Can herbal products provide sun protection?

Public release date: 31-Jul-2012
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Contact: Vicki Cohn
vcohn@liebertpub.com
914-740-2100
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, July 31, 2012Recent research supports the ability of some herbal agents, taken orally or applied topically, to prevent sunburn and limit the damage caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Natural products with proven and promising photoprotective properties are highlighted in an article in Alternative and Complementary Therapies, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Alternative and Complementary Therapies website at http://www.liebertpub.com/act.

The article "Herbal Sunscreens and Ultraviolet Protectants" specifically identifies golden serpent fern (Phlebodium aureum or Polypodium leucatomos) and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) as herbal products that, when taken orally, may reduce the local and systemic negative effects of UV light exposure, including photoaging, increased risk of skin cancer, and harm done to immune system function. Sufficiently high oral doses or topical application of green tea (Camellia sinensis) may also offer photoprotection.

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About the Journal

Alternative and Complementary Therapies is a bimonthly journal that publishes original articles, reviews, and commentaries evaluating alternative therapies and how they can be integrated into clinical practice. Topics include botanical medicine, vitamins and supplements, nutrition and diet, mind-body medicine, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, ayurveda, indigenous medicine systems, homeopathy, naturopathy, yoga and meditation, manual therapies, energy medicine, and spirituality and health. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Alternative and Complementary Therapies website at http://www.liebertpub.com/act.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Medical Acupuncture, and Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website at http://www.liebertpub.com.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
140 Huguenot St., New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215
http://www.liebertpub.com
Phone: (914) 740-2100
(800) M-LIEBERT
Fax: (914) 740-2101

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 31-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Vicki Cohn
vcohn@liebertpub.com
914-740-2100
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, July 31, 2012Recent research supports the ability of some herbal agents, taken orally or applied topically, to prevent sunburn and limit the damage caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Natural products with proven and promising photoprotective properties are highlighted in an article in Alternative and Complementary Therapies, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Alternative and Complementary Therapies website at http://www.liebertpub.com/act.

The article "Herbal Sunscreens and Ultraviolet Protectants" specifically identifies golden serpent fern (Phlebodium aureum or Polypodium leucatomos) and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) as herbal products that, when taken orally, may reduce the local and systemic negative effects of UV light exposure, including photoaging, increased risk of skin cancer, and harm done to immune system function. Sufficiently high oral doses or topical application of green tea (Camellia sinensis) may also offer photoprotection.

###

About the Journal

Alternative and Complementary Therapies is a bimonthly journal that publishes original articles, reviews, and commentaries evaluating alternative therapies and how they can be integrated into clinical practice. Topics include botanical medicine, vitamins and supplements, nutrition and diet, mind-body medicine, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, ayurveda, indigenous medicine systems, homeopathy, naturopathy, yoga and meditation, manual therapies, energy medicine, and spirituality and health. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Alternative and Complementary Therapies website at http://www.liebertpub.com/act.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (http://www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Medical Acupuncture, and Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website at http://www.liebertpub.com.

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
140 Huguenot St., New Rochelle, NY 10801-5215
http://www.liebertpub.com
Phone: (914) 740-2100
(800) M-LIEBERT
Fax: (914) 740-2101

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/mali-chp073112.php

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Romney praises American allies in Poland speech

WARSAW, Poland (AP) ? Mitt Romney is praising the people of Poland and asking them to stand in solidarity with their American allies as he wraps up his first overseas trip as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Romney says he and other Americans are inspired by Poland's opposition to a government-dominated economy. The campaign released excerpts of a speech Romney is set to deliver Tuesday morning.

Romney has stumbled during his trip, inadvertently insulting Brits and angering Palestinians. On Monday in Jerusalem, he told Jewish campaign donors Monday that their culture is part of what has allowed them to be more economically successful than the Palestinians. Outraged Palestinian leaders suggested Romney's comments were racist and out of touch with the realities of the Middle East.

On Tuesday, China's official Xinhua News Agency said Romney's "hawkish remarks" could worsen an already tense Mideast situation, or even re-ignite a war between Palestinians and Israelis. Romney has been highly critical of China on the campaign trail, promising to challenge Beijing's growing influence in East Asia and get tougher with the communist government on its human rights record.

There was some tension between reporters and Romney staffers Tuesday, as the campaign was looking to Poland as a final opportunity to project the image of a leader ready to stand on the world's stage.

The two-day trip to Poland is aimed at Polish-American and Catholic voters in the U.S. and will highlight Romney's stance toward Russia. He has labeled Russia as America's "No. 1 geopolitical foe," a characterization that's not unwelcome in a country that still fears Russia.

Poles generally have been skeptical of Obama's "reset" with Russia, and Romney has cited Polish concerns in his criticism of Obama. Some in Poland and the neighboring Czech Republic were upset by the Obama administration's decision to revise the Bush-era missile defense plan for Europe, which included sites in both countries.

Romney will deliver his remarks in a deeply Roman Catholic country that for years has favored Republicans over Democrats. This is partly a legacy of President Ronald Reagan, whose efforts helped bring down communism across Eastern Europe, for which Poles remain grateful.

Poland has been a stalwart U.S. ally and significant contributor to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Romney met Tuesday with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. The two men discussed the longstanding ties between the two nations as well as the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.

"On behalf of our countrymen, I express deep appreciation for your willingness to fight with us, to stand with us, and to be our friends in times of crisis and military conflict," Romney said.

"Poland has excellent ties with the United States, regardless of which American party is in power," Sikorski said. "We remember Ronald Reagan's warm feelings for Poland's Solidarity and also the fact that we joined (NATO) during Bill Clinton's term."

Romney also visited Poland's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where he laid a wreath and greeted Polish soldiers who fought in World War II and the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. He also stopped to view a memorial to Pope John Paul II, who was born in Poland. He then met with President Bronislaw Komorowski.

The candidate ignored shouted questions from reporters about his comments on Israel and the Palestinians. Asked why Romney has taken just three questions from American reporters during this trip, traveling press secretary Rick Gorka said, "Shove it."

Romney's visit, campaign officials said, was at the invitation of Lech Walesa, the Polish labor leader who co-founded the Solidarity movement and served as Poland's president during the country's transition out of communism.

Walesa effectively endorsed Romney when the Republican presidential candidate visited him Monday at the Artus Center in a historic neighborhood of Gdansk.

"I wish you to be successful because the success is needed to the United States, of course, but to Europe as well and to the rest of the world, too. So, Gov. Romney, get your success, be successful," Walesa told Romney through a translator.

Walesa suggested Romney's leadership was needed to restore America's position in the world.

Walesa's backing is meant to influence Catholics and labor union members in the U.S. But Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, told reporters Monday that the Polish visit "is nothing more than a superficial diversion and a desperate attempt to pander to Polish Americans and Catholics across our country."

"This trip is not going to change the November election," she said.

Romney's visit to Poland has not been without controversy.

Campaign officials said the visit to Poland came at the invitation of Walesa, but the current leadership of Solidarity distanced itself from the event and issued a statement critical of Romney on Monday.

Solidarity characterized Romney as being hostile to unions and against labor rights. It emphasized that it had no role in organizing Romney's visit and expressed support for American labor organizations.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-praises-american-allies-poland-speech-101009836.html

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Top 10 Games That Need a Remake Day 1 - The Gamers Blog

I went look?ing through all of my games the other day both good and bad and thought to myself that sev?eral of these games deserve a remake if not a sequel depend?ing on the fran?chise. ?So for this week I?m going to go over sev?eral games that stick out to me that are dying for either a sequel or just a full blown remake.

Yes I actu?ally still have this man?ual and the orig?i?nal game?discs.

The Game:

This game is prob?a?bly one of my most trea?sured games of all time. ?It had a mas?sive fol?low?ing back in the 90?s when Space Com?bat Sims were wildly pop?u?lar on MSN gam?ing zone. ?By the way MSN gam?ing zone was one of the coolest gam?ing com?mu?ni?ties ever next to heat.net. ?Those of you who rec?og?nize those names deserve some?props.

Today?s game (you guessed it) is Xwing vs Tie Fighter. ?As I?m sure many of you know there were many titles in the Xwing and Tie Fighter series along with sev?eral expan?sions so before any?one gets offended that I didn?t choose Tie Fighter or X-Wing please under?stand that I am tak?ing this fran?chise as a?whole.

X-Wing vs Tie Fighter (XvT) allowed you to take con?trol of sev?eral rebel or impe?r?ial fight?ers and fly mis?sions every?one from escort?ing to destroy?ing impe?r?ial or rebel fleets. ?It also allowed you a wide range of con?trols over your fighter craft allow?ing you to pilot and fight in sev?eral ways. ?Many of you remem?ber the quote from A New Hope ?shields dou?ble front?. ?This quote has a real impor?tant mean?ing in XvT along with many other cus?tomize?able aspects of your fighter craft.

Why We Loved?It:

XvT was not only a top notch game, and a Star Wars game to boot but it was also one of the first Star Wars games to allow true multi-player and co-op mis?sions. ?It also had a very large num?ber of mis?sions that could be played in may dif?fer?ent ways and had an early form of acheive?ments. ?If you could beat a mis?sion on a cer?tain dif?fi?cultly level within a cer?tain amount of time you would get a dif?fer?ent medal. ?The replay value on XvT was extremely high.

It also was extremely?mod?i?fi?able?and there was a huge mod?ding com?mu?nity that added a ton of con?tent into the game which include but wasn?t lim?ited to new mis?sions, addi?tional?star ships?and fight?ers and new sounds. ?Cre?at?ing mis?sion was extremely excit?ing as you could basi?cally cre?ate and bat?tle you wanted to cre?ate and play it out real time. ?I was involved in a few of these com?mu?ni?ties but the ones that really stuck out, before they dis?ap?peared were Data?mas?ters XvT and Cor?re?lian Ship Yards. ?They had some amaz?ing mod?el?ers and mis?sion design?ers and they added years of replaya?bil?ity to the?game.

For it?s time XvT was an extremely pretty game and it was very immer?sive. ?You got to pilot almost any fighter you wanted to on both the Impe?r?ial and Rebel side and once you got bored you could with a few edits add in any ship you wanted and later down the road you could pilot capi?tol ships! ? Granted those were a lit?tle buggy but it was fun none the?less.

Why It Needs a Remake:

While XvT was impres?sive for the time the tech?nol?ogy of the day really didn?t do it jus?tice. ?Graph?ics tech?nol?ogy today com?pared to the 90?s has lit?ter?aly jumped a galaxy. ?XvT with a DX11 setup on a solid gam?ing PC or a con?sole would look mind bog?gingly beau?ti?ful. ?The dog fights, explo?sions, dis?inti?grat?ing cap?i?tal ships and the improved sounds would make a mod?ern day XvT a sight to behold.

It?s time to res?ur?rect the Space Com?bat genre? sadly it has been on it?s deathbed for quite some time and ever since the advent of mod?ern con?soles with the excep?tion of the X Uni?verse by Egosoft there has been lit?tle or no move?ment in this genre. ? I think a qual?ity Lucasarts title (yes I know that is very hard to imag?ine) would go a long way into breath?ing life back into this dor?mant?genre.

Will it happen:

Lucasarts has been teas?ing for years that there is an ?X-Wing? game in the works but noth?ing has ever been?offi?cially?announced yet. ?Hol?ly?wood Games, the orig?i?nal devel?oper, said they would love to do another title if the fund?ing was pre?sented to them. ?If any addi?tional news comes up you will hear it here?first.

Check out some more images and videos below:

Two of these videos are from the expan?sions Bal?ance of?Power.

Posted by thsoundman Jul 31, 2012 Last Updated Jul 31, 2012

Source: http://www.thegamersblog.com/top-10-games-that-need-a-remake-day-1/

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SGM Metals LLC: Social Security Disability Enrollment Exceeds Job ...

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Shifting the jobless to the govt. handout column only worsens the problem?!?

PRLog (Press Release) - Jul 30, 2012 -
Infowars.com reports: [ Between April and June, according to statistics released by the Senate Budget Committee, more Americans went on Social Security disability than found jobs. Senator Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican on the budget panel, said that since 2008 and the onset of the latest economic recession 3.6 million Americans have gone on disability and 1.3 million have lost jobs.

According to figures released by the committee, a total of 246,000 people enrolled in the Social Security Disability Insurance program while during the same period a mere 225,000 found jobs.

?Amazingly, while fewer Americans are working than at the end of 2008, 3.6 million Americans have been awarded SSDI benefits over the same period. The growing number of people on disability and other federal benefits, combined with weak economic growth, raises serious concerns about the sustainability of the American economy,? said the Alabama senator.

?It is clear there is a great need to distinguish between proper and improper disability claims, and to better incentivize and find acceptable work for those who are able. Today only 1 percent of Social Security disability recipients ever return to work. The administration of this program must be improved to avoid sinking our country deeper into debt, to ensure the program remains viable for those with disabilities, and to protect Social Security itself.?

However, according to John Williams? ?Shadow Government Statistics? website, the real unemployment rate is closer to 22 percent. Williams? methodology for determining the real unemployment rate includes ?long-term discouraged workers? who are removed from the category of those considered ?unemployed,? a bookkeeping trick instituted by the Clinton administration in 1994 to make unemployment appear lower than it actually is.

During a recent campaign stop, Obama criticized small business despite the fact they are the engine of job creation in the United States. According to data released by Automatic Data Processing, Inc., of the 216,000 new jobs created in February of this year, 108,000 or more than half were created by businesses with 49 or fewer employees. The 88,000 new jobs created by companies with 50-499 employees brings the total of new jobs from small businesses for February to 90 percent, The Daily Times notes.]

We see stories about the federal government doing outreach programs to target Spanish speaking immigrants to use food stamps (there is controversy as to whether they are targeting illegals in a bid to buy votes) which would only increase the number of people who are dependent upon govt. for their living expenses at a point where already 1/2 the country falls into this category. This on top of the fact that more Americans are successfully going onto unemployment, food stamps and Social Security benefits programs than are actually finding work only creates a disaster type scenario that doesn?t bode well for an already cash strapped nation. Why on earth would a govt. who is over $15 TRILLION in debt voluntarily choose to go further into debt by all but begging people to take govt. handouts that they have to borrow roughly 1/2 of every dollar they give out in govt. welfare? It seems like fiscal suicide but for some reason it is the agenda that is currently afoot and we are all told daily it is the compassionate thing to do and we should feel good about taking care of those less fortunate.

I can?t help but see it for what it is, a scenario where those in charge realize they have severely threatened the viability of the USD as the world reserve currency. This was accomplished through decades of self benefiting abuse and now that we are entering a new phase of economic evolution which could end up moving beyond the dollar, it seems they want to get as many people on govt. welfare with them as possible so that everyone can be blamed for a crisis that was decades in the making.

It seems eerily similar to the typical 1980?s dirty cop movies where the cops are shaking down drug dealers to get ahold of their ill gotten gains only to be caught in the act by the new rooky partner who stumbled onto his partners unsavory business practices. The veteran cop has a decision to make and quickly in order to cover his but or stand the chance of losing his pension and benefits, sound like any movie you have seen? So he immediately makes the decision to push some of the stolen bounty onto his green counterpart who is struggling with the idea of stealing drug money while supposedly being their to protect and serve. If the dirty cop is successful in tainting the pure of heart rookie then he will be able through forced coercion to get an accomplice who will further his corruption and everyone is happy with a little extra side money. Then the day comes when the supervisor calls the rookie in after a year on the beat and has a heart to heart talk with him and exposes that he is under the impression that there may be some dirty cops in his crew and asks if he has seen anything along those lines. Now the struggle of conscience begins and the rookie wants so badly to expose the corruption but he too is involved in it and is unable to speak the truth as he has been corrupted by the very corruption that he despises. Now the truth goes uncovered and the inquisition fades away as a bad hunch. The opportunity to catch this early and resolve it has faded with time and the corruption has a stronghold which ultimately is responsible for the destruction of the community and will never quite be the same. What seemed like an innocent cash grab from a murderous thug who didn?t deserve the new found wealth to begin with has now corrupted the pure of heart and set out a path to moral bankruptcy. The corruption has corrupted.

Now compare this to the national debt problem we currently have and there are some similarities. The excessive debt has been swollen over the decades by politicians who were trying to get their biggest donors pork barrel projects to enrich themselves as repayment for funding his path to power. Politicians have expanded welfare programs in the poorer districts in order to buy votes from the poor which only adds onto the debt as this too is borrowed money. The crafty politicos have legislated the abilities for some of their constituents to shut down US factories that have employed several generations of their voters and outsource them over to China with taxpayer money in order to elevate their stock price while stripping the job opportunities themselves. I could go on for days as to how this ?death by a thousand cuts? has incrementally created a mountain of endless debt with just as many hands that have gone into the pot to get their piece of the action in one way or another. The point is that there is a certain ?air of arrogance? in America that we are the greatest nation on the planet and we can have as much debt as we want because the world has always gone along with it so why wouldn?t they now? But the truth is the world wasn?t Ok with it for the past 5 decades but now the situation is ripe for a major re-alignment and the world is making their move while we debate gay marriage at home. China has signed trade agreements with most of the world that no longer use the USD for international commerce. This will hurt us badly as the world will have no need for the dollar much less be forced to put up with the inflationary policies of the FED. Nations of the world are buying hundreds of metric tons of gold to prepare for the re-shuffling of the global economies. Trading exchanges are willing to accept gold bullion as collateral and are no longer ok with just paper money. The FDIC has lobbied to revalue gold bullion as a Tier 1 Asset w/ 0% counterparty risk for banks to purchase in order to stabilize their balance sheets that are severely wounded by derivative losses. Establish your ?Plan B? in physical gold & silver bullion and remember it is always better to PREPARE your portfolio before the damage begins than to attempt to REPAIR your portfolio once the damage has begun. QE3 is coming soon so now would be a wise time to prepare. Tick, tock.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/11937176/2

Source: http://www.prlog.org/11937176-sgm-metals-llc-social-security-disability-enrollment-exceeds-job-creation-since-2008.html

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Libraries and e-books

Does your local library offer e-books for loan? It might. But if you aren?t sure, you aren?t alone: According to a report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 12% of e-book readers have actually borrowed an e-book from their local library. Why the low percentage given the popularity* of digital readers? The likely answer is that the service is relatively unknown:

?Approximately, 75% of US libraries lend e-books but 62% said they did not know if their library offered that service. Some 22% say they know that their library does lend out e-books, and 14% say they know their library does not lend out e-books.?

There are also issues with compatibility?not all e-books work across all devices. Titles may not be available and there may be long wait lists. These factors may contribute to the larger tendency to purchase e-books, but the nature of e-readers themselves and the environment of e-reading may also encourage different sorts of behaviors.

Let?s start with the last book you read: How did you find it? Of the readers surveyed, recommendations from family members, friends, or co-workers topped the list (64%), followed closely by recommendations from online sources (28%), and recommendations from bookstore staff (23%). Only 19% reported getting recommendations from libraries or library websites.

People?s reading choices, then, seem formed by input from a variety of sources. And the library is a repository for reading material, and less of an interactive space. But back to the last book you read, for just a minute?where did you get it?

Forty-eight percent of American book readers (in any format) purchased the last book they read. But book buying is certainly a privilege: The people most likely to have gotten their most recent book from the library were those earning $30,000 or less, and those specifically in limited income brackets such as teenagers and older adult. In addition, non-tech owners (people who don?t own tablets, e-readers, or cell phones, or have Internet access) were more likely to visit the library for books than tech owners.

E-book readers in general are more likely to get book recommendations from online sources, such as online bookstores and websites. These environments encourage immediate purchases, and tend to have a wider selection of materials available.

While online recommendations provide the benefit of aggregated comments, though they raise the question of how to vet those comments and weigh the raters. To this end, adoption of social bookshelf apps and the social integration of many consumer sites that allow users to share purchases and preferences, move recommendations from family members, friends, and co-workers to online spaces.

Personally, I?m a browser. I rely less on personal recommendation, and I tend to focus on authors and genres I enjoy. How?and where?are you getting your books?

*A report from Pew Internet indicated that tablet and e-reader ownership doubled following the 2011 holiday season, making them a ?must have? gift for adults.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=b274148e823e08a7fc8788242b2cd5d3

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Facebook Grows - Creativity And Innovation Driving Business ...

Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) reported solid second quarter 2012 results on Thursday July 26.? Despite the growing subscriber base, increased revenue and profits, Facebook could not win over the Wall Street traders.

"Our goal is to help every person stay connected and every product they use be a great social experience," said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO.?"That's why we're so focused on investing in our priorities of mobile, platform and social ads to help people have these experiences with their friends."

Here were the key highlights from the press release:

User Growth Highlights

• Monthly active users (MAUs) were 955 million as of June 30, 2012, an increase of 29% year-over-year.
• Daily active users (DAUs) were 552 million on average for June 2012, an increase of 32% year-over-year.
• Mobile MAUs were 543 million as of June 30, 2012, an increase of 67% year-over-year.

Product Highlights

• Facebook launched several new mobile products, including:
  • a new Facebook Camera app for iPhone,
  • an improved version of the mobile messenger app for both iOS and Android, and
  • several updates to the Facebook Android app.
• Launched global App Center where users can discover relevant apps for mobile and web.
• Apple announced plans for a deep Facebook integration throughout the next version of Apple's iOS and OSX.

Corporate Highlights

• Announced proposed acquisition of Instagram, a popular photo-sharing app.
• Entered into a definitive agreement with Yahoo! to settle all pending patent claims between the companies and deepen the companies' current business partnership.
• Began serving users from our new data center in Forest City, N.C.
• Announced that Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer at Facebook, joined the company's board of directors.?

Financial Highlights

Revenue ? Revenue for the second quarter totaled $1.18 billion, an increase of 32%, compared with $895 million in the second quarter of 2011.

• Revenue from advertising was $992 million, representing 84% of total revenue and a 28% increase from the same quarter last year.
• Payments and other fees revenue for the second quarter was $192 million.

Income (loss) from operations ? For the second quarter, GAAP loss from operations was $743 million, compared to income from operations of $407 million for the second quarter of 2011. Excluding share-based compensation and related payroll tax expenses, non-GAAP income from operations for the second quarter was $515 million, compared to $477 million for the second quarter of 2011.

Bottomline:

Facebook reported a solid quarter. Wall Street had sky high expectations, and even though Facebook delivered on most user metrics, the traders were not pleased. Facebook stock dropped to its lowest level since IPO. This could present an attractive buying opportunity.

According to this article, "The company didn't blow the doors off of earnings, but it didn't miss Wall Street estimates."

Facebook proved that it can do good business, grow the user base, make profits and find new ways to monetize. It is a real company. What's not to like? With over 1 billion users worldwide (soon), Facebook revenue and profits can only go up from here! Add to that China entry (hopefully this year). Many other businesses would love to be in their shoes.

Also check out:
Ogoing Small Business Social Network! It's like "Facebook for Small Business"? Go here to learn more

Source: http://creativityandinnovation.blogspot.com/2012/07/facebook-grows.html

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Ten Minute Workout with Fitness Ball ? Weight Loss Remedies ...

Why Do Anti-Hunger And Anti-Obesity Initiatives Always Fall Short? July 27, 2012

New research shows how we can innovate our way out of a double crisis With widespread hunger continuing to haunt developing nations, and obesity fast becoming a global epidemic, any number of efforts on the parts of governments, scientists, non-profit organizations and the business world have taken aim at these twin nutrition-related crises... [?]

Obesity Theories Challenged By Hunter-Gatherer Study July 27, 2012

A new study comparing the lifestyle of Westerners with that of hunter-gatherers challenges the idea that the current obesity crisis is due to lack of physical activity. The researchers suggest the more likely explanation is over-consumption of calories, particularly due to the presence of energy-dense foods in the Western diet... [?]

Increased Risk Of Post-Surgical Infection After Orthopaedic Trauma, Total Joint Replacement In Patients With High Blood Sugar, Obesity July 27, 2012

Two recent studies in the July issues of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) looked at surgical site infections and hyperglycemia, the technical term for high blood glucose, or high blood sugar... [?]

Erectile Dysfunction Can Be A Warning Sign For Heart Disease In Younger And Middle-Aged Men And Men With Diabetes July 27, 2012

Although erectile dysfunction (ED) has been shown to be an early warning sign for heart disease, some physicians - and patients - still think of it as just as a natural part of "old age." But now an international team of researchers, led by physicians at The Miriam Hospital, say it's time to expand ED symptom screening to include younger and m [?]

Test Shows Subconscious 'Stop Signs' Can Help Control Overeating July 26, 2012

Once you pop the top of a tube of potato chips, it can be hard to stop munching its contents. But Cornell University researchers may have found a novel way to help: edible serving-size markers that act as subconscious stop signs... [?]

Inactive, Fat Rats Used In Lab To Understand Childhood Obesity July 26, 2012

Childhood obesity has nearly tripled in the past three decades, and by 2009, 17 percent of those 2-19 years of age were classified as obese... [?]

Study Suggests Obesity Is Due To Increased Food Consumption, Not Decreased Energy Expenditure July 26, 2012

Modern lifestyles are generally quite different from those of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, a fact that some claim as the cause of the current rise in global obesity, but new results published in the open access journal PLoS ONE find that there is no difference between the energy expenditure of modern hunter-gatherers and Westerners, casting doubt on this t [?]

Minimizing Exposure To Artificial Light At Night May Improve Depressive Symptoms July 26, 2012

Chronic exposure to dim light at night can lead to depressive symptoms in rodents -- but these negative effects can be reversed simply by returning to a standard light-dark cycle, a new study suggests... [?]

Childhood Obesity Linked To 50% Higher Risk Of Urothelial And Colorectal Cancers In Adulthood July 25, 2012

Parents are increasingly conscious of the dangers of childhood obesity. There is a growing recognition of health problems associated with extra pounds, including the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and joint and muscle pain. New research from Tel Aviv University has revealed another significant reason for children to maintain a healthy weight. Dr. Ari Shami [?]

Snacking And BMI Linked To Double Effect Of Brain Activity And Self-Control July 25, 2012

Snack consumption and BMI are linked to both brain activity and self-control, new research has found. The research, carried out by academics from the Universities of Exeter, Cardiff, Bristol, and Bangor, discovered that an individual's brain 'reward centre' response to pictures of food predicted how much they subsequently ate... [?]

How We Can Innovate Our Way Out Of A Double Crisis - Hunger And Obesity July 24, 2012

With widespread hunger continuing to haunt developing nations, and obesity fast becoming a global epidemic, any number of efforts on the parts of governments, scientists, non-profit organizations and the business world have taken aim at these twin nutrition-related crises... [?]

Overweight Kids Already Have Risk Factors For Heart Disease July 24, 2012

The prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing worldwide, now researchers say that 2 out of 3 severely obese children have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The study is published online in Archives of Disease in Childhood. The findings from the study are based on data supplied by pediatricians to the Dutch Pediatric Surveillance Unit.. [?]

Diesel Exhaust Exposure In The Womb A Possible Risk Factor For Obesity July 23, 2012

Pregnant mice exposed to high levels of air pollution gave birth to offspring with a significantly higher rate of obesity and insulin resistance in adulthood than those that were not exposed to air pollution. This effect seemed especially prevalent in male mice, which were heavier regardless of diet... [?]

How Fat Influences Flavour Perception July 23, 2012

A joint study carried out by The University of Nottingham and the multinational food company Unilever has found for the first time that fat in food can reduce activity in several areas of the brain which are responsible for processing taste, aroma and reward... [?]

Healthier Options Now Available At Chain Restaurants With Menu Labeling July 23, 2012

The recent Supreme Court decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has cleared the way for national requirements about posting nutritional information at chain restaurants. Listing calories, fat content, and sodium levels of menu items at the point of purchase has been promoted as a way to address the obesity epidemic... [?]

Qsymia For Weight Management Approved By FDA July 22, 2012

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate extended-release) as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise for chronic weight management... [?]

Asking Your Children What Their Superheroes Would Eat Primes Them To Make Healthier Fast Food Choices July 22, 2012

Popeye inspired a generation of growing Baby Boomers to eat its spinach. Today, role models such as Batman can prompt children to develop their own healthy eating habits, a recent Cornell University study finds. "Fast food patronage is a frequent reality for many children and their parents... [?]

Obesity Leads To More Doctor Visits Than Smoking, Canada July 21, 2012

Statistics show that today, almost one in four Canadians is obese. A deadly trend that has been on the rise for the last thirty years, obesity is associated with diabetes, heart disease and cancer... [?]

Non-Invasive Thermal Imaging Joins The Fight Against Obesity July 20, 2012

Scientists at The University of Nottingham believe they've found a way of fighting obesity - with a pioneering technique which uses thermal imaging. This heat-seeking technology is being used to trace our reserves of brown fat - the body's 'good fat' - which plays a key role in how quickly our body can burn calories as energy... [?]

New Measure For Obesity: A Body Shape Index Strongly Correlated To Premature Death July 20, 2012

Researchers have developed a new metric to measure obesity, called A Body Shape Index, or ABSI, that combines the existing metrics of Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference and shows a better correlation with death rate than do either of these individual measures... [?]

Source: http://howcanyouloseweighttoday.com/2012/07/29/ten-minute-workout-with-fitness-ball-weight-loss-remedies/

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In jam, Romney tries not to make new Iran policy

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Mitt Romney tried to pull back Sunday from making new American policy on Iran, distancing himself from an adviser's assertion that the U.S. presidential candidate would "respect" an Israeli decision for unilateral military action to prevent Tehran from gaining nuclear capability.

Hours after the aide previewed Romney's upcoming foreign policy speech in Jerusalem, Romney backpedaled and said, "I'll use my own words and that is I respect the right of Israel to defend itself and we stand with Israel. We're two nations that come together in peace and that want to see Iran being dissuaded from its nuclear folly."

The address by the Republican challenger to President Barack Obama was promoted as the centerpiece of a weeklong trip abroad designed to burnish his foreign policy credentials and highlight his ability to lead on the world stage. But the mixed signals on Iran could undermine that goal.

"Because I'm on foreign soil, I don't want to be creating new foreign policy for my country or in any way to distance myself from the foreign policy of our nation, but we respect the right of a nation to defend itself," the former Massachusetts governor told CBS' "Face the Nation" a few hours before the speech.

Obama has affirmed the right of Israel to defend itself, while also warning of the consequences of an Israeli strike on Iran.

"Already, there is too much loose talk of war," Obama told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in March. "Now is the time to let our increased pressure sink in and to sustain the broad international coalition we have built."

The Romney adviser, Dan Senor, told reporters earlier in previewing the address that "if Israel has to take action on its own, in order to stop Iran from developing the capability, the governor would respect that decision." He said Romney is careful to note that he believes preventing nuclear "capability," not just a nuclear weapon, is critical.

Senor later clarified his comments in a written statement, saying that the candidate "believes we should employ any and all measures to dissuade the Iranian regime from its nuclear course, and it is his fervent hope that diplomatic and economic measures will do so. In the final analysis, of course, no option should be excluded."

Romney said in the interview that "we should use every diplomatic and political vehicle that's available to us to keep Iran from becoming a nuclear-capable state. Those actions should be executed with the greatest speed we could muster. ... If all those options fail then we do have other options and we don't take those other options off the table."

Romney has said he will do "the opposite" of what Obama would do in his approach to Israel. The Obama administration hasn't ruled out the military option, but Obama has so far been relying on economic sanctions and diplomatic negotiations to discourage Iran from building a nuclear bomb.

"Are there differences between us? Of course. But being on foreign soil, particularly being here in Israel, this isn't the time for me to draft those out," Romney said.

In his speech, the candidate tells Israelis that "make no mistake: The ayatollahs in Tehran are testing our moral defenses. They want to know who will object, and who will look the other way."

According to excerpts released by the campaign before the speech, Romney says his message "to the people of Israel and the leaders of Iran is one and the same: I will not look away; and neither will my country."

While the address was before an audience of Israelis, the message was aimed squarely at Jewish and evangelical Christian voters in the United States as he tried to highlight policy differences with Obama.

He says the nuclear threat has increased in recent years and that Iran's claims that its program is for peaceful purposes "are belied by years of malign deceptions."

"The conduct of Iran's leaders gives us no reason to trust them with nuclear material," he says in the speech, which followed a series of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials.

Romney, who received a warm welcome Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has said he has a "zero tolerance" policy toward Iran obtaining the capability to build a nuclear weapon.

Pentagon officials have spoken publicly about the difficulty of such a strike and American officials have expressed concern about the destabilizing effect such military action could have in the region, even if carried out successfully.

Iran says it is not interested in nuclear weapons and its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes. The Israelis say they are considering a strike because they fear Iran could be moving its nuclear enrichment sites further underground, out of reach of the weapons Israel has available.

Romney's embrace of Israel was on display Sunday as he met with leaders and visited the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism.

Wearing a yarmulke, the candidate was mobbed by worshippers as he walked down to pray and place a note into one of the wall's crevices.

Earlier, Netanyahu welcomed Romney as "a representative of the United States" and told the Republican that he agrees with his approach to the Iranian nuclear threat.

"Mitt, I couldn't agree with you more," Netanyahu said.

"We have to be honest and say that all the sanctions and diplomacy so far have not set back the Iranian program by one iota. And that's why I believe that we need a strong and credible military threat coupled with the sanctions to have a chance to change that situation," Netanyahu said.

Romney also met with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Iran's nuclear program has become the most pressing problem for the U.S. and Israel. Republicans have criticized the Democratic president for putting too much pressure on Israel in the peace process and being too weak on Iran.

Obama rejects the criticism, and his aides point to what they call unprecedented U.S.-Israeli security cooperation.

Romney arrived in Jerusalem on Saturday night after a difficult few days in Britain, where he made the mistake of criticizing the host country's management of the Olympic Games. The gaffe undermined the stated goal of his weeklong journey through Britain, Israel and Poland ? emphasizing America's ties with longstanding allies.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jam-romney-tries-not-iran-policy-151951601.html

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Alexa Vega Flaunts Massive Curves | Bodybuilding, Supplements ...

---

Alexa Vega is flaunting how grown up she is on Twitter.

The actress, who began working with popular director Robert Rodriguez at an? early age for the ?Spy Kids? franchise, is now starring in Rodriguez?s upcoming? thriller ?Machete Kills,? where she plays the role of the sexy, buxom? Killjoy.

The Colombian star posted a sneak peek photo of her in character as Killjoy? on her Twitter account. She soon had many talking about her curves and plunging? neckline, Yahoo! Move Talk reported.

?RR gave the OK for a sneak peek,? Vega posted on her Twitter account.

In the black and white photo Vega dons a metal bra which barely contains her? um? assets. A heart tattoo is clearly seen in her right underarm. The star is? also wearing heavy, dark make-up and bold jewelry.

Vega?s fans took to Twitter to express their excitement to see her in? Rodriguez?s new flick.

Other celebrities which will be joining Vega in ?Machete Kills? include ?Savages? actor Demi?n Bichir, Jessica Alba and Danny Trejo. In the film Vega?s? character works for Madame Desdemona played by fellow Colombian stunner Sof?a? Vergara.

?Machete Kills? is the second installment to the ?Machete? trilogy, which? began with a fake movie trailer Rodriguez created for famous director Quentin? Tarantino?s 2007 film ?Grindhouse.?

Vega, 23, recently made headlines after announcing her divorce from? 36-year-old Sean Covel after a year and a half of marriage, entertainment? publication TMZ? reported.???

?My relationship with Sean was deeply important and formative for both of? us,? Vega posted on Twitter. ?It simply evolved out of a marriage and into a? friendship.?

Last year Vega sat down with Fox News Latino to talk about her role as Mary? alongside Venezuelan actor Wilmer Valderrama in ?From Prada to Nada.??

The storyline behind ?From Prada to Nada?: when their father passes away, two? spoiled Latina sisters are left penniless and go from living in a mansion in? Beverly Hills, to their aunt?s more ?modest? home in East L.A.

Mary is a party girl, and her sister Nora, played by Camilla Belle, is a law? student. Neither speaks Spanish nor cares to know about their culture.? Valderrama plays Mary?s love interest, Bruno.

Vega, a buoyantly beautiful Latina, said the tone behind the film should also? be that as the new Latino generation continues to assimilate into the American? fabric, it should not forgot its roots.

?There are many [Hispanics] who don?t accept both cultures, they only accept? one or the other instead of embracing both. We are hoping that this gives people? the opportunity to help teach them you can embrace both,? Vega said.

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Computers can predict effects of HIV policies

Public release date: 27-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: David Orenstein
david_orenstein@brown.edu
401-863-1862
Brown University

Talks to be delivered at 2012 International AIDS Society Conference

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] Policymakers struggling to stop the spread of HIV grapple with "what if" questions on the scale of millions of people and decades of time. They need a way to predict the impact of many potential interventions, alone or in combination. In two papers to be presented at the 2012 International AIDS Society Conference in Washington, D.C., Brandon Marshall, assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown University, will unveil a computer program calibrated to model accurately the spread of HIV in New York City over a decade and to make specific predictions about the future of the epidemic under various intervention scenarios.

"It reflects what's seen in the real world," said Marshall. "What we're trying to do is identify the ideal combination of interventions to reduce HIV most dramatically in injection drug users."

In an analysis that he'll present at 11 a.m. in Session Room 6 on Friday, July 27, Marshall projects that with no change in New York City's current programs, the infection rate among injection drug users will be 2.1 per 1,000 in 2040. Expanding HIV testing would drop the rate only 12 percent to 1.9 per 1,000; increasing drug treatment would reduce the rate 26 percent to 1.6 per 1,000; providing earlier delivery of antiretroviral therapy and better adherence would drop the rate 45 percent to 1.2 per 1,000; and expanding needle exchange programs would reduce the rate 34 percent to 1.4 per 1,000. Most importantly, doing all four of those things would cut the rate by more than 60 percent, to 0.8 per 1,000.

"These results show that a comprehensive set of proven interventions must be scaled up immediately if we are to substantially reduce the spread of HIV among drug users," Marshall said.

Virtual reality, real choices

The model is unique in that it creates a virtual reality of 150,000 "agents," a programming term for simulated individuals, who in the case of the model, engage in drug use and sexual activity like real people.

Like characters in an all-too-serious video game, the agents behave in a world governed by biological rules, such as how often the virus can be transmitted through encounters such as unprotected gay sex or needle sharing.

With each run of the model, agents accumulate a detailed life history. For example, in one run, agent 89,425, who is male and has sex with men, could end up injecting drugs. He participates in needle exchanges, but according to the built-in probabilities, in year three he shares needles multiple times with another injection drug user with whom he is also having unprotected sex. In the last of those encounters, agent 89,425 becomes infected with HIV. In year four he starts participating in drug treatment and in year five he gets tested for HIV, starts antiretroviral treatment, and reduces the frequency with which he has unprotected sex. Because he always takes his HIV medications, he never transmits the virus further.

That level of individual detail allows for a detailed examination of transmission networks and how interventions affect them.

"With this model you can really look at the microconnections between people," said Marshall, who began working on the model as a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University and has continued to develop it since coming to Brown in January. "That's something that we're really excited about."

To calibrate the model, Marshall and his colleagues found the best New York City data they could about how many people use drugs, what percentage of people were gay or lesbian, the probabilities of engaging in unprotected sex and needle sharing, viral transmission, access to treatment, treatment effectiveness, participation in drug treatment, progression from HIV infection to AIDS, and many more behavioral, social and medical factors. They also continuously calibrated it until the model could faithfully reproduce the infection rates among injection drug users that were known to occur in New York between 1992 and 2002.

And they don't just run the simulation once. They run it thousands of times on a supercomputer at Brown to be sure the results they see are reliable.

Future applications

At Brown, Marshall is continuing to work on other aspects of the model, including an analysis of the cost effectiveness of each intervention and their combinations. Cost is, after all, another fact of life that policymakers and public health officials must weigh.

And then there's the frustrating insight that the infection rate, even with four strengthened interventions underway, didn't reduce the projected epidemic by much more than half.

"I actually expected something larger," Marshall said. "That speaks to how hard we have to work to make sure that drug users can access and benefit from proven interventions to reduce the spread of HIV."

###

Marshall's collaborators on the model include Magdalena Paczkowski, Lars Seemann, Barbara Tempalski, Enrique Pouget, Sandro Galea, and Samuel Friedman.

The National Institutes of Health and the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for AIDS Research provide financial support for the model's continued development.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 27-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: David Orenstein
david_orenstein@brown.edu
401-863-1862
Brown University

Talks to be delivered at 2012 International AIDS Society Conference

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] Policymakers struggling to stop the spread of HIV grapple with "what if" questions on the scale of millions of people and decades of time. They need a way to predict the impact of many potential interventions, alone or in combination. In two papers to be presented at the 2012 International AIDS Society Conference in Washington, D.C., Brandon Marshall, assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown University, will unveil a computer program calibrated to model accurately the spread of HIV in New York City over a decade and to make specific predictions about the future of the epidemic under various intervention scenarios.

"It reflects what's seen in the real world," said Marshall. "What we're trying to do is identify the ideal combination of interventions to reduce HIV most dramatically in injection drug users."

In an analysis that he'll present at 11 a.m. in Session Room 6 on Friday, July 27, Marshall projects that with no change in New York City's current programs, the infection rate among injection drug users will be 2.1 per 1,000 in 2040. Expanding HIV testing would drop the rate only 12 percent to 1.9 per 1,000; increasing drug treatment would reduce the rate 26 percent to 1.6 per 1,000; providing earlier delivery of antiretroviral therapy and better adherence would drop the rate 45 percent to 1.2 per 1,000; and expanding needle exchange programs would reduce the rate 34 percent to 1.4 per 1,000. Most importantly, doing all four of those things would cut the rate by more than 60 percent, to 0.8 per 1,000.

"These results show that a comprehensive set of proven interventions must be scaled up immediately if we are to substantially reduce the spread of HIV among drug users," Marshall said.

Virtual reality, real choices

The model is unique in that it creates a virtual reality of 150,000 "agents," a programming term for simulated individuals, who in the case of the model, engage in drug use and sexual activity like real people.

Like characters in an all-too-serious video game, the agents behave in a world governed by biological rules, such as how often the virus can be transmitted through encounters such as unprotected gay sex or needle sharing.

With each run of the model, agents accumulate a detailed life history. For example, in one run, agent 89,425, who is male and has sex with men, could end up injecting drugs. He participates in needle exchanges, but according to the built-in probabilities, in year three he shares needles multiple times with another injection drug user with whom he is also having unprotected sex. In the last of those encounters, agent 89,425 becomes infected with HIV. In year four he starts participating in drug treatment and in year five he gets tested for HIV, starts antiretroviral treatment, and reduces the frequency with which he has unprotected sex. Because he always takes his HIV medications, he never transmits the virus further.

That level of individual detail allows for a detailed examination of transmission networks and how interventions affect them.

"With this model you can really look at the microconnections between people," said Marshall, who began working on the model as a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University and has continued to develop it since coming to Brown in January. "That's something that we're really excited about."

To calibrate the model, Marshall and his colleagues found the best New York City data they could about how many people use drugs, what percentage of people were gay or lesbian, the probabilities of engaging in unprotected sex and needle sharing, viral transmission, access to treatment, treatment effectiveness, participation in drug treatment, progression from HIV infection to AIDS, and many more behavioral, social and medical factors. They also continuously calibrated it until the model could faithfully reproduce the infection rates among injection drug users that were known to occur in New York between 1992 and 2002.

And they don't just run the simulation once. They run it thousands of times on a supercomputer at Brown to be sure the results they see are reliable.

Future applications

At Brown, Marshall is continuing to work on other aspects of the model, including an analysis of the cost effectiveness of each intervention and their combinations. Cost is, after all, another fact of life that policymakers and public health officials must weigh.

And then there's the frustrating insight that the infection rate, even with four strengthened interventions underway, didn't reduce the projected epidemic by much more than half.

"I actually expected something larger," Marshall said. "That speaks to how hard we have to work to make sure that drug users can access and benefit from proven interventions to reduce the spread of HIV."

###

Marshall's collaborators on the model include Magdalena Paczkowski, Lars Seemann, Barbara Tempalski, Enrique Pouget, Sandro Galea, and Samuel Friedman.

The National Institutes of Health and the Lifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for AIDS Research provide financial support for the model's continued development.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/bu-ccp072312.php

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Bells peal across Britain as Games get under way

LONDON (Reuters) - Bells rang out across Britain on Friday to signal the final countdown to the Olympic Games, which open with an exuberant and eccentric ceremony celebrating the nation in an explosion of dance, music and fireworks inspired by Shakespeare's "Tempest".

The three-hour showcase created by Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle takes spectators on a journey from Britain's idyllic countryside through the grime of the Industrial Revolution and ending in an explosion of pop culture.

Watched by 60,000 people at the main Olympic stadium built in a run-down part of east London and a global audience of more than a billion, the event will have passages described by British Prime Minister David Cameron as "spine-tingling".

The spectators will be urged to join in sing-a-longs and help create spectacular visual scenes at an event that sets the tone for the sporting extravaganza, when 16,000 athletes from 204 countries share the thrill of victory and despair of defeat with 11 million visitors.

The Games will also answer the question on Britons' lips -- were seven years of planning, construction and disruptions, and a price tag of $14 billion during one of the country's worst recessions, actually worth it?

"There is a huge sense of excitement and anticipation because Britain is ready to welcome the greatest show on Earth," said Cameron. "This is a great moment for our country so we must seize it."

There have, however, been bumps along the way.

Media coverage was until recently dominated by security firm G4S's admission that it could not provide enough guards for Olympic venues. Thousands of extra soldiers had to be deployed at the last minute, despite the company's multi-million-dollar contract from the government.

Counter-terrorism chiefs have played down fears of a major attack on the Games, and Cameron said that a safe and secure Olympics was his priority.

"This is the biggest security operation in our peacetime history, bar none, and we are leaving nothing to chance."

Suicide attacks on London in July, 2005, killed 52 people. This year the Games coincide with the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Munich massacre when 11 Israeli Olympic team members were killed by Palestinian militants.

Calls for an official commemoration of the tragedy at the opening ceremony have so far been refused.

Heavy traffic in central London and severe delays on Britain's creaking train system have added to the grumbling.

A series of doping scandals have tarnished the Games' image in the build-up, with at least 11 athletes banned so far, and Greek triple jumper Paraskevi Papachristou became the Olympics' first "twitter victim" when she was withdrawn from the team over tweeted comments deemed racist.

An early diplomatic faux pas, when the flag of South Korea appeared at a women's soccer match between North Korea and Colombia, prompted fuming North Korean players to walk off the pitch and delayed kick-off by more than an hour.

SATANIC MILLS

All of that is likely to be forgotten as attention around the globe turns to the opening ceremony, which begins at 2000 GMT and ends more than three hours later.

While Boyle has urged the 10,000 participating volunteers and large crowds at rehearsals this week to keep the show a secret, some elements are already in the public domain.

Titled "Isles of Wonder", it opens with a recreation of bucolic bliss, complete with fields, hedges, sheep, geese, a shire horse, shepherdesses and even a game of village cricket.

The mood then darkens as "England's green and pleasant land", from a poem by William Blake, makes way for the sooty chimneys and smoking steel works of the "dark Satanic Mills", evoking the 19th century urban settings of Dickens.

Stirring music from Britain's past and present provides the soundtrack, which comes to the fore in the latter stages with a psychedelic celebration of pop culture including songs, sitcoms and cinema classics.

Cyclists with illuminated "wings" circle the arena, creating a stunning effect for cameras suspended from the stadium roof.

Boyle's ode to the National Health Service, a politically charged topic in Britain where people are emotionally tied to the ideal of a welfare state, may make less sense to people watching from afar.

But a closing performance by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney should have global appeal for a ceremony that will contrast sharply with Beijing's tightly choreographed, large-scale version.

Boyle had 27 million pounds ($42 million) to spend on his spectacular, well under half the amount estimated to have been spent in China in 2008.

There are still plenty of secrets, including who will have the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron, the moment symbolising the opening of the Games and ending the Olympic torch's 8,000-mile journey the length and breadth of Britain.

On Friday, the torch made its way up the River Thames aboard the royal barge Gloriana, which was used in Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee in June.

The 86-year-old monarch will be in the crowd, along with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and a host of dignitaries and celebrities.

BOLT OR BLAKE?

The first main day of sport is Saturday, when Briton Mark Cavendish is favourite to win gold in the road race in what would be the perfect start for the home nation, and would come hot on the heels of Bradley Wiggins' win at the Tour de France.

Britain's hopes are high overall after a successful Games in Beijing, although the United States, China and Russia could dominate the medals table yet again.

The highlight of the Games is the men's 100 metres final, traditionally the blue riband event of the Games, with Jamaican Usain Bolt's domination of the discipline under threat from training partner and compatriot Yohan Blake.

Bolt, fastest man on earth, is vying to do what no man has done before -- successfully defend the 100m and 200m Olympic titles, and, despite fitness concerns, he is talking tough.

"For me, it is all about the win," he told Reuters in an interview. "I am not really worried about a world record now. "And I am going out there (to) get it done."

If Bolt and Blake make the final, the August 5 race will rival the Carl Lewis-Ben Johnson clash at the 1988 Seoul Olympics for drama and excitement.

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps will also be looking to cement his place as the world's greatest swimmer by adding to the eight gold medals he won in Beijing.

(Additional reporting by Stephen Addison, Gene Cherry, Guy Faulconbridge, Vincent Fribault, Peter Griffiths, editing by Peter Millership)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eyes-london-spectacular-games-opening-001606105--sector.html

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Big Data and the London Olympics Cybersecurity Challenge

Security has been a top concern of the Olympic Games ever since that fateful day in September of 1972 when terrorists killed members of the Israeli Olympics team. Since then, each Olympics has only increased its level of security consideration. The more recent games have had to focus as much on cybersecurity as they have on physical security.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/21c638c3/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C757540Bhtml/story01.htm

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