Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Foul-smelling gas shows health benefits in reducing joint swelling

Foul-smelling gas shows health benefits in reducing joint swelling [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
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Contact: Louise Vennells
l.vennells@exeter.ac.uk
44-013-927-24927
University of Exeter

A gas associated with the smell of rotten eggs has proven to effectively reduce joint swelling, in research which could lead to advances in the treatment of arthritis.

Scientists at the University of Exeter Medical School have discovered that a novel drug molecule, which slowly generates the gas hydrogen sulfide (H2S), effectively reduces swelling and inflammation in arthritic joints.

For years, H2S has been regarded as a highly poisonous by-product which is corrosive, flammable and explosive. But research is now showing an altogether more benign side to the substance.

Professor Matt Whiteman, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said the research, which is published online in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, could pave the way for more effective treatments of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Prof Whiteman said: "H2S is widely dismissed as a toxic and foul-smelling environmental pollutant, but it has recently been shown to be created in humans and animals by a specific set of enzymes. Why would the body do this if it had no benefit? Our research has shown that the key to unlocking the therapeutic qualities of H2S is through slow release, mimicking the body's own production."

The team has previously shown that H2S levels were increased by up to four times in the knee joints of patients with joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, but intriguingly the higher H2S levels strongly correlated with a lower number of inflammatory cells in the joint. The latest study provides further evidence that the real role for H2S may be to combat inflammation, swelling and joint destruction.

Prof Whiteman added: "A patient will usually visit their doctor with a joint already inflamed, swollen and painful. Since the compound worked after arthritis was established, it may be useful in treating arthritis in the future. Many compounds can prevent arthritis in the laboratory, but of course nobody knows when they will get arthritis. Having a class of compounds which reduce inflammation and swelling when arthritis is already active is extremely exciting. These molecules may also be useful in other inflammatory conditions, and even in the inflammatory aspects of diabetes and obesity."

The study was part of a large collaboration funded by the Wellcome Trust and Arthritis Research UK, involving Professor Philip K Moore and Dr Julie Keeble from King's College London, as well as researchers at the National University of Singapore and Queen's University, Belfast. The team used primary human cells as well as a model of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis causes some cells to proliferate too quickly in the joint and secrete substances which promote tissue inflammation, swelling and eventually joint destruction. However, the H2S donor molecule prevented this secretion, and inhibited the activity of several enzymes which cause inflation. In the arthritis model, the compound did not prevent arthritis, but was highly effective at reducing joint inflammation and swelling once arthritis was established, suggesting H2S-based compounds may one day be useful in clinic.

The same team has previously found that people who are overweight or have diabetes have lower levels of H2S in their bodies than healthy adults resulting in higher blood pressure, poorer insulin sensitivity and higher levels of sugar in their blood. It has also been reported to promote ulcer healing and reduce lung injury in smokers.

Co-author Dr Mark E Wood, at the University of Exeter, added: "Despite its reputation for being hazardous, H2S could in fact hold the key to solving some of the widespread health problems affecting the country. Our work is a major step in proving that it can be more hero than villain to the human body, providing it is administered in the right way, at the right time. We currently have several more efficient H2S donor molecules being evaluated with collaborators and this is a very exciting time for us."

Dr Julie Keeble, co-author from King's College London, commented: "The finding that H2S is able to reduce joint inflammation in experimental models makes it a very exciting prospect for treating arthritis. Many patients with arthritis do not respond effectively to current treatments or suffer side-effects from their medication. We hope that H2S-releasing drugs like the one tested in this study will be effective in treating arthritis without uncomfortable side effects."

###


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


Foul-smelling gas shows health benefits in reducing joint swelling [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Louise Vennells
l.vennells@exeter.ac.uk
44-013-927-24927
University of Exeter

A gas associated with the smell of rotten eggs has proven to effectively reduce joint swelling, in research which could lead to advances in the treatment of arthritis.

Scientists at the University of Exeter Medical School have discovered that a novel drug molecule, which slowly generates the gas hydrogen sulfide (H2S), effectively reduces swelling and inflammation in arthritic joints.

For years, H2S has been regarded as a highly poisonous by-product which is corrosive, flammable and explosive. But research is now showing an altogether more benign side to the substance.

Professor Matt Whiteman, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said the research, which is published online in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, could pave the way for more effective treatments of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Prof Whiteman said: "H2S is widely dismissed as a toxic and foul-smelling environmental pollutant, but it has recently been shown to be created in humans and animals by a specific set of enzymes. Why would the body do this if it had no benefit? Our research has shown that the key to unlocking the therapeutic qualities of H2S is through slow release, mimicking the body's own production."

The team has previously shown that H2S levels were increased by up to four times in the knee joints of patients with joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, but intriguingly the higher H2S levels strongly correlated with a lower number of inflammatory cells in the joint. The latest study provides further evidence that the real role for H2S may be to combat inflammation, swelling and joint destruction.

Prof Whiteman added: "A patient will usually visit their doctor with a joint already inflamed, swollen and painful. Since the compound worked after arthritis was established, it may be useful in treating arthritis in the future. Many compounds can prevent arthritis in the laboratory, but of course nobody knows when they will get arthritis. Having a class of compounds which reduce inflammation and swelling when arthritis is already active is extremely exciting. These molecules may also be useful in other inflammatory conditions, and even in the inflammatory aspects of diabetes and obesity."

The study was part of a large collaboration funded by the Wellcome Trust and Arthritis Research UK, involving Professor Philip K Moore and Dr Julie Keeble from King's College London, as well as researchers at the National University of Singapore and Queen's University, Belfast. The team used primary human cells as well as a model of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis causes some cells to proliferate too quickly in the joint and secrete substances which promote tissue inflammation, swelling and eventually joint destruction. However, the H2S donor molecule prevented this secretion, and inhibited the activity of several enzymes which cause inflation. In the arthritis model, the compound did not prevent arthritis, but was highly effective at reducing joint inflammation and swelling once arthritis was established, suggesting H2S-based compounds may one day be useful in clinic.

The same team has previously found that people who are overweight or have diabetes have lower levels of H2S in their bodies than healthy adults resulting in higher blood pressure, poorer insulin sensitivity and higher levels of sugar in their blood. It has also been reported to promote ulcer healing and reduce lung injury in smokers.

Co-author Dr Mark E Wood, at the University of Exeter, added: "Despite its reputation for being hazardous, H2S could in fact hold the key to solving some of the widespread health problems affecting the country. Our work is a major step in proving that it can be more hero than villain to the human body, providing it is administered in the right way, at the right time. We currently have several more efficient H2S donor molecules being evaluated with collaborators and this is a very exciting time for us."

Dr Julie Keeble, co-author from King's College London, commented: "The finding that H2S is able to reduce joint inflammation in experimental models makes it a very exciting prospect for treating arthritis. Many patients with arthritis do not respond effectively to current treatments or suffer side-effects from their medication. We hope that H2S-releasing drugs like the one tested in this study will be effective in treating arthritis without uncomfortable side effects."

###


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?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/uoe-fgs042913.php

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SAY WHAT?! A Texas woman was arrested after she allegedly entered a home through...

SAY WHAT?! A Texas woman was arrested after she allegedly entered a home through a doggy door, got naked, then was found sitting in a dry bathtub with the curtain drawn. She told officers that she was trying to get to California because she was signed to a rap label. She then rapped a song to officers on her way to jail. It was about smoking pot.

http://www.nbc33tv.com/news/woman-arrested-for-trespa

Source: http://www.facebook.com/wvlanbc33/posts/599830453361125

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Surgery for nonfatal skin cancers might not be best for elderly patients

Surgery for nonfatal skin cancers might not be best for elderly patients [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
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Contact: Elizabeth Fernandez
elizabeth.fernandez@ucsf.edu
415-502-6397
University of California - San Francisco

New UCSF study urges doctors to consider patient risks and benefits when treating benign skin cancers

Surgery is often recommended for skin cancers, but older, sicker patients can endure complications as a result and may not live long enough to benefit from the treatment.

A new study led by UC San Francisco focused on the vexing problem of how best to handle skin cancers among frail, elderly patients. In the study sample, the researchers found that most non-melanoma skin cancers were typically treated surgically, regardless of the patient's life expectancy or whether the tumor was likely to recur or harm the patient.

One in five patients in the study reported a complication from the skin cancer treatment, and approximately half the patients with limited life expectancy died of other causes within five years.

As a result, the authors say, doctors should take into consideration the benefits, risk and preference of a patient when determining appropriate treatment for nonfatal skin cancers.

The study will be published online on April 29, 2013 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

"It can be very challenging to decide whether and how to treat patients with non-melanoma skin cancer who have limited life expectancy, especially when the tumors are asymptomatic," said Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH, an assistant professor of dermatology at UCSF and lead author of the study.

"One challenge is that it is hard to precisely predict an individual's life expectancy," Linos noted. "Another challenge is that elderly patients are very diverse. For example, some 90-year-olds are active, healthy and would like to choose the most aggressive treatments for skin cancer, while others are very frail and unable to care for themselves, and may prefer less invasive management for a skin cancer that doesn't bother them.

"Bothersome or medically dangerous skin tumors should always be treated, regardless of age or life expectancy," Linos said. "But treatment of asymptomatic tumors might not be the best option for all patients."

Skin cancers are by far the most common type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated 2.2 million Americans predominantly older patients are diagnosed annually with a non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This type of cancer can be slow-growing and typically does not affect survival or short-term quality of life.

"The current standard of care in the United States is to treat non-melanoma skin cancers," the authors wrote in their study, "and no guidelines exist about whether physicians should consider patient age or functional status in choosing treatments."

In comparing treatment options and clinical options, the researchers followed more than 1,300 patients in San Francisco for about a decade. About a quarter of the patients were classified as having limited life expectancy because they were at least 85 years old or they suffered from multiple serious health conditions.

Most of the non-melanoma skin cancers were treated surgically, a taxing process for seniors who have difficulty tolerating extended procedures or adequately treating their wounds at home. The researchers found that medical complications included poor wound healing, numbness, itching and pain.

Tumor recurrence was very low less than 4 percent after five years, the authors said. Nearly half the patients with limited life expectancy died within five years none of the deaths resulted from the skin cancers, the researchers reported. Most deaths were related to heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, lung cancer, pneumonia, chronic respiratory disease, prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

"The findings highlight a challenge not just for dermatologists, but for all physicians treating non-fatal conditions," said senior author Mary-Margaret Chren, MD, a dermatology professor at the UCSF School of Medicine. "Our study provides useful evidence for clinicians facing a treatment choice dilemma with their patients it focuses on a cancer whose natural history is generally benign, where treatment itself may be discretionary."

###

The research was conducted by the unit for patient-oriented research in skin disease at UCSF, and supported by the National Center for Research Resources (Award KL2RR024130); the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (Grants R01 AR 054983 and K24 AR052667); and by a Career Development Award from the American Skin Association and Dermatology Foundation.

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

Follow UCSF
UCSF.edu | Facebook.com/ucsf | Twitter.com/ucsf | YouTube.com/ucsf


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?


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


Surgery for nonfatal skin cancers might not be best for elderly patients [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Elizabeth Fernandez
elizabeth.fernandez@ucsf.edu
415-502-6397
University of California - San Francisco

New UCSF study urges doctors to consider patient risks and benefits when treating benign skin cancers

Surgery is often recommended for skin cancers, but older, sicker patients can endure complications as a result and may not live long enough to benefit from the treatment.

A new study led by UC San Francisco focused on the vexing problem of how best to handle skin cancers among frail, elderly patients. In the study sample, the researchers found that most non-melanoma skin cancers were typically treated surgically, regardless of the patient's life expectancy or whether the tumor was likely to recur or harm the patient.

One in five patients in the study reported a complication from the skin cancer treatment, and approximately half the patients with limited life expectancy died of other causes within five years.

As a result, the authors say, doctors should take into consideration the benefits, risk and preference of a patient when determining appropriate treatment for nonfatal skin cancers.

The study will be published online on April 29, 2013 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

"It can be very challenging to decide whether and how to treat patients with non-melanoma skin cancer who have limited life expectancy, especially when the tumors are asymptomatic," said Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH, an assistant professor of dermatology at UCSF and lead author of the study.

"One challenge is that it is hard to precisely predict an individual's life expectancy," Linos noted. "Another challenge is that elderly patients are very diverse. For example, some 90-year-olds are active, healthy and would like to choose the most aggressive treatments for skin cancer, while others are very frail and unable to care for themselves, and may prefer less invasive management for a skin cancer that doesn't bother them.

"Bothersome or medically dangerous skin tumors should always be treated, regardless of age or life expectancy," Linos said. "But treatment of asymptomatic tumors might not be the best option for all patients."

Skin cancers are by far the most common type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated 2.2 million Americans predominantly older patients are diagnosed annually with a non-melanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This type of cancer can be slow-growing and typically does not affect survival or short-term quality of life.

"The current standard of care in the United States is to treat non-melanoma skin cancers," the authors wrote in their study, "and no guidelines exist about whether physicians should consider patient age or functional status in choosing treatments."

In comparing treatment options and clinical options, the researchers followed more than 1,300 patients in San Francisco for about a decade. About a quarter of the patients were classified as having limited life expectancy because they were at least 85 years old or they suffered from multiple serious health conditions.

Most of the non-melanoma skin cancers were treated surgically, a taxing process for seniors who have difficulty tolerating extended procedures or adequately treating their wounds at home. The researchers found that medical complications included poor wound healing, numbness, itching and pain.

Tumor recurrence was very low less than 4 percent after five years, the authors said. Nearly half the patients with limited life expectancy died within five years none of the deaths resulted from the skin cancers, the researchers reported. Most deaths were related to heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, lung cancer, pneumonia, chronic respiratory disease, prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

"The findings highlight a challenge not just for dermatologists, but for all physicians treating non-fatal conditions," said senior author Mary-Margaret Chren, MD, a dermatology professor at the UCSF School of Medicine. "Our study provides useful evidence for clinicians facing a treatment choice dilemma with their patients it focuses on a cancer whose natural history is generally benign, where treatment itself may be discretionary."

###

The research was conducted by the unit for patient-oriented research in skin disease at UCSF, and supported by the National Center for Research Resources (Award KL2RR024130); the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (Grants R01 AR 054983 and K24 AR052667); and by a Career Development Award from the American Skin Association and Dermatology Foundation.

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

Follow UCSF
UCSF.edu | Facebook.com/ucsf | Twitter.com/ucsf | YouTube.com/ucsf


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/uoc--sfn042913.php

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Sunday, April 28, 2013

Multi-modal Messaging Will Dominate Mobile Communications

As wired telephony becomes subsumed by IP-based, mobile unified communications (UC), we are seeing a big increase in messaging communications. That includes person-to-person contacts, automated notifications from business applications, and community-based posting of ?social messaging.? What is most important, however, is that all modes of messaging contact are becoming ?unified? and must support both sender and recipient functional needs.

This change will be particularly welcomed in business communications, where the limitations of PSTN telephony and voicemail did not allow end users the functional capabilities they needed. In particular, external users were required to place a phone call just to leave a voice message in an organization?s employee voice mailbox. As a way of consolidating message management for recipients, ?unified messaging? (UM) provided shared message storage, notifications, and conversion of voice messages-to-text options for message retrieval. UM capabilities were therefore always considered a major communication application component of UC.

Mobility is a big driver for multi-modal messaging

Now that consumers are quickly adopting multi-modal mobile smartphones and tablets and can handle other forms of messaging (email, SMS, social posts), it?s time for voicemail to join the ?Mobile UC? club. However, we shouldn?t still call that move by its old name, ?unified messaging? (UM), which only provided limited benefits to message recipients and nothing for message senders.

The old UM has always been focused on simply making it easier for a message recipient to be notified about and easily retrieve all types of business messages, including email and voicemail, in the recipient?s choice of media. With rapid consumer adoption of mobile, multi-modal smartphones and tablets, along with video messaging and new forms of social networking, it really is time to expand the functional role of UM in the context of such flexibility to support a message originator?s options as well. (I blogged about this over five years ago!)

This will not only benefit end users who want to communicate more flexibly with different media, but will also have a strong impact on automated business applications for initiating notification contacts with individual end users and customers. Although the industry has been moving quickly in developing the different pieces of UC, the market is still confused because we are still using old terminology. This is particularly evident as organizations try to migrate from legacy technologies to the future of cloud-based, UC-enabled business communications and think of UM as being just about email and voice mail consolidation for storage and retrieval.

Since telephony and associated voice messaging technologies are changing, both from an infrastructure perspective (IP connectivity, ?cloud? applications), as well as user functionally and UI flexibility, the old perception of UM must change as well. That would mean being able to send messages in any mode desired by the sender, as well as retrieval and response in any mode by the recipients. Because mobility implies constraints on which medium of messaging functionality can be used, UM must provide dynamic flexibility for both the sender and recipient interfaces, including the mode of ?message waiting? notifications (MWI).

So, What Do We Have To Change?

First of all, separate the needs of a contact initiator from that of the contact recipient/response. With UC flexibility, asynchronous messaging modes can be done independently in text, voice or video for input or output.
Second, include messaging contacts from automated business process applications, not just from people. That has been going on for years primarily with email, and has quickly moved into social networking. Authorized access management and screening will be required as email and social posts are displacing snail mail and TV for advertising.
Third, allow individual recipients to easily control all forms of call and message notification (MWI), so that their multi-modal smartphones or tablets won?t overload them unnecessarily when they are busy. That would require both call/message-screening options, based on various factors, including caller/sender ID, subject of contact, urgency indicator, etc. (I call that ?Unified Notification Management,? which is a recipient function.)
Fourth, enable direct message creation media options, including voice and video. We don?t have to have a real-time connection to initiate and send a voice or video message. This has already started to happen, but just needs to be consolidated under the ?UM? umbrella. It is not necessary to involve ?presence? management for sending asynchronous messages.
Fifth, (maybe this should be first?), provide for ?universal addressing? for all modes of messaging, so that the sender simply has to identify the individual recipient, not any particular mailbox or phone number for each medium. To separate personal from business messages, there will obviously also have to be a ?dual persona? identification and authentication requirement for addressing.
Finally, all forms of messaging must be ?UC-enabled? in order to dynamically escalate from an asynchronous message to a real-time connection that will, indeed, be based upon presence status and availability information. However, unlike legacy telephone answering voice messaging that started with a failed call attempt, I see multi-modal messaging and chat becoming increasingly more common, easy starting points for contacting people, with the option to escalate easily and efficiently to real-time voice and video conferencing connections.
There are quite a few important interoperability and integration details that will need attention in order to support the basic capabilities I describe. One of the implications of bridging the gap between a message sender and recipient, is that messages may be needed to be screened and converted from one form to another (including languages?) before they are delivered/retrieved by a recipient. For inbound customer contact interactions, message screening will also include routing to appropriate agents or experts; for outbound notification messages to mobile users, the ?Unified Notification Management? facility should be available from the recipient?s service provider.
Where and how that can all best be implemented in the new world of mobility and cloud services, will be an evolving challenge. VARs, SIs, and Consultants will play a key role in helping organizations transition to integrated Multi-modal Messaging as part of the BYOD revolution.

http://www.ucstrategies.com/ucsummit/2013/

Copyright ? 2013 The Unified-View, All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Source: http://blog.ucstrategies.com/2013/04/27/multi-modal-messaging-will-dominate-mobile-communications/

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CBS renews 'Two and a Half Men' for another year

In this May 18, 2011 publicity image released by CBS, the cast of "Two and a Half Men," from left, Jon Cryer, Ashton Kutcher, and Angus T. Jones are shown during their presentation at CBS' Upfront, at Carnegie Hall, in New York. CBS said Friday, April 26, 2013, it?s renewed ?Two and a Half Men? for another season. (AP Photo/CBS, Jeffrey R. Staab, File)

In this May 18, 2011 publicity image released by CBS, the cast of "Two and a Half Men," from left, Jon Cryer, Ashton Kutcher, and Angus T. Jones are shown during their presentation at CBS' Upfront, at Carnegie Hall, in New York. CBS said Friday, April 26, 2013, it?s renewed ?Two and a Half Men? for another season. (AP Photo/CBS, Jeffrey R. Staab, File)

(AP) ? CBS says it's bringing "Two and a Half Men" back next season.

The network announced the decision Friday on Twitter. It didn't address whether the full cast would return.

The series stars Ashton Kutcher, Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones as Cryer's son.

Jones' character is serving in the Army this season and has been somewhat less visible on "Two and a Half Men."

In January, the 19-year-old actor apologized to CBS after calling the popular sitcom "filth" and "very inappropriate."

CBS declined comment on Jones' future with the sitcom, now in its 10th season.

"Two and a Half Men" has dealt with cast changes before, when Kutcher came aboard in 2011 after Charlie Sheen's firing.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-26-US-TV-Two-and-a-Half-Men/id-8a621bf9bdba4a7a9d401b12a557998d

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Saturday, April 27, 2013

HSN's order page for T-Mobile's Lumia 521 goes live early

HSN's order page for T-Mobile's Lumia 521 goes live early

It feels like only yesterday we told you HSN would be the first retailer offering T-Mobile's Nokia Lumia 521, and although the place hasn't changed, the date has. The Lumia 520 variant wasn't expected to be available through HSN's online store until tomorrow, but in a bit of good news to kick off your Friday, the order page is now live. An off-contract handset will set you back $149.95, or four payments of $37.49. The next confirmed date we have for availability is May 11th at Microsoft and Walmart stores, so if you're looking to bag one of the budget Windows Phone 8 handsets before then, head to the source link and hit the virtual checkout -- not only may stock run dry, but HSN could've accidentally pulled the trigger early and hide the page when orders start rolling in.

[Thanks, Tim]

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: HSN

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/z5C8iiTFtNM/

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Fotopedia Reporter for iPad lets photographers publish their own photo stories

Fotopedia Reporter is a gorgeous app that lets you create your own photo stories and publish them to the popular social magazine. Whether it's a gallery from your last vacation, a tour of your garden, a review of your favorite restaurant, there's a place for your editorial creativity on Fotopedia.

Creating a photo story is easy: start with a cover photo, choose a title and description, add a location, pull text from Wikipedia or add your own, and share for all to see!

In addition to sharing your own stories, you can also browse stories posted by other people. Fotopedia has a featured page of great content as well as the most popular and new stories organized by category.

Fotopedia is very social at lets you rate stories up to 5 stars as well as leave comments. You can also follow users and see all their work viewed as a list or thumbnails.

The good

  • Stunning design
  • Easy to create a photo story
  • Find amazing work by other users
  • Organize by featured or category (new or popular)
  • Leaving ratings and comments
  • Follow users and view profiles
  • Share to Facebook and Twitter

The bad

  • No complaints

The bottom line

Fotopedia Reporter is incredibly well designed and is a great way for photographers to showcase their work. I am in awe by some of the photos I've come across and it makes me want to pick a theme and take a stab at photojournalism.

    


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/CoGB8ldagU4/story01.htm

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Friday, April 26, 2013

Iran ready to talk on its disputed nuclear program

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran is ready to resume talks with world powers on its disputed nuclear program and awaits word from the European Union on timing and details, Iran's deputy nuclear negotiator said on Thursday.

Ali Bagheri, in an interview with Reuters in Geneva, said Iran needed 20 percent-enriched uranium for its Tehran research reactor and four others being built, and was continuing to convert some of its stockpile into reactor fuel.

"We are waiting for Lady Ashton to call Dr. Jalili, and Dr. Jalili is obviously ready to take the call," Bagheri said.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton oversees diplomatic contacts with Iran on behalf of the the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany. Saeed Jalili is Iran's chief negotiator.

"We are waiting to see whether Lady Ashton's response is going to cover the time and venue of another round of negotiations, or will she limit her response to just discussing the substantive side of things," Bagheri said.

In Brussels, a spokesman for Ashton said she had consulted with foreign ministers on how to move forward the process. "Arrangements for a phone call with Dr. Jalili have already been made in order to discuss next steps," Michael Mann said.

The six powers and Iran failed in talks in the Kazakh capital Almaty this month to end the deadlock in a decade-old dispute over Tehran's nuclear program, prolonging a standoff that could yet spiral into a new Middle East war.

At those talks, the six asked Iran to suspend its most sensitive uranium-enrichment work in return for modest relief from international sanctions, an offer Tehran did not accept.

Iran's presidential election is set for June 14, leading to speculation on whether the next round of talks will take place before the poll. "We are ready to continue with the talks ... We have no limits as far as time is concerned," Bagheri said.

Israel, which has long hinted at possible air strikes to deny its arch-foe any means to make a nuclear bomb, suggested this week it would be patient before taking any military action.

Iran says its nuclear work is entirely peaceful and that it is only refining uranium to power a planned network of nuclear energy plants and for medical purposes. Critics accuse it of covertly seeking the means to produce nuclear weapons.

"NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN"

Bagheri, referring to the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said: "I need to point out the Islamic Republic of Iran uranium enrichment activities to the level of 20 percent is under strict agency monitoring. Obviously activities that are being monitored by the agency are no cause for concern."

An IAEA report in February said Iran had in December resumed converting to oxide powder some of the uranium it has enriched to 20 percent fissile concentration, for the production of reactor fuel.

That helped restrain the growth of Iran's higher-grade uranium stockpile, a development that could buy more time for diplomacy.

In a potentially encouraging sign for the powers, Bagheri said on Thursday this conversion was continuing.

"We produce 20 percent uranium to provide fuel for Tehran's research reactor, also four other reactors in four different parts of Iran which are under construction. With this in mind, plans have been drawn up to convert 20 percent uranium to 20 percent oxide," Bagheri said.

"This is very much going according to plan. This activity is ongoing," he added.

The IAEA said on Tuesday it would hold a meeting with Iran on May 15 aimed at enabling its inspectors to resume a stalled investigation into suspected nuclear bomb research, the 10th round of talks since early 2012.

Bagheri said Iran was already cooperating fully with the IAEA but was willing to discuss requests "which go beyond our obligations" under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"We are very much hoping in this round of talks between my country and the agency, we no longer have such meddling and sabotaging of talks," he said.

"Experience tells us that usually certain Western parties, including the U.S., whenever we are close to striking a bargain, reaching an agreement, they interfere."

The IAEA-Iran talks are separate from, but have an important bearing on, the negotiations between Tehran and world powers. Iran's refusal to curb sensitive nuclear activity with both civilian and military applications and its lack of openness with IAEA inspectors have drawn U.N. and Western sanctions.

"Once we reach an agreement with the agency, we also expect the (six powers), because of such cooperation with the agency which goes well beyond our obligations, to lift a number of sanctions. Unilateral sanctions which are illegal," Bagheri said.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; additional reporting by Fredrik Dahl in Vienna and Justyna Pawlak in Brussels; editing by Andrew Roche)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-ready-resume-talks-world-powers-awaits-call-144538391.html

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Allen, Heat up 3-0 after 104-91 win over Bucks

Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) shoots during the first half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. The Heat won 104-91 to take a 3-0 lead in the series. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) shoots during the first half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. The Heat won 104-91 to take a 3-0 lead in the series. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat's LeBron James, top, shoots over Milwaukee Bucks' Monta Ellis (11) during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. The Heat won 104-91 to take a 3-0 lead in the series. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Miami Heat's LeBron James, right, shoots over Milwaukee Bucks' Larry Sanders during the first half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade, left, knocks the ball away from Milwaukee Bucks' Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

(AP) ? For all Miami has accomplished with its Big Three ? and it's been plenty ? there's still one thing the Heat haven't done.

Yet.

The Heat have a chance to sweep a playoff series for the first time since LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami when they play the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.

And don't think they're not aware of it.

"This is the next step in our development," James said after the Heat went up 3-0 with a 104-91 victory over the Bucks on Thursday night.

The Heat have been in this position before, taking a 3-0 lead in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers two years ago and again against the New York Knicks last year. But they were forced to a Game 5 both times, a pattern they're determined to break against the Bucks.

"It's important for us to close them out because it's the next game," James said. "It's going to be different. It won't be the same as Game 1 or Game 2 or Game 3, today. But if we come in with the same mindset, or even more desperation as we did today, we give ourselves a good chance to win."

The defending champions still haven't played their best game. But it hardly matters with their ability to pull off one of their patented runs, as they did Thursday night.

After leading for much of the game, Milwaukee was trying to pull away early in the third. Brandon Jennings was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws, then followed with a one-hand slam after Ersan Ilyasova's steal. Luc Mbah a Moute made two sets of free throws, and the Bucks were back up 61-55 with 7:14 left in the third.

But the Heat have made a habit of putting the Bucks away with runs, and this game was no different.

Udonis Haslem made a layup and a pair of free throws, Mario Chalmers followed with a layup and the Heat were off on what would be a 23-7 run to close out the quarter. The Bucks got to 67-66 on a layup by Mbah a Moute, but James answered with a monster 3. After a pair of free throws by Mbah a Moute, Chalmers stripped Monta Ellis and fed James, who sprinted to the other end for the layup as the Bucks watched helplessly. Chris Andersen scored on a reverse, James made a layup and then fed Andersen for another layup that gave Miami a 78-68 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Bucks never got within single digits again.

"A three-, four-minute stretch just like in the first two games, where they kind of blitzed us," Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. "We dug ourselves a big hole that we could not come back from."

Allen made sure of that, knocking down a huge 3 from the right corner with 8:38 to play to give Miami a 90-73 lead. That was the 321st trey of his career in the playoffs, breaking Reggie Miller's previous record of 320, and he added one more two minutes later.

"I think about when I first stepped on this floor for the very first time, I thought about what I was going to be able to contribute to this game," said Allen, who spent his first six-plus seasons in Milwaukee. "It's ironic that I'm on this floor right now, because this is where it all started."

Allen finished with five 3s and a team-high 23 points. Chris Bosh added 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat, who have won 11 straight dating to the regular season and 40 of their last 42. Andersen had another big game, scoring 11 on 5-of-5 shooting and grabbing six rebounds in less than 14 minutes.

Wade had just four points, and his 1-of-12 shooting was his worst in a postseason game. But he contributed 11 assists, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks.

"I shot the ball terrible," Wade, who is still nursing a bruised right knee, said with a laugh. "But we played a good game. Game 3 is a tough game. I thought, as a team, we showed a lot of guts, a lot of grit. When those guys came out hot, we stayed with it, we stayed with our game plan and were able to get a great win. There's nothing as satisfying as winning a Game 3 on the road. But it's over now. Now we have to focus on closing the series out."

Jennings and Larry Sanders had 16 each to lead six Bucks in double figures, and Sanders added 11 rebounds while Jennings contributed eight assists.

But the Bucks couldn't maintain the 10-point lead they took in the first quarter, when they shot 57 percent (12 of 21) and were 5 of 10 from 3-point range. Milwaukee was just 12 of 21 over the final three quarters (41 percent), and made only two more 3s.

"We had to fight for this one," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They came out with a great deal of intensity as we expected. Got us on our heels."

That the Heat will win the series is almost inevitable. No team has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series in the NBA playoffs.

But it's when the series ends that matters now, for both the Heat and the Bucks.

"I hope we're still confident," Jennings said. "As a team, we need to stay together."

NOTES: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was at the game. ... Bucks fans were tough on all of the Heat players, even Allen, who spent his first six-plus years in Milwaukee, and Wade, whose No. 3 at Marquette hangs from the rafters at the Bradley Center. "I expect that," Allen said. "Even though I played quite a while here and won some big games, I'm still the opposing team. I didn't expect any special favors." ... Wade is the first player since Rajon Rondo on March 23, 2011, to have at least 11 assists, nine rebounds and five steals in a game.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-26-BKN-Heat-Bucks-Folo/id-236dbde5c15a4a888810755553c1ba70

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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Much Ado About Nothing Trailer: Watch Now!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/much-ado-about-nothing-trailer-watch-now/

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Agricultural Workers and Farmers Unite to Push Congress on Immigration Reform

The sight of the head of the United Farm Workers and farmer representatives testifying side by side before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday to promote the farmworker section of the immigration-reform bill was an extraordinary moment in American agriculture.

But even with this unity, agricultural leaders will have to work very hard with other immigration reformers to persuade members of Congress, particularly those from some rural areas, to vote for the overall bill.

The panel?s unity was something to behold. United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez, the lead witness, began his testimony by noting, ?Tomorrow will mark the 20th year since our founder, Cesar Chavez, passed away?so we think it is very appropriate that we are here on this historic day to talk about the future of American agriculture.?

Rodriguez could have recalled the bloody battles that Chavez went through to establish the union, but instead he thanked Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., for her leadership in working with Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to put together a farmworker proposal ?that will strengthen our nation?s agricultural industry.?

Rodriguez did note that men, women, and children who work in the fields and with livestock do some of the ?hardest, toughest, dirtiest jobs? in America at some of the lowest wages and with the fewest job protections. But the senators? proposal, he said, ?would give professional farmworkers presently in the United States? temporary legal status and the opportunity to earn permanent legal residence by continuing to work in agriculture, while also creating visa programs that will allow farmworkers to enter the country legally and avoid the ?corrupt recruitment practices? that many farm laborers experience.

Rodriguez was followed by Republican Chuck Conner, a former deputy and acting Agriculture secretary who is president of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and who represented the Agriculture Workforce Coalition, composed of some 70 agriculture groups ranging from fruit and vegetable groups to the dairy industry.

Conner said it was ?a pleasure? to testify next to Rodriguez. ?For many years, agriculture and the farming sector have spoken with many voices on immigration,? he said. ?Today, we speak with one voice. And we are loudly saying that without people to work on America?s farms and ranches, pick the crops, or milk the cows, all other issues in agriculture become irrelevant.?

The proposal, Conner noted, provides for three-year visas that can be used by dairy farmers who need year-round workers, as well as a wage agreement flexible enough to address the needs of farmers and ranchers ?whether they are growing almonds in California, peaches in South Carolina, or apples in Vermont, or whether they raise beef cattle in Texas or dairy cows in Iowa.?

Although farmers have complained for decades that the difficulty of using the H-2A visa system to bring in laborers legally has forced them to hire undocumented workers, H-2A contractors have felt threatened by new immigration proposals. But Alyson Eastman, the owner of a Vermont firm that assists H-2A companies, testified that the new visa system would be an improvement over the H-2A system that the bill eliminates. The provision to shift management of the visa program from the Labor Department to the Agriculture Department would also help, she said.

The negotiations, which have taken months, appear to have led the workers, farmers, and contractors toward newfound respect for each other. Farmworker leaders, recalling the exploitive ?bracero? program of years ago, have often questioned the need for a guest-worker program, but Rodriguez said that farmers need a source of labor as current farmworkers move on to other jobs. Conner noted that, due to the difficulty of finding laborers, some growers in California and other states have shifted production to other countries while fruit and vegetable imports have increased. Eastman said that when workers go home to Mexico each year, they contribute to the U.S. economy by shipping ?barrels full with goods from places like Wal-Mart and Costco?purchases such as motorcycles, washing machines, lawn mowers, weed whackers, and even chainsaws.?

Feinstein declared at the hearing that there was such unanimity that Congress should pass the farmworker section of the bill ?unamended.?

But even before the hearing turned to nonagricultural sections of the bill, the senators and agriculture witnesses got a taste of the opposition to come. Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he is worried that the bill makes legalization too easy and that when farmworkers move on to other jobs, a flood of undocumented workers will result. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., said he feels that farmers are saying they are ?entitled? to a certain number of workers and that when workers are not eligible for another visa, ?I don?t think we?ll be hunting down those people.? Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the border-security provisions ?fall short.?

Rodriguez noted that he is a Texas native and hopes that both Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, will support the bill. But Cruz, who is not on the Judiciary Committee, has already come out in opposition.

Iowa, Alabama, and Texas all need farmworkers. The agriculture leaders may think that they have worked hard to reach agreement among themselves, but they could find that persuading the senators from those states to vote for the bill may be an even bigger challenge.

Contributing Editor Jerry Hagstrom is the founder and executive director of The Hagstrom Report, which may be found at www.HagstromReport.com.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/agricultural-workers-farmers-unite-push-congress-immigration-reform-220259508--politics.html

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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Print your own Extreme Rules poster

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2013 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2013 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/extremerules/2013/printable-poster

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Apple marks a Decade of iTunes through an in-app timeline

Apple marks a Decade of iTunes

The tenth anniversary of the iTunes Store is looming on April 28th, and Apple wants to do more for the occasion than treat itself to a nice dinner. It just launched an interactive Decade of iTunes timeline (within iTunes itself, naturally) to remind us how far its music service has come since 2003. While the retrospective includes the expected sales milestones, media links and plugs for iPods, it's surprisingly detailed: you, too, can learn that Morcheeba rocked the album charts when iTunes reached Scandinavia. Apple has fiercer competition these days that not surprisingly goes unacknowledged, but it's good to have at least some context for Cupertino's more recent achievements. Catch a taste of that early iTunes Store vibe after the break.

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Via: The Loop

Source: iTunes Store

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/qPEV3XIRaBs/

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Involving Karaoke Music in Fun Parties - Artipot

Sometimes it becomes very difficult to select the right music to entertain guests. When it comes to karaoke music, most of the people find it as an increasingly difficult task. Today, people have different tastes, preferences, and lifestyles, which make them very distinct. Some people like rock music, some like classical, and some like very simple music that touches rustic vibes. Deciding a perfectly balanced song will please your guests and make the environment more delightful.

However, if you are confused then asking your guests about their personal choices is also a better option; in fact, you must initiate your party from this step only. They will tell you about their likes and dislikes. Guests interested in singing can make the environment pleasing. However, most of the people like to sing old melodious songs. But the basic thing is that you need to arrange all the instruments required for Karaoke songs.

If you can, you must ask your guests to choose simple songs so that you need not to arrange all the instruments at the party venue. However, real singers can manage in the minimum instruments or facilities. There are many different things you can try in order to dissolve fun in the atmosphere from amplifiers to superior sound systems. You must motivate people to sing old or new karaoke songs in groups. It not only makes the environment amazing, but liberal also. Group singing not only gives confidence to each member, but also allows them to try different songs of different genre.


You can enjoy karaoke songs during vacations or on any festive occasion. It is the time when people unite and celebrate at a common place. It may be your own backyard or any other place you like. But this is the time when you can enjoy different varieties of karaoke songs. You can ask people randomly or a group to sing a song of their choice. People often perform in the most ravishing way when they sing a song of their choice. They sing from the bottom of their hearts and also add feelings & emotions to the song.

The most creative idea that most of the people opt for is to choose songs that are latest hits so that more and more guests can enjoy the celebration. It will rejuvenate guests and encourage them to enjoy, dance and have fun. Today, you can easily find karaoke CDs, tracks, and different types of new Karaoke songs from the online music stores. These online music stores offer high-quality karaoke music tracks at the most competitive rates.

Source: http://www.artipot.com/articles/1560805/involving-karaoke-music-in-fun-parties.htm

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'Prefer someone else' beats Cuomo upstate in poll (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)

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