Bahrainis on jail hunger strike, official moots release (Reuters)

MANAMA (Reuters) ? Fourteen jailed opposition figures in Bahrain have gone on hunger strike ahead of the February 14 anniversary of a failed pro-democracy uprising, activists said on Tuesday, and a government official said he favored releasing some of the men.

"They demand an end to the political crackdown. They are protesting against the unfair trial they faced and they want the release of all prisoners of conscience," said Mohammed al-Mascati, head of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights.

Mascati said he and other rights activists were staging their own hunger strike in sympathy with the opposition leaders,

who were prominent during four weeks of protests inspired by revolts against rulers in Tunisia and Egypt.

Bahrain, an ally of the United States in its stand-off with Iran over its nuclear program, imposed martial law last March and invited in Saudi and UAE troops to help crush the month-old uprising.

The government said the island's majority Shi'ite Muslims had staged the protests in coordination with Iran for Shi'ite sectarian reasons, an accusation the opposition denied.

The 14, who began their hunger strike on January 29, were among 21 politicians, rights activists and bloggers tried in a military court on charges including "forming a terrorist group to change the constitution and its monarchical system" and organizing protests. Eight were sentenced to life imprisonment. Seven are abroad or in hiding.

Those on hunger strike include rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Al-Haq opposition party leader Hassan Mushaimaa and Ibrahim Sharif, a Sunni Muslim opposition leader.

Mascati said the authorities had begun force-feeding the hunger strikers, who are being held in Jau prison.

The men remain in jail despite the November findings of a rights commission into the unrest that said detainees had been tortured, criticized military trials and advised the authorities to have jail sentences reviewed.

The government, under international pressure to implement the recommendations, has said a judicial panel will review some sentences. But the case of the 21 protest leaders is set to be heard only in the court of cassation, the highest appeal court.

A government official expressed hope some of the jailed protesters would be freed but said others had planned an Islamist coup.

"I am hopeful that a lot of the cases will be reviewed, but there are some cases to go through and cases have been transferred to the civilian courts," said Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, a senior adviser at the Information Affairs Authority and former ambassador to London.

"I'm hopeful for not necessarily all of them, but at least some of them ... There are those in prison who called for a restructuring of the country's institutions, for a full-blown revolution and who called for an Islamic republic using non-peaceful methods," he said.

Al-Haq and two other parties, Wafa and the Freedom Movement, formed a "Coalition for a Republic" during the protests that called for the creation of a democratic republic.

Bahrain remains in turmoil with daily clashes in Shi'ite towns and villages between protesters and riot police that have become more violent in recent weeks. The economy of Bahrain, a banking and tourism hub, has been shaken by the unrest.

The daily al-Ayyam - owned by a media adviser to King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa - reported on Tuesday that contacts had begun with unnamed political forces for a new national dialogue "to bring Bahrainis together and strengthen national unity."

Since the uprising, the government has strengthened parliament's power to monitor the cabinet, but has not reacted to opposition demands for a fully empowered elected parliament with the ability to form governments.

(Writing by Andrew Hammond; Editing by Tim Pearce)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120131/wl_nm/us_bahrain_opposition

patriots 49ers joe flacco 49ers vs giants joe paterno school closings giants vs 49ers

The Fine Print Comes To Vacation Rentals | Travel and Leisure

When it comes to vacation home rentals, it is important to pay attention to the details. In most cases, you will find a wide range of different opportunities available. Some homes are very expensive and feature all that you could hope for. Others are really not even worth the time it took you to look at the website. Nevertheless, no matter which type of vacation home you decide to stay at, one of the most important things for you to do is to insure that you have the rental information and details down to a T. You need to read the fine print before signing on the dotted line.

Most of the time, vacation home rentals are good opportunities and it allows you to find the benefits that you are interested in. Yet, for this to be the case, you do need to insure that you have the right information about the location you plan to stay at. Here are a few things you need to do then.

1. Read through the details of the home?s description and ask any necessary questions that you have. You will find that those companies that allow you to contact the owner are some of the best as you can get all of your questions answered.

2. Take the time to read through the limitations and the access to the location that you will have.

3. Really read through the contract and find out if in fact it provides for everything that you are interested in. In some cases, these things are obvious, in others they are not. Do not assume anything in provided but instead find out.

4. You can also check the reputation of the vacation home rental company through doing a search online. You are sure to find reviews of many locations throughout the web that can help you to make the right decisions.

5. Notice things like the insurance policy if provided and the cancellation policy. These are things you need to know!

When you take into consideration the fine print, you will be able to secure the right vacation home rental without much of a problem. If you just go with whatever is provided to you, you may find yourself without a good place to rest your head.

Receive the benefits of working directly with the owner and not dealing with any agencies for your vacation home rental. We connect owners and buyers of vacation homes and pass the savings on to you.

Related posts:

  1. Why You Must Choose Vacation Rentals
  2. Vacation Rentals Hawaiian Beach

Source: http://relaxzen.net/the-fine-print-comes-to-vacation-rentals-the-fine-print-comes-to-vacation-rentals.html

bethany hamilton after christmas sales macys stratfor bears vs packers after christmas sales 2011 tyson chandler

Legionnaire's Disease at the Luxor: What Causes It?

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

The slinky rods of Legionalla pneumophila. If you didn't know better, you might assume these were extruded by a Play-Doh Fun Factory. CDC Public Health Image Library Image #11151. CDC/ Margaret Williams, PhD; Claressa Lucas, PhD;Tatiana Travis, BS

In July 1976, a convention of members of the American Legion — a veterans’ group — was meeting in Philadelphia at the Belleville Stratford Hotel in honor of America’s bicentennial. Soon, 221 attendees would be sickened and 34 dead of an illness it was believed no one had ever seen before. Swine flu was suspected , as were toxic chemicals or terrorism of some sort. None of these proved to be the cause.

[More]

Add to digg Add to StumbleUpon Add to Reddit Add to Facebook Add to del.icio.us Email this Article

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=ebf16bc04fe5328d892189f78a77c0b6

nebraska football online deals leap pad lauren alaina lowes best buy black friday frys ad

Many turning points for Giants, Patriots (AP)

INDIANAPOLIS ? The Jets, of all teams, could forever hold a special place in the hearts of the New York Giants and New England Patriots.

Beating Rex Ryan's ornery bunch proved to be a key turning point in an otherwise up-and-down season for the two Super Bowl teams.

Since coach Bill Belichick's squad routed the Jets in the Meadowlands in mid-November, the Patriots haven't lost. And since a Christmas Eve victory over their stadium co-tenants, the Giants haven't, either.

Although neither side will call those wins singularly pivotal, they clearly were the benchmarks for when things started to get a whole lot better.

"I don't think you can point to one thing," Giants cornerback Corey Webster said, "but I do know when you develop good chemistry, when you don't have anyone pointing fingers, it does not matter what happened the week before. We reached that point, we kept fighting and fighting to win on the field, and we are here today."

By "here," he means Lucas Oil Stadium, a place the Giants (12-7) couldn't see for all the losses they experienced after starting 6-2. They dropped four in a row ? three to eventual division winners ? and were 7-7 before that "road" game against the local rival Jets.

By then, the Giants knew each week brought an elimination game. They've won all of those to reach their second Super Bowl in four years, against the team whose unbeaten season they wrecked in the 2008 title game.

"When we came out of the Dallas game, I thought that would be it," Giants owner John Mara said, referring to a 37-34 victory that broke the slide. "Then we come out so flat `' against Washington, he said. "So that wasn't it."

The Giants manhandled the Jets with a fierce defense. That victory coincided with important players such as DE Justin Tuck and LB Michael Boley getting healthy enough to play up to their usual high standards. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora also was close to returning from an ankle injury.

"We came together against the Jets and we started playing very well as a defense," Umenyiora said, "but definitely health had something to do with that. Obviously, we had a lot of guys who are key components who missed a lot of games. The minute we were able to get everyone together, we all took off."

Health also was a major factor for the Patriots (15-3), who took off following a home loss to the Giants. They went to the Meadowlands and routed the Jets in a much-hyped game ? just as the "Battle of New York" would be ballyhooed later ? and kept right on going, straight to Indy and their fifth Super Bowl with coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.

New England took particular joy in that victory, but found even more satisfaction in piling up the wins while undermanned.

"Not sure there's a turning point as far as one game or anything," linebacker Jerod Mayo said. "I think that it's just having the same group of guys out there as the past couple of weeks. We're finally coming together and getting guys healthy."

Still, there must be a hallmark moment. A Brady touchdown pass, perhaps. A Rob Gronkowski catch-and-plow-over-a-defender score.

Nope.

Not even Sterling Moore's stripping of the ball from Baltimore receiver Lee Evans in the end zone, a play that, if completed, would have lifted the Ravens into the Super Bowl.

"I don't think about it," Moore said when asked about a turning point. "I think there's a lot of plays that helped us get here. (Brandon) Spikes' interception and the way Vince (Wilfork) played that game; I'm just glad I had an opportunity to make a play."

So, for all the spectacular plays, crucial wins and memorable moments in their seasons, nothing truly qualified as a trendsetter?

"That's not the way a season goes," Giants left guard Kevin Boothe said. "There's lots of twists and turns, sure, but even with the streak of losses we had, we still had all our goals in front of us. That's all you can really ask for."

At least the teams don't cite fate or destiny for getting into the Super Bowl. They might not offer simple reasons, but at least what they mention as catalysts toward Giants-Patriots II aren't providential.

"The one thing about the group is that there are a lot of guys who came from free agency or a lot of guys who were cut and had a lot to prove," said Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich, who has been both. "I think when you go through that route of getting cut, not having a roster spot, wanted to only be a special teams guy and trying to break into the roster on that aspect, it's kind of tough. Coming here, it's really been a blessing for a lot of guys. You take every moment and every opportunity you have and you make the best of it."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120201/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_super_bowl_turning_point

john cabot john cabot safety razor safety razor star wars blu ray star wars blu ray drive

D-Link Amplifi DAP-1525 Wi-Fi Booster

D-Link's Amplifi DAP-1525 is probably the most unique-looking wireless extender you'lll ever see. The design resembles that of a thermos or an electric coffee grinder. There?s a lot of functionality and features within this device, but with absolutely confusing setup instructions, some quirks in the interface, and inability to sustain throughput beyond 75 feet, the D-Link DAP-1525 falls short.

Specs and Design

The DAP-1525 is a cylindrical device that stands upright and will take up some room as an extender, so careful consideration has to be taken when placing. The front panel has four LEDs: Bridge, AP, WPS (yes, Wireless Protected Setup is supported), and Wired.

The device not only serves as a wireless extender but can actually function as a 2.4 or 5 GHz access point. The back panel features a toggle switch that is used to set the extender in AP or Bridge mode. The back also has four Gigabit Ethernet ports for connected wired devices.

Setup

The biggest problem I had with the DAP-1525 was with the setup instructions and process. The device ships with a "Quick Install Guide" as well as a CD that surprisingly does not have any sort of setup wizard but instead also has an installation guide. The two guides seem to be for two different products. The Quick Install Guide focuses on setting up a new WLAN with the extender set in AP mode and tells nothing about setting it up as a bridge.

I can imagine consumers opening this device, going right to the Quick Install Guide and wreaking havoc on their home networks by following directions that won?t set the DAP-1525 up as an extender but will have them create a new WLAN. Even worse, the directions in the guide and on the CD make no mention of how users can set the device which has a static IP address by default to connect to their home networks. Unless one is comfortable with networking, the instructions D-Link provides are convoluted and, quite frankly, irresponsible.

The Quick Install instructions do tell users how to connect the device through push-button WPS but those instructions are useless if a router does not support WPS or WPS does not work for some reason, which is why it?s crucial that the manual setup instructions be made clearer.

Actually, the device's set up would not be all that hard, if setup were documented properly. I set up the DAP-1525 by connecting the DAP-1525 via Ethernet to my laptop (a step the printed instructions do give). Next, I set the networking setting of my laptop?s LAN adapter to match the setting on the extender (which the directions on the CD detail how to do). I set the device to Bridge mode with the toggle switch and then was able to get into the device's interface through a browser.

From within the interface I selected ?Manual? for configuration option. With the router in Bridge mode, this brings up a Site Survey button. Clicking it pulls up a list of all nearby wireless network. You can select the network you want to add the extender to by clicking a radio button. An issue I ran into in this screen was that the page refreshed so quickly that the radio button would get deselected if I didn?t click it and then hit the ?Next? button fast enough?rather irritating.

Once I selected the wireless network for the extender to join, I then had to change the extender?s network information to match my network settings. I don?t see this important step addressed anywhere in the setup instructions.

I also found it odd that the time by default was set to January 2000. When I tried to sync the device?s time to my laptop's clock by clicking the corresponding button in the interface I received the error, ?Unable to parse HTTP request??but it did finally sync the time after another click.

Performance

If the setup process wasn't bad enough, the performance of the DAP-1525 left much to be desired as well. Here are the results and comparisons with other extenders:

You can see from the chart, D-Link's device starts out strong but by the time I get to 75 feet, throughput starts to peter out. By 100 feet, I couldn't connect to the wireless network. I couldn't even see the SSID listed.

Maybe, in Some Circumstances

If you are looking to extend a wireless signal in a relatively small area?no more than 60 feet away from the router and you want a bridge/repeater that can also act as an AP then this may be the device for you. It's hard for me to imagine that you wouldn't be better off just buying a dual-band router in this case, however. That issue aside, the performance is a deal-breaker, and setup is likely to frustrate average home users. The D-Link Amplifi DAP-1525 ?does extend the signal up to about 75 feet in our testing, and for that gets two and-a-half stars. The Editor's Choice for Wi-Fi booster, so far, is Cisco Linksys' Wireless-N Range/Extender Bridge (RE1000)

More Networking Reviews:

??? D-Link Amplifi DAP-1525 Wi-Fi Booster
??? Cisco Linksys Wireless-N Range/Extender Bridge (RE1000)
??? BearExtender PC Long Range 802.11n USB WiFi Booster
??? Netgear Powerline AV 500 Adapter Kit (XAVB5001)
??? D-Link Powerline AV 500 4-Port gigabit Switch (DHP-540)
?? more?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/sKQ_qrFo6Ys/0,2817,2399598,00.asp

emmy winners emmy winners sportsbook sportsbook directions driving de la salle de la salle

Climate Change Has Helped Bring Down Cultures

sumerian-cuneiformHumanity has weathered many a climate change, from the ice age of 80,000 years ago to the droughts of the late 19th century that helped kill between 30 and 50 million people around the world via famine. But such shifts have transformed or eliminated specific human societies, including the ancient Sumerians and the Ming Dynasty in China, as highlighted in a review paper published January 30 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Epidemiologist Anthony McMichael of Australian National University surveyed how human societies fared during previous episodes of extreme weather brought on by climate shifts. The big threat is changes to food production, or as McMichael puts it ?the drought-famine-starvation nexus.? And we?ve never weathered a climate change so big, so rapid and so widespread as the one we are now busily creating by burning fossil fuels, notes McMichael.

Long-running climate changes have often brought about the downfall of cultures, including foiling the earliest human attempts at settled farming nearly 13,000 years ago. Around that time, a major millennia-long climate cooling event known as the ?Younger Dryas? coincides with the end of most settlements along the Nile Delta and in modern-day Syria. Skeletons from the era evince ?an unusually high proportion of violent deaths, many accompanied by remnants of weapons,? McMichael noted. More recently, three back-to-back decades-long droughts afflicted Mayan society in Central America between roughly 760 and 920 CE, and marked the end of that culture?s regional dominance.

Shorter term climate changes have proven equally devastating. Decade-long droughts in 17th century China led to starvation, internal migration and, ultimately, the collapse of the Ming Dynasty. A seven year span of torrential rains, attendant floods and cold in the early 1300s helped cause a famine that may have killed as much as 10 percent of the people in northern Europe?a generation that would then face the Black Death a few decades later.

Even a single bad summer can be enough?like the hot summer of 1793 in Philadelphia that, paired with an influx of refugees from modern day Haiti, saw an outbreak of yellow fever that killed tens of thousands.

Of course, none of these societies had the benefits of modern technology or modern energy, whether medicine or air conditioning. But even that may not be enough to offset the roughly 2 to 4 degrees Celsius of warming in average global temperatures the world is on pace to achieve via emissions of greenhouse gases. ?Such a change will surely pose serious risks to human health and survival,? McMichael wrote, ?impinging unevenly, but sparing no population.?

Image: Sumerian cuneiform via ? iStockphoto.com / Michael Fuery

?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=35d2f5d05aa38eb4748287ba22d82f8f

election day joe frazier where do i vote wheel of fortune today show smokin joe conrad murray verdict

Spider-silk skin stops a speeding bullet

Caitlin Stier, video intern

What if your skin could resist a speeding bullet? Now a new futuristic tissue designed by artist Jalila Essa?di, which reinforces human skin cells with spider silk, can stop a whizzing projectile without being pierced. Although its threads may look fragile, a spider-silk weave is four times stronger than Kevlar, the material used in bulletproof vests.

In the first clip, the bioengineered skin cushions a bullet fired at half speed. But its resistance has its limits: when shot at a full speed of 329 m/s, the bullet pierces the material and travels through it. The same tests were also performed with piglet skin, human skin and human skin fused with regular silkworm silk, which were all penetrated by bullets of both speeds.

An international team worked together to create the new material. First, transgenic goats and silkworms equipped to produce spider-silk proteins spun out the raw material at the synthetic biology lab at Utah State University. The cocoons were then shipped to South Korea, where they were reeled into thread, before being woven into fabric in Germany. The modified silk was then wedged between bioengineered skin cells developed by biochemist Abdoelwaheb El Ghalbzouri at the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands. After five weeks of incubation, the hybrid skin was ready for target practice.

In addition to exploring the material artistically, Essa?di is also looking into practical uses, such as skin transplants. Spider silk is already being developed by other teams for high-tech applications, which range from artificial corneas to brain implants.

For more about spider silk spin-offs, check out our full-length feature: "Stretching spider silk to its high-tech limits". Or you might also like to find out about the science behind a lavish golden spider-silk cape, currently on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Subscribe to New Scientist Magazine

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/1c40d9e1/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cnstv0C20A120C0A10Cstronger0Ethan0Esteel0Espider0Esilk0Eskin0Etakes0Ea0Ebullet0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

dancing with the stars winner too short thanksgiving thanksgiving brining a turkey brining a turkey who won dancing with the stars 2011

Veterinarians: Pets can help with cancer research | Washington ...

Leading Texas veterinarians are mobilizing to enlist pets in the testing of experimental cancer therapies, a potential benefit to not just dogs and cats but people.

The veterinarians recently set up a registry they hope will connect pet owners and cancer researchers and show that diseased pets ? dogs in particular ? are better predictors of the efficacy of new cancer drugs and devices in people than mice, oncologists' favorite test subject historically.

"Dogs may be man's best friend in more ways than one," says Dr. Theresa Fossum, a Texas A&M professor of veterinary surgery and founder of the Texas Veterinary Cancer Registry. "Because they suffer from cancers that are nearly identical to those in humans, but quicker to run their course, they can speed up and make more reliable the process of determining whether a therapy will work."

Veterinarians are just starting to get the ear of cancer researchers, who don't reflexively think of naturally occurring disease models that go home with their owner, Fossum said. The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas recently rejected a grant application because "housing the dogs would be so expensive," says Fossum. The application will be resubmitted to specify that the treated pets would remain with their owners.

Texas veterinary oncologists are hoping the registry can help change attitudes by providing a database of dogs and cats diagnosed with cancer that could be candidates for clinical research. The registry identified its first patient in November, an 8-year-old Great Pyrenees with bone cancer.

Instead of the standard treatment, amputation, Rowdy got an experimental procedure: radiation injected into 22 tiny holes drilled directly into the bone cancer. Two months later, Rowdy's owner reports he is running around symptom-free, though Fossum stresses the six-month check-up will be the big test.

The procedure's success in a dog trial would bode well for people with the disease ? particularly children. Osteosarcoma, Rowdy's cancer, is the sixth most common form of childhood cancer. One in 3 diagnosed with the disease die from it.

The idea of using animals' naturally developing cancers as models for human disease goes back a decade but has never taken off.

"It's a great concept, but the problem has always been the lack of infrastructures pairing researchers and patients," said Dr. Peggy Tinkey, chair of veterinary medicine and surgery at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

That's where the new cancer registry comes in. Owners of dogs and cats diagnosed with the disease are being asked to register their pet at http://texasvetcancerregistry.com/, already up and running though the official launch isn't scheduled until this spring. Registry staff will contact the pet's vet for more information, then look for potential research matches.

There should be no shortage of candidates. There are 77.5 million owned dogs in the United States and a fourth will develop cancer ? including those in the bone, breast, pancreas, liver, prostate, lung and skin. Veterinarians report that owners increasingly want to treat them, at around $5,000, but the options can be limited.

The technology used in Rowdy's case was pioneered at a Houston company, Valco Instruments, that makes very small, precise instruments used in laboratories. After his dog was diagnosed with bone cancer, the company's president developed a drill that can open holes the size of human hairs to deliver radioactive isotopes that pinpoint the tumor and don't damage surrounding tissue.

"It sounded perfect," said Rowdy's owner, Kate Cordts, a librarian in San Antonio. "Rowdy's such an active, happy-go-lucky dog ? I just didn't have the heart for amputation."

For all their benefits, pets won't ever replace lab mice as cancer test models. For one thing, mice are perfect specimens for engineering genetic impairments and studying precisely targeted genes or pathways suspected to be involved in a disease. For another, they're better for establishing initial safety, necessary before experimenting in pets.

Still, Fossum thinks pets can play an important role. She notes that one reason it costs $1.2 billion, probably more, to get a new drug on the market is that most fail in clinical trials. Mice simply aren't good disease predictors, she says, not like dogs and cats, which live with people, have intact immune systems and probably develop cancer for the same reasons.

The pet cancer registry is just the beginning. Fossum has plans, once she gets grant money, to launch pet registries for heart and kidney disease too.

___

Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com

Source: http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/2012/01/veterinarians-pets-can-help-cancer-research/2150106

bears bears lions terrelle pryor aids walk redskins oyster festival