30 Rock Star Katrina Bowden Is Engaged! (omg!)

Katrina Bowden hit the red carpet at Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards with a very special accessory: an engagement ring!

The 30 Rock star's boyfriend, Ben Jorgensen, proposed Saturday night, her rep tells Us Weekly. The New Jersey natives were friends growing up and began dating nearly two years ago.

PHOTOS: Stars' giant engagement rings

"It just happened last night. I'm very excited to show it off today," Bowden, 23, told E! News' Giuliana Rancic on the red carpet.

PHOTOS: 30 Rock's best guest stars

"He proposed and showed me the ring. I was so shocked that I just said, 'Oh my God!' and I hugged him and he said to me, 'So is that a yes?'" Bowden recalled. "He picked it out all by himself."

The proposal took down "in a beautiful suite at the Four Seasons," Jorgensen said. "It was just the two of us all day and I was like, 'What better time than this?'"

PHOTOS: Best celebrity weddings of 2011

Bowden turned heads at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in a strapless champagne gown with a floral beaded tulle overlay by Amsale, Stuart Weitzman heels and a Judith Leiber handbag.

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news30_rock_star_katrina_bowden_engaged_233203482/44348579/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/30-rock-star-katrina-bowden-engaged-233203482.html

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Economy weighs heavily on Florida working class

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at Pioneer Park in Dunedin, Fla., Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at Pioneer Park in Dunedin, Fla., Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during campaign stop, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) ? Clarito Macalalad knows what it's like to support a family of four on a $12.08-an-hour wage. But the cook at a Disneyworld restaurant suspects that the Republican presidential candidates ? and Mitt Romney in particular ? don't have any idea of what America's working poor are going through. And, partly for that reason, Macalalad says he'll probably vote for President Barack Obama in the fall.

"Romney, he's too rich," Macalalad, 38, said. "He wouldn't know what to do if he was poor."

For others, there's only one thing that matters as they weigh Romney's candidacy.

"He's not Obama," says Becky Niemczyk, 34, who works at a Christmas-themed shop in Downtown Disney and planned to back the former Massachusetts governor.

Despite Florida's wealthy beach resorts, expensive Disney vacations and swank Miami hotels, much of the state is populated by hard-working, blue-collar people who were hit hard during the recession and struggle daily.

The large working class in the populous area surrounding Interstate 4, which runs from Tampa on the Gulf Coast to Daytona Beach on the Atlantic and straight through the heart of Orlando's theme park zone, often holds the key to a candidate's success in both primary and general elections.

Over the next 10 months, Obama and the eventual Republican nominee will make countless visits to this area of a state suffering mightily from the slow economic recovery. The state has nearly 10 percent unemployment, some of the nation's highest foreclosure rates and skyrocketing property insurance costs, all of which are casting a pall over people as they decide who to support in Tuesday's Republican presidential primary and in the fall ? if they vote at all.

"It's a lot of empty promises," groused Donna Bosse, 54, who works in a kiosk selling discount theme-park tickets in a strip mall just outside Disney's gates. She doesn't plan to vote, but she still has an opinion, saying: "It's going to take a lot more than one man to turn this economy around."

In a string of interviews, voters said they are taking into account their own dwindling finances as well as the overall dismal situation as they weigh who to support in a state that has become a critical battleground in every recent White House race.

Some are enthusiastic Obama supporters. Others are mad at the president for not fixing the economy but might vote for him anyway. Still others plan to cast a ballot for Romney because they think he's a good businessman. Few mentioned the other Republican candidates: Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum or Ron Paul. They see the general election as shaping up between Romney and Obama, largely because of the economy.

Polls show Romney with a comfortable lead over Gingrich, his chief challenger, ahead of Tuesday's primary, though there's no guarantee that Romney will end up clinching the nomination. Only four states have weighed in on the Republican nomination fight so far.

In both the primary and the general election, the economy and lack of well-paying jobs trumps all.

In this region, many of the jobs are low-wage. For instance, the average housekeeper makes between $8 and $10 an hour, according to UNITE HERE, a union that represents some 13,000 hospitality workers at Disney and other companies.

"Sometimes people take two or three jobs to make it," said Virginia Cruz, a housekeeper at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.

After 15 years with the company, she said she makes $13.18 an hour and that it's difficult to pay the $30 a week needed for health insurance, which is up from $2.95 a week when she first started.

The Republicans, she said, are ignoring the working class and she plans to vote for Obama, saying: "We need better hourly wages, better schools, better health insurance."

As for Obama's wealthy potential opponent, Cruz said of Romney: "He didn't earn nothing ... He was a businessman who owned a lot of companies. He earned it on the poor people that worked so hard for him."

It would be easy to classify all of central Florida's hospitality workers ? the tens of thousands of people who clean the theme parks, make the hotel beds and ring up the tourist tchotchkes ? as blue-collar Democrats who view Romney's wealth, estimated at between $190 million and $250 million, with suspicion. But it would be wrong.

Take Hamid Abdlouhed, a 38-year-old worker in a strip-mall tobacco shop.

"I like Mitt Romney," he said. "I like his economical skills as a businessman. I trust him more about how to solve the economy. He's been successful."

Abdlouhed respects Romney's argument that he's "earned" his wealth by working hard in a way that speaks to the American dream.

He planned to vote for Romney on Tuesday.

But when it comes to the general election in November, he hasn't decided whether to back Obama like he did four years ago.

"Right now there's a 50-50 chance I will vote for Obama," Abdlouhed said, who, like so many others, cited the economy as his main concern.

___

Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tamaralush

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-30-Florida-Economy%20Politics/id-37a8ce36bb074f40833d47e3b16f7f99

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The Day Apple Left The Tech World?s Collective Mouth Agape

$46.33 billion in revenue. It's a number the biggest and best tech companies in the world can only dream to hit in a year. Apple hit it in one quarter. $13.06 billion in profit. It's a number no tech company would ever aspire to in one quarter because it's ridiculous. The only companies that have ever thought about such numbers are oil companies. And even then, only 3 of them have actually hit it. Ever. Until yesterday. I've already tried to give some context to the stunning Q1 2012 results that Apple posted. But the truth is that they're still unbelievable. Perhaps the next step should be to figure out how they could post such numbers.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/DAVzgKFWy8g/

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Barley adapts to climate change

ScienceDaily (Jan. 25, 2012) ? The upsurge in droughts is one of the main consequences of climate change, and affects crops in particular. However, Anabel Robredo, a biologist at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), has confirmed that in the case of barley at least, climate change itself is providing it with self-defence mechanisms to tackle a lack of water. Climate change is in fact also responsible for a considerable increase in the concentration of CO₂, a gas that, paradoxically, is providing this plant with certain characteristics enabling it to offset the effects of drought.

Her thesis is entitled "Physiological Response Mechanisms of Barley to the impact of drought and elevated CO₂: adaptation to climate change." Various international publications have also echoed this research, the most recent being Environmental and Experimental Botany.

Basically, Robredo has analysed the effect that takes place in the barley as a result of the combination of two of the main consequences brought to us by climate change: the enriching of CO₂ and drought. As the researcher explains, "the atmospheric concentration of this gas has increased considerably within the last few decades, and it is expected to increase much more. So we compared barley plants that grow in a CO₂ concentration equal to the current (ambient) one with others cultivated in double the concentration, which is what we are expected to reach by the end of this century." The study was carried out through a progressive imposition of drought so it also determined the capacity of these plants to recover following the lack of irrigation, in an ambient CO₂ concentration as well as in the one expected for the future.

More efficient use of water

When discussing plants in general, the effects of an elevated concentration of CO₂ were already known. The bibliographical references quoted by Robredo show that this is in fact so, since among other things, this elevated concentration increases biomass, root growth and total leaf area, and alters net photosynthesis rates and efficiency in water use. The so-called stomatal conductance is one of the keys, explains the researcher: "Stomata are pores that plants have in their leaves, and it is through them that they carry out the water and air exchange. When a plant is subjected to a high level of CO₂, it closes its stomata to a certain degree. This causes the water to escape less, which is translated into greater efficiency in its use."

So a greater concentration of CO₂ would appear to put the plants in an advantageous situation to address droughts. "If they use the water more slowly, they use it more efficiently and can grow over a longer period of time," explains Robredo. At least this is what she has been able to confirm in the case of barley. The results show that even though drought is harmful, its effect on barley is less when combined with an elevated concentration of CO₂. In comparison with a situation in which an ambient level of this gas exists, its increase causes leaf and soil water content to fall less, the rates of photosynthesis to be maintained for longer, growth to be greater and the assimilation of nitrogen and carbon to be less affected. The researcher does in fact explain the importance of maintaining the balance between the nitrogen and the carbon: "Both the take-up of carbon and the assimilation of nitrogen have increased in a balanced way."

On the other hand, when irrigation is re-established in barley plants that have been through a drought, its effect has been seen to revert more rapidly to its original state under elevated CO₂ conditions, in most of the parameters analysed.

It cannot be extrapolated

So, under future CO₂ conditions, the negative repercussions of drought driven by climate change would be delayed further in comparison with the current concentration of this gas. In the case of barley this is so. However, can these results be extrapolated to other crops? As this researcher points out, it is not that simple: "You have to be very careful because plant species often respond very differently, even displaying the opposite. But what we can say is that most plant species tend to use water more efficiently in conditions of elevated CO₂ and drought, and that they grow more."

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125091101.htm

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Iraqi town says justice failed victims of US raid (AP)

HADITHA, Iraq ? In this town which saw 24 unarmed civilians die in a U.S. raid seven years ago, residents expressed disbelief and sadness that the Marine sergeant who told his troops to "shoot first, ask questions later" reached a deal with prosecutors to avoid jail time.

They were outraged both at the American military justice system and at the refusal of Iraq's Shiite-led government to condemn the killings and at least try to bring those responsible to face trial in this country.

"We are deeply disappointed by this unfair deal," said Khalid Salman Rasif, an Anbar provincial council member from Haditha. "The U.S. soldier will receive a punishment that is suitable for a traffic violation."

Haditha, a town of about 85,000 people along the Euphrates River valley some 140 miles (220 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, is overwhelmingly made up of Sunni Muslims. Sunnis lost influence in this country with the fall of Saddam Hussein and feel increasingly squeezed out of their already limited political role.

"We blame Iraqi officials because they did not take any actions to make the criminals stand trial," said Naji Fahmi, 45-year-old government employee who was shot in the stomach during what became known as the Haditha massacre.

Iraq's Deputy Justice Minister Busho Ibrahim told The Associated Press on the phone that "we have nothing to do with this issue." Ali al-Moussawi, a spokesman for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said "such issue needs to be studied carefully before giving any statement."

Sunnis officials and Haditha residents alike said no further study was required.

"This deal is another crime committed against the victims and their families," said Youssef Ayid, who lost four brothers in the Haditha raid. "We are sad to see the criminals escape justice," Ayid said.

The raid took place on Nov. 19, 2005, at a time when Sunni insurgents and al-Qaida militants roamed Haditha's streets, terrorizing the population and battling U.S. forces.

Three months earlier in the same town, six Marines were massacred and their bodies mutilated when insurgents overran their observation post. Two days later, 14 Marines and an interpreter were killed when their vehicle hit a land mine.

The allegations against the Marines were first brought forward in March 2006 when Time magazine reported that it obtained a video of the attack's aftermath, taken by a Haditha journalism student inside the houses and local morgue.

The footage showed a blood-smeared bedroom floor. Bits of what appeared to be human flesh and bullet holes could be clearly seen on the walls. Other scenes showed bodies of women and children in plastic bags on the floor of what appeared to be a morgue.

A week before images were broadcast, the U.S. military in Iraq said it was investigating potential misconduct by the troops. A military statement issued just days after the Haditha raid had described the incident as an ambush on a joint U.S.-Iraqi patrol in the town that left 15 civilians, eight insurgents and a U.S. Marine dead in the bombing and a subsequent firefight.

The town's residents claimed at the time that the only shooting done after the bombing was by U.S. forces.

The subsequent revelations further tainted America's reputation among Iraqis when it was already at a low point after the release of photos of prisoner abuse by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison.

U.S. military prosecutors worked for more than six years to bring Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich to trial on manslaughter charges that could have sent him away to prison for life.

But only weeks after the start of the long-awaited trial at Camp Pendelton, California, they offered Wuterich a deal that stopped the proceedings and meant no jail time for the squad leader who ordered his men to "shoot first, ask questions later," resulting in one of the Iraq War's worst attacks on civilians by U.S. troops.

The 31-year-old Marine, who was originally accused of unpremeditated murder, pleaded guilty Monday to negligent dereliction of duty for leading the squad that killed 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians during raids after a roadside bomb exploded, killing a fellow Marine and wounding two others.

Wuterich, who was indicted in 19 of the 24 deaths, walked away with no jail time Tuesday after defending his squad's storming of the homes of Haditha as a necessary act "to keep the rest of my Marines alive."

Legal experts said the case was fraught with errors made by investigators and the prosecution that let it drag on for years. The prosecution was also hampered by squad mates who acknowledged they had lied to investigators initially and later testified in exchange for having their cases dropped, bringing into question their credibility.

It was a stunning outcome for the last defendant in the case once compared with the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. The seven other Marines initially charged were exonerated or had their cases dropped.

Local Sunni leaders in Anbar province blasted the plea deal and demanded that Baghdad authorities pressure their U.S. backers not to let American soldiers get away with murder.

Hamid al-Mutlaq, a Sunni lawmaker from Anbar, echoed these remarks.

"They were supposed to protect the Iraqi people, not kill them," he said.

Muhammad Muhsin, a 26-year-old owner of a grocery store in Haditha, said the plea deal was shameful and a disgrace.

"This is a scandal and a shame for American justice," Muhsin said. "The Iraqi government bears responsibility for letting those criminals get away with their heinous crime. We demand the Iraqi government act quickly to ensure the rights of the victims and to make sure that the murderers get what they deserve."

Most Iraqi officials The Associated Press contacted on Tuesday for comment did not respond or declined to comment.

The muted reaction of the officials in the Shiite-dominated government highlights the sectarian resentments that have deepened since the last U.S. forces withdrew late last year. Some fear a return to the type of sectarian warfare that ravaged Iraq during the height of the war.

___

Surk reported from Baghdad. Associated Press writers Sameer N. Yacoub in Baghdad and Hadi Mizban in Haditha contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_haditha_marines

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Jupiter?s 'Trojans' on an atomic scale

ScienceDaily (Jan. 25, 2012) ? The planet Jupiter keeps asteroids on stable orbits -- and in a similar way, electrons can be stabilized in their orbit around the atomic nucleus. Calculations carried out at the Vienna University of Technology have now been verified in an experiment.

Planets can orbit a star for billions of years. Electrons circling the atomic nucleus are often visualized as tiny planets. But due to quantum effects, the behavior of atoms usually differs significantly from planetary systems. Austrian and US-American scientists have now succeeded in keeping electrons on planet-like orbits for a long time. This was done using an idea from astronomy: Jupiter stabilizes the orbits of asteroids (the so called "Trojans"), and in a very similar way, the orbits of electrons around the nucleus can be stabilized using an electromagnetic field. The results of this experiment have now been published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Giant Atoms

They are probably the largest atoms on earth: "The diameter of the electronic orbits is several hundredths of a millimeter -- an enormous distance on an atomic scale," says Shuhei Yoshida (Vienna UT). The atoms are even larger than erythrocytes. Yoshida made the calculations at Vienna University of Technology, the experiment was carried out at Rice University in Houston (Texas).

The Electron is not a Planet

The idea that atoms are similar to planetary systems dates back to Niels Bohr: he came up with the first atomic model, in which electrons circle the nucleus in well-defined orbits. This view, however, is now seen to be outdated. In quantum physics, the electron is described as a quantum wave, or a "probability cloud," that surrounds the atomic nucleus. The location of an electron in the ground state (the lowest possible energy level) is not well defined. Relative to the nucleus, it is situated in all possible directions at the same time. Asking about its "real position" or its orbit just does not make sense. Only if the electron is transferred into a state of higher energy, it can be manipulated in such a way that it moves along orbit-like paths.

Jupiter's trick -- Used for the Atom

Unlike planets, electrons will not keep moving in such an orbit for ever. "Without additional stabilization, the electron-wave would become delocalized after a few cycles," says Professor Joachim Burgd?rfer, head of the Institute for Theoretical Physics at Vienna UT. A simple idea on how to stabilize orbits has been known in astronomy for a long time: the gravity of Jupiter, the heaviest planet in our solar system, stabilizes the orbits of the "Trojans" -- thousands of small asteroids. They aggregate around so-called "Lagrange points" on Jupiter's orbital path. Staying close to these Lagrange points, the asteroids circle the sun together with the planet -- with exactly the same orbital velocity, so that the asteroids never collide with Jupiter.

In the experiment, the stabilizing influence of Jupiter's gravity is substituted by a cleverly designed electromagnetic field. The field oscillates precisely with the frequency corresponding to the orbital period of the electron around the nucleus. It sets the pace for the electron, and that way the electron-wave is kept at a specific point for a long time -- much like a large number of asteroids, staying close to Jupiter's Lagrange points on their orbit around the sun. Quantum physics even allows manipulations which are impossible in a planetary system: using the electromagnetic field, the electron can by shifted into a different orbit -- as if the orbit of Jupiter and its asteroids was suddenly shifted to the orbit of Saturn.

Big and Small

The physicists succeeded in creating an atomic miniature version of a solar system and preparing atoms which are remarkably close to the historic Bohr model. In future, the researchers want to prepare atoms in which several electrons move on planetary orbits at the same time. Using such atoms, it should be possible to investigate in greater detail how the quantum-world of tiny objects corresponds to the classical world as we perceive it.

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Journal Reference:

1. B. Wyker, S. Ye, F. Dunning, S. Yoshida, C. Reinhold, J. Burgd?rfer. Creating and Transporting Trojan Wave Packets. Physical Review Letters, 2012; 108 (4) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.043001

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

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/2pPjoxeYDaM/120125091057.htm

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A leukemia drug kills cancerous T-cells while sparing normal immunity

Public release date: 25-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Marjorie Montemayor-Quellenberg
mmontemayor-quellenberg@partners.org
617-534-2208
Brigham and Women's Hospital

BOSTON, MALeukemic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (L-CTCL) is a leukemia arising from T-cells, a type of white blood cell. This cancer can involve the skin and other organs, and patients often die within three years.

Rachael A. Clark, MD, PhD, BWH assistant professor of dermatology and associate dermatologist and Thomas Kupper, MD, BWH Department of Dermatology chairman and their colleagues now report a new study that low-dose Campath (alemtuzumab) not only treats patients with L-CTCL but does so without increasing their risk of infections.

The study was electronically published on January 18, 2012 in Science Translational Medicine.

Campath was previously believed to kill all lymphocytes (T-cells and B-cells) in the body and render patients susceptible to infections. However, Clark and Kupper found that Campath only kills T-cells that enter the bloodstream, but it spares a newly discovered population of T-cells that live long-term in the tissues.

"We noticed that our patients were not getting infections, and we looked in the skin. We saw healthy T-cells remaining there despite the fact that there were no T-cells in the blood," said Clark. "We used to believe that most T-cells responsible for protecting against infection were in the bloodstream. But we now realize that highly protective T-cells also inhabit tissues such as the skin, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. It is these tissue resident T-cells that are critical in protecting us from infection on a day-to-day basis."

By showing that Campath kills circulating T-cells, including the cancerous T-cells, but spares tissue resident T-cells, Clark and Kupper have shown that Campath effectively treats L-CTCL while sparing normal immunity. Their findings are also the first demonstration in human beings that tissue resident T-cells provide frontline immune protection of the skin.

"We're very grateful to our patients for entrusting us with their care and for teaching us important lessons about the immune system." said Clark.

In a companion piece, Mark Davis, PhD, Stanford University School of Medicine, called the work a "translational tour de force."

###

This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Foundation Rene Touraine and a charitable contribution from Edward P. Lawrence, Esq.

Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is a 793-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery network. BWH is the home of the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center, the most advanced center of its kind. BWH is committed to excellence in patient care with expertise in virtually every specialty of medicine and surgery. The BWH medical preeminence dates back to 1832, and today that rich history in clinical care is coupled with its national leadership in quality improvement and patient safety initiatives and its dedication to educating and training the next generation of health care professionals. Through investigation and discovery conducted at its Biomedical Research Institute (BRI), www.brighamandwomens.org/research, BWH is an international leader in basic, clinical and translational research on human diseases, involving more than 900 physician-investigators and renowned biomedical scientists and faculty supported by more than $537 M in funding. BWH is also home to major landmark epidemiologic population studies, including the Nurses' and Physicians' Health Studies and the Women's Health Initiative. For more information about BWH, please visit www.brighamandwomens.org.

---

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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.

Public release date: 25-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Marjorie Montemayor-Quellenberg
mmontemayor-quellenberg@partners.org
617-534-2208
Brigham and Women's Hospital

BOSTON, MALeukemic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (L-CTCL) is a leukemia arising from T-cells, a type of white blood cell. This cancer can involve the skin and other organs, and patients often die within three years.

Rachael A. Clark, MD, PhD, BWH assistant professor of dermatology and associate dermatologist and Thomas Kupper, MD, BWH Department of Dermatology chairman and their colleagues now report a new study that low-dose Campath (alemtuzumab) not only treats patients with L-CTCL but does so without increasing their risk of infections.

The study was electronically published on January 18, 2012 in Science Translational Medicine.

Campath was previously believed to kill all lymphocytes (T-cells and B-cells) in the body and render patients susceptible to infections. However, Clark and Kupper found that Campath only kills T-cells that enter the bloodstream, but it spares a newly discovered population of T-cells that live long-term in the tissues.

"We noticed that our patients were not getting infections, and we looked in the skin. We saw healthy T-cells remaining there despite the fact that there were no T-cells in the blood," said Clark. "We used to believe that most T-cells responsible for protecting against infection were in the bloodstream. But we now realize that highly protective T-cells also inhabit tissues such as the skin, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. It is these tissue resident T-cells that are critical in protecting us from infection on a day-to-day basis."

By showing that Campath kills circulating T-cells, including the cancerous T-cells, but spares tissue resident T-cells, Clark and Kupper have shown that Campath effectively treats L-CTCL while sparing normal immunity. Their findings are also the first demonstration in human beings that tissue resident T-cells provide frontline immune protection of the skin.

"We're very grateful to our patients for entrusting us with their care and for teaching us important lessons about the immune system." said Clark.

In a companion piece, Mark Davis, PhD, Stanford University School of Medicine, called the work a "translational tour de force."

###

This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Foundation Rene Touraine and a charitable contribution from Edward P. Lawrence, Esq.

Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is a 793-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare, an integrated health care delivery network. BWH is the home of the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center, the most advanced center of its kind. BWH is committed to excellence in patient care with expertise in virtually every specialty of medicine and surgery. The BWH medical preeminence dates back to 1832, and today that rich history in clinical care is coupled with its national leadership in quality improvement and patient safety initiatives and its dedication to educating and training the next generation of health care professionals. Through investigation and discovery conducted at its Biomedical Research Institute (BRI), www.brighamandwomens.org/research, BWH is an international leader in basic, clinical and translational research on human diseases, involving more than 900 physician-investigators and renowned biomedical scientists and faculty supported by more than $537 M in funding. BWH is also home to major landmark epidemiologic population studies, including the Nurses' and Physicians' Health Studies and the Women's Health Initiative. For more information about BWH, please visit www.brighamandwomens.org.

---

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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/2012-01/bawh-ald012512.php

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Wood protection law creates splintering in guitar industry

Veteran guitar repairman Bob Wirtz faced a wall of pricey custom-built electric guitars, and he had the ear of Gibson Guitar Corp.'s resident expert on the instruments. But what Wirtz wanted to talk about was international law.

Like many who attended the National Assn. of Music Merchants convention in Anaheim last weekend, Wirtz was tapping into a discordant tone among the makers, purveyors and purchasers of guitars that often are made from exotic woods protected by the federal Lacey Act.

A raid on Gibson's Nashville factory last summer, the second at company workshops in as many years, vaulted the once obscure law into the national spotlight when Chief Executive Henry E. Juszkiewicz accused the federal government of "bullying" and "persecution." His high-profile campaign against the raids has made him the darling of the GOP and the tea party movement and their agenda of regulatory reform.

At a hearing convened by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) shortly after the August raid, Juszkiewicz said the seizures, delays in bringing charges and wrangling over a Gibson countersuit were events he "just really would never have believed ? would take place in this country."

Wirtz was sympathetic.

"For the Department of Justice or any entity of government to spend those kinds of resources on something that isn't well defined ? it really seems to smell like politics as opposed to ecological concern," he said.

The law, first passed in 1900 to curtail trade in contraband wildlife, was amended in 2008 to address illegally harvested wood.

At the time, the amendments enjoyed bipartisan support, particularly among lawmakers from states with large forestry interests. They touted the measure as a way to protect American wood products from cheaper, illegally harvested wood from foreign sources. Such support is crumbling amid a presidential election campaign.

The National Assn. of Music Merchants backs Gibson's gripe and a congressional bill to revise Lacey. But the attitude of its members at the convention, which attracted more than 95,000 registrants, was more nuanced.

Wirtz, who has worked with guitars for half a century, runs the stringed instrument repair shop at a Sam Ash music store in the City of Industry. He was familiar with the dispute over whether Indian rosewood was lumber ? illegal to export under Indian law ? or finished fret board, which is exportable.

"The amount of Indian rosewood going into making a guitar is a tiny drop in the bucket," Wirtz said. "It's kind of a strange area of the economy to go after when there's so many other areas to go after."

Cliff Chulos, president of North American Wood Products, had a large display of sawed wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC.

He said he has benefited from the Gibson raid: His Portland, Ore., company now supplies fingerboard wood to the company.

Chulos remains a strong supporter of the 2008 Lacey amendments introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). "Not only is it beneficial for the environment, but it benefits America," he said.

Nonetheless, Chulos added, "Can't we revise the act to make it simpler for the buyers?"

Fingerboard blanks, he said, are too small to have any other use and shouldn't have to be classified as lumber. "It doesn't have any other use. It's not lumber."

Scott Paul, director of Greenpeace's forest campaign, said he fears the current GOP-dominated House may open the law to amendments pushed by lobbyists from less reputable foresters, particularly in Indonesia.

"The prospect of bringing this act back to Capitol Hill and opening it up is daunting," said Paul, who is not related to the senator. "Greenpeace feels a lot of the issues that are being raised can be addressed at the agency level."

C.F. Martin & Co. markets a line of guitars built entirely with FSC-certified wood, and others that include certified woods.

"We absolutely support the Lacey Act," said Gregory Paul, vice president of corporate operations for the Nazareth, Pa., company. He also is not related to the senator. "We understand the Lacey Act does create some difficult circumstances."

Holding a guitar made of FSC-certified woods, Gregory Paul said: "There are species available. You just have to be diligent about who you obtain it from."

geoffrey.mohan@latimes.com

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/HWIPPi7L_G8/la-fi-namm-gibson-20120124,0,3988473.story

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IIF's Dallara says remains hopeful on Greek debt deal (Reuters)

ATHENS (Reuters) ? The chief negotiator for Greece's private creditors said on Sunday he remained confident that a deal could be reached on a debt swap plan to slash Athens' debt as the country races against the clock to avoid a messy default.

Greece and its private creditors are converging towards a deal but many details are still unresolved, sources close to the negotiations said during the weekend.

"We are at a crossroads and I remain quite hopeful," Institute of International Finance chief Charles Dallara told Antenna TV on Sunday.

Athens needs a deal in the coming days to stay afloat when a major debt redemption comes due in March.

After several rounds of talks from Wednesday to Friday, Dallara and special advisor Jean Lemierre left Athens on Saturday without having finalised the deal, with sources saying talks are converging towards private creditors accepting to take a real loss of 65 to 70 percent.

Much of the attention will now turn to a meeting of euro zone finance ministers on Monday, and to whether EU states and the IMF consider that the deal that is being put together by Athens and bankers does put Greece's debt back on a sustainable track.

One key question will be whether the deal attracts a big enough participation rate.

"We are working together with the Greek government, European and global leaders and we can mobilise very high participation," Dallara said.

(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Maria Golovnina)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120122/bs_nm/us_greece

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Mortgage rates for the past 52 weeks, at a glance (AP)

Skip to navigation ? Skip to content ? By The Associated Press The Associated Press ? Thu?Jan?19, 10:48?am?ET

The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage fell to a record low of 3.88 percent, Freddie Mac said Thursday. That's just below the previous record of 3.89 percent reached one week ago. Here's a look at rates for fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages over the past 52 weeks.

Current week's average Last week's average 52-week high 52-week low

30-year fixed 3.88 3.89 5.05 3.88

15-year fixed 3.17 3.16 4.29 3.16

5-year adjustable 2.82 2.82 3.92 2.82

1-year adjustable 2.74 2.76 3.40 2.74

All values are in percentage points.

Source: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

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Copyright ? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mortgage_rates_glance

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PFT: Roger Craig sees a Harbaugh-49ers dynasty

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After the home teams went 4-0 in the wild-card round, I decided to ride that wave of bad hospitality, and I picked the home teams to win in the division round.

But for the Giants? 17-point win over the Packers, I would have had a perfect weekend.? Rosenthal, who picked both the Packers and Saints to advance, was 2-2.

So, yes, I won.? For a change.

This week, I agonized over both games.? Tempted to flip a coin, I probably would have been better off if I did.

Not just this weekend, but all year.

Ravens at Patriots

Florio?s take:? Yes, the Baltimore offense looked sluggish against the Texans.? During the regular season, however, the Texans had one of the best defenses in the league.? The Patriots, in sharp contrast, had one of the worst.? Still, can the Ravens muster at least one more point than the New England offense will score?? The internal offense-vs.-defense strife in Baltimore seems to be real, and it could lead to an ugly confrontation on the sidelines if the Pats jump out to an early lead and the Ravens can?t respond.? Also, the Pats? defense quietly is improving.? Throw in the fact that the Patriots would love to give owner Robert Kraft something about which to feel good as he continues to mourn his wife?s passing (Myra Kraft?s initials remain on their jerseys), Tom Brady?s memory of a home thrashing two years ago from the Ravens, and a burning desire by Brady and Bill Belichick to finally get that fourth championship, and it?s hard to envision the Patriots losing.

Florio?s pick:? Patriots 27, Ravens 20.

Rosenthal?s take: This game comes down to two questions. Is the Ravens defense more dominant than the Patriots offense? After watching Houston?s running game push Baltimore around last week, I?m rolling with the Patriots there. Terrell Suggs disappears too often. New England?s tight ends are too hard to defend.? Second question: Does the good Joe Flacco show up this week? All season, I?ve thought a great quarterback would take the Patriots out in the playoffs. New England doesn?t have to face a great quarterback in the AFC. The health of Patrick Chung, Brandon Spikes, Dane Fletcher, and the rest of the Patriots no-names all help make the New England defense competent enough.

Rosenthal?s pick: Patriots 31, Ravens 27.

Giants at 49ers

Florio?s take:? The Giants are the best team remaining, with a high-powered offense to go with a staunch defense.? And I?m inclined to pick them to win, in part because I?ve picked them to lose twice in the playoffs and in part because a clash between the Giants and Patriots in the Super Bowl would generate enormous interest and ratings and page views.? But there?s something intangible, and special, about the 49ers and coach Jim Harbaugh.? All week long, I believed I?d pick the Giants, and that then the 49ers would win.? With rain likely to make it harder for the Giants? passing game to fire on all cylinders, look for that hard-hitting San Fran defense and a potent-when-it-needs-to-be offense to find a way.? Yes, the Giants are the better team.? But the 49ers, I believe, will have more points on the scoreboard when the game is finally over.

Florio?s pick:? 49ers 24, Giants 21.

Rosenthal?s take: Eli Manning has the fourth quarter reputation, but Alex Smith has the seven fourth quarter comebacks. New York?s offensive line is a weakness that hasn?t been exposed the last two weeks, but it will show up on Sunday.? San Francisco can get more consistent pressure on Eli Manning with their front seven and they?ll have the more consistent running game. Counting on Eli to keep converting beautiful low percentage third-and-long throws is a difficult way to win week after week. The 49ers magic will continue.

Rosenthal?s pick: 49ers 24, Giants 20.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/18/roger-craig-sees-a-harbaugh-led-49ers-dynasty/related/

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Canada Declares War On Green Radicals

The Canadian government lashed out on Monday at what it said were foreign-funded radical groups opposing the pipeline.

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On the eve of public hearings into a proposed oil pipeline from Alberta?s tar sands to the Pacific Coast, the Canadian government lashed out on Monday at what it said were foreign-funded radical groups opposing the project. Canada?s right-leaning Conservative government, which says the pipeline would help diversify energy exports away from the United States and more towards Asia, says activists are clogging up the regulatory process.?David Ljunggren, Reuters, 9 January 2012

It is a clich? in journalism to declare metaphorical wars at the drop of a news release. In this case, it looks like war is exactly what Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver launched Monday in an unprecedented open letter warning that Canada will not allow ?environmental and other radical groups? to ?hijack our regulatory system to achieve their radical ideological agenda.? What a welcome war this is. Never before has a Canadian politician challenged the hitherto saintly protectors of the environment in such direct language.?Terence Corcoran, Financial Post, 10 January 2012

Stephen Harper may not be ready to lace up the blades for a mano-a-mano puck tilt with Vladimir Putin, but he?s sure ready to drop the gloves and rumble with ?radicals? opposed to the Northern Gateway pipeline. The brawl over the proposed pipeline is guaranteed to provide enough political thrills and spills to satisfy any fan. Harper proved that Monday by sending his environmental enforcer over the boards to slash uppity greens across the ankles. It?s clear this is going to be an environmental fight for the ages. It?s even clearer that the Harper government wants the project to go through and will fight to make it happen.?Michael Smyth, The Province, 10 January 2012

Unfortunately, there are environmental and other radical groups that would seek to block this opportunity to diversify our trade. Their goal is to stop any major project, no matter what the cost to Canadian families in lost jobs and economic growth. No forestry. No mining. No oil. No gas. No more hydroelectric dams. These groups threaten to hijack our regulatory system to achieve their radical ideological agenda.?Joe Oliver, Canadian Minister of Natural Resources, 9 January 2012

Canada?s oil sands hold some of the world?s biggest oil deposits and logically should be America?s best guarantor for energy security. Their development though is increasingly facing strong headwind from both US and European regulators worried about environmental impact. At the heart of the issue though is not diplomacy or lobbying, but hard numbers. Canada is looking to increase output from oil sands regardless of what the US and Europe want or say because China is not only one of the biggest investors in oil sands, it?s also a happy customer for all the planned increased output.?Andr?s Cala, Energy Tribune, 4 January 2012
While President Obama wants to delay a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline until after the 2012 election, Canada?s Prime Minister Stephen Harper is stepping up efforts to explore an alternative pipeline that would allow Canada to ship their tar sands oil to China.?USA Today, 9 January 2012

Oil and politics are a volatile mix for President Barack Obama, as he weighs whether to approve a pipeline to bring crude oil from Canada to Texas. On the merits, Obama should greenlight construction of the Keystone Pipeline. Our economy runs on oil. Given the political volatility in some oil-rich regions of the world, it?s just common sense to help maximize the oil-producing capacity of our friend to the north. But Obama tried to put off the issue until after the election. That?s because to decide is to antagonize either labor unions, who want pipeline jobs, or environmentalists, who fear pollution and climate change. Republicans, happy to see Obama caught between two Democratic interest groups, required a decision by Feb. 21 as part of the agreement that temporarily extended the payroll tax cut and jobless benefits.?Newsday Editorial, 8 January 2012

Source: http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/43801

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