Patients' own skin cells are transformed into heart cells to create 'disease in a dish'

Public release date: 27-Jan-2013
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Contact: Heather Buschman
hbuschman@sanfordburnham.org
858-795-5343
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute

Researchers use skin cells from patients with an inherited heart condition to recreate the adult-onset disease in a laboratory dish -- producing the first maturation-based disease model for testing new therapies

LA JOLLA, Calif., January 27, 2013 Most patients with an inherited heart condition known as arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) don't know they have a problem until they're in their early 20s. The lack of symptoms at younger ages makes it very difficult for researchers to study how ARVD/C evolves or to develop treatments. A new stem cell-based technology created by 2012 Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka, M.D., Ph.D., helps solve this problem. With this technology, researchers can generate heart muscle cells from a patient's own skin cells. However, these newly made heart cells are mostly immature. That raises questions about whether or not they can be used to mimic a disease that occurs in adulthood. In a paper published January 27 in Nature, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and Johns Hopkins University unveil the first maturation-based "disease in a dish" model for ARVD/C. The model was created using Yamanaka's technology and a new method to mimic maturity by making the cells' metabolism more like that in adult hearts. For that reason, this model is likely more relevant to human ARVD/C than other models and therefore better suited for studying the disease and testing new treatments.

"It's tough to demonstrate that a disease-in-a-dish model is clinically relevant for an adult-onset disease. But we made a key finding herewe can recapitulate the defects in this disease only when we induce adult-like metabolism. This is an important breakthrough considering that ARVD/C symptoms usually don't arise until young adulthood. Yet the stem cells we're working with are embryonic in nature," said Huei-Sheng Vincent Chen, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor at Sanford-Burnham and senior author of the study.

To establish this model, Chen teamed up with expert ARVD/C cardiologists Daniel Judge, M.D., Joseph Marine, M.D., and Hugh Calkins, M.D., at Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is home to one of the largest ARVD/C patient registries in the world.

"There is currently no treatment to prevent progression of ARVD/C, a rare disorder that preferentially affects athletes. With this new model, we hope we are now on a path to develop better therapies for this life-threatening disease," said Judge, associate professor and medical director of the Center for Inherited Heart Disease at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Disease in a dish

To recreate a person's own unique ARVD/C in the lab, the team first obtained skin samples from ARVD/C patients with certain mutations believed to be involved in the disease. Next they performed Yamanaka's technique: adding a few molecules that dial back the developmental clock on these adult skin cells, producing embryonic-like induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The researchers then coaxed the iPSCs into producing an unlimited supply of patient-specific heart muscle cells. These heart cells were largely embryonic in nature, but carried along the original patient's genetic mutations.

However, for nearly a year, no matter what they tried, the team couldn't get their ARVD/C heart muscle cells to show any signs of the disease. Without actual signs of adult-onset ARVD/C, these young, patient-specific heart muscle cells were no use for studying the disease or testing new therapeutic drugs.

Speeding up time

Eventually, the team experienced the big "aha!" moment they'd been looking for. They discovered that metabolic maturity is the key to inducing signs of ARVD/C, an adult disease, in their embryonic-like cells. Human fetal heart muscle cells use glucose (sugar) as their primary source of energy. In contrast, adult heart muscle cells prefer using fat for energy production. So Chen's team applied several cocktails to trigger this shift to adult metabolism in their model.

After more trial and error, they discovered that metabolic malfunction is at the core of ARVD/C disease. Moreover, Chen's team tracked down the final piece of puzzle to make patient-specific heart muscle cells behave like sick ARVD/C hearts: the abnormal over-activation of a protein called PPAR?. Scientists previously attributed ARVD/C to a problem in weakened connections between heart muscle cells, which occur only in half of the ARVD/C patients. With the newly established model, they not only replicated this adult-onset disease in a dish, but also presented new potential drug targets for treating ARVD/C.

What's next?

Chen's team was recently awarded a new grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to create additional iPSC-based ARVD/C models. With more ARVD/C models, they will determine whether or not all (or at least most) patients develop the disease via the same metabolic defects discovered in this current study.

Together with the Johns Hopkins team, Chen also hopes to conduct preclinical studies to find a new therapy for this deadly heart condition.

###

This research was funded by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (grants RS1-00171-1, RB2-01512, and RB4-06276) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant RO1HL105194).

The study was co-authored by Changsung Kim, Sanford-Burnham; Jianyan Wen, Sanford-Burnham and China-Japan Friendship Hospital; Johnson Wong, Sanford-Burnham; Shirong Wang, Sanford-Burnham; Cheng Wang, Sanford-Burnham; Sean Spiering, Sanford-Burnham; Natalia G. Kan, Sanford-Burnham; Sonia Forcales, Sanford-Burnham; Pier Lorenzo Puri, Sanford-Burnham; Teresa C. Leone, Sanford-Burnham; Joseph E. Marine, Johns Hopkins University; Hugh Calkins, Johns Hopkins University; Daniel P. Kelly, Sanford-Burnham; Daniel P. Judge, Johns Hopkins University; and Huei-Sheng Vincent Chen, Sanford-Burnham and University of California, San Diego.

About Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute

Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute is dedicated to discovering the fundamental molecular causes of disease and devising the innovative therapies of tomorrow. The Institute consistently ranks among the top five organizations worldwide for its scientific impact in the fields of biology and biochemistry (defined by citations per publication) and currently ranks third in the nation in NIH funding among all laboratory-based research institutes. Sanford-Burnham utilizes a unique, collaborative approach to medical research and has established major research programs in cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes, and infectious, inflammatory, and childhood diseases. The Institute is especially known for its world-class capabilities in stem cell research and drug discovery technologies. Sanford-Burnham is a U.S.-based, non-profit public benefit corporation, with operations in San Diego (La Jolla), California and Orlando (Lake Nona), Florida. For more information, news, and events, please visit us at sanfordburnham.org.

---

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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.

Public release date: 27-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Heather Buschman
hbuschman@sanfordburnham.org
858-795-5343
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute

Researchers use skin cells from patients with an inherited heart condition to recreate the adult-onset disease in a laboratory dish -- producing the first maturation-based disease model for testing new therapies

LA JOLLA, Calif., January 27, 2013 Most patients with an inherited heart condition known as arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) don't know they have a problem until they're in their early 20s. The lack of symptoms at younger ages makes it very difficult for researchers to study how ARVD/C evolves or to develop treatments. A new stem cell-based technology created by 2012 Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka, M.D., Ph.D., helps solve this problem. With this technology, researchers can generate heart muscle cells from a patient's own skin cells. However, these newly made heart cells are mostly immature. That raises questions about whether or not they can be used to mimic a disease that occurs in adulthood. In a paper published January 27 in Nature, researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and Johns Hopkins University unveil the first maturation-based "disease in a dish" model for ARVD/C. The model was created using Yamanaka's technology and a new method to mimic maturity by making the cells' metabolism more like that in adult hearts. For that reason, this model is likely more relevant to human ARVD/C than other models and therefore better suited for studying the disease and testing new treatments.

"It's tough to demonstrate that a disease-in-a-dish model is clinically relevant for an adult-onset disease. But we made a key finding herewe can recapitulate the defects in this disease only when we induce adult-like metabolism. This is an important breakthrough considering that ARVD/C symptoms usually don't arise until young adulthood. Yet the stem cells we're working with are embryonic in nature," said Huei-Sheng Vincent Chen, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor at Sanford-Burnham and senior author of the study.

To establish this model, Chen teamed up with expert ARVD/C cardiologists Daniel Judge, M.D., Joseph Marine, M.D., and Hugh Calkins, M.D., at Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is home to one of the largest ARVD/C patient registries in the world.

"There is currently no treatment to prevent progression of ARVD/C, a rare disorder that preferentially affects athletes. With this new model, we hope we are now on a path to develop better therapies for this life-threatening disease," said Judge, associate professor and medical director of the Center for Inherited Heart Disease at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Disease in a dish

To recreate a person's own unique ARVD/C in the lab, the team first obtained skin samples from ARVD/C patients with certain mutations believed to be involved in the disease. Next they performed Yamanaka's technique: adding a few molecules that dial back the developmental clock on these adult skin cells, producing embryonic-like induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The researchers then coaxed the iPSCs into producing an unlimited supply of patient-specific heart muscle cells. These heart cells were largely embryonic in nature, but carried along the original patient's genetic mutations.

However, for nearly a year, no matter what they tried, the team couldn't get their ARVD/C heart muscle cells to show any signs of the disease. Without actual signs of adult-onset ARVD/C, these young, patient-specific heart muscle cells were no use for studying the disease or testing new therapeutic drugs.

Speeding up time

Eventually, the team experienced the big "aha!" moment they'd been looking for. They discovered that metabolic maturity is the key to inducing signs of ARVD/C, an adult disease, in their embryonic-like cells. Human fetal heart muscle cells use glucose (sugar) as their primary source of energy. In contrast, adult heart muscle cells prefer using fat for energy production. So Chen's team applied several cocktails to trigger this shift to adult metabolism in their model.

After more trial and error, they discovered that metabolic malfunction is at the core of ARVD/C disease. Moreover, Chen's team tracked down the final piece of puzzle to make patient-specific heart muscle cells behave like sick ARVD/C hearts: the abnormal over-activation of a protein called PPAR?. Scientists previously attributed ARVD/C to a problem in weakened connections between heart muscle cells, which occur only in half of the ARVD/C patients. With the newly established model, they not only replicated this adult-onset disease in a dish, but also presented new potential drug targets for treating ARVD/C.

What's next?

Chen's team was recently awarded a new grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to create additional iPSC-based ARVD/C models. With more ARVD/C models, they will determine whether or not all (or at least most) patients develop the disease via the same metabolic defects discovered in this current study.

Together with the Johns Hopkins team, Chen also hopes to conduct preclinical studies to find a new therapy for this deadly heart condition.

###

This research was funded by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (grants RS1-00171-1, RB2-01512, and RB4-06276) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant RO1HL105194).

The study was co-authored by Changsung Kim, Sanford-Burnham; Jianyan Wen, Sanford-Burnham and China-Japan Friendship Hospital; Johnson Wong, Sanford-Burnham; Shirong Wang, Sanford-Burnham; Cheng Wang, Sanford-Burnham; Sean Spiering, Sanford-Burnham; Natalia G. Kan, Sanford-Burnham; Sonia Forcales, Sanford-Burnham; Pier Lorenzo Puri, Sanford-Burnham; Teresa C. Leone, Sanford-Burnham; Joseph E. Marine, Johns Hopkins University; Hugh Calkins, Johns Hopkins University; Daniel P. Kelly, Sanford-Burnham; Daniel P. Judge, Johns Hopkins University; and Huei-Sheng Vincent Chen, Sanford-Burnham and University of California, San Diego.

About Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute

Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute is dedicated to discovering the fundamental molecular causes of disease and devising the innovative therapies of tomorrow. The Institute consistently ranks among the top five organizations worldwide for its scientific impact in the fields of biology and biochemistry (defined by citations per publication) and currently ranks third in the nation in NIH funding among all laboratory-based research institutes. Sanford-Burnham utilizes a unique, collaborative approach to medical research and has established major research programs in cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes, and infectious, inflammatory, and childhood diseases. The Institute is especially known for its world-class capabilities in stem cell research and drug discovery technologies. Sanford-Burnham is a U.S.-based, non-profit public benefit corporation, with operations in San Diego (La Jolla), California and Orlando (Lake Nona), Florida. For more information, news, and events, please visit us at sanfordburnham.org.

---

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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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/smri-pos012313.php

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In memoriam John Trim | CLERA blog

John Trim was a remarkable figure in the European language education community. He had a long and distinguished career, first?as a German scholar at UCL, then as Lecturer of Phonetics and later Director of Linguistics at Cambridge, where the Language Centre is named after him.

From the 1960s onwards, John Trim served as an advisor to the Council of Europe on learning, co-originator of the Threshold Level concept that has a huge influence on language curricula and testing, and one of the key authors?of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

John was also one of the founders of BAAL. He attended first meetings in London in 1965, and was elected Treasurer at the first annual meeting at Reading in 1967, later serving as Chair from 1985 to 1988.

From 1978-1987, John served as Director of CILT, the Centre for Information on Language Teaching (1978-1987), where he played a key role in forming the Association for Language Learning. In 2012, he was awarded a Fellowship ?in recognition for his lifetime of distinguished service and outstanding achievement in the field of language learning and teaching in Europe and the UK and for his long-term contribution to the furtherance of the Association for Language Learning?. (see Holmes)

To find out more about John Trim?s life, work and?legacy, follow the links below:

John Trim, by Bernardette Holmes, Past President of ALL

In a presentation to the English Profile Seminar, Cambridge, February 2007, John Trim describes the development of the influential Threshold series

Interview with John Trim and Nick Saville to mark the 10th anniversary of the publication of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), recorded in May 2011

John Trim gave a keynote on the ?CEFR: its educational and political background? at the ACTFL-CEFR Symposium 2012 which took place on 21-23 June 2012 at the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML, Graz). Listen to his speech on SoundCloud.

Messages of condolence can be left on the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML)?s website

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Source: http://clerablog.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/in-memoriam-john-trim/

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George Will on Women in Combat: Will We "Gender-Norm the Requirements"?

Guests on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" included Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.; and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.; ABC News' George Will; Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz.; Democratic strategist and ABC News contributor Donna Brazile; NPR "Morning Edition" host Steve Inskeep; and New Republic owner and publisher Chris Hughes, who interviewed President Obama for an Oval Office exclusive hitting newsstands next week.

WILL: Let me give you an example. No Child Left Behind said we're going to have 100 percent proficiency by 2014 in reading and math. And the scary thing is we might, because the only way we'll get there is by dumbing down the standards, which is actually underway. The question is, will we change the physical fitness requirements so that we don't have a disparate impact? Are we going to gender-norm the requirements? Give you an example?You're 6'4?, 240-pound Marine, and you're injured, and you need a Marine next to you to carry you back to safety, and the Marine next to you is a 5'4? woman who weighs 115 pounds. It's relevant.

More notable comments made Sunday are below:

Menendez avoids commenting on if Booker 'deserves a spanking' for coveting Sen. Lautenberg's seat

RADDATZ: In your home state between Newark Mayor Cory Booker and 89-year-old Senator Frank Lautenberg, who basically suggested this week that Booker deserved a spanking because he was coveting his seat. Do you agree with that? Should Cory Booker be making moves now?

MENENDEZ: You know, that election is next year. And all of the back-and-forth now is something I'm really not focused on.

RADDATZ: Is Booker being disrespectful?

MENENDEZ: You know, that's a question for Senator Lautenberg and Mayor Booker

Inskeep thinks some Republicans are worried they are on 'the wrong side of history'

INSKEEP: I think there are Republicans who are concerned that they're on the wrong side of history, which is why there is talk about changing immigration laws, for example, and you have Republicans pushing to find new ways to reach new constituencies and deal with the demographic problems that the Republican Party has.

Schweikert labels fellow GOP members as 'accountants' with a storytelling problem

SCHWEIKERT: We may need to change the way we tell our story?The fact of the matter is we have a problem as a party. I believe we tell the truth, I actually believe we're much more analytical. We're accountants. Sometimes though, being an accountant doesn't pull the heartstrings. It doesn't tell a story.

Hughes questions the President's 'capacity to lead the country' on major reform

HUGHES: It was very clear the president thinks that the American people are on his side when it comes to immigration, when it comes to gun control, when it comes to fiscal issues, and he thinks that the Republican Party is increasingly extreme. The question is, is - is his capacity to lead the country and to organize people behind that. And whether or not he's able to do so is a difficult one which we'll only answer in time.

Like "This Week" on Facebook here . You can also follow the show on Twitter here .

Get more pure politics at ABC News.com/Politics and a different take on the news at OTUSNews.com .

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/george-women-combat-gender-norm-requirements-201059750--abc-news-politics.html

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AP NewsBreak: Harkin won't seek 6th Senate term

In this Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 photo, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, speaks to reporters following a rally in support of three Iowa Supreme Court justices who are up for retention votes in the November election, in Des Moines, Iowa. Harkin says he will not seek re-election in 2014, The Associated Press reports Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

In this Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 photo, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, speaks to reporters following a rally in support of three Iowa Supreme Court justices who are up for retention votes in the November election, in Des Moines, Iowa. Harkin says he will not seek re-election in 2014, The Associated Press reports Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

CUMMING, Iowa (AP) ? U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin said Saturday he will not seek a sixth term in 2014, a decision that frees a new generation of Iowa Democrats to seek higher office and eases some of the burden Republicans face in retaking the Senate.

Harkin, chairman of an influential Senate committee, announced his decision during an interview with The Associated Press, and said the move could surprise some.

But the 73-year-old cited his age ? he would be 81 at the end of a sixth term ? as a factor in the decision, saying it was time to pass the torch he has held for nearly 30 years.

"I just think it's time for me to step aside," Harkin told the AP.

Harkin, first elected in 1984, ranks 7th in seniority, and 4th among majority Democrats. He is chairman of the health, education, labor and pensions committee, and chairman of the largest appropriations subcommittee.

Harkin has long aligned with the Senate's more liberal members, and his signature legislative accomplishment is the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. He also served as a key salesman of President Barack Obama's 2010 health care bill to the wary left.

"I'm not saying that giving this up and walking away is easy. It's very tough," Harkin said at his rural Iowa home south of Des Moines. "But I'm not quitting today. I'm not passing the torch sitting down."

Harkin's news defied outward signals. Besides being beloved in his party, Harkin has $2.7 million in his campaign war chest, second most among members nearing the end of their terms, and was planning a gala fundraiser in Washington, D.C., next month featuring pop star Lady Gaga.

Although members of his family have been diagnosed with cancer, Harkin said his health is good ? and reported a recent positive colonoscopy. But he said "you never know," and that he wanted to travel and spend his retirement with his wife Ruth "before it's too late."

He also nodded to his political longevity: "The effect of that cascades down and it opens a lot of doors of opportunity" for future candidates, he said.

Indeed, the news creates a rare open Senate seat Iowa. Harkin, Iowa's junior senator, is outranked by Sen. Charles Grassley, who has held the state's other seat since 1980.

Attention will turn immediately to U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, a fourth-term Democrat from Waterloo, long mentioned as a possible Harkin successor. Braley, who was traveling in Iowa on Saturday, did not immediately return requests by the AP for comments beyond an emailed news statement calling Harkin a "mentor" and "progressive force" who leaves "a legacy few will ever match."

Harkin held open the possibility of endorsing a Democrat before the party's primary if the candidate fit the profile of "someone who is progressive, who is a pragmatic progressive."

Although no Republicans have stepped forward, Harkin's news gives the GOP's private huddles new life.

"There are lots of conversations, but it's very early still," said Nick Ryan, an Iowa Republican campaign fundraiser.

U.S. Rep. Tom Latham of Clive is a seasoned Republican congressman, a veteran appropriations committee member and a robust fundraiser who has survived challenges to win 10 consecutive terms. Aides to Latham declined to comment beyond issuing a statement saying the congressman "respects Sen. Harkin's decision (and) looks forward to continuing to work with him."

But with opening a door in Iowa, Harkin has created a potential headache for his party nationally.

Democrats likely would have had the edge in 2014 with the seat, considering Harkin's fundraising prowess and healthy approval. A poll by the Des Moines Register taken last fall showed a majority of Iowans approved of his job performance.

Democrats hold a 55-45 advantage in the Senate, requiring Republicans to gain six seats to win back the chamber. But Democrats have more seats to defend in 2014_20 compared to only 13 for Republicans.

And the president's party historically loses seats in the midterm elections after his re-election.

Seats in other states will be tough for Democrats to hold onto. In GOP-leaning West Virginia, five-term Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller recently announced he would not seek re-election.

Democratic incumbents also face tough re-election races in Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina and Alaska ? all states carried by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in November's presidential election.

Since then, Harkin has stepped up his role as one of the Senate's leading liberal populists.

He was a vocal opponent late last year of President Barack Obama's concession to lift the income threshold for higher taxes to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. Harkin instead supported raising taxes on all earners making more than $250,000 a year.

He also endorsed Obama's call for banning assault rifles and larger ammunition magazines in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting last month

Despite Harkin's strong political position, he has faced questions about his and his wife Ruth's role in developing a namesake policy institute at Iowa State University, Harkin's alma mater. The Harkins and their supporters have been pushing for the institute to house papers highlighting his signature achievements, including the ADA and shaping farm policy as the former chairman of the agriculture committee.

Harkin has avoided questions about fundraising for the institute after disclosure reports showed some of its largest donors are firms that have benefited from his policies.

Harkin dismissed that those questions had any bearing on his decision.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-26-Harkin-Iowa/id-25593d51402947cfb4687ee317b0bf82

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Amped Wireless High Power Wireless-N 600mW Gigabit Dual Band Access Point (AP20000G)

Amped Wireless' High Power Wireless-N 600mW Gigabit Dual Band Access Point (AP20000G) is a piece of networking hardware that can either be used to bring wireless access to an existing network, or to upgrade wireless networks with legacy 802.11x technology to the more modern 802.11n standard. The access point (AP) delivers excellent throughput, especially on the 5GHz band and provides very good coverage but lacks some more business-oriented features of some SMB access points on the market.

Specs
The AP20000G operates at the 2.4 and 5GHz bands. The device supports up to 600Mbps of theoretical throughput. Dual amplifiers on both the 2.4 and 5GHz wireless radios help the access point with wireless signal coverage. Two high gain 5dBi dual band antennas screw into the antennas ports on the casing.

The access point features five Gigabit Ethernet ports?one for wiring to a router or switch and four for connecting other networking devices to leverage Gigabit speeds. There's also a USB 2.0 port for sharing data on connected USB storage drives.

Users can operate the access point on an included stand, or flat on a desktop. The device is also wall-mountable.

Set Up and Configuration
There's very little to set up; the process is very easy. I powered the AP and connected its port labeled "network" to a switch on my network. I also connected a laptop to one of the ports on the AP labeled "Wired Devices."

The AP takes a few seconds to configure itself. There are several LEDs on the device's front panel that light up when power is on, when a device is connected to one of the Ethernet ports, and when there is an active network connection.

Once the LEDs were lit, I could see two new SSIDs, created by the AP20000G in my laptop's list of wireless networks. The AP creates an SSID for each band. The security key for each is printed on the bottom of the access point.

Of course, you will want to change the default SSID password and the AP's admin password. To configure the AP, I just opened a browser on my laptop and pointed to the URL: setup. ampedwireless.com. The interface has the same neat, intuitive-to-navigate design of Amped Wireless' High Power Wireless-N 600mW Gigabit Dual Band Router (R20000G).

The AP20000G shares some features that are built-in across Amped Wireless' product line. One such feature is the ability to control the wireless coverage area. Radio buttons allow you to set coverage at 100 percent (which is the default setting), down to 15 percent. Lowering the coverage area means lowering the range? area in which the AP broadcasts itself, which may be desired for security reasons, and lowers the overall output power.

Users also have the option to disable the wireless radios based on a schedule by day and time Access to the AP can be granted or denied based on a MAC address control list.

The AP is designed to extend wireless network connectivity in small business networks and homes. I would recommend it as an AP more for consumers and for smaller business networks not requiring a lot of security or controls. This is because, aside from RADIUS authentication support, there are fewer business-class features in the AP20000 than some other SMB APs we've tested. For instance, there's no native firewall or Active Directory integration, as there is in a true SMB AP such as the Meraki MR16.

While the AP20000G supports up to eight guest networks, you can't create a custom splash page for guests that access the AP as you can with the Meraki MR16?device.? However, each guest network on the AP20000G can be set with its own login credentials and you can limit bandwidth for each network.

Also, there's no AP isolation preventing wireless clients from communicating with one another when they are connected to the AP which may be a security concern for some.

These lack of features may be fine for smaller businesses especially ones with routers that have these features such already, such as a built-in firewall. However, those needing APs with more business controls may want to look into business-class APs from Meraki or HP.

I found the same lengthy reboot required for just about changing any settings in the AP20000G as in Amped Wireless' R20000G router. A settings' change requires a 70 second reboot of the device which can be slightly annoying when you are first configuring the AP the way you want.

Performance
Amped Wireless' main focus is on range. You get good range and very good throughput, in fact the top throughput we've tested for an AP at 5 GHz, with the AP20000G.

The speeds are more on par with a dual-band wireless router. In 5 GHz mode at 30 feet, the AP2000G clocked a very impressive 113 Mbps. In comparison, many of the SMB APs on the market have tested quite a bit slower. For example, Meraki's MR16 AP? also a dual-band 802.11n AP? only managed 49 Mbps at the same distance in 5 GHz mode.

As expected, the AP20000G was slower, albeit, still with decent throughput in 2.4 GHz-N only mode, achieving an average throughput of 74 Mbps. Below is a chart comparing the AP20000G with other APs at 5 GHz:

Speedy, But Biz Feature-Light
For home users looking to extend a wireless network in a coverage area where a less-powerful wireless extender wouldn't get the job done, the AP20000G is an ideal piece of networking hardware.

Although this is a fast access point with very good coverage, business networks that need more control over security and user access may need to look into access points specifically marketed to the SMB. On its own,? the AP20000G is solid hardware showcasing Amped Wireless' commitment to delivering network products that are fast-performing and able to cover large areas. The AP20000G is a 3.5 star earner and is a very good access point.

More?Wireless Networking?Reviews:
??? Amped Wireless High Power Wireless-N 600mW Gigabit Dual Band Access Point (AP20000G)
??? My Net Wi-Fi Range Extender
??? Meraki MR16 Cloud Managed Wireless Access Point
??? Kanex mySpot
??? Western Digital My Net AC Bridge
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/fO0XE-EvVv0/0,2817,2414719,00.asp

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Obama picks foreign policy aide as chief of staff

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama has chosen trusted adviser and national security expert Denis McDonough as his fifth chief of staff.

A White House official said in a statement that Obama will announce McDonough's appointment Friday in the East Room. McDonough, 43, will take over the key West Wing role from Jack Lew, Obama's nominee for Treasury secretary.

McDonough has advised Obama on foreign policy for nearly a decade and most recently served as the president's deputy national security adviser. He is highly regarded by White House staffers.

McDonough's place in Obama's inner circle was illustrated during the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011. He is among those captured in a White House photograph seated in the situation room with Obama and other senior officials watching the raid unfold.

The White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to speak before the president's announcement, said McDonough has played a key role in all of Obama's major national security decisions in recent years, including the end of the war in Iraq, winding down the war in Afghanistan, responses to natural disasters in Haiti and Japan and repeal of the military's ban on openly gay service members.

Earlier, McDonough worked as a foreign policy specialist in Congress, including as a senior foreign policy adviser to former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., before moving to Obama's Senate office.

McDonough's new role was previously filled by Rahm Emanuel, William Daly and Pete Rouse, as interim chief of staff, before Lew.

McDonough grew up in Minnesota as one of 11 children. Two of his brothers are priests. He is a graduate of St. John's University in Minnesota, where he played football, and he received a master's degree from Georgetown University.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-picks-foreign-policy-aide-chief-staff-142350877--politics.html

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James Albert Christensen | The Sag Harbor Express

James Albert Christensen passed away at the Hampton Care Center on January 14, 2013 exactly seven weeks after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

He was born September 25, 1921 in Carrollton, Mich., to Iva (King) and Albert Christensen. He grew up in Saginaw, Mich., and graduated from St. Andrews High School, where he was on the Eucharistic committee, English club, Socialty fellowship, and the football team.

After graduation he worked for a General Motors plant that was converting to machine guns for the coming war.

Mr. Christensen joined the US Navy in 1942 and went to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center at Great Lakes, Ill. He was then sent to the University of Minnesota for further training. His next base was at the torpedo testing range in Montauk, NY. While there he met his future wife, Leatrice Lorraine Basile at one of the dances held at the Montauk Manor.

Later he was at Providence, R.I. and was assigned to the cargo/attack ship USS Athene, AKA 22. The ship provided other naval vessels with vital supplies and also landed Marines at the battles of the Philippines, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and other Pacific islands. When Japan surrendered, ?Chris? (his Navy nickname that stayed with him the rest of his life) spent time in Yokosuka, Japan. He received the American Area Ribbon and WWII Victory Ribbon. The USS Athene was awarded two battle stars for WWII service.

In June 1946 he married Leatrice (Lea) Basile in Christ Church, Sag Harbor, and moved to Saginaw. They later returned here and he worked as a glazier for Riverhead Glass Co. for over 20 years. When they closed he worked for Robert E. Otto Glass Co. for over 25 years.

Mr. Christensen enjoyed reading and woodworking, making many things for his home and family, including a two-story dollhouse with furniture for his oldest granddaughter, whose own daughter now has it.

Prior to hip surgery three-and-a-half years ago, Mr. Christensen and older son, Jim, were the only father and son veterans to march in the Memorial Day parades, the father a Navy vet of WWII and the son a Navy vet of Vietnam.

Mr. Christensen loved to play the harmonica and his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren always enjoyed listening to him, said the family.

Pre-deceased by a baby granddaughter, Tricia Christensen, a brother, Edward, and sister, June, he is survived by his wife, his son James Russell Christensen of Sag Harbor, daughter Toni-Lea Corwin and husband Tim, of Southampton, and son Richard Alan Christensen and wife Melinda of Southampton.

He is also survived by grandchildren Tamara Corwin Tillman and husband Glenn of Athens, Ga.; Jonathon Travis Corwin and fianc?e Katie Dunn of Southampton; Alyssa Lorraine Christensen and fianc? Joe Brush of Southampton; Karianne Elizabeth Corwin of Monterey, Calif.; and Justin Richard Christensen of Southampton. Also, his great-grandchildren, Cory and Annalea Tillman of Athens, Ga.

In Michigan he leaves sisters Betty Mehl, Donna Furio and Shirley Dowd, plus twin brothers Jerry and Larry Christensen. Also many nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial took place at St. Andrews Church on January 23, with Fr. Peter officiating. Interment was in the Basile family plot at Oakland Cemetery. Memorials can be made to St. Andrews Church or the Sag Harbor Ambulance Fund, PO Box 2725, Sag Harbor.

?Chris will be sadly missed by those who love him, and never forgotten,? said the family. ?Someday we will all meet again in a far better place than this world.?

Source: http://sagharboronline.com/sagharborexpress/obituaries/james-albert-christensen-21739

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Bulldogs Headed to Boston for Terrier Invitational - Yale Bulldogs

January 24, 2013

Wide Range of East Coast Competition Expected?

NEW HAVEN, Conn. ? The Yale men's indoor track and field team will be travelling northeast this weekend to compete in the Terrier Invitational, hosted by Boston University. The meet typically attracts a large field of East Coast schools. At last year's meet, the Bulldogs faced off against Ivy rivals including Harvard, Dartmouth and Brown, as well as other notable schools like Middlebury, Tufts and MIT. Many of Yale's in-state rivals also generally make the trek to Boston for the competition.

Given the Bulldogs' home meet next weekend?the Giegengack Invitational?the team plans to rest many individuals this weekend, and a significant portion of the team will not travel to Boston. Most notably, the Elis will enter no individuals in long distance events at this Saturday's meet.?

This season's star?senior Mike Levine?is, however, scheduled to make the trip and compete in the weight throw, an event in which he has registered three first-place finishes in the season's first three meets. Levine's best toss of the year thus far (17.96m) came two weeks ago and nearly broke his own collegiate personal record in the event.

The Bulldogs will only enter two other individuals in field events this weekend. One of them will be junior pole vaulter Paul Chandler, who is coming off a dominating performance in the Elis' Ivy League opener a week ago in which he placed first in the pole vault and tied his own personal record of 15'3" (4.65m). The third and final field competitor for the Elis will be senior long jumper Tommy Winger, who took third in the event in the season opener with a jump of 21'5.25" (6.53m).?

Junior Dana Lindberg?who has excelled in the long jump this season with first, second and fourth-place finishes?will not be competing in the long jump this weekend. Instead, he will run in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes, events in which he placed fourth and third, respectively, last weekend. Despite not having their full team, the Bulldogs figure to do well in the sprints. In addition to Lindberg, the Elis will have sophomore Dylan Hurley running the 400-meter dash (an event in which he took second place just two weeks ago), junior Daniel Jones running the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes (both events in which he placed second last weekend) and junior Nnamdi Udeh running the 400-meter dash (an event in which he placed third two weeks ago). Freshman Adam Lundquist will also be competing in the 200-meter dash, in addition to his signature event: the 60-meter hurdles, in which he has placed second twice already this season.

The Bulldogs will also enter a strong team in the middle distance events. In the 800-meter dash, sophomore Michael Grace, sophomore John McGowan and junior James Shirvell all figure to be top competitors. Grace placed fourth in the 800-meter run last weekend with a time of 1:57.18, while McGowan placed second in the mile run, setting a personal record of 4:08.44 in the process. Shirvell took first in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:26.57 in the Bulldogs' season opener. The Elis are also entering some of their top competitors in the mile run: senior Timothy Hillas, McGowan, freshman Max Payson and senior Michael Pierce. All four have already registered top-three finishes in the event this season, and McGowan's mile time last weekend is the Bulldogs' top time of the season in the event.?

In the relay events, the Elis will enter only one 4x400-meter relay team. The team, which has not yet been finalized, will consist of four of the five following individuals: Hurley, Jones, sophomore Mario Kranjac, sophomore William Rowe (coming off a third-place finish in the 400-meter dash last weekend) and Udeh.

All men's events will be held Saturday, with the exception of the 4,000-meter distance medley relay?an event in which the Bulldogs are not entering any teams?which will be held Friday. Saturday's festivities will begin at 11:00 a.m. with the field events. The track events will begin with the 60-meter hurdles at 11:20 a.m. and conclude with the 5,000-meter run at 6:20 p.m. A full schedule of events can be found at http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/bost/sports/m-track/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/2013TerrierInvSchedule.pdf. Full results will be available at http://www.goterriers.com/sports/m-track/bost-m-track-body.html and yalebulldogs.com after the meet.

Report by Zach Schloss '15, Yale Sports Publicity?

Source: http://www.yalebulldogs.com/sports/m-track/2012-13/releases/201301242lrdsr

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YouTube Capture now supports 1080p uploads, Google Currents goes 2.0 on iOS

Updates to both YouTube Capture and Google Currents on iOS have just hit Cupertino's App Store, bringing with them a handful of functionality and UI updates. Mountain View bumped YouTube Capture to version 1.1, adding support for 1080p uploads, improved audio syncing, detailed upload feedback and a grab bag of bug fixes and stability enhancements. If you're feeling particularly chatty after hamming it up for the camera, the refreshed app now allows for sharing to social networks. As for Google Currents, the latest update brings it to the two-dot-oh milestone with a number of UI upgrades. A new sidebar sorts editions by category for easy access and fresh controls let users swipe vertically to scan an edition or horizontally to skip to the next one. A brand-new catalog design, breaking stories from Google News and the ability to save articles by labeling them with stars round out the overhaul. Hit the source links below to give the revamped experiences a spin.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Google

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Parental Guidance: Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

We give you what you need to know about the family-friendliness of this week's new releases.

This week in theaters, we've got a big screen fairy tale adaptation about a pair of vigilante witch killers. Now, we all know that much of the Grimm brothers' bibliography is filled with violent tales, but is Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters safe for the whole family? Read on to find out.

New In Theaters:

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1926713/news/1926713/

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Dad kills wife, self at daughter's 16th birthday party

By Mark Schnyder, NBCDFW.com

A father shot his estranged wife to death and then killed himself during his daughter's 16th birthday party, police said.?

The shootings happened outside the front door of the teen?s grandparents? house in Grapevine, Texas, late Saturday.

Kristi Suckla, 44, had moved to her parents? house with her teenage son and daughter after the couple separated.

Grapevine police said her husband Kelly Suckla, 43, came over to the house Saturday night for the birthday party.

An argument broke out and investigators said Suckla then shot and killed his estranged wife with a handgun before taking his own life.

The children and grandparents were inside the home and were not physically hurt.

The couple previously lived in Euless, Texas. Neighbor Donell Arseneau took the news with tears.

"They would just come over and we'd visit and I'd been over there a few times," Arseneau said.? "They'd have little parties on the weekends.? They had just recently separated.? Kristi hadn't been staying over there (at her parents) but for just a few weeks."

More news from NBCDFW.com

Arseneau said they had recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. ?

"They just got along so well so even when she moved to her parents, I just figured she'd be back in a little while,? she added.

Grapevine police detectives said they were continuing their investigation but called the deaths a murder-suicide.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/21/16619375-dad-kills-estranged-wife-then-self-at-daughters-16th-birthday-party?lite

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Video: Analyzing Obama's inaugural address

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Inauguration weekend kicks off with National Day of Service

Vice President Joseph Biden participates during the National Day of Service (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON -- "You guys ready to kick off this day of doing a whole bunch of good?!"

Tommy McFly, a spry Washington, D.C. radio host, is looking over a few hundred volunteers gathered beneath a massive heated tent that stretches for a block on the National Mall, the hub of the National Day of Service, the first official event for President Barack Obama's second Inauguration. The tent is filled with booths from government agencies and non-profits offering community service opportunities.

Across town, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden are at work on their own projects.

The president and first lady visited Burrville Elementary School in northeast Washington, where they helped stain bookshelves.

"This inauguration is going to be a symbol of how our democracy works...but it should also be an affirmation that we are all in this together," Obama told a crowd at the school.

At the DC Armory, Biden and his wife Jill spent some time putting together service packages for members of the armed services abroad while Obama joined about 500 volunteers fixing up an elementary school in the city.

The festivities are only a part what will be a national day of events. Across the country, non-profit groups are organizing hundreds of service projects for Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

Here in Washington, volunteers are gathered for an all-day marathon of community service projects--and maybe also to catch a glimpse of actress Eva Longoria and former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton, who are headlining the morning rally.

"Let's start off this new year by renewing America's promise," Longoria tells the audience to whoops and cheers. "We're going to give back to our schools and students and we're going to be serving our community. And you'll be serving your country when you serve your community."

With the stage bookended by giant Jumbo Tron screens, the event resembles a campaign rally mixed with a splash of county fair, trade show and a hands-on science museum. Display booths for government agencies and non-profit groups fill most of the tent, while employees sign up new recruits to pledge volunteer service in 2013. The booths are divided into sections beneath well-lit banners like "Economic Development," "Health," "Faith," and "Veterans & Military Families."

After Clinton, Longoria and Vice President Joe Biden's son Beau finish brief motivational speeches, the crowd disperses to the booths to pledge volunteer hours and add their names on non-profit mailing lists.

The whole tent is buzzing with activity: At Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots booth, children make paper birds from stencils to paste on windows so real birds don't smash into them. Teenagers at the Best Buddies International section sign up to mentor children and activists join the Sierra Club's campaign against forest logging.

Across the way, The American Legion has teamed up with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs by providing cards for people to write support letters to wounded soldiers in hospitals throughout the country.

"I just wanted to let them know how much I appreciate what their doing," says Susan Schesnol from Scottsdale, Arizona, who is writing several letters to soldiers she'll likely never meet.

Girls write letters to wounded veterans. (Chris Moody/Yahoo News)

Around another corner, a physicist from the Department of Energy has set up a bicycle to a row of light bulbs, and is showing out-of-shape visitors how difficult it is to peddle electricity into old fashioned light bulbs. Nearby, a line has formed for autographs from NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Serena Au??n.

Every once in a while, the Clinton and Longoria entourages pass by, inspiring almost everyone in eye shot to drop what they're doing and tag along. The two women, working different sides of the tent, navigate their way from booth to booth, stringing along dozens of photographers and fans along the way.

"That's Hillary Clinton!" yells a teenager in a red beanie as Chelsea Clinton flows passed him. "I mean, it's WhatSerDaughter's name!"

On Saturday night the first and second ladies, Michele Obama and Jill Biden, will attend the Kids? Inaugural Concert at the Washington, D.C. convention center.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/national-day-181047973--politics.html

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Syrian FM calls on rebels to disarm and negotiate

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syria's foreign minister invited the country's rebels on Saturday to lay down their weapons and take part in a national dialogue, saying everyone who participates will be included in a new Cabinet with wide executive powers.

Walid al-Moallem said in a live interview on state TV late Saturday that any opposition parties could join the Cabinet as long as they reject foreign intervention in Syria. The Syrian government has started contacting "representatives of the Syrian people," he added.

Earlier this month, President Bashar Assad dismissed calls that he step down, vowing to keep fighting the rebels. Assad also proposed a national reconciliation conference, elections and a new constitution ? concessions offered previously over the course of the uprising that began in March 2011. The opposition says that Assad can play no role in a resolution to the conflict.

"I tell the young men who carried arms to change and reform, take part in the dialogue for a new Syria and you will be a partner in building it. Why carry arms," al-Moallem said in the hour-long interview. "Those who want foreign intervention will not be among us."

He accused Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey of arming and financing the rebels in Syria. He said that Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaida-linked group which the U.S. has declared a terrorist organization but which fights alongside Syrian rebels, had brought fighters from 27 countries to fight in Syria.

Last month, the international envoy tasked with Syria's crisis, Lakhdar Brahimi, proposed a plan to end Syria's war with a cease-fire followed by the formation of a transitional government to run the country until new elections can be held.

Brahimi did not mention Assad by name, but said the transitional government would have "full executive powers" and would replace the Syrian leader. The plan was unveiled by world powers at an international conference in Geneva in June. Al-Moallem said that the Geneva conference does not require Assad to leave power.

The interview came as activists reported violence in different areas of Syria.

In the northern province of Idlib, Syrian troops fought intense battles Saturday against rebels who are trying to capture two military bases in the northwest and step up their attacks on army compounds elsewhere in the country, activists said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees said the rebels destroyed at least one tank near the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province. The rebels, who have been battling for weeks to take control of bases in Wadi Deif and Hamdiyeh, are working to cut off supply routes to the compounds, the Observatory said.

Attacks on government bases are a recent focus of fighting in Syria's civil war, which according to the United Nations has left more than 60,000 people dead since the conflict began in March 2011.

Last week, rebels captured the nearby air base of Taftanaz in a significant blow to President Bashar Assad's forces, who increasingly rely on airpower.

The rebels also have been trying to capture other air bases in the northern province of Aleppo, and, according to activists, were attacking the air base of Mannagh near the Turkish border.

In Turkey, state-run Anadolu news agency said Syria's air force targeted a mosque and a school building that was apparently sheltering displaced Syrians in the town of Salqin, some four miles (six kilometers) from the border with Turkey in Idlib province. Dozens of people were killed and wounded.

At least 30 people wounded in the attack were taken across the border to Turkey for treatment, and two died in Turkish hospitals, the news agency said.

The displaced Syrians were eating when the school was attacked, according to Anadolu, who interviewed witnesses who has crossed into the Turkish border province of Hatay. The wounded included women and children, the agency said.

Syria's official news agency SANA said troops had targeted rebel hideouts in Salqin, killing and wounding some of them.

Also in Turkey on Saturday, members of the newly-restructured Syrian opposition held a conference in Istanbul aiming to nominate representatives for a transitional government.

"We have some ideas, some proposals," said one opposition member, Abdul Ahad Astephoa, without mentioning any specifics.

The group, known as the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, was formed in Qatar in November amid international pressure to unite factions within the opposition.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads the Observatory, said the government was sending reinforcements to the central city of Homs where rebels have controlled some neighborhoods for more than a year. Residents of Homs, Syria's third largest city, were one of the first to rise up against Assad and many refer to it as "the capital of the revolution."

"It seems they are preparing for a big attack on Homs," Abdul-Rahman said by telephone.

The Observatory and the LCC said troops attacked several suburbs of the capital, Damascus, as well as Homs and the southern rebel-held town of Busra al-Harir. The shelling and air raids targeted the Damascus suburbs of Douma, Daraya and Moadamiyeh where regime forces have been on the offensive for weeks, they said.

___

Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-fm-calls-rebels-disarm-negotiate-203324096.html

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UCI: Armstrong confession repairs damage to sport

WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) ? Former world cycling leader Hein Verbruggen says he's vindicated after years of "conspiracy theories" that he helped cover up doping by Lance Armstrong.

The International Cycling Union's honorary president added on Friday it was "good that Lance Armstrong finally admitted to doping," which was welcomed by the governing body as an important step in repairing damage the disgraced rider did to the sport.

Armstrong told talk-show host Oprah Winfrey that testimony from some former teammates about the UCI making his alleged positive test at the 2001 Tour of Switzerland "go away" was untrue.

"I agree with its conclusions in particular the fact that there was no cover-up," Verbruggen, who led the UCI from 1991-2005, said in a statement provided to The Associated Press.

"I am pleased that after years of accusations being made against me the conspiracy theories have been shown to be nothing more than that," the Dutch official said. "I have no doubt that the peddlers of such accusations and conspiracies will be disappointed by this outcome."

Armstrong reportedly paid the UCI $125,000 which Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton testified to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency was in exchange for covering up a positive test for the blood-booster EPO.

"That story isn't true. There was no positive test. No paying off of the lab. The UCI did not make that go away. I'm no fan of the UCI," Armstrong told Winfrey.

Verbruggen said that "given this is true, I was not surprised that Lance Armstrong confirmed this in the interview."

Still, statements issued by Verbruggen and the UCI on Friday did not directly address Armstrong's recollection that "they asked if I would make a donation," apparently toward anti-doping equipment.

"They (the UCI) called and said they didn't have a lot of money ? I did," Armstrong said.

Verbruggen's successor as UCI president, Pat McQuaid, said that Armstrong's admission of doping to Winfrey was a welcome move.

"Lance Armstrong's decision finally to confront his past is an important step forward on the long road to repairing the damage that has been caused to cycling and to restoring confidence in the sport," McQuaid in a statement.

McQuaid insisted that "there were no positive tests which were covered up and he has confirmed that the donations made to the UCI were to assist in the fight against doping."

"Lance Armstrong has confirmed there was no collusion or conspiracy between the UCI and Lance Armstrong," McQuaid said.

The UCI's links to the Armstrong case will be examined by an independent commission over three weeks of hearings in London in April.

McQuaid, who replaced Verbruggen as UCI president in 2005, said the UCI would welcome Armstrong participating in a proposed "truth and reconciliation process" for cycling.

The Irish official and Verbruggen have said they will give evidence to the three-member inquiry panel.

Armstrong told Winfrey he took banned drugs during each of the seven Tour de France victories that were stripped from him for cheating.

The UCI acted on a devastating 1,000-page report published by the USADA in October, which raised allegations that the Swiss-based governing body was complicit in the widespread doping program by Armstrong and his teams.

McQuaid said it was "disturbing" to watch the Armstrong interview, which was broadcast worldwide on Winfrey's website starting at 3 a.m. Swiss time on Friday.

"It was disturbing to watch him describe a litany of offenses including among others doping throughout his career, leading a team that doped, bullying, consistently lying to everyone and producing a backdated medical prescription to justify a test result," said the UCI chief, referring to Armstrong's positive test for a corticosteroid during his first Tour win in 1999.

"However, Lance Armstrong also rightly said that cycling is a completely different sport today than it was 10 years ago," McQuaid said.

Verbruggen said Armstrong's interview helped show that "the UCI has been at the forefront of the fight against doping in sport."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uci-armstrong-confession-repairs-damage-sport-141029426--spt.html

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Amity Acres Day Camp Open House | Lacey Sports & Recreation ...

Tuesday, May 7, 2013, 5:00 pm

133 Jones Rd, Barnegat, NJ | Get?Directions??
FREE

Milestones?.from birth, it?s what we measure. First words; first steps; first foods.? Now, we invite you to discover a camp where your child?s milestones continue. Imagine your child?s first gallop around the equestrian center, first swim across the lake, first culinary masterpiece and many, many more.? Join us at Amity Acres Day Camp, where friendships are nurtured, confidence is cultivated and the smiles are as warm as the summer sun.??

Girls:??? Grades K-10

Boys:??? Ages 5-11

New campers who attend an Open House event and register for camp within 48 hours will receive a $20 per child/per week discount on our popular Basic Camp program.

Enter a drawing for a free week of basic camp!

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Apple reportedly halting iPad retina displays production at Sharp

Last weekend it was iPhone 5 displays, now it's iPad 4 displays, and just as before, we have a sensational headline attributed to a couple of anonymous sources, with only the most superficial context and analysis provided far, far below in the body. This time, according to Reuters, production of iPad 4 displays at Sharp is being kept at levels only sufficient to keep the line running. However:

A source at Samsung Display, however, said there had not been any significant change in its panel business with Apple, which has been steadily reducing panel purchases from the South Korean firm.

A person who is familiar with the situation at LG Display said iPad screen production in the current quarter had fallen from the previous quarter ending in December, mainly due to weak seasonal demand that is typical after the busy year-end holiday sales period.

So, even if Sharp production is being halted, Samsung and LG still sound like they're full steam ahead. If panel production in general is merely being re-prioritized towards a higher mix of iPad mini and lower mix of iPad 4, or if quantities made by one company or during one period were sufficient to cover what would have been handled by Sharp during this period, or if any other factor is at play, isn't really investigated.

When a spokesperson from Sharp was asking about the drastic change in retina display production, they declined to comment stating that they don't make statements about their supply chain or production levels.

Again, production rumors, both correct and incorrect have plagued Apple for years. Now, however, in a more competitive, more skittish market, they're garnering more attention, and carrying more weight, than ever before.

Apple announces their traditionally big Q1 numbers at the end of January. Expect the rumors to get crazier before then.

Source: Reuters

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/dXwos9Z5_os/story01.htm

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The Economist on Windows

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Selling rental house. How to deal with current ... - Zillow Real Estate ...

thanks for posting your question on Zillow.com!

well, I would hope he's need to start with. If you can figure out a way to motivate somebody to be neat in keep their place clean, let's get together and sell that product! :-)

you may find a buyer for the property that wants to rent it & avoid having to get him out altogether. Closings usually take 30 to 45 days and by law you're required to give him a months notice.

best of luck to you.

Source: http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/Selling-rental-house-How-to-deal-with-current-renter/474741/

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