Week 8 of Jackson trial features experts, emotion

FILE - In this March 5, 2009 file photo, US singer Michael Jackson announces that he is set to play ten live concerts at the London O2 Arena in July, which he announced at a press conference at the London O2 Arena. Charles Czeisler, a sleep expert testified on Friday, June 21, 2013, in Los Angeles that Jackson was suffering from total sleep deprivation at the time of his death in June 2009 and the condition would have shortened his life unless it was properly treated. The Harvard University sleep researcher testified as an expert witness in a lawsuit being pursued by Jackson?s mother, Katherine Jackson, against concert giant AEG Live LLC, claiming the company failed to properly investigate the doctor convicted of giving the superstar a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File)

FILE - In this March 5, 2009 file photo, US singer Michael Jackson announces that he is set to play ten live concerts at the London O2 Arena in July, which he announced at a press conference at the London O2 Arena. Charles Czeisler, a sleep expert testified on Friday, June 21, 2013, in Los Angeles that Jackson was suffering from total sleep deprivation at the time of his death in June 2009 and the condition would have shortened his life unless it was properly treated. The Harvard University sleep researcher testified as an expert witness in a lawsuit being pursued by Jackson?s mother, Katherine Jackson, against concert giant AEG Live LLC, claiming the company failed to properly investigate the doctor convicted of giving the superstar a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File)

This handout photo released by the LA Superior Court and presented as evidence shows an undated thank you note from 2009 written by Paris Jackson to chef Kai Chase, thanking her for gifts bought for the family at Disneyland. Chase testified on Tuesday, June 18, 2013, about the lives of Michael Jackson?s children and their father?s devotion to them. Her recollections came in a trial in Los Angeles being pursued by Jackson?s mother, Katherine Jackson, against concert giant AEG Live LLC, claiming the company failed to properly investigate the doctor convicted of giving the superstar a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol in 2009. (AP Photo/LA Superior Court)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A look at key moments this past week in the wrongful death trial in Los Angeles between Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and concert giant AEG Live LLC, and what is expected at court in the week ahead:

THE CASE

Jackson's mother wants a jury to determine that the promoter of Jackson's planned comeback concerts didn't properly investigate Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter by a criminal jury for Jackson's June 2009 death. AEG's attorney says the case is about personal choice, namely Jackson's decision to have Murray serve as his doctor and give him doses of a powerful anesthetic as a sleep aid. Millions, possibly billions, of dollars are at stake.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEK

? Jackson's personal chef Kai Chase told jurors about Jackson's relationship with his children as well as her impressions that the singer appeared weaker in the final weeks of his life. She recounted numerous tender moments, including a party Jackson threw for his daughter Paris on her 11th birthday, complete with a private circus.

? Charles Czeisler, an expert sleep researcher from Harvard University, told jurors that Jackson was totally sleep-deprived by the time of his death because the singer's use of propofol was not giving him actual sleep but was akin to being in a drug-induced coma.

WHAT THE JURY SAW

? Jurors got their first glimpse of Jackson's oldest children, Prince and Paris, testifying. An AEG lawyer played short clips of the pair to challenge testimony offered by Chase. The two-minute clip of Paris Jackson's testimony showed her alternately looking down and at an AEG Live attorney as she described her father's rocky relationship with her former nanny.

? The jury was shown several images related to how Jackson raised his children, including a handwritten note that Paris wrote Chase thanking her for several gifts she bought for the family while at Disneyland.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

? "It was the most beautiful expression of love I've ever seen," Chase said about a Cirque du Soleil-style circus that Jackson hired for Paris' 11th birthday.

? "The meticulous detailing of his deterioration here was both profound and sad," Czeisler said of emails documenting Jackson's missed rehearsals and inability to perform songs and dance moves without tour worker being afraid he would hurt himself.

WHAT'S NEXT

? Jurors will hear from an expert in medical conflict of interest cases and may also hear testimony from Tim Leiweke, the former CEO of AEG Live's parent company, the Anshutz Entertainment Group. Leiweke's testimony may be shown to jurors from his videotaped deposition.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-06-22-Jackson-AEG%20Suit-Glance/id-288c79c533314ec7b4634fc730a66252

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Maine governor's vulgar remark criticized

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) ? Maine's often-brash Republican governor ? who once told the Portland branch of the NAACP to "kiss my butt," called protesters "idiots," referred to government managers as "corrupt" and compared the IRS to the Gestapo ? has done it again.

But this time critics say he's gone too far.

Gov. Paul LePage used crude language Thursday to express his frustration over the state budget, targeting a Democratic opponent with a sexually vulgar phrase to describe how he believes he is taking advantage of the people.

The remarks, made to journalists from two television stations and one newspaper, were targeted at state Sen. Troy Jackson, an assistant Democratic Leader who criticized the governor's veto announcement and call for 60-day reprieve to negotiate a new budget as a political stunt. Jackson said that the Legislature had enough votes to override the veto and that there was no need for lawmakers to negotiate with LePage.

LePage said Jackson "claims to be for the people, but he's the first one to give it to the people without providing Vaseline."

He later added: "Dammit, that comment is not politically correct, but we got to understand who this man is.

"This man is a bad person," LePage continued. "He doesn't only have no brains. He has a black heart and so does the leadership upstairs."

WMTW reporter Paul Merrill told him others might find the Vaseline remark offensive.

"Good," LePage replied. "It ought to, because I've been taking it for two years."

Democrats called the governor's words disrespectful and a failure of leadership.

Sen. Seth Goodall, Democratic leader, said there should be no room for personal attacks and insults on someone's character in Maine government.

"Language like this is offensive, no matter who says it. We expect more in our schools. We expect more at home around our kitchen table. And surely we expect more from our governor."

Jackson said that he has not seen the video but that he has heard the governor's comments and is not bothered by them.

"I've had a lot of people say nasty things about me in the past. ... That's OK, that's democracy," Jackson told reporters. "But I do think it's inappropriate the way he said it. We can be disagreeable without making nasty comments like that, and I just think it's unfortunate that the man that is supposed to be the leader of our state makes comments like that."

LePage, who was elected in 2010 with tea party support, is known for speaking his mind.

LePage spokeswoman Samantha Warren said the governor's remarks reflect his increasing frustration that the Democrats are pushing forward with a budget that would raise taxes and hurt hard-working Maine families.

He and Jackson have clashed in the past over a number of issues, including a bill LePage signed last year that Jackson said eliminated a number of regulations that have been put in place to make sure Americans' logging jobs don't go to Canadians.

LePage's administration said the aim was to cut bureaucracy and red tape that restrain businesses and make them less competitive.

But Jackson, who is a logger in northern Maine, called it part of LePage's "ongoing assault on Maine workers."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/maine-governors-vulgar-remark-criticized-063102827.html

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'Arrested Development' releases Faceblock App, courtesy of George Michael Bluth

By Tony Maglio

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Arrested Development" fans got a nice treat this year in the form of the fourth season of the Emmy-winning comedy on Netflix.

Now, fans of both the show and wood grain get another one, courtesy of the ingenuity of George Michael Bluth (Michael Cera).

The official Faceblock App - as discussed by Cera's character this season - is now live, complete with (some) real functionality!

According to Netflix, the app "has taken wood percussion by storm" with the new digital wood instrument. Fans can download the official mobile app for life-like stereo wood sounds, the finest wood grain themes and new content from "Arrested Development." As users tap the app, they unlock content related to the show.

"It's not juts a woodblock, it's a lifestyle," boasts Netflix. The app is available on Apple and Android devices.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/arrested-development-releases-faceblock-app-courtesy-george-michael-002455644.html

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Attorneys clear issues before opening statements

George Zimmerman's family members, including his father, Robert Zimmerman Sr., center, mother Gladys Zimmerman, second from right, and wife Shellie Zimmerman, right, stand as the selected jurors enter the courtroom during the George Zimmerman trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla., Thursday, June 20, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.(AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary Green, Pool)

George Zimmerman's family members, including his father, Robert Zimmerman Sr., center, mother Gladys Zimmerman, second from right, and wife Shellie Zimmerman, right, stand as the selected jurors enter the courtroom during the George Zimmerman trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla., Thursday, June 20, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.(AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary Green, Pool)

Tracy Martin, second from left, and Sybrina Fulton, left, parents of Trayvon Martin, and their attorney Benjamin Crump, center, stand as the selected jury enters the courtroom during the George Zimmerman trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla., Thursday, June 20, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.(AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary Green, Pool)

Garry Jones, left, of Atlanta, Ga., and H. Alexander Duncan, of Eatonville, Fla., an attendee of the George Zimmerman trial, discuss the trial outside the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford, Fla., Thursday, June 20, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Judge Debra Nelson reads the law to potential jurors during George Zimmerman's trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla., Thursday, June 20, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.(AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary Green, Pool)

Defense attorney Mark O'Mara, left, talks with assistant state attorney Bernie de la Rionda, right, during jury selection in the George Zimmerman trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla., Thursday, June 20, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.(AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary Green, Pool)

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? With six female jurors now seated to consider whether George Zimmerman committed murder when he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, prosecutors and defense attorneys turn Friday to unresolved issues before next week's opening trial statements.

The female jurors were chosen Thursday for the second-degree murder trial of Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch volunteer who says he fired on the unarmed black teenager in self-defense last year in a gated community in Sanford. Zimmerman is pleading not guilty.

Opening statements are scheduled Monday. But pending issues to be resolved Friday include whether an audio expert can testify for the prosecution that screams for help captured on a 911 call belong to Martin. Circuit Judge Debra Nelson said she would make a decision Friday. Defense attorneys don't want the expert to testify, claiming his analysis is flawed.

The jury's selection Thursday followed nearly two weeks in which potential jurors were quizzed by attorneys about their views on firearms, crime, race and self-defense.

"We've got a jury, which is great!" said defense attorney Mark O'Mara after jurors were sworn in Thursday. "We found six jurors that said they'll be fair, they'll be impartial and most important not allow any external pressures, sympathy, biases, political expediency to affect the way they're going to look at the evidence."

Prosecutors have refused to comment for the duration of the trial. In a statement, attorneys representing Martin's parents said they expected the jurors to be fair and impartial.

"This case has always been about equal justice," they said. "Equal justice under the law is not a black value or a white value. It's an American value. "

Prosecutors have said Zimmerman, 29, racially profiled Martin as he walked back through the central Florida community from a convenience store on a rainy night in February 2012 wearing a dark hooded shirt.

Race and ethnicity have played a prominent role in the case and even clouded jury selection. While the court did not release the racial makeup of the jury, the panel appeared to reporters covering the selection process to be made up of five white women and a sixth who may be Hispanic.

Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.

Two of the jurors recently moved to the area ? one from Iowa and one from Chicago ? and two are involved with rescuing animals as their hobbies.

One juror had a prior arrest, but she said it was disposed of and she thought she was treated fairly. Two jurors have guns in their homes. All of their names have been kept confidential and the panel will be sequestered for the trial.

The central Florida community of Sanford is in Seminole County, which is 78.5 percent white and 16.5 percent black.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys chose the panel of six jurors after nearly two weeks of jury selection. In Florida, 12 jurors are required only for criminal trials involving capital cases, when the death penalty is being considered.

If convicted, Zimmerman could face a potential life sentence.

On Feb. 26, 2012, Zimmerman spotted Martin, whom he did not recognize, walking in the gated townhome community in Sanford where Zimmerman lived and the fiancee of Martin's father also resided. There had been a rash of recent break-ins at the Retreat, and Zimmerman was wary of strangers walking through the complex.

The two eventually got into a struggle and Zimmerman shot Martin in the chest with his 9mm handgun. He was charged 44 days after the shooting, only after a special prosecutor was appointed to review the case and after protests.

Martin's shooting death and the initial decision not to charge Zimmerman led to public outrage and demonstrations around the nation, with some accusing Sanford police of failing to thoroughly investigate the shooting.

The six jurors were culled from a pool of 40 candidates who made it into a second round of jury questioning. Two men and two women also were picked as alternate jurors.

___

Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/KHightower

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-21-US-Neighborhood-Watch/id-c1906b0ea4154b97bb71856ea97a93a6

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Deal of the Day: Seidio OBEX Waterproof Case for Samsung Galaxy S3

The June 21 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Seidio OBEX Waterproof Case for Samsung Galaxy S3. The OBEX utilizes advanced technology that not only safeguards your device against drops, but also keeps external elements like water, snow, mud, dust, and sand from damaging your device. The curvature provides a secure grip and absorbs shock if your device is dropped, and the built-in screen protector promotes touch sensitivity and clarity.

The Seidio OBEX Waterproof Case is available for just $59.00, 26% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping!

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/hymTpWt21Z8/story01.htm

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Impossible Instant Lab mobile photo booth ships August 29th for $299

There's a certain irony to the Impossible Instant Lab taking a long time to develop, but we won't mind (much) now that it has a solid release date. The instant photo kit ships to stores on August 29th, when it will cost the same $299 that The Impossible Project promised during its crowdfunding campaign. Compatibility hasn't changed much since then -- you'll need to use at least an iPhone 4 or fourth-generation iPod touch, and there's no immediate support for devices using Android or other platforms. If that's no barrier, however, you can bring your digital photos to the analog world in a matter of weeks.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

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Does altitude determine the way we speak?

A University of Miami anthropologist discovered a link between languages that possess a certain consonant sound and their altitude. Does geography shape how our languages sound?

By Eoin O'Carroll,?Staff / June 13, 2013

A Quechua man draws on his partner's face before a dance performance in Ecuador in 2011. A University of Miami anthropologist has found that languages of people living at high altitudes, such as Quechuan, tend to have certain consonants that are absent in lower-altitude languages.

Guillermo Granja/Reuters

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As anyone who has ever been to a hog-calling contest or a middle school cafeteria can attest, humans are capable of producing all sorts of sounds. But most languages take advantage of only a small portion of these. English, for instance, has just 42 or so distinct sounds,?a fraction of our species' vocal capabilities.?

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So why do some languages pick up some sounds and eschew others? Most linguists have assumed that it's more or less random, but a new study suggests that geography might play a role.

One particular type of sound called the ejective consonant, a sort of?puh, kuh, or tuh noise produced by creating a pocket of air in the throat and compressing it. We don't have ejective consonants in English, but about one in five languages have them, mostly in eastern and southern African languages, and in indigenous languages in the western parts of North and South America. Ejective consonants can also be found in the Caucasus.

University of Miami anthropologist?Caleb Everett noticed that languages of people living at high elevations tend to have ejective consonants and that those in low-lying areas tend to lack them. He went through the?World Atlas of Linguistic Structures Online, a huge database of languages and their phonological, lexical, and grammatical properties, and compared them with the geographic coordinates and elevations of the languages' locations.

Of the 567 languages that he analyzed ? about 8 percent of the 6,909 or so human languages ? Dr. Everett found that about 87 percent of languages with ejective consonants have their origins within about 300 miles of high elevation points, defined as regions about a mile above sea level or higher.

Why is this so? Everett suspects the rarefied air found at high altitudes makes it easier to hold air pockets in the throat. "Since atmospheric pressure is reduced at higher elevation," he writes in the current issue of the journal PLOS ONE, "we speculated that this compression would be more easily achieved in locations of relatively high elevation."

In his study, Everett also offered a second possible explanation. It could be the case, he writes, that ejective consonants tend to mitigate the loss of water vapor. As chatty mountaineers tend to quickly discover, talking too much at altitude can lead to dehydration. Ejective consonants tend to expel less vapor than those originating in the lungs, so it could be that our languages are shaped by our bodies' water conservation strategies. Or it could be a combination of both explanations. ?

Everett's is not the first study to link human sounds to geography. A paper in 2004 noted a correlation between sonority ? that is, those with more frequent vowel sounds and a greater amplitude ? and proximity to the equator. Linguists suggest that cultures in warmer places rely on speaking across greater distances. ?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/Ovbik6X3hb0/Does-altitude-determine-the-way-we-speak

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Asian shares ease as Fed meeting keeps markets on edge

By Chikako Mogi

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares eased on Tuesday as investors waited for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to clarify the U.S. central bank's plans for its stimulus programme - with the mere suggestion of fine-tuning it enough to unnerve market sentiment.

European stocks are seen easing, with financial spreadbetters predicting London's FTSE 100, Paris's CAC-40 and Frankfurt's DAX will open down as much as 0.3 percent. U.S. stock futures traded almost flat, hinting at a subdued Wall Street start after a rise overnight.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.2 percent, with Chinese and Australian bourses leading the declines. The materials sector in the pan-Asian index was the top loser.

Australian shares faced selling in high-yielding stocks while Hong Kong shares slipped 0.5 percent after two days of gains with investors selling recent outperformers. Shanghai shares also struggled to gain as the People's Bank of China again refrained from injecting funds into the interbank market despite short-term funding costs staying high.

South Korean shares bucked the trend and rose 0.9 percent while Southeast Asian shares were also mostly higher.

The Fed's bond-buying programme, along with very accommodative monetary policies by other central banks to promote growth, such as the Bank of Japan, has underpinned market sentiment broadly, providing investors abundant funds they could put to work in higher-yielding "risk" assets, such as shares.

"The Federal Reserve has really been driving the top-down investment themes globally with quantitative easing and record low U.S. rates," said Peter Esho, investment adviser at Wilson HTM. "It has implications really into all other asset classes."

Market volatility was likely to remain elevated until the outcome of the Fed meeting and Bernanke's news conference on Wednesday.

"The sensitivity of asset prices to headlines and seemingly inconsistent moves among them - U.S. Treasury yields moving higher but the U.S. dollar coming under pressure...shows the degree of nervousness and confusion among investors regarding the most likely path of the Fed's monetary policy," Barclays Capital said in a research note.

DOLLAR OUTLOOK MIXED

Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock average gave up early gains and fell 0.2 percent, swinging from Monday's 2.7 percent rise.

The dollar rose 0.3 percent against the yen to 94.78, off its 10-week low of 93.75 yen hit on Thursday, but well below last month's 4-1/2-year peak of 103.74 yen. Against a basket of six key currencies, however, the dollar index was down 0.09 percent.

Uncertainty over the Fed's thinking has weighed on the dollar recently, but its fall against the yen has also been linked to speculators and investors cutting back their yen short positions after the Bank of Japan took no action last week to quell a highly volatile domestic bond market.

The sell-off in the Nikkei, sparking yen buying, erased gains made since the central bank's big-bang stimulus unveiled on April 4, which had helped propel the index up to a 5-1/2-year high last month. Growing views that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may not deliver as aggressive a reform as previously hoped for also led to the unwinding of short-yen and long-Nikkei positions.

"The Fed is likely to stress its commitment to stimulus and signal that any tapering will not mean tightening liquidity, and that should tame recent market jitters and induce stability," said a senior official at a big Japanese investor.

At a meeting of leaders of the Group of Eight developed countries on Monday, the euro zone came under pressure to press on with a banking union and Japan was urged to follow up on massive central bank stimulus with structural reforms and measures to tackle its budget deficit.

The G8 said in a statement world economic prospects remained weak even though downside risks have lessened due partly to policy action taken in the United States, the euro zone and Japan.

Data on Tuesday showed Japan's industrial output rose 0.9 percent in April, showing a steady pickup in firms' productive activity, while Monday's economic reports showed firming recovery in U.S. housing markets.

"In general any decision to taper would signal confidence in the ongoing recovery of the U.S. economy, that is potentially an upside for markets depending on how investors take it."

U.S. crude futures inched up 0.1 percent at $97.85 a barrel and Brent also was up 0.1 percent to $105.55.

Spot gold fell 0.3 percent to $1,380.41 an ounce as muted physical demand and fears of any cut in the Fed's $85 billion monthly bond purchases weighed on sentiment.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asian-shares-ease-fed-meeting-keeps-markets-edge-065632370.html

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Obesity leads to brain inflammation, and low testosterone makes it worse

June 17, 2013 ? Low testosterone worsens the harmful effects of obesity in the nervous system, a new study in mice finds.

The results will be presented Monday at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

"Low testosterone and obesity are common in aging men, and each is associated with type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease," said the study's lead investigator, Anusha Jayaraman, PhD, of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. "Our new findings demonstrate that obesity and low testosterone combine to not only increase the risk of diabetes but also damage the brain."

The study -- which was conducted in the laboratory of Christian J. Pike, PhD, Professor in the Davis School of Gerontology at USC and funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging -- consisted of three groups of male mice that received a high-fat diet (60 percent of calories were from fat) to induce obesity. Each group had eight mice and varied by testosterone status. One group had normal testosterone levels, and the second group underwent surgical removal of the testes so that the mice had low testosterone levels. The third group also underwent castration but then received testosterone treatment through a capsule implanted beneath the skin.

The high-fat diet, Jayaraman reported, resulted in obesity and evidence of diabetes -- abnormally high blood glucose (sugar) levels and poor glucose tolerance, which is the ability to clear glucose from the bloodstream. Compared with the group that had normal testosterone levels, the testosterone-deficient mice had more body fat, higher blood sugar levels and poorer glucose tolerance, she said.

After blood testing, brain tissues from the mice underwent analysis for changes. The brains of obese mice showed substantial inflammation and were less able to support nerve cell growth and survival, according to Jayaraman. These damaging effects of diet-induced obesity were significantly worse in mice with low testosterone, she said, adding that control groups of mice fed a normal diet did not show these changes.

"Our findings suggest that low testosterone and obesity interact to regulate inflammation of the nervous system, which may increase the risk of disorders such as type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease," she said.

Because many of the negative outcomes of the high-fat diet were eased in the group of mice that received testosterone therapy, Jayaraman said that "testosterone treatment may be useful in reducing the harmful effects of obesity and low testosterone on the nervous system."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/PBre78LLjNE/130617172833.htm

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Chase Gives Away $1 Million in Free Twitter Ads to Small Businesses

A unique partnership between the biggest bank in the U.S. and the world?s #3 social network yields marketing synergies.

Social media powerhouse Twitter has issued $1 million in free advertising credits exclusively to Chase for a coordinated small business banking promotion in the U.S.

?We talk to a lot of leaders of small businesses about the challenges of integrating Twitter into their ongoing marketing efforts.?
? Russ Laraway,
Head of SMB, Twitter

Four million customers will be eligible for the program, including those using Chase Business Banking, Chase Ink credit cards and Chase Paymentech. Not all will reap the benefits though. The Twitter ad packages will be awarded in $100 increments to 40,000 small businesses ? one in 100 of qualifying Chase customers.

The $100 credit can be used on Twitter?s Small Business advertising platform, which became available to all U.S. businesses in April 2013.

Right now, it?s unclear precisely how and when customers will be able to claim their ad credits, but Chase promises more details will be available by early fall.

( Read More: Tweet This? 1 In 5 Banks Are Twitter Quitters )

Chase to Offer Twitter Seminars and How-To Workshops

In its agreement with Chase, Twitter will also provide access to research, best practices, and workshops focused on helping small businesses better understand how to use the social network for growth.

?We talk to a lot of leaders of small- and medium-sized businesses,? says Russ Laraway, head of Twitter?s small business division. ?We hear about the challenges of integrating technologies such as Twitter into their ongoing marketing efforts.?

?Our goal is to help small businesses build better customer engagement, increase sales using direct response techniques, and engage more followers with compelling content,? Laraway explains.

Chase and Twitter will host events around the country exclusively for the bank?s small business customers. The first is about ?Effective Social Media Strategies for Small Business.?

Chase and Twitter will also be jointly publishing content via two new Twitter accounts: @ChaseSmallBiz and @TwitterSmallBiz. The pair says they will be posting videos, infographics, white papers and a how-to guide to demonstrate the value of Twitter. You can also follow along with the conversation using the hashtag #ChaseSocialBiz.

( Read More: Grading Chase Bank?s Social Media ?Community Giving? Campaign )

A Low-Risk Co-promotion

The arrangement creates obvious synergies for both parties. Chase can offer its customers a nice perk, and Twitter can market its ad services to an important ? and tricky ? market segment with relatively little hard cost. Trial offers are an effective way for Twitter to grow new relationships, and many small businesses are sure to feel a sense of gratitude to Chase for the gift.

If it only takes $100 to persuade a business owner that marketing on Twitter is worthwhile, then Twitter?s partnership with Chase will definitely pay off.

The deal with Chase represents Twitter?s second major push into the small business market ? both times co-branded with a banking partner. In November 2012, Twitter forged a similar pact with American Express to offer around $1 million in credits as part of the financial giant?s Small Business Saturday promotion.

( More: Highest Ranking Banks and Credit Unions on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube )

Search For More: Social Media, Chase, Twitter

All content &copy 2013 by The Financial Brand and may not be reproduced by any means without permission.

Source: http://thefinancialbrand.com/30727/chase-bank-free-twitter-advertising/

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PST: Wambach scores 156th, US beats S. Korea

Abby Wambach wants to hurry up and break Mia Hamm?s all-time scoring record so that everyone will stop talking about the chase. In the waning moments of the United States women?s national team?s 4-1 win over Korea Republic on Saturday, Wambach capped off the scoring by finishing a penalty kick drawn by Alex Morgan.

That was goal 156. Two to go to tie Hamm.

Enough about that, though. Saturday night was a night of firsts for several U.S. women ? a first goal, a first cap and yes, even a first for Wambach. Here are talking points from the win, with highlights:

Mewis gets her first: Kristie Mewis, a midfielder for FC Kansas City, playing left back on the evening (Kelley O?Hara had a ?minor injury,? according to U.S. Soccer) scored her first international goal in the 3rd minute of the game. It was a dream scenario for the Hanson, Mass., native to score at Gillette Stadium, just minutes from where she grew up and where she played NCAA soccer at Boston College. Mewis is one of the bright young stars (22 years old) who has the versatility to play anywhere on the flank or pushed higher in the midfield. Here?s her goal:

Another Morgan on the field: University of Virginia midfielder Morgan Brian, still 20 years old and entering her junior year in the fall, earned her first cap with the U.S. when she entered the game in the 77th minute for Lauren Cheney (who scored in the 7th minute).

Wambach adds to the tally: Wambach had never scored against South Korea until Saturday. Of course, she had never participated in a game vs. the visitors, either, having been in recovery from a broken leg the last time the teams met for a three-game series in 2008. The goal means Wambach has now scored against 31 different countries. Here?s Wambach?s goal:

Solo returns: Hope Solo played in a U.S. jersey for the first time since Feb. 13 after recovering from left wrist surgery. She entered the game at the start of the second half, making a big save within minutes but seeing generally little action after that.

Also noteworthy: Carli Lloyd hit brought about some Olympic d?j? vu. When on target, her shots are extremely dangerous from long range and she showed it again on Saturday with a low rocket from about 32 yards out. It?s worth a watch:

Next up the U.S. women face South Korea again on Thursday at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. and live on NBCSN and online on NBCSports.com?s Live Extra at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/16/wambach-inches-closer-us-women-upend-korea-republic/related/

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Colombian police rescue two kidnapped Spanish tourists

By Helen Murphy and Luis Jaime Acosta

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian police staged a raid in northern La Guajira province early on Saturday and rescued two Spanish tourists held captive by an unidentified group for nearly a month, police officials said.

Maria Concepcion Marlaska, 43, and Angel Fernandez Sanchez, 49, were seized on May 17 while traveling by car to the popular tourist destination of Cabo de la Vela on Colombia's northern peninsula.

"They are free and in good health," Colonel Elber Velasco, commander of La Guajira police, told reporters. "It was a rescue that required very important intelligence, an operation that did not allow the use of weapons."

The abduction may have been the work of common criminals, security sources say. Two people, one Spanish and one from Syria, were arrested in Madrid in connection with a ransom demand, Spain's Interior Ministry said.

Colombian police sources said Spanish police were involved in the efforts that led to the rescue.

The tourists were freed in an operation near the city of Maicao on a stretch of land which juts into the Caribbean Sea and borders northwestern Venezuela.

Colombian Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon was to provide further details later on Saturday.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country's biggest rebel group, last month denied accusations that it was holding the tourists, but Spanish news reports said the kidnappers had identified themselves as members of the Marxist-led guerrilla group when they contacted the family of the victims to demand a ransom.

The FARC and the Colombian government began talks in November to try to end a war that began with the FARC's formation in 1964 as a communist agrarian reform group.

The FARC last year halted the taking of hostages and the group has repeatedly said the order was being followed by the entire rebel force.

The group has a history of kidnapping to raise money for its struggle against the government, but rebel leaders called a stop to the practice to encourage the peace process.

It is not unusual for criminals to claim kidnappings or other actions in the group's name.

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/colombian-police-rescue-two-kidnapped-spanish-tourists-150804493.html

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