Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/286356261?client_source=feed&format=rss
Friday, February 22, 2013
Florida governor makes stunning switch on health care
In a complete about-face, Republican Governor Rick Scott of Florida is backing Medicaid expansion under President Obama?s health care law. Scott was a staunch opponent of the president?s Affordable Care Act, fighting it all the way to the Supreme Court. But now, his decision to support a limited expansion of the law could bring health care coverage to an additional 1.3 million Floridians.
?What Rick Scott is doing is saying ?yes, give me Medicaid money for three years while I run for reelection? which happens in 2014,? syndicated radio talk show host Andy Dean said on Jansing & Co. Thursday. ?So all this is, is a self serving political move.?
Scott released a statement saying he would only agree to the expansion for three years while the federal government picks up all the costs.
?I want to believe that he woke up and saw the light that ensuring a million Floridians is a good thing,? democratic strategist Chris Kofinis told MSNBC?s Chris Jansing. ?The reality is he?s facing a reelection campaign where his poll numbers are in the toilet. And the reality I think he faces is, unless he does something dramatic to change his image, he?s going to have a very tough reelection. Unfortunately I have a feeling this had more to do with politics than policy.?
The Florida governor?s conditional endorsement to expand Medicaid must still be approved by the Florida Legislature.
Source: http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/02/21/florida-governor-makes-stunning-switch-on-health-care/
mark zuckerberg mark zuckerberg maurice jones drew Yash Chopra George McGovern braxton miller braxton miller
Maida to join Rome discussions ahead of vote for next pope
$160,000
3 Bedrooms, 1 Full Baths, 1447 Sq. Ft.
Nancy Barbour
(586) 917-0054
Three bedrooms, possible fourth in bonus room above attached 1.5 car garage. Bonus room can also be den or playroom at 24 x 12 ft. Maple kitchen, 2003, with 20 custom cabs, + 6 ft of 84" pantry cabs + utility cab. Mudroom off kitchen has heated porcelain floor. All kitchen appliances stay. Refinished oak floors,new paint. New concrete driveway. Other upgrades since 1995 include gas furnace, central air, humidifier, air filter, hwh, 100 amp service panel, tilt-to-clean windows, steel exterior doors, vinyl siding, gutters, trim, glass block vented windows in basement and garage, updated bathroom, extra insulation, concrete porch, classy alluminum fencing, insulated garage door and opener. You must see this home! Mt. Clemens qualifies for low-interest MSHDA loans for incomes below $72,250. Gerald T. Klebba, broker.
Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130221/LIFESTYLE04/302210382/1409/rss36
tony stewart kurt busch kurt busch nba dunk contest 2012 act of valor woody guthrie benson henderson
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Witness: 'Non-stop shouting' at Pistorius home
PRETORIA (Reuters) - A witness heard "non-stop shouting" coming from the home of Paralympic track star Oscar Pistorius shortly before his girlfriend was shot dead, the lead detective in the murder investigation said on Wednesday.
Warrant officer Hilton Botha, a detective with 24 years on the force, also told the Pretoria magistrates court that Pistorius' girlfriend, model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp, was hit by three bullets, in the head, elbow and hip.
Pistorius, a double amputee known as the "Blade Runner", broke down in tears as Botha presented his testimony.
The shooting has stunned South Africa and the millions around the world who saw the track glory of the athlete, who had no lower legs, as an inspiring tale of triumph over adversity.
Steenkamp was in a locked toilet adjoining Pistorius' bathroom when she was shot in the early hours of Thursday last week. Botha said the angle at which the shots were fired through the door suggested the shooter had aimed specifically to hit somebody on the toilet.
Botha, who arrived at the scene at 0415 local time (0215 GMT) to find Steenkamp dead at the bottom of the stairs, also said police had found unlicensed .38 ammunition in Pistorius' house in an upmarket gated compound north of Pretoria.
In an affidavit delivered on Tuesday, Pistorius said he used to sleep with a 9-mm pistol under his bed and had grabbed it when he awoke in the middle of the night thinking an intruder had climbed through his bathroom window and entered the toilet.
The 26-year-old then described how he fired into the door in a blind panic, in the belief the intruder was lurking in the toilet.
He said he and Steenkamp, 30, had been asleep in bed before he woke up.
In contrast, lead prosecutor Gerrie Nel painted a picture of a premeditated killing, a crime which carries a life sentence in South Africa. "If I arm myself, walk a distance and murder a person, that is premeditated," he told the packed courtroom on Tuesday.
The bail hearing is expected to conclude by the end of the week.
(Reporting by David Dolan; Editing by Ed Cropley and Pravin Char)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pistorius-bail-hearing-restarts-pretoria-081412153--finance.html
underworld awakening haywire dog the bounty hunter tacoma narrows bridge open marriage department of justice doj
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Arkansas baseball weekly notebook
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com//ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100&ATCLID=206457634
dwight howard Olympics closing ceremony PGA Championship 2012 John Witherspoon george michael usain bolt Closing Ceremony London 2012
Sony Xperia 9.4" 16GB Android 4.0 Tablet S #SGPT121US/S for $319.99
The black Sony Xperia Tablet S, part number SGPT121US/S, is Wi-Fi enabled. This 9.4-inch tablet uses the Android 4.0 operating system and functions with a one-touch universal remote control. Some of the key features on this Sony 16 GB tablet include a personalized TV Guide application, a fully interactive touch screen, the Sony Entertainment Network, and Watch Now, which is similar to On Demand. Additional features for this 9.4-inch tablet include a guest mode, Google Play credits, cross-connection connectivity options, and enhanced audio technologies, and it is splash proof as well. Guest mode keeps information between consumers protected while operated by an outside user on this Sony 16 GB tablet. The Sony Xperia Tablet S offers a 1 MP front camera and an 8 MP rear camera. Furthermore, an expansion slot is available for an SD card, which can act as additional memory or as a data-input device as well. Overall, this particular Sony 16 GB tablet comes loaded with features to enhance video watching, and it provides ample storage for data files and other stored material.
Source: http://www.dealigg.com/story-Sony-Xperia-9-4-16GB-Android-4-0-Tablet-S-SGPT121US-S
London Olympics Kristen Stewart Rupert Sanders Photos 2016 Olympics TD Bank mountain lion hanley ramirez Christian Bale visits victims
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Verizon FiOS, ViaSat Exede lead FCC broadband performance report
How do you pick your broadband internet provider? For many of us, the market dictates our selection, but a few lucky subscribers get to make their own call, rather than opting for the one and only service available in a particular locale. FiOS, Verizon's fiber-optic solution, and Exede, ViaSat's high-bandwidth satellite service -- two common secondary offerings -- happen to be the two frontrunners in the FCC's latest broadband performance report, which rates companies based on actual download and upload speeds compared to advertised bandwidth, among other metrics. More often than not, providers fall short of promised performance, with companies like AT&T and Qwest leading the naughty list. But Verizon and ViaSat are both motivated to maintain subscribers, and exceeding expectations is certainly not a bad way to accomplish that.
This is ViaSat's first appearance in such a report, due in no small part to the company's recent Exede broadband introduction, which followed the ViaSat-1 satellite launch in late 2011. We experienced speedy performance during our own test last year, though latency remained an issue. The FCC covers this major downside as well, reporting a measured latency of 638 ms, compared to an average 29.6 ms figure for terrestrial services -- but overall impressions seem quite positive. The FCC has published some 10,000 words on the topic, so if you do in fact have an opportunity to elect your own broadband provider, it might be worth your while to comb through the agency's full report. It's ready for your perusal over at the source link below.
Filed under: Household, Internet, Verizon
Source: FCC
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/iKiFIFUbwrQ/
current tv megamillions ncaa basketball tournament 2012 megamillions winning numbers lotto winner jerry lee lewis cesar chavez
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wristwatch Positioning Device Uses Gemalto's Cinterion M2M ...
Filed under: World |
Posted by: MeNewsWire
Posted by: MeNewsWire
AMSTERDAM ? Wednesday, February 13th 2013 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)? Regulatory News :
Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, announces that its Cinterion? M2M technology is powering the innovative TRiLOC? GPS Personal Locator Device (PLD) used to locate people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), dementia and Alzheimer?s disease. The easy-to-wear wristwatch solution uses an ultra-slim Cinterion module to provide 24/7 global cellular communications and Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking. The TRiLOC device helps caregivers locate and safeguard people with special needs while minimizing the need for constant physical supervision. Worldwide there are more than 30 million individuals suffering from autism or Alzheimer?s disease and more than 60 million caregivers are looking for solutions to improve their independence and safety1.
Developed by iLOC Technologies, the TRiLOC PLD integrates Gemalto?s Cinterion PHS8 M2M module to provide simultaneous high-speed data and voice communications as well as GPS location data. Gemalto?s solution transmits an individual?s precise location to the designated caretaker?s cell phone or computer while enabling hands-free two-way voice calling when needed. A remote listening feature allows caretakers to detect when immediate help is required, and the wearer has access to an SOS button in case of emergencies. With Bluetooth? 4.0, the TRiLOC PLD can sync with mHealth devices, smart home appliances and security solutions to send status updates to caregivers. An optional accessory worn by caregivers enables proximity detection and electronic tethering sending immediate text messages and audio alarms if an individual strays too far. In addition, an alert can be sent when the device?s lockable strap is tampered with. Gemalto?s Cinterion M2M advanced power management technology extends the device?s battery life for longer operation before recharging is necessary.
?We created TRiLOC GPS Personal Locator after two years of research and many discussions with care giving associations and parents of children with ASD,? said Tony Fama, iLOC President, CEO and father of a son with ASD. ?TRiLOC gives my son greater autonomy and reduces the need of constant supervision. With the tethering accessory, families or caregivers can plan trips to museums, shopping centers, and even busy theme parks without the enormous stress of the individual wandering off.?
?It is really rewarding to see our technology truly changing the lives of people with special needs, in this case those who are prone to getting lost,? said Norbert Muhrer, Senior Vice President of Gemalto M2M. ?As a result of our miniaturization efforts we have produced our slimmest module to date, the Cinterion PHS8, which is small and powerful enough to drive this innovative wristwatch. With this solution, Gemalto is again helping to improve the security and convenience of citizens by leveraging the full potential of the wireless and digital worlds around us?.
1 ? Autism Wandering Awareness Alerts Response Education (AWAARE) and American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF)
About iLOC Technologies
iLOC Technologies Inc. is a privately held corporation located in Montreal, Canada. Its mission is to provide leading edge, cost effective and innovative personal safety & security products and services that promote end user peace-of-mind.
Contact Information iLOC Technologies Inc. 1870 Boul. Des Sources, suite 205 Pointe-Claire, Qu?bec Canada H9R5N4 website: http://www.iloctech.com email: info@iloctech.com 1.855.456.4562 (iLoc) 1.514.987.4562 (iLoc)
About Gemalto
Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2011 annual revenues of ?2 billion and more than 10,000 employees operating out of 74 offices and 14 Research & Development centers, located in 43 countries.
We are at the heart of the rapidly evolving digital society. Billions of people worldwide increasingly want the freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain and work ? anytime, everywhere ? in ways that are enjoyable and safe. Gemalto delivers on their expanding needs for personal mobile services, payment security, authenticated cloud access, identity and privacy protection, eHealthcare and eGovernment efficiency, convenient ticketing and dependable machine-to-machine (M2M) applications.
Gemalto develops secure embedded software and secure products which we design and personalize. Our platforms and services manage these secure products, the confidential data they contain and the trusted end-user services they enable. Our innovations enable our clients to offer trusted and convenient digital services to billions of individuals.
Gemalto thrives with the growing number of people using its solutions to interact with the digital and wireless world.
For more information visit www.gemalto.com, www.justaskgemalto.com, blog.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.
dick clark Happy new year fiscal cliff Pitbull Hannah Storm Psy fergie
Report: Tracking system needed to fight fake drugs
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Fighting the problem of fake drugs will require creating a national drug-tracking system, the Institute of Medicine said Wednesday.
The call for putting medications through a chain of custody like U.S. courts require for evidence in a trial comes a week after the Food and Drug Administration warned doctors, for the third time in about a year, that it discovered a counterfeit batch of the cancer drug Avastin that lacked the real tumor-killing ingredient.
Fake and substandard drugs have become an increasing concern as U.S. pharmaceutical companies move more of their manufacturing overseas. The risk made headlines in 2008 when U.S. patients died from a contaminated blood thinner imported from China.
The Institute of Medicine report made clear that this is a global problem that requires an international response, with developing countries especially at risk from phony medications. Drug-resistant tuberculosis, for example, is fueled in part by watered-down medications sold in many poor countries.
"There can be nothing worse than for a patient to take a medication that either doesn't work or poisons the patient," said Lawrence O. Gostin, a professor of health law at Georgetown University who led the IOM committee that studied how to combat the growing problem.
A mandatory drug-tracking system could use some form of barcodes or electronic tags to verify that a medication and the ingredients used to make it are authentic at every step, from the manufacturing of the active ingredient all the way to the pharmacy, he said. His committee examined fakes so sophisticated that health experts couldn't tell the difference between the packaging of the FDA-approved product and the look-alike.
"It's unreliable unless you know where it's been and can secure each point in the supply chain," Gostin said.
Patient safety advocates have pushed for that kind of tracking system for years, but attempts to include it in FDA drug-safety legislation last summer failed.
The report also concluded that:
?The World Health Organization should develop an international code of practice that sets guidelines for monitoring, regulation and law enforcement to crack down on fake drugs.
?States should step up licensing requirements for the wholesalers and distributors who get a drug from its manufacturer to the pharmacy, hospital or doctor's office.
?Internet pharmacies are a particularly weak link because fraudulent sites can mimic legitimate ones. The report urged wider promotion of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy's online accreditation program as a tool to help consumers spot trustworthy sites.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg didn't comment on the tracking system proposal but the agency already had begun some steps to better address the issue, including improving surveillance.
The Institute of Medicine is an independent organization that advises the government on health matters.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-tracking-system-needed-fight-fake-drugs-145011922.html
John Harbaugh jill biden jill biden martin luther king jr casey anthony baltimore ravens ravens
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Ancient insects shed light on biodiversity
Feb. 12, 2013 ? Simon Fraser University evolutionary biologists Bruce Archibald and Rolf Mathewes, and Brandon University biologist David Greenwood, have discovered that modern tropical mountains' diversity patterns extended up into Canada about 50 million years ago.
Their findings confirm an influential theory about change in modern species diversity across mountains, and provide evidence that global biodiversity was greater in ancient times than now. The scientific journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology has published their research.
About 45 years ago, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Pennsylvania theorized that change in species from site to site across mountain ranges in the tropics should be greater than in temperate latitudes.
Daniel Janzen reasoned that the great difference between summer and winter in temperate latitudes (high seasonality) offers a wide window to migrate across mountainous regions. The small difference in the tropics (low seasonality) allows a very narrow opportunity, annually. Consequently, communities across tropical mountains should have fewer of the same species. Many studies examining modern communities support this theory.
Archibald, Mathewes and Greenwood realized that fossil beds across a thousand kilometres of the ancient mountains of British Columbia and Washington provided a unique lens through which to deepen evaluation of this theory.
Fifty million years ago, when these fossil beds were laid down, the world had low seasonality outside of the tropics, right to the poles. Because of this, if Janzen's theory is right, the pattern of biodiversity that he described in modern tropical mountains should have extended well into higher latitudes.
"We found that insect species changed greatly across British Columbia's and Washington State's ancient mountain ranges, like in the modern tropics," Archibald says, "exactly as Janzen's seasonality hypothesis predicted.
This implies that it's the particular seasonality now found in the modern tropics, not where that climate is situated globally, that affects this biodiversity pattern." He adds: "Sometimes it helps to look to the ancient past to better understand how things work today."
The findings also bolster the idea that ancient Earth was a much more diverse world than now with many more species.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Simon Fraser University.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- S. Bruce Archibald, David R. Greenwood, Rolf W. Mathewes. Seasonality, montane beta diversity, and Eocene insects: Testing Janzen's dispersal hypothesis in an equable world. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.10.043
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.
being human being human chicago news chicago news golden girls robert e lee golden globe winners
Bill Gates talks Steve Jobs, health, tech on Reddit
Bill Gates appeared on social news site Reddit this morning for an "ask me anything" or AMA post, in which he responded to unfiltered questions from a horde of anonymous users. The discussion ranged from broader Internet and computing issues to personal details and his work at the Foundation.
Gates is currently the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but is more well-known for heading Microsoft during its salad days in the '90s ? and, of course, for being among the world's richest individuals.
The AMA post was put up at about 10 AM Pacific time, alerting users that Gates would be answering questions starting at 10:45. This delay gives the users of Reddit some time to write in and vote up answers they would like to hear the billionaire philanthropist answer.
Gates "verified" the post was real in the traditional manner of taking a picture of himself holding a piece of paper with his username. The answers started rolling in promptly at 10:45; here are a few of the more interesting ones:
On the goals and accomplishments of the Gates Foundation:
So far our biggest impact has been getting vaccines for things like diarrhea and pneumonia out which has saved millions of lives. Polio will be a great achievement along with key partners when that gets done.
Our goals are focused on helping the poorest (globally) and improving education (in the US). We spend half of our money on global health. One metric to look at is reducing the number of children (under 5) who die. My annual letter talks about the amazing progress that has been made on this. Amazingly as health improves families choose to have less kids so paradoxically population growth goes DOWN as you improve health helping with almost every issue - from stability to the environment..
On what still needs to be done:
It would be nice if all governments were as rational as the Nordic governments - reaching compromise and providing services broadly. The Economist had a nice special section on this last week. Africa governments have often been weak but you can't write a check to change that. Fortunately the average quality is going up.
I am disappointed more isn't being done to reduce carbon emissions. Governments need to spend more on basic energy R&D to make sure we get cheap non-CO2 emitting sources as soon as possible.
Polio is the first thing to get done [eliminate] since we are close. Within 6 years we will have the last case. After that we will go after malaria and measles. Malaria kills over 500,000 kids every year mostly in Africa and did not get enough attention until the last decade. We also need vaccines to prevent HIV and TB which are making progress...
On his hobbies:
I love playing tennis. I am an avid bridge player (a card game if you have not heard of it - it was more popular in the past!). I like to tour interesting things with my kids like power plants, garbage dumps, the Large Hadron Collider, Antarctica, missile Silos (Arizona),... I read a lot and watch courses (online or the Learning Company)..
On what he gives people for their birthdays:
Free software. Just kidding. Books actually.
On his favorite book...
My favorite of the last decade in Pinker's Better Angels of our Nature. It is long but profound look at the reduction in violence and discrimination over time. I review a lot of the books I read at gatesnotes.com (is that too self-promotional?)
...Band...
Weezer.... Actually U2 is a favorite.. I keep waiting for Spinal Tap to go back on tour...
...And programming language:
I write some C, C# and some Basic. I am surprised new languages have not made more progress in simplifying programming. It would be great if most high school kids were exposed to programming...
On what he'd do if Microsoft hadn't taken off:
If the microprocessor had NOT come along I am not sure what I would have done. Maybe medicine or theoretical math but it is hard to say.
On Steve Jobs:
He and I respected each other. Our biggest joint project was the Mac where Microsoft had more people on the project than Apple did as we wrote a lot of applications. I saw Steve regularly over the years including spending an afternoon with him a few months before he tragically passed away...
On what the non-wealthy can do improve the world:
Most giving is done by the middle class so it is the backbone of generosity particularly in the United States. A key thing is to support government aid which is only 1% of the budget but helps poor countries in incredible ways.
On the next big thing in computers:
Robots, pervasive screens, speech interaction will all change the way we look at "computers". Once seeing, hearing, and reading (including handwriting) work very well you will interact in new ways..
On Microsoft's next big thing in computers:
I just got my Surface Pro a week ago and it is very nice. I am using a Perceptive Pixel display right now - huge Windows 8 touch whiteboard. These will come down in price over time and be pervasive...
On the last thing on his "bucket list":
Don't die...
Lastly, a user named t_zidd had not a question but aheartfelt "thank you" message:
I need you to see this, MR GATES! I don't have any questions. But I just want to thank you for 100% funding my undergraduate and masters. If not for the Gates Millennium Scholarship, I don't think I could have gone to college. So, once again, from the absolute bottom of my heart, THANK YOU. You have NO idea how much this means to me.
No doubt many who have benefited from the Foundation's work would say the same if they could.
Gates signed off about an hour after he started, suggesting readers visit his website for more information (or follow the many links he provided). The rest of his posts can be found at his Reddit profile. But he left the community one last gift, poking fun at a himself with an infamous picture of him from the 80s, captioned in "meme" style:
Of course, he of all people knows it's not going anywhere.
Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.
cheney heart transplant weather san diego unitarian new black panther party lost in space elizabeth banks battle royale
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Pope's resignation could hurt Berlusconi in Italian vote
ROME (Reuters) - Pope Benedict's resignation could limit the chances of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi closing the gap on the center-left frontrunner before this month's election, some pollsters and analysts say.
Berlusconi, who seemed certain to lose a few months ago, has staged an aggressive campaign based on tax-cut promises that has eroded the lead of Pier Luigi Bersani's Democratic Party (PD) and raised the prospect of an inconclusive outcome.
However, some pollsters say the pope's resignation could clip Berlusconi's wings by eclipsing the election campaign on television and newspapers at a time when he has just 12 days left to win over voters.
"This will put the campaign on ice for a while and that is bad news for Berlusconi who still needs to make up ground," said Renato Mannheimer, head of the ISPO polling agency.
Final polls published on Friday before a two-week blackout ahead of the February 24-25 vote gave Bersani an average lead of 5.7 points, down from above 10 percent before start of the campaign.
Under Italy's complicated voting system, that gap would give Bersani a comfortable majority in the Chamber of Deputies, but may not guarantee him a majority in the Senate, where seats are allocated on a regional basis.
Berlusconi's media blitz has involved a spate of "shock announcements" including the promised reimbursement of a hated housing levy, the abolition of payroll taxes on new hires, and an amnesty for tax evaders.
CAMPAIGN COVERAGE
With the election campaign relegated from page one to the around page 15 of the main newspapers on Tuesday, the impact of such announcements can be expected to be diluted for several more days at least.
The pope's decision also dominated Berlusconi's own media empire on Tuesday. He controls three of Italy's seven national free-to-air television channels and the largest magazine publisher.
Although coverage of the Vatican may taper off in the coming days, speculation over Benedict's successor will ensure that it shares the spotlight with the election right up to voting day.
"This is going to take visibility away from Berlusconi, and that should benefit the frontrunner, which is the PD," said Roberto D'Alimonte, Italy's top election expert. "Berlusconi needs space in the media to close the gap."
Another aspect cited by some commentators was a possible connection in voters' minds between the decision of the pope to step aside due to his age and the refusal of Berlusconi to do the same even though he has been prime minister four times and is himself 76-years-old.
"After the pope's announcement Berlusconi seems 20 years older," said political commentator Antonio Polito in a tweet that reflected scores of similar remarks on the social network.
However, some pollsters were sceptical that Benedict's historic decision could affect voting behaviour as all the biggest parties were well known and their broad policy positions have already been laid out.
Nicola Piepoli of the prominent Piepoli Institute said he believed the center left's lead had already stabilized, while Maurizio Pessato of the SWG agency said the election race would soon force its way back to the front of Italy's news agenda.
"One or two days won't change anything. Now 90 percent of the news is about the pope, but tomorrow it will be 70 percent, and the next day 50 percent and so on," Pessato said.
(Editing by Alison Williams)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/popes-resignation-could-hurt-berlusconi-italian-vote-144607951.html
state of the union drinking game oscar noms capital gains tim thomas oral roberts les paul fred thompson
Report: AMR, US Airways boards to meet this week
In this Feb. 7, 2013, photo, a US Airways jet taxis past an American Airlines jet parked at the gate at Sky Harbor International Airport, in Phoenix. Directors of American Airlines and US Airways reportedly plan to meet Wednesday to consider a merger. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, Feb. 11, 2013, that negotiators were still considering the makeup of the combined company's board and an exact role for the CEO of American parent AMR Corp. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic,Tom Tinkle ) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES
In this Feb. 7, 2013, photo, a US Airways jet taxis past an American Airlines jet parked at the gate at Sky Harbor International Airport, in Phoenix. Directors of American Airlines and US Airways reportedly plan to meet Wednesday to consider a merger. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, Feb. 11, 2013, that negotiators were still considering the makeup of the combined company's board and an exact role for the CEO of American parent AMR Corp. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic,Tom Tinkle ) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES
DALLAS (AP) ? Directors of American Airlines and US Airways reportedly plan to meet Wednesday to consider a merger.
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that negotiators were still considering the makeup of the combined company's board and an exact role for the CEO of American parent AMR Corp.
US Airways and AMR declined to comment.
The companies are trying to finish a deal before Friday, when a confidentiality agreement covering some AMR bondholders expires. That could result in public disclosure about negotiation details.
If the two carriers were to strike a deal, it would create the world's biggest airline by passenger traffic, although United Continental Holdings Inc. would still be bigger if regional affiliates are counted.
AMR has been operating under bankruptcy protection since November 2011.
US Airways has pushed for months for a merger. AMR executives were initially reluctant, but the company's bankruptcy creditors urged AMR to consider a merger that they could compare to an independent American Airlines.
Shares of US Airways Group Inc. fell 29 cents, or 2 percent, to $14.46.
Associated Pressmarco rubio farrah abraham Paul Ryan Speech chris cooley chris cooley condoleezza rice bill cosby
Monday, February 11, 2013
Bacchus parade is on, despite weather threat
NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Actor G.W. Bailey will share the spotlight Sunday as celebrity king of the Bacchus parade ? one the biggest in the run-up to Mardi Gras ? with more than two dozen child cancer patients from across the country.
When Bailey suits up in his Bacchus tunic and cape, 28 teens and pre-teens being treated for various stages and types of cancer will board a float and ready themselves for an hours-long ride through New Orleans, where they'll toss Mardi Gras beads and trinkets to throngs of crowds well into the night.
Even with the threat of nasty weather ? the National Weather Service said thunderstorms were likely from 3 to 6 p.m. ? the parade was on. On Sunday afternoon, Bacchus spokesman Clark Brennan said, "We're rollin'."
Bailey ? known as the co-star of "Major Crimes" on TNT and for roles in the "Police Academy" movies and the series "The Closer" ? said New Orleans at Mardi Gras is a great place to escape, especially for teenagers needing a break from cancer treatments and doctor appointments.
"I've had the opportunity to travel a good deal of the world, and I am not just saying this, there is no question I am in my favorite city in the world," he said. "I mean, the color, the sounds, the smells, the energy, the people, the food and obviously the music, how can you not love it?"
Bailey grew up in Port Arthur, Texas, near the Louisiana border, and says he has fond memories of visiting "that magical place" where he would walk the French Quarter, catch beads at Mardi Gras and eat some of the best food he's ever tasted. He said this weekend he relished the opportunity to share those experiences with young cancer patients.
As executive director for the Sunshine Foundation, a nonprofit organization with the mission of bringing joy to children being treated for cancer, Bailey arranged for 28 patients known as "Sunshine kids" to join him in New Orleans for his Bacchus reign. The group arrived Tuesday to a packed schedule that included trips to the Aquarium of the Americas, Audubon Zoo and French Quarter.
The group also took a south Louisiana swamp tour and attended Saturday's Endymion parade.
Bailey said he's been involved with the Sunshine Foundation for 27 years and has been executive director for 12. He said the foundation regularly organizes trips for young cancer patients to major U.S. cities.
He said that for years, patients would ride in suburban parades or downtown New Orleans parades in the weeks before Mardi Gras. But Bailey's reign as Bacchus thrust the actor and kids into the city's biggest Carnival weekend and atop floats on one of its biggest parades.
The revelry continues Monday, the eve of Mardi Gras known locally as Lundi Gras. That's when actor Gary Sinise and New Orleans musicians Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews and Harry Connick Jr. will ride in the Krewe of Orpheus parade. Joining them will be Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress Mariska Hargitay, the Imagination Movers family-friendly rock band, and Animal Planet's Tillman, the skateboarding bulldog.
Carnival season culminates Tuesday with the pageantry of the Rex and Zulu parades and as many as 1 million people reveling in the streets.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bacchus-parade-despite-weather-threat-190505804.html
atlanta hawks 2012 white house correspondents dinner forrest gump bernard hopkins nfl draft grades devils dodgers
Rebels, troops battle for key Damascus highway
In this Friday February 8, 2013, photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter sits behind an anti-aircraft weapon in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian rebels brought their fight within a mile of the heart of Damascus on Friday, seizing army checkpoints and cutting a key highway with a row of burning tires as they pressed their campaign for the heavily guarded capital, considered the likely endgame in the nearly 2-year-old civil war. (AP Photo/Abdullah al-Yassin)
In this Friday February 8, 2013, photo, a Free Syrian Army fighter sits behind an anti-aircraft weapon in Aleppo, Syria. Syrian rebels brought their fight within a mile of the heart of Damascus on Friday, seizing army checkpoints and cutting a key highway with a row of burning tires as they pressed their campaign for the heavily guarded capital, considered the likely endgame in the nearly 2-year-old civil war. (AP Photo/Abdullah al-Yassin)
BEIRUT (AP) ? Opposition forces targeted Damascus with mortars, a roadside bomb and a suicide attack on Sunday as they pressed ahead in their quest for the seat of President Bashar Assad's power.
Outside the capital, government troops battled rebels for the fifth straight day for control of a key highway. Both sides consider the fight for Damascus the most likely endgame in a nearly two-year-old civil war that has already killed more than 60,000 people.
Sunday's fighting was the heaviest in Damascus since the first rebel push into the capital in July. The rebels then managed to capture several neighborhoods, but were soon bombed out during a punishing government counteroffensive.
Since then, the rebels have threatened the heavily fortified capital from opposition strongholds around the city. Damascus, however, has been spared the kind of violence and destruction that has been seen in other major urban centers during the conflict.
Checkpoints on the main artery into the capital have changed hands several times since Wednesday when the latest rebel campaign for Damascus started. The road is strategically important because it leads to northern Syria and the regime uses it to move troops and supplies. Rebels cut the road off from Damascus with burning tires on Friday after seizing checkpoints from regime troops in fighting that brought the civil war within a mile of the heart of the capital.
A rebel fighter told The Associated Press that opposition forces on Sunday overran another roadblock, al-Adnan checkpoint in Jobar, northeast of Damascus. He spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
But the Britain-based Observatory for Human Rights, an anti-regime activist group, said that while the fight for the highway continues, government troops regained control of the area on Sunday after using fighter jets to bomb rebel positions the day before.
A mortar that hit a Damascus street near Shabandar Square killed four people and injured several others, a government official told the AP on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to brief the media.
State-run SANA news agency said a roadside bomb detonated at Arnous street, in the heart of Damascus, injuring several people. In another part of the city, a suicide bomber blew himself up. He was the only one who died in the blast in Rouken al-Deen neighborhood, the official news service said.
The rebels' latest push for Damascus is similar to rebel offensives in other Syrian cities. The opposition controls large swathes of land outside urban centers ? like Homs in central Syria and Deir el-Zour in the east, and even whole neighborhoods like in the northern city of Aleppo ? but cannot oust all government troops because of the regime's superior fire power.
The fighting has settled into a bloody stalemate and shows no signs of stopping, despite several tentative proposals from both sides to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Also on Sunday, rebels fought a fierce battle with troops for control of military airport and artillery base that houses the Syrian army's 113th Brigade just outside the city of Dei el-Zour, the Observatory said. The Observatory said the rebels were using tanks they previously captured from the military in their assault on the regime's outposts in the city, which has the same name as the oil-rich province along Syria's border with Iraq that has been the scene of some of the heaviest fighting in the civil war.
Syria's Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi reiterated the regime's mantra that the only solution to the conflict is national dialogue in Syria, among Syrians, without foreign interference and in line with Assad's peace proposal that would keep him in charge of a reconciliation process.
"There is absolutely no other alternative," al-Zoubi told reporters after attending the enthronement of a new patriarch in Damascus. Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, Faisal Mekdad, who was also at the ceremony, warned the West to stop interfering in Syrian affairs and called on opposition leaders to start talks with the regime without preconditions.
The opposition in January rejected Assad's initiative because it would keep him in power. The opposition and its Western backers insist Assad step down before any talks can begin. Late last month, the head of the Syrian National Coalition, Mouaz al-Khatib, changed course, saying he was willing to talk to the regime if it would help end bloodshed.
He suggested that Assad release tens of thousands of political prisoners as a first step.
Members of the opposition criticized al-Khatib's offer to talk to the regime, and the government flatly rejected it.
Late Friday, al-Zoubi said Damascus was ready for dialogue with the opposition so long as the rebels lay down their weapons. He said anyone who responds will not be harmed.
The initiative is unlikely to gain any traction among the Syrian opposition and fighters on the ground, a highly decentralized force with weak links to the political leaders that deeply distrusts the regime. Most groups are unlikely to stop fighting so long as Assad remains president.
In Cairo, al-Khatib met with international peace envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, to discuss the opposition leader's initiative for talks with the Assad regime, according to a U.N. statement. The statement said the envoy "reiterated his support for (al-Khatib's) initiative and encouraged the coalition to continue in this direction."
Brahimi's efforts to stop the fighting in Syria have failed so far, leaving the international community at a loss for ways to end the civil war.
___
Associated Press writer Zeina Karam and Aya Batrawy in Cairo contributed to this report.
Associated Pressthe Who jon bon jovi jon bon jovi Kliff Kingsbury Amish Mafia Dave Grohl 121212
Re-Engineering Your Kitchen For Weight Loss
As we get older, get busy with families and work, go to one too many office parties, happy hours, and cupcake shops, we often don?t notice the slow creeping on of pounds. Or maybe we do. Or maybe you wake up one day and can?t get the jeans to fit or the shirt over your bellybutton. Short of buying an entire wardrobe, you?re faced with a dilemma.
Understandably, the last thing most of us want to do is go on a diet or reduce calories. The very thought of doing so sends some of us into a tailspin, feasting ?last supper? style, or running to the donut store before we begin a weight loss diet ?tomorrow.? The good news is that you can make gradual, small changes and lose weight effortlessly. The same way you allowed small changes in your diet that added the pounds on gradually (the extra wine at happy hour, the chocolate kisses at the front desk, the cupcake at the birthday party, the desert you could have split, the caramel machiatto, etc), is the same way you can effortlessly lose weight by making small changes.
Always try to sit down to enjoy your meal, rather than eating on the go.
?
You can start by making these changes at home, and in the kitchen. This is where a lot of mindless behaviors are created. Think about it; you get home from work, it?s been hours since you ate and you inhale a bag of chips and party nuts before you?ve even started dinner. Or you sit in front of the TV to watch the game and chug a few beers and happen to order a pizza that you?ve devoured and don?t even remember it. Or you wolf down some Girl Scout cookies you bought for (or from!) your kid, because it?s ?there.?
And at the end of the day/week/year you?ve consumed a bunch more calories than you remember, and simply ate more than you thought. Mindless eating is a big problem when you?re busy and on the go all the time (most of us). So, what can we do eat mindfully, and thereby lose some weight effortlessly?
1) Make the declaration vocal: Say: ?I?m not hungry but I am going to eat this anyway.? It makes you sound silly, and possibly greedy too. Honor real hunger, not a suggestion from a commercial.
2) Think 20% less ?other stuff,? 20% more veggies. Take a look at your dinner plate. Could you trim off a small amount of the extra pork loin, or a portion of your pasta, and replace it with some grilled or green leafy vegetables?
3) We eat with our eyes, so visual cues for portion sizes are important to repeat. If like my dog, you?re capable of licking up entire jars of peanut butter or for eating an entire tin of nuts, perhaps it?s better you start buying the single serving peanut butter packets or those 100-calorie packages of nuts/snacks. Some people will just portion out the tin of nuts into mini ziplock baggies to cue their appetites when their eyes are done eating.
4) Volumize your food to make it look bigger. I?m not talking about taking a hair dryer to your bowl of oatmeal, BUT you could do things like lessen the amount of ground beef you consume in a burger patty or meat sauce or taco by adding lots of chopped vegetables (onions, celery, spinach, etc.). Even though you pour or serve the same portion size, this time you?ve pumped up the fiber content of the serving.
5) Take as much time as you can to eat your food; at least 20 minutes. Okay, okay, I?m not talking about at EVERY meal (though that would be ideal), but at the very least, find ONE meal that you can enjoy at a relatively slower pace than normal.
6) Use smaller plates and glasses.?Instead of filling 2 scoops of your ice cream into a cereal bowl, could you use a smaller bowl? Many of us have been conditioned to naturally fill our plates, so a smaller vessel will yield a smaller serving. Same thing with trading in your margarita glass that?s the size of a fish bowl with something that can only hold 6 to 8 oz.
7) Pace yourself with the slowest eater at the table. If you have a lot of business lunches and dinners to attend, or like to eat out socially, there?s always that person at the table who labors slowly over their meal (hint: that won?t be me). See if you can slow down to meet their pace.
8) At elaborate meals out, use the pick two rule outside of your main course. ?Again, for those of you who eat out a lot socially or for work, instead of bread, wine, appetizers, main course, and desert, try to stick with one or two ?play? foods rather than the four you might normally consume outside of the main course. So, wine+main course+desert or appetizer+main course. Just do the math right.
9) Designate an eating only room. Ideally this is the kitchen dining table or the main dining table; some room where the distractions are minimal. Plus, you won?t have to clean up frosting stains off your pillows.
10) Don?t deprive yourself of comfort foods. From early childhood, for better or worse, we?re all conditioned to feel a sense of comfort from certain foods that have been associated with feeling better/rewards. Like pizza after your team wins the game, or a lollipop at the doctor?s office after you?ve been vaccinated, or using ice cream to distract a whiny toddler meltdown. ?I?m certainly not advocating that you bury your sorrows in a pint of Chunky Monkey, but depriving yourself of EVER having it once you begin your ?diet? isn?t sensible either.
11) Allow a positive association with a non-comfort food, a healthier option, or even a non-food reward. ?Let?s say you?ve just lost your first 5 lbs and have got another 40 to go. Reward your mini-milestone with something other than a food treat (buy a new pair of shoes or whatever form of ?retail therapy? makes you happy, or a new set of smaller sized plates and glasses) or a healthier food treat (filet mignon instead of a burger, or a decadent chocolate truffle instead of an entire box). If we?re able to connect macaroni and cheese or cookies with happiness, our brains are probably capable of creating other positive associations.
12) Let your kid pick out a healthy treat in the grocery store. ?This is one of my favorites. Every single time I check out of ?the grocery store, my daughter is instantly drawn to the strategically placed candy. ?While you are shopping, encourage her to pick a healthy treat, then let her look for the better/healthier choices that are there at the store too. Let her pick something like the pre-sliced apples or fruit salads, pre-packaged carrots, or single servings packets of animal crackers (I?ve even seen string cheese individually sold). ?Then, at check out, remind her she?s made a good choice as far as a treat is concerned. You?re not always going to win, but you might, and the choices she makes might be better than the twizzlers or lollipops she?d normally hunt for.
13) Beware the health halo. ?Just because they call it Fat Free or Lean Cereal or Healthy or Nature-Friendly or Organic or Raw or whatever doesn?t make it the best or healthiest choice for you. You can eat a pint of organic, cow-friendly ?ice cream that is also perfectly fattening.
14) Be the ?groceries gatekeeper.? If someone else (spouse, roommate, whatever) is responsible for grocery shopping for the house, he or she may not be picking the best choices for you. Even though you may write ?fruits and vegetables? on the list, a non-dieter might hear ?bananas and potatoes? rather than fruits and vegetables with more fiber (berries, apples, or leafy greens.) Similarly, they might not be as inclined as you might be to read labels. Therefore, things like salad dressing (reduced fat rather than regular), light, greek, or no-added sugar yogurt instead of the full fat versions, higher fiber breads and wraps instead of the highly processed white breads and tortillas might make it into your house, when you don?t intend for them to be there. ?Read the labels at the store, shop the perimeters, and try to be the one who does the shopping, as much as possible if you can.
Finally, recognize that if you?re that person who has tried every trick or tool on the planet to shed the pounds gradually and NOTHING seems to work, it may be indicative of a more serious problem. Whether it?s thyroid or other metabolic issues, or if chronic fatigue or sleep issues make it difficult for you to make good choices during the day, ?perhaps it?s something worth bringing up with your doctor. ?Seek out a therapist if you think you might have an eating disorder or emotional issues tied to over eating, because even the best tools and tricks in the kitchen won?t help address habits that are embedded deep in the psyche. Just remember, there?s always the choice to make that first step, even if it?s a small one.
-Sumi Singh is a Personal Trainer in Austin, TX, an online diet coach, and the author of Stay at Home Strong. Her website is?www.shailafitness.com?and can be contacted for personalized diet coaching at sumi@shailafitness.com. ?Her book is a program designed for post-partum weight loss and can be purchased at www.stayathomestrong.com
Source: http://www.brinkzone.com/general-health/re-engineering-your-kitchen-for-weight-loss/
april 9 albatross louis oosthuizen phil mickelson 10 year old gives birth c. difficile carmelo anthony
Sunday, February 10, 2013
5 dead in cruise ship lifeboat drill in Spain
An orange rescue boat docks by a capsized lifeboat, obscured behind, from the British-operated cruise ship Thomson Majesty in Santa Cruz port of the Canary Island of La Palma, Spain, Sunday Feb. 10, 2013. A lifeboat from the Thomson Majesty fell into the sea at port in Spain?s Canary Islands, killing five people and injuring three others Sunday, officials said. Rescue personnel were called to the dockside after a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship. Spanish national broadcaster RTVE said an emergency training drill was taking place at the time of the accident. (AP Photo/Manuel Gonzalez)
An orange rescue boat docks by a capsized lifeboat, obscured behind, from the British-operated cruise ship Thomson Majesty in Santa Cruz port of the Canary Island of La Palma, Spain, Sunday Feb. 10, 2013. A lifeboat from the Thomson Majesty fell into the sea at port in Spain?s Canary Islands, killing five people and injuring three others Sunday, officials said. Rescue personnel were called to the dockside after a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship. Spanish national broadcaster RTVE said an emergency training drill was taking place at the time of the accident. (AP Photo/Manuel Gonzalez)
An orange rescue boat docks by a capsized lifeboat from the British-operated cruise ship Thomson Majesty in Santa Cruz port of the Canary Island of La Palma, Spain, Sunday Feb. 10, 2013. A lifeboat from the Thomson Majesty fell into the sea at port in Spain?s Canary Islands, killing five people and injuring three others Sunday, officials said. Rescue personnel were called to the dockside after a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship. Spanish national broadcaster RTVE said an emergency training drill was taking place at the time of the accident. (AP Photo/Manuel Gonzalez)
The British-operated cruise ship Thomson Majesty is seen docked in the port of Santa Cruz on the Canary Island of La Palma, Spain, Sunday Feb. 10, 2013, with orange rescue boat, below right, seen docked next to a capsized lifeboat. A lifeboat from the Thomson Majesty fell into the sea at port in Spain?s Canary Islands, killing five people and injuring three others Sunday, officials said. Rescue personnel were called to the dockside after a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship. Spanish national broadcaster RTVE said an emergency training drill was taking place at the time of the accident. (AP Photo/Manuel Gonzalez)
An orange rescue boat docks by a capsized lifeboat from the British-operated cruise ship Thomson Majesty in Santa Cruz port of the Canary Island of La Palma, Spain, Sunday Feb. 10, 2013. A lifeboat from the Thomson Majesty fell into the sea at port in Spain?s Canary Islands, killing five people and injuring three others Sunday, officials said. Rescue personnel were called to the dockside after a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship. Spanish national broadcaster RTVE said an emergency training drill was taking place at the time of the accident. (AP Photo/Manuel Gonzalez)
An orange rescue boat is seen docked by a capsized lifeboat from the British-operated cruise ship Thomson Majesty in Santa Cruz port of the Canary Island of La Palma, Spain, Sunday Feb. 10, 2013. The lifeboat from the Thomson Majesty fell into the sea at port in Spain?s Canary Islands, killing five people and injuring three others Sunday, officials said. Rescue personnel were called to the dockside after a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship. Spanish national broadcaster RTVE said an emergency training drill was taking place at the time of the accident. (AP Photo/Manuel Gonzalez)
LA PALMA, Canary Islands (AP) ? A lifeboat from a British-operated cruise ship fell upside down into the sea at port in Spain's Canary Islands during a safety drill, killing five crew members and injuring three others Sunday, officials said. About 1,400 passengers were on board, but none were involved in the accident.
Thomson Cruises confirmed the incident involving the Thomson Majesty ship on the island of La Palma, saying "there have sadly been five crew fatalities and three crew injuries." One of the three injured was discharged from a hospital, and the other two were also expected to be allowed to leave the medical facility.
Investigators were trying to determine what caused the lifeboat to plummet into the water.
Rescue personnel were called to the dockside at 1205 GMT (7:05 a.m. EST) after "a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship docked at the pier of Santa Cruz port in La Palma," a regional government statement said.
A small, white two-hulled lifeboat could be seen capsized beside the large ship. Around 1,400 passengers were aboard at the time of the Thomson Majesty ship, but were not in any way involved in the accident, authorities said.
The ship had been due to sail Sunday afternoon to the Portuguese port of Funchal on the mid-Atlantic island of Madeira.
Three of the dead were Indonesian men, one was a Filipino man and another was a man from Ghana, authorities said. The injured were all men, two aged 30 and another, a Greek national, was 32. They were taken by ambulance to the general hospital of La Palma.
The local authorities of La Palma canceled Carnival festivities that had been due to be held on the island Sunday, but said they would go ahead as planned on Monday.
___
Associated Press writers Harold Heckle in Madrid, and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.
Associated Pressnitrous oxide rihanna thug life tattoo arizona governor patrick witt leprosy tampa bay buccaneers birdman
Friday, February 8, 2013
Stocks erase losses and end near breakeven level
NEW YORK (AP) ? Stock indexes are ending near the breakeven point on Wall Street, recovering from an early loss.
The Dow Jones industrial average ended with a gain of seven points Wednesday at 13,986. It was down as much as 66 points in the early going.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index eked out a gain of just under a point to end at 1,512. The Nasdaq composite edged down three points to 3,168.
Time Warner rose 4 percent after the company said its net income grew 51 percent in the last three months of 2012. Ralph Lauren also rose sharply after posting solid results.
Three stocks rose for every two that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was about average at 3.5 billion shares.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-erase-losses-end-near-breakeven-level-211032524--finance.html
Forensic pathology: tracing the origin of the Usutu Virus
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 8-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Herbert Weissenbck
herbert.weissenboeck@vetmeduni.ac.at
43-125-077-2418
University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna
The effects were dramatic: throughout Vienna it was impossible not to notice that the blackbirds were disappearing. Their melodious song no longer rang around the courtyards of the inner city nor woke tired partygoers in the outlying districts. The birds were simply no longer there. Thankfully, they gradually reappeared and a few years later their population had returned to its original levels. But the sudden crash in numbers was alarming and scientists rushed to find the cause.
It soon became apparent that the birds had died as a result of a new kind of viral infection. The culprit turned out to be the Usutu virus, which had previously been identified only in Africa and had only seldom been associated with mortality in animals or birds. It was widely assumed that the virus had crossed from Africa to central Europe with the help of migratory birds the Barn swallow was generally fingered as the most likely transmitter and that such sudden outbreaks would appear more frequently as the result of climate change. But these conclusions have been called into question by the latest findings from a team at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna).
Although not widely reported at the time, a large number of birds, especially blackbirds, died in Tuscany, Italy in 1996, five years before the outbreak of Usutu virus in Vienna's blackbirds. The causative agent was not identified but Giacomo Rossi of the University of Camerino had stored tissue samples from the dead birds. Herbert Weissenbck, Norbert Nowotny and colleagues in the Institute of Pathology and the Institute of Virology at the Vetmeduni Vienna recently became aware of the samples' existence and were naturally keen to investigate them. Surprisingly, the researchers found that the Italian samples contained exactly the same strain of Usutu virus that was responsible for the Viennese cases. As in Vienna, the birds were almost wiped out by the virus but resistance soon developed and the population returned to normal levels.
As Weissenbck says, "We still do not fully understand how the virus reached Austria but we have at least uncovered one piece in the jigsaw. Rather than coming directly from Africa to Vienna, the Usutu virus seems to have been present in Italy for some time." The powerful techniques of forensic pathology may be helpful in unravelling the origins of other emerging diseases: for example, we still do not know how the bluetongue virus reached northern Germany or the West Nile virus arrived in central Europe.
###
The paper Usutu virus, Italy, 1996 by Herbert Weissenbck, Tams Bakonyi, Giacomo Rossi, Paolo Mani and Norbert Nowotny has just been published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases (Vol. 19(2), February 2013: 274-277).
About the Vienna University of Veterinary Medicine
The University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna is the only academic and research institution in Austria that focuses on the veterinary sciences. About 1000 employees and 2300 students work on the campus in the north of Vienna, which also houses the animal hospital and various spin-off-companies. http://www.vetmeduni.ac.at
Contact:
Klaus Wassermann
Public Relations/Science Communications
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
T +43 1 25077-1153
klaus.wassermann@vetmeduni.ac.at
Scientific contact:
Prof. Herbert Weissenbck
Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
T +43 1 25077-2418
herbert.weissenboeck@vetmeduni.ac.at
[ | 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: 8-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Herbert Weissenbck
herbert.weissenboeck@vetmeduni.ac.at
43-125-077-2418
University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna
The effects were dramatic: throughout Vienna it was impossible not to notice that the blackbirds were disappearing. Their melodious song no longer rang around the courtyards of the inner city nor woke tired partygoers in the outlying districts. The birds were simply no longer there. Thankfully, they gradually reappeared and a few years later their population had returned to its original levels. But the sudden crash in numbers was alarming and scientists rushed to find the cause.
It soon became apparent that the birds had died as a result of a new kind of viral infection. The culprit turned out to be the Usutu virus, which had previously been identified only in Africa and had only seldom been associated with mortality in animals or birds. It was widely assumed that the virus had crossed from Africa to central Europe with the help of migratory birds the Barn swallow was generally fingered as the most likely transmitter and that such sudden outbreaks would appear more frequently as the result of climate change. But these conclusions have been called into question by the latest findings from a team at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna (Vetmeduni Vienna).
Although not widely reported at the time, a large number of birds, especially blackbirds, died in Tuscany, Italy in 1996, five years before the outbreak of Usutu virus in Vienna's blackbirds. The causative agent was not identified but Giacomo Rossi of the University of Camerino had stored tissue samples from the dead birds. Herbert Weissenbck, Norbert Nowotny and colleagues in the Institute of Pathology and the Institute of Virology at the Vetmeduni Vienna recently became aware of the samples' existence and were naturally keen to investigate them. Surprisingly, the researchers found that the Italian samples contained exactly the same strain of Usutu virus that was responsible for the Viennese cases. As in Vienna, the birds were almost wiped out by the virus but resistance soon developed and the population returned to normal levels.
As Weissenbck says, "We still do not fully understand how the virus reached Austria but we have at least uncovered one piece in the jigsaw. Rather than coming directly from Africa to Vienna, the Usutu virus seems to have been present in Italy for some time." The powerful techniques of forensic pathology may be helpful in unravelling the origins of other emerging diseases: for example, we still do not know how the bluetongue virus reached northern Germany or the West Nile virus arrived in central Europe.
###
The paper Usutu virus, Italy, 1996 by Herbert Weissenbck, Tams Bakonyi, Giacomo Rossi, Paolo Mani and Norbert Nowotny has just been published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases (Vol. 19(2), February 2013: 274-277).
About the Vienna University of Veterinary Medicine
The University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna is the only academic and research institution in Austria that focuses on the veterinary sciences. About 1000 employees and 2300 students work on the campus in the north of Vienna, which also houses the animal hospital and various spin-off-companies. http://www.vetmeduni.ac.at
Contact:
Klaus Wassermann
Public Relations/Science Communications
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
T +43 1 25077-1153
klaus.wassermann@vetmeduni.ac.at
Scientific contact:
Prof. Herbert Weissenbck
Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
T +43 1 25077-2418
herbert.weissenboeck@vetmeduni.ac.at
[ | 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/2013-02/uovm-fp020813.php
girl scout cookies screen actors guild royal rumble results sag awards 2012 kyra sedgwick honor killings mary tyler moore
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)