Common gene variants explain 42 percent of antidepressant response

Friday, March 29, 2013

Antidepressants are commonly prescribed for the treatment of depression, but many individuals do not experience symptom relief from treatment. The National Institute of Mental Health's STAR*D study, the largest and longest study ever conducted to evaluate depression treatment, found that only approximately one-third of patients responded within their initial medication trial and approximately one-third of patients did not have an adequate clinical response after being treated with several different medications. Thus, identifying predictors of antidepressant response could help to guide the treatment of this disorder.

A new study published in Biological Psychiatry now shares progress in identifying genomic predictors of antidepressant response.

Many previous studies have searched for genetic markers that may predict antidepressant response, but have done so despite not knowing the contribution of genetic factors. Dr. Katherine Tansey of Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London and colleagues resolved to answer that question.

"Our study quantified, for the first time, how much is response to antidepressant medication influenced by an individual's genetic make-up," said Tansey.

To perform this work, the researchers estimated the magnitude of the influence of common genetic variants on antidepressant response using a sample of 2,799 antidepressant-treated subjects with major depressive disorder and genome-wide genotyping data.

They found that genetic variants explain 42% of individual differences, and therefore, significantly influence antidepressant response.

"While we know that there are no genetic markers with strong effect, this means that there are many genetic markers involved. While each specific genetic marker may have a small effect, they may add up to make a meaningful prediction," Tansey added.

"We have a very long way to go to identify genetic markers that can usefully guide the treatment of depression. There are two critical challenges to this process," said Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "First, we need to have genomic markers that strongly predict response or non-response to available treatments. Second, markers for non-response to available treatments also need to predict response to an alternative treatment. Both of these conditions need to be present for markers of non-response to guide personalized treatments of depression."

"Although the Tansey et al. study represents progress, it is clear that we face enormous challenges with regards to both objectives," he added. "For example, it does not yet appear that having a less favorable genomic profile is a sufficiently strong negative predictor of response to justify withholding antidepressant treatment. Similarly, there is lack of clarity as to how to optimally treat patients who might have less favorable genomic profile."

Additional research is certainly required, but scientists hope that one day, results such as these can lead to personalized treatment for depression.

###

Elsevier: http://www.elsevier.com

Thanks to Elsevier for this article.

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Small Talk: Small businesses squabble over paid sick-time laws ...

FILE- In this Friday, Jan. 18 2013 file photo, activists hold signs during a rally at New York's City Hall to call for immediate action on paid sick days legislation. Two months after a severe flu season forced millions of workers to stay home, paid sick time is becoming an issue for many small business owners. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Two months after a severe flu season forced millions of workers to stay home, paid sick time is becoming an issue for many small business owners.

City councils in Portland, Ore., and Philadelphia earlier this month approved laws requiring employers to give their workers paid sick leave. And two Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill in Congress that would make paid sick leave a federal requirement.

There?s a great divide among business owners over the issue. On one side are opponents who say paid sick time creates financial and administrative burdens for businesses that are struggling with a still recovering economy and uncertainty about health care costs and federal budget cuts. Others argue that it makes for a happier workplace and encourages employees to stay home instead of coming to work and infecting everyone around them.

"It increases morale, it increases loyalty, it provides a much safer work environment," says Andy Shallal, owner of Busboys and Poets, a chain of four restaurants in the Washington D.C., area. He was already giving his workers paid sick time before the Washington City Council passed a sick leave law in 2008. It?s particularly important in the restaurant business that sick employees don?t come to work.

"It?s gross. Nobody wants to have anyone preparing their food when they?re sick," Shallal says.

A lot of Americans get paid sick leave, including many who work at small businesses. A study issued in July by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 66 percent of small businesses, those with up to 499 workers, provided paid sick leave. Among companies with fewer than 50 workers, half provided leave. Eighty-two percent of workers at companies with 500 or more employees have paid sick leave.

Lawmakers have been stepping in to get paid sick leave extended to more workers. San Francisco is widely believed to be the first major city to enact a paid sick leave law. The law, which requires that sick time be given to all workers, took effect in 2007. Since then, Washington, Seattle and Connecticut have enacted laws and Portland?s City Council passed its bill on March 13. The laws aren?t identical, but all generally provide for workers to accrue sick time and to also use it for family illnesses and some types of emergencies.

Paid sick leave has run into roadblocks in other cities. Philadelphia?s City Council passed its bill March 14, but Mayor Michael Nutter vetoed a similar bill in 2011. He hasn?t decided yet whether he?ll sign the latest bill, spokesman Mark McDonald says.

Among the consequences cited by opponents of paid sick time: Companies will have to pay overtime to replacement workers, financially strapping businesses that are already struggling in an uncertain economy. The added expense will prevent them from expanding, or hiring other workers. Keeping track of accrued sick time will force an owner or another employee to take time away from other critical tasks.

Those issues are likely to be raised in Congress, where Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, have reintroduced the Healthy Families Act, which would require that workers be allowed to earn up to seven days of paid sick time a year. DeLauro has introduced such a bill in every Congress since 2004. In the last Congress, the bill didn?t make it to the House floor.

story continues below

DeLauro expects opposition from small businesses, but she notes that companies with fewer than 50 employees will be exempt.

"This is not only helpful for workers, but smart for employers," she said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It reduces turnover, increases productivity and prevents the spread of illness."

A study by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics issued last month showed that workers generally take few sick days. Those in industries including financial services, information, transportation and professional services took an average of about four sick days a year. Those in the leisure, hospitality and construction industries took about two days.

Many small company owners say paid sick time is good business.

"We like many bookstores in the country do not pay exceptionally well," says Bradley Graham, owner of Politics & Prose in Washington. "We?re very happy to be able to offer additional compensation to the staff in the form of paid sick leave."

Fears that businesses won?t be able to grow if they have to pay for sick time are groundless, says Andy Shallal, the Washington restaurant owner.

"With sick leave, we?ve expanded, we?ve hired more people," Shallal says. "Business associations tend to go through this apoplectic fit almost to scare people into believing this is going to be a horrible thing for business, when in reality, it?s not."

Another reason why many business owners support the laws is they don?t want people coming into work and infecting co-workers and customers.

"There?s much more awareness among employers about public health concerns," says Ophelia Galindo, a human resources consultant with Buck Consultants in Orange County, Calif. "It?s much better for that sick employee to be at home ? even employers that are struggling realize that?s important."

Joyce Rosenberg covers small business for The Associated Press.

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/56073552-79/sick-paid-workers-leave.html.csp

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Children?s Specialized Hospital President Inducted into the New Jersey Women?s Hall of Fame

Amy Mansue, of Hightstown New Jersey, president of the nation's largest pediatric rehabilitation hospital inducted into the New Jersey Women's Hall of Fame by the YWCA of Trenton.

New Brunswick and Hightstown, New Jersey (PRWEB) March 28, 2013

Children?s Specialized Hospital is proud to announce the recent induction of Amy Mansue, president and chief executive officer, Children?s Specialized Hospital and resident of Hightstown into the 2013 New Jersey Women?s Hall of Fame presented by YWCA in Trenton. New Jersey Women?s Hall of Fame inductees are women who have made invaluable contributions to their career fields, and have exemplified the YWCA?s goal of eradicating racism and empowering women to better the lives of those living in their community.

Ms. Mansue?s induction into the New Jersey Women?s Hall of Fame is a reflection of the accomplishments she has achieved throughout her career. Since 2003, she has been responsible for the operations and management of Children?s Specialized Hospital, the largest provider of pediatric rehabilitation services in the country. Previously, she served as deputy chief of staff for former New Jersey Governors? Jim Florio and James McGreevey. In 1993, Ms. Mansue oversaw programs for children, people with developmental disabilities, and Medicaid as deputy commissioner in the New Jersey Department of Human Services. Ms. Mansue also served as vice president of Cablevision, senior vice president of strategic development for the Health Insurance Plan of New York, and president of the Health Insurance Plan of New Jersey.

?Amy's excellent leadership at Children's Specialized Hospital is invaluable to the success of our mission and health of our patients. Amy has spent her career growing professionals and community advocates,? said Robin Walton, director of Community and Government Affairs at Thomas Edison State College and chairwoman of the board of trustees of Children?s Specialized Hospital. ?She continues to inspire others by her example of empowering women to succeed, and children and their families. Children?s Specialized Hospital congratulates Amy on her well deserved recognition by YWCA of Trenton.?

Ms. Mansue has also been selected as one of the 100 most powerful people in New Jersey business by NJBiz, and one of the top 40 executives under the age of 40 by Modern Healthcare. Ms. Mansue has also been formally recognized by numerous non-profit organizations for her work on health care reform and for helping improve the lives of people with disabilities.

The Class of 2013 of the New Jersey Women?s Hall of Fame was inducted on March 21, 2013 at The Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village in Princeton. Honoraries also include Lisa P. Jackson, former administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency; General Becky Halstead of the United States Army and first female commanding general in Iraq; Eleanor V. Horne, Community activist and former vice president of ETS; June Ballinger, executive director of the Passage Theatre Company; Dr. Gloria Santiago, Board of governors member and professor at Rutgers University and given posthumously, Mary G. Roebling, chairwoman of National State Bank.

The YWCA, host of the New Jersey Women?s Hall of Fame inauguration, is the oldest and largest multicultural women?s organization in the world. The organization has over 25 million members in 122 countries, including 2.6 million members and participants in 300 local associations in the United States. The YWCA focuses on building dedicated female leaders, providing safe environments for women in need, and promotes women?s civil rights.

Children?s Specialized Hospital is the preeminent provider of rehabilitation services for children with special needs. The hospital serves children affected by brain injury, spinal cord injury, premature birth, autism, developmental delays, and life-changing illnesses. Children?s Specialized Hospital has nine sites in New Jersey and treats 20,000 children each year, making it the largest pediatric rehabilitation system of its kind in the nation. Services include outpatient services, acute rehabilitation, and long-term care through its sites in Bayonne, Clifton, Egg Harbor Township, Mountainside, Toms River, Fanwood, Hamilton, New Brunswick and Roselle Park as well as outreach programs in many communities. Children's Specialized Hospital is a proud member of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Children?s Specialized Hospital Foundation supports the programs and services of the hospital. The Foundation is ranked among the top six pediatric hospital foundations in the country. To help, or find more information: visit http://www.childrens-specialized.org; join us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/childrensspecialized, or follow us on Twitter @ChildrensSpecNJ.

Rebecca Mazzarella
Childrens Specialized Hospital
908-447-8126
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/children-specialized-hospital-president-inducted-jersey-women-hall-140029372.html

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World Water Crisis Could Lead to Big Investing Opportunity ...

When you turn on the faucet of your kitchen sink or bathroom shower, it's easy to forget that behind the water is a really big business. From finding a clean source, to purifying it, and getting it into your home, there are plenty of ways to profit from good old H2O. And the demand for safe, clean water in every corner of the world has never been higher.

We were reminded of its importance last week with the United Nation's 20th annual World Water Day. Connecticut Water Services (CTWS) marked the occasion by ringing the closing bell at the Nasdaq marketsite. Their CEO, Eric Thornburg notes that World Water Day "commemorates the impact that water has on the lives of people all over the world. And of course in the U.S. we?re very proud of that impact, because people can take a drink of water and not have a second thought about its safety or freshness. But in other parts of the world you can?t do that. There are over a billion people around the globe that do not have access to safe drinking water."

But from that global crisis flows opportunity. Investors are catching on to the value of water and many believe it could be the next great commodity to invest in.

The S&P Global Water Index (CGW) outperformed the benchmark S&P 500 index last year rising 21% against the S&P's 16% gain. PowerShares Water Resources fund (PHO), the largest ETF in the sector, saw a 23% jump in 2012 as well, and Thornburg's Connecticut Water Services, despite facing some near-term price pressure, is up 20% in the last five years.

"I think the real investment opportunity is in the infrastructure and the systems that treat and protect this resource," Thornburg says. "Purifying the water and pumping it and storing it and having it available when it's needed, that's really our business."

One of the biggest challenges to the business is that aging water infrastructure. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, our country loses 1.7 trillion gallons of water annually due to leaks and water main breaks. That's enough to supply the ten largest cities in the U.S. for a year.

"Unfortunately there's a lot of backlog to catch up on because for many years people weren't replacing pipe on a systematic basis," Thornburg says."We replace one percent of our underground assets every year and then we apply a surcharge to customers bills to recover that capital."

Once Connecticut Water recovers that capital, shareholders reap the benefits in the form of a dividend yielding 3.3%. But money isn't the only perk of staying on top of repairs. Thornburg points out that his company's pipe replacement plan alone creates 160 high-paying, highly skilled jobs.

Still, new jobs means more spending for Thornburg and he isn't looking to Washington for help.

"We have chosen not to take advantage of federal funding," he says. "We?ve sought access to private capital because it is so much more efficient to attract it and deploy it and it doesn?t have nearly the load of regulatory requirements. I would really like to see our government leaders solve that because capital is really needed by the municipalities and towns who own their own water systems and that would help them to solve their problems."

Another one of those problems is demand. As the world population grows and water sources shrink, Thornburg's industry is increasingly concerned about keeping up. "Customers are going to have to be willing to pay a bit more," he admits, "and we?re going to have to be good stewards of this so that future generations don?t have to invest far more than they should."

Is there a company you would like to see us profile? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/world-water-crisis-could-lead-big-investing-opportunity-183107589.html

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Syria's Assad appeals to African summit for help

In this image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Syrian rebels battle with regime forces in Homs, Syria, Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Mortars rounds struck several areas of Damascus on Tuesday, killing several people, a government official said, while anti-regime activists said Syrian troops seized control of a neighborhood in the central city of Homs that is considered a symbol of opposition to President Bashar Assad's regime. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)

In this image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Syrian rebels battle with regime forces in Homs, Syria, Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Mortars rounds struck several areas of Damascus on Tuesday, killing several people, a government official said, while anti-regime activists said Syrian troops seized control of a neighborhood in the central city of Homs that is considered a symbol of opposition to President Bashar Assad's regime. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) ? Syria's increasingly isolated president sent a letter calling for help from leaders of five nations at an economic meeting Wednesday in South Africa to help end his country's civil war.

Bashar Assad's appeal to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa came a day after the Arab League endorsed Syria's Western-backed opposition coalition, allowing it to take the country's seat at a summit in Doha, Qatar. The move drew strong condemnation from Damascus, which warned it will take "appropriate measures" to defend its sovereignty.

Attempts to end Syria's 2-year-old conflict through peaceful means have failed to make progress. The opposition, including the main Syrian National Coalition, says it will accept nothing less than Assad's departure from power while Assad's government has vowed to continue the battle until the rebel forces ? which it refers to as terrorists ? are crushed.

"This requires a clear international will to dry up the sources of terrorism and stop its funding and arming," Assad said in the letter, which was carried by Syrian state media on Wednesday. It was addressed to the leaders at the BRICS forum, which was started in 2009 amid the economic meltdown to chart a new and more equitable world economic order.

Assad said Syria is subjected to "acts of terrorism backed by Arab, regional and Western nations" and asked the leaders to "work for an immediate cessation of violence that would guarantee the success of the political solution."

The opposition's ascension to the Arab League further demonstrated the extent of the regime's isolation two years into a civil war that the U.N. says has killed an estimated 70,000 people.

In a further show of solidarity with anti-Assad forces, the summit in Qatar endorsed the "right of each state" to provide the Syrian people and the rebel Free Syrian Army with "all necessary means to ... defend themselves, including military means."

Following up on the endorsement, the Syrian National Coalition opened what it called its first embassy, raising its green, white and black rebel flag at different site from the now-closed Syrian Embassy in the Qatari capital.

Key opposition figures looked on, including Ghassan Hitto, George Sabra and leader Mouaz al-Khatib, who recently said he was stepping down from his post and criticized the international community for not doing enough to back the anti-Assad forces. Al-Khatib said the SNC will not discuss his resignation, leaving open the option that he could be asked to reverse his decision.

Envoys from the U.S., Turkey, France and other nations that have backed the rebels also attended the ceremony. The new embassy operations are mostly symbolic, but can serve as a base for political initiatives. Many nations in the West, Arab world and elsewhere have declared the SNC the legitimate representative of the Syrian people and have effectively broken diplomatic ties with Assad's government.

Al-Khatib criticized a decision by NATO not to use U.S. Patriot anti-missile batteries based in Turkey to help protect parts of northern Syria from attacks by Assad's military.

But the opposition alliance is marred by severe divisions among its ranks, and often disconnected from the rebel forces fighting inside Syria, so it's not immediately clear how the developments in Qatar would translate on the ground.

The Syrian government said the Arab League's decisions in favor of the opposition "violate in a flagrant way its charter." A statement carried by state-run TV said the Doha summit "encouraged violence, radicalism and extremism that form a danger not only to Syria but for the whole Arab nation and the world."

It said Damascus rejected the Arab summit's decisions and reserved its right "to take appropriate measures to defend its sovereignty and interests of its people." The statement added that Syria will continue the work to "guarantee security and stability and to protect the nation by fighting terrorism and terrorists."

BRICS countries, including Assad's key ally Russia, oppose foreign intervention in Syria and accuse the West of trying to force regime change. Russia, China and South Africa have also voted against U.N. Security Council resolutions on Syria.

At the gathering in the South African coastal resort of Durban, President Jacob Zuma and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, were asked Tuesday whether they would use their influence to persuade Assad to allow unimpeded U.N. humanitarian access across all of Syria's borders, as requested by leading activists from BRICS countries.

Zuma did not answer, while Putin said only that "We will think about it." Earlier, the Russian president said the forum's leaders would jointly "work for a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis."

In his letter, Assad criticized European and U.S. sanctions imposed on his regime and urged leaders of the five countries to "exert every possible effort to lift the suffering of the Syrian people that were caused by the sanctions," an apparent reference to shortages of goods and soaring prices.

Syrian activist groups, meanwhile, reported violence in different areas in the country on Wednesday, including Damascus and its suburbs and the southern Quneitra region along the cease-fire line separating Syria from Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees reported clashes and shelling in the Quneitra villages of Bir Ajam, Rasm al-Hawa and Ein el-Darb. The Observatory said rebels overran three army posts near Bir Ajam on Wednesday.

The area near the Golan Heights, a strategic goal of the rebels, has been the scene of heavy clashes for days.

In Israel, the military said it has provided medical care to seven wounded Syrians who arrived at the border of the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights ? the third time Israel has assisted Syrians hurt in the fighting. The two countries are bitter enemies.

The Israeli army said medics treated five Syrians at the border before releasing them back to Syria. It said two other Syrians who were severely wounded were transferred to Israeli hospitals for further treatment.

The army said it will return the wounded Syrians when their hospital treatment ends. Israel did not reveal the identities of the wounded because having been in Israel could endanger them when back in Syria.

___

Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Brian Murphy in Doha, Qatar and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-27-Syria/id-e750edbe0efa4e7b8bb2d1234a7db7fd

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Three UK launching 4G service during Q4 2013, carrier in 'no rush' for LTE

During yesterdays earnings report, Three UK CEO Dave Dyson also spoke of his carriers plans for their as yet un-announced LTE network. Three has picked up spectrum from both rival carrier EE, as well as the recent spectrum auctions, on which their future LTE network will be based. According to Dyson, we shouldn't expect to see LTE from Three anytime before Q4 2013, but that they are in "no rush for LTE." 

Three currently offers an "Ultrafast" network via HSPA+, and customer response has been excellent. In our own real world tests, in certain areas Ultrafast can match, and even beat, EE's LTE for download speeds so you can understand Three's relaxed attitude towards 4G. 

They're also purposely waiting until the other two of the big four carriers -- O2 and Vodafone -- launch their own LTE offerings. Dyson went on to say that Three is content to see how these two position their 4G offerings, before looking at how they offer their own. 

4G is definitely the buzzword in this day and age, but Three isn't losing out too much by waiting. Besides offering some extremely fast HSPA+ data speeds, they also offer a wide range of all-you-can-eat data plans. Ultrafast will lead into 4G, and the first LTE markets will be where Three currently sees the most demand for mobile internet. 

Source: Mobile News

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/SuGvIdhj5z0/story01.htm

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Hunger-spiking neurons could help control autoimmune diseases

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Neurons that control hunger in the central nervous system also regulate immune cell functions, implicating eating behavior as a defense against infections and autoimmune disease development, Yale School of Medicine researchers have found in a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Autoimmune diseases have been on a steady rise in the United States. These illnesses develop when the body's immune system turns on itself and begins attacking its own tissues. The interactions between different kinds of T cells are at the heart of fighting infections, but they have also been linked to autoimmune disorders.

"We've found that if appetite-promoting AgRP neurons are chronically suppressed, leading to decreased appetite and a leaner body weight, T cells are more likely to promote inflammation-like processes enabling autoimmune responses that could lead to diseases like multiple sclerosis," said lead author Tamas Horvath, the Jean and David W. Wallace Professor of Biomedical Research and chair of comparative medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

"If we can control this mechanism by adjusting eating behavior and the kinds of food consumed, it could lead to new avenues for treating autoimmune diseases," he added.

Horvath and his research team conducted their study in two sets of transgenic mice. In one set, they knocked out Sirt1, a signaling molecule that controls the hunger-promoting neuron AgRP in the hypothalamus. These Sirt1-deficient mice had decreased regulatory T cell function and enhanced effector T cell activity, leading to their increased vulnerability in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.

"This study highlights the important regulatory role of the neurons that control appetite in peripheral immune functions," said Horvath. "AgRP neurons represent an important site of action for the body's immune responses."

The team's data support the idea that achieving weight loss through the use of drugs that promote a feeling of fullness "could have unwanted effects on the spread of autoimmune disorders," he notes.

###

Yale University: http://www.yale.edu

Thanks to Yale University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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For some, King Richard III's resting place raises a human rights issue

The bones of Richard III have been discovered in Leicester. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News

Distant relatives of England's King Richard III have escalated their fight to have the much-maligned monarch's mortal remains buried in York rather than Leicester, claiming that the matter was a human rights issue.

The late king's skeleton was discovered beneath a parking lot near the present-day Leicester Cathedral last year, and identified "beyond reasonable doubt" through DNA analysis and other forensic tests. Historians say Richard III was buried at the cathedral because it was near where he fell in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 ? but it was only recently that archaeologists had enough information to know where to dig.

A century after his death, Richard was immortalized as the child-killing monster of William Shakespeare's play, "Richard III." Contemporary experts say that the king's reputation as an evildoer was undeserved, and that he was an enlightened ruler. Villain or victim, King Richard III has enjoyed a surge of popularity in recent times, so much so that his fans in two English cities are arguing over his final resting place.

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Even before the bones were exhumed, the University of Leicester was granted a license from the British Ministry of Justice that gave university officials the power to decide the disposition of any remains that were found. The university and other officials in Leicester are now in the midst of preparations for a reburial at Leicester Cathedral next year.

Descendants of Richard III's siblings, however, are arguing that the remains of England's last Plantagenet king should be buried instead in York, where the monarch had family connections. A lawyer representing the pro-York group, known as the Plantagenet Alliance, said Tuesday that he was preparing a legal challenge to Leicester's plans.

"We have now written officially to the Ministry of Justice and University of Leicester, notifying them that we plan to issue these claims," Reuters quoted the lawyer, Matthew Howarth, as saying.?"We will follow up by issuing the judicial review and other proceedings as soon as possible, but certainly within the next few weeks."

The group intends to argue that the Ministry of Justice failed to consult the relatives about the arrangements for the exhumation and reburial, and that this failure breached the European Convention on Human Rights.

"We have every hope that Matthew and his colleagues will succeed in these cases and help us significantly in our quest to have Richard's remains buried at the most appropriate site, York Minster," Stephen Nicolay, a 16th great-nephew of the king, was quoted as saying.

In response, the University of Leicester issued a statement rejecting the Plantagenet Alliance's claims.

"Richard III is believed to have no living descendants. Any distant relations are therefore descended from his siblings. Statistically speaking, many tens of thousands of individuals alive today are descended in this way," the university said. "There is no obligation to consult living relatives where remains are older than 100 years."

The university said that the group's reference to the European Convention on Human Rights, which recognizes the right to respect for private and family life, "seems particularly odd given the distance of any relations, the years that have passed and thus the lack of any personal relationship with the deceased."

More about Richard III:

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Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

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Prince Harry to visit US, skipping Vegas this time

FILE - In this Sunday March 11, 2012 file photo Britain's Prince Harry gives a thumbs up during the award ceremony after playing a charity polo match in Campinas, Brazil. St. James's Palace say Monday March 25, 2013, Prince Harry is returning to the United States ? but this time he's skipping Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)

FILE - In this Sunday March 11, 2012 file photo Britain's Prince Harry gives a thumbs up during the award ceremony after playing a charity polo match in Campinas, Brazil. St. James's Palace say Monday March 25, 2013, Prince Harry is returning to the United States ? but this time he's skipping Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)

LONDON (AP) ? Britain's Prince Harry is returning to the United States ? but this time he's skipping Las Vegas.

The 28-year-old prince will travel to the U.S. east coast as well as Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, to support veterans' charities and get in a bit of polo.

Harry, a longtime supporter of charities that rehabilitate war veterans, will attend several events at the 2013 Warrior Games, a competition in which veteran athletes from both Britain and the United States take part.

"Prince Harry wants to highlight once again the extraordinary commitment and sacrifice of our injured servicemen and women," said Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Harry's private secretary.

Harry recently spent 20 weeks in Afghanistan as co-pilot gunner on an Apache attack helicopter.

His May 9-15 visit will include trips to Arlington National Cemetery, Walter Reed National Medical Center and an exhibition on Capitol Hill about land mine clearance, a favorite subject of his late mother, Princess Diana. He will also visit areas in New Jersey hard hit by Hurricane Sandy.

Harry will also play in the Sentebale Polo Cup in Greenwich, Connecticut. Sentebale ? which means "forget-me-not" ? is a charity founded by Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso that helps children struggling with poverty in the tiny southern African country.

On his last U.S. visit, the third-in-line to the British throne stormed into the headlines last year when he was caught frolicking in the nude with a woman after an alleged game of strip billiards in his Las Vegas hotel room.

Associated Press

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Achieve Your Goals In No Time With These Great Self Improvement ...

Self improvement techniques, such as being positive, can be a great way to improve yourself and indeed your life. Today?s blog post outlines some simple yet effective tips for you, so that you can start working on your character, body and mind, with the ultimate goal of improving your entire lifestyle.

Strive to be the best at everything you put your mind to. Follow your passion to the greatest possible aspirations. You may never find yourself the absolute top dog in any one field, but you can still strive to be inspiring to those around you. Look for different ways to improve the quality of your work, and ultimately your career and your self-esteem will surely benefit.

The condition in which you keep your body can significantly impact your mental state. You should eat healthy and exercise on a daily basis. Remember, a healthy mind and a healthy body go hand in hand.

Use order and organization to effectively check your progress. Try a system that allows you to break each goal down into very small components. You will have an easier time achieving each individual component than you would achieving the goal as a whole. Write down your progress in a planner, or journal about your goals.

Being selfless is a big step in self improvement. Being able to sacrifice for others, and feeling joy in their happiness, develops your character. When you can balance sacrificing for others with meeting your own needs, you will gain the emotional versatility required to become a better person. As the character Socrates stated, in the movie The Peaceful Warrior, ??there?s no greater purpose than service to others?.

Hopefully, today?s blog post gave you a chance to think about how you can improve various aspects of your personality, character and mental outlook, in order to acquire a better lifestyle. Apply these self improvement tips and adapt them to your unique situation to live a happier life.
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Source: http://glennshimabukuro.com/achieve-your-goals-in-no-time-with-these-great-self-improvement-tips/

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FAA to close 149 air traffic control towers to meet required budget cut

Those federal budget cuts called the "sequester" have claimed another victim-- air traffic control towers at small and medium-sized airports across the country. Some critics are concerned that it could affect safety. NBC's Pete Williams reports.

By Jason Keyser, The Associated Press

CHICAGO --?Under orders to trim hundreds of millions of dollars from its budget, the Federal Aviation Administration released a final list Friday of 149 air traffic control facilities that it will close at small airports around the country starting early next month.

The closures will not force the shutdown of any of those airports, but pilots will be left to coordinate takeoffs and landings among themselves over a shared radio frequency with no help from ground controllers under procedures that all pilots are trained to carry out.

The plan has raised concerns since a preliminary list of facilities was released a month ago. Those worries include the impact on safety and the potential financial effect on communities that rely on airports as key economic engines for attracting businesses and tourists.

"We will work with the airports and the operators to ensure the procedures are in place to maintain the high level of non-towered airports," FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in a statement.

---

The FAA is being forced to trim $637 million for the rest of the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30. The agency said it had no choice but to subject most of its 47,000 employees, including tower controllers, to periodic furloughs and to close air traffic facilities at small airports with lighter traffic. The changes are part of the across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration, which went into effect March 1.

All of the airports targeted for tower shutdowns have fewer than 150,000 total flight operations per year. Of those, fewer than 10,000 are commercial flights by passenger airlines.

Airport directors, pilots and others in the aviation sector have argued that stripping away an extra layer of safety during the most critical stages of flight will elevate risks and at the very least slow years of progress in making the U.S. aviation network the safest in the world.

Airlines have yet to say whether they will continue offering service to airports that lose tower staff. Any scaling back of passenger service could have major economic impact for communities.

Mark Hanna, director of the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield, Ill., says without ground controllers as backup the risk to operate "goes up exponentially," especially at airports like his, which have such a broad mix of aircraft types: everything from privately operated Piper Cubs to the larger passenger planes of United and American airlines.

That an aviation sector as sensitive as air traffic control could become subject to political brinkmanship in Washington was especially frustrating, he said.

Hoping to escape the final cut, he and other airport directors were left to argue with the FAA about whether the closure of their facilities would adversely affect what the agency described in a letter as the "national interest."?

Jim Urquhart / REUTERS

Annette Abplanalp, an air traffic control specialist who works for Serco Inc., watches plane traffic from the control tower at the Ogden-Hinckley Airport in Ogden, Utah, in this file photo taken March 11. The Federal Aviation Administration will close 149 federal contract air traffic control towers, including Ogden, beginning April 7.

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

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Watch: Nokia CEO Stephen Elop Throws an iPhone During TV Interview

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop thinks that Apple's iPhone is embarrassing. So much so that he threw Finnish talk show host Hjallis Harkimo's iPhone to the ground on live TV.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/8znza21WvIE/

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Obama visits a Bethlehem in midst of change, Islamization

Ammar Awad / Reuters

Christian worshipers visit the Church of the Nativity, revered as the site of Jesus' birth, in the Bethlehem on March 14. Despite the city's importance to Christianity, practitioners are a small minority there.

By Martin Fletcher, Correspondent, NBC News

News analysis

JERUSALEM -- Bethlehem was a late addition to President Barack Obama?s schedule in Israel and the West Bank, and it focuses attention on another of the region?s appellations: the Holy Land.

The Church of the Nativity on Manger Square may be close to the Christian president?s heart, even while he has taken great care to talk of the common bonds that unite the monotheistic religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Nasser Shiyoukhi / AP, file

Palestinian Muslims take part in Friday noon prayers in Manger Square, outside the Church of Nativity, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus.

But as throughout his trip, what Obama does not see in the town may tell more than what he does. Bethlehem is a mirror of the region, where rapid and relentless change threatens Christians themselves.?

The American leader will be warmly welcomed officially, but on the streets the story is different. Bethlehem has been seething ever since it was announced that Obama would visit. Palestinian political activists were furious when the municipality removed a statue in Manger Square that showed Palestine without Israel and fought contractors to keep it in place.?

Obama posters have been defaced, American flags burned and activists set up a protest tent on the edge of town to show how Israel can build homes there but Palestinians can?t.

What Obama will not be able to avoid on the 10-minute drive from Jerusalem is the wall, more than 20 feet high, that cuts Bethlehem off from Jerusalem. ?As he is driven through the gate into Bethlehem -- a gigantic roadblock cut into the concrete security barrier -- and past the walls he will read the graffiti cursing Israel and calling for a Palestinian state.?

Religion and politics here are sometimes indistinguishable.

Although Bethlehem is probably the most famous Christian place-name, celebrated in hymn and prayer, today it is no longer a Christian town. In 1950, 80 percent of the population was Christian. Today, 80 percent is Muslim. There are far more mosques than churches.

The image that best describes this is just on the other side of Manger Square from the Church of the Nativity, venerated by Christians as the site where Jesus was born. The main mosque, the Mosque of Omar, stands there, the muezzin?s call to prayer echoes across the rooftops, competing with the peel of the bells from the church across the square. ??

President Barack Obama on Thursday urged the Israeli people to put themselves in the shoes of Palestinians and recognize their "right to self-determination, their right to justice." NBC's Chuck Todd reports.

So many of the faithful answer its call that at the week?s main prayers, Friday midday, they don?t all fit in the mosque and flow out into Manger Square, covering part of it.

The cause is partly a higher birth rate among Muslims than Christians, according to figures from the Palestinian and Israeli statistics bureaus. Figures from the agencies show that Muslim women in the West Bank were likely to have 3.8 children during their lifetimes, compared with 2.1 for Israeli Christians. Also it is partly because Christians seek a better life far away from the turbulent struggle between Jews and Arabs for control of their land. Although many Christians say this is their struggle too, the proportion of people emigrating is much higher among Christians than Muslims or Jews. Only about 2 percent of the region's population today is Christian.

Obama?s visit though will not focus attention solely on the birthplace of Jesus but on the plight of Christians across the whole Middle East.?

A report last year by the British think tank Civitas said that Christianity was at risk of being wiped out in the biblical heartland because of "Islamic oppression"?and estimated that up to two-thirds of Christians had emigrated or been killed in the past century. They continue to be particularly persecuted in predominantly Muslim countries, not only in the Middle East but worldwide, according to the study.

Obama is on a mission to help bring peace to the Holy Land and may indeed find a moment of personal peace and prayer in the Grotto of the Nativity beneath the stone floor of the church. If he has any time to reflect at all, it must be that peace here is still a distant dream worth pursuing.

Martin Fletcher is the author of "The List,""Breaking News" and "Walking Israel."

Related:

'Not welcome': Disappointment greets Obama on West Bank visit

'People turned on Christians': Persecuted Iraqi minority reflects on life after Saddam

On the Brink: Palestinians,?Israelis?lukewarm on visit

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MLB sues Biogenesis clinic over banned player drugs

MLB lawsuit: The lawsuit filed Friday in Miami-Dade Circuit Court seeks unspecified damages from Coral Gables anti-aging clinic?Biogenesis?of America and its operator, Anthony Bosch.?

By Curt Anderson,?Associated Press / March 22, 2013

This undated booking photo provided by the Miami-Dade Police Department, on Jan 29, shows Anthony Bosch. Major League Baseball says it is 'extremely disappointed' about a new report that says records from an anti-aging clinic in the Miami area link New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez and other players to the purchase of performance-enhancing drugs.

Miami-Dade Police Department/AP

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Major League Baseball is suing a now-shuttered South Florida clinic and its operators, accusing it of providing banned performance-enhancing drugs to players.

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The lawsuit filed Friday in Miami-Dade Circuit Court seeks unspecified damages from Coral Gables anti-aging clinic?Biogenesis?of America and its operator, Anthony Bosch. Several other Bosch associates are named in the lawsuit. A phone message left for a Bosch representative wasn't immediately returned.

MLB?contends the clinic's operators solicited players to use banned substances knowing that violated their contracts. The lawsuit says baseball has suffered costs to investigate the claims, loss of revenue and injury to its reputation among fans.

Several prominent players have been implicated, including injured New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriquez. He and most of the others have denied ties to the clinic.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/ccPu-LGj2BE/MLB-sues-Biogenesis-clinic-over-banned-player-drugs

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Analysis: Easy Fed softens fiscal policy punch on economy

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve's aggressive easing of monetary policy is proving surprisingly effective at blunting the blow to the economy from tighter fiscal policy, according to economists who have been scrambling to raise their growth forecasts.

Economists had feared higher taxes and deep government spending cuts would stunt growth in the first quarter, but a string of strong economic data has so far proven them wrong. And they mostly blame the Fed.

"Monetary policy is beginning to gain some traction here," said Tom Higgins, global macro strategist at Standish Mellon Asset Management in Boston.

According to Higgins, if it were not for the monetary stimulus, the economy would probably be facing growth of a 1 percent annual rate or less. As it is, he expects growth to come in at a 2.5 percent pace in the first quarter.

The U.S. central bank has held overnight interest rates near zero since December 2008 and has pumped about $2.5 trillion into the economy by purchasing Treasury debt and mortgage-backed bonds in a bid to foster faster growth and lower unemployment.

On Wednesday, it recommitted to plans to buy $85 billion worth of bonds each month and said it would keep buying assets until it sees a significant improvement in the labor market.

Those actions have helped put the economy in better shape to deal with the end of a 2 percent payroll tax cut, higher tax rates for wealthy Americans and $85 billion in across-the-board government spending cuts known as the "sequester."

The easy money stance has given a boost to interest rate sensitive sectors of the economy, such as autos and housing.

The commitment to easy policy also appears to be lifting business confidence, which in turn is underpinning job growth and the stock market. Nonfarm payrolls increased 236,000 in February and the jobless rate fell to a four-year low of 7.7 percent.

"The message from the data is that in the battle between fiscal drag and monetary stimulus, the Fed is winning," said Jim O'Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics in Valhalla, New York.

Stunned by a surprisingly strong report on retail sales last week, most economists rushed to raise first-quarter growth estimates. JPMorgan pushed theirs up by an eye-catching eight-tenths of a percentage point to 2.3 percent, while Goldman Sachs increased theirs by three-tenths of a point to 2.9 percent.

Economic activity expanded at a meager 0.1 percent rate in the last three months of last year, the slowest pace since the first quarter of 2011.

MADE A MISTAKE

Economists also said they had been mistaken to believe that businesses would retrench if it became clear deep government spending cuts were going to take hold.

They said they had simply been drawing on lessons learned during the acrimonious fight in 2011 to raise the government's borrowing limit, a battle that hit confidence hard.

"The chance we decided to take was for a more upfront impact from sequestration; in reality that is not what we are seeing," said Adolfo Laurenti, deputy chief economist, Mesirow Financial in Chicago. "Businesses have taken it at a more leisurely pace."

Indeed, a Deloitte Growth Enterprise Services survey of about 1,000 mid-market executives this month found little evidence the spending cuts were worrying businesses.

About 72 percent of respondents said sequestration would not affect their businesses and 91 percent said they had not put off hiring because of the cuts. That could be an indication of the confidence generated by the Fed's willingness to aid the economy, economists say.

Also helping the economy is the fact that banks are starting to ease lending standards and household balance sheets have improved after being ravaged by the housing market's collapse.

"What we have been seeing for a while is households have worked down their debt loads and they are now starting to expand their borrowing and, across the board, bank lending is increasing," said Steve Cunningham, head of research at the American Institute for Economic Research in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

"So monetary policy is becoming effective in that respect."

Fed data this month showed household debt in the fourth quarter grew at its fastest pace since early 2008, while a measure of the burden of carrying debt sank to a record low.

In addition, consumer credit has increased solidly from last year through January of this year and banks in January reported stronger loan demand and easier credit standards.

Still, the economy is not out of the woods by any means.

Part of the expected bounce back in growth this quarter will come from a buildup in business inventories, which means second quarter growth could fall short of the January-March rate.

As a result of the economy's firmer underlying strength, many analysts now estimate government budget cuts could shave off about 0.3 percentage point from GDP this year, half of what was predicted by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

"The drag from sequestration is probably a little bit smaller than we thought a month ago," said Mesirow Financial's Laurenti. "We have a better economy that is in a better position to absorb a negative shock."

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Phil Berlowitz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-easy-fed-softens-fiscal-policy-punch-economy-050407739--business.html

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Obama: Timing was right for Turkey, Israel restart

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) ? President Barack Obama says the timing on his trip to Israel was right for Turkey and Israel to start restoring normal diplomatic relations.

That process started Friday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and apologized for errors that resulted in deaths of activists aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla in 2010. Obama, who was in Israel, brokered the call. He says Netanyahu agreed it was the right moment.

Obama says he's long felt it was important the two countries restore good relations so they can pursue common interests. He says Turkey and Israel don't have to agree on everything to be able to work together on regional security and other issues.

Obama spoke at a news conference with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-timing-turkey-israel-restart-180208592.html

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Celebrity Legs: Stars In Short Shorts Welcome Spring The Right Way (PHOTOS)

Spring is here! Or at least, it should come around any minute now ... Just picture it: Billowy clouds, warm afternoons, half as many layers and ice tea on the weekends.

To get us in the mindset and lift away the winter blues, we've compiled all our favorite stars who look just the part in short shorts. You're welcome.

• Taylor Swift

• Britney Spears

• Miley Cyrus

• AnnaSophia Robb

• Kim Kardashian

• Ali Larter

• Ashlee Simpson

• Solange

• Jennifer Lopez

• Kate Walsh

• Lindsay Lohan

• Demi Lovato

• Kate Bosworth

• Emma Watson

• Rihanna

• Leighton Meester

• Michelle Williams

• Leann Rimes

• Miley Cyrus

• Vanessa Hudgens

• Kim Kardashian

• Britney Spears

• Jada Pinkett-Smith

• Jennifer Lopez

• Shenae Grimes

• Rihanna

• Estelle

• Keke Palmer

• Charlotte Ronson

• AnnaSophia Robb

• Kristen Stewart

• Ashley Greene

• Miley Cyrus

• Kylie Minogue

• Alexa Chung

• Miley Cyrus

• Nina Dobrev

• Vanessa Hudgens

• Demi Lovato

• Taylor Swift

• Nikki Reed

• Bethenny Frankel

• Victoria Justice

• Ali Larter

• Emma Roberts

• Ashley Tisdale

• Audrina Patridge

• Britney Spears

• Anna Kendrick

• Zoe Saldana

• Beyonce

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/celebrity-legs-these-stars-spring_n_2910013.html

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Sustainable Development Goals must sustain people and planet, experts say

Mar. 20, 2013 ? In the wake of last week's meetings at the UN on the definition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a group of international scientists have published a call in the journal Nature today, arguing for a set of six SDGs that link poverty eradication to protection of Earth's life support. The researchers argue that in the face of increasing pressure on the planet's ability to support life, adherence to out-dated definitions of sustainable development threaten to reverse progress made in developing countries over past decades.

Ending poverty and safeguarding Earth's life support system must be the twin priorities for the Sustainable Development Goals, say the researchers. The team identified six goals that, if met, would contribute to global sustainability while helping to alleviate poverty.

"Climate change and other global environmental threats will increasingly become serious barriers to further human development," says lead author Professor David Griggs from Monash University in Australia. Humans are transforming Earth's life support system -- the atmosphere, oceans, waterways, forests, ice sheets and biodiversity that allow us to thrive and prosper -- in ways "likely to undermine development gains," he added.

Co-author Professor Johan Rockstr?m, director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre said, "Mounting research shows we are now at the point that the stable functioning of Earth systems is a prerequisite for a thriving global society and future development."

The team asserts that the classic model of sustainable development, of three integrated pillars -- economic, social and environmental -- that has served nations and the UN for over a decade, is flawed because it does not reflect reality. "As the global population increases towards nine billion people sustainable development should be seen as an economy serving society within Earth's life support system, not as three pillars," says co-author Dr. Priya Shyamsundar from the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics, Nepal.

The researchers say that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), set to expire in 2015, have helped focus international efforts on eight poverty-related goals. However, despite successes in some areas -- the number of people living on less than one dollar a day has been more than halved -- many MDGs have not been met, and some remain in conflict with one another. Economic gains, for example, have come at the expense of environmental protection. Politicians are struggling to link global environmental concerns with addressing poverty.

The new set of goals -- thriving lives and livelihoods, food security, water security, clean energy, healthy and productive ecosystems, and governance for sustainable societies -- aim to resolve this conflict. The targets beneath each goal include updates and expanded targets under the MDGs, including ending poverty and hunger, combating HIV/aids, and improving maternal and child health. But they also define a set of planetary "must haves": climate stability, the reduction biodiversity loss, protection of ecosystem services, a healthy water cycle and oceans, sustainable nitrogen and phosphorus use, clean air and sustainable material use.

Co-author Dr. Mark Stafford Smith, science director of CSIRO's climate adaptation research programme in Australia said: "The key point is that the SDGs must genuinely add up to sustainability. The SDGs have the potential to lock in the spectacular gains on human development that we have achieved in the past two decades and help the globe transition to a sustainable lifestyle. But the link between these two aims must be more coherent."

The new research is linked to Future Earth, a new international research programme designed to "develop the knowledge required for societies worldwide to face challenges posed by global environmental change and to identify opportunities for a transition to global sustainability." Several authors are closely involved in developing this new research programme.

"Ultimately, the choice of goals is a political decision. But science can inform what combination of goals can achieve a sustainable future. And science can identify measurable targets and indicators," said Dr Stafford Smith.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by International Council for Science, 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. David Griggs, Mark Stafford-Smith, Owen Gaffney, Johan Rockstr?m, Marcus C. ?hman, Priya Shyamsundar, Will Steffen, Gisbert Glaser, Norichika Kanie, Ian Noble. Policy: Sustainable development goals for people and planet. Nature, 2013; 495 (7441): 305 DOI: 10.1038/495305a

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/tezruzERjFs/130320155228.htm

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Court weighs US passport dispute over Jerusalem

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A federal appeals court has some tough questions about the politically sensitive issue of whether Americans born in Jerusalem can list Israel as their birthplace on their U.S. passports.

A 2002 law says yes, but the State Department says no. That led to a lawsuit by parents of an American boy who was born in a Jerusalem hospital. The United States has refused to recognize any nation's sovereignty over Jerusalem since Israel's creation in 1948, so the boy's passport only says "Jerusalem" as his birthplace.

At a hearing Tuesday, the three judges had pointed questions for lawyers representing both sides ? the State Department and the parents.

The hearing came on the same day that President Barack Obama heads to Israel for his first visit there as president.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-19-Born%20in%20Jerusalem-Passport/id-b9cedd5b3cde44388a4e1dd03b5b1fec

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India police detain many over Swiss tourist's rape

NEW DELHI (AP) ? Police detained 20 men Sunday in central India's Madhya Pradesh state after a Swiss woman on a cycling trip was gang-raped.

No arrests have been made so far but police were questioning the men in connection with the rape and assault on the woman and her husband in Datia district of the state, said senior police officer D.K. Arya.

He said the couple told police the woman had been raped by seven or eight men, but that it was dark and they could not be sure of the exact number. As a first step, police have registered a case of rape against seven unidentified men and were searching nearby villages, he said.

The attack comes three months after the fatal gang-rape of a woman aboard a New Delhi bus outraged Indians and spurred the government to pass laws to protect women.

The couple were on a three-month vacation in India. They had visited the temple town of Orchha and were planning to cycle to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal, the monument to love, nearly 210 kilometers (130 miles) away.

They set out from Orchha on Friday and had pitched their tent in a forest near Jatia village when they were attacked by a group of men armed with wooden sticks.

The men beat up the husband, tied him to a tree and then raped the woman, police said.

The Swiss ambassador in India, Linus von Castelmur, has spoken to the couple and has demanded a swift probe of the incident.

Castelmur said he was "most distressed" by the incident and had assured the couple of all help and support.

"Their health and treatment is the priority of the moment," the embassy said in a statement.

The embassy said it was in touch with local authorities in Madhya Pradesh and has urged a "swift investigation and for justice to be done."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/india-police-detain-many-over-swiss-tourists-rape-065843399.html

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Pope wades into crowds, surprising onlookers

In this photo provided by the Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis greets faithful from a side gate of the Vatican, Sunday, March 17, 2013. Pope Francis began his first Sunday as pontiff by making an impromptu appearance to the public from a side gate of the Vatican, startling passersby and prompting cheers, then kept up his simple, spontaneous style by delivering a brief, off-the-cuff homily at the Vatican's tiny parish church. Dressed only in white cassock, Francis waved to the crowd in the street outside St. Anna's Gate and before entering the church, which serves Vatican City State's hundreds of residents, he shook hands of the parishioners and kissed babies. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano)

In this photo provided by the Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis greets faithful from a side gate of the Vatican, Sunday, March 17, 2013. Pope Francis began his first Sunday as pontiff by making an impromptu appearance to the public from a side gate of the Vatican, startling passersby and prompting cheers, then kept up his simple, spontaneous style by delivering a brief, off-the-cuff homily at the Vatican's tiny parish church. Dressed only in white cassock, Francis waved to the crowd in the street outside St. Anna's Gate and before entering the church, which serves Vatican City State's hundreds of residents, he shook hands of the parishioners and kissed babies. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano)

Pope Francis delivers his Angelus prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, March 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Pope Francis speaks to the crowd in St. Peter's Square before saying the Angelus prayer at the Vatican, Sunday, March 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

Pope Francis recites the Angelus prayer to the crowd in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, March 17, 2013.(AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

A visitor waves an Argentine flag before the Angelus prayer by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, March 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Walking up to crowds, shaking hands with surprised bystanders in the street, mixing his formal speeches with off-the-cuff remarks, Pope Francis stamped his own style on the papacy Sunday.

His humor and down-to-earth manner captivated those filling St. Peter's Square in Rome to overflowing, and he worked the crowd in a way that had to give his security staff palpitations. Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno, in the square himself, estimated the crowd's size at 300,000.

"Brothers and sisters, 'Buon giorno,'" Francis said in Italian in his first welcome from the window of the papal residence, setting an informal tone that has become the defining spirit of his young papacy.

Earlier Sunday, he made an impromptu appearance before the public from a side gate of the Vatican that startled passers-by and prompted cheers as he shook hands and kissed babies. Francis had just finished celebrating Mass and delivering a six-minute homily ? brief by church standards ? in the Vatican's tiny parish church, St. Anna, when he walked outside to greet parishioners one by one, just as an ordinary pastor does after weekly services.

Francis started speaking at the window even before the stroke of noon ? the appointed time for the weekly papal address. The windows of the papal study in the Apostolic Palace were opened for the first time since Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI, gave his last Sunday blessing on Feb. 24. Four days later, Benedict went into retirement, the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years.

Francis, the first pope from Latin America, was elected Wednesday and has been staying in a hotel on the Vatican's premises until the papal apartment is ready.

"The pope is down-to-earth. He is a people person and it is amazing," said Emanuel Anatsui from Britain. "He is going to do wonderfully for the church."

After Mass, Francis again put his security detail to the test as he waded into an intersection just outside St. Anna's Gate. Francis stepped up to the crowd, grasping outstretched hands. The atmosphere was so casual that several people even gripped Francis on the shoulder.

"Francesco! Francesco!" children shouted his name in Italian. As he patted one little boy on the head, he asked "Are you a good boy?" and the child nodded.

"Are you sure?" the pope quipped.

At one point he glanced at his watch and turned to an aide ? as if to ask "How much time do I have?"

The pope then ducked back inside the Vatican's boundaries to dash upstairs for the address to St. Peter's Square.

Often abandoning the prepared text in his hand, Francis told the crowd that he wanted to talk about mercy, saying he was inspired by a book about forgiveness that he was reading. Citing the author, an elderly German cardinal, and praising him as a "top-notch" theologian, Francis quipped: "Don't think I'm making publicity for my cardinals' books!" drawing a roar of laughter from the crowd.

Francis said mercy can "change the world" and make it "less cold and more just."

He spoke only in Italian ? ending with "Buon pranzo" (Have a good lunch) ? a wish that triggered nods of approval from the crowd in Rome, where a leisurely Sunday family lunch is a cherished tradition.

But Francis did tweet in English and other languages, saying: "Dear friends, I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me.'"

Past pontiffs have used the Sunday window greetings to offer brief reflections and wishes in several languages.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Francis would likely stick with Italian, a language he's comfortable with for spontaneous remarks. Lombardi left open the possibility the 76-year-old pope would use other languages in future public appearances.

During his window speech, Francis also talked about of his family's roots in Italy's northwestern Piedmont region. He told the crowd that by naming himself as pope after St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian patron saint, he was "strengthening my spiritual tie with this land, where, as you know, my family has its origins."

The crowd was cheering wildly when Francis appeared at the window, but fell into rapt silence when he began to speak. Some people's eyes welled up. Many people waved the blue-and-white flag of Argentina, the pope's homeland. Some people held their children aloft or on their shoulders to get a better look.

"We are so proud. He is Argentine, but also belongs to the rest of the world," said Ivana Cabello, 23, of Argentina.

Angela Carreon, a 41-year-old Rome resident originally from the Philippines, ventured that Francis "looks like John Paul II. "

"I hope he is like him," she said. "He has a heart."

The globe-trotting Polish-born John Paul II, who died in 2005, loved to charm the crowds.

Several hundred extra traffic police were deployed Sunday to control crowds and vehicles for Francis' first window speech as well as the annual Rome marathon. Bus routes were rerouted and many streets were closed off to channel the curious and the faithful up the main boulevard from the Tiber river to St. Peter's Square.

Giant video screens were set up so the huge crowd could get a close look at Francis, and dozens of medical teams were on hand for any emergencies. In the last hour before noon, a large backup formed of people trying to squeeze through three openings in the fence ringing the front of the square. But by the time Francis appeared, all had calmly found a viewing spot.

Among Francis' first formal meetings is an appointment Monday with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez. That will provide an opportunity to see if the new pope's easygoing manner still holds ? the two have been on opposite sides for many years. As Buenos Aires archbishop, Francis had lobbied hard against the government's move to legalize gay marriage and make contraceptives available for free.

On Tuesday, Fernandez will join other world leaders and senior international envoys, including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and the president of Jesuit-run Georgetown University, for Francis' formal installation as pope.

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Associated Press writers Daniela Petroff and Karl Ritter contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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