Facebook community and offer a unique recruitment experience for the user and company alike.

By maintaining real contact with potential candidates, Sephora wins not only visibility, but also new talent. Since the establishment of these exchanges between the company and candidates, Sephora has also found that the company receives resumes from more qualified candidates than before.

About Sephora
Sephora is a visionary beauty-retail concept founded in France by Dominique Mandonnaud in 1970. Sephora's unique, open-sell environment features an ever-increasing amount of classic and emerging brands across a broad range of product categories including skincare, color, fragrance, body, smilecare, and haircare, in addition to Sephora's own private label. Today, Sephora is not only the leading chain of perfume and cosmetics stores in France, but also a powerful beauty presence in countries around the world. Owned by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH), the world's leading luxury goods group, Sephora is highly regarded as a beauty trailblazer, thanks to its unparalleled assortment of prestige products, unbiased service from experts, interactive shopping environment, and innovation. For more information, see: www.wearesephora.fr

About Work4 Labs
Work4 Labs develops Facebook's #1 corporate recruiting solution, which enables tens of thousands of companies ? including VMware, Gap, and L'Oreal ? to hire qualified candidates across industries, geographies, and pay-grades. Our award-winning products help recruiters easily launch branded corporate career sites on Facebook and mobile devices, and drive traffic, job applications, and employee referrals from the network's 1 billion users. Work4 Labs was founded in 2010, and is headquartered in San Francisco with an additional office in Paris. For more information, please visit work4labs.com and connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/work4labs and Twitter @work4labs.

###

For more information, please contact:
Kirsten Smith, VP of Marketing, Work4 Labs, ksmith@work4labs.com, +1 916 204 2333

Source: http://express-press-release.net/105/Sephora-Expands-Talent-Community-Facebook-Work4-Labs-Lumesse-87543542.php

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Model for brain signaling flawed

Friday, January 11, 2013

A new study out today in the journal Science turns two decades of understanding about how brain cells communicate on its head. The study demonstrates that the tripartite synapse ? a model long accepted by the scientific community and one in which multiple cells collaborate to move signals in the central nervous system ? does not exist in the adult brain.

"Our findings demonstrate that the tripartite synaptic model is incorrect," said Maiken Nedergaard, M.D., D.M.Sc., lead author of the study and co-director of the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) Center for Translational Neuromedicine. "This concept does not represent the process for transmitting signals between neurons in the brain beyond the developmental stage."

The central nervous system is home to many different cells. While neurons tend to garner the most attention, it is only recently that the function of the brain's other cells have been fully appreciated. Glial cells known as astrocytes, for example, had long been considered mainly the "glue" that helps hold all the other cells in the central nervous system in place. Scientists now understand that that these cells are essential to maintaining a healthy environment in the brain by helping carry out functions such as removing waste.

"Neurons are like a racing car," said Nedergaard. "While the driver gets all the credit, there are often 20 people behind the scenes that are optimizing his or her success."

However, when it comes to moving signals between neurons in the brain it turns out that the scientists may have vastly exaggerated the role of the astrocyte.

Neurons are connected to each other via axons or "arms" that extend from the cell's main body. Communication between neighboring neurons takes place where axons meet other nerve cells ? called a synaptic juncture ? when an electrical charge causes chemicals called neurotransmitters or glutamate to be released by one cell and "read" by receptors on the surface of the opposite. The two cells do not actually touch, so the chemicals messages must pass through a gap in the synaptic juncture. The space around this gap is insulated by astrocytes.

Under the tripartite synapse model, both astrocytes and neurons were believed to play a role in the "conversation" between cells. This understanding was largely based on animal models which showed active receptors and neurotransmission between not only the nerve cells but also the nearby astrocytes.

Specifically, a key neurotransmission receptor called metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) was observed to be present and active in astrocytes at the synaptic juncture. It was also observed that when the mGluR5 receptor was activated, the astrocytes would release chemical transmitters that were in turn read by the nerve cells. These findings led to the conclusion that astrocytes must in some manner modulate the signaling process between brain cells.

While this model has held sway for decades, scientists have long been frustrated by their inability to influence this process by targeting it with drugs.

"If this concept was correct, it should have given rise to a clinical trial by now," said Nedergaard. "It has not, which tells us that with so many labs work on this for 20 years that there must be something wrong."

One of the barriers to understanding precise mechanics of passing signals from one neuron to another has been the inability to observe this process in the adult brain. The tripartite synapse model was based ? in part ? by examining the activity in the brains of very young rodents. Adult rodents could not be similarly studied because the synapses in the brain would die before they could be fully analyzed. This ultimately led to the presumption that the signaling process that was witnessed in the young brain carried over to adulthood.

Collaborating with researchers at the University of Rochester's Institute of Optics, Nedergaard and her team developed a new 2-photon microscope that enables researchers to observe glia activity in the living brain. Using both this method and by analyzing the gene and protein expression in the brain the researchers discovered that the mGluR5 largely disappear in the glial cells of adult mice meaning that these cells do not directly respond to synaptic neuronal signalling, thus calling into question the concepts that drive most of ongoing research in the field.

"The process of neuron-glial transmission as conceived by the tripartite synapse model appears to just be a simplistic signaling pathway that 'teaches' the synapse how to behave," said Nedergaard. "Once the brain matures, it goes away."

###

University of Rochester Medical Center: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu

Thanks to University of Rochester Medical Center for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126245/Model_for_brain_signaling_flawed

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Friday, 11 January 2013

Flu more widespread in US; eases off in some areas

Dr Meeta Khan, wears a face mask as she examines a respiratory patient at the Rush University Hospital emergency department, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, in Chicago. Flu season in the U.S. has hit early and, in some places, hard. But whether this will be considered a bad season by the time it has run its course in the spring remains to be seen. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Dr Meeta Khan, wears a face mask as she examines a respiratory patient at the Rush University Hospital emergency department, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, in Chicago. Flu season in the U.S. has hit early and, in some places, hard. But whether this will be considered a bad season by the time it has run its course in the spring remains to be seen. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

A public health nurse demonstrates drawing flu vaccine from a bottle at the Oklahoma City-County Health Department in Oklahoma City, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Flu season in the U.S. has struck early and, in many places, hard. The Oklahoma State Department of Health reports a sharp increase in the number of confirmed flu cases and the number of flu-related deaths in the past week. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Registered nurse Michelle Newbury, left, and physician assistant Scott Fillman meet with patients, not pictured, in a tent set up for a people with flu symptoms, just outside the emergency entrance at the Lehigh Valley Hospital Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, in Allentown, Pa. The Pennsylvania Department of Health designated flu as now "widespread" throughout the commonwealth. There have been more than 11,000 laboratory-confirmed flu cases in the state since the flu season began in mid-December. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

(AP) ? Flu is now widespread in all but three states as the nation grapples with an earlier-than-normal season. But there was one bit of good news Friday: The number of hard-hit areas declined.

The flu season in the U.S. got under way a month early, in December, driven by a strain that tends to make people sicker. That led to worries that it might be a bad season, following one of the mildest flu seasons in recent memory.

The latest numbers do show that the flu surpassed an "epidemic" threshold last week. That is based on deaths from pneumonia and influenza in 122 U.S. cities. However, it's not unusual ? the epidemic level varies at different times of the year, and it was breached earlier this flu season, in October and November.

And there's a hint that the flu season may already have peaked in some spots, like in the South. Still, officials there and elsewhere are bracing for more sickness

In Ohio, administrators at Miami University are anxious that a bug that hit employees will spread to students when they return to the Oxford campus next week.

"Everybody's been sick. It's miserable," said Ritter Hoy, a spokeswoman for the 17,000-student school.

Despite the early start, health officials say it's not too late to get a flu shot. The vaccine is considered a good ? though not perfect ? protection against getting really sick from the flu.

Flu was widespread in 47 states last week, up from 41 the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday. The only states without widespread flu were California, Mississippi and Hawaii.

The number of hard-hit states fell to 24 from 29, where larger numbers of people were treated for flu-like illness. Now off that list: Florida, Arkansas and South Carolina in the South, the first region hit this flu season.

Recent flu reports included holiday weeks when some doctor's offices were closed, so it will probably take a couple more weeks to get a better picture, CDC officials said Friday. Experts say so far say the season looks moderate.

"Only time will tell how moderate or severe this flu season will be," CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said Friday in a teleconference with reporters.

The government doesn't keep a running tally of adult deaths from the flu, but estimates that it kills about 24,000 people in an average year. Nationally, 20 children have died from the flu this season.

Flu vaccinations are recommended for everyone 6 months or older. Since the swine flu epidemic in 2009, vaccination rates have increased in the U.S., but more than half of Americans haven't gotten this year's vaccine.

Nearly 130 million doses of flu vaccine were distributed this year, and at least 112 million have been used. Vaccine is still available, but supplies may have run low in some locations, officials said.

To find a shot, "you may have to call a couple places," said Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, who tracks the flu in Iowa.

In midtown Manhattan, Hyrmete Sciuto got a flu shot Friday at a drugstore. She skipped it in recent years, but news reports about the flu this week worried her.

During her commute from Edgewater, N.J., by ferry and bus, "I have people coughing in my face," she said. "I didn't want to risk it this year."

The vaccine is no guarantee, though, that you won't get sick. On Friday, CDC officials said a recent study of more than 1,100 people has concluded the current flu vaccine is 62 percent effective. That means the average vaccinated person is 62 percent less likely to get a case of flu that sends them to the doctor, compared to people who don't get the vaccine. That's in line with other years.

The vaccine is reformulated annually, and this year's is a good match to the viruses going around.

The flu's early arrival coincided with spikes in flu-like illnesses caused by other bugs, including a new norovirus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, or what is commonly known as "stomach flu." Those illnesses likely are part of the heavy traffic in hospital and clinic waiting rooms, CDC officials said.

Europeans also are suffering an early flu season, though a milder strain predominates there. China, Japan, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Algeria and the Republic of Congo have also reported increasing flu.

Flu usually peaks in midwinter. Symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose, head and body aches and fatigue. Some people also suffer vomiting and diarrhea, and some develop pneumonia or other severe complications.

Most people with flu have a mild illness. But people with severe symptoms should see a doctor. They may be given antiviral drugs or other medications to ease symptoms.

Some shortages have been reported for children's liquid Tamiflu, a prescription medicine used to treat flu. But health officials say adult Tamiflu pills are available, and pharmacists can convert those to doses for children.

___

Associated Press writers Dan Sewell in Cincinnati, Catherine Lucey in Des Moines, and Malcolm Ritter in New York contributed to this report.

___

Online:

CDC flu: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-11-US-MED-Flu-Season/id-cbd11c403c93429c97800bcd68ad3065

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Techniques to Build Self-Motivation | Healthy Lifestyle Plus

Webmaster | January 10, 2013 (4 hours ago) | no comments



Techniques to Build Self-MotivationFear and reward are two most commonly used methods to build motivation in someone.

But, these methods are temporary.

The only lasting thing is self-motivation.

Motivation actually is the enthusiasm of doing something.

It refers to inner feeling, strong desires, and expectation about something.

You may sometimes lose the necessary level of the inner drive to get something done. Self-motivation is what you need to boost the level of your inner drive to achieve your goals.

Self-motivation is a form of self-encouragement. You will say to yourself that you have the capacity to do better and eventually get whatever you want in your life. This inner enthusiasm will push you forward until you achieve your set goals. You may not even be aware of any reward in the beginning but you keep working on it.

You work on it because your inner strength says that you can attain your goals. This is your will power ? the driving force behind your self-motivation. Self-motivation is a combination of will power, goals and ability to continue attaining the highest level of your success.

You need self-motivation to accomplish tasks you have now. Along the way, you may be facing with situations that are discouraging and can bring your motivational level down. You need to keep yourself really focused on your objectives to maintain the level of your self-motivation.

Here are techniques you can adopt to start acquiring higher motivational level and achieve greater success.

Writing Your Plan

Success does not come easy without any proper plan. Failing to plan is actually planning to fail. Therefore, you must give a greater emphasis on having well prepared plan to achieve your goals. You simply need to have your plan written on a piece of paper. Having your plan clearly written gives you more psychological inner drive to work toward achieving your goals.

You create more enthusiasm and can see more clearly how you want to achieve your goals. Thus, your commitments will be much stronger.

When writing down your goals, state very specific terms. For example, if you want to accumulate certain amount of money, state exactly how much you want. You must also set a specific date to fulfill your goals and specific rewards for achieving your goals. Writing is not enough if you do not follow up with some reading.

You have to make a point to read your written plan at least twice a day. Once in the morning before you start your day; and one at night just before you go to bed. This simple routine will keep you stay motivated.

Be realistic, things happen in life. Unforeseen circumstances may sometimes require you to make adjustments in your plan. Go ahead and make the necessary adjustments. But, try to maintain realistic limits. Do not make it too easy or too hard for you to achieve. Set it just right to maintain your motivation level.

Visualizing Your Goals

You need to simply make your goals as visual as possible to maintain your motivation at the highest level possible. If your goal is to own an apartment, find pictures of your desired apartment keep them in front of your eyes. Visualizing your goals creates a positive impact on your mind and keeps your motivation surging.

When you feel very down, visuals will help you provide the necessary boost to surge your motivation level.

Like the written plan, you have to make a point to see the visuals at least twice a day. The images you see of yourself-achieving the goals you desire will instill strong impact in your mind, which will control your actions to maintain your level of motivation.

Controlling Your Feelings

This one is not quite straight forward action. It has to do with your feeling in your mind. You need to control what you feel. Your feeling will reflect your mental attitude and moods. If you feel upset and depressed, you will feel as if everything crashes on you. This feeling reflects on your physical self.

You will lose concentration and everything you do will be full of mistakes. You have to learn to start controlling your feeling.

The simplest way will be to start your day with a smile. No doubt this can be fake at times due to things that happen around you, but you have got to master this simple task to ensure that things around you will be pleasant and enjoyable for the rest of the day.

You can feel the enthusiasm and energy level soaring. You will be able to stay motivated and spread positive energy around you.

Your mental and physical attitudes work closely. Hence, to stay motivated, learn to develop cheerful and confident characters by simply walking with your face up and smile on it. You will realize that your confidence and self-motivation developing.

It is probably kind of hard to maintain the action, but with time, once it naturally becomes your way of life, you are able to motivate yourself even during difficult times.

Giving Your Effort A Reward

You need to give yourself a reward for what you have achieved. This one simply acts as an appreciation to yourself in achieving your goals. You have to credit yourself-for what you have gone through, your determination and your hard work in ensuring your success.

Earlier I said reward is a temporary method to motivate someone. In this case, a reward is not what keeps you motivated. It is just an element to add flavor to your self-motivation exercise. You may want to think of a simple reward that sounds reasonable with what you have achieved.

Do not get over excited about this. Meaning, the reward has to be at par with your level of achievement. Take this positively to further enhance your level of self-motivation.

?

Article by Fadzil

About the Author : Fadzil is an entrepreneur, writer, and web content developer. He enjoys helping individuals, who are excited about self-improvement and attaining personal success, to learn the simple steps to achieve their goals. To learn more about such system, please go to: http://www.wisdomgateway.com/6wlmover/life_makeover.htm. He is also the founder of WisdomGateway which helps internet users to obtain knowledge in the area of Business Matters, Healthy Living, Hobbies & Activities, Internet Marketing, and Real Estate. To visit the site, please go to http://www.wisdomgateway.com.

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NASA rules out Earth impact in 2036 for asteroid Apophis

Jan. 11, 2013 ? NASA scientists at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., effectively have ruled out the possibility the asteroid Apophis will impact Earth during a close flyby in 2036. The scientists used updated information obtained by NASA-supported telescopes in 2011 and 2012, as well as new data from the time leading up to Apophis' distant Earth flyby Jan. 9, 2013.

Discovered in 2004, the asteroid, which is the size of three-and-a-half football fields, gathered the immediate attention of space scientists and the media when initial calculations of its orbit indicated a 2.7 percent possibility of an Earth impact during a close flyby in 2029. Data discovered during a search of old astronomical images provided the additional information required to rule out the 2029 impact scenario, but a remote possibility of one in 2036 remained -- until Wednesday.

"With the new data provided by the Magdalena Ridge [New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology] and the Pan-STARRS [Univ. of Hawaii] optical observatories, along with very recent data provided by the Goldstone Solar System Radar, we have effectively ruled out the possibility of an Earth impact by Apophis in 2036," said Don Yeomans, manager of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at JPL. "The impact odds as they stand now are less than one in a million, which makes us comfortable saying we can effectively rule out an Earth impact in 2036. Our interest in asteroid Apophis will essentially be for its scientific interest for the foreseeable future."

The April 13, 2029, flyby of asteroid Apophis will be one for the record books. On that date, Apophis will become the closest flyby of an asteroid of its size when it comes no closer than 19, 400 miles (31,300 kilometers) above Earth's surface.

"But much sooner, a closer approach by a lesser-known asteroid is going to occur in the middle of next month when a 40-meter-sized asteroid, 2012 DA14, flies safely past Earth's surface at about 17,200 miles," said Yeomans. "With new telescopes coming online, the upgrade of existing telescopes and the continued refinement of our orbital determination process, there's never a dull moment working on near-Earth objects."

NASA detects and tracks asteroids and comets passing close to Earth using both ground and space-based telescopes. The Near-Earth Object Observations Program, commonly called "Spaceguard," discovers these objects, characterizes a subset of them and plots their orbits to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet.

The Near-Earth Object Program Office at JPL manages the technical and scientific activities for NASA's Near-Earth Object Program of the Science Mission Directorate in Washington. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

For more information about asteroids and near-Earth objects, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch Updates about near-Earth objects are also available by following AsteroidWatch on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/asteroidwatch .

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Y47Pta-GyUU/130111133502.htm

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