germinal forwarding: July 2012

Sunday, July 22, 2012

PFT: Lions 'disappointed' by Berry's arrest

John Corker gets recognized often in Fort Worth, Texas, which isn?t hard when you?re 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds.

Folks remember him as a former NFL linebacker, as well as the driver of the No. 2 bus.

The story he likes telling, however, is about his comeback from drug addiction and homelessness.

Corker now serves on the board of the local Salvation Army, where he began his route back after a drug binge saw him forget where he parked the truck he was driving.

?People ask me how it felt to be an NFL player who competed at the highest level, and then come live in a homeless shelter,? Corker told the Associated Press. ?I tell them it was probably the greatest day of my life.?

Corker was a star linebacker at Oklahoma State, the Big 8 defensive player of the year, and played for the Oilers and the Packers on either side of a stint with the USFL?s Michigan Panthers.?But all the money he made playing football is gone, thanks to a cocaine habit.

?I was probably smoking $1,200 a day and playing pro football at the same time,? he said. ?How my heart didn?t burst, I can?t tell you that.?

He cleaned himself up enough to get a truck driving job, but stopped in Fort Worth to buy drugs, parked his truck and never saw it again, and then walked into the Salvation Army because he had no place else to go.

?I figured I?d blow off a couple days here,? he said. ?But to be inside from the elements consistently for the first time in years, it gave me the belief that I could do this. I could get my life back.?

Now, he?s helping others on his old path, working as a bus driver, raising a 4-year-old daughter and helping at the shelter that was once his home.

?I look back over my life now and say I?ve really been blessed,? he said. ?I?m not perfect, but I thank God I?m not where I used to be.?

It?s the kind of story that resonates at any time, but in the month of arrests leading up to NFL training camps, it?s worth repeating now.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/22/lions-extremely-disappointed-by-aaron-berry-arrest/related/

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Friday, July 20, 2012

Enter the Personal Finance Olympics

Personal finance writers are incredibly knowledgeable about the best ways to save money, get out of debt, build credit and more. But there?s one personal finance tip you don?t have to be an expert to figure out: Enter the PF Olympics for a chance to win $1,000! Voting is currently underway, but there?s still plenty of time to submit your best article(s) and gain enough votes to move on to the finals.

Here?s how to enter:

Even if you?re not a writer, you can still participate in the excitement. Ensure the best writers make it to the finals for a chance to win $1,000 by voting for your favorite articles.

Check Rankings

We?re updating the rankings every day, so check often to see who?s leading the top three in each category. Today?s top rankings are:

Approaches to Building and Using Credit

Credit For a Cup of Coffee? (DINKS Finance)
The Effect of Student Loans on Your Credit Score (One Smart Dollar)
The True Cost of Credit Card Purchases (Thirty Six Months)

Strategies for Getting out of Debt

Don?t Throw it Out Until You?ve Smelled It (Donna Freedman)
How Getting out of Debt is Like Training for the Olympics: Strategies to Crush Debt Once and For All (The Jenny Pincher)
6 Ways to Easily Reduce Debt (Kylie Ofiu)

Best Ways to Earn and Save Money

Stealth Savings: Sneaky Ways to Fatten Your Account (Donna Freedman)
Extreme Couponing: How to Extreme Coupon in the Real World (Penny Pinchin Mom)
How to Get a Red Carpet Look That Rivals Adele?s for Under $50 (Audrey Kitching)

Cutting-Edge Banking Technology

Changing Your Life Now for the Future (Planwise)
Where to Find Help with Household Budgeting (Planting Money Seeds)
Introducing Budgetable Deals ? Deals Linked To Your Bank (Budgetable)

Voting ends July 29 and we?ll announce finalists on the 30th. Good luck!

Vote Now

Vote for More Articles Below!

How would you invest $10K? (Vix Money)
How Less Debt Equals Cheaper Insurance (Mrs. Nespy?s World)
What?s a Dell? It?s a Vacation Destination! (Our Journey to Zero)
Get Your PF Olympics Badge and Let Your Fans Know You?re Competing
How to Avoid the Credit Card Balance Transfer Trap (Credit Card Balance Transfer Offers)
Pay Off Your Credit Cards Sooner (DINKS Finance)
Brilliant Money Transfer Services Getting Cheaper And Easier (Randy Mitchelson)
Save Early And Save Often For College Expenses (Cheap Scholar)
Should I Pay Off Debt or Save Money First? (Money Crashers)
My 100x Day Push Up Failure (Budgets Are Sexy)

View All Articles

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Yahoo Could Pay Marissa Mayer $141 Million ... - Business Insider

New Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's base salary will be $1 million, according to her offer letter, which Yahoo just filed with the SEC. She can triple that with her bonus, and add another $2 million with stretch targets.

If Mayer stays for five years, she can potentially get $25 million in base salary and bonus.

In November of this year, she will also get about $12 million worth of stock?in grants and options?that vests over the next three years.

In following years?though this will depend on the company's performance?the board expects to award her with at least $12 million in stock grants a year. Over the next five years, that could be $60 million or more. (Or less, if things don't go well.)

Yahoo will also give Mayer $14 million worth of stock "to partially compensate" her for "forfeiture of compensation from her previous employer." ?

She's?also getting a one-time $30 million stock grant that will vest over three years.

Total: $141 million.

That's a lot (even for a lady who already has $300 million). And?you thought Carol Bartz got a good deal.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoos-new-ceo-marissa-mayer-will-make-1-million-this-year-15-million-over-5-years-2012-7

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Taliban commander admits war cannot be won. What does that mean?

Taliban commander's comments, in interview with Afghan expert Michael Semple, suggest that Taliban might be ready for negotiation. But are the Taliban unified enough to act as one?

By Scott Baldauf,?Staff writer / July 11, 2012

In Afghanistan, the most misleading thing about using the term ?the Taliban? is the word ?the.?

Skip to next paragraph

For Chimps, Tool Choice Is A Weighty Matter

A juvenile chimpanzee in the Ivory Coast?s Tai Forest watches as her mother carefully places a soft coula nut onto a hard, flat rock. In her other hand, mom has a chunk of hard wood. Mom smashes the nut with her makeshift hammer, once, twice, three times. Having broken the outer shell, she plucks out the edible bits, reaching for another nut and starting the process again. The juvenile wants a snack too. Even though she?s learned the basic process by watching the older chimpanzees in her troop, she?ll be at least six years old before she?s proficient enough at this sophisticated form of tool use to crack nuts open herself. Not that she?ll stop trying, in the meantime.

Nut-cracking has been observed in wild chimpanzees in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. With only one exception, chimpanzee groups in Central and East Africa have never been seen cracking nuts, despite the fact that all the necessary ingredients ? nuts, stones, sticks, and roots ? are all found in abundance in those parts of the continent. Nut-cracking, it seems, requires more than just the available tools and basic know-how. Even within nut-cracking groups, some individuals will go their entire lives without ever successfully cracking open a nut.

The mystery behind the apparent complication involved in learning to crack nuts prompted one research group, led by Cornelia Schrauf of the University of Vienna, to try to figure out how chimpanzees select their nut-cracking tools.

Successful nut-cracking involves selecting an appropriate surface to serve as the anvil. It should be hard and relatively flat. It should also be able to keep the nut from rolling away. Then, the chimp needs to select the appropriate hammer. It needs to be the right shape and size. It needs to be light enough to easily manipulate, but heavy enough to smash the nut in as few strikes as possible. In the Tai Forest, chimps select hammers made of stone for the hard panda nuts, but opt instead for wooden hammers when it comes to the softer coula nuts. If they?ve only got rocks around, they?ll use heavier, harder stones for panda nuts and lighter ones for coula nuts.

Researchers weren?t sure, however, if chimpanzees were actually using weight as the primary consideration for hammer selection, since weight correlates with other features of hammers, such as size, material, shape, and density.

Schrauf and her colleagues assessed the means by which a group of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) chose their hammers in three different experiments. In the first one, they provided the nuts and the anvil along with three different hammers of equal size and shape. Despite their equivalent dimensions, the cubic hammers weighed 300, 600, or 1200 grams. The second experiment was the same, except the hammers were spheres instead of cubes. The third experiment used spherical hammers as well, but the researchers used a wider weight discrepancy among them: 200, 800, and 1400 grams.

On the left, one of the chimps strikes a nut with a cubic hammer. On the right, a chimp attempts to crack a nut with a spherical tool.

In general, the chimps preferred the weightier hammers across all three experiments. Since all the hammers were visually identical, it was certain that they were choosing the heavier hammers only because of the weight. Further, the heavier the hammer, the fewer strikes were required to crack the nuts and the less time was needed to do so. Therefore, the researchers had effectively established that the chimpanzees at least implicitly understood the relationship between a hammer?s weight and its efficiency.

The results become more intriguing when each chimpanzee?s individual responses are considered. Loi, the alpha male of the group, was the most proficient nut cracker, outperforming the others from the beginning of the first experiment. He showed a clear preference for the heavier hammers, switching from a lighter to a heavier hammer more often than from heavy to light. Most of the other chimps showed little discrimination among the hammers at the beginning of the first experiment, but after the first few trials of the second experiment, they began to opt for the heavier tools. By the end of the final experiment, most chimpanzees? performance matched Loi?s. In fact, by the third experiment, the chimps were more likely to switch lighter hammers out for heavier ones before even trying to use them.

On the other hand, Natsuki, who was the only infant in the experiment, never improved her performance, despite an equivalent amount of experience as the other chimps. Even in the third experiment, where the heaviest hammer was seven times heavier than the lightest hammer, she still showed no preferences, selecting each of the three hammers the same number of times. She also never switched tools after being unable to crack open a nut. This, according to the researchers, is consistent with observations from the wild.

Together, these patterns demonstrate that experience is key to gaining expertise in nut-cracking, but experience alone isn?t enough. ?Maturational aspects also play an important role in determining tool selectivity and proficiency,? the researchers say. In other words, young chimpanzees need to do some growing up before they?ll be ready to successfully tackle adult-sized tasks.

Is there a lesson to be learned here for human primates?

Schrauf C, Call J, Fuwa K, Hirata S, (2012) Do Chimpanzees Use Weight to Select Hammer Tools? PLoS ONE 7(7): e41044. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041044

For more on tool use in chimpanzees and other species:
How Do You Figure Out How Chimps Learn? Peanuts.
Chimpanzees Help, But Only When Asked
Dingoes Ate My Nametag: Tool Use in a Dingo
Dogs, But Not Wolves, Use Humans As Tools

Images: Header photo from van Schaik (2012) Current Biology; additional photos from Schrauf et al. (2012) PLoS ONE.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=a214838ca6fc0fd0739e89b7b85a5306

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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

How aging impairs immune response

ScienceDaily (July 17, 2012) ? Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have uncovered one of the mechanisms by which aging may compromise the ability of the immune system to fight infections and respond to vaccines. The study, conducted in aging mice, shows that administering antioxidants may help reverse this loss of immune function. The findings were published online this month in the journal Cell Reports.

"Aging is known to affect immune function, a phenomenon known as immunosenescence, but how this happens is not clear," said study leader Laura Santambrogio, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pathology and of microbiology & immunology at Einstein. "Our study has uncovered several ways in which aging can worsen the body's overall ability to mount an effective immune response."

All cells generate chemicals called free radicals as a normal part of metabolism. These highly reactive, unstable molecules can readily damage proteins, lipids and other cellular components through oxidation (the reaction between oxygen and substances it comes in contact with). Cells keep "oxidative stress" in check by producing several enzymes that are scavengers of free radicals. But in aging, increased production of free radicals coupled with cells' decreased production of antioxidant enzymes cause a buildup of damaged proteins and other molecules that can be toxic to cells.

The current study is the first to examine whether age-related oxidative stress compromises the function of a type of immune cell called dendritic cells. "Dendritic cells are known as the 'sentinels of the immune system' and alert the rest of the immune system to the presence of microbial invaders," explained Dr. Santambrogio. "When you are exposed to viruses or bacteria, these cells engulf the pathogens and present them to the immune system, saying in effect, 'There's an infection going on, and here is the culprit -- go get it.'"

Dr. Santambrogio, in collaboration with Einstein colleagues Fernando Macian-Juan, M.D., Ph.D., and Ana Maria Cuervo, M.D., Ph.D., isolated dendritic cells from aging mice and found that oxidation-damaged proteins had accumulated in those cells and had caused harmful effects. For example, oxidatively modified proteins hampered the function of endosomes, the cell's organelle where pathogens are inactivated.

When the mice were injected with a potent antioxidant in the abdominal cavity daily for two weeks, some of the effects of oxidative stress were reversed. This finding has implications for designing vaccines or therapies for humans, especially the elderly, whose weakened immune systems increase their susceptibility to infections and cancer, and reduces vaccine effectiveness. "Many elderly people respond very poorly to vaccination, so perhaps a cycle of therapy with antioxidants before vaccination might improve their immune response to vaccines," Dr. Santambrogio noted.

The paper is titled "Age-related Oxidative Stress Compromises Endosomal Proteostasis." In addition to Dr. Santambrogio, Dr. Macian-Juan, associate professor of pathology, and Dr. Cuervo, professor of developmental and molecular biology, of anatomy and structural biology and of medicine, other Einstein contributors were Elvira Cannizzo PhD candidate, Cristina Clement, Ph.D.; Kateryna Morozova, Ph.D.; Rut Valdor, Ph.D.; Susmita Kaushik PhD, Larissa Almeida PhD candidate, Carlo Follo PhD, and Ranjit Sahu, Ph.D.

The study was supported by several grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (AI48833), the National Institute on Aging (AG031782), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases (DK041918), and a NIH Fogarty Geographic Infectious Diseases Training Grant (D43TW007129).

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

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

Journal Reference:

Elvira?S. Cannizzo, Cristina?C. Clement, Kateryna Morozova, Rut Valdor, Susmita Kaushik, Larissa?N. Almeida, Carlo Follo, Ranjit Sahu, Ana?Maria Cuervo, Fernando Macian, Laura Santambrogio. Age-Related Oxidative Stress Compromises Endosomal Proteostasis. Cell Reports, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2012.06.005

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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120717162133.htm

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Watermelon Matcha from Red Leaf Tea - SororiTea Sisters

July17

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:? Green (Matcha)

Where to Buy:? Red Leaf Tea

Tea Description:

This slightly sweet Matcha treat with its watery velvety essence is an excellent accompaniment at any table of refreshment alternatives. This is because; Watermelon Matcha is a balanced treat that has something to offer to anyone with the willingness to partake of it. It brings out the taste in many foods and drinks and adds some of its own essence into any food or drink it is included. Watermelon Matcha slowly grows on the taste buds of those who choose to enjoy it.

Learn more about their Watermelon Matcha here.

Order Specifics:? This is the Basic (or Starter) Grade Matcha with the Distinctive Level of Flavor.

Taster?s Review:

I have to tell you, that when shopping for flavored Matcha at Red Leaf Tea, it?s really difficult to decide which flavors to choose!? There are so many different flavors, it?s hard to narrow it down to one or two!? Seriously, if I could have, I would have ended up ordering a whole lot more!

Unfortunately, I needed to limit myself to two flavors, and one of the flavors that was on my MUST try list was watermelon!? Not only is watermelon one of my very favorite fruit flavors, but, it also is a flavor that is not quite as common as other flavors when it comes to tea, so I think that was definitely a factor as well.

This Starter Grade Matcha is not quite as bright in color as a higher quality Matcha, but I expected that.? With Matcha ? you definitely get what you pay for.? But, I?m OK with that too, because I actually quite enjoy the flavor of this basic Matcha.? It is sweet and vegetative, with a nice creaminess to it.? It has a light froth, and surprisingly it doesn?t have that chalkiness that I have experienced in some other ?basic grade? Matcha.? That is to say:? for basic grade ? this stuff is pretty darned good!

I think that at this ?distinctive? level of flavor, the watermelon is just at the right level for me.? I don?t think I would want it stronger, because then it would be competing with the flavor of the Matcha too much.? And I don?t think I?d want it lighter, because I really wanted to TASTE the watermelon.? I don?t know if I would have experienced it in quite the same way if I would have tried the ?delicate? level of flavor ? but as this is, it?s perfect for my palate?s enjoyment.

This is one of the nicest flavored Matcha I?ve tried in some time.? Very refreshing, and definitely perfect for the summertime.? I think I might even try making some ice cream out of this stuff!? YUM!

Source: http://sororiteasisters.com/2012/07/17/watermelon-matcha-from-red-leaf-tea/

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Robert Wyatt: My Teen Campus

I didn't sign up for this, but here they are. Dozens of teenagers are bopping around our fine residential college campus this summer.

Sure, I can see a certain appeal.

While, for parents, common teen sightings are of ethereal figures in hallways vanishing behind bedroom doors, seeming more like the shadowy Night Stalker figures Carl Kolchak chased down abandoned L.A. city streets than college-bound scholars, I am seeing something different here in Hartsville, S.C., this summer.

For whatever reason, and as crazy as it may seem to their neighbors, parents have an unassailable faith in the "creative" positive energy of that over-the-top costumed adolescent holed up in the basement practicing vicey chic (thank-you, Ms. Perry). So, they seek out opportunities to nurture their child's talents in myriad ways: private lessons, clubs, community service projects, jobs.

The fact is, although children and neighbors and even some school teachers don't necessarily want to admit it, parents usually know their kids very well. And, if young teens do, indeed, have a promising spark at home, on college campuses they become Zambelli fireworks.

Unfortunately for many admissions counselors, the young adults and parents that enter college welcome centers are the same stressed and squabbling family members about which teachers and neighbors have been "tsk tsking" for years.

College admissions consultant, Dr. Sandra J. Eller, a registered psychologist with the University of Rochester Medical Center, astutely notes in a column published this summer by Messenger Post Media, that "it is often overlooked that the very process of applying to college is, in and of itself, a significant transition in the parent-student relationship."

There's a lot on the line. College is a big deal. So is adulthood. For independence-craving teenagers, it is also unknown territory. Selective colleges are selective because they reject students. It's hard to be at one's best under these circumstances.

If the standard practice makes for a bumpy ride, why not put the horse before the cart and let the college drive for awhile? It is not a law of nature that one must be a prospective student before becoming a college student.

Turning the arbitrary notion around, faculty and students at Coker College have invited teens and pre-teens to campus to explore not only college life, but academic subjects that matter to them now.

With faculty and college students as teachers and mentors, twenty-some youngsters are learning the art and craft and science of theater production. The program provides a broad spectrum of theater instruction through games, improvisation, music, dance and rehearsals and before the summer is out will culminate in two public, fully staged performances of Annie Jr.

Another fifty children are immersed in a six-week reading-based curriculum provided by the Children's Defense Fund. The new Freedom School, in its inaugural year at Coker, is being run almost entirely by Coker College students and includes as, an integral requirement, weekly meetings with parents to ensure broad family involvement.

Still others -- motivated high school students -- are working one-on-one with Coker faculty members as science interns working on real research projects in biology, chemistry and computer science through a six-week local program sponsored by Monsanto Fund.

Finally, students from all over the region are participating in various summer camp skills-building programs specializing in everything from soccer, basketball and baseball to modern dance. While teens come to improve their performance, parents appreciate the contact the programs provide for their children to work with committed college faculty and coaches because along with physical skills, the youngsters begin to learn to relate to the demeanor and expectations of educators at the next level.

While each opportunity is wholly different from the others, each sheds light, reduces fears and engages students in doing what students do best -- learning freely. The lesson we have learned is that when colleges open their doors to local children, local children, college students and the community all benefit.

It may not be exactly what I signed up for, but, for this college president, my teen campus looks just right.

Follow Robert Wyatt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/robertlwyatt

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-wyatt/teen-programs-college-campus_b_1677627.html

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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Expected Resolution of Lease Accounting Impasse Could Soon Impact

The debate about adopting international standards for lease accounting, which seemed at an impasse over the past several months, is nearing a resolution. As a result, CPAs will soon discover new rules for capitalizing leases. Future accountants will find new rules in their CPA exam review. But, a draft of the new measures isn’t expected until late in 2012. That’s still in time to implement the standards as originally targeted in 2013. Disagreement on accounting for leases had centered on the idea of classifying all leased properties as assets. This included a plan for capitalizing basic office leases based upon a definition for every lease as the right-to-use for an asset. The Financial Accounting Standards Board in the US balked at that idea, which is so different than the current rules contained in CPA study material. The lease accounting model now embraced by the International Accounting Standards Board mirrors the FASB concept entailing different lease patterns. Some lease contracts are merely expenses while others embody financing of right-of-use for an asset. This dual standard is the basic concept in study for CPA exam completion in the US. Accountants typically allocate lease payments evenly over the contract term. That process is expected to remain in place when leases call for use of an underlying asset over time. Alternative proposals that had been under consideration would have accounted for lease payments unevenly. This had stimulated the FASB dissent. Apparently, accountants will continue deploying the concept from CPA review courses about evenly expensing a total lease obligation regardless of whether the payment pattern is equal throughout the contract term. The right-of-use approach amortizes the leased asset plus expenses the imputed interest on the lease liability. This results in more total expense early in the term rather than evenly throughout the lease. These rules for capitalized lease obligations will apply when the right-of-use represents a significant portion of the underlying asset. But, applicability is also dependent upon the nature of the asset. Real estate leases, therefore, continue to receive the same accounting treatment under the new international standards as CPAs in the US are accustomed to having. An exception will only exist if the present value of the fixed lease payments accounts for substantially all of the fair value for the underlying asset or the lease term comprises most of the economic life of the underlying asset. These conditions are not the case with most commercial leases. The future standards presume that equipment leases are capitalized right-of-use arrangements. Exceptions are granted when the lease term is insignificantly short relative to the economic life of the equipment or the present value of the lease payments is an insignificant part of the asset’s fair value. Hence, CPA exam courses will teach that leasing a large piece of equipment for a week is an expense, but leasing the item over its useful life is an asset for the lessee. A leasing company treats the receivable lease payments as an asset. The entire situation means that information learned to become a CPA
remains just as challenging as ever. IRS Circular 230 Disclosure Pursuant to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service Circular 230, we inform you that, to the extent any advice relating to a Federal tax issue is contained in this communication, including in any attachments, it was not written or intended to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (a) avoiding any tax related penalties that may be imposed on you or any other person under the Internal Revenue Code, or (b) promoting, marketing or recommending to another person any transaction or matter addressed in this communication.

Source: http://fastforwardacademy.blogspot.com/2012/07/expected-resolution-of-lease-accounting.html

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Critical cell identified in the fight against E. coli infection

Monday, July 16, 2012

Despite ongoing public health efforts, E. coli outbreaks continue to infiltrate the food supply, annually causing significant sickness and death throughout the world. But the research community is gaining ground. In a major finding, published today in the scientific journal Nature, researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology have discovered a molecule's previously unknown role in fighting off E. coli and other bacterial infections, a discovery that could lead to new ways to protect people from these dangerous microorganisms.

"We've found that a certain molecule, known as HVEM, expressed by the cells lining the surface of the lung and intestine, is critical to protecting the body from E. coli, pneumococcus and other bacterial infections that enter our bodies through the lining of our respiratory or intestinal tracts," said Mitchell Kronenberg, Ph.D., La Jolla Institute's president and chief scientific officer, who led the research team. "We discovered that HVEM acts in these cells like a border guard that responds to the presence of invasive bacteria and signals the immune system to send in more troops. Without its involvement as part of the epithelial protective barrier, the body could be overrun by certain disease causing bacteria," said Dr. Kronenberg, adding that he is hopeful the discovery will advance efforts toward developing new treatments or vaccines against bacterial infections.

"People knew that epithelial cells protect the body's mucosal borders from infection," said Dr. Kronenberg. "But what wasn't known was that HVEM is critically important in turning on the epithelial cell anti-bacterial response." Epithelial cells line the body's mucosal borders, which include the mouth, nose, intestines and lungs and are the most common entry points for infectious pathogens. "We found that HVEM and another receptor (the receptor for IL-22) have to act together in the epithelial cells to trigger immune protection. Without these two receptors acting in concert, the body couldn't withstand the infection," said Dr. Kronenberg.

Richard S. Blumberg, M.D., a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of Gastroenteroogy, Hepatology and Endoscopy at Brigham and Women's Hospital, called the finding important on many levels. "It is of great biological interest because it shows how this very novel pathway has an important role to play in the management of infections at the epithelial boundaries, which is the entry point for the vast majority of infectious diseases," he said. "At the most fundamental levels, it gives us new insights into the way in which our host immune response engages and enables protection mechanisms at that portal of entry. From a therapeutic standpoint, better understanding of these pathways will enable researchers to explore ways to therapeutically manipulate the immune response to prevent and eradicate infectious pathogens at these critical body sites."

While the study, "HVEM signaling at mucosal barriers provides host defense against pathogenic bacteria," focused on E. coli and pneumococcus (also known as Streptococcus pneumoniae), Dr. Kronenberg said the HVEM mechanism is likely involved in protecting the body from many other dangerous bacteria and other microorganisms. In fact, HVEM stands for herpes virus entry mediator, and it is a protein that herpes virus uses to enter cells.

In the study, the researchers used mice genetically engineered not to have HVEM. When these mice were exposed to pneumococcus or a mouse pathogen very similar to E. coli, the HVEM deficiency led to a much greater susceptibility to infection, higher bacterial burdens and significantly compromised the mucosal barrier. "It is striking how similar the responses in the lung and the intestine were," said Dr. Kronenberg. "The mice without HVEM were unable to respond effectively at either site, and the deficit was not only major but also nearly immediate, within two days of exposure to the microorganisms."

"In the present era of ever increasing antibiotic resistance, innovative approaches to treatment of bacterial infections are urgently needed," commented Victor Nizet, M.D., a professor of Pediatrics and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California San Diego. "These importantly include new approaches to strengthen immune resistance to infection, and the discovery by the La Jolla Institute scientists reveals HVEM as a candidate drug target with relevance to multiple pathogens and multiple sites of infection."

Pneumococcus is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia and meningitis in children. According to the World Health Organization, pneumonia is the single largest cause of death in children worldwide, annually killing an estimated 1.4 million children under the age of five. While cases among U.S. children have declined significantly due to the introduction of a pneumococcal vaccine in 2000, the bacteria remains a significant problem, particularly among U.S. children under two years, the elderly and throughout the developing world.

Escherichia coli (abbreviated as E. coli) are a large and diverse family of bacteria. Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, some can be deadly. E. coli creeps into the food supply through contamination by tiny (usually invisible) amounts of human or animal feces. Many people may develop mild symptoms, but some suffer severe complications that can lead to kidney failure and death. In 2011, an E. coli outbreak centered in Germany sickened more than 4,000 people, ultimately killing 50 people in 15 countries. The outbreak was eventually traced to contaminated bean sprouts.

###

La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology: http://www.liai.org

Thanks to La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology 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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Odd Celebrity Couples: Stars Who We Never Thought Would Tie The Knot (PHOTOS)

Everyone knows that couple.

You know, the couple that no one ever thought would get together, or date, let alone get married.

Celebrities have also raised some eyebrows with unexpected match ups.

Click through the slideshow below to see 10 of the oddest couples. Which still-married celebrity couple do you think is the most unlikely match? Let us know in the comments.

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith

Antonio Banderas, 51, and Melanie Griffith, 54, have been married for 15 years. They <a href="http://voices.yahoo.com/young-hollywood-marriages-still-going-strong-11104392.html?cat=41" target="_hplink">met in the 90s</a> while married to other people. They've had a tough go at their marriage, dealing with <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/09/22/melanie-griffith-antonio-banderas-addiction_n_975757.html" target="_hplink">Griffith's drug and alcohol addictions,</a> and Griffith was recently spotted <a href="http://perezhilton.com/2012-07-11-melanie-griffith-not-wearing-wedding-ring" target="_hplink">sans wedding band</a>, sparking split rumors.
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones, 42, and Michael Douglas, 67, have been happily married for 12 years, despite their 25-year age difference. They met at the American Film Festival in France in 1998 while Douglas was <a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20129448,00.html" target="_hplink">still finalizing his divorce</a> from ex-wife Diandra Douglas.
Celine Dion and Rene Angelil

Celine Dion, 44, and manager husband Rene Angelil, 70, have been <a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/find-out-celine-dions-secret-to-a-happy-marriage-201046" target="_hplink">married for 18 years</a>. They have three children together, including a set of twins. They <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/celine-dion-9542132" target="_hplink">met when Dion was 12</a> after she sent a recording of herself singing to Angelil.
Courtney Stodden and Doug Hutchison

Courtney Stodden married TV actor Doug Hutchison, 51, when <a href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43472366" target="_hplink">she was just 16 years old.</a> They met after Stodden, now 17, became <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/doug-hutchison-courtney-stodden-controversial-marriage-exclusive/story?id=14073130" target="_hplink">interested in an acting class</a> Hutchison was offering.
Emily Blunt and John Krasinski

Emily Blunt, 29, and Jon Krasinski, 32, <a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/emily-blunt-and-john-krasinskis-road-to-romance-2012232/21036" target="_hplink">married in 2011</a>. The pair met in 2008, and Krasinki says he "just knew" he was going to fall for Blunt.
Harrison Ford and Callista Flockhart

Harrison Ford, who just turned 70, married Calista Flockhart, 47, in 2010 while Ford was filming "Cowboys and Aliens" in Mexico. They <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/harrison-ford-calista-flockhart-married/story?id=10941072" target="_hplink">met at the 2002 Golden Globes</a> and began dating soon after.
Ice T and Coco

Ice T, 54, and Nicole "Coco" Austin, 33, have been married for 11 years. They tied the knot after knowing each other for just <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2122930/Ice-T-recalls-moment-set-eyes-voluptuous-Coco-couple-open-exclusive-interview.html" target="_hplink">two months </a>. They met while the rapper was <a href="http://theurbandaily.com/1292175/ice-t-reveals-how-he-met-coco-in-ice-loves-coco-teaser-video/" target="_hplink">filming a music video.</a>
John Travolta and Kelly Preston

John Travolta, 58, and wife Kelly Preston, 49, <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/john-travolta-9509927" target="_hplink">married in 1991</a> after they <a href="http://usa.onlinenigeria.com/news/breaking-news/55727-how-did-john-travolta-meet-kelly-preston-postchronicle-com.html" target="_hplink">met while filming "The Experts" in 1987</a>. The couple welcomed their third child in 2010, when Preston was 47 years old.
Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/22/sam-taylor-wood-aaron-johnson-married-wedding_n_1619360.html" target="_hplink">Sam Taylor-Wood, 45, married Aaron Johnson, 22</a>, on June 22, 2012. Taylor-Wood, a filmmaker and Johnson, an actor, have two young children together. The pair met on the set of the <a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/director-sam-taylor-wood-45-marries-actor-aaron-johnson-22-2012226" target="_hplink">2009 film "Nowhere Boy"</a> when Johnson was just 19 years old.
Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn

Woody Allen, 79, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9712/24/woody.weds/" target="_hplink">married Soon-Yi Previn</a>, 41, in 1997. The pair met while Allen was still in a relationship with actress Mia Farrow; Previn is Farrow's adopted daughter. While Allen never adopted Previn, the couple's relationship <a href="http://entertainment.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/05/17/woody-allen-president-obama-dictator/" target="_hplink">has been called</a> "grossly inappropriate" and akin to the relationship between a step-father and step-daughter.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/odd-celebrity-couples_n_1677709.html

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Monday, July 16, 2012

Joe Paterno symbolizes hypocrisy of college football

Article updated: 7/14/2012 5:24 PM

The statue of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno should remain standing but with the head twisted backward so that Paterno is looking the other way like he did concerning Jerry Sandusky?s atrocities, according to Mike Imrem.

Associated Press

Joe Paterno is the symptom; college football is the disease.

Another example that college football is bloating even further is the playoff system that university presidents recently approved.

We?ll connect the dots of these two stories a few paragraphs down.

First a little housecleaning concerning the deepening hole that the late Paterno is buried in over former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky?s rape of young boys.

No. 1 issue: The statue.

No, Penn State shouldn?t remove the monument to its former head coach from outside the football stadium.

The likeness should remain but with the head twisted backward so Paterno is looking the other way like he did over Sandusky?s atrocities.

No. 2 issue: The death penalty.

No, the NCAA shouldn?t inflict Penn State?s football program with capital punishment.

If every esteemed university?s football program were suspended for a lack of integrity or institutional control, the entire sport would disappear.

Wait, maybe that isn?t such a bad idea.

Anyway, the oncoming four-team playoff will make the sport even larger, more important and more hypocritical.

This is like the restaurant review stating that the food is terrible and the portions are too small.

So many of us complain that college football is corrupt and that the portions are too small ... so let?s initiate a postseason that probably will lead to more corruption.

University administrators are complicit in this unfortunate dynamic. Fans of college football are. Members of the media are. We all feed the beast until the beast is full of itself.

Most of us can?t identify a coach we would trust with our worst enemy?s wallet, yet we continue to treat winning coaches like royalty. Yeah, sure, let?s expand the playoffs so these guys can play for bigger trophies and become even larger than larger than life.

There isn?t enough money polluting the sport so let?s generate more and encourage more lying, more cheating and more cover-ups.

There isn?t enough exploitation of supposed student-athletes so let?s send them out for more games and more practices.

There aren?t enough coaches like Paterno that are more dominant than anyone else on campus so let?s create more of them.

How many more championships before Alabama?s Nick Saban becomes as powerful as Paterno was? Or before Urban Meyer becomes the Big Ten?s new Paterno? Or before some conference, maybe one down south, becomes the organized crime of intercollegiate football?

Look, I?m not opposed to a playoff system. I?m opposed to one without corresponding measures to draw football back into the campus community.

Ideally, players wouldn?t be eligible as freshmen, which was the case until four decades ago, but that isn?t plausible.

Here?s something that is: Require football and basketball coaches to teach a couple of actual college classes. The objective would be to reduce them from iconic levels to academic levels.

Maybe they would stop thinking they can rule to the point of overruling their bosses in non-football matters, or at least stop being tempted to try.

Steps have to be taken to make it more difficult, if not impossible, for a head coach to exercise power over school administrators if an assistant coach rapes young boys on university property.

Short of these changes, OK then, assess the death penalty ... not just to Penn State but to the entire sport.

Cure the disease that is college football so the symptom that Joe Paterno has come to represent will disappear.

mimrem@dailyherald.com

Source: http://dailyherald.com/article/20120714/sports/707149789/

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Video: Former Bain Partner Ed Conard With Chris Hayes (Little green footballs)

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Short Guide to Garage Door Safety and ... - Home Improvement Zones

If an expert witness door, I cried many times a year to assess damages garage. Garage doors come in many shapes and sizes. Their functions will vary according to the basic advantages of an area for cosmetic cover up. Most of the doors can be divided into several basic styles or types are shared. Typical modern garage doors for residential applications, mostly from cross-sectional area of ??diversity. This is the style of the door, in many configurations, materials, degree of insulation and a wide range of options later. They are built as a prefabricated kit or a custom design for Dacor of a building to be completed. Commercial warehouse type facilities often dictate the improved security.

A good choice for this type of security door is the ?roll-up? style, which resembles a roll top desk type of door. This die may apply a wide variety of materials which are as strong as the adjacent walls, so that the penetration may be used in this aperture has been difficult. Other common commercial installations include lightweight aluminum in one piece or doors. These doors are more to an already protected area close to the point, to ensure safety.

In the past, balance the biggest concern with the operation of an overhead door to the potential risks of the springs door weight similar programs.

Prior to the mid-1960?s garage door systems typically rely on a pair of elongated (tension) to the springs, operation of the door hinges pivot support. These springs are charged (paid) on the door was moved to the closed position. Discharged (released), the stored energy in spring, when the door opened to a horizontal position overhead. One of the most hazardous aspects of these suspension systems is that after a certain period of time, often without any maintenance or inspection of the attachment points of these sources would be corroded and weak. This weakening of springs and anchorages will often explosive in an inadvertent error, the broken spring parts are cast over the garage, make the embedding of the spring or steel parts in the garage walls, cars or other objects in the way. Unfortunately, sometimes people were in the driveway of explosive events. When these sources failed, as an attempt to protect, some manufacturers developed a ?cage? system for the springs. These cages are built into the same spring, in an attempt to detect those portions of the free if an error has occurred. Although these devices cages were very helpful, they were not completely effective. Some of these devices, the spring is still in use. When this condition exists, or the quality of the dealers parts are questionable, should be consulted a qualified professional service technician.

Described as a response to the inherent dangerous old style garage early problems as above, is a newer and more secure system for opening the gate is made.

The idea was to load or the weight of the door via a cable and pulley system to transfer to a vertical rod is now a torsion (twisting) spring. This type of spring in the specialized equipment and the bolt of a fixed plate mounted at one end, while the full spring mounted about a horizontal tube. This distribution of the load unit is usually installed directly over the head of the finished opening. With the right cables, connectors and pulleys, transferred the weight of the door torsion spring system. The difference between the old-fashioned spring is stretched the more recent torsion spring, and is the way in which the spring energy stored. With the old-fashioned straight spring is the energy stored and released by the spring and the return spring of the non-stretched state. Stranded spring system, the energy which is removed by means of the spring or in the left or right direction depending on the application. Professional installation with a full load of the torsion spring is determined by the garage, the fitter and is supported by weight and size of the door, will be determined in operation. When this type of torsion spring fails, remains intact and secured in place on the horizontal guide rod, when it is attached. I have not heard or seen that torsion flying over a garage, creation of violations of the failed components as with the older style garage door springs stretched. That does not mean that the damage was not caused by the torsion spring style. The installation of this type of spring is generally safe as leaving a trained garage door installation specialist. Strong and serious accidents have occurred when untrained, unqualified people have tried to install or maintain this type of spring. In most of the devices. A warning tag on the left side of the torsion spring when the door is installed that day warning of the danger of the stored energy in the spring are connected and do not warn inexperienced people try to repair, adjustment, or even touching the spring and associated hardware. If the label must be attached to the spring is damaged, removed or corrupted, it is important that a new warning immediately to show the dangers of spring tension

Garage doors can be manually (by hand) or automatically (via excited motor) control. In either case, the proper operation of the garage the proper balance by weight of the door spring and the corresponding hardware components was determined. An automatic excited motor can not overcome an improperly balanced garage door. The weight of all garage doors are usually misleading. Know that a functioning door easy to open and close, that many users do not have the total weight of the spring supporting the door in its operation no. In all cases, regardless of the type of garage door, the whole system of hinges, track and door hardware as a team. Problems with the displacement or blocking of the rearrangement operation of a door problem. Opposing forces on a door which does not develop into the components which could lead to damage. Improper maintenance or total lack of care has serious damage. Force the operation of a garage door, when one or more components are damaged or broken in serious injury. In any event, maintaining a major and important aspect of the correct operation of all the drive systems.

In contrast to a kind of overhead garage door was cut or single-bar roll-up doors have a very different type of operating system. Where such doors are used, can be mounted in a header or tray fall. These doors act as a cupboard door roll where they are stored when not in the closed position. They usually have the coil is withdrawn, and requires a substantial effort transmission train, this reduces the doors, and in the correct position. Often forces required to move the doors reduction of the transmission type of calls, can be a very heavy door easy to operate. Such doors can be manually operated chain, or can be automated by means of electric motors. Shutters need more evaluation and maintenance than a standard Swing. The tracks which are perpendicular to each side of the garage opening is necessary frequent maintenance and cleaning, and often unobstructed foreign or damaged by a collision of a certain type. This roller doors to be opened is often done by using one type of ratcheting member action. Proper balancing of these doors are often more important than one type of pick-up door, because the weight of this type of door is often much greater than a hinged opening.

I have many complaints garage, where many different reasons have arisen for those involved an injury. After being retained as an expert witness for both plaintiff and defense, some common factors have been observed. In many cases, unskilled people trying to repair or install garage doors. They do not have the knowledge, skills, or even the basic tools needed for the job safely and correctly. I have an expert garage door manufacturers and installers of claims for which they were not responsible for errors in the defense of the product is made. In most cases, not the components that are not caused by misuse or improper installation on the part of end users. As already mentioned, the installation of a large number of garage doors, it is not suitable for an untrained person. An exception applies to ?do it yourself? garage kits that are sold at local hardware stores.

A homeowner could install the door, because these kits are not professional quality package of hardware, or should have specific knowledge to install. These kits are usually no twisting, the special knowledge, relevant tools and approaches would be required for installation. The doors are usually mild. Professional installation activities is often supported by a home-center are provided, a homeowner need of a particular installation. As with most trade-specific tasks, operating procedures years experience as a craftsman plumber qualified in their contracting license. The average homeowner only a few TV programs that give a rough explanation to install garage doors are usually not qualified for his or her own door to install. This ?how? TV programs do not replace the many opportunities for the acquired land.

The above article is a brief description of some types of garage doors. I have no specific information to the appropriate trading stated in the code or information about the serious risks of injury.

Source: http://www.magellanmmgeo.com/1150/short-guide-to-garage-door-safety-and-installation-instructions

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Sunday, July 15, 2012

How Sound Design Slips By Your Brain's Defenses (talking-points-memo)

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Sunday, July 22, 2012

PFT: Lions 'disappointed' by Berry's arrest

Friday, July 20, 2012

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Odd Celebrity Couples: Stars Who We Never Thought Would Tie The Knot (PHOTOS)

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith

Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones

Celine Dion and Rene Angelil

Courtney Stodden and Doug Hutchison

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski

Harrison Ford and Callista Flockhart

Ice T and Coco

John Travolta and Kelly Preston

Sam Taylor-Wood and Aaron Johnson

Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn