Cancer risk rises after Japan's Fukushima accident

GENEVA (Reuters) - People in the area worst affected by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident two years ago have a higher risk of developing certain cancers, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

A magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, killed nearly 19,000 people and devastated the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, triggering meltdowns, spewing radiation and forcing about 160,000 people to flee their homes.

It was the worst nuclear accident since a reactor exploded at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine in 1986.

"A breakdown of data, based on age, gender and proximity to the plant, does show a higher cancer risk for those located in the most contaminated parts," Dr. Maria Neira, WHO director for public health and environment, said in a statement.

In the most contaminated area, the WHO estimated that there was a 70 percent higher risk of females exposed as infants developing thyroid cancer over their lifetime. The thyroid is the most exposed organ as radioactive iodine concentrates there and children are deemed especially vulnerable.

The report estimated that in the most contaminated area there was a 7 percent higher risk of leukemia in males exposed as infants, and a 6 percent higher risk of breast cancer in females exposed as infants.

The report concluded that for the general population inside Japan, the predicted health risks were low, but that one-third of emergency workers were estimated to have increased risk.

But there was no discernible increase in health risks expected outside Japan, the WHO said in a 200-page report which was based on a comprehensive assessment by international experts.

Jim Smith, Professor of Environmental Science at the University of Portsmouth in England, said: "Apart from emergency workers, the most affected people were those who remained in some highly contaminated towns and villages to the northwest of the power station for up to four months before evacuation.

"The report found that these people received a lifetime radiation dose of up to 50 milli-Sieverts (MSV) and therefore have a significant, but relatively small, additional risk of contracting cancer in later life."

He said the average British person receives more than 150 MSV during their lifetime from background radiation.

He said the report did not yet give data on the numbers of people who received particular radiation doses, so it was not yet possible to estimate the overall health consequences.

Neira said: "The WHO report underlines the need for long-term health monitoring of those who are at high risk, along with the provision of necessary medical follow-up and support services."

Fukushima operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) earlier this month received approval to tap the Japanese government for 697 billion yen ($7.5 billion) to compensate those harmed by the disaster, taking the total fund to 3.24 trillion yen.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Jon Boyle)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cancer-risks-higher-worst-hit-fukushima-area-093400519--finance.html

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Beware of Google Glass re-sellers, especially those asking for $15K on eBay

Rosa Golijan , NBC News ? ? ? 17 hrs.

Google Glass, the wearable camera/display combo that has everyone excited, isn't available for sale just yet ? but that's not stopping at least one eBay user from auctioning off a device he or she can't even hand over to you.

"I've been selected as an early adapter [sic] for Google's upcoming release," an auction listing read on Wednesday, "you are buying a brand new unopened pair of Google's Project Glass glasses." The seller references Google's #ifihadglass application process, the only way for folks to enter the company's Google Glass Explorer program if they hadn't pre-ordered a device during the Google I/O 2012 conference last June, and explains that he'll be able to pick up the shiny new gadget thanks to his application being among the 8,000 chosen ones.

And that's where one of the many issues with the auction listing begin.

You see, Google won't be notifying the individuals selected as part of the #ifihadglass application process until mid- to late March, meaning that the seller couldn't possibly know that he or she will be eligible to purchase one of the very first publicly available Glass units for $1,500. Additionally, the #ifihadglass terms strictly forbid those who are invited to purchase Glass from transferring their invitations. You can bet that the terms of purchase will include similar stipulations.

"So what if it's against Google's rules? Like anyone will ever find out," you might say. But the reality is that Google Glass will, like most mobile Android devices, be associated with a Google account. Meaning that it shouldn't be difficult for the company to catch on if a member of the Glass Explorer program decides to hand his or her gadget to someone else.

As far as the auction initially mentioned goes, there are plenty of other things that make it scream "Scam!" and make me worry for the person who bid $15,900 on it. Like the fact that the seller's previous auctions include a "mason jar with trapped human soul."

Unsurprisingly, the auction disappeared from eBay before it ran its course.

Want more tech news or interesting links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/beware-google-glass-re-sellers-especially-those-asking-15-000-1C8594690

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Can aid without weapons help resolve Syrian conflict?

Hussein Malla / AP

Syrian rebel fighters take their positions as they observe the Syrian army forces base of Wadi al-Deif, at the front line of Maarat al-Nuaman town, in Idlib province, Syria, on Feb. 26, 2013.

By Ayman Mohyeldin, Correspondent, NBC News

News Analysis?

Nearly two years after the Syrian uprising began, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the U.S. has for the first time agreed to directly supply Syria's opposition with $60 million in non-lethal aid. But, while this money is needed, it is unlikely to immediately change anything on the ground.?

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, supporters of the opposition working to topple Syrian President Bashar al Assad said they were privately disappointed that the U.S. didn't extend more assistance, specifically weapons, and that the EU has not yet lifted an arms embargo.

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But the concern among U.S. officials is that extremist elements are increasingly filling in the vacuum in areas where the regime has been pushed back and the opposition is struggling to govern. There are worries weapons could end up in the wrong hands.

According to Salman Sheikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center, Kerry?s announcement is "unlikely to change the calculation of the Syrian regime's biggest allies ? Russia, Iran and Hezbollah." They will not take the U.S. decision as a serious threat to the regime's survival.?

Sheikh, who has advocated for arming the rebels, says $60 million is an insignificant amount for an opposition that is now expected to operate like a government in some parts of Syria. The salaries of civil servants who are expected to maintain law and order, as well as the country?s justice, sanitation and education services, can cost close to $500 million a month. And Sheikh estimates?humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of the people displaced and suffering both inside and outside is about $40 million a day.

The U.S. aid package, which will assist the Syrian Opposition Coalition in 'liberated' areas, is aimed at helping the fledgling coalition expand the delivery of basic goods and services, including security, sanitation and educational services. The United States also will send technical advisers to support opposition staff in Egypt and work with the movement's military arm to provide non-lethal support to the Free Syrian Army, including things such as military rations and medical supplies to tend to sick and wounded fighters.

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia and Qatar described Thursday's announcement as a transformational point in the Syrian conflict. And British Foreign Secretary William Hague said his government would be making an announcement on additional aid to the opposition next week.?

However, Yaser Tabbara, the spokesperson for the Coalition and its legal advisor, said Kerry?s Rome meeting with the head of the Syrian National Coalition, Moaz al Khatib, gave reason for "cautious" optimism.

The Syrian opposition is under increasing pressure to deliver a solution but doing so requires substantial "investment in the infrastructure of the armed opposition," Tabbara said. "A political solution without tipping the balance of power on the ground is not viable."

The Syrian opposition had promised to form an interim government by?March 2?but that has been postponed for logistical reasons.?

Meanwhile, Syria's official government news agency described Kerry's announcement as a paradox, saying it?expressed "Washington's desire to find means to speed up the political process, which aims at ending the crisis in Syria and its desire to help and back the armed terrorist groups in the country."

Related:

U.S. to send rations, medical supplies to Syrian rebels, but not weapons

?

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/28/17135338-can-aid-without-weapons-help-resolve-syrian-conflict?lite

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Jobless claims hint at improving labor market

Reuters ? ? ? 10 min.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, suggesting some traction in the labor market recovery.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 344,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The prior week's claims figure was revised to show 4,000 more applications received than previously reported.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications to fall to 360,000.

Claims have seen large swings in recent months because of difficulties smoothing the data for seasonal fluctuations, making it hard to get a clear pulse of the labor market's health.

But economists say not all the improvement in claims can be attributed to seasonal factors, suggesting some pick-up in the labor market recovery.

Last week's decline left claims at the lower end of the their range for this year. The four-week moving average for new claims, a better measure of labor market trends, fell 6,750 to 355,000.

A Labor Department analyst said no states were estimated.

Job gains have averaged 177,000 per month over the past six months. At least 250,000 jobs per month over a sustained period are needed to significantly reduce the ranks of unemployed, economists say.

The unemployment rate rose 0.1 percentage point to 7.9 percent in January. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday the jobless rate was unlikely to reach more normal levels for several years.

High unemployment prompted the U.S. central bank last year to launch an open-ended bond buying program that it said it would keep up until it saw a substantial improvement in the outlook for the labor market.

The number of people still receiving benefits under regular state programs after an initial week of aid fell 91,000 to 3.07 million in the week ended February 16, the lowest level since June 2008. The household survey from which the unemployment rate is derived was also conducted during the week ended Feb 16.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/jobless-claims-hint-improving-labor-market-1C8612034

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Survey: Teachers don't want to carry guns (CNN)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/288065805?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Suspect in Vegas shooting arrested in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A man accused of gunning down an aspiring rapper as he drove on the Las Vegas Strip last week, touching off a fiery car crash that also killed two other people, was arrested in Los Angeles on Thursday after an exhaustive multi-state manhunt.

Ammar Harris, 26, surrendered at an apartment in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles after it was surrounded by members of a joint Los Angeles police and FBI task force, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Ray Steiber said.

"Officers and detectives converged on that area, he was challenged to come out of that area and he did peacefully," Steiber told a news conference. "He was taken into custody."

Police accuse Harris of opening fire in the pre-dawn hours of February 21 from a black Range Rover on the Maserati being driven by 27-year-old Kenneth Wayne Cherry Jr. in an intersection at the heart of the Strip, near several casino resort hotels.

Cherry, who performed under the name "Kenny Clutch," was fatally wounded and his sports car veered out of control, colliding with a taxicab. The cab exploded into flames, killing driver Michael Bolden, 62, and his passenger Sandi Sutton-Wasmund, 48.

Harris was booked into Los Angeles County Jail, where he was being held without bail pending an extradition hearing scheduled for Monday morning.

Steiber declined to say how police tracked Harris to the North Hollywood apartment or how long they believed he had been there, but said he had left Las Vegas soon after the high-profile shooting in the heart of the desert resort city.

"Mr. Harris was a fleeing felon," Steiber said. "He left Las Vegas shortly after this event occurred. He did leave Las Vegas pretty rapidly."

'HEINOUS CRIME'

Steiber said there were three other people in the brand new Range Rover, which still sported paper dealer plates, at the time of the shooting but that none of them were facing charges. The sport utility vehicle was impounded earlier this week.

"The only shooter involved in this heinous crime was Mr. Harris," Steiber said.

One of those passengers has been identified as 22-year-old Yenesis Alfonzo, also known as Tineesha Howard, who was cleared as a "person of interest" in the case earlier on Thursday.

Police officials have said the shooting may have stemmed from a verbal altercation in the valet area of the Aria resort and Casino, a few blocks away on the Strip.

But Steiber said during the press conference that there was no apparent relationship between Harris and Cherry.

According to police, Harris has a long criminal history that includes arrests for robbery, sexual assault, kidnapping, pandering and soliciting prostitution. Police have said they believed he was involved in the sex trade.

"I hope anyone out there watching understands clearly that if you live in this city, if you work this city or if you visit this city and you act like this person we will find you, we will prosecute you and we will send you to prison," Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie said.

On the day of the shooting, Gillespie had publicly bristled at suggestions that the outburst of gun violence could call into question the safety of the Strip, a popular tourist destination that attracts millions of visitors each year.

Earlier this week, taxi companies pledged $35,000 toward a reward fund leading to the arrest and conviction of Harris. It was not immediately clear on Thursday if anyone would be eligible to claim that money.

Cherry's slaying took place less than a mile from where rapper Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in September 1996 while riding in a BMW with Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight after the two men had attended a Mike Tyson boxing match.

Shakur, 25, was hit by gunfire from at least one assailant in a Cadillac while sitting in Knight's car at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane and died six days later at a hospital. That crime remains unsolved.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Matthew Lewis, Bernard Orr and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suspect-las-vegas-strip-shooting-arrested-los-angeles-035258131.html

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In probing mysteries of glass, researchers find a key to toughness

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

In a paper published online Feb. 26 in the journal Nature Communications, a Yale University team and collaborators propose a way of predicting whether a given glass will be brittle or ductile ? a desirable property typically associated with metals like steel or aluminum ? and assert that any glass could have either quality.

Ductility refers to a material's plasticity, or its ability to change shape without breaking.

"Most of us think of glasses as brittle, but our finding shows that any glass can be made ductile or brittle," said Jan Schroers, a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Yale, who led the research with Golden Kumar, a professor at Texas Tech University. "We identified a special temperature that tells you whether you form a ductile or brittle glass."

The key to forming a ductile glass, they said, is cooling it fast. Exactly how fast depends on the nature of the specific glass.

Focusing on a new group of glasses known as bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) ? metal alloys, or blends, that can be extremely pliable yet also as strong as steel ? researchers studied the effect of a so-called critical fictive temperature (CFT) on the glasses' mechanical properties at room temperature.

When forming from liquid, there is a temperature at which glass becomes too viscous for reconfiguration and freezes. This temperature is called the glass transition temperature. Based on experiments with three representative bulk metallic glasses, the researchers said there is also, for each distinct alloy, a critical temperature that determines the brittleness or plasticity of the glass. This is the CFT.

Researchers said it's possible to categorize glasses in two groups ? those that will be brittle because in liquid form their CFT is above the glass transition temperature, and those that will be ductile, because in liquid form their CFT is below the glass transition temperature.

They previously thought a liquid's chemical composition alone would determine whether a glass would be brittle or ductile.

"That's not the case," Schroers said. "We can make any glass theoretically ductile or brittle. And it is the critical fictive temperature which determines how experimentally difficult it is to make a ductile glass. That is the major contribution of this work."

The finding applies theoretically to all glasses, not metallic glasses only, he said.

"A glass can have completely different properties depending on the rate at which you cool it," Schroers said. "If you cool it fast, it is very ductile, and if you cool it slow it?s very brittle. We anticipate that our finding will contribute to the design of ductile glasses, and in general contribute to a deeper understanding of glass formation."

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Yale University: http://www.yale.edu

Thanks to Yale University for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127036/In_probing_mysteries_of_glass__researchers_find_a_key_to_toughness

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