science news for kids: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Box Office Preview: 'M:I4' to tower over others (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? The final box office weekend of 2011 should be led by Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol," with a not impossible domestic gross near $35 million for the four-day New Year's weekend.

The Paramount film led the Christmas weekend after its limited debut in IMAX gave it a big marketing boost, and this week's midweek numbers indicate audience interest is holding, with a total North American gross of about $130 million expected by Monday night.

Warner Bros.' "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, will enter its third weekend after crossing the $100 million mark on Wednesday, and clues point to another $25 million for the long holiday weekend.

Fox's "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" should have a chipper third weekend in the low $20 million range as families enjoy the last of the holidays together before it's back to school. By Monday night, the little rodents should have munched a total of about $90 million.

Sony's thriller "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," the second film adaptation of the hugely popular mystery novel by Stieg Larsson, hacked $20 million from audiences over the extended Christmas holiday and enters New Year's weekend with a potential gross in the mid- to high-teens.

Disney's "War Horse" opened Christmas Day with $7.5 million and will now stretch its legs over a full holiday weekend with a likely gross in the $15 million range. The Steven Spielberg film is based on the 1982 children's novel and the 2007 stage adaptation, and has received two Golden Globe nominations, including for best picture.

___

Paul Dergarabedian is president of the Box Office Division of Hollywood.com and provides box office analysis for The Associated Press.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_en_mo/us_box_office_preview

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Alzheimer's: Diet patterns may keep brain from shrinking

ScienceDaily (Dec. 29, 2011) ? People with diets high in several vitamins or in omega 3 fatty acids are less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer's disease than people whose diets are not high in those nutrients, according to a new study published in the December 28, 2011, online issue of Neurology?, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Those with diets high in omega 3 fatty acids and in vitamins C, D, E and the B vitamins also had higher scores on mental thinking tests than people with diets low in those nutrients. These omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D are primarily found in fish. The B vitamins and antioxidants C and E are primarily found in fruits and vegetables.

In another finding, the study showed that people with diets high in trans fats were more likely to have brain shrinkage and lower scores on the thinking and memory tests than people with diets low in trans fats. Trans fats are primarily found in packaged, fast, fried and frozen food, baked goods and margarine spreads.

The study involved 104 people with an average age of 87 and very few risk factors for memory and thinking problems. Blood tests were used to determine the levels of various nutrients present in the blood of each participant. All of the participants also took tests of their memory and thinking skills. A total of 42 of the participants had MRI scans to measure their brain volume.

Overall, the participants had good nutritional status, but seven percent were deficient in vitamin B12 and 25 percent were deficient in vitamin D.

Study author Gene Bowman, ND, MPH, of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, said that the nutrient biomarkers in the blood accounted for a significant amount of the variation in both brain volume and thinking and memory scores. For the thinking and memory scores, the nutrient biomarkers accounted for 17 percent of the variation in the scores. Other factors such as age, number of years of education and high blood pressure accounted for 46 percent of the variation. For brain volume, the nutrient biomarkers accounted for 37 percent of the variation.

"These results need to be confirmed, but obviously it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet," Bowman said.

The study was the first to use nutrient biomarkers in the blood to analyze the effect of diet on memory and thinking skills and brain volume. Previous studies have looked at only one or a few nutrients at a time or have used questionnaires to assess people's diet. But questionnaires rely on people's memory of their diet, and they also do not account for how much of the nutrients are absorbed by the body, which can be an issue in the elderly.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging and National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Portland VA Medical Center.

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/n2z-iZJe3no/111229092036.htm

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Ethiopia troops enter Somalia, control border town (AP)

NAIROBI, Kenya ? Hundreds of Ethiopian troops poured into a western Somalia border town on Saturday, opening a new front against the militant group al-Shabab, which now faces hostile militaries on three sides.

Resident Mohammed Abdi said hundreds of residents fled Beledweyne on Saturday after hundreds of Ethiopian and Somali troops moved in. Capt. Hashi Nor of the Somali military confirmed that Somali and Ethiopian troops had moved in.

"I saw Ethiopian troops standing at the doors of neighboring homes. Somali soldiers are also searching the homes," Abdi said. "Al-Shabab retreated back to Bulo Burte and also many of the residents fled, and those who remained are in their homes."

The military movement appears to be a third front against al-Shabab, Somalia's strongest militant group. Kenyan troops moved into Somalia in mid-October in a push against the militants in the country's south. African Union troops from Uganda, Burundi and most recently from Djibouti have mostly pushed al-Shabab fighters out of the capital, Mogadishu.

"We are in full control of Beledweyne now and our troops will move forward in the coming hours," Nor, the Somali military officer, said by phone from Beledweyne.

Abdi said the sound of gunfire could be heard in Beledweyne but that he did not believe actual battle was taking place. However, al-Shabab on its official Twitter feed said that a battle that began at 6 a.m. was still "raging" in the city as of midday.

Al-Shabab said that a "majority" of Beledweyne residents joined al-Shabab "to thwart the offensive." It claimed that dozens of Ethiopian troops had been killed, but that was impossible to verify and was likely an exaggerated claim. It later said on Twitter that al-Shabab was executing a planned withdrawal and would surround the city.

Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali said in a statement that Somalia's armed forces had taken over "strategic places" from al-Shabab in the central region of Hiran on Saturday. He did not make direct mention of involvement by Ethiopian troops.

"We are officially requesting the international community and the neighboring countries like Ethiopia to stand on our shoulders and help the Somali people and their government for the historic operation to liberate the country from this brutal terror group," he said. "We are also asking the humanitarian aid agencies to reach and help people living in the areas liberated from al-Shabab."

U.S.-backed Ethiopian troops moved into Somalia in 2006 at the invitation of the weak, U.N.-backed Somali government. But the incursion was seen by many Somalis as an unpopular invasion and actually helped give birth to the al-Shabab movement. Ethiopians pulled out in early 2009, and there are fears that a new push by Somalia could be a propaganda coup for al-Shabab.

Ethiopia in November said it was considering whether to contribute troops to the African Union force in Somalia. Kenya's parliament recently voted for its forces to join the AU force. That move is awaiting approval by the United Nations.

The central Somalia town of Beledweyne lies about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the border with Ethiopia. A commercial hub, it lies on a key road that links Mogadishu with northern Somalia. Control of the town has changed hands frequently in recent months as different militias push to seize control of it.

___

A Somali employee of The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111231/ap_on_re_af/af_somalia_ethiopia

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Fix a Credit Card That Won't Swipe with a Piece of Tape [Credit Cards]

Fix a Credit Card That Won't Swipe with a Piece of Tape If you use your credit card long enough, sooner or later that sensitive magnetic strip will get worn down and no longer swipe properly. While you're waiting for your replacement card, here's a quick fix: Tape over the magnetic stripe.

Wired explains why this works:

A credit card is like a cassette tape. And just as your old copy of Van Halen II got fuzzy after hundreds of repeat performances, a credit card slowly gets garbled from overswiping. The reason: Both the tape and the magnetic stripe on the card are made up of millions of iron-oxide particles that convey information by generating electrical pulses in the reader. With wear, these particles get smeared, creating background noise. Luckily, this noise has very low magnetism, and it can be dampened by increasing the space between the magnetic stripe and the head that reads it. So simply cover the stripe with Scotch tape. If only reviving David Lee Roth's career were that easy.

For more scientific ways to improve your life, like exactly how to precisely dunk a cookie in milk for the best "flavor release" (a formula says 3.5 to 5 seconds of dunking), see the whole Wired article below.

Photo remixed from an original by Mettus / Shutterstock

Wired's Lab-Tested, Muppet-Vetted Formulas for Smartifying Your Life | Wired

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/z4fQA05PgPU/fix-a-credit-card-that-wont-swipe-with-a-piece-of-tape

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The New Les Miserables Will Feature Live Singing

les-miserables-slice

Confession: I have very little knowledge of Les Miserables as a book, a stage musical, or any prior movie iterations.? So I was surprised to see it on so many Most Anticipated of 2012 lists, including our own.? I am very interested in a big movie musical, but I just don?t have that personal connection.? I am now as excited as everyone else though since I found something to latch on to.? A source tells the Sun [via Cinema Blend]

?Unlike most film musicals, the cast will record their vocals live on camera rather than go into a studio first then mime on film to the pre-recorded vocal? First they have to learn the complex songs, then they?ll have to get it right on set in front of the other stars and crew.?

Terrific!? Something about pre-recorded vocals always bothers me, but I thought it a necessity to enjoy the other wonders of a musical.? But director Tom Hooper (The King?s Speech) says no, shortly after rejecting 3D.? I love this guy.? Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Eddie Redmayne are the stars to whom the burden falls.? Les Miserables opens on December 7, 2012.? Hit the jump for a synopsis.

This decision could limit the scope of the film, but I think the tradeoff is worth it.? Given the reverence for the stage musical, they obviously figured out a way to coordinate live singing that works for the story.

Here is a synopsis for the 1987 stage musical:

Jean Valjean, an ex-con, has transformed himself to become mayor and the owner of a factory. But when he is moved to help one of his former workers, Fantine, Valjean?s past is brought to light, and he is forced to abandon everything to run from Javert, the chief of police, dead set on bringing him to justice. Nine years later, Cosette, Fantine?s child, has been raised by Valjean and has fallen in love with Marius, a fighter in the French revolution (after whom another, named Eponine, also pines). With Javert on the hunt and a revolution tearing the city apart, in the end, everyone is forced to question what they?re willing to sacrifice in pursuit of love and justice. [Broadway Musical Home]

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924212/news/1924212/

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All eyes on German renewable energy efforts (AP)

FELDHEIM, Germany ? This tiny village of 37 gray homes and farm buildings clustered along the main road in a wind-swept corner of rural eastern Germany seems an unlikely place for a revolution.

Yet environmentalists, experts and politicians from El Salvador to Japan to South Africa have flocked here in the past year to learn how Feldheim, a village of just 145 people, is already putting into practice Germany's vision of a future powered entirely by renewable energy.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's government passed legislation in June setting the country on course to generate a third of its power through renewable sources ? such as wind, solar, geothermal and bioenergy ? within a decade, reaching 80 percent by 2050, while creating jobs, increasing energy security and reducing harmful emissions.

The goals are among the world's most ambitious, and expensive, and other industrialized nations from the U.S. to Japan are watching to see whether transforming into a nation powered by renewable energy sources can really work.

"Germany can't afford to fail, because the whole world is looking at the German model and asking, can Germany move us to new business models, new infrastructure?," said Jeremy Rifkin, a U.S. economist who has advised the European Union and Merkel.

In June, the nation passed the 20 percent mark for drawing electric power from a mix of wind, solar and other renewables. That compares with about 9 percent in the United States or Japan ? both of which rely heavily on hydroelectric power, an energy source that has long been used.

Expanding renewables depends on the right mix of resources, as well as government subsidies and investment incentive ? and a willingness by taxpayers to shoulder their share of the burden. Germans currently pay a 3.5 euro cent per kilowatt-hour tax, roughly euro157 ($205) per year for a typical family of four, to support research and investment in and subsidize the production and consumption of energy from renewable sources.

That allows for homeowners who install solar panels on their rooftops, or communities like Feldheim that build their own biogas plants, to be paid above-market prices for selling back to the grid, to ensure that their investment at least breaks even.

Critics, like the Institute for Energy Research, based in Washington, D.C., maintain such tariffs put an unfair burden of expanding renewables squarely on the taxpayer. At the same time, to make renewable energy work on the larger scale, Germany will have to pour billions into infrastructure, including updating its grid.

Key to success of the transformation will be getting the nation's powerful industries on board, to drive innovation in technology and create jobs. According to the Environment Ministry, overall investment in renewable energy production equipment more than doubled to euro29.4 billion ($38.44 billion) in 2011. Solid growth in the sector is projected through the next decade.

Some 370,000 people in Germany now have jobs in the renewable sector, more than double the number in 2004, a point used as proof that tax payers' investment is paying off.

Feldheim has zero unemployment ? despite its tiny size ? compared with roughly 30 percent in other villages in the economically depressed state of Brandenburg, which views investments in renewables as a ticket for a brighter future. Most residents work in the plant that produces biogas ? fuel made by the breakdown of organic material such as plants or food waste ? or maintain the wind and solar parks that provide the village's electricity.

"The energy revolution is already taking place right here," says Werner Frohwitter, spokesman for the Energiequelle company that helped set up and run Feldheim's energy concept.

But it's not only in the country. Earlier this month in Berlin, officials unveiled a prototype of a self-sustaining, energy-efficient home, built from recycled materials and complete with electric vehicles that can be charged in its garage.

The aim of the prototype home is to produce twice as much energy as is used by a family of four ? chosen from a willing pool of volunteers who will be selected to live in the home for 15 months ? through a combination of solar photovoltaics and energy management technology, in order to show the technology already exists to allow people to be energy self-sufficient.

"We want to show people that already today it is possible to live completely from renewable energy," said German Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer as the project, dubbed "Efficiency House Plus," was unveiled. The house is part of a wider euro1.2 million ($1.57 million) project investing in energy-efficient buildings.

"The Efficiency House Plus will set standards that can be adopted by the majority in the short term," Ramsauer told The Associated Press. "The basic principle is that the house produces more energy than needed to live. The extra energy is then used to charge electric-powered cars and bicycles or sold back to the public grid."

Germany's four leading car makers are also participating in the project with BMW AG, Daimler AG, Volkswagen AG and Opel, which is part of Buick's parent company, General Motors Co., each making an E-car for use by in the home.

Such strong cooperation between Germany's industrial sector coupled with a political landscape that emphasizes stability and a heightened public ecological sensibility makes Germany fertile ground to lead the way in the transformation from a post-carbon economy to one run on renewable energy.

"Germany has the most robust industrial economy per capita. When you talk about industrial revolution, that's Germany. It's German technology, it's German IT, it's German commutation," said Rifkin, who outlines what he calls the "The Third Industrial Revolution," in a newly released book of the same title that explains how the economies in the future could swap fossil fuels for renewable energies and still maintain growth.

Robert Pottmann, an asset manager with Munich Re, one of the world's biggest reinsurers, says the company seeks to invest about euro2.5 billion ($3.27 billion) in the next few years in renewable energy assets such as "wind farms, solar projects or maybe new electricity grids."

Alan Simpson, an independent energy and climate adviser from Britain who visited Feldheim as part of a wider tour of Germany last month to see what the renewable revolution looks like up close said it was inspiring to view what is being accomplished on the ground.

"It's great to think about Germany delivering on everything that we are being told in Great Britain is impossible," Simpson said.

Amid the excitement, there is also an awareness of the real need for the German experiment to succeed.

"If Germany can't pull this off," said Rifkin. "We don't have a plan B."

___

Associated Press writer Juergen Baetz contributed to this story from Berlin.

___

On the Internet:

Feldheim: http://www.neue-energien-forum-feldheim.de/

German Renewable Energy Agency: http://www.unendlich-viel-energie.de/en/homepage.html

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111229/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_germany_making_renewables_work

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Friday, December 30, 2011

Crosby still out as Pens host Jagr, Flyers (AP)

PITTSBURGH ? When Jaromir Jagr chose to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers over the summer after a three-year sabbatical, the 39-year-old Russian knew it wouldn't go over well in Pittsburgh.

And to be honest, he doesn't care.

Jagr will make his first appearance in Pittsburgh since his return to the league following a three-year absence on Thursday when the Penguins host the Flyers. He understands there will be some animosity. He also doesn't care.

"To me, it doesn't matter," Jagr said. "I just play every game the same -- Pittsburgh, Rangers, Tampa Bay. It doesn't matter."

Yet he knows he'll hear it from the Consol Energy Center crowd. It's to be expected considering the way he toyed with the Penguins in the offseason. Jagr hinted over the summer that he'd be interested in returning to the city where he won a pair of Stanley Cups alongside Mario Lemieux two decades ago. Yet he joined the hated Flyers instead, in part because the Flyers offered more money.

Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma was intrigued about the possibility of pairing Jagr and star Sidney Crosby. Instead Crosby remains sidelined with concussion-like symptoms while Jagr is playing as if he never left the NHL. Jagr enters the game with 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 31 games for Philadelphia.

Bylsma is curious to see how Jagr is received, but isn't exactly expecting Jagr to be rattled.

"It's not the first time that Jaromir Jagr has come into a building and not been liked," Bylsma said. "I'm sure he's going to expect it and hear it. You hear players who hear the crowd and feed off it as well."

Jagr isn't the only former Penguin to trade black-and-yellow for the Flyers' orange-and-white. Winger Max Talbot, a popular figure who helped the Penguins win the 2009 Stanley Cup, left as a free agent over the summer to join Philadelphia.

The venom for Talbot, however, will likely be muted compared to the welcome awaiting Jagr.

Don't expect Jagr to try do something extra to quiet things down.

"That would be the worst thing ... to show somebody you still have it," Jagr said. "I don't to prove anything to anybody; I don't think I'd be playing my game if I wanted to show somebody."

The Penguins have certainly seen enough.

"We see a lot of highlights," Bylsma said. "You what he's been able to do for their (power play). What he's been able to do for (Claude) Giroux has been very good. Those are a lot of things they've saw him doing with our team with a (Evgeni) Malkin and a Crosby."

Instead the Penguins will face their two old friends without Crosby, who hasn't played since Dec. 5 after having a recurrence of concussion-like symptoms. Bylsma said Wednesday that his 24-year-old captain is going through "light exercise" but remains sidelined indefinitely.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_sp_ho_ne/hkn_penguins_old_faces

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King of Leon's Caleb Followill to Be a First-Time Dad!

The band's frontman and his supermodel wife Lily Aldridge are awaiting Baby No.1! See more stars who are expecting

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/pregnant-celebrity-photos-look-whos-popping/1-b-18178?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Apregnant-celebrity-photos-look-whos-popping-18178

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LATimesmost: Avastin can stabilize tumors in ovarian cancer, studies find http://t.co/t37lCM0V

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

InterOil Is Inches From Finalizing $6 Billion LNG Project (The Motley Fool)

In my last article on InterOil (NYSE: IOC - News), I discussed how close the company was to finalizing its $6 billion Papua New Guinea LNG project. Now, they have struck another preliminary sales agreement with Chinese company ENN and moved even closer to investing in the project.

Moving closer with each deal
The Papua New Guinea LNG project is InterOil's joint venture with Pacific LNG and will have an initial capacity of 5 million tons per annum (mtpa), to be expanded to 10 mtpa in phases. InterOil plans to invest $6 billion in its newest venture. Generally, for investing in any LNG project, companies look to secure around 85% in supply agreements of the total capacity.

After striking preliminary sales pacts with Gunvor, Noble (NYSE: NBL - News) and Philippines' EWC, InterOil has sealed a commitment for 2.3 mtpa. With the ENN deal, whereby InterOil will supply 1 to 1.5 mtpa of LNG for a period of 15 years, the commitment stands at 3.3 mtpa to 3.8 mtpa, just a tad short of 4.25 mtpa or around 85% of the total capacity. So, InterOil is now very close to realizing the project.

The riches
The world's primary energy mix is going through a drastic change, with natural gas the fastest-growing resource and almost coming at par with coal and oil.

The surge in demand is expected to be the steepest in Asia, especially China and India. No wonder, then, that oil companies have been flocking to areas that promise rich natural gas reserves. The South Pacific, with countries like Papua New Guinea and Australia, is one such region. ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP - News) is already working with Australia Pacific LNG, while Chevron (NYSE: CVX - News), Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A - News; NYSE: RDS-B - News) and Apache (NYSE: APA - News) also got a foothold through the Wheatstone LNG project. Exxon (NYSE: XOM - News), too, is setting up an LNG export facility in the Papua New Guinea fields. What adds to the attractiveness of the area is its proximity to the lucrative markets of Asia.

Foolish bottom line
Given the prospects of investing in an LNG project in the South Pacific region, InterOil is on its way to boost its top line. The company has already secured a big percentage of its initial capacity, and is expecting to enter into more supply contracts in the next few months. So, Fools, keep an eye on this one.

To stay updated on InterOil and its future performance, click here.

Fool contributor Amitabha Chakraborty does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned in this article. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Chevron. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/fool/20111228/bs_fool_fool/rx171060

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Mike Munchak Not Interested in Coaching Penn State Football

Jim Wyatt The Tennessean

2:35 p.m. EST, December 28, 2011

Titans Coach Mike Munchak has quashed the rumors about him bolting for Penn State, and he hopes it will be the last time the subject comes up.

"I love my alma mater, but I have no interest in being the head coach at Penn State," Munchak told The Tennessean this morning. "I never want to leave Tennessee. I have a great deal of respect for Penn State and I hope they find a great coach there. But I am happy where I'm at."

It's not the first time Munchak has addressed speculation about Penn State, yet it intensified on Tuesday when several outlets in Pennsylvania reported he remained on the top of the list to replace the fired Joe Paterno.

For more on the story click here.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Wpmt-MorningNews/~3/sgK9nxa2mBg/wpmt-munchak-says-no,0,6957105.story

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Nobody Chosen on the Tennessee Titans for the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl: Local Fan?s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

The Tennessee Titans have it rough.

The Titans had to play the entire 2011-12 regular season without any primetime games on NBC, ESPN or the NFL Network. Yet, the Jacksonville Jaguars (whom hardly anybody outside of Northern Florida cares about, maybe Los Angeles?) were rewarded with two Monday Night Football home games and a Thursday Night game.

So the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl was supposed to be an opportunity for some of the Titans' best players to gain some national exposure. Unfortunately, nobody wants to see any of the Titans' best players. That, or they just haven't seen them play this season.

I'm not surprised. This franchise doesn't get much publicity outside of Middle Tennessee. Chris Johnson may be the only player who exudes a great deal of star power and interest from football fans in other markets. Jared Cook might become that player if offensive coordinator Chris Palmer starts incorporating him into the offense more often.

I have a friend who is a rather loyal football follower. Back in August, I asked him if he could name five players on the Titans' roster. Outside of Matt Hasselbeck and Johnson, he couldn't do more than "That receiver who's always getting busted for weed" and "that guy who tried to rob Andre Johnson on the football field." He did know who Michael Griffin was once I explained to him that he played his college football at the University of Texas.

So were there any Titans who were snubbed? I think there were two players who were borderline choices. Cortland Finnegan and Rob Bironas may have been selected had they played in bigger markets.

Finnegan has played very well this season. The problem is that it doesn't really show up in the stats. I'm not sure that he'd get selected even if he deserved it since he seems to be one of the NFL's most disliked players after his on-field behavior for the past few seasons. He's not a bad guy though: he was chosen as the Titans' Walter Payton Man of the Year for a second consecutive year in 2011.

Bironas had another fantastic season. He's 26-of-29 on the season and he's converted six of seven field goals from 50+ yards. His only miss from beyond 50 yards was a 66-yard attempt against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the regular-season opener. Sebastian Janikowski received the nod over Bironas after converting on 27-of-31 field goals. Janikowski converted on his 63-yard attempt against the Denver Broncos in the regular-season opener.

With young players like Jake Locker, Karl Klug and Colin McCarthy? This trend will hopefully expire sooner than later.

Joshua Huffman graduated from Middle Tennessee State University as a marketing major in 2009. He's been a Middle Tennessee resident from 1986-1988 and 2001-present. He lived in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Wisconsin from 1988-2001 and for approximately eight months in 2009-2010 while completing a 20-game volunteer position with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers. His favorite sports organizations include the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs, and Nashville Predators. He also follows the Tennessee Titans, his favorite AFC team.

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network

The Tennessee Titans and 17 Points to the 2011-12 NFL Season: Local Fan's Review

NFL Injury Update: Houston Texans' Andre Johnson Should Play Against Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans: Fan's Week 17 NFL Pick Against the Spread

Five Players that the Chicago Cubs Should Trade Before 2012 Spring Training: Fan's Wish List

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Source: http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r5670493610

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Using Nomograms to Predict Prostate Cancer Risk

Johns Hopkins Health Alert

If you have just had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening test, the words "Your PSA level is 4" are not particularly welcome. In general, the higher the PSA, the greater the likelihood cancer is present. So a score of 4 ng/mL is likely to sound warning bells for your doctor to order a biopsy, the results of which are used to help confirm or rule out the presence of prostate cancer.

Today, however, a growing number of doctors are questioning the value of using any single PSA value for all men. Instead, they consider the PSA result as just one of many pieces of information that can be used to help determine a man's risk of having prostate cancer that needs treatment.

PSA problems. Experts worry that a PSA screening cutoff of 4 ng/mL is not sufficiently sensitive. The term "sensitivity" describes how good a test is at not missing people who have a condition -- in this case, prostate cancer. This is referred to as a false negative. Many factors, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatic inflammation or even an ejaculation within 72 hours of a PSA test, can cause a false-positive result.

In the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, for example, 7 percent of men who had a PSA level of below 0.5 ng/mL had cancer, and about 12 percent of those cancers were high-grade, aggressive tumors with the potential to become life threatening; among men with a PSA of 3.1 to 4 ng/mL, 27 percent had cancer, and 25 percent of those were high grade. As a result of findings from this and other studies, many doctors now recommend lowering the threshold for a standard biopsy from 4 ng/mL to 2.6 ng/mL to pick up some of the men who were missed by using the higher threshold.

Of course, while lowering the threshold allows for the identification of more men with prostate cancer, it also means that even more men who don't have cancer or who have non-life-threatening disease will be flagged. Those with cancer may be subjected to medical procedures they may not need, especially if they are older and have other medical problems.

Using Nomograms to Predict Prostate Cancer Risk. One answer to these dilemmas may be to combine the PSA test results with additional information from other sources to more accurately diagnose prostate cancer and predict the risk of disease progression.

One method of predicting risk that is gaining popularity is the use of nomograms. A nomogram considers multiple weighted factors to calculate risk. For example, a nomogram that was developed using information from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial attempts to determine your risk of having biopsy-detectable prostate cancer based on information about your race, age, PSA level, family history of prostate cancer, digital rectal examination (DRE) results, whether you've had a biopsy in the past and whether you take finasteride (Proscar).?

Posted in Prostate Disorders on December 22, 2011

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Source: http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/prostate_disorders/PSA-screening_5965-1.html

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Drug kingpin?s bodyguard nabbed in Mexico

By Agence France-Presse
Monday, December 26, 2011

Mexican authorities?on Monday said they had nabbed an alleged lieutenant and bodyguard of Joaquin ?Chapo? Guzman, the billionaire boss of the?Sinaloa drug cartel.

Authorities said the arrest of?Felipe Cabrera, a man with a reputation for violence who is known by the nicknames ?College Grad? and ?Lord of the Mountain Range,? should deal a serious blow to the cartel.

Cabrera ? who was arrested in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state ? was presented to local?media in Mexico City?on Monday.

Army spokesman?Ricardo Trevilla?described Cabrera as a Guzman lieutenant in Durango state and part of Chihuahua state, both in northern?Mexico, who ?was in charge of personal security for ?Guzman? in that area.

Cabrera is believed to be behind secret burials of murder victims, kidnapping, extortion and arson attacks on businesses and homes, authorities say.

More than 45,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since December 2006, when the government of?President Felipe Calderon?launched a military-led crackdown on the cartels.

Guzman ? the most wanted drug boss in Mexico and the United States ? was named earlier this year by Forbes magazine as one of the world?s most powerful people after 10 years on the run.

Born to peasants in Mexico?s legendary northwest drug trafficking state of Sinaloa, Guzman made the Forbes list of the world?s billionaires in 2010, with a fortune of more than $1 billion.

Elsewhere, Mexican troops made a grisly Christmas discovery when they found 13 bodies in a truck in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, authorities said in a statement.

Investigators say the murders are linked to Friday?s discovery of 10 bodies in the town of Tampico Alto, in neighboring Veracruz state, and attacks by gunmen last week on three buses that left 16 people dead.

Two months ago, the government sent police and army reinforcements into Veracruz after an escalation in killings attributed to the bloody feud between the?Sinaloa cartel?and the rival Zetas.

Agence France-Presse

AFP journalists cover wars, conflicts, politics, science, health, the environment, technology, fashion, entertainment, the offbeat, sports and a whole lot more in text, photographs, video, graphics and online.

Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/26/drug-kingpins-bodyguard-nabbed-in-mexico/

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

TV producer won't fight extradition to Mexico (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? A reality show producer charged with murdering his wife during a Mexican vacation is dropping his extradition fight and will stand trial in Cancun, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Bruce Beresford-Redman's attorney said the onetime "Survivor" producer has decided not to appeal a Los Angeles federal court ruling upholding his extradition to Mexico.

"He feels he is not going to prevail on appeal and he'd like to get moving on proving his innocence," said attorney Richard Hirsch.

He said the producer could be sent to Mexico within 60 days following review of the extradition request by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Beresford-Redman, 40, is being held in a Los Angeles federal prison.

Monica Beresford Redman, 42, disappeared from a Cancun resort where the couple was vacationing with their two children last year. Her body was found stuffed in a sewer cistern.

"He is innocent and it is his hope that the court in Mexico will assure that he receives a fair trial in which, he is confident, he will be exonerated," Hirsch said.

The family of Monica Beresford-Redman has said the couple went to Cancun to try to save their marriage. They claim Bruce Beresford-Redman, who is also the co-creator of the series "Pimp My Ride," was having a long-term affair with another woman. His wife, originally from Brazil, owned and operated a restaurant in Los Angeles.

U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez upheld an extradition order earlier this month, saying that there are many pages of competent evidence supporting prosecution claims that the producer killed his wife.

"All of this evidence points to homicide committed by the fugitive," said the judge's ruling.

Prosecutors presented statements from hotel guests who said they heard loud arguing and cries of distress coming from the couple's room on the night Monica Beresford-Redman went missing.

The producer's attorneys have claimed the noises came from Beresford-Redman and his children playing loud games throughout the night. They introduced statements from the couple's 6-year-old daughter to corroborate the claim, but judges who have reviewed the case were not swayed.

Beresford-Redman had been ordered to stay in Mexico after his wife's body was found but he left and returned to his home in Los Angeles. He voluntarily surrendered to U.S. authorities after a warrant was issued in Mexico for his arrest.

Hirsch said that Beresford-Redman's family has been in contact with a Mexican lawyer who will represent him at trial. Mexican courts do not have juries and the producer will be tried by the same judge who issued the warrant for his arrest, Hirsch said.

If he is convicted of aggravated homicide in Mexico, he faces 12 to 30 years in a Mexican prison.

His two small children have been placed in the custody of Beresford-Redman's parents with visitation by their mother's sisters.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111227/ap_on_en_ot/us_producer_s_wife_killed

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Breast Cancer Radiation Linked to Raised Heart Risk (HealthDay)

TUESDAY, Dec. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Women who have breast cancer on the left side of the body and who are treated with radiation therapy have a higher risk of developing narrowing of the arteries that lead to the heart, researchers say.

A new Swedish study found that the risk of having moderately narrowed coronary arteries was more than four times greater for women who had left-sided breast cancers treated with radiation compared to right-sided breast cancers treated with radiation. The odds were seven times higher for more severe narrowing on the left side versus the right, according to the study published in the Dec. 27 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"We suggest that the coronary arteries be regarded as organs at risk in radiation therapy, and that every effort be made to avoid radiation dose to the coronary arteries," wrote study authors led by Dr. Greger Nilsson, of the department of oncology, radiology and clinical immunology at Uppsala University Hospital.

However, it's also important to note that of a group of 8,190 women who had breast cancer, just 199 had to be referred for coronary angiography (a treatment for blocked blood vessels).

"Women need to be aware that there is a risk, but the overall risk is still relatively small, and the benefits of radiation in the treatment of breast cancer still outweigh the risks," said Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Cancer treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy, are designed to destroy cancer cells. Unfortunately, healthy cells are often damaged, too. Treatment techniques are constantly being refined, and today's treatments target fewer healthy cells than treatments from years past.

For example, newer radiation techniques help protect the heart and the arteries leading to it, according to Dr. Timothy Zagar, an assistant professor in radiation oncology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. One such technique is to give bursts of radiation only when a patient is taking a deep breath. During a deep breath, the main artery going to the heart separates from the breast and chest wall, which keeps it away from the radiation.

Zagar, co-author of an accompanying editorial in the same issue of the journal, said researchers don't know exactly how radiation causes damage to coronary arteries, but it's believed to damage the cells lining the arteries (endothelial cells), which causes inflammation, which can lead to hardening of the arteries.

The current study included women from Sweden who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 1970 and 2003. Of the 8,190 women, the researchers found 199 women who had undergone coronary angiography, suggesting significant coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery narrowing (stenosis) is graded on a scale of zero to 5. Zero indicates a healthy blood vessel, while 5 indicates a blocked blood vessel.

When the researchers compared women who'd had radiation treatment on the left side of their body versus the right, they found that the odds of a grade 3 to grade 5 stenosis in a left-sided artery were 4.38 times higher. The odds of a grade 4 or grade 5 stenosis were 7.22 times higher for women who had left-sided breast cancer.

In women who received radiation in high-risk areas near the heart's arteries, the risk of a grade 3 to grade 5 stenosis was nearly twice as high as it was in women who had radiation in low-risk areas, or who didn't have radiation.

Zagar pointed out that this study was done over a long period of time and that changes in the way radiation is delivered would likely result in lower odds of coronary artery stenosis for women treated with radiation today.

In addition, Zagar said, "I don't think this study's findings would justify changing from a lumpectomy [breast-conserving surgery] to a mastectomy [surgical removal of the breast]. Breast-conserving therapy is very important to many women, and the number of coronary events are still low," he added.

"It's important to understand that with all treatments, there are risks," Bernik said. "And, we know that this is one of the risks with radiation of left-sided breast cancer. Women need to keep in mind that they're at increased risk of coronary events and need to follow up with their doctor going forward."

More information

Learn more about radiation treatment for cancer from the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111228/hl_hsn/breastcancerradiationlinkedtoraisedheartrisk

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Our Favorite Celebrity Couples Of 2011

From Britney and Jason to K-Stew and R-Pattz, we look back at the best high-profile pair-ups of the year.
By Jocelyn Vena

Jason Trawick and Britney Spears
Photo: Denise Truscello/ WireImage

From young love to established romantic empires, 2011 was all about PDA. Some of La La Land's most A-list couples weren't shy about flaunting the love they share. From musicians to actors to everyone in between, the last 12 months were all about sharing the love. As the year winds down, MTV News is reflecting on some of our favorite couples of the year.

Britney Spears and Jason Trawick
The couple walked red carpets, gave each other shout-outs at awards shows and even got naked together in Britney's "Criminal" video, but it wasn't until December that they decided to make it official. After two years of dating, Spears and Trawick took their relationship to the next level, with confirmation that Jason put a ring on it. The pair celebrated their love and their impending nuptials in Las Vegas. Their engagement sparked headlines and left Spears "glowing."

Who is your top couple of 2011? Vote in our Newsroom poll!

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez
Summing up Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez's year into a little blurb isn't that easy. They went to events together, and Bieber lavishly rented the Staples Center just to watch "Titanic." And when they weren't chilling out, they were giving shine to each other's hard work. Or bringing each other gifts. Remember when Bieber showed Selena his pet snake, Johnson, at the VMAs? Yes, we knew you wouldn't forget.

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
The two "Twilight" stars seem poised to make our favorite couples lists for years to come. While in years past, they've remained under the radar, this year they came out of their shell and opened up about one another in interviews. Who could forget the time that K-Stew referred to her not-so-mysterious "English" boyfriend in an interview? We're assuming not R-Pattz.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z
OK, so Beyoncé and Jay-Z have been together for, like, an eternity, but it wasn't until this year that the pair really had everyone buzzing. When Beyoncé stepped out at the VMAs, her expanding midsection and flashy performance was the ultimate pregnancy announcement. Jay-Z didn't seem to mind all the attention. He celebrated the baby news in the audience with his pal Kanye West.

Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose
Amber Rose rebounded from her relationship with Kanye West by falling in love with Wiz Khalifa. The couple took the world on their wild relationship ride, from doing interviews together to sparking rumors that they had tied the knot. These two kept everyone talking and they don't seem to mind the attention, or spending lots of time with one another.

Did we forget your favorite couple of 2011? Let us know on Facebook!

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Kim Jong Il's heir meets with SKorean delegation

ALTERNATE CROP OF XWS101 - Lee Hee-ho, wearing glasses, widow of late former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, and Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun, right, prepare to depart from the Inter-Korean Transit Terminal en route to North Korea from the border village of Paju in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), in Paju, South Korea, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. Lee and Hyun are part of a 18 person group allowed by South Korea to attend the Dec. 28 funeral of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

Mourners line up in Kim Il Sung Square to pay respects to late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo)

Mourners react after paying respects to a portrait of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo)

In this Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011 photo released by the Korean Central News Agency and distributed in Tokyo, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011, by the Korea News Service, Kim Jong Un, center, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's youngest known son and successor, visits at Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea, to pay respect to his father. At far left front is Jong Un's uncle Jang Song Thaek. (AP Photo/Korean Central News Agency via Korea News Service) JAPAN OUT UNTIL 14 DAYS AFTER THE DAY OF TRANSMISSION

Mourners line up in Kim Il Sung Square to pay respects to late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo)

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? North Korea's next leader burnished his diplomatic skills Monday, welcoming a private South Korean mourning delegation as state media revealed a new title that gives Kim Jong Un authority over political matters.

Kim Jong Un has rapidly gained prominence since the death of his father Kim Jong Il on Dec. 17, and his brief meeting with a group led by a former South Korean first lady and a prominent business leader shows Seoul that he is assured in his new role.

State media have showered Kim with new titles. On Saturday, the North referred to him as "supreme leader" of the 1.2 million-strong armed forces and said the military's top leaders had pledged their loyalty to him. On Monday, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper described him as head of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party ? a post that appears to make him the top official in the ruling party.

On Monday, a South Korean delegation stood in a line on a red carpet and bowed silently during their visit to the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where Kim Jong Il's body is lying in state in a bier surrounded by flowers and flanked by an honor guard.

Kim Jong Un gave the South Koreans his thanks after they expressed condolences and sympathy, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said. Seoul's Unification Ministry confirmed the meeting in a statement but didn't elaborate.

The lead delegates were the widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who engineered a "sunshine" engagement policy with the North and held a landmark summit with Kim Jong Il in 2000, and Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun, whose late husband had ties to the North.

Their meeting with Kim Jong Un could be intended to push South Korea to pursue previously agreed upon cooperative projects that would give North Korea much-needed aid, said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, which is in South Korea.

Footage from AP Television News in North Korea earlier showed the South Koreans being greeted by North Korean officials during a stop at a factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong. North Korea sent delegations to Seoul when the women's husbands died.

Monday's meeting appeared to be Kim Jong Un's first reported meeting with South Koreans since his father's death.

The Kim family has extended its control over the country of 24 million people to a third generation with Kim Jong Un, who is in his late 20s and was revealed last year as his father's choice among three sons for successor.

Kim Jong Il, who ruled North Korea for 17 years, wielded power as head of three main state organs: the Workers' Party, the Korean People's Army and the National Defense Commission. His father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, remains the nation's "eternal president" long after his 1994 death.

Kim Jong Un was named a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party last year, but was expected to ascend to new military and political posts while being groomed to become the next leader.

Monday's reference to his new title was in commentary in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Workers' Party, urging soldiers to dedicate their lives "to protect the party's Central Committee headed by respected Comrade Kim Jong Un." Rodong Sinmun has also called on the people to become "eternal revolutionary comrades" with Kim Jong Un, "the sun of the 21st century."

The language echoed slogans used years ago to rally support for Kim Jong Il, and made clear the son is quickly moving toward leadership of the Workers' Party, one of the country's highest positions, in addition to the military.

North Korea refers to Kim Il Sung as the "sun" of the nation and his birthday is celebrated as the "Day of the Sun," and state media have sought to emphasize Kim Jong Un's role in carrying out the Kim family legacy throughout his succession movement.

His titles are slight variations of those held by his father, but appear to carry the same weight. It was unclear whether the nation's constitution had been changed to reflect the transfer of leadership as when Kim Jong Il took power after his father's death.

Mourning continued, meanwhile, despite frigid winter weather, in the final days before Kim Jong Il's funeral is set to take place Wednesday and a memorial Thursday.

People continued lining up Monday in central Kim Il Sung Square, where a massive portrait that usually features Kim Il Sung has been replaced by one of Kim Jong Il, to bow before his smiling image and to lay funereal flowers. Heated buses stood by to give mourners a respite from the cold, and hot tea and water were distributed from beverage kiosks.

___

Associated Press writers Foster Klug, Hyung-jin Kim and Jiyoung Won in Seoul, South Korea, and AP Korea bureau chief Jean H. Lee, contributed to this report. Follow AP's Korea coverage at twitter.com/newsjean and twitter.com/APKlug.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-26-AS-Kim-Jong-Il/id-8dddf9f719e74325a9f4732965aeb0dd

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Kim Jong Il's heir meets with SKorean delegation

Mourners line up in Kim Il Sung Square to pay respects to late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo)

Mourners react after paying respects to a portrait of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo)

Mourners line up in Kim Il Sung Square to pay respects to late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Monday, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo)

Monday's meeting appeared to be Kim Jong Un's first reported meeting with South Koreans since his father's death.

Mourning continued, meanwhile, despite frigid winter weather, in the final days before Kim Jong Il's funeral is set to take place Wednesday and a memorial Thursday.

___

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-26-AS-Kim-Jong-Il/id-8dddf9f719e74325a9f4732965aeb0dd

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