China "resolutely opposes" U.S. curbs on IT imports: state media

By Megha Rajagopalan

BEIJING (Reuters) - China expressed "resolute opposition" and "strong dissatisfaction" with a new U.S. cyber-espionage rule limiting imports of Chinese-made information technology products, state media reported on Saturday.

The remarks underscore growing tension between the world's top two economies after the United States accused China of backing a string of hacking attacks on U.S. companies and government agencies.

China says the accusation lacks proof and that it is also a victim of hacking attacks, more than half of which originate from the United States.

The new provision, tucked into a funding bill signed into law on Thursday, requires NASA, as well as the Justice and Commerce Departments, to seek approval from federal law enforcement officials before buying information technology systems from China.

The United States imports about $129 billion worth of "advanced technology products" from China, according to a May 2012 report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service.

State media including Xinhua, the China Daily and the People's Daily, quoted a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce as saying the U.S. bill "sends a very wrong signal".

"This will directly impact partnerships of Chinese enterprises and American business as they conduct regular trade," said Shen Danyang, the commerce ministry spokesman.

"This abuse of so-called national security measures is unfair to Chinese enterprises, and extends the discriminatory practice of presumption of guilt," the article in the official People's Daily said, quoting Shen. "This severely damages mutual trust between the U.S. and China."

The United States should eliminate the law, Shen said.

Technology security lawyer Stewart Baker wrote in a blog post this week that China could claim that the United States is violating World Trade Organization rules.

However, because Beijing hasn't signed a WTO agreement setting international rules for government procurement, it may not be successful in its challenge, Baker said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei also urged the U.S. to abandon the law at a news conference on Thursday.

"This bill uses Internet security as an excuse to take discriminatory steps against Chinese companies," he said.

(Reporting By Megha Rajagopalan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-resolutely-opposes-u-curbs-imports-state-media-052921146.html

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Kenyans await ruling in disputed presidential race

By Edmund Blair

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's Supreme Court rules on Saturday on a challenge to Uhuru Kenyatta's presidential election win, a judgment seen as a test of the democratic system five years after another disputed vote triggered tribal bloodshed.

The country's outgoing president called for calm ahead of the decision that will either confirm the victory of Kenya's richest man Kenyatta or force another vote.

Defeated candidate Raila Odinga says the March 4 poll was marred by technical problems and widespread rigging. Both politicians have promised to abide by the court's final word.

Many ordinary Kenyans insist they will not allow a repeat of the anarchy that killed more than 1,200 people and hammered the economy following a dispute over the last election in 2007.

"We have moved on," said Monica Njagi, 28, owner of an Internet cafe in the port city of Mombasa. "Whatever the ruling, we shall go by it ... We have enough useful lessons from our past."

Peaceful voting this time round, and the fact that the dispute is being played out by lawyers not machete-wielding gangs, has already helped repair the image of east Africa's largest economy.

Saturday's ruling will test whether Kenyans trust their reformed judiciary and whether supporters of rival candidates will accept the result quietly in a nation where tribal loyalties largely determine political allegiances.

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has yet to set a time on Saturday that he and his panel of judges will issue a verdict. Comments at a brief hearing on Friday suggested it might not come till later on Saturday.

"As the country awaits the Supreme Court ruling which is due this Easter weekend, I call upon all of us to accept the ruling and maintain peace," outgoing President Mwai Kibaki said in a message to mark the Christian Easter holiday.

"ESSENTIAL CONTACTS"

Western donors are watching the fate of a trade partner and a country they see as vital to regional stability. But they also face a headache if Kenyatta wins, because he is facing charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court.

Kenyatta is accused of helping incite the violence after the 2007 vote but has denied the charges and promised to cooperate to clear his name.

Western nations have a policy of having only "essential contacts" with indictees of the court. They say that will not affect dealings with the government as a whole. But they still face a delicate balancing act to avoid driving a long-time ally of the West closer to emerging powers such as China.

Neighboring African states are also keeping a careful eye on the proceedings after they were hit by the knock-on effects when vital trade routes through Kenya were shut down five years ago.

Kenyatta comfortably beat Odinga in terms of votes won, 50.07 percent versus 43.28 percent, but only narrowly avoided a run-off after winning just 8,100 votes more than the 50 percent needed to be declared the winner outright.

In the Supreme Court's hearing on Friday, the legal teams reviewed results of recounts ordered in 22 of the 33,400 polling stations after Odinga said more votes were cast than registered voters. Both sides said the recounts supported their arguments.

Odinga's team argued that the failure of technology in tallying undermined the vote. Rival lawyers said any irregularities or technical hiccups had an insignificant impact and did not change the overall outcome.

International observers said voting itself was credible, but diplomats say observers did not watch the full five-day count.

(Additional reporting by Joseph Akwiri in Mombasa; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kenyans-await-ruling-disputed-presidential-race-022046688.html

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What Games Are: My Three GDC Themes

Women in games, the continuing rise of microconsoles and the normalizing of real money gaming. These were the three themes that I noticed most at this year's Game Developers Conference.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/hVe-J1RLfaY/

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Razer begins shipping Edge units to those who pre-ordered this month

Back when the Razer Edge pre-orders kicked off, on March 1st, the company wasn't quite clear as to when exactly the device would commence shipping to early adopters, only going as far as saying it would be later that very month. Well, the good news is today Razer took to its own Facebook page to announce that its new-era gaming PC is now on its way to folks who put in a pre-order "from the March batch." Meanwhile, Razer's hoping other gamers will also shell out the hefty amount of $999-plus for its novel piece of hardware, urging potential buyers on the social network to snag a unit (or two) before they go out of stock -- just don't expect to get a keyboard dock with your order, as the previously reported Q3 availability for this add-on remains intact. Above all, however, it's a great thing to see that what was once just a project, is now getting ready to arrive at consumers' doorsteps.

Filed under: Gaming, Tablets

Comments

Source: Razer (Facebook)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/29/razer-edge-now-shipping/

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Innovation by Asian business leaders no longer a luxury - The Nation

Home ? business ? Innovation by Asian business leaders no longer a luxury

The Nation March 30, 2013 1:00 am

Increasing globalisation is a given, with international competition likely to grow fiercer and markets even more diversified. The rise of India and China, coupled with the global economic power shift towards Asia, is reshaping the world before our very eyes. In the West, the number of jobs is falling; in the East, leaders have to learn how to manage in new markets as they expand westwards.

Technology convergence and the evolution of social media have raised the bar on customer engagement. Customers now expect an instant response to their queries - and even to be involved in the process of product development in such services as information technology and communication.

Additionally, advances in technology convergence will continue to blur the boundaries between private and working lives. More business is conducted "virtually", and power is shifting to employees - particularly the rising class of digital-knowledge workers, who can work anywhere.

However, while technological prowess can aid innovation, digital natives' over-reliance on technology and their lack of social skills make them unprepared for leadership roles. Hence talent will continue to be at a premium, and retaining employees with key skills will be a challenge.

The "youth bulge" in Asia poses significant leadership challenges. What will it take to accommodate and motivate the "me" generation that forms our next band of leaders? The hunger to capture Asia's abundant business opportunities is challenged by higher expectations, greater business risks and stronger market competition. Meanwhile, the growing scarcity of strategic resources such as water, minerals, metals and fossil fuels will cause price increases and lead to social instability.

Coupled with shorter economic cycles, hyper-connectivity and restless digital natives, the only way for companies to succeed is to innovate - not just in new products and services for customers, but also in the way they treat and motivate employees, groom leaders and conduct business. As we know, innovation is easy. Commercialising it and building organisational discipline around it is much more challenging.

While there is no silver bullet for success, Hay Group's study reveals specific organisational practices that market leaders have adopted to enable and encourage innovation. To establish and sustain a climate that is conducive to meaningful innovation, Hay Group has identified four business practices that organisations need to have:

1. Enable agility. Agile organisations are better able to respond to challenges with innovations, and capitalise on their successes. Good organisations structure their organisations for speed and flexibility.

2. Create the context. Smart innovations require a fundamental understanding of customer needs, and a willingness to risk rethinking them. Good organisations ensure that employees understand customer needs, and support new approaches to address them.

3. Broaden perspectives. New and different points of view are essential precursors to innovation. Good organisations encourage and embrace different cultural and generational perspectives, and work to broaden the viewpoints of their employees.

4. Reward collaboration. If innovation is the product of different perspectives, collaboration is the process that brings them together. Good organisations do not merely preach collaboration; they require and reward it.

"It's crucial to foster an atmosphere, environment and mechanism where people are encouraged and enabled to undertake creative problem solving, where people are not afraid of failure and are prepared to welcome and deal effectively with changes, and where people are trained and supported to undertake and manage risks with prudence," said Punyacha Teparakul, senior consultant at Hay Group.

To run globalised companies, Asian leaders must set the direction and discipline for innovation. Insights on individual leadership styles, ensuring strong leadership pipelines and so forth have been useful preludes, but they are no longer enough for sustainable success in the new economy.

Hay Group's research urges Asian firms to catch up to leading companies in the following ways:

? Develop an organisational structure that enables quick communication. This is fundamental to organisational agility, its decision-making frameworks and responsiveness to market changes.

? The Asian tradition of directive leadership will not work. Everyone is expected to lead, even if they have no formal position of authority, and Asian bosses must learn to delegate their authority and decision-making power. This, Hay found, leads to higher employee engagement and motivation.

? Create personally meaningful work. Having an innovation strategy is no guarantee of success, and the most innovative companies are interested in discretionary effort. Therefore, strategies must be decoded vertically and horizontally so that personal interests are aligned with corporate and interdepartmental goals.

"The challenge for today's leaders is to apply various leadership styles suitably, may they be coercive, pace-setting, democratic, coaching and so on, into different situations and employee groups," Punyacha said. "Leadership styles have significant impact on organisational climate and culture, which in turn has an impact on employee perception and engagement, which in turn has an impact on individual and company performance."

LEADERSHIP RELOADED

In an uncertain business environment of rapid and irrevocable change, innovation is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity. To be successful, leaders need to be adept at conceptual and strategic thinking, have deep integrity and intellectual openness, find new ways to create loyalty, and relinquish their own power in favour of collaboration.

Leading in the new normal environment will test executives' virtuosity in switching between leadership styles. To envisage and then sell a concept of customers' future needs will require an authoritative style of leadership that many leaders in Asia already exhibit. However, to encourage and enforce discipline around innovation will require a more collaborative style of leadership - this is where Asian leaders need to step up.

In addition, keen influencing skills will prove to be the key ingredient for managing productivity in the "cloud", where leaders are responsible for multifunction and cross-border teams, some of whom may not even report to them.

Finally, leaders need to tap into their emotional maturity and lead their teams to bounce back from negative feedback and failure. This calls for both emotional and mental resilience.

Building discipline around innovation has become just as, if not more, important than innovation itself. And innovating leadership is perhaps the most critical step to survival.

Asia has made great strides in leadership competencies in the past 20 years. To meet the growing demands of business here, companies have done a great job of developing and accelerating talent. Is there more to be done?

Latest stories in this category

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Innovation-by-Asian-business-leaders-no-longer-a-l-30203000.html

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Abbyy FineReader Touch

Businesses have been making increasing use of smart phones and tablets as work tools. Thanks to Abbyy FineReader Touch, remote workers can use iPhones and iPads to snap images of documents and upload them to Abby's cloud-based FineReader Online service to save it in various searchable, editable formats. Though it's no substitute for a desktop optical character recognition (OCR) program, this iOS app does let you scan and convert documents from anywhere, which is very handy.

Abbyy is a provider of OCR, PDF, and document conversion software, including the Editors' Choice FineReader 11, as well as older versions (FineReader 6 and 9) that are frequently bundled with the scanners we test. Though those solutions are for the desktop, Abbyy also offers mobile apps, including Abbyy FineReader Touch.

The FineReader Touch Interface
The app's iPhone interface is a black screen with toolbars on the top and bottom. Once you've scanned documents, a list of them, giving the date and time of the scan, file name and type, length of time available on the server for each document, appears in the center of the screen. The button at top left gives you the status of the document you're scanning. At top right is a search button (though it searches on documents, not text).

The tab at top center shows the balance of document conversions you have available to you. (You start with 100). Touching the tab takes you to the store, where you can buy more: $2.99 for 20 pages, $4.99 for 50 pages, $6.99 for 100 pages, and $9.99 for 200 pages.

At bottom left is an information tab, which provides Help, lets you email Abby for support; lets you rate the app, and tells you about other Abbyy apps. At bottom right, the gear icon lets you change settings. At bottom center, the camera icon lets you image a document with your iPhone's camera.

From the FineReader Online site, you can also upload saved documents for conversion to Word, Excel, PDF, PDF/A, RTF, TXT, and OpenDocument Text formats. You can access the documents you've converted, open and save them, or export them to Google Docs, Evernote, or Dropbox. After 14 days, your documents will be automatically deleted from the FineReader site.

Testing
I used my iPhone 5 to image text pages (printed from Word documents), tables, magazine pages, and other documents in FineReader Touch, and save them in appropriate formats (Word .docx is default). Text recognition of one-page documents scanned to Word format took an average of 44 seconds per page. That's much slower than typical desktop-based OCR speeds, but keep in mind that you're not likely to be using FineReader Touch to scan documents en masse.

OCR results were generally good. FineReader could recognize text down to 6 pt on our standard Times New Roman and Arial test pages in documents imaged in good lighting. The FineReader cloud also did a good job in converting most of the saved documents I sent to it, though occasionally a document with unusual formatting would stump it.

Abbyy FineReader Touch is optimized for the iPhone 5, but it also works with the iPhone 4 and 4S, as well as recent iPods touch, and all iPads except for the first-generation model. Though although the app is compatible with the iPad 2, I wasn't surprised that OCR performance was abysmal, given the device's primitive 0.9-megapixel camera. It undoubtedly would have done better with the 3- and 5-megapixel cameras of the most recent two iPads (and the iPad mini's 5-megapixel camera). Even with the iPhone 5, lighting and document/camera positioning had some effect on scan quality.

Abbyy FineReader Touch has its limitations. It's most accurate with recent iPhones and iPads with higher-resolution cameras, and shooting for OCR requires good lighting, and some care in positioning the documents. Many portable scanners already come with OCR software, are faster, and working through the cloud may be an extra step if you're scanning and converting a series of documents to your hard drive. As a paid service, its costs could add up if you scan a lot of documents. Documents handled through the FineReader cloud are given generic names based on the date and the number of documents uploaded to FineReader (by all users) on that date, so you'll have to go back and change them to a more usable name.

However, these quibbles shouldn't detract from its usefulness to people who may need to make quick scans of documents to readable text while in the field: scholars, researchers?secret agents, for that matter. For them, ABBYY FineReader Touch may be the best solution for their mobile scanning needs.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/w1FBd2hXDrQ/0,2817,2417192,00.asp

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Eva Mendes Needs To Stare At Ryan Gosling's Face More

Let's be honest: We make a point of looking at Ryan Gosling as much as possible. Whether he's on the red carpet, the big screen or sitting right in front of us, it's easy to get lost staring at his handsome face. That's why we've noticed that Gosling's character in The Place Beyond The Pines has a dagger tattoo dripping a drop of blood right below his left eye.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/eva-mendes-needs-stare-ryan-goslings-face-more/1-a-531223?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Aeva-mendes-needs-stare-ryan-goslings-face-more-531223

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Shaka Smart to sign extension to remain at VCU

Shaka Smart and VCU have agreed in principle to a deal to keep the basketball coach at the school.

The details are still being finalized, but the majority of changes involve "program enhancements for the student-athletes and coaches," athletic director Ed McLaughlin said. It also extends a contract already scheduled to run through 2020.

Smart is 111-37 in four years, the sixth-most wins in the country over that stretch and the second-most for a coach in his first four seasons. VCU also is one of just eight schools to have won an NCAA tournament game each of the past four years, joining Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio State, Florida, Syracuse, Marquette and Gonzaga.

Smart's name has come up in high-profile coaching searches ever since he guided the Rams to the Final Four as one of the last teams to make the 2011 NCAA tournament. The Rams' five victories all came against power conference schools.

He was pursued by North Carolina State two years ago and Illinois last season.

With openings at places such as UCLA, Southern Cal and Minnesota already developing this offseason, VCU wanted to give him a new deal to be proactive in the face of certain interest from elsewhere, McLaughlin said.

Smart's decision to stay after the Final Four run earned him a hefty raise in a contract also laden with incentives, and he earned about $1.5 million this season, including incentives.

Whenever the topic of being a candidate for bigger jobs comes up, Smart has insisted that he and his wife love it in Richmond and at VCU, making it easier to walk away from significant raises elsewhere.

The environment at the Rams' home arena, the Siegel Center, has also been a major part of VCU's success with 35 consecutive sellouts and a crowd that feeds off the Rams' intense, 94-foot pressuring style known as "havoc."

The Rams' transition to the Atlantic 10 also went seamlessly with VCU earning its first national ranking in 28 years, staying at or near the top of the league standings throughout the year and reaching the championship game.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shaka-smart-sign-extension-remain-vcu-012717257--spt.html

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Sprial galaxy: Hidden depths of Messier 77 revealed

Mar. 28, 2013 ? Messier 77 is a galaxy in the constellation of Cetus, some 45 million light-years away from us. Also known as NGC 1068, it is one of the most famous and well-studied galaxies. It is a real star among galaxies, with more papers written about it than many other galaxies put together.

Despite its current fame and striking swirling appearance, the galaxy has been a victim of mistaken identity a couple of times; when it was initially discovered in 1780, the distinction between gas clouds and galaxies was not known, causing finder Pierre Mechain to miss its true nature and label it as a nebula. It was misclassified again when it was subsequently listed in the Messier Catalogue as a star cluster.

Now, however, it is firmly categorised as a barred spiral galaxy, with loosely wound arms and a relatively small central bulge. It is the closest and brightest example of a particular class of galaxies known as Seyfert galaxies -- galaxies that are full of hot, highly ionised gas that glows brightly, emitting intense radiation.

Strong radiation like this is known to come from the heart of Messier 77 -- caused by a very active black hole that is around 15 million times the mass of our Sun. Material is dragged towards this black hole and circles around it, heating up and glowing strongly. This region of a galaxy alone, although comparatively small, can be tens of thousands of times brighter than a typical galaxy.

Although no competition for the intense centre, Messier 77's spiral arms are also very bright regions. Dotted along each arm are knotty red clumps -- a signal that new stars are forming. These baby stars shine strongly, ionising nearby gas which then glows a deep red colour as seen in the image above. The dust lanes stretching across this image appear as a rusty, brown-red colour due to a phenomenon known as reddening; the dust absorbs more blue light than red light, enhancing its apparent redness.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by ESA/Hubble Information Centre.

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

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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/top_news/top_science/~3/ecypzfdwMAw/130328125104.htm

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Guacamelee! offers a new flavor of Metroidvania adventure (preview ...

Being an indie developer, DrinkBox Studios has the freedom to make unusual choices. After finishing Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack, the team got together and tossed out ideas. This horizontal leadership structure brought out some interesting concepts and the most compelling one came from an animator. The theme he put forward was a game based on Mexican folklore and luchadores.

?Homesickness was the genesis of the game,? said developer Chris McQuinn. His studio is based in Toronto.

The result is Guacamelee!, a 2D Metroidvania style adventure, starring Juan Aguacate (That?s John Avocado in Spanish.). He?s an agave farmer who is murdered after trying to save his town and El Presidente?s daughter from Calaca, the king of the underworld. Juan is shot dead and his spirit descends to the World of the Dead. It?s there that his spirit sees a magical mask, and once he dons it, he becomes a powerful luchador.

^{The differences between the living world and the dead world.}

Juan now has the ability to fight the monsters from the underworld and that?s a useful power to have when the king of the underworld is trying to start the apocalypse by merging the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead together. Furthermore, that duality of the worlds plays a central role in the gameplay.

The luchador can jump between both lands and he?ll need to do that to get through obstacles. The constant flipping is a mechanic that?s reminiscent of Ikagura. Juan will leap through portals taking him to the Land of the Dead where things are slightly different and he can do a wall jump and exit through a second portal and to another platform. From a casual perspective, it looks complicated, and DrinkBox admits that it will take time for players to adjust.

^{Some enemies will have shields and Juan will have to execute a super move that?s the same color as the barrier.}

Like other Metroidvania games, Juan will gain abilities and that will open up new parts of the world. The aforementioned wall jump is taught to him by Huay Chivo, a goat man who is the closest thing our hero has to a mentor. The luchador will eventually be able to switch between the two worlds at will. When it comes to combat, Juan does have several super moves, but he can?t spam them out. It takes up stamina and players will have to use his special attacks judiciously to either give them a boost to another platform or fighting certain enemies who are weak to certain moves.

What separates Guacamelee! from other adventures though is its unique take and visual style. There aren?t many games based on Mexican folklore, and playing it, you learn to appreciate DrinkBox?s colorful art. The huge Alebrije is delightful eye candy while villains like Xtabay are unlike anything players have seen in the past. In a fun twist, the developer?s do give a nod to classic games. There are statues that look like Chozo?s from Metroid and a boss battle that resembles a the fight between Mario and Bowser in Super Mario Bros. Old-school gamers will get a kick out of that.

^{The Alebrije is one of the more gorgeous creatures that players will run into in the world.}

Lastly, there are some advances in the genre. A second local player will be able to join the fun. Tostada appears near the beginning of the game, and she?ll be a huge help to Juan when he gets trapped in arenas where they must defeat several waves of enemies. The drawback is that having a second person makes the platforming more difficult. The other interesting feature is the PlayStation Vita support that puts the world map on the touchscreen. Instead of pausing the game to look at where to go, players can just glance down and see their destination.

From what I saw at GDC 2013, Guacamelee! is one of the more promising games from an indie developer. It?s scheduled for release this spring on the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita.

Images courtesy of Sony

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Want to know what Gieson Cacho is playing? Follow him on Twitter.

Source: http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2013/03/28/guacamelee-offers-a-new-flavor-of-metroidvania-adventure-preview/

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Australian Prime Minister to Keynote ASIS 2013

The Honorable John Winston Howard, 25th prime minister of Australia (1996 ? 2007), will provide the keynote address at the ASIS International 59th Annual Seminar and Exhibits (ASIS 2013) on Thursday, September, 26, 2013 at Chicago?s McCormick Place.

Alexandria, Va. (PRWEB) March 28, 2013

The Honorable John Winston Howard, 25th prime minister of Australia (1996 ? 2007), will provide the keynote address at the ASIS International 59th Annual Seminar and Exhibits (ASIS 2013) on Thursday, September, 26, 2013 at Chicago?s McCormick Place. Recognized as the security industry?s most comprehensive education and networking event, ASIS 2013 is anticipated to draw more than 20,000 security professionals from around the world for education, networking, and an expansive exhibit floor of security products and services.

Get a view of the world from "Down Under" from Australia's second longest serving prime minister. During his 16-year tenure, Howard turned around the federal government budget from heavy deficit to free of net debt when he left office. He also initiated major reforms in taxation, labor laws, and social policy. Under Howard's government, Australia was both a strong and close ally of the United States as well as expanding links with Asian nations. With Howard's leadership, Australian forces joined the coalition of the willing in Iraq in March 2003. Australia strongly supported the war against terrorism with her forces continuing to serve alongside American and other coalition forces in Afghanistan. See full bio (PDF). The keynote address is open to all attendees.

Mike Ditka, NFL legend, team builder, and motivator will speak at the closing ASIS 2013 luncheon on Friday, Sept. 27. Ditka will highlight key characteristics people need to achieve their personal and professional goals. See full bio (PDF). This is a ticketed event.

(ISC)2, the largest not-for-profit membership body of certified information security professionals worldwide, will colocate its third annual Security Congress with ASIS 2013. More than 200 educational sessions will be presented at ASIS 2013, including expanded IT security offerings in collaboration with (ISC)2. The ASIS exhibits will feature more than 230,000 net square feet of the latest security technology and innovations in traditional and logical security, providing a showcase for more than 700 companies demonstrating cutting-edge solutions.

Registrants of either ASIS 2013 and (ISC)2 Security Congress may gain access to each event?s education sessions and the exhibit hall. Both organizations also will offer review courses for their respective certifications, as well as separate, members-only activities.

Visit http://www.asis2013.org for complete event details, including registration, housing, and sponsorships.

About ASIS International

ASIS International is the leading organization for security professionals, with more than 38,000 members worldwide. Founded in 1955, ASIS is dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and productivity of security professionals by developing educational programs and materials that address broad security interests, such as the ASIS Annual Seminar and Exhibits, as well as specific security topics. ASIS also advocates the role and value of the security management profession to business, the media, government entities and the public. By providing members and the security community with access to a full range of programs and services, and by publishing the industry?s No. 1 magazine?Security Management?ASIS leads the way for advanced and improved security performance.

Leigh McGuire
ASIS International
703-518-1465
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/australian-prime-minister-keynote-asis-2013-210031769.html

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Afghan, NATO forces kill more than 20 militants

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/afghan-nato-forces-kill-more-20-militants-081152987.html

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New Home Sales Took a Tumble in February | AOL Real Estate

Sales of new U.S. single-family homes fell more than expected in February after hefty gains the previous month, but steady gains in home prices suggested the housing market recovery remains intact. The Commerce Department said on Tuesday sales dropped 4.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 411,000 units. Last month's decline followed a 13.1 percent jump in January.

Though January's sales pace was revised down to 431,000 units, it was still the highest level since September 2008. Economists polled by Reuters had expected sales to fall to 422,000-unit rate last month. Compared with February 2012, sales were up 12.3 percent, indicating the housing market recovery was on course. Sales are being hampered by a lack of supply of homes on the market in some major parts of the country.

While the inventory of new homes on the market rose 1.3 percent to 152,000 units, it was not far from record lows. According to recent government data, groundbreaking for single-family homes intended for sale continues to lag sales. Economists at Moody's Analytics warn that builders could struggle to keep up with demand, which could cause the new home market recovery to be uneven over the next several months.

The home resales market is also experiencing lean inventories. The recovery in the sector is being supported by record-low mortgage rates, which have been held down by the Federal Reserve's very accommodative monetary policy stance. New homes account for about 8 percent of the overall market.

At February's sales pace it would take 4.4 months to clear the houses on the market, up from 4.2 months in December. A supply of 6.0 months is normally considered as a healthy balance between supply and demand. The low months' supply should drive up new home prices.

The median sales price for a new home increased 3.0 percent to $246,800 and was up 2.9 percent from a year ago. Sales last month were dragged down by a 13.3 percent plunge in the Northeast and a 9.7 percent fall in the South. Sales only rose in the Midwest, touching the highest level since December 2011.

Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; editing by Neil Stempleman.

See also:
6 Cost-Saving Reasons to Buy New Construction
U.S. New-Home Sales Jump to Highest Since July 2008

More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.
See celebrity real estate.

Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook.

Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/03/26/new-home-sales-fell-february/

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The 13 Best-Kept Cover Letter Secrets | Classy Career Girl

Think no one reads a cover letter? WRONG!? The small things really do make the difference. Some hiring managers only look at a cover letter because it should give them everything they really want to know about you. ?Some hiring managers find resumes boring and they only want to see the good stuff where you really brag about yourself and tell them exactly why they should hire you.? That is why an AWESOME cover letter truly is important!

Here are 13 secrets that will turn your cover letter from boring to AWESOME:

1. Send a customized cover letter for each application you submit.? The letter can be similar to other jobs you have applied to but you want to change the company name and job title in each cover letter. You also want to show that you have done some research on the company and why you would make a great fit.
2. Make sure you connect the skills and experiences that are required on the job description to your actual skills and experiences on your resume. Make it easy for them on the cover letter by highlighting exactly what they are looking for.
3. Your resume should complement, not duplicate your resume. ?Don?t make it terribly long and just repeat what you had on your resume.
4. Less is more!? Get right to the point.? 3-4 paragraphs with 3-4 sentences each.
5. Send as a PDF.? It?s cleaner and not every office can read certain doc files.
6. Have a FABULOUS closer to keep you #1 in their mind!
7. Have a FABULOUS introduction to make sure they keep reading!
8. Your cover letter should show that you have done research about what the company does and how you can help them cut costs/increase profits (or whatever your specialty is).? Tell them what makes you special.
9. Complete the statement ?I like your company because?.? Compliment the organization on what they have done right and what you admire about them.
10. Discuss your soft skills and strengths and what makes you passionate about your career and this job that you are applying for.
11. Show your enthusiasm!! ?Don?t be boring and make them want to fall asleep!
12. Brag about yourself and talk about all of your awesome achievements!
13. Keep it conversational and show your personality off!

Anna?s Cover Letter Template

I have always received a ton of compliments from recruiters and hiring managers on my cover letter.? Please feel free to use it as your template but please revise it to make it unique to you!!!

Dear (Name of Company),

If you are looking for a dynamic team member with career coaching and training experience, please consider me for your (name of position).? I am a positive and energetic individual who is willing to work hard and has a strong desire to succeed.? Due to my experiences and educational history, I feel that I would be an excellent (name of position) at (name of company).

I have a MBA from the Rady School of Management at University of California, San Diego and through my education have acquired the understanding of business management, problem solving and communications.? I am also a Career Coach and Publisher of one of the top 50 up and coming HR blogs for career development.? I teach recent college students and young professionals in an online environment about personal development, time management and interview preparation.?? My career advice has been featured on Forbes, People StyleWatch magazine and Yahoo Finance. Previous speaking engagements include Wake Forest University, Purdue University and the Girl?s Empowerment Conference.? I have excellent written and verbal communication skills and I am passionate about helping students find jobs they love.

Furthermore, I have gained confidence in real-life business situations by consulting for a Navy Ship program and leading the training and development programs for the past 7 years at Booz Allen Hamilton.? I feel that my positive attitude, responsibility and experience teaching and training others would be beneficial in the position of (name of position) at (name of company).

Due to my educational and business experience, I believe that you will find I am well qualified.? Enclosed is my resume for your review.? I look forward to talking with you and learning more about (name of company).? You may reach me at (phone number).? Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Anna Runyan

My address

My phone number

Anna@classycareergirl.com

Note: If you would like a personal resume and cover letter critique, check out my resume makeover package here.

What are your best cover letter and resume tips?

?

Source: http://www.classycareergirl.com/2013/03/the-13-best-kept-cover-letter-secrets/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-13-best-kept-cover-letter-secrets

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CA-BUSINESS Summary

Banks, energy shares lift TSX on U.S. data optimism

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index advanced on Tuesday, led by the energy and financial sectors, as positive economic data from the United States buoyed investor sentiment. Gains were kept in check as gold shares weakened as an easing of worries over Cyprus lessened the appeal of gold as a safe haven and weighed on bullion prices.

Bank of Canada says to oversee SwapClear due to systemic risk

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Bank of Canada said on Tuesday it would formally regulate SwapClear, the dominant global system for centrally clearing over-the-counter interest rate swaps, because it has the potential to pose systemic risk to the Canadian financial system. The announcement came the same day Canada's banking watchdog designated the country's top six banks as being of systemic importance.

Canada ups financial oversight, tags "too big to fail" banks

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian authorities on Tuesday designated the country's top six banks as "systemically important" to the domestic economy and increased oversight of a widely used global derivatives clearing system in an effort to reduce banking system risk. The so-called too big to fail designation was widely expected by the market and means the six banks will have to keep more capital on hand than required by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision after the 2008 financial crisis.

EADS vote signals resurrection as "normal company"

PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus parent EADS faces the most far-reaching changes in its history as shareholders seek to balance French and German state shareholdings with tough new safeguards against political meddling. Europe's largest aerospace group has been haunted by political pressures since its inception as an industrial counterpart to the euro currency in 2000, but is re-inventing itself to try to secure greater independence.

Boeing 787 faces new risk: limits on extended range: sources

WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) - As Boeing works to regain permission for its 787 Dreamliner to resume flights, the company faces what could be a costly new challenge: a temporary ban on some of the long-distance, trans-ocean journeys that the jet was intended to fly. Aviation experts and government officials say the Federal Aviation Administration may shorten the permitted flying time of the 787 on certain routes when it approves a revamped battery system. The plane was grounded worldwide two months ago after lithium-ion batteries overheated on two separate aircraft.

Air Canada pension deficit estimate falls on higher plan returns

TORONTO (Reuters) - Air Canada said a preliminary estimate of its pension solvency deficit has dropped to C$3.7 billion ($3.6 billion) from C$4.2 billion a year ago, reflecting a better-than-expected 14 percent return on plan assets. Canada's largest carrier said in a recently filed annual information form that the estimate, as of January 1, 2013, was hurt by a decrease in the solvency discount rate to 3 percent from 3.3 percent. Valuations to determine the actual deficit will be completed in the first half of 2013.

Cyprus readies capital controls to avert bank run

NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus is expected to complete capital control measures on Wednesday to prevent a run on the banks by depositors anxious about their savings after the country agreed a painful rescue package with international lenders. Cypriots have taken to the streets of Nicosia in their thousands to protest at a bailout deal that they fear will push their country into an economic slump and cost many their jobs. European leaders said the deal averted a chaotic national bankruptcy that might have forced Cyprus out of the euro.

Monsanto, DuPont strike $1.75 billion licensing deal, end lawsuits

(Reuters) - DuPont Co

will pay Monsanto Co at least $1.75 billion in a new licensing deal and both companies have agreed to dissolve their bitter legal battles over rights to technology for genetically modified seeds, the world's top seed companies said on Tuesday. The companies agreed to drop antitrust and patent claims against each other while forging the new collaboration, and agreed to toss out a $1 billion jury verdict DuPont was ordered to pay Monsanto last August.

Bank of Canada officials urges more central clearing of repos

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Bank of Canada Deputy Governor Agathe Cote made no mention of monetary policy in a speech on Tuesday that focused on ways Canadian authorities are strengthening financial markets infrastructure to lessen the risk of future crises. Cote said Canada needed to make more progress in clearing repos, or repurchase transactions, centrally through the Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation (CDCS).

Exclusive: Linux users file EU complaint against Microsoft

MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish association representing open-source software users has filed a complaint against Microsoft Corp to the European Commission, in a new challenge to the Windows developer following a hefty fine earlier this month. The 8,000-member Hispalinux, which represents users and developers of the Linux operating system in Spain, said Microsoft had made it difficult for users of computers sold with its Windows 8 platform to switch to Linux and other operating systems.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-business-summary-000757996--finance.html

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James Cameron to Donate Deep-Sea Craft to Woods Hole Institute

[unable to retrieve full-text content]James Cameron, who rode the Deepsea Challenger into the sea?s deepest spot last year, hopes the collaboration will speed ocean exploration.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/science/earth/james-cameron-to-donate-deep-sea-craft-to-woods-hole-institute.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Family Handyman Magazine Only $4.99/Year - Mom on Dealz

March 25th, 2013 | Add a Comment

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Source: http://www.momondealz.com/family-handyman-magazine-only-4-99year-6/

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Wal-Mart tests in-store lockers for online orders

SAN BRUNO, Calif. (AP) ? Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, said Tuesday that it's going to set up lockers in about a dozen stores so that shoppers who order on its website can pick up their items without having to wait in a checkout line.

The test, which is being conducted during the summer in an undisclosed market, is part of Wal-Mart's strategy to offer more convenience for web-savvy shoppers to make their purchases wherever they want.

Wal-Mart officials disclosed the test at a media event at the company's global e-commerce offices in San Bruno, Calif., located in Silicon Valley. Wal-Mart, which is based in Bentonville, Ark., is using the one-day event to showcase how it's meeting the growing challenge of fending off competition from online rivals eBay Inc. and Amazon.com.

The discounter also is following its own customers. More than half of Wal-Mart shoppers have smartphones. And one third of Wal-Mart's online traffic comes from mobile phones.

Over the past year, Wal-Mart has been launching a number of initiatives that merge its online business with its 4,000 physical stores. That includes same-day delivery in five markets and an app that allows shoppers to scan their purchases while in the aisles before paying at self-checkout lanes.

With the new lockers, online shoppers will get a password they can use when they pick up the items at in-store lockers. Company officials declined to say what the lockers look like.

The service builds on another option called "site to store" that was launched in 2007. That service allows shoppers to order online and then pick up the items at a special counter within two weeks.

"We're tenacious about building best in class e-commerce," said Neil Ashe, president and CEO of Wal-Mart's global e-commerce division.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-03-26-US-Wal-Mart-Lockers/id-1a565a11e02d4efabbb11a924c4fa1f2

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Leading experts disagree on evidence behind prostate cancer screening recommendations

Mar. 25, 2013 ? Do the results of recent randomized trials justify the recent U.S. recommendation against yearly measurement of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a screening test for prostate cancer? That's the topic of debate in a special "point/counterpoint" section in the April issue of Medical Care.

The recommendation against routine PSA measurement relies too heavily on randomized trial data, according to an article by Ruth Etzioni, PhD, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, and colleagues. They argue that modeling studies provide a truer picture of the long-term benefits of PSA screening. But Dr Joy Melnikow of University of California, Davis, and colleagues disagree, asserting that randomized trials provide a sufficient level of certainty to recommend against PSA screening.

Point: Short-Term Trials Don't Reflect Long-Term Risk Last year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against routine PSA measurement to screen for prostate cancer. The recommendation was mainly based on two recent studies -- one conducted in Europe and one in the United States -- in which men were randomly assigned to annual PSA screening or no screening. Both studies concluded that annual screening did not reduce the risk of death from prostate cancer.

But randomized trials have important limitations as a basis for screening policies, according to Dr Etzioni and colleagues. They note that screening trials generally provide short-term results, in contrast to the long-term results generated by population-wide screening programs. They argue that taking the randomized trial data at face value "misrepresents the likely long-term population impact of PSA screening (relative to no screening) in the United States."

Dr Etzioni and coauthors discuss the results of modeling studies that give a different picture of the benefits of PSA screening. Based on those models, screening may explain 45 percent of recent declines in U.S. deaths from prostate cancer, while changes in treatment account for 33 percent. When the randomized trial data are extrapolated to the U.S. population over the long term, the absolute reduction in deaths attributed to screening appears at least five times greater than in the original trial reports.

Modeling studies also suggest a lower rate of overdiagnosis -- screening detection of slow-growing prostate cancers that otherwise would have caused no harm -- than reported in the trials. Dr Etzioni and colleagues conclude, "With a disease whose hallmark is a lengthy natural history, the harms of developing cancer screening policies based primarily on limited-duration screening trials may well outweigh the benefits."

Counterpoint: Trials Are Best Evidence on Screening Effects But in their "Counterpoint" essay, by Dr Melnikow and colleagues notes that the U.S. and European trials provided 11 to 13 years' follow-up in more than 250,000 individuals. They also point out that the U.S. trial was highly representative of the population and showed no reduction in death resulting from annual PSA testing. (Dr Melnikow and colleagues were members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force when the recommendation was made.)

They add that, because of "competing causes of death," it becomes even less likely that a large reduction in deaths from prostate cancer will appear over long-term follow-up. The chances of overdiagnosis and potential harms from screening are also likely to increase with continued aging. Dr Melnikow and coauthors conclude, "Projections from models are subject to mistaken assumptions and investigator biases, and should not be accorded the same weight as evidence from randomized controlled trials."

In an editorial response, Dr Etzioni's group points out that modeling plays an essential role in addressing questions about the harms and benefits of screening. "While we acknowledge the centrality of screening trials in the policy process," they write, "we maintain that modeling constitutes a powerful tool for screening trial interpretation and screening policy development."

The debate is "no mere academic exercise," according to an editorial by Ronnie D. Horner, PhD, of University of Cincinnati Medical Center. With the increased emphasis on disease prevention under health care reform, it is essential to offer those services most likely to represent value -- including cancer screenings. While there's no easy answer, Dr Horner writes, "I am hopeful that this Point-Counterpoint exchange will initiate a discussion among healthcare scientists that will yield greater guidance for determining whether a health care service is, indeed, value health care."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, via Newswise.

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

---

Journal References:

1. Joy Melnikow, Michael LeFevre, Timothy J. Wilt, Virginia A. Moyer. Counterpoint. Medical Care, 2013; : 1 DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0b013e31828a67d3
2. Ruth Etzioni, Roman Gulati. Response. Medical Care, 2013; 51 (4): 304 DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0b013e31828a7e1a

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/ll5LaYLU0_I/130325111004.htm

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Heart repair breakthroughs replace surgeon's knife

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Have a heart problem? If it's fixable, there's a good chance it can be done without surgery, using tiny tools and devices that are pushed through tubes into blood vessels.

Heart care is in the midst of a transformation. Many problems that once required sawing through the breastbone and opening up the chest for open heart surgery now can be treated with a nip, twist or patch through a tube.

These minimal procedures used to be done just to unclog arteries and correct less common heart rhythm problems. Now some patients are getting such repairs for valves, irregular heartbeats, holes in the heart and other defects ? without major surgery. Doctors even are testing ways to treat high blood pressure with some of these new approaches.

All rely on catheters ? hollow tubes that let doctors burn away and reshape heart tissue or correct defects through small holes into blood vessels.

"This is the replacement for the surgeon's knife. Instead of opening the chest, we're able to put catheters in through the leg, sometimes through the arm," said Dr. Spencer King of St. Joseph's Heart and Vascular Institute in Atlanta. He is former president of the American College of Cardiology. Its conference earlier this month featured research on these novel devices.

"Many patients after having this kind of procedure in a day or two can go home" rather than staying in the hospital while a big wound heals, he said. It may lead to cheaper treatment, although the initial cost of the novel devices often offsets the savings from shorter hospital stays.

Not everyone can have catheter treatment, and some promising devices have hit snags in testing. Others on the market now are so new that it will take several years to see if their results last as long as the benefits from surgery do.

But already, these procedures have allowed many people too old or frail for an operation to get help for problems that otherwise would likely kill them.

"You can do these on 90-year-old patients," King said.

These methods also offer an option for people who cannot tolerate long-term use of blood thinners or other drugs to manage their conditions, or who don't get enough help from these medicines and are getting worse.

"It's opened up a whole new field," said Dr. Hadley Wilson, cardiology chief at Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte. "We can hopefully treat more patients more definitively, with better results."

For patients, this is crucial: Make sure you are evaluated by a "heart team" that includes a surgeon as well as other specialists who do less invasive treatments. Many patients now get whatever treatment is offered by whatever specialist they are sent to, and those specialists sometimes are rivals.

"We want to get away from that" and do whatever is best for the patient, said Dr. Timothy Gardner, a surgeon at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Del., and an American Heart Association spokesman. "There shouldn't be a rivalry in the field."

Here are some common problems and newer treatments for them:

HEART VALVES

Millions of people have leaky heart valves. Each year, more than 100,000 people in the United States alone have surgery for them. A common one is the aortic valve, the heart's main gate. It can stiffen and narrow, making the heart strain to push blood through it. Without a valve replacement operation, half of these patients die within two years, yet many are too weak to have one.

"Essentially, this was a death sentence," said Dr. John Harold, a Los Angeles heart specialist who is president of the College of Cardiology.

That changed just over a year ago, when Edwards Lifesciences Corp. won approval to sell an artificial aortic valve flexible and small enough to fit into a catheter and wedged inside the bad one. At first it was just for inoperable patients. Last fall, use was expanded to include people able to have surgery but at high risk of complications.

Gary Verwer, 76, of Napa, Calif., had a bypass operation in 1988 that made surgery too risky when he later developed trouble with his aortic valve.

"It was getting worse every day. I couldn't walk from my bed to my bathroom without having to sit down and rest," he said. After getting a new valve through a catheter last April at Stanford University, "everything changed; it was almost immediate," he said. "Now I can walk almost three miles a day and enjoy it. I'm not tired at all."

"The chest cracking part is not the most fun," he said of his earlier bypass surgery. "It was a great relief not to have to go through that recovery again."

Catheter-based treatments for other valves also are in testing. One for the mitral valve ? Abbott Laboratories' MitraClip ? had a mixed review by federal Food and Drug Administration advisers this week; whether it will win FDA approval is unclear. It is already sold in Europe.

HEART RHYTHM PROBLEMS

Catheters can contain tools to vaporize or "ablate" bits of heart tissue that cause abnormal signals that control the heartbeat. This used to be done only for some serious or relatively rare problems, or surgically if a patient was having an operation for another heart issue.

Now catheter ablation is being used for the most common rhythm problem ? atrial fibrillation, which plagues about 3 million Americans and 15 million people worldwide. The upper chambers of the heart quiver or beat too fast or too slow. That lets blood pool in a small pouch off one of these chambers. Clots can form in the pouch and travel to the brain, causing a stroke.

Ablation addresses the underlying rhythm problem. To address the stroke risk from pooled blood, several novel devices aim to plug or seal off the pouch. Only one has approval in the U.S. now ? SentreHeart Inc.'s Lariat, a tiny lasso to cinch the pouch shut. It uses two catheters that act like chopsticks. One goes through a blood vessel and into the pouch to help guide placement of the device, which is contained in a second catheter poked under the ribs to the outside of the heart. A loop is released to circle the top of the pouch where it meets the heart, sealing off the pouch.

A different kind of device ? Boston Scientific Corp.'s Watchman ? is sold in Europe and parts of Asia, but is pending before the FDA in the U.S. It's like a tiny umbrella pushed through a vein and then opened inside the heart to plug the troublesome pouch. Early results from a pivotal study released by the company suggested it would miss a key goal, making its future in the U.S. uncertain.

HEART DEFECTS

Some people have a hole in a heart wall called an atrial septal defect that causes abnormal blood flow. St. Jude Medical Inc.'s Amplatzer is a fabric-mesh patch threaded through catheters to plug the hole.

The patch is also being tested for a more common defect ? PFO, a hole that results when the heart wall doesn't seal the way it should after birth. This can raise the risk of stroke. In two new studies, the device did not meet the main goal of lowering the risk of repeat strokes in people who had already suffered one, but some doctors were encouraged by other results.

CLOGGED ARTERIES

The original catheter-based treatment ? balloon angioplasty ? is still used hundreds of thousands of times each year in the U.S. alone. A Japanese company, Terumo Corp., is one of the leaders of a new way to do it that is easier on patients ? through a catheter in the arm rather than the groin.

Newer stents that prop arteries open and then dissolve over time, aimed at reducing the risk of blood clots, also are in late-stage testing.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

About 75 million Americans and 1 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart attacks. Researchers are testing a possible long-term fix for dangerously high pressure that can't be controlled with multiple medications.

It uses a catheter and radio waves to zap nerves, located near the kidneys, which fuel high blood pressure. At least one device is approved in Europe and several companies are testing devices in the United States.

"We're very excited about this," said Harold, the cardiology college's president. It offers hope to "essentially cure high blood pressure."

___

Online:

Heart conditions and treatments: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/index.htm

American Heart Association: www.heart.org

Atrial fibrillation info: http://bit.ly/odcTTM

___

Marilynn Marchione can be followed at http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/heart-repair-breakthroughs-replace-surgeons-knife-153757671.html

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Work At Home Business Opportunities Weblog | The Popularity of ...

EgoPay is now fast becoming very popular among merchants and more people are actually signing up. This is actually an e-currency company that provides individuals with the least expensive and very convenient way for paying services that have been rendered online, as well as for purchasing goods also through the internet.

People are to be very careful always when it comes to their money, which is why they make sure that their account provided for online payments could really be trusted and this is what EgoPay actually promises to be. Since there are already many news items that have pointed out about what this company could do, it is no longer surprising to learn about many individuals who have decided to take advantage of what EgoPay has to offer.

?

Editor?s Note: This is a Guest Post sponsored by EgoPay. As with any opportunity or online activity, please complete your own due diligence before investing any funds.

If one is still a newbie when it comes to shopping online, it would first be important to know about what e-currency means and what benefits that you could actually get from it, which could actually become the basis why you would consider doing this convenient process even more than the traditional method of purchasing the items that you need, especially if these happen to be found only from places that are quite far and remote from your part of the globe.

For a website owner, it would surely be advantageous to have an account with EgoPay so that he could accept payments online since this would naturally be the easier and quicker process compared to the usual methods of receiving money through wire transfer or through getting it from bank accounts, which are processes that actually entail a number of risks.

The EgoPay system is actually very easy to deal and its system clearly guarantees convenience to both the payer and the recipient. This means that one does not have to experience a lot of hassles when going through the process. Opening an account is absolutely trouble-free also. Besides this, you do not have to spend a single cent in creating a new account. The verification process may take a very short time. Normally, creating an account can take longer, particularly because the verification part alone could already take more than a week to be completed.

You would surely find out that there are many payment options in EgoPay after you have already completed the process of signing for an account. However, you have to be aware also that there are certain websites that may not be allowed to conduct business here. This is because such entities may not have the credentials to carry out legal processes as required by the terms and conditions of the service that EgoPay provides. This is the reason why you must first make sure that your business is truly legitimate before you could actually sign up for an account.

As long as your business online is legitimate, there should be no reasons why you would not be able to take advantage of the many opportunities that EgoPay could offer.

Source: http://work-at-home.business-opportunities.biz/2013/03/25/the-popularity-of-egopay-among-merchants/

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A diplomatic star is born in Chinese first lady

BEIJING (AP) ? Glamorous new first lady Peng Liyuan has emerged as Chinese diplomacy's latest star, charming audiences and cutting a very different profile from her all-but invisible predecessors on her debut official visit abroad to Russia.

A celebrated performer on state television, Peng featured prominently in Sunday's Chinese media coverage of husband and President Xi Jinping's activities in Moscow. The visit is Xi's first since he assumed the presidency earlier this month.

Peng watched song and dance routines at a performing arts school on Saturday, but did not join in as some media reports had suggested she might. Xi's trip continues this week with stops in Tanzania, South Africa and Congo, during which Peng is expected to hold other public events.

An internationally popular first lady could help soften China's sometimes abrasive international image and mark a victory in its so-far unsuccessful struggle to win over global public opinion.

At the same time, she could boost the popularity of the country's new leadership at a time when citizens are feeling increasingly alienated and are fed up with the ruling class's corruption and regal airs.

In recent years, the wives of China's top officials have traditionally gone almost unseen at home and attracted little attention while accompanying their husbands on state visits abroad.

That was in part a negative reaction to Mao Zedong's wife, Jiang Qing, who was widely despised and later imprisoned for her role as leader of the radical Gang of Four, which mercilessly persecuted political opponents during the chaotic 1966-76 Cultural Revolution.

Recently retired Premier Wen Jiabao's wife, Zhang Peili, became known for her role in the country's gem trade and was never seen in public with her husband. Meanwhile, Bo Xilai, one of China's most ambitious politicians, was brought down in spectacular style last year following his wife's involvement in the murder of a British businessman, setting off the country's nastiest political scandal in years.

Women in general wield relatively little power at the top of the Chinese power structure, with just two sitting on the ruling Communist Party's 25-member decision-making Politburo.

Peng's emerging high profile appears to be an extension of Xi's own confidence as he consolidates his control on power and presses a more assertive role for China in global affairs, said Steve Tsang, director of the China Policy Institute at Britain's University of Nottingham. Her training as a singer and stage performer offers the perfect preparation for such a role, he said.

"Peng is projecting a certain poise and confidence that Xi himself is carrying and he doesn't need to worry about what other (politicians) might think of her," Tsang said.

Peng's image was splashed across Chinese newspapers over the weekend, shown descending arm-in-arm with Xi as they descended from their aircraft after arriving in Moscow on Friday. Her visit to the arts school was carried by state broadcaster CCTV on its main Sunday news broadcast and reported in national newspapers.

The popular Beijing News tabloid ran a full page of items on Peng's appearances on Sunday, alongside a photo of her arriving at a speech Xi gave Saturday, dressed in an elegant Chinese-style silk tunic and skirt.

"In her role as first lady on this visit abroad, Peng Liyuan is exhibiting China's soft power," the paper quoted Wang Fan, head the Institute of International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University, as saying. "As a singer and artist and a long-term advocate for poverty relief and other causes, Peng has an excellent public image."

Much of the coverage focused on her personal style, with a report on the mass-market sina.com website noting with satisfaction that the black leather clutch she paired with the outfit was made to order by a Chinese firm in the southwestern city of Chengdu, a flattering contrast with prominent Chinese female politicians scorned publicly for appearing decked head to toe in foreign designer brands.

"In practical terms, this is an important show of support for China's domestic industries, but in the larger sense, it should raise national self-respect and confidence," read a posting on China's popular Weibo microblogging service left by Lin Zhibo, Gansu provincial bureau chief of the Communist Party's flagship newspaper, People's Daily.

Chen Li, a real estate agent from the central city of Changsha, said Peng was well-known for her modest ways and calm, dignified manner.

"She's known to be elegant and fashionable, but she's also very low-key and doesn't seem arrogant in the way that you usually associate with the wives of top leaders," Chen said.

Peng, 50, largely retired from public life after Xi was made China's leader-in-waiting in 2007, but in recent years has won new acclaim as an ambassador for the World Health Organization. Among the issues she has worked on are tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS ? diseases that still carry considerable social stigma in China.

She also made headlines last year by appearing alongside Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as part of a campaign to discourage smoking, a high-profile cause in a country where about two-thirds of men smoke.

Peng is Xi's second wife, and the two are separated in age by almost two decades. While Xi's father was a leading revolutionary and former vice-premier, making his son a member of the "red aristocracy," Peng comes from relatively humble origins and joined the People's Liberation Army when she was 18. The couple has one daughter, a student at Harvard who remains out of the limelight.

While sometimes described as a folk singer, Peng holds the rank of PLA major general and is best known for her stirring renditions of patriotic odes, often while wearing full dress uniform.

Although her rank is largely honorary, her military status could lead to awkward questions, said University of Nottingham's Tsang.

"Sooner or later, someone is going to ask whether that's completely normal, even if she doesn't have any real military or political ambitions," Tsang said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/diplomatic-star-born-chinese-first-lady-082435770.html

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