Genetics defines a distinct liver disease

Apr. 21, 2013 ? Large-scale genetic study defines relationship between primary sclerosing cholangitis and other autoimmune diseases.

Researchers have newly associated nine genetic regions with a rare autoimmune disease of the liver known as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). This brings the total number of genetic regions associated with the disease to 16.

Approximately 70 per cent of people who suffer from PSC also suffer from IBD. The team showed that only half of the newly associated genetic regions were shared with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). For the first time, this definitively proves that PSC, although genetically related to IBD, is a distinct disease.

PSC is a chronic, progressive disease of the bile ducts that channels bile from the liver into the intestines. It can cause inflammation of the bile ducts (cholangitis) and liver scarring that leads to liver cirrhosis and liver failure. There are no effective treatments available. Although PSC affects only one in 10,000 people, it is a leading cause of liver transplant surgery.

?Before our study, it was never quite clear whether PSC was a complication of IBD or a distinct disease in its own right,? says Dr Carl Anderson, lead author from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. ?We have proven it to be a unique disease, and hope that our results will inform the development of more effective treatments, designed to target the biological pathways involved in causing the disease?.

The work involved an international group of scientists from the International PSC study group recruiting patients from 13 countries within Europe and North America. Without this large collaborative effort it would not have been possible to obtain the large number of patient DNA samples necessary for the study.

The team used DNA genotyping technology to survey more thoroughly regions of the genome known to underlie other immune-related diseases to discover if they also play a role in PSC susceptibility.

In addition to the nine genetic regions newly associated, they also saw strong signals at three regions of the genome previously associated with the disease. Of these twelve genetic regions, six are also associated with IBD, while the six other regions showed little to no association in a recent large study of IBD.

?Using the Immunochip genotyping chip, we can pull apart the genetic relationships between these autoimmune diseases and begin to see not only their genetic similarities, but also the differences,? says Jimmy Liu, PhD student and first author from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. ?As PSC is a rare disorder, sample collection is more difficult than for other, more common, autoimmune diseases. We hope that with more samples from patients, we?ll be able to link more genetic regions to the disease, and it will become easier to identify underlying pathways that could act as therapeutic targets.?

Three of the genetic regions associated with PSC fall within a single biological system that underlies variation in T cells, cells important to our immune response. One gene that controls this pathway, HDAC7, is known to be a key factor in immune tolerance and the new data strongly suggests exploring the possibility that drugs affecting HDAC7 function may serve as future therapeutics in PSC.

In an extended analysis, the team identified an additional 33 genetic regions that are also involved in several common immune-mediated conditions (celiac disease, Crohn?s disease, ulcerative colitis, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis and psoriasis). This analysis shows that PSC shares many genetic risk loci with other immune-mediated diseases and opens up the possibility for testing drugs known to be effective in genetically similar diseases for efficacy in PSC.

The next step for the team is to do a high-powered search throughout the entire genomes of PSC patients to find specific regions associated with PSC outside of the regions included on the Immunochip genotyping chip.

?This study has uncovered more about the genetics underlying PSC than any before it, but this is only the first step? says Dr Tom Hemming Karlsen, lead author from Oslo University Hospital, Norway. ?We hope the ongoing scientific and clinical research being conducted through the International PSC study group will help improve the outlook for those currently suffering at the hands of this disease?

?Our study, which is the largest of its type for PSC, would not have been possible without the help of the patients with this rare disorder,? adds Dr Hemming Karlsen.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jimmy Z Liu, Johannes Roksund Hov, Trine Folseraas, Eva Ellinghaus, Simon M Rushbrook, Nadezhda T Doncheva, Ole A Andreassen, Rinse K Weersma, Tobias J Weism?ller, Bertus Eksteen, Pietro Invernizzi, Gideon M Hirschfield, Daniel Nils Gotthardt, Albert Pares, David Ellinghaus, Tejas Shah, Brian D Juran, Piotr Milkiewicz, Christian Rust, Christoph Schramm, Tobias M?ller, Brijesh Srivastava, Georgios Dalekos, Markus M N?then, Stefan Herms, Juliane Winkelmann, Mitja Mitrovic, Felix Braun, Cyriel Y Ponsioen, Peter J P Croucher, Martina Sterneck, Andreas Teufel, Andrew L Mason, Janna Saarela, Virpi Leppa, Ruslan Dorfman, Domenico Alvaro, Annarosa Floreani, Suna Onengut-Gumuscu, Stephen S Rich, Wesley K Thompson, Andrew J Schork, Sigrid N?ss, Ingo Thomsen, Gabriele Mayr, Inke R K?nig, Kristian Hveem, Isabelle Cleynen, Javier Gutierrez-Achury, Isis Rica?o-Ponce, David van Heel, Einar Bj?rnsson, Richard N Sandford, Peter R Durie, Espen Melum, Morten H Vatn, Mark S Silverberg, Richard H Duerr, Leonid Padyukov, Stephan Brand, Miquel Sans, Vito Annese, Jean-Paul Achkar, Kirsten Muri Boberg, Hanns-Ulrich Marschall, Olivier Chazouill?res, Christopher L Bowlus, Cisca Wijmenga, Erik Schrumpf, Severine Vermeire, Mario Albrecht, John D Rioux, Graeme Alexander, Annika Bergquist, Judy Cho, Stefan Schreiber, Michael P Manns, Martti F?rkkil?, Anders M Dale, Roger W Chapman, Konstantinos N Lazaridis, Andre Franke, Carl A Anderson, Tom H Karlsen. Dense genotyping of immune-related disease regions identifies nine new risk loci for primary sclerosing cholangitis. Nature Genetics, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/ng.2616

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/Eq8ub1bLGf0/130421152410.htm

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University Theatre presents The Heidi Chronicles (4/18/2013)

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Russian billionaire's daughter buys Onassis island Skorpios

MOSCOW/ATHENS (Reuters) - The daughter of Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev has bought the Greek resort island where shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis famously married Jacqueline Kennedy in the 1960s, Rybolovlev's investment office said.

The sale price was not disclosed. Greek media reports on Saturday placed the value of Skorpios island at over $100 million and said Ekaterina Rybolovlev, 24, wanted it not only for leisure but also business purposes.

She purchased Skorpios, in the Ionian Sea off western Greece, from Onassis' 28-year-old granddaughter, Athena Onassis Roussel, the only surviving descendant of the shipping magnate.

"Ekaterina is delighted that the trust has negotiated this purchase," a representative of Rybolovlev's family investment office said on condition of anonymity. "She regards the acquisition as a long-term financial investment."

She also acquired the small neighboring island Sparti.

Dmitry Rybolovlev, owner of the AS Monaco Football Club and co-founder of the Russian potash producer Uralkali, has a history of snapping up trophy properties.

Aristotle Onassis purchased Skorpios in 1963 and turned the barren island into a luxury resort by planting thousands of trees and importing sand. In 1968 he married Jacqueline Kennedy, widow of the assassinated U.S. president John F. Kennedy.

After Aristotle Onassis's death in 1975, Skorpios passed to his daughter Christina, who died of a heart attack at 37 in the late 1980s after a history of drug abuse, weight issues and four failed marriages.

Onassis, his son Alexander, who was killed in an airplane crash aged 25, and Christina were buried on Skorpios. Athena Onassis Roussel was three when her mother died.

The mayor of the nearby island of Meganisi, Efstathios Zavitsanos, who is administratively responsible for Skorpios, said the deal was likely to be a long-term lease since, according to some lawyers, Aristotle Onassis's will stated that Skorpios could not be sold or leave the family.

"We have lived with the Onassis legend and it will never fade," he said. "You see, Aristotle was close to the local society, the fishermen and the residents. He was not just a rich man, he was truly loved."

There have been unconfirmed reports in Greek media that billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and pop star Madonna had earlier sought unsuccessfully to acquire Skorpios.

(Reporting by Douglas Busvine and Renee Maltezou; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-billionaires-daughter-buys-onassis-island-skorpios-133334189.html

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?It makes news because of the f*gs,? says HCA employee of bias charge (Americablog)

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Sudan, South Sudan to open border, resume oil

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) ? South Sudan's president says he and Sudan's president have agreed to a resumption of oil exports and border trade.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir traveled to South Sudan on Friday for the first time since the south peacefully broke away from Sudan in 2011.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir said the two presidents agreed to the free movement of people and goods across the border. Ten border points are to be opened.

Kiir said the two leaders will continue discussions on the contested region of Abyei, a sticking point between the two nations.

Bashir said he believed his visit signals the beginning of a normalization of relations and strategic partnership between the two countries.

Officials from both countries will soon meet to discuss rebel groups based in the two nations.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sudan-south-sudan-open-border-resume-oil-165940566.html

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New technology speeding progress on bird flu vaccine

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO | Thu Apr 11, 2013 6:15pm EDT

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Even as U.S. officials this week awaited the arrival of a sample of the new bird flu virus from China - typically the first step in making a flu vaccine - government-backed researchers had already begun testing a "seed" strain of the virus made from the genetic code posted on the Internet.

This new, faster approach is the result of a collaboration among the U.S. government, vaccine maker Novartis and a unit of the J. Craig Venter Institute, which is using synthetic biology - in which scientists take the genetic code of the virus and use it as a recipe to build the virus from scratch.

It was an idea born in the aftermath of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, in which production delays and poor-quality seed strain slowed delivery of the vaccine until October, late enough that people were already sick with swine flu.

The new method has shaved two weeks off the vaccine-making process. It will take five to six months to ramp up production, but even weeks could make a difference in the case of a potentially deadly flu pandemic, said Robin Robinson, director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, an agency that falls under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.

"We'll take it," Robinson said. "If the virus turns out to be a tough one, that could be very important."

So far, at least 33 people have been infected and 10 have died from the strain of bird flu known as H7N9 first found in humans last month.

When the genetic sequence for the virus became available on March 30, Robinson said, U.S. health officials decided to try the new synthetic biology technique to try to speed the process. That's when Novartis and Venter's company, Synthetic Genomics Vaccines Inc, went to work. By Thursday, April 4, they had synthetic DNA ready and had started to grow the virus in dog kidney cells.

Mike Shaw, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said a sample of the virus arrived from China on Thursday afternoon.

That would normally be the starting point of making a seed vaccine. Scientists would take the sample, grow it and ensure it would grow well in chicken eggs or cells.

That involves a certain amount of guesswork, however. The new process of building the virus based on its genetic code allows "almost guaranteed success," Shaw said.

"That is because you're creating a virus that is almost tailor-made," he said.

Shaw said the CDC plans to take a vaccine candidate at least to the stage of human safety trials.

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Douglas Royalty)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/caOiYw3yNxo/story01.htm

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Family Handyman Magazine is for people who take an active interest in home improvement, yard and garden care, maintenance and repair, and remodeling. Family Handyman also features information on woodworking, auto maintenance, energy efficiency, and decorating.

Source: http://www.frugalcouponliving.com/2013/04/12/family-handyman-magazine-4-99-fathers-day/

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92% The Gatekeepers

All Critics (76) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (6)

The film and its talking head participants paint the picture in both broad strokes and fine detail.

Whatever one's political stripe regarding Israel, it's hard to dispute the impressions and perspective of the film's six eyewitnesses.

The level of candor here may not satisfy hard-liners of either stripe, but it can help viewers begin to formulate new questions about the philosophical, strategic and moral challenges of conflict, in particular "wars on terror."

Ultimately the movie feels evasive, and its flashy, digitally animated re-creations of military surveillance footage unpleasantly evoke the Call of Duty video games.

It offers startlingly honest insight into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from some of those who called the shots.

As a political testament, the result is revealing and important.

Many secrets are revealed and examined in director Dror Moreh's mind-blowingly fine film. If I have a quibble, it's that he never reveals the most tantalizing secret of all: how the hell he pulled it off.

[An] absorbing documentary, which charts the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the Six Day War to the presentday.

Insightful, revelatory and profound, Moreh's Oscar-nominated documentary combines riveting interviews, archive footage and - yes - state-of-the-art photographic effects to offer a unique perspective on the Israel-Palestine issue.

Both journalistic coup and unsettling confirmation of the idea that 'you can't make peace using military means.'

Much like Errol Morris' "The Fog of War," Dror Moreh's film is a sobering inside look inside history, at mistakes made and opportunities missed.

Moreh employs a direct interviewing style, reminiscent of Errol Morris' work, to get the men to talk about their days leading Shin Bet.

Moreh gets some startling confessions and insights from each man but also misses the opportunity to truly challenge his subjects on their regard for democracy, basic human rights and their own accountability.

Director Dror Moreh doesn't rest on his scoop

A powerful look inside the Israeli defense establishment

A deadly serious and detailed examination of and meditation upon the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, The Gatekeepers makes no attempt to find a silver lining.

The rule of surveillance is to keep quiet and let others do the talking. The Oscar-nominated documentary The Gatekeepers flips the script, to astonishing effect, giving voice to the retired directors of Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency.

An up-close and personal look at the psychology of war -- their war and, by extension, all war.

A riveting firsthand account of how legitimate security concerns can lead to policies considered extreme and even immoral by the people administering them.

Extraordinary...not only an engrossing first-hand account of Israel's Palestinian policies over time, but one that may have lessons to teach both Israeli leaders and other nations confronting those they identify as terrorists.

Unprecedented and deeply unsettling, it offers little hope for a lasting peace in that war-torn region.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_gatekeepers_2012/

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Yankees' Teixeira making solid progress with wrist

CLEVELAND (AP) ? Mark Teixeira isn't dreading his next doctor's visit. He's actually excited about it.

New York's star first baseman said he expects to be cleared to begin swinging a bat as early as Friday in his recovery from a wrist injury that will sideline him for the first month of the season. Teixeira has been on the disabled list since March 31 with a torn sheath in his right wrist.

When the Yankees return to New York on Friday, Teixeira will be examined by Dr. Melvin Rosenwasser, the team's hand and wrist specialist, at Yankee Stadium before the series opener against Baltimore.

"I'm confident the doctor will let me take swings tomorrow," Teixeira said Thursday in New York's clubhouse before the Yankees played the finale of a rain-shortened series against the Indians. "I feel great and I'm getting better every day. There's no pain. I could not be happier with the progress. The plan is to take BP for a week ? it could make my wrist sore as part of the process ? but that is a definite milestone."

It's more encouraging news for the Yankees, who have gotten positive reports this week on All-Stars Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson.

Jeter has resumed on-field hitting at the team's training complex in Tampa, Fla., after being shut down last month by soreness in the left ankle he broke in the playoffs last October. Granderson, who broke his right wrist when he was hit by a pitch during spring training, was able to remove a stabilizing brace on Thursday and throw.

"That's big," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Granderson. "That means the bone has healed and it's just the rehab process and getting him to where he can play in some games and getting him back here. It's real encouraging."

Girardi has been watching videotape of Jeter's workouts and said he's gotten favorable reports.

"I think he's OK," Girardi said when asked for the latest on the Yankees' captain. "I didn't get any alarming news."

Teixeira, who turned 33 on Thursday, said his rehabilitation program is on schedule. When his injury was diagnosed March 6, the Yankees estimated he would need at least eight weeks to recover. If he receives the go-ahead from Rosenwasser, Teixeira expects to spend New York's six-game, seven-day homestand working his way from dry swings to hitting with a fungo bat and then soft tosses.

"Hopefully, the first day we're in Toronto (April 19), I'll take BP on the field with the team," said Teixeira, who has 338 career home runs. "Then, when we go to Tampa (April 22), I'll stay there and play some simulated games and some in extended spring training. Hopefully, I'll be back with the team after that."

Girardi was excited to hear the five-time Gold Glove winner was moving toward a return to New York's lineup.

"So far, so good," he said. "Everything has been positive in his rehab. The true steps are going to be in the swinging part. He's been strengthening it and he was in that brace for a while but everything has been encouraging so far."

Teixeira joked that once he arrives in Florida he may have to take extra precautions when facing some of the Yankees' pitching prospects.

"We'll tell those young guys to throw straight and away," Teixeira said, laughing. "We've got to protect our arms and wrists down there."

Teixeira blamed his injury on "overuse," and said he would cut back on his work load in the batting cage going forward. He has not yet been cleared to throw, but isn't concerned.

"I make like two throws a week, so there is no reason to stretch it, but I don't see it being a problem," he said. "I take so many swings being a switch-hitter. I'm going to emphasize quality over quantity from now on."

A career .279 hitter, Teixeira is wearing compression wraps on both wrists during his recovery, but he'll just tape them ? for the first time in his career ? once he begins playing in games.

Teixeira is in the fifth season of an eight-year, $180 million contract with the Yankees, who signed him as a free agent in 2009. He batted .251 with 24 homers and 84 RBIs in 123 games last season.

___

AP freelancer Brian Dulik contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/yankees-teixeira-making-solid-progress-wrist-223158794--mlb.html

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New way to clear cholesterol from the blood

Apr. 10, 2013 ? Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified a new potential therapeutic target for lowering cholesterol that could be an alternative or complementary therapy to statins.

Scientists in the lab of David Ginsburg at the Life Sciences Institute inhibited the action of a gene responsible for transporting a protein that interferes with the ability of the liver to remove cholesterol from the blood in mice. Trapping the destructive protein where it couldn't harm receptors responsible for removing cholesterol preserved the liver cells' capacity to clear plasma cholesterol from the blood, but did not appear to otherwise affect the health of the mice.

In the research, published April 9 in the online journal eLife, scientists found that mice with an inactive SEC24A gene could develop normally. However, their plasma cholesterol levels were reduced by 45 percent because vesicles from liver cells were not able to recruit and transport a critical regulator of blood cholesterol levels called proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9. PCSK9 is a secretory protein that destroys the liver cells' receptors of low-density lipoprotein- LDL, the so-called "bad cholesterol" -- and prevents the cells from removing the LDL.

"Inhibiting SEC24A or PCSK9 may be an alternative to statins, and could work together with statins to produce even greater effects," said Xiao-Wei Chen of the Ginsburg lab, the first author on the paper. "Also, they might be effective on patients who are resistant to or intolerant of statins."

Initial studies of anti-PCSK9 therapies in humans have shown that eliminating PCSK9 can lower cholesterol dramatically and work with statins like Lipitor to lower it even further. The Ginsburg lab's research points to a new area for study: rather than inhibiting PCSK9 itself, perhaps future therapies could block the transport mechanism that allows the destructive protein to reach the LDL receptors.

The paper, "SEC24A deficiency lowers plasma cholesterol through reduced PCSK9 secretion," explains the mechanism by which cells transport PCSK9. Vesicles transport proteins in the cell; the Ginsburg lab's research focused on a specialized type of vesicle packaged by the Coat Protein Complex II, which regulates the metabolism of cholesterol, among many other things. These vesicles selectively transport cargo proteins including PCSK9.

Without those LDL receptors (LDLR), liver cells are not able to remove LDLs from the bloodstream, so protecting the LDLR from PCSK9 would allow the receptors to continue to remove cholesterol.

"Without SEC24A, much of the PCSK9 couldn't make its way out of the cells to destroy the LDLR, which then clears cholesterol from the blood," Chen said.

The part of the vesicle that selects which proteins to transport is SEC24. By blocking SEC24A gene, the researchers disabled the vesicle's selection of PCSK9. The destructive protein remained trapped within the cells, leaving the LDLR intact and enabling the liver to clear the body of cholesterol that otherwise could accumulate in arteries.

"We have no reason at this point to expect that this strategy will be any better than anti-PCSK9 therapy for treating high cholesterol, but it would be another alternative approach, and it's hard to predict which drugs will work the best and be the safest until we actually try them out in people," Ginsburg said.

Ginsburg is a research professor at the Life Sciences Institute, where his laboratory is located. He is also the James V. Neel Distinguished University Professor and the Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor in the Division of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Department of Internal Medicine and departments of Human Genetics and Pediatrics at the U-M Medical School and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

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Journal Reference:

1. X.-W. Chen, H. Wang, K. Bajaj, P. Zhang, Z.-X. Meng, D. Ma, Y. Bai, H.-H. Liu, E. Adams, A. Baines, G. Yu, M. A. Sartor, B. Zhang, Z. Yi, J. Lin, S. G. Young, R. Schekman, D. Ginsburg. SEC24A deficiency lowers plasma cholesterol through reduced PCSK9 secretion. eLife, 2013; 2 (0): e00444 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.00444

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/aOwne_jUt2w/130410141535.htm

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Bookmakers slash odds on Alexandra for royal baby name

LONDON (Reuters) - Bookmakers have sharply cut the odds that Britain's royal baby due in July will be called Alexandra after a flurry of betting.

The baby will be the first child of Prince William and his wife Kate, officially known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge since their marriage in April 2011.

The baby's sex has not been revealed but all the betting is on it being a girl since the duchess told a well-wisher who gave her a gift last month: "Thank you, I'll take this for my d..." before swiftly stopping herself.

Coral bookmakers have cut the odds on Alexandra to 12-1 from 25-1.

"It's the second biggest surge of bets we have witnessed since we were forced to suspend betting on the couple having a girl after Kate dropped a hint," said a Coral spokeswoman.

Overall, the name Elizabeth still remains the punters' favourite with odds of 5-1, with Diana a close second at 6-1 and Victoria third at 7-1.

Although not quite so closely connected with British royalty as those three, the name Alexandra has a good pedigree.

Princess Alexandra, 76, is a cousin of the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria's son Edward VII and his wife Alexandra were crowned in 1902.

(Reporting by Oxana Andrienko, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bookmakers-slash-odds-alexandra-royal-baby-name-122447818.html

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Russell Brand Pushes for "KKK Threesome" on Chelsea Lately

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/russell-brand-to-the-kardashians-lets-have-a-foursome/

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Gay rights activists, topless protesters greet Putin

By Alexei Anishchuk and Thomas Escritt

HANOVER, Germany/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin laughed off a protest against him by topless women in Germany on Monday, joking that he liked what he had seen, and was later greeted by gay rights protesters in Amsterdam.

Putin's visit to Germany and the Netherlands, Moscow's biggest trade partners in Europe was supposed to focus on trade but comes at an awkward time after a wave of state inspections of foreign-funded non-governmental organizations in Russia that has been much criticized abroad.

The nations need Russia for energy and as a market for exports but are uneasy about Putin's treatment of opponents and activists in his new Kremlin term.

Three members of the women's rights group Femen, which has staged protests against Russia's detention of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot around Europe, disrupted his visit to a trade fair in the German city of Hanover focusing on Russian business.

They stripped to the waist and shouted slogans calling the Russian leader a "dictator" before being covered up and bundled away by security men.

"Regarding this performance, I liked it," grinned Putin at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, adding that it had helped to promote the trade fair.

"I did not catch what they were shouting, I did not even see if they were blondes, brunettes or chestnut-haired ..."

In Amsterdam, many houses and bridges in the historic canal district were draped with banners and the rainbow flag of the gay pride movement, protesting about what human rights organizations say is institutional repression of gays in Russia.

"Putin go homo," read one, echoing the message "Putin go home" on the front page of Friday's leading daily newspaper NRC Next.

Other activists festooned the area around Amsterdam's Hermitage Museum, an offshoot of the St Petersburg Hermitage, with posters drawing attention to what they said were abuses committed by Putin's government.

Esther Noyon, a music student living in a flat near the museum - which was the first stop on Putin's visit to the Netherlands - hung gay pride flags on her building, while residents in a flat opposite played gay anthems at top volume.

ECONOMIC TIES

Putin, who began his six-year third term as president last May, arrived in Amsterdam to meet Queen Beatrix and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte after holding talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Hanover.

They want to further boost booming economic ties but the German leader also repeated her concerns about human rights in Russia after raids by Russian authorities on German and other non-governmental organizations based in the country.

Russia's new law on NGOs requires them to register as "foreign agents" if they have foreign funding and are deemed to be involved in politics, something many groups have refused to do, saying they are not acting on behalf of other nations and are not trying to influence Russian politics.

For many, the term evokes Soviet-era oppression and Cold War espionage.

Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany, said people in a free society had the right to protest.

"This is about NGOs being able to work well and freely ... A lively civil society can only emerge when individuals can operate without fear or worry, of course on the basis of law," Merkel said.

Putin, a former KGB agent who worked in East Germany in the 1980s and speaks fluent German, denied that the Kremlin was trying to muzzle the NGOs and said Moscow just wanted to monitor the amounts of foreign funding coming into Russia.

"All our actions are connected not with closing and forbidding (foreign-funded NGOs in Russia), but with monitoring financial flows that go to non-governmental Russian organizations which are involved in internal political activity, and this money comes from outside of the country," he said.

"Regarding the freedom of work of these organizations, it is not limited at all. They only have to register."

Putin said nearly 1 billion dollars had flowed to Russian NGOs in just four months since Moscow approved the new law - a figure swiftly queried by NGOs in Moscow.

"The talk of $1 billion is a lie," Pavel Chikov, the head of Agora, a Russian legal aid NGO, said on Twitter.

(Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke, Steve Gutterman in Moscow; Writing by Gareth Jones; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kremlin-urges-germany-punish-topless-protest-against-putin-091629416.html

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Ford Focus is the world's best-selling auto

Paul A. Eisenstein , The Detroit Bureau ? ? ? 2 hrs.

Ford's increasing focus on global small cars apparently is paying off. Make that the Ford Focus which was the world?s best-selling automobile overall last year, according to new data from R.L. Polk & Company.

The Detroit maker?s compact model rang up more than 1 million sales last year, almost 17 percent more volume than Toyota recorded for its traditional sales leader, the compact Corolla model. Ford also scored at the other extreme, its big F-Series pickups collectively coming in third on the global sales list. In all, Ford landed three different models in the Top 10, including the sixth-ranked Fiesta subcompact.

Toyota and Honda each had two models on the Polk chart, while Volkswagen and General Motors? Chevrolet brand each had one. But the Top 10 list also included a new name likely not recognizable to most Westerners: China?s Wuling Zhiguang which generated 768,870 sales, landing just behind the F-Series in fourth place.

?Focus and Fiesta represent the culmination of our One Ford global product strategy,? said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president for global marketing, sales and service and the head of its Lincoln brand.

The Detroit Bureau: Maserati Goes for the Mainstream with New 4-Door Ghibli

While Focus saw a 40 percent jump in U.S. demand last year, Ford?s late push into China helped Focus surge to the top of the sales charts last year, with volume of 1,020,410. It only went on sale in what is now the world?s largest automotive market in March 2012. Yet that market snapped up 300,000 of the Ford compacts last year ? where it is sold in both the current version and as a prior-generation model known as the Focus ?Classic.?

Looking forward to Ford?s aggressive Chinese expansion plans, said Farley, ?With additional manufacturing capacity added last year, we now have a tremendous opportunity to further strengthen our global small car sales in 2013, with sales off to a very strong start already.?

The Detroit Bureau: Chinese to be First to Build Detroit's Radical New, High-Mileage OPOC Engine

Toyota?s second-place finish, with sales of 872,774, still underscores the power of its Corolla model, especially considering it is set for a complete redesign later this year. A prototype, dubbed the Furia, was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January and Toyota officials recently hinted that the production version will be introduced before the Los Angeles Auto Show next autumn.

(For more on the next Toyota Corolla, Click Here.)

The fact that the Ford F-Series only came in third might surprise some Americans considering its continued strength in the U.S., where it has routinely heads the sales charts as both best-selling truck and best-selling vehicle overall for decades. But the U.S. was responsible for the vast majority of the full-size pickup?s volume of 785,630 last year.

(Redesigning an Icon: the secret concepts behind the next-gen Ford F-Series, Click Here.)

The F-Series is a real standout on the Polk Top 10 sales chart as the only classic truck on the list. In fact, the vast majority of the top-selling products are compacts and subcompacts, with the Toyota Camry, ranked fifth, the only midsize offering.

The Detroit Bureau: Honda and Acura Have Big Plans to Reveal at Shanghai Auto Show

As for the Wuling Zhiguang, it?s a pintsized people-mover barely the size of some of the sedans and hatchbacks on the Top 10 chart. Wuling is part of a joint venture between General Motors and its Chinese partner, Shanghai-based SAIC. '

Here?s the complete Top 10 list:

1. Ford Focus ? 1,020,410
2. Toyota Corolla ? 872,774
3. Ford F-Series ? 785,630
4. Wuling Zhiguang ? 768,870
5. Toyota Camry ? 729,793
6. Ford Fiesta ? 723,130
7. VW Golf ? 699,148
8. Chevrolet Cruze ? 661,325
9. Honda Civic ? 651,159
10. Honda CR-V ? 624,982

Copyright ? 2009-2013, The Detroit Bureau

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2a849ca7/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Cford0Efocus0Eworlds0Ebest0Eselling0Eauto0E1C9275876/story01.htm

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Putin says Korea conflict would be worse than Chernobyl

By Alexei Anishchuk

HANOVER, Germany (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concern on Monday about the escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula and said conflict there could cause greater devastation than the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

"I would make no secret about it, we are worried about the escalation on the Korean peninsula, because we are neighbors," Putin told a joint news conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel during a visit to a trade fair in Germany.

"And if, God forbid, something happens, Chernobyl which we all know a lot about, may seem like a child's fairy tale. Is there such a threat or not? I think there is," he said.

Chernobyl in Ukraine was the site of the worst nuclear power disaster in history in April 1986 when one of its reactors exploded during a safety experiment, sending out a plume of highly radioactive fallout.

Large areas of Ukraine, neighboring Belarus and Russia were contaminated. Radioactive dust also spread across parts of western Europe.

Putin, whose vast country shares a border with North Korea, urged all protagonists in the Korean crisis to act calmly and to support a diplomatic solution of "problems that have piled up for many years".

The Russian leader praised a U.S. decision at the weekend to postpone a planned missile test as part of efforts to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula.

"I think we should all thank the U.S. leadership for this step. I hope it will be noticed by our North Korean partners, that certain conclusions will be drawn, everyone will calm down and start joint work to ease the situation."

Merkel told the same news conference that North Korea should halt its "provocations".

Speculation has been mounting that North Korea will launch some sort of provocative action in coming days - an arms test or a missile launch - after weeks of bellicose threats against the South and the United States.

The prospect of another test has further boosted tensions, already driven up by Pyongyang's fury over the imposition of new U.S. sanctions after its last nuclear test in February. Earlier on Monday South Korea rebuffed suggestions that a North Korean nuclear arms test may be imminent.

(Reporting by Alexei Anishchuk, writing by Gareth Jones, editing by Noah Barkin)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/putin-says-korea-conflict-worse-chernobyl-100002387.html

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AP Interview: Dempsey on Afghan security handoff

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) ? The top U.S. military officer said Sunday he believes parts of Afghanistan will be contested by the Taliban after international forces complete their planned withdrawal by the end of 2014, and that could be the case for years to come.

U.S. Gen. Martin Dempsey also told The Associated Press in an interview that Afghans will take the security lead throughout the country before summer, as agreed in January by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and President Barack Obama.

Wrapping up a visit to Afghanistan, Dempsey said that he was cautious about the final stage of handing off security responsibility to Afghan forces and optimistic about the chances it ultimately will prove successful.

Afghan forces have been increasingly taking the lead in combat operations as international forces move to complete their withdrawal by the end of 2014.

There are about 100,000 international troops in Afghanistan now, including 66,000 from the United States. The U.S. troop total is scheduled to drop to about 32,000 by early next year, with the bulk of the decline occurring during the winter months.

While there has been no final decision on the size of the post-2014 force, U.S. and NATO leaders say they are considering a range of between 8,000 and 12,000 ? most of them trainers and advisers.

Asked if he believes that some parts of Afghanistan will be contested by the Taliban in 2015, Dempsey said, "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."

Dempsey, who held talks with U.S. commanders and Afghan security officials, said he was not bothered by the prospect of the U.S. and NATO relinquishing the lead combat role this year while the Taliban continues to hold sway in some less populated areas.

The war is now in its 12th year.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-interview-dempsey-afghan-security-handoff-130326974--politics.html

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Microsoft prompts XP users to upgrade - business | Stuff.co.nz

Microsoft is prodding Windows XP users to consider upgrading to one its newer operating systems now its support for XP is due to end in one year.

IDC Research estimated XP was still running on 500,000 - or one in seven - New Zealand personal computers in February, making it the second-most popular operating system behind Windows 7.

Microsoft warned again today that it would stop supporting the operating system on April 8, 2014, which it said would leave those computers "open to potential vulnerabilities and security risks".

Many consumers and businesses have been reluctant to upgrade from XP because it is relatively reliable and "does the job".

But Microsoft New Zealand managing director Paul Muckleston claimed it was "not designed to handle today's computing environment or cope with advanced cyber-attacks and the challenges of maintaining data privacy".

There were big risks in continuing to use XP once Microsoft ended support, he said.

Users would then no longer receive security updates that helped protect computers from viruses, spyware, and other malicious software that can steal personal information.

The risks were real and the only way businesses and consumers could protect themselves was to upgrade, Microsoft said.

It is a year since the company first announced the date for ending XP support and it has since consistently maintained there will be no reprieve.

TOP OPERATING SYSTEMS IN NEW ZEALAND, FEBRUARY 2013

Windows 7: 49.9%

Windows XP: 14.3%

MacOSX: 14.1%

Windows Vista: 7.6%

iOS: 7% Windows 8: 4.3%

Linux: 1%

(Source: IDC)

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/8522299/Microsoft-prompts-XP-users-to-upgrade

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ASUS' 7-inch MeMo Pad now on sale for $150

Cheap tablets are currently on the rise, but not just low-end hardware from manufacturers that you've probably never heard of -- true consumer electronics heavyweights are getting in on the action. Today, ASUS unleashed its $150 MeMo Pad to the frugal masses. This 7-inch slab packs a 1GHz single-core VIA WM8950 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, a 1-megapixel front-facing shooter and Android 4.1. While its specs aren't anything to sound-off about, this distant cousin to the highly acclaimed Nexus 7, might be worth considering if your budget happens to fall $50 shy of Google's entry-level slate.

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS

Comments

Via: Tech on Budget

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/08/asus-7-inch-memo-pad-now-on-sale/

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Schumer sees deal this week on immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday he's hoping for a bipartisan deal by the end of this week on a sweeping immigration bill to secure the border and allow eventual citizenship to the estimated 11 million people living here illegally.

"All of us have said that there will be no agreement until the eight of us agree to a big, specific bill, but hopefully we can get that done by the end of the week," said Schumer, D-N.Y., who's leading efforts by eight senators to craft the legislation. "That's what we're on track to do."

Schumer spoke on CBS' "Face the Nation" alongside Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., another leader of the immigration talks, who suggested there could be a tough road ahead for the contentious legislation.

"There will be a great deal of unhappiness about this proposal because everybody didn't get what they wanted," McCain said. "There are entrenched positions on both sides of this issue as far as business and labor."

A deal on immigration is a top second-term priority for President Barack Obama, and his senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Sunday that the bill being developed in the Senate is completely consistent Obama's approach ? even though the Senate plan would tie border security to a path to citizenship in a manner Obama administration officials have criticized.

Pfeiffer didn't answer directly when asked on "Fox News Sunday" whether Obama would sign legislation making a path to citizenship contingent on first securing the border, as negotiators in the Senate are doing. But he suggested Obama was supportive of the Senate plan.

"What they are looking at and what has been talked about in the Gang of Eight proposal is 100 percent consistent with what the president is doing so we feel very good about it," Pfeiffer said. "And they are looking at it in the right way."

Obama has stressed that a path to citizenship should not have major hurdles in front of it, and some immigration advocates believe that's what a requirement for a secure border would amount to. Obama's Homeland Security secretary, Janet Napolitano, has rejected the argument that border security must be achieved before a comprehensive immigration package or any pathway to legalized status can be done.

But Republicans involved in the Senate negotiations have made clear that border security is a must for them before those living here illegally can be allowed to move toward citizenship.

"We are going to secure that border and it will be tied to a pathway to citizenship or there will be no deal," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., another negotiator on the bill, said Sunday.

Graham also suggested that disagreement over a new low-skilled worker program could still be hanging up an overall immigration deal ? even after an agreement a week ago between the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The hard-won deal between labor and business would ultimately allow up to 200,000 workers a year into the U.S. to fill jobs in construction, hospitality, nursing homes and other areas where employers now say they have a difficult time hiring Americans or legally bringing in foreign workers. Even after the deal was struck, some industries, such as construction, continued to voice complaints about the terms.

Without offering details, Graham said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that negotiators were revisiting the low-skilled worker deal. But he issued a statement a short time later saying he was confident the agreement would hold.

Graham sounded optimistic overall, predicting the bill would pass the 100-member Senate with 70 votes in favor. Senators believe an overwhelming bipartisan vote is needed in the Democratic-led Senate to ensure a chance of success in the Republican-controlled House. Floor action could start in the Senate in May, Schumer said.

Meanwhile two lawmakers involved in writing a bipartisan immigration bill in the House, Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., sounded optimistic that they, too, would have a deal soon that could be reconciled with the Senate agreement.

"I am very, very optimistic that the House of Representatives is going to have a plan that is going to be able to go to a conference with the Senate in which we're going to be able to resolve this," Gutierrez said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union".

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-04-07-Immigration/id-dde02a8041e444c6ae5adb348dda5a02

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Are You a Good Fit for a Home Based Business? - Canadian ...

You have to have key characteristics to succeed in a home based business.

No one dreams of working for a large corporation for their entire lives, only to retire with a tiny pension (if any) and little to no additional benefits. If you ask most people, they all have a secret dream to own their own business. Luckily, there are as many potential businesses as there are budding entrepreneurs. Of those potential businesses, there is an increasing number of home based businesses. Of course, before you choose a home based business, you need to be sure you are a good fit. Below are some key characteristics to consider.

Getting Things Done in a Home Based Business Requires Self-Motivation

There are many differences between working for yourself in a home based business and succeeding in a corporate role. For instance, in the corporate daily grind, you have colleagues to push you, whether a supervisor, team leader, crew leader or the CEO. With a home business, you must be your own motivating force.? There will be no one sitting in the office next door to tell you what needs to be done, no one to prioritize your day and no one to make sure you are productive. You will have to do this yourself. While self-motivation is can be acquired over time, you may not want to test this personality trait for the first time in your own business.

Managing Distractions is a Necessity When Working From Home

Everyone dreams of being able to work from home. The thought of waking up in the morning, turning on the coffee pot and starting work in your home office or your living room in your pajamas is pretty appealing. However, you?ll need to ensure you can minimize and avoid distractions. You?ll find there are many things competing for your attention, if you allow them ? from the kids returning home from school, to the television, Facebook, email, chores and even family members calling to ask you for a favor. It?s critical to manage these distractions, otherwise they will steal time away from running your business and making money.

Being Technology Savvy Will Definitely Help With Your Home Office

Technology has become a critical component of every business and a home based business is no exception. Of course the level of technology sophistication will vary depending on your business type, but you require a PC or Mac, combination printer and scanner, high-speed Internet connection, Wi-Fi network, word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software for running the business, along with email, software for tracking and managing clients, knowledge of Internet marketing and accounting software. Let?s just say chances are you will have to become technology savvy.

Running a Home Based Business Requires a Determination to Succeed

Running a home based business can be rewarding, but there is a defining point in nearly every business requiring the determination to succeed to get through the tough times. For example, distractions, lack of motivation, client problems, technology issues, tax challenges, cash flow issues and more, can combine to create a frustrating situation from time to time. Determination and dedication is required to get through these less than ideal times. Building a profitable home based business is certainly possible, but it doesn?t come without effort.? So if you?re more interested in ?easy money,? this isn?t the option for you.

Having Organizational Capabilities Will Help Increase Efficiency

If you examine other successful home based business owners, you?ll find they all have one thing in common ? the ability to stay organized. As a business owner, you?ll have to keep track of an immense amount of information, from client invoices to tax data to work orders and many other pieces of information. You will have to be organized from day one.

Operating a home based business can be very rewarding, with the right opportunity and the right skill set. First ensure you?re a good fit before you embark on your new career and you will increase your chances of success, while enjoying the rewards of business ownership.

About the Author, CFO Team

The Canadian Franchise Opportunities team is a dedicated group whose primary purpose is to help inform those exploring franchising as a potential business model. We believe that through education we can help prospective franchisees make better decisions when evaluating, selecting and buying a franchise.

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Source: http://www.cafranchiseopportunities.com/home-based-business/

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Kerry mourns 1st diplomat killed since Benghazi

ISTANBUL (AP) ? Secretary of State John Kerry is mourning the first death of an American diplomat on the job since last year's Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. diplomatic installation in Benghazi, Libya.

Anne Smedinghoff, 25, was one of six Americans killed in an attack Saturday in Afghanistan.

Smedinghoff, an Illinois resident, was on her second tour in Afghanistan after returning last summer. She aided Kerry on his visit there last month.

Visiting Istanbul, a clearly emotional Kerry told consulate workers on Sunday that Smedinghoff stood for everything America stands for.

He says she died trying to make a difference by providing young Afghans with education.

Smedinghoff previously served in Venezuela.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-07-Kerry-Afghanistan/id-867023bc1b2e4eb7885dffe4e004b855

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Weight Loss Surgery: What Are The Options? | Mexico Health ...

To understand how surgical procedures aid the grossly overweight person to reduce their body fat, it helps to first understand the digestive process that is responsible for handling the food we take in.

Once food is chewed and swallowed, it?s on its way through the digestive tract, where enzymes and digestive juices will break it down and allow our systems to absorb the nutrients and calories. In the stomach, which can hold up to three pints of material, the breakdown continues with the help of strong acids. From there it moves into the duodenum, and the digestive process speeds up through the addition of bile and pancreatic juices. It?s here, that our body absorbs the majority of iron and calcium in the foods we eat. The final part of the digestive process takes place in the 20 feet of small intestine, the jejunum and the ileum, where calorie and nutrient absorption is completed, and any unused particles of food are then shunted into the large intestine for elimination.

Weight loss procedures involve bypassing, or in some way circumventing the full digestive process. They range from simple reduction of the amount you can eat, to major bypasses in the digestive tract. To qualify for many of these surgeries, a person must be termed ?morbidly obese?, that is, weighing at least 100 lbs. over the appropriate weight for their height and general body structure.

Gastric Bypass

In the mid 1960s, Dr. Edward E. Mason discovered that women who had undergone partial stomach removal as the result of peptic ulcers, failed to gain weight afterwards. From this observation, grew the trial use of stapling across the top of the stomach, to reduce its actual capacity to about three tablespoons. The stomach filled quickly, and eventually emptied into the lower portion, completing the digestive process in the normal way. Over the years, the surgery evolved into what is now known as the Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass. Instead of partitioning the stomach, it is divided and separated from the rest, with staples. The small intestine is then cut at approximately 18? below the stomach, and attached to the ?new?, small stomach. Smaller meals are then eaten, and the digested food moves directly into the lower part of the bowel. As weight loss surgeries are viewed overall, this is considered one of the safest, offering long-term management of obesity.

Gastric Banding

A procedure that produces basically the same results as the stomach stapling/bypass, and is also classed as a ?restrictive? surgery. The first operations, involved a non-flexing band placed around the upper part of the stomach, below the esophagus, creating an hourglass shaped stomach, the upper portion being reduced to the same 3-6 ounce capacity. As technologies advanced, the band became more flexible, incorporating an inflatable balloon, which when triggered by a reservoir placed in the abdomen, was capable of inflating to cut down the size of the stoma, or deflating to enlarge it. Laparoscopic surgery means smaller scars, and less invasion of the digestive tract.

Biliopancreatic Diversion

A combination of the gastric bypass, and Roux-en-y re-structuring, that bypasses a significant section of the small intestine, thereby creating the probability of malabsorption. The stomach is reduced in size, and an extended Roux-en-y anastomosis is attached to the smaller stomach, and lower down on the small intestine than is normal. This permits the patient to eat larger amounts, but still achieve weight loss through malabsorption. Professor Nicola Scopinaro, University of Genoa, Italy, developed the technique, and last year published the first long-term results. They showed an average 72% loss of excess body weight, maintained over 18 years, the best long-term results of any bariatric surgical procedure, to date. BPD patients require lifelong follow-ups to monitor calcium and vitamin intake. The advantages of being able to eat more and still lose weight, are countered by loose or foul smelling stools, flatus, stomal ulcers, and possible protein malnutrition.

Jejuno-Ileal Bypass

One of the first weight loss procedures for the grossly obese, was developed in the 1960s, a strictly malabsorptive method of reducing weight, and preventing gain. The jejuno-ileal bypass reduced the lower digestive tract to a mere 18? of small intestine, from the natural 20 feet, a critical difference when it came to absorption of calories and nutrients. In the end-to-end method, the upper intestine was severed below the stomach, and re-attached to the small intestine much lower down, which had also been severed, thereby ?cutting out?, the majority of the intestine. Malabsorption of carbohydrate, protein, lipids, minerals and vitamins, led to a variation, the end-to-side bypass, which took the end of the upper portion, and attached it to the side of the lower portion, without severing at that point. Reflux of bowel contents into the non-functioning upper portion of small bowel, resulted in more absorption of essential nutrients, but also less weight loss, and increased weight gain, post-surgery. As a result of the bypass, fatty acids are dumped in the colon, producing an irritation that causes water and electrolytes to flood the bowel, ending in chronic diarrhea. The bile salt pool necessary to keeping cholesterol in solution is reduced by malabsorption and loss through stool. As a consequence, cholesterol concentration in the gall bladder rises, increasing the risk of stones. Multiple vitamin losses are a major concern, and may result in bone thinning, pain and fractures. Approximately one third of patients experience an adjustment in the size and thickness of the remaining active small intestine, which increases the absorption of nutrients, and balances out the weight loss. However, over the long term, all patients undergoing this bypass are susceptible to hepatic cirrhosis. In the early 1980s, one study showed that approximately 20% of those who had undergone JIB, required conversion to another bypass alternative. The procedure has since been largely abandoned, as having too many risk factors.

While surgical methods of reducing weight are valuable to the morbidly obese, they are not without risks. Patients may require more bed rest post-surgery, resulting in an increased chance of blood clots. Pain may also cause reduced depth of breathing, and complications such as pneumonia.

Before undergoing any fat/weight reduction surgery, a severely overweight person needs to thoroughly understand the benefits and risks, and must make a commitment to their future health. Having a smaller stomach is not going to stop the chronic sugar-snacker, from ?grazing? on high calorie sweets. Nor does a steady supply of pop, concentrated sweet juices and milk shakes, reduce the calorie intake. With some bypass surgeries, certain foods can aggravate side-effects that need not be that severe, if common sense diets are adhered to. Surgery can be a ?shortcut? to weight loss, but it can also reduce your enjoyment of life, if you are unable to adhere to the regimens that go with it.

Source: http://www.nmfbihop.com/weight-loss-surgery-what-are-the-options

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