Curry leads Warriors past Denver 115-101 in Game 4

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) reacts after scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the second half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Sunday, April 28, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) reacts after scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the second half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Sunday, April 28, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Golden State Warriors' Andrew Bogut reacts after scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the first half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Sunday, April 28, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green reacts after scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the first half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Sunday, April 28, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Denver Nuggets guard Andre Iguodala (9) reacts after scoring against the Golden State Warriors during the first half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Sunday, April 28, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Denver Nuggets' Ty Lawson dunks against the Golden State Warriors during the first half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Sunday, April 28, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) ? His star point guard slowed by a sore left ankle, Warriors coach Mark Jackson told Stephen Curry in the first half he might shut him down for the rest of the game.

Curry quieted his coach with a resounding answer.

Curry shook off the soreness in his ankle to score 22 of his 31 points in a spectacular third quarter, leading the Warriors past the Denver Nuggets 115-101 on Sunday night for a commanding 3-1 series lead.

"It was almost like a boxer that knew he was on the ropes, because it was just a matter of time" said Jackson. "I told him I don't need him to be a hero. Talk about smart coaching. And I guess he realized and sensed it. He captured and embraced the moment. The thing that stood out to me, it was almost as if he had been waiting for this his entire career and he wasn't going to allow his body to tell him it was too hurt to match the moment."

Curry finished 10 of 16 from the floor, including 6 of 11 from long range, and added seven assists in a dominant and dazzling display that rivaled his days in the NCAA tournament for tiny Davidson. Only this time, he stole the spotlight in the NBA playoffs, earning praise from Hall of Famers and past and present All-Stars all over social media.

Curry took a pain-killing injection before the game for the first time in his career, though he looked slow early and even covered his head in a towel on the bench late in the first quarter. Then, he hit five 3-pointers in the third quarter to lift Golden State to a 20-point lead and its third straight victory in this frenetic and flashy series.

"I don't know what happened. Something kicked in there," Curry said.

Jarrett Jack added 21 points and nine assists and Andrew Bogut broke out in the first half with 12 points and five rebounds for the sixth-seeded Warriors, who can close out the Nuggets in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Denver.

Ty Lawson scored 26 points and Andre Iguodala had 19 for the third-seeded Nuggets. Denver won the rebounding battle for the first time in this series ? 37 to 29 ? but Golden State didn't miss much.

The Warriors outshot the Nuggets 55.7 to 46.5 percent.

"The next 48 hours are going to be difficult, to say the least," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "They found some magic, and we have to find a way to take it away."

The Warriors lost All-Star forward David Lee to a season-ending hip injury in Game 1, and Curry sprained his left ankle late in Game 2. Seemingly down and out, Curry has carried the load anyway.

The quick-shooting point guard hit 5 of 8 from beyond the arc in a jaw-dropping third quarter, when nearly every gold-shirt wearing fan in the sellout crowd of 19,596 stood and cheered. Curry scored all 22 points in the final 6:22 of the quarter, showing the kind of range that helped him make 272 3-pointers in the regular season ? three more than Ray Allen's record set in 2005-06 with Seattle.

Curry capped his remarkable run with two of his most highlight-reel plays.

He stole the ball from Lawson, stopped in heavy traffic and dropped in a 27-footer before sprinting all the way to the bench high-fiving and chest-bumping teammates. Following a timeout, Curry sprung free near for a corner 3 ? looking back right in front of Denver's bench ? that gave Golden State a 91-72 lead entering the fourth.

Curry's five 3s in the quarter were a Warriors playoff record for a half.

"As soon as he gets the ball in the half court, he's in range," Bogut said.

Curry, wearing heavy tape around his nagging ankle, gave fans another scare when Corey Brewer poked Curry in the right eye going for a rebound early in the fourth. He returned about 4? minutes later, receiving another standing ovation from the home fans and later said his eye wouldn't be an issue.

While Curry scored only seven points in the first half, Bogut broke out in a big way to provide the one-two punch Golden State had long envisioned.

The 7-footer from Australia had three big dunks in the first half, including a thunderous right-handed slam over JaVale McGee. Bogut, who received a technical foul in Game 3 for daring Denver's big man to punch him on the chin during a face-to-face altercation, stared back at McGee while backpedalling down court.

"I just gathered myself and the ankle held up," Bogut said.

Bogut sat out the final 4:37 of the first half with three fouls, and Andre Miller ? whose last-second shot in Game 1 is the only thing keeping Denver alive ? almost single-handily brought the Nuggets within a bucket. Then Curry hit his first 3-pointer of the game ? officially a 27-footer that seemed closer to the scorer's table than the arc ? as Golden State scored the last 11 points before the break to go ahead 56-44.

Lawson, who scored a career-playoff high 35 points in the Game 3 loss, rallied from a slow start to highlight a 14-4 run that sliced Golden State's lead to 62-58 midway through the third quarter. Just when it seemed they might crawl back, Curry countered one devastating swish after another to put a major dent in Denver's playoff hopes.

That's not the only patchwork needed, either.

Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried kicked a hold in the wall just inside the visiting locker room afterward that symbolized his team's frustration. The scene was reminiscent of the hole Dirk Nowitzki put in the wall outside the locker room? which remains till this day ? when he threw a chair after his top-seeded Dallas Mavericks were upset in the first round by Golden State in 2007.

"There's no good news," said Faried, who had eight points and 12 rebounds. "The effort of coming back and trying to keep playing, it was there. But when they come down and just hit 3s when you've just crossed half-court, you can't scheme around that. You can't stop that. We just have to find a way to not let them do that.

NOTES: For the third straight game, Jackson listed Carl Landry at power forward in his starting lineup submitted before the game, even though Harrison Barnes started at power forward and Landry came off the bench. Jackson said beforehand that he'd do it again because "it worked." Karl said it's not what coaches typically do but joked that Jackson is "consistent" and maybe "superstitious." ... Jackson's wife, Desiree Coleman Jackson, sang the national anthem.

___

Antonio Gonzalez can be reached at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-29-Nuggets-Warriors/id-651ff1aaef2d4bbbb3093edddce64da3

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France's Hollande to slash capital gains tax to attract business ... - RT

Following protests against France?s President Fran?ois Hollande?s tax policies to increase budget income, his administration has announced plans to cut capital gains tax to attract business investment to the country and restore damaged relations.

The French government has admitted that a big increase in capital gains tax on business was a mistake, denying it had anything to do with the exodus of the rich.?

Hollande's popularity has seen its sharpest since his election last May. He is endeavouring to prove his Socialist government is open to reform and wants to reaffirm France?s attractiveness for business investment.?

Business leaders were left enraged by the 20 billion euro tax increases in the 2013 budget, and demanded lower taxes and labour costs. At the same time France?s eurozone partners are pressing for budget cuts, while households are protesting against austerity.

?The big picture is to give a strong sign that France is a good place to invest and that we are business friendly,? Fleur Pellerin, Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Innovation and the Digital Economy is quoted by the Financial Times as saying.?

The new plan to cut the tax introduced at the end of last year is expected to be announced at a meeting with entrepreneurs at the Elys?e Palace on Monday.?

According to the Financial Times, sources close to the negotiations with the government say the new regime will include enhanced rebates applied after just one year, with up to 85 percent exemptions for those investing in a start-up for over eight years, against today?s 40 percent rate.?

The total tax rate for an investor at the top marginal rate exiting a start-up after eight years is due to fall to 24 percent, from more than 40 per cent today.

Hollande is also expected to introduce easier terms of a so-called ??start-up visa? for foreign entrepreneurs and easier access to credit for failed business owners who wish to start over again.

Speaking to reporters from Reuters and Agence France Presse a week before the 1st anniversary of his election the President said he is ?aware how serious the situation is.?

?It?s a president?s duty to stay the course and to look beyond today?s squalls. It?s called perseverance,? Hollande said. ?People can criticise my decisions, think I am on the wrong track or have not taken the right route, but if there is one thing I am sure of it?s that I have taken major decisions for France - many more in 10 months than were taken in 10 years.?

?The way the government has listened to us over the past four months has been positive. They realised they made a mistake,? Jean-David Chamboredon, a leading figure in Les Pigeons groupe of young French web entrepreneurs told Financial Times.

Source: http://rt.com/business/taxes-investment-business-hollande-566/

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Hack Team's Voice-Guided Learn To Drive App Makes Learning With Mom & Dad Less Domestically Disruptive

Jared Zoneraich and Nick Joseph are two high school students who've spent the night here at the Disrupt NY 2013 Hackathon coding an in-car app for learner drivers using GM's API. The pair got a great reception on stage during their presentation for Learn to Drive -- not least for the in-car dashboard app's killer feature: a voice warning that booms out when a learner is going too fast.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ThcChzHx0vI/

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Rambler Takes Home The Disrupt NY 2013 Hackathon Grand Prize, Learn To Drive And Radical Are Runners Up

The past 24 hours have just flown by for the hundreds of hackers here at the Disrupt NY Hackathon, but the sun is finally up and it’s time to pass judgment on their caffeine-fueled projects. As it turns out, there’s a ton of them here — with 164 registered projects this is our biggest Hackathon yet, and each presenter only had 60 seconds to wow our judges (not to mention the rest of the audience). As you might guess there was no shortage of amazing projects that came together in a single day, but our judges could only choose one team to take home our $5,000 grand prize. Anyway, that’s enough out of me — meet our newest Hackathon winner! Winner: Rambler Rambler, created by William Hockey, Zach Perret and Michael Kelly, is a web app that lets users view their credit and debit card transactions on a map. During the dev process, the team tapped the Foursquare API for locations and the Plaid API to access user spending data. Runner-up #1: Learn To Drive Learn To Drive, created by Jared Zoneraich, Jemma Issroff, Kenny Song, and Nicholas Joseph, is an app for the GM vehicle platform that acts as a virtual driving instructor by speaking driving instructions aloud and display driving statistics like miles driven, hours driven, and hours driven at night. Runner-up #2: Radical Radical, created by Sam Saccone, Carl Sednaoui, and Jeff Escalante, allows users to create attractive calendars and embed on webpages with a single line of code. These three teams will also demo their projects on the main Disrupt stage on Wednesday afternoon, but that’s not to say everyone else is going home empty-handed. Hackathon sponsors Appery.io, AT&T, CrunchBase, General Motors, Microsoft Bizspark, Microsoft Skydrive, NewAer, Pearson, Samsung, Twilio, Visa, Wrigley and Yammer have also graciously doled out prizes of their own for the most innovative and interesting uses of their APIs and services. And just who decided the fate of these sleep-deprived hackers? Our panel of judges includes Mahaya CEO Tarikh Korula, Path101 co-founder Charlie O?Donnell, founder/CEO of The Muse Kathryn Minshew, bit.ly chief?scientist?Hilary Mason, FuturePerfect Ventures founding partner Jalak Jobanputra, and BoxGroup Managing Director David Tisch.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Ugb3ZVF49D4/

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Have A Wonderful Traveling Experience With These Tips

There is more to travel than just jumping on a plane. The experience can be thrilling. There are a ton of travel options and a wide variety of adventures to take. Are you ready to have some fun? Following are some travel tips that can help you to get started.

Before you settle on a destination, be sure to consider the influence that the weather can have on your trip. Check the forecast for your destination. Freezing rain on a Florida beach, or unseasonal sunshine on an Aspen ski trip, will ruin the best laid travel plans.

You can save money by waiting until you reach your final destination to change currencies. If you know there won't be a place to easily exchange currency once you land in your destination country, exchange a limited amount before you leave and then look for a better exchange rate once you arrive in-country.

If there is hotel room available on a floor that is higher, you should request that one. It is easier for thieves to break into rooms that are close to the ground. If you can, request a hotel room that has only windows and no sliding glass doors. Rooms such as this can be broken into easier.

If you have a long travel time you should ensure that you give yourself some time to stretch, even if you are getting up for no reason. Sitting for too long reduces blood flow and can lead to blood clots.

Use caution when you get an email about great deals in travel. If you have signed up for a travel newsletter, you can trust these emails; avoid all others, though.

Whenever you go camping, but most importantly when you go hiking, you must carry local maps along with you. A GPS and compass will come in handy also in the event that you become lost or disoriented in the woods.

Don't wait until you are on the cruise ship to discover that you get seasick. This could ruin your entire trip and make you very dreadful. You will be bedridden, recovering from the seasickness, and not having fun. If you can, get a prescription for a sea sickness medication and take it with you.

This will enable you to hook your laptop up to the hotel tv. This allows you to watch Netflix and similar streaming services instead of expensive hotel movies.

Attach a label with your name and contact information to your luggage and place another one on the inside. This is good in the event the bag is lost, since it will help pinpoint who the owner is. Remember that your luggage and its contents are at risk whenever they leave your sight.

Research local laws and customs prior to traveling. Failure to do so can result in people being angry with you, or even jail time over something you wouldn't have expected to be a problem. Be respectful of local laws, customs, and authorities while traveling, and you should be fine.

If your travels include multiple countries, ensure that your visas are appropriate and up-to-date. It is important to understand that getting a visa doesn't automatically give you the power to get inside a country. There are different kinds of visas that you need to know about. A great place to find out the requirements is your travel agency. If you don't have a travel agency, you can consult the embassy of each country you are visiting.

The article shows you some ideas on how to make travel easier. Many people can be confused about all the decisions they have to make when traveling. That said, if you have great travel advice, you can easily plan a trip. Use the tips from this article and start making better travel plans today.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Have-A-Wonderful-Traveling-Experience-With-These-Tips/4578827

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Twitter?s Vine video sharing app coming soon to Android

(Reuters) - This year's U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania has attracted a record total of 9,860 entries, the United States Golf Association (USGA) said on Thursday. The number of applicants for the June 13-16 tournament eclipsed the previous best of 9,086 for the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York. "The fact that we have a record number of entries, from across the world, is a testament to both the great appeal of the U.S. Open and the historic nature and grandeur of Merion Golf Club," USGA Executive Director Mike Davis said in a statement. The U.S. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/twitter-vine-video-sharing-app-coming-soon-android-232046243.html

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Novelist Banks "stunned" by fan support over terminal cancer

(Ends first round) NEW YORK, April 25 (Reuters) - Selections in the first roundof the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday (picknumber, NFL team, player, position, college): 1-Kansas City, Eric Fisher, offensive tackle, Central Michigan 2-Jacksonville, Luke Joeckel, offensive tackle, Texas A&M 3-Miami (from Oakland), Dion Jordan, defensive tackle, Oregon 4-Philadelphia, Lane Johnson, offensive tackle, Oklahoma 5-Detroit, Ezekiel Ansah, defensive end, Brigham Young 6-Cleveland, Barkevious Mingo, linebacker, LSU 7-Arizona, Jonathan Cooper, guard, North Carolina 8-St. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/novelist-banks-stunned-fan-support-over-terminal-cancer-114755776.html

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Dems, GOP talk up deficit reduction, but don't act

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Liberals' loud objections to White House proposals for slowing the growth of huge social programs make it clear that neither political party puts a high priority on reducing the deficit, despite much talk to the contrary.

For years, House Republicans have adamantly refused to raise income taxes, even though U.S. taxes are historically low, and the Bush-era tax cuts were a major cause of the current deficit.

And now, top Democrats are staunchly opposing changes to Medicare and Social Security benefits, despite studies showing the programs' financial paths are unsustainable.

Unless something gives, it's hard to see what will produce the significant compromises needed to tame the federal debt, which is nearing $17 trillion.

"There's not much of an appetite for deficit reduction," said Bob Bixby of the Concord Coalition, which pushes for "responsible fiscal policy."

There might be a few small steps this year, he said, when the government again needs to raise its borrowing limit. But a "grand bargain" involving significant spending cuts and revenue increases seems unlikely, Bixby said.

He added, "It's a little depressing to hear the reactions to the president's budget, from both sides."

There was nothing surprising about Republican denunciations of Obama's proposed tax increases, which he wants to combine with spending cuts to reduce the deficit.

The newer wrinkle was the left's sharp criticism of his proposals to slow the growth in Medicare and Social Security benefits, provided Republicans agree to new revenues. Obama has offered Republicans such a deal before. But this month's budget proposal gave it a new imprimatur.

The group MoveOn.org said Wednesday that supporters "who are outraged at President Obama's proposal to cut Social Security benefits will protest and deliver petitions" this week.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a liberal independent from Vermont, is leading a similar petition drive, opposing "any benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid." The deficit, his letter says, "was primarily caused during the Bush years by two unpaid-for wars, huge tax breaks for the rich and a prescription drug program" for Medicare, funded through borrowing. He suggests that higher taxes on the wealthy are the fairest way to tackle the deficit.

Democrats cite several reasons to raise taxes on high-income households. Obama campaigned for such tax increases in 2008 and 2012 but accomplished them only partially with the "fiscal cliff" resolution of Jan. 1.

Major tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 played big roles in turning a federal budget surplus into soaring deficits, according to research by the Congressional Budget Office and others. And by many measures, the U.S. tax burden in near historic lows.

Households earning roughly the national median income paid, on average, 11.1 percent of their income in total federal taxes in 2009, the most recent year for such data. That's the lowest level in more than 30 years, the CBO says.

Nonetheless, House Republicans have placed their highest priority on refusing to raise income tax rates, effectively ranking it above all other goals.

"The president got his tax hikes on Jan. 1," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is fond of saying. It's a reference to the $620 billion in new revenues, over 10 years, that Republicans were unable to stop because of the "fiscal cliff" law, resolved on New Year's Day.

If it's easy to make a case for higher revenues, the same is true for slowing the growth of Social Security and Medicare benefits. For decades, studies have warned of approaching trouble in these popular but costly programs, as health care costs rise and baby boomers begin to retire.

"Both Medicare and Social Security cannot sustain projected long-run program costs under currently scheduled financing, and legislative modifications are necessary to avoid disruptive consequences for beneficiaries and taxpayers," the Social Security Administration says, summarizing findings by the two programs' trustees.

"The early detection light has been going on for a while, and there has been a failure to act," Social Security trustee Charles P. Blahous recently told a House panel. If lawmakers are to preserve the programs for future retirees, he said, they will have to accept much more "political pain" than officials endured during a 1983 overhaul that included "several extremely controversial measures."

Obama has proposed an often-discussed step, which deals with government accounting in general, not just entitlement programs. If Congress agrees to higher tax revenues, the president said, he would back a slower growth calculation for cost-of-living increases for Social Security benefits, plus higher Medicare premiums for higher-income seniors.

Interest groups have criticized both ideas. AARP calls the slower cost-of-living formula a "harmful change," and urges seniors to oppose it.

American voters can largely blame themselves when Congress is more talk than action on deficit reduction. Americans routinely say they want a smaller federal debt, but not at the cost of programs they hold dear ? including Social Security and Medicare.

A CBS News poll in March found that most Americans want to cut spending and raise taxes to reduce the deficit. But 4 in 5 oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare. And two-thirds are unwilling to have their own taxes raised in the name of deficit reduction.

When Pew Research asked which was more important ? reducing the national debt or keeping Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are now ? the public sided with safeguarding the benefits programs, 53 percent to 36 percent.

The deficit-spending partisanship continued Wednesday. On a party-line vote, House Ways and Means Committee Republicans passed a bill to protect Social Security recipients and investors in Treasury bonds if the government hits its borrowing limit and can't pay all its bills later this year. Democrats say if the federal government starts reneging on any obligations ? even if it pays bondholders ? financial markets will lose faith and the economy will tank.

Some Democrats fear a lose-lose situation if they support Obama's proposals. First, they could be attacked from the left for tweaking the programs that many Democrats see as their party's greatest legacy. And second, Republicans might accuse them of "raiding Medicare" in next year's congressional elections. That battle cry proved effective in 2010 after Obama's health care overhaul bill was passed.

Democrats call such tactics shamelessly hypocritical. Republicans, they note, have long called for reining in entitlement spending.

Boehner rebuked a top GOP campaign figure for hinting at a renewal of the "raiding Medicare" attacks. But Reince Priebus, the national Republican Party chairman, seemed eager to revive the question of whether Democratic trims to Medicare's costs amount to an unfair cut in benefits.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-25-Budget%20Impasse/id-1c2bbd5f0fa8425582882f41f673ffeb

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Earth's core far hotter than thought

26 April 2013 Last updated at 05:56 ET By Jason Palmer Science and technology reporter, BBC News

New measurements suggest the Earth's inner core is far hotter than prior experiments suggested, putting it at 6,000C - as hot as the Sun's surface.

The solid iron core is actually crystalline, surrounded by liquid.

But the temperature at which that crystal can form had been a subject of long-running debate.

Experiments outlined in Science used X-rays to probe tiny samples of iron at extraordinary pressures to examine how the iron crystals form and melt.

Seismic waves captured after earthquakes around the globe can give a great deal of information as to the thickness and density of layers in the Earth, but they give no indication of temperature.

That has to be worked out either in computer models that simulate the Earth's insides, or in the laboratory.

X-ray vision

Measurements in the early 1990s of iron's "melting curves" - from which the core's temperature can be deduced - suggested a core temperature of about 5,000C.

"It was just the beginning of these kinds of measurements so they made a first estimate... to constrain the temperature inside the Earth," said Agnes Dewaele of the French research agency CEA and a co-author of the new research.

"Other people made other measurements and calculations with computers and nothing was in agreement. It was not good for our field that we didn't agree with each other," she told BBC News.

The core temperature is crucial to a number of disciplines that study regions of our planet's interior that will never be accessed directly - guiding our understanding of everything from earthquakes to the Earth's magnetic field.

"We have to give answers to geophysicists, seismologists, geodynamicists - they need some data to feed their computer models," Dr Dewaele said.

The team has now revisited those 20-year-old measurements, making use of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility - one of the world's most intense sources of X-rays.

To replicate the enormous pressures at the core boundary - more than a million times the pressure at sea level - they used a device called a diamond anvil cell - essentially a tiny sample held between the points of two precision-machined synthetic diamonds.

Once the team's iron samples were subjected to the high pressures and high temperatures using a laser, the scientists used X-ray beams to carry out "diffraction" - bouncing X-rays off of the nuclei of the iron atoms and watching how the pattern changed as the iron changed from solid to liquid.

Those diffraction patterns give more insight into partially molten states of iron, which the team believes were what the researchers were measuring in the first experiments.

They suggest a core temperature of about 6,000C, give or take 500C - roughly that of the Sun's surface.

But importantly, Dr Dewaele said, "now everything agrees".

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22297915#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Latest HIV vaccine doesn't work; govt halts study

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The latest bad news in the hunt for an AIDS vaccine: The government halted a large U.S. study on Thursday, saying the experimental shots aren't preventing HIV infection.

Nor did the shots reduce the amount of the AIDS virus in the blood when people who'd been vaccinated later became infected, the National Institutes of Health said.

"It's disappointing," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. But, "there was important information gained from this" study that will help determine what to try next.

The study had enrolled 2,504 volunteers, mostly gay men, in 19 cities since 2009. Half received dummy shots, and half received a two-part experimental vaccine developed by the NIH. All were provided free condoms and given extensive counseling about the risks for HIV.

It's a strategy known as "prime-boost." A DNA-based vaccine made with genetically engineered HIV material is given to prime the immune system to attack the AIDS virus. Then a different vaccine, encasing the same material inside a shell made of a disabled cold virus, acts as a booster shot to strengthen that response. Neither vaccine could cause HIV.

The idea: Train immune cells known as T cells to spot and attack the very earliest HIV-infected cells in someone's body. The hope was that the vaccine could either prevent HIV infection, or help those infected anyway to fight it.

A safety review this week found that slightly more study participants who had received the vaccine later became infected with HIV. It's not clear why. But the difference wasn't statistically significant, meaning it may be due to chance. Overall, there were 41 HIV infections in the vaccinated group and 30 among placebo recipients. When researchers examined only participants diagnosed after being in the study for at least 28 weeks ? long enough for the shots to have done their job ? there were 27 HIV infections among the vaccinated and 21 among the placebo recipients.

The NIH said Thursday that it is stopping vaccinations in the study, known as HVTN 505, but that researchers will continue to study the volunteers' health.

Josh Robbins, 30, of Nashville, Tenn., is among the participants who became infected. He said he's glad he was in the study, because its close monitoring meant he was diagnosed and treated much sooner than most people ? and he's feeling great ? and because the findings help science.

"We've got to keep moving forward," Robbins said. The study "certainly can lead us down a new direction to hopefully find something that might work."

Multiple attempts at creating an AIDS vaccine have failed over the years. A 2009 study in Thailand is the only one ever to show a modest success, using a somewhat different prime-boost approach. Newer research suggests another approach ? to try creating powerful antibodies that could work a step earlier than the T-cell attack, before HIV gets inside the first cell.

Both approaches need continued research funding, said Mitchell Warren of the international AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition.

"Clearly an AIDS vaccine remains critical," he said.

___

Online:

NIH Q&A: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/news/QA/Pages/HVTN505qa2013.aspx

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/latest-hiv-vaccine-doesnt-govt-halts-study-210239720.html

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Feast your eyes on new Stonehenge theory

David Jacques, Current Archaeology Issue 271

Researchers have uncovered animal bones, flint tools and evidence of burning that predates the first stones at Stonehenge by nearly 5,000 years. Here, an animal bone, with a point still in it.

By Tia Ghose
LiveScience

A site near Stonehenge has revealed archaeological evidence that hunters lived just a mile from Stonehenge roughly 5,000 years prior to the construction of the first stones, new research suggests.

What's more, the site, which was occupied continuously for 3,000 years, had evidence of burning, thousands of flint tool fragments and bones of?wild aurochs, a type of extinct giant cow. That suggests the area near Stonehenge may have been an auroch migration route that became an ancient feasting site, drawing people together from across different cultures in the region, wrote lead researcher David Jacques of the Open University in the United Kingdeom, in an email.

"We may have found the cradle of?Stonehenge, the reason why it is where it is," Jacques wrote. [In Photos: A Walk Through Stonehenge]

The new discovery may also identify the people who first erected structures at Stonehenge. A few gigantic pine posts, possibly totem poles, were raised at Stonehenge between 8,500 and 10,000 years ago, but until now there was scant evidence of occupation in the area that long ago. The new research suggests those ancient structures may perhaps have been raised to honor a sacred hunting ground.

Mysterious monument
For decades, people have wondered at the enigmatic stone structures erected roughly 5,000 years ago in the plains of Wiltshire, England. No one knows why ancient people built the structure: some believe it was a place of ancient worship or a sun calendar, whereas still others think it was a symbol of unity or even that Stonehenge was inspired by a sound illusion.

The large megaliths, known as sarsens, are up to 30 feet tall and weigh up to 25 tons, while the smaller bluestones weigh up to 4 tons. Researchers think the giant boulders?came from a quarry near Marlborough Downs, just 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the iconic site, while the bluestones likely came from Preseli Hills in Wales, nearly 156 miles (250 km) away from Stonehenge.

Old photographs
Jacques was looking through archival photographs of the region surrounding Stonehenge when he spotted a site known as Vespasian's Camp, just a mile from Stonehenge in nearby Amesbury.

Realizing that it hadn't been fully surveyed, Jacques began to investigate the area, which harbored a freshwater spring.

Because animals like to stop and drink at such watering holes, Jacques wondered whether ancient man may have settled nearby as well.

The team uncovered roughly 350 animal bones and 12,500 flint tools or fragments, as well as lots of evidence of burning. Carbon dating suggested the area was occupied by humans from 7500 B.C. to 4700 B.C. ? roughly 5,000 years prior to the erection of the first stones at Stonehenge. [See Photos of the Stonehenge Hunting Ground ]

"The spring may have originally attracted large animals to it, which would have aided hunting and may have led to associations that the area was a sacred hunting ground," Jacques wrote.

In addition, the researchers found tools made from stone from one region of England, but fashioned in the style of another region (for instance, a?stone tool?made from Welsh or Cornwall slate, but made in a style typical of Sussex). That suggests the people from different regions were coming together at the site, Jacques wrote.

Ancient builders?
The findings could help researchers pinpoint why the ancient builders of Stonehenge chose the place they did, Jacques said.?

"We have found a bridge from which transmission of cultural memory about the 'specialness' of the place where the stones were later being put up was possible," Jacques wrote. "We are getting closer to understanding their reasons for putting it up ? it is all to do with ancestors, but those ancestors go much further back than has previously been realized."

The findings show "there was a substantial interest in the Stonehenge landscape well before the stones were hauled there and erected," said Timothy Darvill, an archaeologist at Bournemouth University in the U.K., who was not involved in the study.

Excavations dating to 2008 at Stonehenge also confirm earlier use at the megalithic site, Darvill wrote. However, what makes the Amesbury discovery special is the large trove of auroch bones found in the area, which suggests the spring was on a natural migration route for the wild aurochs, he said.

A program about the Amesbury site will air on BBC 4 on April 29.

Follow Tia Ghose on Twitter @tiaghose.?Follow?LiveScience @livescience, Facebook?and Google+. Original article on?LiveScience.com.

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

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White House willing to consider budget flexibility

White House press secretary Jay Carney speaks during his daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April, 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

White House press secretary Jay Carney speaks during his daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April, 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The White House now says it's willing to consider legislation that would give the administration the budget-cutting flexibility to avoid furloughs of air traffic controllers.

Those furloughs could result in widespread air traffic delays.

White House spokesman Jay Carney says that if Congress wants to address the effect of automatic spending cuts on the Federal Aviation Administration, "we would be open to looking at that."

But he says that would be a "Band-Aid measure" that would not address other automatic cuts that kicked in March 1.

Back in February, when those cuts were approaching, the White House threatened to veto legislation that would give Obama greater budget-cutting flexibility.

At the time, the White House said it couldn't make dramatic cuts without affecting national security or hurting the economy.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-24-US-Obama-FAA/id-a65ee33630364220911d4da46c3750f4

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Bomb suspect influenced by mysterious radical

WASHINGTON (AP) ? In the years before the Boston Marathon bombings, Tamerlan Tsarnaev fell under the influence of a new friend, a Muslim convert who steered the religiously apathetic young man toward a strict strain of Islam, family members said.

Under the tutelage of a friend known to the Tsarnaev family only as Misha, Tamerlan gave up boxing and stopped studying music, his family said. He began opposing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He turned to websites and literature claiming that the CIA was behind the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and Jews controlled the world.

"Somehow, he just took his brain," said Tamerlan's uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, who recalled conversations with Tamerlan's worried father about Misha's influence. Efforts over several days by The Associated Press to identify and interview Misha have been unsuccessful.

Tamerlan's relationship with Misha could be a clue in understanding the motives behind his religious transformation and, ultimately, the attack itself. Two U.S. officials say he had no tie to terrorist groups.

Throughout his religious makeover, Tamerlan maintained a strong influence over his siblings, including Dzhokhar, who investigators say carried out the deadly attack by his older brother's side, killing three and injuring 264 people.

"They all loved Tamerlan. He was the eldest one and he, in many ways, was the role model for his sisters and his brother," said Elmirza Khozhugov, 26, the ex-husband of Tamerlan's sister, Ailina. "You could always hear his younger brother and sisters say, 'Tamerlan said this,' and 'Tamerlan said that.' Dzhokhar loved him. He would do whatever Tamerlan would say.

"Even my ex-wife loved him so much and respected him so much," Khozhugov said. "I'd have arguments with her and if Tamerlan took my side, she would agree: 'OK, if Tamerlan said it.'"

Khozhugov said he was close to Tamerlan when he was married and they kept in touch for a while but drifted apart in the past two years or so. He spoke to the AP from his home in Almaty, Kazakhstan. A family member in the United States provided the contact information.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a police shootout Friday. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged Monday with using a weapon of mass destruction to kill, and he could face the death penalty if convicted.

"Of course I was shocked and surprised that he was Suspect No. 1," Khozhugov said, recalling the days after the bombing when the FBI identified Tamerlan as the primary suspect. "But after a few hours of thinking about it, I thought it could be possible that he did it."

Based on preliminary written interviews with Dzhokar in his hospital bed, U.S. officials believe the brothers were motivated by their religious views. It has not been clear, however, what those views were.

As authorities try to piece together that information, they are touching on a question asked after so many terrorist plots: What turns someone into a terrorist?

The brothers emigrated in 2002 or 2003 from Dagestan, a Russian republic that has become an epicenter of the Islamic insurgency that spilled over from the region of Chechnya.

They were raised in a home that followed Sunni Islam, the religion's largest sect. They were not regulars at the mosque and rarely discussed religion, Khozhugov said.

Then, in 2008 or 2009, Tamerlan met Misha, a slightly older, heavyset bald man with a long reddish beard. Khozhugov didn't know where they'd met but believed they attended a Boston-area mosque together. Misha was an Armenian native and a convert to Islam and quickly began influencing his new friend, family members said.

Once, Khozhugov said, Misha came to the family home outside Boston and sat in the kitchen, chatting with Tamerlan for hours.

"Misha was telling him what is Islam, what is good in Islam, what is bad in Islam," said Khozhugov, who said he was present for the conversation. "This is the best religion and that's it. Mohammed said this and Mohammed said that."

The conversation continued until Tamerlan's father, Anzor, came home from work.

"It was late, like midnight," Khozhugov said. "His father comes in and says, 'Why is Misha here so late and still in our house?' He asked it politely. Tamerlan was so much into the conversation he didn't listen."

Khozhugov said Tamerlan's mother, Zubeidat, told him not to worry.

"'Don't interrupt them,'" Khozhugov recalled the mother saying. "'They're talking about religion and good things. Misha is teaching him to be good and nice.'"

As time went on, Tamerlan and his father argued about the young man's new beliefs.

"When Misha would start talking, Tamerlan would stop talking and listen. It upset his father because Tamerlan wouldn't listen to him as much," Khozhugov said. "He would listen to this guy from the mosque who was preaching to him."

Anzor became so concerned that he called his brother, worried about Misha's effects.

"I heard about nobody else but this convert," Tsarni said. "The seed for changing his views was planted right there in Cambridge."

It was not immediately clear whether the FBI has spoken to Misha or was attempting to.

Tsarnaev became an ardent reader of jihadist websites and extremist propaganda, two U.S. officials said. He read Inspire magazine, an English-language online publication produced by al-Qaida's Yemen affiliate.

Tamerlan loved music and, a few years ago, he sent Khozhugov a song he'd composed in English and Russian. He said he was about to start music school.

Six weeks later, the two men spoke on the phone. Khozhugov asked how school was going.

"I quit," Tamerlan said.

"Why did you quit?" Khozhugov asked. "You just started."

"Music is not really supported in Islam," he replied.

"Who told you that?"

"Misha said it's not really good to create music. It's not really good to listen to music," Tamerlan said, according to Khozhugov.

Tamerlan took an interest in Infowars, a conspiracy theory website. Khozhugov said Tamerlan was interested in finding a copy of the book "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," the classic anti-Semitic hoax, first published in Russia in 1903, that claims a Jewish plot to take over the world.

"He never said he hated America or he hated the Jews," Khozhugov said. "But he was fairly aggressive toward the policies of the U.S. toward countries with Muslim populations. He disliked the wars."

One of the brothers' neighbors, Albrecht Ammon, recently recalled an encounter in which Tamerlan argued about U.S. foreign policy, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and religion.

Ammon said Tamerlan described the Bible as a "cheap copy" of the Quran, used to justify wars with other countries.

"He had nothing against the American people," Ammon said. "He had something against the American government."

Khozhugov said Tamerlan did not know much about Islam beyond what he found online or what he heard from Misha.

"Misha was important," he said. "Tamerlan was searching for something. He was searching for something out there."

___

Associated Press writers Lara Jakes and Eileen Sullivan contributed to this report.

___

AP's Washington investigative team can be reached at DCinvestigations(at)ap.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bomb-suspect-influenced-mysterious-radical-202945456--politics.html

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Daily Kos: Days after fatal explosion, Rick Perry tries to lure ...

Rick Perry: Businesses should come to Texas because I am the governor and I do not care if they kill people.

Not only does Texas Gov. Rick Perry reject the idea that the massive fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, points to a need for more inspections and oversight of sites that store dangerous chemicals, he's spent this week arguing that Texas' lack of regulation is a reason companies should move their business there from other states. Perry paired a trip to the Bio International Convention in Chicago, Illinois, with a lot of big claims about why Texas is better for business than Illinois:

Perry, in his media campaign which cost some $80,000, said, ?I have a word of advice for employers frustrated by Illinois? short-sighted approach to business: you need to get out while there?s still time. The escape route leads straight to Texas, where limited government, low taxes and a pro-business environment are creating more jobs than any other state.?

Yes, come to Texas, where, like the West Fertilizer Co., you'll receive only the most minimal fines for decades of flagrantly ignoring regulations, rarely be inspected, and when you cause an explosion killing 15 and flattening a town, the governor won't see it as a sign that maybe a few more inspections would have been a good thing. Sure, if that's the business environment you want, you probably can't do any better than Texas?inside the United States, anyway.

Originally posted to Daily Kos Labor on Wed Apr 24, 2013 at 07:08 AM PDT.

Also republished by In Support of Labor and Unions and Daily Kos.

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Source: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/04/24/1204417/-Days-after-fatal-explosion-Rick-Perry-tries-to-lure-businesses-to-Texas-for-its-weak-regulations

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Ice tubes in polar seas -- 'brinicles' or 'sea stalactites' -- provide clues to origin of life

Apr. 24, 2013 ? Life on Earth may have originated not in warm tropical seas, but with weird tubes of ice -- sometimes called "sea stalactites" -- that grow downward into cold seawater near Earth's poles, scientists are reporting. Their article on these "brinicles" appears in ACS' journal Langmuir.

Bruno Escribano and colleagues explain that scientists know surprisingly little about brinicles, which are hollow tubes of ice that can grow to several yards in length around streamers of cold seawater under pack ice. That's because brinicles are difficult to study. The scientists set out to gather more information on the topic with an analysis of the growth process of brinicles.

They are shown to be analogous to a "chemical garden," a standby demonstration in chemistry classes and children's chemistry sets, in which tubes grow upward from metal salts dropped into silicate solution. But brinicles grow downward from the bottom of the ice pack.

The analysis concluded that brinicles provide an environment that could well have fostered the emergence of life on Earth billions of years ago, and could have done so on other planets. "Beyond Earth, the brinicle formation mechanism may be important in the context of planets and moons with ice-covered oceans," the report states, citing in particular two moons of Jupiter named Ganymede and Callisto.

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Journal Reference:

1. Julyan Cartwright, Bruno Escribano, Diego L. Gonz?lez, Claro Ignacio Sainz-Diaz, idan tuval. Brinicles as a case of inverse chemical gardens. Langmuir, 2013; : 130403173604005 DOI: 10.1021/la4009703

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/DaSQJwKHSz4/130424112316.htm

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Cause of LED efficiency droop finally revealed

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Researchers at University of California, Santa Barbara, in collaboration with colleagues at the ?cole Polytechnique in France, have conclusively identified Auger recombination as the mechanism that causes light emitting diodes (LEDs) to be less efficient at high drive currents.

Until now, scientists had only theorized the cause behind the phenomenon known as LED "droop"?a mysterious drop in the light produced when a higher current is applied. The cost per lumen of LEDs has held the technology back as a viable replacement for incandescent bulbs for all-purpose commercial and residential lighting.

This could all change now that the cause of LED efficiency droop has been explained, according to researchers James Speck and Claude Weisbuch of the Center for Energy Efficient Materials at UCSB, an Energy Frontier Research Center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Knowledge gained from this study is expected to result in new ways to design LEDs that will have significantly higher light emission efficiencies. LEDs have enormous potential for providing long-lived high quality efficient sources of lighting for residential and commercial applications. The U.S. Department of Energy recently estimated that the widespread replacement of incandescent and fluorescent lights by LEDs in the U.S. could save electricity equal to the total output of fifty 1GW power plants.

"Rising to this potential has been contingent upon solving the puzzle of LED efficiency droop," commented Speck, professor of Materials and the Seoul Optodevice Chair in Solid State Lighting at UCSB. "These findings will enable us to design LEDs that minimize the non-radiative recombination and produce higher light output."

"This was a very complex experiment?one that illustrates the benefits of teamwork through both an international collaboration and a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center," commented Weisbuch, distinguished professor of Materials at UCSB. Weisbuch, who is also a faculty member at the ?cole Polytechnique in Paris, enlisted the support of his colleagues Lucio Martinelli and Jacques Peretti. UCSB graduate student Justin Iveland was a key member of the team working both at UCSB and ?cole Polytechnique.

In 2011, UCSB professor Chris van de Walle and colleagues theorized that a complex non-radiative process known as Auger recombination was behind nitride semiconductor LED droop, whereby injected electrons lose energy to heat by collisions with other electrons rather than emitting light.

A definitive measurement of Auger recombination in LEDs has now been accomplished by Speck, Weisbuch, and their research team.

The experiment used an LED with a specially prepared surface that permitted the researchers to directly measure the energy spectrum of electrons emitted from the LED. The results unambiguously showed a signature of energetic electrons produced by the Auger process.

###

University of California - Santa Barbara: http://www.ucsb.edu

Thanks to University of California - Santa Barbara 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/127877/Cause_of_LED_efficiency_droop_finally_revealed

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Should your car disable your smartphone to prevent texting while driving?

According to one survey, 49 percent of adults admit to texting while driving... even though 98 percent know it's unsafe

"Uncle Sam wants automakers to make it impossible for you to text your wife, check Facebook, and watch a video while you're driving," says Damon Lavrinc at Wired. In late 2011, the federal Transportation Department?suggested that all 50 states ban texting and other use of your cell phone while driving. (Forty states now have texting-while-driving bans.)?And on Tuesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (FHTSA) issued new guidelines urging carmakers to disable most visual-manual activities while the car is in gear.

"Distracted driving is a deadly epidemic that has devastating consequences on our nation's roadways," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who has made fighting texting-while-driving one of his personal crusades. According to NHTSA figures, distracted driving was instrumental in 10 percent of all traffic deaths in 2011 ? 3,331 killed, up from 3,092 in 2010 ? and a new NHTSA study indicates that texting, dialing, and other smartphone and portable-device use increases the risk of getting into a crash by up to three times.

SEE MORE: Today in history: April 24

Specifically, the Transportation Department would like automakers to disable three types of activities:

* Manual text entry for the purposes of text messaging and internet browsing

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* Video-based entertainment and communications like video phoning or video conferencing

* Display of certain types of text, including text messages, web pages, and social media content

SEE MORE: How Obama could have avoided gun-control failure

Right now, the recommendations are only for devices that automakers install in their cars, and "most of the recommendations are common sense, like limiting text input and what can be displayed on screens or the windshield," says Wired's Lavrinc. "But this is only the first part in a trilogy of recommendations to limit in-car distractions," and the other two parts will deal with smartphones. "Here's where Samsung, HTC, and Apple have something to worry about."

A new study from the Texas Transportation Institute found that using voice-activated texting apps (think Siri on the iPhone) while driving is?just as dangerous as texting by hand. And a recent essay in the Journal of the American Medical Association, by two West Virginia University physicians, suggests a solution that the NHTSA is sure to consider: "The federal government should enact stringent new safety standards that require all handheld devices to be rendered inoperable when the motor vehicle is in motion."

SEE MORE: 5 ways to fight back against Chinese cyber attacks

Legislation, stepped-up penalties and enforcement, and education will all help cut down on distracted driving, argue Dr. Jeffrey Coben and Dr. Motao Zhu, but that isn't enough. In a survey they conducted, 40 percent of drivers admitted they use their cell phone while driving, and 15 percent cop to texting behind the wheel. A recent survey from AT&T backs that up: 49 percent of adults (and 43 percent of teens) admit to texting while driving, even though 98 percent know it's unsafe, the practice seems to be growing ? 60 percent of adults say they didn't text-and-drive three years ago.

The technology is out there to jam your smartphone while behind the wheel ? a company called Scosche is already selling such a device ? and LaHood suggested in 2010 that "the government was examining cell phone jammers and scramblers as a possible solution to distracted driving," says Amar Toor at The Verge, "though a Department of Transportation spokesperson later downplayed LaHood's statements."

SEE MORE: 10 things you need to know today: April 24, 2013

Carmakers are on-board, arguing that smartphones are more dangerous than built-in devices and that it's unfair to just target navigation, communication, and entertainment add-ons that come in your new vehicle. But before anyone starts mourning their turn-by-turn directions from Siri, it's worth remembering that the NHTSA guidelines are just that ? non-binding suggestions, says Jeff Blagdon at The Verge. "And since car infotainment systems are often designed years in advance, it will be some time before we see automakers voluntarily adding the functionality, if ever."

Now, maybe LaHood or his successor can focus on getting drivers to stop driving with their dogs on their lap.

SEE MORE: 10 obscure Disney characters

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/car-disable-smartphone-prevent-texting-while-driving-111000016.html

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Bacteria may contribute to premature births, STDs

Apr. 22, 2013 ? New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis points to a common species of bacteria as an important contributor to bacterial vaginosis, a condition linked to preterm birth and increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

The condition affects one in every three women, making it more common than yeast infections. But bacterial vaginosis often does not cause significant symptoms, leaving many women unaware they have it.

"Bacterial vaginosis can precipitate significant health problems, but it is not a common topic of conversation between patients and their gynecologists," says Amanda Lewis, PhD, assistant professor of molecular microbiology. "Our findings, which come from new experimental models of the condition, may be a first step toward a better understanding of how to treat bacterial vaginosis and prevent serious complications linked with the condition."

Bacterial vaginosis occurs when the typical mix of microbes in the vagina is knocked off-kilter. In some cases, bacterial vaginosis causes a change in the consistency of vaginal fluids and an unpleasant odor. The condition is diagnosed through examination of the vagina and tests of the vaginal fluids. Doctors typically treat it with antibiotics, but the condition often recurs.

Lewis and her colleagues recently published back-to-back papers on bacterial vaginosis, the first in Journal of Biological Chemistry and the second in PLOS One.

Dozens of bacterial species have been linked with bacterial vaginosis, leading to heated debates in the scientific community over which bacteria actually cause the condition and its complications. The new research provides evidence that mucus layers and cells lining the surface of the vagina are damaged in women with bacterial vaginosis and suggests that a single organism, Gardnerella vaginalis, is likely the cause.

G. vaginalis is commonly found in the vaginal fluids of women with bacterial vaginosis and in some women who don't have the condition. The latter had led many researchers to dismiss the bacterium's potential contributions to bacterial vaginosis.

Working in mice to simulate this condition, Nicole Gilbert, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, showed that G. vaginalis causes increased shedding of the outermost cells covering the vaginal lining.

"We think the vaginal lining is shed as part of the body's effort to eliminate bacteria," says Gilbert. "However, this shedding may also expose sensitive underlying tissues. This may be important for understanding why women with bacterial vaginosis are more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases and urinary tract infections."

Based on their observations in mice, the researchers compared vaginal samples from women with and without bacterial vaginosis and found that the outermost cells from the lining of the vagina are shed in higher numbers during bacterial vaginosis.

"This is the first time, to our knowledge, that the presence of increased numbers of shed cells has been detected in bacterial vaginosis in humans," Lewis says. "These results also suggest that G. vaginalis is the cause of this increase."

The researchers examined the ability of G. vaginalis to degrade mucus, which normally helps protect the vagina and uterus from infection.

Using biochemical approaches, Warren Lewis, PhD, research instructor in medicine, and Lloyd Robinson, PhD, research technician, showed that the bacterium uses an enzyme called sialidase to detach sialic acids, which are an abundant and important part of mucus.

The research team showed that the bacterium not only breaks up mucus barriers but also makes a meal of some of the components it frees from the barriers.

When the researchers tested vaginal mucus samples from women with bacterial vaginosis, they found lower levels of sialic acids than in women who did not have the condition. Mice also had lower levels of vaginal sialic acids after infection with G. vaginalis.

"This is the first time that a bacterium associated with vaginosis has been shown to participate in mucus degradation," says Lewis. "This is significant because infection of the uterus is a common cause of preterm birth and likely requires degradation of the mucus plug, a physical structure that protects the pregnant uterus from bacteria in the vagina."

This work was supported by the March of Dimes, the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation and the American Heart Association. The animal work was performed in a facility supported by a National Center for Research Resources grant C06RR012466.

Gilbert NM, Lewis WG, Lewis AL. Clinical features of bacterial vaginosis in a murine model of vaginal infection with Gardnerella vaginalis. PLOS One, published online.

This work was supported by the March of Dimes, the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation, the American Heart Association and in part by NIH grant P50DK064540-11

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Washington University School of Medicine. The original article was written by Michael Purdy.

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

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Journal References:

1. W. G. Lewis, L. S. Robinson, N. M. Gilbert, J. C. Perry, A. L. Lewis. Degradation, foraging and depletion of mucus sialoglycans by the vagina-adapted Actinobacterium Gardnerella vaginalis. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2013; DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M113.453654
2. Nicole M. Gilbert, Warren G. Lewis, Amanda L. Lewis. Clinical Features of Bacterial Vaginosis in a Murine Model of Vaginal Infection with Gardnerella vaginalis. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (3): e59539 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059539

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/VIQTWKEwSxM/130423102411.htm

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EMC first-quarter earnings per share, revenue below Street

By Mark Elkington MADRID, April 24 (Reuters) - Even Lionel Messi, so often Barcelona's saviour, was at a loss to explain how the La Liga leaders could come back from their Champions League semi-final mauling in Munich. Barca were thumped 4-0 away by an impressive Bayern Munich in their first leg on Tuesday, putting in one of their most toothless displays in recent memory. On Wednesday, they were greeted with newspaper headlines such as 'Historic beating' in Madrid-based daily Marca, 'Catastrophe' in Barcelona-based Mundo Deportivo, and 'Azulgrana Waterloo' in daily El Mundo. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/emc-first-quarter-earnings-per-share-revenue-below-111434450--finance.html

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Five people shot to death in small Illinois town

MANCHESTER, Ill. (AP) ? Authorities are investigating the slayings of five people whose bodies were found in a house in the tiny Scott County community of Manchester. A suspect is in custody.

Illinois State Police spokeswoman Monique Bond says the victims were found early Wednesday morning in the southwestern Illinois community, 50 miles west of Springfield. She didn't have any details on the deaths or the circumstances surrounding the capture of the suspect.

A school superintendent in the area says he was informed by sheriffs early Wednesday morning that the victims had been shot to death. Les Stevens of the North Greene School District says he canceled classes because authorities warned him at the time that the suspect was at large. The district has since been informed that the man was captured.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-5-people-found-dead-small-ill-town-141757368.html

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Texas town where plant blew starts long recovery

WEST, Texas (AP) ? From money, food and clothing to new appliances and crews armed with chain saws, help is pouring into the tiny Texas town where a fertilizer plant exploded.

As the donations come in, how long and how much it will take for West to come back aren't yet known.

Residents have just started burying the 14 people who died in last week's blast. Some don't yet know what happened to their homes. They're struggling to replace missing medications and documents.

Others are just starting to work with insurance companies to figure out how much money they'll get for repairs.

The explosion last Wednesday at West Fertilizer left a crater more than 90 feet wide and blasted the walls and windows off dozens of buildings in the town of 2,700.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-town-where-plant-blew-starts-long-recovery-221945331.html

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Chad Mendes and Myles Jury among the six UFC on Fox 7 fighters scoring knockouts on prelims

UFC on Fox 7 started out with a knockout, followed by a knockout and then a knockout. Before fans at the fights in San Jose had eaten lunch, the competition was already fierce for the Knockout of the Night.

It started with Yoel Romero, an Olympic wrestler who knocked out Clifford Starks with a flying knee 1:32 in the first round.

Anthony Njokuani followed Romero's knockout with a pasting of Roger Bowling. Njokuani ruined Bowling's UFC debut with a second-round KO.

T.J. Dillashaw kept the KO-party going with a knockout of Hugo Viana at 4:22 of the first round. Jorge Masvidal won a bloody technical decision over Tim Means and then the knockout fun started all over again.

Joseph Benavidez dominated Darren Uyenoyama for two rounds, then finished up with a TKO with just 10 seconds left in the second round.

Myles Jury stayed undefeated with a knockout of Ramsey Nijem at 1:02 in the second round. Francis Carmont and Lorenz Larkin broke the KO streak with a decision. The judges saw it 29-28 on all three cards for Carmont, thought Larkin controlled the bout and had stellar takedown defense.

Chad Mendes finished off the knockout-filled preliminary card with a KO of Darren Elkins in 1:08. It's his third straight win since losing to Jose Aldo in his first title shot. After the fight, he asked for another one.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/chad-mendes-myles-jury-among-six-ufc-fox-000141669--mma.html

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Bahrain's crown prince: Too early to join talks

SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) ? Bahrain's crown prince says there will be "a time and a place" for him to participate in the slow-moving political dialogue in the divided Gulf nation but not yet.

Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa spoke Saturday as he toured the Bahrain International Circuit on the eve of the Bahrain Grand Prix. The crown prince says he is "hopeful" about the talks between the government and opposition forces in the divided Gulf nation but admitted the slow pace has been a concern.

"I wish they were going faster," the crown prince said. "But I'm hopeful. They are happening. That is the important thing. All sides get a chance to air their grievances and that is very key."

Last month, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa appointed his heir to an additional role overseeing government affairs in an apparent gesture to opposition groups that have led more than two years of protests in a country which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. The crown prince is seen as more receptive to political compromises than others in Bahrain's ruling family, which has waged withering crackdowns on protesters, mainly Shiites calling for a greater political voice.

The largest Shiite political group Al Wifaq welcomed the move but has since demanded that a member of the ruling family directly participate in the talks.

"There is a serious need to involve the ruling family with the dialogue process in a serious way," Al Wifaq spokesman Abdul Jalil Khalil told The Associated Press. "This will be one of the first steps to improve the conditions of the dialogue, prepare the atmosphere and build the bridges of trust that also can be done by releasing political prisoners, stopping the intimidation of media."

The crown prince said a "framework" needs to be in place for the talks before he would consider joining.

"If I attend talks and (they) fail as it did in 2011, the costs are extremely high," the crown prince said. "I can't speak for different political groups or different political views that are present at the table. So there is a time and a place for me to step in. It is not yet there."

More than 60 people have been killed in the Arab Spring-inspired unrest, but some activists place the death toll higher. Opposition protesters stepped up their campaign for change ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, with some demanding the race be cancelled until their demands for political reforms are addressed.

Sporadic protests were reported around the capital, Manama, on Saturday, with protesters lighting fires and riot police firing tear gas and bird shot. Two Asians were also injured by firebombs being thrown at police patrols, the Ministry of Interior tweeted.

The crown prince dismissed allegations by rights groups that the race is used by the Sunni-led government to gloss over problems with its majority Shiite population. The race was canceled in 2011 due to the Arab Spring-inspired uprising and was overshadowed last year by massive protests outside the circuit ? including a firebomb that briefly delayed a Force India car and prompted the team to pull out of the second practice.

"We've never used this race to say that everything is fine," the crown prince said. "We recognize there are issues in the country but they are to be solved through a political process which is well under way. I can name at least four other grand prix venues which have political problems but (they) don't seem to attract that kind of attention."

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Associated Press Writer Reem Khalifa contributed to this report from Manama, Bahrain.

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Follow Michael Casey on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mcasey1

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bahrains-crown-prince-too-early-join-talks-150159287.html

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