The Department of Higher Education has decided to revive the Service Selection Board (SSB) to look after recruitment of teachers for non-government colleges. The decision has received the State Government?s approval as well.
At present, teachers in non-government colleges are appointed directly by college management and there have been allegations galore by students and their guardians that the candidates appointed by authorities of such colleges are not qualified enough to fit in as the teachers.
The decision has been taken to centralise and streamline the process of recruitment to non-government colleges.
While the SSB will look into recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff (posts of librarian, lab assistant, physical education trainer, junior clerks and attendants) in the non-government colleges, it would also select non-teaching staff for Government colleges in the State, said Secretary of the Department Gagan Dhal.
?The private colleges will send their requisition for teachers to the SSB which will select candidates. Final approval to the recruitment will be given by the State Government,? he added.
The SSB was lying defunct for over 20 years in the absence of any official recruitment drive.
After its inception, the Board functioned like a parallel body to Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC).
While OPSC looked into selecting teachers for Government colleges, the Board selected teachers for the private colleges.
Mihir Das, OIC of Performance Tracking Cell of the Department, informed that the SSB will have the Director of Higher Education as the president, a retired professor as the member and an in-service reader as the secretary.
??At present, there is no regulatory mechanism to check qualifications of the candidates appointed by private colleges. The Board will act as a screening body for the appointments.
Besides, the State Government will have a say in the appointments as it helps private colleges with financial aid in the form of block grant,? Das added. There are over 2100 private colleges in the State.
Educationists have, however, termed it as a delayed move.
?With a lot many students studying in private colleges, the decision to revive this Board is a welcome move as it would ensure appointment of quality teachers. But this is too little and too late as such a step should have been taken much earlier for the sake of better education,? said former principal of BJB College Suresh Chandra Patnaik.
Service Selection Board
? At present, teachers in non-government colleges are appointed directly by college management
? The decision for centralised appointment has been taken to centralise and streamline the process of recruitments to non-government colleges
? This Board will act as a screening body for the appointments
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - American actress Eileen Brennan, best known for her Oscar-nominated role in the 1980 film "Private Benjamin," has died from bladder cancer. She was 80.
Los Angeles-born Brennan died on Sunday at her home in Burbank, a Los Angeles suburb, surrounded by her family, said Kim Vasilakis, a media representative for the actress.
"Our family is so grateful for the outpouring of love and respect for Eileen," Brennan's family said in a statement. "She was funny and caring and truly one of a kind. Her strength and love will never be forgotten. She will be greatly missed by all of us."
Brennan earned a best supporting actress Oscar nomination in 1981 for her role as U.S. Army Captain Doreen Lewis in the comedy "Private Benjamin," starring alongside Goldie Hawn.
"No one ever made me laugh more! Now I cry," Hawn wrote on Twitter about Brennan. "Please keep singing, darling, from on high."
Brennan reprised the role of Doreen in the TV adaptation of the film from 1981 to 1983, for which she won an Emmy award and a Golden Globe.
The actress also appeared in TV series such as "Murder, She Wrote," "7th Heaven" and "Will & Grace," and last appeared in the 2011 comedy film "Naked Run."
Brennan is survived by two sons, Sam and Patrick, and two grandchildren.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Kelsey, Doina Chiacu and Stacey Joyce)
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Researchers used virtual reality technology with a specialized robotic system to test what happens when the mind is tricked into identifying with another body.
(New York) ? The United States should use the upcoming human rights dialogue with the Chinese government to demand concrete public commitments to change policies and practices that violate human rights.
The dialogue is to convene in Kunming, Yunnan Province, on July 30 and 31, 2013. It is the first since the new Chinese leaders, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang, assumed power in March.
?The most important human rights dialogue in China is the one the government should be having with citizens who are calling for their rights to be respected,? said Sophie Richardson, China director. ?But in this realm the new authorities are showing bad faith.?
There has been little discernible or significant improvement in the government?s human rights record, apart from some cautious hints at changes to the notorious Re-education through Labor system, since the leadership transition or the last bilateral human rights dialogue in 2012. The new leadership has been intolerant of dissent and criticism:
Since March 31, 2013, at least 16 activists in Beijing and Jiangxi Province have been put under criminal detention for publicly calling on the government to require officials to publicly disclose their assets. The arrested included Xu Zhiyong, a legal scholar who has been at the forefront of China?s ?rights defense? movement as well as that of the ?New Citizens Movement,? and who was a visiting scholar at the Yale Law School in 2004 and 2007.
Since June 2013, at least five more activists have been put under criminal detention for ?rescuing? petitioners held in a black jail in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province. The activists pried open and kicked down doors at the unlawful detention facilities, and then called the police. Instead of arresting the guards, the police seized the activists and detained them for ?gathering crowds to disturb social order.? Other activists involved in the operation have disappeared and are feared detained.
On July 1, approximately 150 to 200 demonstrators who had gathered in front of the Foreign Affairs Ministry offices in Beijing for two weeks were briefly detained and questioned by Beijing authorities. The group had been demanding a role in drafting the Chinese government?s report to the United Nations? Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. The UPR is a regular review of the human rights records of all UN member countries. As part of the review, each country is required to submit a report that includes input from the public.
The Chinese government has also refused to address the underlying grievances in the Tibetan areas and Xinjiang, and instead pursued repression in both regions. In the Tibetan areas, the number of people who have self-immolated, believed to be acts of defiance to the Chinese government?s rule, has risen to 121. In Xinjiang, the anniversary of the 2009 riots and subsequent crackdown on Uyghurs, an ethic minority that has long suffered discrimination by the government, were marked by reports of clashes between Uyghurs and the government.
The US government should press the Chinese government to adopt concrete and clear benchmarks, and evaluate the progress in subsequent dialogues. Without these benchmarks, the human rights dialogue risks serving as a perfunctory diplomatic exercise, rather than a genuinely useful advocacy tool. Following the dialogue, the US delegation should provide as much information as possible about the topics discussed and the nature of the Chinese government?s replies on issues and individual cases, to the public and the news media. Such accounts were absent or lacked detail following US Secretary of State John Kerry?s first visit in that capacity to China in April, the California summit between President Barack Obama and Xi Jinping in June, and at the end of the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue earlier in July.
In recent years, a greater variety of US government agencies have participated in the human rights dialogue. This reflects the multiple relationships the two countries have in a wide range of areas, including economics, defense, and trade. It also demonstrates that key human rights improvements, including the importance of an independent judiciary, the free flow of information, and the ability of people to share ideas peacefully without fear of persecution, fundamentally underpin a host of issues in the bilateral relationship.
The US government could further strengthen such efforts by requiring all US agencies that have regular relationships with China to raise salient human rights issues in meetings and to raise them regularly in public statements and media interviews, including with Chinese-language media.
?American officials should approach this interaction acutely aware that people in China who are trying to have exactly the same discussions with the government are being arbitrarily detained and prosecuted,? Richardson said. ?US officials should use this opportunity to do what people in China want: to try their best to hold the Chinese government accountable for its human rights violations.?
The biggest reason that we get calls from people who already have an attorney on their case is because the attorney isn?t doing anything for them.? While there are a ton of outstanding workers? compensation attorneys in Illinois, some are lazy or don?t really handle work comp.? So when things go wrong they usually bail on you. ? I recently got a call from a nice person who had a well known and crappy attorney.? He?s the type of lawyer where you wonder how he ever even gets clients because he?s sloppy, disorganized and couldn?t possibly have current clients recommend him.? The caller had a good injury, but had his TTD benefits stop without explanation.? The attorney told him that there was nothing that could be done. ? We looked in to this and had assumed that it was just the lawyer being lazy.? In this case, it wasn?t.? The problem was that the employer was insured by a company called Ulico.? They went bankrupt so for now they aren?t paying any of the claims that they are responsible for.? If it makes you feel any better, their defense attorneys also aren?t getting their bills paid. ? Right now everything is stuck in the bankruptcy court.? Eventually these cases will be turned over to the Illinois Insurance Guarantee Fund which is a safety net for the public when insurance companies go under.? But from what we are hearing, it won?t be until the end of the year at the latest that they take over these cases and even then, they will have so much to catch up on that some cases will still sit for a bit unless you have a very aggressive lawyer or a law firm that knows people at the Guarantee Fund. ? So unfortunately there isn?t anything these workers can do for now.? And there?s nothing the lawyers can do either.? But it would be a great idea for them to get a lawyer that has experience dealing with the Fund when they take over.? Otherwise you might see your co-workers getting paid while you are still waiting.? When we hear more about this issue developing we will post it to our blog.
?
We are workers' compensation attorneys who help people with Illinois work injuries anywhere in IL via our statewide network of attorneys.?Contact us?and we will answer your questions or find the right lawyer for your situation.
Jay Z Meets Mark Zuckerberg At Facebook HQ?[PHOTO]
Jay Z Photographed With Mark Zuckerberg At Facebook Headquarters In California
Jay Z has been omnipresent since releasing Magna Carta Holy Grail. Following the announcement of his HBO special on the ?Picasso Baby? visual, a photo surfaced capturing the mogul mid conversation with Facebook?s founder Mark Zuckerberg at the social media behemoth?s plush California headquarters.
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) ? More than a thousand inmates escaped a prison Saturday in Libya as protesters stormed political party offices across the country, signs of the simmering unrest gripping a nation overrun by militias and awash in weaponry.
It wasn't immediately clear if the jailbreak at al-Kweifiya prison came as part of the demonstrations. Protesters had massed across Libya over the killing of an activist critical of the country's Muslim Brotherhood group.
Inmates started a riot and set fires after security forces opened fire on three detainees who tried to escape the facility outside of Benghazi, a security official at al-Kweifiya prison said. Gunmen quickly arrived to the prison after news of the riot spread, opening fire with rifles outside in a bid to free their imprisoned relatives, a Benghazi-based security official said.
Those who escaped either face or were convicted of serious charges, the prison official said.
The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren't authorized to speak to journalists.
Special forces later arrested 18 of the escapees, while some returned on their own, said Mohammed Hejazi, a government security official in Benghazi. The three inmates wounded in the initial escape attempt were taken to a local hospital, he said.
There was confusion, however, about how many prisoners exactly broke out, with numbers of escapees ranging as high as 1,200.
At a news conference, Prime Minister Ali Zidan blamed the jailbreak on those living around the prison.
"The prison was (attacked) by the citizens who live nearby because they don't want a prison in their region" he said. "Special forces were present and could have got the situation under control by using their arms but they had received orders not (use) their weapons on citizens ... so the citizens opened the doors to the prisoners."
Zidan said an alert would be sent to border posts about the jailbreak and officers would receive a list of the escapees' names.
Benghazi's security is among the most precarious in post-revolution Libya. Last year, U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed in the attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in the city.
Meanwhile Saturday, hundreds gathered in the capital Tripoli after dawn prayers, denouncing the Friday shooting death of Abdul-Salam Al-Musmari. They set fire to tires in the street and demanded the dissolution of Islamist parties.
The two incidents highlighted Libya's deteriorating security situation and the challenges the North African country faces as it tries to restore calm nearly two years after the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
In Tripoli, protesters appeared to be inspired by events in neighboring Egypt, where millions took to the streets Friday to answer a call from the army chief, who said he wanted a mandate to stop "potential terrorism" by supporters of the country's ousted president, Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the Brotherhood.
"We don't want the Brotherhood, we want the army and the police," Libyan protesters chanted, repeating a slogan also used in Egypt. Libya's nascent security forces are struggling to control the country's militias, most of whom have roots in the rebel groups that overthrew Gadhafi in 2011.
The activist Al-Musmari, who used to publicly criticize the Brotherhood, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Benghazi.
Some protesters stormed the headquarters of a Brotherhood-affiliated political party and another Islamist-allied party in the capital, destroying furniture. Witnesses say demonstrators also stormed a Brotherhood party in Benghazi.
Protesters angry with the Libya's weak central government also targeted the liberal National Forces Alliance, ransacking its headquarters. The party came on top in Libya's first free parliamentary elections last year.
Security forces in Libya have been unable to impose their authority on the country since Gadhafi's ouster. Militias, many made up of former rebels who fought in the civil war that toppled Gadhafi, have grown in the strength and in many areas rival the security forces in their firepower and reach. The armed forces also rely on militias for help securing the country in some cases.
On Saturday, a colonel was killed by gunmen in Benghazi. Another three security members were killed a day earlier when gunmen opened fire on them. Security members are frequently targets in the country.
Zidan, the prime minister, said that an investigation was launched into the circumstances around al-Musmari's slaying. He said a foreign criminal investigation team will join Libyan investigators in Tripoli and Benghazi on Monday. He did not offer further details.
New York-based Human Rights Watch urged the Libyan government to "conduct a prompt and thorough investigation" of al-Musmari's death, believed to be the first targeted killing of a political activist.
"Libya's fragile transition is at stake if political killings go unpunished," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "This makes investigating al-Musmari's murder all the more urgent."
I really love a challenge, and recently MoneySupermarket asked me the question, Is it possible to change the look, feel and even functionality of a room on a low budget? A budget of ?50 to be precise. Well, knowing that I had a few ideas to make our living room feel more homely I accepted the challenge.
Here is our living room before (well to be honest part way through because I only remembered to take the picture after we had pulled the sofa and got the dust sheets at the ready!)
We have lived in our home (a new build when we brought it) for 7 years and a lot of the rooms are still magnolia, which, I think is really plain and boring. We had made half an effort with our living room and wallpapered a feature wall a couple of years back. But that is as far as we had got. As with lots of other rooms in the house, cracks had started to show between the ceiling and the coving joins. So first on my list was to ask Craig to kindly fill those cracks. It was really easy to do, he just used some decorators caulk (we had some spare, so didn't need to buy anymore) and used a decorating gun to press it into the cracks. We then waited a couple of days for it to dry out before painting over it.
Whilst this was drying we painted a couple of tester pots of paint onto various parts of the wall, to see what the 2 colours we had narrowed it down to would look like in different lights. Wanting to keep it close to the flower colour on our wall paper we chose to go with Duck Egg.
So after carefully masking, the areas that needed masking we set to work painting the ceiling and coving white (using paint we already had) and then painting the walls Duck Egg. As the living room is a high traffic area and the children are still young we chose to go for Silk paint. Meaning that it can be wiped clean if necessary.
Next on my list to change the look and feel of the room was to change the blinds for curtains. The blinds looked nice when we moved in, but times have changed and I no longer like them. So I went and found some really nice curtains in the homebase sale. They are a cream colour with brown flowers stitched into the top. So go perfectly with the wallpaper. ?As our house in newish the walls are made of plaster board, which can be a real pain when it comes to hanging things, as the plasterboard is just not strong enough to hold in screws. So here is what we did....
Measure up and mark out where we were putting the curtain pole. We used a skewer to poke through the screw holes and mark the wall in the correct place.
Using some Black and Decker hollow fixings, which are specifically designed for plasterboard, Craig hammered them into the wall.
He then threaded the screw through the curtain pole fixing and screwed that into the hollow fixings. By doing this the hollow fixings would have sprung out from behind, clinging onto the plasterboard and making the curtain pole more secure.?
Finally, we threaded the curtains onto the pole and placed the pole into the curtain pole fixing.?
We repeated this process to put the curtain holdbacks up.
The final part of our effort to change the look and feel of the room was to put up a picture frame we had been meaning to hang somewhere for a long time. Again, because of the plasterboard walls this does restrict a little. However we have found a really great product that makes hanging pictures really easy!
Place 4 sets of large damage free hanging strips (they come in packs of 4) onto the back of your frame, two at the very top and the other two 3 quarters of the way down. Pressing down on each one for 30 seconds.
Measure up and mark exactly where you are going to place your picture.?
Take the backing off of each strip and carefully place your picture onto the wall. Again, press each one for 30 seconds.
Stand back and admire how lovely and flat the picture frame looks against your wall!
We also hung a white wooden heart onto the wall in between the window and the wallpaper and I think that looks great.?
Our room now looks like this...
Totally different and really calming. We also turned the sofa around so that it didn't block out so much light (it was against the window). I love that we have made it personal with the photo frame and also that just by putting up some curtains and a lick of paint its made the room look so different!
So this was our total spends:
Curtains ? ? ? ? ?- ?12.42 (These were a bargain as should of been over ?30!)
Curtain pole ? ?- ?6.78
Hollow fixings - ?6.99
2x holdbacks ?- ?7.98
Paint ? ? ? ? ? ? ? - ?11.99
Picture Strips ?- ?3.39
Wicker Heart - ?3.99
Total ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??53.54
Ok so I came in at ?3.54 over the ?50 budget, but its still an amazing transformation for only just over ?50!! Do I think I have succeeded with the challenge, YES!!! I set out to change the look and feel of the room and we have definitely done that! I feel so much happier sitting in our front room now, its a nice, cozy, welcoming room. Rather than a room that I was quite fed up with and embarrassed about!
TIP! One good home improvement tip is to make sure that you keep your personal style in mind when making changes. A home improvement project gives you a great opportunity to add personal flair to your living space.
It doesn?t matter whether you are a novice at home improvement work or you have already successfully completed a variety of projects, it can be difficult to find the inspiration that you need to start something new. You can discover some ideas for great new projects, as well as tips for working more effectively, in this article.
TIP! Stained wood is more aesthetically pleasing than painted whenever you?re replacing baseboards. This type of baseboard oozes classic appeal, and you can never go wrong with wood?s warm ambiance.
Buying new furniture can be very costly. Look at yard sales and thrift stores for furniture to update the look of your home. You might find some hidden items that are special, like furniture. Some may need a lot of work, but if you invest enough time, they can greatly improve your home.
TIP! If you are not able to get a designer, you can do it yourself. Try some websites, books and magazines for some help.
A small room in your house does not always have to be dark. Get more light into the room! Shine your windows and raise the blinds. A room tends to look larger when there is ample natural light. Also, use light colors on the walls and keep the clutter to a minimum. This will lead to a more comfortable feel in your small room.
TIP! If you happen to notice leaking water underneath the sink or tap, then never try fixing the leak on your own. Just place a container under the leak to collect the water and get in touch with a professional plumber.
For a cheaper tile job for your floor, use vinyl instead of stone or ceramic tile. Vinyl is very durable and strong. It is resistant to water and easy to put in. Although you can purchase this in sheet form, it is most commonly sold by the square foot in boxes.
TIP! Attaching PVC pipes to each another is easy, and requires just a bit of PVC primer and cement. If you don?t use this stuff, your pipes could leak.
Pouring bleach on the inside of the toilet bowl can help keep it sparkling clean. Although bleaching toilets might smell bad, it lowers the risk of spreading germs and illnesses. In addition, it improves the look of your toilet. Scented bleach can also help keep the odor at bay.
TIP! If you?re doing any work in the bathroom or kitchen, turn the water off. Before starting any home improvement project, know where the water shutoff valve is.
If you want to resell your home, you should focus on the bathroom. It is easy for buyers to make living rooms and bedrooms their own, but it is important to have bathrooms in good shape. Ensure that your shower and sink are in solid condition. If they are not, then you should replace them immediately. If you have linoleum flooring, consider putting in tile.
TIP! Get a contract with a handyman whenever you need to fix something in the house. This will reduce the extra charges that you will have to face.
Think about the colors you want to add to your home and decide what is a good fit for the impression you want to give off. Choose soft material such as cotton or linen to make a room more welcoming. Use scented candles and potpourri to give your home a tranquil, good smelling appeal.
TIP! Have a decent lighting fixture installed in all of the commonly accessed room; the new view can create a huge impact on how you view the walls and furniture. A bright room feels warm and inviting.
During a major home improvement project, homeowners should not take everything a contractor says at face value. Contractors may try to take advantage of you. Be sure to verify all the potential problems that a contractor mentions a home having.
TIP! A simple and affordable home improvement to make is to install peepholes in your doors. Know who?s out there when you open your door.
Create a calming, relaxing feel by decorating with palette of analogous colors. Analogous colors are those that reside side by side on the color wheel. For example, red and orange are analogous, as are violet and blue. This type of color scheme is more relaxing and is especially suited to areas like the bedroom or family room.
TIP! Whenever you need to get a home improvement project done, you should never hire a contractor who is unlicensed. Contractors and subcontractors are required by each state to have certification.
Whatever your experience, improvement projects on your house can be a burden. The useful information that you just read will help you to decide exactly what improvements to make to your home, ensuring a fantastic outcome in the easiest way possible.
Hedge fund manager David Einhorn, the one who publicly asked Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to leave the company two years ago, is back with more criticism for the Redmond-based tech giant.
This time, Einhorn has decided to dump his Microsoft stock, claiming that the company is shrinking and pointing to the same management team he also criticized in the past.
Furthermore, the hedge fund manager explained that Windows 8 is a disappointing product and the lack of innovation at Microsoft does nothing more than to accelerate the company's shrinking.
?In 2006 we compared Microsoft to A-Rod, which was a compliment at the time. In 2013, the comparison is still apt, but it is no longer a compliment.?Windows?8 appears to be a flop, and a decade of mismanagement has put Microsoft at risk of becoming a shrinking company,? he said in a letter to partners.
?We were pleased when an activist gave the stock a boost, giving us the opportunity to exit with an annualized high single-digit return that slightly outpaced the market during our lengthy holding period.?
Microsoft hasn't yet issued a public response on this, but the company would most likely remain tight-lipped as things don't seem to get any better for CEO Steve Ballmer.
According to insiders, ValueAct Capital, an investing firm that recently purchased a large stake in Microsoft, is trying to get a board seat and thus be one of those deciding the company's future.
The problem is that the people behind ValueAct Capital don't seem to support Steve Ballmer, so in case they do manage to receive a seat in the company's board, the CEO might be again on thin ice.
In the meantime, Ballmer has pushed Microsoft into another major restructuring process supposed to put the focus on devices and services and thus get the company back on track in approximately one year.
Contact: Rebecca Winkels rebecca.winkels@helmholtz-hzi.de 49-531-618-11403 Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
Too much of a good thing: In case of natural killer cells less is sometimes more
This news release is available in German.
As part of the innate immune system natural killer cells (NK cells) play an important role in immune responses. For a long time they have been known as the first line of defense in the fight against infectious diseases. Therefore, researchers assumed that the body needs as many active NK cells as possible. However, scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have now shown that the principle "the more the better" does not apply to this type of immune cells.
"During certain phases of the immune response it seems to be beneficial to have less active natural killer cells," says Dr Jadwiga Jablonska-Koch, member of the research group "Molecular Immunology" at the HZI and responsible author of a new study published in the European Journal of Immunology. "This is particularly true during the beginning stages of an infection, which is precisely when they were assumed to be most important".
Usually, Listeria monocytogenes infection leads to a deadly sepsis in mice and immune suppressed humans. Interestingly, researchers observed that removal of NK cells during the early stages of Listeria monocytogenes infection improves survival of the mice. These new findings could help to prevent sepsis in the future.
Until now it was believed that mice and humans die from listeriosis because their killer cells do not fight the infection effectively enough. However, the new results show the exact opposite. Even though the killer cells produce messenger substances that activate the immune system, the overproduction of the interferon IFN-? causes problems. The large amounts of IFN-? block the recruitment of neutrophilic granulocytes.
Those so-called scavenger cells are the most common white blood cells and are able to engulf bacteria and destroy them. If their migration to the site of infection is blocked in the initial phase, the bacteria can grow uncontrolled. This leads to fatal sepsis and death.
However, having no active NK cells could also lead to uninhibited bacteria proliferation. In later stages of an infection NK cells are crucial for the survival of both; mice and humans. "It is important to find the right balance for NK cell activity. It has to be high enough to activate other immune cells, but at the same time the migration and activation of scavenger cells shouldn't be blocked," says Jablonska-Koch.
Where exactly this balance lies is still not clear. At least, the scientists were able to show that in the later phases of infectious diseases it can be beneficial for the body to have large amounts of highly active NK cells. The discovery of HZI scientists could be relevant in the future, especially from a medical point of view. If these results prove to be true for humans and also for other bacteria, they could help to develop new treatment strategies. "If we know how exactly the killer cells function, we could use this information for treatment of bacterial infections. But it is still a long way to go," says Jablonska-Koch.
###
Original Publication
Nuno Viegas, Lisa Andzinski, Ching-Fang Wu, Ronja-Melinda Komoll, Nelson Gekara,Kurt E. Dittmar, Siegfried Weiss, Jadwiga Jablonska
IFN-? production by CD27+ NK cells exacerbates Listeria monocytogenes infection in mice by inhibiting granulocyte mobilization
European Journal of Immunology, 2013 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201242937
The focus of HZI's Department "Molecular Immunology" is to investigate the role of signaling molecules used by the immune system. One of the primary research goals is to determine how immune cells communicate with each other during an infection and which messenger substances they use for this purpose.
The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research:
At the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, scientists are studying microbial virulence factors, host-pathogen interactions and immunity. The goal is to develop strategies for the diagnosis, prevention and therapy of human infectious diseases.
http://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en
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Contact: Rebecca Winkels rebecca.winkels@helmholtz-hzi.de 49-531-618-11403 Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
Too much of a good thing: In case of natural killer cells less is sometimes more
This news release is available in German.
As part of the innate immune system natural killer cells (NK cells) play an important role in immune responses. For a long time they have been known as the first line of defense in the fight against infectious diseases. Therefore, researchers assumed that the body needs as many active NK cells as possible. However, scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have now shown that the principle "the more the better" does not apply to this type of immune cells.
"During certain phases of the immune response it seems to be beneficial to have less active natural killer cells," says Dr Jadwiga Jablonska-Koch, member of the research group "Molecular Immunology" at the HZI and responsible author of a new study published in the European Journal of Immunology. "This is particularly true during the beginning stages of an infection, which is precisely when they were assumed to be most important".
Usually, Listeria monocytogenes infection leads to a deadly sepsis in mice and immune suppressed humans. Interestingly, researchers observed that removal of NK cells during the early stages of Listeria monocytogenes infection improves survival of the mice. These new findings could help to prevent sepsis in the future.
Until now it was believed that mice and humans die from listeriosis because their killer cells do not fight the infection effectively enough. However, the new results show the exact opposite. Even though the killer cells produce messenger substances that activate the immune system, the overproduction of the interferon IFN-? causes problems. The large amounts of IFN-? block the recruitment of neutrophilic granulocytes.
Those so-called scavenger cells are the most common white blood cells and are able to engulf bacteria and destroy them. If their migration to the site of infection is blocked in the initial phase, the bacteria can grow uncontrolled. This leads to fatal sepsis and death.
However, having no active NK cells could also lead to uninhibited bacteria proliferation. In later stages of an infection NK cells are crucial for the survival of both; mice and humans. "It is important to find the right balance for NK cell activity. It has to be high enough to activate other immune cells, but at the same time the migration and activation of scavenger cells shouldn't be blocked," says Jablonska-Koch.
Where exactly this balance lies is still not clear. At least, the scientists were able to show that in the later phases of infectious diseases it can be beneficial for the body to have large amounts of highly active NK cells. The discovery of HZI scientists could be relevant in the future, especially from a medical point of view. If these results prove to be true for humans and also for other bacteria, they could help to develop new treatment strategies. "If we know how exactly the killer cells function, we could use this information for treatment of bacterial infections. But it is still a long way to go," says Jablonska-Koch.
###
Original Publication
Nuno Viegas, Lisa Andzinski, Ching-Fang Wu, Ronja-Melinda Komoll, Nelson Gekara,Kurt E. Dittmar, Siegfried Weiss, Jadwiga Jablonska
IFN-? production by CD27+ NK cells exacerbates Listeria monocytogenes infection in mice by inhibiting granulocyte mobilization
European Journal of Immunology, 2013 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201242937
The focus of HZI's Department "Molecular Immunology" is to investigate the role of signaling molecules used by the immune system. One of the primary research goals is to determine how immune cells communicate with each other during an infection and which messenger substances they use for this purpose.
The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research:
At the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, scientists are studying microbial virulence factors, host-pathogen interactions and immunity. The goal is to develop strategies for the diagnosis, prevention and therapy of human infectious diseases.
http://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en
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A 16 WAPT News investigation on cellphones in Mississippi prisons is prompting change.
16 WAPT's Andrew Kinsey found several inmates using illegal smartphones to take pictures and update Facebook pages.
Mississippi Department of Corrections officials said it's a problem they're working to fix.
After Kinsey's report aired Tuesday night, all of the Facebook accounts he found were removed.
Attorney General Jim Hood said stopping the problem can be difficult.
"I think our laws are adequate, but unfortunately, if you get a guy that is doing a life sentence and if you say, 'If you use a cellphone, we are going to give you five more years,' it's not a lot of deterrent," Hood said.
Officials said if anyone knows of an inmate who is online, they should contact MDOC, which will work with Facebook to deactivate the account. ?
? JURIST Legal News and Research Services, Inc., 2013. JURIST is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. E-mail inquiries, changes, news tips, URLs, corrections, etc. to JURIST@jurist.org. This site is not an official site of the University of Pittsburgh. The University of Pittsburgh is not responsible for its content. Nothing on this site is intended as legal advice. If you have a legal problem, please consult an attorney.
Update: Not at launch. The ?every Xbox One is a dev kit feature will be added later, Microsoft clarified.
Original Story: Say what you will, but Microsoft has been listening to the gaming community, and after reversing course on used games, always online, region-lock and headsets, Microsoft has just confirmed another reversal: a major self-publishing push where any Xbox One console can be debugged to be used as a developer kit.
Here?s?Xbox?s corporate vice president Marc Whitten responding to a Kotaku inquiry about a self-publishing rumor that popped up on GameInformer earlier today:
Our vision is that every person can be a creator. That every Xbox One can be used for development. That every game and experience can take advantage of all of the features of Xbox One and Xbox LIVE. This means self-publishing. This means Kinect, the cloud, achievements. This means great discoverability on Xbox LIVE. We?ll have more details on the program and the timeline at GamesCom in August.
Clearly, Microsoft has been paying attention, and we?ll just thank Sony again, as they were and still are the ones trumpeting the independent development scene, even going as far as featuring about 8 indie devs on their E3 stage.
Sony was also to thank for Microsoft?s DRM reversal when it became apparent to Microsoft that Sony had clearly adopted an approach that allows gamers to do whatever they will with their used games, and steered clear from forcing gamers to always require an internet connection when playing games on PS4. Microsoft had the opposing policies in place, and quickly banished them after it looked like Sony was getting all the good press and preorders.
Again, when it was revealed that your PS3 headets would work just fine on PS4, Microsoft had to change its policy there, too, and announced that they were working on an adapter that would allow Xbox 360 owners to use their old headsets on Xbox One, although you?d have to pay for the adapter.
But still, this is another good move by Microsoft, and I?m looking forward to hearing more about the program come GamesCom.
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Online Marketing Tools | SEO Tools | Angie Mitchell ~ 12 Second Commute
Is your website healthy from an SEO perspective? There are many online marketing tool services out there, I use is 12 Second Commute and one reason I love it so much is because I get all the tools I need under one roof, SEO tools included, saving me time and money! It?s important to be able to diagnose what the problems are with your website, and you do this by using SEO tools . In other words SEO tools provide a ?cure? that will make your website perform better. Having a sick website is like leaving money on the table. Your website requires careful evaluation in order for you to determine exactly where and how you?re leaving money on the table. The online marketing tools provided by 12 Second Commute offers an array of SEO tools that do just that. There are some straight forward things that you can do to optimize your site. If you wish to get additional traffic to your web site, but you must use and implement SEO tools and build your website spider food for the search engines. Online marketing tools especially SEO tools conveniently help you to analyze the top ranking sites in the search engines and figure out the reason for its success. You are able to spy on your competition with the Competition Manager Tool and compare link popularity with your competitors? sites. The Keyword Density Analysis Tool shows you how ofter you are using common words and phrases on your site. Many SEO experts consider the optimum keyword density to be 1 to 3 percent. When you calculate your keyword density, ignore html tags and other embedded tags which will not actually appear in the text of the page once it is published. With a Reciprocal Link Checker you can quickly and easily find out if your reciprocal link partners are linking back at your site. It?s important to know the anchor text used by your link partners that are linking to your website because you?ll want to avoid getting into trouble with the Search Engines if it?s a ?bad link?. Unknowingly linking to a link farm could get your site banned entirely. So this is a good SEO tool to have. Another SEO tool to have is a Spider Tester, you?ll be able to analyze the page size, source code, meta tags, page title, textual copy of the page, keyword breakdown by density (including 2 and 3 word phrases), number of words, number of unique words, and outbound links on any page. In addition to the must have online marketing tools talked about in my previous articles, 12 Second Commute includes the following SEO Tools : Competition Manager Keyword Generator Search Engine Submission Metatag Tool Reciprocal Link Checker Keyword Density Analysis Spider Tester Google Suggest Scraper Tool Google Rank Chercker Tools Search Engine Saturation Page Comparison Tool Keyword List Generator Link Suggest Tool Whois Online Marketing Tools Angie Mitchell angie@fast12secondcommute.com 604-883-2218 Skype: angiebt79828 My Blog http://prlog.org/10515883
The Definitive Guide to WordPress Security (seomoz)
Posted by SamAntics
This post was originally in YouMoz, and was promoted to the main blog because it provides great value and interest to our community. The author?s views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of Moz, Inc.
If you work in online marketing, the chances are good that you?ve worked on, are working on, or will at some point work on a WordPress site. If you work with wordpress.org in any capacity, this post is for you (much of this post doesn?t apply to *.wordpress.com hosted sites).
## Script kiddies suck
In hacker lingo, a script kiddie is the lowliest form of hacker (using the term hacker loosely), and relies on common tools and scripts to find and take advantage of the weakest and most common security vulnerabilities: crappy passwords, use of public WiFi without a VPN, outdated plugins, low-security hosting, phishing attacks, and other things of this nature. Sadly, these issues alone grant access to a shocking number of sites.
Unless you?re in charge of a WordPress site for a major brand, the majority of the security issues you?re likely to face will be the result of script kiddies.
TRANSFORMERS PRIME: Beast Hunters - Predacons Rising debuts as a special original feature on Blu-ray+DVD combo pack and on DVD this Oct 8 from Shout! Factory
GET READY TO RUMBLE WITH THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FEATURE-LENGTH EPILOGUE TO THE SERIES PHENOMENON, TRANSFORMERS PRIME UNVEILING THIS FALL!
TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS ? PREDACONS RISING
A Special Original CG Animated Action Adventure Produced by Hasbro Studios DELUXE BLU-RAY?+ DVD COMBO PACK and SPECIAL DVD ARRIVE IN STORES EVERYWHERE
OWN IT ON OCTOBER 8, 2013 FROM SHOUT! FACTORY
This Fall, the eagerly anticipated conclusion of Hasbro Studios? Emmy? Award-winning series will finally unleash in a special TRANSFORMERS PRIME original feature presentation for home entertainment. On October 8, 2013, Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Hasbro Studios, invite kids, families and loyal fans to further venture into the awe-inspiring world of TRANSFORMERS PRIME when TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS ? PREDACONS RISING debuts as a special original feature on Blu-ray?+ DVD combo pack and on DVD.
Brimming with spectacular CG animation, a captivating storyline and unforgettable characters from the TRANSFORMERS PRIME lore, this 90-min epilogue to the final season delivers entertaining cinematic adventure the whole family will enjoy. Wrapping up the series that chronicled the epic battle between the DECEPTICONS and the AUTOBOTS, the Blu-ray+DVD combo pack and DVD edition contain insightful bonus content, taking viewers behind-the-scenes. Available in stores everywhere, TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS ? PREDACONS RISING is an essential home entertainment collection for TRANSFORMERS fans of all ages. The deluxe Blu-ray+DVD combo pack is priced to own with a suggested retail price of $24.97; and $16.97 for the DVD.
TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS ? PREDACONS RISING Synopsis:
A resurrected UNICRON has taken over the now-lifeless body of MEGATRON to seek vengeance on the AUTOBOTS and ultimately, the destruction of Cybertron. This formidable enemy forces an unlikely alliance between the AUTOBOTS, DECEPTICONS, PREDAKING and two new PREDACONS, who come together in an epic battle to help protect their newly restored planet.
Special note: Bonus content for TRANSFORMERS PRIME BEAST HUNTERS ? PREDACONS RISING is in development. As excitement builds for this release, Shout! Factory and Hasbro Studios will announce additional news and activities for fans in the upcoming months
Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, Josh Keaton, Jeffrey Combs, Kevin Michael Richardson, Steve Blum, Will Friedle and Sumalee Montano lend their voices to this hit series produced by Hasbro Studios. Spearheading the creative efforts on TRANSFORMERS PRIME are executive producers Jeff Kline, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Duane Capizzi and Stephen Davis. The TRANSFORMERS PRIME series is currently airing on the Hub TV Network in the U.S. and on Teletoon in Canada.
About Hasbro Studios
Hasbro Studios is the Los Angeles-based entertainment division of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS). The studio is responsible for entertainment brand-driven storytelling for the company across television, film, commercial productions and short-form. It develops, produces and distributes TV shows based on Hasbro's world class brands, including TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, LITTLEST PET SHOP and FAMILY GAME NIGHT. Many of these shows air on Hub Network, a U.S. television network for kids and their families, that is a joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK). Hasbro Studios shows can also be seen on networks in more than 170 countries globally. Since its formation in 2009, the studio has received seven Daytime Emmy wins and 16 nominations. On the film side, the studio is developing and producing a number of features based on Hasbro's brands, including TRANSFORMERS 4 (Paramount), STRETCH ARMSTRONG (Relativity Media) and CANDY LAND (Sony). The studio team also oversees the production of commercials that feature Hasbro's brands as well production of short-form content that can be seen on all of the major digital and social media platforms globally.
About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory?s DVD and Blu-Ray? offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials in lavish packages crammed with extras. Shout?s audio division boasts GRAMMY?-nominated box sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable ?best of? compilations. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast digital distribution network which delivers video and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America. Shout! Factory also owns and operates Timeless Media Group, Biograph Records, Majordomo Records, HighTone Records and Video Time Machine. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com
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Stay tuned to Tformers.com for more details as they are made available. Your best resource for all the Transformers news and community every day.
INDIANAPOLIS ? The Indiana Republican Party's executive committee voted unanimously Monday to elect Auditor Tim Berry as the state GOP chairman and to hold the party's 2014 state convention in his hometown of Fort Wayne ? the first time the event has been held away from Indianapolis.
The committee's vote to select Berry endorsed the choice of Gov. Mike Pence as he puts his personal stamp on the Indiana Republican Party. Former Chairman Eric Holcomb is leaving after nearly three years in the post to run U.S. Sen. Dan Coats' state office.
Berry will remain state auditor until Pence appoints a new one. Pence said Monday he has about six candidates and hopes to make the appointment by mid-August. He has said the person he selects should expect to seek a full term as auditor next year.
The 2014 Republican convention will be held at Grand Wayne Center, which was also the site of the Democratic Party's state convention last year. The Democratic convention attracted about 3,000 people to Fort Wayne, the state's second largest city.
Republicans in Allen County, where Fort Wayne is the county seat, have been seeking the convention nod for several months.
"We're absolutely ecstatic," Allen County Republican Chairman Steve Shine told The Journal Gazette. "It is a great honor for the Allen County Republican Party as well as for Allen County itself."
The Indiana GOP has never held its state convention outside Indianapolis.
Delegates to next year's state party conventions will select nominees for three statewide offices: auditor, secretary of state and treasurer.
Smartphones and tablets are great for so many things, but file-sharing is not one of them. Transferring things to and from mobile devices is painful and annoying, like a rash. But today, we get a refreshing salve.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? The opening day of the swimming world championships could have doubled for a Trojan Swim Club meet.
American swimmer Haley Anderson, a recent graduate of the University of Southern California, won the first gold medal of the championships in the 5-kilometer open water and USC-based Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia won the men's event.
"It's a great job for the Trojans today," Mellouli said, thanking his American coaches Catherine Vogt, Jon Urbanchek and Dave Salo. "It's an awesome group."
Anderson was on the U.S. team a few times with Fran Crippen, who died during a sweltering 10K race in the United Arab Emirates in October 2010.
"Fran taught us to be great competitors," Anderson said. "We all learned from Fran and take his memory with us to all open water competitions and live like he lived."
The course ran along the docks, giving spectators a good view of the race in sunny conditions in 75-degree waters and air temperature of 86 degrees.
China's Wu Minxia and Shi Tingmao won the first diving gold medal, earning Wu a record sixth world title in the women's 3-meter synchronized springboard.
The pair's almost flawless execution of all five dives framed by the dramatic backdrop of Barcelona's skyline gave them the top total score of 338.40 points.
Italy's Tania Cagnotto and Francesca Dallape claimed silver with 307.80, while Canada's Pamela Ware and Jennifer Abel took bronze with 292.08.
Wu has won nine world or Olympic gold medals in the 3-meter synchronized springboard. The only major title to escape her was the 2005 world championship when she didn't compete in the event.
Svetlana Romashina won gold synchronized swimming for the solo technical event. Her standout Russian teammate Natalia Ischenko is taking the year off because she's pregnant.
Huang Zuechen of China took silver, and Ona Carbonell took bronze to give host Spain its first medal of the championships.
Romashina earned the 11th world title of her career, to go with her three Olympic golds.
Down at Barcelona's harbor, Anderson's victory erased the bitter disappointment of missing selection for her favored event.
A silver medalist in last year's 10K Olympic race, Anderson finished only eighth in that event at U.S. trials in May on the same day of her graduation from USC. Her only chance to qualify came down to winning the 5K days later, which she did.
Now she has an even bigger title.
"I didn't walk at graduation and I didn't do well in the 10K so it was a pretty tough day," Anderson said. "But I knew if wanted to make the worlds team I had to win the 5K. There really was no other option. I had to put that race out of mind and just win the 5K. I went for it in that 5K to make the team and I've been focused on this 5K ever since then."
Anderson edged Poliana Okimoto of Brazil in a sprint finish, clocking 56 minutes, 34.2 seconds, 0.02 ahead of Okimoto. Another Brazilian, Ana Marcela Cunha, won a group sprint for third and finished 10.5 seconds behind.
Anderson trains under Vogt at USC, and Vogt is the U.S. open water head coach for these championships.
"She wanted to be out front and be smooth and strong and have some good closing speed and she did exactly what we talked about," Vogt said. "She felt like she wanted to take advantage of her event here."
At last year's London Games, Vogt was on Tunisia's staff and coached Mellouli to gold in the 10K.
Having started purely as a pool swimmer, Mellouli's sprinting ability is what sets him apart in the open water. That was evident as he surged ahead of an elite group of rivals as soon as he got within the ropes outlining the finish area.
"I was hoping they wouldn't stay with me," Mellouli said. "Once I put the jets on I was able to take off, finish the race and take the win."
Mellouli clocked 53 minutes, 30.4 seconds. Eric Hedlin of Canada took silver, 1.2 seconds behind, and five-time world champion Thomas Lurz of Germany finished third, 1.8 back.
Including the open water worlds, Lurz had won the 5K title seven consecutive times.
"I knew in the last 50 meters I would not win," Lurz said. "(Mellouli) swims the 100 free five seconds faster than me or more. This is the problem."
Besides the 10K, Mellouli also took bronze in the 1,500-meter freestyle in London to become the first swimmer to win medals in both the pool and open water at the same Olympics. And he won the 1,500 at the 2008 Beijing Games.
The 29-year-old Mellouli had planned to retire after the London Games but he changed his mind a few months later. He only began training again six months ago.
"This year was supposed to be a year off for me," he said. "So to come back here after a solid two months of training and to be on top of the world is quite exciting for me."
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Public release date: 26-Jul-2013
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