RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) ? The U.S. is seeking to bring Arab countries into efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that broke down more than four years ago, a senior Palestinian official said Monday.
However, gaps are wide on the terms of renewing talks. The Palestinians say Israel must freeze settlement building on lands it captured in 1967 before any negotiations can resume. Israel says the issue of settlements can be addressed in negotiations.
During a visit to the region last week, President Barack Obama sided with the Israeli view.
It is not clear how the U.S. can bring the Palestinians back to the table without a settlement freeze.
Arab countries are now being asked to help, said Yasser Abed-Rabbo, a top official in the Palestine Liberation Organization.
"U.S. efforts will increase in coming weeks and will include other Arab parties, such as Jordan and Egypt," Abbed-Rabbo told Voice of Palestine radio, adding that an Arab League delegation is to visit Washington as part of these efforts.
However, he said there would be no flexibility on Palestinian demands for a settlement freeze.
"For us, the important thing is the substance, such as the full settlement freeze and the recognition of the 1967 borders," he said.
The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem ? territories Israel captured in 1967 ? but are ready to negotiate border changes, provided the 1967 frontier is the baseline.
Palestinian officials say they cannot return to talks without such a clear framework, arguing that open-ended negotiations will simply provide diplomatic cover to Israel to keep expanding settlements.
"We fear they (the Israelis) would waste time by getting us into a bargaining process over details and steps here and there, and in this way would waste two to three years and then get us to wait for a new U.S. administration," Abed-Rabbo said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is willing to resume talks immediately. However, he has said he will not relinquish control over east Jerusalem and has refused to recognize the 1967 lines as a starting point for talks.
For 10 months during his previous term, Netanyahu curbed settlement building as part of a U.S. push to bring the Palestinians back to the table, but negotiations never got off the ground.
Successive Israeli governments have built dozens of settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, now home to more than half a million Israelis. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, dismantling almost two dozen settlements there, but sharply restricts access to the territory.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Sunday that the Palestinians would wait two to three months to see if a new U.S. push to restart talks will yield results.
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? (Image Credit: Image credit: Sony Picture Classics)
Sarah Putnam reports:
Now that ?Amour?has won the Oscar for best foreign-language film, let us pause for a moment to consider the significance of the Academy?s nominating such a film for one of the most prestigious awards in Hollywood.
In ?Amour,? the French, who seem to have an innate cultural clarity and ability to talk about subjects that tie Americans in knots ? think sex, food and political shenanigans ? show us how to take an unflinching look at dying.
If the Academy of Motion Pictures has taken the unusual step of bestowing an Oscar to a French-language about aging and dying, could that mean that we are finally ready as a country to begin talking about such difficult issues?
It?s refreshing to see the Academy?s? giving a vote of confidence to the cultural change that we at ABC News and The Conversation Project believe in.
Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke frames this end-of-life story in a context of deep intimacy and emotional richness, even as he never sidesteps the grimness of decline. The extraordinary performances of veteran actors Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva as Georges and Anne take us step by step, detail by poignant detail, through the unraveling of the lives of this elegant elderly couple.
?Amour? is unquestionably, as its title declares, a love story. But it is also a portrayal of isolation amplified by pride, by reticence, by family dysfunction. Throughout the movie, this isolation becomes increasingly and unbearably, and quite literally, suffocating.
The story of Georges and Anne can be seen as a cautionary tale, provoking essential questions that all must face.
How do we cope with end of life? How do we best manage the challenges ? physical, emotional, logistical ? of this universal life passage? How can we alleviate the burdens dying imposes on our loved ones, on our survivors, on ourselves?
Sarah Putnam is a visual storyteller whose work as a photojournalist, both nationally and internationally, has been commissioned by magazines, corporations, and non-profits. Putnam has been involved with The Conversation Project since its inception.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Senior bondholders in the Cyprus's Laiki Bank will be wiped out because the bank will be wound down, while senior bondholders in the Bank of Cyprus will also contribute to the recapitalization of the banks, euro zone officials said.
"Laiki bank will have to be resolved... so yes, senior bond holders, along with the others, will be wiped out there," the chairman of euro zone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, told a news conference.
"(Bank of Cyprus) needs to be recapitalized and the contribution to this recapitalization must come, inevitably, from senior bondholders, junior bondholders, shareholders and, to some extent, we don't know to what extent yet, also from uninsured depositors," he said.
Mar. 10, 2013 ? The British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking is likely to be the world's most famous person living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a progressive disease affecting motor neurons, nerve cells that control muscle function, and nearly always leads to death. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA) in Vienna have now identified a completely new mechanism in the onset of motor neuron diseases. Their findings could be the basis for future treatments for these presently incurable diseases.
A new principle on motor neuron death
The IMBA scientists, working with an international team of researchers under the leadership of Josef Penninger and Javier Martinez, discovered a completely new fundamental mechanism that triggers the death of motor neurons. Motor neurons are nerve cells responsible for stimulating muscles. The loss of these motor neurons in mice with a genetic mutation in a gene named CLP11 leads to severe and progressive muscular paralysis and, in some cases, to death.
"We've been working on resolving the function of the CLP1 gene in a living organism for a long time. To do that, we developed model mice in which the function of CLP1 was genetically inactivated. To our utter surprise we discovered that deactivating CLP1 increases the sensitivity of cell die when exposed to oxidative stress2. That leads to enhanced activity of the p53 protein3 and then to the permanent destruction of motor neurons," says Toshikatsu Hanada, a postdoctoral researcher working in the lab of Josef Penninger and first author of the study along with Stefan Weitzer.
Stephen Hawking -- a most renowned patient
Motor neuron diseases (MNDs), such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), are chronic disorders of the neuromuscular system. These diseases are caused by damage in the motor nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and the nerves can no longer stimulate motion in the muscles. The primary symptoms are muscular weakness, muscular dystrophy, and problems swallowing or speaking. Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with ALS 50 years ago. But not all ALS patients live so long with the disease: so far there are no treatments for ALS. Nearly all ALS patients die of paralysis of respiratory muscles within a few years.
Completely new disease mechanism
Javier Martinez, an IMBA team leader and co-author of the study, is a specialist in the field of ribonucleic acid (RNA) research. His research group had discovered the CLP1 gene in an earlier study, published in Nature in 2007. Until now, the exact essential function of CLP1 in RNA biology was unclear. "By deactivating CLP1, we have discovered a previously unknown new species of RNA," says Javier Martinez about the scientific relevance of the work. "The accumulation of this RNA is a consequence of increased oxidative stress in the cell. We see this as one of the triggers for the loss of motor neurons that occurs in ALS and other neuromuscular diseases. Thus our findings describe a completely new mechanism of motor neuron diseases."
Seminal findings
Josef Penninger, scientific director at the IMBA and last-author of the study, is excited about the researchers' findings: "This surprising discovery of a role of CLP1 in the onset of motor neuron diseases is an entirely new principle in how RNA talks to oxidative stress. Nearly all genetic mutations found in ALS patients affect either RNA metabolism or oxidative stress, suggesting a possibly unifying principle for these diseases. Our work may have revealed the 'missing link' in how these two biological systems communicate and trigger incurable diseases like ALS."
Stefan Weitzer sees tremendous potential for these findings: "We've discovered a new mechanism that leads to the death of motor neurons. If this holds true for other neuronal disease, our results could be one day used to drive the development of treatments for previously incurable diseases. In our work we also describe how the p53 protein regulates the loss of motor neurons. Removing p53 saves mice with CLP1 mutations from certain death." If scientists are successful in applying these findings to people, the researchers may have discovered a treatment approach to cure ALS and similar diseases. The authors, however, caution that more studies will be needed to translate their findings to human medicine.
This study was performed in collaboration with research groups from the Medical Universities of Vienna and Innsbruck, the University Medical Center at Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, the Harvard Medical School, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the Boston Children's and Massachusetts General Hospitals, the Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Oita University in Japan, and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot in Israel.
Notes:
1) CLP1: = Cleavage and Polyadenylation Factor 1: a kinase (enzyme responsible for transmitting signals in cells) responsible for attaching phosphate residue to RNA.
2) Oxidative stress: causes damage to cells and the genome, and is involved in the ageing process. The normal repair and detoxification function of the cells is overburdened.
3) p53: a protein that is mutated in many types of cancer cells. It plays a role in inhibiting the cell cycle and can trigger cell death.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Institute of Molecular Biotechnology.
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Journal Reference:
Toshikatsu Hanada, Stefan Weitzer, Barbara Mair, Christian Bernreuther, Brian J. Wainger, Justin Ichida, Reiko Hanada, Michael Orthofer, Shane J. Cronin, Vukoslav Komnenovic, Adi Minis, Fuminori Sato, Hiromitsu Mimata, Akihiko Yoshimura, Ido Tamir, Johannes Rainer, Reinhard Kofler, Avraham Yaron, Kevin C. Eggan, Clifford J. Woolf, Markus Glatzel, Ruth Herbst, Javier Martinez, Josef M. Penninger. CLP1 links tRNA metabolism to progressive motor-neuron loss. Nature, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nature11923
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
BEIJING (Reuters) - Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei announced plans on Monday to release a heavy-metal album that he said would "express his opinion" just as he does with his art.
The burly and bearded Ai said 81 days in secretive detention in 2011, which sparked an international outcry, triggered his foray into music.
"When I was arrested, they (his guards) would often ask me to sing songs, but because I wasn't familiar with music, I was embarrassed," Ai, 55, said in a telephone interview. "It helped me pass the time very easily.
"All I could sing was Chinese People's Liberation Army songs," Ai said. "After that I thought: when I'm out, I'd like to do something related to music."
A court in September upheld a $2.4 million (1.6 million pounds) fine against Ai for tax evasion, paving the way for jail if he does not pay. Ai maintains the charges were trumped up in retaliation for his criticism of the government.
The world-renowned artist has repeatedly criticised the government for flouting the rule of law and the rights of citizens.
Ai's debut album - "Divina Commedia", after the poem by Italian poet Dante - is a reference to the "Ai God" nickname in Chinese that his supporters call him by. "God" in Chinese is "Shen", while "Divina Commedia" in Chinese is "Shen qu".
Two songs are about blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng, whose escape from house arrest last April and subsequent refuge in the U.S. Embassy embarrassed China and led to a diplomatic tussle.
One song on the album is called "Hotel Americana", a dig at the U.S. Embassy for sheltering Chen. Another is "Climbing over the Wall" - a reference to Chen's scaling of the walls in his village to escape, and Chinese Internet users circumventing the "Great Firewall of China", a colloquial term for China's blocking of websites.
Ai said he was not worried about government persecution for his album, which will be out in about three weeks. But he is gloomy about the prospects of it being sold in China, saying he will distribute the album online "because music is also subject to review" in China.
Ai said his time in the recording studio did not mean that he was moving away from art.
"I think it's all the same," he said. "My art is about expressing opinion and communication."
Ai said he was working on a second album, with pop and rock influences, that he hoped people would sing along with.
"You know, I'm a person that's furthest away from music, I never sing," Ai said. "But you'll be surprised. You'll like it."
(Reporting by Sui-Lee Wee; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Mar. 10, 2013 ? Protein activity is strictly regulated. Incorrect or poor protein regulation can lead to uncontrolled growth and thus cancer or chronic inflammation. Members of the Institute of Veterinary Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Zurich have identified enzymes that can regulate the activity of medically important proteins. Their discovery enables these proteins to be manipulated very selectively, opening up new treatment methods for inflammations and cancer.
For a healthy organism, it is crucial for proteins to be active or inactive at the right time. The corresponding regulation is often based on a chemical modification of the protein structure: Enzymes attach small molecules to particular sites on a protein or remove them, thereby activating or deactivating the protein. Members of the Institute of Veterinary Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Zurich in collaboration with other Institutes have now discovered how the inactivation of a protein, which is important for medicine, can be reversed.
New group of ADP-ribosylhydrolases identified
An important protein modification is ADP-ribosylation, which is involved in certain types of breast cancer, cellular stress reactions and gene regulation. So-called ADP-ribosyltransferases attach the ADP ribose molecule to proteins, thereby altering their function. In recent years, many ADP-ribosyltransferases have been discovered that can convey single or several ADP-riboses to different proteins. Enzymes that can remove these riboses again, however, are less well known. Professor Michael Hottiger's team of researchers has now identified a new group of such ADP-ribosylhydrolases. The scientists discovered that a so-called macrodomain is responsible for removing the ADP-riboses in human proteins, but also in the bacterium Archaeoglobus fulgidus. "We therefore assume that the reversal of the modification takes place in a similar way in different species," explains Michael Hottiger.
Biomedically relevant: inactivation of the modified enzyme GSK3?
The researchers also prove that ADP-ribosylhydrolases can remove the ADP-ribose of the intensively studied enzyme GSK3?, which regulates the synthesis of storage substances and is important in the progression of various diseases. ADP-ribosylation deactivates GSK3?, which can be reversed again by the newly identified enzyme. "Our discovery enables ADP-ribose modification to be manipulated and tested selectively, and new treatment methods developed for diseases such as inflammations or cancer," concludes Michael Hottiger.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Zurich.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Florian Rosenthal, Karla L H Feijs, Emilie Frugier, Mario Bonalli, Alexandra H Forst, Ralph Imhof, Hans C Winkler, David Fischer, Amedeo Caflisch, Paul O Hassa, Bernhard L?scher, Michael O Hottiger. Macrodomain-containing proteins are new mono-ADP-ribosylhydrolases. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2521
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Lincoln Ellis of the Strategic Financial Group says the disconnect between stocks and bonds is getting more troublesome with every uptick, creating a market tension likely to end in tears for equities.
A quick review for those who don't spend their free time studying the way markets are supposed to work. Financial assets are all priced relative to the cost of "risk-free money" as represented by U.S. debt. When rates are low investors seek better returns by buying risk assets like stocks and corporate bonds. The Fed has kept rates at essentially zero for five years and counting. Once the stimulus ends, rates will rise and investors will sell risk assets and go back into government securities.
Cut that paragraph out and pin it to your wall. Whenever you hear an economic type person fretting over the fate of stocks once Bernanke removes the punch bowl / heroin / speed or "stops the printing presses" it's that to which he or she is referring.
Of course, the inevitability of stimulus going away has kept many funds and individuals on the sidelines for a better than 100% rally. With corporations now swimming in liquidity and the Fed vowing to keep rates "accommodative" until the economy improves, the question is whether or not all this hand-wringing is justified.
The bullish case is that corporations are sitting on more cash than ever and productivity is at record highs. The problem is they aren't putting the money to work because, as Ellis puts it, they're still gun-shy about consumer end demand.
"We shouldn't be surprised if we see equity prices come off a little bit as we interest rates rise," Ellis notes, quickly adding the alternative of "simply trading sideways for the next two or three years."
I’ve seen little devices like this before, but this one apparently has a Lightning connector to work with the newest generation of iOS devices. ?The Alcohol Tester for iPhone 5, 5th-gen iPod touch, iPad 4, and the iPad mini needs no apps to work; you just plug it in to the Apple device and it’s [...]
Alongside Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says he's putting the Obama administration "on notice" for reportedly going around Congress and sneaking the "spokesman for 911," Abu Gaith, into New York City for detainment rather than taking the alleged enemy combatant to Guantanamo Bay to await a hearing.
By Jonathan Dienst, Pete Williams and Andrea Mitchell, NBC News
Even as government officials applauded the arrest of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, Osama bin Laden's son-in-law and an al-Qaida spokesman, his transport to the United States stirred a debate among lawmakers who appeared caught by surprise by the news.
Abu Ghaith was apprehended, transported to New York and charged with conspiracy to kill Americans, according to court documents unsealed Thursday. Abu Ghaith appeared alongside his father-in-law in a 2001 video in which they took responsibility for the 9/11 attacks and warned of more.
He is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan on Friday.
Abu Ghaith's trial will be one of the first prosecutions of senior al-Qaida leaders in the United States. Upon taking office in 2009, President Barack Obama said more foreign terror suspects should be charged in American federal courts, as part of his goal to close Guantanamo Bay.
Since September 11, 2001, 67 foreign terror suspects have been convicted in U.S. federal courts, according to Human Rights First, a watchdog group that obtained the data from the Justice Department through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Of the detainees held at Guantanamo Bay after the terror attacks, only seven have been convicted by military tribunals held at the base in Cuba, Human Rights First said. Most of them have been sent back overseas, either for rehabilitation or continued detention and prosecution, the AP reported.?
Republicans in Congress would like to keep Guantanamo open and have strongly opposed bringing terror suspects on U.S. soil.
"We believe the administration's decision here to bring this person to New York City, if that's what's happened, without letting Congress know is a very bad precedent to set," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who held a press conference with Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H, Thursday.
"And when we find somebody like this, this close to bin Laden and the senior al-Qaida leadership, the last thing in the world we want to do, in my opinion, is put them in civilian court. This man should be in Guantanamo Bay," Ayotte said.
"So we're putting the administration on notice," said Graham. "We think that sneaking this guy into the country, clearly going around the intent of Congress when it comes to enemy combatants, will be challenged." ?
Earlier, in an interview on MSNBC, House Intelligence Chair Mike Rogers, R-Mich., strongly criticized the administration for bringing Abu Ghaith to the United States.
Rogers, a former FBI agent, said that reading "Miranda rights" to a top al-Qaida suspect and bringing him to the United States for trial creates a host of problems ? as opposed to sending him to the facility at Guantanamo Bay, which was built to handle high value prisoners.
"Al-Qaida leaders captured on the battlefield should not be brought to the United States to stand trial," Rogers said. "We should treat enemy combatants like the enemy. The U.S. court system is not the appropriate venue."
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said it was fine with him if Abu Ghaith is put on trial in New York, because key state and city officials had been consulted in advance, unlike in the case of terror suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
"Unlike with KSM, (Police Commissioner Ray) Kelly and others had been consulted ahead of time about this and they gave the green light to do it. As you know,? Kelly, Mayor (Michael) Bloomberg and I opposed the trial of (Mohammed) in New York and we successfully made sure that didn't happen," said Schumer.
"On issues like this, I defer to Commissioner Kelly, and I think the mayor does as well. And he thinks it's OK to do it here, and I'll go by that," he added.
NBC News' Becky Bratu and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related:
Exclusive: Iran was holding bin Laden son-in-law, US officials say
This story was originally published on Thu Mar 7, 2013 7:19 PM EST
Now that Cablevision is actually suing Viacom over channel bundling, is there a chance that major changes are coming to the pay-TV landscape? We're not entirely optimistic, and most regular listeners may already understand why but we'll lay out the obstacles as they stand (spoiler: money). Still, progress marches on with new developments from YouTube and DirecTV apparently getting ready for its inevitable 4K channels. We also take a look at F1's first 3D broadcast just as LG starts shipping its... unique new laser projector.
Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)
Study finds sexual health services for rural Latino men could be improvedPublic release date: 6-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Marie Harvey marie.harvey@oregonstate.edu 541-737-3824 Oregon State University
A new study based on in-depth interviews of rural Latino men in western Oregon finds that these men need sexual health services designed for their needs, including more male health providers, more convenient clinic hours, and Spanish-speaking doctors.
Researchers at Oregon State University conducted interviews with young Latino men from rural backgrounds and asked them questions related to sexual health and use of sexual health services. The results are published in the March issue of the American Journal of Men's Health.
Marie Harvey, the study's lead author, and associate dean of research in OSU's College of Public Health and Human Sciences, has studied women's reproductive health issues for more than 25 years. Recently, she has focused on the role of partners in sexual and reproductive health, or what she likes to call the "it takes two to tango" angle.
"We put women in the awkward position of trying to convince their partners to be active participants in pregnancy prevention and contraceptive planning," Harvey said. "Increasingly, I think it's crucial to talk to men and engage them on these issues."
Latinos in the United State experience disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. These sexual health disparities have the potential to grow as Latinos continue to be the largest and fastest growing minority in the United States.
Harvey's research team interviewed 49 Latino men who have immigrated to the United States within the last 10 years. The average age was 24. The majority of the men came from rural areas of Mexico. More than half had never seen a health care provider, and 88 percent had never seen a provider specifically for sexual and reproductive health services.
Harvey said this research is important because the men not only gave reasons why they did, or did not, utilize sexual health services, but they gave context linked to their cultural background, beliefs, and experiences. Almost half of the men reported they never discussed sexual and reproductive health topics with their parents. As one man explained, "Unfortunately, we come from a country that, I don't know, they never want to talk about that. They keep it quiet and one grows up ignorant about that subject."
"Almost every man we talked with stated they didn't have enough information or knowledge about how to prevent unintended pregnancies and STIs," Harvey said. "But they very clearly stated that they wanted this information and would like to be better informed."
Many of the men suggested making informational pamphlets about sexual health services and clinics available in places they frequent, such as local laundromats or Latino grocery stores, as well as airing public service announcements on Latino radio or television stations. Men also emphasized the importance of providing information in Spanish.
In addition, terminology sometimes was confusing. In the United States, the term "family planning" is often used, but many of these single men said they had no need for such a service since they weren't planning to have a family right now.
"It's important to define terminology because we have cultural assumptions around 'family planning' that not everyone shares," Harvey said. "When we used terms like birth control, or HIV testing, it became much clearer."
Harvey said that "confianza," a Spanish word that means trust, confidence and respect, came up frequently as a need for all the men in the study.
"Privacy was very important to them, but it goes beyond that," she said. "This ability to trust their provider, and know that their information won't be shared and they would not be judged when they talk openly about their sexual behavior, all of this was crucial."
In addition, the men expressed a preference for male providers and a need for bilingual providers. Language can be a barrier. At many community clinics, the study participants said the providers did not speak Spanish and translators were sometimes offered.
"Having a third party in the room can be a barrier to trust and honesty," Harvey said. "In addition, the translators were often women, making it even more difficult to discuss sexual topics. And because these are smaller communities, the translators could even be someone they knew. "
Clinic-related factors also affected access to services. Men reported that having convenient clinic hours, reduced waiting time and living or working in close proximity to a clinic would make it easier to receive services.
Harvey said as the Latino population grows in places like Oregon, understanding factors that affect their use of the health care system will become even more critical. It is essential to begin overcoming these cultural and structural barriers, Harvey said. Communities need to come together to help prevent STIs and HIV, as well as have a better informed public.
###
OSU research assistants Meredith Branch and Deanne Hudson, and OSU alumnus Antonio Torres, assisted on this study, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Population Affairs.
[ | 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.
Study finds sexual health services for rural Latino men could be improvedPublic release date: 6-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Marie Harvey marie.harvey@oregonstate.edu 541-737-3824 Oregon State University
A new study based on in-depth interviews of rural Latino men in western Oregon finds that these men need sexual health services designed for their needs, including more male health providers, more convenient clinic hours, and Spanish-speaking doctors.
Researchers at Oregon State University conducted interviews with young Latino men from rural backgrounds and asked them questions related to sexual health and use of sexual health services. The results are published in the March issue of the American Journal of Men's Health.
Marie Harvey, the study's lead author, and associate dean of research in OSU's College of Public Health and Human Sciences, has studied women's reproductive health issues for more than 25 years. Recently, she has focused on the role of partners in sexual and reproductive health, or what she likes to call the "it takes two to tango" angle.
"We put women in the awkward position of trying to convince their partners to be active participants in pregnancy prevention and contraceptive planning," Harvey said. "Increasingly, I think it's crucial to talk to men and engage them on these issues."
Latinos in the United State experience disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. These sexual health disparities have the potential to grow as Latinos continue to be the largest and fastest growing minority in the United States.
Harvey's research team interviewed 49 Latino men who have immigrated to the United States within the last 10 years. The average age was 24. The majority of the men came from rural areas of Mexico. More than half had never seen a health care provider, and 88 percent had never seen a provider specifically for sexual and reproductive health services.
Harvey said this research is important because the men not only gave reasons why they did, or did not, utilize sexual health services, but they gave context linked to their cultural background, beliefs, and experiences. Almost half of the men reported they never discussed sexual and reproductive health topics with their parents. As one man explained, "Unfortunately, we come from a country that, I don't know, they never want to talk about that. They keep it quiet and one grows up ignorant about that subject."
"Almost every man we talked with stated they didn't have enough information or knowledge about how to prevent unintended pregnancies and STIs," Harvey said. "But they very clearly stated that they wanted this information and would like to be better informed."
Many of the men suggested making informational pamphlets about sexual health services and clinics available in places they frequent, such as local laundromats or Latino grocery stores, as well as airing public service announcements on Latino radio or television stations. Men also emphasized the importance of providing information in Spanish.
In addition, terminology sometimes was confusing. In the United States, the term "family planning" is often used, but many of these single men said they had no need for such a service since they weren't planning to have a family right now.
"It's important to define terminology because we have cultural assumptions around 'family planning' that not everyone shares," Harvey said. "When we used terms like birth control, or HIV testing, it became much clearer."
Harvey said that "confianza," a Spanish word that means trust, confidence and respect, came up frequently as a need for all the men in the study.
"Privacy was very important to them, but it goes beyond that," she said. "This ability to trust their provider, and know that their information won't be shared and they would not be judged when they talk openly about their sexual behavior, all of this was crucial."
In addition, the men expressed a preference for male providers and a need for bilingual providers. Language can be a barrier. At many community clinics, the study participants said the providers did not speak Spanish and translators were sometimes offered.
"Having a third party in the room can be a barrier to trust and honesty," Harvey said. "In addition, the translators were often women, making it even more difficult to discuss sexual topics. And because these are smaller communities, the translators could even be someone they knew. "
Clinic-related factors also affected access to services. Men reported that having convenient clinic hours, reduced waiting time and living or working in close proximity to a clinic would make it easier to receive services.
Harvey said as the Latino population grows in places like Oregon, understanding factors that affect their use of the health care system will become even more critical. It is essential to begin overcoming these cultural and structural barriers, Harvey said. Communities need to come together to help prevent STIs and HIV, as well as have a better informed public.
###
OSU research assistants Meredith Branch and Deanne Hudson, and OSU alumnus Antonio Torres, assisted on this study, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Population Affairs.
[ | 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.
It would be wrong to say that the mentally ill are undisciplined.
Yes, I have been scattered, unkempt, flighty, undependable, and absent. But I have also, at times, been able to carry out with incredible focus to minute detail tasks that I could never stick with if not at least mildly manic.
While the energy to work and the attention to detail did not always congeal on a reasonable or desirable task, the results were often impressive.
But then, I?ve also spent an awful amount of time lying around doing nothing. Not contemplating, not planning, not even daydreaming. Just depressed. Could there be a way to predict moods? A way to harness and apply a disciplined approach to managing symptoms?
Too often we equate discipline with punishment or control. But The American Heritage Dictionary offers the first definition of discipline as training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.
Viewed in this way, discipline can be very positive. Self-discipline can lead to self-improvement. A regular meditation practice is a tremendous exercise in self-discipline. And this self-discipline can help one to manage and even predict difficult times with mental illness.
Mindfulness meditation, for most practitioners, is about cultivating an ability to stay aware of the present moment in order to manage stress. But for those suffering from a chronic illness, it can also be diagnostic.
Prior to becoming a meditator, I all too often found myself in the midst of a hypomanic or manic episode, unaware how things had gotten so carried away. While meditating, however, I can sense the very small changes in mood that signal an oncoming episode.
Thoughts, emotions, and behavior patterns often become clear during meditation sessions. Fleeting, disorganized thoughts, looming grandiosity, and kinks in self-control can all pass unnoticed in a busy schedule. Soon, the negative symptoms have grown so large that positive behavior is buried by irresponsibility and self-destruction.
But if I take time to stay present each day, and to remove myself for a time from the onslaught of distractions in life, early clues of changing behavior become apparent.
Once a pending episode is revealed, adapting to and preventing further behavior changes can be handled by avoiding stressful situations, getting enough sleep, rallying friends and family, and calling the doctor (if necessary). A plan previously put in place to best handle oncoming episodes can be carried out, and a major episode can be avoided.
Used this way, meditation not only affords a way to manage stress, but it provides a tool to manage changes in mood and breaks in rational thinking. Meditation can help both diagnose and manage the symptoms of chronic illness.
George Hofmann is a mindfulness meditation instructor teaching people with mental illness how to manage stress. He also has bipolar disorder 1. He writes about these topics at http://practicingmentalllness.blogspot.com.
Like this author? Catch up on other posts by George Hofmann (or subscribe to their feed).
????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 5 Mar 2013 ????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
APA Reference Hofmann, G. (2013). Using Meditation to Diagnose Your Mood. Psych Central. Retrieved on March 7, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/03/06/using-meditation-to-diagnose-your-mood/
If you are a student stuck at home and/or in a low paying job, your debts, be they your student loans or your credit cards, may be burying you alive.
However, this doesn?t necessarily need to be the case. Read on to discover how you can manage and even repay your debts soon.
Managing and Repaying Student Debts
Managing your student debts doesn?t necessarily need to be a hectic task. In fact, the only reason it seems so is because you?re too worried about how you will repay them. So, breathe and follow these tips to ensure that you?re on the right track.
Start budgeting. This is important since it can help you save money to slowly pay off your student loan debt. Besides, it will help you become wiser while making financial decision since you will be able to differentiate between your needs and luxuries.
Create a record to track your loans. Make sure that the file accurately states how much you owe and how much you have been paying. Also, insert any paperwork you receive from your lenders so that you can easily prove that you paid if asked.
Always keep the line of communication open with your lender. Talking with them will help you come up with an executable plan that will make both of you happy. However, remember to be honest, realistic and upfront or else you may be forced to default and ultimately ruin your credit score.
Consider adjusting your plan if you don?t think you?ll be able to pay your loans by their final deadline. Discuss alternative options, such as income-based repayment plans, and make sure that your lender agrees to consider them.
Create priorities for your loans in order to pay off those with the highest interest rate first and minimize the total interest you should be.
Try getting a job in the teaching, dentistry and medicine, law, or public service sectors. Chances are that a portion of your loan may be cancelled or you will be given the chance to join a loan forgiveness program. Some volunteering groups, such as the Peace Corps, also provide members with grants to repay their student loans.
Managing and Repaying Credit Card Debts
A survey conducted in 2012 uncovered that college seniors had an average of $4,100 in credit card debts. Though they may seem justifiable while you?re still at school, these debts are bad since they won?t increase your wealth or earning power. In fact, credit card debts may lead you to sink into bankruptcy on the long run. So, if you want to avoid a major slump, consider these tips.
Determine which debts to pay off first if you have more than one credit card. Your aim should be to provide at least the minimum payment on each card. Another strategy is to pay more on the card with the highest interest rate or handle the smallest debts first.
If you want to repay your debt faster and slash the amount of your interest, consider paying a little more than the total monthly minimum.
Debt consolidation can be a helpful process if high interest rates are stopping you from paying more than the minimum. With a lower interest rate, chances are that you will pay the balance quicker without adding to your payments
Again, budgeting is essential for managing and repaying your credit card debts. Not only will it help you save, but it will point out where you tend to overspend so that you can make wiser decisions later.
Prepare to negotiate temporary reductions to your minimum balance payment. You will need to provide a good reason for this, but you may be able to pull this off if your creditors know exactly what you go through.
Don?t be ashamed of getting counseling from a non-profit counseling agency like Consumer Credit Counseling Services. You may need a professional to guide you or help you if everything else fails.
So, don?t let your debts control your life. Remember these tips and make sure that you follow them for more financial peace in the future.
ROME - White cassock? Check. White skullcap? Check. Red shoes? Check.
Cardinals haven't even begun meeting in the Sistine Chapel yet to elect the new pope but the family-owned Gammarellitailor shop that has dressed popes for two centuries is ready.
Gammarelli's on Monday displayed three sets of white vestments ? small, medium and large ? to be shipped to the Vatican for the new pope following Benedict XVI's resignation last week.
"We need to deliver these three garments before the conclave starts because obviously we cannot enter inside the conclave once it started," tailor Lorenzo Gammarelli said Monday.
A white silk "zucchetto," or skullcap, lay on a bed of red cloth in the window, as did a white sash with golden fringes and a pair of red leather shoes.
Tucked behind the Pantheon in downtown Rome, the Gammarelli shop has served scores of cardinals and popes since 1798. Pope Pius XII was an exception: he used his family tailor.
The display of the robes was one of the first tangible signs that a new pope will soon be elected, given the unusual circumstances that have surrounded the resignation of Benedict XVI.
"It's always like the first time for me," said tailor Teresa Palombini. "It's a wonderful feeling and then I wonder who will wear these clothes, who will be the next one?"
Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days.
Life -- as they say -- is short. So, you gotta cram in as much as you can while you're here. Right? How about a once in a lifetime trip around Mars? Well, if that's on your bucket list, then you might just be in luck. There's other news pertaining to one of life's biggest events over the fold, too, but we'll leave you to figure out which story that is. Hint: it's not the robotic bird. This is alt-week.
The first postage stamp featuring a prehistoric beast was a stamp from India (1951), celebrating the centenary of the Geological Survey of India it showed the reconstruction of the fossil elephant species Stegodon ganesca. Cuba released a stamp in 1958. Dedicated to the naturalist Carlos de la Torre y Huerta (1858 ? 1950) it shows the giant sloth Megalocnus rodens. In the same year China issued the very first stamp showing a dinosaur ? the Chinese prosauropod Lufengosaurus. Belgium followed with the more prominent Iguanodon. From there dinosaurs will appear on postage stamps from Poland and San Marino (1965), Congo (1975), Germany (1977), Mongolia and Nicaragua (1987). The U.S. will dedicate four values to Pteranodon, Tyrannosaurus, Brontosaurus and Stegosaurus in 1989.
Fig.1.The small republic of San Marino issued a series of nine values, showing a Brontosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Pteranodon, Elasmosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, Thaumatosaurus, Iguanodon and Triceratops -mostly in dull colors (all images ? as images from government documents ? are in public domain).
Fig.2. An interesting series of psychedelic postage stamps from Tanzania (1991), presenting the first (very) colorful dinosaurs.
Fig.3. Many editions of stamps with dinosaurs are intended for the market and collectors ? therefore often more aesthetic appealing than scientific accurate. Sometimes the motif is even simply copied from other artists or publications, like these two specimens, copies from the Saltopus by Jane Burton and the Tyrannosaurus by Doug Henderson.
Fig.4. The first postage stamps showing tracks of dinosaurs were released in Lesotho in 1984.
Fig.5. Evolutionary ladder in a Polish edition, illustrations by artist Andrzej Heidrich (he designed also advertising posters and Polish banknotes).
Fig.6. Not only ?living dinosaurs?? ? a German series (1990) celebrates with dinosaur-skeletons 100 years Museum for Natural History in Berlin.
Fig.7. The Great End?
Bibliography:
THENIUS, E. & VAVRA, N. (1996): Fossilien im Volksglauben und im Alltag ? Bedeutung und Verwendung vorzeitlicher Tier- und Pflanzenreste von der Steinzeit bis heute. Senckenberg-Buch 71, Waldemar Kramer Verlag ? Frankfurt am Main: 179
Many people look down on people who have to file for bankruptcy, and then find themselves in the same situation. Divorce, job loss and illness can all lead people to certain bankruptcy. Read this article to learn more about bankruptcy and find out if filing is the best option for you.
Unsecured Credit
You might experience trouble with getting unsecured credit after filing for bankruptcy. Look into getting a secured credit card in order to get back on your feet with building credit. By doing this, you will be letting people know that you want to fix your credit score. Then, in time, it may be possible for you to obtain an unsecured credit card.
Don?t lie or try to cover up any facts when you file for bankruptcy. Anytime you hide something from the court it can be grounds for them to dismiss the petition right away. Make sure all assets and income sources are accounted for when you file your petition. Do things on the up and up, and your outcome will likely be favorable.
No matter how messed up things are as you file for bankruptcy, it is important that you stay honest. The worst thing that you could do is to lie about your assets and debts. Not only will it affect your filing, it is illegal. You can get prison time for lying about assets or debt.
You should be able to meet with a specialized lawyer for free to ask your questions. Most attorneys offer free consultations, so meet with a number of them before you retain one. Therefore consult with different lawyers and get a feel for them, then decide which one suits your needs After your consultation, take your time to make your decision. You can take your time and check out several attorneys before making your final selection.
Familiarize yourself with the bankruptcy code before you file. Bankruptcy laws change a lot and before making the decision to file, you need to know what you are getting yourself into. A qualified bankruptcy attorney is the best source for the latest information regarding the laws in your state.
Although you can find many bankruptcy attorneys listed in your local Yellow Pages or online, it?s best if you can find one through the personal recommendation of a friend, family member or acquaintance. You want your bankruptcy to go smoothly, and the Internet is rife with fly-by-night companies whose only goal is to prey upon the financially desperate.
Hire a bankruptcy lawyer with experience in the subject. There are many lawyers out there to choose from. And make sure that you do not always go cheap, hire a quality lawyer, they may be better suited to help you.
Chapter 7
If you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, do not assume that your debts will just be dismissed. Secured debts might have to be reaffirmed and new agreements may have to be made. There are also some debts that can?t be discharged. You cannot get child support, court sanctioned fines and alimony payments dismissed through Chapter 7.
Do not use a credit card to manage your tax issues and then try to file bankruptcy. In many areas of the country, this debt will not be dischargeable, and you could be left owing a significant amount to the IRS. Generally speaking, debt incurred to pay taxes and the tax bills themselves are treated the same in a bankruptcy. So, there is no reason to use your credit card if it will be discharged in the bankruptcy.
If you have found yourself in a position were bankruptcy is a must, you need to take a look at how you got to that point in the first place. Getting waylaid by an unexpected loss of income or a huge expense like emergency medical treatment is unavoidable, but impulsive spending is a problem that has to be addressed. If you can?t seem to avoid spending too much on non-essential things, you should consider seeking help in order to prevent future financial difficulties from occurring.
If you have attempted every single option for dealing with your finances and you still come up dry, then you may have to file for bankruptcy. If something other than financial irresponsibility has caused your financial problems, there is no need to worry. This article will offer you some helpful information.
This article has shown that there?s so much to learn about penny stock. After you do your homework, you will see that penny stock are a fairly easy topic to understand. Good luck using this information!
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It would be wrong to say that the mentally ill are undisciplined. 
Fig.1.The small republic of San Marino issued a series of nine values, showing a Brontosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Pteranodon, Elasmosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, Thaumatosaurus, Iguanodon and Triceratops -mostly in dull colors (all images ? as images from government documents ? are in public domain).
Fig.2. An interesting series of psychedelic postage stamps from Tanzania (1991), presenting the first (very) colorful dinosaurs.
Fig.3. Many editions of stamps with dinosaurs are intended for the market and collectors ? therefore often more aesthetic appealing than scientific accurate. Sometimes the motif is even simply copied from other artists or publications, like these two specimens, copies from the Saltopus by Jane Burton and the Tyrannosaurus by Doug Henderson.
Fig.4. The first postage stamps showing tracks of dinosaurs were released in Lesotho in 1984.
Fig.5. Evolutionary ladder in a Polish edition, illustrations by artist Andrzej Heidrich (he designed also advertising posters and Polish banknotes).
Fig.6. Not only ?living dinosaurs?? ? a German series (1990) celebrates with dinosaur-skeletons 100 years Museum for Natural History in Berlin.
Fig.7. The Great End?