AP photographer sees kids pulled from Okla. school

A woman carries a child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2013. The relationship between the woman and the child was not immediately known. A tornado as much as a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph) roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

A woman carries a child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2013. The relationship between the woman and the child was not immediately known. A tornado as much as a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph) roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

A child calls to his father after being pulled from the rubble of the Tower Plaza Elementary School following a tornado in Moore, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2013. A tornado as much as a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph) roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

Rescue workers dig through the rubble of a collapsed wall at the Plaza Tower Elementary School to free trapped students in Moore, Okla., following a tornado Monday, May 20, 2013. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

A boy is pulled from beneath a collapsed wall at the Plaza Towers Elementary School following a tornado in Moore, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2013. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

A fire burns in the Tower Plaza Addition in Moore, Okla., following a tornado Monday, May 20, 2013. A tornado as much as a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph) roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

MOORE, Okla. (AP) ? I left the office in Oklahoma City as soon as I saw the tornado warnings on TV. I had photographed about a dozen twisters in the past decade, and knew that if I didn't get in my car before the funnel cloud hit, it would be too late.

By the time I reached Moore, all I could see was destruction. I walked toward a group of people standing by a heaping mound of rubble too big to be a home. A woman told me it had been a school.

I expected chaos as I approached the piles of bricks and twisted metal where Plaza Towers Elementary once stood. Instead, it was calm and orderly as police and firefighters pulled children out one by one from beneath a large chunk of a collapsed wall.

Parents and neighborhood volunteers stood in a line and passed the rescued children from one set of arms to another, carrying them out of harm's way. Adults carried the children through a field littered with shredded pieces of wood, cinder block and insulation to a triage center in a parking lot.

They worked quickly and quietly so rescuers could try to hear voices of children trapped beneath the rubble.

Crews lifted one boy from under the wall and were about to pass him along the human chain, but his dad was there. As the boy called out for him, they were reunited.

In the 30 minutes that I was outside the destroyed school, I photographed about a dozen children pulled from the rubble.

I focused my lens on each one of them. Some looked dazed. Some cried. Others seemed terrified.

But they were alive.

I know that some students were among those who died in the tornado, but for a moment, there was hope in the devastation.

___

AP Photographer Sue Ogrocki has worked in Oklahoma for more than 10 years where she has covered about a dozen tornadoes.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-21-US-Oklahoma-Tornado-Photographer/id-f19dee2dd2a64114b3e1de80cf7b1a71

Stand Up to Cancer Azarenka NFL fantasy football Chris Kluwe Jennifer Granholm Tulane player injured fox sports

'Star Trek' beams up $70.1M at box office

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? "Star Trek: Into Darkness" didn't warp past its predecessor.

The sci-fi sequel directed by J.J. Abrams earned $70.1 million in its opening weekend. The original "Trek" reboot starring fresh faces as the crew of the Enterprise opened with $75.2 million in 2009.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com, are:

1. "Star Trek: Into Darkness," Paramount, $70,165,559, 3,868 locations, $18,140 average, $83,701,981, one week.

2. "Iron Man 3," Disney, $35,770,094, 4,237 locations, $8,442 average, $337,661,977, three weeks.

3. "The Great Gatsby," Warner Bros., $23,939,228, 3,550 locations, $6,743 average, $90,682,832, two weeks.

4. "Pain & Gain," Paramount, $3,237,689, 2,429 locations, $1,333 average, $46,712,183, four weeks.

5. "The Croods," Fox, $3,024,602, 2,373 locations, $1,275 average, $177,024,785, nine weeks.

6. "42," Warner Bros., $2,812,115, 2,380 locations, $1,182 average, $88,816,627, six weeks.

7. "Oblivion," Universal, $2,337,050, 2,077 locations, $1,125 average, $85,588,010, five weeks.

8. "Mud," Roadside Attractions, $2,229,546, 960 locations, $2,322 average, $11,656,971, four weeks.

9. "Peeples," Lionsgate, $2,159,980, 2,041 locations, $1,058 average, $7,867,757, two weeks.

10. "The Big Wedding," Lionsgate, $1,210,204, 1,443 locations, $839 average, $20,308,188, four weeks.

11. "Oz the Great and Powerful," Disney, $871,165, 535 locations, $1,628 average, $231,351,161, 11 weeks.

12. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," Paramount, $580,176, 409 locations, $1,419 average, $120,522,043, eight weeks.

13. "The Iceman," Millenium Ent., $464,147, 165 locations, $2,813 average, $762,885, three weeks.

14. "Olympus Has Fallen," FilmDistrict, $429,867, 466 locations, $922 average, $97,332,548, nine weeks.

15. "Scary Movie 5," Weinstein Co., $420,253, 508 locations, $827 average, $31,206,376, six weeks.

16. "Jurassic Park," Universal, $340,260, 428 locations, $795 average, $45,299,680, seven weeks.

17. "The Place Beyond the Pines," Focus, $306,969, 317 locations, $968 average, $20,627,976, eight weeks.

18. "Escape From Planet Earth," Weinstein Co., $244,552, 693 locations, $353 average, $55,612,398, 14 weeks.

19. "Jack the Giant Slayer," Warner Bros., $231,339, 250 locations, $925 average, $64,789,196, 12 weeks.

20. "The Company You Keep," Sony Pictures Classics, $225,469, 223 locations, $1,011 average, $4,510,500, seven weeks.

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-beams-70-1m-box-office-220158867.html

green bay packers houston texans houston texans Joe Webb Fiesta Bowl Jeanie Buss NFL playoff schedule 2013

Penguins take control vs. Senators behind Crosby

PITTSBURGH (AP) ? Dan Bylsma has spent more than four years watching Sidney Crosby be Sidney Crosby.

The Pittsburgh Penguins coach doesn't think his captain has ever been better than he was during a 4-3 victory over Ottawa on Friday night that put Pittsburgh in firm control of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Recording his second career playoff hat trick on a dazzling rush, a somewhat fortunate bounce and a blistering slap shot, Crosby powered Pittsburgh to a 2-0 series lead and had his coach reaching for superlatives.

"He's done a lot in a lot of different games for our team in different areas," Bylsma said. "But tonight I think it was his best."

Brenden Morrow added his first playoff goal in more than five years for Pittsburgh while Tomas Vokoun made 19 saves to remain unbeaten in four starts after taking over for struggling starter Marc-Andre Fleury.

Just as importantly for the top-seeded Penguins, only two wins separate them from a trip to the conference finals for the first time since 2009, the last time they won the Stanley Cup. Game 3 is Sunday in Ottawa.

"You want to play well at home and make sure you get here," Crosby said. "We did that, we got two wins. I don't think your mindset changes. We know that it's going to get harder."

Kyle Turris, Colin Greening and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Senators, but couldn't stop Ottawa from falling into a deep hole against the Eastern Conference's top seed. The Senators have never won a playoff series after dropping the first two games.

"I thought we got better in the game as it went along," Ottawa coach Paul MacLean said. "We had the game to a one-goal game. We need to start the game where we finished."

The Senators insisted they didn't have to play a perfect game to hang with the Penguins, pointing to the way they controlled play at even strength for long stretches in a 4-1 loss in the series opener Tuesday night. Ottawa insisted if it could stay out of the penalty box and convert when it had the man advantage, it would be right there.

Despite doing both in the first period ? killing two penalties and converting on Turris' bank shot on the power play ? the Senators still trailed 2-1.

More to the point, they trailed Crosby 2-1.

The Pittsburgh captain became the fifth player in franchise history to record 100 playoff points in spectacular fashion. He collected an innocent-looking pass at the Pittsburgh blue line then darted up the left side. He split two Senators ? including Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson ? then ripped a shot under Anderson's pad to give the Penguins the lead 3:16 into the game.

Turris tied it with the first soft goal Vokoun has allowed since taking over for Fleury in Game 5 of the first-round series against the Islanders. Turris collected the puck near the left post and shot it off Vokoun and into the net.

Crosby one-upped Turris a few minutes later, zipping down the left side once again. This time, Crosby appeared to be looking to pass, eyeing linemate Pascal Dupuis as they raced in on Anderson. Only Crosby didn't pass. At the last second and without even peeking directly at Anderson, he flipped a wrist shot near the goal line that smacked off the goalie's pad and across the goal line.

"I was kind of running out of space to make a pass," Crosby said. "I was hoping that it was able to find a way in somehow. I kind of saw him leaning a bit and didn't know how much room was there but found a way to trickle in there."

Karlsson, who is still working his way back from an Achilles injury sustained when Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke inadvertently slashed Karlsson with his skate, drew a hooking penalty on Cooke early in the second.

Crosby didn't need any fancy stickwork to record his first postseason hat trick since 2009. Instead, he powered a slap shot over Anderson's glove from the left circle to push Pittsburgh's lead to 3-1. Anderson skated to the bench in favor of backup Robin Lehner.

Greening responded almost immediately after the switch, beating Vokoun with a sizzling wrist shot 40 seconds later to get the Senators within one. Morrow restored the two-goal lead by redirecting Paul Martin's blast from just outside the crease. It was Morrow's first postseason score since May 14, 2008, while playing for the Dallas Stars.

The score was one of the few mistakes made by Lehner in his playoff debut. The 21-year-old was stellar otherwise in relief of Anderson. He made 20 saves in all, including series of point-blank stops.

Lehner's play steadied the Senators, and Ottawa kept coming, pulling within a goal 2:01 into the third period when Pageau tapped the puck across the line following a mad scramble in front.

The Senators would get no closer and head home hoping to erase an 0-7 mark when it falls behind by two games in a playoff series.

"You're going to have some adversity," Anderson said. "You have to win your games at home. That's playoff hockey."

NOTES: Crosby reached the 100-point plateau in his 75th playoff game, the fifth-fastest player to reach the mark in NHL history ... Pittsburgh went 1 for 6 on the power play and is 10 of 30 (33 percent) in the postseason. The Senators went 1 for 2 after going 0 for 6 in the opener ... Ottawa D Eric Gryba didn't play. He was injured in a collision with Penguins D Brooks Orpik in the second period of Game 1

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/penguins-control-vs-senators-behind-crosby-071730744.html

declaration of independence 4th Of July 2012 Zach Parise Spain Vs Italy Euro 2012 Pepco erin andrews erin andrews

Witnesses: Car drives into crowd at Va. parade

DAMASCUS, Va. (AP) ? Witnesses in southwestern Virginia said a car drove into a crowd at a parade Saturday and hurt several people, but the nature of their injuries wasn't immediately known.

It happened around 2:30 p.m. during the Hikers Parade at the Trail Days festival, an annual celebration of the Appalachian Trail in Damascus, a small mountain town near the Tennessee state line about a half-hour drive east of Bristol.

A call to Damascus police was handled by the Washington County Sheriff's Office. A sheriff's dispatcher said she had no immediate information. State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller says troopers have been sent to the scene but she had no further information. She said Damascus police were handling the release of information.

Four helicopters arrived to airlift victims to area hospitals. An emergency room worker at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon said she didn't have any information before hanging up.

What caused the car to drive into the crowd wasn't immediately known. It appeared to come from a side street, and a thud could be heard. People yelled stop, and at some point, the car finally stopped.

Witnesses said the car had a handicapped parking sticker and it went more than 100 feet before coming to a stop.

"He was hitting hikers," said Vickie Harmon, a witness from Damascus. "I saw hikers just go everywhere."

Damascus resident Amanda Puckett, who was watching the parade with her children, ran to the car, where she and others lifted the car off those pinned underneath.

"Everybody just threw our hands up on the car and we just lifted the car up," she said.

There were ambulances in the parade ahead of the hikers and paramedics on board immediately responded to the crash.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-18-US-Virginia-Parade-Crash/id-4d2cb0f21bea4318910f38732ee0b540

ny jets ny jets the situation tim tebow jets katy perry part of me video photoshop cs6 beta cate blanchett

Cultural attitudes impede organ donations in China

BEIJING (AP) ? China is phasing out its reliance on executed prisoners for donated organs, but an architect of the country's transplant system said Friday that ingrained cultural attitudes are impeding the rise of donations among the general population.

Almost all donated organs in China used to come from executed prisoners. A growing proportion now come from ordinary people, but the government is seeking to eliminate prisoner donations altogether.

However, former vice health minister Huang Jiefu said Friday that there was little hope of changing a requirement that family members give consent before organs are donated, even if a person had expressed a desire to donate.

"China is a Confucian society. It's strongly hierarchical and the family's concerns usually trump those of the individual," said Huang, presently a leader of the national legislature's top advisory body. An objection from even one family member can block a donation, he said.

Chinese have traditionally held that a person's body should be interred intact, and while such attitudes are gradually changing, they remain strong among older Chinese. At the same time, China is cutting down on its reliance on executed prisoners for organs ? a practice that Huang called "profit-driven, unethical and violating human rights." Critics have long claimed that standard safeguards were often ignored in the case of obtaining organs from prisoners who may have been pressured to donate.

The use of prisoners' organs was also seen as causing an artificial shortfall in the number of organs available by impeding the promotion of donating among the public as a whole. China suffers from an acute shortage of available organs and Huang said only about 10,000 of the 300,000 Chinese suffering from liver disease will be able to receive transplants. He hopes to raise that number to 100,000 over time. Another 1 million people suffer from kidney ailments, but many can be sustained for lengthy periods on dialysis machines.

China considers the number of annual executions a secret, but most observers estimate the number at 6,000-8,000. It isn't known what proportion of those executed agree to donate their organs.

However, 5,009 liver and kidney transplants performed last year used organs from executed prisoners, out of a total of 7,882 such operations, according to the Health Ministry. By contrast, 2,960 of 2,997 liver transplants performed in 2005 used organs from executed prisoners.

Huang reiterated a projection that reliance on prisoners will be eliminated within about two years of the launch of the nationwide donor network in February.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cultural-attitudes-impede-organ-donations-china-130028322.html

Arnold Palmer Invitational 2013 arnold palmer invitational Chinua Achebe The Croods ashley greene marquette university Chris Porco

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator: we're being asked to make all the sacrifices

Saeed Jalili, Iran?s chief nuclear negotiator and a presidential candidate, says that offers from six world powers demand far more short-term sacrifices of his government than the Islamic Republic considers reasonable or reciprocal.

The current offer from the so-called P5+1 group (the US, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany) requires Iran to suspend all 20 percent uranium enrichment, disable an impregnable underground enrichment facility at Fordow, and agree to more intrusive inspections, before modest relief from sanctions that have crippled its economy.

?Their proposals are unbalanced,? Mr. Jalili told The Christian Science Monitor in an Istanbul interview today, a day after his inconclusive meeting with Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief who leads negotiations for the P5+1. ?The other party needs to appreciate that they need to table proposals that have the necessary balance," says Jalili. "If they accept to do so, then we can engage in talks that will hopefully bring about that required balance.?

Compared to past full-fledged rounds of negotiations, this session in Istanbul amounted to little more than diplomatic maintenance, though slight progress may have been made. Jalili says Iran and the P5+1 will continue their nuclear diplomacy ?in the near future" and that ?last night we talked about how these steps can complement one another, how we should design these steps that are of the same weight."

RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about Iran? Take our quiz to find out.

But Iran is preparing for a presidential election on June 14 that makes a nuclear breakthrough before then seem highly unlikely. Mr. Jalili is among a handful of high-profile conservative candidates. At a press conference today he said Iran is ?ready to continue our talks with the P5+1 whenever they are ready, before or after the presidential election in Iran.?

Ms. Ashton, who is also the EU's foreign policy chief, said: ?We had a useful discussion. It was not a negotiating round. We talked about the proposals we had put forward and we will now reflect on how to go on to the next stage of the process.?

Top priority for the six world powers has been halting Iran?s most sensitive nuclear work ? uranium enrichment to 20 percent, which is a few technical steps from bomb grade ? to prevent Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon.

Iranian officials say they reject nuclear weapons for religious reasons, but insist that Iran has the ?right? as a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, which include medical isotopes and nuclear energy.

BALANCE ON THE TABLE

Did Jalili receive any signals from Ashton, that she and the P5+1 recognized the imbalance he complained of? ?Yes, I did get the impression that at least they have accepted ? a need for the proposals to be balanced,? Jalili says. ?We have to wait and see.?

American and EU officials have long argued that the Islamic Republic ? which is subject to four sets of United Nations Security Council sanctions, and crippling US and EU measures that have choked oil exports and frozen Iran?s global financial transactions ? must take the first steps, as part of ?confidence building measures? to show that Iran was ?serious? about talks.

Before the dinner Wednesday night, Ashton echoed other senior P5+1 diplomats when she stated that ?good proposals? were on offer: ?We believe we have put forward a good, comprehensive, fair, and balanced approach, a confidence-building measure that we think is a good start.?

The P5+1 argues that because Iran has not resolved outstanding claims about past weapons-related work with the UN?s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ? charges Iran maintains are based on fabricated documents ? the burden is on Tehran.

?The onus is on Iran,? the top US negotiator on Iran, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, told Washington lawmakers yesterday. She said that Iran responded to the ?very reasonable and balanced? P5+1 proposal last month by ?putting very little on the table and asking a lot in return.?

?When Cathy Ashton has dinner with Jalili this evening, her message to him will be that we are united, that unless Iran is ready to have serious talks where they put a substantial response on the table, that it will be very difficult to sustain the P5+1 negotiations,? Ms. Sherman testified.

NUCLEAR AMBITIONS?

She spoke of Iran?s ?nuclear weapons ambitions,? though US intelligence agencies assess that Iran has not made a decision to make a bomb. Sherman said that ?although the sanctions relief [the P5+1] put on the table is not significant, it is meaningful.?

Jalili could not see the process more differently. He casts the P5+1 as the reluctant party, which until now has not clarified to Iran that the endgame ? in exchange for Iran permanently limiting its nuclear advances ? will also ensure that its ?right? to enrich uranium will be recognized, and sanctions will be lifted.

Jalili likens the grinding nuclear diplomacy to a long road. ?For the totality of this 100 kilometers, we have ideas, we have proposals,? he told the Monitor.

At talks in Moscow last spring, Iran had put forward a comprehensive set of proposals, as an initial counter-proposal to the P5+1, which he says covered the whole distance. At the Almaty I talks in February, the P5+1 wanted to focus on only a portion of that offer, perhaps 25 km of road.

At the last round, the Almaty II talks in early April, Jalili says he told the P5+1 that, ??Right now we can start moving towards and reach kilometer number five.? They responded that they needed time to study this. They were supposed give me a reply in a few days time, and that turned into 40 days. That tells us it is their turn to give us a response."

Iran?s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ruled out direct talks with the US for now and in February said that sanctions and other pressure are akin to the US ?pointing the gun at Iran and say[ing] either negotiate or we will shoot.?

In her testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sherman said: ?Over nearly 5,000 years, Persian civilization has given the world innovations in culture, art, medicine and government. But today the historic greatness has been set far back. The limitless potential of Iran?s people has been stifled.?

She noted that the US and Iranian national wrestling teams were competing at Grand Central Station yesterday, in a joint bid to keep wrestling as an Olympic sport, ?but sadly this show of healthy competition and good sportsmanship is a deep, deep exception.?

Sherman said, ?I find the regime odious,? but also stated that the US wanted to change Iran?s behavior ? particularly its nuclear calculus ? and? not change the regime itself.

RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about Iran? Take our quiz to find out.

?I don?t think the supreme leader has made the strategic decision to, in fact, deal on their nuclear program,? said Sherman. ?I believe it is all part of a broader projection of power and assertion of Iranian authority and point of view??

When Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) asked ?how creative? the US was being to provide an ?internal face-saving? way out for Iran, so as not to ?completely paint your opponent into a corner,? Sherman said there was a diplomatic way out, and also that pressure would increase.

?It is our belief ? and the intelligence community supports this? ? that increased pressure is part of the solution here; that this is [in Iran] a culture of resistance but, at some point, they will and can make the strategic decision to truly deal on their nuclear weapons.?

Referring to aspects of Sherman?s testimony, Jalili told the Monitor: ?As you might appreciate, the US is in no position at the moment to issue ultimatums. And this language, unfortunately, is the language ? the words ? that created so much headache for the US around the world.?

?After everything is said and done, the Americans usually make such mistakes,? Jalili added. ?And as each day passes, they seem to make fresh mistakes. These mistakes do not come cheap; they are very expensive.?

Related stories

Read this story at csmonitor.com

Become a part of the Monitor community

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irans-chief-nuclear-negotiator-were-being-asked-sacrifices-204120833.html

CES russell wilson Pokemon nhl jillian michaels Freddy E NHL lockout

Washington state releases draft rules for legal pot

SEATTLE (AP) ? Officials in Washington state took their first stab at setting rules for the state's new marijuana industry Thursday, nearly eight months after voters here legalized pot for adults.

Among the preliminary regulations: They want to track marijuana from "seed to store." They'd put a cap on the number of retail outlets in each county, but not on the number of licensed pot growers or processors.

No sales of what the board described as marijuana extracts, such as hash, would be allowed ? unless the extract is infused into another product ? and all pot-related businesses would have to have security systems, 24-hour video surveillance and insurance.

Any marijuana product sold at state-licensed stores would carry a label noting that it "may be habit forming" and that "this product is unlawful outside of Washington state" ? accompanied by an official pot logo, featuring Washington state with a marijuana-leaf silhouette smack in the middle.

Staff at the state Liquor Control Board spent long hours visiting marijuana grow houses, studying the science of getting high and earning nicknames like "the queen of weed" before issuing the rules.

"They are based upon hundreds of hours of internal research and deliberation, consultation with multiple industry experts and input from the over 3,000 individuals who attended our forums statewide," said Sharon Foster, chairwoman of the state Liquor Control Board.

Foster -- who began a speech at a recent conference by saying, "My friends now call me the queen of weed" ? said the board is trying to create a tightly regulated system that ensures both large and small operations a place in the emerging market.

Last fall voters made Washington and Colorado the first states to legalize the sale of taxed marijuana to adults over 21 at state-licensed stores.

In Colorado, devising rules for the pot industry fell to the Legislature, which has passed a series of bills laying out how marijuana should be grown, packaged and taxed. Gov. John Hickenlooper is expected to sign the bills May 28.

In Washington, people are allowed to have up to an ounce of dried marijuana; 16 ounces of a pot-infused solid, such as brownies; or 72 ounces of a pot-infused liquid, such as tea. The rules issued Thursday are essentially a draft of a draft: After gathering feedback, the Liquor Control Board will issue draft rules next month, then accept more public comment.

Marijuana sales in Washington should begin in early 2014 ? unless the Justice Department has something to say about it. Pot remains illegal federally, and the DOJ could sue to try to block the licensing schemes in Washington and Colorado from taking effect.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday the board "is on the right track."

"I'm impressed with the depth and thoughtfulness of their approach and look forward to moving forward," he said.

When asked if he thought this would satisfy concerns held by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Inslee said "I certainly hope so."

"I don't think you can design a system with much more integrity, as far as tracking the product from the producer to the consumer," he said. "This plan has a robust system of controls and checks in a variety of ways."

Some crucial questions remain ? most notably, how much legal weed will Washington produce? Rand Corp., a subcontractor working for Washington's official pot consultant, is researching pot consumption in the state, and production levels will be based on that data.

Under the 46 pages of rules circulated Thursday, there would be advertising restrictions, including a ban on ads intended to appeal to those under 21.

Washington would use a criminal history point system in determining whether someone is eligible for obtaining a license to grow, sell or process pot. A felony in the past decade or two misdemeanors in the past three years would disqualify an applicant ? but applicants could get a free pass on up to two pot-possession misdemeanors, and any single state or federal conviction for selling, growing or possessing marijuana could be waived on a case-by-case basis.

The board also said it will conduct criminal and financial background checks on "financiers" of pot businesses ? anyone who invests more than $10,000.

The "seed-to-store" system for tracking marijuana, similar to Colorado's system for tracking medical marijuana, is designed to help prevent any pot from being diverted to the black market. It would require growers, processors and retailers to notify the board of any marijuana shipments, and to keep records such as when plants are harvested and destroyed.

Alison Holcomb, the drug policy director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, led the campaign to legalize marijuana under state law. She said she was pleased to see the board balancing public safety and public health with the creation of a workable legal market for marijuana.

But Holcomb also said she was concerned about the board's interpretation of "marijuana-infused product" ? an interpretation that would preclude hash or hash oil ? highly potent forms of pot ? from being sold at stores. The board determined that Washington's voter-approved initiative only allows the sale of marijuana or marijuana-infused products, and that hash is more properly considered an "extract."

If that's true, people in Washington could still be arrested for possessing hash ? which, Holcomb suggested, was not the intent of the measure.

"If you've got hash oil that is 98 percent THC and 2 percent some emulsifying liquid that keeps it in liquid form, I would argue that's marijuana-infused product," Holcomb said.

___

Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle . AP writers Rachel La Corte in Olympia and Kristen Wyatt in Denver contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wash-state-releases-draft-rules-legal-pot-205517071.html

Rob Parker Comcast Pokemon X and Y Rob Ryan bethenny frankel sacramento kings alex jones

Mining the botulinum genome

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The toxin that causes botulism is the most potent that we know of. Eating an amount of toxin just 1000th the weight of a grain of salt can be fatal, which is why so much effort has been put into keeping Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin, out of our food.

The Institute of Food Research on the Norwich Research Park has been part of that effort through studying the bacteria and the way they survive, multiply and cause such harm. In new research, IFR scientists have been mining the genome of C. botulinumto uncover new information about the toxin genes.

There are seven distinct, but similar, types of botulinum neurotoxin, produced by different strains of C. botulinumbacteria. Different sub-types of the neurotoxin appear to be associated with different strains of the bacteria. Genetic analysis of these genes will give us information about how they evolved.

Dr Andy Carter, working in Professor Mike Peck's research group, used data generated from sequencing efforts at The Genome Analysis Centre, on the Norwich Research Park. Andy compared the genome sequence of five different C. botulinumstrains, all from the same group and all producing the same sub-type of neurotoxin.

An initial finding was that the five strains were remarkably similar in the area of the genome containing the neurotoxin gene. This suggests that the bacteria picked up the gene cluster in a single event, sometime in the past. Bacteria commonly acquire genes, or gene clusters, from other bacteria through this horizontal gene transfer. It is a way that bacteria have evolved to share 'weapons', such as antibiotic activity or the ability to produce toxins. To find out more about how C. botulinumacquired its own deadly weapon, Andy delved deeper into the genome sequence.

Like fossils of long lost organisms, Andy found, in the same region of the genome, evidence of two other genes for producing two of the other types of neurotoxin. Although these gene fragments are completely non-functional, finding them in the same place in the genome as the functional neurotoxin gene cluster is significant as it suggests that this region of the genome could be a 'hotspot' for gene transfer.

Looking to either side of the neurotoxin gene cluster uncovered more evidence supporting the hotspot idea. When the gene cluster inserted into the C. botulinum genome, it cut in two another gene. This gene is essential for the bacteria to replicate its DNA, so why does destroying it not prove fatal? C. botulinumwas unaffected by this because contained in the segment of imported DNA was another version of the chopped-up gene.

Perhaps this is pointing us to the way C. botulinumfirst picks up its lethal weapon. This should help us prepare against the emergence of new strains, and may even one day help us disarm this deadly foe.

###

The research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution Advance.

Norwich BioScience Institutes: http://www.nbi.ac.uk/

Thanks to Norwich BioScience Institutes 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.

This press release has been viewed 56 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128267/Mining_the_botulinum_genome

Jaromir Jagr Shain Gandee mlb yankees Bb&t Maria Sibylla Merian cory monteith

June events @BrowardCenter for Performing Arts in #Fort Lauderdale

Posted on May 16, 2013 By bnetonline Broward County, Culture, Events, Fort Lauderdale, Local news, Theater

Stay up to date on South Florida news! Click here to subscribe for email news updates from BrowardNETOnline.com

FORT LAUDERDALE ? This June, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts hosts an exciting lineup featuring everyone?s favorite doggy detective in a production of Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries, a patriotic performance by the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble in From Sea to Shining Sea, Dance Dimension?s 30th anniversary celebration, an opportunity for emerging musicians to take the stage in Chrystal Hartigan presents Songwriter?s Showcase and the start of Summer Theatre Camp 2013.

Dance Dimensions presents its 30th Anniversary Spring Performance Come Dance with Me on Saturday, June 1 at 1 and 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 2 at 3 p.m. in the Amaturo Theater. The year-end showcase features talented students from the age of three through adult sharing their love of dance.? For 30 years, Dance Dimensions has been sharing its joy of dance throughout South Florida with a philosophy that dance is for everyone. Through age and level appropriate curriculum, the faculty strives to present students with the art form?s fascinating history as well as the inspiration to use their own talents in developing its future. Tickets are $19.

Chrystal Hartigan presents Songwriter?s Showcase on Monday, June 10 at 8 p.m. in the intimate setting of the Abdo New River Room.? Return to the days of 1960s Greenwich Village coffeehouses as musicians from around the world perform while an open mic segment lets hopefuls try out material in front of a welcoming audience.? Admission is $10 at the door and a cash bar is available.

Jeepers! Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. Gang have been called in to help solve an epic mystery in Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries ?in the Au-Rene Theater on Saturday, June 15 at 11 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. and Sunday, June 16 at 2 p.m.? A trouble-making ghost is haunting a local theater and Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, Velma and Scooby-Doo are on their way in the mystery machine to help solve it! This hilarious live theater show brings everyone?s favorite animated series to life. Filled with wacky new characters, fantastic songs and outrageous antics, Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries, presented by Warner Bros. and Life Like Touring, will have audiences on the edge of their seats in traditional Scooby-Doo fashion. See if this time the gang is in over its head. ?Tickets are $15, $26, $36 and $67 with $10 lap tickets available for infants 12 months and under.

The South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble presents From Sea to Shining Sea on Saturday, June 15 at 7 p.m. in the Amaturo Theater. This dynamic group will perform classic works from favorite American composers including Copland, Gershwin and Sousa, as well as jazz, rock, western, pop and Broadway hits. The show will also include special guest performers and dazzling visual presentations. Tickets are $25 with $10 student tickets available.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts and the Performance Project School of the Arts bring back the popular Summer Theatre Camp 2013 with the first of two sessions from June 10 ? July 5 at the Parker Playhouse, June 17 ? July 12 at Old Davie School and June 24 ? July 19 at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center. ??Introduced to all facets of the performing arts, campers learn about musical theater, dance, voice, music, technical production and acting, attend master classes with professionals in the industry and top off their experience by performing live Broadway-style shows in a professional theater setting. First session Acting Up Camp 2013 sessions for children between ages six and nine will culminate in performances of a Broadway revue while members of the first session of Broadway Bound Camp 2013 for children between ages 10 ? 13 will perform Shrek.? Company Group Summer Theatre Camp 2013 sessions are offered or for ages 13 ? 18 who have been admitted to the eighth grade or higher and first session campers will perform Legally Blonde The Musical.? Campers at Old Davie School will perform at the Parker Playhouse.?? Sessions are held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. ? 4 p.m. with the exception of July 4 when camp is closed.? Camp fees are $880, which includes two free tickets to a single performance the camper is in, a T-shirt, reusable water bottle, DVD of their production and an 8 x 10 professional cast photo.

Tickets to all performances are available through the Broward Center?s AutoNation box office at 954/462-0222 or online at www.BrowardCenter.org. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District at 201 SW Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.

In a new concept for the performing arts industry, the Club Level at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts offers an all-inclusive experience that combines world-class entertainment with exclusive lounge access to create an extraordinary evening. Located on the Mezzanine Level of the Au-Rene Theater, the Club Level allows guests to take in a live performance and enjoy a spectacular night on the town. Club Level guests enjoy complimentary valet parking, fine food, open bar, exclusive lounge access, extra-roomy theater seats and attentive service throughout the evening. The Club Level lounge will be open 60 minutes prior to curtain in the Au-Rene Theater, throughout the performance and for 45 minutes after the show. Available for individual shows, subscriptions and group or corporate sales, the exclusive Club Level also offers a Season Pass, which will guarantee the same luxurious seat to each show title at the Au-Rene Theater. For more information and to secure this season?s introductory pricing, e-mail clublevel@browardcenter.org or call (954) 468-3287.

AutoNation, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Sun-Sentinel, ADT Security Services, Riverside Hotel, Exults Internet Marketing and Weston Jewelers are proud sponsors of the Broward Center.? All dates, programs and artists are subject to change.

2013, Broward, broward center, broward center for the performing arts, Broward County, broward news, Fort Lauderdale Police, ft. lauderdale, news, newspaper, online, performing arts, stage, theater

Source: http://browardnetonline.com/2013/05/june-events-browardcenter-for-performing-arts-in-fort-lauderdale/

Nazanin Boniadi Deval Patrick Dedication 4 labor day college football scores khan academy Espn College Football

Home buyer in NJ - Zillow Real Estate Advice

Hi there. Thanks for reading my question. I am moving from Chicago to NJ to start a new job and so was wondering which area in NJ might be good for me. I am selling my existing condo here in Chicago and so will buy shortly after moving in there. I know NJ is a large suburb to NYC with cute little towns here and there. I am looking for an area which is not too busy/expensive and not too quite either. So am ruling out JC/Hoboken. My work is in Florham park and want to make sure I do not get trapped in NYC traffic each day so will have to live east of my work. I will be married soon so need to plan for the future.

Based on research, following towns come to my mind: Montclair, Morristown, Chatham, Summitt, Ridgewood, etc. I don't want to pay sky high NJ property taxes so that is also an important criteria. I want my commute to be within 30 mins. I am mostly looking for 3 bed 2bath single family townhome or a condo (~2000 sq ft). What are my options? and how much am I looking at?

Source: http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/Home-buyer-in-NJ/492561/

bridesmaids winning lottery numbers megamillions winner kansas jayhawks mega millions results susan powell lotto numbers

VP Joe Biden: 'No legal reason' the US can't tax violent media | Joystiq

Vice President Joe Biden has been on the front lines of the gun violence debate since the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in December. In January, Biden led a task force assigned by President Barack Obama to examine possible means of curtailing gun violence in the US, and his findings prompted Obama to call for scientific research into the effects of violent media on young minds.

Earlier in May, Biden met behind closed doors with 20 representatives from faith-based organizations to discuss gun control and immigration, and he briefly addressed video games, Politico reports. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, proposed to Biden that "media and entertainment that portray violence should be subject to a special tax, with the proceeds going to help victims and their families," according to Rabbi Julie Schonfeld.

Biden replied that there was "no restriction on the ability to do that; there's no legal reason why they couldn't" place a tax on violent media, Sister Marjorie Clark told Politico. Biden again emphasized the need for more research into the subject, Clark added: "He said they really need a good scientific study, which they've done on things like smoking."

During his initial fact-finding meetings in January, Biden expressed particular interest in speaking with inter-faith organizations, though he met with a wide swathe of communities, including entertainment companies, advocacy groups, youth organizations, the mental health community and the NRA.

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/vp-joe-biden-no-legal-reason-the-us-cant-tax-violent-media/

katie couric good morning america the rock vs john cena acm awards 2012 january jones ncaa final game reba mcentire acm awards

HP intros the Split x2 Windows hybrid and the Android-based SlateBook x2 (hands-on)

The Envy x2 has never been our favorite Windows 8 tablet, but that hasn't stopped HP from selling loads of them. The device has been such a success, in fact, that the company is expanding the x2 series to make room for two follow-on products: the Split x2 (a Windows 8 hybrid) and the SlateBook x2 (an Android tablet). Starting with the Split (pictured above), this is the first time HP's made a laptop / tablet hybrid with a laptop processor inside, though Microsoft and others have of course done this already. In brief, it's a 13-inch slate with a 1,366 x 768 display and your choice of Core i3 or i5 CPU (these are Intel's Y-series Ivy Bridge chips we're talking about). As you'd expect, the keyboard dock packs a second battery, though it also makes room for an optional 500GB hard drive to complement the SSD inside the actual tablet. Other specs include two USB ports (one 2.0, one 3.0), HDMI, Beats Audio, WiDi and expansion slots for both microSD and full SD cards.

The SlateBook (shown below) is a 10-inch tablet with a Tegra 4 chip -- one of the first to be announced by any company, in fact. Though it's a companion to the $169 Slate 7, it packs considerably higher-end specs. There's that Tegra 4 SoC, for one, as well as a 1,920 x 1,200, 400-nit IPS display and the latest version of Jelly Bean (4.2.2). As with other dockable tablets, its keyboard has a battery built in. Here, though, the keyboard also includes a shortcut for Google voice search. There's even a laptop-style trackpad supporting multitouch gestures -- a rarity on products like this. The hardware itself weighs about 2.8 pounds in total, with a spec list that includes two USB sockets, stereo speakers and SD / microSD readers. Both products will be available in August, with the Split x2 priced at $800 and the SlateBook x2 going for $480 (docks included). Now all we need are some battery life claims. In the meantime, check out our hands-on photos below. (Pssst: the Split unit we photographed was just a mockup.)

Filed under: Tablets, HP

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/b8r2aX9BE9Y/

arizona cardinals Big Bird Adam Greenberg Fall Leaves Jim Lehrer 666 Park Avenue Kara Alongi

ABC officially relaunches its Player app as Watch ABC with live TV streaming

Just as it revealed in an interview this weekend after months of rumors, the Disney / ABC Television Group has launched Watch ABC as an "open access preview" for New York and Philadelphia residents. Available on the web and as an iOS or Kindle Fire app in place of the old ABC Player, it still offers video on-demand playback of the network's shows, but is the first to add live network TV streaming in those two areas. It will require customers to log in with their cable / satellite TV account details (Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, Charter, Midcontinent and AT&T U-verse are all signed up already) for access starting July 1st, but for now there's no such restriction. ABC is promising a launch in all ABC-owned station markets by the start of the fall broadcast season, though most areas will need to wait for agreements with their local affiliates.

Currently scheduled for launch after July 1st are Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno, while Hearst Television has already signed on to launch streaming in its 13 markets as well. The app itself should resemble the WatchESPN and Watch Disney services we've seen roll out previously, and AirPlay streaming is disabled. The press release mentions Kindle Fire support, though we didn't see it in the Appstore yet, and it's coming to Samsung Galaxy devices "soon." There aren't any other Android devices mentioned, but hopefully more platforms will follow quickly. Hit the source links below for the app or to watch on the web, and there's a press release after the break with more details.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Mobile

Comments

Source: iTunes, WatchABC.go.com

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/14/watch-abc-launches-live-tv-streaming-philadelphia-nyc/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

a christmas story twas the night before christmas santa Capital STEEZ George Bush After Christmas Sales 2012 Charles Durning

Beyonce: Pregnant With Baby No. 2?

Source:

news channel 4 radar weather morosini death jacoby ellsbury jacoby ellsbury lionel richie kenny rogers

Buddy Nix steps down as Bills GM

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) ? Buddy Nix is stepping down as the Buffalo Bills general manager, the team announced on Monday.

Nix will remain with the team in a new role as special assistant, the Bills said in a released statement.

Assistant GM Doug Whaley, entering his fourth season in Buffalo, is expected to take over. He was signed to a long-term contract extension in January. Though the Bills did not immediately announce Nix's replacement, the team has spent much of the offseason grooming Whaley, a former executive with the Steelers and a former player at Pitt, to take over.

The move did not come as a surprise, and comes after Nix oversaw the draft in which the Bills opened by selecting quarterback EJ Manuel.

Nix and team president Russ Brandon were set to discuss the move later in the day.

At 73, Nix completed his third season as the Bills general manager.

"I've made the decision to step away from the general manager's position because I feel it is the right time," Nix said. "By the right time, I think we have a good young roster, an excellent head coach with a good staff. And it's time to let someone else handle these responsibilities and move forward together."

Nix had previously said he would be interested in stepping down once he felt the team had a franchise quarterback in place and was prepared to move in the right direction.

"I feel strongly that the team is on the right course for success," Nix said.

The Bills are rebuilding from scratch once again under new coach Doug Marrone, who was hired in January after turning around a struggling program at Syracuse.

Marrone replaced Chan Gailey, who was fired after a 6-10 finish last year.

The Bills have had eight consecutive losing seasons, and haven't made the playoffs in 13 seasons ? the NFL's longest active drought.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-05-13-FBN-Bills-Nix/id-d9c5aed120ab44e4b2a0c2be19ba4edf

Seth Meyers mothers day miami heat Mothers Day Cards Players Championship 2013 Sergio Garcia rod stewart

Video: Maria's Market Insight: Retail Better Than Expected

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/51870496/

Harmony Korine Battlefield 4 Summly monsanto Human Rights Campaign bioshock infinite smokey robinson

Phobia Treatment | Anxiety Disorder In Children | Generalized ...

The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

Please contact the server administrator, webmaster@mental-health.fitnessthroughfasting.com and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

Additionally, a 500 Internal Server Error error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

Source: http://mental-health.fitnessthroughfasting.com/psychotic-disorder/phobia-treatment-anxiety-disorder-in-children-generalized-anxiety-disorder-symptoms.php

marilyn monroe Nathan Adrian London 2012 Synchronized Swimming London 2012 hurdles Taylor Kinney Beach Volleyball Olympics 2012 Jessica Ennis

Spontaneous mutations play a key role in congenital heart disease

May 12, 2013 ? Although genetic factors contribute to congenital heart disease, many children born with heart defects have healthy parents and siblings, suggesting that new mutations that arise spontaneously -- known as de novo mutations -- might contribute to the disease.

"Until recently, we simply didn't have the technology to test for this possibility," says Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator~Richard Lifton. Lifton, who is at Yale School of Medicine, together with Christine Seidman, an HHMI investigator at Brigham and Women's Hospital and colleagues at Columbia, Mt. Sinai, and the University of Pennsylvania, collaborated to study congenital heart disease through the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium.

Using robust sequencing technologies developed in recent years, the researchers compared the protein-coding regions of the genomes of children with and without congenital heart disease and their parents, and found that new mutations could explain about 10 percent of severe cases. The results demonstrated that mutations in several hundred different genes contribute to this trait in different patients, but were concentrated in a pathway that regulates key developmental genes. These genes affect the epigenome, a system of chemical tags that modifies gene expression. The findings were published online in the journal Nature on May 12, 2013.

For the current study, the investigators began with 362 families consisting of two healthy parents with no family history of heart problems and a child with severe congenital heart disease. By comparing genomes within families, they could pinpoint mutations that were present in each child's DNA, but not in his or her parents. The team also studied 264 healthy families to compare de novo mutations in the genomes of healthy children.

The team focused their gene-mutation search on the exome -- the small fraction of each person's genome that encodes proteins, where disease-causing mutations are most likely to occur. Children with and without congenital heart disease had about the same number of de novo mutations -- on average, slightly less than one protein-altering mutation each. However, the locations of those mutations were markedly different in the two groups. "The mutations in patients with congenital heart disease were found much more frequently in genes that are highly expressed in the developing heart," Seidman says.

The differences became more dramatic when the researchers zeroed in on mutations most likely to impair protein function, such as those that would cause a protein to be cut short. Children with severe congenital heart disease were 7.5 times more likely than healthy children to have a damaging mutation in genes expressed in the developing heart.

The researchers found mutations in a variety of genes, but one cellular pathway was markedly enriched in the children with heart defects. That pathway helps regulate gene activity by affecting how DNA is packaged inside cells. The body's DNA is wrapped around proteins called histones, and chemical tags called methyl groups are added to histones to control which genes are turned on and off. In children with congenital heart disease, the team found an excess of mutations in genes that affect histone methylation at two sites that are known to regulate key developmental genes.

Overall, the researchers found that de novo mutations contribute to 10 percent of cases of severe congenital heart disease. Roughly a third of this contribution is from the histone-methylation pathway, Lifton says. He also notes that a mutation in just one copy of a gene in this pathway was enough to markedly increase the risk of a heart defect.

Direct sequencing of protein-coding regions of the human genomes to hunt down de novo mutations has only been applied to one other common congenital disease -- autism. In that analysis, Lifton and his colleagues at Yale, as well as HHMI investigator Evan Eichler and colleagues at University of Washington, found mutations in some of the same genes mutated in congenital heart disease, and the same histone modification pathway appears to play a major role in autism as well, raising the possibility that this pathway may be perturbed in a variety of congenital disorders, Lifton says.

Even if the disease can't be prevented, identifying the mutations responsible for severe heart defects might help physicians better care for children with congenital heart disease. "After we repair the hearts of these children, some children do great and some do poorly," Seidman says. Researchers have long suspected that this might be due to differences in the underlying causes of the disease. Understanding those variations might help doctors improve outcomes for their patients.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/GLHvr6yUzHc/130512140609.htm

kanye west

Researchers identifies gene associated with eczema in dogs

Sunday, May 12, 2013

A novel gene associated with canine atopic dermatitis has been identified by a team of researchers led by professors Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Uppsala university and ?ke Hedhammar, SLU, Sweden. The gene encodes a protein called plakophilin 2, which is crucial for the formation and proper functioning of the skin structure, suggesting an aberrant skin barrier as a potential risk factor for atopic dermatitis.

Details appear today in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

Atopic dermatitis (or eczema) is an inflammatory, relapsing non-contagious skin disease affecting about 10-30 percent of the human population. It is not only humans that suffer from the disease: about 3-10 percent of dogs are also affected. The skin of a patient with atopic dermatitis becomes easily irritated by various allergens such as certain types of food, pollens or house mites. Such irritation causes very strong itching which leads to scratching, redness and flaky skin that becomes vulnerable to bacterial and yeast infections.

To-date, despite many scientific efforts, little has been known about the genetics of the disease. In their study, researchers from Uppsala University, SLU and Broad Institute, compared DNA samples from a large group of German shepherd dogs affected by atopic dermatitis with DNA coming from healthy dogs to reveal the specific DNA segment associated with the disease.

"With the help of pet owners, we have managed to collect a unique set of DNA samples from sick and healthy dogs which allowed us to gain insight into atopic dermatitis genetics," said first author Katarina Tengvall, Uppsala University.

Purebred dogs such as German shepherds have been selected for specific physical features for several generations. Selection led to an inadvertent enrichment for disease-risk genes in certain breeds. Moreover, the resulting architecture of canine DNA makes it easier to pinpoint segments that carry these disease risk-genes. This helped the researchers to reveal the genetics of atopic dermatitis. They found a region associated with the atopic dermatitis containing the gene PKP-2, which encodes Plakophilin-2, a protein involved in the formation and maintaining of the proper skin structure.

"The finding that certain variants of the PKP-2 gene may increase the risk of developing the disease opens new possibilities in understanding the disease mechanism leading to atopic dermatitis," continues Katarina Tengvall.

These findings will not only lead to better understanding of the disease, which may lead to better treatment strategies long term. It also opens up the possibilities of development of a genetic test for the disease.

"Our study suggests that plakophilin-2 and an intact skin barrier is important to avoid atopic dermatitis", says senior author, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, professor at Uppsala University and Director of SciLifeLab Uppsala. "Another gene involved in the skin barrier has recently been linked to human atopic dermatitis emphasizing the similarity between canine and human atopic dermatitis" continues Kerstin Lindblad-Toh.

###

Uppsala University: http://www.uu.se

Thanks to Uppsala University 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.

This press release has been viewed 59 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128185/Researchers_identifies_gene_associated_with_eczema_in_dogs

Kordell Stewart cesar chavez Wichita State hbo Buckwild Steve Alford Phil Spector

First New Arrested Development Trailer: Thank You, Netflix

When news first broke nearly a year and a half ago that Netflix was resurrecting Arrested Development for a fourth season, the reception was joy followed by immediate apprehension. Could the expectations be met? Could it be as funny as it is in our memory? The answer, based on this just-released first trailer, is a very hopeful maybe.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/P1EzW9LrKps/first-new-arrested-development-trailer-thank-you-netf-504033146

lindsay lohan snl lindsay lohan on snl real housewives of disney awakenings phantom of the opera agoraphobia andrew lloyd webber

Jackie Robinson biopic made pitcher who faced him a villain: daughter

By Kevin Murphy

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - When a racist pitcher beans Jackie Robinson in the head in the new movie about the first black man to play major league baseball, Sherrill Duesterhaus wants everybody in the theater to know it's a lie.

Duesterhaus' father, Fritz Ostermueller, threw the pitch, but it did not hit Robinson in the head and there is no evidence he uttered, "You don't belong here and you never will," as shown in "42," the Warner Bros. Pictures film that opened in April.

"I respect Jackie Robinson, his story is so inspiring and it's good that it is out there, but not at the expense of someone's good name," said Duesterhaus, 66, of Joplin, Missouri.

Duesterhaus said she had been warned by a friend that the film was unflattering to her father, who died of cancer at age 50 when she was 11 years old.

But the scene in which he taunts Robinson and throws at his head was still a shock, she said.

"It just took my breath away," Duesterhaus said. "I thought, 'All these people are sitting here believing this and it didn't happen.' It broke my heart."

She said her father was a "kind and loving man" and neither she nor her mother can recall him talking badly about Robinson or any black player.

Duesterhaus produced an article from a Pittsburgh newspaper in 1947 in which her father said Robinson crowded the plate, making pitching to him difficult. Ostermueller played for the Pittsburgh Pirates at the time.

"I told my wife the night before I pitched that I might have trouble with Robinson - that one of my pitches would hit him, if he didn't move back," Ostermueller said in the article.

"I knew, too, some people would say it was intentional. It wasn't at all, but in his first trip to the plate I hit him. After that, he moved back a couple of inches and showed me some respect."

TRUTH 'WENT SOUTH'

The pitch early in the 1947 season - Robinson's rookie year - sailed toward his head but he deflected it with his arm before falling to the ground, according to several accounts.

Robinson's teammates on the Brooklyn Dodgers yelled at Ostermueller, but no fight broke out on the field as shown in the movie.

A Warner Bros. spokesman, Paul McGuire, had no comment in response to questions about the film and Duesterhaus' concerns.

She said the movie contained other errors, such as showing Ostermueller as a right-handed pitcher, when he threw left-handed.

"I enjoyed the movie," Duesterhaus said, "up until the truth went south."

Jonathan Eig, author of the 2007 book "Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season," said Robinson took verbal abuse from some players but there is no indication Ostermueller wanted to drive him out of baseball or threw at him because he was breaking the game's color barrier.

"I was surprised they chose that moment to dramatize the issue and picked Ostermueller of all people to be the villain," Eig said. "Even as I was watching the movie, I wondered if any of Ostermueller's kids will see this and what they would think."

Eig said Robinson was known to lean into pitches and swing wildly, making him vulnerable to getting hit.

Robinson was hit by more pitches than all but one other National League batter in 1947, and led the league in that category in 1948, according to baseball-reference.com.

Robert Butler, a former film critic for the Kansas City Star who now has an online movie review site, said the movie unnecessarily tainted Ostermueller's reputation.

"In my opinion, it's the result of bad research, laziness or outright malice," Butler said. "It would have been the easiest thing in the world to give (Ostermueller) a different name in the film. That said, anyone who goes to movies looking for true history is fighting a losing battle."

(Editing by David Bailey and Xavier Briand)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jackie-robinson-biopic-made-pitcher-faced-him-villain-163339382.html

Emmett Till margaret thatcher MET GALA 2013 proflowers Susannah Collins George Jones funeral Jeff Hanneman

Why the GOP keeps trying to destroy Obamacare

This afternoon, President Obama will hold an event at the White House where he will discuss the benefits his health care law, the Affordable Care Act, has for women. In particular, he will ask mothers to encourage their children to take advantage of the law and sign up for coverage through the health exchanges. This is key; the exchanges only work to control costs if a large number of healthy young people sign up. Otherwise, they become a dumping ground for sick and older Americans, who have much higher health costs.

This is part of the White House?s general push for implementation, which has emerged as a key political issue. Republicans are convinced the law will be a disaster, and Democrats are worried they?re right. Of course, as Greg pointed out the other day,?for Democrats, nervousness is a good thing ? it helps them stay careful and cautious as they move forward with the law, which can help them avoid implementation mistakes. Republicans, on the other hand, see the potential hazards of implementation as another reason to repeal the law. Earlier this week, in fact, House Republicans announced another bill to repeal Obamacare, and Senate Republicans have opted to ignore a provision that requires them to pick someone for the Medicare cost review board.

Attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act didn?t pay off politically last year, but it?s not hard to understand why Republicans continue with the effort. Even if implementation is full of problems ? and it will have its challenges ? it?s still true that when all the parts go online, millions of Americans will receive health insurance when they didn?t have it, and millions more will be able to afford new, more comprehensive insurance. Real people will receive real benefits, which they won?t want to give up. Eventually, if things progress on the current path, Republicans will be left in a position where they long opposed an entitlement their own voters have come to rely on. At this point, their only hope is to stop the law from going into effect.

It should be said that Republicans had a chance to prevent this outcome. During the fight for health care reform, Democrats were desperate for bipartisan cover. It?s not a stretch to think that Republicans could have dramatically watered-down the health care law if just a few agreed to support it. Instead, by opposing it completely, they kept it a purely Democratic bill, and thus a much more liberal law than it might have been. And so, if?the GOP finds itself stuck with a comprehensive overhaul of the health care system ? one that they can claim zero credit for ? they only have themselves to blame.

Jamelle Bouie is a staff writer at The American Prospect, where he writes a blog.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/10/why-the-gop-keeps-trying-to-destroy-obamacare/

brewers matt cain adastra holocaust remembrance day chesapeake energy dick clark death yom hashoah

POSCO's $12 billion India steel project boosted by court order

By Suchitra Mohanty and Krishna N Das

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - POSCO's planned $12 billion project in India got a boost on Friday after a top court said the federal government will decide on giving the South Korean steelmaker's long-delayed plant preferential access to iron ore.

POSCO, the world's fourth-largest steel producer, has waited eight years to get necessary clearances, land and an iron ore mining license to start work on the project, billed as India's largest foreign direct investment. The plant in eastern Odisha state is slated to have a capacity of 12 million metric tons (13.2 million tons) a year.

India was concerned about the delays and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself is monitoring the project's progress, Trade Minister Anand Sharma had said in January.

"This is positive for the company because the central government has been supporting this project," said Rakesh Arora, a metals expert and head of research at Macquarie Capital Securities (India). "There's no doubt that without iron ore, this project was not starting at all."

Justice Sudhansu Jyoti Mukhopadhaya of India's Supreme Court also quashed a lower court's ruling that prohibited POSCO from mining iron ore.

Shares of POSCO, which counts billionaire investor Warren Buffett as a shareholder, cut their losses slightly to trade down 1.24 percent after the news, in a wider Seoul market <.ks11> that was down 1.7 percent.

"We welcome the decision. We expect follow-up actions," said a POSCO official in Seoul.

The company signed an agreement with Odisha in June 2005 to set up the steel plant on 4,004 acres of land. It is seeking 2,700 acres to begin the project's first stage, which involves setting up two 4-million-tonne plants in two phases.

So far the company has been able to get physical possession of just 1,700 acres.

POSCO says that if it gets the required land in the current year, the first-phase of the plant may be commissioned sometime in 2018.

HURDLES REMAIN

The court order notwithstanding, the project could still face hurdles. A decision is unlikely to be made soon by the government, which is mired in various allegations of corruption in a pre-election year.

And POSCO is expected to face further protests.

"At no cost would POSCO be allowed to enter into the hills. We will not allow any mining," said Jual Oram, a former federal tribal affairs minister who has been leading agitations against the company's mining plan.

POSCO, though, has hedged its bets and raised its investment in other emerging countries such as Indonesia to make up for its slow progress in India.

The project is one of several in Odisha facing protests and delays. Investment plans of ArcelorMittal and Vedanta Resources in the state have been similarly delayed.

(Additional reporting by Jatindra Dash in BHUBANESWAR and Meeyoung Cho in SEOUL; Writing by Krishna N Das; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/poscos-12-billion-india-steel-project-boosted-court-074813608.html

shea weber greystone sidney crosby at the drive in alternative minimum tax modeselektor gran torino