Five members of a Southern California family were killed Saturday when their van was rear-ended by an 18-year-old driver who was later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, authorities said.
The dead were among seven family members who were in the van, authorities said. The other two ? the 40-year-old female driver and a 15-year-old boy ? were hospitalized in critical condition.
Jean Soriano of California was booked into the Clark County Detention Center after he was treated and released at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Loy Hixson said.
The crash happened at about 3 a.m. on Interstate 15 near the Utah line. Soriano's sport utility vehicle struck the van from behind, causing both vehicles to spin out of control and roll near Mesquite, some 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, investigators said.
A 23-year-old passenger in Soriano's SUV was treated at the hospital and released.
Authorities believe Soriano was returning from a visit with family in Utah to his home in California at the time of the wreck, Hixson said. They didn't immediately release his hometown or the names or hometowns of the victims.
Beer bottles were found in the SUV, Hixson said, and troopers performed a blood-alcohol test on Soriano at the hospital. The results won't be known for a couple of weeks, he said.
Hixson said only two of the seven people in the van were wearing seatbelts. The five who were not buckled in were ejected, but one survived.
"Unfortunately, so many in the van weren't wearing seatbelts, and some might have survived had they been wearing them," Hixson said. "We see it so many times where people can survive simply by having a seatbelt on."
The van was carrying a couple, their children and some aunts and uncles, he said. Killed were three men in their 40s, a teenage female and an adult female.
A social network for young Londoners on the busesPublic release date: 28-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Katie Steels press@lshtm.ac.uk 44-020-792-92802 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Free bus travel has improved the social lives and independence of 12-18 year olds in London, according to research published today in the journal Mobilities.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and UCL (University College London) found that free bus travel which all young Londoners are entitled to by registering for a Zip Oyster Card increased young people's ability to travel independently and extended their opportunities through facilitating extra trips, trips further afield and/or exploratory trips with friends.
Travelling together was reported to be a key feature for young people. Researchers discovered that a 'code of honour' for bus travel has developed: travelling as a group is seen as a sign of loyalty and getting on a bus without friends or leaving them on the bus alone seen as a betrayal. While many adult travellers use a range of strategies to avoid others in shared space, young Londoners are embracing free bus travel as a site of sociability.
First author Dr Anna Goodman, Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "Free bus travel has improved independent mobility by giving young people the freedom to get about without always having to ask their parents for money. This made a particular difference for social or recreational trips, which even more affluent parents might not always be willing to pay for. But to the young people these trips were important, a way to gain travel skills, spend time with friends, and come to feel more 'like a Londoner'.
"One key factor in realising these benefits was the fact that free travel is universally available, rather than means tested. Not only did this ensure free travel was not stigmatised, but it also meant groups of friends could travel together without anyone being left out. As such, free travel increased the independent mobility for whole groups of young people, not just for individuals"
The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme, also found that free bus travel improved confidence because young people could take 'practice' journeys and could feel secure that they would not be stranded far from home without money to get back.
More than 100 young Londoners were interviewed in depth to examine how free bus travel has affected young people's independent mobility. The benefits for young people echo benefits of free bus travel for older people which have also recently been described by the same research group. Published in Ageing & Society in late 2012, this second piece of research found that free bus passes for over 60s provided older Londoners with a sense of belonging and visibility in society, improving wellbeing and tackling chronic loneliness.
Professor Judith Green from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and principal investigator of both pieces of research, said: "When funding is tight, free bus travel looks like an easy target for cuts. But we found many important benefits for the wellbeing of young people and older citizens that wouldn't have happened if free transport was means tested. Getting people out of cars, and out and about in public is good for their health, and good for the health of our cities. These schemes appear to do that for two age groups at real risk of social exclusion" Ends
Anna Goodman, Alasdair Jones, Helen Roberts, Rebecca Steinbach, Judith Green. "'We can all just get on a bus and go': rethinking independent mobility in the context of the universal provision of free bus travel to young Londoners". Mobilities. DOI: 10.1080/17450101.2013.782848
###
A copy of the paper is available to media under embargo upon request from press@lshtm.ac.uk.
For further information and interviews, please contact the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine press office on 02079272802 or press@lshtm.ac.uk.
Notes to editors:
Free bus travel was introduced in 2005 for under-17 year olds by Transport for London, and has since been extended to include 17-18 year olds in full-time education. Young people access the free travel by applying for a photo-ID 'Zip card'. This simultaneously functions as a conventional 'Oyster card', the ticket-free electronic card system which all users of London's public transport can pre-load with money for travel.
The research on young people was based on qualitative, in-depth interviews with 118 young Londoners, aged 12-18, from a range of inner and outer London boroughs.
The research on older people was based on qualitative, in-depth interviews with 47 Londoners aged 60 or over, from a range of inner and outer London boroughs. It was published as: Judith Green, Alasdair Jones and Helen Roberts "More than A to B: the role of free bus travel for the mobility and wellbeing of older citizens in London". Ageing and Society, DOI: 10.1017/S0144686X12001110
Both research publications form part of the On The Buses study, which has combined quantitative and qualitative data collection to examine the health impacts of free bus travel in London. For more details, visit http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/php/hsrp/buses/index.html
The On The Buses study was funded from 2010-2012 by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research Programme (project code 09/3001/13). Anna Goodman contributed to this work while funded by a postdoctoral fellowship from the NIHR. The views in the journal publications and in this press release are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NIHR, the Department of Health or the National Health Service.
The National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme was launched in autumn 2008. It commissions research to evaluate public health interventions, providing new knowledge on the benefits, costs, acceptability and wider effect of non-NHS interventions intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health. The scope of the programme is multi-disciplinary and broad covering a range of public health interventions. The PHR Programme is funded by the NIHR, with contributions from the CSO in Scotland, NISCHR in Wales and the HSC R&D Division, Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland.http://www.phr.nihr.ac.uk
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government's strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For further information, visit the NIHR website (http://www.nihr.ac.uk)
About UCL (University College London): Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. We are among the world's top universities, as reflected by our performance in a range of international rankings and tables. According to the Thomson Scientific Citation Index, UCL is the second most highly cited European university and the 15th most highly cited in the world. UCL has nearly 25,000 students from 150 countries and more than 9,000 employees, of whom one third are from outside the UK. The university is based in Bloomsbury in the heart of London, but also has two international campuses UCL Australia and UCL Qatar. Our annual income is more than 800 million.
About the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world-leading centre for research and postgraduate education in public and global health, with 3,500 students and more than 1,000 staff working in over 100 countries. The School is one of the highest-rated research institutions in the UK, and was recently cited as one of the world's top universities for collaborative research. The School's mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice. http://www.lshtm.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
A social network for young Londoners on the busesPublic release date: 28-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Katie Steels press@lshtm.ac.uk 44-020-792-92802 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Free bus travel has improved the social lives and independence of 12-18 year olds in London, according to research published today in the journal Mobilities.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and UCL (University College London) found that free bus travel which all young Londoners are entitled to by registering for a Zip Oyster Card increased young people's ability to travel independently and extended their opportunities through facilitating extra trips, trips further afield and/or exploratory trips with friends.
Travelling together was reported to be a key feature for young people. Researchers discovered that a 'code of honour' for bus travel has developed: travelling as a group is seen as a sign of loyalty and getting on a bus without friends or leaving them on the bus alone seen as a betrayal. While many adult travellers use a range of strategies to avoid others in shared space, young Londoners are embracing free bus travel as a site of sociability.
First author Dr Anna Goodman, Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "Free bus travel has improved independent mobility by giving young people the freedom to get about without always having to ask their parents for money. This made a particular difference for social or recreational trips, which even more affluent parents might not always be willing to pay for. But to the young people these trips were important, a way to gain travel skills, spend time with friends, and come to feel more 'like a Londoner'.
"One key factor in realising these benefits was the fact that free travel is universally available, rather than means tested. Not only did this ensure free travel was not stigmatised, but it also meant groups of friends could travel together without anyone being left out. As such, free travel increased the independent mobility for whole groups of young people, not just for individuals"
The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme, also found that free bus travel improved confidence because young people could take 'practice' journeys and could feel secure that they would not be stranded far from home without money to get back.
More than 100 young Londoners were interviewed in depth to examine how free bus travel has affected young people's independent mobility. The benefits for young people echo benefits of free bus travel for older people which have also recently been described by the same research group. Published in Ageing & Society in late 2012, this second piece of research found that free bus passes for over 60s provided older Londoners with a sense of belonging and visibility in society, improving wellbeing and tackling chronic loneliness.
Professor Judith Green from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and principal investigator of both pieces of research, said: "When funding is tight, free bus travel looks like an easy target for cuts. But we found many important benefits for the wellbeing of young people and older citizens that wouldn't have happened if free transport was means tested. Getting people out of cars, and out and about in public is good for their health, and good for the health of our cities. These schemes appear to do that for two age groups at real risk of social exclusion" Ends
Anna Goodman, Alasdair Jones, Helen Roberts, Rebecca Steinbach, Judith Green. "'We can all just get on a bus and go': rethinking independent mobility in the context of the universal provision of free bus travel to young Londoners". Mobilities. DOI: 10.1080/17450101.2013.782848
###
A copy of the paper is available to media under embargo upon request from press@lshtm.ac.uk.
For further information and interviews, please contact the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine press office on 02079272802 or press@lshtm.ac.uk.
Notes to editors:
Free bus travel was introduced in 2005 for under-17 year olds by Transport for London, and has since been extended to include 17-18 year olds in full-time education. Young people access the free travel by applying for a photo-ID 'Zip card'. This simultaneously functions as a conventional 'Oyster card', the ticket-free electronic card system which all users of London's public transport can pre-load with money for travel.
The research on young people was based on qualitative, in-depth interviews with 118 young Londoners, aged 12-18, from a range of inner and outer London boroughs.
The research on older people was based on qualitative, in-depth interviews with 47 Londoners aged 60 or over, from a range of inner and outer London boroughs. It was published as: Judith Green, Alasdair Jones and Helen Roberts "More than A to B: the role of free bus travel for the mobility and wellbeing of older citizens in London". Ageing and Society, DOI: 10.1017/S0144686X12001110
Both research publications form part of the On The Buses study, which has combined quantitative and qualitative data collection to examine the health impacts of free bus travel in London. For more details, visit http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/php/hsrp/buses/index.html
The On The Buses study was funded from 2010-2012 by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research Programme (project code 09/3001/13). Anna Goodman contributed to this work while funded by a postdoctoral fellowship from the NIHR. The views in the journal publications and in this press release are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NIHR, the Department of Health or the National Health Service.
The National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR PHR) Programme was launched in autumn 2008. It commissions research to evaluate public health interventions, providing new knowledge on the benefits, costs, acceptability and wider effect of non-NHS interventions intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health. The scope of the programme is multi-disciplinary and broad covering a range of public health interventions. The PHR Programme is funded by the NIHR, with contributions from the CSO in Scotland, NISCHR in Wales and the HSC R&D Division, Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland.http://www.phr.nihr.ac.uk
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government's strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For further information, visit the NIHR website (http://www.nihr.ac.uk)
About UCL (University College London): Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. We are among the world's top universities, as reflected by our performance in a range of international rankings and tables. According to the Thomson Scientific Citation Index, UCL is the second most highly cited European university and the 15th most highly cited in the world. UCL has nearly 25,000 students from 150 countries and more than 9,000 employees, of whom one third are from outside the UK. The university is based in Bloomsbury in the heart of London, but also has two international campuses UCL Australia and UCL Qatar. Our annual income is more than 800 million.
About the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world-leading centre for research and postgraduate education in public and global health, with 3,500 students and more than 1,000 staff working in over 100 countries. The School is one of the highest-rated research institutions in the UK, and was recently cited as one of the world's top universities for collaborative research. The School's mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice. http://www.lshtm.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
NEW YORK (AP) ? A top NBC executive says the network is not considering replacing Matt Lauer as anchor of the "Today" show.
NBC News executive Alex Wallace, who oversees the troubled morning show, made the comment Wednesday in response to reports that the network had approached CNN's Anderson Cooper about the "Today" job.
The report first appeared in Deadline Hollywood and was confirmed to The Associated Press by a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.
Wallace says Lauer is "the best in the business" and that NBC wants him on "Today" for many years to come.
The "Today" show has fallen behind ABC's "Good Morning America" in the ratings and Lauer has been buffeted by bad publicity surrounding last year's ouster of co-anchor Ann Curry.
We've looked at several ways to save on your energy bill, but among them all nothing does the job better than air sealing. Utility bill comparison site MyEnergy explains:
The EPA estimates that between 25 and 30 percent of the energy that we use to heat and cool our homes is lost due to the air leaks through the attic, the basement, and other gaps in the building envelope. The absolute largest return on investment when it comes to energy savings is quick air sealing using caulk or spray foam. Spray foam or foam-in-a-can has been proven to save up to $150 per year in heating/cooling costs, and to have a seven year ROI (return on investment) of 4400%. The living space is the easiest to airseal yourself, however attics and basements can sometimes require a contractor depending on the scope on the project.
If you want to seal the gaps in your home, this EnergyStar guide is a good place to start. GreenVideoAdvisor offers a series on sealing your attic and Building Science provides another.
This past weekend, I had the privilege of speaking to the Southwest Florida Romance Writers in Estero, Florida. Up to 25 members were present when I spoke about Social Networking for Writers and passed around my eight-page handout. We could have discussed this topic for a lot longer than the allotted hour, but our time ended and I left for home.
???
On the drive back to the east coast, I reflected on how a speaker really has to gear her talk to the audience. Speaking to a bunch of writers is a lot different than giving a talk to a roomful of fans. Readers in general are eager to hear how you got published, where you get your ideas, what you researched for your story, and if you make a living at what you do. Don?t ask me why, but that question always arises. Would you ask a lecturer how much money he makes?
You?re expected to be witty and entertaining and to use anecdotes in your talk. I like to educate the public on the realities of the publishing business, so I?ll talk about the impact of the digital era, choices for writers today, and what readers can do to help authors in terms of customer reviews, Liking our pages, sharing our posts, etc. Lay persons find this information to be fascinating. Sure, I?ll talk about my books but mainly as an overview about my series and some of my research experiences. I don?t believe in doing readings or a book review on a specific title. There?s nothing more boring, IMHO, as an author?s droning voice as he reads from his own work. It?s more exciting to talk off the cuff about the publishing world and what fuels my stories.
In contrast, when speaking to fellow writers, I aim to teach. I want to get points across that they can take home and use in their own work. Motivational talks uplift and inspire writers to keep plowing ahead despite the setbacks that we all experience in this career. I?d rather give practical tips, how-to details, and specific instructions. Handouts accompany all of my workshops. This is not necessarily the case if I?m on a panel, however. Then it?s much harder to get across a lot of information because you?re sharing the time and stage. It?s good to come prepared with a few pointers regardless, and handouts are still appreciated, but having one hour to myself is best for in-depth instruction.
I?ve attended panels at writers conferences where the authors prattle on about their work, and attendees leave the room having been entertained but learning nothing new. I don?t care to attend those types of sessions myself. I?d rather go to a workshop where I can gain new insights or tips on a specific aspect of writing or marketing. Anybody can talk about himself. How many can teach in a meaningful, clear manner? Those who can?t teach will do very well speaking on panels at fan conventions, libraries and community groups.
Where am I going with this? If you have a speaking engagement coming up, consider your audience. If it?s a bunch of fans/readers, talk about your books, the publishing world, where you get your ideas, the writing process. If it?s a group of writers, target your material so they can take away something worthwhile.
If you?re a reader, what do you like to hear when you go to see an author? If you?re a writer, do you differentiate how you approach each audience?
As new download detection and copyright protection systems are phased into effect stateside, suspected violators have begun to receive warnings of ?serious legal and other consequences? from media companies like NBC Universal.
In one instance, a user of the popular file sharing system?BitTorrent was dispatched a notice from the media giant for allegedly downloading a television show.
According to TorrentFreak, NBC Universal sent the threatening notice to a user accessing the web through an Internet provider that is currently not participating in the 'six strike' system that detects and punishes Internet customers of several American providers who download illegally. The notice was similar to what copyright violators connected to the web using 'six strike' ISPs have begun to receive - and the language used in the notice is markedly more aggressive.
In addition to the threat of criminal prosecution, the notice sent to the downloader included the potential termination of their Internet service account.
?Copyright infringement also violates your Internet Service Provider?s terms of service and could lead to limitation or suspension of your Internet service.?
Under the new 'six strike' rules, by comparison, affiliated Internet providers are not compelled to disconnect file sharers, though more ambiguous consequences are said to include a slowdown in access speeds for repeat offenders, blocked access to popular websites, and even compulsory copyright education courses.
The notice sent by NBC Universal also includes a request for the user to permanently delete the offending copyrighted content, though how the company expects to enforce this is, of course, unclear:
"You are being contacted on behalf of NBC Universal and its affiliates (?NBC Universal?) because your Internet account was identified as having been used recently to illegally copy and/or distribute the copyrighted movies and/or television shows listed at the bottom of this letter. This notice provides you with the information you need in order to take immediate action that can prevent serious legal and other consequences. These actions include:
1. Stop downloading or uploading any film or TV shows owned or distributed by NBC Universal without authorization; and
2. Permanently delete from your computer(s) all unauthorized copies you may have already made of these movies and TV shows.
The illegal downloading and distribution of copyrighted works are serious offenses that carry with them the risk of substantial monetary damages and, in some cases, criminal prosecution," the letter reads.
Just 'weight' until menopausePublic release date: 27-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Clea Desjardins clea.desjardins@concordia.ca 514-848-242-45068 Concordia University
Concordia researcher reveals how estrogen deficiency affects women's fat absorption
This press release is available in French.
Montreal, March 27, 2013 Women tend to carry excess fat in their hips and thighs, while men tend to carry it on their stomachs. But after menopause, things start to change: many women's fat storage patterns start to resemble those of men. This indicates that there's a link between estrogen and body fat storage. This connection is well documented, but the underlying mechanisms remained poorly understood until now.
New research conducted by Sylvia Santosa, assistant professor in Concordia University's Department of Exercise Science and Canada Research Chair in Clinical Nutrition, gives us a new look at the connection between fat storage and estrogen. By examining the fat storage process at a cellular level, Santosa and co-author Michael D. Jensen of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, reveal that certain proteins and enzymes are more active in post-menopausal women. These proteins correspond with fat storage. Their findings were published in the March 2013 issue of Diabetes.
"The fat stored on our hips and thighs, is relatively harmless," explains Santosa, who is also a member of Concordia's PERFORM Centre for better health through prevention. "But the fat stored around the abdomen is more dangerous. It has been associated with diabetes, heart disease, stroke and even some cancers. When post-menopausal women put on more abdominal fat, they dramatically increase their risk for these health problems. Given these dangers, it is very important to understand the how the lower levels of estrogen associated with menopause changes where fat is stored."
Santosa's research compared fat storage in pre- and post-menopausal women. The 23 women who participated in the study were in the same age range, and had similar Body Mass Indices and body fat composition. These similarities allowed Santosa to isolate the effects of estrogen on fat absorption and storage.
She and Jensen were able to examine the activity of certain enzymes and proteins that regulate fat storage in post-menopausal women's abdomens and thighs. By considering these factors together rather than in isolation, the researchers determined conclusively that the overall fat storage "machinery" is more active in post-menopausal women. In other words, these cells now store more fat than they did before menopause.
In addition, post-menopausal women burned less fat than their pre-menopausal colleagues. These changes mean that their cells are not only storing more fat, but are also less willing to part with it. This combination is a recipe for rapid weight gain. "Taken together, these changes in bodily processes may be more than a little surprising and upsetting for women who previously had little trouble managing their weight," comments Santosa.
Though the increased cellular activity revealed by this study was not specific to the abdominal region, more fat stored overall means more abdominal fat. Evidence of changes in the fat storage pathways after menopause is an important contribution to understanding why post-menopausal women begin to put on more visceral fat.
Says Santosa, "the information revealed by our study is valuable not only to post-menopausal women and their doctors, but to obesity studies more generally. A clearer picture of which proteins and enzymes increase fat storage makes those productive targets for future medical advances in the fight against obesity."
###
Related links:
Cited study in Diabetes: "Adipocyte Fatty Acid Storage Factors Enhance Subcutaneous Fat Storage in Postmenopausal Women" http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/62/3/775.long
Concordia University's Department of Exercise Science http://excsci.concordia.ca/
PERFORM Centre http://performcentre.concordia.ca/en/index.php
Sylvia Santosa's Research @ Concordia profile http://www.concordia.ca/explore/#!/profile/1593/
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Just 'weight' until menopausePublic release date: 27-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Clea Desjardins clea.desjardins@concordia.ca 514-848-242-45068 Concordia University
Concordia researcher reveals how estrogen deficiency affects women's fat absorption
This press release is available in French.
Montreal, March 27, 2013 Women tend to carry excess fat in their hips and thighs, while men tend to carry it on their stomachs. But after menopause, things start to change: many women's fat storage patterns start to resemble those of men. This indicates that there's a link between estrogen and body fat storage. This connection is well documented, but the underlying mechanisms remained poorly understood until now.
New research conducted by Sylvia Santosa, assistant professor in Concordia University's Department of Exercise Science and Canada Research Chair in Clinical Nutrition, gives us a new look at the connection between fat storage and estrogen. By examining the fat storage process at a cellular level, Santosa and co-author Michael D. Jensen of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, reveal that certain proteins and enzymes are more active in post-menopausal women. These proteins correspond with fat storage. Their findings were published in the March 2013 issue of Diabetes.
"The fat stored on our hips and thighs, is relatively harmless," explains Santosa, who is also a member of Concordia's PERFORM Centre for better health through prevention. "But the fat stored around the abdomen is more dangerous. It has been associated with diabetes, heart disease, stroke and even some cancers. When post-menopausal women put on more abdominal fat, they dramatically increase their risk for these health problems. Given these dangers, it is very important to understand the how the lower levels of estrogen associated with menopause changes where fat is stored."
Santosa's research compared fat storage in pre- and post-menopausal women. The 23 women who participated in the study were in the same age range, and had similar Body Mass Indices and body fat composition. These similarities allowed Santosa to isolate the effects of estrogen on fat absorption and storage.
She and Jensen were able to examine the activity of certain enzymes and proteins that regulate fat storage in post-menopausal women's abdomens and thighs. By considering these factors together rather than in isolation, the researchers determined conclusively that the overall fat storage "machinery" is more active in post-menopausal women. In other words, these cells now store more fat than they did before menopause.
In addition, post-menopausal women burned less fat than their pre-menopausal colleagues. These changes mean that their cells are not only storing more fat, but are also less willing to part with it. This combination is a recipe for rapid weight gain. "Taken together, these changes in bodily processes may be more than a little surprising and upsetting for women who previously had little trouble managing their weight," comments Santosa.
Though the increased cellular activity revealed by this study was not specific to the abdominal region, more fat stored overall means more abdominal fat. Evidence of changes in the fat storage pathways after menopause is an important contribution to understanding why post-menopausal women begin to put on more visceral fat.
Says Santosa, "the information revealed by our study is valuable not only to post-menopausal women and their doctors, but to obesity studies more generally. A clearer picture of which proteins and enzymes increase fat storage makes those productive targets for future medical advances in the fight against obesity."
###
Related links:
Cited study in Diabetes: "Adipocyte Fatty Acid Storage Factors Enhance Subcutaneous Fat Storage in Postmenopausal Women" http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/62/3/775.long
Concordia University's Department of Exercise Science http://excsci.concordia.ca/
PERFORM Centre http://performcentre.concordia.ca/en/index.php
Sylvia Santosa's Research @ Concordia profile http://www.concordia.ca/explore/#!/profile/1593/
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Look, the majesty of nature is great and all, but camping would be a lot better if you had cold, carbonated beer at the end of a trek. And DrinkTanks has a growler on the way to help. More »
From an evolutionary gene?s-eye perspective, the genes are immortal, and our role, the meaning of life, is to perpetuate the genes. In a few centuries, all traces of our existence as human individuals ? memories of us, all our accomplishments ?will likely be gone and forgotten, except for genes that survive from those of us who successfully reproduced through the generations.
But, of course, we don?t experience the world from a gene?s eye evolutionary perspective. One experiences the world as an individual person, not as a gene dispenser (fun as that may be). The joy we get from parenting comes not from some abstract generic idea of gene propagation, but from specific love and interaction with our own children ? making your own baby son giggle uncontrollably when you make ridiculous animal noises, the bittersweet emotional rush you feel as you watch your daughter walk down the aisle. We care about ourselves and others as persons, not as a gene menagerie. Humans create our own meanings.
But ? reproduction as the answer to life?s meaning cannot be dismissed quite so easily. Genetic evolution is the meaning of biologic life, in that it is the why and how of it, as well as the stock of future biological existence. The genes that survive ? and in turn the organisms they make ? are the winners in the existence game. Can we just dismiss this when considering the meaning of our own individual human lives? Sure, evolution itself does not have a specific direction or teleology, and genes themselves are not conscious, so there is not meaning in that sense. But evolution cannot just be shrugged off as something apart from us, take it or leave it. It is the biological explanation of who we are, how we got here, and the diversity of life. Over billions of years, life left the oceans, stretched limbs to cover the earth, raised wings to fly. Underlying it all are the replicating molecules that continue to copy themselves even now. We owe our existence to this process, and our future depends on it. Perhaps the meaning of your life as a biological creature is to make babies and help ensure the survival of life. In discussing the children she had with Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan put it like this: ?When we come closest to each other we can create new life forms that carry on that continuity that stretches back all those billions of years, and in them are the generations of human beings who have struggled. That is magnificent.?
By making babies, we continue life?s pageant. In children, we cheat death.
Yet something seems fundamentally very wrong, or incomplete, with this idea that making babies is the meaning of life. I wouldn?t be jumping with jubilation if my teenage son announced today that he was going to be a father. Do we laud the parents of extremely large Mormon, Hasid, Catholic, and Muslim families as public exemplars of a meaningful life? Do we honor the most popular sperm donor as humankind?s greatest philanthropist?
Even if our genes get perpetuated, our genes are not us. After a few generations of genetic mixing and shuffling, there?s unlikely to be anything unique or identifying about us in our offspring. If your great-great-grandchild has your brown eyes and your blood type, but no other personality or physical traits uniquely identifiable to you, how much of ?you? has really lived on? Further, if the idea is to perpetuate our genetic lineage, what if we have children, but no grandchildren?
Fundamentally, as humans, the problem with identifying the meaning of life with having children is this ? to link meaningfulness only with child production seems an affront to human dignity, individual differences, and personal choice. Millions of homosexuals throughout the world do not have children biologically. Millions of heterosexual adults are unable to have children biologically. For many adults, not having children is the right choice, for themselves, the world, the economy, or for their would-be children. Socrates, Julius Caesar, Leonardo da Vinci, George Washington, Jane Austen, Florence Nightingale, John Keats, Vincent van Gogh, Vladimir Lenin, and Steven Pinker as far as we know did not have biological children. Would we deny the meaningfulness of their impact or existence? The meaning of life for childless adults ? roughly 20% of the population in the U.S. and U.K. ?? has nothing to do with fame, but everything to do with what makes life meaningful for everyone: experiencing pleasure, personal relationships, and engagement in positive activities and accomplishments.
From a moral perspective if you are giving of your life for an adopted child, a parent, creative production, teaching, volunteer work, or anything that helps others, adds to happiness, and makes the world a better place ? then an evolutionary genetic perspective seems irrelevant. It is from such bedrocks that human meaning springs. Human meanings are worthwhile regardless of long-term, universal, final consequences, because they are meaningful now.
Also, it?s not just the seed alone that produces bountiful produce, it?s the entire garden and all it takes to nurture it. The environment is a critical part of the equation. Evolution by natural selection occurs by differential survival and reproduction of genes in a population as a consequence of interactions with the environment. There is also the danger of overpopulation, which could result in famine, disease, and environmental catastrophe, perhaps jeopardizing the future evolutionary success of the entire species. So, ironically, perhaps not having children is the best way to ensure longevity of the human genome. Unlike other animals, we can be conscious stewards of the future.
So is making babies ? and having genes survive through the generations ? the meaning of life? The answer is yes ? from an evolutionary gene?s eye view. Making babies, and also other actions and social structures that result in the survival and reproduction of one?s gene, such as protecting one?s relatives. Differential reproduction is a process which, in conjunction with environmental interactions, has led to all life as we know it, with all its diversity and grandeur, including conscious experience itself. This is modern knowledge that is not to be taken lightly, and has impact on how we view our own meaning.
But from almost every other perspective ? individual, group, moral, environmental, or concern for life as a whole ? the answer to the question is no. Meaning from these perspectives ? from life as it is actually experienced ? is up to us. Reproduction and genetic survival may be the meaning of Life, but it is not inescapably the meaning of your life.
So, in the end, the full answer is no ? we do not bestow having babies as the sole guardians of life?s meaning. But we do need to respect and grapple with the view. Differential genetic success, as a result of reproduction and environmental conditions will ? for better or worse ? provide the template for what humans will become in the future. It is to evolutionary genetic success that we ? and all life ? owe our existence, and to which the future of all life on Earth depends. Including creatures that create our own meaning. We perform our solos with passion, but we are playing in nature?s grand symphony.
Since President Barack Obama?s trip to the Middle East was such a turning point for U.S. policy, I thought it should be summarized by showing characteristic responses of different groups. These are, of course, generalizations, and there are many variations.
The Far Leftist: Why has Obama been so nice to Israel? He?s sold out and become just another typical president who backs Israel. How infuriating!
The Left-Liberal: Did you see how Obama told off the Israelis and demanded they make peace? Of course, the people love him and it is only the reactionary leaders who oppose a truly great president who is doing a great job. He hasn?t changed at all; he?s just found a clearer way to articulate his position.?
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The ?Mainstream? Liberal (Current Version): We told you so! Of course Obama loves Israel despite all of that propaganda against him, and he really showed it this time. I?m so glad I voted for him twice.
The Moderate to Conservative: Oh, no! Obama has pulled it off again! Now the Israelis love him and we?ll never get American Jews to oppose him. How depressing!
The Militant Conservative: Ha! Did you hear what he said in this speech and that speech? Insulting Israel and just attacking it while apologizing for the Palestinian side! This is just one more proof of his enmity! How infuriating! The Palestinian View:? Obama been so nice to Israel! He?s sold out and become just another typical president who back Israel. How infuriating! Well, we expected this, so we won?t negotiate and will try either to engage in struggle or parlay our recognition as a state into getting the 1967 borders with no concessions. The Islamists: Of course he?s just another Christian crusader as we?ve always known. He?s never helped us but just retreated out of weakness because he?s afraid of us!? This has removed the illusions that diplomacy might work. Only armed struggle will ultimately wipe Israel off the map! The Serious Israeli Observer: Thank goodness! After more than four years of hard work and with the help of the other side?s intransigence, we got Obama to see reality in policy if not in rhetoric, which is far less important.? Perhaps a narrow escape from what would have been the most anti-Israel president in history by far. Look, the American people elect the president and then we have to deal with whomever they choose. Sure hope he wakes up about the Islamists and stays tough on Iran.
JERUSALEM (AP) ? President Barack Obama was interrupted by a heckler while giving a speech to an audience of Israeli university students, but he didn't lose his cool.
The president was talking about the U.S. being a close ally to Israel when the heckler piped up. The crowd shouted him down.
"This is part of the lively debate that we talked about," said an unruffled Obama. "This is good."
That got him a standing ovation from many of the students.
"I have to say we actually arranged for that because it made me feel at home," Obama said, grinning. "I wouldn't feel comfortable if I didn't have at least one heckler."
Obama went on to deliver an impassioned appeal for Israel to recognize that compromise will be necessary to achieve lasting security.
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Obama has permitted TV crews with live microphones to accompany him at virtually every stop in Israel, giving a rare and fascinating glimpse at the joking and small talk that takes place on the sidelines of official visits.
In Jerusalem on Thursday, Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Israel Museum, where they examined the Dead Sea Scrolls. Reading a passage from Isaiah from a facsimile of a scroll, Netanyahu explained: "It says, 'Nations should not lift swords unto nations and they shall know war no more."
The phrase forms the lyrics to a popular Hebrew folk song often used as a rallying call for peace.
Obama marveled that the Hebrew language had not changed much over the centuries.
Minutes later, during a tour of a technology exhibit, the two leaders stopped by a display of a robotic snake that can burrow into rubble during rescue operations. The three-foot contraption wriggled and separated and reared up. "Let me just say, my wife would not like this," Obama said, grinning.
At a brain imaging display, a scientist explained that the first step in studying brain function is taking accurate measurements of the brain. "That presupposes there is something to measure, right?" Netanyahu joked.
Developers of a driver assistance device that detects road obstacles described how their Mobileye protected passengers by sensing a car's proximity to other cars.
"Pedestrians, too?" Obama asked. "Pedestrians, cars...," one of the developers replied.
"Dogs?" Obama wondered. "Not dogs," came the reply.
___
For Obama, this was personal. The president reflected repeatedly on his experience as a father and an African American as he contemplated the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Standing alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, Obama contrasted the experience of children growing up amid the conflict to that of his two daughters, who in an earlier period in American history would have been denied the opportunities granted to others.
"Those of us in the United States understand that change takes time, but it is also possible," he said.
Later, in Jerusalem, Obama cited Martin Luther King Jr. and likened the story of the upcoming Jewish holiday of Passover to the experience of blacks in the U.S. who were freed from slavery and persecution.
Of the Passover story, Obama added: "For me personally, growing up in far-flung parts of the world and without firm roots, it spoke to a yearning within every human being for a home."
And the president veered briefly off of his prepared remarks to scores of Israeli students to convey a lesson he took away from meeting earlier in the day with Palestinian students in the occupied West Bank.
"They weren't that different from my daughters. They weren't that different from your daughters or sons," he said. "I honestly believe that if any Israeli parent sat down with those kids, they'd say, 'I want these kids to succeed. I want them to prosper. I want them to have opportunities just like my kids do.'"
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At the White House, Obama is used to bestowing medals on combat veterans, both living and deceased, as well as famous Americans, scientists, inventors and others.
But on Thursday, it was his turn to bow his head and accept one for himself.
During a state dinner at Israeli President Shimon Peres' official residence, Peres presented his American counterpart with the Medal of Distinction, the highest honor the Jewish state bestows on civilians. An announcer said it was for Obama's "unique and significant" contributions to Israel's security.
"This award speaks to your tireless work to make Israel strong," Peres said during his toast. Then he put the large, round medal dangling from a wide, dark-blue ribbon with a white stripe down the middle around Obama's neck.
The medal features the North Star to symbolize the right path. Also on the medal is a menorah ? the emblem of Israel and a symbol of the link between past and present. It is inscribed with the words from Samuel 9:2, "from his shoulders and upward."
Obama wore the medal as he delivered his reciprocal toast.
"This is an extraordinary honor for me and I could not be more deeply moved," he said.
___
During portions of the dinner that were open to media coverage, Obama and Netanyahu continued the newfound chumminess they displayed a day earlier.
Seated next to each other at a rectangular head table draped in white cloth and adorned with white tulips and orchids, the two leaders were seen leaning in and whispering to one another, laughing and smiling as they awaited Peres' remarks. At one point, they hid their mouths behind their hands strategically to thwart lip readers and microphones in the room.
Obama and Netanyahu have had a prickly relationship, but they have put on a happier face during Obama's first visit to Israel as president.
Among the 120 dinner guests seated at similarly decorated round banquet tables were Justice minister Tzipi Livni; Avigdor Lieberman, a Netanyahu ally; and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Florida, the chair of the Democratic Party.
The invite list led to some interesting pairings.
Seated together at one table were a rabbi from the Western Wall and a Muslim cleric. At another table sat Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to Washington; Yair Lapid, the new star of Israeli politics and a leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party; Yuli Eidelstein, a hard-line Likud lawmaker who is a former Soviet political prisoner and the new speaker of Israel's parliament; U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Livni.
What were they served? A fish appetizer, a duet of beef and lamb on a potato tart, salad, and a plate of fruit, ?clairs, dates and other pastries and sweets.
___
In the most emotional moment of the tech tour, Obama and Netanyahu encountered a Druze Israeli war veteran and a U.S. army veteran, both paralyzed from the waist down. Both demonstrated how they were able to walk with the help of crutches and a computerized exoskeleton that supported their legs as they moved.
Obama gave both presidential "challenge coins," used to recognize veterans for their service.
The army veteran, Theresa Hannigan, a 60-year-old from Long Island, N.Y., was learning how to use the motorized aides, called the ReWalk, at the Bronx VA hospital. She implored Obama to help the device obtain FDA approval. Her voice breaking, Hannigan stood straight and hugged Obama.
The system is made by an Israeli company called Argo Medical Technologies. Its exoskeleton suit uses computers and motion sensors to allow paraplegics to walk with motorized legs that power knee and hip movement.
Obama offered a personal reflection. "Michelle's father had MS, so he used crutches until he was probably 45, 50, then got a wheelchair."
Netanyahu replied: "This would have given him a different life."
___
Peres is making sure that controversy over a tree brought to Israel by Obama does not upset the deep-rooted ties between the countries.
Obama brought the magnolia tree as a gift, and planted it at Peres' official residence during a welcoming ceremony Wednesday. Israeli media later reported that the tree would have to be uprooted and tested to make sure it complied with agricultural import regulations.
Peres' office quickly denied the report. It said agriculture officials would conduct "all the necessary tests" required by law but stressed the checkup would be done "without removing the tree from the place where it was planted, as agreed."
___
Associated Press writer Daniel Estrin contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP) ? Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is expanding a test of a new checkout program that allows shoppers to scan items with their smartphones while they're in the aisles and then pay at self-checkout terminals.
The world's largest retailer launched what it calls its "Scan & Go" program late last year in about 70 stores in Atlanta and in the Bentonville, Ark., area, where the retailer is based. It is now testing the program in more than 200 stores in markets including Dallas, Houston, Austin, Texas; Denver, Portland, Ore., Seattle, and Phoenix.
The pilot program will still be in a small number of Wal-Mart's more than 4,000 stores in the U.S. But it's part of the company's overall strategy to involve customers' increasing use of smartphones.
More than half of Wal-Mart's customers have smartphones, and 40 percent of traffic from walmart.com is coming from shoppers' mobile devices, said Gibu Thomas, senior vice president of mobile and digital initiatives at Wal-Mart's global e-commerce division.
"Our goal is to give choices to all of our customers however they want to shop," Thomas said during an interview with The Associated Press Wednesday. "It's part of a holistic program to empower the customer."
The program works like this: Customers scan bar codes of the different products using the retailer's Scan & Go app downloaded onto Apple Inc. iPads, iPhones or iPod Touch devices. The app generates a code, which can be scanned at the self-checkout terminals.
The app is only available for Apple devices but Wal-Mart says it has plans to eventually release versions for other platforms.
Wal-Mart, meanwhile, has been expanding its self-checkout terminals and plans to add more than 10,000 self-checkout registers by the end of this year in the U.S.
The pilot program has been well-received so far by customers, with more than half of the shoppers who tried the "Scan & Go" app using again, Thomas said. He noted it's a good way for shoppers looking to keep a running tally of how much they're spending as they place the products in their carts ? instead of being surprised at the cash register.
But Thomas also noted that the new service has also appealed to shoppers who like to do their own bagging of groceries. Shoppers can pick up bags at the front of the store and organize the groceries in the bags the way they want.
"They like to bag items the way they keep their items in the house," he said.
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Public release date: 28-Mar-2013
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We've looked at several ways to save on your energy bill, but among them all nothing does the job better than air sealing. Utility bill comparison site MyEnergy explains:
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From an evolutionary gene?s-eye perspective, the genes are immortal, and our role, the meaning of life, is to perpetuate the genes. In a few centuries, all traces of our existence as human individuals ? memories of us, all our accomplishments ?will likely be gone and forgotten, except for genes that survive from those of us who successfully reproduced through the generations.