The same problems that plagued "La Vie en Rose," starring Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf, exist in "The Iron Lady," a biopic about Margaret Thatcher starring Meryl Streep as the former British prime minister. While both films feature strong performances from strong actresses playing strong, real-life women, the scripts are weakened by going strictly by the numbers.
Sure, Streep reliably nails her impression of Thatcher ? that swoop of big `80s hair, the measured voice, the steely demeanor. Her impeccable ear for accents and detailed mimicry of mannerisms is well-documented at this point ? who better to play this role? And there's fire beneath the reserved exterior: The way she dresses down her deputy during a crowded cabinet meeting, for example, is just withering.
But the film from Phyllida Lloyd (who previously directed Streep in the giddy ABBA musical "Mamma Mia!"), based on a script by Abi Morgan ("Shame"), reduces this high-profile life to a greatest-hits collection of historic moments. It's a trap into which so many biopics tend to fall in trying to encompass everything. Here's Thatcher's first election to public office; there's her ascension to the prime minister's post, the first (and, so far, only) time a woman achieved that rank. Here's the Falkland Islands conflict, there's the Berlin Wall coming down.
Through it all, her beloved husband, Denis (Jim Broadbent), stood by her side, until ? and after ? his death. One of the more facile and repetitive narrative devices in "The Iron Lady" features the aged, fragile Thatcher seemingly talking to herself when in reality she's speaking to her deceased husband, a symptom of the dementia that's gnawing at her once-formidable brain. (Thatcher herself is now 86 years old.) This inevitably sets up a flashback to one of the aforementioned historical events. You just know that if Thatcher is by herself in her lonely, empty home, Denis will pop up to amuse and cajole her, if only in her imagination. It happens so often you can predict it, which erodes its emotional impact and the deep sense of loss it's meant to convey.
"The Iron Lady" focuses more on Maggie the woman and only superficially explores her global political influence; the inclusion of archival footage makes the film feel especially cursory. As it traces her rise from grocer's daughter and young wife (when she's played by Alexandra Roach) to titanic, divisive figure, it pays a great deal of lip service to the importance of public service but leaves you feeling dissatisfied. You never truly get a chance to learn what motivated and drove her, especially given the gender gap she had to cross. And the idea that her family relationships suffered as a result of her political aspirations is something that's hinted at in passing and glossed over, rather than explored.
And yet, there is Streep, in an array of prim blue suits and those ever-present pearls. But even the greatest actress of our time can only do so much when the figure she's playing just isn't on the page.
"The Iron Lady," a Weinstein Co. release, is rated PG-13 for some violent images and brief nudity. Running time: 105 minutes. Two stars out of four.
___
Motion Picture Association of America rating definitions:
G ? General audiences. All ages admitted.
PG ? Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
PG-13 ? Special parental guidance strongly suggested for children under 13. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.
R ? Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
TOKYO (Reuters) ? Japan's foreign minister will suggest that Myanmar enter negotiations on a bilateral investment accord when he holds talks with the country's top officials next week, Kyodo News reported Sunday.
The talks would mark another step as Myanmar gradually reconnects with the rest of the world after decades of tight military rule.
A series of reforms have been initiated by President Thein Sein aimed at pushing for the lifting of decades of Western sanctions and attracting much-needed foreign investment in the country formerly known as Burma.
Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba is traveling to Myanmar Sunday to meet his counterpart, Wunna Maung Lwin, as well as the president next week.
In Naypyitaw, Gemba will discuss the investment accord, which would promote cross-border investment and allow trade disputes to be settled under international frameworks, Kyodo said, citing a government source.
Gemba will also meet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and will likely invite her to visit Japan in the near future, Kyodo said.
Gemba's visit is the first by a Japanese foreign minister in nine years.
In a landmark step, U.S. President Barack Obama decided last month to open the door to expanded ties, saying he saw potential for progress in a country until recently seen as an isolated military dictatorship firmly aligned with China.
That decision was followed soon after by a visit to Myanmar by U.S. Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton, during which Myanmar's new civilian government pledged to forge ahead with political reforms and re-engage with the global community.
Dec 23 (Reuters) - Frustrated for much of this year by a lingering foot injury, Britain's Paul Casey has set his sights on a healthy 2012 campaign, another victory on the U.S. PGA Tour and a long coveted return to the European Ryder Cup team.
Though the Englishman won two tournaments worldwide during 2011, his form and consistency were adversely affected after he was hampered by a sore right toe in May, a condition which was never accurately diagnosed until months later.
"It's been incredibly frustrating," Casey told. "The trouble with the toe injury was that I didn't really know what was going on until it was too late.
"I picked it up in late May, battled through it and I didn't really get a full diagnosis until August. By then, it was too late to take a medical (exemption) so I tried to play through it and got into a lot of bad habits."
An 11-times winner on the European Tour whose only PGA Tour victory came at the 2009 Houston Open, Casey played with a plate in his right shoe and his toes taped up over the last six months.
"It was a joint in my foot which wasn't allowing my foot to move correctly and that put pressure on my toe," the world number 21 said.
"What's interesting is that if I swing the club the way I should swing it, correctly and the way I used to swing it, the toe is fine.
"But those bad habits led to erratic golf. My weight got back on the heels and the club started to go up rather than around, very simply it was too steep."
Casey, who climbed to a career-high third in the world rankings in 2009, has worked hard in recent months to shift his weight back on to his toes, and on to the balls of the feet.
"That's where it should be," he said. "I need to do a better job of turning because I ended up hitting the ball with the hands and the arms this year a lot. I just need to put those things right."
WINNING TWICE
Asked to assess his 2011 campaign, Casey replied: "Well I've managed to win twice around the world, but not on the PGA Tour, and I've sort of clung on to a world ranking.
"I have dropped a bit but I am still ranked twenty-something and that's with playing very average golf for me. Touch wood, I can stay healthy and 2012 can be a great season for me."
An inveterate goal setter whose most recent victory came at the Korean tour's Shinhan Donghae Open in October, Casey has established clear-cut targets for next year.
"My very lofty goals I haven't yet achieved so they're going to be the same in 2012, and those will be the majors and World Golf (Championships) events," he said.
"But I have other goals ... winning tournaments, winning a certain number of world ranking points, making the Ryder Cup team, being back in the winner's circle on the PGA Tour."
Casey is especially motivated to represent Europe at the 2012 Ryder Cup in Medinah, Illinois, having failed to qualify for the 2010 team that regained the trophy at Celtic Manor in Wales.
"I am really hungry to get back on that team," said the 34-year-old, a Cup player in 2004, 2006 and 2008. "With the depth of talent that we've got in Europe, it's probably going to be the most difficult team to make since I've been on tour.
"But first things first, I need to win golf tournaments and get back on that team. And stay healthy."
(Editing by Julian Linden; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Happy Birthday to my favorite soap star, Susan Lucci! Can you believe that the ever so gorgeous petite actress is 65 years old today? Amazing, I tell you! I miss watching her and the rest of the Pine Valley residents. As a longtime All My Children fan, life just isn’t the same without them. My mother started watching AMC from its inception, back in 1970. I grew up with the show always on in the background and soon started to follow the storylines and the drama that always surrounded Erica Kane. She was the central part of the show, and finally, in 1999 after being nominated 19 times for an Emmy Award, she won. You can relive that moment in the video below. I still get teary eyed watching it! In my crazy busy life, I knew that I could always relax on the couch and catch up on some episodes of AMC thanks to my DVR. Now there’s a void in my life since the last episode aired on September 23rd. While many thought the show would be revived online thanks to the folks over at Prospect Park, unfortunately that no longer is true. But those wanting a La [...]
(Reuters) ? Oracle Corp's dismal quarterly results sent shock waves across the technology sector as investors feared they may have overestimated the resilience of corporate tech spending in a deteriorating global economy.
The first earnings miss in a decade from Oracle, whose fiscal second quarter ended on November 30, drove its shares down more than 11 percent on Wednesday, destroying about $20 billion of market value. The shortfall from the No. 3 software maker also hit shares of many other technology companies, with VMware Inc, NetSuite Inc, and SAP among those suffering the biggest losses.
"Is this a preliminary example of what we could expect in January from Microsoft and other players? It raises an eyebrow that things may not be as hunky dory as we've been led to believe in terms of IT spending," said Daniel Morgan, a portfolio manager at Synovus Securities in Atlanta.
The troubles at Oracle follow ominous reports from big tech names including Hewlett-Packard Co, Intel Corp and Texas Instruments Inc.
The disconcerting news on Tuesday was not limited to Silicon Valley, with U.S. industrial conglomerate Emerson Electric Co reporting a drop in orders for equipment used in big data centers. Emerson shares fell 5.4 percent to $46.97.
"Overall, we have seen in the last 60 days ... a significant weakness in this whole electronics space," said Emerson Chief Executive David Farr. "I don't see that changing for the time being."
The fourth quarter is the crucial period of the year for many technology companies because corporations tend to spend most heavily on information technology during that time in what is known as a year-end "budget flush."
Oracle's disappointing results could signal that companies won't spend all the money that they still have budgeted for 2011 technology projects, said Howard Anderson, a lecturer at MIT's Sloan School of Business, who regularly talks to CEOs of top-tier corporations.
"Confidence is not there," he said. "We have a kind of rolling recession."
Oracle's quarter ended in November, but investors worried that the decline in business confidence could signal more troubles for peers whose quarters end in December. That includes arch rival SAP AG.
"The majority of deals in the fourth quarter are traditionally closed in the last two weeks of the quarter, so the delay of Oracle's deals is a negative cross read for SAP," said Silvia Quandt analyst Michael Busse.
SAP CEO Bill McDermott declined to comment on his business, saying the company was in a quiet period.
A slowing in tech spending would be troubling for the U.S. economy, which has had few bright spots in recent years.
"Since the technical end of the recession (in June 2009) we've been seeing double-digit growth in investment in technology. If Oracle is the canary in the coalmine, that would be something to worry about," said Michael Goodman, director of economic and public policy research at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.
"There's a lot of concern about what the immediate future holds, so this may just be customers putting off investments they want to make until they feel like they have a better handle on what the future looks like," Goodman said.
MIXED SIGNALS
U.S. companies have been sending mixed signals about their spending plans for 2012. A survey released last week by the Business Roundtable found that 16 percent of CEOs of large U.S. companies planned to cut their capital spending over the next six months, up from 13 percent who had planned cuts in the third quarter.
But other data released on Wednesday by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association showed U.S. businesses signed up for $6.2 billion in loans, leases and lines of credit to fund capital expenditures in November, a 38 percent increase from the month a year ago.
Oracle's stock fell $3.40 to $25.77, its lowest close since August, making it the biggest loser in the Standard & Poor's 500 index. It was the biggest one-day percentage drop in the stock since March 4, 2002, when Oracle last surprised investors with an earnings warning.
CEO and co-founder Larry Ellison, the company's biggest shareholder, lost more than $3.8 billion on Wednesday as the stock plunged, based on his holdings published in Oracle's annual proxy filing.
The declines accounted for about 16 points of the 27.6 point drop in the S&P 1500 Software index, which suffered a 4.5 percent drop in market cap to about $511 billion. The drop in Oracle shares represents 68 percent of the decline in total market cap for the index.
(Reporting by Sayantani Ghosh in Bangalore, Maria Sheahan, Christoph Steitz and Marilyn Gerlach in Frankfurt and Nicola Leske, David Gaffen, Ryan Vlastelica and Nick Zieminski in New York; Editing by Richard Chang)
When design marketplace Brandstack was shuttered last month (with the founder blaming credit card fraud), we figured that was the end of the story. Little did I know things were about to go all M. Night Shyamalan with a last minute plot twist. DesignCrowd, an Australian design crowdsourcing platform that raised $3 million last month, has just announced that they've acquired Brandstack and will integrate it into their service (essentially rescuing Brandstack from the deadpool.)
Biggest Loser trainer and nutrition coach,?Kim Lyons, celebrated the launch of her nutrition bar,??Your Body, Your Life?, last night at the beautiful Confidential in Beverly Hills, Calif. Celebrity guests including?Taryn Manning?mingled throughout the night, eating some healthy superfoods and enjoying music by DJ Mister Mike. Voli Light Vodka and Refine Cocktail Mixers provided low-calorie [...]
ANN ARBOR, Mich. ? After a two-week layoff for finals, Alabama A&M started slowly against No. 20 Michigan.
Then, following a decent stretch toward the end of the first half, the Bulldogs were routed at the beginning of the second.
"That's a tough matchup for us," coach Willie Hayes said. "You are talking about a team with speed, strength and that can really shoot the ball. I was very happy with our effort in the first half, and I warned them at halftime that we needed to keep up the effort. We didn't do that."
Evan Smotrycz had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and the Wolverines beat Alabama A&M 87-57 on Saturday. Trey Burke led Michigan with 19 points, and Zack Novak and Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 13 each.
The Wolverines (9-2) shot 55 percent from the field, 63 percent in the second half.
Casey Canty scored 15 points for the Bulldogs (2-4). Alabama A&M was playing its first game since Dec. 3.
"We were getting ourselves back into the game at the end of the first half, but we fell apart in the second half," guard Demarquelle Tabb said. "Everyone just started trying to do their own thing and get their own shot."
It was Michigan's second consecutive game against a Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent. The Wolverines beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 63-50 on Tuesday.
Michigan took an early 13-2 lead on a nice lob from Novak to Jordan Morgan for a layup. Novak made it 22-9 with a dunk.
The Wolverines led 41-27 at halftime.
Smotrycz went 4 of 5 from the field. He's 15 of 19 over his last three games.
"Open shots are just kind of finding me," Smotrycz said. "Sometimes the hardest ones to make are the ones where no one's even near you, but I've been fortunate enough to knock those down ? so knock on wood that hopefully that continues."
The Wolverines have won four straight since a loss at Virginia on Nov. 29. They have one more tuneup remaining, at home against Bradley on Thursday night, before opening Big Ten play against Penn State on Dec. 29.
Although Michigan was never in danger of losing to UAPB, the Wolverines allowed a late run in that game and struggled with turnovers.
Against Alabama A&M, coach John Beilein was able to play his reserves extensively down the stretch. Freshman Carlton Brundidge, who had played only 15 minutes all season, had three points and two rebounds in 13 minutes on Saturday.
The Wolverines shot 7 of 11 from 3-point range in the second half and were 10 of 22 for the game.
Jeremy Ingram scored 14 points for Alabama A&M. Jeremy Crutcher added 12 and Brandon Allen contributed 10.
The Bulldogs shot only 32 percent from the field but made nine 3-pointers. They'll be right back on the court Monday night against Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
"They weren't that tough ? we beat ourselves today," Tabb said. "We should have had them, but we kept spacing out and losing track of what we were supposed to be doing. It didn't help that I kept getting hurt ? I had back spasms in the first half and then I hurt my ankle in the second half."
A criminal complaint was filed yesterday against Sam Hurd, the now-former wide receiver of the Chicago Bears. It is a shocking account of a pattern of activity from a player well-respected and seen as nothing like the one depicted in the complaint. An official at the Bears told me "He seemed like a great guy, quoting the Bible and always friendly." Most con men are.
The complaint includes an affidavit attached to it, required to show probable cause to arrest, wherein the federal agent swears under oath that this story is true.
Days before signing with Bears
On July 27, T.L. (a Hurd co-conspirator) attempted to purchase 4 kgs of cocaine on behalf of Hurd from a Homeland Security confidential informant.
They set up a meeting in Dallas and federal agents intervened, stopping T.L. for a routine traffic stop where they discovered marijuana and $88,000. T.L. said both the money and car belonged to Hurd. A vehicle registration check showed that the car did belong to Hurd. T.L. said that he routinely performed maintenance on Hurd's cars. The authorities seized the money and released T.L.
On July 28 Hurd contacted and met with federal agents, stating that he was a Dallas Cowboy and that the $88,000 was his. He claimed he withdrew the money from a certain bank account and packed the money in his car prior to leaving it with T.L. for "maintenance and detailing." The agents reviewed the bank statement, which didn't corroborate Hurd's story as the transactions and amounts differed.
On July 29, Hurd signed a three-year contract with the Bears that provided a $1.35 million signing bonus and a 2011 salary of $685,000.
More summer heat
On Aug. 14, T.L. again tried to broker a deal for Hurd with the informant, this for purchasing 5 kgs of cocaine.
On Aug. 15, federal agents learned of Hurd's association with four California men arrested on July 25th possessing money, drugs, and weapons. Hurd's cell phone number appeared in texts describing drug dealing and money laundering.
Season starts, drug activity continues
On Sept. 9, T.L. again tried to broker a deal for Hurd with the informant for 5 kgs of cocaine.
On Dec. 6, T.L. met the informant at a Firestone store in Texas where he contacted Hurd and passed the phone to the informant. Hurd expressed his desire to purchase 5 kgs of cocaine and said T.L. would give him Hurd's phone number in case the informant was ever in the Chicago area.
Sting set up
On Dec. 14, Hurd met the informant and an undercover agent at Morton's Steakhouse in Chicago. Hurd was interested in purchasing 5-10 kgs of cocaine and 1,000 lbs of marijuana per week. They negotiated a price of $25,000 per kg of cocaine and $450 per lb of marijuana. Hurd acknowledged that he currently distributed about 4 kgs of cocaine per week in the Chicago area and that while his partner did smaller deals, Hurd focused on "higher-end" ones.
Hurd also inquired as to Mexican cell phones -- believing them to be safe from law enforcement hearing conversations -- while also disclosing that he had money seized in Dallas months earlier.
The undercover agent provided Hurd with 1 kg of cocaine. Hurd left the restaurant, placed the bag in his vehicle, and was subsequently arrested by authorities.
The charge
Hurd is officially charged with "knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully combine, conspire, confederate, and agree together, and with other persons known and unknown, to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams... of cocaine, a controlled substance." He faces the possibility of up to 40 years in prison
A federal judge in Chicago ruled that Hurd must stand trial in Texas because the criminal charges were filed there.
Hurd is represented by Los Angeles attorney David Kenner, whose past clients include Snoop Dogg.
Bigger issues
More worrisome for the NFL -- other than the disturbing facts of the story itself -- is that the authorities claim to have a list (possibly in the double digits) of NFL clients that Hurd served.
Unfortunately for the Bears and perhaps the Cowboys and the NFL, this story is only the beginning.
As with many criminals, people who thought they knew Hurd are shocked. Stay tuned.
?
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Wistar receives $4.7 million to develop drug against Epstein-Barr virus-related cancers Public release date: 15-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Greg Lester glester@wistar.org 215-898-3943 The Wistar Institute
The Wistar Institute today announced that it has signed a funding agreement with the Wellcome Trust, a United Kingdom-based charity, to support the development of a new drug to treat cancers associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The Seeding Drug Discovery Award of up to $4.7 million will support on-going translational research in the laboratory of Wistar Professor Paul M. Lieberman, Ph.D. If successful, the new therapeutic could be the first to treat EBV-related cancer by attacking the virus as it remains dormant in a patient's cells.
The project is a three-year, multi-stage effort where funding is based on the achievement of defined research milestones, outlined by Lieberman and Troy Messick, Ph.D., a staff scientist in the Lieberman laboratory and co-leader on the project.
"On behalf of The Wistar Institute, I would like to thank the Wellcome Trust for seeing the potential for this project to save countless lives across the globe," said Russel E. Kaufman, M.D., CEO and president of The Wistar Institute. "This effort reflects translational research at its finest by combining a visionary charitable foundation, a promising line of research, and a solid plan for transforming basic science into practical medicine."
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is classified by the World Health Organization as a Class I carcinogen, and it is estimated to cause a small but significant portion of all human cancers. The virus may persist in the human body for decades and cause infected cells to become cancerous. It is estimated that EBV causes nearly 400,000 cases of cancer each year, including Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, gastric carcinoma and certain oral and throat cancers.
According to Lieberman, EBNA1, a protein produced by EBV, is a prime target for therapeutic intervention. The protein acts as the master switch that regulates viral gene activity and guides the ability of EBV to remain dormant in the body.
"EBNA1 is expressed consistently in all EBV-related cancer and is essential for the virus to reproduce," said Lieberman. "Knocking out EBNA1, therefore, could likely eliminate latent Epstein-Barr virus and control the growth of EBV-associated cancer."
Lieberman heads Wistar's Center for Chemical Biology and Translational Medicine, a team of researchers whose mission is to develop promising basic research findings into new therapeutics to fight disease, particularly cancer.
To develop an anti-EBV drug, the researchers began a complex screening process to find a small molecule that could chemically bind to EBNA1 and inhibit its ability to function. They began with a library of 600,000 molecular compounds, eventually narrowing the pool down through a series of tests to a handful of leading candidate molecules that have the most potential to serve as the basis of new anti-EBV drug.
With funds from the Wellcome Trust, the Wistar researchers will further optimize their candidate small molecule inhibitors, with the aim of developing at least one chemical compound into a viable drug candidate. This drug candidate could then be used in clinical trials designed to determine its safety and effectiveness for humans.
"This is an investment in drug discovery, enabling a small team of experts to do the type of translational research typically seen in large drug companies," said Messick. "If successful with the translational research funded by the Wellcome Trust, the program will be in a position to attract a commercial partner to undertake further clinical development."
###
The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer research and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the country, Wistar has long held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. The Wistar Institute: Today's Discoveries Tomorrow's Cures. On the Web at http://www.wistar.org
The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust's breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Wistar receives $4.7 million to develop drug against Epstein-Barr virus-related cancers Public release date: 15-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Greg Lester glester@wistar.org 215-898-3943 The Wistar Institute
The Wistar Institute today announced that it has signed a funding agreement with the Wellcome Trust, a United Kingdom-based charity, to support the development of a new drug to treat cancers associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The Seeding Drug Discovery Award of up to $4.7 million will support on-going translational research in the laboratory of Wistar Professor Paul M. Lieberman, Ph.D. If successful, the new therapeutic could be the first to treat EBV-related cancer by attacking the virus as it remains dormant in a patient's cells.
The project is a three-year, multi-stage effort where funding is based on the achievement of defined research milestones, outlined by Lieberman and Troy Messick, Ph.D., a staff scientist in the Lieberman laboratory and co-leader on the project.
"On behalf of The Wistar Institute, I would like to thank the Wellcome Trust for seeing the potential for this project to save countless lives across the globe," said Russel E. Kaufman, M.D., CEO and president of The Wistar Institute. "This effort reflects translational research at its finest by combining a visionary charitable foundation, a promising line of research, and a solid plan for transforming basic science into practical medicine."
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is classified by the World Health Organization as a Class I carcinogen, and it is estimated to cause a small but significant portion of all human cancers. The virus may persist in the human body for decades and cause infected cells to become cancerous. It is estimated that EBV causes nearly 400,000 cases of cancer each year, including Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, gastric carcinoma and certain oral and throat cancers.
According to Lieberman, EBNA1, a protein produced by EBV, is a prime target for therapeutic intervention. The protein acts as the master switch that regulates viral gene activity and guides the ability of EBV to remain dormant in the body.
"EBNA1 is expressed consistently in all EBV-related cancer and is essential for the virus to reproduce," said Lieberman. "Knocking out EBNA1, therefore, could likely eliminate latent Epstein-Barr virus and control the growth of EBV-associated cancer."
Lieberman heads Wistar's Center for Chemical Biology and Translational Medicine, a team of researchers whose mission is to develop promising basic research findings into new therapeutics to fight disease, particularly cancer.
To develop an anti-EBV drug, the researchers began a complex screening process to find a small molecule that could chemically bind to EBNA1 and inhibit its ability to function. They began with a library of 600,000 molecular compounds, eventually narrowing the pool down through a series of tests to a handful of leading candidate molecules that have the most potential to serve as the basis of new anti-EBV drug.
With funds from the Wellcome Trust, the Wistar researchers will further optimize their candidate small molecule inhibitors, with the aim of developing at least one chemical compound into a viable drug candidate. This drug candidate could then be used in clinical trials designed to determine its safety and effectiveness for humans.
"This is an investment in drug discovery, enabling a small team of experts to do the type of translational research typically seen in large drug companies," said Messick. "If successful with the translational research funded by the Wellcome Trust, the program will be in a position to attract a commercial partner to undertake further clinical development."
###
The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer research and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the country, Wistar has long held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. The Wistar Institute: Today's Discoveries Tomorrow's Cures. On the Web at http://www.wistar.org
The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust's breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
DOS PALOS ? Jerry Warren 8, Kameron Geuder 2, Howard Redding Jr. 4, Luke Catrina 3, Miguel Leal 2, Andre Hill 3, Fernando Rodriguez 4, Marcus Chanez 4. Totals: 13 2-10 30.
LOS BANOS ? Joey Bennett 17, Tommy Wright 4, Tyler Betteridge 2, Dylan Soares 4, Tramane Moore 5, Garrett Guilford 9, Jordan Grissom 2, Javier Garcia 2, Jake Martin 5, Gary Dunn 4, Kyle Quint 4. Totals: 21 12-23 58.3-pointers: Dos Palos 2 (Warren 1, Kartina 1), Los Banos 4 (Guiford 3, Bennett 1); Total Fouls: Dos Palos 15, Los Banos 16; Fouled Out: Dos Palos (Christian Escalante).
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BANGKOK ? A fugitive leader of Thailand's "Red Shirts" protesters who escaped a police raid by rappelling down a hotel facade in a scene captured by network news teams surrendered Wednesday after 20 months on the run.
Arisman Pongruangrong, a pop singer-turned-activist known for hotheaded speeches that sometimes were interpreted as incitements to arson, faces five serious charges that include terrorism. He denied wrongdoing, and said he was turning himself in because he now has confidence in the country's judicial system.
"I only called for democracy, not the destruction of anyone or anything, but now there is no more necessity to stage a rally because we have a government that comes from the people's voice," said Arisman.
The Red Shirts movement opposed the government of then-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and generally supported former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who had been ousted in a 2006 military coup.
Thailand's new government, led by the sister of the still-fugitive Thaksin, is considered closely aligned with the Red Shirt protesters, though Arisman denied that his surrender was timed to seek lenient treatment under the new administration.
Arisman said he had fled for his safety and spent some of his time in Cambodia since going into hiding after a major government crackdown on a Red Shirt encampment in central Bangkok in May 2010, which capped several months of violence that left 90 people dead.
He surrendered to authorities Wednesday in Bangkok, where the Criminal Court denied his request for release on bail, noting he took so long to surrender and he might flee.
Arisman became a minor folk hero in April 2010 when, already facing several charges, he escaped a police raid on his hotel room by being lowered from a third-story ledge with a rope looped around his waist into a waiting crowd of cheering supporters who led him to a getaway car.
His reappearance in Bangkok was a reminder of the schisms in Thai society that were opened by the 2006 coup. Thaksin's supporters and opponent have contended in the polls and in the streets for power.
Thaksin himself is in exile avoiding a jail term for corruption, but he and his supporters say his conviction was politically inspired and are seeking a way to have him return home as a free man.
Thaksin's critics threaten new protests and legal action if the current government moves to help him. Yingluck Shinawatra became prime minister in August after her pro-Thaksin party bested the rival Democrats in a general election.
From March to May 2010, the "Red Shirts" had staged increasingly aggressive street protests as they unsuccessfully sought to force out Abhisit's government.
When the demonstrations were quashed by the military, activists torched three dozen major buildings in Bangkok, including a shopping mall that suffered serious damage. Many critics pointed to speeches by Arisman as the inspiration for those arson attacks.
Most Red Shirt leaders surrendered during the crackdown and also faced criminal charges. They were granted bail this year and still await trial.
A small crowd of Red Shirts gathered to offer support as Arisman turned himself in at the office of the Department of Special Investigations, Thailand's FBI.
Arisman said he believed the country's situation had returned to normal and that he wanted to see reconciliation in accordance with the call for national unity made by Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej in his birthday speech on Monday.
LONDON (Reuters) ? Amy Winehouse's posthumous album "Lioness: Hidden Treasures" was on course to top the British album charts by the end of the week, the Official Charts Company (OCC) said on Tuesday.
Although not yet at the halfway point for the weekly ranking, the collection of 12 tracks recorded from as early as 2002 but not used on either of Winehouse's studio albums was well ahead of the competition.
In a brief statement, the OCC said Lioness: Hidden Treasures had sold nearly 70,000 copies so far.
Winehouse's father Mitch, writing on Twitter, said the figure was 140,000, although it was not clear whether that was projected sales for the whole week or reflected more up-to-date data.
"Just been told. Amy at number 1. 140,000 sold = ?140,000 to foundation in one day. Well done baby," he wrote.
"My heart is sad but bursting with pride. Mitch"
Winehouse died in July aged 27, ending a promising career that was marred by highly publicized battles with drug and alcohol addiction.
The "Back to Black" singer, known for her beehive hairstyle and distinctive soulful voice, had high levels of alcohol in her blood at the time of her death.
Mitch has set up a charity in her name aimed at helping children and young adults suffering ill health and addiction, and for every copy of the album sold, one pound goes to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.
Reviews of the album have been mixed, with several critics saying the music pointed to Winehouse's huge potential but also failed to live up to the high standards she would have demanded when at her peak.
DELTONA, Fla. (AP) ? Authorities say a central Florida man was arrested after jokingly trying to buy drugs at a Burger King drive-thru.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office reports that 32-year-old Shawn Porter and a friend placed an order for "blunt and some herbs" at a Deltona Burger King Thursday night.
A cashier smelled marijuana coming from their car and jotted down the license plate of the car, and then a supervisor called 911.
A deputy located Porter's house by running the tag number and was waiting when Porter arrived home with a Burger King bag in his hand. The deputy reported finding 28 grams of marijuana in the car.
Porter was charged with drug possession. He was being held on $1,000 bond. It's not immediately known if he has an attorney.
It's admittedly been a while since we heard about some Lenovo S10 users' issues with heat dissipation and increasingly aggressive fan noise. Two years on, and one frustrated owner has taken it upon themselves to get inside the netbook and solve the issue. The result? The removal of a metallic-looking dust filter from within the left side vent, which is apparently enough to pacify the fan on this particular machine. We'd temper this solution with a warning: that cover was there for a reason, presumably a dust-related one. But, if a quieter machine is worth the price of a new netbook in the (not-so) long-run, it may be worth a try.
LOS ANGELES -- The disabled grizzly bears Huck, Jake, Pete and Mike arrived after a drive-thru animal park closed in 1985.
Drifter the tiger came as a cub after being seized in a 1997 Chicago drug raid.
Booie, the smoking chimp, was brought here in 1995 at age 28 when he was no longer needed for testing vaccines at the New York University School of Medicine.
Through the years, 76,000 animals have come and gone ? all welcomed by Martine Colette, founder and director of the Wildlife WayStation, one of the first animal sanctuaries in the country and, at one time, the largest.
Some of Hollywood's biggest stars have rallied around the WayStation in the past decade. Still, the fate of its remaining 420 animals is endangered by a drop in donations, rising upkeep and food costs, and the inability to pay staff.
"If the WayStation does not find a way out from under the horrific financial burden it is currently facing, caused by the current recession and disastrous economic downfall, then all these animals that came to us for safe haven are in real jeopardy," Colette said last week.
It's a problem that extends well beyond the cages and enclosures on her property 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Times are hard for all nonprofits, especially donation-driven sanctuaries, said Adam Roberts, executive vice president of Born Free USA, a California-based animal welfare and wildlife conservation organization.
In recent months, the Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio closed because of overcrowding and lack of money. A Florida man lived in a cage with two lions for a month to raise money for his rescue center.
In Ohio, a man released dozens of lions, tigers and other animals from a private preserve before killing himself. Sheriff's deputies had to track and kill nearly 50 runaway animals. Authorities aren't sure of his motive, but he and his wife owed at least $68,000 in unpaid taxes.
Colette, 69, seems like an unlikely rescuer.
Born in Paris, she traveled with her Belgian diplomat father when he went on safari. Friends, colleagues and customers of her Hollywood costume and design business knew she had been to Africa and Asia, and they were always bringing her unwanted or unsuitable animals.
"They'd say, 'This ocelot is trying to eat our Chihuahua."
She took in her first animal in 1966 and a decade later found herself living with 50 animals in a three-bedroom house. Something had to give, so she sold her business, bought 162 acres in Tujunga Canyon in the Angeles National Forest and incorporated the Wildlife WayStation in 1976.
It was meant to be a place to treat and rehabilitate injured animals before returning them to the wild. But you can't release lions and tigers in this country and some animals were too sick to ever go back ? an eagle blind in one eye, the crippled grizzlies and the lab chimps.
She did not believe any animal in need should be turned away, no matter the problem, no matter the cost. It didn't matter if an animal was wild, tame, hurt or handicapped. Whether it was a hummingbird in a matchbox or 27 lions and tigers from an illegal game farm in Idaho, she embraced them all.
"When pot-bellied pigs were in demand, we had 146 come in at one time. There were a lot of ostriches when they were billed as the next white meat," she said.
For 35 years, Colette has had her hand out, gathering donations for her ever-changing stable of creatures. Hollywood has often rallied to her cause.
Betty White has been a supporter from the beginning. In 2001, Hollywood elite, including Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Russell Crowe, and Johnny Depp put together a CD called "Hollywood Goes Wild" to try and raise money for the WayStation. Sharon Stone made a YouTube plea for donations in 2009.
Colette's plea has never been as urgent as last week's.
She's had to lay off about a third of her staff, which has ranged from 42 to 50 people, and she wonders how she'll cover the $142,000 it costs a month to feed and care for the animals.
Problems extend to complying with environmental and permit regulations.
A decade ago, the WayStation had more than 1,100 permanent residents and 5,000 animals dropping in each year. But state officials banned public tours and barred the refuge from accepting new animals after waste was found in a stream and chimpanzees had contagious diseases.
A few years later, Los Angeles County refused to reissue its permit until roads were repaved, sewers replaced and electrical wiring upgraded.
The sanctuary acknowledged the environmental violations and started working on the expensive upgrades, tapping out its emergency fund.
Colette, who had hoped to retire, is open to a merger or partnership that would make money without exploiting the animals.
Someone suggested a wedding chapel on the picturesque grounds. Colette mused about a mountaintop restaurant.
"Everybody talks about how fabulous it is to come out here and listen to the lions roaring and the chimpanzees and tigers calling."
__?
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Powerful mathematical model greatly improves predictions for species facing climate change Public release date: 2-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Stuart Wolpert swolpert@support.ucla.edu 310-206-0511 University of California - Los Angeles
UCLA life scientists and colleagues have produced the most comprehensive mathematical model ever devised to track the health of populations exposed to environmental change.
The research, federally funded by the National Science Foundation, is published Dec. 2 in the journal Science.
The team's groundbreaking integral projection model, or IPM, unites various sub-disciplines of population biology, including population ecology, quantitative genetics, population genetics, and life-span and offspring information, allowing researchers to link many different data sources simultaneously. Scientists can now change just a single variable, like temperature, and see how that affects many factors for a population.
"This is one of the most innovative and holistic models, because it unifies so many sub-fields of ecology and genetics into one predictive model," said study co-author Robert Wayne, a UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, who led the UCLA research team. "Traditionally, we have studied just a few ecological parameters at a time, like how much food there is or how the environment will change over time, and how that relates to population size. Here, we are analyzing everything at once."
Among the researchers' major findings with the IPM is that gradual, sustained change in an environment over time a gradual increase in temperature, for example has a greater impact on the species in an ecosystem than fluctuating changes.
"If we change the total environment, such as temperature, we change a whole suite of characteristics for a species, including viability, fertility, population size, body size and generation length," Wayne said.
The new model could therefore be of great use in predicting the complex ecological impacts that could result as Earth's temperature gradually rises as a result of high carbon dioxide emissions entering the atmosphere and oceans.
"Probably much of the tundra in the high Arctic will disappear with global warming," Wayne said. "Since this is a very general model, it can be applied to any population, from a polar bear to a wolf to a beetle, even plants. We want to use this model to make predictions about populations that are in dire situations, as their environments will be changing quickly."
Just as physicists are searching for a unified field theory to bring the physics of the very large in harmony with the physics of the very small, the IPM "is the version in ecology and population genetics of a similar unified theory," Wayne said.
The collaboration that led to the new model followed a fortuitous meeting between Wayne and collaborator Tim Coulson, a professor of population biology at Imperial College London. Following a talk by Coulson at UCLA , Wayne and his research team combined their decades of expertise on the wolf population in Yellowstone National Park with Coulson's expertise in applied mathematics and the most comprehensive ecological model was born.
Wolves were first introduced into Yellowstone in 1995 to control the overpopulation of elk and bison and to restore deteriorated forests. These wolves were closely monitored with radio collars in the years that followed, generating a vast array of detailed data. The effects they generated in the park known as a trophic cascade allowed many species, such as songbirds, beavers and grizzly bears, to thrive again as the elk and bison populations diminished.
"A critical issue for us is how these wolves will survive into the future," Wayne said. "This model addresses that issue in a comprehensive way by taking in so many components of population health."
The model also explains the persistence of the grey coat color in Yellowstone wolves, despite the fact that the gene for black coat color is dominant. Using genetic data collected in Wayne's laboratory, the IMP revealed that wolves who possessed two different versions of the coat-color gene, known as heterozygotes, lived longer and had more offspring than wolves who had two identical genes for coat color.
This example demonstrates the power of the new model, as it can make sense of seemingly unrelated information on population genetics and life history and generate a clearer understanding of an observed coat-color phenotype, and beyond that, the implications for survival of these animals in a complex ecosystem.
By using a model that could generate more accurate predictions, "We could potentially build scenarios predicting whether a species has no chance of recovery, and this could lead protection efforts," Wayne said.
"We are not very effective at stopping global warming, but perhaps we could identify ways to alter or enrich habitats to mitigate environmental effects," he added.
###
Coulson, the study's lead author, and postdoctoral scholar Daniel MacNulty worked extensively on the modeling system using data on Yellowstone wolves organized by Wayne and co-authors Daniel Stahler, a UCLA graduate student, and Bridgett vonHoldt, a UC Irvine postdoctoral scholar who conducted her graduate research in Wayne's laboratory. Important contributions also came from the National Park Service's Douglas Smith, project leader for the Yellowstone National Park Gray Wolf Restoration Project, in conjunction with Stahler.
UCLA is California's largest university, with an enrollment of nearly 38,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The UCLA College of Letters and Science and the university's 11 professional schools feature renowned faculty and offer 337 degree programs and majors. UCLA is a national and international leader in the breadth and quality of its academic, research, health care, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs. Six alumni and five faculty have been awarded the Nobel Prize.
For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Powerful mathematical model greatly improves predictions for species facing climate change Public release date: 2-Dec-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Stuart Wolpert swolpert@support.ucla.edu 310-206-0511 University of California - Los Angeles
UCLA life scientists and colleagues have produced the most comprehensive mathematical model ever devised to track the health of populations exposed to environmental change.
The research, federally funded by the National Science Foundation, is published Dec. 2 in the journal Science.
The team's groundbreaking integral projection model, or IPM, unites various sub-disciplines of population biology, including population ecology, quantitative genetics, population genetics, and life-span and offspring information, allowing researchers to link many different data sources simultaneously. Scientists can now change just a single variable, like temperature, and see how that affects many factors for a population.
"This is one of the most innovative and holistic models, because it unifies so many sub-fields of ecology and genetics into one predictive model," said study co-author Robert Wayne, a UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, who led the UCLA research team. "Traditionally, we have studied just a few ecological parameters at a time, like how much food there is or how the environment will change over time, and how that relates to population size. Here, we are analyzing everything at once."
Among the researchers' major findings with the IPM is that gradual, sustained change in an environment over time a gradual increase in temperature, for example has a greater impact on the species in an ecosystem than fluctuating changes.
"If we change the total environment, such as temperature, we change a whole suite of characteristics for a species, including viability, fertility, population size, body size and generation length," Wayne said.
The new model could therefore be of great use in predicting the complex ecological impacts that could result as Earth's temperature gradually rises as a result of high carbon dioxide emissions entering the atmosphere and oceans.
"Probably much of the tundra in the high Arctic will disappear with global warming," Wayne said. "Since this is a very general model, it can be applied to any population, from a polar bear to a wolf to a beetle, even plants. We want to use this model to make predictions about populations that are in dire situations, as their environments will be changing quickly."
Just as physicists are searching for a unified field theory to bring the physics of the very large in harmony with the physics of the very small, the IPM "is the version in ecology and population genetics of a similar unified theory," Wayne said.
The collaboration that led to the new model followed a fortuitous meeting between Wayne and collaborator Tim Coulson, a professor of population biology at Imperial College London. Following a talk by Coulson at UCLA , Wayne and his research team combined their decades of expertise on the wolf population in Yellowstone National Park with Coulson's expertise in applied mathematics and the most comprehensive ecological model was born.
Wolves were first introduced into Yellowstone in 1995 to control the overpopulation of elk and bison and to restore deteriorated forests. These wolves were closely monitored with radio collars in the years that followed, generating a vast array of detailed data. The effects they generated in the park known as a trophic cascade allowed many species, such as songbirds, beavers and grizzly bears, to thrive again as the elk and bison populations diminished.
"A critical issue for us is how these wolves will survive into the future," Wayne said. "This model addresses that issue in a comprehensive way by taking in so many components of population health."
The model also explains the persistence of the grey coat color in Yellowstone wolves, despite the fact that the gene for black coat color is dominant. Using genetic data collected in Wayne's laboratory, the IMP revealed that wolves who possessed two different versions of the coat-color gene, known as heterozygotes, lived longer and had more offspring than wolves who had two identical genes for coat color.
This example demonstrates the power of the new model, as it can make sense of seemingly unrelated information on population genetics and life history and generate a clearer understanding of an observed coat-color phenotype, and beyond that, the implications for survival of these animals in a complex ecosystem.
By using a model that could generate more accurate predictions, "We could potentially build scenarios predicting whether a species has no chance of recovery, and this could lead protection efforts," Wayne said.
"We are not very effective at stopping global warming, but perhaps we could identify ways to alter or enrich habitats to mitigate environmental effects," he added.
###
Coulson, the study's lead author, and postdoctoral scholar Daniel MacNulty worked extensively on the modeling system using data on Yellowstone wolves organized by Wayne and co-authors Daniel Stahler, a UCLA graduate student, and Bridgett vonHoldt, a UC Irvine postdoctoral scholar who conducted her graduate research in Wayne's laboratory. Important contributions also came from the National Park Service's Douglas Smith, project leader for the Yellowstone National Park Gray Wolf Restoration Project, in conjunction with Stahler.
UCLA is California's largest university, with an enrollment of nearly 38,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The UCLA College of Letters and Science and the university's 11 professional schools feature renowned faculty and offer 337 degree programs and majors. UCLA is a national and international leader in the breadth and quality of its academic, research, health care, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs. Six alumni and five faculty have been awarded the Nobel Prize.
For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
When design marketplace Brandstack was shuttered last month (with the ![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 15-Dec-2011
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