New way to boost potency of natural pain relief chemical in body

ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2011) ? UC Irvine and Italian researchers have discovered a new means of enhancing the effects of anandamide -- a natural, marijuana-like chemical in the body that provides pain relief.

Led by Daniele Piomelli, UCI's Louise Turner Arnold Chair in the Neurosciences, the team identified an "escort" protein in brain cells that transports anandamide to sites within the cell where enzymes break it down. They found that blocking this protein -- called FLAT -- increases anandamide's potency.

Previous work by the researchers indicates that compounds boosting anandamide's natural abilities could form the basis of pain medications that don't produce sedation, addiction or other central nervous system side effects common with existing painkillers, such as opiates.

"These findings raise hope that the analgesic properties of marijuana can be harnessed for new, safe drugs," said Piomelli, a professor of pharmacology. "Specific drug compounds we are creating that amplify the actions of natural, marijuana-like chemicals are showing great promise."

For the study, which appears in the Nov. 20 online version of Nature Neuroscience, he and his colleagues used computational methods to understand how FLAT binds with anandamide and escorts it to cell sites to be degraded by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) enzymes.

Anandamide has been dubbed "the bliss molecule" for its similarities to the active ingredient in marijuana. A neurotransmitter that's part of the body's endocannabinoid system, it's been shown in studies by Piomelli and others to play analgesic, antianxiety and antidepressant roles. It's also important in regulating food consumption. Blocking FAAH activity enhances several effects of anandamide without generating the "high" seen with marijuana.

Piomelli and his collaborators speculate that inhibiting FLAT (FAAH-like anandamide transporters) might be particularly useful in controlling certain forms of pain -- that caused by damage to the central nervous system, for example -- and curbing addiction to such drugs as nicotine and cocaine.

Researchers from UCI, Italy's University of Parma and University of Bologna, and the Italian Institute of Technology participated in the study, which was supported by grants from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism, and the U.S. National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jin Fu, Giovanni Bottegoni, Oscar Sasso, Rosalia Bertorelli, Walter Rocchia, Matteo Masetti, Ana Guijarro, Alessio Lodola, Andrea Armirotti, Gianpiero Garau, Tiziano Bandiera, Angelo Reggiani, Marco Mor, Andrea Cavalli, Daniele Piomelli. A catalytically silent FAAH-1 variant drives anandamide transport in neurons. Nature Neuroscience, 2011; DOI: 10.1038/nn.2986

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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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121142501.htm

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Former Apple Stores Chief: 'No One Came to Genius Bars' in Early Years (Mashable)

Ron Johnson, the executive who helped create Apple Stores with Steve Jobs, says that the company's Genius Bars were not a success initially and the company even used free bottles of Evian to get customers to visit. "No one came to the Genius Bar during the first years," Johnson, now the CEO of J.C. Penney, wrote in a Harvard Business Review blog post on Monday. "We even had Evian water in refrigerators for customers to try to get them to sit down and spend time at the bar." Johnson goes on to say that Apple stuck with the Genius Bars anyway because "we knew that face-to-face support was the very best way to help customers." Within three years, Genius Bars were so popular that Apple had to set up a reservation system.

[More from Mashable: Hands-on With Infinity Blade 2: The iPhone 4S?s First Graphics Test]

Elsewhere in the post, Johnson dismissed the notion that Apple Stores are popular merely because they sell Apple products. "How do you explain the fact that people flock to the stores to buy Apple products at full price when Walmart, BestBuy, and Target carry most of them, often discounted in various ways," Johnson writes, "and Amazon carries them all -- and doesn't charge sales tax!"

It's the experience that brings customers, Johnson says, and the fact that the sales staff is uncommissioned and therefore motivated to build relationships and "make people's lives better" rather than just to sell stuff.

[More from Mashable: Apple iPhone 4S Remains In Short Supply]

Johnson's final advice to retailers is to think big and, yes, differently. "Retailers shouldn't be asking, 'How do we create a store that's going to do $15 million a year?' They should be asking, 'How do we reinvent the store to enrich our customers' lives?'" Johnson wrote.

What do you think? Is Johnson right about Apple Stores? Let us know in the comments.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Randy Le'Moine Photography

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/internet/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20111121/tc_mashable/former_apple_stores_chief_no_one_came_to_genius_bars_in_early_years

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US foods that are tough to find abroad

Matthew Mead / AP

Thanksgiving dinner, an American tradition, is a rare find overseas.

By Ryan Murphy, Budget Travel

Traveling provides ample opportunities for indulging in culinary experimentation. But what if you just want a familiar snack from the homeland? Not so fast ? you might be surprised by just how foreign some of our most common foodstuffs are to our friends overseas.

Some criticize the very concept of eating American chow abroad when there are so many ethnic cuisines to enjoy; others will ignore the naysayers and happily pour another bowl of Cheerios for breakfast. Regardless of what category you fall into, there's something interesting about knowing which of our foods are foreign to most other cultures.

Without further ado, here are?six foods you'll be hard-pressed to find when you travel (and the specialty shops where you can track them down if you find yourself nursing a case of the munchies).

?

American candy
From Swiss chocolate to raw sugarcane, local sweets have a place in every society. Americans have a dizzying array of domestic candies to choose from, but in other countries their appeal ? and thus shelf space ? doesn?t necessarily measure up. But if you happen to be in Prague, The Candy Store has you covered, thanks to an extensive collection of sugary U.S. treats from Nerds to Marshmallow Fluff. American holidays aren?t neglected, either: if you can?t find a decent pumpkin pie in time for Thanksgiving, The Candy Store will mix one up on-site using another staple of American pantries, Libby?s Canned Pumpkin.

?

Brownie and cake mix
Good luck finding a brownie mix (or a pancake or cake mix) outside of the U.S. In London, the American Food Store?fulfills a niche market of American cravings. Inspired by holidays in the States, the proprietors of this store aim to offer reasonably?priced and legitimate American products ? not the adulterated cereals and sodas they claim are sold under the same brand names in the United Kingdom. However, perhaps the store?s greatest boon to traveling Americans is its store of dry goods: aside from prepared foods, the American Food Store sells baking necessities like Gold Medal flour, Clabber Girl baking powder and, of course, mixes from Duncan Hines and the First Lady of American cooking, Betty Crocker. Gumbo and jambalaya
The culinary ways of Americans (hot dogs, takeout Chinese) may be a mystery to Parisians, but at least Judith Bluysen understands. Since 1990 this transplant from New York has been selling American groceries at her store, Thanksgiving, in one of the gastronomical capitals of the world. Although her store stocks American products of many stripes, Thanksgiving specializes in Cajun food ? fittingly so, as Louisiana culinary traditions owe much to the French. Bluysen?s on?site Cajun restaurant has been shuttered for years, but her Paris grocery still hosts Zatarain?s gumbo and jambalaya mixes, Tabasco sauce, Cajun sausages and fil? powder for that authentic New Orleans taste.

?

Turkey
With Thanksgiving approaching, the thoughts of all Americans ? even those abroad ? turn to turkey. Tokyo is a paradise for food aficionados in many ways, but some stores and restaurants that claim to offer American food don?t necessarily live up to the promise. (Even the Denny?s outlets differ from their beloved American model.) Some items, like the aforementioned bird, are simply hard to find in their unaltered state. Nissin World Delicatessen?delivers the real deal and more. The supermarket stocks its shelves with items from many western countries ? German pickles, French cheese and even Italian bottled water ? but its greatest contribution to the western crowd may be the store?s ?Meat Rush? section, which sells meats from the United States, New Zealand and Australia, including ?hard?to?find? cuts of turkey and lamb. And if you don?t mind mixing your cuisines, feel free to slap some southwest flavor onto your Thanksgiving fowl with some Nissin-supplied American barbecue sauce.

?

American beer
Remember the Chinese toast ?gan bei? (?dry the glass?) ? it may come in handy at Jenny?s. A store with the humblest of origins, Jenny?s began as a fruit and vegetable stall in 1988 and has become a multi?outlet chain scattered throughout China?s capital. While Jenny?s still prides itself on its fresh produce ? and even offers a rent?a?plot program at its new organic farm ? its list of international groceries is extensive. Visitors jonesing for a familiar tipple are particularly in luck: Jenny?s offers bottled and canned beers from more than?15 countries, including American brews like Samuel Adams and Longboard Lager.

?

Cheddar cheese
It may not have originated in the United States, but Americans adore this British import ? some even enjoy it alongside apple pie, the most quintessentially American food of them all. The rest of the world loves its cheeses as well, however, and poor cheddar can get lost in the mix. Cheeseheads in Buenos Aires can head for a branch of the aptly named Al Queso, Queso, which offers a menu of international sandwiches and wines along with its wide variety of cheeses.

?

More from Budget Travel

Source: http://itineraries.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/03/8619839-popular-us-foods-that-are-tough-to-find-abroad

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Spain election dominated by its economic woes

Conservative Popular Party candidate Mariano Rajoy talks with journalists after voting at a voting station in Madrid, Sunday Nov, 20, 2011. Spaniards are voting Sunday in the general elections likely to oust the ruling Socialists in favor of the conservative Popular Party. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Conservative Popular Party candidate Mariano Rajoy talks with journalists after voting at a voting station in Madrid, Sunday Nov, 20, 2011. Spaniards are voting Sunday in the general elections likely to oust the ruling Socialists in favor of the conservative Popular Party. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Conservative Popular Party candidate Mariano Rajoy waves after voting at a voting station in Madrid, Sunday Nov, 20, 2011. Spaniards are voting Sunday in the general elections likely to oust the ruling Socialists in favor of the conservative Popular Party. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero leaves after voting and giving a speech at a voting station in Madrid, Sunday Nov, 20, 2011. Spaniards are voting Sunday in the general elections likely to oust the ruling Socialists in favor of the conservative Popular Party. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero gives a speech at a voting station after voting in Madrid, Sunday Nov, 20, 2011. Spaniards are voting Sunday in the general elections likely to oust the ruling Socialists in favor of the conservative Popular Party. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

People choose their candidates before casting their vote in a voting station in Madrid, Sunday Nov, 20, 2011. Spaniards are voting Sunday in the general elections likely to oust the ruling Socialists in favor of the conservative Popular Party. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

MADRID (AP) ? Spaniards braving 21.5 percent unemployment and bleak prospects for economic growth voted Sunday in a general election expected to yield a landslide win for opposition conservatives.

Spain would thus become the third eurozone country in as many weeks, after Greece and Italy, to throw out its governing party in an attempt to dig itself out of an economic crisis. The governments of Ireland and Portugal, both of which received huge bailouts when their borrowing costs got out of control, also have changed hands in elections as part Europe's worst financial crisis in decades.

Spanish opposition leader Mariano Rajoy and his conservative Popular Party were expected to win control of Parliament and oust the ruling Socialists, although Rajoy has said little about what his party would do to fight Spain's sky-high unemployment and piled of debt or where he might exact more painful austerity measures.

A win for Rajoy, 56, would bring the conservatives back to power after nearly eight years of rule by Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

On social policy, Zapatero put a patently liberal stamp on traditionally Catholic Spain by legalizing gay marriage and ushering in other northern European-style reforms. But on economic matters he has been widely criticized as first denying, then reacting late and erratically, to Spain's slice of the global financial crisis and the implosion of a real estate bubble that had fueled Spanish GDP growth robustly for nearly a decade.

Zapatero slumped so badly in popularity that he decided not to run for a new term, and former Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba ? a veteran figure and powerful force within the party ? emerged as the candidate to succeed him.

Unlike Italy and Greece, which recently replaced their elected governments with bureaucrats in an attempt to better cope with the euro crisis, Spain will stick with the winner of a general election.

"I am ready for whatever Spaniards may want," said Rajoy after casting his vote Sunday.

Rubalcaba, 60, urged his supporters not to let a low turnout reduce his Socialist party's chances. "The next four years are going to be very important for our future," he said. "The big decisions that have to be taken must be made by citizens, so it's important to vote," he said.

But poor weather caused some polling stations to open late, and a station in the country's south had to be relocated because of flooding, said election office spokesman Felix Monteira. He also said voter turnout was running lower than during Spain's 2008 election.

Voters are casting ballots to elect 350 members of the lower house of Parliament and 208 senators.

In Barcelona, Spaniard Juan Sanchez said he had voted for Rajoy's party because when it was last in power from 1996 to 2004 unemployment had fallen, whereas under the Socialists that figure had risen to five million.

"Hundreds of small and big businesses have closed down," Sanchez said.

In Madrid, civil servant Diana Bachiller said: "I voted for the Socialists because I am sure that if the Popular Party comes to power it is going to begin to cut everything."

Almost two years of recession have left Spain with a euro-zone high 21.5 percent unemployment rate and a bloated budget deficit. The country's key borrowing rate rose above 6 percent for five consecutive days last week, just one percent below a rate considered unsustainable.

The winner of Sunday's election will have little room for maneuver and will almost certainly need to continue implementing austerity measures begun by the outgoing government.

Maria Angeles Redondo, a doctor in Madrid, said she had voted for the Popular Party but doubted an incoming government would be able to improve matters in the short term. "I am not sure if a change of government is really going to usher in the improvements we want and need," she said.

The increasing severity of the recession forced Zapatero to cut civil servants' wages, freeze pensions and, with a hard-bargained agreement of the trade unions, pass legislation making it easier for companies to hire and fire workers.

Rajoy faces the dilemma of trying to lower Spain's budget deficit ? and thus boost investor confidence to reduce Spain's borrowing costs ? without cutting spending or raising taxes so much that it puts a brake on the already listless economy and drag it into another recession.

During the campaign, Rajoy was vague about his plans, but his platform included plans for business tax cuts to encourage hiring and lower the country's staggering unemployment rate. Rajoy also said he would meet Spain's commitments to the European Union on deficit reduction, although with economic growth at a standstill hardly anybody thinks the current government's goal of cutting it to 6.0 percent of GDP this year from 9.2 in 2010 is achievable.

"What we need is work and to maintain our health care," said Raquel Melgar of Madrid, who said she voted for Rubalcaba.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-11-20-EU-Spain-Elections/id-4b47bfe931fe4ee6bd1cc290f04a236d

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Asia needs further steps amid euro zone crisis: Japan PM (Reuters)

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) ? Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Saturday Asia needs to consider further steps to avoid a financial crisis as the euro zone's debt problems could spill into the region.

While Asia has become more resilient due to its economic management since the region's own financial crisis in 1997/98, it is not immune to Europe's problems, Noda said.

"I don't think Asia is necessarily vulnerable to external shocks (from Europe)," Noda told a news conference after the East Asia Summit on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

"Given efforts to conduct sound economic policy, the region generally enjoys a current account surplus and its foreign reserves are at high levels, so it has become more resilient to external shocks."

"Having said that, there is no doubt that we could face adverse impact if we cannot build a firewall against the European crisis."

Policymakers around the world are worried that Europe's inability to unify around a debt strategy could hurt their economies.

Greece, Ireland and Portugal - all small, peripheral euro zone economies - have already been forced to accept EU/IMF bailouts as they can no longer afford to borrow commercially.

Now Italy's borrowing costs have reached unsustainable levels, while Spain's are nearing this point and the crisis is even starting to affect triple-A rated France.

While giving no details on what kind of further steps Asia should take, Noda said boosting regional financial cooperation is basically the way to go as Asia tries to prepare itself for possible meltdowns in Europe.

Japan, China and South Korea lead a $120 billion emergency fund, under the so-called the Chiang Mai Initiative, with the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) - part of a move to strengthen ties and avert the repeat of the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis.

In a move to beef up its foreign exchange defenses in the wake of global uncertainties, South Korea last month signed an agreement with China to double the value of their bilateral currency swap pact after securing a similar deal with Japan.

In addition to such efforts, Asia needs further crisis prevention measures, Noda said.

"Japan is leading discussions on how to prevent crisis and on introducing further steps to avert crisis at a regional level. We need to quickly wrap up those and I proposed that at the summit of ASEAN+3 (ASEAN plus China, Japan and South Korea)."

(Editing by Jason Szep)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111119/bs_nm/us_asia_eurozone

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Nigeria fines British Airways, Virgin Atlantic (AP)

LAGOS, Nigeria ? Nigeria's government has fined air carriers British Airways $135 million and Virgin Atlantic Airways $100 million over what it describes as unfair trade practices that hiked up airfare prices in the oil-rich nation, an official told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The official said the fines came after a six-month investigation into fuel charges added to fares from Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport to London's Heathrow Airport. The official said the two airlines acted together to inflate prices as far back as 2004.

The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity as the Nigerian government did not want to publicly acknowledge fines as negotiations with the two carriers continue. Nigerian newspaper ThisDay published a story Thursday saying the government had levied the heavy fines.

British Airways, which is run by International Consolidated Airlines Group PLC, rejected the allegations in a Thursday statement. British Airways has been flying to Nigeria, a British colony until 1960, for more than 75 years.

"We are vigorously defending our position," the statement read.

Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. issued a statement Thursday saying it had been contacted by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority over the fuel-charge investigation.

"We have fully assisted the NCAA with its inquiry and we do not believe we have breached Nigerian law," the statement read. "We will be robustly defending any suggestion to the contrary."

The airlines also will be required to provide compensation for affected passengers, which could mean millions of dollars more in losses, the official said.

The fuel charges appear to have spiked in just over a year, from 2.50 pounds ($4) in 2004 to 30 pounds ($47) in 2005, according to an analysis done by the Nigerian government and obtained Thursday by the AP.

The fee "was nothing but an additional fare," the analysis read.

In trading Thursday, IAG stock dropped 2.10 pounds ($3.30) to 141.40 pounds ($222).

The Nigerian government's push to accuse the two airlines of price fixing has precedent abroad. In the U.S., 21 airlines have paid more than $1.7 billion in fines over artificially inflating passenger and cargo fuel charges, one of the largest criminal antitrust investigations in U.S. history. Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic found themselves ensnared in that probe, with British Airways fined $300 million in August 2007.

However, the fines come as Nigeria is engaging in talks with the United Kingdom over Nigerian carrier Arik Air's loss of spots at Heathrow. The Nigerian airline said a government agreement entitles it to 21 slots at U.K. airports, but the airline refused to pay increased rates for some Heathrow slots, which are administered by a private company.

The Nigerian official denied the fines came as a response to the conflict, which has seen the Nigerian government threaten to cut British Airways flights in Lagos in retaliation.

Other foreign carriers also fly in and out of Lagos' international airport, a major hub for West Africa. That airport alone saw 2.3 million passengers pass through it in 2009, according to the most recent statistics provided by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

The official said authorities will continue their investigation to examine the high prices charged by other foreign airlines as well.

___

Jon Gambrell can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111117/ap_on_bi_ge/af_nigeria_aviation

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Gas apparently ignited after Ohio pipeline failed (AP)

GLOUSTER, Ohio ? Authorities say a natural gas explosion causing fires that destroyed three houses and a barn in southern Ohio apparently was ignited when a pipeline failed.

Investigators said Thursday that they believe a spark from debris, static electricity or nearby power transformers likely ignited the gas. But they can't determine the exact source.

Investigators found no evidence of criminal intent in Wednesday's explosion near Glouster. It was felt as far as 12 miles away.

They say the buildings were destroyed by fires from radiant heat and not by the explosion. Two people were treated for minor injuries.

The state fire marshal's and Morgan County sheriff's offices have turned their investigations over to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will monitor for any potential effect on the environment.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111117/ap_on_re_us/us_gas_line_explosion

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WADA: British doping issue could wind up with IOC

FILE - In this Sept. 29, 2008 file photo, Colin Moynihan, the chairman of the British Olympic Association, speaks at a news conference in Sydney, Australia. Moynihan said Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 that the global fight against doping is entering a "dark age" because of a failure to keep deliberate drug cheats out of the games. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 29, 2008 file photo, Colin Moynihan, the chairman of the British Olympic Association, speaks at a news conference in Sydney, Australia. Moynihan said Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 that the global fight against doping is entering a "dark age" because of a failure to keep deliberate drug cheats out of the games. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)

LONDON (AP) ? The IOC could be forced to intervene with Britain's Olympic committee if its lifetime ban on drug cheats is found to be in violation of global anti-doping rules.

The World Anti-Doping Agency will consider this weekend whether the British Olympic Association is "noncompliant" with the global code, a potential embarrassment for the nation that will host next year's London Olympics.

The meeting in Montreal comes at the end of a week in which WADA and the BOA exchanged sharp barbs in an unusual public spat between two major sports organizations.

At the heart of the dispute is a BOA bylaw, enacted in 1992, that bars British athletes for life from the Olympics if they are found guilty of doping. Britain is the only country that currently has such a rule.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-11-18-OLY-WADA-Meetings/id-874e09397fde44d5b585879f90ed3ef8

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CERN has 2020 vision for Large Hadron Collider upgrade

ScienceDaily (Nov. 16, 2011) ? CERN has kicked off the High Luminosity LHC (Large Hadron Collider) study with a workshop bringing together scientists and engineers from some 14 European institutions, supported through the European Commission's seventh Framework programme (FP7), along with others from Japan and the USA. The goal is to prepare the ground for an LHC luminosity upgrade scheduled for around 2020. Luminosity is gives a measure of the brightness of the beams, and hence the collision rate in a particle accelerator and therefore gives an indication of its performance.

The LHC already delivers the highest luminosity brightest beams of any Hhigh Eenergy proton accelerator in the world, which is vitally important for physicists wanting to study extremely rare processes.

"With the LHC colliding hundreds of millions of particles each second, some of the processes we're interested in will happen just a few times a day" explained CERN Research Director Sergio Bertolucci, "with processes so rare, extra luminosity makes a big difference to our ability to make precision measurements and discover new things."

This week's workshop launches the initial design phase of the project, which aims to take the LHC's luminosity to a factor of 5-10 above its current design value. It draws on expertise from around the world, bringing together scientists from the well-established CERN-KEK collaboration and US LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP) with a new European Design Study networksupported under FP7. This international nature is representative of the field of particle physics, and vital for its success of the project.

"We have set up a collaboration in which all partners are involved at the same level," said High Luminosity LHC project coordinator, Lucio Rossi. "While we were building and commissioning the LHC, LARP and KEK were developing new technologies for the next generation magnets. Their research and development activities will be key to our success."

Upgrading the LHC for higher luminosity will require new technologies to be developed in a range of fields including high field13 tesla tesla superconducting magnets, transverse RFradiofrequency cavities and GW class d.c. electrical transfer lines,. aAll based onthese new components are based on superconductivitysuperconducting technology.

"All these new technologies require further study but the project's partners have the necessary know-how to successfully develop them," explained Rossi. "At the kick-off meeting we will synchronize our work to increase synergies among the partners, touching base on what has been done so far and define future milestones."

Anyone wishing to get involved with the High Luminosity LHC study can do so through the volunteer computing project, LHC@home: http://cern.ch/LHCathome/.

[1] CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Romania is a candidate for accession. Israel is an Associate Member in the pre-stage to Membership.

India, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/IMNxStW_bX0/111116062146.htm

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Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Don?t Try to Make Bricks without Clay

If this week?s lesson sounds a bit repetitive, it is meant to, not only because it touches on so many of the poor thought habits that Holmes singles out in his attempts to craft Watson into an abler logician, but also because it is the last?for now, at least?of the ?Lessons from Sherlock Holmes? series, and as such, is aimed at capturing one of our most common (and most commonly ignored) errors of thought: that of skipping over the details and jumping straight into the conclusions.

Not to worry. Holmes is not gone for good. He will be making the occasional appearance in a new series that I will be starting next week; but more on that later. For now, let?s turn one more time to the master detective to see what light his latest exclamation can shed on the inner workings of our minds.

In ?The Adventure of the Copper Beeches,? a young woman consults Holmes on the advisability of taking a strange?albeit remarkably well-paying?position as a governess in the country. Though Holmes tells her that, ?it is not the situation which I should like to see a sister of mine apply for,? she proceeds to take the job. Holmes then predicts that he and Watson will hear from her shortly?trouble is certainly ahead, else why would this young woman be given a high salary for such light duties, along with being asked to comply with such extraordinary demands as changing the length of her hair and wearing a particular color of dress? But in the meantime, he can?t seem to get the case out of his mind. As Watson notes,

I observed that he sat frequently for half and hour on end, with knitted brows and an abstracted air, but he swept the matter away with a wave of his hand when I mentioned it. ?Data! Data! Data!? he cried impatiently. ?I can?t make bricks without clay.? And yet he would always wind up by muttering again that no sister of his should ever have accepted such a situation.

Holmes?s exclamation is perhaps one of the most famous lines he has ever spoken, and with good reason. For, it points to a tendency that we all too often indulge and that is all too easy to indulge in: the tendency to do the impossible, to make bricks without their proper material. To create something, in this case, a theory, in the absence of anything on which to base it. To speculate absent any hard facts.

The ease of speculation?

Just think how easy it is to do. I say ?governess,? and doubtless, images of governesses, acquired from reading, movies, and wherever else, rise up in your head. Maybe you see Miss Hunter as Jane Eyre and right away, start to imagine something sinister hiding in the shadows. Or maybe you see her like Mary Poppins and start smiling at the adventures that may lie in store?certainly a far less dark picture than the first. Or maybe you see her as something else entirely; but whatever you do, you see her in some fashion, a fashion that is in large part determined by your own experiences and associations.

It is easy to forget that these are no more than general images that have no concrete facts to back them up. We know next to nothing of the situation into which Violet Hunter is entering. It may be like Jane Eyre?s or Mary Poppins?s, or it may be entirely different. In any case, we have no basis for conclusions prior to learning more.

But how easy it is to speculate even without any further information. How many intricate scenarios can be drawn from a few strange facts. Miss Hunter herself engages in just such scenario-generating, positing that while her employer himself is a kind and good-natured man, his wife is a lunatic?perhaps Violet really has read too much Charlotte Bront??and so he indulges her every whim to prevent an outbreak. But Holmes, after telling Violet Hunter that she might be in danger, says only, ?it would cease to be a danger if we could define it.? He recognizes that the three facts that they do have are not nearly enough to go on and so refuses to speculate further. He may suspect that something doesn?t fit, but he will wait for more clay before he starts making the bricks of conclusions.

?And the necessity of resisting it

When Holmes calls for data, for his ?clay,? he is, in essence, warning Watson of the dangers of jumping to conclusions when what we should be doing is gathering some facts to base those conclusions on. Of course, there is room for some speculation?clearly, Holmes knows something is off and knits his brows at the problem?but any theory that may arise must, as the detective has said repeatedly, cover all of the known facts. And what are the facts here, exactly? Only what we know from the girl before she has ever set foot on the property. She has not seen the wife. She has not seen her employer outside of a few minutes in the employment office. She has no notion whatsoever of the particulars of her new situation, save that it is in the country and will require some changes in her appearance. There are too many possible theories to cover what we do know to be of any use?the lunatic wife is but one of any number of possibilities?and not a single actual fact from the situation itself. Theories help explain facts; they do not and cannot replace them.

When we encounter something that captures our attention?in this particular case, it?s the incongruity of job compensation and demands and the presence of strange stipulations, such as length of hair and color of dress?it stands to reason that we would take note. Something does not add up. Why not give it some thought? But when we take note, we tend to go a step further, jumping ahead of ourselves and creating possible explanations and scenarios that might fit. Even Holmes seems to indulge in something of the sort, when Watson notices his concentrated thinking?though he refuses to take his speculations beyond his own mind and into the world at large by sharing them with Watson and thus giving them more definitive shape.

But most of us aren?t as disciplined. We latch on, and we run with it. Instead of stopping to reflect, we push to conclude. Holmes has warned us many times, in different guises, not to get ahead of ourselves in reasoning before we have sufficient data. Why the need for such repeated, empathic reminders? Because jumping to conclusions is all too easy. What is difficult is not jumping to them.

We jump to conclusions for any number of reasons. We may think we have the data when we don?t and thus end up forming an impression before we?ve even seen the necessary elements on which to base it. We may read more into the little that is known than we should, using our version of the facts and not the facts themselves. We may fail to take the necessary step back to see beyond mere detail, which may end up being meaningless on its own. And in each case, we take mental shortcuts, falling back on the same heuristics and biases that I?ve explored previously in this series. We think in terms of what we know and what we?ve experienced. We simplify and judge when we should be simply observing. Does Violet Hunter really know her employer is kind? She has never interacted with him beyond their initial encounter and has simply equated a large some of money with kindness. The two may coincide, but they certainly don?t have to. Does she know his wife is eccentric? Here, she has even less to go on?not a single fact, as it turns out. And yet that doesn?t stop her from drawing her own inferences.

Such speculation abounds in all walks of life?in politics, in science, in everyday decisions and experiences.? It?s easy to jump to conclusions from a few glaring elements or words (an electric blue dress, a preposterous salary) without stopping to gather the full story?or even realizing that what we have is but a fraction, and a not very meaningful fraction on its own, at that, of the whole. It?s easy to just glimpse a piece of the puzzle and conclude that we know what the whole thing resembles. And it?s hard to remember that the same piece can fit in any number of ways into any number of puzzles; until we find those corner pieces and start to fill in the center, we cannot possibly think we?ve found the single possible image that will emerge once the jigsaw is complete.

We can?t actually make bricks without clay. But that doesn?t mean we don?t try, substituting just about anything else for the pleasure of building itself, material be damned. After all, it is much more fun to build and to create than it is to gather up the raw materials?it provides much more of a sense of accomplishment. But if we just stop for a second to consider the fact that it would be far easier?and more reliable?to just wait to build until the proper clay can be found, we may find ourselves spared many a grievous intellectual (or other) error and living in a far stronger house, one that is build of actual bricks, not makeshift brick substitutes that will likely collapse under any real pressure.

Photo credit: Holmes and Watson meet with Violet Hunter, in ?The Adventure of the Copper Beeches.? By Sidney Paget (1860 ? 1908) (Strand Magazine) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Previously in this series:

Don?t Just See, Observe: What Sherlock Holmes Can Teach Us About Mindful Decisions
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Paying Attention to What Isn?t There
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Cultivate What You Know to Optimize How You Decide
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Perspective Is Everything, Details Alone Are Nothing
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Don?t Underestimate the Importance of Imagination
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Confidence Is good; Overconfidence, Not So Much
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: The Situation Is in the Mindset of the Observer
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: The Power of Public Opinion
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Don?t Tangle Two Lines of Thought
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Breadth of Knowledge Is Essential
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Don?t Decide Before You Decide
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Trust in The Facts, Not Your Version of Them
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Don?t Judge a Man by His Face
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: The Importance of Perspective-Taking
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: From Perspective-Taking to Empathy
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Why Most of Us Wouldn?t Be Able to Tell That Watson Fought in Afghanistan
Lessons from Sherlock Holmes: Preconceptions and the Blunting of Imagination

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=7d10274cb10c976fce3575a338af27c8

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Microsoft eyes new category for Windows Embedded, envisions intelligent systems for everyday objects

Microsoft's fixin' to get its Windows platform inside, well, everything. That's according to GM of Windows Embedded, Kevin Dallas, who says the tech giant is on track to create a new category for the division that centers around "intelligent systems." It appears the time is ripe for "low-cost... high-powered microchips" to take advantage of MS' emerging cloud services and integrate means of delivering data and immersive experiences to both enterprise and commercial end users, like in-car systems or point of sale terminals. Need a more specific visual of where this heavy-handed business jargon's headed? Dallas claims customers in the medical industry are eager to implement Kinect's gesture-based tracking into future equipment, so pretty soon you won't have to worry about shaky hands splicing into your vital organs. And all of this is coming relatively soon, as good 'ol Redmond plans to make its Windows Embedded platforms available shortly after the release of Windows 8 for PCs. So hold tight, there's a brave new world coming and Microsoft's holding the keys.

Microsoft eyes new category for Windows Embedded, envisions intelligent systems for everyday objects originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beluga body scrub session filmed

16 November 2011 Last updated at 07:52 By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC Nature

Beluga whales come together for the annual moult

A film crew has captured the remarkable scene of hundreds of beluga whales indulging in a mass "body scrub" to slough off their skin.

The mammals come en masse into shallow Arctic estuaries where scrubbing their bodies on the stony seabed helps them moult their skin.

"They definitely seem to enjoy it," recalled director Elizabeth White.

Filming for the BBC documentary Frozen Planet, she and her team captured the behaviour up close and from the air.

Ms White was in charge of the ground-based shoot on Somerset Island in the Canadian Arctic, for which she stood "marooned" on a tower in the middle of the estuary.

This was the best way to get close to the whales, as the tower would be surrounded by water when the tide came in.

"This tower [was used] by the scientists who study the whales here," Ms White explained to BBC Nature.

"The belugas would swim all the way up to it; they'd even rub themselves against it, which was a bit unnerving."

From this vantage point Ms White and the team captured super slow motion shots of the whales splashing and apparently playing in the water.

They also fixed underwater cameras and microphones to the tower's scaffold, capturing some of the squeaks and cries that have earned belugas the nickname, "canaries of the sea".

The sounds the whales made, Ms White said, was lovely.

Piggybacking babies

Scientists think that the warm, fresh water of the estuary softens the animals' skin.

"You see quite big chunks of blubber around that have just been sloughed off," said Ms White.

To capture aerial shots of hundreds of the white whales in the turquoise water, director Vanessa Berlowitz and cameraman Michael Kelem boarded a helicopter.

"Above marine mammals you can't fly below 300m (1,000ft)," explained Ms White. "But even from this height, [they] managed to get footage of the babies riding on the mothers' back - something that's never been filmed before."

The juvenile whales ride on their mothers' backs occasionally in order to save energy.

Stranded youngster

During their time filming the moult, the crew witnessed one of the hazards the whales encounter when swimming in such shallow water.

"We were there for the lowest tide and one of the youngsters got stranded when we were there," said Ms White.

"The poor little thing got stuck on a sandbank."

Fortunately, she said, this happened late in the day. And with strong sunlight shining on it, and no polar bears around, the young whale was able to escape as soon as the tide came in.

Elizabeth White from the BBC's Natural History Unit describes the team's encounter with a stranded whale.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/15738210

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Oakland raid is latest in Occupy camp crackdowns

Oakland Police Sargeant Tisdale warns Occupy Oakland protestors that they will be arrested if they continue to block traffic in the intersection of 14th and Broadway in downtown Oakland, Calif., Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. The Occupy encampment was evicted from Frank Ogawa Plaza early this morning. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Oakland Police Sargeant Tisdale warns Occupy Oakland protestors that they will be arrested if they continue to block traffic in the intersection of 14th and Broadway in downtown Oakland, Calif., Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. The Occupy encampment was evicted from Frank Ogawa Plaza early this morning. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

A line of police stand staged at an Occupy Oakland encampment in Oakland, Calif., early Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Police hold a demonstrator at an encampment for the Occupy Wall Street movement in Oakland, Calif., Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. Police in Oakland began clearing out a weeks-old encampment early Monday after issuing several warnings to Occupy demonstrators. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Police hold a demonstrator at an encampment for the Occupy Wall Street movement in Oakland, Calif., Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. Police in Oakland began clearing out a weeks-old encampment early Monday after issuing several warnings to Occupy demonstrators. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Police break up an encampment for a Occupy Wall Street demonstration in Oakland, Calif., Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. Police in Oakland began clearing out a weeks-old encampment early Monday after issuing several warnings to Occupy demonstrators. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) ? Police decked in riot gear and armed with tear gas cleared out Oakland's anti-Wall Street encampment early Monday, the latest law enforcement crackdown amid complaints around the country of health and safety hazards at protest camps.

The raid at the Occupy Oakland camp, one of the largest and most active sites in the movement, came a day after police in Portland, Ore., arrested more than 50 people while shutting down its camp amid complaints of drug use and sanitation issues.

Police in Burlington, Vt., also evicted protesters after a man fatally shot himself last week inside a tent.

Police staged a previous raid on the Oakland encampment on Oct. 25, but Mayor Jean Quan allowed protesters to re-establish their tent city. On Monday, however, Quan said officials could no longer ignore the problems posed by the camp.

"We came to this point because Occupy Oakland, I think, began to take a different path than the original movement," Quan said. "The encampment became a place where we had repeated violence and last week a murder. We had to bring the camp to an end before more people got hurt."

Demands increased for Oakland protesters to pack up after a man was shot and killed Thursday near the encampment at the City Hall plaza.

Protesters claimed there was no connection between the shooting and the camp. But police identified the slain man as Kayode Ola Foster, 25, of Oakland, saying his family confirmed he had been staying at the plaza.

Witnesses also told police that one of two suspects in the shooting had also been a frequent resident at the plaza. The names of the suspects have not been released.

Monday's raid came as no surprise to protesters after the city issued its fourth order to abandon the camp. About 300 officers from the Oakland Police Department and seven other law enforcement agencies moved in around 5:30 a.m., arresting 32 people and tearing down about 150 tents.

Another man was arrested later in the morning for trying to break through police barricades and spitting on officers.

Protesters vowed to regroup and return.

"I don't see how they're going to disperse us," said Ohad Meyer, 30, of Oakland. "There are thousands of people who are going to come back."

Officials declared the operation a success, saying all arrests were peaceful and there were no reported injuries to protesters or officers. Police said those taken into custody likely will face charges of unlawful assembly and lodging.

"This had been a very difficult situation," Quan said. "I'd tried to do what was right for the city and keep the most people safe at every step."

Not everyone in Quan's camp agreed with the show of force.

Dan Siegel, one of the mayor's top legal advisers, resigned over Monday's raid, saying officials should have done more to work with protesters before sending in police. Siegel, a longtime friend of Quan who worked as an unpaid adviser, has been a vocal critic of Oakland police and their handling of the Oct. 25 raid.

Video footage of a protest after the Oct. 25 raid showed officers using flash-bang grenades and firing bean bag rounds into the crowd, injuring a number of people and prompting cries of police brutality.

Marine Corps veteran Scott Olsen was left in critical condition after suffering a head injury during that protest. His case became a rallying cry for the Occupy Wall Street movement around the nation.

Olsen, 24, issued his first statement Sunday since leaving a hospital.

"You'll be hearing more from me in the near future and soon enough we'll see you in our streets!" he posted on his Google+ account with a photograph of himself with a neck brace and apparent bruising around his left eye.

Protesters in Portland had been ordered to leave their encampment by midnight Saturday. However, in the hours leading to the deadline, thousands of protesters flooded two blocks of parkland where an Occupy encampment first appeared on Oct. 6.

Riot police retreated and by dawn most of the crowds had left the area but many of the original protesters remained.

Police moved in later, with an officer on a loudspeaker warning that anyone who resisted risked arrest and "may also be subject to chemical agents and impact weapons." Demonstrators chanted "we are a peaceful protest."

One man was taken away on a stretcher, He was alert and talking to paramedics, and raised a peace sign to fellow protesters, who responded with cheers.

Portland Mayor Sam Adams defended his order to clear the parkland, saying it is his job to enforce the law and keep the peace. Police finished cleaning up the area Monday, and officials reported no major disturbances.

In Vermont, protesters agreed to remove their tents from a Burlington park on Sunday in a resolution that Police Chief Michael Schirling described as "amicable."

Police and city officials initially agreed to let the protesters stay in the park after a 24-hour protest began but changed their minds after Joshua Pfenning shot himself. Authorities said the tents had to be removed because police could not see what was going on inside.

Officials in Oakland, Burlington and other cities said protesters would be allowed to gather again at the site of their former camps as long as they didn't spend the night.

Oakland police Chief Howard Jordan said a strong police presence would remain at the plaza around the clock to make sure protesters didn't roll out tents and sleeping bags again.

Shon Kae, who's on the Occupy Oakland media committee, said it was still unclear what demonstrators' next move would be. Some angry protesters hinted at plans to gather for a protest in the plaza later Monday.

"There is no secret plan," Kae said. "We all have to just keep on with the struggle."

___

Associated Press writers Terrence Petty and Jonathan J. Cooper in Portland, Ore., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-11-14-US-Occupy-Protests/id-01f06467e6084dd98bd38cee3a44a431

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Canada steps up US pipeline lobbying efforts (AP)

TORONTO ? Canada has stepped up its lobbying after the Obama administration delayed a decision on an oil pipeline critical to the country's economic future.

Canada's prime minister said he made it clear in a weekend meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama that Canada will step up its efforts to sell oil to Asia since the Obama administration delayed a decision on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Meanwhile, Alberta Premier Alison Redford, the leader of the Canadian province that has the world's third-largest reserves of oil, visited Washington on Monday and said she'll meet with U.S. Speaker of the House John Boehner and other officials to discuss the pipeline's future.

Last week, the U.S. State Department ordered that the pipeline be rerouted and subject to further environmental review, delaying a decision until 2013.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who met Obama on the sidelines of the APEC summit, said Canada will continue to push the U.S. to approve TransCanada's $7 billion Keystone XL project to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The pipeline is critical to Canada which must have pipelines in place to export its growing oil sands production from northern Alberta, which has more than 170 billion barrels of proven reserves. Daily production of 1.5 million barrels from the oil sands is expected to increase to 3.7 million in 2025. Only Saudi Arabia and Venezuela have more reserves.

Harper said Obama told him the U.S. is continuing to examine the Keystone XL decision and that his government has not taken a final decision. The State Department wants the pipeline to avoid environmentally sensitive areas of Nebraska.

"This highlights why Canada must increase its efforts to ensure it can supply its energy outside the U.S. and into Asia in particular," Harper said. "Canada will step up its efforts in that regard and I communicated that clearly to the president."

Harper said he emphasized the pipeline would mean economic growth on both sides of the border. The prime minister previously characterized Obama's approval of the project as a "no-brainer" but at least one oil analyst said the project now only has a 50 percent chance of being approved.

TransCanada wants to build the pipeline to carry crude oil extracted from the oil sands in Alberta to the refinery hubs in Texas. The pipeline would carry an estimated 700,000 barrels of oil a day, doubling the capacity of an existing pipeline from Canada.

TransCanada and its supporters have said the project would create U.S. construction jobs, help lower gas prices and reduce dependence on Middle East oil. Opponents say it would bring "dirty oil" that requires huge amounts of energy to extract and could cause an ecological disaster in case of a spill.

The heavily contested project became a political trap for Obama, who risked angering environmental supporters ? and losing re-election contributions from some liberal donors ? if he approved it. The State Department had previously said it would have a decision by the end of the year.

Redford said she is still confident the pipeline will be approved.

"We believe it would bring tremendous economic benefit to our province and to the United States," she said.

Canadian Natural Resource Minister Joe Oliver spent last week in Asia touting Canada's oil industry and said China is "very eager" to get oil from Canada.

TransCanada rival Enbridge has proposed the Northern Gateway pipeline to the Pacific coast that would allow Canada to diversify its energy exports to China.

Harper has voiced support for the Gateway project but it is undergoing a regulatory review in Canada and it also faces fierce environmental and aboriginal opposition.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111114/ap_on_bi_ge/cn_canada_us_oil_pipeline

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Economist Monti to quickly form new Italian govt (AP)

ROME ? Economist Mario Monti accepted the monumental task Sunday of trying to form a new government that can rescue Italy from financial ruin, expressing confidence that the nation can beat the crisis if its people pull together.

His selection came a day after Silvio Berlusconi reluctantly resigned as premier, bowing out after world markets pummeled Italy's borrowing ability, reflecting a loss of faith in the 75-year-old media mogul's leadership. Berlusconi quit after the Italian parliament approved new reform measures demanded by the European Union and central bank officials ? but even those are not considered enough to right Italy's ailing economy.

"There is an emergency, but we can overcome it with a common effort," Monti told the nation, shortly after Italy's president formally asked him to see if he can muster enough political support to lead the country out of one of its most trying hours since World War II.

"In a moment of particular difficulty, Italy must win the challenge to bounce back, we must be an element of strength and not weakness in the European Union, of which we are founders," he added.

Monti must now draw up a Cabinet, lay out his priorities, and see if he has enough support in Parliament to govern. Rival political parties offered various degrees of support, including one demand from Berlusconi's party ? the largest in Parliament ? that his government last only as long enough as it takes to heal Italy's finances and revive the economy.

The 68-year-old economics professor is no pushover, earning a reputation for staring down challenges as a tough EU competition commissioner. But he'll have to win a confidence vote in Parliament before he can lead the nation.

Monti told reporters he will carry out his task "with a great sense of responsibility and service toward this nation." Italy must heal its finances and resume growth because "we owe it to our children, to give them a concrete future of dignity and hope."

Berlusconi's party also demanded that only technocrats ? not politicians ? make up Monti's Cabinet in exchange for its crucial support.

Monti faces a daunting challenge ? preventing an Italian default that could tear apart the 17-nation eurozone and send Europe and the U.S. into new recessions.

Italy's economy is hampered by high wage costs, low productivity, fat government payrolls, excessive taxes, choking bureaucracy, and an educational system that produces one of the lowest levels of college graduates among rich countries.

In addition, as the third-largest economy in the eurozone, Italy is considered too big for Europe to bail out like Greece, Portugal and Ireland have been.

The next Italian government needs to push through even more painful reforms and austerity measures to deal with euro1.9 trillion ($2.6 trillion) in debt ? about 120 percent of the country's economic output. And many of those debts are coming due soon ? Italy has to roll over more than euro300 billion ($410 billion) of its debts next year alone.

Some political forces, including some from Berlusconi's ranks and that of his allies, have been clamoring for early elections. But President Giorgio Napolitano cited approaching treasury bond auctions ? one as early as Monday and other bonds maturing in the next few months ? as a main reason he decided to "avoid early elections and the consequent government vacuum" until a new one could be formed.

Asked by journalists if he thought Monti could form his government by week's end, Napolitano responded positively.

The yield on Italian 10-year bonds fell to 6.48 percent Friday, below the crisis level of 7 percent reached earlier last week, a level that forced the three other EU nations into international bailouts.

Centrist and center-left parties in the opposition during Berlusconi's rule offered their support for Monti.

"Italian parties are at fork in the road. Either they speculate on the situation, hoping that they can get some campaign capital from it, or they take up their responsibilities to save the country," said centrist opposition leader Pier Ferdinando Casini.

The leader of Italy's largest labor confedation, the left-wing CGIL, Susanna Camusso, expressed hope that Monti could pull together a government capable of "giving back the international credibility that we have lost in these years."

Union leaders, along with industrialists, have accused Berlusconi of doing virtually nothing to create jobs during his tenure.

Berlusconi's main ally in his 17 years of politics, Umberto Bossi, said his Northern League, a regional party with its power base in the affluent north, would stay in the opposition and insisted early elections are the true solution.

"We won't give him any blank check," Bossi said of Monti.

Warmly welcoming the new prime minister-designate were European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.

"We believe that it sends a further encouraging signal," following Italy's final passage Saturday of new austerity measures, they said in a statement, adding that the EU will keep monitoring Italy's implementation of the measures "with the aim of pursuing policies that foster growth."

The measures that were passed Saturday include raising the retirement age to 67 by 2026 and to 70 by 2050 and selling off state property.

Some analysts expect the return of the property tax on primary residences, a tax that Berlusconi had abolished.

A crowd of supporters applauded Berlusconi on Sunday at his private residence in Rome ? in sharp contrast to the hundreds Saturday night who heckled and jeered him and popped open bottles of sparking wine to toast his departure.

It was an ignoble end for the billionaire media mogul, who came to power for the first time in 1994 using a soccer chant "Let's Go Italy" as the name of his political party and selling Italians on a dream of prosperity with own transformation from cruise-ship crooner to Italy's richest man.

While he became Italy's longest-serving postwar premier, Berlusconi's three stints as premier were tainted by corruption trials and accusations that he used his political power to help his business interests. His last term was marred by sex scandals, "bunga bunga" parties and criminal charges he paid a 17-year-old girl to have sex ? accusations he denies.

Berlusconi appeared on TV in a recorded message Sunday, pledging to stay a vigorous political force in Parliament, where he is still a lawmaker.

"(I) resigned out of a sense of responsibility and of state, to ward off more speculative financial attacks on Italy," he said.

Looking somber, Berlusconi said he was sad that his "generous gesture" of resignation was greeted by "hoots and insults" from the crowds.

___

Gabriele Steinhauser contributed from Brussels.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111113/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_italy_financial_crisis

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Obama seeks to hitch U.S. economy to Asian growth (Reuters)

CORONADO, California (Reuters) ? With Europe mired in crisis, President Barack Obama is launching a charm offensive this week to hitch the U.S. economy to opportunities in Asia he hopes can help power the recovery he needs for re-election.

Obama, who was born in Hawaii and spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, will host leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, including Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, in Honolulu this weekend to seek to improve trade ties across the region.

He will then travel to Australia to announce plans to boost the U.S. military presence in the region and will be the first American president to attend the East Asia Summit in Bali, where he will heap attention on the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia as well as India.

The campaign to cozy up to Asian powers large and small comes at a critical moment for the U.S. economy, whose recovery is at risk because of a spiraling debt crisis in Europe that dominated a summit of Group of 20 leaders in France last week.

"To have this trip happen when you have nothing but crisis in Europe and nothing but opportunity in Asia, you couldn't have more of a juxtaposition," said Victor Cha, who advised President George W. Bush on Asian affairs.

Georgetown University professor Charles Kupchan said he expected the Asia swing to be "much more upbeat" than the trip to Cannes had been for Obama, whose re-election chances in November 2012 hinge on his economic record.

Executives from companies such as Boeing, Caterpillar, General Electric and Time Warner Cable are also attending the APEC summit in Hawaii to help Obama make the case that closer ties with Asia will help create U.S. jobs.

"When you look for rays of light, where is growth going to come from, one of the main answers is exports to Asia," Kupchan said. "It is something that this president needs to focus on, particularly in an election season."

Obama and his wife Michelle were scheduled to arrive in Honolulu later on Friday.

En route to Hawaii, they stopped at Naval Base Coronado near San Diego to attend the Carrier Classic college basketball game being held on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson, the aircraft carrier used for burial at sea of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in May.

During the trip, Obama will not be able to leave the European financial crisis behind entirely.

Asia-Pacific finance ministers meeting before the leaders' summit fretted about Europe's lack of strong action to deal with crises in Greece and Italy and talked of ways to bolster their economies to minimize spillover.

PACIFIC POWER

Obama will also seek to reassert the U.S. role as a Pacific power, shifting more of its budget-stretched military resources to Asia as it pulls out of Afghanistan and Iraq and worries less about security in Europe.

Obama wants to make clear at the summit that "the United States is all in as it relates to the Asia-Pacific region" despite U.S. budget constraints, senior White House aide Ben Rhodes told reporters.

"We believe we can ... play our role in terms of having a robust force posture even in a time of fiscal austerity in cuts in a defense budget," said Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser.

In Australia, Obama is set to announce an agreement for more than 2,000 U.S. Marines to train and do joint exercises from Darwin, a city with a large military presence on the country's northern coast, according to an Obama administration official familiar with the plans.

The cooperation deal is seen as a stepping stone to a more permanent presence for the United States in Australia, which could eventually see U.S. vessels stationed in Perth or nearby that could respond faster to regional threats or humanitarian emergencies than they could from Hawaii or California.

"This is part of a big push to put the United States back into the Asian game after a decade or so in which it has been preoccupied with the Middle East," Kupchan said.

Obama is likely to avoid direct references to China when making the announcement, although the agreement is widely seen as a way for the United States to act as a check on Chinese power and defuse conflicts over waterways and disputed islands.

"It is sending a very clear message that the United States is not ceding Asia diplomatically to China," said Cha, the former Bush adviser who is now a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

(Additional reporting by Rob Taylor in Canberra; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111112/ts_nm/us_apec_obama_f

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Maharashtra to invest $60 bln over 20 yrs to modernise Mumbai (Reuters)

MUMBAI (Reuters) ? The Maharashtra government has decided to invest $60 billion over the next 20 years to build infrastructure and modernise India's overcrowded financial capital, a top state official said on Thursday.

The investment, to be part-funded through public-private partnerships, is expected to boost the city's housing, transport, power and tourism industries, among others, said Ratnakar Gaikwad, Chief Secretary of Maharashtra.

"The investment is intended for holistic development of the entire Mumbai region, including the hinterland," he said on the sidelines of a conference organised by the India Economic Summit.

According to the latest census data released by the government of India this year, the population of Mumbai is more than 12 million.

Due to lack of space, it is also one of the world's most densely populated cities, estimated to have 20,482 people per square kilometre.

Mumbai, which houses Bollywood, also routinely suffers from congestion on roads and airports, power cuts and water shortages.

Gaikwad said the state has already lined up funds worth 430 billion rupees ($8.6 billion) for the first phase of the project till 2016, and part of it will be used to improve the city's rail transport system.

He said 40 percent of the $60 billion would be raised through public-private partnership models and the rest through government agencies.

The Maharashtra state government has attracted investment from 40 global corporates, including General Electric, L'Oreal, LG Corp and Beiqi Foton Motor, said Prithviraj Chavan, Maharashtra's chief minister.

Chavan said eight agreements have already been signed and 32 more are in the pipeline.

(Reporting by Aniruddha Basu; Editing by Rajesh Pandathil)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111110/india_nm/india604416

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