600 towers sold and 9,100 leased with the option to buy
Following up on rumors that AT&T would sell off some of its cell tower holdings for up to $5 billion, the carrier has confirmed it has entered a deal with tower operator Crown Castle for the towers. The deal will see AT&T lease the rights to operate about 9,100 cell towers in the U.S. to Crown Castle, and sell another 600 towers outright to the company. The deal totals $4.85 billion in up-front cash to AT&T, which gives Crown Castle exclusive rights to the towers.
The average lease term for the towers is 28 years, and as the leases expire Crown Castle will have the option to purchase the towers for another $4.2 billion. The deal won't reduce AT&T's coverage or network quality at all, however. The carrier will sublease capacity back from Crown Castle for a minimum of 10 years at the rate of $1,900 per month per site, with rent increasing by 2 percent per year.
Excellent tutorial. Engaging turn-based action. Ability to customize soldiers and weaponry. Game is slightly different with each playthrough.
Cons Some graphical issues. Touch controls may prove problematic for some.
Bottom Line
XCOM: Enemy Unknown makes its iOS debut, and it's an excellent turn-based, alien-blasting, sci-fi strategy game.
By Jeffrey L. Wilson
2K Game deftly ports its hit PC and console turn-based strategy game to the Apple iPad, losing very little in transition. In XCOM: Enemy Unknown, gamers take control of the Extra-terrestrial Combat Unit (XCOM, for short) that's tasked with defending the Earth from an alien threat. XCOM: Enemy Unknown has some relatively minor graphics and control issues, but the game's an excellent paramilitary sci-fi title for those in the gaming populace with strategy leanings.
Gamers who aren't familiar with XCOM's gameplay (or the turn-based strategy genre as whole) will appreciate the useful tutorial that walks players through the movement, attack, and cover mechanics. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is best played with a mouse and keyboard combo—my fat fingers often had trouble pinpointing the exact square in a grid where I wanted a troop to move—but the touch controls are decent enough for mobile gaming. Levels aren't randomly generated, but the alien positioning changes with each playthrough. As a result, each alien skirmish—a mix of sneaking, positioning, and firepower—feels slightly different.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown's graphics are close to console-quality, but when some soldiers speak without moving their mouths, the characters look like marionettes holding big guns. Despite that visual stumble, XCOM: Enemy Unknown gives players the freedom to edit their troops' names, appearances, and weapon load outs, which leads to character attachment. Note: When a favorite soldier bites it s/he is gone for good. That said, you can recruit new fighters and upgrade their guns, grenades, and other weaponry. A XCOM: Enemy Unknown recent update added asynchronous multiplayer play, but it's caused some stability issues on the iPad mini.
iPad owners with a thirst for a thinking person's game will find a lot to like in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. There are numerous ways to engage enemy combatants, and lots of customization options for crafting your dream squad. XCOM: Enemy Unknown's story isn't particularly intriguing, but the squad-vs.-squad action is enough to keep strategy fans coming back for just one more game.
By Jeffrey L. Wilson
Jeffrey L. Wilson's love of all things shiny/digital has lead to jobs penning gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for 2D-X, E-Gear, Laptop, LifeStyler, Parenting, Sync, Wise Bread, and WWE. He now brings that passion to...
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NUS scientists identify molecular switch that suppresses development of liver cancer
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
21-Oct-2013
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Contact: Carolyn Fong carolyn@nus.edu.sg 65-651-65399 National University of Singapore
Findings by researchers contribute towards the development and application of therapeutics for liver cancer
A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that activating a family of small protein, known as Rho, could suppress liver malignancies. This is the first time that a research group has provided evidence to show that the signaling crosstalk between different protein switches has an influence on the development of cancer tissues. The findings pave the way for the development and application of therapeutics targeted at liver cancer.
The team, led by Associate Professor Low Boon Chuan from the Department of Biological Sciences at the NUS Faculty of Science and the Mechanobiology Institute at NUS, first published the research in the journal Oncogene.
Importance of signalling crosstalk between proteins
The proteins Ras and Rho are among the key molecular switches that control cell dynamics, cell growth and tissue development through their distinct signalling pathways. Although much has been studied about their individual functions, the underlying molecular mechanism of signalling crosstalk between these two proteins in an in vivo context remains largely unknown, especially in the area of liver development and formation of liver tumours.
In order to identify the consequences of their signalling crosstalk, the research team generated different scenarios with different liver-specific proteins and genes that have the potential to cause cancer, using the zebrafish as an in vivo model.
Due to its ability to reverse and forward genetics and low incidence of spontaneous tumours, the zebrafish is fast becoming a popular model for studying human cancers.
Through the use of quantitative bioimaging and molecular markers, the team found that when the zebrafish is induced to produce an active state of Kras (a form of Ras), which is an oncogene, liver enlargement is observed, and liver cancer that resembles the human liver cancer was formed. Subsequently, in adult zebrafish, the hepatocellular carcinoma, a major form of liver cancer, was developed. However, when the same cells were made to turn on Rho, these abnormalities were abated.
The team also found that when an inactive form of Rho was introduced when Kras is kept active, the Kras-mediated liver overgrowth and tumour formation were elevated.
These findings provided evidence about the significance of the previously understudied signalling crosstalk between the proteins Kras and Rho in regulating liver overgrowth, transformation of liver tissue and cancer mortality. As Rho is a known inducer of mechanical force, the team's findings also implicate the possible role of mechanical and physical forces in regulating cancer development and other functions in the liver.
The Next Step
The group is now investigating the exact chain of biochemical reactions that specify such unique signalling crosstalk. They are also investigating the aspects of cell metabolism and other major growth related pathways that are being affected to address the inherent inconsistency associated with cell-based studies. They hope to establish zebrafish as an alternative drug screening platform that is relatively cheap and convenient to identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention.
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NUS scientists identify molecular switch that suppresses development of liver cancer
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
21-Oct-2013
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Contact: Carolyn Fong carolyn@nus.edu.sg 65-651-65399 National University of Singapore
Findings by researchers contribute towards the development and application of therapeutics for liver cancer
A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that activating a family of small protein, known as Rho, could suppress liver malignancies. This is the first time that a research group has provided evidence to show that the signaling crosstalk between different protein switches has an influence on the development of cancer tissues. The findings pave the way for the development and application of therapeutics targeted at liver cancer.
The team, led by Associate Professor Low Boon Chuan from the Department of Biological Sciences at the NUS Faculty of Science and the Mechanobiology Institute at NUS, first published the research in the journal Oncogene.
Importance of signalling crosstalk between proteins
The proteins Ras and Rho are among the key molecular switches that control cell dynamics, cell growth and tissue development through their distinct signalling pathways. Although much has been studied about their individual functions, the underlying molecular mechanism of signalling crosstalk between these two proteins in an in vivo context remains largely unknown, especially in the area of liver development and formation of liver tumours.
In order to identify the consequences of their signalling crosstalk, the research team generated different scenarios with different liver-specific proteins and genes that have the potential to cause cancer, using the zebrafish as an in vivo model.
Due to its ability to reverse and forward genetics and low incidence of spontaneous tumours, the zebrafish is fast becoming a popular model for studying human cancers.
Through the use of quantitative bioimaging and molecular markers, the team found that when the zebrafish is induced to produce an active state of Kras (a form of Ras), which is an oncogene, liver enlargement is observed, and liver cancer that resembles the human liver cancer was formed. Subsequently, in adult zebrafish, the hepatocellular carcinoma, a major form of liver cancer, was developed. However, when the same cells were made to turn on Rho, these abnormalities were abated.
The team also found that when an inactive form of Rho was introduced when Kras is kept active, the Kras-mediated liver overgrowth and tumour formation were elevated.
These findings provided evidence about the significance of the previously understudied signalling crosstalk between the proteins Kras and Rho in regulating liver overgrowth, transformation of liver tissue and cancer mortality. As Rho is a known inducer of mechanical force, the team's findings also implicate the possible role of mechanical and physical forces in regulating cancer development and other functions in the liver.
The Next Step
The group is now investigating the exact chain of biochemical reactions that specify such unique signalling crosstalk. They are also investigating the aspects of cell metabolism and other major growth related pathways that are being affected to address the inherent inconsistency associated with cell-based studies. They hope to establish zebrafish as an alternative drug screening platform that is relatively cheap and convenient to identify novel targets for therapeutic intervention.
###
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Complete skull from early Homo evokes a single, evolving lineage
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
17-Oct-2013
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Contact: Natasha Pinol npinol@aaas.org 202-326-6440 American Association for the Advancement of Science
The skull of an ancient human ancestor implies that all Homo species were one
This news release is available in French, Arabic, and Georgian.
What if the earliest members of our Homo genusthose classified as Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis, Homo erectus and so forthactually belonged to the same species and simply looked different from one another? That's precisely the implication of a new report, which describes the analysis of a complete, approximately 1.8-million-year-old skull that was unearthed in Dmanisi, Georgia.
Unlike other Homo fossils, this skull, known as Skull 5, combines a small braincase with a long face and large teeth. It was discovered alongside the remains of four other early human ancestors, a variety of animal fossils and some stone toolsall of them associated with the same location and time periodwhich makes the find truly unique. The site has only been partially excavated so far, but it's already providing the first opportunity for researchers to compare and contrast the physical traits of multiple human ancestors that apparently coincided in the same time and geological space.
David Lordkipanidze from the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi, Georgia, along with colleagues from Switzerland, Israel and the United States, say that the differences between these Dmanisi fossils are no more pronounced than those between five modern humans or five chimpanzees.
Traditionally, researchers have used variation among Homo fossils to define different species. But in light of these new findings, Lordkipanidze and his colleagues suggest that early, diverse Homo fossils, with their origins in Africa, actually represent variation among members of a single, evolving lineagemost appropriately, Homo erectus.
Their report is published in the 18 October issue of Science.
"Had the braincase and the face of Skull 5 been found as separate fossils at different sites in Africa, they might have been attributed to different species," said Christoph Zollikofer from the Anthropological Institute and Museum in Zurich, Switzerlanda co-author of the Science report. That's because Skull 5 unites some key features, like the tiny braincase and large face, which had not been observed together in an early Homo fossil until now.
Given their diverse physical traits, the fossils associated with Skull 5 at Dmanisi can be compared to various Homo fossils, including those found in Africa, dating back to about 2.4 million years ago, as well as others unearthed in Asia and Europe, which are dated between 1.8 and 1.2 million years ago.
"[The Dmanisi finds] look quite different from one another, so it's tempting to publish them as different species," explained Zollikofer. "Yet we know that these individuals came from the same location and the same geological time, so they could, in principle, represent a single population of a single species."
The hominid fossils from Dmanisi represent ancient human ancestors from the early Pleistocene epoch, soon after early Homo diverged from Australopithecus and dispersed from Africa. The jaw associated with Skull 5 was found five years before the cranium was discovered but when the two pieces were put together, they formed the most massively built skull ever found at the Dmanisi site. For this reason, the researchers suggest that the individual to whom Skull 5 belonged was male.
The braincase of Skull 5 is only about 33.3 cubic inches (546 cubic centimeters), however, which suggests that this early Homo had a small brain despite his modern human-like limb proportions and body size.
"Thanks to the relatively large Dmanisi sample, we see a lot of variation," continued Zollikofer. "But the amount of variation does not exceed that found in modern populations of our own species, nor in chimps and bonobos."
"Furthermore, since we see a similar pattern and range of variation in the African fossil record it is sensible to assume that there was a single Homo species at that time in Africa," he concluded. "And since the Dmanisi hominids are so similar to the African ones, we further assume that they both represent the same species."
Skull 5 seemingly indicates that, rather than several ecologically specialized Homo species, a single Homo speciesable to cope with a variety of ecosystemsemerged from the African continent. And accordingly, our classification system for these early human ancestors may never be the same.
###
The report by Lordkipanidze et al. was supported by the Rustaveli Georgian National Science Foundation, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, the American Philosophical Society, the American School for Prehistoric Research, a Rolex Award for Enterprise, BP Georgia, the Fundacin Duques de Soria, the A.H. Schultz Foundation, and the Foundation for Scientific Research at the University of Zurich.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science as well as Science Translational Medicine and Science Signaling. AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 261 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert!, the premier science-news Web site, a service of AAAS.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Complete skull from early Homo evokes a single, evolving lineage
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
17-Oct-2013
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Contact: Natasha Pinol npinol@aaas.org 202-326-6440 American Association for the Advancement of Science
The skull of an ancient human ancestor implies that all Homo species were one
This news release is available in French, Arabic, and Georgian.
What if the earliest members of our Homo genusthose classified as Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis, Homo erectus and so forthactually belonged to the same species and simply looked different from one another? That's precisely the implication of a new report, which describes the analysis of a complete, approximately 1.8-million-year-old skull that was unearthed in Dmanisi, Georgia.
Unlike other Homo fossils, this skull, known as Skull 5, combines a small braincase with a long face and large teeth. It was discovered alongside the remains of four other early human ancestors, a variety of animal fossils and some stone toolsall of them associated with the same location and time periodwhich makes the find truly unique. The site has only been partially excavated so far, but it's already providing the first opportunity for researchers to compare and contrast the physical traits of multiple human ancestors that apparently coincided in the same time and geological space.
David Lordkipanidze from the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi, Georgia, along with colleagues from Switzerland, Israel and the United States, say that the differences between these Dmanisi fossils are no more pronounced than those between five modern humans or five chimpanzees.
Traditionally, researchers have used variation among Homo fossils to define different species. But in light of these new findings, Lordkipanidze and his colleagues suggest that early, diverse Homo fossils, with their origins in Africa, actually represent variation among members of a single, evolving lineagemost appropriately, Homo erectus.
Their report is published in the 18 October issue of Science.
"Had the braincase and the face of Skull 5 been found as separate fossils at different sites in Africa, they might have been attributed to different species," said Christoph Zollikofer from the Anthropological Institute and Museum in Zurich, Switzerlanda co-author of the Science report. That's because Skull 5 unites some key features, like the tiny braincase and large face, which had not been observed together in an early Homo fossil until now.
Given their diverse physical traits, the fossils associated with Skull 5 at Dmanisi can be compared to various Homo fossils, including those found in Africa, dating back to about 2.4 million years ago, as well as others unearthed in Asia and Europe, which are dated between 1.8 and 1.2 million years ago.
"[The Dmanisi finds] look quite different from one another, so it's tempting to publish them as different species," explained Zollikofer. "Yet we know that these individuals came from the same location and the same geological time, so they could, in principle, represent a single population of a single species."
The hominid fossils from Dmanisi represent ancient human ancestors from the early Pleistocene epoch, soon after early Homo diverged from Australopithecus and dispersed from Africa. The jaw associated with Skull 5 was found five years before the cranium was discovered but when the two pieces were put together, they formed the most massively built skull ever found at the Dmanisi site. For this reason, the researchers suggest that the individual to whom Skull 5 belonged was male.
The braincase of Skull 5 is only about 33.3 cubic inches (546 cubic centimeters), however, which suggests that this early Homo had a small brain despite his modern human-like limb proportions and body size.
"Thanks to the relatively large Dmanisi sample, we see a lot of variation," continued Zollikofer. "But the amount of variation does not exceed that found in modern populations of our own species, nor in chimps and bonobos."
"Furthermore, since we see a similar pattern and range of variation in the African fossil record it is sensible to assume that there was a single Homo species at that time in Africa," he concluded. "And since the Dmanisi hominids are so similar to the African ones, we further assume that they both represent the same species."
Skull 5 seemingly indicates that, rather than several ecologically specialized Homo species, a single Homo speciesable to cope with a variety of ecosystemsemerged from the African continent. And accordingly, our classification system for these early human ancestors may never be the same.
###
The report by Lordkipanidze et al. was supported by the Rustaveli Georgian National Science Foundation, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, the American Philosophical Society, the American School for Prehistoric Research, a Rolex Award for Enterprise, BP Georgia, the Fundacin Duques de Soria, the A.H. Schultz Foundation, and the Foundation for Scientific Research at the University of Zurich.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science as well as Science Translational Medicine and Science Signaling. AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 261 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert!, the premier science-news Web site, a service of AAAS.
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Share
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
"We future-proofed Pebble quite a bit," says Eric Migicovsky. "We put a lot of tech into Pebble because we knew that the watch we shipped to Kickstarter backers [was] what people were going to judge us on." The hardware startup's CEO is in New York for a few days, hitting the Big Apple after a recent appearance at an MIT hackathon, a chance to interact directly with the developer community his company holds so dear. After a tremendously successful crowdfunding campaign and subsequent product launch, Migicovsky's focus has shifted from hardware to user experience -- a job that means fixing bugs and helping to bring the next killer app to the wearable platform.
"What we're focused on right now is software," explains the soft-spoken exec. "We know that there are hundreds of thousands of Pebbles out there. We had our Kickstarter backers, who were the first to support us. Our job now, almost exclusively as a company, is to move the software forward. Pebble has the really cool ability to update the firmware over the air. It gets better as we publish more software updates. There's been some gaps, we've moved quickly and broken some things, but we're working to make sure that the moment you open up a Pebble box, it's making your life better in tiny ways."
In this undated photo provided by the Rhodes family, Phoumalaysy Rhodes, second left, and her husband Gavin Rhodes, right, hold their children Manfred and Jadesuda, second right, near the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. The four are among 49 passengers and crew believed killed when a Lao Airlines plane crashed on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, en route from the Lao capital Vientiane to Pakse in the Southeast Asian nation’s south. (AP Photo/Rhodes Family)
In this undated photo provided by the Rhodes family, Phoumalaysy Rhodes, second left, and her husband Gavin Rhodes, right, hold their children Manfred and Jadesuda, second right, near the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. The four are among 49 passengers and crew believed killed when a Lao Airlines plane crashed on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013, en route from the Lao capital Vientiane to Pakse in the Southeast Asian nation’s south. (AP Photo/Rhodes Family)
Locates Pakse, site of plane crash; 1c x 2 1/2 inches; 46.5 mm x 63 mm;
BANGKOK (AP) — A plane from Laos' state-run airline crashed in bad weather in the Southeast Asian nation, apparently killing 49 people from 11 countries, the government said.
The Lao government said it was dispatching rescuers to the scene of Wednesday's crash, but the Australian government said it was told no survivors were expected.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport, which operates Lao Airlines, said 44 passengers and five crew members were on Flight QV301 from the capital, Vientiane, to Pakse in the country's south. Earlier reports had 39 passengers.
"Upon preparing to land at Pakse Airport the aircraft ran into extreme bad weather conditions and was reportedly crashed into the Mekong River," the ministry said in a statement.
The airline flies an ATR 72-600 twin-engine turboprop plane on the 467-kilometer (290-mile) route. French maker ATR said the plane that crashed had been delivered in March. The aircraft is configured with 68-74 seats, it said.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee said his country's embassy in Vientiane was informed that the plane crashed 7-8 kilometers (4-5 miles) from the airport at Pakse.
A passenger manifest faxed by the airline listed 44 people: 17 Lao, seven French, five Australians, five Thais, three Koreans, two Vietnamese and one person each from Canada, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States. Korean, French and Thai officials confirmed the totals for their nationalities.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said six Australians were on board, a discrepancy that couldn't immediately be reconciled. Relatives released a photo of Gavin and Phoumalaysy Rhodes and their two young children. The government said the other two Australians were an aid worker based in Laos and his father.
The Lao government said the airline "is taking all necessary steps to coordinate and dispatch all rescue units to the accident site in the hope of finding survivors."
However, the Australian foreign affairs statement said, "Lao authorities have told our embassy in Vientiane they do not expect any survivors."
The Lao transport ministry statement said the crash is being investigated and the airline hoped to announce its findings on Thursday. A Lao Airlines employee contacted by phone at Vientiane's Wattay airport said a news conference would be held Thursday.
ATR issued a statement from its headquarters in Toulouse, France, declaring that it will fully assist the investigation. It said the Lao Airlines plane had been delivered from the production line in March this year.
Excited to share her upcoming film with her fans, Reese Witherspoon posted a photo of herself in character on the set of "Wild" on Friday (October 18).
The "Legally Blonde" star wears a white t-shirt with a heavy backpack in the pic, which she captioned, "Here's first pic of me as Cheryl Strayed in WILD. So excited to play @cherylstrayed in a movie!"
In the film based off of Strayed's autobiographical bestseller, a woman hikes 1,100 miles alone on the Pacific Coast Trail.
Sharing the photo herself, the author gushed on Facebook, "It's an extraordinary experience to see Reese Witherspoon dressed in the clothes I wore on the trail, her hair the same style and color as mine then, with my beloved/loathed Monster on her back packed just the way I packed it. I'm humbled and awed and so excited for you to see the movie!"
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Grambling's proud football program descended into further chaos Friday when the school canceled Saturday's game against Jackson State after disgruntled players refused to travel to Jackson.
Jackson State officials announced the cancellation Friday night. Athletic department spokesman Wesley Peterson told The Associated Press that Grambling officials contacted Jackson State to inform them of the decision.
Grambling spokesman Will Sutton said late Friday that the Southwestern Athletic Conference has labeled the game as a "no contest" and that university officials would have no further comment. He said players will not be available for interviews.
Grambling officials met throughout a chaotic Friday, trying to rectify the sour situation between players and administration. Apparently, nothing could be worked out so that the game could be played.
SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp said according to league rules, Grambling will forfeit and the school will be fined.
"I've been in contact with the schools and they informed me the game is going to be canceled," Sharp said. "It's just a very disappointing situation when something like this happens. But we'll do everything we can with these schools to reach an understanding moving forward."
Friday's apparent player boycott was the latest in three days of upheaval for Grambling's program — which rose to prominence under coach Eddie Robinson. Several media outlets have reported that players did not attend practice Wednesday and Thursday because of issues with program and school leadership.
Grambling (0-7) has changed coaches twice in about two months. Doug Williams was fired two games into the season and replaced by George Ragsdale, who was reassigned Thursday and replaced by Dennis "Dirt" Winston.
The game is Jackson State's homecoming and could hurt the school financially. The Grambling-Jackson State matchup usually draws very well — an announced crowd of more than 21,000 attended the game in Jackson in 2011.
Jackson State's athletic budget is about $6 million and the school relies heavily on football revenue.
Jackson State spokeswoman Jean Cook said the school would still have homecoming festivities, including the homecoming parade, a football scrimmage and extended band performance. The school said it's working on a process to refund tickets.
"It's not ideal," Cook said. "But we're trying to make the best of things."
Louisiana State Sen. Rick Gallot, a Democrat from Ruston and a Grambling graduate, says he hopes a resolution can still be reached.
"I am still optimistic that not only will the situation with the scheduled game with Jackson State be resolved and the teams will play, but I am also optimistic that leadership issues and the concerns of the student-athletes will all be fleshed out and addressed and we'll be able to return to a semblance of normalcy on campus," Gallot said.
With the forfeit to Jackson State, Grambling has now lost 18 straight games against NCAA opponents.
The entire athletic program has struggled amid budget cuts and scholarship reductions. The men's basketball team was 0-28 last season.
____
Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama is frustrated by the problems with the rollout of his signature healthcare reform and the administration intends to fix them.
Fresh from the U.S. budget battles, Obama on Monday will turn his attention to convincing Americans that the healthcare program can be fixed, despite the initial problems.
Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the administration was determined to repair the technical glitches in the online insurance exchanges that are a central part of the program known as "Obamacare," which launched on October 1.
"I think that there's no one more frustrated than the president at the difficulty in the website," Lew said. He said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services "has got plans to fix this and it has to fix this. It has to be done right."
Obama told aides in a recent Oval Office meeting that the administration had to take responsibility for the fact that the website was not ready on time. He is expected to address that in his remarks on Monday.
Administration officials are expected to travel the country in the coming weeks to encourage people to sign up on the exchanges, targeting areas where there are high percentages of uninsured, according to one official.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is expected to provide private health coverage to an estimated 7 million uninsured Americans through the new online marketplaces that opened for enrollment in all 50 states on October 1.
But the website, healthcare.gov, the administration's online portal for consumers in 36 states, was hobbled by technical problems - including error messages, garbled text and delays loading pages.
Administration officials blame the problems partly on an unexpectedly high volume of visitors in its first 10 days. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, there were more than 19 million visits to the website.
"We are committed to doing better," the department said in a blog post on Sunday.
Despite the problems, it said, other parts of the system were function well.
"Individuals have been able to verify their eligibility for credits, enabling them to shop for, and enroll in, low- or even no-cost health plans," the department said.
"We have updated the site several times with new code that includes bug fixes. Our team has called in additional help to solve some of the more complex technical issues we are encountering."
DAMAGE CONTROL
Late on Saturday the White House reported nearly half a million Americans had applied for health insurance through the federal and state exchanges provided by Obamacare.
That step was part of a new damage control effort by the administration in the face of intensifying criticism from Republicans over the error-filled launch.
Republicans in Congress have chastised Obama's top health adviser, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, for declining their invitation to testify about the glitches to an oversight panel on October 24.
Many Republicans were criticizing the program long before its rocky launch. A 16-day partial government shutdown that ended last week was precipitated by Republican demands to delay or defund Obamacare.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who led that campaign, vowed on Sunday to step-up his opposition, even though his tactics have been called a mistake by members of his own party.
"I would do anything, and will continue to do anything, to stop the train wreck that is Obamacare," Cruz said on ABC's "This Week."
Lew said the program's test would be in January, when the actual coverage starts for people who have enrolled by December 15.
"I think that if we get that right, everyone will regret that the early weeks were choppy on the website. But the test is: are people getting coverage and are they getting the care that they need? And we're confident we're going to be on track to do that," Lew said on NBC.
Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, acknowledged problems with the Obamacare launch, but said they should be understood in the context of the program's size.
"Any system that deals with that many millions of people frequently does have a glitch," Pelosi told ABC News' "This Week."
"It has to be fixed, but what doesn't have to be fixed is the fact that tens of millions more people had access to affordable quality health care and no longer will have a pre-existing condition bar you from getting affordable health care."
Obama said in an interview with National Public Radio on October 1 that he was prepared for some problems in the early months of Obamacare as healthcare exchanges were launched.
"There will be a six-month enrollment period. In the first week, first month, first three months, I would suspect that there will be glitches," the president told NPR. "This is 50 states, a lot of people signing up for something. And there are going to be problems."
(Reporting by Susan Cornwell, Margaret Chadbourn and Lucia Mutikani, additional reporting by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason,; editing by Jackie Frank and Stacey Joyce)
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are heading lower as lawmakers continue to work on a deal to avoid a U.S. default and reopen the government.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 39 points, or 0.3 percent, to 15,261 as of noon Tuesday.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index was down three points, or 0.2 percent, at 1,707. The Nasdaq composite index fell four, or 0.1 percent, to 3,809.
The U.S. is expected to reach its borrowing limit on Thursday, jeopardizing its ability to pay its bills. Meanwhile a partial shutdown of the federal government is in its 15th day.
Eight of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 fell, with the biggest declines in utilities and consumer discretionary stocks, a category that includes retailers.
Nurses to focus on health needs of veterans, service members at JOINING FORCES conference
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
17-Oct-2013
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Contact: Leslie Sabo lsabo@health.usf.edu 813-224-7857 University of South Florida (USF Health)
Veterans who faced challenges transitioning to civilian life among speakers
Tampa, FL (Oct. 17, 2013) Top nursing leaders and scientists from around the country will meet to discuss health needs for veterans, service members and their families Monday, Oct. 21, at a daylong conference hosted by the University of South Florida College of Nursing. A pre-conference will be held from Noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 20.
The 2nd Annual JOINING FORCES TO RESTORE LIVES: Nursing Education and Research in Veterans Health conference will be held at the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) in downtown Tampa.
Keynote speaker, Lieutenant General Martin R. Steele, retired from the U.S Marine Corps, is associate vice president for USF Veterans Research and executive director for USF World Military Partnerships. As a combat veteran with more than 34 years of service, Lt. Gen. Steele is a nationally recognized expert on the integration of national power, cutting-edge policies and programs for veterans.
Additional conference guest speakers include Brian Anderson, a former Green Beret, 10-year Army veteran and director of the Pasco County Veteran Services and Stand Down program, and Peter Burch, a USF nurse practitioner student and retired major with 34 years of military service with the Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and Army Reserve. Both speakers will discuss their deployment experiences, and the challenges often faced by returning veterans in transitioning to civilian life.
The 2nd annual conference focuses on nursing education and research designed to meet the needs of veterans, service members and their families. It is part of USF's commitment to support the Joining Forces campaign, a comprehensive national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to support and honor America's service members and their families. Attendees will include global nursing executives, scientists, faculty, researchers, educators, advanced practice nurses and registered nurses interested in supporting veterans' health education and research.
"The USF College of Nursing is a national leader in educational preparation and nursing research that addresses health care issues unique to service members, veterans and their families," said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing.
The pre-conference course on Oct. 20 will focus on Transforming Tragedy: Finding Growth Following Life's Traumas. Internationally-known psychologist, author, and lecturer Edward J. Hickling, PsyD, will speak about causes and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder information applicable to the clinical care of veterans and civilians who have experienced traumatic events, community disasters, physical assaults, and other tragic events.
Dr. Hickling, a clinical psychologist for Capital Psychological Associate, is a master therapist who has practiced for more than 30 years. He has held positions at Veterans Administration medical centers and hospitals across the country.
Last month, USF was one of nine institutions nationwide awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, to create a Veterans' Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Program. USF Nursing has also extended its Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) research internationally after the behavioral technique for treating post-traumatic stress disorder demonstrated promising results in the United States.
Both projects are part of the USF College of Nursing's ongoing strategic priority known as RESTORE LIVES, which focuses on evidence-based research and education programs to train a nursing workforce that can help veterans and service members overcome psychological stress and other combat-related health problems.
###
For event and registration information, please visit the USF College of Nursing website: http://cme.hsc.usf.edu/joiningforces/
USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician's Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit http://www.health.usf.edu.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Nurses to focus on health needs of veterans, service members at JOINING FORCES conference
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
17-Oct-2013
[
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| Share
]
Contact: Leslie Sabo lsabo@health.usf.edu 813-224-7857 University of South Florida (USF Health)
Veterans who faced challenges transitioning to civilian life among speakers
Tampa, FL (Oct. 17, 2013) Top nursing leaders and scientists from around the country will meet to discuss health needs for veterans, service members and their families Monday, Oct. 21, at a daylong conference hosted by the University of South Florida College of Nursing. A pre-conference will be held from Noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 20.
The 2nd Annual JOINING FORCES TO RESTORE LIVES: Nursing Education and Research in Veterans Health conference will be held at the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) in downtown Tampa.
Keynote speaker, Lieutenant General Martin R. Steele, retired from the U.S Marine Corps, is associate vice president for USF Veterans Research and executive director for USF World Military Partnerships. As a combat veteran with more than 34 years of service, Lt. Gen. Steele is a nationally recognized expert on the integration of national power, cutting-edge policies and programs for veterans.
Additional conference guest speakers include Brian Anderson, a former Green Beret, 10-year Army veteran and director of the Pasco County Veteran Services and Stand Down program, and Peter Burch, a USF nurse practitioner student and retired major with 34 years of military service with the Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and Army Reserve. Both speakers will discuss their deployment experiences, and the challenges often faced by returning veterans in transitioning to civilian life.
The 2nd annual conference focuses on nursing education and research designed to meet the needs of veterans, service members and their families. It is part of USF's commitment to support the Joining Forces campaign, a comprehensive national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to support and honor America's service members and their families. Attendees will include global nursing executives, scientists, faculty, researchers, educators, advanced practice nurses and registered nurses interested in supporting veterans' health education and research.
"The USF College of Nursing is a national leader in educational preparation and nursing research that addresses health care issues unique to service members, veterans and their families," said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing.
The pre-conference course on Oct. 20 will focus on Transforming Tragedy: Finding Growth Following Life's Traumas. Internationally-known psychologist, author, and lecturer Edward J. Hickling, PsyD, will speak about causes and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder information applicable to the clinical care of veterans and civilians who have experienced traumatic events, community disasters, physical assaults, and other tragic events.
Dr. Hickling, a clinical psychologist for Capital Psychological Associate, is a master therapist who has practiced for more than 30 years. He has held positions at Veterans Administration medical centers and hospitals across the country.
Last month, USF was one of nine institutions nationwide awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, to create a Veterans' Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Program. USF Nursing has also extended its Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) research internationally after the behavioral technique for treating post-traumatic stress disorder demonstrated promising results in the United States.
Both projects are part of the USF College of Nursing's ongoing strategic priority known as RESTORE LIVES, which focuses on evidence-based research and education programs to train a nursing workforce that can help veterans and service members overcome psychological stress and other combat-related health problems.
###
For event and registration information, please visit the USF College of Nursing website: http://cme.hsc.usf.edu/joiningforces/
USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician's Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit http://www.health.usf.edu.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Watch the new red-band trailer of ‘Homefront,’ an action-thriller written by Sylvester Stallone and starring Jason Statham and James Franco, as an ex-DEA agent and meth-cooking drug lord respectively. The movie was directed by Gary Fleder (‘The Express,’ ‘Runaway Jury’) from Sylvester Stallone’s screen adaptation of the novel of the same title by Chuck Logan. Stallone, for those who may have forgotten got an Oscar nomination for his original screenplay of his iconic, breakthrough movie ‘Rocky.’ It leaves many curious to see what he has done with ‘Homefront’ and its Phil Broker character, who reoccurs in several Chuck Logan novels. It’s Jason Statham (‘The Expendables,’ ‘Fast & Furious 6′) who portrays the former DEA agent Phil Broker, a widower and father of a 10-year-old daughter whose peaceful, small-town titular homefront is disrupted. Alas, isn’t that always the case?! Retirement plans are often foiled when one’s path crosses with that of the local ruling meth kingpin. In this case his name is Gator Bodine and he is portrayed by James Falco (‘Oz the Great and Powerful,’ ‘Spring Breakers’). The actor removes all doubt in those who think he can’t fully inhabit the role of an extremely sadistic and violent character and [...]Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/9Ux7mdnRyYk/ Similar Articles: Scott Carpenterderek houghaaron hernandez
NEW YORK (AP) — Ronan Farrow, already known to the world as an activist, attorney, government official and the son of Mia Farrow, is set to become a published author.
The Penguin Press announced Tuesday that it had acquired Farrow's "Pandora's Box: How American Military Aid Creates America's Enemies." The book is scheduled to come out in 2015. Penguin is billing "Pandora's Box" as a "hard-hitting investigation" of a "surprising dark side" of U.S. foreign policy.
The 25-year-old Farrow was in the news recently when his mother suggested in an interview with Vanity Fair that he wasn't the son of Woody Allen, as was long assumed, but of Frank Sinatra. Mia Farrow and Sinatra were married briefly in the 1960s and remained friendly until his death, in 1998. Allen has called the claim "absurd."
OTTAWA — Canadian home sales posted a small month-over-month increase in September as the national average sale price rose but the number of new listings declined, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.
Home sales were up just under 1% from August to September, while overall activity remained on par with the 10-year average in September, CREA said.
And while last month’s sales were up 18.2% compared with September 2012, CREA says that was because last year’s figures were unusually weak.
Sales improved on a month-over-month basis in just over half of all local markets, with gains in Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto offsetting declines in Calgary and Montreal.
About 340,980 homes have traded hands across the country so far this year, or 1.8% below levels recorded in the first three quarters of 2012.
The national average price for homes sold in September 2013 was $385,906, an increase of 8.8% compared with a year ago.
CREA said year-over-year average price gains in recent months reflect the decline in sales activity recorded last year in some of Canada’s larger and more expensive markets, which caused the national average price to drop.
If Greater Toronto, Greater Vancouver and Calgary were removed from the national average price calculation, the year-over-year increase would be 4.3%.
“Year-over-year increases in the sales over the past couple of months highlights how activity softened across much of the country following the introduction of tighter mortgage rules last summer,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s chief economist.
“While the momentum for sales activity began improving a few months ago, it may be losing steam after having only just climbed back in line with an average of the past 10 years,” he added.
There were 1.4% fewer newly listed homes in September compared with August, the association said, adding that while the Canadian housing market has tightened it continues to remain balanced.
Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Calgary, Greater Toronto, London, St. Thomas, Ont., Ottawa and Montreal all saw listing declines.
The Canadian Real Estate Association is one of Canada’s largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 106,000 realtors working through more than 90 real estate boards and associations.
Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes on "The Walking Dead."
"The Walking Dead" kicked off its fourth season on Sunday night — continuing the AMC series' record-setting trend with more highs and blowing all non-sports competition out of the water.
PHOTOS: Inside 'The Walking Dead's' spooky season 4 premiere
Averaging 16.1 million viewers during its inaugural 9 p.m. broadcast, the series was up more than 5 million from last October's 10.9 million opener. Among adults 18-49, "The Walking Dead" averaged 10.4 million viewers. That's an 8.3 rating in the key demo, making it bigger than any broadcast series this fall and even stronger than last night's competition from "Sunday Night Football." With adults 25-54, "The Walking Dead" saw another high with 8.8 million viewers.
Compared to previous records set by the season-three finale, "The Walking Dead" was up 3.7 million viewers and 2.3 million adults 18-49.
This is the second huge ratings victory for AMC in just two weeks. The recent series finale of "Breaking Bad"smashed previous series records by jumping to 10.3 million viewers.
The return of the zombie drama, TV's top scripted performer for a year now, was already evident in Fast National ratings from Sunday's broadcast outings. Scripted competition in "The Good Wife" and "The Mentalist" hit their lowest ratings to date, while "Once Upon a Time" and "Revenge" sank to fall lows.
PHOTOS: 'The Walking Dead's' Most Shocking Deaths
"The Walking Dead" has been even more of a force after time-shifting is taken into account. Though the series remains formidable in its Live+Same Day returns, seven days of DVR gave the last season an average 7.2 rating among adults 18-49 and 13.8 million viewers.
Companion series "The Talking Dead" also saw records. An average 5.1 million viewers tuned in, 3.3 million of them adults 18-49 and 3 million of them adults 25-54.
The Walking Dead ratings timeline:
Season 3 finale, March 31: 12.4 million total viewers*, 8.1 million in 18-49*, 7 million in 25-54*
Season 3 midseason premiere, Feb. 10: 12.3 million total viewers*, 6.8 million in 18-49, 6.7 million in 25-54*
Season 3 midseason finale, Dec. 2: 10.5 million total viewers, 6.9 million in 18-49, 6 million in 25-54
Season 3 premiere, Oct. 14: 10.9 million total viewers, 7.3 million in 18-49, 6.1 million in 25-54*
Season 2 finale, March 18, 2012: 9 million total viewers, 6 million in 18-49, 5.3 million in 25-54*
Season 2 midseason premiere, Feb. 12, 2012: 8.1 million total, 5.4 million* in 18-49, 4.4 million* in 25-54
Season 2 premiere, Oct. 16, 2011: 7.3 million total, 4.8 million* in 18-49, 4.2 million* in 25-54
Season 2 midseason finale, Nov. 27, 2011: 6.6 million total, 4.5 million in 18-49, 3.9 million in 25-54
Season 1 finale, Dec. 5, 2010: 6 million total, 4 million in 18-49, 3.5 million in 25-54
Season 1 premiere, Oct. 31, 2010: 5.4 million total viewers, 2.7 million in 18-49
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