Decimation of critically endangered forest elephant detailed

Mar. 28, 2013 ? African forest elephants are being poached out of existence. A study just published in the online journal PLOS ONE and supported in part by San Diego Zoo Global shows that a staggering 62% of all forest elephants have been killed across their range in central Africa, for their ivory over the past decade. The severe decline indicates what researchers fear is the eminent extinction of this species.

"Saving the species requires a coordinated global effort in the countries where elephants occur, all along the ivory smuggling routes and at the final destination in the Far East. We don't have much time," say Wildlife Conservation Society conservationists Fiona Maisels, PhD, and Samantha Strindberg, PhD, the lead authors.

The study -- the largest ever conducted on the African forest elephant -- includes the work of more than 60 scientists between 2002 and 2011, and an immense effort by national conservation staff who spent a combined 91,600 days surveying elephants in 5 countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon and the Republic of Congo), walking over 13,000 kilometers (more than 8,000 miles) and recording over 11,000 elephant dung piles for the analysis.

The paper also shows that almost a third of the land where African forest elephants were able to live 10 years ago has become too dangerous for them. Results show clearly that forest elephants were increasingly uncommon in places with high human density, high infrastructure density such as roads, high hunting intensity, and poor governance as indicated by levels of corruption and absence of law enforcement.

Bethan Morgan, PhD, head of San Diego Zoo Global's Central Africa Program, stressed the importance of this study. "This is the largest collaborative study of its kind across the whole of Central Africa and really highlights the plight of this ecologically important species. Forest elephants are integral to a functioning forest in Africa, opening up the forest floor and acting as a vital part of the life cycle of many plant species through their role as seed dispersers. We have increasing evidence of a decline in certain tree species as a result of the local extinction of forest elephants."

Distinct from the African savanna elephant, the African forest elephant is slightly smaller than its better-known relative and is considered by many to be a separate species.

Research carried out by the CITES-MIKE program has shown that the increase in poaching levels across Africa since 2006 is strongly correlated with trends in consumer demand in the Far East and that poaching levels are also strongly linked with governance at the national level and poverty at the local level. This has resulted in escalating elephant massacres in areas previously thought to be safe.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Zoological Society of San Diego, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Fiona Maisels, Samantha Strindberg, Stephen Blake, George Wittemyer, John Hart, Elizabeth A. Williamson, Rostand Aba?a, Gaspard Abitsi, Ruffin D. Ambahe, Fid?l Amsini, Parfait C. Bakabana, Thurston Cleveland Hicks, Rosine E. Bayogo, Martha Bechem, Rene L. Beyers, Anicet N. Bezangoye, Patrick Boundja, Nicolas Bout, Marc Ella Akou, Lambert Bene Bene, Bernard Fosso, Elizabeth Greengrass, Falk Grossmann, Clement Ikamba-Nkulu, Omari Ilambu, Bila-Isia Inogwabini, Fortune Iyenguet, Franck Kiminou, Max Kokangoye, Deo Kujirakwinja, Stephanie Latour, Innocent Liengola, Quevain Mackaya, Jacob Madidi, Bola Madzoke, Calixte Makoumbou, Guy-Aim? Malanda, Richard Malonga, Olivier Mbani, Valentin A. Mbendzo, Edgar Ambassa, Albert Ekinde, Yves Mihindou, Bethan J. Morgan, Prosper Motsaba, Gabin Moukala, Anselme Mounguengui, Brice S. Mowawa, Christian Ndzai, Stuart Nixon, Pele Nkumu, Fabian Nzolani, Lilian Pintea, Andrew Plumptre, Hugo Rainey, Bruno Bokoto de Semboli, Adeline Serckx, Emma Stokes, Andrea Turkalo, Hilde Vanleeuwe, Ashley Vosper, Ymke Warren. Devastating Decline of Forest Elephants in Central Africa. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (3): e59469 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059469

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_environment/~3/nZ7F7Ebz8jc/130329125303.htm

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Stocks end day mixed; S&P slightly below record

JeeYeon Park , CNBC ? ? ? 18 hrs.

Stocks recovered most of their earlier losses to close narrowly mixed Wednesday, with the S&P 500 finishing slightly below its closing high, as ongoing economic and political concerns over Europe kept a lid on gains.

(Read More: It's Back! Dark Clouds From Europe Stall US Bull Run)

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shaved most of its early losses. JPMorgan led the blue-chip laggards, while Intel gained. The Dow was down as much as 120 points earlier before recovering.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq erased most of their losses to close narrowly mixed. The S&P has zigzagged between gains and losses for the last seven sessions.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, traded near.

Major averages ended near their best ever levels on Tuesday, with the Dow posting a new high and S&P 500 finishing less than 2 points from its closing peak.

(Read More:Bulls Revved Up to Take Out Next Stocks Milestone)

Among key S&P sectors, telecoms were lower, while health care rose.

On the economic front, pending home sales slid 0.4 percent in February, according to the National Association of Realtors. Economists polled by Reuters expected a 0.2 percent decline, compared with a 4.5 percent rise in the prior month.

(Read More: Housing Headwinds Still Exist: Shiller)

In Europe, political deadlock continued in Italy as the country's main leadership candidate Pier Luigi's Bersani reportedly said that only an "insane person" would want to govern the nation now, adding that Italy is "in a mess and faces a difficult year ahead."

Bersani made the remark after the anti-establishment "Five Star Movement" party headed by comedian Beppe Grillo again refused to form a coalition government with Bersani, thwarting his latest attempts to form a governing alliance.

(Read More: Hey Euro Zone, You Overrate Yourself: Moody's)

A political stalemate since its inconclusive elections in late February has spiked concerns over how the country will handle its growing debt problems. Italy paid more to borrow over five years than it has since October at its latest auction, indicating worries over its financial situation.

The euro extended its losses below $1.28 against the U.S. greenback, its lowest level since late November.

Elsewhere in Europe, Cyprus is finalizing financial control measures to prevent a run on its banks, which have been shut for a week since the country agreed to a conditional 10 billion euro ($12.8 billion) bailout from international lenders. Cypriots have been lining up to withdraw cash from ATMs, with limits at 100 euros a day for some banks.

"Banks will open on Thursday ... We will look at the best way to limit the possibility of large sums of money leaving, and not imposing punitive conditions on the economy, businesses and individuals," Cypriot Finance Minister Michael Sarris said in an interview on Cypriot television.

"Cyprus is a reason to remind investors that Europe is a source of risk, but I'm not sure Cyprus itself is going to be enough [for a market pullback from the recent run-up]," said Thomas Lee, chief U.S. equity strategist at JPMorgan. "The big picture still points to a major secular bull market being underway, with at least another four years left, led by durable goods."

Trading is likely to be thin ahead of the three-day Easter weekend. U.S. markets will be closed Friday for Good Friday.

Comcast edged higher after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the cable company in an antitrust case over how much the company charged subscribers. (Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal.)

Wal-Mart declined after the world's largest retailer said that probes into alleged foreign bribery at its stores are likely to result in a financial loss. Separately, the company said it would start using stores to get Internet orders to shoppers faster, amid growing competition from online rivals such as Amazon.com.

Boeing edged lower as its 787 Dreamliners face a temporary ban on some of the transocean flights, which would be a costly new challenge for the company.

Cliffs Natural Resources plunged to lead the S&P 500 laggards after Morgan Stanley downgraded the iron ore and metallurgical coal producer to "underweight" from "equal-weight." Rivals Alpha Natural Resources and Peabody Energy also traded lower.

Mattress Firm soared more than 10 percent after the mattress maker provided solid guidance for fiscal 2013. In addition, Raymond James upgraded the company to "outperform" from "market perform." Other mattress companies bounced higher, including Tempur-Pedic and Select Comfort.

Weekly mortgage applications rebounded last week as interest rates pulled back for the first time in three weeks, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Paychex and Red Hat are among notable companies scheduled to report earnings after the closing bell.

Earlier, Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren supported the central bank's asset purchase program, saying it is having the desired impact of speeding up the pace of the recovery and should be continued through the end of the year. Meanwhile, Cleveland Fed President Sandra Pianalto said the Federal Reserve should consider tapering off the pace of its bond-buying stimulus plan if the U.S. economy continues to show signs of improvement.

And Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota said the Fed should ease monetary policy further to bring the unemployment rate down at a faster rate. Kocherlakota expects the jobless rate to be close to 7 percent by the end of 2014, and forecasts growth around 2.5 percent this year and 3 percent next year.

Treasury prices held their gains after the government auctioned $35 billion in 5-year notes at a high yield of 0.760 percent. The bid-to-cover ratio, an indicator of demand, was 2.73.

(Read More: Global 'Triple-A Ratings Club' Shrinks 60 Percent)

?By CNBC's JeeYeon Park (Follow JeeYeon on Twitter: @JeeYeonParkCNBC)

? 2013 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved

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South Sudan NGO Uses Drama to Fight Child Marriage (Voice Of America)

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Anthony Christou ? Adelaide Concept Artist and Illustrator ...

After two years of writing Design Montage, I am still completely amazed when incredibly talented people just pop out of the woodwork. In early January I received a wonderful email from Anthony Christou in South Australia describing and detailing his creative practice as an environments concept artist and illustrator. Wow!

The more I emailed with Anthony, the more intrigued (and my inner geek was delighted) by the samples of his work with space stations, game characters and huge, wide fantasy landscapes. I hope you are as impressed as I was, and am.

Anthony is an illustrator and conceptual artist for the entertainment and publishing industries. Growing up with a huge love for anything and everything creative, Anthony went from performing to visual communication. He completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts, began his career as a graphic designer. Several years later, he switched to teaching while practicing his illustration at night.

Anthony has now been a professional illustrator and concept artist for 5 years. This includes working with, video game studios, publishers, authors, comic book publishers and Animation Studios. Recently, CGHUB and The Gnomon Workshop have awarded Anthony for his environment concepts and illustrations.

He?s collaborated on several comics with fellow creatives and is now starting to tackle his own series of graphic novels. Anthony?s creative journey has been varied over the past 15 years of his career, and I can?t wait to see what the future brings for him.

View Anthony?s environments in much larger form on his website, blog, or Facebook.

Anthony?s interview responses are very detailed and I?ve tried not to cut too much, so please read on for the story behind how his career came about.

How have you got to where you are today? Describe a little background on why and how you got started?

Well I was always a creative soul I would draw as a child but also had interests in music, dancing, singing and acting and performed in many productions as a child. I have had experience in acting in high school productions and also in acting groups I performed in stage shows in drama groups. I also was a ballroom dancer and have been in numerous bands in my childhood and teens.

Although I loved acting dancing and playing in bands, I seemed to prefer art and it always was there for me as a release and creative expression.

The great thing about concept art and illustration, is although it can be collaborative, it is for me the most expressive medium. It allows an artist to write a story, create characters and have them perform on a page and act out their stories visually, in comic or illustration, or piece of concept art.

My parents were always supportive of my creative talents. I did well in high school (even in maths) but the passion for Visual Arts and Graphic Design was prominent. My mum made sure that I got through university and at least got a degree.

I started studying Visual Communication, but because I wanted to learn 3D and computer graphics, I switched to Visual Arts. I ended up with a Bachelor of Visual Arts having studied mainly graphic design subjects and majoring in digital media and digital art in my last year. I later went back to university to complete a Masters of Art and Design Majoring in Graphic Design & Illustration. I started my career as a graphic designer in 2000 I had several roles from multimedia designer for a media company, to graphic designer for a print company. I also worked for Diabetes South Australia as the designer for their magazine and other publications and websites.

As I travelled Europe and Asia, it gave me time to take photos and explore my love of photography. I think that is where my love for environment and architecture and all my crazy ideas for designing worlds came from.

Then one day, I bumped in to an old university friend and was offered a chance to teach at UniSA, my old University. While there I bumped into an old student friend of mine, Simon Scales, who introduced me to Concept Art and Illustration. In 2007 I fell in love with that field.

For me concept art and commercial illustration seemed like the perfect balance between graphic design and fine arts. It still also allowed me to explore photography and use photography to inspire my concept designs and illustrations.

While I taught at the university from 2007- until late 2010 I was training myself in concept art and illustration. I also attained a Masters in Art and Design Majoring in Illustration Design. I was still teaching in 2011 graphic design and illustration and started working on research at the university. I did?t enjoy the research as much so I decided to go full time in my own business.

It has certainly been a great learning curve over the last two years to go out on my own, but my illustration and concept art skills have gone strength to strength. It can be very demanding as I presently have all the tasks of a business such as marketing, illustration, training, administration and finances. So far it?s been very rewarding.

In a few words, describe yourself?

I am a hard working, friendly, fun, creative and positive person. I spend many hours in my studio but I also believe in balance and like to spend any spare time with my family and friends.

What are you spending your time on at the moment?

Currently I?m working on a children?s book and on a major AAA video game developing small illustrations and some conceptual art. I am not allowed to disclose who the studio is (for confidentiality reasons) but let?s just say that placing them on my CV will definitely be a great honor.

I am also writing my own graphic novel which I?m guessing is going to take me a few years in amongst client work!

Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?

I usually wake up in the morning, turn on the music, have breakfast and quickly look at emails. I also like to look at other concept artists, photography and anything inspirational from the latest magazine on art or illustration.

Once I warm up with emails and looking at inspiration online I start sketching whatever project I have on at the time with rough pencil ideas or concept art with photoshop brushes.

I think music is a great inspiration for me and having some relaxing or motivational tunes gets me into the flow and creative mind set. Sometimes if I need motivation I look at how other industry professionals paint from The Gnomon Workshop and it may trigger an idea or give me a technique to start working with.

But I find for me it is just a matter of waking up turning on good music. Even if I do?t have client work to attend to, I usually start painted studies in photoshop of photography such as nature scenes architecture or cool costumes on people. I often also not only do studies of things from real life, but also draw and paint from my imagination at time as a warm up and set myself a goal.

I find entering in contests and having a brief actually allows me to be more creative because I know what I am working towards. Once I start researching images, I can then get into a creative process. My process involves doing studies of collected images, creating thumbnails, making rough concepts then creating 1-2 finished paintings in a day.

What or who inspires you?

The people that have inspired me include my parents, sister and her partner and my nieces and nephew. They have all supported me in life and the great character and strength they have shown me has given me a great inspiration and motivation to keep on fighting for my own dreams in Art and Design.

My other inspiration is my Mentor and long time colleague Rob.C Richardson from Tampa Florida. He has shown me what it takes to be a professional illustrator and conceptual artist. He has also been around for me, to give me inspiration, motivation, strength, and support. I owe a great deal to him as he has given me the discipline I need and also the attitude to always remain humble.

What are you most proud of?

I am proud that I have finally found my true calling that is to basically be a concept artist, illustrator and comic book artist for clients or for my own projects. I am very proud that I have been able to get some clients as I know this field is challenging and I feel very grateful to be working in this field.

I am also proud I have built up a personal resilience to keep on creating despite my financial responsibilities, hurdles and hiccups along the way.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a Doctor of some sort to help people medically. When I realised that my interest and thirst for scientific knowledge was far lower than my love for creative fields such as dancing, acting, painting, photography and writing, I instead embraced my passion for creative skills.

Source: http://www.designmontage.com.au/2013/03/anthony-christou-concept-artist/

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Source: http://chintu7875.typepad.com/blog/2013/03/anthony-christou-adelaide-concept-artist-and-illustrator.html

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Apple ID accounts reportedly vulnerable to password reset hack, forgot password page taken offline for maintenance

Gaping security holes are a pretty terrifying thing, especially when they involve something as sensitive as your Apple ID. Sadly it seems that immediately after making the paranoid happy by instituting two-step authentication a pretty massive flaw in Cupertino's system was discovered and first reported by The Verge. Turns out you can reset any Apple ID password with nothing more than a person's email address and date of birth -- two pieces of information that are pretty easy to come across. There's a little more to the hack, but it's simple enough that even your non-tech savvy aunt or uncle could do it. After entering the target email address in the password reset form you can then select to answer security questions to validate your identity. The first task will be to enter a date of birth. If you enter that correctly then paste a particular URL into the address bar (which we will not be publishing for obvious reasons), press enter, then -- voilà -- instant password reset! Or, at least that's the story. While we were attempting to verify these claims Apple took down the password reset page for "maintenance." Though we've received no official confirmation from Apple, it seems the company is moving swiftly to shut down this particularly troublesome workaround before word of it spreads too far.

Filed under: Internet, Apple

Comments

Source: The Verge

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/22/apple-id-accounts-reportedly-vulnerable-to-password-reset-hack/

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Study reveals potential immune benefits of vitamin D supplements in healthy individuals

Public release date: 20-Mar-2013
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Contact: Jenny Eriksen
jenny.eriksen@bmc.org
617-638-6841
Boston University Medical Center

(Boston) Research from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) shows that improving vitamin D status by increasing its level in the blood could have a number of non-skeletal health benefits. The study, published online in PLOS ONE, reveals for the first time that improvement in the vitamin D status of healthy adults significantly impacts genes involved with a number of biologic pathways associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases. While previous studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk for the aforementioned diseases, these results go a step further and provide direct evidence that improvement in vitamin D status plays a large role in improving immunity and lowering the risk for many diseases.

Vitamin D is unique in that it can be both ingested and synthesized by the body with sun exposure. It is then converted by both the liver and kidneys to a form that the body can use. An individuals' level of vitamin D, or their vitamin D status, is determined by measuring the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood. Vitamin D deficiency, which is defined as a status of less than 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, can cause a number of health issues, including rickets and other musculoskeletal diseases. Recently, however, data suggests that vitamin D deficiency (

The randomized, double-blind, single-site pilot trial involved eight healthy men and women with an average age of 27 who were vitamin D deficient or insufficient at the start of the trial. Three participants received 400 International Units (IUs) of vitamin D per day and five received 2,000 IUs per day for a two-month period. Samples of white blood cells (immune cells) were collected at the beginning of the two-month period and again at the end. A broad gene expression analysis was conducted on these samples and more than 22,500 genes were investigated to see if their activity increased or decreased as a result of the vitamin D intake.

At the end of the pilot, the group that received 2000 IUs achieved a vitamin D status of 34 ng/mL, which is considered sufficient, while the group that received 400 IUs achieved an insufficient status of 25 ng/mL.

The results of the gene expression analysis indicated statistically significant alterations in the activity of 291 genes. Further analysis showed that the biologic functions associated with the 291 genes are related to 160 biologic pathways linked to cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and CVD.

Examining gene response elements, or sequences of DNA bases that interact with vitamin D receptors to regulate gene expression, they also identified new genes related to vitamin D status. To ensure that their observations were accurate, the researchers looked at 12 genes whose level of expression does not change, and those genes remained stable throughout the trial period.

"This study reveals the molecular fingerprints that help explain the non-skeletal health benefits of vitamin D," said Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at BUSM and leading vitamin D expert who served as the study's corresponding author. "While a larger study is necessary to confirm our observations, the data demonstrates that improving vitamin D status can have a dramatic effect on gene expression in our immune cells and may help explain the role of vitamin D in reducing the risk for CVD, cancer and other diseases."

###

This research was supported by a pilot grant from the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Translational Science Institute under grant award # UL-1-RR-25711.

To view the full article, visit http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0058725.

---

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?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 20-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jenny Eriksen
jenny.eriksen@bmc.org
617-638-6841
Boston University Medical Center

(Boston) Research from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) shows that improving vitamin D status by increasing its level in the blood could have a number of non-skeletal health benefits. The study, published online in PLOS ONE, reveals for the first time that improvement in the vitamin D status of healthy adults significantly impacts genes involved with a number of biologic pathways associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases. While previous studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk for the aforementioned diseases, these results go a step further and provide direct evidence that improvement in vitamin D status plays a large role in improving immunity and lowering the risk for many diseases.

Vitamin D is unique in that it can be both ingested and synthesized by the body with sun exposure. It is then converted by both the liver and kidneys to a form that the body can use. An individuals' level of vitamin D, or their vitamin D status, is determined by measuring the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood. Vitamin D deficiency, which is defined as a status of less than 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, can cause a number of health issues, including rickets and other musculoskeletal diseases. Recently, however, data suggests that vitamin D deficiency (

The randomized, double-blind, single-site pilot trial involved eight healthy men and women with an average age of 27 who were vitamin D deficient or insufficient at the start of the trial. Three participants received 400 International Units (IUs) of vitamin D per day and five received 2,000 IUs per day for a two-month period. Samples of white blood cells (immune cells) were collected at the beginning of the two-month period and again at the end. A broad gene expression analysis was conducted on these samples and more than 22,500 genes were investigated to see if their activity increased or decreased as a result of the vitamin D intake.

At the end of the pilot, the group that received 2000 IUs achieved a vitamin D status of 34 ng/mL, which is considered sufficient, while the group that received 400 IUs achieved an insufficient status of 25 ng/mL.

The results of the gene expression analysis indicated statistically significant alterations in the activity of 291 genes. Further analysis showed that the biologic functions associated with the 291 genes are related to 160 biologic pathways linked to cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and CVD.

Examining gene response elements, or sequences of DNA bases that interact with vitamin D receptors to regulate gene expression, they also identified new genes related to vitamin D status. To ensure that their observations were accurate, the researchers looked at 12 genes whose level of expression does not change, and those genes remained stable throughout the trial period.

"This study reveals the molecular fingerprints that help explain the non-skeletal health benefits of vitamin D," said Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at BUSM and leading vitamin D expert who served as the study's corresponding author. "While a larger study is necessary to confirm our observations, the data demonstrates that improving vitamin D status can have a dramatic effect on gene expression in our immune cells and may help explain the role of vitamin D in reducing the risk for CVD, cancer and other diseases."

###

This research was supported by a pilot grant from the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Translational Science Institute under grant award # UL-1-RR-25711.

To view the full article, visit http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0058725.

---

[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/bumc-srp032013.php

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Tomatoes that mimic actions of good cholesterol created

Mar. 19, 2013 ? UCLA researchers have genetically engineered tomatoes to produce a peptide that mimics the actions of good cholesterol when consumed.

Published in the April issue of the Journal of Lipid Research and featured on the cover, their early study found that mice that were fed these tomatoes in freeze-dried, ground form had less inflammation and plaque build-up in their arteries.

"This is one of the first examples of a peptide that acts like the main protein in good cholesterol and can be delivered by simply eating the plant," said senior author Dr. Alan M. Fogelman, executive chair of the department of medicine and director of the atherosclerosis research unit at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "There was no need to isolate or purify the peptide -- it was fully active after the plant was eaten."

After the tomatoes were eaten, the peptide surprisingly was found to be active in the small intestine but not in the blood, suggesting that targeting the small intestine may be a new strategy to prevent diet-induced atherosclerosis, the plaque-based disease of the arteries that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Specifically for the study, the team genetically engineered tomatoes to produce 6F, a small peptide that mimics the action of apoA-1, the chief protein in high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good" cholesterol). Scientists fed the tomatoes to mice that lacked the ability to remove low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad" cholesterol) from their blood and readily developed inflammation and atherosclerosis when consuming a high-fat diet.

The researchers found that mice that ate the peptide-enhanced tomatoes, which accounted for 2.2 percent of their Western-style, high-fat diet, had significantly lower levels of inflammation; higher paraoxonase activity, an antioxidant enzyme associated with good cholesterol; higher levels of good cholesterol; decreased lysophosphatidic acid, a tumor-promoter that accelerates plaque build-up in the arteries in animal models; and less atherosclerotic plaque.

Several hours after the mice finished eating, the intact peptide was found in the small intestine, but no intact peptide was found in the blood. According to researchers, this strongly suggests that the peptide acted in the small intestine and was then degraded to natural amino acids before being absorbed into the blood, as is the case with the other peptides and proteins in the tomato.

"It seems likely that the mechanism of action of the peptide-enhanced tomatoes involves altering lipid metabolism in the intestine, which positively impacts cholesterol," said the study's corresponding author, Srinavasa T. Reddy, a UCLA professor of medicine and of molecular and medical pharmacology.

Previous studies performed by Fogelman's lab and other researchers around the world in animal models of disease have suggested that a large number of conditions with an inflammatory component -- not just atherosclerosis -- might benefit from treatment with an apoA-1 mimetic peptide, including Alzheimer's disease, ovarian and colon cancer, diabetes, asthma, and other disorders.

The immune system normally triggers an inflammatory response to an acute event such as injury or infection, which is part of the natural course of healing. But with many chronic diseases, inflammation becomes an abnormal, ongoing process with long-lasting deleterious effects in the body.

If the work in animal models applies to humans, said Fogelman, who is also the Castera Professor of Medicine at UCLA, consuming forms of genetically modified foods that contain apoA-1-related peptides could potentially help improve these conditions.

The peptide would be considered a drug if given by injection or in a purified pill form, but when it is a part of the fruit of a plant, it may be no different from a safety standpoint than the food in which it is contained -- and it may be better tolerated than a drug, Fogelman said. He noted that one possibility could be the development of the peptide into a nutritional supplement.

The current study and findings resulted from years of detective work in searching for an apoA-1 peptide that could be practically produced. Peptides prior to the current 6F version have required additions that can only be made by chemical synthesis. The 6F peptide does not require these additions and can therefore be produced by genetically engineering plants.

The team chose a fruit -- the tomato -- that could be eaten without requiring cooking that might break down the peptide. The researchers were able to successfully genetically express the peptide in tomato plants, and the ripened fruit was then freeze-dried and ground into powder for use in the study.

"This is one of the first examples in translational research using an edible plant as a delivery vehicle for a new approach to cholesterol," said Judith Gasson, a professor of medicine and biological chemistry, director of UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and senior associate dean for research at the Geffen School of Medicine. "We will be closely watching this novel research to see if these early studies lead to human trials."

In addition, Gasson noted that this early finding and future studies may yield important and fundamental knowledge about the role of the intestine in diet-induced inflammation and atherosclerosis.

The study was supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service Research Grants HL-30568 and HL-34343 and by the Laubisch, Castera and M.K. Grey funds at UCLA. Studies on the determination of 6F in intestinal contents and plasma were partially funded by a Network Grant from the Leducq Foundation.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences.

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Journal Reference:

1. A. Chattopadhyay, M. Navab, G. Hough, F. Gao, D. Meriwether, V. Grijalva, J. R. Springstead, M. N. Palgunachari, R. Namiri-Kalantari, F. Su, B. J. Van Lenten, A. C. Wagner, G. .M. Anantharamaiah, R. Farias-Eisner, S. T. Reddy, A. M. Fogelman. A Novel Approach to Oral ApoA-I Mimetic Therapy. The Journal of Lipid Research, 2013; DOI: 10.1194/jlr.M033555

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/IBWOsJWpBCA/130319144154.htm

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Google Chromebooks Go Global: Now Available In Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland And The Netherlands

Google has learned all that it needs to learn about the reception of its Chromebook laptops in the US and UK, and has announced availability of Acer, HP and Samsung flavors of its device in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. As we’ve spent time with Google’s Chromebook and OS, it has become apparent that the goal of the operating system is to focus on what people do on a computer the most, which is surf the web in a browser. Since Chrome has become the #1 browser, building an operating system that showcases it makes complete sense. In addition to this global rollout, Chromebooks will now be available in all 1,000+ Best Buy stores that sell PCs in the US. Basically, that’s twice the number of stores that Chromebooks were sold in previously. This in-store rollout will take place over the next two weeks. As far as the rest of Google’s line of laptops in partnership with Acer, HP and Samsung, there is indeed a niche that has gravitated towards the machine as a lower-cost alternative to the Macbook Air and Windows machines, specifically schools and small businesses. Google recently launched its Chrome Pixel, which has come with mixed reviews. One thing that most technologists can agree with is that while this machine might not be the end-game for consumer computing, it includes quite a bit of technology that will eventually be priced for mass-markets. I’ve been using the machine for the past few days and the idea of touching your laptop screen is still something of a mind-melt. It’s going to take some time to consumerize this product. Its been an active past week in Google Chrome land, as it recently named its VP of Chrome, Sundar Pichai, as head of its Android unit, moving Andy Rubin on to bigger and brighter “moonshots.” Some think that this means the eventual merging of Chrome with the Android OS, which is something we’ve been waiting for. Can Google get past the “cheap” label? It remains to be seen, but I can truly say from experience that the machine does exactly what you need it to do, and it does it well. During my trip to India, it’s the only laptop that I had with me, and it did the trick. The only downside to Chrome OS is the lack of popular applications available, such as Skype. That will

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/cx-RgD0Uttk/

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Toyota's Sheldon Brown backstage at Expand (video)

Toyota's Executive Program Manager Sheldon Brown took to the Expand stage to discuss how the automaker developed its fully-electric RAV4 and what the future of driving looks like. After chatting with us in front of the crowd, Brown slipped backstage to dive a little deeper. Brown and Myriam discussed the Rav4 EV's development and aerodynamics, and how electric cars have evolved over the past decade or so. Check out the full video interview after the break.

Follow all of Engadget's Expand coverage live from San Francisco right here!

Filed under: Transportation

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/M0Mu6Ourpb8/

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NJ stringing up dead birds to get rid of buzzards

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Biologist Nicole Rein lifts a black vulture carcass in Bridgewater, N.J., Monday, March 11, 2013, as it is hoisted up in a tree in a tried-and-true method of driving away flocks of damaging buzzards. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Biologist Nicole Rein lifts a black vulture carcass in Bridgewater, N.J., Monday, March 11, 2013, as it is hoisted up in a tree in a tried-and-true method of driving away flocks of damaging buzzards. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

A black vulture carcass is hoisted up in a tree in Bridgewater, N.J., Monday, March 11, 2013, by United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife workers in a tried-and-true method of driving away flocks of damaging buzzards. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Specialist Terri Ombrello prepares a line to cast over a tree in Bridgewater, N.J., Monday, March 11, 2013, to hoist a vulture's carcass into a tree in a tried-and-true method of driving away flocks of damaging buzzards. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

A Turkey Buzzard flies over farm fields in West Amwell, N.J., Monday, March 11, 2013. Large numbers of buzzards have been roosting in neighborhoods recently causing complaints. In Bridgewater Monday, wildlife officers hoisted a vulture's carcass into a tree in a tried-and-true method of driving away flocks of damaging buzzards. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Resident Jim Van Allen looks on in Bridgewater, N.J., Monday, March 11, 2013, as United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Specialist Terri Ombrello, left and United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Biologist Nicole Rein prepare to hoist a vulture's carcass into a tree in a tried-and-true method of driving away flocks of damaging buzzards. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) ? The dead vulture's feathers snap and crack, breaking apart as its frozen wings are spread for one last flight.

It will soon soar gracefully ? albeit briefly ? into a tree in this hilly New Jersey suburb, hoisted to a branch where it will hang, upside down, until spring.

Wildlife officials say it's a sure-fire way to get an estimated 100 black and turkey vultures from roosting in the neighborhood, leaving behind foul-smelling and acidic droppings on roofs and lawns, creeping out residents and even their pets.

Before the black vulture's carcass is strung up, nearly a dozen vultures glide over Bridgewater on a cool, gray Monday morning. Some perch in trees. One rests on a chimney-top.

Neighborhood residents watched as wildlife specialist Terri Ombrello launched a weighted fishing line over a branch with a sling shot. She took turns with partner Nicole Rein tying the bird's legs with another line then pulled the bird about 30 feet off the ground.

Vultures may like to eat road kill but it turns out they don't like the sight of their own dead upside down.

"They don't like seeing their own in that unnatural position," Rein said.

Bridgewater, a town of 45,000 about 40 miles west of New York, became at least the seventh New Jersey community this winter to turn to the wildlife services unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for buzzard-beating help. Black and red turkey vultures are protected species and cannot be killed without a permit.

The birds roost from November to April, settling down as it gets dark, when they are most visible.

Jim Van Allen, 69, lives across the street where the carcass was strung up in Bridgewater. He's lived in the neighborhood practically his entire life. He said it isn't unusual to see vultures there in this community but not this many. He said the vultures started arriving in November, just after Superstorm Sandy.

"They just glide all around, all day long, I mean, just looking for something dead," he said.

The vultures, which have sometimes lined up eerily on rooftops, have not just spooked residents. Mark Nathan said his yellow lab Callie is afraid of the vultures, especially when they fly low.

"She freaks out about them," Nathan said. The dog "barks at them and then she runs inside as fast as possible," he said.

Scavenging vultures are key to the ecosystem because they feed off dead animals, acting as flying garbage disposals. Still, in densely populated areas where they can thrive, vultures pose a serious nuisance.

"Their feces runs down the roof. It looks bad," Van Allen said.

Residents can expect to see fewer vultures within one to three days. While some may still perch on the tree, Rein said, they will not do so for long.

While some New Jersey towns regard the influx of vultures as a problem at least one community is hoping it will get its birds back.

Wenonah started holding a vulture festival in 2006 after nearly 200 turkey and black vultures made the town their winter home. But the town canceled its festival this year, according to Vulture Festival website, because they're no longer roosting there at night.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-03-11-US-Buzz-Off-Buzzards/id-fb29ca3a93f34822a87011a49658f9c2

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Allianz gives small business owners the right tool in new radio ...

The Ahh-llianz "One Word" campaign hits the airwaves this month with the launch of six radio spots positioning Allianz small business insurance as the 'right tool for the job' via MercerBell, Sydney.

Each spot depicts a different type of business owner using the wrong tool for the job, emphasising the value of Allianz's tailor-made insurance packages that are the right choice for any business. So a hairdresser starts up a chainsaw when a customer asks for a quick trim. A landscaper pulls out a sheep to mow the lawn. A caf? owner uses a cow to make a latte. A wayward employee installs a lion instead of a security system. An office worker orders the wrong kind of mouse. And a painter pulls out a can of spray paint to complete a job on a formal dining room.

Listen to the spots - RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB.mp3

MercerBell, Sydney called on the expertise of Eardrum director, Ralph Van Dijk, to help bring the spots to life.

Says Liz Kain, creative group head, MercerBell: "There are six spots in this campaign and we really wanted each one to perform in its own right. Ralph helped to bring real depth and texture to the characters and their stories, and his technical expertise was invaluable. We're delighted with the result."

Says Julie Dormand, managing director at MercerBell: "This campaign is about Allianz's new online system that provides ready-made packages designed for different business needs. MercerBell's campaign for Allianz has always used humour to connect with our target audience and these radio spots continue that tone.

"We began over a year ago with the introduction of the Ahh-llianz meme to embed the brand into the vernacular. Since then we have been able to show many of life's moments when you are glad to have insurance."

Dominic Brandon - Group Manager Marketing and Brand, Allianz
David Bell - Executive Creative Director
Liz Kain - Senior Copywriter
Ian Hammond - Copywriter
Mike Nikotin - Art Director
Lorraine Gormley - Account Director
Tim Barrett - Senior Account Manager
Ralph van Dijk - Director
Song Zu - Sound Design

Source: http://www.campaignbrief.com/2013/03/allianz-gives-small-business-o.html

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Blasts at Iraqi market kill 5 south of Baghdad

BAGHDAD (AP) ? An Iraqi official says a pair of car bombs has exploded at a livestock market in the south of the country, killing five and wounding dozens.

The head of the provincial council, Jubair al-Jabouri, says 70 people were wounded in the Friday attack in Diwaniyah.

He blamed the blasts on al-Qaida, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Diwaniyah is 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of Baghdad.

Violence in Iraq has fallen since the height of sectarian fighting in 2006 and 2007, but deadly attacks are still frequent. Friday's attacks come a day after bombings in Baghdad and towns south of the Iraqi capital killed at least 22 people.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-01-Iraq/id-d12f55295216476fb343bf67d55a5ca3

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