Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/9MbHyj_AA0Q/
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Friday, February 8, 2013
How a Charming Doodling App Arose From the Web?s Wildest West
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
How plants sense gravity -- a new look at the roles of genetics and the cytoskeleton
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Public release date: 4-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Richard Hund
rhund@botany.org
314-577-9557
American Journal of Botany
Gravity affects the ecology and evolution of every living organism. In plants, the general response to gravity is well known: their roots respond positively, growing down, into the soil, and their stems respond negatively, growing upward, to reach the sunlight. But how do plants sense gravity and how do they direct or signal their cells to grow in response to it? Although botanists understand a great deal about how this works, a recent article in the recent issue of the American Journal of Botany reviews what we know so far, from mechanical to genetic approaches; it reveals that there are still substantial gaps in our knowledge of the molecular details and highlights new ideas for potential regulating mechanisms.
One of the most constant environmental stimuli that a plant encounters is gravity. Elison Blancaflor, author of the article and a Professor in the Plant Biology Division at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Oklahoma, is particularly interested in the effects that gravity has on plant development, and especially in its pivotal role in the evolution of a plant's sensory and signaling system.
"Although the process of gravitropismdefined as the downward growth of the plant root so it can explore the soil better for nutrients and water and the upward growth of the plant shoots to maximize light absorptionappears to be a simple plant response that we observe here on earth, the biological processes that control it are rather complex," notes Blancaflor.
Indeed, Blancaflor explains in his review article that gravitropism requires the coordinated activity of different cell and tissue types. In plants, the area where gravity is sensed is often spatially distinct from the area of growth. So how do these two discrete areas communicate with each other and direct the plant to where it should grow?
To date, gravity sensing in plants has been explained by the starch-statolith hypothesis. For example, in roots, gravity-sensing cells at the tip of the root contain dense, starch-filled organelles known as amyloplasts. Amyloplasts settle to the bottom of the cells in response to gravity, which then triggers the hormone auxin to move to another, distinct, area of cells and causes them to elongate and bend toward gravity. However, the molecular details of exactly how the physical movement and settling of amyloplasts in one set of cells triggers the accumulation of auxin in another, physically distant, set of cells in a plant remains a mystery.
The most prevalent current hypothesis is that the cytoskeleton, or cellular scaffolding, plays a major role in this gravity-sensing, intercellular communication; the cytoskeleton is made up of filaments, consisting of the proteins actin or tubulin, that allow movement of materials along strands, such as is seen in meiosis or mitosis. However, there is a major controversy in the field regarding the role of actin in gravitropism primarily due to contradictory outcomes in studies where actin was inhibitedthe most interesting ones, according to Blancaflor, being those where actin disruption actually led to enhanced gravitropism.
Blancaflor tackles this controversy by reviewing what we know regarding how amyloplasts work, what affects actin, and how recent genetic studies have discovered that proteins may regulate actin and therefore auxin distribution. For example, recent genetic work using the model plant, Arabidopsis, reveals potential mechanisms as to how the actin cytoskeleton connects the gravity sensing cells to auxin in the growing cells.
Although Blancaflor's review article specifically discusses, based on years of research, how one component of the plant cell, namely the cytoskeleton, controls the process of plant gravitropism, he notes that understanding gravitropism has important implications for agriculture as well.
"Information from basic studies on the cytoskeleton and how plants respond to gravity," he comments, "can inform and provide strategies for genetically engineering crop plants with improved root systems or overall plant architecture."
Blancaflor's interest in gravitropism goes even beyond this earth's atmosphere and into space: "The research I discuss in this article has led me to explore how minimal gravity impacts plant growth and development, and to ask if, like on earth, the actin cytoskeleton also contributes to plant growth in space where gravity is reduced."
Indeed, Blancaflor has conducted research on the Space Shuttle and will have some upcoming experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) this year related to the topic he reviews in this special issue article.
###
Blancaflor Elison B. 2013. Regulation of plant gravity sensing and signaling by the actin cytoskeleton. American Journal of Botany 100(1): 143-152. DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200283
The full article in the link mentioned is available for no charge for 30 days following the date of this summary at http://www.amjbot.org/content/100/1/143.full.pdf+html. After this date, reporters may contact Richard Hund at ajb@botany.org for a copy of the article.
The Botanical Society of America is a non-profit membership society with a mission to promote botany, the field of basic science dealing with the study and inquiry into the form, function, development, diversity, reproduction, evolution, and uses of plants and their interactions within the biosphere. It has published the American Journal of Botany for nearly 100 years. In 2009, the Special Libraries Association named the American Journal of Botany one of the Top 10 Most Influential Journals of the Century in the field of Biology and Medicine.
For further information, please contact the AJB staff at ajb@botany.org.
[ | 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: 4-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Richard Hund
rhund@botany.org
314-577-9557
American Journal of Botany
Gravity affects the ecology and evolution of every living organism. In plants, the general response to gravity is well known: their roots respond positively, growing down, into the soil, and their stems respond negatively, growing upward, to reach the sunlight. But how do plants sense gravity and how do they direct or signal their cells to grow in response to it? Although botanists understand a great deal about how this works, a recent article in the recent issue of the American Journal of Botany reviews what we know so far, from mechanical to genetic approaches; it reveals that there are still substantial gaps in our knowledge of the molecular details and highlights new ideas for potential regulating mechanisms.
One of the most constant environmental stimuli that a plant encounters is gravity. Elison Blancaflor, author of the article and a Professor in the Plant Biology Division at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Oklahoma, is particularly interested in the effects that gravity has on plant development, and especially in its pivotal role in the evolution of a plant's sensory and signaling system.
"Although the process of gravitropismdefined as the downward growth of the plant root so it can explore the soil better for nutrients and water and the upward growth of the plant shoots to maximize light absorptionappears to be a simple plant response that we observe here on earth, the biological processes that control it are rather complex," notes Blancaflor.
Indeed, Blancaflor explains in his review article that gravitropism requires the coordinated activity of different cell and tissue types. In plants, the area where gravity is sensed is often spatially distinct from the area of growth. So how do these two discrete areas communicate with each other and direct the plant to where it should grow?
To date, gravity sensing in plants has been explained by the starch-statolith hypothesis. For example, in roots, gravity-sensing cells at the tip of the root contain dense, starch-filled organelles known as amyloplasts. Amyloplasts settle to the bottom of the cells in response to gravity, which then triggers the hormone auxin to move to another, distinct, area of cells and causes them to elongate and bend toward gravity. However, the molecular details of exactly how the physical movement and settling of amyloplasts in one set of cells triggers the accumulation of auxin in another, physically distant, set of cells in a plant remains a mystery.
The most prevalent current hypothesis is that the cytoskeleton, or cellular scaffolding, plays a major role in this gravity-sensing, intercellular communication; the cytoskeleton is made up of filaments, consisting of the proteins actin or tubulin, that allow movement of materials along strands, such as is seen in meiosis or mitosis. However, there is a major controversy in the field regarding the role of actin in gravitropism primarily due to contradictory outcomes in studies where actin was inhibitedthe most interesting ones, according to Blancaflor, being those where actin disruption actually led to enhanced gravitropism.
Blancaflor tackles this controversy by reviewing what we know regarding how amyloplasts work, what affects actin, and how recent genetic studies have discovered that proteins may regulate actin and therefore auxin distribution. For example, recent genetic work using the model plant, Arabidopsis, reveals potential mechanisms as to how the actin cytoskeleton connects the gravity sensing cells to auxin in the growing cells.
Although Blancaflor's review article specifically discusses, based on years of research, how one component of the plant cell, namely the cytoskeleton, controls the process of plant gravitropism, he notes that understanding gravitropism has important implications for agriculture as well.
"Information from basic studies on the cytoskeleton and how plants respond to gravity," he comments, "can inform and provide strategies for genetically engineering crop plants with improved root systems or overall plant architecture."
Blancaflor's interest in gravitropism goes even beyond this earth's atmosphere and into space: "The research I discuss in this article has led me to explore how minimal gravity impacts plant growth and development, and to ask if, like on earth, the actin cytoskeleton also contributes to plant growth in space where gravity is reduced."
Indeed, Blancaflor has conducted research on the Space Shuttle and will have some upcoming experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) this year related to the topic he reviews in this special issue article.
###
Blancaflor Elison B. 2013. Regulation of plant gravity sensing and signaling by the actin cytoskeleton. American Journal of Botany 100(1): 143-152. DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200283
The full article in the link mentioned is available for no charge for 30 days following the date of this summary at http://www.amjbot.org/content/100/1/143.full.pdf+html. After this date, reporters may contact Richard Hund at ajb@botany.org for a copy of the article.
The Botanical Society of America is a non-profit membership society with a mission to promote botany, the field of basic science dealing with the study and inquiry into the form, function, development, diversity, reproduction, evolution, and uses of plants and their interactions within the biosphere. It has published the American Journal of Botany for nearly 100 years. In 2009, the Special Libraries Association named the American Journal of Botany one of the Top 10 Most Influential Journals of the Century in the field of Biology and Medicine.
For further information, please contact the AJB staff at ajb@botany.org.
[ | 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/2013-02/ajob-hps020413.php
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Sunday, February 3, 2013
New Secretary of State Kerry speaks to Netanyahu, Abbas about peace
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry stressed his commitment to promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace on Sunday in telephone calls to the leaders of both sides, the State Department said.
In separate conversations, Kerry, who took over as the top U.S. diplomat from Hillary Clinton on Friday, spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"Turning to Middle East peace, the secretary underscored his personal commitment and that of President (Barack) Obama to support Israel's security and to pursue a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians." State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said of Kerry's conversation with Netanyahu.
A spokesman for the Israeli prime minister confirmed that the call took place but provided no details.
Netanyahu assumed the responsibility on Saturday of forming a new Israeli government following the January 22 election in which his rightist Likud-Beitenu lost ground but still emerged as the biggest party, with 31 seats in the 120-seat Israeli parliament.
His new government is expected to include a new centrist party headed by former TV personality Yair Lapid, which with 19 seats is the second-largest party in parliament, and the 12-seat far-right pro-settler Bayit Yehudi.
The success of the centrists in the election is expected to improve the outlook for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Formal talks broke down in 2010 over Israel's continued building of Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians want for a state.
Since then each side has taken steps that have antagonized the other.
The U.N. General assembly on November 29 overwhelmingly upgraded the Palestinians status to that of "non-member state," prompting Israel to retaliate by withholding tax revenues owed to them as well as by announcing fresh plans for settlement construction.
However, Israeli officials said last week that they would release about $100 million in withheld tax revenues, a move that Kerry "commended ... as an important step" in his conversation with Netanyahu, the State Department said, adding that their discussion also covered Iran and Syria.
In his call to Abbas, Kerry, former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reiterated his commitment to peace and promised to keep working with Congress to release budget support funds for the Palestinian Authority.
An Abbas aide told Reuters that Kerry told Abbas he was determined to facilitate the restart of stalled peace between the parties and that he hoped to be able to meet him soon, although no time or venue was set.
Nuland said Kerry spoke on Saturday to Israeli President Shimon Peres, who holds a largely ceremonial position. She declined all comment on when Kerry might travel to the region.
"The two men held a lengthy conversation on Saturday night and Peres said that the results of the recent general election could open a window for renewed peace talks," a Peres spokeswoman said in a statement.
Netanyahu, who has been asked by Peres to form a new coalition, said on Saturday that renewing talks with Abbas would be a top priority for his new government.
"The next government that I will form will be committed to peace. I call on Abut Mazen (Abbas) to return to the negotiating table. Every day that passes without us talking to jointly find a way to create peace for our peoples is a day wasted," he said.
Separately, the State Department spokeswoman said Kerry spoke on Sunday to Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan. Kerry spoke on Saturday to the foreign ministers of Turkey, Canada and Mexico.
(Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and by Ori Lewis in Jerusalem; Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; editing by Christopher Wilson)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/secretary-state-kerry-speaks-netanyahu-abbas-peace-222213106.html
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Women in combat: What concerns Marines most
SAN DIEGO (AP) ? Male Marines listed being falsely accused of sexual harassment or assault as a top concern in a survey about moving women into combat jobs, and thousands indicated the change could prompt them to leave the service altogether.
The anonymous online questionnaire by the Marine Corps surveyed 53,000 troops last summer, with the results provided to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta before he opened thousands of combat positions to women last week.
The Marine Corps released the results to The Associated Press on Friday.
Among the other top concerns listed by male Marines were possible fraternization and preferential treatment of some Marines.
Respondents also worried that women would be limited because of pregnancy or personal issues that could affect a unit before it's sent to the battlefield.
Military experts said the results were not surprising because the Marines have the highest percentage of males among the branches of the armed forces.
Former Marine infantry officer Greg Jacob of the Service Women's Action Network said the Pentagon's estimate that 86 percent of assault victims opt against filing complaints "suggests that there's hardly an overabundance of reports, false or otherwise."
Some, however, said the survey shows the need for sensitivity training and guidance from leadership so the change goes smoothly, as occurred when the military ended its policy that barred openly gay troops.
"I think there is this sense among what I would imagine is a very small minority of Marines that this male bastion is under siege and this is one more example of political correctness," said David J. R. Frakt, a military law expert and lieutenant colonel in the Air Force reserves.
Just as the Marine Corps adjusted to the end of "don't ask, don't tell," despite being the most resistant among the military branches, troops will likely fall in line again with this latest historical milestone, said Frakt, a visiting professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
Marine Corps officials did not respond to a request for comment on the survey results.
About 17 percent of male Marine respondents and 4 percent of female respondents who planned to stay in the service or were undecided said they would likely leave if women move into combat positions. That number jumped to 22 percent for male Marines and 17 percent for female Marines if women are assigned involuntarily to those jobs, according to the survey.
Both sexes mentioned intimate relationships between Marines and feeling obligated to protect female Marines among their top five concerns about the change.
Female Marines also said they worried about being targeted by enemies as POWs, the risk of sexual harassment or assault, and hygiene facilities, according to the survey, which did not give specifics.
The women surveyed also expressed concern about acceptance and physical abilities if given a ground combat job.
About 31 percent of female respondents ? or 1,558 women Marines ? say they would be interested in a lateral move to a combat position as their primary job, and 34 percent ? or 1,636 ? said they would volunteer for a ground combat unit assignment.
Elaine Donnelly of the conservative Center for Military Readiness and a vocal critic of the change said the survey asked the wrong questions and should have been asking if troops favor it and whether it will make a more effective force.
The questionnaire also relied on the "mistaken belief" that training standards will remain the same, which Donnelly said is not realistic given the differing physical abilities between the genders.
She said the Pentagon is bent on imposing gender-based quotas that will drive down standards. Defense leaders say standards will not be lowered.
"The results that are being put out there are designed to manage public perception," she said. "There is a lot about this that still needs to be discussed and it's really not fair to the women who serve out there."
The infantry side is skeptical about how women will perform in their units, and some positions may end up closed again if too few females meet the physically demanding standards of combat, said Gen. James Amos, head of the Marine Corps, who spoke to reporters Thursday at a defense conference in San Diego.
"I think from the infantry side of the house, you know they're more skeptical," Amos said. "It's been an all-male organization throughout the history of the U.S. Marine Corps so I don't think that should be any surprise."
Most Marines support the policy change, Amos said.
It will be up to the military service chiefs to recommend and defend whether women should be excluded from any of those more demanding and deadly positions, such as Navy commandos or the Army's Delta Force.
Over the past decade, many male service members already have been fighting alongside women in Iraq and Afghanistan. Women who serve in supply units, as clerks and with military police have ended up on the unmarked front lines of modern warfare.
More than 150 women have been killed in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while serving in support roles.
About 7 percent of Marines are female compared to about 14 percent overall for the armed forces.
Both sexes surveyed said getting women closer to the action will improve their career opportunities.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/marine-survey-lists-concerns-women-combat-002047180.html
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Obama Shooting Clays! White House Releases Photo, Mocks 'Skeeters' (Atlantic Politics Channel)
What Time Is The Super Bowl?: 2013's Game Start Time And More About Big Event
Super Bowl I -- Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10
JAN. 15, 1967 (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles) -- Commissioner Pete Rozelle, left, presents the trophy to Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi after they beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I. (AP Photo, File)
Super Bowl II -- Green Bay Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14
JAN. 14, 1968 (Orange Bowl, Miami) -- Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi is carried off the field after his team defeated the Oakland Raiders, 33-14. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl III -- New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7
JAN. 12, 1969 (Orange Bowl, Miami) -- Jets quarterback Joe Namath gives his father a big hug in the locker room after leading his underdog team to a 16-7 win over the Baltimore Colts. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl IV -- Kansas City Chiefs 23, Minnesota Vikings 7
JAN. 11, 1970 (Tulane Stadium, New Orleans) -- Kansas City Chiefs Coach Hank Stram is carried from the field after his team defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl V -- Baltimore Colts 16, Dallas Cowboys 13
JAN. 17, 1971 (Orange Bowl, Miami) -- Baltimore Colts quarterback John Unitas loosens his throwing arm before the start of Super Bowl V against the Dallas Cowboys. (AP Photo/Steve Starr)
Super Bowl VI -- Dallas Cowboys 24, Miami Dolphins 3
JAN. 16, 1972 (Tulane Stadium, New Orleans) -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach (12) tries to escape the grasp of Miami Dolphins defender Jim Riley (70) during Super Bowl VI in New Orleans. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl VII -- Miami Dolphins 14, Washington Redskins 7
JAN. 14, 1973 (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles) -- Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula lets out with a roar as the gun sounds to give his Dolphins a 14-7 Super Bowl victory over the Washington Redskins. (AP Photo/File)
Super Bowl VIII -- Miami Dolphins 24, Minnesota Vikings 7
JAN. 13, 1974 (Rice Stadium, Houston) -- Miami Dolphins running back Larry Csonka races through the Minnesota Vikings' defensive line during Super Bowl VIII (AP Photo)
Super Bowl IX -- Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Minnesota Vikings 6
JAN. 12, 1975 (Tulane Stadium, New Orleans) -- NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, left, presents The Vince Lombardi Super Bowl IX trophy to Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl X -- Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17
JAN. 18, 1976 (Orange Bowl, Miami) -- Pittsbugh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw walks off the field after he was injured during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl X. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl XI -- Oakland Raiders 32, Minnesota Vikings 14
JAN. 9, 1977 (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.) -- Coach John Madden, left, and owner Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders display the Super Bowl trophy after the Raiders' 32-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl XII -- Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10
JAN. 15, 1978 (Superdome, New Orleans) -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach calls out the signals at the line of scrimmage as he prepares for the snap in Super Bowl XII against the Denver Broncos. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl XIII -- Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31
JAN. 21, 1979 (Orange Bowl, Miami) -- Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann jumps through the air to catch touchdown pass from quarterback Terry Bradshaw in thefourth quarter of Super Bowl XIII. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl XIV -- Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Los Angeles Rams 19
JAN. 20, 1980 (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.) -- Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll shows off Super Bowl XIV trophy to a crowd of about 1,000 at the Pittsburgh airport. The Steelers beat the Rams 31-19. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl XV -- Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10
JAN. 25, 1981 (Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans) -- Oakland Raiders managing general partner Al Davis talks with sportscaster Bryant Gumble after receiving the Super Bowl XV trophy in New Orleans. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl XVI -- San Francisco 49ers 26, Cincinnati Bengals 21
JAN. 24, 1982 (Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Mich.) -- San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana reacts after throwing a touchdown pass to running back Earl Cooper in the second quarter of Super Bowl XVI against the Cincinnati Bengals. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl XVII -- Washington Redskins 27, Miami Dolphins 17
JAN. 30, 1983 (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.) -- Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann (7) holds game ball as he signals No. 1 at the end of Super Bowl XVII. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl XVIII -- Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington Redskins 9
JAN. 22, 1984 (Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Fla.) Coach Tom Flores gestures to members of the Los Angeles Raiders as they carry him off the field after their 38-9 victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl XIX -- San Francisco 49ers 38, Miami Dolphins 16
JAN. 20, 1985 (Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, Calif.) -- San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh holds up ball in front of team in the locker room following the 49ers victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl XX -- Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10
JAN. 26, 1986 (Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans) -- Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka reaches to shake hands with New England Patriots Coach Raymond Berry after the Bears won Super Bowl XX. (AP Photo)
Super Bowl XXI -- New York Giants 39, Denver Broncos 20
JAN. 25, 1987 (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.) -- Head coach Bill Parcells of the New York Giants gets carried off the field following a Super Bowl XXI victory. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXII -- Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10
JAN. 31, 1988 (Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego) -- Tight end Clint Didier #86 of the Washington Redskins catches a touchdown pass during Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXIII -- San Francisco 49ers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 16
JAN. 22, 1989 (Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami) -- San Francisco 49ers center Randy Cross (51) holds the Vince Lombardi trophy next to wide receiver Jerry Rice after a 20-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII (AP Photo/NFL Photos/Paul Spinelli) JAN. 15, 1967 (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles) -- Commissioner Pete Rozelle, left, presents the trophy to Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi after they beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I in Los Angeles. (AP Photo, File)
Super Bowl XXIV -- San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10
JAN. 28, 1990 (Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans) -- Wide receiver Jerry Rice #80 of the San Francisco 49ers counts his Super Bowl record three touchdown receptions as he poses for a photo in Super Bowl XXIV. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXV -- New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19
JAN. 27, 1991 (Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Fla.) -- New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells is paraded around on the shoulders of players Lawrence Taylor #56 and Carl Banks #58 after winning Super Bowl XXV (Photo by Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXVI -- Washington Redskins 37, Buffalo Bills 24
JAN. 26, 1992 (Metrodome, Minneapolis) -- Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Rypien, right, and teammate Earnest Byner celebrate with their Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the Buffalo Bills. (AP Photo/Greg Gibson)
Super Bowl XXVII -- Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17
JAN. 31, 1993 (Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.) -- Emmitt Smith #22 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates on the sidelines during the Superbowl XXVII against the Buffalo Bills (Mike Powell /Allsport/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXVIII -- Dallas Cowboys 30, Buffalo Bills 13
JAN. 30, 1994 (Georgia Dome, Atlanta) -- Quarterback Troy Aikman #8 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates their victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXIX -- San Francisco 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26
JAN. 29, 1995 (Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami) -- Quarterback Steve Young #8 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates following their Super Bowl XXIX (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXX -- Dallas Cowboys 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
JAN. 28, 1996 (Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.) -- Dallas Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer (L) has Gatorade dumped on him by players late in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. (J. DAVID AKE/AFP/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXXI -- Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21
JAN. 26, 1997 (Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans) -- Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre gets hugged by quarterback Drew Bledsoe of the New England Patriots (JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXXII -- Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24
JAN. 25, 1998 (Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego) -- Quarterback John Elway #7 of the Denver Broncos gives the thumbs up after the Broncos defeated the Green Bay Packers 31-24 to win Super Bowl XXXII (DOUG COLLIER/AFP/Getty Images).
Super Bowl XXXIII -- Denver Broncos 34, Atlanta Falcons 19
JAN. 31, 1999 (Pro Player Stadium, Miami) -- John Elway #7 of the Denver Broncos talks to reporters after Super Bowl XXXIII against the Atlanta Falcons (Rick Stewart / Allsport / Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXXIV -- St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16
JAN. 30, 2000 (Georgia Dome, Atlanta) -- St. Louis Rams head coach Dick Vermeil (L) and quarterback Kurt Warner (R) embrace after the Rams defeated the Tennessee Titans (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXXV -- Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7
JAN. 28, 2001 (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.) -- Baltimore Ravens' head coach Brian Billick holds aloft the Vice Lombardi Trophy after the Ravens defeated the New York Giants (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images).
Super Bowl XXXVI -- New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17
FEB. 3, 2002 (Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans) -- New England Patriots players reach out to touch the Vince Lombardi Trophy after they beat the St. Louis Rams. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Super Bowl XXXVII -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21
JAN. 26, 2003 (Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego) -- Mike Alstott #40 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scores on a two-yard touchdown run against the Oakland Raiders. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXXVIII -- New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29
FEB. 1, 2004 (Reliant Stadium, Houston) -- Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates after defeating the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XXXIX -- New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21
FEB. 6, 2005 (Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.) -- Tom Brady holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy as he stands on the podium after The New England Patriots defeated The Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XL -- Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Seattle Seahawks 10
FEB. 5, 2006 (Ford Field, Detroit) -- Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher reacts after being doused with water after the team's 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Super Bowl XLI -- Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17
FEB. 4, 2007 (Dolphin Stadium, Miami) -- Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning is interviewed after defeating the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XLII -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
FEB. 3, 2008 (U. of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.) -- New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning celebrates during Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) JAN. 15, 1967 (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles) -- Commissioner Pete Rozelle, left, presents the trophy to Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi after they beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I in Los Angeles. (AP Photo, File)
Super Bowl XLIII -- Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23
FEB. 1, 2009 (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.) -- Santonio Holmes #10 of of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy as team owner Dan Rooney and head coach Mike Tomlin look on. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XLIV -- New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17
FEB. 7, 2010 (Miami Gardens, Fla.) -- Quarterback Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates after his team defeated the Indianapolis Colts. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XLV -- Green Bay Packers 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 25
FEB. 6, 2011 (Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas) -- Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers celebrates with the trophy after the Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XLVI -- New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17
FEB. 5, 2012 (Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis) -- Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants celebrates after winning Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/what-time-is-the-super-bowl-2013_n_2601200.html
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Target 'super-spreaders' to stop hepatitis C
Friday, February 1, 2013
Each intravenous drug user contracting Hepatitis C is likely to infect around 20 other people with the virus, half of these transmissions occurring in the first two years after the user is first infected, a new study estimates.
The work, led by researchers from Oxford University, suggests that early diagnosis and treatment of Hepatitis C in intravenous drug users could prevent many transmissions by limiting the impact of these 'super-spreaders' (a highly infectious person who spreads a disease to many other people).
Working out 'who has infected who' in fast-spreading diseases such as influenza is often relatively straightforward, but in slow-spreading diseases such as Hepatitis C and HIV, where instances of transmission are spread over months or years, it is extremely difficult. The new approach, developed by a team from Oxford University, University of Athens and Imperial College, combines epidemiological surveillance and molecular data to describe in detail, for the first time, how Hepatitis C spreads in a population.
A report of the research appears in this week's PLOS Computational Biology.
'For the first time we show that super-spreading in Hepatitis C is led by intravenous drug users early in their infection,' said Dr Gkikas Magiorkinis of Oxford University's Department of Zoology, lead author of the study. 'Using this information we can hopefully soon make a solid argument to support the scaling-up of early diagnosis and antiviral treatment in drug users. Helping these people and stopping the spread of Hepatitis C is our ultimate target.'
The World Health Organisation has identified Hepatitis C as a major public health problem: up to 180 million people worldwide live with the virus, most are unaware that they have been infected and remain undiagnosed for more than 10 years. 20% of those infected will develop cancer or liver scarring (cirrhosis) after 20 years of infection, at which point the only treatment is liver transplantation, which costs around ?100,000 ($160,000) for each patient.
Unlike other forms of Hepatitis there is currently no vaccine available for Hepatitis C, although there are effective treatments. The virus mainly transmits through contaminated blood and before 1990 the major transmission route was blood transfusions and blood products. Since screening for blood transfusions was introduced, after the discovery of the virus in 1989, the only significant transmission route for Hepatitis C is now intravenous drug use ? users are at risk through the sharing and re-use of syringes.
'Working out how many people are likely to be infected by each 'super-spreader' of Hepatitis C, as well as how soon they will be infected, has been a puzzle for over 20 years,' said Dr Magiorkinis. 'Our research has resolved this issue and paves the way for a modelling study to show what kind of public health interventions could really make a difference. Our approach should also be very useful to those studying HIV.'
The research draws on data from four Hepatitis C epidemics in Greece, using information on 943 patients in treatment studies between 1995 and 2000, and around 100 genetic sequences representative of the epidemic taken from frozen plasma samples collected between 1996 and 2006. The team then used a mathematical model to estimate the variance of secondary infection and how long it takes for such infection to occur.
###
University of Oxford: http://www.ox.ac.uk/
Thanks to University of Oxford for this article.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126588/Target__super_spreaders__to_stop_hepatitis_C
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Overdose education, bystander nasal naloxone rescue kits associated with decreased opioid overdose death
Public release date: 1-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Jenny Eriksen Leary
jenny.eriksen@bmc.org
617-638-6841
Boston University Medical Center
(Boston) In a study of communities in Massachusetts with high numbers of opioid overdose deaths, the implementation of overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) was associated with a significant reduction in opioid overdose death rates. Led by researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC), Boston University Schools of Medicine (BUSM) and Public Health (BUSPH) in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), this study provides observational evidence that OEND is an effective public health intervention to address the epidemic of fatal opioid overdose.
Opioids include substances such as heroin and prescription pain relievers, namely hydrocodone, oxycodone, codeine, morphine and fentanyl. The rate of opioid overdose continues to rise and is a major cause of preventable death. Opioid related overdose deaths have exceeded the number of motor vehicle deaths each year since 2005 in Massachusetts and are the leading cause of injury death in the commonwealth.
OEND is an innovative, community-based intervention that educates people at risk for overdose and potential bystanders on how to prevent, recognize and respond to an overdose. It also equips these individuals with a naloxone rescue kit. Naloxone, which may be administered by injection or by nasal spray, is a safe and effective antidote that reverses the life-threatening effects of an opioid overdose.
Between 2006 and 2009 in 19 communities with a high prevalence of opioid overdose deaths, Massachusetts OEND programs organized, funded and supported by MDPH trained 2,912 potential bystanders who reported 327 rescues. After adjusting for community level factors, including the use of addiction treatment and doctor shopping for prescription opioids, communities with low levels of OEND training had 27 percent lower opioid overdose death rates and communities with high levels of OEND training had 46 percent lower opioid overdose death rates compared to communities with no training.
"Opioid overdose is a major public health problem for which we have few proven solutions. This study provides observational evidence that OEND can have a population-level dose effect in reducing overdose death rates, where the greater the implementation, the greater the impact," said Alexander Walley, MD, MSc, an attending physician in general internal medicine at BMC and the study's lead author. Walley is an assistant professor of medicine at BUSM and medical director for the MDPH's Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. "Together with a recent study, which demonstrated that OEND is highly cost effective, it appears that OEND is a promising, scalable and affordable tool to save lives from opioid overdose."
###
Funding for this study was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under award number 1R21CE001602 (Principal Investigator: Walley). To view the article on the BMJ website, go to http://www.bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/bmj.f174.
Go to www.overdosepreventionalliance.org/p/od-prevention-program-locator.html for information on the closest overdose prevention program. Go to www.prescribetoprevent.org if you are a health care provider interested in prescribing naloxone rescue kits.
Written by Tiffany Groover, MD, MPH
[ | 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: 1-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Jenny Eriksen Leary
jenny.eriksen@bmc.org
617-638-6841
Boston University Medical Center
(Boston) In a study of communities in Massachusetts with high numbers of opioid overdose deaths, the implementation of overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) was associated with a significant reduction in opioid overdose death rates. Led by researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC), Boston University Schools of Medicine (BUSM) and Public Health (BUSPH) in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), this study provides observational evidence that OEND is an effective public health intervention to address the epidemic of fatal opioid overdose.
Opioids include substances such as heroin and prescription pain relievers, namely hydrocodone, oxycodone, codeine, morphine and fentanyl. The rate of opioid overdose continues to rise and is a major cause of preventable death. Opioid related overdose deaths have exceeded the number of motor vehicle deaths each year since 2005 in Massachusetts and are the leading cause of injury death in the commonwealth.
OEND is an innovative, community-based intervention that educates people at risk for overdose and potential bystanders on how to prevent, recognize and respond to an overdose. It also equips these individuals with a naloxone rescue kit. Naloxone, which may be administered by injection or by nasal spray, is a safe and effective antidote that reverses the life-threatening effects of an opioid overdose.
Between 2006 and 2009 in 19 communities with a high prevalence of opioid overdose deaths, Massachusetts OEND programs organized, funded and supported by MDPH trained 2,912 potential bystanders who reported 327 rescues. After adjusting for community level factors, including the use of addiction treatment and doctor shopping for prescription opioids, communities with low levels of OEND training had 27 percent lower opioid overdose death rates and communities with high levels of OEND training had 46 percent lower opioid overdose death rates compared to communities with no training.
"Opioid overdose is a major public health problem for which we have few proven solutions. This study provides observational evidence that OEND can have a population-level dose effect in reducing overdose death rates, where the greater the implementation, the greater the impact," said Alexander Walley, MD, MSc, an attending physician in general internal medicine at BMC and the study's lead author. Walley is an assistant professor of medicine at BUSM and medical director for the MDPH's Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. "Together with a recent study, which demonstrated that OEND is highly cost effective, it appears that OEND is a promising, scalable and affordable tool to save lives from opioid overdose."
###
Funding for this study was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under award number 1R21CE001602 (Principal Investigator: Walley). To view the article on the BMJ website, go to http://www.bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/bmj.f174.
Go to www.overdosepreventionalliance.org/p/od-prevention-program-locator.html for information on the closest overdose prevention program. Go to www.prescribetoprevent.org if you are a health care provider interested in prescribing naloxone rescue kits.
Written by Tiffany Groover, MD, MPH
[ | 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/2013-02/bumc-oeb020113.php
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Friday, February 1, 2013
Israel hits Syria arms convoy to Lebanon: sources
BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Israeli warplanes bombed a convoy near Syria's border with Lebanon, sources told Reuters, apparently targeting weapons destined for Hezbollah in what some called a warning to Damascus not to arm Israel's Lebanese enemy.
Syrian state television accused Israel of bombing a military research center at Jamraya, between Damascus and the nearby border, but Syrian rebels disputed that, saying their forces had attacked the site. No source spoke of a second Israeli strike.
"The target was a truck loaded with weapons, heading from Syria to Lebanon," said one Western diplomat, echoing others who said the convoy's load may have included anti-aircraft missiles or long-range rockets. Several sources ruled out the presence in the convoy of chemical weapons, about which Israel has also raised concerns.
Diplomatic sources from three countries told Reuters that chemical weapons were believed to be stored at Jamraya, and that it was possible that the convoy was near the large site when it came under attack early on Wednesday.
However, there was no suggestion that the vehicles themselves had been carrying chemical weapons.
The raid followed warnings from Israel that it was ready to act to prevent the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad leading to Syria's chemical weapons and modern rockets reaching either his Hezbollah allies or his Islamist enemies.
A source among Syrian rebels said an air strike around dawn (0430 GMT) blasted a convoy near the border. "It attacked trucks carrying sophisticated weapons from the regime to Hezbollah," the source said, adding that it took place inside Syria.
Syrian state television said two people were killed in a dawn raid on the military site at Jamraya, which lies in the 25-km (15-mile) strip between Damascus and the Lebanese border. It described it as a scientific research centers "aimed at raising the level of resistance and self-defense".
It did not mention specific retaliation but said "these criminal acts" would not weaken Syria's support for Palestinians and other groups engaged in "resistance" to Israel.
Several rebel sources, however, including a commander in the Damascus area, accused the authorities of lying and said the only attacks at Jamraya had been mortar attacks by insurgents.
A regional security source said Israel's target was weaponry given by Assad's military to fellow Iranian ally Hezbollah.
"This episode boils down to a warning by Israel to Syria and Hezbollah not to engage in the transfer of sensitive weapons," the source said. "Assad knows his survival depends on his military capabilities and he would not want those capabilities neutralized by Israel - so the message is this kind of transfer is simply not worth it, neither for him nor Hezbollah."
With official secrecy shrouding the event, few details were corroborated by multiple sources. All those with knowledge of the events - from several countries - spoke anonymously.
"MOCK RAIDS"
There was no comment from Hezbollah or the Israeli government. Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said only that Israeli warplanes had carried out "mock raids" over southern Lebanon on Wednesday night, close to the Syrian border.
Israel's ally the United States declined all comment. A Lebanese security source said its territory was not hit, though the army also reported a heavy presence of Israeli jets through the night after days of unusually frequent incursions.
Such a strike or strikes would fit Israel's policy of pre-emptive covert and overt action to curb Hezbollah and does not necessarily indicate a major escalation of the war in Syria. It does, however, indicate how the erosion of the Assad family's rule after 42 years is seen by Israel as posing a threat.
Israel this week echoed concerns in the United States about Syrian chemical weapons, but its officials say a more immediate worry is that the civil war could see weapons that are capable of denting its massive superiority in airpower and tanks reaching Hezbollah; the group fought Israel in 2006 and remains a more pressing threat than its Syrian and Iranian sponsors.
Israeli officials have said they feared Assad may be losing his grip on some chemical weapons, including around Damascus, to rebel groups which are also potentially hostile to Israel. U.S. and European security sources told Reuters they were confident that chemical weapons were not in the convoy which was bombed.
Wednesday's action could have been a rapid response to an opportunity. But a stream of Israeli comment on Syria in recent days may have been intended to limit surprise in world capitals.
The head of the Israeli air force said only hours before the attack that his corps, which has an array of the latest jet bombers, attack helicopters and unmanned drones at its disposal, was involved in a covert "campaign between wars".
"This campaign is 24/7, 365 days a year," Major-General Amir Eshel told a conference on Tuesday. "We are taking action to reduce the immediate threats, to create better conditions in which we will be able to win the wars, when they happen."
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, set for a new term after an election, told his cabinet that Iran and turmoil in Arab states meant Israel must be strong: "In the east, north and south, everything is in ferment, and we must be prepared, strong and determined in the face of all possible developments."
Israel's refusal to comment on Wednesday is usual in such cases; it has, for example, never admitted a 2007 air strike on a suspected Syrian nuclear site despite U.S. confirmation of it.
By not acknowledging that raid, Israel may have ensured that Assad did not feel obliged to retaliate. For 40 years, Syria has offered little but bellicose words against Israel.
(Additional reporting by Mariam Karouny and Oliver Holmes in Beirut, Myra MacDonald in London, Mark Hosenball in Washington and Reuters bureaux; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by David Stamp)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-hits-syria-arms-convoy-lebanon-sources-074200758.html
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Energy Secretary Chu is latest Obama cabinet departure
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, the Nobel Prize winner who oversaw a nearly $40 billion effort to help spur a U.S. clean energy economy, will step down after a tenure rocked by the high profile failures of some of those investments.
For the last two years Chu had been at the center of Republican-led probes of his management of the $37 billion his department received for clean energy development from the 2009 economic stimulus law.
Chu's resignation had been widely expected. His departure, which follows similar moves by the EPA administrator and interior secretary, sets the stage for Obama to announce a new team to help lead a renewed push to address climate change.
Potential contenders for the energy post are said to include Christine Gregoire, the former governor of Washington; Byron Dorgan, former senator from North Dakota; and Bill Ritter, former governor of Colorado.
President Barack Obama on Friday lauded Chu's service at the department.
"During his time as secretary, Steve helped my administration move America towards real energy independence," Obama said in a statement.
Analysts have said the administration is likely to pick a successor who could either lend some business expertise to the department or someone with serious political influence to help fend off continued congressional scrutiny of the department's energy investments.
Facing intense political attacks, Chu has defended his record, fighting off charges his department allowed politics to guide its backing of energy projects, including the failed solar company Solyndra.
The fight over Solyndra, in particular, served as a proxy for a larger battle over the direction of U.S. energy policy, with Republicans arguing that the failure of the solar company illustrated the perils of government picking winners and losers in the energy sector.
In a letter to department employees, Chu acknowledged that he faced challenges during his time leading the agency. Still, he described time leading the agency as the "greatest privilege" of his life.
"I believe we should be judged not by the money we direct to a particular state or district, company, university or national lab, but by the character of our decisions," Chu said.
In his resignation letter on Friday, Chu said that he may remain in his post past the end of February to help the department transition to his successor.
"In the short term, I plan to stay on as secretary past the ARPA-E Summit at the end of February," he said, referring to the annual Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy conference that ends on February 27.
(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Roberta Rampton, Timothy Gardner; Editing by Vicki Allen and Jackie Frank)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/energy-secretary-chu-says-stay-post-past-end-170420457.html
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Student Debt Climbs as Credit Risk Gets Steeper
Americans now owe an average of $27,253 in student loans as the delinquency rate has increased by more than 47 percent since 2005, according to a new report.
Some 27 million borrowers, or slightly more than 13 percent of the country, have two or more outstanding student loans, according the report from FICO Labs, the research arm of the credit-score agency. That number has more than doubled in the past eight years. In the 2005 report, the average student loan debt was $17,233.
In the latest study, the average credit score for new loans was going down as students with less ability to repay their loans are being granted loans with fewer questions.
The reason student debt is rising so quickly isn't hard to guess. The cost of attending college has been skyrocketing, while the recession and the scarcity of jobs over the past five years has sent 20-somethings back to school in droves. Difficulteconomic times "disproportionately impact young people," said Frederic Huynh, senior principal scientist at FICO,
A study by the Federal Reserve's New York branch last year showed $580 billion of the total $870 billion in student loan debt is owed by people under age 40. The total now exceeds credit card debt ($693 billion) and auto loans ($730).(Read More: Student-Loan Delinquencies Now Surpass Credit Cards)
The recession is hardly the only factor driving the growth in student loans, which have simply become easier to get. In 2010, the Obama administration pushed through legislation that made the federal government the primary issuer of student debt, and encouraged borrowing by cutting credit requirements, capping interest rates and reducing monthly repayments to 10 percent of a graduate's discretionary income, from 15 percent.
Some observers, including Republicans in Congress, have called the White House's approach a recipe for disaster, while Democrats have moved to lift the burden of debt further by forgiving any loan of any amount on which a graduate has paid 10 percent of his or her discretionary income for 10 years.
Critics are comparing the current situation to the mortgage debacle of the early 2000s that created the housing crisis and helped to bring on the recession.
FICO's report suggests that student debt obligations have already been downgraded in many Americans' minds. Student debt is unlike other debt by nature, because it is unsecured, Huynh pointed out. "If I stopped making my car payments, they would repossess my car. But the lender can't take my degree back. This influences the higher rate of delinquency."
Student debt is also becoming different in other ways. One chart in the report shows how student-loan debtors pay their other obligations. "What was consistent was that they were least likely to pay student loans," said Huynh. Those who also had auto loans and mortgages would put resources toward those payments first (though, perhaps because of the foreclosure crisis, delinquency on mortgages grew at a much higher rate than on college loans in the period under study). An interesting side note is that car loans are now more likely to be paid before mortgage loans, a switch from 2005.
Most curiously, as the median FICO score of a student borrower fell from 670 to 665 overall, the behavior of even those with better credit scores deteriorated when it came to repaying student debt. A student borrower with a credit score of 697 today is behaving like someone who had a credit score of 667 eight years ago.
"If a lender set a cut-off score of 667 to achieve 10:1 repayment odds in 2005," the report said, "they would need to raise their cutoff 30 points to achieve the same level of risk in 2010." This is a far shift than any other kind of debt in the recession.
Whether or not student borrowers take their debt seriously, the credit agencies do. "Any default can have a material impact on your score," said Huynh, and the FICO reports, no doubt with gratification, that the agencies' scores still match up well with the actual credit risk posed by college kids. FICO urges greater efforts to educate high-school seniors and their families about what student loans can mean to your financial future.
But among lenders, delinquency on a student loan is clearly not as significant a blot on a person's financial record as on other kinds of debt. That's because, statistically, credit-card defaults are much better indicators of credit unworthiness .
Nothing in report suggests that college grads are simply cavalier about borrowing. Rather, as their financial predicament deepens with the amount they owe, their account balance may lose its sense of reality. In 2005, people who owed $100,000 in student loans were a better risk than the rest of the population. These steep borrowers were more likely then to have bright prospects and burgeoning salaries.
Today, the $100,000 borrower is a worse risk, reflecting the hopeless position in which a young person can find themselves, even with an expensive college degree. Were mere irresponsibility to blame, defaults would logically be equally common for less consequential amounts. Instead, the turning point for increased risk, according to FICO, comes at about $40,000.
Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100420887
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Massive pile-up on Detroit interstate kills 3
WDIV
Dozens of cars and trucks were involved in a pile up on I-75 in Michigan on Thursday.
By Kari Huus, Staff Writer, NBC News
A massive chain-reaction crash on an interstate highway in Detroit Thursday killed three people, including two children, and left at least?40 injured, local authorities said.
The mile-long accident, which involved cars as well as semi trucks,?was caused by white-out conditions, NBC-affiliate WDIV4 in Detroit?reported, citing Michigan State Police Lt. Michael Shaw.
Up to 200 cars where either involved or stuck at the scene, the report said.
Motorists interviewed by the Detroit Free Press described the sudden snow squall that whipped through the area, blinding them. Drivers slammed on their brakes and then slid on the icy road, they said.
"It got real bad, real quick," Greg Galuszka from Brownstown Township told the paper. "It turned to ice real quick."
The accident started on the bridge portion of I-75 where it crosses the Rouge River in southwest Detroit, on the southbound lanes,?according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.
NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports on a deadly pileup along Detroit's I-75 involving cars and tractor-trailers.
At least a dozen people were transported to area hospitals to be treated for injuries, including broken bones, head trauma and lacerations, the Free Press reported, citing Detroit EMS Chief Jerald James. He said another 30 or more people were treated for injuries at the scene.
Many people in the cars had left their vehicles and moved to a safe distance from the crash, according to WDIV. The Red Cross was on the scene handing out blankets, food and beverages as authorities worked to clear the debris and get the busy thoroughfare reopened.
The state's transportation department is providing frequent updates on the situation through its Twitter account. While northbound lanes of I-75 reopened around noon, the department said, cleanup on southbound could keep those lanes closed for most of the day.?Wreckers, hazmat trucks and salt trucks are on the scene, they tweeted.
Michigan didn't get its first major snowfall until after Christmas ? later than usual. Like most of the Midwest it was expected to get less snow than normal as major storm systems veered north and south of the state.
But Detroit is apparently now experiencing snow caused by the "lake effect," when a cold wave crosses over the warmer-than-normal water of the Great Lakes.
WXYZ-TV in Detroit reported a winter weather advisory in effect until 7 p.m. Thursday.
"Watch for bursts of heavy snow and icy roads... Snow accumulations of 2-4 inches will be possible with these intense snow bands," according to the forecast.
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Mayor appeals to fishery council for relief
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January 30, 2013 12:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD ? Mayor Jon Mitchell is asking fishing regulators in the Northeast to get aggressive about softening the blow of quota cutbacks for cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder.
Mitchell sent a letter Monday to the New England Fishery Management Council, which is meeting this week in Portsmouth, N.H., with several strong suggestions, including finding out why groundfish regulation has admittedly failed.
He supported the request of the Massachusetts congressional delegation that NOAA immediately identify ways that the fishing industry can be helped under the Magnuson-Stevens Act that governs fishing regulation.
"More than at any other point in memory, the fishing industry needs the government to do everything in its power to prevent or mitigate the impact of the impending cuts," Mitchell wrote. Action must be taken, he said, "to keep the industry alive."
The council's agenda for today is exclusively the groundfish issue. Alarmingly low stock assessments have prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to propose quota cutbacks of as much as 86 percent in the fishing year beginning May 1. Quota that low would end fishing, say fishermen.
Those assessments have been challenged, but NOAA Regional Administrator John Bullard stood by them in a letter to the council last week. The letter was to deny another round of interim measures pending new assessments, something he said the law does not allow.
Mitchell also asked the council to reconsider its computations about rebuilding targets for groundfish stocks with an eye toward mitigating the impending crisis.
Finally, with the new fishing season fast approaching, Mitchell called on the council to re-analyze its existing model for predicting fish stocks, and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center team with UMass Dartmouth's School for Marine Science and Technology to conduct a short-term survey of yellowtail.
Mitchell said he is grateful to the council for concluding at its special meeting in December that a quota of 1,150 metric tons for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder is appropriate. He asked the council to pay close attention to whether that quota is implemented, and to urge NOAA to approach Canada about reconsidering the overall Georges Bank yellowtail quota for 2013.
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