eyesore sipped: April 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Mayo Clinic finds experimental drug inhibits growth in all stages of common kidney cancer

Public release date: 30-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: Kevin Punsky
punsky.kevin@mayo.edu
904-953-2299
Mayo Clinic

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Researchers at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida have discovered a protein that is overly active in every human sample of kidney cancer they examined. They also found that an experimental drug designed to block the protein's activity significantly reduced tumor growth in animals when used alone. Combining it with another drug already used to treat the cancer improved the effectiveness of both.

The findings, reported in the April 30 online issue of Clinical Cancer Research, offer a much-needed potential new direction for the treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma, which accounts for almost 85 percent of kidney cancer cases in the United States. More than 57,000 diagnoses of kidney cancer occur yearly in the U.S. with greater than 13,000 deaths.

"There is a clear need for new therapies for this common cancer. With very few exceptions, patients inevitably become resistant to all available treatments," says the study's senior investigator, molecular biologist John Copland, Ph.D.

Their findings might be relevant to the treatment of other cancers, says Christina von Roemeling, the study's lead author. The protein they identified is produced by the stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) gene, which has also been found to be over active in a number of other cancers, including lung, stomach, breast, prostate, ovary and colon cancers.

"This is a gene that is highly active in a lot of other cancers and it may be that the agent we tested could provide new clinical avenues in those cancers as well," von Roemeling says.

The experimental drug, A939572, is a targeted inhibitor of SCD1 protein. "We found it to be incredibly specific to cancer cells in laboratory mice treated with the agent," Dr. Copland says. "But these are early days in the testing of this agent for cancer."

Not only is SCD1 active in some cancers, it also is being investigated for its role in promoting obesity and diabetes, the researchers say. Scientists are also testing A939572 as an antidote to those conditions.

The Mayo Clinic scientists performed a genome screen of tissue samples from 150 kidney cancer patient tissue samples, which represented all stages of cancer progression, to identify genes that are significantly overexpressed, compared to noncancerous tissue samples. SCD1 was one of their top finds.

They then disabled SCD1 in laboratory kidney cancer cells and found that the tumor cells stopped growing and a large percentage died.

Next, researchers tested A939572 and the federally approved kidney cancer drug temsirolimus. They found that using either agent alone cut tumor growth by up to 25 percent in mice studies, but using both drugs together, and at lower doses, reduced it 60 to 70 percent.

"The synergy between the drugs was very striking, suggestive of significant clinical benefit in patients," Dr. Copland says.

Von Roemeling says that SCD1 protein expression offers a novel molecular prognostic biomarker in kidney cancer that could guide therapy.

The study was funded by National Cancer Institute grants R01CA104505, R01CA136665 and R01CA104505-05S1; the David & Lois Stulberg Endowed Fund for Kidney Cancer Research; Mr. and Mrs. Ompal Chauhan Kidney Cancer Research Fund; Kidney Cancer Research at Mayo Clinic in Florida; James C. and Sarah K. Kennedy Mayo Clinic Research Career Development Award for Clinicians; Scheidel Foundation; Fraternal Order of Eagles Florida State Auxiliary, and a grant for rare cancers from Dr. Ellis and Dona Brunton.

###

About Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
As a leading institution funded by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center conducts basic, clinical and population science research, translating discoveries into improved methods for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. For information on cancer clinical trials, call 507-538-7623.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.com and http://www.mayoclinic.org/news.

Journalists can become a member of the Mayo Clinic News Network for the latest health, science and research news and access to video, audio, text and graphic elements that can be downloaded or embedded.

[ | 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.

Mayo Clinic finds experimental drug inhibits growth in all stages of common kidney cancer Public release date: 30-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Kevin Punsky
punsky.kevin@mayo.edu
904-953-2299
Mayo Clinic

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Researchers at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida have discovered a protein that is overly active in every human sample of kidney cancer they examined. They also found that an experimental drug designed to block the protein's activity significantly reduced tumor growth in animals when used alone. Combining it with another drug already used to treat the cancer improved the effectiveness of both.

The findings, reported in the April 30 online issue of Clinical Cancer Research, offer a much-needed potential new direction for the treatment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma, which accounts for almost 85 percent of kidney cancer cases in the United States. More than 57,000 diagnoses of kidney cancer occur yearly in the U.S. with greater than 13,000 deaths.

"There is a clear need for new therapies for this common cancer. With very few exceptions, patients inevitably become resistant to all available treatments," says the study's senior investigator, molecular biologist John Copland, Ph.D.

Their findings might be relevant to the treatment of other cancers, says Christina von Roemeling, the study's lead author. The protein they identified is produced by the stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) gene, which has also been found to be over active in a number of other cancers, including lung, stomach, breast, prostate, ovary and colon cancers.

"This is a gene that is highly active in a lot of other cancers and it may be that the agent we tested could provide new clinical avenues in those cancers as well," von Roemeling says.

The experimental drug, A939572, is a targeted inhibitor of SCD1 protein. "We found it to be incredibly specific to cancer cells in laboratory mice treated with the agent," Dr. Copland says. "But these are early days in the testing of this agent for cancer."

Not only is SCD1 active in some cancers, it also is being investigated for its role in promoting obesity and diabetes, the researchers say. Scientists are also testing A939572 as an antidote to those conditions.

The Mayo Clinic scientists performed a genome screen of tissue samples from 150 kidney cancer patient tissue samples, which represented all stages of cancer progression, to identify genes that are significantly overexpressed, compared to noncancerous tissue samples. SCD1 was one of their top finds.

They then disabled SCD1 in laboratory kidney cancer cells and found that the tumor cells stopped growing and a large percentage died.

Next, researchers tested A939572 and the federally approved kidney cancer drug temsirolimus. They found that using either agent alone cut tumor growth by up to 25 percent in mice studies, but using both drugs together, and at lower doses, reduced it 60 to 70 percent.

"The synergy between the drugs was very striking, suggestive of significant clinical benefit in patients," Dr. Copland says.

Von Roemeling says that SCD1 protein expression offers a novel molecular prognostic biomarker in kidney cancer that could guide therapy.

The study was funded by National Cancer Institute grants R01CA104505, R01CA136665 and R01CA104505-05S1; the David & Lois Stulberg Endowed Fund for Kidney Cancer Research; Mr. and Mrs. Ompal Chauhan Kidney Cancer Research Fund; Kidney Cancer Research at Mayo Clinic in Florida; James C. and Sarah K. Kennedy Mayo Clinic Research Career Development Award for Clinicians; Scheidel Foundation; Fraternal Order of Eagles Florida State Auxiliary, and a grant for rare cancers from Dr. Ellis and Dona Brunton.

###

About Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
As a leading institution funded by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center conducts basic, clinical and population science research, translating discoveries into improved methods for prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. For information on cancer clinical trials, call 507-538-7623.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.com and http://www.mayoclinic.org/news.

Journalists can become a member of the Mayo Clinic News Network for the latest health, science and research news and access to video, audio, text and graphic elements that can be downloaded or embedded.

[ | 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/2013-04/mc-mcf042913.php
forrest gump bernard hopkins devils la riots rachel maddow gia utah jazz

Monday, April 29, 2013

James Bond studio to open 1st US facility in Ga.

In this image provided by Pinewood Shepperton PLC, an artist's rendering of Pinewood Atlanta is shown. Pinewood Shepperton PLC and River?s Rock LLC together announced a joint venture to be named Pinewood Atlanta, a full service film and entertainment studio complex comprised of five sound stages on 288 acres in Fayetteville, Ga., south of Atlanta. (AP Photo/Pinewood Shepperton PLC)

ATLANTA (AP) ? The British film studio that's home to the James Bond movie franchise announced plans Monday for its first U.S. film production facility, at a site near Atlanta.

The large-scale film complex will be called Pinewood Atlanta, and Pinewood will manage the facility under an agreement with a group of private investors. Plans call for the studio to be developed on 288 acres south of Atlanta in Fayette County and initially include at least five soundstages as well as production offices.

"Today's agreement is another step forward for the Pinewood brand internationally," said Ivan Dunleavy, CEO of Pinewood Shepperton PLC, which has studios in the United Kingdom, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Germany and Malaysia. Recent films shot at Pinewood Studios, based outside of London, include the coming Angelina Jolie film, "Maleficent," and "Jack Ryan," directed by Kenneth Branagh.

"This new studio will target US productions. Georgia has excellent fiscal and tax credit incentives as well as a great crew base," Dunleavy added.

It's the fifth major studio development or expansion announced in Georgia in recent months. Last week, Atlanta-based developer Jacoby Development said it would build an estimated $1 billion multi-use project north of Atlanta that will include 12 soundstages as well as production offices and an arts and media school aimed at training the next generation of film industry employees.

The Pinewood project is a coup for Georgia and opens the state to major, big-budget films that need large studio space. While Pinewood Studios has an office in Los Angeles, it chose the Southeast for its first U.S. production facility.

Although California has numerous soundstages, not many have been built in recent years as the state has grappled with the effects of runaway production and the lagging economy. A survey last year found California lost $3 billion in wages from 2004 to 2011 because of film and TV production moving to other states and countries, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

Half the wages went to states, including Georgia, that offer tax incentives and rebates to the industry. Other states included New York, Louisiana and North Carolina.

"Pinewood Atlanta's location will contribute significantly to Georgia's growing reputation as a top draw for movie and television productions," Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said. "We welcome the business this world-renowned company will bring to the state and the jobs it will create for our crew base and supporting companies."

Last year, productions filmed in Georgia generated an estimated $3.1 billion in economic activity, a 29 percent increase from the year before. TV shows such as AMC's "The Walking Dead" film in Georgia, and recently "The Hunger Games" sequel wrapped up in locations around Atlanta.

While studio developers building soundstages are not eligible for the state's generous tax credit program, the production companies making films are. Georgia currently provides a 20 percent tax credit for companies that spend $500,000 or more on production and post-production in the state, either in a single production or on multiple projects. Georgia also grants an additional 10 percent tax credit if the finished project includes a state promotional logo.

The Pinewood project is a joint venture with River's Rock LLC, which is an independently managed trust of the Cathy family, according to the studio. The Cathy family is known for establishing the Chick-fil-A fast-food restaurant empire based in Atlanta. The chain last year generated both criticism and support when company president Dan Cathy made comments against same-sex marriage. The company later said it would stop funding anti-gay marriage groups.

Pinewood's director of strategy and communications, Andrew Smith, noted that the remarks were made in a personal capacity.

"Pinewood will be operating and running the facility, and we will operate them to the same and usual standards that we operate all of our studios around the world," Smith said.

Construction of the studio is already underway, with the first production set to begin at the new site in January, Smith said.

Pinewood will maintain a 40 percent interest in the venture and will provide sales and marketing services under the agreement. Plans call for additional construction phases that could add several more soundstages. The project also includes a vocational job skills training program to help build up the state's workforce. Georgia already has an estimated 5,000 union and non-union professionals associated with the film industry along with more than 1,000 production suppliers and support companies.

County officials say 75 companies have been in contact saying they want to locate to the site and provide industry-related services.

"We are tremendously excited to be creating a world-class studio in the state of Georgia and are looking forward to working with Pinewood in the many years to come," said Jim Pace, managing partner of the investment group, River's Rock LLC. "The Pinewood brand is so well recognized in the global film industry and together there is a great opportunity to build an excellent facility that will attract the very best producers."

The project in Georgia has the potential to be a major economic driver, allowing big-budget films to come to the Peach State.

"It takes the state to a whole new level," said Matt Forshee, president of the Fayette County Development Authority, who has been closely involved in the project. "When you look at the films that have filmed in Georgia, for the most part, they have been smaller budget films, in the range of $20-25 million. This allows us to open up to larger budget productions, which means more expenditures occurring within the state, which becomes a bigger return on the investment on the state level for the tax credits."

___

Follow Christina Almeida Cassidy on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Christina .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-29-James%20Bond%20Studio-US/id-d387e76809e249fc8b2e3026648d63b2

jessica chastain oscars jane fonda abc bradley cooper channing tatum Jennifer Aniston

Soundrop Launches Web-Based Listening Rooms That Sync Up Spotify Tracks With YouTube Videos

Soundrop, the popular social and interactive "listening room" music service that first launched as an app on Spotify, continues to branch out and become ever-more ubiquitous. The latest iteration: a new web version, now out in beta, which lets users tap into existing listening rooms based on artists, genres and moods, or create their own, using Spotify's move to the web as a way of building out part of the audio component, and synchronising that with videos from YouTube. The web app is the latest product in a series that also includes a Spotify app and the ability to access rooms via Facebook embeds.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/dZ1iLAXbf6k/

hannibal Lena Headey the great gatsby the great gatsby roger ebert north korea Daddy Yankee

'Guntucky' puts family-run gun range on the map

Getaways

Dana McMahan NBC News contributor

17 hours ago

CMT

The Sumner family and their gun range are the stars of CMT's new reality show, "Guntucky."

The Sumner clan is getting a national boost thanks to "Guntucky," a new reality show on CMT, but the stars of the family-run Knob Creek Gun Range has been famous among gun lovers for years.

The word started spreading in 1963 when Biff Sumner, Sr., first bought land on the edge of the woods surrounding Fort Knox Army Base about 20 miles south of Louisville, Ky., and invited a few friends over to fire off machine guns into the trees. Now, more than 16,000 people choke the gravel entrance to the property during its bi-annual Machine Gun Shoot, traveling from around the world to squeeze exotic triggers.

?Everybody likes to see something blow up,? the burly and mohawked Steven Sumner, 54, Biff Jr.'s son and the Knob Creek range supervisor, told NBC News in a phone interview this week. ?They're not into paper targets.?

Dana McMahan for NBC News

I was terrified inside my pink pullover Under Armour jacket as I grasped the Tommy Gun under the eye of the range officer when I attended one of Knob Creek's recent shoots. Living less than an hour away, I had been curious to see what all the fuss was about.

I reluctantly put my finger on the trigger of the Tommy gun. Then I squeezed a spray of bullets in the general direction of some old boats and cars they use as targets.

I emptied the $40 magazine in seconds, but I was shaking with peak levels of adrenaline. I was exhilarated as I stepped away and the next person in the more than two-hour-long line, nearly all men, stepped up. Brass from the dozens of different machine guns and semi-automatics available -- like water-cooled Brownings, AK-47s, MG-42s, M-16s, belt-fed Vickers guns, Uzis, and MP5s -- piled up on the Bullitt County dirt. There was also a cannon.

CMT

Steven Sumner behind the counter at the Knob Creek gun range store.

As seen on the TV show, during regular business hours the range works hard to accommodate requests from customers who travel a mile down from Highway 44 with requests for very specific things they want to shoot up. That can include bargaining for Civil War era weapons and rigging up a zombie apocalypse shootout. They've even staged a "shotgun wedding," marrying a couple on the firing line.

?As long as it's not illegal or doesn?t interfere with the neighbors, we're up for it,? said Steven.

Still, the range has strict controls. No gun may be carried loaded. Each gun must be zip-tied and declared before entry. Steven carries a metal coin in his pocket, its silver-dollar heft a constant reminder of the importance of the word SAFETY stamped on one side. But within the confines of the scrupulously-followed rules, and under the supervision of range control officers ready to intervene in a split-second, the bullets from high-speed assault weapons fly freely. Tucked in among the edges of the Army base, local government land, and one private neighbor, nobody pays them much mind.

CMT

The family wouldn't discuss how much they were getting from the show but they don't plan on changing much with the earnings. Maybe expand the store a bit, and put in a double-lane bridge over the creek.

Amidst the national debate on gun control, Steven is matter-of-fact about the family business which also employs his daughter Stephanie, 22, as office manager, teenage son Payton as maintenance clerk, and his cousin Chad as sales manager. His dad owns it and his brother Kenny runs day-to-day operations.

?We're just average believers in the Second Amendment,? said Steven. ?It doesn't matter how long that gun sits in a corner, it will never kill anyone. It takes an irresponsible operator.?

Dana McMahan for NBC News

If you go...

Machine Gun Shoot admission is $10 a day, $5 for kids under than 12. Bring eye protection and earplugs, and don't count on much conversation. Camping with no water or electricity is available on-site for $50/person for the week.

Dana McMahan for NBC News

Down the road in Shepherdsville is a clutch of hotels and places to eat. Lil' Biff's Motel, run by Grandpa Sumner, is nearby at 12706 Dixie Hwy, with singles for $44 and doubles for $64/night.

While you're there, consider keeping with the theme and eat at Bonnie & Clyde's pizza parlor, 7611 Dixie Hwy, cash only.

Source: http://www.today.com/travel/reality-tv-show-guntucky-puts-family-run-gun-range-map-6C9624835

Restaurants Open on Christmas Day jessica simpson santa tracker happy holidays Stores Open On Christmas Day Santa Claus Feliz Navidad

Sunday, April 28, 2013

George Jones: Why he was the greatest ever

By Matthew Diebel, NBC News

Opinion:?Johnny Cash had a stock answer to that oft-asked question, "Who is your favorite singer?" "You mean," he teased, "apart from George Jones?"

Yes, there's pretty much universal agreement among country singers that Jones, who died Friday at age 81, was the greatest of all time. From the oldies -- Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard -- to the relative newbies -- Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis -- all were of one mind.

And even non-country singers appreciated him -- none other than Frank Sinatra called him "the second best white singer in America." (No prizes for guessing first place)

What they loved was that rarest of combinations: a seamless voice -- no change of tone and timbre between low and high registers -- exquisite phrasing, and enough soul to rival Ray Charles and Otis Redding.

I believe, though, that there is also a case to be made that Jones was?the greatest American popular singer ever recorded. The ones usually named are Charles, Billie Holliday, Sinatra, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin. I would argue that he has them beaten on all counts. Sinatra's phrasing, without Sinatra's forcedness. Charles's soul, without Charles's hamminess. Franklin's power, but without Franklin's screeches. Holliday's ability to laugh at his troubles, but without her self-pity. (Redding, though brilliant, was not tested by a long career.)

So, why isn't he usually mentioned among this pantheon? Why, when I bring up my Jones obsession, do people say, "Isn't that the guy who was married to Tammy Wynette?"

Partly because, somehow, he didn't manage to die young.

Also because country music has hardly ever been cool. Mostly, it has operated in its own universe, rarely crossing over into the pop world. And the artists who have had mainstream hits, such as the brilliant Patsy Cline, are about as far removed on the country spectrum from Jones as you can get.

And partly because he was drunk and/or high most of the time, a fact that made his career trajectory one of a few highs and many lows. Jones loved the music fiercely, but the limelight frightened him, a fear that led him to inoculate himself with the bottle and harder drugs, which in turn resulted, famously, in missed concerts, exasperated record companies and fuming fans. And his lack of self-control led him to sign contracts he was too bombed to understand, leaving him to be dragged into session after session to mouth lyrics that he should have known were rubbish. He put out (literally) hundreds of albums, mostly filled with trash.

Among the dreck, though, were diamonds. Quite a few, in fact, including 15 No. 1 hits (and dozens of Top 10 ones), starting with "White Lightning" in 1959. If Jones honed in on a song he liked, he put his heart and soul into it.

His biggest success came in the '70s and early '80s with such hits as "The Door" and "He Stopped Loving Her Today," the latter often cited as the greatest recorded country performance of all time. I think, though, that his best recording came in the early '60s before his long association with producer Billy Sherrill, the Nashville schlockmeister he signed with in 1972, after he met Wynette and with whom he made "He Stopped Loving Her Today.? It's not that I don't like the later material; it's just that the earlier tracks, free of the dubious delights of massed violins and warbling choruses, highlight his incredible voice. At the same time, enhanced studio technology -- including the newly created stereo -- had improved on the sound quality that marked his rudimentary early discs.

Jones was best known for his ballads, especially in the later part of his career; however, he was actually a greater master of fast-paced material. His rhythmic genius was particularly effective when matched with a tight session band, such as with "Mr. Fool," a driving honky-tonker about lost love that is perhaps the supreme recorded example of Jones's exquisite phrasing. "No one can ever call me Mr. Fool no more," runs the last line of the chorus. Each of four renditions of the phrase takes you on a spellbinding journey of his vocal arsenal -- swooping, clipping, playing with the beat, riding herd on the back-up band. In those lines, as with the rest of the song, you never know where Jones is going to lead you; at the same time, none of it sounds forced or contrived. The whole happy confection is aided by the spare production of his first producer (and discoverer), Pappy Daily.

I also think that the early '60s, when "Mr. Fool" was recorded, was when he was at his vocal peak. Writers often rave about how Sherrill persuaded Jones to explore a greater range, but the high-lonesome sound on this cut has a rawness and emotion that travels even further into the heart than his later efforts. (If you agree, "Cup of Loneliness," a 1994 double-CD, is worth the investment. It has 51 songs -- with hardly a dud -- excellent liner notes, and has been carefully re-mastered from the original recordings.)

Mark Humphrey / AP

What these songs do is breathe emotion. In his never-equaled way, Jones drifts across the beat, never failing to surprise with a speeded-up phrase or a well-placed drawn-out note. At the same time, he never made a mush of the lyrics; one of his great assets was that the listener understands every word.

Jones just sounds so sad, it's painful. He's as sad-sounding as Hank Williams at his most abject. Of course, the difference is that Jones could sing, whereas Williams only wailed. Some words are clipped, some are stretched and played with, as only Jones did. Some lines are almost whispered; others cried out -- all beautifully set up by man who really understood -- whether by design or instinct -- what to do with a lyric.

High and lonesome, but not always alone. A measure of Jones' greatness was his generosity and skill as a duetist. Most often, he took the harmony part -- the most difficult -- and never sought to dominate. His most famous duets, of course, were with third wife Wynette ("Golden Ring," "We?re Going to Hold On"), but probably his best are with Melba Montgomery in the mid-'60s. In these collaborations, he was the much bigger star and could easily have hogged the sessions. But no -- these are real duets, not a lead singer with a backup.

As a live performer, Jones was even more mixed than his records. He could be very lazy and unfocused, leading to lackluster concerts that were intensely disappointing. But when he was on, it was electrifying. I feel bad saying this, but the drunker and higher he was, the better was his performance. It seemed that the more reason was stripped from his mind, the better he sang, as if his emotions were uncontrolled and he was operating on instinct alone.

I will never forget one concert I witnessed, in the early '80s, when he was at the depth of his drinking and drugging. As was his usual pattern, he had his band, the Jones Boys, warm up the audience with several songs. But the tunes just kept on coming, and there was no George. After about six songs, there he was, literally being dragged onto the stage. "Oh, no," I thought, "he?s going to be terrible." It was the best concert I ever saw. In contrast, the ones I witnessed when he was stone-cold sober (or a near facsimile) tended to be rote and unrewarding, with Jones making light of his material -- "slobbing tear-jerkers" was how he disparaged some of his greatest songs.

Quite simply, no one else -- before, then or now -- was capable of his vocal fireworks, or at least carrying it off without making it sound like he or she is showing off. That was one of the joys of Jones: Though he had every tool at his disposal, he never used them other than to enhance the song.

That?s why he was often called "the singers? singer." Powerful, yet somehow understated. Apparently revealing raw personal emotion, but at the same time a mystery. If one were to compare him to a painter, I pick Velazquez.

Unlike Velazquez, though, who was loved and lauded by his patrons, Jones was too wild and uncompromising for the tastes of the Nashville establishment, a factor that kept him from its greatest prizes until relatively late in his career.

For instance, on the cover of one of Jones' early 1960s albums is a photo of him next to an incongruously inset picture of the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Somehow, though, Jones didn't make it in until 1992 after many inferior singers had been chosen for admission.

That's like making Babe Ruth wait until the '70s to get into Cooperstown.

Was Jones the greatest ever? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

Matt Diebel is a senior producer for NBCNews.com. He has been listening to George Jones since he was a teen in England. His son is named George.

albert pujols the shining mariano rivera mariano rivera jobs report tiger woods masters 2012 nikki haley

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Stock Upgrades: Yesterday's Mutiny Provides Bounty For P&G ...

A day after effortlessly shrugging off the?Syrian Electronic Army, the?Dow?(^DJI) decided to have a Road to Damascus conversion. Turnaround Tuesday arrived 24 hours late, with blue chips falling 43.16 amid decidedly iffy durable goods data.?
?
General Dynamics?(GD), which makes Gulfstream business jets, surged 6.90% to a fresh 52-week peak but?an unloved?Amgen?(AMGN) had better?get rid of its own one quick after imploding 6.94% in its worst single session showing for several years.
?
Elsewhere, even old reliables mom and Apple?(AAPL) pie failed to reward investors with Ma Bell?AT&T?(T) tumbling 5.03% and the erstwhile tech titan taking its 2013 decline to 24%. And the John Thain portfolio proved particularly profitable. The CEO of?upgraded?CIT Group?(CIT) saw that stock surge 4.26% while his?longtime nickname iRobot (IRBT) rose 13.71% to a fresh 52-week peak and the?Superman lookalike will have equally enjoyed a 5.44% jump in US Steel (X).
?
The single busiest day of earnings season has arrived with Amazon (AMZN), AstraZeneca?(AZN),?Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), Coca-Cola (KO), ConocoPhillips (COP),?Exxon Mobil?(XOM),Gazprom?(PINK:OGZPY),?JetBlue Airways (JBLU),?Starbucks?(SBUX), and United Parcel Service?(UPS) all due to report results.
?
Akamai Technologies?(AKAM): JPMorgan moves the stock to Neutral from Overweight.
?
Apple Inc.?(AAPL): Amid optimism over its dividend and stock repurchase program, Hilliard Lyons lifts the troubled tech titan to Buy from Long-Term Buy.
?
Asbury Automotive?(ABG): ABG gets increased to Buy from Hold at Craig Hallum.
?
Canadian Pacific Railway?(CP): Raymond James juices its rating to Outperform from Market Perform.
?
Cheesecake Factory?(CAKE): CAKE is now Neutral from Underperform at Buckingham Research.
?
Crown Castle International?(CCI): Macquarie moves the company to Outperform from Neutral.
?
Edwards Lifesciences?(EW): Calling yesterday?s NYSE-worst 21.99% tumble excessive, Northland Capital lifts the stock to Market Perform from Underperform.
?
F5 Networks?(FFIV): The company is upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Nomura.
?
Federal-Mogul?(FDML): Shares are now Neutral from Sell at Goldman Sachs.
?
First Niagara?(FNFG): Raymond James raises the Savings & Loans stock to Market Perform from Underperform.
?
Infinera?(INFN): Shares are now Buy from Hold with a $12 target at Needham, which notes robust orders from both new and existing customers.
?
IPC The Hospitalist Company?(IPCM): The health services provider gets a Buy-from-Hold hoist at Deutsche Bank.
?
Lumber Liquidators?(LL): Stifel lifts LL to Hold from Sell.
?
Potlatch?(PCH): Raymond James increases the industrial Real Estate Investment Trust to Outperform from Market Perform.
?
Procter & Gamble?(NYSE:PG): The?Dow member, whose brands include Bounty, Crest, and Tide, is today taken to Buy from Neutral at SunTrust. Yesterday?s 5.88% stock slide, its worst showing for about four years, provides investors with an attractive entry point in the broker?s estimation. Shares are, accordingly, rebounding before the bell as I write.
?
Residential REITs: FBR Capital raises Real Estate Investment Trusts?Annaly Capital (NLY) ? Perform from Underperform, taking its target price to $15.50 from $13.50 ? and Two Harbors?(TWO) ? added to its Top Picks list. Catalysts include recent home price appreciation and improvements in sub prime credit quality.
?
ServiceNow?(NOW): Shares are moved to Buy from Neutral at Mizuho, which also increases its price objective to $45 from $35 on a stock it says stands to benefit from an ongoing secular shift to hosted applications.
?
TriQuint Semiconductor?(TQNT): Raymond James takes TQNT to Market Perform from Underperform.
?
Waste Management?(WM): Shares are taken to Buy from Hold with Wunderlich, whose objective also increases to $43 from $35. Meaningful margin expansion can occur from current levels, in its opinion.
?
Yum Brands?(YUM): An impressive earnings release sees the owner of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell score a Market Perform-from-Underperform upgrade at Raymond James.
?
Zoetis?(ZTS): The animal health outfit, a recent spin-off from?Pfizer?(PFE), is boosted to Market Perform from Underperform by BMO Capital.

(See also: New Stock Coverage: Sink Your Teeth Into Diamondback Energy and Stock Downgrades: McGraw-Hill Has Mountain to Climb.)

No positions in stocks mentioned.

The information on this website solely reflects the analysis of or opinion about the performance of securities and financial markets by the writers whose articles appear on the site. The views expressed by the writers are not necessarily the views of Minyanville Media, Inc. or members of its management. Nothing contained on the website is intended to constitute a recommendation or advice addressed to an individual investor or category of investors to purchase, sell or hold any security, or to take any action with respect to the prospective movement of the securities markets or to solicit the purchase or sale of any security. Any investment decisions must be made by the reader either individually or in consultation with his or her investment professional. Minyanville writers and staff may trade or hold positions in securities that are discussed in articles appearing on the website. Writers of articles are required to disclose whether they have a position in any stock or fund discussed in an article, but are not permitted to disclose the size or direction of the position. Nothing on this website is intended to solicit business of any kind for a writer's business or fund. Minyanville management and staff as well as contributing writers will not respond to emails or other communications requesting investment advice.

Source: http://www.minyanville.com/trading-and-investing/stocks/articles/Stock-Upgrades253A-Yesterday2527s-Mutiny-Provides/4/25/2013/id/49471

Kanye West sex tape emmys emmys

New conservative lobbying push for gay marriage

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) ? A national group of prominent GOP donors that supports gay marriage is pouring new money into lobbying efforts to get Republican lawmakers to vote to make it legal.

American Unity PAC was formed last year to lend financial support to Republicans who bucked the party's longstanding opposition to gay marriage. Its founders are launching a new lobbying organization, American Unity Fund, and already have spent more than $250,000 in Minnesota, where the Legislature could vote on the issue as early as next week.

The group has spent $500,000 on lobbying since last month, including efforts in Rhode Island, Delaware, Indiana, West Virginia and Utah.

Billionaire hedge fund manager and Republican donor Paul Singer launched American Unity PAC. The lobbying effort is the next phase as the push for gay marriage spreads to more states, spokesman Jeff Cook-McCormac told The Associated Press.

"What you have is this network of influential Republicans who really want to see the party embrace the freedom to marry, and believe it's not only the right thing for the country but also good politics," Cook-McCormac said.

In Minnesota, the money has gone to state groups that are lobbying Republican lawmakers and for polling on gay marriage in a handful of suburban districts held by Republicans. So far, only one Minnesota Republican lawmaker has committed to voting to legalize gay marriage: Sen. Branden Petersen of Andover.

"I think there will be some more. There are legislators out there that are struggling with this," said Carl Kuhl, a former political aide to former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Kuhl's public affairs firm is contracted by Minnesotans United, the lead lobby group for gay marriage in Minnesota and main recipient of American Unity's Minnesota spending.

Gay marriage's fate in Minnesota may rest with the House, where support is seen as shakier than in the Senate. A handful of votes from Republicans could put it over the top. Nearly two dozen House Republicans represent more socially moderate suburbs and might be candidates to vote yes.

House Speaker Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, said he has encouraged advocates of the marriage bill to round up Republican votes, if nothing else than to send a message to Minnesota residents that it's not a partisan proposition. But that will be politically risky; the main opposition group to same-sex marriage, Minnesota for Marriage, has said it will seek consequences for Republicans who stray on gay marriage.

Part of American Unity PAC's original mission was to protect Republican gay marriage supporters with political spending on their behalf.

Since forming the lobby group last month, the group also spent money to win over Republican lawmakers in Rhode Island, where last week all five Republicans in the state Senate jumped on the gay marriage bandwagon. Rhode Island is on track to legalize gay marriage by next week, which would make it the 11th U.S. state where gay marriage is legal.

There are also plans to lobby federal lawmakers on gay rights issues.

"We intend to work on this effort until every American citizen is treated equally under the law," Cook-McCormac said. Other wealthy, traditionally Republican donors giving money to the group include Seth Klarman, David Herro and Cliff Asness.

Though only one current GOP officeholder in Minnesota is on record supporting gay marriage, a handful of prominent Republicans have spoken out in favor of it. They include former state auditor Pat Anderson and Brian McClung, who was spokesman for former Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Prominent Republican donors including former politician Wheelock Whitney and businesswoman Marilyn Carlson Nelson have also lent support and donated money.

Since it first formed to campaign against last fall's gay marriage ban and then shifted to pushing for its legalization at the Capitol, Minnesotans United has been building Republican alliances, hiring multiple lobbyists with Republican ties.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/conservative-lobbying-push-gay-marriage-050802280.html

day light savings day light savings daylight saving time 2012 grapes of wrath silent house nfl mock draft project m

Friday, April 26, 2013

Wall Street dips after GDP but finishes week higher

By Rodrigo Campos

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks dipped in thin volume on Friday, though the market had a strong week overall despite a mixed bag of earnings and weak economic figures.

Shares of online retailer Amazon.com Inc posted the largest daily drop in 15 months after the company reported results late on Thursday. It was Friday's biggest drag on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes.

Gains in shares of Chevron Corp buoyed the blue-chip Dow industrials.

The market fell early after a negative surprise from the gross domestic product report, but the decline attracted bargain-hunting investors late in the session. Major indexes posted solid gains for the week.

J.C. Penney Co was the S&P 500's biggest percentage gainer, up 11.5 percent to $17 after CNBC reported Goldman Sachs lined up a $1.75 billion loan for the retailer. The news added to previous gains a day after investor George Soros reported a 7.9 percent passive stake in the company.

"We traded off a decent amount after the GDP number but we didn't break any technical levels or really didn't get much momentum in the selloff past late morning," said Paul Zemsky, head of asset allocation at ING Investment Management in New York.

"I guess there was some bottom fishing. There was so much fear of poor earnings going into earnings season that this is still somewhat of a positive surprise."

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> rose 11.75 points or 0.08 percent, to 14,712.55, the S&P 500 <.spx> lost 2.92 points or 0.18 percent, to 1,582.24 and the Nasdaq Composite <.ixic> dropped 10.72 points or 0.33 percent, to 3,279.26.

For the week, the Dow gained 1.1 percent, the S&P added 1.7 percent and the Nasdaq rose 2.3 percent.

Of the 271 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings to date for the first quarter, 69 percent have beaten analyst expectations - above the 63 percent average since 1994 and slightly over the 67 percent beat rate over the past four quarters.

Eastman Chemical dropped 5.1 percent to $68.97 a day after posting results, to lead percentage declines among S&P materials <.splrcm>, which was the worst performing sector of the index with a 1.4 percent drop.

The S&P traded Thursday within a point of its historic closing high set earlier this month and the 1,593 level is expected to be technical resistance in the near future.

Gross domestic product expanded at a 2.5 percent rate in the first quarter, below estimates of 3 percent, heightening fears the U.S. economy could struggle to cope with deep government spending cuts and higher taxes that kicked in earlier this year.

Amazon.com shed 7.2 percent to $254.81 after it said revenue growth slowed in the first quarter as the company struggled overseas, but margins jumped on lower shipping expenses.

Chevron rose 1.3 percent to $120.04 after it posted earnings that beat expectations, even as lower oil prices bit into the profits of the second largest U.S. oil company.

The PHLX housing sector index <.hgx> gained 1 percent, getting a lift from D.R. Horton Inc after the No. 1 U.S. homebuilder reported earnings. D.R. Horton shares closed at their highest in six years after an 8.7 percent jump to $26.60.

About 5.7 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and NYSE MKT, below the daily average so far this year of about 6.4 billion shares.

On the NYSE, roughly seven issues fell for every five that rose and on Nasdaq about three fell for every two advancing issues.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-index-futures-fall-focus-gdp-data-091008483--finance.html

Tavon Austin EJ Manuel George Jones Jarvis Jones Omar Borkan Al Gala Kyle Long Barkevious Mingo

Psychopaths are not neurally equipped to have concern for others

Apr. 24, 2013 ? Prisoners who are psychopaths lack the basic neurophysiological "hardwiring" that enables them to care for others, according to a new study by neuroscientists at the University of Chicago and the University of New Mexico.

"A marked lack of empathy is a hallmark characteristic of individuals with psychopathy," said the lead author of the study, Jean Decety, the Irving B. Harris Professor in Psychology and Psychiatry at UChicago. Psychopathy affects approximately 1 percent of the United States general population and 20 percent to 30 percent of the male and female U.S. prison population. Relative to non-psychopathic criminals, psychopaths are responsible for a disproportionate amount of repetitive crime and violence in society.

"This is the first time that neural processes associated with empathic processing have been directly examined in individuals with psychopathy, especially in response to the perception of other people in pain or distress," he added.

The results of the study, which could help clinical psychologists design better treatment programs for psychopaths, are published in the article, "Brain Responses to Empathy-Eliciting Scenarios Involving Pain in Incarcerated Individuals with Psychopathy," which appears online April 24 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

Joining Decety in the study were Laurie Skelly, a graduate student at UChicago; and Kent Kiehl, professor of psychology at the University of New Mexico.

For the study, the research team tested 80 prisoners between ages 18 and 50 at a correctional facility. The men volunteered for the test and were tested for levels of psychopathy using standard measures.

They were then studied with functional MRI technology, to determine their responses to a series of scenarios depicting people being intentionally hurt. They were also tested on their responses to seeing short videos of facial expressions showing pain.

The participants in the high psychopathy group exhibited significantly less activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala and periaqueductal gray parts of the brain, but more activity in the striatum and the insula when compared to control participants, the study found.

The high response in the insula in psychopaths was an unexpected finding, as this region is critically involved in emotion and somatic resonance. Conversely, the diminished response in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and amygdala is consistent with the affective neuroscience literature on psychopathy. This latter region is important for monitoring ongoing behavior, estimating consequences and incorporating emotional learning into moral decision-making, and plays a fundamental role in empathic concern and valuing the well-being of others.

"The neural response to distress of others such as pain is thought to reflect an aversive response in the observer that may act as a trigger to inhibit aggression or prompt motivation to help," the authors write in the paper.

"Hence, examining the neural response of individuals with psychopathy as they view others being harmed or expressing pain is an effective probe into the neural processes underlying affective and empathy deficits in psychopathy," the authors wrote.

The study with prisoners was supported with a $1.6 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Chicago, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

Journal Reference:

Jean Decety, Laurie R. Skelly, Kent A. Kiehl. Brain Response to Empathy-Eliciting Scenarios Involving Pain in Incarcerated Individuals With Psychopathy. JAMA Psychiatry, 2013 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.27

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/uRcT0SkoiG0/130424161108.htm

carrot top george huguely whitney houston casket photo match play championship the national enquirer marie colvin cm punk

5 Signs Exercise Is Causing Your Asthma - FreddaBranyon.com

Do you have exercise-induced asthma or exercise-induced bronchospasm? Many people who feel shortness of breath while working out don?t know they have it.

Regular exercise is a pillar of healthy living, but for millions of Americans a jog or run through the park might cause panting, wheezing, and shortness of breath. And it?s not always because they?re out of shape.

Exercise-induced asthma and exercise-induced bronchospasm, or EIA and EIB, are terms used to describe asthma symptoms triggered by exercise. And they occur more frequently than people realize.

It?s unclear exactly how many people in the United States have exercise-induced asthma. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 19 million Americans have diagnosed asthma. As many as 90 percent of the individuals in that group experience the effects of asthma during exercise. Others might feel asthma-like symptoms while exercising but have not actually been diagnosed with asthma.

image c/o: news.menshealth.com

The Dangers of Exercise-Induced Asthma

Ignoring asthma symptoms during exercise can be dangerous. If you notice specific warning signs, it?s worth a visit to your doctor.

?Asthma and shortness of breath create respiratory distress with all of its manifestations, including anxiety, and elicit the same physical and emotional responses as asthma induced by any other ?trigger,?? says Constantine Saadeh, MD, director of?Allergy A.R.T.S.?in Amarillo, Texas. ?As with any exacerbation, the symptoms may vary in severity from episode to episode. That is why proper management and monitoring by a medical specialist is so vital in avoiding such exacerbations.?

5 Warning Signs of Exercise-Induced Asthma

If you suspect exercise is causing your asthma symptoms, the best approach is to see a doctor for a diagnosis. Dr. Saadeh suggests looking out for these five signs that you might have exercise-induced asthma and need therapy to manage it:

You experience coughing fits of varying severity while exercising.
You develop a?noticeable wheeze?as you go through your workout routine or after working out.
You become short of breath during or after a workout.
You experience chest tightness during or after a workout.
Your symptoms get worse under certain weather-related conditions, such as cold, dry air; days with a high pollen count; or days with high pollution or poor air quality.

Tips for Exercise-Induced Asthma

No matter how old you are, onset of any or all of these symptoms during exercise should prompt a trip to the doctor. Once you?ve been diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma or exercise-induced bronchospasm, the treatment is are simple and highly effective, Saadeh says. ?Patients with asthma can exercise?just as regular people can, provided they are compliant with the medications.?

If you manage your exercise-induced asthma or exercise-induced bronchospasm, you should be able to pursue an active and healthy lifestyle ? enjoying exercise and fitness activities without asthma symptoms holding you back.

Source: http://freddabranyon.com/5-signs-exercise-is-causing-your-asthma/

Amy Weber Happy Halloween! Star Wars Episode 7 jfk airport faith hill metro north taco bell

Thursday, April 25, 2013

2013 Fiat 500e Test Drive

On-sale Date: Summer 2013

Base Price: $32,500 (eligible for $7500 Federal Tax Credit and $2500 California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project); 36-month lease terms of $199/month and $999 due at signing

Competitors: Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus EV, Honda Fit EV, Toyota RAV4 EV

Powertrains: AC electric motor, 117 hp, 147 lb-ft; 24-kwh lithium-ion battery pack, direct drive, FWD

EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 122/108 mpge

What's New: Fiat has electrified the 500, ditching internal combustion in favor of a 117-hp electric motor powered by a 24-kwh lithium-ion battery pack. The 500e looks pretty much like any other Fiat 500, but the addition of some aero tweaks adds about 5 extra miles of range. It sits slightly higher than the gas car, too, to accommodate the 600-pound battery underneath the floor. That battery also improves the car's previously nose-heavy 63/37 front-to-rear weight distribution, to a more balanced 53/47. Inside, the 500e cops all the fancy pieces from the Lounge trim, such as automatic climate control and premium seats, but without the sunroof-?which is to say, it's well equipped for a car in this category.

Tech Tidbit: The 500e has an EPA estimated range of 87 miles, thanks largely to liquid cooling and heating in the 24-kwh battery. Ethylene glycol and corrosion inhibitors cycle through the 97 cells to ensure consistent temperature across the battery during recharging and driving, which helps maintain range.

Driving Character: The electrified Fiat exhibits all the personality traits we've come to expect of small electric cars. The standard benefits of a pint-sized EV, including near-silent driving and instantaneous shift-free acceleration, are all here. But rather than feeling like a half-hearted effort at satisfying federal and California government mandates, the 500e is a pretty good ride. It has the most natural brake pedal we've felt in any electric car to date, and a unique ?creep? feature that makes the gas pedal feel more familiar, too.

Power delivery is excellent, with the exception of some torque steer. One negative: We expected the car to feel more balanced than its gas-powered cousin because of the more even weight distribution, but the low-rolling resistance tires (the same 185/55R15 size as the nonturbo gas-powered 500) are so prone to understeer that the handling difference is undetectable.

Favorite Detail: The Fiat 500e Pass Program. Every 500e sold will come with a solution to your need for a road trip: twelve free days per year of Chrysler rental car use at Enterprise, Alamo, or National, for three years. You might think of this as a cheesy attempt to quell range anxiety, but it's a creative way to make the 500e more practical for single-car households who occasionally need to drive farther than the EV's range will allow.

Driver's Grievance: While we like that Fiat is using an add-on TomTom navigation unit in lieu of a costly comprehensive system, we would love if the display weren't mounted smack-dab in the driver's field of view. Also, the steering wheel is too far away from many drivers. But these complaints are true of any 500, and they are minor ones at that.

Bottom Line: If you're looking to reduce your carbon footprint and cheapen the ride to work (plus get access to the commuter lane), the Fiat 500e is as good a way to go as any. Not only does it retain the 500's cheeky styling, but it also retains much of the gas-powered car's cute, plucky nature in every other area. And as electric cars go, this thing really does drive well, with plenty of torque on demand, a great brake pedal, and effortless steering. The included smartphone app and 500e Pass rental car plan are added purchase incentives.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/drives/2013-fiat-500e-test-drive-15393028?src=rss

nbc UMass Dartmouth Katherine Russell MBTA Fox News Live Boston lockdown jennifer love hewitt

Apple's future: Chat with Yahoo! editors about the tech giant's earnings

April 22 (Reuters) - Pep Guardiola is not the only connection between Bayern Munich and Barcelona, who meet in their Champions League semi-final, first leg at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. Both teams are dominating their leagues to an almost embarrassing extent, have won the Champions League four times apiece, share an acrimonious rivalry with Real Madrid, and owe part of their success to the flamboyant Dutchman Louis van Gaal. Both have also been in two Champions League finals in the last four years, though the Catalans won both of theirs and the Bavarians came out losers on each occasion. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/appl-earnings--a-live-chat-about-the-future-of-apple-173717676.html

UCF Pigeon Forge Fire beyonce cyprus cyprus Bracketology Erin Go Bragh

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Oblivion: #1 at the Box Office

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/oblivion-is-number-1-at-the-box-office/

pippa middleton space shuttle discovery spacex tupac hologram tupac back tax deadline death race

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Highly active antiretroviral therapies may be cardioprotective in HIV-infected children, teens

Apr. 22, 2013 ? Long-term use of highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) does not appear to be associated with impaired heart function in children and adolescents in a study that sought to determine the cardiac effects of prolonged exposure to HAART on children infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), according to a report published Online First by JAMA Pediatrics, a JAMA Network publication.

Prior to contemporary antiretroviral therapies (ARTs), children infected with HIV were more likely to have heart failure.

Steven E. Lipshultz, M.D., of the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Florida, and colleagues used statistical models to compare echocardiographic measures in the National Institutes of Health-funded Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study's Adolescent Master Protocol (AMP).

The study included 14 pediatric HIV clinics in the United States. The participants were 325 perinatally HIV-infected children receiving HAART; 189 HIV-exposed but uninfected children; and 70 HIV-infected (mostly HAART-unexposed) historical pediatric controls patients from the National Institutes of Health-funded Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Complications of Vertically Transmitted HIV Infection (P2C2-HIV) Study.

"Our results indicate that the current use of combination ART, usually HAART, appears to be cardioprotective in HIV-infected children and adolescents. This finding is even more relevant in the developing world where the prevalence of HIV disease in children is much higher," the study notes.

Scores for left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening (a measure of cardiac function) were significantly lower among HIV-infected children from the P2C2-HIV Study than among the AMP HIV-infected group or the 189 AMP HIV-exposed but uninfected controls, the study results indicate. The results also show that for HIV-infected children, a lower nadir CD4 percentage and a higher current viral load were associated with significantly lower cardiac function.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Medical Association (AMA).

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

Journal Reference:

Steven E. Lipshultz et al. This study suggests that highly active ART (HAART) does not appear to impair heart function. JAMA Pediatrics, April 22, 2013 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.1206

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/T_-jEq84p3o/130422175506.htm

Missouri Election Results Amendment 64 marijuana Colorado Marijuana elizabeth warren puerto rico diane sawyer

Woman unknowingly takes 30 pounds of pot across U.S.-Mexico border

This is awkward. A woman who lives in Mexico and works in San Diego called the cops on herself when she apparently unknowingly transported 30 pounds of marijuana across the border.

According to a report by NBC New York, the unnamed 33-year-old drove her car to work Friday morning, arrived early and was sitting in her car in a parking lot around 4 a.m. when two unidentified men approached her car and began removing packages from underneath it.

The driver surprised the men, who got in their car and drove off. She called the police, who discovered 30 pounds of pot divided into six packages attached by heavy-duty magnets to the undercarriage of the vehicle.

Who put the drugs there?the woman said it wasn?t her?remains a mystery. Police tell NBC New York that no arrests have been made.

Officials want to remind people who regularly cross the border to check their car?as some people become targets by drug cartels as unwitting mules in the narcotics business.

Regular border travelers may be a boon to drug smugglers.

Last year, CNN reported a similar story of a
regular commuter from his home in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to the University of Texas at El Paso.

Even though the man, who goes under a fake name to protect his identity, said he was targeted and ferried drugs without his knowledge, he was sentenced to six months in prison.

Pot package found on undercarriage of woman's car in San Diego (SDPD)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/woman-unknowingly-takes-30-pounds-pot-across-u-144432116.html

London 2012 Javelin roger federer Olga Korbut Usain Bolt 2012 Olympics Katie Ledecky Aaron Ross Sikh temple

Monday, April 22, 2013

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Suspected Boston Bomber, May Not Get Islamic Funeral From Wary Muslims

In the days since two deadly bombs and the separate shootings that followed brought Boston to a standstill, the region's Muslim community has loudly condemned the violence and distanced itself from the suspects.

The reasons behind the explosions at the Boston Marathon Monday and the shootings in Cambridge and Watertown, Mass., Friday, which resulted in four deaths and more than 170 injuries, are still unknown. Investigators are working to uncover whether the suspects, Chechen-born, Muslim brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, were lone assailants or trained by a terrorist organization. It also is unclear whether their possible motives were related to politics, religion or, as some reports have suggested, struggles assimilating after immigrating to the United States nearly a decade ago.

But after 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's capture late Friday night, less than a day after his 26-year-old brother died in Friday's shootout, Muslim communities now face a vexing question: Do they accept the men as Muslims despite the allegations against them? If so, will they give Tamerlan Tsarnaev an Islamic burial?

Fearing retaliation, dozens of mosques and Islamic groups have distanced themselves from the brothers after friends and family described them as Muslims, and social media accounts registered in their names indicated they were interested in Islamic Chechen insurgency groups.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older of the two, has been described as more attuned to radical Islamic movements in recent years. Federal authorities are investigating a six-month trip he took in 2012 to Chechnya and Dagestan, Muslim-majority regions in Russia's north Caucasus with militant separatist movements.

"I would not be willing to do a funeral for him," said Imam Talal Eid of the Islamic Institute of Boston, a community services organization that frequently arranges funeral prayers and burials in the region. "This is a person who deliberately killed people. There is no room for him as a Muslim. He already left the fold of Islam by doing that. In the Quran it says those who will kill innocent people, they will dwell in the hellfire."

Imam Suhaib Webb of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, the city's largest mosque, said he had not been contacted about a burial. A smaller mosque in Cambridge with the same owners, but a separate administration, the Islamic Society of Boston, confirmed in a statement Saturday that the suspects occasionally attended prayers there. But a representative from the Cambridge mosque said in an email it has had "no contacts or discussion" about a funeral.

"He should be buried according to the religious tradition he adheres to. His case is with God. We can judge him as best we can according to the savage and insane actions he has done, but in the end, his soul is going to be brought before God," said Webb. "I don't think I could ethically lead a prayer for him, but I would not stop people from praying upon him."

Islamic tradition dictates that the body of the deceased is tended to as soon as possible after death, preferably before sunset, with a ritual washing. The washing is often done by family members of the same-sex or a spouse, and is followed by shrouding in a white cloth, funeral prayer gathering and burial. Boston has at least two washing facilities for Islamic rites -- one in at a general funeral home Watertown where Eid helps facilitate Islamic funeral services, and one at Al-Marhama, an organization that shares space with Webb's mosque.

"We have not discussed it," a representative from Al-Marhama said regarding a funeral for Tsarnaev.

In the U.S., few Islamic cemeteries exist, but Muslims often buy sections of cemeteries to reserve for Islamic burials. There are at least four such sections in Boston-area cemeteries, said Eid.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died at a hospital after he was critically injured early Friday morning in Watertown, Mass., the city west of Boston where his younger brother was arrested while hiding in a backyard later that night. His body was turned over to the law enforcement for forensic experts, medical examiners and investigators seeking more details about his death and his actions.

It's unclear where the body is currently. A message left with the Massachusett's Medical Examiner's office was not returned, but experts in forensics and high-profile investigations say its release should be imminent if it hasn't happened already.

"If it's not ready for release now, it is probably going to be released as early as tomorrow," said Joseph Scott Morgan, a professor of criminal justice and forensics at North Georgia College and State University. "Evidence on bodies is very fragile, and people tend to go through the examination very quickly ... [looking for] trace evidence, blast evidence, relevant residue left behind from explosives or anything relative to trauma."

"In Boston, they deal with a large Muslim community, it's not something they have no experience with. Most medical examiner's offices in diverse communities will have clergy on call if they need to take special considerations when doing their work," said Morgan. "But the interests of the state trump everything else in this case."

The next-of-kin to take custody of Tsarnaev's body would be his wife, Katherine Russell, 24, of North Kingstown, R.I. Russell is the mother of Tsarnaev's 3-year-old daughter, Zahara, and reportedly converted after meeting Tsarnaev while at Suffolk University in Boston. The Russells did not respond to a voicemail asking about a funeral.

"Nobody has asked me, nobody has called me," said a man who answered the phone at Masjid Al-Hoda in Kingston, a Muslim community center about a 20-minute drive southwest of the Russell home.

Abdula Hameed, the imam of Masjid Al-Kareem in Providence, said he wasn't sure if the mosque would be open to a funeral. "I'd have to talk to our board members," he said.

Imam Ikram ul Haq, of Masjid Al-Islam North Smithfield, is listed as a contact for funeral prayer requests on the Rhode Island Council for Muslim Advancement website. He said he has not received a funeral request and questioned if the suspects would be seen as truly Muslim considering the accusations against them.

"We have to confirm if (Tamerlan) was a Muslim. If that was confirmed through reliable sources, that he lived a Muslim and died as one, then we (would be allowed) to do a funeral for that person," said ul Haq, emphasizing that he did not support the killings in Boston.

Anzor Tsarnaev, the father of the suspects who has said they were framed, told CNN on Saturday that he would travel to the U.S. from his home in Makhachkala, Dagestan, but did not say if his plans included a funeral.

Even if a mosque steps forward to conduct a funeral for Tsarnaev, Webb said that Islamic law still could place restrictions on the service.

"In fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), for somebody who has committed a major atrocity, it is recommended that the imam does not pray over him, but that someone else does. It's meant to somehow symbolize that there is some grieving with the victims of the person's actions," he said.

"In Islam, if someone is alive and has committed a crime, their opportunity to repent is open until they die," said Webb, referring to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is being treated at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "We hope this man would be guided first of all to help the investigation and seek the forgiveness of family members and all people he has harmed."

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/20/tamerlan-tsarnaev-funeral-boston-bomber_n_3123798.html

michael pineda charles taylor bruins boston bruins carl crawford mad cow disease rampart

American Greetings Taylor Swift Greeting Card Mobile App and ...

This post has not been monetarily compensated. I received a prize pack. Please note that any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own and have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is so popular right now. I?ve learned that Taylor Swift has teamed up with American Greetings to help consumers send a little love and celebrate life?s amazing moments, by launching the American Greetings Taylor Swift Greeting Card Mobile App and Sweepstakes!

The (free) Taylor Swift Greeting Card Mobile App by American Greetings allows you to send lovely custom greeting card anytime, anywhere, for anyone! These digital greeting cards are for sharing a little happiness with all the awesome people in your life?on their birthday, a holiday, or any day you?re feeling especially grateful and want to let them know. Find the perfect card, add a message, a favorite photo or even sign it on you touch screen and then send from a mobile phone or tablet to a recipient via text message, email, Facebook and Twitter.

I?ve never seen Taylor Swift in concert, but a teenage girl that I love has, and she told me it was amazing. I can only imagine how thrilled she would be to see Taylor live in concert, in Nashville, with three of her friends and family. Well, American Greetings can make exactly that happen for one lucky winner of the sweepstakes.

They?ll be sending one Grand Prize winner to Nashville to see the final stop on the Taylor Swift The RED Tour on September 21, 2013. The prize will include airplane + hotel + concert tickets + spending money. Entrants will have opportunities to win lots of other fun prizes, too, like Taylor t-shirts, Taylor bracelets, Taylor notebooks, Taylor posters. There will be 13 great Taylor Swift prize packages for each of the 13 weeks of the sweepstakes.

So if you?re waiting for the perfect time to enter the sweepstakes how about right now? And again tomorrow, and again on the day after that?! You can enter once every single day of the sweepstakes now through June 11. Check out the official rules for all the info, and good luck!!

Taylor Swift Prize Pack

WIN IT!

One (1) winner will receive a Taylor Swift prize pack of their own, which will include a Taylor Swift-branded T-Shirt, Branded guitar pick pack and Taylor Swift IPhone case (4s).

HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)

To enter please leave a comment telling me what your favorite Taylor Swift song is.

BONUS ENTRIES ? LOTS OF THEM!

4 ? Subscribe to my RSS feed by email (sidebar). Be sure to confirm your subscription. Leave four comments here for this.
3 ? Follow valmg on Pinterest. Leave your Pinterest name and three comments here for this.
2 ? Follow Pinning Parties on Pinterest. Leave your Pinterest name and two comments here for this.
3 ? Repin my pin for this giveaway on Pinterest. Leave a link to your pin and three comments here for this.
2 ? Leave a comment on my American Greetings Taylor Swift Greeting Card Mobile App and Sweepstakes Facebook update. Leave two comments here for this.
2 ? Follow @valmg on Twitter AND leave your Twitter name here. Leave two comments for this.
2 ? Tweet this giveaway. Leave a link to your Tweet. Limit once a day for this.
2 ? Share this on Facebook. Leave a link to your share. Limit once a day for this.
2 ? Subscribe to my YouTube channel (sidebar). Leave two comments here for this.
2 ? Blog about this giveaway, including a link here. Leave two comments here for this.
1 ? Subscribe to my newsletter (sidebar).
1 ? Leave a RELEVANT comment on any other non-giveaway post on this blog. Unlimited entries for this.
3 ? Visit my other blog ? From Val?s Kitchen ? and leave a comment on any non-giveaway post there. Then return here and leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you read or learned there. (That?s three comments you need to leave for this bonus entry, one there and two here.) Unlimited entries for this method of entry.
2 ? Visit my Mom?s blog HereAndThere.US and leave a comment on any post there. Then return here and leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you read or learned on my Mom?s blog. (That?s two comments you need to leave for this bonus entry, one there and one here.) Unlimited entries for this method of entry. Leave an additional comment for each entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.
3 ? Place my button on your blog. (in sidebar) Leave three comments for this.

THE SMALL PRINT.

The winner will be selected using the ?And the winner is? plugin. US addresses only please, no PO Boxes. This contest will end on Sunday 04/28/13 at 11:59 pm est. If you?ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. Good luck to everyone!

Source: http://www.valmg.com/index.php/2013/american-greetings-taylor-swift-greeting-card-mobile-app-and-sweepstakes-with-giveaway/

Steelers Schedule tory burch Al Smith Dinner Herman Melville Books Kyna Treacy megan fox Lane Goodwin