P&G's product push to weigh on profit, shares fall

By Jessica Wohl

(Reuters) - Procter & Gamble Co said on Wednesday that profit would fall more than Wall Street anticipated this quarter as it increases spending to promote several new products.

The news spooked investors who do not want to wait until 2014 for better sales increases. Shares of the world's largest household products maker fell as much as 6 percent after closing at an all-time high of $82.54 on Tuesday.

"There's a lot of frustration that they've been talking about a lot of actions they've been taking but we haven't really seen an acceleration in the sales growth," said David Blount, co-portfolio manager of the Growth & Income Fund at Eagle Asset Management, which includes P&G shares.

The company, maker of Pampers diapers, Gillette razors and many other products, has been under greater scrutiny to improve after cutting profit expectations in the past and learning that activist investor Bill Ackman invested in the stock.

Cincinnati-based P&G also posted a fiscal third-quarter profit on Wednesday that topped estimates despite sales that were weaker than both the company and analysts had anticipated.

Chief Executive Bob McDonald was roasted by analysts on a conference call a year ago when P&G gave a profit warning. While Wednesday's call was not as tense, analysts wanted to know why the company has not yet posted better sales growth more than a year into its turnaround.

P&G, which announced a $10 billion restructuring in February 2012, said that its push for more innovation means that several products such as new Iams pet foods and Olay skin creams will soon hit stores. After cutting billions of dollars in costs, along with eliminating hundreds of more jobs than anticipated, it will now spend more to promote those new goods and even to build the plants to produce them around the world.

FOURTH-QUARTER FORECAST

For the current fourth quarter ending in June, P&G said profit should fall to 69 cents to 77 cents per share, while analysts expected it to earn 81 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. P&G earned 82 cents per share in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012.

The company cited factors including weak market growth, higher marketing and other costs and volatility in Venezuela, Argentina, Egypt, Syria and South Korea.

Wednesday's fiscal third-quarter results were a sharp departure from the fiscal second quarter, when P&G raised its annual profit forecast and its shares jumped. On Wednesday, on the heels of the better-than-expected third quarter profit, it raised only the bottom end of its annual forecast range by 2 cents per share.

"They're still making progress, they're still on the right track, it is just going to be a little more slowly than what people expected," said Edward Jones analyst Jack Russo.

P&G insists that its forecast is "realistic, not conservative," especially given the headwinds it faces such as volatility in Venezuela and elsewhere, Chief Financial Officer Jon Moeller told analysts.

Along with spending on marketing to promote its new products, P&G is dealing with what it calls a "choppy" economic recovery, and sees a 1 to 2 percent impact on its sales this year from foreign exchange rates.

Its shares slid as low as $77.48 on Wednesday and were last trading down 4.7 percent at $78.05, wiping out nearly all of this month's gains. Shares of rivals such as Colgate-Palmolive Co and Kimberly-Clark Corp were down less than 2 percent.

JOB CUTS EXCEED GOAL

While products such as single-dose Tide Pods laundry detergent have boosted U.S. sales, P&G said it still needs to figure out the formula for getting products such as Pantene shampoo and Olay skin creams to stand out among competitors. Net sales decreased in the hair care and skin care business in the latest quarter.

P&G is taking the right steps by cutting costs, bringing out new products and growing in developing markets, but it is important for it to show progress in the beauty unit in the next quarter or two, said Russo.

P&G said it earned 99 cents per share on a core basis in the quarter ended in March, topping analysts' target of 96 cents. Core earnings exclude items such as restructuring charges.

Overall sales rose 2 percent to $20.598 billion while analysts were looking for sales of $20.73 billion. The company had forecast 3 to 4 percent in sales growth.

P&G's organic sales, which strip out the impact of divestitures and foreign exchange changes, grew 3 percent - at the low end of its forecast of 3 to 4 percent.

On a net basis, the company earned $2.57 billion, or 88 cents per share, in the fiscal third quarter. That was up from $2.41 billion, or 82 cents per share, a year earlier.

McDonald declined to comment on any discussions he may have been having with Ackman, who is known to push for change at companies in which he invests. Ackman's Pershing Square had a 1.02 percent stake in P&G, or 27.95 million shares, as of December, making it P&G's eighth-largest shareholder, according to Thomson Reuters data.

P&G said it now plans to repurchase $6 billion of its stock this year, at the high end of its prior forecast for $5 billion to $6 billion in buybacks. Last June, P&G decided to hold off on buybacks, but in August quickly reverted back to its usual plan.

P&G also said it had cut 6,250 jobs as of March 31, ahead of its goal to cut 5,700 jobs by the end of June.

(Reporting by Jessica Wohl; in Chicago; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Matthew Lewis)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/procter-gamble-posts-higher-quarterly-profit-111022545--finance.html

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WWDC tickets go on sale, sell out in two minutes

The tickets for this WWDC 2013 have come and gone in record time, with passes for this year?s event selling out in an astounding two minutes, after going on sale at 10 AM Pacific. The speed at which the tickets sold out can at least be partially attributed to the fact that Apple pre-announced when they woud go on sale, something that they haven?t done in past years.

The time that it has taken for WWDC tickets to sell out every year has decreased steadily for a number of years. Last year's tickets sold out in two hours, and while many expected them to move even faster this year, it?s doubtful that anyone expected them to go quite this quickly.

Did you plan on buying a ticket? Did you manage to get one, or did you just miss it?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/ByULHW3Tfes/story01.htm

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iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S4: Which should you buy?

Apple's iPhone 5 has been around going on 6 months now, but Samsung's Galaxy S4 has only just now hit the streets, and already we're being asked the question -- which one should you buy?

Never mind the iPhone 5 is last year's model, until Apple announces a new one this is the phone that's sitting on the shelves next to the Galaxy S4 and that makes the question a real one for real people. And luckily, it's a fairly easy one to answer, because both phones are different enough -- philosophical opposites in many cases -- they'll likely appeal to different audiences.

I attended the Samsung Galaxy S4 event in NYC with Phil Nickinson, and had a chance to try out the phone then. I've also had a chance to use it this week while Alex Dobie was working on his comprehensive Samsung Galaxy S4 review. So while I haven't gone as in-depth as those guys, I've had the chance to form some opinions.

The Galaxy S4 has a 5-inch SAMOLED screen compared to the iPhone 5's 4-inch LED IPS in-cell display. On size and size alone, the Galaxy S4 wins. If all you want is as much screen real estate possible this side of a phablet, the Galaxy S4 takes it hands down. If you want a smaller display that's easier to fit on tight hipster pockets or use one-handed, the iPhone 5 will be more to your liking. Samsung also cleans Apple's Retina clock with a 1920x1080 (1080p) display, compared to Apple's 1136x640.

When it comes to display technology, however, the iPhone 5 cremes the Galaxy S4. Not only does Apple use in-cell display to make the pixels look like they're part of the glass. It's also LED. Samung sticks with SAMOLED, which, like OLED in general, just isn't great for displays. It does save on power and produce nice blacks, but it remains overly saturated, subject to an annoying blue-shift, and just doesn't hold up as well under direct sunlight. Also, Samsung has stuck with an odd sub-pixel arrangement and while it's very difficult to see at that resolution, it's still not as good as the traditional RGB layout.

Samsung has also stuck with plastic for their casing, which not only doesn't feel as good as the plastics used by HTC and Nokia, it feels downright cheap compared to the aluminum and glass casing of the iPhone 5, and the aluminum used in the new HTC One. Samsung's plastic does make it easier for them to include a door for a removable battery and SD card, but I'm happy enough to recharge my phone when I need to, and I'd rather not have a cheap-feeling experience all day, every day, when I'm using it.

The software is a mixed bag as well. I love that Samsung is trying so many things and experimenting with so many things. Sure, some of them are beyond wacky, but some of them might just be wonderful as well. Companies that throw things against the wall do sometimes find what sticks, and that's how we get the future faster.

I just wish they'd hire some really good designers to give the icons and interface a once-over because it still comes off as an afterthought, inconsistent and utilitarian.

Overall, it's a good improvement over last year's Galaxy S3. Some are calling it a Galaxy S3S, similar to Apple's S-class iPhone updates, but the screen size increase and some of the other hardware features make it more than that. Just not a lot more.

However, it remains a largely uninspired and un-opinionated phone. The beige box of mobile. It'll be a best seller, no doubt about it. Maybe even the best seller this year. But If you don't want an iPhone 5 -- and there are some valid reasons for not wanting an iPhone 5 -- I wouldn't recommend a Galaxy S4. If you love phones and you love Android, I'd recommend an HTC One far, far more.

But don't take my word for it, read Alex's review, and then come back and let me know what you think.

• Samsung Galaxy S 4 review

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/0pb9VvkKCfg/story01.htm

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Emma Stone in Talks for Woody Allen's Next Movie

Having just finished his latest film, ?Woody Allen is already in the process of casting his next one. ?While we know nothing about that particular project?s title or plot, we do know that Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man) is in talks to play a leading lady role. ?While Allen?s schedule may be clear ? except for press for?Blue Jasmine, starring Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin and opening July 26th ? Stone is filming both?Alejandro Gonz?lez I??rritu?s?Birdman?and Marc Webb?s The Amazing Spider-Man 2. ?She?s also been attached to the untitled Cameron Crowe project and Guillermo del Toro?s next picture, the Gothic horror story Crimson Peak. ?The success of DreamWorks Animation?s The Croods will also presumably land Stone back in the recording studio so that she may lend her voice to the announced sequel. ?Deadline reports that Allen?s next picture may now also be on her schedule.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927324/news/1927324/

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George W. Bush - Legacy Watch (The Note) (ABC News)

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substance abuse in adolescence articles | Mental health articles

There is increasing evidence of a rise in substance abuse among British adolescents. A survey of British 15- to 16-year-olds found that almost half had tried illicit drugs at some time. While most children who experiment with illicit drugs do not go on to habitual abuse of drugs, the earlier the onset, the more persistent the habit becomes and some will become substance dependent as adults. While a proportion of illicit drug-abusing children go on to adult dependence, there are significant differences in the pattern of abuse among adolescents and adults.

Children with conduct disorders are more likely to misuse drugs. The risk is increased in children with conduct disorder and hyperactivity. Adult role models and peer group drug use have a strong influence on adolescent drug abuse. Inhaling organic solvents is particularly associated with adolescent abuse and social adversity. There is some evidence to suggest that multiple drug use is more common among adolescents than adults with an irregular pattern of abuse rather than chronic use. As a result, dependence among adolescents in relatively uncommon.

While substance misuse is more likely to respond to early treatment in adolescence, motivation in accepting treatment can be poor. It is often the concern of others which leads to referral. There is an increased risk of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide with children, not uncommonly first presenting following an episode of deliberate self-harm. Drug use is a major risk in completed suicide. Among adolescent females involved in drug misuse, affective symptoms are likely to be more common while, in males, conduct disorders predominate. As adolescent drug abusers do not readily present themselves for treatment, an assertive approach needs to be adopted usually involving other agencies such as probation, social services and education. Although alcohol dependence is uncommon, in cases where dependence has developed, detoxification is required. Detoxification for dependence on other illicit drugs follows the same programme as in adults. Individual counselling in primary care settings using the brief intervention techniques have shown significant reduction in alcohol misuse.

Family influences play a significant role in the onset and progression of drug misuse; and family therapy approaches using techniques such as the multi-dimensional family therapy have been shown to be beneficial. Group therapy involving peers based on the Alcoholics Anonymous model helps in providing support and relapse prevention.

Related Posts

Tags: abuse, Adolescence, substance, substance abuse

Source: http://www.mentalhealthmy.com/articles/substance-abuse-in-adolescence-articles.html

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A century after WWI, a dead soldier unites

BULLECOURT, France (AP) ? When Didier Guerle fulfilled his grandfather's dying wish and had the fields of his farm searched, he set off a chain of events that brought people together across continents, and one family across generations.

The farmer called in his friend Moise Dilly, an expert in metal detection. Soon enough, Dilly came across something hidden underneath the lush grassland. "I took a spade and some time later I hit a shoe. There still was a bone in it."

As his grandfather had predicted, beneath the brutal World War I battleground, the remains and possessions of dead soldiers were found, including the silver identity bracelet for British Lt. John Harold Pritchard. Dilly's metal detector had been set off by a gun or other piece of metal on a body.

On Tuesday, almost a century after his death in the trenches, Pritchard finally found a proper grave and a ceremonial reburial in neighboring Ecoust-St. Mein, attended by his family and England's Prince Michael of Kent. Finally, he was no longer among the ranks of soldiers whose bodies were never found in the carnage of the Great War.

Pvt. Christopher Douglas Elphick and two unidentified men were buried in the same ceremony, which comes as nations prepare to mark World War I centenary commemorations next year.

Family members of Pritchard, a soldier chorister who performed as a child at the enthronement of British King Edward VII, sang for him at the white gravestone that now marks his memory. Among them was a great niece who used musical scores from his own choir days to study to become a professional singer. The grave is one of tens of thousands dotting the fertile fields in northern France which were scene to some of humanity's worst bloodshed.

"Lost for many years. Your battle is won," the etching on the stone says.

Among the crowd at the war cemetery stood Mark Cain, an American collector who came into possession of Pritchard's ceremonial sword about a dozen years ago. He became interested in the object and got in touch with the British armed forces archives about it. When he learned from the archives that Pritchard's remains had been found, he knew there was only one thing to do: give the sword back to the family.

"The sword has been traveling between continents for 100 years perhaps," Cain said. "I have been very honored to return it."

Pritchard's family was profoundly moved by the generosity. "I persuaded him to come to the burial because I cannot thank him enough," said Janet Shell, Pritchard's great-niece.

The value of the sword? "They will tell you it is priceless," Cain said after Pritchard's family was handed the sword by Prince Michael.

For Shell, it was music that reunited the family across a century. As a chorister of St. Paul's Cathedral, Pritchard has been on a remembrance plaque of the cathedral since 1921. Pritchard left for the war in the first wave of 1914 but came back to England after he was injured twice. "He was given the option of staying but John said 'no,' he wanted to get back to his men," she said.

The night before he left for France for the final time in 1916, he was stationed at the Tower of London. He played the piano for his mother and sister Ida and sang to a verse of poet Lord Tennyson's "Crossing the Bar" ? a metaphor about impending death which ends: "I hope to see my Pilot face to face/When I have crost the bar."

And the day's leaden clouds broke for Janet and three other professional singers in the family, as they brought the ceremony to an end with a moving a cappella rendition of the same song.

"It was sort of fitting in some way," said Shell. "It could not have been a better moment."

"Now this is bringing together four generations and we will never forget."

Pritchard was killed on May 15, 1917, in a nighttime battle which stopped his watch at midnight. He died in the second battle of Bullecourt on the Hindenburg Line, a fight that instead of saving the village fully razed it. Thousands of dead were scattered on both sides. Australians who fought there called it the "blood tub" and the two-week battle had little impact on the Great War itself.

The impact on the locals, though, was deep. Bullecourt literally had to be rebuilt from the mud up. Some people had no idea where their house once stood.

When Guerle's grandfather, Jean-Baptiste Savary, returned from the war, he wanted to forget, even though he knew bodies were strewn on his land.

"He told us that when I'm dead, you have to get all the soldiers out," said Guerle.

Out of respect, the land behind the farm was never ploughed, and only lightweight sheep were allowed to graze. "We did not want to trample the dead," Guerle said.

Neither he nor anyone else knows how many soldiers are still buried in his fields.

But Dilly said: "I guarantee you that there are still a lot of them there."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/century-wwi-dead-soldier-unites-162923299.html

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Etisalat bids to buy Vivendi's Maroc Telecom stake | Morocco World ...

?ABU DHABI, April 24, 2013 (AFP)

The UAE?s giant telecom operator,?Etisalat, said it will submit on Wednesday a bid to buy Vivendi?s 53-percent?stake in Morocco?s operator Maroc Telecom.

Emirates Telecommunications Corp ?will submit today a binding offer to?Vivendi Group to acquire all its shares in Itissalat Al- Maghrib (Maroc?Telecom),? the group said in a statement to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.

It said the stake of the French group amounts to ?approximately 53 percent?of the issued share capital and voting rights.?

?Vivendi?s stake reportedly has a market value of $5.9 billion (4.5 billion?euros).

Etisalat said its offer takes into consideration the outcomes of the ?due?diligence exercise that was recently completed,? adding that it will be?binding ?until the end of the second business day following the approval of?the Etisalat?s extraordinary general meeting.?

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/04/88291/etisalat-bids-to-buy-vivendis-maroc-telecom-stake/

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Epigenetic changes shed light on biological mechanism of autism

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Scientists from King's College London have identified patterns of epigenetic changes involved in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by studying genetically identical twins who differ in autism traits. The study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, is the largest of its kind and may shed light on the biological mechanism by which environmental influences regulate the activity of certain genes and in turn contribute to the development of ASD and related behaviour traits.

ASD affects approximately 1 in 100 people in the UK and involves a spectrum of disorders which manifest themselves differently in different people. People with ASD have varying levels of impairment across three common areas: deficits in social interactions and understanding, repetitive behaviour and interests, and impairments in language and communication development.

Evidence from twin studies shows there is a strong genetic component to ASD and previous studies suggest that genes that direct brain development may be involved in the disorder. In approximately 70% of cases, when one identical twin has ASD, so does the other. However, in 30% of cases, identical twins differ for ASD. Because identical twins share the same genetic code, this suggests non-genetic, or epigenetic, factors may be involved.

Epigenetic changes affect the expression or activity of genes without changing the underlying DNA sequence ? they are believed to be one mechanism by which the environment can interact with the genome. Importantly, epigenetic changes are potentially reversible and may therefore provide targets for the development of new therapies.

The researchers studied an epigenetic mechanism called DNA methylation. DNA methylation acts to block the genetic sequences that drive gene expression, silencing gene activity. They examined DNA methylation at over 27,000 sites across the genome using samples taken from 50 identical twin pairs (100 individuals) from the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) funded Twins Early Development Study (TEDS): 34 pairs who differed for ASD or autism related behaviour traits, 5 pairs where both twins have ASD, and 11 healthy twin pairs.

Dr Chloe Wong, first author of the study from King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, says: "We've identified distinctive patterns of DNA methylation associated with both autism diagnosis and related behaviour traits, and increasing severity of symptoms. Our findings give us an insight into the biological mechanism mediating the interaction between gene and environment in autism spectrum disorder."

DNA methylation at some genetic sites was consistently altered for all individuals with ASD, and differences at other sites were specific to certain symptom groups. The number of DNA methylation sites across the genome was also linked to the severity of autism symptoms suggesting a quantitative relationship between the two. Additionally, some of the differences in DNA methylation markers were located in genetic regions that previous research has associated with early brain development and ASD.

Professor Jonathan Mill, lead author of the paper from King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry and the University of Exeter, says: "Research into the intersection between genetic and environmental influences is crucial because risky environmental conditions can sometimes be avoided or changed. Epigenetic changes are potentially reversible, so our next step is to embark on larger studies to see whether we can identify key epigenetic changes common to the majority of people with autism to help us develop possible therapeutic interventions."

Dr Alycia Halladay, Senior Director of Environmental and Clinical Sciences from Autism Speaks who funded the research, says: "This is the first large-scale study to take a whole genome approach to studying epigenetic influences in twins who are genetically identical but have different symptoms. These findings open the door to future discoveries in the role of epigenetics ? in addition to genetics ? in the development of autism symptoms."

###

King's College London: http://www.kcl.ac.uk

Thanks to King's College London for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127869/Epigenetic_changes_shed_light_on_biological_mechanism_of_autism

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Bacteria may contribute to premature births, STDs

Apr. 22, 2013 ? New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis points to a common species of bacteria as an important contributor to bacterial vaginosis, a condition linked to preterm birth and increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

The condition affects one in every three women, making it more common than yeast infections. But bacterial vaginosis often does not cause significant symptoms, leaving many women unaware they have it.

"Bacterial vaginosis can precipitate significant health problems, but it is not a common topic of conversation between patients and their gynecologists," says Amanda Lewis, PhD, assistant professor of molecular microbiology. "Our findings, which come from new experimental models of the condition, may be a first step toward a better understanding of how to treat bacterial vaginosis and prevent serious complications linked with the condition."

Bacterial vaginosis occurs when the typical mix of microbes in the vagina is knocked off-kilter. In some cases, bacterial vaginosis causes a change in the consistency of vaginal fluids and an unpleasant odor. The condition is diagnosed through examination of the vagina and tests of the vaginal fluids. Doctors typically treat it with antibiotics, but the condition often recurs.

Lewis and her colleagues recently published back-to-back papers on bacterial vaginosis, the first in Journal of Biological Chemistry and the second in PLOS One.

Dozens of bacterial species have been linked with bacterial vaginosis, leading to heated debates in the scientific community over which bacteria actually cause the condition and its complications. The new research provides evidence that mucus layers and cells lining the surface of the vagina are damaged in women with bacterial vaginosis and suggests that a single organism, Gardnerella vaginalis, is likely the cause.

G. vaginalis is commonly found in the vaginal fluids of women with bacterial vaginosis and in some women who don't have the condition. The latter had led many researchers to dismiss the bacterium's potential contributions to bacterial vaginosis.

Working in mice to simulate this condition, Nicole Gilbert, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, showed that G. vaginalis causes increased shedding of the outermost cells covering the vaginal lining.

"We think the vaginal lining is shed as part of the body's effort to eliminate bacteria," says Gilbert. "However, this shedding may also expose sensitive underlying tissues. This may be important for understanding why women with bacterial vaginosis are more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases and urinary tract infections."

Based on their observations in mice, the researchers compared vaginal samples from women with and without bacterial vaginosis and found that the outermost cells from the lining of the vagina are shed in higher numbers during bacterial vaginosis.

"This is the first time, to our knowledge, that the presence of increased numbers of shed cells has been detected in bacterial vaginosis in humans," Lewis says. "These results also suggest that G. vaginalis is the cause of this increase."

The researchers examined the ability of G. vaginalis to degrade mucus, which normally helps protect the vagina and uterus from infection.

Using biochemical approaches, Warren Lewis, PhD, research instructor in medicine, and Lloyd Robinson, PhD, research technician, showed that the bacterium uses an enzyme called sialidase to detach sialic acids, which are an abundant and important part of mucus.

The research team showed that the bacterium not only breaks up mucus barriers but also makes a meal of some of the components it frees from the barriers.

When the researchers tested vaginal mucus samples from women with bacterial vaginosis, they found lower levels of sialic acids than in women who did not have the condition. Mice also had lower levels of vaginal sialic acids after infection with G. vaginalis.

"This is the first time that a bacterium associated with vaginosis has been shown to participate in mucus degradation," says Lewis. "This is significant because infection of the uterus is a common cause of preterm birth and likely requires degradation of the mucus plug, a physical structure that protects the pregnant uterus from bacteria in the vagina."

This work was supported by the March of Dimes, the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation and the American Heart Association. The animal work was performed in a facility supported by a National Center for Research Resources grant C06RR012466.

Gilbert NM, Lewis WG, Lewis AL. Clinical features of bacterial vaginosis in a murine model of vaginal infection with Gardnerella vaginalis. PLOS One, published online.

This work was supported by the March of Dimes, the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation, the American Heart Association and in part by NIH grant P50DK064540-11

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Washington University School of Medicine. The original article was written by Michael Purdy.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal References:

1. W. G. Lewis, L. S. Robinson, N. M. Gilbert, J. C. Perry, A. L. Lewis. Degradation, foraging and depletion of mucus sialoglycans by the vagina-adapted Actinobacterium Gardnerella vaginalis. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2013; DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M113.453654
2. Nicole M. Gilbert, Warren G. Lewis, Amanda L. Lewis. Clinical Features of Bacterial Vaginosis in a Murine Model of Vaginal Infection with Gardnerella vaginalis. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (3): e59539 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059539

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/VIQTWKEwSxM/130423102411.htm

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LG Electronics' profit plunges on slow TV sales

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? LG Electronics Inc. said Wednesday its first quarter earnings shrank to less than one tenth of the year-earlier quarter as its TV business languished, masking a recovery in mobile phone sales.

It forecast higher profit for the current quarter as new smartphone models and a revamped lineup of TVs hit shelves in global markets. But it expected worldwide demand for TVs to remain muted due to the slow economic recovery in developed countries.

The South Korean company's January-March net profit fell to 22.1 billion won ($19.7 million) from 247.5 billion won a year earlier.

Sales rose 7 percent to 14.1 trillion won. Operating profit slipped 13 percent to 349.5 billion won.

LG blamed the poor result on lower profit from its TV sales, which offset an improvement in its mobile phone business.

Profit from its flagship Home Entertainment division sank more than 80 percent as it had to sell televisions at lower prices and had higher marketing costs due to heightened competition. LG competes with Samsung Electronics Co., Toshiba Corp., Sharp Corp. and Sony Corp. in the TV market worldwide.

"Since the third quarter of last year, market demand for TVs slowed, intensifying competition and driving down prices as a result," LG's Chief Financial Officer Jung Do-hyun told investors. "We expect that profitability will recover in the second quarter as new models help recover prices."

LG's profit from its handset business more than quadrupled from a year earlier, showing the success of efforts to revive its mobile communications business after two years of massive losses.

In the first quarter, its smartphone sales more than doubled to a record high, putting the company on track to meet its annual sales target. The company's CFO said LG now expects to sell 45 million smartphones by the end of this year, higher than its 40 million forecast given two months earlier.

LG shipped 10.3 million smartphones in the quarter thanks to strong demand for its mid- and low-end phones and increased market share in Europe and Latin America.

But it still lags Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple Inc. especially in the premium smartphone market. Raising its market share in the U.S., which is a crucial market, also remains a challenge as Samsung begins rolling out the Galaxy S4 in the U.S. later this week and the new iteration of the iPhone will be released later this year.

LG must compete for attention for its Optimus brand, which has yet to build as strong a reputation as Samsung's Galaxy or Apple's iPhone.

"The reason for our weak market share in the U.S. is that we could not lock mobile operators during the first quarter," Jung said of the deals that smartphone manufacturers forge with mobile carriers to offer their phones. "But from the second quarter when we release the new Optimus G, we will see an improvement in U.S. handset revenues."

In the second quarter, the company is set to expand the availability of its flagship Optimus G Pro smartphones in more countries and roll out high-end TV models, including the TVs that use advanced displays called OLED and ultra-definition TVs.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-04-24-AS-SKorea-Earns-LG-Electronics/id-b27efe37a83f44789427b9efc0211494

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New Zealand Cricket News: Brendon McCullum drops plans of legal ...

Brendon McCullum will not take legal action against former New Zealand captain John Parker, following an apology from Parker for his references to McCullum in connection with the Ross Talyor controversy. McCullum's laywers were expected to file proceedings in the High Court in Hamilton this week over the document titled "The Taylor Affair", which they claim was written by Parker.

When he made public his intention to seek legal redress against Parker, McCullum had said he was not seeking monetary damages but wanted Parker's "acknowledgment that the claims he makes are completely false".

Now, through McCullum's legal team, Parker released a statement saying he did not mean to discredit McCullum. "John Parker's focus in preparing the document was on addressing shortcomings in governance at New Zealand Cricket," the statement said. "However in the document John Parker stated that Brendon McCullum knew of the coach Mike Hesson's movements all along, according to certain players. John Parker did not intend this to mean that Brendon McCullum was involved in the decision to replace Ross Taylor as captain. John Parker did not intend to discredit Brendon McCullum and sincerely apologises to him for any harm to his reputation which may have been caused. Both John Parker and Brendon McCullum have examined and resolved their differences successfully, and no legal proceedings by either party will occur."

Parker, in his document, had been critical of Taylor's removal as captain in controversial manner, as well as the wider governance of New Zealand Cricket.

Following McCullum's declaration that he was seeking legal action last week, coach Hesson too had issued a statement saying was seeking his lawyer's advice on the matter.

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/story/631724.html

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CUTLASS Supreme: How the Next-Gen Police-Bot Picks Bombs Apart in Record Time

The Wheelbarrow EOD robot has dutifully served the British Army since Lt. Col. Peter Mille first put one to work disarming IRA bombs in 1972. But these days, the 400 or so units currently deployed in the UK and abroad are quickly becoming legacy hardware. The British Ministry of Defence's replacement: a state-of-the-art bomb-bot that can disable an IED four times faster than its predecessor. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/gnqxPKgheoM/cutlass-supreme-how-the-next+gen-police+bot-picks-bombs-apart-in-record-time

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Google buys Wavii for $30 million, mirroring Yahoo's deal

By Gerry Shih

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc has acquired Wavii, the Seattle-based startup behind a news summarization app, for roughly $30 million in cash, a person with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday.

Google's successful bid came after Apple Inc had expressed interest in buying Wavii to incorporate the startup's natural language technology into Siri, Apple's voice-activated personal assistant feature, said the person, who declined to be named because the deal has not been publicly announced.

Google and Wavii declined to comment.

Google's purchase comes several weeks after Yahoo Inc paid a similar amount to acquire Summly, the news reader and Wavii competitor founded by 18-year-old Nick D'Aloisio in London.

The deals have taken out of play two small companies that sought to enhance how consumer experience news - a significant concern for Google and Yahoo, which both maintain highly trafficked news sites.

In separate interviews last year, Wavii founder Adrian Aoun and D'Aloisio acknowledged the competition between the two startups.

D'Aloisio touted Summly's superior user interface, which condenses articles into several easy-to-read paragraphs. Aoun played up his app's technology, including a proprietary algorithm that boiled down complex news stories into sentences of just a few words.

Wavii's investors included Paypal co-founder Max Levchin, former Facebook executive Dave Morin, and Fritz Lanman, a former dealmaker at Microsoft Corp.

Most of the startup's employees are expected to relocate to Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California.

News of the acquisition was first reported by Techcrunch.

(Reporting by Gerry Shih; Editing by Richard Chang)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/google-buys-wavii-30-million-mirroring-yahoos-deal-004542622--sector.html

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Video: House report slams Sec. Clinton on Benghazi (cbsnews)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/301131464?client_source=feed&format=rss

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TV reporter says he's fired for profanity on air

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) ? A weekend news anchorman for a North Dakota television station says he was fired after he opened his first-ever broadcast with obscenities.

A.J. Clemente says on Twitter that KFYR-TV of Bismarck fired him Monday.

The NBC affiliate said in an earlier statement that Clemente was suspended following the Sunday evening broadcast. General manager Dick Heidt says he cannot discuss the incident because it's a personnel matter.

The station posted an apology online and co-anchorwoman Van Tieu also apologized during the 10 p.m. newscast.

Video of Clemente's two-word uttering was immediately posted online via social media sites, and the hashtag "Keep AJ" started trending on Twitter in support of the self-described West Virginia University graduate.

Clemente tweeted after the broadcast: "That couldn't have gone any worse!"

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tv-reporter-says-hes-fired-profanity-air-090037289.html

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Pedro Guessed How High A Balloon Could Fly, So He Gets To Go To Space Next Year

Some super lucky people win cars, and some win money, while the rest of us are happy to win a jar of jellybeans for guessing how many there are. And then there's this guy: "Pedro" from Brazil (the only information given about him) won a trip to space today, and all he had to do was guess how high in the atmosphere a balloon got before it burst. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/pRB5_sg7F6w/pedro-guessed-how-high-a-balloon-could-fly-so-he-gets-to-go-to-space-next-year

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