LONDON (Reuters) - A Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating girls' education is to return to a specialist hospital in Britain for surgery to reconstruct her skull.
Fifteen-year-old Malala Yousufzai, who was shot in October and brought to Britain for treatment, was discharged from the hospital earlier this month to spend time with her family after her initial treatment phase.
Her doctors said on Wednesday she would return to hospital within the next 10 days to undergo surgery known as titanium cranioplasty to repair a missing area of her skull with a specially molded titanium plate.
The shooting of Yousufzai, in the head at point blank range as she left school in the Swat valley, drew widespread international condemnation.
She has become an internationally recognized symbol of resistance to the Taliban's efforts to deny women education and other rights, and more than 250,000 people have signed online petitions calling for her to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her activism.
British doctors who treated Yousufzai say the bullet hit her left brow but instead of penetrating her skull, traveled underneath the skin along the side of her head and into her shoulder.
The shock wave shattered the thinnest bone of the skull and the soft tissues at the base of her jaw were damaged. The bullet and its fracture lines also destroyed her eardrum and the bones for hearing, rendering her deaf in her left ear.
She is being cared for in a specialist department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, which has treated hundreds of soldiers wounded in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Dave Rosser, the hospital's medical director, said a procedure to insert a cochlear implant to restore her left side hearing and the complicated skull reconstruction surgery would be carried out by a team of 10 doctors and nurses.
The skull will be repaired with a 0.6 mm plate molded from a 3D model created using imaging data from Malala's skull.
The cranioplasty, which is expected to take between one and two hours, will be carried out first, followed by the cochlear implant operation, which should take around 90 minutes, Rosser said in a statement.
Houston's Chandler Parsons in action during a game against Philadelphia on Jan. 12 in Philadelphia. (The Associated Press)
Published: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 5:34 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 5:34 p.m.
NEW YORK ? Two former University of Florida standouts were named to the Rising Stars Challenge, a game featuring top rookies and second-year players on All-Star weekend.
Second-year player Chandler Parsons of the Houston Rockets and rookie Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards are on the roster.
Kyrie Irving, the MVP of last year's Rising Stars Challenge, will return to the game.
The Cleveland All-Star and the former Florida standouts were three of 18 players chosen Wednesday for the Feb. 15 game in Houston. Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal will again serve as general managers and draft teams during TNT's pregame show Feb. 7.
Rookie stars Damian Lillard of Portland and Anthony Davis of New Orleans, the No. 1 pick in the draft, also were selected.
Irving, voted an Eastern Conference reserve by the conference's head coaches, scored 34 points last year in Orlando to lead Team Chuck over Team Shaq, 146-133. Cavaliers teammates Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson and Tyler Zeller also were picked.
The remainder of the roster is: Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson (Golden State); Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Charlotte); Brandon Knight and Andre Drummond (Detroit); Kenneth Faried (Denver); Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio); Alexey Shved (Minnesota); and Nikola Vucevic (Orlando).
KABUL (AP) ? The top commander of U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan believes government security forces have improved faster than expected and will be ready to take the lead in the 11-year-old war against the Taliban when foreign combat forces take a back seat this spring.
Marine Gen. John Allen told The Associated Press that the main job over the next two years for the International Assistance Force ? as the NATO-led troops in Afghanistan are called ? will be to advise, train and build the capabilities needed for Afghan forces to go it completely alone.
They will face their first test when the fighting season gets under way in the late spring and summer. During the harsh Afghan winter, snow often blocks roads and fighting dies down.
The Afghan security forces, which have nearly reached their full strength of 352,000, still need much work to become an effective and self-sufficient fighting machine, but a vast improvement in their abilities was behind a decision to accelerate the timetable for putting them in the lead nationwide, Allen said.
President Barack Obama announced earlier this month that the Afghans would take over this spring instead of late summer ? a decision that could allow the speedier withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.
The Afghan troops "are further along in their capabilities than we had anticipated, and I'm very comfortable frankly with their being in the lead in 2013," Allen said in a recent interview ahead of his departure. "This is an acknowledgment of their capabilities."
The general, who has led the military coalition for 19 months, is leaving Afghanistan on Feb. 10. The White House said it would nominate him to become the head of NATO forces in Europe after he was exonerated in a Pentagon investigation of questionable email exchanges with a Florida woman linked to the sex scandal that led his predecessor, David Petraeus, to resign as CIA director.
Allen, 59, of Warrenton, Virginia, said the investigation was troublesome, but he was confident that the process would clear him.
"I'll make no secret that it was on my mind, but my number one goals were the interests of the troops, the coherence of the campaign and doing all I could obviously to further our combined interests here," he said. "But it does weigh on you, and while it weighed on me it really weighed on my family, it really weighed on my family, and the findings ultimately were announced and I continue to move on."
If confirmed by the Senate, Allen would succeed Navy Adm. James Stavridis in the NATO post.
He would not comment on how quickly the remaining 66,000 U.S. troops would return home, or how many American soldiers will remain after the end of 2014, when all foreign combat troops are to leave Afghanistan ? saying Obama will make that decision.
"We are advising now, and for the foreseeable future and until the latter part of the spring we will be advising at the battalion level," Allen said, adding that the advising would progressively move up to larger formations until the work was completed. "This is in conjunction with the drawdown of our own forces and in a very measured way, in a way that the Afghans are familiar with and we are able to predict we will eventually move up to the corps level."
Afghan troops already have taken the lead for security on territory holding 85 percent of the country's population of around 30 million.
"In many respects they are already leading operations, 80 percent of operations across the country are being led by the Afghans right now. So I am confident that in this coming fighting season, where technically they will be in the lead across the country operationally, that they are ready and we will be in support of them," Allen said. "I think they are going to do fine this year and we will stay with them. There is much work still to be done."
The Afghan lead in fighting has already become apparent in the casualty figures.
U.S. troop deaths declined overall from 404 in 2011 to 295 in 2012. More than 2,000 U.S. troops and nearly 1,100 coalition troops have died here since the U.S. invasion in late 2001. Last year many of those deaths were at the hands of the Afghan forces they were partnered with or training. Deaths from so-called insider attacks ? Afghan police and troops killing foreign allies ? surged to 61 in 45 attacks last year compared with 2011, when 35 coalition troops were killed in 21 attacks
By comparison, more than 1,200 Afghan soldiers died in 2012 compared to more than 550 in 2011, according to data compiled by the Washington-based Brookings Institution.
Many are concerned that the Afghan forces will not be up to the task of securing the country after 2014. The size of the force will also have to be reduced after coalition forces leave because much of the funding for it will have dried up. At its summit in Chicago last May, NATO agreed on a fundraising goal to underwrite a force of about 230,000 that would cost about $4.1 billion annually.
When Allen took over from Petraeus in July 2011, the war was in full force. But the tide was turning, and public opinion in the United States and in coalition countries was tiring of a lengthy conflict that was widely seen as propping up a corrupt and thankless Afghan government.
In mid-2010, the United States had more than 100,000 troops and coalition forces totaled close to 150,000. The U.S. was spending billions of dollars on a costly counterinsurgency strategy that had all the hallmarks of nation-building. The Afghan army and police were rapidly growing thanks to a mostly U.S.-funded program that cost more than $20 billion, but their combat abilities did not match their numbers.
"When I got here we had virtually no battalion level operations under way, and the brigade level operation was only an ambition. Today, every day, there are brigade and corps level operations going on across Afghanistan," Allen said. He said those operations were being planned, carried out and often supplied by the Afghans, with foreign troops there in a mostly advisory role.
The improvements allowed Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai to announce the spring handover date earlier this month.
Allen said the decision was made after the withdrawal last September of the 33,000 U.S. troops who were part of a surge announced by Obama in December 2009. In early 2012, Allen said he was grappling with the question of how many combat brigades he could carve out of the 68,000 troops that would remain in Afghanistan after the withdrawal, but the drawdown actually provided an opportunity to thrust Afghan forces in the lead.
"The term that I used was they were better than we thought, more importantly they were better than they thought," he said.
But the Afghan forces still need work and to build up key capabilities, including their ability to sustain themselves on the battlefield ? from medical evacuations to fuel and ammunition ? and to carry out combined arms operations.
"The building of their capabilities will take time," Allen said, adding that he was "comfortable that our plan to do both these things is on track over time."
The Afghan military will have to make do without requested weapons such as heavy tanks and F-16 fighter jets, but Allen said the equipment that they will receive should give them considerable firepower. They include converting MI-17 transport helicopters to gunships and providing Afghan combat units at all levels with mortars.
He said the Afghans had to get used to the idea that they will not have the same air support in the future as they have today. Currently the coalition can provide air support to troops on the ground anywhere in Afghanistan within 12 minutes of a request.
"They have to get used to their own resources being the firepower necessary," he said.
___
Follow Patrick Quinn on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PatrickAQuinn
Former Vice President Al Gore talks to TODAY's Matt Lauer about the state of politics today, as well as his new book, "The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change."
By Eun Kyung Kim, TODAY contributor
Hurricane Sandy and other recent weather-related disasters, like this week?s intense flooding and monstrous sea foam levels in Australia, are a direct result of climate change, former vice president Al Gore said Tuesday.
?These storms ? it?s like a nature hike through the Book of Revelation on the news every day now,? he told TODAY?s Matt Lauer. ?People are connecting the dots.?
Gore also spoke publicly for the first time about his separation from his wife, Tipper. The couple announced their surprise split in 2010 but have not filed for divorce.
?We made a mutual agreement after 40 years of marriage. We?re doing great by the way,? he said, describing their current relationship as "warm."
?We had the children and grandchildren for Christmas, and we have regular family gatherings. Life is good,? he said.
"We have a good relationship and our family is strong and that?s what matters.?
Since his term as VP ended, Gore has elevated climate change to an international stage. He placed a lot of the blame for the public?s confusion and ?falsehoods? surrounding global warming on corporations and the way they have influenced politics.
The former vice president talks about the challenges of tackling climate change amid the "antagonism" in the political world today.
?Large carbon polluters have business plans that depend upon them being able to use the Earth?s atmosphere as an open sewer,? he said. ?It?s the same thing that tobacco companies did years ago in trying to convince people that the science linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer was not believable.?
Although Gore has been critical of President Obama?s action to date on global warming, he said he was pleased the president tackled the issue in his second inaugural address last week.
"Making the kind of commitment he did is comparable. He?s put his presidency behind this issue now,? he said.
?In his first term, even though, yes, he fell short, he ended up doing more than any other previous president.?
Gore, who is pushing his environmental agenda in his newest book, ?The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change,? acknowledged ?there are some things I miss about? politics. But he said his current platform allows him to continue to speak out about current political issues.
?One of the themes of this books, Matt, is that our democracy has been hacked,? he said. ?That?s a computer term, of course, that implies control of the way our political system works has been taken over, in this case, by big money, corporations designated as persons, anonymous donors. Big money is having a corrupting influence and it?s degrading the quality of our democracy.?
Yet, Gore defended selling his cable television channel, Current TV, to the foreign company Al Jazeera. The government of Qatar, which gets most of its money from oil and natural gas reserves, contributes much of the funding for Al Jazeera.
Gore said he understands concern over the perceived conflict of philosophy and critics who called the sale hypocritical.
?I certainly understand that criticism. I disagree with it, because I think Al Jazeera has obviously long established itself as a really distinguished and effective news gathering organization,? he said. ?And by the way, its climate coverage has been far more extensive and of high quality than any of the networks there.?
Actress Melissa McCarthy gets a little star-struck when she meets Vice President Al Gore on the TODAY set, but the two turn out to be big fans of each other.
More:? Al Gore takes on global change in 'The Future' Former CIA officer: Jail sentence a 'badge of honor'? Army colonel: Women in combat a 'watershed moment'? Prince Harry: Killing Taliban was 'a job' that had to be done? NRA head: Controversial ad 'wasn't about the president's daughters'?
Sam, the Rhesus monkey, after his ride in the Little Joe-2 (LJ-2) spacecraft. A U.S. Navy destroyer safely recovered Sam after he experienced three minutes of weightlessness during the flight, December 1959.
Photo courtesy of NASA/Wikimedia Commons
Iran claimed Monday to have sent a monkey into space. The country previously launched smaller animals into the final frontier, including a rat, worms, and two turtles. What do space programs look for in animal astronauts?
Portability, experience in the lab, and coolness under pressure. For more than 60 years, space programs have sent animals into space for the same reason coal miners sent canaries into the coal mine: to test for dangerous conditions. To select which species to send, scientists have long looked for a few key traits. First, the animal astronauts should be small, to fit in a spacecraft?s necessarily compact quarters. Second, they should be light, to avoid burdening the rocket. Third, scientists choose animals that they?re already used to studying. For example, scientists used to working with mice might send mice. Since they?ve done dozens of experiments on the species, they?ll know if Mickey is acting unusual when he returns.
The Soviets chose to launch many of their most important test flights with dogs because they had experimented on them since the beginning of the 20th century (most famously in the experiments of Ivan Pavlov). They also thought that dogs would be less fidgety in confined spaces. The Americans chose to work with monkeys and chimpanzees for the same reason?they were accustomed to working with them in the lab?though they also valued monkeys? and chimpanzees? many physiological similarities to humans.
Once rocket scientists have settled on their species, they often run tests to determine a standout member of the pack. After the Soviets settled on launching canine cosmonauts, their recruits were subjected to a series of Right Stuff-style tests to find the top dog. The animals were trained for confinement (by being placed in tight cells), for loud noises and vibrations (by being subjected to loud noises and vibrations), and to relieve themselves in their space suits (there was a special sanitation device attached to the suit). Only female dogs were eligible, because they were an easier fit with the sanitation devices, and only stray mutts were tested, reportedly because they thought the street-tough animals would fare better in extreme conditions. It was after scoring high in these tests that Laika, who was thought to be particularly easy-going, was selected to be the first animal to orbit Earth. On Nov. 3, 1957, Laika was blasted into Earth orbit on the Sputnik 2, never to return. (Laika, or ?Muttnik,? died after a few hours, and the Sputnik 2 burned up a few months later.)
The field of primates trying out for the American side was whittled down through a similar process. Some chimpanzees were spun around in centrifuges, to acclimate them to G-forces. Others were trained to throw switches when signaled by colored lights. Many were chosen for their temperament, but the earliest ones were just sent out sedated. Unfortunately, many of the primates gave their lives to science. The monkey Albert I, who was launched in a V-2 rocket, apparently suffocated before he even got off the ground. His successor, Albert II, completed his ascent but died on the return impact.
Squirrel monkey "Baker" rode a Jupiter IRBM into space and back in 1959.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Army/Redstone Arsenal/Wikimedia Commons
Some of the first animals launched into space were fruit flies. Fruit flies are easy to study for chromosomal damage, and so they were ideal for detecting the effects of radiation in spaceflight. In 1947, a container of fruit flies soared to an altitude of 106 miles before parachuting back to Earth. The year before, the National Institutes of Health launched a flight containing fungus spores, also to study the effects of radiation, but the spores? containers were never recovered. Some later missions contained a wide variety of animals: A Soviet flight in August 1960 was launched with two dogs, two rats, 40 mice, 15 flasks of fruit flies and plants, and one gray rabbit. Each animal was included to further test the possible effects of space travel on humans. The first cat was launched in 1963, when the French wanted to give space flight a try. It?s unclear why, exactly, the Iranians had previously launched turtles and worms?it may be that Iranian scientists just are used to studying those creatures.
Got a question about today?s news??Ask the Explainer.
Explainer thanks Colin Burgess and Chris Dubbs, co-authors of Animals in Space, and Cathleen Lewis of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Rosacea is a continual skin condition accompanied with irritation and redness over the facial skin. The inflammation in Rosacea generally occurs to the chin and nasal skin but in some cases redness can seen over the forehead, chicks and eyelids as well. Rosacea normally troubles to adults as an inflammatory skin condition and it is rare to be occurred in children.
It is a very sensitive skin condition caused by no convincing and specific reasons where the most apposite cause are given like troubled blood vessels, hereditary threats, Demodex Follicularum and bacterial infection in digestive system.
Considerable Facts about Rosacea
It is unfortunate that in most of cases Rosacea is left untreated or ill-treated due to delusion with acne and most of the times it is unidentified by the sufferer. Along with fused causes for Rosacea, treatments are also available in a bulk. These accumulative methodologies of treatment are really appreciating as they target to ease the inflammation with minimising the recurrence risk as well.
To avoid the sternness of the skin condition it is important to know about the dietary triggers for Rosacea. It has been approved with scientific researches that daily diets play a very important role in affecting the condition of Rosacea. Knowing about proper diet suitability can simply help to sort out the chronic condition of Rosacea.
Important Diets for Treating Rosacea
There are lots of researches done on the positive and negative effects of diets taken during Rosacea. And it has been interestingly approved that some dietary food can cause severe flare ups in Rosacea whether some of them can help to ease-off the inflammation effortlessly.
It has been proved that alkaline based foods are the best suited diets to treat Rosacea completely. To diminish the risk of severity in skin condition it is advised to limit acid forming diets from daily ingestion. So it is important to know about the specific diet result on Rosacea.
Elimination of Diets to Treat Rosacea
Rosacea is all about balancing the pH (Potential of hydrogen) in the body through diets. A better skin growth and rejuvenation of skin depends upon the hydrogen efficiency and balance in our body.
Rosacea patients have been diagnosed with inappropriate pH balance and so is the reddishness and spots on the facial parts. To avoid flare-ups and severity in Rosacea, there should be proper avoidance of foods those affect the pH balance of the body.
Exclusion of Dairy Products
Dairy items such as yogurt and cheese have been reported as the common triggers for flare-ups in Rosacea. Dairy products directly affect the pH balance of the body and cause redness and scales in skin. For a precautionary move it is important to avoid such items from daily routine to get rid of painful and spoilt Rosacea infection.
Eliminating Yeast from Diet
Yeast extracts in diets should be avoided to stop flushing of the pimples and bumps. Yeast provides a perfect environment of growth for bacteria and it causes severe condition of infection and inflammation. Yeast extracts also affect the skin infection and enhance the chance of burst out of skin pimples. Foods such as breads and buns with other bakery items, canned soup and meats are higher in yeast extracts and are bad choice for Rosacea patients.
Evasion of Spicy and Fried Foods
Hot and spicy foods also trigger the aggravating agent for flare-up in Rosacea. In a large number of patients spicy and fried foods are the basic cause in making a severe Rosacea condition. Spices generally used in these kinds of foods affect the digestive system as well as irritation in body and blood vessels.
Elimination of Acidic Diet
Acidic foods cause acid formation in the body which affects the pH balance and causes dehydration and skin redness. To provide a healthy environment for skin regeneration it is important to reduce the amount of acid based diets from daily routine.
Foods like bread, grains, sugar, meat, alcoholic drinks, cake, pasta and nuts are basically cause acid formation in body, so these are not a good pick for a Rosacea patient.
Reduction of Caffeine from Diet
Caffeine sources for body also trigger flare-ups in skin. Due to its hot and acid forming effect, skin fails to tolerate the spoilt balance by adding unusual amount of caffeine in body hence causes outbreaks.
For a proper treatment and minimised risk of recurrence it is needful to cut-back coffee and tea from daily routine. Chocolates are also avoidable to curtail the threat of flare-up in Rosacea.
Also Read
Acne Rosacea- Symptoms, Diagnosis, Causes And Treatment Acne Rosacea- Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Diet For Rosacea Treatment 8 Rosacea Skin Care Tips For Men
Inclusion of Diets to Treat Rosacea
According to the symptoms of Rosacea, it is important to treat it through the surface. First of all it should be kept in mind that any infuriating agent can cause a chronic Rosacea so, it is important to inculcate useful and harmless items in the diet list. The most considerable thing in food selection comes at its compatibility with potential of hydrogen in body. Maintained body balance provides a healthy growth to skin.
Intake of Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are the best nutrition providers for body and skin. Fruits and green vegetables tend to be the best alkaline source in diets which automatically provide a healthy hydrogen amount for a healthy skin.
The goodness of fruits and vegetables enhances the rejuvenation of dull and problem skin and accelerates the process of curing Rosacea by eliminating redness and patches on certain facial areas.
Fruits and vegetables are also useful to improve the digestion and clearing the problems of blood vessels. The ingestion of fruits and vegetables leads to blood purification and formation without any impurities. So the risk of flare-up reduces from every triggered source.
Ingestion of Water in Large Amount ?
To make a proper balance in body it is important to dilate the whole part. Water provides improved digestion and detoxication of whole body which is further needful to enhance the skin health also.
Inclusion of High Fibre Diets
Diets rich in fibre help to enhance digestion and eliminate infection and blockage even in skin pores due to its anti-oxidants properties. Foods like whole grains, green vegetables and fruits are best source of fibres.
With a suitable list of diets for curing symptoms of Rosacea can eliminate the skin condition from roots. For an appropriate action it is needful to consult a dietician or a doctor to know the compulsory balance of nutrition for body and far a diet for Rosacea can be followed without interrupting other necessity of the body.
Earlier today Facebook ecommerce platform Payvment announced it was shutting down and transitioning its 200,000 merchants to competitor Ecwid, but we've just discovered that's because Intuit is acquiring Payvment's team, technology, and patents. Several Payvment employees have already changed their LinkedIn profiles to show Intuit as their new home.
Dubstep and half-shaved heads may be in vogue but that doesn't make them any less terrible. Rather than be screeched at by synthesizers, check out the latest track from a downtempo pioneer. More »
FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, file photo, Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, listens during the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland. Yahoo showed more signs of progress during the fourth quarter of 2012m, as the Internet company took advantage of higher ad prices and rising earnings from its international investments to deliver numbers that exceeded analyst forecasts. The results announced Monday, Jan 28, 2013, covered Yahoo's first full quarter under Mayer. (AP Photo/Keystone, Laurent Gillieron)
FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, file photo, Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, listens during the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland. Yahoo showed more signs of progress during the fourth quarter of 2012m, as the Internet company took advantage of higher ad prices and rising earnings from its international investments to deliver numbers that exceeded analyst forecasts. The results announced Monday, Jan 28, 2013, covered Yahoo's first full quarter under Mayer. (AP Photo/Keystone, Laurent Gillieron)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Yahoo got a little healthier during the last three months of 2012 as the long-suffering Internet company took advantage of higher ad prices and more money coming in from overseas investments to deliver numbers that exceeded analyst forecasts.
The results announced Monday covered Yahoo's first full quarter under CEO Marissa Mayer. Yahoo Inc. lured Mayer away from Google Inc. in mid-July in its latest attempt to snap out of a funk that had depressed its revenue and stock price.
Although Yahoo still isn't keeping pace with the overall growth of the Internet ad market, the company fared well enough during the fourth quarter to produce its first full-year gain in revenue since 2008. It was a scant increase: just $2.4 million higher than 2011's total of nearly $5 billion.
Yahoo is now being run by its fifth permanent or interim CEO since 2008.
Mayer, 37, has raised hopes among investors and employees with her Google pedigree and her pledge to transform Yahoo's website into a mesmerizing destination that attracts Web surfers and advertisers. During her first six months on the job, she has primarily focused on boosting employee morale and building better mobile and social-networking services so Yahoo can make more money from two of technology's hottest trends.
"The future of Yahoo will be about innovation, execution and continued progress on a multi-year march toward growth, delighting users and driving shareholder value," Mayer assured analysts in a Monday conference call.
Investors seem convinced Mayer is headed in the right direction. Yahoo's stock added 50 cents, or nearly 2.5 percent, to $20.81 in extended trading. The shares are up by more than 30 percent since Mayer joined the Sunnyvale, Calif., company.
Yahoo has been feeding the rally by using part of a $7.6 billion windfall that it received from selling half its stake in Chinese Internet company Alibaba Group. The company spent $1.5 billion buying back nearly 80 million of its shares at an average price of $18.24 in the fourth quarter. Buybacks help boost the stock price for remaining shareholders.
Mayer highlighted some of the company's recent strides during the conference call. She said internal surveys show 95 percent of Yahoo's 11,500 employees are optimistic about the company's future. Mayer also touted the potential of a recent redesign of Yahoo's email, saying the number of daily users has increased by 10 percent since the changes were unveiled last month.
Yet Mayer's efforts haven't made a huge difference in Yahoo's ad sales ? the company's main way of making money.
For instance, during the final three months of last year, Yahoo's ad revenue was $1.07 billion, roughly the same as a year earlier. By contrast, fourth-quarter ad revenue at Google surged by 19 percent from the previous year. Another rival, Facebook Inc., is expected to post much stronger ad growth Wednesday when the Internet social-networking leader is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter report.
Overall, Yahoo's fourth-quarter earnings dipped 8 percent to $272 million, or 23 cents per share, down from $296 million, or 24 cents per share. The earnings would have been higher than the previous year, if not for a charge to close its South Korea operations and other one-time accounting items.
If not for those charges, Yahoo said it would have earned 32 cents per share. On that basis, Yahoo topped the average estimate of 27 cents per share among analysts surveyed by FactSet.
Yahoo's fourth-quarter revenue increased 2 percent from the previous year to $1.35 billion.
After subtracting advertising commissions, Yahoo's fourth-quarter revenue stood at $1.22 billion ? about $10 million above analyst forecasts.
Yahoo apparently isn't expecting a big upturn this year. The company predicted its revenue, minus commissions, will range from $1.07 billion to $1.1 billion in the current quarter. That's slightly below analysts' average estimate of $1.12 billion.
In an encouraging sign, Yahoo's average price for display advertising on its website during the fourth quarter rose 7 percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, the average price for Yahoo's search ads increased by 1 percent from the previous year. This marked the first time that Yahoo has detailed the changes in its ad rates from the previous year. The fourth-quarter improvement could be an indication that advertisers believe Mayer's changes are starting to pay off.
Yahoo still needs to work on increasing the volume of display advertising, which declined by 10 percent from the previous year. The number of revenue-generating search ads, though, increased 11 percent from the previous year. That improvement provided proof that Yahoo is harvesting better returns from its Internet-search partnership with Microsoft Corp. The alliance has allowed Yahoo to lower its expenses by relying on Microsoft's technology for most of its search results, but the arrangement had been producing disappointing returns on the advertising front until recently.
Yahoo is still benefiting from its remaining holdings in Alibaba, as well as a roughly 35 percent in Yahoo Japan. Yahoo's fourth-quarter income from its investments increased 17 percent from the previous year to nearly $149 million. Because of a lag in how Yahoo books income from international revenue, the company's results still don't fully reflect the reduced stake in Alibaba. That will occur this year, reducing Yahoo's overseas earnings.
Technology advances coincide with social developments
How will the worlds of social gambling and real-money gambling collide once regulation becomes a reality in the U.S.??Marco Valerio?recently sat down one of the people who will have a front-row seat for that intersection, Caesars Interactive Entertainment CEO Mitch Garber, for a?wide-ranging interview?covering poker and gambling issues both local and global.
Below you?ll find a few of the highlights from their conversation:
More news and interviews and?OnlinePokerReport.com. ?Graphic by?Chris Grove.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) ? African leaders met in the Ethiopian capital Sunday for talks dominated by the conflict in Mali as well as lingering territorial issues between the two Sudans.
The African Union says it will deploy a force in Mali, where French troops are helping the Malian army to push back Islamist extremists whose rebellion threatens to divide the West African nation.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is attending the two-day summit in Addis Ababa, where Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn took over from President Yayi Boni of Benin as chairperson of the African Union.
With Mali at the top of the agenda, African leaders hope they can make quick progress in deploying a substantial number of African troops there. As the African leaders met, French special forces fighting alongside Malian troops were pushing farther north into the Malian desert in an offensive against al Qaida-linked Islamists who took control of northern Mali more than nine months ago.
Africa's economic boom is threatened by violent conflicts across the continent, African Union officials said at the summit.
"While we are proud of the progress made in expanding and consolidating peace and security on the continent, we also acknowledge that much still needs to be done to resolve ongoing, renewed and new conflict situations in a number of countries," said African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Dlamini-Zuma said the Peace and Security Council of the African Union will report to the summit on efforts to resolve conflicts in countries ranging from Mali to Madagascar.
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union said in a statement Saturday that it wanted "the early operationalization of the African Standby Force" in Mali. The council also said it fully supports Mali President Dioncounda Traore but urged him to put in place a roadmap to free and fair elections. It also said the African Union is committed to preserving the unity of Mali and would "spare no efforts" to safeguard the country's territorial integrity.
A number of African countries have pledged to send troops to Mali, and on Tuesday the African Union will hold a conference of donors with hopes that money will be raised for the Mali force. The Peace and Security Council of the African Union urged member states to "seize the opportunity of the donors' conference ... to meaningfully contribute toward the mobilization of the necessary resources."
The council also urged the international community to contribute generously to the Mali force.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Sudan and South Sudan met at the summit in Addis Ababa, although African Union officials said they did not expect them to make much headway. South Sudan President Salva Kiir and Sudan President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month agreed to "the unconditional and speedy" implementation of deals they had reached back in September. But a subsequent meeting of the two countries' negotiating teams that should have outlined timetable for the deal's implementation ended in disagreement.
Ban urged the two Sudans to resume direct talks and spoke of the "dangerous humanitarian situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states."
"In Sudan and South Sudan the parties have taken positive steps to resolve outstanding issues," Ban said. "But they should make more progress in meeting their agreements."
Mediators led by former South African leader Thabo Mbeki have until July to push the two sides to agree on the status of the disputed Abyei region as well as other contested border areas.
Jan. 28, 2013 ? Stem cells from bone marrow or fat improve recovery after stroke in rats, finds a study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy. Treatment with stem cells improved the amount of brain and nerve repair and the ability of the animals to complete behavioural tasks.
Stem cell therapy holds promise for patients but there are many questions which need to be answered, regarding treatment protocols and which cell types to use. This research attempts to address some of these questions.
Rats were treated intravenously with stem cells or saline 30 minutes after a stroke. At 24 hours after stroke the stem cell treated rats showed a better functional recovery. By two weeks these animals had near normal scores in the tests. This improvement was seen even though the stem cells did not appear to migrate to the damaged area of brain. The treated rats also had higher levels of biomarkers implicated in brain repair including, the growth factor VEGF.
A positive result was seen for both fat (adipose) and bone-marrow derived stem cells. Dr Exuperio D?ez-Tejedor from La Paz University Hospital, explained, "Improved recovery was seen regardless of origin of the stem cells, which may increase the usefulness of this treatment in human trials. Adipose-derived cells in particular are abundant and easy to collect without invasive surgery."
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Journal Reference:
Maria Gutierrez-Fernandez, Berta Rodriguez-Frutos, Jaime Ramos-Cejudo, M Teresa Vallejo-Cremades, Blanca Fuentes, Sebastian Cerdan, Exuperio Diez-Tejedor. Effects of intravenous administration of allogenic bone marrow- and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells on functional recovery and brain repair markers in experimental ischemic stroke. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 2013; 4 (1): 11 DOI: 10.1186/scrt159
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
First guidelines for brain amyloid imaging in Alzheimer's releasedPublic release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Susan Martonik smartonik@snmmi.org 703-652-6773 Society of Nuclear Medicine
CHICAGO, January 28, 2013 Only recently has it become possible to create high-quality images of the brain plaques characteristic of Alzheimer's disease in living people through positron emission tomography (PET). Even so, questions remain about what can be learned from these PET images and which people should have this test.
To provide guidance for physicians, individuals and families affected by Alzheimer's, and the public, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the Alzheimer's Association have jointly published the first criteria for the appropriate use of this imaging technology to aid in the diagnosis of people with suspected Alzheimer's disease. The criteria were published online today as an article "in press" by Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association and "ahead of print" in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
"Our primary goal is to provide healthcare practitioners with the information and options available to provide patients with the best possible diagnosis and care in a cost effective manner," said Maria Carrillo, Ph.D., Alzheimer's Association vice president of Medical and Scientific Relations.
Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for Brain Amyloid Imaging with PET in Alzheimer's
While elevated beta amyloid plaques are one of the defining pathologic features of Alzheimer's, many elderly people with normal cognition also have elevated levels of these plaques, as do people with conditions other than Alzheimer's dementia. Therefore, the potential clinical use of amyloid PET requires careful consideration so that its proper role may be identified.
To develop the new criteria, the Alzheimer's Association and SNMMI assembled an Amyloid Imaging Taskforce (AIT) consisting of dementia and imaging experts to review the scientific literature and develop consensus recommendations for the clinical use of this promising new technology.
The AIT concluded that amyloid imaging could potentially be helpful in the diagnosis of people with cognitive impairment when considered along with other clinical information, and when performed according to standardized protocols by trained staff. In addition, they emphasized that the decision whether or not to order amyloid imaging should be made only after a comprehensive evaluation by a physician experienced in the assessment and diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia, and only if the presence or absence of amyloid would increase certainty in the diagnosis and alter the treatment plan.
According to the AIT, appropriate candidates for amyloid PET imaging include:
Those who complain of persistent or progressive unexplained memory problems or confusion and who demonstrate impairments using standard tests of cognition and memory.
Individuals meeting tests for possible Alzheimer's, but who are unusual in their clinical presentation.
Individuals with progressive dementia and atypically early age of onset (before age 65).
Inappropriate candidates for amyloid PET imaging include:
Those who are age 65 or older and meet standard definitions and tests for Alzheimer's, since a positive PET scan would provide little added value.
Asymptomatic people or those with a cognitive complaint but no clinical confirmation of impairment.
Amyloid PET imaging is also inappropriate:
As a means of determining the severity of dementia.
When requested solely based on a family history of dementia or presence of other risk factors for Alzheimer's, such as the ApoE-e4 gene.
As a substitute for genetic testing for mutations that cause Alzheimer's.
For non-medical reasons, such as insurance, legal or employment decisions.
"As amyloid imaging becomes more prevalent in clinical settings, medical professionals must understand how to appropriately utilize the test," said Frederic H. Fahey, D.Sc., SNMMI president. "Neurology and dementia experts should order the test only when appropriately indicated, and nuclear medicine and molecular imaging professionals must ensure they have been adequately trained to interpret the results of the scan. Working together, we hope that the information garnered from amyloid PET imaging will aid in diagnosis and play a pivotal role in the development of new treatments for Alzheimer's."
The taskforce acknowledged that the healthcare provider makes the ultimate judgment regarding the care of each patient. The AIT sought to assist this process and identified the following general sequence of events for the use of amyloid PET according to the new criteria:
Evaluation by a dementia expert to assess the need for diagnostic testing, possibly to include amyloid PET if the AUC are met.
Referral to a qualified provider of amyloid PET services.
Performance, interpretation and reporting of the amyloid PET scan according to established standards.
Incorporation of the PET result into the clinical assessment process.
Disclosure of the PET result by the clinician to the patient and caregivers, along with discussion of the result and its management consequences.
Although identifying potential benefits, the AIT concluded that amyloid PET results will not constitute and is not equivalent to a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease dementia. They said that imaging is only one tool among many that clinicians should use judiciously to manage patients, and that amyloid PET imaging does not substitute for a careful history and examination.
"Because both dementia care and amyloid PET technology are in active development, these new appropriate use criteria will require periodic reassessment and updating," Carrillo said.
PET Amyloid Imaging in Alzheimer's An Overview
PET uses radiopharmaceuticals (radioactive drugs) to produce three-dimensional functional images of the brain or other body part. In amyloid PET imaging, the radiopharmaceutical is introduced into the body by injection into a vein and binds specifically to the amyloid protein, enabling visualization of areas in the brain where amyloid has clumped together into plaques. One of the new PET compounds was approved for general use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2012.
If a person with dementia does not have amyloid buildup in their brain, then the cause of the dementia is very likely to be something other than Alzheimer's disease. Other causes of dementia include: strokes, thyroid problems, drug interactions, chronic alcoholism, and vitamin deficiencies.
If an amyloid imaging PET scan shows that a person with memory impairment has amyloid buildup in their brain, this increases the likelihood that the memory impairment is caused by Alzheimer's disease, but it remains a likelihood, not a certainty.
If a person without memory complaints or impairment has amyloid buildup, it does not necessarily mean that they will develop Alzheimer's. Many people have amyloid in their brains but are cognitively normal. More research is needed to understand the significance of amyloid plaques in this population.
Amyloid imaging is not covered by insurance at this time, and costs for the scan are "out of pocket." While costs of amyloid PET are not yet established, and PET costs in general can vary depending upon location, other PET scans are known to cost between $1,000 and $3,000, or more. Nonetheless, the AIT concluded that the proven sensitivity and specificity of the new radiopharmaceuticals for brain amyloid and the known association between brain beta amyloid deposition and Alzheimer's suggest these new radiopharmaceuticals could potentially be helpful in the workup and diagnosis of patients with cognitive impairment.
###
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First guidelines for brain amyloid imaging in Alzheimer's releasedPublic release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Susan Martonik smartonik@snmmi.org 703-652-6773 Society of Nuclear Medicine
CHICAGO, January 28, 2013 Only recently has it become possible to create high-quality images of the brain plaques characteristic of Alzheimer's disease in living people through positron emission tomography (PET). Even so, questions remain about what can be learned from these PET images and which people should have this test.
To provide guidance for physicians, individuals and families affected by Alzheimer's, and the public, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the Alzheimer's Association have jointly published the first criteria for the appropriate use of this imaging technology to aid in the diagnosis of people with suspected Alzheimer's disease. The criteria were published online today as an article "in press" by Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association and "ahead of print" in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
"Our primary goal is to provide healthcare practitioners with the information and options available to provide patients with the best possible diagnosis and care in a cost effective manner," said Maria Carrillo, Ph.D., Alzheimer's Association vice president of Medical and Scientific Relations.
Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for Brain Amyloid Imaging with PET in Alzheimer's
While elevated beta amyloid plaques are one of the defining pathologic features of Alzheimer's, many elderly people with normal cognition also have elevated levels of these plaques, as do people with conditions other than Alzheimer's dementia. Therefore, the potential clinical use of amyloid PET requires careful consideration so that its proper role may be identified.
To develop the new criteria, the Alzheimer's Association and SNMMI assembled an Amyloid Imaging Taskforce (AIT) consisting of dementia and imaging experts to review the scientific literature and develop consensus recommendations for the clinical use of this promising new technology.
The AIT concluded that amyloid imaging could potentially be helpful in the diagnosis of people with cognitive impairment when considered along with other clinical information, and when performed according to standardized protocols by trained staff. In addition, they emphasized that the decision whether or not to order amyloid imaging should be made only after a comprehensive evaluation by a physician experienced in the assessment and diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia, and only if the presence or absence of amyloid would increase certainty in the diagnosis and alter the treatment plan.
According to the AIT, appropriate candidates for amyloid PET imaging include:
Those who complain of persistent or progressive unexplained memory problems or confusion and who demonstrate impairments using standard tests of cognition and memory.
Individuals meeting tests for possible Alzheimer's, but who are unusual in their clinical presentation.
Individuals with progressive dementia and atypically early age of onset (before age 65).
Inappropriate candidates for amyloid PET imaging include:
Those who are age 65 or older and meet standard definitions and tests for Alzheimer's, since a positive PET scan would provide little added value.
Asymptomatic people or those with a cognitive complaint but no clinical confirmation of impairment.
Amyloid PET imaging is also inappropriate:
As a means of determining the severity of dementia.
When requested solely based on a family history of dementia or presence of other risk factors for Alzheimer's, such as the ApoE-e4 gene.
As a substitute for genetic testing for mutations that cause Alzheimer's.
For non-medical reasons, such as insurance, legal or employment decisions.
"As amyloid imaging becomes more prevalent in clinical settings, medical professionals must understand how to appropriately utilize the test," said Frederic H. Fahey, D.Sc., SNMMI president. "Neurology and dementia experts should order the test only when appropriately indicated, and nuclear medicine and molecular imaging professionals must ensure they have been adequately trained to interpret the results of the scan. Working together, we hope that the information garnered from amyloid PET imaging will aid in diagnosis and play a pivotal role in the development of new treatments for Alzheimer's."
The taskforce acknowledged that the healthcare provider makes the ultimate judgment regarding the care of each patient. The AIT sought to assist this process and identified the following general sequence of events for the use of amyloid PET according to the new criteria:
Evaluation by a dementia expert to assess the need for diagnostic testing, possibly to include amyloid PET if the AUC are met.
Referral to a qualified provider of amyloid PET services.
Performance, interpretation and reporting of the amyloid PET scan according to established standards.
Incorporation of the PET result into the clinical assessment process.
Disclosure of the PET result by the clinician to the patient and caregivers, along with discussion of the result and its management consequences.
Although identifying potential benefits, the AIT concluded that amyloid PET results will not constitute and is not equivalent to a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease dementia. They said that imaging is only one tool among many that clinicians should use judiciously to manage patients, and that amyloid PET imaging does not substitute for a careful history and examination.
"Because both dementia care and amyloid PET technology are in active development, these new appropriate use criteria will require periodic reassessment and updating," Carrillo said.
PET Amyloid Imaging in Alzheimer's An Overview
PET uses radiopharmaceuticals (radioactive drugs) to produce three-dimensional functional images of the brain or other body part. In amyloid PET imaging, the radiopharmaceutical is introduced into the body by injection into a vein and binds specifically to the amyloid protein, enabling visualization of areas in the brain where amyloid has clumped together into plaques. One of the new PET compounds was approved for general use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2012.
If a person with dementia does not have amyloid buildup in their brain, then the cause of the dementia is very likely to be something other than Alzheimer's disease. Other causes of dementia include: strokes, thyroid problems, drug interactions, chronic alcoholism, and vitamin deficiencies.
If an amyloid imaging PET scan shows that a person with memory impairment has amyloid buildup in their brain, this increases the likelihood that the memory impairment is caused by Alzheimer's disease, but it remains a likelihood, not a certainty.
If a person without memory complaints or impairment has amyloid buildup, it does not necessarily mean that they will develop Alzheimer's. Many people have amyloid in their brains but are cognitively normal. More research is needed to understand the significance of amyloid plaques in this population.
Amyloid imaging is not covered by insurance at this time, and costs for the scan are "out of pocket." While costs of amyloid PET are not yet established, and PET costs in general can vary depending upon location, other PET scans are known to cost between $1,000 and $3,000, or more. Nonetheless, the AIT concluded that the proven sensitivity and specificity of the new radiopharmaceuticals for brain amyloid and the known association between brain beta amyloid deposition and Alzheimer's suggest these new radiopharmaceuticals could potentially be helpful in the workup and diagnosis of patients with cognitive impairment.
###
[ | 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.
The effectiveness of green tea, along the following:
1, Weight-loss reduce fat: green tea rich theophylline and caffeine, many effects via activation of protein kinase and triglyceride lipase to reduce the accumulation of fat cells, and thus arrive slimming effectiveness.
2, Prevention of dental caries, clear bad breath: green tea rich fluorinated meantime catechins can inhibit the effect of cariogenic bacteria, reducing plaque and periodontitis onset. Tea contains tannic acid, has a sterilizing effect, crumbs of food residue can hinder the proliferation of bacteria, it can be useful to prevent bad breath.
3, Anti-cancer: green tea inhibit the effect of certain cancers, but its principles are limited inference time. Episodes of anti-cancer, more tea must be the effect of positive encouragement.
4, Whitening and anti-UV effect: professors found in animal studies, green tea catechins resistant to UV-B induced skin cancer.
5, Improve indigestion status: discussion show, green tea can help improve the situation of indigestion, for example by the bacteria causing acute diarrhea, drink a little green tea to alleviate the condition.
How to DIY skin whitening mask How to DIY skin whitening mask? It is really too much! But looks like I used pearl powder mask on the most effective, and if it is oily skin on the add egg white pearl powder, pearl powder mask on d...
DIY Whitening Mask 1, The tomato mash, filter juice applied to the face, wash after 20 minutes several times a day, make the skin white, but also to rid of freckles.
2, The tomato mash to mud, tomato juice with a pap...
Healthy skin care life-style in winter 1. Always wear warm clothes which are made of wool, silk and cotton.
2. When you are wearing clothes in layers wear cotton clothes next to your skin as they do not cause skin allergy. Moreover they...
The nutritional value and effectiveness of quail Quail meat, mainly composed of protein, fat, inorganic salts; and has a variety of amino acids, low cholesterol content characteristics. Hectogram quail meat up to 24.3 grams of protein content, highe...
What food to eat beneficial to diabetes patients For diabetic patients, the dietotherapy effect to control blood sugar and prevent complications. 6 kinds of food can become a "nemesis" in some respects for diabetes.
1, Apple. A study in Finland...
Tomato strawberry detoxification anti-acne mask Material: 1 fresh tomato, 2 fresh strawberries
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What to eat vegetables for maternal? 1, The lotus root: lotus root contains large amounts of starch, vitamins and minerals, nutrient-rich, light and refreshing, to spleen and stomach. Maternal eating lotus root, early removal of intra-ab...
How to do dry lips in winter ? tips for dry lips The skin of the lips is very thin, once the weather is too dry, it is easy to cause cracking, so winter must care lips.
Methods / steps
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A comprehensive fruits and vegetables for beauty 1.Tomato
A glass of tomato juice every day to increase amount of cod liver oil consumption, make his face ruddy, plump.
2.Watermelon
Wipe the leftover watermelon rind face, adhere to a few da...
6 Notes Oral antihypertensive drugs Required oral antihypertensive drugs, should note the following:
1, In the take medicine process to regularly measure blood pressure, 3-7 days measured one time.
2, Using a single drug, two week...
Tags: effectiveness of green tea, green tea This entry was posted on Sunday, January 27th, 2013 and is filed under Health Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
The Catholic Church in England and Wales has issued a new booklet warning teachers and governors at Catholic schools that they risk dismissal if they enter a relationship that is not approved by the Church.
The warning comes in a booklet by written by Monsignor Marcus Stock, general secretary of the Catholic Bishops' conference of England and Wales and co-published by the Catholic Education Service.
British Catholic weekly newspaper, The Tablet, reports:
"Under the heading of "substantive life choices", Mgr Stock includes marriage in a non-Catholic church or register office without canonical dispensation, remarriage after divorce and "maintaining a partnership of intimacy with another person, outside a form of marriage approved by the Church and which would, at least in the public forum, carry the presumption from their public behaviour of this being a non-chaste relationship". This also applies to all staff in a Catholic school."
Other "substantive life choices" he rules unacceptable include "maintaining the publication or distribution of, or by any other means of social communication or technology, material content which is contrary to gospel values".
Many 'faith' schools are granted special legal privileges enabling them to discriminate in employment on religious grounds. Many teachers can find themselves blocked from certain positions because they are non-believers or of the 'wrong' faith. In addition, teachers can be disciplined or dismissed for conduct which is 'incompatible with the precepts of the school's religion.
The National Secular Society has described the Catholic Church's restrictions on its employees personal relationships as "prurient and tyrannical."
Stephen Evans, campaigns manager at the National Secular Society, said:
"It is scandalous that the Catholic Church is able to use taxpayers' money to practise this sort of crude discrimination. The document is completely unacceptable. The way a person arranges their private life, so long as it is within the law, should be of no concern to an employer.
"We will be writing to the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, asking how he can justify a law that permits teachers in faith schools to be disciplined or dismissed for conduct which is 'incompatible with the precepts of the school's religion. Such a harsh and unfair law drives a coach and horses through equality legislation and leaves teachers, paid using public money, uniquely vulnerable to religious discrimination."
The level of discrimination permitted in 'faith' schools is currently the subject of an investigation at the European Commission following a complaint by the National Secular Society concerning whether UK legislation relating to state funded 'faith' schools breaches European employment laws.
The NSS has made clear that if it comes across anyone who has been fired from a Catholic school simply because they are living in a relationship that the Church does not approve of, it would be happy to assist them in a legal challenge.
Selecting a health care plan can be an overwhelming task, because the options and coverages can be seemingly endless. Which insurance company should you choose? How much of a deductible should you opt for? Is your current doctor "in network?"
Which is better, a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) or HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)? Consumer Reports has a guide to help you understand the different "managed care" options available, and to choose the best one for you. The features and differences are many. For example, if you don't want to have to worry about referrals and finding providers "in network," you may want to choose a PPO. With an HMO you might have to pay the full cost to see a provider out-of-network.
Consider a plan's deductible, the minimum amount you'll be responsible for paying before the insurance coverage kicks in. Because the lower the deductible, the higher your premium will be, if you're in good health and have few regular medical expenses, you may want to opt for an insurance plan with a higher deductible.
Next, think about co-pays, the costs you share with the insurance company. You may be responsible for a set amount, say $15, for an office visit, and $100 for a trip to the emergency room. Insurance plans also often have co-insurance, where you'll share an 80/20 or 90/10 or similar agreement with the insurance company. They'll pay 80 percent of the bill, and you'll be responsible for the balance, up to your out-of-pocket maximum, after which insurance should pick up 100 percent of the bill. The higher your out-of-pocket maximum is, the lower your premiums will be. You should weigh this aspect of each plan carefully.
Beware cheap health insurance. Of course, you want to snag the best deal possible, and pay the least amount in monthly premiums. Fully understand the plan and all of its benefits and limits before you agree to a plan. Ask questions and take notes to compare, if you have to. Check Standard & Poors insurance ratings, and try to choose a plan with a company which has an "A" or higher rating. Watch out for things like "no major medical," "guaranteed acceptance," and discounts up to a certain amount. These can be red flags for "junk" insurance plans.
Buy what you need. Don't get roped in to paying more for extended plans or extra benefits that won't actually benefit you that much. Conversely, don't get caught without the coverage you will need. Does the plan you're considering cover hospital stays and prescription drugs? The plan you choose should cover both, as well as outpatient treatments, emergency services, lab work and imaging, preventive care, mental health, substance abuse, rehabilitation services and maternity care (if you're a female of childbearing age).
Know the difference between a discount plan and insurance plan. For a discount plan, you'll pay a monthly fee for a card that may entitle you to discounts from certain providers. These are not intended to be a substitute for a full health insurance plan, and many are scams that won't actually offer you much for your investment. Consumer Reports recommends familiarizing yourself with the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Information article about the difference between discount plans and health insurance.
Insurance plans, other than Medicare, must now provide a standard Summary of Benefits and Coverage form, detailing deductibles, co-insurance, co-pays, benefits and limitations. Use this form to help you compare different plans.
Share your thoughts and experience about shopping for insurance coverage?below in the comments.
An overweight person walks in a street of the northern city of Lille on October 19, 2012. AFP PHOTO PHILIPPE HUGUEN
DAVOS, Switzerland - Obesity has become a global pandemic that could leave more than half of all adults worldwide overweight within two decades, experts said, calling for urgent action beyond just blaming people for lacking willpower.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, health, nutrition and fitness experts said the world's increasingly deadly obesity crisis needs to be tackled with the same determination policy-makers once took to fighting smoking.
With our food more and more unhealthy and our lives increasingly sedentary, answers are needed to address a crisis that is driving up diabetes, boosting heart disease and already killing 2.8 million adults per year, they said.
The current figure of 1.4 billion adults already overweight globally is set to soar, Linda Fried, dean of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, told a panel on obesity at the annual gathering of the global elite.
"In another 20 years, if things continue to increase the way they are, it may well be that 50-60 percent of the world's adult population will be overweight," Fried said.
"If this were an infectious disease we might call it a pandemic. It's not regional, it's global, it's increasing rapidly, it's continuing to escalate -- those are the basic definitions of a pandemic," she said.
The first step to resolving the crisis, the experts said, is overcoming the instinctive reaction many have to obesity -- blaming the obese themselves instead of the conditions around them.
"In 30 years, the percent of the world's population that is overweight or obese has doubled," Fried said. "There's no evidence that there has been a collective global loss of willpower."
The blame rests instead with the easy availability -- and relative cheapness -- of higher-calorie foods and increasing urbanization that has led to less active lifestyles, the experts said.
'Inactivity crisis'
Lisa MacCallum Carter, Nike's Vice-President for Access to Sport, said obesity was linked to an "inactivity crisis" as a result of urbanization.
She said significant amounts of daily exercise from incidental movement had been lost, with for example people now sending emails instead of walking across the office to talk to a colleague.
She cited research showing that Americans are now 32 percent less active than in 1967, and if current trends continue they will be 50 percent less active by 2030.
In just half a generation, she said, the Chinese had also become 45 percent less active.
At the same time, the foods we eat are becoming less healthy, with fattier, higher-salt and artificial products easier to produce and distribute, the experts said.
"The ways we see markets working are accelerating these trends very rapidly," said Marc Van Ameringen, executive director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
Some governments, as in the United States, are encouraging this by subsidizing industrial food production, as with corn syrup, which is widely used in prepared foods as a sweetener and thickener, he said.
"Look at the money that goes into producing corn and corn-syrup products, compared to the subsidies that go into producing fruit and vegetables," he said.
Fried said some policy-makers have taken encouraging steps to fight obesity, like Mayor Michael Bloomberg of her native New York.
His crusade against junk food has seen the city ban the sale of supersize soft drinks and require fast-food restaurants to label menus with calorie information.
The experts said steps like widespread calorie-labeling laws, limits on portion sizes and increased taxes on unhealthy food would make a difference.
Too much blame on food companies
Paul Bulcke, the CEO of Swiss food giant Nestle, said too much blame was being laid on food companies.
"It is a very complex problem," he said. "Yes, we are attacked, but that comes a bit from a society that wants to blame."
He said Nestle supported "meaningful labeling" of its products and that governments had an obligation to increase nutritional education.
MacCallum Carter of Nike said more had to be done to restore physical activity to daily life.
"On the nutrition side this problem is being looked at in a very sophisticated way," she said. "But we're certainly not resolving the physical activity crisis."
The experts said children needed to be involved in sport and individuals, companies and governments needed to work together to boost physical activity, for example by redesigning urban spaces to require more walking.
"We have a health emergency, it is global and it is of huge dimensions... We can only solve it together," Fried said. - Rappler.com
Squirrel monkey "Baker" rode a Jupiter IRBM into space and back in 1959. 
Rosacea is a continual skin condition accompanied with irritation and redness over the facial skin. The inflammation in Rosacea generally occurs to the chin and nasal skin but in some cases redness can seen over the forehead, chicks and eyelids as well. Rosacea normally troubles to adults as an inflammatory skin condition and it is rare to be occurred in children.
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