Bodybuilding.com - Strong Words, Vol. 1: New Titles In Health And ...

by Nick Collias Feb 27, 2013

Even the most computer-attached among us can usually point to a book or video that helped put us on the right path in fitness and strength training. Maybe yours was Arnold's New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, or a classic Robert Kennedy or Larry Scott title. Perhaps it was an obscure VHS that you wore out, or something you'd rather not admit to, but which still made you feel like you'd "gotten it" for the first time.

Even during the digital age, high-quality books and videos still set the bar when it comes to presenting comprehensive, well-sourced research and innovative training systems. In this new regular feature, we'll run down the latest promising new releases worthy of a place on your nightstand or coffee table. If you're looking for a way to turn your interest in training into a full-fledged education, they'll give you a good idea where to start.

Delavier's Anatomy for Bigger, Stronger Arms
by Frederick Delavier and Michael Gundill
Publisher: Human Kinetics
Price: $24.95

Who it's for: Anyone who believes a muscular physique begins with a strong knowledge of anatomy.

While definitely the most popular group of muscles for people to train, the arms are also the simplest, and they're arguably of much lower importance when compared to the muscles of the hips, legs, back, or core.

So I understand why legendary French illustrator Frederic Delavier, author of Strength Training Anatomy and a host of other titles, chose to focus on the arms in the second of his body part-specific training guides, after 2011's Core Training Anatomy. I just wish he'd hurry up and hit more body parts!

This book is chock-full of high-quality photos and illustrations done by Delavier himself. Demonstrating a deep practical and working knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics, Delavier and co-author Michael Gundill outline everything you need to know to build large, shapely arms.

A beginner can pick up this book and find the exercises, goal-setting guide, and arm workout programs they need to start their journey. Meanwhile, there is plenty of meat for the seasoned trainer, such as an impressive section on selectively training and understanding weak areas, common pathologies, and carryover into sport.

I have never seen a book that covered arm training at such a high level, yet was so simple to follow and beautifully illustrated. Anatomy for Bigger, Stronger Arms is without peer.
- Matt Biss

Anatomy For Runners: Unlocking Your Athletic Potential for Health, Speed, and Injury Prevention
by Jay Dicharry, MPT, SCS.
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Price: $14.95

Who it's for: Athletes who don't think "runner" needs to be a synonym for "weak" or "slouched".

The sport of running is at a crossroads. On one hand, the chorus of voices in the fitness community advocating sprints and interval training, and dismissing distance running altogether, has never been louder. On the other, extreme feats like ultramarathons are exploding in popularity.

In Anatomy for Runners, Jay Dicharry, the director of the SPEED Clinic and the Motion Analysis Lab at the University of Virginia, offers an "approachable biomechanics text" outlining how one of the foundational human movements has devolved into "some crazy type of badge-of-courage sport in which you have to pound yourself into shape day-in and day-out until you emerge on top."

Lost somewhere among the endless miles runners are logging are basic ideas like form, conditioning, and risk assessment, all of which runners ignore at their own peril, Dicharry writes.

Stunningly, more than 80 percent of runners will sustain a running-related injury at some point in their lifetime, yet as he points out, the act of running itself has never been clinically proven to be bad for you. In response, Dicharry recalls his own checkered history with running and injury before laying out "how the musculoskeletal system responds to running, and how to optimize this relationship."

In a slim volume priced less than a bestselling novel, he offers up well-illustrated mobility and stability tests to assess form, corrective exercises to improve flexibility and strength?including weightlifting?and principled tips in regard to footwear, stretching, and trends like barefoot running.

While he seems to favor a minimalist or barefoot approach to running, Dicharry also grants that heel-strikers can run without injury, and offers recommendations to help them do so. That may seem a small concession, but by bringing them in, he succeeds in making Anatomy for Runners a necessary title for runners of all stripes.

Click here to read our interview with Jay Dicharry and see his exclusive strength training program for runners.
- Nick Collias

Power Speed Endurance: A Skill-Based Approach to Endurance Training
by Brian MacKenzie
Publisher: Victory Belt Publishing
Price: $39.95

Who it's for: Enterprising home-CrossFitters who both sprint and go the distance.

Like Jay Dicharry, Brian MacKenzie treats running and other endurance sports as skills that should be developed strategically, rather than simply by piling on volume.

However, MacKenzie, the creator of the CrossFit offshoot CrossFit Endurance, goes far beyond biomechanics in Power Speed Endurance, laying out a total approach to preparing for endurance running, rowing, cycling, swimming, or triathlons. In a large and lavishly illustrated manifesto, MacKenzie goes into deep detail about strength training and conditioning, athletic technique, programming, and even nutrition and performance fueling.

In short, MacKenzie advocates preparation for distance rather than through distance. While long-distance training has a place in his programs, it is something to be worked up to in the long-term. In the short term, "stamina work is done at 80 percent effort or above," in the form of intervals, time trials, technique drills, and CrossFit AMRAP onslaughts.

The goal, he says, is efficiency: "First, master the skill of movement to improve movement efficiency; second, slowly add higher intensity workouts to build strength and test the limitations of your technique; then, once you can maintain technique with intensity, add volume."

A narrative of injury-prevention and overall health runs deep through Power Speed Endurance. Both MacKenzie and T.J. Murphy, who contributes the forward, detail how their experiences with traditional endurance training left them injury-ravaged and fundamentally weakened. CrossFit was their savior, leaving them able to both run a race and walk comfortably afterward.

At about half the price of a monthly membership to a CrossFit gym, MacKenzie's volume is a valuable exercise reference for anyone considering making the change to that system, or to CrossFit Endurance. If you're considering doing those systems on the cheap at home or in a standard gym, the volume is doubly valuable; he offers comprehensive 6-week and 12-week introductory programs, both general and sport-specific.
- Nick Collias

Raising the Bar: The Definitive Guide to Pull-Up Bar Calisthenics (DVD)
by Al Kavadlo
Publisher: Dragon Door Publications
Price: $29.95

Who it's for: Bodyweight-movement enthusiasts looking for new challenges on the cheap.

You'd probably recognize Al Kavadlo by sight if you've seen one of his 150 or so instructional YouTube videos. In each of them, this lean, tat-covered strength coach calmly explains and performs incredibly difficult bodyweight feats of strength using playground equipment in New York City's Thompson Square Park.

Kavadlo's almost cartoonishly friendly demeanor and his focus on strict progressions make for a welcome contrast to the chest-pounding music video vibe of most other playground workout videos. He clearly wants to teach, not just show what he can do.

In Kavadlo's new DVD, Raising the Bar?a companion to the book of the same name?he lays out detailed progressions for a wide variety of pull-ups, dips, muscle-ups, handstands, and levers. He and his brother Danny (similar tats, but scowling rather than smiling) cover everything from the simple two-arm hang to advanced plyometric moves, ending each short lesson with a short freestyle exhibition showcasing goal movements like fist muscle-ups and behind-the-back clapping pull-ups.

The value of a guide like Kavadlo's is clear for anyone aiming for specific bodyweight goals like a one-armed pull-up or muscle-up. However, it's also valuable simply for preserving the idea that movements and skills, rather than numbers or body markers, are legitimate end goals.

This isn't a system that works if you do it once each week. It needs to be practiced and nurtured over years, but the ultimate reward isn't just strength or body composition. It's a new way to play.
- Nick Collias

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story
by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: $35

Who it's for: Diehard fans looking for the final word on the Austrian Oak.

Being an avid bodybuilding fan for most of my life, I was as giddy as a Japanese school girl rocking a Hello Kitty cosplay at Comic-Con when this was finally published. Total Recall is a revealing look at some of the details of the Austrian Oak's life and career development, offering plenty of memories and anecdotes from his early life that even fans like me missed over the years.

Coming from a damaged post World War II Austria, Arnold views America as a beacon of success and strength and vows to get himself there. He goes unabashedly after what he wants, taking obstacles out of his path with his indomitable will like a heat-seeking missile.

Arriving in America with only a gym bag in hand, Schwarzenegger uses his determination and cunning to build an empire founded on bodybuilding, movies, and business. Many gritty details from his film-making and politics come to light in Total Recall, but predictably, much of the dirty laundry remains hidden, with only glancing mentions of some of the obvious scandals already known to the public.

Having spent more time than most learning about Arnold, this new addition to the Oak's library brings enough new content to make it a worthwhile investment. It is an enjoyable read but feels cautious?you can only wonder what was left out. Maybe instead of Total Recall: My Unbelievable True Life Story it should be titled Total Image Control: The Inspiring Parts of my Life Story.
- Matt Biss

Know of a new book, ebook, or video we should review? Drop a line to nick.collias@bodybuilding.com.

About The Author

Nick Collias is the Senior Content Editor at Bodybuilding.com.

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Surprise! Shocking Big Data Stats from Big Business - Maximize ...

SURPRISE! That is ultimate shock in what could be the most misunderstood big data stats ever released. As a social media management agency, even we must admit to having underestimated some of the risky business taking place behind the backs of CEO?s, investors and marketing pro?s alike. From thought leaders to industry experts, these big data stats are nothing short of shocking?and very instructive. Keep reading to discover what is lurking behind the big data facade and what it means for the future of social media marketing.

Big Business, Big Data & Big Insight

How does the Fortune 500 handle their data? That is the question being asked by investors, CEO?s and social media marketing experts alike. Aside from a few sporadic survey?s now and then, very few comprehensive assessments have ever been undertaken?until now. A recent review of big business data practices uncovered some interesting?if not somewhat discouraging?trends among the Fortune 500. This is especially troublesome when one realizes that these represent the biggest, most public and best funded corporations in the nation. Corporations that other small business entities look to for direction. Corporations that often collaborate with government entities to create or uphold data policies. Corporations that should know how to set a proper example.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

We don?t want to paint an overly negative picture; in fact, many of the corporations surveyed demonstrated highly desirable data trends. It was those that didn?t which give cause for concern. For example?.

Roughly 80% of corporate data policies indicated they would share personal client data with a third party.

Now, as a social media management agency, we often speak about the need to have a strong data policy and even the need to abide by a formal request of information by law enforcement?this corporate trend totally excludes legal requests. No, this merely involves sharing with third party service providers, suppliers and even shippers. Is this a good thing or bad? Well, in reality it depends on how well the client understands what information is being collected and how it will be used. For example, the majority of social media users are happy to provide some basic information in exchange for entry into a contest or sweepstake. On the other hand, very few would appreciate making personal medical history known in exchange for access to their physician office. Of those that do share information, most do so with consent however, it should be noted that the issue of client consent is controversial at best. As a social media management firm, we can attest to the fickle nature of social media users, many of which given consent without ever taking the time to read terms or other ?fine print?. In short, it?s well understood within the industry that few consumers understand what they are agreeing to before providing consent. Does this matter? Maybe ? once again, it depends upon the industry. For those in traditional sales or social media marketing, it?s often better to err on the side of caution ?just in case?. On the other hand, there is ample evidence that attempting to inform consumers may actually worsen the problem. Many social media users routinely expect some level of personal privacy to be shared; taking the time to draw attention may make it seem out of the ordinary and therefore, much worse than it actually is?.a lesson Facebook and other major social media sites have encountered first-hand in recent months.

Roughly 16% fail to provide any type of written protocol on sharing of information whatsoever!

As a social media management firm, it?s hard for us to imagine why a major corporation would fail to inform clients on how data is to be used but according to recent research, only about 4% of Fortune 500 corporations refrain from sharing data with others while approximately 16% apparently don?t even have a policy in place.

All survey?s corporations purchased personal data and information!

Every single Fortune 500 organization involved in the survey indicated a consistent pattern of buying information from others?.and with good reason. Personal data is big business and the more data available, the more reliable and informed business decisions are possible. Are you making the most of your own client data? Do you know how to find, purchase and use available data from other providers? If not, you are only getting a small fraction of the information possible by working with a reputable social media management firm.

Over 45% engaged in targeted advertising yet over 90% distinguished between ?personally identifying information? gathering.

How can this be correct? On the one hand, big business is clearly engaged in the use of social media marketing, direct email and other targeted advertising techniques yet also denies compiling personally identifying information. As a social media management firm, both are indeed correct. It is possible to target specific cohorts of users?or even individual users?without breaching security and personal privacy! However, it does take work and should be carefully managed by properly trained social media marketing and other experts. More than a few major corporations have been sued over privacy related concerns including WebMD and other major marketing sites.

The future of data ownership is unclear.

Mobile marketing and social media are two venues causing a great deal of consternation among big business?primarily due to the ambiguity surrounding the ownership of data. For instance, popphoto recently reported the fact that many restaurant are prohibiting patrons from taking photographs of their food to upload to social media sites. Why? In fear of bad publicity when a given entre? falls short of the carefully crafted photographed meal used in traditional publicity. But who ?own? the meal once bought and paid for? Likewise, who ?owns? information such as check-in locations made possible via the GPS on a mobile cell phone or for that matter?who ?owns? the information related to a personal search query? To date, service providers have claimed at least a portion of ownership rights?and sales of big data based upon aggregated compilations of data derived from vast number of users. But do individual consumers have a right to their own information and if so, what dollar value and/or legal and financial terms are appropriate for usage? This is the emerging question being asked by global social media marketing agencies especially now that France and other EU nations are considering a proposed global tax on the ?free labor? and other efforts brought about by the combined talents of millions of social media users.

Source: https://maximizesocialmedia.com/social-media-management-surprise-shocking-big-data-stats-from-big-business

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Kenya's Mumias Sugar issues profit warning

* Raises per-share price to 10 rand from 8.55 rand * Plans to delist Cipla Medpro when sale complete MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian drugmaker Cipla Ltd on Thursday sweetened its offer by 17 percent to take over South Africa's third-largest drugmaker, Cipla Medpro South Africa Ltd, ending the uncertainty of an earlier offer that had been put on hold by the Indian company. Cipla, India's fifth-largest drugmaker by sales, said it would spend about $512 million, or 10 rand a share, to acquire Cipla Medpro and then delist the South African drugmaker. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenyas-mumias-sugar-issues-profit-warning-150815793--finance.html

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What Are You Suppose To Do When Your Have, Like, 106,926 Unread Emails?

CHICAGO (AP) ? Technology is supposed to make us easier to reach, and often does. But the same modes of communication that have hooked us on the instant reply also can leave us feeling forgotten.

We send an email, a text or an instant chat message. We wait ? and nothing happens. Or we make a phone call. Leave a voicemail message. Wait. Again, nothing.

We tend to assume it's a snub, and sometimes it is.

Erica Swallow, a 26-year-old New Yorker, says she's heard a former boyfriend brag about how many text messages he never reads. "Who does that?" she asks, exasperatedly.

These days, though, no response can mean a lot of things. Maybe some people don't see messages because they prefer email and you like Twitter. Maybe we're just plain overwhelmed, and can't keep up with the constant barrage of communication.

Whatever the reason, it's causing a lot of frustration. A recent survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 39 percent of cell phone owners say people they know complain because they don't respond promptly to phone calls or text messages. A third of cell owners also have been told they don't check their phones frequently enough.

It happens in love. It happens in business.

"Tell me to go to hell, but just tell me something! I'm getting lonely over here." That's what Cherie Kerr, a public relations executive in Santa Ana, Calif., jokes she's considered putting after her email signature.

It happens in families.

Last year, Terri Barr, a woman on Long Island, N.Y., with grown children, sent her son a birthday present ? a $350 gift certificate for "a wonderful kayaking trip for six, lunch, wine, equipment," she says.

She sent him an email with the details, but he didn't respond. She says she then telephoned and texted him to tell him it was a present. He eventually sent a one-line email, she says, telling her he was too swamped to open her email gift right then.

Instant communication "can be wonderful ? but also terrible," says Barr, who shared the story more as a lament of modern communication than a reprimand of her son, whose busy work life, she acknowledged, often takes him overseas.

So this year, she sent him a birthday gift by snail-mail in a box. "He actually opened it," she says, and they've been talking more frequently since then.

Many other people, though, sit waiting for responses that never come.

"That's where the frustration lies ? it's in the ambiguity," says Susannah Stern, a professor of communication studies at San Diego State University.

Though we often assume the worst, experts say we shouldn't.

Frequently, they say, people simply ? and unknowingly ? choose the wrong way to contact someone.

"I admit to having often been lax with checking my work number voicemail, which has led to me not responding to people waiting for my reply," says Janet Sternberg, an assistant professor of communication and media studies at Fordham University.

She's also had technical glitches. For instance: thinking she'd sent a text message to someone overseas and then, when he didn't respond, realizing she had his international number programmed incorrectly in her phone.

"The sheer management of all these devices and channels is exhausting and sometimes daunting, leaving less and less time for actual communication," Sternberg says. "We connect more but communicate less, in many ways."

That's why many people say they have no choice but to prioritize ? and to respond only to the most urgent messages.

That describes Mahrinah von Schlegel, who's working to launch a Chicago-based "incubator" that will offer shared office space and other resources for fledgling tech entrepreneurs.

"People get angry when not answered and send multiple messages," says von Schlegel, the 30-year-old managing director of the firm, known as Cibola. She says missed communication has caused her to lose some business deals. Often, it's when people try to contact her by Facebook or direct message on Twitter and she doesn't see the messages for days. Email, she says, is her preferred mode of communication.

But even then, she says, there are only so many hours in the day: "I still need time to eat and sleep and shower."

As she sees it, getting no response ? even when she's the one unsuccessfully trying to contact someone ? is just part of life in a high-tech world. A lot of young people say that, so they've become accustomed to having to try again, or try a different mode of communication if something is truly urgent.

"I think there's this understanding because we've grown up being bombarded by communication," says Mike Gnitecki, a 28-year-old special education teacher in Longview, Texas.

So he's willing to try "multiple points of contact" when trying to reach his students' parents ? because, if he wants a response, "that's just how it is."

David Gillman, a 25-year-old Chicagoan, also opts for brevity and efficiency by sending mass texts to several friends at once to save time.

He only expects those who have time or inclination to respond, and doesn't take it personally if they don't.

It gets trickier, he says, with people from older generations, including his parents, because they like to leave him voicemails, which he doesn't like to take time to check.

"I need to get better about that," he concedes.

Those types of missed communications ? and a lack of response ? can cause "turbulence" in a relationship, says Dan Faltesek, an assistant professor of social media at Oregon State University. But, he adds, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"It can be a little awkward, but you should talk to people about how you like to talk," Faltesek says. "Everyone will be happier when they say what the rules are."

And it'll go even more smoothly, he says, when people are willing to step outside their own favorite mode of communication to those preferred by the person they're contacting.

"Use the reverse golden rule," Faltesek advises. "Treat others the way THEY like to be treated."

An example: Gnitecki, the teacher in Texas, is considering sending a survey home to ask parents how they'd like to be contacted.

Tech and communication experts agree that choosing a primary means of communication, and letting it be known, is one way to improve communication.

Rebecca Otis, content and social media manager at Digital Third Coast, an Internet marketing firm in Chicago, also recommends getting rid of email and social media accounts you don't check regularly. And text messaging, she says, should be reserved for communication that requires a more urgent reply.

Finding ways to prioritize, and receive, the most important messages also helps.

San Francisco-based AwayFind Inc. is among companies that have developed applications that help filter email ? in this instance, alerting users to important emails on their mobile devices.

In the end, we can't possibly respond to everything, says Jared Goralnick, the company's founder and CEO, who's also part of a nonprofit group called the Information Overload Research Group, which looks for ways to deal with out-of-control communication.

As he sees it, it's good to be responsive, "but not to set an expectation that you'll be available for everything."

"That's just not sustainable," he says.

In other words, if we're going to keep our sanity, we'll sometimes have to accept the no response.

____

On the Internet:

Information Overload Research Group: http://iorgforum.org/

Pew: http://www.pewinternet.org

___

Martha Irvine is a national writer for The Associated Press. She can be reached at mirvine(at)ap.org or at http://twitter.com/irvineap

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/26/email-overload_n_2763535.html

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Sony Mobile has 'an ambition' to launch Firefox OS device in 2014

Despite what your feelings may be about Firefox OS, various OEMs and carriers are clearly content with having more options to explore. The latest outfit appears to be Sony's Mobile entity, which, earlier today, announced it had reached a multi-year deal with Telefónica that will "explore the development" of a device running Mozilla's novel operating system. What's more, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Head of Products Business Group, Bob Ishida, says Sony Mobile engineers are already working on a project with the new mobile OS on the block, adding that the eventual goal is to "bring a product to market in 2014." Now, whether we'll see higher-end slabs than some of the ones we've experienced thus far, well, dear readers, that remains to be seen.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Telef?nica

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/sony-telefonica-firefox-os-2014/

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State senators to talk Sunday liquor store sales in Minnesota (Star Tribune)

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Italy faces stalemate after election shock

ROME (Reuters) - Italy faced political deadlock on Tuesday after a stunning election that saw the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement of comic Beppe Grillo become the strongest party in the country but left no group with a clear majority in parliament.

"The winner is: Ingovernability" was the headline in Rome newspaper Il Messaggero, reflecting the stalemate the country would have to confront in the next few weeks as sworn enemies would be forced to work together to form a government.

The center-left coalition led by Pier Luigi Bersani won the lower house by around 125,000 votes, where it will have a majority because of a premium given to the largest party or coalition.

Results in the upper house Senate indicated the center-left would end up with about 119 seats, compared with 117 for the center-right. Seats are awarded on a region-by-region basis in the Senate, where a majority of 158 is needed to govern.

Any coalition must have a working majority in both houses in order to pass legislation.

Bersani claimed victory but said it was obvious that Italy was in "a very delicate situation".

Neither Grillo, a comedian-turned-politician who previously ruled out any alliance with another party, nor Silvio Berlusconi's center-right bloc, which threatened to challenge the close tally, showed any immediate willingness to negotiate.

Commentators said all of Grillo's adversaries had underestimated the appeal of a grassroots movement that called itself a "non-party", particularly its allure among young Italians who find themselves without jobs and the prospect of a decent future.

The 5-star Movement's score of 25.5 percent in the lower house was just ahead of the 25.4 percent for Bersani's Democratic Party, which ran in a coalition with the leftist SEL party, and it won almost 8.7 million votes overall - more than any other single party.

FRUSTRATED GENERATION

"The 'non-party' has become the largest party in the country," said Massimo Giannini, commentator for the Rome newspaper La Repubblica.

World financial markets reacted nervously to the prospect of a government stalemate in the euro zone's third-largest economy with memories still fresh of the financial crisis that took the 17-member currency bloc to the brink of collapse in 2011.

The euro skidded to an almost seven-week low against the dollar in Asia on fears about the euro zone's debt crisis. It fell as far as $1.3042, its lowest since January 10.

A first indication of investors' reaction to the results will come later on Tuesday when the Treasury auctions 8.75 billion euros in 6-month bonds.

Italy's borrowing costs have come down in recent months, helped by the promise of European Central Bank support but the election result confirmed fears of many European countries that it would not produce a government strong enough to implement effective reforms.

Grillo's surge in the final weeks of the campaign threw the race open, with hundreds of thousands turning up at his rallies to hear him lay into targets ranging from corrupt politicians and bankers to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In just three years, his 5-Star Movement, heavily backed by a frustrated generation of young Italians increasingly shut out from permanent full-time jobs, has grown from a marginal group to one of the most talked about political forces in Europe.

"The 5-Star Movement is the real winner of the election," said SEL leader Nichi Vendola, who said that his coalition would have to deal with Grillo, who mixes fierce attacks on corruption with policies ranging from clean energy to free Internet.

RECESSION

"It's a classic result. Typically Italian," said Roberta Federica, a 36-year-old office worker in Rome. "It means the country is not united. It is an expression of a country that does not work. I knew this would happen."

A long recession and growing disillusionment with mainstream parties fed a bitter public mood that saw more than half of Italian voters back parties that rejected the austerity policies pursued by Prime Minister Mario Monti with the backing of Italy's European partners.

Monti suffered a major setback. His centrist grouping won only 10.6 percent and two of his key centrist allies, Pier Ferdinando Casini and lower house speaker Gianfranco Fini, both of parliamentarians for decades, were booted out.

"It's not that surprising if you consider how much delusion there was with politics in its traditional forms," Monti said.

Berlusconi's campaign, mixing sweeping tax cut pledges with relentless attacks on Monti and Merkel, echoed many of the themes pushed by Grillo and underlined the increasingly angry mood of the Italian electorate.

Stefano Zamagni, an economics professor at Bologna University said the result showed that a significant share of Italians "are fed up with following the austerity line of Germany and its northern allies".

"These people voted to stick one up to Merkel and austerity," he said.

Even if the next government turns away from the tax hikes and spending cuts brought in by Monti, it will struggle to revive an economy that has scarcely grown in two decades.

Monti was widely credited with tightening Italy's public finances and restoring its international credibility after the scandal-plagued Berlusconi, whom he replaced as the 2011 financial crisis threatened to spin out of control.

But he struggled to pass the kind of structural reforms needed to improve competitiveness and lay the foundations for a return to economic growth, and a weak center-left government may not find it any easier.

(Writing by Philip Pullella; Additional reporting by Barry Moody, Gavin Jones, Catherine Hornby and Naomi O'Leary; Editing by Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/huge-protest-vote-leaves-italy-facing-deadlock-005214049.html

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White House will soon revive cybersecurity legislation push

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A senior adviser to President Barack Obama said the White House will soon renew efforts to push cybersecurity legislation through Congress, though he foresaw an uphill battle given the failure of the last attempt.

Daniel said the White House has begun drafting "key legislative principles" for a new bill that it believes can pass both the House and Senate this time.

"We very much want a bill," White House cybersecurity coordinator Michael Daniel told Reuters while in San Francisco to meet industry experts and business leaders at a security conference. But he added: "I don't want to leave anybody with an impression that we underestimate the challenges."

"We will do our best to work with Congress," he added. "You will see that develop over the next couple of weeks to months," he said.

Cybersecurity legislation backed by the Obama administration died in the Senate in November amid fierce opposition from businesses that complained about over-regulation.

That bill would have increased information-sharing between intelligence agencies and private companies, with some privacy protections. It also would have set voluntary standards for businesses that control electric grids, water treatment plants and other essential facilities.

In the absence of overarching legislation, the Obama administration will pursue other means to improve cybersecurity, he said. Those included implementing an executive order the president signed this month that seeks to better protect critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks.

The order directs federal authorities to improve information-sharing on cyber-threats - including some that may be classified - with companies that provide or support critical infrastructure.

"It would be a mistake to assume you can't make any progress in the absence of legislation," he said.

The principles that the White House will support in new legislation include requiring that a civilian agency must be in charge of information-sharing, Daniel said.

Last year's Senate plan likewise would have put the Department of Homeland Security squarely in charge, though it could turn to the military's National Security Agency for assistance.

(Additional reporting by Joseph Menn and Deborah Charles; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-soon-revive-cybersecurity-legislation-push-011024890.html

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Michelle Obama announces Best Picture winner

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at the Oscars, opening the envelope that contained the name of the Best Picture winner, "Argo."

Appearing via streaming video from the White House, Mrs. Obama said all of the nominees demonstrated that "we can overcome any obstacle."

She said that message is "especially important for our young people" and thanked Hollywood for encouraging children "to open their imaginations."

The first lady was introduced by Jack Nicholson, who noted that the Best Picture trophy is usually announced solo.

Mrs. Obama wore a silver, art deco-inspired gown by Indian-born American fashion designer Naeem Khan. It was the same dress she wore for the Obamas' dinner with the nation's governors at the White House Sunday night.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-25-Oscars-Michelle%20Obama/id-2627e795104146819fa2d21117257c09

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Urijah Faber and Court McGee take UFC 157 wins

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Urijah Faber and Court McGee got back on the winning track at UFC 157 on Saturday.

Faber got a first-round submission win over Ivan Menjivar. Faber and Menjivar started the fight with a rolling takedown and Faber ended up on top. He worked the top position until Menjivar got back to his feet. Faber held on, and while attached to Menjivar's back, Faber swung around and sunk in a rear naked choke. Menjivar tapped at 4:34 in the first round. The Anaheim crowd erupted for "The California Kid."

It was an important win for Faber after he lost a title fight to Renan Barao in July. The win puts him at 27-6, with five of his losses coming in title fights.

[Also: Ronda Rousey survives UFC debut, wins via first-round arm bar]

In earlier action, Court McGee punched his way to a decision win over Josh Neer. McGee used an effective strategy early on of working Josh Neer's body. Throughout the first round, Neer was hobbled by McGee's body punches. But in the second, McGee worked more on headshots. Though it wasn't as effective, McGee outstruck Neer. In the final round, McGee worked the ground game and controlled Neer while still leading on strikes. All three judges saw it 30-27 for McGee.

It was McGee's first fight at welterweight.

?I felt great at 170 lbs. This was a great move for me. I felt stronger, faster and had a lot more gas. I was told by FightMetric that I broke the record for most significant strikes ever in a welterweight fight and feel great. I could have stopped it, maybe, early with body shots but I was glad I put on a good performance.?

After the win, McGee's record is 15-3. Though he won "The Ultimate Fighter," he also lost two fights in 2012.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/urijah-faber-court-mcgee-ufc-157-wins-042110004--mma.html

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Battle for Syria's Aleppo airport intensifies

BEIRUT (AP) ? The battle for Syria's second-largest airport intensified Saturday as government troops tried to reverse recent strategic gains the rebels have made in the northeast in their quest to topple President Bashar Assad.

Assad's forces have been locked in a stalemate with rebels in Aleppo since July when the city, the largest in Syria, became a major battlefield in the 2-year-old conflict the United Nations says has killed at least 70,000 people. For months, rebels have been trying to capture the international airport, which is closed because of the fighting.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activist group, said the current fighting was focused on a section of a highway linking the airport with Aleppo, the commercial hub of the nation.

The rebels have cut off the highway, which the army has been using to transport troops and supplies to a military base within the airport complex. Rebels have made other advances in the battle for the airport in recent weeks, including overrunning two army bases along the road to the airport.

The rebels also control large swaths of countryside outside Aleppo and whole neighborhoods inside the city, which is carved up into areas controlled by the regime and others held by rebels. Months of heavy street fighting has left whole neighborhoods of the storied city in ruins.

On Friday, regime forces fired three missiles into a rebel-held area in eastern Aleppo, hitting several buildings and killing 37 people, according to the Observatory. Some bodies were recovered from the rubble of apartments flattened in the strike, which apparently involved ground-to-ground missiles.

A similar attack on Tuesday in another impoverished Aleppo neighborhood killed at least 33 people, almost half of them children.

In Damascus, government forces shelled several rebellious suburbs Saturday as part of their efforts to dislodge opposition fighters who have used the towns and villages surrounding the capital as a staging ground for their attempts to push into the center of the city.

Recent rebel advances in the suburbs, combined with the bombings and three straight days of mortar attacks earlier this week, marked the most sustained challenge to the heart of Damascus, the seat of Assad's power.

A suicide car bombing on Thursday near the ruling Baath Party headquarters in central Damascus killed 53 people and wounded more than 200, according to state media. Anti-regime activists put the death toll at 61, which would make it the deadliest bombing of the revolt in the capital.

The different tolls could not be reconciled.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack. Car bombs and suicide attacks have been a hallmark of Jabhat al-Nusra, an Islamic militant group that is one of the myriad factions fighting on the rebel side. Nusra fighters, the most effective group on the battlefield, have led assaults on military installations and control swaths of territory in the north, including parts of Aleppo.

The fighting has increasingly taken on sectarian overtones with members of Syria's Sunni Muslim majority dominating the rebel ranks, who are fighting Assad's regime that is mostly made up of Alawites, an offshoot Shiite group.

Efforts to stop the bloodshed in Syria so far have failed, leaving the international community at a loss of how to end the civil war.

Russia, one of Assad's closest allies, and the Arab League proposed on Wednesday to broker talks between the Syrian opposition and Assad's regime. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem will lead a delegation to Moscow on Monday, and Russia had been expecting a visit in March from opposition leader Mouaz al-Khatib.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Kremlin and the League were trying to establish direct contact between the Syrian regime and the opposition. The Western-backed opposition umbrella group, the Syrian National Coalition, long rejected any talks as long as Assad remains in power.

In a sharp turnaround, al-Khatib said earlier this month he would meet with members of the regime if that would help end the bloodshed. His comments, however, drew pointed criticism from several opposition figures who said al-Khatib spoke for himself, not the group.

On Friday, the Coalition announced after two days of meetings in Cairo that it would welcome U.S. and Russian mediation to negotiate a peace deal to end the country's civil war but insisted it would not allow Assad or members of his security services to participate in the talks.

But the SNC then said in a statement posted on its Facebook page late Friday that its leaders would not travel to Washington or Moscow for any talks. It said the decision was taken to protest the international community's "silence over crimes committed by the regime" against Syrian people in Aleppo and other cities across the country.

The Coalition also lashed out at Russia, saying it bears "special responsibility" because it supplies the regime with weapons.

The statement also said that the opposition leaders would boycott a meeting next month in Rome of the Friends of Syria, which includes the United States and its European allies.

___

Associated Press writer Ryan Lucas in Beirut contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/battle-syrias-aleppo-airport-intensifies-131106416.html

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Morning links: Tavon Austin's iPad prepares him for Patriots

Good morning, football fans. It's Manti Te'o day here at the combine, but before the craziness, let's pass along some links from today's Herald.

My main story is on West Virginia slot receiver Tavon Austin, who has studied Wes Welker for years and might be his suitable replacement.

Karen Guregian writes the Patriots can't afford to drop another draft card if they target a wide receiver.

My notebook leads with a look at the high draft value of injured South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, a star who has met with the Patriots. There are also items on former Patriot Brent Williams' son, Ja'Rick Rogers' penance and Rob Gronkowski's spiked performance.

Source: http://bostonherald.com/sports/patriots_nfl/the_blitz/2013/02/morning_links_tavon_austins_ipad_prepares_him_for_patriots

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Afghanistan: U.S. special forces must leave province

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Afghanistan's president on Sunday ordered all U.S. special forces to leave a strategically important eastern province within two weeks because of allegations that Afghans working with them are torturing and abusing other Afghans.

The decision seems to have caught the coalition and U.S. Forces Afghanistan, a separate command, by surprise. Americans have frequently drawn anger from the Afghan public over issues ranging from Qurans burned at a U.S. base to allegations of civilian killings.

"We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and go to great lengths to determine the facts surrounding them," the U.S. forces said in a statement.

Also Sunday, a series of attacks in eastern Afghanistan showed insurgents remain on the offensive even as U.S. and other international forces prepare to end their combat mission by the end of 2014.

Suicide bombers targeted Afghanistan's intelligence agency and other security forces in four coordinated attacks in the heart of Kabul and outlying areas in a bloody reminder of the insurgency's reach nearly 12 years into the war.

Presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi said the decision to order the American special forces to leave Wardak province was taken during a meeting of the National Security Council because of the alleged actions of Afghans who are considered linked to the U.S. special forces.

He said all special forces operations were to cease immediately in the restive province next to Kabul, which is viewed as a gateway to the capital and has been the focus of counterinsurgency efforts in recent years.

The Taliban have staged numerous attacks against U.S.-led coalition forces in the province. In August 2011, insurgents shot down a Chinook helicopter, killing 30 American troops, mostly elite Navy SEALs, in Wardak. The crash was the single deadliest loss for U.S. forces in the war.

Afghan forces have taken the lead in many such special operations, especially so-called night raids.

"Those Afghans in these armed groups who are working with the U.S. special forces, the defense minister asked for an explanation of who they are," Faizi said. "Those individuals should be handed over to the Afghan side so that we can further investigate."

A statement the security council issued in English said the armed individuals have allegedly been "harassing, annoying, torturing and even murdering innocent people."

Ceasing all such operations could have a negative impact on the coalition's campaign to go after Taliban leaders and commanders, who are usually the target of such operations.

Faizi said the issue had already been brought up with the coalition.

The U.S. statement said only that the announcement was "an important issue that we intend to fully discuss with our Afghan counterparts. But until we have had a chance to speak with senior Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan officials about this issue, we are not in a position to comment further."

The brazen assaults, which occurred within a three-hour timespan, were the latest to strike Afghan forces, who have suffered higher casualties this year as U.S. and other foreign troops gradually take a back seat and shift responsibility for security to the government.

The deadliest attack occurred just after sunrise ? a suicide car bombing at the gate of the National Directorate of Security compound in Jalalabad, 125 kilometers (78 miles) east of Kabul.

Guards shot and killed the driver but he managed to detonate the explosives-packed vehicle, killing two intelligence agents and wounding three others, according to a statement by the intelligence agency. Provincial government spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai confirmed the casualty toll and said the building was damaged in the attack.

A guard also shot and killed a man in an SUV filled with dynamite that was targeting an NDS building on a busy street in Kabul, not far from NATO headquarters. The explosives in the back of the vehicle were defused. Blood stained the driver's seat and the ground where security forces dragged out the would-be attacker.

Shortly before the Jalalabad attack, a suicide attacker detonated a minivan full of explosives at a police checkpoint in Pul-i-Alam on the main highway between Kabul and Logar province. One policeman was killed and two others were wounded, along with a bystander, according to the NDS.

Also in Logar province, which is due south of Kabul, a man wearing a suicide vest was stopped by police as he tried to force his way into the police headquarters for Baraki Barak district, said Din Mohammad Darwesh, the provincial government spokesman. The attacker detonated his vest while being searched, wounding one policeman, according to Darwesh and the NDS.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the Jalalabad attack and two others in the eastern province of Logar in an email to reporters. He did not address the attempted assault in Kabul.

____

Associated Press writers Heidi Vogt, Rahim Faiez and Kim Gamel contributed to this report from Kabul.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/afghanistan-us-special-forces-must-leave-province-161601103.html

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Bank of Japan contest becoming more open race as Muto loses momentum

TOKYO (Reuters) - Former top bureaucrat Toshiro Muto is losing some momentum in the race to become Japan's next central bank governor, making for a more open contest, which will kick off in full force this week following Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's return from his U.S. trip.

Muto had been considered the leading candidate to replace incumbent Masaaki Shirakawa, who leaves on March 19 after a five-year term. Muto remains on the short list with strong backing from bureaucrats at the powerful Ministry of Finance.

But evidence is building that the race may be closer than previously thought between Muto, Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda and former deputy governor Kazumasa Iwata, say officials and lawmakers familiar with the selection process.

Abe, who won a resounding election victory in December promising to finally rid Japan of nearly 20 years of deflation, wants a fresh face in the job, someone more eager to experiment with radical measures, the sources said.

"Muto is preferred by finance ministry bureaucrats, while people close to Abe want someone else," said one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

"How markets may react is also important," the source said, adding that Abe may want to avoid disappointing markets already pricing in a radical makeover of monetary policy under a new Bank of Japan (BOJ) leadership. His policy prescription, dubbed "Abenomics", has pushed the yen to its lowest level in more than three years.

Tokyo share prices fell briefly after Reuters reported on February 15 that Muto was leading the BOJ race, as investors saw him as a policymaker who would be more aggressive with policy than the outgoing Skirakawa, but who would also refrain from the more unorthodox steps advocated by some candidates.

Finance Minister Taro Aso told reporters on Friday the new BOJ governor does not necessarily have to be someone from his ministry, leaving room to support candidates besides Muto if Abe insists on someone more radical.

Abe hardened his comments last week on the need for a new governor to have international contacts as a key qualification for the post, suggesting that he prefers someone with experience in financial diplomacy. Muto spent most of his career in domestic affairs, rising up the career ladder at the ministry of finance to become its top bureaucrat.

"Japan now needs a governor who can join, communicate and convince people in the inner circles of global finance," Abe told parliament on Wednesday.

CHOICES

That would put ADB's Kuroda, who was Japan's top currency diplomat in the midst of the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, at the top of the list. As president of the 67-member ADB, which includes countries from outside of Asia, he rubs shoulders with policymakers the world over.

Kuroda is now leading the race to become nominated by the government as next BOJ governor, the major Japanese daily Asahi newspaper reported on Saturday, quoting finance ministry and senior government officials.

Indeed, Kuroda ticks many other qualifications suggested by Abe's cabinet ministers and opposition parties, such as experience managing a large organization, strong English skills and the sharing of Abe's calls for bolder monetary stimulus.

Kazumasa Iwata, a former deputy BOJ governor, also remains a strong candidate thanks to his fluent English, academic work on economic policy known at home and abroad, and his consistent calls for more aggressive bond buying by the central bank.

But both of them face road-blocks in getting chosen. Kuroda would have to cut short his job at the ADB, which could weaken Japan's standing as the country that traditionally provides the head of the organization established in 1966.

Should Iwata get the top job, his repeated calls for the BOJ to create a fund to buy foreign bonds could raise suspicions among Japan's Group of Seven peers that Tokyo is targeting the yen with monetary policy.

More radical candidates from the academia like Kikuo Iwata and Takatoshi Ito, while favored by Abe and his aides, may have less of a chance because they lack experience managing a big organization -- a prerequisite set by Aso, the sources said.

The selection process for the top BOJ posts -- that of the governor and two deputy governors -- will start in full force later on Sunday upon Abe's return from the United States.

"The choice will have a huge impact on the current market trend of yen weakness and share price gains. It will be made based mainly on whether the person will pursue bold monetary policy that the premier is seeking," Japan's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told a television program on Sunday.

Delicate political maneuvering is still needed to ensure parliamentary approval and may mean that Abe has to settle for someone who is not his first choice.

The prime minister is keen to avoid a rerun of the debacle in 2008 when the seat for the BOJ governor was left open for weeks because the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) blocked the nomination of several candidates, including Muto, in the upper house.

Support from opposition parties is vital again as Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party lacks a majority in the upper house. The chance of Muto getting the job heightens if Abe can garner support from the biggest opposition Democratic Party of Japan, which has signaled it would not rule out ex-bureaucrats.

But other candidates will have a better chance if Abe must rely on support from fringe parties like Your Party, which is opposed to ex-bureaucrats and want the governor to be a fluent English speaker, which Muto is not.

"Abe may have already chosen his top candidate, but nobody really knows what's on his mind. Everything will start rolling once he's back from the United States," said another source.

(Additional reporting by Sumio Ito, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Shinji Kitamura and Yuko Yoshikawa; Editing by Neil Fullick)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bank-japan-contest-becoming-more-open-race-muto-012126520--business.html

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In U.S., flu vaccine worked in just over half of those who got it

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A U.S. government analysis of this season's flu vaccine suggests it was effective in only 56 percent of people who got the shot, and it largely failed to protect the elderly against an especially deadly strain circulating during flu season.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the findings underscore the need for more effective weapons in the fight against influenza, which kills between 3,000 and 50,000 people in the United States each year depending on the severity of the flu season.

"We simply need a better vaccine against influenza, one that works better and lasts longer," CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said in a statement on Thursday.

Experts generally estimate the effectiveness of flu vaccines to be between 50 percent and 70 percent, but this vaccine appears to have fallen on the low side of that range.

The vaccine did cut the risk of medical visits caused by either influenza A or influenza B by 56 percent, according to the study published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

It was more effective against influenza B, protecting 67 percent of those who were vaccinated. Against the influenza A (H3N2) strain, the vaccine protected only 47 percent.

The protective benefits of the vaccine against influenza B were consistent across age groups. That was not the case with the influenza A (H3N2) component of the vaccine, which protected 46 percent to 58 percent of people aged 6 months to 64 years, but only 9 percent of those 65 and older, a finding that was statistically insignificant.

The estimates are based on studies of 2,697 children and adults enrolled in the U.S. Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network between December 3 and January 19. The CDC said those estimates may change by the end of the flu season, when more people have been sampled.

Even so, the findings suggest that a large group of elderly people, who are consistently the most vulnerable to influenza, were unprotected during this year's flu season.

POOR IMMUNE RESPONSE TO VACCINES

One possible explanation may be that in older individuals, the immune system often produces a less robust immune response to vaccines, or to any infection.

CDC experts suggested that poor immune response to the influenza A (H3N2) component of the vaccine may help explain why the elderly were not protected, but said in the report the findings "should not discourage future vaccination by persons aged 65 years (or older), who are at greater risk for more severe cases and complications from influenza."

Dr. Joseph Bresee, a flu expert at the CDC, said overall the vaccine worked "OK," but it is not fully clear why people over 65 responded poorly.

"Part of it is they are elderly and they respond less vigorously to vaccines. But it appears that some of the people, at least, developed a less robust response to this particular antigen," he said, referring to the H3N2 component of the flu vaccine.

"Why that is, I don't think we know yet. We're looking at it closely," he said.

Bresee said most of the elderly in the study took conventional flu vaccine, and not the high-dose version developed by vaccine giant Sanofi to address issues of poor immune responses in the elderly.

"We'd love to be able to look at the question of whether it is actually more effective or not. We just don't have enough use yet," he said.

Sanofi said it shipped 6 million doses of the special formulation for the elderly, but it did not have information on how many of the doses were used, or whether any had been used by patients in the study.

What is clear, Bresee said, is the need for the elderly who get sick with flu symptoms to seek treatment with antiviral medications, such as Roche Holding Ag's Tamiflu, which can reduce the severity of their illness.

CDC noted that vaccine effectiveness has been known to vary based on a number of factors including virus type, age, the particular flu season and variations in an individual's immunity.

"Although it's far from perfect, flu vaccination is by far the best tool we have to protect from flu," Frieden said.

BETTER VACCINES

Frieden said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as pharmaceutical companies are working to produce better vaccines. Efforts include the use of genetic engineering to develop more potent and more modern flu vaccines, with the hope of ultimately developing a universal flu vaccine that could protect against all strains of flu. Experts predict that could be possible within eight to 10 years.

"It's going to be hard but it's well worth the effort," Frieden said.

Already there are signs of change. In November, the Swiss drugmaker Novartis won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for Flucelvax, a seasonal flu vaccine grown in animal cell cultures instead of live chicken eggs, a speedier and more reliable process that could help build stockpiles in the event of a pandemic.

In December, GlaxoSmithKline won FDA approval for a new seasonal flu shot called Fluarix that protects against four strains of seasonal flu - known as a quadrivalent vaccine - instead of three strains, known as a trivalent vaccine. The announcement followed the approval last February of AstraZeneca's four-strain flu nasal spray made by the company's MedImmune unit. Current vaccines tackled two A strains and one B strain. The quadrivalent vaccines will add an additional B strain.

Last month, the FDA approved the first gene-based flu vaccine developed by privately held Protein Sciences Corp, which uses genetic engineering to grow portions of the virus in insect cells.

"What we're looking at is really incremental improvements, because if we could make the breakthrough improvements easily it would have happened already," Dr. Leonard Friedland, vice president of clinical and medical affairs for vaccines in North America at GlaxoSmithKline, said in an interview last month.

Glaxo's Fluarix is the first inactivated flu shot to include four instead of three strains of flu.

"It was just licensed and will be available for next season," Friedland said, noting that Sanofi is also in the process of having their four-strain flu vaccine approved.

AstraZeneca's FluMist, a live, attenuated or weakened flu vaccine, will also have a four-strain version available for next flu season.

Dr. Chris Ambrose, a vice president at AstraZeneca's MedImmune unit, said the company plans to completely switch to the four-strain version of Flumist.

Sanofi Spokeswoman Donna Cary said the company has produced flu vaccines for specific age groups, including its high dose vaccine for the elderly.

"The next step for the future is to get to the point where we don't need to develop a new vaccine every year," Cary said. "The main thing we are all looking forward to is the universal vaccine."

(Additional reporting by Bill Berkrot in New York; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/flu-vaccine-worked-just-over-half-americans-got-191418100--finance.html

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Schenkkan, O'Brien win award honoring Sen. Kennedy

This theater image released by Columbia University shows Jack Willis as Lyndon Johnson, left, and Kenajuan Bentley as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in a scene from "All The Way" by Robert Schenkkan. Schenkkan?s ?All the Way? have been named the inaugural winners of a theater award honoring the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. Columbia University on Friday said both playwrights will get the award as well as $100,000 each, one of the largest prizes given for dramatic writing. (AP Photo/Columbia University, Jenny Graham)

This theater image released by Columbia University shows Jack Willis as Lyndon Johnson, left, and Kenajuan Bentley as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in a scene from "All The Way" by Robert Schenkkan. Schenkkan?s ?All the Way? have been named the inaugural winners of a theater award honoring the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. Columbia University on Friday said both playwrights will get the award as well as $100,000 each, one of the largest prizes given for dramatic writing. (AP Photo/Columbia University, Jenny Graham)

This theater image released by Portland Center Stage via Columbia University shows Danny Wolohan as Dan O'Brien, left, and William Salyers as Paul Watson during a performance of "The Body of an American" by Dan O'Brien. O?Brien?s ?The Body of an American? and Robert Schenkkan?s ?All the Way? have been named the inaugural winners of a theater award honoring the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. Columbia University on Friday said both playwrights will get the award as well as $100,000 each, one of the largest prizes given for dramatic writing. (AP Photo/Portland Center Stage via Columbia University, Patrick Weishanpel)

This undated image released by Columbia University shows playwright Dan O'Brien. O?Brien?s ?The Body of an American? and Robert Schenkkan?s ?All the Way? have been named the inaugural winners of a theater award honoring the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. Columbia University on Friday said both playwrights will get the award as well as $100,000 each, one of the largest prizes given for dramatic writing. (AP Photo/Columbia University, David Bornfriend)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Dan O'Brien's "The Body of an American" and Robert Schenkkan's "All the Way" have been named the inaugural winners of a theater award honoring the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Columbia University on Friday said the playwrights will share the award and $100,000, one of the largest prizes given for dramatic writing.

The Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History honors a new play or musical that explores the United States' past and deals with great issues of the day.

The play by Schenkkan, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for "The Kentucky Cycle," begins in November 1963 with Lyndon B. Johnson's sudden ascension to the presidency following the assassination of Kennedy's older brother John F. Kennedy and ends 12 months later with Johnson's historic landslide victory over Barry Goldwater. "All the Way" premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2012.

O'Brien's play is a story of war and war reporting that was inspired by the experiences of Paul Watson, who won a Pulitzer for a 1993 photo of a dead U.S. Army Ranger dragged through the streets of Somalia's capital. It premiered at Portland Center Stage last year.

The other finalists were "Hurt Village," by Katori Hall; "Party People," by the performance group Universes; and "Rapture, Blister, Burn," by Gina Gionfriddo.

The prize was established by Kennedy's sister Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith in consultation with playwright Tony Kushner. It will be announced each year on Feb. 22, the anniversary of Kennedy's birth. The Massachusetts senator died of cancer in 2009.

Plays and musicals that received their first professional productions in 2012 were eligible for the prize. The winners were selected by a panel of nine judges that included playwrights Lynn Nottage, Itamar Moses, Diana Son and Brian Yorkey and Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger.

___

Online: http://kennedyprize.columbia.edu

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-22-Kennedy%20Drama%20Prize/id-a3f4e161825d48e88c15e9ad8d0b7114

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Effectiveness of magnetic device for treatment of reflux disease demonstrated

Feb. 22, 2013 ? A study published Feb. 21 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) provides clinical evidence of the safety and effectiveness of a new magnetic medical device to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Santiago Horgan, MD, professor of surgery at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and study co-author, was the first surgeon in the United States to implant the FDA-approved device.

"What we found is that the LINX magnetic device can solve GERD's underlying problem, a weak spincter," said Horgan, chief of minimally invasive surgery, UC San Diego Health System. "The device corrects an anatomical defect that allows acids to move up the throat. For my patients this has been an effective way to permanently treat this painful condition, improve their quality of life, and end the need for over-the-counter medications."

The LINX system is composed of a series of titanium beads, each with a magnetic core, that are connected to form a ring shape. It is implanted at the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a circular band of muscle that closes the last few centimeters of the esophagus and prevents the backward flow of stomach contents.

As reported in the study, after sphincter augmentation with the LINX System, the majority of patients were able to substantially reduce or resolve their reflux symptoms, while eliminating use of their reflux medications such as proton pump inhibitors. Severe regurgitation was eliminated in 100 percent of patients, and nearly all patients (93 percent) reported a significant decrease in the need for medication. More than 9 in 10 patients (94 percent) reported satisfaction with their overall condition after having the LINX System, compared to 13 percent before treatment while taking medication.

Horgan said the device is an alternative to Nissen fundoplication which involves irreversibly wrapping the stomach around the esophagus. The LINX System allows surgeons to leave the stomach intact and support the weak sphincter with a small device that can be removed.

More than 20 percent of the U.S. population experiences the painful burning symptoms of GERD. For these 20 million Americans, the first line of defense is medication. GERD can cause both pain and injury to the esophageal lining and may lead to a precancerous condition called Barrett's esophagus. Symptoms of GERD include heartburn and regurgitation, often associated with the inability to sleep and dietary constraints.

The LINX system was studied in a controlled, prospective, multicenter trial involving 14 U.S. and European medical centers as part of the FDA approval process. The patients in the study reported suffering from reflux symptoms for a median of 10 years and taking reflux medications for a median of five years.

The LINX? Reflux Management System is manufactured by Torax Medical which funded the study.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California, San Diego Health Sciences.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Robert A. Ganz, Jeffrey H. Peters, Santiago Horgan, Willem A. Bemelman, Christy M. Dunst, Steven A. Edmundowicz, John C. Lipham, James D. Luketich, W. Scott Melvin, Brant K. Oelschlager, Steven C. Schlack-Haerer, C. Daniel Smith, Christopher C. Smith, Dan Dunn, Paul A. Taiganides. Esophageal Sphincter Device for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 2013; 368 (8): 719 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1205544

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Z-70c8g6y4E/130222143138.htm

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