taunting vassal: October 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Toronto police say they have mayor drug video

Mayor Rob Ford walks past Halloween decorations on his way to talk to media at City Hall in Toronto on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. Ford says he has no reason to step down despite police confirmation that they have seized a video that appears to show him smoking a crack pipe. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

Mayor Rob Ford talks to media at City Hall in Toronto on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. Ford that appears to show him smoking a crack pipe. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford addresses media outside his office in Toronto on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. Ford says he has no reason to step down despite police confirmation that they have seized a video that appears to show him smoking a crack pipe.(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

These annotated video frame grab images provided by the Toronto Police Service on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, show Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, left, and his close friend, Alexander Lisi. Police say they rummaged through Ford's garbage and conducted a massive surveillance operation monitoring him and Lisi following drug use allegations. The marks seen on the images were drawn by the police. (AP Photo/Toronto Police Service via The Canadian Press)

This annotated video frame grab image provided by the Toronto Police Service on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, shows Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, left, and his close friend, Alexander Lisi. Police say they rummaged through Ford's garbage and conducted a massive surveillance operation monitoring him and Lisi following drug use allegations. The marks seen on the images were drawn by the police. (AP Photo/Toronto Police Service via The Canadian Press)

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto police said Thursday they have obtained a video that appears to show Mayor Rob Ford smoking a crack pipe — a video that Ford had claimed didn't exist and has been at the core of a scandal that has embarrassed and gripped Canada for months.

Police Chief Bill Blair said the video, recovered after being deleted from a computer hard drive, did not provide grounds to press charges. Ford, a populist mayor who has repeatedly made headlines for his bizarre behavior, vowed not to resign.

Speaking outside the door his office, where visitors were free to check out the Halloween decorations, Ford said with a smile: "I have no reason to resign." He said he couldn't defend himself because the affair is part of a criminal investigation involving an associate, adding: "That's all I can say right now." Toronto police discovered the video while conducting a huge surveillance operation into a friend and sometimes driver suspected of providing Ford with drugs.

Ford faced allegations in May that he had been caught on video puffing from a glass crack pipe. Two reporters with the Toronto Star said they saw the video, but it has not been released publicly. Ford maintained he does not smoke crack and that the video did not exist.

The scandal has been the fodder of jokes on U.S. late night television and has cast Canada's largest city and financial capital in an unflattering light.

Ford was elected mayor three years ago on a wave of discontent simmering in the city's outlying suburbs. Since then he has survived an attempt to remove him from office on conflict-of-interest charges and has appeared in the news for his increasingly odd behavior. Through it all, the mayor has repeatedly refused to resign and pledged to run for re-election next year.

But the pressure ramped up on Thursday with all four major dailies in the city calling on Ford to resign.

Cheri DiNovo, a member of Ontario's parliament, tweeted: "Ford video nothing to celebrate Addiction is illness. Mayor please step down and get help?"

On Thursday, Blair said the video of the mayor "depicts images that are consistent with those previously reported in the press."

"As a citizen of Toronto I'm disappointed," Blair said. "This is a traumatic issue for citizens of this city and the reputation of this city."

Blair said the video will come out when Ford's associate and occasional driver, Alexander Lisi, goes to trial on drug charges. Lisi now also faces extortion charges for trying to retrieve the recording from an unidentified person. Blair did not say who owned the computer containing the video.

Blair said authorities believed the video is linked to a home in Toronto, referred to by a confidential informant as a "crack house" in court documents in Lisi's drug case.

The prosecutor in the Lisi case released documents Thursday showing they had rummaged through Ford's garbage in search of evidence of drug use. They show that they conducted a massive surveillance operation monitoring the mayor and Lisi following drug use allegations.

The documents show that friends and former staffers of Ford were concerned that Lisi was "fuelling" the Toronto mayor's alleged drug use.

The police documents, ordered released by a judge, show Ford receiving packages from Lisi on several occasions.

"Lisi approached the driver's side of the Mayor's vehicle with a small white gift bag in hand; he then walked around to the passenger side and got on board," reads one document dated July 30, 2013. "After a few minutes Lisi exited the Escalade empty handed and walked back to his Range Rover."

Another dated July 28 says Lisi "constantly used counter surveillance techniques" when he met with Ford that day.

On August 13 documents say Lisi and Ford met and "made their way into a secluded area of the adjacent woods where they were obscured from surveillance efforts and stayed for approximately one hour."

Ford recently vouched for Lisi in a separate criminal case, praising his leadership skills and hard work in a letter filed with the court. The letter was part of a report prepared by a probation officer after Lisi was convicted of threatening to kill a woman.

Ford said previously that he was shocked when Lisi was arrested earlier this month, calling him a "good guy" and saying he doesn't abandon his friends.

The documents also say that Ford met Lisi through Payman Aboodowleh, a volunteer football coach at Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School, where Ford coached the team while also serving as mayor. He told police he was "mad at Lisi because he was fuelling the mayor's drug abuse," the document says.

Ford's controversies range from the trivial to the serious: Walking face-first into a TV camera. Falling down during a photo op while pretending to play football. Being asked to leave an event for wounded war vets because he appeared intoxicated, according to the Toronto Star. Being forced to admit he was busted for marijuana possession in Florida in 1999, after repeated denials. Making rude gestures at Torontonians from his car.

Ford was fired earlier this year from his beloved volunteer job coaching football over disparaging remarks he made to a TV network about parents and their kids at the school.

"The mayor has said there wasn't a video," Toronto councilor Paula Fletcher said. "He has said there is a conspiracy against him. With Chief's Blair's press conference I think that's put to rest."

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-10-31-Canada-Toronto%20Mayor/id-45dff419b74240959ed40163412d183b
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Lefties more likely to have psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia: Yale study

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

31-Oct-2013

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Contact: Karen N. Peart
karen.peart@yale.edu
203-432-1326
Yale University

Being left-handed has been linked to many mental disorders, but Yale researcher Jadon Webb and his colleagues have found that among those with mental illnesses, people with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia are much more likely to be left-handed than those with mood disorders like depression or bipolar syndrome.

The new study is published in the October-December 2013 issue of the journal SAGE Open.

About 10% of the U.S. population is left-handed. When comparing all patients with mental disorders, the research team found that 11% of those diagnosed with mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder are left-handed, which is similar to the rate in the general population. But according to Webb, a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at the Yale Child Study Center with a particular interest in biomarkers of psychosis, "a striking of 40% of those with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder are left-handed."

"In general, people with psychosis are those who have lost touch with reality in some way, through hallucinations, delusions, or false beliefs, and it is notable that this symptom constellation seems to correlate with being left-handed," said Webb. "Finding biomarkers such as this can hopefully enable us to identify and differentiate mental disorders earlier, and perhaps one day tailor treatment in more effective ways."

Webb and his colleagues studied 107 individuals from a public outpatient psychiatric clinic seeking treatment in an urban, low-income community. The research team determined the frequency of left-handedness within the group of patients identified with different types of mental disorders.

The study showed that white patients with psychotic illness were more likely to be left-handed than black patients. "Even after controlling for this, however, a large difference between psychotic and mood disorder patients remained," said Webb.

What sets this study apart from other handedness research is the simplicity of the questionnaire and analysis, said Webb. Patients who were attending their usual check-ups at the mental health facility were simply asked "What hand do you write with?"

"This told us much of what we needed to know in a very simple, practical way," said Webb. "Doing a simple analysis meant that there were no obstacles to participating and we had a very high participation rate of 97%. Patients dealing with serious symptoms of psychosis might have had a harder time participating in a more complicated set of questions or tests. By keeping the survey simple, we were able to get an accurate snapshot of a hard-to-study subgroup of mentally ill people those who are often poverty-stricken with very poor family and community support."
###
Other authors on the study include Mary I. Schroeder, Christopher Chee, Deanna Dial, Rebecca Hana, Hussam Jefee, Jacob Mays, and Patrick Molitor.
Citation: Sage Open vol. 3 no. 4 2158244013503166 (October-December 2013)
http://sgo.sagepub.com/content/3/4/2158244013503166.full.pdf+html

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Lefties more likely to have psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia: Yale study

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

31-Oct-2013

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Contact: Karen N. Peart
karen.peart@yale.edu
203-432-1326
Yale University

Being left-handed has been linked to many mental disorders, but Yale researcher Jadon Webb and his colleagues have found that among those with mental illnesses, people with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia are much more likely to be left-handed than those with mood disorders like depression or bipolar syndrome.

The new study is published in the October-December 2013 issue of the journal SAGE Open.

About 10% of the U.S. population is left-handed. When comparing all patients with mental disorders, the research team found that 11% of those diagnosed with mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder are left-handed, which is similar to the rate in the general population. But according to Webb, a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at the Yale Child Study Center with a particular interest in biomarkers of psychosis, "a striking of 40% of those with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder are left-handed."

"In general, people with psychosis are those who have lost touch with reality in some way, through hallucinations, delusions, or false beliefs, and it is notable that this symptom constellation seems to correlate with being left-handed," said Webb. "Finding biomarkers such as this can hopefully enable us to identify and differentiate mental disorders earlier, and perhaps one day tailor treatment in more effective ways."

Webb and his colleagues studied 107 individuals from a public outpatient psychiatric clinic seeking treatment in an urban, low-income community. The research team determined the frequency of left-handedness within the group of patients identified with different types of mental disorders.

The study showed that white patients with psychotic illness were more likely to be left-handed than black patients. "Even after controlling for this, however, a large difference between psychotic and mood disorder patients remained," said Webb.

What sets this study apart from other handedness research is the simplicity of the questionnaire and analysis, said Webb. Patients who were attending their usual check-ups at the mental health facility were simply asked "What hand do you write with?"

"This told us much of what we needed to know in a very simple, practical way," said Webb. "Doing a simple analysis meant that there were no obstacles to participating and we had a very high participation rate of 97%. Patients dealing with serious symptoms of psychosis might have had a harder time participating in a more complicated set of questions or tests. By keeping the survey simple, we were able to get an accurate snapshot of a hard-to-study subgroup of mentally ill people those who are often poverty-stricken with very poor family and community support."
###
Other authors on the study include Mary I. Schroeder, Christopher Chee, Deanna Dial, Rebecca Hana, Hussam Jefee, Jacob Mays, and Patrick Molitor.
Citation: Sage Open vol. 3 no. 4 2158244013503166 (October-December 2013)
http://sgo.sagepub.com/content/3/4/2158244013503166.full.pdf+html

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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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/yu-lml103113.php
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Butterflies show origin of species as an evolutionary process, not a single event

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

31-Oct-2013

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Contact: Mary Beth O'Leary
moleary@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press

The evolution of new species might not be as hard as it seems, even when diverging populations remain in contact and continue to produce offspring. That's the conclusion of studies, reported in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports on October 31st, that examine the full genome sequences of 32 Heliconius butterflies from the Central American rain forest, representing five different species.

"The butterflies have performed a beautiful natural experiment for us that lets us address important questions about evolution," said Marcus Kronforst of the University of Chicago. "Even as biologists, we often think of the origin of new species as a moment in time when a new species splits from an old one, and this type of thinking is reflected in the evolutionary 'trees,' or phylogenies, that we draw. In reality, evolution is a long-term process that plays out in stages, and speciation is no different."

Kronforst and his colleagues found that the initial divergence between butterfly populations is restricted to a small fraction of the genome. In the case of the butterflies, the key genes are those involved in wing patterning. The butterfly species under study all have very different wing patterns, which are important in the butterflies' mating behavior and predator avoidance.

Comparison of those closely related, interbreeding species to a slightly more distant third species showed that hundreds of genomic changes had arisen rather quickly in evolutionary time sometime after those early differences took hold.

"We find that only a small fraction of the genome is markedly different between closely related species, but then much more of the genomemore than you'd expectshows similar differences between more distantly related species," Kronforst explained. "That indicates that the genetic changes that are important for causing speciation are tightly clustered early in speciation, but not so later on in the process; the overall pattern of genome divergence starts slow and then skyrockets."

The researchers view the process as a kind of tug-of-war between natural selection and gene flow. The result in the case of the butterflies has been a rapid divergence of species, driven by a combination of new mutations and borrowed genes. The butterfly genomes also show that the same spots in the genome have been important in multiple speciation events.

"Beyond butterflies, it is possible that this type of speciation, in which natural selection for ecology causes the origin of new species, has been important in the evolution of other organisms," Kronforst said.

###

Cell Reports, Kronforst et al.: "Hybridization reveals the evolving genomic architecture of speciation."

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Butterflies show origin of species as an evolutionary process, not a single event

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

31-Oct-2013

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Contact: Mary Beth O'Leary
moleary@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press

The evolution of new species might not be as hard as it seems, even when diverging populations remain in contact and continue to produce offspring. That's the conclusion of studies, reported in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports on October 31st, that examine the full genome sequences of 32 Heliconius butterflies from the Central American rain forest, representing five different species.

"The butterflies have performed a beautiful natural experiment for us that lets us address important questions about evolution," said Marcus Kronforst of the University of Chicago. "Even as biologists, we often think of the origin of new species as a moment in time when a new species splits from an old one, and this type of thinking is reflected in the evolutionary 'trees,' or phylogenies, that we draw. In reality, evolution is a long-term process that plays out in stages, and speciation is no different."

Kronforst and his colleagues found that the initial divergence between butterfly populations is restricted to a small fraction of the genome. In the case of the butterflies, the key genes are those involved in wing patterning. The butterfly species under study all have very different wing patterns, which are important in the butterflies' mating behavior and predator avoidance.

Comparison of those closely related, interbreeding species to a slightly more distant third species showed that hundreds of genomic changes had arisen rather quickly in evolutionary time sometime after those early differences took hold.

"We find that only a small fraction of the genome is markedly different between closely related species, but then much more of the genomemore than you'd expectshows similar differences between more distantly related species," Kronforst explained. "That indicates that the genetic changes that are important for causing speciation are tightly clustered early in speciation, but not so later on in the process; the overall pattern of genome divergence starts slow and then skyrockets."

The researchers view the process as a kind of tug-of-war between natural selection and gene flow. The result in the case of the butterflies has been a rapid divergence of species, driven by a combination of new mutations and borrowed genes. The butterfly genomes also show that the same spots in the genome have been important in multiple speciation events.

"Beyond butterflies, it is possible that this type of speciation, in which natural selection for ecology causes the origin of new species, has been important in the evolution of other organisms," Kronforst said.

###

Cell Reports, Kronforst et al.: "Hybridization reveals the evolving genomic architecture of speciation."

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Share

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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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/cp-bso102413.php
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iMore show LIVE! 8am PT, 11am ET - Join us!

Join Peter, Richard, and me for the live version of our iPad Air and iPad mini buyers guide! We'll be talking through upgrading, which models to get, how they compare, choosing the right capacity, color, and carrier, and more!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Na8Jp2YOKeQ/story01.htm
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Video: What's new in Android 4.4 design

For the more visually minded folks, Google's whipped up a video with Android's Nick Butcher, Adam Koch and Roman Nurik discussing some of the new design elements in Android 4.4 KitKat. Have at it!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/brjdWorUgV0/story01.htm
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10 Not-so-scary Superstars

All WWE programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans, wrestling moves, trademarks, logos and copyrights are the exclusive property of WWE, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. © 2013 WWE, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This website is based in the United States. By submitting personal information to this website you consent to your information being maintained in the U.S., subject to applicable U.S. laws. U.S. law may be different than the law of your home country. WrestleMania XXIX (NY/NJ) logo TM & © 2013 WWE. All Rights Reserved. The Empire State Building design is a registered trademark and used with permission by ESBC.

Source: http://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/10-not-so-scary-superstars
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Fewer Americans seek unemployment aid for 3rd week

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell 10,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, a sign that employers are laying off very few workers.

The Labor Department said Thursday that the four-week average rose 8,000 to 356,250, the highest since April. The 16-day partial government shutdown and backlogs in California due to computer upgrades inflated the average.

Still, a government spokesman said those unusual factors did not affect last week's first-time applications, which appeared to be free of distortions for the first time in two months.

Applications are a proxy for layoffs. They have fallen for three straight weeks and are just above the pre-recession levels reached in August.

Fewer applications are typically followed by more job gains. But hiring has slowed in recent months, rather than accelerated.

The economy added an average 143,000 jobs a month from July through September. That's down from an average of 182,000 in April through June, and 207,000 during the first three months of the year.

"A larger concern remains over firms not willing to accelerate hiring as the lean workforce does not leave much room left for firing," said Yelena Shulyatyeva, an economist at BNP Paribas.

Nearly 3.9 million people received unemployment benefits in the week ended Oct. 12, the latest data available. That's about 40,000 more than the previous week. But a year ago, more than 5 million people were receiving unemployment aid.

Hiring likely weakened even further in October because of the shutdown, which ended on Oct. 16. In addition to government contractors, other companies also likely cut jobs, such as restaurants and hotels located near national parks, which were closed. Some economists are forecasting that job gains in October could be 100,000 or less.

Payroll provider ADP said Wednesday that businesses added just 130,000 jobs in October. That's down from ADP's estimate of 145,000 private-sector jobs added in September.

The government will release its October employment report on Nov. 8. The report was delayed a week because of the shutdown.

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that the economy is growing at a moderate pace but still needs its support. Fed policymakers decided to continue purchasing $85 billion a month in bonds. The bond purchases are intended to lower long-term interest rates and encourage more borrowing and spending.

In a statement, the Fed struck a slightly more optimistic tone about the economy. That suggests the Fed might pull back on its stimulus as early as December, economists said.

Most economists expect growth at an annual rate of between 1.5 percent and 2 percent in the July-September quarter, and about the same in the final three months of the year.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fewer-americans-seek-unemployment-aid-3rd-week-123805281--finance.html
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Report: Snowden gets tech support job in Russia

MOSCOW (AP) — Anatoly Kucherena, a lawyer for former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden, says his client has found a technical support job at a Russian website.

Kucherena told the RIA Novosti news agency Thursday that Snowden starts his new job on Friday. Kucherena declined to name the company that has hired Snowden but says it's a major Russian website.

Snowden was granted asylum in Russia in August after being stuck at a Moscow airport for more than a month after flying there from Hong Kong. His whereabouts in Russia remain secret.

The 30-year-old faces espionage charges in the U.S for uncovering a mass surveillance scheme at the National Security Agency.

Kucherena was unavailable for comment when contacted by the AP.

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-10-31-EU-Russia-Snowden/id-a881d1a8991f4e56886eb02bf21fcf39
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Aretha Franklin back on stage at Detroit casino

DETROIT (AP) — After recovering from an undisclosed illness, Aretha Franklin is returning to the concert stage with a December performance in her hometown of Detroit.

The Detroit News (http://bit.ly/1h3Gbms ) says the Queen of Soul will sing Dec. 21 at the MotorCity Casino Hotel's Sound Board.

Franklin is involved in recording an album for Clive Davis and Sony Music in November, produced by Don Was and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds.

Franklin told reporters Oct. 16 that "the side effects were rough" from her treatment for the mystery condition and says she's "glad to be back."

___

Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/aretha-franklin-back-stage-detroit-casino-181547482.html
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Naomi Watts on becoming Diana

NEW YORK (AP) — When Naomi Watts was a struggling actress, she never would have imagined that one day she would play Princess Diana, one of the most famous women in the world, even after her death.

In fact, the thought makes her laugh.

"Yeah, that would sound a bit silly wouldn't it," said the actress at the New York premiere of the biopic "Diana" on Wednesday night.

Watts plays the Princess of Wales during roughly the last two years of her life. The story is based on the 2001 book "Diana: Her Last Love," chronicling her relationships with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan and Dodi Fayed.

Cas Anvar, who plays Fayed, would often marvel on set about the way Watts embodied the essence of Princess Diana. In fact, he says she even stayed in character between takes.

"It was quite surreal sometimes, but it was thrilling to be around, working with someone like that," Anvar said. "She kept in character all the time, so I never actually got to experience the Naomi side of things," he recalled. "I was more or less always interacting with Lady Di."

Watts says she tried to stay in character not because she's "as disciplined as Daniel Day-Lewis," but because the accent was so difficult to master.

Despite all her effort, few have been impressed with the film, which opens Friday. Reviews have been mostly negative thus far.

Naveen Andrews, who plays Dr. Khan, believes a big part of that is because Diana really was, as her nickname implies, the people's princess.

"Obviously in England, I think people feel a sense of ownership over her," he said. "They did when she was alive. Now they do that she's passed. It's a testament to her power that she can generate so much emotion and feeling."

Watts agrees: "Everyone feels they know her and they thought they had an opinion about who she was and their version of the story must be true and the comparisons that will be made inevitably."

Anvar says he thinks the strong opinions over the film are a good thing.

"Personally I would rather be part of a project that inspires massive debate and controversy than a project that just fades away with a whimper, he said. "Any kind of uproar or upheaval usually is a good thing and indicative of a good story."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/naomi-watts-becoming-diana-155914510.html
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Alessandra Ambrosio Takes the Family to Mr. Bones

Stepping out for some Halloween fun, Alessandra Ambrosio and her family stopped by Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch in West Hollywood on Wednesday (October 30).

The 32-year-old supermodel and her kids Anja and Noah enjoyed a few activities while making their rounds to find the perfect pumpkin for the spooky holiday.

Meanwhile, Miss Ambrosio faces drama surrounding the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show after one of the Angels started causing a few issues.

According to the New York Post, Erin Heatherton might be removed from the rosters as she been declared as being too "difficult to work with."

This is the second Angel that has been removed from the fashion show this year for bad work ethics. Miranda Kerr was also kicked off the line for having a "difficult" reputation and not being considered a big seller.

Stay linked for GossipCenter for more info on this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/alessandra-ambrosio/alessandra-ambrosio-takes-family-mr-bones-952833
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New look at old test may provide earlier detection of meningitis, MU researchers find

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

30-Oct-2013

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Contact: Jeff Hoelscher
hoelscherj@missouri.edu
573-884-1608
University of Missouri-Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. ― Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found a more accurate method to screen for bacterial meningococcal infection in its early stages, when it's hardest to detect. According to the researchers, the method for diagnosis could save lives by getting patients treatment earlier, when the infection is most treatable.

While meningococcal infection is relatively rare, affecting approximately 2,500 people per year in the United States, it is a devastating disease. It kills seven to 15 percent of those who acquire the infection, and often causes permanent complications for survivors, such as brain damage and hearing loss. Many patients also require amputation of limbs because the disease can cause severe tissue damage to extremities.

Immediate treatment is important in meningococcal infection because it usually progresses rapidly within eight to twelve hours. Some patients may die within as little as 12 to 24 hours after onset of symptoms, which can include a sudden high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and mental confusion. About half of patients with the infection have a rash.

"When we talk about early diagnosis, we're not talking about days, but rather hours and even minutes," said Michael Cooperstock, M.D., professor of child health in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the MU School of Medicine, medical director of infection control at University of Missouri Health Care and senior author of the study.

"Diagnosis of most bacterial infections traditionally has relied upon the detection of an increase in the total number of white blood cells," Cooperstock said. "That's because an increase in a patient's white blood cell count is an indication of acute inflammation associated with infection."

However, in their study of 216 cases from the U.S. Multicenter Meningococcal Surveillance Study, MU researchers found that 33 percent of the patients with active infections had total white blood cell counts that appeared normal. After examining the patients' blood tests more closely, the researchers found that a better indicator of infection was not the total white blood cell count but rather abnormalities in two particular types of white blood cells called neutrophils.

"When we looked at the neutrophil counts of each patient, we examined not only the total number of neutrophils, but also the number of immature neutrophils and the ratio of immature to total neutrophil cells," Cooperstock said. "We found that 94 percent of the patients showed an abnormality of one or more of these three tests, indicating a serious infection might be present. Reliance on the total white blood cell count alone, however, would have given false reassurance that infection was not present in more than 30 percent of those cases."

Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cells, acting as first responders to help fight infection, particularly bacterial infections. Mature neutrophil cells are called segmented neutrophils, and immature cells are known as band neutrophils.

"Our study suggests that physicians should look not at the total white cell count but at the total number of neutrophils, the total number of band neutrophils and the ratio of band to total neutrophils as an indicator that could lead to a suspicion of meningococcal infection," Cooperstock said. "If any of the three neutrophil indicators are outside a certain range, there is a possibility that the patient has a serious bacterial infection, including the possibility of meningococcal disease, and would need careful attention."

Cooperstock also pointed out that although automated white cell counts, a method used in many emergency rooms and clinics, may be quicker, they do not measure neutrophil bands and could lead to a missed diagnosis.

"Our purpose with the publication of this study is to point out the best way to evaluate neutrophil counts when ordering blood analysis," Cooperstock said. "That's especially important for children with fever, who often may not present with typical meningococcal symptoms."

###
The study, "Altered Neutrophil Counts at Diagnosis of Invasive Meningococcal Infection in Children," was published in the October 2013 edition of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal: http://journals.lww.com/pidj/Abstract/2013/10000/Altered_Neutrophil_Counts_at_Diagnosis_of_Invasive.8.aspx.

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New look at old test may provide earlier detection of meningitis, MU researchers find

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

30-Oct-2013

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Contact: Jeff Hoelscher
hoelscherj@missouri.edu
573-884-1608
University of Missouri-Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. ― Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found a more accurate method to screen for bacterial meningococcal infection in its early stages, when it's hardest to detect. According to the researchers, the method for diagnosis could save lives by getting patients treatment earlier, when the infection is most treatable.

While meningococcal infection is relatively rare, affecting approximately 2,500 people per year in the United States, it is a devastating disease. It kills seven to 15 percent of those who acquire the infection, and often causes permanent complications for survivors, such as brain damage and hearing loss. Many patients also require amputation of limbs because the disease can cause severe tissue damage to extremities.

Immediate treatment is important in meningococcal infection because it usually progresses rapidly within eight to twelve hours. Some patients may die within as little as 12 to 24 hours after onset of symptoms, which can include a sudden high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and mental confusion. About half of patients with the infection have a rash.

"When we talk about early diagnosis, we're not talking about days, but rather hours and even minutes," said Michael Cooperstock, M.D., professor of child health in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the MU School of Medicine, medical director of infection control at University of Missouri Health Care and senior author of the study.

"Diagnosis of most bacterial infections traditionally has relied upon the detection of an increase in the total number of white blood cells," Cooperstock said. "That's because an increase in a patient's white blood cell count is an indication of acute inflammation associated with infection."

However, in their study of 216 cases from the U.S. Multicenter Meningococcal Surveillance Study, MU researchers found that 33 percent of the patients with active infections had total white blood cell counts that appeared normal. After examining the patients' blood tests more closely, the researchers found that a better indicator of infection was not the total white blood cell count but rather abnormalities in two particular types of white blood cells called neutrophils.

"When we looked at the neutrophil counts of each patient, we examined not only the total number of neutrophils, but also the number of immature neutrophils and the ratio of immature to total neutrophil cells," Cooperstock said. "We found that 94 percent of the patients showed an abnormality of one or more of these three tests, indicating a serious infection might be present. Reliance on the total white blood cell count alone, however, would have given false reassurance that infection was not present in more than 30 percent of those cases."

Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cells, acting as first responders to help fight infection, particularly bacterial infections. Mature neutrophil cells are called segmented neutrophils, and immature cells are known as band neutrophils.

"Our study suggests that physicians should look not at the total white cell count but at the total number of neutrophils, the total number of band neutrophils and the ratio of band to total neutrophils as an indicator that could lead to a suspicion of meningococcal infection," Cooperstock said. "If any of the three neutrophil indicators are outside a certain range, there is a possibility that the patient has a serious bacterial infection, including the possibility of meningococcal disease, and would need careful attention."

Cooperstock also pointed out that although automated white cell counts, a method used in many emergency rooms and clinics, may be quicker, they do not measure neutrophil bands and could lead to a missed diagnosis.

"Our purpose with the publication of this study is to point out the best way to evaluate neutrophil counts when ordering blood analysis," Cooperstock said. "That's especially important for children with fever, who often may not present with typical meningococcal symptoms."

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The study, "Altered Neutrophil Counts at Diagnosis of Invasive Meningococcal Infection in Children," was published in the October 2013 edition of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal: http://journals.lww.com/pidj/Abstract/2013/10000/Altered_Neutrophil_Counts_at_Diagnosis_of_Invasive.8.aspx.

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/uom-nla102913.php
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Miley Cyrus Says She's Having "The Best Time of My Life" Now Single, How VMAs Would Have Been Boring Without Her

Miley Cyrus is high -- on life, that is. The 20-year-old star opens up in the December 2013 issue of Cosmopolitan about her crazy year and how she still surprisingly feels like the underdog -- and likes it that way. The "Wrecking Ball" singer also makes clear that she won't be dwelling over her September split from fiance Liam Hemsworth that ended after four years of dating.

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"I need to treat my music like a relationship – give it my time and all the attention it deserves – and that’s my main love right now," she says in the issue. "This is the best time of my life. I'm not going to look back on it and be like, 'I wish I hadn’t been dwelling over a breakup,' you know?"

Indeed, Cyrus has been on the fast track this year -- making headlines for her controversial "Blurred Lines" and "We Can't Stop" VMAs performance alongside R&B crooner Robin Thicke, hosting Saturday Night Live and landing the coveted cover spot on Rolling Stone in September.

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"Everything is so chaotic and crazy right now and it's so much all at once, but I'm living for it," she says of the attention. "I'm just having the best time ever and everything's falling into place like it's supposed to. Even people who want to hate on me, they can't even shut down the fact that I’m literally what everyone is talking about."

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She continues: "I don't want to say that I'm on top right now – I feel like I'm kind of an underdog in a cool way. It's almost punk rock to like me because it's not the right thing to do. Like, society wants to shut me down."

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MIley Cyrus in December 2013 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine
Credit: Peter Pedonomou/ Cosmopolitan

But some fellow artists who haven't shut her down? "The support of other artists is important because there are not many people who can relate to what I'm going through right now. Kanye West is one of those people, and even Katy Perry has been so cool," she admits. "It's easy for Kanye to support me because we’re in totally separate lanes of competition, but for Katy to say that she appreciates what I'm really doing for the pop industry, that keeps you going. And I mean, who cares what the media buzz is if Kanye West is telling you that you're the shit?"

As for her VMAs performance -- where it seemingly all began -- Cyrus has no regrets. "When people started complaining about the awards show, I was like, 'Have you never seen the f-cking video?' And what if I hadn't done that performance? The VMAs would have been bad. They would have been missing something. The show was kind of making fun of how serious the pop industry is."

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/miley-cyrus-says-shes-having-the-best-time-of-my-life-now-single-how-vmas-would-have-been-boring-without-her-20132710
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