Romani artist and Holocaust documenter Stojka dies

VIENNA (Reuters) - Romani artist Ceija Stojka, whose work helped expose the Nazis' persecution of the Romani people, died in a Vienna hospital on Monday aged 79, her publisher told the Austria Press Agency on Tuesday.

Holocaust survivor Stojka wrote one of the first Romani autobiographical accounts of Nazi persecution, the 1988 book "We Live in Seclusion: The Memories of a Romani", and dedicated decades to telling her people's story through music and art.

The Romani people, like the Jews, were sent to concentration camps by Germany's Nazis during the Second World War. Up to 1.5 million were murdered in an attempted genocide.

Austrian-born Stojka survived internment in the Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen and Ravensbrueck concentration camps, along with just five other members of her 200-strong family.

"I reached for the pen because I had to open myself, to scream," the activist said at an exhibition in Vienna's Jewish Museum in 2004.

The Budapest-based European Roma Cultural Foundation on Tuesday described Stojka as an "outstanding Austrian Romani woman ... and a key figure for the history, art and literature of Romani culture in Europe".

The foundation's executive director, Timea Junghaus, wrote in an email to Reuters: "She was a role model for the present generation and an inspiration for the future generations of Roma in Europe."

Stojka began painting at the age of 56, often using her fingers or toothpicks instead of brushes to apply acrylic paint and ink.

Her works, many of which are recreations of her experiences in the concentrations camps, have been described as "eerie" and "childlike" by viewers of her exhibitions around the world.

Romani people are still subject to forced assimilation or segregation, cultural repression, eviction and other forms of discrimination in many countries, especially in Europe.

The European Union estimates there are between 10 and 12 million Romani people in Europe, making them the continent's largest ethnic minority, although populations are hard to count, since many choose not to register their ethnic identity.

(Reporting by Georgina Prodhan; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romani-artist-holocaust-documenter-stojka-dies-185058281.html

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The Balanced way to structure a speech - Ginger Public Speaking

Balance is one of the six qualities of an Inspiring Speaker. But how does balance help you to structure a speech? Without a strong and balanced structure, your speech structure will be like a gingerbread house with no icing to hold it together: just a collection of pieces that nobody can make sense of. Let?s investigate?

Writing a speech is easy.

We can all write something down on paper that might be spoken out as a speech, can?t we? It just might not be very good? But if you?re trying to be influential, or even inspiring with your speaking it?s getting the speech structure right that?s the tricky part.

One of the biggest speech writing mistakes speakers make is to try to pack in too much information into their structure. Like a gingerbread house that?s designed to be part castle, part luxury hotel, part mountain refuge, we will become confused about what your speech is built for.

Other speakers stay focused on one tiny area of their speech structure for too long and then rush the rest of the speech, like making a really beautiful door for your gingerbread house, but having nothing to attach it to.

How to structure a speech

To become experts in structuring a speech, we need to develop the quality of Balance; one of six qualities of an inspiring speaker I speak about in my book ?How to be Brilliant at Public Speaking?. It?s the quality that tells us: ?Yes, this information should go in my speech structure and this information should be left out this time.?

Balance is developing an understanding of which information goes where in a speech structure.

Balance in public speaking is like building a beautiful gingerbread house structure with a solid foundation and stable walls. It?s about concocting your ?icing? to be just the right consistency to hold the structure together. If the structure of your speech is wobbling in front of you as you speak and you?re making on-the-spot decisions about what information to put where? your audience will not see the full power of your message.?

Structuring a speech the Balanced Way

To develop a powerful speech structure, think about the following four things -?

1.?Choose speech content that contains just the right amount of just the right type of information

2. Create a powerful flow of information

• Seek a structure that turns up the intensity as you progress through your speech.
• Keep the audience?s attention throughout your speech by building to a climax, rather than peaking too soon. Your structure should always show them a reason why they should keep listening, but don?t quite satisfy that reason until just before the end of your speech.
• Use your structure to build that intensity over time to a crescendo then end quickly. This allows the audience to remember your peak and not a 10 minute droning ending that never ends. (Think ?out with a whimper?)

3. Find your narrative

Think of a familiar or archetypical plot or storyline that you can structure your speech. This will help your speech to be more memorable to your audience. Here are 4 of the most common speech narratives:

?

Melodrama Structure:

A story personal to the speaker with a similar structure to many movies. We meet the character and see their circumstances. Then a tragedy occurs. And finally tell how your character overcomes and triumphs over the tragedy. This speech structure creates a journey that will emotionally engage your audience and build credibility.?

?

The Tower Structure:

This structure is all about using different layers of information that garners the audience?s attention by supporting your key message. When you (and your audience) finish building the structure together you can look at the power of the structure you?ve created.?

?

Mystery?Structure:

Structure your speech around asking a question or presenting a problem to the audience that they are desperate to know. Keep them on the edge of their seats by their desire to hear your crucial message.

?

?

Ping Pong Structure:

Another fun way to structure a speech is to present both sides of the argument in such a way that the audience wants to find out ?Who wins??.?

4. Look for a speech structure that compels your audience to act on your words.?

• Organise your thoughts so that you don?t have to make snap decisions while presenting.
• Structure your speech so that you send your audience home remembering your key messages rather than wondering ?what was that all about??
• Don?t be afraid to edit your speech down to the simplest possible structure. If your structure is simple (without being over simplistic) you will keep everyone on board.
• As you establish your structure and feel confident about it, you are more able to improvise and then come back to the plan. This helps you to be more fresh and empathetic with your audience.

Any time invested in working on the structure of a speech will help you to be more powerful and engaging as a speaker. So, good luck in building a well structured gingerbread house for your audience to gratefully nibble on!

?

Want more resources to help you structure a speech and deliver it with power? Sign up for the FREE Ginger Doodles eCourse:

?

?

?

Fill out the form below to access
6 weeks of public speaking goodness.

** Worry not - I will never ever share your email address. **

Source: http://www.gingerpublicspeaking.com/how-to-structure-a-speech

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White Google Nexus 4 leaks

The Google Nexus 4 has been going in and out of stock as the big G struggles to keep up with demand for its flagship Android smartphone. Now it looks like buyers will have another option to play with in the form of this white Nexus 4 variant.

PhoneArena snagged the picture, which was reportedly snapped on an LG Optimus G. The white Nexus 4 seen in the picture sports the same disco-fabulous reflective finish seen on the black variant of the phone, going by the sparkles at the bottom edge of the picture.

There's no word on when the white Nexus 4 will hit stores ? but going on past form, as soon as it arrives it'll be sold out.

[via PhoneArena]

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Source: http://www.stuff.tv/news/phone/rumour-mill/white-google-nexus-4-leaks

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Preserving urban employment lands key to future prosperity | rabble.ca

Change the conversation, support?rabble.ca?today.

Canada's housing bubble has already set off many alarm bells.?Economists fret over the risks of sky-high home prices, excessive consumer debt and the over-building of new condominiums.

But there's a less-known consequence of the property boom that could be equally damaging to the long-run economic viability of our biggest cities.?The condo boom is gobbling up land almost as fast as it sucks up mortgage debt.?Important tracts of urban space, once used to support jobs and produce wealth, have been drawn into the vortex of real estate speculation.

Fat profits on multi-unit residential complexes allow developers to outbid any other user for a given plot of urban land.?That jeopardizes the sustainability of manufacturing, warehousing and other industrial uses.?The resulting disappearance of decent industrial work will undermine the economic and social well-being of our biggest cities.

In some cases, industrial lands have already been bought up by developers willing to sit on it for years, hoping to cash in on eventual re-zoning and development.?In other cases, the enormous profits of residential developments are luring industrial employers to themselves consider alternative uses for their own land.

That shift in corporate mindset explains the recently announced closure of the venerable Mr. Christie's cookie factory in west-end Toronto.?Over the last decade, the plant was fenced in by multiple high-rise condos.?Former owners Kraft Canada Inc. joined with the City of Toronto to oppose further residential conversion of adjacent industrial properties -- but they were over-ruled by the development-friendly Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).?Last year, the facility's new owners (Mondelez Canada) clearly decided there was more money in condos than cookies.?They're shuttering the plant, laying off 550 workers -- and readying plans for a multi-tower condo complex on the same land.

Another Toronto food plant, run by Nestl?, hopes for a better outcome.?Condo developers wanted to convert neighbouring lands for residential purposes, but managers and workers knew that would be a nail in the plant's coffin.?Even if an existing factory is not directly covered by re-zoning, the conversion of surrounding lands is usually the beginning of the end (raising real estate values, sparking noise and traffic complaints from new neighbours, and complicating logistics).?They campaigned to preserve the employment lands designation, and won city council's support in November. However, Toronto currently faces 112 other applications to convert employment lands.?And any decision (including the Nestl? case) could still be overturned at the OMB.

Toronto's sky-high land costs and constraining geography mean its land use pressures are especially acute.?But the threat looms in other locations, too.?Lucrative residential developments in GTA suburbs like Brampton, Mississauga, and Oakville are pinching the region's industrial backbone.?A business case for new capital spending in one of the region's keystone auto, aerospace, or food factories must now clear an additional hurdle: would it be better to just close the plant and sell the land for condos?

Vancouver, another real estate hot spot, faces similar challenges.?B.C.'s lower mainland has lost thousands of hectares of industrial land to residential conversions in the last quarter-century.?There's not much undeveloped space left for industrial use in the whole region.?A new proposal to create an industrial land reserve for greater Vancouver (similar to an agricultural land bank established there in the 1970s) is a promising response.

Real estate prices are now cooling, and this may ease the pressure on urban employment lands -- for a while.?However, the scarcity of land in big cities is long-term, not cyclical, and zoning and economic development policies should make the protection of urban industrial lands a permanent priority.?The option of closing factories in favour of condo developments must be eliminated through firm, permanent zoning rules.?Provincial governments have a role to play, too: making sure developers can't sidestep city regulations through unelected bodies like the OMB.

The intensification of urban housing is clearly a good thing.?But people living in all those shiny new condos need places to work -- so employment must be intensified at the same time.?Not everyone belongs to the "creative" class who will find work in downtown office towers or design studios.?The future economic and social health of our cities depends on residents having access to decent, working-class jobs, right where they live.

Jim Stanford is economist with the Canadian Auto Workers union, which represents the workers at the Nestl? factory in Toronto. A version of this commentary was originally published in the Globe and Mail.

Photo: JasonParis/Flickr

Source: http://rabble.ca/columnists/2013/01/preserving-urban-employment-lands-key-future-prosperity

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Can I drink coffee with caffeine? - POST-Operation Gastric Sleeve ...

Posted Yesterday, 12:42 PM

As with most things it differs with every surgeon.??My surgeon had no restrictions on caffeine for that matter I was given caffeinated coffee in the hospital the day after my surgery and have drank at least 1 cup every day since.??They say it will effect you more after surgery, but I have never had any problem with caffeine before or after surgery, I can drink a cup of coffee right before bed and not have a problem.??It is also a natural diuretic which is actually helpful in not getting constipated, but can cause some added problems with dehydration if your not careful.??As with everything you should probably ask you surgeon but this is my experiences.

Source: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/66871-can-i-drink-coffee-with-caffeine/

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Less invasive treatment is associated with improved survival in early stage breast cancer

Jan. 28, 2013 ? Patients with early stage breast cancer who were treated with lumpectomy plus radiation may have a better chance of survival compared with those who underwent mastectomy, according to Duke Medicine research.

The study, which appears online Jan. 28, 2013, in the journal Cancer, raises new questions as to the comparative effectiveness of breast-conserving therapies such as lumpectomy, where only the tumor and surrounding tissue is surgically removed.

"Our findings are observational but do suggest the possibility that women who were treated with less invasive surgery had improved survival compared to those treated with mastectomy for stage I or stage II breast cancer," said E. Shelley Hwang, M.D., MPH, chief of breast surgery at Duke Cancer Institute and the study's lead author.

Taking advantage of 14 years of data from the California Cancer Registry, a source of long-term outcome data for women diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer in California, the research team found improved survival to be associated with the less invasive treatment in all age groups, as well as those with both hormone-sensitive and hormone-resistant cancers. Women age 50 and older at diagnosis with hormone-sensitive tumors saw the largest benefit of choosing lumpectomy plus radiation: they were 13 percent less likely to die from breast cancer, and 19 percent less likely to die from any cause compared with those undergoing mastectomy.

Prior randomized trials have shown that when it comes to survival, lumpectomy with radiation is as effective as mastectomy in treating early stage breast cancer. As a result, the rate of women electing lumpectomy with radiation has climbed in the past few decades.

However, a recent trend has emerged with more early stage breast cancer patients, often younger women with very early cancers, opting for mastectomy. These women may perceive mastectomy to be more effective at eliminating early stage cancer and therefore reducing the anxiety accompanying long-term surveillance.

"Given the recent interest in mastectomy to treat early stage breast cancers despite the research supporting lumpectomy, our study sought to understand what was happening in the real world, how women receiving breast-conserving treatments were faring in the general population," Hwang said.

The team analyzed data from 112,154 women diagnosed with stage I or stage II breast cancer between 1990 and 2004, including 61,771 who received lumpectomy and radiation and 50,383 who had mastectomy without radiation.

The researchers looked at age and other demographic factors, along with tumor type and size to decipher whether each treatment had better outcomes for certain groups of women. Patients were followed on average for 9.2 years.

The researchers evaluated whether illnesses other than breast cancer, such as heart and respiratory disease, may have influenced whether women chose lumpectomy or mastectomy. Within three years of diagnosis, breast cancer patients who underwent lumpectomy and radiation had higher survival rates than those who chose mastectomy when all other illnesses were evaluated. This suggests that women choosing lumpectomy may have been generally healthier.

However, Hwang and her colleagues were surprised to also find that early stage breast cancer patients treated with breast-conserving treatment had a significantly better short-term survival rate from breast cancer than women who underwent mastectomy. A subset analysis limited to women with stage I cancer only showed consistent results.

"The hopeful message is that lumpectomy plus radiation was an effective alternative to mastectomy for early stage disease, regardless of age or tumor type," said Hwang. "Our study supports that even patients we thought might benefit less from localized treatment, like younger patients with hormone-resistant disease, can remain confident in lumpectomy as an equivalent and possibly better treatment option."

The authors emphasize that observational studies such as this one cannot establish causality between type of surgery and outcome and that longer follow up is needed. Nevertheless, this is a provocative observation that requires more research to understand whether patient factors that were not available for analysis might contribute to these observed survival differences.

In addition to Hwang, study authors include Daphne Y. Lichtensztajn, Scarlett Lin Gomez, and Christina A. Clarke of the Cancer Prevention Institute of California. Barbara Fowble of the University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center also contributed to the research.

The study was supported by National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (HHSN261201000140C) awarded to the Cancer Prevention Institute of California. The collection of cancer incidence data used in this study was supported by the California Department of Health Services.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Duke Medicine.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. E. Shelley Hwang, Daphne Y. Lichtensztajn, Scarlett Lin Gomez, Barbara Fowble, Christina A. Clarke. Survival after lumpectomy and mastectomy for early stage invasive breast cancer. Cancer, 2013; DOI: 10.1002/cncr.27795

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/bPMCfNocF50/130128104426.htm

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US firms encouraged by bipartisan immigration reform

From agricultural firms to high-tech companies, US employers are eager to see the broken immigration system fixed. But without details fixed, firms are cautious with support.?

By Lisa Baertlein and Sarah McBride,?Reuters / January 28, 2013

Rep. Joe Garcia (D) of Florida states his support for immigrants and pledges to work in favor of immigration reform in downtown Miami, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. A broad slate of US companies are also encouraged by a bipartisan plan in Congress that would reform the immigration system.

Alan Diaz/AP

Enlarge

LOS ANGELES/SAN FRANCISCO

The first big political push for an overhaul of U.S. immigration laws in more than five years holds out some promise for employers who have long complained that the current system is broken and inhibits hiring.

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From farmers who cannot find Americans to pick their crops to technology firms who need more engineers from abroad, the bipartisan plan from eight U.S. senators announced on Monday offered solutions like a "workable" program for seasonal farm labor and a commitment to "attracting and keeping the world's best and brightest."

"We are encouraged by the momentum on these important issues," said Microsoft general counsel and executive vice president Brad Smith.

Companies and business groups of all stripes have come out in favor of immigration reform, hoping to tap the immigrant labor force that has long been a key to growth of the U.S. economy.

But Smith said Microsoft needs to see the details of the legislation, which has not yet been crafted, and that it hopes the reform will expand the so-called H-1B visa system for highly skilled workers.

The government now offers a quota of 65,000 H-1B visas per year, a number unusually met in a few weeks of applications and far fewer than the U.S. technology sector says it needs to innovate and remain competitive.

The eight senators said that any immigrant who receives an advanced degree in the United States in science, technology, engineering or math (collectively known as STEM), should be given a green card, shorthand for legal residence and work permit.

"It makes no sense to educate the world's future innovators and entrepreneurs only to ultimately force them to leave our country at the moment they are most able to contribute to our economy," the senators said.

The proposal from the senators, who include Arizona Republican John McCain and New York Democrat Charles Schumer, goes so far as to offer a path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants. Schumer said he hoped a bill would pass Congress as early as mid-year.

But it also offers provisions to make legal immigration more efficient and to bolster an employment verification system to help companies know if they are hiring illegal migrants.

While the U.S. government's "E-Verify" program is now only required in some states, a mandatory beefed-up system that takes the burden off companies for detecting fraud in identity documents and places it on the government might be welcomed.

A one-step process in which the employer enters data and awaits a government approval "could be a very effective system," said Eleanor Pelta, head of immigration law at the Washington law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.

Several high-profile companies, including burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc, have been investigated after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) audits turned up problems with their employment paperwork. ICE started investigations at nearly 4,000 workplaces in fiscal 2012.

Chipotle moved to E-Verify almost two years ago after ICE audits revealed it had hired hundreds of illegal immigrants. Company spokesman Chris Arnold said that mandating a similar system would be "pretty much moot" for the 1,300-restaurant company.

While passage of the proposal into law is far from assured, farm organizations may have most reason to be encouraged, given its emphasis on meeting the needs of the agriculture industry.

"I see this absolutely as our best opportunity that we've had in a generation to get ... a solution to our immigration problems," said Charles Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

In the nation's largest food-producing and exporting state, California, farmers said they hoped immigration legislation would catch up to the reality of America's food supply.

"Many of the people who tend to the food we eat are not properly documented," said Paul Wenger, president of the California Farm Bureau Federation.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/mVtWCXtPZQY/US-firms-encouraged-by-bipartisan-immigration-reform

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This Is What It Looks Like to Have a World-Class Memory

You probably juggle a phone number or two around in that skull of yours just out of necessity, but there are memorization experts out there who would put you to shame. At this year's World Memory Championships, champion Johannes Mallow memorized a 2,245 digit number and the order of 1144 playing cards each in just an hour. He also memorized a string of 3954 binary digits in 30 minutes, and another competitor soaked up 269 random words in just 15. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/rd_j4LcUQ4M/this-is-what-it-looks-like-to-have-a-world+class-memory

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Clarity Gaming Signs Killer - D-eSports.com

Felipe ?Pipe? (KiLLeR)?Zu?iga?signed with Clarity Gaming, according to a press release?on TeamLiquid. ?KiLLeR left Dignitas on January 21st after more than 2 years on the team. ?KiLLeR?s most notable accomplishments were in summer 2012 when he took first in the WCS Chile Nationals and the WCS South American Championship.

In their press release, Clarity included a short interview with KiLLeR. ?From his history in gaming to a critique of his own ability, KiLLeR weighed in on a number of topics.

Let?s talk technical skills. If you could improve one thing about your play, what would it be? How do you plan on fixing that?
I think that I have good mechanics, is always a good plan to keep improving them and practicing more consistently will totally help me on that. But one of my weak points is that I never had someone to chat about the game, to check, and test and re-test strategies, someone to actually practice games on a serious way, and in Clarity I will be able to have does teammates to help me and to share this knowledge. I need to know more about the game, and also the game is always changing, with more people paying attention to these changes will be easier for me, to modify and practice new strats.

KiLLeR will debut with Clarity at IEM?S?o Paulo in a series of show matches.

Source: http://www.d-esports.com/16456/clarity-gaming-signs-killer/

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Check Out These Ideas For A Better Understanding Of Internet ...

Mistakes Are Costing You! Learn To Stop?Making ALL 189 Of Them!

Struggling With WordPress? 100+ Step-By-Step Videos Now Available!

Posted by Administrator on Jan 27, 2013 in Uncategorized | Comments Off

You need to be interested in employing Online marketing if you are sincere about your business venture. Do not doubt the truth of this statement. Your company could rise or fall based solely on your whether you have implemented a sound Internet promotion strategy. The following tips can ensure that you get the most out of the efforts you devote to Internet marketing.

One way to become an authority or subject-matter expert is to compile a relevant glossary on your website. This is a great tool for both current and prospective customers. People doing a search for those terms will be more likely to come to your website. You will get more traffic and be considered a reference.

Minimize the use of tools like Flash or AJAX. It may be aesthetically pleasing, but it will not add additional search engine results. If you want to employ Flash, use it sparingly and make sure you have plenty of other keywords and navigational tools available.

TIP! Figuring out your niche for your business is key to market on the Internet. Since there are no geographical constraints, you could easily reach out to a very small target audience.

It?s important not to become too reliant on one venue or source of income when engaged in Internet promotion. This is key when because income will vary in the beginning and may not be sufficient at first until you are more established. Keep your primary job until you are absolutely certain it is safe for you to give it up.

Keep in mind what your audience will be expecting when they come to your site. If you can figure out what they want, you will get more sales. Ask people you trust for opinions on your website. You can even ask some of your online friends to check it out or ask for feedback from forum members. Really research what would make an excellent site that delivers to your target market.

Deal with complaints personally. You should strive to handle all customer complaints yourself as this way you know when they have been resolved. Always respond to complaint emails yourself and with a solution to that complaint.

TIP! Make sure your customers know they can opt out of receiving email from you at any time. This is essential to today?s online world of unwanted opinions and spam.

Make sure that you implement all sorts of different software to make your Affiliate marketing strategy as successful as possible. If your customers use more advanced software than you do, they will wonder why you haven?t upgraded. On the other hand, if you demonstrate a willingness to take risks and employ cutting-edge business tactics, customers will respect your innovative practices.

Do some research to find out which types of Internet marketing are working for your competitors. For example, you may find that some of the best ways to go about marketing your site won?t cost you a single penny. But unless you?re first taking the time to really think about it, you may end up paying money for nothing. There are many ways to get people to come to your site. It just requires a little creativity.

Every image that appears on your website should have its own caption. Search engines use captions to help determine if a site is relevant to a user?s search. With good captions on your images, your site can raise in search engine rankings.

TIP! Long before site ranking becomes a concern for you, you need to build yourself an outstanding website. Creating a well-designed website is an essential first step for your business.

Do not use spam. Web crawlers, which quickly post hundreds or thousands of comments in a short amount of time, rarely produce the desired effect for your business. As a matter of fact if you are generic with advertising potential customers may be driven off.

Within businesses, those who are authoritative in their fields are widely respected. Don?t be afraid to let it be known that you are indeed the head honcho. You can refer to yourself as the ?President? or ?CEO? of your company.

Marketing your business wisely on the Internet is no longer an option but a requirement. It cannot be avoided or ignored by anyone who does business online. By following these steps you can ensure that you have every opportunity for your business to succeed.

TIP! You should be very careful about the information you are giving customers when you are marketing a small business. Do your best to write original and relevant content.

Are you ready to have success in the home based business industry and build it on autopilot? Click below to register for free today. See how it works here. Also check out our team benefits here

Source: http://leucabiz.com/blog/check-out-these-ideas-for-a-better-understanding-of-internet-marketing/

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AP NewsBreak: Harkin won't seek 6th Senate term

In this Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 photo, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, speaks to reporters following a rally in support of three Iowa Supreme Court justices who are up for retention votes in the November election, in Des Moines, Iowa. Harkin says he will not seek re-election in 2014, The Associated Press reports Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

In this Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 photo, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, speaks to reporters following a rally in support of three Iowa Supreme Court justices who are up for retention votes in the November election, in Des Moines, Iowa. Harkin says he will not seek re-election in 2014, The Associated Press reports Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

CUMMING, Iowa (AP) ? U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin said Saturday he will not seek a sixth term in 2014, a decision that frees a new generation of Iowa Democrats to seek higher office and eases some of the burden Republicans face in retaking the Senate.

Harkin, chairman of an influential Senate committee, announced his decision during an interview with The Associated Press, and said the move could surprise some.

But the 73-year-old cited his age ? he would be 81 at the end of a sixth term ? as a factor in the decision, saying it was time to pass the torch he has held for nearly 30 years.

"I just think it's time for me to step aside," Harkin told the AP.

Harkin, first elected in 1984, ranks 7th in seniority, and 4th among majority Democrats. He is chairman of the health, education, labor and pensions committee, and chairman of the largest appropriations subcommittee.

Harkin has long aligned with the Senate's more liberal members, and his signature legislative accomplishment is the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. He also served as a key salesman of President Barack Obama's 2010 health care bill to the wary left.

"I'm not saying that giving this up and walking away is easy. It's very tough," Harkin said at his rural Iowa home south of Des Moines. "But I'm not quitting today. I'm not passing the torch sitting down."

Harkin's news defied outward signals. Besides being beloved in his party, Harkin has $2.7 million in his campaign war chest, second most among members nearing the end of their terms, and was planning a gala fundraiser in Washington, D.C., next month featuring pop star Lady Gaga.

Although members of his family have been diagnosed with cancer, Harkin said his health is good ? and reported a recent positive colonoscopy. But he said "you never know," and that he wanted to travel and spend his retirement with his wife Ruth "before it's too late."

He also nodded to his political longevity: "The effect of that cascades down and it opens a lot of doors of opportunity" for future candidates, he said.

Indeed, the news creates a rare open Senate seat Iowa. Harkin, Iowa's junior senator, is outranked by Sen. Charles Grassley, who has held the state's other seat since 1980.

Attention will turn immediately to U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, a fourth-term Democrat from Waterloo, long mentioned as a possible Harkin successor. Braley, who was traveling in Iowa on Saturday, did not immediately return requests by the AP for comments beyond an emailed news statement calling Harkin a "mentor" and "progressive force" who leaves "a legacy few will ever match."

Harkin held open the possibility of endorsing a Democrat before the party's primary if the candidate fit the profile of "someone who is progressive, who is a pragmatic progressive."

Although no Republicans have stepped forward, Harkin's news gives the GOP's private huddles new life.

"There are lots of conversations, but it's very early still," said Nick Ryan, an Iowa Republican campaign fundraiser.

U.S. Rep. Tom Latham of Clive is a seasoned Republican congressman, a veteran appropriations committee member and a robust fundraiser who has survived challenges to win 10 consecutive terms. Aides to Latham declined to comment beyond issuing a statement saying the congressman "respects Sen. Harkin's decision (and) looks forward to continuing to work with him."

But with opening a door in Iowa, Harkin has created a potential headache for his party nationally.

Democrats likely would have had the edge in 2014 with the seat, considering Harkin's fundraising prowess and healthy approval. A poll by the Des Moines Register taken last fall showed a majority of Iowans approved of his job performance.

Democrats hold a 55-45 advantage in the Senate, requiring Republicans to gain six seats to win back the chamber. But Democrats have more seats to defend in 2014_20 compared to only 13 for Republicans.

And the president's party historically loses seats in the midterm elections after his re-election.

Seats in other states will be tough for Democrats to hold onto. In GOP-leaning West Virginia, five-term Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller recently announced he would not seek re-election.

Democratic incumbents also face tough re-election races in Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina and Alaska ? all states carried by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in November's presidential election.

Since then, Harkin has stepped up his role as one of the Senate's leading liberal populists.

He was a vocal opponent late last year of President Barack Obama's concession to lift the income threshold for higher taxes to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. Harkin instead supported raising taxes on all earners making more than $250,000 a year.

He also endorsed Obama's call for banning assault rifles and larger ammunition magazines in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting last month

Despite Harkin's strong political position, he has faced questions about his and his wife Ruth's role in developing a namesake policy institute at Iowa State University, Harkin's alma mater. The Harkins and their supporters have been pushing for the institute to house papers highlighting his signature achievements, including the ADA and shaping farm policy as the former chairman of the agriculture committee.

Harkin has avoided questions about fundraising for the institute after disclosure reports showed some of its largest donors are firms that have benefited from his policies.

Harkin dismissed that those questions had any bearing on his decision.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-26-Harkin-Iowa/id-25593d51402947cfb4687ee317b0bf82

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This Tiny Pet Quadcopter Could Be Your Own Personal Cameraman

Who doesn't want to be the star of their own reality TV show? Well OK, sane people. But if you count yourself among the former, there's good news for you. A new, tiny quadcopter called the MeCam is just begging to be your ever-present cameraman. And you best take it up on the offer, there's no way you could find a human that willing. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VaQy6mqlEC8/this-tiny-pet-quadcopter-could-be-your-own-personal-cameraman

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PWR99 ? Anyone Can Homeschool Children With These Great Ideas

An ideal way to ensure that your child gets the best education possible is by homeschooling them. With homeschooling, you are in charge of the quality of teaching. If you want to learn more about homeschooling, read on for some tips that can help you get started.

When should you give in? If you?ve been trying to teach a child in a certain way and it isn?t working, don?t push it further. Find a different way to teach the lesson. You could make use of online apps, movies, audio books or even virtual tutors to help to get the message through to them. If you continue to push one style of learning on your child because you think it?s the only way, you will just make things harder and slow things up for both of you.

While a well-rounded education is important, reading and math skills are paramount. These subjects are found in all walks of life and most subject matter. If these subjects aren?t grasped completely, your child will have trouble with other subjects. This is really why you have to spend some more time with these things instead of other subjects.

Make life a learning activity. Daily activities can often teach your child more than any curriculum. Listen to their speech patterns and correct mistakes. Let them help with dinner by measuring ingredients. You will be proud of how fast they can learn.

Do a little research before diving into homeschooling. Fortunately, there are a variety of useful tools and communities offering insight and ideas to help you make this important decision. While the idea of homeschooling may be very appealing, without sufficient financial resources, energy, or time, it can turn into a nightmare.

Be prepared for some difficult days if you choose to home school. Children need to understand and be taught the difference between school time and home time. That is what is good about homeschooling, you can break when you want. This can help your child, as well as yourself, to regroup.

Remember that there is no need to do all of your homeschooling in a traditional school setting. One advantage of homeschooling is flexibility in location. You could snuggle up on a comfy chair with a book, go out to the yard to explore the natural world or even visit a family member?s house to bake a cake. Use this flexibility to make your homeschooling efforts work for you. If you organize yourself efficiently, you should be able to make the lessons more interesting and fun while being able to perform your daily tasks.

Try to be as creative as possible when you are teaching. There are, of course, commercially available resources, but they can cost a pretty penny. Look for inexpensive ways to create flash cards and recycle household items as craft supplies. Make it a family craft and you learn while having fun.

Research various learning styles. Children respond to teaching methods in their own way. Provide examples and repetition in your teaching and see how your child reacts. Learn about every style you can to enrich your child?s learning. If you do this, your child will learn faster than ever before.

Homeschooling is amoungst the most effective ways to educate your children. When you use homeschooling, your children will be able to learn by your hands. Use these tips to help you be the best teacher you can be.

Source: http://www.pwr99.com/anyone-can-homeschool-children-with-these-great-ideas/

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Democrats may stand in Obama's way on gun measures

WASHINGTON (AP) ? As the Senate prepares to begin debating new gun control measures, some of President Barack Obama's fellow Democrats are poised to frustrate his efforts to enact the most sweeping limits on weapons in decades.

These Democrats from largely rural states with strong gun cultures view Obama's proposals warily and have not committed to supporting them. The lawmakers' concerns could stand in the way of strong legislation before a single Republican gets a chance to vote "no."

"There's a core group of Democratic senators, most but not all from the West, who represent states with a higher-than-average rate of gun ownership but an equally strong desire to feel their kids are safe," said Mark Glaze, director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. "They're having hard but good conversations with people back home to identify the middle-ground solutions that respect the Second Amendment but make it harder for dangerous people to get their hands on guns."

All eyes are on these dozen or so Democrats, some of whom face re-election in 2014. That includes Sens. Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.

The Senate Judiciary Committee begins hearings Wednesday.

Interest groups, lobbyists, lawmakers, crime victims and others with a stake in the outcome will be watching these senators closely for signals about what measures they might support. The answers will say a lot about what, if anything, Congress can pass in the wake of the shootings of 20 school and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., last month.

At issue are Obama's proposals to ban assault weapons, limit ammunition magazines, crack down on trafficking and require universal background checks. Leading the charge against those ideas is the National Rifle Association. The group wields enormous power to rally public sentiment and is a particular threat to Democrats in pro-gun states who face re-election.

The political concerns of Democrats create problems for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who has his own history with the NRA.

The powerful gun lobby endorsed him in previous elections, but stayed neutral in his most recent race, in 2010. Even before Obama announced the gun proposals this month, Reid told a Nevada PBS station that an assault weapons ban would have a hard time getting through Congress. That comment irked Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., author of such a ban.

"Clearly it wasn't helpful," she said this past week in reintroducing her measure. But Feinstein's original assault weapons ban was a stern political lesson for Reid and other Democrats. Its passage as part of President Bill Clinton's crime bill in 1994 was blamed for Democratic election losses that year after the NRA campaigned against lawmakers who supported the legislation. When the assault weapons ban came up for renewal in 2004, Congress, under pressure from the NRA, refused to extend it.

Reid has pledged action on gun measures. "This is an issue we're not going to run from," he said. But he's under pressure from all sides.

Some major pieces of legislation are shepherded by the Senate leadership to the Senate floor. But Reid is promising that the gun bills will go through the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose chairman is Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., a gun owner and Second Amendment supporter.

Reid also is promising an open amendment process, potentially a lengthy endeavor. Those signals have some gun control activists concerned that the process will go so slowly that it will grind to a halt without action. Some question whether that's just the outcome desired by some moderate Democrats.

"I'm concerned just because Harry Reid has a mixed record on these things and we want him to be a champion," said Josh Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

On the other side, the NRA, known for rewarding friends and punishing enemies, promises it will be closely watching Reid, too.

"He's going to be torn and a lot of people are going to be torn, particularly Democrats, but I think as the debate goes on he'll do more good than bad from our perspective," said David Keene, NRA president. "All this stuff has been debated before and once you get into a debate and a discussion and say will this do anything to protect children, to prevent another Newtown, I think the answer is going to come out 'no.'"

Baucus, Begich, Pryor and others have been cautious in their comments on Obama's gun proposals.

Baucus called for "a thoughtful debate." Begich told his home state Fairbanks Daily News-Miner that passage of any element of the package was "a long haul. ... There are some of us who just fundamentally believe in a Second Amendment right." Pryor has told Arkansas media that efforts on gun safety should start with enforcing existing laws.

Another Democrat closely watching the issue is Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, known for a 2010 campaign ad where he fired a rifle shot though a copy of Democratic-written climate change legislation. Manchin recently told a West Virginia radio station that he's working on legislation to require background checks on most gun purchases. Details weren't clear but that's the area where advocates are most hopeful of finding a solution that could get through the Senate and possibly even the Republican-controlled House.

The NRA generally opposes legislation mandating universal background checks and disputes gun control groups' claims that 40 percent of purchases happen without such checks. NRA officials question whether background checks could be done effectively in a way that makes a difference and doesn't disrupt legitimate sales.

The NRA's executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre, is to testify Wednesday before Leahy's committee.

Democrats, especially those from gun-rights states, will be weighing whether to side with the NRA or follow the president, or how best to split the difference.

"We're a Second-Amendment state. I support the rights of sportsmen and target shooters and collectors to own firearms. It's an important part of our culture and tradition," Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., said in an interview. "But I just hear there's such grave concern given the experiences we've had with Aurora, Columbine ... people all over Colorado want to prevent these massacres."

___

Online:

White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/preventing-gun-violence

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democrats-may-stand-obamas-way-gun-measures-134432125--politics.html

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Video: Ice storm, bitter cold to hit Midwest

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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50597550/

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Grow Your Business and Reach New Customers with Social CRM ...

Building a strong and valuable relationship with your customer base is more important than ever. According to thesocialskinny.com, 36% of social media users post brand-related content and 50% of people follow brands in social media.?

In November 2012, SuperOffice conducted a survey among 150 organizations across Europe. SuperOffice wanted to find out what challenges and issues businesses have when it comes to building relationships with their customers.

The research showed that there were three distinct challenges:

A) Finding the right social activities. Tracking the social activities and making sure they were targeted at the right customer was a challenge for almost half (48%) of respondents.

B) Keeping track of relevant customer information. More than one third (38%) of respondents found it difficult to maintain the knowledge of customers? preferences in order to target relevant products and services.

C) Communicating in a personal way. 42% of respondents faced challenges communicating with their customers in a personalized way, even if they did have relevant information about the customer.

It seems clear that ?being social? is something that many companies are struggling with ? across business types and markets. By implementing a social CRM strategy, brands can leverage social media marketing and customer relationship management data to grow their business.

The State of Social Marketing 2012 report found that only 16% of respondents are using a social CRM system, while 17% do not know what social CRM is. Surprisingly, 46% simply said they didn?t use social CRM.

?

Social CRM is the process of converting content into conversations and meaningful relationships, and is achieved through the integration of web analytics, social media and CRM software.

Social CRM is part process, part people and part technology

• Sales teams can be equipped with significantly more relevant information about their customers through online conversations and existing CRM activity history.
• Marketing teams can now meet prospects at their point of need, connecting with them much earlier in the buying process with real-time listening and monitoring online conversations.
• Product development teams can engage and collaborate directly with customers throughout the development phase from idea, design, proto-typing and testing, which builds brand advocacy and positive word of mouth.
• Customer service teams can provide responses to where the customer is, equipped with their entire interaction, engagement and conversation history across all communication channels.

In order to effectively communicate with your customer base and overcome the challenges organizations face, here are five ways to successfully implement a social CRM strategy.

1. Social CRM is low cost

Companies can take advantage of social networking at little or no cost. Social networks are free and it?s easy to create an account. The only investment required is man hours, giving small businesses a greater opportunity when competing with corporations who spend millions of dollars in advertising campaigns. A video that goes viral on the web can result in millions of views, providing excellent exposure at no cost.

2. Social CRM provides instant feedback

Social media networks provide a direct communication channel with their customers, providing valuable insight and feedback in real-time. Customers can share opinions on product releases and suggestions for improvement. Use negative comments to improve your brands reputation; listen and react to the feedback. Positive comments can be used to promote your brand, and be included as customer endorsements.

3. Social CRM helps create a community

Social media is a great avenue to build a community and increase customer engagement around products and services. In an online community, you can keep customers informed on the latest company news, events and create a buzz around a new product release. By having a community, customers will be able to interact with each other and share opinions, which increase your brand identity, brand credibility and will develop long-lasting loyal customers.

4. Social CRM is used by your competition

Your competitors are using social CRM already. Search for your competition on Facebook or Twitter and compare social media strategies to identify strengths and weaknesses that your brand can improve upon to create a better social experience for your customers. Follow your competition in the active social channels to monitor what they think of your brand and use this as leverage for improving your social CRM strategy.

5. Social CRM improves marketing ROI

Social CRM allows companies can better target products to a segment of customers, develop products or services based on customer feedback, improve the customer experience with real time responses and generate interest and brand awareness through word of mouth. Through integration of web analytics and CRM software, brands can now measure social conversations to website traffic, downloads, conversions and sales.

Conclusion

In today?s financial climate, marketers are bound by strict budgets and limited resources. Companies are now exploring new ways of becoming more efficient and improve their CRM process. Whether engaging with fans on Facebook or tweeting on Twitter, social media is proving to be a cost effective solution for improving CRM to help acquire new customers and engage with existing customers.

Has your business implemented a successful Social CRM strategy? Please comment below and share your experience.

Source: http://socialmediatoday.com/stevenmacdonald/1184651/grow-your-business-and-reach-new-customers-social-crm

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Dog Treats From China Rumored To Be Unsafe For Pets Prompts ...

From Mother Nature Network's Laura Moss:

In May, Rachael Chambers of Morgan Hill, Calif., gave her four dogs Milo?s Kitchen Home-style Dog Treats. Not long after, three of her dogs began getting sick.

Her Dachshund-mix, Liz, had diarrhea and wouldn?t eat and Chihuahua-mix Jack stopped eating and had to undergo weeks of liver treatment. But 13-year-old shepherd-mix Cali died when her stomach ruptured.

?It's been sad and hard on our family, but I think what's been harder is to understand why almost seven months later there's more dead dogs and nothing has changed," Chambers told ABC7 News in December.

From 2010 through Dec. 17, 2012, a reported 3,243 dogs and nine cats were sickened after eating chicken jerky treats made in China, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA CVM). A reported 501 dogs and one cat have died as a result of eating the tainted treats.

According to its website, the FDA has become ?aware of increasing numbers of illnesses in pets associated with the consumption of jerky pet treats? since 2007, but ?no definitive cause has been determined.?

As of Dec. 17, the FDA had received 2,674 reports of illness and death in pets. Most complaints involve chicken jerky treats, but others include duck, sweet potato, and treats where chicken or duck jerky is wrapped around dried fruits, sweet potatoes or yams.

Recalls
Although the FDA hasn?t issued a recall, last week Nestle Purina PetCare Co. voluntarily recalled its Waggin? Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brand dog treats, and Del Monte Corp. recalled its Milo?s Kitchen Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers home-style dog treats.

Publix also recalled its Chicken Tenders Dog Chew Treats, and IMS Pet Industries Inc. removed its Cadet Brand Chicken Jerky Treats from stores.

The moves came after the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM) told the FDA that trace amounts of residual poultry antibiotics had been found in each of the brands? jerky treat products.

The antibiotics ? only one of which is approved for U.S. poultry use ? include sulfaclozine, tilmicosin, trimethoprim, enrofloxacin and sulfaquinoxalin. All of these antibiotics are approved in China, where most of the treats are made.

However, because these antibiotic levels are extremely low, they?re unlikely to cause health problems in pets, according to the FDA. In fact, some of the antibiotics listed in the NYSDAM report are used safely in dogs.

Investigation ongoing
The FDA is still investigating pet treats imported from China, but has so far found no toxins or other contaminants responsible for causing illness or death.

Last week the Chicago Tribune reported that Tamara Ward, spokeswoman for the FDA CVM office of public affairs, told contributor Steve Dale that one Chinese plant under FDA investigation had falsified receiving documents for glycerin, an ingredient in jerky pet treats. As a result, China?s Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine told the FDA that it had suspended the firm?s exports.

When asked for clarification, the FDA spokeswoman said she could give no further comment on an ongoing investigation.

In December, U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney of California?s 9th Congressional District wrote to the Chinese government asking it to "consider halting production of these chicken jerky treats until the FDA can determine whether or not the products contain tainted material."

In response, the Chinese government was critical of the FDA?s advisory alert on the agency?s website, saying that "From the perspective of the Chinese side, there might be something wrong with the FDA's investigation guidance."

Do you feed your dog chicken jerky products?
The FDA advises not to substitute chicken jerky treats for dog food and cautions owners of small dogs to be especially careful in limiting the amounts given to their pets.

Stop feeding your dog these treats if the animal shows any of the following signs, which could occur within hours to days after ingestion: decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea, increased drinking of water or urination.

If symptoms are severe or last more than 24 hours, contact your veterinarian and report any illness to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your area.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/24/dog-treats-china-chicken-jerky_n_2545876.html

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HIV-like viruses in non-human primates have existed much longer than previously thought

Jan. 24, 2013 ? Viruses similar to those that cause AIDS in humans were present in non-human primates in Africa at least 5 million years ago and perhaps up to 12 million years ago, according to study published January 24 in the Open Access journal PLOS Pathogens by scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Until now, researchers have hypothesized that such viruses originated much more recently.

HIV-1, the virus responsible for AIDS, infiltrated the human population in the early 20th century following multiple transmissions of a similar chimpanzee virus known as SIVcpz. Previous work to determine the age of HIV-like viruses, called lentiviruses, by comparing their genetic blueprints has calculated their origin to be tens of thousands of years ago.

However, other researchers have suspected this time frame to be much too recent. Michael Emerman, Ph.D., a virologist and member of the Human Biology Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and Alex Compton, a graduate student in the Emerman Lab, describe the use of a technique to estimate the extent to which primates and lentiviruses have coexisted by tracking the changes in a host immunity gene called APOBEC3G that were induced by ancient viral challenges.

They report that this host immunity factor is evolving in tandem with a viral gene that defends the virus against APOBEC3G, which allowed them to determine the minimum age for the association between primates and lentiviruses to be around 5 or 6 million years ago, and possibly up to 12 million years ago.

These findings suggest that HIV-like infections in primates are much older than previously thought, and they have driven selective changes in antiviral genes that have incited an evolutionary arms race that continues to this day. The study also confirms that viruses similar to HIV that are present in various monkey species today are the descendants of ancient pathogens in primates that have shaped how the immune system fights infections.

"More than 40 non-human primate species in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with strains of HIV-related viruses," Emerman said. "Since some of these viruses may have the potential to infect humans as well, it is important to know their origins."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Alex A. Compton, Michael Emerman. Convergence and Divergence in the Evolution of the APOBEC3G-Vif Interaction Reveal Ancient Origins of Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses. PLoS Pathogens, 2013; 9 (1): e1003135 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003135

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/jvt9hgAYIas/130124183636.htm

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Female mice exposed to BPA by mothers show unexpected characteristics

Jan. 24, 2013 ? Female mice exposed to Bisphenol A through their mother's diet during gestation and lactation were found to be hyperactive, exhibit spontaneous activity and had leaner body mass than those not exposed to the chemical, researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health have discovered.

BPA is a chemical most commonly found in the lining of food cans and cash register receipts. It once was in many hard plastic bottles, including baby bottles, but many companies have removed it as concerns about exposure have come to light in recent years.

These latest findings from U-M researchers seem to contradict previous studies on BPA that found the chemical to be a factor in obesity. But Dana Dolinoy, the John G. Searle Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and senior/corresponding author of the study, says research shows that many factors impact how the body reacts to the chemical.

"Our hypothesis going into this study was that BPA would act as an obesogenic agent. And there is some preliminary evidence that it does," Dolinoy said. "But there are differences in exposure, duration and when you actually measure the individual.

"Recent evidence in humans only looks at one time point. What we're really interested in is BPA exposure during early development, and how that affects health throughout life. So those are two very different questions."

The researchers exposed mothers to three different levels of BPA in the diet then followed the offspring through adulthood at three, six and nine months of age. The average lifespan of a mouse is two years, so by three months they are young adults.

"We looked at several different metabolic phenotypes, including spontaneous activity, food intake, energy expenditure and body composition. I think the most striking result we saw was the increased activity in these animals," said Olivia Anderson, doctoral student in environmental health sciences and lead author on the paper published online in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

"There are several things we need to look at in evaluating studies investigating BPA as an obesogen, such as composition of the diet. Not all these diets are similar throughout these studies. Some may have high-fat diets. Some may have diets with different protein levels. Then there is the difference in exposure timing and doses of exposure of BPA. It's important to dig a little deeper and actually look at the mechanism that BPA is acting upon."

As to why only females exhibited the excessive activity and lean bodies, Dolinoy says it bears more study, but because BPA is known to impact estrogen and thyroid hormone, most likely it is affecting these natural hormones in the females.

Dolinoy's lab is dedicated to the study of environmental epigenetics and nutrition -- learning about how exposure to chemical, nutritional and behavioral factors alters gene expression and impacts health and disease.

In December, she and colleagues released a study that found BPA in human fetal liver tissue, demonstrating that there is considerable exposure to the chemical during pregnancy. That research also found that the BPA in fetuses was in a form not eliminated from the body, unlike previous studies that showed adult humans metabolize and rid their bodies of the chemical.

Her work is supported by the U-M Formative Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center (UM-CEHC) and the U-M Michigan Nutrition and Obesity Research Center (MNORC). MNORC receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, and UM-CEHC from the NIH and the Environmental Protection Agency.

"The work that Olivia Anderson carried out in Dr. Dolinoy's lab is really at the heart of some of the most pressing questions we're trying to solve right now, and their work was a great fit for both centers because it asks and answers questions that are right at the intersection of how toxicants effect health, particularly related to obesity," said Karen Peterson, professor of environmental health sciences at the U-M School of Public Health, director of the CEHC and associate director of MNORC.

Dolinoy also was awarded a five-year National Institutes of Health Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award in 2009 for the epigenetics research and the American Society of Nutrition's Norman Kretchmer Memorial Award in Nutrition and Development in 2011.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Michigan.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. O. S. Anderson, K. E. Peterson, B. N. Sanchez, Z. Zhang, P. Mancuso, D. C. Dolinoy. Perinatal bisphenol A exposure promotes hyperactivity, lean body composition, and hormonal responses across the murine life course. The FASEB Journal, 2013; DOI: 10.1096/fj.12-223545

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/AXR-WE1CT08/130124133938.htm

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Clinton retires debt from 2008 campaign (The Arizona Republic)

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