The 2013 NBA Summer League games schedule are all set on July 12-22 on two venues in Thomas & Mack Center and the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. For the first time ever the NBA Summer League will feature a tournament format.
The Summer includes preliminary games that starts on July 12, Friday 1:00pm at Cox Pavillion opening, followed by a single-elimination tournament leading to an eventual NBA Summer League championship game on July 22 at 6:00 pm PT in the Thomas & Mack Center.
There will be 22 NBA teams will participate including squads featuring 8 of top 10 selections in the NBA Draft are participating in this year's NBA Summer League, according to NBA.
New Orleans Pelicans will face the New York Knicks as opening game on Friday, July 12 at 1 p.m. PT. The Cleveland Cavaliers will also tip off against the Los Angeles Lakers at COX Pavilion at 5:00 p.m. PT. while Charlotte vs. San Antonio at 7:00 pm.
Participating Teams: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, LA Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA D-League Select, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards.
Check the 2013 NBA Summer League schedules at Thomas & Mack Center and the Cox Pavilion below
When the dead outnumber the living 10 Months (Around end of Season 3) after the end of the world, a close-knit group of survivors surge their way into the heart of the South to escape the punishing New England cold. When winter in the South grows nearer and it becomes more dangerous to simply camp for the night, the group seeks a permanent shelter.
What they soon find is the perfect haven against the undead- a Prison. Multiple fences, thick and impenetrable walls. It's perfect for them. Unfortunately (or Fortunately), though, it is soon found that this Prison is already inhabited. And the inhabitants are no strangers to this harsh world.
Just two weeks after their long-time (albeit intermittently involved) bassist Kim Deal left the band, the Pixies are back! And for the first time in nearly a decade, they're debuting a new song: Bagboy.
"The lyrics, coincidentally, were composed at a Starbucks Coffee in Harvard Square in Cambridge, about a hundred feet from where, 25 years ago, I composed some of the lyrics to an old Pixies song called 'Break My Body,'" vocalist Francis told Rolling Stone. "The music for the song has been around for a few years. There are some demos I made with Joey and David a few years ago in Los Angeles, related to a film idea that still has yet to see the light of day, although work on the music continued."
While the protagonist of the music video isn't nearly as manic as REM's or as psychotic as Pearl Jam's, he does have the stones to bathe in?and then eat from?a giant tube of breakfast cereal, which is I guess commendable.
Supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi fill a public square outside the Rabia el-Adawiya Mosque in Cairo, not far from the presidential palace, during a rally in Cairo, Friday, June 28, 2013. Tens of thousands of backers and opponents of Egypt's Islamist president held competing rallies in the capital Friday and new clashes erupted between the two sides in the country's second largest city, Alexandria, in a prelude to massive nationwide protests planned by the opposition this weekend demanding Mohammed Morsi's removal.(AP Photo)
Supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi fill a public square outside the Rabia el-Adawiya Mosque in Cairo, not far from the presidential palace, during a rally in Cairo, Friday, June 28, 2013. Tens of thousands of backers and opponents of Egypt's Islamist president held competing rallies in the capital Friday and new clashes erupted between the two sides in the country's second largest city, Alexandria, in a prelude to massive nationwide protests planned by the opposition this weekend demanding Mohammed Morsi's removal.(AP Photo)
Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi chant slogans as fire rages at the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Alexandria, Friday, June 28, 2013. Thousands of backers and opponents of Egypt's Islamist president held competing rallies in the capital Friday and new clashes erupted between the two sides in the country's second largest city, Alexandria, in a prelude to massive nationwide protests planned by the opposition this weekend demanding Mohammed Morsi's removal.(AP Photo/Heba Khamis)
Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi chant slogans as fire rages at the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Alexandria, Friday, June 28, 2013. Thousands of backers and opponents of Egypt's Islamist president held competing rallies in the capital Friday and new clashes erupted between the two sides in the country's second largest city, Alexandria, in a prelude to massive nationwide protests planned by the opposition this weekend demanding Mohammed Morsi's removal.(AP Photo/Heba Khamis)
Supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi hold a rally in Cairo, Friday, June 28, 2013. Thousands of backers and opponents of Egypt's Islamist president held competing rallies in the capital Friday and new clashes erupted between the two sides in the country's second largest city, Alexandria, in a prelude to massive nationwide protests planned by the opposition this weekend demanding Mohammed Morsi's removal. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)
Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi wane national flags as they demonstrate in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 28, 2013. Thousands of supporters of Egypt's embattled president are rallying in the nation's capital in a show of support ahead of what are expected to be massive opposition-led protests on June 30 to demand Mohammed Morsi's ouster.(AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
CAIRO (AP) ? The health department says one person has died and at least 85 others were injured in clashes between supporters and opponents of Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
Thousands of anti-Morsi protesters marched toward the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters Friday, where up to a 1,000 supporters of the president's political group were deployed. Fighting erupted when someone on the Islamist side fired birdshots on the marchers, according to an Associated Press cameraman at the scene. Later, opposition protesters broke into the headquarters and torched it.
The health department reported one death in the fighting, without elaborating. It was not immediately known which side the victim belonged to.
Backers and opponents of Egypt's Islamist president held competing rallies Friday ahead of massive protests planned Sunday demanding Morsi's removal.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator will meet senior Russian officials in Moscow next week, state media reported, amid signs of a new push to get Pyongyang to re-join protracted talks over ending its atomic program.
Kim Kye-gwan, North Korea's First Deputy Foreign Minister, will meet deputy foreign ministers Vladimir Titov and Igor Morgulov on Thursday "as part of efforts to resume the six-party talks", the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
The reclusive Asian state walked out of the discussions with South Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia and its main ally China in 2009 and has often said it will never abandon its nuclear weapons, calling them its "treasured sword".
But in a flurry of statements and visits this month, North Korea has offered to hold talks with the United States to ease tension that spiked this year when the North threatened the United States and South Korea with nuclear war.
During a trip to Beijing last week, Kim Kye-gwan said the denuclearization of the peninsula was the "dying wish" of North Korea's founder.
The White House has said any talks must involve action by the North to show it is moving toward disarmament. Washington has been skeptical of Pyongyang moves towards dialogue in the past, saying it has repeatedly backtracked on deals.
The Obama administration kept up the pressure on North Korea this week by saying it was imposing sanctions on the country's Daedong Credit Bank for its role in supporting Pyongyang's weapons of mass destruction program.
The U.N. Security Council has also imposed a variety of sanctions on North Korea for Pyongyang's three nuclear tests and numerous missile launches, including an embargo on the import and export of nuclear and missile technology and a ban on all arms exports.
A spokesman from Russia' Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the RIA Novosti report published late on Friday.
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) ? Health coverage policies sold via Idaho's insurance exchange will cost an average of $240 per month, a figure based on the price tag of proposed policies submitted to the state Department of Insurance by insurers aiming to participate. The figure, announced Thursday in Boise by the exchange board, is merely an average. It doesn't reflect rates policy holders will actually pay, depending on their financial circumstances, eligibility for federal subsidies or their benefits package. But it offers a first glimpse of how President Barack Obama's plan to provide health insurance coverage to more Americans may impact thousands of Idaho residents' pocketbooks. State insurance regulators are now reviewing insurers' proposed policies. The exchange aims to begin enrolling participants Oct. 1, with coverage starting Jan. 1, as required by the 2010?law.
Click below for a full report from AP reporter John?Miller.
Idaho exchange board: Average policy costs $240
By JOHN MILLER, Associated?Press
BOISE, Idaho (AP) ? Health insurance policies sold via Idaho's insurance exchange starting Jan. 1 will cost around $240 monthly, a figure based on packages submitted so far to the state Department of Insurance by insurers aiming to?participate.
The figure, announced Thursday at an Idaho Insurance Exchange board meeting in Boise, is an average and doesn't reflect actual costs for individual policy holders. That will depend on their financial circumstances, age and the benefits package they choose via the exchange, the federally mandated Internet portal where individuals and businesses with fewer than 50 employees may purchase?coverage.
But it offers a first glimpse of how President Barack Obama's plan to provide health insurance coverage to more Americans will impact thousands of Idaho residents' pocketbooks. Exchange board chairman Stephen Weeg predicted people will have a multitude of coverage choices. The deadline to begin enrolling participants is Oct.?1.
?The good news is, there are a number of plans,? Weeg?said.
Specific details of policies won't be released until after July 31, the deadline for Idaho's Department of Insurance to submit the policies to the federal government for review. But a few guidelines are?known.
For instance, a family of four making $60,000 headed by a 40-year-old would likely be eligible for a government tax credit of $7,193 toward their annual premium of $12,130. That means they'd pay $4,937, about 8 percent of their income, or $410 monthly. Meanwhile, lower-income families would make lower payments, with help from the government's sliding-scale subsidies provided for those who earn less than 400 percent of the poverty?line.
House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, who is a member of the 19-person exchange board, said people's ages will help set their monthly costs,?too.
?There will be advantages for older people,? Rusche said, compared to individual coverage plans they can purchase now on the open?market.
But premiums likely will be ?slightly higher for younger, healthier people,? compared to open market plans, he?said.
It's unclear how many people will eventually use Idaho's exchange, but the Department of Insurance estimates 190,000 residents will be eligible. Some 102,000 people from this group currently have no?insurance.
About 88,000 already have insurance through individual plans, as opposed to coverage offered through Idaho companies or government. But as many as three-quarters of those in this group, roughly 66,000 people, may be eligible for the federal subsidies, making them more likely to switch to a policy sold via the?exchange.
Given this uncertainty, the exchange board on Thursday voted to assess a 1.5 percent fee on each policy sold over Idaho's exchange, in hopes of raising $10 million needed annually for exchange operations to be self-sufficient once federal assistance ends in?2016.
They left open the possibility of altering the fee after 2014, depending on how many enroll and the actual cost of running the exchange, to make sure there's sufficient?cash.
?The number we're shooting for is really all over the place,? said Tom Shores, a Boise insurance agent and board?member.
The main thing, exchange board members said Thursday, was setting Idaho's fee at a level less than the 3.5 percent-per-policy charge the federal government plans for 27 states that have opted to have the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services run an insurance exchange for?them.
Idaho's ability to operate an exchange more cheaply than the federal government was a key selling point for Gov. C.L. ?Butch? Otter during the 2013 Legislature when he pushed reluctant lawmakers to adopt a state-based exchange, as opposed to a federal version he said would leave Idaho with too little say in its?operations.
?There were over a dozen areas we were told we'd be able to maintain state control over, with a state exchange,? said Jon Hanian, Otter's spokesman, on Friday. ?That's why the governor pursued this, as the least-worst?option.?
AT A GLANCE - Key?developments
The Idaho Insurance Exchange board's 19 members and new executive director, Amy Dowd, have moving quickly to meet key federal deadlines: Oct. 1, when they'll have to begin enrolling participants, and Jan. 1, when coverage is required to begin under President Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care?Act.
Here are a few key developments, as of this?week:
? FEDERAL GRANTS: The federal government is shifting taxpayer money to Idaho to build its exchange, and Dowd said the arrival of a $20.3 million installment for initial work is imminent, according to her contacts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human?Services.
? STAFFING BOOSTED: Dowd has boosted her staff to five people, including a marketing director, Jody Olson, who the exchange lured away from a similar role at the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings, Mont.; and operations manager Alberto Gonzalez, a former bureau chief at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Both start?Monday.
? CONTRACTS: Exchange meetings have been populated by dozens of lobbyists, from private companies aiming to win lucrative pieces of building the Idaho's insurance exchange. On Thursday, exchange board members gave Dowd approval to begin negotiations with finalists vying for two contracts, one for outreach and education and the other for professional?services.
? WHAT WILL THE WINNERS DO? An outreach contractor's duties will include developing a statewide ad campaign to educate Idaho residents about the exchange; meanwhile, the winner of the professional services contract will assist Dowd in the exchange's start-up phase, including procuring additional federal grants and helping oversee development of the system enrollees will use to select coverage and determine their eligibility for federal, income-dependent?subsidies.
? NO PERMANENT PHONES, EMAILS ? YET: Dowd, named the exchange leader only in April, has been based out of a Boise law firm and has yet to get a permanent office phone or e-mail. But she said Friday that's planned for next?week.
? REIGN OF CHAOS? The challenge, exchange board chairman Stephen Weeg, said, will be meeting all the federal deadlines with a small organization built from scratch since just April. ?Two months ago, we were nothing,? Weeg said. ?Ninety days from now, chaos will reign? We have 90 days to mitigate the?chaos.?
The Federal Communications Commission has finally voted to open up 10MHz of spectrum for "commercial mobile services"?that has until now been protected because of interference concerns.
The spectrum block, sitting between 1915-1920MHz and 1995-2000MHz, is called the H block and could be ready for use as soon as early 2014. Previously the FCC has kept the spectrum clear because of concerns about interference with a nearby Personal Communication Service block.
In some desperation, the FCC decided to set up a series of technical rules to stop the H block from interfering with PCS signals. As a result, it's now ready to be auctioned off. The good news is that more spectrum means better mobile data?or at least, mobile data that doesn't get slower with time. [PC World]
Starshine Roshell weighs in on this and other quandaries
Dear Starshine,
I have a family history of ovarian cancer, and my physician recently offered to do a blood test to determine if I have the marker (CA-125) found in ovarian cancer cells. I declined. Although it would certainly be a relief if I didn't have the marker, what would I do if I did? Wait while my anxiety soaked my ovaries in a cancer bath? Or am I being irresponsible?
SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to know today: June 28, 2013
When family history puts you at high risk of developing cancer, you can go one of two ways: Tell yourself that you refuse to live in fear while you're secretly living in fear, or go all Angelina Jolie on its ass.
Jolie, whose mother and aunt both died young of cancer, said she underwent her recent double mastectomy to reduce her risk of developing breast cancer from 87 percent to five percent. Some celebs tweeted that she was brave to do it. Interestingly, breast cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge called Jolie's decision "fearful."
SEE ALSO: WATCH: Jon Stewart checks in on The Daily Show
Terror and courage aren't mutually exclusive, though. In fact, what good would bravery be without fear?
I trust you've done the requisite Googling on this, as I now have. I'm sure you know that this blood test isn't widely recommended because it can yield false positives that freak everyone out unnecessarily ? and even false negatives, which make it a pretty lousy test.
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But it's still the best predictor of ovarian cancer, and it is recommended for women with a family history of the disease. That's because ? and here's why you should be proactive ? ovarian cancer is hard to catch in its early stages. Routine pelvic exams and Pap tests won't detect it until it's further along than you'd want it to be for a great prognosis.
Can you learn from how the other women in your family discovered the disease? Do you have other people ? say, kids or a spouse ? whose interests you should consider when deciding your approach?
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It's your life, they're your ovaries, and you may very well never get cancer. Let's both say that again, aloud: You may very well never get cancer. But if you don't, it won't be because you ignored the possibility.
You fear that if the marker shows up, you'll make yourself sick with worry ? but you're already worried. (Relaxed people tend not to write into advice columnists or type the phrase "soaked my ovaries in a cancer bath.")
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Trust me when I tell you I've never quoted Angelina Jolie in my life, I'm unlikely to do so ever again, and I don't know what I would have done in her situation. But something she wrote about her decision struck me as wise, and I hope you'll think about it:
Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.
SEE ALSO: The last word: He said he was leaving. She ignored him.
***
Dear Starshine,
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I've been with my boyfriend for a year and a half. We started dating and moved in together when I was 17. I finished high school and some college, but six months ago I ran out of money, and he was laid off from work. My parents recently offered me not only full tuition but also a car if I break up with him and move in with them, which my boyfriend said was "selfish to even think about." Our breakup has been a long time coming, but? do I simply pack my things and say "peace out"? Despite the fact that my best interests are in mind (I've got almost no chance of getting back into school while being in a relationship with him), he and I have an attachment and I don't let go of those easily. But I also know that being on the fast train out is better than making plans to leave and never doing so. What do I do?
Do I have this right? You move in with your boyfriend before you're even old enough to open a bank account in your own name. You blame him for your own failure to return to school. You need to be bribed in order to extricate yourself from a relationship that you believe is not in your best interest. You feel the car is worth mentioning here. And you fully admit that you might "make plans to leave" him but never follow through.
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If your parents are offering you full tuition to junior high, then I really think you should take it. But college? Oh, sweetie, no. You have too many other things to learn first. Starting with these:
People don't run out of money; they fail to budget. Attachments aren't supposed to be easy to let go of; that's why they call them "attachments." And good decisions aren't made based on how easily they are achieved.
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Be smart. Move out. Grow up. And don't take any money for doing it.
Send me your dilemmas via email: ToughLove@TheWeek.com. And follow me on Twitter: @ToughLoveAdvice.
SEE ALSO: Senate passes historic immigration reform ? but will the House follow?
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June 27, 2013 ? Gemini Observatory's Planet-Finding Campaign finds that, around many types of stars, distant gas-giant planets are rare and prefer to cling close to their parent stars. The impact on theories of planetary formation could be significant.
Finding extrasolar planets has become so commonplace that it seems astronomers merely have to look up and another world is discovered. However, results from Gemini Observatory's recently completed Planet-Finding Campaign -- the deepest, most extensive direct imaging survey to date -- show the vast outlying orbital space around many types of stars is largely devoid of gas-giant planets, which apparently tend to dwell close to their parent stars.
"It seems that gas-giant exoplanets are like clinging offspring," says Michael Liu of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy and leader of the Gemini Planet-Finding Campaign. "Most tend to shun orbital zones far from their parents. In our search, we could have found gas giants beyond orbital distances corresponding to Uranus and Neptune in our own Solar System, but we didn't find any." The Campaign was conducted at the Gemini South telescope in Chile, with funding support for the team from the National Science Foundation and NASA. The Campaign's results, Liu says, will help scientists better understand how gas-giant planets form, as the orbital distances of planets are a key signature that astronomers use to test exoplanet formation theories.
Eric Nielsen of the University of Hawaii, who leads a new paper about the Campaign's search for planets around stars more massive than the Sun, adds that the findings have implications beyond the specific stars imaged by the team. "The two largest planets in our Solar System, Jupiter and Saturn, are huddled close to our Sun, within 10 times the distance between the Earth and Sun," he points out. "We found that this lack of gas-giant planets in more distant orbits is typical for nearby stars over a wide range of masses."
Two additional papers from the Campaign will be published soon and reveal similar tendencies around other classes of stars. However, not all gas-giant exoplanets snuggle so close to home. In 2008, astronomers using the Gemini North telescope and W.M. Keck Observatory on Hawaii's Mauna Kea took the first-ever direct images of a family of planets around the star HR 8799, finding gas-giant planets at large orbital separations (about 25-70 times the Earth-Sun distance). This discovery came after examining only a few stars, suggesting such large-separation gas giants could be common. The latest Gemini results, from a much more extensive imaging search, show that gas-giant planets at such distances are in fact uncommon.
Liu sums up the situation this way: "We've known for nearly 20 years that gas-giant planets exist around other stars, at least orbiting close-in. Thanks to leaps in direct imaging methods, we can now learn how far away planets can typically reside. The answer is that they usually avoid significant areas of real estate around their host stars. The early findings, like HR 8799, probably skewed our perceptions."
The team's second new paper explores systems where dust disks around young stars show holes, which astronomers have long suspected are cleared by the gravitational force of orbiting planets. "It makes sense that where you see debris cleared away that a planet would be responsible, but we did not know what types of planets might be causing this. It appears that instead of massive planets, smaller planets that we can't detect directly could be responsible," said Zahed Wahhaj of the European Southern Observatory and lead author on the survey's paper on dusty disk stars. Finally, the third new paper from the team looks at the very youngest stars close to Earth. "A younger system should have brighter, easier to detect planets," according to the lead author Beth Biller of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy.
"Around other stars, NASA's Kepler telescope has shown that planets larger than the Earth and within the orbit of Mercury are plentiful," explains Biller. "The NICI Campaign demonstrates that gas-giant planets beyond the distance of the orbit of Neptune are rare." The soon-to-be-delivered Gemini Planet Imager will begin to bridge this gap likely revealing, for the first time, how common giant planets are in orbits similar to the gas-giant planets of our own Solar System.
The observations for the Campaign were obtained with the Gemini instrument known as NICI, the Near-Infrared Coronagraphic Imager, which was the first instrument for an 8-10 meter-class telescope designed specifically for finding faint companions around bright stars. NICI was built by Doug Toomey (Mauna Kea Infrared), Christ Ftaclas, and Mark Chun (University of Hawai'i), with funding from NASA.
The first two papers from the Campaign have been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal (Nielsen et al. and Wahhaj et al.), and the third paper (Biller et al.) will be published later this summer.
The NICI Campaign team is composed of PI Michael Liu, co-PI Mark Chun (University of Hawaii), co-PI Laird Close (University of Arizona), Doug Toomey (Mauna Kea Infrared), Christ Ftaclas (University of Hawaii), Zahed Wahhaj (European Southern Observatory), Beth Biller (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), Eric Nielsen (University of Hawaii), Evgenya Shkolnik (DTM, Carnegie Institution of Washington), Adam Burrows (Princeton University), Neill Reid (Space Telescope Science Institute), Niranjan Thatte, Matthias Tecza, Fraser Clarke (University of Oxford), Jane Gregorio Hetem, Elisabete De Gouveia Dal Pino (University of Sao Paolo), Silvia Alencar (University of Minas Gerais), Pawel Artymowicz (University of Toronto), Doug Lin (University of California Santa Cruz), Shigeru Ida (Tokyo Institute of Technology), Alan Boss (DTM, Carnegie Institution of Washington), and Mark Kuchner (NASA Goddard), Tom Hayward and Markus Hartung (Gemini Observatory), Jared Males, and Andy Skemer (University of Arizona).
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ? A Mormon church-owned NBC television station in Utah plans to begin showing first-run "Saturday Night Live" episodes this fall after years of refusing to air the sketch comedy show.
The decision is part of the station's plan to make the lineup stronger and improve its relationship with NBC, said Tami Ostmark, KSL-TV's vice president of marketing, research and promotion.
KSL is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has not aired certain shows over the years due to content it deems inappropriate. But Ostmark says content was never the issue with "SNL." She says the station didn't want to bump a popular sports show that aired at the same time.
New episodes of "SNL" will air at 10:30 p.m. Saturdays on KSL starting Sept. 28, Ostmark said. The station has been airing re-runs for the past year at an earlier time slot Saturday evenings.
NBC said in a statement that it's pleased KSL will air the 39th season of "SNL," adding that it values its partnership with the Utah affiliate.
First-run episodes of SNL have previously aired on Utah's CW network affiliate, KUCW. KUCW executive Richard Jones said he was taking the loss in stride.
"Obviously, we would have liked to have kept it," he said, but added, "Maintaining a good relationship with NBC is more important than complaining about this."
The CW affiliate has been airing NBC's "Hannibal" since May after KSL dropped it due to graphic and gory content. The station has also been showing "The New Normal," a sitcom about a gay couple who invites a surrogate mother into their home, since the fall of 2012.
KSL executives said the program was inappropriate to air during family viewing time, saying the show's dialogue was excessively crude and that scenes were too explicit.
KSL announced the decision Wednesday on its Facebook page. The reaction on Facebook was mixed. Some applauded the station for finally airing "SNL" while others decried the station's decision to air a show with foul humor. Some predicted the show would be pulled as soon as "SNL" airs a crude skit that offends the audience.
In a statement sent by email, KSL said it's excited about its fall lineup that will now include "Saturday Night Live" and the 2014 Winter Olympics.
___
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There's a whole plethora of places to keep your data online, but without getting too political, there's no place like home, right? TonidoPlug is a tiny personal server that lets you access your images, photos and personal files wherever you are, without having to hand them over to someone else to look after. Not only is there software to mount it as a local drive -- à la dropbox -- but it serves as a NAS device on your home network too. With the option to plug in USB drives, or add an internal SATA HDD, you won't need to pay a subscription, either. Best of all, we've got five to give away to some lucky UK readers. Please read the terms and conditions after the break to make sure you qualify. But if you do, be sure to enter -- and good luck!
Oscar Pistorius pictured training in Italy ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.
By Alastair Jamieson, Staff writer, NBC News
Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee Olympic sprinter who faces trial for the alleged murder of his model girlfriend, has resumed training, his spokesman announced Friday.
The Paralympic gold medal winner, dubbed "Blade Runner" for his prosthetic legs, has ?decided to resume a low-key track routine? to help him prepare mentally for the trial, his media manager Anneliese Burgess said in a statement.
The South African runner ?is not contemplating a formal return to athletics and his training is not aimed at preparing for competition,? the statement said.
?His focus at this time remains entirely on the court case," Burgess added. "His family, and those close to him, have encouraged him to spend a few hours a week on the track to assist him in finding the necessary mental and emotional equilibrium to process his trauma and prepare for the trial.?
Pistorius, 26, is accused of deliberately shooting Reeva Steenkamp,?29, in a bathroom at his home in Pretoria, South Africa, on February 14.
He denies the murder charge. Pistorius says he mistook her for an intruder.
Thy Olympian was granted bail after a pre-trial hearing earlier this year. The murder trial is set to begin August 19.
Prescription contraceptives for women sit on the counter of a drug store on August 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.??
Religious organizations on Friday rejected the Obama administration's final compromise for how faith-based groups must provide contraceptive coverage to employees.
The new rule, released Friday after months of negotiations, says a third-party administrator will contact the employees of non-profit religious organizations to offer and pay for contraceptive coverage for them. Churches and religious orders are exempt from the rule, but religiously affiliated hospitals, universities and other organizations must provide contraceptive care as a free preventative cost under Obama's health care law. The administration rejected requests from for-profit groups owned by religious employers for a similar exemption.
A religious liberty group suing the Obama administration on behalf of dozens of organizations said the rule does nothing to alleviate their clients' concerns. "They're forced to be the ones who provide access to the employees who obtain abortions," Eric Rassbach, Deputy General Counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, told reporters. He said even if the groups do not pay for any of the contraception, they are still the "gatekeepers" of the service since their employees ultimately receive birth control through their insurance.Rassbach said he expects more organizations will file suit in the coming days.
The Becket Fund is also helping more than 30 for-profit companies sue over the rule, on the grounds it violates employers' religious liberty to provide contraception. Hobby Lobby, a privately owned crafts-store chain, won a preliminary court victory this week when the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a lower court to reconsider the store's request for an injunction against the federal government. David Green, founder and CEO of the 500-store chain, said providing the "morning after" pill to his employees violates his belief that life begins at conception. Studies have shown that pills like Plan B work by preventing ovulation, not by blocking implantation of a fertilized egg. (Hobby Lobby's health care plan does provide birth control.)
Groups must begin providing the coverage at the start of their next plan year, as soon as July 1.
?Today?s announcement reinforces our commitment to respect the concerns of houses of worship and other non-profit religious organizations that object to contraceptive coverage, while helping to ensure that women get the care they need, regardless of where they work,? Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement.
What is menopause? Menopause is the cessation of a woman?s monthly blood flow. If a woman has not experienced menstrual flow for 12 consecutive months, she is menopausal.
Except in the case of surgery, chemotherapy or specific medical conditions that interfere with regular hormonal functions, menopause occurs at the end of a process, which may last from months to years. During the process, periods may become irregular but not stop and a woman may intermittently experience other symptoms of menopause. When a woman is experiencing symptoms but has not yet been without periods for 12 consecutive months, she is peri-menopausal. A woman may become peri-menopausal as early as her thirties or as late as her fifties.
What are symptoms of menopause? Symptoms of menopause fall into five broad categories:
1) Changes in blood vessel dilation and constriction. This blood vessel activity causes hot ?flashes? and sleep irregularities. Hot flashes are not related to the internal temperature of the body but rather to the temperature of the skin. There are various theories about why, during menopause, women?s skin temperatures may rise periodically as much as 7 degrees. One of the most intriguing theories is that women who experience hot flashes have a very narrow comfort zone ? that zone where they are neither sweating nor chilled. Estrogen seems to widen that zone; conversely lower estrogen narrows the zone. (Studies conducted by Dr. Robert R. Freedman and colleagues, Wayne State Univ., Detroit). Hot flashes contribute to sleep irregularities.
2) Urinary/genital tract changes. Women may experience thinning, drying, itching and bleeding in the vaginal area sometimes associated with pain on intercourse. Another issue may be urinary frequency, urgency or incontinence.
3) Bone changes. Changes in the bones may result in osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis), osteoporosis, joint and muscle pain or back pain.
4) Skin and soft tissue changes. Skin may thin as part of menopause or lose elasticity and breasts may become smaller. These changes are associated with the loss in estrogen that accompanies menopause.
5) Psychological/mood changes. Changes in mood may include irritability and depression or be accompanied by fatigue and memory loss.
How can menopausal discomforts be moderated? Not all women experience menopausal discomfort at a level that it requires therapy. How women experience menopause, a natural stage in the lifecycle of a woman, is in part a matter of genetics, in part a matter of general health and nutrition and in part a matter of culture. There has been great interest lately in the fact that Asian women typically do not engage in hormone replacement therapy or consume dairy products and yet have virtually no osteoporosis as they age and progress through menopause.
1) Self-care. Ideally a self-care program begins well in advance of menopause. Preferably it is a lifelong project. It is never too late to begin, however. Self-care includes good nutrition, effective and regular exercise and mood maintenance.
Good nutrition means the appropriate balance of carbohydrate, protein and fats. Carbohydrates and fats should be of the types that promote health, that is, complex carbohydrates low on the glycemic index and mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats with the correct balance of omega 3s and omega 6s. For vitamins and minerals, eat a wide range of vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and beans daily. Maintain the proper Ph balance in the body by limiting dairy products except for probiotics like yogurt. Eliminate simple sugars from the diet as much as possible and focus on getting adequate fiber in the diet.
Establish a daily exercise routine that includes weight bearing exercise, stretching and low-impact aerobic activity. Maintain a healthy weight. Maintain mood with proven techniques like focused breathing, meditation, a gratitude journal, meaningful activity and significant, satisfying relationships.
2) Nutritional approaches. There is a wide range of nutritional alternatives to HRT, often combined with a program of supplementation and /or herbal therapies as well as with the self-care techniques mentioned above. While some sources indicate these alternatives are not clinically proven, they have nonetheless been effective for many women.
Nutritional approaches may include plant estrogens, such as those found in soy products as well as oats, cashews, almonds, alfalfa, apples and flaxseeds. Magnesium can also help to reduce hot flashes. Magnesium is found in soy products and in whole grains and beans. Sufficient dietary fiber can help to reduce irritability. Essential fatty acids can alleviate symptoms of aging, including a reduction in skin elasticity and they can help with dryness in the vaginal region. They also act as natural hormone supplements. Multivitamin/mineral supplements should be chosen with particular attention to their magnesium content. In addition, vitamin E can have a significant impact on vaginal dryness and hot flashes. A variety of herbs have been used, among them, wild yam (for hot flashes), alfalfa, sarsaparilla, motherwort (vaginal dryness), valerian root (promotes sleep), ginseng and black cohosh. Dong quai has been used for centuries in China to provide relief for menopausal symptoms.
3) Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). HRT has been the most common therapy for the symptoms of menopause in the United States. It is particularly effective for hot flashes, virtually eliminating them shortly after therapy is begun. It has long been considered effective in protecting against osteoporosis because of the effect of estrogen in strengthening bone and enhancing calcification.
Following the Women?s Health Initiative Study (WHI) of the National Institutes of Health, halted in July 2002, HRT has become controversial, however. Although hormone replacement has been proved to offer many benefits, including reduced osteoporosis, there are also greater risks associated with it, including breast cancer. Patients and physicians must make the decision about HRT together, based on individual medical situations. Not only is there a decision about whether or not to use HRT but what kind of HRT: unopposed estrogen (estrogen alone), estrogen and progestin, or one or both of those hormones administered along with testosterone. Among the other things a physician will consider with his/her patient is genetic history and age. There are also differences between women with an intact uterus and women without a uterus. While breast cancer is a greater risk for the first, osteoporosis may be a greater risk for the latter. Recent reports suggest that extended use of unopposed estrogen in women who have had a hysterectomy may even reduce breast cancer, although it poses unacceptably high cancer risks to women who have not had a hysterectomy. In the latter case if used, estrogen will probably be accompanied by progestin. There has been recent interest in bioidentical hormone replacement therapies, that is, estrogen and progestin that duplicate the hormones in a woman?s body (as opposed to equine hormonal products). Studies are promising but not yet advanced enough for certainty.
Special issues. Among particular issues that may confront women in relation to the significant physical change that menopause represents are fibroids and osteoporosis. Fibroids are primarily associated with peri-menopause, that is, the time before menopause, which is marked by twelve consecutive months in which there is no menstruation. While osteopenia may begin during the peri-menopausal time, osteoporosis is associated more strongly with menopause and aging.
1) Fibroids. Fibroids are (usually benign) tumors, generally located in the uterus or uterine wall. They may range in size from less than an inch to larger than a grapefruit. Size is often explained by relating it to pregnancy, i.e., eight weeks or twelve weeks. No one is certain exactly what causes fibroids, although generally they shrink after menopause, so estrogen levels may be a factor.
Women are most likely to have fibroids if they are of childbearing age, are African-American, are obese and / or have not had children. Fibroids have been linked to an under active thyroid, so thyroid testing, treatment and monitoring should certainly be part of a preventive reproductive health program. Most women do not experience symptoms. If there are symptoms, they are most likely to include heavy bleeding or painful periods, bleeding between periods, frequent urination, pain during sex, lower back pain, reproductive problems, or a feeling of fullness or swelling in the lower abdomen. Treatments include drugs (pain relievers or medications to reduce the size of the fibroids), surgery (myomectomy, hysterectomy, endometrial ablation, myolisis); and uterine fibroid embolization (UFE). Myomectomy removes the fibroid but leaves the healthy uterine tissue. Hysterectomy removes the entire uterus. Endometrial ablation removes the endometrial lining of the uterus, which relieves heavy bleeding. In myolisis, an electrical needle is inserted into the uterus through a small incision in the abdomen to destroy the blood vessels feeding the fibroid. UFE is a treatment that cuts off the blood supply to the uterus and the fibroids so they shrink. It is becoming an alternative to hysterectomy and myomectomy. Which of these treatments is used must be determined in consultation with a physician. The clinical evidence supporting natural treatments for fibroids is scarce. For the most part, natural treatments are preventive or treat the symptoms but do not address the fibroids themselves once they are in place.
There are some reports that eating less red meat and pork reduces fibroids and some women have reported success with becoming vegetarian. Include raw nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables in the diet as well as foods high in germanium, that is, garlic, shiitake mushrooms and onions that help improve tissue oxygenation. Avoid caffeine, which has been implicated in fibrocystitis. Recommended nutritional supplements include vitamins A, B-complex, C, K and bioflavonoids. Recommended botanical herbs include chaste tree, ginger, cranesbill, shepherd?s purse, ragwort, blue cohosh and false unicorn as well as ginseng, rhubarb, cinnamon and sargassum seaweed in various combinations. These treatments and appropriate combinations must be discussed with a naturopath.
2) Osteopenia, Osteoporosis. Bone constantly reforms throughout our lives. Cells called osteoclasts reabsorb bone material while cells called osteoblasts generate new bone material. As people age, the process of reabsorbing bone material outstrips the process of generating new bone material.
Osteopenia and the more advanced osteoporosis represent an imbalance in reabsorbtion / bone generation in which osteoclasts are more active than osteoblasts, a situation caused by a reduction in estrogen. Estrogen has an important role in the strengthening and calcification of bone. A drop in estrogen at the time of menopause may also be associated with a decreased ability of the body to absorb calcium efficiently. One of the problems in how the news of the Women?s Health Initiative was brought to the public was that the increased risk of breast cancer demonstrated in some segments of the study were highlighted and other aspects of the health risks associated with aging and with menopause obscured. There is a feeling among some specialists that as a result, women are being advised to abandon HRT, at great risk to their future health. There are reports indicating that the greater danger is osteoporotic fracture and consequent disability and confinement to nursing homes at a much younger age than might otherwise be required.
First-degree murder defendant and former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez has been denied bail.
After hearing from both the prosecutor and Hernandez?s lawyer, Judge Renee Dupuis said the case against Hernandez sounds strong and that she does not think Hernandez should be free.
?I think the Commonwealth has presented a case that?s circumstantial, to be sure, but a very, very strong circumstantial case,? Dupuis said.
James Sultan, Hernandez?s lawyer, argued that until he has been proven guilty, he deserves to be able to live his life, although Sultan did say Hernandez would accept bail conditions like GPS monitoring or house arrest.
?Of course, Mr. Hernandez is charged with a very serious crime, but that shouldn?t be enough to hold him without bail,? Sultan said. ?Aaron Hernandez, who?s 23 years old, has, to the best of my knowledge, no criminal record of any kind.?
Sultan noted that prosecutors have not presented any evidence of an eyewitness who can testify that Hernandez murdered Odin Lloyd. But Bristol County Assistant District Attorney William McCauley said the physical evidence, including ammunition that has been found and a picture that may show Hernandez holding the murder weapon, is strong enough to suggest that Hernandez has no business getting out of jail. The judge agreed with that, and deputies led Hernandez from the courtroom back to the County Jail.
Chris Jericho vs. Cody Rhodes: WWE Main Event, June 26, 2013New Diva Jo-Jo sings Tons of Funk's entrance: WWE Main Event, June 26, 2013Zeb Colter addresses the WWE Universe: WWE Main Event, June 26, 2013Christian vs. Dean Ambrose: WWE Main Event, June 26, 2013Tons of Funk vs. Prime Time Players: WWE Main Event, June 26, 2013Sheamus & Christian vs. Team Rhodes Scholars: Raw, June 24, 2013Team Rhodes Scholars address Sheamus: WWE App Exclusive, June 24, 2013
Chris Jericho def. Cody Rhodes
Just weeks away from battling Ryback at Money in the Bank, Chris Jericho faced Cody Rhodes on WWE Main Event. Rhodes was looking to reassert his footing following a tag team loss to Christian & Sheamus on Raw. A victory against WWE?s first-ever Undisputed Champion would surely give Rhodes the confidence and momentum he was looking to build.
WWE MAIN EVENT PHOTOS | WATCH JERICHO AND RHODES COLLIDE
Wisely, Rhodes countered Jericho?s aggressive offense by seizing opportunities to execute questionable tactics ? such as an eye poke ? when the official wasn?t looking. While the son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes focused on Y2J?s eye, the WWE Universe remained in support of ?The Ayatollah of Rock n? Rolla.?
Rhodes managed to maintain control against the crafty veteran, thanks to targeting Jericho?s eye. Displaying the resilience that has bred much of his success for nearly two decades, Y2J refused to give in ? even if he was visually impaired. Jericho withstood Rhodes? relentless offense, kicking out of pinfalls following his opponent?s trademark maneuvers, including the Disaster Kick, Alabama Slam and Cross Rhodes.
Although Rhodes reciprocated and escaped a pinfall following Jericho?s Codebreaker, his undoing would be the continued assault on Y2J?s eye. Catching Rhodes? foot as the former Intercontinental Champion targeted his eye again, Jericho managed to lock in the Walls of Jericho for a hard-fought victory.
Wallpapers generally come flat. While we don't expect (or want) anyone to pop on a pair of 3D glasses to change that, you can add some attractive depth to your desktop with isometric renderings.
An Isometric Race
Download this wallpaper | mister-meh on deviantART 2000x1306
Google City
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Project Eternity
Download this wallpaper | PC Gamer 1920x1080
3D Cubes
Download this wallpaper | Passy's World of Mathematics 2560x1440
Lit Cube
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Neopets
Download this wallpaper | Rick Acosta 1600x995
Canterlot
Download this wallpaper | BreAuna on deviantART 2600x2472
For more great wallpapers, check out our previous Wallpaper Wednesdays. Got any great wallpapers you'd like to share? Email me a link with "Wallpaper Wednesday" in the subject line. Submitting your own work is highly encouraged!
WEST HAVEN, Conn. (AP) ? A Connecticut couple has named its baby with help from customers at a Starbucks coffee shop.
Twenty-five-year-old Jennifer James and 24-year-old Mark Dixon of West Haven told the New Haven Register (http://bit.ly/1adT5d6 ) they had been struggling between two names for the boy they are expecting in September, so they decided to put it to a vote.
They placed signs at the Starbucks on the New Haven Green, where they are regulars, asking people to vote for either the name Jackson or Logan.
The couple said it got the idea for the voting based on a system used by that Starbucks location, where customers cast votes for the store's employee of the month.
"We saw that and thought we might as well see how it works," Dixon said.
They received about 1,800 votes in the coffee cup serving as a ballot box. The couple said voters did not limit themselves to the two choices they were given.
"We've gotten Obama, Jebediah, Lincoln. Someone put (a) write-in, Webster," James said.
James said that when she realized Dixon would sound similar to Jackson, she began pulling for the name Logan.
"I don't know why I didn't realize the 'Jackson Dixon' thing, but I think once I realized that, he was going to be Logan no matter what," she said.
The name Logan also was favored by the customers, but ultimately both names won.
The couple said it will name the baby Logan Jackson Dixon.
___
Information from: New Haven Register, http://www.nhregister.com
NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - CNN is reviving "Crossfire" in the fall with conservative hosts Newt Gingrich and S.E. Cupp and liberals Stephanie Cutter and Van Jones.
The show previously ran from 1982 to 2005. The four hosts will also appear on CNN's other coverage. Cupp is joining CNN from MSNBC, which she is one of the network's most prominent conservative voices as a host of "The Cycle."
"Following the successful launches of 'Around theWorld,' 'The Lead with Jake Tapper,' and 'New Day,' we felt it was the right time to turn our attention next to 'Crossfire,'" said Ken Jautz, executive vice president of CNN. "This will be the next step in reinvigorating our lineup of live programs."
Newt Gingrich is the former Speaker of the House and former Republican presidential candidate. The former Fox News contributor has published 24 books.
Cupp is the author of "Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media's Attack on Christianity" and co-author of "Why You're Wrong About the Right." She will continue her role as a contributor to TheBlaze. She is also a columnist at the New York Daily News and a contributing editor at Townhall Magazine.
Stephanie Cutter is a partner at Precision Strategies, a strategic consulting firm started with three veterans from the Obama 2012 campaign team. She served as the deputy campaign manager for President Obama's re-election campaign and joined Obama's 2008 campaign as Michelle Obama's chief of staff and senior adviser to then Senator Obama.
Van Jones is the founding president of Rebuild the Dream, an organization that searches for ways to improve the U.S. economy. He is the author of two The New York Times best selling books, "The Green Collar Economy" and "Rebuild the Dream." In 2009, Jones worked as the green jobs advisor for the Obama administration.
A second amyloid may play a role in Alzheimer's disease, UC Davis researchers findPublic release date: 27-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Phyllis Brown phyllis.brown@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu 916-734-9023 University of California - Davis Health System
A protein secreted with insulin travels through the bloodstream and accumulates in the brains of individuals with type 2 diabetes and dementia, in the same manner as the amyloid beta ?? plaques that are associated with Alzheimer's disease, a study by researchers with the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center has found.
The study is the first to identify deposits of the protein, called amylin, in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, as well as combined deposits of amylin and plaques, suggesting that amylin is a second amyloid as well as a new biomarker for age-related dementia and Alzheimer's.
"We've known for a long time that diabetes hurts the brain, and there has been a lot of speculation about why that occurs, but there has been no conclusive evidence until now," said UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center Director Charles DeCarli.
"This research is the first to provide clear evidence that amylin gets into the brain itself and that it forms plaques that are just like the amyloid beta that has been thought to be the cause of Alzheimer's disease," DeCarli said. "In fact, the amylin looks like the amyloid beta protein, and they both interact. That's why we're calling it the second amyloid of Alzheimer's disease."
"Amylin deposition in the brain: A second amyloid in Alzheimer's disease?" is published online in the Annals of Neurology.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that increases the risk for cerebrovascular disease and dementia, a risk that develops years before the onset of clinically apparent diabetes. Its incidence is far greater among people who are obese and insulin resistant.
Amylin, or islet amyloid polypeptide, is a hormone produced by the pancreas that circulates in the bloodstream with insulin and plays a critical role in glycemic regulation by slowing gastric emptying, promoting satiety and preventing post-prandial spikes in blood glucose levels. Its deposition in the pancreas is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes.
When over-secreted, some proteins have a higher propensity to stick to one another, forming small aggregates, called oligomers, fibrils and amyloids. These types of proteins are called amyloidogenic and include amylin and ??. There are about 28 amyloidogenic proteins, each of which is associated with diseases.
The study was conducted by examining brain tissue from individuals who fell into three groups: those who had both diabetes and dementia from cerebrovascular or Alzheimer's disease; those with Alzheimer's disease without diabetes; and age-matched healthy individuals who served as controls.
The research found numerous amylin deposits in the gray matter of the diabetic patients with dementia, as well as in the walls of the blood vessels in their brains, suggesting amylin influx from blood circulation. Surprisingly, the researchers also found amylin in the brain tissue of individuals with Alzheimer's who had not been diagnosed with diabetes; they postulate that these individuals may have had undiagnosed insulin resistance. They did not find amylin deposits in the brains of the healthy control subjects.
"We found that the amylin deposits in the brains of people with dementia are both independent of and co-located with the A?, which is the suspected cause of Alzheimer's disease," said Florin Despa, assistant professor-in-residence in the UC Davis Department of Pharmacology. "It is both in the walls of the blood vessels of the brain and also in areas remote from the blood vessels.
"It is accumulating in the brain and we found signs that amylin is killing neurons similar to ??," he continued. "And that might be the answer to the question of 'What makes obese and type 2 diabetes patients more prone to developing dementia?'"
The researchers undertook the investigation after Despa and his colleagues found that amylin accumulates in the blood vessels and muscle of the heart. From this evidence, he hypothesized that the same thing might be happening in the brain. To test the hypothesis he received a pilot research grant through the Alzheimer's Disease Center.
The research was conducted using tissue from the brains of individuals over 65 donated to the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center: 15 patients with Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes; 14 Alzheimer's disease patients without diabetes; and 13 healthy controls. A series of tests, including Western blot, immunohistochemistry and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) were used to test amylin accumulation in specimens from the temporal cortex.
In contrast with the healthy brains, the brain tissue infiltrated with amylin showed increased interstitial spaces, cavities within the tissue, sponginess, and blood vessels bent around amylin accumulation sites.
Despa said that the finding may offer a therapeutic target for drug development, either by increasing the rate of amylin elimination through the kidneys, or by decreasing its rate of oligomerization and deposition in diabetic patients.
"If we're smart about the treatment of pre-diabetes, a condition that promotes increased amylin secretion, we might be able to reduce the risk of complications, including Alzheimer's and dementia," Despa said.
###
Additional study authors are Kaleena Jackson, Gustavo A. Barisone, Elva Diaz and Lee-Way Jin, all of UC Davis.
The study was funded by National Science Foundation grant CBET 1133339 (F.D.); American Diabetes Association grant 1-13-IN-70 (F.D.); the University of California, Davis Alzheimer's Disease Pilot Project Program (F.D.); National Institute on Aging award P30AG010129 (C.D.); and a Vision Grant from the University of California, Davis Health System (F.D.).
The UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center is one of only 29 research centers designated by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging. The center's goal is to translate research advances into improved diagnosis and treatment for patients while focusing on the long-term goal of finding a way to prevent or cure Alzheimer's disease. Also funded by the state of California, the center allows researchers to study the effects of the disease on a uniquely diverse population. For more information, visit alzheimer.ucdavis.edu.
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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.
A second amyloid may play a role in Alzheimer's disease, UC Davis researchers findPublic release date: 27-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Phyllis Brown phyllis.brown@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu 916-734-9023 University of California - Davis Health System
A protein secreted with insulin travels through the bloodstream and accumulates in the brains of individuals with type 2 diabetes and dementia, in the same manner as the amyloid beta ?? plaques that are associated with Alzheimer's disease, a study by researchers with the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center has found.
The study is the first to identify deposits of the protein, called amylin, in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, as well as combined deposits of amylin and plaques, suggesting that amylin is a second amyloid as well as a new biomarker for age-related dementia and Alzheimer's.
"We've known for a long time that diabetes hurts the brain, and there has been a lot of speculation about why that occurs, but there has been no conclusive evidence until now," said UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center Director Charles DeCarli.
"This research is the first to provide clear evidence that amylin gets into the brain itself and that it forms plaques that are just like the amyloid beta that has been thought to be the cause of Alzheimer's disease," DeCarli said. "In fact, the amylin looks like the amyloid beta protein, and they both interact. That's why we're calling it the second amyloid of Alzheimer's disease."
"Amylin deposition in the brain: A second amyloid in Alzheimer's disease?" is published online in the Annals of Neurology.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that increases the risk for cerebrovascular disease and dementia, a risk that develops years before the onset of clinically apparent diabetes. Its incidence is far greater among people who are obese and insulin resistant.
Amylin, or islet amyloid polypeptide, is a hormone produced by the pancreas that circulates in the bloodstream with insulin and plays a critical role in glycemic regulation by slowing gastric emptying, promoting satiety and preventing post-prandial spikes in blood glucose levels. Its deposition in the pancreas is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes.
When over-secreted, some proteins have a higher propensity to stick to one another, forming small aggregates, called oligomers, fibrils and amyloids. These types of proteins are called amyloidogenic and include amylin and ??. There are about 28 amyloidogenic proteins, each of which is associated with diseases.
The study was conducted by examining brain tissue from individuals who fell into three groups: those who had both diabetes and dementia from cerebrovascular or Alzheimer's disease; those with Alzheimer's disease without diabetes; and age-matched healthy individuals who served as controls.
The research found numerous amylin deposits in the gray matter of the diabetic patients with dementia, as well as in the walls of the blood vessels in their brains, suggesting amylin influx from blood circulation. Surprisingly, the researchers also found amylin in the brain tissue of individuals with Alzheimer's who had not been diagnosed with diabetes; they postulate that these individuals may have had undiagnosed insulin resistance. They did not find amylin deposits in the brains of the healthy control subjects.
"We found that the amylin deposits in the brains of people with dementia are both independent of and co-located with the A?, which is the suspected cause of Alzheimer's disease," said Florin Despa, assistant professor-in-residence in the UC Davis Department of Pharmacology. "It is both in the walls of the blood vessels of the brain and also in areas remote from the blood vessels.
"It is accumulating in the brain and we found signs that amylin is killing neurons similar to ??," he continued. "And that might be the answer to the question of 'What makes obese and type 2 diabetes patients more prone to developing dementia?'"
The researchers undertook the investigation after Despa and his colleagues found that amylin accumulates in the blood vessels and muscle of the heart. From this evidence, he hypothesized that the same thing might be happening in the brain. To test the hypothesis he received a pilot research grant through the Alzheimer's Disease Center.
The research was conducted using tissue from the brains of individuals over 65 donated to the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center: 15 patients with Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes; 14 Alzheimer's disease patients without diabetes; and 13 healthy controls. A series of tests, including Western blot, immunohistochemistry and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) were used to test amylin accumulation in specimens from the temporal cortex.
In contrast with the healthy brains, the brain tissue infiltrated with amylin showed increased interstitial spaces, cavities within the tissue, sponginess, and blood vessels bent around amylin accumulation sites.
Despa said that the finding may offer a therapeutic target for drug development, either by increasing the rate of amylin elimination through the kidneys, or by decreasing its rate of oligomerization and deposition in diabetic patients.
"If we're smart about the treatment of pre-diabetes, a condition that promotes increased amylin secretion, we might be able to reduce the risk of complications, including Alzheimer's and dementia," Despa said.
###
Additional study authors are Kaleena Jackson, Gustavo A. Barisone, Elva Diaz and Lee-Way Jin, all of UC Davis.
The study was funded by National Science Foundation grant CBET 1133339 (F.D.); American Diabetes Association grant 1-13-IN-70 (F.D.); the University of California, Davis Alzheimer's Disease Pilot Project Program (F.D.); National Institute on Aging award P30AG010129 (C.D.); and a Vision Grant from the University of California, Davis Health System (F.D.).
The UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center is one of only 29 research centers designated by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging. The center's goal is to translate research advances into improved diagnosis and treatment for patients while focusing on the long-term goal of finding a way to prevent or cure Alzheimer's disease. Also funded by the state of California, the center allows researchers to study the effects of the disease on a uniquely diverse population. For more information, visit alzheimer.ucdavis.edu.
[ | 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.
Chris Jericho vs. Cody Rhodes: WWE Main Event, June 26, 2013New Diva Jo-Jo sings Tons of Funk's entrance: WWE Main Event, June 26, 2013Zeb Colter addresses the WWE Universe: WWE Main Event, June 26, 2013Christian vs. Dean Ambrose: WWE Main Event, June 26, 2013Tons of Funk vs. Prime Time Players: WWE Main Event, June 26, 2013Sheamus & Christian vs. Team Rhodes Scholars: Raw, June 24, 2013Team Rhodes Scholars address Sheamus: WWE App Exclusive, June 24, 2013 
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Public release date: 27-Jun-2013
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