Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/306080978?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Thursday, May 16, 2013
'Dancing With the Stars' to lose results shows
TV 
18 hours ago
ABC
Tired of the filler on the "Dancing With the Stars" results shows each Tuesday? Seems like ABC might be as well.
In a press release about its 2013-2014 TV schedule, the network revealed that it is cutting the ballroom bash down to just a two-hour Monday show.
" 'Dancing with the Stars' will now air from 8-10 p.m. on Mondays, integrating the performance show and results show into one night and making each episode action-packed event television," states the press release.
"We want to focus it in by taking the results show and building it into the two-hour block on Mondays to really drive viewership," Paul Lee, president of ABC's entertainment group, told reporters.
ABC has not yet revealed how the results would be integrated into the performance shows.
Taking the place of "Dancing's" results shows on Tuesday nights this fall are comedies "The Goldbergs" at 9 and "Trophy Wife" at 9:30.
During the ABC upfronts presentation Tuesday, the network poked fun at the ballroom bash. "They're not really stars. We picked them up at the bus station," late-night host Jimmy Kimmel joked, referring to a common fan complaint that the celebrities are rarely truly stars.
What do you think of cutting the show to just one night a week? Tell us in the comments!
Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/dancing-stars-lose-results-shows-1C9910477
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The drones of oil
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 15-May-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Simon Buckley
Simon.Buckley@uni.no
47-555-83458
The University of Bergen
Geologists in Norway are using flying drones with cameras to hunt for oil
Geologists have long used seismology on the bottom of the ocean or have been throwing dynamite from snowmobiles when they look for oil. But now researchers at Centre for integrated petroleum research (CIPR), a joint venture between the University of Bergen (UiB) and Uni Research, have found a new preferred method using drones to map new oil reserves from the air.
In reality the drones can be viewed as an advanced camera tripod, which helps geologists to map inaccessible land in an efficient manner. The use of drones facilitates our efforts to define the geology and to find oil, says researcher Aleksandra Sima at CIPR about the drone that she and her fellow researchers have just acquired to take aerial shots of rocks.
Virtual fieldwork
Sima is a member of CIPR's Virtual Outcrop Geology (VOG) group. The group's main task is to create digital maps in 3D of potential oil fields. Using laser scanners, infrared sensors and digital cameras, the researchers create realistic, virtual models. Every tiny pixel of an image can store information on minerals and rocks.
These high-tech models help the geologists to criss-cross the landscape, not unlike what you will find on Google Earth. This virtual fieldwork enables the researchers to gather information on anything from the type of rock to the thickness of the sedimentation; all with the help of a few mouse clicks on the computer.
A landscape's surface often reflects what lies beneath ground and corresponds with the rocks below the seabed. When we have an overview of the rocks and minerals in one area, it is far easier to make estimates about where to find oil and how the oil flows, says Simon Buckley, senior researcher at CIPR and head of the VOG group.
Quick and affordable
So far, the researchers have used ground-based laser scanners (LIDAR), infrared sensors and cameras to replicate the landscape. But putting instruments on the ground is both time-consuming and limited to lower ground areas.
In higher elevations in the shadows of sensors, for instance behind rocks or high mountains, the researchers have had to mount the cameras and laser sensors to helicopters, which they have leased.
Using drones is more affordable. All places can be reached quickly and you can shoot in inaccessible areas, Buckley explains.
Pictures shot with the help of a drone complement the images from low-level terrain that the researchers already have in hand. The end result is more precise and complete 3D models.
The aim is to bring all models together to get the best possible geological map of an area, says Buckley.
The use of drones in the search for oil is similar to techniques used in Switzerland and Germany to look for minerals. The models created by the CIPR researchers can also be used for research on CO2 storage.
It isn't hard to collect a point cloud of laser readings and present these. The challenge is to use the data for geological analysis, Buckley points out.
A helicopter in the office
The drone is operated from the ground just like a radio-controlled plane, shooting images of the earth's surface from the air. The pilot on the ground also operates the camera.
There are plenty of restrictions in place, though, and not anyone can fly a drone. Norwegian aviation authorities put strict regulations on anyone wanting to use drones for research. Aleksandra Sima has been practising in a flight simulator and has tested mini helicopters in her office.
The worst thing that can happen is that a drone crashes and hurts people, says Sima before reassuringly adding.
But we won't be flying drones in populated areas.
###
Video: http://vimeo.com/62451993
CIPR - Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research homepage: http://www.uib.no/cipr/en/
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 15-May-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Simon Buckley
Simon.Buckley@uni.no
47-555-83458
The University of Bergen
Geologists in Norway are using flying drones with cameras to hunt for oil
Geologists have long used seismology on the bottom of the ocean or have been throwing dynamite from snowmobiles when they look for oil. But now researchers at Centre for integrated petroleum research (CIPR), a joint venture between the University of Bergen (UiB) and Uni Research, have found a new preferred method using drones to map new oil reserves from the air.
In reality the drones can be viewed as an advanced camera tripod, which helps geologists to map inaccessible land in an efficient manner. The use of drones facilitates our efforts to define the geology and to find oil, says researcher Aleksandra Sima at CIPR about the drone that she and her fellow researchers have just acquired to take aerial shots of rocks.
Virtual fieldwork
Sima is a member of CIPR's Virtual Outcrop Geology (VOG) group. The group's main task is to create digital maps in 3D of potential oil fields. Using laser scanners, infrared sensors and digital cameras, the researchers create realistic, virtual models. Every tiny pixel of an image can store information on minerals and rocks.
These high-tech models help the geologists to criss-cross the landscape, not unlike what you will find on Google Earth. This virtual fieldwork enables the researchers to gather information on anything from the type of rock to the thickness of the sedimentation; all with the help of a few mouse clicks on the computer.
A landscape's surface often reflects what lies beneath ground and corresponds with the rocks below the seabed. When we have an overview of the rocks and minerals in one area, it is far easier to make estimates about where to find oil and how the oil flows, says Simon Buckley, senior researcher at CIPR and head of the VOG group.
Quick and affordable
So far, the researchers have used ground-based laser scanners (LIDAR), infrared sensors and cameras to replicate the landscape. But putting instruments on the ground is both time-consuming and limited to lower ground areas.
In higher elevations in the shadows of sensors, for instance behind rocks or high mountains, the researchers have had to mount the cameras and laser sensors to helicopters, which they have leased.
Using drones is more affordable. All places can be reached quickly and you can shoot in inaccessible areas, Buckley explains.
Pictures shot with the help of a drone complement the images from low-level terrain that the researchers already have in hand. The end result is more precise and complete 3D models.
The aim is to bring all models together to get the best possible geological map of an area, says Buckley.
The use of drones in the search for oil is similar to techniques used in Switzerland and Germany to look for minerals. The models created by the CIPR researchers can also be used for research on CO2 storage.
It isn't hard to collect a point cloud of laser readings and present these. The challenge is to use the data for geological analysis, Buckley points out.
A helicopter in the office
The drone is operated from the ground just like a radio-controlled plane, shooting images of the earth's surface from the air. The pilot on the ground also operates the camera.
There are plenty of restrictions in place, though, and not anyone can fly a drone. Norwegian aviation authorities put strict regulations on anyone wanting to use drones for research. Aleksandra Sima has been practising in a flight simulator and has tested mini helicopters in her office.
The worst thing that can happen is that a drone crashes and hurts people, says Sima before reassuringly adding.
But we won't be flying drones in populated areas.
###
Video: http://vimeo.com/62451993
CIPR - Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research homepage: http://www.uib.no/cipr/en/
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/tuob-tdo051513.php
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A Crucial Thinkgeek Coupon Code Is Your Deal of the Day
ThinkGeek, a wonderful purveyor of nerdy novelties, is currently running the best percent-off promotion we've seen all year. For the code, and deals on a Roku 3 and a Panasonic plasma TV, hit the jump:
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Airware Raises $10.7M From Andreessen Horowitz To Build Brains For Unmanned Drones
Ready for a sky full of robo-planes? Airware, a company that's building the brains and guts for commercial unmanned drones, is announcing this morning that they've raised a big ol' $10.7M Series A. The round is led by Andreessen Horowitz, and backed by Google Ventures. As part of the round, Andreessen Horowitz partner Chris Dixon will be joining Airware's board.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/KPdlVuxTTHQ/
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Using bacteria to stop malaria
Monday, May 13, 2013
Mosquitoes are deadly efficient disease transmitters. Research conducted at Michigan State University, however, demonstrates that they also can be equally adept in curing diseases such as malaria.
A study in the current issue of Science shows that the transmission of malaria via mosquitoes to humans can be interrupted by using a strain of the bacteria Wolbachia in the insects. In a sense, Wolbachia would act as a vaccine of sorts for mosquitoes that would protect them from malaria parasites. Treating mosquitoes would prevent them from transmitting malaria to humans, a disease that in 2010 affected 219 million people and caused an estimated 660,000 deaths.
"Wolbachia-based malaria control strategy has been discussed for the last two decades," said Zhiyong Xi, MSU assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics. "Our work is the first to demonstrate Wolbachia can be stably established in a key malaria vector, the mosquito species Anopheles stephensi, which opens the door to use Wolbachia for malaria control."
First, Xi's team successfully demonstrated how Wolbachia can be carried by this malaria mosquito vector and how the insects can spread the bacteria throughout the entire mosquito population. Secondly, researchers showed that the bacteria can prevent those mosquitoes from transmitting malaria parasites to humans.
"We developed the mosquito line carrying a stable Wolbachia infection," Xi said. "We then seeded them into uninfected populations and repeatedly produced a population of predominantly Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes."
The basis for Xi's latest findings is connected to the success of his work using Wolbachia to halt Dengue fever. For this research, Xi focused on the mosquito species Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. This work helped launch a global effort to develop Wolbachia-based strategies to eliminate dengue and other diseases.
The key to the malaria research was identifying the correct species of Wolbachia ? wAlbB ? and then injecting it into mosquito embryos. Out of the thousands of embryos injected by research associate Guowu Bian, one developed into a female that carried Wolbachia. The mosquito line derived from this female has maintained Wolbachia wAlbB infection with a 100 percent infection frequency through 34 generations. The number could grow higher as this is simply the last generation the researchers have bred thus far, Xi said.
The team then introduced various ratios of Wolbachia-infected females into a noninfected mosquito population. In each case, the entire population carried the bacteria in eight generations or less.
Using this promising approach to tackle malaria ? the biggest vector-borne disease ? gives scientists and world health officials another important tool to fight malaria.
Once Wolbachia has been released into a mosquito population, it is quite possible that it won't need to be reapplied, making it more economical than other methods like pesticide or human vaccine. This adds special value to the feasibility of this control strategy, considering most of the malaria endemic areas are suffering from poverty, Xi said.
###
Michigan State University: http://www.newsroom.msu.edu
Thanks to Michigan State University for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128190/Using_bacteria_to_stop_malaria
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No people injured, but pets possibly lost during fire at Brittany Point ...
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- No people were injured, but fire crews believe pets may have died during a blaze at the Brittany Point Apartment complex this afternoon.
Huntsville Fire and Rescue received the call at 1:33 p.m. that four of eight units in a building at the complex, located near the intersection of Bailey Cove and Willowbrooke Drive, were on fire, district chief Ronnie Dodson said.
Dodson said crews did a good job of putting out the fire, which took more than one hour to extinguish.
"The wind was so heavy today that it was pushing the fire from south to north," he said.
At least 10 firetrucks and three district chiefs from Huntsville Fire and Rescue?were on the scene, as well as Huntsville Police and HEMSI.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation, according to Dodson.The damaged building may be demolished on Tuesday, officials on the scene said.
Source: http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/05/no_people_injured_but_pets_pos.html
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Tuesday, May 14, 2013
O.J. Simpson says bad legal advice put him in prison | FOX6Now.com
(CNN) ? Disgraced football legend O.J. Simpson is scheduled to return to a Las Vegas courtroom Monday in a bid to get his robbery, assault and kidnapping convictions thrown out.
The onetime Heisman Trophy winner and Buffalo Bills halfback is more than four years into a 33-year prison term and is asking for a new trial. In court papers, he?s arguing that bad legal advice led to his arrest and conviction in a 2007 confrontation with sports memorabilia dealers.
Simpson not only accuses his old lawyer, Yale Galanter, of having a conflict of interest and of failing to mount an effective defense in his trial. He also says Galanter told him before that confrontation that he was within his rights to take back property he believed had been stolen from him, ?so long as there would be no trespass and no physical force used against the persons with the property.?
Simpson, 65, was convicted of leading a group of associates into a room at the Palace Station hotel and casino and using threats, guns and force to take back the items from the two dealers.
?Simpson also contends that Galanter did not advise Simpson that carrying out the plan could subject him to criminal charges, regardless of the ownership of the property,? his new lawyers wrote in seeking a new trial.
Simpson also blames Galanter for preventing him from testifying in his own defense. Without putting him on the stand, ?There was no evidence presented to adequately challenge the state?s evidence of criminal intent and knowledge of the guns or the bad character evidence to which the jury was exposed,? his appeal states.
The Nevada Supreme Court already upheld his conviction in 2010. Prosecutors have called the new attempt to reverse his conviction ?without merit,? and Galanter is quoted in court papers as telling the judge in the original trial that he spoke to Simpson only after the confrontation.
?Other than Simpson?s bare allegations, the record does not support any conflict of interest,? prosecutors wrote in response to Simpson?s claims.
Galanter could not be immediately reached for comment Sunday.
Simpson?s October 2008 conviction came on the anniversary of his famous acquittal on murder charges in the 1994 deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. Though cleared of criminal charges, a civil jury later slapped him with a $33 million wrongful-death judgment, and lawyers for the Goldman family have doggedly pursued his assets.
His current sentence leaves him eligible for parole in 2017.
Source: http://fox6now.com/2013/05/13/o-j-simpson-says-bad-legal-advice-put-him-in-prison/
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Peel Oranges From the Equator to Eliminate Mess
Peeling an orange almost inevitably ends up with juice flying everywhere and making a mess, but CrazyRussianHacker on YouTube seems to have cracked the code.
In the video above, he suggests cutting the orange peel-deep across its equator, then using your thumb to loosen up the two halves of the peel and take them off mostly intact. The process barely expels any orange juice, and it even leaves you with a perfect bowl for an orange peel candle. If you don't have a knife handy, the previously-mentioned zombie skull crack method is a great fallback.
How to Peel an Orange the Russian Way! | YouTube via Foodbeast
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Quick speech writing tips | Ginger Public Speaking
Speech writing doesn?t need to be a confused mess of ideas if you follow these simple Ginger speech writing tips. Look at your speech like taking a group of adventures up a mountain. Let?s investigate?
You?ve got your audience, your band of people going on a journey with you. You?re starting out by looking at the Himalayas, this glorious range of mountains; all the different speech topics you can get to.? Then with your group you decide ?Look. THIS is the mountain we?re going to climb today; this is the journey I?m going to take you on.?
Quick Speech Writing Tip 1 ? Choose the journey
At the beginning of the speech set up your aim; where you want to take your audience.?
At the beginning also, you want to make sure that they trust you as a speaker. They?re not going to follow you up a mountain if they don?t feel you?re fully equipped or fully credible to go on that journey, getting them there safely and quickly.? Gain credibility and then you start on this journey with them.
Quick Speech Writing Tip 2 ? Climb the mountain
As you begin think of the key moments as places to stop along the way, moments for the audience to catch their breath and to appreciate the view around them.?
Remember you are experiencing this together and as you go up the mountain you might find that things are getting more exciting.? Building in intensity you help your audience to continue to focus on the top of the mountain.
Quick Speech Writing Tip? 3 ? Hold their interest
There should be something there motivating your audience to keep going.? Tell them the purpose, the ?why I?m telling you this information? .?
Create some drama, a ?good versus evil? contrast.? It could be the right solution versus the wrong solution and as you go up the mountain the stakes are raised.?
Quick Speech Writing Tip? 4 ? Reach the summit
Each key moment, or resting place, becomes more important than the one before until you hit the climax. Then as we reach the summit the audience feels that they?ve learned something new and can see something beautiful as a result.? You?ve all learned something together.? You can all say ?We?ve reached the top of the mountain and we can all be amazed at the work we?ve done together? .
Quick Speech Writing Tip 5 ? Descend quickly
The descent is like a movie ending. Boy meets girl, loses girl, gets girl back in the big climax point of the movie. But more often than not there is just a little piece at the end where they tell you how the boy and girl dropped thousands on a wedding and had babies and didn?t have time for snuggling any more leading to another movie. (kidding. Sorta) It?s a little wrap up, a brief conclusion that gives everyone the feeling that you?ve ?breathed out?, conquered the mountain, and are grateful to be down the other side? together.? This is where you get to call your audience to action and at this point you?ll need to be powerful. You?ll need to push your key information outlined in your speech.
Your conclusion should look like this: Key information. A call to action. Stop talking. Your audience doesn?t need to walk all the way back down the mountain with you, they?ll lose energy. Instead, imagine you?ve chartered a helicopter to whiz everyone back down.?
Follow these quick speech writing tips and you?ll be sure to impress!
?
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Source: http://www.gingerpublicspeaking.com/quick-write-speech-ginger-quickie
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Travelling for work purposes | TheMarketingblog
Travelling for business purposes is entirely different from travelling on holiday or for leisure. Holiday travels provide a great opportunity for you to relax, explore your destination and take in the local culture.
Business travel on the other hand is typically more hectic with a tight work schedule dictating your time. As the world has become ever-increasingly integrated and globalised over the past decades, we have seen a rise in number of national and international business trips.
When travelling for work, you should always be aware that you are representing your company and therefore should uphold a professional and corporate image for the duration of your trip. While there may be some opportunity to relax and explore between work-related commitments, schedules during business trips are typically quite packed. When travelling on business, you may of course want to make the most of your time abroad or in a new city.
In order to be successful, a business trip needs to be well-planned in advance. This includes booking the flights and choosing the right accommodation. In addition, potential venues for the meeting with business partners and clients may need to be sought out. You should also make sure that you arrange how you are going to get around the city in question, booking local transport in advance where possible. This is of great importance when you?re working to a tight schedule.
While taxis and public transport are a viable option in most large cities, a more stylish and safe way of getting around for a business traveller is to book a limousine service with a personal chauffeur. Simply click here to find out more about this stylish mode of transport. Planning is essential to the success of any business trip, with solid accommodation and travel arrangements preventing unnecessary stress and chaos arising during your stay.
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Gunmen open fire at Mother's Day parade
NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Gunmen opened fire on people marching in a neighborhood Mother's Day parade in New Orleans on Sunday, wounding at least 19.
The shooting ? described by the FBI as a flare-up of street violence ? shattered the festive mood surrounding the parade that drew hundreds of people to the 7th Ward neighborhood of modest row houses not far from the French Quarter. Cell phone video taken in the aftermath of the shooting shows victims lying on the ground, blood on the pavement and others bending over to comfort them.
At least three of the victims were seriously wounded. Of the rest, many were grazed and authorities said that overall most wounds were not life threatening. No deaths were reported.
The victims included 10 men, seven women, a boy and a girl. The children, both 10 years old, were grazed and in good condition.
Mayor Mitch Landrieu urged witnesses to come forward with information during a news conference Sunday night at a hospital where gunshot victims were taken.
"These kinds of incidents will not go unanswered. Somebody knows something. The way to stop this violence is for you all to help," he said.
Mary Beth Romig, a spokeswoman for the FBI in New Orleans, said federal investigators have no indication that the shooting was an act of terrorism.
"It's strictly an act of street violence in New Orleans," she said.
As many as 400 people came out for the second-line procession ? a boisterous New Orleans tradition ? though only half that many were in the immediate vicinity of the shooting, said Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas. Officers were interspersed with the marchers, which is routine for such events.
Police saw three suspects running from the scene. No arrests had been made as of early evening.
Outside the hospital on Sunday night, Leonard Temple became teary as he talked about a friend who was in surgery after being shot three times during the parade. Temple was told the man was hit while trying to push his own daughter out of the way.
"People were just hanging out. We were just chilling. And this happened. Bad things always happen to good people," said Temple, who was at the parade but didn't see the shootings.
In the late afternoon, the scene was taped off and police had placed bullet casing markers in at least 10 spots.
Second-line parades are loose processions in which people dance down the street, often following behind a brass band. They can be planned events or impromptu offshoots of other celebrations. They trace their origins to the city's famous jazz funerals.
A social club called The Original Big 7 organized Sunday's event. The group was founded in 1996 at the Saint Bernard housing projects, according to its MySpace page.
The neighborhood where the shooting happened is a mix of low-income and middle-class row houses, some boarded up. As of last year, the 7th Ward's population was about 60 percent of its pre-Hurricane Katrina level.
The crime scene was about 1.5 miles from the heart of the French Quarter and near the Treme neighborhood, which has been the centerpiece for the HBO TV series "Treme."
Sunday's violence comes at a time when the city is struggling to pay for tens of millions of dollars required under a federal consent decree to reform the police department and the city jail.
Shootings at parades and neighborhood celebrations have become more common in recent years as the city has struggled with street crime. Earlier this year, four people were shot following an argument in the French Quarter during the last weekend of partying before Mardi Gras. The victims survived, and several suspects were eventually arrested.
Police vowed to make swift arrests. Serpas said it wasn't clear if particular people in the second line were targeted, or if the shots were fired at random.
"We'll get them. We have good resources in this neighborhood," Serpas said.
___
Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman and Kevin McGill in New Orleans and AP Radio reporter Jackie Quinn in Washington.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/19-orleans-shooting-victims-included-2-kids-000104331.html
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Sunday, May 12, 2013
Spontaneous mutations play a key role in congenital heart disease
May 12, 2013 ? Although genetic factors contribute to congenital heart disease, many children born with heart defects have healthy parents and siblings, suggesting that new mutations that arise spontaneously -- known as de novo mutations -- might contribute to the disease.
"Until recently, we simply didn't have the technology to test for this possibility," says Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator~Richard Lifton. Lifton, who is at Yale School of Medicine, together with Christine Seidman, an HHMI investigator at Brigham and Women's Hospital and colleagues at Columbia, Mt. Sinai, and the University of Pennsylvania, collaborated to study congenital heart disease through the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium.
Using robust sequencing technologies developed in recent years, the researchers compared the protein-coding regions of the genomes of children with and without congenital heart disease and their parents, and found that new mutations could explain about 10 percent of severe cases. The results demonstrated that mutations in several hundred different genes contribute to this trait in different patients, but were concentrated in a pathway that regulates key developmental genes. These genes affect the epigenome, a system of chemical tags that modifies gene expression. The findings were published online in the journal Nature on May 12, 2013.
For the current study, the investigators began with 362 families consisting of two healthy parents with no family history of heart problems and a child with severe congenital heart disease. By comparing genomes within families, they could pinpoint mutations that were present in each child's DNA, but not in his or her parents. The team also studied 264 healthy families to compare de novo mutations in the genomes of healthy children.
The team focused their gene-mutation search on the exome -- the small fraction of each person's genome that encodes proteins, where disease-causing mutations are most likely to occur. Children with and without congenital heart disease had about the same number of de novo mutations -- on average, slightly less than one protein-altering mutation each. However, the locations of those mutations were markedly different in the two groups. "The mutations in patients with congenital heart disease were found much more frequently in genes that are highly expressed in the developing heart," Seidman says.
The differences became more dramatic when the researchers zeroed in on mutations most likely to impair protein function, such as those that would cause a protein to be cut short. Children with severe congenital heart disease were 7.5 times more likely than healthy children to have a damaging mutation in genes expressed in the developing heart.
The researchers found mutations in a variety of genes, but one cellular pathway was markedly enriched in the children with heart defects. That pathway helps regulate gene activity by affecting how DNA is packaged inside cells. The body's DNA is wrapped around proteins called histones, and chemical tags called methyl groups are added to histones to control which genes are turned on and off. In children with congenital heart disease, the team found an excess of mutations in genes that affect histone methylation at two sites that are known to regulate key developmental genes.
Overall, the researchers found that de novo mutations contribute to 10 percent of cases of severe congenital heart disease. Roughly a third of this contribution is from the histone-methylation pathway, Lifton says. He also notes that a mutation in just one copy of a gene in this pathway was enough to markedly increase the risk of a heart defect.
Direct sequencing of protein-coding regions of the human genomes to hunt down de novo mutations has only been applied to one other common congenital disease -- autism. In that analysis, Lifton and his colleagues at Yale, as well as HHMI investigator Evan Eichler and colleagues at University of Washington, found mutations in some of the same genes mutated in congenital heart disease, and the same histone modification pathway appears to play a major role in autism as well, raising the possibility that this pathway may be perturbed in a variety of congenital disorders, Lifton says.
Even if the disease can't be prevented, identifying the mutations responsible for severe heart defects might help physicians better care for children with congenital heart disease. "After we repair the hearts of these children, some children do great and some do poorly," Seidman says. Researchers have long suspected that this might be due to differences in the underlying causes of the disease. Understanding those variations might help doctors improve outcomes for their patients.
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Bulls' Thibodeau fined $35,000
CHICAGO (AP) ? The NBA has fined Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau $35,000 for comments he made about the officiating following Friday's loss to the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The league announced the fine on Sunday.
Thibodeau was upset that Nazr Mohammed got ejected for shoving LeBron James to the floor and accused the Heat's superstar of flopping. He also said calls weren't going to go the Bulls' way.
The Heat won the game to go up 2-1 in the series. Game 4 is Monday at the United Center.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bulls-thibodeau-fined-35-000-203145302.html
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Pedro Castro: ?If I knew, I would have reported it?brother or no brother?
Onil and Pedro Castro (CNN)
The brothers of accused kidnapper and rapist Ariel Castro have broken their public silence, giving CNN what's billed as an exclusive sit-down interview about the case.
Pedro, 54, and Onil Casto, 50, told CNN's Martin Savidge that they had no knowledge of their 52-year-old brother's alleged crimes.
"It?s going to haunt me down because people going to think, 'Yeah, Pedro got something to do with this,'" Pedro Castro said in an excerpt from the interview released Sunday. "And Pedro don?t have nothing to do with this. If I knew, I would have reported it?brother or no brother.?
The full interview with the brothers will air Monday, one week after three women?Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus?were freed from Ariel Castro's west Cleveland home where they were beaten and raped over a decade of captivity, police say. Berry's six-year-old daughter, who police say was fathered by Ariel Castro, was also rescued.
The women had several miscarriages during their captivity, police said.
?I can?t explain the pain and suffering these women went through for so many years,? Pedro said during the interview, which will also be broadcast on CNN en Espa?ol on Monday.
?I am very hurt by what has happened and I want the families to know this,? Onil Castro said. ?I had nothing to do with this.?
All three brothers were arrested on Monday. Pedro and Onil were questioned and held on on outstanding misdemeanors. They were released on Thursday. Ariel Castro was charged with four counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape. He is being held on $8 million bail and is currently on suicide watch.
In 2012, as excavating crews dug through an empty lot in the neighborhood looking for Berry's remains, Pedro Castro told a local news crew that the search for the missing girl was "a waste of money."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/pedro-castro-onil-cleveland-interview-132025979.html
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Benghazi Emails: State Department Sought To Change Libya Talking Points
WASHINGTON -- Political considerations influenced the talking points that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice used five days after the deadly Sept. 11 assault in Benghazi, Libya, with State Department and other senior administration officials asking that references to terror groups and prior warnings be deleted, according to department emails.
The latest disclosures Friday raised new questions about whether the Obama administration tried to play down any terrorist factor in the attack on a diplomatic compound just weeks before the November presidential election. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed when insurgents struck the U.S. mission in two nighttime attacks.
The White House has insisted that it made only a "stylistic" change to the intelligence agency talking points from which Rice suggested on five Sunday talk shows that demonstrations over an anti-Islamic video devolved into the Benghazi attack.
Numerous agencies had engaged in an email discussion about the talking points that would be provided to members of Congress and to Rice for their public comments. In one email, then-State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland worried about the effect of openly discussing earlier warnings about the dangers of Islamic extremists in Benghazi.
Nuland's email said such revelations "could be abused by members of Congress to beat the State Department for not paying attention to (central intelligence) agency warnings," according to a congressional official who reviewed the 100 pages of emails.
The official spoke only on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the emails that still have not been released.
The final talking points that weekend reflected the work of several government agencies ? CIA, FBI, State Department, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence ? apparently determined to cast themselves in the best light as the investigation was just getting underway.
A scathing independent report in December found that "systematic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels" of the State Department meant that security was "inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place."
Eight months after the attack, the long-running and bitter dispute between the Obama administration and congressional Republicans on the subject shows no sign of abating. The GOP argues that the administration deliberately tried to mislead Congress and the American people. The White House insists that Republicans are trying to politicize the issue.
"There's an ongoing effort to make something political out of this," White House spokesman Jay Carney said Friday of the disclosure of the emails, which the administration had provided to lawmakers. "The problem with that effort is that it's never been clear what it is they think they're accusing the administration of doing."
Republicans have complained that the administration was trying to conceal that the attack was the work of terrorists and not a protest over an anti-Islamic film that got out of hand. Such revelations just before the election perhaps could have undercut President Barack Obama's record on fighting terrorism, including the killing of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, one of his re-election strengths.
The State Department emails and other internal administration deliberations were summarized last month in an interim investigative report by Republicans on five House committees. New details about political concerns and the names of the administration officials who wrote the emails concerning the talking points emerged on Friday.
Following Capitol Hill briefings in the days after the attack, members of Congress asked the CIA for talking points to explain the assault, and the CIA under the direction of David Petraeus put together an assessment.
It said Islamic extremists with ties to al-Qaida took part in the attack, cited reports linking the attack to the group Ansar al-Sharia, mentioned the experience of Libyan fighters and referred to previous warnings of threats in Benghazi.
The reference to al-Sharia was deleted, but Nuland wrote later that night that changes she had seen "don't resolve all my issues and those of my building leadership, they are consulting with NSS," a reference to the National Security staff within the White House.
She also wrote that she had serious concerns about giving information to members of Congress "to start making assertions to the media that we ourselves are not making because we don't want to prejudice the investigation."
Senior administration officials, including Jake Sullivan, deputy chief of staff at the State Department, and Ben Rhodes, the White House deputy national security adviser, met that Saturday morning to discuss the talking points.
Following the meeting, Deputy CIA Director Mike Morell produced a final set of talking points that deleted mentions of al-Qaida, the experience of fighters in Libya and Islamic extremists.
The next day, Sunday, Sept. 16, Rice appeared on the talk shows and said evidence gathered so far showed no indication of a premeditated or coordinated strike. She said the attack in Benghazi, powered by mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, appeared to be a copycat of demonstrations that had erupted hours earlier outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, spurred by accounts of a YouTube film attributed to a California man mocking the Prophet Muhammad.
"In fact this was not a preplanned, premeditated attack. That what happened initially was that it was a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired in Cairo as a consequence of the video," she said. "People gathered outside the embassy, and then it grew very violent. Those with extremist ties joined the fray and came with heavy weapons, which unfortunately are quite common in post-revolutionary Libya, and that then spun out of control."
Administration officials said Friday they deleted the references to terror groups because it was then unclear ? and still is ? who was responsible for the attack.
Rice's depiction of the chain of events contrasted with one offered by Libya's Interim President Mohammed el-Megarif, who said at the time there was no doubt the perpetrators had predetermined the date of the attack.
"It was planned, definitely. It was planned by foreigners, by people who entered the country a few months ago," el-Megarif said. "And they were planning this criminal act since their arrival."
At a House hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., read from an email he said was written by Beth Jones, the State Department official responsible for Near Eastern affairs, the day after the Benghazi attack that suggested the State Department had at least some belief that the attack was the work of terrorists.
According to Gowdy's reading, the Sept. 12, 2012, email by Jones said: "I spoke to the Libyan ambassador and emphasized importance of Libyan leaders continuing to make strong statements. ... When he said his government suspected that former Gadhafi regime elements carried out the attacks, I told him that the group that conducted the attacks, Ansar al-Sharia, is affiliated with Islamic terrorists."
The Republican lawmaker said the email by Jones was sent to a number of State Department officials, including Nuland.
Yet Rice still went on the Sunday talk shows several days later to "perpetuate a demonstrably false narrative," Gowdy said.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Friday that the department reviewed the talking points on Friday, Sept. 14, and raised two primary concerns.
"First, that the points went further in assigning responsibility than preliminary assessments suggested and there was concern about preserving the integrity of the investigation. Second, that the points were inconsistent with the public language the administration had used to date ? meaning members of Congress would be providing more guidance to the public than the administration."
An official familiar with the emails said former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was unaware of Nuland's concerns about the talking points. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The White House has long maintained that it played a minimal role in crafting the talking points, pinning that process on intelligence agencies. The White House also said it made just one "stylistic" change to the talking points, which was to change the reference to the Benghazi compound from a "consulate" to a "diplomatic mission."
___
Associated Press writers Richard Lardner and Tom Raum contributed.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/10/benghazi-emails-state-department_n_3256859.html
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