Twitter just launched its "Certified Products Program" to highlight "the best products and services to thrive on Twitter." The program is meant to help companies find the best tools to engage with their customers and "understand what people are saying about them on Twitter." To do so, Twitter is focusing on three product categories: engagement, analytics and data resellers. All of these, of course, are products that Twitter identified as tools it wants its developer ecosystem to focus on in its infamous blog post from earlier this month.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) ? Stubborn pension problems and government gridlock earned Illinois another reduction in its credit rating Wednesday, potentially costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it lowered Illinois' rating a notch because of "weak pension funding levels and lack of action on reform measures." The firm also said the financial outlook for Illinois is negative, in part because the state's temporary income tax is scheduled to expire in 2015.
Illinois politicians agreed the state's massive pension shortfall must be corrected quickly, but they blamed others for the delay. Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn said legislators didn't do their job. Republican legislative leaders said Democrats were the ones who quit.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker pounced on the financial setback, saying it shows the "stark contrast" between stumbling Illinois and sure-footed Wisconsin.
Lower ratings can raise the interest rate Illinois must pay when borrowing money.
Illinois may have to pay an additional $1.5 million annually for each $100 million it borrows for public works projects, said Brian Battle, director of trading at Chicago's Performance Trust Capital Partners. With Illinois selling hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of bonds each year, the extra interest cost could hit $15 million, he said.
The downgrade, from A+ to A, leaves Illinois with the nation's second-lowest rating from S&P. California is rated A-, but it has earned a "positive outlook" from the firm.
Moody's rating service has also warned that it may lower Illinois' rating.
Quinn said in a statement that the downgrade is no surprise and shows that state leaders must fix public pension systems. Illinois' retirement systems have a gap of roughly $85 billion between the money available and what they will eventually pay out in pensions, the largest shortfall in the country.
Trying to close the gap costs the state more money each year, leaving less for other government needs. Pension payments this year will make up 20 percent of state government's general spending, compared with 13 percent three years ago.
Quinn called legislators into special session earlier this month, but they couldn't agree on what to do, largely because of a dispute about whether to transfer some pension costs to school districts. Quinn said he's asking legislative leaders to meet with him early next month to resume talks.
"It's regrettable that our legislators did not act promptly when they had a chance. We just have to keep pushing them," Quinn said.
The Republican legislative leaders, Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont and House Minority Leader Tom Cross of Oswego, said Democrats should not have ended the special session after a single day.
"We continue to be ready to address the problem, armed with ideas and solutions that could work," they said in a joint statement.
Radogno said this reduction in the credit rating is Illinois' 10th under Quinn, which she said is more than the four previous governors combined.
Wisconsin's governor renewed his campaign to portray his state as a more stable and business-friendly place than Illinois, where he says leaders "kicked the can down the road" instead of solving problems. Walker blasts Illinois for raising income taxes and has invited its companies to move to Wisconsin.
His efforts haven't always worked, though. Just last week, aerospace company Woodward Inc. decided to build a $200 million manufacturing center near Rockford despite being courted by Walker.
Battle, the trading director, said Illinois faces further credit downgrades if officials don't take action. The state is nearing the level where institutional investors will no longer feel comfortable putting money into Illinois bonds, he said.
"Illinois willfully ignores the problem," Battle said. "I would hope everyone would just be screaming to their elected representatives, 'Fix this!'"
___
Follow Christopher Wills at http://twitter.com/chrisbwills
This Special Education Law Blog is intended for educational purposes only. Nothing said in the posts, comments or elsewhere in this blog should be construed as legal advice. If you have a dispute or any other legal problem, you should confer with an attorney who is licensed to practice law in your state. Any reference or description of individuals that resembles actual persons or any reference to what appears to be personally identifiable information is purely coincidental and unintentional. All comments, posts or other discussion should be accepted in the spirit of philosophical debate rather than as instruction or advice of any kind. Any abusive, profane, offensive or defamatory language of any kind is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. Disclosure Policy(FTC) (effective 11/09/2009) This blog is a personal and business blog written and edited by Jim Gerl. For questions about this blog, please contact jimgerl@gmail.com. This blog does not accept advertising, sponsorship, or paid insertions. I write for my own purposes and for exposure of my business . However, I may be influenced by my background, occupation, religion, political affiliation or experience. The owner of this blog does not receive compensation in any direct way from this blog. This blog may contain content which could present a conflict of interest; such content will be identified in the post in which it occurs.
Conference Registration Links
Seattle University Academy for IDEA HOs July 10 - 13, 2012 Seattle WA Register here
National Association of Hearing Officers Annual Conference October 14 - 17, 2012 San Antonio, TX Register here
Tri-State Special Education Law Conference (Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska) November 8-9, 2012 Omaha, NE Register here
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At the Republican National Convention on Tuesday in what she called 'the biggest speech' of her life, Mrs. Romney told voters 'you can trust Mitt.' Her husband, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, will speak at the convention on Thursday.
By David Espo,?Associated Press / August 29, 2012
Ann Romney reaches out to hug her husband Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney after she addressed the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday.
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
Enlarge
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt?Romney?swept to the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday night, praised lovingly by his wife from their national convention stage as the "man America needs" and cheered by delegates eager to propel him into the fall campaign against President Barack Obama.
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The hall erupted in cheers when?Romney?strolled on stage and shared a hug and kiss with his wife of more than 40 years.
"This man will not fail. This man will not let us down," Mrs.?Romney?said in a prime-time speech that sounded at times like a heart-to-heart talk among women and at times like a testimonial to her husband's little-known softer side.
"It's the moms who always have to work harder, to make everything right," she said. And she vouched firmly for her husband, who lags behind Obama in surveys among women voters: "You can trust Mitt. He loves America."
Earlier, the?Romneys?watched on television at a hotel suite across the street from the convention hall as delegates sealed his hard-won victories in the primaries and caucuses of last winter. They ended the evening together in a VIP box just above the convention floor.
To send?Romney?and ticketmate Paul Ryan into the fall campaign, the convention quickly approved a conservative platform that calls for tax cuts ? not government spending ? to stimulate the economy at a time of sluggish growth and 8.3 percent unemployment.
Republican mockery of Obama began almost instantly from the podium at a convention postponed once and dogged still by Hurricane Isaac. The Democratic president has "never run a company. He hasn't even run a garage sale or seen the inside of a lemonade stand," declared Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican Party.
More than eight hours in length, the session inside the Republicans' red-white-and-blue-themed convention hall passed up no opportunity to broaden?Romney's?appeal. Speakers included Hispanic candidates for office; former Rep. Artur Davis, a one-time Democrat and member of the Congressional Black Caucus; businessmen and women and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania,?Romney's?most persistent, conservative nemesis in the nominating campaign.
"Leadership matters," declared New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, keynote speaker and not coincidentally a Republican from a majority-Democratic state. "It's time to end this era of absentee leadership in the Oval Office and send real leaders to the White House."
Mrs.?Romney's?appearance was the highlight of the night, and it turned the proceedings into something of a his-and-hers convention.
"I read somewhere that Mitt and I have a "storybook marriage. Well, in the storybooks I read, there were never long, long, rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once," she said.
"A storybook marriage? No, not at all. What Mitt?Romney?and I have is a real marriage," she added in an appearance meant to cast her multimillionaire-businessman-turned politician in a softer, more likable light.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? Republicans emphatically approved a toughly worded party platform at their national convention Tuesday that would ban all abortions and gay marriages, reshape Medicare into a voucher-like program and reject federal spending as an antidote for the nation's ailing job market.
The document opens by warning that while the American Dream has long been of equal opportunity for everyone, "Today that American Dream is at risk." It pledges that the GOP will "begin anew, with profound changes in the way government operates; the way it budgets, taxes and regulates."
Both parties routinely approve platforms at their conventions every four years, meant to encapsulate their principles and goals. Much of their details are customarily ignored when it comes to actually governing.
Even so, a poll by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found more people interested in the GOP platform than in the upcoming acceptance speeches by presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan. The survey found that 52 percent said they were interested in learning about the Republican platform, compared to 44 percent interested in Romney's speech and 46 percent interested in Ryan's.
Democrats lambasted the platform and immediately sought to tie it to Romney, who has differed from some of its details. For instance, he has said he would allow abortions in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life is threatened.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is among several Democrats in Tampa trying to get their party's views heard, called the platform's stances on abortion and immigration "draconian" and "extreme" and blamed Romney. "What you have seen from him is that he does one thing, he says another," Villaraigosa said. "He has taken one position after another, time and again you know, and you can't have it both ways."
Here are key elements of the Republican platform:
JOB CREATION:
It states that the best jobs program is economic growth. "We do not offer yet another made-in-Washington package of subsidies and spending to create temporary or artificial jobs."
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SMALL BUSINESS:
The GOP pledges to reform the tax code to make it easier for businesses to generate more capital and create more jobs.
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TAXES:
"We reject the use of taxation to redistribute income, fund unnecessary or ineffective programs or foster the crony capitalism that corrupts both politicians and corporations."
It says a Republican administration would extend the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, pending reform of the tax code. It says the party would strive to eliminate taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains altogether for lower- and middle-income taxpayers. It also would work to repeal the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax.
The party backs constitutional amendments to balance the federal budget and require a super majority for any tax increases.
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MARRIAGE:
The platform affirms the rights of states and the federal government not to recognize same-sex marriage. It backs a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
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VOTER INTEGRITY:
"Voter fraud is a political poison," the platform says. It praises legislation to require photo identification for voting and to prevent election fraud.
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GUN CONTROL:
The party says it opposes legislation intended to restrict Second Amendment rights by limiting the capacity of clips or magazines or otherwise restoring the assault weapons ban passed during the Clinton presidency.
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ABORTION:
The party states that "the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed." It opposes using public revenues to promote or perform abortion or to fund organizations that perform or advocate abortions. It says the party will not fund or subsidize health care that includes abortion coverage.
___
ENERGY:
The party is committed to domestic energy independence and an "all-of-the-above" energy policy, backing the exploration and development of the Outer Continental Shelf and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. It criticizes the Obama administration for picking winners and losers in the energy sector and expresses support for new coal-fired plants that will be low-cost, environmentally responsible and efficient.
It adds: "We will end the EPA's war on coal and encourage the increased safe development in all regions of the nation's coal resources." It calls on Congress to prohibit the EPA from moving forward with new greenhouse gas regulations "that will harm the nation's economy and threaten millions of jobs over the next quarter century."
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MEDICARE and MEDICAID:
The platform pledges to move both Medicare and Medicaid away from "the current unsustainable defined-benefit entitlement model to a fiscally sound defined-contribution model." It supports a Medicare transition to a premium-support model with an income-adjusted contribution toward a health plan of the enrollee's choice. Age eligibility in Medicare must be made more realistic in light of longer life spans.
Medicaid services for low income people would be transformed into a block grant program in which the states would be given the flexibility to determine the best programs for their residents.
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IMMIGRATION:
The platform makes clear that "we oppose any form of amnesty for those who, by intentionally violating the law, disadvantage those who have obeyed it." It demands that the Justice Department halt lawsuits against Arizona, Alabama and other states that have enacted tough measures against illegal immigrants. It says federal funding should be denied to universities that provide in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants. It advocates making English the official national language.
____
HEALTH CARE:
It states that a Republican president on his first day in office would use his waiver authority to halt progress in carrying out the health care act pushed through by President Barack Obama and that Republican victories in November would guarantee that the act is never implemented. It proposes a Republican plan based on improving health care quality and lowering costs and a system that promotes the free market and gives consumers more choice.
____
EDUCATION:
Republicans support consumer choice, including home schooling, local innovations such as single-sex classes, full-day school hours and year-round schools. It says Republicans renew their call for replacing family planning programs for teens "with abstinence education which teaches abstinence until marriage as the responsible and respected standard of behavior."
____
DEFENSE:
The platform says Republicans are "the party of peace through strength" and support the concept of American exceptionalism ? "the conviction that our country holds a unique place and role in human history." It criticizes the current administration for its weak positions toward such countries as North Korea, China and Iran and its reductions in military spending. The Republican national military strategy "restores as a principal objective the deterrence using the full spectrum of our military capabilities."
___
Alan Fram reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Peter Prengaman contributed to this report.
It doesn?t take much effort to run your household in a more eco-friendly way. You might even be surprised by how much money you can save.
?A small change can make a big difference,? says Charles Valinotti, senior vice president of insurer QBE. His company recently implemented a series of small environmental changes and the savings are adding up. ?These are changes anyone could make in their own home. We just did it on a larger scale.?
Here are four simple green changes inspired by QBE that could benefit any homeowner:
1. Recycle ? and not just the obvious stuff. Chances are, you?re already recycling glass bottles and aluminum cans. But why stop there? Consider recycling before you throw anything away. You might also consider collecting aluminum cans and bringing them to your local recycling facility where you may get some cash for your efforts.
QBE?s Sun Prairie, Wis. office recycles electrical wire, cabinets, shelving, scrap metals and light fixtures. In two years, not only did the company collect $4,000 for non-traditional recyclables, it also avoided fees for disposing of them.
2. Switch to high-efficiency lighting. For years we?ve heard that high-efficiency lighting is the way to go. But did you know the magnitude of difference this one change could make? EnergyStar reports that each compact florescent light bulb can save up to $40 in energy costs over its lifetime.
In March 2010 QBE?s Bellevue, Wash., site converted from halogen to fluorescent light fixtures in its parking garage. This one change is saving 378,554 kilowatt hours per year in electrical usage, totaling $26,575 in annual utility expense.
3. When it?s not in use, turn it off. Moms all over the world can be heard reminding their brood, ?Turn the lights off!? While there?s no doubt it makes sense to turn off lights, some may question when and if a computer should be turned off since it takes a bit more energy to power up than to leave it running.
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that for energy savings and convenience, consider turning off your monitor if you aren?t going to use your computer for more than 20 minutes. Turn off your computer if you?re not going to use it in the next two hours.
Like a lot of people, QBE employees don?t always shut down their computers at the end of the day. Last year, the company began automatic shutdowns at 9 p.m. local time ? saving about $55,000 in energy costs each year. The system gives a prompt 60 minutes prior to the automatic shutdown, allowing employees who are actively working to bypass the shut-off.
4. Paper ? who needs it? Valinotti suggests that taking baby steps toward a paperless existence can be natural and painless. For example, many homeowners already do their banking online ? so why not also switch to paperless bank statements? Many utilities, credit card companies and municipalities also offer online billing.
By just moving a portion of its monthly reports online, QBE saves 2.5 reams of paper and $11 per day, totaling $2,000 in savings last year.
As you can see, just a few small changes can help you go green ? and help you build financial strength as well.
Study finds gene that predicts happiness in womenPublic release date: 28-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Anne DeLotto Baier abaier@health.usf.edu 813-974-3303 University of South Florida (USF Health)
New finding may help explain the gender difference in happiness
Tampa, FL (Aug. 28, 2012) -- A new study has found a gene that appears to make women happy, but it doesn't work for men. The finding may help explain why women are often happier than men, the research team said.
Scientists at the University of South Florida (USF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute reported that the low activity form of the gene monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is associated with higher self-reported happiness in women. No such association was found in men.
The findings appear online in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry.
"This is the first happiness gene for women," said lead author Henian Chen, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, USF College of Public Health.
"I was surprised by the result, because low expression of MAOA has been related to some negative outcomes like alcoholism, aggressiveness and antisocial behavior," said Chen, who directs the Biostatistics Core at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine's Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. "It's even called the warrior gene by some scientists, but, at least for women, our study points to a brighter side of this gene."
While they experience higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders, women tend to report greater overall life happiness than do men. The reason for this remains unclear, Chen said. "This new finding may help us to explain the gender difference and provide more insight into the link between specific genes and human happiness."
The MAOA gene regulates the activity of an enzyme that breaks down serontin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain -- the same "feel-good" chemicals targeted by many antidepressants. The low-expression version of the MAOA gene promotes higher levels of monoamine, which allows larger amounts of these neurotransmitters to stay in the brain and boost mood.
The researchers analyzed data from a population-based sample of 345 individuals 193 women and 152 men participating in Children in the Community, a longitudinal mental health study. The DNA of study subjects had been analyzed for MAOA gene variation and their self-reported happiness was scored by a widely used and validated scale.
After controlling for various factors, ranging from age and education to income, the researchers found that women with the low-expression type of MAOA were significantly happier than others. Compared to women with no copies of the low-expression version of the MAOA gene, women with one copy scored higher on the happiness scale and those with two copies increased their score even more.
While a substantial number of men carried a copy of the "happy" version of the MAOA gene, they reported no more happiness than those without it.
So, why the genetic gender gap in feeling good?
The researchers suspect the difference may be explained in part by the hormone testosterone, found in much smaller amounts in women than in men. Chen and his co-authors suggest that testosterone may cancel out the positive effect of MAOA on happiness in men.
The potential benefit of MAOA in boys could wane as testosterone levels rise with puberty, Chen said. "Maybe men are happier before adolescence because their testosterone levels are lower."
Chen emphasizes that more research is needed to identify which specific genes influence resilience and subjective well-being, especially since studies of twins estimate genetic factors account for 35 to 50 percent of the variance in human happiness.
While happiness is not determined by a single gene, there is likely a set of genes that, along with life experiences, shape our individual happiness levels, Chen said. "I think the time is right for more genetic studies that focus on well-being and happiness."
"Certainly it could be argued that how well-being is enhanced deserves at least as much attention as how (mental) disorders arise; however, such knowledge remains limited."
###
The study by Chen and colleagues was supported by the National Institutes of Health and a USF proposal enhancement grant.
Article citation:
Henian Chen, Daniel S. Pine, Monique Ernst, Elena Gorodetsky, Stephanie Kasen, Kathy Gordon, David Goldman, Patricia Cohen; The MAOA gene predicts happiness in women; Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, online in advance of print Aug. 4, 2012; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2012.07.018
USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician's Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities.
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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.
Study finds gene that predicts happiness in womenPublic release date: 28-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Anne DeLotto Baier abaier@health.usf.edu 813-974-3303 University of South Florida (USF Health)
New finding may help explain the gender difference in happiness
Tampa, FL (Aug. 28, 2012) -- A new study has found a gene that appears to make women happy, but it doesn't work for men. The finding may help explain why women are often happier than men, the research team said.
Scientists at the University of South Florida (USF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute reported that the low activity form of the gene monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is associated with higher self-reported happiness in women. No such association was found in men.
The findings appear online in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry.
"This is the first happiness gene for women," said lead author Henian Chen, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, USF College of Public Health.
"I was surprised by the result, because low expression of MAOA has been related to some negative outcomes like alcoholism, aggressiveness and antisocial behavior," said Chen, who directs the Biostatistics Core at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine's Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. "It's even called the warrior gene by some scientists, but, at least for women, our study points to a brighter side of this gene."
While they experience higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders, women tend to report greater overall life happiness than do men. The reason for this remains unclear, Chen said. "This new finding may help us to explain the gender difference and provide more insight into the link between specific genes and human happiness."
The MAOA gene regulates the activity of an enzyme that breaks down serontin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain -- the same "feel-good" chemicals targeted by many antidepressants. The low-expression version of the MAOA gene promotes higher levels of monoamine, which allows larger amounts of these neurotransmitters to stay in the brain and boost mood.
The researchers analyzed data from a population-based sample of 345 individuals 193 women and 152 men participating in Children in the Community, a longitudinal mental health study. The DNA of study subjects had been analyzed for MAOA gene variation and their self-reported happiness was scored by a widely used and validated scale.
After controlling for various factors, ranging from age and education to income, the researchers found that women with the low-expression type of MAOA were significantly happier than others. Compared to women with no copies of the low-expression version of the MAOA gene, women with one copy scored higher on the happiness scale and those with two copies increased their score even more.
While a substantial number of men carried a copy of the "happy" version of the MAOA gene, they reported no more happiness than those without it.
So, why the genetic gender gap in feeling good?
The researchers suspect the difference may be explained in part by the hormone testosterone, found in much smaller amounts in women than in men. Chen and his co-authors suggest that testosterone may cancel out the positive effect of MAOA on happiness in men.
The potential benefit of MAOA in boys could wane as testosterone levels rise with puberty, Chen said. "Maybe men are happier before adolescence because their testosterone levels are lower."
Chen emphasizes that more research is needed to identify which specific genes influence resilience and subjective well-being, especially since studies of twins estimate genetic factors account for 35 to 50 percent of the variance in human happiness.
While happiness is not determined by a single gene, there is likely a set of genes that, along with life experiences, shape our individual happiness levels, Chen said. "I think the time is right for more genetic studies that focus on well-being and happiness."
"Certainly it could be argued that how well-being is enhanced deserves at least as much attention as how (mental) disorders arise; however, such knowledge remains limited."
###
The study by Chen and colleagues was supported by the National Institutes of Health and a USF proposal enhancement grant.
Article citation:
Henian Chen, Daniel S. Pine, Monique Ernst, Elena Gorodetsky, Stephanie Kasen, Kathy Gordon, David Goldman, Patricia Cohen; The MAOA gene predicts happiness in women; Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, online in advance of print Aug. 4, 2012; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2012.07.018
USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician's Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities.
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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.
Targeted oxidation-blocker prevents secondary damage after traumatic brain injury
Monday, August 27, 2012
Treatment with an agent that blocks the oxidation of an important component of the mitochondrial membrane prevented the secondary damage of severe traumatic brain injury and preserved function that would otherwise have been impaired, according to a research team from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Graduate School of Public Health and Department of Chemistry in a reportpublished online today in Nature Neuroscience.
Annually, an estimated 1.7 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to traffic accidents, falls, assaults and sports participation, said the study's senior author H?lya Bay?r, M.D., associate professor, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She added that 52,000 of those injured die, and 85,000 are left with significant disability.
"We don't yet have a specific therapy for TBI, but can provide only supportive care to try to ease symptoms," Dr. Bay?r said. "Our study drug shows promise as a neuroprotective agent that might help address this important public health problem."
For the study, the research team conducted a global assessment of all the phospholipids in rat brain cells. This revealed that damage from TBI was nonrandom and mostly involved cardiolipin, a phospholipid that is found in the membranes that form mitochondria, the cell's powerhouse. They noted that in the healthy animal, only 10 of the 190 cardiolipin species were modified by oxygen, but after a brain injury, the number of oxidized species rose many-fold.
The researchers then developed an agent, called XJB-5-131, which can cross the blood-brain barrier and prevent the oxidation of cardiolipin. Using an established research model of severe TBI, the agent or a placebo was injected into the bloodstream of rats five minutes and again 24 hours after head injury.
In the weeks that followed, treated animals performed akin to normal on tests of balance, agility and motor coordination, learning, and object recognition, while placebo-treated animals showed significant impairment. The results indicate that blocking cardiolipin oxidation by XJB-5-131 protected the brain from cell death.
"The primary head injury might not be that serious," Dr. Bay?r noted. "But that initial injury can set into motion secondary cellular and molecular events that cause more damage to the brain and that ultimately determine the outcome for the patient."
She added that a targeted oxidation-blocker might also be beneficial in the treatment of other neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, and stroke.
###
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences: http://www.upmc.com/Pages/default.aspx
Thanks to University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences for this article.
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Before becoming an MP, I spent 30 years in construction, working for some big players in the industry before setting up my own business in Fife in 1986. At the time, the industry had its challenges, but the succession of grim news over the course of the recession really has given me pause for thought and made me wonder if I would have succeeded in similar circumstances today.
Over recent months, poor performance in construction has been obvious in almost every major statistical release from the ONS. Last week?s GDP figures confirmed of contraction of close to 5% in the construction industry and no or anaemic growth going back to every quarter since mid-2010.
And in Scotland, the numbers are even more eye-watering. While some sectors have performed modestly over the past year, construction has seen a 7.3% reduction. For an industry that employs around 6% of all people in work in Scotland, this decline has a devastating effect.
And the signs are that there is little chance of an improvement any time soon. While there have been sparks of life in the industry, with announcements of a few major construction projects in Scotland over the past few weeks, the signs all point to a continued slowdown. Yesterday, the quarterly report from the Scottish Building Federation reported a further drop in industry confidence and only 5% of businesses saying that they are more confident about the prospects for the next year than the previous one.
Much of the continued crisis in the construction industry has its roots in the slowdown in large scale, privately funded projects. However, there is much that Governments at both Holyrood and Westminster could be doing.
At Holyrood, the glacial pace of the Scottish Government?s reform agenda for procurement is holding up one valuable source of business for building companies. While Alex Salmond has repeatedly pointed to ?shovel ready projects? and complained about lack of support from the UK Government for capital spending, it seems that his own administration at Holyrood are doing little to ease the way for firms to bid for public contracts.
63% of construction firms surveyed by the Scottish Building Federation with a turnover of less than ?2m said they had submitted no pre-qualification questionnaires for public procurement in the past three years. Many also said they were put off from applying for public projects due to the high costs associated with application. It?s little wonder that firms choose not to apply for this work when the average success rate for application is only 3%. The Scottish Government also needs to make sure it?s doing everything it can to attract SMEs ? including ensure that there are contract appropriate for every size of business.
The UK Government has also stymied the sector with the continued difficulty for developers to access finance for new construction projects. As Ed Balls and others have pointed out, banks need to start lending to small and medium sized enterprises again in order to get the economy moving.
Finally, political decisions in Scotland have very directly impacted on the construction sector. When around 40% of the industry?s business comes from housing, the Scottish government?s decision to take ?100m out of the housing budget couldn?t have helped the sector at this time.
What?s needed from both Governments ? at Holyrood and Westminster ? is recognition that the fortunes of our economy are tied to the fortunes of our construction industry. The woeful GDP figures from recent months could have been remedied with stronger performance in construction. After all, not only is construction a massive industry in its own right. It?s also the industry that keeps other sectors in business through new offices, warehouses, roads and rail.
But at its roots, this economic crisis continues to be a crisis of demand. If the Government can?t provide us all ? consumers and builders alike ? with the reassurance we need about future economic performance, then further slumps in our construction sector are inevitable.
NASA sees Hurricane Isaac affecting the Northern Gulf CoastPublic release date: 28-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rob Gutro robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov 443-858-1779 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA and NOAA satellites continue to provide detailed information on Hurricane Isaac as the storm bears down on the U.S. Gulf coast. NASA's TRMM and Terra satellites captured imagery, and NOAA's GOES-13 satellite provided animations of Isaac's march toward the coast today, Aug. 28.
Residents along the northern Gulf coast are bracing for the arrival of Isaac, which was recently upgraded to a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center as of 1:00 p.m. CDT. At that time, the center of Isaac was located about 55 miles (~85 km) south-southeast of the Mississippi and was moving northwest at 10 mph and was nearing southeastern coast of Louisiana.
After crossing the southwestern tip of Haiti during the early morning hours of the 25th of August, Isaac paralleled the northern coast of Cuba the following day and moved through the Florida Straits with the center passing about 40 miles (~65 km) south of Key West, Florida on the afternoon of the 26th. All the while, Isaac remained a tropical storm despite passing over warm water. As it entered the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on the afternoon of August 26th, Isaac seemed poised to intensify with plenty of over warm Gulf water ahead and relatively low wind shear. However, even as Isaac moved northwest through this favorable environment into the central Gulf of Mexico, it was slow to intensify, becoming a stronger tropical storm but not a hurricane until just before landfall. Several factors seemed to inhibit Isaac's intensification. Being a large storm, Isaac's wind field is spread over a large area, making it less responsive to changes in central pressure. Also, dry air intrusions hindered the development of an inner core. The lack of an inner core was the main reason Isaac failed to really intensify.
TRMM captured an image of Isaac on August 28 at 4:01 UTC (12:01 a.m. EDT) as it was approaching the northern Gulf coast. The image was TRMM shows a broad area of moderate (shown in green) to heavy rain (shown in red) wrapping around the southwestern side of the storm with only moderate to light rain (shown in blue) on the opposite side and no heavy rain near the center. The cloud shield (shown in white) is also well pronounced in the southwestern half of Isaac but inhibited along the northern edge. At the time of this image Isaac was a strong tropical storm with sustained winds of 60 knots (~70 mph). Because of its large size, Isaac stills poses a threat for storm surge and it's expected slower movement over Louisiana brings the risk of flooding.
An animation of NOAA's GOES-13 satellite imagery from Aug. 26-28, 2012 of Hurricane Isaac's track through the Gulf of Mexico was animated by NASA's GOES Project at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The animation shows Isaac is headed for New Orleans, exactly 7 years after hurricane Katrina.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible image of Hurricane Isaac as it approached Louisiana on Aug. 28 at 12:30 p.m. EDT. A large band of showers and thunderstorms stretched from the Carolinas, west over Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and into Louisiana, wrapping into Isaac's center of circulation when it was centered about 100 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
On Aug. 28 at 2 p.m. EDT, Hurricane Isaac's maximum sustained winds were near 75 mph (120 kmh). Isaac is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It was centered about 55 miles (85 km) south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River near latitude 28.4 north and longitude 88.7 west. Isaac is moving toward the northwest near 10 mph (17 kmh). The National Hurricane Center expects Hurricane Isaac should reach the coastline of southeastern Louisiana as early as this evening.
At 2 p.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center noted that tropical-storm-force winds were occurring at the mouth of the Mississippi river. That's where a NOAA observing site located at Southwest Pass, Louisiana reported sustained winds of 60 mph (93 kmh) and a gust to 76 mph (122 kmh) at an elevation of 80 feet. For full warnings, watches and locations, visit the National Hurricane Center's website at: www.nhc.noaa.gov. For storm history and NASA satellite images and animations, go to: NASA's Hurricane page: www.nasa.gov/hurricane
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NASA sees Hurricane Isaac affecting the Northern Gulf CoastPublic release date: 28-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rob Gutro robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov 443-858-1779 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA and NOAA satellites continue to provide detailed information on Hurricane Isaac as the storm bears down on the U.S. Gulf coast. NASA's TRMM and Terra satellites captured imagery, and NOAA's GOES-13 satellite provided animations of Isaac's march toward the coast today, Aug. 28.
Residents along the northern Gulf coast are bracing for the arrival of Isaac, which was recently upgraded to a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center as of 1:00 p.m. CDT. At that time, the center of Isaac was located about 55 miles (~85 km) south-southeast of the Mississippi and was moving northwest at 10 mph and was nearing southeastern coast of Louisiana.
After crossing the southwestern tip of Haiti during the early morning hours of the 25th of August, Isaac paralleled the northern coast of Cuba the following day and moved through the Florida Straits with the center passing about 40 miles (~65 km) south of Key West, Florida on the afternoon of the 26th. All the while, Isaac remained a tropical storm despite passing over warm water. As it entered the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on the afternoon of August 26th, Isaac seemed poised to intensify with plenty of over warm Gulf water ahead and relatively low wind shear. However, even as Isaac moved northwest through this favorable environment into the central Gulf of Mexico, it was slow to intensify, becoming a stronger tropical storm but not a hurricane until just before landfall. Several factors seemed to inhibit Isaac's intensification. Being a large storm, Isaac's wind field is spread over a large area, making it less responsive to changes in central pressure. Also, dry air intrusions hindered the development of an inner core. The lack of an inner core was the main reason Isaac failed to really intensify.
TRMM captured an image of Isaac on August 28 at 4:01 UTC (12:01 a.m. EDT) as it was approaching the northern Gulf coast. The image was TRMM shows a broad area of moderate (shown in green) to heavy rain (shown in red) wrapping around the southwestern side of the storm with only moderate to light rain (shown in blue) on the opposite side and no heavy rain near the center. The cloud shield (shown in white) is also well pronounced in the southwestern half of Isaac but inhibited along the northern edge. At the time of this image Isaac was a strong tropical storm with sustained winds of 60 knots (~70 mph). Because of its large size, Isaac stills poses a threat for storm surge and it's expected slower movement over Louisiana brings the risk of flooding.
An animation of NOAA's GOES-13 satellite imagery from Aug. 26-28, 2012 of Hurricane Isaac's track through the Gulf of Mexico was animated by NASA's GOES Project at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The animation shows Isaac is headed for New Orleans, exactly 7 years after hurricane Katrina.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible image of Hurricane Isaac as it approached Louisiana on Aug. 28 at 12:30 p.m. EDT. A large band of showers and thunderstorms stretched from the Carolinas, west over Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and into Louisiana, wrapping into Isaac's center of circulation when it was centered about 100 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
On Aug. 28 at 2 p.m. EDT, Hurricane Isaac's maximum sustained winds were near 75 mph (120 kmh). Isaac is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It was centered about 55 miles (85 km) south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River near latitude 28.4 north and longitude 88.7 west. Isaac is moving toward the northwest near 10 mph (17 kmh). The National Hurricane Center expects Hurricane Isaac should reach the coastline of southeastern Louisiana as early as this evening.
At 2 p.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center noted that tropical-storm-force winds were occurring at the mouth of the Mississippi river. That's where a NOAA observing site located at Southwest Pass, Louisiana reported sustained winds of 60 mph (93 kmh) and a gust to 76 mph (122 kmh) at an elevation of 80 feet. For full warnings, watches and locations, visit the National Hurricane Center's website at: www.nhc.noaa.gov. For storm history and NASA satellite images and animations, go to: NASA's Hurricane page: www.nasa.gov/hurricane
###
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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.
Some people are just naturally good at everything, it seems.
For 10-year-old Tyler Flannelly, the signs are already there that the Myrtle Beach triathlete has joined that group.
Flannelly is the official winner of the Mammy?s Kitchen Athlete of the Week award after garnering 5,700 votes. His nomination came after winning the Fourth Annual Myrtle Beach Kids Triathlon.
Flanelly was the overall winner in the race, swimming 200 yards, cycling 10K (6.2 miles) and running 2k (1.3 miles). The full-length race was for ages 11-15. Flannelly?s birthday put him just on the other side of the age line, competing with much older kids. This is the third year in a row that Flannelly has won the overall portion,? however the previous year?s wins came in the younger division, which runs just a half course.
Flannelly is just a natural athlete, regularly competing in 5k events, along with his participation in lacrosse, football, baseball, and basketball. He?s a member of the Myrtle Beach Dune Warriors, summer league lacrosse team, his favorite sport of all. He?s also currently playing running back for a Myrtle Beach recreation league football team, the Steelers.
Triathlons seem to come easy for Flannelly though, ?I had plenty of energy after I got out of the water. When I got off the bike, I was thinking to myself, this is the last part and you have to run your hardest,? said Flannelly.
Flannelly originally saw a flyer for the Triathlon and thought ?I just wanted to do the sport. It has all the sports I like so, why don?t I try.? Running is where he excels and even competes with the Myrtle Beach Track and Field Club during their spring and summer season.
An A and B student in school, he?s very encouraging of the other competitors. His mother Jami says ?He?s a good kid; he?s got a big heart. He really enjoys cheering on the other kids and getting them to work hard. He?s very encouraging.? She went on to say, ?He?s got a competitive drive like I?ve never seen. Everything he does, he does well. He?s just determined. We took him surfing for the first time a few days ago, and he stood up on his second try.?
Flannelly was quick to note that his sister Kailey was his inspiration and that he also loves music and likes to draw.
Well rounded, and liked by others. Tyler Flannelly seems like the perfect recipient for the Mammy?s Kitchen Athlete of the Week award. One wouldn?t have to be a fortune teller to see that this young man is going to win this award multiple times, just like he has the Myrtle Beach Kids Triathlon.
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Did the Chareidi Mom Try Drowning her 9-Year-Old Daughter?
(Monday, August 27th, 2012)
Police questioned a chareidi mom who arrived at the Metzitzim Beach in Tel Aviv. According to others on the beach, who observed the mother?s actions, it appeared she was trying to drown her 9-year-old daughter.
An inspector ordered mom and her daughter out of the water, Ladaat.net reports, and police questioned her regarding the allegations. She told police that she was simply trying to teach her daughter to put her head under water. She was released following questioning.
(YWN ? Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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Finding the right bra can be overwhelming. Most of us don?t even know what our correct size is. Once you?ve measured and then measured again, what do you do? There are literally thousands of different brands and dozens of styles to choose from.
One of the best bras currently on the market is made by a brand called Breezies. They are offered on QVC.com, as well as Amazon.com.
Breezies bras come in all styles and sizes, even those hard to find E cups and higher. The styles are amazing, and functional as well as pretty. Chances are, they have what you are looking for.
The most popular Breezies bra is their Barely Breezies Molded Seamless Bra with their revolutionary UltimAir technology. What UltimAir does is keeps your body cooler via the patented fabrics that keep moisture away from the body. This bra is molded, but is not a push-up bra, and it gives some women a much more defined shape. This is a great bra for those who would like a little extra ?oomph? with no seams to show under t-shirts. It comes in sizes up to 44D and in multiple colors.
The Bellina bra is also another favorite, and with good reasons. Not only does the padded underwire give you a comfortable fit, the design is simple and beautiful with its lacy exterior. Many women who have had breast reduction surgery like this bra because the underwire does not irritate their surgical scars, which is a big complaint about many other lingerie manufacturers? products.
The Breezies Seamless Lace Front Closure bra is another bestselling item in the line. It also features UltimAir and is a very pretty bra. The lace is delicate enough that it does not show under thin tops and the front closure not only gives a great d?colletage, but it is also helpful to women with mobility issues. This bra features a racer back which is essential with some tank tops and sleeveless shirts. This one comes in sizes up to 48DD and is available in six different colors.
The Safari Lace Seamless bra is also a fan favorite and big seller. The lace overlay is delicate and seamless, which makes this bra beautiful and functional. Women love the colors and the fabric as well as the addition of UltimAir. It is also available at a clearance price right now on QVC.com.
Breezies also has great panty designs and smoothing briefs and shapers. The Curve and Contour High Waisted Boy Short is giving Spanx a run for its money! Check out their tights and camisoles also.
If you have the QVC Channel, the next Breezies showcase will air live on September 5, 2012. Check your local listing for show times.
Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Monday won a few more weeks' breathing space in a long-running legal wrangle over the reopening of graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
The Supreme Court ordered Ashraf in July to comply with an order to write to authorities in Switzerland asking them to reopen multimillion dollar corruption probes investigating the president.
Ashraf's predecessor, Yousuf Raza Gilani, was thrown out of office for refusing to write to the Swiss and the court has made veiled threats that the new premier could suffer the same fate.
The court had given Ashraf until August 8 to indicate whether he would write to the Swiss before adjourning the case to try to find a way out of the saga, which has dragged on for two and a half years.
On Monday Judge Asif Saeed Khosa adjourned the case again, to September 18, after Ashraf pledged to find a way to resolve the standoff.
The government has resisted judges' demands to reopen investigations into Zardari, arguing he enjoys immunity as head of state.
Earlier this month the Supreme Court struck down a new law passed by parliament that sought to exempt members of the government from contempt trials, clearing the way for legal proceedings against the premier.
The showdown could force elections before February 2013 when the government would otherwise become the first in Pakistan's history to complete an elected, full five-year mandate.
During a 45-minute address to the court, the prime minister said he was determined to find a way to bring an end to a chapter that has caused turmoil in Pakistani politics.
"I will make all out efforts to bring an end to uncertainty that prevailed in the country," he said.
"It is my firm belief that it is not in Pakistan's interest to linger on this issue. I am ready to give a positive commitment to this court that I will resolve this issue."
Government lawyers last month said the court's order to write to the Swiss was "un-implementable" as it ran contrary to the constitution, which grants immunity to Zardari against trial in any court while he is president.
Critics of the judiciary and members of Zardari's main ruling Pakistan People's Party accuse the court of overstepping its reach and waging a personal vendetta against the president.
Experts say that if Ashraf does not satisfy the court, he risks being indicted for contempt, precipitating the second trial against a sitting prime minister in months.
The allegations against Zardari date back to the 1990s, when he and his late wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto, are suspected of laundering $12 million allegedly paid in bribes by companies seeking customs inspection contracts.
In 2009, the court overturned a political amnesty that froze investigations into the president and other politicians, ordering that the cases be reopened.
LONDON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Top UK traders and dealmakers bruised by intense banker bashing believe an Asian city will take over as the world's dominant financial centre within 10 years, according to a survey.
They also relegated London to third place from second as their preferred location behind Singapore and New York, the poll by headhunters Astbury Marsden found.
Nearly two thirds of 450 British investment bankers surveyed said Hong Kong, Shanghai or Singapore would be the top global finance centre in 10 years.
One fifth felt London would be the world leader in 2022 and one sixth said New York would hold no.1 spot.
'A fast growing, low tax and bank friendly environment like Singapore stands as a perfect antidote to the comparatively high tax and anti-banker sentiment of London and New York,' said Mark Cameron, operations chief at Astbury Marsden.
The annual 'Preferred Location Survey' also found Singapore is the city where British bankers would most like to live, claiming 31 percent of the vote, up from 27 percent last year.
New York was second with a fifth of votes while London slipped to third with 19 percent of the votes versus 22 percent last year.
'Financial centres in the West have taken a real battering since the start of the financial crisis,' said Cameron.
'Cities like Singapore and Hong Kong have been quick to capitalise on setbacks in London and New York, courting investment banks and reacting to demand from expats,' he added.
Investment banks and trading firms in New York and Europe have struggled to maintain profitability in recent years amid economic uncertainty partly linked to the ongoing euro zone debt crisis.
Bankers and traders in the United States and Europe also face the prospect of draconian restrictions on their riskier practices, moves likely to impact future profitability.
Commodities trader Trafigura said in May that Singapore would become its main trading centre as it seeks to tap demand in Asia, dealing a blow to its former home Switzerland.
Asian banks, in contrast to their Western peers, avoided much of the damage inflicted by the latest financial crisis and have benefited in recent years from solid economic growth and a booming commodities market across the Asia-Pacific region.
(Editing by David Cowell) Keywords: FINANCIALCENTRES/SURVEY
Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. All rights reserved.
The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Bitty is the embodiment of why Milwaukee Pets Alive exists. This adorable, loving, eight-year-old senior statesman was plucked from Milwaukee Animal Control by our organization. This sweet boy has no teeth, but doesn't let that stop him from chowing down! Bitty has a very sweet nature, and loves nothing more than being held or cuddled by his favorite person -- could that be you? His first adoptive home didn't work out, so Milwaukee Pets Alive has welcomed him back into our foster program and is dedicated to finding him the perfect forever home! Because of his size, Bitty should go to a family with no children under the age of 15. He does fine with dogs and cats; if you have small dogs, even better! Like all MPA fosters, Bitty is fully vaccinated. Contact Milwaukee Pets Alive to arrange a meet-and-greet or meet Bitty at one of our weekly adoption events! Milwaukee Pets Alive is dedicated to ending the killing of Milwaukee's homeless pets through comprehensive programs and resources benefiting and serving the people and companion animals of Milwaukee first. Our top priority is that all healthy, treatable and rehabilitatable animals at Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) achieve live outcomes.
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Twitter just launched its "Certified Products Program" to highlight "the best products and services to thrive on Twitter." The program is meant to help companies find the best tools to engage with their customers and "understand what people are saying about them on Twitter." To do so, Twitter is focusing on three product categories: engagement, analytics and data resellers. All of these, of course, are products that Twitter identified as tools it wants its developer ecosystem to focus on in its infamous blog post from earlier this month.
It doesn?t take much effort to run your household in a more eco-friendly way. You might even be surprised by how much money you can save.![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 28-Aug-2012
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Some people are just naturally good at everything, it seems.
Police questioned a chareidi mom who arrived at the Metzitzim Beach in Tel Aviv. According to others on the beach, who observed the mother?s actions, it appeared she was trying to drown her 9-year-old daughter.
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