Kolega Joey Snow b?hem konference TechEd North America 2013 v r?mci Edge show pozval p?ed kameru a vyzpov?dal Principal architekta & app-compat guru Chrise Jacksona. T?matem hovoru byla kompatibilita aplikac? ve Windows 8 a n?kter? ??sti jsou v?ce ne? zaj?mav?, ostatn? posu?te sami:
Rozhovor za??n? v ?ase [05:31] a mimo jin? se dozv?te:
Pro? by jeho prezentace o kompatibilit? aplikac? na leto?n?m TechEdu mohla b?t jeho posledn?
Zamy?len? nad budoucnost? vysoce dostupn? aplika?n? infrastruktury
[11:17] M?te probl?my s aplikacemi, kter? jsou podporov?ny pouze na Windows XP?
[14:47] Cena podpory star??ch verz? aplikac? vs. upgrade ?i p?epis aplikace
[16:29] Jak se zm?nilo testov?n? kompatibility aplikac??
[19:35] Jakou roli hraje matematika a statistika p?i tvorb? pl?nu?
[21:53] Kde naj?t v?c informac? o kompatibilit? aplikac??
[21:22] Pro? lid? st?le vol? Windows 7 pro upgrade a pro? se v n?kter?ch p??padech vyplat? p?echod na Windows 8 (z pohledu aplikac?)
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Study shows birds eavesdrop on owls and change their dusk singing patterns to avoid becoming potential prey. If you hear an owl hooting at dusk, don't expect to catch the flute-like song of a Veery nearby. This North American thrush has probably also heard the hoots, and is singing much less to ensure that it does not become an owl's next meal.
Human beings aren?t the only ones donning ever-more powerful wearable electronic devices. Our four-legged friends have an increasing array of smart collars from which to choose. Two cases in point are the Whistle, an exercise tracker for your pooch, and Tagg, a GPS tracker designed to ensure your beloved pet doesn?t end up in the lost dogs? home.
According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA) there are approximately 80 million dogs in the US alone, with nearly 40 percent of households owning at least one dog. In fact, there are actually more households in America with dogs than households with kids, so it's no surprise that we're seeing a growing number of devices aimed at this market.
Whistle
Whistle is a wireless based sensor device that attaches to your dog's collar and passively collects data about your pet?s activity and resting periods 24 hours a day using movement-sensing accelerometers. It doesn?t track steps or calories like human fitness trackers such as the Fitbit and Nike+ Fuel band, but instead measures time spent active. It then synchronizes that data wirelessly with a smartphone or computer via an app.
When the app is first installed, users must sync the Whistle device to their iOS device. Currently, Whistle is only compatible with iOS devices, however, the creators tell us that an Android app is on its way. When it is within 33 ft (10 m) of the tracker, the synced iOS device will commence downloading data that allows the dog's activity levels to be monitored over time.
The software compares dog activity data to norms based on factors such as breed, age, and weight, whilst also looking out for any deviations or anomalies. It contextualizes the data into activity patterns and plots them along graphs. It is able to distinguish between different types of activity using existing veterinary research to differentiate owner-instigated activity versus activity that happens when the dog is alone.
The tracker is useful in ascertaining things like how often a dog may have been walked while left in the care of someone else or if your pet is especially active when, for example, the mailman drops by. It could also pinpoint restlessness during a sleep cycle possibly caused by itching and scratching.
Whistle's creators are working directly with veterinarians and are planning on providing a portal for vets to see information about their patients. Additionally, owners will be able to create printable reports that can be brought along to their pets? annual checkups.
The tracker weighs 16 g (0.5 oz) and measures 38 mm in diameter and 10 mm high. Battery life is around 10 days and an LED light will display when it needs topping up. This is accomplished by placing the device in a magnetic docking station.
The Whistle is now available for pre order retailing at $99.95 and there are no monthly subscription fees.
Tagg
Tagg is a pet tracking device that uses advanced GPS, an accelerometer and cellular wireless technology to provide insight into pets? day-to-day activities and whereabouts. It was first launched in September 2011 as a means to ascertain whether your pet strays from a pre-defined "Tagg zone" and email or text you if this happens. Additional activity tracking was added in October 2012 allowing you to monitor your pet?s daily runs, walks and sleep time much in the same way that Whistle does.
The tracker attaches to your pet?s existing collar and if your pet strays from the Tagg zone you can sign into the pet tracker system from your smartphone or computer and locate your pet.
To give a snapshot of a pets? activity over a 24-hour period, the tracker assigns ?Tagg Points? based on the intensity and duration of activity. Owners can set a benchmark for desired daily activity levels and review the Tagg Points to see if the dog is meeting its recommended daily activity level. In addition to charts that detail a pet?s activity level for each 10-minute period, owners can track their pet?s activity on a daily, weekly, monthly and 90-day timeline.
The Tagg Pet Tracker is available for $99.95, but also carries a monthly subscription fee of $7.95 for the location and activity tracking capabilities.
Other options
Other notable additions to the marketplace include the FitBark, which recently reached its funding goal on Kickstarter and is due to begin shipping before the end of the year. Similar to Whistle, it will monitor your dog?s activity levels over time, but is shaped like a bone.
There's also GEODOG and the less expensive SpotLite that track your pet wherever they go.
If you don't just want to see where your pets are, but what they're up to when you're away, Dogtek's Eyenimal might appeal. It is a wearable camera for cats and dogs that records their adventures.
Another recently launched product designed to help keep your dog active is iFetch, which is an automatic launcher for a smallish ball. If your dog can be trained to drop the ball back into the caddy after retrieval, the launch mechanism automatically engages thus offering endless fun and exercise for your dog even when you are not around.
The rapidly increasing market for pet-related products highlights the fact that owners consider their pets family members and won't hesitate to spend money on them, especially if it keeps household members healthy and happy.
The Whistle Activity Monitor and the Tagg Pet Tracker are detailed in the following videos.
We expected the Samsung Galaxy NX camera to cost a bundle when it was first announced, and if pricing from UK retailer Jessops proves accurate, we aren't going to be "disappointed." The Android-powered mirrorless model will run £1,299 ($2,000 or so) with an 18-55mm kit lens, more than Canon's fearsome EOS 70D and pushing Panasonic's flagship GH-3. As you may recall, the Galaxy NX is the first-ever interchangeable-lens camera to run Android, and packs 3G / 4G LTE radios along with a 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor, 8.6fps shooting speed, WiFi, 16GB built-in storage, and 1/6000 shutter speed. We noted such strange bedfellows might make it a hard sell, especially considering some shortcomings for demanding photographers, like a slow start-up time and lack of manual dials. Jessops is showing the model in stock, while another retailer called Wex merely has it up for pre-order, so we're not sure which has it straight. In any event, if you're one of the few who thought high-end cameras really needed an Android OS, hit the sources.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Human bodies recognize at the molecular level that not all happiness is created equal, responding in ways that can help or hinder physical health, according to new research.
DUBLIN (Reuters) - U.S. drugmaker Perrigo agreed to buy Elan for $8.6 billion in a deal that will hand it tax savings from being domiciled in Ireland and royalties from a blockbuster multiple sclerosis treatment.
The deal, agreed on Monday, ends a bitter takeover battle in which Elan rejected three lower bids from U.S. investment firm Royalty Pharma amid injunctions, court hearings and a war of words before putting itself up for sale last month.
Michigan-based Perrigo, which makes over-the-counter pharmaceuticals for the in-store brand market and has a market value of some $12 billion, will pay $6.25 per share in cash plus $10.25 per share in stock, a premium of about 10.5 percent over Elan's closing price on Friday.
Elan shares rose 3.8 percent on Monday to $15.5, close to a bid that analysts expect will be snapped up by shareholders who rejected Royalty's successive overtures. Perrigo shares dropped 6.7 percent to $125.3
"Elan has uncovered an excellent offer for its shareholders, substantially ahead of the level Royalty Pharma could achieve," Berenberg Biotech analysts said in a note to clients.
For Elan and Chief Executive Kelly Martin, who took over the firm in 2003 when its share price had sunk to $2, the Perrigo deal is vindication for rejecting Royalty's advances.
Martin, a low-key former Merrill Lynch banker, took a series of verbal attacks in a four-month saga that frequently turned ugly.
In an open letter to the Elan board last month, Royalty predicted that Elan was embarking on a lengthy and likely fruitless effort to find a buyer willing to better its offer.
Royalty's final bid was $13 in cash per share as well as a "contingent value right" that could have added a further $2.50 per share if Elan's blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri hit certain sales milestones.
According to Deutsche Bank analysts, Perrigo's offer is a significant premium to their $12 per share valuation of Elan, reflecting the tax advantage, and worth about a fifth more than their calculation of the Royalty bid.
TAX ADVANTAGE
Reuters reported exclusively last week that Perrigo and New York-based Forest Laboratories Inc were preparing to bid.
Elan is especially appealing for companies like Perrigo that can easily move their headquarters abroad because of the very low 12.5 percent corporate tax rate in Ireland, compared with 35 percent in the United States.
Fellow generic drugmaker Actavis' $5 billion acquisition of Dublin-based Warner Chilcott in May allowed it lower its tax rate to 17 percent from 28 percent.
Hundreds of U.S. companies have subsidiaries in Ireland for the same purpose. That practice prompted international criticism after the U.S. Senate revealed that technology giant Apple paid little or no tax on tens of billions of dollars in profits channeled through the country.
The Elan deal buys Perrigo a full tax domicile in Ireland, bringing the bulk of its income under the Irish tax regime. It will use $4.35 billion in bridge financing from Barclays and HSBC plus cash to fund the deal, which also brings it Elan's $1.9 billion cash pile.
Perrigo Chief Executive Joe Papa said the acquisition would cut its effective tax rate to 17 percent in the first 12 to 18 months from around 30 percent now. Chief Financial Officer Judy Brown told an analyst call that it may go even lower over time.
"We think it's financially compelling and when you put it together with an Irish domicile that has operational tax synergies, we think it's a really compelling story," Papa told Reuters in a telephone interview.
The Perrigo boss, for whom Elan is the largest of more than a dozen deals he has led since taking over in 2006, said the company remained committed to the United States where it employs over half of its 9,000 workers. It will remain listed in New York and Tel Aviv , he said.
Papa said Ireland would give Perrigo a gateway into the rest of Europe and saw the Tysabri royalty, worth of up to 25 percent on future sales, as a means to fund future opportunities.
Elan sold its 50 percent interest in Tysabri to U.S. partner Biogen Idec in February for $3.25 billion but retained royalties in the drug whose sales rose to $1.6 billion in 2012.
Elan, founded as a private company in 1969, also drew initial interest from Allergan Inc , Mylan International and Endo HealthSolutions Inc , several people familiar with the situation have said.
Barclays advised Perrigo on the deal, while Citigroup Global Markets, Davy and Davy Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley & Co. International and Ondra LLP acted for Elan.
Author: Casie Fuchs | Total views: 77 Comments: 0 Word Count: 1175 Date:
The Internet offers vast opportunities for users who wish to connect with other individuals and businesses all over the world. If you wish to do so through a website, however, you must first have a reliable web hosting provider. Because there are so many options and considerations involved, choosing the best provider can be quite confusing. Fortunately, this article is packed with practical tips for getting the most from your web hosting service.
Look for the best hosting site for your domain name. Most free sites require you to put their name either before or after your site name in the URL. If you do not want this, you will have to search carefully for a host that suits your needs, even if it means paying for a quality host.
Start to worry if your host site or website goes down for a period beyond 24 hours. Generally outages do not last this long, so it could be a clue that there are bigger problems going on with your web host. You can check other websites to find information about your host site's outages, as well as the reason for the outage.
When searching for a reputable web host, you should aim to find one that has all the important documents. These include terms of Service, Acceptable Usage Policy, and Privacy Policy. These documents are meant not just to protect the host, but also the users. Ensure that when you find these documents that you look over them really carefully. If you can't find these documents on a host's website, then you should look elsewhere.
Not only do you have to select a reputable hosting company and choose a package, you must also decide between hosting types such as Windows, Unix, etc. You need to know what your options are and look into all available choices to see what is best for you and your business.
Take longevity into account with any web host. Typically, any host that has been in service for multiple years is doing something right, or else they offer such unbelievably low prices, that reliability does not matter to their customers. The latter would never happen. Take a look at the host's time in business; this will help you narrow the field.
Web hosting is a very volatile and risky business. Therefore, the web hosting companies can experience many ups and downs, and many companies do not make it. Therefore, it is important not only to do your research, but make sure you understand the conditions behind the environment. Choose your web hosting company wisely.
Before choosing a web host provider, check to see how fast files can be uploaded or downloaded from their server. If this information is not readily available from them directly, use a "website speed test" service who can run a test for you. Realize, however, that accuracy varies and can be different depending on the time of day.
If you are a novice in web design, go for a web host that offers great customer service rather than a lot of bells and whistles. As a beginner, you may rely on the helpfulness of the web hosting company to get you up and running with your site. You can benefit more from their technical support versus the fancy applications that many hosts offer.
Free is good, but a free web hosting provider isn't always the best choice. These services often require you to have banners and ads on your site. You also lack control over the ads they choose. In addition, ads that are positioned randomly throughout your website will give it an unprofessional feel.
Do not solely rely on web host comparison websites when selecting a web host. This is because many of these websites also earn affiliate marketing profits for referring you to the web hosting companies that they are comparing. This is a conflict of interest. You should therefore verify any information you obtain through other third party reviews and user reviews.
Choose a web host that guarantees your security. Your site should be protected from hackers efficiently, especially if you have an e-commerce site. Some services even offer you the possibility to keep your own private files on their servers. This could be a good way to keep a safe backup of your customers' information.
If you want to set up a blog using a certain application, make sure that the web host you choose supports it. Not every web host will support every blogging software. The theme from the blogging software that you have your heart set on may not be offered by the other program supported by the web host. So before you make your decision, find out if your blogging software is supported.
Make sure to do very thorough research when looking to purchase hosting services. You do not want to rely on only one or two recommendations when it comes to this. By doing thorough research on the intended host, you will be able to read about both the good and bad experiences. Choose the one that has the fewest of the bad ones.
As your online business progresses, you should ask yourself if your web host is still adapting. If you have noticed that your site is offline too often or that the pages load slowly, it might be time for you to move on to another host now that you can afford a better plan.
Web hosts have to update their servers regularly and your site will be unavailable when this occurs. Look for a service that lets you know in advance when your site will be down and which updates their servers at a time of the day where you are not getting a lot of visits.
The Internet is vast and complex, but at it's core it's simply a bunch of machines linked in a "Client"/"Host" fashion. In general, we are all the clients. The web hosts provide the alternative function and as long as they continue to do so, we can continue to produce high-quality domains. Once you fully understand their operations, you will have an easier time generating results.
Everyone talks about cloud computing but they rarely discuss the various types of cloud computing. This would be okay if there wasn't that much of a difference between them, but the types of cloud computing have their own pros and cons. While there are as many types of cloud computing as there are businesses that use the,, the vast majority fall within six different categories. Not every business can use all six. So, you have to make sure you are getting the right service you need.
If you have a robust internet solution and your employees are internet literate, these advantages of cloud computing will make it the best business decision you ever make.
How To Find Out Which Web Host Is Best For You. Check here what are the advantages of cloud computing or http://typesofcloudcomputing.org
Related to: Web Hosting guide - Web Hosting tips
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: 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.
3: 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.
4: 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.
5: Back Link Building - 6 Methods You Can Use To Rank Your Blog Posts
Panda and Penquin Google has changed the game with back link building. Here are the backlink strategies I use to get quality backlinks.
If you are one of the 6 million developers that could be potentially using iOS 7 and looking forward to the beta 4 update, then we wanted to highlight a crashing problem that some of you are experiencing with the Google Plus app. The social app crashes after you open it for a second time, and this has been happening with iOS 7 beta 1, 2 and 3.
The bad news is that iOS 7 beta 4 will not fix this type of app crashing, and this is thanks to an update being needed by the app developer. This problem has affected so many developers that you will find hundreds of forum posts and blog posts on it, but some people seem a little confused over what would fix the issue.
One commenter said, ?I hope iOS 7 beta 4 fixes the app crashing with the Google+ app?. We can understand their frustration and hopes for a fix ASAP, but sadly it won?t happen when iOS 7 beta 4 hits a release date, which is expected this Monday.
We are not the only website/person thinking along this line and a number of developers already understand this, ?I don?t think iOS 7 beta 4 or 5 will fix this crashing problem, it will be down to Google to fix with an app update before the public launch takes place?, is what one developer added.
There are a number of things being tried with the Google+ app and one user thought they fixed the issue by shutting off the auto-upload service, although as other users have quite rightly pointed out this doesn?t help and the app still crashes.
At the time of writing we can confirm the Google Plus app crashing in iOS 7 on the iPad, iPhone 5, 4S and 4. There is no solution to this problem at this time, although if you have had any success then please share a comment.
What apps have you noticed crashing in iOS 7 beta 3, which the developers need to fix before the public release expected in September?
Governor Brian Sandoval delivers the keynote address during the Governor?s Conference on Small Business at the Orleans on Friday, November 2,?2012.
By Anjeanette Damon (contact)
Sunday, July 28, 2013 | 2 a.m.
If you received all of your economic news from Gov. Brian Sandoval?s campaign Twitter feed, you?d be exuberantly optimistic about the jobs outlook and overall business climate.
As the Republican governor prepares to run for re-election on the strength of his economic record, you won?t see him tweet that Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation.
Instead, you?ll see that Nevada has had ?non-stop job growth? and that the state?s unemployment rate is falling faster than almost anywhere else in the country.
You won?t see that Nevada continues to have the highest foreclosure rate in the nation.
Instead, you?ll see that Nevada is in ?the top three performers of overall economic performance and growth? ? as measured by a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report focused on tax burdens, tort reform policies and business lending.
Such exuberance on the economy may be expected from a politician looking to be re-elected. And while economists may be slightly less exuberant, they still agree Sandoval might have something to crow about.
?I often say it?s a recovery only a statistician can love,? said John Restrepo, principal with RCG Economics in Las Vegas. ?The growth is so moderate, that you really have to look at the statistics to get some satisfaction.?
But It?s also a recovery a politician can love, Restrepo agreed.
The economy is recovering. Jobs are being created?and have been every month since the start of 2011. That means Sandoval has positive numbers he can point to on Twitter feed and elsewhere.
Of course, there?s a caveat to that positive job growth.
?The challenge we are facing is a lot of the jobs we are growing are still relatively low-wage jobs,? Restrepo said. ?Over 50 percent are low-wage jobs. That?s not exactly a formula for job growth with purchasing power.?
For Sandoval, however, there?s a caveat to the caveat.
Considering the depth of the recession ? which is unlike any the state has experienced since the Great Depression ? any job growth is good news.
But is it enough to focus on the statistic indicating Nevada has an average of 23,000 more jobs than it did this time last year when the unemployment rate is still staggeringly high at 9.6 percent?
The economists on Nevada?s nonpartisan panel of experts that set budget forecasts expressed some skepticism this spring.
When Sandoval?s chief employment economist Bill Anderson testified in glowing terms that Nevada?s job market had turned the corner, the chairman of the Economic Forum, Ken Wiles, questioned whether all was rosy if one looked deeper into the statistics.
?By almost all measures, the state?s labor markets appear to be on the mend,? Anderson said at the opening of the hearing in May. ?I would characterize the kind of growth and improvement we are seeing as steady but moderate.?
Anderson pointed to the positive job growth and the falling unemployment rate.
?But isn?t part of that driven by people leaving the workforce as well?? Wiles said, referring to workers becoming so discouraged that they stop looking for a job.
That so-called ?shadow unemployment rate? is sometimes overlooked because those workers aren?t included in the reported unemployment rate.
Anderson testified that if those workers were included, Nevada?s rate would be about a percentage point higher.
If the unemployment rate also included the 13,200 ?discouraged workers? as well as the Nevadans who are underemployed or working part-time because they can?t find a full-time job, the rate would jump to 20 percent.
?My concern is we may have 8 percent unemployment (by 2015) but it may be at fewer hours and less personal income,? Wiles said.
Still, Restrepo said the job growth statistic can be more valuable when gauging an economic recovery than the unemployment rate because it is more statistically reliable.
?We also want to look at the types of jobs that are growing and types of wages in those occupations that are growing,? Restrepo said. ?And right now, wages aren?t growing with inflation.?
As far as Nevada?s unemployment rate dropping faster than any other state, Restrepo said he doesn?t blame Sandoval for pointing out.
?It?s an interesting factoid and it is the truth,? Restrepo said. ?But that?s because we?re the highest of any other state, too.?
Since he was elected in 2010, Sandoval has worked to make the economy his top priority, revamping the state?s economic development framework, going on trade missions abroad and declining to raise taxes to fund a better education system because he believes a hike would halt the recovery.
?While there is more work to be done, if current projections hold, more than 50,000 jobs will have been created by the end of the year since the governor took office,? his communications director Mac Bybee said. ?Gov. Sandoval made it clear from his first days in office that he would make job creation and growing our Nevada economy job one and he has done just that.?
Even if voters are still struggling with the aftermath of the burst housing bubble and a sluggish job market, political scientists say Sandoval probably has enough to hang his hat on.
?I think, in general people are more optimistic,? UNLV political scientist David Damore said. ?House values are going up a little bit. People are either close to or back to even. They feel, psychologically, things are a little easier.
?People have adjusted to the new normal. And there?s enough there for a voter to give him the benefit of the doubt.?
Don?t miss the opportunity of flying with this major international carrier and enjoy Shanghai. China Eastern is China?s second-largest carrier by passenger numbers and the world?s third biggest carrier by market value.
This Airline?has a strong presence on routes in Asia, North America, Europe and Australia flying to 136 domestic and international destinations
One last screening?June!
Requirements:
1. Hold current A320 type rating
2. Have logged at least 3000 total hours and 600 PIC hours on type
3. Last flight on type within 6 months
4. Valid Class 1 Medical Certificate
5. ICAO level 4 or above
6. No accidents or incidents reported
7. Age 55 or below
This contract can offer:
USD15,000 monthly remuneration
3+1 and 6+2 standard working pattern, but allow maximum off period after completing 70 monthly flight hours??????????
USD6,000 annual bonus
And more ?
Tempo Aviation provides detailed information on screening process to our candidates; prepare them with study materials and useful tips for all CAAC checks. So far, our ATP exam success rate has been excellent.
Our representatives in the UK, Singapore and China will be on hand to answer your queries, provide assistance and guidance through out the screening and contract period; you can rely on our useful local knowledge and years of experience communicating with Chinese Airlines. We also have specialist available for legal advice.
Contact: Peter Reuell preuell@fas.harvard.edu 617-496-8070 Harvard University
Research explains how gut bacteria can inactivate cardiac drugs
For decades, doctors have understood that microbes in the human gut can influence how certain drugs work in the body by either activating or inactivating specific compounds, but questions have long remained about exactly how the process works.
Harvard scientists are now beginning to provide those answers.
In a July 19th paper published in Science, Peter Turnbaugh, a Bauer Fellow at Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Center for Systems Biology, and Henry Haiser, a postdoctoral fellow, identify a pair of genes which appear to be responsible for allowing a specific strain of bacteria to break down a widely prescribed cardiac drug into an inactive compound, as well as a possible way to turn the process off.
"The traditional view of microbes in the gut relates to how they influence the digestion of our diet," Turnbaugh said. "But we also know that there are over 40 different drugs that can be influenced by gut microbes. What's really interesting is that although this has been known for decades, we still don't really understand which microbes are involved or how they might be processing these compounds."
To answer those questions, Turnbaugh and colleagues chose to focus on digoxin, one of the oldest-known cardiac glycosides, which is typically prescribed to treat heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia.
"It's one of the few drugs that, if you look in a pharmacology textbook, it will say that it's inactivated by gut microbes," Turnbaugh said. "John Lindenbaum's group at Columbia showed that in the 1980s. They found that a single bacterial species, Eggerthella lenta, was responsible."
As part of that earlier study, researchers also tried but failed to show whether testing bacterial samples taken from a person's gut could be used to predict whether the drug might be inactivated.
"To some degree the research was stalled there for a number of years, and the findings in our paper help to explain why," Turnbaugh said. "Originally, it was hoped that we would simply be able to measure the amount of E. lenta in a person's gut and predict whether the drug would be inactivated, but it's more complicated than that."
Beginning with lab-grown samples of E. lenta some cultured in the presence of digoxin, some in its absence Turnbaugh and Haiser tested to see if certain genes were activated by the presence of the drug.
"We identified two genes that were expressed at very low levels in the absence of the drug, but when you add the drug to the culturesthey come on really strong," Turnbaugh said. "What's encouraging about these two genes is that they both express what are called cytochromes enzymes that are likely capable of converting digoxin to its inactive form."
Though he warned that more genetic testing is needed before the results are definitive, Turnbaugh said other experiments support these initial findings.
The researchers found only a single strain of E. lenta the only one that contained the two genes they'd earlier identified was capable of inactivating digoxin. In tests using human samples, bacterial communities that were able to inactivate the drug also showed high levels of these genes.
"We were able to confirm that simply looking for the presence of E. lenta is not enough to predict which microbial communities inactivate digoxin," Turnbaugh said. "We found detectable E. lenta colonization in all the human fecal samples we analyzed. But by testing the abundance of the identified genes we were able to reliably predict whether or not a given microbial community could metabolize the drug."
In addition to being able to predict whether a given microbial community would inactivate the drug, Turnbaugh and colleagues identified a possible way to halt the process.
"It was previously shown that in the lab E. lenta grows on the amino acid arginine and that as you supply more and more arginine, you inhibit digoxin inactivation," he said.
Tests conducted with mice showed that animals fed a diet high in protein, and thereby arginine, had higher levels of the drug in their blood compared to mice fed a zero protein diet.
"We think that this could potentially be a way to tune microbial drug metabolism in the gut," Turnbaugh said. "Our findings really emphasize the need to see if we can predict or prevent microbial drug inactivation in cardiac patients. If successful, it may be possible someday to recommend a certain diet, or to co-administer the drug with an inhibitor like arginine, ensuring a more reliable dosage."
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Contact: Peter Reuell preuell@fas.harvard.edu 617-496-8070 Harvard University
Research explains how gut bacteria can inactivate cardiac drugs
For decades, doctors have understood that microbes in the human gut can influence how certain drugs work in the body by either activating or inactivating specific compounds, but questions have long remained about exactly how the process works.
Harvard scientists are now beginning to provide those answers.
In a July 19th paper published in Science, Peter Turnbaugh, a Bauer Fellow at Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Center for Systems Biology, and Henry Haiser, a postdoctoral fellow, identify a pair of genes which appear to be responsible for allowing a specific strain of bacteria to break down a widely prescribed cardiac drug into an inactive compound, as well as a possible way to turn the process off.
"The traditional view of microbes in the gut relates to how they influence the digestion of our diet," Turnbaugh said. "But we also know that there are over 40 different drugs that can be influenced by gut microbes. What's really interesting is that although this has been known for decades, we still don't really understand which microbes are involved or how they might be processing these compounds."
To answer those questions, Turnbaugh and colleagues chose to focus on digoxin, one of the oldest-known cardiac glycosides, which is typically prescribed to treat heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia.
"It's one of the few drugs that, if you look in a pharmacology textbook, it will say that it's inactivated by gut microbes," Turnbaugh said. "John Lindenbaum's group at Columbia showed that in the 1980s. They found that a single bacterial species, Eggerthella lenta, was responsible."
As part of that earlier study, researchers also tried but failed to show whether testing bacterial samples taken from a person's gut could be used to predict whether the drug might be inactivated.
"To some degree the research was stalled there for a number of years, and the findings in our paper help to explain why," Turnbaugh said. "Originally, it was hoped that we would simply be able to measure the amount of E. lenta in a person's gut and predict whether the drug would be inactivated, but it's more complicated than that."
Beginning with lab-grown samples of E. lenta some cultured in the presence of digoxin, some in its absence Turnbaugh and Haiser tested to see if certain genes were activated by the presence of the drug.
"We identified two genes that were expressed at very low levels in the absence of the drug, but when you add the drug to the culturesthey come on really strong," Turnbaugh said. "What's encouraging about these two genes is that they both express what are called cytochromes enzymes that are likely capable of converting digoxin to its inactive form."
Though he warned that more genetic testing is needed before the results are definitive, Turnbaugh said other experiments support these initial findings.
The researchers found only a single strain of E. lenta the only one that contained the two genes they'd earlier identified was capable of inactivating digoxin. In tests using human samples, bacterial communities that were able to inactivate the drug also showed high levels of these genes.
"We were able to confirm that simply looking for the presence of E. lenta is not enough to predict which microbial communities inactivate digoxin," Turnbaugh said. "We found detectable E. lenta colonization in all the human fecal samples we analyzed. But by testing the abundance of the identified genes we were able to reliably predict whether or not a given microbial community could metabolize the drug."
In addition to being able to predict whether a given microbial community would inactivate the drug, Turnbaugh and colleagues identified a possible way to halt the process.
"It was previously shown that in the lab E. lenta grows on the amino acid arginine and that as you supply more and more arginine, you inhibit digoxin inactivation," he said.
Tests conducted with mice showed that animals fed a diet high in protein, and thereby arginine, had higher levels of the drug in their blood compared to mice fed a zero protein diet.
"We think that this could potentially be a way to tune microbial drug metabolism in the gut," Turnbaugh said. "Our findings really emphasize the need to see if we can predict or prevent microbial drug inactivation in cardiac patients. If successful, it may be possible someday to recommend a certain diet, or to co-administer the drug with an inhibitor like arginine, ensuring a more reliable dosage."
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FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) ? Prosecutors say U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning betrayed his country's trust and gave military secrets to WikiLeaks to make a name for himself.
The prosecutors said during closing arguments Thursday in the soldier's court-martial that he knew the sensitive material he leaked would fall into the hands of al-Qaida.
Manning is charged with aiding the enemy, which carries a possible sentence of up to life in prison. His defense attorneys have argued there was no evidence he knew al-Qaida looked specifically at the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.
The former intelligence analyst has admitted giving WikiLeaks documents and videos, but he says the information did not harm troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and did not threaten national security.
Earlier, a military judge refused to dismiss theft charges against Manning.
CAIRO, July 25 (UPI) -- Egypt's armed forces chief called on Egyptians to demonstrate en masse to give him a "mandate" to quash violence by backers of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
Morsi supporters responded, saying Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's nationally broadcast appeal amounted to a lead-up to civil war.
The Obama administration followed Sisi's call by saying it would at least temporarily halt a planned delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Egypt's military.
"I urge the people to take to the streets this coming Friday to prove their will and give me, the army and police a mandate to confront possible violence and terrorism," Sisi told military academy graduates in Alexandria in a speech carried live on state TV.
"The army and the police will secure the protests all over Egypt," said Sisi, who is also defense minister and first deputy prime minister.
"We will never retreat when it comes to the proposed road map of the political transition," he said.
Sisi asked protesters to refrain from violence, but he urged them to take to the streets on the same day Morsi's mostly Islamist supporters planned some 34 marches in Cairo.
The anti-Morsi Tamarod grassroots movement -- which brought millions out to protest against Morsi before his July 3 military ouster -- urged supporters through Facebook to follow the armed forces' call for protests.
It called on "all the Egyptian people to gather in all the squares" to "support the Egyptian armed forces in the coming war against terrorism and cleansing the land of Egypt."
"The army and the people will fight terrorism," the statement on Facebook said.
The military and other opponents of Morsi increasingly refer to the Muslim Brotherhood members as "terrorists."
The pro-Morsi National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy, made up of 11 political parties including the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, told supporters ahead of their planned Cairo marches Friday it feared the military leaders would use the conflicting demonstrations to create violence against Egyptians who support the deposed president.
"The coalition is asking the international community and its institutions, including the U.N. and human rights organizations, to reject the plot for bloodshed that will inflame the region and is being executed by the leader of the coup, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi," the coalition said.
Amr Darrag, a Freedom and Justice Party leader and a former Morsi minister, told The Wall Street Journal he was clear about what Sisi was up to.
"He has tried all other means and he's failing," Darrag said. "He's trying to use the last card, which is threatening civil war. This is very dangerous."
Neither interim President Adly Mansour nor Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi had an immediate comment about Sisi's mass-protest call or the responses.
Mansour spokesman Ahmed al-Muslimani was quoted by state media Wednesday night as saying, "Egypt started the war on terrorism, and the call of General Sisi is to protect the revolution and the state."
Morsi hasn't been seen in public since his removal July 3. His family has accused the military of kidnapping him.
The military, ignoring calls from Western allies and the United Nations to release Morsi, says it is keeping him in protective custody for his own safety. Morsi hasn't been charged with a crime.
After Sisi's call, Egypt's public prosecutor announced arrest warrants for nine Brotherhood leaders, including the group's head, or general guide, on suspicion of inciting violence and enlisting armed protesters, the official Middle East News Agency reported.
Some of those leaders were arrested earlier and released on bail. Wednesday's announcement added new charges, the MENA report said.
Also Wednesday, Pentagon officials said the White House ordered at least a temporary halt to a scheduled delivery of four F-16s to Egypt.
The jets are part of a $2.5 billion order for 20 of the jet fighters Cairo placed with Washington in 2010.
The announcement reversed earlier Pentagon statements it would still make the delivery, despite political turmoil after Morsi's ouster.
"Given the current situation in Egypt, we don't believe it is appropriate to move forward at this time with the delivery of F-16s," Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters.
U.S. officials said the suspension was unrelated to Sisi's appeal and wouldn't affect other types of aid or military cooperation.
Washington provides more than $1.3 billion to Egypt's military every year and hundreds of millions more in economic aid.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel told Sisi about the jet holdup by phone after the Egyptian military leader's speech, a U.S. official told the Journal.
Washington still plans to go ahead with annual U.S.-Egyptian joint military exercises, known as Bright Star, officials said.
Maya Angelou said Cooking is like writing poetry, be careful in the choice your ingredients and respectful of how they work together. That?s true of all the efforts in life. Cooking is like love.
Every now and then I get an itch to try to make something that sounds exotic and delectable and difficult, only to learn that it?s not nearly as tricky to make as I?d thought and so then I exercise less caution only to come to the stark realisation that it takes just as much caution as many other recipes I?ve come across.?
This was the case when I decided to make home made apple crumble. Why make apple crumble at home when you can buy it at a supermarket and toss it in the microwave? Well, Because it?s satisfying to do things yourself, and I admit it, sometimes it?s cool to impress my husband with something that seems fancy.
But back to the issue of how it is like love. You see after I came across the recipe online I realised I had almost all the ingredients at home; sugar, some apples, flour, digestive biscuits and nutmeg and butter. If I didn?t have any of these ingredients or I had chosen to use pawpaw and apples I would have been making something else. But because I almost always find recipes difficult to follow the first few times, I re-wrote this one to be a little easier for a novice like me.
Allowing the wrong ingredients into your relationships can make a horrible concoction. How many times have you embarked on a relationship and thought ?Hey, this relationship thing is so easy, he loves me + I love him= 2 hearts that beat as one". Well, if it was that easy why do we have marriages ending after just one year, why do we see relationships where it seems all they ever do is fight and bicker? The same reason why the centre of my apple crumble wasn't entirely cooked, because; when the recipe told me to preheat the oven for some time they meant it, I shouldn't have put it in it in too soon.
Then it got to the baking stage. The recipe said cook for 30 minutes but I was in a hurry to taste it and in baking they tell you if you can smell it, it is probably ready. So, I took it out of the oven checked it with a toothpick and took a slice. I wasn't going to waste my time or gas for a minute more. In love it is very similar. A relationship begins and before you can say jack, the next thing on the menu is some physical intimacy...Chop-chop, no time to waste...
Time will expand or contract depending on our priorities. Some people build wonderful, loving relationships because the time they invest is mindful and meaningful. The greatest gift we can give a loved one is our full presence and patience? joy and harmony is always the experience if genuine love is the center of attention. If we just rush through because we want to enjoy what our friends say their relationships/marriages are like, or what you assume they are like, based on their Facebook album or Blackberry messenger display pictures, you?ll end up with what you didn't quite expect.
I could go on and on but let me pause here. I am an apple crumble expert now (If i do say so myself), so maybe sometimes it takes some trial and error, or as they say, practice makes perfect. But with love, as with cooking, always proceed with caution.
Remember your love is like cooking, it has the ingredients of a lifetime!
On July 23, acclaimed country songstresses Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan released their collaborative album together entitled "Dos Divas," via the record label, Red River Entertainment.
On this project, Pam and Lorrie sing as a duo called "Grits and Glamour." Both of these talented ladies are members of the Grand Ole Opry. The CD was produced by Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis and Matt Spicher served as co-producer of the record. Several of the songs they sing together, while the remaining tunes showcase Pam and Lorrie as solo artists. Starting with the opening track "I Am A Woman," their vocals are strong and truly capture the listener's attention, especially Lorrie's where the listener can easily recall Reba McEntire. It is followed by the up-tempo "I Know What You Did Last Night," the title cut and "I'm Tired," all of which they sing together. Lorrie's vocals are controlled on "Last Night's Make Up" and she possesses perfect pitch, meanwhile "Ain't Enough Roses" showcases the versatility of Pam's voice. Equally compelling is Lorrie's "Another Chance To" and Pam's ballad "Even The Stars" has a haunting vibe to it. "That's So Cool" is perhaps my favorite Lorrie Morgan solo recording on this collection and the piano-driven ballad "Next Time It Rains" is a close second. Pam's "Old Enough To Be Your Lover," is upbeat, fun and witty, yet her ballad "I Envy The Sun" is a gorgeous and mellifluous vocal that encompasses the purity of Alison Krauss. This tune certainly goes down as one my three all-time favorite Pam Tillis recordings, along with "Maybe It Was Memphis" and "Let That Pony Run." It closes with "Bless Their Hearts" and "What Was I Thinkin'," the latter of which is a traditional country vocal. The Verdict Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan both deliver as "Grits and Glamour" on this "Dos Divas" joint album. It garners 4.5 out of 5 stars and it is great that these sensations have decided to do this studio effort together, since it affords the listeners the privilege to listen to three different albums in one. It is recommended for fans of traditional country music, as these two women are still at the top of their game vocally. To learn more about "Grits and Glamour," visit their official Facebook page.
Mornings for Bruce Frasier, an onion and cantaloupe grower in southwest Texas, are tinged with anxiety over whether enough day laborers will arrive in vans to harvest his crops.
?It?s a heck of a way for a businessman to start his day,? said Frasier, who visited Washington to express his concerns about a dwindling labor force as he sought to persuade members of his Republican Party to revise U.S. immigration laws.
Frasier?s initiative emphasizes the crucial role business owners, in particular agricultural producers and technology companies that rely on immigrants, will play in the U.S. House debate over easing current restrictions.
The industries? voices may serve as a counterweight to Tea Party advocates who oppose revamping U.S. immigration policy, particularly Republicans from conservative-voting districts in states such as Texas.
Small-business testimonials may be more compelling to House lawmakers than the force of corporate lobbyists such the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which played a major role in the debate leading to Senate passage last month of legislation that would provide a path to citizenship to about 11 million undocumented immigrants now in the U.S.
?Cowboy Boots?
?Small- and medium-sized business owners, or white guys in cowboy boots, are standing up and making their voices heard,? said Tamar Jacoby, president of ImmigrationWorks USA, a business network that favors legal immigration. ?There?s nothing more valuable for a member of Congress than to hear from somebody who votes in his district, who creates jobs in his district and who potentially provides local cover at election time.?
The business community and its lobbying efforts may be no match for opposition to immigration legislation from many House Republicans. Redistricting after the 2010 Census caused many House districts to become more white and conservative.
?The vast majority of Republicans in the House do not have any kind of electorate that is pushing for this,? said Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, a group that opposes a path to?citizenship. If a House Republican supports an immigration-law rewrite ?it would be the perfect opportunity for a challenger? in a primary in 2014, he said.Meanwhile, Texas grower Frasier and his allies want to bridge differences over the most intractable issue in the immigration debate: creating a version of?citizenship?or legal working status for undocumented workers. President Barack Obama, who received 71 percent of the Hispanic vote last year, has said he won?t sign a bill without a path to?citizenship, and some House Republicans say that?s a nonstarter.
?Somehow, Somewhere?
?Republicans are afraid of being chastised for giving amnesty for 11 million people,? said Frasier, who met with a number of Texas Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee that oversees immigration legislation. ?I know my workers. They just care about being able to work. Somehow, somewhere there has to be a compromise.?
Companies lobbying House members have disparate goals. Technology firms want more visas for high-skilled workers while agricultural producers want a separate guest-worker program. Construction contractors are seeking to raise the cap on the number of guest workers under a Senate-brokered bill. They?re unified by an understanding that none will benefit unless Democrats and Republicans can resolve the issue of?citizenship.
Separately, Senators including Republican John McCain of Arizona and Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York have nudged large companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to step up efforts to influence House members during the congressional recess set to begin in August.
Groups, including ImmigrationWorks, have been flying to Washington business owners from the home states of Judiciary Committee members, organizing letter-writing campaigns and placing opinion editorials.
?Real Stories?
The Associated Builders and Contractors last month brought about 400 contractors to Washington as part of an annual meeting to talk with their home-state lawmakers. The International Franchise Association plans to bring about 500 small business owners for a similar event in September.
?Members of Congress are saying they?re not hearing from their constituents that immigration is a concern,? said Matt Haller, an IFA spokesman. ?We?ve been trying to bring the real business-owner stories to light.?
In their pitch, the Association for Competitive Technology reported that most top mobile applications are made by small companies in the U.S. The firms? need for workers could be addressed if lawmakers adopt less restrictive immigration policies, said Morgan Reed, executive director for the Washington-based lobbying group.
?Talent Drain?
?We want to impress upon members that this talent drain isn?t something only on the coasts, but in every part of the country,? Reed said.
The demand for the visas was underscored in April, when U.S. companies exceeded the 85,000-worker H-1B cap within five days of the start of the annual application process.
The competitive technology group is courting lawmakers who have pivotal roles in immigration legislation, such as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican. The group has flown application makers to meet with members of Congress, and has urged them to post Twitter messages and blogs.
FWD.us, the bipartisan political action group funded by Facebook Inc. (FB:US) founder Mark Zuckerberg and other technology executives, plans to buy advertising and hold events in U.S. House districts, said Rob Jesmer, the group?s campaign manager.
FWD.us has scheduled a meeting in Chicago on July 26 to spur discussion among technology entrepreneurs, members of Congress and the public.
Laborer Shortage
Frasier, whose Carrizo Springs farm is roughly 40 miles from the Mexican border, says his workforce is aging and that as early as next year, he could face a shortage of laborers who harvest his crops by hand. Most documented workers are hired by oil companies that dot the region, he said.
?No one raises their kids up with aspirations to be a farm worker; we realize it?s on the lower end of the totem pole in the hierarchy of jobs,? said Frasier.
Texas farm wages were up 5 percent last year while the number of workers was largely stagnant, said Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration analyst at the Cato Institute, a Washington-based research group dedicated to Libertarian principles.
?There is an increasingly tight labor market in Texas for low-skilled workers, especially in agriculture,? Nowrasteh said, citing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Even so, Tea Party lawmakers who represent southern districts oppose granting undocumented workers a path to?citizenship?or legalized working status.
Legal Status
Frasier avoids the word ?citizenship,? speaking instead of the potential for a congressional compromise over ?adjusting? immigrant worker legal status.
?I don?t want a government big enough that can round up 11 million people,? Frasier said. ?They have to be able to live and work over here and earn their path to legalized status,? he said.
One of the Republicans Frasier met with in Washington is Representative Lamar Smith of Texas, who is playing a role on the House Judiciary Committee in advancing immigration legislation.
Smith?s position reflects the difficulty Frasier faces in promoting a compromise on?citizenship. The Judiciary Committee has approved four bills dealing with immigration, including a biometric entry-exit system, an agricultural guest-worker program and a bill to increase the number of high-skilled visas.
?Enforcement? Approach
?We need an enforcement-first approach,? Smith said in a statement to Bloomberg News. ?We should enact policies that secure the border and strengthen interior enforcement to stem the flow of illegal immigration before any discussion about legalization.?
Even with some lawmakers supporting aspects of an immigration-law rewrite, another hurdle remains: Republicans may balk at passing immigration legislation out of concerns it would be modified in talks with the Senate to include?citizenship?provisions.
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Public release date: 25-Jul-2013
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