CALIFORNIA scientists find new VIRUS causing fatal brain ...

California 01/09/13 wired.com: by Brandon Keim ? An outbreak of a previously unknown virus that causes fatal brain cancer in raccoons has been detected in northern California and southern Oregon. Tumors and the new virus were found in 10 raccoons autopsied between March 2010 and May 2012. Nothing like them had been seen before in raccoons, in which tumors are very rare. There?s no reason to think the virus could be contagious to humans. Its emergence does, however, raise fascinating questions about how it evolved and whether patterns of suburban development actually fueled its rise. ?We need to understand how infectious pathogens are empowered by global changes,? said veterinary pathologist Patty Pesavento of the University of California, Davis, leader of the team studying the new disease, which was reported in the January issue of Emerging Infectious Disease. ?If there?s a new niche, pathogens will find it.? Nine of the raccoons came from around Marin County, just north of San Francisco, and the 10th was sent from southern Oregon. The raccoons had been spotted wandering in daylight, approaching humans, falling unconscious and generally displaying signs of neurological distress. Tumors appeared to have formed in their olfactory tracts, spread to their frontal lobes and compressed their mid-brains (see picture below). Reviews of scientific literature and calls to veterinary pathologists across North America found no precedents.

Patty Pasavento, DVM

In each of the tumors, but not in brain tissue from raccoons tested for comparison, Pesavento?s team found an unknown form of polyomavirus, one of a group of viruses known to cause a rare form of skin cancer in humans and tumors in other animals, including mice and birds. Pesavento?s team called it raccoon polyomavirus. ?The connection between the novel polyomavirus and these raccoon brain tumors is strong,? said disease ecologist Richard Ostfeld of the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, who was not involved in the research. The exact virulence and contagiousness of the new virus is unknown, but there?s reason to think it?s high. Raccoons killed by the tumors accounted for more than one-fifth of all the raccoons Pesavento?s group autopsied between March 2010 and May 2012, and the cases they saw are likely the disease?s tip. Citation: ?Novel Polyomavirus associated with Brain Tumors in Free-Ranging Raccoons, Western United States.? By Florante N. Dela Cruz, Federico Giannitti, Linlin Li, Leslie W. Woods, Luis Del Valle, Eric Delwart, and Patricia A. Pesavento. Emerging Infectious Disease, Vol. 19 No. 1, January 2013. ? For complete article see http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/01/raccoon-cancer-outbreak/

Announcement:

Wolves:

Washington 01/07/13 wdfw.wa.gov: News Release ? The recovery and management of gray wolves in Washington and other western states will be the topic of three public meetings this month hosted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). A panel of experts will discuss ongoing efforts to recover Washington?s gray wolf population, the latest information from population surveys in Washington and gray wolf management strategies used in other states. ??Wolves are a high-profile species that attract considerable public interest from people who often have opposing views,? said Dave Ware, WDFW game manager. ?This is a great opportunity for people interested in gray wolves to hear from experts about the recovery of the species throughout the West.? Keynote speakers include Mike Jimenez, Rocky Mountain wolf coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Wyoming; Carter Niemeyer, retired wolf specialist with the USFWS and the U.S Department of Agriculture?s Wildlife Services; and Donny Martorello, WDFW carnivore section manager. ?Lorna Smith, executive director of Western Wildlife Outreach, an independent wild carnivore education organization based in the state of Washington, will moderate the meetings. Each meeting will include an opportunity for the public to submit questions to the presenters about wolf recovery and management. The public meetings are scheduled for:

• Jan. 16 ? Center Place Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, 6-8 p.m.
• Jan. 17 ? Office Building #2, at 14th Ave. and Jefferson St., Olympia, 2:30-5 p.m.
• Jan. 18 ? Magnuson Park?s Garden Room, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, 6-8 p.m.

For further details see http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jan0713a/

Chronic Wasting Disease:

Iowa 01/08/13 journalexpress.net : by Mark Newman ? News of domesticated deer with chronic wasting disease may become more common. As for the wild deer population, scientists still want assistance. Last week, a third deer in Davis County was revealed to have chronic wasting disease. The state said Pine Ridge hunting preserve cooperated with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in putting up a fence-inside-a-fence to keep their deer from going nose-to-nose with wild deer. And whenever a client on their preserve successfully hunts a deer, that animal is given over to the DNR for testing. Chronic wasting disease causes deer to lose weight, to stumble around or to act extremely sleepy. It eventually results in death of the deer. DNR deer biologist Tom Litchfield told the Courier Monday there are other illnesses that mimic CWD, but any deer that show such symptoms are tested anyway. Scientists have said CWD is not a danger to humans, even those who eat deer meat ? though they never recommend eating any infected meat. The initial positive sample was confirmed in July, submitted from a deer shot in December 2011. The second positive test was confirmed Dec. 12, 2012, from a deer harvested Dec. 1. The fear among state officials and nature enthusiasts is that an infected deer in a pen did or will give the disease to deer in the wilderness. The third sample came from a male deer harvested Dec. 15 at the Pine Ridge Hunting Preserve in Davis County. That brings the number of known infected deer in Iowa from zero six months ago to 13 as of this week. All are from enclosed hunting or breeding facilities. ? For complete article see http://journalexpress.net/community-news-network/x1633446428/Chronic-wasting-disease-sees-fast-rise-in-Iowa

Follow-Up Report:

(See Likely RABID BOBCAT attacks MASSACHUSETTS MAN and his NEPHEW posted 01/08/13)

Massachusetts 01/09/13 telegram.com: A bobcat that attacked two people in Brookfield on January 6^th has tested positive for rabies. A third was exposed to the animal?s blood. All three had already begun receiving post-exposure rabies vaccinations. ? See http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130109/NEWS/101099989/1116

Other Rabies Reports:

Georgia 01/08/13 Fannin County: Health officials confirm four people in Morgantown were exposed to a pet llama that has tested positive for rabies. ? See http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/08/4-people-in-northwest-georgia-exposed-to-rabies-by-pet-llama/

Virginia 01/08/13 James City County: A skunk found in the Oakland Subdivision area of the county has tested positive for rabies. ? See http://wtvr.com/2013/01/08/skunk-tests-positive-for-rabies-in-james-city-county/

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

Source: http://naturalunseenhazards.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/california-scientists-find-new-virus-causing-fatal-brain-cancer-in-raccoons-announcement-washington-wildlife-officials-schedule-public-meetings-to-discuss-gray-wolf-recovery-management-iowa/

Prop 30 Election 2012 Michigan Election Results Missouri Election Results Amendment 64 marijuana huffington post

Hands-on with Gigabyte's S1082 and S1185 Windows 8 tablets

Gigabyte came to CES with a pair of Windows 8 tablets, the S1082 and S1185, in hopes of making a splash in a US market that still tends to associate the company name with PC motherboards. We had the opportunity to try both, and came away intrigued -- there's a handful of touches on each that separate them from the pack. Read after the break for our impressions, and check back for video soon.

Gallery: Gigabyte S1185 hands-on

Gallery: Gigabyte S1082 hands-on

Continue reading Hands-on with Gigabyte's S1082 and S1185 Windows 8 tablets

Filed under: Tablets

Comments

Source: Gigabyte (1), (2)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Lft27shxFbM/

keystone xl sopa bill sopa and pipa piracy sopa marg helgenberger censorship

Land For Sale Prescott AZ 2-Acres $139000 Prescott AZ ...

MLS# 967118 P# 928-776-1166 http://9760_967118.ClickForListingInfo.com
Welcome to another Prescott, AZ property for sale brought to you by LEN MCGEE of Windermere Real Estate Northern Arizona ? The Leader in Prescott, AZ Real Estate Services.
This video contains information on one of our Prescott, AZ Homes for sale.
Listing Address: 2289 Lichen Ridge Ln Prescott, AZ 86303
Property Type: Land
Price: 139,000
Agent Name: LEN MCGEE
Agent Email: lenmcgee@windermere.com
Agent Phone: 928 713 4666
Agent Website: www.lenmcgee.com
Agency: Windermere Real Estate Northern Arizona
Agency Phone: 928-776-1166
Agency Website: http://www.WindermereNAZ.com

Property Information:<br />Building Square Feet: 0
Bedrooms:
Bathrooms:
Property Size: 2-Acres

Description: Best value behind the main guard gate in Hassayampa currently. Wonderful views and large building envelope highlight this very unique 1+ acre lot.

If you are looking to purchase a home in Prescott, AZ you can visit our website at http://9760_967118.ClickForListingInfo.com to view all listed homes and real estate for sale in Prescott, AZ

If you are thinking about buying or selling a home or property in Prescott, AZ give LEN MCGEE a call at 928 713 4666 for a free no obligation consultation.

Our Real Estate brokers offer years of experience helping home buyers and sellers in Prescott, AZ and our market area.

Thank you for viewing our real estate listings and remember you can search all listed homes, property and real estate at our website: http://9760_967118.ClickForListingInfo.com

To view more listings for LEN MCGEE please click here
http://homes-for-sale-real-estate.com/prescott-az/windermere_real_estate_northern_arizona-9760/len_mcgee-4403/

Property details have not been verified, lot size, square footage and other details are approximate.
Buyer must investigate property details to their own satisfaction.

Source: http://www.windermerenaz.com/2013/01/08/land-for-sale-prescott-az-2-acres-139000-prescott-az/

twin towers gizmodo cnet iPhone 5 9-11 Chris Brown Tattoo Innocence of Muslims

Herschel spacecraft eyes asteroid Apophis

Jan. 9, 2013 ? Scientists using the Herschel Space Observatory made new observations of asteroid Apophis as it approached Earth this past weekend. The data show the asteroid to be bigger than first estimated, and less reflective.

Discovered in 2004, Apophis was initially thought to have a 2.7 percent chance of impacting Earth in 2029. Additional observations of the asteroid ruled out any possibility of an impact in 2029. However, Apophis is expected to make a record-setting -- but harmless -- close approach to Earth on April 13, 2029, when it comes no closer than 18,300 miles (29,450 kilometers) above Earth's surface. The asteroid will make another approach to Earth in 2036. Data collected by telescopes during today's close approach are expected to refine the asteroid's orbit to the point where an impact in 2036 can be ruled out.

The Herschel Observatory is a European Space Agency mission in which NASA plays an important role.

Over the weekend, Herschel gathered data while observing Apophis for about two hours on its approach to Earth, ahead of today's closest encounter at a little less than one-tenth of the distance from Earth to the sun: about 9 million miles (14.5 million kilometers). The space observatory provided the first thermal infrared observations of Apophis at different wavelengths, which together with optical measurements helped refine estimates of the asteroid's properties. Previous estimates bracketed the asteroid's average diameter at about 885 feet (270 meters). Herschel's observations indicate the space rock is about 1,060 feet (325 meters) across.

By analyzing the heat emitted by Apophis, Herschel also provided a new estimate of the asteroid's albedo -- a measure of its reflectivity-- of 0.23. This value means that 23 percent of the sunlight falling onto the asteroid is reflected; the rest is absorbed and heats up the asteroid. The previous albedo estimate for Apophis was 0.33.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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

---

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/T1XHPpzYda0/130109200639.htm

jobs act greg mortenson jim marshall died 2013 toyota avalon the secret life of bees full moon aubrey o day

Commercial Real Estate In Today&#39;s World - Maynas Eric

The first commercial property purchase is always the hardest. Keep reading for a handful of real estate tips and tricks.

Be sure to see and enter into good deals. Those in the know can pick up on a good deal instantly. Their usual secret is having an exit strategy that allows them to know just the right moment to turn around and walk out of a deal. They can see when repairs are needed. They are aware of how to calculate how much risks are liable to cost, and they are aware of how to ensure all of the financial goals that are set are met.

When hiring a real estate agent, read the disclosures completely before signing a contract with a realtor. Keep an eye out for dual agencies. Your real estate agency will represent each side of the transaction. This means the broker represents you and the landlord during the transaction. Whenever dual agency is part of a transaction, it must be disclosed to both parties of the transaction. Both sides must also agree to the dual agency.

TIP! You can post to social networking sites, and you should also send out newsletters about your commercial properties. Don?t fade online when you complete a deal.

Take into consideration any possible environmental problems. For example, the previous property owners might not have disposed of hazardous waste appropriately. The fact that you are responsible for causing these issues is irrelevant; a property owner is required to fix them, regardless.

Commercial real estate has many brokers to offer. A full service broker works with both the tenants and the landlord. Some agents represent only the tenants. It might be most beneficial for you to hire a broker who works exclusively with tenants. A broker with that focus will be more experienced in successful dealings with tenants.

Make sure you know how the firm that you are working with measures their results. Discover how they know the space you require, how they interpret property selection criteria, how they negotiate and the other details that affect you. Understanding where they stand in regards to these things before you sign with this company will be a wise decision.

TIP! Know that the size of a property is important when you?re looking for a spot for a business that?s permanent. You won?t have to upgrade in several years time if you invest in commercial property that will suit your needs now and as they grow.

It helps if you show people you know what you are talking about, so try writing a newsletter or have a website. Putting up a blog will also help you find lessees or buyers for your commercial properties as well.

It is vital that you stick to the rent and other terms that you previously decided on whenever you write a new lease. Otherwise, your investment properties will not be profitable. Decide in advance the amount of rent you need to charge in order to make an adequate profit. Then you will be well prepared when you have your initial conversation with your prospective tenant. By deciding on your rent in advance, you can ensure that you?ll reach your investment goals once you get some tenants in place.

Buy property that has more units. Having more units in the same property gives you more profit potential without much more work. Many investors will only consider properties with more than 10 units, and they know that if they have more units, the more money they will make.

TIP! When faced with the cleaning of your commercial property, there are several tips that can help cut the costs. First off, you may not be liable for cleanup expenses if you do not hold ownership interest, but if you do, you are on the hook.

When you are choosing real estate brokers, you should find out the brokers? experience level in commercial real estate. Be sure that they specialize in the area that you are buying or selling in. Allow the broker to acknowledge your wish for an exclusive agreement between the two of you.

Think bigger when you are investing in commercial properties. If you were considering purchasing a building that has ten units, keep in mind that it does not involve that much more work to manage 75 units instead. Regardless of the size of the building, you will need commercial financing. However, you will be able to obtain a much better per unit deal on a larger building.

TIP! If there is more then one property you are considering, acquire the house survey checklist for each one during your site tour. Do not proceed past initial proposal responses, unless you inform the property owners.

The article you just read contains a lot of useful tips you can use when buying or selling commercial property. Take what you?ve learned here to heart, and continue to learn as much as you can about the real estate market.

Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/commercial-real-estate-in-todays-world-nothing-but-the-best-tips

yom hashoah yolo liquidmetal gsa scandal kelis dick clark dies ibogaine

Tokyo protests to China over 4 ships near islands

TOKYO (AP) ? The Japanese government summoned the Chinese ambassador Tuesday to protest four Chinese maritime surveillance ships that steamed around in waters for half a day near disputed islands claimed by both countries.

The uninhabited outcroppings in the East China Sea, called Senkakus in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese, are controlled by Japan but also claimed by Beijing and Taiwan.

Deputy Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki called Ambassador Cheng Yonghua to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the four Chinese government ships remained in waters off the islands for about 13 hours Monday until just after midnight early Tuesday, said Masaru Sato, a ministry official.

Tensions over the tiny islands intensified after Tokyo bought the islands from their Japanese private owners in September, prompting Chinese to hold demonstrations and boycott Japanese products.

The latest incident marked the 21st and longest intrusion of Chinese vessels into what Japan considers its territorial waters around the islands since that purchase, the coast guard said.

On Dec. 13, a Chinese government airplane flew into airspace above the islands, prompting Tokyo to launch a formal protest. Beijing said the plane was conducting a normal operation.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tokyo-protests-china-over-4-ships-near-islands-071657739.html

Sage Stallone Mermaid Body Found Celeste Holm Stephen Covey klimt bastille day breaking bad

Mock Mars mission reveals salty surprise

They survived a "mission to Mars" that helped us understand the challenges of long-term isolation. Now the crew who participated in a mock trip to the Red Planet may have helped overturn a long-standing assumption of how our body deals with dietary salt.

The Mars 500 mission, which ended in November 2011, was a dry run for a real Mars mission. It saw six volunteers confined for 520 days in a mocked-up spacecraft at the State Research Centre Institute for Biomedical Problems in Moscow, Russia. It also provided a chance to perform otherwise difficult experiments on diet.

It is known that dietary salt is rapidly excreted in urine. As it passes through the kidneys it helps them to eliminate unwanted fluids. But too much salt in the bloodstream can hamper the ability of kidneys to remove water, increasing blood pressure and adversely affecting health.

Salt cycle

It is a challenge to measure the long-term effects of salt because of difficulties in regulating dietary intake. However, Mars 500 "mission controllers" were able to dictate the amount of salt that the crew received each day.

During this mission, and a preliminary mission with a different crew that lasted 105 days, 12 crew members consumed either 6, 9 or 12 grams of salt per day for 29 to 60 days. Previous research suggests that there should be roughly the same amount of salt in urine as has been eaten that day.

Instead, the crew excreted different amounts each day, revealing a six to seven-day cycle of salt retention and excretion. The patterns varied between crew members, but were consistent within individuals. For example, on a 12-gram daily salt diet a crew member might excrete as little as 6 grams on day three of the cycle, and peak at 18 grams on day five.

Sleepy time

The fluctuations tallied with levels of the hormones aldosterone and cortisol. It is not yet known why the cycles lasted six to seven days. Jens Titze of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, who headed the study, suspects it could be influenced by sleep.

In the 105-day mission, crew members performed a night shift every six days. Blood pressure on the morning after a night shift was higher compared with day shifts. No night shifts were performed during the experiment on the longer mission, however.

Graham MacGregor of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in London says the results are fascinating, but adds that they don't compromise previous studies. "It doesn't matter if there are [cyclic] fluctuations, because if you average single results across a large number of people, you'll still get a close correlation between the salt going in and out," he says.

Salt stores

Together with previous animal studies, the fluctuations indicate that salt might be stored away from the kidneys, which might otherwise sustain damage through salt overload. Subsequent MRI scans performed by Titze suggest that muscle and skin may also store salt. These results will be published in March, but more work will be needed to identify how such storage might affect health.

In another study published this week from the Mars 500 experiment, researchers report that the "cosmonauts" slept for longer periods, and became less physically active, the longer the mission went on. In the first quarter of the 520-day mission, the six crew members averaged 7.12 hours of sleep a day, which increased to 7.7 hours during the final quarter (PNAS, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1212646110).

More sophisticated lighting could improve acclimatisation to the required daily sleep cycle in future experiments or indeed aboard long-haul space modules. Blue light intensity is particularly important, says Mathias Basner of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, for setting day-night cycles, so lighting could be more carefully attuned to this intensity in future.

Journal reference: Cell Metabolism, DOI: 10.1016/j.cemet.2012.11.013

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Have your say

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/275004bd/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn230A540Emock0Emars0Emission0Ereveals0Esalty0Esurprise0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

moonshine news channel 4 radar weather morosini death jacoby ellsbury jacoby ellsbury lionel richie