Advanced breast cancer edges up in younger women

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a cancer specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital, poses in an exam room at the hospital in Seattle. Johnson is the lead author of a new study that shows that advanced breast cancer cases have increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests, raising many questions about possible reasons even as the disease remains uncommon in women younger than 40. Johnson herself was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 27, 17 years ago. Unlike women in the study, Johnson?s cancer was caught early. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a cancer specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital, poses in an exam room at the hospital in Seattle. Johnson is the lead author of a new study that shows that advanced breast cancer cases have increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests, raising many questions about possible reasons even as the disease remains uncommon in women younger than 40. Johnson herself was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 27, 17 years ago. Unlike women in the study, Johnson?s cancer was caught early. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a cancer specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital, poses in her office in Seattle. Johnson is the lead author of a new study that shows that advanced breast cancer cases have increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests, raising many questions about possible reasons even as the disease remains uncommon in women younger than 40. Johnson herself was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 27, 17 years ago. Unlike women in the study, Johnson?s cancer was caught early. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a cancer specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital, poses in her office in Seattle. Johnson is the lead author of a new study that shows that advanced breast cancer cases have increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests, raising many questions about possible reasons even as the disease remains uncommon in women younger than 40. Johnson herself was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 27, 17 years ago. Unlike women in the study, Johnson?s cancer was caught early. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

CHICAGO (AP) ? Advanced breast cancer has increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests. The disease is still uncommon among women younger than 40, and the small change has experts scratching their heads about possible reasons.

The results are potentially worrisome because young women's tumors tend to be more aggressive than older women's, and they're much less likely to get routine screening for the disease.

Still, that doesn't explain why there'd be an increase in advanced cases and the researchers and other experts say more work is needed to find answers.

It's likely that the increase has more than one cause, said Dr. Rebecca Johnson, the study's lead author and medical director of a teen and young adult cancer program at Seattle Children's Hospital.

"The change might be due to some sort of modifiable risk factor, like a lifestyle change" or exposure to some sort of cancer-linked substance, she said.

Johnson said the results translate to about 250 advanced cases diagnosed in women younger than 40 in the mid-1970s versus more than 800 in 2009. During those years, the number of women nationwide in that age range went from about 22 million to closer to 30 million ? an increase that explains part of the study trend "but definitely not all of it," Johnson said.

Other experts said women delaying pregnancy might be a factor, partly because getting pregnant at an older age might cause an already growing tumor to spread more quickly in response to pregnancy hormones.

Obesity and having at least a drink or two daily have both been linked with breast cancer but research is inconclusive on other possible risk factors, including tobacco and chemicals in the environment. Whether any of these explains the slight increase in advanced disease in young women is unknown.

There was no increase in cancer at other stages in young women. There also was no increase in advanced disease among women older than 40.

Overall U.S. breast cancer rates have mostly fallen in more recent years, although there are signs they may have plateaued.

Some 17 years ago, Johnson was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer at age 27, and that influenced her career choice to focus on the disease in younger women.

"Young women and their doctors need to understand that it can happen in young women," and get checked if symptoms appear, said Johnson, now 44. "People shouldn't just watch and wait."

The authors reviewed a U.S. government database of cancer cases from 1976 to 2009. They found that among women aged 25 to 39, breast cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body ? advanced disease ? increased from between 1 and 2 cases per 100,000 women to about 3 cases per 100,000 during that time span.

The study was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

About one in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, but only 1 in 173 will develop it by age 40. Risks increase with age and certain gene variations can raise the odds.

Routine screening with mammograms is recommended for older women but not those younger than 40.

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society's deputy chief medical officer, said the results support anecdotal reports but that there's no reason to start screening all younger women since breast cancer is still so uncommon for them.

He said the study "is solid and interesting and certainly does raise questions as to why this is being observed." One of the most likely reasons is probably related to changes in childbearing practices, he said, adding that the trend "is clearly something to be followed."

Dr. Ann Partridge, chair of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's advisory committee on breast cancer in young women, agreed but said it's also possible that doctors look harder for advanced disease in younger women than in older patients. More research is needed to make sure the phenomenon is real, said Partridge, director of the breast cancer center at the Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The study shouldn't cause alarm, she said. Still, Partridge said young women should be familiar with their breasts and see the doctor if they notice any lumps or other changes.

Software engineer Stephanie Carson discovered a large breast tumor that had already spread to her lungs; that diagnosis in 2003 was a huge shock.

"I was so clueless," she said. "I was just 29 and that was the last thing on my mind."

Carson, who lives near St. Louis, had a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and other treatments and she frequently has to try new drugs to keep the cancer at bay.

Because most breast cancer is diagnosed in early stages, there's a misconception that women are treated, and then get on with their lives, Carson said. She and her husband had to abandon hopes of having children, and she's on medical leave from her job.

"It changed the complete course of my life," she said. "But it's still a good life."

____

Online:

JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/index.htm

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-02-26-Breast%20Cancer-Young%20Women/id-356d2232f600473f90de590061d43d38

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NY1 For You: Insurance Company Dodges Claims From Radio ...

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One radio station, like many other businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy, say they're struggling to survive because of unfair insurance claim denials. NY1's Susan Jhun has the story.

120 Wall Street was home to Progressive radio station WBAI for more than a decade until Hurricane Sandy hit. The building, located in Zone A, was evacuated a day before the hurricane and shut down for another three weeks after.

A closure that cost the station severely.

It happened as we were finishing our last week of a very important fundraising campaign. We are listener only supported, we rely on those pledges," WBAI Interim Development Director Andrea Katz said. "We lost $150,000 in money that we rely on to pay our rent."

Even after the building was reopened, there was no internet or phone service, and WBAI was forced to continue broadcasting from the remote location it used following Sandy.

The station filed a claim for loss of revenue with it's insurance company, Chubb.

Katz says Chubb declared the claim was water related, and since the company didn't have flood insurance, it would only be covered for three days of lost business.

"My argument back was it was not water related, it was a restricted building that we were not allowed entry to and therefore could not do business as usual," Katz said.

It's a complaint we've been hearing over and over from small businesses hit by Hurricane Sandy, who claim their insurance companies are worming their way out of paying out.

"There are hundreds and hundreds of businesses down here who are all experiencing the same thing," Katz said. "The city has done what they can to help us but we really feel at this point that we may have to take a class action suit to the attorney general."

We called Chubb for comment but haven't heard back.

We then contacted the Department of Financial Services, which regulates insurance companies, and a spokesman said the agency is working to resolve these disputes with it's new mediation program.

Help that may not come soon enough for WBAI.

"We're really afraid we're going to have to close the doors," Katz said.

We will keep you updated.

Source: http://www.ny1.com/content/features/177741/ny1-for-you--insurance-company-dodges-claims-from-radio-station

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Venezuela's Maduro would win vote if Chavez goes: poll

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro would win a presidential vote should his boss Hugo Chavez's cancer force him out, according to the first survey this year on such a scenario in the South American OPEC nation.

Local pollster Hinterlaces gave Maduro 50 percent of potential votes, compared to 36 percent for opposition leader Henrique Capriles.

Chavez made a surprise return to Venezuela on Monday, more than two months after cancer surgery in Cuba, to continue treatment at home for the disease that is jeopardizing his 14-year socialist rule.

He has named Maduro, 50, a former bus driver and union activist, as his preferred successor.

Capriles, 40, a center-left state governor who lost to Chavez in a presidential vote last year, likely would run again.

Chavez still has not spoken in public since his December 11 operation in Cuba. Venezuelans were debating on Tuesday the various possible scenarios after his homecoming - from full recovery to resignation or even death from the cancer.

There was widespread expectation Chavez would soon be formally sworn in for his new six-year term at the Caracas military hospital where officials said he was staying. The January 10 ceremony was postponed while he was in Cuba.

"The president's timeline is strictly linked to his medical evolution and recovery," said Rodrigo Cabezas, a senior member of Chavez's ruling Socialist Party who, like other officials, would not comment on when he might be sworn in.

CAPRILES ANGRY

Should Chavez be forced out, Venezuela's constitution stipulates an election must be held within 30 days, giving Capriles and the opposition Democratic Unity coalition another chance to end the socialists' lengthy grip on power.

Capriles, who crossed swords with Hinterlaces at various points during the presidential election, again accused its director, Oscar Schemel, of bias in the latest survey.

"That man is not a pollster, he's on the government's payroll," Capriles told local TV.

"He said in December I would lose the Miranda governorship," he added, referring to his defeat of government heavyweight Elias Jaua, now foreign minister, in that local race.

Opinion surveys are notoriously controversial and divergent in Venezuela, with both sides routinely accusing pollsters of being in the pocket of the other. But Hinterlaces successfully forecast Chavez's win with 55 percent of the vote in October.

Its latest poll was of 1,230 people between January 30-February 9.

Polls last year showed Capriles - an energetic basketball-playing lawyer who admires Brazil's centrist mix of free-market economics with strong social welfare policies - as more popular than any of Chavez's senior allies.

But Chavez's personal blessing of Maduro, on the eve of his last cancer surgery, has transformed his status and made him the heir apparent for many of the president's supporters.

As de facto leader since mid-December, Maduro also has built up a stronger public profile, copying the president's techniques of endless live TV appearances, especially to inaugurate new public works or promote popular policies like subsidized food.

He lacks Chavez's charisma, however, and opponents have slammed him as a "poor imitation" and incompetent.

EMOTION

Local analyst Luis Vicente Leon said that should Chavez die, Maduro would benefit from the emotion unleashed among his millions of passionate supporters in Venezuela.

"The funeral wake for Chavez would merge into the election campaign," he told a local newspaper, noting how Argentine President Cristina Fernandez's popularity surged when her husband and predecessor Nestor Kirchner died in 2010.

Maduro already has implemented an unpopular devaluation of the local currency and said more economic measures are coming this week in what local economists view as austerity measures after blowout spending prior to last year's election.

In Caracas, the streets were quieter after tumultuous celebrations of Chavez's homecoming by supporters on Monday. A few journalists stood outside the military hospital.

Prayer vigils were planned in various parts of Venezuela.

"We hope Chavez will stay governing because he is a strong man," supporter Cristina Salcedo, 50, said in Caracas.

Student demonstrators who had chained themselves near the Cuban Embassy last week, demanding more information on Chavez's condition, called off their protest after his return.

Until photos were published of him on Friday, the president had not been seen by the public since his six-hour December 11 operation, the fourth since cancer was detected in mid-2011.

The government has said Chavez is breathing through a tracheal tube and struggling to speak.

Bolivian President Evo Morales arrived in Caracas on Tuesday in the hope of visiting his friend and fellow leftist.

(Additional reporting by Deisy Buitrago, Mario Naranjo, Girish Gupta in Caracas, Carlos Quiroga in La Paz; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/venezuelas-vp-maduro-win-vote-chavez-goes-poll-132820842.html

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Pope resignation deepens doubt, despondency for Italians

ROME (Reuters) - Pope Benedict's shock resignation has robbed Italians of the one element of certainty in a time of deep doubt, with the country beset by graft scandals and heading for an election that will not bring the radical change so many crave.

The pontiff has long been the one stable element for Roman Catholic Italians in a modern state that has become a byword for political instability and flawed politicians.

All that changed a week ago when Benedict announced he would be the first pontiff in 700 years to resign, causing alarm and despondency among many faithful in a country whose history has been shaped by the presence of the headquarters of the Church for 2,000 years.

"We are in a moment of social, ideological and cultural crisis and in a moment like that it is completely wrong for him to leave," said Emanuele Vitale, 22, a Sicilian student who joined around 100,000 people packed into St Peter's Square on Sunday for one of Benedict's last appearances before his resignation on February 28.

Another person in the square, pensioner Antonio Mingrone, 68, said: "It is unsettling. At a time when there are all these political conflicts and an economic crisis, it is one more thing weighing on our minds."

Outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti, himself a devout Catholic, referred to the "disorientation" of Italians over the pope's decision. "It seems like an epoch is changing on both sides of the Tiber and we feel robbed of points of reference."

Massimo Franco, a leading Italian political commentator and author of several books on the Vatican, told Reuters: "The resignation adds instability to instability. The Church which was a source of stability is now a major source of instability.

"Today the Vatican is a sort of mirror of Italy," Franco said. "Before it was the opposite. Now there is a chaotic Italy and chaotic Vatican."

Italians will vote next Sunday and Monday in an election whose outcome is still unpredictable at a time when the country desperately needs firm and decisive government to address a major recession, stagnant growth and soaring unemployment.

DISGUST WITH POLITICIANS

Poll after poll over the last year has shown Italians disgusted with a political class which has clung to its own privileges as the euro zone's third biggest but chronically uncompetitive economy descended deeper into crisis.

Instead they look like getting the opposite result from the one they want. The main beneficiary is likely to be Genoese comic Beppe Grillo, whose obscenity-laced diatribes against politicians have pulled in big crowds around Italy on his "tsunami" campaign tour, but whose own policies remain vague.

Grillo was quick to jump on the pope's abdication, telling a rally in northern Italy: "Everything is collapsing, even the pope has resigned."

Italians are divided over the pope's decision but many see it as an example to ageing local politicians, especially since Benedict has issued veiled complaints over the last week about Vatican rivalries, suggesting that fierce power struggles in the Curia or Church government contributed to his decision.

"For the first time a person in power has recognized he wasn't able to govern and has resigned. A bit of a clear-out would be good for Italy too. We have built an entire political system on corruption," said charity worker Marco Orlando, 34.

Despite repeated pledges, the outgoing parliament failed to repeal a despised election law known as the "pigsty" because it gives party leaders control over who gets elected and awards a giant vote bonus to the party that wins.

It also muddies the waters in the upper house, or senate, by awarding winner's bonuses on a regional basis.

In addition, lawmakers failed to remove the extravagant privileges of a political "caste" and stopped short of a broad anti-corruption law.

Right on cue - some say it is no coincidence - the final weeks of the election campaign have seen an extraordinary wave of corruption scandals that have added to the disgust of a nation already well used to graft.

SCANDALS LINKED TO ELECTION

Many Italians believe that politicized magistrates have unleashed the scandals as part of the election battle.

Two major companies, defense group Finmeccanica and oil major Eni, and Tuscan bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Italy's third largest lender, are being probed for crimes ranging from bribing foreign officials to accounting fraud.

Finmeccanica boss Giuseppe Orsi and four executives from other firms have been arrested, not to mention several other ongoing investigations touching all the major parties.

Pollster Maurizio Pessato, of the SWG firm, told Reuters: "The voters are saying, 'I can't take it any more, there is a scandal every day. Even the pope has denounced problems inside the Church'. It is as if you cannot have faith any more in all the ruling classes, political, economic and the Curia."

Monti, as a technocrat premier, was once seen as one of the few people who could change Italy. But he has disappointed his backers, allying with two centrist politicians who are very much a part of the existing fabric and now stuck at less than 15 percent in the polls after a hurried and badly run campaign.

He is way behind Grillo who is thought to be close to 20 percent.

Billionaire media magnate Silvio Berlusconi, who at 76 hardly represents a new style of politics, has stormed back in the polls through his communication skills and masterful use of television.

But pollsters say his centre-right group is still 4-5 percentage points behind the centre-left and is losing votes to Grillo, whose rants against politicians have been strengthened by the graft scandals.

In terms of political charisma, Berlusconi has run rings around Monti and colorless centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani. But the latter is still expected to win next week's vote and to try to rule in coalition with the outgoing premier.

Young Florence Mayor Matteo Renzi, who was one of the few fresh faces in the campaign, mounted a credible challenge to Bersani, but was seen off by the disciplined party machine.

Which all means that instead of getting revival and a new style of politician, Italians are going to see the same old faces after the vote, jostling for position in a traditional back corridor negotiation for power and perhaps incapable of the drastic economic reform that is required.

"Everything is happening at once," pensioner Lossardo Calogero, 66, told Reuters after Benedict announced his resignation. "It's dramatic. I cannot see a way out. There needs to be a revolution, but at least I am retired. I am more worried about the young. My son cannot find a job.".

(Additional reporting by Robin Pomeroy, Naomi O'Leary and Steve Scherer; Writing by Barry Moody; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-resignation-deepens-doubt-despondency-italians-152227911.html

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British shoppers saying nay to meat after horse scandal

LONDON (Reuters) - The discovery of horsemeat in products sold as beef has shocked many British consumers into buying less meat, a survey showed on Monday.

The furore, which erupted in Ireland last month and then spread quickly across Europe, has led to ready meals being pulled from supermarket shelves and damaged people's confidence in the food on their plate.

It also raised concerns over food labelling and the complex supply chain across the European Union, putting pressure on governments to explain lapses in quality control.

A fifth of adults said they had started buying less meat after traces of horse DNA were found in some products, according to the poll conducted by Consumer Intelligence research company.

"Our findings show that this scandal has really hit consumers hard, be it through having to change their shopping habits or altering the fundamentals of their diet," David Black, a spokesman for Consumer Intelligence, said.

The online poll, conducted on February 14-15, questioned more than 2,200 adults on their spending habits following the horsemeat scandal. It gave no specific figures on how much meat people were buying, focusing only on broader trends.

More than 65 percent of respondents said they trusted food labels less as a result.

"(Brands) will have to put in place really stringent ways of checking that what's being delivered and what's on the label is indeed what's in there," Black said.

In the month since horsemeat was first identified in Irish beefburgers, no one is yet reported to have fallen ill from eating horse but many supermarkets and fast food chains are already struggling to save their reputations.

Governments across Europe have stressed that horsemeat poses little or no health risk, although some carcasses have been found tainted with a painkiller given to racehorses but banned for human consumption.

Environment secretary Owen Paterson, who met British retailers earlier in the day for talks on how to restore consumer confidence, said Britain was closely cooperating with European countries to investigate what happened.

"Looking ahead, there was absolute determination in the industry to restore confidence in their products," he said in televised remarks. "We look forward to meeting on a regular basis to absolutely make it clear that when consumers buy a product they get what they bought."

British retailers now expect the vast majority of tests on processed beef products to be completed by February 22, according to the British Retail Consortium.

LOCAL BUTCHERS

More than 60 percent of adults surveyed said they would now buy meat from their local butchers, the poll said, while a quarter of adults said they would now buy more joints, chops or steaks instead of processed meat.

Michael Suleyman, who owns a family-run butchers' shop in Brixton, London, said more customers appeared concerned although for now there had not been any difference in sales figures.

"We have seen people panicking and asking us lots of questions like 'where do you get your meat from?'," Suleyman, 51, told Reuters. "We assure our customers by showing them the meat and mincing it for them in front of their eyes."

But with inflation running above central bank targets and an uncertain job market, the spending power of British consumers has been eroded in recent years and, for some, buying more expensive meat is not an option.

Nearly a fifth of respondents said they wanted buy less processed meat such as ready-meals, but could not afford to.

At a London branch of Britain's biggest retailer, Tesco, which found horse DNA in some of its own-brand frozen spaghetti bolognese meals last week, consumers were still buying meat products.

"I've got nothing against horse meat," said Sean Cosgrove, 39, a local government employee. "I think you're being ambitious if you expect top quality meat in those products anyway."

(Writing by Alice Baghdjian and Maria Golovnina; Additional reporting by James Davey and Neil Maidment; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shoppers-buy-less-meat-horsemeat-scandal-153245322.html

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Davidson College Symphony Orchestra concert 2/21/13

Davidson College Symphony Orchestra?s concert on Thursday, February 21st, 2013, is free and open to the public. It will take place at 7:30pm in Duke Family Performance Hall in Knobloch Campus Center. They will be celebrating springtime with Beethoven?s Symphony No. 6 ?Pastorale? and Dan Locklair?s Hues for Orchestra. If you?re not familiar with the Davidson College campus, this map might help.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CharlotteOnTheCheap/~3/bvRNT6K1ty4/

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How to Unlock Samsung Galaxy S3, Note 2 in 5 Simple Steps

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Source: www.ibtimes.com --- Sunday, February 17, 2013
Good news for Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 owners, there is a fast and easy way to unlock your Samsung devices and have the freedom to choose whichever carrier you want to use in your handset. ...

Source: http://www.ibtimes.comhttp:0//www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/436231/20130218/samsung-galaxy-s3-note-2-unlock-tutorial.htm

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Award winning Israeli poet to be discussed at the University of Scranton

Award-winning poet in spotlight

SCRANTON - The works of an award-winning Israeli poet will be examined through her work and a film based on her life in a discussion at the University of Scranton.

Israeli Prize recipient Leah Goldberg's life and work will be discussed by another award-winning poet, Annie Kantar, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall at the university. Ms. Kantar will read from her translation of Ms. Goldberg's "With This Night."

After that reading, a screening of Yair Qedar's "The Five Houses of Leah Goldberg" will be shown. Ms. Goldberg has written nine poetry collections, three plays and three novels, among other works.

The event is free and open to the public.

Source: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/award-winning-israeli-poet-to-be-discussed-at-the-university-of-scranton-1.1445844?localLinksEnabled=false

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Review: Lioncase Folio Shield for iPad Mini

I?d not heard of Lioncase until the company recently contacted me over on my YouTube channel about doing some case reviews. ?A quick look at their web site yielded a wide variety of cases for the iPad, iPhone and MacBook Pro. ?Today we?ll take a look at one of the company?s offerings for the iPad Mini, the Folio Shield. ?This is a slim, lightweight folio style case that comes in four different colors.

Click on through for my full review.

Inside the packaging you?ll find just the case. ?No extras come along with it.

Here?s what Lioncase has to say about the Folio Shield for iPad Mini.

Lioncase is the Stylish iPad mini case with best protection. ? This case features on its thinnest and lightweight which is only weighted 90g and 11mm thickness. Lioncase iPad mini case provides a superior protection for the iPad mini with extremely durable Microfiber/ Microfiber Leather while integrated magnets enable your iPad mini sleep/wake function. Lioncase iPad mini case is adjustable and secure at any viewing angle for watching, typing or browsing. ? It?s very convenient to use your iPad mini with lioncase anywhere without added bulk and worrying of any damage. The unique texture of the microfiber together with the classic design make the case looks very sophisticated and stylish to match your personality.

In addition to black, as seen in this review, the Folio Shield is also available in white, gray or pink.

The exterior of the Folio Shield is soft. ?It?s made from what feels like synthetic leather.

The interior of the case has microfiber on one side, under the front flap and a snap on the back style case on the other.

To install the case simply click your iPad Mini inside.

Once installed the case yields full access to all of the iPad Mini?s ports and controls. ?You?ll find one large opening along the bottom for access to the Mini?s speakers and lightning port. ?On the side two cutouts allow you to get to the volume buttons and the mute/orientation switch. ?The top of the case features three notches for the sleep/awake button, microphone and headset jack.

A round cutout on the back of the case allows you to take photos with the Mini?s rear facing camera.

The front cover of the Folio Shield can be molded into a triangle, which allows you to stand the iPad Mini up into two different angles.

Upright for videos.

Or relaxed for typing.

The?Lioncase Folio Shield for iPad Mini is simply a slim, folio style case for your iPad Mini. ?It?s functional and comfortable to hold. ?The case adds very little bulk and won?t break the bank either. ?It does work with the iPad?s built in magnets so that when you close the front cover your iPad goes to sleep and when you open it the iPad wakes ? a must for me for any iPad case.

Check out my full video review below?

You can learn more about the Lioncase Folio Shield for iPad Mini?by visiting this page on the company?s web site.

MSRP: ?$31.95

PROS: ?Slim. ?Light weight.

CONS: ?None

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/runaroundtechcom/~3/5E1ZTgrufew/

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Why cells stick: Phenomenon extends longevity of bonds between cells

Friday, February 15, 2013

Research carried out by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology and The University of Manchester has revealed new insights into how cells stick to each other and to other bodily structures, an essential function in the formation of tissue structures and organs. It's thought that abnormalities in their ability to do so play an important role in a broad range of disorders, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The study's findings are outlined in the journal Molecular Cell and describe a surprising new aspect of cell adhesion involving the family of cell adhesion molecules known as integrins, which are found on the surfaces of most cells. The research uncovered a phenomenon termed "cyclic mechanical reinforcement," in which the length of time during which bonds exist is extended with repeated pulling and release between the integrins and ligands that are part of the extracellular matrix to which the cells attach.

Professor Martin Humphries, dean of the faculty of life sciences at the University of Manchester and one of the paper's co-authors, says the study suggests some new capabilities for cells: "This paper identifies a new kind of bond that is strengthened by cyclical applications of force, and which appears to be mediated by complex shape changes in integrin receptors. The findings also shed light on a possible mechanism used by cells to sense extracellular topography and to aggregate information through 'remembering' multiple interaction events."

The cyclic mechanical reinforcement allows force to prolong the lifetimes of bonds, demonstrating a mechanical regulation of receptor-ligand interactions and identifying a molecular mechanism for strengthening cell adhesion through cyclical forces.

"Many cell functions such as differentiation, growth and the expression of particular genes depend on cell interaction with the ligands of the intracellular matrix," said Cheng Zhu, a professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University and the study's corresponding author. "The cells respond to their environment, which includes many mechanical aspects. This study has extended our understanding of how connections are made and how mechanical forces regulate interactions."

The research was published online by the journal on February 14th. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Wellcome Trust.

Cells of the body regulate adhesion in response to both internally- and externally-applied forces. This is particularly important to adhesion mediated by proteins such as integrins that connect the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton ? and provide cells with both mechanical anchorages and the means to initiate signaling.

Using delicate force measuring equipment, researchers in Zhu's lab and the laboratory of Andres Garcia ? a professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech ? collaborated to study adhesion between integrin and fibronectin, a protein component of the extracellular matrix. What they found was that cyclic forces applied to the bond switch it from a short lived state ? with lifetimes of about one second ? to a long-lived state that can exist for more than a hundred seconds.

"Force can be very important in biology," said Zhu. "Force has direction, magnitude and duration, so in describing its effects on biological systems, you have to use a more complete language."

Zhu, Garcia and Georgia Tech graduate students Fang Kong, William Parks and David Dumbauld ? along with postdoctoral fellow Zenhai Li ? used two different mechanical techniques to study the strength of bonds between integrin and fibronectin. One technique measured the bond strengths in purified molecules, while the other studied the effects of them in their native cellular environment.

"We have very precise force transducers that allow us to measure force on the scale of pico-newtons," said Zhu. "We prepare the samples in such a way that we engage only one bond, then we control the application of force and observe what happens."

The researchers first used an atomic force microscope to bring the integrin molecule together with the fibronectin, then separate the two. Instruments measured the pico-newton forces required to separate the molecules, and found that the duration of the bonds increased with the repetition of the contacts.

The second technique, known as BFP, involved the use of a fibronectin-bearing glass bead attached to a red blood cell aspirated by a micropipette. Integrin expressed on the micropipette-aspirated cell was pressed into the bead, then pulled away over repeated cycles. Lifetime measurement confirmed that repeated pulling increased the longevity of the bonds.

The researchers studied two integrins, part of a family of 24 related molecules that operate in humans. In future work, they hope to determine whether or not the cyclic mechanical reinforcement they observed is a universal property of many cellular adhesion molecules.

The researchers also hope to explore how cells use this cyclic mechanical reinforcement. Because many disease processes result from abnormal cellular adhesion mechanisms, a better understanding could provide insights into how cardiovascular disease, cancer and immune system disorders operate.

"The findings of the paper have deep implications for our understanding of force-regulated signaling," added Humphries. "There is abundant biological evidence for profound effects of extracellular tensility and elasticity in controlling processes such as cancer cell proliferation and stem cell differentiation, but the mechanisms whereby this information is transduced across the outer cell membrane are unclear."

###

Georgia Institute of Technology: http://www.gatech.edu

Thanks to Georgia Institute of Technology for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126851/Why_cells_stick__Phenomenon_extends_longevity_of_bonds_between_cells

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Diplomat confirms Iran nuclear upgrade

VIENNA (AP) ? Adding weight to its announcement of a nuclear upgrade, Tehran has shown high-level U.N. officials high-tech equipment positioned at its main uranium enrichment site meant to vastly accelerate output of material that can be used for both reactor fuel and atomic arms, a senior diplomat said Thursday.

The diplomat spoke to The Associated Press shortly after the officials returned from Tehran, acknowledging that their latest in a series of trips to the Iranian capital that began over a year ago again failed to reach a deal to restart an investigation into suspicions that Iran is pursuing nuclear arms.

Herman Naeckerts, who headed the International Atomic Energy Agency team that visited Iran, said "remaining differences" scuttled attempts to finalize an agreement on how such an investigation should be conducted. He declined to say whether there was progress.

The IAEA wants the probe to be open-ended, something strenuously opposed by Tehran, which denies it wants nuclear weapons and says it is interested in the atom only as an energy source and for research.

With expectations for success low even before the start of the latest negotiating attempt, interest focused on Iran's move to install a new generation of centrifuges at Natanz, its main uranium enriching site southeast of Tehran.

Iran announced the start of installations during the IAEA team's one-day visit Wednesday at about the same time that the diplomat said the group was shown "a small number" of the machines at the site. The diplomat said those centrifuges were ready to be installed. The diplomat, who closely follows Iran's nuclear program, demanded anonymity because his information was confidential.

The new-generation centrifuges can enrich uranium four to five times faster than Iran's present working model. Experts say Iran already has enough enriched uranium for several weapons if it is further enriched.

Any move to enrich faster will rile Israel, which sees Iran's nuclear program as an existential threat and has said it would use all means to stop it from reaching weapons capability. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the world has until this summer ? at the latest ? to keep Iran from building a bomb.

It also is likely to hurt chances of progress at talks in Kazakhstan later this month between Iran and six world powers seeking to blunt Iran's enrichment program. Iran in turns wants an easing of sanctions imposed over its enrichment program before it is ready to reduce it.

The failure of either side to make the initial move has led to a series of failed negotiations. Nonproliferation expert Mark Fitzpatrick said Iran's centrifuge upgrade may be a further signal that it is determined not to blink first.

"Installation of the more efficient centrifuges will probably contribute to Iran's unwillingness to compromise," said Fitzpatrick, a former senior U.S. State Department official now with the International Institute for Strategic Studies. "It bolsters Iran's belief that time is on its side and that the West will eventually have to give in to the pressure of Iran's growing enrichment capacity.

"It's a kind of mirror image of the Western belief that Iran will eventually have to give in to the pressure of sanctions, he said. "The race between centrifuges and sanctions continues apace."

In first announcing plans to update last month, Iran indicated that It could add more than 3,000 of the new-generation centrifuges to the more than 10,000 older models it has at Natanz turning out low-enriched, fuel-grade uranium. About 700 of the old machines at Fordo, another site, are churning out higher-enriched material that is still below ? but just a technical step away ? from weapons-grade uranium. Iran says it needs that higher-enriched level to fuel a research reactor.

Olli Heinonen, the former IAEA deputy director general in charge of Iran, said that the pace of Iran's installation of its older centrifuges "would mean that all 3,000 plus (new) centrifuges could be installed in six to nine months' time," if the assumption was right that Tehran had the material to make the machines.

When Iran announced its intentions last month, Western diplomats downplayed the proclamation's significance, noting Tehran did not say when it would start populating Natanz with the new machines. But signs of an upgrade that has started or is about to are sure to increase international concerns, particularly if the IAEA verifies as expected in a report later this month that officials saw the equipment ready for installation.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Iran to show flexibility when negotiators meet in Kazakhstan.

"These talks can only make progress if the Iranians come to the table determined to make and discuss real offers and engage in a real dialogue," Kerry told reporters, speaking alongside U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Before his meeting with Kerry, Ban expressed hope the Feb. 26 talks with Iran would bring "fruit for progress."

___

Associated Press writer Bradley Klapper contributed from Washington.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/diplomat-confirms-iran-nuclear-upgrade-181953638.html

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In a pinch for a minimalist wallet? Take a look at a CINCH wallet

From the ever growing minimalist wallet Kickstarter projects comes the CINCH wallet by Portsmith Co. The CINCH wallet consists of the backbone, made of either stainless steel or oak, and a black elastic keeper that wraps around the backbone to keep your wallet items together. The stainless steel version has the added benefit of being [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/02/15/in-a-pinch-for-a-minimalist-wallet-take-a-look-at-a-cinch-wallet/

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New owl species makes biologists' heads spin

The discovery of a new owl species on an Indonesian island is described as 'a wake-up call for ornithologists.'

By Douglas Main,?OurAmazingPlanet Staff Writer / February 13, 2013

The newly-discovered Rinjani scops owl, or Otus jolandae.

Philippe Verbelen

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A new species of owl has been found on an Indonesian island, identified by its unique birdsong. It had escaped scientific detection for so long partially because it looks very similar to a related species.

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While on a field expedition in 2003, two members of a research team on opposite ends of the Indonesian island of Lombok independently realized that the owl's?calls were unique, according to a?PLOS ONE study?published today (Feb. 13).

That's quite a coincidence, especially considering that ornithologists didn't think Lombok was home to a unique species of owl despite years of study in the region, said George Sangster, study co-author and a researcher with the Swedish Museum of Natural History.

The new species has been dubbed the Rinjani scops owl, with the scientific name?Otus jolandae. It is locally common in the foothills of?Mount Rinjani, a large volcano on Lombok, living at altitudes up to 4,430 feet (1,350 meters), according to the study.

"I did not expect to find a new species, and certainly not one that is this common," Sangster told OurAmazingPlanet. "It is a wake-up call for ornithologists: there is still much to learn, and new species can reveal themselves even if you are not looking for them, and in places where no one expected to find something new."

To verify that the species was unique, researchers played this new birdsong to a group of Moluccan scops owls, a related and more widespread species. They didn't respond to the calls. In the area where the unfamiliar songs were heard, however, local Lombok owls responded by whistling back and approaching the speaker the songs were played from, according to the study. A closer comparison of the new bird and the related species revealed subtle body differences ? Rinjani scops owls have slightly different coloration and are slightly smaller, the study noted. DNA analysis confirmed it was a new species, Sangster said.

Owls are nocturnal and they use songs to communicate and identify one another. When?owls' songs?are significantly different, it's a good sign that they may be a different species, Sangster said.

Based on field work, studies of museum specimens and previous research, the scientists think this owl is likely unique to Lombok. Residents of nearby islands were unfamiliar with recordings of the owl, the only exception being one man who ended up being an immigrant from Lombok, the study found.

The owls are known to locals as "burung pok," which is "an onomatopoeic name reflecting the song note of the bird, which may be transcribed as 'pok' or 'poook,'" the authors wrote in the study. [Listen to the owl's call.]

While there are more than 250 known species of owls worldwide, there are undoubtedly many species yet to be discovered, according to the study.

Reach Douglas Main at?dmain@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter?@Douglas_Main. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter?@OAPlanet. We're also on?Facebook?and?Google+.

Copyright 2013?LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/iK-VB4xn2Bo/New-owl-species-makes-biologists-heads-spin

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All the Pope's Secrets Are Beginning to Leak Out

Today, Pope Benedict XVI announced plans to live out his retirement "hidden from the world." That should come easy, considering how?successful?the Vatican has been at keeping secrets under wraps during his seven-year papacy.?

RELATED: The Pope Already Has More Twitter Followers Than You

The Associated Press's Victor L. Simpson has a story today?rounding up the many revelations about Benedict's reign that came to light following his?resignation announcement on Monday. Since Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope in 2005, the Vatican has been able to cover up a head injury he sustained last year?in Mexico, a pacemaker he's relied on for years, and the construction of his retirement lodgings, which began months ago. With one high-profile exception ? the embarrassing leak of Vatican documents in early 2012 ? the ?Catholic Church's leadership has proven highly skilled at keeping sensitive information from the public. Only in hindsight can we see clues about the closely-guarded secrets, and even now we're struggling to understand what these new admissions tell us about the pope's decision to step down.?

RELATED: The Final Days of Pope Benedict Begin

Head injury

When it happened:?Pope Benedict sustained a nasty head injury during his trip to Mexico in March, 2012, according to a report from Italian newspaper?La Stampa. He accidentally banged his head in a Mexican bedroom in the middle of the night. Apparently the blow was hard enough to get blood on his hair and bedsheets.?

RELATED: The Vatican Did Not Like Benetton's Papal Makeout Ad

When the Vatican admitted it happened:?Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi confirmed reports of the head injury to the press just on Thursday.?

RELATED: Why Libya Is Problematic for the Vatican

What it might have to do with his?retirement: Father Lombardi says this incident "didn't impact" the pope's retirement decision, though Benedict himself has said that he's retiring due to health concerns.

Pacemaker

When it happened: Vatican officials haven't put an exact date on when Pope Benedict received a pacemaker implant to keep his heart beating normally, but they did say that he's had it since his time as a cardinal. That means he's had the pacemaker since at least 2005, if not earlier.?

When the Vatican admitted it happened: This secret came to light Tuesday, when the Vatican also confirmed that Benedict underwent a secret operation to replace the pacemaker battery in December 2012.?

Clues at the time: Speculation about the pope's health has come in fits and starts, with a Reuters story from April 2012 noting his new use of a cane in public. Benedict's brother talked with journalists about two minor strokes he suffered before his election in 2005, also citing his troubles with high blood pressure and arthritis. Still, when Italian journalist Antonio Socci floated the possibility of Benedict's resignation in late 2011, Vatican officials were quick to say,?"The pope's health is excellent," making no mention of his pacemaker.?

What it might have to do with his?retirement: This seems to be the most likely reason as to why the pope is retiring ? or at least the most likely reason he himself would give as to why he's retiring. In his 2010 book?Light of the World, the pope gave readers fair warning that he planned to retire if his health ever kept him from his duties.?

Construction of his retirement residence

When it happened: The pope has to have somewhere to go once he's officially an ex-pope, and thus no longer permitted to reside in the Apostolic Palace. We now know that preparations for his next home within the Vatican City limits began in the fall of 2012.

When the Vatican admitted it happened: Vatican spokesman Father Lombardi was cagey about this on Wednesday, telling reporters, "I don't think there was a consultation of the College of the Cardinals about this." But he didn't contradict reports in the Italian media that renovation of a convent where the pope intends to live after stepping down has been going on in secret for months now.?

Clues at the time: This project was kept?successfully?under-wraps, though complaints last year from Vatican bankers about being overcharged for construction contracts may have hinted toward the work being planned within the Vatican City's walls.?

What it might have to do with his?retirement: This revelation contradicts official assertions from earlier this week that the pope's highly personal decision was announced abruptly, with Vatican officials "surprised" by his plan to step down.?

These revelations still don't provide much insight into how child sex abuse scandals, the pope's past, or other more outlandish theories might have affected his retirement plans. And the truth is that we may never know?exactly why he's stepping down. As?former Rome bureau chief for United Press International?Peter Shadbolt writes, the Vatican is one of the most opaque beats a journalist can cover:?

?It involves paying punctilious attention to papal routine ? never missing the often dreary papal audiences on a Wednesday and the uneventful address from the Vatican on Sunday.?Even then, getting blind-sided by stark Vatican announcements that drop without warning is a risk that comes with the round. While many might see shades of Dan Brown in the Vatican's media style, some of it can be attributed to the tradition of humility that comes with holding the Chair of St. Peter.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/popes-secrets-beginning-leak-225318302.html

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