NEW YORK (Reuters) - An Occupy Wall Street protester has lost his latest bid to prevent the Manhattan district attorney's office from using his tweets against him, clearing the way for the judge overseeing the case to unseal the tweets and give them to prosecutors. In a case that has drawn the attention of electronic privacy advocates, a New York judge denied a request from the protester, Malcolm Harris, to put the tweets on ice while his appeal is pending. ...
30 September 2012Last updated at 15:44 ETBy Matt McGrathScience reporter, BBC World Service
Fish species are expected to shrink in size by up to 24% because of global warming, say scientists.
Researchers modelled the impact of rising temperatures on more than 600 species between 2001 and 2050.
Warmer waters could decrease ocean oxygen levels and significantly reduce fish body weight.
The scientists argue that failure to control greenhouse gas emissions will have a greater impact on marine ecosystems than previously thought.
Previous research has suggested that changing ocean temperatures would impact both the distribution and the reproductive abilities of many species of fish. This new work suggests that fish size would also be heavily impacted.
The researchers built a model to see how fish would react to lower levels of oxygen in the water. They used data from one of the higher emissions scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Warming the fish
Although this data projects relatively small changes in temperatures at the bottom of the oceans, the resulting impacts on fish body size are "unexpectedly large" according to the paper.
As ocean temperatures increase, so do the body temperatures of fish. But, according to lead author, Dr William Cheung, from the University of British Columbia, the level of oxygen in the water is key.
"Rising temperatures directly increase the metabolic rate of the fish's body function," he told BBC News.
"This leads to an increase in oxygen demand for normal body activities. So the fish will run out of oxygen for growth at a smaller body size."
The research team also used its model to predict fish movements as a result of warming waters. The group believes that most fish populations will move towards the Earth's poles at a rate of up to 36km per decade.
"So in, say, the North Sea," says Dr Cheung, "one would expect to see more smaller-body fish from tropical waters in the future."
Conservative model
Taking both the movements and the physiological impacts of rising temperatures together, the research team concludes that fish body size will shrink between 14% and 24%, with the largest decreases in the Indian and Atlantic oceans.
When compared with actual observations of fish sizes, the model seems to underestimate what's actually happening in the seas.
The researchers looked at two case studies involving North Atlantic cod and haddock. They found that recorded data on these fish showed greater decreases in body size than the models had predicted.
Other scientists say the impact could be widely felt.
Dr Alan Baudron, from the University of Aberdeen, UK, has studied changes in the growth of haddock in the North Sea. He says this latest research is a "strong result".
He believes it could have negative implications for the yields of fisheries. And it could also seriously impact the ability of fish to reproduce, he adds.
"Smaller individuals produce fewer and smaller eggs which could affect the reproductive potential of fish stocks and could potentially reduce their resilience to other factors such as fishing pressure and pollution," he told BBC News.
The authors point out a number of limiting factors in their study, including uncertainties in the predictions for the climate and the oceans. According to Dr Cheung, further research is required.
"Our study shows that climate change can lead to a substantial decrease in the maximum body weight of fish. We need to look more closely at the biological response in the future."
The research has been published in the Journal Nature Climate Change.
Assisted living facilities can be found in many places around the world and they are indeed very helpful to the old people who are too old to complete even the daily chores by themselves. What exactly is assisted living? Let us begin our discussion with a brief definition of assisted living so that you grasp the concept in a better manner. Assisted living basically means to extend a helping hand to the old people who are unable to do the day to day routine jobs due to their old age or some disease and it also allows them to lead an independent life.
Assisted living facilities are a quite wonderful option for the old people who wish to lead a life of freedom but also need some assistance in completing routine jobs like eating, changing clothes and bathing. The assisted living Naples, Fl is of high standard and extends only the best services to the senior residents. You can find many good and reputed assisted living facilities via the internet in Naples, Florida. Assisted living Naples, Fl focuses on extending individual attention and care to each resident as everyone is different and has different needs.
The senior residents in the assisted living facilities in Naples will find themselves surrounded by a friendly atmosphere that allows them to be active and make new friends.
Assisted living Naples, Fl possesses a world class emergency call arrangement which enables the residents to contact the staff in case of any urgent situation. The senior residents at these facilities get relief from the tedious household chores and other tasks as all of that is taken care by the housekeeping services and the laundry services on a weekly basis.
Assisted living Naples, Fl makes every effort to provide the best and healthy environment for the senior residents so that they leave their stress away and lead a smooth life. The senior residents can maintain good health with three delicious yet healthy meals which they can enjoy with their friends in a nice dining space. Along with that the old people can indulge themselves in various wonderful activities such as reading and playing games. They can also visit the health club for staying lean and fit and the assisted living facility also caters regularly to their medication requirements. Assisted living is a great alternative for the old people who desire independent lifestyle along with some assistance in their day to day tasks.
A few observations and notes as you decompress from UFC 152:
-- Did you gasp when Vitor Belfort hit the armbar early in his loss to Jon Jones? Because I did, and I'm still amazed Jones was not injured. It's one of the few times he's been in danger, and his ability to get out of the submission was impressive.
-- Jones' fourth-round Americana submission earned him the $65,000 submission of the night bonus. The other bonuses went to Cub Swanson for his knockout of Charles Oliveira, and T.J. Grant and Evan Dunham for their bloody fight of the night.
-- At the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said a fight between Michael Bisping and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva could be interesting. Nothing in Bisping's win over Stann would indicate that to be so.
-- Demetrious Johnson winning the flyweight championship will go down in the record books because he's the first-ever 125-lb champ. But it should also be remembered for the fantastic speed shown by Johnson as he picked apart the very tough Joseph Benavidez.
What did you think of UFC 152? Speak up in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.
SEATTLE (AP) - Those involved in continuing Baltimore's late-season surge - whether it's taking nine, 11 or 18 innings to get the victories - continue to marvel at what the Orioles are accomplishing and the ways they are getting it done.
The Orioles are hanging around the AL East race, surging to the top of the wild-card chase and winning at all hours of the day, night and early morning.
"It's crazy. I thought we were going to play another 15 or 16 tonight. We were doing dancing in there, stuff like that," Baltimore starter Joe Saunders said. "It gets to the point where you get comfortable in those situations."
Adam Jones hit a two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning and the Orioles won their 15th straight extra-innings game with a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.
A night after the teams played an 18-inning marathon that lasted nearly 6 hours, Jones, the one-time Mariners prospect, gave Baltimore a huge boost in its race with the Yankees for the lead in the AL East. Even with New York sweeping a doubleheader from Toronto on Wednesday, the Orioles stayed just a half-game back in the division race. Additionally, the Orioles moved into the top spot in the AL wild-card race after Oakland was handed a 6-2 loss in Detroit.
According to the Orioles, with information from the Elias Sports Bureau, the 15 straight extra-inning wins is the longest streak since the Cleveland Indians won 17 straight in 1949. Throw in a sweep of Seattle and wins in seven of nine and the Orioles are making plenty of September noise.
"We need the wins. It doesn't matter who or how, we just need the wins," Jones said.
Jones' turned on a 3-2 pitch from Seattle's Josh Kinney (0-3) and sent his 30th homer into the Baltimore bullpen in left field to finally break a 1-1 tie that had lasted since the fourth inning. Jones became the first Baltimore outfielder to reach 30 homers since Brady Anderson hit 50 in 1996. It was his third career homer against the franchise that drafted the talented center fielder, and then traded him to the Orioles as part of a massive deal that brought pitcher Erik Bedard to Seattle.
Jim Johnson pitched the bottom of the 11th for his major league-leading 45th save. It wasn't a basic save, though, as Kyle Seager and Jesus Montero started the inning with singles. Johnson quickly rebounded to get Justin Smoak to ground into a 3-6-1 double play.
Michael Saunders walked, but was caught stealing by Taylor Teagarden trying to get into scoring position while pinch-hitter John Jaso never got the bat off his shoulder for the final out.
"I thought they were going to take their chances with Jaso hitting and when he took off I was a little surprised, but I got a good pitch to throw on and it got there in time," said Teagarden, whose RBI single in the 18th inning the night before proved to be the winning run.
Saunders didn't second-guess his decision to try and get into scoring position.
"I had to be aggressive in that situation and I had to get to second base," he said.
Baltimore was only able to reach the 11th thanks to Luis Ayala's pitching in the bottom of the 10th. Seattle loaded the bases with two outs thanks to walks to Saunders, Trayvon Robinson and Dustin Ackley. Ayala (5-4) was brought in to face Franklin Gutierrez, who hit his fourth homer of the season in the fourth inning to account for Seattle's only run. Gutierrez was able to work the count to 3-2, but Ayala came inside and forced a weak pop up to shortstop to end Seattle's best scoring threat.
Lost in the extra inning drama were the performances of starters Joe Saunders and Felix Hernandez on a night both teams needed a break for their bullpens.
Saunders was the perfect option for the Orioles to have on the mound considering his past success against the Mariners in Seattle. In his previous six starts at Safeco Field, Saunders was 6-0 with a 0.98 ERA. It was just the recipe Baltimore needed with a taxed bullpen that saw seven relievers work in Tuesday night's game.
Saunders did his part getting through eight innings. He gave up five hits and struck out two. It was just the second time this season - and first since joining the Orioles in August - that Saunders pitched at least eight innings. He had a complete game three-hitter for Arizona against Miami in April.
"You can talk a lot about what happened this game, offensively and what not, but the conversation has to start with the effort that Joe gave us," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.
Hernandez gave up just one run, six hits and struck out eight. The lone run off Seattle's ace was due to hustle. Chris Davis was running on a 3-2 pitch and scored from first on Mark Reynolds' single in the fourth inning, sliding across home plate ahead of Jesus Montero's sweep tag.
Notes: Baltimore swept the Mariners in Seattle for the first time since 1997. ... Baltimore prospect Dylan Bundy was recalled from Double-A Bowie on Wednesday. The Orioles needed the extra arm in the bullpen after Tuesday's 18-inning marathon and the 19-year-old was the choice. ... Tuesday's game was the second-longest in Safeco Field history by innings and the longest by time at 5 hours, 44 minutes. ... Baltimore LHP Brian Matusz pitched in the 10th inning less than 24 hours after needing to go to a Seattle hospital seeking treatment for an allergic food reaction.
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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'Mad Cow' blood test now on the horizonPublic release date: 11-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Associate Professor Andrew Hill a.hill@unimelb.edu.au 61-425-784-778 University of Melbourne
Using newly available genetic sequencing scientists discovered cells infected with prions (the infectious agent responsible for these diseases) release particles which contain easily recognized 'signature genes'.
Associate Professor Andrew Hill from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Bio21 Institute said these particles travel in the blood stream, making a diagnostic blood test a possibility.
"This might provide a way to screen people who have spent time in the UK, who currently face restrictions on their ability to donate blood," he said.
"With a simple blood test nurses could deem a prospective donor's blood as healthy, with the potential to significantly boost critical blood stocks."
Mad Cow disease was linked to the deaths of nearly 200 people in Great Britain who consumed meat from infected animals in the late 1980s.
Since 2000, the Australia Red Cross Blood Service has not accepted blood from anybody who lived in the UK for more than six months between 1980 and 1996, or who received a blood transfusion in the UK after 1980.
The research is published in this week's Oxford University Press Nucleic Acids Research journal http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/09/08/nar.gks832.full.
Lead author Dr Shayne Bellingham said the breakthrough might also help detect other human neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
"This is an exciting new field where we can test for conditions in the brain and throughout the body, without being invasive," he said.
The researchers' genetic testing focused on a form of cell discharge called exosomes.
If exosomes were infected with prions (the pathogen that causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, commonly known as Mad Cow Disease) they were found to also carry a specific signature of small genes called microRNA's.
###
The research was undertaken at the University of Melbourne, with assistance from the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council.
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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.
'Mad Cow' blood test now on the horizonPublic release date: 11-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Associate Professor Andrew Hill a.hill@unimelb.edu.au 61-425-784-778 University of Melbourne
Using newly available genetic sequencing scientists discovered cells infected with prions (the infectious agent responsible for these diseases) release particles which contain easily recognized 'signature genes'.
Associate Professor Andrew Hill from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Bio21 Institute said these particles travel in the blood stream, making a diagnostic blood test a possibility.
"This might provide a way to screen people who have spent time in the UK, who currently face restrictions on their ability to donate blood," he said.
"With a simple blood test nurses could deem a prospective donor's blood as healthy, with the potential to significantly boost critical blood stocks."
Mad Cow disease was linked to the deaths of nearly 200 people in Great Britain who consumed meat from infected animals in the late 1980s.
Since 2000, the Australia Red Cross Blood Service has not accepted blood from anybody who lived in the UK for more than six months between 1980 and 1996, or who received a blood transfusion in the UK after 1980.
The research is published in this week's Oxford University Press Nucleic Acids Research journal http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/09/08/nar.gks832.full.
Lead author Dr Shayne Bellingham said the breakthrough might also help detect other human neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
"This is an exciting new field where we can test for conditions in the brain and throughout the body, without being invasive," he said.
The researchers' genetic testing focused on a form of cell discharge called exosomes.
If exosomes were infected with prions (the pathogen that causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, commonly known as Mad Cow Disease) they were found to also carry a specific signature of small genes called microRNA's.
###
The research was undertaken at the University of Melbourne, with assistance from the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Influenza research: Can dynamic mapping reveal clues about seasonality?Public release date: 7-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Alex Reid alexander.reid@tufts.edu 617-627-4173 Tufts University
MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. - Influenza outbreaks in the United States typically begin with the arrival of cold weather and then spread in seasonal waves across geographic zones. But the question of why epidemics can vary from one season to the next has baffled scientists.
In a paper titled "Deviations in Influenza Seasonality: Odd Coincidence or Obscure Consequence," Elena Naumova, Ph.D., professor of civil and environmental engineering at Tufts School of Engineering, and collaborators from the U.S. and India suggest that the search for answers has been thwarted, in part, by the lack of standardized research methods.
This paper builds on Naumova's previous work in which she suggests a role for dynamic mapping in epidemiological research. Here, the team concludes that newly emerging technologies like dynamic mapping can be used in concert with traditional approaches, which Naumova describes as "fraught with problems." The paper was published in advance of print in Clinical Microbiology and Infection.
Naumova points out several of these problems. Data collection methods are not uniform. Researchers use ambiguous terminology and definitions. Research results are not presented in a uniform manner. "This produces volumes of information or noise that is prone to substantial measurement error and uncertainty that potentially obscures the causes behind seasonality rather than illuminating them," she says.
Another way influenza research falls short is that it doesn't take into account the behavior of the disease as it changes across time and geography. Using dynamic mapping as a tool, Naumova, the paper's senior author, and her team analyzed hospitalization records for adults age 65 and over from across the United States during individual flu seasons in 1991, 1997, 1999, and 2003.
The data, provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, were superimposed onto national maps showing average weekly temperatures. The data were then transformed into an interactive movie from which researchers could view data, including origin and intensity of the outbreak, as they appeared over time. Each season exhibited variations in disease patterns.
For example, the 1991 outbreak originated in the Alabama-Louisiana region and then spread north. By contrast, the 1997 the epidemic started in central Tennessee. The 1999 epidemic started in western Minnesota while the 2003 epidemic spread from the gulf region of Texas and Louisiana, according to Naumova. Three of the epidemics peaked in the first week of January while a fourth peaked in the last week of December. Nationally, the average peak occurred during the third week of January.
Naumova points out that the four seasons reveal the diversity exhibited by seasonal outbreaks. "In these years we see that the outbreaks points of origin shifted, as did its geographic spread," she says.
Naumova's ongoing research involves developing mathematical models for analysis of large databases to study infectious diseases and exposure assessment. In an earlier study, researchers analyzed a larger data set from 1991 to 2004. They found that over the 13 seasons, seasonal flu outbreaks generally peaked earliest in the west and spread east.
While mapping reveals variations in peak timing, intensity, and geography, the factors that influence these parameters are unknown and require further investigation. In the larger picture, Naumova says dynamic mapping could potentially help fill a gap in influenza research.
"It would help give us insight into what kinds of questions to ask. This can lead to a framework from which we are able to develop new research questions," says Naumova, who adds that mapping is only one part of the puzzle. "We also must establish methodologies that use science-based definitions, reliable data and standard methods for presenting data and assessing statistics."
###
Co-authors include Mahesh Moorthy and Asha Abraham, the department of clinical virology at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India; Denise Castronovo, Mapping Sustainability, LLC; Sanjib Bhattacharyya and Steve Gradus, the City of Milwaukee Health Department; Jack Gorski and Yuri N. Naumov, the Blood Center of Wisconsin; and Nina Fefferman, department of ecology, evolution, and natural resources at Rutgers University and Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) at Rutgers.
This study was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Published online: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03959.x/abstract
Tufts University School of Engineering Located on Tufts' Medford/Somerville campus, the School of Engineering offers a rigorous engineering education in a unique environment that blends the intellectual and technological resources of a world-class research university with the strengths of a top-ranked liberal arts college. Close partnerships with Tufts' excellent undergraduate, graduate and professional schools, coupled with a long tradition of collaboration, provide a strong platform for interdisciplinary education and scholarship. The School of Engineering's mission is to educate engineers committed to the innovative and ethical application of science and technology in addressing the most pressing societal needs, to develop and nurture twenty-first century leadership qualities in its students, faculty, and alumni, and to create and disseminate transformational new knowledge and technologies that further the well-being and sustainability of society in such cross-cutting areas as human health, environmental sustainability, alternative energy, and the human-technology interface.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Influenza research: Can dynamic mapping reveal clues about seasonality?Public release date: 7-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Alex Reid alexander.reid@tufts.edu 617-627-4173 Tufts University
MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. - Influenza outbreaks in the United States typically begin with the arrival of cold weather and then spread in seasonal waves across geographic zones. But the question of why epidemics can vary from one season to the next has baffled scientists.
In a paper titled "Deviations in Influenza Seasonality: Odd Coincidence or Obscure Consequence," Elena Naumova, Ph.D., professor of civil and environmental engineering at Tufts School of Engineering, and collaborators from the U.S. and India suggest that the search for answers has been thwarted, in part, by the lack of standardized research methods.
This paper builds on Naumova's previous work in which she suggests a role for dynamic mapping in epidemiological research. Here, the team concludes that newly emerging technologies like dynamic mapping can be used in concert with traditional approaches, which Naumova describes as "fraught with problems." The paper was published in advance of print in Clinical Microbiology and Infection.
Naumova points out several of these problems. Data collection methods are not uniform. Researchers use ambiguous terminology and definitions. Research results are not presented in a uniform manner. "This produces volumes of information or noise that is prone to substantial measurement error and uncertainty that potentially obscures the causes behind seasonality rather than illuminating them," she says.
Another way influenza research falls short is that it doesn't take into account the behavior of the disease as it changes across time and geography. Using dynamic mapping as a tool, Naumova, the paper's senior author, and her team analyzed hospitalization records for adults age 65 and over from across the United States during individual flu seasons in 1991, 1997, 1999, and 2003.
The data, provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, were superimposed onto national maps showing average weekly temperatures. The data were then transformed into an interactive movie from which researchers could view data, including origin and intensity of the outbreak, as they appeared over time. Each season exhibited variations in disease patterns.
For example, the 1991 outbreak originated in the Alabama-Louisiana region and then spread north. By contrast, the 1997 the epidemic started in central Tennessee. The 1999 epidemic started in western Minnesota while the 2003 epidemic spread from the gulf region of Texas and Louisiana, according to Naumova. Three of the epidemics peaked in the first week of January while a fourth peaked in the last week of December. Nationally, the average peak occurred during the third week of January.
Naumova points out that the four seasons reveal the diversity exhibited by seasonal outbreaks. "In these years we see that the outbreaks points of origin shifted, as did its geographic spread," she says.
Naumova's ongoing research involves developing mathematical models for analysis of large databases to study infectious diseases and exposure assessment. In an earlier study, researchers analyzed a larger data set from 1991 to 2004. They found that over the 13 seasons, seasonal flu outbreaks generally peaked earliest in the west and spread east.
While mapping reveals variations in peak timing, intensity, and geography, the factors that influence these parameters are unknown and require further investigation. In the larger picture, Naumova says dynamic mapping could potentially help fill a gap in influenza research.
"It would help give us insight into what kinds of questions to ask. This can lead to a framework from which we are able to develop new research questions," says Naumova, who adds that mapping is only one part of the puzzle. "We also must establish methodologies that use science-based definitions, reliable data and standard methods for presenting data and assessing statistics."
###
Co-authors include Mahesh Moorthy and Asha Abraham, the department of clinical virology at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India; Denise Castronovo, Mapping Sustainability, LLC; Sanjib Bhattacharyya and Steve Gradus, the City of Milwaukee Health Department; Jack Gorski and Yuri N. Naumov, the Blood Center of Wisconsin; and Nina Fefferman, department of ecology, evolution, and natural resources at Rutgers University and Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) at Rutgers.
This study was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Published online: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-0691.2012.03959.x/abstract
Tufts University School of Engineering Located on Tufts' Medford/Somerville campus, the School of Engineering offers a rigorous engineering education in a unique environment that blends the intellectual and technological resources of a world-class research university with the strengths of a top-ranked liberal arts college. Close partnerships with Tufts' excellent undergraduate, graduate and professional schools, coupled with a long tradition of collaboration, provide a strong platform for interdisciplinary education and scholarship. The School of Engineering's mission is to educate engineers committed to the innovative and ethical application of science and technology in addressing the most pressing societal needs, to develop and nurture twenty-first century leadership qualities in its students, faculty, and alumni, and to create and disseminate transformational new knowledge and technologies that further the well-being and sustainability of society in such cross-cutting areas as human health, environmental sustainability, alternative energy, and the human-technology interface.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? All nine judges on Myanmar's presidentially appointed Constitution Tribunal abruptly resigned Thursday after the lower house of parliament voted to impeach them in a standoff within Myanmar's nascent government.
The resignations were announced by President Thein Sein's office, state television reported Thursday night, after two-thirds of the lower house had voted earlier in the day for the judges' impeachment.
The dispute has been seen as demonstrating the maturation of Myanmar's democracy, as well as reflecting jockeying for power within the ruling party.
Thein Sein recently reshuffled his Cabinet in what was widely considered an effort to consolidate his power after initially coming to office in March 2011. He is a former general and his government is dominated by members of the military, which had ruled the country since a 1962 coup d'etat.
However, members of his own ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party led the effort against the tribunal he appointed, and the opposition was spearheaded by his former army colleague Thura Shwe Mann, speaker of the lower house. Thein Sein was prime minister in the former military regime, and Thura Shwe Mann third-ranking member of its ruling junta.
The tribunal itself was also headed by a former military general. Lawmakers had been angered that the tribunal had not granted its committees and commissions the legal status they sought. The duties of the tribunal, whose members were nominated by the president and two speakers of parliament, are to interpret the constitution and rule if laws conform to it.
Thura Shwe Mann had said the decision not to designate parliamentary bodies as state-level entities affected the ability of the lawmakers to carry out their work and harmed their reputations. Some 301 lower house MPs, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, signed a petition to impeach the tribunal because of its alleged incompetence in discharging its duties.
Thein Sein had urged parliament to resolve the dispute by amending the constitution rather than impeaching the tribunal members.
Working for a prestigious asset finance company, this Credit Analyst role is to provide balanced, informed and reasoned commercial credit decisions based on relevant company and financial information for various countries in northern Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, UK, and Ireland), as well as working as part of the Credit Department to ensure customer service levels are maintained.
Key Responsibilities:
Analyse and interpret commercial credit requests.
Present reasoned recommendations to members of the credit team and members of credit committee.
Provide reasoned, informed and balanced credit decisions within the limitations of delegated personal underwriting authority.
Provide support as required in all areas of the credit department remit to the credit team leader and their managers and other areas of the business as required.
Ensure compliance with Credit Policies.
Comply with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including Corporate Governance, Anti-Financial Crime (Anti-Money Laundering), Anti-Corruption (Bribery Act), Competition, Data Protection, Consumer Credit Act and FSA.
Key Skills:
Good knowledge and understanding of financial services products and services.
Good knowledge of and experience in credit analysis.
Strong analytical skills in relation to financial and company information.
High level of PC skills (Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint).
French or Dutch language skills an advantage.
University degree required in Maths, Finance or Business Administration or equivalent is desirable.
Credit & risk experience, preferably in asset/motor finance.
Experience in underwriting commercial asset backed finance requests desirable.
Contact: Please send CVs to Julie Ramsay?julie@thcrecruitment.co.uk 01279 713900 ?
Mitt Romney?s acceptance speech at last week?s Republican National Convention had little impact on the electorate, according to new polling from Gallup released on Monday.
The percentage of voters who said Romney?s speech made them more likely to vote for hin (40 percent) was nearly the same as the percentage who were less likely to vote for him (38 percent), the poll showed.
Among independents, 36 percent were more likely to vote for Romney after his speech and 33 percent were less likely. Thirty percent said the speech made no difference.
Romney?s speech had the same impact as John McCain?s in 2008 and President Bush?s in 2004, according to Gallup.
President Obama?s speech in 2008, however, saw 43 percent of voters more likely to support him afterward, compared to 29 percent who were less likely.
The sharpest impact was seen in 1992, after Bill Clinton?s speech, in which 60 percent of Americans said they were more likely to vote for him, while just 15 percent said otherwise.
Romney also scored low on the quality of his acceptance speech, the lowest marks since Bob Dole?s speech in 1996. Just 38 percent of those surveyed found his speech ?good? or ?excellent,? while 16 percent rated it ?poor? or ?terrible.? Obama?s speech in 2008 was given a 58 percent positive rating, and McCain's registered 47 percent.
The results also point out that 51 percent of those surveyed watched ?a great deal? or ?some? of the convention on television?the lowest of any of the last eight conventions. Sarah Palin?s 2008 speech was the most-viewed on television, at 33 percent.
Gallup says the poll is not a good predictor for who will win the election in November.
These results were based on polling conducted between Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 among 1,045 adults. The margin of error was four percentage points.
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Artist: Sophie Madeleine Video: "Oil & Gold" Highlight: "'Oil & Gold' is a song about going through a bad time in order to find something special," Sophie Madeleine tells Spinner. "The video was made by the brilliant Rafa Pavon of Watergun.tv. We shot it by the Thames on a very warm day, and had several problems to deal with before we even began shooting. Then we spent an exhausting and very sweaty afternoon with me repeatedly playing along to the song on an iPod that was stuffed down the back of my knickers because it was the only place I could conceal it. Lots of people stared at us. Somebody threw twenty pence at me. Another interrupted us mid-take to ask where I bought my ukulele. By the end of it we were completely worn out, but we had a great music video."
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) ? A formerly blind Sumatran orangutan can see her baby twins for the first time after undergoing cataract surgery in the first such operation in Indonesia.
The orangutan, named Gober, was captured for her own safety in late 2008 in North Sumatra province after she went blind in both eyes due to cataracts. She gave birth to the twins in early 2011 as part of a breeding program.
Doctors at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program in the provincial capital of Medan performed the cataract surgery on the 40-year-old animal on Monday. They announced the successful results late Thursday.
Doctors first performed cataract surgery on an orangutan in Malaysia in 2007.
Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered, with only about 6,600 left in the wild.
A few observations and notes as you decompress from UFC 152:![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 11-Sep-2012
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?25,000-?27,000 plus bonus and excellent benefits
