Samsung Patent Infringement of Apple iPhone 'Not Willful': Judge

Nonetheless, the world's largest device maker will still have to pay a hefty fine ($1 billion) for violating some Apple intellectual property.

Samsung celebrated a hard-fought legal victory Jan. 29 when a federal judge declared that the South Korean device maker's infringement of Apple iPhone design and utility patents was not a willful scheme. Nonetheless, the world's largest device maker will still have to pay a hefty fine for violating some Apple intellectual property. In a seven-page post-trial statement, San Jose, Calif.-based Judge Lucy Koh confirmed a $1 billion fine against Samsung for violating Apple's intellectual property while at the same time rejecting Apple?s bid for bonus damages in the months-long smartphone lawsuit. Apple had also sought court injunctions against Samsung against the sale of Samsung's 152 smartphones and tablets, including its popular Galaxy brand, in the United States. That request was denied by Koh in December. Back on Aug. 24, a federal court jury also presided over by Koh decided to punish Samsung with a $1.05 billion damages slap for ostensibly copying Apple's products. Koh's final decision found Samsung willfully in violation of seven of Apple?s design and utility patents. These covered the design of Apple's iPad and iPhone products, as well as essential user interface elements. One of the specific patents that jurors -- and Koh -- determined Samsung had copied from Apple is called the Bounce, which is what happens to content on the screen of any iOS device when a user scrolls down to the bottom of a page, and the page sort of "bounces" to let him or her know the end has been reached. Additionally, design items such as the curves on the edges of Samsung's smartphones and tablets were also cited as being "willfully" copied from Apple's products. Koh did not find that Apple infringed on Samsung?s intellectual property. Koh explained in her order that to constitute willful infringement, "Apple must prove by clear and convincing evidence that there was an ?objectively high likelihood that its actions constituted infringement of a valid patent.?? Koh decided that in each of the seven cases the violation was not willful. Back on Aug. 24, a federal court jury in San Jose, Calif. -- also presided over by Koh -- decided to punish South Korea-based Samsung with a $1.05 billion damages slap for ostensibly copying Apple's products. Apple made no qualms about going hard legally after Samsung, its Android operating system and the rest of the $219 billion smartphone and tablet market. It already owns about 62 percent of tablet sales with the iPad but it is facing a receding 17 percent of the smartphone market with the iPhone. Android, with 68 percent of the world smartphone market, has a huge advantage -- one that would take several years to supersede. Apple's main motivation for this case is that Android is kicking iPhone's rear all over the world. Android Inc. co-founder and Google Senior Vice President of Mobile and Digital Content Andy Rubin tweeted recently that more than 900,000 Android devices are activated each day.

Source: http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/nMqp0IC3p4Q/

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Positioning Yoursel as a Sales Professional | MTD Sales Training Blog

Your brand is what goes before you. Everything you do reflects on that brand. Your image can be enhanced or stained depending on what you do or say to or with prospects.

Branding is a professional statement of what your product or service stands for. And your personal brand is exactly the same.

Positioning yourself as a sales professional means letting your brand image be known about in every possible way, using as many opportunities as possible to create your position in the marketplace.

The way you do this is by first having positioning statements that build a great impression of you. I have a positioning statement that tells people what I do and who I am: ?Sales Training & Management Development Authority,? Bestselling Author & Award Winning Entrepreneur, achieving results with all clients?

Short, sweet, and to the point. The first part of my statements speaks to the concept of working with me, the last part the outcome. Each part of your statement can stand alone and be meaningful; however, the entire statement is most meaningful when used in its entirety.

So, where do you use your positioning statement? You use it wherever and whenever you can.

Develop yours that tells people in literally a few seconds who you are and what you do. Make it something you can be proud of.

Your positioning statement should be prominently displayed on all of your promotional material. Make sure it is in your professional headline on LinkedIn?it follows you wherever you go on that social network.

A great positioning statement allows a prospect to quickly determine if what you do is meaningful to them and it allows you to qualify prospects better.

So, what can you do with your positioning statement after you have built one up?

Find out who would benefit from the position that you now adopt. It should create niche markets for you in the marketplace. Become an expert in you particular field, so people start searching you out when they want help and assistance.

When you promote yourself, think about how you are more beneficial to your prospects than anyone else. Think how your story can be memorable to clients. Discuss with your colleagues how your professional statements can make your company stand out from the crowd.

Your positioning could improve the way your clients interact with you, so ensure you listen out for any feedback that may come your way from clients and prospects alike.

Have a specific strategy about how you are are going to market yourself to new clients. Your?positioning statement should include who you?re targeting, what their problems are, your differentiate and value proposition. The alignment with their problems and how your solution solves them must be at the heart of the positioning statement. It should be clear to the buyer why they should choose your solution over someone else?s. You don?t want to?spend time with?a prospect that isn?t a proper fit for your product, and the positioning will help you determine what tires to attack by identifying the company?s business drivers and aligning your solutions with them.

Most importantly,?ensure that all you do and say back up the very position you are trying to portray. If you don?t reflect your positioning in your actions, you will be worse off than if you didn?t have anything at all.

Happy selling!

Sean McPheat

Managing Director

MTD Sales Training

www.mtdsalestraining.com

(Image by David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Have you downloaded my latest report ?The Sales Person?s Crisis?? Over 10,000 sales pros have. Click on the image below to find out why your very existence as a sales person is in doubt?

Sean McPheat

Sean McPheat is a bestselling author and MD of international training firm MTD Sales Training, who have delivered training, coaching and consultancy to over 2,500 different organisations and over 50,000 staff from 23 different countries. Sean is regarded as a thought leader on modern day selling and business improvement, and has been featured on CNN, ITV, BBC, SKY, Forbes, Arena Magazine with over 250 other media credits to his name. Sean?s Sales Blog is visited by 5,000 people every week and over 60,000 managers and sales professionals across the world receive Sean's weekly email tips.

Source: http://www.mtdsalestraining.com/mtdblog/positioning-yourself-as-a-sales-professional.html

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Military getting ready to bring back the airship

TUSTIN, Calif. (AP) ? The massive blimp-like aircraft flies but just barely, hovering only a dozen feet off a military hangar floor during flight testing south of Los Angeles.

Still, the fact that the hulking Aeroscraft could fly for just a few minutes represents a step forward in aviation, according to the engineers who developed it. The Department of Defense and NASA have invested $35 million in the prototype because of its potential to one day carry more cargo than any other aircraft to disaster zones and forward military bases.

"I realized that I put a little dot in the line of aviation history. A little dot for something that has never been demonstrated before, now it's feasible," said flight control engineer Munir Jojo-Verge.

The airship is undergoing testing this month at Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin, and must go through several more rounds of flight testing before it could be used in a disaster zone or anywhere else. The first major flight test took place Jan. 3.

The biggest challenge for engineers is making sure the airship will be able to withstand high winds and other extreme weather conditions, Jojo-Verge said.

Worldwide Aeros, the company that developed the aircraft, said it also must secure more funding for the next round of flight testing, but is hopeful the Defense Department and others will step in again as investors.

The company says the cargo airship's potential to carry more cargo more efficiently than ever before would provide the U.S. military with an advantage on the battlefield and greater capacity to save more lives during natural disasters.

The lighter-than-air vehicle is not a blimp or a zeppelin because it has a rigid structure made out of ultra-light carbon fiber and aluminum underneath its high-tech Mylar skin. Inside, balloons hold the helium that gives the vehicle lift. Unlike hydrogen, the gas used in the Hindenburg airship that crashed in 1937, helium is not flammable.

The airship functions like a submarine, releasing air to rise and taking in air to descend, said Aeros mechanical engineer Tim Kenny. It can take off vertically, like a helicopter, then change its buoyancy to become heavier than air for landing and unloading.

"It allows the vehicle to set down on the ground. And then when we want to become lighter than air, we release that air and then the vehicle floats and we can allow it to take off," Kenny said.

The project has set abuzz the old hangars at the Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin. The structures were built to hold blimps during World War II. Now workers zip around in cherry-pickers, and the airship's silvery surface shines against the warm tones of the aging wood of the walls.

"You could take this vehicle and go to destinations that have been destroyed, where there's no ports, no runways, stuff like that. This vehicle could go in there, offload the cargo even if there's no infrastructure, no landing site for it to land on, this vehicle can unload its whole payload," said Kenny.

Next, Aeros wants to build a full-size 450-foot-long vehicle that can carry 66 tons of payload.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/high-tech-cargo-airship-being-built-california-100513071--finance.html

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U.S. court rejects Apple's bid to raise damages in Samsung case

(Reuters) - A U.S. federal court has ruled Samsung Electronics Co did not willfully infringe on some of Apple Inc's patents and denied a request by the U.S. technology giant to raise damages awarded to it in its legal fight against the South Korean firm, court documents showed.

Apple had sought to raise the $1.05 billion damages awarded to it after a U.S. jury found in August that Samsung acted willfully when it violated several of Apple's patents, a finding that could have formed the basis to triple the damages owed by Samsung.

"To the extent that Apple does address lost downstream sales, Apple discusses only Samsung's gains and makes no attempt to identify any specific losses Apple has suffered," U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh wrote in her ruling.

Koh said the jury, which had examined the case earlier, had ample opportunity to compensate Apple for Samsung's use of its product designs.

Koh said the court could not enhance the damages "given that Apple has not clearly shown how it has in fact been undercompensated for the losses it has suffered due to Samsung's dilution of its" patents.

In a series of rulings filed late on Tuesday U.S. time, Koh also denied requests from both Samsung and Apple for a new trial. Samsung had said a major patent verdict in favor of Apple should be overturned.

Apple had sought a new trial to overturn some of the jury's findings and to try other issues on which the jury failed to rule.

The judge also denied Apple's motion for judgment that Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 infringes a patent that relates to the iPad design. The jury earlier exonerated Samsung on the patent used to ban Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales.

Apple and Samsung have been fighting toe-to-toe in a global patent dispute that mirrors the struggle for industry supremacy between the two companies that together control more than half of worldwide smartphone sales.

The case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is Apple Inc. vs. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, 11-1846.

(Reporting by Miyoung Kim and Sakthi Prasad; Editing by Jeremy Laurence and Matt Driskill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-court-rejects-apples-bid-raise-damages-samsung-035210314--finance.html

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POSCO Q4 profit slumps, warns of 10 pct cut in 2013 sales

SEOUL (Reuters) - POSCO , the world's No.5 steelmaker by output, reported a 51 percent slump in quarterly operating profit as tepid demand and falling prices offset lower raw material costs helped by a firmer local currency.

The South Korean steelmaker on Tuesday forecast its 2013 sales may drop 10 percent to 32 trillion won ($29.3 billion), but said it would raise investment 11 percent to 4 trillion won this year to stay competitive.

POSCO, backed by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, said that its operating profit for October to December fell 51 percent to 379 billion won ($346.7 million) on a parent basis that does not reflect earnings of affiliates from a year earlier, below a consensus forecast of 490 billion won in a Reuters' poll of 25 analysts.

The fourth-quarter result compared with a 771 billion won operating profit a year earlier. Fourth-quarter sales fell 20 percent to 8.07 trillion won, compared with a consensus forecast of 8.35 trillion won.

POSCO has been posting higher margins than its bigger peers ArcelorMittal SA , Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp , backed by its dominant position in the domestic market and its cost efficiency.

POSCO has not been immune to a prolonged industry downturn as the weak global economy has hurt demand and prices for the alloy used in the automobile, shipbuilding, construction and home appliance sectors.

Recent economic data from China points to the recovery of the world's top steel consumer this year after the economy grew at the weakest pace in 13 years last year. But the rebound would be a tepid 8.1 percent, with Europe's debt crisis and a slow U.S. recovery weighing on exports, a Reuters poll showed last week.

"The global race for survival will be fiercer than ever this year," POSCO CEO Chung Joon-yang said in a statement, adding he expects the global economy to remain sluggish despite moderate recovery in China and the United States.

Shares in POSCO, 5 percent owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway

, ended down 0.1 percent prior to the results, after rebounding since late November on hopes China's economy will recover.

STRONGER WON: BAD OR GOOD?

Byun Jong-man, an analyst at Woori Investment & Securities, said the appreciation of the South Korean won helped reduce POSCO's import costs of iron ore and coking coal in the fourth quarter.

POSCO's costs of iron ore and coking coal declined by nearly a third to 357,000 Korean won per tonne in the fourth quarter from 519,000 won, according to estimates by Mirae Asset Securities.

The stronger South Korean won would do more good than harm for the steelmaker in the near term, "given its bigger raw material imports than steel product exports," according to Sinn Min-seok, an analyst at Credit Suisse. POSCO's exports accounted for 42 percent of its sales volume in the third quarter of last year.

The South Korean won rose almost 8 percent against the U.S. dollar last year, its fastest pace since 2009 and Credit Suisse estimated the appreciation of every 10 won against a dollar would increase POSCO's annual operating profit by 40 billion won.

But the stronger won threatens to hurt steel demand from automakers and other exporters for the longer term, the brokerage said.

APPETITE FOR M&A

POSCO's CEO Chung has spearheaded major investments and acquisitions, including the purchase of trading and resources firm Daewoo International for 3.37 trillion won in 2010, leaving the steel giant with heavy debts and leading to a series of rating cuts by Moody's, S&P and Fitch last year.

POSCO has been struggling to cut debt by selling assets of its affiliates, but in a setback, its unit POSCO Specialty Steel, canceled a plan to list shares worth up to $424 million on the stock market because of tepid demand from investors.

POSCO is continuing its efforts to snap up overseas resources to secure stable supplies of iron ore and coking coal.

A consortium including POSCO and Taiwan-listed China Steel Corp agreed to buy a 15 percent stake in ArcelorMittal Mines Canada for $1.1 billion.

Another group including POSCO was also open to resuming $1.2 billion bid talks with Australian mining firm Arrium Ltd , a source told Reuters early November, after the consortium, which also includes Noble Group Ltd , had dropped the bid on price differences.

($1 = 1093.2500 Korean won)

(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Matt Driskill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/posco-q4-profit-misses-forecast-weak-china-demand-070055763--finance.html

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Raw results: The Rock brings the reign and Brock Lesnar brings the pain on Raw Roulette night

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. ? 2012 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & ? 2012 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2013-01-28/wwe-raw-results

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Islamists trash Timbuktu's historical sites as they flee

(Reuters) - The burning of a library housing thousands of ancient manuscripts in Mali's desert city of Timbuktu is just the latest act of destruction by Islamist fighters who have spent months smashing graves and holy shrines in the World Heritage site.

The United Nations cultural body UNESCO said it was trying to find out the precise damage done to the Ahmed Baba Institute, a modern building that contains priceless documents dating back to the 13th century.

The manuscripts are "uniquely valuable and testify to a long tradition of learning and cultural exchange," said UNESCO spokesman Roni Amelan. "So we are horrified."

But if they are horrified, historians and religious scholars are unlikely to have been surprised by this gesture of defiance by Islamist rebels fleeing the ancient trading post on the threshold of the Sahara as French and Malian troops moved in.

"It was one of the greatest libraries of Islamic manuscripts in the world," said Marie Rodet, an African history lecturer at London's School of Oriental and African Studies.

"It's pure retaliation. They knew they were losing the battle and they hit where it really hurts," she told Reuters.

Turban-swathed Tuareg rebels first swept into Timbuktu back in April 2012 to plant the flag of their newly declared northern Mali homeland.

Before the occupation, Timbuktu and its ancient mosques and burial grounds had become an obligatory stop for budget backpackers seeking the desert experience and scholars looking for historical wisdom from rare Islamic texts.

Written in ornate calligraphy, these manuscripts form a compendium of learning on everything from law, sciences, astrology and medicine to history and politics, which academics say prove Africa had a written history at least as old as the European Renaissance.

For years, people came to experience what locals called "the mystery of Timbuktu". They also came for camel rides at the gates of the desert, boat rides on the Niger river to spot hippos, and to visit the city's famous mud-built mosques with their distinctive turrets and protruding timber beams.

But soon after the Tuareg invasion, the city of the 333 Saints fell under the sway of Islamist radicals. Bars and hotels closed and the tourists, already spooked by earlier incidents of abduction and murder by al Qaeda linked militants, stayed away.

CAMPAIGN OF DESTRUCTION

It was not long before the Islamists imposed severe Sharia law and set about a campaign of destruction of centuries-old Sufi sites that prompted international outrage.

Shrines, graves and mausoleums were attacked with pick-axes, shovels and even bulldozers. The bones of Sufi saints were dug up, and the hard-liners tore down a mosque door that locals believed had to stay shut until the end of the world.

The militants from the Malian Ansar Dine militant group that occupied Timbuktu (the name means Defenders of the Faith in Arabic) espouse an uncompromising version of Islam that rejects what it sees as idolatry and aims to destroy all traces of it.

In Timbuktu, their targets have been sites revered by Sufis, a mystical school of popular Islam which honours its saints with ornate shrines. At least half of 16 listed mausoleums in the city have been destroyed, along with a substantial part of the history of Islam in Africa.

A spokesman for Ansar Dine, asked to comment last year on the smashing of Sufi mausoleums in Timbuktu, said their actions were ordained by faith. "We are subject to religion and not to international opinion," the spokesman said.

Similar episodes have been recorded in Libya following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, when Islamists used a bulldozer to dig up Sufi graves in a cemetery in the city of Benghazi.

Most notoriously, Afghanistan's ruling Taliban blew up two giant 6th century statues of Buddha at Bamiyan in 2001, despite outcry from around the world.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova has made appeals for the warring parties to spare "Timbuktu's outstanding earthen architectural wonders". These include the Sankore, Sidi Yahia and Djingarei-ber mosques, the last Timbuktu's oldest, built from mud bricks and wood in 1325.

The origins of Timbuktu - the name is believed to derive from the words Tin-Boctou (meaning the place or well of Boctou, a local woman) - date back to the 5th century.

The site on an old Saharan trading route that saw salt from the Arab north exchanged for gold and slaves from black Africa to the south, blossomed in a 16th century Golden Age as an Islamic seat of learning, home to priests, scribes and jurists.

A 15th century Malian proverb proclaims: "Salt comes from the north, gold from the south, but the word of God and the treasures of wisdom are only to be found in Timbuctoo."

RUMOURS OF GOLD

It was rumours of gold that drove European explorers to cross the trackless sands of the Sahara to search for the legendary city, already known for centuries to local inhabitants who traversed the deserts on camelback and navigated the muddy brown waters of the Niger by canoes.

Some of these foreign explorers died of thirst in the desert or were robbed and slain by fierce Tuareg warriors, while Timbuktu's mirage-like renown - no doubt enhanced by thirst-crazed, feverish imaginations - reached glittering proportions in the consciousness of 19th century Europe.

Scottish explorer Gordon Laing was the first European to arrive in Timbuktu in 1826, but he did not live to tell the tale, perishing at the hands of desert robbers.

It was not until two years later that Frenchman Rene-Auguste Caillie became the first European to see Timbuktu and survive to recount what he saw. "I have been to Timbuktu!" he is said to have breathlessly told the French consul in Tangier after he staggered back from his epic Saharan journey.

But after all his dreams of glittering minarets and palaces filled with gold, Caillie was disappointed to find in Timbuktu what it has largely remained for centuries: a dun-coloured town in a dun-coloured desert.

"I had a totally different idea of the grandeur and wealth of Timbuctoo," he wrote. "The city presented, at first view, nothing but a mass of ill-looking houses, built of earth. Nothing was to be seen in all directions, but immense quicksands of yellowish white colour," he added.

This initial sense of disappointment for outsiders, the myth not matching reality, seems to have traversed the centuries.

Normally loquacious Irish rocker and anti-famine campaigner Bob Geldof is reported to have been somewhat underwhelmed when he arrived in Timbuktu during the 1980s. "Is that it?" he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fleeing-islamists-leave-legacy-destruction-timbuktu-073255120.html

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Simon Arias Electrifies at American Income Life Leadership ...

?

Simon Arias ? American Income Life SGA

Simon Arias,?American Income Life?s reigning SGA of the Year,?didn?t?spend the minutes leading up to his first speech reading over notes, nor did he spend it rehearsing the message he was about to impart on more than 130 future AIL leaders.

Rather, he spent the final minutes before his heavily anticipated appearance at #AILLA101?signing autographs, taking photos with attendees, and flying through the filled-to-capacity Conference Center in a?Tasmanian?Devil-like explosion of high fives, hugs, and even a detailed secret handshake or two.

As Scott Smith, President and CMO of AIL, introduced Simon to the #AILLA101 attendees, he recognized Simon?s undeniable celebrity-status at AIL ? but Scott made clear how that status came to be: through unstoppable drive, overflowing passion, and month-after-month consistency that set the bar for high-level management performance.

Calling AIL the Company that ?helped me turn from a boy to a man,? Simon spoke of the privilege he felt in addressing the next generation of American Income Life leaders. Following that brief moment of sentimentality, Simon unleashed an hour-long speech touching on the power of positive thinking, the need to invest in oneself, and the idea of perpetual self-improvement, both personally and professionally.

?My goal is to write one million per week,? Simon said with a fiery passion, along the way asking attendees of their personal vision. ?One million per week,? he repeated ? ?I?m SPEAKING IT into existence!?

American Income Life SGA Simon Arias giving high fives before his speech at Leadership Academy 101

How does he plan on reaching that goal? The same way all the greats throughout history have met their goals ? by overcoming negative thought; by working on themselves; by taking control of their own destiny.

?To overcome negative thought,? Simon says, ?is to enter into a lifetime of POWER. If you invest in yourself, things around you will change,? Simon, living proof, insisted. ?There are 168 hours in a week ? spend seven of those hours on strengthening your mind, body, and spirit,? he said, whether that means running on the treadmill, reading inspirational words, or letting loved ones know how much you care. ?Don?t tell yourself you don?t have time for these things,? Simon says. ?Don?t become a slave to your negative thoughts.?

Simon spoke of the aggressive drive he applies to recruiting and Agency building, and how that no-holds-barred attitude is rooted in his past. While his past is surely unique, having grown up in an impoverished and dangerous neighborhood, it surely doesn?t make Simon ?special? (no more special than the average AIL Agent, at least) ? it simply provided him that extra bit of passion that, as he says, ?separates the champions from the chickens.?

For some, that drive may be rooted in past failures; for others, it?s rooted in future promises. Wherever its source, you must take hold of the expectations you?ve set for yourselves and move them to the forefront of your priorities. If you do, success will come, both at American Income Life and in your own life.

?We?re all going to feel either the pain of discipline, or the pain of disappointment ? well, it?s your decision; choose your pain,? says the 29-year-old Pennsylvania-based wunderkind.

After Simon?s first of two speeches at #AILLA101, the decision for all 130+ attendees was an easy one.

How are YOU investing in yourself, both personally and professionally?

Source: http://www.mylifeatail.com/leadership/2013/01/29/simon-arias-electrifies-at-american-income-life-leadership-academy/

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Allysia Finley: Mickelson and the Sports Star Tax Migration (WSJ)

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Obama says struggling over whether to intervene in Syria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said he has been wrestling with the question whether a U.S. military intervention in Syria's 22-month-old civil war would help resolve the bloody conflict or make things worse.

In a pair of interviews, Obama responded to critics who say the United States has not been involved enough in Syria, where thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced according to U.N. officials. Transcripts of both interviews were released on Sunday.

The United States has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, and has recognized an opposition coalition - but has stopped short of authorizing U.S. arming of rebels to overthrow Assad.

"In a situation like Syria, I have to ask: can we make a difference in that situation?" Obama said in an interview with The New Republic published on the magazine's website.

Obama said he has to weigh the benefit of a military intervention with the ability of the Pentagon to support troops still in Afghanistan, where the United States is withdrawing combat forces after a dozen years of war.

"Could it trigger even worse violence or the use of chemical weapons? What offers the best prospect of a stable post-Assad regime?

"And how do I weigh tens of thousands who've been killed in Syria versus the tens of thousands who are currently being killed in the Congo?" he said.

Obama's comments come as world leaders gathered in Davos, Switzerland, said they wished the United States were more engaged in geopolitical issues such as the conflicts in Syria and Mali, where France is attacking al Qaeda-affiliated militants.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Saturday that the United States will fly tankers to refuel French jet fighters, expanding U.S. involvement, which had been limited to sharing intelligence and providing airlift support.

In an interview with CBS television program "60 Minutes," Obama bristled when asked to respond to criticism that the United States has been reluctant to engage in foreign policy issues like the Syrian crisis.

Obama said his administration put U.S. warplanes into the international effort to oust Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, and led a push to force Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from office.

But in Syria, his administration wants to make sure U.S. action would not backfire, he said.

"We do nobody a service when we leap before we look, where we ... take on things without having thought through all the consequences of it," Obama told CBS.

"We are not going to be able to control every aspect of every transition and transformation" in conflicts around the world, he said. "Sometimes they're going to go sideways."

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-says-struggling-over-whether-intervene-syria-012714607.html

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Neuroscientists pinpoint location of fear memory in amygdala

Jan. 27, 2013 ? A rustle of undergrowth in the outback: it's a sound that might make an animal or person stop sharply and be still, in the anticipation of a predator. That "freezing" is part of the fear response, a reaction to a stimulus in the environment and part of the brain's determination of whether to be afraid of it.

A neuroscience group at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) led by Assistant Professor Bo Li Ph.D., together with collaborator Professor Z. Josh Huang Ph.D., have just released the results of a new study that examines the how fear responses are learned, controlled, and memorized. They show that a particular class of neurons in a subdivision of the amygdala plays an active role in these processes.

Locating fear memory in the amygdala

Previous research had indicated that structures inside the amygdalae, a pair of almond-shaped formations that sit deep within the brain and are known to be involved in emotion and reward-based behavior, may be part of the circuit that controls fear learning and memory. In particular, a region called the central amygdala, or CeA, was thought to be a passive relay for the signals relayed within this circuit.

Li's lab became interested when they observed that neurons in a region of the central amygdala called the lateral subdivision, or CeL, "lit up" in a particular strain of mice while studying this circuit.

"Neuroscientists believed that changes in the strength of the connections onto neurons in the central amygdala must occur for fear memory to be encoded," Li says, "but nobody had been able to actually show this."

This led the team to further probe into the role of these neurons in fear responses and furthermore to ask the question: If the central amygdala stores fear memory, how is that memory trace read out and translated into fear responses?

To examine the behavior of mice undergoing a fear test the team first trained them to respond in a Pavlovian manner to an auditory cue. The mice began to "freeze," a very common fear response, whenever they heard one of the sounds they had been trained to fear.

To study the particular neurons involved, and to understand them in relation to the fear-inducing auditory cue, the CSHL team used a variety of methods. One of these involved delivering a gene that encodes for a light-sensitive protein into the particular neurons Li's group wanted to look at.

By implanting a very thin fiber-optic cable directly into the area containing the photosensitive neurons, the team was able to shine colored laser light with pinpoint accuracy onto the cells, and in this manner activate them. This is a technique known as optogenetics. Any changes in the behavior of the mice in response to the laser were then monitored.

A subset of neurons in the central amygdala controls fear expression

The ability to probe genetically defined groups of neurons was vital because there are two sets of neurons important in fear-learning and memory processes. The difference between them, the team learned, was in their release of message-carrying neurotransmitters into the spaces called synapses between neurons. In one subset of neurons, neurotransmitter release was enhanced; in another it was diminished. If measurements had been taken across the total cell population in the central amygdala, neurotransmitter levels from these two distinct sets of neurons would have been averaged out, and thus would not have been detected.

Li's group found that fear conditioning induced experience-dependent changes in the release of neurotransmitters in excitatory synapses that connect with inhibitory neurons -- neurons that suppress the activity of other neurons -- in the central amygdala. These changes in the strength of neuronal connections are known as synaptic plasticity.

Particularly important in this process, the team discovered, were somatostatin-positive (SOM+) neurons. Somatostatin is a hormone that affects neurotransmitter release. Li and colleagues found that fear-memory formation was impaired when they prevent the activation of SOM+ neurons.

SOM+ neurons are necessary for recall of fear memories, the team also found. Indeed, the activity of these neurons alone proved sufficient to drive fear responses. Thus, instead of being a passive relay for the signals driving fear learning and responses in mice, the team's work demonstrates that the central amygdala is an active component, and is driven by input from the lateral amygdala, to which it is connected.

"We find that the fear memory in the central amygdala can modify the circuit in a way that translates into action -- or what we call the fear response," explains Li.

In the future Li's group will try to obtain a better understanding of how these processes may be altered in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other disorders involving abnormal fear learning. One important goal is to develop pharmacological interventions for such disorders.

Li says more research is needed, but is hopeful that with the discovery of specific cellular markers and techniques such as optogenetics, a breakthrough can be made.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

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Journal Reference:

1. Haohong Li, Mario A Penzo, Hiroki Taniguchi, Charles D Kopec, Z Josh Huang, Bo Li. Experience-dependent modification of a central amygdala fear circuit. Nature Neuroscience, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nn.3322

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_science/~3/lxzF37HaE7w/130128104739.htm

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3 Things to Help You Burn More Calories, Get Leaner and Become ...

By Katalin Rodriguez Ogren, Saturday at 8:35 pm

There are so many trends that come and go.? Fitness professionals relish in the absurdity of products like the shake weight, slender bottom toner and the Hawaii chair.? There are numerous jokes that can be made about them and I believe if it wasn't for their clear sexual overtones, they would not have even had a chance on TV.? You would think the creators double as comedy writers for SNL. ?Unfortunately, these ridiculous fitness products distract consumers who really need help losing weight and gaining strength.?

Three of the most useful products on the market to help you achieve a leaner you, are below.? Of course, I can name many more that are a good use of money.? But right now these three items are helping my clients get to their goals quicker. ? Those with the most weight loss and body transformation are involved in a regular workout regiment that includes mostly interval training, comprised of ?weights, high intensity and core training.

Isagenix sells a wide variety of healthy protein shakes and? supplements that are gaining a lot of attention in the Chicago-land area? It offers a healthy maintenance program (which I follow) and several weight loss and cleanse options.? Their cleanse is not a diuretic and their protein is gluten free and organic certified (there is even a kosher line). ? It is the most superior protein shake (with optional supplements) that I have encountered as a fitness professional.? My clients have been very successful using various products losing weight and ?inches (and keeping it off).? Please note that I currently sell this product and serve as s consultant getting people on the right program along with their current fitness goals.

Fuelband by Nike got a lot of attention last year.? This tool has a cool design which is great because you do not mind wearing it with professional clothing. ?It assists with your weight loss endeavors.? It tracks your daily fitness efforts.? It keeps you informed to the minute of the amount of calories you are burning and how close you are to your goals.? You do not need to log into a site or download anything.? It keeps your 'fuel points'? displayed on your wrist band, along with the time.? You set up your goals online and have the option to join friends using it as well.

Weighted vests are becoming a popular. ?They are an easy way to add an extra challenge to any type of exercise.? They can be purchased with 10-80 pounds.? With the popularity of GORUCKS and even Cross Fit, more and more people are using weighted vests to add a functional aspect to their training.? They are ideal for those who love to hike or want to add intensity to basic body weight exercises like pushups and pull-ups. ? Most styles feature removable weights and the ability to adjust for various size bodies. Unlike the backpacks, the weight is distributed throughout the vest, which I believe will reduce lower back problems.

Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/katalin-fitness-health-driven/2013/01/3-things-to-help-you-burn-more-calories-get-leaner-and-become-stronger/

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Barbara Kruger Birthday: The Subversive Female Artist Turns 68 (PHOTOS)

Today is the birthday of Barbara Kruger, the subversive female artist known to harness the power of print media in her bold, declarative artworks. In the midst of a major exhibition at the Hirschhorn Museum in D.C., Kruger is turning 68 years old.

An artwork by Barbara Kruger is exhibited by the Mary Boone Gallery during the Vernissage Art Basel Miami Beach, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, in Miami Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/ Lynne Sladky)

Addressing issues of language and mass communication, Kruger has created billboard-sized works that combine striking found images with sharply critical text. From sexism to consumerism, the artist takes aim at the power structures that be with phrases like "Money makes money," "Plenty should be enough," and "You comfort is my silence." It's a technique that's not too surprising, given the artist's early career in publishing in the 1970s, submersed in the text and image-filled universe of Conde Nast.

Since entering into the realm of fine art, and participating in the Whitney Biennial in 1973, Kruger has shown her large-scale work at galleries across the world including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Serpentine Gallery in London, and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. This year, an exhibit, titled "Belief+Doubt," is taking over the lower lobby of D.C.'s Hirschhorn Gallery, featuring her biting imaginations as floor-to-ceiling wallpaper designs.

In honor of Ms. Kruger's birthday, watch a time-lapse video of the Hirschhorn installation process here, and view a slideshow of images from the exhibit below. Let us know how you are celebrating the iconic artist's birthday in the comments section.

• Belief+Doubt Barbara Kruger, Belief+Doubt, 2012. ?Barbara Kruger. Photo: Cathy Carver

• Belief+Doubt Barbara Kruger, Belief+Doubt, 2012. ?Barbara Kruger. Photo: Cathy Carver

• Belief+Doubt Barbara Kruger, Belief+Doubt, 2012. ?Barbara Kruger. Photo: Cathy Carver

• Belief+Doubt Barbara Kruger, Belief+Doubt, 2012. ?Barbara Kruger. Photo: Cathy Carver

• Belief+Doubt Barbara Kruger, Belief+Doubt, 2012. ?Barbara Kruger. Photo: Cathy Carver

• Belief+Doubt Barbara Kruger, Belief+Doubt, 2012. ?Barbara Kruger. Photo: Cathy Carver

Related on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/26/barbara-kruger-birthday-the-female-artist-turns-68_n_2552518.html

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Federal website hijacked to avenge activist

9 hrs.

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON???The hacker-activist group Anonymous says it hijacked the website of the U.S. Sentencing Commission to avenge the death of Aaron Swartz, an Internet activist who committed suicide. The FBI is investigating.

The website of the commission, an independent agency of the judicial branch (http://www.ussc.gov), was taken over early Saturday and replaced with a message warning that when Swartz killed himself two weeks ago "a line was crossed."

The hackers say they've infiltrated several government computer systems and copied secret information that they now threaten to make public.

Family and friends of Swartz, who helped create Reddit and RSS, say he killed himself after he was hounded by federal prosecutors. Officials say he helped post millions of court documents for free online, and that he illegally downloaded millions of academic articles from an online clearinghouse.

The FBI's Richard McFeely, executive assistant director of the agency's?Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, said in a statement that "we were aware as soon as it happened and are handling it as a criminal investigation. We are always concerned when someone illegally accesses another person's or government agency's network."

Hours after the hijacking, pages on the USSC.gov website were available only sporadically.

This report was updated by NBC News.

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/anonymous-hijacks-federal-website-protest-activist-aaron-swartzs-death-1C8125283

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'Not to be published' Diana photo sells for $18K

AMHERST, N.H. (AP) ? A photo marked "not to be published" that shows a teenage Diana Spencer before she became Princess of Wales has been sold by a New Hampshire auction house for more than $18,000.

The photograph shows a group of friends relaxing during a ski trip, with Diana reclining on a bed, with a young man seated behind her and a bottle of whiskey on the window sill. It was acquired by a British newspaper just after her engagement Prince Charles, but someone at the paper wrote "not to be published" across it, presumably because it would've embarrassed the royal family.

RR Auction in Amherst, N.H., says the photo sold in the online auction Thursday to a real estate investor from San Diego for $18,306, well above early estimates.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/not-published-diana-photo-sells-18k-162652913.html

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5 Direct Mail Marketing Tips for Holidays - Globial Talks Business

Direct mail can be an effective tool

Today?s post comes courtesy of business contributor?Roger Pahuriray

The holidays are a special time. If you have not yet started planning a direct mail marketing campaign, you have best be getting a move on. The holidays are a great time for you to do some promotional activities for your brand and product offering. The holidays are also a time when customers are really looking to purchase items. Thus, it is important to make sure that you get a fair share of that holiday market.

Before you start sending out the usual holiday postcards and catalogues, it is important to note that you are not the only company who will be sending out mailers to their prospective clients. Other companies would also like to promote their products and/or services and secure their share of the holiday market. Thus, it is important to make your direct mail package stand out. Here?s how to achieve that.

Holiday Design

Enlist the help of a direct mail marketing company. They can greatly help in terms of design to make your mailer look appropriate for the occasion. Also, direct mail marketing companies offer lettershop services that speed up the packaging process and ensure that your mailer has all the right components.

Dimensional Mailers

As stated earlier, yours won?t be the only company that will be sending out direct mail to clients. When your potential client finds a stack of ad mailers in his mailbox, their tendency is to just chuck it out. But if your mailer has bulk or is three-dimensional, your customer will be curious about what it is. That?s the opening you need. Dimensional mailers naturally cost more but the profits they generate make them worth it. Most direct mail companies offer holiday discounts which could greatly help you in terms of costs.

Give Your Customers Something to be Excited About

Attract them with discounts, freebies or special deals. Create a sense of anticipation by adding special contest prizes which they can win if they avail of your product or service.

Reward Your Loyal Customers

This season is about giving after all. Reward your loyal customers with discounts, freebies or exclusive deals. For example, if you have a customer who purchased an mp3 player last year, offer them a huge discount on this year?s latest model. If you sell clothes, offer a discount on your most popular pieces or on next season?s collection. This will make your customers feel valued and will ensure that they will be your clients for a long time. These can also help bring back clients who looked elsewhere last year.

QR Codes

The advent of QR codes present many retail possibilities. You can instruct your lettershop services provider to include QR codes in your mailer representing a free small product that your clients can claim when they scan and send it to you. You can also arrange a scavenger hunt with these QR codes. Have your clients scan as many QR codes as possible. When they rack up a certain number of points, reward them with prizes which may include freebies, discounts, tickets, etc. This will make shopping more fun and exciting for your customer base.

?

Author?s Bio

Roger Pahuriray is an SEO Specialist who?s had extensive experience in the Outreach Program. This time he brings his extensive SEO expertise to PrintAndMail4U where he tackles articles on Printing and Mailing Services Los Angeles along with suggestions on Mailing House. The articles he posts will surely be informative and comprehensive especially for individuals who are in dire need of these resources. As an SEO Specialist for PinAgency.com, he works full-time catering to an impressive pool of clients like SweetSweat.Com, CasaNuevoVida.com and PrintAndMail4U.com among many others.

More in This Category

Source: http://globial.com/globialtalksbusiness/5-direct-mail-marketing-tips-for-holidays/

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News in Brief: Reprieve for reprogrammed stem cells

What could have been a stumbling block for using reprogrammed stem cells in the clinic may barely be a bump in the road

What could have been a stumbling block for using reprogrammed stem cells in the clinic may barely be a bump in the road

By Tina Hesman Saey

Web edition: January 25, 2013
Print edition: February 9, 2013; Vol.183 #3 (p. 18)

What could have been a stumbling block for using reprogrammed stem cells in the clinic may barely be a bump in the road. A study published in 2011 in Nature found that stem cells produced by reprogramming mouse skin cells get attacked when transplanted back into mice. Stem cells derived from embryos didn?t similarly rile the immune system. The finding was unexpected because reprogrammed stem cells, also known as induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, come from the mouse or person into whom they are transplanted, so the immune system shouldn?t recognize them as foreign. Now Masumi Abe of the Japanese National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Chiba and colleagues have performed a more expansive version of the earlier study, examining 10 different types of iPS cells and seven types of embryonic stem cells to address the potential problem. Neither embryonic stem cells nor iPS cells provoked the immune system to attack to any significant degree when transplanted into mice, the researchers report online January 9 in Nature. However, heart muscle cells grown from iPS cells in a lab dish did stir up the immune system, which may be cause for concern.

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/347812/title/News_in_Brief_Reprieve_for_reprogrammed_stem_cells

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Why Wordpress Is the Right Choice for Your - Social Media Today

2013 opens up new challenges in the web life. Surely WordPress is ready to deliver improved and fitted out suites for the wide variety of websites. Responsible design is the most discussed trend in the web design industry in 2013. Why is that, and what does it mean for your website?

More than ever before, people are using handsets and tablets to seek out information on the Internet. And if you want to increase conversion rates you need to provide website visitors with usability. In 2013, WordPress offers many good themes that come with a fluid grid system making your website look great on any device.

WordPress also has another big advantage for business websites: allowing webmasters to work easily with necessary plugins. For example, the WooCommerce plugin can transform your site to a complete online store powering it with all necessary features and options. Your website can be easily integrated with various checkout options, payment cards, admin panel, reports panel and more.

Besides, selected WordPress theme should be suited your website depending on the type of your craft business.

Themes for magazine-style or news websites (Sahifa ? Responsive News, Magazine, Blog, Lucid, Aggregate, ExtraNews ? Responsive News Theme, TheStyle, Confidence ? Blog / Magazine Themes and other WP themes):

As magazines require special-type themes that make text easy to read and content easy to view, WordPress offers themes with orderly CSS stylesheets and good layout. The current posts can be placed on the right or left side of your website like in your local newspapers.

Themes for business websites?(Tersus ? Responsive, WP-Responsive Premium, REWORK Responsive Modern, Apex Portfolio, Radius, and other Wordpress themes):

If you want to create a website for your business, it should provide visitors with all the necessary information about your products in the most convenient form. As the first contact with a company is very important, make sure the selected theme can display the image of your company. Also you can free use lots of WordPress blogging software to display your content efficiently.?

Photography themes?(JPhotolio: Responsive Wedding Photography WP Theme, HQ Photography Responsive Theme, Full Fashion ? an Ajax Fullscreen WP Theme, Blitz ? ?Unique WordPress Theme, PhotoPro ? Photography WordPress Theme and more):

WordPress offers themes with a?rotating, full-screen background with support of video and images to people who want to display their visuals (photographers, artists, etc.). These themes are powered with options for modification and management.?

Restaurant, bar, caf? websites?(CookingPress ? Recipe & Food theme, Delicieux ? Restaurant Theme, Arapah ? Modern Culinary Themes, Ristorante Responsive Restaurant Theme, Delicioso WordPress Recipe Theme, etc.):

WordPress is ready to provide you with very beautiful, easy-to-use and fully functional themes to help your business succeed. At your disposal are stylish menu templates, powerful theme option panels, location settings and more. There are also many features that enable online reservation and ordering systems.? ?

Why do people choose WordPress themes for their websites? Because they don?t have to spend lots of money to get one of them and WP themes can make any type of website look professional.

Connect:

Authored by:

Sam Philips

?Author?s BIO:? Sam Philips is a SEO Manager and business development manager at QArea. Sam's main goal to evolve in SEO and copywriting. ?

See complete profile

Source: http://socialmediatoday.com/samunak/1183806/why-wordpress-right-choice-your-website-2013

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Country Music Cruise Set for January 2014 | Leisure Group Travel

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The second Country Cruising ?Best Country Cruise Ever? will set sail on board Norwegian Pearl from Miami on Jan. 12, 2014. Following the success of the...

Source: http://leisuregrouptravel.com/country-music-cruise-set-for-january-2014/

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Tabs in Word: the Automatic Center ? Business Management Daily ...

Q. My header has an automatic center tab. How do I set one in the body of my document?

A. If you don?t see the ruler over the top of your document, you will first need to turn it on.

On the View tab, in the Show group, click the box next to Navigation Pane. On the far left of the screen you will notice a box with what looks like a backward L. Click this symbol until it becomes an upside down T. That?s your center tab symbol. Click in the middle of the ruler to set your center tab. If you click it in the wrong place, you can click and drag it to the left or right. If you want to remove it, click and drag it down and off the ruler.

Like what you've read? ...Republish it and share great business tips!

Attention: Readers, Publishers, Editors, Bloggers, Media, Webmasters and more...

We believe great content should be read and passed around. After all, knowledge IS power. And good business can become great with the right information at their fingertips. If you'd like to share any of the insightful articles on BusinessManagementDaily.com, you may republish or syndicate it without charge.

The only thing we ask is that you keep the article exactly as it was written and formatted. You also need to include an attribution statement and link to the article.

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Source: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/34246/tabs-in-word-the-automatic-center

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Video: PFT Live: Is Garrett's job in jeopardy in Dallas?

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/50563010#50563010

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Teenagers avoid early alcohol misuse through personality management

Jan. 23, 2013 ? Personality-targeted interventions delivered by trained teachers and school staff decrease alcohol misuse in at-risk teens and delay their classmates' alcohol uptake.

In a study published in the very first issue of the new journal JAMA Psychiatry, researchers from Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center, University of Montreal and King's College London have shown that personality-targeted school interventions delivered to high risk adolescents manage to reduce and postpone problem drinking, which is responsible for 9% of the deaths in young people between the ages of 15 and 29 in developed countries. Furthermore, by delaying alcohol uptake in at-risk youth, low-risk youth apparently gain group immunity due to reduced drinking within their social network.

"Two factors determine problem drinking: personality and peer pressure," explains Dr. Patricia Conrod, the study's first author, who supports the assumption that approaching at-risk youth from the angle of mental health rather than information on the dangers of alcohol is more effective at preventing early-onset alcohol misuse. "Teaching young people how to better manage their personality traits or vulnerabilities helps them make the right decisions in given situations," she explained, "whether it is a matter of overcoming their fears, managing thoughts that make them very emotional, controlling their compulsions, analyzing objectively the intentions of others or improving their self-perception."

The researcher conducted a two-year study called Adventure in which high-school school staff in London, England, were trained to intervene with their ninth grade students (median age of 13.7 years) in order to determine whether their intervention could reduce or postpone the participants' misuse of alcohol in the long term. The development of consumption patterns was measured by observing the drinking rates, problem drinking rates, binge drinking rates, and growth in binge-drinking rates. In addition, the study also attempted to examine a possible group ("herd") immunity effect associated with these interventions.

Participating schools were divided into two groups (control and intervention). The "intervention" school group conducted the intervention at the beginning of the study, whereas the "control" school group benefited from the program and training later on. Out of the total sample, 1,210 students were identified as being more at risk of developing future alcohol dependence after having filled out a personality questionnaire. They presented at least one of the following personality profiles: "anxiety-sensitivity," "hopelessness," "impulsivity" or "sensation-seeking." Trained school facilitators met these students during two brief personalized group sessions and asked them, based on their personality profile, to describe their reactions to various real-life scenarios and try to react to them in a different way.

"The advantage of this approach is that it is easy to implement as opposed to community-based approaches. Teachers can be trained to implement the program and closely adhere to its objectives very effectively, especially since only two interventions are required," explained Dr. Conrod.

A similar study is now under way in 32 high schools in Montreal, Canada. The study is also adding a component that analyses youth styles of thinking. Schools interested in taking part in the program can visit the project's website at:

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Universit? de Montr?al, via AlphaGalileo.

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

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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/living_well/~3/Hit4_-t2nB8/130123164917.htm

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Haute Style by Mary McGee: Home Is Where The Heart Is

As you get older you find out that TRUE happiness is not in how much you make or how big your house is or how fancy your car is. It is finding peace and joy and a calmness in your life that will soon become the most important thing to you. Your family are what matters to you, love is what matters to you. Things that are of quality not quantity.?

This brings me to why home is where the heart is. By contrast to what one might think, home for me ( yes, a designer) is about family which is the greatest value of all. Being a family means you are part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life no matter what. The home is where our family laughs, eats, cooks, prays, encourages one another and has fun. ?And so, home is not about the objects and material things that create it, it is about the people and love you fill it with. ?After all, life is too short?to be anything but truly happy.

Readers and clients always ask me what my dream house would be. People figure because I am a designer, I must want a big house filled with desinger fabrics and objects. No, this is not even close ! ?What I long for is a place to spend time with friends and family. Nothing big, just a ?small cabin tucked away in nature's beautiful bounty with lots of trees, greens, a lake, and my own organic garden! A special place that would be about making memories and appreciating the environment.?

So to all 50,000 of my blog readers - many of whom have written in to ask me what my dream home would look like, here it is! ?

? ?A CABIN IN THE WOODS?

?

?
?

Plenty of beds for loved ones!

XO

Source: http://marymcgeeinteriors.blogspot.com/2013/01/home-is-where-heart-is.html

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CSX railroad's 4Q profit slips on weak coal demand

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) ? Railroad operator CSX Corp. said continued weak coal demand contributed to a 3 percent decline in fourth-quarter net income. The results still beat Wall Street expectations as other sectors improved.

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based railroad on Tuesday reported net income of $443 million, or 43 cents per share, in the last three months of 2012. That's down from $457 million, or 43 cents per share, in the previous year's quarter.

CSX said its revenue declined 2 percent to $2.9 billion from $2.95 billion a year earlier. It says declines in coal shipments more than offset gains in intermodal and merchandise shipments.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected CSX to report earnings of 39 cents per share on revenue of $2.84 billion.

CSX stock was trading up 1.6 percent, or 34 cents, at $21.15 in after-hours trading Tuesday after losing 10 cents in the regular trading session.

The weak coal demand that began with last year's mild winter and cheap natural gas prices continued to create challenges for CSX in the quarter.

Coal revenue fell 18 percent to $747 million in the fourth quarter. The increases in automotive, intermodal and crude oil shipments weren't quite enough to offset coal's decline.

CSX Chairman, CEO and president Michael Ward praised the results.

"CSX continues to demonstrate the underlying strength of its business model, the ability to respond quickly to significant events in the marketplace, and a steadfast focus on creating substantial shareholder value over the long term," Ward said.

The other major freight railroad in the eastern United States, Norfolk Southern Corp., also reported dealing with coal challenges. Norfolk Southern said its fourth-quarter profit fell 14 percent to $413 million, or $1.30 per share, because its coal revenue dropped 23 percent. That's down from $480 million, or $1.42 per share, a year earlier.

For all of 2012, CSX reported net income of $1.86 billion, or $1.79 per share, on $11.8 billion revenue. That's 2 percent higher than the previous year's $1.82 billion net income, or $1.67 per share, on $11.7 billion revenue.

CSX operates over 21,000 miles of track in 23 eastern states and two Canadian provinces. CSX will hold a conference call with investors Wednesday morning.

Union Pacific Corp., the biggest railroad in the U.S., will release its fourth-quarter results on Thursday.

___

Follow Josh Funk online at www.twitter.com/funkwrite

___

Online:

CSX Corp.: www.csx.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-22-US-Earns-CSX/id-01262094ce1a4e9aad34440f94d3d07d

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