?While it may be hard for some of these suppliers [to meet price demands], Wal-Mart is making huge profits. Money needs to come down from this mega-corporation so that small suppliers aren?t squeezed to provide ever more product at lower costs that can lead to forced labor and other severe labor exploitations,? said Jacob Horowitz of the New Orleans-based National Guestworker Alliance, which is helping organize the trip.
National Organization of Women President Terry O?Neill, head of Worker Rights Consortium Scott Nova and other civil and labor rights advocates are planning to meet with representatives from Mexico?s Foreign Relations Secretariat and rights groups south of the border on Sunday and Monday.
The meeting comes as Mexico is implementing a series of broad reforms to its labor law, including bolstering the government?s obligation to ensure its citizens working abroad are treated in compliance with local and international agreements on workers? rights. How Mexico would confront a major, publicly listed U.S. company is unclear. Wal-Mart?s largest foreign subsidiary is in Mexico and was faced earlier this year with a bribery scandal.
Foreign nationals are allowed to enter the United States on H-2 visas, allowing them to work legally as seasonal workers. The H-2B visa allows laborers to enter the non-agricultural job market in areas where employers claim they cannot find American citizens to perform the duties. Common jobs include seasonal hotel housekeeping work, landscaping, forestry and seafood processing.
?We know the Mexican government is concerned about the treatment of its citizens that work abroad, but they may not be aware of how egregious the extent to which labor practices affect Mexican guest workers,? Nova said. ?The primary focus is on Wal-Mart, which is by far the most powerful player. It claims to take responsibility with respect to the rights of the workers. All of this is part and parcel of a system that feeds into the Wal-Mart supply chain from which it profits.?
Wal-Mart would not comment on the story, but it says it holds its suppliers to ethical and legal standards. In June, with the help of rights advocates, seafood processors from Mexico complained to the Dept. of Labor
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's economy has almost certainly suffered a seventh straight quarter of slowing growth, with a new private sector survey of factory managers revealing a near year-long decline in business activity and a fresh fall in export orders in September.
The HSBC China Manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) showed overall factory activity shrank for an 11th consecutive month in September, despite the 47.9 final index level being slightly ahead of a preliminary, or flash, estimate of 47.8 and the August reading of 47.6.
It extends the longest run of readings below 50 - which separates expansion from contraction - in the survey's 8-year history, with the need for more pro-growth government policies signaled by a fall in the output sub-index to its lowest since March and a slide in export orders to a 42-month trough.
"The sharper contraction of new export orders and the lingering pressures on job markets mean that Beijing should step up easing to support growth and employment," Qu Hongbin, chief China economist for survey sponsor HSBC, said in a statement.
Two cuts to interest rates, the easing of bank reserve requirements that freed about 1.2 trillion yuan ($190 billion) for lending and the approval of infrastructure projects worth more than $150 billion have so far failed to arrest the decline in China's overall economic growth.
"Fiscal measures should play a more important role in the coming months," Qu said.
Analysts expect 2012 to be China's weakest full year of growth since 1999 at just 7.7 percent, according a Reuters poll which forecasts annual growth of 7.4 percent in Q3, down from Q2's 7.6 percent.
The slide in the PMI's export orders sub-index to a three-and-a-half-year low of 44.9 is a crucial gauge for the accuracy of that call.
EXPORT SLIDE
Exports generated 31 percent of gross domestic product in 2011, according to World Bank data, and support an estimated 200 million jobs - around a quarter of the country's workforce.
Export growth this year is averaging around 7.8 percent versus 2011. August's growth slumped to 2.7 percent compared with a year ago and the Commerce Ministry sees a risk that things get worse in the months ahead - jeopardizing the official 10 percent target for expanding trade this year.
An adviser to China's central bank conceded on Thursday that Beijing policymakers had underestimated the severity of this year's global economic slowdown and said that further cuts to interest rates or reserve requirements would hinge on any new deterioration in the external environment.
China's exports have been hit hard by the festering sovereign debt crisis in the European Union, where a slide back towards recession has sapped demand in the single biggest foreign market for Chinese factory goods.
Analysts say the destocking it has triggered has dragged down industrial production growth and will ultimately show up when Q3 economic data is published in mid-October.
"We expect the data to show that demand remained weak, destocking continued and the recovery has yet to happen," said Tao Wang, China economist at UBS in Hong Kong.
"We forecast that industrial production growth slowed to about 8.6 percent year-on-year in September, while Q3 GDP growth slowed to 7.3 percent year-on-year," she wrote in a client note.
Tao believes the deterioration is so entrenched that GDP growth will slow to an annual rate of 7.0 percent in Q4 before rebounding through the course of 2013.
The consensus view is that Q3 is the nadir of this cycle and the HSBC PMI offers some sign that this may be the case, despite the index having consistently pointed to a more bearish economic backdrop this year than China's official PMI.
The official PMI is set to be released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on October 1 and analysts polled by Reuters expect it to have rebounded to 49.8 from August's 49.2.
A difference in samples and survey methodology largely explain the discrepancy. The NBS captures data from China's biggest firms - the dominant state-owned enterprises - while Markit, the UK-based data provider that compiles the survey sponsored by HSBC, tracks mainly smaller private sector firms.
SOME SIGNS OF STABILISATION
Markit said its survey detected some signs of stabilization in manufacturing activity in September as the rate of deterioration in the sector eased.
Backlogs of work remained steady for 77 percent of respondents, while only 13 percent reported a decrease.
And it said the rate of job cuts reported was relatively modest, with nearly 85 percent of survey respondents indicating no change in employment levels on the previous month.
Unemployment is a vital indicator for China's ruling Communist Party, which is acutely sensitive to anything that could trigger discontent in the run-up to its party congress - expected later this autumn - when a new generation of leaders will be named ahead of a once-a-decade handover of power.
The loss of millions of Chinese factory jobs in a matter of months in late 2008 as world trade ground to a halt during the depths of the global financial crisis triggered a massive 4 trillion yuan ($635 billion) stimulus package from Beijing.
The lack of job cuts so far and persistent signs of tightness in the labor market are cited by analysts as one reason for the government's reluctance to open the stimulus taps this time around, along with attendant inflationary and speculative risks that it could unleash.
Credit ratings agency Fitch said on Friday it had downgraded its 2012 growth forecast for China to 7.8 percent, from 8 percent previously, on a combination of slowing exports and efforts to squeeze speculative risks from the economy.
But it said it did not expect Beijing to deploy any more than marginal monetary and fiscal tools to boost growth, unless there was a sudden deterioration in the labor market.
"The resilience of the labor market seen in current data suggests growth of 7.5-8.0 percent may be in line with the economy's potential rate," Fitch said.
Back in the day, the NES and the Super NES were THE consoles with THE the best role-playing game (RPG) titles, and Squaresoft (now Square Enix) was THE best of the best. Square's most renowned franchise, the Final Fantasy series, debuted on the NES in 1987 in Japan. That original Final Fantasy game was later released iOS in 2010. Or so they would have us believe. How does the iOS version of Final Fantasy stack up against the NES version of yesteryear? Was it moved over pixel for pixel, bit for bit? Was it improved to take advantage of modern hardware? Was it ruined by a process with no respect for the original? For the honor and virtue of retro gaming fans and RPG players everywhere, we decided to have a look.
Final Fantasy for iOS vs Final Fantasy for NES: Graphics and sound
To be honest, I was expecting a simple port to iOS, but I was happily proven wrong the moment the title screen lit up. I could see and hear the differences immediately. They are both Final Fantasy, yet the experience is better realized on the iOS, which has much improved audio and graphics. Now the venerable NES didn?t have the processing power of today's iOS devices, however, Final Fantasy on iOS doesn?t exactly use the full potential of the iPhone or iPod touch either. What it does use, however, it uses well. For example, I nearly confused Final Fantasy 1 on iOS for Final Fantasy 3 on the Super NES due to the mode 7-like overworld feature they added. Final Fantasy 3 was one of the most beautiful games to grace the Super NES, so I'm actually grateful for these types of the improvements here.
Final Fantasy for iOS vs Final Fantasy for NES: Gameplay mechanics
The graphics and sound weren?t the only things improved. The actually story line has been fleshed out with more (and more interesting) dialogue and explanations. The menu screens are improved with better access to each character, a vast improvement on the tedious process of pressing the action and back button to access various characters in game. Purchasing items is made easier as you can now see who in your party can use an item or spell, and who will have an improved status with easy to visualized green up and red down arrows.
The fight scenes now have the useful option of ?defending? as opposed to only fighting. When in a town or dungeon, you can now hold the d-pad and press the action button and your character will move more quickly -- an option not available in the original.
The best part, however, the part that truly gives the iOS version a huge edge over the NES version, is the improvements to the save game system. Previously, you could only save at an Inn, and when powering off the NES, you had to hold the reset button before pressing the power button off. Now, staying at an inn only restores your HP and MP. You can save anywhere at any time with 3 save slots. On top of that, there is a resume game option. So, when coming back to play the game, you can continue playing from the last time you closed the app.
Final Fantasy for iOS vs Final Fantasy for NES: Controls
One minor gripe I have with the new version on iOS is, of course, the lack of a physical control. I find myself not properly pressing on the virtual, on-screen d-pad at times and frustration can set in if I do this often enough. The NES gamepad never had that problem. You could feel you were properly pressing its buttons.
Final Fantasy for iOS vs Final Fantasy for NES: The bottom line
All in all, the improvements made are completely worth any retro gamer replaying this legend of an RPG on iOS device. And if you've never played Final Fantasy, go get it now. You're in for a treat.
Note: Square Enix hasn't seen fit to release an iPad version, or iPad optimized interface for the original Final Fantasy game on iOS. I play the iPhone/iPod touch version on my iPad in 2x mode, however, and it looks gorgeous.
Tough public attitudes on immigration mean that on the doorsteps it is often the very last thing that any activist wants to talk about. But when a voter says they are concerned about immigration, often what they are really saying is they are worried about their life and some of the social pressure they are encountering.
Closing down the conversation just carries on the myth that in Britain we are never allowed to talk about immigration. That?s one of the reasons that British Future, a new thinktank, is holding fringe debates at all three party conferences on the challenges that politicians of all parties have about talking about immigration. There is strong evidence that migration brings net benefits to Britain, but there is plenty of evidence that talking about the economic numbers doesn?t speak to anyone but economists, and as Mark Rusling has detailed in a previous article for Progress this is just one of the challenges you meet on the doorstep. Most people hear a number and just switch off. A personal story makes far more sense, as does bringing the issue back to the local community. Yes, there are stories about housing shortages, but are there also stories about local and national businesses set up by migrants bringing jobs to the area? Talk about both. What do they think of Mr Khan who is now running the garage at the bottom of the road, who escaped from persecution in Afghanistan and set up his company from scratch? Make it personal and then it matters more.
The public also wants to hear more about integration. People are proud of modern Britain, 75 per cent think the Olympics showed Britain to be a confident, multi-ethnic society. This is a country where we turned out in thousands to cheer Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis and Chris Hoy. A politics of solidarity demands a shared society, not a segregated one, a concern that might link concerns about social mobility or the super-rich playing by different rules to how those of different ethnic backgrounds and faith groups live together.
The British public wants to see migrants contribute positively to the UK, and they are proud of the ones that do. When it comes down to attitudes to new migrants, the public sees skill and education levels as more important than cultural background, according to the latest British Social Attitudes study.
Most people believe that professional migrants are good for Britain, whether they come from Eastern European countries like Poland, or Muslim countries like Pakistan, while strong majorities also believe that the settlement of unskilled labourers is bad for Britain. The study also finds strong support for student migration, from all parts of the world and cultural backgrounds, as long as students coming to Britain have good grades.
There is good evidence that migration brings net benefits to Britain ? but social democrats will worry about the distribution of gains too, and pay attention to who wins and who loses out. A politics of ?nobody left behind? would not take an entirely open approach to migration, but look for ways to spread both benefits and burdens fairly.? Labour should find more to say about integration too. Labour can be deeply anxious about how to talk about immigration, but each of the major parties struggles with how to articulate an immigration approach which is both workable and can secure public consent. The Liberal Democrats got into trouble at the last election with their policy of an earned amnesty for those without legal status. The Conservatives may have been better at chiming with public sentiment, but are struggling to find policies which could meet their net migration pledge.
It is easy for oppositions to blame governments ? but Labour simply turning up the volume once out of office would not be credible. Between the polarised positions of open borders or slamming them tight shut is a hidden middle ground, on which many people could converge.
There are limits to migration. Britain can?t admit everybody who would like to come to this country, so the question becomes how to make workable choices that reflect our interests and values. Securing public consent for sensible limits depends first on securing trust in an orderly system, where the rules are managed fairly with borders controls that work. Only then might an argument about which forms of immigration, and at what pace, reflect Britain?s interests.
Many people think Labour has been running away from this issue. So the first thing any doorstep advocate needs to establish is that, however difficult it might sometimes be, a frank, fair and open conversation about immigration is very much on.
Sunder Katwala is director of British Future
British Future is holding a joint fringe with Progress in Manchester on October 1 at 12.45pm at Peter House, The Doorstep Challenge: How Labour Can Talk About Immigration.
Photo: Victoria Peckham
British Future, immigration, international students, Labour, skills
A tiny marine plant has been caught acting like an animal, find scientists who discovered a species of phytoplankton, a microscopic alga, could swim away from its predators.
Their finding could shed new light on what causes some colorful plankton blooms.
"It has been well observed that phytoplankton can control their movements in the water and move toward light and nutrients," marine scientist Susanne Menden-Deuer, of the University of Rhode Island, said in a statement. "What hasn't been known is that they respond to predators by swimming away from them. We don't know of any other plants that do this."
In lab experiments, Menden-Deuer and her team observed that groups of the phytoplankton Heterosigma akashiwo flee when in the presence of predatory zooplankton. What's more, the tiny plants swim away from areas that previously contained the predators even if the immediate threat is gone.
"The phytoplankton can clearly sense the predator is there," Menden-Deuer said. "They flee even from the chemical scent of the predator but are most agitated when sensing a feeding predator."
The algae do this to stay alive. If the phytoplankton have no place to hide, they'll get eaten up by their zooplankton predators within a day. But the algae double in population every two days if they have a refuge, the researchers said. If the same is true for other species of phytoplankton, this discovery could offer a new explanation for some plankton blooms.
"One of the puzzling things about some phytoplankton blooms is that they suddenly appear," Menden-Deuer said. "Growth and nutrient availability don't always explain the formation of blooms. Our observation of algal fleeing from predators is another mechanism for how blooms could form. Amazingly, looking at individual microscopic behaviors can help to explain a macroscopic phenomenon."
The study was published online Sept. 28 in the journal PLoS ONE.
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Posted on 28 September 2012. Tags: bmc, boston, channel, chief, doctor, greater, health, material, medical, people, person, television
BOSTON (WHDH) ? Channel 7?s free Health and fitness Expo has been a hit from the beginning, with 70,000 people turning out each year for health screenings and fitness exams. Plus, the chance to meet Channel 7 personalities and more.
Now plans are under way to make the sixth health fair the best one yet.
?I think the exciting part of that is that you can go in and you can ask any doctor any question and they?re doing screening for things that you wouldn?t normally get screened for and the fact that it?s free and there?s this wealth of information is what gets people the most excited.?
Boston Medical Center is Channel 7?s partner for the health fair and it?s the perfect partner for this unique event.
?We?re now going to bring health and fitness information to the general public to the greater Boston community and really partner to showcase what can be done, how we keep people healthy.?
Dr. Ravin Davidoff is Boston medical Center?s chief medical officer. BMC not only offers state of the art robotic surgery and cancer care but also set up the first in the nation hospital based food pantry.
Putting people first, BMC lives up to its motto of providing ?exceptional care without exception.?
?We always have fun. That?s what this place is really about, bringing enthusiasm and energy. That will really be felt at the expo. We will bring that enthusiasm and energy and commitment to the patient. We?ll bring lots of excited people who are really leaders and thinkers in this world in the health care world. And that?s what we?ll bring to the health and fitness expo.?
Making health care accessible and even ?fun? is what the free Health and Fitness Expo is all about.
Watch The Dish live or even try your hand at being a 7News sports anchor or weather person.
Bringing health care to the people and letting viewers enjoy 7News in more hands on way is a winning combination.
?I know I bring my kids every year and they love it because they get their face painted but they also get their blood pressure checked. So with that combination of things I think it?s a more relaxed environment for people, much more conversational. So they can choose what they want to participate in.?
Mark your calendar for June 22 and 23 at the Hynes Convention Center. The health fair will be here before you know it.
(Copyright (c) 2012 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Get ready for another Samsung mobile launch. The Korean electronic giant just sent out invites for an October 24th NYC event. And judging by the prominent S-Pen graphic, the Samsung Galaxy Note II is likely the topic. Giant phone lovers, rejoice. Samsung's latest is about to hit the states.
LONDON (AP) ? Market fell on Friday as investors continued to fret over Spain's finances in the run-up to a report on the state of the country's banks.
Trading was volatile, possibly due to the fact that Friday is the last day of the financial quarter, the deadline for certain trades and contracts to be settled. This sometimes involves buying and selling large amounts of stocks at the last minute in order to make a profit on a deal.
Investors were cautious over Spain, a day after the country's government announced big spending cuts it hopes will convince potential bailout creditors and investors it has a rock-solid plan to heal its public finances.
Traders are waiting for the publication later in the day of the results of stress test results into 14 of the country's banks. The tests are expected to identify a capital shortfall of around ?60 billion ($77 billion).
Rating agency Moody's is also expected to issue an evaluation of Spain's creditworthiness. There are concerns the agency will downgrade Spain's government debt to junk status.
Craig Erlam, markets analyst at Alpari, said a downgrade to junk status could "create some panic" among holders of Spanish debt.
"The positive side to this is this could accelerate the bailout request," Erlam said. The other 16 countries that use the euro and the European Central Bank are prepared to help Spain financially, should it need it, but Madrid has so far put off a request.
Madrid's IBEX index was one of the worst performers in Europe as investors awaited developments. The IBEX fell 1.7 percent to close at 7,708.50.
Elsewhere, Germany's DAX ended 1 percent lower at 7,216.15 while the CAC-40 in France fell 2.5 percent to 3,354.82. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares dropped 0.7 percent to 5,742.07.
In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average was 0.7 percent lower at 13,398.19 while the broader S&P 500 index fell 0.7 percent to 1,437.63.
In other financial markets, the euro was down 0.4 percent at $1.2849 and a barrel of oil was down 15 cents at $91.70.
Earlier in Asia, stocks had been buoyed by speculation that China's central bank will act soon to help the world's No. 2 economy.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.4 percent to 20,840.38. South Korea's Kospi added nearly 0.4 percent to 1,996.21. But Japan's Nikkei 225 index lost 0.9 percent to 8,870.16, sinking on a government report that showed industrial production fell a further 1.3 percent in August.
Mainland Chinese shares rose ahead of an extended holiday next week. The Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.5 percent to 2,086.17 and the Shenzhen Composite Index rose 1.9 percent to 853.83.
Are you hankering for a vacation that will give you a chance to recharge your health batteries while also basking in luxurious surroundings and amenities? If so, there are many exciting spa destinations around the country that emphasize well-being, weight loss, and fitness. Here are some of the best options out there, certain to make your next getaway a bastion of relaxation and health-conscious fun:
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The Biggest Loser at Fitness Ridge: Ivins, Utah
This spa, known as the site of the popular weight-loss show The Biggest Loser, is recognized as one of the highest quality weight loss and fitness spas available. The spa serves a menu of delicious low-calorie food and offers a wide variety of indoor and outdoor fitness classes. It has the added boon of being located amid the stunning Red Rock Canyons in Utah, so you will get fit while basking in glorious views ? especially if you partake of the resort?s daily guided hike options. At Fitness Ridge, you will participate in a structured program designed to get you back on track toward a healthier lifestyle. After a good workout, you can take advantage of luxurious spa offerings like massages, body treatments, and reflexology.?
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Cal-a-Vie Spa: Vista, California
This spa in Southern California has a beautiful Mediterranean-style appearance that will captivate you from the moment you arrive. You?ll stay in a gorgeous guest villa and partake of carefully crafted programs designed to help you achieve greater balance with your health, fitness level, and mind-body-spirit connection. There are many gorgeous trails for walking, running, hiking, and biking, and there?s an 18-hole golf course. You can participate in fitness classes that range from weight training to Zumba Latin Dance, as well as relax with meditation sessions in the spa?s on-site chapel. Cal-a-Vie also offers a variety of pampering spa specialties, like hot stone foot treatments and oxygen facials.
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Copperhood Retreat and Spa: Shandaken, New York
This spa in New York State is a particularly great option if you?re passionate about engaging in outdoor activities amid stunning natural settings. Surrounded by the gorgeous Catskills, Copperhood offers you opportunities for fishing, bird watching, horseback riding, and tennis, as well as a variety of excellent winter options like snowshoeing and skiing. The spa also offers classes in fitness activities like Tai Chi, fencing, and African dance. You can work with the friendly and accommodating spa staff to help you figure out an individual program geared toward your health, fitness, and wellness goals. The philosophy that guides the programs at Copperhood is one of integration ? an emphasis on combining naturopathic and conventional approaches to health.?
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Birdwing Spa: Litchfield, Minnesota
This spa is set within a stunning 300-acre lakeside property. You?ll stay in a beautifully decorated suite in a private turn-of-the-century renovated barn that features walk-out decks and a Jacuzzi. Birdwing Spa a particularly great destination for couples seeking a romantic getaway, but it?s also wonderful for singles, and pairs or groups of friends. Whether you want to improve your health, achieve weight loss, or just relax and enjoy pampering, the spa will accommodate your needs. For those with a health emphasis, you?ll love taking advantage of the spa?s comprehensive program that offers metabolism assessment, personalized fitness programs, cooking courses, and a wide variety of fitness classes including yoga and kickboxing.?
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Canyon Ranch in The Berkshires: Lenox, Mississippi
Canyon Ranch will immerse you in a world of compelling natural beauty as you set out on a path to better health. The spa offers top-notch programs in stress management, nutrition, preventative health care, fitness, and spiritual development. There is a daily roster of indoor classes that focus on strength, endurance, and flexibility, as well as many outdoor activity options that include hikes, fun on the spa?s high-ropes challenge-course, and activities like kayaking in the warm weather and snowshoeing during the winter months. Canyon Ranch serves a rich palette of healthful cuisine and organic food culled from local farms with sustainable practices.?
The business enterprise of hotel operations can be an integrated part of a productive and successful lodging business. The operations management comes with an influence on the whole hotel such as the amount, measurement, quality, price, profitability and swiftness of the delivery of services and it?s essential that primary business management techniques are used to make certain you provide top quality services. An important element of having exemplary hotel administration involves understanding the differences between service and food. Company is how well something is completed technically and food is how great something feels mentally. Great hotels apply this notion in order to provide their customers a wonderful experience. In the hotel sector you get a lot of onetime only customers and the most critical part of a hotel?s part is to give hospitality that moves above and beyond the essentials of good service.Customer company is really a key part of every business and it is essentially the actual distribution of the non concrete part of the product you offer. The essential requirement is that the support component of a sale is just an one way transaction. All effective firms understand service and produce it very well. Available of hotel operations, customer support is an vital part of the solution you present. In contrast, hospitality is one more thing altogether but nevertheless extremely important. It is easy to escape with poor customer care in an market; nonetheless, in a developed and competitive market such as for instance hotels, outstanding food is totally important in remaining in front of the game and divides your business from those individuals who have poor hospitality.Hospitality is about the bond you make with consumers on a psychological level and what you can offer them to generate a general satisfying and memorable experience. It?s about what the client thinks when they have stayed at your hotel and the bonds, connections and good feelings between your group and clients make hospitality what it?s. It is very important to hire employees at your hotel who realize the importance of good hospitality as opposed to only good service and how it affects the recognition and profitability of the hotel. Besides the solution you are selling, customer care is definitely an important element of the business but moreover so is food and this is exactly what sets your business aside from the rest of the resorts out there. These two principles are subjective but nonetheless vital.
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Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign stop at American Spring Wire, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, in Bedford Heights, Ohio. (AP Photo/ David Richard)
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign stop at American Spring Wire, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, in Bedford Heights, Ohio. (AP Photo/ David Richard)
President Barack Obama greets supporters after speaking at a campaign event at Bowling Green State University, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, in Bowling Green, Ohio. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event at Bowling Green State University, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, in Bowling Green, Ohio. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney reacts to hecklers while speaking at a campaign rally, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, in Westerville, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event at Bowling Green State University, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, in Bowling Green, Ohio. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
WESTERVILLE, Ohio (AP) ? Slipping in states that could sink his presidential bid, Republican Mitt Romney declared Wednesday that "I care about the people of America" and can do more than President Barack Obama to improve their lives. In an all-day Ohio duel, Obama scoffed that a challenger who calls half the nation "victims" was unlikely to be of much help.
Romney's approach reflected what he is up against: a widening Obama lead in polls in key states such as Ohio, the backlash from a leaked video in which he disparages Obama supporters as government-dependent victims, and a campaign imperative to make his policy plans more plain.
With under six weeks to go, and just one week before the first big debate, Obama's campaign reveled in the latest public polling ? but tried to crush any sense of overconfidence. "If we need to pass out horse blinders to all of our staff, we will do that," said campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
The day's setting was Ohio, where Obama's momentum has seemed to be growing. It's also a state no Republican has won the White House without carrying.
Romney went after working-class voters outside Columbus and Cleveland before rolling to Toledo. Obama rallied college crowds at Bowling Green and Kent State, reminding Ohioans their state allows them to start cast ballots next week. Early voting has already begun in more than two dozen other states.
For Romney, in his appearances and in a new TV ad in which he appeals straight to the camera, it was time for plain talk to contrast himself with Obama.
"There are so many people in our country who are hurting right now. I want to help them. I know what it takes," Romney told the crowd in Westerville. "I care about the people of America, and the difference between me and Barack Obama is I know what to do."
That message so late in the campaign ? a presidential nominee declaring his concern for all the people of the country ? was part of his widening effort to rebound from his caught-on-video comments at a fundraiser.
In those comments, made last May but only recently revealed, Romney said "47 percent of the people" pay no federal income tax, will vote for Obama no matter what, are victims, think the government must care for them and do not "take personal responsibility and care for their lives."
New opinion polls, conducted after the video became public, show Obama opening up apparent leads over Romney in battleground states, including Ohio and Virginia. And majorities of voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania say Romney's policies would favor the rich over the middle class or the poor.
Specifically in Ohio, two surveys show the president crossing the 50 percent mark among likely voters. A Washington Post poll found Obama ahead 52 percent to 44 percent among those most likely to turn out, and a Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times poll showed a 10-point Obama lead among definite voters.
Noting anew the Romney video comments, Obama said Wednesday: "We understand that America is not about what can be done for us. It's about what can be done by us together, as one nation, as one people."
And he added: "You can't make it happen if you write off half the nation before you take office."
Romney was showing signs of picking up his pace.
He scheduled a blizzard of interviews with ABC, CBS and NBC, his second round of broadcast network appearances in three days after weeks of ignoring their requests. He also did interviews Tuesday with Fox News and CNN.
The new Romney TV ad, at 60 seconds, is a longer and softer approach in which he speaks about people struggling to pay for food and gas with falling incomes.
At one point on Wednesday, the two candidates spoke from different sections of northern Ohio at the same time, their scenery as different as their message.
At a factory in Bedford Heights, Romney appeared on a stage surrounded by visual evidence of Ohio's manufacturing base ? giant coils of steel wire, metal beams, yellow "caution" signs ? and spoke as machines whirred in the background. He appeared with Mike Rowe, an everyman TV personality and pitchman.
Obama appeared at two packed college basketball arenas, delivering his message first to a boisterous crowd of more than 5,000 at Bowling Green State University and then to 6,000 screaming supporters at Kent State University.
He said a student who introduced him broke his wrist during a game of ultimate Frisbee. Exhorting the crowd to vote, he said, "You got to play through injuries."
The campaigns tried, too, for footholds on other fronts.
Both sides kept up their attempts to paint each other as weak in dealing with China, efforts aimed at wooing support from working-class voters whose jobs might suffer from imports from China.
The Romney campaign has started setting up flat-screen TV monitors at its events to screen a video about his personal and business story. It was first aired at the Republican National Convention as a way to introduce him to America but went unseen by most viewers because it did not run during prime-time coverage.
Romney also focused Wednesday on interest paid on the national debt, a subject he hasn't regularly discussed in his standard campaign speech. His comments came after a Washington Post poll showed the federal debt and deficit are the one set of issues where he has an advantage over Obama with likely voters.
Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, took a sharper approach. He told radio host Sean Hannity that Obama was using hollow tactics to paint his opponents as evil.
"He's basically trying to say 'If you want any security in your life stick with me. If you go with these Republicans they're going to feed you to the wolves. It's going to be a dog-eat-dog society,'" Ryan said.
In recent weeks, Romney has lost his polling edge on the economy generally, with more people saying they now trust Obama to fix the nation's economic woes.
Fighting back, new Republican-leaning independent groups jumped in Wednesday with advertising aimed at voters who supported Obama in 2008 but are undecided now. The commercials join those from the campaigns and outside groups swamping a narrow and possibly shrinking map of competitive states.
"I will say that as time progresses, the field is looking like it's narrowing for them," said Psaki, the Obama campaign spokeswoman. "In that sense, we'd rather be us than them."
The president, though, did have his own ups and downs.
Air Force One aborted its approach into Toledo because of bad weather, forcing the commander of the presidential plane to circle the airfield.
The second try was a success without incident.
___
AP White House Correspondent Ben Feller reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Kasie Hunt in Westerville, Ohio, Beth Fouhy in New York and Dan Sewell in Cincinnati and Deputy Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.
Green Bay Packers fan Mike LePak holds a sign in front of Lambeau Field on Lombardi Avenue, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis., in protest of a controversial call in the Packers 14-12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Monday night in Seattle. Just when it seemed that NFL coaches, players and fans couldn't get any angrier, along came a fiasco that trumped any of the complaints from the weekend. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
Green Bay Packers fan Mike LePak holds a sign in front of Lambeau Field on Lombardi Avenue, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, in Green Bay, Wis., in protest of a controversial call in the Packers 14-12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Monday night in Seattle. Just when it seemed that NFL coaches, players and fans couldn't get any angrier, along came a fiasco that trumped any of the complaints from the weekend. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
Officials signal a touchdown by Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate, obscured, on the last play of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 14-12. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Green Bay Packers fan Mike LePak holds a sign Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012 on Lombardi Avenue in Green Bay, Wisc., in protest of a controversial call in the Packers 14-12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Monday night in Seattle. Just when it seemed that NFL coaches, players and fans couldn't get any angrier, along came a fiasco that trumped any of the complaints from the weekend. (AP Photo/The Green Bay Press-Gazette, Lukas Keapproth ) NO SALES
Crystal Deicher, front, and Alicia Schadrie hold signs Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012 on Lombardi Avenue in Green Bay, Wisc., in protest of a controversial call in the Packers 14-12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Monday night in Seattle. Just when it seemed that NFL coaches, players and fans couldn't get any angrier, along came a fiasco that trumped any of the complaints from the weekend. The Seahawks' victory featured one of the most bizarre finishes in recent memory, and was certain to reignite frustrations over the locked-out officials. (AP Photo/The Green Bay Press-Gazette, Lukas Keapproth ) NO SALES
Jen Lada, left, a sports reporter for WITI-TV in Milwaukee, and ESPN radio host and senior editor Drew Olson take calls from angry Green Bay Packers fans about Monday night's football game against the Seattle Seahawks, as they broadcast from the home of a Wauwatosa, Wis., sports fan on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)
MADISON, Wis. (AP) ? Nothing brings political enemies together in Wisconsin like the Green Bay Packers.
Following a controversial game-ending call by replacement referees that cost Green Bay a win over the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, Wisconsin officials from across the political divide united behind the Packers.
Even Gov. Scott Walker and a Democratic state senator who were bitter opponents in the 2011 battle over Wisconsin public workers' collective bargaining rights found themselves on the same side Tuesday.
Walker, whose union-busting efforts have made him the darling of fiscal conservatives, posted a message on Twitter calling for the return of the NFL's locked-out unionized officials.
"After catching a few hours of sleep, the (hash)Packers game is still just as painful. (hash)Returntherealrefs," Walker tweeted early Tuesday.
Democratic state Sen. Jon Erpenbach, who was one of 14 Democrats who fled to Illinois for three weeks last year in opposition to Walker's law banning most public unions from nearly all collective bargaining, said he saw the irony in Walker's post but in Wisconsin "we're all fans, first and foremost."
"If you were born and raised in Wisconsin, you were raised on the Packers," said Erpenbach, who urged his Twitter followers to call NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to complain. "Every Sunday it's Packers and pancakes, not necessarily in that order."
On the final play of Monday night's game with Seattle trailing 12-7, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson lofted a pass into a scrum of players in the back of the endzone. Seattle receiver Golden Tate pushed a Packers defender out of the way, wrestled another for the ball and was awarded a touchdown, leading the Seahawks to a 14-12 victory.
The Packers and politics have always been closely aligned in Wisconsin, where Republicans and Democrats alike have long tried to score points by tapping into the electorate's nearly universal affection for the NFL's only publicly owned team. So it's not surprising that Monday night's call against the Packers united some strange bedfellows.
Still, some hope the controversy might inspire a few people to cross the aisle when it comes to labor politics.
Democratic state Sen. Chris Larson, who also tweeted his anger over Monday night's game, said he thinks the NFL referees' labor dispute will change the minds of some people who previously were anti-union.
"People end up thinking you can get good work for cheap, you can always find a cheaper way and it's going to be just as good a result," Larson said. "I would hope that Scott Walker is just as outraged about decreased quality of teachers that we're going to get as he is with replacement refs in the NFL."
Although it was nothing like those massive pro-union protests at the Capitol, a few die-hard cheeseheads picketed outside Lambeau Field on Tuesday to voice their displeasure to the league. The game was being talked about the halls of the state Capitol, the streets of Milwaukee and all across the state.
Laurie Wroblewski, of Oak Creek, Wis., said she hopes the NFL gives the officials what they want in their contracts. She said it's hurting the games and ultimately it will affect profits.
"With the money they may lose, I mean, they could probably pay for whatever the refs are calling for," she said. "I just think it's a terrible situation and I think that if they can't come to a decision over the next few weeks, then the Super Bowl will not be anything to watch, either."
Campaigning in Cincinnati, Republican vice presidential nominee and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan joined in the call for the officials to return.
"You guys watch that Packer game last night? I mean, give me a break," Ryan said to laughs. "It is time to get the real refs and you know what it reminds me of ? President Obama and the economy. If you can't get it right, it's time to get out."
The NFL locked out the officials in June after their contract expired. The league has been using replacement officials, and through three weeks of the regular season there has been much criticism over the way some games are being handled.
Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, tried to spin the governor's post on Tuesday, saying it wasn't meant as a pro-union political statement. Walker's tweet was being widely mocked on Twitter in light of his push last year that effectively ended collective bargaining for teachers, nurses and most other public workers. His proposal didn't affect private sector unions.
"I don't think this anything to do with unions, but has everything to do with refs making bad calls," Werwie said.
Erpenbach tweeted two different public phone numbers of the NFL commissioner for people to call.
"I could never ref an NFL football game, ever," Erpenbach said. "The replacement refs are doing the best they can do out there, but the commissioner doesn't want this to sink to a World Wrestling Federation-type event on Sunday. They have to do something. It calls into question the integrity of the game."
While Erpenbach himself plans to leave a message for Goodell urging an end to the referee labor dispute, he won't be advising the Packers to employ the same tactics he and the other Democratic senators did last year.
"I would not recommend the Packers get on a bus and leave the state," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Carrie Antlfinger, in Oak Creek, and Amanda Lee Myers in Cincinnati contributed to this report.
___
Scott Bauer can be followed at http://Twitter.com/@sbauerAP
A man wants to enjoy food, yet at one bite, he develops lesions and patches of flaky and swollen tissues on his skin. A woman marvels the beauty of a flower and smells its inherent sweet scent only to be hit by asthma. Truly there is no perfect world for every man.? At some point, he is disturbed by allergy. And this puts his health in jeopardy.?
Allergy
An allergy develops when our immune system over reacts with certain foreign substances that we get in contact with.? This is referred to as overreaction or exaggeration as these foreign substances are normally harmless when introduced to non-allergic people. These foreign substances are the triggering agents for allergy and they are typically called as allergens.? Allergens come in different form and shape depending on the area it attacks thereby causing allergic reactions. Some are pollens, molds and dust; some are as trivial as milk or the all time favorite of almost everyone, seafood. Others may have allergic reactions to certain types of drugs like antibiotics. One classic example of this antibiotic is penicillin.
Pathophysiology of Allergy
The exposure of the body to foreign substances known as allergens hyper-activates the immune system. As a result, the body?s immune system produces antibodies to combat those foreign substances in the belief that they are harmful organism.? This process starts the synthesis commonly known as an allergic reaction. The body?s immune system treats those substances as something hostile and is dangerous to body?s health, although they are not.? As a response, these antibodies release a kind of chemical compound known as histamine, the culprit in any allergic reactions.
Symptoms
Symptoms of allergy vary depending on the area susceptible to it and the substance to which the body is reacting.? Symptoms may manifest as swollen patches on the skin, watery eyes, sneezing and in some worst cases anaphylaxis or major reactions like nausea, vomiting or disturbed breathing do occur.
Treatment
Treating an allergic condition for a better health is essential to get relief from its disturbing symptoms. For mild cases of allergies anti-histamine drugs that are available over the counter help. However, for severe cases of allergies strong dosage and potent anti-allergy drugs are introduced like steroid based medications.
Having this immune system disorder is not a burden too heavy to bear. There are remedies. One just needs to consult his doctor to guide him in managing an allergy health issue. However, more than anything else, simple precaution, awareness and prevention matter in order to avoid the disturbing condition of an allergy.
The quality of a house?s foundation is what determines if it will be strong enough to stand the test of time. A strong foundation can last 100 years or more. A weak one can crack and shift allowing water seepage, insects infestations, and complete failure during an earth quake or other natural disaster.
The first step to ensuring a strong foundation is using good materials. Concrete begins with crushed rock, sand and cement, usually primarily consisting of limestone. These components are processed using specialized vertical conveyors and mixing equipment. If the proportions are off, or poor quality materials are used the concrete can be weakened and prone to crack.
Before the concrete mixture is poured, the site has to be readied for it. Space must be excavated, and allowance made for proper thickness of the foundation. If there will be a basement, egress window wells, plumbing, and electric wiring must be accounted for. Framing windows and stairs is an intricate process itself. To reinforce the concrete and increase tensile strength, steel rebar is placed in the concrete molds. Building codes require that all these steps be taken and this work will be inspected before the concrete can be poured.
When the site is ready for the concrete, it is normally poured straight out of the back of a concrete truck. Construction workers make sure it is poured evenly and tamp it down to avoid bubbles. This process can take several days depending on the size of the foundation.
Concrete foundations for buildings have been in use since the Roman Empire. But new processes and more efficient conveyors for bulk material make today?s concrete stronger than the Romans would have dreamed. And in the process this new concrete has allowed us to build ever taller buildings, bigger cities, and more secure homes of all sizes.
What can the water monster teach us about tissue regeneration in humans?Public release date: 25-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Andy Hoang ahoang@salk.edu 619-861-5811 Salk Institute
Understanding how salamanders grow new limbs provides insights into the potential of human regenerative medicine
LA JOLLA, CA---- Based on two new studies by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, regeneration of a new limb or organ in a human will be much more difficult than the mad scientist and supervillain, Dr. Curt Connors, made it seem in the Amazing Spider-man comics and films.
As those who saw the recent "The Amazing Spiderman" movie will know, Dr. Connors injected himself with a serum made from lizard DNA to successfully regrow his missing lower right arm - that is, before the formula transformed him into a reptilian humanoid.
But by studying a real lizard-like amphibian, which can regenerate missing limbs, the Salk researchers discovered that it isn't enough to activate genes that kick start the regenerative process. In fact, one of the first steps is to halt the activity of so-called jumping genes.
In research published August 23 in Development, Growth & Differentiation, and July 27 in Developmental Biology, the researchers show that in the Mexican axolotl, jumping genes have to be shackled or they might move around in the genomes of cells in the tissue destined to become a new limb, and disrupt the process of regeneration.
They found that two proteins, piwi-like 1 (PL1) and piwi-like 2 (PL2), perform the job of quieting down jumping genes in this immature tadpole-like form of a salamander, known as an axolotl - a creature whose name means water monster and who can regenerate everything from parts of its brain to eyes, spinal cord, and tail.
"What our work suggests is that jumping genes would be an issue in any situation where you wanted to turn on regeneration," says the studies' senior author, Tony Hunter, a professor in the Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory and director of the Salk Institute Cancer Center.
"As complex as it already seems, it might seem a hopeless task to try to regenerate a limb or body part in humans, especially since we don't know if humans even have all the genes necessary for regeneration," says Hunter. "For this reason, it is important to understand how regeneration works at a molecular level in a vertebrate that can regenerate as a first step. What we learn may eventually lead to new methods for treating human conditions, such as wound healing and regeneration of simple tissues."
The research team, which included investigators from other universities around the country, sought to characterize the transcriptional fingerprint emerging from the early phase of axolotl regeneration. They specifically looked at the blastema, a structure that forms at a limb's stump.
There the scientists found transcriptional activation of some genes, usually found only in germlime cells, which indicated cellular reprogramming of differentiated cells into a germline state.
In the Development, Growth & Differentiation study, the research team, led by Wei Zhu, then a postdoctoral researcher in Hunter's laboratory, focused on one of these genes, the long interspersed nucleotide element-1 (LINE-1) retrotransposon.
LINE-1 elements are jumping genes that arose early in vertebrate evolution. They are pieces of DNA that copy themselves in two stages - first from DNA to RNA by transcription, and then from RNA to DNA by reverse transcription. These DNA copies can then insert themselves into the cell's genome at new positions.
A few years ago, Fred Gage, professor in the Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute, discovered that LINE-1 elements move around during neuronal development, and may program the identities of individual neurons.
"Most of these copies appear to be 'junk' DNA, because they are defective and can never jump again," says Hunter. But all mammals, including humans, still have active LINE-1 genes, and the salamander, whose genome is 10 times larger than a human's, contains many more.
Active LINE-1 retrotransposons can keep jumping, and that was true in the developing blastema where LINE-1 jumping was dramatically switched on. But in the researchers' companion study, in Developmental Biology, they found that PL1 and PL2 switch off transcription of repeat elements, such as LINE-1. "The idea is that in the development of germ cells, you definitely don't want these things hopping around," says Hunter. "The mobilization of these jumping genes can introduce harmful genomic rearrangements or even abort the regeneration process."
In fact, when the researchers inhibited PL1 and PL2 activity in the axoloti limb blastema, regeneration was significantly slowed down.
"The need to switch on one set of genes to stop other genes from jumping just illustrates how amazingly difficult it would be to regenerate something as complex as a limb in humans," Hunter says. "But that doesn't mean we won't learn valuable lessons about how to treat degenerative diseases."
###
The work was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute, the U.S. Public Health Service, and an Innovation Grant from the Salk Institute.
About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies:
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is one of the world's preeminent basic research institutions, where internationally renowned faculty probe fundamental life science questions in a unique, collaborative, and creative environment. Focused both on discovery and on mentoring future generations of researchers, Salk scientists make groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of cancer, aging, Alzheimer's, diabetes and infectious diseases by studying neuroscience, genetics, cell and plant biology, and related disciplines.
Faculty achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including Nobel Prizes and memberships in the National Academy of Sciences. Founded in 1960 by polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk, M.D., the Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
What can the water monster teach us about tissue regeneration in humans?Public release date: 25-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Andy Hoang ahoang@salk.edu 619-861-5811 Salk Institute
Understanding how salamanders grow new limbs provides insights into the potential of human regenerative medicine
LA JOLLA, CA---- Based on two new studies by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, regeneration of a new limb or organ in a human will be much more difficult than the mad scientist and supervillain, Dr. Curt Connors, made it seem in the Amazing Spider-man comics and films.
As those who saw the recent "The Amazing Spiderman" movie will know, Dr. Connors injected himself with a serum made from lizard DNA to successfully regrow his missing lower right arm - that is, before the formula transformed him into a reptilian humanoid.
But by studying a real lizard-like amphibian, which can regenerate missing limbs, the Salk researchers discovered that it isn't enough to activate genes that kick start the regenerative process. In fact, one of the first steps is to halt the activity of so-called jumping genes.
In research published August 23 in Development, Growth & Differentiation, and July 27 in Developmental Biology, the researchers show that in the Mexican axolotl, jumping genes have to be shackled or they might move around in the genomes of cells in the tissue destined to become a new limb, and disrupt the process of regeneration.
They found that two proteins, piwi-like 1 (PL1) and piwi-like 2 (PL2), perform the job of quieting down jumping genes in this immature tadpole-like form of a salamander, known as an axolotl - a creature whose name means water monster and who can regenerate everything from parts of its brain to eyes, spinal cord, and tail.
"What our work suggests is that jumping genes would be an issue in any situation where you wanted to turn on regeneration," says the studies' senior author, Tony Hunter, a professor in the Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory and director of the Salk Institute Cancer Center.
"As complex as it already seems, it might seem a hopeless task to try to regenerate a limb or body part in humans, especially since we don't know if humans even have all the genes necessary for regeneration," says Hunter. "For this reason, it is important to understand how regeneration works at a molecular level in a vertebrate that can regenerate as a first step. What we learn may eventually lead to new methods for treating human conditions, such as wound healing and regeneration of simple tissues."
The research team, which included investigators from other universities around the country, sought to characterize the transcriptional fingerprint emerging from the early phase of axolotl regeneration. They specifically looked at the blastema, a structure that forms at a limb's stump.
There the scientists found transcriptional activation of some genes, usually found only in germlime cells, which indicated cellular reprogramming of differentiated cells into a germline state.
In the Development, Growth & Differentiation study, the research team, led by Wei Zhu, then a postdoctoral researcher in Hunter's laboratory, focused on one of these genes, the long interspersed nucleotide element-1 (LINE-1) retrotransposon.
LINE-1 elements are jumping genes that arose early in vertebrate evolution. They are pieces of DNA that copy themselves in two stages - first from DNA to RNA by transcription, and then from RNA to DNA by reverse transcription. These DNA copies can then insert themselves into the cell's genome at new positions.
A few years ago, Fred Gage, professor in the Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute, discovered that LINE-1 elements move around during neuronal development, and may program the identities of individual neurons.
"Most of these copies appear to be 'junk' DNA, because they are defective and can never jump again," says Hunter. But all mammals, including humans, still have active LINE-1 genes, and the salamander, whose genome is 10 times larger than a human's, contains many more.
Active LINE-1 retrotransposons can keep jumping, and that was true in the developing blastema where LINE-1 jumping was dramatically switched on. But in the researchers' companion study, in Developmental Biology, they found that PL1 and PL2 switch off transcription of repeat elements, such as LINE-1. "The idea is that in the development of germ cells, you definitely don't want these things hopping around," says Hunter. "The mobilization of these jumping genes can introduce harmful genomic rearrangements or even abort the regeneration process."
In fact, when the researchers inhibited PL1 and PL2 activity in the axoloti limb blastema, regeneration was significantly slowed down.
"The need to switch on one set of genes to stop other genes from jumping just illustrates how amazingly difficult it would be to regenerate something as complex as a limb in humans," Hunter says. "But that doesn't mean we won't learn valuable lessons about how to treat degenerative diseases."
###
The work was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute, the U.S. Public Health Service, and an Innovation Grant from the Salk Institute.
About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies:
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is one of the world's preeminent basic research institutions, where internationally renowned faculty probe fundamental life science questions in a unique, collaborative, and creative environment. Focused both on discovery and on mentoring future generations of researchers, Salk scientists make groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of cancer, aging, Alzheimer's, diabetes and infectious diseases by studying neuroscience, genetics, cell and plant biology, and related disciplines.
Faculty achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including Nobel Prizes and memberships in the National Academy of Sciences. Founded in 1960 by polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk, M.D., the Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Modelled after its New York-counterpart, London is to get its own FinTech Innovation Lab. Supported by the Mayor of London, the City of London Corporation and the Technology Strategy Board, and backed by Accenture, leading banks and VCs, the new programme is designed to help financial tech startups "test and fine-tune their innovations" under the mentorship of executives from some of the major financial institutions who have a presence here in London, as well as the wider local investment community. Anything that the Big Apple can do, London can do to.
There was a time when the BenQ brand could be seen on laptops and mobile phones, but nowadays you'd have to turn your eyes to projectors, LCD monitors and cameras (in select markets) in order to spot it. If you're in China, you might have even come across the gigantic BenQ Medical Center in Nanjing. That's right, a hospital; and later this year BenQ will be opening another one in Suzhou, which is where the company's Chinese operation is based. Interesting times, right? But as to whether BenQ has any intention to re-enter the two mobile markets in the near future, the answer is a firm "no."
Get ready for another Samsung mobile launch. The Korean electronic giant just sent out invites for an October 24th NYC event. And judging by the prominent S-Pen graphic, the ![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 25-Sep-2012
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Modelled after its 
