This week's round-up of Good Reads include doubts about algorithms' 'all-power,' the recipe for Roman concrete, the need for a Turkish Mandela, young liberals who may be more conservative than they realize, and the usefulness of military 'land power.'
By Marshall Ingwerson,?Managing editor / June 28, 2013
Johnny Depp is one of only three actors who reliably bring a positive box office return.
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/File
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Algorithms all-powerful?
In spite of appearances ? from the US National Security Agency searching American phone records for patterns to Google counting keywords in e-mails to decide which ads to display ? the algorithm may not conquer all.
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This is the conclusion that science reporter Tom Whipple comes around to in his article ?Slaves to the Algorithm? in the magazine Intelligent Life, a sister publication of The Economist. An algorithm is how so-called big data is crunched into something meaningful. ?If p, then q? is an algorithm, but in the age of fast computers, the ?p? can include billions of data points.
Mr. Whipple explores the work of a company, Epagogix, that forecasts the earning power of proposed movies for Hollywood studios, based on thousands of factors punched into its software. It seems to work. And has uncovered some fun facts. One is that so-called bankable movie stars are almost nonexistent. Only three actors, Epagogix has found, actually bring a positive return on investment ? Will Smith, Brad Pitt, and Johnny Depp.
But human judgment has hardly left the picture. The head of Epagogix notes that his program assumes that everything about the movie is done well ? that the dialogue is credible and the actors good (stars or not). And even so, his algorithms can?t discern if the movie is good, only if, done well, a lot of people are likely to pay to see it.
Whipple discusses another facet of algorithms. They are good at finding patterns, sometimes surprising ones, in big numbers. They are not so good at predicting the behavior of individuals. Dating sites, for example, have yet to show any scientific evidence that they can predict who will hit it off with whom.
Lost recipe for Roman concrete, cracked
Some technology just isn?t what it used to be. The Portland cement that we use to make concrete these days doesn?t have a fraction of the lasting power of the aggregate the Romans used a couple millenniums ago. According to a report by Bernhard Warner in Bloomberg Businessweek, research engineers studying 12 ancient Roman-built harbors found that the breakwaters made of Roman concrete have stood the pounding waves for 2,000 years and are still intact. Modern concrete has a working life under water of a mere 50 years. The older, stronger stuff had an added advantage: Its manufacture was relatively clean. Creating Portland cement releases a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.?
Needed: a Turkish Mandela
One of the central dangers in Turkey today is of a slide into two sharply polarized camps ? the government and its conservative, religious, largely rural backers on one side and the more affluent, secular, and modernizing protesters on the other. They have come to be called ?black Turks? and ?white Turks.?
Daron Acemoglu, a Turkish-born economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been writing about the current troubles in his country of origin on his Why Nations Fail blog. He notes that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently grouped Turks into ?black? and ?white,? putting himself among the ?black Turks.?
How do societies break out of cycles of polarization? Mr. Acemoglu consults history and finds several routes, but the most attractive is when a leader musters the vision and courage to make peace across the fault lines and show goodwill to the other side.
?So bottom line: we badly need a Turkish Mandela,? he says.
What they really mean by ?conservative??
Meanwhile, Americans may not be quite as polarized as they think they are. A series of three new studies find that young adults who call themselves liberal Democrats are overall not quite as liberal on the issues as they think they are. But young people from the rest of the political spectrum tend to bill themselves as more conservative than they are on the issues. The biggest disparity is among those who regard themselves as most conservative. Not so much, it turns out. When asked their stands on a dozen major issues from welfare to gay rights, they didn?t toe as conservative a line as they thought they did, according to the studies, which were reported first in an academic journal, and brought to us by Tom Jacobs in Pacific Standard magazine. Clearly, conservatism is the more popular brand, even when it?s not an obvious fit.
The benefits of military ?land power??
With US forces finally checking out of Afghanistan and American attention pivoting to East Asia, it?s time for some soul-searching: What?s the Army for?
Maj. Robert M. Chamberlain, writing in the Armed Forces Journal, sees future peace and prosperity in currently unfashionable land power. Terrorists who hole up in the world?s backwaters can best be pursued by special forces teams and armed drones. The Navy can protect the world?s sea lanes and global commerce. Air power can strike awesomely anywhere. But land power ? the job of the Army and Marines ? is inherently less threatening, he argues. ?Land power is the only avenue by which America can enhance regional security and stability, deter Chinese militarism and encourage Chinese commitment to the global status quo.?
DEAR ABBY: I was taken away from my parents at 13 and placed into foster care, where I stayed until I aged out at 21. My biological mother is a drug addict who abandoned me to my father when I was 11. She never tried to contact me while I was in care.I am now 24 and she won't leave me alone. She sends Facebook messages that alternate between begging me to let her get to know me, and condemning me for being vindictive and not having forgiveness in my heart. Abby, this woman exposed me to drugs and all manner of seedy people and situations. ...
Journalists show passengers arriving from Hong Kong a tablet with a photo of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at Sheremetyevo airport, just outside Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Journalists show passengers arriving from Hong Kong a tablet with a photo of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at Sheremetyevo airport, just outside Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Journalists stand next to Ecuador's Ambassador's car while waiting for the arrival of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who recently leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at Sheremetyevo airport, just outside Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor, Snowdon is wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs, but was allowed to leave Hong Kong for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo / Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr)
FILE - In this ?ug. 1, 2012 file photo, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, right, holds the hands of Christine Assange, the mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, during their meeting in Quito, Ecuador. Correa has embraced his role as a thorn in the side of Washington before, railing against imperialism in speeches and giving Julian Assange refuge in his embassy in London. But nothing he has done to infuriate the United States likely would rankle as much as granting the asylum being sought by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. WikiLeaks said Sunday, June 23, 2013 that Snowden formally requested asylum from Ecuador and the South American country's foreign minister confirmed receiving the request. The woman at center is a translator. (AP Photo/Martin Jaramillo, File)
FILE - In this June 20, 2012 file photo, a supporter of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange protests outside the Ecuadorean embassy in London. England. Ecuador President Rafael Correa has embraced his role as a thorn in the side of Washington before, railing against imperialism in speeches and giving Julian Assange refuge in his embassy in London. But nothing he has done to infuriate the United States likely would rankle as much as granting the asylum being sought by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. WikiLeaks said Sunday, June 23, 2013 that Snowden formally requested asylum from Ecuador and the South American country's foreign minister confirmed receiving the request. (AP Photo/Tim Hales, File)
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? President Rafael Correa of Ecuador embraces his role as a thorn in Washington's side, railing against U.S. imperialism in speeches and giving WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange refuge in his nation's embassy in London.
But nothing Correa has done to rankle the United States is likely to infuriate as much as granting the asylum being sought by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who faces espionage charges back home after revealing details of two highly secret surveillance programs.
WikiLeaks, which has been assisting Snowden, said Sunday that he formally requested asylum from Ecuador. Ecuador's foreign minister confirmed receiving the request, and analysts said the precedent set by Assange's case suggested Correa would honor it.
Snowden flew from Hong Kong to Moscow on Sunday, and Aeroflot confirmed that he was booked to fly to Cuba on Monday. The reports said he was then booked on a flight to Venezuela, another South American country whose government has touchy relations with Washington.
Both Cuba and Venezuela previously had been rumored as possible destinations for Snowden, although they now appeared more likely to be only transit points on the way to Ecuador.
"Correa may find it hard to resist the temptation to get increased attention and seize this opportunity to provoke and defy the U.S.," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank. "Correa is confrontational and relishes fights. Should he ultimately grant Snowden asylum, one hopes that Correa has thought through the likely consequences of such a decision."
Taking in Snowden certainly would increase Correa's popularity among those who see him as a champion of open information, help him counter criticism of a new media law that some call an assault on freedom of speech in Ecuador and cement his name as a leading voice of opposition to U.S. foreign policy.
But it could threaten preferential access to U.S. markets for Ecuadorean goods under the U.S. Andean Trade Preference Act, and strain already shaky ties between two nations that only last year re-established full diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.
Some 45 percent of Ecuadorean exports went to the United States last year, accounting for about 400,000 jobs in the small nation.
Giving Snowden asylum for leaking secret information would be "irresponsible," former Ecuadorean diplomat Mauricio Gandara said.
"It would be an illegal act, because what he has done is a crime in both the United States and Ecuador," said Gandara, who was Ecuador's ambassador in London. "It is a confrontation with the people and government of the United States and both (political) parties. It is an unnecessary conflict."
Ecuadorean analyst Grace Jaramillo said Washington takes the Snowden case more seriously than Assange's because it involves an internal leak of intelligence activities that otherwise operate in total secrecy.
"The United States will keep pushing until the end for Snowden to be handed over, and could even resort to commercial sanctions or direct intervention if the case becomes difficult," Jaramillo said.
Yet, granting him safe passage and refuge has appeal for Ecuador as well as Cuba and Venezuela, which have all been criticized for rules limiting independent media.
"This is a case in which I think the U.S. does not look all that good," said David Smilde, a Venezuela expert at the University of Georgia.
"I think it's quite useful for either Venezuela or Ecuador to grant a person like this asylum, because it allows them to sort of deflect attention towards the United States and the United States' own shortcomings," Smilde said.
The Cuban state controls all TV, radio and newspapers. Venezuela has done things like forcing TV stations off the air by not renewing licenses and detaining people for tweets deemed destabilizing. Ecuador's media law, approved last week, establishes official media overseers, imposes sanctions for besmirching personal reputations and limits private ownership to a third of radio and TV licenses.
But Cuba and Venezuela are both in the midst of quiet thaws in long-chilly ties with the United States, and taking in Snowden would likely damage those efforts.
Last week, Cuba and the United States held talks on restarting direct mail service, and announced that a separate sit-down to discuss immigration issues will be held in Washington on July 17.
Diplomats and officials from both countries also report far greater cooperation in behind-the-scenes dealings, including during a brief incident involving a Florida couple who sought asylum in Cuba after kidnapping their own children. Cuba worked with U.S. officials to quickly send the couple back to face justice.
Philip Peters, a longtime Cuba analyst, said allowing Snowden to pass through Cuban territory would not necessarily doom rapprochement, though he acknowledged the fallout would be unpredictable.
"My guess is that it would be a blip, because Cuba, by allowing him to pass through Cuban territory, is hardly embracing his actions, or sheltering him or giving him asylum," Peters said.
It's the same story for Venezuela, which earlier this month agreed to high-level negotiations on restoring ambassadorial relations and easing more than a decade of sour ties. That announcement came after a meeting in Guatemala between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua.
Caracas has huge commercial dealings with the United States, which remains the No. 1 buyer of Venezuela's oil.
"It's much better for President Nicolas Maduro that (Snowden) is not going to Venezuela," said Gregory Weeks, a political scientist specializing in Latin America at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. "It's something that Maduro really doesn't want to have to deal with, whereas Correa, he's already in it (by giving Assange asylum). So of all the places to go, Ecuador is logical."
Being placed on the international stage by Snowden's asylum bid drew mixed reactions from Ecuadoreans.
"People who steal information or any other thing should face the consequences, and Ecuador shouldn't get involved," said Maria Jimenez, a 42-year-old homemaker.
Jorge Rojas Cruzatti, a 34-year-old web designer, disagreed.
"I'm proud of my country ... and more than pride, I'm glad that human rights are being protected," he said. "Other countries wouldn't dare grant this type of support to citizens who are helping protect freedom of expression."
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Associated Press writers Gonzalo Solano in Quito, Ecuador; Paul Haven in Havana; Vivian Sequera in Bogota, Colombia; and Luis Andres Henao in Santiago, Chile, contributed to this report.
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan piled ridicule on activists behind weeks of protests against his government during a rally on Sunday and defended riot police who fired water cannon at crowds in Istanbul a day earlier.
Looking out of over a sea of Turkish flags waved by his AK Party faithful in the eastern city of Erzurum, Erdogan praised his supporters and the general public for opposing what he called a plot against his country.
"The people saw this game from the start and frustrated it. They (the protesters) thought the people would say nothing. They said we will burn and destroy and do what we want but the people will do nothing," he said.
Sunday's mass rally was the fifth which Erdogan has called since protests began in Istanbul in an unprecedented challenge to his 10-year rule.
The unrest was triggered when police used force against campaigners opposed to plans to develop Istanbul's Gezi Park, but they quickly turned into a broader show of anger at what critics call Erdogan's growing authoritarianism.
The protests have underlined divisions in Turkish society between religious conservatives who form the bedrock of Erdogan's support and more liberal Turks who have swelled the ranks of demonstrators.
He ending his speech by throwing red carnations to the roughly 15,000-strong crowd in the AK Party stronghold.
MARCH ELECTIONS
The AK Party rallies are focused on boosting party support ahead of municipal elections scheduled for next March and Erdogan said voters would then give their verdict on the weeks of unrest.
"Those who came out using the excuse of Gezi at Taksim Square will get their answer at the ballot box," he said.
Erdogan, who won a third consecutive election in 2011 with 50 percent support, sees himself as a champion of democratic reform, and has been riled by the protests and by international condemnation coming mainly from key trade partner Germany.
Saturday's clashes occurred after thousands of protesters gathered in Istanbul's Taksim Square, which adjoins Gezi Park, to remember the three demonstrators and one police officer who died in earlier protests. Many refused to leave after calls from the police for them to disperse.
Erdogan defended the tactics of the police, who also used fired teargas canisters to scatter protesters in nearby streets in cat-and-mouse clashes.
"Yesterday they wanted to occupy the square again. The police were patient up to a certain point," he said. "When they didn't leave the police was forced to get them out."
There were also clashes on Saturday night in the capital Ankara, where riot police fired water cannon and teargas to break up hundreds of protesters.
The interior ministry estimates about 2.5 million people have taken part in demonstrations across Turkey since the unrest began on May 31, Milliyet newspaper reported on Sunday.
Around 4,900 protesters have been detained and 4,000 protesters and 600 police injured, the report added.
The interior ministry also said the protests had caused 140 million lira ($72 million) worth of damage to public buildings and vehicles.
($1 = 1.9388 Turkish liras)
(Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
LUXEMBOURG (AP) ? Turkey's hope of moving to the next stage of negotiations to join the European Union was kept alive Monday after Germany proposed a compromise that would bind the EU to expanded talks, but only once it approved Ankara's latest reforms.
With the hedged proposal, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he wanted to make sure the impact of the protests that have rocked the government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the past weeks would be taken into account without endangering the long-term strategy to draw Turkey closer.
The proposal is expected to be discussed by EU ministers on Tuesday and could still be enshrined at a meeting with Turkish officials on Wednesday. Any EU decision on Turkey talks needs unanimity among the 27 member states.
"On the one hand we cannot pretend as if these talks here were happening without any context, as if the past days hadn't existed," Westerwelle said. "On the other hand we also have to see that our joint, general, strategic and long-term interests are upheld."
A progress report on Turkey's ability to fit within the EU is expected mid-October.
Germany, which has a sizeable Turkish population, had initially blocked the next step in membership talks last week.
Ministers from countries including Sweden and Belgium agreed that longer term considerations beyond the current political strife should be central to discussions.
"We are not pursuing policies for the day and for the week, we are pursuing policies for the years and the decades," said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt. "We can't change the strategy of the European Union, just because there happens to be nervousness in one part or in the other."
EU Foreign Affairs chief Catherine Ashton was also seeking to keep the door open for further Turkish discussions.
"My general view on everything is engagement is a much better option where you possibly can," she said.
Berlin's blocking of the decision to open a new chapter in the long-running accession negotiations last week was a blow to Erdogan's government, which already faces increasing international scrutiny over its crackdown.
"We have to notice at the moment that there has to be some movement from Turkey before starting with negotiations in a new chapter," said Austria's Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger.
"We are waiting for signals from Ankara that they are going to give people in Turkey really their rights," said Spindelegger.
Turkey began EU accession negotiations in 2005, but has made little progress because of its dispute with Cyprus, an EU member, and opposition among some in Europe to admitting a populous Muslim nation into the bloc.
The session of EU talks initially to open next week was to focus on regional policies, one of 35 chapters for aspiring members to address. But some officials expressed concern that such talks could appear to endorse the crackdown on the demonstrations.
Despite the concerns, Belgium too insisted on pressing ahead. "We should never close the door," said Foreign Minister Didier Reynders.
Asked what Turkey will do if the EU does not open a new chapter in the membership talks this week, Turkey's minister in charge of EU affairs Egemen Bagis said the country was also busy working on the issue.
He was quoted as telling Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily: "We are working on an answer. I can't tell you more, only so much: Turkey has other options."
"We need the EU and the EU needs us," he said. "It is not fair to block the opening of the new chapter in negotiations, which is mainly technical, because of technical constraints."
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Associated Press writer Geir Moulson contributed from Berlin
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Follow Raf Casert on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rcasert
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? A prosecutor began opening statements in George Zimmerman's trial Monday with obscene words the neighborhood watch volunteer whispered under his breath while following 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
"F------ punks," prosecutor John Guy said to six female jurors, quoting Zimmerman from a call he made to a police dispatcher shortly before his fatal confrontation with Martin. "These a-------. They always get away."
Guy told the jurors that Zimmerman profiled Martin "as someone about to commit a crime in his neighborhood."
"And he acted on it. That's why we're here."
Zimmerman followed Martin through his neighborhood, confronted him and then fatally shot him during a fight, Guy said.
"George Zimmerman didn't shoot Trayvon Martin because he had to," Guy said. "He shot him for the worst of all reasons: because he wanted to."
The prosecutor described Zimmerman as someone who wanted to be a police officer, and he dismantled the story Zimmerman has told investigators about what happened during the fight between the neighborhood watch volunteer and the Miami-area teen that left Martin dead from a bullet to his chest.
Zimmerman's claim that Martin had his hands over the neighborhood watch volunteer's mouth is false since none of Zimmerman's DNA was found on Martin's body, Guy said. The prosecutor also said Zimmerman's claim that he had to fire because Martin was reaching for his firearm is false since none of Martin's DNA was on the gun or holster.
Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming self-defense. His defense attorney was to present his opening statements following those of the prosecution.
On Feb. 26, 2012, Zimmerman spotted Martin, whom he did not recognize, walking in the gated townhome community where Zimmerman and the fiancee of Martin's father lived. There had been a rash of recent break-ins and Zimmerman was wary of strangers walking through the complex.
The two eventually got into a struggle and Zimmerman shot Martin in the chest with his 9mm handgun. He was charged 44 days after the shooting, only after a special prosecutor was appointed to review the case and after protests. The delay in the arrest prompted protests nationwide.
Two police dispatch phone calls will be important evidence for both sides' cases.
The first is a call Zimmerman made to a nonemergency police dispatcher, who told him he didn't need to be following Martin.
The second 911 call captures screams from the confrontation between Zimmerman and Martin. Martin's parents said the screams are from their son while Zimmerman's father contends they belong to his son.
Nelson ruled last weekend that audio experts for the prosecution won't be able to testify that the screams belong to Martin, saying the methods the experts used were unreliable.
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Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KHightower
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP
CTVNews.ca Published Monday, June 24, 2013 5:51PM EDT Last Updated Monday, June 24, 2013 5:54PM EDT
The Lifesaving Society, which oversees lifeguarding expertise, is targeting new swimming safety program at younger teens, hoping to reduce the danger now that summer and swim season has started.
According to research cited by the society, 18-to 24-year-olds continue to have the highest water-related death rate of any age group in Canada, at 2.2 deaths per 100,000.
The physiology of teenage brain development leads to engaging in risky activities, as the thrill-seeking part of the brain develops at a faster rate that the judgment and inhibition skills that come in the early adult years. This lead to potential for danger in high-risk situations around lakes, rivers and pools in the summer months.
The research supports the organization's new Swim to Survive+ class; a program to train pre-teen swimmers for unexpected falls in deep water.
The Lifesaving Society targets the pre-teen, Grade 7 age group because of the critical stage in their development, with the hope they can use those skills as they move into the riskier years of young adulthood.
Young swimmers at Toronto's Regent Park Aquatic Centre took part in the survival training program on Monday, learning techniques such as how to tread water, how to survive if they fall into the water with clothes on and how to assist a family member or friend in an emergency.
In addition to the research, the Lifesaving Society commissioned a public opinion poll, asking parents about their teens and water safety.
"Many parents, in fact 97 per cent of parents, are not worried about their teens around water,? said Barbara Byers, Public Education Director of the Lifesaving Society. ?They feel very confident about their teens around water."
"Yet less than half of those students had ever had any swimming lessons and many of them had not had lesson for more than five years."
Byers suggests that a parent, older sibling or relative should be present to supervise young swimmers in the water.
Although the Swim to Survive+ program is currently aimed toward pre-teen swimmers, the Lifesaving Society urges people of all ages to meet the swimming survival standard.
Author: Brian Blogs | Total views: 93 Comments: 0 Word Count: 754 Date:
So, what's the big deal with article marketing? What is it all about in the first place?
Well, it is the simple practice of creating written content and publishing such articles online on any of the hundreds, if not thousands, of article directories found on the Internet. Now directories that post article submissions can cater to niches that range from broad-based to specific ones. With that out of the way, what's the point of article promoting? Here are its top 10 benefits:
1. Builds Your Online Credibility.
By sharing knowledge to other people, you are establishing a reputation as an expert in a particular field - maybe even several. The more information and knowledge you provide, the more credibility you build. As a consequence, you become someone who can be trusted by your followers/readers, which will eventually be good for business.
2. Let You Help Others.
Speaking of shared knowledge, your articles that get published may be able to help other people learn more, find answers to questions, or solve their problems. Regardless of what kind of business you have, your write-ups contain knowledge that netizens are searching for.
3. Increases Your Business Exposure.
The rule of thumb in promotions and advertising is that it usually takes 3-7 instances of exposure before your brand gets recognized. This means that when someone notices something that's related to your company, say, a logo, online ad, or article, these become part of their subconscious. Now article marketing lets you reach out multiple times to your readers.
4. Develops Brand Awareness.
As was mentioned, having a lot of articles out on the Web will let you reach many customers and prospects several times. What you may not realize, however, is how wide this reach is. You see, article directories often make your work available to websites and blogs the world over for reprint. And if your work is high-quality, imagine how many people will create positive associations with your company.
5. Promotes Your Services and Products.
Although nobody really wants to read sales pitches, you can subtly promote what your business has to offer through your write-ups. This can be done by including 'suggestions' in your work, and perhaps some links that will lead to your website should your input catches the readers' attention somehow. Of course, make sure your content is of value so they'll read in the first place.
6. Stimulate Website Traffic.
Aside from subtle suggestions, you can still directly promote your business through your article. This is since each of your articles will have bio/author boxes where you can include links to your company site. By simply including a short 'teaser' at the conclusion portion of your post, you might entice click-throughs from your readers, which can lead to possible click-to-sales conversions.
7. Attract New Customers.
Whether your business is fresh out of the oven or has been around for several years now, article marketing will help you gain new patrons. In fact, it's almost a guarantee that you do so. You see, when consumers go online for research, they might end up finding your article and getting impressed by it - so they click your site like and voila! You now have a new customer.
8. Enhance Your SEO Efforts.
This is made possible by the link-building that occurs when your article gets published. And the most your work gets reprinted or republished because of its quality, the most links that lead to your website. Search engines will perceive this as reliability and will give your site better rankings. This leads to better market visibility.
9. It Is for Free.
Almost all article directories offer their sites for posting at no charge. Although some offer upgrades that provide more interesting features, such sites are usually free to use. And even if you did decide to pay for more features, your returns are still likely to be very high. The benefits will greatly outweigh the costs.
10. It Is an Incredibly Easy Promotional Method.
Indeed it is, as it's just a matter of writing useful, high-quality content and taking the time to post them. Besides, you don't have to do the work yourself as you can always outsource the writing aspect to professional writers.
In conclusion, article marketing offers a win-win opportunity for any business owner.
Brian Blogs is a part time internet marketer, in a first class work from home program. He invites you to visit his website for free video and audio training on building a very affordable home business, at your own pace. For more inside information, go below for details…. nhttp://www.empowernetwork.com/truestory3.php?id=srecuocs01
Related to: how to work from home - internet marketing - Network Marketing - article marketing opportunities - Work From Home - online business - Work at home - blogging - Home Business - article marketing
1: Article Marketing Strategy: Putting Together a "Class Schedule" For Your Article Topics
Businesses go to so much trouble when there is one sure-fire, simple, very inexpensive way to attract new clients to a business: Teach a free class. That is what article marketing is like. Your articles are just like free classes. You teach your target readers something helpful in your article. Your resource box then says, "If you enjoyed this article you can visit my website and apply what you have learned."
2: Why You Need To Build Multiple Streams of Income For Yourself
Being an entrepreneur and earning multiple streams of income is a dream that many have, but in reality it does take some initial hard work to achieve this. Earning multiple streams of income is the wave of the future, and here are some tips and advice for you when you are looking for ways in which to do this for yourself.
3: Understanding Online Business Success
Starting a home based business to earn income online takes a significant amount of time and energy upfront to get things going. Not seeing results immediately can be discouraging and cause people to give up too early. In this article, we look at the process of starting a home based business and working through the frustrations to be there when the sales come flowing in.
4: What is Cyber Marketing And Why It Is So Important For The Success Of Your Website
Cyber marketing has now become an indispensable segment of e-commerce as well as the internet and World Wide Web related topics. Cyber marketing simply refers to a technique of attracting potential customers by advertising your products or services through such means as websites, emails, and banners.
5: Simple Article Writing: 5 Steps For Beginners Who Are Learning To Write Articles (Try This!)
When you look at an article, you may say, "That article looks great, but I have no idea how I would produce something that good." In this article I am going to help you break your article creation process down into "blocks"--smaller bits of information that when assembled together will form a top quality article submission.
JCI early table of contents for June 24, 2013Public release date: 24-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jillian Hurst press_releases@the-jci.org Journal of Clinical Investigation
A prenatal trigger for postnatal obesity
During pregnancy, the health of the mother and the intrauterine environment can have dramatic and lasting effects on the child. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a liver disease that affects 0.5-2% of pregnant women and is characterized by increased bile acid levels in the maternal serum. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Catherine Williamson and colleagues at Imperial College London studied the long term impact of ICP in a cohort of Finnish families. They found that as teenagers, individuals born to women with ICP had altered metabolic profiles and increased BMI. To further understand this effect, Williams and colleagues developed a mouse model of ICP and found that offspring of ICP mothers were more susceptible to metabolic disease and diet-induced obesity. In the companion commentary, Susan Murphy of Duke University points out that the mouse model of ICP may also be useful in identifying other factors that predispose individuals to metabolic syndrome.
TITLE: Cholestatic pregnancy programmes metabolic disease in the offspring
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/68927?key=15f4f087e8569a468d83
ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY
TITLE: Prenatal sensitization of a postnatal trigger for metabolic disease
AUTHOR CONTACT: Susan Murphy
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
Phone: 919 681-3423; Fax: 919 684-5336; E-mail: murph035@mc.duke.edu
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/69399?key=bb81f4707f101fecbcaa
Gene dysregulation underlies preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a medical condition affecting 4-8% of pregnancies that is characterized by high maternal blood pressure, excess protein in maternal urine, and reduced fetal growth. If left untreated, it can develop into eclampsia, which causes life threatening seizures. Apart from delivery, there is no known cure. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Susan Fisher at the University of California, San Francisco, examined cytotrophoblast cells, which help to form the placenta, from women that developed preeclampsia and healthy controls. They found that the cytotrophoblasts from patients with preeclampsia exhibited changes in gene expression, particularly in the gene SEMA3B. Increased expression of SEMA3B in normal cytotrophoblasts recreated some of the features of the cytotrophoblasts from patients with preeclampsia. In the accompanying Attending Physician article, Roberto Romero of the National Institute of Child Health and Development discusses how these findings are our first insight into the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
TITLE: Reversal of gene dysregulation in cultured cytotrophoblasts reveals possible causes of preeclampsia
AUTHOR CONTACT: Michael McMaster
University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone: 415-514-0172; E-mail: mcmaster@cgl.ucsf.edu
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/66966?key=21b97f984b68c6c0c8d7
ACCOMPANYING ATTENDING PHYSICIAN
TITLE: Preeclampsia: a link between trophoblast dysregulation and an anti-angiogenic state
AUTHOR CONTACT: ROBERTO ROMERO
PERINATOLOGY RESEARCH BRANCH, NICHD, NIH, DHHS, Detroit, MI, USA
Phone: 313-993-2700; Fax: 313-993-2694; E-mail: romeror@mail.nih.gov
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/70431?key=a945472a049b383326f4
The inflammatory consequences of chronic cannabis use
Chronic cannabis use has been associated with defects in the regions of the brain that regulate motor control, but how the active component of the drug, THC, mediates these defects is incompletely understood. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Andres Ozaita and colleagues at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona exposed mice to sub-chronic doses of THC and observed deficiencies in learning and coordination associated with brain inflammation and downregulation of the THC receptor CB1R. Furthermore, Ozaita and colleagues found that the defects in these animals could be prevented by treatment with an anti-inflammatory agent. This work suggests that brain inflammation resulting from decreased CB1R is directly related to the learning and motor coordination side effects associated with cannabis consumption. In the accompanying commentary, Nephi Stella at the Center for Human Development and Disability in Seattle points out that these findings raise questions about the safety of medicinal THC applications.
TITLE: Mechanisms underlying the cerebellar deficits produced by repeated cannabis exposure
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/70226?key=1251fa84d26041e7a671
Signal crossing in liver cancer
Many cancers rely on specific molecules, known as oncogenes, to mediate their initiation and growth; however, researcher have not identified oncogenes that drive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This lack of specific targets makes it difficult to select therapies for HCC patients. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, James Hsieh and colleagues at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center found that the protein MLL, which is associated with mixed lineage leukemia and developmental disorders, is linked to the HGF-MET cell signaling pathway, which mediates metastasis in HCC. Using transgenic mice and HCC cell lines, Hsieh and colleagues demonstrated that HGF-MET signaling stabilizes MLL so that it can trigger the expression of genes required for HCC metastasis. In a companion commentary, Snorri Thorgeirsson at the National Cancer Institute discusses how future research can build on these findings and aid in the development of therapeutic strategies for HCC.
TITLE: HGF-MET signals via the MLL-ETS2 in hepatocellular carcinoma
AUTHOR CONTACT: James Hsieh
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
Phone: 6468883263; E-mail: hsiehj@mskcc.org
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/65566?key=554e80f5f250a1961c9b
ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY
TITLE: Linking MLL and the HGF-MET signaling pathway in liver cancer
AUTHOR CONTACT: Snorri Thorgeirsson
Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
Phone: 301-496-1935; Fax: 301-496-0734; E-mail: snorri_thorgeirsson@nih.gov
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/70235?key=2a211148658707001dbb
Kidneys strike a balance in body pH
The body's acid-base balance is modulated in part by the action of the kidney, where cells alter bodily pH by excreting acid or base into the urine in response to high levels of acid (acidosis) or base (alkaloidosis). It is unclear how these cells communicate with the rest of the kidney and participate in integrated physiological processes. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Dmitri Firsov and colleagues at the University of Lausanne found that a receptor known as OXGR1 in the kidney responds to levels of a metabolite, ?KG, to coordinate the kidney's response to acidosis and alkaloidosis. In the accompanying commentary, Jnos Peti-Peterdi of UCLA points out that further research will be necessary to fully understand the systemic role of ?KG .
TITLE: alpha-ketoglutarate regulates acid-base balance through an intra-renal paracrine mechanism
AUTHOR CONTACT: Dmitri Firsov
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Lausanne, CHE
Phone: ++41216925406; E-mail: dmitri.firsov@unil.ch
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/67562?key=408922b97f085ce40b13
ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY
TITLE: Mitochondrial TCA-cycle intermediates regulate body fluid and acid-base balance
AUTHOR CONTACT: Janos Peti-Peterdi
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone: 323-442-4337; E-mail: petipete@usc.edu
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/68095?key=c031dab289e762e8a011
Targeting melanoma with modified dendritic cells
In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Scott Pruitt at Duke University and Merck Research Laboratories report on a human clinical trial in which modified dendritic cells, a component of the immune system, were tested in patients with melanoma. All cells express a complex known as the proteasome, which acts as the garbage disposal for the cell. There are two types of proteasomes: constitutive proteasomes (cPs), which are found in normal tissues, and immunoproteasomes (iPs), which are found in stressed or damaged cells. In a damaged cell, the iP generates protein fragments that are displayed on the surface of the distressed cells, triggering recognition by dendritic cells and subsequent destruction by the immune system. Most cancers, including melanoma, exclusively express cPs, making it impossible for them to express the protein fragments that are recognized by the immune system. To make it easier for the immune system to find cancer cells, Pruitt and colleagues engineered a specific type of immune cell, known as a dendritic cell, that recognizes protein fragments of cancer specific antigens made by cPs. The engineered dendritic cells were then injected into patients that were in remission from melanoma. The trial consisted of 4 patients that were vaccinated with regular dendritic cells, 3 patients that received cells that underwent a control treatment, and 5 patients that received dendritic cells that recognized cancer-made protein fragments. Vaccination with all three types of dendritic cells elicited an immune response, which peaked after 3-4 vaccinations with dendritic cells. Patients that received the specially modified dendritic cells had a longer lasting immune response and fewer circulating melanoma cells. Of the two patients that had active disease, treatment with modified dendritic cells resulted in a partial clinical response in one and a complete clinical response in the other. These results suggest that modification of dendritic cells so that they recognize cP-produced tumor antigens enhances immune recognition of melanoma cells.
This study was funded by Duke Clinical Research Institute/Duke Translational Medicine Institute, Duke Melanoma Consortium, and Duke University Department of Surgery. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, etc.
TITLE: Melanoma immunotherapy using mature DCs expressing the constitutive proteasome
AUTHOR CONTACT: Scott Pruitt
Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, NJ, USA
Phone: 919-632-6118; Fax: 732-594-5512; E-mail: scott.pruitt@merck.com
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/67544?key=ca11555dad2fe390851f
Researchers identify a protein that hinders the immune response to severe bacterial infections
Clearance of invading pathogens is essential to prevent overwhelming inflammation and sepsis that are symptomatic of bacterial peritonitis, an infection of the abdominal cavity. Macrophages are immune cells that participate in the immune response by engulfing and digesting pathogens, a process called phagocytosis. Oxidized phospholipids (OxPL) are molecules generated in response to infection that can prevent bacterial clearance by phagocytosis. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Sylvia Knapp and colleagues at the Medical University of Vienna investigated how OxPL block macrophage activity. Using a mouse model of bacterial peritonitis, Knapp and colleagues found that the protein WAVE1 mediates the effects of OxPL in macrophages. Mice lacking WAVE1 survived longer than normal mice after bacterial infection. Additionally, peritoneal fluid from human patients with end-stage renal failure contained OxPL and inhibited phagocytosis via WAVE1. These data identify WAVE1 as an important mediator of bacterial pathogenicity and suggest that it could serve as a therapeutic target in severe bacterial infections.
TITLE:WAVE1 mediates suppression of phagocytosis by phospholipid-derived DAMPs
AUTHOR CONTACT: Sylvia Knapp
Medical University Vienna, Vienna, AUT
Phone: +43-1-40400-5139; Fax: +43-1-40400-5167; E-mail: sylvia.knapp@meduniwien.ac.at
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/60681?key=ddf9c6d38d19cf06d764
Modified immune cells reduce flu severity in mice
Influenza A viruses cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current treatment strategies are limited to antiviral medications; however, many forms of the virus have become resistant to these medications. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Kanta Subbarao and colleagues at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease describe a method to modify immune cells, known as dendritic cells, to enhance the immune response to influenza in mice. The modified dendritic cells decreased the severity of the disease in influenza A-infected mice, indicated that such a strategy could potentially be used to treat viral infections.
TITLE: Antigen-activated dendritic cells ameliorate influenza A infections
AUTHOR CONTACT: Kanta Subbarao
NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
Phone: (301) 451-3839; Fax: (301) 480-4749; E-mail: ksubbarao@niaid.nih.gov
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/67550?key=92d0e4138ef829b60710
###
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JCI early table of contents for June 24, 2013Public release date: 24-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jillian Hurst press_releases@the-jci.org Journal of Clinical Investigation
A prenatal trigger for postnatal obesity
During pregnancy, the health of the mother and the intrauterine environment can have dramatic and lasting effects on the child. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a liver disease that affects 0.5-2% of pregnant women and is characterized by increased bile acid levels in the maternal serum. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Catherine Williamson and colleagues at Imperial College London studied the long term impact of ICP in a cohort of Finnish families. They found that as teenagers, individuals born to women with ICP had altered metabolic profiles and increased BMI. To further understand this effect, Williams and colleagues developed a mouse model of ICP and found that offspring of ICP mothers were more susceptible to metabolic disease and diet-induced obesity. In the companion commentary, Susan Murphy of Duke University points out that the mouse model of ICP may also be useful in identifying other factors that predispose individuals to metabolic syndrome.
TITLE: Cholestatic pregnancy programmes metabolic disease in the offspring
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/68927?key=15f4f087e8569a468d83
ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY
TITLE: Prenatal sensitization of a postnatal trigger for metabolic disease
AUTHOR CONTACT: Susan Murphy
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
Phone: 919 681-3423; Fax: 919 684-5336; E-mail: murph035@mc.duke.edu
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/69399?key=bb81f4707f101fecbcaa
Gene dysregulation underlies preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a medical condition affecting 4-8% of pregnancies that is characterized by high maternal blood pressure, excess protein in maternal urine, and reduced fetal growth. If left untreated, it can develop into eclampsia, which causes life threatening seizures. Apart from delivery, there is no known cure. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Susan Fisher at the University of California, San Francisco, examined cytotrophoblast cells, which help to form the placenta, from women that developed preeclampsia and healthy controls. They found that the cytotrophoblasts from patients with preeclampsia exhibited changes in gene expression, particularly in the gene SEMA3B. Increased expression of SEMA3B in normal cytotrophoblasts recreated some of the features of the cytotrophoblasts from patients with preeclampsia. In the accompanying Attending Physician article, Roberto Romero of the National Institute of Child Health and Development discusses how these findings are our first insight into the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
TITLE: Reversal of gene dysregulation in cultured cytotrophoblasts reveals possible causes of preeclampsia
AUTHOR CONTACT: Michael McMaster
University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone: 415-514-0172; E-mail: mcmaster@cgl.ucsf.edu
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/66966?key=21b97f984b68c6c0c8d7
ACCOMPANYING ATTENDING PHYSICIAN
TITLE: Preeclampsia: a link between trophoblast dysregulation and an anti-angiogenic state
AUTHOR CONTACT: ROBERTO ROMERO
PERINATOLOGY RESEARCH BRANCH, NICHD, NIH, DHHS, Detroit, MI, USA
Phone: 313-993-2700; Fax: 313-993-2694; E-mail: romeror@mail.nih.gov
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/70431?key=a945472a049b383326f4
The inflammatory consequences of chronic cannabis use
Chronic cannabis use has been associated with defects in the regions of the brain that regulate motor control, but how the active component of the drug, THC, mediates these defects is incompletely understood. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Andres Ozaita and colleagues at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona exposed mice to sub-chronic doses of THC and observed deficiencies in learning and coordination associated with brain inflammation and downregulation of the THC receptor CB1R. Furthermore, Ozaita and colleagues found that the defects in these animals could be prevented by treatment with an anti-inflammatory agent. This work suggests that brain inflammation resulting from decreased CB1R is directly related to the learning and motor coordination side effects associated with cannabis consumption. In the accompanying commentary, Nephi Stella at the Center for Human Development and Disability in Seattle points out that these findings raise questions about the safety of medicinal THC applications.
TITLE: Mechanisms underlying the cerebellar deficits produced by repeated cannabis exposure
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/70226?key=1251fa84d26041e7a671
Signal crossing in liver cancer
Many cancers rely on specific molecules, known as oncogenes, to mediate their initiation and growth; however, researcher have not identified oncogenes that drive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This lack of specific targets makes it difficult to select therapies for HCC patients. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, James Hsieh and colleagues at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center found that the protein MLL, which is associated with mixed lineage leukemia and developmental disorders, is linked to the HGF-MET cell signaling pathway, which mediates metastasis in HCC. Using transgenic mice and HCC cell lines, Hsieh and colleagues demonstrated that HGF-MET signaling stabilizes MLL so that it can trigger the expression of genes required for HCC metastasis. In a companion commentary, Snorri Thorgeirsson at the National Cancer Institute discusses how future research can build on these findings and aid in the development of therapeutic strategies for HCC.
TITLE: HGF-MET signals via the MLL-ETS2 in hepatocellular carcinoma
AUTHOR CONTACT: James Hsieh
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
Phone: 6468883263; E-mail: hsiehj@mskcc.org
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/65566?key=554e80f5f250a1961c9b
ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY
TITLE: Linking MLL and the HGF-MET signaling pathway in liver cancer
AUTHOR CONTACT: Snorri Thorgeirsson
Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
Phone: 301-496-1935; Fax: 301-496-0734; E-mail: snorri_thorgeirsson@nih.gov
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/70235?key=2a211148658707001dbb
Kidneys strike a balance in body pH
The body's acid-base balance is modulated in part by the action of the kidney, where cells alter bodily pH by excreting acid or base into the urine in response to high levels of acid (acidosis) or base (alkaloidosis). It is unclear how these cells communicate with the rest of the kidney and participate in integrated physiological processes. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Dmitri Firsov and colleagues at the University of Lausanne found that a receptor known as OXGR1 in the kidney responds to levels of a metabolite, ?KG, to coordinate the kidney's response to acidosis and alkaloidosis. In the accompanying commentary, Jnos Peti-Peterdi of UCLA points out that further research will be necessary to fully understand the systemic role of ?KG .
TITLE: alpha-ketoglutarate regulates acid-base balance through an intra-renal paracrine mechanism
AUTHOR CONTACT: Dmitri Firsov
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Lausanne, CHE
Phone: ++41216925406; E-mail: dmitri.firsov@unil.ch
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/67562?key=408922b97f085ce40b13
ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY
TITLE: Mitochondrial TCA-cycle intermediates regulate body fluid and acid-base balance
AUTHOR CONTACT: Janos Peti-Peterdi
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone: 323-442-4337; E-mail: petipete@usc.edu
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/68095?key=c031dab289e762e8a011
Targeting melanoma with modified dendritic cells
In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Scott Pruitt at Duke University and Merck Research Laboratories report on a human clinical trial in which modified dendritic cells, a component of the immune system, were tested in patients with melanoma. All cells express a complex known as the proteasome, which acts as the garbage disposal for the cell. There are two types of proteasomes: constitutive proteasomes (cPs), which are found in normal tissues, and immunoproteasomes (iPs), which are found in stressed or damaged cells. In a damaged cell, the iP generates protein fragments that are displayed on the surface of the distressed cells, triggering recognition by dendritic cells and subsequent destruction by the immune system. Most cancers, including melanoma, exclusively express cPs, making it impossible for them to express the protein fragments that are recognized by the immune system. To make it easier for the immune system to find cancer cells, Pruitt and colleagues engineered a specific type of immune cell, known as a dendritic cell, that recognizes protein fragments of cancer specific antigens made by cPs. The engineered dendritic cells were then injected into patients that were in remission from melanoma. The trial consisted of 4 patients that were vaccinated with regular dendritic cells, 3 patients that received cells that underwent a control treatment, and 5 patients that received dendritic cells that recognized cancer-made protein fragments. Vaccination with all three types of dendritic cells elicited an immune response, which peaked after 3-4 vaccinations with dendritic cells. Patients that received the specially modified dendritic cells had a longer lasting immune response and fewer circulating melanoma cells. Of the two patients that had active disease, treatment with modified dendritic cells resulted in a partial clinical response in one and a complete clinical response in the other. These results suggest that modification of dendritic cells so that they recognize cP-produced tumor antigens enhances immune recognition of melanoma cells.
This study was funded by Duke Clinical Research Institute/Duke Translational Medicine Institute, Duke Melanoma Consortium, and Duke University Department of Surgery. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, etc.
TITLE: Melanoma immunotherapy using mature DCs expressing the constitutive proteasome
AUTHOR CONTACT: Scott Pruitt
Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, NJ, USA
Phone: 919-632-6118; Fax: 732-594-5512; E-mail: scott.pruitt@merck.com
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/67544?key=ca11555dad2fe390851f
Researchers identify a protein that hinders the immune response to severe bacterial infections
Clearance of invading pathogens is essential to prevent overwhelming inflammation and sepsis that are symptomatic of bacterial peritonitis, an infection of the abdominal cavity. Macrophages are immune cells that participate in the immune response by engulfing and digesting pathogens, a process called phagocytosis. Oxidized phospholipids (OxPL) are molecules generated in response to infection that can prevent bacterial clearance by phagocytosis. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Sylvia Knapp and colleagues at the Medical University of Vienna investigated how OxPL block macrophage activity. Using a mouse model of bacterial peritonitis, Knapp and colleagues found that the protein WAVE1 mediates the effects of OxPL in macrophages. Mice lacking WAVE1 survived longer than normal mice after bacterial infection. Additionally, peritoneal fluid from human patients with end-stage renal failure contained OxPL and inhibited phagocytosis via WAVE1. These data identify WAVE1 as an important mediator of bacterial pathogenicity and suggest that it could serve as a therapeutic target in severe bacterial infections.
TITLE:WAVE1 mediates suppression of phagocytosis by phospholipid-derived DAMPs
AUTHOR CONTACT: Sylvia Knapp
Medical University Vienna, Vienna, AUT
Phone: +43-1-40400-5139; Fax: +43-1-40400-5167; E-mail: sylvia.knapp@meduniwien.ac.at
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/60681?key=ddf9c6d38d19cf06d764
Modified immune cells reduce flu severity in mice
Influenza A viruses cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current treatment strategies are limited to antiviral medications; however, many forms of the virus have become resistant to these medications. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Kanta Subbarao and colleagues at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease describe a method to modify immune cells, known as dendritic cells, to enhance the immune response to influenza in mice. The modified dendritic cells decreased the severity of the disease in influenza A-infected mice, indicated that such a strategy could potentially be used to treat viral infections.
TITLE: Antigen-activated dendritic cells ameliorate influenza A infections
AUTHOR CONTACT: Kanta Subbarao
NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
Phone: (301) 451-3839; Fax: (301) 480-4749; E-mail: ksubbarao@niaid.nih.gov
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/67550?key=92d0e4138ef829b60710
###
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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.
Apple has released beta 2 of iOS 7 for developers. There doesn't seem to be anything specific or new other than bug fixes and improvements. Download at your leisure. [Apple]
Things have started to settle back into some kind of normality following the intensity of WWDC week, but there has still been plenty going on to keep us all busy. This week we saw an Apple TV update that brought some additional channels to the set-top box, the RSS feed market opens up a little more just a week out from Google Reader's shutdown, and Instagram does Vine, and adds video (with filters) to their massive social photo sharing network. This is the week that was.
Facebook had a press event scheduled for this week -- just an hour before Samsung held their big Premiere 2013 event in London -- and for a while it was shrouded in mystery. The invites went out by regular 'snail mail' and didn't seem to hint at much. Then, right at the start of the week it was rumored that Instagram might be trying to out-do Vine by adding video. Come Thursday, that's just what we got. 15 second video clips, filters, and Instagram's massive network to share it on. Thankfully, the updated app also comes with a way to shut off auto-play.
Apple TV received a software update this week that added a selection of new channels, including ESPN and HBO:GO. Qello, Crunchyroll and Sky News rounded out the new channels, but what was received still comes as a disappointment to some. You have to be a HBO or ESPN subscriber to use their channels, Qello is also a subscription service, and in the UK at least, Sky News is a free-to-view television channel. But, any love for the Apple TV is better than no love at all.
Our own Peter Cohen also weighed in with some good thoughts on the state of the Apple TV following this latest update.
We're little over a week out from Google's scheduled shutdown of their Reader RSS service, and the race to to replace continues. This week saw the early favorite Feedly take the next step towards becoming an all out replacement service by launching Feedly Cloud, with Newsify becoming the first third-party app on iOS to use their API. AOL also quietly emerged as the latest contender in the space, with the news emerging that they will begin accepting invites for their own Reader service from Monday June 24.
We had a couple of big name game releases for iOS and Mac this week. First up XCOM: Energy Unknown saw it's iPad debut promising a full console port designed for the mobile environment. It isn't cheap, but it's definitely a premium title that we're excited to have on iOS.
Also this week Rockstar Games announced that Max Payne 3 would finally be coming to the Mac. Not a particularly new title, it's a case of better late than never for Max Payne 3 but is still a welcome addition to the Mac gaming stable.
Now we're clear of WWDC, the iMore team has begun dissecting all that we saw unveiled, starting with iOS 7. If you missed them the first time around, be sure to drop by and give the posts below a read.
And of course, this week was Apps week on Talk Mobile 2013. Some really great discussions came about from all the great readers across Mobile Nations, but if you missed any of it hit the Talk Mobile link at the top of any of the sites to recap on all the weeks great content.
That's it for another seven days. This was just a taster of the last weeks news, but be sure to drop into the comments and let us know what stood out for you!
All Critics (145) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (141) | Rotten (3)
Hawke and Delpy remain as charming as ever, and their combined goofiness is more endearing than annoying.
Love is messy here, life cannot be controlled, satisfaction is far from guaranteed. Romance is rocky at best. But romance still is.
Though "Before Midnight" is often uncomfortable to watch, it's never less than mesmerizing - and ultimately, a joy to walk with this prickly but fascinating couple again.
"Before Midnight" is heartbreaking, but not because of Jesse and Celine. It's the filmmakers' passions that seem to have cooled.
Before Midnight is fascinating to watch, and so long as Celine and Jesse are communicating, there's still hope.
How (Jesse and Celine) try to rekindle that flame is what drives Midnight, a film that feels so authentic it's like overhearing a conversation you're not sure you should be hearing.
Linklater and his players bring an end to the fantasy and welcome the thrilling ups and bitter downs of reality to this love story.
Like the first two films, it reflects the real world in a way that seems almost preternatural. It's just that, here, the real world is a harsher, more disappointing place.
The duo, clearly so comfortable in their characters' skin, indulge in intelligent banter, sharp humour and emotional truths.
So much better written than contemporary novels, this film is a literary as well as cinematic achievement to cherish. For grown-ups.
As before, it's often very funny, with Jesse and Celine swapping Woody Allen-esque one-liners - nicely snarky, appealingly abrasive.
The acting, the dialogue and direction are superb.
None of the films is faultless in itself, but, tinted with complementary tones, the complete cycle comes as close to perfection as any trilogy in cinema history.
Marvelous. It's impossible to shake the feeling that we are merely eavesdropping on reality. Witty, wise, and -- most important of all -- truly romantic in ways that movies usually aren't.
It's been 18 years since Hawke, Delpy and Linklater introduced us to Jesse and Celine, and their story just gets richer, funnier and more punchy each time we see them. In 1995's Before Sunrise, they were idealistic 23-year-olds.
Hawke and Delpy are as believably real as any screen couple can ever be.
This is one of the few sequels for which the cliche 'eagerly awaited' is truly applicable.
Predictably, it's just as great as the first two.
By the end, Before Midnight inches towards a dawn of charm. But it's a troubled trip.
As an organic experiment in collaboration between actors and director, it is a triumph, co-created and co-owned by Delpy, Linklater and Hawke.
Hawke and Delpy, who are both credited on the script too, have never found co-stars to bounce off more nimbly or bring out richer nuances in their acting.
The performances and dialogue are wonderfully naturalistic; a reminder that the best special effects are often the cheapest.
Before Midnight is about the nature of long-term relationships, and the way love deepens and grows but also finds itself subject to the complications of maturity. Smart, insightful, and poignant.
For those who witnessed Jesse and Celine's tentative getting together as inter railing students almost twenty years ago, it's reassuring to see them still in love.
Brilliantly directed, superbly written and impeccably acted, this is a thoroughly enjoyable, thought-provoking and emotionally engaging drama that perfectly complements the previous two films.
It remains as engaging, illuminating, honest and funny as its predecessor; here's hoping we revisit Jesse and C?line in another decade or so.
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Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
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