Friday, June 21, 2013

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas pipeline talk has no basis more reliable than their own meandering inexperience (Unqualified Offerings)

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Ex-Enron CEO gets 10 years cut from sentence

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling is escorted from the federal courthouse Friday, June 21, 2013, in Houston after being re-sentenced for his role in the energy giants' collapse. Skilling was resentenced to 14 years as part of a court-ordered reduction and a separate agreement with prosecutors. The decision brought a protracted legal conclusion to one of the most notorious U.S. financial scandals. Skilling has been in prison since 2006, when he was sentenced to more than 24 years by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake. But an appeals court vacated his prison term in 2009, ruling that a sentencing guideline was improperly applied. That meant a reduction of as much as nine years. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling is escorted from the federal courthouse Friday, June 21, 2013, in Houston after being re-sentenced for his role in the energy giants' collapse. Skilling was resentenced to 14 years as part of a court-ordered reduction and a separate agreement with prosecutors. The decision brought a protracted legal conclusion to one of the most notorious U.S. financial scandals. Skilling has been in prison since 2006, when he was sentenced to more than 24 years by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake. But an appeals court vacated his prison term in 2009, ruling that a sentencing guideline was improperly applied. That meant a reduction of as much as nine years. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling arrives at the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse for a resentencing hearing Friday, June 21, 2013, in Houston. His original sentence of 24 years is expected to be reduced to between 14 and 17.5 years. His resentencing is part of a court-ordered reduction of his prison term and a separate agreement with prosecutors that will allow for the distribution of around $41 million in restitution to victims of Enron's collapse. (AP Photo /Houston Chronicle, Melissa Phillip )

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling leaves the federal courthouse Friday, June 21, 2013, in Houston after being resentenced for his role in the energy giants' collapse. Skilling was resentenced to 14 years as part of a court-ordered reduction and a separate agreement with prosecutors. The decision brought a protracted legal conclusion to one of the most notorious U.S. financial scandals. Skilling has been in prison since 2006, when he was sentenced to more than 24 years by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake. But an appeals court vacated his prison term in 2009, ruling that a sentencing guideline was improperly applied. That meant a reduction of as much as nine years. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling is escorted from the federal courthouse Friday, June 21, 2013, in Houston after being re-sentenced for his role in the energy giants' collapse. Skilling was resentenced to 14 years as part of a court-ordered reduction and a separate agreement with prosecutors. The decision brought a protracted legal conclusion to one of the most notorious U.S. financial scandals. Skilling has been in prison since 2006, when he was sentenced to more than 24 years by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake. But an appeals court vacated his prison term in 2009, ruling that a sentencing guideline was improperly applied. That meant a reduction of as much as nine years. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, right, partially shown behind a wall, arrives at the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse for a resentencing hearing Friday, June 21, 2013, in Houston. His original sentence of 24 years is expected to be reduced to between 14 and 17.5 years. His resentencing is part of a court-ordered reduction of his prison term and a separate agreement with prosecutors that will allow for the distribution of around $41 million in restitution to victims of Enron's collapse. (AP Photo /Houston Chronicle, Melissa Phillip )

(AP) ? One of the country's most notorious financial scandals came to a protracted legal conclusion Friday as ex-Enron Corp. CEO Jeffrey Skilling ? already in prison for his role in the once-mighty energy giant's collapse ? was resentenced to 14 years as part of a court-ordered reduction and a separate agreement with prosecutors.

Skilling's sentence was reduced by 10 years, and his attorneys say it's likely that with time off for good behavior and other factors he will be released in 2017.

Skilling has been in prison since 2006, when he was sentenced to more than 24 years by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake. But an appeals court vacated his prison term in 2009, ruling that a sentencing guideline was improperly applied. That meant a reduction of as much as nine years.

However, Skilling's resentencing was delayed for years as he unsuccessfully sought to overturn his convictions, including appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Justice Department said that in an effort to resolve a case that's gone on for more than 10 years, it agreed to an additional reduction of about 20 months as part of a deal to stop Skilling from filing any more appeals. Federal prosecutors say the deal will allow for the distribution of $41.8 million of Skilling's assets in restitution to victims of Enron's 2001 collapse.

Even with the reduced sentence, Skilling's prison term is still the longest of those involved in the Enron scandal. He was the highest-ranking executive to be punished. Enron founder Kenneth Lay's similar convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease less than two months after his trial.

Skilling, 59, declined to make statements during Friday's resentencing hearing.

He was convicted in 2006 on 19 counts of conspiracy, securities fraud, insider trading and lying to auditors for his role in the downfall of Houston-based Enron. The company, once the seventh-largest in the U.S., went bankrupt under the weight of years of illicit business deals and accounting tricks.

A one-time visionary, Skilling was vilified by many former Enron employees for denying any wrongdoing.

Former Enron worker Diana Peters, the only victim who spoke at the resentencing hearing, said employees gave their hard work, spirit and trust to Skilling and others at Enron.

"Jeff Skilling betrayed that trust to those employees and played a part in the financial collapse of an amazing company," Peters said.

The U.S. Supreme Court said in 2010 that one of Skilling's convictions was flawed when it sharply curtailed the use of the "honest services" fraud law ? a short addendum to the federal mail and wire fraud statute that makes it illegal to scheme to deprive investors of "the intangible right to honest services."

The high court ruled that prosecutors can use the law only in cases where evidence shows the defendant accepted bribes or kickbacks, and because Skilling's misconduct entailed no such things, he did not conspire to commit honest services fraud.

The Supreme Court told a lower court to decide whether he deserved a new trial; the lower court said no.

Enron's collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered worthless $60 billion in Enron stock. Its aftershocks were felt across the city and the U.S. energy industry.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano at http://www.twitter.com/juanlozano70 .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-06-21-Enron-Skilling/id-6092f1c662ab4c9c8de14b24a9748446

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Friday, May 17, 2013

PFT: Bills expected to name Whaley GM on Thursday

kyle-loveGetty Images

It?s becoming more clear that the New England Patriots cut defensive lineman Kyle Love for one reason.? He has Type-2 diabetes.

And while Love could, in theory, pursue legal claims against the team under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act or the Massachusetts equivalent, agent Richard Kopelman tells PFT that Love?s current focus is on getting healthy and finding a new NFL team.

Though Kopelman hasn?t completely ruled out an eventual lawsuit, Kopelman explained that Love has no hard feelings against the team for doing what it believed it needed to do.? From Love?s perspective, if the team doesn?t want him, then he needs to find one who does.

What his most recent team did, per Kopelman, was offer Love two alternatives:? retire for a year or be released.? Though the Pats were willing to waive any ability to recover a portion of his signing bonus if he opted to retired, Love wants to play football.

And so the choice became easy.? He picked the path that gives him a chance to play.

?We have every reason to believe Kyle is going to be well enough to play this year,? Kopelman said.? ?We?d rather be in position of having a chance to play this year versus not having a chance to play this year.?

The period for claiming Love?s contract on waivers expires at 4:00 p.m. ET.? If he?s not claimed, Love becomes a free agent.

Kopelman also explained the communications that resulted in Love?s release.? From the moment the team?s doctors made the diagnosis, the team adopted the ?retire or be released? stance.? Kopelman told the Patriots that ?it?s far too early to make a decision as to whether [Love] can perform his job in September, or even July,? and that ?all indications are that Kyle should be fine in a couple of weeks.?

Still, the Patriots ?reiterated it?s a medical issue and they don?t want to take a chance of Kyle not being healthy.?

While Kopelman has managed to take the high road, someone needs to point out that the Patriots are joyriding on the low one.? Jettisoning an employee who has a disease simply because the team fears that the disease could affect future performance is wrongheaded, unfair, and ultimately illegal.

It sends a bad message to mid-level managers in other industries who spend more time in the sports pages than the business section.? ?It just seems wrong,? one of my family members who has been living with diabetes for years said in an unsolicited text message that buzzed through while I was typing this.? ?It upsets me and confuses me and makes me wonder what other kind of discrimination is out there for someone like me.?

That?s a fair concern.? People with diabetes lead normal lives.? And so at a time when the biggest talking point in the NFL relates to whether a team will accept a gay player, how can any NFL team in good conscience jettison a player due to a medical condition that has no relevance to his ability to perform his job?

Even if Love never takes action, someone should ? either at the league office or in the Patriots? front office.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/16/doug-whaley-to-assume-role-as-bills-general-manager/related/

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Saturday, May 4, 2013

Pakistan's lead prosecutor in Bhutto case killed

Family members and relatives of Pakistani prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfikar who was assassinated hours earlier, load his body into an ambulance from a morgue in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, May 3, 2013. Gunmen killed Pakistan's lead prosecutor investigating the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto as he drove to court in the capital on Friday, throwing the case that also involves former ruler Pervez Musharraf into disarray. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Family members and relatives of Pakistani prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfikar who was assassinated hours earlier, load his body into an ambulance from a morgue in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, May 3, 2013. Gunmen killed Pakistan's lead prosecutor investigating the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto as he drove to court in the capital on Friday, throwing the case that also involves former ruler Pervez Musharraf into disarray. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

A man comforts the brother of Pakistani prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfikar who was assassinated hours earlier, outside his residence in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, May 3, 2013. Gunmen killed Pakistan's lead prosecutor investigating the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto as he drove to court in the capital on Friday, throwing the case that also involves former ruler Pervez Musharraf into disarray. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistani police officers examine the car of prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfikar which was targeted by gunmen in Islamabad, Pakistan on Friday, May 3, 2013. Gunmen killed Pakistan's lead prosecutor investigating the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto as he drove to court in the capital on Friday, throwing the case that also involves former ruler Pervez Musharraf into disarray. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

Pakistani police officers examine the car of prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfikar who was targeted by gunmen in Islamabad, Pakistan on Friday, May 3, 2013. Gunmen killed Pakistan's lead prosecutor investigating the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto as he drove to court in the capital on Friday, throwing the case that also involves former ruler Pervez Musharraf into disarray. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

People comfort a family member of Pakistani prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfikar who was assassinated, at a mortuary in Islamabad, Pakistan on Friday, May 3, 2013. Gunmen killed Pakistan's lead prosecutor investigating the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto as he drove to court in the capital on Friday, throwing the case that also involves former ruler Pervez Musharraf into disarray. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)

(AP) ? Gunmen killed a Pakistani prosecutor Friday who was leading investigations into the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and a brutal attack on civilians in the Indian city of Mumbai.

The assassination in the capital, Islamabad, comes at a sensitive time in Pakistan, as the country prepares for nationwide elections on May 11 amid a spate of Taliban attacks on candidates. In the southern city of Karachi, gunmen on motorcycles killed an anti-Taliban election candidate and his son, and a political activist in two other attacks Friday.

The government prosecutor who was gunned down, Chaudhry Zulfikar Ali, was at the helm of a number of highly controversial cases. The two most prominent included Bhutto's death in 2007 and the 2008 Mumbai attack by Pakistan-based militants that killed 166 people.

The Bhutto case has received renewed attention in recent weeks because of the return of former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf from self-imposed exile. Musharraf, who was in power when she was killed, has been arrested in connection with the case.

Ali was on his way to a court in Rawalpindi, next to Islamabad, when gunmen fired at him, hitting him in the head, shoulder and chest, and then fled in a taxi and on a motorcycle, said police officer Arshad Ali. The prosecutor was shot at least 13 times and his car was pockmarked with bullets and the windshield shattered.

He then lost control of his car, which hit a woman passer-by and killed her, said another police officer, Mohammed Rafiq.

Ali's guard returned fire and is believed to have wounded at least one of the attackers, Rafiq said. The guard also was injured in the attack. Police have launched a search to find and apprehend the gunmen.

Though Pakistan has experienced rampant violence in recent years, it's rare for such an attack to happen in the capital, which is home to high-ranking government and military officials, diplomats and international aid workers.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion will likely fall on Islamic militants.

Bhutto's husband, President Asif Ali Zardari, strongly condemned the prosecutor's slaying and called for a thorough investigation.

Government prosecutors have accused Musharraf of being involved in the Bhutto assassination and not providing enough security to Pakistan's first female prime minister. Musharraf has denied the allegations but is currently under house arrest on the outskirts of Islamabad in connection with the case.

Musharraf blamed the Pakistani Taliban at the time of the attack. Initially the militants denied responsibility, but they eventually said they did it several years later.

The Bhutto case has lingered for years in the Pakistani court system. A number of alleged assailants are on trial but no one has been convicted.

The prosecutor told reporters that he had received death threats recently in connection with the case but would not say who from or what they said. He was headed to a hearing related to Musharraf and the Bhutto case at a court in Rawalpindi when he was killed, police said.

Ali was also the government's lead prosecutor in a case related to the attack on Mumbai that is widely believed to have been carried by the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Pakistan has put seven men on trial on charges they assisted in the Mumbai siege, but the trial has made little progress. India has criticized Pakistan for not doing more to crack down on the militants blamed for the attack. Hafiz Saeed, the head of a group believed to be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, remains free, and many believe he enjoys the protection of the government. Lashkar-e-Taiba was founded years ago with the help of Pakistani intelligence to put pressure on India over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

Also on Friday, gunmen riding a motorcycle in Karachi shot to death Sadiq Zaman Khattak, who was running for parliament from the Awami National Party, and his six year-old son, said police officer Mohammad Ali.

The attack occurred as Khattak was leaving a mosque after weekly prayers. Four people were wounded, said Ali, the police officer.

The Awami National Party has been repeatedly targeted by the Taliban in the run-up to the election because of its opposition to the militants. The Taliban have threatened two other secular parties as well, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which controls Karachi.

In the second attack in Karachi, gunmen riding on a motorcycle killed a prominent activist from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Mohammad Adil, outside a different mosque, said police officer Mohsin Khan.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The May 11 election is historic because it will mark the first time in Pakistan that a civilian government has finished its term and handed over power in democratic elections. Pakistan has experienced three coups, including the one led by Musharraf in 1999.

__

Associated Press writers Sebastian Abbot and Rebecca Santana in Islamabad and Atif Raza in Karachi, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-03-Pakistan/id-14765416d79e42b19b598929c939bc31

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Friday, May 3, 2013

Key protein for firing up central nervous system inflammation identified

May 1, 2013 ? Scientists have identified an influential link in a chain of events that leads to autoimmune inflammation of the central nervous system in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS).

An international team of researchers led by scientists in The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Department of Immunology reported their results in an advance online publication in Nature Medicine.

The researchers spell out the pivotal role of Peli1 in the activation of immune cells called microglia that promote inflammation in the central nervous system in response to tissue damage or invasion by microbes.

"The major implication of discovering a signaling role for Peli1 in this animal model is that it might also be significant in the pathogenesis of MS," said senior author Shao-Cong Sun, Ph.D., professor in MD Anderson's Department of Immunology.

Microglia cells involved in multiple sclerosis

Sun and colleagues found that Peli1 is heavily expressed in microglial cells and promotes their activation and subsequent damaging immune response. Peli1 also protects that autoimmune reaction by initiating the destruction of a protein that otherwise would inhibit inflammation.

Microglia are known to be crucial to the initiation of MS, an immune system assault on nerve fibers called axons and on myelin, the protective sheath around the axons. They also were previously known to play a similar role in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS.

The precise mechanism of this autoimmune-stimulating effect has been unknown. Sun and colleagues fill an important gap with their Peli1 discovery.

Microglia sense tissue damage. They secrete chemokines and inflammatory cytokines in response, drawing infection-fighting T cells into the central nervous system, leading to inflammation.

Infections genetic overreaction that inflames

The authors note that microbial infections are a known environmental trigger for the onset and maintenance of multiple sclerosis and the induction of EAE in mice. Toll-like receptors that detect pathogens play a roll in MS and EAE. They were suspected of involvement in microglial activation and inflammation.

Upon sensing microbes or cell damage, toll-like receptors launch a signaling cascade that activates a variety of genes involved in inflammation and white blood cell homing to the microbes or injury site.

Peli1 is known as a targeting agent, marking proteins with molecules called ubiquitins, ensuring they are functionally modified or found by cellular protein-destruction machinery. In this case, Sun and colleagues found that Peli1 ubiquitinates another targeting agent as a signal, which in turn marks a crucial anti-inflammatory protein for destruction.

The team found: ? Mice with Peli1 knocked out were resistant to EAE. Those with Peli1 developed severe symptoms including a gradual increase in paralysis. ? Mice with intact Peli1 had high levels of microglial activation after EAE began and low levels of resting microglia. Mice with Peli1 knocked out had high levels of resting microglia. ? Expression of proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines was impaired in microglia taken from Peli1 knockout mice. Peli1 sends signal to destroy Traf3

Sun and colleagues then tracked down the role Peli1 plays in protecting one of the molecular networks that is set off when toll-like receptors detect microbes or injury. The MAPK pathway activates a variety of genes involved in inflammation and T cell response.

MAPK is kept in check by a protein called Traf3. The team found that Peli1 signals another ubiquitin ligase that in turn marks Traf3 for destruction, liberating the MAPK network. After EAE is induced, mice with intact Peli1 have a gradual depletion of Traf3 in their microglia. Traf3 accumulated in the microglia of Peli1 knockout mice. EAE was restored in Peli1 knockout mice when Traf3 was inhibited.

Sun said the team is studying the pathway in human multiple sclerosis to replicate their findings and explore the possibilities for potentially treating MS.

Co-authors with Sun are first author Yichuan Xiao, Ph.D., and Jin Jin, Ph.D., Mikyoung Chang, Ph.D., Jae-Hoon Chang, Ph.D., Hongbo Hu, Ph.D., Xiaofei Zhou, George Brittain and Xuhong Cheng, all of MD Anderson's Department of Immunology; Christine Stansberg, Ph.D., and ?lvind Torkildsen, M.D., Ph.D., of the Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway; Xiaodong Wang, Ph.D., of the National Institute of Biological Sciences in China; and Robert Brink, Ph.D., of the Garvan Institute for Medical Research in Darlinghurst, Australia.

This research was funded by grants from the U.S. Institutes of Health (AI057555, AI064639, GM84459 and T32CA009598). MD Anderson also receives a cancer center support grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Yichuan Xiao, Jin Jin, Mikyoung Chang, Jae-Hoon Chang, Hongbo Hu, Xiaofei Zhou, George C Brittain, Christine Stansberg, ?ivind Torkildsen, Xiaodong Wang, Robert Brink, Xuhong Cheng, Shao-Cong Sun. Peli1 promotes microglia-mediated CNS inflammation by regulating Traf3 degradation. Nature Medicine, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nm.3111

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/MKXEdWKUuE8/130502093519.htm

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Antoine Dodson Quits Being Gay?You Can Run & Tell Dat! (VIDEOS)

Antoine Dodson Quits Being Gay…You Can Run & Tell Dat! (VIDEOS)

Antoine Dodson not gay anymoreAntoine Dodson, you know…the flamboyant guy that asked you to “Hide yo wives…hide yo kids… from a bed intruder, has now made the big announcement on Facebook that he is now longer gay. Antoine is renouncing his homosexuality and is ready for a wife and kids. Just wow! The internet personality took to Facebook to ...

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Justice Department appeals morning-after case

This undated image made available by Teva Women's Health shows the packaging for their Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel) tablet, one of the brands known as the "morning-after pill." The Plan B morning-after pill is moving over-the-counter, a decision announced by the Food and Drug Administration just days before a court-imposed deadline. On April 30, 2013, the FDA lowered to 15 the age at which girls and women can buy the emergency contraceptive without a prescription ? and said it no longer has to be kept behind pharmacy counters. Instead, the pill can sit on drugstore shelves just like condoms, but that buyers would have to prove their age at the cash register. (AP Photo/Teva Women's Health)

This undated image made available by Teva Women's Health shows the packaging for their Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel) tablet, one of the brands known as the "morning-after pill." The Plan B morning-after pill is moving over-the-counter, a decision announced by the Food and Drug Administration just days before a court-imposed deadline. On April 30, 2013, the FDA lowered to 15 the age at which girls and women can buy the emergency contraceptive without a prescription ? and said it no longer has to be kept behind pharmacy counters. Instead, the pill can sit on drugstore shelves just like condoms, but that buyers would have to prove their age at the cash register. (AP Photo/Teva Women's Health)

(AP) ? The Obama administration on Wednesday appealed a federal judge's order to lift all age limits on who can buy morning-after birth control pills without a prescription.

In appealing the ruling, the administration recommitted itself to a position Obama took during his re-election campaign that younger teens shouldn't have unabated access to emergency contraceptives, despite the insistence by physicians groups and much of his Democratic base that the pill should be readily available.

A day earlier, the Food and Drug Administration lowered the age that people can buy the Plan B One-Step morning-after pill without a prescription to 15 ? younger than the current limit of 17 ? and decided that the pill could be sold on drugstore shelves near the condoms, instead of locked behind pharmacy counters.

That decision appeared to fly in the face of a judge's decision last month that women of any age should be allowed to buy both Plan B and its cheaper generic competition as easily as they can buy aspirin. U.S. District Judge Edward Korman of New York gave the FDA 30 days to comply, and the Monday deadline was approaching fast, prompting the administration on Wednesday to ask the court to put the ruling on hold while it reconsiders.

With the appeal, the Obama administration is making clear that it's willing to ease access to emergency contraception only a certain amount ? not nearly as broadly as doctors' groups and contraception advocates have urged. Still, the FDA decision moving the pill from behind the counter to drugstore shelves reflected a societal shift in the long battle over women's reproductive rights, marking a major milestone for those who believe all forms of birth control should be easy to buy.

Reluctant to get drawn in to a messy second-term spat over social issues, White House officials insisted Wednesday that both the FDA and the Justice Department were acting independently of the White House in deciding how to proceed. But the decision to appeal was certain to irk abortion-rights advocates who say they can't understand why a Democratic president is siding with social conservatives in favor of limiting women's reproductive choices.

"We are deeply disappointed that just days after President Obama proclaimed his commitment to women's reproductive rights, his administration has decided once again to deprive women of their right to obtain emergency contraception without unjustified and burdensome restrictions," said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed the lawsuit that prompted Korman's ruling.

Current and former White House aides said Obama's approach to the issue has been heavily influenced by his experience as the father of two school-age daughters. Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius have also questioned whether there's enough data available to show the morning-after pill is safe and appropriate for younger girls, even though physicians groups insist that it is.

In Wednesday's filing, the Justice Department said Korman exceeded his authority and that his decision should be suspended while that appeal is under way, meaning only Plan B One-Step would appear on drugstore shelves until the case is finally settled. If Korman's order isn't suspended during the appeals process, the result would be "substantial market confusion, harming FDA's and the public's interest" as drugstores receive conflicting orders about who's allowed to buy what, the Justice Department concluded.

Rather than take matters into his own hands, the Justice Department argued to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that Korman should have ordered the FDA to reconsider its options for regulating emergency contraception. The court cannot overturn the rules and processes that federal agencies must follow "by instead mandating a particular substantive outcome," the appeal states.

The FDA actually had been poised to lift all age limits and let Plan B sell over the counter in late 2011, when Kathleen Sebelius overruled her own scientists. Sebelius said some girls as young as 11 were physically capable of bearing children but shouldn't be able to buy the pregnancy-preventing pill on their own.

Sebelius' move was unprecedented, and Korman had blasted it as election-year politics ? meaning he was overruling not just a government agency but a Cabinet secretary.

More than a year later, neither side in the contraception debate was happy with the FDA's surprise twist, which many perceived as an attempt to find a palatable middle ground between imposing an age limit of 17 and imposing no limit at all.

Any over-the-counter access marks a long-awaited change, but it's not enough, said Dr. Cora Breuner of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which supports nonprescription sale of the morning-after pill for all ages.

"We still have the major issue, which is our teen pregnancy rate is still too high," Breuner said.

Even though few young girls likely would use Plan B, which costs about $50 for a single pill, "we know that it is safe for those under 15," she said.

Most 17- to 19-year-olds are sexually active, and 30 percent of 15- and 16-year-olds have had sex, according to a study published last month by the journal Pediatrics. Sex is much rarer among younger teens. Likewise, older teens have a higher pregnancy rate, but that study also counted more than 110,000 pregnancies among 15- and 16-year-olds in 2008 alone.

Contraception advocates see a double standard. No one is carded when buying a condom, but under the FDA's decision they would have to prove their age when buying a pill to prevent pregnancy if that condom breaks.

"This isn't a compromise. This is wrong," said Cynthia Pearson of the National Women's Health Network.

Social conservatives were outraged by the FDA's move to lower the age limits for Plan B ? as well as the possibility that Korman's ruling might take effect and lift age restrictions altogether.

"This decision undermines the right of parents to make important health decisions for their young daughters," said Anna Higgins of the Family Research Council.

Obama aides bristled at the suggestion that the FDA decision was an attempt at political compromise, insisting the FDA merely responded to an application filed by Plan B's manufacturer. At the same time, however, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama's concern had been about girls younger than 15 having access, suggesting an age limit of 15 might be acceptable.

If a woman already is pregnant, the morning-after pill has no effect. It prevents ovulation or fertilization of an egg. According to the medical definition, pregnancy doesn't begin until a fertilized egg implants itself into the wall of the uterus. Still, some critics say Plan B is the equivalent of an abortion pill because it may also be able to prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus, a contention that many scientists ? and Korman, in his ruling ? said has been discredited.

___

Associated Press writer Pete Yost contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-05-01-US-MED-Morning-After-Pill/id-c110fe9785624d09994c9ef82401ab4d

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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Selfridges to get Blackberry Q10 ahead of official UK launch, available this Friday for ?580

Selfridges gets exclusive threeday UK Blackberry Q10 window, grab it for 580 starting this Friday

The keyboard lover's BlackBerry is on its way, and the first place to sell it will be none other than our old favorite, Selfridges. The UK department store will carry a black version of the Blackberry Q10 exclusively between April 26th and April 28th, according to a tweet from Blackberry UK, well before other retailers. You can pre-order it now for £580 (at the source) or, if you'd like to meet other people who also love keyboards, grab one at the store starting Friday.

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PFT: Browns eye move into top 3? |? For Geno?

ForSaleGetty Images

The Rams currently hold the Redskins? first-round pick in the 2013 draft, thanks to the RGIII trade.? The Rams may not actually be using that pick.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the selection ?clearly is for sale.?

That Rams, who also have the 16th overall pick, would surely like to trade down and get more picks.? Last year, the combination of coach Jeff Fisher and G.M. Les Snead put together a great draft, thanks to having extra picks.? The more picks, the better the chances of emerging with good players.

Pick No. 22 comes one spot before the Vikings? first of two first-round selections.?? A team that wants a cornerback, receiver, or inside linebacker the Vikings may be targeting could be tempted to jump the line.? Which is precisely why every team creates smokescreens about who they do and don?t want.

Like most round-one trades, don?t expect anything to happen before the Rams are on the clock.? Teams that trade up want a specific player; trading up too early creates the risk that the player won?t be there.

Of course, doing the trade when the team is on the clock entails risk, since there?s a chance one of the two teams won?t be able to call the trade in to the league office.? Unless each team calls the trade in separately, the trade doesn?t happen.? And with only 10 total minutes to get it all done, there?s a chance that cutting it too close could keep the trade from happening at all.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/25/report-browns-want-into-top-3-for-a-pass-rusher/related/

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There's room for the 2 Jimmys in late-night TV

NEW YORK (AP) ? The longtime feud between late-night hosts Jay Leno and David Letterman is the stuff of legend and, apparently, so yesterday.

The two Jimmys: Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, agree there's no rivalry between them.

Both were among the honorees in New York Tuesday at a gala recognizing Time magazine's annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

"I feel good about it. We're very friendly. I know people expect us to dislike each other and say bad things about each other but that will never happen," said 45-year-old Kimmel.

He agreed that making nice is a good thing.

"It is nice. We're like (vocalist duo) Peaches & Herb. I'm Peaches," he laughed.

They'll face-off in the ratings next year when Fallon leaves NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and replaces Leno as host of "The Tonight Show."

Thirty-eight-year-old Fallon said, as of now, things won't change much when he switches to "The Tonight Show."

"We do a great show now. I think we're ready. I thank Jay Leno for being awesome and still being number one because without him I wouldn't have a job," he laughed. "It's just like they call you up from the minor league so I'm ready to go for the majors and I'm gonna swing for the fences."

In January, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" moved to the 11:35 p.m. EST time slot, putting it in direct competition with "The Tonight Show" and "Late Show with David Letterman."

___

Online:

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/jimmy-kimmel-live

___

Alicia Rancilio covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow her online at http://www.twitter.com/aliciar

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/theres-room-2-jimmys-night-tv-044345992.html

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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Glenn Beck Conspiracy Theory: Pundit Alleges Boston Cover-Up Over Saudi Suspect

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/glenn-beck-conspiracy-theory-pundit-alleges-boston-cover-up-over/

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Fighting bacteria with new genre of antibodies

Apr. 24, 2013 ? In an advance toward coping with bacteria that shrug off existing antibiotics and sterilization methods, scientists are reporting development of a new family of selective antimicrobial agents that do not rely on traditional antibiotics. Their report on these synthetic colloid particles, which can be custom-designed to recognize the shape of specific kinds of bacteria and inactivate them, appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Vesselin Paunov and colleagues point out that many bacteria have developed resistance to existing antibiotics. They sought a new approach -- one that bacteria would be unable to elude by mutating into drug-resistant forms. Their inspiration was the antibodies that the immune system produces when microbes invade the body. Those antibodies patrol the body for microbes and bind to their surfaces, triggering a chain of events in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys the microbes.

Paunov's team describes development and successful tests of synthetic colloid particles, called "colloid antibodies." Colloids are materials in which tiny particles of one material are dispersed in another material. Milk is a colloid in which globules of fat are spread throughout water and other materials. The colloid antibody particles are shells packed with a killing agent. They are designed to recognize and bind to specific bacteria.

Laboratory experiments showed that the colloid antibodies attached to and inactivated only their intended targets without harming other cells. "We anticipate that similar shape selective colloid antibodies can potentially become a powerful weapon in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria," say the researchers. "They can also find applications as non-toxic antibacterial agents, preventing growth of harmful bacteria in various formulations."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Chemical Society.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Josef Borovi?ka, William J. Metheringham, Leigh A. Madden, Christopher D. Walton, Simeon D. Stoyanov, Vesselin N. Paunov. Photothermal Colloid Antibodies for Shape-Selective Recognition and Killing of Microorganisms. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2013; 135 (14): 5282 DOI: 10.1021/ja400781f

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/lmkd3KqtUjg/130424112314.htm

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Mass. mosque: Bomb suspect had two recent outbursts

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) ? When preachers told congregants at a mosque in November that it was appropriate for Muslims to celebrate U.S. holidays such as the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving, a man who would later be a suspect in last week's the Boston Marathon bombing stood up to argue, the mosque said.

The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center on Monday told about that outburst by Tamerlan Tsarnaev and provided more details on a second one two months later that the group had previously described.

The group said in its statement that Tsarnaev, who was pronounced dead on Friday after a shootout with police, was not a member of its Cambridge mosque but sometimes attended Friday services and daily prayers over the last year or so. His younger brother, Dzhokhar, who was captured Friday and charged Monday with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, showed up sometimes for prayers, the group said.

Two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Monday that the brothers were motivated by religion but appear not to be tied to any Islamic terrorist groups. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly.

Both mosque incidents happened after the older brother returned from a months-long trip to Russia last year. An aunt there said he was studying Islam but struggled to fit in.

The troublesome behavior first came in November, just before Thanksgiving, the mosque said. At a weekly prayer, a preacher gave a sermon saying it was appropriate for Muslims to celebrate American holidays. Tamerlan Tsarnaev stood up and argued that "celebration of any holiday was not allowed in the faith."

The preacher met with Tsarnaev and discussed the issue after the service.

In January, the mosque said Tsarnaev had a similar outburst.

This time, the sermon included praise for Martin Luther King Jr., and this time Tsarnaev shouted, calling the preacher a "non-believer" and "hypocrite" who was "contaminating people's minds." Congregants shouted back at him, telling him to leave, and he did.

Later, volunteer leaders of the mosque met with him and told him that he would not be welcome at service if he interrupted again. The group said he continued attending sometimes and did not cause any more problems.

___

Associated Press reporters Eileen Sullivan and Pete Yost in Washington and Arsen Mollayev in Makhachkala, Russia, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mass-mosque-bomb-suspect-had-2-recent-outbursts-014641792.html

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Netflix to Charge $12 to Make Sharing Your Password a Better Experience

Netflix to Charge $12 to Make Sharing Your Password a Better Experience
In today?s first-quarter earnings letter, Netflix announced a $12-a-month plan that doubles the current limit of two simultaneous video streams to four simultaneous feeds plan.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/lXoZnZ0BSkQ/

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FBI Missed Tsarnaev's Trip To Russia? - Business Insider

Google Maps

Dagestan, Russia

The FBI did not know that deceased Boston Marathon bomber suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev went on a six-month trip to Dagestan and Chechnya, Russia?in 2012 because his name was misspelled, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Monday.

?He went over to Russia, but apparently when he got on the airplane, they misspelled his name, so it never went into the system that he actually went to Russia,? Graham said on Fox News, saying he spoke to an assistant director of the FBI.

Graham's comments, first reported by Politico, inform why the FBI failed to realize that the 26-year-old was a terrorism risk.

The F.B.I. interviewed Tsarnaev and his family in Boston after Russia's warning, but found no sign of terrorism activity at the time.?

Anzor Tsarnaev, the father of the suspected bombers, told The Wall Street Journal that FBI?officers visited him about 18 months ago to discuss Tamerlan's interests.

"They told me they were watching everything?what we look at on the computers, what we talked about on the phone," he said. "I said that's fine. That's what they should be doing."

The New York Times reports that the trip?did not seem?to radicalize?Tsarnaev, who had?already begun?practicing devout Islam. But it could have provided the FBI with further incentive to find indications of violent behavior.

?One of two things happened,? Graham said Monday on Fox News, ?the FBI either dropped the ball or our system doesn?t allow the FBI to follow this guy in an appropriate fashion. I think once the Russians made the request, the FBI did a good job of looking at him. The reason we didn?t know he went to Russia is because the name was misspelled.?

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-missed-tsarnaevs-trip-to-russia-2013-4

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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Rex Manning Day: 'Empire Records' Remembered With Recasting For Modern Age (PHOTOS)

What's with today, today? Monday, April 8, is Rex Manning Day, a holiday created to commemorate the film "Empire Records."

The one-crazy-day comedy -- which focuses on a ragtag group of record store employees, the tyranny of chain stores and the power of Gin Blossoms and The Flying Lizards -- was released in October of 1995, making this the 17th Rex Manning Day in recorded history. But we mustn't dwell on numbers like that. No, not today. Not on Rex Manning Day.

To celebrate this year's Rex Manning Day, HuffPost Entertainment has decided to shock you (shock you, shock you) with some deviant behavior: an imagined 2013 version of "Empire Records," featuring some of today's brightest stars. We'll say no more, mon amour, and get to the fake casting:

Shailene Woodley as the Corey Mason (originally played by Liv Tyler)
rex manning day

Jennifer Lawrence as the Gina (originally played by Renee Zellweger)
rex manning day

Aubrey Plaza as Debra (originally played by Robin Tunney)
rex manning day

Skylar Astin as the A.J. (originally played by Johnny Whitworth)
rex manning day

Ezra Miller as the Lucas (originally played by Rory Cochrane)
rex manning day

Lucas Cruikshank as Mark (originally played by Ethan Embry)
rex manning day

Adam Driver as Berko (originally played by Coyote Shivers)
rex manning day

Emory Cohen as Warren (originally played by Brendan Sexton III)
rex manning day

Kieran Culkin as Eddie (originally played by James "Kemo" Wills)
rex manning day

Jake Johnson as Joe (originally played by Anthony LaPaglia)
rex manning day

Amanda Setton as Jane (originally played by Debi Mazar)
rex manning day

and ...

Alec Baldwin as sexy Rexy himself, Rex Manning (originally played by Maxwell Caulfield)
rex manning day

MEANWHILE:

  • Monica Lewinsky Jokes

    There are only so many things you can rhyme with "black beret."

  • The Blair Witch Project

    Although we do miss the sound our palms made against our foreheads whenever someone asked, "Is this real?"

  • Fax Machines

    When someone asks us to fax something today, we panic. That is, until we realize that scanners and PDFs exist.

  • Britney Spears' Virginity

    Some things, in retrospect, are too distressing to remember.

  • Cargo Pants

    What did we really keep in those extra pockets, anyway?

  • Pokemon

    Embarrassing hobby used "Embarrassing." It was super effective.

  • The Phantom Menace

    Came out in 1999, still counts as a 90s mistake.

  • Courtney Love

    The fact that she has a <a href="https://twitter.com/Courtney/" target="_hplink">Twitter account</a> is bad enough.

  • Old Destiny's Child

    Beyonce is better as a single lady.

  • Gay Stereotypes

    Thanks to 90s TV, aunties the world over still believe that every homosexual has a childlike obsession with Cher.

  • Shortalls

    Only cute if you're half-painting a room.

  • Beanie Babies

    Parents lost their money $5 at a time and kids inherited a future yard sale. Nobody really came out on top here except Ty.

  • Limp Bizkit

    Although we did get some joy out of watching little suburban "badasses" sing a George Michael song without realizing it.

  • Bucket Hats

    If we could describe the 90s in one word it would be "floppy."

  • Dial-Up

    Who misses waiting minutes for pages to load, having to hear that weird start-up noise and not being able to receive phone calls while surfing the web? Also, who misses saying, "surfing the web?"

  • War in Iraq

    Too late.

  • Baywatch

    We prefer to remember Hasselhoff as he was in "Knight Rider" and then just skip right to the cheeseburger-eating 2000's version.

  • JNCOs

    Remembering them is bad enough, but how about the fact that they're still being sold <a href="http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=jnco" target="_hplink">for actual human currency</a>?

  • The "Rachel"

    Even <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/18/jennifer-aniston-hated-the-rachel_n_810229.html" target="_hplink">Jennifer Aniston</a> hated it.

  • Cowry Shell Necklaces

    You never went to Hawaii, just American Eagle.

  • Pogs

    Future civilizations are going to be baffled by the importance that was placed on these little circles of cardboard. And don't even get us started on slammers.

  • Creed

    They should take a page out of Nickelback's book and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/22/nickelback-responds-to-nfl-petition-video_n_1108279.html" target="_hplink">enlist Funny Or Die</a> to make them appear at least <em>ironically</em> good.

  • The Macarena

    Once a year at a wedding is as much as we can handle.

  • Gel Pens Being Exciting

    We were so easily impressed.

  • Ace of Base

    Unless "The Sign" said, "You'll never have to hear 'The Sign' on the radio again," we're uninterested.

  • Scrunchies

    Bagginess and extra fabric were the bane of 90s fashions. Exhibit A: the scrunchie.

  • Eyes Wide Shut

    Well maybe not the movie, but the relationship between Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

  • The Aladdin Cartoon

    Needless to say, this cartoon didn't make it "One Jump Ahead" (*crickets*)

  • Math Rock

    Arithmetic + rock and roll = nope.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/08/rex-manning-day-empire-records_n_2994417.html

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Causes of migraines nearly impossible to determine

Causes of migraines nearly impossible to determine [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 8-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Bonnie Davis
bdavis@wakehealth.edu
336-716-4977
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Too many variables exist, says new research from Wake Forest Baptist

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. April 8, 2013 Women often point to stress, hormones, alcohol, or even the weather as possible triggers for their migraines. But a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that it is nearly impossible for patients to determine the true cause of their migraine episodes without undergoing formal experiments.

The majority of migraine sufferers try to figure out for themselves what causes their headaches based on real world conditions, said lead author Timothy T. Houle, Ph.D, associate professor of anesthesia and neurology at Wake Forest Baptist.

"But our research shows this is a flawed approach for several reasons," he said. "Correctly identifying triggers allows patients to avoid or manage them in an attempt to prevent future headaches. However, daily fluctuations of variables such as weather, diet, hormone levels, sleep, physical activity and stress appear to be enough to prevent the perfect conditions necessary for determining triggers."

For example, said Houle, the simple act of drinking a glass of wine one day and not on the next could be complicated by inconsistencies in other factors. Similarly, a patient may drink wine for several days, but adding cheese to the mix one day could further skew results. In fact, a valid self-evaluation requires such perfect conditions that only occur about once every two years, he said.

"Many patients live in fear of the unpredictability of headache pain. As a result, they often restrict their daily lives to prepare for the eventuality of the next attack that may leave them bedridden and temporarily disabled," Houle said. "They may even engage in medication-use strategies that inadvertently worsen their headaches. The goal of this research is to better understand what conditions must be true for an individual headache sufferer to conclude that something causes their headaches."

Houle and co-author Dana P. Turner, M.S.P.H., also of the Wake Forest Baptist anesthesiology department, have published two related papers on the subject in the journal Headache, which were published online ahead of print this month.

For the study, nine women who had regular menstrual cycles and were diagnosed with migraine either with or without aura provided data for three months by completing a daily diary and tracking stress with the Daily Stress Inventory, a self-administered questionnaire to measure the number and impact of common stressors experienced in everyday life. Morning urine was also collected daily for hormone level testing. Houle and Turner also reviewed three years worth of weather data from a local weather station.

Because of the difficulty in recreating identical conditions each time a patient evaluates a potential trigger, determining triggers proves difficult even for physicians, said Turner. "People who try to figure out their own triggers probably don't have enough information to truly know what causes their headaches," she said. "They need more formal experiments and should work with their doctors to devise a formal experiment for testing triggers."

###

The research was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and of the National Institutes of Health (1R01NS06525701).

Co-authors include: Todd A. Smitherman, Ph.D., University of Mississippi, Donald B. Penzien, Ph.D., Head Pain Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Vincent T. Martin, M.D., University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is a fully integrated academic medical center located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The institution comprises the medical education and research components of Wake Forest School of Medicine, the integrated clinical structure and consumer brand Wake Forest Baptist Health, which includes North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Brenner Children's Hospital, the commercialization of research discoveries through the Piedmont Triad Research Park, as well as a network of affiliated community-based hospitals, physician practices, outpatient services and other medical facilities. Wake Forest School of Medicine is ranked among the nation's best medical schools and is a leading national research center in fields such as regenerative medicine, cancer, neuroscience, aging, addiction and public health sciences. Wake Forest Baptist's clinical programs have consistently ranked among the best in the country by U.S.News & World Report for the past 20 years.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


Causes of migraines nearly impossible to determine [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 8-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Bonnie Davis
bdavis@wakehealth.edu
336-716-4977
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Too many variables exist, says new research from Wake Forest Baptist

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. April 8, 2013 Women often point to stress, hormones, alcohol, or even the weather as possible triggers for their migraines. But a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that it is nearly impossible for patients to determine the true cause of their migraine episodes without undergoing formal experiments.

The majority of migraine sufferers try to figure out for themselves what causes their headaches based on real world conditions, said lead author Timothy T. Houle, Ph.D, associate professor of anesthesia and neurology at Wake Forest Baptist.

"But our research shows this is a flawed approach for several reasons," he said. "Correctly identifying triggers allows patients to avoid or manage them in an attempt to prevent future headaches. However, daily fluctuations of variables such as weather, diet, hormone levels, sleep, physical activity and stress appear to be enough to prevent the perfect conditions necessary for determining triggers."

For example, said Houle, the simple act of drinking a glass of wine one day and not on the next could be complicated by inconsistencies in other factors. Similarly, a patient may drink wine for several days, but adding cheese to the mix one day could further skew results. In fact, a valid self-evaluation requires such perfect conditions that only occur about once every two years, he said.

"Many patients live in fear of the unpredictability of headache pain. As a result, they often restrict their daily lives to prepare for the eventuality of the next attack that may leave them bedridden and temporarily disabled," Houle said. "They may even engage in medication-use strategies that inadvertently worsen their headaches. The goal of this research is to better understand what conditions must be true for an individual headache sufferer to conclude that something causes their headaches."

Houle and co-author Dana P. Turner, M.S.P.H., also of the Wake Forest Baptist anesthesiology department, have published two related papers on the subject in the journal Headache, which were published online ahead of print this month.

For the study, nine women who had regular menstrual cycles and were diagnosed with migraine either with or without aura provided data for three months by completing a daily diary and tracking stress with the Daily Stress Inventory, a self-administered questionnaire to measure the number and impact of common stressors experienced in everyday life. Morning urine was also collected daily for hormone level testing. Houle and Turner also reviewed three years worth of weather data from a local weather station.

Because of the difficulty in recreating identical conditions each time a patient evaluates a potential trigger, determining triggers proves difficult even for physicians, said Turner. "People who try to figure out their own triggers probably don't have enough information to truly know what causes their headaches," she said. "They need more formal experiments and should work with their doctors to devise a formal experiment for testing triggers."

###

The research was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and of the National Institutes of Health (1R01NS06525701).

Co-authors include: Todd A. Smitherman, Ph.D., University of Mississippi, Donald B. Penzien, Ph.D., Head Pain Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Vincent T. Martin, M.D., University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is a fully integrated academic medical center located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The institution comprises the medical education and research components of Wake Forest School of Medicine, the integrated clinical structure and consumer brand Wake Forest Baptist Health, which includes North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Brenner Children's Hospital, the commercialization of research discoveries through the Piedmont Triad Research Park, as well as a network of affiliated community-based hospitals, physician practices, outpatient services and other medical facilities. Wake Forest School of Medicine is ranked among the nation's best medical schools and is a leading national research center in fields such as regenerative medicine, cancer, neuroscience, aging, addiction and public health sciences. Wake Forest Baptist's clinical programs have consistently ranked among the best in the country by U.S.News & World Report for the past 20 years.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


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


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/wfbm-com040513.php

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