homelessness bellmen: June 2012

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Grenade attack in Kenya kills at least 3

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PDA Alert! John Travolta & Kelly Preston Share a Smooch

John Travolta and Kelly Preston share some PDA on the red carpet! Check out more pics of Hollywood's tightest twosomes

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BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill exacerbated existing environmental problems in Louisiana marshes

Public release date: 25-Jun-2012
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Contact: Brian Silliman
brs@ufl.edu
University of Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill temporarily worsened existing manmade problems in Louisiana's salt marshes such as erosion, but there may be cause for optimism, according to a new study.

A study appearing online Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found the 2010 spill killed off salt marsh plants 15 to 30 feet from the shoreline and this plant die off resulted in a more-than-doubled rate of erosion along the marsh edge and subsequent permanent marsh habitat loss. Vegetation farther from shore was relatively untouched by the incoming oil.

"Louisiana is already losing about a football field worth of wetlands every hour, and that was before the spill," said Brian Silliman, a University of Florida biologist and lead author of the study. "When grasses die from heavy oiling, their roots, that hold the marsh sediment together, also often die. By killing grasses on the marsh shoreline, the spill pushed erosion rates on the marsh edge to more than double what they were before. Because Louisiana was already experiencing significant erosive marsh loss due to the channelization of the Mississippi, this is a big example of how multiple human stressors can have additive effects."

Marshes are the life's blood of coastal Louisiana because they act as critical nurseries for the shrimp, oysters and fish produced in these waters while helping to sequester significant amounts of carbon. They also protect coastlines from flooding and guard estuarine waters from nutrient pollution.

But the marshes have been suffering for decades as a result of the channelization of the Mississippi River, which has starved them from needed sediments to deter erosion.

Then came the oil spill.

Researchers observed minimal oil on the surfaces of grasses located more than 45 feet from the shoreline, indicating that significant amounts of oil did not move into interior marshes.

Instead, the researchers found that the tall grasses along the marsh edge acted as wall-like trap to incoming oil slicks, concentrating oil on the marsh edge. This concentration of oil on the shoreline protected interior marshes from oiling but worsened already extreme erosion on the shoreline. As oiled plants died, their roots that hold tight to the sediment perished as well. Already eroding sediment was now exposed to wave action without the effect of the gripping plant roots.

The result: elevated erosion rates for 1.5 years that averaged more than 10 feet of shoreline loss per year -- double the natural rate for this area.

The encouraging results, Silliman said, included significant declines in the oil concentration on the marsh surface over 1.5 years and that unaffected, healthy marsh plants in the marsh interior quickly grew back into marsh die-off areas that had not yet been lost due to heightened erosion.

When the new marsh plant growth grew into the erosive edge of the marsh, Silliman said, the recolonization of the area by the gripping plant roots shut down the oil-elevated erosion rates and returned them to those seen at marsh sites where oil coverage did not occur.

The researchers also found that polyaromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, a carcinogenic byproduct of oil, was 100 percent greater at the Barateria Bay testing site than in reference marshes. This finding provides chemical evidence to support their visual observations that marshes in the affected areas were laden with oil while those in reference areas did not receive significant oiling.

By adding Biochar, a charcoal-based substance, to marshlands, Silliman's team is also using new bioremediation tactics to try to break down PAHs into organic material. If this method is successful, he said, it could be used to supplement naturally occurring microbes in the marsh mud that already oxidize the oil carcinogen. The team is soon to publish those findings.

"This is a new idea applied toward cleaning up PAHs," said UF chemistry professor Andrew R. Zimmerman, a co-author on the paper. "It's possible there's a bunch lurking at the bottom of the bay."

###

Writer: Claudia Adrien, c.adrien@research.ufl.edu
Source: Brian Silliman, brs@ufl.edu

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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.

BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill exacerbated existing environmental problems in Louisiana marshes Public release date: 25-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Brian Silliman
brs@ufl.edu
University of Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill temporarily worsened existing manmade problems in Louisiana's salt marshes such as erosion, but there may be cause for optimism, according to a new study.

A study appearing online Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found the 2010 spill killed off salt marsh plants 15 to 30 feet from the shoreline and this plant die off resulted in a more-than-doubled rate of erosion along the marsh edge and subsequent permanent marsh habitat loss. Vegetation farther from shore was relatively untouched by the incoming oil.

"Louisiana is already losing about a football field worth of wetlands every hour, and that was before the spill," said Brian Silliman, a University of Florida biologist and lead author of the study. "When grasses die from heavy oiling, their roots, that hold the marsh sediment together, also often die. By killing grasses on the marsh shoreline, the spill pushed erosion rates on the marsh edge to more than double what they were before. Because Louisiana was already experiencing significant erosive marsh loss due to the channelization of the Mississippi, this is a big example of how multiple human stressors can have additive effects."

Marshes are the life's blood of coastal Louisiana because they act as critical nurseries for the shrimp, oysters and fish produced in these waters while helping to sequester significant amounts of carbon. They also protect coastlines from flooding and guard estuarine waters from nutrient pollution.

But the marshes have been suffering for decades as a result of the channelization of the Mississippi River, which has starved them from needed sediments to deter erosion.

Then came the oil spill.

Researchers observed minimal oil on the surfaces of grasses located more than 45 feet from the shoreline, indicating that significant amounts of oil did not move into interior marshes.

Instead, the researchers found that the tall grasses along the marsh edge acted as wall-like trap to incoming oil slicks, concentrating oil on the marsh edge. This concentration of oil on the shoreline protected interior marshes from oiling but worsened already extreme erosion on the shoreline. As oiled plants died, their roots that hold tight to the sediment perished as well. Already eroding sediment was now exposed to wave action without the effect of the gripping plant roots.

The result: elevated erosion rates for 1.5 years that averaged more than 10 feet of shoreline loss per year -- double the natural rate for this area.

The encouraging results, Silliman said, included significant declines in the oil concentration on the marsh surface over 1.5 years and that unaffected, healthy marsh plants in the marsh interior quickly grew back into marsh die-off areas that had not yet been lost due to heightened erosion.

When the new marsh plant growth grew into the erosive edge of the marsh, Silliman said, the recolonization of the area by the gripping plant roots shut down the oil-elevated erosion rates and returned them to those seen at marsh sites where oil coverage did not occur.

The researchers also found that polyaromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, a carcinogenic byproduct of oil, was 100 percent greater at the Barateria Bay testing site than in reference marshes. This finding provides chemical evidence to support their visual observations that marshes in the affected areas were laden with oil while those in reference areas did not receive significant oiling.

By adding Biochar, a charcoal-based substance, to marshlands, Silliman's team is also using new bioremediation tactics to try to break down PAHs into organic material. If this method is successful, he said, it could be used to supplement naturally occurring microbes in the marsh mud that already oxidize the oil carcinogen. The team is soon to publish those findings.

"This is a new idea applied toward cleaning up PAHs," said UF chemistry professor Andrew R. Zimmerman, a co-author on the paper. "It's possible there's a bunch lurking at the bottom of the bay."

###

Writer: Claudia Adrien, c.adrien@research.ufl.edu
Source: Brian Silliman, brs@ufl.edu

[ | 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.

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Biodegradable artery graft will enhance bypass surgeries

ScienceDaily (June 24, 2012) ? With the University of Pittsburgh's development of a cell-free, biodegradable artery graft comes a potentially transformative change in coronary artery bypass surgeries: Within 90 days after surgery, the patient will have a regenerated artery with no trace of synthetic graft materials left in the body.

Research published online June 24 in Nature Medicine highlights work led by principal investigator Yadong Wang, a professor in Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering and School of Medicine's Department of Surgery, who designed grafts that fully harness the body's regenerative capacity. This new approach is a philosophical shift from the predominant cell-centered approaches in tissue engineering of blood vessels.

"The host site, the artery in this case, is an excellent source of cells and provides a very efficient growth environment," said Wang. "This is what inspired us to skip the cell culture altogether and create these cell-free synthetic grafts."

Wang and fellow researchers, Wei Wu, a former Pitt postdoctoral associate (now a postdoctoral associate at Yale University), and Robert Allen, a PhD student in bioengineering, designed the graft with three properties in mind. First, they chose a graft material -- an elastic polymer called PGS -- that is resorbed quickly by the body. Then, they examined graft porosity and selected parameters that allow immediate cell infiltration. Wang's team borrowed a procedure developed by another team of Pitt researchers -- David Vorp, professor of bioengineering and surgery, and William R. Wagner, interim director of the University's McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and a Pitt professor of surgery, bioengineering, and chemical engineering -- wrapping the vascular graft with a fibrous sheath to trap the cells. Finally, Wang and his fellow researchers wanted a coating for the grafts that would reduces blood clotting and bind many growth factors, so they used heparin, a molecule that does just that.

"The results were porous grafts that are suturable," said Wang. "And the rapid remodeling of the grafts led to strong and compliant new arteries. The extent of the changes in the grafts that occurred in just 90 days was remarkable."

Wang and his colleagues made grafts as small as 1 mm in diameter and monitored the graft's transformation in vivo for three months. Because the graft was highly porous, cells were easily able to penetrate the graft wall, and mononuclear cells occupied many of the pores within three days. Within 14 days, smooth muscle cells -- an important blood vessel builder -- appeared. At 28 days, cells were distributed more evenly throughout the graft. At 90 days, most inflammatory cells were gone, which correlated with the disappearance of the graft materials. The artery was regenerated in situ and pulsed in sync with the host. Furthermore, the composition and properties of the new arteries are nearly the same as native arteries.

"This report is the first that shows a nearly complete transformation of a synthetic plastic tube to a new host artery with excellent integration within three months," said Wang. "Most likely, the amount of time it takes to regenerate an artery can be further shortened as we refine the system."

Current approaches toward tissue-engineered arteries require a long production cycle because of the required cell culture steps. The newly developed graft is made in a few days, stores in a dry pouch at ambient temperature, and is readily available off the shelf. The ease of use and storage are similar to the conventional Dacron? grafts.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Pittsburgh, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

Journal Reference:

Wei Wu, Robert A Allen & Yadong Wang. Fast-degrading elastomer enables rapid remodeling of a cell-free synthetic graft into a neoartery. Nature Medicine, 2012 DOI: 10.1038/nm.2821

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.

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Monday, June 25, 2012

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Video: West?s blazes test firefighters

>> states wouldn't be able to stand down anytime soon. two wildfires pose the biggest dangers and a new inferno threatening homes in utah.

>> reporter: north of salt lake city thick smoke swept over a town where 18,000 live. and firefighters are not in con control yet. more than 2,000 people have been evacuated.

>> i wondered where the heck i was.

>> reporter: in colorado's high park fire near fort collins , the flames have scorched more than 100 square miles of forest land and evacuees who had returned home have been forced to leave again.

>> i don't know what the fire behavior is right now.

>> reporter: firefighters here lost ground friday shifting winds colorado's worst ever now hast way contained.

>> it is going to burn for a long time.

>> reporter: sustained gusting winds and temperatures approaching triple digits are driving the western fires. it is the warm, dry winter just past following know filled winters.

>> all of the vegetation that sprouted up is now dry and sitting there and fueling those fires.

>> reporter: the national fire center says this year more than 25,000 fires that burned nearly 1.2 million acres and it is only june. the ten year average for a full season around 35,000 fires scorching 1.76 million acres. yes the monsoon season is coming.

>> also bring with it lightening which could spark more wildfires.

>> reporter: leading to fears that the worst is yet to come.

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Sunday, June 24, 2012

Nest Learning Thermostat taken off Apple Store shelves

New MacBook Pro with Retina Display	Apple	Price	Discount
2.3GHz quad 15" MacBook Pro	$2,199.00	$2,118.48*	$80.52
2..6GHz quad 15" MacBook Pro	$2,799.00	$2,700.48*	$98.52
New MacBook Pro	Apple	Price	Discount
2.5GHz dual 13" MacBook Pro	$1,199.00	$1,158.18*	$40.82
2.9GHz dual 13" MacBook Pro	$1,499.00	$1,449.18*	$49.82
2.3GHz quad 15" MacBook Pro	$1,799.00	$1,735.33*	$63.67
2.6GHz quad 15" MacBook Pro	$2,199.00	$2,123.33*	$75.67
New MacBook Airs	Apple	Price	Discount
1.70GHz 11" MacBook Air 64GB	$999	$964.18*	$34.82
1.70GHz 11" MacBook Air 128GB	$1,099.00	$1,061.18*	$37.82
1.80GHz 13" MacBook Air 128GB	$1,199.00	$1,153.33*	$45.67
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Iraq cleric: Government reforms need PM's ouster

NAJAF, Iraq (AP) ? The firebrand Iraqi cleric whose followers make up a crucial swing vote said Sunday the prime minister must resign as a first step to pull Iraq out of the morass that has all but paralyzed its government.

Speaking to reporters from his headquarters in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said he would not bow to pressure from Iran and other Shiite religious leaders to continue supporting Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. He joins Sunni and Kurdish officials who seek to oust al-Maliki, a Shiite, in the first major Shiite defection against the premier.

Al-Sadr accused al-Maliki's government of keeping Iraq's minorities away from power and failing to fix legal systems and other public services. He said he would direct his party's 40 lawmakers to support a no-confidence vote against al-Maliki if he is sure other political blocs in parliament will provide the rest of the 163 votes needed.

"The reforms are main goal, and the no-confidence vote is the beginning of the reforms," al-Sadr said in a rare and wide-ranging hour-long news conference. "And like ablution before prayers, reforms cannot happen without pressuring the government."

He added, "If the head is reformed, everything beyond it is reformed."

His declaration delivers a sharp blow to al-Maliki's efforts to hold on to power. Al-Sadr's followers are the first major Shiite party to take sides against al-Maliki.

Al-Maliki media adviser Ali al-Moussawi declined to comment on al-Sadr's statements. The prime minister's aides have previously predicted any vote to replace al-Maliki would fall short ? as has Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd.

Two other top Iraqi politicians ? Kurdish regional president Massoud Barzani and the parliament speaker, Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni, are pushing for al-Maliki to resign.

Political tensions that pit Iraq's main political coalitions against each other have been simmering for years. They split largely along religious and ethnic lines within days of U.S troops leaving Iraq last December. Al-Maliki's critics say he is using the government to settle old scores with Sunni Muslims after decades under Saddam Hussein's regime, and to prevent Kurds from raking in huge oil revenues at the expense of Baghdad.

The prime minister's supporters deny he has let personal politics dictate government policy, pointing to Sunni and Kurdish officials in his Cabinet as evidence that he is inclusive.

Months of speculation that al-Sadr would defect from a political coalition that al-Maliki cobbled together to keep his job after falling short in the 2010 national election, have spurred widespread fears that would cause an irreparable fracturing among Iraq's majority Shiites.

In recent weeks, al-Sadr has been summoned to Iran to discuss the political situation in what was seen as pressure by Tehran to remain with al-Maliki. One of al-Sadr's mentors, Grand Ayatollah Kazim al-Haeri, has urged him to avoid dividing Iraq's Shiites over political disputes and published a fatwa, or religious edict, forbidding support for secular politicians in Iraq's government.

On Sunday, al-Sadr said that he respects al-Haeri's opinion but that since Iraq's constitution is based on Islamic law, any secular leader would have to follow it. He also dismissed suggestions he could be swayed by Tehran.

"You know me," he chided the journalists. "If I insist on an opinion, no one can influence me, not Iran or any other."

Al-Sadr seemed comfortable with the media, whom he called to his office to express support for press freedoms. Over the last 18 months, he has returned to Iraq and launched something of a charm offensive as he gains political clout.

He denounced a new attempt by the government to shut down at least 44 news organizations in Iraq that officials said have failed to properly license their operations. The list newspapers, radio and television stations targeted for shutdown was compiled a month ago but became public only on Sunday.

An Iraqi press freedom group called it a warning to the media that threatens the future of Iraq's fledgling democracy.

"It is a government message to the media outlets that if you are not with us, then you are against us," said Ziyad al-Aajely, head of the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory.

Safaa Rabie, head of Iraq's Communications and Media Commission that regulates the news media, denied that. "It is an organizational matter, not a crackdown on the press," he said.

Most of the targeted media outlets are based in Iraq, although foreign broadcasters, including the BBC and Voice of America, were on the list as well as the U.S.-funded Radio Sawa. Voice of America does not operate from Iraq, and the BBC has significantly pared down its staff.

An official at Radio Sawa said it does have a license and could not explain Sunday why it had been singled out.

"We were surprised ... because we think that we work in accordance with all Iraqi laws," Sawa deputy director Salah Nasrawi said. "Bureaucracy and the delays in the government offices might be behind this."

___

Associated Press Writers Kay Johnson and Bushra Juhi contributed to this report.

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Obama says he will fight for immigration reform

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Saturday, June 23, 2012

93% Marvel's The Avengers

All Critics (274) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (253) | Rotten (20) | DVD (3)

Never underestimate the entertainment value of the Hulk Smash.

If you are a Marvel fan, then The Avengers will feel like Christmas. Thanks to the merry doings of the director, Joss Whedon, all your favorite characters are here, as shiny and as tempting as presents under the tree.

Ultimately, it all comes back to Whedon: His clear vision for each character and how they might be profitably intermingled; his unexpected knack for action choreography; his funny, tender, immaculately constructed script.

A spectacle in the grandest sense of the word ...

Whedon, a pop-genre magician best known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is a master of viewer manipulation - because he never gives up his own seat in the crowd.

The performances are so well-pitched in The Avengers, meshing with such vividness and ease, that it's tempting to overpraise the good but not great movie that surrounds them.

Wonderful blink and you'll miss them comic beats in the middle of the finale's mayhem. And what glorious mayhem!

The overlong, stale experience barely raises a fast pulse, as the movie quickly stumbles into a standard film structure and doesn't even try to break free.

... The movie isn't so much a work of storytelling as it is a marathon of wish-fulfillment moments for comic book enthusiasts -- punches peppered with punchlines.

The culmination of four distinct franchises is an exciting and entertaining product.

It's the humor that's The Avengers' strength.

Whedon's clear fanboy glee is irresistibly contagious to the audience, whether the heroes and villains go at it with fisticuffs or sharp, witty dialogue.

Comic-book movie delivers the goods

By the time the utterly routine (and decidedly endless) finale rolls around, Marvel's The Avengers has unquestionably squandered the potential of its premise and its cast...

Delivers big time with everything longtime fans and newcomers alike could possibly want in a summer blockbuster that definitely surpasses the hype.

This too-long adventure is a sensory overload --- complete with loud, protracted battle scenes and hunky super heroes who provide the necessary eye candy. It's also very funny, and highly entertaining.

There is much humor laced throughout the film, giving it an air of not taking itself too seriously -- which is as it should be in a film of this genre.

The Avengers lives up to every last ounce of hype.

It's a blockbuster that manages to please with intelligence and fun. Whedon makes it look easy.

It's all very smoothly done but comes without a hint of surprise or revelation.

The Main Event is pretty much what you'd expect ? noisy, overlong, wall-to-wall CG effects and arcane superhero lore ... Yes, it's all fairly formulaic, but on a Wow! scale never before experienced.

If you only see one movie this year over and over again, it'll probably be this one.

I have a feeling that this will be a comfort film for myself and many other film geeks for years to come, just like the Indiana Jones or Star Wars movies.

Whedon delivers a thoroughly entertaining compilation of the best of these heroes while never hiding either his giddy love for the characters or the wry wit that has formed the bedrock of his career.

More Critic Reviews

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How mammals lost their hair

14:51 22 June 2012

Humans are often described as "naked apes," but we are not the only mammals to have lost our furry coats. Hair is one of the classifying characteristics of these animals, but sometimes there are good reasons why bald is best. Kate Douglas

Read more: "Why haven't bald men gone extinct?"

Image 1 of 6

Cetaceans, which include whales and dolphins, evolved around 34?million years ago from land mammals. Their lack of hair is an adaptation to aquatic life, making them more streamlined and so more efficient swimmers. To replace the insulation of a fur coat they have evolved a thick layer of subcutaneous fat.

(Image: Carlos Villoch/SplashdownDirect/Rex Features)

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Friday, June 22, 2012

Bahrain opposition leader says injured in police clashes

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Fire sparked by shooting evacuates homes in Utah

SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah (AP) ? Residents of at least 1,500 homes in northern Utah were being evacuated Friday after high winds kicked up a fire started by target shooters.

The roughly 4,000-acre blaze started Thursday near the Saratoga Springs landfill, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City. High winds then helped fan the flames onto tinder-dry grasslands.

Authorities were initially worried as flames moved toward property owned by an explosives company. But as winds kicked up, the fire began moving toward Saratoga Springs, and crews began focusing on saving homes, said Jason Curry, a spokesman for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

On Friday, fire officials were calling in additional aircraft and extra ground crews.

Bureau of Land Management officials say they believe the blaze was caused when a bullet hit a rock and sparked the fire. This is the 20th target-shooting related fire this year in Utah, they said.

Curry said one firefighter had suffered minor burns, and no structural damage had been reported.

A continued mix of hot, windy and extremely dry conditions has raised the fire danger across Utah and parts of Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado.

At a wildfire burning on over 68,000 acres in northern Colorado, some homes were being evacuated Friday because of several spot fires started by winds outside the main fire. Some of those residents were evacuated after the fire flared up on Sunday and had only returned home Wednesday.

The mix of conditions that makes it easy for new fires to start and spread and cause existing fires to flare up is expected to last through Saturday there.

The fire west of Fort Collins has now destroyed at least 191 homes. It's also blamed for the death of a woman found dead at her ranch.

Gov. John Hickenlooper's office said Friday that the governor has signed executive orders releasing $6.2 million more in state disaster money to fight the fire and two others.

The northern Colorado fire will have $5 million more available, on top of $20 million made available by a previous order. The fire has qualified for 75 percent federal reimbursement for firefighting costs, Hickenlooper's office said. A fire near Lake George will get $1 million, and the Stuart Hole fire in Larimer County will receive $200,000. The disaster money is coming partly from reserve funds.

Meanwhile, the Village People will perform a free concert Saturday in Ignacio, Colo., to raise money for relief efforts at smaller wildfires in Colorado and New Mexico, The Farmington Daily-Times (http://bit.ly/KZy86u ) reported.

Those attending the show at the Sky Ute Casino will be asked to give cash donations to help relief efforts at a wildfire that's been burning for over a month near Pagosa Springs and a blaze along the San Juan River that destroyed three structures in far northwestern New Mexico.

Elsewhere:

? In Colorado, heat and low humidity is also a concern at the 1,150-acre wildfire burning near Lake George, which is 57 percent contained. A fire burning for over a month near Pagosa Springs has grown by about 1,300 acres in the last 24 hours. Two ranches have been evacuated.

? In Nevada, a wildfire that has charred nearly 12,000 acres of rugged terrain in northeast Nevada near the Utah line is 60 percent contained. It was started by a planned burn that escaped June 9.

? In California, residents were allowed to return to homes and cabins near a 385-acre fire near Sequoia National Park, and firefighters fully contained the blaze Thursday. A body was found at the scene of a small brushfire in the San Fernando Valley and authorities were trying to determine whether it was dumped there.

? In Wyoming, crews were preparing safety zones where firefighters can flee in case a wildfire that has scorched more than 4.5 square miles in Medicine Bow National Forest makes a run. It's 10 percent contained.

? In New Mexico, a fire that has destroyed 242 homes and businesses, the largest in state history, has blackened 463 square miles in the Gila Wilderness and is 80 percent contained. Meanwhile, a 360-acre fire along the Rio Grande on the northern edge of Albuquerque was 50 percent contained. Nearby residents were on alert, but no one has been evacuated.

? In Arizona, officials battling a wildfire in eastern Arizona say they're prepared for high winds and low humidity. Firefighters have created containments lines around the community of Young and burned out fuel ahead of the fire. Crews are reinforcing those lines and patrolling for spot fires. The Poco Fire is nearly 12,000 acres and 25 percent contained. More than 740 people and several helicopters are fighting the fire.

? In Hawaii, the largest wildfire of the season has scorched at least 5,200 acres on the Big Island.

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5 Benefits of Martial Arts as Daily Exercise to ... - MMA Acupuncture

By?Ryan Rivera ?-

How Martial Arts Affects Anxiety

? Ooi Hong Kiong

All exercise has benefits for anxiety, but martial arts can be particularly valuable, especially if you take the activity seriously and do it every day. Some of these benefits include:

Perhaps the greatest effect that martial arts has on anxiety is that it is a tool to give you control over yourself and your surroundings. Those that learn martial arts learn discipline, and that discipline affects more than simply the movements within MA itself. That control allows you to handle your emotions in your day to day life as well, keeping you calm and focused rather than letting your mind and thoughts scatter.

It?s easy to forget how much confidence also affects your ability to control your anxiety. When you?re confident in yourself, then you know that you?ll be able to more easily handle any events that life may throw at you. It?s not always about controlling all of your anxious thoughts. Rather, it?s about experiencing less of a feeling of ?flight? when faced with a stressful situation. Martial arts provides this confidence, so that rarely will you feel there are things you cannot handle.

When you do experience a stressful day, MA is a great way to relieve much of that stress. In a controlled and safe environment, you have an opportunity to release much of that stressful energy. Any aggression you have inside you is used as a tool, rather than a hindrance. You harness it, and allow the energy to fuel your MA sequences and bouts, brining that energy outside of your body so that it isn?t being held back.

Not all anxiety is caused by your thoughts. In fact, in most Americans, one of the leading causes of anxiety is simply excess physical energy. As a result of the mind/body connection, that energy is then turned into anxiety, because your body has no other form of release. Martial arts uses all of your muscles and tires each of them out. Any anxiety caused by excess muscular energy goes away, and you?re left with a calmer body and a calmer mind.

Healthy Social Experience

Finally, one of the most often forgotten benefits of MA as an anxiety reduction tool is that you?re always with at least one other person, performing actions that are healthy and productive. With today?s busy and complex lifestyle, this time that you spend surrounded by other people of similar interests is incredibly healthy ? a type of social environment that few people normally have an opportunity to fit into their schedules. It?s a 100% healthy coping strategy that takes your mind off the troubles of the day, and the benefits of that should not be overlooked.

Using MA to Relieve Anxiety

In addition to the benefits outlined above, all forms of exercise also burn stress hormones and increase endorphins ? the body?s natural pain killers. Combine those benefits with all of the advantages outlined above, and you?ll see why MA is such a powerful way to reduce your daily anxiety and stress. As long as you put effort into your martial arts practices, you?ll find that your anxiety melts away.

About the Author: Ryan Rivera has long researched the effects that exercise has on the body, and now writes tools and tips for dealing with anxiety at www.calmclinic.com.

Iranian Americans denied sale of Apple goods due to export policy

Americans of Iranian descent have been having a hard time picking up iPhones and iPads in the state of Georgia due to a U.S. import ban that has translated into a sale policy at Apple stores. On multiple occasions, shoppers were heard by Apple Store managers speaking Farsi and denied service.

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Summer perennial: the mountains or the beach?

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Summer Business (Casual) Travel Wardrobe - Road Warriorette

If you?re traveling right now in the steamy parts of the country, you may be wondering if your current wardrobe will get you through the season. Folks, it is hot right now. (Unless you?re in Boston, which I heard was delightful over the weekend. I?m jealous, as it was 100 degrees on Sunday. Anyway.) Dressing in the summer is an art?there are always those women who look cool and collected, no matter how high the temperature. Unfortunately, I am not those women. I have to work hard to maintain my cool in the heat. After a few years on the road during the hottest months, I have a pretty good strategy for dressing without overheating. The keys:

Lightweight fabrics. So important!!! The lighter the better. Look for cottons and linens with a bit of stretch, in a lighter-colored fabric. The con is that they wrinkle more easily, but honestly a little ironing time is worth it to me to stay cool throughout the day. My tops are as thin as I can get them without being sheer or too revealing.

Layers. Offices and airplanes tend to be very chilly this time of year, so cardigans and pashminas are a must. Once outside you can remove layers as needed.

Bike shorts. On travel days that I wear a skirt or dress, I always wear bike shorts underneath. Just in case there?s an unexpected up close and personal interaction with the TSA?.. They also help reduce any accidental chafing. For non travel days, those worried about chafing should try something like Body Glide or Monistat Soothing Care.

Peep toes. They?re not appropriate for all offices, but something about peep toe shoes makes me feel cooler. It?s probably an illusion (how much ventilation can that small hole really offer?) but I?ll take it!

Here is my main summer (business casual) travel wardrobe:

One skirt. Pencil is good, but for summer I prefer a slightly less clingy skirt, such as slightly A-line.

One pair of pants. Again, a lightweight fabric like seersucker is great.

One dress. Anything that breathes, is comfortable, and easy to pack (like this one from Talbots).

?Two blouses. I like short sleeves, so they can be worn with a cardigan or without.

Two lightweight tees. Corporette has a great roundup of work-worthy tees this week.

Two cardigans. I have one with shorts sleeves and one with elbow length sleeves.

Two pairs of shoes. Peep toe flats are my summertime favorite!

Lightweight pashmina. I have a lightweight cotton pashmina that I spent maybe $12 on from Old Navy last year (similar to this one), and I take it everywhere. Works great as a scarf in the office, a blanket on the plane, and a swimsuit coverup at the pool.

Jewelry. Gotta have jewelry!!

Readers, what are your tricks for dressing cool in the sweltering heat?

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Burger King stock returns to public trading

NEW YORK (AP) ? Burger King will return to the New York Stock Exchange after the market opens Wednesday.

The world's second-biggest hamburger chain last traded as a public company between 2006 and 2010. The company was then purchased and taken private by investment firm 3G Capital, which has been overhauling the chain's operations.

Burger King's listing on the exchange under the ticker "BKW" won't be through an initial public offering, however. 3G Capital announced an unusual deal in April to sell a minority stake to Justice Holdings, a London-based entity that was specifically set up to invest in another company. 3G Capital received $1.4 billion in exchange and retains a 71 percent stake in the company.

Under the deal, Justice was to suspend trading on the London Stock Exchange once the deal was complete and emerge as Burger King Worldwide Inc. on the New York Stock Exchange.

Miguel Piedra, a Burger King spokesman, said only 16 percent of shares will be available to retail investors when the stock begins trading again on the Big Board.

As the fast-food market becomes increasingly crowded at home, Burger King has recently been focusing on expansion overseas. This month, the Miami-based chain announced plans to open hundreds of new restaurants in Russia and 1,000 in China over the next several years. That's in addition to similar expansion plan for Brazil.

In the past year, 80 percent of new store openings were in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Burger King has 12,500 locations worldwide.

In the U.S., Burger King in April launched its biggest menu expansion ever. The chain is abandoning its strategy of courting young men and going after a broader customer base of moms and families.

Burger King has more than 12,500 restaurants worldwide, compared with 33,000 for McDonald's Corp.

Associated Press

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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Egypt's Mubarak on life support amid crisis

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's Hosni Mubarak was on life support after suffering a stroke in prison Tuesday, deepening the country's uncertainty just as a potentially explosive fight opened over who will succeed him.

The 84-year-old Mubarak suffered a "fast deterioration of his health" and his heart stopped beating, the state news agency MENA and security officials said. He was revived by defibrillation but then had a stroke and was moved from Torah Prison to a military hospital in Cairo.

MENA initially reported he was "clinically dead" upon arrival, but a security official said he was put on life support. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Maj. Gen. Mohsen el-Fangari, a member of the ruling military council, told the Al-Shorouk newspaper website that Mubarak was in a "very critical condition," but denied he was dead. Mubarak's wife, Suzanne, came to the hospital, where Mubarak was in an intensive care unit, another security official said.

The developments came amid threats of new unrest and political power struggles, 16 months after Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising demanding democracy.

Earlier Tuesday, both candidates in last weekend's presidential election claimed victory.

The Muslim Brotherhood, emboldened by its claim that its candidate won the election, sent tens of thousands of supporters into the street in an escalation of its confrontation against the ruling generals who invoked sweeping powers this week that give them dominance over the next president.

Some 50,000 protesters, mostly Islamists, protested in Cairo's Tahrir Square, chanting slogans in support of Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi and denouncing the generals.

"It is not possible to have a revolution and then have military rule and a president with no authority," said protester Mohammed Abdel-Hameed, a 48-year-old schoolmaster who came with his son from Fayyoum, an oasis province 60 miles (100 kilometers) southwest of Cairo.

The conflicting claims over the election could further stoke the heat. The campaign of Mubarak's former prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, said Tuesday he won the election, denying the Brotherhood's claim of victory. Hundreds of Shafiq's supporters took to the streets in Cairo in celebration.

The election commission is to announce the official final results on Thursday, and either way the loser is likely to reject the result. If Shafiq wins, it could spark an explosive backlash from the Brotherhood, which has said Shafiq could only win by fraud.

The sudden health crisis of Mubarak, who is serving a life prison sentence, briefly overshadowed the political standoff.

Moving Mubarak out of prison to Maadi military hospital is likely to further infuriate many in the public. Many Egyptians have been skeptical of earlier reports that his health was worsening since he was put in prison on June 2, believing the reports were just a pretext to move him to another facility. There is a widespread suspicion that security and military officials sympathetic to their old boss are giving him preferential treatment.

Maadi is the same hospital where Mubarak's predecessor, Anwar Sadat, was declared dead more than 30 years ago after being gunned down by Islamic militants.

The criteria for using the term "clinically dead" are "poorly defined," said Dr. Lance Becker, a University of Pennsylvania emergency medicine specialist and an American Heart Association spokesman.

"My speculation would be that he had that sort of event where his heart temporarily stopped," said Becker, who is not involved in Mubarak's treatment. "That doesn't mean that it's irreversible." Life support can be used to keep his blood circulating and replace breathing if he is unable to do so on his own, Becker said.

Mubarak's condition brought to mind former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ? though it was not known if there was any medical similarity in their conditions. Sharon, now 84, suffered a massive stroke on 2006. Intensive treatment and repeated operations by a team of brain surgeons stabilized his condition, but he has never regained consciousness and remains on life support in a deep coma.

Mubarak has been serving a life sentence at Torah Prison for failing to stop the killing of protesters during the 18-day uprising against his rule last year. The verdict against him has already been a spark for protests ? thousands massed in Tahrir when the court acquitted him and his sons on separate corruption charges and cleared several top security chiefs on the protester killings.

The multiple disputes have turned a moment that was once anticipated by some as a landmark in Egypt's post-Mubarak transition ? the election of the first civilian president in 60 years ? into a potentially destabilizing snarl.

Shafiq's campaign spokesman, Ahmed Sarhan, told a televised news conference that Shafiq won 51.5 percent of the vote and that the claim of victory by Morsi was "false."

"Gen. Ahmed Shafiq is the next president of Egypt," Sarhan said. He said Shafiq won some 500,000 votes more than Morsi, of the fundamentalist Brotherhood.

The Shafiq campaign's claim came just hours after Morsi's campaign repeated their claims of victory, saying Morsi had won 52 percent of the vote compared to Shafiq's 48.

The Brotherhood first announced Morsi's victory early Monday, six hours after polls closed. It said its claim was based on returns announced by election officials from each counting center around the country. Each campaign has representatives at every center, who compile the individual returns. The Brotherhood's compilation during the first round of voting last month proved generally accurate.

Shafiq, a former air force commander who was named prime minister during Mubarak's last days, is seen by his opponents as likely to preserve the military-backed police state that his former boss headed for three decades. He, in turn, has presented himself as a strongman able to keep Egypt stable and out of the hands of the Brotherhood, playing on fears the group will turn the country into an Islamic state.

Just as polls closed Sunday night, the military ? which has ruled since Mubarak fell on Feb. 11, 2011 ? issued a constitutional declaration giving themselves power that all but subordinates the new president. Critics called it a coup intended to maintain their control over the state even after they nominally transfer authorities to the president by July 1.

The declaration gave the generals legislative powers and control over the process of drafting a new constitution and the national budget. It also shields the military against any kind of civilian oversight and allows the generals to run their own affairs without interference from civilian authorities.

A court ruling also dissolved the Islamist-dominated parliament last week, a verdict that has been endorsed by a decree issued by military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Also last week, the military-backed government granted military police and intelligence agents the right to arrest civilians for a host of suspected crimes, a move that many viewed as tantamount to a declaration of martial law.

The Brotherhood and its Islamist allies rejected the dissolution decree and insisted the parliament is still in effect.

Tens of thousands demonstrated in Cairo and the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria Tuesday evening to denounce the constitutional declaration.

The estimated 50,000 protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, birthplace of last year's anti-Mubarak uprising, were mostly Brotherhood supporters and other Islamists joined by a small group of leftist and liberal activists.

The military's assertion of authority came under international criticism, from Amnesty International and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who has met repeatedly with the generals in visits to Egypt.

Carter said in a statement that he was "deeply troubled by the undemocratic turn that Egypt's transition has taken." His Carter Center monitored the weekend runoff as it has every nationwide vote in Egypt since Mubarak's ouster in a popular uprising engineered by pro-democracy youth groups.

He pointed to the dissolution of parliament and the elements of martial law and said the constitutional declaration "violated the military's commitment to make a full transfer of power to an elected civilian government.

"An unelected military body should not interfere in the constitution drafting process," Carter said.

___

Chief Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee, Wis., contributed to this report.

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