Researchers from the Gladstone Institutes in the US showed for the first time that injecting a combination of genes into the damaged heart tissue of a living animal could make it beat again

Scar tissue left dead by heart attacks could be repaired after scientists demonstrated a new method of turning the tissue back into beating muscle in mice.

Researchers from the Gladstone Institutes in the US showed for the first time that injecting a combination of genes into the damaged heart tissue of a living animal could make it beat again.
Although the technique is a long way from being fit for human trials, experts said it could eventually lead to a way of repairing the debilitating damage sustained in heart attacks.

The results, published in the Nature journal, replicate previous test tube studies which suggested that the three genes, which normally guide the development of the heart in embryos, could reprogram non-beating cells into fully functional heart muscle.
Dr Deepak Srivastava, who led the study, said: “These findings could have a significant impact on heart-failure patients, whose damaged hearts make it difficult for them to engage in normal activities like walking up a flight of stairs.”

Prof Peter Weissberg, Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, added: “This research illustrates one of many routes scientists are exploring to try and repair damage caused by a heart attack.

“If this is confirmed by further studies, it is a remarkable achievement. But a great deal more research will be needed before we will know whether such an approach is feasible, or indeed safe, in patients.”

By Nick Collins, Science Correspondent7:30PM BST 18 Apr 2012

- Article marketing. Write an article that you believe your prospects would be interested in reading about, then post it to various online article directories. Once posted, these articles will continue to bring eyes to your website as long as your website exists. It’s free to write them (unless you must hire someone to do it for you) and free to post them on the directories. An added bonus is that you can actually get paid by some directories, through profit-sharing or Google AdSense.

- Social media marketing. That’s a fancy way of saying get on Facebook, Linked, Twitter, etc., and tell the world about what you’re all about. Don’t just advertise, come up with something interesting and unique to post. Post comments on other accounts. Post links to your latest articles. Signing up to these sites is free.

- Link sharing. Share links with related sites. If you sell kitchen gadgets, for example, you could share links with a site that has recipes or kitchen designs. Make certain you register your website on directories. Not only will this help with your SEO, people may find you and get to site that way.

- Participate in forums, but don’t spam. If you have something relevant to add to an online discussion, this is a good way of getting your link out there and branding yourself. Do not leave comments on unrelated sites; they are worthless. Don’t spam; there is nothing more annoying than seeing those generic posts that are meaningless.

With a bit of time and not one dime you can easily market your online business.

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The New iPhone 4S: The iPhone 4S is not a dramatic game-changer like some previous iPhones…

- Dual Core A5 CPU with 2x faster processor
- Dual Core GPU with 7x faster graphics
- Battery improved: 8 Hour talk time, 14 hours of 2G talk time, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 9 hours of wi-fi browsing
- Redesigned antenna that automatically switches for the best reception
- Faster data speeds, up to 14.4mbps download
- World phone – CDMA & GSM in a single device
- 8 megapixel camera sensor takes 3264×2448 resolution images, f 2.4 aperture, takes in more light and shoots faster pictures, hybrid IR filter
- 1080P HD video recording with real-time image stabilization
- Siri intelligent assistant and voice navigation
- iOS 5 (general release is October 12)

1.) Speed

The iPhone 4S features a Dual-core Apple A5 processor. It is clocked at 800MHz (a bit slower than the iPad 2 for better battery life and reduced heat), but it will still feel much snappier than any previous iPhone. It also features a much faster graphical processor, which will make your games look even better once developers take advantage of it. Not to mention, it’s easy on the battery with up to 200 hours of standby and 10 hours of sustained use.

2.) New Camera

The iPhone 4S’ back camera is another incredible update to the iPhone line. First of all, it features a much bigger sensor, and will capture as many as 8 million pixels. It can also capture more light thanks to a brand new 2.4 maximum aperture. It has a special IR filter for better color, and best of all, it’s been radically redesigned to be faster than ever. You access it from the home screen with a double tap on the home button, and then take shots with the volume button.

The front camera, however, is the same, and features a lower resolution. It’s still great for FaceTime.

3.) Siri

Siri is without a doubt the biggest and most revolutionary exclusive new feature of the iPhone 4S. Combining artificial intelligence, natural language processing and the power of the iPhone, Siri is a virtual assistant that you can talk to and interact with to control your iPhone. It can set up your alarm clock, read your messages, take notes or set appointments, and much more. It even has a great sense of humor. Just hold your home button to check it out. Siri was bought by Apple for an undisclosed sum
Apple released a video in 1987, dramatising something they called ‘Knowledge Navigator’ that shows a tablet device reacting to its user just as Siri promises to.The similarities are incredible.

4.) HD

The iPhone 4S has some great new filmmaking capabilities. First of all, it features a full HD 1080p sensor, and it features an image stabilization feature that will make video much smoother. Here is a video comparison to give you an idea.

5.) New Antenna

The iPhone 4S antenna has been completely redesigned to acquire a better signal, along with faster speeds (up to 14MBps on AT&T in selected areas), and no more death grip.

That’s right, the terrible plague that affected the iPhone 4, and made it lose its signal when you held it “the wrong way” is gone. Not only that, the 4S’s new dual antennas can automatically switch when sending and receiving information, a trick Apple say is a first for a mobile phone, (and one that others dissagree with).

6.) iOS 5

The iPhone 4S is the first iDevice that comes with Apple’s amazing new iOS 5 built in. That is, right from the get go you’ll be able to enjoy the Notification Center, iCloud, iMessage and much more. Here are the top 10 new iOS 5 features you should know about.

Here you will find a list of the over 200 new features included in iOS 5, sorted by app/section.

7.) Everything From the iPhone 4

That’s right, the iPhone 4S brings with it all the improvements made for the iPhone 4 and these are incredible. That is, the iPhone 4S allows you to place video calls over FaceTime, it has a great high-resolution Retina display, 512MB of RAM for great multitasking, and much, much more.

8.) Same Design – Almost

That’s an obvious one, but for those of you who didn’t have the iPhone 4, welcome to a new world of luxury. The iPhone 4S, just like the iPhone 4, features a beautiful glass front and back, with a sleek metalic band that goes around it. It’s a luxurious object, but you’ll have to be very careful. Dropping it on a hard surface will break it, and unless you have Apple’s new AppleCare+ coverage, you’ll have to pay for the repairs out of your own pocket. The glass back is not a big deal, as replacing it can be done in-store for just about $30. The front however costs $200 to replace, and can take up to 48 hours.

Furthermore, the mute switch is placed differently on this design, so your original bumper and AT&T iPhone 4 case might not fit it. Verizon iPhone 4 cases should be fine.

9.) Airplay Mirroring

Another exclusive iPhone 4S feature is its ability to mirror its screen, over the air, to an Apple TV. This feature is called AirPlay mirroring. That means you can stream anything from your screen over the air to a television, from games like Real Racing, to presentations using Keynote, or even a Netflix movie.

10.) Multi-Carrier

In the US, the new iPhone 4S is available on AT&T and Verizon, as well as Sprint. This way, whatever your requirements; like a family or company plan, or spotty coverage in your area, you should still be able to find an iPhone 4S that suits you just fine.

If you don’t know which carrier or plan to pick, here is a great comparison of the different plans available.

Read more:

 Apple iPhone 4 or Samsung Galaxy S2

Steve Jobs emerges from medical leave to unveil iPad 2

Some fifty years ago there were only 3.5 billion people on the planet. The total world population has doubled over the period shorter than the current average life expectancy. The reason for the exponential growth of the population is the so-called demographic transition – the process whereby a society with high fertility and high mortality transforms into a society with low fertility and low mortality. Based on the UN, the largest number of people lives in China (1.35 billion), followed by India (1.24 billion). This really is the first time when the top ten includes only 3 developed countries: USA, Russia and Japan. As suggested by Harvard demographer David Bloom, within the next 40 years the population growth will be more than two billion people to reach nine billion.

The demographer stated in the Science journal that the majority will be brought by the African countries. However, seven billion people consume resources at a rate that does not leave the nature sufficient time to recover them. This really is one of the primary problems of overpopulation. No ocean cities and the development of underground locations frequently portrayed as a technological alternative to the Malthusian views would solve this fundamental problem.

This year, the so-called “Ecological Debt Day” occurred last week. The “Ecological Debt Day” is named by the organization Global Footprint Network (GFN) every year. This really is the moment when humanity has consumed much more resources than our planet can make up for the year. The trend shows that since 2001, each year the debt day occurs 3 days earlier than in the previous year.

As predicted by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, by 2100, the number of inhabitants of Earth could exceed $10 billion. Some specialists predicted that this number could be reached by mid-century. However, many experts talk about the inevitable slowing of population growth and the beginning of a reverse process.

We are now dealing with a resonance when the possibilities of modern medicine have become accessible to traditional societies. Fertility in these societies will stay at the same level for some time. Subsequently, however, due to the distribution of contraceptives specific economic conditions in the form of the pension system, it will start to decline sharply. The census shows that the population of many countries is decreased due to low fertility. “The experience of nearly all Western European countries shows that once an immigrant from a country with a high birth rate arrives in a country like France or Russia, where fertility trends are very comparable, in the second generation the birth rate is decreased two- or threefold.

Standard & Poor’s GSCI Spot, which includes the dynamics of prices on 24 kinds of raw materials, dropped by 5.38 points (0.9%) on October 3 – to 585.62 points, Bloomberg reported. During the third quarter of this year, the index has dropped by 12%. This is the largest reduction since the last three months of 2008.

Investors turn their backs to commodity assets. The volume of commodity market dropped by $1.08 billion over one week ending September 28. Protective assets remain the same – gold and silver. These metals have been growing again recently. Gold lost 11% of its value in September, but it only means that the precious metal has been inflating its credentials. Investors use gold and silver as a tool for market hedge.

On Tuesday, the spot price on gold increased by 0.9% to $1,672.38 per troy ounce. Gold has been gaining value for a fourth session in a row. Silver gained 2.5% – $31.1737 a troy ounce.

“People are worried about a global slowdown and a double dip,” Donald Selkin (the chief market strategist at National Securities Corp. in New York) said.

Copper quotations dropped by 4% – to $6,712 per ton. December futures on Arabica coffee lost 4% on October 4 – to $2,198 a pound. This is the lowest price since December 2010.

The PMI index, calculated by HSBC on the basis of Markit’s data, also testifies to stagnation in world processing branches. The results, which the index showed in August, became the worse since 2009. The PMI index reflects the data about new orders, production outputs, employment, delivery terms, materials and their reserves. As a result, the index revealed no improvement of business conjuncture of the sector in September and neared the critical level of 50.0 points after 49.9 in August.

November futures on WTI oil became $1.59 (2.01%) cheaper on Monday and hit the level of $77.61 per barrel. This is the lowest index since September 29, 2010.

However, the WTI brand loses its role of an important indicator for the whole market. Brent was traded at over $100 per barrel, which is much more expensive than WTI.

The prices on black gold come late in reaction to the problems in the world economy. This happened in 2008. In other words, it is impossible to use oil quotations for forecasts.

Steve Jobs with iPhone

Apple’s founder Steve Jobs, the man who brought the world its most popular phone, tablet and virtual record store died on Wednesday at the age of 56. The main page of apple.com displays a black-and-white photo of the IT-genius and the years of his life – 1955-2011.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life,” Steve Jobs said during a Stanford commencement ceremony in 2005.

“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an incredible human being,” the company stated. “Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

His wife Laurene and other family members were staying with Mr. Jobs during the last minutes of his life.

Steve Jobs passed away the next day after the presentation of Apple’s new line of products. It was the first time, when Apple’s founder did not attend the presentation, which became a huge disappointment for the fans of the company. Without Jobs, the presentation was not as successful as they were before. Many people claimed that rather than unveiling the new iPhone 5, the corporation presented an updated version of last-year’s innovation. It did not even occur to anyone that Steve Jobs was at the point of death.

U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement praising Jobs as one of the greatest American innovators who has brought joy to millions.

“Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it,” Obama said.

“By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun,” he added.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wrote:
“Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you…”
Jobs’ longtime rival, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said:
“Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.”

RIA Novosti reports:
“The world rarely hardly sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.”

Twitter erupted with a fast-moving stream of emotional reactions, and the hashtags #ThankYouSteve, RIP Steve Jobs and Only 56 became trending topics within hours. The online community also created hashtags #iDead, #iHeaven, #iClouds and #iSad – similar to names of Apple’s iconic products.

Read more:
The Wall Street Journal

Only survivor of Yak-42 crash, Alexander Sizov

Alexander Sizov says: “Aircraft was technically flawless…”

Two people survived the crash of Yak-42, flight engineer Alexander Sizov and hockey player Alexander Galimov. Alexander Galimov died at hospital several days later. He suffered serious burns of 90 percent of his body.

Flight engineer Alexander Sizov, was interviewed by officials of the technical commission of the Interstate Aviation Committee.

Sizov told the specialists that he had no complaints about the operation of the crashed aircraft during the previous flight. The man also stated that he had discovered no faults with the equipment of the Yak-42 aircraft during the preparations to the last flight of the aircraft.

“His description helped us specify the location of passengers and also the luggage. The administrators of the team and coaches had been staying in the front part of the plane. The team was sitting in the second salon. Most of the luggage was placed in the rear luggage section,” officials of the committee stated after the interview with Mr. Sizov.

According to Life News, it was Georgy Yachmenev, the honored pilot of the USSR, who interviewed Sizov. The conversation took place without the presence of Sizov’s attending doctor and lasted for nearly an hour.

Representatives of the Investigation Committee did not take part in the interview. They plan to ask their questions to the flight engineer in the nearest future.
Alexander Sizov has been recovering steadily, specialists of Moscow’s Sklifosofsky’s Institute said. He will probably be discharged from hospital in about two weeks. His life is out of danger.

URGENT QUESTIONS ON LYBIA

1.) Why at this time is NATO bombing Bani Walid and other sieged cities? (They have been under siege by the Abdel Jalil forces; therefore NATO should try to protect the civilians inside from the aggression of Abdel Jalil forces: INDEED, when civilians were inside Misrata and the city was under protection and control of the Libyan army, NATO heavily bombed that army).

2.) Why is NATO regularly helping the NTC? All the time, advances of NTC were made possible by NATO. The so-called “rebels” admitted that without NATO they could never have achieved anything. So regime change is the real objective?

3.) Is NATO bombing Sebha and Sirte too? Why? What about the civilians?  Why do we get repeated reports about mustard gas and poisoning of water?

4.) Why is NATO not concerned about the lack of basic things inside the cities under siege? Civilians are suffering and trapped inside; NTC armed people admitted (to Reuters) that civilians inside Sebha don’t have money and fuel to escape.

5.) Why is NATO not concerned about protecting civilians from the NTC as in Tripoli and elsewhere. A lot of African migrants and Black Libyan are killed and harassed…

6.) Why did the NTC Buhajar (in charge of the man-hunt…) say that NATO bombed Birak because Qafadi was there? It means that NATO participates in the manhunt and rtegime change.

7.) Have NATO countries sent their men with “boots on the ground” to help NTC? . Do you coordinate with them? And what about UN Resolution 1973?

8.) Are you aware that many lawyers are starting filing charges against NATO for war crimes and for violations of UN Resolution 1973 (when NATO bombs Libyan army without a direct threat to civilians, this is illegal, it is a regime change)..

This picture is absolutely incredible:

The study estimated that the ice cover in the Arctic in 2010 – calculated based on thickness and extent – was lower than the previous record low in 2007, reflecting the trend of global warming.

Scientists predict that the Arctic might be ice-free during the summer in a couple of decades. This would create lucrative opportunities in locations such as shipping and oil exploration, but would also have consequences for weather all over the world, beginning with the rise in sea levels.

The authors from the University of Washington in Seattle have created a model to estimate ice thickness in the Arctic Ocean based on measurements of winds and atmospheric and ocean temperatures. The outcomes had been compared with actual samples.

“The really worrying fact is the tendency of reduction in the last 32 years,” stated Axel Schweiger, main author of the study, referring to satellite records of the Arctic. The reduction in 2010, based on the study entitled “Uncertainty in the estimated volume of Arctic sea ice by models” was “by a sufficient margin to establish a statistically significant new record.”

Schweiger released information in an e-mail report to Reuters on board the icebreaker Arctic Sunrise, from Greenpeace, which is in the Arctic Ocean between the Norwegian island of Svalbard and the North Pole.

PIOMAS simulated arctic sea ice thickness (m) The thickness of the ice is as important as its length, or much more, to understand what’s happening in the Arctic. Some experts argue that the dramatic reduction in the extent of ice cover in recent years is simply because of a steady thinning in recent decades.

The method used in the study is criticized by some specialists, who consider it less accurate than direct observation. The authors argue, however, that the general tendency of thinning of the ice ends up being recorded by this method.

Last week – with two weeks until the end of the melting season – the ice cover in the Arctic Ocean was below 4.6 million square kilometers. The record low was 4.13 million square kilometers in 2007.

The sea ice itself doesn’t raise sea level when it thaws, but the warming Arctic might accelerate the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, which is composed of fresh water accumulated on the land in a volume sufficient to raise the overall global level of the oceans by 7 meters.