Solar storm forces Delta, United to divert flights

Solar storm: Delta Air Lines and United Airlines diverted flights over the poles to prevent loss of communications. This is the biggest solar storm in six years, says NASA.

Delta Air Lines was diverting some flights on polar routes between Detroit and Asia to avoid disruptions to aircraft communications by a strong solar radiation storm, the airline said on Tuesday.

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The storm, considered the strongest since 2005, has caused minor disruptions for U.S. airlines, and Delta said it altered routes for "a handful" of flights, and that the changes were adding about 15 minutes to travel times.

"We are undergoing a series of solar bursts in the sky that are impacting the northern side of the world," Delta spokesman Anthony Black said.

IN PICTURES: Northern lights from solar flares

"It can impact your ability to communicate," he said. "So, basically, the polar routes are being flown further south than normal."

United Airlines spokesman Mike Trevino said the carrier diverted one flight on Monday because of the storm, but none on Tuesday.

American Airlines reported no operational impact due to solar flares but that it is monitoring the atmosphere, spokesman Ed Martelle said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a press release on Monday that it had issued a watch on Sunday for "a geomagnetic storm associated with a bright flare on the sun."

NOAA said it was the strongest solar radiation storm in more than six years? - and it was forecast to hit Earth's magnetic field on Tuesday, and it could affect airline routes, power grids and satellites, the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center said. A coronal mass ejection - a big chunk of the Sun's atmosphere - was hurled toward Earth on Sunday, driving energized solar particles at about 5 million miles an hour (2,000 km per second), about five times faster than solar part

( Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Eric Walsh)

IN PICTURES: Northern lights from solar flares

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/SUHb38yw_qc/Solar-storm-forces-Delta-United-to-divert-flights

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Super Bowl advertisers seek buzz on social media (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? In the age of Twitter and Facebook, many Super Bowl viewers will use the commercial breaks to go online and see what people are saying about the game. This year, advertisers want them to tweet about their favorite commercials as well.

Having spent record-breaking sums to secure the most valuable television slots in advertising, global brands from Coca-Cola to Volkwagen are looking to leverage social media to extend the buzz and reach of their ads.

According to executives from Comcast Corp's NBC television network, which will broadcast the February 5 football game, a 30-second commercial slot cost $3.5 million on average this year, up from $3 million for last year's Super Bowl, which was on News Corp's Fox station.

"The social media conversation has put more value on a Super Bowl ad, fans will discuss your ads on Twitter and Facebook and then go to YouTube to watch it on demand over and over again," said Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research at Horizon Media.

This year's Super Bowl will take place in Indianapolis, with the New York Giants and New England Patriots battling it out for the National Football League Championship. An expected 100 million people will watch the game, which is among a dwindling number of TV programs that still draw big live audiences.

NFL games are so valuable to advertisers that the league recently secured hefty pay increases that will bring in about $6 billion a year from Walt Disney Co's ESPN, broadcast networks and satellite TV provider DirecTV for rights to air games and sell the advertising time.

The average price of Super Bowl ads have risen more than 50 percent in the last 10 years, defying economic downturns and secular industry issues. NBC sold out all 70 spots around this year's game shortly after Thanksgiving weekend in November and reached a new high with one slot selling for around $4 million.

The game, including lower priced halftime slots, could easily generate over a quarter of a billion dollars in ad sales.

"The overall demand for Super Bowl spots is very high this year," said Tim Calkins, marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. "Prices are high. Demand is high. I think that's a very positive sign for the economy."

Consumer research forecasts that 60 percent of fans watching the Super Bowl will also be tied into a second screen such as a smartphone or tablet.

COKE Vs PEPSI ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Anheuser-Busch, which typically buys exclusivity as the only beer advertiser during recent Super Bowls, is again the biggest spender, according to industry sources.

Not unlike past Super Bowls, Coca Cola Co and PepsiCo Inc will face-off for soda supremacy. Both beverage makers have come up with campaigns that attempt to leverage social media after their commercials air.

Coca-Cola's TV commercials, which will air during the first-and second-quarter breaks, will center around its computer-generated Arctic polar bears watching the game. The bears will then be brought to life on Twitter, Facebook and on a dedicated Website doing such things as responding to fans and commenting on the game. They will even have their own Twitter hashtag --#GameDayPolarBears -- for fans to follow.

"We wanted to interact with consumers in the most simple and organic way so they would have nothing to do other than what they usually do," said Pio Schunker, Coca Cola senior vice president of integrated marketing platforms.

Fans who catch Pepsi's commercial with "X Factor USA" winner Melanie Amaro performing the Otis Redding song "Respect" will be able to download a free video of the performance by using the Shazam app on their phones to capture audio from the commercial.

There are also partnerships with online radio service Pandora Media Inc and social TV specialist GetGlue centered around the game and other free content.

"Our philosophy now is nothing happens in isolation," said Shiv Singh, global head of digital for Pepsico Beverages. "Social TV is a massive phenomenon and a critical element of our Super Bowl campaigns."

AUTOS SPEND BIG AGAIN

The biggest spender by category is the autos industry, which made a big comeback last year and was noted for one of the most memorable spots -- Volkswagen AG's ad with a young child dressed in a Darth Vader outfit believing he can control the Passat car's lights.

This year, Volkswagen's Audi is hoping to win more creative kudos with a spot that taps into the "Twilight" teen vampire pop culture phenomenon. The 60-second spot, which will air during the first break in the game, will highlight the new 2013 Audi S7 and its LED headlight technology, which has unfortunate consequences for a party of young vampires.

Audi hopes to continue the conversation about the ad via the Twitter hashtag #SoLongVampires.

NBC executives say the auto makers are leading a trend toward long-form campaigns of 60 seconds or more, allowing high-end creative concepts to be fleshed out in the commercial's narrative rather than just going for a quick gag and punchline.

Chrysler Group LLC, Toyota Motor Co, Honda Motor Co Ltd, Hyundai Motor Co, and other automakers will also be advertising during the game.

General Motors Co's mainstream Chevy brand will run seven TV commercials before, during and after the game, for instance. It will also center its overall campaign heavily around Web-based partnerships with NBC, Twitter and Facebook.

SOCIAL MEDIA HELPS SELL

With the conventional wisdom being that consumers are more likely to make a purchase if recommended by a friend or family member, chief marketing officers are keen to insert themselves in a Facebook or Twitter conversation about the products and services they sell.

Bluefin Labs, a start-up company that aggregates and analyzes TV viewer data and comments on Twitter and Facebook, has been hired by several advertising agencies with Super Bowl campaigns to help understand how football fans react to the commercials during the game.

"Advertisers don't think about the TV campaign alone anymore but as a way to reach eyeballs and then stimulate conversations about their brands," said Bluefin executive Tom Thai.

While advertisers are eager to experiment with social media during a big-ticket event like the Super Bowl, there are still questions on how they measure its impact with a consistent, industry-accepted method, said Alex Iskold, founder of GetGlue, which lets TV fans share their viewing experiences by 'checking-in' in exchange for online rewards.

"Social TV engagement hasn't been fully priced yet," Iskold said. "We are collectively working to figure out the value to the advertisers. "It took years for the traditional display ad model to solidify; I don't think it will take us that long to price social TV."

(Reporting By Yinka Adegoke in New York,; additional reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles,; editing by Peter Lauria)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120129/sp_nm/us_superbowl_advertising

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SUMO-snipping protein plays crucial role in T and B cell development

Saturday, January 28, 2012

When SUMO grips STAT5, a protein that activates genes, it blocks the healthy embryonic development of immune B cells and T cells unless its nemesis breaks the hold, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports today in Molecular Cell.

"This research extends the activity of SUMO and the Sentrin/SUMO-specific protease 1 (SENP1) to the field of immunology, in particular the early lymphoid development of T and B cells," said the study's senior author, Edward T. H. Yeh, M.D., professor and chair of MD Anderson's Department of Cardiology.

SUMO proteins, also known as the small ubiquitin-like modifiers or Sentrin, attach to other proteins in cells to modify their function or to move them within a cell. SENP1 is one of a family of six proteins that snips SUMO off of SUMO-modified proteins. SUMOylation (SUMO modification) of proteins has been implicated in development of cancer, heart and neurodegenerative diseases, among others.

The team first analyzed the role of SENP1 in the development of lymphoids in mice and found it is heavily expressed in precursor cells, the early stages of B and T cell development.

Working with genetically modified mice they developed that lack SENP1 gene expression, Yeh and colleagues found the mouse embryos had severe defects in their T and B cells, white blood cell lymphocytes that identify and fight infection.

SUMO pins STAT5 in the nucleus

Subsequent experiments led them to STAT5, a transcription factor known to play critical roles in the development and function of immune cells. Transcription factors work in the cell nucleus, activating gene expression by connecting to a gene's promoter region.

"STAT5 works in a cycle, moving from the cytosol of a cell into the nucleus to activate genes and then back out to the cytosol," Yeh said. "We found that when STAT5 is SUMOylated in the nucleus it gets trapped there when there's no SENP1 to remove SUMO."

The team found that SUMO muscles in on two other signaling events that govern STAT5 activity - phosphorylation and acetylation.

SUMO inhibits STAT5 signaling

STAT5 is activated in the cell cytosol when the JAK tyrosine kinase attaches a phosphate group at a specific site on the STAT5 protein. This transformed STAT5 crosses the nuclear membrane into the nucleus to transcribe genes.

The team found that SUMO attaches to STAT5 close to its phosphorylation site and that cells lacking SENP1 have increased SUMOylation and decreased phosphorylation.

SUMOylation vs. acetylation

In addition to phosphorylation, acetylation of STAT5 has been shown to be essential for STAT5 to cross the nuclear membrane into the nucleus to enhance gene transcription. Yeh and colleagues found that SUMO competes directly with acetyl groups for the same binding site, inhibiting acetylation.

"Without SENP1 to remove SUMO, STAT5 can't be acetylated or phosphorylated and can't be recycled for use again," Yeh said. "We discovered that SENP1 controls lymphoid development through regulation of SUMOylation of STAT5."

Since Yeh's lab discovered SUMOylation in 1996, SUMO has been found to alter the function of thousands of proteins.

Yeh is hosting the 6th International Conference SUMO, Ubiquitin, UBL Proteins: Implications for Human Diseases Feb. 8-11 in the Dan L. Duncan Building at MD Anderson. Yeh organizes the meeting every other year.

"There used to be so little known about SUMO. Now, a protein is assumed to be SUMOylated until proved otherwise," Yeh said.

###

University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center: http://www.mdanderson.org

Thanks to University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117155/SUMO_snipping_protein_plays_crucial_role_in_T_and_B_cell_development

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Grape Seed Extract Kills Head and Neck Cancer Cells, Leaves ...

Medical Express
January 28, 2012

Nearly 12,000 people will die of head and neck cancer in the United States this year and worldwide cases will exceed half a million.

A study published this week in the journal Carcinogenesis shows that in both cell lines and mouse models, grape seed extract (GSE) kills head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed.

?It?s a rather dramatic effect,? says Rajesh Agarwal, PhD, investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

It depends in large part, says Agarwal, on a healthy cell?s ability to wait out damage.

?Cancer cells are fast-growing cells,? Agarwal says. ?Not only that, but they are necessarily fast growing. When conditions exist in which they can?t grow, they die.?

Grape seed extract creates these conditions that are unfavorable to growth. Specifically, the paper shows that grape seed extract both damages cancer cells DNA (via increased reactive oxygen species) and stops the pathways that allow repair (as seen by decreased levels of the DNA repair molecules Brca1 and Rad51 and DNA repair foci).

?Yet we saw absolutely no toxicity to the mice, themselves,? Agarwal says.

Again, the grape seed extract killed the cancer cells but not the healthy cells.

Related:

Whole Grape ? Seed and Skin ? May Be Perfect Colon Cancer Fighting Food

Grape-Seed Extract Kills Laboratory Leukemia Cells

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Source: http://www.prisonplanet.com/grape-seed-extract-kills-head-and-neck-cancer-cells-leaves-healthy-cells-unharmed.html

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Obama as Much for Big Business as Republicans (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Ener1 is the third "clean energy" company to file for bankruptcy after receiving stimulus money from President Barack Obama, according to Fox News. As a political scientist, I have always found it odd when people accuse Republicans for being the party for big business. President Obama and the Democrats are just as much for big business as Republicans. They just support different types of corporations.

The "clean energy" companies are a perfect example when you look at how President Obama tossed money at companies like Solyndra, EnerDel (part of Ener1) and Beacon Power. All three went bankrupt after blowing through taxpayer money. If Republicans gave handouts and loans like this to oil companies, the media would rip them apart.

Over the years, the Democrats have been successful in painting perceived reality in which many people believe Republicans only have the interests of big business in mind. Money and support given by the unions (which are a big business themselves) add to this perceived reality. President Obama constantly presses support for "clean energy" to divert more money to the type of corporations the Democrats have become the lapdogs of. This also pulls attention and money away from supporting the oil industry which supports the Republicans.

Since President Bill Clinton began actively supporting environmentalist companies, the market has exploded. Global warming, recycling, ozone holes and "clean energy" have led to a multibillion-dollar industry. Occasionally, requests for padded numbers or padded numbers of environmental studies have leaked in the media such as the accusations of ECSI or the hacked global warming emails. These reports are rarely covered by the mainstream media but still exist.

When President Obama makes statements about how he is for the people and is trying to fight the big corporations of the Republicans, think about the corporations which he supports. Think about how he supports an industry that is based on the fear of environmental backlash. Note how the scientists who support their theories of "clean energy" have to pad their numbers to look more important so they can get more of your money.

President Obama and the Democrats have pressed us on the need for "clean energy." This corporation has padded numbers and given their execs large bonuses with our money. Both parties are backed by large corporations. Don't give into the lie that one party is not.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120128/pl_ac/10896619_obama_as_much_for_big_business_as_republicans

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Djokovic edges Murray, sets up final vs Nadal (AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia ? Novak Djokovic overcame his breathing problems and fatigue to beat friend Andy Murray 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 7-5 Friday in a nearly five-hour Australian Open semifinal.

Facing second-ranked Rafael Nadal in the final on Sunday, he'll try to become only the fifth man since in the Open Era started in 1968 to win three straight majors, joining Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Nadal.

"I'm extremely delighted to be in the final," Djokovic said. "What can be a bigger challenge than playing against Rafa Nadal, one of the greatest players ever."

Despite appearing tired and sore after the second set, Djokovic rallied to beat Murray in a rematch of the 2011 final at Melbourne Park to reach his third consecutive Grand Slam final.

After wasting a chance to serve out the match at 5-3 in the fifth and letting Murray back into the contest, Djokovic cashed in his first match point when the Scottish player missed a forehand after four hours, 50 minutes.

Djokovic dropped onto his back, fully laid out on the court. He got up and shook hands with Murray, before jogging back out onto the court like a boxer, dropping to his knees and crossing himself.

"You have to find strength in those moments and energy, and that keeps you going," he said. "At this level, very few points decide the winner.

"I think we both went through a physical crisis. You know, him at the fourth set, me all the way through the second and midway through the third. It was a very even match throughout, from the first to the last point."

It was already after 12:30 a.m. Saturday when he got up again and pumped his arms triumphantly.

"Andy deserves the credit to come back from 2-5 down. He was fighting. I was fighting," Djokovic said. "Not many words that can describe the feeling of the match.

"It was a physical match ... it was one of the best matches I played. Emotionally and mentally it was equally hard."

It was a bitter setback for Murray, who lost the previous two Australian finals.

Murray believes he's already improved in the few weeks since hiring eight-time major winner Ivan Lendl as coach.

"Yeah, it was tough at the end 'cause, you know, obviously you come back, then you get close to breaking," he said. "But a different player, a different attitude to this time last year. I'm proud of the way I fought."

Djokovic finished last year at No. 1 after winning three of the four majors, including a straight-sets win over Murray in the Australian final. His only loss at a Grand Slam in 2011 was against Federer in the French Open semifinals.

It was phenomenal season after previously only winning one major ? the 2008 Australian Open ? and not returning to a final for 11 Grand Slams.

"To be honest, I think I matured as a player. I started to believe on the court I could win majors," he said. "Rafa and Roger are the most dominant players for the last seven, eight years. ... It was very hard to take away the titles from them. They will not give you the titles. You have to earn it."

Djokovic's 70-6 win-loss record in 2011 included those six wins over Nadal in finals ? including Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. However, Nadal will have an extra day to prepare for this final.

In 2009, Nadal beat Fernando Verdasco in a 5-hour, 14-minute semifinal before facing Federer in the final and winning less than 24 hours later.

On Friday night, both Djokovic and Murray had form dips ? but Djokovic's were more obvious. He led by a set and a break before Murray started coming back. Then Djokovic started walking gingerly and appeared to be struggling for breath ? just as he had been in his straights sets quarterfinal win over No. 5-ranked David Ferrer.

At one point, he pointed to his nose and seemed to indicated to his support group that he was having trouble breathing.

In the opening game of the third set, Djokovic had to fend off five break points before holding a game that lasted 14 minutes, then asked the chair umpire for a handful of tissues to blow his nose.

He said his breathing problems were from allergies, and said he'd seen a doctor.

He stayed in the points, despite Murray scrambling and trying to get him involved in long rallies. Relentlessly pushing the limits hurt Murray in the end, finishing with 86 unforced errors against 47 winners. Djokovic had 69 unforced errors and 49 winners.

After winning a tight third-set tiebreaker but then virtually conceding the fourth set, Murray rallied again after falling behind 5-2 in the fifth. He broke Djokovic at love when the Serb was serving for the match and rallied to tie it 5-5, putting all the pressure back on the defending champion.

But Djokovic composed himself and seemed to gather energy as the match wore on. He held serve and then broke Murray to finish it off.

"I'm going to try to recover," Djokovic said. "Obviously, it's going to be physical as well."

Despite being friends and childhood rivals, this was only the second meeting between Djokovic and Murray at a Grand Slam. Djokovic beat Murray in the 2011 Australian final and had a 6-4 lead in their overall head-to-heads at tour level.

Murray won the Brisbane International and came into the semifinal on a 10-match winning streak with Lendl in his box.

The blue-and-white crossed Scottish flags fluttered in the crowd, held by fans with the flag painted on their faces and some wearing their tartan Tam hats. The support was evenly split at Rod Laver Arena, encouraging both players in the tense final set.

The Maria Sharapova vs. Victoria Azarenka women's final on Saturday night is previewed by local media as a battle of the two loudest grunters on the tour.

Azarenka, who won the Sydney International title the weekend before the season's first major, has been mocked by the crowd for her hooting sounds. She'll be playing her first Grand Slam final.

Sharapova has won three majors, but none since the 2008 Australian Open. She also displays a loud, piercing sound when hitting the ball.

The winner will move to the top of the rankings. Caroline Wozniacki, who came into the tournament as No. 1, will drop three places after her quarterfinal loss to 2011 champion Kim Clijsters.

In the men's doubles final Saturday, American twins Bob and Mike Bryan are aiming for a Grand Slam record 12th major when they take on Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek.

Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva won the women's doubles final on Friday with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory over the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands and her Romanian partner Horia Tecau advanced to the mixed doubles final with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Indian pair Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi. They'll play Elena Vesnina of Russia and Leander Paes of India.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_sp_te_ga_su/ten_australian_open

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Caterpillar 4Q profit rises, tops Wall St. view (AP)

NEW YORK ? Caterpillar Inc. said Thursday that its fourth-quarter profit jumped 60 percent, boosted by pent-up demand for new equipment and continuing growth in developing countries.

The performance of the world's largest maker of construction and mining equipment is an indicator of the strength of the global economy. Along with strong fourth-quarter earnings, Caterpillar issued rosy guidance, saying that it expects the global economy to grow faster this year and construction activity to continue to improve in most parts of the world.

Caterpillar, based in Peoria, Ill., reported net income of $1.55 billion, or $2.32 per share, up from $968 million, or $1.47 per share, in the same quarter last year.

Sales and revenue jumped 35 percent to $17.24 billion, as sales volume increased at all three of the company's major businesses. Revenue from mining equipment company Bucyrus International Inc., which Caterpillar acquired in July, totaled $1.39 billion.

Caterpillar's results easily topped Wall Street predictions for profit of $1.76 per share and $15.95 billion in revenue, according to FactSet. That sent its shares higher and made it one of the biggest gainers in the Dow Jones industrial average on Thursday. The stock rose $2.17, or 2 percent, to $111.22 in heavy afternoon trading, after hitting $114 earlier in the day, within a few dollars of its 52-week high of $116.55.

Caterpillar said that despite the ongoing downturn in the construction industry, many of its customers had to replace their aging equipment during the quarter. In addition, the company continued to get a boost from rapid economic growth in developing parts of the world.

Construction sales rose 31 percent to $5.26 billion, while resource industries sales, which include Bucyrus, jumped 80 percent to $5.06 billion. Sales of power systems were up 22 percent to $5.67 billion.

Caterpillar expects the global economy to grow about 3.3 percent this year, with the U.S. economy expanding by at least 3 percent. In addition U.S. construction spending, which has been declining since 2004, should finally begin to recover, the company said.

But Caterpillar warned that even with the slight recovery, construction spending will remain depressed. And while Europe's economic crisis probably won't trigger a global recession, economic growth in eurozone counties is unlikely to improve until the second half of this year.

Edward Rapp, Caterpillar's chief financial officer, said that despite the ongoing financial crisis in Europe, the company still stands to benefit from projects there.

"It just depends on how much longer this chaos in southern Europe goes on," Rapp said in a conference call with analysts. "It's been going on a long time and hasn't tanked the place yet. We don't think it will."

Caterpillar sees China's economy growing by 8.5 percent in 2012, with more construction and rising demand for commodities bringing more machine sales.

Caterpillar estimates its 2012 profit will be $9.25 per share with $68 billion to $72 billion in revenue. The outlook includes about $6 billion in revenue from Bucyrus and from Motoren-Werke Mannheim Holding GmbH, which Caterpillar also bought last year. Analysts polled by FactSet expect profit of $9.07 per share on $66.99 billion in revenue for Caterpillar this year.

The company said sales of new machines and equipment will continue to improve as customers in developed counties rebuild their fleets. Low interest rates and the expected increase in construction activity are also expected to boost demand.

Caterpillar noted that production of some of its products will be limited by its current capacity to make them, though it added that it's making investments to expand capacity.

In addition, the company expects demand for its mining equipment to continue to be strong globally, as companies around the world increase production.

Morgan Stanley analyst Vance Edelson backed his "Overweight" rating for Caterpillar stock. He said that the company is unique, because it's poised to do well if the economy improves but will remain more stable than expected, if things take a turn for the worse.

"We believe there is upside potential to the implied earnings per share figure," Edelson wrote in a note to investors. "We also note the record sales expectations despite still lackluster construction activity in the U.S. and Europe."

For the full year 2011, Caterpillar earned $4.93 billion, or $7.40 per share, up from $2.7 billion, or $4.15 per share, in 2010. Sales and revenue increased to $60.14 billion from $42.59 billion.

Excluding Bucyrus, Caterpillar earned $7.79 per share and posted $57.61 billion in sales.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_caterpillar

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Notre Dame researchers publish new findings on aging pediatric bruises

Public release date: 26-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mark Alber
malber@nd.edu
574-631-8371
University of Notre Dame

A multi-university research group which includes several University of Notre Dame faculty and graduate students, has recently published a paper detailing new work on the analysis and dating of human bruises. The research, which is funded by the Gerber Foundation, will have particular application to pediatric medicine, as bruise age is often key evidence in child abuse cases.

Using a combination of modeling and spectroscopy measurements, the researchers have advanced our understanding of the changing composition of aging bruises and developed new tools for detailed biomedical studies of human skin tissue.

Spectroscopic measurement determines the chemical composition of tissue by measuring the extent to which it absorbs and reflects light of different wave lengths. In this case, the researchers examined accidental bruises to determine their concentrations of bilirubin, blood volume fraction, and blood oxygenation, which peak at various periods after contusion occurs.

The data were combined with modeling via Monte Carlo methods, which are often used to simulate highly complex systemslike the propagation of electromagnetic waves in healthy and contused skin involving many interacting degrees of freedom. The result was a multilayered model in which each layer is characterized by a number of parameters, including thickness of layer, absorption and scattering properties, refractive index, and scattering anisotropy factors. Previous research had produced models simulating only one to three layers of skin; this one simulates seven, allowing for a much clearer spectroscopic picture of a bruise's composition and age.

###

The paper, titled "Reflectance spectrometry of normal and bruised human skins: experiments and modeling" is published in the current issue of Physiological Measurement. The authors are Oleg Kim (Notre Dame), John McMurdy (Brown University), Collin Lines (Notre Dame), Susan Duffy (Hasbro Children's Hospital), Gregory Crawford (Notre Dame) and Mark Alber (Notre Dame).

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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.

Public release date: 26-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mark Alber
malber@nd.edu
574-631-8371
University of Notre Dame

A multi-university research group which includes several University of Notre Dame faculty and graduate students, has recently published a paper detailing new work on the analysis and dating of human bruises. The research, which is funded by the Gerber Foundation, will have particular application to pediatric medicine, as bruise age is often key evidence in child abuse cases.

Using a combination of modeling and spectroscopy measurements, the researchers have advanced our understanding of the changing composition of aging bruises and developed new tools for detailed biomedical studies of human skin tissue.

Spectroscopic measurement determines the chemical composition of tissue by measuring the extent to which it absorbs and reflects light of different wave lengths. In this case, the researchers examined accidental bruises to determine their concentrations of bilirubin, blood volume fraction, and blood oxygenation, which peak at various periods after contusion occurs.

The data were combined with modeling via Monte Carlo methods, which are often used to simulate highly complex systemslike the propagation of electromagnetic waves in healthy and contused skin involving many interacting degrees of freedom. The result was a multilayered model in which each layer is characterized by a number of parameters, including thickness of layer, absorption and scattering properties, refractive index, and scattering anisotropy factors. Previous research had produced models simulating only one to three layers of skin; this one simulates seven, allowing for a much clearer spectroscopic picture of a bruise's composition and age.

###

The paper, titled "Reflectance spectrometry of normal and bruised human skins: experiments and modeling" is published in the current issue of Physiological Measurement. The authors are Oleg Kim (Notre Dame), John McMurdy (Brown University), Collin Lines (Notre Dame), Susan Duffy (Hasbro Children's Hospital), Gregory Crawford (Notre Dame) and Mark Alber (Notre Dame).

---

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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/2012-01/uond-ndr012612.php

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Gender Equality Elusive In Jewish Salary Survey

This article first appeared in The Jewish Daily Forward.

By Jane Eisner and Maia Efrem
The Forward

The Forward?s third annual survey of 76 national Jewish organizations paints a picture of communal stagnation in gender equality, as the number of women in leadership roles remains at the same low level, and the gap between male and female salaries has grown even larger.

Despite the dismal economy, half of the leaders in the survey received pay increases in their most recent annual reports, although that number was fewer than the 80 percent who enjoyed a pay hike the previous year. Nineteen men and one woman took pay cuts.

Click here to see and search the entire survey.

The median executive pay in the top federations, advocacy and public service groups, and religious and educational institutions dropped slightly in the past year, to $306,025. But those executives who did receive a salary boost did well compared with their national peers. In the Forward survey, the median increase was nearly 5 percent. That?s more than double the national standard of 2 percent for leaders of the nation?s largest not-for-profit organizations, as reported in September by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

In the sphere of women?s leadership and compensation, the Jewish world continues to lag dramatically behind the overall not-for-profit community. GuideStar, an organization in Washington that collects and summarizes the tax returns that charities file with the Internal Revenue Service, reported in September that ?only 16% of nonprofits with budgets of more than $50 million have female chief executives, while 64 percent of organizations with budgets of under $250,000 are led by women.?

In the Forward survey, by contrast, only nine of the 76 organizations are led by women -- the same number as last year, and a drop from 11 in 2009. And since the Forward added two organizations to the list, the percentage of women is lower still, slightly less than 12 percent. The wage gap in the Jewish world, where female CEOs earn slightly more than 62 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, is also wider than in GuideStar?s report. And it worsened from 67 cents in 2010.

Readlast year?s Forward salary survey and the 2009 salary survey.

Officials at the Jewish Federations of North America revealed for the first time the salary of President and CEO Jerry Silverman, who was hired in 2009 and earned $625,000 last year. But his salary is not the highest in the federation world ? that spot belongs to Stephen Hoffman, President of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland. When asked why Hoffman earned $644,518, a federation representative said that he also oversees numerous smaller organizations.

Listen to Forward Editor Jane Eisner and staffers discuss the salary survey on the Reporters Roundtable Podcast.

For the first time this year, the Forward survey includes each organization?s total expenses and the number of employees.

Also for the first time this year, the Forward sent certified letters to the leaders of religious organizations to urge them to disclose their salaries in the spirit of transparency, even though they are not required to do so by law.

The only one of the 13 religious leaders to respond was Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz, president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. ?While RRC does not release information about any individual salaries, I can report that our administrative costs annually average about 15% of our total budget,? Ehrenkrantz wrote.

The highest-paid leader in the Forward survey continues to be Yeshiva University President Richard Joel, who earned $848,176 in 2010, a slight decrease from his 2009 salary. The two other university presidents in the survey enjoyed pay hikes. Jehuda Reinharz, in his last year at Brandeis University, received a 12.46 percent increase, while Alan Kadish at Touro College saw his pay go up by 25.62 percent from that of his predecessor.

?Dr. Kadish is being paid a salary of market value in comparison to some of the senior leadership at the respective institutions? in the survey, said Hedy Shulman, Touro?s executive director of communications and marketing.

The second-highest-paid leader in the survey is Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Hier also works for and is compensated by SWC Museum Corp. His total take-home pay in 2010 was $721,714.

But the Hier family makes even more. Marlene Hier, the rabbi?s wife, earned $344,329 as director of membership development, working for both institutions, and his son, Alan D. Hier, earned $187,274 as international director of fundraising and communications for SWC Museum Corp.

And someone at the center received a rather cushy perquisite: ?An employee was requested to attend fundraising meetings in Israel associated with the premiere of the center?s new film during the High Holidays and he could not be away from his family during that time,? the public disclosure form read. ?The center reimbursed $20,119 for airfare and accommodations for his family.?

Although David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, had taken a pay cut during the financial crisis, he also continued to receive unusual benefits, including first-class airline tickets on flights two hours or shorter, travel costs of family members who accompany him on certain trips and more than $25,000 in reimbursement for property taxes on his home in Westchester County, N.Y.

The highest-paid woman in the survey is Jennifer Gorovitz, CEO of San Francisco?s Jewish Community Federation. She remains the only woman leading any of the 18 largest federations in the United States. Second in pay among women leaders is Ruth Messinger, president and CEO of American Jewish World Service. Messinger?s salary grew to $276,217 in 2010, a 10.58 percent increase.

The Forward survey showed that it pays to be a Republican. Matthew Brooks is executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition and also heads up the National Jewish Policy Center; his combined salary is $461,070. That is nearly $300,000 more than the pay earned by his counterpart, David A. Harris, president and CEO of the National Jewish Democratic Council, who takes home $171,200 a year.

Contact Jane Eisner at eisner@forward.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jane_Eisner.

Devra Ferst and Eileen Reynolds contributed to this story. Additional reporting by Paul Berger, Ezra Glinter, Nate Lavey, Josh Nathan-Kazis and Naomi Zeveloff.

For more articles please visit The Jewish Daily Forward.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/gender-equality-elusive-in-jewish-salary-survey_n_1229440.html

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Abbott cuts 700 jobs from device and testing unit (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Medical device and drugmaker Abbott Laboratories said Wednesday it will lay off 700 employees as part of ongoing restructuring efforts.

A company spokeswoman said most of the layoffs will affect employees who manufacture the company's heart stents and diagnostic tests. Abbott has seen a decline in orders for artery-opening stents, ahead of the expiration of a supply agreement with medical device rival Boston Scientific Corp. Abbott currently sells a version of its Xience stent to Boston Scientific, which pays a 40 percent royalty on sales. Boston Scientific recently replaced that device with its own in-house stent, Promus Element.

About 300 of the eliminated positions are at the company's stent business in Southern California. Less than 200 others involve the company's diagnostic business in Lake County, Illinois. Other layoffs affect the company's pharmaceutical manufacturing operation in Puerto Rico, among other places. Employees were notified of the cuts by their managers, according to Abbott spokeswoman Adelle Infante.

Abbott has been restructuring its operations for several years, laying off about 1,900 pharmaceutical division employees this time last year. About 1,000 of those terminated positions were in Illinois.

News of the layoffs came several hours after Abbott reported a 12 percent increase in fourth-quarter profit Wednesday, as the blockbuster anti-inflammatory drug Humira continued to dominate the company's performance with double-digit sales growth.

In October, Abbott surprised investors and analysts with the announcement that it would spin off its branded drug business, including Humira. Company executives said the split would allow investors to separately value Abbott's businesses, which also include baby formula, generic drugs and medical implants.

Wednesday's results highlighted the rationale for the split, with top-selling drug Humira dominating the company's results, contributing $2.18 billion, or over 20 percent, of sales.

While Humira has been the key to Abbott's growth, it has also a weighed on the company's stock, overshadowing performance of its other businesses. The drug, which is used to treat psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, loses patent protection in 2016, and no obvious successor has appeared in the company's pipeline. The split-up frees Abbott from the risks and obligations of developing innovative pharmaceutical drugs, leaving the company with a more predictable business built around nutritional formula, generic drugs and heart stents.

Abbott earned $1.62 billion, or $1.02 per share, up from $1.44 billion, or 92 cents per share, in the prior-year period. Excluding one-time items, the company earned $1.45 per share, up from $1.30 in the same period a year earlier. Total company sales grew 4.1 percent to $10.38 billion.

Analysts polled by FactSet expect fourth-quarter earnings per share of $1.44 on revenue of $10.59 billion.

For 2012, the North Chicago, Ill., company expects to earn $4.95 to $5.05 per share, compared with the average analyst estimate of $5.02 per share.

The company's branded drug business posted sales of $4.78 billion for the period, an increase of 6.7 percent. The business, which includes the cholesterol drugs Trilipix and Niaspan among other treatments, is scheduled to become a separate business before the end of 2012. The new company will have revenue of roughly $18 billion.

Among Abbott's remaining businesses, generic drugs slipped 4.6 percent to $1.39 billion. Nutritionals rose 8.6 percent to $1.56 billion while sales of the company's stents and other heart devices were roughly flat at $826 million.

Company shares fell $1.01 to $54.97 in afternoon trading.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_abbott_laboratories

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Bosnian police raid conservative Muslim village (AP)

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina ? Police are searching a highly conservative Bosnian Muslim village looking for evidence related to an attack on the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo last October.

The prosecutor's office said in a statement that no further details can be released about Wednesday's raid on Gornja Maoca except that it is related to terrorism suspect Mevlid Jasarevic.

Police have raided the isolated northeast Bosnian village several times before because some of the residents were suspected of posing a security threat by promoting racial and religious hatred and illegally possessing weapons.

Two residents were accused of driving Jasarevic to Sarajevo, where he shot at the embassy building and injured a policeman before police shot him in his leg and arrested him.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re_eu/eu_bosnia_embassy_attack

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Oscar Nominations 2012: Snubs and Surprises!

Considering the way the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has tried to play to a mainstream audience throughout the past few years -- hello Inception and Avatar -- it seems that this year they decided to play their cards pretty close to their chest. They opted to nominate nine films for best picture this year because of their new voting system, but are missing a much-anticipated mainstream dark horse from the mix, like Bridesmaids or The Muppets or Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/oscar-nominations-2012-snubs-and-surprises/1-a-421565?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Aoscar-nominations-2012-snubs-and-surprises-421565

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Poll: Satisfaction on the decline (Politico)

American satisfaction with the economy, the size and scope of the federal government, and the moral climate of the country have all dropped precipitously over the last four years, a new survey Monday shows.

The economy has become the most toxic issue of 24 different topics surveyed by Gallup polling - only 13 percent say that they are satisfied with the state of the nation?s economy, down from 36 percent in Jan. 2008, a 23 percentage point drop.

Continue Reading

In fact, a whopping 83 percent now say they are dissatisfied with the economy condition of the country, according to Gallup.

Large drops in satisfaction were also seen with the public view of the size and power of the federal government. Only 29 percent were satisfied with the current state of the federal government, down from 41 percent in 2008, a decline of 12 percentage points.

Additionally, satisfaction with the moral and ethical climate of the country also dropped significantly over the last four years. Only 28 percent of Americans were satisfied, down from 39 percent in 2008, while 68 percent of Americans were dissatisfied with the moral and ethical climate of the United States.

Americans were also deeply dissatisfied with the system of government and how it works, registering an 18 point decline in satisfaction in just four years - dropping from 53 percent in 2008 to 35 percent now.

A full list of the 24 topics polled can be found here.

The Gallup poll was conducted Jan. 5-8, with a sample of 1,011 adults and a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_71808_html/44272232/SIG=11mmke5ie/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71808.html

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Putin foe could be barred from Russian election (Reuters)

MOSCOW (Reuters) ? Russian liberal opposition leader Grigory Yavlinsky could be barred from running against Vladimir Putin in a presidential election after officials said Monday there were problems with his registration as a candidate.

Opinion polls show Yavlinsky has no chance of winning the March 4 election but the refusal to let him run would be a slap in the face for leaders of protests by tens of thousands of demonstrators demanding fair elections and political reform.

Central Election Commission officials told Russian news agencies there were errors in about a quarter of the 2 million signatures of support Yavlinsky had submitted as a requirement to enter the election, much higher than the permitted amount.

A final decision on his candidacy is expected to be announced by the commission later this week or next.

Reducing the number of candidates could improve Putin's chances of winning the election in the first round, avoiding a run-off he would face if he does not receive at least 50 percent of the votes cast.

"This is a totally political decision," Yavlinsky, 59, told a news conference, a view shared by other opposition leaders and representatives of the Yabloko party he co-founded.

Yabloko leader Sergei Mitrokhin wrote in a blog: "Putin will decide this matter himself."

Mitrokhin suggested Putin did not want Yavlinsky to run because it could take votes from billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, a liberal contender who he said was backed by Putin.

Mitrokhin also indicated that Yabloko representatives would be unable to monitor the election if Yavlinsky, who has twice run for president and lost, did not take part.

Election officials said Monday Prokhorov's candidacy had been confirmed after he submitted enough signatures.

PUTIN FACES CRITICISM

As independent candidates, Prokhorov and Yavlinsky had to collect 2 million signatures. Candidates from parties in parliament, such as Communist Gennady Zyuganov and nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky, did not have to meet this requirement.

Prokhorov, whose assets in an $18-billion business empire include the New Jersey Nets, has dismissed rivals' allegations that he is a Kremlin tool who has been allowed to run to split the opposition and give the election an air of legitimacy.

Putin, 59, was president for eight years from 2000 and ushered his ally, Dmitry Medvedev, into the post in 2008 because the constitution barred him from a third successive term. Putin became prime minister but remained Russia's dominant leader.

Opinion polls suggest Putin will easily win the election but his image has been dented by unusually large protests in Russia since a parliamentary election on December 4 which independent monitors say was slanted to favor his United Russia party.

Tens of thousands of people have taken part in protests since then, mainly in Moscow and St Petersburg, to demand the election be rerun, the election commission chief dismissed and more opposition parties registered.

Human Rights Watch, an international rights monitor, said in its annual report released Sunday that Putin's decision to run for a six-year, third term as president cast a shadow over prospects for political reforms.

It also said pro-government parties had benefited from "disproportionate access to media and abuse of administrative resources."

(Editing by Janet Lawrence)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/ts_nm/us_russia_yavlinsky

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Why Can't Republicans See Candidates' Huge Flaws? (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | The South Carolina primary is less than a day away, with polls opening on Saturday. The remaining Republican Party hopefuls are pushing hard to win the state and controversy abounds. Amid bizarre and unusual revelations about the candidates right-wing voters continue to cheer enthusiastically for their favorites. It makes me wonder, "Are they blind, dumb, nuts, or D-all of the above?"

Newt Gingrich dumped his first wife for being too ugly, says the LA Times, while claiming his support of "family values." He cheated on his second wife and then dumped her when she refused to have an open marriage, eventually marrying his mistress, according to the New York Times. Gingrich is surging in the polls according to the Christian Science Monitor. When did "wanting to sleep with anything that walks and ditching your wives when they get sick" become a right-wing, Christian "family value?

Rick Santorum may have won the Iowa caucuses after all, according to the Associated Press. Santorum carries a rebranding of his name to mean something repugnant (definitely not a work-safe link). In a 2003 AP interview Santorum bashed gay marriage, which is no surprise for him. He lost his composure and called it a gateway to "man on dog" action. Does America really need a president fascinated with that kind of phrasing and activity?

Ron Paul, and it's important to remember he is a medical doctor, may be the least offensive of the bunch. He's lost touch with reality, though. CBS reports Paul does not believe in evolution. He's a doctor, supposedly well versed in the science of biology. He's probably studied generational mutation of bacteria and other single-cell life, actually seeing evolution in progress in ways non-medical people rarely will, but he claims not to believe in it. Is irrationality a virtue cherished by conservatives?

Mitt Romney embraces a religion with a holy book that proclaims in 2 Nephi 5:21-23 that black skin is a curve from God and a punishment for sin, and warns against interracial marriage. He's a plutocrat multimillionaire paying a tax rate so low average Americans will never match it, according to ABC. Why elect a man who will never relate to the economic problems of the citizenry?

If this is the best the Republican Party has to offer America, I'll gladly enjoy another four years with Barack Obama in the White House.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120121/pl_ac/10861873_why_cant_republicans_see_candidates_huge_flaws

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Book author: Kim Jong Il's eldest son wants reform (AP)

TOKYO ? The author of a new book on North Korea says late leader Kim Jong Il's eldest son believes the country now run by his young half brother could fail without economic reforms.

In his book "My Father, Kim Jong Il, and Me," which went on sale this week, Tokyo-based journalist Yoji Gomi describes the oldest son, Kim Jong Nam, as an intelligent gentleman who understands his country's problems.

Gomi says he met Kim Jong Nam by chance in Beijing in 2004. The brief encounter gave him just enough time to ask him who he was and hand him his business card. That led to over 150 emails spanning nearly eight years, and two interviews last year totaling seven hours, he told The Associated Press on Friday.

The book is a rare view into the family that has led the secretive country for decades. Since Kim Jong Il's death on Dec. 17, North Korea has been led by his youngest son, Kim Jong Un.

The book cites Kim Jong Nam's concerns over his brother's inexperience. In an email dated Jan. 3, Gomi's last contact from him, Kim Jong Nam wrote that "Jong Un will just be a figurehead, and the existing group of people who wield power are likely to take over my father's work," Gomi writes.

Kim Jong Nam believes that rigid North Korea must make Chinese-style economic reforms, and as a result fell from favor with his father, said Gomi, a Tokyo Shimbun newspaper journalist who had assignments in Seoul and Beijing.

"He dropped out of the succession race because he angered his father by calling for economic reforms and an open-door policy," Gomi said.

"Without reforms and liberalization, the collapse of the economy is within sight," he quoted Kim as saying in the book. "But reforms and opening up could also invite dangers for the regime."

Kim Jong Il is known to have three sons ? one from his second wife and two from his third.

Kim Jong Nam was seen as a possible successor until 2001, when he embarrassed the government by being caught trying to enter Japan with a fake passport. He said he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland.

He now spends much of his time in mainland China or in Macau ? the center of Asian gambling.

Gomi says his image in the media as a frivolous spendthrift is not what he really is.

"He had a very courteous demeanor, he was intelligent and very gracious in the way he spoke," Gomi said. "After having deeper conversations with him, I felt his analysis was insightful and he understands North Korea's weaknesses."

Soon after Kim Jong Il's funeral, Kim Jong Nam suggested in an interview with a Japanese TV network that he opposed the hereditary transfer of power to his young half brother ? a rare public sign of discord in the tightly choreographed succession process.

Gomi said Kim Jong Nam doesn't seem eager to become leader but is envious of his half brother's ascension.

"I get the impression that he thinks 'I used to be in that position, but now someone who's much younger than I, in his 20s, is in that seat. That isn't right. I can do a better job,'" he said.

Gomi said he thinks Kim Jong Nam is likely to continue living abroad, mostly in China.

"I would have liked to see him take the leadership. It's fun to imagine at least," he said. "If he were leader, I think North Korea would become much closer to Japan and South Korea. But because he is easy going, the country might collapse anyway."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_nkorea

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Rare Arctic Panda Seal Visits Seattle Woman's Dock [Animals]

OK it's not really called a panda seal. But it should be! It's actually a ribbon seal, and it seems to have taken a wrong turn and paused for a nap on the dock of a Seattle-woman's riverside home. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VcRsaX1JwUQ/rare-arctic-panda-seal-visits-seattle-womans-dock

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Southwest posts $152M 4Q profit on strong traffic (AP)

DALLAS ? Even with a tough economy and high jet fuel prices, Southwest Airlines Co. made money in the fourth quarter and could do better this year.

Travel demand was strong enough in the final three months of 2011 for the carrier to keep planes nearly full and raise fares.

The carrier's fourth-quarter net income rose 16 percent to $152 million, and profit was slightly higher than analysts expected. Revenue jumped to $4.11 billion.

CEO Gary C. Kelly said he expects strong revenue in the first quarter too, based on passenger-booking trends.

People travel more when the economy is strong, and there are signs that growth is recovering from the 2007-2009 recession.

Auto sales picked up late last year. U.S. factory output rose sharply in December. And the stock market is up ? the Dow Jones industrial average has gained 3 percent so far in 2012.

"2012 is going to be better for Southwest. It's going to be a good year for the airline industry," said Ray Neidl, an analyst with Maxim Group LLC. "The airlines can double their profitability" over 2011.

Neidl said that's possible ? even with just modest economic growth ? because airlines are limiting flights, which keeps planes full and lets them raise fares.

In the fourth quarter, Southwest filled more than 80 percent of its seats, an unusually high percentage. And the average passenger paid a fare of $140.18, up 10 percent from a year earlier when including price increases at its AirTran Airways subsidiary.

At Southwest and most other airlines, the biggest challenge to making money will be high jet fuel prices.

Southwest paid 34 percent more at the pump to fill its fleet of Boeing 737s, and its fuel tab came to $1.49 billion for the final three months of the year. Fuel averaged $3.29 per gallon.

And there's little relief in sight. Southwest expects to spend $3.35 per gallon in the first quarter, up 14 percent from the same period last year.

Southwest tries to protect itself from fuel price spikes by hedging ? in effect, locking in some of its fuel spending at guaranteed prices.

All of Southwest's increase in fourth-quarter net income came from gains on fuel-hedging contracts. Without those one-time gains, Southwest's adjusted profit was $66 million, or 9 cents per share, down from $115 million, or 15 cents, a year earlier.

Still, the results beat analysts' prediction of 8 cents per share, according to FactSet.

Southwest shares rose 30 cents, or 3.3 percent, to $9.32 in midday trading.

With the addition of AirTran Airways, which Southwest bought last year, revenue rose to $4.11 billion.

Southwest paid $1.4 billion for AirTran, which allowed it to expand into Atlanta, Mexico and the Caribbean, but it said Thursday that the cost of combining the two airlines will end up at $500 million. The company said it saved $80 million in overlapping expenses in 2011 and expects the annual savings to go much higher.

Southwest, which carries more passengers in the U.S. than any airline, was the first major U.S. carrier to report fourth-quarter results. United Continental Holdings Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc. and US Airways Group Inc. will release their figures next week, and analysts expect all three to show operating profits for the usually weak fourth quarter.

AMR Corp.'s American Airlines is expected to report a loss and to keep losing money in 2012. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in November and has begun trimming marginal flights, which could push some travelers to its more-successful competitors.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_southwest

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BP seen agreeing $20-25 billion oil spill settlement (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? BP is likely to agree to pay the U.S. Department of Justice $20-$25 billion to settle all charges around the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, according to a leading analyst, a prediction that is at least twice what the company has set aside.

Martijn Rats, head of European oil research at Morgan Stanley, said he saw a 70-80 percent chance that the two sides would agree a deal on civil and criminal charges surrounding the 2010 disaster sometime between BP's full year results on February 7, and the scheduled start of legal hearings in New Orleans on February 27.

BP sources have told Reuters that talks are ongoing with the Department of Justice about a possible settlement and that the London-based company's board has shifted to weekly meetings to discuss progress.

Chief Executive Bob Dudley has said BP would like to settle, although not at any price. When asked about the matter by reporters on Wednesday, he declined to make any comment, saying it was a sensitive time to be discussing it.

When contacted by Reuters, BP had no comment to make over the likelihood or size of a settlement of the charges surrounding the blast on the Deepwater Horizon and subsequent spill.

BP senses the U.S. administration would like to settle the matter, not least because it is a U.S. presidential election year, the sources said but any outcome is still seen as uncertain.

The estimated level of settlement in the Morgan Stanley note - the most detailed analysis Reuters has seen on the potential cost of the spill - is much higher than other analysts have predicted, and around double the amount BP has taken a provision for.

Senior company sources last year told Reuters that the company was prepared for a massive payout. One source predicted BP would offer "the mother of all settlements".

Another said the settlement would likely be the second-largest in U.S. legal history, putting it between the $206 billion the tobacco industry agreed to pay U.S. states for treating smoking-related illnesses and the $7.2 billion banks agreed to pay to settle litigation related to Enron's collapse.

SHARES LAG

BP has the money to pay a $20-25 billion settlement - it is sitting on cash pile of more than $20 billion and has billions of dollars worth of assets on the block as part of its restructuring.

Nonetheless, Morgan Stanley predicts the larger-than- expected size of the payout will weigh on BP's shares. It rates the shares "underweight" and has a target price of 435 pence, against a Wednesday close of 481 pence.

The shares traded down 0.6 percent at 0905 GMT, against a flat STOXX Europe 600 Oil and Gas index.

BP investors are expecting the company to announce a dividend hike at its full year results, after Dudley said late last year that it had reached a turning point after the oil spill and was now returning to growth mode.

A big settlement would limit BP's ability to lift the shareholder payout.

Morgan Stanley believes the DoJ deal will cover all criminal and civil proceedings being pursued by the government against BP under the Clean Water Act, Alternative Fines Act, other laws and BP's obligation to make good any natural resources damages.

(Reporting by Tom Bergin; Editing by Hans-Juergen Peters and Mike Nesbit)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/ts_nm/us_bp

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Delta: Flight diverted to Fla. for 'unruly' couple (AP)

ATLANTA ? Officials say a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Costa Rica was diverted to Tampa, Fla., on Sunday evening after a couple from Germany became unruly.

Delta spokeswoman Chris Kelly Singley said Flight 414 departed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 6 p.m. Sunday and landed at Tampa International Airport at 7:34 p.m. The captain made the call to land, the spokeswoman said. After the "unruly" passengers were removed, the plane went on to Costa Rica, she said.

Tampa International Airport spokeswoman Janet Zink identified the passengers as Peter and Gabriele Strohmaier of Dusseldorf, Germany. She said they were seated in first class and demanding food and champagne and refused to sit down.

Zink said no charges had been filled. The FBI and Transportation Security Administration were investigating.

Reached at the Tampa hotel where the couple was spending Sunday night, Gabriele Strohmaier told The Associated Press that a Delta crew member "exaggerated enormously and felt terribly insulted" after her husband raised concerns about the food and beverage service.

She said her husband had asked for a glass of champagne, but was told it was all gone. She said the crew member then walked away rather than listen to his concerns. She denied that she or her husband was told to sit down and refused.

"No, we were not standing," she said.

Peter Strohmaier, who identified himself as a lawyer, said he "did nothing except to say I would like to have the meal and so on...all normal things."

He said the Delta crew member told him she was not pleased with his attitude.

"I am not prepared to accept such behavior," he said, adding that in the end he didn't get champagne, a meal or even water. The couple had flown to the U.S. from Germany earlier in the day.

Gabriele Strohmaier said the couple need to "take another airline, naturally not Delta" to get to Costa Rica.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120116/ap_on_re_us/us_delta_flight_unruly_passenger

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Particle-free silver ink prints small, high-performance electronics

Friday, January 13, 2012

University of Illinois materials scientists have developed a new reactive silver ink for printing high-performance electronics on ubiquitous, low-cost materials such as flexible plastic, paper or fabric substrates.

Jennifer Lewis, the Hans Thurnauer Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and graduate student S. Brett Walker described the new ink in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

"We are really excited about the wide applicability and excellent electrical properties of this new silver ink," said Lewis, the director of the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory at the U. of I.

Electronics printed on low-cost, flexible materials hold promise for antennas, batteries, sensors, solar energy, wearable devices and more. Most conductive inks rely on tiny metal particles suspended in the ink. The new ink is a transparent solution of silver acetate and ammonia. The silver remains dissolved in the solution until it is printed, and the liquid evaporates, yielding conductive features.

"It dries and reacts quickly, which allows us to immediately deposit silver as we print," Walker said.

The reactive ink has several advantages over particle-based inks. It is much faster to make: A batch takes minutes to mix, according to Walker, whereas particle-based inks take several hours and multiple steps to prepare. The ink also is stable for several weeks.

The reactive silver ink also can print through 100-nanometer nozzles, an order of magnitude smaller than particle-based inks, an important feature for printed microelectronics. Moreover, the ink's low viscosity makes it suitable for inkjet printing, direct ink writing or airbrush spraying over large, conformal areas.

"For printed electronics applications, you need to be able to store the ink for several months because silver is expensive," Walker said. "Since silver particles don't actually form until the ink exits the nozzle and the ammonia evaporates, our ink remains stable for very long periods. For fine-scale nozzle printing, that's a rarity."

The reactive silver ink boasts yet one more key advantage: a low processing temperature. Metallic inks typically need to be heated to achieve bulk conductivity through a process called annealing. The annealing temperatures for many particle-based inks are too high for many inexpensive plastics or paper. By contrast, the reactive silver ink exhibits an electrical conductivity approaching that of pure silver upon annealing at 90 degrees Celsius.

"We are now focused on patterning large-area transparent conductive surfaces using this reactive ink," said Lewis, who also is affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, the Micro and Nanotechnology Lab and the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the U. of I.

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: http://www.uiuc.edu

Thanks to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116725/Particle_free_silver_ink_prints_small__high_performance_electronics

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DNA shows remains not of Franco-Canadian reporter (AP)

PARIS ? The brother of a dual national French-Canadian journalist who disappeared in Ivory Coast in 2004 says DNA tests show human remains recently unearthed there are not those of his missing brother.

The brother of Guy-Andre Kieffer says a French investigating judge told him Thursday the tests were negative "so it's not my brother. It's an unknown person."

The remains were retrieved in an area of western Ivory Coast under orders from investigating judge Patrick Ramael and flown to France, fanning speculation that they might be Kieffer's.

Bernard Kieffer called the news "disappointing" but said Ramael had assured him the investigation would continue.

The 54-year-old journalist who had reported on corruption under former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo vanished eight years ago.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120112/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_ivory_coast_missing_journalist

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