How good can the Nats get?

Top 3 pitchers are reminiscent of the 1990s Braves, and the bats are coming alive

Greg Fiume / Getty Images

Heading into an NL East showdown series with the Braves, the Nationals own the National League's best record.

OPINION

updated 4:45 p.m. ET June 29, 2012

Tony DeMarco

On the eve of Davey Johnson's one-year anniversary as the Washington Nationals' manager, the offense did things it never had done for him.

The Nats scored 12 runs, the most in Johnson's tenure, tied a Nationals record with 21 hits and set a record with 11 extra-base hits in a 12-5 rout of the Colorado Rockies. And then the next night, they added 11 more runs for their first back-to-back games of 11 or more runs since 2005.

"They finally started listening to me,'' Johnson joked. "It only took them a year.''

Coors Field has been the ultimate slump-buster throughout its 18-year history, and It certainly helps to run into the Rockies while their highly questionable two-tiered rotation experiment continues. But that double dose of good timing aside, there's much to smile about in the Nationals' world these days:

With the Los Angeles Dodgers' recent skid, the Nationals own the National League's best record at 43-31 through Thursday. Heading into an NL East showdown series this weekend in Atlanta, the Nationals have led the division for all but 10 days, currently by 3 1/2 games. Nobody has a better road record since last Sept. 12.

And of course, the Nationals lead the majors in team ERA, strikeouts/nine innings, runs allowed, WHIP and opponents' OPS.

And they've accomplished all of this short-handed. Every team has injuries, but key ones, like those to Michael Morse, Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth, Drew Storen and Wilson Ramos, can decimate even the deepest of rosters. Morse and Zimmerman are back, but the latter three still are missing-in-action.

"It's a testament to the depth we created in the offseason; to the scouts and player-development people,'' general manager Mike Rizzo said. "We're in first place, but we're always trying to build onto what we have. We have one of the youngest teams in baseball, and we feel we're not even scratching surface of our ability levels. We feel like we're just starting to hit on all of our cylinders.''

And to think that one year ago, Jim Riggleman walked away from the manager's job, upset that no contract extension had come his way. Maybe that extension never was going to be offered, but if there ever was a head-scratcher of a decision, Riggleman's was it.

The Nationals are 83-73 in the calendar year under Johnson, who clearly is enjoying himself in this Jack McKeon-esque renaissance. Johnson is 69, and although he speaks more softly than he used to, much of his signature bravado remains.

Forty-seven years after his major-league debut with the Baltimore Orioles, he's dead certain of his convictions, and that seems to bridge whatever generation gap exists between him and his players, the youngest of whom is 19-year-old phenom Bryce Harper.

"Davey has done everything you can do in the game,'' Rizzo said. "Terrific All-Star player, second baseman who hit 43 home runs, Gold Glove defender. He's been the manager of the year, played on a World Series champion, managed a World Series champion.

"When Davey Johnson says something, these guys listen, because he's done it. They know he's there to help them. He's willing to share his knowledge, and the guys just feed off that.''

The Coors Field-fed offensive surge has only boosted clubhouse confidence, as the Nats have busted out of a recent 3-7 stretch in which they averaged only 2.5 runs per game.

"We knew we'd come around,'' Zimmerman said. "We're too good of a team not to score runs all year long. Lucky for us, we have a really good pitching staff that has been the backbone of this team and helped us get to where we at.''

Here's how much pitching coach Steve McCatty's staff has carried the load to date: The Nats are 12th in the NL in runs scored, ahead of only the Marlins, Cubs, Padres and Pirates, yet have a +46 run differential, second only to St. Louis.

Granted, it's way early. But there are similarities to the Braves' top-three rotation dominance of the 1990s. Ace Stephen Strasburg needs no further explanation. The acquisition of Gio Gonzalez from the financially strapped Oakland A's puts Rizzo in the Executive of the Year discussion. And underrated ground-ball machine Jordan Zimmermann could be the ace of some staffs, but is the No. 3 guy here.

Unfortunately, Zimmermann also has a bit of a Matt Cain-snakebit thing going on, as he is 4-6 despite a 2.77 ERA. Wednesday's 11 runs of support skews the numbers that have him receiving one or fewer runs in six of his 15 starts this season, and in 19 of 48 starts since returning from Tommy John surgery last season.

So deep is the rotation that you can count nine starters (with Ross Detweiler, Chein-Ming Wang and Tom Gorzelanny pitching out of the bullpen, and John Lannan, who won 10 games last season, stuck in Triple-A.). That depth could prove vital if and when Strasburg's innings begin to be limited.

The target number isn't likely to exceed 180, and since he's exactly halfway there, it's quite possible that Strasburg could skip a start or two along the way, or be pushed back a day on occasion. Clinching a playoff spot early enough certainly would help, but it's a fine line that the organization will tread down the stretch.

But believe Rizzo when he says, 'we're here to win now, but we're also here to win long-term', and know that means there will be no pushing Strasburg too far.

If the Nationals seem overly skittish about innings limits, at least part of the reason why is McCatty, who is well-versed in the subject ? himself a victim of Billy Martin's abuse of the 1980-81 A's rotations.

In 1980, McCatty threw 221.2 innings including 14 in a 2-1 loss to Seattle, and four other pitchers ages 25-28 ? Rick Langford (290 innings), Mike Norris (284.1), Matt Keough (250) and Brian Kingman (211.1) ? combined to make 159 starts.

The following year, they benefited from a strike-shortened 1981 season that stopped at 109 games, but by 1984, all were either ineffective, injured or in the cases of Kingman and Norris, out of the majors.

Slowly but surely, the bats are returning to the lineup, taking pressure off the staff. Zimmerman spent time (April 21-May 7) on the disabled list due to a shoulder trouble that has limited him, and since receiving a cortisone shot on Sunday, has been on a tear that included his 1,000th career hit.

After his breakout 2011, Morse didn't play until June 2 due to a lat injury. After 23 games, he is just beginning to feel comfortable and be productive. Werth (wrist) could be back in August. So even though Rizzo reportedly made a fact-finding call to Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd about Carlos Gonzalez's potential availability (no-go for CarGo), Rizzo feels there is enough offense currently on the roster to win.

"Any team that goes extended periods without their 3-4-5 hitters in the lineup is going to struggle to score runs,'' Rizzo said. "We haven't had our 3-4-5 hitters in the same lineup all season. We're definitely anxious to see that happen. We feel confident this is a potent offense. Once we swing the bats like capable of, we feel we're going to be a very dangerous team to play.''

At least part of that confidence is due to Harper's immediate impact. He's not a center fielder long-term, and that's a spot Rizzo will have to address. But expecting anything more from a 19-year-old this season just wouldn't be right.

"As far as skill level on the field, he is as advertised,'' Rizzo said. "He's taken to all facets of the game. He's new to the outfield, and he's taken to that.

"Where he's exceeded expectation is the way he's handled himself in the clubhouse, in the community. He's been terrific. He's been a great teammate, and a guy the other guys really care about and protect.''

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More newsGreg Fiume / Getty Images

How good can the Nats get?

DeMarco: Under the guidance of Davey Johnson, there's much to smile about in the Nationals' world these days.

HBT Extra: Are we in a pitchers' era now?

HBT Extra: Craig Calcaterra and Tiffany Simons discuss Aroldis Chapman's somersault celebration, whether this is officially the pitchers' era, Zack Greinke's future, and more.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48001942/ns/sports-baseball/

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Landmark Education for Your Children

As a parent, it comes naturally to want the best for your children. You want them to become well-adjusted individuals who can hold their own in the society. However, it sometimes is overwhelming when you try to do this on your own. Landmark education is a great means of molding your children into the great adults you have always wanted them to be. You can be certain that the children who come back from the landmark forum will not be the same kids who complain day in and day out about every single thing.

It is very important that children feel confident. This is a vital ingredient for success. A confident child tries new things and loves meeting new people. On the other hand, a child lacking in self-confidence will want to hide in the corner hoping no one notices them. Landmark forum will teach your child how to overcome feelings of being inadequate or not good enough. In the process, your child?s self-confidence will be boosted thus placing them in a better position to become a personable and successful adult.

Landmark education will help your child overcome their fear of speaking or performing in front of crowds. If your child has always had hopes of running for class president, for example, but is painfully conscious of large numbers of people, landmark education will do the trick. At landmark forum, not only will your child be taught how to be confident enough to speak in front of people, they will also have the opportunity to practice.

This is because the teaching techniques used at landmark forum emphasize on the active and direct participation of those present. As such, your child will realize that there is nothing impossibly difficult about speaking up in front of people.

Sometimes adolescents go through things that they find difficult to deal with. If you have an adolescent in the house who seems to be getting overwhelmed by adolescence, it is time to sign them up for the landmark forum. It is normal for budding teenagers to feel awkward to share what they are going through with their parents. Landmark education teaching these teenagers to accept what they are going through as a normal and beautiful phase of their life. By sharing their experiences with other teenagers, your children will realize that they are not alone and that in fact everything they feel is perfectly normal.

It is easy to worry what kind of people your children will meet at the landmark forum. If you are concerned for your children?s wellbeing, you can always accompany them. Feel free to sign up for a session of your own as you do not want to be breathing down your kids? necks all the time. Attending the landmark forum with your children will be a great opportunity for bonding. What?s more, they will not have to miss school in order to attend the forum. They can always attend the session during the weekend or during the school holidays. Landmark education is definitely one of those long-lasting gifts that you as a parent can give to your children.

Haleigh Tawny is the author of this article on Landmark Forum.
Find more information on Landmark Forum here

Source: http://toddsblogs.com/referenceandeducation/2012/06/29/landmark-education-for-your-children/

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Bees shed light on human sweet perception and metabolic disorders

Public release date: 29-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sandra Leander
sandra.leander@asu.edu
480-965-9865
Arizona State University

Researchers identify connection between sugar sensitivity, diabetic physiology and metabolism

TEMPE, Ariz. Scientists at Arizona State University have discovered that honey bees may teach us about basic connections between taste perception and metabolic disorders in humans. By experimenting with honey bee genetics, researchers have identified connections between sugar sensitivity, diabetic physiology and carbohydrate metabolism. Bees and humans may partially share these connections.

In a study published in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics (Public Library of Science), Gro Amdam, an associate professor, and Ying Wang, a research scientist, in the School of Life Sciences in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, explain how for the first time, they've successfully inactivated two genes in the bees' "master regulator" module that controls food-related behaviors. By doing so, researchers discovered a possible molecular link between sweet taste perception and the state of internal energy.

"A bee's sensitivity to sugar reveals her attitude towards food, how old the bee is when she starts searching for nectar and pollen, and which kind of food she prefers to collect," said Wang, lead author of the paper. "By suppressing these two 'master' genes, we discovered that bees can become more sensitive to sweet taste. But interestingly, those bees also had very high blood sugar levels, and low levels of insulin, much like people who have Type 1 diabetes."

In Amdam's honey bee lab at ASU, scientists suppressed two genes including vitellogenin, which is similar to a human gene called apolipoprotein B, and ultraspiracle, which partners with an insect hormone that has some functions in common with the human thyroid hormone. The team is the first in the world to accomplish this double gene-suppressing technique. Researchers used this method to understand how the master regulator works.

"Now, if one can use the bees to understand how taste perception and metabolic syndromes are connected, it's a very useful tool," said Amdam, who also has a honey bee laboratory at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. "Most of what we know about deficits in human perceptions is from people who are very sick or have had a brain trauma. We know shockingly little about people in this area."

The researchers are now considering how, exactly, the bees' sweet taste was enhanced by the experiment. The most metabolically active tissue of the bee, called the fat body, may hold the key. The fat body is similar to the liver and abdominal fat in humans, in that it helps store nutrients and create energy.

Amdam explains that taste perception evolved as a survival mechanism, for bees as well as for people. For example, bitter foods may be poisonous or sweet taste may signal foods rich in calories for energy. For all animals, taste perception must communicate properly with one's internal energetic state to control food intake and maintain normal life functions. Without this, poorly functioning taste perception can contribute to unhealthy eating behaviors and metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

"From this study, we realized we can take advantage of honey bees in understanding how food-related behaviors interact with internal metabolism, as well as how to manipulate these food-related behaviors in order to control metabolic disorders," added Amdam.

###

In addition to Amdam and Wang, the team included former ASU research partners Colin Brent, a research entomologist with the USDA, and Erin Fennern, now with Oregon Health Science University.

---

[ | 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: 29-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sandra Leander
sandra.leander@asu.edu
480-965-9865
Arizona State University

Researchers identify connection between sugar sensitivity, diabetic physiology and metabolism

TEMPE, Ariz. Scientists at Arizona State University have discovered that honey bees may teach us about basic connections between taste perception and metabolic disorders in humans. By experimenting with honey bee genetics, researchers have identified connections between sugar sensitivity, diabetic physiology and carbohydrate metabolism. Bees and humans may partially share these connections.

In a study published in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics (Public Library of Science), Gro Amdam, an associate professor, and Ying Wang, a research scientist, in the School of Life Sciences in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, explain how for the first time, they've successfully inactivated two genes in the bees' "master regulator" module that controls food-related behaviors. By doing so, researchers discovered a possible molecular link between sweet taste perception and the state of internal energy.

"A bee's sensitivity to sugar reveals her attitude towards food, how old the bee is when she starts searching for nectar and pollen, and which kind of food she prefers to collect," said Wang, lead author of the paper. "By suppressing these two 'master' genes, we discovered that bees can become more sensitive to sweet taste. But interestingly, those bees also had very high blood sugar levels, and low levels of insulin, much like people who have Type 1 diabetes."

In Amdam's honey bee lab at ASU, scientists suppressed two genes including vitellogenin, which is similar to a human gene called apolipoprotein B, and ultraspiracle, which partners with an insect hormone that has some functions in common with the human thyroid hormone. The team is the first in the world to accomplish this double gene-suppressing technique. Researchers used this method to understand how the master regulator works.

"Now, if one can use the bees to understand how taste perception and metabolic syndromes are connected, it's a very useful tool," said Amdam, who also has a honey bee laboratory at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. "Most of what we know about deficits in human perceptions is from people who are very sick or have had a brain trauma. We know shockingly little about people in this area."

The researchers are now considering how, exactly, the bees' sweet taste was enhanced by the experiment. The most metabolically active tissue of the bee, called the fat body, may hold the key. The fat body is similar to the liver and abdominal fat in humans, in that it helps store nutrients and create energy.

Amdam explains that taste perception evolved as a survival mechanism, for bees as well as for people. For example, bitter foods may be poisonous or sweet taste may signal foods rich in calories for energy. For all animals, taste perception must communicate properly with one's internal energetic state to control food intake and maintain normal life functions. Without this, poorly functioning taste perception can contribute to unhealthy eating behaviors and metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

"From this study, we realized we can take advantage of honey bees in understanding how food-related behaviors interact with internal metabolism, as well as how to manipulate these food-related behaviors in order to control metabolic disorders," added Amdam.

###

In addition to Amdam and Wang, the team included former ASU research partners Colin Brent, a research entomologist with the USDA, and Erin Fennern, now with Oregon Health Science University.

---

[ | 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/2012-06/asu-bsl062912.php

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Carver Media Group Launches its Streak of Digital Marketing ...

Carver Media Group proudly launches its line of digital marketing services for businesses in UK, Europe as well as other parts of the world. This new digital marketing company on the block offers Online Reputation Management as well as Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Email Marketing services.

Carver Media Group boasts to have the best Internet Marketing experts to serve you with the best of digital marketing services. Experts at Carver Media Group understand that social networking, tweets, blog posts and emails are prime connecting media in digital marketing. Thus, it serves all these facets of digital marketing services to help you stay on top of today?s digital world.

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Carver Media Group claims that its line of digital marketing services will benefit every business irrespective of whether you sell apparels or repair automobiles. The services of Carver Media Group have great potential to impress consumers or clients in Europe as well as London as well as other corners of the world.

With its expert Online Reputation Management services, Carver Media Group assures for control over leading search engines, regular maintenance and monitoring of your online campaigns and importantly positive reputation over the World Wide Web.

Internet Marketing services from Carver Media Group provide all that you need in the world of Internet business. It offers Email Marketing as well as social media marketing services. Experts at Carver Media Group hold immense experience and expertise in providing these services. They know what it takes to bring you on top and thus, work accordingly to serve with the best.

Email marketing service from Carver Media Group employs distinct varieties as well as strategies of marketing. With these services, you can reach the targeted and correct customer in an easy way and at the right time to sell or promote your services or product. In other words, it will increase the traffic to your website.

With all the latest and advanced techniques and strategies in use for email marketing, Carver Media Group will help you gain a good reputation for promoting your services or products on Internet. The service will help you fetch feedbacks from your customers to help you learn about the market scenario or views of people regarding your services or products.

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The expert social media marketing service from Carver Media Group will help you boost your firm?s goodwill and trustworthiness, lead generation, to engage more actively with your customers, create more traffic, get feedbacks from customers, announce your new service or product on a broad platform and improve relations with your customers.

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About Carver Media Group: Carver Media Group is an expert digital marketing company serving business in Europe, London and other parts. The firm offers highly effective and efficient line of Digital Marketing Services in Internet Marketing, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Online Reputation Management.

Carver Media Group doesn?t merely report the news ? we create it!.

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Source: http://www.freepressreleases.com/carver-media-group-launches-streak-digital-marketing-services-businesses/184281

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Penn Vets Testing New Cancer Treatment In Dogs ? CBS Philly

By John McDevitt

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A new technology in fighting cancer in dogs is being tested in clinical trials at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Dogs with specific cancers are needed for the study.

Dr. David Holt, professor of surgery at Penn Vet, says he?s been testing intraoperative cancer imaging systems on dogs with soft tissue tumors and lung cancer.

?For the last 100-200 years, surgeons have used their eyes and their hands to look and the tumor and feel the tumor, and their experience to tells them how much to take out, but not anything else. So we are trialing several imaging systems that allow us to visualize the extent of the cancer during surgery and insure that when we take it out we take it all out.?

Information gathered will be shared with Penn?s School of Medicine where similar clinical trials in humans are planned.

For more information call (215)-898-3909

Source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/06/28/penn-vets-testing-new-cancer-treatment-in-dogs/

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Apple's iPhone reaches its fifth birthday - pictures

Apple's iPhone reaches its fifth birthday on Friday (June 29), after half a decade spent changing the way we view smartphones forever.

When Apple launched its first mobile telephone in 2007, George Bush was still President of the United States, Spain were still nearly-men in international football and Robbie Williams still scoffed at the notion of a reunion with Take That.

The late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs officially announced the iPhone on January 9, 2007, with the touchscreen smartphone going on sale on June 29 of that year.

At the time, Apple was fresh from revolutionising the MP3 market with the iPod, helping to shift the firm from tech geek's best friend to a true household name.

But this rise really took on new vigor after the release of the iPhone, with demand for the handset setting Apple on the path to become one of the most valuable companies in the world.

It is worth noting that Apple's share price hit a then high of $97.80 (?62.77) with the announcement of the first iPhone in 2007, but after five generations of the handset - the iPhone, iPhone 3G (2008), iPhone 3GS (2009), iPhone 4 (2010) and iPhone 4S (2011) - the stock now stands at a staggering $573 (?367.75), valuing Apple at almost $550 billion (?353 billion).

The arrival of the iPad tablet computer in 2010 certainly boosted Apple's fortunes, but it is the iPhone that remains the firm's biggest money spinner.

According to Strategy Analytics, Apple has shipped 250m iPhones to date, collectively generating $150 billion (?96.3 billion) in revenue. The firm sold a staggering 35.1m of the handsets in the second quarter of this year alone.

? PA Images / Paul Sakuma/AP

? PA Images / Richard Drew/AP

Billions more has been earned from the iTunes App Store since it was launched in mid-2008, offering a range of apps and services that have changed the way people live their lives; across entertainment, socialising, productivity, gaming - and, of course, communication.

Alongside Apple, other companies have got very rich off the iPhone, including the photo-sharing app Instagram, which was recently snapped up by Facebook for $1billion (?641.8 million) after less than two years in business.

Fans have shown their devotion to the iPhone in rather usual ways, including an Australian businessman ordering a $3 million (?1.9 million) diamond-encrusted case for his iPhone and Tony Grafton from Essex even marrying his handset - called iRene - in 2010.

But it's not all been plain sailing as there have been various troubles along the way, including the famed 'Antennagate' controversy with the iPhone 4 in 2010 and even instances of handsets spontaneously catching fire last year.

As Apple prepares to launch the next generation of the iPhone later in the year, we recap some of the greatest moments so far in the story of this iconic technology product.

Steve Jobs ushers in a new era by unveiling the first Apple iPhone during his keynote address at MacWorld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, January 9, 2007.

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{5 quick tips for a great relationship} | the wedding planner | for ...

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012 | Uncategorized, trends

Thanks to our friends at thenest.com here are 5 great suggestions to keep your relationship fabulous - before and after the wedding?

The New Quickies: 5 Simple Tricks for a Better Relationship

Looking for an instant love boost? Forget the fireworks, Kama Sutra and grand gestures. Sometimes, the obvious is all you need to make your relationship feel fresh again.

The Quickie: Making small, unexpected gestures
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Why It Works:
Sometimes the best validation that you?re loved and appreciated is when you experience a gesture that proves your partner is always thinking of you. Yes, planning a romantic night on the town takes thought and is always appreciated. But buying your husband a red velvet cupcake, just because you happened to walk by a bakery, see it in the window and know he would love it, will really make an impression. It?s that for-no-real-reason feeling that makes the act mean so much.

The Quickie: Doing something your partner always does
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Why It Works: Sure, when you divided up the chores, you agreed that he would take out the trash and you would do the dishes. But every once in a while, when he?s super-slammed at work, rather than nagging him for not noticing the overflowing trash can, take it out for him. When you love someone, you pitch in ? even when you?re not asked (or it?s technically not your turn). Small gestures to make each other?s lives better remind you why you put up with his stinky feet, or her snoring, in the first place. Plus, giving your mate a break means he has one less item to worry about, and the more relaxed he is, the easier it will be for you to appreciate each other?s company (wink, wink).
The Quickie: Letting her (or him) breathe
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Why It Works: Because you?ll be so much more excited to see each other! Having someone to come home to is a definite plus to being in a relationship. But sometimes ? just sometimes ? it would be nice to walk into an empty house and, perhaps, slip into a lavender-scented bath or chill out in front of the TV without having to speak. Even couples that are joined at the hip sometimes require a little alone time ? not to brood or escape, but to refresh. Perhaps you don?t understand the need for solo moments. But if your husband enjoys winding down from a long day with only himself and maybe the dog for company, or your wife likes to be alone with her thoughts on Sunday mornings, give him or her that space ? guilt free. Make plans to meet a friend for brunch or make a date with your personal trainer for Sunday morning, conveniently come home late from work one night, or run errands alone one afternoon. You don?t need much distance to make the heart grow fonder, but a little goes a long way.
The Quickie: Writing it down
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Why It Works: Let?s face it: Telling your mate how much she means to you can feel kind of sappy or trite. But expressing your feelings, even when you assume they?re known, is key in long-term relationships. Otherwise, you risk falling into ?taking each other for granted? syndrome. Now, we?re not suggesting you start penning long love letters (or emails). But an ?I love you? written on the dry-erase board in the kitchen, or a ?Have a great day!? Post-it left on the bathroom mirror, is all it takes to let your other half know you cared enough to take the time to write it down.
The Quickie: Saying ?yes?

Why It works: Agreeing to try something you always veto, or joining your partner for something you normally try to get out of (like your two-year-old niece-in-law?s birthday party), shows you are listening to what your significant other wants and are willing to put your partner?s needs first. Now, we?re not suggesting you go out of your way to do something you truly despise ? no one benefits if you?re visibly miserable the entire time. But a ?yes? to a fairly innocuous, temporary thing can still mean a lot. For example, let him flip to the game and keep watching ? and don?t get off the couch. Or maybe have sex the next time you?re tired but she?s raring to go. Seeing how happy these small gestures can make your partner should make you feel good and inspire you to do them more often. Plus, they?ll probably inspire your partner to start doing the same, and soon enough, instead of arguing over who gets to man the remote, you?ll notice you?re starting to work much more like a team.
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Tags: 5 relationship tips, calgary weddings, Lisa Hanslip, relationship advice, the wedding planner inc, thenest.com, wedding advice

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House prices in biggest drop since 2009: survey

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Congress to vote on compromise transportation bill (reuters)

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43 Ethiopians, Somalis suffocate in truck smuggle

ARUSHA, Tanzania (AP) ? An official in Tanzania says that 43 Ethiopian and Somali nationals suffocated in a truck they were being smuggled in.

Deputy Home Affairs Minister Pereira Silima on Wednesday said it was sad and unfortunate that so many people died from the illegal smuggling scheme.

Tanzania's state television said the bodies were thrown off the truck and dumped in the bush after the driver of the truck realized some of the people he was smuggling had perished. Some 70 people in the truck survived and are receiving medical treatment and being questioned by police.

Tanzania lies on a smuggling route Africans use to travel to South Africa, where there are more economic opportunities.

Associated Press

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Video: Standing ovation for quadriplegic teen

>>> this next and final story is for all those who have faced what might seem like an impossible challenge. it's about a young man who has already been doing some pretty incredible things. he set a new goal for himself, on a big day in his life, he achieved it. his story tonight from jenna wolf. 34 the seniors at scripps ranch high school have been waiting a long time for this moment. but none more than patrick , whose dream of walking at graduation once seemed impossible.

>> when i was first injured i was completely paralyzed.

>> a driver backing out of a parking space didn't see him and ran over the little boy . he survived but his spinal cord was crushed.

>> i'm technically a quadriplegic. which means i have impairment in all four limbs.

>> reporter: he's a kid that dreams big, he was never supposed to walk, but somehow learned to play soccer, tennis and kayak. and there was nothing he wanted more than to learn to surf. we first met patrick three years ago in the water.

>> can you explain to me how you surf?

>> i have a specially adapted board, we get a team of people and go out in the water.

>> with his wheelchair on shore, a team fits him into the holders. and for a few seconds, patrick is free.

>> it feels like i'm flying.

>> reporter: patrick told us of one more dream.

>> to walk across the stage at graduation.

>> reporter: to walk across the stage. for three years, patrick 's been working with specialists, intensive rehab that's given him back some of his mobility. bringing him here.

>> you made this promise to us a couple years ago, you were going to walk across the stage at graduation.

>> yeah.

>> how do you feel about that now?

>> i feel good.

>> patrick james iveson.

>> reporter: as patrick stands, so does the audience. a standing ovation as he makes his way across the stage, proving that with guts and dreams, almost anything is possible. jenna wolf, nbc news, san diego .

>> how about that. and we thought you'd like to know, patrick will be off to

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Transgenic technique 'eliminates' a specific neural circuit in brain of primates

ScienceDaily (June 26, 2012) ? In the brains of humans and non-human primates, over 100 billion nerve cells build up complicated neural circuits and produce higher brain functions. When an attempt is made to perform gene therapy for neurological diseases like Parkinson's disease, it is necessary to specify a responsible neural circuit out of many complicated circuits.?Until now, however, it was difficult to introduce a target gene into this particular circuit selectively.

The collaborative research group consisting of Professor Masahiko Takada from Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Professor Atsushi Nambu from National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, and Professor Kazuto KOBAYASHI from Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine have now developed a gene transfer technique that can "eliminate"a specific neural circuit in non-human primates for the first time.

They applied this technique to the basal ganglia, the brain region that is affected in movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, and successfully eliminated a particular circuit selectively to elucidate its functional role. This technique can be applied to gene therapy for various neurological diseases in humans. This research achievement was supported by the Strategic Research Program of Brain Sciences by MEXT of Japan.

The research group developed a special viral vector, NeuRet-IL-2R alpha-GFP viral vector, expressing human interleukin type 2 alpha receptor, which the cell death inducer immunotoxin binds. Nerve cells transfected with this viral vector cause cell death by immunotoxin. First, the research group injected the viral vector into the subthalamic nucleus that is a component of the basal ganglia. Then, they injected immunotoxin into the motor cortex, an area of the cerebral cortex that controls movement, and succeed in selective elimination of the "hyperdirect pathway" that is one of the major circuits connecting the motor cortex to the basal ganglia. As a result, they have discovered that neuronal excitation observed at the early stage occurs through this hyperdirect pathway when motor information derived from the cortex enters the basal ganglia.

Professors Takada and Nambu expect that this gene transfer technique enables us to elucidate higher brain functions in primates and to develop primate models of various psychiatric/neurological disorders and their potential treatments including gene therapy. They think that this should provide novel advances in the field of neuroscience research that originate from Japan.

This research was supported by the Strategic Research Program of Brain Sciences by MEXT of Japan.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by National Institute for Physiological Sciences.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Ken-ichi Inoue, Daisuke Koketsu, Shigeki Kato, Kazuto Kobayashi, Atsushi Nambu, Masahiko Takada Atsushi Nambu. Immunotoxin-Mediated Tract Targeting in the Primate Brain: Selective Elimination of the Cortico-Subthalamic ?Hyperdirect? Pathway. PLoS ONE, 25 Jun 2012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039149

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

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

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Kvivota overcomes shaky start in Wimbledon defense

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) ? Returning to the court where she won her first Grand Slam championship a year ago, Petra Kvitova overcame a shaky start and a late rain delay Tuesday to open her Wimbledon title defense with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Akgul Amanmuradova.

Four-time champion Serena Williams, meanwhile, returned to the same Court 2 where big sister Venus was upset a day earlier and restored family pride by beating Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-4.

The fourth-seeded Kvitova fell behind 3-0 and 4-1 in the first set on Centre Court before running off seven straight games to take command against the 96th-ranked player from Uzbekistan.

After Kvitova squandered a match point at 5-3 in the second set, play was suspended and the covers rolled onto the court ? the first rain break of the tournament.

When play resumed half an hour later, it took just three minutes to wrap up the match. After Amanmuradova won the first two points to hold for 5-4, the Czech player closed out the match at love, hitting a service winner and two aces and forcing a backhand error.

"It was unbelievable to come back here as the defending champion," said Kvitova, who beat Maria Sharapova in last year's final. "In the beginning I think I was nervous ? first match on the grass it's always difficult to know what you can expect. I had a lot of mistakes and then I tried to play my game and go forward."

The 6-foot-3 Amanmuradova pushed Kvitova with her big serve, but lacked the consistency on her ground strokes and has now lost in the first round of all five of her Wimbledon appearances.

Following Kvivota on Centre Court was second-seeded and two-time men's champion Rafael Nadal, who had a shaky start against Thomaz Bellucci before going on to beat the Brazilian 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-3. They were to be followed by No. 4 Andy Murray against former top-10 player Nikolay Davydenko.

Serena Williams ground out a shriek-filled win over the 62nd-ranked Zahlavova Strycova, a day after five-time champion Venus lost her first-round match on the same court in straight sets to Elena Vesnina.

It was clear how much the match meant to the animated Serena, who screamed loudly in frustration after losing points and shouted "Come on!" and pumped her fist after winning big points.

Williams seemed to be in control after going up 3-1 and then 5-3 in the second set. But, serving for the match, she was broken back for 5-4. Williams broke again in the next game, letting out another scream after Zahlavova Strycova struck a forehand long on the second match point.

Williams, who extended her record to 13-0 in first-round matches at Wimbledon, finished with 24 winners and 12 unforced errors, compared to 17 winners and 13 errors for her opponent.

In men's play, fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took apart 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. The Frenchman, who beat six-time champion Roger Federer last year to reach the semifinals, broke the Australian once in each set and never lost serve.

Hewitt has slipped to 202nd in the rankings and needed a wild card for his 14th straight appearance at the All England Club. Tsonga was too powerful, racking up 61 winners to the Australian's 12. It was Hewitt's first opening-round loss here since 2003.

Hewitt was one of four Australians in the men's draw, and all bowed out in the first round. It marks the first time since 1938 that no Australian men have reached the second round at Wimbledon.

Playing his first match since having a medical procedure on his heart, 10th-seeded Mardy Fish of the United States served 24 aces and beat Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo of Spain 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (1) to reach the second round.

The 30-year-old Fish, who reached the quarterfinals last year, hadn't played a competitive match in 2? months after having an accelerated heartbeat. He played attacking, serve-and-volley tennis and piled up 63 winners against Ramirez-Hidalgo ? at 34, the oldest man in the field.

In early women's play, No. 12 Vera Zvonareva completed a 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Germany's Mona Barthel in a match that had been suspended by darkness at one set apiece on Monday.

Francesca Schiavone, the 24th-seeded Italian, came from behind to overcome 18-year-old British wild card Laura Robson 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion, received medical treatment after the first set for an apparent muscle problem. She was down 2-3 and 0-40 in the second set but saved the three break points and turned the match around against the 2008 Wimbledon junior champion.

In a men's match between two rising stars, 21-year-old Belgian wild card David Goffin ? who reached the fourth round of the French Open and took a set off Roger Federer ? rallied from a set down against 19-year-old Bernard Tomic to beat the 20th-seeded Australian, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

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Tea drinking and risk for prostate cancer (in Scotland if nowhere else)

Back in the dim and distant past (i.e., the 1960s and 1970s), relatively high levels of tea consumption were common in most of the United Kingdom, and coffee was an uncommon substitute. This is certainly not so true today. However, ?
a study published recently in Nutrition and Cancer (by Shafique et al.) has been widely publicized in the British media because it found an association between high levels of tea consumption (up to?12 cups of tea per day) and risk for prostate cancer up to 37 years later among a cohort of > 6,000 men in Scotland.

Our friends at The Daily Mail (as usual) were prominent among those who promptly over-reacted to the data in the study results (?Men who drink lots of tea are far more likely to develop prostate cancer, researchers have warned? stated The Daily Mail, in a gross exaggeration of the data.)

Now let?s be clear to distinguish between the quality of the research and the quality of the media reporting.

This study has problems. It was never designed as a study to investigate the impact of tea drinking on risk for prostate cancer diagnosis (let alone prostate cancer death). It is severely flawed by the fact that the amounts of tea consumed by the participants?(and indeed all their other activities) were collected just once ? at the beginning of the study ? back in the recruitment period between 1970 and 1973. It therefore takes no account of the changes in behavior of the study participants between recruitment and the end of the study in 2007. And that?s just one of the many technical problems with this study.

All that the authors state in the?study is that men who?drank > 7?cups a day in 1970-73 were 50 percent more likely to?be diagnosed with?prostate cancer over a median follow-up of 28 years than those who drank 0-3 cups a day. To be specific,?6.4 percent?of those who drank the most tea developed prostate cancer during the study period, compared with 4.6 percent?of those who drank the least, so the absolute hazard ratio of heavy tea drinking on the probability of a prostate cancer diagnosis was very small indeed (even if it was statistically significant). Furthermore, they found no association whatsoever between tea intake and the incidence of?low- (Gleason score?< 7) or high-grade (Gleason score?8?10) prostate cancer.

For those who are interested in a detailed analysis of this study, we recommend this analysis on the web site of the UK?s National Health Service, which gives a thoughful (if slightly tongue in cheek) assessment of the study and the related media coverage.

What?s The ?New? Prostate Cancer InfoLink?s take on all of this? Frankly, this study is of dubious merit at best, and the media coverage (unsurprisingly) has been way out of proportion to the actual data. We doubt if there is a significant percentage of males remaining in the Western world who still drink anything close to 12 cups of tea a day anyway.

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DEA agent kills suspected trafficker in Honduras

U.S. officials say a US Drug Enforcement Administration agent has shot and killed a suspected drug trafficker during a raid near a tiny Honduran town.

US Embassy spokesman Stephen Posivak in Tegucigalpa says the US agent was working with Honduran National Police, who arrested four other suspects and seized 792 pounds (360 kilograms) of cocaine during the operation.

Posivak says a group of people were unloading cocaine from an airplane at a remote landing strip when the law enforcement agents swooped in on helicopters. He says the US agent opened fire after the suspect reached for a gun in a holster, and the suspect died at the scene.

Associated Press

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Garmin Swim watch tracks your water workouts, we hit the pool (hands-on)

Garmin is adding a new product to its line-up of fitness watches, and this one is dedicated to workouts of the aquatic variety. The Garmin Swim tracks your distance swam, average pace, workout time and more, and it uploads those stats to the web to help monitor your progress. Though it's meant to be a part of your exercise routine, the Garmin Swim watch looks like your average plastic digi-timepiece. The watch has six buttons with functions for viewing the time of day, scrolling through the menu options, controlling the timer, viewing the menu and entering workout mode. The setup takes some getting used to, but the illustrative icons on the watch helped us get into the rhythm quickly.

Getting started with the Swim simply entails entering the size of your pool, with options to measure in yards or meters. Once that info is uploaded, you press the swim button and are ready to get splashing. We spent a solid half-hour doing laps, and the Swim duly recognized and recorded that we varied our strokes. Stopping the timer each time we took a break created a new interval for our workout, with a rundown of the elapsed time, distance in meters, number of strokes, type of stroke, total laps, average speed and calories burned. That's a lot of data to pore over, and Garmin lets you wirelessly upload it all to the Garmin Connect site. To do this, you have to pair the watch with your computer using a USB ANT stick: once it works, it's an efficient, easy way to review your workout, but it took us a few tries before our laptop recognized the watch. Garmin says the watch's battery will last a full year, which is plenty of time to log some serious laps. For more about the Swim, check out the press info past the break.

Gallery: Garmin Swim hands-on

Continue reading Garmin Swim watch tracks your water workouts, we hit the pool (hands-on)

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Pa. priest case points up conscience vs. obedience

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? Mild-mannered Bill Lynn proved a loyal, likable colleague as he climbed the ranks of the powerful Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

A jury on Friday found the meek monsignor too loyal for his own good, convicting him of a felony for refusing to challenge his cardinal and stop the cover-up of child sex abuse by priests.

Lynn's conviction is the first for a U.S. church official and comes in a diocese now beset by layoffs, parish closures and a new round of soul searching over the long-running abuse scandal.

"Why does this stand out? Because he didn't say no," said the Rev. Chris Walsh, a city pastor who leads the Association of Philadelphia Priests, an independent group formed last year to gather support and information for rank-and-file priests.

Lynn's conviction comes the weekend some Philadelphia parishes are celebrating their final Masses before closing for good and priests are saying goodbye before their traditional June transfers. Meanwhile, the archdiocese is cutting 45 jobs to help close a $17 million deficit, which it calls unrelated to legal bills that hit $10 million this fiscal year, not even counting most of Lynn's trial costs.

Lynn, 61, is spending his first weekend in custody. He faces 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison on the endangerment charge.

His case shines light on the culture of obedience ingrained in Catholics, especially priests. Archdiocesan priests in Philadelphia take vows of obedience to their archbishop, and trial testimony demonstrated that Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua treated a priest whistle-blower more harshly than some priest abusers.

"You don't say no to Cardinal Bevilacqua," Monsignor James Beisel said last month when he testified as a defense witness.

The trial shows the need for renewed debate about the relationship between obedience and conscience, one Catholic academic said.

"The Catholic church hierarchy certainly thinks there's too much discussion in the U.S. about conscience, that people use it to justify any kind of proclivity," said Mathew Schmalz, a religious studies professor at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. "But in this case, there are some really deep issues about when do you stand up to the actions of those superiors."

Lynn, after a stint as a seminary dean, was hand-picked by Bevilacqua for the secretary for clergy's office in 1991. He spent a year as an understudy before becoming secretary in June 1992. He soon learned the job involved more than priest assignments and routine personnel matters.

There also was the matter of the secret church archives containing child sexual abuse complaints lodged over the years against Philadelphia priests. There were hundreds of them, dating to the 1940s. And more than 100 priests, many of them still active, were accused.

Bevilacqua wanted Lynn to spearhead the complaints.

"I never asked for an assignment, and I never asked out of one," Lynn testified.

By his own account, Lynn was an adept bureaucrat. He was organized. He was hardworking. And he was discreet.

Lynn and his assistant, Beisel, set out to gauge the scope of the problem. They took to the task each night for about two weeks, using passcodes to enter the locked room near the golden-domed Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul that housed the secret files. Beisel couldn't stand it. Given the late hour, he just wanted to hurry up and get home, he testified.

Nonetheless, they compiled a 15-page list of names and sex acts, noting whether the priests were diagnosed pedophiles or presumed guilty based on their own admissions. They also noted whether the statute of limitations had run for legal action.

A version of that list became a smoking gun at trial. The list went missing for more than a decade. Lynn told a grand jury about it in 2004 but said he couldn't find it. A copy that had been stashed in a locked, long-abandoned safe surfaced at the archdiocese days after Bevilacqua's death in January. So, too, did a 1994 memo that shows Bevilacqua ordering Lynn's supervisors to shred all copies of the list.

Many institutions try to protect their reputations, but shredding documents takes it to a new level, Schmalz said.

"Shredding documents ? especially with Watergate and all this history we have of institutional malfeasance ? does have a symbolic significance that goes beyond the view of the Catholic church as being closed and insular," he said. "So it is shocking to think what must have gone on leading up to that decision."

The task fell to Monsignor James Molloy, who died in 2006. But Bishop Joseph R. Cistone signed off as witnessing the list's destruction. He now leads the diocese of Saginaw, Mich. Neither he nor retired Allentown Bishop Edward Cullen, Bevilacqua's top aide, was called to testify.

Nor did they come to Lynn's defense. Few, if any, church officials have stepped forward to share in the blame for the sex abuse scandal, even though District Attorney Seth Williams said Friday that many have "dirty hands."

Walsh said: "The cardinal could have done that a year ago, two years ago, and obviously Bishop Cullen and Bishop Cistone could still do it."

Beisel, overwhelmed by the clergy office job, quit after a year. Lynn stayed for more than a decade. But he was the rare aide to Bevilacqua who was never made a bishop.

By 2004, Bevilacqua had retired, the clergy sexual abuse scandal had erupted in Boston, and a grand jury investigation was under way in Philadelphia. U.S. bishops had adopted a zero tolerance policy for accused priests. And new diocesan panels were being formed to handle abuse complaints, with varying degrees of success.

It was time for Lynn to move on. Submissive to the end, he said he declined to request his next assignment. Instead, he accepted a desirable posting as pastor of a large, upscale parish in suburban Downingtown. He was put on leave after his arrest last year. Loyal parishioners from the parish, St. Joseph's, sometimes attended his trial.

A spokesman for Voice of the Faithful, a Boston-based group formed in the wake of the abuse crisis to try to empower lay Catholics, said it was "obvious that here's this one man sitting (on trial) when there should be scores of people sitting there."

"The moral call to stand when you're guilty and confess seems to have been abrogated by those in power. It was, 'I'm just following orders,'" spokesman Nick Ingala said. "The organization that claims to be the moral authority in the world has given up that moral authority."

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Ann Taylor Wedding Gowns: $100 off, deals from $395 + free shipping, more

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A best bet is the Ann Taylor Women's Tulle Bloom Strapless Gown in Salt (pictured) or Black for $495 before coupon, $395 after. With free shipping, that's $100 off and a very low price for an Ann Taylor wedding dress. It's available in sizes 00 to 18.

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The World's Smallest iPhone Charger Skips The Cables Altogether [Video]

If you're a loyal iPhone user you're probably used to toting around its charging adapter and cable just in case. Apple has done a good job at making it tiny, but by cutting the cord, the JuiceBuddy looks even easier to pocket. More »

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