20 cancer cases in women with faulty breast implants

Posted December 31, 2011 15:57:17

French health authorities say there are now 20 confirmed cancer cases in woman with faulty breast implants, but say there is no proven link between the two.

The French Government announced earlier this month it would pay for 30,000 women to have the faulty implants, produced by Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), removed.

The implants have been found to contain non-medical grade silicone filler, and have an increased risk of rupture.

French consumer health agency AFSSAPS said that as of December 28 it had registered 15 cases of breast adenocarcinoma, the most frequent form of breast cancer, one case of breast lymphoma, two cases of other lymphoma, one case of lung cancer and one case of acute myelogenous leukemia in women with the implants.

But the agency stressed that no link had been established between cases of cancer and having PIP implants.

It said the number of breast cancer cases in women with PIP implants reported to date "remains lower than the rate observed in the general population".

Agency chief Dominique Maraninchi put the figures in the context of the general population, pointing out that "one woman in 10 has, has had or will have breast cancer."

Health officials had earlier said eight cases of cancer had been registered in women with the implants, including one woman who died from a rare form of large cell lymphoma.

AFSSAPS said it had also registered 1,143 ruptures and 495 inflammatory reactions in PIP implants.

Up to 400,000 women around the world have received the sub-standard implants by PIP.

PIP was shut down and its products banned in April 2010 after it was revealed to have been using non-authorised silicone gel that caused abnormally high implant rupture rates.

ABC/wires

Topics: breast-cancer, womens-health, france

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-31/20-cancer-cases-in-women-with-faulty-breast-implants/3753696

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Newt Gingrich weeps, Mitt Romney attacks Ron Paul (AP)

DES MOINES, Iowa ? Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wept Friday as he recalled his late mother's end-of-life illnesses, a moment of poignancy in a notably negative Republican presidential Iowa caucus campaign with four unpredictable days yet to run.

"I do policy much easier than I do personal," Gingrich told an audience of women as he tried to regain his composure. The tears flowed as the former speaker was responding to questions about his mother from a pollster and longtime political ally.

Gingrich's emotional moment came as his rivals engaged in traditional campaign tactics, and as polls suggested large numbers of Iowa Republicans could change their minds before caucuses Tuesday night provide the first test of the 2012 campaign.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney sought to marginalize his closest pursuer in most polls, saying, "I don't think Ron Paul represents the mainstream of Republican thought with regards to issues, particularly in foreign policy."

Paul gave no ground. "I really can't conceive" of intervening militarily to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, he said, unequivocally restating his position on an issue on which he differs with Romney and his other rivals.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, claiming momentum based on recent polls, told reporters he recently had the best fundraising day of his candidacy. Yet he also drew criticism from Texas Gov. Rick Perry for advocating earmarks during two terms in the Senate.

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann became the latest presidential hopeful to hold a campaign event with Iowa Rep. Steve King ? and the latest to hear him say he wasn't ready to give his endorsement.

Whatever the impact of Gingrich's tears on the race for the White House, the episode seemed destined to be replayed endlessly on televisions, personal computers and hand-held devices.

That was the case nearly four years ago, when Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared to choke back tears while campaigning in New Hampshire a few days before the state's Democratic presidential primary. The episode also became the subject of intense political analysis. Clinton won the primary in an upset a few days later.

Gingrich was surging in the polls a little more than a week ago, but was hit by a barrage of negative ads and has been struggling in recent days. Normally a combative politician, he shed tears as he appeared before a group of mothers and responded to a question from Frank Luntz, a Republican pollster and longtime ally of the former speaker.

Asked about his mother and an event in his life that influenced his policies and views, Gingrich recalled her as happy and having friends before she ended up in a long-term care facility suffering from bipolar disease, depression and physical ailments.

"My whole emphasis on brain science comes in directly from dealing with the real problems of real people," he said, his face distorting as he began to cry. "And so it's not a theory. It's, in fact, my mother," he said. Kathleen "Kit" Gingrich died in 2003. She was 77.

The event drew notice in New Hampshire, where Romney was campaigning a few hours later. As he mentioned his own parents, now deceased, a member of the audience interrupted, "Don't cry."

"I won't cry. But I do, I do. Nothing to be ashamed of in that regard," Romney said.

Romney, who leads in most polls in Iowa, criticized Paul in an interview with Fox News Channel.

"I don't think Ron Paul represents the mainstream of Republican thought with regards to issues, particularly in foreign policy," he said, referring to the Texan's statement that he would oppose military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

At the same time he said Paul was outside the GOP mainstream, Romney pledged to support whoever wins the party's nomination to oppose President Barack Obama in the fall.

Campaigning later in western Iowa, Paul said he would probably have difficulty voting for any of the other Republicans in the race if they win the party nomination. "They all are part of the status quo," he said.

After months of campaigning and millions of dollars in television commercials, the polls depicted a race as unsettled and unpredictable as any in the four decades since Iowa's caucuses became the kickoff event in presidential campaigns.

A pair of surveys in the last five days suggested upwards of a third of all potential caucus-goers had not firmly settled on a candidate of choice.

The same polls made Romney the front-runner, and his decision to leave for a quick trip to New Hampshire and then return to Iowa and stay through caucus night projected optimism.

Paul views on Iran have been called into question this week by numerous other contenders, and Gingrich went so far as to say he would not vote for the Texan.

To some extent, Paul stands alone in the field because of his libertarian-leaning views. He does not want the government to have the power to ban abortions, for example, and has called for the legalization of some drugs that are now outlawed.

That has left Santorum, Gingrich, Perry and Bachmann to vie for standing as Romney's chief opponent in the competition for evangelical voters and other conservatives.

Even before the caucuses, Romney and the rest of the field were looking ahead to New Hampshire's primary on Jan. 10 and the first two Southern contests later in the month, in South Carolina and Florida.

But there was maneuvering yet to come in the state that precedes them all.

Allies of Gingrich announced they were airing a 30-minute program in Iowa produced by Newsmax, a conservative media outlet. It features Michael Reagan, son of the former president, who calls the former speaker "a person who we believe will help continue my father's legacy."

___

Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont and Kasie Hunt in Des Moines, Brian Bakst in Early and Mike Glover in Ames contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111231/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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Murray Postell, 85, Port Charlotte, Florida

Murray was born on March 16, 1926 and passed away on Sunday, December 25, 2011.

Murray was a resident of Port Charlotte, Florida.

A Chapel services will be held on Wednesday December 28, 2011 at 10:00AM from Kays-Ponger Uselton Funeral Home 2405 Harbor Boulevard Port Charlotte Fl, Burial will follow after the service at Sarasota National Cemetery with military honors. A gathering of family and friends will be from 9:45Am until the time of the services.

Source: http://nbc2.tributes.com/show/Murray-Postell-93015802

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Australia woman survives 3 days trapped in car

Ambulance Service Of Nsw/Handout / EPA

A woman was trapped for three days in her car after it plunged down an embankment on Christmas Day in Tumut, in New South Wales, Australia.

By msnbc.com staff

A woman who crashed her car on Christmas Day survived for three days with her leg pinned in the wreckage after it plunged off an embankment in southern Australia, according to local reports.

Debbie McKnight, 45, was driving home from her daughter's house in Tumut, New South Wales when she swerved to avoid a kangaroo and careened off the road. Her car flipped and landed 26 feet below on its roof, trapping her inside, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

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Ambulance Service Of Nsw/Handout / EPA

Paramedics attend to the scene of a car that crashed off Wondalga Road and pinned a woman inside for three days. A local youth heard her cry for help on Wednesday night and called emergency services.

Local teenager Caleb Wilks found her late Wednesday when he walked past the wreck and heard her screaming for help, Sky News Australia reported.

"Otherwise we wouldn't have found her," Sergeant Brian Hammond told Sky.

McKnight was flown to Canberra Hospital where surgeons amputated her leg. She is in stable condition.

"She was so desperate she was actually going to cut off her leg herself but she couldn't find anything sharp enough," Hammond said.

The Ambulance Service of New South Wales said the pressure from the car on her leg likely acted as a tourniquet and stopped any life-threatening bleeding.

Tumut's mayor John Larter told the Sydney Morning Herald that McKnight was fortunate to have survived.

"As anyone would be in a vehicle lying upside-down for three days over Christmas, I imagine anyone would have been distressed," Larter said. "You'd be missing your family over Christmas and I suppose you'd be wondering when somebody was going to come and rescue you."

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More from msnbc.com and NBC News:

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Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/29/9794399-woman-survives-three-days-trapped-upside-down-in-crashed-car

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In pursuit, GOP contenders rumble through Iowa (AP)

DES MOINES, Iowa ? Three Republican presidential candidates, each claiming to be the truly conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, are launching bus tours Tuesday through this early nominating state.

Just a week before Iowa's leadoff caucuses, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich prepared to rumble through small towns aboard their campaign buses. They're looking for supporters one at a time and hoping to become a roadblock for Romney, who is looking stronger than expected. Romney returns to Iowa on Tuesday after a quick stop in his long-established stronghold of New Hampshire.

Ahead of the Jan. 3 caucuses that officially begin the GOP's nominating calendar, the candidates were returning for a final rush of speeches, meet-and-greet stops and town hall-style meetings. And they are bracing for one last round of advertising, which most observers are expecting to be nasty.

Each campaign has also tried to gauge the level of enthusiasm for Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. The libertarian favorite has built a strong organization here and recent polls suggest he is peaking, a rise that has him tied with or even ahead of Romney ? and drawing more scrutiny for his views.

"There's really three primaries going on here," former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania told reporters in Adel, where he went hunting for pheasant and quail. "There's the libertarian primary, which Ron Paul is going to win. Then you've got the moderate primary, which Gingrich and Romney are scrumming for. And you've got three folks who are running as strong conservatives."

He included himself, Bachmann and Perry in that conservative camp. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman signaled early on he would not compete in Iowa and instead plans to start his campaign in New Hampshire.

But with time ticking down in Iowa, several hopefuls are packing their days with rambling road trips to sparsely populated corners of the state. If history is a predictor, some of these candidates will be former candidates after the first contest.

Bachmann last week began her effort to visit each of the state's 99 counties, an ambitious pace that left her darting into diners and gas stations for quick visits. She was set to return to that pace early Tuesday in Council Bluffs, on the state's western edge. By nightfall, she was slated to have visited another 10 counties.

Perry was set to begin his tour in Council Bluffs several hours later. He planned just four stops during his day.

Gingrich was ready to return to the opposite side of the state, with three stops in Dubuque.

Paul was set to return Wednesday for a late push ahead of the New Year's holiday.

Many of those expected to participate in the caucuses remain undecided, and most of the contenders have seen their fortunes rise quickly and then deflate. Romney and Santorum have remained relatively steady: Romney solidly near the top and Santorum consistently struggling to build support.

Yet Santorum alone has achieved the accomplishment of visiting all 99 counties. With more than 350 campaign events behind him this year, he is hoping the early groundwork ? and a possible late surge ? help him beat expectations.

He was slated to start his day in Fort Dodge, in the deeply conservative far northwest corner of the state.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111227/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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Texas gunman was dressed as Santa, police say

A man suspected of opening fire on a family Christmas celebration outside Dallas was dressed in a Santa Claus suit when he killed six people and then himself, police said on Monday.

Authorities continued their search for clues in Grapevine, a Dallas suburb dubbed the ?Christmas Capital of Texas,? to explain the Sunday murder-suicide rampage that left seven shot dead among unwrapped holiday presents.

More related to this story

The dead ? four women and three men between the ages of 15 and 58 ? were found on Sunday morning in an apartment living-room by police answering a voiceless 911 emergency call, authorities said.

?By all appearances, they?re all part of the same family,? said Sergeant Robert Eberling of the Grapevine police department, adding that some were related through marriage.

Two pistols were recovered from the home, said Sgt. Eberling, who called it a ?gruesome crime scene? and the worst outburst of gun violence in the town?s history.

Authorities were waiting on autopsy reports before releasing identities, a potential motive and details on what exactly happened inside the home, Sgt. Eberling said.

?We have a petty good idea who these folks were, and we?re trying to work through contacting other family members so we can better piece together what took place and why it took place,? he said.

Sgt. Eberling said the suspected shooter was dressed in a Santa Claus suit but gave no further details.

The 911 caller never spoke to police, and officers did not see the telephone when they arrived, officials said. Sgt. Eberling said he believed police had to kick in the door to enter. No neighbours reported hearing gunshots, he said.

Sgt. Eberling said the victims appeared to have just opened Christmas presents when the shooting started, and there was no sign of forced entry or a struggle.

Circumstances of the shooting remained sketchy, but Sgt. Eberling said it appeared as though the bloodbath unfolded during a family holiday celebration.

No one was found alive by police arriving at the home, he said.

A community of about 46,000 people some 32 kilometres northwest of downtown Dallas, Grapevine is known for its wine-tasting salons and was proclaimed by the state Senate as the ?Christmas Capital of Texas? for its abundance of annual holiday-season events.

?This is obviously a terrible tragedy,? Mayor William Tate said on Sunday night in a statement.

?The fact that it happened on Christmas makes it even more tragic.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheGlobeAndMail-International/~3/feP_ZCVqBa4/

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The Bitcoin Collapse That Never Happened (The Atlantic Wire)

After a tumultuous summer for Bitcoin, the digital currency's value has not only?stabilized?but, over the last month, increased. On a Sunday afternoon in June the price of a Bitcoin dropped from over $17 to pennies. Now, as Ars Technica's Timothy B. Lee pointed out, the price rose above $4 for the first time in months. The currency looked doomed back in June. But, looks like it's not over yet.

Related: Bitcoin Heist May Be Victim of New Moneygrubbing Malware

Bitcoin hasn't just surpassed some arbitrary price point. It has had a stable month, steadily increasing throughout December, as the chart via Bitcoincharts.com?below shows.

Related: The Bitcoin Collapse: Can Hackers Save Their Favorite Currency?

Related: Bitcoin's Speedy Fall: EFF Halts Donations and Wikileaks Cashes Out

Keep in mind, this is all after a crazy volatile year and a half. With a value below 14 cents in April 2010, the currency achieved "dollar parity" by February 2011. In June it had soared to about $27. And then it thudded down to pennies. In that context,?Lee explains what makes this rise impressive:

The original run-up in prices could easily be explained as a speculative bubble, and the subsequent decline as the popping of that bubble. But if that were the whole story, then the value of Bitcoins should have continued to decline as more and more people lost confidence in the currency. That hasn't been happening.?

There are plenty of reasons Bitcoin doesn't make sense as a currency: It's complicated; has no real value behind it; it hasn't proven stable; it's not widely accepted; it's hard to keep track of. No, thanks.

Related: Bitcoin Cyber Geeks Outraged at Paul Krugman

But, Bitcoin might have a place in our money-exchange system, after-all. It might be a niche place, as Lee suggests. He theorizes that the Internet currency is actually a "meta-currency" that allows for low-cost and regulation free money-transfers and might serve to replace Western Union. For example, someone who doesn't want the government to notice might prefer Bitcoin transfers over a traditional route. But there are some that think Bitcoin has a real future. Some of "the more serious members of the community" are working to keep it alive, reports Wired's Benjamin Wallace. Mt. Gox, a Tokyo based Bitcoin exchange side, is developing "point-of-sale" hardware -- places to check out. And, two Colorado Bitcoiners have launched Bitcoin Deals, an Internet store that deals in Bitcoins and sells "375,000 products."?

Related: The Race to Unmask Bitcoin's Inventor(s)

Of course, none of these things fix the?persistent?problems. And, skepticism outside of the cyber-currency's community hasn't let up. Stefan Brands, a cryptography researcher and e-money expert, told Wallace he thought it was a "pyramid scheme" designed only to reward early adopters. Really, with this currency's track record, it could all crash back down tomorrow.?

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/security/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20111221/tc_atlantic/bitcoincollapseneverhappened46522

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McCoy, Browns still dazed by Harrison hit

FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2011, file photo, Cleveland Browns guard Jason Pinkston (62) and wide receiver Greg Little (15) check on quarterback Colt McCoy (12) after he was hit by Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh. McCoy injured his hand and was wobbled by a hit from linebacker and renowned Browns blaster James Harrison. The NFL has denied James Harrison's appeal of a one-game suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy, and the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker will sit out the game scheduled for Monday, Dec. 19, against the San Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2011, file photo, Cleveland Browns guard Jason Pinkston (62) and wide receiver Greg Little (15) check on quarterback Colt McCoy (12) after he was hit by Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh. McCoy injured his hand and was wobbled by a hit from linebacker and renowned Browns blaster James Harrison. The NFL has denied James Harrison's appeal of a one-game suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy, and the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker will sit out the game scheduled for Monday, Dec. 19, against the San Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

In this photo taken Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy (12) is checked out by the trainers as he gets ready to go back into the game after taking a hit from Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison during the fourth quarter of an NFL Football game in Pittsburgh. McCoy injured his hand and was wobbled by a hit from Harrison during the Steelers' 14-3 win. Two other Browns sustained concussions in the Browns' 21st loss in 23 games against their AFC North rival. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2011, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, right, sits on the bench during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh. The NFL has denied James Harrison's appeal of a one-game suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy, and the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker will sit out the game scheduled for Monday, Dec. 19, against the San Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

BEREA, Ohio (AP) ? Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson doesn't expect Pittsburgh's James Harrison to suddenly get soft ? or stop bending the rules.

Although Harrison had to sit out one game for his illegal helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy, who is still bothered by concussion symptoms two weeks after the head-jarring shot, Jackson believes the Steelers' heat-seeking linebacker will continue to level anyone in his path.

"Harrison is who he is and whether you fine him, you suspend him, he's not going to change," Jackson said Thursday. "That's up to the commissioner to handle it the best way he knows how."

Jackson's comments came one day after an unapologetic Harrison defended his head shot on McCoy, who has not been medically cleared to practice and will miss his second straight game Saturday in Baltimore. Harrison also said the NFL should punish the Browns for allowing McCoy to return to the game so quickly.

Jackson was stunned by Harrison's comments.

"I didn't hear that. Oh, goodness," Jackson said. "It doesn't surprise me coming from Harrison. He's one of the guys that he's going to live and die by the way he plays. I don't know what to say to it really. You hate to see guys get injured when you hit 'em. I know it's a physical game, a fast, contact game. When a guy gets hurt, all bets are off. You want that guy to be OK. For him to say something like that, I got no comment for it. I'm going to leave that one alone."

McCoy, the Browns and the NFL, for that matter, are still shaking off the effects from Harrison's hit.

On Wednesday, the league announced a new policy that will require teams to have a certified athletic trainer in the press box to monitor play and help medical staffs evaluate injured players. The change was prompted by the Browns' treatment of McCoy, who was not checked for a concussion during the game and was sent back in after sitting out just two plays.

The in-game policy shift preceded former Browns running back Jamal Lewis and other retired players suing the league over brain injuries they claim have left them struggling with medical problems years after their playing days ended.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur has spent most of the past two weeks addressing McCoy's touchy situation. The second-year QB has been coming to work every day, getting checked by Cleveland's doctors and participating in team meetings before being sent home.

Shurmur was asked if the 25-year-old has been advised not to play again this season.

"Not to my knowledge, no," Shurmur said. "He's like any player who is fighting back from injury."

If McCoy is cleared to play in Cleveland's season finale, he'll be facing Harrison and the Steelers, who will visit the Browns on Jan. 1.

Last season, after Harrison knocked out Browns wide receivers Mohamed Massaquoi and Josh Cribbs with concussions, Cleveland center Alex Mack accused the linebacker of "being cheap, being dirty." Mack wouldn't go that far after Harrison's hit on McCoy, and even said Harrison had cleaned up his game.

"He's improved," Mack said. "We really weren't watching for it. I didn't know it happened in the game, so it wasn't apparent to me that anything malicious was going on."

Mack, though, said Harrison's aggressiveness is pushing the boundaries of legality. When Harrison was suspended, the league said it was because he has had five illegal hits to quarterbacks in the past three years.

Mack believed Harrison could have avoided hitting McCoy so high.

"I'd say he's playing on the very edge of the rules," he said. "You don't have to use your head. You could shove him really hard in the chest and get the job done the same way. But there's something to be said about affecting the quarterback."

Shurmur would not comment on Harrison's claim the Browns should be disciplined for their handling of McCoy's concussion. The first-year coach was also asked if he was troubled that Harrison did not seem to be getting the message that his hits won't be tolerated.

"He plays for the Steelers, I would probably comment if it were a Browns player," Shurmur said. "You see and hear a lot of things and I think it's important that we all play hard, we play physical and we try to teach our guys to play hard, play physical and play by the rules.

"At times, we're all being educated as to what the rules are. The underlying deal is safety and we've gone through that here the last couple weeks. As coaches, we are all for players' safety."

Notes: The Browns placed safety T.J. Ward on injured reserve with a sprained foot. Ward started eight games in his second NFL season. He was injured on Dec. 6 at Houston and the team was confident he would get back. Shurmur said Ward, who had 38 tackles, will not need surgery. ... CB Joe Haden (thigh) and WR Massaquoi (foot) returned to practice and are expected to play against the Ravens. ... WR Jordan Norwood will also miss Saturday's game with a concussion sustained last week in Arizona. WR Rod Windsor was signed off the practice squad.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-22-FBN-Browns-McCoy/id-4a62e0ffbe824425b07c7ba4991842fe

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Habit formation is enabled by gateway to brain cells

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

A brain cell type found where habits are formed and movement is controlled has receptors that work like computer processors to translate regular activities into habits, researchers report.

"Habits, for better or worse, basically define who we are," said Dr. Joe Z. Tsien, Co-Director of the Brain & Behavior Discovery Institute at Georgia Health Sciences University. Habits also provide mental freedom and flexibility by enabling many activities to be on autopilot while the brain focuses on more urgent matters, he said.

Research published in the journal Neuronshows that NMDA receptors on dopamine neurons in the brain's basal ganglia are essential to habit formation. These receptors function like gateways to the brain cells, letting in electrically charged ions to increase the activity and communication of neurons. Their pivotal role reminds neuroscientist Dr. Lei Phillip Wang of a computer's central processing unit. "The NMDA receptor is a commander, which is why it's called a master switch for brain cell connectivity," said Wang, the study's first author.

To determine their role in habit formation, GHSU researchers used a genetic trick to selectively disable the NMDA receptors on dopamine neurons and found, for example, mice could be trained to push a lever for food without it becoming an automatic response. If they were full, they wouldn't push the lever. But just as humans can't refrain from flipping a light switch during a power outage, satiated mice with receptors could not pass up the lever.

When they compared the firing of the dopamine neurons in regular versus the mutant mouse, they found a dramatic spike in response to a cue that signals food in the normal mouse and a significantly dampened one in the mutant, Wang said. "We think this reduced response is probably sufficient for other types of learning, but not for habit learning," he said.

The finding that the receptors are critical to turning learned behavior into a habit provides new direction for therapy to better treat diseases such as Parkinson's, which in addition to the hallmark shaking, causes the loss of some old habits and impedes the ability to make new ones. "When Parkinson's disease begins to kick in, your memory of habits begins to go away, often before the uncontrolled movement becomes prominent," Tsien said.

It also opens the door to speeding up the process of forming good habits and, possibly, selectively removing bad ones such as drug addiction or smoking since the same circuits are seemingly involved in both.

"If you know cell circuits controlling a specific habit, it puts you in a better position to devise strategies to hit different points and selectively facilitate the formation of a good habit and maybe even reverse a bad one," Tsien said.

The fact that their mutant mice did not have motor deficits like Parkinson's patients fits with the fact that a precursor to dopamine can reduce motor symptoms in these patients, at least for a while, but does little to help cognitive function, Tsien said. Previous research indicating that just dousing a brain with dopamine doesn't rescue the ability to form habits led GHSU researchers to pursue the more sophisticated regulation that must enable habit formation.

"Dopamine neurons regulate circuits all over the brain but they need to be regulated too," Tsien said. "The questions become how and whether regulation of dopamine neurons is important. Our study shows it's important and it's through the NMDA receptors." Part of that regulation includes proper sequencing: so a habit plays out the same way every time, Tsien noted, much like standard lettering on a keyboard enables typing rather than confusion.

Dopamine is a chemical that helps brain cells communication. Glutamate, another neurotransmitter, brings information to the dopamine neurons to enable learning and memory but the neurons must travel through the gateway NMDA receptors to get properly categorized, the researchers noted.

As pervasive and efficient as habits are, these automatic memories that enable driving a car or typing, are not well studied or understood. "We tend not to pay attention to them because they are so spontaneous and automatic," said Tsien. GHSU scientists want to better understand why, for example, certain actions move from purposeful acts to automatic ones. They also want to know if one way NMDA receptors work is by causing dopamine neurons to release dopamine at the right time, amount and places in the brain.

Habits are generally characterized as procedural rather than declarative memories, such as those of events, people and places, things that require active thought. Declarative memories are more typically lost in Alzheimer's while habits often remain intact, at least for a while.

###

Georgia Health Sciences University: http://www.georgiahealth.edu

Thanks to Georgia Health Sciences University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116228/_Habit_formation_is_enabled_by_gateway_to_brain_cells

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Boxer Mayweather gets 90 jail days in Vegas case

FILE-This Oct. 26, 2011 file photo shows boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. walking into court for his misdemeanor harassment case at the Clark County Regional Justice Center. Officials say Mayweather Jr. will plead guilty in Las Vegas to reduced charges in a plea deal settling felony allegations that he battered his ex-girlfriend and a misdemeanor charge that he poked a security guard. An aide to Clark County District Attorney David Roger confirmed the 34-year-old boxer will enter his pleas Wednesday Dec. 21, 2011 in Las Vegas Justice Court. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jeff Scheid, File)

FILE-This Oct. 26, 2011 file photo shows boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. walking into court for his misdemeanor harassment case at the Clark County Regional Justice Center. Officials say Mayweather Jr. will plead guilty in Las Vegas to reduced charges in a plea deal settling felony allegations that he battered his ex-girlfriend and a misdemeanor charge that he poked a security guard. An aide to Clark County District Attorney David Roger confirmed the 34-year-old boxer will enter his pleas Wednesday Dec. 21, 2011 in Las Vegas Justice Court. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, Jeff Scheid, File)

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, and his attorney, Karen Winckler, listen as he is sentenced in Clark County District Court, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, in Las Vegas. Mayweather was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to reduced battery domestic violence and harassment charges. The 34-year-old was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and pay a $2,500 fine. The plea deal avoids trial on felony allegations that he hit his ex-girlfriend and threatened two of their children during an argument at her home in September 2010. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. listens as his attorney speaks on his behalf before sentencing in Clark County District Court, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, in Las Vegas. Mayweather was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to reduced battery domestic violence and harassment charges. The 34-year-old was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and pay a $2,500 fine. The plea deal avoids trial on felony allegations that he hit his ex-girlfriend and threatened two of their children during an argument at her home in September 2010. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, has his tie adjusted by his manager Leonard Ellerbe while waiting for sentencing in Clark County District Court, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, in Las Vegas. Mayweather was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to reduced battery domestic violence and harassment charges. The 34-year-old was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and pay a $2,500 fine. The plea deal avoids trial on felony allegations that he hit his ex-girlfriend and threatened two of their children during an argument at her home in September 2010. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, comments to his attorney Karen Winckler before being sentence in Clark County District Court, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, in Las Vegas. Mayweather was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to reduced battery domestic violence and harassment charges. The 34-year-old was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and pay a $2,500 fine. The plea deal avoids trial on felony allegations that he hit his ex-girlfriend and threatened two of their children during an argument at her home in September 2010. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a perfect 42-0 in the ring and has dodged significant jail time several times in domestic violence cases in Las Vegas and Michigan.

But his courtroom streak came to an end Wednesday when a Las Vegas judge sentenced him to 90 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to a reduced battery domestic violence charge and no contest to two harassment charges.

The case stemmed from a hair-pulling, punching and arm-twisting argument with his ex-girlfriend Josie Harris while two of their children watched in September 2010.

"Punishment is appropriate," Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa said after a prosecutor complained that Mayweather has been in trouble before and hasn't faced serious consequences.

"No matter who you are, you have consequences to your actions when they escalate to this level of violence," she said.

Good behavior could knock several weeks off Mayweather's sentence. but he will likely serve most of the sentence set to begin Jan. 6, said Officer Bill Cassell, a Las Vegas police spokesman.

Mayweather and his manager, Leonard Ellerbe, declined comment outside the courtroom.

The jail time raises doubts about a possible showdown between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, a champion fighter from the Philippines against whom Mayweather's welterweight success is usually measured.

A long-awaited fight between the two men regarded as among the best of their generation has been delayed by stalling techniques and verbal sparring.

The two men have a defamation lawsuit pending in Las Vegas federal court stemming from statements by Mayweather that he suspects Pacquiao was taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Mayweather returned in September from a 16-month layoff to continue his undefeated record with a controversial knockout of Victor Ortiz in Las Vegas.

Mayweather's promoters have a May 5 date reserved against an as-yet unnamed opponent at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. But if Mayweather is jailed until the end of March, it could cut into the usual eight-plus weeks he takes to train.

Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, said licenses for all fighters expire on Saturday, and most, including Mayweather, have yet to reapply for next year.

He said Mayweather would be asked on his license application if he was convicted of any misdemeanors or felonies.

Kizer said commissioners would then decide whether to approve or deny his license or hold a hearing to talk about it. The commission has been in contact with prosecutors and Mayweather's lawyers as cases against him have progressed, he said.

"The commissioners are definitely up to speed on it and will be when it comes time to consider any kind of application," he said.

Lee Samuels, a spokesman for Pacquiao's promoter Top Rank and Bob Arum, declined comment on Mayweather's sentencing and its possible effect on a match.

Mayweather, 34, stood still in a striped olive vest and showed no reaction as the judge sentenced him to six months in the Clark County jail then suspended half the term.

She gave him credit for three days previously served in jail and ordered him to complete 100 hours of community service, pay a $2,500 fine and complete a yearlong domestic violence counseling program.

The plea deal avoided trial on felony and misdemeanor that could have gotten Mayweather 34 years in state prison if he was convicted on all counts.

Mayweather also is expected to plead no contest next week to a separate misdemeanor harassment charge involving a 21-year-old homeowner association security guard who was poked in the face during an argument about parking tickets placed on cars outside Mayweather's house.

Mayweather's lawyer, Karen Winckler, said she may appeal what she called the unusual sentence handed down Wednesday.

In court, she called Mayweather "a champion in many areas" and aired a list of his good deeds, including buying toys for children for Christmas and promising to donate $100,000 to breast cancer research by the end of December.

Winckler argued that the public would benefit more if Mayweather performed 100 hours of community service with children.

Mayweather is also on the hook for 40 hours of community service with the Las Vegas Habitat for Humanity Project under a South Carolina federal judge's order for dodging a deposition in a music rights lawsuit.

Mayweather has a Jan. 31 deadline on that court order. Habitat for Humanity official Catherine Barnes said Wednesday that Mayweather had not started to log the hours.

Saragosa said Wednesday she was persuaded to jail Mayweather following his admission that he hit Harris and twisted her arm, and that two of their children, ages 9 and 10, witnessed the attack.

Mayweather threatened to kill or make Harris "disappear," Saragosa said, and their 10-year-old son ran from the house and jumped a back gate to fetch security. Mayweather had taken cellphones belonging to Harris and the two boys.

"Things could have gotten more out of hand than they did," the judge said.

Prosecutor Lisa Luzaich cited three previous domestic violence arrests for scuffles involving Harris, with whom Mayweather has three children, and three cases involving another woman with whom Mayweather has one child.

Fines were of no consequence to Mayweather, Luzaich said.

Mayweather goes by the nickname "Money," and was guaranteed $25 million for the Ortiz fight that won him the WBC's welterweight belt. Mayweather earned more than $20 million in a previous fight against "Sugar" Shane Mosley.

Mayweather has been arrested several times since 2002 in battery and violence cases in Las Vegas and in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich.

He was convicted in 2002 of misdemeanor battery stemming from a fight with two women at a Las Vegas nightclub. He received a suspended one-year jail sentence and was ordered to undergo impulse-control counseling.

He was fined in Grand Rapids in February 2005 and ordered to perform community service after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault and battery for a bar fight.

He was acquitted by a Nevada jury in July 2005 after being accused of hitting and kicking Harris during an argument outside a Las Vegas nightclub.

He was acquitted again in October of misdemeanor allegations that he threatened two homeowner association security guards during a parking ticket argument.

Mayweather also faces a civil lawsuit in Las Vegas from two men who allege he orchestrated a shooting attack on them outside a skating rink in 2009. Police have never accused Mayweather of firing shots and he has never been criminally charged in the case.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-21-Mayweather-Felony%20Charges/id-f00651b7887d4adf9b4aaa67b68de5e7

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Kinek Goes Mobile: Lets Online Shoppers Pick Up At Local Stores

Doing some online shopping but don't want the package shipped to your house? Maybe you won't be home, or worry about packages left on your doorstep. Or maybe the package is a gift for someone in your household? Here's a cool idea: pick up your online orders at a local store instead. That's the premise of the young startup called Kinek, which has partnered with a?number of brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S. and Canada to serve as "KinekPoints" - secure locations where you can pick up your deliveries. Now, the company is releasing its first iPhone application, allowing you to find nearby KinekPoints, check their hours, get directions, track packages and receive push notifications when the package has arrived.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ksvscWhWv_M/

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Rapper Slim Dunkin slain in Atlanta music studio

ATLANTA (AP) ? Atlanta police say the rapper Slim Dunkin was gunned down Friday evening in a city music studio as he was preparing to record a video.

Police Maj. Keith Meadows said the rapper, whose real name is Mario Hamilton, was fatally shot in the chest after getting into an argument with another individual.

He was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Meadows told The Associated Press late Friday that police have not been able to identify the shooter. He said investigators have been interviewing those who were inside the studio. He said as many as 20 people were inside the small office-type building at the time of the shooting, which took place around 5:30 p.m., but they were in different places.

Police have not recovered the handgun that was used. Investigators remained at the scene late Friday evening.

"Right now we're just trying to....identify who may have seen what, really just trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together," Meadows said. "It seems everybody witnessed something very different. We're just trying to go back and make sense of everything."

Slim Dunkin had appeared on a number of songs with the rapper Waka Flocka Flame. The website Mtv.com reported that the Brick Squad Monopoly rapper was on a solo track and had recently released a 20-track mix tape that featured Gucci Mane, Roscoe Dash and Pastor Troy.

"It appears the victim was scheduled to do a photo shoot," Meadows said of Friday's events. "Before the video shoot took place, it appears the victim and suspect got involved in a verbal altercation. We don't know what that altercation was about."

"The suspect produced a weapon, discharged that handgun one time, striking the victim in the chest," Meadows said.

Meadows said the victim was in his early 20s and resided in the Atlanta area.

Many fans were posting messages late Friday night on a Facebook page for the rapper.

The website AllHipHop.com last February described Slim Dunkin, a Detroit native, as an up-and-coming talent with "a unique lyrical ability and style all his own."

In an interview with the website, he described himself as someone "trying to provide for his family by making something out of nothing just trying to beat the odds."

"I don't have amazing lyrical ability I just know how to speak on what I been through and where I came from," he said.

Asked what to expect from him in 2011, he responded: "Music, music, music!"

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-12-17-Rapper%20Shot-Music%20Studio/id-ce80d7c85b8c41588f61fed48a6d2bad

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Egypt's military clashes with protesters; 9 killed

Egyptian protesters carry an injured fellow protester during clashes with military police near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Egyptian soldiers clashed with hundreds of rock-throwing protesters in central Cairo for a second consecutive day on Saturday, in a resurgence of turmoil just days after millions voted in parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abu Zaid)

Egyptian protesters carry an injured fellow protester during clashes with military police near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Egyptian soldiers clashed with hundreds of rock-throwing protesters in central Cairo for a second consecutive day on Saturday, in a resurgence of turmoil just days after millions voted in parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abu Zaid)

Egyptian protesters throw stones toward military police during clashes near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Egyptian soldiers clashed with hundreds of rock-throwing protesters in central Cairo for a second consecutive day on Saturday, in a resurgence of turmoil just days after millions voted in parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abu Zaid)

Egyptian army soldiers arrest a woman protester during clashes with military police near Cairo's downtown Tahrir Square, Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. Activists say the clashes began after soldiers severely beat a young man who was part of a sit-in outside the Cabinet building. (AP Photo/Str)

A protester injured during clashes with military police receives medical treatment near Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. Soldiers stormed a protest camp outside Egypt's Cabinet building, expelling demonstrators calling for an end to military rule, just as officials were counting votes Friday in the second round of Egypt's parliamentary elections. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abu Zaid)

An Egyptian protester flashes anti-military ruling council banner, as others throw rocks at military police during clashes near Cairo's downtown Tahrir Square, Egypt, Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. Activists say the clashes began after soldiers severely beat a young man who was part of a sit-in outside the Cabinet building. The Arabic banner reads " over my dead body if the military council rule us and welcome to be a martyer" . (AP Photo/Ahmed Ali)

CAIRO (AP) ? Hundreds of Egyptian soldiers swept into Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday, chasing protesters and beating them to the ground with sticks and tossing journalists' TV cameras off of balconies in the second day of a violent crackdown on anti-military protesters that has left nine dead and hundreds injured.

The violent, chaotic scenes have brought to the fore the simmering tensions between the ruling military council that took power after Hosni Mubarak's ouster and activists demanding the generals transfer power immediately to civilians. The clashes also serve as a near repeat of the deadly street fighting between youth protesters and security forces in November that lasted for days and left more than 40 dead.

Early Saturday, hundreds of protesters hurled stones at security forces, who set up a concrete wall and barbed wire to seal off streets between Tahrir and the nearby parliament building. Soldiers on rooftops pelted the crowds below with stones, prompting many of the protesters to pick up helmets, satellite dishes or sheets of metal to try to shield themselves.

Stones, dirt and shattered glass littered the streets downtown, while flames leapt out of the windows of a two-story building set ablaze near parliament, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky.

Witnesses said soldiers wielding batons and dressed in riot gear then chased protesters through the streets and into Tahrir Square, which served as the epicenter of the uprising that toppled Mubarak in February. Footage broadcast on the private Egyptian CBC television network showed soldiers beating two protesters with sticks, repeatedly stomping on the head of one, before leaving the motionless bodies on the pavement.

Soldiers set fire to tents inside the square, and swept through buildings where television crews were filming from and confiscated their equipment and briefly detained journalists.

In one case, soldiers charged up the stairs of a hotel from which Al-Jazeera TV was filming the turmoil below and demanded a female hotel worker tell them where the media crew was or else they would beat her up, a member of the Al-Jazeera crew said. "The woman was screaming and saying I don't know," the crew member said speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. The soldiers, who were in plainclothes, found the Al-Jazeera crew and threw their equipment from the balcony, including cameras, batteries and lighting equipment to the streets, landing on a sweet potato cart whose stove started a fire.

Protester Islam Mohammed said that he saw the army forces storming a filed hospital held next to a mosque in Tahrir Square and throwing medicine and equipment to the streets before chasing protesters away from the square.

At least nine people have been killed and around 300 people injured in the two days of clashes, the Health Ministry said.

Egypt's prime minister defended the security forces' response. While he acknowledged that people have died from gunshot wounds, he denied the military and the police had fired at protesters. Instead, he said "a group came from the back and fired at protesters" and that his government is for "the salvation of the revolution."

He charged the anti-military protests outside the Cabinet building as "anti-revolution."

"I feel very sad and in so much pain," he told reporters in a press conference broadcast on Egyptian state TV. "I stress here that the armed forces didn't engage with protesters and didn't leave the building."

The military in the past has blamed unidentified third parties for incidents in which protesters have been shot.

Rights groups and activists, however, charge that the military is carrying on the practices of the old regime, including arresting and beating dissidents. Many Egyptians have grown increasingly frustrated with its handling of the country's transition period, and activists accuse the ruling generals of trying to hang on to power.

Mustafa Ali, a protester who was wounded by pellet shot in clashes last month, accused the ruling generals Saturday of instigating the violence to "find a justification to remain in power and divide up people into factions."

The military council polished its reputation in the past few weeks with two peaceful rounds of voting in parliamentary elections that are widely viewed as the fairest in the country's modern history.

The second round of voting took place Wednesday and Thursday in nine of the country's 27 provinces. It covered vast rural areas where the religious stand of Islamist parties has strong support.

Images of troops protecting polling centers and soldiers carrying the elderly to the polls have served to boost the military's image as guardians of the country. The military remains the ultimate authority on all matters of state in absence of a president.

The latest round of violence touched off late Thursday after soldiers stormed an antimilitary protest camp outside the Cabinet building near Tahrir Square, expelling demonstrators demanding an end to military rule and an immediate transfer of power to a civilian authority. Witnesses said troops snatched a protester, taking him into the parliament building and beating him.

Funerals were expected Saturday for those killed a day earlier. Among the dead was Sheik Emad Effat, a cleric from Al-Azhar, Egypt's most eminent religious institution. Effat had taken a pro-revolutionary position, criticizing the military and issuing a religious decree forbidding voting for former members of the regime in elections. He was shot in the chest after joining the protesters outside the Cabinet.

In a statement read on state TV Friday night, the ruling military said its forces did not intend to break up the protest and said officers showed self-restraint, denying the used any gunfire. It said the clashes began when a military officer was attacked while on duty and protesters tried to break into the parliament compound.

The young activists who led the protests against Mubarak have not translated that success into results at the polls, where Islamist parties won a clear majority of seats in the first round of voting last month over the more liberal parties that emerged from the uprising. Results from this week's second round are expected in the coming days, with the rest of the country set to vote next month.

Members of a civilian advisory panel created by the military this month as a gesture to protesters suspended their work, demanding an immediate end to violence against protesters and a formal apology from the ruling military council. The panel is also seeking an independent investigation into the clashes. Eight of its members resigned in protest.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-17-ML-Egypt/id-d7053e012fbe4623a9f475c9d6d82249

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China sends campaigning rights lawyer back to jail (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? China has sent human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng back to jail, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday, ending his probation in what was the first official account of his whereabouts in the last year.

Gao, however, appears never to have escaped secretive confinement in the first place.

A combative rights advocate who tackled many causes anathema to the ruling Communist Party, Gao was sentenced to three years' jail in 2006 for "inciting subversion of state power", a charge often used to punish critics of one-party rule.

Gao was given five years' probation, formally sparing him from serving the prison sentence. But his family was under constant surveillance and Gao was detained on and off over that time.

He was taken from a relative's home in Shaanxi province in northern China in February 2009 -- his family claims by security officers -- and had been missing since early last year, when he resurfaced briefly and made sporadic contact with friends and foreign reporters in April 2010.

Xinhua, in a brief story that appeared only in English, said a Beijing court "withdrew probation" on Gao and sent him back to jail.

"He had seriously violated probation rules a number of times, which led to the court decision to withdraw the probation," Xinhua cited a court statement as saying. It did not give details of Gao's alleged violations.

"He would serve his term in prison", referring to the three-year sentence, the report added.

Xinhua said that the court had "put him back in jail".

Gao's older brother, Gao Zhiyi, told Reuters he had not been told about the court's decision, despite his repeated appeals to police for any word of his brother's whereabouts.

Gao's wife Geng He, who fled to California with the couple's children, told Reuters she wasn't sure whether to be gratified or despondent over the news of her husband, whom she has not seen since January 2009.

"We kept on asking: 'Where is he? Where is he?' The government has not given us a single word, until this day, that we've got the news about him. Now we know that he still exists. Before this came out, we thought he was dead," Geng said, speaking in tears.

"I plead with the international community and the Western media to keep their focus on the Gao Zhisheng case. This persecution cannot continue. We will hire a lawyer to represent him," Geng said.

BEIJING ASKED TO CLARIFY GAO'S LOCATION

In Washington, the U.S. State Department said it was disappointed that Gao had been returned to jail and called on Beijing to immediately release him and clarify his whereabouts.

"The forced disappearance of Gao is a serious human rights concern and demonstrates that Chin is not living up to its commitments under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

"We again express our deep concern over the continued use of extralegal measures against Gao and other human rights activists, and urge China to uphold its internationally recognized obligations."

Nicholas Bequelin, a researcher on China for New York-based Human Rights Watch, said the news did not allay fears about the lawyer's well-being.

"This seems to be further proof of the politically motivated persecution against him," he said. It is "a continuation of his detention and deprivation of freedom. It's essentially preventing him from talking about what happened".

Catherine Baber, Amnesty International's deputy director for the Asia-Pacific, said the news about Gao was "truly shocking".

"The international community must not let up on the condemnation of the travesty of justice," she told Reuters.

Mo Shaoping, who previously served as Gao's attorney, said Chinese courts had no obligation to hold a hearing or even notify the accused that probation might be rescinded.

"Chinese procedures on this point are a blank," Mo said by telephone. "The public security authorities can apply to the court, and then the court simply has to give its written decision, and there's no prior notification or hearing."

The United Nations working group on arbitrary detention said in March that Gao was being detained in violation of international law.

Starting in February, China mounted a crackdown on potential political challengers to the ruling Communist Party, fearing that anti-authoritarian uprisings in Arab countries could inspire protests against one-party rule.

Many rights lawyers were detained, and most who have since been released have refrained from speaking out or renewing high-profile advocacy, fearing fresh bouts of detention.

CNN said on Friday that British actor Christian Bale was roughed up by Chinese security guards as he attempted to visit a blind legal activist whose detention has sparked a domestic and international outcry.

(Writing by Ben Blanchard; additional reporting by Andrew Quinn in Washington; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111216/wl_nm/us_china_lawyer

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Average 30-year loan rate ties record: 3.94 pct. (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage has dropped to 3.94 percent, the record low set in October.

Low rates offer a historic opportunity for those who can afford to buy or refinance. Still, many people either can't take advantage of the record-low rates or have already done so.

The rate on the 30-year home loan fell from 3.99 percent the previous week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. This week's 3.94 percent average matches the lowest on records dating to the 1950s.

The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage fell to 3.21 percent from 3.27 percent. That's also a record.

Rates could fall further still. Many economists think the yield on the 10-year Treasury note could creep lower in 2012. Long-term mortgage rates tend to track the 10-year Treasury yield.

Should the Federal Reserve launch a new program of bond purchases in the coming months to try to help the economy, that could further drive down mortgage rates.

Rates have been below 5 percent for all but two weeks this year. Even so, this year could end up as the worst for home sales in 14 years.

Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist, said that despite the super-low loan rates, foreclosures and falling home values have created a "rough environment for housing."

Sales of previously occupied homes are just slightly ahead of last year's dismal sales figures ? and those were the worst in 13 years. New-home sales appear headed for their worst year on records dating back half a century.

Mortgage applications have risen slightly in recent weeks but are up from extremely low levels, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Last week, refinancings rose more than 9 percent, while loan applications to buy homes fell more than 8 percent.

Some lenders have reported an increase in applications through the Obama administration's refinancing program. That program was broadened in October to allow up to 1 million more homeowners lower their mortgage payments. But the MBA said such government-assisted loans account for just a small portion of refinancing.

High unemployment and scant wage gains have made it harder for many people to qualify for loans. Many Americans don't want to sink money into a home that could lose value over the next three to four years.

The average on the 30-year fixed loan has been below 5 percent for all but two weeks in the past year. And many homeowners who have the necessary credit and home equity to refinance already have.

To calculate average the rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country Monday through Wednesday of each week.

The average rates don't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount.

The average fee for the 30-year loan rose to 0.8 from 0.7; the average on the 15-year fixed mortgage was unchanged at 0.8.

For the five-year adjustable loan, the average rate fell to 2.86 percent from 2.93 percent. The average on the one-year adjustable loan ticked up to 2.81 percent from 2.8 percent.

The average fee on the five-year loan rose from 0.5 to 0.6. And the fee on the one-year adjustable loan was unchanged at 0.6.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111215/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mortgage_rates

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Facebook rolls out Timeline feature worldwide, it's time to untag some old photos

Get ready for a This Is Your Life-style recap available online, as Facebook's Timeline feature is now out of beta and available to all users worldwide. Originally announced during the f8 conference back in September, it wraps up all the information you've posted, friendships you've made and embarrassing photos you were tagged in, in a neat, date organized package. If you're worried it may uncover some things better left private -- and posted years ago before you were more savvy about social media -- you can enable the feature and still wait a week before it goes public for viewing by others. Currently timelines are visible on the main site, via the recently updated Android client and the mobile version of the site. If you want to turn it on right way, head to the Introducing Timeline page and click Get It Now.

Update: Facebook has just rolled rolled out a fresh version of its Android app that you'll need to grab for Timeline access there, the change log (after the break) also mentions changes including access to games & apps, new push notifications and a new photo viewing experience.

Continue reading Facebook rolls out Timeline feature worldwide, it's time to untag some old photos

Facebook rolls out Timeline feature worldwide, it's time to untag some old photos originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/15/facebook-rolls-out-timeline-feature-worldwide-time-to-untag-som/

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Headaches May Plague Many With HIV/AIDS (HealthDay)

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Headache affects 50 percent of HIV/AIDS patients in the United States, and many of those headaches are severe, a new study says.

About 27.5 percent of the 200 HIV/AIDS patients in the study suffered "chronic migraine," a rare condition in which a person has migraine symptoms (with or without other headaches) for 15 or more days a month. This condition occurs in only 2 percent of the general population.

"This translates into a 13-fold increased risk of chronic migraine among patients with HIV disease," study author Todd Smitherman, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Mississippi, said in a university news release.

"The strongest predictor of headache was the severity of HIV disease, such that patients with more advanced disease had more frequent, more severe and more disabling migraines," he added.

For the study, the researchers interviewed Montgomery, Ala., clinic patients who have HIV or AIDs and reviewed their medical records to look for any other cause of headache.

The findings, recently published online in the journal Headache, could help lead to improved treatment and reduced medical costs for HIV patients who suffer headaches, the researchers said.

"This research is of interest to clinicians and physicians for several reasons," Smitherman said. "Recent research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that, despite the availability of medications that effectively slow disease progression, most Americans with HIV do not have the disease under control. Our study shows that patients with poorly controlled HIV/AIDS are most prone to suffer also from frequent, severe migraines at rates that far exceed those of the general population."

The authors said theirs is the first study since highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) became widely available to find that having HIV/AIDS is associated with a very high risk of headache, particularly migraines.

Doctors need to regularly monitor immune system functioning in HIV/AIDS patients and pay close attention to headache symptoms in those with more advanced disease, the researchers said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about headache.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111214/hl_hsn/headachesmayplaguemanywithhivaids

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