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New Delhi: Bharti Airtel will start selling Apple Inc's iPhone 3GS from Friday, the firm said in a statement.
The phone will be available from 35,500 rupees ($784) for the 16 GB model, and 41,500 rupees for the 32GB model, Bharti Airtel said. The company had earlier said it had agreed with Apple to sell the new iPhones in India.
Customers of iPhone 3GS will get 500 MB of free data every month for a year from the date of activation, the leading mobile operator said.
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There are whole host of new smartphones waiting for their time to shine at Mobile World Congress (not to mention an event or two before the big show), but you're in luck if you're a domestic Android fan smitten with LG and Google's Nexus 4. The hard-to-obtain handset first reappeared in the German Google Play Store earlier today, and now those of you in the U.S. can finally purchase one again too.
LONDON (Reuters) - A Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating girls' education is to return to a specialist hospital in Britain for surgery to reconstruct her skull.
Fifteen-year-old Malala Yousufzai, who was shot in October and brought to Britain for treatment, was discharged from the hospital earlier this month to spend time with her family after her initial treatment phase.
Her doctors said on Wednesday she would return to hospital within the next 10 days to undergo surgery known as titanium cranioplasty to repair a missing area of her skull with a specially molded titanium plate.
The shooting of Yousufzai, in the head at point blank range as she left school in the Swat valley, drew widespread international condemnation.
She has become an internationally recognized symbol of resistance to the Taliban's efforts to deny women education and other rights, and more than 250,000 people have signed online petitions calling for her to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her activism.
British doctors who treated Yousufzai say the bullet hit her left brow but instead of penetrating her skull, traveled underneath the skin along the side of her head and into her shoulder.
The shock wave shattered the thinnest bone of the skull and the soft tissues at the base of her jaw were damaged. The bullet and its fracture lines also destroyed her eardrum and the bones for hearing, rendering her deaf in her left ear.
She is being cared for in a specialist department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, which has treated hundreds of soldiers wounded in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Dave Rosser, the hospital's medical director, said a procedure to insert a cochlear implant to restore her left side hearing and the complicated skull reconstruction surgery would be carried out by a team of 10 doctors and nurses.
The skull will be repaired with a 0.6 mm plate molded from a 3D model created using imaging data from Malala's skull.
The cranioplasty, which is expected to take between one and two hours, will be carried out first, followed by the cochlear implant operation, which should take around 90 minutes, Rosser said in a statement.
If you're wondering what kind of inspirational oration the San Francisco 49ers might hear from Coach Jim Harbaugh during Sunday's Super Bowl, an old episode of "Saved by the Bell" may offer some clues.
In 1996, Harbaugh was coming off the best season of his career. Though he was only 7-5 as the Colts' starting QB that season, he led the league in passer rating, besting the likes of Brett Favre, Troy Aikman, Steve Young and Dan Marino, and was named to the Pro Bowl.
But perhaps the greatest honor conferred upon Harbaugh was a guest appearance as himself on "Saved by the Bell: The New Class." Watching the clip, one is awed by Harbaugh's perfect hair, the blazer over the mock turtleneck and the razor-sharp writing.
In it, Harbaugh is Screech's cousin, stopping by for lunch and to give Screech's friend Eric a pep talk and, ultimately, some help with a school project.
"Screech, is that you? I didn?t recognize you under all those muscles," Harbaugh says in greeting his cousin, eliciting a roar of laugh track.
Eric and his friends were supposed to do a project for Mr. Dewey about what it means to be a hero, but because of Eric, all three of them are facing an F. However, Harbaugh steps in at the 11th hour to explain to their class what heroism really is:
"Being a hero isn?t about what you do out there on the field. It's about who you are--in here," Harbaugh explained as he put his hand over his heart. "It's about helping your friends, your school and your community."
As luck would have, the teacher, Mr. Dewey, is an Indianapolis native, and Harbaugh is his hero. Dewey is so impressed with Harbaugh's speech he gives all the kids an A. It's a chain of events driven by a demented sense of morality, offering an utterly indecipherable lesson about who knows what.
Jim also had a cameo on the HBO?series "Arli$$," and appeared alongside fellow NFL stars Terry Bradshaw, Carl Banks and Ken Norton Jr. in an episode of "The Adventures of Brisco County." Harbaugh's brother John, coach of the Baltimore Ravens, has never had an acting career.
Advantage:?Niners.
The next time someone tries to tell you how terrible TV has gotten, let Harbaugh's "Saved by the Bell" appearance stand as a reminder of how far the medium has come.
A maintenance contractor called out to fix a hydrofluoric acid leak at a Samsung plant has died in hospital, according to Korean media. Four others were injured by the lethal gas but have reportedly been discharged. The factory in question is located within South Korea, which isn't known for the sort of lax safety standards that plague workers in China, but AsiaE reports that the accident will nevertheless be investigated to find out if any laws were breached in the way the leak was handled, and if the killed contractor was wearing the right protective gear. For the sake of context, it's worth remembering that even state-of-the-art installations can be prone to accidents -- in 2011, for example, seven American workers were injured in an explosion at Intel's semiconductor fab in Arizona.
Research shows that early stage breast cancer patients treated with breast-conserving treatment had a significantly better short-term survival rate from breast cancer than women who underwent mastectomy. (Credit: iStockphoto)
DUKE (US) ? Patients who received a less invasive procedure for treating early stage breast cancer may have a better chance of survival compared with those who underwent mastectomy, research suggests.
The findings from a recent study, published in the journal Cancer, raise new questions as to the comparative effectiveness of breast-conserving therapies such as lumpectomy, where only the tumor and surrounding tissue is surgically removed.
?Our findings are observational but do suggest the possibility that women who were treated with less invasive surgery had improved survival compared to those treated with mastectomy for stage I or stage II breast cancer,? says E. Shelley Hwang, chief of breast surgery at Duke Cancer Institute and the study?s lead author.
Taking advantage of 14 years of data from the California Cancer Registry, a source of long-term outcome data for women diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer in California, the research team found improved survival to be associated with the less invasive treatment in all age groups, as well as those with both hormone-sensitive and hormone-resistant cancers.
Women age 50 and older at diagnosis with hormone-sensitive tumors saw the largest benefit of choosing lumpectomy plus radiation: they were 13 percent less likely to die from breast cancer, and 19 percent less likely to die from any cause compared with those undergoing mastectomy.
Prior randomized trials have shown that when it comes to survival, lumpectomy with radiation is as effective as mastectomy in treating early stage breast cancer. As a result, the rate of women electing lumpectomy with radiation has climbed in the past few decades.
However, a recent trend has emerged with more early stage breast cancer patients, often younger women with very early cancers, opting for mastectomy. These women may perceive mastectomy to be more effective at eliminating early stage cancer and therefore reducing the anxiety accompanying long-term surveillance.
?Given the recent interest in mastectomy to treat early stage breast cancers despite the research supporting lumpectomy, our study sought to understand what was happening in the real world, how women receiving breast-conserving treatments were faring in the general population,? Hwang explains.
The team analyzed data from 112,154 women diagnosed with stage I or stage II breast cancer between 1990 and 2004, including 61,771 who received lumpectomy and radiation and 50,383 who had mastectomy without radiation.
The researchers looked at age and other demographic factors, along with tumor type and size to decipher whether each treatment had better outcomes for certain groups of women. Patients were followed on average for 9.2 years.
The researchers evaluated whether illnesses other than breast cancer, such as heart and respiratory disease, may have influenced whether women chose lumpectomy or mastectomy.
Within three years of diagnosis, breast cancer patients who underwent lumpectomy and radiation had higher survival rates than those who chose mastectomy when all other illnesses were evaluated.
This suggests that women choosing lumpectomy may have been generally healthier.
However, Hwang and her colleagues were surprised to also find that early stage breast cancer patients treated with breast-conserving treatment had a significantly better short-term survival rate from breast cancer than women who underwent mastectomy. A subset analysis limited to women with stage I cancer only showed consistent results.
?The hopeful message is that lumpectomy plus radiation was an effective alternative to mastectomy for early stage disease, regardless of age or tumor type,? says Hwang. ?Our study supports that even patients we thought might benefit less from localized treatment, like younger patients with hormone-resistant disease, can remain confident in lumpectomy as an equivalent and possibly better treatment option.?
The authors emphasize that observational studies such as this one cannot establish causality between type of surgery and outcome and that longer follow up is needed. Nevertheless, this is a provocative observation that requires more research to understand whether patient factors that were not available for analysis might contribute to these observed survival differences.
Additional researchers from Duke and the University of California, San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center also contributed to the research, which was supported by the National Cancer Institute. The collection of cancer incidence data used in this study was supported by the California Department of Health Services.
A gauge of business investment improved in December, a sign that worries over tighter fiscal policy may not have held back capital spending plans as much as feared at the end of 2012.?
The Commerce Department said on Monday that non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for investment plans, edged up 0.2 percent last month.?
Many economists had expected businesses to be more timid with spending late last year because of uncertainty over government spending cuts and tax increases, which had been scheduled to kick in this month. Congress struck a last-minute deal in early January to avoid or postpone most of the austerity measures.?
Monday's data showed companies were still planning to expand their businesses.?
"There's a lot more confidence," said Wayne Kaufman, an analyst at John Thomas Financial in New York.?
The data pushed down prices for U.S. government debt, while giving the dollar a lift against the yen. But stock prices opened little changed.?
The report showed new orders for overall durable goods - long lasting factory goods from toasters to automobiles - jumped 4.6 percent in December, beating economists expectations of a 1.8 percent gain.?
Gains were broad based, with new orders for machinery, cars and primary metals all increasing. Orders of civilian aircraft, a volatile category, jumped 10.1 percent.?
Economists still think economic growth cooled in the fourth quarter as companies slowed the pace at which they re-stocked their shelves.?
But Monday's report suggested businesses expect demand in the U.S. economy to improve.?
In a further sign firms were betting their business will grow, the investment plans proxy for November was revised higher to show a 3 percent gain.?
"It certainly seems to us that companies are slowly but surely expanding," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer at Solaris Group in Bedford Hills, New York.?
(Reuters) - A fire killed at least 233 people in a nightclub in southern Brazil on Sunday when a band's pyrotechnics show set the building ablaze.
Among the deadliest fires at a nightclub was at the Cocoanut Grove in Boston on November 28, 1942, when 492 people were killed. In Brazil, one of the worst fires at an entertainment venue was at a circus in Niteroi in 1961 in which 323 people died after an arson attack.
Following are some of the deadliest fires this century at entertainment venues:
March 29, 2000 - Paradise video parlor, an illegal porn cinema, at Jiaozuo in China's Henan province. 74 dead.
December 25, 2000 - Mall at Luoyang, China; fire engulfs building workers and Christmas party at discotheque. 309 dead.
December 1, 2002 - La Coajira nightclub in Caracas. 50 dead.
February 20, 2003 - Station nightclub, West Warwick, Rhode Island; fireworks during heavy metal concert. 100 dead.
December 30, 2004 - Republica Cromagnon nightclub, Buenos Aires; flare for New Year party hits foam ceiling. 192 dead.
January 1, 2009 - Santika nightclub, Bangkok; New Year party. 61 dead.
December 5, 2009 - Lame Horse nightclub, Perm, Russia; indoor fireworks ignite wicker ceiling. At least 155 dead.
January 27, 2013 - Kiss nightclub, Santa Maria, Brazil; band had fireworks show. Police say the death toll is at least 233.
(Reporting by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; Editing by Anthony Boadle and Stacey Joyce)
They Might Be Giants are well-known for their crazier themes and lyrics, and also for that totally-annoying-in-its-entirety Malcom in the Middle theme song. But occasionally, there's a little dark sincerity poking out of their work, and "Till My Head Falls Off" is a perfect, catchy example. More »
The Montreal Heart Institute designated as a North American Center of Excellence Public release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Marie-Jose Nantel marie-josee.nantel@icm-mhi.org 514-376-3330 Montreal Heart Institute
Percutaneous treatment of mitral valve failure
Montral, January 28, 2013 The Montreal Heart Institute has just been designated as a Center of Excellence by Abbott Vascular for the percutaneous treatment of mitral valve failure with their MitraClip system. The MHI has therefore become a reference centre for this procedure for all hospitals across Canada and many other hospitals in North America.
"The Montreal Heart Institute is delighted to receive this honour and international recognition. This designation, which we received for the quality of our care and our effective, cutting-edge program, will allow us to share our expertise with the international medical community and significantly contribute to improving care for patients with mitral valve and heart failure," said Dr. Philippe L. L'Allier, director of interventional cardiology at the MHI.
The MHI joins Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles (California) and the University of Virginia Health System (Virginia) to form a three-partner team that will train other medical centres in North America looking to start a clinical program for the percutaneous treatment of mitral valve failure with the MitraClip system.
Thanks to the exceptional clinical work of a multidisciplinary team, made up of Dr. Anita Asgar and Dr. Raoul Bonan from the Department of Interventional Cardiology, Dr. Anique Ducharme and Dr. Arsne Basmadjian from the Department of Echocardiography, and Dr. Jennifer Cogan and Dr. Alain Deschamps from the Department of Anesthesiology, the MHI is considered as a model to emulate.
Percutaneous implantation of the MitraClip system: an effective therapy
For some patients, the implantation of the MitraClip system is a preferable alternative to heart surgery. Until now, mitral valve failure has been treated with medication or open-heart surgery depending on the degree of severity and the primary cause. This system is a minimally invasive option for mitral regurgitation, as the interventional cardiologist makes a 3-mm incision in the groin and uses catheters to position the clip in the mitral valve without having to stop the heart. Currently, the typical population for this treatment includes inoperable or high-risk surgical patients, as the procedure poses fewer risks of complications compared to conventional surgery. Patients are generally discharged from hospital within 48 hours of surgery and do not have to undergo difficult rehabilitation.
"By allowing patients to regain independence and quality of life, this treatment reduces the number of hospital admissions and visits to emergency due to symptom reoccurrence," explained Dr. Asgar.
About mitral valve failure
Mitral valve failure (or mitral valve regurgitation) is the most common type of heart valve disease. This condition occurs when the anterior and posterior flaps of the valve do not close completely, which causes abnormal blood backflow from the left ventricle to the left atrium. The bigger the leak, the more blood the left ventricle has to pump to maintain adequate cardiac output. In the long term, mitral valve failure can lead to many complications, such as left ventricle dilation, atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
###
About the Montreal Heart Institute: www.icm-mhi.org
Information:
Marie-Jose Nantel
Communications Officer
Montreal Heart Institute
Phone: 514-376-3330, extension 2641 | marie-josee.nantel@icm-mhi.org
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The Montreal Heart Institute designated as a North American Center of Excellence Public release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Marie-Jose Nantel marie-josee.nantel@icm-mhi.org 514-376-3330 Montreal Heart Institute
Percutaneous treatment of mitral valve failure
Montral, January 28, 2013 The Montreal Heart Institute has just been designated as a Center of Excellence by Abbott Vascular for the percutaneous treatment of mitral valve failure with their MitraClip system. The MHI has therefore become a reference centre for this procedure for all hospitals across Canada and many other hospitals in North America.
"The Montreal Heart Institute is delighted to receive this honour and international recognition. This designation, which we received for the quality of our care and our effective, cutting-edge program, will allow us to share our expertise with the international medical community and significantly contribute to improving care for patients with mitral valve and heart failure," said Dr. Philippe L. L'Allier, director of interventional cardiology at the MHI.
The MHI joins Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles (California) and the University of Virginia Health System (Virginia) to form a three-partner team that will train other medical centres in North America looking to start a clinical program for the percutaneous treatment of mitral valve failure with the MitraClip system.
Thanks to the exceptional clinical work of a multidisciplinary team, made up of Dr. Anita Asgar and Dr. Raoul Bonan from the Department of Interventional Cardiology, Dr. Anique Ducharme and Dr. Arsne Basmadjian from the Department of Echocardiography, and Dr. Jennifer Cogan and Dr. Alain Deschamps from the Department of Anesthesiology, the MHI is considered as a model to emulate.
Percutaneous implantation of the MitraClip system: an effective therapy
For some patients, the implantation of the MitraClip system is a preferable alternative to heart surgery. Until now, mitral valve failure has been treated with medication or open-heart surgery depending on the degree of severity and the primary cause. This system is a minimally invasive option for mitral regurgitation, as the interventional cardiologist makes a 3-mm incision in the groin and uses catheters to position the clip in the mitral valve without having to stop the heart. Currently, the typical population for this treatment includes inoperable or high-risk surgical patients, as the procedure poses fewer risks of complications compared to conventional surgery. Patients are generally discharged from hospital within 48 hours of surgery and do not have to undergo difficult rehabilitation.
"By allowing patients to regain independence and quality of life, this treatment reduces the number of hospital admissions and visits to emergency due to symptom reoccurrence," explained Dr. Asgar.
About mitral valve failure
Mitral valve failure (or mitral valve regurgitation) is the most common type of heart valve disease. This condition occurs when the anterior and posterior flaps of the valve do not close completely, which causes abnormal blood backflow from the left ventricle to the left atrium. The bigger the leak, the more blood the left ventricle has to pump to maintain adequate cardiac output. In the long term, mitral valve failure can lead to many complications, such as left ventricle dilation, atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
###
About the Montreal Heart Institute: www.icm-mhi.org
Information:
Marie-Jose Nantel
Communications Officer
Montreal Heart Institute
Phone: 514-376-3330, extension 2641 | marie-josee.nantel@icm-mhi.org
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
CHICAGO (AP) ? In possibly Rampage Jackson's last UFC fight, the former champion was visibly exhausted.
It also was easy to see that Glover Teixeira was well on his way to a unanimous decision Saturday night in front of a capacity crowd at the United Center.
Jackson, the 34-year-old former light heavyweight champion was taken down in all three rounds, but Teixeira (20-2) couldn't finish him. Jackson (32-11) got back to his feet every time. Late in the second round, Jackson tried to shrug off Teixeira's punches, but fatigue appeared to be setting in.
"I really wanted to win that fight," Jackson said. "I kind of wish I fought smart and didn't get hit so much, but I always said I would rather lose a good fight than win a boring one and the fans are telling me that was an exciting fight. So I guess I'm sad but not so sad. I fought like Rampage tonight."
The fight was scored 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.
Jackson, who fought his last fight under his current UFC contract, has been critical of the UFC and how he perceives the organization treats its fighters. He insists the fight was his last in the UFC, but plans on continuing his MMA career.
"He just walked out right now and screamed, 'You are going to miss me,'" White said. "I said, 'I miss you already buddy.' ... Rampage's biggest problem is that he doesn't always train. He doesn't always stay in shape. If he took this sport 100 percent, hardcore, serious, God knows what that guy would be able to accomplish, but he doesn't."
Demetrious Johnson successfully defended his flyweight title in the main event, unanimously outpointing John Dodson.
Dodson, fighting at 125 pounds, landed left hands twice in the second round, sending Johnson to the ground. In the third round, Johnson had a takedown and landed a knee to get back in the fight. Johnson was warned after two illegal knees, a low blow in the first round and an illegal knee in the fourth round.
Johnson (17-2-1) started taking control late in fourth land, landing a series of knees to Dodson's head and a series of punches as Dodson (15-6) tired. It continued in the fifth and final round, as Dodson couldn't defend repeated knees to his head.
Johnson struggled in the first two rounds.
"I got dazed a little bit, but I am in good shape," Johnson said. "It is going to happen. You are going to get hit."
In a lightweight bout, Anthony Pettis (14-2) landed a left kick to Donald Cerrone's body and followed with a left jab in the second round, knocking Cerrone (19-5) to the ground and winning his third straight fight.
"Shutting that guy up was the biggest thing for me," Pettis said. "Now I never need to hear about that guy again. He's done. He got beat in one round. Goodbye."
Pettis put himself in a position for the lightweight UFC title and asked the question to UFC President Dana White.
"I am not scared to fight anybody. I want the champ ASAP," Pettis said. "Dana White what do I have to do for this title fight?"
Pettis came off an 11-month layoff after shoulder surgery.
In another main card fight, 30-year-old Chicago native Ricardo Lamas (13-2) dropped a series of elbows and punches on 24-year-old Erik Koch (13-2) before the featherweight bout was stopped by referee John McCarthy. Lamas had Koch pinned to the ground and went to work on Koch's bloodied face.
Visiting a shop for is something everyone needs to do occasionally and it is critically important that you find a place where you can find quality workmanship, dependable customer service, and affordable pricing. A lot of people are nervous about trusting their vehicle to an auto repair shop, as there are many places with a reputation for poor service and high prices. Even with these businesses that are far below the mark, there are several respectable repair shops who take this job seriously and make the safety and performance of your vehicle as their highest priority. The staff at these places use the very best tools and are familiar with the procedures that find problem areas and fix them as quickly as possible. They also focus on customer service and guarantee that you understand what is happening to your car and the complete costs you will be responsible for. Locate your trusted auto repair shop today and you will never have to worry about fixing your car again. BMW Repair Denver CO
People who pay into Social Security and Medicare their whole working lives are often told by politicians that they've 'earned' these retirement benefits. Here's why that's not necessarily so.
By Peter Grier,?Staff writer / January 25, 2013
This 2005 photo shows rolls of blank social security checks at the U.S. Treasury's Financial Management services facility in Philadelphia.
Bradley C Bower/AP/File
Enlarge
Are Social Security and Medicare ?earned entitlements,? returning benefits for which recipients have already paid?
Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly Digital Edition
The question arises because earlier this week House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin said they are. Appearing on Laura Ingraham?s radio show on Jan. 22, Representative Ryan said President Obama had mischaracterized the GOP?s attitude toward the nation?s big social insurance programs.
?No one is suggesting that what we call our earned entitlements ? entitlements you pay for, like payroll taxes for Medicare and Social Security ? are putting you in a ?taker? category,? said Ryan. ?No one would suggest that whatsoever.?
Of course, Ryan is far from the only politician to describe Social Security and Medicare in this manner. The wording may be more common among Democrats, who often imply that these programs are simply keeping folks? tax cash warm until they need it ? so hands off!
Let?s quote Mr. Obama himself from an appearance last September before an American Association of Retired Persons audience: ?I want to emphasize, Medicare and Social Security are not handouts. You?ve paid into these programs your whole lives. You?ve earned them.?
To this we say, weelllll, not really. The situation is more complicated than that.
It?s true that workers fork over Social Security and Medicare taxes every payday. But under current law, over their lifetimes most Americans will get back substantially more from these programs then they?ve paid in, even after accounting for inflation and adjusting for interest you might have earned if you?d kept the money.
That?s primarily due to the rising value of projected Medicare health benefits. Social Security is a different story. In recent years the raising of the Social Security retirement age, plus other tweaks, have made the big retirement income entitlement less generous. New retirees won?t get back quite as much income support as they?ve contributed in Social Security taxes.
However, individual tax/benefit ratios for both programs are highly variable, depending on lifetime earnings, longevity, marital status, and health conditions.
Got all that? We weren?t kidding when we said it was ?complicated.?
BitTorrent Sync is now available for testing, Google updates two iOS apps, and Chrome for Android gets flag support.
BitTorrent Launches Private and Secure Dropbox Alternative Today BitTorrent launched an application for syncing your files across multiple devices. Called BitTorrent Sync, it uses p2p and the storage on your devices create a secure network for your files. You can check it out here, just be aware that since it's in pre-alpha you may have some trouble getting it to work. [TorrentFreak]
YouTube Capture Now Supports 1080p uploads, Google Currents Goes 2.0 on iOS Google has updated both its YouTube Capture and Google Currents apps on iOS. YouTube Capture now supports 1080p uploads, improved audio syncing, and detailed upload feedback. The new features for Google Currents include a big UI overhaul with a new sidebar, catalog design, and the ability to save articles. [Engadget]
Chrome Beta for Android Update The latest Chrome beta release for Android now adds flag support. You can now use the chrome://flags url to try out new Chrome features that are currently being tested. [Chrome blog]
Photo by photastic (Shutterstock), a2bb5s (Shutterstock), and Feng Yu (Shutterstock).
Jan. 25, 2013 ? A new study from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) shows that tissues derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in an experimental model were not rejected when transplanted back into genetically identical recipients. The study, published online in Cell Stem Cell, demonstrates the potential of utilizing iPS cells to develop cell types that could offer treatment for a wide range of conditions, including diabetes, liver and lung diseases, without the barrier of immune rejection.
Ashleigh Boyd, DPhil, and Neil Rodrigues, DPhil, the study's senior authors, are assistant professors of dermatology at BUSM and researchers at the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston University and Boston Medical Center (BMC). They also are lead investigators at the National Institutes of Health's Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) at Roger Williams Medical Center, a clinical and research affiliate of BUSM.
iPS cells can be developed from adult cell types, such as skin or blood, by returning them to a stem cell state using genetic manipulation. iPS cells are capable of maturing (differentiating) into all the specific cell types in the body, making them a powerful tool for biological research and a source of tissues for transplantation based therapies. Given that iPS cells can be made in a patient-specific manner, there should be great potential for them to be transplanted back into the same patient without rejection. Yet a study published in Nature in 2011 demonstrated that iPS cells transplanted in the stem cell state were rejected in genetically identical recipients.
"The Nature study provocatively suggested that tissues derived from patient-specific iPS cells may be immunogenic after transplantation. However, it never directly assessed the immunogenicity of the therapeutically relevant cell types that could be utilized in regenerative medicine and transplantation," said Rodrigues.
The BUSM researchers evaluated this matter by taking adult cells from an experimental model and deriving iPS cells from them. They then differentiated the iPS cells into three cell types: neuronal (nerve); hepatocytes (liver); and endothelial (blood vessel lining) cells. These three cell types represent each of the three germ layers present during embryonic development -- mesoderm, ectoderm and endoderm. Cells from these layers differentiate and ultimately develop into the body's tissue and organ systems. Using experiments to mirror the potential clinical use of patient-specific iPS cells in cell therapy, the team transplanted each of the differentiated cells into a genetically identical experimental model and found no signs of an elevated immune response or indications of rejection.
The study results suggest that using patient-specific iPS cells should overcome issues of immune rejection in transplantation, which will be a significant problem for potential embryonic stem cell-derived therapies. Immune rejection in transplantation is treated clinically by immunosuppressive drugs but they can have serious side-effects, including the risk of developing cancer.
"If the use of immunosuppressive drugs can be avoided, as may be the case for patient-specific iPS cell based therapies, it would be preferable. Our results are very promising and future work should be directed at assessing whether tissues derived from human iPS cells will similarly lack immunogenicity," said Boyd.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Boston University Medical Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Prajna Guha, John?W. Morgan, Gustavo Mostoslavsky, Neil?P. Rodrigues, Ashleigh?S. Boyd. Lack of Immune Response to Differentiated Cells Derived from Syngeneic Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Cell Stem Cell, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2013.01.006
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.
Families and supporters of those accused of soccer violence from the Port Said soccer club react to the announcement of death sentences for 21 fans.
By Yusri Mohamed and Yasmine Saleh, Reuters
PORT SAID/CAIRO - Twenty-two people were killed in Egypt Saturday in violence that erupted after protesters took to the streets, angry that a court had?sentenced 21 people to death?over?a soccer disaster, state television said.?
More than 200 people were also injured in the clashes in Port Said, northeast of Egypt's capital, state television reported, citing the Health Ministry.?
Earlier Saturday a court sentenced 21 men, most of them from Port Said, to death for involvement in the disaster in the city's soccer stadium on February 1, 2012. Many spectators were crushed and witnesses saw some thrown off balconies after the match between Cairo's Al Ahly and local team al-Masri. Many of those killed were from the visiting team's supporters.
Armored vehicles and military police were deployed on the streets of the Mediterranean city Saturday.
The state news agency quoted a general as saying the military was sent to "establish calm and stability in Port Said and to protect public institutions."
And an official from the authority that controls Egypt's Suez Canal said it was not affected.
"Shipping movement through the Suez Canal is regular and is going ahead positively," canal spokesman Tarek Hassanein told Reuters, adding 44 ships had entered the canal so far on Saturday.
Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters
Al Ahly fans, also known as "Ultras,
However, witnesses reported that operations at Port Said's port were halted when staff said they would suspend work due to the clashes. Other factories and workplaces closed for the day.
One witness reported that the army, which was deployed to Port Said, at the northern end of the canal, had sent troops to surround the branch office of the canal authority in the city.
The army deployed Friday at the southern end of the canal after violence there.
Security sources said the latest deaths brought to 20 the number killed in three days of violence, and hundreds have been injured.
The unrest began with rallies to mark the second anniversary of the overthrow of autocrat Hosni Mubarak in a revolution which the protesters accuse current President Mohammed Morsi and his Islamist allies of betraying.
The schism is hindering efforts by Morsi, elected in June, to revive an economy in crisis and reverse a plunge in Egypt's currency by enticing back investors and tourists.
In Port Said Saturday, residents rampaged through the streets in anger that people from their city had been blamed for the stadium disaster.
Gunshots were reported near the prison where most of the convicted men are being held.
One security source reported 11 killed in the violence, while two other sources put Saturday's toll at 12. At least two of the dead were policemen.
A witness said some men stormed a police station.
'Bread, freedom and social justice' Meanwhile, thousands took to the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and other cities on Friday to protest against what they call the authoritarianism of Morsi's rule.
"We want to change the president and the government. We are tired of this regime. Nothing has changed," said Mahmoud Suleiman, 22, in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the cauldron of the 2011 revolt. Nearby, youths hurled stones at police early on Saturday.
"The protests will continue until we realize all the demands of the revolution - bread, freedom and social justice," said Ahmed Salama, 28, a protester camped out with dozens of others in Tahrir.
Morsi's supporters say their critics are ignoring democratic principles, after elections swept the Islamists to office.
The president was due to meet later on Saturday with the National Defence Council, which includes senior ministers and security officials, to discuss the violence.
Unrest has been stoked by Morsi's decision to fast-track an Islamist-tinged constitution rejected by his opponents.
Inspired by the popular uprising in Tunisia, Egypt's revolution spurred further revolts across the Arab world. But the sense of common purpose that united Egyptians two years ago has given way to internal strife that triggered bloody street battles last month.
Related:
Egypt court sentences 21 to death for stadium disaster
A charger on every nightstand and a phone in every pocket -- it could be a presidential slogan, but it's really just reality. According to research from Strategy Analytics, a staggering 1.6 billion mobile phones were shipped (not sold) globally in 2012, and 700 million of them were smartphones. Samsung, Nokia and Apple, in that order, were the biggest movers of handsets, though the latter two change places when it comes to smartphones -- Espoo only shipped 35 million to Cupertino's 135, while Samsung topped the trio at 213 million devices shipped.
Surprising? Hardly -- smartphone sales climbed throughout2012, and the aforementioned manufacturers have been kings of the category since last February. The numbers are telling though -- according to ABI Research, Apple saw less growth in 2012 than the previous year, and may hit a plateau in market share in 2013. Samsung, on the other hand, may have some room to grow -- capturing 34 percent of total smartphone shipments in Q4 with over 60 million smartphones moved. Apple nabbed 24.5% of the market with 47.8 million shipped iPhones, while Nokia and RIM took up the tail of the quarter with 86.3 and 6.9 million shipped devices, respectively. Statistic lover? You'll find full numbers (plus a little analyst speculation) in a tiro of press releases after the break.
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Strategy Analytics: Global Mobile Phone Shipments Reach 1.6 Billion Units in 2012
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global mobile phone shipments grew a modest 2 percent annually to reach 1.6 billion units in 2012. Samsung was the star performer, accounting for 1 in 4 of all mobile phones shipped worldwide last year.
Neil Shah, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, "Ongoing macroeconomic challenges in mature markets like North America and Western Europe, tighter operator upgrade policies, and shifting consumer tastes were among the key reasons why global mobile phone shipments grew just 2 percent annually to reach 1.6 billion units in 2012. Fuelled by robust demand for its popular Galaxy models, Samsung was the star performer, shipping a record 396.5 million mobile phones worldwide and capturing 25 percent marketshare to solidify its first-place lead. However, Samsung's total volumes for the year fell just short of the 400-million threshold."
Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "Nokia's global mobile phone shipments fell 20 percent from 417.1 million units in 2011 to 335.6 million in 2012. Nokia faced tough competition from Samsung in developing markets like China, while Apple and others ramped up the pressure in developed regions such as Western Europe. Nokia's dual-SIM feature phones, Asha touchphones and Lumia handsets have been performing well, but this was not enough to offset a slump in demand for the company's aging Symbian smartphone platform last year."
Linda Sui, Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added, "Apple shipped a record 135.8 million mobile phones worldwide in 2012. Apple delivered 46 percent annual growth last year, which was bolstered by solid demand in North America and Asia. Apple's launch of the iPhone 5 in Q4 2012 was a success as volumes ramped up in dozens of countries worldwide, but negative media coverage of the model's new integrated maps service and supply chain challenges cast a slight shadow over the launch."
Other findings from the research include: o. ZTE captured 5 percent share of the global mobile phone market in 2012, as its shipments fell minus 8 percent from 2011, partly because of heightened competition in core markets like China and Western Europe from rivals such as Coolpad and Samsung.
Exhibit 1: Global Mobile Phone Vendor Shipments and Market Share in Q4 2012 1
Global Mobile Phone Shipments (Millions of Units)
Q4 '11
2011
Q4 '12
2012
Samsung
95.0
327.4
108.0
396.5
Nokia
113.5
417.1
86.3
335.6
Apple
37.0
93.0
47.8
135.8
ZTE
24.4
78.1
19.5
71.7
Others
169.7
630.4
189.3
635.4
Total
439.6
1546.0
450.9
1575.0
Global Mobile Phone Vendor Marketshare %
Q4 '11
2011
Q4 '12
2012
Samsung
21.6%
21.2%
24.0%
25.2%
Nokia
25.8%
27.0%
19.1%
21.3%
Apple
8.4%
6.0%
10.6%
8.6%
ZTE
5.6%
5.1%
4.3%
4.6%
Others
38.6%
40.8%
42.0%
40.3%
Total
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Total Growth Year-over-Year %
9.9%
13.7%
2.6%
1.9%
_____________________________
1 Numbers are rounded. Total in the data-table does not include grey phone shipments.
Strategy Analytics: Global Smartphone Shipments Reach a Record 700 Million Units in 2012
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments grew 43 percent annually to reach a record 700 million units in 2012. Samsung was the star performer, capturing 30 percent marketshare worldwide and extending its lead over Apple and Nokia.
Neil Shah, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, "Global smartphone shipments grew 38 percent annually from 157.0 million units in Q4 2011 to 217.0 million in Q4 2012. Global smartphone shipments for the full year reached a record 700.1 million units in 2012, increasing robustly from 490.5 million units in 2011. Global shipment growth slowed from 64 percent in 2011 to 43 percent in 2012 as penetration of smartphones began to mature in developed regions such as North America and Western Europe."
Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "Samsung shipped a record 213.0 million smartphones worldwide and captured 30 percent marketshare in 2012. This was the largest number of units ever shipped by a smartphone vendor in a single year, beating Nokia's previous all-time record when it shipped 100.1 million units during 2010. Despite tough competition in stores and courtrooms, Samsung continued to deliver numerous hit models, from the high-end Galaxy Note2 phablet to the mass-market Galaxy Y. Apple grew a healthy 46 percent annually and shipped 135.8 million smartphones worldwide for 19 percent marketshare in 2012, broadly flat from the 19 percent level recorded in 2011. Apple had a strong year in developed regions like North America, but this was offset partly by its limited presence in high-growth emerging markets such as Africa."
Linda Sui, Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added, "Samsung and Apple together accounted for half of all smartphones shipped worldwide in 2012. Large marketing budgets, extensive distribution channels and attractive product portfolios have enabled Samsung and Apple to tighten their grip on the smartphone industry. The growth of Samsung and Apple has continued to impact Nokia. Nokia retained its position as the world's third largest smartphone vendor for full-year 2012, but its global marketshare has dropped sharply from 16 percent to five percent during the past year. Nokia's Windows Phone portfolio has improved significantly in recent months, with new models like the Lumia 920, but we believe the vendor still lacks a true hero model in its range that can be considered an Apple iPhone or Samsung S3 killer."
Exhibit 1: Global Smartphone Vendor Shipments and Market Share in Q4 2012 1
Global Smartphone Vendor Shipments (Millions of Units)
Q4 '11
2011
Q4 '12
2012
Samsung
36.5
97.4
63.0
213.0
Apple
37.0
93.0
47.8
135.8
Nokia
19.6
77.3
6.6
35.0
Others
63.9
222.8
99.6
316.3
Total
157.0
490.5
217.0
700.1
Global Smartphone Vendor Marketshare %
Q4 '11
2011
Q4 '12
2012
Samsung
23.2%
19.9%
29.0%
30.4%
Apple
23.6%
19.0%
22.0%
19.4%
Nokia
12.5%
15.8%
3.0%
5.0%
Others
40.7%
45.4%
45.9%
45.2%
Total
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
Total Growth Year-over-Year %
55.9%
63.8%
38.2%
42.7%
Smartphone Pressure Mounts for Samsung and Apple Exiting a Strong Q4 2012, According to ABI Research
SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nearly 196 million smartphones and 451 million handsets were shipped during Q4 2012, according to the latest estimates from marketing intelligence firm ABI Research. This brings 2012 annual totals to 653 million smartphone and 1.6 billion handset shipments, representing a 36% and 2% YoY growth rate respectively. Smartphones accounted for 43% of all handset shipments in Q4, which pushed smartphones to 41% of all shipments in 2012.
Samsung retained its lead position overall by shipping 106 million handsets of which 60 million were smartphones in Q4 and capturing 31% of total smartphone shipments. In 2012 Samsung grew its handset shipments by 21.6% and its smartphone shipments by 123.8%. Despite missing most analyst estimates in Q4, Apple grew its smartphone shipment share to 24.5%, up from 16.4% in Q3. Apple shipped 47.8 million iPhones in Q4 bringing its 2012 annual total to 135.8 million. Apple's 2012 annual shipment growth declined from 96% in 2011 to 46% in 2012.
"It is clear that the iPhone's hyper-growth has ended, and ABI Research believes that Apple's market share will peak in 2013 at 22%," says mobile devices senior analyst Michael Morgan. "Unless Apple is willing to trade iPhone margins for low cost iPhone shipments, Apple's handset market share will become dependent on customer loyalty."
Looking at the rest of the pack, Nokia shipped 86.3 million handsets and 6.6 million smartphones in Q4 while RIM's shipments of smartphones declined to 6.9 million. ZTE had an excellent Q4 with 20.7 million handset shipments and 11.2 million smartphone shipments.
"Samsung and Apple are both under pressure to maintain their market lead as less costly smartphones gain momentum entering 2013," notes senior practice director Jeff Orr. "Technology optimization choices and a diverse handset portfolio are critical decisions over the next 6 to 9 months to come out ahead."
These findings are part of ABI Research's Mobile Handset Markets Database, which includes files detailing smartphone and mobile handset shipments, forecasts, and market share.
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - A pilot based on the 2011 Cameron Diaz film "Bad Teacher" and a drama from "The Mentalist' creator Bruno Heller have been ordered by CBS, an individual with knowledge of the orders told TheWrap on Wednesday.
"Bad Teacher" will be written and executive-produced by "My Name Is Earl" and "Community" veteran Hilary Winston, with Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, who were behind the film, executive-producing as well. Sam Hansen and Jimmy Miller will also executive-produce the pilot, which comes from Sony Pictures Television in association with the Mosaic Media Group, and follows a sexy, foul-mouthed divorcee who becomes a teacher to find her next husband.
"The Advocates," written and executive-produced by Heller, revolves around a female lawyer and a male ex-con who team up as "victim advocates," going to the very edge of the law to right wrongs and fight for the underdog. Warner Bros. is producing.
The new pilot orders follow on the heels of CBS ordering pilots for a small-screen adaptation of the Eddie Murphy film "Beverly Hills Cop" - which is being executive-produced by "The Shield" creator Shawn Ryan, and Murphy will appear in - as well as the sitcom "Friends With Better Lives" and the detective drama "Backstrom."
There are whole host of new smartphones waiting for their time to shine at Mobile World Congress (not to mention 
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Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
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BitTorrent Sync is now available for testing, Google updates two iOS apps, and Chrome for Android gets flag support. 
