Nike selects ten companies to participate in Accelerator program

A couple of months after Nike opened its Accelerator startup program for registration, the sportswear giant has deemed just ten companies out of hundreds of applicants to be worthy enough to jump on board the Nike+ API train: FitDeck, GoRecess, Chroma.io, CoachBase, GoFitCause, HighFive, Sprout At Work, GeoPalz, Incomparable Things and RecBob. Selected ideas range from a deck of fitness cards to interactive gaming rewards. As a reminder, the TechStars-run program was designed to encourage companies to use Nike-collected data from devices like the Fuelband and the Sportswatch.

As a reward for getting picked, the winners will undergo a three-month retreat in Portland, Oregon, where they'll develop and bring those solutions to fruition. Each company gets $20,000 to use to their advantage, along with expert advice from Nike-selected mentors. At the end of it all, they'll get to pitch their ideas to industry leaders and angel investors in the hopes of taking it to the next level. To find out what each selected participant offers, have a peek at the Nike source link below.

Filed under: Wearables, Software

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Source: Nike

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/19/nike-accelerator-program-ten-companies/

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Remade Mideast poses new perils for Obama on trip

Two Israeli soldiers stand guard next to satirical posters depicting U.S. President Barack Obama, and Jonathan Pollard, a Jewish-American who was jailed for life in 1987 on charges of spying on the United States, at the Gush Etzion junction between the West Bank towns of Bethlehem and Hebron, Tuesday, March 19, 2013. Obama?s trip to Jerusalem and the West Bank will take place March 20-22, and it is the U.S. leader?s first trip to the region as president, and his first overseas trip since being reelected. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Two Israeli soldiers stand guard next to satirical posters depicting U.S. President Barack Obama, and Jonathan Pollard, a Jewish-American who was jailed for life in 1987 on charges of spying on the United States, at the Gush Etzion junction between the West Bank towns of Bethlehem and Hebron, Tuesday, March 19, 2013. Obama?s trip to Jerusalem and the West Bank will take place March 20-22, and it is the U.S. leader?s first trip to the region as president, and his first overseas trip since being reelected. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Students of Estella's school for bakery and pastry making, work on an image depicting U.S. President Barack Obama made out of chocolate in Givat Shmuel, central Israel, Monday, March 18, 2013. Obama?s trip to Jerusalem and the West Bank will take place March 20-22, and it is the U.S. leader?s first trip to the region as president, and his first overseas trip since being reelected. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Palestinian activists throw shoes at a poster of US President Barack Obama in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Monday, March 18, 2013. Some two dozen Palestinian activists protested the upcoming Obama visit. Obama?s trip to Jerusalem and the West Bank will take place March 20-22, and it is the U.S. leader?s first trip to the region as president, and his first overseas trip since being reelected. (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? On his second trip to the Middle East as U.S. commander in chief, President Barack Obama this week will confront a political and strategic landscape nearly unrecognizable from the one he encountered on his first trip to the region shortly after assuming office in 2009.

Gone are the authoritarian regimes and leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, and the once seemingly indestructible Assad regime in Syria is tottering on the brink of collapse. Uncertainty abounds in the wake of the revolutions that have convulsed the Arab world for the past two years and shaken many of the strong but imperfect pillars of stability on the planet's most politically volatile patch of land.

And the few constants are hardly cause for cheer: a moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process that remains mired in mutual distrust and recrimination, an Iran that seemingly inches closer to nuclear weapons capability despite intensified international sanctions, and the ever-growing threat from extremists.

At the same time, Obama's 2012 re-election has changed his political calculus. Having run his last race as a political candidate, he is no longer beholden to the whims of voters. His sights appear set on building a legacy that, at least in the short term, is focused not on foreign policy but on the domestic issues that now drive the agenda in Washington.

Thus, U.S. officials have set expectations low for the trip. No new plan to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. No big boost in assistance to the struggling Palestinian Authority. No new strategy for dealing with the chaos in Syria. No new outreach to Muslims like the one that was the centerpiece of his June 2009 visit to Cairo.

Instead, they have presented Obama's visit to Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan as a symbolic, hand-holding trip. Obama's goals are to reassure nervous Israelis that the U.S. has their back in the face of any threats, tell the Palestinians that their aspirations for statehood are in America's national security interests and show support for a Jordanian monarchy that is struggling to satisfy its subjects' demands for reform while dealing with the spillover from the civil war in Syria.

It may seem incongruous that an American president feels the need to calm Israeli's fears about Washington's commitment to their security at a time when officials from both countries say U.S. and Israeli interests are more inextricably linked than ever before.

However, one reason for the uneasiness is the strained personal relationship between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They and their surrogates have sparred, most notably over Jewish settlements in areas claimed by the Palestinians, numerous times, leading many to speak of an open rift. The chill has manifested itself in unprecedented low approval ratings for Obama in Israel. The centerpiece of Obama's trip will be a speech to the Israeli people to pledge friendship and security.

Much of the symbolism around Obama's speech is aimed at showing his understanding of the Jewish people's millennia-old connection to the land that is now Israel, and his awareness that the modern State of Israel was not created merely as a consequence of the Holocaust. A visit to an Iron Dome battery, part of the missile defense system the U.S. has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into, will underscore Washington's investment in Israel's security.

Obama will be joined by Secretary of State John Kerry. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said Kerry was set to arrive Tuesday, a day before Obama. The embassy gave no details on Kerry's schedule Tuesday, but Israeli officials said no meetings were scheduled.

In both countries, officials hope that an American president on Israeli soil, affirming America's unwavering support for Israel, will quell the concerns from the Israeli perspective. Equally, if not more important, is channeling that message to anti-Israel actors, including Iran, Lebanon's militant Hezbollah, and the Hamas faction of the Palestinians that controls the Gaza Strip.

The goodwill Obama hopes to inspire is expected to be accompanied by gentle encouragement of Israelis and their leaders to be more sensitive the new realities of the region and not take actions that provoke or irritate the very people with whom they desire better ties.

In many ways, Obama faces a similar perception problem among Palestinians who were buoyed by his early support for their longstanding position on settlements, but have been bitterly disappointed by the lack of any progress on achieving statehood.

So, with prospects dim for new Israeli-Palestinian peace talks any time soon, in part because Netanyahu has just formed a new government, Obama will bring a similar message to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas' administration has infuriated Israel and annoyed the United States by seeking recognition as a state from the United Nations in the absence of a peace agreement.

Obama is expected to warn anew that such acts only hurt chances for getting back to negotiations, but stress that the United States is firmly committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and will continue to be an honest broker on the path to get there.

U.S. officials hope Obama's visit to Jordan will boost King Abdullah II's standing both at home among a restive population and in the region where, since the Muslim Brotherhood won elections in Egypt, his nation is the more solid of Israel's two Arab friends.

___

Associated Press writer Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-19-Obama-Mideast/id-3a302d25792d4404b4d998076caf9adf

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Chimps and teamwork: Scientists find origins of teamwork in our nearest relative, the chimpanzee

Mar. 19, 2013 ? Teamwork has been fundamental in humanity's greatest achievements but scientists at the University of Warwick have found that working together has its evolutionary roots in our nearest primate relatives -- chimpanzees.

A series of trials by scientists at Warwick Business School found that chimpanzees not only coordinate actions with each other but also understand the need to help a partner perform their role to achieve a common goal.

Pairs of chimpanzees were given tools to get grapes out of a box. They had to work together with a tool each to get the food out. Scientists found that the chimpanzees would solve the problem together, even swapping tools, to pull the food out.

The study, published in Biology Letters, by scientists from Warwick Business School, UK, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, sought to find out if there were any evolutionary roots to humans' ability to cooperate and coordinate actions.

Dr Alicia Melis, Assistant Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School, said: "We want to find out where humans' ability to cooperate and work together has come from and whether it is unique to us.

"Many animal species cooperate to achieve mutually beneficial goals like defending their territories or hunting prey. However, the level of intentional coordination underlying these group actions is often unclear, and success could be due to independent but simultaneous actions towards the same goal.

"This study provides the first evidence that one of our closest primate relatives, the chimpanzees, not only intentionally coordinate actions with each other but that they even understand the necessity to help a partner performing her role in order to achieve the common goal.

"These are skills shared by both chimpanzees and humans, so such skills may have been present in their common ancestor before humans evolved their own complex forms of collaboration"

The study, revealed in a paper entitled Chimpanzees' (Pan troglodytes) strategic helping in a collaborative task, looked at 12 chimpanzees at Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Kenya, which provides lifelong refuge to orphaned chimpanzees, who have been illegally traded as pets or saved from the 'bushmeat' trade.

The chimpanzees were put into pairs, with one needed at the back and one at the front of a sealed plastic box. Through a hole the chimpanzee at the back had to push the grapes onto a platform using a rake. The chimpanzee at the front then had to use a thick stick and push it through a hole to tilt the platform so the grapes would fall to the floor and both could pick them up to eat.

One chimpanzee was handed both tools and they had to decide which tool to pass to the partner. Ten out of 12 individuals solved the task figuring out that they had to give one of the tools to their partner and in 73 per cent of the trials the chimpanzees chose the correct tool.

Dr Melis said: "There were great individual differences regarding how quickly they started transferring tools to their partner. However, after transferring a tool once, they subsequently transferred tools in 97 per cent of the trials and successfully worked together to get the grapes in 86 per cent of the trials.

"This study provides the first evidence that chimpanzees can pay attention to the partner's actions in a collaborative task, and shows they know their partner not only has to be there but perform a specific role if they are to succeed. It shows they can work strategically together just like humans do, working out that they not only need to work together but what roles each chimpanzee has to do in order to succeed.

"Although chimpanzees are generally very competitive when trying to gain access to food and would rather work alone and monopolize all the food rewards, this study shows that they are willing and able to strategically support the partner performing their role when their own success is dependent on the partner's."

NB: This study was approved by the local ethics committee at Sweetwater Sanctuary and relevant authorities in Kenya. The chimpanzees were never deprived of food and water was available at all times. They could choose to stop participating at any time.

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Journal Reference:

1. A. P. Melis, M. Tomasello. Chimpanzees' (Pan troglodytes) strategic helping in a collaborative task. Biology Letters, 2013; 9 (2): 20130009 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0009

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/_tVy4KJdFYM/130318203327.htm

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Speeding Iowa dad ignores police with baby coming

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) ? An Iowa man who was pulled over for speeding as he rushed his pregnant wife to the hospital said he was determined to keep going despite the police lights flashing behind him.

Tyler Rathjen planned to keep going as his wife, Ashley, began giving birth to their son in the passenger seat. But a red light with heavy traffic finally forced him to stop.

"I should not stop, I'm not going to, I'm going to get to the hospital," Tyler Rathjen recalled thinking in an interview with Cedar Rapids TV station KCRG (http://bit.ly/ZOaOiD).

The baby's head and arms were already out by the time Iowa City Officer Kevin Wolfe reached the passenger door.

"We were all having a different experience," Wolfe said.

Ashley Rathjen gave birth to her third son, Owen, just blocks from Mercy Iowa City hospital on March 10.

"I kept saying: there's no break (in contractions) there's no break," she said. "He was coming at that time."

Wolfe helped with the final steps of delivery and then escorted the Williamsburg family to the hospital. His dashboard camera captured the episode.

Owen is now home with his parents and two brothers.

Ashley Rathjen said her newborn son will probably retell the story for years to come.

"I'm sure it will be a life story to tell everybody (about) how he made his grand entrance," she said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/speeding-iowa-dad-ignores-police-baby-coming-173912890.html

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Burger King Turkey Burger Rolling Out On Limited-Time Spring Menu

NEW YORK -- If you think a Whopper's too indulgent but are sick of chicken sandwiches, Burger King is offering a turkey burger for the first time.

The Miami-based company is rolling out the new sandwich this week as part of its limited-time offers for spring, marking the latest fast-food effort to cater to health-conscious diners. Last week, McDonald's said it plans to offer a lower-calorie version of its Egg McMuffin made with egg whites. The Oak Brook, Ill.-based chain said the egg whites will be available for any other breakfast sandwich on its menu as well.

McDonald's and Wendy's said they have no records indicating they ever offered a turkey burger, meaning Burger King would be the biggest fast-food chain to do so. But it's not the first. Sister chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's launched a trio of turkey burgers as limited-time offers in late 2010; they were so popular that they're now a permanent part of the menus.

"Turkey burgers as a category is growing pretty rapidly in the restaurant space," said Eric Hirschhorn, who heads global innovation for Burger King.

As with Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, Burger King said its turkey burger could be added to the permanent lineup if sales are strong enough.

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's introduced turkey burgers in response to consumers in their 20s and 30s, who are more mindful about what they're eating than past generations, said Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for CKE Restaurants, the parent company of the chains. At the same time, he noted that the turkey burgers ? which come with toppings like guacamole and pepperjack cheese_ are successful because they're still seen as indulgent and filling. In terms of nutritional content, he said the key was just to keep them under 500 calories.

Showing that the healthy glow isn't strictly about calories, Burger King's turkey burger clocks in at 530 calories, compared with 470 calories for its grilled chicken sandwich. A regular Whopper is 630 calories.

Burger King's ability to charbroil its turkey burgers may play an important role in whether they're successful. That's what helped the turkey burgers at Carl's and Hardee's do so well, Haley said. When cooked on a flat-top griddle, Haley said turkey burgers can end up having "that refrigerator flavor" that makes them taste gamey.

"If you charbroil them, that doesn't happen," Haley said. "It has a nice, fresh, clean turkey meat flavor."

Although beef prices have been climbing and pressuring restaurant chains, Haley noted that chicken and turkey remain more expensive because the supply chains are still far smaller than for beef. That means turkey burgers at Carl's and Hardee's are more expensive than beef burgers of comparable size.

At Burger King, the suggested price for the new turkey burger is $3.99, compared with $4.29 for its new Chipotle Whopper, which is also being introduced as part of the spring menu.

That menu will also tout a veggie burger, although the only difference from the chain's current veggie burger is that the new one has red onions.

For those who want something more indulgent, Burger King is also offering a Bacon Cheddar Stuffed Burger, which includes a ground beef patty stuffed with smoked bacon and cheese.

It's also offering loaded tater tots stuffed with bacon and sweet onions, a pina colada smoothie, "Donut Holes" and a trio of iced teas.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/18/burger-king-turkey-burger_n_2901168.html

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Depression stems from miscommunication between brain cells; Study challenges role of serotonin in depression

Mar. 18, 2013 ? A new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine suggests that depression results from a disturbance in the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. The study indicates a major shift in our understanding of how depression is caused and how it should be treated. Instead of focusing on the levels of hormone-like chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, the scientists found that the transmission of excitatory signals between cells becomes abnormal in depression.

The research, by senior author Scott M. Thompson, Ph.D., Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, was published online in the March 17 issue of Nature Neuroscience.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2005 and 2008, approximately one in 10 Americans were treated for depression, with women more than twice as likely as men to become depressed. The most common antidepressant medications, such as Prozac, Zoloft and Celexa, work by preventing brain cells from absorbing serotonin, resulting in an increase in its concentration in the brain. Unfortunately, these medications are effective in only about half of patients. Because elevation of serotonin makes some depressed patients feel better, it has been thought for over 50 years that the cause of depression must therefore be an insufficient level of serotonin. The new University of Maryland study challenges that long-standing explanation.

"Dr. Thompson's groundbreaking research could alter the field of psychiatric medicine, changing how we understand the crippling public health problem of depression and other mental illness," says E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Maryland and John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "This is the type of cutting-edge science that we strive toward at the University of Maryland, where discoveries made in the laboratory can impact the clinical practice of medicine."

Depression affects more than a quarter of all U.S. adults at some point in their lives, and the World Health Organization predicts that by 2020 it will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide. Depression is also the leading risk factor for suicide, which causes twice as many deaths as murder, and is the third leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds.

The first major finding of the study was the discovery that serotonin has a previously unknown ability to strengthen the communication between brain cells. "Like speaking louder to your companion at a noisy cocktail party, serotonin amplifies excitatory interactions in brain regions important for emotional and cognitive function and apparently helps to make sure that crucial conversations between neurons get heard," says Dr. Thompson. "Then we asked, does this action of serotonin play any role in the therapeutic action of drugs like Prozac?"

To understand what might be wrong in the brains of patients with depression and how elevating serotonin might relieve their symptoms, the study team examined the brains of rats and mice that had been repeatedly exposed to various mildly stressful conditions, comparable to the types of psychological stressors that can trigger depression in people.

The researchers could tell that their animals became depressed because they lost their preference for things that are normally pleasurable. For example, normal animals given a choice of drinking plain water or sugar water strongly prefer the sugary solution. Study animals exposed to repeated stress, however, lost their preference for the sugar water, indicating that they no longer found it rewarding. This depression-like behavior strongly mimics one hallmark of human depression, called anhedonia, in which patients no longer feel rewarded by the pleasures of a nice meal or a good movie, the love of their friends and family, and countless other daily interactions.

A comparison of the activity of the animals' brain cells in normal and stressed rats revealed that stress had no effect on the levels of serotonin in the 'depressed' brains. Instead, it was the excitatory connections that responded to serotonin in strikingly different manner. These changes could be reversed by treating the stressed animals with antidepressants until their normal behavior was restored.

"In the depressed brain, serotonin appears to be trying hard to amplify that cocktail party conversation, but the message still doesn't get through," says Dr. Thompson. Using specially engineered mice created by collaborators at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the study also revealed that the ability of serotonin to strengthen excitatory connections was required for drugs like antidepressants to work.

Sustained enhancement of communication between brain cells is considered one of the major processes underlying memory and learning. The team's observations that excitatory brain cell function is altered in models of depression could explain why people with depression often have difficulty concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions. Additionally, the findings suggest that the search for new and better antidepressant compounds should be shifted from drugs that elevate serotonin to drugs that strengthen excitatory connections.

"Although more work is needed, we believe that a malfunction of excitatory connections is fundamental to the origins of depression and that restoring normal communication in the brain, something that serotonin apparently does in successfully treated patients, is critical to relieving the symptoms of this devastating disease," Dr. Thompson explains.

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

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Xiang Cai, Angy J Kallarackal, Mark D Kvarta, Sasha Goluskin, Kaitlin Gaylor, Aileen M Bailey, Hey-Kyoung Lee, Richard L Huganir, Scott M Thompson. Local potentiation of excitatory synapses by serotonin and its alteration in rodent models of depression. Nature Neuroscience, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nn.3355

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/top_news/~3/MlKhuGoMTC4/130318105329.htm

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Elect Sony Store (STC): Sony MDRZX700 Headphones $49.99 (Regular 129.99)

Was at the fabulous (!) Scarborough Town Center and the Sony Store had the Sony MDRZX700 headphones for 49.99.

Discounted prices seem to be in the $80+ range so would call this a good deal.
Comments on headphone.com are good as well: headphone.com
Sony store information: Sony Store US

Keep in mind I am an avowed Sony fan boy and picked these up given my love for the old XB700/XB1000 series.
These were an easy buy for me as I like a warm/vintage sound (not a bass head) and the fact they look nice, are closed, over ear, and have a single cable sealed the deal.

They also had the MDRV55DJ on sale for fifty bucks... see here for more detail: Sony Store US
Not my thing but a pretty reasonable price. Not sure what is driving the sale but I do not see it advertised anywhere else.

Source: http://forums.redflagdeals.com/sony-store-stc-sony-mdrzx700-headphones-49-99-regular-129-99-a-1314033/new-post/

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White blood cells found to play key role in controlling red blood cell levels

Mar. 17, 2013 ? Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that macrophages -- white blood cells that play a key role in the immune response -- also help to both produce and eliminate the body's red blood cells (RBCs). The findings could lead to novel therapies for diseases or conditions in which the red blood cell production is thrown out of balance.

The study, conducted in mice, is published today in the online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.

"Our findings offer intriguing new insights into how the body maintains a healthy balance of red blood cells," said study leader Paul Frenette, M.D., professor of medicine and of cell biology and director of the Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research at Einstein. "We've shown that macrophages in the bone marrow and the spleen nurture the production of new red blood cells at the same time that they clear aging red blood cells from the circulation. This understanding may ultimately help us to devise new therapies for conditions that lead to abnormal RBC counts, such as hemolytic anemia, polycythemia vera, and acute blood loss, plus aid recovery from chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation." Einstein has filed a joint patent application with Mount Sinai related to this research, which is currently available for licensing and further commercialization.

Previous studies, all done in the laboratory, had suggested that macrophages in the bone marrow act as nurse cells for erythroblasts, which are RBC precursors. But just how these "erythroblastic islands" (macrophages surrounded by erythroblasts) function in living animals was unclear.

A few years ago, Andrew Chow, a Mount Sinai M.D./Ph.D. student in the laboratories of Drs. Frenette, and Miriam Merad, M.D., Ph.D., professor of oncological sciences and immunology at Mount Sinai found that bone marrow macrophages express a cell surface molecule called sialoadhesin, or CD169 -- a target that could be used for selectively eliminating macrophages from bone marrow. Doing so would help pinpoint the role of macrophages in erythroblastic islands in vivo.

That's what Drs. Frenette and Merad did in the current study involving mice. They found that selectively eliminating CD169-positive macrophages in mice reduces the number of bone marrow erythroblasts -- evidence that these macrophages are indeed vital for the survival of erythroblasts, which develop into RBCs.

"What was surprising is that we couldn't see any significant anemia afterward," said Dr. Frenette. The researchers then analyzed the lifespan of the red blood cells and found that they were circulating for a longer time than usual.

"After we depleted the macrophages in the bone marrow, we discovered that we had also depleted CD169-positive macrophages present in the spleen and liver. It turns out that the macrophages in these two organs are quite important in removing old red blood cells from the peripheral circulation. Taken together, the findings show that these macrophages have a dual role, both producing and clearing red blood cells," he said.

The researchers also examined the role of macrophages in polycythemia vera, a genetic disease in which the bone marrow produces too many RBCs, typically leading to breathing difficulties, dizziness, excessive blood clotting and other symptoms. Using a mouse model of polycythemia vera, they found that depleting CD169-positive macrophages in bone marrow normalizes the RBC count. "This points to a new way to control polycythemia vera," said Dr. Frenette. "Right now, the standard of care is phlebotomy [periodic blood removal], which is cumbersome."

The title of the paper is "CD169+ macrophages provide a niche promoting erythropoiesis under homeostasis and stress." The first author of the paper is Dr. Andrew Chow. Other co-authors of the study include Matthew Huggins, Daniel Lucas, Ph.D., Jalal Ahmed, B.S., Sandra Pinho, Ph.D., Yuya Kunisaki, M.D., Ph.D., and Aviv Bergman, Ph.D., of Einstein, and Daigo Hashimoto, M.D., Ph.D., Clara Noizat and Marylene Leboeuf of Mount Sinai, New York, NY. The study was done in collaboration with Nico van Rooijen at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Masato Tanaka at RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, Japan, and Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo, Japan; and Zhizhuang Joe Zhao, Ph.D., at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK.

The study was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01 HL097700, R01HL069438, and R01HL116340); the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK056638); and the National Cancer Institute (R01CA112100), all part of the National Institutes of Health.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

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Journal Reference:

1. Andrew Chow et al. CD169 macrophages provide a niche promoting erythropoiesis under homeostasis and stress. Nature Medicine, 2013

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/top_news/top_health/~3/BJ0M8zNFbcI/130317154727.htm

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Alfred v2 brings Workflows, automates what Automator might not

Anyone who's heavily invested in the Mac ecosystem knows Automator, a built-in tool that can string together multiple computing actions without having to know a lick of code. Some of us may want a little more power, or just a different variety of power -- which is where the recently launched Alfred 2.0 comes in. Those who buy the £15 ($23) Powerpack can take advantage of Workflows, which relies on an Automator-like concept of linking simple actions to run complicated tasks. They can be more ornate than you'd expect, however: for a start, you can run multiple app-specific tasks in parallel, such as telling Chrome to search YouTube, IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes the moment you type in a movie keyword. It's equally possible to feed results back to Alfred, launch scripts and trigger notifications (whether Mountain Lion's or Growl's), among other feats. Should you demand control that sits just outside of Apple's boundaries, Alfred is waiting at the source link; anyone who just wants its core launcher functionality can grab the app for free.

Filed under: Software, Apple

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RelatedStudy: Health Plus Fitness: Aerobics Cardio Article Category

The fact is there will constantly be a need for health care. The only time there aren't a demand is whenever people stop getting sick. Besides being a doctor or professional surgeon, there are numerous additional jobs in health care which don't need we to complete 10 years of schooling. As an example, all hospitals, and nursing homes, need nurses and nurses aids.

Science has noticed that oxidative stress will rather well function as the cause of over 70 well-known, widely-spread diseases. Depending about what form of toxin or stress the body is exposed to on an ongoing basis, we may discover yourself suffering, even at an early age, from illnesses which can be prevented if only you'd have minimized the dangerous free radicals in your program.

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iPhone 4S: Screen and loud speaker issues!

I replaced the broken plates on my iPhone, front and back. I've got two issues:

1-The screen now has a white glow around the edges, not terrible but noticeable. How do I resolve this?

2-Prior to installing, the loud speaker stopped working, for use with speaker phone and listening to music (without earphones). I thought replacing the faceplate would correct this but it did not. The original damaged portion was at the ear speaker next to front facing camera, which is why I replaced the front plate. I'm thinking the issue is the speakers at bottom, is there any way to troubleshoot?

Thanks all!

Source: http://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/122399/Screen+and+loud+speaker+issues!

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Israel's Netanyahu clinches coalition deals

By Jeffrey Heller

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clinched deals on Thursday for a coalition government set to curb benefits for ultra-Orthodox Jews, a hot-button issue that has pushed peacemaking with Palestinians to the sidelines.

In control of 68 of parliament's 120 seats, the new administration - the first in a decade without ultra-Orthodox parties - is expected to take office next week, just days before a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama.

"There is a government," said Noga Katz, a spokeswoman for Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, citing agreements with the centrist Yesh Atid and far-right Jewish Home parties as well as a smaller faction headed by former foreign minister Tzipi Livni.

Yesh Atid, led by ex-TV news anchor Yair Lapid, and high-tech millionaire Naftali Bennett's pro-settler Jewish Home rode a wave of anger in a January 22 election over state handouts and military draft exemptions long granted to the ultra-Orthodox minority.

After surprisingly strong showings at the ballot box, the two political upstarts effectively blackballed Netanyahu's largely loyal religious allies, a dramatic change that left the prime minister weakened as he enters his third term in office.

Although Lapid has advocated a resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians stalled since 2010, his party's second-place finish was a reflection of a renewed public focus on bread-and-butter issues such as the high cost of living.

Public expectations are high that the new government could affect real change in what many Israelis see as state coddling of the ultra-Orthodox that gives them little incentive or opportunity to learn skills and contribute to the economy.

Netanyahu will turn his attention again to the Palestinian issue and Iran's nuclear drive in his talks with Obama, with whom he has had a testy relationship. But U.S. officials have said Obama is not coming with any peace plan and expectations of any swift movement on the Israeli-Palestinian track are low.

"We have kept the government in our hands," Netanyahu told party members, noting that his Likud-Beitenu list would retain control of the defense and foreign portfolios in the incoming cabinet.

But he seemed to voice disappointment that domestic issues had diverted attention in Israel from what he sees as his new government's biggest challenge - preventing arch-enemy Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

"There is a disconnect in our public discourse between the challenges and the threats that are mounting against Israel and the public attention that they are getting, but there is no disconnect among us," he told his party's legislators.

DEADLINE

Lapid, 49, and Bennett, 40, each said they expected to sign coalition deals with Netanyahu later in the day. Livni made her pact with the prime minister several weeks ago.

The agreements on Thursday were sealed before a March 16 deadline for Netanyahu to announce a new government. Yesh Atid said Lapid would become finance minister. Israeli media reported Bennett would get the trade and industry post in the cabinet.

"We hope that this Israeli government will choose peace and negotiations and not settlements and dictation," Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said.

But Amotz Asa-El, a political analyst at Jerusalem's Shalom Hartman Institute, predicted that domestic affairs would initially dominate the new coalition's agenda, with turmoil in the Arab world dimming chances for peace moves.

"Events in neighboring countries and in the belt of countries beyond the neighboring countries are so unpredictable ... (and) so unstable that Israel, regardless of who leads it at the moment, has no choice but to passively watch at the sidelines as things unfold," Asa-El said.

Bennett rejects any future Palestinian state and has strong support among Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

But he has pledged not to be an obstacle to peace talks, saying that in any case, he does not believe they will achieve anything. Neither Bennett nor Lapid have spoken out in detail on how they would deal with the Iranian issue.

Palestinians have demanded Israel suspend construction in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which they seek, along with the Gaza Strip, for a future state.

Netanyahu has called on the Palestinians to return to the talks without preconditions. Most countries regard Israel's settlements as illegal.

(Additional reporting by Dan Williams; editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/netanyahu-reaches-coalition-deal-party-spokeswoman-070730476.html

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?Washington's Pope?? Who is Pope Francis I? - News Beacon Ireland

The Vatican conclave has elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis I . Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?? In 1973, he had been appointed ?Provincial? of Argentina for the Society of Jesus. In this capacity, Bergoglio was the highest ranking Jesuit in Argentina during the military dictatorship led by General Jorge Videla (1976-1983).

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by Prof. Michel Chussodovsky

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Copyright ? Prof Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, 2013
published on Global Research 14 March 2013
republished here under the term of ?Fair Use?

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The Vatican conclave has elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis I

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Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio??

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In 1973, he had been appointed ?Provincial? of Argentina for the Society of Jesus. In this capacity, Bergoglio was the highest ranking Jesuit in Argentina during the military dictatorship led by General Jorge Videla (1976-1983). He later became bishop and archbishop of Buenos Aires. Pope John Paul II elevated him to the title of cardinal in 2001.

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When the military junta relinquished power in 1983, the duly elected president Ra?l Alfons?n set up a Truth Commission pertaining to the crimes underlying the ?Dirty War? (La Guerra Sucia). The military junta had been supported covertly by Washington. US. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger played a behind the scenes role in the 1976 military coup.

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Kissinger?s top deputy on Latin America, William Rogers, told him two days after the coup that ?we?ve got to expect a fair amount of repression, probably a good deal of blood, in Argentina before too long.? ? (National Security Archive, March 23, 2006)

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Photo: Henry Kissinger and General Jorge Videla (1970s)

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?Operation Condor?

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Ironically, a major trial opened up in Buenos Aires on March 5, 2013 a week prior to Cardinal Bergoglio?s investiture as Pope. The ongoing trial in Buenos Aires is:

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The military junta led by General Jorge Videla (left) was responsible for countless assassinations, including priests and nuns who opposed military rule following the CIA sponsored March 24, 1976 coup which overthrew the government of Isabel Peron:

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??Videla was among the generals convicted of human rights crimes, including ?disappearances?, torture, murders and kidnappings. In 1985, Videla was sentenced to life imprisonment at the military prison of Magdalena.?

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Wall Street and the Neoliberal Economic Agenda

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One of the key appointments of the military junta was the Minister of Economy, Jose Alfredo Martinez de Hoz, a member of Argentina?s business establishment and a close friend of David Rockefeller.? The neoliberal macro-economic policy package adopted under Martinez de Hoz was a ?carbon copy? of that imposed in October 1973 in Chile by the Pinochet dictatorship under advice from the? ?Chicago Boys?, following the September 11, 1973 coup d?Etat and the assassination of president Salvador Allende.

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Wages were immediately frozen by decree. Real purchasing power collapsed by more than 30 percent in the 3 months following the March 24, 1976 military coup. (Author?s estimates, Cordoba, Argentina, July 1976). The Argentinean population was impoverished.

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Photo:?
From left to right: Jose Alfredo Martinez de Hoz, David Rockefeller and General Jorge Videla)?

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Under the helm of Minister of Economy Jose Alfredo Martinez de Hoz, central bank monetary policy was largely determined by Wall Street and the IMF. The currency market was manipulated. The Peso was deliberately overvalued leading to an insurmountable external debt. The entire national economy was precipitated into bankruptcy.

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Wall Street and the Catholic Church Hierarchy

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Wall Street was firmly behind the military Junta which waged ?The Dirty War? on its behalf. In turn, the Catholic Church hierarchy played a central role in sustaining the legitimacy of the military Junta.

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The Order of Jesus ?which represented the Conservative yet most influential faction within the Catholic Church, closely associated with Argentina?s economic elites? was firmly behind the military Junta, against so-called ?Leftists? in the Peronista movement.

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Photo: Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Francis I) and General Jorge Videla

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?The Dirty War?: Allegations directed Against Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio

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In 2005, human rights lawyer Myriam Bregman filed a criminal suit against Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, accusing him of conspiring with the military junta in the 1976 kidnapping of two Jesuit priests.

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Bergoglio, who at the time was ?Provincial? for the Society of Jesus, had ordered two ?Leftist? Jesuit priests ?to leave their pastoral work? (i.e. they were fired) following divisions within the Society of Jesus regarding the role of the Catholic Church and its relations to the military Junta.

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Condemning the military dictatorship (including human rights violations) was a taboo within the Catholic Church.? While the upper echelons of the Church were supportive of the military Junta, the grassroots of the Church was firmly opposed to the imposition of military rule.

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In 2010, the survivors of the ?Dirty War? accused Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of complicity in the kidnapping of? two members of the Society of Jesus Francisco Jalics y Orlando Yorio,? (El Mundo, 8 November 2010) .

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In the course of the trial initiated in 2005, ?Bergoglio twice invoked his right under Argentine law to refuse to appear in open court, and when he eventually did testify in 2010, his answers were evasive?:

?At least two cases directly involved Bergoglio. One examined the torture of two of his Jesuit priests ? Orlando Yorio and Francisco Jalics ? who were kidnapped in 1976 from the slums where they advocated liberation theology. Yorio accused Bergoglio of effectively handing them over to the death squads? by declining to tell the regime that he endorsed their work. Jalics refused to discuss it after moving into seclusion in a German monastery.? (Los Angeles Times, April 1, 2005)

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Holy Communion to the Dictators? (image left: General Jorge Videla takes communion from priest Jorge Mario Bergolio)

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The accusations directed against Bergoglio regarding the two kidnapped Jesuit priests are but the tip of the iceberg. The entire Catholic hierarchy was behind the Military Junta.? According to lawyer Myriam Bregman:? ?Bergoglio?s own statements proved church officials knew from early on that the junta was torturing and killing its citizens, and yet publicly endorsed the dictators. ?The dictatorship could not have operated this way without this key support,? (Los Angeles Times, April 1, 2005 emphasis added)

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The Catholic hierarchy was tacitly complicit in torture and mass killings, an estimated ?22,000 dead and disappeared, from 1976 to the [1978]?? Thousands of additional victims were killed between 1978 and 1983 when the military was forced from power.? (National Security Archive, March 23, 2006)

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The Catholic Church: Chile versus Argentina

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It is worth noting that? in the wake of the military coup in Chile on September 11,1973, the Cardinal of Santiago de Chile, Raul Silva Henriquez openly condemned the military junta led by General Augusto Pinochet. In marked contrast to Argentina, this stance of the Catholic hierarchy in Chile was instrumental in curbing the tide of political assassinations and human rights violations directed against supporters of Salvador Allende? and opponents of the military regime.

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Had Jorge Mario Bergoglio taken a similar stance to that of Cardinal Raul Silva Henriquez, thousands of lives would have been saved.

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Operation Condor and the Catholic Church

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The election of Cardinal Bergoglio by the Vatican conclave to serve as Pope Francis I will have immediate repercussions regarding the ongoing ?Operation Condor? Trial in Buenos Aires.

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The Church was involved in supporting the military Junta.? This is something which will emerge in course of the trial proceedings.? No doubt, there will be attempts to obfuscate the role of the Catholic hierarchy and the newly appointed pope Francis I,? who served as head of Argentina?s Jesuit order during the military dictatorship.

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Jorge Mario Bergoglio:? ?Washington?s Pope in the Vatican???

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The election of Pope Francis I has broad geopolitical implications for the entire Latin American? region. In the 1970s, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was supportive of a US sponsored military dictatorship. The Catholic hierarchy in Argentina supported the military government. Wall Street?s interests were sustained through Jose Alfredo Martinez de Hoz? office at the Ministry of Economy.

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The Catholic Church in Latin America is politically influential. It also has a grip on public opinion. This is known and understood by the architects of US foreign policy. In Latin America, where a number of governments are now challenging US hegemony, one would expect ?given Bergoglio?s track record?? that the new Pontiff Francis I as leader of the Catholic Church, will play de facto, a discrete ?undercover? political role on behalf of Washington.

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With Jorge Bergoglio, Pope Francis I? in the Vatican (who faithfully served US interests in the heyday of General Jorge Videla)? the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Latin America can once again be effectively manipulated to undermine ?progressive? (Leftist) governments, not only in Argentina (in relation to the government of Cristina Kirschner) but throughout the entire region, including Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia. The instatement of? ?a pro-US pope? occurred a week following the death of? president Hugo Chavez.

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Washington and Wall Street?s Pope in the Vatican?

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The US State Department routinely pressures members of the United Security Council with a view to influencing the vote pertaining to Security Council resolutions. US covert operations and propaganda campaigns are routinely applied with a view to influencing national elections in different countries around the World. Did the US government attempt to influence the election of the new pontiff?? Jorge Mario Bergoglio was Washington?s preferred candidate.

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Were undercover pressures discretely exerted by Washington, within the Catholic Church, directly or indirectly, on the 115 cardinals who are members of the Vatican conclave, leading to the election of a pontiff who will faithfully serve US foreign policy interests in Latin America?

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Author?s Note

At the outset of the military regime in 1976, I was Visiting Professor at the Social Policy Institute of the Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina. My major research focus at the time was to investigate the impacts of the deadly macroeconomic reforms adopted by the military Junta.?

I was teaching at the University of Cordoba during the initial wave of assassinations which also targeted ?progressive? members of the Catholic clergy.

The industrial city of Cordoba was the center of the resistance movement. I witnessed how the Catholic hierarchy actively and routinely supported the military junta, creating an atmosphere of? intimidation and fear throughout the country. The general feeling at the time was that Argentinians had been betrayed by the upper echelons of the Catholic Church.

Three years earlier, at the time of Chile?s September 11, 1973 military coup, leading to the overthrow of the Popular Unity government of Salvador Allende,? I was Visiting Professor at the Institute of Economics, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago de Chile.

In the immediate wake of the coup in Chile,? I witnessed how the Cardinal of Santiago, Raul Silva Henriquez ?acting on behalf of the Catholic Church? confronted the military dictatorship.

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About the author:
Michel Chossudovsky is an award-winning author, Professor of Economics (emeritus) at the University of Ottawa, Founder and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), Montreal and Editor of the globalresearch.ca website. He is the author of The Globalization of Poverty and The New World Order (2003) and America?s ?War on Terrorism?(2005). His most recent book is entitled Towards a World War III Scenario: The Dangers of Nuclear War (2011). He is also a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His writings have been published in more than twenty languages.

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Editor?s note:
It has come to our attention that former Cardinal and Pope-elect ?Francis I?, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is also accused of baby trafficking by lawyers and members of the Plaza de Mayo human rights group.? see?Los Angeles Times, April 17, 2005, ?Argentine Cardinal in Kidnapping Lawsuit?, http://articles.latimes.com/2005/apr/17/world/fg-cardinal17?and http://www.eldia.com.ar/edis/20110502/acusan-cardenal-bergoglio-robo-bebes-durante-dictadura-20110502214006.htm

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Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the authors(s). News Beacon Ireland will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect in this article. News Beacon Ireland grants permission to cross-post original News Beacon Ireland articles on community internet sites as long as the text & title are not modified. The source and the author?s copyright must be displayed. For publication of News Beacon Ireland articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: editor@news-beacon-ireland.info
www.news-beacon-ireland.info may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of ?fair use? in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic, cultural, scientific, spiritual and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than ?fair use? you must request permission from the copyright owner.

?

Source: http://news-beacon-ireland.info/?p=11793

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NY AG: NFL must ban sexual orientation inquiries

By MICHAEL GORMLEY

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 1:58 p.m. ET March 14, 2013

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman urged the NFL on Thursday to investigate whether possible draft picks were improperly asked about their sexual orientation during the league's combine, which he said would be illegal in New York.

"We ask that the league immediately issue a statement that any form of discrimination or harassment on the basis of sexual orientation by league teams or players against potential recruits or players constitutes a violation of state, local and, in some cases, contractor law and will not be tolerated," Schneiderman said in a letter dated Thursday and released to news organizations.

Schneiderman asked NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to call him by next Wednesday to schedule a meeting on the matter.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league was already looking into the issue and would discuss it at its meeting next week in Phoenix.

"Like all employers, our teams are expected to follow applicable federal, state and local employment laws," the NFL said in a Feb. 27 statement. "It is league policy to neither consider nor inquire about sexual orientation in the hiring process. In addition, there are specific protections in our collective bargaining agreement with the players that prohibit discrimination against any player, including on the basis of sexual orientation."

It concluded: "Any team or employee that inquires about impermissible subjects or makes an employment decision based on such factors is subject to league discipline."

Last month, Colorado tight end Nick Kasa told ESPN Radio in Denver that during interviews with team officials at the combine in Indianapolis: "(Teams) ask you, like, `Do you have a girlfriend?' `Are you married?' `Do you like girls?"'

He did not identify who asked him.

Since then, Michigan's Denard Robinson and Michigan State's Le'Veon Bell each have indicated in radio interviews that they were asked similar questions.

Schneiderman reminded Goodell that discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal in New York and in at least 23 other states where the NFL's 32 teams are based.

In February, DeMaurice Smith, the head of the NFL players association, said in a statement that, "I know that the NFL agrees that these types of questions violate the law, our CBA and player rights."

---

AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston contributed to this report.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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??PFT: Piece by piece, the components of the Super Bowl champion Ravens are leaving town. What's behind the sudden breakup, and what will the Ravens do now?

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Massachusetts Law Updates: SJC Rules on abuse law and online ...

SJC Rules on abuse law and online dating

?On March 13, 2013, in E.C.O. vs. Gregory James Compton, the court vacated the extension of a restraining order the girl's father had obtained against Compton holding 'there was no 'abuse' as required by the statute."

However, the court concluded that "there was evidence of a substantive dating relationship in the circumstances of this case.? General Law ch. 209A, s. 1, directs courts to to adjudge the existence of substantive dating relationships by considering four factors: '(1) the length of time of the relationship; (2) the type of relationship; (3) the frequency of interaction between the parties; and (4) if the relationship has been terminated by either person, the length of time elapsed since the termination of the relationship.'? Here, there was a three-month relationship that involved regular mutual communication. Although, after the daughter's return home from Europe, that communication occurred electronically, many of the transmissions, such as those through instant messaging and Skype, involved 'real-time' communication and face-to-face communication, thus adding a level of intimacy to the relationship...Our conclusion comports with fulfilling the remedial purpose of the statute....Chapter 209A must be interpreted to protect all who are in a substantive dating relationship from abuse, regardless of whether the relationship was developed or conducted by the use of technology."

For more on the subject see our page titled Law About Domestic Violence.

Source: http://masslawlib.blogspot.com/2013/03/sjc-rules-on-abuse-law-and-online-dating.html

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Galaxy S IV Video Leaks Show Off Smart Pause, Gesture Recognition, and More

A series of leaked videos purport to show off some of the Samsung Galaxy S IV's new control methods, including a smart pause system and touch-free control. Why wait for tonight when you can check out all the goodies right now? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/6wcTYM-EzdY/leaked-videos-reveal-galaxy-s4-smart-pause-and-gesture-recognition

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U.S. troops in Afghanistan on alert for attacks

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan warned his troops to be ready for increased violence because of a series of anti-American statements by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, NATO said Thursday.

In an email to battlefield commanders, Gen. Joseph Dunford, said the remarks could spur more insider attacks, days after members of Afghan security forces killed two U.S. troops and a U.S. contractor in two separate shootings.

"We're at a rough point in the relationship," Dunford said in the email, according to a senior U.S. official, speaking anonymously to discuss the confidential communication.

After news of Dunford's email broke, Karzai's office released a new statement Thursday explaining the president's earlier remarks.

"My recent comments were meant to help reform, not destroy the relationship," the statement quotes Karzai telling an audience gathered for a televised talk show filmed at the presidential palace Thursday. "We want good relations and friendship with America, but the relationship must be between two independent nations."

Karzai did not back down or retract his earlier statements, instead saying the relationship "is complicated" by "terrorism, transition of the Bagram detention facility, continued civilian casualties (from NATO operations), and lack of respect for the national sovereignty of Afghanistan."

Karzai's statement may do little to soothe U.S. officials' unease. Over the weekend, the Afghan leader accused the U.S. of colluding with the Taliban on suicide attacks to keep the country unstable and give foreign forces an excuse to stay beyond their 2014 mandate. His remarks followed two suicide attacks that killed at least 19 Afghans on Saturday, coinciding with the first official visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Karzai also cautioned this week that the delay in handing over a U.S.-run detention center to Afghan control "could harm bilateral relations." He told the audience Thursday that "innocent people are still being held by foreigners" at the Bagram facility, forcing their children to "go begging" without their fathers at home. His remarks came after he and Dunford met Wednesday to discuss the issue but failed to resolve the impasse.

Dunford and other top U.S. officials have rejected Karzai's allegations of collusion with the Taliban.

Dunford's warning to his troops, first reported by The New York Times, showed the deep U.S. concern that Karzai's words could go beyond angry rhetoric and spark violence targeting U.S. forces, a threat that could harm the larger relationship.

NATO released a statement explaining the missive, saying it "routinely conducts assessments and adapts its protection posture to ensure our forces are prepared to meet potential threats." The statement calls Dunford's email "prudent given increased coalition causalities in recent days."

Dunford also said unusually warm weather could mean an early start to the Taliban fighting season because militants can return from now-open high mountain passes from Pakistan.

In the latest insider attack, an Afghan policeman jumped onto the back of a parked police truck on Monday, grabbed a mounted heavy machine gun and opened fire on Afghan and U.S. troops in eastern Wardak province. Four members of the Afghan security forces were killed along with two U.S. troops ? one member of the U.S. special operations forces and one conventional U.S. soldier. Earlier, a senior U.S. defense official reported that both were members of the special operations forces.

On the detention center issue, NATO released a statement Wednesday saying both parties pledged to continue constructive dialogue to resolve the remaining issues. The facility has an Afghan administrator but is still U.S.-run.

The prison transfer, originally slated for 2009, has been repeatedly delayed because of disputes between the U.S. and Afghan governments about whether all detainees should have the right to a trial and who will have the ultimate authority over the release of prisoners the U.S. considers a threat.

The Afghan government has maintained that it needs full control over which prisoners are released as a matter of national sovereignty. The issue has threatened to undermine ongoing negotiations for a security agreement that would govern the presence of U.S. forces in Afghanistan after the current combat mission ends in 2014.

___

Follow Kimberly Dozier on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/KimberlyDozier

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-warns-afghan-leaders-comments-threaten-troops-130309820.html

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'American Idol' Report Card: Angie Miller, Candice Glover Are Right On Time

Nicki was late, but the top five women were uniformly awesome and the men were mostly tepid on Wednesday night's show.
By Gil Kaufman

Angie Miller on "American Idol"
Photo: FOX

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1703643/american-idol-top-10-recap.jhtml

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Early HIV drugs 'cure one in 10'

14 March 2013 Last updated at 18:50 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

Rapid treatment after HIV infection may be enough to "functionally cure" about a 10th of those diagnosed early, say researchers in France.

They have been analysing 14 people who stopped therapy, but have since shown no signs of the virus resurging.

It follows reports of a baby girl being effectively cured after very early treatment in the US.

However, most people infected with HIV do not find out until the virus has fully infiltrated the body.

The group of patients, known as the Visconti cohort, all started treatment within 10 weeks of being infected.

They stuck to a course of antiretroviral drugs for three years, on average, but then stopped.

The drugs keep the virus only in check, they cannot eradicate it from its hiding places inside the immune system.

Continue reading the main story

?Start Quote

Most individuals who follow the same treatment will not control the infection, but there are a few of them who will?

End Quote Dr Asier Saez-Cirion Institute Pasteur

Normally, when the drugs stop, the virus bounces back.

Control

This has not happened in the Visconti patients. Some have been able to control HIV levels for a decade.

Dr Asier Saez-Cirion, from the Institute Pasteur in Paris, said: "Most individuals who follow the same treatment will not control the infection, but there are a few of them who will."

He said 5-15% of patients may be functionally cured, meaning they no longer needed drugs, by attacking the virus soon after infection.

"They still have HIV, it is not eradication of HIV, it is a kind of remission of the infection."

Their latest study, in the journal PLoS Pathogens, analysed what happened to the immune system of the patients.

Early treatment may limit the number of unassailable HIV hideouts that are formed. However, the researchers said it was "unclear" why only some patients were functionally cured.

Dr Andrew Freedman, a reader in infectious diseases at Cardiff University School of Medicine, said the findings were "certainly interesting".

"The presumption is that they've started treatment very early and the virus hasn't spread to so many of the long-term reservoirs and that's why it works.

"Whether they'll control it forever, or whether it'll be for a number of years and subsequently they will progress and the virus will reappear, we don't know."

However, he cautioned that many patients would be diagnosed much later than in this study.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21783945#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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