Monday 31 October 2011

Linking Fragile X Syndrome proteins and RNA editing mistakes at nerve-muscle junction

Linking Fragile X Syndrome proteins and RNA editing mistakes at nerve-muscle junction [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 30-Oct-2011
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Contact: Karen Kreeger
karen.kreeger@uphs.upenn.edu
215-349-5658
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Penn study in fruit flies has implications for autism, other cognitive impairment syndromes

PHILADELPHIA - The most common form of heritable cognitive impairment is Fragile X Syndrome, caused by mutation or malfunction of the FMR1 gene. Loss of FMR1 function is also the most common genetic cause of autism. Understanding how this gene works is vital to finding new treatments to help Fragile X patients and others.

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues from Brown University, have identified the FMRP protein (encoded by FMR1) as a key player in RNA editing, a process in which the working copies made from DNA, called messenger RNAs, are chemically altered after being transcribed from the genome. Their findings were published online this week in Nature Neuroscience.

Since RNAs are used as the instructions to make proteins, mistakes in RNA editing at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the site at which motor neurons innervate muscle, may cause problems in nerve function. Previous work at Penn and several other institutions strongly suggested the role of FMRP to be in regulating the translation of certain types of RNA at the synapse, the space between two nerves, or between nerves and muscles.

"Most of the field has been focused on looking at FMRP interacting with specific RNAs and how it regulates their translation at the synapse," states lead author Thomas A. Jongens, PhD, associate professor of Genetics at Penn. "Here we've tapped into identifying a function that FMRP has in regulating another process called RNA editing that is important in regulating neural activity." In RNA editing, the information encoded by DNA into an RNA molecule is altered, thus affecting the functioning of the proteins encoded by that RNA.

"This work elegantly links the Drosophila FMR1 gene to both an RNA-editing pathway and the architecture of the neuromuscular junction synapse," says Donna Kransnewich, PhD, who oversees grants focused on mechanisms of human genetic disorders at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. "These exciting findings bring us closer to understanding the molecular basis of Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited intellectual disability, and highlight the value of basic science research in uncovering the underlying causes of human disorders."

Lords of the Flies

Jongens, Penn colleague Balpreet Bhogal, and Brown colleague Robert Reenan studied the fruit fly, Drosophila, whose genome contains a cousin of the human FMR1 gene called dFMR1. The Jongens lab is one of several that use Drosophila models to study Fragile X Syndrome.

"The Drosophila dFMR1 gene is fairly similar to that in humans at the amino acid level - there's about a 50 percent overall similarity between the two proteins," Jongens notes. "But if you look at specific domains, there are pockets of even higher similarity. That makes us fairly confident that some of what we'll discover from the fly model translates to people."

Flies with mutated dFMR1 genes exhibit similar physiological symptoms as humans with Fragile X, including memory and cognitive deficits, disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms, and impaired social behavior.

Two Key Proteins

Another impaired trait due to the mutation is overgrowth and branching of the neuromuscular junction. The research group showed that another key protein critical for normal functioning and architecture at the NMJ is ADAR (dADAR in Drosophila), which is involved in RNA editing of specific mRNAs. The researchers examined the Drosophila NMJ to determine whether dFMR1 and dADAR interact.

They found that the right amounts of the two proteins are important for proper RNA editing and therefore nerve activity at the nerve-muscle synapse. Using a variety of genetic and molecular analyses, Jongens and colleagues were able to link dFMR1 with dADAR via the RNA editing required for normal NMJ structure.

Observing that flies with dADAR mutations displayed similar NMJ defects to flies with dFMR1 mutations, the team demonstrated that both the dFMR1 and dADAR proteins act in the motor neuron to form the neuromuscular junction, indicating that ADAR is required for proper NMJ structure.

In addition, says Jongens, "we found that ADAR acts downstream of dFMR1, suggesting that dFMR1 is required to maintain the proper activity levels of ADAR in the synapse. The FMR protein physically associates with the fly ADAR protein, and through genetic studies we see that there's a dependence of ADAR function on FMRP. If you don't have FMRP, or if you have too much, the editing efficiency of certain sites on select mRNAs is changed. So we think that FMRP might play a role - through the editing process - in modulating the fine tuning of neuronal activity."

The work is the first study to report a disease-associated protein that interacts with and modulates RNA editing. "It provides another way in which the Fragile X Syndrome animal models can be examined to look for defects in neuronal processes that might explain symptoms seen in people," Jongens explains.

Reenan, professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry at Brown, agrees, saying that the implications of the study could be quite broad: "It is a remarkable finding that FMRP can be linked so directly with ADAR and RNA editing activity. Deranged RNA editing has been implicated in epilepsy, suicidal depression, schizophrenia, and even some neurological cancers. These data are surely pointing in the direction of deep connections between numerous distinct diseases of the brain."

The next step in the research will focus on how the two proteins come together to act on the same RNA targets. "The more we know about what the FMR protein does, the more likely we are to uncover ways to treat disease," Jongens points out.

###

The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and the Ellison Medical Foundation.

Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4 billion enterprise.

Penn's Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools and among the top 10 schools for primary care. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $507.6 million awarded in the 2010 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2010, Penn Medicine provided $788 million to benefit our community.



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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.


Linking Fragile X Syndrome proteins and RNA editing mistakes at nerve-muscle junction [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 30-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Karen Kreeger
karen.kreeger@uphs.upenn.edu
215-349-5658
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Penn study in fruit flies has implications for autism, other cognitive impairment syndromes

PHILADELPHIA - The most common form of heritable cognitive impairment is Fragile X Syndrome, caused by mutation or malfunction of the FMR1 gene. Loss of FMR1 function is also the most common genetic cause of autism. Understanding how this gene works is vital to finding new treatments to help Fragile X patients and others.

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues from Brown University, have identified the FMRP protein (encoded by FMR1) as a key player in RNA editing, a process in which the working copies made from DNA, called messenger RNAs, are chemically altered after being transcribed from the genome. Their findings were published online this week in Nature Neuroscience.

Since RNAs are used as the instructions to make proteins, mistakes in RNA editing at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the site at which motor neurons innervate muscle, may cause problems in nerve function. Previous work at Penn and several other institutions strongly suggested the role of FMRP to be in regulating the translation of certain types of RNA at the synapse, the space between two nerves, or between nerves and muscles.

"Most of the field has been focused on looking at FMRP interacting with specific RNAs and how it regulates their translation at the synapse," states lead author Thomas A. Jongens, PhD, associate professor of Genetics at Penn. "Here we've tapped into identifying a function that FMRP has in regulating another process called RNA editing that is important in regulating neural activity." In RNA editing, the information encoded by DNA into an RNA molecule is altered, thus affecting the functioning of the proteins encoded by that RNA.

"This work elegantly links the Drosophila FMR1 gene to both an RNA-editing pathway and the architecture of the neuromuscular junction synapse," says Donna Kransnewich, PhD, who oversees grants focused on mechanisms of human genetic disorders at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. "These exciting findings bring us closer to understanding the molecular basis of Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited intellectual disability, and highlight the value of basic science research in uncovering the underlying causes of human disorders."

Lords of the Flies

Jongens, Penn colleague Balpreet Bhogal, and Brown colleague Robert Reenan studied the fruit fly, Drosophila, whose genome contains a cousin of the human FMR1 gene called dFMR1. The Jongens lab is one of several that use Drosophila models to study Fragile X Syndrome.

"The Drosophila dFMR1 gene is fairly similar to that in humans at the amino acid level - there's about a 50 percent overall similarity between the two proteins," Jongens notes. "But if you look at specific domains, there are pockets of even higher similarity. That makes us fairly confident that some of what we'll discover from the fly model translates to people."

Flies with mutated dFMR1 genes exhibit similar physiological symptoms as humans with Fragile X, including memory and cognitive deficits, disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms, and impaired social behavior.

Two Key Proteins

Another impaired trait due to the mutation is overgrowth and branching of the neuromuscular junction. The research group showed that another key protein critical for normal functioning and architecture at the NMJ is ADAR (dADAR in Drosophila), which is involved in RNA editing of specific mRNAs. The researchers examined the Drosophila NMJ to determine whether dFMR1 and dADAR interact.

They found that the right amounts of the two proteins are important for proper RNA editing and therefore nerve activity at the nerve-muscle synapse. Using a variety of genetic and molecular analyses, Jongens and colleagues were able to link dFMR1 with dADAR via the RNA editing required for normal NMJ structure.

Observing that flies with dADAR mutations displayed similar NMJ defects to flies with dFMR1 mutations, the team demonstrated that both the dFMR1 and dADAR proteins act in the motor neuron to form the neuromuscular junction, indicating that ADAR is required for proper NMJ structure.

In addition, says Jongens, "we found that ADAR acts downstream of dFMR1, suggesting that dFMR1 is required to maintain the proper activity levels of ADAR in the synapse. The FMR protein physically associates with the fly ADAR protein, and through genetic studies we see that there's a dependence of ADAR function on FMRP. If you don't have FMRP, or if you have too much, the editing efficiency of certain sites on select mRNAs is changed. So we think that FMRP might play a role - through the editing process - in modulating the fine tuning of neuronal activity."

The work is the first study to report a disease-associated protein that interacts with and modulates RNA editing. "It provides another way in which the Fragile X Syndrome animal models can be examined to look for defects in neuronal processes that might explain symptoms seen in people," Jongens explains.

Reenan, professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry at Brown, agrees, saying that the implications of the study could be quite broad: "It is a remarkable finding that FMRP can be linked so directly with ADAR and RNA editing activity. Deranged RNA editing has been implicated in epilepsy, suicidal depression, schizophrenia, and even some neurological cancers. These data are surely pointing in the direction of deep connections between numerous distinct diseases of the brain."

The next step in the research will focus on how the two proteins come together to act on the same RNA targets. "The more we know about what the FMR protein does, the more likely we are to uncover ways to treat disease," Jongens points out.

###

The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and the Ellison Medical Foundation.

Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4 billion enterprise.

Penn's Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools and among the top 10 schools for primary care. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $507.6 million awarded in the 2010 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2010, Penn Medicine provided $788 million to benefit our community.



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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/2011-10/uops-lfx102811.php

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Arsenal slam five past Chelsea, City stay top (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? Robin van Persie's red hot form stepped up a gear on Saturday as his hat-trick fired Arsenal to a 5-3 win at Chelsea in a remarkable see-saw match, while Manchester City stayed top of the Premier League by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1.

City remained five points clear of Manchester United and moved nine clear of third-placed Chelsea and fourth-placed Newcastle United with second-half goals from Edin Dzeko, Aleksandar Kolarov and Adam Johnson at the Etihad Stadium.

Wolves' goal came from a Stephen Hunt penalty after City skipper Vincent Kompany was sent off but it could not stop them slumping to a second defeat by City in four days after losing 5-2 at home in a League Cup match on Wednesday.

Manchester United bounced back from their 6-1 mauling by City last weekend with a 1-0 victory at Everton where Javier Hernandez scored the first-half winner.

Those results left City top with 28 points from 10 games, followed by United (23), Chelsea (19) and Newcastle United (19), at least until they meet Stoke City on Monday.

Liverpool beat West Bromwich Albion 2-0 to move into fifth place on 18 points, two clear of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, but Spurs can overtake Liverpool again if they beat Queens Park Rangers at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Wigan Athletic suffered a seventh successive league defeat, a 2-0 loss at home to Fulham, and slipped to the bottom of the table, while fellow strugglers Blackburn Rovers drew 3-3 at Norwich City who came back from 3-1 down and equalised with a Grant Holt penalty with the last kick of the game.

The eight matches produced 31 goals with eight of them coming in an astonishing match at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal won with a hat-trick from skipper Van Persie, including two in the last seven minutes, and one each from Andre Santos and Theo Walcott.

Chelsea led twice with goals from Frank Lampard and John Terry but although they then came back to equalise with an 80th-minute goal from Juan Mata, they went on to concede five at home for the first time in a league match since Liverpool beat them 5-2 in 1989.

The stunning victory was Arsene Wenger's 500th since he became Arsenal manager in 1996, Arsenal's first away win in the league this season and Chelsea's first home defeat as the English top-flight continues to dish out goals galore.

CHELSEA LEAD

Chelsea went ahead through Lampard after 14 minutes before Van Persie equalised in the 36th minute and Chelsea skipper Terry took advantage of some woeful Arsenal defending to put his side 2-1 up in the last minute of the first half.

Santos struck Arsenal's second equaliser after 49 minutes before Walcott scored a brilliant solo goal, picking himself up and continuing his run after slipping over, to give Arsenal a 3-2 lead after 55 minutes.

Mata then equalised for Chelsea with a brilliant swerving shot, which Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had no chance of saving, to make it 3-3 after 80 minutes.

Chelsea were then guilty of some poor defending five minutes later with Florent Malouda hitting a stray pass back to Terry, who stumbled to leave Van Persie to run in on Chelsea keeper Petr Cech before rounding him and blasting the ball in.

The Dutchman, the league's top scorer, then made it 28 goals from his last 27 Premier League games in this calendar year to make it 5-3 in the second minute of stoppage time with a swerving shot to match Mata's.

Arsenal, who made a poor start to the season, climbed up to seventh place and celebrated as if they had won a cup final.

"We needed to win with style and class and we did that against a big team and it was a big win for us," Wenger told Sky Sports.

MUST IMPROVE

The result consigned Chelsea to a second successive defeat in a London derby after losing at QPR last weekend and was the first time they had conceded five against Arsenal since 1979.

Chelsea's stunned manager Andre Villas-Boas said: "It was so open it could have gone either way. We will have to reflect on the mistakes we made -- there are some things we must improve."

At Goodison Park, Hernandez scored what proved to be the winner and gave United their first victory at Everton since September 2007 when he capitalised on good approach work from Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck before Patrice Evra crossed from the left for the unmarked Mexican to turn in on 19 minutes.

"It's an important result to come away from home and win," United manager Alex Ferguson told the BBC.

"Everton is never an easy game and they put everything they could into the game. First half we played some fantastic football and scored a good goal. Hernandez is fantastic in the box. It's a good result and we worked hard for it."

It was not all good news for United, though, as Chris Smalling sustained a fractured foot and Ferguson said the defender could be out for a month.

Liverpool, who had won eight of their previous nine league visits to West Brom since 1983, made that nine out of 10 with a Charlie Adam penalty and a second from Andy Carroll giving them a well-deserved victory over their former manager Roy Hodgson.

In other action, Swansea City beat Bolton Wanderers 3-1 and Sunderland drew 2-2 with Aston Villa.

(Editing by Mark Meadows and Sonia Oxley; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111030/india_nm/india601958

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Britain to allow armed guards to combat sea piracy

(AP) ? Ships sailing under Britain's flag will be permitted to carry armed guards on some perilous routes to combat the threat from pirates, the prime minister said Sunday.

David Cameron said Britain was reversing its opposition to the use of weapons aboard ships, amid mounting concern about the risks of vessels and crew being seized by pirates ? particularly off Somalia's coast.

Cameron's office said the use of weapons on British-flagged ships is banned under firearms laws, but that new rules would be in place within a month.

Britain's announcement follows the decision in February of the International Chamber of Shipping, the major trade association of ship owners, to support members hiring private security companies to provide protection.

"The evidence is that ships with armed guards don't get attacked, don't get taken for hostage or for ransom, and so we think this is a very important step forward," Cameron told BBC television during a visit to a Commonwealth summit in Australia, where he discussed the issue with leaders from the Seychelles and Mauritius.

Cameron said Britain's interior ministry would issue licenses authorizing the use of armed guards for ships operating off East Africa's coast, in other parts of the Indian Ocean and in the Arabian Sea.

He said the change is intended for commercial vessels, rather than leisure sailors ? such as Paul and Rachel Chandler, the British couple held for 388 days by Somali pirates.

"The extent of the hijack and ransom of ships around the Horn of Africa I think is a complete stain on our world," Cameron told the BBC. "The fact that a bunch of pirates in Somalia are managing to hold to ransom the rest of the world and our trading system I think is a complete insult."

Many nations, including Britain and Germany, had previously been nervy over the use of armed guards ? and Cameron did not elaborate on what rules would apply on the use of lethal force by private security contractors.

"Piracy is a very serious problem and it's sensible to allow ships to take the appropriate measures to protect their crew and cargo," Britain's Transport Secretary Justine Greening said in a statement. "The U.K. will allow the use of private armed security guards on our ships in exceptional circumstances and where it is lawful to do so."

In Germany, ship owners have pressured lawmakers to change the nation's weapons law to allow German ships to carry armed guards. Under current laws, the captains are required to apply individually for the right to carry arms, but would only be able to use them under certain, restrictive circumstances.

Lawmakers are debating how legislation could be changed to allow for ships to routinely carry weapons, plans which are being met with resistance from some opposition lawmakers and representatives of Germany's powerful police force, which worries such changes could lead to an overall easing of the nation's strict weapons laws.

The U.N. International Maritime Organization issued guidance in May on the use of armed guards ? warning that there had been 489 acts of piracy or armed robbery against ships in 2010, an increase on the previous year.

Some maritime groups and insurers have opposed arming ships because of liability issues, and over fears that to do so could provoke an arms race with pirates. Other skeptics have worried that if ships from wealthy companies hire expensive security crews, hostage-takers will simply switch focus to softer targets.

Earlier this month, the International Chamber of Shipping urged nations to also take additional military action to combat piracy.

"Private armed guards do not represent a long-term solution," the organization's chairman Spyros Polemis said. "Rather, their use actually signifies a failure on the part of the international community ? and those governments with significant military forces ? to ensure the security of maritime trade.

"Governments don't like it when we say this, but the reality is that they have ceded control of the Indian Ocean to the pirates," he said.

Figures released earlier this month by the EU Naval Force show that pirates hold nine ships and an estimated 246 hostages. In February, pirates killed a Filipino crewman aboard the German-owned MV Beluga Nomination.

___

Melissa Eddy in Berlin contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-10-30-Piracy/id-6ecd771ecdc245debd5e5cb1c3e2b779

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Sunday 30 October 2011

Game 7: Close call helps Cards extend lead to 5-2 (AP)

A close call goes to the Cardinals in the fifth inning.

With first base open, Texas intentionally walked David Freese to load the bases with two outs. Scott Feldman fell behind 3-1 on Yadier Molina, then threw a strike. The full-count pitch also looked like a strike, right on the outside corner, but this time Feldman didn't get the call from plate umpire Jerry Layne.

Ball four, 4-2 Cardinals.

Hard to argue with walking Freese in that spot, even though Molina has a clutch pedigree. Freese has just been on such a tear lately, especially in big situations.

C.J. Wilson came on and hit Rafael Furcal with his first pitch, forcing in another run. Skip Schumaker strikes out to end the inning.

St. Louis leads 5-2.

Texas pitchers have issued 40 walks in the World Series, tying the record set by the 1997 Florida Marlins.

___

Allen Craig makes a leaping catch at the left-field fence in the sixth, probably taking a home run away from Nelson Cruz. Chris Carpenter works a 1-2-3 sixth, and the Cardinals are nine outs from their second World Series championship in six seasons.

___

Big sequence in the top of the fifth inning.

Ian Kinsler hit a leadoff single and was sacrificed to second by Elvis Andrus. Carpenter fell behind 3-1 on Josh Hamilton ? the only strike may have been a generous call. Hamilton then swung at an inside pitch that might have been ball four and lofted a foul popup wide of third. Freese caught it at the dugout railing for the second out.

Freese had a similar chance Thursday night but was unable to make the play.

Michael Young struck out to end the inning.

Feldman has replaced Texas starter Matt Harrison in the bottom of the fifth. The Cardinals still lead 3-2.

___

Harrison worked a scoreless fourth. He pounded Skip Schumaker in on the hands, shattering his bat on a groundout, and retired Carpenter on an easy fly with runners at second and third to end the inning.

Furcal, dropped from his leadoff spot to seventh in the lineup, is 2 for 2 with a pair of singles.

___

Craig hits his third home run of the World Series to give St. Louis a 3-2 lead after three innings.

Craig's opposite-field fly to right appeared to carry and carry before landing in the Cardinals' bullpen as St. Louis relievers danced with glee.

Wilson is warming up again for Texas, with Harrison due up third in the fourth inning.

___

With runners at the corners in the second, Carpenter retired Andrus on a comebacker to end the inning.

Carpenter is the first pitcher to make three starts in one World Series since Curt Schilling for Arizona in 2001. Carpenter, who beat Texas 3-2 in Game 1 and took a no-decision in Game 5, is 6-0 at home in his postseason career. His eight career postseason wins tie him with Yankees closer Mariano Rivera for most among active pitchers.

___

Harrison looked more comfortable in the second. He was helped out when Young made a nice stretch at first to complete a double play.

Score tied at 2 in the bottom of the third inning.

___

Back and forth again.

Texas scored twice in the top of the first inning, only to have the Cardinals tie it right away on Freese's two-run double to left-center in the bottom half.

What a run for Freese! Two-run triple Thursday night to tie it with two outs in the ninth inning, followed by his homer in the 11th to win it. All after the hometown kid (Freese grew up in a St. Louis suburb) was MVP of the NL championship series.

Molina flied out to the center field fence to end the inning, with Hamilton making a nice catch to keep it tied at 2.

Hamilton and Young had RBI doubles in the first off Carpenter.

Harrison got into trouble with consecutive two-out walks to Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman. Wilson began warming in the bullpen.

___

It didn't take long for the Rangers to make a mistake. Kinsler opened the game with a single, then was promptly picked off first base by Molina, the Cardinals' strong-armed catcher.

Not sure if Kinsler was trying to bluff a stolen base attempt and simply slipped, or if he was really going and felt as though he didn't get a good jump. Either way, he stopped and got caught in between and was picked off pretty easily.

Pained look on manager Ron Washington's face.

But that changed quickly. Andrus walked and Washington was undeterred, putting Andrus in motion on a hit-and-run. Hamilton ripped an RBI double past Pujols at first base and Young fisted a run-scoring double inside the right field line to make it 2-0 Texas.

That was all Carpenter allowed. He struck out Adrian Beltre and retired Nelson Cruz on a groundout.

___

Game 7 of the World Series. The most exciting night in baseball.

Except for last night, that is. What could possibly top that?

Following one of the most thrilling finishes in postseason history, the Rangers and Cardinals are back at it tonight, less than 20 hours after Freese's 11th-inning homer for St. Louis pushed the Series to the limit.

Truly, a Fall Classic.

Winner takes all tonight. First pitch is 8:05 p.m. EDT at Busch Stadium.

The Cardinals seem to have everything on their side ? momentum, history and their No. 1 pitcher on the mound. After much debate about what manager Tony La Russa would do, Carpenter is set to start on three days' rest for the second time in his career.

The first time was Game 2 of the NL division series in Philadelphia, and that one didn't go very well. But the 36-year-old right-hander says he learned a few things about how to handle pitching on short rest.

The home team has won eight straight Game 7s in the World Series, a streak started by the Cardinals in 1982 against Milwaukee. This is the first time the Series has gone the distance since 2002, when the Angels beat San Francisco.

Harrison gets the ball for Texas. Let down by his defense, he was pulled in the fourth inning of a Game 3 defeat.

Twice, the Rangers were one strike away from their first World Series championship Thursday night. They couldn't nail it down.

Now, after such a painful defeat, can they possibly recover? The last team to win Game 7 of the World Series on the road was the Pittsburgh Pirates at Baltimore in 1979.

Almost lost in all the back-and-forth excitement Thursday night were injuries to several key players. Cruz strained his right groin and Mike Napoli twisted his left ankle, but both Rangers sluggers are in the Game 7 lineup.

Matt Holliday, however, was removed from the St. Louis roster with a bruised right wrist. Craig starts in left field in place of Holliday.

La Russa also dropped a slumping Furcal to seventh in the lineup and Schumaker to eighth. Second baseman Ryan Theriot is at the top of the order and Craig bats second in front of Pujols.

Holliday's absence might not be such a terrible thing for the Cardinals at this stage.

Sure, it shortens their lineup. He's a dangerous hitter and a legitimate All-Star. But he really struggled with his swing during the World Series (.158) and he hurt the Cardinals with his glove and on the bases in Game 6, too.

With Holliday out, Freese moves up to fifth in the lineup, perhaps providing better protection for Pujols and Berkman. Freese has been a clutch hitter throughout the postseason, never more so than Thursday night.

Speedy outfielder Adron Chambers, a rookie, replaced Holliday on the active roster. Fox sideline reporter Ken Rosenthal says Chambers was grabbing a bite to eat with his girlfriend at a TGI Friday's when he saw the scroll on television saying he'd been added to the roster for Game 7. That's how he found out.

Clear skies at Busch Stadium. The temperature is 51 degrees, with a little light wind.

All set to play ball.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111029/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_world_series_online

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Watch the London Samsung Galaxy Note/Galaxy Nexus event here

Android Central

You've seen our hands-ons in London with the Samsung Galaxy Note and Galaxy Nexus. Now watch the event for yourself. Ease on past the break to see it.

read more


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/yyVdLg_F7Yo/watch-london-samsung-galaxy-notegalaxy-nexus-event-here

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Video: Tebow is must-see, again

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

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/45084147#45084147

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U.S. drone "kills five Taliban commanders" in Pakistan (Reuters)

PESHAWAR, Pakistan ? A U.S. drone strike on Thursday killed five commanders of a powerful Pakistani Taliban faction that attacks Western forces in Afghanistan, one of the group's leaders told Reuters.

The Obama administration has stepped up drone strikes against al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Pakistan's tribal border areas in an effort to stabilize Afghanistan before the end of 2014, when all NATO combat troops are due to leave.

The commanders killed in the strike belonged to the Maulvi Nazir faction of Pakistan's Taliban, which carries out cross-border attacks from its strongholds in South Waziristan.

The group threatened in June to escalate attacks on U.S. troops in the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan in response to intensified drone strikes on its territory.

Four of the commanders killed by the remotely piloted drone were identified as Hazrat Omar, Nazir's younger brother, Khan Mohammad, Miraj Wazir and Ashfaq Wazir. The group did not name the fifth.

Local intelligence officials said three Nazir commanders were among six people killed in the strike. The reports could not be verified independently.

"They are a very important group because, while they are based in Pakistan, they are very active in Afghanistan," said Mansur Khan Mehsud of the FATA Research Center think-tank.

"If you look at drone strikes, they are one of the most heavily targeted groups," he said.

Hours later, a U.S. drone fired four missiles at a house in the Mir Ali town of the neighboring North Waziristan region, killing at least four militants, local officials said.

U.S. drones have killed high-profile al Qaeda and Taliban leaders in Pakistan's restive tribal regions, where militants such as al Qaeda, the Taliban and Arab fighters train and plan attacks.

The New America Foundation think-tank estimates at least 325 militants have been killed in U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan this year.

Pakistani leaders say drone strikes inflame widespread anti-American sentiment in Pakistan and play into the hands of militants.

But analysts say high-profile militants can't be spotted without help from Pakistani intelligence.

The latest attack comes nearly a week after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Islamabad accompanied by high-level U.S. military and intelligence officials.

Clinton again urged Pakistan to eliminate what Washington says are safe havens along its porous border with Afghanistan.

Nazir's group of around 1,200 fighters is among the militants not opposed to the Pakistani state. Pakistan struck a deal with the faction in 2007 under which they would not harbor anti-government militants.

In exchange, the group would not be targeted by the military when offensives began against the Pakistani Taliban.

(Additional reporting by Hafiz Wazir in Wana, Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismail Khan and Haji Mujtaba in Miranshah; Writing by Qasim Nauman; Editing by Michael Georgy and Paul Tait)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111027/wl_nm/us_pakistan_drone

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Saturday 29 October 2011

Gaming: The Illusion of Objectivity : The Kentucky Kernel

By Zach Walton

I make it a habit to run out to Barnes and Noble every month to pick up the newest issue of EDGE magazine ? the best gaming magazine in print right now.

I usually check out the other European import game magazines while I?m at it, and last time I picked up ?GamesMaster.? I picked it up for one phrase (and the free wallet) on the front of the magazine: ?unbiased reviews.? I asked myself: ?Why would a magazine use that to sell their product??
I think it?s a problem that magazines and other game criticism outlets have to constantly parade their ?unbiased reviews? when it?s such a lie.
Are we, as game consumers, so disenfranchised with game critics that we have to be told that a review is unbiased? When did we start to expect objectivity in game criticism?

Of course, when it comes to any sort of criticism we do expect some form of objectivity. You may even think that it?s possible to be objective in your criticism. I like to think I can be, but I know that I cannot.

Let?s take a look at reviews in general. Games that one expects to get good scores usually gets good scores. Would you call that bias? We have to look at the reviewer in question, the hype surrounding the game and the possible buy out of the review. It does happen and it will continue to happen.

Bias isn?t a bad thing though. It can and will be used for evil purposes when it comes to outside influences on occasion.

?GamesMaster? could have meant that their reviews are not bought and paid for, which is an increasing belief among cynical gamers. I, personally, don?t believe that reviews are hardly ever bought and paid for, but there is the occasional suspicious activity.
EA was recently caught trying to influence review scores for ?Battlefield 3? in Europe, and the only reviews run so far have been positive.

It?s common in this industry to let the media outlets that a publisher trusts run positive reviews before the more discriminating media outlets give the games less than positive scores.

I may have rambled a bit, but it all comes down to the idea that bias should be embraced. Bias can be a good thing when put in the right hands. Isn?t that the point of a review??To give opinion?

We, as game critics and consumers, need to realize our limits. You will never see me review a real-time strategy or traditional sports game. I have little interest in them, and my review would be unfair as it would come from someone who is already not going to like it.

Media outlets need to start assigning reviews to people who enjoy the genre in question to get positive bias.

There are some games that are meant to be sold to everyone, but a lot of games are going after a specific audience. Critics for those games need to be a part of that audience.

A big problem today is the Japanese role-playing game with critics who don?t necessarily like the genre, resulting in the critics reviewing the games and giving them low scores.

Then you get somebody who has a passion for the genre, who gives it a completely different score. Both voices are important, but the latter is more important for the game?s intended audience.

If the game in question can even wow a person, who is skeptical or downright hateful of the genre, then it is something special.
I had such an experience this past year with ?Civilization V.? It made me appreciate turn-based strategy games. Do I like all turn-based strategy games now? No, and I wouldn?t allow myself to review them on a regular basis. ?Civ V? was an exception to my play style, and I need to let that reflect in my review.

The only advice I can give is: gamers listen to fellow gamers first. Chances are your fellow gamers are more in tune with what you want out of the game than a critic is.

Game criticism is an important part of this industry, but sometimes it feels like they?re leaving the consumer behind. Listen to the positive bias and let that shape your buying decisions.

Source: http://kykernel.com/2011/10/27/gaming-4/

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Jacqueline Laurita to Ignore Teresa Giudice Forever, Source Claims


Dina Manzo may have recently come out and stood up for Teresa Giudice, but an insider tells Us Weekly fans of The Real Housewives of New Jersey should not expect the same thing to happen with Jacqueline Laurita.

Laurita "will never speak to Teresa again," this source claims.

Jacqueline Laurita PicPoor Teresa Giudice

Jacqueline, of course, did not show up for last Sunday's Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion special.

Caroline Manzo did... but she "hasn't spoken to Teresa in months," this mole adds, saying simply: "Everyone's fighting with Teresa."

What about the relationship between Melissa Gorga and her sister-in-law? They chat occasionally, but merely for "family stuff." Gorga chides Giudice for her attempts to tear their loved ones apart and says of the reunion:

"It was dramatic and painful to watch."

That second description is especially apt.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/10/jacqueline-laurita-to-ignore-teresa-giudice-forever-source-claim/

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500px for iPad: Look at the Most Beautifullest Pictures on Your iPad [IPad Apps]

Flickr is a shell of what it used to be, Instagram makes everyone's pictures look the same and Picasa isn't really ideal for browsing great pictures taken by a great community. 500px, on the other hand, seems to only have great pictures. Their iPad app is an extremely elegant way to browse them. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/C6kJP8wQNh8/500px-for-ipad-look-at-the-most-beautifullest-pictures-on-your-ipad

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Friday 28 October 2011

Copper jumps on economic European hopes (AP)

Copper prices rose Wednesday on hopes that European officials will craft a broad rescue plan to contain that region's financial crisis.

Copper for December delivery gained 6.95 cents, or 2 percent, to settle at $3.49 a pound. The rally puts copper up nearly 9 percent for the week.

The recent rally in copper is based largely on the belief that European minsters will agree on a far-reaching financial rescue plan for the region's banks and heavily indebted countries like Greece, said John Nadler, an analyst with Kitco Metals Inc.

Copper is up 15 percent since Friday, even though there don't appear to be any fundamental changes in the market for the physical metal itself, Nadler wrote in a note to clients Wednesday. That indicates most of the demand is from speculators who think demand for metals will rise after the European economy starts to recover.

Copper prices rose sharply this summer, trading as high as $4.48 a pound on July 29. But prices fell last month in part because demand for copper was weaker than expected in the U.S. housing market and elsewhere.

Nadler was skeptical that this week's rally will last. It could also be deflated if traders realize the bets on copper's future value pushed the metal's price far higher than actual demand can support.

"For my money, the let-down could be devastating. The sell-offs could be monumental," Nadler wrote.

Gold for December delivery rose $23.10, or 1 percent, to settle at $1,723.50 an ounce. December silver was up 25.8 cents, or less than 1 percent, to close at $33.31.

In other trading, December palladium fell $6.05, or almost 1 percent, to $646.05 an ounce. January platinum gained $28.40 to finish at $1,597.20 an ounce.

Crop prices fell. December wheat fell 16.75 cents, or 2.6 percent, to finish at $6.195 per bushel. December corn lost 13.5 cents, or 2 percent, to end at $6.3725 per bushel. November soybeans dropped 15 cents, or 1 percent, to finish at $12.105 a bushel.

Oil prices also dropped. Benchmark oil fell $2.97, or 3 percent, to $90.20 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Heating oil fell 3.02 cents to finish at $3.021 per gallon, gasoline futures dropped 4.94 cents to close at $2.6253 per gallon and natural gas lost 6.8 cents to close at $3.658 per 1,000 cubic feet.

___

Find Christopher Leonard on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cleonardnews

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111026/ap_on_bi_ge/us_commodities_review

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La Jolla Institute joins Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine

La Jolla Institute joins Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 27-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Bonnie Ward
contact@liai.org
619-303-3160
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology

Institute becomes 5th participant in novel stem cell research collaboration

SAN DIEGO (Oct.27, 2011) The La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology has become the fifth organization in the prestigious Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, joining colleagues from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, The Scripps Research Institute, University of California, San Diego and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in the first-of-its-kind multi-institutional stem cell research collaboration.

Slated to open its new collaborative research facility in November, the Sanford Consortium will marshal the intellectual resources of its five collaborating organizations all world-leaders in life sciences to improve human health through stem cell research.

"We are pleased that the La Jolla Institute has accepted our invitation to join the Sanford Consortium," said Edward W. Holmes, M.D., the Consortium's president and chief executive officer, adding that the La Jolla Institute's strong immunology expertise will complement and expand that of the collaborating organizations. "The foundation of the Sanford Consortium is to establish a "collaboratory" that brings together investigators with different expertise to exploit stem cells to improve human health," he said. "The addition of a body of investigators with expertise in immunology will expand the Consortium's breadth of science in a number of important ways."

A biomedical research nonprofit, the La Jolla Institute focuses on fighting disease through the study of the immune system and was recently ranked among the top five organizations worldwide for research impact in immunology.

Mitchell Kronenberg, Ph.D., La Jolla Institute president and chief scientific officer, said the Consortium offers strong potential for transformative research. "The Collaboratory will foster the kind of cross-disciplinary, cross-institutional research that accelerates discovery and leads to breakthroughs," he said. "We're all very excited about the possibilities."

In becoming part of the Sanford Consortium, La Jolla Institute faculty member Anjana Rao, Ph.D., a prominent genetics and cell biology researcher, will move part of her lab into the new building. Dr. Kronenberg becomes a member of the Consortium's 10-member Board of Directors, which includes UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, Ph.D., and leaders from the other collaborating organizations. The Board is co-chaired by San Diego philanthropists Irwin M. Jacobs, Sc.D., Malin Burnham and John Moores, and South Dakota-based philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, who provided a $30 million naming gift to the Consortium.

While retaining their independent research affiliations, researchers from the five organizations will work side by side to hasten the pace of stem cell research progress, and to discover and develop diagnostics, therapies and cures to relieve human suffering from chronic disease and injury.

Louis R. Coffman, Sanford Consortium vice president & chief operating officer, praised the La Jolla Institute's addition to the collaboration. "Their researchers have a wonderful reputation for science and perfectly align with the Consortium's overriding goal to catalyze great science."

Lawrence Goldstein, Ph.D., director of UC San Diego's Stem Cell Program, who will locate his lab in the Collaboratory, offered similar sentiments. "Obviously, we're delighted to have the involvement of such an outstanding Institute," he said. "This will not only bring the unique expertise of Anjana Rao to the Consortium, but we anticipate that it will boost collaborations between the Consortium organizations and many of the fine immunologists from the La Jolla Institute."

Coffman added that "Anjana is a wonderful addition to the San Diego research community and the other Consortium scientists are enthused about collaborating with her."

Dr. Rao joined the La Jolla Institute in 2010 as head of the Institute's Division of Signaling and Gene Expression, after many years as a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and the Immune Disease Institute in Boston. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors in American Science, Dr. Rao is well known for her many breakthrough discoveries that span a wide range of biomedical research, among them a calcium channel that regulates a family of transcription factors used by white blood cells to fight disease, and a family of DNA-modifying enzymes that have important roles in stem cell function and in cancer.

"The Consortium will be an ideal place to connect with people working on stem cell biology and neurobiology, which is where some of my research is tending lately," she said. "I look forward to the rare opportunity, which the Sanford Consortium affords, to interact with some of the world's top stem cell scientists on a daily basis. I expect the synergy to produce some remarkable science."

The Sanford Consortium, a nonprofit organization, was originally assembled in 2006 as the San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine with four members (Scripps, Salk, Sanford-Burnham and UC San Diego), but renamed in September 2008 after T. Denny Sanford's naming donation.

###

About La Jolla Institute

Founded in 1988, the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology is a biomedical research nonprofit focused on improving human health through increased understanding of the immune system. Its scientists carry out research seeking new knowledge leading to the prevention of disease through vaccines and the treatment and cure of infectious diseases, cancer, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 (juvenile) diabetes, Crohn's disease and asthma. La Jolla Institute's research staff includes more than 200 Ph.D.s and M.D.s. To learn more about the Institute's work, visit www.liai.org.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


La Jolla Institute joins Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 27-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Bonnie Ward
contact@liai.org
619-303-3160
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology

Institute becomes 5th participant in novel stem cell research collaboration

SAN DIEGO (Oct.27, 2011) The La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology has become the fifth organization in the prestigious Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, joining colleagues from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, The Scripps Research Institute, University of California, San Diego and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in the first-of-its-kind multi-institutional stem cell research collaboration.

Slated to open its new collaborative research facility in November, the Sanford Consortium will marshal the intellectual resources of its five collaborating organizations all world-leaders in life sciences to improve human health through stem cell research.

"We are pleased that the La Jolla Institute has accepted our invitation to join the Sanford Consortium," said Edward W. Holmes, M.D., the Consortium's president and chief executive officer, adding that the La Jolla Institute's strong immunology expertise will complement and expand that of the collaborating organizations. "The foundation of the Sanford Consortium is to establish a "collaboratory" that brings together investigators with different expertise to exploit stem cells to improve human health," he said. "The addition of a body of investigators with expertise in immunology will expand the Consortium's breadth of science in a number of important ways."

A biomedical research nonprofit, the La Jolla Institute focuses on fighting disease through the study of the immune system and was recently ranked among the top five organizations worldwide for research impact in immunology.

Mitchell Kronenberg, Ph.D., La Jolla Institute president and chief scientific officer, said the Consortium offers strong potential for transformative research. "The Collaboratory will foster the kind of cross-disciplinary, cross-institutional research that accelerates discovery and leads to breakthroughs," he said. "We're all very excited about the possibilities."

In becoming part of the Sanford Consortium, La Jolla Institute faculty member Anjana Rao, Ph.D., a prominent genetics and cell biology researcher, will move part of her lab into the new building. Dr. Kronenberg becomes a member of the Consortium's 10-member Board of Directors, which includes UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, Ph.D., and leaders from the other collaborating organizations. The Board is co-chaired by San Diego philanthropists Irwin M. Jacobs, Sc.D., Malin Burnham and John Moores, and South Dakota-based philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, who provided a $30 million naming gift to the Consortium.

While retaining their independent research affiliations, researchers from the five organizations will work side by side to hasten the pace of stem cell research progress, and to discover and develop diagnostics, therapies and cures to relieve human suffering from chronic disease and injury.

Louis R. Coffman, Sanford Consortium vice president & chief operating officer, praised the La Jolla Institute's addition to the collaboration. "Their researchers have a wonderful reputation for science and perfectly align with the Consortium's overriding goal to catalyze great science."

Lawrence Goldstein, Ph.D., director of UC San Diego's Stem Cell Program, who will locate his lab in the Collaboratory, offered similar sentiments. "Obviously, we're delighted to have the involvement of such an outstanding Institute," he said. "This will not only bring the unique expertise of Anjana Rao to the Consortium, but we anticipate that it will boost collaborations between the Consortium organizations and many of the fine immunologists from the La Jolla Institute."

Coffman added that "Anjana is a wonderful addition to the San Diego research community and the other Consortium scientists are enthused about collaborating with her."

Dr. Rao joined the La Jolla Institute in 2010 as head of the Institute's Division of Signaling and Gene Expression, after many years as a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and the Immune Disease Institute in Boston. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors in American Science, Dr. Rao is well known for her many breakthrough discoveries that span a wide range of biomedical research, among them a calcium channel that regulates a family of transcription factors used by white blood cells to fight disease, and a family of DNA-modifying enzymes that have important roles in stem cell function and in cancer.

"The Consortium will be an ideal place to connect with people working on stem cell biology and neurobiology, which is where some of my research is tending lately," she said. "I look forward to the rare opportunity, which the Sanford Consortium affords, to interact with some of the world's top stem cell scientists on a daily basis. I expect the synergy to produce some remarkable science."

The Sanford Consortium, a nonprofit organization, was originally assembled in 2006 as the San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine with four members (Scripps, Salk, Sanford-Burnham and UC San Diego), but renamed in September 2008 after T. Denny Sanford's naming donation.

###

About La Jolla Institute

Founded in 1988, the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology is a biomedical research nonprofit focused on improving human health through increased understanding of the immune system. Its scientists carry out research seeking new knowledge leading to the prevention of disease through vaccines and the treatment and cure of infectious diseases, cancer, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 (juvenile) diabetes, Crohn's disease and asthma. La Jolla Institute's research staff includes more than 200 Ph.D.s and M.D.s. To learn more about the Institute's work, visit www.liai.org.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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/2011-10/ljif-lj102611.php

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Top Republican assails Obama "reset" with Russia (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The top Republican in the Congress on Tuesday assailed President Barack Obama's "reset" policy with Russia as contrary to American interests and values, and urged him to rethink his approach in light of Vladimir Putin's impending return to the Kremlin.

House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, in a rare speech on foreign policy, warned that Russia's response to Obama's much-vaunted outreach was "nothing short of an attempt to restore Soviet-style power and influence."

Pushing for a tougher line, Boehner pressed Obama not to agree to Russia's long-sought accession to the World Trade Organization until it settles a territorial dispute with neighboring Georgia, a U.S. ally, rooted in their 2008 war.

In an address to the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, he also urged the administration to do more to "compel" Russia to curb its ties with Iran, particularly on nuclear and missile technology, and called for a stronger effort to get Moscow to address human rights concerns.

"The United States should insist Russia 'reset' its own policies. If those appeals require teeth, the House stands ready to approve them," Boehner said.

The White House defended Obama's Russia policy, saying it had succeeded in advancing U.S. efforts on a range of issues, including supplying troops in Afghanistan, imposing sanctions on Iran and agreeing to cuts in both countries' nuclear arms.

Taking aim at the reengagement with Russia that Obama has touted as one of his top foreign policy achievements, Boehner voiced suspicion harbored by many U.S. conservatives over the decision by Putin, a former KGB spymaster, to reclaim the presidency next year.

"Soon, Russia will be officially led by someone known to harbor intense Soviet nostalgia," he said.

Boehner's speech, at a time when Republicans are deadlocked with Obama over domestic policy, sought to raise fresh doubts over the Democratic president's global leadership and broaden the assault on his record beyond his economic stewardship.

Obama can blunt Boehner's challenge by pointing to foreign policy successes such as his promise to pull the last U.S. troops from Iraq and the death of U.S. opponents Osama bin Laden, radical Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

But polls show foreign policy is likely to gain little traction in the 2012 election campaign, when concerns over the stagnant U.S. economy and high unemployment are expected drive voters' decision whether or not to give Obama a second term.

PLAYS BALL WITH 'DANGEROUS REGIMES'?

Boehner said that since Obama took office nearly three years ago, Russia "has been the beneficiary of American outreach and engagement."

He said Russia, in response, has "continued to expand its physical, political and economic presence," uses its vast energy resources as a political weapon and "plays ball with unstable and dangerous regimes."

With Putin -- who held the presidency from 2000-2008 -- apparently assured of returning to office in the March election, Boehner said: "It's only appropriate to ask whether the Obama administration will now reconsider its policy toward Russia."

The White House has insisted that the reset in relations would remain on track despite the looming leadership reshuffle in Moscow.

Analysts say that even though Putin has been the power behind the scenes, his return to the presidency could undermine some progress achieved under his protege, President Dmitry Medvedev, toward reconciling the former Cold War foes.

There are also doubts whether Putin, known for a more nationalistic tone and strident anti-U.S. rhetoric, will be able to develop much of personal rapport with Obama, who worked well with the technocratic Medvedev.

"We have remained unwavering in our commitment to democratic principle and our support for European security," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.

He said Obama had showed that "his national security policies deliver on behalf of American interests, and we have made it clear that the United States will not support Russia's WTO accession until Russia and Georgia reach agreement on their outstanding trade-related issues."

Boehner said he was not arguing for "open conflict" and cited potential cooperation on arms control, counterterrorism and trade. But he made clear his view that Obama's approach had neglected human rights and political reform in Russia.

"We cannot sacrifice values or get away with walling off our interests from our moral imperatives," Boehner said, calling on the Obama administration to "publicly, forcefully, frequently" on rights issues instead of downplaying them.

Human rights activists have criticized the administration for not taking a strong enough stand on the issue with world powers like Russia and China. The White House insists reserves his toughest language for private talks with leaders.

(Editing by Todd Eastham and Philip Barbara)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111025/pl_nm/us_usa_russia_boehner

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Thursday 27 October 2011

Faraway Eris is Pluto's twin

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

In November 2010, the distant dwarf planet Eris passed in front of a faint background star, an event called an occultation. These occurrences are very rare and difficult to observe as the dwarf planet is very distant and small. The next such event involving Eris will not happen until 2013. Occultations provide the most accurate, and often the only, way to measure the shape and size of a distant Solar System body.

The candidate star for the occultation was identified by studying pictures from the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory. The observations were carefully planned and carried out by a team of astronomers from a number of (mainly French, Belgian, Spanish and Brazilian) universities using ? among others ? the TRAPPIST telescope, also at La Silla.

"Observing occultations by the tiny bodies beyond Neptune in the Solar System requires great precision and very careful planning. This is the best way to measure Eris's size, short of actually going there," explains Bruno Sicardy, the lead author.

Observations of the occultation were attempted from 26 locations around the globe on the predicted path of the dwarf planet's shadow ? including several telescopes at amateur observatories, but only two sites were able to observe the event directly, both of them located in Chile. One was at ESO's La Silla Observatory using the TRAPPIST telescope, and the other was located in San Pedro de Atacama and used two telescopes. All three telescopes recorded a sudden drop in brightness as Eris blocked the light of the distant star.

The combined observations from the two Chilean sites indicate that Eris is close to spherical. These measurements should accurately measure its shape and size as long as they are not distorted by the presence of large mountains. Such features are, however, unlikely on such a large icy body.

Eris was identified as a large object in the outer Solar System in 2005. Its discovery was one of the factors that led to the creation of a new class of objects called dwarf planets and the reclassification of Pluto from planet to dwarf planet in 2006. Eris is currently three times further from the Sun than Pluto.

While earlier observations using other methods suggested that Eris was probably about 25% larger than Pluto with an estimated diameter of 3000 kilometres, the new study proves that the two objects are essentially the same size. Eris's newly determined diameter stands at 2326 kilometres, with an accuracy of 12 kilometres. This makes its size better known than that of its closer counterpart Pluto, which has a diameter estimated to be between 2300 and 2400 kilometres. Pluto's diameter is harder to measure because the presence of an atmosphere makes its edge impossible to detect directly by occultations. The motion of Eris's satellite Dysnomia was used to estimate the mass of Eris. It was found to be 27% heavier than Pluto Combined with its diameter, this provided Eris's density, estimated at 2.52 grams per cm^3.

"This density means that Eris is probably a large rocky body covered in a relatively thin mantle of ice," comments Emmanuel Jehin, who contributed to the study.

The surface of Eris was found to be extremely reflective, reflecting 96% of the light that falls on it (a visible albedo of 0.96). This is even brighter than fresh snow on Earth, making Eris one of the most reflective objects in the Solar System, along with Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. The bright surface of Eris is most likely composed of a nitrogen-rich ice mixed with frozen methane ? as indicated by the object's spectrum ? coating the dwarf planet's surface in a thin and very reflective icy layer less than one millimetre thick.

"This layer of ice could result from the dwarf planet's nitrogen or methane atmosphere condensing as frost onto its surface as it moves away from the Sun in its elongated orbit and into an increasingly cold environment," Jehin adds. The ice could then turn back to gas as Eris approaches its closest point to the Sun, at a distance of about 5.7 billion kilometres.

The new results also allow the team to make a new measurement for the surface temperature of the dwarf planet. The estimates suggest a temperature for the surface facing the Sun of -238 Celsius at most, and an even lower value for the night side of Eris.

"It is extraordinary how much we can find out about a small and distant object such as Eris by watching it pass in front of a faint star, using relatively small telescopes. Five years after the creation of the new class of dwarf planets, we are finally really getting to know one of its founding members," concludes Bruno Sicardy.

###

ESO: http://www.eso.org

Thanks to ESO 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/114656/Faraway_Eris_is_Pluto_s_twin

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FCC set to unveil rules for rural broadband fund (AP)

NEW YORK ? Federal regulators are set to reveal their plan Thursday for an overhaul of the $8 billion fund that subsidizes phone service in rural areas and for the poor, with the goal of redirecting the money toward broadband expansion.

The Federal Communications Commission is also preparing to disclose new rules for the byzantine system that governs how phone companies pay each other for phone calls. It's a system that, virtually everyone in the industry agrees, is outdated and leads to perverse schemes by carriers to stimulate certain kinds of phone traffic.

However, reform of the system has been held up for years by competing interests.

Together, the new rules are set to be the Obama administration's most significant overhaul of telecommunications regulations. The five-member commission will vote on the rules at a meeting Thursday morning.

The Universal Service Fund was created to ensure that all Americans have access to a basic telephone line. It is supported by a surcharge on long-distance phone bills. The program subsidizes phone service for the poor and pays for Internet access in schools, libraries and rural health clinics. But more than half the money goes to pay phone companies that provide phone service in rural places where lines are supposedly unprofitable.

John Stephens, chief financial officer of the country's biggest phone company, AT&T Inc., told investors and analysts last week that "in general, we're very positive to the idea of getting a refresh of those rules."

AT&T and the other big phone companies have put forward their own reform proposal. The FCC's plan is expected to borrow at least some features from it. That plan suggested capping the size of the new fund at $4.5 billion annually, giving subsidies to only one provider in an area and directing funds toward places where there is no business case for companies to provide service on their own. In addition, it would fund wireless broadband access in remote or rugged areas where wired line construction costs the most.

Policy director Matt Wood at consumer advocacy group Free Press said the phone-company plan had "very little to do with increasing broadband adoption, and everything to do with allowing monopoly local phone providers to reach further into the pockets of consumers."

Meanwhile, small rural phone companies have their own plan, and are apprehensive that the FCC will place limits on how they use their funding and divert money to wireless broadband.

The FCC estimated last year that 9.2 million U.S. households, or about 26 million people, don't have access to wired broadband. Excluding those who can get broadband wirelessly, the number shrinks to 5 million households or 14 million people. That's 4.5 percent of the population.

Telecom consultant Rory Altman at Altman Vilandrie & Co. notes that broadband coverage has spread much faster than phone service once did, and further funding might not accomplish much.

"What are we trying to solve by funneling more money into this?" he asked.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111026/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_rural_broadband

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