Last time we heard that Rihanna and Chris Brown broke up, it was a false alarm. So should we believe this latest report? According to E! News, the controversial couple has gone their separate ways. "Per the insider, RiRi will always love Chris but has moved on and is reshifting her focus to her career and business ventures," says the entertainment channel's source. Shall we look at the evidence and see if it holds up?
LONDON (Reuters) - Denmark's Lundbeck got a fresh boost for its experimental antidepressant Brintellix on Monday when a clinical trial showed benefits over another medicine called agomelatine that some doctors use when cheap generic pills fail.
Lundbeck and its Japanese partner Takeda submitted Brintellix, also known as vortioxetine, for regulatory approval in the United States and Europe at the end of last year.
Industry analysts at Deutsche Bank see the new drug having sales potential in excess of $1.5 billion and possibly up to $3 billion a year, although consensus forecasts for 2016 are a more modest $500 million, according to Thomson Reuters Pharma.
In the latest study, Lundbeck said that after four weeks of treatment Brintellix proved significantly more effective than agomelatine, which is sold as Valdoxan by private French drugmaker Servier.
Current antidepressants are mainly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, and many are widely available as cheap generics, including Prozac.
A large number of patients, however, do not respond adequately to SSRIs or another class of antidepressants known as serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), prompting doctors to seek alternatives.
It is this market in "second-line" treatments that Lundbeck aims to tap into with Brintellix.
"This latest study clearly demonstrates that patients who have not had an adequate response on SSRIs or SNRIs can be switched to Brintellix and get a treatment effect - which is the relevant question for physicians," Lundbeck R&D head Anders Gersel Pedersen said in an interview.
Agomelatine was approved in Europe in 2009, making it the most recent new antidepressant to reach the market, although it is not sold in the United States.
Lundbeck hopes the new antidepressant will provide a new source of revenue as its existing antidepressant, Cipralex, sold as Lexapro in the United States and Japan, comes off patent protection.
Lundbeck also reported more positive clinical trial results for Selincro, its alcohol dependence drug. Selincro was recently approved in Europe, but is seen by analysts as a relatively modest seller.
Shares in the Danish group were 1.3 percent higher by 4:00 a.m. EST.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Tom Pfeiffer)
President Barack Obama speaks at the Denver Police Academy in Denver, Wednesday, April 3, 2013. Ratcheting up pressure for Congress to limit access to guns, Obama said that steps taken recently by Colorado to tighten its gun laws show "there doesn't have to be a conflict" between keeping citizens safe and protecting Second Amendment rights to gun ownership. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Barack Obama speaks at the Denver Police Academy in Denver, Wednesday, April 3, 2013. Ratcheting up pressure for Congress to limit access to guns, Obama said that steps taken recently by Colorado to tighten its gun laws show "there doesn't have to be a conflict" between keeping citizens safe and protecting Second Amendment rights to gun ownership. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
FILE - In this March 6, 2011 file photo, Denis McDonough speaks in Sterling, Va. President Barack Obama?s budget proposal will include an additional $2.5 billion to attack a growing backlog of veterans disability claims, a problem officials said is likely to worsen in coming months. White House chief of staff Denis McDonough told reporters Friday that more money for the VA in tight budgetary times reflects Obama's commitment to veterans. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2013 file photo, Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks in Philadelphia. President Barack Obama?s budget next week will steer clear of major cuts to Medicaid, including tens of billions the administration proposed only last year. The White House is holding harmless the federal-state health care program for low-income people while wooing financially skittish states to expand Medicaid coverage to millions now uninsured. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama says his soon-to-be released budget, already criticized by friends and foes, is not his "ideal plan" but offers "tough reforms" for benefit programs and scuttles some tax breaks for the wealthy.
That's a mix, he contends, that will provide long-term deficit reduction without harming the economy.
In his first comments about the 2014 spending blueprint he's set to release Wednesday, Obama said he intends to reduce deficits and provide new money for public works projects, early education and job training.
"We don't have to choose between these goals ? we can do both," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address, broadcast Saturday.
Obama's plan for the budget year that begins Oct. 1 calls for slower growth in government benefits programs for the poor, veterans and the elderly, as well as higher taxes, primarily from the wealthy.
Some details, made public Friday, drew a fierce response from liberals, labor unions and advocates for older Americans. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, was not impressed, either.
"It's a compromise I'm willing to accept in order to move beyond a cycle of short-term, crisis-driven decision-making, and focus on growing our economy and our middle class for the long run," Obama said.
Obama proposes spending cuts and revenue increases that would result in $1.8 trillion in deficit reductions over 10 years, replacing $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts that are otherwise poised to take effect over the next 10 years.
Counting reductions and higher taxes that Congress and Obama have approved since 2011, the 2014 budget would contribute $4.3 trillion to total deficit reduction by 2023.
The main deficit reduction elements of the plan incorporate an offer Obama made to Boehner in December when both sought to avoid automatic, across-the-board spending cuts and broad tax increases
Obama's plan includes $580 billion in new taxes that Republicans oppose. There's also a new inflation formula, rejected by many liberals, that would reduce the annual cost of living adjustments for a range of government programs, including Social Security and benefits for veterans.
In his address, Obama said he would achieve deficit reduction by making "tough reforms" to Medicare and enacting "common-sense tax reform that includes closing wasteful tax loopholes for the wealthy and well-connected."
Obama made no mention of the effect his budget would have on Social Security and other social safety net programs. That idea drew a hostile reaction from some of his most ardent political backers.
An Associated Press-GfK poll conducted late last year found that 49 percent of those asked were opposed to changing the way Social Security benefits are calculated to produce smaller annual increases and reduce the federal budget deficit.
The poll found 30 percent supported the idea and 15 percent were neutral. Of those opposed to a recalculation, 32 percent said they "strongly opposed" the change, compared with just 11 percent who strongly support it.
Obama rejected a House Republican plan that aims to balance the budget in 10 years with steep cuts in domestic spending.
His remarks reflected the White House's argument that Obama's blend of tax increases and spending cuts have widespread public support and will ultimately change the terms of the fiscal debate in Washington.
"My budget will reduce our deficits not with aimless, reckless spending cuts that hurt students and seniors and middle-class families, but through the balanced approach that the American people prefer, and the investments that a growing economy demands," he said.
Still, Obama has been unable to move House Republicans from their opposition to higher taxes, and his proposed reduction in the growth of benefits drew swift objections from allies.
"The president should drop these misguided cuts in benefits and focus instead on building support in Congress for investing in jobs," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement Friday.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback delivered the Republican radio and Internet address, arguing that "the ideas on how to fix the federal government are now percolating in the states."
"You see, you don't change America by changing Washington ? you change America by changing the states," he said. "And that's exactly what Republican governors are doing across the country ? taking a different approach to grow their states' economies and fix their governments with ideas that work.
Brownback, a former House member and senator, called for a "taxing structure that encourages growth, an education system that produces measurable results, and a renewed focus on the incredible dignity of each and every person, no matter who they are."
___
AP Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (AP) ? The United States accepts that a diminished but resilient Taliban is likely to remain a military threat in some parts of Afghanistan long after U.S. troops complete their combat mission next year, the top U.S. military officer said Sunday.
In an Associated Press interview at this air field north of Kabul, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he is cautiously optimistic that the Afghan army will hold its own against the insurgency as Western troops pull back and Afghans assume the lead combat role. He said that by May or June, the Afghans will be in the lead throughout the country.
Asked whether some parts of the country will remain contested by the Taliban, he replied, "Yes, of course there will be."
"And if we were having this conversation 10 years from now, I suspect there would (still) be contested areas because the history of Afghanistan suggests that there will always be contested areas," he said.
He and other U.S. commanders have said that ultimately the Afghans must reach some sort of political accommodation with the insurgents, and that a reconciliation process needs to be led by Afghans, not Americans. Thus the No. 1 priority for the U.S. military in its final months of combat in Afghanistan is to do all that is possible to boost the strength and confidence of Afghan forces.
Shortly after Dempsey arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday, the Taliban demonstrated its ability to strike.
It claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing that killed five Americans ? three soldiers and two civilians, including Anne Smedinghoff, a foreign service officer and the first American diplomat killed overseas since the terrorist attack Sept. 11 in Benghazi, Libya.
A fierce battle between U.S.-backed Afghan forces and Taliban militants in a remote corner of eastern Afghanistan left nearly 20 people dead, including 11 Afghan children killed in an airstrike, Afghan officials said Sunday.
There are now about 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. That number is to drop to about 32,000 by February 2014, and the combat mission is to end in December 2014. Whether some number ? perhaps 9,000 or 10,000 ? remain into 2015 as military trainers and counterinsurgents is yet to be decided.
Dempsey spent two days talking to senior Afghan officials, including his counterpart, Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi, as well as top U.S. and allied commanders.
He also visited a U.S. base in the volatile eastern province of Paktika for an update on how U.S. troops are balancing the twin missions of advising Afghan forces and withdrawing tons of U.S. equipment as the war effort winds down.
Paktika is an example of a sector of Afghanistan that is likely to face Taliban resistance for years to come.
Bordering areas of Pakistan that provide haven for the Taliban and its affiliated Haqqani network, Paktika has been among the more important insurgent avenues into the Afghan interior.
While the province has a functioning government, Taliban influence remains significant in less populated areas, as it has since U.S. forces first invaded the country more than 11 years ago.
"There will be contested areas, and it will be the Afghans' choice whether to allow those contested areas to persist, or, when necessary, take action to exert themselves into those contested area," he said.
Dempsey said he is encouraged by the recent development of coordination centers, including one in Paktika, where a wide range of Afghan government agencies work together on security issues. He called it a "quilt" of government structures that links Kabul, the capital, to ordinary Afghans in distant villages.
In some parts of the country, Afghan villagers have shown their dissatisfaction with Taliban influence by taking up arms against the insurgents, even without being pushed by the U.S. or by Kabul. This has happened in recent weeks in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province, a traditional stronghold of the Taliban. The Andar district of Ghazni province has seen a similar uprising.
"We should encourage it, but we shouldn't be seen as hijacking" these local movements, he said.
Dempsey said he discussed the uprisings with Karimi, the army chief, and the Afghan defense minister, Bismullah Khan Mohammadi. They told him they "appreciated that they should allow this to occur (and) they should probably nurture it. They don't necessarily feel at this point as if they should tangibly support it."
The Afghan government's concern, Dempsey said, is that influential warlords could embrace these local movements and eventually leverage them to threaten the armed forces of the central government.
In a separate interview Sunday with al-Hurra, the Arabic-language satellite TV channel funded by the U.S. government, Dempsey was asked whether he worries that Syria, in the midst of a civil war, could become another Afghanistan.
"I do. I have grave concerns that Syria could become an extended conflict" that drags on for many years, he said.
Widely used filtering material adds arsenic to beersPublic release date: 7-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
504-670-4707 (New Orleans Press Center, April 5-10)
202-872-6042
Michael Woods
m_woods@acs.org
504-670-4707 (New Orleans Press Center, April 5-10)
202-872-6293
American Chemical Society
NEW ORLEANS, April 7, 2013 The mystery of how arsenic levels in beer sold in Germany could be higher than in the water or other ingredients used to brew the beer has been solved, scientists announced here today at the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. The meeting, which features almost 12,000 reports and other presentations, continues through Thursday.
Mehmet Coelhan, Ph.D., and colleagues said the discovery could be of importance for breweries and other food processors elsewhere that use the same filtering technology implicated in the elevated arsenic levels in some German beers. Coelhan's team at the Technische Universitt in Munich set out to solve that riddle after testing 140 samples of beers sold in Germany as part of a monitoring program. The monitoring checked levels of heavy metals like arsenic and lead, as well as natural toxins that can contaminate grain used in brewing beer, pesticides and other undesirable substances.
Coelhan explained that the World Health Organization uses 10 micrograms per liter of arsenic in drinking water as a limit. However, some beers contained higher arsenic levels. "When arsenic level in beer is higher than in the water used during brewing, this excess arsenic must come from other sources," Coelhan noted. "That was a mystery to us. As a consequence, we analyzed all materials, including the malt and the hops used during brewing for the presence of arsenic."
They concluded that the arsenic was released into the beer from a filtering material called kieselguhr, or diatomaceous earth, used to remove yeast, hops and other particles and give the beer a crystal clear appearance. Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae that lived millions of years ago. It finds wide use in filtering beer, wine and is an ingredient in other products.
"We concluded that kieselguhr may be a significant source of arsenic contamination in beer," Coelhan said. "This conclusion was supported by analysis of kieselguhr samples. These tests revealed that some kieselguhr samples release arsenic. The resulting arsenic levels were only slightly elevated, and it is not likely that people would get sick from drinking beers made with this filtration method because of the arsenic. The arsenic is still at low levels the risk of alcohol poisoning is a far more realistic concern, as stated in previous studies on the topic."
Coelhan pointed out that beers produced in at least six other countries had higher arsenic amounts than German beers, according to a report published four years ago. He said that breweries, wineries and other food processors that use kieselguhr should be aware that the substance can release arsenic. Substitutes for kieselguhr are available, he noted, and simple measures like washing kieselguhr with water can remove the arsenic before use.
###
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.
Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Follow us: Twitter | Facebook
Abstract
The German Brewing industry has more than 1000 members and produces annually 100 million hectoliter beer. Although beer consumption in Germany per capita has been stagnating for many years, it is relatively high (around 100 liter) compared to many other countries. A large part of beer produced is exported. Brewers take a great deal of care to ensure that the beers they produce are entirely safe. Heavy metals are subject to stringent legislation under German and EU law. In addition to these requirements, contaminants are subject to monitoring organized by the Association of German Beer Brewers, in order to check for any adverse effects on malt or beer quality or other effect on processing before they are accepted for use on malting barley. Hence, a malt monitoring program was started 2011 in Germany to explore levels of heavy metals, mycotoxins, dioxins and dioxine-like PCBs, and a large number of pesticides.
In the present study results for arsenic levels are presented. Analyses revealed that particularly kieselguhr used for filtration of beers may be a significant source of arsenic contamination in beer.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Widely used filtering material adds arsenic to beersPublic release date: 7-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
504-670-4707 (New Orleans Press Center, April 5-10)
202-872-6042
Michael Woods
m_woods@acs.org
504-670-4707 (New Orleans Press Center, April 5-10)
202-872-6293
American Chemical Society
NEW ORLEANS, April 7, 2013 The mystery of how arsenic levels in beer sold in Germany could be higher than in the water or other ingredients used to brew the beer has been solved, scientists announced here today at the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. The meeting, which features almost 12,000 reports and other presentations, continues through Thursday.
Mehmet Coelhan, Ph.D., and colleagues said the discovery could be of importance for breweries and other food processors elsewhere that use the same filtering technology implicated in the elevated arsenic levels in some German beers. Coelhan's team at the Technische Universitt in Munich set out to solve that riddle after testing 140 samples of beers sold in Germany as part of a monitoring program. The monitoring checked levels of heavy metals like arsenic and lead, as well as natural toxins that can contaminate grain used in brewing beer, pesticides and other undesirable substances.
Coelhan explained that the World Health Organization uses 10 micrograms per liter of arsenic in drinking water as a limit. However, some beers contained higher arsenic levels. "When arsenic level in beer is higher than in the water used during brewing, this excess arsenic must come from other sources," Coelhan noted. "That was a mystery to us. As a consequence, we analyzed all materials, including the malt and the hops used during brewing for the presence of arsenic."
They concluded that the arsenic was released into the beer from a filtering material called kieselguhr, or diatomaceous earth, used to remove yeast, hops and other particles and give the beer a crystal clear appearance. Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae that lived millions of years ago. It finds wide use in filtering beer, wine and is an ingredient in other products.
"We concluded that kieselguhr may be a significant source of arsenic contamination in beer," Coelhan said. "This conclusion was supported by analysis of kieselguhr samples. These tests revealed that some kieselguhr samples release arsenic. The resulting arsenic levels were only slightly elevated, and it is not likely that people would get sick from drinking beers made with this filtration method because of the arsenic. The arsenic is still at low levels the risk of alcohol poisoning is a far more realistic concern, as stated in previous studies on the topic."
Coelhan pointed out that beers produced in at least six other countries had higher arsenic amounts than German beers, according to a report published four years ago. He said that breweries, wineries and other food processors that use kieselguhr should be aware that the substance can release arsenic. Substitutes for kieselguhr are available, he noted, and simple measures like washing kieselguhr with water can remove the arsenic before use.
###
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.
Note to journalists: Please report that this research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Follow us: Twitter | Facebook
Abstract
The German Brewing industry has more than 1000 members and produces annually 100 million hectoliter beer. Although beer consumption in Germany per capita has been stagnating for many years, it is relatively high (around 100 liter) compared to many other countries. A large part of beer produced is exported. Brewers take a great deal of care to ensure that the beers they produce are entirely safe. Heavy metals are subject to stringent legislation under German and EU law. In addition to these requirements, contaminants are subject to monitoring organized by the Association of German Beer Brewers, in order to check for any adverse effects on malt or beer quality or other effect on processing before they are accepted for use on malting barley. Hence, a malt monitoring program was started 2011 in Germany to explore levels of heavy metals, mycotoxins, dioxins and dioxine-like PCBs, and a large number of pesticides.
In the present study results for arsenic levels are presented. Analyses revealed that particularly kieselguhr used for filtration of beers may be a significant source of arsenic contamination in beer.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
When you're at a job interview, it's important to meet all the listed requirements, but US News & World Report notes that it's just as critical to emphasize the "intangibles" needed to succeed.
Arnie Fertig at US News & World Report suggests making educated guesses at what these intangibles are based on the job's official duties.
If you take the time to closely read a job description, you can discern the competencies that are associated with a position's requirements. For example, one random job posted recently calls for someone to be a "liaison for?", "gain approval for?", "track success?", "contribute to?", "execute marketing activities?" and "ensure budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements."
Ask yourself what is required to attain success for each of these bullet points. To be a liaison and gain approval for things, one must have solid oral and written communication skills. To track success, you must be detail oriented, and likely have the ability to negotiate spreadsheets. To contribute, someone most likely requires a collegial, team-based approach to work. To keep budgets on track likely requires someone with a head for numbers.
I think this tip is perhaps best-suited for interviews where you don't have prior experience with certain job duties, and need to convey that you could learn them. Maybe you've never telecommuted before, but you could emphasize your written communication skills and ability to work independently if a job requires some remote work. If the position involves creating web traffic reports, but you never did that at your old job, you could highlight your quantitative reasoning skills and analytical mind.
Once you've identified the competencies you want to highlight, think up some good anecdotes from your previous work that demonstrate them. Depending on how subtle these qualities are, they might not explicitly come up during the interview, but you can work in references to them during your other answers. Check out the source link for some more job interview tips.
The Two Things Savvy Interviewers Are Looking For | US News & World Report
I so much appreciate the fast service and the fast shipping when I order from Aunties's Beads! Absolutely love
Beader's Advantage!
- Shelby from Oregon
I love Auntie's Beads! I feel as though I am doing business with friends; I know you care about what we think & that
is so important to me! Great service, quick delivery & most of all, I LOVE Karla Kam! Karla is great and the videos
are so clear and helpful! Love "our" bead chat group! Great support and encouragement! You're the best!
- Patsy from Arizona
Being rather new to jewelry making I am eager to learn. Auntie's Beads not only has the supplies I will need but
also the knowledge to help. My Beader's Advantage Membership will allow me to explore this new world without
going broke!!!
- Pam from Huron, Ohio
Good products at a good price...beads always "as advertised" and arrive on time.
- Richard from Tyler, Texas
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uQT7SUdNkhDa9oajfLAwF0WGtsLdQ9hx2APt2CyN1e_7nTVTuLcMRqGAp_VXRpKeQqvCaWSdrRhoR88tw-xg1Z3XtANxiG8qoACXM6MMo=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 7-Apr-2013
Share ] 
When you're at a job interview, it's important to meet all the listed requirements, but US News & World Report notes that it's just as critical to emphasize the "intangibles" needed to succeed.
