Snowden needs 'world's protection', says Venezuelan leader

By Alissa de Carbonnel and Alexei Anishchuk

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Several countries on Tuesday spurned asylum requests from Edward Snowden, the former U.S. spy agency contractor wanted for leaking secrets, despite an appeal from Venezuela for the world to protect him.

Snowden, who revealed the secret U.S. electronic surveillance program Prism, has applied for political asylum in more than a dozen countries in his search for safety from the espionage charges in the United States.

The 30-year-old is in legal limbo in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, unable to fly on to a hoped-for destination in Latin America because he has no legal travel documents and no Russian visa to leave the airport.

On Monday, he broke a nine-day silence since arriving in Moscow from Hong Kong, challenging Washington by saying he was free to publish more about its programs and that he was being illegally persecuted.

That ruled out a prolonged stay in Russia, where a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said Snowden had withdrawn his request for asylum after the Russian leader said he should give up his "anti-American activity".

But while country after country denied his asylum requests on technical grounds, Venezuela, part of an alliance of leftist governments in Latin America, said it was time to stop berating a man who has "done something very important for humanity".

"He deserves the world's protection," President Nicolas Maduro told Reuters during a visit to Moscow.

"He has a right to protection because the United States in its actions is persecuting him...Why are they persecuting him? What has he done? Did he launch a missile and kill someone? Did he rig a bomb and kill someone? No. He is preventing war."

Maduro said he would consider an asylum application. Snowden's request for safety in Ecuador, which has sheltered the founder of antisecrecy group WikiLeaks Julian Assange in its London embassy, has seemingly ended.

U.S. President Barack Obama has made clear to a number of countries that granting him asylum would carry costs.

"MISTAKE"

Snowden has prepared asylum requests in countries including India, China, Brazil, Ireland, Austria, Bolivia, Cuba, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Venezuela, WikiLeaks has said.

But several countries, including Snowden's favored Ecuador, said on Tuesday they could not consider an asylum request from Snowden unless he was on their territory.

Norway said he was unlikely to get asylum there, and Poland said it would not give a "positive recommendation" to any request. Finland, Spain, Ireland and Austria said he had to be in their countries to make a request, while India said "we see no reason" to accept his petition.

France said it had not received a request.

Officials in Russia, which has made clear it wants Snowden to leave, say an embassy car would be considered foreign territory if a country picked him up - possibly a message to leaders of oil-producing countries in Moscow for talks this week.

Snowden's options have narrowed sharply.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa was quoted in Britain's Guardian newspaper on Monday as saying he could not consider the asylum request and that giving Snowden a temporary travel pass to fly to Moscow was "a mistake on our part".

"Are we responsible for getting him to Ecuador? It's not logical," he said, adding that Snowden was now Moscow's problem.

Moscow is unwilling to send Snowden to the United States, a move that could make it look weak, and has no extradition treaty with Washington. But it also does not want to damage ties with the United States over a man with whom Putin, a former KGB spy, has little sympathy.

At a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Brunei, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he had raised Snowden "from our point of view" despite the affair not being in their domain.

"Russia has never extradited anyone, is not extraditing anyone and will not extradite anyone," Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters.

Peskov said Snowden showed no sign of stopping releasing secret U.S. documents and added that he had abandoned his intention of staying in Russia.

In an undated letter to Ecuador's Correa seen by Reuters, Snowden said he was "dedicated to the fight for justice in this unequal world". "I remain free and able to publish information that serves the public interest," Snowden said in the letter.

(For list of countries to which Snowden has applied click on http://link.reuters.com/maw39t)

(Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton in Brunei, Writing by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/snowden-needs-worlds-protection-says-venezuelan-leader-101733505.html

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Gene mutations caused by a father's lifestyle can be inherited by multiple generations

Public release date: 1-Jul-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cody Mooneyhan
cmooneyhan@faseb.org
301-634-7104
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

New research in The FASEB Journal suggests that moderate paternal exposures, such as cigarette smoking, can increase the number of mutations transmitted to their children, and even the next generation

Bethesda, MD -- Gene mutations caused by a father's lifestyle can be inherited by his children, even if those mutations occurred before conception. What's more, these findings show that mutations in the germ-line are present in all cells of the children, including their own germ cells. This means that a father's lifestyle has the potential to affect the DNA of multiple generations and not just his immediate offspring. These findings were published in the July 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal.

"Our study should be regarded as a pilot study," said Roger Godschalk, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Toxicology and the School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. "We hope that our findings support the initiation of new, more elaborate studies that investigate the role of daily life exposures on germ-line mutations transmitted to offspring."

To make this discovery, Godschalk and colleagues looked at two groups of families (father, mother and child) from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. The first group had a low yearly income, whereas the second group had a relatively high yearly income. The investigators chose income as a criterion because it generally correlates to lifestyle choices of the parents. For instance, fathers in the low income group were more often cigarette smokers than fathers in the high income group. Researchers looked for DNA mutations in the children and found that they were more frequent in the group with low income fathers than in the group of high income fathers. These results suggest that the parents living conditions before conception may directly impact the health of their children.

"We've known for a very long time that preventive care among expectant mothers is critical to the health and well-being of their children," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "Now, we're learning that fathers don't get a free pass. How they take care of themselveseven before conceptionaffects the genetic makeup of their children, for better or worse."

###

Receive monthly highlights from The FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). It is among the most cited biology journals worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information and has been recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century.

FASEB is composed of 26 societies with more than 100,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. Our mission is to advance health and welfare by promoting progress and education in biological and biomedical sciences through service to its member societies and through collaborative advocacy.

Details: Joost O. Linschooten, Nicole Verhofstad, Kristine Gutzkow, Ann-Karin Olsen, Carole Yauk, Yvonne Oligschlger, Gunnar Brunborg, Frederik J. van Schooten, and Roger W. L. Godschalk. Paternal lifestyle as a potential source of germline mutations transmitted to offspring. FASEB J July 2013 27:2873-2879; doi:10.1096/fj.13-227694 ; http://www.fasebj.org/content/27/7/2873.abstract

---

[ | 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.

Public release date: 1-Jul-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Cody Mooneyhan
cmooneyhan@faseb.org
301-634-7104
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

New research in The FASEB Journal suggests that moderate paternal exposures, such as cigarette smoking, can increase the number of mutations transmitted to their children, and even the next generation

Bethesda, MD -- Gene mutations caused by a father's lifestyle can be inherited by his children, even if those mutations occurred before conception. What's more, these findings show that mutations in the germ-line are present in all cells of the children, including their own germ cells. This means that a father's lifestyle has the potential to affect the DNA of multiple generations and not just his immediate offspring. These findings were published in the July 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal.

"Our study should be regarded as a pilot study," said Roger Godschalk, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Toxicology and the School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. "We hope that our findings support the initiation of new, more elaborate studies that investigate the role of daily life exposures on germ-line mutations transmitted to offspring."

To make this discovery, Godschalk and colleagues looked at two groups of families (father, mother and child) from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. The first group had a low yearly income, whereas the second group had a relatively high yearly income. The investigators chose income as a criterion because it generally correlates to lifestyle choices of the parents. For instance, fathers in the low income group were more often cigarette smokers than fathers in the high income group. Researchers looked for DNA mutations in the children and found that they were more frequent in the group with low income fathers than in the group of high income fathers. These results suggest that the parents living conditions before conception may directly impact the health of their children.

"We've known for a very long time that preventive care among expectant mothers is critical to the health and well-being of their children," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "Now, we're learning that fathers don't get a free pass. How they take care of themselveseven before conceptionaffects the genetic makeup of their children, for better or worse."

###

Receive monthly highlights from The FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). It is among the most cited biology journals worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information and has been recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century.

FASEB is composed of 26 societies with more than 100,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. Our mission is to advance health and welfare by promoting progress and education in biological and biomedical sciences through service to its member societies and through collaborative advocacy.

Details: Joost O. Linschooten, Nicole Verhofstad, Kristine Gutzkow, Ann-Karin Olsen, Carole Yauk, Yvonne Oligschlger, Gunnar Brunborg, Frederik J. van Schooten, and Roger W. L. Godschalk. Paternal lifestyle as a potential source of germline mutations transmitted to offspring. FASEB J July 2013 27:2873-2879; doi:10.1096/fj.13-227694 ; http://www.fasebj.org/content/27/7/2873.abstract

---

[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/foas-gmc070113.php

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Biomedical research revealing secrets of cell behavior

July 1, 2013 ? Knowing virtually everything about how the body's cells make transitions from one state to another -- for instance, precisely how particular cells develop into multi-cellular organisms -- would be a major jump forward in understanding the basics of what drives biological processes.

Such a leap could open doors to far-reaching advances in medical science, bioengineering and related areas.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Arizona State University, with a partner at Imperial College London, report on taking at least a step toward better comprehension of the fundamentals of "cell fate determination" in the prominent research journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Cell fate determination relates to the mechanisms by which a cell "decides" in what direction it will go in moving through transitional phases into a final state.

Using mathematical modeling and synthetic biology techniques the team is manufacturing artificial gene networks (a collection of DNA segments in a cell that interact with each other) and introducing them into cells in the laboratory.

From there, the researchers are able to closely observe through microscopic imaging what is happening with particular cells at their "tipping point," a stage of rest right before they transition into other states.

By learning what takes place at that point, "We can get closer to a fundamental insight about all biology," says biomedical engineer and synthetic biologist Xiao Wang.

Once the mechanisms determining the fate of cells are better understood, Wang says, "We could make gene networks or devices that do what we want them to do," such as create cells that produce medicinal drugs or that kill diseased cells, or create cells that act as sensors to detect environmental hazards.

Wang is an assistant professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, one of ASU's Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. He is the senior author of the PNAS paper.

Wang's fellow authors are: biomedical engineering research scientists Min Wu and Xiaohui Li, who work in Wang's lab; electrical engineering graduate student Ri-Qi Su; Ying-Cheng Lai, a professor in ASU's School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering; and synthetic biologist Tom Ellis from Imperial College London.

Their article, "Engineering of regulated stochastic cell fate determination," is available online.

The research team is studying the molecular-level interactions within the DNA sequences of cells, through which the products of one gene affect those of other genes. This helps to trace the lineages of cell development and reveal what drives them in the direction of what kinds of cells they will be in their final states.

Within deeper knowledge of the workings of such processes lays the key to more effectively engineering cells and gene networks.

Wang's team is focused on investigating the intricate properties of gene networks with the goal of learning new ways of regulating the mechanisms behind cell fate determination.

"Our research could be built upon to look at more complicated gene networks and more complex cellular behavior," paving the way for expanding the capabilities of bioengineering to protect and maintain human health, Wang says.

Support for the team's research has come from the National Science Foundation and the American Heart Association.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/UJzKzAFGc7E/130701163851.htm

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Obama Meets With Youth of Africa

During a town hall Q&A with young leaders at the University of Johannesburg in Soweto, South Africa, President Obama touched on everything from terrorism to international trade agreements. WSJ?s Patrick McGroarty and Mark Scheffler report.

?

?

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Source: http://www.wsbradio.com/videos/news/obama-meets-with-youth-of-africa/v5bgK/

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Designed by Apple is California: Published in newspapers everywhere

Apple's going decidedly old world for their newest ad campaign, pushing their "Designed by Apple in California" series onto 2-page spreads in major North American newspapers, including Saturday's Montreal Gazette, pictured above. Nostalgia has been something Apple's appealed to in the past - that sense of better, simpler, more personal times and places, where friends and family, important moments and memorable music, craftsmanship and quality were the things that inspired and empowered us, and were among the values that mattered most.

I've already written about what I think it means in terms of regionalism and responsibility. Some have theorized they're targeted internally at Apple's own, and others have said they're not as effective at reaching mainstream consumers. Allusions have even been made to Apple's classic "Think Different" campaign, claiming "Designed by Apple in California" is to Tim Cook's first act what that was to Steve Jobs' second.

Regardless, they seem to me to be more brand ads than product ads, statements of identity and purpose than sales pitches. Their job doesn't seem to be to sell more iPhone or iPads, iPods or Macs, at least not overtly or directly, but to sell more Apple subtly and pervasively.

"Designed by Apple in California" doesn't seem to have clicked everywhere or for everyone yet, and may not even over time. But it gets "design", "Apple", and "California" linked in people's thoughts, and in their commentary, and that's a change from what the discussions and word associations might have been previously.

You can check out some other variants over at 9to5Mac. If Apple's running an ad in your local paper, throw a link below and let me know what you think about the campaign.

This is it. This is what matters. The experience of a product. How it makes someone feel. When you start by imagining what it might be like, you step back. You think.

Who will this help? Will it make life better? Does this deserve to exist? If you are busy making everything, how can you perfect anything?

We don't believe in coincidence or dumb luck. There are a thousand "no's" for every "yes". We spend a lot of time on a few great things. Until every idea we touch, enhances each life it touches.

We're engineers and artists. Craftsmen and inventors. We sign our work. You may rarely look at it, but you'll always feel it. This is our signature, and it means everything.

Designed by Apple in California

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/JQxob_JGL0Y/story01.htm

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Texas lawmakers are back, and so is abortion fight

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? Round two of Texas' fierce ideological battle over abortion limits was set to begin Monday, less than a week after a Democratic filibuster and hundreds of raucous protesters threw the end of the first special session into chaos.

The Legislature's Republican majority has vowed to pass wide-ranging abortion restrictions quickly and easily this time, even as opponents mobilize for more protests.

"The world has seen images of pro-abortion activists screaming, cheering," Republican Gov. Rick Perry said. "Going forward, we have to match their intensity but do it with grace and civility."

Lawmakers finished their regular session May 27, but Perry called them back immediately for 30 more days to approve, among other things, the tight new limits on abortion.

On the extra session's last day, however, Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth was on her feet for more than 12 hours ? speaking most of that time ? as Democrats used a filibuster to help kill the sweeping abortion bill.

As the midnight deadline loomed, Republicans used parliamentary technicalities to silence her, but hundreds of protesters in the public gallery and surrounding Capitol corridors cheered so loudly that senators on the floor weren't able to hear, and couldn't pass the bill before the clock the ran out.

The scene was chaotic enough that Sen. Donna Campbell, a New Braunfels Republican, called for the gallery to be cleared. She said that with lawmakers now heading back, "I believe more presence by law enforcement will help keep disruptive behavior from thwarting the democratic process."

She said more families may turn up to express their views and "every Texan's voice deserves to be heard. Not just the noisiest and unruliest."

A repeat scene seems unlikely. Texas Department of Public Safety state troopers provide security at the Capitol, and department spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger said the agency doesn't discuss its plans.

"However, when necessary, we will adjust our security measures as a situation merits," she said.

Some of the same protesters already have planned a rally at the state Capitol on Monday, but there may not be much action for them to see. Both the House and Senate could simply gavel in long enough to assign committees to hear new versions of the bills they plan to pass, then adjourn for the rest of the week that includes the July 4 holiday.

But Perry says he expects lawmakers to get their work done more quickly this time, making it harder for a filibuster to talk any proposed legislation to death.

"I want the Legislature to be getting work done that actually that they had, by and large, finished," he said.

House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who oversees the Senate, haven't revealed plans to do anything differently in the second special session ? but it's lost on no one that moving through the process faster, and ensuring both chambers carry out final votes long before the end of the session, will limit Democratic stall tactics and make any possible filibuster moot because too much time would be left.

The legislative process now starts over, with lawmakers filing bills, committees holding public hearings on each, then passing them to both full chambers to consider. That means reviving the proposals Davis and the protesters killed: banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, requiring that the procedure be performed at ambulatory surgical centers, and mandating that doctors who perform abortions obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles.

Supporters say such limits will safeguard women's health, but opponents argue the upgrades facilities will have to undergo to meet the new requirements are so costly that they will force nearly every abortion provider in the state to close. Dewhurst has acknowledged that the ultimate goal is to shutter abortion clinics.

Meanwhile, some of the Legislature's most outspoken critics of abortion, including state Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston, have refiled bills that stalled even before Davis' filibuster ? hoping they can push through stricter restrictions. Patrick, who has announced he will challenge Dewhurst and run next year for lieutenant governor, revived one of his pet projects ? a bill placing more rules on the use of abortion-inducing drugs such as RU-486.

Davis, who donned pink tennis shoes for the marathon speech that made her an overnight political sensation nationally, hasn't said if she'll try something similar again. And, calling more special sessions has squashed Democratic stonewall tactics before.

In 2003, House Democrats fled to Oklahoma to keep the chamber from making quorum and passing new redistricting maps that benefited Republicans. When Perry called a first and then second special session, Senate Democrats headed to New Mexico. But the maps were approved during a third extra session that year.

Even so, Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, vowed: "As this last week has shown, we are ready to fight."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-lawmakers-back-abortion-fight-083837014.html

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Kelly Olynyk: A good pick for the Boston Celtics?

Kelly Olynyk was a break-out star at Gonzaga University this year. But is Kelly Olynyk, a 7-foot forward, a good choice for the Boston Celtics?

By David Clark Scott,?Staff writer / June 29, 2013

Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk scores against Santa Clara during a January 2013 NCAA college basketball game in Santa Clara, Calif. Olynyk was chosen by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA Draft.

(AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

Enlarge

There are no sure things in any NBA draft. The parquet floors of the NBA are littered with the shattered hopes and dreams of top draft picks.

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But there's good reason for Celtics fans to be optimistic about center/power forward Kelly Olynyk. And let's face it, with the departure of Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett, Boston fans are searching for a silver lining.

Here's why Celtics general manager Danny Ainge traded up in the draft in order to get Olynyk.

Olynyk's no Kevin Garnett but he brings some needed size inside. At 7 feet, 234 pounds, he's a presence in the paint. He's smart (the son of a coach). He's a very efficient shooter, especially inside.

"This season, he took 63% of his shots at the rim and made 73% of them. Owning a variety of weird moves in the post, Olynyk has found many ways to be one of the most efficient players in the country, as he leads the NCAA in PER [Player Efficiency Rating] at 36.2.," points out Sam Vecenie of SB Nation.??

There are some who suggest that Olynyk may be a one-season wonder. He red-shirted in his junior year at Gonzaga to bulk up to play the post position. That turned out to be an intelligent move. He also has some international experience under his belt because he played with Canada's national basketball team while they were preparing for the Olympics.

While he's built to play the post, he's also got a 20-foot jump shoot ? something every successful big man in the NBA has today.?

Olynyk's weaknesses?

Well, Kevin O'Connor of?the Celtics Blog on SB nation is blunt in his assessment:

"His defensive game is nonexistent and he lacks the athletic tools to improve there. He's also not very good on the boards and gets pushed around despite his size. Olynyk lacks the athleticism to move side-to-side defensively, making him a liability in the pick-and-roll. Despite standing at 7-feet tall, he hasn't shown the ability to be a good rebounder at the next level."

Still, on balance, O'Connor likes Ainge's choice.

Taking his strengths, weaknesses, and long, floppy locks into account, what makes Olynyk a good fit for the Celtics?

Ainge is reportedly rebuilding the team around Rajon Rondo ? the one player he says he won't trade ? as well as Jeff Green and Avery Johnson. Ainge will likely use Jared Sullinger and Olynyk to fill the big power-forward shoes left by the departing Kevin Garnett.?

There's no question that this will be a rebuilding year for the Celtics. They will lose a lot of games, and fans will pin for the days of Rivers, Garnett, and Pierce.

But what Ainge finds appealing about Olynyk is that, unlike a lot of college draft picks, he can play in the NBA now. He has the size and shots. But he also has some room for improvement.

Boston.com sports writer Gary Dzen lists five reasons the Celtics took Olynyk, including this one:

"Olynyk is unorthodox, but he's gotten it done at a very high level for Gonzaga. There are two schools to drafting, and the Celtics seem to be moving away from the school of best athlete wins the day. JaJuan Johnson, who was the Celtics' pick in the 2011 draft, had the body but never developed the game.... On the other side, Jared Sullinger, Glen Davis, and Nate Robinson are examples of unorthodox Celtics players who have produced. Boston knows Olynyk can play."

And Olynyk's coach at Gonzaga, Mark Few, tells the Boston Herald's Tom Layman that his former big man has the intangibles to succeed with the Celtics.

?I think he?s a highly competitive person and player,? Few said. ?I think it?s not something he will fear and it will be something he will look forward to. You just put him on the floor and he?s going to do whatever it takes to win.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/YkpyAWdWSJM/Kelly-Olynyk-A-good-pick-for-the-Boston-Celtics

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