Jan. 30, 2013 ? Biomembranes consist of a mosaic of individual, densely packed lipid molecules. These molecules are formed inside the cells. But how do these building blocks move to the correct part of the membrane? Researchers from Technische Universit?t M?nchen (TUM) have discovered a mechanism to show how this is done.
The lipid molecules of membranes, also known as phospholipids, are composed of two elements: A hydrophilic head and two long-chain fatty acids. The molecules form a bilayer in the membrane, with all of the heads pointing outwards and the fatty acid chains hanging in a zip-like interlay position.
Biomembranes are constantly reorganized or renewed, for example whenever cells divide. The cell is constantly creating new phospholipids that have to align themselves -- which they do in both layers of the biomembrane. However, cells only produce phospholipids on one side of the biomembrane. From there, they need to be transported to the other half of the bilayer.
A helping hand through the membrane
The problem is that the hydrophilic and lipophilic parts of the molecule repel each other. "The molecules can anchor themselves in one of the two membrane layers with their lipophilic tail," explains Prof. Dieter Langosch of the TUM Chair of Biopolymer Chemistry. "Translocation to the second layer is not possible because the hydrophilic heads cannot pass through the lipophilic fatty acid chains."
The key to establishing order in the membranes lies in enzymes that transport the molecules to their correct location in the "second layer." Scientists have been searching for such enzymes -- known as flippases -- for many years. But now Prof. Langosch and his team have made a breakthrough. They experimented with synthetic peptides, which transport phospholipids through the membrane. A clever trick
In this process, the researchers came across an indirect transport mechanism. The peptides span both layers of the membrane -- and are able to bind to individual phospholipids. Prof. Langosch explains: "When the peptides bind the molecules, the surrounding membrane is briefly destabilized. The new phospholipids use this opportunity to slip through the barrier of the first lipid layer and flip to the second layer of the membrane."
The researchers now have a clear idea of how flippases work. "Our peptides stretch through the membrane like a corkscrew. If this "alpha-helix" has dynamic elements, it can bind to phospholipids," says Prof. Langosch. "This model will help us to detect the flippases."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Technische Universitaet Muenchen.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Marcella Langer, Rashmi Sah, Anika Veser, Markus G?tlich, Dieter Langosch. Structural Properties of Model Phosphatidylcholine Flippases. Chemistry & Biology, 2013; 20 (1): 63 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2012.11.006
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- A fledgling New Hampshire program that gives businesses a tax credit for donating to scholarship organizations that send students to private or public schools is under assault on two fronts.
Three civil liberties groups sued this month to block the program as unconstitutional because students could attend religious schools, and now legislators are considering repealing it.
And the House Ways and Means Committee is holding a hearing Thursday on the bill to repeal the tax credit law, passed last summer by Republicans over a Democratic governor's veto. Under the law, the first scholarships cannot be used until the 2013-2014 school year.
The total amount of tax credits that could be issued the first year is $3.4 million and $5.1 million the second year.
The law provides for increases in tax credits in subsequent years. The business donations would go to organizations created to provide scholarships of up to $2,500 to eligible students. The scholarship amount would be adjusted for inflation.
Students attending private schools, public schools outside the student's home district and students schooled at home would qualify for scholarships. Income limits are set on who qualifies to receive a scholarship.
Districts losing state aid above a certain threshold would receive additional money to partially offset the loss of funding when students leave their schools.
So far, only about $120,000 has been pledged toward scholarships for next school year, according to the Department of Revenue.
To date, the Network for Educational Opportunity is the only organization approved to award scholarships, and Executive Director Kate Baker said Tuesday she already has 260 applicants. Baker said she has commitments from companies to contribute $500,000 to the program. Her goal is to raise $1 million and to have 1,000 applicants by June.
"People are looking for options for their families," she said.
She said 60 percent of the applications she has received are from poorer families whose children qualify for subsidized meals at school. The scholarship won't pay the entire tuition at some private schools but could make a difference in the family being able to send their children to the school, she said.
"I'm finding that families make incredible sacrifices for their children's education," she said.
Baker is confident the law will be upheld and eventually will win bipartisan support from lawmakers.
But House Education Chairwoman Mary Gile, a Concord Democrat and the repeal bill's prime sponsor, insists the program will hurt public schools by siphoning off money that could be used to improve them.
"Our primary responsibility as legislators is to ensure New Hampshire's children, our children, have access to the best system of public education we can provide," she said.
She said if 100 Concord students were awarded scholarships and left the public school system, the city could lose several hundred thousand dollars in state aid, she said.
"What people don't realize is if money is reduced, the fixed costs remain," she said. "The fiscal impact of this law is significant," she said.
A hearing is scheduled on the lawsuit on April 26, said Barbara Keshen, staff attorney at the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union. She said the court has ordered that scholarship organizations be made aware they might not be able to distribute money to students, depending on the outcome of the lawsuit.
"Any business that contributes under the law ... may have to pay their taxes in full to the state," she added.
Before choosing a ranch you may ask, what is ranch and why should I choose one? Well, good question, here you will find briefly about ranch. If you are an adventurous freak who loves hiking, fishing horseback riding, wild life watching, etc then continue reading this article.
These vacations are especially for people who love to have fun outdoors. Ranch vacations can be had for family get-together, weddings, etc. It is the best way to have fun with whole family including kids and people of all ages. People who have tried Ranchi vacations once would love to have it again and again. This special vacation makes anyone to remember it for lifetime. One of the main reason for youngsters and other people to choose ranch vacation is to enjoy the beauty of countryside and explore virgin forests. In addition they can learn new things right from hiking to horseback riding. It also gives an adrenaline rush for the youngster while performing these activities.
Here we will discuss more about it
Guest or Dude Ranch
Guest ranch offers a wide range of fun filled activities including horseback riding. If you are a person who does not wish to have horse riding then you can enjoy other type of fun filled activities like hunting, rafting, fishing, trekking, bird watching, etc. They are organized by experienced professionals.
There are different types of dude ranch packages and you can choose one based upon your need, taste and budget. Vacation spots have various facilities including spa and swimming pool. Moreover they offer different variety of foods right from traditional foods to gourmet meals. You can have food by sitting around the campfire and chitchatting with your loved ones.
Entertainments offered here are countless and you can have fun even during winter with fire pits fixed outdoor. It allows you to enjoy the beauty of outdoor even in winter. Not to mention, ranch vacation rates are cheaper in winter and this allows you to save your money and to enjoy the vacation to the fullest without worrying about your budget.
Working Ranches
This type of ranches grows different types of cattle and other pet animals. They allow guests in limited numbers to enjoy their vacation. The activities varies from season to season and if you are a person who love to spend time with livestock then definitely it is one of the best way to spend your vacation.
Before you choose a best family dude ranch vacation go through the website of the company and know about the tariffs and other details which can make your vacation joyful and memorable.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) ? Connecticut lawmakers on Tuesday began reviewing mental health care following the deadly Newtown school shooting, even though they and the public have little insight into the mental state of the 20-year-old gunman.
The prosecutor in the case, Danbury State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky III, said he cannot release information about Adam Lanza's mental health because of the Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct, which covers all attorneys in the state. His office is reviewing whether details of Lanza's mental state can be released to the public after the police report is completed, possibly in June.
But Jeremy Richman, father of 6-year-old Arielle Richman, one of the 20 first-graders killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, told a legislative subcommittee on Tuesday that it is clear Lanza did not commit an impulsive act of violence, but rather a planned crime with the "goal of achieving infamy" like other mass shooters.
"The shooters in Sandy Hook, Tucson, Aurora, Littleton, Blacksburg ? we will not grant them the respect of using their names ? were not in their right minds," said Richman, who, along with his wife, has started a foundation in their daughter's name to protect vulnerable groups from violence and to understand the mental underpinnings of violent behavior.
"Too little is known in the mental health area about what drives these violent behaviors," he said. "Clearly, something is wrong with the person capable of such atrocities."
Besides gun violence and school safety, two task forces created by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the General Assembly are focusing on mental health services and reducing the stigma of treatment as they review public policy and recommend law changes after shooting, which also left six educators at Sandy Hook dead. Police said Lanza also killed his mother at the Newtown home they shared and later committed suicide as police approached the school.
The massacre in Newtown has also set off a national discussion about mental health care, with everyone from law enforcement leaders to the gun industry, urging policymakers to focus on the issue as a way to help prevent similar mass shootings.
Members of Malloy's commission said they would like to have details of Lanza's mental health, but it's not essential.
"I don't think not having that information is going to prevent us from doing important work," said Dr. Harold Schwartz, a psychiatrist on the commission. "Adam Lanza is just one case. We really need to think about large populations. We need to think about improving the mental health system for everyone."
Nelba Marquez-Greene, mother of 6-year-old Sandy Hook victim Ana Marquez-Greene and a licensed marriage and family therapist, said she hopes Connecticut will become a national model to improve its mental health system. In written testimony read by her sister on Tuesday, Marquez-Greene suggested that exposing families to trained mental health professionals to de-stigmatize mental health access and treatment. She also called for the state to fully fund programs that provide support to parents.
"My Ana Grace was murdered. She was six years old. She was one of 26 innocent people massacred senselessly," Marquez-Greene wrote. "This tragedy could have been prevented."
Lawmakers were urged to look at numerous issues such as stronger civil commitment laws, mandatory mental health evaluations for gun purchasers, more funding for school-based health centers that provide mental health care and community-based mental health services, and allowing families to put a troubled relative on a list preventing them from obtaining a gun. At the same time, some people diagnosed with mental illness told the legislators not to take out their anger with Lanza against them.
Slightly more than 100 people signed up to testify on Tuesday, compared to 1,200 who signed up to testify at Monday's hearing on gun laws.
Jennifer Maksel, a Newtown mother of three whose youngest son is a first grader at Sandy Hook, told the panel about how she worries for her mentally troubled 12-year-old son, who she said can be abusive toward her and his brothers. Maksel said she's been trying for years to get him services, but the shooting brought his problems to the forefront and prompted an emergency meeting with school officials.
"It took something like this. Because I don't want another tragedy. Would I think he would do it? I don't think so. But who knows? He's 12 years old," she said. "But if I don't get him social skills to prepare himself for when he's 18, what am I going to do?"
State lawmakers were told that individuals with private insurance have much more limited access to services than people using government insurance. Patricia Rehmer, commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said there are limits on the number of services that can be used annually, which can create problems for families.
"I am often called, especially by parents of young adults who are now keeping their children ? young adults ? on their insurance until they're 26, who need the services that we provide," Rehmer said of her agency, which serves only people without private insurance.
"They need case management. They need supportive housing. They need interactions with their peers," she said. "Those are things that private insurance companies do not pay for."
President Barack Obama hailed the Senate's bipartisan immigration framework at a major speech on that topic this afternoon in Nevada, but threatened to send his own alternative legislation to Capitol Hill if Congress fails to act.
Pandemic controversies: The global response to pandemic influenza must changePublic release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Julia Day j.day@ids.ac.uk 44-012-739-15671 Institute of Development Studies
New research sets out alternative approach to preparing for pandemics
'Evil' scientists, deadly viruses and terrorist plots are usually the preserve of Hollywood blockbusters. But when it comes to pandemic influenza, it is the stuff of real life. As controversy about research into the H5N1 bird flu virus continues, a new paper argues for a complete overhaul of current approaches to pandemic preparedness.
To Pandemic or Not? Reconfiguring Global Responses to Influenza, by Dr Paul Forster, of the ESRC STEPS Centre, investigates the H1N1 swine flu pandemic of 2009-10 and sets out some vital lessons if we are to prepare for pandemic influenza effectively, while avoiding confusing and costly mistakes.
When the H1N1 outbreak in 2009-10 was milder than the World Health Organization had predicted, WHO was accused of colluding with the pharmaceutical industry and national governments of squandering billions. The Council of Europe said US$18 billion was wasted, and branded WHO's actions "one of the greatest medical scandals of the century". The event revealed weaknesses in the world's current configuration of planning for and responding to pandemic influenza, according to Dr Forster.
Science, public health policy makers and the worldwide public were confounded by the uncertainty, complexity and politics of pandemic influenza and the high emotions it inspires. Amid this confusion, the global and national institutions responsible for protecting public health were shown to be over-reliant on a reductive, science-led approach that prioritised a one-size-fits-all response, and failed to address the needs and priorities of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. Dr Forster suggests new ways to construct plural responses more suited to tackling the globalised mix of politics, people and pathogens that pandemics produce.
"Preparing for an influenza pandemic means preparing for surprises and being ready to respond rapidly and flexibly under conditions of uncertainty. If people across the globe are to be ready, plural and diverse response pathways are required," said Dr Forster, an independent development consultant and STEPS Centre researcher. "The world would be better protected by a re-ordering of pandemic preparedness and response efforts around the needs of the world's poorest, most vulnerable, and most exposed people," he added.
A re-ordered response would allow the undue pre-eminence of pharmaceuticals to be examined, and bring focus on the pressing need for disease surveillance in animals, scrutiny of contemporary agricultural practices and a broadening of research efforts. It might also refresh the World Health Organization's approach, which Dr Forster believes supports an inflexible and narrow set of interests by default, rather than conspiracy.
With most flu experts agreeing that it is not so much a question of if, but rather when, a new pandemic will arrive, the sooner the lessons of outbreaks such as that in 2009-10 can be learned, the better.
###
Notes to editors:
1. Paper To Pandemic or Not? Reconfiguring Global Responses to Influenza, by Paul Forster: http://steps-centre.org/publication/pandemics-wp/
2. Briefing Swine Flu: What went Wrong? A short briefing based on the Working Paper by Paul Forster: http://steps-centre.org/publication/swine-flu-what-went-wrong/?referralDomain=briefing
3. For further information: Julia Day
4. The STEPS Centre (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) is an interdisciplinary global research and policy engagement centre uniting development studies with science and technology studies. We are developing a new approach to understanding and action on sustainability and development and are funded by the ESRC. www.steps-centre.org
5. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's total budget for 2012/13 is 205 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes.
[ | 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.
Pandemic controversies: The global response to pandemic influenza must changePublic release date: 28-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Julia Day j.day@ids.ac.uk 44-012-739-15671 Institute of Development Studies
New research sets out alternative approach to preparing for pandemics
'Evil' scientists, deadly viruses and terrorist plots are usually the preserve of Hollywood blockbusters. But when it comes to pandemic influenza, it is the stuff of real life. As controversy about research into the H5N1 bird flu virus continues, a new paper argues for a complete overhaul of current approaches to pandemic preparedness.
To Pandemic or Not? Reconfiguring Global Responses to Influenza, by Dr Paul Forster, of the ESRC STEPS Centre, investigates the H1N1 swine flu pandemic of 2009-10 and sets out some vital lessons if we are to prepare for pandemic influenza effectively, while avoiding confusing and costly mistakes.
When the H1N1 outbreak in 2009-10 was milder than the World Health Organization had predicted, WHO was accused of colluding with the pharmaceutical industry and national governments of squandering billions. The Council of Europe said US$18 billion was wasted, and branded WHO's actions "one of the greatest medical scandals of the century". The event revealed weaknesses in the world's current configuration of planning for and responding to pandemic influenza, according to Dr Forster.
Science, public health policy makers and the worldwide public were confounded by the uncertainty, complexity and politics of pandemic influenza and the high emotions it inspires. Amid this confusion, the global and national institutions responsible for protecting public health were shown to be over-reliant on a reductive, science-led approach that prioritised a one-size-fits-all response, and failed to address the needs and priorities of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. Dr Forster suggests new ways to construct plural responses more suited to tackling the globalised mix of politics, people and pathogens that pandemics produce.
"Preparing for an influenza pandemic means preparing for surprises and being ready to respond rapidly and flexibly under conditions of uncertainty. If people across the globe are to be ready, plural and diverse response pathways are required," said Dr Forster, an independent development consultant and STEPS Centre researcher. "The world would be better protected by a re-ordering of pandemic preparedness and response efforts around the needs of the world's poorest, most vulnerable, and most exposed people," he added.
A re-ordered response would allow the undue pre-eminence of pharmaceuticals to be examined, and bring focus on the pressing need for disease surveillance in animals, scrutiny of contemporary agricultural practices and a broadening of research efforts. It might also refresh the World Health Organization's approach, which Dr Forster believes supports an inflexible and narrow set of interests by default, rather than conspiracy.
With most flu experts agreeing that it is not so much a question of if, but rather when, a new pandemic will arrive, the sooner the lessons of outbreaks such as that in 2009-10 can be learned, the better.
###
Notes to editors:
1. Paper To Pandemic or Not? Reconfiguring Global Responses to Influenza, by Paul Forster: http://steps-centre.org/publication/pandemics-wp/
2. Briefing Swine Flu: What went Wrong? A short briefing based on the Working Paper by Paul Forster: http://steps-centre.org/publication/swine-flu-what-went-wrong/?referralDomain=briefing
3. For further information: Julia Day
4. The STEPS Centre (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) is an interdisciplinary global research and policy engagement centre uniting development studies with science and technology studies. We are developing a new approach to understanding and action on sustainability and development and are funded by the ESRC. www.steps-centre.org
5. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's total budget for 2012/13 is 205 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes.
[ | 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.
From: Insider Monkey - Free Hedge Fund and Insider Trading Data - 6:43pm - January 28, 2013
When I was a kid I used to go to the local coin shop with money that I earned mowing lawns and buy an ounce or two or five every now and then ? usually about once a month.? Gold was too expensive for a kid from a middle class family.? But back then an [...]
The first half of a two-part Eagles doc surely contains 90% of the worthy material.
Venue:
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL, DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES (Showtime TV)
Director:
Alison Ellwood
PARK CITY ? A solid, safe biography of one of the world's most successful bands, Alison Ellwood's History of the Eagles Part 1 will remind non-fanatics how many omnipresent singles this group released in under a decade; for those who don't need that reminder, it offers the chance to see bandmates past and present (along with a fair number of peers) reminiscing on a record-by-record basis. TV viewership should be strong, though one has to ask -- as Part 1 covers everything through the 1980 breakup, who wants to see Part 2, which covers the reunion? It's one thing to sell millions of copies of a mediocre record to old fans who haven't bought new music in a decade, and to convince them to pay record-high ticket prices for reunion gigs; another thing entirely to get them to watch a film about that exploit.
VIDEO: THR?s Sundance Video Diaries
Ellwood interviews both the band's current members and those who fell by the wayside, but doesn't pretend there aren't two who are substantially more important: Glenn Frey and Don Henley are the only members whose childhoods are covered here -- Frey's Detroit youth exposing him to Motown hits, Henley's Texas upbringing offering Hank Williams and tantalizing radio broadcasts from neighboring Louisiana.
After early musical efforts, both made their way to Los Angeles (Kenny Rogers drops in here to explain his role), where for a time Frey lived in Echo Park with Jackson Browne illegally renting the basement below him. Frey recalls that hearing Browne get up every morning and play the same verse dozens of times convinced him songwriting was all about "elbow grease."
Browne shows up for some scene-setting here, as do David Geffen and the band's producers and manager. Notably absent is Linda Ronstadt, who gave Henley and Frey an early opportunity to break out of the Troubadour scene and make some money on the road. Ronstadt does show up in good vintage interviews, though, alongside plenty of period footage of the Eagles on and off stage.
Little if anything in this chronological rundown will surprise fans, unless the surprise is in how little emphasis is given to bad behavior. Yes, there was that time with Joe Walsh and John Belushi, wreaking havoc in Chicago; yeah, there was some cocaine. The latter topic amounts to something like a minute of screen time; the former, at least, is a great story. (Walsh, the band's designated prankster and hotel-room-wrecker, recalls that "one of the most terrifying things ever was when Keith Moon decided he liked me.")
PHOTOS: Sundance 2013: The Scene in Park City??????
If the film acknowledges Frey and Henley's prominence, it does make room for their colleagues: Anecdotes about the births of "Hotel California" and "Life in the Fast Lane" make it clear those songs wouldn't exist without guitarists Don Felder and Joe Walsh. But not all the musical illustrations are that valuable: Not to pick on Randy Meisner, who comes off as a decent fellow, but do we really need to hear an explanation of the lyrics to "Take It To The Limit"?
Production Company: Mohegan Pictures
Director: Alison Ellwood
Producer: Alex Gibney
Executive producer: Blair Foster
Directors of photography: Maryse Alberti, Sam Painter
DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co on Monday said it will invest $600 million at its assembly plant in Kansas City, Kansas, to build a new paint shop and make other upgrades.
The investment is part of the U.S. automaker's previously announced plan to spend $1.5 billion on its North American plants this year, up from the $436 million last year. GM invests $8 billion annually on its operations globally.
GM builds the Chevrolet Malibu and Buick LaCrosse cars at the Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, and the Detroit company said production there will not be affected by the work over the next two years after it begins later this year. The work includes adding a 450,000-square-foot paint shop, installing a new stamping press and other upgrades, and is one of the company's largest plant investments ever.
The plant, which employs almost 3,900 people, built more than 283,000 cars last year, up from 279,117 in 2011.
GM, which has invested $10.2 billion in the North American market since its 2009 bankruptcy and $50 billion U.S. taxpayer-funded bailout, has said it will refresh 70 percent of its U.S. vehicle lineup in 2012 and 2013.
The new paint shop will occupy a new building and includes substantial technology upgrades, including up to 50-percent less energy use per vehicle and reduced emissions as well as reduced water use, GM said. The new stamping press will replace the current middle press used to create some of the structural reinforcements for vehicle body frames, and is expected to improve vehicle quality.
(Reporting By Ben Klayman in Detroit; editing by Sofina Mirza-Reid)
DENVER (AP) ? A political generation ago, the West signaled the nation's rightward swing, from the emergence of Ronald Reagan to the success of tax-limitation ballot measures in California and Colorado.
Now, however, the fabled expanse of deserts, jagged peaks, and emerald coastlines is trending in a different direction.
The West has become largely Democratic terrain.
Voters in Washington state in November legalized marijuana and upheld the legality of gay marriage. New Mexico was once a tightly contested state, but Republicans ceded it to Democrats in the presidential campaign.
There are, as always, exceptions.
Lightly populated Idaho and Wyoming remain strongly Republican, as does Utah. Democrats are struggling in Arizona, where the immigration debate has given Republicans a lock on statewide offices but may provide Democrats an opening by firming up their support among the state's growing Hispanic population.
Still, the overall trend is clear, according to analysts on all sides of the political spectrum.
"It's just a different world," said Bill Carrick, a Democratic strategist in Los Angeles who has worked widely in the region. "Nevada became the next California and now Arizona looks like it will become the next Nevada. ... It's just pushing the West further and further from Republicans."
The shift in a region already imbued with a libertarian spirit is the result of several factors. One is the growing number of people who are seeking a better quality of life by moving from more liberal states. Also, the expanding immigrant population is turned off by increasingly hard-line Republican immigration proposals.
"Look at the migration patterns," said Sig Rogich, a Republican consultant in Las Vegas who worked on Reagan's presidential campaigns. "You're seeing the aftermath of a new generation of young men and women whose parents moved westward."
Western states generally have weak political parties, part of the legacy of their political maturation during the progressive era at the start of the 20th century. Most local elections are nonpartisan affairs and voters often have the right to set policy unilaterally via ballot initiative. Western voters long have cherished nonpartisan independence, even when they voted a relatively straight party ticket.
"The West is the most American part of America," said Dave Kopel of the Independence Institute, a libertarian think tank in Denver. "It is a place where you have much more respect for individual choice and you have more ability to be who you want to be."
During the 1980s and 1990s, that libertarian streak fed a series of Republican victories as voters approved tax-limitation initiatives, protested federal environmental rules and kept statehouses firmly in the GOP's hands. But nowadays it means something else, Carrick said.
"The libertarian thing is no longer about property rights or gun rights," he said. "It's now about letting people live their lives as they choose."
Ironically, Republicans' success may have contributed to that shift.
The party managed to enshrine staunch anti-tax measures in several states' constitutions through ballot initiatives, making it very difficult to raise taxes in California, Colorado and Washington state.
As a result, Democrats can't easily raise revenue, but they also can't be attacked for doing so, said Ron Dotzauer, a Seattle-based Democratic strategist. "They can't be defined as the pro-tax group because they can't tax," he said.
There are prominent Republicans who demonstrate that the party can still win the region.
Brian Sandoval in Nevada and Susana Martinez in New Mexico are popular Republican governors, but their relatively moderate stances often put them at odds with the national party. Both, for example, just agreed to the Medicaid expansion under President Barack Obama's health care plan, something that is anathema to many conservative Republicans.
"People appreciate a leader who takes more pragmatic approaches," said Nicole McCleskey, a New Mexico-based GOP pollster who advises Martinez.
McCleskey argued that Democrats' success in the region is overstated and she noted that, outside of California, Republicans in 2012 only lost one Western congressional seat. As an example of how Republicans can succeed, she cited New Mexico, where the party picked up seats in the Legislature despite the Obama wave.
But McCleskey acknowledged that New Mexico Republicans were helped by the national GOP basically giving up on the presidential race in the state. GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney did not contest the state, minimizing the damage of a divisive presidential campaign.
"We were able to localize a lot of these races and build on the change that has taken place with a strong Republican governor," she said. "Republicans fought on state issues and the Democrats tried to fight on national issues."
Jill Hanauer is a Democratic strategist who engineered her party's takeover of the Colorado Legislature in 2004. She agrees with McCleskey that the West cannot be considered a Democratic lock.
"The reason Democrats or progressives are winning is that Republicans got fat and happy," said Hanauer, who is now president of Project New America, a political data and strategy company in Denver. "The worst thing that can happen for Democrats is to take it for granted."
In 2002, Ruy Teixeira, a Washington, D.C.-based Democratic strategist, co-wrote "The Emerging Democratic Majority," which predicted that demographic and social trends would turn parts of the country that were deep red, such as the interior Mountain West, into Democratic-leaning states. The book, published shortly after Republicans took back the U.S. Senate in the 2002 elections, was received skeptically.
Last year, Teixeira and other researchers published a new book on the Mountain West as America's new swing region. Now there was little pushback.
Teixeira said the West's shift has been dramatic because of the heavy migration to the region. Another factor is the ballot initiative process, which magnifies political trends by making it easier to enact dramatic policy changes such as marijuana legalization.
But he said in an interview that what's happened to the West is not very different from what's taking place across the country. Surveys for his book last year found it only slightly more libertarian on social issues and holding similar views toward government and taxation as other parts of the country. That, he said, is bad news for Republicans ? their problem is national, not regional.
"It's not like there's something in the water in state X that's making them harder for Republicans," Teixeira said. "It's just the same series of changes that are working themselves out in all states."
___
Follow Nicholas Riccardi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nickriccardi
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When Kathryn and Doug Collins moved to Corvallis from northern California with their 10-year-old son, Jeff, they did so with his future in mind.
They wanted Jeff, who is on the autism spectrum and experiences intellectual and developmental disabilities, to grow up in a community that would support his growth as a child and his success as an adult.
Jeff offers pointers to Sam
For the Collinses, one of the gateways was IMPACT, which they learned about from an elementary special education teacher. ?It was a way for us and for Jeff to meet people in a new community, and it was one of the few activities outside of school where he could play with others,? Kathryn says.
?It?s a joyful place,? she adds. ?When you have a child with special needs, so much of life is centered around remedial actions and therapies. It was nice for him to go somewhere and just have a good time.?
It also meant an hour and a half of respite for she and Doug while Jeff played games and swam ? and occasionally a chance to talk with parents and experts about ways to support their son and children like him.
When Jeff was 18, he transitioned to exercising at Dixon Recreation Center with IMPACT, which introduced him to the world of fitness he would enter as an adult, and also made room for children on IMPACT?s long wait list to be part of the program.
?It was a huge developmental step,? Kathryn says. ?It got him out of his comfort zone and into a new environment where he could interact and work out with OSU students ? his non-disabled age-mates. It was inclusive and integrated, allowed him to take more personal responsibility and helped move him to the next level of independence.?
Exercise and Sport Science student Joe, Sam and Jeff work on soccer dribbling skills
When he aged out of IMPACT at 21, he joined a local fitness center within walking distance of his home and where he continues to work out. Today, those 21 and older have the opportunity to participate in IMPACT for Life to ease the transition from IMPACT to exercising more independently, whether that?s at a local gym, park or aquatic center. IMPACT for Life pairs these young people with a mentor to help further their fitness goals and keep them physically active within their community. Doing so, as Kathryn says, allows peers to help with this change instead of parents, which provides many advantages for these young adults.
About 13 years ago, Jeff himself became a mentor. Now 33, he shares his love of fitness with an 18-year-old friend at Dixon. In addition to volunteering at IMPACT, he works six mornings a week at the local golf course, which he has done since high school, goes to a gym nearly every day, has friends all over town and lives on his own.
And in 2012, this young man, who as a child struggled with spoken language, addressed members of the National Council on Disabilities in Salem and Washington, D.C., about abolishing the sub-minimum wage for people with disabilities.
?All the opportunities he?s had have contributed to him living as independently as he does ? and having a healthy life including exercise and nutrition,? Kathryn says. ?Being integrated into a community is a big part of moving beyond disability. IMPACT was a good start toward that.?
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The hacker-activist group Anonymous says it hijacked the website of the U.S. Sentencing Commission to avenge the death of Aaron Swartz, an Internet activist who committed suicide.
The website of the commission, an independent agency of the judicial branch, was taken over early Saturday and replaced with a message warning that when Swartz killed himself two weeks ago "a line was crossed."
The hackers say they've infiltrated several government computer systems and copied secret information that they now threaten to make public.
Family and friends of Swartz, who helped create Reddit and RSS, say he killed himself after he was hounded by federal prosecutors. Officials say he helped post millions of court documents for free online and that he illegally downloaded millions of academic articles from an online clearinghouse.
Frontiers is pleased to announce the launch of its new online, open-access journal in Chemistry: Frontiers in Chemistry.
Frontiers has profoundly changed the academic publishing model by overcoming the restrictions posed by traditional journals through its rigorous real-time interactive peer-review and social networking platform. Based on its success over the last four years, Frontiers is branching out into new scientific and medical fields, adding to its collection of 13 existing online journals, including Frontiers in Genetics, Frontiers in Psychology and Frontiers in Microbiology.
Frontiers in Chemistry is the second of these new journals to go live, initially with five specialty sections covering a range of specialist topics and more sections will complement this list soon:
Frontiers in Analytical Chemistry (Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Huangxian Ju)
Frontiers in Chemical Biology (Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Nicos A Petasis)
Frontiers in Green and Environmental Chemistry (Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Steve Suib)
Frontiers in Inorganic Chemistry (Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Jean-Claude Bunzli)
Frontiers in Microbiological Chemistry (Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Bradley M. Tebo & Ariel Anbar)
Frontiers in Chemistry will publish high-quality and rigorously peer-reviewed papers, where authors retain copyright to their work and reach an international audience through its open-access model and unique evaluation system.
The Specialties of Frontiers in Chemistry welcome the following article types: Book Review, Classification, Clinical Case Study, Clinical Trial, CPC, Editorial, General Commentary, Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Original Research, Perspective, Review, Specialty Grand Challenge and Technology Report.
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For more information, please visit the Frontiers in Chemistry website: http://www.frontiersin.org/Chemistry/about.
About Frontiers
Frontiers is a community-oriented open access scholarly publisher established in 2007 in Switzerland, founded by scientists out of a collective desire for a publishing platform that empowers academic communities across all of academia to steer the evolution of research communication into the 21st century with state of the art IT strategies. Frontiers has become one of the fastest-growing scholarly publishers, with its journals publishing around 500 peer-reviewed articles every month, which receive over 4 million monthly views. Frontiers journals are supported by over 25,000 editors and reviewers around the world, and have formed partnerships with international organizations such as the Max Planck Society and the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS). For more information, please go to www.frontiersin.org.
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Frontiers announces launch of new open-access journal, Frontiers in ChemistryPublic release date: 25-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Frontiers is pleased to announce the launch of its new online, open-access journal in Chemistry: Frontiers in Chemistry.
Frontiers has profoundly changed the academic publishing model by overcoming the restrictions posed by traditional journals through its rigorous real-time interactive peer-review and social networking platform. Based on its success over the last four years, Frontiers is branching out into new scientific and medical fields, adding to its collection of 13 existing online journals, including Frontiers in Genetics, Frontiers in Psychology and Frontiers in Microbiology.
Frontiers in Chemistry is the second of these new journals to go live, initially with five specialty sections covering a range of specialist topics and more sections will complement this list soon:
Frontiers in Analytical Chemistry (Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Huangxian Ju)
Frontiers in Chemical Biology (Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Nicos A Petasis)
Frontiers in Green and Environmental Chemistry (Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Steve Suib)
Frontiers in Inorganic Chemistry (Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Jean-Claude Bunzli)
Frontiers in Microbiological Chemistry (Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Bradley M. Tebo & Ariel Anbar)
Frontiers in Chemistry will publish high-quality and rigorously peer-reviewed papers, where authors retain copyright to their work and reach an international audience through its open-access model and unique evaluation system.
The Specialties of Frontiers in Chemistry welcome the following article types: Book Review, Classification, Clinical Case Study, Clinical Trial, CPC, Editorial, General Commentary, Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Original Research, Perspective, Review, Specialty Grand Challenge and Technology Report.
###
For more information, please visit the Frontiers in Chemistry website: http://www.frontiersin.org/Chemistry/about.
About Frontiers
Frontiers is a community-oriented open access scholarly publisher established in 2007 in Switzerland, founded by scientists out of a collective desire for a publishing platform that empowers academic communities across all of academia to steer the evolution of research communication into the 21st century with state of the art IT strategies. Frontiers has become one of the fastest-growing scholarly publishers, with its journals publishing around 500 peer-reviewed articles every month, which receive over 4 million monthly views. Frontiers journals are supported by over 25,000 editors and reviewers around the world, and have formed partnerships with international organizations such as the Max Planck Society and the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS). For more information, please go to www.frontiersin.org.
[ | 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.
Walking into 1933 Classic Tattoos you?ll immediately notice the lack of generic artwork options displayed on the walls. That?s because 1933 prides itself on being a truly custom tattoo studio. Started by Ronald and Rasty in August of 2011 and housed in the Grayscale graffiti store & gallery in Braamfontein?s De Kort Street, it?s a space that leaves the mind free to creative interpretation.
Both artists previously worked at Tattoolya for some time before the decision came to open up a new branch, but plans changed leaving Rasty & Ronald in the perfect position to open their own unique venue. Ronald told us more about life at 1933.
Did you always want to be a tattoo artist? How did you get into it? I initially started a piercing apprenticeship in 1998 with Eddie Graham at Wicked Body Piercing. At the time I had always been into tattoos and getting tattooed but never had the desire to tattoo as I was so consumed by piercing and body modification. I realized in 2003 that I did want to learn how to tattoo and was fortunate enough to learn from Marisa at Tattoolya and in 2004. I started tattooing full time and it?s been the best thing to happen to me. I can?t picture life away from this industry at all.
Do you feel that training and experience are a requirement to be reputable in your field? In short, DEFINITELY!!! There is NO short cut to learning a trade such as tattooing. It is a tradition with many secrets, techniques and tips that one would never learn by themselves.?It?s also very hard to undo bad habits when one is self taught. I know a few artists that are self taught that are really amazing artists but they also know how to push pride aside and take advice and were always more than willing to learn from others and pass knowledge on.
What factors did you consider regarding your location?
Well Rasty has always had his graffiti store in Braamfontein and he has seen this part of town grow and grow. I?ve witnessed it in the 2 years and it?s an awesome thing to see. I grew up partying in this part of town and I guess nostalgia has a lot to do with it for me but also Braamfontein is such a central location when travelling from anywhere around Joburg.
Do each of you have their own particular style/ aesthetic as artists? We definitely do. Rasty obviously has his Graffiti background and has a really good reputation for doing portraits with the greatest of ease. I love doing a Neo Traditional style of work but at the end of the day we are both very versatile and pretty much capable of doing any style of work that we are confronted with. We know who is better suited for the job so we don?t compromise on our customers leaving with a bad tattoo.
What kind of experience do you hope to give your customers? Our shop is very friendly and very open and I believe that people don?t just leave here with a tattoo. It?s an entire experience from the minute you send us your first e mail to the moment you walk out the door with your new tattoo. We want people to come back even if they?re not getting tattooed.?People need to feel comfortable and welcome. Nothing worse than people just feeling ?like a number? when they are going through such a major experience.
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Ottawa hopes Research in Motion Ltd will continue to contribute to the Canadian economy, Industry Minister Christian Paradis said on Thursday, but he declined further comment on a possible bid for the BlackBerry maker by China's Lenovo Group.
"Research in Motion has made an important contribution to information and communications technology in Canada, a sector that is so important to the Canadian economy. We hope they continue to do so well into the future. We cannot speculate on how the Investment Canada Act may apply to a potential investment," Paradis said in an emailed statement.
Lenovo Chief Financial Officer Wong Wai Ming told Bloomberg his company was looking at all opportunities including RIM.
A New York company has been ordered to pay $83,000 in fines related to asbestos exposure. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated Lorice Enterprises in August 2012 after the state raised health concerns, eventually finding nine violations.
Lorice allegedly did not test the levels of asbestos in the area or provide its workers with any safety gear to prevent asbestos exposure. The exposure was classified as willful, meaning the company knowingly broke the law and exposed its workers to potential health problems related to asbestos.
Asbestos exposure has been directly linked to severe diseases, including asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer. Mesothelioma is a lethal form of cancer that can take decades to develop and attacks the lungs or walls of the abdomen.
You may have heard that the Musical Instrument Digital Interface protocol (aka MIDI) celebrates its 30th birthday this year. And where better than NAMM would the MIDI Manufacturer Association be able to fully demonstrate (and celebrate) the persevering protocol's coming of age? Part of the MMA's installation was a set-up destined to get geek hearts racing. A 1983 Commodore 64 connected to a Sequential Circuits Model 64 sequencer cartridge (with MIDI interface). From these vintage parts, the regular 5-pin MIDI cable heads out through the decades and into an IK Multimedia iRig MIDI, into an iPad, finally feeding its information into the Animoog app from equally longevous Moog. Watch old meet new in the gallery and video below.
By Hannah Soo Park Forget romance—the month of love is getting a serious taste of macho action courtesy of a few upcoming re-releases. First up is the 3-D debut of '80s classic "Top Gun"—the airborne movie that put Tom Cruise on the action-star pedestal and grossed more than $350 million worldwide. And to rekindle your [...]
Karl Lagerfeld closed his Chanel Spring 2013 Haute Couture collection this morning in Paris, with a statement, the Guardian reports:
Less than 24 hours after the president's call for equality, Karl Lagerfeld subverted the traditions of Paris haute couture by closing the Chanel catwalk show with not one blushing bride, but two, hands clasped and dressed in identical, ravishing wedding gowns.
Lagerfeld said he wanted to signal his support for the controversial French gay marriage law, which has led protesters to take to the streets of Paris. "I don't even understand the debate," said Lagerfeld. "Since 1904 the church and state have been separate."
However, never one to miss an opportunity for maximum controversy, Lagerfeld added that he was "less keen" on gay couples being allowed to adopt children.
Acne originates from the Greek word akme meaning ?highest point?. It is a kind of disease which is related to the skin?s oil glands and if it is left untreated for a long time, it can leave marks and scars on the skin which is permanent in nature. Oil glands produce a liquid named sebum which transfers dead cells to the outermost layer of our skin to be removed.
Oil glands are found under our skin and pores are connected to these glands with the help of follicles. If the follicles get blocked at any point of time or become infected, acne develops in the skin. Acne is a problem which is as common amongst men as it is in women. Men of all ages suffer from acne and may have to resort to various kinds of treatments to remove the acne and cleanse their skin.
There are various types of acnes which are found on the human skin like whiteheads, blackheads, pustules, papules, cysts and nobules. They are differentiated according to their size and color. Different types of acne may need to be treated with different types of products, so it is important to know which type of acne you are suffering from.
Nowadays, various types of acne treatment products are easily available in markets. These products are made exclusively for men, keeping in mind the kind of?rough skin they possess and what ingredients will work best to reduce the acne and provide relief to a person immediately.
Before you set out to buy any products to cure the acne, it is important to understand which product will work best for you and suit your skin too.
Acne Treatment Products For Men
Menscience Acne Daily Face Wash
In order to fight off acne it is very important to clean your face with a good quality face wash on a regular basis. Using this face wash will help you make your face soft and smooth along with removing the impurities. Using soaps on the face can make the skin absolutely dry and itchy.
This face wash cleans all the pores to rejuvenate and relax the skin and also open up all the pores so that the follicles do not get blocked or infected. It also does away with the extra oil and buildup on the face to give way to younger and healthier looking skin.
OXY Nation Acne Spot Repairs
If a person is suffering from acne blackheads and blemishes, then he should apply this acne spot repair creams as they stop breakouts from taking place within 2 days of its application. It also works wonders in reducing the inflammation and redness which is caused by the blemishes. It gets absorbed into the skin within seconds of being applied and does not leave any sticky residue later on. This spot repair creams should be used once every day after cleaning the face or affected area properly.
Neutrogena Acne Therapy Lotion
If there is an acne breakout on your skin, this kind of a lotion is very effective in clearing out the breakouts. They also prevent them from reoccurring in the future and safeguard your skin from such infections. Skin which is damaged because of acne may look pale and patchy.
This cream helps to repair improve the appearance of a person who possesses damaged skin. These kinds of lotions are oil-free and get absorbed into the skin immediately. The effect of such lotions is both immediate and long-lasting.
Avon Acne Pads
Avon acne pads contain salicylic acid which helps to clear out acne breakouts in a very effective manner and it also ensures that such breakouts do not occur in the future. It does away with the extra oil on the face and is of great help in removing buildup on the face. Using this pad on a regular basis will help a person to maintain a clean and clear complexion which is spot-free.
Also Read
Acne Home Treatment Home Remedies for Acne Natural Body Acne Treatments Dietary Tips To Cure Acne How To Deal with Acne During Pregnancy
Proactiv Solution Face Tonic
This face tonic is an advanced facial toner which is designed uniquely for men. It helps to clear out the oil residues and dead cells which can be found on our face due to acne breakouts. It also removes buildup. Skin which is affected by acne looks dull in appearance.
The pores get blocked and clogged. If this face tonic is used every day, the pores open up and the skin starts looking bright and clean. It also feels smooth and soft to touch.
Neutrogena Acne Face Scrub
Exfoliating the skin is the best way to remove dead skin cells and open up clogged pores. This face scrub which is uniquely designed to do this should be used every day for best results. Scrubs remove dirt and impurities from our face and give way to smooth and clean looking skin. However, it is very important to moisturize the face well after scrubbing it to ensure that you do not leave the pores open.
Jack Black Acne Body Washes
Jack Black acne body wash has double benefits associated with it as it not only clean your whole body but also treat acne affected areas effectively. It rejuvenates the skin and leaves it feeling smooth and soft.
Using such a body wash will help you to prevent acne breakouts from taking place in any part of the body. It also clears out existing acne breakouts within days of its usage. These body washes smell great and are available in various fragrances to help you smell good after a shower.
OXY Nation Acne Soap Bar
Many men prefer to use their normal soap and water for daily cleansing and are not quite comfortable in using various scrubs or body washes. For such men, it is best to opt for a soap which helps fight off acne and also cleans the body to remove impurities and dirt.
Such bar soaps do not get washed away entirely when rinsed with water, as they cling onto the skin to continue fighting acne and its associated problems during the whole day. So even if you have washed away the soap, it is still working hard to reduce your acne related problems and give way to fresh and rejuvenated skin.
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Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
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Walking into 1933 Classic Tattoos you?ll immediately notice the lack of generic artwork options displayed on the walls. That?s because 1933 prides itself on being a truly custom tattoo studio. Started by Ronald and Rasty in August of 2011 and housed in the Grayscale graffiti store & gallery in Braamfontein?s De Kort Street, it?s a space that leaves the mind free to creative interpretation.
Acne originates from the Greek word akme meaning ?highest point?. It is a kind of disease which is related to the skin?s oil glands and if it is left untreated for a long time, it can leave marks and scars on the skin which is permanent in nature. Oil glands produce a liquid named sebum which transfers dead cells to the outermost layer of our skin to be removed.
