Poultry probiotic cuts its coat to beat bad bacteria

Mar. 27, 2013 ? A strain of probiotic bacteria that can fight harmful bacterial infections in poultry has the ability to change its coat, according to new findings from the Institute of Food Research.

The probiotic is currently being taken forward through farm-scale trials to evaluate how well it combats Clostridium perfringens -- a cause of necrotic enteritis in poultry and the second most common cause of food poisoning in the UK

The researchers at IFR, which is strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, had previously found that the probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonsii, when given to young chicks, prevents the colonisation of C. perfringens. Now, in research published in the journal PLOS ONE, they have found that the probiotic bacteria have the ability to alter their coat. They speculate that this could be one way in which the probiotic outcompete C. perfringens.

The researchers noticed when examining the bacteria that a small number of them appear smooth. They identified genes responsible for making a special coat, or slime capsule, which the bacteria surround themselves in. This protects the bacteria from stomach acids and bile salts, and helps them come together to form biofilms. It may also protect against drying out when outside the host. The natural appearance of smooth mutants could be a ploy used by the bacteria to introduce variation into its populations, making them able to take advantage of different environments.

By turning off one or more of the coat genes, they could see what effect this had on its ability to stick to gut tissues. "The next step is to understand the regulation of the genes involved in making the coat" said Dr Arjan Narbad, who led the studies. "We want to find out whether changing the coat affects the probiotic's fitness to colonise and inhabit the gut."

This in turn could prevent C. perfringens from colonising the gut. This competitive exclusion could be one reason why the probiotic strain prevents the growth of other harmful bacteria.

Understanding the role of the slime capsule coat will inform the commercial development of this strain as a preventative treatment for C. perfringens infection in poultry, especially in regard to how the probiotic is stored and produced. Through the technology transfer company Plant Bioscience Ltd, the strain has been patented and is now in large-scale farm trials to assess its efficacy. As these bacteria have previously been used in the food chain and are considered safe for human consumption, this probiotic strain could become new way of controlling C. perfringens.

As there is a growing pressure to reduce the use of antibiotics in farming, new products are needed to maintain animal welfare standards, reduce the huge costs of necrosis in poultry and help keep our food safe.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Norwich BioScience Institutes.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Nikki Horn, Udo Wegmann, Enes Dertli, Francis Mulholland, Samuel R. A. Collins, Keith W. Waldron, Roy J. Bongaerts, Melinda J. Mayer, Arjan Narbad. Spontaneous Mutation Reveals Influence of Exopolysaccharide on Lactobacillus johnsonii Surface Characteristics. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (3): e59957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059957

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/O0ogdd649bs/130327190538.htm

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Sun block for the 'Big Dog': Astronomers detect titanium oxide and titanium dioxide around the giant star VY Canis Majoris

Mar. 27, 2013 ? An international team of astronomers, including researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and from the University of Cologne, successfully identified two titanium oxides in the extended atmosphere around a giant star. The object VY Canis Major is one of the largest stars in the known universe and close to the end of its life. The detection was made using telescope arrays in the USA and in France.

The discovery was made in the course of a study of a spectacular star, VY Canis Majoris or VY CMa for short, which is a variable star located in the constellation Canis Major (Greater Dog). "VY CMa is not an ordinary star, it is one of the largest stars known, and it is close the end of its life," says Tomasz Kami?ski from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR). In fact, with a size of about one to two thousand times that of the Sun, it could extend out to the orbit of Saturn if it were placed in the centre of our Solar System.

The star ejects large quantities of material which forms a dusty nebula. It becomes visible because of the small dust particles that form around it which reflect light from the central star. The complexity of this nebula has been puzzling astronomers for decades. It has been formed as a result of stellar wind, but it is not understood well why it is so far from having a spherical shape.

Neither is known what physical process blows the wind, i.e. what lifts the material up from the stellar surface and makes it expand. "The fate of VY CMa is to explode as a supernova, but it is not known exactly when it will happen," adds Karl Menten, head of the "Millimetre and Submillimetre Astronomy" Department at MPIfR.

Observations at different wavelengths provide different pieces of information which is characteristic for atomic and molecular gas and from which physical properties of an astronomical object can be derived. Each molecule has a characteristic set of lines, something like a 'bar code', that allows to identify what molecules exist in the nebula.

"Emission at short radio wavelengths, in so-called submillimetre waves, is particularly useful for such studies of molecules," says Sandra Br?nken from the University of Cologne. "The identification of molecules is easier and usually a larger abundance of molecules can be observed than at other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum."

The research team observed TiO and TiO₂ for the first time at radio wavelengths. In fact, titanium dioxide has been seen in space unambiguously for the first time. It is known from every-day life as the main component of the commercially most important white pigment (known by painters as "titanium white") or as an ingredient in sunscreens. It is also quite possible that the reader consumed some amounts of it as it is used to colour food (coded as E171 in the labels).

However, stars, especially the coolest of them, are expected to eject large quantities of titanium oxides, which, according to theory, form at relatively high temperatures close to the star. "They tend to cluster together to form dust particles visible in the optical or in the infrared," says Nimesh Patel from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "And the catalytic properties of TiO₂ may influence the chemical processes taking place on these dust particles, which are very important for forming larger molecules in space," adds Holger M?ller from the University of Cologne.

Absorption features of TiO have been known from spectra in the visible region for more than a hundred years. In fact, these features are used in part to classify some types of stars with low surface temperatures (M- and S-type stars). The pulsation of Mira stars, one specific class of variable stars, is thought to be caused by titanium oxide. Mira stars, supergiant variable stars in a late stage of their evolution, are named after their prototype star "Mira" (the wonderful) in the constellation of Cetus (the 'sea monster' or the 'whale').

The observations of TiO and TiO₂ show that the two molecules are easily formed around VY CMa at a location that is more or less as predicted by theory. It seems, however, that some portion of those molecules avoid forming dust and are observable as gas phase species. Another possibility is that the dust is destroyed in the nebula and releases fresh TiO molecules back to the gas. The latter scenario is quite likely as parts of the wind in VY CMa seem to collide with each other.

The new detections at submillimetre wavelengths are particularly important because they allow studying the process of dust formation. Also, at optical wavelengths, the radiation emitted by the molecules is scattered by dust present in the extended nebula which blurs the picture, while this effect is negligible at radio wavelengths allowing for more precise measurements.

The discoveries of TiO and TiO₂ in the spectrum of VY CMa have been made with the Submillimetre Array (SMA), a radio interferometer located at Hawaii, USA. Because the instrument combines eight antennas which worked together as one big telescope 226-meters in size, astronomers were able to make observations at unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution. A confirmation of the new detections was successively made later with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) located in the French Alps.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. T. Kami?ski, C. A. Gottlieb, K. M. Menten, N. A. Patel, K. H. Young, S. Br?nken, H. S. P. M?ller, M. C. McCarthy, J. M. Winters, L. Decin. Pure rotational spectra of TiO and TiO2in VY Canis Majoris. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2013; 551: A113 DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201220290

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/astronomy/~3/2TrLzq1N3xU/130327143841.htm

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Pageonce (for iPhone)

Sometimes, when you're out and about and the day's been hectic, it'll hit you that?oh no, you didn't schedule that credit card or student loan payment like you intended. And it's the fourth of the month which means your rent is officially four days late, and the grace period is only five days. In times of financial panic, the Pageonce mobile app (free) proves its worth. The free app, available for iPhone (the focus of this review), Android, Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry, lets you see a snapshot of all your account balances and upcoming bills, with bill-payment functionality included, too. You can manage payments to credit card companies, utility providers, lenders, and even small proprietors, such as your landlord.

Don't mistake Pageonce for a complete financial management tool, though. You won't find in it budgeting tools or detailed information about your spending habits, something Editors' Choice Mint.com (free, 5 stars) provides through a fully automated site and mobile app. If your goal is to get a handle on your money, I highly recommend dedicating yourself to Mint. Pageonce is more for checking in on your financial situation and making quick corrections when you need to pay your bills. It has one or two other miscellaneous features thrown in, such as the ability to see at a glance many of your travel reward program balances, but the core Pageonce experience on an iPhone is to answer the question, "Do I have enough money in the right places right now?"

Fully Free
It may be worth pointing out that Pageonce formerly locked some features behind a paid Gold membership, but the company has done away with this premium tier. All Pageonce's features and functionality are now totally free.

You can set up a Pageonce account either right on your iPhone or from the full Pageonce.com website?and while we're on that subject, I should note that in my review of Pageonce, I point out that the mobile apps meet a need more than the website does. For setting up your accounts, it helps to have a full screen, keyboard, mouse, and additional browser tabs at the ready. But in actually getting use out of Pageonce, I wholly prefer the mobile app over the site. I think the former meets a consumer need better than the latter. For what it's worth, you can set up a Pageonce account right in the iPhone app if you prefer.

App Features
Inside the iPhone app, a plus sign at the upper right corner is your key to adding more accounts. Connect any kind of financial account?savings, checking, investment, retirement, loan?and the balance will be counted toward your Pageonce net worth (updated once daily, with a manual refresh option included). As mentioned, you can also connect to online accounts for bills, be they for insurance policies, Internet service, gas and electricity, or phone service. Whenever one of these bills or your credit card bill is near due, Pageonce will let you know via an alert, shown at the bottom of the screen.

The app's main dashboard, or Overview page, shows totals for available cash, bills owed and minimum payment due, investment balances, credit card debt, offers (essentially, advertisements for financial services), and Credit Guard (an offer for a credit report and protection service). These six items appear as easy-to-access tiles on the main dashboard.

Other buttons at the top let you manage existing connected accounts, view reports, access your settings, and add new accounts.

The reporting section contains a few interesting bits of information, such as a "file cabinet" that houses previous bill statements, although in testing the app, only two of my connected accounts put any information here, even though I had at least two more accounts that generate a monthly statement.

Another sub-section to the Reports page shows "all your account transactions." This area proves useful when you need to quickly check to see what changed recently in an account if the balance seems off from what you expected it to be. Also under the Reports page is payment history, although it doesn't contain any information prior to the date you connected your financial accounts to Pageonce. And finally, there's "Where your money's going," the place you can actually find real reports. Pie charts and tables detail your expenditures into five simple categories: bills and utilities; insurance; credit cards; loans; and other. In my testing, I found the report just didn't accurately capture what I truly wanted to know about my spending habits, like if I spend much more than I realize eating out, and whether I might be able to cut back on that kind of unnecessary expense to fund something else I need or want. Mint not only has those features, but it does most of the work for me in terms of identifying different kinds of credit card charges.

Bill Pay
The bill pay function is what makes Pageonce worthwhile for some people, namely, those who forget to pay their bills until the day before they're due (or later). ?

You can pay a bill, right from within the app, but the very first time you do so, it isn't exactly a one-two-three process (it does become more streamlined afterward, though). Let's say you want to pay your upcoming credit card bill. First, you have to enter the full credit card account number, even if that card is already connected to Pageonce. Second, you have to enter the complete information, account and routing numbers, from the checking account you want to use to pay.

Also, it can take up to two business days for a payment to process. That's typically of any online payment you initiate, however, so it's the same results you'd see from making an online payment right from your service provider's website.

One minor problem: In my account, I had one bill payment already scheduled (which I did outside Pageonce), but Pageonce had no knowledge of it, so had I not been careful, I might have tried to pay the same bill twice and double-taxed my own checking account. One thing I've always appreciated about making payments to one particular credit card company is that it pops up a warning if I try to schedule a payment within three days of an existing scheduled payment. You wouldn't believe how often I try to pay my bills more than once.

Security
Pageonce has good security measures in place to keep your financial information safe. You can't transfer money using Pageonce, so no one else can move your money through this service either. All your account info is kept under lock and key. Similar to Mint.com, Pageonce doesn't store any information on the phone itself, and uses bank-level encryption.

The app has a four-digit PIN, which you enter every time you exit the app or your phone goes on standby. Furthermore, Pageonce is VeriSign Secured (i.e., tested and approved by Norton) and TrustE approved.

Pageonce in a Pinch
The Pageonce iPhone app delivers on its promise to quickly show you your account balances as well as set up a bill to be paid on the fly when you forget to do it ahead of time. If you're the kind of person always getting hit by late charges, give Pageonce a try. But if you're looking for real guidance about how to manage your money and debts, put yourself in the hands of Editors' Choice Mint.com.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/J_z3e6wpppI/0,2817,2399531,00.asp

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Certain breast cancers have a trait that could be attacked by new therapies

Mar. 27, 2013 ? More than 100 women per day die from breast cancer in the United States. The odds of developing breast cancer increase for women taking hormone replacement therapy to avoid the effects of menopause. New research by University of Missouri scientist Salman Hyder may lead to treatments for breast cancers associated with taking these synthetic hormones. Hyder, along with an international team, found that hormone-therapy-related breast cancer cells have a physical feature that could be attacked by cancer therapies.

"We identified a specific cell membrane protein that blocks cell death in breast cancer cells and allows these cells to grow in response to hormone replacement therapy," said Hyder. "Others have observed an over-abundance of these proteins in a population of breast cancer cells which may explain increased risk of breast cancer in women who consume hormone replacement therapy. Therapies could be developed that would block the activity of these cell membrane proteins, which would make cancer cells more likely to die. The membrane protein is known as PGRMC1."

The proteins identified by Hyder and his colleagues were affected by progestin, one of the hormones given to women to stave off the effects of menopause. Progestin is a synthetic chemical which mimics the hormone progesterone. In hormone replacement therapy, doctors prescribe progestin along with synthetic replicas of the hormone, estrogen.

"Every progestin type that we have tested has negative effects," said Hyder. "A growing body of evidence suggests women should be wary before taking progestin. However, if women take only synthetic estrogens, such as estradiol, it leads to a higher risk of uterine cancer. Hence, the two must be taken together, but even then they seem to still increase cancer risks in post-menopausal women."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Hans Neubauer, Xiangyan Ruan, Helen Schneck, Harald Seeger, Michael A. Cahill, Yayun Liang, Benfor Mafuvadze, Salman M. Hyder, Tanja Fehm, Alfred O. Mueck. Overexpression of progesterone receptor membrane component 1. Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society, 2012; : 1 DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3182755c97

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/SHkVesu6mas/130327163258.htm

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2013 XXL Freshmen Revealed: Schoolboy Q, Trinidad James Lead Class

Hip-hop magazine says 2013's class may be the 'best ever,' and includes Chief Keef as the '11th Freshman.'
By Rob Markman

The cover of XXL's May/June issue
Photo: XXL

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704418/xxl-freshmen-class-2013.jhtml

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Ian Somerhalder or Stephen Amell: Who Should Star in Fifty Shades of Grey?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/ian-somerhalder-or-stephen-amell-who-should-star-in-fifty-shades/

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what are our options? - Zillow Real Estate Advice

Wow, asbestos, electrical problems through the whole house, chimney damage, no attic venting and more. I would not chalk it up as a $450 loss, that is a $450 well spent.? That $450 just saved you thousands on a really bad decision, run away from that house and seller fast and don't look back.

Source: http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/what-are-our-options/482126/

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Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

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Huge flood on Mars? Orbiter data shows evidence of ancient megaflood.

Huge flood on Mars: Data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter hints at at extensive flooding in the Red Planet's ancient past.

By Alicia Chang,?AP Science Writer / March 8, 2013

This image provided by NASA and taken by a camera aboard NASA?s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the equatorial plains region known as Elysium Planitia on Mars. Using a radar instrument aboard the spacecraft, scientists made a 3-D map of flood channels below the surface of Mars, apparently created by past flooding. The findings were reported online, March 7, in the journal Science.

NASA/AP

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The face of?Mars?is dotted with a maze of channels, pointing to possible ancient megaflood episodes.

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Now scientists peering below the surface have uncovered the first evidence of underground channels apparently created by?flooding?? a finding that's expected to further illuminate the role of water in?Mars' history.

Using a ground-piercing radar sensor aboard the?Mars?Reconnaissance Orbiter, a team of scientists created 3-D maps of an equatorial region known as Elysium Planitia and the channels that run underneath the plains.

Besides the contributions from rovers and landers, "our view of the red planet has largely been restricted to looking at the surface" from orbiting spacecraft, said lead researcher Gareth Morgan, a planetary scientist at the Smithsonian Institution.

The research, published online Thursday in the journal Science, offers a new perspective below the Martian surface and hints of past?flooding?at a time when the planet was mostly thought to be cold and desert-like. The channels remained hidden because the once volcanically active region had been filled in by lava flows hundreds of millions years ago.

Dry channels on the Martian surface were first spied by Mariner 9 in 1971. Later observations by the Viking spacecraft suggested the geologic features were likely carved by water.?Mars?missions since then have used sophisticated instruments to image these winding channels.

The latest 3-D maps, painstakingly pieced together from radar data collected by numerous spacecraft passes, have already changed scientists' notions: The channels are deeper than expected, a sign that?flooding?was more extensive than generally believed.

Morgan said the origin of the ancient floodwaters likely came from a deep reservoir and were possibly unleashed by a volcanic eruption.

Brown University?Mars?expert John Mustard called the new work "totally cool and significant."

"It shows a completely new dimension for considering the evolution of?Mars," Mustard, who was not part of the study, said in an email.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/aiQQ_YyuM8c/Huge-flood-on-Mars-Orbiter-data-shows-evidence-of-ancient-megaflood

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In a rising economy, politicians look for credit

FILE - In this March 8, 2013 file photo, specialist Donald Civitanova, right, works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. When it comes to the economy, presidents usually get the rap for downturns and reap benefits from upturns. But the main factors affecting the current recovery and the record activity in the stock market may have less to do with high-profile fiscal policy fights in Washington than they do in the decisions of the Federal Reserve Bank, which has pumped trillions of dollars into the economy, kept interests rates at near zero and pushed investors away from low-yield bonds to stocks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - In this March 8, 2013 file photo, specialist Donald Civitanova, right, works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. When it comes to the economy, presidents usually get the rap for downturns and reap benefits from upturns. But the main factors affecting the current recovery and the record activity in the stock market may have less to do with high-profile fiscal policy fights in Washington than they do in the decisions of the Federal Reserve Bank, which has pumped trillions of dollars into the economy, kept interests rates at near zero and pushed investors away from low-yield bonds to stocks. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Increased hiring, lower unemployment, stock market on the rise. Who gets the credit?

It's a hotly debated point in Washington, where political scorekeeping amounts to who gets blame and who gets praise.

Following Friday's strong jobs report ? 236,000 new jobs and unemployment dropping to a four-year low of 7.7 percent ? partisans hurriedly staked out turf.

"Woot woot!" tweeted former White House economic adviser Austan Goolsbee. "With 12 million still unemployed?" countered Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's spokesman, Don Stewart.

When it comes to the economy, presidents usually get the rap for downturns and reap benefits from upturns. But the main factors affecting the current recovery and the record activity in the stock market may have less to do with high-profile fiscal policy fights in Washington than they do in the decisions of the Federal Reserve Bank, which has pumped trillions of dollars into the economy, kept interests rates at near zero and pushed investors away from low-yield bonds to stocks.

"From a policy standpoint, this is being driven primarily by the Fed," said Mark Vitner, an economist at Wells Fargo.

Yet to some, Washington deserves little recognition.

"Economies recover," said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and now head of the American Action Forum, a conservative public policy institute. He acknowledged the Fed's monetary policies halted the initial free fall by the financial industry, but he said the economy has had to catch up to the Fed's low interest rates.

"It took a long time for the housing market for them to matter and for the auto market for them to matter," Holtz-Eakin said. "So I don't think that's a policy victory."

If Democrats are eager to give President Barack Obama acclaim for spurring the recovery with an infusion of spending in 2009, there are just as many Republicans who will claim his health care law and his regulatory regimes slowed it.

If there is common ground among economists, it is that the next step in fiscal policy should be focused on reining in long-term spending on entitlements programs, particularly Medicare, instead of continuing debates over short-term spending. But such a grand bargain has been elusive, caught in a fight over Obama's desire for more tax revenue and Republican opposition to more tax increases.

Obama and some Republicans are trying to move the process with phone calls and a dinner here and a luncheon there. Next week, the president plans to address Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate in separate meetings.

Who gets credit does have political consequences. A strong economy would create more space for Obama to pursue other aspects of his second-term agenda. But it's an important question for the long term, too, because if the recovery is indeed accelerating it could validate the policies that the Obama administration and the Fed put in place.

Hiring has been boosted by high corporate profits and by strength in the housing, auto, manufacturing and construction sectors. Corporate profits are up. Still, it might be too soon to declare victory. While the recovery may be getting traction, the U.S. economy is not yet strong.

Economic growth is forecast to be a modest 2 percent this year. Unemployment, even as it drops, remains high nearly four years after the end of the Great Recession, with roughly 12 million people out of work.

Last year's early months also showed strong job gains only to see them fade by June.

March could prove to be a more telling indicator as the economy responds to a third month of higher Social Security taxes and as across-the-board spending cuts that kicked in March 1 begin to work their way through government programs. Economists say anticipation of the cuts already caused a downturn in the fourth quarter of last year as the defense industry slowed spending. The Congressional Budget Office and some private forecasters say the coming cuts could reduce economic growth by about half a percentage point and cost about 700,000 jobs by the end of 2014.

"My view is that aggressive monetary and fiscal policy response to the recovery has been a net positive," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics.

But referring to the automatic cuts, he said, "Fiscal policies have turned from a very powerful tailwind to a pretty significant head wind." And, he added, "the economy is going to be tested again in the next few months."

Obama has been distancing himself from the potential consequences of the automatic cuts, even though he signed the legislation that put them in place. Initially, they were designed to be so onerous that it would force all sides to work out a long-term deficit-reduction and debt-stabilization package. But that agreement never materialized.

If the recovery has been slow, White House officials argue, it is because Republicans have been unwilling to yield to Obama's demands for deficit reduction that combines tax increases and cuts in spending.

Vitner, the Wells Fargo economist, argues that if anyone deserves credit for the recovery, it is the American public and American businesses "for being able to tune out all the noise that's coming from Washington."

"It's remarkable," he said, "that in the face of so much political uncertainty we've been able to see the growth that we have."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-09-US-Economy-Who-Gets-Credit/id-96d22d6ec81d4d9d95b52dedcd0e8d0a

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Red Wine's Link to Health Gains Support

New evidence suggests the mechanism of action for a red wine compound that some say is linked to a longer life span. Resveratrol acts directly on a protein that has been linked to cell metabolism and inflammatory diseases

By Heidi Ledford and Nature magazine

Image: Getty Images

The discovery that a compound in red wine may provide a healthier and longer life had guaranteed popular appeal, but the suggestion has been attacked from all sides. One such skirmish ? a debate about the hypothesized benefits of one particular compound ? may now be resolved.

In Science this week, researchers show that the compound, called resveratrol, acts directly on a protein that has been linked to cell metabolism and inflammatory diseases.

?This will be a major step forward for the field,? says David Sinclair, a molecular biologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and lead author of the study. ?The controversy has no doubt scared people off from studying these molecules.?

Unhealthy glow
A decade ago, Sinclair and his co-workers reported that resveratrol activated SIRT1, a member of a family of enzymes that remove acetyl groups from proteins and are thought to be involved in ageing and metabolism. The team's result was based on an assay that used a peptide bearing a tag that would fluoresce when the acetyl group was removed.

Shortly afterwards, Sinclair co-founded Sirtris, a company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that used the assay to search for SIRT1-activating compounds that might serve as potential therapies for ageing-related diseases. Just four years later, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a large pharmaceutical company based in London, snatched up the company for US$720 million. It was a controversial acquisition, in part because GSK?s internal scientists couldn't reproduce the SIRT1 activation with untagged peptides.

They were not the only ones: other groups had reported that resveratrol boosted the activity of SIRT1 only when a bulky, hydrophobic tag was present on the peptide. ?People thought it was an artifact,? says Brian Kennedy, chief executive of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, California, and one of the researchers who initially reported concerns about the assay.

Direct evidence
But Sinclair and his colleagues now report that some of the naturally occurring targets that are amenable to SIRT1 activation by resveratrol and other such compounds have a common feature: bulky, hydrophobic amino acids at a key position.?

The team also identified a SIRT1 mutation that blocked the effects of resveratrol and other SIRT1-activating compounds on mitochondria

The study provides an important clarification, says Matt Kaeberlein, who studies ageing at the University of Washington in Seattle. But resveratrol interacts with numerous proteins, he adds, and it is still unclear to what extent the compound's biological effects are caused by its interaction with SIRT1.

And for now, those biological effects remain controversial, as laboratories quarrel over whether SIRT1 activation really does boost lifespan, notes Kaeberlein.

??The field is overly polarized right now,? agrees Kennedy. ?We need to find the correct middle ground.?

This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on March 7, 2013.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=48946807855f6031a2f973540b99838b

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Guest post: Turkish businesswomen need more access to finance ...

By Mike Davey of the EBRD

Turkey has been looking for ways to modernise and grow for decades, but this is particularly true today. And now it is noticing its biggest under-utilised resource: women.

Many images of Turkey include women in headscarves. It is probably the Turks? least favourite image: many Turks are concerned that it does not properly reflect the fact that Turkey is a modern country. Some will remind you of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk?s words: ?Humankind is made up of men and women; if one half of a whole is chained to earth, how can the other half soar??

Legally and officially, women have full equality. And they are capable of great achievements. In ?modern?, metropolitan Turkey one meets highly-successful women from prominent business families, playing key roles in their family companies. Guler Sabanci is head of the multi-billion dollar business, Sabanci Holding. The president of the Turkish Industry and Business Association?s Board of Directors is Umit Boyner. Many daughters and nieces from business-owning families go and get their MBAs and return to work for the family company.

But both anecdotally and statistically speaking, Turkey does not score well in terms of gender inclusion. Attitudes and traditions dictate that a son, rather than a daughter, starts or inherits a business. Access to finance for women entrepreneurs and their small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is insufficient.

The current AKP government has a gender agenda; one of its aims is to increase female participation in the labour market by providing more opportunities in smaller municipalities. But the private sector, particularly banks, needs to do more to help women entrepreneurs.

SMEs feed most Turkish families, accounting for three-quarters of all employment. Statistics show that about 40 per cent of Turkish SMEs are owned or co-owned by women (curiously far fewer have women in top management ? only 12 per cent). Women are strongly represented in the textiles, chemicals, retail and service industries. Yet only 15 or so per cent of female-owned micro, small and medium-sized enterprises get their financing thorough banks.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has been operating in Turkey since 2009, and we see the need to address these issues. It was in Turkey that we launched the EBRD?s first credit line aimed specifically at women entrepreneurs (?60m through the local Garanti Bank, which was also the first private bank in Turkey to launch a women entrepreneurs? support package). This credit line is aimed at women outside the three biggest cities of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir (where access to finance is relatively stronger).

We are working on the second credit line for ?20 million with another local private bank, Yapi Kredi. We have also started to include a gender element in projects we finance directly; one of them, the privatisation of IDO ferries in Istanbul, came with the undertaking by the new owners, TAV, to raise the number of female employees ? which they have done. They are also planning a scheme for female interns from maritime schools, and we hope some of them will soon become ferry captains.

We wish not only to improve access to credit but also promote the issue of opportunities for women. If it becomes fashionable in Turkey, it will benefit the economy as a whole. At our Annual Meeting in Istanbul in May this year, we will hold a high-level debate on promoting the role of Turkish women in business.

Meanwhile one client in the western city of Bursa, who obtained a loan through the EBRD?s credit line with Garanti Bank, has just received another order. Handan Ilkoz?s small construction company, Izodem Construction Isolation, is sub-contracted to do some building work at the new football stadium where the city hopes to invite international teams in a few years? time.

She used the loan of 50,000 Turkish lira (about ?21,000) to pay salaries to her 30 employees, when her clients were late with payments. She says that for a woman such as herself, a seasoned small business owner in the male-dominated world of construction, the loan was helpful because it was affordable. But for young women who are just taking their first entrepreneurial steps, she adds, access to such finance means the difference between succeeding or failing.

Mike Davey is director for Turkey at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Related reading
Education reforms divide Turkey FT
Leading from the front FT
Women at the Top, FT Special

Source: http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/03/07/guest-post-turkish-businesswomen-need-more-access-to-finance/

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Demand for Silver Coins Jumps 148%; Investors Start Pouring In

Thursday, March 7th, 2013
By Michael Lombardi, MBA for Profit Confidential

As central banks around the world are now net buyers of gold bullion, I?m getting more bullish on silver. (Don?t get me wrong. I love gold, and I am a big believer of gold prices moving higher.) But gold bullion may have become too expensive for small investors to own?and silver could just be that low-priced alternative for investors to protect themselves from coming inflation.

At present, both gold bullion and silver alike are experiencing significant negative sentiment. In the midst of all this and severe pressure from the bears, the demand for silver hasn?t declined; as a matter of fact, the demand for silver is increasing and robust to say the least.

In February 2013, the U.S. Mint reported that it sold almost 3.7 million ounces of silver in coins. In the same period of 2012, it sold 1.49 million ounces of silver. Simple calculation would show that?s an increase of more than 148% in demand for silver coins in one year! (Source: U.S. Mint, last accessed March 5, 2013.)

Looking at the long-term chart of silver below, we see it is still in a bull market:

Chart courtesy of www.StockCharts.com

Technical analysis of the chart above would indicate a significant amount of support available for silver prices at the $28.00-an-ounce level. This level has been tested multiple times, with silver prices bouncing higher on heavy volume each time $28.00 an ounce was hit.

With central banks around the world printing paper money and working overtime to devalue their currencies, even if they stop now, the damage to fiat currency (and the inflation issues we will have to deal with in the future because of too much paper money in circulation) has been done.

Just look at the value of the U.S. dollar. What you could buy in 1913 for $1.00 would now cost you $23.26. This means that one century later, we are paying 2,300% more for what we paid for an item in 1913. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics web site, last accessed March 5, 2013.) Now, with all the new money created in the past five years, just imagine how inflation will play out over the next century. A 2,300% increase could easily turn into a 23,000% increase!

While the bears continue to put pressure on the price of both gold bullion and silver, I believe the prices of both metals are poised to rise as the ?cloud of optimism? currently surrounding the market dissipates.

Michael?s Personal Notes

As key stock indices continue to march towards new highs, there?s a wave of trouble brewing among big-cap companies regarding their pension deficits. While the mainstream focuses on a stock market propped up by low interest rates and money printing, few are talking about the big threat to corporate America known as the ?pension deficit problem.?

According to Mercer, a pension consultant company, at the end of 2012, pension funds of S&P 500 companies had assets of $1.59 trillion and liabilities of $2.14 trillion?a pension deficit of more than $550 billion. (Source: Mercer, February 5, 2013.)

Some big-cap companies are showing concern and doing something about their pension deficit problems. For example, Ford Motor Company (NYSE/F) expects to spend $5.0 billion in 2013 to decrease its pension deficit?about the same amount Ford spent in 2012 on building plants, buying equipment, and developing new cars. (Source: ?Low Rates Force Companies to Pour Cash Into Pensions,? Wall Street Journal February 3, 2013.)

Even with all the measures taken to control its pension deficit, Ford?s pension deficit increased to $18.7 billion at the end of 2012. Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Bob Shanks said, ?It has got to be a problem for any large company that has a defined benefit plan.? (Source: Ibid.)

The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE/DOW), one of the big-cap companies on key stock indices, posted a loss of $716 million in the fourth quarter of 2012. The company?s CEO, Andrew Liveris, said the company is facing a ?massive pension headwind? due to the change in the discount rate. The company expects that pension costs will go up to $250 million and $300 million this year. (Source: Ibid.)

Unfortunately, these are not the only big-cap companies suffering from pension deficit problems. Other companies like The Boeing Company (NYSE/BA) are deep underwater as well. In 2012, the company poured $1.6 billion into its pension funds. This year, it expects to spend another $1.5 billion. The company?s pension fund has a deficit of 26%.

Boeing?s misery has caused the company to release ?core earnings,? which take out pension expenses from the earnings numbers. Boeing CFO, Greg Smith, said, ?The continued decline in the pension discount rates, driven by the unprecedented low interest rate environment, has caused significant non-cash increase in our pension expense.? (Source: Ibid.)

While on one hand, the low interest rates and paper money printing caused the stock market to rise, on the other hand, it is causing big-cap companies big problems with their pension deficits. Keep in mind that a pension is an expense to a company. The longer interest rates stay low, the worse off pension funds of big-cap companies are going to be.

Where the Market Stands; Where it?s Headed:

After five years and trillions of dollars of newly created money, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new high this week. The stock market has taken on a life of its own. As the economy deteriorates, the stock market rises. The very companies that are part of major stock indices like the S&P 500 will experience negative earnings growth this quarter?the second quarter this has happened in three quarters?and the market continues to rise. I continue to believe this rally is living on borrowed time.

What He Said:

?As for the stock market, it continues along its merry way oblivious to what is happening to homebuyers? wealth. (Since 2005 I have been writing about how the real estate bust would be bigger than the boom.) In 1927, the real estate market crashed and the stock market, even back then, carried along its merry way for two more years until it eventually crashed. History has a way of repeating itself.? Michael Lombardi in Profit Confidential, November 21, 2007. A dire prediction that came true.

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Source: http://www.profitconfidential.com/gold-investments/demand-for-silver-coins-jumps-148-investors-start-pouring-in/

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Marine Insurance Basics For beginners

Marine insurance reimburses fiscal losses due to damage to a ship in addition to any enclosing properties, including that cargo, from vent of passing away to vent of destination. Available specialised marine insurance include all those for marine cargo insurance, marine business insurance, and private watercraft insurance.

One style of marine insurance is individual watercraft insurance that's aimed to target insurance cover of non commercial use watercraft. Individual watercraft insurance is related to that connected with automobiles. Similar to auto insurance, individual watercraft insurance policies might not simply cover property or home losses but additionally offer man or women protection in addition to watercraft liability coverage.

The legal responsibility coverage may cover natural injury in order to watercraft passengers, along along with others that are involved inside any automobile accident. Further medical coverage is generally accessible in a distinguish policy riders. Uninsured boater coverage is available as well to pay any wounds incurred through hit and run vessels, or via vessels which lack life insurance.

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Agreed Value or Actual Cash Value forms are generally what's generally offered intended for hull coverage on the standard vessel. Because with regard to insurance, it depends on the funds value policies to determine whether once the vessel ages if it is going to depreciate inside value. Some insurance carriers continue to cover the total amount minus the depending to the depreciation benefit.

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Personal watercraft insurance can be purchased for practically all motorboats, from compact pleasure boats and fishing boats, to large yachts and houseboats. Specialty coverage can include coverage intended for watercraft leases, fishing excursions, and alternative charter motorboat trips. With a broad selection of insurance carriers and possibilities, finding the correct coverage for your craft in addition to situation easily takes a bit research http://www.insure-a-boat.co.uk/

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Biases identified in primary care prostate-cancer screening - The ...

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	Essential News from The Associated Press

? ?Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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Obama announces cabinet picks for budget office, EPA, energy

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida, March 3 (Reuters) - Tiger Woods struggled to a four-over par 74 in the final round of the Honda Classic on Sunday, ending the week without breaking par once and left saying he need to "clean up" his play. "I just made too many penalties this week. Today is a perfect example, I didn't play that poorly. I had two water balls and a lost ball," he told reporters. "Take those away, and I missed two short birdie putts, and it was actually a decent score. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-announces-cabinet-picks-budget-office-epa-energy-154032716--business.html

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Senate committee restores some money to public education (Offthekuff)

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Source: http://videowebpromotions.com/2013/03/seo-services-company-offers-quality-internet-marketing-solutions/

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Zack Greinke hit hard in 2nd start for Dodgers

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) ? Zack Greinke's rocky outing hardly raised an eyebrow at Dodgers camp.

Greinke was hit hard in his second spring training start, allowing three doubles and a triple over three innings as a Los Angeles split squad lost to the San Diego Padres 7-5 Friday.

"The hits I gave up were on fastballs that were strikes," he said. "They should hit those. If they were just crushing stuff no one should be hitting, I'd be a little more worried."

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly wasn't concerned about the right-hander, either. Greinke, who signed a $147 million, six-year contract to join the team in December, tossed two scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox in his Cactus League debut.

"He's fine," Mattingly said. "He was just going after people."

Greinke gave up two runs and five hits, avoiding more damage when a runner was thrown out at the plate in the first inning. He escaped a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the third.

The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner allowed doubles to his first two batters, Everth Cabrera and Chris Denorfia. Chase Headley followed with a single to right, but Denorfia was thrown out at the plate on first baseman Adrian Gonzalez's relay from Jerry Hairston Jr.

"We really strung some hits together," said Padres manager Bud Black, whose club finished with 15. "That was great to see. Overall, I thought our at-bats were aggressive."

Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp, recovering from left shoulder surgery on Oct. 5, played his first spring training game and finished 0 for 2. He grounded out and struck out looking.

"Good to get it out of the way," Kemp said. "I was excited. I felt a little jumpy, just like any first spring training game. But I'm just happy to be back on the field."

Kemp was the designated hitter. He fought back from an 0-2 count in the first inning against San Diego starter Freddy Garcia.

"I swung and fouled a changeup," Kemp said. "Last year, that would have made my left shoulder hurt. I didn't hurt today. That's a really good sign that my shoulder is well and responding to the rehab."

Mattingly wants to ease Kemp into the lineup. He's not expected to play Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, but could be back in the batting order Sunday against Cleveland at Camelback Ranch.

"That last at-bat, I wish I had gotten some (RBIs) or something," Kemp said. "You never like to strike out. But it's only the second at-bat."

Logan Forsythe singled and scored the go-ahead run in the ninth for the Padres on a balk by Zach Lee.

NOTES: Dodgers LF Carl Crawford is frustrated that he has yet to play in a spring training game. He was supposed to make his first appearance Friday, but it's now expected to be delayed a week because of nerve irritation in his left arm. Crawford had surgery on his throwing elbow in August. "Personally, I've been so anxious to get back out there," he said. "But my time will come." ... Dodgers RF Andre Ethier sat out because of a blister on his right hand that gave him trouble last season. INF Justin Sellers also didn't play. Sellers had an in-grown toenail removed two days ago. ... Dodgers great Sandy Koufax left camp Thursday after working with the pitchers. "I hate to see him go," Clayton Kershaw said. "It's great to talk to him. I hope he comes back sometime during the season."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-01-BBO-Padres-Dodgers/id-710a0eb34c45409baa536aaaa23a8af3

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