Key Egyptian negotiator with IMF quits

CAIRO (Reuters) - A key Egyptian negotiator with the International Monetary Fund said on Sunday he has resigned as first deputy finance minister, in a potential blow to Cairo's prospects of an early IMF deal.

Hany Kadry Dimian has been the crucial point man in Egypt's protracted and so far fruitless negotiations to obtain a $4.8 billion loan needed to help combat a severe economic crisis.

"The only comment I can make for the time being is that yes, my term ends on April 30 according to my resignation, which I submitted in December," Kadry told Reuters by telephone.

"My next move is not decided."

A senior technocrat appointed in 2007, Kadry survived five finance ministers in office since the 2011 uprising that overthrew former autocratic President Hosni Mubarak.

Kadry gave no explanation for his decision to quit, first reported on the Egyptian dissident Rebel Economy blog, saying he would say more on Tuesday.

A senior European diplomat said his departure was not a good omen for Egypt's hopes of wrapping up a deal on the long delayed IMF loan next month, as the government has said it aims to do.

Kadry was the one expert in the ministry who fully understood the IMF program and was able to deal with the global lender professionally, the diplomat said.

The daily El-Watan said on its website that Kadry had been under increasing pressure from the ruling Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, and in conflict with Abdallah Shehata, the FJP economic adviser to Finance Minister Al-Mursi Al-Sayed Hegazy.

Separately, the head of Egypt's bourse, Mohamed Omran, told Prime Minister Hisham Kandil he would like to leave his position at the end of his term on July 1, the state news agency MENA reported, citing an unnamed official stock exchange source.

The report did not give a reason for Omran's request, but said he had told the prime minister in August he wanted to leave the post. Kandil had asked him to stay until the end of his term, MENA said.

(Additional reporting by Alexander Dziadosz; Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/key-egyptian-negotiator-imf-quits-191627035.html

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Upcoming Myrtle Beach area health events | Communities ...

GEORGETOWN

Many of these classes, events and meetings are sponsored by Georgetown Memorial Hospital, but some take place at different locations. Call the numbers listed for more information or visit www.georgetownhospitalsystem.org.

Chronic kidney disease education | Varying schedule, varying locations in Horry and Georgetown counties. Free. 866-647-9396 or www.ultracare-dialysis.com/TOPS.

Health screenings | Finger-stick lipid profiles with blood sugar test: $20; diabetes screening-hemoglobin A1C: $15; blood sugar levels: $3. Free blood pressure screenings. 520-8579

??7:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, mall area, Georgetown Memorial Hospital

??7:30 a.m. to noon Thursdays, hallway by Same Day Surgery, Waccamaw Community Hospital.

??8:30-11:30 a.m. second Friday every other month, Waccamaw Community Care, 4310 Dick Pond Road, Myrtle Beach.

Obstetrics tour | 6 p.m. Tuesday, Waccamaw Community Hospital. Pre-registration required, 520-8490.

Regional health screening | 7:30-10:30 a.m. Friday, Forestbrook Baptist Church, Myrtle Beach. Screenings offered include cardiac risk assessment, $25; chemistry panel, $20; thyroid screening, $15; diabetes, $15; PSA for men, $15. Blood panel tests require a 10- to 12-hour fast. Registration packets are available at the information desks at Georgetown Memorial Hospital and Waccamaw Community Hospital.

Retired nurse tea | 3-4 p.m. May 6, private dining room, Georgetown Memorial Hospital. Email khazzard@georgetownhospitalsystem.org to register.

Candlelight vigil | 8 p.m. May 6, in front of Waccamaw Community Hospital and will honor the memory of nurses and blessing of the hands.

Retired nurse tea | 1-2 p.m. May 7, first-floor classroom, Waccamaw Community Hospital. Email jhashey@georgetownhospitalsystem.org to register.

Support groups

?? Young stroke survivors between ages 20 and 65 | 11:30 a.m. third Wednesday each month, first-floor classroom, Waccamaw Hospital or 5:30 p.m. education center, Georgetown Memorial Hospital. 655-2835 or visit www.YoungStroke.org

?? Mended Hearts | 6 p.m. last Tuesday of each month, Health Point Center for Health and Fitness, 12965 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island. Light supper provided. 685-3378 or rkeilen@mercyhospice.org

?? Bosom Buddies | 6-7 p.m. Monday, Wachesaw Conference Center, 4367 Riverwood Drive, Suite 160, Murrells Inlet. 237-8787

GRAND STRAND

Blood drives sponsored by American Red Cross are scheduled as follows. Call 839-4483 or 800-RED-CROSS.

??10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, in the parking lot, City Services Building, 921 Oak St., Myrtle Beach. 918-1114

??2-7 p.m. Monday, First Baptist Church, 6 N. Rosemary St., Andrews. 520-6564

??11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Horry County Complex, 1201 21st Ave. N., Myrtle Beach. 915-5293

??9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, St. James High School, 10800 S.C. 707, Murrells Inlet. 650-5600

??7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Red Cross Center, The Plaza at Carolina Forest, 3681 Renee Drive, Unit 4, Myrtle Beach.

??10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Waccamaw Community Hospital, 4367 Riverwood Drive, Murrells Inlet. 652-1135

??9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 7, Socastee High School, 4900 Socastee Blvd., Myrtle Beach. 293-2513

??10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 8, Horry County Office Complex, 1301 Second Ave., Conway. 915-5000

??9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 8, Carolina Forest Elementary School, 285 Carolina Forest Blvd., Myrtle Beach. 236-0001

??noon to 6 p.m. May 9, McLeod Loris, 3655 Mitchell St., Loris. 390-8327

??1:30-6:30 p.m. May 9, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, 1251 21st Ave. 918-6002

??9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 10, North Myrtle Beach Aquatics and Fitness Center, 1100 Second Ave. S. 281-3743

??9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 10, Georgetown High School, 2250 Anthuan Maybank Drive. 546-8516

??10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 11, Wal-Mart, 2709-A Church St., Conway. 796-1965

CONWAY

Many of these classes, events and meetings are sponsored by Conway Medical Center, but some take place at the Conway Medical Wellness and Fitness Center. Call the numbers listed for more information or log on to www.conwaymedicalcenter.com.

Obstetrics tour | 2 p.m. every Sunday, The Birthplace, Conway Medical Center, 300 Singleton Ridge Road, Conway. 347-8108

Wellness Coaching with Robin Robinson | ongoing, Conway Medical Wellness and Fitness Center, 2369 Cypress Circle. $99. 347-1515

Mobile services | free screenings for blood pressure, finger-stick full lipid panel to include total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides and blood sugar. Scheduled as follows:

??7:30-9:30 a.m. Monday, Quick Shop, 5100 Kates Bay Road, Conway.

??7:30-9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Pee Dee Grocery, 9150 U.S. 701 S., Conway.

Wake Up Call | 5:15-6 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through May 15, Conway Medical Wellness and Fitness Center, 2369 Cypress Circle. $80 member; $120 non-members. 347-1515

Support groups

?? Parents Anonymous | 5-7 p.m. every Tuesday, Conway Medical Center. 448-5804

MYRTLE BEACH

Many of these classes, events and meetings are sponsored by Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, but some take place at the YMCA on 62nd Avenue North in Myrtle Beach or at HealthFinders in Coastal Grand mall. Call the numbers listed for more information or log on to www.grandstrandmed.com.

Walk-in screenings | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, HealthFinders. $7 for cholesterol screening; $20 for lipid panel; $20 for A1C testing; blood pressure and weight screenings free. A 12-hour fast required for lipid profile. 692-4444

Ask the Pharmacist | 2-4 p.m. Fridays, HealthFinders. Bring your medication for review. One-on-one consults with a registered pharmacist. 692-4444

BLS CPR/AED classes | First Aid; Babysitter and Family Care Giving classes and certifications offered weekly by appointment. All instructors are AHA/ARC certified. K-Loc Healthy Kids, Inc., 1435 Cannon Road, Myrtle Beach. Classes available in Georgetown and North Myrtle Beach. Registration required. 467-0068.

Addiction counseling | Narconon. Call for free assessments or referrals, 877-413-3073 or www.drugsno.com.

Nar-Anon family group | 7 p.m. Sundays, Recovery Warehouse, 3116 Shetland Lane, unit 34, Myrtle Beach. 233-9017

Hatha Yoga class | 10-11 a.m. Fridays, HealthFinders. $8 per class. 692-4444

Prime of Life Yoga | 11 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, HealthFinders. $8 per class. 692-4444

Heartsaver CPR AED class | 2-5 p.m. Tuesday, HealthFinders. 692-4444 to register.

?Look Good Feel Better? for women in cancer treatment | 2-4 p.m. May 6, Coastal Cancer Center, 8121 Rourk St., Myrtle Beach. 800-227-2345, registration required.

Prepared Childbirth course | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Grand Strand Regional Medical Center . $50. 692-4444 to register.

Prepared Childbirth course | 7 p.m. May 6, 13, 20, Grand Strand Regional Medical Center. $50. 692-4444 to register.

Infant Care | 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 11, HealthFinders. Free. 692-4444 to register.

Breastfeeding | 1:30-3:30 p.m. May 11, HealthFinders. Free. 692-4444 to register.

Support groups

?? Rape Crisis Cente r | Individual counseling, support group, 24-hour hotline for victims of sexual assault. 448-3180 or 448-7273

?? Non-offending parents of child victims of sexual assault | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Conway. Visit www.victimtosurvivor.org or 448-3180.

?? Young stroke survivors between ages 20 to 65 | 11:30 a.m. fourth Friday each month, meeting room, Rotelli?s restaurant, U.S. 501, Conway. 655-2835 or visit www.YoungStroke.org.

?? Mended Hearts | 11:30 a.m. May 13, meeting room behind cafeteria, Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, 809 82nd Parkway, Myrtle Beach. Lunch provided. 685-3378 or rkeilen@mercyhospice.org

?? The La Leche League | 10:30 a.m. Thursday, HealthFinders. 692-4444

?? Prostate | 6 p.m. Wednesday, HealthFinders. 692-4444

LORIS/NORTH MYRTLE BEACH

McLeod Health/Loris/Seacoast sponsors the following events, classes and meetings. The hospital system offers a physician referral line, 716-7527 or online at www.lorishealth.org.

Injury screenings | 8-11 a.m. every Monday, North Myrtle Beach Aquatic and Fitness Center. 360-213-3620 or 281-3737 to schedule an appointment.

Zumba | 6 p.m. Monday and Thursday, 4 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, and 10 a.m. Monday (beginner?s Zumba), Center for Health and Fitness. Free for members; $5 for guest of members; $8 nonmembers. 716-7111

AARP Driver Safety course | 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Center for Health & Fitness. $12 for AARP member, $14 for non-member. 390-8326

Al-Anon meeting | 6:30-7:30 p.m. every Tuesday, A.A. Building, Route 17 S., Grissettown, N.C., across from Ocean Ridge. E-mail el-j-em@hotmail.com or just show up at the next meeting.

March for babies walking team | 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Pelican Stadium, 21st Ave. N., Myrtle Beach. 390-8326

Balance screenings | noon to 2 p.m. May 7, Myrtle Beach mall. Registration required, 390-8326.

Blood drive | 12:30-6:30 p.m. May 9, Center for Health & Fitness. Walk-ins welcome. Registration requested, 390-8326.

Community blood bank | 7:30 a.m. to noon, May 11, American Legion Post #503, 10277 Beach Drive (Rt. 179), Calabash, N.C. Refreshments served. To sign up, 910-575-5037.

Lymphedema screenings | 1-3 p.m. May 16, Center for Health & Fitness. Registration required, 390-8326.

The Child Forgotten | 6:30-7:30 p.m. May 23, North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Center. Registration requested, 390-8326.

Support groups

?? Fibromyalgia and Arthritis | 11 a.m. Wednesday, North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Center. 390-8326

?? Ostomy | 2 p.m. Sunday, McLeod Seacoast. 390-8326

?? Multiple Sclerosis | 6 p.m. May 14, Center for Health & Fitness. 390-8326

?? Diabetes | 10-11 a.m. May 31, McLeod Seacoast. 390-8326

Source: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/04/28/3460242/upcoming-myrtle-beach-area-health.html

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USC's Barkley, 3 other QBs picked in 4th round

NEW YORK (AP) ? For anyone waiting for the draft of the quarterbacks ? players included ? it came Saturday in the fourth round.

A shopping spree for signal callers opened the final day of the draft with Southern California's Matt Barkley taken by Philadelphia after a trade with Jacksonville.

Yes, it was three rounds later than Barkley hoped for. Same thing for Ryan Nassib of Syracuse, Landry Jones of Oklahoma and Tyler Wilson of Arkansas, the other quarterbacks chosen in Round 4.

"We're going to take the best value on the board," coach Chip Kelly said, adding the Eagles rated Barkley in the top 50. "There's a prime example. The best value on the board by far was Matt. He's an extremely mature young man, intelligent, articulate. He has that 'it' factor."

Perhaps. But he seemed to have a lot more of it last year. Barkley was projected as a first-round selection last year, but opted to return to school. He and the Trojans slumped, Barkley injured his shoulder, and his stock plummeted.

"I try not to get stressed about things I can't control," Barkley said when asked about his drop in the draft. "I'm just glad I know where my home is and I can't wait to hit the playbook."

He will join quarterbacks Michael Vick and Nick Foles in Philadelphia.

The New York Giants, hardly in need of a quarterback with Eli Manning in his prime, still dealt with Arizona to move up for Nassib.

Nassib, from the Philadelphia suburbs, took a call from Giants coach Tom Coughlin, but wasn't sure what Coughlin told him.

"To be honest with you, I blacked out. I didn't get everything," Nassib said. "What I did get from him was that first off I had to cut my ties with the Philadelphia Eagles and switch, which won't be a problem."

Oakland, which acquired Matt Flynn from Seattle in the offseason to be its starter, followed two picks later at No. 112 overall with Wilson. Three spots after that, Pittsburgh grabbed Jones, probably hoping to groom him behind Ben Roethlisberger.

A former quarterback, Denard Robinson of Michigan, is headed to Jacksonville, which had one of the league's worst offenses the last two years. Robinson will be switched to running back or receiver by the Jaguars; he set the NCAA record for career yards rushing (4,495) by a quarterback.

"A lot of people have put me at different positions," he said. "Now it's time to go to work."

South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, who would have been a high pick if healthy but is coming off a second severe knee injury, went to the 49ers 131st overall. San Francisco can afford to "redshirt" Lattimore because it has a strong stable of runners, including Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James.

"We really haven't even talked about that, so I don't have any clue," Lattimore said about possibly sitting out 2013 to heal completely. "My main goal right now is to go in there and work hard, go in there and learn the offense, and if I'm ready to play, I'm going to play, and if I'm not, I'm not."

Lattimore, who dislocated his left knee and tore three ligaments last season, said he spoke with Gore during his rehab.

"And now I'm with the 49ers, and it's just a great, great situation for me," Lattimore said.

Three kickers went in the fifth round: punters Jeff Locke of UCLA to Minnesota and Sam Martin of Appalachian State to Seattle, and placekicker Caleb Sturgis of Florida to Miami.

National champion Alabama, which had four players chosen previously ? three in the first round ? had four more go on the final day: linebacker Nico Johnson to Kansas City with the pick after Barkley was taken; guard Barrett Jones, who can play all offensive line positions, to the Rams; and DTs Jesse Williams to Seattle and Quinton Dial to San Francisco.

___

AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi and Sports Writers Tom Canavan and Mark Long contributed to this story.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uscs-barkley-3-other-qbs-picked-4th-round-173608918.html

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Police ID suspect in Illinois shootout that killed 5

MANCHESTER, Ill. (AP) ? The nephew of a small-town Illinois mayor shot and killed five people, including two boys, before leading police on a chase that ended in an exchange of gunfire that left him dead, authorities said Wednesday.

Illinois State Police said they believe Rick O. Smith, 43, entered a Manchester home through the back door and shot the victims at close range with a shotgun, leaving two women, one man and the boys dead. Two people were found in a bedroom, two in a second bedroom and the man in the hallway. A sixth victim, a 6-year-old girl, was injured and taken to a Springfield hospital.

"The offender took the 6-year-old out of the residence and put her in the hands of a neighbor," State Police Lt. Col. Todd Kilby said.

Officials have not revealed a motive for the killings. Police said the victims are related. Authorities believe Smith and the victims were acquainted, but they didn't provide details of the relationships.

A bystander called police and told them that Smith fled the home in a white sedan. A car chase ensued, leading authorities to the nearby town of Winchester, where Smith and officers exchanged gunfire. Officers shot Smith, and he later died at a hospital.

Police said they found a rifle, shotgun and large hunting knife in Smith's car.

Coroner officials said they plan autopsies on the victims Thursday morning in Bloomington and identities would be released at that time.

Scott County State's Attorney Michael Hill said Smith, of rural Morgan County, had previous convictions for reckless homicide, drugs and bad checks.

Manchester Mayor Ronald Drake confirmed that Smith was his nephew, saying he hadn't spoken to Smith in two years, but he believed his nephew was unemployed. Drake said the last time Smith contacted him was to borrow tools.

In Manchester, yellow police tape surrounded the small one-story brick home where the victims were found. Manchester is a village of about 300 residents located about 50 miles west of Springfield.

"It's a close-knit community," Drake said. "Everybody talks to everybody. ... We enjoy that goes on (in) town. This is just a tragedy for (the) whole town."

The last homicide in Scott County was 20 years ago, in 1993.

Manchester resident Julie Hardwick, 48, said she lives in the same county housing authority complex as the victims. Authorities told her she couldn't return to her home yet because of the investigation, she said.

"The kids were really nice," Hardwick said of the family. "You couldn't ask for better kids."

The Rev. Robin Lyons of Manchester United Methodist Church, one of two churches in the community said, "this shows tragedy can happen anywhere."

Two area school superintendents said they received calls from county sheriffs before 6 a.m. informing them that five people had been shot to death at a house in Manchester and that a suspect was at large.

Superintendent David Roberts of the Winchester School District and Les Stevens of the North Greene Unit District No. 3 both said they immediately canceled classes when they were told of the shootings and that other school districts did the same.

Roberts said the wounded girl is a student at Winchester Grade School and her teacher was with her at the Springfield hospital.

The school will use its own counselor, nurse and other staff members to help students who need to talk, Roberts said. Other area districts have offered to help too.

Roberts said he also will call on area ministers to be available on campus. "I've found that to be helpful in the past," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Don Babwin and Jason Keyser in Chicago and David Mercer in Champaign, Ill., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2-boys-3-adults-shot-death-illinois-town-210821243.html

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iPhone 5 vs. BlackBerry Q10: Which should you buy?

The BlackBerry Q10 represents the return of the original BlackBerry. And unabashedly so. Sure it runs the same BlackBerry 10 operating system as the full touchscreen BlackBerry Z10, but it packs it into the classic, keyboard package every hardcore communicator and enterprise accomplisher knows and loves. But how does it compare to the iPhone 5, and if you're considering both -- which one should you get?

And you know what? For what it is, it's really really good. I've been using BlackBerry 10 on the Z10 for a month or so, and I've been using Kevin Michaluk's BlackBerry Q10 review unit quite a bit this week. And the experience translates pretty well to the smaller 720x720 display on the Q10. The keyboard is everything you'd expect from the people who pretty much perfected it. It's a real BlackBerry in every way that matters.

On the other hand, the OLED display is sub-optimal and a compromise. It's a concession to battery life, which is the entire focus of a workhorse phone like the Q10. Apps are still sparse, and Android emulation is a stop-gap at best.

It's also a brand new OS, so while it has all the basics, and carries over a lot of the smart ideas from the Z10, but it's still first generation and that means it squeaks a little when it turns around too fast. But that's okay. Every modern mobile OS has been there.

The truth is, the Q10 is a hold-over from a time gone by, and hardware keyboards aren't a growth market anymore. Kids growing up today will be touch-screen native, and the Q10-style BlackBerry will fade as the Z10-style grows to take it's place.

But right now, today, I don't care. Right now, today, it's like watching your favorite hero from the past come out of retirement to kick ass one last time. And it's a hell of a thing to watch.

No one who wants an iPhone will want a Q10, but everyone who wants the BlackBerry will love it.

Go check out CrackBerry's coverage, then come back here and tell me what you think.

• BlackBerry Q10 review

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/qBlp2iKgRsA/story01.htm

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T-Mobile?s BlackBerry Q10 available for preorder beginning April 29th

By Karolos Grohmann DORTMUND, Germany, April 24 (Reuters) - Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho could not understand how his well-drilled side let Robert Lewandowski score four goals in Borussia Dortmund's 4-1 win on Wednesday but vowed that his team could still reach the Champions League final. The nine-times European champions have a huge task on their hands in Tuesday's home second leg after Mourinho acknowledged they had been outplayed in the semi-final first leg in Germany. "I saw a team that was better than the other one, mentally and physically. The better team won today. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/t-mobile-blackberry-q10-available-preorder-beginning-april-222047555.html

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Chemical weapons in Syria? What Obama's high bar for proof could mean.

Three key US allies ? Britain, France, and Israel ? have said Syria has used chemical weapons in its civil war, but the US, wary of intervening in the conflict, is calling the evidence 'inconclusive.'

By Howard LaFranchi,?Staff writer / April 24, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry gestures during a news conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels April 23. Kerry said on Tuesday that NATO needed to consider its role in the Syrian crisis, including how practically prepared it was to respond to a potential chemical weapons threat.

Evan Vucci/Reuters

Enlarge

The US reluctance to join with three key allies ? Britain, France, and now Israel ? in concluding that Syria?s Bashar al-Assad has used chemical weapons in his country?s civil war confirms President Obama?s consistent wariness about US intervention in the two-year-old conflict.

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Beyond that point, however, former officials and analysts are split over why Mr. Obama is so cautious about the issue ? he even refused to answer a reporter?s question on the topic Tuesday ? and what the apparently high bar the administration has set for evidence of chemical weapons use means.

?It?s a hard call as to whether the administration is trying to avoid something, or if they just don?t have the evidence,? says Wayne White, a former State Department official with experience in Middle East intelligence.

Obama has said repeatedly since last August that Syria?s use of chemical weapons is a US ?red line? and would be a ?game changer? for the US. But now some critics say the president?s caution suggests a moving or ?fuzzy? red line.

For some, the president is simply being prudent, especially if the evidence presented so far is ?inconclusive,? as a number of senior administration officials, including Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, have said. Obama, they add, wants to avoid a rush to judgment that turns out to be mistaken ? and which could appear to the world like a repeat of the 2003 US decision to invade Iraq over weapons of mass destruction that didn?t exist.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday that the US is being ?extremely deliberate? in investigating and evaluating the reports of chemical weapons use. And on Wednesday in Cairo, Secretary Hagel suggested the US would not be rushed to judgment by allies, saying, ?Suspicions are one thing. Evidence is another.? He then added, ?I think we have to be very careful here before we make any conclusions.?

But for others, the reason Obama is setting the bar high ? in a situation where incontrovertible evidence could remain very difficult to come by ? is because he has no desire to ratchet up US involvement in the Syrian conflict unless forced to.

The danger of this approach, critics say, is that it encourages an increasingly desperate President Assad to test the limits of US reluctance ? perhaps even with limited, hard-to-prove use of some chemical weapons.

And even if some isolated use of chemical weapons is proved, some analysts say, Obama is still unlikely to intervene in Syria in a manner that could tip the scales in the conflict.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/7KX3m3_8Gi4/Chemical-weapons-in-Syria-What-Obama-s-high-bar-for-proof-could-mean

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Samsung's next big Android phone, the Galaxy S4, is chock full of new gestures, tricks, and features

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After foiled plot, Canada focuses on rail transport weaknesses

By Ian Simpson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An alleged al Qaeda-backed plot to derail a U.S. passenger train in Canada sought to exploit the vulnerabilities of railroads that have not gotten much attention from the American public.

While the United States has sharply tightened security around airlines since the September 11, 2001, attacks, trains are far harder to police, with masses of passengers getting on and off and stops at many stations on a single line. Thousands of miles (km) of track, bridges and tunnels present a major challenge to monitor.

Even though the United States has largely been immune from attacks, extremists around the world have frequently exploited rail transport's vulnerability, said Brian Michael Jenkins, a security expert with the Mineta Transportation Center at California's San Jose State University.

"Surface transportation really has become the terrorists' killing fields," he said.

Two suspects were arrested in Canada on Monday charged with conspiring to blow up a trestle on the Canadian side of the border as the Maple Leaf, the daily Amtrak connection between Toronto and New York, passed over it. Amtrak is the U.S. passenger rail service.

The two men charged in the plot made their first court appearances on Tuesday. A lawyer for one said his client would fight the charges vigorously.

Jenkins and Steve Kulm, an Amtrak spokesman, said trains presented a unique security challenge, different from airports with their screening process for passengers.

Amtrak coordinates security with local law enforcement, does counterterrorism exercises and patrols its tracks and stations, Kulm said. It also is reconfiguring stations to make them safer from potential attack.

"It's no surprise and no secret that overseas terrorists have targeted rail transportation, and so we have, as I say, many seen and unseen measures that we have put in place and continue to improve upon," Kulm said.

MORE FATALITIES IN RAIL ATTACKS

Although popular attention has tended to focus on airliner attacks, far more people have died worldwide from surface rail assaults, Jenkins said.

Since the September 11, 2001, militant attacks on the United States, there have been 75 assaults on airliners, with 157 fatalities, he said.

During the same period, there were 1,800 attacks on surface transport, with nearly 4,000 people killed. Among them were attacks on Madrid in 2004 and on Mumbai in 2006 that each killed about 200 people, and a 2005 London bombing that claimed 52 lives.

In the United States, only one person has died from an extremist rail attack in recent decades, when Amtrak's Sunset Limited was derailed in Arizona in 1995. Responsibility was claimed by a group calling itself Sons of the Gestapo and the saboteurs have not been found.

The United States has more than 200,000 miles of railroad, with about 21,000 milesused by Amtrak. Amtrak carried 31.2 million passengers in the last fiscal year, its ninth record year in the last 10, Kulm said.

Elliot G. Sander, a former chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York, which runs two of the biggest U.S. commuter railroads, said public awareness was critical to countering potential attacks.

"One cannot understate the importance of the participation of the public, in terms of eyes and ears," he said.

The Department of Homeland Security spent $136 million in the 2013 fiscal year on surface transportation security, with 775 personnel. Aviation security received $5.3 billion and has 53,000 personnel.

Special Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams have the job of carrying out random baggage and security checks at train, subway and bus stations as well as truck weighing stations.

Created after the Madrid railway bombing, the VIPR teams carried out more than 9,300 operations in fiscal 2011, according to the Department of Homeland Security's 2013 budget request.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was criticized last year by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an investigative arm of Congress, for failing to carry out analysis of railroad security information.

The GAO also criticized the TSA for inconsistent reporting requirements from rail agencies and failure to inspect a rail service the GAO did not name. The TSA concurred with the GAO's recommendations for improvement.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson and Hilary Russ; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/alleged-canada-plot-turns-focus-rail-transports-vulnerability-235221707.html

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As flight delays increase, so does the finger-pointing in Washington

By John Whitesides

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal officials reported flight delays at U.S. airports for a third consecutive day on Tuesday, fueling a political blame game as Republicans and Democrats accused each other of causing the furloughs of thousands of air-traffic controllers.

On Capitol Hill and at the White House, the rhetoric over across-the-board federal budget cuts known as "sequestration" became increasingly biting. Both sides tried to take political advantage - and avoid responsibility - for cuts by the Federal Aviation Administration that officials say could plague the country's aviation system during the summer travel season.

Republicans accused Democratic President Barack Obama of needlessly forcing the furloughs so he could blame Republicans for failed negotiations over the nation's debt. They said the FAA and Obama could adjust federal spending priorities to avoid affecting travelers so significantly.

"Stop punishing the American people," Republican Representative Virginia Foxx of North Carolina said in a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives that was directed largely at Obama.

Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania accused Obama's administration of making a "willful choice" to "inflict as disruptive a process as possible on the American public and on our economy, all to further a political agenda."

White House spokesman Jay Carney fought back, blaming Republican-backed spending cuts for the furloughs and saying they could be stopped only by congressional approval of a new budget plan.

"Republicans made a choice," Carney said. "This is a result of the sequester being implemented. We made it clear that there would be these kinds of negative effects if Congress failed to take reasonable action to avert the sequester."

The furloughs of air-traffic controllers by the FAA, intended to reduce staffing by 10 percent across the nation, began on Sunday and led to delays in more than 10,000 flights and the cancellation of 600 over the first two days, the controllers' union said.

On Tuesday, the FAA indicated there were more delays at a number of Eastern airports that it tied to "staffing," including New York's LaGuardia and Washington's Reagan National.

The FAA's 47,000 employees, including 13,000 air-traffic controllers, will be furloughed for about one day every two weeks to cut costs under a budget-cutting program set to last through September, the end of the U.S. government's fiscal year.

Some analysts predict flight delays and congestion at airports could increase through the busy summer travel season - a scenario that would spread the impact of the sequestration cuts to millions of Americans, and likely ignite more anger at Washington and its political gridlock.

POLITICAL RISKS FOR BOTH SIDES

An aviation system in disarray, along with the fallout from a range of other prolonged budget cuts, could put both Obama and congressional Republicans at considerable political risk, analysts said.

Obama is entering a crucial round of negotiations on spending and on legislation to overhaul immigration. After falling short in his effort to get significant gun-control legislation through even the Democrat-controlled Senate, Obama's image as a leader could be damaged if the aviation system becomes unreliable to travelers, the analysts said.

"If this becomes a symbol of him as an ineffective leader and Republicans smell blood, they might be less inclined to enter into a deal now and it could impact other kinds of legislation," said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University historian.

But polls indicate more Americans blame Washington's problems on congressional Republicans, whose party is viewed as less flexible and more ideologically extreme. Analysts say that ongoing problems caused by sequestration could fuel a public opinion backlash against Republicans - and put Republican House Speaker John Boehner and his colleagues at a disadvantage in any confrontation with Democrats over budget issues.

"While everybody's image was hurt in the debt ceiling fight, Republicans' were hurt worse," said Michael Dimock, director of the Pew Research Center.

Karlyn Bowman, a public opinion analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, said the public had soured on Washington's political gamesmanship to the point that any extended fight over furloughs and flight delays would hurt both sides.

"People are so sour about Washington right now," Bowman said. "Even though the numbers might suggest Republicans will get more blame than Obama - and institutions often get more blame than individuals - I would say the public will lay the blame on Washington as a whole."

'WHY IS OBAMA DELAYING YOUR FLIGHT?'

In Washington, the finger-pointing heated up. Republican congressional leaders have fired off a coordinated series of tweets under the hash tag #Obamaflightdelays.

"Why is President Obama unnecessarily delaying your flight?" House of Representatives Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia asked on Twitter.

Democrats responded with their own Twitter hash tag: #GOPSequester, and suggested Republicans who were angry about the FAA cuts did not seem as upset when the budget cuts hit social initiatives such as the Meals on Wheels program for the elderly and the Head Start education program for children of low-income families.

Democrats cast the FAA furloughs as the result of a Republican drive to cut spending across the government.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said they had little flexibility under the sequester law to change spending levels for the aviation system.

"I only hope public outcry over long delays at airports will serve as a wake-up call to my Republican colleagues," Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said, urging Republicans to negotiate with Democrats on a new budget agreement.

Reid said Democrats had a new plan to turn off the sequester for five months by claiming savings from the drawdown of Afghanistan and Iraq war spending. Democrats hoped to bring the bill to the floor, but it would face a tough road to passage and is unlikely to come to a vote before early May.

U.S. Senate Commerce Committee leaders from both parties pressed the administration on Tuesday for more information on the furlough plan.

Chairman Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, and Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the panel's top Republican, said in a letter that the furloughs, along with a plan to close some air-traffic control towers, raised "serious safety and operational issues."

(Additional reporting by David Lawder; Editing by David Lindsey and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/flight-delays-increase-does-finger-pointing-washington-002331409--business.html

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How much does EPA's objection to Keystone XL matter? A lot. (Washington Post)

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

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Google AdWords Enhanced Campaigns Now Let Advertisers Highlight Their Google+ Follower Count, Get Improved In-App Targeting

Google+ is finding its way into every Google product, and AdWords is no exception. Starting today, AdWords advertisers can easily highlight their Google+ follower counts in their enhanced campaigns. On average, Google says, ads with these follower counts have “a 5-10% higher click-through rate” than regular ads. The company, it seems, tested these new ads with the help of a number of major brands, including Red Bull, National Geographic and H&M. Here is what these ads look like: To be eligible to show these annotations, businesses need to have a Google+ page with a verified URL, and the Google+ page needs to have “recent, high-quality posts and a significant number of followers, meaning 100 for most businesses.” These new social annotations are automatic for all enhanced campaigns and won’t incur any additional cost. Showing follower counts in ads isn’t totally new, of course. Google launched its “social extensions” for AdWords last year. Those, however, have to be set up at the campaign level while this new integration into enhanced campaigns is automatic. Enhanced In-App Ad Targeting Enhanced campaigns, it is worth stressing, are still a pretty new feature in AdWords, and the focus here is on creating ads that businesses can run on desktop and mobile without the need to set up multiple campaigns. With today’s release, Google is also making some general improvements to these enhanced campaigns. Specifically, it’s making it easier to target in-app ads “based on people?s context like location, time of day and device, with enhanced campaigns.”

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/AjBezg7TWLE/

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Study shows reproductive effects of pesticide exposure span generations

Public release date: 22-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Matt Shipman
matt_shipman@ncsu.edu
919-515-6386
North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University researchers studying aquatic organisms called Daphnia have found that exposure to a chemical pesticide has impacts that span multiple generations causing the so-called "water fleas" to produce more male offspring, and causing reproductive problems in female offspring.

"This work supports the hypothesis that exposure to some environmental chemicals during sensitive periods of development can cause significant health problems for those organisms later in life and affect their offspring and, possibly, their offspring's offspring," says Dr. Gerald LeBlanc, a professor of environmental and molecular toxicology at NC State and lead author of a paper on the work. "We were looking at a model organism, identified an important pathway for environmental sex determination, and found that there are chemicals that can hijack that pathway."

Environmental cues normally determine the sex, male or female, of Daphnia offspring, and researchers have been working to understand the mechanisms involved. As part of that work, LeBlanc's team had previously identified a hormone called methyl farnesoate (Mf) that Daphnia produce under certain environmental conditions.

The researchers have now found that the hormone binds with a protein receptor called the Mf receptor, which can regulate gene transcription and appears to be tied to the production of male offspring.

In experiments, the researchers exposed Daphnia to varying levels of an insecticide called pyriproxyfen, which mimics the Mf hormone. The pyriproxyfen exposure resulted in Daphnia producing more male offspring and fewer offspring in total, with higher doses exacerbating both effects.

"At high concentrations, we were getting only male offspring, which is not good," LeBlanc says. "Producing fewer offspring, specifically fewer female offspring, could significantly limit population numbers for Daphnia."

And low exposure concentrations had significant impacts as well. At pyriproxyfen concentrations as low as 71 nanograms per liter, or 71 parts per trillion, the Daphnia would still produce some female offspring. But those females suffered long-term reproductive health effects, producing significantly smaller numbers of offspring despite the fact that they had not been exposed to pyriproxyfen since birth.

"We now want to know specifically which genes are involved in this sex determination process," LeBlanc says. "And, ecologically, it would be important to know the impact of changes in population dynamics for this species. Daphnia are a keystone species an important food source for juvenile fish and other organisms."

###

The paper, "A Transgenerational Endocrine Signaling Pathway in Crustacea," was published April 17 in PLOS ONE. The paper was co-authored by Dr. Ying Wang, a research associate at NC State; Charisse Holmes and Elizabeth Medlock, Ph.D. students at NC State; and Gwijun Kwon, a research technician at NC State. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

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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: 22-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Matt Shipman
matt_shipman@ncsu.edu
919-515-6386
North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University researchers studying aquatic organisms called Daphnia have found that exposure to a chemical pesticide has impacts that span multiple generations causing the so-called "water fleas" to produce more male offspring, and causing reproductive problems in female offspring.

"This work supports the hypothesis that exposure to some environmental chemicals during sensitive periods of development can cause significant health problems for those organisms later in life and affect their offspring and, possibly, their offspring's offspring," says Dr. Gerald LeBlanc, a professor of environmental and molecular toxicology at NC State and lead author of a paper on the work. "We were looking at a model organism, identified an important pathway for environmental sex determination, and found that there are chemicals that can hijack that pathway."

Environmental cues normally determine the sex, male or female, of Daphnia offspring, and researchers have been working to understand the mechanisms involved. As part of that work, LeBlanc's team had previously identified a hormone called methyl farnesoate (Mf) that Daphnia produce under certain environmental conditions.

The researchers have now found that the hormone binds with a protein receptor called the Mf receptor, which can regulate gene transcription and appears to be tied to the production of male offspring.

In experiments, the researchers exposed Daphnia to varying levels of an insecticide called pyriproxyfen, which mimics the Mf hormone. The pyriproxyfen exposure resulted in Daphnia producing more male offspring and fewer offspring in total, with higher doses exacerbating both effects.

"At high concentrations, we were getting only male offspring, which is not good," LeBlanc says. "Producing fewer offspring, specifically fewer female offspring, could significantly limit population numbers for Daphnia."

And low exposure concentrations had significant impacts as well. At pyriproxyfen concentrations as low as 71 nanograms per liter, or 71 parts per trillion, the Daphnia would still produce some female offspring. But those females suffered long-term reproductive health effects, producing significantly smaller numbers of offspring despite the fact that they had not been exposed to pyriproxyfen since birth.

"We now want to know specifically which genes are involved in this sex determination process," LeBlanc says. "And, ecologically, it would be important to know the impact of changes in population dynamics for this species. Daphnia are a keystone species an important food source for juvenile fish and other organisms."

###

The paper, "A Transgenerational Endocrine Signaling Pathway in Crustacea," was published April 17 in PLOS ONE. The paper was co-authored by Dr. Ying Wang, a research associate at NC State; Charisse Holmes and Elizabeth Medlock, Ph.D. students at NC State; and Gwijun Kwon, a research technician at NC State. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/ncsu-ssr042213.php

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5 dead in shooting south of Seattle

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. (AP) ? Gunfire erupted at an apartment complex in a city south of Seattle and five people were shot to death, including a suspect who was shot by arriving officers, police said early Monday.

Officers responding to an emergency call at 9:30 p.m. PDT Sunday at the apartments in Federal Way encountered a chaotic scene, with bullets flying.

"When officers arrived there were still shots being fired," said Federal Way police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock.

They found two wounded men on the ground in a parking lot. One of the men reached for a gun as police moved in to assist the two, she said.

At that point, officers opened fire. The suspect died but police said it wasn't immediately clear if it was from their gunfire.

The other man on the ground and a third man in the parking lot were found dead.

In a search of the complex, police found a fourth man dead in one apartment and a slain woman in another unit. Schrock said police were trying to determine if the woman was hit by a stray bullet.

A total of eight officers fired their weapons, Schrock said. All have been placed on administrative leave, per standard policy, as the investigation continues.

There was no immediate word what set off the shooting. Police scheduled a briefing for late Monday morning.

"We still don't have any idea what started this disturbance tonight," Schrock said.

After police flooded the area and carried out searches, authorities said they were confident there were no more casualties from the shooting.

They said they did not think another shooter was on the loose or that there was an immediate threat to the public.

There were no reports of any officers being injured, and the names of the five people who were killed were not immediately available.

Federal Way is about 20 miles south of Seattle.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-5-dead-shooting-south-seattle-081054003.html

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Coping With "To Do" Lists - The Self Improvement Blog

By Terry C Misfeldt ?

In a previous EzineArticles.com piece, I wrote about knowing how and where you spend your time each day as a step to getting a better handle on how to manage the time you have for work. It didn?t cover much about your free time, but we?ll dig into that here.

A second step in learning how to control the ticking clock is to write down all the tasks ? big or small ? you feel are on your plate that need to be completed at some point. Avoid judging, just write them down. What this does, among other things, is it downloads that data from your brain. Putting it on paper or in a laptop document opens up space in your memory bank.

One of the more difficult steps in this process is to go through all these items and, first, determine if there?s a deadline for getting them done. Take a look at the list in terms of work-related tasks and personal items. Separate the two areas as best you can. There will be occasions where the two are inseparable, but you are the one responsible for setting priorities between work and play or personal activities.

As you consider deadlines, also take the time to realistically think about how long it will actually take you to compete each task on the list. If a client needs a proposal for a project by noon tomorrow and you estimate that writing the proposal requires four hours of your time, it may be best to put the ?to do? list project aside and get cranking on the proposal. If you procrastinate until 8 a.m. tomorrow, you will create undue stress on yourself trying to scramble and complete the proposal. In the process, you may do sloppy work, misspell words and not have time to make corrections, or miss the deadline entirely and have to come up with a lame excuse.

If mowing the lawn is on the list, you should know it will take 30 minutes ? start to finish ? to complete the task. This is a chore that remains on the list, except during the winter months up north, so you understand that and use a spare 30-minute window when the weather tells you it?s time to get out and mow. Assigning time values to each task is critical to managing your ?to do? list, but avoid spending so much time working on the list that it becomes a chore itself.

Write items down and cross them off when they?re accomplished.

A technique I?ve found helpful is a spiral notebook; the kind students use (or used to use) for taking notes in classes. Use this as your to do list management system. As you fill and complete a page, put an ?x? through that page and keep going. You always have items on your list but focus on the most important items.

Now let?s cover your free time. You could become ?boring? by constantly focusing on the items on that ?to do? list. Granted, you would probably get a lot of work done, but you should take time to do fun things for yourself, too. I call it my ?Terry Time.? I may have work that should get done, but know I need a break to refresh myself or clear my head by getting away from the project. I?ve found that taking ?Terry Time? makes me far more productive when I come back to the task that trying to slog my way through it.

We all need personal time? to relax, read, exercise, smell the roses, or take a nap. What we have is the moment we?re in, so it?s vital to enjoy that moment.

Author Eckhart Tolle opened my eyes to an approach to time and the tasks we face in his book, A New Earth. We have three approaches to tasks:

1. Acceptance ? Best used for a job we may not want to do. We accept that it must get done and just do it. You may not enjoy writing the weekly sales report, but you understand it?s value, accept that it needs to get done, and you do it.

2. Excitement ? You look forward to a task and attack it with a sense of excitement for the satisfaction it can give you. If you own a business, I hope you go to the office or shop every day with the expectation that it will be an exciting day.

3. Enthusiasm ? This is the approach that is defined by your passion. You have a goal in mind, know what it will take to achieve that goal, and approach each task and every day with the enthusiasm that you are getting one step closer to achieving it.

After weighing all these considerations and assessments, it comes down to doing what, in your opinion, is the most important thing you should be doing? right now!

Terry is President and Trail Boss for Brand Irons. Brand Irons assists business owners in branding their work, and then working their brand. Every business is unique and should be a leader in their industry or market. One of the skills is taking the time to think things through, and that may require professional assistance, which is available through Brand Irons. Business owners need to remove the emotions from basic business decisions and make them with reason and business clarity. Once the foundation is laid, marketing is focused on the consumer and generates a measurable return on the investment in marketing efforts. Advertising is where the emotion comes back into the picture. Terry is available to conduct group workshops on strategic marketing and time block management. Call (920) 366-6334 to schedule a meeting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_C_Misfeldt
http://EzineArticles.com/?Coping-With-To-Do-Lists&id=7595977

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Source: http://theselfimprovementblog.com/self-improvement/self-improvement-skills/coping-with-to-do-lists/

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Hundreds of potential drug targets to starve cancer tumors identified

Apr. 21, 2013 ? A massive study analyzing gene expression data from 22 tumor types has identified multiple metabolic expression changes associated with cancer. The analysis, conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, also identified hundreds of potential drug targets that could cut off a tumor's fuel supply or interfere with its ability to synthesize essential building blocks. The study was published today in the online edition of Nature Biotechnology.

The results should ramp up research into drugs that interfere with cancer metabolism, a field that dominated cancer research in the early 20th century and has recently undergone a renaissance.

"The importance of this new study is its scope," said Dennis Vitkup, PhD, associate professor of biomedical informatics (in the Initiative in Systems Biology) at CUMC, the study's lead investigator. "So far, people have focused mainly on a few genes involved in major metabolic processes. Our study provides a comprehensive, global view of diverse metabolic alterations at the level of gene expression."

Cell metabolism is a dynamic network of reactions inside cells that process nutrients, such as glucose, to obtain energy and synthesize building blocks needed to produce new cellular components. To support uncontrolled proliferation, cancer needs to significantly reprogram and "supercharge" a cell's normal metabolic pathways.

The first researcher to notice cancer's special metabolism was German biochemist Otto Warburg, who in 1924 observed that cancer cells had a peculiar way of utilizing glucose to make energy for the cell. "Although a list of biochemical pathways in normal cells was comprehensively mapped during the last century," said Dr. Vitkup. "We still lack a complete understanding of their usage, regulation, and reprogramming in cancer."

"Right now we have something like a static road map. We know where the streets are, but we don't know how traffic flows through the streets and intersections," said Jie Hu, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia and first author of the study. "What researchers need is something similar to Google Traffic, which shows the flow and dynamic changes in car traffic."

Drs. Hu and Vitkup's study is an important step toward achieving this dynamic view of cancer metabolism. Notably, the researchers found that the tumor-induced expression changes are significantly different across diverse tumors. Although some metabolic changes -- such as an increase in nucleotide biosynthesis and glycolysis -- appear to be more frequent across tumors, others, such as changes in oxidation phosphorylation, are heterogeneous.

"Our study clearly demonstrates that there are no single and universal changes in cancer metabolism," said Matthew Vander Heiden, MD, PhD, assistant professor at MIT, and a co-author of the paper. "That means that to understand transformation in cancer metabolism, researchers will need to consider how different tumor types adapt their metabolism to meet their specific needs."

The researchers also found that expression changes can mimic or cooperate with cancer mutations to drive tumor formation. A notable example is the enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase. In several cancers, such as glioblastoma and acute myeloid leukemia, mutations in this enzyme are known to produce a specific metabolite -- 2-hydroxyglutarate -- that promotes tumor growth. The Columbia team found that isocitrate dehydrogenase expression significantly increases in tumors with the recurrent mutations. Such an overexpression may create an efficient enzymatic factory for overproduction of 2-hydroxyglutarate.

The analysis also led the researchers to an interesting finding in colon cancer. In several other cancers, mutations in two enzymes -- succinate dehydrogenase and fumarate hydratase -- can promote tumor formation as a result of efflux from mitochondria and accumulation of their substrates, fumarate and succinate. The researchers found that in colon cancer, accumulation of these metabolites may be caused by a significant decrease in the enzymes' expression. This was confirmed when metabolomics data from colon tumor patients showed significantly higher concentrations of fumarate in tumors than in normal tissue.

"These are just several examples of how cancer cells use various creative mechanisms to hijack the metabolism of native cells for their own purposes," said Dr. Vitkup.

For cancer researchers looking for new drug targets, Dr. Vitkup's team also found hundreds of differences between normal and cancer cells' use of isoenzymes. This opens up additional possibilities for turning off cancer's fuel and supply lines. Isoenzymes often catalyze the same reactions, but have different kinetic properties: Some act quickly and sustain rapid growth, while others are more sluggish. In kidney and liver cancers, for example, a quick-acting aldolase isoenzyme -- suitable for fast cell proliferation -- was found to be more prevalent than the more typical slow-moving version found in normal kidney and liver tissue. Although a few examples of differential isoenzyme expression in tumors were already known, the Columbia researchers identified hundreds of isoenzymes with cancer-specific expression patterns.

"Inhibiting specific isoenzymes in tumors may be a way to selectively hit cancer cells without affecting normal cells, which could get by with other isoenzymes," said Dr. Hu.

In fact, a recent study from Matthew Vander Heiden's laboratory demonstrated the potential of targeting a specific isoenzyme, pyruvate kinase M2, expression of which often increases in tumors. "The comprehensive expression analysis suggests that a similar approach could potentially be applied in multiple other cases," said Dr. Vander Heiden.

Targeting metabolism may be a way to strike cancer at its roots. "Cancer cells usually have multiple ways to turn on their growth program," said Dr. Vitkup. "You can knock out one, but the cells will usually find another pathway to turn on proliferation. Targeting metabolism may be more powerful, because if you starve a cell of energy or materials, it has nowhere to go."

The paper is titled, "Heterogeneity of tumor-induced gene expression changes in the human metabolic network." The other authors are Jason W. Locasale (Cornell University), Jason H. Bielas (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Wash.; and University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.), Jacintha O'Sullivan (St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland), Kieran Sheahan St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland), and Lewis C. Cantley (Harvard Medical School).

Dr. Vander Heiden is a consultant and advisory board member, and Dr. Cantley is a consultant and founder, of Agios Pharmaceuticals. The authors report no other financial or potential conflicts of interest.

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grant GM079759 to Dr. Vitkup and National Centers for Biomedical Computing grant U54CA121852 to Columbia University. Dr. Locasale is supported by an NIH Pathway to Independence Award R00CA168997. Dr. Bielas is supported by an Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar award AG-NS-0577-09, a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences grant R01ES019319, and New Development Funds from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Dr. Vander Heiden acknowledges support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, the Smith Family, and the National Cancer Institute.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Columbia University Medical Center.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jie Hu, Jason W Locasale, Jason H Bielas, Jacintha O'Sullivan, Kieran Sheahan, Lewis C Cantley, Matthew G Vander Heiden, Dennis Vitkup. Heterogeneity of tumor-induced gene expression changes in the human metabolic network. Nature Biotechnology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2530

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/NxLu-Y1ENBQ/130421151616.htm

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Beleaguered caregivers getting help from apps

NEW YORK (AP) ? As her mother and father edged toward dementia, Nancy D'Auria kept a piece of paper in her wallet listing their medications.

It had the dosages, the time of day each should be taken and a check mark when her folks, who live 10 miles away, assured her the pills had been swallowed.

"I work full time so it was very challenging," said D'Auria, 63, of West Nyack.

Now she has an app for that. With a tap or two on her iPhone, D'Auria can access a "pillbox" program that keeps it all organized for her and other relatives who share in the caregiving and subscribe to the app.

"I love the feature that others can see this," D'Auria said. "I'm usually the one who takes care of this, but if I get stuck, they're all up to date."

From GPS devices and computer programs that help relatives track a wandering Alzheimer's patient to iPad apps that help an autistic child communicate, a growing number of tools for the smartphone, the tablet and the laptop are catering to beleaguered caregivers. With the baby boom generation getting older, the market for such technology is expected to increase.

The pillbox program is just one feature of a $3.99 app called Balance that was launched last month by the National Alzheimer Center, a division of the Hebrew Home at Riverdale in the Bronx.

"We thought there would be an opportunity here to reach caregivers in a different way," said David Pomerantz, executive vice president of the Hebrew Home. "It would be a way to reach people the way people like to be reached now, on their phone."

The app also includes sections for caregiving tips, notes for the doctor and the patient's appointments, plus a "learning section" with articles on aspects of Alzheimer's and an RSS feed for news about the disease.

Trackers are also important tools for Alzheimer's caregivers.

Laura Jones of Lighthouse Point, Fla., says she was able to extend her husband's independence for a year and a half by using a program called Comfort Zone.

"He was just 50 when he was diagnosed," she said.

Jones said she went to work so he would continue to get insurance coverage.

"Day care was not appropriate, home care was not affordable," she said. "Even when he stopped driving, he would ride his bike all over town, to the gym, for coffee, errands. He would take the dog for a walk and be out and about when he was alone and I was working."

Using Comfort Zone, which is offered by the Alzheimer's Association starting at $43 a month, she was able to go online and track exactly where he was and where he had been.

Her husband carried a GPS device, which sent a signal every five minutes. If Jones checked online every hour, she would see 12 points on a map revealing her husband's travels. She would also get an alert if he left a designated area.

Eventually, the tracking revealed that Jones' husband was getting lost.

"He would make a big funny loop off the usual route and we knew it was time to start locking down on him," she said.

Mended Hearts, an organization of heart patients and their caregivers, is about to start a program to reach caregivers by texting tips to their phones.

"We hope this will be the beginning of several patient- and caregiver-based texting programs that reach people where they are," said executive director Karen Caruth.

Lisa Goring, vice president of Autism Speaks, said tablets have been a boon to families with autistic children. The organization has given iPads to 850 low-income families. And the Autism Speaks website lists hundreds of programs ? from Angry Birds to Autism Language Learning ? that families have found useful.

Samantha Boyd of McConnellstown, Pa., said her 8-year-old autistic son gets very excited when the iPad is brought out.

"There's no way he'd be able to use a keyboard and mouse," she said. "But with the iPad, we use the read-aloud books, the songs, the flash card apps."

She said the repetitiveness and visuals help. "He catches a word and repeats it back. He says the name of a picture, and the iPad says it back."

Boyd said the iPad also works as a reward: "He likes to watch Netflix on it."

One of the most popular online tools for caregivers is one of the oldest: the message board, available all over the Internet and heavily used by caregivers of dementia and autism patients, who perhaps can't find the time for conventional support groups.

"It's a place for families to talk about the strengths and the accomplishments of their child with autism but also talk about some of the challenges and be able to find the support of other families," Goring said.

Some tools are not specific to a particular disease or condition.

CareFamily, which prescreens in-home caregivers and matches them to customers over the Internet, has online tools that let a family remotely monitor a caregiver's attendance, provide reminders about medications and appointments, and exchange care plans and notes via email, texting or phone.

"We're in the infancy of what technology can do for caregiving and it's only going to grow," said Beth Kallmyer, a vice president at the Alzheimer's Association.

But she cautioned that it's too soon to depend entirely on online tools.

"It's not a good fit for everybody," she said. "When you're looking at people impacted by Alzheimer's disease, including some caregivers, you're looking at an older population that might not be comfortable. We always have to remember technology is great ? when it works."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/beleaguered-caregivers-getting-help-apps-182753592.html

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