Summary Box: Mercedes helps Daimler 4q profit rise (AP)

CHINA CONNECTION: Strong sales of Mercedes luxury cars in China and the U.S. helped German automaker Daimler AG post a stronger than expected 57 percent increase in fourth quarter profits. The company made net profit of euro1.78 billion ($2.36 billion), ahead of the average forecast compiled by FactSet of euro1.30 billion.

MONEY MAKERS: Daimler's Mercedes van business and its financial services division saw strong operating profit increases.

BUMPS AHEAD? Daimler issued a cautious outlook, saying that the debt crisis afflicting the 17-nation eurozone would mean a flat market in Western Europe.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120209/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_germany_earns_daimler_summary_box

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Video: Analyst Reiterates 'Neutral' on Groupon

Mark Mahaney, analyst at Citi, explains why he gave a "neutral" rating on Groupon. He also shares his view on Yahoo! and LinkedIn.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Top of page

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46329138/

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Booming Agriculture Investment in China

Guangzhou, Guangdong -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/08/2012 -- Agriculture has played a predominant role in the Chinese economy and will become increasingly important in the foreseeable future. The potential high growth of China?s future agriculture industry has attracted more and more investors, with modes including capital investments and new real investments.

Ding Lei, founder and CEO of the leading China-based internet technology company NetEase.com, Inc., proposed his idea of pig breeding project in 2009, which aroused great public concerns. Now the pig breeding project is underway smoothly, and the first patch product of 10,000 pigs will be put into the market at the beginning of 2012.

Financial capital investors have paid much attention to China?s agriculture industry in recent three years. In 2010, PE (private equity) fund to Chinese agriculture projects approached USD1,489 million, more than the total value in 2006?2009. In 2011, the number of companies to be listed and their major businesses including agriculture industry increased by 30% over 2010, with PE/VC investment of more than RMB1,000 million.

According to the data from Zero2IPO Group, 10 VC funds with total value of USD173.4 million have invested in agriculture industry in Q3 2011, ranking fifth among industries. And 12 VC funds with total value of USD170.3 million in food/ drink industry, ranking the sixth among industries.

It can be estimated that there are more commercial opportunities in China?s agriculture investment business. Aiming to present you a comprehensive investment environment in China?s agriculture industry, CCM International has newly launched AgriChina Investor, published on 25th every month. By evaluating the potential player or industries, this newsletter can help you discover new investment opportunity and find out the profitable node in the value chain of agriculture industry. If you are interested in this newsletter, please contact us for the free sample.

About CCM International
CCM International is dedicated to market research in China, Asia-Pacific Rim and global market. With a staff of more than 150 dedicated highly-educated professionals. CCM offers Market Data, Analysis, Reports, Newsletters, Buyer-Trader Information, Import/Export Analysis all through its new proprietary product ValoTracer.

For more information, please visit http://www.cnchemicals.com.

CCM International Ltd.
Guangzhou CCM Information Science & Technology Co., Ltd.
17th Floor, Huihua Commercial & Trade Mansion, No.80 Xianlie Zhong Road, Guangzhou 510070, China
Tel: 86-20-37616606
Email: econtact@cnchemicals.com

Source: http://www.cnchemicals.com/PressRoom/PressRoomDetail_c_962.html

Source: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/sbwire-126024.htm

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Weather4Sailors & North U to Offer Webinars on Communications ...

Weather4Sailors.com has teamed up with North U to offer a series of webinars this spring. The first webinar entitled Onboard Communcications & Reading and Interpreting Weather Data will take place in a two part series of three hour sessions in March with both weeknight and weekend options to choose from.

The first session will include ways to get weather information onboard your vessel and will feature guest speakers who will cover radio (SSB and VHF), Satellite Communications (Iridium, Global Star, Older INMARSAT systems, Fleet Broadband and others), Navtex, and Weather Fax options including the pros and cons, costs, speeds, convenience, and reliability, of each option.

The second session will help you better understand the kind of weather you can expect, whether you are reading a weather map, trying to decipher a satellite image or determining the effects of a sea breeze and will include interactive case studies using real-world examples of weather maps and forecasting to create boat-specific forecasts ? for both racers and cruisers. Guest speakers will include Ken Campbell from Commanders? Weather and Joe Sienkiewicz from NOAA?s Ocean Prediction Center.

For more information or to register, go to www.weather4sailors.com.

Source: http://bwsailing.com/cc/2012/02/08/weather4sailors-north-u-to-offer-webinars-on-communications-and-weather/

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Italy: Court keeps ship captain under house arrest (AP)

ROME ? An Italian court refused Tuesday to lift an order of house arrest for Francesco Schettino, the captain of Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground off a Tuscan island last month.

The court in Florence rejected two requests: one from prosecutors to jail Schettino and another from Schettino to be freed.

Schettino commanded the ship with 4,200 people that ran aground off the island of Giglio on Jan. 13, killing 17 people and leaving 15 missing. He is being investigated for suspected manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the vessel before all its passengers were evacuated.

The ship remains partly submerged off Giglio.

Officials plan to remove about 500,000 gallons (2,400 tons) of heavy fuel from it, but that has been delayed by rough seas and bad weather. Once the fuel is withdrawn, the massive ship will be broken into pieces and taken away ? a process that could take many months.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120207/ap_on_re_eu/eu_italy_ship_aground

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BUILD YOUR SELF ESTEEM, A good STARTER GUIDE TO SELF ...

Imagine yourself as a Dart Board. Every thing and everyone else surrounding you may become Dart Pins,
during one point or another. Most of these dart pins will ruin your self esteem and also pull you downward in ways
you won?t even remember. Don?t let them eliminate you, or get the very best of you. So which dart hooks
should you avoid?

Dart Stick #1 : Negative Work Environment
Be cautious about ?dog eat dog? theory when everyone else is fighting purely to get ahead. This is where
non-appreciative consumers usually thrive. Not a soul will appreciate your donations even if you miss
lunch or dinner and dinner, and remain up late. Generally you get to work a lot without getting help
from people nervous. Stay out of this, it will hurt your self esteem. Level of competition is at stake
anywhere. Be healthy enough to vie, but in a healthy opposition that is.

Dart Pin #2: Some other People?s Behavior
Bulldozers, brown nosers, gossipmongers, whiners, backstabbers, snipers, people walking
wounded, remote controls, naggers, complainers, exploders, patronizers, sluffers. all these kinds of
people will pose bad vibes for your self esteem, or even your self improvement scheme.

Dart Pin #3: Changing Surroundings
You can?t be an earth-friendly bug on a red field. Changes task our paradigms. It lab tests our
flexibility, versatility and alters the way we think. Changes can certainly make life difficult for some time, it
may cause strain but it will help us discover ways to improve your selves. Change shall be there forever,
we should be susceptible to it all.

Dart Pin #4: Past Experience
It?s o . k to cry plus say ?ouch!? when we encounter pain. But don?t let pain transform themselves into
fear. It could grab you with the tail and swing movement you around. Take care of each failure in addition to mistake as a
lesson.

Dart Pin #5: Negative World View
Look at precisely what you?re looking at. Don?t wrap on your own up with all the negativities around the world. In
building self esteem, we must learn how to take advantage of the out of worst scenarios.

Dart Pin #6: Determination Hypothesis
The way you are as well as your behavioral traits has been said to be a mixed end result of your inherited
character (genetics), your parental input (psychic), and your the planet such as your
partner, the company, the economic climate or your circle associated with friends. You have your own personal identity. If your
parent is a failure, it all doesn?t mean you have to be a failure too. Learn from different people?s
experience, so you?ll never have to encounter the same flaws.

Sometimes, you may want to wonder if some people tend to be born leaders or even positive thinkers. NO.
Being positive, and keeping yourself positive is a choice. Building self esteem plus drawing lines regarding self
improvement can be a choice, not a rule or a talent. Our god wouldn?t come down from bliss and tell you
? ?George, you may now have the particular permission to build self worth and improve your personal.?

In life, its tough to stay tough specially when things and people you deal with keep pulling an individual down.
When we attain the battle field, we must always choose the right luggage to create and armors to use,
together with pick those that tend to be bullet proof. Life?s options provide us arrays of more options. Along the battle,
we will find hit and bruised. And also wearing a bullet proof armor ideally means ?self change?. The kind
of adjust which comes from within. Of your accord. Armor or Personally Change changes 3 issues: our
attitude, all of our behavior and some of our way of thinking.

Building self-assurance will eventually lead to self improvement if we start to become responsible for
who we are, that which you have and that which we do. Its similar to a flame that should slowly and gradually spread like a
clean fire from inside and out. When we acquire self esteem, we control our mission,
beliefs and discipline.
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Self worth melissa shoes brings about self improvement, true assessment, and persistence. So how do you
start putting up the cornerstone of self esteem? Stay positive. Be contented along with happy. Be
grateful. Never miss the opportunity to compliment. A positive life style will help you build
self-confidence, jeffrey campbell lita your starter self-help guide to self improvement.

Source: http://www.wheretosubmitarticles.in/build-your-self-esteem-a-good-starter-guide-to-self-improvement/

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World News - Flag-waving Syrians welcome Russian envoy

Youssef Badawi / EPA

Pro-government Syrians wave Syrian and Rusisan flags and surround the car carrying Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as his motorcade drives to the presidential palace in Damascus on Tuesday.

By NBC News, msnbc.com and news services

Updated at 9:15 a.m. ET: Gulf Arab countries announced they were recalling their ambassadors from Damascus and expelling Syrian envoys in response to worsening violence in Syria.

The move came after thousands of Syrians cheered the arrival of Russia's foreign minister as he arrived in Damascus, and the government resumed a fierce attack on a city at the center of protests.

---

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, current head of the council, announces that the GCC states have decided to withdraw all their ambassadors from Syria and also demand that all ambassadors of the Syrian regime in its lands leave immediately,'' a statement
from the Gulf Cooperation Council said.

The six-member GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Original story: Thousands of Syrians waving Russian flags cheered Russia's foreign minister as he arrived in Damascus as a city at the center of protests against President Bashar Assad's regime came under renewed bombardment on Tuesday.

Regime forces stepped up an assault on the flashpoint city of Homs, using tanks and machine guns in a push to recover rebel-held districts, The Associated Press reported.

The United States has closed its embassy in Syria amid violent unrest, and international pressure is mounting on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to stop his bloody crackdown on a popular uprising in the country. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.

As dawn broke, gunfire was reported in Homs where the opposition Syrian National Council said dozens of people were killed on Monday and activists claimed 200 died in shelling over the weekend, The Guardian reported.

Syrian authorities denied firing on houses but said their forces killed "tens of terrorists" in Homs on Monday, the newspaper added.

More than 5,400 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising began in March, the U.N. said early last month. Hundreds more are believe to have been killed since then, but the U.N. says the chaos in the country has made it impossible to cross-check the figures.

Syria has blocked access to trouble spots and prevented independent reporting, making it nearly impossible to verify accounts from either side. The Assad regime says terrorists acting out a foreign conspiracy to destabilize the country are behind the uprising, not people seeking to transform the authoritarian regime.

US shutters embassy in Syria, withdraws staff

On Monday, troops shelled a makeshift medical clinic and residential areas, killing nearly 70 people, activists told The AP. More than a dozen others were reported killed elsewhere.

Meanwhile, German investigators said they had arrested two men?on allegations they were spying on Syrian opposition groups in Germany. The two men, named as Mahmoud El A., 47, and Akram O., had been under surveillance by Germany's domestic intelligence agency and would be brought before a judge on Wednesday, NBC News reported.

The Federal Prosecutors' Office said Tuesday some 70 police officers searched the suspects' apartments and those of six alleged
accomplices.

'Thank you Russia and China'
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit for talks with the embattled president comes days after Syrian allies Russia and China vetoed a Western- and Arab-backed resolution at the United Nations that would have condemned the Assad regime's crackdown on dissent and calling on him to transfer some of his powers to his deputy. The Syrian government had rejected the Arab plan as intervention in Syria's internal affairs.

Stringer / Reuters

A man inspects an armored vehicle damaged during clashes between President Bashar Assad's forces and the Free Syrian Army in Homs on Saturday.

Live footage from the capital showed Lavrov's convoy snaking its way along the Mazzeh boulevard among a sea of Assad supporters who turned up to express gratitude for Moscow's supportive stance. The foreign minister and Russia's foreign intelligence chief Mikhail Fradkov were headed to the presidential palace to meet with Assad.

"Thank you Russia and China" read one banner that had the photos of both Assad and the Russian president. Many stood under rain carrying Syrian flags as well as the red, blue and white Russian banner and balloons.

Hillary Clinton lambastes 'travesty' of UN veto on Syria

Lavrov on Monday said Western condemnation of Russia's veto of the UN Security Council resolution on Saturday bordered on "hysteria."

Ongoing violence and a worsening security situation has been further complicated by Russia and China's decision to block a U.N Security Council resolution on Syria. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.

Russia is Syria's main supplier of arms and the port of Tartus is home to Russia's only Mediterranean naval base, the BBC reported.

NBC News, msnbc.com staff and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/07/10338371-flag-waving-syrians-welcome-russian-envoy

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Palestinians take step toward unity

In this photo provided by by the Palestinian President's office, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Khaled Mashal, chief of the Islamic militant group Hamas, right, confer with Qatar's crown prince Sheik Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, center, during a reconciliation meeting in Doha, Qatar, Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. The main Palestinian political rivals took a major step Monday toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza. (AP Photo/Thaer Ghanaim, Palestinian President's Office)

In this photo provided by by the Palestinian President's office, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Khaled Mashal, chief of the Islamic militant group Hamas, right, confer with Qatar's crown prince Sheik Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, center, during a reconciliation meeting in Doha, Qatar, Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. The main Palestinian political rivals took a major step Monday toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza. (AP Photo/Thaer Ghanaim, Palestinian President's Office)

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani , Center, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, right, arrive to sign an agreement in Doha, Qatar, on Monday Feb. 6, 2012. The main Palestinian political rivals of Kaled Mashall Chief of the Islamic militant Hamas and Palestinian President Abbas, took a major step Monday toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before the signing of the agreement in Doha, Qatar, on Monday Feb. 6, 2012. The main Palestinian political rivals of Kaled Mashall Chief of the Islamic militant Hamas and Palestinian President Abbas, took a major step Monday toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani , center, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, right, arrive to sign an agreement in Doha, Qatar, on Monday Feb. 6, 2012. The main Palestinian political rivals of Kaled Mashall Chief of the Islamic militant Hamas and Palestinian President Abbas, took a major step Monday toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani , center, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, right, during the signing of the agreement in Doha, Qatar, on Monday Feb. 6, 2012. The main Palestinian political rivals of Kaled Mashall Chief of the Islamic militant Hamas and Palestinian President Abbas, took a major step Monday toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) ? After months of wavering, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas took a decisive step Monday toward reconciliation with the Islamic militant group Hamas, a move Israel promptly warned would close the door to any future peace talks.

In a deal brokered by Qatar, Abbas will head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the Palestinian territories in the coming months. The agreement appeared to bring reconciliation ? key to any statehood ambitions ? within reach for the first time since the two sides set up rival Palestinian governments in the West Bank and Gaza in 2007.

Monday's deal, signed in the Qatari capital of Doha by Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal, put an end to recent efforts by the international community to revive long-stalled negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on the terms of Palestinian statehood. Abbas appears to have concluded that he has a better chance of repairing relations with Hamas, shunned by the West as a terror group, than reaching an agreement with Israel's hardline prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu quickly condemned the Doha deal. "It's either peace with Hamas or peace with Israel. You can't have them both," he said in a warning to Abbas, who has enjoyed broad international support.

In moving closer to Hamas, Abbas risks losing some of that backing and hundreds of millions of dollars a year in aid.

Qatar, awash with cash from vast oil and gas reserves, assured the Palestinians that it would help limit any political and financial damages, according to Palestinian officials close to the talks.

Whether the Palestinian Authority loses any of the roughly $1 billion in foreign aid it received each year may partly depend on the interim government's political platform and Hamas' willingness to stay in the background.

The new government is to be made up of politically independent experts, according to the Doha agreement. If headed by Abbas, devoid of Hamas members and run according to his political principles, it could try to make a case to be accepted by the West. Abbas aides said they were optimistic they could win international recognition.

The Quartet of international Mideast mediators ? the U.S., the U.N., the European Union and Russia ? has said it would deal with any Palestinian government that renounces violence, recognizes Israel and supports a negotiated peace deal. Abbas has embraced these principles, while Hamas rejects them.

Top Abbas aides Nabil Shaath and Azzam al-Ahmed said they are confident the new government will be based on the Quartet principles. In any case, they said, the interim government's focus will be to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections, not to negotiate with Israel. Such elections won't be held in May, as initially envisioned, they said, but could take place several months later.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. was seeking more information about what was agreed, and that reconciliation was an internal matter for Palestinians.

"What matters to us are the principles that guide a Palestinian government going forward, in order for them to be able to play a constructive role for peace and building an independent state," Nuland said.

"Any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to nonviolence," she said. "It must recognize the state of Israel. And it must accept the previous agreements and obligations between the parties, including the road map. So those are our expectations."

Nuland declined to say if the Fatah-Hamas arrangement would advance or hurt peace talks with Israel. She also appeared hesitant to address Netanyahu's warning to Abbas that the Palestinians can have "peace with Hamas or peace with Israel."

"We maintain that both of these parties ought to stay committed to this process," Nuland told reporters.

The European Union offered qualified support Monday, saying it considers Palestinian reconciliation and elections as important steps toward Mideast peace. The EU, a major financial backer of Abbas' Palestinian Authority, "looks forward to continuing its support," provided the new government meets the Quartet demands, said Michael Mann, a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Last year, Abbas and Mashaal struck a reconciliation deal that later became bogged down in disagreement over who would head an interim government. Hamas strongly opposed Abbas' initial choice of Salam Fayyad, the head of his Palestinian Authority.

Fayyad, an economist who is widely respected in the West, said Monday he welcomed the new deal even though it would cost him a job he has held since 2007.

The breakthrough came after two days of meetings between Abbas and Mashaal, hosted by Qatar's emir, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. After the signing, Abbas said that "we promise our people to implement this agreement as soon as possible."

Mashaal also said he was serious "about healing the wounds ... to reunite our people on the foundation of a political partnership, in order to devote our effort to resisting the (Israeli) occupation."

Abbas and Hamas have had bitter ideological differences, with Abbas pursuing a deal with Israel and the violently anti-Israel Hamas dismissing such talks as a waste of time. The rift deepened with Hamas' 2007 takeover of Gaza, which left Abbas with only the West Bank.

However, some of those differences seem to have narrowed in recent months.

Abbas has lost faith in reaching a deal, at least with Netanyahu. Low-level Israeli-Palestinian border talks last month ? an attempt by the international community to revive formal negotiations after more than three years of paralysis ? only highlighted the vast gaps.

The Palestinians want the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, with minor border adjustments, for their state. Israel's outline of a border deal, presented last month, meant it wants to keep east Jerusalem and large chunks of the West Bank, not enough concessions to keep Abbas engaged.

Mashaal, meanwhile, has been prodding Hamas toward a more pragmatic stance that is closer to that of the group's parent movement, the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood scored election victories in Egypt and Tunisia in the wake of the pro-democracy protests of the Arab Spring, and has urged Hamas to moderate and reconcile with Abbas.

However, Mashaal represents Hamas in exile and appears to have had differences with the movement's more hardline leadership in Gaza, which stands to lose influence and jobs in a reconciliation deal. Some of the Gaza leaders have resisted Mashaal's push for unity and moving closer to the Brotherhood, Hamas officials have said privately.

It remains unclear how much resistance Mashaal will now face from the Gaza leaders of the movement. One of the biggest challenges of reconciliation ? how to blend the two sides' separate security forces ? remains unresolved.

Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas prime minister of Gaza, said he welcomed the agreement. Initial reports that a Hamas delegation from Gaza went to Doha were incorrect. The delegation headed to Cairo.

The agreement calls for rebuilding Gaza, which has been largely cut off from the world as part of an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade imposed after the Hamas takeover. The blockade was eased in the past year, but not enough to revive the Gaza economy, including the vital construction industry, and many large-scale projects remain on hold.

Qatar is willing to spend as much as $10 billion to help repair the damage of the rift, including settling mutual grievances by supporters of Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement who at the height of tensions fought bloody street battles, the Palestinian officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the closed-door meetings with reporters. The figure could not be confirmed independently.

Al-Ahmed and Shaath, the Abbas aides, said they expect the composition of the new government to be announced during a Feb. 18 meeting of Palestinian political factions in Cairo.

They said Abbas would set an election date 90 days after the Central Elections Commissions has updated voter records in Gaza, a process that could take several weeks. The initial reconciliation pact envisioned elections in May, but this is no longer realistic, the aides said. Shaath said he believes the voting could take place by July.

___

Barzak reported from Gaza City, Gaza Strip. AP writers Bradley Klapper in Washington, Raf Casert in Brussels and Brian Murphy in Dubai also contributed.

(This version CORRECTS that a Hamas delegation from Gaza did not go to Doha)

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-02-06-ML-Palestinians-Reconciliation/id-a65ee3017fad487781365422c90485b2

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Chinese seeks reconstruction role in Libya (Reuters)

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CJ Kennedy - Pony Express Home Station: Family Tree

While the big game is on, I'll be swinging in my family tree. I've pieced somethings I remember my dad telling me along with the sketchy notes he left. I found a boatload of relatives I didn't know I had!

If you're not watching the Super Bowl, what will you be doing?

Source: http://ponyexpressgraphics.blogspot.com/2012/02/family-tree.html

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Detroit Business Consulting (DBC, Inc.) Attends Cirque du Soleil ...

Cirque du Soleil is performing at the Joe Louis Arena this weekend, and Detroit Business Consulting will be there for the show on Friday night as well!? Cirque du Soleil performed at the Atlanta conference last week that we attended, and we?re excited to see a full show this weekend. The management team is rewarding Kyle and Alex with tickets. They have been going above and beyond in the office and earned the opportunity to spend the evening with the owner of DBC, Inc.

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Source: http://detroitbusinessconsulting.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/detroit-business-consulting-dbc-inc-attends-cirque-du-soleil/

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'Anatomy of a Murder' star Gazzara dies

By Brent Lang, TheWrap.com

Ben Gazzara died Friday of pancreatic cancer, The New York Times reported.?

The star of award films and plays such as "Anatomy of a Murder" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" was 81 years old.

Gazzara employed his distinctive, guttural voice and powerful stare most memorably in a series of film collaborations with the director?John Cassavetes.?

For the maverick director, Gazzara played a collection of bitter spouses and down-on-their heels gamblers and theater directors in films such as "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" and "Opening Night."?

More from TheWrap: Super Bowl pregame: Feds seize, arrest online sporting-event pirates

Like Peter Falk, his co-star in Cassavetes' "Husbands," Gazzara was perfectly suited to the director's signature examinations of bruised men who struggle to articulate and come to grips with their emotions, fears and hopes in a rapidly changing world.?

Fittingly, he died the same day that Cassavetes did more than twenty years ago.?

Among his other notable film roles were an accused rapist in "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959), the smooth-talking pornographer Jackie Treehorn in the Coen Brothers' "The Big Lebowski" (1998), and a grandfather separating from his wife of 40 years in Todd Solondz's "Happiness"(1998).?

More from TheWrap: Tony Oller offered starring role in 'Vigilandia'

Less successful was his starring role opposite his then-lover Audrey Hepburn in Peter Bogdanovich's "They All Laughed" (1981). The romantic comedy was a box office and critical disaster.

As for "Roadhouse" (1989), the critics hated the Patrick Swayze action movie too, but thanks to frequent television play, Gazarra's role as villainous businessman became a cult favorite.?

On stage, Gazzara originated the role of the alcoholic, sexually confused Brick in Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." It helped make his name, but he saw the role go to Paul Newman in the 1958 film adaptation.

Even after Hollywood beckoned, Gazzara was comfortable migrating from stage to screen, making frequent appearances on Broadway. He was nominated for three Tony awards for playing a drug addict in "A Hatful of Rain,"?for doing double duty in two short plays Eugene O?Neill?s ?Hughie? and David Scott Milton?s ?Duet," and for playing the alcoholic George in a revival of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."

More from TheWrap: 'Glee' sidelined for two months

His last Broadway role came in 2006's acclaimed revival of the social protest drama "Awake and Sing!"

Gazzara's performance in HBO's "Hysterical Blindness" earned him his first Emmy award in 2006. He also ?earned plaudits for his starring role in the TV movie, "An Early Frost" (1985), one of the first nationally broadcast works to deal with the AIDS crisis.?

Gazzara was married three times to Louise Erickson (1951?1957), actress Janice Rule (1961?1979), and German model Elke Stuckmann.

He his survived by Stuckmann, their daughter, and an adopted daughter. Gazarra's brother, Anthony, also survives him.?

More in TODAY entertainment:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/03/10313294-anatomy-of-a-murder-star-ben-gazzara-dies-at-81

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China criticizes Iran sanctions as Merkel visits (AP)

BEIJING ? China's premier pledged to help Europe fight its debt crisis during a meeting Friday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel but a ruling party newspaper criticized sanctions on Iran and a human rights lawyer was blocked from meeting Merkel.

China is "willing to cooperate with Europe to fight the current crisis," said Premier Wen Jiabao at a meeting with Merkel and German businesspeople in the southern business center of Guangzhou. The two leaders flew there Friday after talks in Beijing.

"Some people say this means China wants to buy Europe," Wen said. "China doesn't have this intention and doesn't have this ability."

On Thursday, Wen said Beijing might contribute to Europe's bailout funds, though he made no financial commitment. European leaders want China, with $3.2 trillion in foreign reserves, and other global investors to help expand the funds.

Merkel's visit was aimed at reassuring Chinese leaders about Europe's financial health, but she said her agenda also included human rights and other sensitive issues.

On Thursday, Merkel urged Beijing to help persuade Tehran to avoid developing nuclear weapons. The communist government has previously rejected sanctions.

The Communist Party newspaper People's Daily said Western efforts to pressure Iran with an oil embargo are "casting a shadow over the global economy." It appealed to other governments to "keep calm and restrained and not escalate tensions."

China gets about 10 percent of its oil imports from Iran and analysts say Beijing would be hard-pressed to replace them.

Also Friday, a lawyer who has defended dissidents, Mo Shaoping, said he was invited to a dinner Thursday with Merkel but police told him he could not attend. The dinner was to be followed by a private meeting with Merkel to discuss China's legal environment and lawyers who have been harassed by the government.

Mo said police cited the need to maintain stability ahead of a ruling party congress late this year. The event is a key part of a planned handover of power to younger leaders.

On Friday, Hu told Merkel that Beijing wants to develop a "strategic partnership" and economic ties with Germany, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. There was no word on whether they discussed Iran or human rights.

The 27-nation European Union is China's biggest export market and Beijing's stake in its financial health is growing as Chinese companies expand there.

Merkel is the first of several European leaders to visit China this month for talks expected largely to focus on the economic crisis.

In Guangzhou, Wen also tried to allay concern about Beijing's limits on exports of rare earths needed by makers of mobile phones and other high-tech goods, saying China "has no discrimination when it comes to foreign companies."

Businesspeople at the event included CEOs of Volkswagen AG and Siemens AG and the chairman of Chinese personal computer manufacturer Lenovo Group.

China produces the bulk of the world's rare earths and has alarmed manufacturers by limiting exports while it tries to build up a domestic industry of companies that use them to produce lightweight magnets and other goods.

It was unclear whether Wen's reference to foreign companies meant those abroad or foreign-financed operations in China.

The European Union imposed an oil embargo on Iran last week and froze the assets of its central bank. In December, the United States said it would bar financial institutions from the U.S. market if they do business with Iran's central bank.

The People's Daily commentary repeated previous Chinese arguments but the decision to publish it while Merkel was visiting suggested Beijing's attitude might be hardening.

The message "is that China hopes the United States and Iran can sit down and talk, and try not to use military force to resolve the problem," said Wang Lian, an Iran specialist at Peking University's School of International Studies.

China depends on crude from Iran and other Gulf suppliers such as Saudi Arabia, so "if war broke out between the United States and Iran and the Strait of Hormuz were sealed off, China would be the first to suffer," Wang said.

___

AP researchers Zhao Liang and Yu Bing and AP writer Christopher Bodeen contributed.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120203/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_germany

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Is India finally waking up to mental illness? - weight loss,diet,health ...

Bengaluru, Karnataka -- Applied Precision Inc., a GE Healthcare company, today announced the launch of DeltaVision OMX Blaze?, a research microscopy system designed to reach the next level in the evolution of super-resolution imaging by employing a proprietary, ultra-fast, illumination module and the latest advanced high-speed camera technologies.

The new DeltaVision OMX Blaze system's speed of image acquisition enables researchers to follow tagged proteins within the same living cell, over time, in three-dimensional space, at near molecular resolution. This makes it possible to start answering new kinds of research questions about how certain structures in cells behave, what they interact with, and how long the events last.

Paul Goodwin, Director of Advanced Applications, API, said, "It's a pretty extraordinary feeling, to see moving images of live cells at a greater level of detail than anyone has witnessed before. The implications of this advance in imaging technology are hugely exciting for researchers. With the OMX Blaze we can start to answer questions that we never could before."

Dr Amr Abid, General Manager of Cell Technologies, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, said, "We are only at the beginning of what this technology can do. The ability to follow cellular interactions, over time at the molecular level will open up new frontiers in so many areas of life science research. This is a hugely important step forward for cellular imaging."

Researchers at the UC Davis-based Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology (CBST) collaborated early as beta testers for the technology. The system is also being installed at a number of early adopter sites around the world which are expected to go live in the next two months.

Dr Frank Chuang, Associate Research Director, CBST, said, "We're at the point where we need to understand mechanisms of health and disease at the molecular level. The OMX Blaze has tremendous potential as a research tool, and we are very excited to apply this in our laboratory models to observe the response of cancer cells to chemotherapy, the cell-to-cell transmission of HIV and other viruses, and the dynamics of engineered nanoparticles."

In the past ten years, a number of fluorescent microscopy methods have been developed which use computational or optical techniques to exceed the previously assumed limits of optical microscopy. Applied Precision's DeltaVision OMX super-resolution system uses a technique called 3D-SIM (Structured Illumination Microscopy) which approximately doubles the resolution in all three dimensions, giving an eight times improvement in volume resolution compared to conventional microscopy.

For more information about the DeltaVision OMX and to view videos and other images, please click here

DeltaVision OMX Blaze? is for Research Only, it is not a registered Medical Device.

About video footage of live cell imaging of microtubules

The video footage shows the dynamic movement of a protein called EB3 which is found on the ends of microtubules. Microtubules are part of the skeleton-like network which maintains cell structure, provides transport links around the cell, and plays a key role in dividing the chromosomes during cell division. The cell type imaged is HCT-116, a human cell which was originally derived from a colorectal tumor but is now widely used as a model for normal cell function. By treating these cells with drugs that disrupt microtubule behaviour, researchers can potentially determine effective methods for disrupting a cancer cell's ability to replicate, and use this information to inform the design of new potential cancer treatments. The cell sample used to generate the footage was supplied by Professor Linda Wordeman, professor of physiology and biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.

Our "healthymagination" vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.

For our latest news, please visit http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com

About Applied Precision, a GE Healthcare Company

Founded in 1986, Applied Precision is a leading provider of innovative imaging, measurement and analysis systems for the life sciences industries and OEM markets. The acquisition of Applied Precision allows GE Healthcare Life Sciences to expand its offering of products and services for pharmaceutical and life science research. Applied Precision's proprietary technologies are complementary to GE Healthcare's IN Cell Analyzer Systems which are used for high-throughput sub-cellular analysis in cell biology research. The use of cellular and sub-cellular imaging technology is now central to many areas of cell biology including drug discovery and biomarker research. More information is available at www.appliedprecision.com

Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology (CBST)

Established in 2002 with a grant from the National Science Foundation, the Centre for Biophotonics, Science and Technology at UC Davis is focused on advancing biomedicine and photonics engineering to improve human health. In partnership with eight other university campuses and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the centre focuses its intellectual, scientific, educational and industrial outreach efforts to develop new tools and technologies that apply the science of light to answer important questions in medicine.

Source: http://www.indiahealthandwellness.com/2012/02/is-india-finally-waking-up-to-mental.html

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Samsung Galaxy 10.01 price tag in India | flazx blog Samsung ...

February 3, 2012 by admin

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 price in India
The Sailundela

Article

Samsung phone

always provides higher performance, India mobile communications market. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a new tablet phone is close in August. Mobile Tablet is a unique work, which is fully integrated with the new model of technology. The market is not announced but is expected to be Rs. Of $ 32,000. The comments and pictures on the Internet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 features in the mobile market in India. Flat bar form factor phone. The model in black. The phone is like the Polaris office mobile office features, it can be to view the PPT, Excel, WORD document creation and editing. Tablet phone a lot like a gyro, accelerometer, ambient light sensor and digital compass sensor. Communications services such as push e-mail or e-mail, IM and RSS Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 as well as Facebook, Google search, maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk like a social networking site, Picasa integration. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 specifications at full load. The phone weighs 565gm Tablet. With dimensions of 256.7 x 175.3 in x8.6 mm model. Andr? oid to V3.0 cellular phone operating system. Mobile integrated 1GHz dual-core processor NVIDIA GeForce GPU Tegra unleaded gasoline. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 Samsung 10.1-inch widescreen, it can be 149 pixels per inch. The UX TouchWiz user interface definition and display with touch sensitive controls. Tablet mobile phones, dual-camera mode enabled, the main mode of 3 million pixels and a second camera, with 720 high-definition video equipment, 2MP camera facility. The phone is equipped with standard 7000 Tues battery can provide up to 9 hours of video playback time of up to 72 hours of music playback time of service. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is adopted location-based services as well as the mask map. Also included GPS support GPS cell phone. The tablet phone supports the Android browser and an HTML web browser, it can provide fast internet browsing facilities. The phone is equipped as Wi-Fi 802.11 A / B / G / N dual-band Wi-Fi support and direct Internet connection, Internet access can provide better facilities. Bluetooth v3.0 and USB 2.0 Micro data exchange, the opening of the connectors as well as fast data transmission capacity of mobile phones. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the location-based services, as well as the mask map. Also included GPS support GPS cell phone. The tablet phone supports the Android browser and an HTML web browser, it can provide fast internet browsing facilities. The phone is equipped as Wi-Fi 802.11 A / B / G / N dual-band Wi-Fi support and direct Internet connection, Internet access can provide better facilities. Bluetooth v3.0 and USB 2.0 Micro data exchange, the opening of the connectors as well as fast data transmission capacity of mobile phones.

Category Samsung Galaxy Tab | Tags: , 10.01, Galaxy, India, Price, Samsung

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Source: http://blog.flazx.com/samsung-galaxy-10-01-price-tag-in-india/

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Videoplaza Secures $12 million For Ad Platform Led By Qualcomm, Innovacom

With the huge rise in the consumption of online video it follows that services to monetize that video are becoming hot properties. To that end, today Videoplaza, a 'sell side' ad management platform for video, has secured a Series B round of $12million led by Qualcomm Ventures and Innovacom. The company previously received rounds from VCs Creandum and Northzone, which also participated, which means VideoPlaza has received $18 million to date.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/E2mH_6naQTQ/

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That means of Internet promotion | Welcome to Mitcham RUFC

Online marketing certainly is the term denoted towards the definition, ?A promotional tactics that controls all its company through world wide web and internet sites is opular as Web marketing.

Companies site their company and products online marketing to get at millions with customers. Internet promotional is considerably more than keeping your advertising on-line.

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If you?re looking to purchase a pay per click marketing marketing marketing campaign, not that much time could be needed prior to campaign. People seek true accounts. Easy search engine marketing can only be performed if you have had exerted excess effort to ascertain yourself whilst your reputation on the online promotional world. Your reputation is extremely essential as your target promote or sub-market will never trust you if you can?t have proven you to ultimately them. Experts in seo argue can marketing towards very unique market portion. One example is, if you come up with a fan web site named ?California Deciding upon gardening Lovers? Myspace fan web site or team, you could be gathering typically the California you will need enthusiasts. In a natural way, only 2 different entities can be creating this sort of community, specifically, if you happen to be an one that loves you will need and really wants to connect having other Los angeles gardening devotees, or you happen to be positioning your corporation which will be selling gardening goods and services to this approach targeted town.

Source: http://www.mitchamrufc.co.uk/that-means-of-internet-promotion/

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Business Highlights - seattlepi.com

___

AP Interview: JC Penney CEO talks about the chain

NEW YORK ? Everyone in the retail world wants to see if Ron Johnson can work his magic a third time.

For 15 years, he helped shape Target's cheap chic image. Then, he spent about a decade changing the way Americans shop for electronic gadgets at Apple.

Now, Johnson faces perhaps his biggest challenge yet as CEO of J.C. Penney: Dust off one of the dowdiest brands in retailing to make it cool again. To do that, he's borrowing from Apple's uber-successful playbook.

During an hour-long interview in which he talked about how he planned to transform Penney, the 52-year-old mentioned Apple 19 times. Like he did at Apple, the 30-year retail industry veteran says he plans to change the shopping experience, shun heavy discounting and sell services along with products.

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25 EU nations to sign treaty to stop overspending

BRUSSELS ? All countries in the European Union, except Britain and the Czech Republic, agreed Monday to sign a new treaty designed to stop overspending in the eurozone and put an end to the bloc's crippling debt crisis, while also pledging to stimulate growth across the region.

The new treaty, known as the fiscal compact, was agreed to at a summit of European leaders in Brussels. It includes strict debt brakes and makes it more difficult for deficit sinners to escape sanctions. The 17-country eurozone hopes that the tighter rules will convince investors that all countries will get their debts under control and restore confidence in their joint currency.

Although the new rules only apply to the 17 euro states, the currency union was hoping to get broad support from the other EU states.

The summit also promised Monday to stimulate growth and create jobs across the region, in a tacit acknowledgment that their exclusive focus on austerity has had painful side effects.

___

Incomes up strong 0.5 pct., consumer spending flat

WASHINGTON ? Americans' income rose in December by 0.5 percent, the most in nine months, a hopeful sign for the economy after a year of weak wage gains. But consumers didn't spend any more last month than they had in November.

Americans ended up saving their additional income.

Economists noted that income rose last month largely because of strong hiring. The economy added 200,000 jobs in December. More jobs mean more income available to spend.

The best hope for the economy is further job gains. On Friday, the government is expected to report another solid month of hiring for January.

For all of 2011, income barely rose.

___

WTO: China unfairly limits export of raw materials

The World Trade Organization ruled Monday that China unfairly limited exports of nine raw materials to protect domestic manufacturers.

A WTO appeals body rejected China's appeal of an earlier ruling in July that concluded the Asian economic powerhouse had violated international trade rules. The appeals body largely sided with the U.S., European Union and Mexico, which had taken issue with Chinese restrictions on its exports of nine materials used widely in the steel, aluminum and chemical industries.

The ruling affects China's exports of certain forms of bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon carbide, silicon metal, yellow phosphorous and zinc. The WTO appeals body says China must now "bring its export duty and export quota measures into conformity with its WTO obligations."

___

Tech companies team up to combat email scams

NEW YORK ? Google, Facebook and other big tech companies are jointly designing a system for combating email scams known as phishing.

Such scams try to trick people into giving away passwords and other personal information by sending emails that look as if they come from a legitimate bank, retailer or other business. When Bank of America customers see emails that appear to come from the bank, they might click on a link that takes them to a fake site mimicking the real Bank of America's. There, they might enter personal details, which scam artists can capture and use for fraud.

To combat that, 15 major technology and financial companies have formed an organization to design a system for authenticating emails from legitimate senders and weeding out fakes. The new system is called DMARC ? short for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance.

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Stocks and bond yields drop on Europe worries

NEW YORK ? The wait for an expected deal between Greece and its creditors rattled financial markets around the world Monday. Yields for ultra-safe U.S. government debt hit their lowest this year, the euro dropped against the dollar, and European stocks fell.

U.S. stocks dropped slightly, with the Dow Jones industrial average off 0.1 percent.

Borrowing costs for European countries with the heaviest debt burdens shot higher. The two-year interest rate for Portugal's government debt jumped to 21 percent after trading around 14 percent last week.

Greece and the investors who bought its government bonds were said to be close to an agreement that would replace bonds held by investment funds and banks with new ones at half the face value.

___

Starbucks, Tata to open 50 Indian stores this year

MUMBAI, India ? Starbucks aims to open 50 outlets in India by year's end, through a 50-50 joint venture with Tata Global Beverages, the companies said Monday.

Tata Starbucks Ltd., as their venture is known, hopes to capitalize on the rising aspirations ? and fattening wallets ? of many Indians, who are eager to partake of the global latte life.

The first outlet will open in Mumbai or New Delhi by September.

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Wendy's CEO: Our wounds were 'self-inflicted'

NEW YORK ? Wendy's new CEO on Monday called the dour results of the past few years "self-inflicted wounds" and vowed to do better, laying out plans that included hiring top-tier workers and reclaiming market share from higher-end competitors like Five Guys and Smashburger.

Emil Brolick, the CEO since September, told investors that he was intent on winning back customers jaded by a stale menu and inconsistent service, as well as investors, who have grown weary of "a little bit of overpromising and under-delivering."

And rather than blaming the struggling economy for the revenue declines and quarterly losses of the past few years, Brolick said that the company's problems were its own fault.

___

Gates Foundation, drug makers push on tropical ills

Thirteen major pharmaceutical companies, government groups and health charities will work together in a push to eliminate or control by 2020 10 tropical diseases that affect more than a billion people in poor countries.

The partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, call it the largest coordinated effort ever to combat neglected tropical diseases. The government groups and charities alone are committing just over $785 million in new funding.

The drug makers are donating billions of doses of their medicines over the rest of the decade, but did not attribute a value to them. The companies also will work together to speed up development of new treatments, and the partners will work on improving drug delivery and treatment programs, including prevention and education.

___

By The Associated Press(equals)

The Dow Jones Industrial average fell 6.74 points to close at 12,653.72, for a drop of 0.1 percent. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 3.32 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,313.01. The Nasdaq composite lost 4.6 points, or 0.2 percent, at 2,811.94.

Benchmark crude fell by 78 cents to finish at $98.78 per barrel in New York on Monday. Brent crude, which is used to price foreign oils that are imported by U.S. refineries, lost 71 cents to end at $110.75 per barrel in London.

Heating oil fell 2 cents to finish at $3.05 per gallon and gasoline futures fell 6 cents to end at $2.87 per gallon. Natural gas futures fell 4 cents to end the day at $2.71 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Business-Highlights-2848106.php

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A Wildlife Vet, A Pigeon, A Groundbreaking Discovery

One of the reasons I love my job as a wildlife veterinarian so much is the variety of my days. No two days are the same; each is filled with different animals with different problems, and I love the anticipation of what my day may bring. I never know what kind of animal will come through the door, what challenges I?ll face, and what skills I?ll get to use ? it?s very unpredictable and that makes it so fun and exciting! My job is very fast-paced, keeps me on my toes, and there?s never a dull moment ? emergency medicine at its finest! It is also full of new discoveries, as I found out last spring.

A wild pigeon with S. calchasi. Note the characteristic head tilt (torticollis). Photo by WRC

Last April I was examining a wild male adult Rock Pigeon that couldn?t fly. The person who found the pigeon suspected a broken wing. On the initial physical exam, I didn?t find any broken bones but the bird was exhibiting odd neurologic behaviors, including ataxia (lack of coordination) and torticollis (head tilt).

My differential diagnoses included head trauma, aberrant parasite migration (a parasite that?s normally found in the gastro-intestinal system migrates to other parts of the body, like the central nervous system), and a viral or bacterial infection causing encephalitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain).

I started the bird on anti-inflammatories and moved it into our isolation ward in case he was potentially contagious to other birds. Over the next five to seven days, the bird?s neurological symptoms progressively worsened. He literally started standing on his head and spinning in circles (see video). The torticollis also worsened. Because of his decreasing status and poor prognosis I humanely euthanized him.

Normally, when we euthanize an animal or when an animal dies, it?s disposed of or saved under a salvage permit for a licensed organization to use in their collections, for research, etc. Sometimes though, we send animals out for additional testing to help pinpoint the cause of the animal?s illness or death. This is done via a necropsy (just like an autopsy but for animals).

Since Paramyxovirus, a highly contagious viral disease in pigeons that manifests as neurological symptoms, including ataxia and torticollis, was high on my list of possible diagnoses, I sent this bird to the University of Minnesota (UMN) Diagnostic Lab (D-Lab) where they would do a necropsy and test for the virus.

In the past WRC has had several pigeons showing similar signs and Paramyxovirus was always suspected. To my knowledge, however, none had ever been sent in for necropsy. A pattern was there, but what was it? What is going on with these neurologic pigeons, I wondered.

Sarcocystis calchasi in the brain of the pigeon. Photo by Dr. Arno Wuenschmann, Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota

Well, the bird tested negative for Paramyxovirus. However, what the D-Lab did find was shocking. A parasite, named Sarcocystis calchasi, was found in cysts in the bird?s skeletal muscles. The really neat thing? This parasite had never been identified in the United States! It actually hadn?t been identified anywhere outside of Germany (where it was identified in 2009)!

When the pathologists contacted me to tell me this news, I was very excited (as were they!). Tissue samples were sent to Germany to confirm identification of the parasite, and sure enough it was S. calchasi.

The parasite is passed from bird to bird via infected feces, likely from the Northern Goshawk or Cooper?s hawk, which acts as final host in the lifestage of the parasite (does not cause symptoms in those birds). The parasite then migrates from the GI tract into the muscles of the bird. The aforementioned bird had a severe case of meningoencephalitis (inflammation in the brain); however, the parasite was not found there. The parasite?s role in causing neurologic symptoms is still unknown but the UMN?s pathologists are busy researching other birds.

Sarcocystis calchasi in the muscle of the pigeon. Photo by Dr. Arno Wuenschmann, Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota

With these amazing results, we promptly collaborated and published the findings in ?Transboundary and Emerging Diseases.? My first paper as a wildlife veterinarian has been published!

Dr. Arno Wunschmann, a veterinary diagnostician at UMN who discovered the S. calchasi cysts, speaks of what impact this discovery has on the global transmission of diseases:

?This case demonstrates that diseases can spread very quickly and how the use of modern diagnostic tools can help diagnose diseases (in this case PCR). The disease was first described in 2009 in Germany and showed up 2 years later already in Minnesota.

?I was only to able to put the pieces together because somebody in Germany had worked hard to get his cases published in a timely fashion (because the first cases were only seen two years before the paper was in print) and I used the literature resources (including the internet). It is a beautiful example of how the scientific community as a whole is meant to function and can function. Alternatively, one can speculate that the disease went undiagnosed for some period of time but that seems unlikely because the lesion is very obvious (if a pathologist examines the muscle).?

S. calchasi is now recognized as an important differential diagnosis in neurologic pigeons.

Sarcocystis calchasi in the muscle of the pigeon. Photo by Dr. Arno Wuenschmann, Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota

How many pigeons possibly have it and have been misdiagnosed? That?s hard to say, but since S. calchasi was discovered, we?ve submitted every pigeon (all wild birds, not domestic) that dies while in our care or is euthanized. Nearly 20% have tested positive for this parasitic infection. This is huge news in the tracking of wildlife diseases on a global level.

One of the best parts of this discovery? My curiosity paid off! Wunschmann states: ?The case demonstrates nicely how important it is that curious clinicians do not just accept the status quo and submit animals for necropsy. Compliments to you!?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=96ea989a822864f0cab5e6b87a08b86a

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Obama plays up auto industry success story

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama wears his decision to rescue General Motors and Chrysler three years ago as a badge of honor, a move to save jobs in an industry that helped create the backbone of the middle class more than a half-century ago.

For Obama, the auto bailout is a case study for his efforts to revive the economy and a potential point of contrast with Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, who opposed Obama's decision to pour billions of dollars into the auto companies. If Romney wins the Republican nomination, expect to hear a lot about the car industry.

"The American auto industry was on the verge of collapse. And some politicians were willing to let it just die. We said no," Obama told college students last week in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "We believe in the workers of this state."

Obama was expected to visit the Washington Auto Show on Tuesday, giving him another forum to talk about GM and Chrysler, along with the administration's attention to manufacturers and efforts to boost fuel efficiency standards. The White House has taken every opportunity to highlight its efforts to rebuild the auto industry, pointing to GM's reemergence as the world's largest automaker and job growth and profitability in the U.S. auto industry.

The president's campaign views the auto storyline as a potent argument against Romney ? who, even though he is the son of a Detroit auto executive, opposed the bailout. As the industry was collapsing in the fall of 2008, the former Massachusetts governor predicted in a New York Times op-ed that if the companies received a federal bailout, "you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye." Romney said the companies should have undergone a "managed bankruptcy" that would have avoided a government bailout.

"Whether it was by President Bush or by President Obama, it was the wrong way to go," Romney said at a Republican presidential debate in Michigan in November. Romney said the nation has "capital markets and bankruptcy ? it works in the U.S. The idea of billions of dollars being wasted initially, then finally they adopted the managed bankruptcy. I was among others that said we ought to do that."

Both the Bush and Obama administrations found themselves in uncharted territory in the fall of 2008 and early 2009. GM and Chrysler were on the verge of collapse when Congress failed to approve emergency loans in late 2008. Bush stepped in and signed off on $17.4 billion in loans, requiring the companies to develop restructuring plans under Obama's watch.

The following spring, Obama pumped billions more into GM and Chrysler but forced concessions from industry stakeholders, enabling the companies to go through swift bankruptcies. Obama aides said billions in aid ? about $85 billion for the industry in total ? was necessary because capital markets were essentially frozen at the time, meaning there was no way for GM and Chrysler to fund their bankruptcies privately.

Without any private financing or government support, they argued, the companies would have been forced to liquidate.

Three years later, Obama is trying to turn the tough decision into a political advantage in Ohio and Michigan, which Obama carried in 2008 and where unemployment has fallen of late. During last week's State of the Union address, Obama said the auto industry had hired tens of thousands of workers, and he predicted the Detroit turnaround could take root elsewhere.

Yet Obama's poll numbers in places like Ohio and Michigan remain in dangerous territory, under 50 percent, and the auto industry argument carries some inherent risks.

A Quinnipiac University poll in Ohio released Jan. 18 found Obama locked in a virtual tie with Romney in a hypothetical matchup, with about half the voters disapproving of Obama's performance as president. A poll in Michigan released last week by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA found 48 percent supporting Obama and 40 percent backing Romney in a potential matchup.

Republicans say the bailout still remains unpopular and the government intervention was hardly a cure-all. "The industry was bailed out but a lot of people lost their jobs," said David Doyle, a Michigan-based Republican strategist.

In a nation still soured on bailouts, the government owns more than a quarter of GM. The Treasury Department estimates the government will lose more than $23 billion on the auto bailout: GM is trading at $24 a share, well below the $53-per-share mark needed for the government to recoup its investment in the company.

Romney, facing attacks from Democrats on his work at private equity firm Bain Capital, has tried to use the GM and Chrysler cases to insulate himself against charges his firm gutted companies and fired workers. "How did you do when you were running General Motors as the president?" Romney said in a December debate. "Gee, you closed down factories. You closed down dealerships. And he'll say, well I did that to save the business. Same thing with us, Mr. President."

Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others say the decision, while unpopular, saved an estimated 1 million jobs throughout the Midwest and say the industry is coming back.

As a result of the restructuring, the companies can make money at far lower U.S. sales volumes than in the past. Industry analysts predict U.S. sales will grow by at least 1 million this year over last year's 12.8 million units as people replace aging cars and trucks. And North American operations at GM, Chrysler and Ford are thriving, boosting their companies' earnings ? all signs that Democrats say will make the difference in the Midwest.

"I don't know how any reasonable person can fail to acknowledge that this rescue plan worked and the country has benefited," said former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat.

___

AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-31-Obama-Autos/id-034491f0da734980b6d54dcbf49e1015

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