Friday, April 26, 2013

Employees with cancer take companies to task - Fortune Management

By Vickie Elmer

FORTUNE -- Wal-Mart (WMT) paid $275,000 in a settlement after firing a long-time forklift driver after he had returned from cancer surgery. Home Depot (HD) paid $100,000 to settle a similar case where a 13-year employee was let go during treatments. A school social worker and a director of clinical services also were fired for cancer disability.

The number of cancer-related complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has soared in recent years, growing faster than most charges. Cancer complaints, the initial report filed by a worker or ex-employee, rose 120% between fiscal years 2003 and 2013, when the number of complaints hit 974. ADA disability charges overall grew 72%, according to EEOC data.

MORE: Working with cancer: A brave new professional world

Part of the uptick has to do with the fact that Congress expanded what the Americans with Disabilities Act covers as of 2009.? Before that, there were questions over whether all kinds of cancers were covered, said Sharon Rennert, a senior attorney and advisor at the EEOC's Americans with Disabilities Act division.

Another reason for the gains: Employers are not training front-line supervisors on how they should manage a staff member with cancer or other serious diseases, said Rennert. They may not realize that as soon as the employee announces he has cancer, he's covered by the ADA's provisions and assistance.

"Every few years, you've probably got a new group of supervisors and managers. You need to repeat the training," she said. "Too often, employers draw a kind of black line," said Rennert. The manager has a knee-jerk reaction, assuming that once their 12 weeks of Family and Medical Leave Act unpaid time off are over, they must head back to work. "You've gotten your FMLA leave; you're done," is their thinking. In reality, "the ADA reasonable accommodation has to be assessed," she said.

MORE: Senator Mikulski on inspiring bipartisan conversation

Reasonable accommodation is a squishy, undefined notion that varies based on the worker and employer's situations and resources. It could mean that the employee is eligible to do part-time work from home, or more frequent breaks, or a part-time schedule. Sometimes, an extra few weeks' leave (after the FMLA time is used up) would qualify as reasonable accommodation; other times, at a small company, it might be too much of a hardship on the coworkers and the company, Rennert said.

Employers are allowed to ask for medical documentation and need to "fill in an accurate picture of what's ahead" in a worker's cancer care.

Yet even medical centers don't get it right. Several health care and hospitals settled with the EEOC over discharging their own workers who were diagnosed cancer.

Source: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/04/25/employees-with-cancer-take-companies-to-task/

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Monday, April 22, 2013

Paraguayans elect tobacco magnate as president

Colorado Party's presidential candidate Horacio Cartes, waves to supporters in Asuncion, Paraguay, Sunday, April 21, 2013. Cartes won a five-year term with 46 percent of the vote over 37 percent for Efrain Alegre of the Radical Liberal party, the Electoral Court announced after most votes were counted. Five other candidates trailed far behind. At right is Vice-President elect Juan Afara.(AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Colorado Party's presidential candidate Horacio Cartes, waves to supporters in Asuncion, Paraguay, Sunday, April 21, 2013. Cartes won a five-year term with 46 percent of the vote over 37 percent for Efrain Alegre of the Radical Liberal party, the Electoral Court announced after most votes were counted. Five other candidates trailed far behind. At right is Vice-President elect Juan Afara.(AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Colorado Party's presidential candidate Horacio Cartes greets supporters after presidential election results were made official in Asuncion, Paraguay, Sunday, April 21, 2013. Cartes won a five-year term with 46 percent of the vote over 37 percent for Efrain Alegre of the Radical Liberal party, the Electoral Court announced after most votes were counted. Five other candidates trailed far behind..(AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Colorado Party's presidential candidate Horacio Cartes, waves to supporters after presidential election results were made official in Asuncion, Paraguay, Sunday, April 21, 2013. Horacio Cartes won a five-year term with 46 percent of the vote over 37 percent for Efrain Alegre of the Radical Liberal party, the Electoral Court announced after most votes were counted. Five other candidates trailed far behind. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Supporters of Colorado Party's presidential candidate Horacio Cartes, unseen, cheer in Asuncion, Paraguay, Sunday, April 21, 2013 after being elected new Paraguay's president. Cartes won a five-year term with 46 percent of the vote over 37 percent for Efrain Alegre of the Radical Liberal party, the Electoral Court announced after most votes were counted. Five other candidates trailed far behind. (AP Photo/Cesar Olmedo)

Colorado Party supporters celebrate the victory of their candidate in presidential election in Asuncion, Paraguay, Sunday, April 21, 2013. Colorado Party candidate Horacio Cartes won a five-year term with 46 percent of the vote over 37 percent for Efrain Alegre of the Radical Liberal party, the Electoral Court announced after most votes were counted. Five other candidates trailed far behind.(AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) ? Paraguayans elected a tobacco magnate as their new leader Sunday, returning the conservative Colorado Party to the presidency that it held for 61 years before former Roman Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo won the office in 2008.

Horacio Cartes won a five-year term with 46 percent of the vote over 37 percent for Efrain Alegre of the Radical Liberal party, the Electoral Court announced after most votes were counted. Five other candidates trailed far behind.

"I'll need help from all the Paraguayans to govern in the next five years. Poverty, the lack of jobs for young people and international issues await us," Cartes said Sunday night.

Poverty is widespread in Paraguay, which is an agrarian nation that is South America's No. 3 producer of soy, corn and sunflowers. About 1 percent of the population controls 77 percent of the arable land. The U.N. estimates more than half of Paraguayans live in poverty, while the country's census bureau puts the number at 39 percent.

Alegre recognized his defeat despite saying earlier that he might challenge the outcome. "The Paraguayan people have spoken. There's nothing more to say," he said in a brief concession speech.

Cartes, 58, is part of the tiny elite that controls just about everything in Paraguay. His father represented the Cessna airplane company in Paraguay, which enabled Cartes to get schooling in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.

The president-elect owns controlling shares in banks, investment funds, agricultural estates, a soda maker and tobacco plantations. Most pre-election polls predicted his victory, despite this being his first run for public office. Cartes has been well-known in Paraguay as president of Libertad, the club that won last year's national soccer championship.

Many Paraguayans hope this election will encourage other countries to restore full relations that were suspended after last year's impeachment of Lugo, which neighboring nations saw as a threat to democracy in the region.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oscar Arias led an observer mission from the Organization of American States, and said Sunday that he had complete confidence in the Electoral Court because it had spent months observing and supporting the process. There were 515 observers from the OAS, European Union, the Union of South American Nations regional bloc known as UNASUR and the Union of Latin American Electoral Organizations.

International election observer Martin Sequeira said voting proceeded calmly with a high turnout. He said there were some unconfirmed reports of election fraud complaining that some ballots had been pre-marked.

But Arias said those were only "some small incidents, which you see even in the most consolidated democracies."

The Colorados held the presidency during and after Alfredo Stroessner's 35-year-dictatorship, until Lugo, a leftist, sandal-wearing former bishop, joined up with the Radical Liberals and was swept into office on promises of land reform. But Lugo lacked even a handful of supporters in congress, made political missteps within his own coalition and was stymied at every turn.

The Radical Liberals finally joined with the Colorados to vote Lugo out of office for "poor performance" last year. The impeachment process is well defined under the constitution, but Paraguay's neighbors criticized the ouster of a popularly elected president as anti-democratic and suspended the country's membership in UNASUR, the Mercosur trade bloc and CELAC, which brings together Caribbean, Latin American and European Union countries.

Lugo's vice president, Federico Franco, a Radical Liberal politician who took over as caretaker president, said he expects Paraguay's status to be swiftly normalized after the new head of state takes office Aug. 15.

Turnout was more than 68 percent among the estimated 3.5 million of Paraguay's 6.2 million citizens who are registered to vote. They elected 45 senators, 80 deputies, 17 governors and 18 delegates to the Mercosur parliament based in Uruguay.

Millions more eligible voters live outside Paraguay, but after a poorly funded registration process, fewer than 22,000 people were registered, most in Argentina, Spain and the United States.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-21-Paraguay%20Election/id-dcb14ddd5a5344128721d6813dbd794b

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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Wash New Jeans with Vinegar to Increase Their Lifespan

You don't need to wash jeans as often as some of your other clothes, but when you do, a little vinegar can help keep them the right shade of blue.

One Good Thing By Jillee offers up this tip to prepare your jeans for a long lifespan. On your first laundry load with the new pants, add one cup of distilled white vinegar to your washing machine, and let it mix in well before adding the jeans. The vinegar helps set the dye, which is most vulnerable during that first wash cycle. She also suggests using vinegar in every other wash cycle from that point forward, but the first one is really the most critical.

Be sure to check out the source link for some more tips to preserve your pants.

How To Make Your Jeans Last Longer | One Good Thing By Jillee

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/TzuEQRINsKA/wash-new-jeans-with-vinegar-to-increase-their-lifespan-476547473

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London Marathon: Tributes to Boston, extra security

LONDON (AP) ? A defiant, festive mood prevailed Sunday as the London Marathon began on a glorious spring day despite concerns raised by the bomb attacks on the Boston Marathon six days ago.

Thousands of runners offered tributes to those killed and injured in Boston. The race began after a moment of silence for the victims in Boston, and many here wore black armbands as a sign of solidarity.

"It means that runners are stronger than bombers," said Valerie Bloomfield, a 40-year-old participant from France.

London's is the first major international marathon since the double-bomb attack near the finish line in Boston, which left three people dead and more than 170 injured, including many who are still hospitalized. In addition, a policeman was killed during the search for the two suspected bombers. One suspect was killed during a shootout with police, while a second has been arrested.

Some 36,000 runners were expected to take part in the London race, which also draws tens of thousands of spectators. Police said they planned to add 40 percent more officers and extra surveillance as a precautionary measure.

Most runners in London said they weren't worried by the Boston bombings, and the impressive turnout of enthusiastic fans lining the routes showed the same spirit.

David Wilson, 45, said there was no question of canceling the marathon. He noted that Londoners had come back onto the streets the day after the lethal July 7, 2005, transit system bombings and weren't easily cowed.

"You can't not do anything, because otherwise you'd stay on the outs all the time," he said.

But Chris Denton, a 44-year-old engineer stretching his legs by the start line, acknowledged an undercurrent of anxiety. He'd asked that his family not come out to support him because of a possible copycat attack. "I left them at home," he said. "If only for my peace of mind."

Among the participants in London was Tomasz Hamerlak of Poland, who finished fourth in the men's wheelchair race and had competed in Boston last week. He said he was determined to race in London.

"It is terrible what happened in Boston, but we can't look back, we must look forward," an out-of-breath Hamerlak told The Associated Press moments after crossing the finish line. "The show must go on."

On Blackheath, the spacious green common area where the race begins, runners massaged one another's legs as loud pop music boomed on a sound system. A half-dozen police officers in reflective vests strolled around and chatted with the runners.?

Moments before the majority of runners set off on the grinding course, announcer Geoff Wightman used the loudspeakers to ask for silence. He described marathon running as a global sport that unites runners and supporters in every continent in a spirit of friendship.

"This week the world marathon family was shocked and saddened by the events at the Boston Marathon," he said as he asked the people gathered to "remember our friends and colleagues for whom a day of joy turned into a day of sadness."

As those gathered responded to his call, the only noise that could be heard was the buzz of helicopters and the beeping of a truck.

Security was plentiful but not intrusive near the finish line at the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace. Marathon staff, officials and media had their bags thoroughly checked, a process not deemed necessary at the event last year. Officials said this was in response to the Boston attack.

Shirley Gillard, a 63-year-old retiree sitting on a bench at the edge of the starting area, seemed pleased with her decision to come out and watch the race.?She described herself as the type of person who was always worried when spotting an unattended bag on public transport, but said people shouldn't change their habits because of what happened in Boston.

"That would be letting them win, the terrorists and lunatics," she said.

Marathon organizers plan to donate money to a Boston fund set up to help victims. They said they did not consider canceling the event, which is a highlight of the sporting calendar.

In a smaller event in Germany, some 15,000 runners were participating Sunday in the Hamburg Marathon. They wore armbands with the slogan "Run for Boston" as a mark of respect for the bombing victims.

Hamburg's top security official, Michael Neumann, has said that security "is adapted to the situation," without giving further details.

There was a brief security scare at a Hamburg subway station after the race started when a suspicious object was found. The station, which isn't on the race route, was closed while officials checked the object ? which turned out to be an empty cardboard box, news agency dpa reported.

There was no disruption to the marathon. Hamburg organizers have said that they know of only eight people who pulled out because of the Boston bombings.

___

AP writers Rob Harris and Steve Douglas in London and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/london-race-tributes-boston-extra-security-093847676.html

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RolePlayGateway?

((Sugarplum, I hope you don't mind what is in this introduction to the OOC. If you want, I can edit it.))

Zachary: (backstage) Othniel siblings, you are on in three, two, one... hit it!

*Rebecca and Eliab are in a big desk, large enough for all the characters, so far, and an empty space for a new character to fill*

Rebecca: Hey, hey , hey! Welcome to Masuta's Character Mail Call! I'm Rebecca Othniel, with my big brother, Eliab!

Eliab: *small wave, small grin* 'ey!

Rebecca: *Whispers to the crowd with a wink* He doesn't talk much, unless...

Eliab: *blushing at the thought of Katherine* Okay! Moving on!

Rebecca: *holding back laughter* Figures...

Charles: *backstage* She did that just to embarrass him...

Zachary: *backstage* That's what siblings are for, right? It's a love-hate thing! C'mon! Work with me, dude! *laughing*

Eliab: *ahem* Well, as a demonstration of how we do this, ZacharyTC (otherwise known as Zachary or Zach) has written a letter, which I will read to you, now. *reads the letter* "Hello, Eliab. This is Zachary. Now, it has been mentioned in the previous roleplay that a friend taught you how to play guitar. Do you mind telling the crowd a bit more about him?" *low volume voice* Okay, that's a better question than what he could ask, just for comedy relief. In fact, I don't see anything comedic about this question.

*normal voice* Anyway, I will describe him for you. Like Rebecca and I, he is part Israeli. However, he is also half French. His dad was from Israel, his mom was from France. Despite the rants from people back in the States, he actually was friendly with everybody. We'd always play guitar together at church. He even taught me how it's done. His name's David. Not only can he play guitar, but also bake.

Rebecca: Boy, could he ever! *eyes sparkling*

Eliab: Ha! You always were enthusiastic about food, Rebecca!

Zachary: *backstage* David is actually a character I made in "Supernatural living", and went on to use in "Mental Implosion" and other roleplays so to properly end the story involving him. So far, no success. I'm not giving up on that, though. His full name is David Ephraim Gideon.

Eliab: Yeah, since he graduated back at Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, only Zachary knows what exactly happened to him, and he won't tell me. What I've been told by his cousins, though, is that he moved to France and ended up in a relationship with a full-blooded French gal named Lanuya Delida Acelet. From what I've seen by looking at the photos of the two together, they do make a great pair. One thing I notice that is different about him when I look at those same pictures is that he now has two scars on his face, supposedly from when he stood up to some thugs.

Zachary: *backstage* There is actually more to that, specifically with the scar on one of his eyes, but you'll have to figure that out by reading "Mental Implosion", when you have time.

Eliab: Well, I guess that wraps up the demonstration on what to expect. Anyone with a character on here can have that character read a letter which asks another character a question. Please, keep them within reason, if you can.

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway

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Saturday, April 20, 2013

What about the Previous Extended Family? - Marriage Right

When you have children, it?s important to help them stay connected to the other biological parent?s family. Too often, second marriages result in broken extended-family relationships, and this will hurt the children. They are forever connected to that biological extended family, for better or for worse. They are related by blood and by heritage, whether or not you are married to their biological parent. Neither death nor divorce can change that reality.

Unless it?s an abusive or unsafe situation, your children need relationships with both sides of grandparents and the extended family, even when they are the ?ex? family to you, or if that parent is no longer alive.

Why is this important?

  • Because your children need to stay connected to their blood relatives, to learn about their heritage, and to feel a part of their relatives lives.
  • Because your children need the reassurance that family goes on, even when there?s a divorce or death. They need to know that family matters, and that family is there for life.
  • Because your children need family members to encourage them, support them, and cheer them on as they grow and mature, whether it?s a school play, recital, or sports event, or later when it?s time for college, marriage, or a career.
  • Because your children need to know it?s okay to have relationships with the other family members without you being bothered by it. They need to know you love them enough to let them share that biological bond.
  • Because they already share a special bond with these family members and do not need another ?divorce? or ?death? by separation from them.

Better yet, gaining the support of grandparents and step-grandparents will greatly benefit the children by giving them continuity, love, and the reassurance that they need. Grandparents and step-grandparents can also play an important role in helping children adjust to a blending family, if they all are made to feel accepted and comfortable in their role. Demonstrate your acceptance of them. Invite them to participate in your family life. Help grandparents and step-grandparents navigate the relationships by clearly defining your needs and expectations.

How can you do this?

  • Reassure them that you want them to have relationships with the grandchildren, and encourage them to continue the relationships as before.
  • Plan events so new step-grandparents can get to know the children, and let them know that there?s no ?step? in grandparenting as far as you?re concerned.
  • Encourage your children to call, visit, write, e-mail, and Skype with family members, especially all the grandparents, regularly. Whether it?s a weekly or monthly contact, make it a regular and special event.
  • Share events in your child?s life such as science fairs, school fundraisers, great report cards, and so on.
  • Invite them to ball games, recitals, honor celebrations, graduations, and so on.
  • Take pictures and share them regularly.
  • Include them in holiday giving, even if it?s just a simple Christmas card.
  • Acknowledge their birthday or other special occasions.

Grandparents, step-grandparents, and the extended family from all sides can give love and support like no one else can, and the lasting rewards will be great. This network of loving adults can be an important part of the second-marriage and blending family journey.

Adapted from The ReMarriage Adventure: Preparing for a Lifetime of Love & Happiness and Countdown for Couples: Preparing for the Adventure of Marriage. Copyright ? 2012, all rights reserved. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com for more

Susan and Dale Mathis

Susan and Dale Mathis are passionate about helping couples prepare for marriage and for remarriage, since they are a remarried couple themselves. Dale has two master's degrees in counseling and has worked in counseling and human resources for over 30 years. Susan, the founding editor of Thriving Family magazine, has written prolifically for magazines and newspapers and continues to serve as a consultant, freelance editor and writer, and speaker. As a couple they enjoy camping, hiking, biking, and visiting family and friends around the world. Their blended family includes five adult children and three granddaughters. For more information about Susan or Dale, visit their website.

Source: http://www.startmarriageright.com/2013/04/what-about-the-previous-extended-family/

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Google paying $1 to run Provo fiber, must build it out within five years

Google Fiber deal sees Provo sell its network for $1, but Google pays for upgrades

While it's well-established that Google Fiber's expansion into Provo, Utah hinges on Google buying the city's existing iProvo network, we didn't immediately learn what it took to land the tentative deal. Newly available details of the agreement reveal that the up-front cost is largely in the visitor's favor -- it's the long-term development that rewards the locals. Google only pays $1 to buy the local fiber network, but it has five years to finish upgrades and deployments that could ultimately cost $30 million, according to the Deputy Mayor's estimates. About the only remaining costs for Provo are its already existing (if significant) development loans, and the city can always buy the network back for $1 if things go sour. The pact also leaves the door open to public WiFi, although there are no guarantees that Google will mirror its New York City efforts anytime soon. When the search giant has a very healthy bank balance, we doubt there will be much quibbling over the exact terms; just know that the arrangement isn't strictly one-sided.

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Source: AP

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/53ed2wQGcfo/

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Friday, April 19, 2013

Blood donor pets are more than man's best friend - WLUK Fox 11

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Dogs, long known as loyal companions to humans, are increasingly coming to each other's aid - by giving their blood.

Rising demand has places like the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital seeking more dog and cat blood donors to keep up. Six years ago, they had three donors; now they have around 22 dogs and cats who donate blood regularly, said Dr. Jonathan Bach, who oversees the hospital's blood bank.

"Pets have moved generally from the backyard to the bedroom to some extent and with that (comes) greater need and expectation as far as level of care," Bach said.

The donors are sometimes former patients but mostly companions of students or staff members. Animals most often need the blood because of anemia, although the hospital does get animals who have suffered injuries or accidental poisonings.

Pat Kaufman, owner of Animal Blood Resources International in Dixon, Calif., estimated her organization provides 60 to 70 percent of the dog blood in the United States and about 90 percent of the cat blood. She said they've had a 10 percent increase in demand for dog blood during the past five years and 30 percent increase in cat blood - despite the recession.

Demand has grown steadily since her company started as one of the first animal blood banks 25 years ago, she said.

Back then, few universities taught their vet students about transfusions, people weren't buying insurance for their pets and there wasn't a supply of blood, Kaufman said. All those things have changed and have contributed to the increase in demand, she said. She said pet owners also know there are more options available.

"The people who take their dogs to the vets are willing to do more for them than they ever have been," Kaufman said.

___

Associated Press writer Carrie Antlfinger contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/wisconsin/blood-donor-pets-are-more-than-mans-best-friend

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South Koreans hope to return to Kaesong factories

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? The South Korean entrepreneurs who invested up to 10 years and millions of dollars in the Kaesong industrial complex, a symbol of economic collaboration between the Koreas that is now shuttered by the North, have little more than hope to cling to as assembly lines sit idle day after day.

They say they want to go back to work. The sooner the better. They say they cannot abandon their investments in factories, or the cheap North Korean labor that helped them put aside misgivings about doing business with the South's unpredictable neighbor. Some were just getting over their beginners' mistakes and were starting to see the fruits of their work.

But North Korea has been unrelenting in its decision to bar South Koreans from entering the factory city just inside its border, and withdraw the 53,000 North Korean workers who manned assembly lines. As the lockout enters a third week, customers of the South Korean companies are growing impatient and losses are mounting. Some businesses are quietly mulling giving up on Kaesong altogether.

"We have built the Kaesong industrial complex by the sweat of our brows, believing in guarantees that we would be able to work freely," said Han Jae-kwon, chief of the association of South Korean factories in Kaesong. "We find the reality tragic and sad that we are unable to travel to our own factories."

The Kaesong complex has been nearly deserted since early April, when Pyongyang pulled the plug on its last significant economic link with the South. Most of the nearly 900 South Korean managers and entrepreneurs left soon after. Some 200 remain and are getting by on whatever food they had stored.

The shutdown was punishment for Seoul's decision to forge ahead with ongoing joint military drills with the United States that have incensed Pyongyang because it sees the exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion. Restricting travel through the heavily armed border is also a way to remind South Koreans that a state of war hangs over the Korean Peninsula, 60 years after the Korean War ended with a truce. Pyongyang also is angry with Seoul for backing tightened U.N. sanctions on North Korea for conducting a banned nuclear test in February.

The industrial zone was supposed to be above politics, and the complex was seen as a test case for reunification, combining South Korean initiative, capital and technology with the North's cheap labor. After breaking ground in 2003, earlier South Korean governments paved roads and erected buildings in the zone, which lies in a guarded, gated complex on the outskirts of North Korea's third-largest city.

Small and medium-sized, labor-intensive industries began arriving, often apparel and electronics companies. If the pay would be dismissed as paltry in the South, Kaesong residents flocked to work there, and the number of South Korean companies swelled to more than 120. Last year, the factories produced goods worth $470 million.

For years, things went along fairly smoothly. Most South Korean managers commuted to Kaesong on Mondays, bringing their own food, managing factories through the week and returning home for the weekend. Raw materials came from South Korea, with finished goods later sent back south through the heavily armed border.

As Korean relations soured in recent years, amid changing governments in Seoul and a North Korean attack on a South Korean island, many inter-Korean projects were abandoned. Kaesong, though, seemed set to survive. A temporary 2009 shutdown passed quickly.

On April 9, though, no North Koreans showed up to work. North Korea refused to allow entry from the South starting April 3.

On Wednesday, North Korea again denied the entry of South Korean businessmen who asked to send a delegation to relay their worries to the North and send food and other necessities to the South Korean managers who still remain in Kaesong. North Korea cited the current tension, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry. A separate delegation consisting of former chairmen of the group representing Kaesong companies and a few experts on Korea issues is still awaiting a reply from the North to its request to visit on Monday.

Kaesong businesses hope the possibility of dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang after the U.S.-South Korea military drills end April 30 will result in the industrial complex reopening.

For labor-intensive industries, even one day without workers can be ruinous. Delivery delays infuriate customers, and regaining that lost trust is difficult.

Many of the South Korean businesses say they have no alternative.

"I cannot just throw away what I invested in Kaesong. For now, equipment and machines are still in Kaesong and we cannot carry them back to the South or leave them behind," said Yoo Byung-ki, CEO of BK Electronics Co. Yoo said his company has spent 4 billion won ($3.6 million) since 2009.

Since the shutdown, he has shifted about 10 percent of his production to his South Korean factories, where workers are putting in extra hours to ramp up output. But given the costs of South Korean labor, that won't last for long.

"There is no other option. Entry needs to be resumed as soon as possible," he said. "I cannot abandon Kaesong."

Few countries can beat the low labor costs of Kaesong, where salaries average $127 a month according to South Korea's government. That is less than one sixteenth of South Korea and less than half of what Foxconn Technology Group pays to Chinese workers who assemble iPhones, iPads and other brand-name consumer electronics.

And it's not just the possibility of lost investment.

"I cannot give up Kaesong because my whole life is there," said Choi Dong-jin, CEO of Daemyung Blue Jeans Inc. He faced many hiccups in the early years, and was just beginning to feel experienced.

At first, he said, he went to Kaesong for the cheap labor. But he soon realized there were plenty of hidden costs to being one of the first businessmen in such previously uncharted territory.

Once every possible worker had been hired from the city of Kaesong, there was no housing for workers from distant cities, and no transportation for commuters. Without enough staff, his factory could only operate at 60-70 percent of its capacity. There is no Internet connection in Kaesong, so communication is limited to fax and telephone lines.

Though managers said being able to communicate in Korean was an advantage, it also took time and money to train the North Koreans.

"I don't think Kaesong labor is absolutely cheaper than China," Choi said. "If we pay Chinese workers $300 (a month), we pay about $140-150 in Kaesong. But if you think about productivity, a sense of goal and responsibility, then Chinese workers are better than North Koreans," he said.

Only in the past year, he said, had his workers become reasonably skilled, four years after opening his clothing factory. He was ready to savor these accomplishments.

It's now unclear whether his customers will return when and if the Kaesong complex reopens.

"If they don't, my company will die," Choi said. Even if the factories do reopen, his customers' confidence has been badly shaken. "Buyers will be worried that this thing can happen any time."

In the meantime, the best option is to beg for understanding from customers and find temporary production lines.

Already, though, some South Korean entrepreneurs are considering a pullout from Kaesong.

An official at one factory said his company was considering shutting down, citing the political instability surrounding the complex.

"It's a dire situation," he said, declining to give his name, citing pressure from the Kaesong factory-owners association, which fears how North Korea could respond to such pessimism. "We have to produce to meet the deadlines set by our buyers."

__

Associated Press writer Sam Kim contributed to this story.

Follow Youkyung Lee on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-koreans-hope-return-kaesong-factories-005111369--finance.html

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At longlast, the Nintendo 3DS is getting a 'Link to the Past' sequel

In a move that's bound to delight old-school Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) fans the world over, Nintendo announced today that it is making a direct sequel to 1991's "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past."

The game will come out exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS mobile gaming console later this year, Reggie Fils-Aime, president and chief operating office of Nintendo of America, said this morning in a Nintendo Direct announcement.

The new "Link to the Past" will follow directly in the footsteps of the original SNES classic, featuring everything from the iconic top-down perspective and cartoonish art style of early nineties-era Zelda games and the same Hyrule that series protagonist Link explored more than a decade ago.

At face value, this looks like a younger and more kid-friendly version of "Zelda" (if there is such a thing) than the third-person style that took over much of the franchise beginning in 1998 with the release of "The Ocarina of Time" on the Nintendo 64. But despite any nostalgia factor in its aesthetic and storyline, Fils-Aime said that "Link to the Past" will feature new dungeons and gameplay mechanics designed specifically with the unique two-screen display of the 3DS in mind.

While still isometric in appearance, the new "Link to the Past" has greater depth and variety in its level design than its 1991 predecessor could possibly achieve. A gameplay video showed Link hopping between different height-based levels in a stone dungeon, a mechanic that Fils-Aime said would be central to the game's puzzle system.

Link also has a new ability to "become a drawing," which flattens him against walls to help him to traverse all the nooks and crannies of a given level.

"By moving in the walls, your viewpoint changes and you can see the connections within the area that you couldn't observe before," Fils-Aime said. "This new mechanic will play a key role in solving puzzles in the game."

Never a stranger to churning out endless releases and spin-offs of its most popular video game brands, Nintendo has left "A Link to the Past" strangely untouched since it was first released to universal acclaim over a decade ago. Besides the occasional re-release on a new Nintendo game system, old-school Zelda fans have had to settle for emulators while the "Zelda" series evolved into something of a third-person platformer on the N64 and later the Wii console. For many Nintendo fans, then, the company is returning to its roots in a much-appreciated way.

Nintendo hasn't given specific information about "A Link to the Past's" availability except to say that it will come out later this year. A 3D video of the new game will also arrive on the 3DS itself later today. In the meantime, you can watch some gameplay along with Fils-Aime remarks in the clip below.

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Jodie Sweetin and Morty Coyle: Married!

Source:

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Danny Amendola Pledges Boston Marathon Relief Donation for Every Catch in 2013

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/danny-amendola-pledges-boston-marathon-relief-donation-for-every/

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Doing their part to keep kids in school : McGill Reporter

Browse > Home
/ Other News / Doing their part to keep kids in school

Posted on Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps participated in a recent workshop at the Kahnawake Survival School. / Photo courtesy of Ali Olshefsky

High School Outreach Program reaches more than ?200 students from disadvantaged communities

By Neale McDevitt

On April 3, a group of high school students from some of Montreal?s socioeconomically disadvantaged communities filed into the Palais de Justice to stand before a judge. It was a scene that could have invited people to jump to erroneous conclusions.

Instead of handing down a verdict, however, Justice Legault imparted his knowledge and experience to the youths, speaking to them at great length about his responsibilities as a Quebec Superior Court judge.

?These kinds of interactions are so important to these students because for many of them their only dealings with the law have usually been negative, because a friend, neighbor or family member has been arrested or is in jail,? says Ali Olshefsky. ?We want to demystify the legal system and show these kids that they can study and practice law if they want.?

?We? are the more than 50 members of Faculty of Law?s High School Outreach Program (HSOP), a student-run initiative that has been breaking down walls since 2006.

The goals of HSOP are to foster in young people a curiosity about the law and an understanding of the relevance of it in day-to-day life; to develop mentorship relationships between high school students and law students; to introduce high school students to basic concepts of law such as rights and obligations; and to provide information about university studies. The program targets students who are living in difficult socio-economic situations.

?Quebec already has some of the highest dropout rates in the country,? says Olshefsky, ?but in the communities where we work, those rates can be anywhere between 25 and 80 per cent. So the point of the program is to get kids interested in not just legal studies but post secondary education in general.

?Not only are we concerned with Quebec?s alarming high school dropout rates, but we also want to address the fact that many underprivileged kids, as well as children of immigrants and visible minorities in Montreal, are under-represented in post-secondary and legal education,? continues Olshefsky.

Sponsored by the Beaverbrook Foundation, HSOP partnered with six high schools this year; the Kahnawake Survival School in the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake; James Lyng High School in Little Burgundy; LaSalle Community Comprehensive High School in LaSalle; ?cole secondaire Pierre-Dupuy in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve; ?cole secondaire Chomedey-De Maisonneuve in Montreal; and Beurling Academy in Verdun.

The McGill volunteers ? all students from the Faculty of Law ? are paired with a high school where they conduct between four and six legal training workshops a year. These workshops focus on everything from charter rights to criminal law to how law has had to adapt because of Facebook, cell phone usage and advances in technology. The workshops are designed to be as interactive as possible, with brief introductory lectures on a topic of five minutes before the class is broken into smaller groups to continue the discussion.

For the past two years, Olshefsky has worked with Kahnawake Survival School. During one workshop this year, the class compared traditional Canadian criminal law to traditional indigenous systems, in particular sentencing circles, an alternative form of dispute resolution in which members of the community, including the victim and the offender, work together to come up with the most appropriate sanction.

?It was really interesting because (recently retired) Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps participated in this workshop,? says Olshefsky. ?Obviously, she was able to very well represent the Canadian conceptualization and she and the kids talked about what they thought would be the fair and just for this mock scenario.?

This year?s HSOP program culminated with an open house at the Faculty of Law for the more than 200 students who participated in the program. As well as tours of the Faculty and McGill?s downtown campus, the students participated in a final workshop in the Moot Court. Smaller groups were brought to the Palais de Justice where they met a judge and a defense lawyer and sat in on trials and bail hearings. ?A lot of the kids were excited because they could follow but was going on because of what they had learned in their workshops,? Olshefsky says.

While it is impossible to put exact numbers on a program like HSOP, there are a number of success stories. ?The exciting thing is that two students who came through our program are now doing Police Tech at John Abbott,? says Olschefsky. ?We?re starting to see the fruits of our labour.

?Legal education isn?t only for people from a certain background. If we can help open the study of law to people from different backgrounds then, eventually, you will have a more just legal system and one that is more reflective of the entire population.?

Category: Other News

Source: http://publications.mcgill.ca/reporter/2013/04/doing-their-part-to-keep-kids-in-school/

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Boston on high alert after marathon bombing kills 3, injures scores

LIVE VIDEO ? TODAY's Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie continue in-depth coverage of the deadly attacks in Boston, as the FBI takes over the hunt for whoever set off two bombs at the city marathon's finish line.

By Bill Dedman, Alastair Jamieson, Tracy Connor and Erin McClam, NBC News

Authorities checked bags, combed through debris and flooded the streets with investigators Tuesday in a rush to determine who set off two shrapnel-studded bombs at the Boston Marathon that killed three people and injured at least 144.

Law enforcement officials went to a suburban apartment building, interviewed two men and removed a duffel bag and two trash bags overnight. They also issued alerts for a rental van and a man seen leaving the scene of the blasts.

But the significance of the police activity, if any, was not clear one day after the twin blasts, which detonated seconds apart and turned the finish line of the marathon into a hellish scene of panicked spectators, shattered glass and blood-spattered sidewalks.

Charles Krupa / AP

See images from the scene of the explosions.

Law enforcement officials told NBC News that the bombs were packed with ball bearings and BBs, apparently intended to increase the casualties.

Among the dead was an 8-year-old boy, identified by NBC affiliate WHDH as Martin Richard, who was waiting at the finish for his father to finish the race. Among the injured were brothers, 33 and 31, who each lost a leg from the knee down, The Boston Globe reported.

As of 4:30 a.m. ET, there were 126 patients from the blasts being treated at six Boston hospitals, including some who had injuries described as ?limb-threatening.? An official at Boston Children?s Hospital told the Globe that the youngest victim was 3 years old.

Smartphone user? Watch live coverage of Boston Marathon bombings here

A senior law enforcement official told NBC News that the attack involved two bombs. Initial reports had suggested that there were unexploded devices found nearby, but the official discounted those reports.

Investigators were also studying surveillance video to look for anyone placing packages at the points where the bombs exploded. Law enforcement officials said there was video showing a person, from the back, carrying two backpacks, but they said it was too soon to know whether that was related to the attack.

Long after nightfall, investigators picked through mounds of personal belongings left by some of the thousands of people who fled the finish line, at Boylston Street, after gathering for perhaps the most joyous day on the Boston calendar ? Patriots Day.

?Patriots Day and Marathon Monday are usually celebrated all across Boston, but today our cheers were turned to prayers,? Mayor Thomas Menino said. ?But Boston is strong and resilient, and we come together in times of need. We will get through this, and we will find those responsible.?

In an apparent act of terrorism, two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed at least two people and injured more than 100 others. President Obama addressed the nation, saying all Americans stand with the people of Boston. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.

Firefighters spent the night chasing bomb scares around a jittery city, and SWAT officers patrolled nearby hotels. Water cannons were used late Monday to clear suspicious packages near the scene.

A fire at the John F. Kennedy presidential library more than an hour after the blasts, initially treated by investigators as related, appeared be caused by a simple electrical short, police said.

The blasts went off just before 3 p.m., with thousands of runners still on the course. They sent up white plumes of smoke, rattled police barricades and stiffened flags set up to celebrate the 96 countries that sent runners to the most prestigious road race.

?In 28 years, this is definitely the worst I?ve seen,? said Chief Ron Harrington of the Boston Fire Department?s District 3. ?Bodies and body parts. Blood all over. A little boy lying in the street. A young woman in her 20s. Both dead. It was mayhem. I saw two people with arms hanging loose, and one without a leg. A shoe with flesh still in it.?

President Barack Obama vowed from the White House to bring ?the full weight of justice? to bear on whoever was responsible, and pledged the help of the federal government.

The Boston Globe's Steve Silva talks to NBC's Brian Williams about the footage he shot at the moment explosions rocked the finish line of Monday's Boston Marathon.

A White House official told NBC News that the attack was being treated as terrorism, though it was not clear whether foreign or domestic.

Meanwhile, authorities in other big cities increased security. Extra police officers patrolled the New York subways, and streets were closed around the White House. In London, officials preparing for an upcoming marathon reviewed security plans.

NBC News national security analyst Michael Leiter said it was ?virtually impossible? to keep a marathon secure because of its long route.

?You just have to do the best you can to keep people safe and maintain resilience,? he said. ?It?s important we don?t alter our lives because that provides the terrorist ? domestic, international, whoever it may be ? with a huge victory.?

Rachel Maddow updates the latest details from Boston following a press conference by Massachusetts officials and talks with Boston Globe reporter David Abel about what he witnessed standing just feet away from the initial blast at the Boston Marathon finish line.

The apartment that investigators went to was at 364 Ocean Ave., in the Boston suburb of Revere. Law enforcement officials interviewed two men there.

Boston police issued an alert for a rental van that may have sought access to the marathon route, and another alert for a man wearing dark clothes and a hood who was seeing leaving the blast zone.

The race drew 27,000 runners and has been run since 1897 on Patriots Day, the third Monday in April, which commemorates Lexington and Concord, the two battles in Massachusetts that started the American Revolution.

The year, the race coincided with the filing deadline for federal taxes. Security experts said the FBI would undoubtedly look into the possible significance of the date as they tried to find the bomber and the motive.

NBC News' Pete Williams and Jonathan Dienst contributed to this report.

Related:

Who is the hero in the cowboy hat at the finish line?

Timeline of a tragedy: What happened when

Experts: Blast injuries require battlefield savvy

Full coverage of Boston Marathon bombings from NBC News

Source: NBC News, Boston Globe, Boston Athletic Association

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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Gene sequencing project finds new mutations to blame for a majority of brain tumor subtype

Apr. 14, 2013 ? The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital -- Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has identified mutations responsible for more than half of a subtype of childhood brain tumor that takes a high toll on patients. Researchers also found evidence the tumors are susceptible to drugs already in development.

The study focused on a family of brain tumors known as low-grade gliomas (LGGs). These slow-growing cancers are found in about 700 children annually in the U.S., making them the most common childhood tumors of the brain and spinal cord. For patients whose tumors cannot be surgically removed, the long-term outlook remains bleak due to complications from the disease and its ongoing treatment. Nationwide, surgery alone cures only about one-third of patients.

Using whole genome sequencing, researchers identified genetic alterations in two genes that occurred almost exclusively in a subtype of LGG termed diffuse LGG. This subtype cannot be cured surgically because the tumor cells invade the healthy brain. Together, the mutations accounted for 53 percent of the diffuse LGG in this study. Researchers also demonstrated that one of the mutations, which had not previously been linked to brain tumors, caused tumors when introduced into the glial brain cells of mice.

The findings appear in the April 14 advance online edition of the scientific journal Nature Genetics.

"This subtype of low-grade glioma can be a nasty chronic disease, yet prior to this study we knew almost nothing about its genetic alterations," said David Ellison, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the St. Jude Department of Pathology and the study's corresponding author. The first author is Jinghui Zhang, Ph.D., an associate member of the St. Jude Department of Computational Biology.

The Pediatric Cancer Genome Project is using next-generation whole genome sequencing to determine the complete normal and cancer genomes of children and adolescents with some of the least understood and most difficult to treat cancers. Scientists believe that studying differences in the 3 billion chemical bases that make up the human genome will provide the scientific foundation for the next generation of cancer care.

"We were surprised to find that many of these tumors could be traced to a single genetic alteration," said co-author Richard K. Wilson, Ph.D., director of The Genome Institute at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "This is a major pathway through which low-grade gliomas develop and it provides new clues to explore as we search for better treatments."

The study involved whole genome sequencing of 39 paired tumor and normal tissue samples from 38 children and adolescents with different subtypes of LGG and related tumors called low-grade glioneuronal tumors (LGGNTs). Although many cancers develop following multiple genetic abnormalities, 62 percent of the 39 tumors in this study stemmed from a single genetic alteration.

Previous studies have linked LGGs to abnormal activation of the MAPK/ERK pathway. The pathway is involved in regulating cell division and other processes that are often disrupted in cancer. Until now, however, the genetic alterations involved in driving this pathway were unknown for some types of LGG and LGGNT.

This study linked activation in the pathway to duplication of a key segment of the FGFR1 gene, which investigators discovered in brain tumors for the first time. The segment is called a tyrosine kinase domain. It functions like an on-off switch for several cell signaling pathways, including the MAPK/ERK pathway. Investigators also demonstrated that experimental drugs designed to block activity along two altered pathways worked in cells with theFGFR1 tyrosine kinase domain duplication. "The finding suggests a potential opportunity for using targeted therapies in patients whose tumors cannot be surgically removed," Ellison said.

Researchers also showed that the FGFR1 abnormality triggered an aggressive brain tumor in glial cells from mice that lacked the tumor suppressor gene Trp53.

Whole-genome sequencing found previously undiscovered rearrangements in the MYB and MYBL1 genes in diffuse LGGs. These newly identified abnormalities were also implicated in switching on the MAPK/ERK pathway.

Researchers checked an additional 100 LGGs and LGGNTs for the same FGFR1, MYB and MYBL1 mutations. Overall, MYB was altered in 25 percent of the diffuse LGGs, and 24 percent had alterations in FGFR1. Researchers also turned up numerous other mutations that occurred in just a few tumors. The affected genes included BRAF, RAF1, H3F3A, ATRX, EP300, WHSC1 and CHD2.

"The Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has provided a remarkable opportunity to look at the genomic landscape of this disease and really put the alterations responsible on the map. We can now account for the genetic errors responsible for more than 90 percent of low-grade gliomas," Ellison said. "The discovery that FGFR1 and MYB play a central role in childhood diffuse LGG also serves to distinguish the pediatric and adult forms of the disease."

The other authors are Gang Wu, Ruth Tatevossian, James Dalton, Bo Tang, Wilda Orisme, Chandanamali Punchihewa, Ibrahim Qaddoumi, Frederick Boop, Matthew Parker, Ryan Lee, Robert Huether, Xiang Chen, Erin Hedlund, Panduka Nagahawatte, Michael Rusch, Kristy Boggs, Jinjun Cheng, Jared Becksfort, Jing Ma, Guangchun Song, Yongjin Li, Lei Wei, Jianmin Wang, Sheila Shurtleff, John Easton, David Zhao, Bhavin Vadodaria, Heather Mulder, Chunlao Tang, Charles Mullighan, Amar Gajjar, Richard Kriwacki, Richard Gilbertson, James Downing and Suzanne Baker, all of St. Jude; Claudia Miller, formerly of St. Jude; Charles Lu, Cyriac Kandoth, Li Ding, Robert Fulton, Lucinda Fulton, David Dooling, Kerri Ochoa and Elaine Mardis, all of Washington University; and Denise Sheer of Queen Mary University of London.

The research was funded in part by the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, including Kay Jewelers, a lead partner; a grant (CA096832) from the National Institutes of Health; and ALSAC.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Jinghui Zhang, Gang Wu, Claudia P Miller, Ruth G Tatevossian, James D Dalton, Bo Tang, Wilda Orisme, Chandanamali Punchihewa, Matthew Parker, Ibrahim Qaddoumi, Fredrick A Boop, Charles Lu, Cyriac Kandoth, Li Ding, Ryan Lee, Robert Huether, Xiang Chen, Erin Hedlund, Panduka Nagahawatte, Michael Rusch, Kristy Boggs, Jinjun Cheng, Jared Becksfort, Jing Ma, Guangchun Song, Yongjin Li, Lei Wei, Jianmin Wang, Sheila Shurtleff, John Easton, David Zhao, Robert S Fulton, Lucinda L Fulton, David J Dooling, Bhavin Vadodaria, Heather L Mulder, Chunlao Tang, Kerri Ochoa, Charles G Mullighan, Amar Gajjar, Richard Kriwacki, Denise Sheer, Richard J Gilbertson, Elaine R Mardis, Richard K Wilson, James R Downing, Suzanne J Baker, David W Ellison. Whole-genome sequencing identifies genetic alterations in pediatric low-grade gliomas. Nature Genetics, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/ng.2611

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/IGPZQlj-GAo/130414193148.htm

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Saturday, April 13, 2013

Fossilized teeth provide new insight into human ancestor: Species identified in 2010 is one of closest relatives to humans

Apr. 11, 2013 ? A dental study of fossilized remains found in South Africa in 2008 provides new support that this species is one of the closest relatives to early humans.

The teeth of this species -- called Australopithecus sediba -- indicate that it is also a close relative to the previously identified Australopithecus africanus. Both of these species are clearly more closely related to humans than other australopiths from east Africa, according to the new research.

The study, published in the journal Science, revealed that both africanus and sediba shared about the same number of dental traits with the first undeniably human species.

"Our study provides further evidence that sediba is indeed a very close relative of early humans, but we can't definitively determine its position relative to africanus, said Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg, co-author of the study and professor of anthropology at The Ohio State University.

The research was led by Joel D. Irish, professor of natural sciences at Liverpool John Moores University.

The sediba fossils were found in South Africa in 2008 and first described in a series of articles published in Science in 2010. That study was led by Lee Berger of the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, who is also a co-author of this new study.

In this study, Irish, Guatelli-Steinberg and their colleagues extended that work by examining the teeth from sediba and comparing them to eight other African hominin species, which include modern humans from Africa, and extinct species of Homo, Australopithecus, and Paranthropus. In all, the researchers examined more than 340 fossils and 4,571 recent specimens. They also examined teeth from 44 gorillas for comparison.

The focus was on 22 separate traits of tooth crowns and roots that can give clues as to the relationship between the different species studied.

For example, they measured how much one of the incisors was shovel-shaped. Depending on the species in this study, the incisor may have no depression in the back of the tooth, a faint shovel shape, or a trace of that shape.

Researchers use standardized measurements from the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System to compare the teeth on these 22 traits.

The researchers found that on 15 of these traits, sediba and africanus scored the same. Sediba shared 13 traits with Homo erectus, an early human species, which was comparable to how africanus scored.

Sediba and africanus shared five dental traits that weren't found in earlier australopiths, further showing their close relationship. Both also share five traits with early humans -- Homo habilis/rudolfenis and Homo erectus -- which weren't shared with earlier ancestors, demonstrating the close relationship between these two australopiths and the first humans.

Teeth are an excellent way to study relationships between different species, Guatelli-Steinberg said. They are well preserved in the fossil record, and researchers can compare large samples, at least for many ancient species.

In addition, most of the dental traits the researchers used in this analysis don't have a selective advantage that could help one species survive over another. That means if researchers see a similar trait in two species, they can be more confident that they shared a common ancestor and that the trait didn't evolve independently.

In many ways, these new dental data support the earlier research on sediba, which included analysis of the inside of the skull, hand, spine, pelvis, foot and ankle, Guatelli-Steinberg said.

"All of the research so far shows that sediba had a mosaic of primitive traits and newer traits that suggest it was a bridge between earlier australopiths and the first humans," she said.

Guatelli-Steinberg said their dental analysis showed that both africanus and sediba are more closely related to humans than the famous "Lucy" skeleton fossil found in East Africa in 1974. This fossil represented a species, Australopithecus afarensis, that was at one time was thought to be the closest relative of humans.

Lucy is estimated to have lived 3.2 million years ago. Sediba lived 1.977 million years ago, while africanus lived between 3.03 and 2.04 million years ago.

"Our research on teeth can't definitively settle if either sediba or africanus is more closely related to humans than the other species," Guatelli-Steinberg said. "But our findings do suggest that both are closely related to each other and are more closely related to humans than afarensis.

"We need to find more sediba remains to help fill in the missing pieces of this evolutionary puzzle."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ohio State University. The original article was written by Jeff Grabmeier.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. J. D. Irish, D. Guatelli-Steinberg, S. S. Legge, D. J. de Ruiter, L. R. Berger. Dental Morphology and the Phylogenetic "Place" of Australopithecus sediba. Science, 2013; 340 (6129): 1233062 DOI: 10.1126/science.1233062

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/eILjvDpis7Y/130411142935.htm

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Wall Street gains for fourth day, but weak tech hurts Nasdaq

By Ryan Vlastelica

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose for a fourth straight day on Thursday, sending the Dow and the S&P 500 to new closing highs as positive data on the labor market and an encouraging retail outlook eased recent concerns about economic growth.

Despite the S&P 500's gain of 11.7 percent this year, investors have fretted about the pace of recovery, especially after last week's dramatically weak March payrolls report.

Jobless claims fell far more than expected in the latest week, dropping to the lower end of the range for the year. In another sign that the economy might be in better shape than some recent data had indicated, retail executives and analysts forecast improved same-store sales in April after mixed results in March.

Several of the S&P 500's top percentage gainers were retailers, with discount chain Ross Stores up 5.9 percent at $63.80, Victoria's Secret parent L Brands Inc up 4.3 percent at $50.25, and J.C. Penney Co up 5.5 percent at $14.86. The SPDR S&P retail ETF jumped 2 percent to end at a new closing high of $72.98. The S&P 500 retail index <.spxrt> hit a 52-week high at 751.72 and then eased a bit to end up 1.2 percent at 747.34.

"This data is especially welcome on the heels of last week's jobs report, and it just adds to the tremendous demand that there continues to be for equities," said Leo Grohowski, chief investment officer at BNY Mellon Wealth Management in New York. "The money that has been waiting for a pullback is running out of patience."

Still, the Nasdaq's gains were limited as technology stocks sold off on an industry report showing shipments of personal computers had fallen significantly in the first quarter. The S&P information technology sector index <.splrct> slipped 0.5 percent.

Hewlett-Packard Co slid 6.5 percent to $20.88 as the S&P 500's top percentage loser, followed by Microsoft Corp , down 4.5 percent at $28.94. Microsoft was also hit after Goldman Sachs downgraded the stock to "sell" from "neutral," citing "worsening PC trends and a lack of traction in tablets and smartphones."

Both HP and Microsoft are Dow components, but the index saw plenty of strength from other members. Three of the blue-chip average's five biggest gainers - Pfizer Inc , Boeing Co and Home Depot Inc - all hit new 52-week highs.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> gained 62.90 points, or 0.42 percent, to close at 14,865.14. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> rose 5.64 points, or 0.36 percent, to 1,593.37. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> edged up 2.90 points, or 0.09 percent, to close at 3,300.16.

All three indexes finished higher for the fourth straight day. Both the Dow and the S&P 500 reached new all-time intraday highs in midday trading before ending at new closing highs. The Dow climbed to an intraday record peak at 14,887.51, while the S&P 500 set a record session high at 1,597.35.

"It's amazing to me that we're already a few points away from our mid-year target of 1,600, which had seemed somewhat aggressive," said Grohowski, who oversees about $179 billion in client assets. "But there's still skepticism about the market and tons of cash on the sidelines, which encourages me that the market can continue to pull higher."

The Dow got its biggest boost from Pfizer , up 2.4 percent at $30.64 after JPMorgan raised its target price on the U.S. drugmaker's stock to $33 from $32.

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc surged 64.4 percent to $13.10 after the drugmaker said data from an initial late-stage trial would be sufficient to file for approval for its experimental antipsychotic drug for Parkinson's disease patients. Earlier, Acadia's stock touched a session high at $13.92, its highest since November 2007.

Other economic data showed import prices slipped 0.5 percent last month, in line with expectations, while export prices fell 0.4 percent, signaling inflation pressure remained tepid and would allow the Federal Reserve to continue with its current monetary policy.

About 59 percent of New York Stock Exchange-listed shares closed higher while slightly more Nasdaq-listed shares fell than rose. About 6.17 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and NYSE MKT, below the daily average so far this year of about 6.36 billion shares.

(Editing by Jan Paschal)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-index-futures-signal-flat-higher-open-094434140--finance.html

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