Kaepernick to start as 49ers QB on Sunday at Rams

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) ? Tight end Delanie Walker arrives at work at 6 a.m. each day, and Colin Kaepernick always beats him to 49ers headquarters.

The quarterback clocks in before most of his teammates for that matter.

With that work ethic and standout performances, Kaepernick has earned himself a third straight start at quarterback for San Francisco on Sunday at St. Louis.

"Kap's here before me. He's here lifting weights," Walker said.

Coach Jim Harbaugh made the announcement Wednesday that Kaepernick got the nod over Alex Smith after the second-year pro led the NFC West-leading Niners (8-2-1) to victories in the past two games, his first two NFL starts.

"The rationale is we have two quarterbacks that we feel great about as a starting quarterback," Harbaugh said. "Both have earned it, both deserve it ? Alex over a long period of time, Colin by virtue of the last three games. It tips the scales. Colin we believe has the hot hand. We'll go with Colin. And we'll go with Alex. They're both our guys."

Yes, Harbaugh is still leaving open every possibility, saying it still could be a week-to-week decision. All Kaepernick knows is he will begin Sunday's game under center.

Harbaugh warned, "I wouldn't assume anything."

"To start talking about speculation or every permutation you could get into, we're not going to speculate on it," Harbaugh said. "We're worried about everything and we fear nothing."

The reigning NFL Coach of the Year told his players on the field at some point during Wednesday morning's walk-through practice.

Kaepernick has completed 48 of 74 passes for 680 yards and three touchdowns with one interception and was sacked six times. He has a 102.3 passer rating.

"I don't know if it's a hot hand. Whatever you want to call it. I'm just happy I get to go back out there," Kaepernick said. "It's a great chance to lead this team and show we're a great team and we can go into the playoffs."

Smith, the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick, hardly looked happy on the sideline during Sunday's win over the Saints after being medically cleared from a concussion suffered in the first half of a 24-24 tie against St. Louis on Nov. 11.

"That's coach's decision," running back Frank Gore said. "He said before he's going to go with the hot hand, and he's sure that Kap's got the hot hand right now. I just feel we've got two good quarterbacks who can help us win. That's a plus for the team."

As the questions about his quarterback decision kept coming from every direction, Harbaugh repeatedly said, "I think I've covered and plowed that ground about as thoroughly as it can be plowed."

Losing his job is nothing new for Smith in what has been a roller coaster eight-year NFL career filled with promotions and demotions. Even after his last full game was an impressive win on Monday Night Football at Arizona on Oct. 29 that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. In a near-perfect night, Smith completed 18 of 19 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He had a 157.1 passer rating and connected with nine different receivers.

Smith bounced from starter to the bench throughout 2010 after coming into the year entrenched as the starter ? and that's been his story each year except for during last year's turnaround season. He is 19-5-1 in two years playing for former NFL quarterback Harbaugh.

Smith was expected to speak with reporters Thursday, the team said.

In the locker room, players have said all the right things: supporting both quarterbacks, while reiterating it is Harbaugh's call to make.

"It's getting very old. It's kind of taking away from what the Niners are doing, all this fuss about our quarterback situation," Walker said. "(Alex) definitely didn't lose his job. Kap is just playing well, so that's what I think you're seeing right now. A lot of guys on offense are feeding off it. So we're just going to go with Kap until Jim Harbaugh decides otherwise."

Walker knows it's probably not over yet, though, as Smith very well could get another shot sometime over the final five games.

Also Wednesday, Harbaugh said kicker David Akers is nursing an undisclosed injury, and that's why the 49ers worked out kickers Tuesday. Akers was later listed limited in practice because of a pelvis injury. He looked strong at the start of practice, kicking field goals from 50 yards and demonstrating ample leg strength and accuracy. He missed what would have been the game-winning field goal in overtime last time against the Rams, then missed one from 50 yards in the fourth quarter and had another blocked from 33 yards out Sunday at New Orleans. Akers was clipped by a Saints player after his fourth extra-point attempt in the third quarter but showed no visible signs of injury.

He has missed four of his last seven tries from 40 to 49 yards and eight of his last 21 overall. He ranks 29th in field-goal percentage at 70.4 after setting a single-season NFL record last season with 44 made field goals.

"David Akers is working through something and we want to make sure we have a Plan B," Harbaugh said.

NOTES: Walker didn't practice but said he expects to play against the Rams after bruising a hip and his ribs Sunday in the Superdome. ... In addressing the season-ending injuries of WR and return man Kyle Williams (knee) and RB Kendall Hunter (ankle), Harbaugh said, "The sad thing for all of us is two known friends and trusted agents, Kyle Williams and Kendall Hunter, are going to be out for the season." ... Also on Wednesday's practice report: LB Aldon Smith (shoulder) and S Darcel McBath (concussion).

___

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kaepernick-start-49ers-qb-sunday-rams-201018722--nfl.html

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Cossacks once again patrolling Moscow streets, ?We?re like Chuck Norris!?

Two Russian Cossacks, right, watch pedestrians passing by as they patrol a Moscow railway station (AP/Pavel Go??They've technically been around for centuries, but a small group of Cossacks recently returned to officially patrol the streets of Moscow.

We're like Chuck Norris!" Cossack patrol leader Igor Gulichev said, comparing his colleagues to the role made famous by Norris in the 1990's television sitcom "Walker, Texas Ranger."

According to the Russian 2010 census, some 650,000 citizens self-identified as Cossacks but only eight of the patrolman, originally heralded for their sword-fighting ability, have been selected to walk the streets of Moscow looking for beggars, drunks and illegally parked cars, according to the Associated Press.

But even as their modern role has shifted, the newly appointed Cossacks headed out to patrol in their traditional uniforms and fur hats. The AP says that along with actual crime fighting duties, the Kremlin hopes the return of the Cossacks will "promote conservative values and appeal to nationalists."

The political angle leads straight to the top of Russia's government. In 2005, Russian? President Vladimir Putin was inducted into the "Cossack Host," and bestowed the rank of Cossack colonel, a title once held by the country's imperial czars.

Gulichev said if his patrol passes this initial test they could eventually become armed and salaried auxiliary force. Currently, they are a volunteer force but do received free city bus passes.

An All-Russia Cossack Host with 400,000 members reporting directly to Putin will be launched by the end of the year.

And to those who point to their controversial past, which has included anti-Semitic, Catholic and Polish stances, Gulichey said the modern incarnation is no different than those famed Texas Rangers.

"They are just like Cossacks, and they work for the government, but they're welcomed with open arms," he said. "How come this should be allowed in America, but not in Russia, with our rich Cossack traditions?"

However, the first Cossack patrol did not yield substantial results. According to the AP, the patrol removed two elderly beggars, an unlicensed vendor selling socks and an old woman selling dried, wild mushrooms. The unlicensed vendor reportedly returned to his trading post shortly after the Cossacks departed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/cossacks-once-again-patrolling-moscow-streets-chuck-norris-015800000.html

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How aggressive hyena moms give their kids a boost

While picking at the bones of a hippo carcass, one hyena takes a quick break to attack another.

Early one morning I caught sight of Morpheus, silhouetted against a pink African dawn. Her long, sloping neck was stretched out as she loped away from me, disappearing over a hill. I followed her to a nearby plain and was met with the unmistakable sound of a group of hyenas squabbling over a carcass. Morpheus entered the fray, first lunging at a smaller male on her right. A moment later, she looked up briefly, her nose and mouth covered in blood, then turned and snapped at a hyena feeding nearby.

I?m intimately acquainted with Morpheus and these other hyenas because they have been studied for more than twenty years by various members of the lab where I did my Ph.D. research; I?ve staked these hyenas out at dens for hours on end and followed them as they raced across open plains. From watching these animals, we?ve learned about hyenas? social system, their physiology, and the conservation challenges they face.

But to me, it?s the aggression that is the most fascinating thing about hyenas. It?s rule-based and constrained by specific social norms, but at the same time, it?s incredibly primal and ruthless. Studying aggression has helped us understand what makes hyenas tick, offering us a glimpse into the evolutionary pressures that have made them one of the most unusual and misunderstood species in the animal kingdom.

Formidable females

For more than 1000 years, people believed that hyenas were hermaphrodites, since female hyenas have long, fully-erectile pseudopenises that mimic male genitalia. Seeing a hyena play the role of mom while sporting what looks like a penis would bewilder even an astute naturalist. Not only do female hyenas look like males, they are also the more aggressive and socially dominant sex, exhibiting aggression more than three times more often than male hyenas do.

For many animals, too much aggression is detrimental, at least in terms of reproductive success; in baboons, aggressive females have reduced fertility and increased rates of miscarriage , and in western bluebirds, overly-aggressive males tend to fledge fewer offspring than other males. But in these species, males are generally more aggressive than females; how is aggressiveness related to fitness in a species where females are the more aggressive sex?

Life in the clan

Three young hyenas gang up in an aggressive coalition against a low-ranking female.

Hyenas live in huge social groups called clans that are structured by a ?linear dominance hierarchy.? That?s the scientific way of saying that in these societies, a high-ranking individual is dominant to every lower-ranking animal in the clan: Morpheus is dominant to Scrabble, who is dominant to Hendrix, and so on. For hyenas, social rank isn?t just a title or a badge of honor. Rank determines access to food, so a high-ranking hyena like Morpheus can drive a lower-ranking hyena off a kill at any time, no matter who hunted or scavenged the meat.

Social rank also plays an important role in aggressive behavior among hyenas, since dominance determines who can exhibit aggression toward whom. Aggression is nearly always directed down the hierarchy, toward lower-ranking hyenas (and if a hyena disregards this rule, it?s not taken lightly by other clan members). This means that the highest-ranking hyenas have a lot of opportunities for aggression ? they can attack nearly any other hyena in the clan ? whereas lower-ranking hyenas have far fewer possible targets. Aggression can occur over food, in defense of cubs, or to reprimand a pesky suitor.

But unlike many species, aggression doesn?t dictate social rank among hyenas; instead, social rank is inherited. Hyenas are stuck with their lot in life, unable to move up the hierarchy. So does all this aggression actually benefit hyenas, and if so, how?

The implications of aggression

Aggressiveness, it turns out, varies drastically among hyenas; some hyenas tend to threaten ? or outright attack ? group members more frequently than others do. There is more than a five-fold difference in the aggression rates of the least aggressive and the most aggressive females, even after controlling for social rank and the number of opportunities for aggression.

This type of consistent variation in behavior, called ?animal personality,? is being found in several traits, such as sociability, boldness, and docility, across many species. And aggressiveness, like other personality traits, can have major implications for fitness. However, for hyenas, aggression doesn?t affect fitness by improving a hyena?s own survival; aggressive females don?t live longer or survive at higher rates than others that attack less often.

Instead, the benefits of aggressiveness are seen later down the line, in the survival of offspring. Female hyenas that are particularly aggressive over food successfully rear a larger proportion of their cubs to adulthood than do females that aggress less often over food. But interestingly, the benefits of aggressiveness depend on social rank. For high-ranking hyenas, aggressiveness doesn?t matter much in terms of reproductive success; the offspring of dominant females do well no matter how aggressive their mom is. However, for hyenas low on the totem pole, aggression plays an important role in reproductive success, greatly improving their offspring?s odds of surviving until adulthood. But how?

Competition and reputations

It all comes down to acquiring resources for your offspring. High-ranking hyenas already have prime access to food, so being super-aggressive at a kill or carcass isn?t a huge advantage. However, for hyenas low on the totem pole, being able to secure a little extra food for a cub could mean the difference between its survival and starvation.

A hyena cub snuggles with its mother at the den.

When cubs begin eating meat at around 4 months of age, they start visiting kills with their moms. But as these cubs attempt to eat, they are often harassed by older hyenas and chased off the carcass. Additionally, these young hyenas have another disadvantage when it comes to feeding: their skulls haven?t finished developing yet. Although being able to crush bone is a big benefit for hyenas evolutionarily, it?s a huge morphological handicap for cubs. It takes up to 35 months for a hyena?s skull to develop the integrity and strength to crack bone, so until about three years of age, young hyenas feed more slowly and less efficiently than adults. Combine this physical disadvantage with the incredible feeding competition seen at kills, and cubs ? especially low-ranking ones ? often don?t get much to eat during these communal feeding situations.

Here?s where a mom?s aggressiveness comes in: we found that the cubs of aggressive females are tolerated better, and are able to feed longer, at these kills than the cubs of less aggressive females are. By being super-aggressive, moms secure extra feeding time and valuable calories for their cubs during this particularly handicapped period in their lives. Although we don?t completely understand the process yet, aggressive females appear to develop a type of ?mean girl? reputation within the clan that gives their offspring a boost early in life. This effect is incredibly strong and persists even when the mom isn?t present at the kill, allowing cubs to benefit from their mom?s aggressiveness even in her absence. This increased access to resources benefits low-ranking hyenas disproportionately, since they generally have very limited access to food.

A combination of behavioral, morphological, and ecological research has helped us begin to understand why these highly aggressive and masculinized females have been favored evolutionarily. But even after 20 years of intensive research, there?s so much more to learn; we still aren?t sure what the functions and implications of male aggression are, and it?s possible that there are consequences of aggression in females that we haven?t yet discovered.

Morpheus and her clanmates are still being observed, and you can follow the trials, tribulations, and musings of the researchers studying these hyenas out in the field at the Mara Hyena Project blog.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=1d83ec22c17ad8b0c367d4bed79f4dd3

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Backstreet Boys Star A.J. McLean Welcomes A Baby Girl!

Backstreet Boys Star A.J. McLean Welcomes A Baby Girl!

A.J. McLean, of the boy band The Backstreet Boys, is now a daddy after his wife Rochelle Karidis gave birth to a daughter on Tuesday. The singer confirmed his happy baby news and can’t wait to spend the Christmas holidays changing diapers. McLean and his wife Rochelle, who married in December 2011, named their newborn ...

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Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/11/backstreet-boys-star-a-j-mclean-welcomes-a-baby-girl/

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Conoco's Kashagan partners have two months to pre-empt stake sale

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips' partners in Kazakhstan's Kashagan field, the biggest oilfield discovery in over four decades, have 60 days to decide whether they want an 8.4 percent stake in the project promised to India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp .

ConocoPhillips says it intends to sell its Kashagan stake to ONGC Videsh, the Indian group's overseas investment arm, for about $5 billion. [ID:nL4N096XXX] But existing partners in the Kashagan project - state-run KazMunaiGas, Italy's Eni , ExxonMobil , Inpex Corp of Japan, Royal Dutch Shell and France's Total - have the right of first refusal on the stake.

ONGC Videsh Managing Director D.K. Sarraf told Reuters the Kazakhstan government has six months to approve the deal after the expiry of a 60-day period for partners to exercise their pre-emption rights.

"The deal has to be approved within 240 days," he said.

Kashagan holds an estimated 30 billion barrels of oil-in-place, of which 8-12 billion are potentially recoverable. Start-up of the field has been delayed since 2005 due to cost overruns and disputes with authorities over taxes. First production is expected next year.

REVIEW COMMISSION

Kazakhstan has first refusal on the stake, and a commission that reviews major deals could take up to two months to decide whether to buy, as well as consider the energy and economic security issues, Oil and Gas Minister Sauat Mynbayev told reporters in the Kazakh capital Astana.

KazMunaiGas was not immediately available to comment. Last month, Chief Executive Lyazzat Kiinov said the state company would be interested in principle in acquiring the stake. His deputy, Daniyar Berlibayev, said much would depend on the cost.

"We, as the national company, wouldn't refuse the idea of increasing our share. How we might finance this is another question," Berlibayev told Reuters on October 2.

KazMunaiGas has bought stakes from consortium members in the past, entering in 2005 by purchasing half of BG Group's 16.7 percent stake when that was put up for sale. Three years later, it bought around another 8.4 percent from consortium members.

Analysts said Shell and Exxon were unlikely to want to exercise their right of first refusal because of the ongoing problems at the project. Inpex, Japan's biggest energy explorer, which has a 7.56 percent stake in Kashagan, said it couldn't comment on the move by ONGC or whether it was offered the stake by ConocoPhillips.

SPOT SALES ARE AN OPTION

With ONGC's domestic output flat for years, India now buys nearly 80 percent of its oil needs and is the world's fourth-biggest oil importer. It is under pressure from the government to meet rising demand.

"We can bring it (the oil) to India, and other options are also there. There is a CPC pipeline and some pipelines are coming from Russia," Sarraf said, referring to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium facility. "We will look at all options, including selling it on spot markets."

ONGC has a 20 percent stake in Russia's Sakhalin-1 project, operated by ExxonMobil, and normally sells its equity oil through spot tenders.

The acquisition would likely add 1 million metric tons (1.1 million tons or 20,000 barrels per day) to ONGC Videsh's annual production over 25 years, with its share of output significantly higher in later stages of development.

"We have a target of 20 million metric tons of oil and gas production by 2017-18 and 60 million metric tons by 2029-30, and today our production is less than 9 million metric tons. This would help us bridge the gap to an extent and help in energy security," Sarraf said.

ConocoPhillips, which has been shedding overseas assets to cut debt and increase its investment in lower-cost domestic shale oil and gas, said on Monday the book value of assets related to its Kashagan interest was about $5.5 billion as of end-September, and it would take an after-tax impairment of about $400 million.

Sarraf said a deal may be funded through a mix of loans from ONGC and overseas borrowings. "We have yet to finalize the funding plan," he said.

ONGC Videsh, which holds a 25 percent share in the Satpayev block in Kazakhstan, owns stakes in assets in more than a dozen countries - including Myanmar, Vietnam, Sudan, South Sudan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Syria, Libya, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.

ONGC shares, valued at more than $38 billion, traded down 0.4 percent on Tuesday at 249 rupees.

(Additional reporting by Osamu Tsukimori in Tokyo and Raushan Nurshayeva in Astana; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/conocos-kashagan-partners-two-months-pre-empt-stake-101152346--finance.html

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Singulus Ponders Outsourcing Mastering Business ? Hugh's News

Singulus Technologies announced that it is exploring the possibility of outsourcing parts of its mastering business to VDL Groep.

For more information visit: www.singulus.de

---

Unedited press release follows:

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES Signs Agreement on possible Outsourcing of Parts of its Mastering Activities

Kahl am Main, November 23, 2012 ? SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES (SINGULUS) has reached an agreement (Letter of Intent) with the Dutch VDL Groep, Eindhoven, on a possible outsourcing of parts of its mastering activities.

The agreement was jointly signed on November 22, 2012 and presented to the employees in the Netherlands. The agreement also includes the cooperation for current and future development projects, the continuous support of installed system at customers? sites and new mastering business.

Background VDL Groep
The VDL Groep is an international industrial company focused on the development, production and sale of semi-finished products, buses and coaches and other finished products.

It is a conglomerate of flexible, independent companies, each with its own specialty. The strength of the VDL Groep lies in the mutual cooperation between the companies.

Since its founding in 1953, the VDL Groep has grown to include 81 operating companies, spread over 18 countries, with approximately 7,600 employees.

Profile SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES:
SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES is market leader in the business segment Optical Disc for CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc production equipment. In the Solar segment, SINGULUS? goal is to attain a leading position in the silicon and thin-film solar technology as a machine supplier as well as a development partner and supplier of manufacturing equipment for new cell concepts. With respect to production technology for CIGS/CIS thin-film solar cells SINGULUS is excellently positioned.

The activities in the division Semiconductor for vacuum deposition machines are extensively strengthened to applications like MRAM, sensors as well as read/write elements. New application areas for vacuum deposition technology are the focus of the further development.

Source: http://www.hughsnews.ca/singulus-ponders-outsourcing-mastering-business-0039552

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BMW i8 Concept Roadster two seater on display at 2012 LA Auto ...

BMW is excited and confirmed rumors floating around that their new i8 Concept Roadster will be making its appearance at 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show on 28th November. While this two seater is being introduced, BMW will also be bringing out a new 'i' model which will be a sportier version of the BMWi3. Previously seen at Beijing Motor Show, the concept will have same carbon fiber construction as seen in i8 coupe which is also scheduled for launch in 2013.

The roadster is a two seater with a sloping roofline and same drivetrain as the coupe which means that it will sport a 1.5 liter turbocharged three cylinder petrol engine offering 220 bhp while an electric motor will have around 134bhp driving its front wheels. Being a front, rear and all wheel drive is what will make this roadster efficient while at the same time working in combustion, electric and combined modes will further augment performance.

Battery pack is located in the central tunnel which enables a 50:50 weight distribution. The roadster will have a 4.6 second acceleration time from 0 to 60 mph and a top speed of 155 mph. Its battery pack allows for electric driving upto 20 miles on a full recharge which can be achieved in 1 hour and 45 minutes through a high voltage outlet. Production is expected to commence in late 2014 while prices will range around ?80,000.

Under the banner of its sub-brand BMW i, the BMW Group is developing a range of purpose-built vehicle concepts and complementary mobility services which meet the changing needs of customers and redefine the understanding of personal mobility. As well as adopting intelligent technologies and innovative design, BMW i is pursuing an all-embracing approach defined to a significant degree by sustainability throughout the value chain.

Following the presentation of the BMW i3 Concept and BMW i8 Concept, the BMW Group introduces the BMW i8 Concept Roadster to the mix. This third BMW i model embodies the future of cutting-edge and emotionally appealing mobility concepts. Its sporting design headlines the qualities of an open-top two-seater blending lightness, dynamic capability and efficiency with a very special aesthetic allure.

The combination of intelligent lightweight design and state-of-the-art hybrid technology imbues the BMW i8 Concept Roadster with genuine sports car performance, yet its fuel consumption is no higher than you would expect from a small car.

Among the most eye-catching features of the BMW i8 Concept Roadster are the upward-swiveling, windowless doors and a range of purpose-oriented on-board equipment including electric kickboards stowed under a transparent tailgate. The sports car is based around the innovative LifeDrive architecture, itself underpinned by a lightweight modular construction and the use of high-quality high-tech materials. The BMW i8 Concept Roadster is a plug-in hybrid powered by an eDrive drivetrain combining a high-performance electric motor and petrol combustion engine. The lithium-ion battery supplying the motor with power can be recharged in an extremely short space of time from any domestic power socket. Together, the car's minimized weight, low center of gravity and finely judged balance, coupled with a combined system output of up to 260 kW (354 hp), promise unbeatable dynamic capability, exceptional efficiency and unbridled driving pleasure.

BMW i8 Concept Roadster with eDrive ? driving pleasure with unbeatable efficiency and dynamics.

Barely a year after the unveiling of the 2+2-seater BMW i8 Concept, BMW i is presenting the second variant of this innovative hybrid sports car, a machine designed to light up the path to compelling and purpose-oriented mobility. Like its Coupe sibling, the emotionally charged BMW i8 Concept Roadster combines intelligent lightweight design with the leading-edge drivetrain technology eDrive, while its open-top two-seater construction delivers an even more intense driving experience. This is a car in which outstanding performance potential goes hand-in-hand with extremely low fuel consumption and emissions.

Compared with the Coupe variant of the BMW i8 Concept, the BMW i8 Concept Roadster has a slightly shorter wheelbase and overall length. With its compact dimensions and distinctive exterior paintwork, the sports car exudes a feeling of dynamism before it so much as turns a wheel, while striking features of its design include upward-swiveling, windowless doors and a transparent glass panel at the rear. Underneath this cover two electric kickboards are stowed, providing a visual showcase for the fun factor in mobility and adding another layer to the car's recreational appeal. Inside, a revised material and color concept provides an extra dose of sportiness. Like the Coupe, the BMW i8 Concept Roadster with eDrive is a high-performance plug-in hybrid, and it fuses the specific advantages of an electric motor and combustion engine to optimum effect. Exceptional efficiency and dynamic capability are the upshot.

Modular LifeDrive architecture offers a preview of the future.?
Like the Coupe, the BMW i8 Concept Roadster is also built around the innovative LifeDrive architecture, a fusion of independent functional units. For example, the carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) Life module gives the car an extremely lightweight passenger cell, while the Drive modules ? made primarily from aluminum components ? bring together all the car's operational driving functions, such as the powertrain, chassis and safety structure. Impressively extensive use of high-tech materials allows this innovative concept to chart new territory in terms of weight minimization, structural rigidity and crash safety. This is good news not only for the car's dynamic performance, but also for its range and fuel economy. Intelligent lightweight design, encompassing the use of innovative materials, has allowed the unavoidable additional weight of the high-output hybrid drivetrain to be cancelled out in full. Plus, the LifeDrive architecture has been carefully adapted to the sports car character of the BMW i8 Concept Roadster. The front and rear axle modules are connected by an "energy tunnel", which houses the hybrid battery. This allows the engineers to give the car a low center of gravity and ideal balance.

The distinctive two-way split of the LifeDrive concept is also reflected in the car's design, which renders the basic elements of the body clearly distinguishable. Expressive surfaces and precise lines create a harmonious transition from one module into another. This overlap and interlocking of surfaces and lines ? "layering" in BMW i speak ? is displayed both on the body and in the interior of the new car.

Latest interpretation of the BMW i design language.?
The BMW i8 Concept Roadster's emotion-led design vividly spotlights the car's qualities, with lightness, dynamic capability and efficiency highlighted to particularly prominent effect. For example, the two-seater embodies the perfect synthesis of technology and aesthetic appeal, and exudes unbridled driving pleasure even when stationary. Key to creating this impression of sporty dynamics are large body panels, a hunkered-down stance and numerous aerodynamic elements such as contact surfaces, spoiler lips, Air Curtains and aero flaps. These features substantially reduce the hybrid car's Cd and enhance both efficiency and range.

Dynamic front end.?
The front end offers a particularly revealing window into the open-top two-seater's dynamic talent. One defining element is the headlights with pioneering laser light technology, which follow the hallmark BMW i U-shaped design template. A semi-transparent "V" opens out from the front end of the flat bonnet towards the windscreen and beckons the eye to the electric motor below. A spoiler lip positioned on the windscreen frame guides the airflow over the heads of the passengers. And for journeys when the weather cannot quite be trusted, the planned two-section folding roof might well come in handy.

Athletic silhouette.?
Short front and rear overhangs and a low-slung silhouette define the side view of the BMW i8 Concept Roadster and underline its athletic character. Alluring lines and forms generate a strong forward-surging stance even before the car powers off the line. The doors, which open by pivoting forwards around the A-pillar axis, further enhance the BMW i8 Concept Roadster's emotional impact. Below the doors, the side skirts create a powerful wedge shape which opens out towards the rear. At the same time, the open-top two-seater cuts a light and flowing figure and appears as if carved from a single mold.

Striking rear.
Like the front end, the rear also sits low to the road. Its headline feature is a transparent cover revealing the two folded electric kickboards accommodated below. Adopting the hallmarks of BMW i design, the kickboards are perfect for relaxed cruising along promenades and paths or around city squares. There can be few more attractive advertisements for individual mobility. A visually imposing rear diffuser, three-dimensional air outlets and the U-shaped rear lights give the BMW i8 Concept Roadster an extremely wide appearance and emphasize its sporting credentials.

Functional aesthetics: layering in the interior.?
The interior of the BMW i8 Concept Roadster is defined by three levels showcasing its various functions. As with the car's body, the interlocking of surfaces and lines is also one of the stand-out features of the interior design. The outer layer frames the supporting structure, while the inner "comfort" layer comprises seat surfaces and stowage compartments. The cockpit fills the third "technical" layer, bringing together the instrument panel, steering column and steering wheel with the instrument cluster, central information display and control elements. The prominent driver focus of the cockpit and the low seating position, which adds further depth to the open-top two-seater's credibility, are particularly eye-catching. All the controls are in just the right position and, like the other functional components of the interior, designed to further enliven the driving experience. An 8.8-inch (22.4 cm) screen displays all the relevant driving information in three-dimensional, high-resolution quality.

The color and materials concept also provides some stand-out touches. The Roadster's interior is defined by a mixture of plastic, carbon and leather, with the off-white of the outer layer and the bold orange tone of the naturally tanned leather generating a sporting atmosphere rich in contrast. The cockpit and center console also show slight modifications over the Coupe. The overall effect of the interior is one of quality, purity and emotional appeal.

Plug-in hybrid:
The perfect alliance of dynamic capability and efficiency.?
Like the Coupe, the BMW i8 Concept Roadster with eDrive is a plug-in hybrid combining two different power sources and employing the specific advantages of its electric motor and combustion engine to optimum effect. The hybrid drivetrain's key components gel together with outstanding smoothness, allowing it to offer peerless dynamic capability and maximum efficiency. In other words, the open-top two-seater produces the performance of an out-and-out sports machine yet posts the fuel economy of a small car.

The 96 kW (131 hp) electric motor on the front axle works in tandem with a turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine sending 164 kW (223 hp) through the rear wheels. Both units are in-house BMW Group developments and generate an aggregate system output of 260 kW (354 hp) and peak torque of 550 Newton meters. That is enough to accelerate the BMW i8 Concept Roadster from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in five seconds on the way to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). Despite this performance, the two-seater burns just three liters of petrol per 100 kilometers (equivalent to fuel economy of 94 mpg imp) in the European test cycle.

The electric motor sources its energy from a lithium-ion battery which can be fully charged from a domestic power socket in less than two hours. The high-output battery is located in the energy tunnel between the front and rear axle modules in order to keep the car's center of gravity as low as possible ? and therefore to maximize the car's dynamic performance. The space-saving and well-balanced packaging of this and other drive and chassis components gives the sporting two-seater ideal 50:50 weight distribution.
With its battery fully charged, the BMW i8 Concept Roadster can cover up to 30 kilometers (19 miles) on electric power alone. As such, far from filling in as a bit-part player, the electric motor plays a role equal to that of the petrol engine. If required, a high-voltage alternator hooked up to the combustion engine generates extra power, which is then stored in the hybrid battery. This range-extending function during the course of a journey allows the two-seater to travel further between charging stations.

Another special feature of the BMW i8 Concept Roadster is the ability to send power through the front, rear or all four wheels at the same time. Intelligent control electronics ensure that the optimum drive configuration is available for the situation at hand. The driver can view the driving mode currently engaged and monitor the activity of the two drive sources on the large information display in the cockpit. Furthermore, the electronic systems ensure maximum energy recuperation under braking or when coasting. All of which means that the driver can enjoy maximum dynamic performance, unbeatable directional stability and minimal consumption and emissions at all times.

Connectivity: the perfect link between mobile living environments.?
BMW i sums up the idea of mobility geared to the demands of the future and the needs of its customers. To this end, BMW i drivers will have a new generation of driver assistance systems at their disposal which significantly enhance both safety and comfort. For example, the camera-based proactive Collision Warning system, Parking Assistant and Traffic Jam Assistant ensure all on board can enjoy a safe and relaxed journey.

In addition, BMW i is developing an array of innovative connectivity functions which provide a seamless link between its models and their owners' lives outside the car. Remote functions accessed via a smartphone help users to locate their car in large car parks (Car Finder), show nearby charging stations, allow the battery to be charged at pre-set times and inform drivers on the current status of their vehicle. Plus, the battery and interior can be brought up to peak operating temperature before the driver sets off on a journey. The Last Mile Navigation function, meanwhile, assists drivers after they have parked their car, with route instructions transferred directly onto their smartphone directing them along the last leg of their journey on foot ? to a museum or restaurant, for example. And the Intermodal Route Planning function effectively integrates the car into the local public transport network and provides information on current parking availability at the driver's destination.

Interface design aids intelligent mobility.?
Two large displays inside the BMW i8 Concept Roadster make up the interface between the car, its passengers and the outside world. Positioned alongside the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, the central information display flags up all relevant information and assists the driver in the use of connectivity applications. A third display shows the automatic climate control settings currently engaged. All the screens display their information in 3D, and the cutting-edge, visually appealing graphics are also impressively clear.

Instrument cluster.
The instrument cluster displays important driving data using two variable-form ellipses. Positioned alongside the digital speedometer, the efficiency display allows drivers to view how much energy they are currently using ? or recovering through the recuperation process. Added to which, the display also contains extra navigation details and information on the car's range when running purely on electric power, its range when powered by the combustion engine alone and its range using both power units in tandem. If the driver switches to energy-saving ECO PRO mode, the display turns blue in color to signal the shift in functional emphasis, and the ellipses now also vary in form. By the same token, moving into SPORT mode treats the driver to an emotional orange hue. As well as the changes in color, the displays also provide information tailored to the driving mode selected and to assisting the driver as effectively as possible.

Central information display.
The central information display in the BMW i8 Concept Roadster makes a key contribution to intelligent mobility. It allows the driver to view the current status of the hybrid system, provides a platform for menu navigation and route guidance, and uses innovative connectivity functions to offer drivers a gateway into their lives outside the car. This ensures drivers remain up to speed at all times on how the combustion engine and electric motor are being used, while also being able to monitor the energy flow within the system.

Forward-thinking analysis of the driving situation.
The car's power electronics are linked up to intelligent navigation and traffic guidance systems to enable the hybrid drive system to work at maximum efficiency. In this way, information on route profile, speed limits and unavoidable traffic congestion are incorporated into the calculations of the energy management system so that the hybrid system's operating strategy can be adapted accordingly. For example, proactive charging of the hybrid battery allows the BMW i8 Concept Roadster to negotiate a traffic tailback on the road ahead using electric power alone ? and therefore without producing any emissions. In addition, handy displays such as fuel consumption history allow interesting reflections on past journeys and help to optimize the driving style of the individual at the wheel.

Perfectly prepared at all times thanks to diary synchronization.
Intelligent connectivity functions open the door to a host of other practical solutions when it comes to preparing the BMW i8 Concept Roadster for its daily workload. One example of this is automatic diary synchronization with the driver's smartphone. The system registers upcoming appointments and, when plugged into a power socket, ensures that the battery is topped up overnight so that the car is ready for action with a fully charged battery the following morning.

The BMW i concept.?
BMW i is about the development of visionary vehicles and mobility services, inspiring design, and a new premium perception strongly guided by sustainability. Under the banner of the young sub-brand, the BMW Group is developing purpose-built vehicle concepts which redefine the understanding of personal mobility. Key elements include groundbreaking technologies, intelligent lightweight design and the innovative use of materials, all with the aim of creating vehicles with extremely low weight, the greatest possible range, generous interior space, poised and authoritative driving characteristics, and exceptional safety. The BMW i8 Concept Roadster follows in the tire tracks of the BMW i3 Concept and BMW i8 Concept Coupe as the third concept car created under the BMW i sub-brand.

Sustainability plays a paramount role in the BMW i concept. It is an issue that runs like a thread throughout the value chain ? all the way from purchasing, through development and production to sales and marketing. And when it comes to the efficient manufacturing of its vehicles, BMW i goes a step further still.

The Leipzig production plant will see an additional 70 per cent reduction in water use and 50 per cent drop in energy consumption per vehicle over the years ahead. And the energy that is used will be sourced 100 per cent from renewable sources.

Specifications.
BMW i8 Concept Roadster.

Source: http://www.rushlane.com/bmw-i8-concept-roadster-two-seater-on-display-at-2012-la-auto-show-1252594.html

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Apple Throws a Tantrum After Being Ordered to Tell Samsung Their HTC Secrets

A man suspected of shoplifting two DVD players from? a Lithonia, Ga., Walmart today died after an altercation with two store employees and a contract security guard, prompting a police investigation. The man, whose identity has not been released, exited through the front door of...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-throws-tantrum-being-ordered-tell-samsung-htc-001121226.html

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The Walking Dead, Season 3

Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) and Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson).

Photo by Blake Tyers/AMC.

In?Slate's?Walking Dead?TV Club, Chris Kirk will IM each week with a different fan of The Walking Dead. This week, he discusses ?When the Dead Come Knocking? with Zack Handlen of the AV Club.

Chris: I used to consider Glenn in league with Heroes? Hiro Nakamura and Dexter?s Masuka: the clich?d Asian comic relief. But, boy, I think he?s earned my respect by now. At the beginning of ?When the Dead Come Knocking,? Merle has taken him and Maggie to a dungeon-y building in Woodbury, where he demands to know the whereabouts of Rick?s group.

Zack: "Demands" is a nice way of putting it.

Chris: Well, Merle demands with his fists. But Glenn slips in a crowd-pleasing headbutt in and, after an infuriated Merle sends a zombie in to eat him, Glenn manages to break his binds and defeat it.

Zack: That was a great scene. It was good to see Glenn get a chance to kick some butt for once.

Chris: Glenn used to be the guy who zipped around in a Dodge Challenger; who remarked to Rick, ?Nice moves there, Clint Eastwood,? when they first met; who vomited when he and Rick lathered themselves in zombie guts to escape Atlanta. As this episode shows, he now carries more emotional weight than most, if not all, of the other characters. I think it works.

Zack: He's one of the more solid characters; he can definitely support storylines, which must make him useful to the writers, too. Also, I was really worried for him throughout the episode, which was great. I wasn't a huge fan of how Lori and T-Dog were dispatched, but their deaths have made everyone look a lot more vulnerable.

Chris: When Glenn refuses to break, the Governor commands Maggie to strip off her shirt and bra. Is he a sexual creep or was he just trying to break her?

Zack: There's probably some kind of combination of both. He clearly wants to show her he's in control, but forcing her to strip, and then basically threatening her with rape, well, it takes a twisted kind of mind to come up with that approach. A nasty scene, and one I'm very glad pulled back when it did.

Chris: Glenn getting pommeled by Merle I can swallow, but, yes, this show would be a little too dark if the Governor raped Maggie. Eventually she breaks anyway when they threaten to kill Glenn.

Zack: Honestly, I liked Maggie more for caving in. The Walking Dead regularly punishes people for doing the "decent" thing, but whatever the consequences, I was glad when she spoke up.

Chris: Why exactly is the Governor so threatened by outside groups like Rick?s? Why is there no place in Woodbury for them if there is one for Andrea?

Zack: I?m enjoying David Morrissey's performance, but the character isn't as clearly defined as I'd like yet. So it's hard to be sure just what makes him so paranoid. I got the impression that he let Andrea and Michonne come in because they?re women. He probably has some idea about repopulation, but that hasn't really come up. I wonder if there's a reveal we'll get next week that puts all of this is in a clearer context?

Chris: Maybe. While Glenn?s getting beat up, ever-oblivious Andrea helps Milton with a science experiment. Milton's trying to determine if walkers remember anything of their former lives after they?ve turned, so he's doing some memory tests with a dying man. But the man, when turned, only tries to bite him. Is this a definitive answer to Milton's question?

Zack: To an extent, sure. But to me, the really important part is that it goes back to the fights Andrea saw earlier. The "safety" of Woodbury is a trap. Woodbury has lulled them into thinking they can make things go back to the way they were.

Chris: I wonder if that thought, as well as Milton's experiment, is driven by the Governor's obsession with his daughter. Is he convinced he can bring her back someday?

Zack: Oooo, that wouldn't surprise me.

Chris: Let's talk, finally, about Rick's gang back at the prison. Michonne is at Rick's fence. Zombies begin to attack her, and Rick rather leisurely heads to the gate to let her in. Only Carl's intervention saves her. Rick seems reluctant to get involved with any new survivors.

Zack: Rick is becoming closed off. He's been heading that way for a while; there's a definite sense of him turning back on his old life (i.e., being a cop, someone whose job it was to protect everyone) and circling the wagons. Just the scene where he grabs Michonne's wound and squeezes it for info?he's not the Governor, and hopefully he'll never be, but he's not a pure white hat, either.

Chris: That brief bit of torture shocked me! Old Rick would have never done that.

Zack: New Rick is also emotionally exhausted; I doubt the thought of Michonne's suffering bothers him much after everything he's lost. What got me was that there was no hesitation or guilt to what he did, either. I can imagine an earlier Rick reluctantly deciding to use some pressure when he realized his friends' lives were in danger, but this Rick just starts straight in, almost as soon as he realizes Maggie and Glenn are in trouble.

Chris: It?s troubling to say the least. The episode isn?t all torture, fortunately; there?s a touching moment between Rick and Carol, when Carol realizes that Lori is dead.

Zack: That wordless look between Carol and Rick was fantastic.

Chris: Rick also resumes his role as father to Carl. The two finally get around to giving Ass-Kicker a proper name: "Judith,? after Carl?s third-grade teacher. I get the sense that Carl named the baby after somebody that isn't associated with a devastating memory.

Zack: Fingers crossed! It was good to see Carl and Rick have an actual conversation. It helped humanize Rick some, at a time when he needed it.

Chris: After, Rick takes Michonne and most of the able-bodied men on a risky rescue mission. I'm sweating over the rest of them at the prison, left protected only by Carl and Axel ? though Carol as I recall is now a decent shot.

Zack: And Hershel has that magic shotgun that never needs to be reloaded. It would be sort of comical if they got back to the prison only to find that even more people had been kidnapped. Also, what was up with that random hermit in the woods? The guy who apparently didn't know there was a zombie apocalypse going on, despite having lived in the middle of it?

Chris: I?m not sure what that scene accomplished but show, yet again, that Michonne doesn?t mind putting a sword into a survivor and that Rick is utterly inept at close combat.

Zack: The scene was mostly just a time filler; the group had to get through the "Red Zone," so we needed some kind of action sequence to remind us that Woodbury is surrounded by a lot of walkers. There must've been more elegant ways to do this, though.

Chris: At least dead hermit makes great zombie bait. The group escapes and we leave them plotting on the outskirts of Woodbury. Thoughts on the episode as a whole?

Zack: I liked it a lot, although this chat has made me question that some. I was impressed at how tense the whole hour was; even the ridiculous hermit story kept things moving, and I tend to enjoy the show the most when it's moving. Really curious as to how this will all come to a head next week for the mid-season finale, and I'm once again impressed at how much the show has improved from last year. Even when it fumbles, the writers have a stronger sense of what they're doing, and how to tell stories over the long term, and that's exciting to watch.

Chris: Agreed. Another strong installment to a strong season. This episode contains a nice blend of moments ? brutal, emotional, strange, often simultaneously. Thanks for participating in Slate's The Walking Dead TV Club! Now we?re left to hope that Rick and friends aren?t the ?Dead? in this episode?s title, ?When the Dead Come Knocking.?

Tomorrow: What?Slate?commenters and critics around the Web thought of this episode.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=6023112e468b61cb702ce7123e6a05dc

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Doubting Readiness for Marriage | Ask the Therapist

I?ve been dating my boyfriend for 6 months, during the first month we talked about marriage. I have been married before at 19 for only 3 months and I thought I was over it and didnt care. Now that I?m seeing my boyfriend and the thought of marriage came up I developed a generalized anxiety disorder and have been dealing with it. He is so good to me and sticks by my side no matter what but lately I?ve been having doubts if he is the one for me, or if I?m ready for marriage and basically just panicked.

I cant seem to just go with the flow of the relationship, it?s like I need an answer now. Also we are long distance and have yet to spend more than 4 days at a time together. I feel maybe if we got engaged the doubts would go away but if they didn?t this would only cause him more hurt. Im completely honest with him and only want the best for both of us, I just don?t want to regret leaving someone I love just because of doubts. I can?t think of a better guy, I could be more attracted to him but looks aren?t important to me but I also want to be able to love him back the way he deserves and not feel this pressure to move on to marriage or either move on to someone else, I just want to see where it goes but my head it constantly telling me I need to leave him or that I love him and he is amazing and great and that he is the one for me.

A: Listen to your instincts. They are good. Talking about marriage in the first month of dating and pursuing the issue when you?ve never had more than 4 days together makes no sense at all. Of course you?re anxious. What?s the rush? I don?t think the problem is that you?re ?gun shy? from a short marriage 7 years ago. I think your system is trying to slow you down.

I?m also concerned that you aren?t more attracted to him. Yes, he may be wonderful. But attraction does matter. It shouldn?t be the only factor in your decision but it certainly should be considered.

I think you should take a big step back. Put the marriage question on hold until you?ve had some quality and quantity time together. Give yourself time to get to know how you two click when you aren?t in ?visit? mode. You need some time to get into daily routines and see how it works. If your boyfriend pressures you to move faster, there?s something amiss. A decision as important as who you?ll spend the rest of your life with deserves time and attention. If he truly loves you, he can slow down too.

There?s a sweetness to the time of courtship. It?s a time to explore each other on many, many levels. It?s a time to learn everything from what kind of toast a person prefers to how to please each other physically. It?s a time to enjoy being the full focus of someone else?s love and attention. It?s a time to meet each other?s family and friends to see if there?s a good fit. It?s a time to talk about the endless possibilities that go into making a life together, from your personal goals to your hopes and dreams for a life together. Don?t shortchange yourselves. Enjoy the romance.

I wish you well.
Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie is licensed as both a psychologist and marriage and family counselor. She specializes in couples and family therapy and parent education. Check out her website at ParentAdvisor.net, follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 25 Nov 2012

APA Reference
Hartwell-Walker, D. (2012). Doubting Readiness for Marriage. Psych Central. Retrieved on November 26, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/ask-the-therapist/2012/11/25/doubting-readiness-for-marriage/

Source: http://psychcentral.com/ask-the-therapist/2012/11/25/doubting-readiness-for-marriage/

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Patient's own immune cells may blunt viral therapy for brain cancer

ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 2012) ? Doctors now use cancer-killing viruses to treat some patients with lethal, fast-growing brain tumors. Clinical trials show that these therapeutic viruses are safe but less effective than expected.

A new study led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center -- Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC -- James) shows that the reason for this is in part due to the patient's own immune system, which quickly works to eliminate the anticancer virus.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, show that the body responds to the anticancer virus as it does to an infection. Within hours, specialized immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells move in to eliminate the therapeutic virus in the brain.

The researchers discovered that the NK cells attack the viruses when they express specific molecules on their surface called NKp30 and NKp46. "These receptor molecules enable the NK cells to recognize and destroy the anticancer viruses before the viruses can destroy the tumor," says co-senior author Dr. Michael A. Caligiuri, director of Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center and CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, and a senior author of the study.

"When we blocked those receptors, the virus has more time to work, and mice with these brain tumors live longer. The next step is to block these molecules on NK cells in glioblastoma patients and see if we can improve their outcome," says Caligiuri, who is also the John L. Marakas Nationwide Insurance Enterprise Foundation Chair in Cancer Research. This study of cancer-cell-killing, or oncolytic, viruses is an example of the value of translational research, in which a problem observed during clinical trials is studied in the laboratory to devise a solution.

"In this case, clinical trials of oncolytic viruses proved safe for use in the brain, but we noticed substantial numbers of immune cells in brain tumors after treatment," says senior author and neurosurgeon Dr. E. Antonio Chiocca, who was professor and chair of neurological surgery while at Ohio State University.

"To understand this process, we went back to the laboratory and showed that NK cells rapidly infiltrate tumors in mice that have been treated with the therapeutic virus. These NK cells also signal other inflammatory cells to come in and destroy the cancer-killing virus in the tumor."

The study used an oncolytic herpes simplex virus, human glioblastoma tumor tissue and mouse models, one of which hosted both human glioblastoma cells and human NK cells. Key technical findings include:

• Replication of the therapeutic virus in tumor cells in an animal model rapidly attracted subsets of NK cells to the tumor site;
• NK cells in tumors activated other immune cells (i.e., macrophages and microglia) that have both antiviral and anticancer properties;
• Depletion of NK cells improves the survival of tumor-bearing mice treated with the therapeutic virus;
• NK cells that destroy virus-infected tumor cells express the NKp30 and NKp46 receptors molecules that recognize the virus.

"Once we identify the molecules on glioblastoma cells that these NK cell receptors bind with, we might be able to use them to identify patients who will be sensitive to this therapy," Caligiuri says.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ohio State University Medical Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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. Christopher A Alvarez-Breckenridge, Jianhua Yu, Richard Price, Jeffrey Wojton, Jason Pradarelli, Hsiaoyin Mao, Min Wei, Yan Wang, Shun He, Jayson Hardcastle, Soledad A Fernandez, Balveen Kaur, Sean E Lawler, Eric Vivier, Ofer Mandelboim, Alessandro Moretta, Michael A Caligiuri, E Antonio Chiocca. NK cells impede glioblastoma virotherapy through NKp30 and NKp46 natural cytotoxicity receptors. Nature Medicine, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nm.3013

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/-GNaGU-0wZI/121125193049.htm

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Risk Management & Business Technology Resiliency ? What's ...

Guest post from Researcher Nick Hayes.

Take a second to think back to the year 2009. The US was in the thick of the financial crisis; companies were slashing budgets, and the unemployment rate was in double-digits. And do you remember a little thing called the ?swine flu?? The World Health Organization (WHO) deemed the H1N1 strain of the swine flu influenza a global pandemic in June 2009. These were just some of the events top of mind for much of the nation and the broader global community three years ago.

2009 was also the year that the annual Forrester and Disaster Recovery Journal (DRJ) Survey focused on the role of risk management in business technology (BT) resiliency and crisis communications programs. Needless to say, the survey was fairly timely. Forrester found risk management was becoming a more common practice for business continuity teams, but that there was still more room for further collaboration with their risk management counterparts.

Fast forward three years, and the 2012 Forrester/DRJ survey is again focusing on the role of risk management in BT resiliency and crisis communications (you can take the 2012 survey by clicking here). A lot has changed since 2009 with a number of new events, technologies, and organizational challenges currently plaguing business continuity and risk management professionals.

More specifically, three major trends have likely affected the market since 2009:

1. The aftermath of the financial crisis and big corporate blunders further emphasized the value of risk management. Events such as the BP oil spill and the Toyota recall are just two of the largest events that have taken place in the last three years. Couple these with new government regulations such as the Dodd-Frank Act and other news events like J.P. Morgan?s $5.8 billion trading loss, and you can see why it?s important for companies to follow risk management best practices ? and the potential high costs of ignoring them.
2. The frequency of natural disasters kept BT resiliency and crisis communications top of mind. The destructive course of Hurricane Sandy is affecting millions living in the US along the East Coast with its full impact still to be determined; current estimates project the damage could cost upwards of an estimated $20 billion in insured losses and $50 billion in economic losses. Last year Hurricane Irene caused about $4.3 billion in losses, and was one of just 14 storms where costs were estimated to be at least $1 billion. And let?s not forget about the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear disaster (set off by an earthquake and ensuing tsunami) ? both of which had catastrophic consequences in their respective regions.
3. Social media established itself as a valuable business technology. Using both internal, enterprise social networks such as Chatter and Yammer, and public social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, companies, employees, and consumers alike use social media for a variety of business and personal purposes. Crisis communications teams use social media to disseminate critical crisis information and instructions, and employees and the rest of the population use social media to gather information about crisis updates, public service announcements, etc. For example, as Hurricane Sandy rolled through New York City, the New York Fire Department used its Twitter account to help relay information to dispatchers for people in distress that couldn?t reach jammed emergency lines.

We are very interested to see what the results of this year?s Forrester/DRJ survey have in store for us, and we?d love for you to participate. If you?re a business continuity or risk management professional, please take the survey by following the link here. We look forward to hearing from you!

?

Best regards,

Nick Hayes

@nickhayes10

Source: http://blogs.forrester.com/chris_mcclean/12-11-06-risk_management_business_technology_resiliency_whats_changed_since_2009?cm_mmc=RSS-_-IT-_-59-_-blog_1835

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Cant-Ucc This | 34th Street Magazine

Il Cantuccio
701 N. 3rd St.
Northern Liberties
(215) 627?6573?

Don?t Miss: Spinach Ravioli
Skip: The pasta special
$$$

Il Cantuccio feels like home. The decorations, the kitchen, the staff, the food? ? everything seems more an extension of an Italian relative?s dining room than a restaurant tucked away on a quiet corner in Northern Liberties. The place is small, housing only a handful of wooden tables. Exposed brick, colorful tiles and little Italian trinkets feel like odds and ends picked up over a lifetime.

The food here pairs nicely with these comfy vibes. Advised by Giuseppe, our waiter, and his mother (both long?time I.C. fixtures) we started with the Misto appetizer ($8). Soft pepper jack and provolone cheeses, caramelized carrots, stuffed tomatoes and string beans fill the plate to its brim. Little is touched by the chef: the ingredients? freshness and natural flavors become the main attraction. It?s all delicious, but the cheeses truly melt on the tongue.

Our entr?es followed quickly. Enthusiastically suggested by Giuseppe, the Spinach Ravioli? ($20) was bathed in a pink sauce with peas and mushrooms. The richness of the tomatoes and thinly?sliced mushrooms, along with the sweetness of the peas hit just the right spot alongside the ricotta cheese bubbling inside the pasta. We also tried a pasta special with chicken sausage, cherry tomatoes and broccoli, splashed with a garlic sauce ($20). The pasta itself was unremarkable, and the sauce just barely missed its mark. But the sausage was bursting at its seams, and the vegetables were flavorful. The broccoli especially came in handy, soaking up the broth and complementing its otherwise lackluster flavors perfectly.

By the time for dessert, we were nearly stuffed by the generous portions of the earlier dishes. But we couldn?t pass up the Homemade Tiramisu ($5), the Chocolate Cream Puff ($5) or the Chocolate Cannoli ($5) when they arrived on an artfully?arranged platter. The cannoli emerged as the clear standout, but everything had us finishing the meal on a high note.

From start to finish, a repast in this tiny restaurant satisfies. For those familiar with La Locanda, the Italian BYO of the same owner in Old City, Il Cantuccio doesn?t stray far in quality from its food or atmosphere. If anything, it?s warmer and more welcoming than its counterpart. BYO and parents?weekend friendly, you?d be hard?pressed to find an occasion when Il Cantuccio doesn?t work.

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Source: http://34st.com/2012/11/cant-ucc-this/

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Legal news ahead this week ? The Progressive Pulse

In addition to the many elections on Tuesday, several states have ballot issues of note. Per the Wall Street Journal?s Law Blog, these include:

Same-sex marriage:?Maine, Maryland and Washington could become the first states to legalize same-sex marriage through a popular vote.

Marijuana:?Washington,?Oregon and Colorado could become the first states to legalize recreational use of marijuana. Voters in?Arkansas and Massachusetts will decide whether to allow marijuana use for medical reasons, as 17 states have already done.

Assisted suicide:?Massachusetts voters will decide whether to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Oregon and Washington are currently the only states to allow terminally ill patients to obtain lethal doses of medication if doctors say they have six months or less to live.

Death Penalty: California voters will decide whether to?abolish?it. If the measure is approved,?more than 720 inmates on California?s death row would have their sentences converted to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Abortion:?Florida voters will decide on a measure that seeks to limit interpretation of the privacy rights contained in the state?s constitution. And voters in Montana will consider a?measure?on parental-notification rules.

And of interest at the U.S. Supreme Court this week:

On Monday, the Court will hand down orders from its Nov. 2 private conference, including of interest to NC residents the Court?s decision on whether to hear the Voting Rights Act case out of Kinston, N.C. See more about that here.

And the Court will hear arguments in?Comcast?Corp. v.?Behrend?and?Amgen v. Connecticut Retirement Plans. In both cases, the court will consider what the lower courts must require of plaintiffs seeking?class certification.

On Tuesday, the Court will hear arguments in?Smith v. U.S.?and?Evans v. Michigan. In Smith,?the court is asked to decide?which party in a criminal?conspiracy?case bears the burden of proof that an alleged conspirator withdrew from a conspiracy outside of the statute of limitations.?In Evans, the?court will consider?whether the Fifth Amendment?s Double?Jeopardy?Clause?prohibits the retrial of a defendant acquitted based on a trial judge?s mistakenly adding?an element to the offense.

On Wednesday, the Court will hear arguments?in Marx v?General Revenue? concerning ? the?standard?for awarding costs in litigation under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Source: http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2012/11/05/legal-news-ahead-this-week/

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Election Day Preparation: California State Prop. 36 If a person has two serious...

California Proposition 36, Changes in the "Three Strikes" Law

www.turnto23.com

Visit TurnTo23.com for breaking news and headlines from Bakersfield, CA. The latest local TV news, headlines, and more in Bakersfield News & Kern County California from ABC TV's local affiliate in Bakersfield, California, KERO - Bakersfield's Channel 23.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/23ABCNEWS/posts/273519709417825

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Physical exercise improves gait speed, muscle strength, fitness in ...

November 6, 2012 11:01 am You are here:Home Medicine Physical exercise improves gait speed, muscle strength, fitness in patients with Parkinson?s disease Tags:?Article, Exercise, muscle-strength, neurology, Online, parkinson, Patients, Research, Science, Social, social-bookmarking, Source, Study, Urology

Source: http://www.humanhealthandscience.com/physical-exercise-improves-gait-speed-muscle-strength-fitness-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease/news

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