বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৮ ফেব্রুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Analysis: U.S. states race to capture online gaming bonanza

(Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie this week finally approved online gaming in the Garden State. Now comes the hard part: banding together with other states to attract more gamblers, drive up jackpots and lure players away from offshore websites.

New Jersey is now the third state to approve online gambling, after Nevada and Delaware. The catch, however, is that the new laws apply only to people physically present in the individual states.

Several other states, including Massachusetts, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa and Mississippi, are weighing some kind of online gambling legislation. If they want to offer the big jackpots that attract scores of players, they are likely to look outside their borders to combine gaming offerings and set regulations, much as they have with multi-state lottery drawings like Powerball and Mega Millions.

"I would be shocked if within a few years there aren't multiple states cooperating," said Tom Goldstein, an attorney who has represented online gaming companies. Once that happens, Goldstein expects a "steamroller effect where a state legislature says 'Why are we passing up on tens of millions of tax revenue every year?"

According to American Gaming Association, about 85 countries have legalized online gambling, and an estimated $35 billion is bet online worldwide each year, including millions of people in the United States through offshore websites. Every state except Hawaii and Utah collects some kind of revenue from lotteries, casinos or other types of wagering. States received an estimated $7.5 billion in direct gaming revenue in 2011 on a fiscal year basis through licensing fees, taxes and other allocations, according to Fitch Ratings.

The U.S. government has long considered online wagering illegal, but the Department of Justice in late 2011 clarified its stance, paving the way for states to unilaterally legalize some forms of online gambling.

A state's population is a key factor for the new gaming programs. With just 2.7 million residents, Nevada could have trouble attracting enough in-state players to its online poker games to offer a range of limits, or the minimum and maximum amounts a player can wager on one bet. Without a wide range of active games, states could lose business to the unregulated offshore sites that dominate the market currently.

"There's going to be intense competition for customers," Michael Paladino, a Fitch Ratings senior director, said.

A partnership with New Jersey, which has more than three times as many residents, would boost the pool of potential players dramatically. If more states sign up for online gaming and form a large, multi-state system, the numbers of players could soar -- and so will tax revenues.

"If you are flying to Vegas you are not necessarily doing so with the aim of being able to fire up your laptop and gamble," said ITG casino analyst Matthew Jacob, pointing out that most people go to Vegas for its casinos. "New Jersey is bigger, but the opportunity comes when a number of states are up and operators can span across those states."

States hit hard by the financial crisis, and by the increasing costs of retirement and healthcare benefits, are still struggling to plug big budget holes, and many expanded gaming as they looked in every corner for new sources of revenue.

New Jersey will take 15 percent of the amount won by online casinos from players within its borders. Nevada will keep 6.75 percent of the dollars won from online poker players. Nevada's law legalized only online poker, while New Jersey's allows for a broad array of games, including online slots, blackjack and other table games.

Cooperation would also help states regulate the market by sharing resources for identifying where gamblers are located and guarding against under-age gambling, stolen identities and credit card fraud.

"If individual jurisdictions go about setting up their own individual processes without the industry as a whole looking at it together, it's going to be a very difficult thing to do," said Craig Durbin, committee chair for the lottery subcommittee of the National Association of Gaming Regulators.

At the same time, Durbin said it will take time to find common ground. For instance, technology that allows states to detect where a person is playing online -- so that someone in New York can't access New Jersey's online gaming system, for instance, is not totally foolproof. More stringent geolocation options could "put limitations on growth, or on the ability to create revenue," Durbin said.

Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International told Reuters in October that several states were already in talks about how to link interactive gaming plans.

"We are encouraged to know that states are talking to one another. They are crafting their own legislation and legal frameworks but are talking with other states in anticipation of compacting with multiple states," said MGM CEO Jim Murren.

Such pacts would come in addition to relationships many casinos have with overseas online gaming companies. Gibraltar-based Bwin. Party Digital Entertainment, the world's largest listed online gaming group, has a joint venture with MGM and Boyd Gaming. Rival company 888 Holdings is partnered with Caesars Entertainment, while Wynn Resorts is partnered with PokerStars.

While it may be hard for states to not make a run for the money, historic trends show revenue spikes from gambling are anything but a steady stream. A 2012 analysis by Stateline, a project of the Pew Center on the States, found that of the 13 states that had legalized casinos, casinos at racetracks or lotteries in the previous decade, more than two-thirds "failed to live up to the initial promises of projections made by political and industry champions of legalized gambling."

"Revenues generated through online gaming will hike in the beginning," said Lucy Dadayan, a senior policy analyst at the Rockefeller Institute of Government in Albany, New York. "But they are always short lived."

(Additional reporting by Hilary Russ; editing by Edward Tobin and Andrew Hay)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-u-states-race-capture-online-gaming-bonanza-231723411--sector.html

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The Workable Business Blogging Plan - Blogging Tips

I wanted to put together a plan to help people who are wanting to build a business using blogging. There are a lot of the workable business blogging planpeople telling you that you can make money online blogging and they are not lying, you can make good money from blogging but it isn?t particularly easy especially if you do not have a plan or follow a system.

Writing blog posts every now and then will not build you a business; waiting for the advert breaks in your favourite TV shows to write a quick post simply will not create the content that you need to build a blog big enough to make money.

In a nut shell, you need a plan, if you don?t have a plan you do not have a linear train of thought and nothing to work towards. You will just be ambling around bouncing from one job to another and getting nowhere.

It sounds clich?d but this saying really does sum it up? ?Fail to plan, plan to fail? simple.

For new bloggers just starting out I wanted to think up a plan that could greatly help them to become more successful quickly. Use this as a guide, do the bits you want to do and forget those parts you don?t. This guide is an example for you to work with and create your own plan. Of course you can follow it as it is. Whatever you do, you need to have a plan or schedule to work with to even come close to being successful.

What follows is my plan for starting a blog and building it quickly up to a point where it is growing thanks to the help of others leaving you to focus on other tasks.

1.?????? Register a Domain and Get Hosting.

Obviously you will need a website to get started, you might already have your website set up, if so then this part is complete. Both domain registration and hosting can be done using Hostgator. Without hosting or a domain name you won?t have an online business. For help setting up your website click here.

2.?????? Install WordPress

Next you need to install WordPress, this is easy to do in the CPanel area you get when you buy hosting. If you do not yet have hosting and think creating your blog is hard we can do it for you for free here. You can use a free WordPress Theme or you could invest in a premium Theme like those found at Woo Themes. Premium Themes can give you more functionality and scope than the free ones.

bloggingtips free blog setup

3.?????? Add An Email Opt In Form To Your Site

From day one you should start to build an email list. Create an Aweber?account and build an email capture form to install on your website offering a monthly newsletter. There are different kinds of email newsletters, some people write a post good enough to be on the blog that they send to their email list as a subscribers only bonus post, others send a shorter email with advice and some people send a weekly roundup.

The easiest email newsletter to send is the weekly roundup; if you are publishing a new post everyday you have 7 new posts to remind people about. With so much content being created this type of email gives you plenty to add in the email without having to write new content.

When you build an email list you create a list of people to promote future posts, products and promotions to. You can send traffic back to your blog which will be noticed by the search engines, they love sites that have returning traffic. Building an email list is one of the most important things you can do when you start an online business.

4.?????? Create Twitter, Facebook, YouTube & Google+ Accounts?social logos

Get these in place when you start your blogging business and use them to build a following to send?traffic back to your

blog. Every time you write and publish a new post share it on these networks. When you create a video to share on your blog, upload it to YouTube and host it there, videos in YouTube can be taken and use by other sites as well as appear in the Google search results. This is great for getting free traffic.

A lot of the social media work can be controlled and automated by using software like TweetAdder for Twitter or Hootsuite which is ideal for most if not all of your social media networks, all of them accessible from one dashboard without having to log in to each one separately every time you want to share your latest post.

5.?????? Create 1 New Quality Post Per Day For 3 Months.

This will be the hardest part and will take some time getting used to. You will need discipline and motivation. You now need to write at least one quality post to be published per day. These posts need to be 800 words or more and very helpful.

They need to be of the best quality possible, Google and readers love quality, your readers need to leave your site feeling that they have learned something new and valuable.

You can create video posts and podcasts but they would still need to have plenty of good written content with it. The idea is to give the readers plenty of useful information. To keep costs down you need to write and create your content yourself. You can outsource it if you want but that is your choice.

You may decide to publish fewer posts per week but that will create less powerful results. You need to be consistent, stick to getting a quality new post published every other day if you believe everyday is too hard going for you.

3 months of solid work and you should start to see movement in the search engines and get traffic to your site, I say should, for some people it might be more or less depending on what other tasks you perform during that 3 months. If it doesn?t happen in 3 months, do not despair, it will happen just keep at it. This is a business and you should be thinking long term not short term anyway.

6.?????? Write 2 Guest Posts Per Week.

Write 2 guest posts or more each week and get them published on other sites to create backlinks to your site as well as start to create a recognised name for your site. The better your guest posts are then you stand a better chance of having it accepted on sites with higher page rank. Getting a post published on a site with a good page rank will be better for you.

Find sites asking for guest posts and send them an email offering your post to them. Every site requires a new unique post for their site only. There is a science to writing a good guest post and you need to make sure that you write the best posts possible. Zac Johnson says that ?your guest posts should be better than those on your own site?

7.?????? Join Guest Blogging Sites

There are networks where you can join and submit posts to be used as guest posts; you will also find people who have submitted their own posts and articles looking for sites to publish them. You can find some potential good writers in these networks and this is in preparation for a following stage. Some guest posting sites are GuestBlogIt.com, MyBlogGuest.com, Guestr.com and BlogSynergy.com

8.?????? Start Commenting On Blogs & Forums

This is a must do job, in the first 3 months you should be commenting on other same niche sites and building up a network of friends and more importantly new readers. You should not be just adding crap useless comments but you should in fact be discussing the post you have read and making friends.

Offer opinions, tips, advice and personal stories on the post topic, you need to interact with other commentators and the post writer. You are being seen and creating a healthy trust as well as creating a network along with hijacking some of the big sites traffic for free.

Many of these comments can get you links back to your site which can help but it is really all about the relationship building and free traffic. To be successful at blog commenting you need to read the post, otherwise you will not know what to write about and will look like you are leaving comments for spam reasons.

Create a spreadsheet of the best blogs in your niche and visit them as often as possible. John Chow (who now makes $40,000 a month from blogging) says that in his early days he would leave comments on at least 3 different blogs each and every day. If you think you do not have the time you could do this task while having a tea break or during lunch.

blog commenting spreadsheet

Failing that you could hire a close friend or someone in your family like a child or nephew to do this job for you as they sit and watch TV. Offer them ?-$10 a week to place a set amount of comments each week as long as they read the posts and leave quality comments that sound like you. It would be wise to have them record the posts they comment on each week and that way you can check that they are not simply leaving ? ?nice post, I have bookmarked and will return again?

9.?????? Create A Write For Us Page

Create a write for us page outlining exactly what it is you want and what you will accept. Try to wean out as much wheat from the chaff as possible from the beginning. Include a contact us form at the bottom of the page for writers to contact you and submit their posts.

By doing this you will soon be sent posts that you can add to your blog giving you free content and start taking some of the pressure off of your writing schedule. You might also find potential good writers who could help you grow your blog when it is ready for stage 10.

zac johnson write for us page

10.?? Invite Your Favourite Writers To Write For You

Once your site has grown and has a good number of monthly visitors and readers you can invite some of your favourite writers or guest post suppliers to write for you on a more permanent arrangement. Create an author account within your WordPress site giving them their own login details so they can add and schedule their posts to go live without your interaction.

You can set the rules so that every post has several internal links sending readers to related posts on your site and that they can then add one link back to theirs, you could suggest that each new posts has to be scheduled for a certain amount of time giving you the option to check that they are up to your standard so you can delete any if required and add affiliate links to the article.

Take a look at this site and you will see that there are several writers for the it even though it is owned by Zac Johnson. You could do the same, if your writers were happy to post 1 new article a week then you need a team of only 7 writers. If you wrote one post yourself then all you will need is 6 writers.

How hard can it be to create a team of great writers all willing to write for you? Remember they will get extra exposure helping to build up their names and brands also their sites receive free traffic and links. They get back just as much as they put in. Both parties win from this arrangement.

You could have a team of 14 writers all adding just one post every other week or have a team as well as submitting the one off guest posts that you will still receive. I have had several posts published on sites even though I wasn?t a member of the sites main writing team.

Everyone who has a post published on your site whether they are a guest blogger or one of your new writing team will share their posts as well as some of the others on their social media networks. This can create an influx of traffic to your site from their large lists of followers.

What really matters is that your site is getting quality content that is being published each day. This will please Google and it will please your readers and it will really please you in the long run.

11.?? Let The Writers Create The Content & You Focus On The Business

Now that you have a team of writers adding content to your site for you, you can slow down on the writing schedule and now focus on the other aspects of building your online business. You can go looking for those great affiliate offers that can generate you money or focus in finding people to advertise their services on your site earning you a monthly income.

There are a lot of jobs that need doing when you are building an online business, from WordPress maintenance to traffic generation. You could focus your writing skills to creating free reports and eBooks to give away for traffic generation, email list building and relationship building. These reports could have affiliate links within them and become another source of affiliate commissions.

You could write more guest posts and have them submitted to other new sites creating new links and more free traffic sending readers to your now well stocked and live blog. You could use your time creating great ?How to? video tutorials or create a series of videos and start a monthly membership course or product.

Eventually you will hit the tipping point where your site will grow on its own and you will benefit from all of your hard work. It might take 3 months or it might be longer, what is important is that you do not expect to be successful after just 3 weeks and give up. In the online and internet marketing world dreams have been sold and promises of fast riches were made so people now expect it to happen overnight.

The truth is this, if someone makes a lot of money fast they are the exception to the rule and not the norm. This is a business and you are building it, we know off line businesses require time to build and we should approach the online business in the same way.

We should mental allow ourselves at least a year or two before we expect to see results, if they come sooner then that is great but if we do not think in terms of a year or more we would become disheartened too quickly and give up, this is not what we want you to do.

So there you have it, a plan or guide depending how you want to see it of a way to get focused and build your blog business quickly. Scheduling time to write and time to do the blog comments along with all of your other tasks will help you to keep more focused and achieve your goals.

Create your own plan, get serious about your work, do each task daily with discipline and make success happen.

Source: http://www.bloggingtips.com/2013/02/27/the-workable-business-blogging-plan/

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Senate Dems' bill light on deficit cuts in 2013

The Capitol plaza is seen as automatic spending cuts are set to take effect on March 1, in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The Capitol plaza is seen as automatic spending cuts are set to take effect on March 1, in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

(AP) ? White House-backed legislation in the Senate to replace $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts would raise the deficit through the end of the budget year by tens of billions of dollars, officials said late Wednesday as the two parties maneuvered for public support on economic issues.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that under the Democratic measure, deficits also would rise in each of the next two years before turning downward.

Democratic officials had said earlier in the day their bill would spread one year's worth of anticipated savings ? $85 billion ? over a decade in an attempt to avoid damaging the shaky economic recovery.

The legislation would cancel across-the-board cuts due to begin on Friday. Instead, it would eliminate payments to some farmers, enact defense reductions beginning in two years and impose tax increases, mostly on millionaires.

White House spokesman Jay Carney recently told reporters at the White House the administration supports the measure.

The Senate is expected to vote on Thursday on rival Democratic and Republican plans to replace the spending cuts, known in Washington-speak as a "sequester." Both bills are expected to fail.

In an indication that across-the-board cuts are inevitable, President Barack Obama has set a meeting with congressional leaders for the day they take effect. While the administration has warned of severe cuts in government services as a result of the reductions, few, if any, are likely to be felt for several weeks.

That could give the administration and lawmakers breathing room to negotiate a replacement, although Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said during the day there were limits to what could be negotiated.

"We can either secure those reductions more intelligently, or we can do it the president's way with across-the board cuts. But one thing Americans simply will not accept is another tax increase to replace spending reductions we already agreed to," he said.

Democrats said their proposal to replace across-the-board cuts was designed with the economy in mind.

It "seeks the same amount of savings in a more responsible way" as the $85 billion in cuts that will otherwise take effect, said Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

"The impact on the economy is much better. Sequestration as constituted would hurt economic growth and destroy jobs," he added.

Over a decade, the bill would cut deficits by an estimated $110 billion, half from higher taxes and half from the defense and farm program cuts.

That is in keeping with Obama's call for a balanced approach that combines selected spending cuts with closing tax loopholes.

Senate Democrats have been reluctant to spell out the details of their measure, although it is not clear if that results from its relatively small impact on the deficits through the end of the current budget year.

Across the Capitol, though, the party's leaders have talked openly of their desire to spread the cuts in their replacement measure over a longer period.

"It is entirely intentional," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and the party's senior member on the House Budget Committee. "The whole idea is to achieve the equivalent deficit reduction without hurting jobs and having disruption in the economy. You do that by having targeted cuts and eliminating tax loopholes over a longer period of time," he added.

He said the Democrats' approach is the same as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's recommendation, which is to help the recovery gain strength before beginning to make cuts.

In the Senate, Republicans have yet to disclose their own sequester replacement measure. Most of the rank and file favors an alternative that lets Obama adjust the cuts to minimize any impact on the public, but that approach has its critics among lawmakers who fear giving the White House that much authority.

____

AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-28-Budget-Democrats/id-1d111585f5ab4baa8c7ab806ac23e7ff

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French in tough fight in northern Mali

PARIS (AP) ? France's defense minister says French troops are involved in "very violent fighting" in the mountains of northern Mali, and that it's too early to talk about a quick pullout from the West African country despite the growing cost of the intervention.

Jean-Yves Le Drian said on France's RTL radio Tuesday that the French intervention in Mali has cost more than ?100 million ($133 million). French troops moved in Jan. 11 to help Mali's weak military push back Islamist extremists.

Le Drian said, "we are now at the heart of the conflict," in protracted fighting in the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains. While some have suggested starting a pullout of the 4,000-strong French force next month, Le Drian said he couldn't talk about a quick withdrawal while the mountain fighting goes on.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/french-tough-fight-northern-mali-092138591.html

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বুধবার, ২৭ ফেব্রুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Digital-Infoprodukte.de Introduces a Traffic Prism for Online ...

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Source: http://aomcs.org/2013/02/26/digital-infoprodukte-de-introduces-a-traffic-prism-for-online-business-owners/

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ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/most_popular/ Most popular science, health, technology and environment news stories, featured on ScienceDaily's home page.en-usWed, 27 Feb 2013 08:34:52 ESTWed, 27 Feb 2013 08:34:52 EST60ScienceDaily: Most Popular Newshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gifhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/news/most_popular/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily.Ship noise makes crabs get crabbyhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194012.htm A new study found that ship noise affects crab metabolism, with the largest crabs faring the worst, and found little evidence that crabs acclimatize to noise over time.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194012.htmSelf help books and websites can benefit severely depressed patientshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194010.htm Patients with more severe depression show at least as good clinical benefit from 'low-intensity' interventions, such as self help books and websites, as less severely ill patients, suggests a new article.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226194010.htmMuscle, skin and gastrointestinal problems cause a quarter of patients with heart disease and strokes to stop treatment in HPS2-THRIVE trialhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226193840.htm The largest randomized study of the vitamin niacin in patients with occlusive arterial disease (narrowing of the arteries) has shown a significant increase in adverse side-effects when it is combined with statin treatment.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226193840.htmLinking insulin to learning: Insulin-like molecules play critical role in learning and memoryhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226162837.htm Though it's most often associated with disorders like diabetes, scientists have shown how the pathway of insulin and insulin-like peptides plays another critical role in the body -- helping to regulate learning and memory.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:28:28 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226162837.htmLong-term use of medication does not improve symptoms for heart failure patientshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226162725.htm Among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, long-term treatment with the medication spironolactone improved left ventricular diastolic function but did not affect maximal exercise capacity, patient symptoms, or quality of life, according to a new study.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:27:27 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226162725.htmPolice and firefighters at higher risk for mental disorders following traumatic eventshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141256.htm New research suggests that exposure to diverse types of traumatic events among protective services workers is a risk factor for new onset of psychopathology and alcohol use disorders.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141256.htmSimple method devised for determining atrial fibrillation risk in womenhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141254.htm Researchers have devised and tested a simple atrial fibrillation risk prediction model, based on six easily obtained factors: A woman's age, height, weight, blood pressure, alcohol consumption and smoking history.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141254.htmTexting Gloves Dangerous in Winter, Says experthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141235.htm Fingers are one of the first body parts to suffer from the cold and popular fingerless texting gloves can lead to frostbite and in worst cases, amputation, says an expert.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141235.htmLeatherback sea turtle could be extinct within 20 years at last stronghold in the Pacific Oceanhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141233.htm An international team led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has documented a 78 percent decline in the number of nests of the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) at the turtle's last stronghold in the Pacific Ocean.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226141233.htmNovel combination therapy shuts down escape route, killing glioblastoma tumor cellshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135525.htm Scientists have uncovered an unexpected, but important molecular mechanism of mTOR inhibitor resistance and a novel drug combination that reverses this resistance using low dose arsenic in mice. The mTOR pathway is hyperactivated in 90 percent of glioblastomas, the most lethal brain cancer in adults. The data suggest a new approach for treatment of glioblastoma.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:55:55 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135525.htmGenetic variation behind acute myeloid leukemia treatment success identifiedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135523.htm Researchers are working to identify genetic variations that may help signal which acute myeloid leukemia patients will benefit or not benefit from one of the newest antileukemic agents.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:55:55 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135523.htmEvolution and the ice agehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135241.htm Scientists are discovering how the evolution of ecosystems has to be taken into account when speculating between different geological eras. Go back to the time of the dinosaurs or to the single-celled organisms at the origins of life, and it is obvious that ecosystems existing more than 65 million years ago and around four billion years ago cannot be simply surmised from those of today.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:52:52 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135241.htmPersistent negative attitude can undo effectiveness of exposure therapy for phobiashttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135154.htm Because confronting fear won?t always make it go away, researchers suggest that people with phobias must alter memory-driven negative attitudes about feared objects or events to achieve a more lasting recovery from what scares them the most.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:51:51 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135154.htmNotion of using herceptin only for HER2-positive breast cancer challengedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135109.htm New research finds that the protein HER2 plays a role even in breast cancers that would traditionally be categorized as HER2-negative ? and that the drug Herceptin, which targets HER2, may have an even greater role for treating breast cancer and preventing its spread.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:51:51 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135109.htmNew design could reduce complications in hip replacementhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135107.htm Andrew Murtha, a second-year medical student, hopes to specialize in orthopedic medicine. A unique opportunity to collaborate with experienced researchers not only gave him a head start in his medical career, but also allowed him to develop a new design for an artificial hip that should help reduce post-operative complications.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:51:51 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135107.htmFor some, surgical site infections are in the geneshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135103.htm An estimated 300,000 U.S. patients get surgical site infections every year, and while the causes are varied, a new study suggests that some who get an infection can blame it partly on their genes.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:51:51 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226135103.htmResearchers test holographic technique for restoring visionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226134259.htm Researchers are testing the power of holography to artificially stimulate cells in the eye, with hopes of developing a new strategy for bionic vision restoration. Computer-generated holography, they say, could be used in conjunction with a technique called optogenetics, which uses gene therapy to deliver light-sensitive proteins to damaged retinal nerve cells. In conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), these light-sensing cells degenerate and lead to blindness.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:42:42 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226134259.htmEating well could help spread disease, water flea study suggestshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226120551.htm Plentiful food can accelerate the spread of infections, scientists have shown in a study of water fleas. Scientists studying bacterial infections in tiny water fleas have discovered that increasing their supply of food can speed up the spread of infection.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:05:05 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226120551.htmNon-brittle glass possible: In probing mysteries of glass, researchers find a key to toughnesshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114023.htm Glass doesn't have to be brittle. Scientists propose a way of predicting whether a given glass will be brittle or ductile -- a property typically associated with metals like steel or aluminum -- and assert that any glass could have either quality.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114023.htmConnecting the (quantum) dots: First viable high-speed quantum computer moves closerhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114021.htm Scientists have developed a new method that better preserves the units necessary to power lightning-fast electronics, known as qubits. Hole spins, rather than electron spins, can keep quantum bits in the same physical state up to 10 times longer than before, the report finds.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:40:40 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226114021.htmCell discovery could hold key to causes of inherited diseaseshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113830.htm Fresh insights into the protective seal that surrounds the DNA of our cells could help develop treatments for inherited muscle, brain, bone and skin disorders. Researchers have discovered that the proteins within this coating -- known as the nuclear envelope -- vary greatly between cells in different organs of the body.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113830.htmClever battery completes stretchable electronics package: Can stretch, twist and bend -- and return to normal shapehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113828.htm Researchers have demonstrated a stretchable lithium-ion battery -- a flexible device capable of powering their innovative stretchable electronics. The battery can stretch up to 300 percent of its original size and still function -- even when stretched, folded, twisted and mounted on a human elbow. The battery enables true integration of electronics and power into a small, stretchable package that is wirelessly rechargeable.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113828.htmControlling element of Huntington's disease discovered: Molecular troika regulates production of harmful proteinhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113826.htm A three molecule complex may be a target for treating Huntington's disease, a genetic disorder affecting the brain.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113826.htmEat too much? Maybe it's in the bloodhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113824.htm Bone marrow cells that produce brain-derived eurotrophic factor, known to affect regulation of food intake, travel to part of the hypothalamus in the brain where they "fine-tune" appetite, said researchers in a new article.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:38:38 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113824.htmNew tool for measuring frozen gas in ocean floor sedimentshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113440.htm Scientists have developed an instrument capable of simulating the high pressures and low temperatures needed to create hydrate in sediment samples.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113440.htmBlood vessels 'sniff' gut microbes to regulate blood pressurehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113431.htm Researchers have discovered that a specialized receptor, normally found in the nose, is also in blood vessels throughout the body, sensing small molecules created by microbes that line mammalian intestines, and responding to these molecules by increasing blood pressure.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:34:34 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113431.htmInfrared digital holography allows firefighters to see through flames, image moving peoplehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101454.htm Firefighters now have a new tool that could help save lives. A team of researchers have developed a new technique using digital holography that can "see" people through intense flames -- the first time a holographic recording of a live person has been achieved while the body is moving. The new technique allows imaging through both.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101454.htmWomen's iron intake may help to protect against PMShttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101448.htm In one of the first studies to evaluate whether dietary mineral intake is associated with PMS development, medical researchers assessed mineral intake in approximately 3,000 women in a case-control study.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101448.htmBlueprint for an artificial brain: Scientists experiment with memristors that imitate natural nerveshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101400.htm Scientists have long been dreaming about building a computer that would work like a brain. This is because a brain is far more energy-saving than a computer, it can learn by itself, and it doesn't need any programming. Scientists are experimenting with memristors -- electronic microcomponents that imitate natural nerves.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:14:14 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101400.htmTexting becoming a pain in the neckhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101259.htm Orthopedic surgeon, spine specialist says excessive leaning head forward and down, while looking at a phone or other mobile device could result in what some people call ?text neck.?Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226101259.htmUnlimited source of human kidney cells createdhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092142.htm Researchers have successfully generated human kidney cells from human embryonic stem cells in vitro1. Specifically, they produced the renal cells under artificial conditions in the lab without using animals or organs. This has not been possible until now.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092142.htmProtein that may control the spread of cancer discoveredhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092138.htm Researchers have uncovered a novel mechanism that may lead to more selective ways to stop cancer cells from spreading. Cancer biologists have identified the role of the protein RSK2 in cancer cell migration, part of the process of cancer metastasis.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092138.htmKey component of China's pollution problem: Scale of nitrogen's effect on people and ecosystems revealedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092136.htm It's no secret that China is faced with some of the world's worst pollution. Until now, however, information on the magnitude, scope and impacts of a major contributor to that pollution -- human-caused nitrogen emissions -- was lacking.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092136.htmMicroscopy technique could be key to improving cancer treatments with targeted therapeutic drugshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092132.htm For scientists to improve cancer treatments with targeted therapeutic drugs, they need to be able to see proteins prevalent in the cancer cells. This has been impossible, until now. Thanks to a new microscopy technique, medical researchers have now observed how clusters of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) -- a protein abundant in lung and colon cancers, glioblastoma and others -- malfunctions in cancer cells.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092132.htmSuperbugs may have a soft spot, after allhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092130.htm The overuse of antibiotics has created strains of bacteria resistant to medication, making the diseases they cause difficult to treat, or even deadly. But now a research team has identified a weakness in at least one superbug that scientists may be able to medically exploit.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092130.htmNewly observed properties of vacuums: Light particles illuminate the vacuumhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092128.htm Researchers have succeeded in showing experimentally that vacuums have properties not previously observed. According to the laws of quantum mechanics, it is a state with abundant potentials. Vacuums contain momentarily appearing and disappearing virtual pairs, which can be converted into detectable light particles.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092128.htm'Fat worms' inch scientists toward better biofuel productionhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092126.htm Fat worms confirm that researchers have successfully engineered a plant with oily leaves -- a feat that could enhance biofuel production as well as lead to improved animal feeds.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:21:21 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092126.htmTaking omega-3 supplements may help prevent skin cancer, new study findshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092002.htm Taking omega-3 fish oils could help to protect against skin cancer, according to new research. Scientists just carried out the first clinical trial to examine the impact of the fish oils on the skin immunity of volunteers.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:20:20 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226092002.htmPTSD symptoms common among ICU survivorshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081238.htm One in three people who survived stays in an intensive care unit and required use of a mechanical ventilator showed substantial post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms that lasted for up to two years, according to a new study of patients with acute lung injury.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081238.htmBariatric surgery restores pancreatic function by targeting belly fathttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081236.htm Researchers have found that gastric bypass surgery reverses diabetes by uniquely restoring pancreatic function in moderately obese patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081236.htmNow hear this: Forerunners of inner-ear cells that enable hearing identifiedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081234.htm Researchers have identified a group of progenitor cells in the inner ear that can become the sensory hair cells and adjacent supporting cells that enable hearing.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:12:12 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081234.htmProtecting fish from antidepressants by using new wastewater treatment techniquehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081157.htm Researchers have developed a new technique to prevent pharmaceutical residues from entering waterways and harming wildlife.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081157.htmSleep reinforces learning: Children?s brains transform subconsciously learned material into active knowledgehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htm During sleep, our brains store what we have learned during the day a process even more effective in children than in adults, new research shows.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:11:11 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htmWhen morning sickness lasts all dayhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081023.htm Severe nausea during pregnancy can be fatal, yet very little is known about this condition. Hormonal, genetic and socio-economic factors may all play a role.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081023.htmPain can be a reliefhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081021.htm When something causes less pain than expected it is even possible for it to feel pleasant, a new study reveals. These findings may one day play a key role in treating pain and substance abuse.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081021.htmSweet news for stem cell's 'Holy Grail'http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081014.htm Scientists have used sugar-coated scaffolding to move a step closer to the routine use of stem cells in the clinic and unlock their huge potential to cure diseases from Alzheimer?s to diabetes.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081014.htm3-D atlas of the human heart drawn using statisticshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081010.htm Researchers in Spain have created a high resolution atlas of the heart with 3-D images taken from 138 people. The study demonstrates that an average image of an organ along with its variations can be obtained for the purposes of comparing individual cases and differentiating healthy forms from pathologies.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081010.htmWindmills at sea can break like matcheshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081005.htm Medium-sized waves can break wind turbines at sea like matches. These waves occur even in small storms, which are quite common in the Norwegian Sea.Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:10:10 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081005.htmCortisone can increase risk of acute pancreatitishttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225210321.htm A new study shows that cortisone -- a hormone used in certain medicines -- increases the risk of acute pancreatitis. According to the researchers, they suggest that patients treated with cortisone in some forms should be informed of the risks and advised to refrain from alcohol and smoking.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:03:03 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225210321.htmPregnant mother's blood pressure may affect future health of childrenhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201930.htm Up to 10 percent of all women experience some form of elevated blood pressure during pregnancy. Researchers now show that mild maternal hypertension early in pregnancy actually benefits the fetus, but that late pregnancy hypertension has negative health consequences for the child.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201930.htmSmall molecules in the blood might gauge radiation effects after exposurehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201928.htm Researchers have identified molecules in the blood that might gauge the likelihood of radiation illness after exposure to ionizing radiation. The animal study shows that radiation predictably alters levels of certain molecules in the blood. If verified in human subjects, the findings could lead to new methods for rapidly identifying people at risk for acute radiation syndrome after occupational exposures or nuclear reactor accidents, and they might help doctors plan radiation therapy for patients.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:19:19 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201928.htmWasp transcriptome creates a buzzhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201823.htm New research delivers a sting in the tail for queen wasps.? Scientists have sequenced the active parts of the genome ? or transcriptome ? of primitively eusocial wasps to identify the part of the genome that makes you a queen or a worker. Their work shows that workers have a more active transcriptome than queens. This suggests that in these simple societies, workers may be the 'jack-of-all-trades' in the colony - transcriptionally speaking - leaving the queen with a somewhat restricted repertoire.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201823.htmCell scaffolding protein fascin-1 is hijacked by cancerhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201820.htm A protein involved in the internal cell scaffold is associated with increased risk of metastasis and mortality in a range of common cancers finds a meta-analysis. The protein, fascin-1, is involved in bundling together the actin filaments which form the internal scaffolding of a cell and are involved in cell movement.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201820.htmNew clot removal devices show promise for treating stroke patientshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201809.htm Specialists are treating patients with a new generation of blood clot removal devices that show promise in successfully revascularizing stroke patients, including those with large vessel blockages. The Solitaire Flow Restoration Device and the Trevo device, approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012 to treat stroke caused by the sudden obstruction of a brain blood vessel (acute ischemic stroke) showed improved results over a previous standard and first generation clot-removal device in clinical trials.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:18:18 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225201809.htmLab instruments inside Curiosity eat Mars rock powderhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225185603.htm Two compact laboratories inside NASA's Mars rover Curiosity have ingested portions of the first sample of rock powder ever collected from the interior of a rock on Mars. Curiosity science team members will use the laboratories to analyze the rock powder in the coming days and weeks.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:56:56 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225185603.htmMediterranean diet helps cut risk of heart attack, stroke: Results of PREDIMED study presentedhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htm Results of a major study aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases show that such a diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:15:15 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225181536.htmHigher levels of several toxic metals found in children with autismhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htm Researchers have found significantly higher levels of toxic metals in children with autism, compared to typical children. They hypothesize that reducing early exposure to toxic metals may help lessen symptoms of autism, though they say this hypotheses needs further examination.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162231.htmDoing good is good for you: Volunteer adolescents enjoy healthier heartshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htm Giving back through volunteering is good for your heart, even at a young age, according to researchers.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:22:22 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225162229.htmVirus shows promise as prostate cancer treatmenthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153141.htm A recombinant Newcastle disease virus kills all kinds of prostate cancer cells, including hormone resistant cells, but leaves normal cells unscathed, according to a new article. A treatment for prostate cancer based on this virus would avoid the adverse side effects typically associated with hormonal treatment for prostate cancer, as well as those associated with cancer chemotherapies generally.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153141.htmHummingbird flight: Two vortex trails with one strokehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153139.htm As of today, the Wikipedia entry for the hummingbird explains that the bird's flight generates in its wake a single trail of vortices that helps the bird hover. But after conducting experiments with hummingbirds in the lab, researchers propose that the hummingbird produces two trails of vortices -- one under each wing per stroke -- that help generate the aerodynamic forces required for the bird to power and control its flight.Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:31:31 ESThttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225153139.htm

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Protecting fish from antidepressants by using new wastewater treatment technique

Feb. 26, 2013 ? Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have developed a new technique to prevent pharmaceutical residues from entering waterways and harming wildlife.

The new water treatment technology -- called membrane distallation -- separates drug residues from sewage with the help of district heating, says Andrew Martin, a professor at KTH's Institute of Energy Technology who worked on the development project with IVL and Scarab Development AB.

Martin says that water vapor passes through a thin, hydrophobic membrane of material similar to Goretex, and through an air gap, where it condensed onto a cold surface. Drug residues collect on one side of the membrane and pure water on the other.

"There is currently no technology capable of doing this cleaning process on a large scale," Martin says. "And for the membrane distillation process to work, the water temperature does not need to be very high, which is good."

Pharmaceutical residues in wastewater have been found to alter fish behavior and could even affect the growth of algae. A recent study at Sweden's Ume? University shows even low levels of Oxazepam detected in the Fyris River, in central Sweden, caused perch to become more antisocial, risk prone and active, making them an easier target for predators such as pike. The study measured levels of Oxazepam found in the perch, which were six times higher than in the water itself.

The study also indicated that the release of anti-anxiety drugs can affect entire ecosystems in a waterway, possibly contributing to an increases or decreases in the incidence of algae.

In a test of the membrane distillation technique at Hammarby Sj?stadsverket in Sweden, researchers found a level of 282 nanograms of Oxazepam per litre of wastewater. After ordinary treatment, that level of pharmaceuticals would essentially remain unchanged when the water is returned to the local waterway. But when treated with the membrane distillation system, the concentration was reduced to less than 2 nanograms per litre.

"Of all the 20th century-tested drugs, it is only the remains of the antidepressant Sertraline that we failed to clear 100 percent," Martin says. "We have some theories, but cannot yet explain why."

Martin and his colleagues are now awaiting results from the next step in the evolution of the technique. They are testing membrane distillation with drug residue levels that are nearly 10 times higher. "These samples are out for analysis right now," he says.

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Dennis Rodman worms his way into North Korea

Flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman is surrounded by journalists upon arrival at Pyongyang Airport, North Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. The American known as "The Worm" arrived in Pyongyang, becoming an unlikely ambassador for sports diplomacy at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. (AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

Flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman is surrounded by journalists upon arrival at Pyongyang Airport, North Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. The American known as "The Worm" arrived in Pyongyang, becoming an unlikely ambassador for sports diplomacy at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. (AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

Flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman, fifth from right, poses with three members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, in red jerseys, and a production crew for the media upon arrival at Pyongyang Airport, North Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. Rodman known as "The Worm" arrived in Pyongyang, becoming an unlikely ambassador for sports diplomacy at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. (AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

In this April 17, 2012 photo, North Koreans play basketball at a public court in Pyongyang, North Korea. Flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman is heading to North Korea with VICE media company - tattoos, piercings, bad-boy reputation and all. The American known as "The Worm" is set to arrive Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013 in Pyongyang, becoming an unlikely ambassador for sports diplomacy at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

Flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman, right, scratches his face upon arrival at Pyongyang Airport, North Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. The American known as "The Worm" arrived in Pyongyang, becoming an unlikely ambassador for sports diplomacy at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. (AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? Former NBA star Dennis Rodman brought his basketball skills and flamboyant style ? tattoos, nose studs and all ? to the country with possibly the world's strictest dress code: North Korea.

Arriving in Pyongyang, the American athlete and showman known as "The Worm" became an unlikely ambassador for sports diplomacy at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. Or maybe not so unlikely: Young leader Kim Jong Un is said to have been a fan of the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, when Rodman won three championships with the club.

Rodman is joining three members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and a VICE correspondent for a news show on North Korea that will air on HBO later this year, VICE producers told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview before they landed.

"It's my first time, I think it's most of these guys' first time here, so hopefully everything's going to be OK , and hoping the kids have a good time for the game," Rodman told reporters after arriving in North Korea on Tuesday.

Rodman and VICE's producers said the Americans hope to engage in a little "basketball diplomacy" by running a basketball camp for children and playing with North Korea's top basketball stars.

"Is sending the Harlem Globetrotters and Dennis Rodman to the DPRK strange? In a word, yes," said Shane Smith, the VICE founder who is host of the upcoming series, referring to North Korea by the initials of its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "But finding common ground on the basketball court is a beautiful thing."

The notoriously unpredictable and irrepressible Rodman might seem an odd fit for regimented North Korea, where men's fashion rarely ventures beyond military khaki and where growing facial hair is forbidden.

Shown a photo of a snarling Rodman, piercings dangling from his lower lip and two massive tattoos emblazoned on his chest, one North Korean in Pyongyang recoiled and said: "He looks like a monster!"

But Rodman is also a Hall of Fame basketball player and one of the best defenders and rebounders to ever play the game. During a storied, often controversial career, he won five NBA championships ? a feat appreciated even in North Korea.

Rodman, now 51, was low-key and soft-spoken in cobalt blue sweatpants and a Polo Ralph Lauren cap. There was a bit of flash: white-rimmed sunglasses and studs in his nose and lower lip. But he told AP he was there to teach basketball and talk to people, not to stir up trouble.

Showier were three Harlem Globetrotters dressed in fire-engine red. Rookie Moose Weekes flashed the crowd a huge smile as he made his way off the Air Koryo plane.

"We use the basketball as a tool to build cultural ties, build bridges among countries," said Buckets Blakes, a Globetrotters veteran. "We're all about happiness and joy and making people smile."

Rodman's trip is the second high-profile American visit this year to North Korea, a country that remains in a state of war with the U.S. It also comes two weeks after North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test in defiance of U.N. bans against atomic and missile activity.

Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, made a surprise four-day trip in January to Pyongyang, where he met with officials and toured computer labs, just weeks after North Korea launched a satellite into space on the back of a long-range rocket.

Washington, Tokyo, Seoul and others consider both the rocket launch and the nuclear test provocative acts that threaten regional security.

North Korea characterizes the satellite launch as a peaceful bid to explore space, but says the nuclear test was meant as a deliberate warning to Washington. Pyongyang says it needs to build nuclear weapons to defend itself against the U.S., and is believed to be trying to build an atomic bomb small enough to mount on a missile capable of reaching the mainland U.S.

VICE, known for its sometimes irreverent journalism, has made two previous visits to North Korea, coming out with the "VICE Guide to North Korea." The HBO series, which will air weekly starting April 5, features documentary-style news reports from around the world.

The Americans also will visit North Korea's national monuments, the SEK animation studio and a new skate park in Pyongyang.

The U.S. State Department hasn't been contacted about travel to North Korea by this group, a senior administration official said, requesting anonymity to comment before any trip had been made public. The official said the department does not vet U.S. citizens' private travel to North Korea and urges U.S. citizens contemplating travel there to review a travel warning on its website.

In a now-defunct U.S.-North Korean agreement in which Washington had planned last year to give food aid to Pyongyang in exchange for nuclear concessions, Washington had said it was prepared to increase people-to-people exchanges with the North, including in the areas of culture, education and sports.

Promoting technology and sports are two major policy priorities of Kim Jong Un, who took power in December 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il.

Along with soccer, basketball is enormously popular in North Korea, where it's not uncommon to see basketball hoops set up in hotel parking lots or in schoolyards. It's a game that doesn't require much equipment or upkeep.

The U.S. remains Enemy No. 1 in North Korea, and North Koreans have limited exposure to American pop culture. But they know Michael Jordan, a former teammate of Rodman's when they both played for the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

During a historic visit to North Korea in 2000, then-U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright presented Kim Jong Il, famously an NBA fan, with a basketball signed by Jordan that later went on display in the huge cave at Mount Myohyang that holds gifts to the leaders.

North Korea even had its own Jordan wannabe: Ri Myong Hun, a 7-foot-9 star player who is said to have renamed himself "Michael" after his favorite player and moved to Canada for a few years in the 1990s in hopes of making it into the NBA.

Even today, Jordan remains well-loved here. At the Mansudae Art Studio, which produces the country's top art, a portrait of Jordan spotted last week, complete with a replica of his signature and "NBA" painted in one corner, seemed an odd inclusion among the propaganda posters and celadon vases on display.

An informal poll of North Koreans revealed that "The Worm" isn't quite as much a household name in Pyongyang.

But Kim Jong Un was a basketball-crazy adolescent when Rodman was with the Bulls, and when the Harlem Globetrotters kept up a frenetic travel schedule worldwide.

In a memoir about his decade serving as Kim Jong Il's personal sushi chef, a man who goes by the pen name Kenji Fujimoto recalled that basketball was the young Kim Jong Un's biggest passion, and that the Chicago Bulls were his favorite.

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Pennington in Washington contributed to this report. Follow Lee, AP's bureau chief for Pyongyang and Seoul, at twitter.com/newsjean.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-26-NKorea-Rodman/id-3b03117aa5b743cbb6d02a18b94f4bde

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সোমবার, ২৫ ফেব্রুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Ask Obama to Protect Wildlife with Improved Environmental Le ...


Gran Pat (322)
Sunday February 24, 2013, 7:09 am
TY, Cher. Done.

Why is this inappropriate?