Magnetic field exposure may affect neurodegenerative disease risk

Feb. 6, 2013 ? Occupational exposure to magnetic fields (MF) may be associated with "moderately increased risk" of certain neurodegenerative diseases -- including Alzheimer's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, reports the February Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

But the findings are limited by variable evidence and conflicting results, according to the report by Ximena Vergara, PhD, of the Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, Calif., and colleagues.

The researchers analyzed past studies on the association between MF exposure and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and motor neuron disease (MND), including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Magnetic field exposure is common among workers in electrical occupations.

The results suggested significant but weak associations between measures of MF exposure and the risk of Alzheimer's disease and MND. Other neurodegenerative diseases -- including Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis -- were unrelated to MF exposure.

There were some notable inconsistencies regarding the link between MF exposure and neurodegenerative diseases. Associations for MND were stronger in studies based solely on job titles, and for Alzheimer's disease in studies using estimated MF exposure.

Few studies included direct measurement of MF exposure or data on other potentially relevant job exposures, such as electrical shocks. There was also evidence of possible "publication bias," with studies reporting finding no link between MF and Alzheimer's disease being less likely to be published.

Because of the weaknesses in the evidence, no "reliable inferences" can be drawn about the effects of occupational MF exposure, according to Dr Vergara and coauthors. They write, "In light of these problems we believe that conclusions about the relations of occupational MF exposure to neurologic disease will require improvement in exposure assessment, disease classification, [and] more complete reporting of results."

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/DPHCFb36fg8/130206121246.htm

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Reaction to Boy Scouts' delay in gay ban decision

The Boy Scouts of America has backed off a proposal to ease its policy of excluding gays and delayed a vote until May. Some comments from both sides of the debate:

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"Due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy." ? Deron Smith, Boy Scouts of America spokesman

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"The decision from the Boy Scouts today is no doubt a victory. And it's a result of people standing up and standing for the timeless values and moral principles that the Boy Scouts teach and they stand for themselves." ? Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values

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"My attitude is that gays and lesbians should have access and opportunity the same way everybody else does in every institution and walk of life." ? President Barack Obama, whose office also makes him honorary president of the BSA

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"They failed us yet again ... Putting this off until May only ensures other gay kids and gay parents are discarded." ? Jennifer Tyrrell, a mother ousted as leader of her son's Cub Scout pack in Ohio because she is a lesbian.

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"It's not a place to have homosexuals with our boys. If this happens, we're shutting down our troop." ? Scoutmaster Darrel Russell

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"By postponing this decision, thousands of currently active Scouts still remain uncertain about their future in the program and are shamed into silence." ? Brad Hankins, campaign director of Scouts for Equality

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"And I'm so thankful that we live in a land where we can respect your right to disagree. But we ask you to respect our right to uphold the values that we have held for over a hundred years." ? Scout leader Chris Hill

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"I would have liked them to have made a decision in favor of what the Boy Scouts have been doing all along anyway. But the fact that they postponed it means that they are listening to everybody that's giving them information and opinions and requesting that they consider their viewpoint ... so that part, I'm impressed with." ? Larry Weseman, Eagle Scout and Scout leader

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"We consider it a victory for today. And we are thankful that they are really considering what we are asking them to do, which is to hold strong to the policy that they have had for years." ? Michelle Smith, associate director of Concerned Women of America

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/reaction-boy-scouts-delay-gay-ban-decision-223910939.html

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Man charged in fatal shooting of ex-SEAL sniper Chris Kyle

Eddie Ray Routh has been charged with murder in connection with a shooting at a Texas gun range that killed former Navy SEAL and "American Sniper" author?Chris?Kyle?and his friend.

By Associated Press / February 3, 2013

In this 2012 photo, former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, author of the book ?American Sniper,? poses in Midlothian, Texas. Kyle was fatally shot along with another man on a gun range Saturday.

Paul Moseley/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram/AP

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[UPDATE 2:40 pm ET: The man charged with killing former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and a second man at a Texas shooting range is reported to be a former US Marine who had been deployed to Iraq and was being helped by Kyle and others for post-traumatic stress disorder.]

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A 25-year-old man was charged with murder in connection with a shooting at a central Texas gun range that killed former Navy SEAL and "American Sniper" author?Chris?Kyle?and his friend, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Sunday.

Sgt. Lonny Haschel said in a news release that 25-year-old Eddie Ray Routh of Lancaster was arraigned Saturday evening on two counts of capital murder.

Haschel said Erath County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call about a shooting at the Rough Creek Lodge, west of Glen Rose, at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Police found the bodies of?Kyle, 38, and Chad Littlefield, 35, at the shooting range. Glen Rose is about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

Police said Routh opened fire on?Kyle?and Littlefield around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, then fled in a Ford pickup truck. At about 8 p.m., Routh arrived at his home in Lancaster, about 17 miles southeast of Dallas. Police arrested him after a brief pursuit and took him to the Lancaster Police Department.

Officer?Kyle?Roberts at the Erath County Jail said Routh arrived there Sunday morning and is being held on a combined $3 million bond ? bond for one charge of capital murder was set at $1 million and bond for two charges of murder was $1 million each. Roberts did not have information on whether Routh had a lawyer.

How much do you know about the Second Amendment? A quiz.

The motive for the shooting was unclear.

Kyle, a decorated veteran, wrote the best-selling book, "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History," detailing his 150-plus kills of insurgents from 1999 to 2009. According to promotional information from book publisher William Morrow,?Kyle?deployed to Iraq four times.

Kyle?helped start the nonprofit FITCO Cares, which provides at-home fitness equipment for emotionally and physically wounded veterans. Travis Cox, the organization's director and friend of?Kyle's, spoke with the AP on Sunday morning.

"What I know is?Chris?and a gentleman ? great guy, I knew him well, Chad Littlefield ? took a veteran out shooting who was struggling with PTSD to try to assist him, try to help him, try to, you know, give him a helping hand and he turned the gun on both of them, killing them," Cox said. Routh then took?Kyle's?truck and fled, he said.

Littlefield was?Kyle's?neighbor and "workout buddy," Cox said. He was a gentle, kind-hearted man who often called or emailed Cox with ideas for events or fundraisers to help veterans.

"Chris?was literally the type of guy if you were a veteran and needed help he'd help you," Cox said. "And from my understanding that's what happened here. I don't know how he came in contact with this gentleman, but I do know that it was not through the foundation.

"It was just two great guys with Chad and?Chris?trying to help out a veteran in need and making time out of their day to help him. And to give him a hand. And unfortunately this thing happened."

Craft International,?Kyle's?security training company, had scheduled a $2,950-per-person civilian training event at Rough Creek Lodge called the "Rough Creek Shoot Out!" for March 1-3. The price included lodging, meals and shooting instruction.?Kyle?was scheduled to teach the first class, called "precision rifle."

Kyle?is survived by his wife, Taya, and their children, the nonprofit's release said.

Associated Press Writers Christopher Sherman in McAllen, Texas, and Andale Gross and Erica Hunzinger in Chicago contributed to this report.

How much do you know about the Second Amendment? A quiz.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/V6ai3yFmGPE/Man-charged-in-fatal-shooting-of-ex-SEAL-sniper-Chris-Kyle

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Video: Apps for apes: Zoos turn to tablets to keep animals engaged

>>> judging by how many were sold over the holidays, it seems like a tablet computer is quickly becoming one of man's best friends . but primates are actually going ape for them, too. all part of a program at the national zoo in washington . here's tom costello.

>> reporter: ever had one of those days when you're sitting around and don't know what to do?

>> what do you think, kiddo? you want to try it -- all right.

>> reporter: it turns out, at the national zoo there's an app for that.

>> you've got to be gentle.

>> reporter: lots of apps. 16-year-old botang uses her long arms and fingers to tap. she loves the drums and cymbals.

>> reporter: 36-year-old bonnie prefers playing the keyboard or scrolling through photos of other animals. the program is called apps for apes. one of many ways 13 zoos including the smithsonian national zoo in washington are trying to enrich the lives of these endangered animals.

>> it engages their sight, their touch, sound, they can choose to sit here and participate, or they can walk away.

>> reporter: but they're not. they're painting, fishing, playing instruments, and coming back for more. this is lucy. she's 39 years old. and like all aresignation torangutans, she has her own personality and is very challenged. researchers say the goal is to keep her and her friends engaged.

>> trying to break it up. the same thing day after day like a human would be repetitive and boring.

>> reporter: how many orangutans do you know get a shout out on "snl"?

>> man, and you think your screen gets dirty.

>> reporter: it turns out researchers even using ipads to communicate with dolphins. of course, apes have hands, and they love to break stuff .

>> money, money, money, money. nope.

>> reporter: these apes also love their apps. for "today," tom costello, nbc news, washington .

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50676275/

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NJ Gov. Christie appearing Monday with Letterman

NEW YORK (AP) ? New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will soon be crossing the Hudson River to appear on "Late Show with David Letterman."

CBS says the colorful, outspoken Christie will make his first appearance with Letterman on Monday.

The guest shot follows numerous jokes by Letterman at the expense of Christie and his ample girth.

Christie termed his plumpness "fair game" for comedians at a 2011 news conference. But maybe he'll arrive for "Late Show" with some droll observations of his own to target Letterman.

"Late Show" airs on CBS at 11:35 p.m. EST.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-31-TV-Christie-Letterman/id-48299fdaa61d4600bbfc609c0bc07312

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Biden joins diplomats, defense officials in Munich

BERLIN (AP) ? Conflicts in Syria and Mali, as well as Iran's nuclear program, are expected to take center stage as top global diplomats and defense officials gather Friday in Munich for an annual security conference.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden joins a dozen heads of state and government and 70 foreign and defense ministers for the Munich Security Conference opening Friday. Biden stopped Friday morning in the German capital of Berlin for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel before traveling on to Munich.

The conference, in its 49th year, is renowned as a setting where senior officials are able to address policy issues in an informal setting.

Others expected include Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi; the foreign minister and defense minister of France, which has combat troops in Mali aiding the military there in battling Islamic extremists; and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia, which has supported the Syrian regime despite pressure to break with President Bashar Assad.

President Barack Obama wants to make Asia the focus of U.S. foreign policy in his second administration, reflecting the region's growing economic power and the rise of China.

But the Munich conference is expected to be dominated by the crises in the Middle East and North Africa and concerns in Europe about Washington's ability to stave off a financial crisis at home.

Acknowledging those issues, Biden urged the Iranians in an interview published Friday by Munich's Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper to resume international talks on their controversial nuclear program.

Biden said Washington will not permit the Iranians to develop nuclear weapons, describing an Iranian bomb as a "threat to the national security of the United States." Iran insists its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, but suspicion is widespread that the goal is to build a bomb.

During the Munich conference, Biden is also expected to meet with Syria's main opposition leader Moaz al-Khatib, and Lakhdar Brahimi, the international peace envoy for Syria.

This week al-Khatib broke with most opposition figures by declaring he was willing to negotiate with members of Assad's regime to bring a peaceful end to the country's civil war.

The U.S., its Western allies and most opposition groups insist Assad must step down first, a position that Syria's longtime ally Russia has strongly opposed.

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Associated Press correspondents Robert H. Reid and Geir Moulson contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/biden-joins-diplomats-defense-officials-munich-075110283.html

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Support Arkansas Military Bases By Opposing Hagel

I write in my weekly Stephens Media column this week about a tangible way Arkansas Senators Mark Pryor and John Boozman can put their money where their mouth is on preventing Arkansas military bases from closing. I write?

While both senators have focused specifically on the A-10 mission of the 188th, they also should be concerned with the President Obama?s desire to cut back on the size of our country?s military capabilities, a desire transparent by his nomination of Chuck Hagel as the Secretary of Defense. Hagel, the former Republican senator from Nebraska, has indicated he fully backs Obama in the desire to pare down what he considers a ?bloated? Pentagon.

?Defense Department, I think, in many ways, has been bloated. So I think the Pentagon needs to be pared down. I don?t think that our military has really looked at themselves strategically, critically, in a long, long time,? said Hagel in an interview with UK?s The Financial Times back in 2011.

It is not clear exactly where Hagel would seek to pare down our national defense but such a sentiment should not give much comfort to those wanting to see continued missions of the 188th in Fort Smith or the 314th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base.

Both senators have withheld judgment on the confirmation of Hagel until after the Senate hearings.

?

The votes will be worth watching. Pryor, a Democrat, will have to split from most his party to oppose the president?s nomination.

If both truly care about keeping the military bases open in Arkansas, opposing the confirmation of someone who apparently wants to close them down seems like a no brainer.

The confirmation hearing begins tomorrow so I hope both Arkansas senators will be watching closely to hear exactly what he means by ?pare down? our military.

Source: http://talkbusiness.net/2013/01/support-arkansas-military-bases-by-opposing-hagel/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=support-arkansas-military-bases-by-opposing-hagel

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