Study: Use of antipsychotic drugs improves life expectancy for individuals with schizophrenia

Public release date: 1-Nov-2012
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Contact: Stephanie Desmon
sdesmon1@jhmi.edu
410-955-8665
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Results of a Johns Hopkins study suggest that individuals with schizophrenia are significantly more likely to live longer if they take their antipsychotic drugs on schedule, avoid extremely high doses and also regularly see a mental health professional.

Psychiatrists have long known that people with schizophrenia who stick to a drug regimen have fewer of the debilitating delusions and hallucinations that are hallmarks of this illness. But there have been concerns about whether some of the known side effects of the medications increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, for example carry higher mortality risks, the researchers say.

"We know that antipsychotic medications reduce symptoms, and our study shows that staying on reasonable, recommended doses is associated with longer life," says Bernadette A. Cullen, M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O., MRCPsych, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and leader of the study published in Schizophrenia Bulletin. "The same is true for going to see a psychiatrist or therapist," she says, noting that regular visits to a mental health professional are one way to monitor and encourage drug-use compliance, but also in and of themselves increased survival in this vulnerable population.

Cullen and her colleagues analyzed data collected between 1994 through 2004 on 2,132 adult Maryland Medicaid beneficiaries with schizophrenia. The researchers reviewed how much medication the patients took, how regularly they took it and how often they visited a mental health professional. The goal of the study was to review how adherence to the 2009 pharmacological Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT) guidelines was associated with mortality in this population.

Comparing data from year to year, the researchers found that among those patients who had 90 percent or better compliance with their medication schedules, the risk of death was 25 percent lower compared to those who were less than 10 percent compliant. Over the decade-long study period, taking medication did not increase the risk of death and there was a trend towards reducing the mortality rate. In addition, the researchers found that each additional visit per year to a mental health professional was linked to a 5 percent reduction in risk of death overall.

Cullen's study did not rule out all links between increased mortality and antipsychotic drugs. For example, her team found that people who took high doses of first-generation antipsychotic medication daily (1500 mg or greater chlorpromazine equivalents) were 88 percent more likely to die. She says mortality rates possibly increased in this group because first-generation antipsychotics have been associated with cardiac disease risks, and among those who died while taking the larger doses, 53 percent died of cardiovascular disease. "These drugs work very well, but there is clearly a point of diminishing returns," she says. "You rarely need to be on extremely high doses."

Among those whose information was reviewed, the most common cause of death was cardiovascular disease (28 percent); unintended harm, including suicide, was responsible for 8 percent.

"If people are taking their medications, they usually have fewer symptoms and are able to be more organized in other areas of their lives," says Cullen, director of community psychiatry at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. "We believe they are then more likely to make appointments with their primary care doctors, to stay on top of other illnesses they may have and to regularly take diabetes, blood pressure or cholesterol medication that they may require to stay healthy. We also believe that they are more likely to be socially engaged and have a healthier lifestyle."

"If your illness is under control, you can do a lot more," she adds.

Cullen says the study clearly lays out the value of mental health providers to individuals with schizophrenia. Those who saw therapists or psychiatrists were more likely to survive, regardless of whether the individual also took his or her antipsychotic medication on a regular basis, she says.

This finding is crucial, she says, given that Maryland Medicaid officials are considering capping the number of mental health visits allowed each year, something the data now suggest is potentially detrimental to survival.

Cullen notes that adherence to a medication regimen and moderate first-generation antipsychotic dosing are both part of the 2009 PORT recommendations designed to guide treatment.

###

The study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH074070).

Other Johns Hopkins researchers involved in the study include Emma E. McGinty, M.S.; Yiyi Zhang, Ph.D.; Susan dos Reis, Ph.D.; Donald M. Steinwachs, Ph.D.; Eliseo Guallar, M.D., Dr.PH.; and Gail L. Daumit, M.D., M.H.S.

For more information: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/specialty_areas/community_psych/

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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: 1-Nov-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Stephanie Desmon
sdesmon1@jhmi.edu
410-955-8665
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Results of a Johns Hopkins study suggest that individuals with schizophrenia are significantly more likely to live longer if they take their antipsychotic drugs on schedule, avoid extremely high doses and also regularly see a mental health professional.

Psychiatrists have long known that people with schizophrenia who stick to a drug regimen have fewer of the debilitating delusions and hallucinations that are hallmarks of this illness. But there have been concerns about whether some of the known side effects of the medications increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, for example carry higher mortality risks, the researchers say.

"We know that antipsychotic medications reduce symptoms, and our study shows that staying on reasonable, recommended doses is associated with longer life," says Bernadette A. Cullen, M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O., MRCPsych, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and leader of the study published in Schizophrenia Bulletin. "The same is true for going to see a psychiatrist or therapist," she says, noting that regular visits to a mental health professional are one way to monitor and encourage drug-use compliance, but also in and of themselves increased survival in this vulnerable population.

Cullen and her colleagues analyzed data collected between 1994 through 2004 on 2,132 adult Maryland Medicaid beneficiaries with schizophrenia. The researchers reviewed how much medication the patients took, how regularly they took it and how often they visited a mental health professional. The goal of the study was to review how adherence to the 2009 pharmacological Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team (PORT) guidelines was associated with mortality in this population.

Comparing data from year to year, the researchers found that among those patients who had 90 percent or better compliance with their medication schedules, the risk of death was 25 percent lower compared to those who were less than 10 percent compliant. Over the decade-long study period, taking medication did not increase the risk of death and there was a trend towards reducing the mortality rate. In addition, the researchers found that each additional visit per year to a mental health professional was linked to a 5 percent reduction in risk of death overall.

Cullen's study did not rule out all links between increased mortality and antipsychotic drugs. For example, her team found that people who took high doses of first-generation antipsychotic medication daily (1500 mg or greater chlorpromazine equivalents) were 88 percent more likely to die. She says mortality rates possibly increased in this group because first-generation antipsychotics have been associated with cardiac disease risks, and among those who died while taking the larger doses, 53 percent died of cardiovascular disease. "These drugs work very well, but there is clearly a point of diminishing returns," she says. "You rarely need to be on extremely high doses."

Among those whose information was reviewed, the most common cause of death was cardiovascular disease (28 percent); unintended harm, including suicide, was responsible for 8 percent.

"If people are taking their medications, they usually have fewer symptoms and are able to be more organized in other areas of their lives," says Cullen, director of community psychiatry at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. "We believe they are then more likely to make appointments with their primary care doctors, to stay on top of other illnesses they may have and to regularly take diabetes, blood pressure or cholesterol medication that they may require to stay healthy. We also believe that they are more likely to be socially engaged and have a healthier lifestyle."

"If your illness is under control, you can do a lot more," she adds.

Cullen says the study clearly lays out the value of mental health providers to individuals with schizophrenia. Those who saw therapists or psychiatrists were more likely to survive, regardless of whether the individual also took his or her antipsychotic medication on a regular basis, she says.

This finding is crucial, she says, given that Maryland Medicaid officials are considering capping the number of mental health visits allowed each year, something the data now suggest is potentially detrimental to survival.

Cullen notes that adherence to a medication regimen and moderate first-generation antipsychotic dosing are both part of the 2009 PORT recommendations designed to guide treatment.

###

The study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH074070).

Other Johns Hopkins researchers involved in the study include Emma E. McGinty, M.S.; Yiyi Zhang, Ph.D.; Susan dos Reis, Ph.D.; Donald M. Steinwachs, Ph.D.; Eliseo Guallar, M.D., Dr.PH.; and Gail L. Daumit, M.D., M.H.S.

For more information: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/specialty_areas/community_psych/

---

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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/2012-11/jhm-suo103112.php

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Yeast model offers clues to possible drug targets for Lou Gehrig's disease, study shows

ScienceDaily (Oct. 28, 2012) ? Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a devastatingly cruel neurodegenerative disorder that robs sufferers of the ability to move, speak and, finally, breathe. Now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and San Francisco's Gladstone Institutes have used baker's yeast -- a tiny, one-celled organism -- to identify a chink in the armor of the currently incurable disease that may eventually lead to new therapies for human patients.

"Even though yeast and humans are separated by a billion years of evolution, we were able to use the power of yeast genetics to identify an unexpected potential drug target for ALS," said Aaron Gitler, PhD, an associate professor of genetics at Stanford. "Many neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's exhibit protein clumping or misfolding within the neurons that is thought to either cause or contribute to the conditions. We are trying to figure out why these proteins aggregate in neurons in the brain and spinal cord, and what happens when they do."

In 2008, Gitler received a New Innovator award from the National Institutes of Health to use yeast as a model for understanding human neurodegenerative diseases and as a way to identify new targets for drug development.

Gitler is the co-senior author of the research, published online Oct. 28 in Nature Genetics. Robert Farese, Jr., MD, a senior investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, is the other co-senior author. Stanford graduate student Maria Armakola shares co-first authorship with Matthew Higgins, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at Gladstone.

Most cases of ALS have no clear-cut cause. However, it has recently been shown that an RNA-binding protein called TDP-43 accumulates in clumps in the cytoplasm of spinal cord neurons in many people with the condition, and mutations in this protein have been found in some people with the ALS. Researchers like Gitler and Farese have been able to mimic the disease in yeast by expressing TDP-43 at higher-than-normal levels, which causes the protein to form lethal clumps in the cells' cytoplasm.

"In humans, the progression of the disease can take years before symptoms arise," said Gitler. "But in yeast, we see protein clumping in the cytoplasm within two days and the cells rapidly begin to die." With their model system in place, Gitler and Farese set out to see whether it was possible to protect yeast cells from this effect by tinkering with the function of other proteins in the cell.

In this study, the researchers discovered that blocking the production of a protein called Dbr1 in a yeast model stops the TDP-43 clumping and allows the cells to live normally. The researchers confirmed the results in human nerve cells grown in the laboratory and in rat neurons overexpressing TDP-43.

"In this study we made no assumptions as to how TDP-43 injures cells," said Farese, "but instead screened the whole yeast genome to find genes that might prevent the toxicity. Independently, both our lab and the Gitler lab found that loss of Dbr1, an enzyme involved in RNA processing, could do this."

Dbr1 serves as part of the cellular clean-up crew that mops up the bits of unwanted RNA generated as part of the protein production line. In our DNA, most genes consist of coding regions, called exons, broken up into several segments by non-coding regions, called introns. Cells can make many different, related proteins from the same stretch of DNA by mixing and matching different exons in a process called splicing.

When the DNA is first copied, or transcribed, into RNA, the introns as well as the exons are included. But the cell quickly splices out the introns, which are released into the cytoplasm as little loops, or lariats. Dbr1, in turn, clips the loops to open them and make them accessible to the cell's disposal system.

Blocking the production of Dbr1 causes the RNA lariats to build up in the cytoplasm. The researchers showed -- by creating lariats with a binding site for a fluorescent tracking protein -- that the mutant TDP-43 binds to these excess lariats rather than clumping. The effect is like using a paper towel to mop up a spill on your computer keyboard: binding to the lariats appears to keep TDP-43 from causing havoc elsewhere.

"Normally, TDP-43 is found in the nucleus," said first author Armakola. "But in the diseased cells, it aggregates in the cytoplasm and forms clumps. We developed a novel way to track where these lariats go in living cells, and we saw that when Dbr1 is missing, the lariats act as a sink to sequester TDP-43."

The researchers note that it's still not entirely clear whether the cells die because the mutant TDP-43 is drawing essential RNA transcripts or regulatory molecules away from the nucleus and into the cytoplasm, or because it's not performing its normal RNA-binding function in the nucleus. Both could contribute to the progression of the disease.

The results in the yeast, rodent and human cells, however, suggest that therapeutic approaches aimed at blocking Dbr1 function, or even creating artificial lariat-like formations to draw away the mutant molecule, should be explored.

"Next, we'd like to explore blocking Dbr1 function in animals such as flies, worms and rodents," said Armakola. "We're also interested in identifying small molecule inhibitors of Dbr1."

Other Stanford co-authors include graduate student Matthew Figley. The research was supported by the NIH, the Ellison Medical Foundation, the Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins, the Consortium for Frontotemporal Research, the ALS Association, the Taube-Koret Center, the Hellman Family Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Rita Allen Foundation, the Searle Scholars Program, the Keck Foundation and the National Center for Research Resources.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Stanford University Medical Center. The original article was written by Krista Conger.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Maria Armakola, Matthew J Higgins, Matthew D Figley, Sami J Barmada, Emily A Scarborough, Zamia Diaz, Xiaodong Fang, James Shorter, Nevan J Krogan, Steven Finkbeiner, Robert V Farese Jr & Aaron D Gitler. Inhibition of RNA lariat debranching enzyme suppresses TDP-43 toxicity in ALS disease models. Nature Genetics, 28 October 2012 DOI: 10.1038/ng.2434

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/top_news/top_health/~3/pGA2xXSb4KE/121028142318.htm

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Investing 101: The Top Five Behavioral Mistakes That Will Cost You ...

"Experience is the name everyone gives their mistakes," author and poet Oscar Wilde once wrote. And how right he was. But what if we could gain the benefit of our errors without having to pay a painful price?

That's exactly what we are tackling in this installment of Investing 101, as we identify behavioral mistake that will will cost you money. To do so, we contacted Lou Harvey, president and CEO of Dalbar, a Boston-based financial services research firm, who has studied and written about the matter for years and has compiled this list of the five biggest behavioral blunders.

1) Mental Accounting

As Harvey describes it, the hallmarks of this investing mistake are erratic behavior and an ever-changing risk tolerance. If you're the type of person who takes big risks in one area but takes almost none in another, you might be suffering the effects of mental accounting. In Harvey's words, it's like conceptualizing different buckets for risk, but then putting all the buckets in the same pool.

2) Herding, Following the Crowd

It's often stated on Wall Street that the market rarely rewards the masses or that stocks always take the course of inflicting maximum pain. "The crowd often is mistaken," Harvey says, "and very often late, too." The problem with being a follower, he says, is that the leaders ? whether going in or out of an investment ? typically make all the money. "The people who come afterward miss out," he says.

3) Narrow Framing

In a universe that has thousands of stocks to chose from, and almost as many mutual funds and ETFs to sort through, investors could seemingly research ideas forever. At some point, we are required to ''pull the trigger,'' so to speak, and oftentimes it's for the wrong reasons. Harvey says the costly part of the problem is how many people make decisions based on statistical performance of an investment without considering how that performance was achieved. He thinks it is ''dangerous" to simply look at the numbers in front of you and not what the underlying strategies are ? or who the portfolio managers are.

4) Anchoring

Despite it's name, anchoring has nothing to do with staying put. No, anchoring actually is the tendency for investors to tie themselves, or tether themselves, to the same methodology, style or a previous experience. "Treating an investment in the same way as a previously successful investment," Harvey warns, is a recipe for losses. Just because buy-and-hold for three years worked once, doesn't mean it will work again. In short, he says investors shouldn't be anchored in the belief that all investments work the same way.

5) Diversification

Who ever thought diversification would be on a list of investor mistakes? But in this case, Harvey explains that investors sometimes delude themselves into thinking their holdings are diversified, when in fact they might be something like similar assets in different places. "One has to understand that it's a bit more complex than simply spreading your eggs into more than one basket," he says, pointing out that true diversification takes work.

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/top-five-behavioral-mistakes-cost-money-investing-101-162849192.html

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NFLPA cites 1996 bounty program allowed by NFL

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? The NFL Players Association filed papers in federal court pointing out that the NFL permitted a 1996 incentive program for big hits funded by then-Green Bay defensive lineman Reggie White.

In papers filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, the union questioned why NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should now be able to suspend former Saints linebacker Scott Fujita for offering then-New Orleans teammates rewards for big plays during the 2009 season.

The filing cited media reports about White's "smash-for-cash" program that paid $500 for big plays, including big hits.

The reports, now nearly 16 years old, include players from other teams discussing similar pools climbing into the thousands of dollars. In one report by ESPN, Troy Vincent, then a defensive back with Philadelphia, discusses a similar player-funded incentive program run by Eagles players.

Vincent now works for the NFL as a vice president overseeing player engagement.

In the reports, an NFL spokesman is quoted as saying the incentive programs are permitted as long as players use their own money and the amounts players pledge are not exorbitant.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Thursday night that the league would defer comment to its own forthcoming arguments in court.

The NFLPA seized upon the NFL's 1996 stance particularly as it related to Fujita, who Goodell suspended this for one game this season even though he said he could not verify that Fujita participated in the bounty program the league says the Saints ran for three seasons from 2009-11. Goodell said Fujita, now with Cleveland, was still guilty of violating NFL rules by offering his own incentives for big plays and also, as a team leader, by failing to try to stop to the cash-for-hits program overseen by then-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

The union said that while the NFL's player safety goals may have evolved since 1996, it is unfair to punish players for behavior it previously permitted without formally spelling out that such behavior is no longer allowed.

"The fact that the NFL has a different agenda today than it did in 1996 cannot change the unequivocal language of the NFL Constitution & Bylaws, which has never prohibited this type of behavior," the union wrote in its legal briefs. "The Commissioner's attempt to nonetheless suspend and scapegoat Mr. Fujita for conduct - incentivizing undisputed, legitimate plays - never before punished or prohibited by the NFL not only violates the 'essence of the (collective bargaining) agreement' but further demonstrates the Commissioner's evident partiality."

Fujita is one of four players suspended by Goodell in the NFL's bounty probe of the Saints. Saints linebacker Jon Vilma was suspended for the season, Saints defensive end Will Smith for four games and free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove for seven games. None of the suspensions are currently in effect because they all have been appealed within the framework of the NFL's labor agreement, and Goodell has set hearings for those appeals this Tuesday in New York.

However, all four players also have asked U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan to throw out Goodell's disciplinary rulings on the grounds that he has demonstrated a bias against the players in his handling the bounty investigation, thereby violating the players' industrial due process rights. The players also have questioned the credibility of the league's evidence in the case or the witnesses upon which the league's investigation relied.

The NFL has said the union agreed that the commissioner would be able to serve as the lone arbitrator for matters deemed detrimental to football and that the evidence in the case is strong enough to support Goodell's rulings.

Still, the players have argued that Goodell should be barred from handling discipline in the bounty probe and that a neutral arbitrator should be appointed, an argument repeated by the union in its latest filing.

"It is only a neutral of unquestioned integrity who can restore public confidence in this process and mitigate the damage which the NFL's handling of 'bounty-gate has inflicted upon the game," the NFLPA said.

Meanwhile, former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Jimmy Kennedy submitted a sworn declaration stating he "knew nothing of any alleged 'bounty' program" that the Saints had in place on quarterback Brett Favre when they faced the Vikings in the 2009-10 NFC title game.

Kennedy's declaration states that he had only told teammates that the Saints were hitting Minnesota players "like there's money on the table," which was his way of urging teammates to match New Orleans' intensity.

Kennedy said NFL investigator Joe Hummel called him to ask about a Saints bounty program, and he told Hummel he did not know anything about it.

"Contrary to the League's claims, I did not act as a 'whistleblower,'" Kennedy stated.

An NFL memo from the bounty probe has indicated that Kennedy told then-Vikings coach Brad Childress about a Saints bounty on Favre after discussing it with Hargrove, his former teammate in St. Louis.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-10-18-Saints-Bounties-NFLPA/id-0b3b8445b5db4dd58b2e934cfed0a16a

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Microsoft?s Q1 2013 Earning Miss Expectations: $16.01B Revenue, Earnings Per Share Of $0.53

Microsoft just released its earnings for the company's first financial quarter of 2013. Microsoft posted revenues of $16.01 billion and earnings per share of $0.53. That's down from the company's Q4 2012 results?of $18.06 billion but up from last quarter's loss per share of $0.06.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/NbKi50Ymh6M/

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Google results miss; shares dive after premature report

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc's quarterly results fell well short of Wall Street's expectations after its core advertising business slowed, stunning investors accustomed to consistently rapid growth from the Internet giant and wiping more than 9 percent off its market value.

The disappointing numbers on Thursday came hours ahead of schedule in a rare instance of premature filing. Google blamed the misfire on an unauthorized filing by its financial printers, RR Donnelley & Sons Co, and later confirmed the numbers' accuracy.

The earnings report, which had not been expected until after the market close, revealed a weakening in Google's core Internet advertising business and persistent losses at its recently acquired cellphone business, Motorola Mobility.

Shares of Google, the world's No. 1 Internet search engine, finished Thursday's regular trading session down 8 percent at $695 after a brief trading halt. Some analysts said the inadvertent results release spurred confusion and exacerbated its stock price decline.

Google executives maintained in a conference call on Thursday that the company's various businesses continued to benefit from healthy growth and that Google was well-positioned to capitalize on consumer's increasing use of mobile devices.

Chief Executive Larry Page, speaking on his first earnings call since an unspecified voice ailment sidelined him from public speaking in June, said that Google's mobile business was now generating revenue at an annualized run rate of $8 billion.

Page acknowledged that mobile ad rates were below the rates that Google garners for ads that appear on its standard website. But he said the variety of Web-connected devices used by consumers is creating "a huge new universe of opportunities for advertisers."

"We're uniquely positioned to get through that transition and to really profit from it," Page said, citing Google's Android mobile software, the world's top operating system for smartphones by market share.

Google, which has been struggling to turn around a Motorola Mobility hardware business it bought for $12.5 billion, reported a 20 percent dive in net income to $2.18 billion. Excluding certain items, it earned $9.03 a share, vastly underperforming the $10.65 analysts had expected, on average.

"We have been saying this thing was ripe for a pullback. It's not like they're Google not being Google, but you still have some major issues," said BCG analyst Colin Gillis.

"Click prices declined for the fourth consecutive quarter after rising for eight consecutive quarters before then. That's a negative. This is the mobile problem."

"The other bit is the Motorola millstone had been ignored by the market, and - boom - now you've got weak revenue from Motorola. When you acquire a business and you're about to whack all kinds of people and close offices, you know what happens to the employees? They take their eye off the ball. Sales are down," Gillis explained.

Net revenue growth at Google's main Internet business increased 17 percent year-over-year, the first time growth in that business has fallen below 20 percent since 2009. Google Finance Chief Patrick Pichette stressed on the conference call that the revenue growth rate was higher if the impact of foreign currency exchange rates was backed out.

"It was just too rapid a deceleration," said Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Wieser. "Many of the same underlying trends drive Facebook advertising."

Shares of Facebook Inc, which headed south shortly after Google's inadvertent filing, closed down 4.6 percent. Google's snafu recalled Facebook's debut, which was marred by technical glitches that also spooked traders and contributed to the stock's first-day decline.

The decline in Google's shares come after a three-month run-up in its stock, which reached an all-time high of $774.38 earlier this month.

A BAD MISS?

Google reported net revenue - excluding traffic acquisition costs - of $11.3 billion for the third quarter, below Wall Street's expectations for about $11.9 billion.

For the fourth consecutive quarter, the company reported a decline in average cost-per-click (CPC), a critical metric that denotes the price advertisers pay Google.

Average CPC declined 15 percent from a year ago and 3 percent from the second quarter of this year. Analysts say that Google, like many of its peers in the Internet industry, has been struggling to adapt to the rapid consumer uptake in mobile devices. Advertisers pay far less for ads on smartphones and tablets than for similar ads on desktop computers.

"The core business seems to have slowed down pretty significantly, which is shocking," said B. Riley analyst Sameet Sinha. "The only conclusion I can look at is, search is happening more and more outside of Google, meaning people are searching more through apps than through Google search."

"That could indicate a secular change, especially when it comes to ecommerce searches. The big fear has always been, what if people decide just to go straight to Amazon and do their searches? And potentially that's what could be happening."

But Ryan Jacob, chairman and chief investment officer of Jacob Funds, said he viewed Google's results as only "minorly disappointing," with most of the weakness coming from Motorola as expected.

"Unfortunately, by dropping an 8K in the middle of a trading day, people kind of shoot first, ask questions later," said Jacob, whose fund owns Google shares.

JP Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth said in a note that the Google results were "light" but not as bad as they appeared at "first blush."

FILING SNAFU

Google, which recently overtook Microsoft Corp to become the second-largest U.S. technology company by capitalization, had been due to release its results after the market close.

The second paragraph of the press release merely read "Pending Larry quote," suggesting that space was reserved for comment from CEO Larry Page.

"Earlier this morning RR Donnelley, the financial printer, informed us that they had filed our draft 8K earnings statement without authorization," Google said in a statement. "We have ceased trading on NASDAQ while we work to finalize the document. Once it's finalized we will release our earnings, resume trading on NASDAQ and hold our earnings call as normal at 1:30 PM PT."

Shares of RR Donnelley, the U.S. printing services company, slid as much as 5 percent. They closed down 1 percent at $10.76.

Reed Kathrein, a plaintiff lawyer with Hagens Berman who sues companies on behalf of investors, said investors would not have a claim against either Google or RR Donnelley because the earnings disclosure was likely a mistake.

"There's no fraudulent intent here," Kathrein said.

However, Google could have a negligence claim against RR Donnelly to recover any additional costs it incurred in responding to the incident, Kathrein added.

"Everyone is trying to figure out if there's any legal issue with respect to RR Donnelley," said Michael Matousek, senior trader at U.S. Global Investors Inc, which manages about $3 billion in San Antonio.

(Additional reporting by Gerry Shih and Noel Randewich in San Francisco, David Gaffen and Jennifer Saba in New York; Editing by Bernard Orr and Gary Hill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/google-jumps-gun-results-revenue-soft-164129195--sector.html

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Complex logic circuit made from bacterial genes

ScienceDaily (Oct. 12, 2012) ? By force of habit we tend to assume computers are made of silicon, but there is actually no necessary connection between the machine and the material. All that an engineer needs to do to make a computer is to find a way to build logic gates -- the elementary building blocks of digital computers -- in whatever material is handy.

So logic gates could theoretically be made of pipes of water, channels for billiard balls or even mazes for soldier crabs.

By comparison Tae Seok Moon's ambition, which is to build logic gates out of genes, seems eminently practical. As a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Christopher Voigt, PhD, a synthetic biologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he recently made the largest gene (or genetic) circuit yet reported.

Moon, PhD, now an assistant professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis is the lead author of an article describing the project in the Oct. 7 issue of Nature. Voigt is the senior author.

The tiny circuits constructed from these gene gates and others like them may one day be components of engineered cells that will monitor and respond to their environments.

The number of tasks they could undertake is limited only by evolution and human ingenuity. Janitor bacteria might clean up pollutants, chemical-engineer bacteria pump out biofuels and miniature infection-control bacteria might bustle about killing pathogens.

How to make an AND gate out of genes

The basis of modern computers is the logic gate, a device that makes simple comparisons between the bits, the 1s and 0s, in which computers encode information. Each logic gate has multiple inputs and one output. The output of the gate depends on the inputs and the operation the gate performs.

An AND gate, for example, turns on only if all of its inputs are on. An OR gate turns on if any of its inputs are on.

Suggestively, genes are turned on or off when a transcription factor binds to a region of DNA adjacent to the gene called a promotor.

To make an AND gate out of genes, however, Moon had to find a gene whose activation is controlled by at least two molecules, not one. So only if both molecule 1 AND molecule 2 are present will the gene be turned on and translated into protein.

Such a genetic circuit had been identified in Salmonella typhimurium, the bacterium that causes food poisoning. In this circuit, the transcription factor can bind to the promotor of a gene only if a molecule called a chaperone is present. This meant the genetic circuit could form the basis of a two-input AND gate.

The circuit Moon eventually built consisted of four sensors for four different molecules that fed into three two-input AND gates. If all four molecules were present, all three AND gates turned on and the last one produced a reporter protein that fluoresced red, so that the operation of the circuit could be easily monitored.

In the future, Moon says, a synthetic bacterium with this circuit might sense four different cancer indicators and, in the presence of all four, release a tumor-killing factor.

Crosstalk and timing faults

There are huge differences, of course, between the floppy molecules that embody biological logic gates and the diodes and transistors that embody electronic ones.

Engineers designing biological circuits worry a great deal about crosstalk, or interference. If a circuit is to work properly, the molecules that make up one gate cannot bind to molecules that are part of another gate.

This is much more of a problem in a biological circuit than in an electronic circuit because the interior of a cell is a kind of soup where molecules mingle freely.

To ensure that there wouldn't be crosstalk among his AND gates, Moon mined parts for his gates from three different strains of bacteria: Shigella flexneri and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as Salmonella.

Although the parts from the three different strains were already quite dissimilar, he made them even more so by subjecting them to error-prone copying cycles and screening the copies for ones that were even less prone to crosstalk (but still functional).

Another problem Moon faced is that biological circuits, unlike electronic ones, don't have internal clocks that keep the bits moving through the logic gates in lockstep. If signals progress through layers of gates at different speeds, the output of the entire circuit may be wrong, a problem called a timing fault.

Experiments designed to detect such faults in the synthetic circuit showed that they didn't occur, probably because the chaperones for one layer of logic gates degrades before the transcription factors for the next layer are generated, and this forces a kind of rhythm on the circuit.

Hijacking a bacterium's controller

"We're not trying to build a computer out of biological logic gates," Moon says. "You can't build a computer this way. Instead we're trying to make controllers that will allow us to access all the things biological organisms do in simple, programmable ways."

"I see the cell as a system that consists of a sensor, a controller (the logic circuit), and an actuator," he says. "This paper covers work on the controller, but eventually the controller's output will drive an actuator, something that will do work on the cell's surroundings. "

An synthetic bacterium designed by a friend of Moon's at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore senses signaling molecules released by the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. When the molecules reach a high enough concentration, the bacterium generates a toxin and a protein that causes it to burst, releasing the toxin, and killing nearby P. aeruginosa.

"Silicon cannot do that," Moon says.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Washington University in St. Louis. The original article was written by Diana Lutz.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Tae Seok Moon, Chunbo Lou, Alvin Tamsir, Brynne C. Stanton, Christopher A. Voigt. Genetic programs constructed from layered logic gates in single cells. Nature, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nature11516

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/biochemistry/~3/mFAA8_wiIGA/121013174323.htm

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Canada News Centre - Work Begins on University of Manitoba's ...

Winnipeg, Manitoba, October 11, 2012 ? Dignitaries gathered today to celebrate the start of construction of the new Active Living Centre, at the University of Manitoba. On hand were Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger, the Honourable Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport) and Member of Parliament for Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia, Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz, University of Manitoba President David Barnard, and former University of Manitoba Bison football player (and current National Football League player) Israel Idonije.

"This new world-class sports and recreation centre will benefit students and staff on campus and will offer some exciting opportunities for families from the local community," said Premier Selinger. "We're creating new opportunities for people of all ages to get active, right in their community, because it's a priority for Manitobans and because we know it will have lasting benefits well into the future."

"Our Government is proud to support the construction of this world-class sport and fitness centre - one of the largest of its kind in Manitoba," said Minister of State Fletcher. "This investment will help to create well paying jobs and strengthen our local economy here in Winnipeg. When complete in 2015, it will help build a strong, sustainable and healthy community."

"The City of Winnipeg is pleased to support the Active Living Centre with $2.5?million obtained from the sale of the Polo Park stadium site," said Mayor Katz. "Students and staff at the University of Manitoba campus come from all corners of Winnipeg. Soon they will have the opportunity to build active living into their academic day, with a modern, bright fitness facility."

"The Active Living Centre builds on the transformative change at the University of Manitoba in the spaces where we live, work, study, discover and play," said Dr. Barnard. "Not only will the centre become a primary gateway to the heart of campus, but it will also enhance significantly the University of Manitoba's commitment to a culture of active, sustainable living."

Each year, more than 7,800?students and 1,000?staff and community members use the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management's facility at the University of Manitoba. The Faculty promotes sport and active living through various university and community programs for people of all ages and will be home to the new Active Living Centre.

The new four-storey, open-concept facility, with its luminous glass exterior, will house a high-performance training facility for elite athletes, a state-of-the-art indoor running track, a 12-metre climbing wall, an Applied Research Centre, a gathering area for students, strength and conditioning facilities, and three group workout studios.

The $46,000,000 centre (which is the keystone part of a group of Active Living Projects worth $59,000,000) received joint federal and provincial funding of $20?million under the Provincial-Territorial Base Fund. The City of Winnipeg is also providing $2.5?million of the net proceeds from the sale of the Polo Park Stadium site, with the balance of the funding being provided by the University of Manitoba.

This 100,000-square-foot facility will support an active lifestyle for students, staff, and the community alike. The new Active Living Centre will replace the current fitness facility (dubbed the "Gritty Grotto"). Upon its completion in 2015, this modern, eco-friendly building will accommodate more than 2,000 patrons per day, making it the largest active living facility in Manitoba.

To view architectural video highlighting the Active Living Centre, visit http://bit.ly/OTlEnw.

To download high-definition architectural video for broadcast purposes, visit http://umanitoba.ca/admin/mco/videos/active.living.centre.flythrough.mov.

For further information on Infrastructure Canada's projects in Manitoba, or to stay up-to-date with Web feeds, visit www.infrastructure.gc.ca.

To learn more about Manitoba's infrastructure projects, please visit www.infrastructure.mb.ca.

Brayden Akers
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of State (Transport)
613-991-0700

Naline Rampersad
Cabinet Communications
Province of Manitoba
204-945-1494

Michelle Bailey
City of Winnipeg
Corporate Communications
204-986-6000

Sean Moore
Marketing Communications Office
University of Manitoba
204-474-7963

Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll-free 1-877-250-7154

Source: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?nid=700549

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FRI UPDATE: Giant weekend preview, UFC ... - Wrestling Observer

By Bryan Alvarez

Bryan Alvarez: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

@bryanalvarez

We're looking for reports on tonight's WWE joint branded show in Jonesboro, AR (Sheamus vs. Big Show; C.M. Punk vs. Ryback) and tonight's PWS show in Rahway, NJ (Rikishi vs. Big Van Vader) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Slow weekend as far as big events go, but UFC does have a PPV from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and TNA has Bound for Glory, its biggest show of the year. We'll be doing radio shows both late Saturday and Sunday nights after the respective shows.

Bellator tonight on MTV 2:

Cody Bollinger (145.2) vs. Shahbulat Shamhalaev (145.6) in the first round of the featherweight tournament

Mike Richman (145.4) vs. Jeremy Spoon (146) in the first round of the featherweight tournament

Wagnney Fabiano (145.8) vs. Akop Stepanyan (146) in the first round of the featherweight tournament

Nazareno Malegarie (145.8) vs. Rad Martinez (146) in the first round of the featherweight tournament

Eddie Alvarez (155.4) vs. Patricky Pitbull Freire (154.8)

UFC 153 is Saturday night from Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena

Facebook fights at 7 p.m.

Reza Madadi vs. Cristiano Marcello

Chris Camozzi vs. Luiz Cane

FX fights at 8 p.m.

Renee Forte vs. Sergio Moraes

Diego Brandao vs. Joey Gambino

Gleison Tibau vs. Francisco Trinaldo

Sam Sicilia vs. Rony Jason

Main card at 10 p.m.

Demian Maia vs. Rick Story

Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado

Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva

Glover Teixeira vs. Fabio Maldonado

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Dave Herman

Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar in a non-title three round fight at 205 pounds

ROH Glory by Honor will be on iPPV on Saturday from Mississauaga, ONT at the International Centre

Kevin Steen vs. Michael Elgin for ROH title

Adam Cole vs. Eddie Edwards for TV title

Davey Richards vs. Jay Lethal

Mike Bennett vs. Mike Mondo

Roderick Strong vs. Tadarius Thomas

We're also looking for reports on the WWE joint branded house show in Jackson, TV on Saturday night.

Sunday is headlined by Bound for Glory from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. The show will start at 7 p.m. Eastern with a one hour show on Spike that will include one mach and the PPV starts at 8 p.m.

Sting & Bully Ray vs. Aces and 8s - If Aces and 8s lose , they leave TNA, if they win they get full access

Austin Aries vs. Jeff Hardy for TNA title

Bobby Roode vs. James Storm street fight with King Mo as guest enforcer

Christopher Daniels & Kazarian vs. A.J. Styles & Kurt Angle vs. Chavo

Guerrero Jr. & Hernandez for tag titles

Samoa Joe vs. Magnus for TV title

Brooke Tessmacher vs. Tara for Knockouts title

Zema Ion vs. Rob Van Dam for X title

Al Snow vs. Joey Ryan

Raw will be Monday in Nashville. The key story is whether C.M. Punk will "pick" Ryback or John Cena as his opponent for Hell in a Cell. The decision has not been made and won't be made until Monday afternoon after an evaluation of Cena's elbow.

Smackdown will be on Tuesday in Memphis. Jerry Lawler is scheduled to appear at the show.

??????? A look at?the Raw ratings and the WWE?shakeups after the 15 year low on October 1 is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.? It's an issue jammed with news, including the most detailed look at the Hulk Hogan sex tape scandal with a lot of new information, Vince McMahon's response to the ratings, the C.M. Punk incident hitting the fan in Sacramento, A look at TNA's Bound for Glory show, Steve Austin vs.C.M. Punk, the New Japan PPV show, the ROH booking change and WrestleMania 2013.

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??????? Both the issue and a back issue from 1995 will be up on the site today.

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??????? The lead story looks at changes made regarding bringing Vince McMahon back, what happened with Brian Gewirtz, how his role had changed, how the writing team is structured, who are the lead writers, the McMahon vs. C.M. Punk brawl, as well as the current A and B plan for Hell in a Cell.

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??????? We also have a detailed look at Hogan and the sex tape.

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??????? We have notes on the incident with C.M. Punk and the fan, as well as local coverage of the incident and reaction from both WWE and Punk.

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??????? We've got a rundown on Bound for Glory, looking at the programs going in and the fan reaction to the major angles.

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??????? We also look at one of the best PPV shows in recent years, the New Japan King of Pro Wrestling show featuring the Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki match.? We look at business numbers on the show, a very positive stat as well as another stat which isn't nearly so positive.? We've got match-by-match coverage as well as star ratings.

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??????? We also have a look at the ROH booking change and update the situation with that company as it builds for Final Battle in December.? We look at the inherent problems with the promotion, the new role of Jim Cornette and the reaction to the Kevin Steen vs. Jay Lethal finish.

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??????? We also look at UFC's show this past week, why two matches didn't happen, the injury that led to the main event ending fast, business notes, ratings and more.

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??????? We also look at the C.M. Punk vs. Steve Austin rivalry, the taped seeming beginning of an angle, the Linda McMahon campaign, what people in Connecticut really think of pro wrestling, WWE end of the year television schedule and why they have two shows that will almost surely do record low numbers before the year is out.? We also look at Sara Del Rey in WWE, just how valuable C.M. Punk has been to WWE of late, more WWE firings and departures that have not gotten out, Chris Jericho talks his future, the latest on Ric Flair and WWE, update on WWE injuries, as well as business notes from the past week and a look at all the weekend WWE house shows.

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??????? The Wrestling Observer ranges weekly from 35,000 to 50,000 words covering pro wrestling and MMA internationally. Each issue has coverage and analysis of all the major news, plus every issue breaks major news stories before the Internet sties and has the most complete look at the pro wrestling and MMA business anywhere, plus history pieces available nowhere else.
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??????? The Observer is now in its 29th year of being the leading insider pro wrestling publication in the world.? The biggest and most influential names in the pro wrestling and MMA industry, from bookers to promoters to Hall of Fame wrestlers and fighters to the biggest names on camera and behind the scenes, along with thousands of readers in all 50 states and more than 30 countries subscribe.? Many have subscribed for 20 years or longer consecutively.? They get the most detailed and inside coverage of what is going on all over the world.? Everywhere from Wall Street to the major offices to television networks in the U.S. and Japan turn to the Observer for what is going on in the business.
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??????? We also look at Dave Bautista going into MMA and his fight with Vince Lucero.

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??????? We also have coverage of Heroes Inmortales, AAA's latest major show featuring Jeff Jarrett and Abyss, plus a cage of death and the Antonio Pena Cup.

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???????? We also have a look at the ratings of all the major shows and complete details on how every segment of Raw and Impact this past week did.? We look at what segments gained and lost viewers
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??????? We also have results from all the major league arena events over the past week as well as a look at all the major television shows.

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Also in this week's issue:

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--Notes from Arena Mexico

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--Son of former WWF and WCW star now in Mexico

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--U.S. belts defended in Dragon Gate this past week

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--What would have been a major dream match in the 90s is announced as a Hall of Fame candidate comes out of retirement at the age of 51 to face a current world champion he never faced in his heyday.

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--All Japan creates a TV champion and notes on the tournament

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--Next major All Japan show lineup

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--Pro Wrestling NOAH's show that went head-to-head with the new Japan PPV with Morishima vs. Akiyama

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--A look at the upcoming Global? League singles tournament

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--Notes on New Japan jr. heavyweight tag team tournament

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--Zuffa heavyweight appearing on pro wrestling show next week

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--The latest on Tammy Sytch

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--Adam Copeland talks about no longer being Edge

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--When he targeted ending his career originally

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--More on the death of? Bobby Jaggers

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--Notes on?Tommy Dreamer's House of Hardcore promotion debut show

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--Target for a second show

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--Linda Hogan's latest arrest

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--Notes on next ROH iPPV card and direction

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--Weekend ROH house show note

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--King Mo situation

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--What former TNA star is close to returning

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--TNA house show notes

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--How the change in a television channel could affect UFC

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--More problems with the next Strikeforce show

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--Why UFC is adding a new clause in all future talent contracts and what led to it

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--Notes on the Brazil PPV

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--Two UFC stars will be forever linked together

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--UFC does one of its best ever television commercials

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--Notes on UFC's year-end show

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--Several UFC cuts

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--Dana White talks TV numbers and what they learned from the England show

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--Dana White cuts a promo on Spike TV

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--Promotion's biggest star in his probable last match before leaving

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??????? If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order (P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228), you can get $1 off in every price range.

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??????? We now have available personally autographed copies of Tributes II, our latest book, as well as a DVD that comes with it talking more about the subjects in the book. The book covers the life stories of Lou Thesz, Wahoo McDaniel, Elizabeth, Fred Blassie, Road Warrior Hawk, Andre the Giant, Curt Hennig, Johnny Valentine, Davey Boy Smith, Terry Gordy, Owen Hart, Stu Hart, Gorilla Monsoon, The Sheik and Tim Woods.

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??????? To get all of those biographies as back issues of the Observer would be a $60 value today. This is a collection of some of the best Observer articles of the past several years in a hardcover, full-color format that is 239 pages. There is also a foreword by Bret Hart. The book price is $12.95 plus $3.50 for shipping costs in the U.S., $10 for shipping costs to Canada and $12 for shipping costs outside North America. You can order the book the same way you order the newsletter.

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Today's News, Notes and Links

-- The Des Moines Register has a story heredetailing the cops' side of the story in the Jeremy Stephens arrest. They claim that Stephens and another man, Dustin James Bachman, beat a patron up outside Fat Tony's Bar in Des Moines, going so far as to pull him by his feet out of a car as his girlfriend was trying to drive him to safety. Police claim the patron was beaten so badly in a sixty-second two-on-one assault that he stopped breathing twice and lost consciousness. Cops claimed that it was merely a coincidence that they arrested Stephens just one day before UFC on FX 5 last week.

-- Jake Shields sent out this statement today: "To my friends, fans and the UFC: Prior to my professional bout at UFC 150 in Denver, Colorado, I used a substance prohibited by Colorado Boxing Commission rules. This was a mistake that I fully regret. I have shared this issue with my family and the UFC and I have apologized to them and now I also apologize to you, the fans. I promise this will never occur again in my fighting career. I accept the Boxing Commission's decision for a six-month suspension, which will expire in February. I ask that you accept my apology. I will be back fighting soon, and hope that the fans of MMA will support me until that time." It was not mentioned what substance he failed for or any other details.

-- As noted on the front page, Strikeforce has canceled their second straight show, scheduled for November 3rd in Oklahoma City, OK. Fighters were outraged because nobody from Strikeforce/Showtime/Zuffa told them anything, they found it was canceled after reading about it on the Internet. They are claiming the next show will take place in January and that it will be stacked. Pretty much impossible to guarantee that nowadays.

-- An upset Daniel Cormier told Ariel Helwani: "I wish somebody would have told me something. This is unbelievable. I'm very upset. I just want to be informed. That's all. I don't think that's asking for too much."

-- WWE.com has a story here about the tape John Cena was wearing on his bad arm Monday night. It wasn't a brand new tattoo as some speculated. The story is here.

-- Cena has another medical evaluation Monday, and that's when they'll decide whether he'll work Hell in a Cell or whether Ryback is going to get the shot against CM Punk. I know several different possible booking scenarios were discussed over the past few days.

-- Interestingly, WWE.com did a Twitter poll asking fans who they'd like to see challenge Punk at Hell in a Cell, and a full 69% said they'd rather see THE RYBACK get the shot.

-- Cena will be honorary New York Jets team captain Sunday in their game versus the Colts.

-- I feel bad for the guy, but this is funny. Yesterday Zack Ryder opened up with this tweet: "If @WWEonYouTube doesn?t edit tomorrow?s episode, Episode 88 of Z! TLIS will blow your mind!" Hours pass. Then he tweeted this: "So @WWE rejected Episode 88 of Z! TLIS. Thus, tomorrow's episode will suck."

-- There is a new Bully Ray interview herewhere he discusses, among things, Punk hitting a fan on Raw Monday.

-- JBL offered a public apology today to the Colon family for a comment he made on Raw during the Colons' tag match, where he basically said Carlos Colon still owed him money. Apparently Carlos was very upset about that one. JBL, in apologizing, noted he was just trying to be an entertaining heel and pointed out some other things he'd said in that same vein on the show.

-- From Bones Jones on Twitter: "The more I realize how bad the fans want me to fight Sonnen the more I am beginning to disregard whether he deserves it or not." I guess he finally figured out there was a lot of money to be made and not a lot to risk.

-- Geronimo dos Santos was pulled from this Saturday's UFC 153 event in Brazil after testing positive for Hepatitis B. UFC told him that if he underwent chemotherapy and came up with a negative viral count, he'd be allowed to fight again for the organization.

-- Juventud Guerrera dislocated his collarbone on the Heroes Inmortales show last Sunday and will be out of action for at least two weeks. Thanks to Kris Zellner.

-- Tonight's MMA programming: FUEL TV telecasts two upcoming live shows around UFC 153: SILVA VS. BONNAR. Things kick off on Friday, October 12 (3:00 PM ET) with the live UFC 153 Weigh-in on FUEL TV, hosted by UFC Host Jon Anik. UFC stars Chael Sonnen and Urijah Faber join Anik, offering analysis from FUEL TV?s Los Angeles studios. Two-time MMA Journalist of the Year Ariel Helwani conducts fighter interviews onsite in Brazil. FUEL TV wraps up coverage of UFC 153 Saturday late night (1:00 AM ET), with the UFC 153 Postfight Show on FUEL TV, live immediately following the Pay-Per-View. Anik leads the recap, with Faber and Sonnen?s analysis, while Helwani conducts postfight interviews.

-- Glory Sports International today announced the appointment of former Senior WWE Executive Andrew Whitaker as a Non-Executive Director of the Board of Directors for Glory Sports International.

-- CZWrestling.com - CZW 'Wired TV' heads to the Vogt Recreation Center, 6700 Cottage ST in Philadelphia, PA with a 7 pm bell time to benefit The Scares for Cares Organization (ScaresThatCare.org).

-- CZWrestling.com - Saturday, October 13, CZW returns to The Flyers Skate Zone, 601 Laurel Oak RD in Voorhees, NJ with a 7:30 pm bell time!

-- Great story about Portland Wrestling and Mean Mike Miller here

-- Two Spot Monkeys preview the ROH iPPV

-- Paul Lazenby with an exclusive interview with Bas Ruttenabout Here Comes the Boom.

-- Absolutely nothing to do with wrestling or MMA, but I don't care -- GIANT EYE BALL FOUND

-- CM Punk talks fan incident from Monday

-- Latest HOOPLAwith Truth Martini.

-- Night one of a mountain empire double header sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance will take place at the Rogersville, TN National Guard Armory with a 7:45 PM Bell Time. In the main event, Josh Crawford will go one-on-one with area veteran Thorn with the PWF Title on the line. This will be the first ever one-on-one meeting between these two men.

-- Daniels and Kazarian, both comic book collectors/aficionados and recently featured in a Spider-Man comic book, will make a special appearance today and sign autographs/photo opportunities from 3pm-5:30 pm at Samurai Comics, 1051 E. Camelback Rd. in Phoenix.

-- In the opening episode of season six of PRIME Wrestling TV, newly-crowned two-time PRIME Champion Johnny Gargano addresses his fans after defeating previous champion Jimmy Jacobs at Wrestlelution 5. However, being champion again means you are once again a target. "The Embodiment of Evil" Krimson, leader of Gory & Kirst in the Dead Wrestling Society, made his intentions known quickly, but it was the actions of "The Man Beast" Rhino that truly made all of PRIME Wrestling stand up and take notice. Watch the video here.

-- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it is looking for a copy of last night's Impact TV show.

-- Austin Aries interview about Sunday's PPV here

-- FUNDRAISER for the YMCA of Salem County East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA) LIVE Sat, Oct 13, 2012 YMCA III YMCA of Salem County 204 Shell Road Carney's Point, NJ 08069 PHONE: (856) 299-1493

-- SHIMMER - WOMEN ATHLETES returns to the Berwyn Eagles Club (6309 26th Street) in Berwyn, IL on Saturday & Sunday, October 27th & 28th, 2012. Bell time on Saturday, October 27th is 2pm. Volumes 49 & 50 of the SHIMMER series will be filmed on Saturday. Bell time on Sunday, October 28th is 1pm. Volumes 51 & 52 of the SHIMMER series will be filmed on Sunday.

-- 20 years ago today, Bret "Hitman" Hart defeated "Nature Boy" Ric Flair to win the World Wrestling Federation World Heavyweight Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Thanks to Brian.

-- Rutten was on the Preston and Steve Show this morning to promote the Kevin James movie, Here Comes the Boom. The hosts asked him if he'd ever been approached to do action films. He said he was interested in Austin's part in the Expendables, but the producers really wanted Austin to do it.

-- Wrestling For a Cause presents: SeminoleMania IV: Unite & Fight! October 12th at 730pm Seminole HS Competition Gym 2701 Ridgewood Avenue Sanford, FL 407-320-5048 for information Advance tickets $10, Ringside $15, GA $15 on sale at Seminole HS & Lake Mary HS athletic offices

-- What did you think of WWE Main Event?
Excellent 20.5%
Good 38.7%
Average 19.2%
Fair 3.8%
Poor 10.3%
59.6% of those responding didn't see the show

Do you see Silva vs. Bonnar going into the second round
Yes 64.6%
No 35.4%

What are your thoughts regarding the next New Japan iPPV show?
Watched the first one, will watch the second 38.1%
Didn't watch the first one, won't watch the second, won't buy a promotion without TV 30.9%
Didn't watch the first, will watch the second due to praise of the first 19.9%
Didn't watch the first, will watch the second because Sunday morning is more convenient than Monday morning 9.9%
Watch the first, won't watch the second 1.1%

-- Lots of news of the week to be discussed on Over the Top Radio tonight here

Source: http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/27912-fri-update-giant-weekend-preview-ufc-fighter-admits-drug-failure-jeremy-stephens-police-report-details-more-on-strikeforce-punk-vs-ryback-possibility-tons-more

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Scott DesJarlais Admits Romance With Patient, Denies She Had Abortion

WASHINGTON -- Scott DesJarlais, a freshman GOP congressman from Tennessee and doctor, admitted a romance with a patient, but he denied it was out of bounds for his rocky marriage or that the woman got pregnant and had an abortion.

In an email to backers Friday evening, DesJarlais -- an anti-abortion, "family values" congressman -- acknowledged they had reason to think poorly of him. But he pleaded for understanding, claiming his fling with the patient occurred while he was legally separated from his then-wife.

"You have probably seen the recent media coverage regarding details of my divorce from over a decade ago. I had genuinely hoped this election would be about my record in Congress -? not a 12 year old divorce," DesJarlais wrote. He charged that his opponent in next month's election, Democratic state Sen. Eric Stewart, was using dirty tricks against him.

"I know that many of you were disappointed to hear the news regarding allegations of a relationship I had while separated during my divorce proceedings," DesJarlais said. "I am deeply sorry for that."

The Huffington Post on Wednesday revealed a transcript of DesJarlais and the woman discussing her purported pregnancy, and urging her to get an abortion. Sources familiar with the tape had said DesJarlais recorded the call himself, and played it for his wife, Susan, in a failed bid to save their faltering relationship.

In Friday's email, DesJarlais said details reported about the affair are wrong.

"First, there was never any pregnancy and there was no abortion," he said. "Second, my ex-wife and I had been separated for quite some time before this incident. There was an agreement in our separation that both she and I could see other people while finalizing the divorce. To say that I had a mistress or that I had an affair is inaccurate."

According to court records, the couple had a "written" agreement at some point regarding "dating" others. But the court records make clear that the pair had been trying to reconcile for a year when the call was recorded in September 2000, and that both had ceased making charges in court. It's unclear why the reconciliation collapsed, but it happened shortly after the call was recorded.

DesJarlais admitted to at least four affairs, according to the court filings. The judge on the case said DesJarlais' indiscretions caused the marital problems.

DesJarlais said in his email that there was no real attempt at reconciliation and that he was essentially free to be with any woman he wanted.

"Here is what is true," the email said. "While legally separated from my wife, I was involved with a woman who I had briefly treated for a foot injury. The relationship was completely mutual."

Tennessee and American Medical Association guidelines say any intimate relationship between a patient and doctor constitutes sexual misconduct, which may lead to sanctions against the doctor's medical license.

DesJarlais cast the dalliance as brief. He said it ended before he heard from the woman later, making what he said was a dubious claim of pregnancy.

"After approximately four months after we had last seen each other, she told me she was pregnant," DesJarlais said. "I won?t go into details out of respect for those involved, but I had several reliable reasons to believe this was false."

On the transcript of his conversation with the woman, DesJarlais seems to have been consumed with their relationship.

"Well, I've been going crazy. I mean, if Susan could talk to you, she'd tell you that I've been psychotic for months over this," DesJarlais told the woman. "I don't sleep at night. I mean, it's like I'm trying to build my family back together just waiting for it to fall apart, and it's been eating me apart."

DesJarlais said in the email that he didn't record the call. And he said that what appear to be his attempts to force the woman to have an abortion were just poorly chosen strategems to make the woman admit the truth.

"During this conversation I was incredibly frustrated," he wrote in the email. "As such, I used rather strong rhetoric in hopes that it would lead to her admitting the truth ?- that there was no pregnancy. I appreciate that this was an imprudent approach to this situation and I?m not proud of it. In retrospect I should have dealt with these matters in a more diplomatic fashion.

"There is no question that I had a very long and very difficult divorce," he continued. "In fact, it seems almost as if I?ve never run against another candidate -? only a 12 year old divorce.

He goes on to say, "Through grace and redemption, God has truly given me a second chance."

"I have a strong pro-life record in Congress and history of fighting for values important to Tennesseans," he added. "I hope you will judge me on these facts because that is who I am."

DesJarlais said the allegations surfaced because Stewart and his "political mentor," former Rep. Lincoln Davis, were trying to exploit his personal pain for political gain.

"I am not trying to justify my actions or say that I am without fault," DesJarlais said. "But I am not the hypocrite my opponents and some liberal media outlets are portraying me as."

So far, many Republicans have stood by the congressman. House Speaker John Boehner tapped him to gavel in the House on Friday for a brief pro-forma session. But Tennessee officials, including Gov. Bill Naslam and Sen. Lamar Alexander, have kept their distance. The presidential campaign of Mitt Romney also has expunged DesJarlais' endorsement from its website.

Michael McAuliff covers Congress and politics for The Huffington Post. Talk to him on Facebook.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/12/scott-desjarlais-admits-romance-patient_n_1962952.html

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Renewable energy fund launches

10 October 2012 Last updated at 06:14 ET

First Minister Alex Salmond has launched a ?103m fund for Scottish renewable energy projects.

The Renewable Energy Investment Fund (REIF) aims to attract more private investment to the sector.

Its priorities include wave and tidal energy, and renewable district heating.

Mr Salmond also announced plans to set up an advisory group to support those seeking finance from the new UK Green Investment Bank and ?4.3m funding for SSE's offshore turbine test facility.

He said the Scottish government would invest the cash in the firm's Hunterston offshore wind turbine test facility.

'Good ideas'

The first minister said: "This fund will help leverage further significant private finance into key areas of the renewables sector where specific funding gaps have been identified.

"The planned advisory group will provide expert advice for people who have good ideas and projects to put to the Green Investment Bank, but who need a helping hand to make them ready for investment.

"The group will help those people to refine and pitch their proposals - by doing so, it should enable the Green Investment Bank to make decisions quickly, and to start investing in projects which will deliver real benefits."

The REIF has been set up following a deal between the UK Treasury and the Scottish government over the release of funds from the fossil fuel levy.

The levy was introduced in Scotland in 1996 in order to raise money from traditional energy sources to invest in renewable power.

'Vital catalyst'

The new fund aims to complement existing public and private sector finance schemes available in Scotland, providing loan guarantees and equity finance alongside co-investment partners.

REIF will be delivered by the Scottish Investment Bank on behalf of the Scottish government and its enterprise agencies, with the first deals expected to be completed by the end of the financial year.

Niall Stuart, chief executive of trade body Scottish Renewables, said: "This ?103m fund will inject much-needed investment into the development of the next generation of renewable technologies, such as marine energy and renewable heat.

"This kind of support can be a vital catalyst in attracting even greater levels of private investment."

He added: "Scotland is already at the forefront of developing and testing emerging wave and tidal technologies and, with the correct level of government support, we can become a global centre of excellence in both the deployment of these technologies and their accompanying supply chains."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-19886553#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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