?The Korean Zombie,? Boston and Tito Ortiz: Where did they fall on the Cagewriter Hot or Not list?

It's been a slow week for MMA, but it's likely to pick up as we start an eventful April. In this last week of March, who was hot or who was not?

Hot ? Boston: According to a tweet from UFC president Dana White, the promotion is headed back to Boston, his hometown. Fox's new channel, Fox Sports 1, will get its first UFC event with this card, scheduled for Aug. 17.

Not ? Commissions: First, Nick Diaz's camp said his weigh-in at UFC 158 was mishandled by the commission in Quebec. Then, Andrei Arlovski's camp said there was a timing error at the World Series of Fighting 2 card that caused Arlovski to take extra damage. Commissions' doing things right is necessary for the sport to grow, so mistakes like these are worrisome.

Hot ? Chan Sung Jung, aka "The Korean Zombie:" He stood up to the UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre with a respectful dignity. Jung informed GSP, and much of the MMA world, about the symbolism behind the Rising Sun that the welterweight champion wore on his gi for UFC 158. GSP and Hayabusa, the company behind the gi quickly apologized. Jung handled the situation with quiet courage, and used it as a teachable moment. It was an impressive moment for both TKZ and GSP.

Not ? Tito Ortiz: The retired UFC legend is now working as the manager for Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, and he has a plan. Santos is fighting on next weekend's Invicta card, and he wants her to fight her next few fights in Invicta. Then on New Year's Eve, Ortiz wants Santos, who won't move down to bantamweight, to fight UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in the UFC.

"Cris has shown in Strikeforce, why she's so dominant, why women are afraid of her. She has three fights with Invicta, she will be the world champion and she will walk away a world champion. Like I said, New Year's Eve, let's make a super fight. Forget the title. Champion vs. champion, who cares about the title?"

That's a nice plan if you forget that Rousey has said she doesn't want to move up in weight, or that most of her 2013 is set. She will coach against the winner of Cat Zingano and Miesha Tate in the next edition of "The Ultimate Fighter."

Hot ? Fans: You're getting another Fan Expo. The UFC will host a Fan Expo in conjunction with UFC 162 in Las Vegas. Get your tickets here.

Memorable Moments from Yahoo! Sports:

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Gun arrest shouldn't affect Guerrero in fight with Floyd Mayweather
? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar lobbies for the vacant UCLA coaching job
? QB Mark Sanchez learning West Coast offense under former pro
? Giants' Buster Posey gets record deal for a catcher

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/korean-zombie-boston-tito-ortiz-where-did-fall-183338427--mma.html

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Rising hopes about jobs propel consumer sentiment in March

Reuters ? ? ? 4 hrs.

Consumer sentiment jumped in the second half of March by a record amount as Americans discounted the effects of government spending cuts and saw more healing in the labor market, a survey released on Friday showed.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's final reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment came in at 78.6, up from 77.6 the month before.

That was well above the median forecast of 72.5 among economists polled by Reuters and a record upward revision from a preliminary reading of 71.8 in mid-March.

Analysts had fretted that the so-called sequester, a package of across-the-board government spending cuts of $85 billion that went into effect in early March, would drag on the economy and dampen sentiment.

But consumers seemed to have brushed those worries off, survey director Richard Curtin said in a statement, and the swell of sentiment in the second half of the month more than erased the decline of the first half of March.

"Consumers have discounted the administration's warning that economic catastrophe would follow the reductions in federal spending, and consumers have renewed their expectation that gains in employment will accelerate through the rest of 2013," he said.

"If the late March results are replicated in the months ahead, however, the economy may finally gain enough upward momentum to significantly reduce the unemployment rate."

The survey also saw the largest proportion of homeowners reporting recent increases in home values in more than five years, with gains expected by more homeowners than any time since the March 2007 survey.

The survey's barometer of current economic conditions rose to 90.7, its highest since January 2008. It was also up from February's 89.0 and above a forecast of 87.8.

The survey's gauge of consumer expectations rose to 70.8, revised up from a preliminary 61.7 and up from February's 70.2. Economists had forecast 62.0.

The survey's one-year inflation expectation fell to 3.2 percent from February's 3.3 percent, while the survey's five-to-10-year inflation outlook was at 2.8 percent versus 3.0 percent.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2a22a89a/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Ceconomywatch0Crising0Ehopes0Eabout0Ejobs0Epropel0Econsumer0Esentiment0Emarch0E1C9140A0A0A4/story01.htm

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Investors wary of "slow panic" on growth after Cyprus rescue

By Mike Dolan

LONDON (Reuters) - World markets have reacted calmly to the twists and turns of Cyprus's financial rescue in the last fortnight but many investors fear the economic fallout is yet to come.

They have sold European assets, rather than make a global dash for safety that could signal concerns about a euro breakup.

Euro blue chip and bank equity prices, regional bank bonds and the euro exchange rate have all fallen sharply this week but Wall St stocks set a record closing high.

Mutual fund data released by fund tracker EPFR on Friday showed that European equity, bond and money market funds all saw hefty redemptions this week even as investors continued to pile into Japanese and U.S. equity funds.

Cyprus's 10 billion euro rescue averted an immediate financial meltdown that could have caused a Lehman Brothers-style shock in financial markets.

But it came with a forced shut down of the island's second largest bank and a raid on bank deposits of over 100,000 euros, that forced big depositors to become part of the rescue.

Global investors are worried that the precedents set in the messy rescue will strain bank funding, hurting businesses and the fragile regional economy and delaying any recovery.

Ben Bennett, strategist at British fund managers Legal and General Asset Management described the scenario of depositor fear, bank solvency and recession as a "slow panic".

"I don't think there's anyone who's woken up in a cold sweat at midnight wondering what assets they need to dump - this is much more of a slow grind," said Ben Bennett, strategist at British fund managers Legal & General Asset Management.

Investors are worried that the precedents set for resolving a bank's problems has pushed up the cost of lenders' funding.

If banks have to pay more to borrow they will be reluctant to lend to businesses, already grappling with a recession and difficult credit conditions.

This would hurt growth and questions about the ability of the bloc to shake off its debt spiral and the viability of Europe's single currency would resurface.

Forcing savers to take a hits also sets a precedent that may mean depositors in other countries withdraw money more quickly in the future if they hear of troubles in the banking system.

DEPOSIT RADARS

While the principle of bail-ins for senior creditors may have been flagged for some time the impact of the depositor exposure is a wild card.

Investors are looking for any sign that savers elsewhere in Europe withdrew deposits from banks fearing they might end up losing money like the depositors in Cyprus.

But it will be at least another four weeks before Europe's central banks release data on depositor behavior post-Cyprus for March and a fuller picture will take another month.

Until there is clear evidence, investors will be nervous, being led by anecdotal evidence and market pricing.

Euro bank stocks have lost more than 10 percent since mid-March to their lowest since September and default insurance costs on senior European bank bonds have jumped about 50 basis points over the same period to six-month highs.

While these price moves are relatively contained, the impact on growth of the higher costs bank will pay to fund themselves appears to be a much bigger worry for many investors.

The world's biggest bond fund manager PIMCO said last week it was cutting exposure to the euro currency and its chief executive Mohamed El-Erian told German tabloid Bild on Thursday that after three years of euro crises, recession on the periphery was hurting the core and "the costs are rising."

John Stopford, co-head of fixed income and currency at Investec Asset Management, said the confidence bought by the European Central Bank's promise last summer to do what was necessary to save the euro hinged on growth returning and policy finding a coherent tack.

The events in Cyprus raised questions about both, he said.

"I'm increasingly pessimistic," said Stopford. "It does seem to me the goalposts are being moved quite a lot at the moment and there's a danger (investor) trust will go again if they're not careful."

"There's a slow credit crunch going on where banks are having to strengthen balance sheets and events in Cyprus can only exacerbate that."

FEWER LOANS HURT GROWTH

Any problems in the banks would make things worse for the small and medium size firms that are crucial to economic growth and are already struggling to find lenders.

"The lack of funding to SMEs is clearly at the heart of the ECB's thinking at the current juncture, as a blatant and persistent sign that policy transmission remains significantly impaired," a Deutsche Bank report said this month.

The existing credit drought and ongoing fiscal austerity on business confidence has already been clear in regional Purchasing Managers Surveys that disappointed expectations again through February and March.

And beyond the surveys, positive euro zone economic surprises have all but disappeared over the past month.

"At some point does the cumulative pressure just precipitate a decision by countries to get out of here?" asked Stopford at Investec. "If you could turn around the economic dynamics, a lot of the other problems would look less challenging."

(Editing by Anna Willard)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/investors-wary-slow-panic-growth-cyprus-rescue-012924594--sector.html

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Happy 27th Birthday, Lady Gaga!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/happy-27th-birthday-lady-gaga/

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Video: Dusting for prints from a fossil fish to understand evolutionary change

Thursday, March 28, 2013

In 370 million-year-old red sandstone deposits in a highway roadcut, scientists have discovered a new species of armored fish in north central Pennsylvania.

Fossils of armored fishes like this one, a phyllolepid placoderm, are known for the distinctive ornamentation of ridges on their exterior plates. As with many such fossils, scientists often find the remains of these species as impressions in stone, not as three-dimensional versions of their skeletons. Therefore, in the process of studying and describing this fish's anatomy, scientists took advantage of a technique that may look a lot like it was stolen from crime scene investigators.

In the video, Dr. Ted Daeschler shows the fossil and a rubber cast made by pouring latex into its natural impression in the rock. Once the latex hardened, Daeschler peeled it out and dusted its surface with a fine powder to better show the edges of the bony plates and the shapes of fine ridges on the fish's bony armor ? a lot like dusting for fingerprints to show minute ridges left on a surface. With this clearer view, Daeschler and colleagues were better able to prepare a detailed scientific description of the new species.

This placoderm, named Phyllolepis thomsoni, is one of two new Devonian fish species described by Daeschler in the Bicentennial issue of the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, with different co-authors. The other new species is a lobe-finned fish discovered in northern Canada. This discovery is described at http://drexel.edu/now/news-media/releases/archive/2013/March/Fossil-Species-from-Fish-Eat-Fish-World/.

Both the Pennsylvania placoderm and the Canadian lobe-finned fish species are from the late Devonian period, at a time long before dinosaurs walked the Earth ? but, geologically speaking, not long before the very first species began to walk on land. Daeschler studies Devonian species in particular to help describe the evolutionary setting that gave rise to the first vertebrate species with limbs. He has dug for Devonian species in Pennsylvania since 1993, and in northern Canada since 1999.

Honoring A Rich History of Pennsylvania Paleontology

Daeschler, a vice president and associate curator at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, and an associate professor in Drexel's College of Arts and Sciences, and co-author Dr. John A. Long, a leading authority on placoderms from Flinders University in Australia, named the species in honor of Dr. Keith S. Thomson.

Thomson, the Executive Officer of the American Philosophical Society, has been a mentor and colleague to many Devonian fossil researchers, including Daeschler. Thomson has formerly held positions including President and CEO of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Director of the Oxford University Museum, and Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Yale University.

Asked for comment on the discovery named in his honor, Thomson noted his long professional connection with the Devonian fossil beds in Pennsylvania that Daeschler studies:

"The Devonian beds around Renovo PA were worked extensively by my old professor at Harvard, Alfred Sherwood Romer and his associates, in the 1950s. They got some very good material of fishes but gave up on the site as a potential source of the very earliest four-legged vertebrates. In 1965 Romer suggested that I have a go but there had been no major erosion on the sites and therefore nothing much new had become exposed. I moved on to other things, but [in 1993] when Ted asked about possible projects in PA I gave him all the old notebooks, including mine, and off he went. In the intervening period there had been some major roadwork, new exposures were made, and on the Sunday evening of his very first weekend trip Ted came to the house and showed me a part of the shoulder of a tetrapod. Once we had looked at every which way and decided there was no other explanation, he causally reached into his bag and said "in that case, I have another one." The rest is history -- a history of very hard, careful, work, a whole team of collectors, some local, and brilliant discoveries of superb material particularly of fishes of every kind. So I am delighted by the success of this work over the past twenty years and flattered to become associated with it by having a species named after me. (There is a certain symmetry to this as long ago I named one of the species that had been collected by Romer after my wife!)"

###

Drexel University: http://www.Drexel.edu/

Thanks to Drexel 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.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127504/Video__Dusting_for_prints_from_a_fossil_fish_to_understand_evolutionary_change

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Call Center Outsource -- What to Look For

Small and medium sized businesses can reduce overhead and increase sales by outsourcing their call center. ?When a business turns over their call center, both telemarketing and customer service inquiries, to a call center, that reduces the costs associated with call center equipment and operations. ?It also opens your business up to a new client base.

You may be leery to hire a call center because you don?t know what to look for or how to choose. ?Here are some tips to help you find the right call center to handle your business.

• Specific target goal.
  First, you should think about what your goals are in hiring a call center. ?Do you want to increase revenue? ?If so, do you have a specific target goal for your revenue? ?You might also want to reach a new demographic of potential clients. ?Whatever your goal, it is good to have specific goals in mind when you are considering potential call centers.
• Outsourcing funds.
  It is very important that you sit down with all the numbers involved in this transaction and determine exactly how much money you will save by outsourcing a call center. ?This is a vital step in the process; after all, you don?t want to outsource if it will end up costing you more.
• Primary goal.
  You should also think about the needs of your business. ?You need to know what you want from the call center in order to clearly convey your needs to the call center professionals. ?Is your primary goal to increase revenue? ?Or do you want the customer service professionals at the call center to help you improve your relationships with your customers? ?Whatever your goal, it should be clearly set out before you hire a call center.
• Potential call centers.
  When you are clear on your goals and expectations from the call center, you should obtain bids from a variety of potential call centers. ?When you have bids, examine them carefully. ?Don?t just look at the bottom line. ?Consider what the call center is planning to give you for your money. With that information, you can choose the call center that is best for your needs.
• Put together a detailed plan.
  Once you have chosen the call center that you plan to hire, it is time to sit down with the professionals there and put together a detailed plan for how they will meet your needs and carry out your goals. ?If you know what you want, the experts at the call center will be able to advise you on the best way to go about accomplishing those goals.
• Be sure that you are providing whatever resources are needed to the call center.
  They need your cooperation to get the best results for you. ?On the other hand, you should also be sure that the call center is devoting the appropriate number of representatives and amount of time to your needs. ?Follow up on the success of your outsourcing choice by reviewing the statistical reports that the call center provides to you. ?This will give you concrete evidence of the effectiveness of outsourcing.

?

Let our experienced team at Forlex Sales help you with all of your call center needs. Forlex Sales was founded by a group of marketing and information technology experts, so you can rest assured that you will receive the highest quality of service.

We offer script composition, political polling, inbound call coverage, prospect research, rapid inquiry response, lead generation services, live real time transfers, and more. Our sales team has helped many companies streamline their time and costs. Whenever you need someone to make or take calls for you, we?ll be there. Contact Forlex Sales today to learn more about call center outsourcing.

Source: http://www.forlexsales.com/general-information/call-center-outsource/

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Proprietary CMS vs Open Source: It's a Little Like Renting vs Buying ...

Around here we get new clients everyday.? Among these, there is always one who comes to us with a website built and hosted by a proprietary CMS (content management system) developer instead of being an independently owned and maintained website.

Now, proprietary systems can be great and have some very real benefits.? We absolutely see those benefits for the business owner.? And we also see some of the challenges that may be things the business owner?s thinks about.

It?s a little like renting your place versus buying your place.? Renting is awesome because someone else has to do the maintenance, someone else has to clean the gutters and mow the grass and fix leaking sinks.? They own it, they maintain it.? You?re just paying to borrow for a while.? In some ways, I see signing on with a proprietary CMS a little like renting.? You?re paying to borrow the system for a while, and you don?t own the website, the design or the content.

(Different systems operate differently so it?s a generalization to say you don?t own any of it.? You might get to keep the content if you canceled your contract.)

Buying a house is a lot more intensive.? You have to go through a learning curve and have money for the fees and down payments. You have to maintain your investment i.e. you have clean the gutters and mow the grass, or pay someone who will.? But eventually you?ve invested heavily in something you own.? Having an independent website is like buying a house in that you have to invest up front in a designer, and you have a learning curve of understanding hosting and getting that set up, and you have to maintain your property.? You are responsible for it?s health and wellness; you own it.

Proprietary CMS vs Open Source CMS

Open source software means the source code is created by anyone and is available to anyone. The software is free, but of course custom design and hosting and maintenance is not free. An open source software platform site you build can be hosted anywhere you want, but you have to make sure the hosting service has the security you need to prevent hacking and to secure any sensitive data.? Examples of open source platforms are WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.? You have to pay for design, hosting, and maintenance and version upgrades.

A proprietary CMS is developed by a firm, who will often specialize their product for a single industry.? This helps them add in the security needs and hosting needs they usually see in the chosen industry.?? For schools which hold student information and grades, for credit unions holding account information, dentists and doctors holding patient data, having a website on an industry specific system that has nothing but schools or credit unions or doctors, is reassuring.? You hope they have seen the typical website concerns specific for your industry and have addressed them for all of their similar clients.? There is safety in numbers.? Proprietary systems are usually a fee each month for which they provide design, hosting, maintenance and version upgrades.

Why Do Small Business Owners Like a Proprietary CMS?

There is a lot of good stuff to be said for having your website on a customized CMS.

It?s empowering. It?s the same reason why I love WordPress.? It?s easy for us who don?t know how to build a website to log in and put some text in there just like we?re typing in Word or in an email, and hit a button, and it?s LIVE!? Just like that.? It?s always good to be able to spontaneously add in a special or a new video or whatever comes up, and I don?t have to go ask a developer to do what I know is a relatively simple edit.

It?s easy.? Usually in a proprietary CMS, the hosting is part of your monthly fee.? A business owner doesn?t have to understand hosting, nor does s/he have to worry with getting a hosting provider and worry that the hosting provider?s servers are secure.? And design is easy.? They have some templates, pick which one you want, done.

Security should already be addressed. Especially if you are going to store sensitive data which can be accessible online, a proprietary CMS is attractive.? Hopefully, the system will address security concerns for all of the like businesses on their system, and the single business owner doesn?t have to worry about SSL and all of that stuff.

A proprietary system allows you to not have to manage hosting or security or system updates and maintenance.? It can be a low-stress way to have a website; just be careful that you choose a development firm that will be around a while and has a solid reputation in your industry.

So Why NOT Get a Proprietary CMS Site?

It?s the standardization of these systems that often does not provide what an SEO agency needs to do the job you hired them for.? It?s kinda like asking the landlord to fix a leaking sink but not allowing him a wrench nor any plumber?s tape.? S/he would get the job done, but it would be twice as difficult and a little messier than if s/he had his usual tools in his toolbox.

Some of the challenges we have had with some proprietary platforms:

• Content has a character limitation. ? Informative, good content is a #1 priority in ranking on Google, and if the site owner is limited, s/he is a limited resource.? We never want content that is sooooo long, but I don?t want to be cut short either.
• ?Can?t create pretty, search engine friendly URLs. ? This isn?t super imperative, but it sure is a benefit to have that ability.
• ?We?re limited on changes to heading tags or heading tags simply don?t exist. ? Again, not a make-it-or-break-it problem, but it would be nice to have heading tags.
• Limited to adding new pages.? ? Ugh.? This is a problem.
• Can?t change the navigation. ? Not great, but we can work around it.
• ?Can?t change photos or images or we have to use stock images.? ? Bummer.
• Any unique html is not going to happen ? no forms, no side widgets, no extras can be added. ? That?s disappointing.

But these are some of our biggest concerns that we often come across:
? We can?t set up redirects, can?t noindex pages, can?t set a robots file, all because we don?t have FTP access.
? Cookie cutter content on every page of a site.? This is a killer.? If a platform has 32 dentists, the thought is that the system will provide the same content for each dentist.? It?s easy and cost efficient to write it once and use it for everyone, right?? Everyone who went to high school knows plagiarism is bad.? Google does too.? Unique, relevant content is a high priority if you want your site to rank. If your site has the same content as 31 other dentists, Google knows this and doesn?t like it. Your site will see an negative effect in rankings.
? Sometimes these platforms do not use Google Analytics for website traffic tracking.? Sometimes they use some other tracking system for which we may not get access.? Sometimes there is no mechanisms in place for tracking traffic.? I can?t prove or disprove that the website is working if I can?t show you the data.
? Sometimes the proprietary systems don?t have built in fields for standard optimization elements such as custom page titles and meta descriptions.
? On a rare occasion, we have optimized a proprietary system website as much as we can, and the system owner does a system version upgrade or some maintenance or whatever, and all of our edits are wiped out.? We normally have a copy of a client?s site in a backup file internally, and we could just roll out our backup, but with one of these systems, we often can?t make those internal backups.? If our work is overwritten, we have to start over, which is a significant set back for the website ranking.

A small business owner has to look at what s/he needs in a website, and how much time s/he has to devote to it.? It?s a business decision, just make sure you ask a lot of questions, and hire people you sincerely trust.

(P. S. I read just yesterday that it?s because I?m Gen X that I am all-inclusive in my pronouns ?s/he.? Maybe so, but I prefer ?s/he? than how I was taught to switch from he to she to he with each pronoun use.? That?s just confusing.)

Source: http://www.searchinfluence.com/2013/03/proprietary-cms-vs-open-source/

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Spy who foiled jet bomb plot to be Britain's intelligence chief

By Peter Griffiths

LONDON (Reuters) - A British counterspy who helped to thwart an al Qaeda plot to blow up planes with explosives hidden in soft drink bottles and led the response to the 2005 London transport bombings will be the new head of Britain's domestic intelligence agency, the U.K. government said on Thursday.

Andrew Parker has three decades' experience at the Security Service, known as MI5, countering Islamist militants, violent Irish republicans and organized criminals. He has been deputy chief since 2007, and once served as a British security liaison in the United States.

The 50-year-old, a keen birdwatcher and wildlife photographer, will be in charge of 3,800 staff investigating threats ranging from bomb plots and the spread of weapons of mass destruction to espionage and cyber attacks.

One of his first tasks will be to protect U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and other world leaders at the Group of Eight summit in Northern Ireland in June.

As Britain hosted the annual G8 meeting in 2005 in Gleneagles, Scotland, four suicide bombers killed 52 underground and bus commuters in London in coordinated attacks. Parker was in charge of the agency's response to the bombings and oversaw a significant expansion of its role.

Parker, who led MI5 teams that disrupted a 2006 conspiracy to attack several passenger jets with bombs hidden in soft drink bottles, said it was a "great honor" to be made head of the agency, also known as the Security Service.

"I look forward to leading the Service through its next chapter," he said in a statement.

The bespectacled father-of-two will replace the current head, Jonathan Evans, when he steps down in April after six years in the job during which Britain suffered no significant attacks.

Once so publicity-shy it officially did not exist and its director's identity was kept secret, MI5 now has a website which discusses its responsibilities and activities. On Thursday, the website posted an official biography of its new chief.

ENGLISH-SPEAKING MILITANTS

Counter-terrorism operations will remain at or near the top of MI5's priority assignments from the moment Parker takes the agency's helm.

European counter-terrorism officials have for years been concerned about British citizens and residents who travel to hot spots in the Middle East or South Asia, either to be indoctrinated and trained in militant ideology and guerrilla tactics before returning home, or to fight with local militants.

British authorities estimate that every year, 400,000 people travel from the U.K. to Pakistan. While only a tiny proportion of these travelers have any interest in militant activities, even a small number of recruits can cause disproportionate chaos, as occurred in London on July 7, 2005.

Among the hot spots which currently concern British and other European authorities most are Syria and Somalia. While travel by would-be militants to Somalia from Britain is relatively easy to trace, tracking movements of would-be recruits to anti-Assad forces in Syria is more difficult, since much such travel can be completed unobtrusively and over land.

European counter-terrorism officials have estimated that as many as 60 to 70 English-speaking militants with British citizenship or residence are currently fighting with rebel forces in Syria. There is concern that many of them may have joined up with al-Nusrah, an Islamist faction which U.S. officials describe as a front for Al Qaeda in Iraq.

CYBER-ESPIONAGE

While the signals intelligence agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is Britain's main cyber-security unit, under Parker's leadership MI5 will be responsible for investigating specific cases of state-sponsored cyber-espionage directed against such critical targets as gas and power grids and defense and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Based on what it learns from such cases and in consultation with other agencies, MI5 also advises potential targets on how to protect themselves against cyber attacks. MI5 does not have responsibility for cyber crime or dealing with hackers.

As part of its role in cyber security, Parker's agency will have to anticipate how to keep security measures ahead of technological innovation. And it will have to do so in an environment where greater productivity will have to be extracted from shrinking resources, including budgets.

(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball in Washington; Editing by Pravin Char and Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spy-foiled-jet-bomb-plot-britains-mi5-intelligence-201926665.html

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Easter Holidays in Poynton

Easter might just be our favourite break of the year and we?re hoping to get spring sprung by getting out and about with the kids. You won?t have to go far?.Here are some things to do in/ nearby to Poynton?.

Old Time Fair at Brookside Garden Centre, on 29 March 2013 ? 01 April 2013 An Old Time Fair will be at Brookside Garden Centre this Easter on 29th, 30th March and 1st April (closed Easter Sunday).? For further information, please contact the garden centre.

FREE Easter Egg Hunt at Woodford Garden Centre, on 29 March 2013 ? 07 April 2013 Join in the fun this Springtime?FREE Easter Egg Hunt at Woodford Garden Centre. Every correct entry recieves a chocolate lolly. Fri 29th ? Sun 7th April 11am-4pm.

Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Bramhall Village, on 23 March 2013 ? 06 April 2013
Starting on March 23rd and running until 6th April, children in Bramhall can take part in an Easter Egg Hunt organised by independent retailers in the village. ?The 15 participating stores will all have a poster in the window and a map showing all the local shops in which an egg is hidden. Every egg has a letter on it, which the child will need to write down. They?ll also get a sticker to prove they?ve found it. The letters will spell out a simple phrase, which will win the child his/her Easter Egg prize, collectable at A Sweet Thought.

Easter Egg Hunt at St. Paul?s Community Room, on 29 March 2013 ? 29 March 2013
Come and join us for some Eggcelent Family Fun! From 11am-1pm. ?2 / child (Max ?5/family) Preschool & Primary age egg hunts & quiz. Cryptic Code Cracking Hunt for KS2 children. Refreshments & Hot Cross Buns available. Don?t forget your basket! (Organised by Friends of St. Paul?s).

Lambing Season at Blaze Farm, on 29 March 2013 ? 12 April 2013
Watch lambing at Easter at Blaze Farm, Wildboarclough. Lambing season takes place over Easter every year at Blaze Farm.? Watch our flock of sheep lambing from the viewing gallery. ?1 admission to the shed. Open 10am-5.30pm, Tues-Sun & Bank Holidays. Follow this link? for directions.

Easter Bunny Trail, Hatworks, Stockport 1100-1600hrs, on 29 March 2013 ? 31 March 2013
Visit Hat Works this bank holiday weekend and take part in our Easter bunny trail, you never know, you might just win a prize! Suitable for all ages 11am ? 4pm Free. Just drop in Contact: 0161 474 2399

Paper Hat Making, Hatworks, Stockport 1100-1600hrs, on 29 March 2013 ? 31 March 2013
Visit Hat Works this Bank Holiday and get the chance to decorate your very own hat. Pick up your pack of craft materials from reception, then make and decorate your paper hat on the gallery floor! Suitable for all ages 11am ? 4pm Free. Just drop in Contact: 0161 474 2399

Easter Quiz, Bramall Park. All day, on 29 March 2013 ? 14 April 2013 Head to Bramall Hall for their Easter Quiz this holidays. Search for the chicks, scramble the clues and collect your treat. Suitable for children 4 ? 10 years and available during opening hours. Free with normal admission fee. Contact 0161 474 2020

Easter Mad Hatters Hat Party, Bramhall, on 30 March 2013 ? 30 March 2013 Come and join the FREE craft workshop and make your very own Easter hat to take home! 11am-3pm ? Village Square, Bramhall. Plus you can meet the Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts and the Easter Bunny himself!

EASTER SUNDAY

Treacle Market ? Macclesfield, on 31 March 2013 ? 31 March 2013
The Easter Treacle Market is a quality Arts, Antiques,Crafts, Food and Drink Market held on the cobbles of the historic old Marketplace in Macclesfield.? With over? 100 stalls it stretches into Chestergate, Mill Street and Castle Street. Held on the last Sunday of every month from 10am-3pm.

Easter Eggstravaganza at Lyme Park, on 31 March 2013 ? 01 April 2013
Fabulous family trails, with a special Easter prize. Outdoor games, face painting and fun.? 11am-4pm House and Garden admission applies. NT members free admission, each trail adittional ?1. Last admission time: 4pm. Adult ?11 (House and garden admission), Child ?7 (House and garden admission), Family ?25 (House and garden admission)

Easter Weekend Special at The Miners Arms, Adlington ? Treasure Hunt & Easter Bonnet Competition, Quiz & Food.

The Grand Easter Festival, Bramall Park, 1100-1600, on 31 March 2013 ? 31 March 2013 Join us for a great family day out and special fundraising day organised by the ?Friends of Bramall Hall & Park?. A variety of side shows, stalls and activities in and around the Hall. A vintage bus, a display of hawks and owls, an Easter treasure hunt and much more. Looks set to be a fab family day out!. Suitable for all ages 11am ? 4pm Adults ?1.50, Children Free Just drop in. Contact: 0161 474 2020

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

Easter Animal Craft, Hatworks, Stockport, on 02 April 2013 ? 04 April 2013
Make yourself an Easter chick, Bunny or Lamb at this fun crafts workshop. Suitable for ages 5 ? 11 10.30am ? 12 noon and 1pm ? 2.30pm ?3.50, Leisure Key ?3 Booking Essential Contact: 0161 474 2399

Easter Activity Days at Poynton Leisure Centre, on 02 April 2013 ? 12 April 2013
Poynton Leisure Centre provide Easter Holiday Activity Days for children aged 5-12 years. Mon-Fri 9am ? 5pm.?The morning session is 9am ? 12:30pm and the afternoon session is 1:30pm ? 5pm, with a supervised lunch in between.?There are limited spaces, so?book now to avoid disappointment. Full details here.

Easter Soccer Academy at Poynton Leisure Centre, on 02 April 2013 ? 05 April 2013
Soccer Academy provides fully supervised soccer coaching from qualified F.A. Coaches. Includes a goalkeeping coaching course.?Sessions will run each day from 9:00am ? 5pm For boys and girls aged 5 ? 10 years and 11 -14 years.?Full details and contact info here.

Everybody Learn to Swim Scheme Crash Courses at Poynton Leisure Centre, on 02 April 2013 ? 05 April 2013
Children can?either start swimming as a beginner or continue swimming as an improver on one of our 1 week intensive courses.?Courses include: Beginners; Stages 1, 2 & 3; Stages 4 & 6 and stroke development. This is for children aged?4 and above, each lesson lasts for 30 minutes. Full details and contact info here.?Prices start at ?16!

Little Book of Memories at Lyme Park, on 05 April 2013 ? 05 April 2013
Make an Edwardian scrap book, inspired by those at Lyme. 1-3pm All ages welcome. FREE activity, but garden admission applies, NT members free.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY EVENTS AT POYNTON LIBRARY

FREE Horrid Henry Creative Writing Work shop at Poynton Library, on 09 April 2013 ? 09 April 2013

FREE Horrid Henry story and activity afternoon at Poynton Library from 2-3pm. Join Explore Learning for a creative writing workshop (5-8 years). Book in advance 01625 374818

Easter Active Play at Poynton Library, on 11 April 2013 ? 11 April 2013

Easter Active Play?at Poynton Library from 10.30am (5-8 years). Book in advance 01625 374818, More details to follow.

Story teller Elizabeth Morris at Poynton Library, on 12 April 2013 ? 12 April 2013
Story teller Elizabeth Morris will weave wonderful stories of myths and legends from?10.30-11.15am. Tickets are ?3. Places for this Easter event will probably sell faster than hot cross buns, so book your place now. Contact the library on 01625 374818

Enjoy your Easter break.

Don?t forget we have a special Days Out Offer article, where you can get discounts off Knowsley Safari, Legoland, Stockley Farm and more. Click here

Source: http://www.mumsintheknow.co.uk/poynton/2013/03/28/easter-holidays-in-poynton/

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Steve 'Cyanogen' Kondik leaves Samsung

Image: SF Android User Group

CM? founder 'decided to do something new,' offers thoughts on Galaxy S4

In a Google+ post this morning, CyanogenMod founder Steve Kondik offered some of his thoughts on Samsung's new Galaxy S4, before revealing that he's recently left the software engineering job he took at the company just over 18 months ago. In a further G+ comment, Kondik said his exit wasn't "because of anything in particular," adding "Samsung was great. Just decided to do something new."

On the S4 itself, he had praise for the new phone's hardware, saying " the device actually feels quite a bit more solid than the S3" and claiming "specwise, this device blows the competition out of the water." But on the software side, Kondik was critical of Samsung's latest TouchWiz UI. While "more consistent" than earlier iterations, he says, the new TouchWiz's fully tabbed UI "feels like it has been sent a few years back in time to the Froyo days."

The CM founder also had mixed opinions on some of the S4's new features. He praised the touchless "hover" preview capabilities and multi-window support, but said that the eye-tracking "smart scroll" feature "mostly serves to anger me into disabling it." In summary, Kondik called the Galaxy S4 a "solid device" and a "clear choice" for those upgrading from a Galaxy S2. S3 owners, he said, should feel "right at home."

There weren't any real clues as to where Steve Kondik might end up next, but we're sure we're not alone in hoping there's more Android in his future. Best of luck to Steve in his future endeavors!

You can read Steve Kondik's post in full over at the source link.

Source: +Steve Kondik

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/bIl-cCbnqec/story01.htm

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Between Middle East visits, Obama dashes Arab hopes

By Tom Perry

CAIRO (Reuters) - President Barack Obama was greeted with calls of "We love you" when he visited Cairo in his first term, seeking to turn the page on the Bush era with talk of a new beginning for ties between the United States and the Muslim world.

Four years on, Egyptians who attended the Cairo University speech feel let down, a view that hardened when Obama, who has had a volatile relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, showed solidarity with Israel's leader during his visit there, and stressed the depth of U.S.-Israeli ties.

"If I saw Obama today, I'd say: 'What happened?'," said Ahmed Samih, 34, one of several people who shouted out support for the president during his 2009 speech that aimed to change perceptions of the United States shaped by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan launched by his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Obama connected with many of his listeners back then by quoting from the Koran and urging an end to a "cycle of suspicion and discord" with the Muslim world.

Some left believing they had witnessed history. They cited his tough line on Israeli settlements as one example of a shift.

Obama's first term brought some change: American troops left Iraq at he end of 2011. But it also was a big disappointment for those hoping for an overhaul of U.S. Middle East policy they have long seen as skewed towards Israel.

With civil war raging in Syria, and the Arab world reshaped by popular uprisings since 2009, some of Obama's former fans do not hold out hope of change in his second term. Regional turmoil had "made him deepen the strategic relationship with Israel", Ezzat Ibrahim, a journalist who attended the 2009 speech, said.

"NEW CHEMISTRY"

The disillusionment was reinforced when Obama arrived in Israel to a warm reception from Netanyahu. "There was new chemistry between them," said Ibrahim. "The people are very disappointed with this warm relationship."

The mood angered Palestinians who blame the collapse of U.S.-backed peace negotiations on the Israeli leader's expansion of Jewish settlements on land where they want their state.

In scenes reminiscent of Cairo, Obama received a rapturous reception from Israeli students when he delivered a speech in Jerusalem on Thursday. He called for peace but offered no new ideas on how to break the deadlock in negotiations.

And despite his call for a concerted effort to secure a Palestinian state, Palestinian officials saw no sign Obama was ready to get tough with Israel - a departure from the Cairo speech in which he was seen to pressure Israel over settlements.

"The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements," he said at the time. "It is time for these settlements to stop," he added.

"I DON'T SEE A GREAT PRESIDENT"

The statement encouraged the Palestinian leadership to demand a full halt to settlement building before any resumption of talks. A few months later, the United States put pressure on the Palestinians to start talks without a freeze.

Reflecting the softer tone, Obama said this week continued settlement activity was "counterproductive" to peace.

He also drew Arab criticism for saying that now is the time for the Arab world to take steps towards normalising relations with Israel - a concession Arabs link to progress in peace talks.

"Coming to the Middle East at the start of his second term might be a good sign, but listening to what he said, I don't see a great president or one that is capable of doing great things," Hassan Nafaa, a political scientist at Cairo University, said.

With high hopes for Obama, Nafaa flew back to Egypt in 2009 to attend the speech. "The expectations were sky-high," he said. "That was the kind of speech we were not used to from a president of the United States."

But that perception quickly changed as Obama was seen to back down in a stand-off with Netanyahu over settlement building. "Obama was put under a harsh test and he failed that test, and for me the settlements was the real issue," he said.

Policy towards Israel was not the only area where Obama disappointed his Cairo audience. Having spoken of "government of the people and by the people", Obama was criticised by Egyptian revolutionaries for being slow to drop U.S. support for veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak during the 2011 uprising.

Ragia el-Alfy, 23, recalls how people broke into tears during the Obama speech.

"I felt that there was hope in real change, especially because he came after the Bush era. But it vanished so quickly," she said. "He doesn't force the Israelis to stop their settlements ... he doesn't take action."

"He promised things that he couldn't deliver."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/between-middle-east-visits-obama-dashes-arab-hopes-114624338.html

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U.N. seeks Russian crew from Congo helicopter crash

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Rescue workers struggled on Monday to reach the wreckage of a U.N. helicopter that crashed in the forests of eastern Congo with four Russian crew members on board, a U.N. spokesman said.

The helicopter crashed on Saturday on a thickly wooded mountainside around 30 km (18 miles) west of Bukavu airport, spokesman Biliaminou Alao told Reuters.

"The area is difficult to access, they're going to have to climb the mountain to get to the crash site," he said, adding that around 40 rescuers were trekking to there on foot, accompanied by Congolese military.

"We've heard nothing from the crew, there's no communications network in that area ... but I remain hopeful."

Russia's Foreign Ministry was less optimistic about the fate of the crew after the crash that it blamed on adverse weather conditions.

"The fate of the Russian crew ... remains unclear for now but, given the circumstances of the crash, some experts assess they had no real chance of surviving," its statement said.

U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said the United Nations was in close contact with Russia, which provided the helicopter for the peacekeeping mission. Russia's Foreign Ministry said it was an Mi-8 helicopter owned by UTair.

The United Nations has an estimated 17,000 peacekeepers in Congo, and operates an extensive aviation network to counter an almost total lack of roads in the vast central African country.

The peacekeepers have been stretched thin by a rebellion in the resource-rich east of Congo and the U.N. Security Council is considering creating a special intervention force, which one senior council diplomat has said would be able to "search and destroy" the M23 rebels and other armed groups in the country.

Air accidents are common in the country and in 2011 a U.N. passenger plane crashed in the capital Kinshasa, killing all but one of the 33 people on board.

At least five people were killed when a twin-propeller plane crashed last week as it tried to land in bad weather in the town of Goma, north of Bukavu.

(Reporting by Jonny Hogg in Kinshasa, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations, Gabriela Baczynska in Moscow; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-seeks-russian-crew-congo-helicopter-crash-195954896.html

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BGI Tech develops novel 'Ultra-Deep de novo' assembly solution for heterozygous genomes

Public release date: 11-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jia Liu
liujia@genomics.cn
BGI Shenzhen

Shenzhen, China, March 11, 2013- BGI Tech Solutions Co., Ltd., also referred to as "BGI Tech", introduced today its novel assembly solution for facilitating heterozygous genomes research. This marks another technological breakthrough for BGI in heterozygous genome assembly after the completed genome sequencing of oyster, diamondback moth and pear.

The availability of a reference genome for a species is the cornerstone for the in-depth understanding of its biological secrets and commercial values. However, a major obstacle that prevents scientists to easily crack the genome of a heterozygous species is the cost-intensive and time-consuming process through traditional assembly approaches.

To overcome the technical difficulties, researchers from BGI Tech developed a novel assembly solution, Ultra-Deep de novo, based upon high-throughput sequencing technology. The new solution adopts BGI's latest assembly software, SOAPdenovo2, and heterozygous sequence processing algorithm. After processing the genomic data produced by ultra-deep sequencing (>200X), the heterozygous regions within the genome can be entirely reserved and classified, with high quality and efficiency.

"Ultra-Deep de novo can serve as a robust tool for researchers to efficiently decode heterozygous genomes." said, Junyi Wang, Senior Vice President of BGI Tech, "BGI has completed the genome sequencing of more than 570 species to date. Some of the species have not been studied because of the challenges posed by high heterozygosis. We believe that this new solution will be a powerful tool for researchers to crack more heterozygous genomes, and boost the further development of agriculture and human health."

###

About BGI Tech Solutions Co., LTD

BGI Tech aims to provide advanced multi-omics and bioinformatics service solutions for its global customers to achieve their research goals in biomedical, agricultural, and environmental areas. BGI Tech was established as a subsidiary company of BGI, one of the largest genomics organizations in the world with multiple great scientific achievements and over 250 publications in top-tier journals such as Nature and Science. Equipped with the industry's broadest coupled with an experienced team of scientists and bioinformaticians, BGI Tech delivers rapid, cost-effective, and high-quality results that enable researchers to achieve scientific breakthroughs.

For more information about Ultra-Deep de novo please visit http://bgitechsolutions.com/ultra-deep-de-novo/

Contact information

Yadan LuoProject
supervisorluoyadan@bgitechsolutions.com http://www.bigtechsolutions.com

Bicheng Yang, Ph.D.Public Communication Officer
BGI +86-755-82639701 yangbicheng@genomics.cn http://www.genomics.cn

Joyce Peng, Ph.D.Marketing Director BGI Americas
Corporation 626-222-5584 joyce.peng@bgiamericas.com

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 11-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jia Liu
liujia@genomics.cn
BGI Shenzhen

Shenzhen, China, March 11, 2013- BGI Tech Solutions Co., Ltd., also referred to as "BGI Tech", introduced today its novel assembly solution for facilitating heterozygous genomes research. This marks another technological breakthrough for BGI in heterozygous genome assembly after the completed genome sequencing of oyster, diamondback moth and pear.

The availability of a reference genome for a species is the cornerstone for the in-depth understanding of its biological secrets and commercial values. However, a major obstacle that prevents scientists to easily crack the genome of a heterozygous species is the cost-intensive and time-consuming process through traditional assembly approaches.

To overcome the technical difficulties, researchers from BGI Tech developed a novel assembly solution, Ultra-Deep de novo, based upon high-throughput sequencing technology. The new solution adopts BGI's latest assembly software, SOAPdenovo2, and heterozygous sequence processing algorithm. After processing the genomic data produced by ultra-deep sequencing (>200X), the heterozygous regions within the genome can be entirely reserved and classified, with high quality and efficiency.

"Ultra-Deep de novo can serve as a robust tool for researchers to efficiently decode heterozygous genomes." said, Junyi Wang, Senior Vice President of BGI Tech, "BGI has completed the genome sequencing of more than 570 species to date. Some of the species have not been studied because of the challenges posed by high heterozygosis. We believe that this new solution will be a powerful tool for researchers to crack more heterozygous genomes, and boost the further development of agriculture and human health."

###

About BGI Tech Solutions Co., LTD

BGI Tech aims to provide advanced multi-omics and bioinformatics service solutions for its global customers to achieve their research goals in biomedical, agricultural, and environmental areas. BGI Tech was established as a subsidiary company of BGI, one of the largest genomics organizations in the world with multiple great scientific achievements and over 250 publications in top-tier journals such as Nature and Science. Equipped with the industry's broadest coupled with an experienced team of scientists and bioinformaticians, BGI Tech delivers rapid, cost-effective, and high-quality results that enable researchers to achieve scientific breakthroughs.

For more information about Ultra-Deep de novo please visit http://bgitechsolutions.com/ultra-deep-de-novo/

Contact information

Yadan LuoProject
supervisorluoyadan@bgitechsolutions.com http://www.bigtechsolutions.com

Bicheng Yang, Ph.D.Public Communication Officer
BGI +86-755-82639701 yangbicheng@genomics.cn http://www.genomics.cn

Joyce Peng, Ph.D.Marketing Director BGI Americas
Corporation 626-222-5584 joyce.peng@bgiamericas.com

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/bs-btd030713.php

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Drug protects against kidney injury from imaging dye in ACS patients

Mar. 10, 2013 ? High doses of a popular cholesterol-lowering drug significantly reduced the rate of acute kidney injury caused by dye used in imaging in acute coronary syndrome patients who underwent a coronary procedure, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session. This group of patients is at high risk for kidney damage related to contrast agents used in imaging tests.

Previous studies have demonstrated the kidney-protective value of various statins administered before patients undergo angioplasty. Rosuvastatin was chosen for this phase IV study because inflammation is involved in development of both acute coronary syndrome and kidney injury, and the drug has anti-inflammatory properties and reported clinical benefits in preventing events that can harm the heart. U.S. and European guidelines recommend statins for all acute coronary syndrome patients, regardless of cholesterol levels, within one to four days after admission.

A total of 504 patients were randomly assigned to the statin or control group. None of the patients had taken statins before; all were slated for diagnostic angiographic imaging with intent to perform angioplasty, had iodixanol injected for imaging and had non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome, which carries high risk for heart attack. The statin patients received one 40-mg dose of rosuvastatin as soon as they were admitted to the coronary care unit plus a single 20-mg dose daily until they were discharged, then continued with post-discharge rosuvastatin at 20 mg/day or 10 mg/day, depending on kidney function determined by creatinine clearance. The control group received atorvastatin at 40 mg/day after discharge and no statin before then.

On the primary endpoint -- contrast-induced acute kidney injury, defined as a rise in creatinine of at least 0.5 mg/dl or at least 25 percent from baseline within 72 hours -- the statin group had significantly better results (6.7 percent vs. 15.1 percent). Rosuvastatin showed comparable benefits with other definitions of kidney injury as well: creatinine increase of at least 0.3 mg/dl from baseline within 48 hours (3.6 vs. 8.7 percent) and within 72 hours (4.4 vs. 10.7 percent).

"The beneficial impact of statin pre-administration was consistent in all subgroups and in particular in patients with kidney dysfunction shown by creatinine clearance less than 60 ml/min, where kidney injury incidence was 8.6 percent compared with 20.9 percent in the control group," said Anna Toso, MD, clinical and interventional cardiologist with the Division of Cardiology, Misericordia e Dolce Hospital, Prato, Italy, and the study's principal investigator.

The number of ACS patients who undergo angiographic procedures is growing and includes a population that's getting more elderly and has more risk factors, she noted.

The statin group also demonstrated superior results for 30-day adverse clinical events of death, dialysis, heart attack, stroke and persistent kidney damage, with cumulative incidence of 3.9 percent compared with 7.9 percent for the control group.

"Our study shows that early administration of high-dose statin has a protective effect against kidney damage due to contrast medium in patients with ACS," Dr. Toso said. "The results help define better the timing of early administration of statins, which should be given as soon as possible after admission and always before the angiographic procedure, to reduce kidney complications and achieve clinical benefits, even before hospital discharge."

This research is part of the larger PRATO-ACS clinical project to explore rosuvastatin's pleiotropic effects -- actions other than those for which the drug was developed (in this case, lowering cholesterol) -- on a number of targets, including contrast-induced acute kidney injury.

"It would be interesting to compare the effects of lipophilic and hydrophilic statins," Dr. Toso said. "We are now planning the PRATO-ACS 2 project, a head-to-head comparison between high-dose rosuvastatin [hydrophilic] and high-dose atorvastatin [lipophilic] administered on admission to statin-na?ve ACS patients scheduled for early invasive strategy."

Researchers say a multicenter study is needed. The PRATO-ACS study was supported by the nonprofit Centro Cardiopatici Toscani.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American College of Cardiology.

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

---

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/heart_disease/~3/1yzccUOmmUw/130311101754.htm

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International roundup: HTC One launch prep, Galaxy S4 leakage and our first week with the Sony Xperia Z

   

What a week we’ve got ahead of us. In the next seven days we’ll have seen the HTC One launch in Europe, and the unveiling of the Galaxy S4 at Samsung’s big event in New York City. But before we launch ourselves right into yet another smartphone silly season, there’s just enough time to look back over the past week’s international news.

And there’s been a lot to talk about. Retailers and carriers in Europe are preparing for the launch of the HTC One. We got what looks like our first legitimate screenshot leak from the AT&T Galaxy S4. And we gave you our first impressions of the Sony Xperia Z, including a camera comparison with Sony’s earlier flagship. Check out this week's international roundup after the break.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/Y-DksU4z33Y/story01.htm

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TV Week in Review: Who's Knocked Up?

Source:

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As Reliance on Technology Increases, OnlineVirusRepair.com ...

San Luis Obispo, CA (PRWEB) March 08, 2013

Broadcast communication regulator OfComm released a report stating the average person spends an astounding 7.5 hours per day utilizing technology. That means people are spending 45% of their waking hours using technology. Dan Steiner, founder of OnlineVirusRepair.com stated, The report shows how tied we are to technology. As peoples lives move into the virtual world they become increasingly vulnerable. No sensible person would leave their home, valuables and sensitive information out for people to steal, but that is what is happening in a virtual sense. People are leaving their computers exposed to threats even though they are full of sensitive information. Its like leaving your family safe unlocked with the door open. The amount of time people spend browsing the internet has caused the virus removal industry to grow rapidly.

With more and more people leveraging technology to help them through life, the question is are people too reliant on computers and technology? Steiner says no, but with a caveat. Technology is a great tool, but the more people rely on it ? the bigger target they become. The right protective mechanisms have to be put in place. In addition, people should have a resource available to remove viruses and malware should their computer be infected.

OnlineVirusRepair.com specializes in remote virus and malware removal. Most technicians are able to get peoples computers fully functioning within 30 minutes. Customers are able to call a toll-free number or conduct a live chat with an American technician. After a free scan is conducted, the technician will not move forward with cleanup without customer permission. After the problem is solved customers receive a full report detailing what happened and how to prevent future issues.

It is estimated that viruses and malware cost U.S. consumers and businesses over $ 70 billion a year. And thats only the cleanup costs. New computer viruses are unleashed all the time with the sole aim to steal sensitive information. To help educate consumers, OnlineVirusRepair.com publishes a virus guide detailing the latest threats on their website, and how to avoid falling victim. They also provide detailed and simple instructions on how to remove them.

No one really thinks about protecting their computer until its too late. I recommend people use the web with caution, back-up their data, and always be cautious about storing sensitive information on websites.

To learn more about OnlineVirusRepair.com and the latest threats, visit them on the web at http://www.onlinevirusrepair.com

About OnlineVirusRepair.com

OnlineVirusRepair.com is an American based company specializing in online virus removal for individual computer users and businesses. The company was founded in 2012 by Dan Steiner and is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, CA. Customers with infected machines can call or chat with OnlineVirusRepair.com technicians to have viruses/malware/spyware removed remotely without the hassle of taking their computer into the shop. Technicians are able to remotely remove threats even without the client being at their computer; often in 30 minutes or less.

Source: http://www.internetguardian.co.uk/as-reliance-on-technology-increases-onlinevirusrepair-com-urges-people-to-protect-their-computers-from-computer-viruses-and-spyware/

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