New models predict drastically greener Arctic in coming decades

Mar. 31, 2013 ? New research predicts that rising temperatures will lead to a massive "greening," or increase in plant cover, in the Arctic. In a paper published on March 31 in Nature Climate Change, scientists reveal new models projecting that wooded areas in the Arctic could increase by as much as 50 percent over the next few decades. The researchers also show that this dramatic greening will accelerate climate warming at a rate greater than previously expected.

"Such widespread redistribution of Arctic vegetation would have impacts that reverberate through the global ecosystem," said Richard Pearson, lead author on the paper and a research scientist at the American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation.

Plant growth in Arctic ecosystems has increased over the past few decades, a trend that coincides with increases in temperatures, which are rising at about twice the global rate. The research team -- which includes scientists from the Museum, AT&T Labs-Research, Woods Hole Research Center, Colgate University, Cornell University, and the University of York -- used climate scenarios for the 2050s to explore how this trend is likely to continue in the future. The scientists developed models that statistically predict the types of plants that could grow under certain temperatures and precipitation. Although it comes with some uncertainty, this type of modeling is a robust way to study the Arctic because the harsh climate limits the range of plants that can grow, making this system simpler to model compared to other regions such as the tropics.

The models reveal the potential for massive redistribution of vegetation across the Arctic under future climate, with about half of all vegetation switching to a different class and a massive increase in tree cover. What might this look like? In Siberia, for instance, trees could grow hundreds of miles north of the present tree line.

"These impacts would extend far beyond the Arctic region," Pearson said. "For example, some species of birds seasonally migrate from lower latitudes and rely on finding particular polar habitats, such as open space for ground-nesting."

In addition, the researchers investigated the multiple climate change feedbacks that greening would produce. They found that a phenomenon called the albedo effect, based on the reflectivity of Earth's surface, would have the greatest impact on the Arctic's climate. When the sun hits snow, most of the radiation is reflected back to space. But when it hits an area that's "dark," or covered in trees or shrubs, more sunlight is absorbed in the area and temperature increases. This has a positive feedback to climate warming: the more vegetation there is, the more warming will occur.

"By incorporating observed relationships between plants and albedo, we show that vegetation distribution shifts will result in an overall positive feedback to climate that is likely to cause greater warming than has previously been predicted," said co-author Scott Goetz, of the Woods Hole Research Center.

This work was funded by the National Science Foundation, grants IPY 0732948, IPY 0732954, and Expeditions 0832782. Other authors involved in this study include Steven Phillips (AT&T Labs-Research), Michael Loranty (Woods Hole Research Center and Colgate University), Pieter Beck (Woods Hole Research Center), Theodoros Damoulas (Cornell University), and Sarah Knight (American Museum of Natural History and University of York).

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Museum of Natural History, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Richard G. Pearson, Steven J. Phillips, Michael M. Loranty, Pieter S. A. Beck, Theodoros Damoulas, Sarah J. Knight, Scott J. Goetz. Shifts in Arctic vegetation and associated feedbacks under climate change. Nature Climate Change, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1858

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/_-wyLznOOuE/130331165603.htm

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Uneasy calm in Kenya after court ruling on vote

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) ? Kenyan police deployed forces Sunday in the capital and in the lakeside city of Kisumu to contain the continuing threat of violence after two people were killed in riots Saturday, officials said, but the country remained mostly peaceful after a court upheld Uhuru Kenyatta's election as president.

Rowdy youths in Nairobi's slums were still trying to protest the Supreme Court's ruling against Prime Minister Raila Odinga's challenge to the validity of Kenyatta's win, Moses Ombati, the deputy police chief for Nairobi, said Sunday. He said he hoped the presence of armed police would deter illegal protests like those that erupted Saturday immediately after the court's ruling.

"There is tension obviously, but with the deployment of officers we have done we don't anticipate anything," Ombati said.

Although losing candidate Odinga accepted the court's decision, some of his supporters reacted angrily to his loss, taking to the streets and engaging the police in running battles.

Two people were killed and five seriously injured Saturday in riots in Kisumu, Odinga's home region, said Ole Metito, police chief for Nyanza province. At least seven rioters are now in police custody for their alleged roles in the Kisumu violence, he said.

"There was chaos in places where people were throwing stones. Now we have officers monitoring the general situation," Metito said.

Kenyatta, who is to be sworn in on April 9, said late Saturday that he would be a president for all Kenyans and urged them to move past the election and build a nation "at peace with itself."

The March 4 election was described by many as the most complicated in Kenya's history. It pitted Kenyatta against Odinga, whose disputed loss in the 2007 election triggered postelection violence that killed more than 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. Kenyatta faces criminal charges at the International Criminal Court for allegedly encouraging that postelection violence.

Kenyatta will become the second sitting African president to face charges at the Hague. William Ruto, his running mate, who is set to become Kenya's deputy president, faces similar charges. Both men deny any wrongdoing.

Unlike after the 2007 election, which degenerated into tribe-on-tribe violence, Kenya has been largely peaceful following these elections.

Odinga charged the presidential election was "tainted" by irregularities. Odinga's lawyers alleged in court that the electoral commission boosted Kenyatta's numbers at some polling stations, helping him to avoid a runoff election with Odinga. According to official figures, Kenyatta avoided a runoff by about 8,000 votes out of 12.3 million cast.

The Supreme Court decided that Kenyatta was validly elected and that the election was conducted in compliance with the constitution. The judges are expected to release a detailed judgment in two weeks.

Odinga said he accepted this verdict even though he regretted that some of the evidence produced by his lawyers had been disregarded.

"Casting doubt on the judgment of the court could lead to higher political and economic uncertainty, and make it more difficult for our country to move forward," he said Saturday after the verdict. "We must soldier on in our resolve to reform our politics and institutions. Respect for the supremacy of the constitution in resolving disputes between fellow citizens is the surest foundation of our democratic society. "

___

Muhumuza reported from Kampala, Uganda.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uneasy-calm-kenya-court-ruling-vote-093210892.html

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Chew on this: Sexiest stars eat what you eat

By Kurt Schlosser, TODAY

If you ever wanted six-pack abs on your way to being named the Sexiest Man Alive, or if you crave the toned legs and flat belly of an international pop superstar, a trip to your nearest fast-food establishment may be in order.

Startracks, FameFlynet

Ryan Reynolds, left, gets his Burger King on during a break from filming in New York this week. Britney Spears grabs KFC to go in Thousand Oaks, Calif., on March 19.

If that doesn't make sense, than neither does Ryan Reynolds walking down the street with Burger King to go, or Britney Spears hauling a bag of KFC across a parking lot. We know stars are supposed to be "just like us," but have you seen us? We don't look like them.

Let's just assume that Reynolds and Spears ate whatever was in those bags. Instead of collapsing into a cheeseburger coma in front of "South Park," it's safe to say these two burned it off. Probably before the bags hit the trash.

Albert Michael / startraksphoto.com

No Coke. Pepsi. Actress Denise Richards at Arby's.

Celebs with six-packs under their shirts and not in their shopping carts get that way thanks to a strict diet-and-exercise routine. And there's a good chance that both of those disciplines are maintained under the watchful eye of well-paid personal chefs and trainers. It also doesn't hurt to go the "kale and dust" route if fitting into a catsuit is in your job description.

So those of you envisioning looking like any of these people because you eat at the same drive-thru, take note. Joy Bauer, nutrition and health expert for TODAY, says "limit fast food outings to once per week, and alternate fattening fare with healthier offerings like grilled chicken salads, turkey burgers, and snack wraps."

If the thought of a snack wrap taking the place of your bacon-double sounds unappetizing, Bauer crunches some numbers for you.

She says to pay penance for a Burger King Whopper (630 calories), large fries (500 calories), and?40-ounce soda (380 calories) -- totaling 1,510 calories -- you would have to:

• run for 2 hours straight, or
• swim for 4 hours, or
• bike for 2 hours, or
• play full-court basketball for 2 hours

INFphoto.com

Rihanna hits the drive thru at a fast food joint in her native Barbados.

If you scarf down KFC's Original Recipe chicken-thigh value box (540 calories), a side of mashed potatoes with gravy (120 calories), and?30-ounce sweetened iced tea (260 calories) -- totaling 920 calories -- you'd need to:?

• spin for one hour and 10 minutes, or
• walk for 3 hours, or
• hit the dance floor and boogie down for an hour and a half, or
• do yoga for 5 hours straight!

"Celebs have cravings just like everyone else ... and when they succumb to fast food faves -- just like us mortals -- they must work hard to burn off the calorific splurges," Bauer says.

Maybe you're burning calories right now at the thought of Ryan Reynolds burning calories to work off his Whopper. Maybe the thought of his wife, Blake Lively, in a swimsuit is enough to motivate him to stay in shape. We know she'd never eat ... aw, forget it!

Who's making a food run?

More in TODAY Entertainment:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/03/29/17505755-chew-on-this-the-sexiest-people-alive-eat-what-you-eat?lite

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'Dairy-Free' Baking Mixes Recalled Over Milk

Mar 29, 2013 11:17am

Heartland Gourmet is recalling some "dairy-free" mixes that may contain milk. (Image credit: Heartland Gourmet/FDA)

A gourmet food company is recalling three of its ?dairy-free? baking mixes because they might contain milk, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Heartland Gourmet, based in Lincoln, Neb., announced the voluntary recall Thursday after routine sample testing in Canada uncovered milk in some cookie and pizza crust mixes, which are labeled both gluten-free and dairy-free.

The recall notice cites ?a temporary breakdown in the company?s production and packaging processes? leading to the contamination, but a company spokeswoman said the problem is still under investigation.

Milk is one of the most common food allergens, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious disease. It can cause hives, wheezing and vomiting, as well as abdominal cramps and diarrhea. In rare cases, milk can cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction.

17 Scary Allergy Triggers

An ABC News analysis in?December?2012 revealed that more than 400 recalls for undeclared allergens in food were reported to the FDA since March 2009. More than 140 of them were for desserts and snack foods, including cookies, candy and ice cream.

The Heartland Gourmet?mixes were distributed to stores in Minnesota, Texas, Indiana, Connecticut, North Carolina, California and Colorado between October 2012 and March 2013, according to the recall notice. The company also supplies mixes for fundraisers, according to its website. No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled products include:

• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix: Item # 2017 UPC Code 7376967020171 16 oz. Lot #0023065, best buy date of 12/2014 and distributed in March of 2013, and Lot # 0023007, best buy date of 10/2014 and distributed in February 2013.
• Gluten Free Double Chocolate Cookie Mix: Item # 1530 -UPC Code 737697015306 16 oz. Lot #0012289 ? Best buy Date of 10/2014 and distributed in October of 2012; Lot #0022317 with a best buy date of 10/2014 and distributed in November of 2012; and Lot #0012341 with a best buy date of 01/2014 and distributed in December of 2012.
• Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix: Item # 2024 UPC Code 737697020249 15.4 oz. Lot #0073007. Best buy date of 09/2014 and distributed in January of 2013.

Customers are urged to return the recalled products to the place of purchase for a refund, according to the recall notice. Click here for more information.

SHOWS: Good Morning America

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/03/29/dairy-free-baking-mixes-recalled-over-milk/

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North Korea's Internet? What Internet? For most, online access doesn't exist

Suzanne Choney , NBC News ? ? ? 9 hrs.

You won't find people in North Korea checking Facebook or Twitter for the latest updates on the tense situation created by its leader, Kim Jong Un. That's because the nation of 24 million is largely shut out from the Internet. Few outside the government and military have ever been online.

"In North Korea, we don't see evidence that much of anyone has access," Jim Cowie, chief technology officer and co-founder of Renesys, which does global Internet measurement, told NBC News.

"You don't see banks or factories or universities attached to the Internet," he said. "In North Korea, Internet is extremely limited. They don't have those resources. There's basically one service provider and that is state-controlled."

The country's Internet access physically comes through from China, he said, supplemented "sometimes" by a satellite provider.

"We don't have first-hand knowledge of who has access," Cowie said, but Internet use is "very tightly restricted."

So much so that North Korea was named one of 12 "enemies" of the Internet last year by Reporters Without Borders, which monitors censorship globally. "We still consider North Korea as an enemy of the Internet," Delphine Hagland, the group's director in Washington, D.C., told NBC News. Other countries making that list included China, Iran, Syria and Vietnam.

There aren't many other sources of information available in North Korea, which according to the CIA World Factbook, has "no independent media," with "radios and TVs ... pre-tuned to government stations."

About 1 million people in North Korea have cellphones, but they are not phones with Internet access.

There may be some exceptions, said Hagland. North Koreans who live near the border with China "can have the (illegal) option of connecting to the Chinese mobile network."

In its report, Reporters Without Borders also noted the existence of what's sometimes called a "sneakernet" ? that is, people handing off data to one another via physical media, rather than across a network. The North Korea-China border is "sufficiently porous to allow mobile phones, CDs, DVDs and USB flash drives containing articles and other content to be smuggled in from China."

North Korea did, for a very short time recently, allow tourists who were staying at one hotel to have Internet access via their 3G cellphones. But that access was yanked within less than a month, according to a report in Wired UK.

That brief mobile Internet availability was not tied to Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt's visit to the country, along with former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. The two had gone to North Korea in January to seek the release of American detainee Kenneth Bae ? which did not happen ? as well as to promote Internet freedom.

Nearly two years ago, the United Nations said that access to the Internet should be considered a basic human right. But North Korea has not gotten ? or has ignored ? that memo.

Schmidt, who met with North Korean scientists and software engineers, said after his visit that the country runs a risk of being left behind economically if it does not provide Internet access.

"Once the Internet starts, citizens in a country can certainly build on top of it, but the government has to do something,? he told NBC News' Ed Flanagan at that time. ?They have to make it possible for people to use the Internet, which the government in North Korea has not yet done.?

Check out Technology, GadgetBox, DigitalLife and InGame on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a24c072/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Ctechnolog0Cnorth0Ekoreas0Einternet0Ewhat0Einternet0Emost0Eonline0Eaccess0Edoesnt0Eexist0E1C9143426/story01.htm

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Citrix: Windows Phone is barely making a dent in the workplace

By Martyn Herman LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Whether by design, necessity, self-interest or because of all three, nurturing youngsters has become fashionable for England's elite with no expense spared in the hunt for the new Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard. The length and breadth of the country, scouts from top clubs are hoovering up promising footballers barely old enough to tie their bootlaces in a bid to unearth the 30 million pounds ($45.40 million) treasures of the future. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/citrix-windows-phone-barely-making-dent-workplace-120411392.html

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Emma Watson Is This Year's MTV Trailerblazer

For the second year in a row, MTV will hand out the Trailerblazer Award to a star that has set her own course and has inspired her fans because of it. At the 2013 MTV Movie Awards hosted by Rebel Wilson on April 14, that Trailblazer will be "Perks of Being a Wallflower" star and [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/03/26/emma-watson-mtv-trailerblazer/

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Anonymity risk from phone place data

25 March 2013 Last updated at 07:09 ET By Jason Palmer Science and technology reporter, BBC News

Scientists say it is remarkably easy to identify a mobile phone user from just a few pieces of location information.

Whenever a phone is switched on, its connection to the network means its position and movement can be plotted.

This data is given anonymously to third parties, both to drive services for the user and to target advertisements.

But a study in Scientific Reports warns that human mobility patterns are so predictable it is possible to identify a user from only four data points.

The growing ubiquity of mobile phones and smartphone applications has ushered in an era in which tremendous amounts of user data have become available to the companies that operate and distribute them - sometimes released publicly as "anonymised" or aggregated data sets.

Continue reading the main story

?Start Quote

Even if there's no name or email address it can still be personal data, so we need it to be treated accordingly?

End Quote Yves-Alexandre de Montjoye MIT

These data are of extraordinary value to advertisers and service providers, but also for example to those who plan shopping centres, allocate emergency services, and a new generation of social scientists.

Yet the spread and development of "location services" has outpaced the development of a clear understanding of how location data impact users' privacy and anonymity.

For example, sat-nav manufacturers have long been using location data from both mobile phones and sat-navs themselves to improve traffic reporting, by calculating how fast users are moving on a given stretch of road.

The data used in such calculations are "anonymised" - no actual mobile numbers or personal details are associated with the data.

But there are some glaring examples of how nominally anonymous data can be linked back to individuals, the most striking of which occurred with a tranche of data deliberately released by AOL in 2006, outlining 20 million anonymised web searches.

The New York Times did a little sleuthing in the data and was able to determine the identity of "searcher 4417749".

Trace amounts

Recent work has increasingly shown that humans' patterns of movement, however random and unpredictable they seem to be, are actually very limited in scope and can in fact act as a kind of fingerprint for who is doing the moving.

The new work details just how "low-resolution" these location data can be and still act as a unique identifier of individuals.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Catholic University of Louvain studied 15 months' worth of anonymised mobile phone records for 1.5 million individuals.

They found from the "mobility traces" - the evident paths of each mobile phone - that only four locations and times were enough to identify a particular user.

"In the 1930s, it was shown that you need 12 points to uniquely identify and characterise a fingerprint," said the study's lead author Yves-Alexandre de Montjoye of MIT.

"What we did here is the exact same thing but with mobility traces. The way we move and the behaviour is so unique that four points are enough to identify 95% of people," he told BBC News.

"We think this data is more available than people think. When you think about, for instance wi-fi or any application you start on your phone, we call up the same kind of mobility data.

"When you share information, you look around you and feel like there are lots of people around - in the shopping centre or a tourist place - so you feel this isn't sensitive information."

Privacy formula

The team went on to quantify how "high-resolution" the data need to be - the precision to which a location is known - in order to more fully guarantee privacy.

Co-author Cesar Hidalgo said that the data follow a natural mathematical pattern that could be used as an analytical guide as more location services and high-resolution data become available.

"The idea here is that there is a natural trade-off between the resolution at which you are capturing this information and anonymity, and that this trade-off is just by virtue of resolution and the uniqueness of the pattern," he told BBC News.

"This is really fundamental in the sense that now we're operating at high resolution, the trade-off is how useful the data are and if the data can be anonymised at all. A traffic forecasting service wouldn't work if you had the data within a day; you need that within an hour, within minutes."

Dr Hidalgo notes that additional information would still be needed to connect a mobility trace to an individual, but that users freely give away some of that information through geo-located tweets, location "check-ins" with applications such as Foursquare and so on.

But the authors say their purpose is to provide a mathematical link - a formula applicable to all mobility data - that quantifies the anonymity/utility trade-off, and hope that the work sparks debate about the relative merits of this "Big Data" and individual privacy.

Sam Smith of Privacy International said: "Our mobile phones report location and contextual data to multiple organisations with varying privacy policies."

"Any benefits we receive from such services are far outweighed by the threat that these trends pose to our privacy, and although we are told that we have a choice about how much information we give over, in reality individuals have no choice whatsoever," he told BBC News.

"Science and technology constantly make it harder to live in a world where privacy is protected by governments, respected by corporations and cherished by individuals - cultural norms lag behind progress."

But Mr de Montjoye stressed that there is far more to location data than just privacy concerns.

"We really don't think that we should stop collecting or using this data - there's way too much to gain for all of us - companies, scientists, and users," he said.

"We've really tried hard to not frame this as a 'Big Brother' situation, as 'we know everything about you'. But we show that even if there's no name or email address it can still be personal data, so we need it to be treated accordingly."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21923360#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma on ADVANCE for NPs & PAs

Malignant mesothelioma affects 1 in 100,000 U.S. residents, with an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 new cases diagnosed annually.¹ It is imperative that primary care providers be aware of the signs and symptoms of mesothelioma, as well as the associated risks and issues.

Case Presentation

TD, a 62-year-old white man, presented to his primary care provider with complaints of pain under his right rib, mild shortness of breath, and fatigue. At a prior visit with another provider, he had been treated for bronchitis and pneumonia with oral antibiotics. His chest x-ray at that time showed a small unilateral pleural effusion with no other abnormalities. TD had recently undergone a colonoscopy and the provider suspected that the pleural effusion was related to bleeding or trauma from the procedure. He was told that the pleural effusion was small and insignificant, and not to worry.

TD was never questioned about his work history or potential exposure to asbestos. He had worked as a mechanic and carpenter. Although he did not correlate his asbestos exposure history with his symptoms, he knew something was wrong and continued to complain. Due to TD's persistence, his primary care provider agreed to consult a surgeon for analysis of the pleural fluid. A grim diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) resulted.

Epidemiology

The American Thoracic Society has described asbestos as "the largest cause of occupational cancer in the United States and a significant cause of disease and disability from nonmalignant disease."² Every 2 years, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the Environmental Protection Agency prepare a list of substances that pose the most significant potential threat to human health due to their known or suspected toxicity.³ The national priority list for 2011 ranked asbestos in the top 100.³

The effects of asbestos exposure are substantial and long-lasting, and mesothelioma is the most devastating diagnosis associated with it. MPM frequently presents with sudden onset of pleural effusion or thickening, dyspnea and chest pain. By the time these symptoms appear, the disease is often rapidly fatal. The average survival time is only 8 to 14 months past diagnosis.² The 1-year survival rate is less than 30%.² This disease usually has a long latency period, from 10 to 60 years; 30 to 40 years is typical.²

Pathophysiology

Table 1 provides background on asbestos, and Table 2 outlines other essential information. Prior to 1970, asbestos had been widely used commercially, particularly in the automobile, construction and shipbuilding industries. The most important pathway of exposure to asbestos is via inhalation of contaminated air and dust. Despite the upper respiratory tract's defenses, deposited asbestos fibers are retained in lung tissue for many years. From the lungs, fragmented fibers can migrate to the pleural and peritoneal spaces, following the patterns of lymphatic drainage.²???????????????

A variety of immune responses are activated when asbestos fibers are in the lungs, and these lead to cell injury, fibrosis and potentially, cancer. First, asbestos fibers carry a surface charge enabling them to be absorbed by cellular macromolecules such as protein, DNA or RNA.² This binding changes the conformation of the molecule, affecting its function and leading to structural changes. Second, the presence of the foreign asbestos fibers in the lungs leads to release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by alveolar macrophages.² Excess ROS or oxidative stress can cause distinct effects on cells, including alterations in cell growth and proliferation, apoptosis, inflammation, necrosis and matrix regulation.⁴ Lastly, the chronic inflammation caused by the presence of asbestos fibers leads to further inflammation and macrophage recruitment, cell damage, proliferation and apoptosis.⁴

Asbestos is both genotoxic and carcinogenic.² Four primary respiratory conditions are associated with asbestos exposure: parenchymal asbestosis, asbestos-related pleural abnormalities, lung carcinoma and MPM.

History

Multiple studies have reported delayed diagnosis, fragmented care pathways and poorly coordinated care of MPM.⁵ Obtaining an accurate history is critical to diagnosis. Remember that asbestos-associated diseases have long latency periods and patients who have had significant exposure may be asymptomatic for decades. Important questions include: What jobs have you had? Did the jobs involve working with asbestos? Did you wear any personal protective equipment such as a respirator?

The possibility of paraoccupational exposure from other family members or from living near vermiculite or asbestos processing plants should be explored as well. For example, the wife of a mechanic may have been exposed because he carried asbestos home on his clothing.

Physical Exam

This case study focuses primarily on MPM, but it is important to remember the other diseases associated with asbestos exposure. Asbestos-associated lung cancer is usually associated with large cumulative exposures 20 to 30 years earlier. Approximately 20% to 25% of heavily exposed asbestos workers develop bronchogenic carcinomas.² The risk of developing lung cancer depends on the level, frequency and duration of asbestos exposure, the time since first exposure, age of initial exposure, smoking history, and the type and size of asbestos fibers involved.²

Patients often are asymptomatic while MPM tumors are developing. Patients may present with sudden onset of dyspnea, chest pain, pleuritic chest pain or systemic signs of cancer, such as weight loss and fatigue.² If the patient has a pleural friction rub, it may be audible on auscultation. As the disease progresses, the most common symptoms are shortness of breath and pain (90% of MPM patients).^5,6 Other symptoms are tiredness (36%), worry (29%), cough (22%), sweating (22%) and constipation (22%).⁶

Diagnostics

If the patient has been exposed to asbestos, proceed with chest radiography and pulmonary function testing.² Both of these should be periodically obtained by the primary care provider to help identify early signs of disease, regardless of whether symptoms are present.²

On chest radiograph, the appearance of asbestos-associated lung cancer is often the same as that of lung cancer of other etiologies (Table 3). MPM typically produces pleural effusions, a pleural mass or a diffuse pleural thickening. Computed tomography of the chest is useful in detecting and assessing early parenchymal changes and subtle pleural disease (plaques and rounded atelectasis). It can also help differentiate among asbestos-associated pleural plaques, soft tissue densities and mesothelioma.²

Diagnosis

None of the clinical signs of MPM are specific or sensitive enough to warrant diagnosis; the diagnosis of MPM should always be based on immunohistochemical evaluation. Pleural biopsy specimens are considered the best approach for diagnosis, better than cytologic examination of pleural effusions.⁷ This technique requires staining of biopsy specimens for comparison of validated markers for MPM or other carcinomas.

Reliable diagnosis may require multiple specimens, which may be difficult for many patients to handle. Recent research has identified type III collagen, CCL2 and galectin 3 as clinical indicators of MPM using fluid collected from pleural effusions.⁷ Further research is needed before changes in practice occur.

Treatment and Follow-up

Primary care management for MPM focuses on aggressive treatment of secondary respiratory infections; influenza and pneumococcal vaccination as recommended; and prevention of further exposure to asbestos and other irritants. Any patient who still works near or is exposed to asbestos should be advised to wear proper personal protective equipment.²

Primary care providers also provide support and coordinate care for patients with MPM.⁸ A patient education handout on asbestos toxicity can assist in equipping patients with thorough knowledge (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/asbestos/docs/asbestos_patient-education.pdf).² For the rare patient who is diagnosed with MPM, prompt referral to a pulmonologist and oncologist is imperative.

When formulating treatment plans for patients with MPM, it is important to know whether the patient wants palliative treatment or radical treatment. Palliative care is aimed at symptom control with the goal of decreasing pain and shortness of breath. Debulking pleurectomy, palliative radiation and palliative chemotherapy are the primary interventions in this approach.⁶

For radical treatment, the first intervention is surgery. Patients with stage I, II or III MPM may be candidates for surgical intervention.⁵ Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) involves removal of the pleura, lung and mediastinal lymph nodes.⁶ In a study involving 636 patients who underwent EPP, 117 (18%) survived 3 or more years following surgery.⁹ Another review of 83 patients who underwent EPP reported a 15% 5-year survival rate.⁵

Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and multimodal treatments are used as part of radical treatment plans. Pemetrexed (Alimta) was the first agent to receive FDA approval for use in combination with cisplatin (Platinol) for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma.⁵ Since then, A large trial of 456 patients reported median survival with pemetrexed and cisplatin combination therapy at 12.1 months, compared to 9.3 months with cisplatin alone.⁶

Case Outcome

TD put up a valiant fight in his struggle against MPM. His grim prognosis of 6 months to live was not acceptable for him or his family. He elected for radical multimodal therapy and underwent surgical extrapleural pneumonectomy, radiation, chemotherapy and alternative holistic treatments. TD's early diagnosis, aggressive treatment plan, use of renowned specialists and strong will to live extended his life for 4 years after his initial diagnosis.

References

1. Howlader N, et al. SEERS Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2009 (Vintage 2009 Populations). National Cancer Institute. http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2009_pops09/results_merged/sect_17_mesothelioma.pdf

2. Kapil V. Transcript for Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's

Environmental Medicine Grand Rounds: Asbestos Toxicity. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/asbestos/grand_rounds/asbestos_grand_rounds_transcript.pdf

3. Priority list of hazardous substances That Will Be the Subject of Toxicology Profiles. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/spl/

4. Brashers VL. Alterations of pulmonary function. In: McCance KL et al, eds. Pathophysiology: the Biological Basis for Disease in Adults and Children. 6^th ed. Maryland Heights, MO: Mosby Elsevier; 2010: 1266-1309

5. Chen SE, Pace MB. Malignant pleural mesothelioma. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2012;69(5):377-385.

6. Thiel EV, et al. European guidelines for the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma. J Adv Res. 2011;2(4):281-288.

7. Gueugnon F, et al. Identification of novel markers for the diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Am J Pathol. 2011;178(3):1033-1042.

8. Moores S, et al. Living with mesothelioma: A literature review. Eur J Cancer Care. 2010;19(4):458-469.

9. Sugarbaker DJ, et al. Clinical and pathological features of three-year survivors of malignant pleural mesothelioma following extrapleural pneumonectomy. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2011;40(2):298-303.

10. Tucker P. Asbestos toxicity. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/asbestos/docs/asbestos.pdf??

Ellen Nicole Desimone is a student in the nurse practitioner program at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. She has completed a disclosure statement and reports no relationships related to this article.

?

Source: http://nurse-practitioners-and-physician-assistants.advanceweb.com/Columns/Case-Files/Malignant-Pleural-Mesothelioma.aspx

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'Thigh Gap': New Teen Body Obsession?

Mar 25, 2013 7:00am

A new body trend is apparently becoming an obsession among teenage girls.

It?s the thigh gap ? a clear space, or gap, that can be seen between the thighs when a girl is standing with her knees together. Some runway models have it, and teen girls want it.

?Good Morning America? sat down with four high school juniors from a New Jersey Chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions to discuss this latest trend.

The four girls told ABC News? Juju Chang that they all had friends that were intent on achieving the thigh gap.

RELATED: Victoria?s Secret Fashion Show: Models Rock Lingerie on the Runway

Emily Rozansky?told Chang that, for many teens, the thigh gap symbolized ?the ideal body shape.?

Social media sites such as Tumblr,?Facebook and Twitter have devotees who flood the zone with images of thigh gaps, bony collarbones and confidence-crushing messages disguised as ?inspiration? for staying thin.

Some of the most popular pictures showcase very thin girls with protruding hip bones and a thigh gap.

The teens told Chang that the sites make them feel they have to conform.

Angela DePalma, 16, said:??I see those pictures on Tumblr and stuff and I think that wow, like, they look so good. And then I realize how unhealthy that is.?

Tumblr says it discourages blogs that actively promote or glorify self-harm.

According to teen psychologist Barbara Greenberg, statistics show that 80 percent of girls dislike their bodies by the time they are 17 years old. That, combined with a tendency to overshare, makes teen girls vulnerable to even the most subtle messages.

MORE: Victoria?s Secret Models Share Secrets Behind Their Toned Bodies

A quick online search brings up page after page of thigh gap inspiration photos and supporters. Experts say the images alone can lead to self-destructive behavior, especially since the thigh gap is, for most girls, an unrealistic standard of beauty.

Greenberg said teens who were pursuing a thigh gap were ?setting themselves up for not only an unattainable goal but for an unsustainable goal.

?Even if they reach it, it?s going to be very hard for them to maintain it,? she said.

MORE: Women Seek Plastic Surgery to Get Kate Middleton?s Nose

Surprisingly, some girls? motivation to have a thigh gap isn?t to make themselves more desirable to boys. The New Jersey students told Chang that some boys don?t even notice it.

It?s strictly a girl thing, affecting popularity and status, they said.

SHOWS: Good Morning America

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/03/25/thigh-gap-new-teen-body-obsession/

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Chief justice's lesbian cousin will attend landmark gay-marriage argument

By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News

A lesbian cousin of Chief Justice John Roberts will attend the landmark Supreme Court arguments on gay marriage and says she is confident he will see that gays deserve ?dignity, respect, and equality under the law.?

Jean Podrasky told the Los Angeles Times that she will sit in a section of the courtroom reserved for relatives and guests of the chief justice. She said that her partner of four years, Grace Fasano, whom she wants to marry, will attend with her.

Podrasky, an accountant who the Times said is a first cousin of the chief justice on his mother?s side, wrote about Roberts in a column Monday for the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

?I feel confident that John is wise enough to see that society is becoming more accepting of the humanity of same-sex couples and the simple truth that we deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality under the law,? she wrote.

The court is hearing two gay-rights cases this week. On Tuesday, it will consider Proposition 8, a ban on gay marriage approved by California voters in 2008. Podrasky lives in San Francisco.

On Wednesday, the court will take up the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which blocks federal recognition of gay marriages sanctioned by states and prevents legally married gay couples from receiving certain federal benefits.

Roberts was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005. He generally sides with the court?s conservative wing, but last year he sided with liberals on the court in upholding President Barack Obama?s health care overhaul.

Podrasky told the newspaper that she usually sees the chief justice only on family occasions and that he knows she is gay. She hopes he will meet her partner during their visit to Washington.

Supreme Court justices can give tickets to family and other guests. The seats are to the justices? left as they face the courtroom.

Podrasky told the newspaper that she got the coveted courtroom seats by emailing Roberts? sister, then going through his secretary. She said Roberts knows she is attending.

In the weeks before the 2008 election, Podrasky carried a sign opposing Proposition 8 at a transit station and handed out fliers on a college campus, the Times reported.

In her column, she wrote that she believes Roberts understands that ruling for gay marriage will not be ?out of step with where the majority of Americans now sit,? and hopes that most of the other justices will join him.

?I am certain that I am not the only relative that will be directly affected by their rulings,? she wrote.

Pete Williams of NBC News contributed to this report.

Related:

Same-sex couple wins $100,000 dream wedding

Gay marriage's big day in court: What's at stake?

Timeline: Key dates in the struggle for gay rights

This story was originally published on Mon Mar 25, 2013 8:08 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/29f63507/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C250C174544880Echief0Ejustices0Elesbian0Ecousin0Ewill0Eattend0Elandmark0Egay0Emarriage0Eargument0Dlite/story01.htm

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Israel restores tax transfers to Palestinian Authority

By Jeffrey Heller

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said on Monday it would restart regular monthly tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority, restoring vital funding days after President Barack Obama called for confidence-building steps towards peace.

The decision followed the announcement by the United States on Friday that it would deliver $500 million in annual aid to the Palestinians, almost half of which had been withheld by the Congress in response to the Palestinians' bid for statehood at the United Nations.

The American and Israeli pledges come on the heels of Obama's three-day visit to the region last week when he called for a resumption of peace talks that have been stalled since 2010 and the creation of a viable Palestinian state.

Israel began withholding the transfers - about $100 million in tax revenues it collects each month on behalf of the Authority - in November after President Mahmoud Abbas succeeded in gaining de facto U.N. recognition of Palestinian statehood.

The cut-off was a blow to Abbas who urgently needed the cash to pay public sector salaries at a time of growing financial strain. Officials had warned of possible unrest in the Israeli-occupied West Bank if wage arrears were not covered.

Under international pressure, Israel made a transfer in January and again in February, but said at the time decisions on whether to continue would be made on a month-by-month basis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Monday said he had instructed Finance Minister Yair Lapid "to resume the transfers". A spokesman for Netanyahu said that meant regular monthly payments would be made from now on.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad told Reuters: "This was Palestinian money that was being withheld from us, and now these funds can be directed toward alleviating our grave financial crisis."

On his visit, Obama said he wanted to see "steps that both Palestinians and Israelis can take to build trust and confidence upon which lasting peace will depend".

Palestinians seek a state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank with Arab East Jerusalem as its capital - territories Israel captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

Talks have stalled over the issue of Israel's continued building of settlements for its citizens in the occupied West Bank.

Abbas's Palestinian Authority exercises limited self rule in the West Bank under interim peace deals.

(Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta and Noah Browning; Editing by Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-restores-tax-transfers-palestinian-authority-174528377.html

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Reports about East Coast meteor flood in, setting off a media scramble

An East Coast meteor put on a spectacular show on Friday. NBC's Michelle Franzen reports.

By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News

A Friday night flash of light in the skies over the East Coast sparked a rash of meteor sighting reports, followed by a mad dash to track down photos and videos of the event.

The American Meteor Society logged more than 800 reports from a region ranging from ?North Carolina to Washington to New York to New England to Canada. Hundreds more registered their observations on Twitter. ?One Twitter user, known as @Married2TheNite, reported from New Jersey that he saw ? and heard?? the object pass by. "It was making almost a hissing noise as it flew brightly overhead," he wrote. "I saw it around 7:55 p.m. EDT."

That time frame meshed with the many other reports. Some witnesses said they saw flashes of green, red and blue as the object streaked past.

The reports were consistent with a fireball?? similar to the one that flashed over Russia on Feb. 15, but much, much smaller.

---

"It's not an incredibly rare event, but it is very unusual to have that many people observe it, and also it was unusually bright," Ron Dantowitz, director of the Clay Center Observatory, told NBC station WHDH-TV?in Boston. "These types of meteors happen once or twice a year. The unusual thing is that it was so well observed not so long after sunset."

Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environmental Office told The Associated Press that the flash appeared to be "a fireball that moved roughly toward the southeast, going on visual reports."

"Judging from the brightness, we're dealing with something as bright as the full moon," Cooke said. "The thing is probably a yard across. We basically have (had) a boulder enter the atmosphere over the Northeast."

For a while, Twitter buzzed with tweets and retweets highlighting pictures that falsely purported to show the Friday night light ? but eventually, bona fide views surfaced. The paucity of honest-to-goodness meteor shots contrasted with the wealth of dashboard videos that came to light after last month's Russian meteor blast.

"The meteor has taught us one thing tonight," Cara Lynch tweeted, "the East Coast needs more dash cameras."?

One of the most widely distributed videos of Friday night's flash came from someone who didn't actually see it when it happened. "I wish I would have seen it for real," said Kim Fox, a first-grade teacher from Thurmont, Md.

This security camera footage, from Kim Fox of Thurmont, Md., shows the Friday night flash in the sky.

Fox told NBC News that she checked her security-camera system after hearing about the meteor. At around the time that news reports said the meteor was widely sighted, she saw a bright flash on one of the camera views. She took out her mobile phone, recorded a video of the video, and posted it to her Facebook page. From there, the video went viral on the Web and on TV newscasts.

"The phones have been ringing all night," Fox said.

Did you see the flash? Add your sighting report to the American Meteor Society's log, and tell me about it in the comment space below. Got pictures? Feel free to post them to the Cosmic Log Facebook page.

Update for 3:44 p.m. ET March 23: In one reference, I mistakenly placed Thurmont in New Jersey rather than Maryland. And it's WHDH, not WDHD. Sorry about that! Also, more video views of the flash have come in. Hopkins Automotive Group posted this flashy security camera video on its Facebook page. There's also this dashcam view from WUSA9 photojournalist Kurt Brooks.

More about meteors:

---

Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

This story was originally published on Sat Mar 23, 2013 12:09 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/29e52879/l/0Lcosmiclog0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C230C1742180A40Ereports0Eabout0Eeast0Ecoast0Emeteor0Eflood0Ein0Esetting0Eoff0Ea0Emedia0Escramble0Dlite/story01.htm

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Senate Expected To Pass Budget

First Senate budget in four years seen passing by Saturday

* Vast gulf between Republican, Democratic budget plans

* Senate signals support for oil pipeline, Internet sales taxes

By David Lawder

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate was poised on Friday to pass its first federal budget in four years, a move that will usher in a relative lull in Washington's fiscal wars until an anticipated summer showdown over raising the debt ceiling.

The Democratic-focused budget plan from the Democratic-controlled Senate will square off against a Republican-focused budget passed on Thursday by the Republican-dominated House of Representatives.

Neither is likely to be passed by their opposite chambers and become law, but the plans will give each party a platform in coming months from which to tout vastly different visions for shrinking U.S. deficits and growing the economy.

Passage of a stop-gap government funding measure on Thursday lowered the temperature in the budget debate by eliminating the threat of a government shutdown next week.

"We're going to get a breather here. Congress will let things cool off a bit and there'll be other issues that come to the forefront in the spring," said Greg Valliere, chief political strategist at Potomac Research Group, a firm that advises institutional investors on Washington politics.

These include legislation on gun control, immigration reform and initial work on simplifying the tax code, which is particularly important to Republicans.

After 2013 started with high drama over the Jan. 1 "fiscal cliff" tax increase on the wealthy, Republicans in the House of Representatives chose not to press demands for deep spending cuts on a February debt-limit increase or on this week's funding bill.

Some $85 billion in automatic spending cuts were triggered on March 1, but their effects are just now starting to become apparent, and the funding bill will ease some of the pain for government agencies.

After a two-week Passover/Easter break, appropriations committees will also start work on spending bills for the 2014 fiscal year starting on Oct. 1 that could give agencies further spending flexibility within their reduced budgets.

In the lead-up to the Senate vote, the body considered dozens of largely symbolic, non-binding amendments to the budget aimed at scoring political points and staking out positions.

But in these votes, the Senate signaled strong support for allowing states more authority to collect sales taxes on Internet purchases, for approval of the controversial Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline and for repealing a tax on medical devices imposed by President Barack Obama's health care reform law.

The Senate also voted 99-0 to end policies that subsidize large banks considered "too big to fail" but came out against imposing taxes on industrial carbon emissions.

FIGHT OVER "BALANCE"

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray has described her Democratic blueprint as a "jobs and growth budget." It calls for raising nearly $1 trillion in new tax revenues through ending or capping some breaks for the wealthy, replacing the automatic spending cuts with other savings and making modest cuts to health care.

To stoke near-term economic growth, it also calls for $100 billion in new spending to rebuild infrastructure and to retrain workers.

Murray's plan, which claims $1.85 trillion in overall deficit reduction through 2023, is already locking horns with that of Paul Ryan, Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee, which claims $4.6 trillion in savings on top of the automatic spending cuts.

Ryan's plan aims to reach a small surplus with no tax increases by 2023 through deep cuts to social safety net programs. This enables Republicans to claim that they are more responsible by balancing the budget.

"The House budget changes our debt course, while the Senate budget does not," said Senator Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee.

In a taste of the ideological debates to come, Murray claimed that the Senate budget was more "balanced" because it emphasizes job growth and offers an equal amount of revenue increases and spending cuts.

For a side-by-side comparison of the two deeply divided Ryan and Murray budgets, see.

The Senate has not passed a budget since 2009 because of fiscal policy disputes with House Republicans that forced Congress to pass numerous stop-gap spending measures to avoid government shutdowns.

To protect their thin Senate majority, Democrats avoided exposing their members to potentially damaging votes to raise taxes ahead of 2012 elections, arguing that a 2011 budget deal set spending levels for several years and made a budget resolution unnecessary.

Although lawmakers in both parties have called for a return to normal budgeting procedures after years of stop-gap spending bills and high-pressure deadlines, there is little chance that they can work out differences between the two budgets.

"The idea of conferencing them is kind of a joke. You would expect that if there were a chance of success, they wouldn't have planted flags on completely different planets," said Sean West, U.S. policy director at Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy.

Ultimately, it may take another 11th-hour deal between Obama and congressional Republicans to set a fiscal path forward as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling, he said. The U.S. Treasury is expected to exhaust its borrowing capacity around late July or early August.

In 2011, a similar fight over the debt limit shook financial markets and cost the United States its top-tier credit rating.

Even then, a so-called "grand bargain" to reduce the national deficit by $2 trillion or more by pairing revenues from tax loopholes with savings from reforms to the Medicare health program for the elderly and the Social Security retirement system will likely remain elusive with such deep divisions.

"I'm skeptical that we get any sort of grand bargain," West said.

But a smaller deal that chips away at the deficit and prevents major disruptions to the economy and financial markets may be possible, added Valliere.

"The savings may be in the hundreds of billions, not the trillions, but it's another increment of fiscal restraint," he said.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/23/senate-budget-to-pass_n_2937424.html

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Intab Opens Links Side-by-Side with Your Current Page

Chrome: Sometimes you don't really need to open up a new tab when you want to check out a link, you just want to get a quick look at where a link goes. Intab is an extension that essentially adds a "quick look" option to links you come across.

To activate Intab, just hover over a link and hit Windows+Alt (Option+Command on Mac) and left-click. The link will open up inside the tab you're on as a resizeable panel. It's simple, but it's a great way to view two pages side-by-side without opening yet another tab. Intab is in beta so you might notice a few quirks, but it worked well for us. Firefox users might want to check out Tile Tabs for a similar experience.

Intab | Chrome Web Store

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/snjoqeHiHN4/intab-opens-links-side+by+side-with-your-current-page

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Kate Spade crafts Saturday brand for Japan's trendsetters

By Chris Gallagher

TOKYO (Reuters) - Given Kate Spade Saturday's bold designs, bright colors and creative flair, it was probably only fitting that the new lifestyle brand opened its first flagship store in fashion-obsessed Tokyo.

After all, the sister label of Kate Spade New York began developing the brand with Japanese consumers in mind more than three years ago, envisaging functional designs that would strike a chord with on-the-go urbanites and expand the original brand's DNA into a more casual realm.

Kate Spade Saturday opened its first store in Tokyo's trendy Harajuku district earlier this month and another in Osaka last week, and plans to have a total of five Japan stores open by June. Following the Japan launch, it also debuted in the United States via an online store and is eyeing a push into other international markets later this year.

"Because this brand's concept originated in Japan and we really wanted to make the brand global, we felt Tokyo was the perfect city to launch the brand," Ayako Yanagisawa, president of Kate Spade Japan, told Reuters in an interview at the company's offices in Harajuku.

"I think Tokyo is a very interesting city for the fashion industry to try out a new brand. The market is mature enough to receive, and digest, and understand new creativity. There is also a wide age range of people who like fashion in this city," she said.

"It can be a real showcase for the Asian market."

Tokyo has served as an overseas launch point in recent years for several brands, including designers Rebecca Minkoff and Tracy Reese. Both the Rebecca Minkoff and Tracy Reese brands showed at the Tokyo Runway fashion show Wednesday held in conjunction with Japan Fashion Week.

TRENDSETTERS

Kate Spade New York, owned by Fifth & Pacific Companies Inc, is known for the splashy colors and bold prints of its designer handbags, clothing and accessories. It competes with brands like Coach and Michael Kors in the attainable luxury category.

Kate Spade Saturday skews slightly younger, more casual, and less expensive than the New York label.

Yanagisawa said both the Japanese and U.S. sides of the company were involved in the development of the Saturday brand from the onset, and the design of several products reflects Japanese consumers' love for functionality and detail.

Its Half-Circle Bag, which goes for 19,845 yen ($210) online, can be worn over the shoulder or around the waist, and the strap can even be worn as a belt. Its Square Tote, at 17,325 yen ($180), has two side pockets that can be used to hold folding umbrellas - a must-have for Japanese urban life - or just as easily a bottle of wine to take to a party.

Japan is Kate Spade's biggest market outside the United States and the company aims to increase the number of its Japanese stores - including New York, Saturday and its Jack Spade men's brand - to between 85 and 105 in 2016, from 54 in 2012.

"The Japanese retail market still has room to grow," Yanagisawa said, noting that so-called fashion buildings, often built adjacent to or above train stations, were a big draw for women in their 20s and 30s even as traditional department store sales drop off.

Japan's young trendsetters are starting to take notice.

"Everyone has a Kate Spade iPhone case," said Kyoko Oyamada, a 21-year-old university student in Tokyo sporting a black leather Kate Spade handbag. "I thought they were cute so I went to check out the bags myself and found one I wanted."

($1 = 95.0550 Japanese yen)

(Reporting by Chris Gallagher, editing by Elaine Lies)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kate-spade-crafts-saturday-brand-japans-trendsetters-080114953--finance.html

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Rihanna drops in on Chicago-area high school

BARRINGTON, Ill. (AP) ? Pop star Rihanna has dropped in on high school students in a northwestern Chicago suburb.

Barrington High School earned Friday's visit as a reward for winning the singer's "Shine Bright Like a Diamond" video contest.

The five-minute, student-produced video highlighted the school's volunteer and community service programs.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports (http://bit.ly/10wxpTC ) that the singer told students she admired their passion and volunteerism.

Rihanna showed up more than five hours late, but some in the crowd said she was worth the wait.

She also posed for photos before heading off to her Friday night concert at Chicago's United Center.

Barrington freshman Nisha Ali says "the fact that she came here and thanked us was a huge deal."

___

Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, http://www.suntimes.com/index

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-23-People-Rihanna/id-65095e90af584494bbb49086a393c767

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ITB Energy Around Adventure Travel at All Time High | Adventure ...

AdventureConnect at ITB Berlin.

The ?buzz? and energy around ITB-Berlin?was simply different this year. The tourism industry, fresh off the highest volumes of travelers ever recorded worldwide and bolstered by research that the industry accounts for 1 out of every 6 jobs on the planet, finally appears to have come to terms with the reality that to operate in this sector, more responsible tourism practices are the new norm.

Eight ATTA team members just returned ITB Berlin with their schedules brimming with speaking engagements, meetings and special ATTA-sponsored events. The Adventure & Responsible Tourism Hall, where the ATTA?s stand was situated and where dozens of ATTA members were on exhibit, was its busiest since its inception ten years ago. The ATTA noticed an obvious influx of new interest in adventure travel throughout the event with many unsolicited visitors dropping in to get engaged, whether tourism associations, tourism boards, business leaders or students. In discussions surrounding the economic sustainability of travel, adventure travel was top of mind as an approach to travel that benefits local communities, wildlife, cultural heritage and local businesses and government.

Further, while at ITB, the ATTA received an early glimpse at its most recent Adventure Tourism Market Study with The George Washington University, and found that growth in the adventure tourism sector has risen notably ? research which is set to be released in the coming months. The preview to the study promises positive news for adventure tourism, and further cements the position that adventure tourism as ?the sector to watch? in the broader leisure tourism industry.

Overview of Macro Trends

An oft quoted figure recently is that global travel has passed the one billion human mark; a more transparent way of understanding the modern scale of tourism is that one in seven people in the world are traveling internationally. According to Dr. Roland Conrady at ITB Future Day, the megatrends to watch within this landscape are global digitalization, the dynamic socioeconomic shifts taking place in India, Asia, Latin America, and a consumer focus moving towards Health & Wellness as well as sustainability.

One coup the industry has achieved is transforming the idea of a holiday as a basic need, so it is something that is prioritized even during less wealthy time periods. Even as consumers look to traveling further afield, they are booking shorter stays, and often stepping down in quality or looking for all inclusive deals. This general tourism trend is in direct contrast with data on global adventure tourism, which indicates travelers in this niche stay longer, spend more and seek value in more experiential terms.

Another shift here to stay is the shorter booking window as people are less inclined to make a commitment too far ahead. This means the industry needs to excel at managing yield, supply/demand and price flexibility. While the consumer focus remains on value, realize that offering increased flexibility and choices may become an equally important part of the ?value? concept as price.

ATTA?s In-depth Involvement Representing Adventure, Responsible Travel at ITB

President Shannon Stowell addresses an audience on adventure tourism trends.

President Shannon Stowell and Executive Director of Europe Chris Doyle presented, ?Imagine. Inspire. Invest.?, conveying adventure travel trends to approximately 50 show-goers, as well as defining a responsible path for the long-term health and viability of the industry.

Stowell was also both emcee and moderator in the Main Congress for the Corporate Social Responsibility Day (CSR), which took place March 7th, and on March 9th followed up by speaking to an audience of diplomats and Masters students at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy.

Concurrent with the CSR Day moderated by Stowell, Doyle joined the, ?Shifts of Travel Culture? panel, attended by more than one hundred ? nearly half of which were represented by the next generation of tourism industry executives. Responding to the composition of the audience, Doyle shifted gears in discussing tourism trends to better relate to those who might one day define how tourism will be developed and executed, with more astute execution of responsible tourism values.

The ATTA also brought its new AdventureConnect program to ITB, beginning with a facilitated Peer-to-Peer Exchange ?in which destination representatives, international tour operators and ground suppliers participated in regional adventure tourism discussion groups to identify and explore issues, challenges and opportunities together in a focused setting that encourage a free-flow of information and ideas. Some topics and thoughts that were shared by the group included

• South America ? Focus on safety issues, certifications and sustainability. Discussions on how to make the most of ?word-of-mouth? business generation, and when / how to differentiate between adventure tours.

• Best Practices in Sustainability ? Topics included how to choose standards, how to work with the local community, traveler expectations, how to communicate sustainable practices and how to market them, how to build sustainable practices into economic realities

• Product Innovation ? What separates you from the competition in the field, via marketing, via technology?

• Guide Development & Training ? Guide retention, dealing with interregional issues (pay, regulations, etc), issues around certification

• Customer Acquisition ? How to communicate expertise, trust, create awareness to destinations, how to advertise yourself via social media and how to leverage personal relationships

The Peer-to-Peer Exchange was followed by a hosted AdventureConnect social hour sponsored by Turismo Chile, where more than 100 joined in for further networking.

On Friday, 8 March, The Blue Yonder presented the Responsible Tourism Networking period, which was co-sponsored by the ATTA and other organizations, where case studies drawn from around the globe illustrated the fully-packed venue the potential for small deeds and projects to have profound impacts on tourism development. In addition to a solidly attended networking period with beverages, an ?open microphone? period ensued, with more than a dozen audience participants showcasing innovative new projects that are sure to spur new and inventive ideas among those present.

Source: http://www.adventuretravelnews.com/itb-energy-around-adventure-travel-at-all-time-high

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