Humbled, Worldly and Focused, Former NBA Star Ricky Davis Sets Sights on Comeback

A born (and some say one-dimensional) scorer, Davis used his time abroad to transform his game into a far more well-rounded one.

Over the past 15 months, the man who once scored 20 points a game in the NBA has called three continents and four countries home.

Ricky Davis' travels started after he was waived the Clippers in the 2009-10 season -- following an 12-year NBA career -- when he picked up with Turkish club T?rk Telekom B.K in March of 2010. He left Turkey for China that October, signing with the Jiangsu Dragons, then headed to France in the spring, joining up with Chorale Roanne. Fully recovered from a knee injury that hobbled him during his years in L.A., he felt, as he put it, that he was "back."

So he came home. Urged on by a compact season that's already opened the door for 11 players out of the NBA D-League, Davis signed with the Maine Red Claws -- affiliate of his former team, the Boston Celtics -- and starts his NBA comeback tour on Thursday against the Canton Charge -- affiliate of another one of his former teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers. NBADLeague.com caught up with him after Red Claws shootaround on Thursday.

Kevin Scheitrum, NBADLeague.com: You?ve had a busy year. How are the frequent flyer miles doing?

Davis: I?ve got ?em built up. I?ve been to China. Been to France. All over.

NBADLeague.com: You were playing some great ball overseas. What prompted you to come Stateside, to the NBA D-League?

Davis: I think it?s better for me to stay in the States and work my way up to get called-up. Overseas is fun -- with FIBA, it?s great. But I think I?m more toward the end of my career.

NBADLeague.com: So obviously the goal here is to get back to the NBA as soon as possible, but do you have a mental timeline? What are your goals?

Davis: To come in and have fun. To come in and have fun, to help the team I?m on and get some victories, then let everything take care of itself. Pretty much trying to take it one day at a time, one play at a time and go from there.

NBADLeague.com: When you played, you were the quickest guy on the court. How has your game changed since you left the NBA?

Davis: Not at all. It?s pretty much the same game. I?m probably about two inches lower in my vertical. I?ve still got the quickness, and I?m just getting smarter as a veteran

NBADLeague.com: Sometimes it takes stepping away to learn something about yourself. What did you learn about yourself, about your game, after you left the NBA?

Davis: I learned a lot, of course. I just grew. It was more or less staying focused and looking back on some of the stuff that wasn?t good for me early in my career.

It was all a learning experience. I had fun with it, and now it?s about becoming a better player overall. A better teammate.

NBADLeague.com: Is there anything in particular you look back on and say, ?I wish I didn?t do this or that??

Davis: Not really. I did some bad things, but the only thing I regret is my triple-double. But everything else comes with experience. People forget I got drafted when I was 17, so I had a lot of young ?myself-myself? attitude, and now it?s more about being part of a team, and more of what I can do to help the team.

NBADLeague.com: You were always known as a scorer, maybe at the cost of the other parts of your game. But back then, you were scoring 20 points a game in the NBA. How much have you focused on defense and rebounding over the past few years?

People forget I got drafted when I was 17, so I had a lot of young ?myself-myself? attitude, and now it?s more about being part of a team, and more of what I can do to help the team.

Davis: Defense has always been there, but when you?re the leading scorer on the team you kind of shy away from the defensive end. But over the years, as you get more experience on defense, you learn that defense definitely helps in offense. And it?s been great working on rebounding and working on my whole-all-around game.

I want to get other people involved. I can score the ball. It?s like riding a bike. You never forget it.

NBADLeague.com: If you got called-up, you wouldn?t be the marquee scorer ? at this point in your career, what?s your value to an NBA team?

Davis: Being an all-around player, and still being that scorer. Definitely being a scorer is one of my skills, and it helps that I can definitely dish the ball and cheer my other teammates on. Instead of me being focused on playing 48 minutes, I?ll be focused on playing 25 minutes and helping get everybody the ball.

NBADLeague.com: How much did playing around the world make you appreciate what it?s like to play in the NBA?

Davis: A whole lot. One-hundred percent. It really humbles you. It brings you back to reality, and how you got there. [The NBA] was a good experience for me. I played 12 years, I could?ve kept going, but I think it was good for me to get humbled and start Path Two.

NBADLeague.com: What made you stick with the game, instead of hanging it up?

Davis: Those last few years with the Clippers, my knee was kinda hurting, I wasn?t explosive, but I didn?t want to let people know what was going on. I lost my explosiveness, and I couldn?t score the ball like I could in those two years.

Then, after the Clippers, I got my knee right, went overseas and realized I?m back.

NBADLeague.com: Just in the past year, you were in Turkey, China and France. Did you set up Get Bucket Brigades all over the world?

Davis: I sure didn?t. I actually wanted to, but it was hard with the language barrier. I got a couple church kids coming out [Thursday night], though ? 10-12 of them.

NBADLeague.com: How?d the language-learning go? Did you pick up anything?

The NBA was a good experience for me. I played 12 years, I could?ve kept going, but I think it was good for me to get humbled and start Path Two.

Davis: I can talk a little in Turkish, and I know a little French. Chinese is a little tough, though.

NBADLeague.com: The NBA D-League is known as a place where you make your mark in rebounding, defense and ball control. Are you looking to really play up the rebounding angle of your game? Maybe go after more balls than you normally would, and put less of a focus on scoring?

Davis: I?m coming in to grab boards and do what I do best, and that?s scoring. I added in the getting-people-involved part, but you gotta do what you do best, and for me that?s scoring.

NBADLeague.com: How much did having a shortened, compact schedule ? with a lot of expected player movement ? have to do with your coming to the NBA D-League?

IDavis: That had a lot to do with it ? it was a big plus. With a short season and not knowing your whole roster, and a short training camp, I think it?ll be good for me as a veteran player, to sneak in there and make a roster.

NBADLeague.com: A lot of the veterans in the NBA D-League talk about how much they enjoy being able to teach the younger guys, in addition to their own quest for the NBA. What are you gonna try to get across to the young guys?

Davis: You tell them to stay focused. You can lose focus from game to game to game, and the thing is to go game to game, don?t get too cocky, stay humble and make others better. I think that?s when you become more successful and powerful, when you?re making others better.

NBADLeague.com: A lot of the Maine fans know you from your Celtics days. How excited are you to play in front of them?

Davis: Absolutely. I think that was a great place for me, in Maine, and Boston, where we got the Bucket Brigade still over there. It?ll be great for me to go back to where I had a great time playing. And I?m starting in a game where we?re playing Cleveland, I mean Canton, so those are two of my old places. I?m looking forward to contributing

Source: http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/ricky_davis_reclaws_q_and_a_2011_12_29.html

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Ryan Moore Out to Make Golf More Affordable

The Moores: Aim to level the playing course

When Ryan Moore isn?t playing golf on tour, he enjoys pondering business ventures ? he became a minority owner in Scratch Golf in late 2009 (but relinquished his equity interest a year later and then signed with Adams) and then invested in TRUE Linkswear, a shoe apparel company, in spring 2010.

His latest project aims not only to make good golf more available to the public, but also to help jump-start the struggling golf course industry in the Tacoma area, where he grew up and still calls home.

Moore, along with 13 partners consisting of primarily friends and family, created RMG Golf Course Management LLC, or RMG Club, according to The News Tribune?s Todd Milles.

Not only will RMG Club run the day-to-day operations at the Classic Country Club in Spanaway and McCormick Woods in Port Orchard, the company announced Thursday that it had acquired Oakbrook Golf and Country Club in Lakewood [Ed. note: Which is a solid and challenging track from my recollection].

With those three venues in the fold, RMG Club will launch a membership-driven business model Jan. 1 that is designed to attract all types of golfers.

The company will offer three levels of unlimited-golf memberships, ranging from its three-course, all-access $179-per-month package, to a one-course, $99-per-month rate, to a twilight-only $49-per-month package.?We want this to be a product that appeals to everyone ? and not just to people who are 45 and can afford a membership and go play golf any time they want,? Moore said. ?We want people to have great facilities that they can go play at a reasonable rate.?

I think that?s a polite way of saying they?d like people who aren?t middle-aged white male businessmen, earning at least a healthy six-figure salary to have access to golf courses besides the local cow pasture, without coughing up thousands to pay the club initiation fee. And $179-per-month all-access?! That?s an incredible deal. Greens fees at resort courses are usually more than $200 for 18 holes and most decent public courses cost at least $50 to play.

Basically, they?re trying to break through the elitist country club mold and reverse golf?s dwindling popularity in the tough economic climate.

The company?s aim is to offer a quality golf experience at minimal cost ? while rewarding customer loyalty.

A group of investors began forming. Shawn Cucciardi, a co-owner at McCormick Woods, began meeting with the Moore family, brainstorming on ideas.

Jason Moore and JD Rastovski ? Ryan Moore?s caddies on the PGA Tour ? came up with a membership rewards program idea that is part of all the membership packages.Each of the membership packages, which require a golfer to sign up for a minimum 12 months, offers the same perks ? discounted family-membership options, unlimited driving-range balls, access to the restaurant and locker rooms and advanced tee-time booking.

Good idea? I think so. Will the RMG Club help revive golf in the area? It can?t hurt.

(Photo via The News Tribune)

Source: http://www.weiunderpar.com/post/ryan-moore-out-to-make-golf-more-affordable

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Lady Gaga, Madonna, Nicki Minaj Top 2012's Most Anticipated Albums1676533

Mumford & Sons, Justin Bieber, Rick Ross also prepping new material.
By Gil Kaufman

Photo: Getty Images / MTV News

The past 12 months have seen the release of monster albums from Adele, Lady Gaga, Drake, Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. But the next 12 are promising to bring even more music from several of those artists, plus new albums from Mumford & Sons, Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Linkin Park, Paramore, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Maroon 5 and Green Day. It's a bumper crop of major albums from some of rock, pop and hip-hop's biggest stars, who are returning from long breaks, hoping to follow up smash debuts or just trying to keep their momentum going. While release dates are always subject to change, here are some of the most anticipated releases of 2012.

Pop:
Ironically, the status of new albums from the artists whose next moves everyone is most curious about are the ones most in the air. Rihanna tends to deliver a new album every 12 or 13 months, which means that she may have another disc in stores at the end of next year once the just-released Talk That Talk has run its course. On the other hand, Lady Gaga has already begun talking about her follow-up to this year's Born This Way. Gaga recently told MTV News that she's already started writing songs and "all the concepts are beginning to flourish and take place." She didn't give a potential release date, only promising, "I'll put it out when it's done." Katy Perry hasn't publicly spoken about what will come after 2010's smash Teenage Dream, but it's possible she could start work on new material in 2012 as well. We know for sure that Justin Bieber is planning to show his more mature side next time around, possibly even incorporating some EDM sounds into the mix. It's been confirmed that Madonna hooked up with M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj for the single "Gimme All Your Luvin' " from her untitled forthcoming album, which will feature production from Ray of Light producer William Orbit. Other artists who could release fresh material in 2012: No Doubt, Maroon 5, Avril Lavigne, Miley Cyrus, Christina Aguilera, Ke$ha and Nicole Scherzinger.

Hip-Hop:
Two titans of rap are cueing up fresh tracks for early 2012, with Nicki Minaj likely to get out of the gate first with her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, due out on Valentine's Day. The disc will include first single "Roman in Moscow," which sees the Best New Artist Grammy nominee getting into the character of her alter ego, Roman Zolanski. After the delay of God Forgives, I Don't due to a pair of seizures he suffered in October, Rick Ross is expected to come back strong as well. The Bawse has taken his convalescent time to work on a new track with Jay-Z. Speaking of Jigga, fans may get a new record from him as well, considering he told MTV News he was cooking up fresh tracks way back when he first played us songs from his Kanye West collaborative album, Watch the Throne. In fact, Jay-Z said you might get solo albums from both men as well as the second Throne release. Other artists that should have albums hitting stores in 2012: Nas, Frank Ocean, Slaughterhouse, Wiz Khalifa, the G.O.O.D. Music compilation, T.I., Big Sean, 50 Cent, Ludacris, Big K.R.I.T., Meek Mill and potentially two discs from Lil Wayne, I Am Not a Human Being II and Rebirth II. Rock:
Some of rock's biggest guns are reloading for 2012, among them Green Day, who debuted some new tracks at a benefit show in August. The title of the follow-up to 2009's 21st Century Breakdown hasn't been announced yet, but some of the early songs slated for possible inclusion are "Nuclear Family," "Carpe Diem" and "Sweet 16." U2 have reportedly been cooking up a number of potential new albums, logging sessions with Danger Mouse and working with French producer/DJ David Guetta, RedOne and will.i.am on a disc of dance-oriented tunes. Prog rock revivalists Muse should also have some new material for us, with bassist Chris Wolstenholme promising in a recent interview that the sound on their sixth album will be "radically different" from 2009's The Resistance. We may get something from Linkin Park, who are prepping the follow-up to 2010's A Thousand Suns, and Mumford & Sons. It's been two years since the British folk rock revivalists dropped their still strong-selling debut, Sigh No More, and they began giving fans a taste of some new material in the fall when they unveiled the majestic song "Ghosts." After a rough year, Paramore have finally put the drama behind them and they're super-psyched to record an album free of tension and inter-band awkwardness. So far, they've already unwrapped the bouncy "Renegade" and "Hello Cold World," which bode well for their fourth full-length studio album. Other rock acts slated to release new albums: the reunited Soundgarden, Foster the People, Neon Trees, Sleigh Bells, Silversun Pickups, Bruce Springsteen and All-American Rejects. Which 2012 albums are you most excited about? Which ones did we miss? Let us know in comments below.

Related Artists

• Lady Gaga
• Madonna
• Nicki Minaj

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676533/most-anticipated-albums-2012.jhtml

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Meth Hype Could Undermine Good Medicine

News | Mind & Brain

Overstating the dangers of methamphetamine may impede treatment of drug abusers, asserts a review by Columbia University researchers

By Gary Stix ?| December 27, 2011?|

Crystal methamphetamine Image:

The 1936 film Reefer Madness developed a cult following because of its over-the-top depiction of the evils of marijuana. Getting stoned and going to a midnight showing became a ritual for many college students.

The recognition that pot is not a direct route to an asylum for the criminally insane, as it was for one character in the film, fueled the hilarity for late-night moviegoers. The divergence between perception and reality has become an issue in recent years for other recreational drugs.

Last month four scientists from Columbia University published an analysis of previous studies on methamphetamine use that called into question some of the purported damaging effects of the drug on brain functioning. The review in Neuropsychopharmacology found that short-term effects of the drug actually improve attention, as well as visual and spatial perception, among other things.

Moreover, chronic users?the ones who would be expected to suffer most?remain largely unimpaired. The researchers found that they experience brain and cognitive changes ?on a minority of measures? in brain imaging and psychological tests. ?Cognitive functioning overwhelmingly falls within the normal range,? the report states, while adding that researchers? pre-existing assumptions about meth's detrimental effects "should be reevaluated to document the actual pattern of cognitive effects caused by the drug."

While recognizing the potential for abuse, the researchers emphasize that misinterpretations of the scientific evidence can wrongly stigmatize drug abusers and lead to misguided policymaking. One study, for instance, asserted that meth abusers might be too cognitively damaged to benefit from rehabilitative treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapies. ?Findings from this review argue that such concerns are unwarranted,? the researchers state.

In Thailand, efforts to stem meth use have gone as far as banning all amphetamines, a class of drug that is used medically for treatment of ADHD and other conditions. ?My main goal really was to make sure that we are rigorous in the science before we are political,? says Carl Hart, a substance abuse researcher at Columbia who was the lead author on the Neuropsychopharmacology paper. ?I think, with meth, we have been political.? (Neuropsychopharmacology is part of Nature Publishing Group, which also includes Scientific American.)

The article asserts that some of the misconceptions surrounding meth go beyond findings on mental functioning. Drug education campaigns often publish photographs of ?meth mouth,? severe tooth decay among users because of the lack of saliva. But dry mouth is a condition common to other drugs, such as the prescription antidepressant Cymbalta and the ADHD medication Adderall.

Hart says he was impelled to do the research because of distortions of the evidence for harm from crack cocaine. During the crack cocaine epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s, pronouncements about lasting prenatal harm to children whose mothers used the drug turned out to be overblown: long-term effects on brain development and behavior were fairly small, and children were sometimes ostracized or received medical diagnoses that were mistakenly attributed to effects from the drug.

The review by Hart and colleagues elicited a firm counterpoint from National Institute on Drug Abuse director Nora Volkow, some of whose research is critiqued in the Neuropsychopharmacology paper. ?Because of the far-reaching public health implications of this issue, it is essential not to forget what we do know about meth-induced neuropathology, which is plenty troubling,? she says. Volkow points out that the vascular effects of meth can lead to strokes and hemorrhages. The drug, she notes, has also been shown to produce inflammation, atrophy and structural changes in brain tissue. ?Similarly worrisome is a recent report of increased incidence of Parkinson?s diseases among individuals with a past history of methamphetamine abuse [compared with] the general population,? she says, adding that meth abuse can be ?neurotoxic to the human brain.?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=19e63abc5bac4f15b9601f44188a00cf

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Website says it's cooperating in trunk-death probe (AP)

DETROIT ? A website that posts sex-related ads says it's cooperating with Detroit police in the investigation of four women found dead in car trunks, including three who promoted their services online.

Backpage.com says in a statement Tuesday that it reached out to police with "detailed information" about ads that a suspect may have posted on numerous websites. The company says that the investigation is expanding to involve at least 30 different ads on multiple websites.

Detroit police didn't immediately comment.

Since Dec. 19, the bodies of four women have been found in car trunks just blocks apart in Detroit. Police Chief Ralph Godbee is not calling them serial killings, although their online ads on Backpage are a common thread.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_re_us/us_trunk_bodies_escort_ads_backpage

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AUTOMOTIVE - AUTOS: Rock Star Bret Michaels Returning To ...

Rock legend Bret Michaels will return to the Barrett-Jackson auction block to sell three pieces from his personal collection at the 41st annual Scottsdale collector-car auction at WestWorld from Jan. 15-22.

"We welcomed Bret to Barrett-Jackson last year with the sale of his 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS," said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. "We're honored Bret is returning to the block to sell three more pieces of his personal collection."

Last year, Michaels' 1969 Camaro sold for $220,000 during primetime auction hours.

Michael's 2011 Ford Explorer was often seen on his TV show 'Life As I Know It.' (Photo: Barrett-Jackson) Before his cars cross the block, Michaels will perform on the stage at the private Barrett-Jackson Opening Gala. Though the exclusive Gala is limited to invited friends, family and VIPs, a few lucky locals will win tickets through local radio stations, facebook.com/Barrett-Jackson and Barrett-Jackson's Twitter feed @barrett-jackson.

Entrepreneur and rock icon Michaels has consigned his 2004 Bentley Continental GT (Lot #705.4), a stunning Moonbeam Silver coupe that features a 6-Liter twin turbo W12, GPS navigation and premium package.

Michaels is also selling his 2004 Lincoln Navigator (Lot #705.5), a true Rock Star vehicle as featured on Michaels' hit VH1 show, Rock of Love. The 5.4 Liter V8-powered SUV features a leather interior and DVD player.

Michaels? 2011 Ford Explorer (Lot #705.6) featured on his hit TV show Life as I Know it will also go over the block. The Explorer features a navigation system, luxury package and V6 engine.

Michaels' beautiful Bentley Continental GT coupe is painted Moonbeam Silver. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson) An avid car and motorcycle enthusiast, Michaels was named 2011 People Magazine's "Survivor of the Year" and Fox411's "Celebrity of the Year." In May 2010, he was hand-picked as Donald Trump's Season 3 winner on Celebrity Apprentice. He has graced the covers of People, US weekly, Billboard, Scottsdale Health, Diabetes Forecast and other magazines.

As front man of legendary rock band Poison, Michaels has sold more than 29 million records and scored an amazing 14 Top 40 hits, including the timeless No. 1 smash single "Every Rose Has its Thorn," his solo country crossover hit "All I Ever Needed" and his rock hit "Go That Far." As an actor, Michaels has made regular appearances on multiple hit television shows and starred in his hit reality show, Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, which became the highest-rated series on Vh1. His most recent show Bret Michaels: Life As I know It, still remains one of the top-ranking shows on the network.

Over the years, fans of Michaels have seen him endure a great deal of personal adversity regarding his health. Since the age of six, Michaels has lived a daily battle with Type-1 diabetes, which he has turned into a lifelong cause that he continues to support as a spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association. He was awarded the ADA's prestigious Chair's Citation Award in 2010 for excellence in raising awareness and funds for diabetes.

In 1994, he survived a car accident along with various traumatic injuries. In 2010, he overcame a near-fatal brain hemorrhage and subsequent stroke. It is Michaels's characteristic determination and strong willpower that pulls him through any hardship that might come his way.

"Bret Michaels is known to fans around the world as a rock star and a television celebrity," said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. "But what we've come to appreciate even more as we get to know Bret is the personal side of this rock 'n' roll icon. He is a devoted father, active philanthropist and a passionate automotive enthusiast. We are honored to have him with us again."

For more information about bidding on this special car or any other in the auction, follow the link to www.barrett-jackson.com/bid . To see the latest on Bret Michaels, visit www.bretmichaels.com.

Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-rock-star-bret-michaels-returning-to-barrett-jackson/

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Timelines coming to Facebook for iPad in late January

9to5 Mac has word that Facebook for iPad will be getting the new Timeline feature in late January.

Timeline was supposed to come to the iPad in December, but the release has been pushed back due to last minute bugs found during advanced testing. Facebook is now planning

...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/cjWbBACJ7jI/story01.htm

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Week in review: Social media slacking and Google's steely grip

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Source: www.newsreach.co.uk --- Sunday, December 25, 2011
Google and Mozilla have extended their search agreement, while UK firms could be missing out on the power of social media. ...

Source: http://www.newsreach.co.uk/nr/rachel-jones/week-in-review-social-media-slacking-and-googles-steely-grip

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Watch Crazy for Christmas 2006 on ipad

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Source: http://games.onlinerel.com/watch-crazy-for-christmas-2006-on-ipad/

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DroidDog: DroidDog | Amazon Kindle Fire gets an early taste of Ice Cream Sandwich http://t.co/9u4iuEhM #Android

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DroidDog | Amazon Kindle Fire gets an early taste of Ice Cream Sandwich bit.ly/usNJux #Android Il y a environ 3 heures via twitterfeed Retweeted by 1 person

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Iraq Struggles To Create Jobs and Wealth

Washington (VOA) -- Iraq has some of the largest oil reserves in the world, but its economy suffers from high unemployment, war damage and the lingering effects of past international sanctions.

Crumbling infrastructure and political bickering also weigh down economic growth.

Oil dominates Iraq's 82 billion-dollar a year economy, yielding most of the government's revenues and export income. It dwarfs all other sectors of the economy, and some economists say it could spur double-digit growth. That impresses U.S. President Barack Obama.

"In the coming years, it's estimated that Iraq's economy will grow even faster than China's or India's."

Mr. Obama spoke after a recent meeting in Washington with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki. Iraq has the second-largest proven oil reserves in the world, but most of that potential wealth is still in the ground. Prime Minister Al-Maliki:

"Iraq ... needs experience and expertise and American and foreign expertise to help Iraq exploit its own wealth in an ideal way."

Foreign oil companies have made some deals in Iraq, but are hesitant to make more investments until the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdish regional government agree on clear laws governing this critical economic sector. They have haggled for years over who has the right to approve agreements with foreign oil companies and how to structure those deals.

Ben Lando heads the website Iraq Oil Report. He spoke to VOA via Skype.

"It's a have a fundamental dispute as to what the future of the state looks like, and the oil is where you can see it most starkly playing out."

Iraq's economy is recovering slowly from war and sanctions. At one point, gross domestic product per person fell to just $800, but is now about $3000. But that is lower than Iraqi incomes in the 1970s. Unemployment is at least 18 percent, but the oil industry's growing efficiency means it will provide fewer jobs than it did in the past.

Mohsin Khan is with the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington.

"Refineries, people say that you can run refineries that would take 1,000 people in the 1970s, now with 10 [people]. Because of computerization and so on, you don't need people."

But Iraqis need jobs. Nearly a quarter of the nation's 32 million citizens live in poverty.

By Jim Randle

Source: http://www.aina.org/news/20111223135047.htm

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Physicist builds Lego Large Hadron Collider (Yahoo! News)

9,500 piece model took Copenhagen-based researcher weeks to construct

As scientists at the CERN?Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland?continue their search for the elusive Higgs boson "God particle," one physicist has built a tribute to their work entirely out of?Lego bricks. Sascha Mehlhase, a researcher at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, spent more than 80 hours designing and constructing a model of the supercollider's intricate?ATLAS detector.

Mehlhase, who is part of the institute's high energy physics group, spent about 48 hours modeling the ATLAS on his laptop in Lego's?Digital Designer software. He used the application's ability to generate a custom construction manual, but decided to simply eyeball most of the work after seeing the 4,500-page tome it spit out. With some help from his wife, Mehlhase spent 33 hours over the course of several weeks assembling 9,500 bricks to reproduce even the smallest details.

The final model stands nearly two feet tall and is 1:50 scale ? or actual size, if you're a little Lego person. In fact, Mehlhase even chose jumpsuit-wearing Lego minifigs to represent the CERN scientists and recreated the passageways they use to access the inner areas of the ATLAS experiment. The total cost for the project was almost $2,600 in Lego bricks, which had to be custom ordered from the Danish toymaker.

Mehlhase hopes to eventually publish a construction manual online and intends to showcase the finished model at the Niels Bohr Institute for visitors and students to marvel at. You can see more images of it at?the University of Copenhagen's site.

[Image credit:?Sascha Mehlhase]

University Post via?Geekosystem

This article was written by Randy Nelson and originally appeared on Tecca

More from Tecca:

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20111223/tc_yblog_technews/physicist-builds-lego-large-hadron-collider

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Londonist Out Loud: A Podcast For London, 23 December 2011

Welcome to the latest episode of Londonist Out Loud, a podcast about London. You can listen in-browser, or?subscribe via iTunes?or?RSS.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week?s episode is the second in a special four-part series visiting some of London?s most important institutions. Host N Quentin Woolf spends a day with the staff and crew of the London Air Ambulance. He witnesses first hand the incredible work done by the team, who fly out to deal with the most traumatic injuries around the capital many times a day.

This episode contains sections that some listeners may find disturbing. Note that the episode is longer than normal to better represent a day in the life of the London Air Ambulance.

See more photos from London Air Ambulance?s helipad at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, taken during our recent site visit.?The centre costs ?13 million to run each year, and is almost entirely funded by donations. You can help the cause by?donating here.

Interested in sponsoring this podcast? Contact us on hello@londonist.com for more details.

Source: http://londonist.com/2011/12/londonist-out-loud-a-podcast-for-london-23-december-2011.php

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Nest Thermostat Teardown Reveals Beautiful Innards, Powerful ARM CPU, Zigbee Radio

The Nest Thermostat is a gorgeous piece of eco-friendly electronics. But like your mom always said, it's what's inside that counts. Well then, she'll be pleasantly pleased to find out that the inside of the Nest is as equally beautiful as the sleek exterior. The $249 thermostat might be costly, but a teardown posted on SparkFun shows the innards of a device worthy of such a price. Not only is it well-built, but the Nest is rocking serious processing power and connectivity options. Silly hyperbole alert: The Nest is a game changer.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/euPvampfMsE/

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NASA Spacecraft Beam Space Christmas Photos to Earth (SPACE.com)

NASA spacecraft are beaming home some festive photographic treats, just in time for the holidays.

One shot, taken by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), captures a star-forming nebula that resembles a Christmas wreath. If you squint a little, the nebula's red dust cloud could be a bow, and the bluish-white stars look like silver bells.

The nebula is called Barnard 3, and it's found in the Perseus constellation. The star in the center of the red cloud, known as HD 278942, is so bright that it's lighting up most of the surrounding clouds. The red cloud is probably composed of dust that's cooler and more metallic than the material in surrounding regions, researchers said.

The different colors in the WISE image represent different wavelengths of infrared light. Blue and blue-green represent wavelengths of 3.4 and 4.6 microns, both of which come chiefly from stars. Green and red denote light from 12 and 22 microns, respectively, which are mostly emitted by dust, researchers said. [See the space Christmas photos]

WISE launched in December 2009 on a mission to survey the sky in infrared light. The telescope shut down in February of this year, after taking about 1.8 million images of cosmic objects and discovering more than 33,000 new asteroids. Researchers are still sifting through the huge amounts of data WISE collected during its observational life.

NASA's Saturn-studying Cassini probe has also delivered a photographic holiday package. Two newly released Cassini images show three of Saturn's frigid moons hanging in space like gaudy cosmic ornaments, girded by the massive planet's magnificent rings.

The natural-color photos depict Titan, Saturn's largest satellite. In each of them, a second, icy moon ? Dione in one case, Tethys in the other ? is visible in the distance behind the haze-enshrouded Titan.

While Earth's northern hemisphere is just now shifting into winter, it's currently northern spring in the Saturn system and will remain so for several years. Northern summer is due to arrive in 2017, and Cassini should be around to see the seasons change. NASA has extended the mission of the spacecraft, which launched in 1997 and arrived at Saturn in 2004, through 2017.

"As another year traveling this magnificent sector of our solar system draws to a close, all of us on Cassini wish all of you a very happy and peaceful holiday season," Carolyn Porco, Cassini imaging team lead at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo., said in a statement.

Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20111223/sc_space/nasaspacecraftbeamspacechristmasphotostoearth

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Amazon To Invest $270 Million In New Distribution Centers In Virginia, Tennessee

Online retail giant Amazon this morning announced that it will open four new distribution centers, two in Virginia and two in Tennessee, and that it will invest a total of $270 million to get the new facilities completed by next fall - just in time for next year's holiday season. In Virginia, Amazon says it will create about 1,350 jobs, while the new distribution centers in Tennessee will create 1,300 jobs. Amazon operates such facilities, which it calls fulfillment centers, to warehouse and shop items customers have ordered on Amazon.com.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/H8dhV9fLDiA/

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The Swollen Amphibian Starts to Deflate (Balloon Juice)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: AT&T, Verizon Communications ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL ? December 21, 2011 ? Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include AT&T Inc. ( T), Verizon Communications Inc. ( VZ), Sprint Nextel Corp. ( S), MetroPCS Communications Inc. ( PCS) and Leap Wireless International Inc. (LEAP).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Tuesday?s Analyst Blog:

AT&T Scraps T-Mobile Merger

After many twists and turns, the AT&T Inc. ( T) and T-Mobile merger story finally reached in its last chapter, but with an unsuccessful ending. Following a nine-month fight to win approvals, the second largest U.S. wireless service provider dropped its $39 billion bid to purchase T-Mobile USA.

The move came a few weeks after AT&T withdrew its application from the Department of Justice (DoJ) following heavy regulatory attacks. The DoJ in August and the Federal Communications Commission in November blocked the proposed takeover citing concerns relating to unfair competition, layoffs, higher prices, lower innovation and investments in the industry. According to the regulators, the combination would have created a duopoly market for the U.S. wireless industry, giving AT&T and Verizon Communications Inc. ( VZ) almost 80% control over the U.S. wireless post-paid market.

In fact, even the third-largest U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. ( S) had opposed to this merger. This was an obvious reaction as the combined company would be almost three times that of Sprint and consequently hurt its profitability. The failed deal comes as a respite for its turning post-paid wireless business. ??

Furthermore, the effects of the merger on smaller and lower-cost wireless carriers like MetroPCS Communications Inc. ( PCS) and Leap Wireless International Inc. (LEAP) was unclear. While the combination would have put pressure on these carriers to purchase more spectrums for future broadband networks, it would have also made deals and contracts more expensive and therefore impossible for the smaller players to outbid bigger competitors in spectrum auctions and business partnerships.

With the termination of the deal, AT&T?s hopes of becoming the largest U.S. wireless carrier, dethroning Verizon are shattered. The company was in need for additional airwaves to expand its advanced high-speed 4G services given its exponential growth in mobile broadband traffic. Already criticized for dropped calls and poor network coverage, AT&T will face more constraints in its capacity deployment than Verizon, no doubt hurting subscriber growth. Moreover, AT&T might lower its profit forecast for the next year as it had already assumed merger-related benefits and spending.

The collapse is no less a loss for T-Mobile. The fourth wireless operator will again have to struggle to deploy high-speed services in an intensely competitive environment. Since T-Mobile does not have substantial spectrum to deploy its 4G services and is continuously losing money, its parent company Deutsche Telekom is seeking another buyer.

AT&T agreed to pay T-Mobile $3 billion in cash and $1 billion for spectrum access for dropping the deal. As a result, the company will take a $4 billion charge in the fourth quarter against its takeover. AT&T and T-Mobile nevertheless has entered into the roaming agreement to sell each other?s product and services.

Announced in March, this was the largest takeover plan in the wireless industry since 2004.

We prefer to maintain our long-term Neutral recommendation on AT&T. The company retains the Zacks #3 (Hold) Rank for the short term (1?3 months).

Want more from Zacks Equity Research? Subscribe to the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5515.

About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leon Zacks. As a PhD from MIT Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

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Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

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Read the full analyst report on T

Read the full analyst report on VZ

Read the full analyst report on S

Read the full analyst report on PCS

Read the full analyst report on LEAP

Source: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/66645/The+Zacks+Analyst+Blog+Highlights%3A+AT&T,+Verizon+Communications,+Sprint+Nextel,+MetroPCS+Communications+and+Leap+Wireless+International

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?Tis the Season! Weelicious Recipes for the Holidays

Weelicious creator Catherine McCord shares her top kid-friendly and low calorie holiday treat recipes.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/bAe_zpOMF30/

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Drive Through Hoops To Save Money On Insurance - The ...

Of all the regular costs that dog car owners, liability insurance is among the cruelest. You only get the best rates if you never file claims, so careful drivers end up subsidizing the costs incurred by reckless ones. The best drivers can hope for is to find the lowest rate by shopping around and taking advantage of every discount.

Thousandaire advocates checking with your insurer for discounts. He found a way to score a defensive driving class discount by taking an online class. To make the deal even sweeter, he found an online coupon that saved $5 on the class.

If you have a clean driving record, you can call your insurance agent and ask if you're eligible for cheaper rates. If you get stonewalled, it may be time to start looking for quotes from competitors.

Save $220 on Car Insurance for Defensive Driving [Thousandaire]

Source: http://consumerist.com/2011/12/drive-through-hoops-to-save-money-on-insurance.html

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Intel merges four mobile units into one, argument over parking spaces forthcoming

Intel is combining its netbook and tablets, ultra-mobility, mobile communications and mobile wireless divisions into a "Mobile and Communications" super-unit. It's aiming to catch up with the portable chip big boys like Qualcomm and NVIDIA. Santa Clara's chips may power 80 percent of the world's desktops and laptops, but in the mobile space the energy efficient ARM (and its multiple licensees) is king. The new unit will be headed by Mike Bell and Hermann Eul and will be in charge of speeding up the development of future blockbuster mobile chips, as well as ensuring a good launch for the 32nm Medfield when it arrives early next year -- it's got some massive dainty smartphone shoes to fill.

Intel merges four mobile units into one, argument over parking spaces forthcoming originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Yahoo! News  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/RjyjDhdLoao/

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Europe debt woes prompt year-end flight from risk (Reuters)

SINGAPORE (Reuters) ? Asian shares fell into bear market territory for the year and commodities and the euro nursed stinging losses Thursday, as fears that Europe's debt crisis is still worsening prompted investors to dump riskier assets and seek shelter in the dollar.

The gloomy mood was not improved by a private sector survey indicating China's factory output will shrink again in December, adding to the headwinds facing a global economy struggling with sluggish U.S. growth and the euro zone sliding back into recession.

"We're quite bearish about the world at the moment," said Damien Boey, equity strategist at Credit Suisse in Sydney. "You're looking at basically the three major economies in the world causing problems."

European shares were expected to make an uncertain start, with financial bookmakers calling major indexes to open flat or slightly higher, while S&P 500 index futures were down 0.4 percent, pointing to a weaker start on Wall Street.

The market view that a European Union summit last week had failed to produce a solution to the crisis was reinforced when Italy was forced to pay an eye-watering 6.47 percent on 5-year bonds Wednesday, a record borrowing cost for the euro era.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

HSBC China flash PMI: http://link.reuters.com/hyd55s

Japan BOJ Tankan: http://link.reuters.com/pez55s

Euro zone crisis in graphics: http://r.reuters.com/hyb65p

Interactive timeline: http://link.reuters.com/rev89r

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

Japan's Nikkei fell 1.7 percent and MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was down 2.1 percent, following losses of around 1 percent on Wall Street and a steeper sell-off in Europe Wednesday.

The MSCI Asia ex-Japan is down 20 percent for 2011 -- the rule-of-thumb definition of a bear market -- while the Nikkei has lost about 18 percent. Both have underperformed global equities (.MIWD00000PUS), which have lost around 12.5 percent, and U.S. stocks (.SPX), which are only down around 3.5 percent.

Europe remains investors' biggest worry, with markets still braced for ratings agency downgrades of euro zone sovereigns.

"Markets are frustrated and disappointed, waiting for a road map on the resolution of the two-year-old debt crisis," said Ong Yi Ling, an investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore. "Risk assets are all down. The debt crisis will be with us at least through the first half of 2012."

SLOWING CHINA

Hong Kong (.HSI) and Shanghai's (.SSEC) benchmark indexes were among the biggest losers in Asia after the release of HSBC's China flash PMI, the latest piece of data to show the world's second largest economy losing steam.

Wider market reaction was muted, but the survey reinforced the consensus that China's manufacturers are struggling with waning global demand and tight credit conditions.

"Risk reduction has been a theme with investors looking to cut losses on the year and ahead of a choppy 2012," said Larry Jiang, chief investment strategist at Guotai Junan International Securities in Hong Kong.

Wednesday's stock market declines in the West were dwarfed by carnage in commodity markets, where oil, gold and copper shed 4-5 percent.

Gold has been hammered in recent days as fund managers liquidate their holdings, either to cover losses elsewhere or to lock in profits on an asset that is still up more than 10 percent for the year.

"Some macro hedge funds are liquidating gold holdings and taking profits in a difficult year," said James Steel, chief technical analyst at HSBC.

The precious metal fell further Thursday, losing 0.5 percent to around $1,566 an ounce, while U.S. crude oil inched up to $95.20 a barrel and Brent crude bounced more than 70 cents to around $105.80.

The euro fell as low as $1.2944, its weakest level since January 11, and was later steady around $1.2985.

A downgrade by ratings agency Fitch of five major European financial groups, including France's Credit Agricole to A-plus from AA-negative, added to the already euro-negative sentiment.

This comes on top of the prospect of further cuts by rival Standard & Poor's, which warned earlier this month it could downgrade the ratings of 15 of the 17 euro zone members.

"I can see the U.S. dollar keep trending higher while the euro flounders," said Joseph Capurso, a strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

(Additional reporting by Miranda Maxwell in Melbourne, Clement Tan in Hong Kong, Jane Lee in Kuala Lumpur and Frank Tang in New York; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111215/bs_nm/us_markets_global

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NASA Backs Away from Imposing Controls on Commercial Crew Program (ContributorNetwork)

Alan Boyle of MSNBC reports that NASA has at the last minute revised its approach to the next phase of the commercial crew program, designed to develop private space craft to service the International Space Station through government subsidies.

NASA had planned, according to a proposed Commercial Crew Integrated Design Contract, to exert a great deal of control over the design of the commercial vehicles that would carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. However, thanks in large part due to lack of funding, the space agency will retain the relatively hands off approach it has employed for the cargo spacecraft being developed thus far.

How has NASA conducted the Commercial Orbital Transportation Systems program?

Under the COTS program, first initiated under President George W. Bush, NASA provided guidelines for the development of commercial cargo spacecraft. Certain milestones in the development and testing of these spacecraft were defined. Subsidy money was paid out once NASA had determined that each milestone was achieved. The advantage of this approach, which was stipulated as a Space Act Agreement, was that the commercial space companies retained flexibility over how they achieved each milestone, with NASA providing over all guidance.

How did NASA propose changing this arrangement for the crewed phase?

NASA proposed to exert a far greater control over the design and development of commercial spacecraft during the crewed phase. Designs would have to be approved by NASA. NASA would reserve to itself the ability to demand more testing at each milestone as it saw fit. To implement this new arrangement, hugely time consuming and expensive auditing requirements would be imposed. NASA would embed teams of its own employees to oversee the development of the crewed commercial spacecraft.

The commercial space companies and commercial space advocates chaffed at this proposed new arrangement. They maintained that it would result in unnecessary expense and would consume too much time. NASA responded that the new approach was necessary to ensure crew safety.

What changed?

Congress appropriated less than half of the Obama administration's request for commercial crew. NASA subsequently decided that it lacked the money to impose the arrangement dictated by the Commercial Crew Integrated Design Contract. The space agency has therefore chosen to retain the Space Act Agreement approach for the crewed phase. Currently, the first commercial crew flights to the ISS are scheduled for 2017.

What has been the political reaction to the revision?

Both Rep, Ralph Hall, the chairman of the House Science Committee, and the ranking member, Rep. Bernice Johnson, have expressed skepticism, citing concerns for crew safety. Both the Space Access Society and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation look upon the NASA decision with favor, however.

Mark R. Whittington is the author of Children of Apollo and The Last Moonwalker. He has written on space subjects for a variety of periodicals, including The Houston Chronicle, The Washington Post, USA Today, the L.A. Times and The Weekly Standard.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111216/sc_ac/10692487_nasa_backs_away_from_imposing_controls_on_commercial_crew_program

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Bacterial protein 'mops up' viruses found in contaminated water supplies

Public release date: 15-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dr. Hilary Glover
hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com
44-203-192-2370
BioMed Central

Access to clean water is a necessity often taken for granted. However UNICEF estimates that 900 million people across the world do not have access to safe drinking water. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Biotechnology shows that an enteric virus-binding protein (EVBP), isolated from bacteria found in activated sludge, is able to capture viruses often present in contaminated water.

One of the difficulties in measuring viral contamination in water is that viruses may be present at a very low concentration yet still make people ill. Even a single enteric virus can infect a human and cause gastroenteritis, and these viruses can survive for a long time in water.

Researchers from Tohoku University and Hokkaido University used activated sludge, produced during sewage treatment by aerating the sewage and allowing bacteria to breakdown organic material, as starting material in their search for a protein able to bind to enteric viruses. Using PCR the researchers isolated the gene coding for one of the subunits of GroEL from sludge DNA. GroEL is a 14 subunit 'chaperone' protein which ensures that proteins are folded correctly during their manufacture.

Using biochemical and enzymatic assays the subunit was found to be able to capture enteric viruses. GroEL is able to bind to hydrophobic amino acids on the surface of proteins and it is thought that the newly isolated EVBP similarly binds to hydrophobic areas on the surfaces of viruses and viral fragments.

Dr Daisuke Sano from Hokkaido University explained, "Unlike virus-specific and expensive antibodies, EVBP bound all the enteric viruses we tested (norovirus, rotavirus and poliovirus). Once developed this easy-to-use method could be used to detect low concentrations of viruses in the clinic or environment."

###

Notes to Editors

1. Adsorption characteristics of an enteric virus-binding protein to norovirus, rotavirus and poliovirus
Takahiro Imai, Daisuke Sano, Takayuki Miura, Satoshi Okabe, Keishi Wada, Yoshifumi Masago and Tatsuo Omura
BMC Biotechnology (in press)

Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central's open access policy.

Article citation and URL available on request at press@biomedcentral.com on the day of publication.

2. BMC Biotechnology is an open access journal publishing original peer-reviewed research articles in the manipulation of biological macromolecules or organisms for use in experimental procedures, cellular and tissue engineering or in the pharmaceutical, agricultural biotechnology and allied industries.

3. BioMed Central (http://www.biomedcentral.com/) is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Public release date: 15-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dr. Hilary Glover
hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com
44-203-192-2370
BioMed Central

Access to clean water is a necessity often taken for granted. However UNICEF estimates that 900 million people across the world do not have access to safe drinking water. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Biotechnology shows that an enteric virus-binding protein (EVBP), isolated from bacteria found in activated sludge, is able to capture viruses often present in contaminated water.

One of the difficulties in measuring viral contamination in water is that viruses may be present at a very low concentration yet still make people ill. Even a single enteric virus can infect a human and cause gastroenteritis, and these viruses can survive for a long time in water.

Researchers from Tohoku University and Hokkaido University used activated sludge, produced during sewage treatment by aerating the sewage and allowing bacteria to breakdown organic material, as starting material in their search for a protein able to bind to enteric viruses. Using PCR the researchers isolated the gene coding for one of the subunits of GroEL from sludge DNA. GroEL is a 14 subunit 'chaperone' protein which ensures that proteins are folded correctly during their manufacture.

Using biochemical and enzymatic assays the subunit was found to be able to capture enteric viruses. GroEL is able to bind to hydrophobic amino acids on the surface of proteins and it is thought that the newly isolated EVBP similarly binds to hydrophobic areas on the surfaces of viruses and viral fragments.

Dr Daisuke Sano from Hokkaido University explained, "Unlike virus-specific and expensive antibodies, EVBP bound all the enteric viruses we tested (norovirus, rotavirus and poliovirus). Once developed this easy-to-use method could be used to detect low concentrations of viruses in the clinic or environment."

###

Notes to Editors

1. Adsorption characteristics of an enteric virus-binding protein to norovirus, rotavirus and poliovirus
Takahiro Imai, Daisuke Sano, Takayuki Miura, Satoshi Okabe, Keishi Wada, Yoshifumi Masago and Tatsuo Omura
BMC Biotechnology (in press)

Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central's open access policy.

Article citation and URL available on request at press@biomedcentral.com on the day of publication.

2. BMC Biotechnology is an open access journal publishing original peer-reviewed research articles in the manipulation of biological macromolecules or organisms for use in experimental procedures, cellular and tissue engineering or in the pharmaceutical, agricultural biotechnology and allied industries.

3. BioMed Central (http://www.biomedcentral.com/) is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/bc-bp121411.php

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