Cancer Immunotherapy Where Are We Going?

The compelling concept of utilizing the patient's own immune system for a stronger and more effective way to attack cancer cells is not a new one. William Coley observed in 1891 that infections produced in patients with inoperable cancer following an injection of streptococcal organisms (Gram-positive bacteria) led to tumor shrinkage especially when the patients developed fever and other signs of a full-blown infection.¹ Since then, research has embraced approaches to "train" the patient's own immune system to recognize certain biomarkers or proteins that are mainly found on cancer cells and to destroy the cells.

After several setbacks the first cellular immunotherapy, Dendreon's Sipuleucel-T (Provenge^(R)), was approved for the treatment of prostate cancer in 2010. Today, new promising cancer immunotherapy approaches are in clinical trials. Most recently, researchers at the 54^th American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting reported early success with a developmental-stage cell-based cancer vaccine for the treatment of leukemia and have shown remission in several patients ^2,3, including a 7-year old girl who relapsed twice after chemotherapy. Cancer immunotherapy can be thought of as either active or passive immunotherapy. The most prominent passive immunotherapies, which have revolutionized cancer therapy, are monoclonal antibodies that either target tumor-specific antigens and receptors or block important pathways central to tumor growth and survival. Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are the market leader in the targeted cancer therapy space and include blockbusters such as trastuzumab (Herceptin^(R)) or rituximab (Rituxan^(R)). In general, antibodies are significant elements of the body's adaptive immune system. They play a dominant role in the recognition of foreign antigens and the stimulation of the immune response. Therapeutic antibodies target and bind to antigens, usually proteins that are mainly expressed on diseased cells such as cancer cells. After binding, cancer cells can be destroyed by different mechanisms such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, the activation of the complement system -- an important part of the immune system -- and triggering cell death. Although very successful, especially in oncology, therapeutic antibodies have a significant limitation: they don't generate a memory response by the immune system, and thus, repeated antibody infusions are required. Further, monoclonal antibodies are only able to recognize specific proteins present of the cell surface. Monoclonal antibodies are mostly produced in cell culture systems which are often costly. Humanization of murine monoclonal antibodies by replacing of certain parts of the antibody with human sequences has improved the tolerability of antibodies and made them less immunogenic, but even fully human sequence-derived antibodies can carry some immunological risk. Novel approaches in the passive immunization strategy include antibody drug conjugates, a combination of targeting antibody with a very potent drug such as the recently approved brentuximab vedotin (ADCETRIS(TM)) for Hodgkin lymphoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). ADCETRIS comprises an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibodyanti-CD30 monoclonal antibody and a cytotoxic (cell-killing) agent that is released upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells. Currently, the development of next generations of ADCs is underway. Alternatively, specific and durable cancer immunotherapies designed to actively "train" or stimulate the patient's intrinsic immune response have been more problematic; however, recent success stories, such as the cell-based immunotherapy Provenge, have revitalized this field. Dendreon's approach modifies the patients' own dendritic cells to present a protein specific to prostate cancer cells. Dendritic cells are the most potent, "professional" antigen-presenting cells. They process the antigen material and present it on their surface to other cells of the immune system. Once activated, the dendritic cells migrate to the lymphoid tissues where they interact with T-cells and B-cells -- white blood cells and important components of the immune system -- to initiate and shape the adaptive immune response. To develop Provenge, each patient's own dendritic cells are harvested and then loaded ex vivo with the tumor-associated antigen. Now "presenting" the antigen, the dendritic cells are administered back into the patient to induce a potent, cell-mediated anticancer immune response resulting in tumor shrinkage and clinical benefit. In another experimental approach for the treatment of leukemia, patients' own modified T-cells were infused back into the patients. Prior to this, the T-cells were transduced with a lentivirus to express the CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor. CD19 is an antigen which is found on B-cell neoplasms, cancerous B-cells, and the lentivirus was the vehicle to transfer the genetic material for CD19 into the cells. A case report published in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was in ongoing remission 10 months after treatment.³ These promising results have spurred continued research for new and safe ways to achieve effective tumor vaccination, and drug developers have explored many cancer immunotherapy strategies. To generate an effective antitumor immunity, therapeutic intervention should drive several functions; specifically, it should promote the antigen presentation functions of dendritic cells, promote the production of protective T-cell responses, stimulate B-cells and overcome immunosuppression characteristics that are common to tumor cells.⁴ Cell-based therapeutic vaccines are most frequently produced outside the patient's body and involve isolation of the specific cells, such as dendritic cells, and the introduction of preselected antigens, often with the use of specific vehicle, into the cells. The antigens can be encoded in viral vectors (frequently DNA) or administered as peptides or proteins in a suitable adjuvant and carrier through a long and cumbersome process. During my doctoral thesis, I conducted immunization experiments using RNA as a negative control, assuming that the RNA would be degraded during the experiment thus making it impossible to use as a vaccine. The physiological role of messenger (m) RNA is to transfer genetic information from the nucleus to the cytoplasm where this information is translated into the corresponding protein. mRNA is known to be very unstable and has a relatively short half-life. But astonishingly, we were able to measure a solid T-cell immune response. We repeated the experiment and confirmed that the RNA we had produced had the potential to be used as a vaccine. Importantly, we didn't need to isolate the patients' cells: mRNA-based vaccines can be injected directly into the skin (intradermal). The mRNA-based vaccines are then taken up by antigen-presenting cells, such as dendritic cells, and are then able to induce an immune response. Importantly, mRNA-vaccines can also be synthesized quickly for any antigen sequence identified.⁵ The first mRNA-based vaccines (RNActive(R)) are now in the clinic for the treatment of prostate cancer and lung cancer and have demonstrated that they do what they are supposed to do - induce a balanced humoral, as well as T cell-mediated, immune response that is entirely HLA independent. The HLA (human leukocyte antigen) system is used to differentiate the body's own cells (self) and non-self cells. Additionally, RNA-vaccines do not need a vehicle such as a virus for delivery to the cells, nor do they contain virus-derived elements that are often found in DNA-vaccines. These attributes make RNActive a very safe therapeutic. The risk of integration of the RNA into the host-genome is minimized (RNA would have been transcribed first to DNA, and then it has to be transported to the nucleus), as is the residual risk of DNA-based vaccines for inactivating or activating genes or affecting cellular regulatory elements, which can induce oncogenesis. Thus, the favorable safety profile of mRNA-based therapies broadens their potential use not only for the treatment of diseases but for use as prophylactic vaccinations. A recent proof-of-concept study using mRNA-based vaccines (RNActive) in animal models for influenza was published in Nature Biotechnology.⁶ Therapeutic cancer immunotherapies and vaccines have come a long way, and novel, promising approaches give hope for safe and effective treatment options. This may one day lead to the treatment of all cancers as chronic diseases. Literature ¹Kirkwood JM, Butterfield LH, Tarhini AA, Zarour H, Kalinski P, Ferrone S: Immunotherapy of cancer in 2012. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012 ²June CH, Blazar BR: T-Cell Infusions: A New Tool for Transfusion Medicine That Has Come of Age. Presentation at 54^th ASH Annual Meeting 2013 ³Porter DL, Levine BL, Kalos M, Bagg A, and June CH: Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified T Cells in Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia. N Engl J Med 2011 ⁴Mellman I, Coukos G, Dranoff G: Cancer immunotherapy comes of age. Nature. 2011 Petsch B, Schnee M, Vogel AB, Lange E, Hoffmann B, Voss D, Schlake T, Thess A, Kallen KJ, ⁵Hoerr I, Obst R, Rammensee HG, Jung G: In vivo application of RNA leads to induction of specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and antibodies. Eur J Immunol. 2000 ⁶Petsch B, Schnee M, Vogel AB, Lange E, Hoffmann B, Voss D, Schlake T, Thess A, Kallen KJ, Stitz L, Kramps T: Protective efficacy of in vitro synthesized, specific mRNA vaccines against influenza A virus infection. Nat Biotechnol. 2012 ? Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.
? 2012 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cancer-immunotherapy-where-going-122400924.html

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Eric Chua : Life, Business and Real Estate in Singapore ? Try These ...

Many people are drawn to commercial real estate investing because of its potential for high profit, but the truth is that this type of investing also requires a high amount of perseverance, preparation, and research. A lot of people just like yourself become successful at real estate investing by keeping informed and applying the tips in the following article. Stick to the advice presented below to help you succeed in the world of commercial real estate.

It is prudent to consult a tax specialist before purchasing real estate. You adviser can help you calculate the overall cost you will incur in making the purchase, and what portion of the income deriving from the property will be taxable. Work with them so that you can find a lower tax area.

One counterintuitive fact about the apartment market is that many experts recommend avoiding properties with fewer than ten units, as they are actually more of a pain to deal with than large complexes. Each situation is different; however, the research about a particular property will govern your decision.

TIP! Before you start out on your search for the perfect commercial property, you should be fully attuned to the specifics of your business needs. Know exactly what kind of office space you will be using.

Always rent out all the available space in your commercial rental properties. You?re the one who has to pay to keep the building maintained, and if no one?s renting them, you?re wasting your money. If several of your properties are vacant, reexamine your management style and look for ways to fix issues that are keeping tenants away.

Learn how the firm you are considering measures results. How do they determine the space requirements? What is their property selection criteria? How do they negotiate? This and many other little details will all affect your dealings. Understanding where they stand in regards to these things before you sign with this company will be a wise decision.

Before buying a commercial property, research its net operating income to make sure you don?t lose money. Success means that your income outweighs your operating costs.

TIP! Before you present an offer for commercial property, be sure to have your funding source in place. Discuss the situation with your loved ones as well as other investors, and create a list of good lenders available to you.

Go as big as you can when you?re looking at a commercial real estate investment. You may only have planned to buy a five-unit building, but managing 10 or even 50 units will not be any harder. Even a building with five units needs to be commercially financed the same way as a larger building. However, the more units a building has, the less money you?ll pay per unit.

Negotiating is essential. Make sure that you are heard and that you fight for a fair price for the property.

Real Estate Broker

TIP! Try to consider feng shui when you are looking to buy commercial properties and for your office at home. De-cluttering and open spaces are two key tenets, both of which are attractive to buyers.

In order to find a reputable real estate broker who is going to suit your needs, ask your preferred choices some questions, including their idea of what constitutes a success and a failure. Have them define what they consider to be a good result. Gain a clear understanding of their preferred strategies and methods. You need to share the same strategies and beliefs as your real estate broker in order to work successfully with them.

Write down your goals before you start to search out the perfect commercial property. Will the property be used to operate your own company, or will you lease it out to other businesses? It is important to have things like this nailed down before you start the process, so you do not find yourself struggling with these questions, when by this point in the game, you should be focused on other aspects of any potential deal.

Take some digital photos of your property. Make certain your photos highlight specific defects such as carpet spots, wall holes and bathroom discolorations.

TIP! Net Operating Income, the commercial metric for real estate, needs to be understood. In order to be successful, you will have to make sure that you never dip into the negative.

Start posting on a blog to give yourself an expert reputation. You will be able to find a buyer for your property or someone who will lease spaces.

You should always know how to get in touch with emergency maintenance. Inquire with your landlord about who handles the emergency repairs in the space you rent. It is important to keep these contact phone numbers handy and to have a good understanding of how long it will take for them to respond if needed. In case a maintenance emergency should happen, you can use the information provided to lay out an emergency business and customer service plan to save your company?s reputation in case your business is interrupted.

When purchasing commercial real estate, it?s important that you understand the property you?re purchasing may be a lifelong investment. A lot of people will completely ignore the fact that they may have to spend big money in maintaining the property. Make sure that you don?t fall into this trap. The property could need major improvements like a roof replacement or total rewiring. Every building will eventually need upgrades and repairs, and some need them more than others. It is important to build these expenses into your long term budget.

TIP! Create or purchase an inspection checklist before starting to evaluate properties. Tour each potential property, and check how well it meets the requirements on the list.

Real Estate Investing

If you have understood and apply the advice you just read about, you will be on your way to a successful start in commercial real estate investing. By implementing the tips that you have read, you can enjoy success with the many wonderful commercial real estate investing opportunities that are available.

Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/try-these-great-suggestions-for-commercial-real-estate-5

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Half a ?cliff? may be better than none (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/272876460?client_source=feed&format=rss

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What Are Some Side Effects of Ovarian Cancer Treatment ...

December 24, 2012 Cervical dysplasia researcher Cervical Cancer

Once diagnosed with ovarian cancer, a treatment plan, based on type and stage of the cancer is developed and put into motion by you and your health care team. However, once this has proven successful, there may be some side or after effects of the treatment that you have to contend with. Here in no particular order are some side effects you may see, depending on the type of treatment given.

After surgery, a patient may have difficulty going to the bathroom and may experience pain. This is normal and should not be long term. You can and should ask the health care staff for medication that will ease the pain. For a time after surgery, your normal activities will be curtailed to allow the healing process to take place.

If the ovaries were removed, you will experience menopause. Hormone replacement therapy is commonly used to ease such symptoms as hot flashes and vaginal dryness in menopausal women.

The side effects of chemotherapy depend mainly on which drugs the patient receives. In addition, side effects vary from patient to patient. Since chemotherapy kills the cancerous cells but also the white blood cells, women may lose their hair and may have other side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, or mouth sores. Usually the doctor can suggest diet changes or medications to ease these problems. Most side effects of chemotherapy gradually go away during the recovery period or after treatment stops.

Patients who receive radiation therapy are likely to become very tired, especially in the later weeks of treatment. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or urinary discomfort. Other side effects can include vaginal dryness and interference with intercourse.

Laura Guthrie is a former cancer patient who successfully recovered. She now shares her best of the best information to give back.

She?s put together a website simply to give back to people just like you with tons of free information, you can get free instant access at [http://www.savemefromcancer.com]

We hope you got lots of value from this article, good luck in your journey.

Cancer, Effects, Ovarian, treatment

Source: http://cervicaldysplasia.healthrisks.biz/what-are-some-side-effects-of-ovarian-cancer-treatment-2/

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Diy A Dish Network Channel For Home Improvement - Your Favorite ...

Do you have plans to rebuild your Residence or give it a full makeover? It can be a mammoth activity that is not only tough to accomplish but as well needs a lot of funds, time and power. If one thing goes incorrect you have to do the points over once again and that suggests difficulty for absolutely everyone. You need to invest additional cash and instruct the technicians afresh and supervise their performs. But who has such a extended time in hand to do all the factors. You can rather take the matters into your personal hand and do it oneself. But executing it oneself as well is not an uncomplicated job. To do it like the specialists, you need to study it from the pros at initially. No challenge, DISH Television is right here to assistance you.

Asking yourself how is that doable? DISH Network has introduced a new channel in its line up. The channel is identified as DIY yes that is the name of the channel. From the channel name you can very effectively study the notion and the contents of the channel. It is all about undertaking factors all by oneself and this channel will guide you with regards to the approaches. On this channel you can get a wide array of applications. Most of these applications are based on home improvement. Watching these satellite Television applications you can redecorate your home and make it appear far more functional eye-catching and storage savvy.

Will need to turn your master bedroom in a peaceful haven exactly where you can unwind your self? The shows of the DISH Television channel will tell you the exact tactics for the similar. It can be as uncomplicated as a fresh coat of paint or new wallpaper. The lighting arrangement and wall dcor may well as well have a aspect to play in this. Get to see some good dcor in this channel and collect some swift inspiration.

Searching for a luxurious bathroom? Understand far more about the luxurious bath accessories and fixtures from the satellite Television shows shown on this channel. Watching these shows you can truly make a wonderful bathroom even when you have restricted room for the very same. All you need to do is to make the location a lot more functional.

Need to have to have a guy room in the Home exactly where you can just chill out? The channel brings you inspirations for these too. You can now develop a sports themed or music themed room for your personal in the Home and have a wonderful time.

How about a landscaping project in your backyard? Draw some inspiration from the shows obtainable on DIY, a satellite Television channel offered with DISH Network. You can have a jolly fantastic time with this channel. There are a quantity of other home improvement tasks accessible with the satellite Television network. You can watch any of them and turn your home into a peaceful adobe. You can as well decorate your new Home with the inspirations derived from the shows in this DISH Network channel. So get prepared to give your home a total new appear.

Remain Updated With yourfavoritewhiteboy.com

Source: http://yourfavoritewhiteboy.com/diy-a-dish-network-channel-for-home-improvement.html

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Accounting System Documentation | Accounting | Business Analysis ...

Tax Type Tax Rate Tax ID or Company no.

eg. VAT, GST ? Registration no.

Source: http://www.freelancer.com/projects/Accounting-Finance/Accounting-System-Documentation.html

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Health & Fitness 2016: Nursing EMT Deluxe - Ethan Martinez 13's blog

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Source: http://ethanmartinez.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/health-fitness-2016-nursing-emt-deluxe.html

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Housing Starts, Building Permits Rising Into 2013 - Dollars and Homes

Single-family housing starts took a small step back in November.

According to the monthly Housing Starts report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, single-family housing starts tallied 565,000 in November 2012 on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. This marks a 4 percent decline from October, but is more than 100,000 higher than the count from 12 months ago.

Clearly, the nation?s new home construction market is expanding.

On a regional basis, single-family housing starts have been strongest in the Midwest; and Hurricane Sandy appears to have affected the number of starts across the Northeast.

As compared to one year ago:

• Northeast Region : Housing starts down 19% on an annual basis
• Midwest Region : Housing starts up 40% on an annual basis
• South Region : Housing starts up 24% on an annual basis
• West Region : Housing starts up 33% on an annual basis

It?s expected that new construction growth will continue into 2013, too. This is because the Department of Commerce report also showed Building Permits mostly unchanged for November at 565,000 units on a seasonally-adjusted annualized basis.

As compared to November 2011, this marks a 25% increase. Permits for multi-family homes are up 17%, too.

There are more building permits being issued today that at any time in the last 4 years.

For home buyers, this may be good news. Rising permits and housing starts suggests a more healthy U.S. economy, but it also means that home supplies may not be as tight throughout the next few months.

Overly-tight home supplies in some U.S. markets have contributed to rapidly rising home values. With more construction and larger home inventories, home prices may rise in 2013 less slowly.

The good news, though, is the mortgage rates in Kansas City remain near all-time lows and low- and no-downpayment mortgage programs are abundant. For today?s home buyer, there are plenty of affordable ways to purchase a home.

Talk with your real estate agent and your loan officer to see which plan works best for you.

Source: http://www.dollarsandhomes.com/2012/12/housing-starts-november-2012.html

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PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif lashes out at military | NewsPakistan.PK

December 21st, 2012 by Web Desk | No Comment |

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif lashed out at the military, blaming the current situation of the country on the generals.

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While addressing a ceremony the former two-time prime minister asserted that the days of taking extra-constitutional steps are long gone. The nation will now support rule of law and democracy instead of any dictator, he said.

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He observed, ?Each and every person living in Pakistan is bound to follow the constitution and no one is above the law. If someone thinks they are supreme to the law, they are living in a fool?s paradise. Military dictators had overthrown prime ministers, hanged people and sent some on exile, and none of them cared about the alarming situation of the country?s economy.?

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The PML-N chief also said that it was pathetic that none of the generals have been held accountable. The PML-N chief further said his party mended the relationship between Pakistan and India, and both nations were headed towards progress.

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Unfortunately, he added, a dictator sabotaged that process and brought the country back to square one. Nawaz also pointed out that a civilian government is going to complete its five-year tenure without military intervention for the first time in Pakistan?s history.

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He further said that the upcoming elections would be an ?accountability day?, during which the nation would make a choice between who works hard for the county and those who loot the nation?s money.

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Speaking on the issue of minorities, Nawaz said there should not be any distinction between majority and minority as each citizen of the country has equal rights.

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The PML-N Chief regretted the shelving of Kalabagh Dam, saying those who tried to show the nation greener pastures on the other side of the fence will also end up empty-handed.

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He said if he was afforded a chance to serve to people, he would create communication links on the lines of projects like motorways and metro.

Source: http://www.newspakistan.pk/2012/12/21/pml-n-chief-nawaz-sharif-lashes-military/

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English Department Profile ? BHS Devil's Advocate

By Catherine Han

Students in Ms. Stuart class

The English Department at Burlington High School wants to provide students with the ?best learning atmosphere, so there have been changes and will be future improvements within the department.

The English Department focus is to ?unify what we teach in our writing component, increase our grammatical study in grades 9 and 10, introducing new texts across all four years at BHS, and providing better support for students who request more assistance with reading and writing? stated Department Head Mr. Lally.

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With a new school year, there is always a change. Mrs. Ford and Ms. Graham have returned from their maternity leave absences. Unfortunately, Mr. Field, a Public speaking and Creative Writing teacher, retired at the end of last year. After the long use of Word Wealth and the Sadlier Oxford books, this year freshmen are being introduced to an online vocabulary textbook. ???Also, the vocabulary textbook in in the process of being translated into an iTunes app was released called Exploros, and this text will be extended to the sophomore classes starting next year.

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?????????Also, there has been a variety of books added to the core classes. Some of the books included are Hamilton?s Mythology ( gr 9), The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (gr 10) and Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (gr 11) as well as units on Media Literacy and Eastern European Fiction to our British and World Literature class (gr12).

The core courses offered at BHS is Introduction to Literature I during Freshmen year, Introduction to Literature II during Sophomore Year, American Literature or AP Language & Composition during Junior Year, and British and World Literature or AP Literature & Composition.

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The English Department is the largest department at BHS. The Department itself has 16 teachers. Also, it is one of only two departments that requires all ?four full years to graduate. The first two years focus on a broad range of literary styles, with a greater stress on grammar and vocabulary acquisition, while the last two years are studies in American Literature during junior year, and British/World Literature during senior year.

There will be two new classes in January, Young Adult Fiction and Creative Writing: Poetry. The Creative Writing Course has existed at BHS for many years, but it has never had a class dedicated entirely to writing poetry.

If students want to focus their studies in the subject of English, they can take electives or clubs along with their current English course. The English electives and clubs offered here at BHS are Collab, Idle Hands, Poetry Club,Debate Team, Future Teachers of America, and Factahalon.

Collab is a national award-winning literary magazine published by the students of BHS, Idle Hands is BHS Improv Club, Poetry Club is where students can make poems and recite them, Debate Team is where students prepare for and participate in formal competitive debates and sponsors forums and open discussion to the student body, Future Teachers of America is where students explore careers in education , and Factahalon is where volunteer students make teams of four to compete, using a quiz show format.

The upcoming events for this year is Poetry Out Loud, and Collab writing contests for seniors ?For the first time, the Poetry Out Loud finals will be treated as an in-house field trip for all seniors,? explained Mr. Lally, the head of the English Department. In the past, a lot of seniors were not able to see the entire final round because of schedule conflicts. This year, BHS will invite all senior down to watch the finals in their entirety.

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Overall, the English Department is creating new changes to improve students here at BHS, Lally states ? The English Department is a pleasure working with such a dedicated and energetic group of peers.?

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Source: http://bhsdevilsadvocate.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/english-department-profile/

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Apple's Passbook Patent Comes to Life Along with Many Others

On December 20, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a series of eight original patent applications from Apple. In our first report this morning, we focused on a single invention relating to enhanced haptics for future keyboards and more. In our second and final patent report of the day we present you with a brief roundup of the other original patents that were published today covering Passbook, Accessibility, duplex audio and much more.??

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Apple's Passbook Patent Comes to Light

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Today, one of Apple's Passbook patents have come to light. Apple's Passbook is an application in iOS that allows users to store coupons, boarding passes, tickets including concert tickets, store cards and other forms of mobile payment. It was designed by Apple and announced at the 2012 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 11, 2012. The application was released with iOS 6 on September 19, 2012. Passbook is a key part of Apple's future iWallet that they've described in many previously published patent applications.

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Apple's patent FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a paper coupon being entered into the user's coupon wallet; FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary coupon reminder on a mobile device; and FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary coupon stored in the user's coupon wallet.

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Patent Credits

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Apple credits Ryan Klems as the sole inventor of this patent which was originally filed in Q2 2011. For those wishing to dig further into Apple's Passbook patent, see patent application 20120323664. Chalk up another patent fulfilled.

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Other New Patent Applications Published Today

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The following are Apple's other patent applications published by the US Patent Office today:

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20120321112: Titled "Selecting Digital Stream Based on an Audio Sample." Apple's patent application generally relates to their Accessibility features for the disabled. In this patent application, Apple describes one or more digital streams that could be selected from a number of received digital streams by a portable device. At least one of the digital streams could thereafter be transmitted to a hearing aid device connected to the portable device.

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20120323797: Titled "System for Back Tracing a Component used in Manufacture." Apple's patent application generally relates to maintaining the traceability of manufacturing components. More specifically, tracking the origin of light emitting diodes (LEDs) affixed to a lightbar using a component tracking database for tracking the position of LEDs affixed to a lightbar during a lightbar manufacturing process is disclosed.

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20120320807: Titled "Duplex Audio for Mobile Communication Device and Accessory." Apple's patent application generally relates to providing duplex audio operation between an accessory and a mobile communication device. The mobile communication device in some embodiments has a built-in speaker and microphone, allowing the device to be used as a telephone handset, voice recorder, audio player, or the like. The mobile communication device could incorporate echo cancellation processing between the built-in speaker and microphone. For example, to the extent that the built-in microphone picks up sounds emanating from the built-in speaker, the mobile communication device could cancel this contribution to the microphone signal, thus providing a cleaner sound experience. Some mobile communication devices are designed to automatically perform echo cancellation during a phone call or at other times when sound is concurrently being produced by the device's speaker and detected by the device's microphone.

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20120324107: Titled "Shared Access to a Local Service"

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20120319666: Titled "Low Noise External Enable Switcher Control Signal using On-Chip Switcher."

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20120321184: Titled "Video Acquisition with Processing based on Ancillary Data." Apple's patent application generally relates to techniques and systems that could be implemented to improve the quality of images detected by image sensors to improve the quality of the detected images. In some implementations, the described techniques and systems can be used to enable CMOS sensors to be used in place of relatively expensive CCD sensors, such as to achieve comparable quality from a CMOS sensor as from a CCD sensor.

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Continuation Patents Published Today

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In addition to the seven patent applications presented in today's report, the US Patent and Trademark Office did publish a series of five older continuation patents dating back to between 2008 and 2009. The continuation patents that we list below are specifically referenced as such under the section titled "Cross-Reference to Related Applications." Generally speaking, continuation patents represent tweaks made to patent claims in an effort to get the patents granted by the USPTO and don't represent any noteworthy new development from the original patent filing. Here are today's continuation patents should you wish to review them:

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20120318653: This is a Continuation of an old 2008 Patent Application Titled "Hold Switch." This relates to the hold button found on an iPod.

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20120321495: This is a Continuation of an old 2009 Patent Application Titled "Centrifugal Blower with asymmetrical blade spacing." Apple's patent application relates to the centrifugal fan or blower that's part of a cooling system in Mac computers. Two other continuation patents by the same name include numbers 20120321494 and 20120321493

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20120322465: This is a Continuation of an old 2009 Patent Application titled "Location-based Network Detection."

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HP Granted a Patent for a Wild Futuristic Product: Robotic Skin

Google's Gmail Finally a Registered Trademark in the US

Hon Hai Intros the Hybrid Notebook Trackpad/Wireless Mouse

Microsoft Seeks Patent for New Slide-Out Flex-Display Devices

Microsoft Reveals Multiplayer Gaming Extending to Mobile Devices

A New Project Glass Patent from Google Spells out Features, Apps & Powerful Patent Claims

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Source: http://patentlyapple.feedsportal.com/c/34438/f/628517/s/26cba0c7/l/0L0Spatentlyapple0N0Cpatently0Eapple0C20A120C120Capples0Epassbook0Epatent0Ecomes0Eto0Elife0Ealong0Ewith0Emany0Eothers0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Texas cancer agency's nonprofit defends privacy

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? A foundation that boosts executive salaries at Texas' troubled $3 billion cancer-fighting effort defended to critical lawmakers Thursday a policy that keeps donors confidential while being lectured over appearances of pay-to-play politics.

Facing pointed and occasionally combative questions from state budget-writers, officials with the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas appeared before a public panel for the first time since prosecutors announced a criminal probe into the beleaguered agency and Gov. Rick Perry called for a moratorium on new awards.

Not all members of the influential House Appropriations Committee were happy with who showed up to testify. Absent were the three top agency executives who have resigned in the past eight months: Executive Director Bill Gimson, Chief Commercialization Officer Jerry Cobbs and Chief Scientific Officer Alfred Gilman.

All three are principal players surrounding $11 million in taxpayer funds that were awarded in 2010 to a private startup despite the project bypassing an independent review. Republican Jim Pitts, chairman of the House committee, left the door open to the agency's former leadership being hauled in front of lawmakers as soon as January.

That left Barbara Canales, vice president of the nonprofit CPRIT Foundation and a member of the agency's governing board, answering recurring and tough questions about the role of the nonprofit arm. One of the foundation's chief purposes is to supplement the salaries of top institute executives, including Gimson, whose annual salary was $300,000.

The foundation has denied media requests to make its donor list public.

"We have a balancing act to weigh here as board members, and to protect the privacy of our donors so they're not unfairly solicited," Canales said.

Rules prohibit donors from being awarded institute grants, Canales and CPRIT officials testified. But Democrat Rep. Sylvester Turner ? who said, "We want an organization with integrity, not a slush fund" ? and other lawmakers pressed for certainty that foundation donors were not connected to grant winners.

"What I can tell you is: To the best of my knowledge, it is not our policy to accept donors who are also grant" recipients, Canales said.

Republican Rep. Myra Crownover and other board member said the mere appearance was problematic.

"The pay-to-play potential ? maybe there should be more division," Crownover said.

The foundation has raised around $700,000 in each the last two years, according to Canales.

Thursday's hearing came a day after Perry and other state leaders called for a moratorium on new grants until confidence is restored in a once-celebrated agency that has been thrown into upheaval in just three years. The institute controls the nation's second-largest pot of cancer research dollars, behind the National Institutes of Health.

The federal department's cancer-research arm, the National Cancer Institute, also has said it is reviewing the troubles surrounding the Texas agency.

Turmoil has beset the Texas agency practically all year, but prosecutors didn't take notice until the revelation of an $11 million award to Dallas-based Peloton Therapeutics that was approved without an independent review. Gimson has chalked up the award as an honest mistake and has said that, to his knowledge, no one at the agency personally profited from the award.

Peloton received its funding in 2010. Lawmakers asked agency officials whether any of its leadership had known for the last two years that Peloton's proposal had never been scrutinized.

"I can't look into the mind of employees," said Kristen Doyle, the agency's general counsel. "But there are investigations that are going to answer those questions,"

___

Follow Paul J. Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pauljweber

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-cancer-agencys-nonprofit-defends-privacy-005216301.html

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Rebel Wilson to Host MTV Movie Awards (Video) | TheWrap TV

"Bridesmaids" and "Pitch Perfect" star Rebel Wilson will host the MTV Movie Awards in April.

The announcement comes as the 26-year-old Australian has landed on a several end-of-the-year lists, including the New York Times' ?2012 Hollywood Heroines? list, Entertainment Weekly?s ?2012 Top Entertainers? list and New York Magazine?s ?Best Entertainers? list.

Wilson will host the first MTV movie awards to take place in the spring. Though past airings have been in June, the earlier airdate will allow MTV to get the jump on the summer blockbusters the show helps young stars promote as they hand out and collect their prizes.

Here is Wilson's first promo for the show:

Related Wrap Stories

Source: http://www.thewrap.com/tv/column-post/rebel-wilson-host-mtv-movie-awards-70446

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Japan next PM Abe: BOJ carrying out policy steps that we seek

Published December 20, 2012

Reuters

TOKYO ? ?Japan's incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday that the Bank of Japan is carrying out policy steps sought by his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) one at a time.

Abe, speaking at a LDP meeting, said that he received a phone call from BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa earlier in the day informing him of the central bank's monetary policy decision.

The BOJ delivered its third dose of monetary stimulus in four months on Thursday in a prelude to more aggressive action next year, as it faces intensifying pressure from Abe to strive harder to beat deflation.

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Writing by Shinichi Saoshiro; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

Source: http://feeds.foxbusiness.com/~r/foxbusiness/latest/~3/wH6IgqvxDNc/

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People can't hear me on my Samsung Galaxy S3

When I send or receive a call, the person on the other side can't hear me.

Sometimes, the microphone goes mute during the call. But when I check if the phone is on mute, but it isn't. It happens randomly.

The microphone seems to be OK, and I think this is probably a software problem. Would upgrading the OS (from ICS to JB) fix this?

Source: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/35834/people-cant-hear-me-on-my-samsung-galaxy-s3

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House GOP focusing on fiscal cliff backup plan

WASHINGTON -- The White House threatened Wednesday to veto House Speaker John Boehner's backup plan for averting the "fiscal cliff," saying it was time for Republicans to stop political posturing and continue trying to reach a compromise deficit-cutting package.

Boehner, R-Ohio, proposed his so-called Plan B on Tuesday, a measure that would block tax cuts from being triggered Jan. 1 on everyone but those whose incomes exceed $1 million. The White House said Boehner's package did not raise enough revenue from the country's top earners, would leave too big a deficit-reduction burden on the middle class and omitted tax breaks used by families and businesses.

"The president urges the Republican leadership to work with us to resolve remaining differences and find a reasonable solution to this situation today instead of engaging in political exercises that increase the possibility that taxes go up on every American," White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said in a written statement.

Boehner is planning a House vote on his proposal on Thursday, hoping that it will raise pressure on President Barack Obama to make concessions as both sides continue reaching for a bipartisan deal on averting the "fiscal cliff." Without an agreement among lawmakers, hundreds of billions of broad tax increases on nearly all taxpayers and budget-wide spending cuts will be triggered in early January.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also tried raising pressure on Obama, saying the president was risking his chance to strike a major budget deal with the GOP.

"He has a real opportunity to show he can govern," McConnell said on the Senate floor. "He's letting that opportunity slip away."

House GOP leaders are facing a problem with their Plan B strategy - they are laboring to line up enough support for the measure in the face of conservatives reluctant to boost anyone's taxes. Even if it could survive in the House, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has declared it dead in his chamber and now the White House has promised to veto it should it somehow reach Obama's desk.

The backup plan by Boehner, R-Ohio, would do nothing to head off deep cuts in defense and domestic programs scheduled to begin taking effect in January. And it contains none of the spending reductions that both President Barack Obama and Boehner have proposed in their efforts to strike a compromise.

"The speaker is trying to get as much leverage as he can to deal with the president," said Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., describing the pressure Republicans were hoping it would put on the White House. But he added that he wasn't sure the plan was the best way to get that leverage.

"I'm still trying to figure that out," Boustany said.

Others were more supportive. Rep. Patrick Tiberi, R-Ohio, said Plan B would let Republicans vote to protect as many people as possible from tax hikes while leaving Democrats with the blame if it failed.

If the Senate decides not to vote on the House bill or ignores it, "That's not our problem," Tiberi said. "The ball's in Harry Reid's court."

Besides letting tax rates rise only on incomes exceeding $1 million, Boehner's Plan B also would boost the top rate on capital gains and dividends from their current 15 percent to 20 percent for earnings over $1 million, preventing higher increases. It would continue current tax levels on inherited estates - less than Obama wants - and prevent the alternative minimum tax from raising taxes owed by 28 million middle- and upper-class families.

Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor, Jim Kuhnhenn and Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/19/3148566/house-gop-focusing-on-fiscal-cliff.html

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Facebook Is Killing Instagram

Between its petty battle with Twitter and imperious demand to sell your photos, it is time to look for a new photo-sharing service.

Tech enthusiasts will recognize the pattern: early adoption, fanatical following, and then inevitable disillusionment. This is the pattern I followed with Twitter, Foursquare, and now Instagram.

I do some of my most personal social networking on Instagram, posting photos of cocktails and sunsets to break up my conventional tech links and snarky commentary. But like many Instagram loyalists, I was worried the Facebook acquisition would ruin the service. As far as I can tell, that is exactly what is happening.

Last week, Instagram removed the ability to easily see picture previews in your Twitter feed. One of the things I liked most about Instagram was that I could post an image, link, and location to Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare from within the app. The ability to cross-post drove my early Foursquare usage, and Instagram was the perfect replacement. Unfortunately, the company seemed to take offense that Twitter was releasing its own photo filters and decided to throw a monkey wrench into that plan.

As annoying as its move was, it doesn't seem to be hurting Instagram's traffic. With previews turned off, Instagram is actually getting more referrals from Twitter. Good for Instagram, bad for users.

It was frustrating indeed, but it seems Instagram saved the big news for this week. Companies routinely update their terms of service and privacy policies and, frankly, I rarely pay attention. I understand the tradeoffs that come when you are using a free service?it could be a big ugly ad on the homepage or the ability to target you based on demographic information.

Even so, the language in Instagram's new terms of service is stark: You agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.

Say what you will, but that isn't ambiguous. Any photo you take can be sold to a stock agency, used in an advertisement, or just data mined to create a visual component to your online profile. That great photo of you drinking a Budweiser with your dudes? Classic! So classic it will now be on every billboard and cab in New York City. Mom will be proud.

To be clear, Instagram isn't saying it "owns" your photos. In fact, the TOS specifically states, "Instagram does not claim ownership of any content that you post on or through the Service."

"Instead, you hereby grant to Instagram a non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide license to use the content that you post on or through the service, except that you can control who can view certain of your content and activities on the service as described in the service's privacy policy, available here: http://instagram.com/legal/privacy," the updated policy says.

But you own the photos, 100 percent.

Indeed, the idea of ownership is a tricky one here. No one can expect a photo shared on Instagram to be private; the service is designed to make it public. And yet, there should be a distinction between what is pubic and what can be sold, licensed, or otherwise used for commercial gain. If I take an adorable picture of my son eating a bowl of Cheerios, I should have some say over whether that photo is used in a television commercial. (Although, at 18 years old, he probably doesn't fit the target demographic.)

Of course, Instagram needs to make money. You can't complain when you are using the service for free. As the Atlantic's Alex Madrigal argues, this is exactly why you should be willing to pay for software. And yet, there are other ways to make money. The easiest ways would be to ask some of its 100 million users to cough up a few bucks a year.

Better still, imagine an Instagram where users did have some control over how their photos were used?and could even profit from their commercial use. You would have an army of users trying to take cool photos of people drinking Pepsi. The user base would be invested, literally.

Instead, we are just pissed.

I have only been using Instagram since it ported to Android. I have posted 136 photos, have 138 followers, and follow 43 people. Twitter now has hipster filters just like Instagram. And I hear Flickr's new mobile app is much improved.

For now you can follow me on Instagram at danscosta, but probably not for much longer. For more, check out How to Quit Instagram and Take Your Photos With You.

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Follow me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/dancosta

More Dan Costa:
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Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2413339,00.asp?kc=PCRSS05079TX1K0000993

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Analysts: Chinese Drone Technology Advancing Rapidly

Analysts say China is using its rapidly expanding defense budget to make impressive advances in drone technology, prompting some to worry that the United States' global dominance in the market could soon be challenged.

At a recent biennial airshow in the southern coastal city of Zhuhai, China unveiled a new generation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Long-time observers of Chinese military capability reported the drones on display were bigger and more sophisticated than in the past.

Though many of the prototypes and models on display at the Zhuhai air show did not have explicit military purposes, others appeared to be clones of U.S. drones, such as the Predator or Reaper, which have both been used in deadly missions on suspected militants.

There is no evidence suggesting China plans to use its drones in a similar manner as the United States, and observers say Beijing is still likely far behind Washington in drone technology.

US Defense Report Calls China's drone advances "alarming"

But a report published in July by the Defense Science Board, a committee that advises the U.S. Defense Department, suggested that Beijing's ramped up spending and research on drones could threaten U.S. supremacy in the sector.

The unclassified report called China's recent focus on UAVs "alarming," warning Beijing could "easily match or outpace U.S. spending on unmanned systems, rapidly close the technology gaps and become a formidable global competitor in unmanned systems."

Richard Bitzinger, an ex-CIA analyst and senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, says he dismisses parts of that report as being "melodramatic."

"There's certainly cause for concern and for watchfulness. But how could the Chinese outspend the United States on drones? I just don't see it," he said. "The United States has literally thousands of drones."

How has China used drones?

Bitzinger says it is difficult to determine how China, or any other country, uses drones, partly because of their often-times covert nature. He says drone programs with obvious military purposes are often disguised as only having humanitarian roles, such as disaster relief, counter-piracy or crime-fighting.

"Kind of all these warm fuzzies, these kind of 'mom-and-apple-pie,' benign things that you can say 'That's what we're building the drones for, and oh, by the way, we have a military purpose for them, as well," said Bitzinger. "When I hear all the kind of uplifting and peaceful-sounding kind of things [about drones], I think 'So what. They can be converted in a matter of hours, if not sooner, into an offensive, or at least an explicitly military, capability.'"

For China, state media said those reportedly peaceful missions include patrolling maritime regions. In September, the Xinhua news agency reported that China's State Oceanic Administration would step up the use of drones to "strengthen marine surveillance" in disputed areas of the South China Sea. A government report earlier this year called for 11 drone bases to be established along China's coastline by 2015.

But other missions were seemingly more mundane. The state-run Global Times reported in June that Beijing police is using a drone to spot illegal opium poppies in rural areas of the capital. Last year, the paper said the department would also use unmanned aircraft to "monitor traffic accidents, conduct aerial surveillance, or help with rescue operations."

So far there are no known instances of China carrying out deadly attacks with weaponized UAVs. But Li Yidong, a designer for the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, told the Global Times that one of the UAVs on display at the Zhuhai air show appears to have carried out 20 missions and fired 15 missiles, judging from the number of red stars and missile patterns on the drone.

At the Zhuhai air show, Huang Wei, the director of a drone program at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation told the Global Times that UAVs were, "as the Americans say," fit for missions that are "dirty, dangerous and dull."

Possible deadly missions in the future?

Bitzinger warns that if Beijing did decide to use drones for explicitly offensive missions, such as targeting suspected militants, it would likely draw on the experience of the U.S. military, which has used the highly effective unmanned planes to target militants in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

"The United States is basically field-testing the whole idea of drone warfare," said Bitzinger. "Armed hunter-killer drones have been going very well for the United States. And people walk away with this as a lesson. One of the lessons is, "Gee, it would sure be nice to have one of those things."

Wendell Minnick, Asia bureau chief at Defense News, says there is no evidence to suggest that China desires to carry out deadly drone strikes. But he says that if it did, it would likely point to U.S. drone use as justification.

"There's certainly an argument to be made that if the U.S. can make the same type of judgment call and justification for hitting militants in Pakistan, what's to stop the Chinese from hitting Tibetan or Uighur rebel groups that are technically within China's own sovereign country?" he asks.

The danger of Chinese drone exports

Another area of concern for the United States is that China will increasingly export its relatively inexpensive drone technology to nations around the world. That fear was heightened when the Global Times said in November that "some foreign sales" were reported at the Zhuhai air show.

Minnick says that Chinese drones, many of which are specifically produced for the export market, are very attractive for nations that cannot afford or are otherwise prevented from purchasing the U.S. alternatives.

"Our drone exports are very expensive platforms, very sophisticated. The Chinese produce a much cheaper variety that basically does the same job," said Minnick. "The Chinese have got cheap labor, technological know-how, and are looking at an export market that's growing."

But Bitzinger says price is only one factor that nations consider when purchasing foreign military equipment. He warns Beijing will not likely become the "Wal-Mart" of international drone sales anytime soon.

"I'm sure they'd like to be, but the question is, do you want to buy Chinese equipment?" asks Bitzinger. "The reliability, the maintenance of these things is still unproven, and there's a lot of political baggage that comes with buying Chinese [products]."

Bitzinger also says Chinese exports of drones may be limited by international arms sales regulations that govern exports of weapons and "dual-use" goods that have both civilian and military purposes.

Still, Bitzinger and other analysts warn against being dismissive of Chinese drone capability.

"I think at this point, they're still very much in that developmental, exploratory phase," he said. "That aside, I don't see them getting out of the business. I think they'll continue to work on it and get better."

Source: http://www.voanews.com/content/analysts-chinese-drone-technology-advancing-rapidly/1567739.html

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Shares, euro up on hopes of U.S. "cliff" deal, BOJ easing

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian shares rose and the euro hit multi-month highs on Wednesday as signs of progress in resolving the U.S. "fiscal cliff" budget crisis and expectations of more aggressive monetary stimulus from the Bank of Japan lifted riskier assets.

The gains in Asia came after Wall Street's S&P 500 <.spx> rose more than 1 percent, completing its best two-day run in a month, on growing confidence a deal can be reached in Washington to avoid a raft of painful spending cuts and tax rises due to take effect from January if there is no budget agreement. <.n/>

"What is important, and what is driving the market higher, is that the two parties are now in constructive discussions over specific tax levels and spending programs, and working towards a common middle ground," said Cameron Peacock, a strategist at IG Markets in Melbourne.

Industrial commodities such as oil and copper consolidated earlier gains, while gold recovered some lost ground but remained not far above its lowest in nearly four months as progress in the U.S. budget talks limited its safe-haven appeal.

JAPAN SHARES KEEP RISING

Tokyo's Nikkei share average <.n225> rose 1.3 percent, topping 10,000 points for the first time since April, as the Bank of Japan (BOJ) was starting a two-day policy meeting. <.t/>

The BOJ will ease monetary policy and consider adopting a 2 percent inflation target in January, double its current price goal, sources say, after pressure from the incoming prime minister, Shinzo Abe, for stronger efforts to beat deflation.

"The market is already in overbought territory, but investors are increasingly being alarmed that there is a risk of not having Japanese stocks in their portfolios," said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager at SMBC Nikko Securities.

Australian shares <.axjo> rose to a 17-month high, led by miners and banks. MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan <.miapj0000pus> gained 0.3 percent, while S&P 500 futures were flat.

The euro rose as far as $1.3250 on electronic trading platform EBS, its highest since the beginning of May, and against the yen it fetched 111.58, having risen as far as 111.69, its highest since late August 2011.

"Unless U.S. fiscal cliff talks take an unexpected turn for the worse, we believe that EUR/USD will meet our 1.3300 year-end target," analysts at BNP Paribas wrote in a note.

Oil held steady, with Brent crude rising a few cents to around $108.88 a barrel and U.S. crude barely changed just below $88.

"There is more upside potential for Brent because of a revival in the overall economic outlook," said Yusuke Seta, a commodities sales manager at Newedge Japan.

Copper was also flat just above $8,020 a metric ton (1.1023 tons). Copper rallied almost 8 percent from mid-November to hit a two-month high a week ago, but has since lost some ground.

Gold rose 0.3 percent to around $1,675 an ounce, after falling to $1,661.01 on Tuesday, its lowest since August.

(Additional reporting by Ayai Tomisawa in Tokyo and Ian Chua in Sydney; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shares-euro-hopes-u-cliff-deal-boj-easing-005334544--sector.html

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South Asia Masala ? The cell phone: India&#39;s society shaker

Posted by southasiamasala in : Doron, Assa, India, Jeffrey, Robin , trackback

Robin Jeffrey and Assa Doron

In a country where one of the ancient texts declares that ?if a Sudra [low-caste person] ? listens in on a Vedic recitation, his ears shall be filled with molten tin?, cheap mobile phones can be explosive (Patrick Olivelle (ed. and trans.), The Dharmas?tras. The Law Codes of Ancient India (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 12.1, p. 98). In India between 2000 and 2012, the telephone, and communications generally, have passed from the control of a tiny elite to become the daily experience of the mass of the population.

??????????????? Credit: A Doron

In the year 2000, India had 2 million mobile-phone subscribers. It had 900 million in August 2012, and the cost of a basic phone is as little as a week?s wages for a poor labourer (about INR 500 or SGD 12), and three hours of talk-time can be bought for half a day?s wages. For millions of poor people, a mobile phone has become the first??consumer durable? they have ever owned. In the film The Gods Must Be Crazy, a single Coca-Cola bottle, dropped into a stable society, caused disarray and disruption. The mobile phone is no passive Coke bottle. It?s an interactive, talking, writing, picture-taking, data-keeping, broadcasting trouble-maker ? trouble-maker, at least, if you believe that societies are fine as they are and that change and challenge are problems.

Over the past ten years, the mobile has shaken up politics, business and innumerable aspects of daily life in India.

In politics, the availability for the first time of mobile phones to devoted (but poor) party workers played a major part in the surprise victory of a Dalit-based (formerly ?untouchable?) political party in elections in the vast state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) in 2007. (Robin Jeffrey and Assa Doron, ?Mobile-izing: Democracy, Organization and India?s First Mass? Mobile Phone? Elections?, Journal of Asian Studies, vol. 71, no. 1 (February 2012), pp.63-80.) The UP story illustrated the potential and the limitations of technology. Fired-up party workers, coordinated through their mobile phones, made the difference in 2007. But many were disillusioned with the government they put in power; commitment drained away; and their party lost office in the following elections in 2012. It?s the people at the end of the phone who make the difference.

In business and commerce, the mobile has raised high hopes that farmers and fisherfolk will be able to negotiate better prices, avoid middlemen and get fast and reliable information about conditions and practices. Some of that has come to pass, but perhaps more important is the way the mobile phone brings marginalised people into relations with government and institutions.

Most Indians don?t have bank accounts. Organisations like EKO, a mobile phone-based enterprise that provides basic banking services through small shopkeepers, suggest the possibility of bringing bank-account security to tens of millions. That can mean a lot for someone who previously had to hide hard-earned cash on their person or in a tin box in a hut. It can also mean reliable payments from government or employers without interposing paymasters who may demand a slice of a cash payment as a bribe.

In households, mobile phones throw up new questions. Should a bride surrender her mobile phone when she moves into her husband?s home? Some mothers-in-law demand it. And who should be permitted the autonomy that a cell phone provides? ?No love marriages, mobiles or unescorted visits to markets for [women] up to age of 40? proclaimed a local council in a village 45 kilometres from New Delhi (The Hindu, 13 July 2012). Its all-male members were concerned that mobile phones were making the young restless and disobedient.

The ability of the cell phone to turn its owner into a broadcaster provides a new weapon for the weak. CGNet Swara, a media initiative based in central India, (Tehelka, 1 September 2012, 48?9) allows tribal people to report news by phone in their own voices and language. After checking, stories are disseminated by phone to subscribers. English summaries are circulated on the Internet. Local officials now have to be aware that demands for bribes may be recorded and passed on to their superiors or broadcast widely.

The cheap cell phone is not a cure-all for India?s ills. Mobile telephony is controlled by the powerful, and mobile phones can be used to identify and track people. But India?s mobile-phone explosion shakes society and politics more vigorously than anything since the imposition of British rule.

Robin Jeffrey and Assa Doron are the authors of The Great Indian Phone Book: How Cheap Mobile Phones Change Business, Politics and Daily Life, which will be published by C. Hurst in the UK, Hachette in India, and Harvard University Press in North America at the end of 2012.

Source: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/blogs/southasiamasala/2012/12/11/the-cell-phone-indias-society-shaker/

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AIG sells 90 pct of plane leasing unit for $5.28B - Charlotte Observer

NEW YORK American International Group Inc. on Sunday said it will sell up to 90 percent of its airplane leasing unit, International Lease Finance Corp., to a Chinese investor group for approximately $5.28 billion.

The investor group is led by Weng Xianding, chairman of New China Trust Co. Ltd., and also includes China Aviation Industrial Fund and P3 Investments Ltd. The group will acquire 80.1 percent of ILFC for approximately $4.23 billion, with an option for an additional 9.9 percent stake.

If Chinese regulatory approval is obtained and the option is exercised, the investor group is expected to expand to include New China Life Insurance Co. Ltd. and an investment arm of ICBC International, a subsidiary of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

U.S. regulatory approval is also needed. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2013.

AIG will keep at least 10 percent of the Los-Angeles based company.

ILFC will continue to operate out of Los Angeles and remain incorporated in the U.S. The division leases more than 1,000 aircraft to airlines and other customers in more than 80 countries.

CEO Henri Courpron and President Frederick S. Cromer will continue to operate and manage the business. In June, Courpron was docked $1 million in pay after acknowledging he had an inappropriate relationship with an unnamed employee that was "contrary to AIG's expectations of its officers."

The company currently employs about 560 people, including more than 450 people based in the U.S., and expects to hire additional U.S.-based staff to replace AIG-supported operations.

AIG has said the jet-leasing business is a non-core asset. The company had previously planned to take the unit public.

The insurer has been selling off parts of its business to raise money to pay back the $182 billion bailout that it received from the government during the financial crisis of 2008. It was the biggest of the government's bailouts. The government, which earlier this year owned 77 percent of AIG stock, has been gradually selling its stake. As of Sept. 30, the U.S. owned just under 16 percent of AIG's outstanding common stock, according to a regulatory filing.

AIG announced it was in talks to sell to the Chinese investment group on Friday. Investors reacted by pushing AIG stock up 2.6 percent, 87 cents, to $34.13.

Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/12/09/3717088/aig-sells-90-pct-of-plane-leasing.html

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