Wegmans Trustone City A Fastest Commercial Hub in Noida | Real ...

Real estate in India is a rewarding transaction observing the ever-increasing inclination towards property prices. The sky kissing prices of property on top of commercial realties crossways the nation will positively yield immense returns as an investment transaction. As well cashing in on the existing market circumstances are chief banks and financing institutions of the nation, which offers providing services to builders and investors for a bulky range residential and commercial real estate expansion. One of the most important assets of an individual is the property in India which can serve an array of purposes in times of trouble. Most of us take a loan against property for Commercial, Residential, Industrial property. Property buying in India has become one of the latest investments both nationally and internationally. The real estate in India has attracted innumerable investors globally and hence buying a home is one of the top most priorities for the contemporary professionals.

Wegmans Trustone City Noida, spread over 25 acres, which has been conceived as an Integrated Special Economic Zone (SEZ), taking care of both Work and Recreational requirements of its users by effectively offering all relevant services at an arms-length to the end user. At Wegmans Trustone City, Wegmans Group will be offering flexible office space and other commercial space solutions that are tailor made to suit any requirements in terms of built-to-suit, plug-n-play, incubation facilities or customized built-up spaces. Further, all effort is being put into making this an energy conserving facility where the Total Cost of Operations would come down drastically for the user. The available sizes in Trustone City Noida Extension are 250 sq. ft. and multiple of 250 sq. ft. and furnished and unfurnished both are available.

Wegmans Trustone City Noida is loaded with the world renowned facilities of an Integrated Special Economic Zone same level of a 5 star hotels. All the inside part of Wegmans Trustone City building will be centrally air conditioned to keep the employees in a cool and keep their mind cool. Same as the facilities of a 5 star international hotels are the most reputed and lighting feature of Wegmans Trustone City Noida. The floors from 1st to 3rd will be unfurnished office spaces and after 3rd floors to the last floors the office spaces will be furnished. In the unfurnished office spaces you can decorate those spaces and you can arrange those according to your choices.

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Nigeria banking stock index falls 5.42 pct on profit taking

By Teresa Carson PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - An Oregon man with a history of mental distress was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of harassing family members of some of the 12 people slain by a gunman who opened fire on moviegoers inside a Colorado, theater last summer, police said. Kevin Michael Purfield, 45, of Oregon, is accused of contacting relatives of the Aurora, Colorado, victims through telephone calls, email and social media networks, police in Portland and Aurora said. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nigeria-banking-stock-index-falls-5-42-pct-125945816--finance.html

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Consumption Junction: Childhood Obesity Determined Largely by Environmental Factors, Not Genes or Sloth

In looking for ways to fight childhood obesity, an emerging consensus of literature points to the need to reengineer kids? environments to change what and how they eat

By Tara Haelle

Although kids can typically adjust their energy intake by regulating their food, Temple University public health professor Jennifer Fisher says, their surroundings and options may change that equation for kids in the same way that it does in adults. Image: Flickr/The Familylee

New evidence is confirming that the environment kids live in has a greater impact than factors such as genetics, insufficient physical activity or other elements in efforts to control child obesity. Three new studies, published in the April 8 Pediatrics, land on the import of the 'nurture' side of the equation and focus on specific circumstances in children's or teen's lives that potentially contribute to unhealthy bulk.

In three decades child and adolescent obesity has tripled in the U.S., and estimates from 2010 classify more than a third of children and teens as overweight or obese. Obesity puts these kids at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, and bone or joint problems. The variables responsible are thought to range from too little exercise to too many soft drinks. Now it seems that blaming Pepsi or too little PE might neglect the bigger picture.

"We are raising our children in a world that is vastly different than it was 40 or 50 years ago," says Yoni Freedhoff, an obesity doctor and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Ottawa. "Childhood obesity is a disease of the environment. It's a natural consequence of normal kids with normal genes being raised in unhealthy, abnormal environments." The environmental factors in these studies range from the seemingly minor, such as kids' plate sizes, to bigger challenges, such as school schedules that may keep teens from getting sufficient sleep. But they are part of an even longer list: the ubiquity of fast food, changes in technology, fewer home-cooked meals, more food advertising, an explosion of low-cost processed foods and increasing sugary drink serving sizes (pdf) as well as easy access to unhealthy snacks in vending machines, at sports games and in nearly every setting children inhabit?these are just a handful of environmental factors research has linked to increasing obesity, and researchers are starting to pick apart which among them play bigger or lesser roles in making kids supersized.

Size matters in "obesogenic environments"
In one of the three new studies dishware size made a big difference. Researchers studied 42 second-graders in which the children alternately used child-size 18.4-centimeter (7.25-inch) diameter plates with 237-milliliter (8-ounce) bowls or adult-size 26-centimeter (10.25-inch) diameter plates with 473-milliliter (16-ounce) bowls. Doubling the size of the dishware, the researchers found, increased the amount of food kids served themselves in a buffet-style lunch line by an average of 90 calories. They ate about 43 percent of those extra calories, on average.

Although kids can typically adjust their energy intake by regulating their food, Temple University public health professor Jennifer Fisher says, their surroundings and options may change that equation for kids in the same way that it does in adults. "This notion that children are immune to the environment is somewhat misguided," says Fisher, who headed up the study. "To promote self-regulation, you have to constrain the environment in a way that makes the healthy choice the easy choice."

Fisher says much recent research in nutrition has focused on the "obesogenic" environments of today's society: a dietary environment offering widespread access to highly palatable foods in large portion sizes. "If we look at adult studies on dieting and weight loss, we know that the prospect of maintaining self-control in this environment is fairly grim," Fisher says. "I think most scientists believe our bodies have evolved to pretty staunchly defend hunger and prevent weight loss, and maybe are not so sensitive in preventing overconsumption."

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=6da3eb788ba00335cfff73af2c218e19

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Robot hot among surgeons but FDA taking a new look

In this March 22, 2013 photo, Dr. Pier Giulianotti, chief of minimally invasive and robotic surgery at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in Chicago, sits at the control panel of the da Vinci robot system. Surgeons say the advantages of the system include allowing them to operate sitting down, using small robotic hands with no tremor. But critics say a big increase in robot operations nationwide is due to heavy marketing and hype, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking into problems and deaths that may be linked with robotic surgery. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

In this March 22, 2013 photo, Dr. Pier Giulianotti, chief of minimally invasive and robotic surgery at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in Chicago, sits at the control panel of the da Vinci robot system. Surgeons say the advantages of the system include allowing them to operate sitting down, using small robotic hands with no tremor. But critics say a big increase in robot operations nationwide is due to heavy marketing and hype, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking into problems and deaths that may be linked with robotic surgery. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

In this March 22, 2013 photo, Dr. Pier Giulianotti, chief of minimally invasive and robotic surgery at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in Chicago, shows off a robotic arm of the da Vinci robot system. Surgeons say the advantages of the system include allowing them to operate sitting down, using small robotic hands with no tremor. But critics say a big increase in robot operations nationwide is due to heavy marketing and hype, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking into problems and deaths that may be linked with robotic surgery. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

In this photo from video provided by Intuitive?Surgical, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., maker of the da Vinci robotic system, doctors are seen using the device to perform a surgery. Surgeons say the advantages of the system include allowing them to operate sitting down, using small robotic hands with no tremor. But critics say a big increase in robot operations nationwide is due to heavy marketing and hype, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking into problems and deaths that may be linked with robotic surgery. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Intuitive?Surgical, Inc.)

FOR STORY BY LINDSEY TANNER TO MOVE PRIMETIME, TUESDAY, APRIL 9 - In this March 26, 2013 photo, Aidee Diaz, 36, is seen at the Rauner Family YMCA on Chicago's South Side before a workout with a personal trainer. Diaz has lost 100 pounds since a simultaneous robotic kidney transplant and obesity surgery in July 2012 at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in Chicago. Diaz says the YMCA workouts are helping her get in shape. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

In this March 26, 2013 photo, Aidee Diaz, 36, right, exercises with personal trainer Angela Appleton at the Rauner Family YMCA on Chicago's South Side. Diaz has lost 100 pounds since a simultaneous robotic kidney transplant and obesity surgery in July 2012 at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in Chicago. Diaz says the YMCA workouts are helping her get in shape. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

CHICAGO (AP) ? The biggest thing in operating rooms these days is a million-dollar, multi-armed robot named da Vinci, used in nearly 400,000 surgeries nationwide last year ? triple the number just four years earlier.

But now the high-tech helper is under scrutiny over reports of problems, including several deaths that may be linked with it and the high cost of using the robotic system.

There also have been a few disturbing, freak incidents: a robotic hand that wouldn't let go of tissue grasped during surgery and a robotic arm hitting a patient in the face as she lay on the operating table.

Is it time to curb the robot enthusiasm?

Some doctors say yes, concerned that the "wow" factor and heavy marketing have boosted use. They argue that there is not enough robust research showing that robotic surgery is at least as good or better than conventional surgeries.

Many U.S. hospitals promote robotic surgery in patient brochures, online and even on highway billboards. Their aim is partly to attract business that helps pay for the costly robot.

The da Vinci is used for operations that include removing prostates, gallbladders and wombs, repairing heart valves, shrinking stomachs and transplanting organs. Its use has increased worldwide, but the system is most popular in the United States.

"We are at the tip of the iceberg. What we thought was impossible 10 years ago is now commonplace," said Dr. Michael Stifelman, robotic surgery chief at New York University's Langone Medical Center.

For surgeons, who control the robot while sitting at a computer screen rather than standing over the patient, these operations can be less tiring. Plus robot hands don't shake. Advocates say patients sometimes have less bleeding and often are sent home sooner than with conventional laparoscopic surgeries and operations involving large incisions.

But the Food and Drug Administration is looking into a spike in reported problems during robotic surgeries. Earlier this year, the FDA began a survey of surgeons using the robotic system. The agency conducts such surveys of devices routinely, but FDA spokeswoman Synim Rivers said the reason for it now "is the increase in number of reports received" about da Vinci.

Reports filed since early last year include at least five deaths.

Whether there truly are more problems recently is uncertain. Rivers said she couldn't quantify the increase and that it may simply reflect more awareness among doctors and hospitals about the need to report problems. Doctors aren't required to report such things; device makers and hospitals are.

It could also reflect wider use. Last year there were 367,000 robot surgeries versus 114,000 in 2008, according to da Vinci's maker, Intuitive Surgical Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif.

Da Vinci is the company's only product, and it's the only robotic system cleared for soft-tissue surgery by the FDA. There are other robotic devices approved for neurosurgery and orthopedics, among other things.

A search for the company's name in an FDA database of reported problems related to medical devices brings up 500 reports since Jan. 1, 2012. Many of those came from Intuitive Surgical. The reports include incidents that happened several years ago and some are duplicates. There's also no proof any of the problems were caused by the robot, and many didn't injure patients. Reports filed this year include:

? A woman who died during a 2012 hysterectomy when the surgeon-controlled robot accidentally nicked a blood vessel.

? A Chicago man who died in 2007 after spleen surgery.

? A New York man whose colon was allegedly perforated during prostate surgery. Da Vinci's maker filed that report after seeing a newspaper article about it and said the doctor's office declined to provide additional information.

? A robotic arm that wouldn't let go of tissue grasped during colorectal surgery on Jan. 14. "We had to do a total system shutdown to get the grasper to open its jaws," said the report filed by the hospital. The report said the patient was not injured.

? A robotic arm hit a patient in the face during a hysterectomy. The company filed that report, and said it is unknown if the patient was injured but that the surgeon decided to switch to an open, more invasive operation instead.

Intuitive Surgical filed all but one of those reports.

Complications can occur with any type of surgery, and so far it's unclear if they are more common in robotic operations, but that's part of what the FDA is trying to find out.

Intuitive Surgical disputes there's been a true increase in problems and says the rise reflects a change it made last year in the way it reports problems.

The da Vinci system "has an excellent safety record with over 1.5 million surgeries performed globally, and total adverse event rates have remained low and in line with historical trends," said company spokeswoman Angela Wonson.

But an upcoming research paper suggests that problems linked with robotic surgery are underreported. They include cases with "catastrophic complications," said Dr. Martin Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon who co-authored the paper.

"The rapid adoption of robotic surgery ... has been done by and large without the proper evaluation," Makary said.

The da Vinci system, on the market since 2000, includes a three- or four-armed robot that surgeons operate with hand controls at a computer system located several feet away from the patient. They see inside the patient's body through a tiny video camera attached to one of the long robot arms. The other arms are tipped with tiny surgical instruments.

Robotic operations are similar to conventional laparoscopy, or "keyhole" surgery, which involves small incisions and camera-tipped instruments controlled by the surgeon's hands, not a robot.

Almost 1,400 U.S. hospitals ? nearly 1 out of 4 ? have at least one da Vinci system. Each one costs about $1.45 million, plus $100,000 or more a year in service agreements.

The most common robotic operations include prostate removal ? about 85 percent of these operations in the U.S. are done with the robot. Da Vinci also is often used for hysterectomies, Wonson said.

Makary says there's no justification for the skyrocketing increase in robotic surgery, which he attributes to aggressive advertising by the manufacturer and hospitals seeking more patients.

He led a study published in 2011 that found 4 in 10 U.S. hospitals promoted robotic surgery on their websites, often using wording provided by the manufacturer. Some of the claims exaggerated the benefits or had misleading, unproven claims, the study said.

Stifelman, the Langone surgeon, said it makes sense for hospitals to promote robotic surgery and other new technology to, but that it doesn't mean that it's the right option for all patients.

"It's going to be the responsibility of the surgeon ... to make sure the patient knows there are lots of options," and to discuss the risks and benefits, he said.

His hospital expects to do more than 1,200 robotic surgeries this year, versus just 175 in 2008.

For a few select procedures that require operating in small, hard-to-reach areas, robotic surgery may offer advantages over conventional methods, Makary said. Those procedures include head and neck cancer surgery and rectal surgery.

Some surgeons say the robotic method also has advantages for weight-loss surgery on extremely obese patients, whose girth can make hands-on surgery challenging.

"At the console, the operation can be performed effectively and precisely, translating to superior quality," said Dr. Subhashini Ayloo, a surgeon at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in Chicago.

Ayloo, who uses the da Vinci robot, last year began a study on the effectiveness of doing robotic obesity surgery in patients who need a kidney transplant. Some hospitals won't do transplants on obese patients with kidney failure because it can be risky. In the study, robotic stomach-shrinking surgery and kidney transplants are done simultaneously. Patients who get both will be compared with a control group getting only robotic kidney transplants.

"We don't know the results, but so far it's looking good," Ayloo said.

Aidee Diaz of Chicago was the first patient and was taken aback when told the dual operation would be done robotically.

"At first you would get scared. Everybody says, 'A robot?' But in the long run that robot does a lot of miracles," said Diaz, 36.

She has had no complications since her operation last July, has lost 100 pounds and says her new kidney is working well.

Lawsuits in cases that didn't turn out so well often cite inadequate surgeon training with the robot. These include a malpractice case that ended last year with a $7.5 million jury award for the family of Juan Fernandez, a Chicago man who died in 2007 after robotic spleen surgery. The lawsuit claimed Fernandez's surgeons accidentally punctured part of his intestines, leading to a fatal infection.

The surgeons argued that Fernandez had a health condition that caused the intestinal damage, but it was the first robot operation for one of the doctors and using the device was overkill for an ordinarily straightforward surgery, said Fernandez's attorney, Ted McNabola.

McNabola said an expert witness told him it was like "using an 18-wheeler to go the market to get a quart of milk."

Company spokesman Geoff Curtis said Intuitive Surgical has physician-educators and other trainers who teach surgeons how to use the robot. But they don't train them how to do specific procedures robotically, he said, and that it's up to hospitals and surgeons to decide "if and when a surgeon is ready to perform robotic cases."

A 2010 New England Journal of Medicine essay by a doctor and a health policy analyst said surgeons must do at least 150 procedures to become adept at using the robotic system. But there is no expert consensus on how much training is needed.

New Jersey banker Alexis Grattan did a lot of online research before her gallbladder was removed last month at Hackensack University Medical Center. She said the surgeon's many years of experience with robotic operations was an important factor. She also had heard that the surgeon was among the first to do the robotic operation with just one small incision in the belly button, instead of four cuts in conventional keyhole surgery.

"I'm 33, and for the rest of my life I'm going to be looking at those scars," she said.

The operation went smoothly. Grattan was back at work a week later.

___

Online:

Robotic surgery: http://tinyurl.com/byuljds

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-09-Robotic%20Surgery/id-8f5a88e8f3e749b3a938cc8d42b1d08c

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CSN: Giants erase four-run deficit to beat Rockies

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO ? The Giants used a Mile High springboard to the NL West title last year. They beat the Colorado Rockies 14 times in 18 games.

They are off to a good start again this season, positioned to try for a three-game sweep after storming back from a four-run deficit to take a 9-6 victory Tuesday night at AT&T Park.

But this is not a template they should plan to follow very often. On an oddly warm night that had a very Coorsian vibe, Tim Lincecum got stomped for a five-run second inning that matched the worst beating he took in any single frame last year.

It took the first opposite-field home run of Brandon Crawford?s career, a three-run shot in the sixth inning, to give the Giants instant life. Then it took Hunter Pence?s 1000^th career hit to tie it and one more rally against the Rockies? beleaguered bullpen to make a winner of reliever Santiago Casilla.

Pinch hitter Andres Torres hit a leadoff double in the eighth, Angel Pagan stung a tiebreaking single that nearly separated right-hander Matt Belisle from his clothes and the Giants tacked on two more to make it a less stressful save situation for Sergio Romo.

Lincecum?s problems are far from resolved ? he allowed six runs on four hits and four walks in six innings ? but the Giants have won in both of his starts. They only won consecutive Lincecum starts twice before the All-Star break last season.

Starting pitching report

Lincecum used to have a plumber?s wrench in his bag when a teammate would make an error behind him or a few hits would find turf. But the second inning sprayed out of control, just like so many of the rallies he couldn?t stop last season.

The drip-drip-drip started as it usually does, with a four-pitch walk to Troy Tulowitzki. Then Michael Cuddyer hit a ground ball to Scutaro?s left and the second baseman tried to spin and get the lead runner rather than take the surer out at first base.

It was a bad decision. The throw wasn?t nearly in time, and it was off line as well ? allowing Tulowitzki to take third base when Pablo Sandoval had to abandon the bag to chase down the ball in shallow left field.

Lincecum nearly minimized the damage. Todd Helton hit an RBI ground out, and after power threat Wilin Rosario drew a walk, Lincecum struck out Chris Nelson on a nasty slider. There were two outs and the pitcher?s spot coming up.

But Lincecum got to 2-2 before missing on consecutive fastballs to Juan Nicasio, including a full-count pitch that wasn?t close. It was the second consecutive start in which Lincecum walked the opposing pitcher (and he?d walk Nicasio again in the fourth, too.)

Then came the floodgates ? a two-run double from Dexter Fowler, who memorably tripled off Lincecum last year, and then a two-run single from Josh Rutledge.

That completed the damage in a five-run inning. Hard as it might be to believe, that matched the most runs Lincecum allowed in an inning last season (a five-run sixth May 25 at Miami).

The issue, once again, was fastball command. Lincecum had plenty of movement on his curve and changeup, but he couldn?t entice more swings. That?s because he threw just six strikes among 15 fastballs in the second inning.

Clearly, Lincecum remains a work in progress. But if he?s shown clear improvement in any area from last season, it?s improved conditioning and stamina. Even after a 32-pitch second inning, he was able to catch his breath and make it through the sixth inning on 104 pitches, allowing only a solo homer to Tulowitzki in his final four frames.

The upshot: Last year?s Lincecum probably doesn?t last as long, and would have overtaxed the bullpen as a result.

Bullpen report

Jose Mijares began the seventh and left a runner at second base for George Kontos, who preserved the tie when he got Tulowitzki to fly out.

Casilla pitched a scoreless eighth to receive the decision and Romo worked another 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his fifth save in five opportunities.

Romo has retired 15 of 16 batters faced this season, allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out eight.

At the plate

The early innings were more about missed opportunities than the 2-0 lead that the Giants were able to hand Lincecum. Pence?s infield single drove in a run in the first inning but Hector Sanchez flied out to strand the bases loaded.

Scutaro managed a clutch hit in the second inning when he punched his second single of the game ? both of them to left field ? with two outs to drive in Crawford. The two crisp hits were a good sign for Scutaro, who entered in a 3-for-27 slump.

The Giants slugged their way back into the game in a four-run sixth, with an unlikely power source leading the way. After Nicasio committed the grave sin of walking Gregor Blanco and Sanchez to start the inning, Crawford greeted right-hander Adam Ottavino by smacking his 2-0 fastball to left-center field for a three-run homer

It was just Crawford?s second home run in 363 career plate appearances at AT&T Park ? and it was the first time he parked one the opposite way in the big leagues.

Crawford offered a sly smile as he crossed the plate, clearly not used to trotting on a ball hit anywhere to left field. Wherever they go, he makes his homers count. Of his eight career shots, three of them are three-run shots and two are grand slams.

The Giants still trailed 6-5, but they made up the rest quickly enough. Nick Noonan hit a pinch single, Pagan followed with a single and Scutaro sacrificed for the first out of the inning. After an intentional walk to Sandoval loaded the bases, Pence came through with his 1000^th career hit to move everyone up 90 feet and tie the game.

Brandon Belt grounded into a double play to stall the rally at four runs, though.

The bench was key in the late innings. In addition to Noonan?s pinch hit, Torres proved adept off the bench with his double off Belisle to start the winning rally.

The Giants had 14 hits and everyone in the starting lineup except Belt managed to reach via hit or walk.

In field

Aside from Scutaro?s bad decision in the second inning , the Giants didn?t give away any outs. Sandoval made the defensive play of the game, ranging far into foul ground to snag Helton?s pop-up near the Giants bullpen.

Attendance

The Giants announced 41,910 paid, and the sellout crowd received snow globes depicting the World Series parade in front of City Hall. If you look hard enough, you can see a tiny little Bruce Bochy pushing his Rolls-Royce after it ran out of gas.

Up next

The Giants complete their first homestand and wrap up their three-game series with the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday afternoon. The Giants will try to win for a 16^th consecutive time with Barry Zito (1-0, 0.00) on the mound. He?ll be opposed by left-hander Jeff Francis (1-0, 1.50). The Rockies just can?t quit that guy.

Source: http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/andrew-baggarly/baggs-instant-replay-giants-9-rockies-6

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Thatcher opponents greet news of death with champagne and cider

By Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton

LONDON (Reuters) - Admirers of Margaret Thatcher on Tuesday mourned the "Iron Lady" who as Britain's longest serving prime minister in over a century pitched free-market capitalism as the only medicine for her country's crippled economy and the crumbling Soviet bloc.

World leaders past and present, from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to U.S. President Barack Obama, led tributes to the grocer's daughter who sought to arrest Britain's decline and helped Ronald Reagan broker an end to the Cold War.

"The world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend," said Obama.

While world leaders praised the most powerful British prime minister since her hero Winston Churchill, the scars of bitter struggles during her rule left Britain divided over her legacy.

Opponents celebrated in London, the English city of Bristol and the Scottish city of Glasgow, cheering her death and toasting to the death of "the witch" with champagne and cider.

"We've waited a long time for her death," said Carl Chamberlain, 45, unemployed, sporting a grey ponytail and sipping on a can of cider in Brixton, London, the scene of riots in 1981.

Loathed and loved, Thatcher crushed trade unions, privatised swathes of British industry, clashed with European allies and fought a war to recover the Falkland Islands from Argentina.

Tuesday's newspapers told the story: "The Woman Who Saved Britain", declared the Daily Mail while the Daily Mirror, led on "The Woman Who Divided A Nation" in an article which questioned the grand, ceremonial funeral planned for next week.

Thatcher's body was removed overnight in a transit van with police escort from the Ritz Hotel where she had died on Monday morning following a stroke.

Thatcher's final journey on April 17 will take her from a chapel inside the Palace of Westminster - where she deployed fearsome and forensic debating skills - to a St Paul's Cathedral where she will arrive on a gun carriage drawn by horses from Queen Elizabeth's artillery.

The Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, will attend the funeral, which is likely to be the grandest funeral for a British politician since Churchill's state funeral in 1965. Though accorded full military honours, Thatcher did not want a state funeral. She will be cremated.

Parliament will return from recess for a special session in her honour on Wednesday.

"IRON LADY"

The unyielding, outspoken Thatcher led her Conservative party to three election victories, governing from 1979 to 1990, the longest continuous term in office for a British premier in over 150 years.

She struck up a close relationship with Reagan taking a hostile view of the Soviet Union, backed the first President George Bush during the 1991 Gulf War, and was the first major Western leader to discover that Gorbachev was a man she could "do business with".

"Very few leaders get to change not only the political landscape of their country but of the world. Margaret was such a leader. Her global impact was vast," said Tony Blair, whose term as Labour prime minister from 1997-2007 he acknowledged owed a debt to the former leader of his Conservative opponents.

Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron cut short a visit abroad and flags flew at half mast. "The real thing about Margaret Thatcher is that she didn't just lead our country, she saved our country," Cameron said.

Mourners laid roses, tulips and lilies on the doorstep of her house in Belgravia, one of London's most exclusive areas. One note said: "The greatest British leader" while another said to "The Iron Lady", a soubriquet bestowed by a Soviet army newspaper in the 1970s and which Thatcher loved.

But, in a mark of lingering anger at a woman who explained her belief in private endeavour by declaring "there is no such thing as society", someone also left a bottle of milk. To many Britons she remained "Maggie Thatcher, Milk Snatcher" for scrapping free milk for schoolchildren when she was education minister in 1971.

Having retreated into seclusion after being deposed by her party, the death of her businessman husband Denis in 2003 and creeping dementia had kept her out of the public eye for years. She had been in poor health for months.

COLD WARRIOR

The abiding domestic images of her premiership will remain those of conflict: huge police confrontations with mass ranks of coalminers whose year-long strike failed to save their pits and communities; Thatcher riding a tank in a white headscarf; and flames rising above London's Trafalgar Square in riots over a deeply unpopular "poll tax" which contributed to her downfall.

To those who opposed her she was blunt to a degree.

"The lady's not for turning," she told Conservatives in 1980 as some urged a "U-turn" on the economy in the face of rising job losses and crashing poll ratings.

She stuck to her plans to pare state spending but could thank victory in the Falklands - known in Argentina as Las Malvinas - in 1982 for helping her bounce back to re-election.

Argentinians were less moved to praise her than Falklanders who called her "our Winston Churchill". In South Africa, too, there was a coolness after her death as its new, democratic leaders recalled her prevarication on apartheid.

In Europe, many in the east had warm words for her refusal to back down against Moscow and the inspiration of her reforms of a centrally planned economy. Among those were Chancellor Angela Merkel, a fellow chemist from East Germany who rose to become her reunited country's first woman leader.

In western Europe, where the late French Socialist president Francois Mitterrand once grappled with a conundrum he described as having "the eyes of Caligula but the mouth of Marilyn Monroe", there was respect for her achievements though never great fondness for her "handbagging" lectures on saving money.

GROCERY SHOP TO WORLD STAGE

Brought up in a flat with no hot water above the family grocery in the eastern English town of Grantham, Margaret Hilda Roberts learned thrift and hard work from her Methodist father Alfred before going to Oxford University to study chemistry.

She met her wealthy husband Denis, a divorcee a decade her senior, at a Conservative dinner party. They married in 1951 but the young Thatcher faced snobbery from the party grandees: she was female and far too lowly.

As Conservatives and Labour traded power and blame for an economic and diplomatic decline in the early 1970s, Thatcher was manoeuvring behind the scenes and surprised the party by winning the leadership from former premier Edward Heath in 1975.

She made her mark - after a makeover that changed her hair and her voice - by focusing on fiscal prudence and common sense - potent messages when made against the backdrop of the 1978-79 "winter of discontent" when strikes brought Britain's economy to a halt with 3-day working weeks and power shortages.

Cutting taxes, liberalising exchange controls and privatising state-controlled behemoths, Thatcher transformed Britain's economy and helped to strengthen the City of London as a global financial centre only challenged by New York.

But the struggles that followed left their mark on Britain.

"She absolutely decimated mining communities with her policies and we will never ever forgive her," said Stephen Brunt, a former miner and union representative, told Reuters in the northern English town of Barnsley, the scene of pitched battles between striking miners and police in the 1980s.

"When I heard the news she had died, I shouted out 'rejoice,'" Brunt said. "She is reviled around here."

"THATCHERISM"

Her personal credo, founded on competition, private enterprise, thrift and self-reliance, gave birth to a political philosophy still referred to as "Thatcherism".

Millions in Britain pay tribute to her radical policies, such as selling off of public housing to its tenants.

But many recalled past bitterness, including in Northern Ireland where republican leader Gerry Adams said she had caused "great suffering". She took a hard line during a hunger strike in which 10 republican prisoners died in 1981, and three years later she survived a deadly Irish bomb attack on her party conference.

Thatcher relished her image and humiliated Geoffrey Howe, one of her most respected ministers, in front of the cabinet, helping to spur his resignation and her own downfall.

But behind the doors of her Downing Street residence she would insist on making tea for her ministers, take care over her impeccable outfits and relax with whisky and water after the 18-hour days which became the norm of her rule.

Thatcher's combative opposition to greater European integration antagonised allies in Europe and her own ministers but which still strikes a chord with those in Britain today who fear being drawn into the troubles of the struggling euro zone.

In a few tense weeks at the end of 1990, Thatcher fell from power as some of her most senior ministers, including Howe, turned on her in what she said later was treachery. Thatcher never really recovered from her ousting.

"We are leaving Downing Street for the last time after 11 and a half wonderful years and we are very happy that we leave the United Kingdom in a very, very much better state than when we came here," Thatcher said. For many, the tears she shed that day gave a shocking glimpse of human frailty behind the handbag.

Descending into dementia after years at the top table of world politics, Thatcher became almost a recluse, living out her life behind the white-stucco walls of her Georgian townhouse.

(Editing by Alastair Macdonald and David Stamp)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thatcher-mourned-critics-speak-060415272--business.html

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The art of the political flip-flop: 'I now support same-sex marriage'

Since Joe Biden blurted out his support for same-sex marriage nearly a year ago, 23 U.S. Senators have formally endorsed it in statements or interviews.

These "I now support same-sex marriage" statements have a certain mechanical poetry. The speaker is admitting that at some previous point, he or she did not. I think the penal implications of flip-flopping have been sufficiently lamented, but let's at least acknowledge the point: These are politicians going out of their way to emphasize that they have changed their minds.

Some go further than others. Claire McCaskill wrote a four-paragraph blog post that meditated on the difficulties of the decision and called on Corinthians for an assist. When South Dakota Democrat Tim Johnson issued his reversal on Monday, he did so in 37 words that begin: "After lengthy consideration, my views have evolved sufficiently to support marriage equality legislation."

It's easy to find common themes running through these messages. McCaskill, Kay Hagan, D-N.C., and Tom Carper, D-Del., all cite the influence of conversations with their families and friends. Hagan and a few others cite their religion.

I found six themes in reading through all the statements. They are as follows, with examples:

Love is all you need. See Tom Udall, D-N.M.:

"Two people, who are committed to one another, who love one another, should not be denied the fundamental right of marriage, or the legal rights that marriage includes."

Marriage is a civil right. See Biden:

"I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties."

I've evolved. See Mark Warner, D-Va.:

"Like many Virginians and Americans, my views on gay marriage have evolved, and this is the inevitable extension of my efforts to promote equality and opportunity for everyone."

My faith supports it. See Hagan:

"But after much thought and prayer on my part, this is ??where I am today."

It's right for Democracy. Udall again:

"Our Constitution enshrines the principle of equality ? equal rights for all."

Some of my best friends? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.:

"In talking with my children and grandchildren, it has become clear to me they take marriage equality as a given."

What follows is a list of every statement made since Biden's, including President Barack Obama's and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's, coded by which of the six major themes I found. This list does not include the 34 current senators who had already confirmed their support by the time Biden did, since they typically did so with less fanfare.

?

The "I've evolved" category is interesting not only because of the flip-flop implications. Many people are changing their minds on this subject, as pollsters discover again and again. It is not only the handful of Democratic senators who voted for the Defense of Marriage Act who seem to feel the need to emphasize that this is a phase shift. The implication, I think, is that?unlike war, health care, abortion, deficit reduction, tax hikes, a chained-CPI model of social security, Gitmo, immigration reform, assault weapon bans and climate change?unlike virtually everything else, gay marriage is one topic on which it's politically acceptable to change your mind.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/six-ways-senators-say-i-now-support-gay-marriage-interactive-165410672.html

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Smoking may negatively impact kidney function among adolescents

Apr. 8, 2013 ? Exposure to tobacco smoke could negatively impact adolescent kidney function; this is according to a new study led by a team of researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. They examined the association between exposure to active smoking and kidney function among U.S. adolescents and found the effects of tobacco smoke on kidney function begin in childhood. The results are featured in the April 2013 issue of Pediatrics.

"Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke are major health problems for adolescents, resulting in short-term and long-term adverse health effects," said Ana Navas-Acien, MD, PhD, senior author of the study and an associate professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of Environmental Health Sciences. "In this nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents, exposure to tobacco, including secondhand smoke and active smoking, was associated with lower estimated glomerular filtration rates -- a common measure of how well the kidneys are working. In addition, we found a modest but positive association between serum cotinine concentrations, a biomarker of tobacco exposure, among first-morning albumin to creatinine ratio. These findings further support the conclusion that tobacco smoke may damage the kidneys."

Using a cross-sectional study of 7,516 adolescents ages 12 to 17, the authors assessed participant tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke through self-reported data from a home questionnaire and serum cotinine. Participants who reported having smoked "at least one day" in the last month or "at least one cigarette" in the last month, or those who had serum cotinine concentrations over 10 ng/ml were classified as active smokers. Secondhand smoke exposure was defined as non-active smokers who reported living with at least one person who smoked, or who had cotinine levels greater than or equal to 0.05 ng/ml, but less than or equal to 10 ng/ml even if they reported not living with a smoker. Participants with serum cotinine levels below 0.05 ng/ml, not living with a smoker and not smoking in the last month, were classified as unexposed to tobacco.

Earlier studies examining U.S. adolescent tobacco exposure have indicated more than 600,000 middle school students and 3 million high school students smoke cigarettes and 15 percent of non-smoking adolescents report exposure to secondhand smoke at home. Among adolescents, active smoking has been associated with increased asthma risk, reduced lung function and growth, early atherosclerotic lesions and increased cancer risk as well as premature mortality in adulthood. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking is also a risk factor for several autoimmune diseases, including Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

"Small changes in the distribution of estimated glomerular filtration rate levels in the population could have a substantial impact in kidney-related illness, as it is well known for changes in blood pressure levels and hypertension-related disease. Evaluating potential secondhand smoke exposure and providing recommendations to minimize exposure should continue to be incorporated as part of children's routine medical care," noted Jeffrey Fadrowski, MD, MHS, co-author of the study and an assistant professor in Pediatric Nephrology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

"Tobacco as a chronic kidney disease risk factor is of great concern given the high prevalence of use and the chronicity that most often accompanies this exposure. Protecting young people from active smoking is essential since nearly 80 percent of adults who smoke begin smoking by 18 years of age," said Navas-Acien.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Esther Garc?a-Esquinas, Lauren F. Loeffler, Virginia M. Weaver, Jeffrey J. Fadrowski, and Ana Navas-Acien. Kidney Function and Tobacco Smoke Exposure in US Adolescents. Pediatrics, 2013 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-3201d

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/nW0pbiakyh8/130408152955.htm

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Serbia rejects EU-brokered Kosovo deal

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) ? Serbia rejected on Monday a European Union-brokered deal for reconciliation with its former province of Kosovo ? a defiant move that could jeopardize the Balkan country's EU membership aspirations and fuel tensions in the region.

The EU had given Serbia until Tuesday to say whether it would relinquish its effective control over northern Kosovo in exchange for the start of Serbia's EU membership negotiations.

Even before the government rejection, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic ? Serbia's most powerful governing party leader who also serves as the defense minister ? said the plan is unacceptable because it does not give more autonomy to minority ethnic Serbs in Kosovo who together with Serbia reject Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence.

"The Serbian government cannot accept the proposed principles ... because they do not guarantee full security, survival and protection of human rights for the Serbs in Kosovo," Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said. "Such an agreement could not be implemented and would not lead to a lasting and sustainable solution."

Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, said after the eighth round of talks between Serbian and Kosovo officials last week in Brussels that she wanted a response from both sides and that the bloc's mediation was over.

Despite warnings that there will be no more EU-sponsored mediation, Vucic and the government called for more talks with the rival ethnic Albanians leaders of Kosovo.

"If there is a negative answer from (the EU), that would be bad news for Serbia, Kosovo and the EU," Vucic said. "If that happens, we would have to start thinking of what to do next.

"We don't want Serbia isolated from the world, but we have to protect our interests. It is highly important that we reach an agreement."

In a statement issued after Serbia's rejection, Ashton called on Belgrade "to make a last effort to reach an agreement, for the benefit of their people." But while she made no mention of formally extending the negotiation process, she said she hoped to lead "the discussion in the EU over the next few days in support of a real step forward by both Serbia and Kosovo towards their European future."

The rejection of the proposal could severely hamper Serbia's EU membership aspirations ? which would include millions of dollars of promised accession funds. The rejection also could lead to more tensions in the Balkans, which is still reeling from the bloody wars of the 1990s when Serbia tried to prevent the breakup of the former Yugoslav federation by force.

While some 90 countries ? including the United States and most EU nations ? have recognized Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence, it has been rejected by Serbia and ally Russia.

The most contentious issue in the talks was the status of northern Kosovo, where ethnic Serbs dominate the population and refuse to accept the authority of the ethnic Albanian-controlled government in Kosovo's capital, Pristina.

Germany has made giving up control of Kosovo's north the key condition for the start of Serbia's EU accession negotiations.

The stumbling block in the talks was a Serbian demand that ethnic Serbs, who represent about 10 percent of Kosovo's 2 million people, have their own judiciary and police force. But Kosovo officials have rejected that, saying it would be tantamount to a division of Kosovo into two separate entities.

In Serbia, there are increasing calls among nationalists that Serbia should turn to its ally Russia instead of becoming an EU member. There also are suggestions from hardliners that Serbia should use force to reoccupy Kosovo, which it surrendered after a three-month NATO bombing campaign that pushed out its troops in 1999.

Vucic, a former ultranationalist turned moderate, said a military solution is out of the question.

"I'm hearing some 'heroes' who were never brave who are giving us lessons on how we should stroll into Pristina," he said. "They should not tell us what our decisions should be."

Several hundred far-right supporters demonstrated in front of the government headquarters in Belgrade during the Cabinet session, demanding that no deal is signed with the EU and Kosovo's leaders.

___

Associated Press writer Jovana Gec contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/serbia-rejects-eu-brokered-kosovo-deal-155216716.html

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FREE Download: The Future of Australian Sport Report Launched

9 Apr, 2013

FREE Download: The Future of Australian Sport Report Launched

=========

Canberra, 08 Apr 2013 (Source: Australian Sports Commission) ? Australians love sport. It always has been and will continue to be part of our cultural identity. From playing catch in the backyard to the Olympic and Paralympic podiums, the majority of Australians play, watch and enjoy sport.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has partnered with Australia?s peak science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), to jointly conduct research into the future of Australian sport. The sports played in Australia, as well as how and why we play them, are changing over time.

The research findings from The Future of Australian Sport report (the Report) will play an important role in shaping long-term policy, investment and strategic planning within government, the sport sector and broader community. The Report highlights six sports megatrends that may redefine the sport sector over the next 30 years.

A megatrend is defined as a major shift in environmental, social and economic conditions that will substantially alter the way people live. Megatrends occur at the intersection of multiple trends. A trend is defined as an important pattern of social, economic or environmental activity that will play out in the future.

Six megatrends have been identified within The Future of Australian Sport report, which will impact on the makeup of sport in Australia over the next 30 years.

• A Perfect Fit ? Personalised sport for health and fitness

• From Extreme to Mainstream ? The rise of lifestyle sports

• More than Sport ? The attainment of health, community and overseas aid objectives via sport

• Everybody?s Game?- Demographic, generational and cultural change

• New Wealth, New Talent ? Economic growth and sports development in Asia

• Tracksuits to Business Suits ? Market pressures and new business models

A Perfect Fit

Individualised sport and fitness activities are on the rise (Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport, 2010). People are fitting sport into their increasingly busy and time-fragmented lifestyles to achieve personal health objectives.

Participation rates in aerobics, running and walking, along with gym memberships, have all risen sharply over the past decade, while participation rates for many organised sports have held constant or declined (Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport, 2010). People are increasingly opting to go for a run with headphones and a music player when the opportunity arises rather than commit to a regular organised sporting event.

Expenditure on healthcare as a proportion of total expenditure has been and is forecast to continue rising (Australian Government, 2010). Australians are becoming more health conscious. We are increasingly playing sport to get fit rather than getting fit to play sport.

From Extreme to Mainstream

This megatrend captures the rise of lifestyle, adventure and alternative sports which are particularly popular with younger generations. These sports typically involve complex, advanced skills and have some element of inherent danger and/or thrill seeking. They are also characterised by a strong lifestyle element and participants often obtain cultural self-identity and self-expression through these sports. These sports are likely to attract participants through generational change and greater awareness via online content (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter).

There is strong viewer demand for extreme sports videos on the internet and television. These sports are also finding their way into the Olympic Games with the most recent addition being BMX cycling introduced at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. International associations for skateboarding and rock climbing are making substantial efforts to have these included as Olympic sports in the future.

More than Sport

The broader benefits of sport are being increasingly recognised by governments, companies and communities. Sport can help achieve mental and physical health, crime prevention, social development and international cooperation objectives (Cameron & MacDougall, 2000; Schmitz et al., 2004).

Sport for children and adults is an effective means of helping to reduce the rising rates of obesity and chronic illness. If managed appropriately, it can be an effective mechanism to help achieve social inclusion for marginalised groups and reduce crime rates. Sport can also build bridges to other countries and achieve overseas aid, peace, development and foreign policy objectives.

Everybody?s Game

Australia and other countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) face an ageing population. This will change the types of sports we play and how we play them. There are indications that Australians are embracing sport into their old age. To retain strong participation rates, sports of the future will need to cater for senior citizens. They will also need to cater for the changed cultural make-up of Australia. Australian society has become, and will continue to be, highly multicultural. Different cultures have different sporting preferences and recreation habits. Sporting organisations will be challenged with capturing the interest and involvement of diverse cultures.

New Wealth, New Talent

Population and income growth throughout Asia will create tougher competition and new opportunities for Australia both on the sports field and in the sports business environment. Asian countries are investing heavily in sports capabilities and, especially in the case of China, have rapidly improved gold medal outcomes at the Olympics over recent decades (Hong et al., 2005). As disposable incomes grow, the populations of Asian countries are becoming more interested in sport. This may create new markets for sports television, sports tourism, sports equipment, sports services and sports events.

Tracksuits to Business Suits

Market forces are likely to exert greater pressure on sport in the future. In some sports, elite athletes have had considerable pay rises and large sponsorship deals. This has not occurred in other sports (McMillan, 2011). Sports with high salaries may draw athletes away from those with lower salaries. Loosely organised community sports associations are likely to be replaced by organisations with corporate structures and more formal governance systems in light of market pressures. The cost of participating in sport is rising and this is a participation barrier for many people.

For a more detailed description of the six sports megatrends that may redefine the sport sector over the next 30 years, click here to download the Full Report.

Source: http://www.travel-impact-newswire.com/2013/04/free-download-the-future-of-australian-sport-report-launched/

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Exec threatens to pull Fox signal if Aereo goes on

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A top executive with the owner of the Fox broadcast network on Monday threatened to convert the network to a pay-TV-only channel if Internet startup Aereo Inc. continues to "steal" Fox's over-the-air signal and sell it to consumers without paying for rights.

Anyone with an antenna can pick up a TV station's signals for free. But cable and satellite companies typically pay stations and networks for the right to distribute their programming to subscribers. Industrywide, those retransmission fees add up to billions of dollars every year.

Last week, that business was shaken after a federal appeals court issued a preliminary ruling siding with Aereo, which contends that it doesn't have to pay those fees because it relies on thousands of tiny antennas.

News Corp. Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey said that not being paid by Aereo jeopardizes the economics of broadcast TV, which relies on both retransmission fees and advertising.

"This is not an ideal path we look to pursue, but we can't sit idly by and let an entity steal our signal," Carey said at the annual gathering of broadcasters, called NAB Show, in Las Vegas. "If we can't do a fair deal, we could take the whole network to a subscription model."

If realized, Carey's proposal would amount to a sea change in how Fox does business. Currently, Fox sends its signal to TV stations across the country, including 27 that it owns directly. Those stations relay Fox programming such as "Glee" and "Family Guy" for free over the airwaves in local markets and add their own local news and other programming. While most people get Fox through a pay TV provider anyway, millions of other Americans rely on the free signal coming over their own antennas.

Carey didn't explain how TV stations would be affected if Fox shut off the signals it sent to broadcasters and went straight to a pay TV model. Later, the company said in a statement that any change would occur "in collaboration with both our content partners and affiliates."

Aereo takes broadcast signals for free from the air with thousands of little antennas, recodes them for Internet use and feeds that to subscribers' computers, tablets and smartphones. Plans start at $8 a month, which is much cheaper than a cable package, though the service is mostly limited to broadcast channels.

Last week, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said that Aereo could continue its service despite a legal challenge by broadcast networks Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS.

In a split ruling, the court accepted Aereo's position that having individual antennas meant that Aereo wasn't retransmitting signals. Rather, the appeals court said that Aereo enabled its subscribers to do what they already could on their own with their own antenna and video recorder.

In a separate case, broadcasters are suing a different Internet company called Aereokiller LLC. It also takes broadcast signals using mini antennas and transmits them to paying customers. That case is now before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

Gordon Smith, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, was interviewing Carey onstage when he made the comments. Smith said he hopes that the courts will eventually rule against Aereo and force it to get in line with other pay TV operators.

"We think in the end, we'll be on the right side of the law and we will never get to the 'what-if' scenarios," Smith said.

Smith said he hopes that a different ruling at the 9th Circuit will prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to take over the matter.

Ultimately, Congress could step in and update a cable law governing retransmission fees. It was passed in 1992, before the world even had a commercial Web browser let alone viable Internet video technology.

Aereo, backed by billionaire Barry Diller, was limited to New York City when it debuted early last year, but has since expanded to the New York City suburbs, including parts of New Jersey and Connecticut. It plans to expand to Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington and 18 other U.S. markets this spring.

Aereo Chief Executive Chet Kanojia said the legal OK for Aereo's service is now the "law of the land" with or without Fox.

"We believe that broadcasting in this country, irrespective of Fox, is a very powerful, fundamental presence," he said. If Fox exits the space, "we think somebody will be there to take advantage of that great idea of reaching this mass audience."

Analyst Todd Juenger of Bernstein Research speculated in a research note in January on what would make broadcast networks transition to a pay TV model.

Such a system would result in the loss of local news programs, broadcast personalities and advertising. But a pay TV system could be better for network owners such as Fox if services like Aereo were to thrive, because doing so would cut off technology that siphons away customers from pay TV operators, he wrote.

News Corp.'s stock rose 77 cents, or 2.5 percent, to close Monday at $31.41.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-04-09-US-Fox-Broadcast-Threat-Aereo/id-7918f8360ccd41928b3912986252b049

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Carbon's role in planetary atmosphere formation

Public release date: 8-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kevin Stacey
Kevin_stacey@brown.edu
401-863-3766
Brown University

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] A new study of how carbon is trapped and released by iron-rich volcanic magma offers clues about the early atmospheric evolution on Mars and other terrestrial bodies.

The composition of a planet's atmosphere has roots deep beneath its surface. When mantle material melts to form magma, it traps subsurface carbon. As magma moves upward toward the surface and pressure decreases, that carbon is released as a gas. On Earth, carbon is trapped in magma as carbonate and degassed as carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that helps Earth's atmosphere trap heat from the sun. But how carbon is transferred from underground to the atmosphere in other planets and how that might influence greenhouse conditions wasn't well understood.

"We know carbon goes from the solid mantle to the liquid magma, from liquid to gas and then out," said Alberto Saal, professor of geological sciences at Brown and one of the study's authors. "We want to understand how the different carbon species that are formed in the conditions that are relevant to the planet affect the transfer."

This latest study, which also included researchers from Northwestern University and the Carnegie Institution of Washington, indicated that under conditions like those found in the mantles of Mars, the Moon and other bodies, carbon is trapped in the magmas mainly as a species called iron carbonyl and released as carbon monoxide and methane gas. Both gasses, methane especially, have high greenhouse potential.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that when volcanism was widespread early in Mars' history, it may have released enough methane to keep the planet significantly warmer than it is today.

A key difference between conditions in Earth's mantle and the mantles of other terrestrial bodies is what scientists refer to as oxygen fugacity, the amount of free oxygen available to react with other elements. Earth's mantle today has a relatively high oxygen fugacity, but in bodies like the Moon and early Mars, it is very low. To find out what how that lower oxygen fugacity affects carbon transfer, the researchers set up a series of experiments using volcanic basalt similar to those found on the Moon and Mars.

They melted the volcanic rock at varying pressures, temperature, and oxygen fugacities, using a powerful spectrometer to measure how much carbon was absorbed by the melt and in what form. They found that at low oxygen fugacities, carbon was trapped as iron carbonyl, something previous research hadn't detected. At lower pressures, iron carbonyl degassed as carbon monoxide and methane.

"We found that you can dissolve in the magma more carbon at low oxygen fugacity than what was previously thought," said Diane Wetzel, a Brown graduate student and the study's lead author. "That plays a big role in the degassing of planetary interiors and in how that will then affect the evolution of atmospheres in different planetary bodies."

Early in its history, Mars was home to giant active volcanoes, which means significant amounts of methane would have been released by carbon transfer. Because of methane's greenhouse potential, which is much higher than that of carbon dioxide, the findings suggest that even a thin atmosphere early in Mars' history might have created conditions warm enough for liquid water on the surface.

###

Other authors on the paper were Malcolm Rutherford from Brown, Steven Jacobson from Northwestern. and Erik Hauri from the Carnegie Institution. The work was supported by NASA, the National Science Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Deep Carbon Observatory.

---

[ | 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: 8-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kevin Stacey
Kevin_stacey@brown.edu
401-863-3766
Brown University

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] A new study of how carbon is trapped and released by iron-rich volcanic magma offers clues about the early atmospheric evolution on Mars and other terrestrial bodies.

The composition of a planet's atmosphere has roots deep beneath its surface. When mantle material melts to form magma, it traps subsurface carbon. As magma moves upward toward the surface and pressure decreases, that carbon is released as a gas. On Earth, carbon is trapped in magma as carbonate and degassed as carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that helps Earth's atmosphere trap heat from the sun. But how carbon is transferred from underground to the atmosphere in other planets and how that might influence greenhouse conditions wasn't well understood.

"We know carbon goes from the solid mantle to the liquid magma, from liquid to gas and then out," said Alberto Saal, professor of geological sciences at Brown and one of the study's authors. "We want to understand how the different carbon species that are formed in the conditions that are relevant to the planet affect the transfer."

This latest study, which also included researchers from Northwestern University and the Carnegie Institution of Washington, indicated that under conditions like those found in the mantles of Mars, the Moon and other bodies, carbon is trapped in the magmas mainly as a species called iron carbonyl and released as carbon monoxide and methane gas. Both gasses, methane especially, have high greenhouse potential.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that when volcanism was widespread early in Mars' history, it may have released enough methane to keep the planet significantly warmer than it is today.

A key difference between conditions in Earth's mantle and the mantles of other terrestrial bodies is what scientists refer to as oxygen fugacity, the amount of free oxygen available to react with other elements. Earth's mantle today has a relatively high oxygen fugacity, but in bodies like the Moon and early Mars, it is very low. To find out what how that lower oxygen fugacity affects carbon transfer, the researchers set up a series of experiments using volcanic basalt similar to those found on the Moon and Mars.

They melted the volcanic rock at varying pressures, temperature, and oxygen fugacities, using a powerful spectrometer to measure how much carbon was absorbed by the melt and in what form. They found that at low oxygen fugacities, carbon was trapped as iron carbonyl, something previous research hadn't detected. At lower pressures, iron carbonyl degassed as carbon monoxide and methane.

"We found that you can dissolve in the magma more carbon at low oxygen fugacity than what was previously thought," said Diane Wetzel, a Brown graduate student and the study's lead author. "That plays a big role in the degassing of planetary interiors and in how that will then affect the evolution of atmospheres in different planetary bodies."

Early in its history, Mars was home to giant active volcanoes, which means significant amounts of methane would have been released by carbon transfer. Because of methane's greenhouse potential, which is much higher than that of carbon dioxide, the findings suggest that even a thin atmosphere early in Mars' history might have created conditions warm enough for liquid water on the surface.

###

Other authors on the paper were Malcolm Rutherford from Brown, Steven Jacobson from Northwestern. and Erik Hauri from the Carnegie Institution. The work was supported by NASA, the National Science Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Deep Carbon Observatory.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/bu-cri040813.php

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Decade-old Mideast peace plan re-emerges

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, meets with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in the West Bank city of Ramallah Sunday, April 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Mohamed Torokman, Pool)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, meets with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in the West Bank city of Ramallah Sunday, April 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Mohamed Torokman, Pool)

JERUSALEM (AP) ? A dormant, decade-old Mideast peace plan has suddenly emerged as a possible key to breaking years of deadlock between Israel and the Palestinians.

A top Palestinian official said Sunday that the visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed interest in reviving the so-called Arab Peace Initiative, a 2002 plan in which the Arab world offered comprehensive peace with Israel in exchange for a full pullout from all territories it captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Arab officials confirmed the Arab League was set to discuss the matter on Monday.

The initiative was revolutionary when it was introduced by Saudi Arabia's then crown prince, King Abdullah, and later endorsed by the 22-member Arab League at a summit in Beirut. However, the plan was overshadowed by fierce Israeli-Palestinian fighting at the time and greeted with skepticism by Israel. The Arab League re-endorsed the plan in 2007, and technically, the offer remains in effect.

Key obstacles remain. Israel has not softened its objections to the plan, and the Palestinians turned down a request from Kerry for changes in it.

In the 1967 war, Israel took control of the West Bank, east Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, Sinai and Golan Heights. Israeli returned the Sinai to Egypt in 1982 in the framework of a peace treaty and pulled out of Gaza unilaterally in 2005. Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, and peace talks with Syria over the territory have repeatedly failed.

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been deadlocked since late 2008, in large part over the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The Palestinians refuse to talk while Israel settles its population on the occupied territories where they want to establish their state. They have demanded that Israel accept the 1967 lines as the basis for a future Palestine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects a return to the 1967 lines and calls for talks with no preconditions.

The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation has also endorsed the 2002 Arab peace initiative.

The plan, if adopted, considers the Arab-Israeli conflict "ended," offers "normal relations" with Israel and calls for providing "security for all the states of the region."

Israel has rejected a return to the 1967 lines for both security and spiritual reasons. Israeli leaders have long argued that the 1967 frontiers are indefensible. In addition, a return to those boundaries would mean a withdrawal from east Jerusalem, home to the city's holiest Jewish, Muslim and Christian religious sites.

Israel has annexed east Jerusalem, and Netanyahu has vowed never to share control of the sensitive area. The Palestinians say there can be no peace without establishing their capital in east Jerusalem. These conflicting claims to east Jerusalem are perhaps the most emotional and explosive issue in the conflict.

Kerry on Sunday kicked off what is expected to be several months of shuttle diplomacy between Israel and the Palestinians with a stop in the West Bank for talks with President Mahmoud Abbas.

It was not immediately clear whether the Arab initiative came up in Sunday night's talks. A senior State Department official said the meeting "included a discussion on how to create a positive climate for negotiations," but that Kerry had asked all participants to keep the details confidential. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of Kerry's orders not to brief reporters.

Abbas spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdeneh, said Abbas urged Israel to release Palestinian prisoners it is holding, called on Israel to halt settlement construction and urged Israel to commit to a solution based on the 1967 lines. He did not say whether the Arab peace initiative was discussed but confirmed Abbas was leaving Monday for talks on the plan at an Arab League meeting in Qatar.

Mohammed Subeih, the Arab League's undersecretary for Palestinian affairs, confirmed a special committee on the peace initiative would hold "an urgent meeting" in Doha on Monday.

He said the prime minister of Qatar would chair the meeting, and foreign ministers of key countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Palestinians, would attend. The Arab League's chief Nabil El-Araby is also expected, he said.

Subeih said the committee would form a delegation, chaired by El-Araby and the Qatari prime minister, to travel to Washington in the coming weeks. In Washington, the delegation will try together with the American side draw a road map to "end Israeli occupation," he said.

Earlier Sunday, the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said Kerry has been floating the Arab initiative as a possible way out of the deadlock.

Officials say Kerry has proposed two small changes to make it more palatable to Israel, saying the 1967 lines could be modified through mutual agreement and pressing for stronger security guarantees. Security-obsessed Israel has grown increasingly jittery during the upheaval that has swept through the Middle East over the past two years.

Speaking to the Voice of Palestine radio station, Erekat said the plan could not be changed. "Kerry asked us to change few words in the Arab Peace Initiative but we refused," he said.

Israeli officials refused to comment on the matter. An Israeli official said the Israelis were planning to offer "a wide spectrum of ideas" to Kerry when they meet with him in the current days. The official declined to elaborate. He spoke on condition of anonymity because nothing has been formally presented yet.

In the past, Netanyahu has described the Arab peace initiative as a welcome sign of acceptance from the Arab world but refused to accept it in its current form. Netanyahu has said that presenting the plan as an ultimatum would undermine negotiations.

But after years of deadlock, and growing international isolation over continued Israeli settlement construction, Netanyahu could find himself in a difficult position if the offer is again extended.

___

AP writers Mohammed Daraghmeh and Bradley Klapper in Ramallah, West Bank and Hamza Hendawi in Cairo contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-07-ML-Israel-Palestinians-Arab-Initiative/id-b2b80c95d2514ba085b17b60ab02dcd4

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