Just the job: Careers advice | Manchester Gazette

Jobseekers will be able to get top tips on finding work, try out skilled trades and meet local employers looking for new staff at two events to be hosted by Wigan Council.

People looking for work will be able to get free, expert advice on writing their CVs and how to handle interviews at the careers and skills fairs to be held in Leigh and Wigan. They?ll also be able to try their hand at hairdressing, bricklaying and other skilled professions. And a host of local companies looking to recruit new staff will be present and on the hunt for fresh talent.

Unemployment is in decline in Wigan Borough but council bosses want to do all they can to help those struggling to find work. They?ve teamed up with Wigan and Leigh College and many local employers to host two events aimed at offering practical advice and employment opportunities.

Cllr David Molyneux, deputy leader of Wigan Council, says: ?The employment situation in Wigan Borough is getting better but there are still a lot of people who need help finding work. These two events are designed to offer advice and the opportunity to talk to companies looking to take people on.

?I?m really pleased people will also be able to try out professions they could potentially pursue. We?ve worked with a number of training providers to offer demonstrations in bricklaying, hairdressing and other trades. Jobseekers will be able to give them a go at the events.?

The two events will be held at Leigh Sports Village on Friday 8th of February and at the DW Stadium in Wigan on Friday 15th of March. There is no entrance fee and more details can be found at www.facebook.com/wiganandleighcareers

Stephenson?s Solicitors and the Wigan Youth Zone are among the employers looking to recruit staff who will be attending the events. There will also be opportunities to meet representatives from Wigan Council who are looking to extend their apprenticeship programme. Jobseekers will also be able to sign-up for courses in maths, English and IT.

Source: http://manchestergazette.co.uk/archives/11482

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Fatherhood is real life mentoring. | First Community Bank

Small business is more than the backbone of the U.S. economy; it?s also the heartbeat of American culture. We dedicate this space to the celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit ? which, despite the Recession, is alive and well ? in every community we serve. Salut!

Source: http://blog.firstcommunitysc.com/2013/01/fatherhood-is-real-life-mentoring/

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Photos: Hillary Clinton through the years (CNN)

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Humble nickel from 1913 likely to fetch millions

This image provided by Heritage Auctions shows an authentic 1913 Liberty Head nickel that was hidden in a Virginia closet for 41 years after its owners were mistakenly told it was a fake. The nickel is one of only five known and expected to sell for $2.5 million or more in an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Ill., on April 25, 2013. (AP Photo/courtesy of Heritage Auctions.)

This image provided by Heritage Auctions shows an authentic 1913 Liberty Head nickel that was hidden in a Virginia closet for 41 years after its owners were mistakenly told it was a fake. The nickel is one of only five known and expected to sell for $2.5 million or more in an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Ill., on April 25, 2013. (AP Photo/courtesy of Heritage Auctions.)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) ? A humble 5-cent coin with a storied past is headed to auction and bidding is expected to top $2 million a century after it was mysteriously minted.

The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is one of only five known to exist, but it's the coin's back story that adds to its cachet: It was surreptitiously and illegally cast, discovered in a car wreck that killed its owner, declared a fake, forgotten in a closet for decades and then found to be the real deal.

It is expected to fetch $2.5 million or more when it goes on the auction block April 25 in suburban Chicago.

"Basically a coin with a story and a rarity will trump everything else," said Douglas Mudd, curator of the American Numismatic Association Money Museum in Colorado Springs, Colo., which has held the coin for most of the past 10 years. He expects it could bring more than Heritage Auction's estimate, perhaps $4 million and even up to $5 million.

"A lot of this is ego," he said of collectors who could bid for it. "I have one of these and nobody else does."

The sellers who will split the money equally are four Virginia siblings who never let the coin slip from their hands, even when it was deemed a fake.

The nickel made its debut in a most unusual way. It was struck at the Philadelphia mint in late 1912, the final year of its issue, but with the year 1913 cast on its face ? the same year the beloved Buffalo Head nickel was introduced.

Mudd said a mint worker named Samuel W. Brown is suspected of producing the coin and altering the die to add the bogus date.

The coins' existence wasn't known until Brown offered them for sale at the American Numismatic Association Convention in Chicago in 1920, beyond the statute of limitations. The five remained together under various owners until the set was broken up in 1942.

A North Carolina collector, George O. Walton, purchased one of the coins in the mid-1940s for a reported $3,750. The coin was with him when he was killed in a car crash on March 9, 1962, and it was found among hundreds of coins scattered at the crash site.

One of Walton's heirs, his sister, Melva Givens of Salem, Va., was given the 1913 Liberty nickel after experts declared the coin a fake because of suspicions the date had been altered. The flaw probably happened because of Brown's imprecise work casting the planchet ? the copper and nickel blank disc used to create the coin.

"For whatever reason, she ended up with the coin," her daughter, Cheryl Myers, said.

Melva Givens put the coin in an envelope and stuck it in a closet, where it stayed for the next 30 years until her death in 1992.

The coin caught the curiosity of Cheryl Myers' brother, Ryan Givens, the executor of his mother's estate. "He'd take it out and look at it for long periods of time," she said.

Givens said a family attorney had heard of the famous 1913 Liberty nickels and asked if he could see the Walton coin. "He looked at it and he told me he'd give me $5,000 for it right there," he said, declining an offer he could not accept without his siblings' approval.

Finally, they brought the coin to the 2003 American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money in Baltimore, where the four surviving 1913 Liberty nickels were being exhibited. A team of rare coin experts concluded it was the long-missing fifth coin. Each shared a small imperfection under the date.

"The sad part is my mother had it for 30 years and she didn't know it," Cheryl Myers said. "Knowing our mother, she probably would have invested it for us. She always put her children first."

Since its authentication, the Walton nickel has been on loan to the Colorado Springs museum and has been publicly exhibited nationwide.

The coin will be up for grabs at a rare coin and currency auction.

Todd Imhof, executive vice president of Heritage, said the nickel would likely attract lofty bids that only a handful of coins have achieved at auction. That includes $8 million paid for a 1933 double eagle, a $20 gold coin, or the world-record $10 million paid Jan. 24 for a 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollar.

"This is a trophy item that sort of transcends the hobby," he said. "It's an interesting part of American history and there are collectors who look for something like this."

Ryan Givens said he's not keen on selling the nickel.

"First of all, it had been in the family for so long," he said. "It's not like something you found in a flea market or something you just found."

Cheryl Myers said they're often asked why they held on to the coin for a decade after they learned it was authentic instead of immediately cashing it in.

"It was righting a 40-year-old wrong," she wrote in an email. By allowing the American Numismatic Museum to display it for the past decade, it was honoring Walton's wishes.

"It has been quite a ride," she said.

___

Steve Szkotak can be reached on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sszkotakap .

___

Online:

American Numismatic Association: http://www.money.org/

Heritage Auctions: http://www.HA.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-01-29-Million%20Dollar%20Nickel/id-b36168b22cfa4acd9eaf5efd287bfd9a

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Glial cells assist in the repair of injured nerves

Jan. 28, 2013 ? Unlike the brain and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system has an astonishing capacity for regeneration following injury. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in G?ttingen have discovered that, following nerve damage, peripheral glial cells produce the growth factor neuregulin1, which makes an important contribution to the regeneration of damaged nerves.

From their cell bodies to their terminals in muscle or skin, neuronal extensions or axons in the peripheral nervous system are surrounded along their entire length by glial cells. These cells, which are known as Schwann cells, envelop the axons with an insulating sheath called myelin, which enables the rapid transmission of electrical impulses. Following injury to a peripheral nerve, the damaged axons degenerate. After a few weeks, however, they regenerate and are then recovered with myelin by the Schwann cells. For thus far unexplained reasons, however, the Schwann cells do not manage to regenerate the myelin sheaths completely. Thus the function of damaged nerves often remains permanently impaired and certain muscles remain paralysed in affected patients.

In a current research study, the scientists have succeeded in showing that the growth factor neuregulin1 supports nerve repair and the redevelopment of the myelin layer. This protein is usually produced by neurons and is localised on axons where it acts as an important signal for the maturation of Schwann cells and myelin formation. Because the axons rapidly degenerate after injury, the remaining Schwann cells lose their contact with the axons. They thus lack the neuregulin1 signal of the nervous fibres. "In the phase following nerve damage, in which the axons are missing, the Schwann cells must carry out many tasks without the help of axonal signals. If the Schwann cells cannot overcome this first major obstacle in the aftermath of nerve injury, the nerve cannot be adequately repaired," explains Ruth Stassart, one of the study authors.

To prevent this, the Schwann cells themselves take over the production of the actual neuronal signal molecule. After nerve damage, they synthesise the neuregulin1 protein until the axons have grown again. With the help of genetically modified mice, the researchers working on this study were able to show that the neuregulin1 produced in Schwann cells is necessary for the new maturation of the Schwann cells and the regeneration of the myelin sheath after injury. "In mice that lack the neuregulin1 gene in their Schwann cells, the already incomplete nerve regeneration process is extensively impaired," explains co-author Robert Fledrich.

The researchers would now like to examine in greater detail how the Schwann cells contribute to the complete repair of myelinated axons after nerve damage, so that this information can also be used for therapeutic purposes.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Ruth M Stassart, Robert Fledrich, Viktorija Velanac, Bastian G Brinkmann, Markus H Schwab, Dies Meijer, Michael W Sereda, Klaus-Armin Nave. A role for Schwann cell?derived neuregulin-1 in remyelination. Nature Neuroscience, 2012; 16 (1): 48 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3281

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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/health_medicine/genes/~3/HRvmYNurR2M/130128133820.htm

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Cadavers honored in med student dissection lab

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., medical student Jimmy Beasley, left, speaks with Joan Terry, about her sister, donor Judy A. Clemens, after a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., medical student Jimmy Beasley, left, speaks with Joan Terry, about her sister, donor Judy A. Clemens, after a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., family members watch as a medical student lights a candle atop the remains of their grandfather, donor William N. Kelly, during a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., A military honor guard folds the flag of a Viet Nam veteran and anonymous donor, during a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., Linsdey Ellingsen, granddaughter of donor William N. Kelly, wipes a tear from her eye as a song is sung during a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

In this photo taken Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, in Gary, Ind., medical student Sarah F. Shaaban reads from the Quran during a memorial service for bodies donated to science at Indiana University School of Medicine - Northwest. During the hour long service, relatives of donors gather around the steel tables where their loved ones were dissected along with the medical students who worked on the bodies during the previous semester. The students read letters of appreciation, clergy offer prayers, and tears are shed. The program is geared towards teaching the medical students that this is not merely a cadaver, but a person, and their first patient. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

GARY, Ind. (AP) ? When medical students have finished their study and practice on cadavers, they often hold a respectful memorial service to honor these bodies donated to science.

But the ceremonies at one medical school have a surreal twist: Relatives gather around the cold steel tables where their loved ones were dissected and which now hold their remains beneath metal covers. The tables are topped with white or burgundy-colored shrouds, flags for military veterans, flowers and candles.

The mixture of grace and goth at the Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest campus might sound like a scene straight out filmmaker Tim Burton's quirky imagination. Yet, despite the surrounding shelves of medical specimens and cabinets of human bones, these dissection lab memorials are more moving than macabre.

The medical students join the families in the lab and read letters of appreciation about the donors, a clergy member offers prayers, and tears are shed.

Family members are often squeamish about entering that room. This year's ceremony was last Friday, and relatives of one of the six adult donors being honored chose not to participate. And some who did attend had mixed feelings.

Joan Terry of Griffith, Ind., came to honor her sister, Judy Clemens, who died in 2011 at age 51 after a long battle with health problems including multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis. Terry said she felt a little hesitant about being in the dissection lab and was relieved that nothing too graphic was visible.

"I was kind of looking forward to coming," Terry said. "This is ... like a closure. I know Judy's not with us anymore. I know that she's dancing on the streets of gold in heaven. She's probably smiling knowing that her body's helping other people, helping these young doctors learn something about her, because that's what she wanted. That's the type of person that she was. She was always giving."

More than three dozen students, donors' relatives and campus staff members crowded the anatomy lab during Friday's memorial, surrounding the tables and standing solemnly along the room's perimeter. Some dabbed their eyes as prayers and remembrances were said, but faces were mostly stoic and there was no sobbing. The lab's usual odor of formaldehyde was strangely absent, masked perhaps by the sweet aroma of bouquets decorating the cadaver tables.

Some donors' relatives wore formal funeral attire. Terry, noting her plain pink T-shirt, said her sister wasn't a fancy person, either. Terry closed her eyes and struggled not to cry during the service, saying beforehand that Clemens "would be upset if I did."

Abdullah Malik, a medical student who worked on Judy Clemens, thanked her in a letter he read aloud during the ceremony.

"To have the courage and fortitude to endure as much as she did is a testament to her strength and an inspiration to us all," he read, standing next to Clemens' sister beside the dissection table holding Clemens' remains.

Ernest Talarico Jr., an assistant professor and director of anatomy coursework, created the unusual program and began holding the laboratory ceremonies in 2007. The cadavers are considered the medical students' first patients, and students are encouraged to have contact with the donors' families during the semester, too.

At other medical schools, donated bodies remain anonymous and students never meet the families. Talarico said his program humanizes the learning experience.

Talarico views the services as life-affirming and a chance to give thanks. The education these donated bodies have provided is invaluable, he says, teaching doctors-to-be how the body works, and what causes things to go wrong.

"We look at it as a celebration of the lives of those individuals and the gift that they have given to us," Talarico said.

He considers the location fitting.

"I think it is appropriate in that we honor them in the setting in which they desired to give what they viewed as their last gift to humanity," he said.

Malik, the medical student, said knowing the donors' identities and meeting their families enriches the students' medical education.

"Once you put a name and a face to the body that you're working with, once you kind of put an identity to it, you kind of connect to it in a really meaningful and powerful way," he said.

Medical student Kyle Parker said he admired the donors' relatives for showing up, and wondered if he were in their shoes, "would I be willing to meet the people who have actually dissected my family member?"

Parker said he hopes the answer would be yes.

___

Online:

Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest: http://iusm-nw.medicine.iu.edu

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at: http://www.Twitter.com/LindseyTanner

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-01-29-Cadaver%20Memorial/id-015833758b8a440bbea0198148c2bd7d

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S&P 500 eases, ends longest winning run in eight years

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 eased slightly on Monday after an eight-day run of gains, while the Nasdaq edged higher as Apple shares rebounded.

The index remained above 1,500, however, after closing above that level on Friday for the first time in more than five years. The S&P 500's eight sessions of gains was its longest winning streak in eight years.

Caterpillar shares helped limit losses on the Dow industrials even as the company posted a 55 percent drop in quarterly profit due to a charge connected with accounting fraud at a Chinese subsidiary and weak demand among its dealers. Caterpillar's shares, down 2.2 percent in the past three sessions, rose 2 percent Monday to $97.45.

"I think this multi-year high is really something that's in play both for shorter-term traders and with folks with money on the sidelines," said Bucky Hellwig, senior vice president at BB&T Wealth Management in Birmingham, Alabama.

Bargain hunters lifted Apple after the tech giant's stock dropped 14.4 percent in the previous two sessions. With Apple's stock up 2.3 percent at $449.83, the iPad and iPhone maker regained the title as the largest U.S. company by market capitalization as Exxon Mobil fell 0.7 percent to $91.11 and slipped back to second place.

On the down side, Boeing fell 1.4 percent to $74 on worries about the potential hit from delays in its 787 Dreamliner program.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was down 14.05 points, or 0.10 percent, at 13,881.93. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was down 2.78 points, or 0.18 percent, at 1,500.18. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was up 4.59 points, or 0.15 percent, at 3,154.30.

Investors poured $55 billion in new cash into stock mutual funds and exchange-traded funds in January, the biggest monthly inflow on record, research provider TrimTabs Investment Research said.

"What we have seen this year is, it appears the individual investor is allocating some 401(k) money to equities. Hopefully that's a decision that will be with us for a while," Hellwig said.

Data on Monday pointed to growing economic momentum as companies sensed improved consumer demand.

U.S. durable goods orders jumped 4.6 percent in December, a pace that far outstripped expectations for a rise of 1.8 percent. Pending home sales, however, unexpectedly dropped 4.3 percent. Analysts were looking for an increase of 0.3 percent.

Corporate earnings so far have mostly been stronger than expected. Thomson Reuters data showed that of the 150 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings so far, 67.3 percent have beaten analysts' expectations, which is a higher proportion than over the past four quarters and above the average since 1994.

After the bell, shares of Yahoo rose 4.4 percent to $21.21 following the release of its results.

During the regular session, Hess Corp shares shot up 6.1 percent to $62.48 after the company said it would exit its refining business, freeing up to $1 billion of capital. Separately, hedge fund Elliott Associates is looking for approval to buy about $800 million more in Hess stock.

Stocks have also gained support from a recent agreement in Washington to extend the government's borrowing power. On Monday, Fitch Ratings said that agreement removed the near-term risk to the country's 'AAA' rating.

Volume was roughly 6.1 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT, compared with the 2012 average daily closing volume of about 6.45 billion.

Decliners outpaced advancers on the NYSE by nearly 4 to 3, while advancers beat decliners on the Nasdaq by about 7 to 5.

(Additional reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Jan Paschal and Nick Zieminski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-index-futures-signal-slight-gains-104646069--finance.html

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Senate Takes First Step on Immigration With Bi-Partisan Plan ...

A bipartisan group of prominent senators, four Republicans and four Democrats, will announce a plan for an immigration law overhaul today. The framework, released early to reporters, includes a tightly controlled route to citizenship for many undocumented immigrants and additional immigration enforcement measures on the border and in workplaces.

The blueprint comes a day before President Obama is expected to give a speech on immigration reform in Las Vegas. Together, the plan and the president?s speech will push comprehensive immigration reform into high gear.

Democratic Senators Dick Durbin of Illinois, Chuck Schumer of New York, Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado will join Republicans Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Marco Rubio of Florida. The group, which has been meeting since after the 2012 elections to draft the plan, will discuss their proposal at a press conference in Washington this afternoon.

The ?framework? is intended to serve as a set of guiding principles for a comprehensive immigration reform legislation that members of Congress expect will be introduced in March.

The plan is a mix of legal immigration programs for undocumented immigrants and additional immigration enforcement measures. The path to citizenship will kick in only after additional border security and visa entry controls are implemented.

Immigrants under the plan would be required to pay back taxes, fines and other penalties and learn English before they can apply for permanent status. Applicants will also have to show they are currently employed. Those who have been convicted of crimes or are found otherwise ineligible for visas will be susceptible to deportation. It?s not clear now many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the country would be excluded because of these restrictions.

To accommodate conservatives who have long demanded increased border security before agreeing to a path to citizenship, the framework states clearly that the process to gain permanent immigration status will begin only ?[o]nce the enforcement measures have been completed.?

Those measures include new security on the border in the form of drones and surveillance and additional border guards sent to the areas between border crossing checkpoints. ?The purpose is to substantially lower the number of successful illegal border crossings while continuing to facilitate commerce,? the senators wrote.

Many liberals and rights groups have resisted additional enforcement in light of the massive buildup of border security measures and investment during the Obama administration. More money is currently spent on border control and more border guards currently patrol the region than ever before.

Democratic congressional staffers involved with drafting the proposal say they were not thrilled with the additional border security provisions, but, one aide said, ?If we need some more [unmanned aerial vehicles] to get 11 million people legalized, we?ll take that.?

The framework includes language requiring that border patrol guards be trained to prevent racial profiling and inappropriate use of force.

It?s not clear from the framework how the legislation will determine how much new enforcement is enough before unauthorized immigrants can gain permanent status. In the past, Republicans have used demands for more enforcement to derail reform efforts.

The senators were clear in the language that the path to citizenship will be a long one for most undocumented immigrants. Those living in the U.S. without authorization ?will only receive a green card after every individual who is already waiting in line for a green card, at the time this legislation is enacted, has received their green card,? the document reads.

Currently, it can take more than two decades for those applying for permanent immigration status to gain citizenship. Democratic Senate staffers involved in drafting the plan say the only way to make a system work that requires applicants to go to the ?back of the line? would be to expand the number of available visas.

The senators make two important exemptions to the lengthy citizenship path. Young people who came to the U.S. as kids, the groups referred to as DREAMers, ?will not face the same requirements as other individuals in order to earn a path to citizenship.?

Similarly, agricultural workers would be offered a clearer path to citizenship under a bill based on these proposals.

?Individuals who have been working without legal status in the United States agricultural industry have been performing very important and difficult work to maintain America?s food supply while earning subsistence wages,? the framework reads. ?Due to the utmost importance in our nation maintaining the safety of its food supply, agricultural workers who commit to the long term stability of our nation?s agricultural industries will be treated differently than the rest of the undocumented population.?

The plan calls for expanding the number of green cards for immigrants with a PhD or master?s degree in science, technology, engineering, or math from a U.S. university. The senators also agreed that a bill would need to reduce backlogs for family and employment-based visas that can currently take years and keep families separated for long periods of time.

Vague language for an expanded program for new immigrants seeking work in the U.S. is also part of the framework. Whether this will be a so-called guest-worker program is not clear. Unions and worker?s rights groups have long resisted guest worker programs that lack strong protections for workers. In apparent recognition of this tension, the section of the framework dedicated to such a program is titled, ?Admitting New Workers and Protecting Worker?s Rights.?

An additional part of the plan would mandate that employers check the immigration status of prospective hires ?through non-forgeable electronic means prior to obtaining employment.? In past years, employer verification proposals have included a national identity card. Civil liberties groups have resisted these kinds of programs.

The release of the framework puts the Senate group ahead of President Obama, who will present his own immigration platform. The president?s proposal is likely to be to the left of the bi-partisan groups, though not significantly. Meanwhile, some Republicans have vowed to introduce their own piecemeal immigration legislation, though Senator Marco Rubio?s inclusion in the group of senators may undercut that approach. Rubio, a prominent Republican, has previously proposed a multi-part immigration reform fix but appears to have agreed to an omnibus proposal.

Senate aides say they?ll now turn to drafting an actual bill, which will likely arrive in the Senate Judiciary Committee in March. Advocates for immigration reform, meanwhile, are keeping the pressure on. Rallies are scheduled in cities cross the country to demand action on a broad immigration reform bill that includes a clear path to citizenship.

Source: http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/01/bi-partisan_senate_group_releases_immigration_plan_kicks_reform_into_high_gear.html

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Two of the Most Powerful Ways to Market Your Copywriting Services

I want to share with you the two most powerful marketing methods I?ve found for the copywriter. And they are (drum roll please)?direct mail and? networking!
In my coaching program I have my students go through an intensive 24-session web/mail marketing program that gets them the high quality leads they need for financial and professional [...]

The article starts below...

Written on January 28th, 2013
Read more articles on Copywriting.

I want to share with you the two most powerful marketing methods I?ve found for the copywriter. And they are (drum roll please)?direct mail and? networking!

In my coaching program I have my students go through an intensive 24-session web/mail marketing program that gets them the high quality leads they need for financial and professional success.

However, as one of my previous students recently reminded me, networking is also a very strong marketing tool.

In fact, it was networking that got me my first clients, and it was direct mail that got me the right clients during the second phase of my freelance career.

Here?s what you need to know about networking?

Rule number one: Avoid the Chamber of Commerce!

Almost every copywriter I know (including me), automatically puts the Chamber of Commerce on the short list of good places to network. And almost every copywriter (myself included), is disappointed with the results.

Now I?m not saying the local Chamber is always a losing proposition; I have one past student who said Chamber networking paid off for him, but 99 percent of the copywriters I talk with agree the businesses found there are just too small (and usually clueless about direct marketing).

What?s more, the Chamber is comprised of many types of business, so niching is not possible.

It is much better to go to events and meetings that focus on marketing, like those of a local Direct Marketing Association and American Marketing Association. This is where you?ll find marketing directors, direct marketers, and marketing-related vendors likely to have a high interest in copywriting services.

When I first started my freelance career I joined the Oregon Direct Marketing Association and took every opportunity I could to get my name known.

I wrote the newsletter (and placed a free ad in the classifieds); I wrote the press releases and I accepted responsibilities for putting on the yearly conference. I even gave a speech on the proper elements of a good sales letter. And I put myself on the board.

All of this led to my first freelance clients: mini-cataloger and manufacturer Stash Tea, LawnPro, a small landscape maintenance firm, and an ad agency that locked me in a tiny room on site, as though to prevent me from making a personal call on their dime. Not the best clients, but it gave me my start.

Over the years, technology has made niche marketing the smart way to go, and for that reason I also highly recommend that you seek groups, organizations, trade shows, and associations that pertain to your niche.

Another one of my current students is niching into a very specialized area of the alternative health field. Within her unique niche she?s found huge trade shows she can attend, and is now making calls to vendors to introduce herself and let them know she?ll be stopping by their booth. The positive response she?s been getting has us both very excited!

Many copywriters find it difficult to network simply because they live remotely. For them, I like to point out online alternatives.

For instance, as a specialist in software who lives in California?s remote Palm Desert (near Palm Springs), I must seek online opportunities to network.

To this end I?ve participated in marketing forums on SoftwareCEO, a popular site for software execs. And I?ve also written articles for its newsletter.

I can report that networking on SoftwareCEO has paid off nicely, as a large chunk of last year?s income came from a client who saw my name there.

Online networking has another plus, and that?s that it?s an especially attractive route to take if you?re shy and have a difficult time of meeting people.

With online networking, all you have to do is answer a question, provide an opinion, or share a resource. It takes just a few minutes, you don?t have to dress up, or travel anywhere, and it doesn?t cost a thing!

In summary, there are many ways for copywriters to market themselves. Public speaking, writing articles, cold calling, running ads, and so on.

But most copywriters have neither the time nor the finances for multiple marketing efforts; most pick one or two methods that appeal to them, and work hard at making them effective.

One thing is sure: I wouldn?t be where I am now without networking. I found my copywriting mentor via networking and he taught me everything he knew.

With networking I made the connections that got me an agency job that changed the course of my career?and my life.

Reflecting on what networking has done for my career, I must wholeheartedly encourage my ambitious freelance friends to take advantage of its benefits.

I?ve often thought that in any business, it?s the people who make things happen. With networking, you can capitalize on this truism. You can develop relationships that last a lifetime?gain experiences that greatly impact your career?and enjoy rewards far beyond your initial imagination.

I encourage you to find networking opportunities, both online and off. Network consistently and I guarantee that when you?re ?fat and happy,? you?ll attribute some of your success to networking.

About the Author

Master copywriter and coach Chris Marlow publishes a free ezine for copywriters who want to quickly build a profitable business. Visit: FreelancersBusinessBulletin

Written on January 28th, 2013
Read more articles on Copywriting.

Source: http://www.copywritinghelp.net/copywriting/two-of-the-most-powerful-ways-to-market-your-copywriting-services-10/

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Hacker group hijacks U.S. government website

Activists from the hacker collective known as Anonymous assumed control over the homepage of a Department of Justice agency this morning.

In a manifesto left on the defaced page, the group demanded reform to the American justice system and what the activists said are threats to the free flow of information.

The lengthy essay largely mirrors previous demands from Anonymous, but this time the group also cited the recent suicide of Reddit co-founder and activist Aaron Swartz as has having "crossed a line" for the group. Swartz was facing up to 35 years in prison on computer fraud charges.

Prosecutors said he had stolen thousands of digital scientific and academic journal articles from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the goal of disseminating them for free.

Read More: Aaron Swartz' Death Fuels MIT Probe, White House Petition to Oust Prosecutor

Anonymous says Swartz was "killed because he was forced into playing a game he could not win - a twisted and distorted perversion of justice - a game where the only winning move was not to play."

"There must be a return to proportionality of punishment with respect to actual harm caused," it reads, also mentioning recent arrests of Anonymous associates by the FBI.

In their statement, the hackers say they targeted the homepage of the Federal Sentencing Commission for "symbolic" reasons.

The group claimed that if their demands were not met they would release a trove of embarassing internal Justice Department documents to media outlets. Anonymous named the files after Supreme Court justices and provided links to them; an attempt by CNN to follow the links yielded dead-ends, mostly offline sites.

The file names use an ".aes256? suffix, denoting a common encryption protocol. The same system was used to encrypt the Wikileaks Afghan war documents before their release.

As of press time, the commission webpage had been taken down.

Also Read

Source: http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/anonymous-hijacks-federal-website-threatens-doj-document-dump-174943824--abc-news-politics.html

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Change Your Life With These Great Self Help Tips!

This article has been viewed 3 times.

You should always be focusing on your personal development. Whether it be healthy living or developing better financial habits, self-growth is smart. You should always strive to be a better person, all throughout your life. There?s always some area of your life you can improve, so don?t be complacent. Establishing good habits will make your life more enjoyable and beneficial!

Do you frequently consume alcohol? Are you a smoker? What activities do you engage in that have negative effects on your body? Your body is sacred, and you have to learn to respect it. If you want to make enhancements to your lifestyle, eliminating bad habits is a big part of this. Look at some of the habits you have and evaluate if there is anything you can change for the better.

It is important to treat your body well and listen to its signals. Get regular exercise and eat a healthy diet. If you feel sick, see your doctor to find out what the problem is so it can be corrected. Listen to what your body has to say. Start to listen to what your body is telling you, and act on what you?re hearing. You?ll become better attuned, and the result will be better overall self improvement. Ignoring those needs may cause your body to ignore you.

Willpower often plays a major role in increasing the good aspects in your life; your wishes for others may also be what befalls you. Try to only want good things to happen to other people. When you look on the bright side, it is harder for negative emotions and unfortunate events to ruin your mood.

TIP! Instead of bragging abut your achievements and awards, ask other people about what they have accomplished that they are most proud of. This will enable you to learn about others and to develop a great deal of respect for the people around you.

Put your core principles into practice. Everyone has basic principles by which they define themselves. Sticking to your core values will help your self esteem, if you?ve got a strong foundation to rely on. This will also help you develop consistency.

Place value on the best when it comes to self improvement. You should always strive to do your best in all aspects of your life.

In terms of self improvement, the experience of failure may feel disheartening and decrease self esteem. Remember, that even failure is something you can use to improve yourself. You will now know how to deal with the situation and what your weaknesses are. Looking at it this way, failure is a source of pride, because you?ve unlocked another piece of the puzzle when it comes to your development.

Exercise can benefit almost anyone, even those who are not trying to shed excess weight. There are a variety of great reasons to exercise. Exercising causes the release of endorphins that make you feel happier and less irritable.

TIP! Begin your personal development program by focusing on the things that are most important to you. Not only will you find information on being successful, but you will also learn about mistakes that others have already made and be able to avoid them.

Aim to make each day better than its predecessor. Always work towards making improvements. Try your hardest to achieve something different today than what you achieved yesterday.

Determine which aspects of your life you truly value, and concentrate solely on those. By concentrating on those things that you cherish and appreciate, you?re less likely to be pessimistic and to brood over adverse situations that are of little consequence.

Go with a friend to see a movie you enjoy. This gets you out into a social setting, but does not require you to socialize to the point where you are uncomfortable. This will help get you used to being in the same vicinity with lots of different people.

Seeing a counselor or therapist can be beneficial. They have a great deal of experience in dealing with personal thoughts and are even licensed to do so. Professionals will be able to help you consider all your options and give you more information about available resources. Talking these issues through with someone who is a professional will help you be healthier and happier in the long term.

TIP! When you find yourself feeling extremely angry, before you say anything, slowly count to the number ten. Breathe deeply and transport yourself to a tranquil place.

It may become discouraging to begin developing better personal habits and lifestyles, but once you start noticing your life developing towards a better future, you will never want to stop. You can always develop better ways to do things and it?s important to always try hard towards any self improvement goals you have.

For more information visit Self Improvement.

Source: http://www.findinfo.co.nz/change-your-life-with-these-great-self-help-tips-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=change-your-life-with-these-great-self-help-tips-2

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Turkish PM criticizes pre-trial detentions of military officers

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the lengthy pre-trial detention of hundreds of military officers, suggesting it was sapping army morale just as Ankara vows to keep up pressure on Kurdish militants.

During his 10 years in power, Erdogan, whose party has moderate Islamist roots, has brought to heel the once all-powerful armed forces, which see themselves as guardians of secularism and regularly intervened in politics and carried out coups in previous decades.

Hundreds of serving and retired officers, including 20 percent of military generals, have been jailed pending trial since 2005 on conspiracy charges and plotting to overthrow the government.

But as initial public support for the investigations dwindles, with critics and even sympathizers saying cases have spiraled out of control, Erdogan has distanced himself from the trials.

"There are now close to 400 retired and serving officers inside. The most serious are accused of forming organizations or belonging to one. If the provisions for these are certain, then finish the job," Erdogan said late on Friday.

"But if there isn't certainty, then the hundreds of officers should be treated accordingly. This disrupts the entire morale of the Turkish armed forces. How can these people then fight terror?" he said in an interview with Turkish television.

While Erdogan has received praise for bringing the military under civilian control, the years defendants are spending in prison without conviction has raised fears the trials are a political witch hunt aimed at silencing opposition.

The first large-scale convictions came last September after a 21-month trial when more than 300 officers were handed prison sentences for plotting to topple Erdogan's government almost a decade ago. Hundreds more are still in jail awaiting trial.

Around 100 journalists are also in prison, as well as thousands of activists, lawyers, politicians and others. Most are accused of plotting against the government or supporting outlawed Kurdish militants.

Parliament voted to abolish the special courts used in coup conspiracy cases last July after Erdogan criticized prosecutors for acting as if they were "a different power within the state".

But the end of the special courts, established by Erdogan's government in 2005, will not affect existing prosecutions of the hundreds of military officers already in jail.

MILITANTS

Erdogan's latest comments also come after one of the most violent summers in three decades, with security forces locked in almost daily battles with militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and at a time of heightened tension with Syria.

Turkey has been one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's fiercest critics and has seen violence from the war in its southern neighbor spill into its own territory. While Ankara does not want to get sucked further into the conflict, it has threatened cross-border military action if needed.

Turkey's conscript army is the second largest in NATO.

The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Ankara, the United States and the European Union, took up arms in 1984 and more than 40,000 people, mostly Kurds, have been killed since then.

The state-run Anatolian news agency reported on Saturday the military killed more than 1,500 "terrorists" inside and outside Turkey last year, citing the country's general staff. Turkish warplanes regularly launch air strikes on PKK targets in northern Iraq, where the guerrillas have bases.

Reuters could not independently verify the militant death tolls and Turkey's military rarely talks to the media.

Security forces, including army and police, have taken heavy casualties over the past year with PKK militants stepping up attacks on convoys and outposts.

Hopes of an end to the conflict grew, however, after the government acknowledged state intelligence officials were talking to jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.

While backing moves toward peace, Erdogan has vowed military operations will continue until the PKK disarms, a stance Kurdish politicians say undermines efforts to build trust.

(Writing by Jonathon Burch; Editing by Jason Webb)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/turkish-pm-criticizes-pre-trial-detentions-military-officers-191645332.html

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Free Natural Pet Ebook: Natural Help for Hoof Problems in Horses ...

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About Dee Braun

Dee is an Adv. Certified Aromatherapist, Reiki Master, Adv. Color/Crystal Therapist, Herbalist, Dr. of Reflexology and single mom who is dedicated to helping others any way she can. One way she chooses to help is by offering information on the benefits and uses of natural health and healing methods for the well-being of both people and pets. Dee also teaches Aromatherapy, Reflexology and Color/Crystal Therapy at the Alternative Healing Academy

Source: http://www.natural-holistic-health.com/free-natural-pet-ebook-natural-help-for-hoof-problems-in-horses/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=free-natural-pet-ebook-natural-help-for-hoof-problems-in-horses

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Senate leaders reach deal modifying filibuster rules, keep 60-vote hurdle (Washington Post)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/279463435?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Silver and Gold Prices: The Gold Price Lost $13.10 Closing Near the ...

Gold Price Close Today : 1,656.40
Gold Price Close 18-Jan-13 : 1,686.60
Change : -30.20 or -1.8%

Silver Price Close Today : 31.18
Silver Price Close 18-Jan-13 : 31.90.2
Change : -0.722 or -2.3%

Gold Silver Ratio Today : 53.124
Gold Silver Ratio 18-Jan-13 : 52.868
Change : 0.26 or 0.5%

Silver Gold Ratio : 0.01882
Silver Gold Ratio 18-Jan-13 : 0.01891
Change : -0.00009 or -0.5%

Dow in Gold Dollars : $ 173.11
Dow in Gold Dollars 18-Jan-13 : $ 167.30
Change : $5.81 or 3.5%

Dow in Gold Ounces : 8.374
Dow in Gold Ounces 18-Jan-13 : 8.093
Change : 0.28 or 3.5%

Dow in Silver Ounces : 444.86
Dow in Silver Ounces 18-Jan-13 : 427.86
Change : 17.00 or 4.0%

Dow Industrial : 13,870.75
Dow Industrial 18-Jan-13 : 13,649.70
Change : 221.05 or 1.6%

S&P 500 : 1,500.67
S&P 500 18-Jan-13 : 1,485.98
Change : 14.69 or 1.0%

US Dollar Index : 79.748
US Dollar Index 18-Jan-13 : 80.030
Change : -0.282 or -0.4%

Platinum Price Close Today : 1,693.90
Platinum Price Close 18-Jan-13 : 1,672.10
Change : 21.80 or 1.3%

Palladium Price Close Today : 740.25
Palladium Price Close 18-Jan-13 : 722.00
Change : 18.25 or 2.5%

The GOLD PRICE lost $13.10 today to close near the low at $1,656.40. Silver lost 51.5 cents to 3118c.

The silver and GOLD PRICE are not at a point -- $1,655 and 3100c -- where they must either catch or fall further, to $1,640 and 2975c.

Clearly, jumping over $1,700 will take some work.

Looking at it through the optimist's lens, today's gold retreat did no more than take gold down for a final kiss good-bye to the downtrend line from the high from mid-November. That's $1,656. Final kiss good-bye, I remind y'all, occurs after a market breaks through resistance, peaks, then corrects and touches back to that resistance line before it once again takes off.

I've been through these long soul-harrowing times before. You think metals have begun to take off again, only to disappoint you again. It can last a long time. Why shouldn't silver and gold go lower? The low on 4 January was too complete from a lot of angles. Most likely outcome will see silver and gold trading sideways next week, then attempting that $1,700 mark in a week or two.

Y'all think this is bad because you weren't watching the gold and SILVER PRICE in October and November 2008. Gold dropped 32% from its 2008 peak and silver gave up 105% of its preceding gain. Brutal, but by no means the end of the bull market. From an 880 cent and $704.50 low silver and gold rallied for 3 years. As I keep on telling y'all, the bull is always working to shake off as many riders as possible.

Wise words for today: "Keep about your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars. Do not stop to stone the devil's dogs. Do not fool away your time chasing the devil's rabbits. Do your work."

Again today stocks reached new high closes for the move. Dow added 45.42 (0.33%) to 13,870.75 while the S&P500 moved about the same, up 5.85 (0.39%) to 1,500.67. That close over 1,500 offers big round number support to morale, and never mind that it's only 2/3 of a point over 1,500.

Should you take a ruler and draw a line across the 12,875 Dow high in May 2011, the 13,238 in May 2012, and the October 2013 high at 13,662, you have an upward slope that defines the upper Jaw of Death, the upper boundary of a broadening top. (Lower boundary runs from May 2011 at 12,876 through 12,035 in June 2012.) Against that backdrop, within those Jaws of Death, all the present stock rally is playing out. Keep that in mind. (S&P500 backdrop is about the same.)

It is possible the Dow might punch through that upper jaw and reach for the 14,000 high made in October 2007. Witnessing against that is a VERY overbought RSI (75.69 today when 70 is overbought), more so than it was in 2007. MACD -- market's distance above its moving averages -- isn't quite that bad, but strongly overbought.

Stocks have also traded in a rising wedge since November, and the last three days have taken them above that wedge's point. Generally a rising wedge resolves by dropping. Stocks have also risen 8 days running.

It's also possible that stocks will break here for a correction, then renew their rise into March before their final breakdown, assuming that the next one isn't the big one.

But in the teeth of all the Fed's manipulation and the President's Plunge Protection Team and all the twitching and tweaking they can do, stocks are locked in a primary down trend (bear market), and those who have been seduced into believing that a new bull market is arrived and Dow 36,000 lies just around the corner will be undeceived in dust, sackcloth, ashes, weeping and wailing.

Dow in gold has broken above resistance and has an upward target of about 9.12 oz (G$188.53). Today it stands at 8.39 oz (G$173.44). Dow in silver was trying to break down but last two days has rallied no, gapped, above the 200 DMA and the 20 DMA and penetrated the downtrend line. Target here is about 475 oz, from today's 445.3.

US dollar index has a tee-tiny uptrend working, but today lost 23.7 basis points (0.3%) to 79.748. Euro finally burst through $1.3400 resistance to $1,3460, up 0.64%. Target now becomes $1.3486, the Feb. 2012 high. Yen made ANOTHER new low for the move today at 109.98 (-0.69%). I reckon you could take a sauna in the offices of the Federal Reserve and the ECB today, they are so mad at the Japanese for their jawboning competitive devaluation. Lower the yen falls, more it steams the other central banks. I reckon the proverb is true, there is no honor among theives.

Argentum et aurum comparenda sunt -- -- Gold and silver must be bought.

- Franklin Sanders, The Moneychanger
The-MoneyChanger.com
1-888-218-9226
10:00am-5:00pm CST, Monday-Friday

? 2013, The Moneychanger. May not be republished in any form, including electronically, without our express permission.

To avoid confusion, please remember that the comments above have a very short time horizon. Always invest with the primary trend. Gold's primary trend is up, targeting at least $3,130.00; silver's primary is up targeting 16:1 gold/silver ratio or $195.66; stocks' primary trend is down, targeting Dow under 2,900 and worth only one ounce of gold; US$ or US$-denominated assets, primary trend down; real estate bubble has burst, primary trend down.

WARNING AND DISCLAIMER. Be advised and warned:

Do NOT use these commentaries to trade futures contracts. I don't intend them for that or write them with that short term trading outlook. I write them for long-term investors in physical metals. Take them as entertainment, but not as a timing service for futures.

NOR do I recommend investing in gold or silver Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs). Those are NOT physical metal and I fear one day one or another may go up in smoke. Unless you can breathe smoke, stay away. Call me paranoid, but the surviving rabbit is wary of traps.

NOR do I recommend trading futures options or other leveraged paper gold and silver products. These are not for the inexperienced.

NOR do I recommend buying gold and silver on margin or with debt.

What DO I recommend? Physical gold and silver coins and bars in your own hands.

One final warning: NEVER insert a 747 Jumbo Jet up your nose. No, I don't.

Source: http://silver-and-gold-prices.goldprice.org/2013/01/the-gold-price-lost-1310-closing-near.html

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Fast food linked to higher asthma and allergy risk | MNN - Mother ...

Fast food linked to higher asthma and allergy risk

New study links fast-food consumption to a greater risk for developing asthma, eczema and allergies.

Tue, Jan 15 2013 at 8:56 AM

Teens and kids who eat a lot of fast food may be at greater risk for developing asthma, eczema?and allergies, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal's respiratory magazine,?Thorax.

?

For the study, researchers from?the University of Auckland in New Zealand and the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom looked at surveys from more than 500,000 kids in 51 countries to determine how diet affected their allergy-related risks. They found that?eating fast food three times a week may lead to asthma, eczema?and itchy, watery eyes in children. ?

?

Researchers surveyed kids and their parents to determine whether or not they experienced symptoms of allergies, asthma and eczema. Participants also shared what types of foods they consumed each week. In the study, children in their early teens who ate fast food three or more times each week had a 39 percent greater risk of severe asthma. For 6- and 7-year-olds, there was a 27 percent increased risk. Overall, kids who ate fast food three or more times a week had about a 30 percent increased risk of severe allergies. The results were consistent across all age groups regardless of gender or socioeconomic status. ?

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Interestingly, kids who ate fruit were able to cut their risk of developing these conditions. Researchers found that kids who ate three or more portions of fruit each week reduced their risk of severe asthma, eczema and allergies by between 11 and 14 percent.

?

Related allergies and asthma stories on MNN:

?

Source: http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/blogs/fast-food-linked-to-higher-asthma-and-allergy-risk

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Analysis - Lengthy 787 probe, fixing problem, may cost Boeing dear

SEATTLE (Reuters) - The slow progress of investigations into battery problems on Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner jets suggest the new plane could be grounded for months, raising fears that the financial hit to Boeing will be greater than had been initially predicted.

Wall Street had been working on the assumption that safety inspectors would find the root cause of two battery incidents in the United States and Japan within weeks and Boeing would implement a speedy fix costing no more than a few hundred million dollars.

But on Thursday, the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it was only "early" in its investigation of a fire on a Japan Airlines Co Ltd jet in Boston on January 7, while Japanese aviation authorities appear no closer to resolving a battery problem that caused an emergency landing of a domestic All Nippon Airways Co Ltd flight last week.

"Saying we are in the early stages of the investigation sent a resounding message to those who thought this was a quick fix," said Carter Leake, aerospace analyst at BB&T Capital Markets.

"If it comes out that ultimately it's a six-month issue or a nine-month issue, everything changes. All of this optimism and all of this costing assumption, starts to become bigger numbers. Once you get past six months, you have to consider cancellations."

Investors do not appear to be in a panic yet. Boeing shares are down only about 2.5 percent since the 787 was grounded worldwide following the emergency landing in Japan on January 16.

"Wall Street reaction shows confidence in Boeing's ability to solve the 787 problem," said Michel Merluzeau, managing partner at G2 Solutions, an aerospace and defense consulting firm in Kirkland, Washington.

Boeing does make four other kinds of jets, including the best-selling 737, and the company earns 40 percent of its revenue from its defense arm.

Still, the world's biggest planemaker is producing 787s, but not delivering any, a situation that could stretch the company financially and test investors' faith.

"One of our big concerns is that this investigation continues to drag on, and it looks like it may be more than just the battery overheating itself," said Russell Solomon, an analyst at Moody's Investors Service. "You start getting into three, six months out and it has a bigger impact and my guess is that they (Boeing) would have to potentially cut the production rate."

BREAKING DOWN THE COST

Besides the actual cost of fixing the 50 787s in service, plus another 50 or so in production or waiting for delivery, Boeing will have to compensate carriers unable to use 787s as planned and pay penalties for late deliveries, most likely in the form of discounts on future purchases.

It also is not clear whether any fix - particularly if the probes lead to the identification of a major design fault - would also be costly.

At the same time, it will be starved of the cash it was expecting for delivering 787s it is still producing at the current rate of five per month, which could add up to $300 million per month, analysts estimate.

And the longer the planes are grounded, the more Boeing is exposed, as airlines may start to reconsider orders and - in extreme cases - cancel some, especially if the battery fix adds weight to the plane and reduces its vaunted fuel efficiency.

Boeing, which is expected to report a drop in fourth-quarter earnings next Wednesday, is not talking specifically about costs of the 787 issue yet.

"It's too early to know the financial effects," said Boeing spokesman Charles Bickers. "We're focused on working through the process, getting to a resolution and returning the airplanes to service."

Douglas Harned, an analyst at Bernstein Research, puts the cost of a fix at no more than $350 million, or about 30 cents per Boeing share, in a worst-case scenario. Howard Rubel at Jefferies estimates the cost at somewhere between $250 million to $625 million, but notes that some of the cost may be borne by suppliers.

"There's still the hope of a relatively easy fix followed by a return to service within a week or two, but there's also the strong and growing risk that they'll need to redesign the battery system, which could mean another six to nine months," said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at aerospace research firm Teal Group.

PRODUCTION DELAY LOOMS

More important is the effect on Boeing's production rate, which is scheduled to jump to 10 a month by the end of this year, from five now.

That jump is crucial to Boeing's plans to eventually make a profit on the 787. Most of the investment in a new plane occurs early in the program, which means earlier planes cost more to build than later ones.

The quicker Boeing can refine the process and ramp up numbers of planes produced, the quicker it will reach the target of 1,100 planes, where it calculates it will break even on the program. At planned production rates that would take about a decade.

If Boeing makes fewer planes than it has budgeted for and is not getting cash in the door for deliveries, that could add up to more than $1 billion per month in "incremental working capital spend," according to Solomon at Moody's.

With $6 billion of cash on its balance sheet at the end of the third quarter, Boeing looks strong enough to deal with that, but the longer it goes on, the more the worries mount, said Solomon.

"If a billion to a billion and a half of incremental working capital consumption is the right number in terms of cash burn every month, you start getting into three, six months out and it has a bigger impact," he said. "My guess is that they would have to potentially cut the production rate if that were the case."

Cutting production of 787s, or halting it altogether, would be a huge blow for a plane program that is already three years behind schedule.

"The market really only cares about one thing right now and that is, will production change?" said Leake at BB&T. "I believe it will not, Boeing can't afford to do that. It's too expensive to ramp down and ramp up again."

Production delays would ripple down the supply chain, could cost jobs and could even mean the loss of future orders if airlines lose patience with Boeing.

Rubel at Jefferies said this is unlikely, but in the worst case scenario could result in a $5 billion write-off for Boeing, if it loses orders it was counting on to offset expenses it has already laid out in building the 787.

That would take its toll on earnings and likely mean taking a provision against those losses.

"It will impact equity investors," said Solomon at Moody's. "The company will grow much more slowly if they can't ramp to 10 a month and the program is not successful."

(Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris, Alwyn Scott in New York, Jim Wolf in Washington; Editing by Martin Howell and Andre Grenon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lengthy-787-probe-fixing-problem-may-cost-boeing-000923262--finance.html

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